tdn progress 22212

BY BETHANY J. ROYEROhio Community Media

[email protected]

PIQUA — Not only werea number of awards pre-sented to extraordinaryindividuals at the 66thAnnual Meeting of thePiqua Area Chamber ofCommerce held in Januaryat the Piqua Country Clubbut updates on the group’ssuccess in 2011 and plansfor 2012.A changing of the guard

at the Chamber topped2011 as outgoing presidentLisa Whitaker welcomednewcomer Kathy Shermanto the helm in May.“I couldn’t be more excit-

ed to pass the torch to thisperson here,” Whitaker hadsaid of Sherman at theChamber’s annual openhouse held back in June.The Chamber also wel-

comed 23 newmembers lastyear with continued successin their staple programssuch as women in network-ing and their teen/adultleadership programs. Thelatter of which Chairpersonof the Board Matt

Ratermann stated at theannual meeting as pavingthe way for, “Individuals tobecome involved on manydifferent levels includingto help form our leaders oftomorrow.”Other 2011 Chamber

events included welcom-ing 100 businesses to thesecond Regional BusinessShowcase at Piqua HighSchool and hosting a“Home for the HolidaysWith the Bogarts” concertat the Fort Piqua Plaza.To date the Chamber

has been able to award$50,500 in scholarshipfunds thanks to suchfundraisers as theBogarts concert.The Chamber gift cer-

tificate program for 2011was also successful with$11,500 being sold whichwas in turn spent at areabusinesses.Three new incorporat-

ed initiatives to theChamber for 2011 andinto the new year was theestablishment of a manu-facturing council thatmeets monthly to inter-act, exchange ideas and

tour local facilities to helpimprove their own opera-tions.The second initiative

saw improvements to theChamber’s website thatincludes a community cal-endar for events spon-sored by MainstreetPiqua, YWCA, Piqua ArtsCouncil, commissionmeetings, special schoolevents and neighborhoodassociation meetings.The final initiative will

come to fruition this yearas an interactive map willsoon be implemented onthe website.“I’m pleased to say we

embraced the changes, wemet the challenges, toproduce another success-ful year with our mem-bers.” said Ratermann of2011 at the Chamber’sevent that also presentedtheir most coveted award,the Order of George, toDuane Bachman for hisremarkable service to thecommunity.Bachman was not the

only individual recognizedwith Mike Yannucci, KazyHinds and Marilyn

Haldeman, along withBachman, thanked fortheir work on the Day ofHonor memorial. LynnSever, third generation

family owned business ofPSC Crane and Rigging,was awarded BusinessPerson of the Year, and aCommercial Beautification

award went to ChristyConstruction, First ChoicePaint and Body, KnightsService Center and Smitty’sBicycle & Locksmith.

Changing of the guardat Piqua Chamber

topped 2011

MIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTOS

Retiring chamber president LisaWhitaker, center, and new chamber president KathySherman, right, are recognized during Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce BusinessAfter Hours event at the chamber office in 2011.

Twenty-four members of the 2011 Piqua Teen Leadership class listen as reporterWill E Sanders explains the functions of the Piqua Daily Call newsroom last year.

PROGRESS 2012 Piqua Daily Call • Troy Daily News2 February 2012

BY SABRA JOHNSONExecutive Director

Troy Chamber of Commerce

TROY — The Troy AreaChamber of Commerce hasan exciting schedule for2012. On April 26, thealways popular BusinessExpo returns to Troy. The2012 Business Expo ismuch anticipated by theChamber membership andthe community at large.This fifth biennial eventwill be held from 3-7 p.m.Thursday, April 26, atHobart Arena. The event isfree of charge and open tothe public.The Business Expo will

feature more than 100 busi-ness exhibitors from theTroy/Miami County area.These exhibitors will offerexciting displays/demon-strations showcasing theirproducts and services andhave promotional/giveawayitems.The Chamber reports a

wide range of businesseswant to participate in theBusiness Expo this year.Organizers have built onand enhanced the success-ful formula used in the pre-vious five Business Expos.The Expo committee mem-bers are working hard tocreate an exposition thatwill showcase Troy/MiamiCounty business and indus-try.In addition, to the many

categories of businessesparticipating, the Expo willbe showcasing local restau-rants from the Troy commu-nity will be providing tastysamples the local restau-rants will be challenged bythe other restaurants to afriendly competition.The Troy Daily News is

the Diamond Media spon-sor and will be providing anumber of promotions forthe Expo during March andApril to attract attendees

from the region.The always anticipated

grand prize drawing will beheld at the end of the event,and the lucky winner willreceive a $1,000 check,courtesy of the Platinumsponsor, Bruns Realty.In February, the Troy

Chamber will unveil theirnewest program, The DPLEnergy Discount Program.Chamber members will beable to take advantage of agreatly reduced electricrate on their businesseselectric bill. CurrentChamber Members will bemailed information on theguidelines and how theymake take advantage ofthis great money savingopportunity. The TroyChamber will be unveilingits theme for the 2012Membership Drive inMarch. The campaign willhelp introduce potentialnew members and refreshcurrent members to themany benefits that theChamber offers. Amongthose benefits that mem-

bers may take advantage ofare: health and dentalinsurance, workman’s com-pensation coverage, free orreduce advertising opportu-nities, Chamber Bucks,free Notary Service, freecertificate of origin verifica-tion and the always popularMember to Member pro-gram. Call the Chamber formore information on thesegreat programs.The first week of June

will find some big changesfor the Troy StrawberryFestival, a special programof the Troy Chamber, as thefestival moves to downtownTroy due to the closing ofthe Adams Street Bridgewhile it is being replaced.The Strawberry Festivaland the City of Troy areworking diligently to makethe 2012 StrawberryFestival as safe and pleas-ant experience for festivalgoers. The 2012 chair of theFestival is Corie Schweser,who has selected the theme“Mardi Gras Berries.” Wehope you will be there for

the Troy StrawberryFestival and help supportthe many Not For Profitorganizations that havebooths at the festival. Formany of the organizationsthis is their only project toraise funds for theirendeavors.The Chamber’s Annual

