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DAYTON—JobsOhio has assisted eight Dayton Region small businesses with Inclusion Grants totaling $285,000.
The grants provide financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state. The Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio’s network partner for the Dayton Region, supported the companies through the grant application process.
“We often work with companies in need of support in order to grow and add jobs but do not meet the requirements for traditional JobsOhio support,” said Julie Sullivan, the DDC’s Executive Vice President for Regional Development. “We’re thrilled to have a new tool in our economic development toolbox to support small business job growth.”
Projects awarded grants since December 2020 include:
CANARY Consulting (Dayton): CANARY Consulting Inc., helps design new products for insurance companies and bring them to market through actuarial support and regulatory compliance. The JOIG grant will help them train new employees on industry specific software in this complex industry.
“Connecting our diversity and inclusion plan to our business plan is a constant pursuit for us. CANARY’s business model is built entirely on the value proposition of diversity and inclusion – by attracting and retaining diverse talent, the company has invested in insurance innovation and plans to be an industry leader for the development of young talent. This brainpower built upon the application and inclusion of diversity of perspective, skills, and experience allows us to solve large, complex challenges providing our clients with high-quality, accurate analysis and solutions.
“Our company has grown significantly in the last five years and we expect to experience this kind of exponential growth over the next five years as well. As most business owners know, sustaining rapid growth has its challenges: from operational inefficiencies to cash flow crunches to overextending the existing team. We are so grateful to be a recipient of this grant which will neutralize many of these challenges, providing us with the means to grow quickly and strategically.
“Our workstyle is to quickly and cohesively integrate with our client’s teams, working as partners, which maximizes the value of our diverse talent pool. So, not only is inclusion important for bringing our own talents to the table, but also for helping our clients get more value out of the teams they already have and with this approach, CANARY is constructing a new future for the insurance industry. This grant enables us to continue the important work of investing in our business, investing in our community, and investing in the insurance industry.” –Kyle Babirad, Actuary, CANARY Consulting
JOIG amount: $50,000
- Capital investment: $0
- Jobs created: 30
- Jobs retained: 12
Incenta Rewards (Washington Twp.): Incenta offers loyalty and incentive programs to companies, creating customized programs with web portal for each client. When COVID hit, they lost significant business and switched to providing PPE for the short term. As the incentive and loyalty business starts to come back, the company needs to upgrade their online software technologies. The JOIG will support the necessary upgrades.
“My wife Carol and I launched Incenta Rewards in 2013. Together we built a thrilling incentive, employee recognition and consumer loyalty rewards business. In 2018, Incenta Rewards was recognized as Dayton’s #1 Fastest Growing Company and Business of the Year for Family-Owned businesses in Greater Miami Valley Region. Business was incredible with major revenue growth and employment opportunities from their grass-roots start-up. Fast-forward to 2020 when the pandemic impacted company revenues when their large gift events were halted due to CDC guidelines related to COVID-19 events and crowd sizes.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we sat down and reviewed all of our business processes and expenses to find ways to enhance our core business. We determined Incenta’s proprietary online reward platform was ready for a 2.0 upgrade. The timing of JobsOhio’s Inclusion Grant could not have been any better. It allows Incenta Rewards to fast-track the software development to enhance our platform. We’re grateful to JobsOhio and the DDC for their support.”—Incenta Rewards President Joe Jones
JOIG amount: $25,000
- Capital investment: $36,000
- Jobs created: 3
- Jobs retained: 5
Oregon Printing Communications (Dayton): Oregon Printing Communications provides offset and digital printing, creative/editorial consultation, graphic design, marketing and a full range of mailing services. Oregon is a leading print and marketing solutions provider serving Dayton and Indiana and KY markets. The grant will allow them to purchase a new HP Indigo 7K digital press.
“I’m grateful JobsOhio was able to grant Oregon Printing Communications $25,000 toward the purchase of a New HP 7900 Indigo digital printing system. The grant was able to give us the push we needed to be able to afford this whole transaction, which was a total of $390,000. The technology provided by the HP Indigo technology will expand Oregon’s portfolio of solutions for non-profit fundraising support by expanding our capabilities in data driven direct mail and fundraising campaigns, as well as expand our ability help designers communicate their message with new and innovative print technology.
