Chamber Information

Chair: Jay Goyal, President, Goyal Industries Chair-Elect: Kristine Lindeman, Owner, Alumni Roofing Treasurer: Vinson Yates, President, OhioHealth Mansfield & Shelby Hospitals Immediate Past Chair: Chris Hiner, Director of Home Lending, Park National Bank Vice-Chair: David Eichinger, Senior Vice Pres., Merrill Lynch RCDG Chair: Beth DeLaney, Owner, Spherion of Mid-Ohio President/CEO: Jodie A. Perry, CCE, IOM, CCEO-AP, Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development Board Members: David Baumann, Human Resources Mgr., Mechanics Bank Walt Bonham, Owner, The Food Lab Donnie Clark, Owner, Elzy Milling & Trade DJ Daniels, General Manager, The Gorman-Rupp Company Dennis Fox II, CEO, ES Consulting Stan Jefferson, Superintendent, Mansfield City Schools Carrie Kemerer, Foundation Director, The Shelby Foundation Natalie Lantz, Owner, Pivot Creative Dan Lew, Owner, Dan Lew Exchange Jason B. Murray, Owner, Jason B. Murray Law Offices Mike Murray, President, Cooper Enterprises Kim Winkle, Vice President, Avita Health System Cindy Wood, Director of Development & Community Relations, The Ohio State University at Mansfield Barbara Woodman, Vice President for Corp. HR, The Gorman-Rupp Co. Ex-Officio Directors Robert Cohen, CEO, Braintree Business Development Center Jennifer Kime, CEO, Downtown Mansfield Inc Jotika Shetty, Exec. Dir., Richland Cty Regional Planning Commission Lee Tasseff, President, Destination Mansfield Richland County Deanna West-Torrence, Executive Director, NECIC Jordon Wurthmann, President, Richland Young Professionals

Considering Membership?

Chamber membership is vital to businesses and the community! The Chamber relies on the support of members to continue efforts in economic development, business advocacy and other community efforts. Members not only benefit from the strengthened community, but also receive benefits such as: • Respect and credibility when you display your membership sticker at your business or on your website • Member-to-Member Discount Program • Inclusion in this guide as well as the online Chamber Directory Listing • Postage Savings • Advertising Savings and Exclusive

Advertising Opportunities • Conference Room (small fee may apply based on membership level) • Member Referrals • Networking Events • Many more free and discounted services

Contact the Chamber at 419-522-3211. Many members also choose to take advantage of their Chamber membership for health insurance savings. Medical Mutual and the Richland Area Chamber have worked together since the early 1990s to offer affordable health insurance to Chamber member companies. The health of your business depends on the health of your employees. You owe it to your business to provide the best possible health insurance coverage.

Members also save significantly on workers’ compensation premium by joining the Richland Area Chamber workers’ compensation program administered by Sedgwick. This partnership delivers the most significant cost savings to our members. Sedgwick embraces a results-oriented approach that fully integrates safety prevention and risk control with aggressive claims management to deliver a significant return on investment. Find out the BEST workers’ compensation premium-saving program for you! As a trusted benefit partner with the Chamber, Ritter’s works with you to ensure your business workspace is clean, productive and safe! Save an average of 18% on business supplies you are already ordering with zero shipping or minimum order fees by joining the Ritter’s Chamber program.

Collaboration

The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development works collaboratively with many other community organizations on events and programs such as Destination Mansfield, Braintree BDC, DMI, Regional Planning, OGA/OGC, Shelby CIC, Be Focal Buy Local, Shelby Area Business Group, Clear Fork Valley Chamber, Richland County Foundation, and more. In addition, SCORE offices are co-located with the Chamber.

Chamber Events

GREAT FOR MAKING CONNECTIONS

Whether your goal is to meet new people or to broaden your networking contacts, Richland Area Chamber events will meet both needs. Many people consider these events to be essential in broadening their circle of business associates. Several well-attended and entertaining Chamber events take place throughout the year, including: • Business After Hours - typically held once a month, with food, prizes, & entertainment provided at a local business. • Business Expo - this March event has a trade show atmosphere, and is perfect for getting to know the faces behind approximately 100 local businesses. • Business Professionals Day - this is a popular lunch-time event in April with great food, gifts, prizes, and flowers to help celebrate your staff. • Chamber Annual Meeting & Dinner - this January dinner event features awards for outstanding individuals, social time, and an overview of the Chamber year. • Golf Outing - organize a team for a memorable summer-time event. Food and prizes are plentiful!