Auction will take place thethird week of August at theMiami County Fairgrounds.The Annual Auction is afun evening to enjoy andone of the Chamber’s mostpopular events of the yearand much anticipated byChamber members.The Troy Area Chamber

of Commerce offers manyopportunities that touch abroad range of interest andhelps individuals and busi-nesses. The Chamber fol-lows its mission “to enhancethe quality of life in ourarea through the promotionof economic vitality andgrowth; the stimulation of afavorable business environ-ment; the advancement offree enterprise system; and

to serve as a forum for con-temporary issues affectingthe region.”Through the work of the

Not For Profit Council,quarterly events are offeredto area NonprofitOrganizations to connect,learn and benefit fromguest speakers and specialprograms. The highly suc-cessful Not For ProfitCouncil sponsored the“Impact Your Community”Expo in April 2011, thatfocused on our area non-profits. The event was heldat Hobart Arena with over85 NFP participating. TheExpo was attend by over100 residents who learnedmore about what servicesthe Nonprofits offered,enjoyed free dental screen-ing, free visions screeningand tasty treats from

Panera’s. The NFP Expowas also of interest for peo-ple looking for an organiza-tion to volunteer their timeand help. The Not ForProfit Expo will return inthe spring of 2013 atHobart Arena.Another special program

of the Troy Chamber ofCommerce is LeadershipTroy. This popular and suc-cessful program was start-ed in 1984 by the TroyChamber in cooperationwith Edison CommunityCollege is designed toincrease the quality andquantity of men andwomen capable of acceptingleadership roles in commu-nity organizations.The program, which con-sists of nine full-day ses-

The Troy Chamber of Commerce sponsors a number of events, including its annualTroy Chamber Business Expo and Teen Leadership Troy.

Troy has exciting 2012 planned

PROVIDED PHOTO

See Troy /Page 4

PROGRESS 2012Piqua Daily Call • Troy Daily News 3February 2012

BY KARIN MANOVICHExecutive DirectorTroy Main Street

TROY — Troy MainStreet President PattyRose is known to say :“Downtown Troy is thesoul of the community.”Mayor Michael Beamish

refers to it as Troy’s “livingroom.”The town center is what

makes Troy unique anddistinguishes it from othercommunities across Ohioand beyond. Snapshots ofsuburban strip malls, bigbox development, chainrestaurants, housing platsand interstates could beTroy, but they could also beanywhere, USA.Troy Main Street Inc. is

the recognized advocate fordowntown.A public-privatenon-profit, the organiza-tion works using the MainStreet approach designedby the National Trust forHistoric Preservation. TMSvolunteers, partners andstaff work diligentlyattract people to downtownTroy though many initia-tives — public events, des-tination marketing, publicart, regional and local pub-licity, social media promo-tion of downtown business-es and economic develop-ment.In addition, TMS coordi-

nates beautification efforts

such as the downtownflower planter programand preservation of theunique historic architec-ture found in the district.In 2011, TMS organized,

funded, promoted andmanaged 23 days of publicevents and a four-monthpublic sculpture exhibit.Most significantly, TMS

introduced a Saturdaymorning farmers marketthat ran for 16 weeks onSouth Cherry Street. Themarket attracted thou-sands of shoppers over thecourse of the season. Eachweek, 16-22 vendors pro-vided produce, cheeses,breads, baked goods, localmeat, organic milk,

jams/jellies and artisancrafts. Weekly entertain-ment included Irish dances,jazz, folk and demonstra-tions. Downtown business-es were provided an oppor-tunity to market them-selves at the market on arotating basis as “businessof the week.”Final Friday, another

new event, generatedrecord foot traffic over an 8-block area of downtownthat included more than 40artists, 11 bands and 45businesses stayed open late.The event will be renamedthis year as “Troy StreetsAlive” and will take placetwice — late spring and latesummer.The ongoing efforts of

putting “feet on the street”in the district serve toremind Troy residents oftheir beautiful downtownby keeping it front of mindthrough events.Additionally, destinationmarketing of events anddowntown to the entireregion serve to introducenew visitors to Troy.Attracting people to thestreets creates vibrancy andcommerce for our retailersand restaurants.TMS acts as an available

space clearinghouse fordowntown Troy, matchingup new businesses with theindividual landlords. Inaddition, the organizationactively recruits new retail-ers and restaurants to thedistrict.In 2011, economic devel-

opment efforts led to four-

teen new businesses open-ing on first floor spaces indowntown Troy.Plans for 2012 include

continuation of popularevents — Picnics on thePlaza Noon Concerts,Friday Night SummerConcert Series, Taste ofTroy, HometownHalloween, HometownHoliday, Downtown TroyFarmers Market and TroyStreets Alive.New initiatives will

focus on marketing assis-tance for existing business-es via social media trainingand short video production;developing and funding afaçade improvement grantprogram; and establishing apreservation fund to assistin maintaining non-profit-owned historic buildings.TMS relies on the gen-

erosity of sponsors, donors,and partners to fund itspublic events and other ini-tiatives. A 13-memberboard of trustees directs theannual work plan of TMS,which includes a full timeexecutive director and twopart-time employees.For information, visit

www.troymainstreet.org orcall 339-5455.

The program, whichconsists of nine full-daysessions to be held once amonth from Februarythrough October, exposesthe participants to a vari-ety of social and economicissues and opportunitiesfacing the Troy community.The program will consist of

panels, lectures, on-sitevisit, group discussions,simulations and internshipparticipation on a localcommunity board.Many other special pro-

grams make up the diversecommittees and offerings ofthe Troy Chamber, HYPE(Helping Young PeopleEmerge), The MiamiCounty Legislative

Committee that sponsorsseveral update luncheonson a City, County and Statelevel. Another popularmeeting is the Women’sLeadership Connectionthat meets on the firstThursday of the month.The Business Advisory toEducation committee con-nects our local schools withbusiness leaders. The

Chamber could not doeverything without thehelp of its dedicatedAmbassadors who attendribbon cuttings, BusinessAfter Hours and otherChamber events. We hopethat you will contact theTroy Chamber and join usand find out more on whatthe Troy Chamber can dofor you.

