 | January Newsletter
2012- Vol 3, Issue 1 | |
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| P4P Investor Meetings |
If you are not yet a Partnering for Progress investor, but may be interested in participating in the P4P initiative, please feel free to attend one of our Investor Meetings to learn more about the program and how it promotes development in Darke County. Also, for more information you may contact Jim Poeppelman at 937-448-2191 or by email.
Meetings Scheduled for 2012:
Friday, February 17 (please note date change!) Friday, April 27
Friday, July 27 Friday, October 26
Locations to be announced as meetings draw near! |
| Thank You! | |
Thank You to
Brethren Retirement Community,
Garbig & Schmidt, LLC,
Versailles Area Chamber
of Commerce,
and
Keller Grain & Feed, Inc.
for contributing to
Partnering for Progress
in November 2011!
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| Thank You! | |
Thank You to
Wayne HealthCare,
Versailles Savings & Loan Co.,
Goubeaux & Brand,
Village of Ansonia
(New Investor - Welcome!)
and
A & B Coffee & Cake Company
(New Investor - Welcome!)
for contributing to
Partnering for Progress
in December 2011!
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Greetings! |
The year 2012 is off to a good start! Here's to a happy and prosperous year for all of Darke County! |
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Partnering for Progress- Highlights of Development Efforts from Across the County |
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ED Update | |
This slide was presented recently at the Dayton Development Coalition's annual meeting. It shows the coalition's membership on a map marked with orange dots. The nice part is this- the dot size correlates with the number of projects brought forward in 2011. As you can see, only Clark county did as well as us. So....what does this mean? First and most importantly, it means that we are lucky enough to have well-run companies here that have ambitious growth plans. It also means that the partnership has been working well with these companies and has successfully pitched partnering with them on their projects to the state. This, of course, necessitates having good relationships with both sides.
But it all starts with the companies. 2011 was a great year in Darke County made possible by great local businesses and a strong countywide collaborative development effort. I look forward to more of the same in 2012 and beyond. Aside from assisting our businesses, workforce development is the partnership's #1 priority this year. See the press release in this newsletter and please call at any time with questions or suggestions in this area. Let's make sure that a trained workforce is seen as one of Darke County's strengths for years to come.
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Versailles Chamber Presents P4P Check | |
Versailles Chamber of Commerce President Mitch Eiting (R) presents the chambers' 2012 Partnering for Progress contribution to Darke County CIC President Jim Poeppelman (L)...surrounded by chamber members, our commissioners, and yours truly with the goofy smile on his face in the back. As usual, the Versailles Chamber played host to a great annual banquet the other night at the Stillwater Valley Golf Club. 150+ were in attendance and everyone left informed, entertained...and well-fed. Thanks again to the Versailles Chamber and to the entire Versailles community for their support of P4P.
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Press Release - GHS CTC to Add Adult Workforce Training | |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2012
Greenville High School CTC to Add Adult Workforce Training
District inaugurates county's workforce development efforts
with new program
Greenville- On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, the Greenville School Board's approval of a service agreement with The ProtoGen Group for adult workforce training is now the first step towards a workforce development campaign for Darke County. According to Superintendent Susie Riegle, the school has been working with the county's Partnering for Progress (P4P) initiative and with local business officials for months towards the new wrinkle for the Greenville Career Technical Center (CTC).
"This contract, and the related work and research, are first steps towards making our CTC more responsive to the businesses in our community," said Greenville Schools Superintendent Susie Riegle. "We are getting input from manufacturers throughout the county to ensure that we develop an effective program and curriculum."
Click Here to Read Entire Article
Article in Darke Journal
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WorkKeys Summary | |
WorkKeys® is a job skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop, and retain a high-performance workforce.
WorkKeys gives you a complete solution for employee selection and development.
This powerful solution offers both Foundational Skills and Soft Skills assessments, enabling you to assess the full potential of applicants and employees. The tools in this comprehensive system can be mixed and matched to meet diverse organizational needs.
