by Isabella Carwile | Mar 24, 2025 | Community, Events, Jobs, PCED Office, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 24, 2025
PAULDING – The Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office is hosting the Annual Business, Industry & College Showcase on Wednesday, April 2nd, from 8:00 am- 12:00 pm. The event is located at the Paulding County OSU Extension Building, located at 503 Fairground Drive in Paulding 45879. Junior and senior students from Antwerp, Paulding, Wayne Trace, and Continental schools will attend to meet and learn more about the businesses, colleges, and non-profit businesses in attendance. The Public is also welcome to attend.
In preparing students for this event, the PCED office is visiting with all the county junior and senior students. During the visit, it is explained to students how the showcase flows when they arrive and how this is their opportunity to interact and communicate with colleges, armed forces representatives, social service groups, and regional businesses. It is reiterated that even students that may not be looking to be employed should engage in this event, to learn and understand what businesses and products are available, provided, or manufactured, right here in the county.
PCED Director Tim Copsey explained, “This event is important in that it allows our students to see what Paulding County is and does. It allows our businesses to share what they do and provide to another group of potential customers and employees down the road. We always say you don’t know what you don’t know. Here is the chance to help educate each other about Paulding County and the region.”
In the past students were provided with an educational booklet that included a business description and contact information for most businesses in the area, many of which will be in attendance at the event. This year the PCED office is introducing QR codes to the students. One of the codes will take them to the PCED website where they will find the full booklet, which has grown to 38 pages of information.
A second QR code has been introduced to gather student information for use following graduation. Completing the brief survey, behind the QR code, will allow students access to the weekly PCED Newsletter and also to receive notice of employment opportunities, related to their employment field or college major, while they are in the workforce or attending college.
In addition, thanks to the Vantage Career Center’s investment in all county students, Paulding County students are able to participate in YouScience, a self-assessment module, to identify the best potential career paths, during the school year. Based on their personal assessment results, students are provided a color code for their top three recommended career paths. The businesses will display employment sector opportunities in matching color codes. This should help guide students to their best match-assessed career paths. Collaboration between students, educators, and businesses will continue up to the showcase event date.
“The Paulding County Career Day is a great opportunity for our Junior and Senior students to see what professions are available within our area. This event allows our students to showcase themselves to area businesses and make possible connections for a future job,” noted Shawn Brewer, PFC (Panther for Careers) Coordinator at Paulding Exempted Village School.
“We are excited for our students to explore local businesses and discover potential career opportunities in Paulding County. This event helps students connect their education to real-world pathways for success.” – Elyse Boyer, Director of Curriculum & Technology at Antwerp Local School.
In addition, thanks to the generosity of the Paulding County Area Foundation, all county senior students received a #pauldingcountystrong T-shirt in their school colors with their school mascot included in the logo.
You can find out more about Paulding County Economic Development events and programs online at www.pced.net; on Facebook at Paulding County Economic Development; or email Jessica Stechschulte, Administrator Assistant at office@pced.net.
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, Jobs, Shoutout, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 11, 2025
BROUGHTON – In the small community of Broughton, Ohio, a downtown business looms large and continues to grow. Nutri-Plus Fertilizer is a family-owned, local based company, that provides many agriculture services and allows the opportunity for their customers and growers to be good stewards of the land.
Nutri Plus is a trusted provider of high-quality agricultural products and services, dedicated to helping farmers achieve optimal crop health and maximize yields. Their offerings include premium fertilizers, custom application services, and advanced foliar blends tailored to the unique needs of each individual field. The Nutri Plus team services a four hour radius and is committed to servicing sustainable farming practices and empowering growers to thrive with personalized solutions and providing any expert guidance needed.
The list of services the group provides includes, but is not limited to, a full line of chemical and nutritional needs specializing in Agro Liquid from St. John, Michigan and P & L Fertilizer in Middle Point, Ohio, along with Rosen’s quality AG products and many other short line companies. The team can also provide VRT soil sampling and provide maps for variable rate recommendations.
The business started on the Ray Sinn Farm in 1978. Since that time, Kurt & Gary Sinn have expanded the facility. The family bought and grew the current site at 7909 Broughton Pike. With new room to grow, the team added infrastructure and resources to store additional liquid, add new application equipment, and additional capabilities of custom application and tassel corn applications along with added side dress applicators and nurse tanks for growers.
With the facility expansion, the next generation is filling roles within the company to ensure its long-term success. Knowing this, the business utilizes highly motivated employees looking to learn about, and enjoy, the agriculture sector. The positions include applicators, driving a truck to move fertilizer, and general labor.
Other family businesses include Ebel’s Butcher Shop and market, GKS Farm and Sow Farm. The faith-based businesses strive to develop relationships and provide resources to ensure the success of their customers and business partners.
For more information about any of the businesses, their products, or services, please review their Nutri-Plus website, Nutriplusfertilizer.com or call Taylor Reichert at 419-786-9311 or the main office at 419-786-8273.
by Isabella Carwile | Mar 5, 2025 | Community, Jobs, PCED Office, Workforce
PAULDING – On Monday, March 3, Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) brought together a diverse group of leaders for their inaugural Healthcare Roundtable discussion. The conversation was aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the county’s healthcare sector. The event saw an impressive turnout, with local colleges, career centers, school officials, and business leaders collaborating to find innovative solutions to pressing healthcare issues.
