COMPANY OPENS NILES STORE: Ford Office Technologies, a provider of IT solutions and office equipment, has opened a location in Niles at 922 Great East Plaza.

The expansion, according to the company, is “a strategic move to better serve the Youngstown / Warren area.”

Services include managed IT, print, cybersecurity, copiers and printers, and computer hardware, software and parts.

The store is the company’s fifth. Others are in Pennsylvania in Erie, Pittsburgh, Monroeville and Connellsville.

BANK HELPS AHA: Together with its customers, Farmers National Bank donated more than $8,000 to the local American Heart Association.

The money will be used to fund cardiovascular research, advocate for heart-healthier communities and spread awareness of heart attack / stroke.

Julianna Begalla, marketing director for Farmers, led the bank’s efforts. She was the 2024 American Heart Association Woman of Impact nominee.

In addition to providing corporate sponsorship, the bank raised more than $5,500 in February through staff donations and by selling paper hearts to customers in branches.

CONTEST CELEBRATES TALENT, FAMILY VALUES: Aim Transportation Solutions has concluded its Aim 2024 “What My Grown-up Does” drawing contest, which highlighted the company’s commitment to fostering a positive, family-focused workplace culture.

For the contest, Aim employees were asked to share information with the children in their lives about their job and how it impacts the transportation industry. Children were then asked to draw what their “grown-up” does for Aim.

The contest received 66 submissions, with several photographs that acquired more than 1,000 reactions. The reach of the contest extended to nearly 78,000 individuals, generating more than 5,000 engagements on the submitted photos. Numerous images were shared by Aim employees within driver and mechanic groups on social media.

There were four winners by age category. Each received a $100 Amazon Gift card to buy a toy or electronic for their child, and an Aim die-cast truck. The Aim employee with the winning child submission in each category received an extra day of paid time off to spend with their child.

FRAUD, CYBERSECURITY EVENT SET: Farmers National Bank will host a fraud prevention and cybersecurity event for local business owners 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. May 22 at the bank’s Canfield Lab branch, 4538 Boardman-Canfield Road, Canfield.

Representatives from the Farmers security team will be there with tips on how to avoid cybersecurity pitfalls and common scams.

RSVP to Bryttanie Burton at bburton@farmersbankgroup.com, 330-533-2686 or via https://lp.constantcontact

pages.com/ev/reg/sn2ch7s. The event is free.

CHAMBER TO HOST EVENT: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber will host state Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, for the agency’s Lattes with Legislators event 7:30 to 9 a.m. May 20 at the Grand Resort Ballroom, 9519 E. Market St., Warren.

Edwards, in his fourth term as a state representative, is chairman of the Ohio House’s finance committee, which is responsible for producing the state’s main operating and capital budgets.

Register at regionalchamber.com under the Events tab.

TEAM FROM YSU FINISHES FOURTH: Youngstown State University placed fourth overall recently in the e-Human Powered Vehicle Challenge at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Festival.

The Penguins competed against 15 teams from other universities, including the University of Central Florida, NC State University, University of Iowa, University of South Florida and the University of Wisconsin.

As a part of their senior design project, students were tasked with working on the competition vehicle in their senior design project class. Competing students included Sean Armold, Jacob Brundrett, Matthew Fabian, Joshua Gray and Kristopher McCowin.

In addition, the mechanical engineering team finished third in the design event, fifth in the drag event and fifth in the endurance event.

The e-HPVC is an engineering design and innovation competition that gives students the opportunity to network and apply engineering principles through the design, fabrication and racing of human powered vehicles.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR MATCHMAKER EVENT: Small businesses across Ohio will have the opportunity to develop relationships with local, state and federal government agencies and contractors that award billions of dollars in contracts each year at the Matchmaker event May 8 and 9 at the Nutter Center at Wright State University in Dayton.

The event will include training opportunities for small businesses May 8. The matchmaking event is May 9. Businesses can either preschedule appointments or create their own unscheduled matchmaking the day of the event.

The cost to register is $130. On-site registration will cost $180. Government agencies and prime contracts can register for free. Register at

ohiobusinessmatchmaker.com.

People on the move

WOMAN NAMED DIRECTOR: Linda Jones has been appointed Ohio junior director for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Ohio.

Jones recently accepted the title at The Junior Women’s League Gala and Installation Ceremony in Columbus. Her theme is “Empowering Change — Stronger Together.”

Her special emphasis for Ohio is to help children in the foster care system by providing them with comfort bags when they’re being placed in or removed from foster homes.

Jones serves at the local, state and national level as a result of her years of leadership, volunteering, committee work and fundraising for the Austintown Junior Women’s League.

In March, she was named in the GFWC Ohio Blue Book of Distinguished Women for her dedication to the organization’s volunteer efforts

She is Austintown branch manager for Farmers National Bank.

CHAIR AT YSU NAMED: Tomi Ovaska, economics professor at Youngstown State University’s Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance, has been named the Paul J. Thomas Endowed Chair in Economics at YSU.

The endowed faculty position was created in honor of Paul J. Thomas, a successful Mahoning Valley businessman, through a $1.5 million donation by Thomas’ daughters in 2018.

Ovaska is a lieutenant in the Finnish Naval Reserve. He received his master’s degree in political science from the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, in 1997 and his doctorate in economics from West Virginia University in 2003.

He has been a professor at YSU since 2007. His research interests include behavioral economics, comparative economic systems, entrepreneurship and life satisfaction.

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