EM Media plans open house at new facility

EM Media Inc. began 2010 in a new home, the EM Media Center, 2728 Sunset Blvd., former home of the Steubenville Woman’s Club.

The 7,000-square-foot building located on nearly an acre of ground was auctioned off in September and then acquired by James Emmerling, owner of EM Media Inc.

“I’ve always had the goal of acquiring a professional building for our agency, and with the encouragement of Dave and Tom D’Anniballe, who shared my desire to maintain the history of such a landmark, the dream of the EM Media Center was realized,” Emmerling said.

Emmerling will hold an open house and ribbon cutting at his new facility on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at noon.

Bootstraps seminars will focus on legal issues  

Project Bootstraps, the 2010 version, will continue on Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. in the seminar room of the St. Joseph Center on the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Robert McDonald, assistant professor of Management at Franciscan and an attorney, is scheduled to discuss the “Legal Basics for Small Businesses.” He will emphasize aspects of the law that entrepreneurs need to understand in order to succeed in the marketplace.  

On Feb. 10, Jeff Rankin, assistant professor of Marketing at Franciscan, will be presenting “Marketing Planning – Entrepreneurial Approaches” emphasizing the marketing strategies needed to establish and sustain a successful business enterprise. 

The seminars will conclude on Feb. 17 with a panel discussion involving 10 local business owners.

The seminars are sponsored by the Students in Free Enterprise chapter at Franciscan in cooperation with the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Progress Alliance, the Community Foundation of Jefferson County, Valley Ventures and The Steubenville Herald Star.

TechGROWTH program is coming to county

TechGROWTH Ohio has announced a month-long series of seminars focusing on business growth in southeast Ohio, featuring keynote addresses by U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson. This unprecedented event will bring together the largest assembly of resources in the region, making it an invaluable opportunity for businesses and individuals.

Jefferson County will host a seminar called Re-Inventing Small Business in Appalachia on Monday, Feb. 8.   This program will provide participants with resources from state and local organizations designed to foster technology development and innovation.

Through interactive discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities with exhibitors, participants will discover the realm of possibilities Appalachia Ohio offers new and existing businesses.

The Jefferson County program will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pugliese Training Center on the campus of Eastern Gateway Community College. The program is free of charge and a light lunch will be served.  Pre-registration is highly encouraged and can be done by visiting www.techgrowthohio.com or by calling (740) 593-9588.

Capital Recovery will host chamber event

Capital Recovery Systems Inc. will host the February Business After Hours event for the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.

The event is planned for the new Capital Recovery offices, 630 Market St. in downtown Steubenville. Capital Recovery purchased the Market Street facility from the chamber in 2009 and plans to launch its operations there in early February.  For more information, contact the chamber at (740) 282-6226 or via e-mail at info@jeffersoncountychamber.com

 ‘Big Idea’ contest is taking shape

The first “Big Idea” contest is off and running in Jefferson County.

The contest, sponsored locally by Progress Alliance, is designed to encourage local residents to pursue their ideas regarding the launch of a new business or the expansion of a current one. The Jefferson County winners will compete regionally for additional recognition.

The MCBI Regional Incubator for Entrepreneurs is sponsoring the contest on a regional basis. MCBI oversees the operation of “The Hub” program in nine eastern Ohio counties, including Jefferson.

Local sponsors for the contest include The Herald Star, EM Media, Tri-State Financial, D’Anniballe and Company Inc., Minor Insurance and Blake, Hershey and Bednar Attorneys At Law.

Contest entry forms are available by contacting Progress Alliance at (740) 283-2476 or on the web at www.mcbi.info.  The deadline for entering is Feb. 26.

Strickland feels steel will make a comeback

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland brought his views on higher education and job retraining programs to the local campus of Eastern Gateway Community College this week.

During his visit, Strickland took time to voice his feelings regarding the future of the local steel industry.  "I believe steel will make a comeback in the Ohio Valley. But I also believe we need to make sure our federal trade laws are enforced. We haven't really enforced the trade laws we have in place. Although I am pleased to see China will now be sanctioned for dumping tubular steel into our markets," said Strickland.

The 90-minute Steubenville visit was the fourth stop of the day for the governor, who also visited Highland Heights, Akron and Youngstown one day after delivering his State of the State address in Columbus.

Nominations sought for BOC awards

Progress Alliance currently is accepting nominations for Best of the County awards. The organization will hold its second annual BOC dinner on Monday, March 29, starting at 6 p.m. in Wintersville’s St. Florian Hall.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams has accepted an invitation to deliver the keynote address.

Nomination forms for the awards are available on the Progress Alliance web site, www.theburb.org.  They also are available at the Progress Alliance office, located inside the Jefferson County Center for Economic Development, 630 Market St. in Steubenville.

“Our event is all about defining dedication, accomplishment, commitment and recognition,” said Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance. “Our awards are designed to recognize efforts involving business growth, community growth and the best use of human and natural resources. Award nominees should personify the best effort, the best determination, the best achievement and the best of Jefferson County.”

Tickets for the event are priced at $65. A table of eight can be reserved for $500. For more information, please contact Progress Alliance at 283-2476.

Eastern Gateway to host e-commerce workshops

Eastern Gateway Community College and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce will present a series of workshops designed to get you and your business up to speed with the e-commerce and social networking phenomenon sweeping the business world. These hands-on workshops will get you off and running with many of the simple (and free!) marketing tools available to you online.

The first event, E-Commerce today, will be held on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon

Presented by the Small Business Development Center, the workshop will take place in EGCC's Pugliese Training Center, 110 John Scott Highway, Steubenville. The program is designed to help local businesses tap into the opportunities for growth offered by online marketing tools. Topics include Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer e-commerce, social networking, e-mail blitzing, website design, and eBay.

The cost of the seminar is $25, which includes lunch. Please register by calling the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce at 740-282-6226.