by Isabella Carwile | Mar 12, 2025 | Community, Events, Jobs, PCED Office, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 17, 2025
PAULDING – The Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) held their 2025 first-quarter meeting at the Paulding County OSU Extension Building, with 16 members in attendance.
Rhonda Hografe, representing NW Ohio Tech Prep, opened the meeting by announcing that the Paulding County BAC received a 3-star rating from the State of Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Last year, Paulding County received a 2-star award. This rise in rating indicates the continued growth and success of the education-business partnership and collaboration in Paulding County. Hografe shared that the Paulding County BAC will be recognized during the SuccessBound Summit Event, which will be held on April 4 at Rhodes State College.
All three county schools, Antwerp, Paulding & Wayne Trace, shared updates and information with attending businesses and each other, about current programming and education taking place in regard to their Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics (STEAM) programs. This education is even more beneficial when it is in collaboration with an area business.
Fahyth Griner, HR Manager at Haviland Drainage & Haviland Plastics, shared a success story in conjunction with a Wayne Trace student highlighting how the student has developed valuable skills, including proficiency in CAD drawing, at the Wayne Trace STEAM center and made meaningful contributions to various engineering projects within the business.
Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Director Tim Copsey shared information about the upcoming Career and College Expo. The event will be held April 2 at the Paulding County Fairground OSU Extension building. Details of the event are coming together, including the strategic use of the YouScience data. YouScience is an assessment tool that Vantage Career Center provides to students in all three county schools.
The Paulding County 2025 Teacher Boot Camp, held in conjunction with the ODE, the University of Ashland, and the Western Buckeye Education Service Center, will be held June 2-5 & 9. The event is open for educators, administrators and school board members to sign up at this time. The boot camp is designed to equip attendees with the necessary knowledge about all kinds of services and manufacturing provided in the county and to bridge the gap between education, and the workplace. This will help educators understand what is available right here in Paulding County, so they can share accurate information with the students they connect with every day in school.
The floor was then opened for any open discussion. There was great interactive conversation, and ideas exchanged, on how students, educators, and the county businesses can create more opportunities to engage and communicate with each other.
The next BAC Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 5th at the expanded Mercer Landmark facility during the Teacher Boot Camp event. For more information about the Business Advisory Council please reach out to Jessica Stechschulte at the economic development office at 419-399-8295 or office@pced.net.
by Isabella Carwile | Mar 11, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, Events, New Business, Shoutout
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 11, 2025
ANTWERP – A new childcare-related business will be opening in the village. Co-owners Sierra Halter and Cheyenne Brown are putting their history of childcare experiences and social work to good use by opening the SunnyPatch Playroom.
The SunnyPatch Playroom, LLC is an organized and nurturing space where children can go to learn, play, and grow in a nurturing environment. The business was born from Halter and Brown’s shared dream of creating a space where families from all over the region can connect, play, and celebrate.
Founder Sierra Halter had a lifelong business dream and decided to combine business with her years of hands-on childcare experience. Her childcare background will allow her to balance the new business operations with a deep commitment to fostering student creativity, emotional growth, and cognitive development.
Cheyenne Brown brings a social work background and combines that with a similar passion for creating positive childhood experiences. Having years of experience supporting families, she understands the importance of family-friendly spaces. Her shared creativity and love for children shape SunnyPatch into a joyful, imaginative playroom where families can connect, celebrate, and grow with each other.
Together, the passionate owners are dedicated to offering a safe, community environment where children can thrive. The team will aim to attract children ages 1-6 years old but will offer a baby area for any child 12 months and under. The hope is to grow the business enough to get bigger play equipment to attract kids 7-10 in the future.
Located at 201 South Main Street, they invite you to an open house on Saturday, April 5 from 10 am-3 pm. The Playroom will then be open Monday through Thursday 8 am-3:30 pm; Friday 8 am-12 pm and Saturday from 8 am-10 pm. There will be timeslots available on Fridays to reserve the space for private play sessions and on Saturdays or Sundays to celebrate birthdays or other parties. You can learn more about the business through their Facebook or Instagram page.
by Isabella Carwile | Mar 11, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, Events, New Business, PCED Office, Property Development, Shoutout
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 11, 2025
GROVER HILL – Last weekend the community of Grover Hill hosted a ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Hardware House in Grover Hill. The former hardware store building, located at 105 N. Main Street, now provides a 2000 square foot retail/commercial facility downstairs and a Airbnb type rental space upstairs. The rental offers a space to spend nights or weekend for individuals or small groups of up to 8 -10 people comfortably.
