Urbana University will host its 2017 Urbana University Activities Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be held outside of the Urbana University Student Center or inside the Urbana University Student Center in the event of rain. The UU Activities Fair attracts faculty, staff, residential and commuter students, and it provides new and returning students with an opportunity to learn about the many events and activities that are available to them in the Urbana community. Student groups, businesses and community organizations participating in the event have the opportunity to display information about their organization and even recruit new members or volunteers. Last year, over 70 groups participated in the fair. The university will provide table space, chairs, water, and lunch to the representatives from participating groups. Information, discount offers, or samples are welcome and encouraged. Register online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/UUActivitiesFair. The event is free of charge. Due to the event being held outdoors, access to internet and electricity is very limited and is not guaranteed. Vendors are also encouraged to bring a small pop-up tent for shade. Day-of information, as well as a map, will be sent prior to the fair. Those with questions or concerns can contact the Campus Life Office by calling 937-772-9281 or sending an email to [email protected]. Submitted by Urbana University
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Joshua Keeran | Urbana Daily Citizen, Employees of SVG Motors and Trenor Motors gathered in the Scioto Street dealership Friday during the announcement of a change in ownership. Pictured in the center shaking hands are SVG Motors President Steve VanGorder, right, and Trenor Motors President Roger Tehan Jr., left. VanGorder said the plan is to keep as many former employees of Trenor Motors as possible while also hiring additional staff to join SVG Urbana. by Joshua Keeran, Urbana Daily Citizen
One of the Urbana’s oldest operating businesses is no longer. Trenor Motors, family-owned and operated since 1926, was acquired Friday by SVG Motors. Headquartered in Dayton, the SVG auto group consists of two new and used car dealerships – SVG Chevrolet in Greenville and SVG Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Eaton – along with SVG Motors, a used car dealership in Dayton. Steve VanGorder, president of SVG Motors, said he has been in talks with Roger Tehan, owner of Trenor Motors, for the past two-and-a-half years about the possibility of acquiring the Urbana dealership. “I’m very appreciative of Roger Tehan and his family for affording me this opportunity to be able to do this,” VanGorder said. “This is an honor to be a Chevy, Buick and GMC dealer. I’m living my dream. This is what I’ve always wanted, and I’m on top of the world right now.” He added the plan for the 90-plus-year Urbana staple is for it to continue to operate as a Chevrolet, Buick and GMC dealership under the name of SVG Urbana. “We feel this is a great community, and there is no reason why this store can’t sell and service a lot of cars,” he said. “In my opinion, (this location) is the best piece of real estate in the county – in between the two most traveled roads (routes 29 and 36) going through the county.” VanGorder said the dealership will tie in perfectly with his other stores, which will allow SVG Motors to continue to be home of the “Superior Value Guarantee (SVG).” “(The dealership) just seems like it fits what we are doing with the synergies of all our other stores with our marketing and advertising,” he said. “It will allow us to have a larger footprint digitally and on television. We will also be able to offer our customers bigger discounts because we have multiple locations.” Changes In Store [READ MORE at UrbanaCitizen.com] By Liz Winhover - Springfield News-Sun Staff Writer Kiser Lake State Park in Champaign County is set to receive new rustic log cabins by early spring of 2018. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently requested funds from the Controlling Board in order to purchase construction materials to construct and install wooden cabins in several state parks, including Kiser Lake. “The addition will improve attendance to the lake,” Alyssa Beaty, campground attendant, said, adding that the cabins will be able to hold bigger families. The two cabins will come about through a partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The cabins are made from hardwood cut from Ohio state forests and are assembled by state prisoners. The partnership between the two departments began last year. They’re called Sherman Cabins after Camp Sherman, an Ohio Army National Guard training site near a Chillicothe prison. Kiser Lake currently has two cabins and during the summer they see turn over every week, Beaty said. Sites 3 and 4 at the lake will be closed beginning late October or early November to begin construction. Beaty is excited for the addition because the two cabins they currently have are a hot commodity and suggests calling to rent a cabin three to four weeks in advance because they’re so popular. The two new Sherman Cabins are expected to be available to the public by May 2018. The state will install the log cabins in eight other state parks — Alum Creek located in Delaware County; Barkcamp in Belmont County; Beaver Creek in Columbiana County; East Harbor in Ottawa County; Hocking Hills in Hocking County; Kelleys Island in Ottawa County; Mohican in Ashland County; and Tarr Hollow in Ross County. by Joshua Keeran, Urbana Daily Citizen Navistar, one of the area’s largest employers, revealed plans for its new Urbana distribution center during a groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday at the Urbana Industrial Park on the city’s south side. At an estimated price tag of $12 million, the 355,000-square-foot facility at 1155 Phoenix Drive is under construction and expected to be completed by Dec. 1. Once up and running, the facility is expected to house inventory for Navistar that could total up to $16 million. “It’s a very exciting time for Navistar here in the great state of Ohio,” said Edward Franklin, senior manager of supply chain operations at Navistar. Earlier this year, Franklin said, the company started production on a second assembly line at its Springfield assembly plant as part of an agreement with General Motors in which Navistar is manufacturing cutaway models of GM’s G Van. “This facility will help us sustain our new relationship with GM as well as give us the opportunity to sustain our product portfolio growth in the future,” he said. “I’m very excited to get all our material and be able to consolidate