 | June Newsletter
2012- Vol 3, Issue 3 | |
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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 Friday, April 27
Friday, July 27 Friday, October 26
Locations to be announced as meetings draw near! |
| Thank You! | |
Thank You to
Darke Co. Job & Family Services,
Mote & Associates,
Marchal & Marchal Ltd.,
Dennis Baker,
and
Wayne Industries
for contributing to
Partnering for Progress
in March 2012!
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| Thank You! | |
Thank You to
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Direct Wire Service,
JAFE Decorating Co.,
Littman Thomas Agency,
Keith Troutwine Agency, Inc.,
Darke Co. Assn. of Realtors,
Zechar Bailey Funeral Home
and
for contributing to
Partnering for Progress
in April 2012!
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| Thank You! | |
Thank You to
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Jon Jordan Agency,
and
Union City Community Economic Development Committee (UCCEDC)
(New Investor - Welcome!)
for contributing to
Partnering for Progress
in May 2012!
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Greetings! |
Greetings!
It's been a few months since our last newsletter so we are thrilled to finally have a new one hit your inbox. As usual, there is a lot to be excited about: the county's workforce development initiative is well under way, unemployment in Darke has dropped to 6.3% as our companies continue to expand, and the Partnering for Progress initiative continues to add to its membership. Furthermore, regional collaboration with our neighbors continues to increase as development personnel work together and with JobsOhio.
Please see below for an update on recent news and events, and as always, please call the economic development office at any time and for any reason. Your project, your issues, and your concerns are ours as well.
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Partnering for Progress- Highlights of Development Efforts from Across the County |
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Darke County Workforce Development Center Groundbreaking Ceremony | |
 
 
 
Workforce development is P4P's number one priority for 2012 and will likely remain the top priority for years to come. The need seems obvious for many reasons as hundreds of thousands of well-paid manufacturing positions in this country go unfilled due to a lack of skills in the labor force. This is truly a time where a highly skilled workforce and a highly adaptable and flexible local training effort can literally spell the difference between keeping the business a region has...or not. At stake for most areas...thousands of jobs and millions in capital investment.
These facts are eye-opening enough but something else truly makes this effort Darke County's main focus currently: the effort is, by a wide margin, the issue that has caught the attention of local business the most during P4P's existence. Local companies want to participate in this effort, want to work with the initiative long-term, and recognize the immediate need to have an impact on the area workforce. Obviously, when our top employers respond in the manner that they have, it is a strong signal that we're on the right path.
The recent symbolic groundbreaking ceremony to launch this campaign publicly and found the Darke County Workforce Center at the Greenville CTEC was a huge success. From Columbus through Dayton to our own legislators, participation was strong in this event and the coverage was region wide. Thanks to everyone involved and to the Greenville School District...and to the many advisors that helped get the program to where it is currently....for all of the input and time spent launching this effort. We have only just begun....
Special thanks to The Daily Advocate for a video of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64KIoIN6XGU
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Whirlpool Featured in Wall Street Journal Article | |
See the link to the article that put Greenville and Darke County on the front page of the Wall Street Journal! We don't need to remind everyone how fortunate we are to have the KitchenAid facility here locally or that Whirlpool is the county's top employer. However, it's prudent to point out how much attention they bring to our area. This type of coverage is just another way this occurs. The economic development office and The City of Greenville were thrilled to help Whirlpool fund this project last year.
Once Made in China: Jobs Trickle back to US Plants
Also, please check-out the video filmed locally by the WSJ, as posted through the Darke Journal website:
As reported in Darke Journal on Tuesday, May 22, 2012:
Greenville's Whirlpool plant is featured in today's Wall Street Journal for the efforts to move manufacturing of hand mixers back to Greenville after being manufactured in China for several years.
The story is both a written feature and a short 4 minute video feature (embedded above) that includes commentary from several local workers that uses the return of Whirlpool's hand mixer line as an example of a growing trend of manufacturing firms "reshoring" work, or bringing it back from China. This is happening largely because the cost of labor in China is escalating along with high transportation costs to get the products back to US and other markets.
Click Here to View Video through Darke Journal |
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Midmark Announces Plans for Expansion | |
Pictured (L to R) are Karl Weidner and Greg Blackmore (Midmark) and
Versailles Village Administrator Randy Gump, in Columbus to accept project incentives
Midmark Announces Plans for Expansion and New Offices
Includes enhancements to Versailles manufacturing facility and new offices in Dayton, Ohio
VERSAILLES, Ohio - (May 18, 2012) - Midmark Corporation, the most trusted name in medical, dental and veterinary healthcare equipment solutions, today announced two growth initiatives, including enhancements to its current manufacturing facility and additional offices located in Dayton, Ohio.
