by Isabella Carwile | Aug 15, 2025 | Business Advisory Council, Business Expansion, Community, Events, Funding, Jobs, PCED Office, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release August 15, 2025
PAULDING — This week, the Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) Steering Committee was hosted at the Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office, bringing together school officials, not-for-profit organizations, and business leaders from across the county to discuss ongoing initiatives and new opportunities for collaboration.
Tim Copsey, Director of Paulding County Economic Development, opened the meeting, congratulating the group for being honored this year as a 3-Star (out of 4) award-winning Educational Service Center (ESC) BAC. The award follows last year’s 2-Star award. “Receiving an improved rating like this means the Ohio Education Association sees exactly what we already believe in Paulding County. Our businesses and schools have always worked together, but now that we document exactly how, and can show data for improved collaboration, it makes us all better, and they see it,” Copsey shared.
One of the best collaborative tools available in the past was Teacher Boot Camp. There was a weeklong schedule developed where educators could visit, tour, and meet local businesses and leaders, and understand how school curriculum could relate to real-world practice. The Teacher Boot Camp funding did not make it into the new Ohio Biennium budget this year. The BAC brainstormed ideas as to how they might be able to provide a smaller tour package, or a different version of boot camp next summer, if the legislature does not find another pocket for funding. The team will continue to explore options, as everyone believes this is a valid piece to align education instruction with real-world workforce needs.
The discussion then turned to businesses going into the educational facilities. One innovative idea discussed was the use of developing a QR code that would invite and allow working parents to promote their business when the curriculum matched up with their employment. If math turned to fractions, perhaps an engineer may come in, or if government class turned to state history, perhaps a local politician. This may open up a whole new opportunity for community engagement and career exploration.
The committee also revisited strategies for strengthening internship programs. Discussion took place in regard to determining if this could be a tool to build deeper connections between education and local businesses. This led to additional conversation about the new definition of apprenticeships and internships and how there may be a disconnect in understanding how they could be a benefit to all. There will be more research and discussion in this realm.
Other key pieces of discussion included:
- Is there an opportunity to rejuvenate the Paulding County Business Weekly podcast with the help of media class students?
- Antwerp Local School (ALS) brought up the desire to have a Junior High “career exploration” type day hosted at the school. The idea was met with good enthusiasm, especially with Wayne Trace Local School representatives, who also expressed interest in collaborating on dates and logistics to make the event a reality.
- ALS also shared their excitement about working on a community art gallery by putting student artwork out into the community, and shared insight on how they will be doing a fundraising project in the community with students maintaining a small business.
The next BAC meeting will take place in mid-September at the OSU Extension Building in Paulding. Anyone with an interest in participating in future meetings, please contact the PCED office at 419-399-8295.
by Isabella Carwile | Aug 15, 2025 | Business Advisory Council, Business Expansion, Community, Events, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release August 15, 2025
PAULDING – Representatives from the villages of Cecil, Grover Hill, Latty, and Melrose gathered for the third quarter Paulding County Mayors Association meeting this week at the Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office.
PCED Director Tim Copsey provided the representatives with a recap summary of the Business Advisory Meeting (BAC) held the day prior. Copsey stressed the importance of having mayors and government officials attend student-focused events and participate in the BAC meetings if we expect youth to backfill county, township, and local village positions. It would also be good to help our local youth better understand civic roles and foster meaningful connections going forward. In an in-depth discussion that followed, each village noted shortages in current village council participants submitting applications for the upcoming November election.
Guest speakers Holly Rupp and Shannon Ruschel, volunteers with the newly formed Kitty Hope Foundation, shared the nonprofit’s mission to support villages in Paulding County by spaying and neutering as many cats as funding will allow. Founded by registered veterinary technician Jenna Benzing, the Kitty Hope Foundation has been making remarkable strides in feline welfare since its launch in January. In just a few months, the organization has facilitated the spaying and neutering of over 200 cats across Paulding County—reducing stray populations and promoting healthier communities. The Village of Haviland invested $1000 into the program to cover as many as 20 neutering procedures in their village. Mayor Ed Ruger then mentioned the group should attend a mayor’s meeting to make additional contact around the county.
