by Office Manager | Nov 21, 2023 | Community, Membership, PCED Office
Dear Editor,
Your Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office has started to distribute the 2023 annual report and new 2024 investment membership information.
Paulding County saw yet another outstanding year of growth with reported capital investment of $95,559,296 in the county!!
With expansion projects at Paragon Tempered Glass, Kohart Salvage, Ebel’s Butcher Shop, and Dooley’s Funeral Home; new projects with Grover Hill Community Center, Caring & Sharing Food Pantry, Paulding North Dollar General, Family Dollar Tree, Payne Timber Road Solar, Taco Bell and Grover Hill Dollar General; rehabilitation projects with the Western Buckeye ESC office, Antwerp Pharmacy and Antwerp business offices, along with new businesses Nini’s Ice Cream, The Upper Nine, Spiece’s Barber Shop, Studio 211 and more, there is a lot in the county to be thankful for.
Your PCED office will continue to work hard and make sure townships, villages and businesses big and small, are aware of low interest loans, grants and any funding opportunities that may help them make best decisions, as they develop the infrastructure for new projects and the future of Paulding County.
We encourage everyone to take a moment to read through the information provided in our annual report and consider supporting your 501c3, not-for-profit business office. Please know that you are investing into a service that can show a return on your investment, no matter which corner of the county you work, worship or reside. Your investment allows us to continue with all the aforementioned opportunities. The office will go as far as your investment takes us.
If you have questions about the PCED office, annual report, business opportunities, or any services we provide, please review our website www.pced.net or reach out to us at any time 419-399-8295.
We sincerely thank you for your support and wish you a #pauldingcountystrong 2024!
Tim Copsey, Director
PCED
by Isabella Carwile | Nov 21, 2023 | Community, Jobs, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast
Erika Dobbelaere is the co-owner of Double D Dairy Bar and a graduate of the Panthers for Careers program at Paulding High School. Hear the two discuss how education, workforce, business, entrepreneurship, and economic development all play together for the good of the county.
Thanks to OhioMeansJobs, you can tune in on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or listen online at
Click Here To Listen! Paulding County Business Weekly is also available in podcast form through Apple, Google & Spotify. #pauldingcountystrong
by Isabella Carwile | Nov 7, 2023 | Community, Jobs, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast
Hear it here! This week on PCBW, we talk with Antwerp Exchange Bank President & CEO John Kobee, Sr. Vice President of Lending Brian Miller, and Sr. Vice President of Operations Twila Demongeot. Listen to this incredible podcast to learn how Paulding County’s oldest community-owned bank has thrived for 125 years as of this week! In addition to banking, the financial business does so much more with bank employees being a part of, and investing time and effort, into the community. Thanks to OhioMeansJobs, you can tune in on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or Click Hear To Listen! Paulding County Business Weekly is also available in podcast form through Apple, Google & Spotify. #pauldingcountystrong
by Administrative Assistant | Nov 3, 2023 | Community, Events
Julie Anna Densmore
Paulding County Economic Development
PAULDING- Last weekend, stylist Kara Relyea of Hair Off The Square hosted a Cut-A-Thon event to benefit Children With Hair Loss (CWHL), a non-profit organization that makes natural hair wigs for children and young adults with medically-related hair loss.
Held at the Paulding Eagles on Saturday, October 14th, Relyea rallied with friends, family, business owners and members of the community to provide free haircuts, a free will donation dinner and a variety of items for live and silent auction. An Art Me Party with a fall fairy, face painting, glitter tattoos and Justin the Clown were all there to provide plenty of entertainment for the kids.
Relyea’s five-year-old daughter, Aubree, was diagnosed with a form of Alopecia at just three years old. By the time Aubree turned four and was about to start preschool, she had lost all of her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. Worried about how the kids in school might treat her, Aubree grew insecure and was afraid to go. Needless to say, Relyea was concerned for her daughter who everyone knew to be such a confident child.
Relyea reached out to Children With Hair Loss, and by Aubree’s first day of preschool, CWHL had provided her with a wig. With her sense of security and confidence renewed by the good people at CWHL, Aubree started going without her wig and was soon thriving and loving school.
Wanting to give back to a cause that gave her family so much, Relyea hosted a Cut-A-Thon for hair donations and to raise funds and awareness for CWHL. The Paulding County community did not disappoint. While Relyea had been collecting hair for donation prior to the event, 31 people had their hair cut at the event, and 88 ponytails were donated that night. With prior donations, Relyea had a total of 140 ponytails. With each wig requiring 10 – 20 ponytails, Relyea potentially provided enough natural hair to create 14 wigs. Without the help of CWHL, a family would expect to pay around $1,500 for a natural hair wig.