• Savor & Sip Auction & Food

Sampling - this fall event gives our area restaurants and caterers a chance to show off their delicious goodies to hundreds of attendees. Guests have a chance to sample food & drinks from local vendors as well as enjoy local entertainment and bid on great auction items. Fun and great deals are plentiful!

• Small Business of the Year Awards

Reception - a popular fall lunch event, to honor the best small businesses and non-profits in town. Many other events are also held throughout the year, such as the “Chamber Coffee” morning discussion group and legislative gatherings featuring the elected officials who represent our area. To find out more, contact the Richland Area Chamber at 419-522-3211 or visit the event calendar at www.richlandareachamber.com.

The Mansfield Richland Area

Educational Foundation (commonly called the Chamber Foundation) was founded in 1980 by members of the Chamber of Commerce Manufacturers Council. The Chamber Foundation’s mission is to invest in our community’s future success through impactful educational opportunities for both adults and youth focusing on leadership development, economics, and entrepreneurship.

Today, the Foundation is also the home of Richland County’s leadership program, Leadership Unlimited, a year long community exploration and leadership development program, Inside Richland County, a two day community familiarization program, and an alumni organization for the more than 1,000 Leadership Unlimited graduates (LU Members).

In 2015, the Chamber Foundation introduced YEA! The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a year-long program that teaches students in grades 6-12 how to start and run their own, REAL businesses. Students brainstorm business ideas, decide if they want to work by themselves or as a team, write a business plan, pitch their plan to investors for funding, and actually launch their own business or social movement. All of the learning is real and experiential. Students leave their class as business owners, complete with a DBA and bank account. The Chamber Foundation continues to promote our private enterprise system through program fees, dues and the generous contributions of individuals and corporations.

MRA Educational Foundation Board Members:

DJ Daniels, Board Chair Gorman-Rupp Company Jennifer Alt, Vice Chair OhioHealth Mansfield & Shelby Hospitals Jeff DeVito Milliron Industries Nick Gesouras Mechanics Bank Jay Goyal Goyal Industries Chris Hiner Park National Bank Kevin Kimmel Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center Brian Schmidt Schmidt Security Pro Eric Snyder RBC, Inc. Grant Sluss Sluss Realty Co.

Ex-Officio: Jodie Perry, Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development

The Richland Area Chamber of Commerce building was built no later than 1882, and the owneroccupant was Orin H. Booth (Pennsylvania Railroad superintendent of the telegraph lines). “Mr. Booth passed away at the age of not quite 52, at the very end of 1883. His widow Harriet continued to live there in 1884 although she sold the property to Dr. James Craig the following year and this was when he first resided there. By 1894, his office was in a small building erected at the back of the property, facing Third. All of these residency-related facts are corroborated by the Mansfield City Directories, which include the ones for 1881-2, 1884, 1886, 1891, and 1894. As for the general existence of the house before 1890, that is corroborated by the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps published for Mansfield in August of 1887, and the Atlas Of The City Of Mansfield that was published in 1882, both of which show what is clearly the correct house at the northwest corner of Mulberry and Third.” –Craig Bobby, architectural historian in Cleveland, Ohio The property was purchased to serve as the home and medical office for Dr. James Woods Craig, a staunch Republican who was active in the United Presbyterian Church and Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The home was built on a sandstone foundation with handmade bricks. Another littleknown fact is the home was designed by prominent Cleveland architect, Levi Scofield, who also crafted the Ohio State Reformatory which opened in 1896. Craig had purchased the property from Hattie A. Booth in 1885 for $15,000. At that time, the site was on the edge of town, with Weldon Avenue being the city limit. Built in the same time frame as Oak Hill Cottage and the historic sandstone home on Sturges Ave. just south of Park Avenue West, the Chamber building combines both Gothic Revival style and Second Empire: • The stained glass was imported from Europe • The block marble for the five fireplaces was quarried in Vermont • The edge brass hardware throughout the house was made in Hartford, CT • The woodwork was milled locally from oak, cherry, and walnut; the main door was inlaid with curly maple. The Chamber began a search for new headquarters in November 1974 and, in May 1977, the current property (described above) at 55 North Mulberry Street, Mansfield, OH was purchased. Renovation was completed in 1978. In 2001, work began on more extensive renovations to restore much of the building to its original beauty. A new slate roof was laid down, masonry work was completed, painting was done, and windows were repaired. The Chamber building stands today as a symbol of our organization’s heritage, portraying the same strength, stability and integrity that our Chamber of Commerce has stood for since August 22, 1899.