Click Here to Read Article in Darke Journal
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| Union City Collectively Backs P4P | |
Union City Collectively Backs P4P
Both sides of the state line join in supporting Darke County's economic development effort
Union City- The Union City community on both sides of the state line has jointly backed Darke County as three different community entities have thrown their support behind development efforts. Union City, IN (UCI), Union City, OH (UCO), and the Union City Community Economic Development Committee (UCCEDC) have all jointly pledged to support Darke County's Partnering for Progress (P4P) initiative, the collaborative public/private development effort on the Ohio side that supports business and job growth.
Click Here for Entire Darke Journal Article
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| Versailles S & L Ribbon Cutting | |
Congratulations to P4P investors, Versailles Savings & Loan, who have now completed and opened their new facility at 10413 Kley Road in Versailles. The new office has opened in conjunction with the Bank's 125th anniversary and will allow the company to offer full-service banking,
including checking accounts, a drive-thru, and an ATM.
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| Quarterly Investor Meeting | |
 
Thanks to all the investors for another great turnout at the most recent quarterly P4P investor meeting (and thanks to Second National Bank for being such gracious hosts!). There were many new faces, some good information exchanged, a GREAT breakfast provided by the BRC, and a new Business of the Quarter named: Family Health. (see below)
Upcoming investor meetings in 2012 will feature a slight twist. The July 27th event will be at the Stillwater Valley Golf Club and is hosted by Midmark Corporation. Dayton Development Coalition (DDC)President and CEO, Jeff Hoagland, has asked to make an appearance to discuss Darke's role in the Dayton region. The Oct. 26th event will be hosted by Whirlpool and will double as the DDC's Regional Economic Development Forum. Many officials and legislative representatives will be on hand and there will likely be attendance from at least an eight county area. Could be a few more surprises as well... stay tuned!
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Business of the Quarter - Second Quarter 2012 | |
Congrats to Family Health for being named the Darke CIC's Business of the Quarter for the 2nd quarter of 2012. Above, CEO Jean Young accepts the award, and at the same meeting, was named as one of the new P4P Investor Representatives to the CIC board. Family Health recently held the grand opening of their new Arcanum facility showing their continued commitment to the well-being of the Darke County community.
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2012 Investor Reps and Chamber Reps Elected | |
P4P investors elected two new reps to the CIC board for the 2012-13 term of service. Kent Myers of Brumbaugh Construction and Jean Young of Family Health are both welcome new additions to the board, in what was a very close election. The CIC and the Economic Development Office look forward to working with Kent & Jean in the coming year and thank them for their investment in economic development efforts.
 
We're also excited to recognize the two new representatives to the CIC board from the Darke County Chamber of Commerce: Nancy Zechar (Comprehensive Health Network) and Aaron Ward (A & B Coffee & Cake Co.). Aaron is serving on the CIC board for the first time while Nancy served last year as an investor representative. Thanks to both for their time commitment and to the Chamber for their participation with the P4P initiative.
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DCVB Gets New Visitors' Guides | |
GREENVILLE, OH (March 7, 2012) - Hot off the presses, the Darke County Visitors Bureau announced the release and distribution of the 2012/2013 Official Visitors Guide for Darke County, Ohio.
"The Official Visitors Guide is designed to resemble the look and feel of a lifestyle magazine. The cover titles invite readers to open the magazine and discover the urban-country spirit of Darke County," stated Deanna York, designer of the guide and executive director of the bureau.
The 48-page publication includes information on the "must sees" in Darke County, including hidden gems like Bear's Mill, The Inn at Versailles, The Winery at Versailles and Garst Museum, to legendary finds like Annie Oakley, KitchenAid and Eldora Speedway.
Click Here to Read Entire Article
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VHCC Receives Award | |
**Released in May 16, 2012 edition of Versailles Policy:**
Congratulations Versailles Health Care Center
...VHCC, owned and operated by Covenant Care has received the 2011 Covenant Care Chairman's Award for Facility of the Year! Our facility has also earned top recognition, as we celebrate our award for Operational Excellence and our 9th consecutive year in Clinical Excellence! Versailles Health Care Center was chosen for this award out of 24 skilled nursing facilities in the Midwest.
To qualify for the Covenant Care Chairman's Award, a facility must meet several standards. Those standards include: exceeding financial expectations, exceeding clinical standards, positive Federal and State Survey outcomes, low turnover and positive employee relations, and must exceed accounts receivable guidelines. The facility must also demonstrate that they have mentored other facilities and have been a "model" Covenant Care facility. They must also be a provider of choice in their community for patients and employees, and be actively involved as a member of their local community.
To qualify for the Covenant Care Operational Excellence Award, a facility must meet the following standards: exceeding clinical standards, positive Federal and State Survey outcomes, low turnover and positive employee relations, and exceeding administrative commitments.