Energizer Zaps Costly Errors Using WorkKeys
Results:
- In the first three months of hiring following the implementation of the WorkKeys system, skills-related turnover went to zero.
- The plant saw significantly reduced training time among new hires. "Once they went through the WorkKeys process, they qualified at a quicker rate," Young said.
- The plant saw decreased quality defects and deviations.
- Employees in critical jobs also demonstrated improved productivity. "It comes to them easier, and there's less of a learning curve," Young said.
- The company better adheres to the principles of lean manufacturing through shortened training time frames and higher-skilled employees.
Energizer accepts the National Career Readiness Certificate - a WorkKeys-powered skill credential - from job applicants. "When we hire, we typically have 1,000 applicants for 30 positions," Bernadette Young, human resources manager at Energizer. "If they pass the tests and get a certificate, they're closer to getting ahead in the job application process."
For more information on WorkKeys, visit the following WorkKeys Link or contact the Economic Development Office at 937-548-3250 or msaluk@darkecounty.com.
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OJT Grants Summary of Programs 2012 | |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2012
OJT Grants Summary of Programs 2012
General Characteristics
On-the-Job Training Grants may be made to employers who hire dislocated or other unemployed persons. There are several different programs, each having its own unique characteristics and requirements. In all of the programs, it is critical that the employer and the job seekers complete all eligibility and application requirements before the hiring takes place. All grant awards are based upon the availability of funds and budget limits do exist. Staff members of the Job Center Network and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (contact names and numbers provided) are available to provide assistance in determining eligibility and completing the required application documents.
For detailed information or to begin the application process, contact:
- Darke County Job Center, Sherry Mueller 937-548-4132 ex 334
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, John Spencer 937-408-7925
Click Here for Additional Details
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DCED Visits All American Clothing | |
DCED along with The Village of Arcanum, visited All American Clothing this month. Residing just outside the village, the company is one of the few that manufactures clothes right in the United States. Pictured above are father and son team Lawson Nickol (L) and BJ Nickol (C). On the right is Arcanum Village Administrator Curt Garrison. The visit was very informative as we learned more about what this fine company does and how they contribute locally. Check out their website at: http://www.allamericanclothing.com/. You'll be impressed by what you find, the quality of the product, and the service that it's delivered with.
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Business First! Team Meets with DDC About JobsOhio | |
The Dayton area BusinessFirst! team, on which Darke is an executive committee member, is still meeting consistently with the Dayton Development Coalition (shown above) to provide input on how the JobsOhio program rolls out in the region. The platform is one of many by which Partnering for Progress is able to provide feedback to the state and play a role in structuring how economic development is implemented in Ohio.
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Dayton Development Coalition Annual Meeting | |
 
(photo by Linda Moody of The Daily Advocate)
The Dayton Development Coalition's (DDC) Annual Partner Meeting was held in January and over one thousand elected officials, development personnel, and business leaders converged on the Schuster Center for a regional update highlighted by a speech from Senator Sherrod Brown and a presentation that featured our own Midmark President & CEO Anne Eiting Klamar, a member of the DDC regional board. Not only was Anne featured in a video that spoke for the value of doing business in the Dayton region for her company, but the county received some brief attention when it was noted that we had the most business projects in the region completed in 2011 in conjunction with the county and state (see the ED Update at the beginning of this newsletter for more details). Nice exposure overall to a crowd laden with VIP's and much of the Ohio congressional delegation! All three Darke County commissioners attended this event along with EDD Marc Saluk. The DDC will play an even stronger role in regional development this year as the regional partner for Governor Kasich's JobsOhio program. The county's DDC membership should prove money well-spent.
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DCED Welcomes New HR Manager for FRAMGroup | |
 
Welcome to Darke County, Emma Jarvis...new HR Manager for The FRAMGroup. Emma moved across country from Clearfield, Utah to work here in Darke County when her former FRAM facility closed at the end of 2011. For those who don't remember, Darke County now has the only FRAM facility remaining in North America and they have grown tremendously here locally since winning that battle. Earlier this month, the economic development office brought Emma a basket of locally-made products and welcomed her to the community. Thanks to the Darke County Visitor's Bureau, Marco's Pizza, and Bear's Mill for contributing items to Emma's welcome basket.
