AWARDS GIVEN: At a recent holiday party at the Avalon Grand Resort in Howland, More Options Realty presented staff awards for highest volume, highest average sales price and most transactions. The winners were:
• Upper volume: Sally Demidovich, first; Nicole Tackett, second; and Veronica Campbell, third.
• Highest average sale price: Kay M Schaffer, first; Sally Demidovich, second; and Jeremiah T. Pitoscia, third.
• Most transactions: Sally Demidovich, first; Nicole Tackett, second; and Veronica Campbell, third.
MONEY RAISED TO BENEFIT ME: Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio, based in Girard, raised more than $80,000 through two designer bag bingo events in December.
Funds raised will benefit the financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness programs that Junior Achievement offers to K-12 students in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
CPA FIRM MERGER: HD Davis CPAs & White Glove Payroll in Liberty acquired Warren-based Sforza & Walker CPAs
Sforza & Walker CPA will remain in central Warren at the same location and retain all of its employees. The acquisition gives the company immediate access to better technology and more specialized training and support.
HD Davis CPAs, owned by CPAs Tim Petrey and Joe Kilgore, has more than 50 employees in the Mahoning Valley. White Glove Payroll is a sister company of the CPA firm. The co-owners are Petrey, Kilgore and Marcy Angelo, who is responsible for day-to-day operations and management of their team of more than 10 people.
HUNTINGTOWN BANK, BRITE TEAM UP: Huntington Bank recently donated $10,000 to BRITE Energy Innovators to support startups through a mentoring program. BRITE provides individualized one-on-one instruction from industry experts to help businesses with new energy technologies.
The grant will provide support to a range of startups, which in turn will result in $250,000 in short-term public and private investment to address today’s biggest sustainability and resilience challenges.
BRITE in downtown Warren is the only energy startup incubator in the state of Ohio.
PREMIER PROVIDES COMMUNITY SUPPORT: As part of its Powered By (kind) people. Encouraged by you.” movement, Premier Bank awarded more than $421,000 in community support to 122 organizations in the Mahoning Valley in 2022.
Support went to groups including Akron Mahoning Valley Children’s Hospital for the Emergency Department Expansion Project, Ballet Western Reserve for sponsoring the Nutcracker, Brightside Project for the Empowerment Bus, Golden String for sponsoring the Gabba Camp Golf Outing, Potential Development for sponsoring Trivia With a Twist and the Pizza Cookoff, Youngstown Area Jewish Federation for Inclusive Programming and Youngstown CityScape are sponsoring Sparkle Youngstown.
NEW BUSINESS FILINGS: There were 13,420 new business filings in November, a decrease of 93 filings from November 2021 and a decrease of 617 filings from September, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.
By November, there were 165,624 new companies for an average of 15,056 per month. In the 11-month period of 2021, 184,494 were created, according to the Office.
New business filings are classified as forms filed with the Secretary of State declaring the formation of a business entity, including for-profit, nonprofit and professional corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability companies. Filing as an Ohio business does not guarantee that the business will start operations, be profitable or create jobs.
TREATMENT CENTER OPENS IN NILES: Pinnacle Treatment Centers, one of the largest suppliers of methadone in the US, has opened a new treatment center in Niles. The center is Pinnacle’s 20th location in Ohio.
Niles Treatment Services, 336 Vienna Ave., will provide methadone and Suboxone medication-assisted treatment as part of a treatment program that includes individual, group and family counseling. Patients will have access to other comprehensive services such as peer support and targeted case management.
Niles Treatment Services accepts Medicaid, commercial insurance and offers reasonable self-pay rates. The center is open from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. From Monday to Friday and on Saturdays from 5 to 10 o’clock.
Pinnacle also has a treatment center in Youngstown.
FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHOP AVAILABLE: Credit Union of Ohio will offer a free virtual workshop on estate planning Thursday at noon and 7 p.m.
Financial coach Cindy Walker will be joined by special guest Jackie Collins of the Collins & Kruse law firm to give attendees an overview of ways to protect their assets as well as financial options to consider as retirement approaches, including an overview of Medicaid and long-term care options.
Membership is not required to attend this free workshop, but pre-registration is required. See the full schedule of Credit Union of Ohio workshops and register at cuofohio.org.
New companies
COFFEE OPEN: Specialty coffee and gift shop Cafe Rose has opened at 4491 Mahoning Ave., Austintown.
The store features coffee from regional and local roasters, as well as handicrafts and other items from local entrepreneurs. Its Mahoning Valley partners include Branch Street Coffee Roasters in Boardman and Voyager Specialty Coffee & Teas in Youngstown.
The store is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
NEW CHIPOTLE IN LIBERTY: Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened a new restaurant on Belmont Avenue less than two miles from Liberty High School.
The location is the second in the Youngstown area to have a Chipotlane, a pickup drive-thru that allows customers to pick up digital orders.
Located at 4100 Belmont Ave. and is open every day from 10:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
People on the move
FORMER YOUNGSTOWN RESIDENT JOINS FIRM: Former Youngstown resident Brian Wolf has joined McMichael Insurance, an independent insurance and risk management firm in Streetsboro, as a business insurance consultant.
In this role, he will work with business owners to provide the right coverage at a competitive price.
Wolf, who has more than 25 years of experience, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University.
Submit items for business digests, new businesses and people on the move to [email protected], fax to 330-841-1717 or online at www.tribtoday.com. The deadline is Thursday by 4 p.m.