Business briefs
Business briefs
FLYING PRIVATE EVENT: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber will host Flying Private, an information session with the Western Reserve Port Authority and Jets FBO, from 4 to 6 p.m. April 6 at the Grand Resort, 9519 E. Market St., Warren.
The event is in response to growing interest in private aviation for business travel.
The keynote speaker, Michael Hillman of Jets FBO, will guide attendees through the various options for accessing private aviation, including chartering, ownership, fractional programs and jet cards. He will discuss the financial aspect of private aviation, exploring the average cost of chartering, which ranges from $3,000 to $7,500 per hour and the costs and benefits of aircraft ownership.
RSVP to samantha@regionalchamber.com by March 31.
BBB TO HOST SPEAKER: BBB accredited businesses are invited to a Lunch & Learn with the topic, Social Media 101 for Small Businesses, at noon April 5 at Garden Kettle, 8049 Market St., Suite 1, Boardman.
Lexi Lendak, a social media coordinator for 898 Marketing, will present what small businesses can do with a small budget to have a major impact when it comes to social media marketing.
Reservations are required by March 29. RSVP by calling 330-744-3111, Ext. 111, or rachel@youngstown.bbb.org. Lunch is complimentary.
WEBINAR TO FEATURE YBI DIRECTOR, YSU ALUM: Barb Ewing, executive director of the Youngstown Business Incubator, will participate in a webinar titled “People and Places: Inequality, Migration, Place-Based Economic Development, and Equity” from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Monday.
Youngstown State University graduate (2016) Ashley E. Orr of Carnegie Mellon University, also will be a panelist.
Put on by the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management, the event will bring together academic researchers and applied policy practitioners to discuss the newest thinking on how to address regional inequalities. Speakers will review potential mechanisms for regional equalization, including worker migration and locally-targeted economic development programs, and talk about reasons why migration alone is not sufficient to ensure regional equalization.
Go to https://www.appam.org for more information and to register.
FACILITY TO OPEN: New Day Recovery, a provider for treatment of substance use disorders, has opened a new detox and residential facility in Niles at 1500 McKinley Ave., the former site of Shepherd of the Valley Assisted Living.
New Day Recovery has several locations Mahoning and Trumbull counties, including women’s and men’s residential treatment centers and several recovery housing locations. Sister-company On Demand Counseling provides outpatient programs near New Day locations.
The new location is almost 60,000 square feet and can serve 150 to 200 patients, making it one of the largest treatment centers between Cleveland and Columbus.
EGCC TO HOLD EVENT: Eastern Gateway Community College will host its first alumni dinner and awards night to honor the achievements of alumni April 14 at St. Florian Banquet Hall, 286 Luray Drive, Wintersville. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.
It will feature keynote speakers Michael Geoghegan, president, and Ed Florak, former president.
Robert Thompson of Hubbard, is among the award recipients. He will receive an Outstanding Alumni Award.
Tickets, on sale through April 8, are $50. For information about tickets, contact Alumni Coordinator Kelley Frazier at alumni@egcc.edu.
DAY BRINGS RESIDENTS TO MERCY HEALTH: On March 17, Mercy Health-Youngstown’s Graduate Medical Education Program matched 48 incoming physician residents across nine programs. This new class includes 11 internal medicine, nine emergency medicine, 10 family medicine, four general surgery, three orthopedic surgery, four transitional and six dental residents, as well as one ENT resident.
Match Day is well-known in the graduate medical education community as the day when graduating medical students get placed into residency and fellowship programs. It is also the day when Mercy Health-Youngstown learns who will become our next class of physician residents.
Mercy Health-Youngstown has maintained residency programs for more than 100 years.
People on the move
REALTOR JOINS FIRM: Mayo Realtors in Boardman recently welcomed Sierra Macioge to its team of professional Realtors.
Macioge worked in an administrative position at the firm before earning her agent’s license.
YBI PROMOTES: The Youngstown Business Incubator has promoted Chandler Fiffick to director of the EVOLVE Technology program.
