Build your Future

Build your Future

Paulding County Economic Development Press Release                                    Sept. 3, 2024

Paulding – The Van Wert County Economic Development office will be hosting a “Build your Future” event on September 18th, 2024 at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds. All Paulding County schools are invited to attend this year’s event.  This event will be divided into two sessions – a morning session + afternoon session.

Here’s a recap of the event.

Vantage students in Carpentry, Construction, Electricity, Industrial Mechanics, & Welding, along with local business partners & sponsors, provide local freshman & sophomores hands on activities related to the Industrial field. The students work their way through multiple booths featuring different activities where they can weld, frame a wall, use a skid loader, etc.

The event will bring freshman & sophomore students from all three Paulding County high schools to learn about, meet and discuss future opportunities with area businesses.

“This event is an opportunity for students to become familiarized with local business and what they do, gain awareness of various careers, get leads on summer employment and much more. We understand that each student is in a different place with job and future education decisions. Our hope with this event is to meet students where they are in that decision process and help provide them with numerous options to consider for their future.” stated Economic Development, Administer Assistant, Jessica Stechschulte.

 

The event will run 1st session; 9 am – 11 am. 2nd session; 12 pm- 2 pm. Each school will then bus their students to the event on the hour for forty-five minutes.

Students will be provided with all safety PPE materials needed upon arrival.

PCBW: Greg Johnson & Jeff Starner – Herbert E. Orr Company

PCBW: Greg Johnson & Jeff Starner – Herbert E. Orr Company

This week on Paulding County Business Weekly we have Greg Johnson, President & CEO, and Jeff Starner, CFO of the Herbert E. Orr company.  Listen in to hear how the business began, where it’s been, and where it’s headed as it continues to be a viable employment option in Paulding County that continues to support #pauldingcountystrong efforts.

Thanks to OhioMeansJobs, you can tune in on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or Click Here to Listen Online! Paulding County Business Weekly is also available on many podcast platforms including Apple, Google & Spotify. #pauldingcountystrong

PCBW: Tiffany Rockhold – OhioMeansJobs of Defiance & Paulding Counties

PCBW: Tiffany Rockhold – OhioMeansJobs of Defiance & Paulding Counties

Hear from Tiffany Rockhold, workforce supervisor at OhioMeansJobs, to learn all about the partnership, collaboration, and new programming and services that they offer from both the Paulding and Defiance County offices.

Huge thank you to OhioMeansJobs for sponsoring this program and for being this week’s guest!

You can tune in on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or listen online at https://lnkd.in/d-gMvXxP. Paulding County Business Weekly is also available in podcast form through Apple, Google & Spotify. hashtagpauldingcountystrong

Paulding High School’s Welding Program Graduates Third Cohort

Paulding High School’s Welding Program Graduates Third Cohort

Paulding, OH – Paulding High School proudly announces the successful completion of its after-school certification program in welding. The program, in its 3rd year of completion, is in collaboration with Northwest State Community College (NSCC) and allows students to gain skills and certifications including Welding, OHSA-10, LEAN Six Sigma, and Blueprint Reading.

Leading this initiative were Staci Miller, Paulding High School’s FFA Advisor, and Thomas Zuber, owner and operator of Zuber Welding and Fabrication. Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in guiding students through the class, preparing them for promising careers in welding or other hands-on skilled trades they would pursue.

“I have truly enjoyed co teaching with Thomas Zuber as we taught these students the basics of welding and blueprint reading and helping them to prepare for their futures by assisting with their resume and interviewing skills. This group of students have amazing potential and any employer would be lucky to have them. It shows true dedication for these students to want to stay after school to learn a skill like welding. We are so proud of each of them.” shared Miller.

Over the course of 13 weeks, students engaged in a mix of hands-on training, book work, interview skills and business tours at North American Stamping and Mansfield Welding. Under the guidance of Miller and Zuber, alongside partners Tiffany Rockhold with OhioMeansJobs and Tim Copsey and Kristen Schilt with Paulding County Economic Development, students gained experience and knowledge, totaling 50 hours of instruction outside of their regular school day and extracurriculars.

Reflecting on the experience, one student shared, “This welding class provided me with the basic skills to weld and read blueprints that could provide me with future employment while doing it in a fun and hands-on setting with our instructors. I gained many new skills and welding techniques as well as different welding methods.  I would recommend the class to others in the future.”

The program graduates and their families celebrated their dedication and accomplishments last Thursday. Program graduates were Drake Ankney, Matthew Bail, Jesus Estrada, Giovanni Linares, Jonathan Lipps, and Samuel Reinhard.

Paulding High School remains committed to innovation and excellence in education, empowering students with the skills and certifications necessary to thrive in today’s workforce environment.

For more information about future workforce initiatives, Paulding High School’s welding program, or other opportunities here or around the county, please contact Paulding County Economic Development at 419-399-8282.