TroyContinued from page 3

TMS to focus on marketing

In 2011,Troy Main Street introduced a Saturday morning farmers market that ran for16 weeks on South Cherry Street.The market attracted thousands of shoppers overthe course of the season. Each week, 16-22 vendors provided produce, cheeses,breads, baked goods, local meat, organic milk, jams/jellies and artisan crafts.Weekly entertainment included Irish dances, jazz, folk and demonstrations.

PROVIDED PHOTO



[email protected]

PIQUA — A busy 2012is in the works forMainstreet Piqua, the non-profit organization dedicat-ed to the revitalization, pro-motion and economic devel-opment of downtown.

Coming off a successful2011 with such events asthe spring Taste of the Artsand a nostalgic Christmason the Green in December,the organization also wel-comed the creation of a new“separate arm” that nowallows for tax-deductibledonations.

“That was new for us,”said executive directorLorna Swisher. “It’s been ahuge learning curve butultimately it will help thefinancial stability of theorganization in the longrun.”

Swisher noted the amaz-ing response to their 2011fund drive as Mainstreetcontinues to educate on theimportance of spendinglocally while preparing ahost of events for 2012,such as the much-anticipat-ed ‘Soup’er Thursdays inMarch.

“This is our third year,”said Swisher of the eventthat will be held everyThursday through themonth in collaboration withthe Piqua Library as a wayto chase away the winterblues. It’s also, “anotherreason to bring people tothat magnificent space andenjoy live music and goodfood, visit with fellow citi-zens.”

The popular Taste of the

Arts will follow on Friday,May 18, with an evening offun, food and great music,along with the opening ofthe community farmer’smarket that will run for 18weeks in the parking lot ofthe Piqua Daily Call.

This will be the fourthseason for the market thatoffers locally grown freshfruit, vegetables and bakedgoods for sale, along withhomemade items.

Other events willinclude the DowntownBrown Bag series held atthe government complexplaza, sidewalk sales, theMoonlight Stride and Ride,a chocolate walk in October,a holiday open house andmore in the downtown areacome December.

A new and one of thelargest projects ever under-taken by Mainstreet, anddue to begin once theweather is favorable, willbe the installation of rain-gardens similar to those onWater Street.

Working in conjunctionwith property owners andthe Stormwater UtilityDepartment, Mainstreet

will build the gardens thatwill create, “A really beauti-ful public space that we’llbe able to use for events,”said Swisher, with the proj-ect to also serve as ademonstration area forbusinesses curious aboutthe value of rain-gardens.

“It’s a match made inheaven for us,” saidSwisher, noting Mainstreetwill again take care of thedowntown planters thanksto gracious donations fromthe community. “It makessuch a beautiful impact tovisitors and citizens alike.”

The non-profit is alsolooking forward to theirsixth Made in Piqua orna-ment that will celebrate thePiqua Paper Box Company.

The yearly holiday orna-ment is just one of a num-ber of ways residents cansupport Mainstreet Piqua,the purchasing of Piqua-themed items for sale attheir North Main Streetoffice include the Cat’sMeow, throw blankets, puz-zles and much more.

For more informationvisit www.mainstreetpi-qua.com.

A busy 2012 is inthe works for

Mainstreet Piqua

MIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTO

Above is view of Piqua’s downtown in 2011.


BY MELODY VALLIEUOhio Community Media

[email protected]

TROY — The TroyDevelopment Council hasbeen helping bring busi-ness and employmentopportunities to the Troyarea since 1984.The Troy Development

Council, a public/privateeconomic developmentorganization that workswith the city of Troy, andrepresents the area with-in and surrounding Troy,has many successes underits wings.Since its first new busi-

ness commitment withAmerican Honda in 1985,the TDC has located atotal of 19 internationalcompanies into Troy. Inaddition, its domesticefforts have resulted inmore than 27 new andexpanded industrial proj-ects.The TDC has helped to

bring 11 new manufactur-ing businesses to the citysince 2004 and workedtowards the successfulexpansion of 18 more dur-ing the same time frame.In the last five years, theTroy community has aver-aged more than $140 mil-lion annually in newindustrial capital invest-ment with 2006 experi-

encing more than $250million.“The Troy

Development Councilincludes the city of Troyand private sector, whichallows it to be more effec-tive,” said Ron Musilli,chairman of the TDCBoard of Directors.

New initiativesMusilli said the TDC

recently completed itsnew website atwww.troyeconomicdevel-opment.com, which offersprospective businesses aplethora of informationconcerning the TDC,resources and a look intothe educational and otheropportunities in the area.Musilli said the Troy

Development Councilrecently began workingwith Ohio Governor JohnKasich’s Jobs Ohio pro-gram. He said the pro-gram is broken down intosix regions, of which Troyis in the Dayton region.“The program is geared

toward identifying how wecan bring new business toOhio, expanding existingbusiness and developing astrategy for the next threeto five years as we movetoward a more globaleconomy,” Musilli said.Musilli said the TDC

also is in the final phasesof program calledPartners in Progress, aprogram that identifieslarger businesses in Troy

and what can be done tohelp them beyond justjobs.“This program aug-

ments the retention andexpansion programsalready in place,” he said.

