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Business briefs

YSU TO HOST ENGINEERING SUMMER CAMPS: Learning how to operate a robot and how to use a 3D printer are among the topics that will be covered at the Junior Engineers STEM Summer Camp at Youngstown State University.

The camp, hosted by the YSU Division of Workforce Development and Innovation, is designed for students ages 9 through 14 and will be held in three rounds at the Excellence Training Center on the YSU campus: June 12-17, July 13-17 and July 18-22.

Students will learn about additive manufacturing, how to use a 3D printer, how to design solutions using CAD software, about robots and cobots, how to connect robots to computers and how to upload computer code to a robot. The final day of camp includes a visit to the OH WOW! Museum in downtown Youngstown.

Go to ysu.edu/etc-summer-camp for more information.

NEW SHOW PREMIERS: The Armstrong Neighborhood Channel, which provides all locally produced shows, will premier a new show called Artist Impact on May 30.

The show will air on the neighborhood channel 100, YouTube and the podcast version on most main stream podcast providers.

Artist Impact will feature musicians, bands, musical artists and songwriters with SounDoctrine’s Jere B hosting.

Each episode will highlight two musical artists submitting one video track. The panelists watch and listen to the track, then give their critiques and viewpoints with the artist together. This gives the musical artists a chance to premiere their music and videos for everyone to enjoy plus get real advice from professionals in the music business. All types of musicians can participate.

CHAMBER TO HOST DEI EVENT: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber will host a diversity, equity and inclusion matchmaker event June 28 at Stambaugh Auditorium as part of its Lunch and Learn series in partnership with The Youngstown Foundation.

The event will match diverse businesses with supply chain and procurement opportunities, as well as local and state resources to help them grow. Participants include large organizations, such as Ultium Cells, Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and Vallourec Star, and service providers that include the Minority Business Assistance Center, Huntington Bank and Ohio Development Services Agency.

Youngstown native Derek Penn, who serves on the board of directors for Charles Schwab and recently authored “Diary of a Black Man on Wall Street,” will deliver opening remarks.

Check-in and breakfast are at 8:30 a.m. The event will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Register on the Events page of the chamber’s website, www.regional

chamber.com. For more information, call chamber Foundation President Michael McGiffin at 330-744-2131, Ext. 1241, or email michael@region

alchamber.com.

New business

CANDY STORE COMES TO MALL: A grand opening for Shelby’s Sugar Shop at the Southern Park Mall was Saturday.

The store features chocolates, assorted candy, specialty sodas, gifts and more than 20 flavors of ice cream in a cone or bowl. The store is located in the mall’s center court.

People on the move

TWO NEW YBI BOARD MEMBERS: Samuel Huston, Mahoning Valley community president, business banking senior vice president, Huntington Bank, and Kelly Wilkinson, dean, Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University, were recently appointed to the board of directors at the Youngstown Business Incubator.

They join other directors who include leaders in business, education and local government.

CHAMBER WELCOMES DIRECTOR: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber recently brought on Lyle Huffman as director of government affairs.

In this position, Huffman will develop and implement an annual action plan advancing public policy promoting economic prosperity for chamber members and quality of life for the Mahoning Valley; serve as a liaison between chamber members and local, state and federal governments; develop the content, agendas and sponsorships for government affairs events; and advocate in Columbus and Washington, D.C., on behalf Regional Chamber members and the business community.

Huffman, of Howland, spent nearly 10 years as director of public services and community development / assistant town manager for Greenville, Pa.

iSYNERGY ADDS LOCAL TALENT: iSynergy, a digital marketing agency, has added Lauren Moliterno as a copywriter.

Moliterno most recently served as training and communications coordinator at TTM Technologies in North Jackson. She was responsible for the implementation of training programs for a staff of about 200 people.

The Boardman native is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she majored in English and creative writing. She also trained at the prestigious Second City Training Center in Chicago and performed improv comedy at the Del Close Marathon in New York City.

PREMIER PROMOTES: Premier Bank has promoted W. Todd Booth to vice president, senior portfolio manager.

Booth joined Premier Bank in October 2017. Since, he has worked closely with the Mahoning Valley commercial bankers to move credit requests through the approval process and to review existing customer relationships to manage the credit quality of the bank’s portfolio.

AGENT JOINS FIRM: Burgan Real Estate has added Brian Decoy to its roster of agents, marking the eighth new agent at the firm this year.

In addition to helping clients buy and sell homes, he will help with multiunit procurement and managing of properties through Burgan Property Management.