Previously, Fiffick was the coordinator of the EVOLVE program with YBI. In her new role, she’ll oversee management, operations, administration and strategic implementation of YBI’s technology-based incubation model to continue assisting startup tech companies throughout northeast Ohio.
EVOLVE also has added three entrepreneurs in residence: Stefan Agamanolis, who has a background in medical / health-tech startups; Bryan Boye, with operations and scale expertise; and Joe Duncko, an experienced software developer.
MOVES AT MVMC: Gina Pastella has been named assistant director for the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.
Pastella, who helped launch MVMC in 2010-11 in a consulting role, will oversee board-level initiatives and strategies, and develop staff to continue to meet the evolving and most pressing workforce needs of members.
Also, MVMC welcomes back Alex Hertzer in the role of senior project manager after a brief stint in an industry position.
Business briefs
CHAMBER TO HOLD ANNUAL MEETING: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber will hold its annual meeting 7:30 to 9 a.m. April 13 at the Eastwood Event Centre, 5555 Youngstown Warren Road, Niles.
The event will mark the 30th anniversary of the chamber, which will present its annual awards to three local individuals.
Receiving the Spirit of the Valley Award is Rick Rajaie, vice president of North American EV business, Foxconn EV System, LLC. The Spirit of the Chamber Award will be given to Jim Kinnick, executive director, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, and the Valley Champion Award will be given to Tom Mosure, board chairman, MS Consultants Inc.
Chamber President / CEO Guy Coviello also will give an update on the organization’s recent accomplishments and what’s coming next.
The cost to attend is $40 per member and $50 per nonmember.
WRTA ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN: The Western Reserve Transit Authority is rolling out its second annual “Give Small Business A Lift” campaign.
The campaign is designed to promote small businesses by spotlighting 12 local businesses that exemplify the Mahoning Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic.
Small businesses in Mahoning County can complete a short form at wrtaonline.com to nominate themselves. Nominations are accepted through March 31.
A group of three community leaders who serve as co-chairpersons select the winners from the nominations. The featured businesses will be announced publicly and presented their awards at the kickoff event April 20 at Concept Studio in downtown Youngstown.
The businesses picked will be promoted on WRTA buses, its digital sign downtown and elsewhere.
New businesses
RESTAURANT COMING TO AREA: A new Southern-style restaurant, Savannah Joe’s, plans to open in Youngstown at 2905 Glenwood Ave.
A soft opening is set for noon to 6 p.m. March 24 and 25. The grand opening is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It will be open to customers at 1 p.m. that day.
The restaurant is owned by Joseph Bowers, a native of Savannah, Ga.
People on the move
MILLWOOD HIRES CFO: Vienna-based Millwood, Inc. has filled the position of chief financial officer with Bruce Krarup of Howland, who has 22 years of experience in finance and accounting.
Prior to joining Millwood, he served as CFO of Nelson Labs, a division of Sotera Health, where he was responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the company and helping to drive growth and profitability. Prior to that, he spent six years at Cardinal Health and 13 years at General Electric.
As CFO of Millwood, Krarup is responsible for managing the company’s financial strategy, overseeing financial operations and ensuring that financial goals are met. That includes financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and managing the company’s financial relationships with lenders.
He replaces interim CFO Tom Paskert, who will be resuming his role as senior financial adviser to Millwood.
TWO APPOINTED TO EGCC BOARD: Carlton K. Ingram and Lois E. Thornton, both of Youngstown, have been appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to the board of trustees of Eastern Gateway Community College.
Both terms started March 10. Ingram’s term ends in October 2024 and Thornton’s term ends October 2027.
Eastern Gateway has campuses in Youngstown and Steubenville.
AIM PROMOTES: Justin Battisti has been named Aim Transportation solution’s controller.
In the role, Battisti, who was hired assistant controller in 2021, will work closely with Paul Slater, who recently was promoted to vice president, corporate controller, on all accounting functions, including high-level accounting and managerial accounting.
Born and raised in Struthers, Battisti is a Youngstown State University graduate. He also has completed his certified public accountant designation.