it into one place here in Urbana.” Joint venture Located on property owned by Damewood Enterprises Limited, the new distribution center is being built by Dublin Building Systems. Once complete, the facility will be leased by Damewood Enterprises to Navistar. Rich Irelan, vice president of sales and marketing for Dublin Building Systems, said his company is “committed to hitting” the target completion date of Dec. 1, and he said meeting such a deadline is obtainable thanks to the city’s willingness to see the project through. “It’s so refreshing to work in the city of Urbana,” Irelan said. “We are going to promote more business in Urbana, Ohio, for sure.” Speaking on behalf of Damewood Enterprises, Brad Damewood said, “We are very grateful for the opportunity to participate in this project,” and he added it wouldn’t have been a possibility without the help of Marcia Bailey (Champaign Economic Partnership executive director) and the support of a tax abatement agreement by Urbana City Council and Urbana City Schools Board of Education. “I’m sure Navistar had plenty of options for build-to-suit locations as well as exciting buildings,” he said. “One of the things that allowed Urbana to be the site chosen was the tax abatement.” The agreed upon Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) agreement grants Damewood Enterprises a 10-year, 100 percent tax exemption of real property tax. Impact on local community While Bailey acknowledged the new distribution center will result in at least a $28 million investment into the area ($12 million into the building and $16 million in inventory), she said the biggest winner in the deal is the local community from a jobs standpoint. “We were able to save 114 jobs here in our community that could have went to another community,” she said. “We are looking at another 40 coming in either from another facility or new employment all together.” In the CRA agreement, Navistar stated its plans with the new facility are to retain the 114 employees currently employed at its ODW Logistics facility (located at 1030 S. Edgewood Ave.), transfer 27 full-time jobs from Xenia to Urbana, and create 13 new full-time jobs. Bailey said the distribution center will have a payroll of nearly $7 million. Urbana Mayor Bill Bean added the city has been able to build great relationships over the years that has led to the numerous construction projects underway from two new school buildings to new commercial properties like the Navistar distribution center and a new medical center for Marysville-based Memorial Health. “We have a lot of things going on. A lot of growth, and this (Navistar facility) is part of it,” he said. “Without good partners, we couldn’t do this.” Joshua Keeran may be reached at 937-508-2304 or on Twitter @UDCKeeran. by Casey S. Elliott, Urbana Daily Citizen Urbana resident Michelle Smith always wanted her own shop. “It was always my dream to open my own shop,” she said. “The opportunity never came up while raising four kids. But now they are grown. When the opportunity came up to buy it. I jumped on it.” Smith is the new owner of Kaleidoscope, 117 N. Main St. She was a vendor at the shop for more than a year and a vendor in primitives over 10 years. Smith graduated from Kenton Ridge High School in Springfield and moved to Urbana 24 years ago. “I knew I wanted to be in business,” she said, noting when her children were younger they had a business pouring candles. That business, 3H’s, named after her daughters Heather (Mike White), Heidi (Justin Geer) and Hannah Smith, helped pay for their sports costs. Now that they are older and on their own, she has the time to devote to her own business. She plans to keep the Kaleidoscope tradition alive, with vendors who are always looking for unique antique and vintage items. Read More at http://urbanacitizen.com/news/55693/urbanas-kaleidoscope-gets-new-owner by Katherine Collins - Springfield News-Sun Students in Champaign County will have the chance to go to Clark State for free now that the community college has expanded a scholars program to the area. Until now the Champion City Scholars program was only available to students within the Springfield City School District. Now 10 eighth graders from Graham Local Schools and 10 eighth graders from Urbana City Schools will be chosen to participate in the new Champaign County Scholars program at the beginning of next school year. “The whole purpose is to ensure three free years of college for these students,” Clark State President Jo Alice Blondin said. The students need to be the first member of their family to attend college, she said, and qualify for free or reduced lunch to be considered. Click to read more on SpringfieldNewsSun.com By Matt Sanctis - Springfield News-Sun Urbana University’s new executive vice president said Wednesday he plans to develop closer ties between the university and local businesses. Christopher Washington was named executive vice president of Urbana University last month after former President George Lucas resigned. Washington said Wednesday the university will play a more active role in the region and will develop deeper ties with area businesses, particularly in fields like manufacturing. “We have to offer programs of study that are relevant to the surrounding community,” Washington said. Washington is taking over at a time when Urbana University will shift to a branch campus of Franklin University. Franklin acquired the Champaign County campus in 2014 after Urbana University faced years of lean enrollment and financial struggles. As part of the deal, Urbana now functions as a division of Franklin but retains its name. Franklin is a private, nonprofit institution based in Columbus. Read more at SpringfieldNewsSun.com Topics covered in this newsletter include:
Click to read more. The Champaign Economic Partnership certainly enjoyed a great evening at the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. It was an evening of great food and quality time spent with our community. Thank you to everyone that stopped by our expo table to learn more about the Champaign Economic Partnership and economic development projects in our community. We also enjoyed sharing news about Community JobConnect, a new site to find jobs available in Champaign County. It's also a free job board for Champaign County businesses to post the job openings. If you haven't visited the new site, please do so at www.CommunityJobConnect.com. (Pictured) Jill O'Neal of WEIDMANN Electrical Technology and Nancee Starkey of Bundy Baking Solutions currently have jobs posted on the new website www.CommunityJobConnect.com - Check it out! |
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