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Workforce Team Visits Ramco | |
 
Darke County ED and The City of Greenville brought the county's workforce specialists out to Ramco Electric Motors to meet with the company's new HR Manager. The visit was designed so that, in light of Ramco's recent expansion, no potential training dollars from the state were un-utilized by the company. Our workforce team has been going through the county, company by company, in an effort to make sure that the funds are available for those who wish to take advantage of them and to help simplify the process for those who participate. To schedule a visit, please call the Economic Development Office at 548-3250. By the way, Dave Dunaway and company have done a GREAT job at their new site...congrats to Ramco on a successful move...the county certainly recognizes the value of having a company such as this expand locally.
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Greenville Mayor & DCED Director Visit JAFE Decorating | |
Thanks to Randy O'Dell of JAFE for allowing Greenville Mayor Mike Bowers and DCED Driector Marc Saluk to tour his production facility on December 16, 2011. JAFE is a great example of a locally-grown company that has done well over the years and continues to provide jobs and opportunity for local residents. Expect more good things to come from them in the future, especially with Randy leading the way...
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P4P Update Presented at Kiwanis | |
(photo courtesy of Bob Robinson of CountyNewsOnline)
Thanks to Greenville Kiwanis for inviting Marc Saluk to provide an economic development update to the group at their December meeting at the Brethren Retirement Community. Unfortunately, Marc had a sore throat that day and Commissioner Mike Stegall was forced to step in and pick-up his slack! The commissioner did a fantastic job on short notice and enthusiastically tackled the job. Just another example of why Partnering for Progress has worked wonders in Darke County... everyone's got each other's back. Thanks to Mike for the help and to Kiwanis for being interested in keeping up with development activities in the county.
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GHS Student Thank Yous | |
Just a quick thank-you to Sandy Hoying for inviting economic development in to present to three of her classes at Greenville High School. It was a great chance to update students on what is occurring in their back yard, and on the processes that shape the community around them. Pictured above, two of the student thank-you cards sent to Marc & Melanie.
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ODOD Director Visits Wapakoneta | |
 
Commissioners Mike Stegall and Mike Rhoades, along with EDD Marc Saluk and Versailles Village Administrator Randy Gump, travelled to Wapakoneta in December to meet with regional development officials and to hear a presentation from JobsOhio Director Mark Kvamme. Kvamme was hand-picked by Governor Kasich to reform Ohio's development efforts, and his forays into the region are valuable in keeping up with the state's plans. Kvamme was helpful during Darke County's project with The FRAMGroup and we look forward to continuing our relationship with his office, as well as the governor's.
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DCED Gets Facebook Page | |
Check out the new DCED Facebook page and keep up on Partnering for Progress activities 24/7!!!
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Lt. Governor Comments on First Year of CSI Ohio |
January 10, 2012
Contact: Stephanie Owen, 614.644.0927
stephanie.owen@governor.ohio.gov
CSI Ohio Marks First Year of Common Sense Regulations
Columbus - Lt. Governor Mary Taylor today remarked on the first year of CSI Ohio: The Common Sense Initiative. The initiative was created by executive order on January 10, 2011 - the first day of the Kasich-Taylor Administration - to help establish a more jobs-friendly regulatory climate in Ohio. Taylor was placed in charge of the project by Governor John Kasich.
"CSI Ohio is about restoring balance to business regulations, making it easier to do business and create jobs in Ohio," Taylor said. "We know we still have a lot of work to do, but I'm very excited about what we've been able to accomplish in our first year."
CSI Ohio was established to create a regulatory framework that promotes economic development, is transparent and responsive to regulated businesses, makes compliance as easy as possible, and provides predictability for businesses...