Introductions of attendees opened key conversation in how each individual healthcare facility in the county is unique, with each one providing slightly different healthcare options that also bring differing requirements for employment.
A key topic of discussion was the critical need for certified nursing instructors to provide certifications essential for new employees entering the healthcare field. This instructor shortage is often salary driven and presents a challenge, but conversation was positive in helping overcome this challenge. If the group can come up with a workable solution this would open the opportunity for high school students to enter the local healthcare workforce.
Further discussion led to a plethora of ideas creating an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation between the participants. Attendees represented Community Health Professionals (CHP), Vancrest of Payne, Country Inn, Antwerp Manor, Paulding County Hospital, Vantage Career Center, Four County Career Center, Antwerp Local School, Wayne Trace Local School, Northwest State Community College, Holistic Wizard Wellness, the Paulding County Health Department and PCED.
For future action, participants agreed to let the PCED office discuss the healthcare option with high school students as they make their presentations to the local school students for the upcoming Career and Industry Expo event April 2. PCED will share the potential healthcare option to establish a number of students that may be interested in training early this summer. This would allow summer or part time employment opportunities at each facility. Based on positive response, a location would be established where new trainees could conveniently complete essential first aid training and receive additional healthcare education.
The event underscored the power of community-driven initiatives in tackling shared challenges. “We were thrilled by the enthusiasm and dedication shown by everyone in attendance,” said Jessica Stechschulte, Administrative Assistant at PCED. “This roundtable marks the first step in developing actionable solutions that will strengthen the healthcare landscape in our county.”
Paulding County Economic Development remains committed to fostering partnerships that drive progress and improve the quality of life for all community members.
by Isabella Carwile | Feb 20, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, PCED Office, Property Development, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release February 19, 2025
PAULDING, OH – The Paulding County Commissioners, Economic Development Director Tim Copsey, and Eric Davis, from Wessler Engineering, Bluffton, met in the commissioner’s office recently to discuss a water feasibility study at the US24-Highway 127 interchange, located north of Paulding near the Crane Township – Emerald Township line.
Davis explained the scope of the project is to determine the most feasible way of making drinking water available at the intersection for potential economic development in the future. The study will also include the feasibility of bringing water to the Village of Cecil. Davis stated, “The intent of the study is to look at every possibility and determine the best potential to bring water to this intersection. Is that bringing it north from the Village of Paulding? Is it bringing water south from Sherwood under the Maumee River? Could it be connecting to a potential water line that would come from Defiance City to the mega-site near the Defiance County line? Is it establishing a well and water treatment plant near Cecil? All of these options need to be reviewed to confirm the most feasible option. The study can then be used to generate federal and state grant funding options to make this project a reality in the future.”
The county commissioners verbally committed $22,500 upon initial discussion. For the last several months Copsey met with Crane, Paulding, Emerald Townships, and Cecil Village to explain the importance of the project and to raise the rest of the funding required to pay for this study. The Townships each invested $5800 and the Village of Cecil invested $350.
Copsey commented, “The investment into this water study is a true commitment of our elected officials to the future growth of the economy in Paulding County. As Ft. Wayne grows further east, the Defiance industry grows further west, and traffic counts increase on both US24 and Highway 127, this intersection is becoming more and more attractive for future growth. We need to understand the cost for the potential development.”
Sewer system infrastructure will not be included in this study. Recent upgrades to the Cecil water treatment plant would be sufficient for initial development as the intersection is less than a mile away from the water treatment plant.
Davis noted that the study should be complete and results presented back to the group in the fourth quarter of 2025.
by Isabella Carwile | Feb 18, 2025 | Business Expansion, Community, For Sale, Funding, Jobs, PCED Office, Property Development, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release February 18, 2025
PAULDING COUNTY – This week JobsOhio Food and Agriculture Director Tim Derickson, and Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) representative Jessica Sattler, joined Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey in conducting five business retention and expansion (BR&E) visits around the county.
The first stop of the day was at Mansfield Welding near the village of Melrose. The family-owned business team was able to display and highlight some agriculture-related fabrication and welding and highlight a new process machine that was purchased with the assistance of a JobsOhio Small Business Grant, awarded in 2024.
The group then traveled and met with team members at Cooper Farms in Oakwood. There was an in-depth conversation about agriculture and the different sectors of the Cooper Farm business, turkey, pork, and chicken. Cooper Farms continues to be a county leader in employment, Ohio TechCred training reimbursement funds, as well as Workforce Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC).
The team made a trek to Antwerp to visit PNJ Enterprises and learn about a small fabrication business that makes automated parts for the food service industry, before heading to the village of Broughton to learn about Nutri-Plus Fertilizer. This family-owned business is annually providing plant nutrition for thousands of acres of crops in the agriculture industry.
The day closed out at Baughman Tile. Baughman is a fifth-generation family-owned business that is celebrating its 142nd year in business. The company manufactures plastic corrugated and solid-walled tiles for the agriculture and commercial industries. The conversation about workforce, business, and the economy was lively.
JobsOhio exists to empower world-class corporations, entrepreneurs, and talented individuals to build their businesses and careers in Ohio. Their advocacy and investments in partnership with the state enable sustainable economic growth and a better quality of life for all Ohioans through the power and dignity of work.
The Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) is the lead economic development organization and one of seven noted regions in the JobsOhio family and represents 17 counties in northwest Ohio. RGP partners with local county economic development offices to offer grants, incentives, and funding programs where applicable.