CANFIELD NATIVE JOINS BURGAN: Morgan Hoover of Canfield recently joined Youngstown-based Burgan Real Estate as an agent.
SPEARS JOINS FARMERS: Canfield-based Farmers National Bank has hired Chelsea Spears to its Marketing Department as digital and communications strategist.
For nearly six years, Spears worked in local television news.
A Columbus native, Spears is an alumni of The Ohio State University. She has been living and working in the Mahoning Valley since 2017.
VALLEY NATIVE ELECTED OFFICER: Youngstown native Richard L. LaRocca, certified club manager and certified chief executive, recently was installed secretary-treasurer of the Club Management Association of America board of directors at its 2023 World Conference and Club Business Expo in Orlando, Fla.
He was elected to the board in 2018, but joined the association in 1986.
LaRocca, a graduate of Youngstown State University, has served as the general manager / chief operating officer of Beechmont Country Club near Cleveland since 2019.
Founded in 1927, the association is the largest professional association for managers of membership clubs with more than 7,000 members throughout the U.S. and internationally.
LEADERSHIP CHANGE: The Hanna Family of Companies recently announced Kris Burdick has been promoted to president of brokerage operations. Burdick has been with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services since 2004 and will be leaving her role as president of northern Ohio and Michigan.
Burdick also has served as the regional sales manager and vice president for the Ohio South and Ohio East regions.
Alicia Kosec will leave her post as vice president and regional manager of the East Ohio region to take over Burdick’s role as president of northern Ohio and Michigan.
Submit items for business briefs, new businesses and people on the move by 4 p.m. Thursday. Email business@tribtoday.com or through the Submit News feature at www.tribtoday.com or www.vindy.com.
Business briefs
FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber recently held its second annual Family-Owned Business Recognition Dinner to honor 18 businesses in the Mahoning Valley for their efforts across five award categories. Five recipients were selected. They were:
• Sapientia Ventures Success in Succession, to recognize a well-executed succession plan — Berk Enterprises, Inc.
• Huntington Social Impact, to recognize a company that supports the community — Window World of Youngstown
• HBK Growth Story, to recognize a company that took its enterprise to the next level — Cockeye BBQ
• Brouse McDowell Local to National Presence, given to a company that has developed a national of global presence — Zidian Company
• Business Advocate of the Year, given to a business or person involved in an initiative that supported the local family-owned business ecosystem — Justin Froelich, TEMA Roofing
SOUTHWOODS GROWS: Southwoods Health recently opened a new location at 9371 E. Market St., Suite 2, Howland, bringing its pain management, spine, orthopaedic and imaging services to Trumbull County.
The facility also introduces the first 3T MRI to Trumbull County, providing patients with advanced imaging technology.
Southwoods Health invested about $5 million to renovate and equip the office, including acquiring the MRI and digital X-ray equipment. The health care provider also moved its Warren Urology office into the same plaza.
BUSINESS SUMMIT PLANNED: Youngstown’s Community Planning and Economic Development Department is hosting a Business Solutions Summit on March 29 at Ohev Beth Shalom, 1119 Elm St. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Mayor Jamael Tito Brown will open the event at 9 a.m.
The goal of the summit is to give insight on how to start and develop effective partnerships with city government, local banks and other community resources.
City officials will share and explain administrative and legislative processes and procedures.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/549534140407.
VGV INVESTS: Valley Growth Ventures, a “micro” venture capital investment fund created to support high-growth, early-stage companies across Ohio has added BIOHM Health Inc. to its portfolio. The company is a biotech firm focused on the microbiome industry.
With this investment, Valley Growth Ventures continues its mission to support innovative, forward-thinking companies that are poised to make a significant impact in their respective fields, according to the company.
BIOHM’s flagship product is BIOHM Total Probiotic.
People on the move
DeSALVO HIRES MANAGER: David Van Dusen, a native of New Castle, Pa., recently joined Hubbard-based DeSalvo Construction Company as project manager.
Van Dusen of Howland, spent 20 years with Van Dusen Construction and then 22 years with Turner Construction Company managing commercial and industrial construction projects.