Decoy, a native of Canfield, joins Burgan Real Estate after working as general manager of Bowser Hyundai Chevrolet.

Submit items for business briefs, new businesses and people on the move to business@tribtoday.com, fax to 330-841-1717 or online at www.tribtoday.com. The deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday.

Business briefs

DOCTOR AWARDED: Dr. James J. LaPolla Jr., podiatrist and owner of Northeast Ohio Foot, Ankle & Wound Centers, is a 2021 recipient of the International Aurora Award presented by the Kerecis Corporation to doctors who demonstrate outstanding case presentations and research papers pertaining to the science of dermatology, wound care and burn treatments.

The recipients are selected by an independent committee that represent the leaders in the science of dermatology and wound care.

LaPolla, affiliated with Steward Sharon Wound Care Center, was one of the 12 recipients of this award from more than several hundred submissions. His case presentation focused on a patient who was scheduled to have a below-knee amputation due to an extensive infection of the foot and ankle, secondary to complications of his diabetes. LaPolla was able to save the patient’s limb with wound care, patient compliance and the use of the Kerecis Xenograft.

He was provided with an educational stipend and was invited to present his abstract paper at a national or international wound meeting.

VALLEY COMPANY PRESENTS AT CONFERENCE: Youngstown-based Induction Professionals was selected to present its innovative 60Hz line frequency high efficiency billet heater at the 12th International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar & Exposition last week in Orlando, Fla.

Induction Professionals’ President Thomas Kearney presented the heater developed by his company.

By redesigning the equipment used in the induction heating process, Induction Professionals has found a way to save a company at least 23 percent of the direct cost of electricity in their heating process.

In addition, the equipment offers enhanced capabilities for manufacturers to compete in the new greener energy-focused environment emerging today.

Induction Professionals, in business for more than 20 years, is at Ohio Works Industrial Park in Youngstown. The company builds and repairs induction heating and melting equipment for companies in the United States and Europe. In addition, the company offers design services and application specific consulting and engineering services.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS OFFERED: Credit Union of Ohio will offer three virtual workshops this week on homeownership and financial best practices. The virtual workshops are free to attend but advanced registration is required.

A workshop for homeowners will cover home equity loans noon Tuesday. A first-time homebuyers workshop will be 8 p.m. Wednesday and a financial health check-up session will be noon Thursday.

View the full schedule, including session descriptions and get registered at

cuofohio.org.

People on the move

PROMOTION AT MIDDLEFIELD: Middlefield Banc Corp. has promoted Michael C. Ranttila to vice president of finance for the company.

With the move, Ranttila also has become an executive officer of Middlefield Banc Corp., which is the holding company of The Middlefield Banking Company. He will continue to serve as executive vice president / chief financial officer of the bank, a position he has held since November 2019.

A certified public accountant, Ranttila joined the bank as controller in March 2011 and has extensive experience in financial reporting. He is a graduate of Youngstown State University with a degree in business administration, as well as a graduate of The Ohio State University with a masters degree in business administration.

iSYNERGY EXPANDS ROSTER: iSynergy, a digital marketing agency in Canfield, recently brought on Becky Bertuzzi as growth marketer for iSynergy and sister company, Lift Marketing.

In this role, Bertuzzi, a native of Warren, comes on with more than 10 years of experience in corporate and private marketing management.

Since graduating from Youngstown State University with a degree in advertising and public relations, she has operated her own digital marketing company, BSquared, LLC, producing website development, graphic design and social media management. She also has served as the director of marketing at VEC Inc. in Girard.

With Lift Marketing, she will serve as art director.

898 MARKETING ADDS STAFF: Alec Cole has been hired as video production editor at 898 Marketing, a Canfield-based strategic marketing and creative consulting firm.

Cole came to 898 Marketing from Advantage Video Productions, where he served as senior video editor. In his new capacity, Cole will plan and produce video shoots, edit video and add motion graphics to videos that will be implemented across a variety of media platforms.

Graduating in 2017, Cole attended Trumbull Career and Technical Center, studying interactive multimedia. He focused on motion graphics and cinematography, including in video production competitions locally and nationally.

DOCTOR JOINS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatrics recently welcomed Dr. Shannon Thompson to its Alliance office. The practice at 1826 S. Arch Ave. provides pediatric primary care for babies, children and teens.

Thompson earned her medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency at Akron Children’s Hospital and has been practicing medicine since 2018. She is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Submit items for Business briefs, New businesses and People on the move to business@tribtoday.com, fax to 330-841-1717 or online at www.tribtoday.com. The deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday.

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