BY JOYELL NEVINSOhio Community [email protected]

TIPP CITY — The TippCity Chamber ofCommerce jumped into2012 in mid-February,with their new executivedirector.The position was previ-

ously combined with theDowntown Tipp CityPartnership (DTCP) exec-utive director position,and shared funding withthe city. Since MattOwen’s resignation inOctober 2011, both partiessaw the need for a sepa-rate position.The chamber actually

filled the opening with amember of the partner-ship. Liz Sonnanstine ofBethel Township previous-ly served as DTCPMembership andV o l u n t e e r s h i pCoordinator, so she isalready familiar withmany of the business mem-bers of Tipp City. Beforemarriage brought her tothis side of the state,Sonnanstine worked forthe Columbus Chamber ofCommerce. It’s that experi-ence that Tipp’s chambermost wants to tap into.“She’ll be bringing her

expertise and ideas, and

we’re very excited aboutthat,” ChamberChairperson Robin Shafersaid.One of the projects

Shafer and the rest of theboard of directors wantSonnanstine to tackle isincreasing business aware-ness of the benefits offeredto members. They want tooffer more educationalopportunities for theirmembers with events suchas Breakfast and LunchBriefings.Another goal is to pro-

vide a monthly or quarterlynewsletter, as a way toencourage member interac-tion and keep theminformed. Another sourcefor member to memberinteraction is the website,which Shafer said needs tobe updated.“We want to enable

members to communicatewith each other via thewebsite,” said Shafer.The first Business After

Hours is planned for Feb.23 at Alvetro Orthodontics,1491 W. Main St.Other upcoming cham-

ber events include theBusiness Showcase in Mayand the Golf Outing in thesummer.For more information,

visit www.tippcitycham-ber.org or call 667-8300.

Tipp Commerceplans to jump

into 2012TDC looks towardretention, growth

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland samples a monster-sized Slim Jim beef stick from TroyConAgra Foods plant manager Scott Adkins. Stickland was among a host of stateand local officials who gathered at the Dye Mill Road facility for a ceremonialgroundbreaking, marking the official beginning of a $64 million plant expansion toaccommodate worldwide production of Slim Jims.

FOR PHOTO REPRINTS, GO TO WWW.DAILYCALL.COM ANTHONY WEBER/STAFF PHOTO

See TDC/Page 7

Councilhelping

businessessince 1984


“We are working to puttogether programs thatwill help secure individu-als with the education andon-the-job training thatwill lead them into thefuture,” he said.

Support for existingbusinesses

Working with localbusinesses to retain jobs,support expansion effortsand build long-term busi-ness success within thearea is the primary focusof the council’s economicdevelopment strategy.

Musilli said the councilin the last year has beenfocused on continuing toretain the jobs already inTroy and identify the busi-ness’ needs moving intothe future, looking towardexpansion.

To accomplish this goalthe Troy DevelopmentCouncil has partneredwith nearly 30 other citiesthroughout the MiamiValley to create BusinessFirst For a Greater DaytonRegion. The Business Firstinitiative is an outreachprogram that utilizesadvanced business reten-tion technologies to identi-fy challenges facing localbusiness managers.

Working through a vol-unteer group of peer busi-ness leaders, the BusinessFirst program not onlybuilds long-term informa-tional relationships withlocal businesses, but moreimportantly, creates arapid response team ofarea support organizationsto address existing busi-ness issues or to assist inavoiding future opera-tional challenges.

Local businesses thathave not previously partic-ipated in the BusinessFirst program are encour-aged to contact the TroyDevelopment Council.

Support for newbusinesses

The TDC provides sitelocation assistance todomestic and internation-al industrial businessesplanning new or expandedoperations in the Troyarea.

With the initial contactin the site selectionprocess, the TDC will pro-vide a customized packageof business and real estateinformation for the clientcompany. For site visits bythe client and their repre-sentatives, the TDC willarrange a thorough itiner-ary that is created specifi-cally designed to maximizethe client’s time invest-ment.

In addition, the TDCwill arrange meetingswith service providerssuch as legal and financialinstitutions. Finally, meet-ings with local businessexecutives can bearranged to gain insightinto doing business in theTroy area.

The board of direc-tors of the TroyDevelopment Councilincludes:

• John Ankerman,Senior Vice President,PNC Bank

• Steve Bruns,President, Bruns GeneralContracting

• James Dando,Development Director,City of Troy

• Linda A. Daniel,Daniel Consulting LLC

Joe Dickerson, VicePresident and Owner,Koverman DickersonInsurance

• Ed Westmeyer, SVP,Director of CommercialBanking, MainSourceBank

• Mark Douglas,Market President — Troy;Commercial Team Lead —Western Ohio US Bank;Executive CommitteeMember — TroyDevelopment Council;Trustee - The TroyFoundation

• Eric Herman, TroyBoard of Education

• Arthur Haddad,Retired Public Official

• Nancy Luce,Superintendent, UpperValley Career Center

• Chuck McCosh,Executive V.P. of Sales,Miller-Valentine Group

• William McGraw III,Attorney at Law, Dugan &LeFevre Company LPA

• Ron Musilli,Principal, World ClassHealth Enterprises

• Jim Hurak, VicePresident, Upper ValleyMedical Center

• Earl Reives, Retired,DPL Inc.

• Joyce Reives,Director, DPL Energy atDPL Inc., Vice Presidentat DPL Energy ResourcesInc., Director at DaytonPower and Light (DPL)

• Ron Scott• Jim Stubbs,

Treasurer, Miami County• Tom Szafranski,

President, ITW FoodEquipment Group (HobartCorp)

• Greg Taylor, VicePresident, Troy Ford Inc.,TACC Chairman

• Patrick E.Titterington, City Director,City of Troy

• Cristobal Valdez,President, EdisonCommunity College

• J.C. Wallace,President, TroyDevelopment CouncilPresident, Troy AreaChamber of Commerce

Musilli said the TDCalso is working withemployers, Edison andUpper Valley CareerCenter on identifying thetypes of training neededfor advanced manufactur-ing in the area. He said asthose with the knowledgeof advanced manufactur-ing begin to retire, pro-grams teaching theirreplacements the correctway to do such jobs is moreimportant than ever.

TDCContinued from page 6

MIKE ULLERY/STAFF FILE PHOTO

Wet crew

In spite of freezing rain falling over the area, a roofing crew is on the job onShady Tree Lane, near Troy, during the winter of 2011. The roofers are from KZRoofing and they were working to get a new Denlinger & Sons home under roofbefore the next round of snow hit.