Some notable projects he managed include Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley Race Course, Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., and the Honda paint shop in Marysville.
CHIEF OFFICER NAMED: Catherine Chudakoff has been named Coleman Health Services’ chief officer for Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. In the role, she will manage Coleman’s Trumbull and Mahoning business units.
Chudakoff served as Coleman’s certified community behavioral health clinic project director for six Ohio counties. She has more than 13 years of experience in the field of social work with five years of supervisory / management experience.
Coleman has locations in Youngstown and Warren. The organization is a nonprofit provider of community-based behavioral health and addiction recovery services.
PECCHIA PROMOTES: Joseph Catullo has been named multimedia specialist at Pecchia Communications. In the role, he will focus on video, multimedia and design services as the company expands its work in those areas.
Catullo of Boardman, had been project manager since joining Pecchia Communications in 2022. Prior to that, he was part of the marketing staff at AVI Foodstystems, Inc., a national food service facilities operator based in Warren. Before that, he spent six years in the news business.
DOCTOR COMES ABOARD: Dr. Kelsey Brocker has joined Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley as a pediatric psychologist.
She will see patients in Akron Children’s Healthy Active Living Program, which brings together a multidisciplinary team to care for children and teens diagnosed with childhood obesity and related health issues. The team also includes a pediatrician, dietitian, exercise physiologist and general pediatric surgeon.
A native of Georgia, Brocker lives in Canfield.
FARMERS MAKES CHANGES: Canfield-based Farmers National Banc Corp., the holding company for Farmers National Bank, has announced the addition of market presidents and changes to its credit and commercial lending teams.
Bill Shivers, who joined Farmers in 2022 as regional president, will assume the role of chief commercial lending officer to oversee the commercial lending team throughout Farmers.
Among the new market presidents are Andrew Estock for Southern Mahoning Valley and Shawn Pompelia for Northern Mahoning Valley.
To manage commercial growth in new and existing markets, Farmers has implemented regional commercial credit teams. Patrick Renner will oversee the regional leaders as chief commercial credit officer. Farmers has also named Jon Dunn as regional credit officer of the Mahoning Valley and Columbiana County.
Submit items for business briefs, new businesses and people on the move by 4 p.m. Thursday. Email business@tribtoday.com or through the Submit News feature at www.tribtoday.com or www.vindy.com.
Business briefs
FUNDING AVAILABLE TO BUSINESS OWNERS: The Ohio Department of Development has about $10 million in funding available to support minority- and women-owned Ohio businesses growth.
About $4.6 million remains available through the Women’s Business Enterprise Loan Program and about $6.5 million is available through the Ohio Micro-Loan Program.
Information about the loans and other capital programs can be found online at Minority.Ohio.Gov.
Businesses can reach out to a Minority Business Assistance Center near them for help with the application process and assistance with business planning, access to capital, and state business certifications. For information about the MBAC network, visit mbac.development.ohio.gov.
FORMER PEPSICO CEO TO SPEAK: Indra Nooyi, former chief executive officer and chairman of PepsiCo, presents the Youngstown State University Thomas Colloquium Lecture at 7 p.m. March 23 at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown.
Admission to the lecture is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available at the Stambaugh Auditorium box office or online at www.stambaughauditorium.com.
Nooyi was responsible for growing PepsiCo’s revenues from $35 billion when she became CEO to $63.5 billion in 2017. She oversaw a portfolio of global brands and diversified products enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times per day in more than 180 countries and territories around the world.
WRTA WINS AWARD: The Western Reserve Transit Authority’s annual Holiday Lights campaign won first place in a nationwide public transit competition for community educational initiatives.
The campaign competed with entries from all over the U.S. in the American Public Transportation Association annual marketing and communications awards competition.
More than 30 local nonprofit organizations have been spotlighted since the program began. Each fall, WRTA invites nonprofits to apply for participation in the campaign, which honors those who “light up the Valley all year long.”
Twelve are chosen and honored at a special event near Thanksgiving and are spotlighted on WRTA buses, among other ways.