“By making this move now, we feel like we will be able to get the proper training and workflows under our belt, so that starting now, and when we do come out of the pandemic, we will be ready to help our customers achieve their goals, as well as add some skilled jobs to our payroll.” – Judd Plattenburg, President, Oregon Printing Communications
JOIG amount: $25,000
- Capital investment: $390,000
- Jobs created: 2
- Jobs retained: 11
ElectriPack, Inc. (Miamisburg): ElectriPack, a woman-owned small business, specializes in wire harness manufacturing for a variety of industries including truck and bus engines, construction, robotics, marine, military-specific, and mining. The funding support will allow the company to expand product offerings to reach new customers by helping it establish an inventory system for on-demand orders of stock components and small assemblies.
“We are a build-to-print manufacturer and distributor of electrical components and wire harnesses. We also work with our clients on a variety of specialty packaging operations. We are looking to improve our technology infrastructure with respects to inventory management and online presence so we can ramp up distribution activities to reach more customers. The driving factor is to expand our operations and product mix, as well as better utilize our current facility.” said Micah Messer, Comptroller
JOIG amount: $25,000
- Capital investment: $91,000
- Jobs created: 4
- Jobs retained: 24
APS Materials, Inc.(Dayton): APS Materials, Inc. provides plasma-sprayed thermal coatings for the biomedical, aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor sectors. Based in riverside since 1975, the company wants to establish an additional site location for operations.
APS Materials is experiencing exponential growth. In order to accommodate this growth, a metallurgical lab is required for the Leo St. production site, which will focus on the biomedical and semiconductor industries. The new location will be able to provide full-service production and quality capabilities for biomedical and electronics customers.
“The project is a necessity for our company to expand production capacity in order to meet customer demands. Receiving this grant would enable us to expedite the setup process and meet ambitious schedule,” said Johaun Cheng, Business Development Director.
JOIG amount: $35,000
- Capital investment: $129,800
- Jobs created: 2
- Jobs retained: 90
Mike-Sell’s Potato Chip Co. (Dayton): One of the oldest potato chip companies in the country, Mike-Sell's is a privately held manufacturer and distributor of snack foods ranging from potato chips and pretzels, to corn products, pork rinds and dips. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, they distribute flavorful snacks primarily in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, and also sell their products online across the country. The grant will help them with the purchase of new equipment to grow their product lines.
“Our company is very excited about this Inclusion Grant from JobsOhio. We continuously look for ways to increase production efficiencies through more modern manufacturing equipment, which will allow us to invest in jobs in other areas of the business. This Grant will do just that, assisting in the purchase of new packaging equipment,” said Robert Carmean, Mike-Sell’s CFO.
JOIG amount: $25,000
- Capital investment: $200,000
- Jobs created: 4
- Jobs retained: 72
Tri State Media, LLC (Wilmington): Tri-State Media is a premium supplier and manufacturer of labels, tags, high-quality drum labels and warning labels for the chemical, pharmaceutical and food & beverage industries. The company’s sales were dramatically impacted early in COVID-19 pandemic. As the company waited for traditional business lines to rebound, they pivoted to PPE production with creation of a strapless, adhesive one-time use face mask made from medical-grade materials. The grant will be used to help pay for new equipment.
“We saw more than 80 percent of our orders disappear as the pandemic increased and we knew we needed to think creatively to stay in business. We came up with the idea of a “One & Done Mask” (patent pending) that uses an adhesive instead of straps or ear loops. The medical-grade material masks keep glasses from fogging up, ease the discomfort of regular mask use, and make hair care, both in a salon and in a medical care setting, easier. The investment from JobsOhio will help us support the shift in our manufacturing facility and explore online markets for selling this innovative new product.,” said John Clary, President Tri-State Media.
JOIG amount: $50,000
- Capital investment: $289,000
- Jobs created: 7
- Jobs retained: 24
Wicked Welding, Inc. (Harrison Twp.): Wicked Welding provides laser welding and marking, precision microscopic GTA welding, mold, tool & die repair welding, medical device welding, and short-run production and tool repair to many Dayton aerospace and medical manufacturers. The company will use the support to help purchase a CNC laser welding machine to support aerospace and medical device clients.
JOIG amount: $50,000
- Capital investment: $100,000
- Jobs created: 2
- Jobs retained: 3
