YSU STUDENTS PASS GLOBAL BUSINESS EXAM: Lugina Bassil of Boardman and Zackary Shumaker of Austintown were among four students at Youngstown State University who recently passed the Certified Global Business Professionals exam after completing the Ohio Export Internship Program at YSU.
The exam certificate is a national certification issued by the National Association for Small Business International Trade Educators and an acknowledgment of international business expertise in management, marketing, supply-chain management and trade finance.
The credentials set the benchmark for global trade knowledge and the certification shows that an individual has the knowledge required to be a successful global commerce professional.
Bassil, a senior international business major with a minor in Spanish, is employed as an export intern at Columbiana Boiler Company.
Shumaker, a senior economics major, completed the internship program in the summer. He served as an export specialist for manufacturing company Butech Bliss.
DIVIDEND ANNOUNCED: First Niles Financial, Inc., the parent company of Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Niles, has announced a dividend of 6 cents per share on common stock and 7 cents per share on preferred Class A stock for the fourth quarter of 2023.
The dividend will be payable Dec. 22 to shareholders of record on Dec. 8.
Home Federal primarily serves the Niles area. First Niles had $150.6 million in assets and $12.7 million in stockholders’ equity at the end of the third quarter Sept. 30.
ATTORNEY, FAMILY HELP FEED LOCAL RESIDENTS: Through a $50,000 donation from attorney Daniel L. Rossi and family and in partnership with Akron Children’s Hospital, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and Alta Care Group, nearly 2,000 boxes of food are being distributed to Mahoning Valley families this year.
Hosted at various Alta Head Start locations, families receive a box of nonperishable food as well as gift bags for children that include dental hygiene kits, children’s books and other family resources.
Other Akron Children’s Hospital donors are helping to provide the transportation of food deliveries.
MERCY HEALTH WINS EXCELLENCE AWARD: Bon Secours Mercy Health and Mercy Health-Youngstown have implemented system-wide sustainable initiatives that earned environmental excellence awards from Practice Greenhealth, a leading sustainability member organization for hospital networks.
All three of Mercy Health’s hospitals in the Mahoning Valley — St. Joseph Warren Hospital, St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital — were recognized for their sustainability efforts.
Mercy Health-Youngstown convenes a multidisciplinary Green Team that meets quarterly to collaborate on sustainability initiatives and set goals for the market and its facilities. In addition, facilities have transitioned to utilizing reusable pulse oximetry sensors and plastics free of PVC / DEHP for internal feeding tubes and gloves.
The Youngstown team also hosts volunteer opportunities that promote sustainability throughout the year, including an event with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary who steward the Villa Maria Farm and efforts to keep Youngstown beautiful with Youngstown Streetscape.
WNEO MARKS MILESTONE: WNEO recently marked the 50th anniversary of its first broadcast with a ribbon-cutting celebration with the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber.
The event in Kent was part of other activities Thursday, including a woodworking demonstration by Richard Grell, Windsor chairmaker featured in The Master Craftsman and an advance screening of the new documentary PBS Western Reserve: A Study in Persistence.
Established in 1971, WNEO is licensed to Alliance and serves the Youngstown television market. WEAO, which went on the air in 1975, is licensed to Akron and serves the Cleveland-Akron-Canton television market.
All programming is simulcast on the two stations, which operate under the nonprofit corporation, Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio Inc., better known by its brand name, PBS Western Reserve.
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1), is the only broadcast television service that reaches all of northeast Ohio. It is available to 4.9 million people in the Cleveland and Youngstown markets, and in an average month, more than 1 million people tune in.
TEMA JOINS ASSOCIATION: TEMA Roofing, a commercial roofing company based in Girard, recently joined the American Senior Housing Association as a national roofing service provider.
Representing hundreds of businesses within the independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care community spaces, the association develops partnerships to build better senior living facilities through research, advocacy and educational opportunities.
As a family-owned, community-engaged company, the association’s mission and purpose fit seamlessly with TEMA’s structure and focus, according to the company.
TEMA Roofing Services is a woman- and family-owned business. Its commercial and industrial roofing services include design-build projects, roof asset management, installation, repair, maintenance, HVAC services and commercial solar installation.
New businesses
STORE OPENS: American Freight, a furniture, mattresses and appliances retailer, recently opened a new store at 5185 Youngstown Warren Road, Niles, the former Alorica call center.
The company has more than 370 direct-to-consumer, warehouse-style stores in 40 states.
RIBBON CUTTINGS: Ribbon-cutting ceremonies with the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber to mark the grand openings of two new businesses were scheduled Friday.
Grizzly Bean Coffee House is opening at 4520 Mahoning Ave., Suite C, Austintown. The coffee shop offers a range of hot and iced coffees, other specialty beverages and food. It has a drive-thru.
Also, Pups Path LLC is at the Eastwood Mall Complex, 5555 Youngstown Warren Road, Unit 906, Niles.
The store has everyday and specialty pet supplies at the lowest manufacturers’ price from toys to apparel to wheelchairs for dogs, cats and chickens.
Also, Pups Path has pet training, grooming, photo shoots, parties and interactive doggie daycare, plus mall shoppers can drop of their dog there while they shop.
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