BY TOM MILLHOUSEOhio Community [email protected]

COVINGTON —Although a slow economyhas limited efforts toattract new businesses,the CovingtonDevelopment Council hasm a d estridesl a y i n gt h eground-w o r kf o rf u t u r eprojectsa n da l s op layeda rolein planning events forlocal residents.The Covington

Chamber of Commercealso has been active in pro-moting local retail busi-ness growth.Chris Haines, president

of the CovingtonDevelopment Council (for-merly the Covington AreaI m p r o v e m e n tCorporation), said the con-tinued sluggish economyhas put a damper onefforts to boost local eco-nomic development. Hesaid while some jobs werelost in Covington last year,some companies, includingConcept Machine, haveprospered.Haines said the CDC

worked on reorganizationduring 2011. “For years theCIC was borderline dor-mant,” Haines remarked,noting the CDC worked onmaking sure the tax-exempt status was in placeand doing other work to bein position to promotegrowth when the economy

turns around.“We’re laying the

groundwork,” Haines said,remarking that the villageis once again a member ofthe Miami Valley RegionalCommission, which assistscommunities in gettingprojects off the ground.Another step in the

right direction, Hainessaid, is the level of cooper-ation among local groups,including the CDC, villagegovernment and Covingtonschools.“Everyone is working to

get on the same page,” hesaid.The group also submit-

ted a grant application tothe Ohio Department ofNatural Resources forfunds to help finance theproposed bike path projectto connect Covington toexisting bike paths.However, the state

shifted the emphasis fromfunding recreation projectsto economic development.“Our grant is kind of in

limbo,” Haines said, addinghe doubtful the state willresume funding projectslike Covington’s bike pathin the near future.Haines said the CDC

has been very active inorganizing events for localresidents. He said the CDChelped plan a one-day con-cert last summer and thisyear is organizing theCovington Summer Bash,a local festival set for July6-7.The Covington Summer

Bash will feature a varietyof entertainment, rides,food, games and fireworks.There also will be a paradeon Saturday, July 7.In addition to a carnival

rides and games, Hainessaid local organizations

also will have booths at thefestival.The Beatles tribute

band, The Return, will beback by popular demand.Haines said the band wasvery well received at theCovington 175thAnniversary Celebrationin 2010. This year’s per-formance will be in twoparts, the early music ofthe Beatles will be high-lighted in the opening act,followed by the later songsin the closing portion of theperformance, which will beon July 7.Haines said the format

will offer fresh material forpeople who saw the groupperform two years ago.The Motown Sounds of

Touch, a Motown tributeband from Dayton, willperform on Friday, July 5.The focus of the

Covington Summer Bashwill be to provide a funweekend for current vil-lage residents, as well asthose who are returning tothe community. The festi-val also will have plenty ofthings for youngsters.“We’re really looking

forward to it,” Haines said.“It’s all about makingmemories for the kids,” hesaid, recalling his ownpleasant memories of local

festivals when he wasgrowing up in Covington.Glenn Hollopeter,

Covington Chamber ofCommerce president, saidthe organization hasassisted in filling somevacancies in downtownCovington.“We have seen some

new businesses opendowntown,” Hollopetersaid of 2011 successes. “Westill have some vacanciesand we hope to fill two orthree spots this year.”Hollopeter said the

Chamber’s decision tomake the CovingtonChristmas CandlelightOpen House a two-dayevent proved to be a suc-cess.“It really brought a lot

of people downtown,” hesaid.The Covington

Chamber of Commerce hasa new project planned thisyear as a steak fry andauction will be held in lateApril. He said proceedsfrom the event will be usedfor chamber events and forthe Fort RowdyGathering’s 20th anniver-sary this fall, according toHollopeter.The chamber also plans

to assist with theCovington Summer Bash.

The Beatles tribute band, The Return, will be perform-ing Saturday, July 7, during the Covington SummerBash. The Motown Sounds of Touch, a Motown tributeband from Dayton, will perform on Friday, July 5.

Covington makes strides layingthe groundwork for future projects

HAINES

PROVIDED PHOTO


MIAMI COUNTY —The Miami County FarmBureau had a successfulyear in moving forwardpolicies that both strength-en and encourage growthwithin agriculture. Thebureau also had a largefocus on continuing the dia-log between the farmer andthe consumer, sharing agri-culture’s story on how weare raising the food that isfeeding the world.The bureau hosted its

fifth annual Farmers ShareBreakfast in March 2011.The Miami County FarmBureau served breakfast tomore than 1,000 people lastyear. The bureau is lookingforward to its sixth annualFarmers Share Breakfaston March 24 from 7:30–10:30 a.m. at the DukeLungard Building at theMiami County Fairgrounds.This event is open to thepublic.“It is a way for us to

reach out and educate theconsumer that out of eachdollar spent on food, the

farmer only sees about 19cents of that dollar,” saidMandi Havenar, organiza-tion director. ”The rest isspent on processing, mar-keting, packaging andtransportation. We hope tobreak last year’s atten-dance and serve more than1,000 people pancakes,sausage, eggs and milk forjust 50 cents, which is theamount that the farmerwould receive from thatmeal.”This year the Farm

Bureau partnered with TroyElevator, a Division ofMennel Milling Company,for its fourth year ofBushels for Hunger. Thisprogram is greatly receivedby the farming communityand numerous donationswere made during wheat,corn and soybean harvest.This year local farmers gavemore than $4,000 to threelocal food pantries.“We are looking forward

to be able to help area foodpantries again this year,”Havenar said.

In 2012, the MiamiCounty Farm Bureau willbe hosting a LivestockCares Standards meetingon Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. atthe K of C Hall in Versaillesas part of Farm Bureau’scontinuing effort to educateproducers and help themunderstand the new stan-dards.The bureau also will be

partnering with The MiamiCounty Park District onseveral projects at LostCreek Reserve. This sum-mer, stop by the MiamiCounty Fair and visit withbureau representatives atthe Conservation area orpick up a famous milkshakeat the Dairy Bar.For more information on

Miami County FarmBureau or how you canbecome a member, contactthe office at 937-335-1471or [email protected] keep up to date on

what is going on in agricul-ture locally and state-widefollow on Facebook at face-book.com/MiamiFarmBureau.