The space provides three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, full stocked kitchen, full laundry room, high speed internet, smart TVs and a salt cave.
The building was purchased by owners Rob & Leslie Moser. They completely gutted the building, built in 1895 before indoor plumbing and electricity, and brought it fully up to state code. The sagging building needed to be squared up before a new roof, complete exterior remodel, new exterior stairs to the living space above, and all the amenities added to the inside.
The state-of-the-art facility is now up and running and open to the public. For views of the upgrade or more information you can find the facility on their Facebook page.
PICTURE: Left to right: GH Resident Linda Scarborough, Owner Leslie Moser, son Seth Moser; and GH Council members Trudy Wilkin, Candy Minck, Gabby Hook & Nick Myers.
by Isabella Carwile | Feb 13, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, Events, PCED Office, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release February 13, 2025
PAULDING – The Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) Steering Committee held their first meeting in 2025 at the Paulding County Economic Development office, with 16 members in attendance.
The meeting opened with Dee Basinger, from Ashland University, sharing that Ashland was the largest recipient of the Ohio Education grant. The grant allows teachers to be credited CEU hours for attending Teacher Boot Camp. The Paulding County Education Service Center (ESC) 2025 Teacher Boot Camp will be held June 2-5 & 9. The event is open for educators, administrators, and school board members to sign up now. The bootcamp is designed to equip attendees with the necessary skills and knowledge to bridge the gap between education, and the workplace, and help them understand what is available right here in Paulding County business that matches what they teach in the school.
Mike Burkholder, representing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, talked about the High School Tech Internship program and how this program may benefit both students and businesses. He also reiterated that businesses should be using Ohio Tech Cred as cost reimbursement for upskilling their employees. Burkholder shared that many schools are using this program right now to help teachers learn more about and understand artificial intelligence. The Tech Cred sign-up is open again to all Ohio businesses in March.
The meeting continued with Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey sharing information about the upcoming Career and College Expo on April 2nd. The event will be held at the Paulding County Fairgrounds OSU Extension building. Details of the event are coming together, including the use of the YouScience data. YouScience is an assessment tool that students in all three county schools are taking to identify the best potential career paths. Students will be provided a color code for their top three career paths. The businesses will be identified with the same color codes as to what they can offer. This should help better match students to businesses in their assessed career paths. Collaboration will continue up to the event.
In preparing junior and senior students for this event, the county economic development office will be visiting all three county high schools to pass out #pauldingcountystrong T-shirts to the seniors, and sharing QR code information to the juniors and seniors for access to a Paulding County business contact booklet and collecting emails. The emails will be added for receipt of the weekly county newsletter and future open employment position postings in the county. This should help students understand what employment opportunities are available in the county while they attend college, join the armed forces, or are simply looking for local employment.
The discussion then switched over to open employment positions in the county, both for youth and adults. In the past, the economic development office shared open positions through their weekly newsletter. This became a little cumbersome, so a decision was made to use the established OhioMeansJobs website. Recently, it has been requested that this perhaps be brought back into the PCED office. PCED Office Administrator Jessica Stechschulte shared that she has recently submitted a grant application for the BAC. One of the projects that the grant could fund would be the implementation of a vehicle to share open employment positions in the county. The group suggested that however it was decided to share the information, that perhaps students could help with this detail and possibly even be compensated through the grant. Stechschulte stated she will share information about the grant once she is notified.
The floor was then opened for any discussion. There was great interactive conversation, and ideas exchanged, on how students, educators, and the county businesses can create more opportunities to engage with each other. BAC meetings continue to make significant steps in strengthening the relationship between educational institutions and local businesses, aiming to better prepare students for their future workforce endeavors, either right out of high school, while attending college, or after college.
The full first quarter BAC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12th at the Paulding County OSU Extension office. For more information about the Business Advisory Council please reach out to Jessica Stechschulte at the economic development office at 419-399-8295 or office@pced.net.
by Isabella Carwile | Feb 9, 2025 | Community, Events, Shoutout
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release February 9, 2025
ANTWERP – Three Antwerp businesses will be hosting the 2nd Annual Black Swamp Bash in what they consider the “ultimate Antwerp triathlon”. The business collaboration includes, The Upper Nine, Pin-A-Rama Bowling Alley and Hops Place. Each business will host one leg of the event for two-person teams to compete on Saturday, March 8.
Pin-A-Rama will host bowling at 207 West Daggett Street. Participants will bowl 20 frames of 9-pin no-tap bowling and use that score to post in the competition. The Upper Nine golf simulators are located at 113 North Main Street. There, competitors will play 9 holes of golf in a scramble format.