Community members who are interested in volunteering, donating, adopting, or fostering are warmly encouraged to reach out via email at kittyhopefoundation@gmail.com. Their presentation was well-received and opened the door to future collaboration with local leaders.
Copsey then shared updates on current Land Bank projects and their status. As this round of funding and projects completes and winds down, he encouraged each village to submit lists of homes, or open lots, that may be suitable for future purchase and rehabilitation through the Land Bank, emphasizing the importance of proactive identification to stay ahead of outside buyers. The earlier the contact can be made, the better the chance of acquiring properties.
Great discussion followed about completed projects, projects in progress, and how, especially, some of the smaller villages are seeing a transformative change from these projects. Mayors inquired if demo team contacts could be shared with village representatives so there could be better communication in the future during demolition. Contacts were shared to assist. Anyone wanting to work with the Land Bank can reach out to Lou Ann Wannemacher, Paulding County Treasurer, or the PCED office directly.
The Paulding County Mayors Association will meet again in November. Presenters for the upcoming agenda will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
by Isabella Carwile | Aug 15, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, Funding, Property Development
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release August 15, 2025
PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Bank committee has been awarded the opportunity to receive $300,000 in grant reimbursements from the Welcome Home Ohio program through the Ohio Department of Development.
The reimbursement opportunity is available through 10 projects reimbursing $30,000 per project, but projects must be completed by July 1, 2027. Each project must be owned by the Land Bank. The project can be and can be rehabilitating an existing home, by spending $30,000 or more on upgrades, or it could be a new home build, with $30,000 reimbursed toward the cost of that build. In the current grant, the home cannot be sold for more than $180,000 to a low-moderate income (LMI) purchaser. Some additional stipulations must be met and will be covered with a potential buyer prior to a sale.
The Land Bank Committee has meetings coming up with realtor representatives and financial representatives to understand if there are already pre-qualified buyers waiting in hopes of these types of homes.
Additionally, a pre-vetting process is already happening with interested contractors that have an interest in bidding on these rehabilitation or new build opportunities. The Community Housing Impact & Preservation (CHIP) team at Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO) will help establish the guidelines and make sure the structures are built to code.
Following initial discussion, the committee went into executive session to discuss potential properties around the county to review as projects. Coming out of executive session, one decision was made to change the project at 621 Sugar Street in Paulding from a demolition to a rehabilitation project. Bids will be advertised through MVPO on the project in the future.
The group was also updated on projects around the county, including:
- Former Grizzly Brake property, both the manufacturing site and the residential sites
- The Stokely Pond remediation project
- Former site remediation at the JJ Ross Gas Station in Grover Hill
- Asbestos removal in the former Winkle Chevrolet building, owned by the Paulding Village and located on the square
- The new Vantage Career Center home is starting in Latty Village this school year
- Created and shared a list of current Land Bank-owned properties around the county
- Noted a current Land Bank account balance of $239,861.58
- Approved a two-night stay and event registration reimbursement to PCED for Tim Copsey to attend the Fall Land Bank Conference in Marietta, Ohio, October 22/23
Wagner then reminded the committee that the Ohio Department of Development awarded Paulding County $85,074 in funding for asbestos removal in the Paulding Village-owned former Winkle Chevrolet building, located on the square. The building has asbestos-wrapped pipes and flooring that will be remediated to make the building safer to work in and allow a seamless future sale if the opportunity arises.
Wagner finished by providing brief environmental updates on the former JJ Ross gas station in Grover Hill and the former Stokely pond property in Paulding.
Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey noted that zoning changes have been completed on a Land Bank-owned property within the Village of Cecil. This will allow the group to move forward with selling a designated parcel to Patriot Railroad for a potential future transload site.