Miami County Farm Bureau members cook more than 275 pounds of sausage forthe organization’s annual Farmer’s Share Breakfast. This year’s event will be heldfrom 7:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Miami County Fairgrounds.

Farm Bureau takesa look at past year

PROVIDED PHOTO

Whitaker honored

During a June 2011 open house,State Rep.Richard Adams presented LisaWhitaker,retiring Piqua Area Chamber president, with a proclamation honoring her service.



Scenes from Piqua Community Farmers MarketThe Piqua CommunityFarmers Market,organized byMainstreet Piqua,enjoyed another suc-cessful season during2011. The market, inits third year, was heldin downtown Piqua. InJune, the PiquaCommunity FarmersMarket hosted a cook-ing demonstration byChef Gwen Rose (inthe photo at left) fromThe Backyard Bistro.Chef Gwen demon-strated how to make adelicious summergrilled pizza salad.

At right, an employeeof Pioneer ElectricCooperative, theexclusive farmersmarket sponsor forthe 2011 season,gives a safety demon-stration.

The fourth season ofthe Piqua CommunityFarmers Market willunder way Thursday,May 24. The marketseason will run for 18weeks and endThursday, Sept. 20.

MIKE ULLERY/STAFF FILE PHOTOS


Studentssee roboticwelder atEdisonArea high school stu-dents watch a roboticwelder in action atEdison CommunityCollege in Novemberduring the annual "WeAre IT" event for girls. Arecord 219 studentsfrom 14 area highschools in Miami,Shelby and Darke coun-ties participated in theevent.


GE plans to hire 5,000 veteransWASHINGTON (AP)

General Electric Co. plansto hire 5,000 veterans overthe next five years andinvest $580 million toexpand its aviation busi-ness.The announcements

earlier this month werepart of a four-day eventthat the global conglomer-ate is hosting with part-ners in Washington, D.C.,that focuses on issues suchas manufacturing and jobcreation in America.GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt

heads up PresidentObama’s 27-member jobscouncil, which also includesAFL-CIO PresidentRichard Trumka, AOL co-

founder Steve Case andFacebook Chief OperatingOfficer Sheryl Sandberg.GE said earlier this

month that its “Hiring OurHeroes” partnership willhelp match veterans withjobs. The company, whoseproducts range from jetengines to lightbulbs, willalso team with the U.S.Chamber of Commerce tosponsor 400 veterans’ jobfairs this year. GE(NYSE:GE) currentlyemploys more than 10,000veterans and has about 100U.S. employee reservistsserving overseas.In addition, its aviation

unit will add more than400 new manufacturing

jobs and open plants inEllisville, Miss., Auburn,Ala., and Dayton, Ohio,next year. GE said that thenew plants are part of itsefforts to create or rebuild16 facilities and more than12,000 new jobs. The com-pany started production onits first new appliance linein more than 50 years lastweek at Appliance Park inLouisville, Ky.The company expects to

double its number of engi-neering interns to morethan 5,000. The move ispart of the President’sCouncil on Jobs andCompetitiveness initiativeto graduate 10,000 moreengineers a year in the

U.S. GE says this oftenleads to jobs, as 80 percentof its full-time engineershave been hired from theinternship program. It hasmore than 19,000 engi-neers on staff.It also plans pilot pro-

grams to reduce healthcare costs in Louisville,Ky., and Erie, Pa. Thoseprograms are an expansionof efforts that began in2009 in the greaterCincinnati area that led tomore than 100 new pri-mary care centers, feweremergency room visits andhospital admissions anddecreased health care costsper GE employee after twoyears.

NEW YORK (AP) —Coca-Cola reported an effer-vescent fourth quarterTuesday, Feb. 14, as thecompany sold more of itsdrinks globally and itsearnings beat analystexpectations.Coca-Cola is benefiting

from raising prices in NorthAmerica, where consumersentiment is slowly improv-ing, and expanding in

emergingmarkets includingAfrica and Latin America.“Compared to 12 months

ago, there are very earlyindications that the con-sumer (in North America) isfeeling a little better, withmore mobility, travel andeating out,” said CEOMuhtar Kent in a telephoneinterview with the AP.“That all translates intobetter business for us.”

Coca-Cola reportsstrong earnings


NEW YORK (AP) —Kellogg has popped up tobuy the Pringles chipbrand from Procter &Gamble for $2.7 billionafter a similar deal withDiamond Foods wasderailed by accountingproblems and an executiveshakeup at Diamond.The addition will help

Kellogg with its goal ofbecoming as big globally insnacks as it is in cereal.The Pringles business willadd to Kellogg’s stable ofsnack brands that includeKeebler, Cheez-It andSpecial K Cracker Chips.Troubled snack food

company Diamond Foodsand P&G on Wednesdaysaid they called off their$1.5 billion deal for thebrand.“Pringles has an exten-

sive global footprint thatcatapults Kellogg to thenumber two position in theworldwide savory snackscategory, helping usachieve our objective ofbecoming a truly globalcereal and snacks compa-ny,” Kellogg President andCEO John Bryant said in astatement.Kellogg’s stock added

$1.70, or 3.4 percent, to $52in premarket trading.Diamond’s shares gained88cents, or 3.9 percent, to$23.18, while Procter &Gamble Co.’s stock climbed8 cents to $64.56.Kellogg was able to

swoop in and make thePringles deal happenbecause Diamond FoodsInc., which makes EmeraldNuts and Pop Secret pop-corn, and Procter &Gamble have mutuallyagreed to end their pro-posed deal.Kellogg said that its debt

is likely to increase byabout $2 billion and that itwill limit stock buybacks forabout two years to allow thecompany to reduce its debt.Procter & Gamble

expects an after-tax gain of$1.4 billion to $1.5 billion,or about 47 cents to 50cents per share, from thedeal with Kellogg.Speculation had been

growing over the past fewdays that Diamond’s pro-posed acquisition ofPringles was in trouble,particularly after the SanFrancisco companyannounced a week ago thatit was replacing its CEOand CFO following aninternal investigation thatfound that the Diamondimproperly accounted forpayments to walnut grow-ers. The company nowneeds to restate two yearsof financial results.After those announce-

ments, Diamond’s stockslid, which hurt its abilityto finance the Pringles’deal.Diamond Foods’ pro-

posed buyout of Pringleswas worth $1.5 billionwhen it was announced inApril. It would have beenthe company’s biggestacquisition ever and madeit the second-largest snackmaker in the nation behind