Business Advisory Council (BAC) receives 2-Star Award Ranking

Business Advisory Council (BAC) receives 2-Star Award Ranking

Fremont, OH – The Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) proudly announces its recent recognition for excellence, attaining a 2-star rating during a ceremony held on Friday at Terra State by Ohio College TechPrep.

In compliance with state regulation, all Ohio school districts and Educational Service Centers (ESC) are required to establish a Business Advisory Council. Ohio has over 110 councils, among which is the Paulding County Western Buckeye ESC BAC.

Members Tiffany Rockhold (OhioMeansJobs), Kim Wannemacher (Paulding County Hospital), Fahyth Griner (Haviland Drainage Company), and Kristen Schilt (Paulding County Economic Development) accepted the excellence award on behalf of the council. Their unwavering dedication has played a great role in shaping the BAC’s success.

Additionally, at the award ceremony, Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Director Tim Copsey was honored with the 2024 Economic Development Partner of the Year Award for his exceptional collaboration contributions to the educational and business partners, the BAC and the overall community.

Established in 2021, the Paulding County BAC is committed to enhancing educational opportunities and fostering relationships between education and local businesses. Through quarterly meetings, the council facilitates collaboration between leaders in these sectors, creating learning experiences and preparing a skilled workforce. The council consists of businesses from different industries, including: manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, service sectors, as well as representatives from our three local school districts, Vantage Career Center, and regional colleges.

“Our BAC is dedicated to continually improving to benefit our students and local businesses,” shared Kristen Schilt Office Manager for PCED. “We are glad to be recognized as a ranked business advisory council this year. We know there are still workforce needs that need addressed in our community and our BAC will continue to work together to understand how collectively we can narrow those gaps.”

Partnerships between local schools and industries have resulted in initiatives such as: enhancing the annual spring career expo, teacher boot camp, Paulding HS welding program, Paulding HS construction program, Panthers for Career partnerships, Archer Advantage program, Antwerp Innovation and Aquaponics Center and the new Wayne Trace STEAM center.  These initiatives not only enrich the learning experience for students but also help establish a skilled workforce tailored to the needs of the local economy.

As the Paulding County BAC looks to the future, it remains committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence in education and workforce development.

For more information about the Paulding County Business Advisory Council and its initiatives or to join an upcoming meeting, please contact Paulding County Economic Development at 419-399-8295.

 

BAC Members Pictured Left to Right:
Tiffany Rockhold, OhioMeansJobs Defiance/Paulding Counties, Kim Wannemacher, Paulding County Hospital, Kristen Schilt, Paulding County Economic Development, Fahyth Griner, Haviland Companies

Charloe Sno-Cone Changes Ownership, Looking to Expand

Charloe Sno-Cone Changes Ownership, Looking to Expand

CHARLOE – The Charloe Sno-Cone, located at 10768 Rd 171, has recently changed ownership.  Daniel and Dimare Dunlap have purchased the building and business and hope to grow the business.  They have also named Cannina Lewis as the Operations Manager for the facility.

The business had a soft opening over Easter weekend.  The goal for the future business schedule is to be open seven days a week ASAP along with adding a morning shift for coffee and pastries.  Current hours are Thursday thru Sunday from 11 am-8 pm.  There will be additional days slowly added with the intention of being open seven days a week by peak boating season.  The new owners intend to stay open year-round and utilize the indoor seating, likely shutting down the soft serve ice cream operation in the off-season, but keeping the hard dip flavors and full-service kitchen options available.

The Sno-Cone will offer a full food menu this year and pretty much every ice cream you could imagine, including hard dip, soft serve, slushes, and bringing back the actual Sno-Cone!

Dunlap grew up in the area of the Auglaize River. His background is in real estate investing and construction.  He is also the owner of Four County Home Inspections, Code 3 Properties, LLC, and Flat Rock Real Estate Corporation.  He was previously an EMT, paramedic, and firefighter.  Once he married Dimare, they chose to live on the river and enjoy it all the time.  Dan stated, “I grew up as a kid eating at the Sno-Cone on weekends and enjoying the delicious ice cream.  Now we have the privilege of owning the establishment and sharing it with others.”

In connecting with the history of the business, the Dinmares brought back the original signage with the Native American logo.  This sign was painted by a local artist to represent the history of the unincorporated village, which was named after Chief Charloe Peter in 1839.

In developing into the future, the Dunlap’s hope to bring pizza to the menu and obtaining a liquor license for the sale of beer and wine, along with wine slushes and other refreshments.  They are currently repairing the large deck looking over the river.  It should be open soon.    They are also adding three brand new docks in the water to accommodate passing boaters who would like to visit from the river.

The menu options and pricing have changed to better serve the community.  The end goal is to provide the best service at the best pricing.  This decision is supported by stopping the automatic tips added to orders.  This will allow customers to tip at their own discretion.   You can call the business for more information at 419-594-3594 or find the business on Facebook or order online at charloesnocone.com

If you would like to enjoy some savory deliciousness from the Charloe Sno-Cone and experience a beautiful river view, support local and give the new team a try.