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Ongoing Reminder... Doing Business with the Government |
Doing Business with the Government
A list of sites and contacts to create opportunity with the largest customer in the world
Between the federal, state, and local levels, the U.S. Government is, by far, the largest procurer of products on Earth. For those that are looking to gain opportunity from its diversity of purchasing power, the South West Central Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Centers are available to help navigate the terrain. It's a long name, so call them PTAC. PTAC is a FREE service with counselors that will guide your business through the application process and help you understand the various sites and programs that could open up new revenue opportunities for your company. Call the Dayton-area Counselor, Kent Anderson, at 937-258-5407 or email him at kanderson@emtec.org, or call the programs' Director, Meredith Threatt at 937-259-1368. Meredith's email is mthreatt@emtec.org. You may also check out PTAC's website at: http://www.swcoptac.org/
· PTAC Daily Bid Match (Search for 'Daily Bid Match' on the PTAC site) · http://www.fbo.gov/(Forecasts from federal agencies on what buying patterns will be in 2-5 years)
Please call the Economic Development Office if you have any trouble getting connected with PTAC. |
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INFORMATION AND UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Compression Planning | |
Compression Planning Institute
February 8-10, 2011
Wednesday & Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Sinclair Conference Center, Perry & Fourth Streets, Dayton, OH
2 1/2 days that will dramatically increase the effectiveness of your organization.
Jerry McNellis, Founder of the McNellis Compression Planning Institute, & his staff Compression Planning is a powerful planning process that ensures the group's combined energy and innovative thinking is captured and ultimate desired outcomes are reached quickly, effectively, and at least 30% faster. Compression Planning gives you a reliable structured way to pull all of the pieces of information together, clarify what's next, recognize what's missing, and implement an action plan.
For more information or to register, please contact:
Hope Arthur at hope.arthur@sinclair.edu
or 937-512-3891
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Ohio GFOA Seminar | |
Ohio GFOA Seminar ...
Show Me The Money!
Explore Federal Grants Available to You
February 23, 2012
The Conference Center at OCLC
Dublin, OH
The U.S. Senate role in federal grants is to connect constituents to federal programs upon their request...plus writing letters of support when asked in support of their federal proposal. This seminar will provide a description of federal funding programs available through agencies such as the Economic Development Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce), U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs, U.S. Department of Education,
and more.
Click Here for More Information or to Register
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Center for Competitive Change 2012 Schedule | |
Announcing the Center's 2012 Public Program Schedule!
According the Institute of Corporate Productivity, companies that put a stronger emphasis on learning during the economic crisis had better market performance. Learning, which directly and immediately impacts corporate performance, is the key to surviving the economic downturn.
The Center for Competitive Change prepares your organization for all situations!
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JobsOhio Resource Center | |
Following is a link to the JobsOhio Resource Center created by Bricker & Eckler, LLP in Cincinnati, OH. It is intended to provide economic development practitioners, business professionals and public officials with the latest developments with JobsOhio.
Click Here to Visit the JobsOhio Resource Center
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Workforce Development at Sinclair Community College | |
We are dedicated to providing continuing education, training and development to enhance your career and organizational success.
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New Welding Course Offered at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology | |
New Visual Inspection Online Course
This course concentrates on the single most used method of welding inspection - what we can see with the naked eye. Anyone involved with arc welding inspection, quality control, engineering or supervision should know the fundamentals of what to observe, prior to, during and after welding.
During this course you will learn about:
- Description and functions of common weld gages
- Temperature indicators
- Marking repair welds
- Visual Inspection prior to welding
- Visual Inspection during welding
- Visual Inspection after welding
- Equipment required
- Terminology of weld defects
- General requirements for workmanship standards
- Visual inspection check list
Click Here for More Information
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We welcome your feedback on the events listed above, so that we may be able to share more releveant information in future issues. |  |
Darke County Economic DevelopmentCommunity Improvement Corporation of Darke County, OH537 South Broadway Suite 201, Greenville, OH 45331 Phone: 937-548-3250 Fax: 937-547-8446 mnealeigh@darkecounty.com |
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