Chamber Expo draws a crowd
The 16th Annual Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development Business Expo, with the theme "Get on Track," opened Thursday morning with a ceremony featuring the Richland County Sheriff's Color/Honor Guard and the singing of the national anthem.
In addition, Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker and almost every mayor and judge and elected official from Richland County joined together to launch the event at the Richland County Fairgrounds, which featured more than 100 chamber members' businesses and industries, participating in a ribbon cutting with black-and-white-checkered flags instead of the traditional red ribbon.
Businesses came to share information with the public during the day-long event, including Bob Cohen, business adviser for Braintree Business Development Center, on East Fifth Street in Mansfield, which is home to five filmmakers: Stephen Engh, Pete Stevens, Kay Eatmon and Jennifer Enskat and Andy Gardner.
"It's a great opportunity for people in business to get to know each other and promote themselves countywide," Cohen said. "It's a good venue and we always encourage our vendors to come."
Local author Willie Davis also shared Braintree's booth, showcasing two books he wrote about Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Davis as a youngster with his parents moved to Mansfield in 1959 from Olive Hill.
"It's historical fiction and I built the books around true events of Olive Hill," he said.
Elsewhere in Fairhaven Hall, Marcia Kandel, escrow officer at Chicago Title Agency of North Central Ohio Inc., was handing out mints in tiny race cars, going with this year's expo theme.
Their booth included a life-sized, cardboard cut-out of actor Will Ferrell of the film "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."
"We came to get our name out there and if anyone is ready to refinance, buy or sell, come see us," she said.
Jason Crundwell of St. Peter's School was promoting the school and the school's musical, "Mary Poppins," which starts this weekend, along with the high school student team's design and construction of its all-electric go kart with a frame built with PVC pipes.
"St. Peter's School is only one of two high school teams that will participate in an endurance race against area college teams at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course," Crundwell said.
Nurse practitioner Corey Thomas was helping to promote her employer Vitality Natural Wellness of Mansfield, where she was about to do a Botox demonstration on a female volunteer.
The Rev. Jim Carder, sales director at The Waterford Assisted Living and Memory Care, was talking to visitors about Magnolia Trails, the new memory care neighborhood of apartments at 1296 S. Trimble Road.
"It's one of 50 across the nation," he said.
And like every vendor who was handing out a free item or a chance to win a prize, Carder was handing out packets of trail mix.
Jay D. Wachs of DLX, Tito's and Gravity Ohio, was giving away a free T-shirt for anyone who successfully raced a car around a track with a remote control in their hand.
"I want you to win," he told a woman, demonstrating how to hold the red button down. And anyone who dropped a business card was entered into a drawing to win Happy Hour for 20 people.
Richland County Commissioner Darrell Banks was visiting with guests and touring the expo, which he said was a great place to be Thursday as it rained outside.
Others in the building networking with others included community member Doc Stumbo who accompanied Miss Ohio Betta Nies, Miss Ontario Abigail Kern and Miss Ohio's Outstanding Teen Cassandra Kurek, who stopped to visit with Jeff Angelini, of Nyte Flyte Entertainment, who erelso locally organizes several parades and festivals.
Longtime radio personality Rusty Cates came to enjoy the expo as a visitor and was handing out information about the upcoming Richland County Park District levy. Across the room, a Mansfield Richland County Public Library volunteer was handing out information on the May renewal levy.
Outside, food trucks were setup for those making a day of it. Inside, coffee and popcorn were plentiful as local residents attending the expo filled bags of goodies they accumulated from vendors.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County businesses showcased at 2023 Chamber Business Expo