Likewise, to qualify for the Covenant Care Clinical Indicator Achievement Award, a facility must meet several clinical standards of excellence. These include exceeding all clinical indicators and meeting goals for a low percentage of chemical restraints, physical restraints, weight loss, and in-house acquired pressure ulcers.
Covenant Care will be hosting an Operational Excellence symposium in Aliso Viejo, California on April 24, 2012. Accepting the awards for the Versailles Health Care Center, will be Kristy Earick, Executive Director, along with Dana Spurlock, Director of Nursing. By winning these prestigious company awards, the Versailles Health Care Center continues to demonstrate Covenant Care's commitment to quality care for its residents, staff, and community! Covenant Care (CC) provides skilled nursing and therapy services in short-term, long-term care and assisted living centers. CC operates 51 Healthcare Centers located in CA, IL, IN, IA, NE, NV, and OH.
Congratulations Versailles Health Care Center! To learn more about our services, you can visit us at www.versailleshealthcare.com.
(Special thanks to Versailles Policy for permission to reprint this article.)
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New Section - Links! |
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Links | |
Some articles you may find interesting:
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Unemployment Information | |
Ohio adds second most jobs in the U.S. in May
Posted:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Ohio was one of 14 states, along with the District of Columbia, to record an unemployment rate decrease during the month of May - increases were seen in 18 states. As noted in our June 15 blog post, Ohio's unemployment rate continues to slowly decline, settling at 7.3 percent in May, down from 7.4 percent in the month of April and down from 8.8 percent in May 2011.
Over the past month, California added the most jobs nationally with 33,900, followed by Ohio at 19,600, and New Jersey at 17,600. On the other end of the spectrum, North Carolina lost 16,500 jobs, Pennsylvania lost 9,900, and Maryland lost 7,500. The state of Nevada continued to have the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.6 percent, while North Dakota reported the lowest at 3 percent. For more, read the BLS release.
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Important Information on T12 Lighting Rebates | |
T12 Lighting Rebates are coming to a close
T12 or 1.5 inch diameter style fluorescent lamps are being phased out of usage and production by federal mandate. The workhorse for most commercial businesses the 4 foot and 8 foot bi-pin linear fluorescent lamp is about to become obsolete. On July 14, 2012 it becomes illegal to manufacture or import into the United States, these longstanding main stay lights.
encourage replacement of those lamps, DP&L is providing substantial rebates to businesses that choose to retrofit or replace those existing lamps with the new generation T8 or T5 lamps and the electronic ballasts they are designed to use. To obtain the rebate available, you must do so before the July 14, 2012 deadline. After that, DP&L will not rebate a T12 lighting change or retrofit.
Locally, Green Energy Solutions (GES) a division of Dickman Supply Inc., has assisted hundreds of businesses obtain energy efficiency rebates to help shorten the payback of lighting retrofits. In 2011 alone Green Energy Solutions assisted DP&L customers obtain over, $200,000 worth of energy efficient rebates. Call now to receive your free quote,
937-548-2022 or 937-564-9350 and ask for Jeff Roberts.
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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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Grants to Boost Small Business Exporting | |
The Ohio Department of Development has announced a new program to help increase U.S. exports. The International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) program aims to increase exports and create jobs by helping small businesses promote products and services in new international markets.
IMAGE funds will reimburse companies a maximum of $6,000 (50 percent on qualifying expenditures up to $12,000)* for activities associated with new international marketing initiatives.
Click Here for More Information on the IMAGE program, or contact the Ohio Department of Development at IMAGE@development.ohio.gov or call (614) 466-5017.
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Participate in UD's Six Sigma Internship Program | |
 From UD's Center for Competitive Change:
Greetings to all supporters of the Center for Competitive Change:
Many of you have been participating in the Six Sigma Green Belt Student Internship Program for several years realizing impressive results from our student sigma projects. As a true testimony to the program and caliber of students, many have also extended job offers to their intern or provided top references that led to the student finding a place of employment. I am looking forward to your renewed participation for 2012.
Welcome to those new organizations considering joining in this great student learning experience. I hope you take a few minutes to review and consider participation as the results have been IMPRESSIVE!
The following is some brief information about the program.
The brief overview. We have 30 advanced junior and senior engineering and business students enrolled this semester in the Six Sigma Green Belt class. Their backgrounds are split between business ops (Finance, Supply Chain) and engineers (Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil & Industrial Technology). The class began January 17th and ends May 4th. Through our resilience in maintaining industry excellence to the Six Sigma requirements, this is only one part of the student's curriculum toward obtaining a green belt certification. Step 1 is the class and successfully passing the comprehensive final exam. Step 2 is winning an internship to develop and execute a green belt level project. This is where I need your help! Please consider your organization's participation in our internship program.
More Information on the Six Sigma Internship Program
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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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