Copsey also provided the committee with information about the former Grizzly property. It is now under the EPA consultant oversight of T&M Associates in Cleveland. They will continue to collect data with the end goal of providing a clean property to the Land Bank in the future.
In addition, Copsey shared that a recent blighted residential property, purchased in Paulding at 621 Sugar Street, is currently being mowed and maintained until demolition takes place later this year.
Committee discussion then turned to the Welcome Home Ohio (WHO) grant funding. With the help of MVPO, the county has been awarded $300,000 to use for residential blight rehabilitation projects over the next 24 months. The current Land Bank financial balance is $63,904.08, but it was decided that with the influx of funds expected from the previously discussed property sales, the committee will begin looking for one or two residential home rehabilitation projects to purchase and target using these grant funds on. Additional discussion will now begin with realtors, financial groups, and contractors to develop a plan to use the funds accordingly.
by Isabella Carwile | Jun 5, 2025 | Business Advisory Council, Business Expansion, Community, Events, PCED Office, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release June 5, 2025
LATTY – The Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) gathered for their second quarter meeting last week. It was the first meeting since the school year ended. This second quarter meeting is always scheduled in conjunction with Teacher Boot Camp to allow teachers to join in the meeting. The hope is that with more educators being introduced to local business leaders, more collaboration will take place in the future.
The group met at the Latty Mercer Landmark facility. Their newly expanded facility and state-of-the-art conference room allow enough space to host all participants. The meeting brought in 17 guests for the meeting.
Introductions were made before the group was updated about the current Teacher Boot Camp agenda. Mercer Landmark was the 12th business stop of 13 scheduled during the three-day tour. Tours during the week were provided at all three county schools, Paragon Tempered Glass, PC Hospital, North American Stamping, H.E. Orr Company, Robert’s Manufacturing, virtual tour at Cooper Farms, Baughman Tile, Vantage Career Center, Mercer Landmark, and Haviland Plastics.
Monday opened the camp at the Western Buckeye ESC office and included 10 different business/social service group presentations on site. The Paulding County Commissioners, PC Engineer, Limitless/PC Workshop, PC Sheriff Department, First Financial Bank, OSU Extension, OhioMeansJobs, Wessler Engineering, and Foundations Behavioral all presented on day one. In addition, Ashland University had a representative introduce information to get all the teachers signed up so they could receive CEU credit for participating in the camp.
Moving past the boot camp discussion, Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Director Tim Copsey facilitated discussion about the Business & Industry Career Day Expo held in April. Great thoughts were shared by the group as to how the intent of the day needs to be more clearly identified. Are we looking at this event as a career hiring event, or just an informational day for students to learn more about employment opportunities in the county? It was decided that more discussion will need to take place to determine that answer. However, new thoughts were shared in regard to resume building and exchange, soft skill preparation for discussion, eye contact and communication, attire, and overall presentation. This could provide better interaction between the schools and local business leaders.
The discussion then turned to the Vantage Career Center Adult CNA healthcare program. Now that high school students can be included in this adult instruction program, the county is looking at ways to include the students who have the desire to attend this training during the summer. This would allow employment opportunities in areas with local healthcare providers during the summer months as well as the school year. Adult Director Angie Fahy provided scheduling updates with the group and then how they can potentially fund the student fees. The group is excited to see this program move forward for the first time, to see how it can be built upon in the future.
Information was provided for the county fair that started this week. Businesses, colleges, and schools have the opportunity to set up a booth in the business buildings at the fair and promote themselves. It’s a great opportunity to market or interact with the general public. The interest in these spaces is up, and more businesses than ever before have reached out, so space is limited.
The attendees from the local schools and colleges each provided updates as to their interaction with local businesses. Indiana Tech and Northwest State both shared upcoming meeting and opportunity dates, as did representatives from the Wayne Trace HS STEAM Center.