MERCY HEALTH REACCREDITED: Mercy Health-St. Joseph Warren Hospital has again achieved Magnet recognition, a designation that serves as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence.
Fewer than 10 percent (598) of hospitals across the country and less than 40 hospitals in Ohio have achieved Magnet recognition.
To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.
COHEN & COMPANY TO ACQUIRE FIRM: Cleveland-based Cohen & Company, a tax and accounting firm that has an office in Youngstown, plans to acquire BBD’s Investment Management Group, a provider of audit and tax services for registered and unregistered investment companies across the United States.
The deal is expected to close this month.
With the acquisition, Cohen & Company will be the second-largest exchange-traded fund auditor and fourth-largest registered funds auditor in the U.S. by number of funds. The group will have 300 industry dedicated professionals and will expand Cohen & Company’s footprint to the Philadelphia market.
COMPANY NAMES PARTNERS: On Jan. 1, HD Davis CPAs and its sister company, White Glove Payroll, merged with Sforza & Walker CPAs LLC of Warren. While Sforza & Walker CPAs now operates as HD Davis CPAs and its payroll team operates as White Glove Payroll, it has retained its current location in downtown Warren and all staff members, including Henry Sforza and John Marlatt, who now serve as partners of HD Davis CPAs.
FIRM CAPTURES AWARDS: Youngstown-based marketing firm Clever won six awards at the 2023 AAF Akron American Advertising Awards, including two Gold Addys for the team’s work.
Clever received a Gold Addy in the category Online / Interactive-Websites for the new e-commerce website it developed for Beresford’s Butchers in Calcutta. Additionally, Clever earned a Gold Addy in the category Online / Interactive-Social Media Campaign for its Black History Month campaign for Alta Care Group.
The team of Whitney Burd, Tony Marr and Adrienne Sabo also received four Silver Addys in the categories of Elements of Advertising-Visual-Logo for its logo and branding work for Take That Step; Print Advertising-Newspaper Advertising for the suicide prevention ad for Alta Care Group; Elements of Advertising-Visual-Black & White / Color / Digital Enhanced Photography Campaign for product photography for Beresford’s Butchers; and Advertising Industry-Self Promotion-Out-of-Home for its “Clever is Better” billboard.
People on the move
AGENT JOINS FIRM: Bella Neapolitan has become an Ohio real estate agent with More Options Realty. She will work out of the agency’s Boardman office and service all of northeast Ohio.
717 ADDS STAFF: Warren-based 717 Credit Union has added Johna Scherzer as vice president, lending manager, and Jennifer Brindisi as content and communication specialist.
In her new position, Scherzer, a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in business administration, will promote quality service for the personal, auto, credit card, mortgage and home equity lending areas.
Brindisi, who has a degree in communications and English from the University of Mount Union and an associate degree in telecommunications from Ohio University, will serve as lead copy writer for credit union communications and initiatives.
DOCTOR JOINS TRMC: Dr. Hussam Tallab, otolaryngologist, recently joined Trumbull Regional Medical Center and Steward Medical Group.
Tallab specializes in adult and pediatric otolaryngology, and his clinical interests include chronic sinusitis, nasal polyposis, minimally invasive sinus surgery and hearing loss.
He works at Steward Otolaryngology in Cortland.
BRITE WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS: BRITE Energy Innovators, Ohio’s only clean energy startup incubator, recently welcomed four new board members. They are Chuck George, CEO, Hapco Inc.; Michael Hartley, president, Swing State Strategies; Tim Petrey, managing partner, HD Davis CPAs, LLC; and Alexa Sweeney-Blackann, past president / CEO, Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, and consultant to #1 Cochran.
AIM NAMES VP: Aim Transportation Solutions has promoted Paul Slater of Boardman to vice president, corporate controller.
In this expanded role, Slater, who joined Aim in 2000, will be responsible for planning, directing and coordinating all accounting operational functions. These responsibilities include vital financial functions such as reviewing acquisitions and mergers, generating annual budgets, and overseeing external audits and government compliance.
Submit items by 4 p.m. Thursday. Email business@tribtoday.com.