With free will donations from the dinner provided, and from the donated items for auction, Relyea raised a total of $7,008 the night of the auction. With additional donations and Cut-A-Thon sponsors, the whole event brought in a total of $11,639.
CWHL Founder Regina Villemure informed Relyea that with the exception of the group they partner with known as The Longhairs, Relyea’s Cut-A-Thon brought in the highest amount any Cut-A-Thon has ever raised.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone involved, this was a huge community and group effort and so much was put into it. Every single person involved has made a huge difference in a lot of kids’ lives, and know you are the reason a child will have a boost of confidence. I cannot wait to present everything to Children With Hair Loss on November 3rd,” said Relyea.
A special thanks to the event sponsors and donors which included: Jason Moore; VFW Post 587; attorney Shane Lee; MTJ Farms, Matt and Christy Stoller; Boyd’s Automotive; Gene and Mary Anne Baughman; Dr. Wendell Spangler; Cooper Hatchery; Paulding Eagles; Lisa and Doug Bragg; Black Angus on Main; and numerous clients and friends of the Relyea family who donated towards the event as well.
Also, a special thanks to guest speaker Taylor Hesseling who shared his own story of coping with Alopecia and has helped raise awareness for the disease.
Relyea is planning another Cut-A-Thon 2024 that will differ from this year’s event and hopes the community will join in again next year.
For more ways you can help children with hair loss, visit childrenwithhairloss.org.
by Isabella Carwile | Oct 23, 2023 | Community, Jobs, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast
Hear it here! This week on Paulding County Business Weekly, we’ll hear from the owner of
Schlatter’s Plumbing, Heating and Air, Doug Schlatter. Listen in as Doug shares how a strong work ethic can lead to fulfilling the dream of owning your own business, and how investing in your employees can help a business grow. Thanks to OhioMeansJobs, you can tune in Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or
Click Here to Listen Online! Paulding County Business Weekly is also available in podcast form through Apple, Google & Spotify. #pauldingcountystrong
by Office Manager | Oct 20, 2023 | Business Expansion, Community, New Business, Property Development
GROVER HILL – October 20, 2023 was a historic day in Paulding County, and specifically the Village of Grover Hill, as a groundbreaking event was hosted for the construction of a new Dollar General store. It was noted that events like this are what bring positive change to communities and what people will look back on in 25 or 50 years and identify as a community building day. There are not a lot of these days noted recently in the history of the village, but Grover Hill residents have made the most of those that have. According to Paulding County historian Walter Lang, the last two commercial buildings that were developed in the village limits were the Bud Stratton Dairy Dip in 1962; and Oakwood Deposit Bank in 1978. Nearly 30 people took the time to attend here today.
This project’s realization has been years in the making, and stands as a testament to the power of collaboration. The visionary efforts and forward-thinking of the Paulding County Land Bank Committee members were instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. The Land Bank Committee consists of: Commissioner Mark Holtsberry, Paulding County Treasurer Lou Ann Wannemacher, Commissioner Mike Weible, Mike Kauser representing Paulding County Townships, Paulding Mayor Greg White representing the county villages, and Paulding County Prosecutor Joe Burkard. The land bank purchase and demolition of the existing building on the property at the time, helped kick off this this venture that commenced several years ago. It was in part due to discussions with former county commissioner Roy Klopfenstein and then Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Director Jerry Zielke, who played pivotal roles as members of the project committee.
Rural development relies on local investment and collaborative efforts, as emphasized by current PCED Director Tim Copsey, who stated, “It takes collaboration. We wish to express our gratitude to our partners in this project including: Mayor John Moon and the Village of Grover Hill; Josh Allen with Cross Development, the PC Land Bank; and local property owners Mark and Janette Figert along with Loy and Katherine Taylor. Without all of their dedication to seeing this project to the end this would have not been possible.”
Klopfenstein, now District 82 member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and village Mayor John Moon, both spoke a few words of thanks to the attendees and the efforts of the Paulding County Economic Development office and the collaboration as well.
It was noted that this event ties right in with many other great things taking place in and around the village with the recent opening of the Grover Hill Lions Club Community Center, a functioning Lifewise program, and the upcoming site revitalizations in the old Grover Hill Depot building and blacksmith shop through the Paulding County land bank.
In the photo from left to right: Mark Holtsberry, Tim Copsey, Lou Ann Wannemacher, John Moon, Mark Figert, Loy Taylor, Roy Klopfenstein, Josh Allen.