PepsiCo Inc.Last week, Cincinnati-

based Procter & Gamblesaid it was evaluating thedeal and keeping alloptions open, even statingthat Pringles had “attract-ed considerable interestfrom other outside parties.”No breakup or other

fees will be paid tied to theDiamond deal. Industryexperts had believed thatDiamond would possiblyhave to pay a $60 millionbreakup fee to Procter &Gamble and potentially upto $6 million in relatedcosts.Kellogg expects to com-

plete the Pringles acquisi-tion during the summer,possibly on June 30.If the deal closes around

that time, Kellogg antici-pates that the acquisitionwill add about 8 to 10 centsper share to its 2012 earn-ings before accounting forthe acquisition and one-time costs and changes toits buyback program. One-time costs are expected tobe between $160 millionand $180 million, withapproximately $70 millionto $90 million of those costslikely to be recognized in2012.Procter & Gamble said

that it now expects fiscal2012 earnings of $3.30 to

$3.43 per share, whichexcludes the gain from thePringles sale. If the salecloses in the current fiscalyear, the company foreseesearnings between $3.77and $3.93 per share. Thisincludes the one-time gainof 47 cents to 50 cents pershare.Procter & Gamble said

that its previous earningsoutlook of $3.85 to $4.08per share included an esti-mated 55 cents to 65 centsper share one-time gainfrom the Diamond Foodsdeal.Analysts surveyed by

FactSet predict earnings of$4.06 per share for theyear.


Kellogg to buy Pringles;P&G, Diamond end deal

BY SHARON SEMANIEOhio Community Media

PIQUA — Ever sincethe grand opening ceremo-ny took place in October2008, the Fort Piqua Plazaremains a major showcasefor community residentsand out-of-town visitorsalike. A $22 millionrestoration project hasenabled Winan’s Chocolateand Coffee shop to open itsdoors to the Romanesque-style Plaza as well as thePiqua Public Library whichoccupies several floorsalong with a fourth floorconference center/banquetfacility.William Murphy, assis-

tant city manager anddirector of economic devel-opment for the city ofPiqua, proudly admits “ThePlaza, and the GrandBallroom specifically, arealways a hit with visitors.It is also a major talkingpoint in our conversationswith new businesses andresidents as well as atmeetings with site consult-ants,” he noted.When queried about

challenges which face thePlaza in 2012, Murphyreplied “Clearly, finding atenant for the first floorrestaurant space will be apriority.”“The city continues to

seek a tenant for the first-level space formerly occu-pied by Toone P’s at thePlaza,” continued the cityadministrator. “We believea restaurant that capturesthe unique history of theformer hotel and one that iscompetitively priced willultimately be the best fitfor the location and com-munity.” Murphy said spe-cific financial arrange-ments of any future tenantwill depend on a variety offactors “including whetheror not the operation of theFourth floor (banquet facili-

ty) is included in the lease.”He suggested that the

Plaza currently has sevencaterers approved to pro-vide food to potentialrenters. “We believe thisgives our customers sever-al options for all types ofevents,” he added.Regarding the success of

the Fourth floor, Murphynoted “The city has beenextremely pleased with thesuccess of the Fort PiquaPlaza Banquet &Conference Center. Thisyear we had 129 rentalsrepresenting a 1.5 percentincrease over 2010. Moreimpressively, large roomrentals were up 39 percentover 2010. Most of theselarge room rentals were forweddings/receptions andrepresent a large percent-age of our rental revenues.

We attribute the growth ofthe wedding /receptionbusiness to an aggressivemarketing campaign and‘word of mouth.’”Murphy added “For

2012, nearly everySaturday through the endof the year is booked. Toincrease the usage duringthe week, our Plaza mar-keting committee has iden-tified a business directmail campaign and a spe-cial corporate event laterthis year to highlight thefacility for a variety of cor-porate venues, includingseminars, meetings andspecial events.”The former Fort Piqua

Hotel was built at theintersection of High andMain Streets in downtownPiqua in 1891. Throughoutthe years, a number of

notables guests includedHarry Houdini and former

Presidents Teddy Rooseveltand William Taft. By the

1970s, though, the 85,000-square-foot structure, onceused as a hotel by tran-sients and also the locationof a bus depot, became ulti-mately vacant. It wasn’tuntil January 2007, when amulti-million restorationtook place culminatingwith the 2008 grandreopening of the Fort PiquaPlaza, which has subse-quently been recognizedwith several awardsincluding a 2009 HonorAward from the NationalTrust for HistoricPreservation.

Fort Piqua Plaza remains a showcase

MIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTO

Miami East prom queenHannah House and KingCory Rindler, center, sharetheir royalty dance duringthe 2011 prom at the FortPiqua Plaza.