Following bowling and golf, contestants will end at Hops Place 518 Erie Street. They will compete in a double elimination washer tournament and post final results for the day to determine the overall winners.
The event started in 2024 as the local businesses tried to find ways to get more customers inside their establishments. 23 teams signed up to compete making a fun day for all and providing a business spark in the community. The Upper Nine owner Matt Moore remarked, “Last year we made an attempt to get some excitement generated for our businesses. The participation was more than we initially thought it would be and the comments after were all positive and everyone said they had fun. Based on that we felt we could have success again this year.”
Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director also shared, “During the covid year the Flat Rock Creek Festival wasn’t able to be held. Instead, there was a tour set up with not-for-profit groups that would have provided food at the festival. This allowed several stops all around the county. That event was very successful and well attended. This Black Swamp Bash event could be something that is the beginning of a county-wide sports event that could be fun for many, just as that tour was. It will certainly boost the local economy, and would offer the opportunity for county residents and guests to find out more about each community in the county. We are excited these Antwerp businesses are continuing this event to see how it might grow into something larger and support its future growth potential.”
The entry fee for this Black Swamp Bash event is $100 per two-person team. Early registrants have the opportunity for a free T-shirt. Grab a partner and join in the fun. For more information about the event you can check any of the business Facebook pages or contact them direct.
by Isabella Carwile | Jan 2, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, Events, New Business, Shoutout
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release January 2, 2024
ANTWERP—The first Paulding County ribbon cutting of 2025 will be held here to introduce a new quality-of-life business opportunity to the region. Quarters On Us, LLC officially opened to the public on January 2.
Quarters On Us is a free-play arcade. Players pay for a pass to gain entry into the facility. Once inside, customers have free access to an entire collection of old video games, including the most famous games from the 1970s through the early 2000s. Pac-Man, Frogger, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Tron, Iron Horse, pinball machines, and so many more nostalgic games are available.
Players can continually play as long as the facility is open. Current hours with standard pricing for ages 5 and above include: Thursday 4-8p for $10; Friday 4-10p for $15; Saturday 10a-10p for $20 for the day or $15 after 4p and Sunday 4-8p for $10. With each of these options, customers can get a wristband for the day. The wristband allows for re-entry into the arcade throughout the day. If you have little ones that need to be somewhere or you want to step out in town and eat or shop, this option allows you to return and play more.
Special pricing is also available. The “Last Call” special is $5 for the final hour any day the arcade is open. The “Cartoon” special allows a $10 entry to play as long as you wish. There is no re-entry permitted once you leave after purchasing special pricing options.
The arcade is owned by family entrepreneurs Josh & Dana Garmater and their son Titus, who will also operate the facility. The Garmater’s own the “More than Boutique” business, also located in the village.
The arcade project has been a true community project. Located in the former laundry mat at 102 South Cleveland Street, the Garmater family completely renovated the building for the new use. Once the renovation was complete, local businesses were contracted for additional work. West Bend Printing & Publishing was contracted to design and install window prints while Antwerp graduate and artist Shayla Thomas, owner of Art by Shayla, was contracted to design and paint the beautiful new and exciting murals on the building.
Titus Garmater stated, “Our family has always been very involved in the Antwerp community. When we decided to open an arcade, we liked the idea of doing it in Antwerp. We wanted to provide an opportunity for students after school and something the whole family could enjoy. We want the public to know that Quarters On Us is here for the community. We want people of all ages, and all income levels to have access to the fun.”
The arcade was recently opened for a “test” run to the Antwerp first responders. The group got acquainted with the facility and how the system works. The first responders thoroughly enjoyed themselves and based on exciting responses, the business idea seems to be a great addition to the community.
Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey explained, “Anytime we can have local entrepreneurs invest in the county, you have the opportunity for another new business to succeed. People like to support local. We thank the Garmater’s for choosing Paulding County, and specifically Antwerp, to start this new business. A business like this, which is not available in every community, will import people into town from communities all around the region once the word gets out. We are excited to help them promote and market this new business.”
The arcade will join the MAC Gym and Pin-A-Rama Bowling Alley as Antwerp local outlets for students to enjoy life, while parents and guardians may stop in at the Genesis House for coffee, Oasis Bar & Grill, Puckerbrush Pizza or Hops Place for food and beverage, or just stop at one of the several convenience stores in town. Collectively this will enhance the quality-of-life options offered in the county.
For more information about the arcade visit their Facebook page at Quarters On Us, LLC.
