CRS will add jobs in Jefferson County

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and Capital Recovery Systems joined forces this week in bringing a “win, win” deal to downtown Steubenville.

Alex Marshall, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, announced the pending sale of the organization’s headquarters, 630 Market St., to Capital Recovery Systems, a full service receivables management and debt collection agency based in Columbus with an office in the city. 

“This deal works for both sides,” Marshall said. “The chamber will continue to operate in its current offices while Capital Recovery will take over the first floor of the building and grow its Jefferson County workforce. This pending sale represents extremely positive news for downtown Steubenville.”

Craig W. Klein, a Steubenville native and president of CRS, said his current operation employs 24 people. Once the business relocates to the Market Street facility, Klein estimates he can create a minimum of 30 new jobs in the months ahead.

Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance, called the pending sale “a win-win for downtown Steubenville and Jefferson County.”

“This project definitely will have a positive impact on our economy,” he said. “CRS will be creating good paying jobs, will be retaining the jobs it already has here and will be an active participant in the local business scene. I applaud Mr. Klein for making this investment in downtown Steubenville.”

Looman also pointed out Progress Alliance will continue to operate in its current location at 630 Market St.

Corridors program returning to area

The Pittsburgh Business Times’ Corridors of Opportunity program will be returning to the area in July.

The theme for the 2009 event will be “3-2-1, Three Counties, Two States, One Goal! “ Progress Alliance and the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle will team up to host the event, scheduled for July 16 in Weirton’s Serbian Cultural Center.

Plans for the event were announced this week by Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance, Pat Ford, executive director for the BDC, and Jim Emmerling, president and CEO of EM-Media. 

“The 2008 event held in Jefferson County was a huge success,” Looman said. “It gave us the opportunity to showcase our county to nearly 200 professionals from the Pittsburgh area. Thanks to the new partnership we have formed with the BDC, we now have the chance to promote Brooke, Hancock and Jefferson counties. As the theme indicates, we are three counties, we are two states, but we have one goal—market the area as a great place to live, work and play.”

Additional details on the event will be announced soon.

Development mass set for Tuesday

Faith in the Future has scheduled a mass to pray for economic development for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Sacred Heart Church, located in Hopedale. The Rev. Timothy McGuire will be the celebrant.

Concerned for the spiritual and temporal needs of the community, Faith in the Future strives to create a climate for the economic development of the area through prayer, leadership, encouragement and teamwork.

A reception is planned following the Tuesday service.

Small business seminar planned for May 22

The Stark Development Board Finance Corporation and the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus are once again conducting a series of small business finance seminars.

The 2009 seminar is being called Business Growth Summit:  Financial Programs. It will focus on available programs to assist small businesses in the current economic times. Instead of one annual meeting, the organizations will offer this program in six different locations on six different dates. The purpose of the revised format is to provide additional convenience to their partners.

Jefferson County will host one of the programs on Friday, May 22. It will run from 8-10 a.m. in the Jefferson Community College. For more information, or to make a reservation, contact Deanna Spencer at Kent State Tuscarawas, (330) 308.7522 or via e-mail at dmspence@kent.edu.

OneCommunity official to visit county

Tony Grech, an account executive with OneCommunity, will visit Jefferson County on Tuesday to provide information on his organization’s plans regarding improved broadband service.

His presentation is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Jefferson County Center for Economic Development, 630 Market St.

OneCommunity is a nonprofit technology organization dedicated to transforming Ohio’s economy and quality of life. It can connect both public and nonprofit institutions to each other and to the world via its own fiber-optic network, billed as one of the largest and fastest in the world.

Grech’s presentation is being sponsored by Progress Alliance.

Pride of the valley debuts on Facebook

Pride of the Valley, a site sponsored by the Jefferson County Leadership Program Class of 2008-2009, recently made its debut on Facebook.

The site, aimed at Jefferson County teens, offers loads of information regarding the county and all it has to offer.  It provides information on academic resources and colleges, leadership tips, jobs, social services and the county’s best kept secrets.

It provides visitors with the opportunity to meet other county residents and also will feature surveys.

CIC board is set to meet on May 19

The May meeting of the Community Improvement Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19 at The Steubenville Herald Star.

Patrick Ford, the new executive director of the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle, will be a guest at the meeting and offer brief remarks about his organization.

Following the meeting, CIC trustees can attend a special edition of Business After Hours, the regular networking program operated by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. The event, called “A Taste of Downtown,” will be held in Herald Square Park.

The “Green Machine,” the neighborhood electric vehicle donated by Wildfire Motors to help raise money for Progress Alliance and the chamber, will be on display during the Business After Hours.

Huntington, Ohio launch new partnership

The state of Ohio and Huntington Bank today announced a groundbreaking three-year, $1 billion public-private partnership to attract, retain and grown businesses and jobs within the state.

This announcement represents the first partnership in a statewide program to strengthen the link between Ohio businesses and the banking community. The Ohio and Huntington Job Growth Partnership throws a $1 billion lifeline in new credit to small-to-medium-sized businesses struggling in the face of the sudden contraction in credit availability and economic activity that began in 2008.

Through the partnership, Huntington Bank will commit to fund $1 billion in new loans over three years to Ohio businesses. The partnership will distribute $250 million of the total loan commitment through a highly competitive preferred loan product, The Huntington Job Growth Fund. The partnership also leverages existing state and federal Small Business Administration loan programs to maximize availability of funds for companies located in or moving to Ohio.