[email protected]

PIQUA — Last yearproved to be a big one forthe city according to GrowPiqua Now with $27.9 mil-lion in construction activity,new retailer Roses Storedue to open this month, andthree expansion projectseither completed or havingbeen announced.Atlas Precision, Palmer

Bolt and Berwick Steel arethe three area businessesthat welcomed expansions.More development

updates include a $2 mil-lion grant awarded by theClean Ohio RevitalizationFund or CORF for demoli-tion and clean-up at the for-mer Piqua Hospital. Alongwith $1.4 million awardedby the Clean OhioRevitalization SustainableRedevelopment TrackGrant for the Piqua PowerPlant. While the OhioDepartment ofDevelopment’s BrownfieldAction Plan Pilot Programawarded $50,000 to the cityfor technical assistance inthe redevelopment of theRiverfront Mill District.Other good news

includes GPN acquiringeight business leads fromROI, two from the DaytonDevelopment Coalition andone from Miami County.Looking ahead and

thanks to Piqua’s economic

development director BillMurphy providing updates,2012 looks to be strong asGPN will continue to focuson domestic recruitmentwith tradeshow representa-tion, innovative financingopportunities and newpartnerships.Such partnerships will

include working with theSmall BusinessDevelopment Center atEdison CommunityCollege, hosting a forum inconjunction with the cityand Chamber of Commerceon building and occupancyregulations, and developinga formal plan with theEdison MaterialsTechnology Center(EMTEC) on a businesstechnology incubation pro-gram.A continued partnership

with Dayton Region in theBusinessFirst! Programand collaborating withproperty owners and citydepartments on developingshovel-ready sites are othercontinued endeavors intothe new year. While alsohosting the third annualState of EconomicDevelopment event onApril 19, participating inthe International EconomicDevelopment Council(IEDC) Federal Forum inD.C., and the annual Stateof Ohio Legislative Day.For more information on

GPN visit http: www.grow-piquanow.org.

2011 a big year forGrow Piqua Now


Unusualseason

for farmersThe corn crop at the JohnJohnston Farm & IndianAgency was among the tallestspotted in the area when thisphoto was taken in July 2011.Most of the stalks were near-ing four-feet tall at that time.Planting was delayed by wetweather, followed by hotweather during mid summer.The growing season conclud-ed with a harvest that wasextended by a very wet fall,with the year ending as one ofthe wettest on record, accord-ing to weather officials.


AKRON (AP) —Goodyear Tire & RubberCo. returned to profitabilityin its fourth quarter partlyas it sold more higher-priced tires after reportinga loss a year ago thatincluded hefty costs tied toa plant closing.But its results fell short

of Wall Street expectations,and its shares fell morethan 5 percent Tuesday,Feb. 14.The biggest U.S. tire

maker also cautioned thatglobal tire industry growthwill be at a slower pacenear term than previouslypredicted due to economicdifficulties in several mar-

kets.For the period ended

Dec. 31, Goodyear reportednet income of $18 million,or 7 cents per share. Thatcompares with a net loss of$177 million, or 73 centsper share, a year ago.Excluding one-time

items in the latest period,Goodyear said that its earn-ings were 3 cents per share.Analysts expected earningsof 20 cents per share,according to a FactSet sur-vey.The prior-year period

included a $160 millioncharge tied to its plans toclose a plant in Union City,Tenn.

Goodyear returnsto profitability


BY JOYELL NEVINSOhio Community [email protected]

TIPP CITY — Betweena new director/fundraiserand a new strategic plan,the Downtown Tipp CityPartnership (DTCP) hopesto leap forward by the sum-mer of 2012.The DTCP director posi-

tion was formerly combinedwith the Tipp CityChamber of Commerce’sexecutive director position.With the resignation of for-mer director Matt Owen inOctober 2011, both organi-zations felt the need to sep-arate the responsibilities.“Over the years, it’s

become pretty evident thatour missions are very dif-ferent,” said DTCPOrganization ChairmanReed Spencer.While the Chamber is

focused solely on business-es, Spencer terms DTCP asa “preservation” organiza-tion. Although advocatingfor business is a part oftheir mission statement,they also claim to serveproperty owners and down-town residents.“Our job as a partner-

ship is not to promote indi-viduals, but to promote,preserve and enhance thedowntown as a whole,”Spencer said.Embellishing on their

mission statement and set-ting a vision is the goal fortheir strategic plan. Theplan is being written byTara Dixon Engel withinput from the organizationcommittee: Spencer, SueRambeau, Jim Valekis,Greg Enslen, Kathy Taylor,and previously assisted byOwen and Liz Sonnanstine.

Once fully developed, DTCPwants to present their plannot only to the whole board,but the city as well, so as tobe incorporated into TippCity’s master plan.“The focus on clear and

steady communication ofthe vision will work to notonly clarify the goals ahead,but will also help uncoverthe work that is alreadybeing accomplished by thepartnership,” DTCP Boardpresident Jim Valekis said.Fundraising is another

area DTCP wants focus in,which is also why it wascomplicated having oneperson be a director for twodifferent organizations.Spencer points to thefacade improvement pro-gram, run by DTCP’sdesign committee. The pro-gram currently offers $500matching grants to down-town businesses doing out-side remodel projects.Recently, MidwestMemories, NewsomeRE/MAX and Sweets byKristy have all receivedgrants for work done to thefront of their downtownbuildings.“We give out $500

grants, why not $5,000,”Spencer said.Another project DTCP

wants to put money into isa new interpretative sig-nage program called “KeyInto Tipp.” Just like how

many parks trails havesigns that talk about vari-ous plants off the path,DTCP wants to place signsthat tell the history behindmany of the older down-town buildings. The differ-ence is, the signs would beon the buildings them-selves. DTCP is looking atembedding the signs withQR codes as well to engagethe growing number ofsmart phone users.“The design committee

has really been phenome-nal, top notch,” Spencersaid, referring to DTCP’smission, “They get it.”Valekis is quick to add

there is a whole core groupof partnership membersthat are getting on board.Volunteer hours sinceOwen’s resignation havejumped from about 150hours a month to 2-300hours a month.“I’ve got a very good

felling about the ‘new birth’the partnership is going tobe undergoing,” Valekissaid.“This would be a great

year for folks with a pas-sion for the community tocome on board.DTCP hopes to have

their new director in placeby April 1, and their strate-gic plan done soon after.For more information,

visit www.downtowntippci-ty.org or call (937) 667-0883.

Tipp City hopesto leap forward

PROGRESS 201216 February 2012

tdn progress 22212

Documents

piqua daily

piqua highschool

piqua artscouncil

chamber topped2011

chamber office

guardat piqua chambertopped

fort piqua plaza

new year