The next meeting will be held on August 13 at the PCED office. For more information about the Paulding County Business Advisory Council or how to get in contact with the group, please reach out to Jessica Stechschulte at the economic development office at 419-399-8295 or office@pced.net.
by Isabella Carwile | May 15, 2025 | Business Advisory Council, Community, Jobs, PCED Office, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release May 15, 2025
PAULDING – Representatives from the villages of Antwerp, Cecil, Grover Hill, Haviland, Oakwood, and Payne gathered for the Q2 Paulding County Mayors Association meeting this week at the Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office.
Following introductions, the group was introduced to Nikki Reese, the new Economic Development Director from the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO). Reese is replacing Will Burns at the office, who recently retired. Reese shared that she grew up in the West Unity area of northwest Ohio before attending Wittenberg University. Her studies led her to the Darke County area, where she engaged in watershed studies and grant writing. The opportunity to come back to Northwest Ohio, in a similar role, enticed her to this position. She shared the low-to-moderate income studies with each village and expressed how individual studies can be provided with the help of MVPO for future designated projects.
Hans Rosebrock, with the Mannik & Smith Group, introduced himself and shared information about all the resources they have and can provide for the villages. With the many arms of engineering, environmental studies, surveying, planning, and project implementation, their team can be a full-service provider to small communities.
Village of Payne Mayor Lora Lyons then provided a brief presentation to the group about how the village is using some Chat GPT features in letter writing, project planning, and graphic design. She shared some other features, including the development of new digital file documents from older existing hard copy documents, and they weren’t sure where they originated. This led to an interactive conversation about the possibilities of taking multiple village zoning codes and overlaying them with each other for a county comparison. This could help guide further discussion on getting closer to comparable zoning around the county. This could also be done with township zoning. With the growing use of artificial intelligence, all in attendance agreed this would probably not be the last discussion on this topic.
PCED Director Tim Copsey updated each attending community on their current open land bank projects and where the land bank is in bidding out the new round two projects. Copsey also shared that if there is a list of homes in each community that the Land Bank should be aware of for purchase and rehabilitation that each village should provide a list of those homes to the Land Bank committee.
by Isabella Carwile | May 15, 2025 | Business Advisory Council, Community, Events, Jobs, PCED Office, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release May 15, 2025
PAULDING –The Paulding County Economic Development Office hosted a Business Advisory Council (BAC) Steering Committee Meeting this month. The state mandated committee consists of bringing together a diverse group of local leaders, educators, and business professionals to collaborate on initiatives connecting educators and county students with local businesses and career opportunities.
The committee reflected on the recent Business and Industry Expo event. Participants shared success stories and brainstormed ways to make next year’s event even more impactful for students and employers.
The discussion took some great discussion twists and turns as participants collaborated on new thoughts and shared potential ideas for new ways to connect educators with business leaders and encouraged a deeper commitment to workforce development and community growth.
Recognizing the importance of early career engagement, attendees expressed new strategy thoughts to involve younger students and foster more hands-on learning experiences. A key discussion emphasized that introducing students to career opportunities at an earlier age can broaden their mindset, helping students realize the many diverse career paths available within the county.
Discussions then turned to the implementation and scheduling for the upcoming Teacher Bootcamp, a dynamic program designed to help educators earn their CEU hours while gaining firsthand knowledge about Paulding County businesses and local industries through guided business tours. Spots are still available for anyone in the northwest Ohio region hoping for CEU credit through Ashland University.
Another point of focus was the planning of the STNA Summer Program. Conversations centered on overcoming challenges in securing a certified instructor for the STNA training. Angie Fahy, Adult Education Director at Vantage Career Center, shared thoughts on available funding opportunities that could help cover the costs of STNA classes for students. A key component in this would be finding as much scholarship money as possible to overcome any financial barriers. All information discussed will be explored further to identify the best option to help launch the STNA Summer Program this summer.
The full BAC meeting will be held on June 5 at 1:00 PM at the Mercer Landmark conference room located at 14170 State Route 613 in Paulding, Ohio. For more information, please contact Jessica Stechschulte at 419-399-8295 or Office@pced.net.
