MAHONING COUNTY Official: PR firm gets results for recycling

A name change and promotional campaign helped improve recycling awareness.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Hiring a public relations firm to boost awareness of the Mahoning County Recycling Division and its programs has worked, its director says.
County commissioners were expected to approve continuation of the firm's contract today.
"I think it was money well-spent last year and it's worth continuing the investment this year," said Timothy Berlekamp, recycling division executive director.
The contract with Farris & amp; Associates of Youngstown is for $95,065. That's down from $110,000 the county paid last year, Berlekamp said, noting he would like to continue with them at least one more year.
Berlekamp said county residents were polled last year and virtually none of them knew of the Solid Waste District or its projects. At Farris' suggestion, the department changed its name to the recycling division and adopted the nickname Green Team.
Getting the word out: Through an aggressive promotional campaign with television and billboard advertisements, awareness has begun to build, Berlekamp said.
"The whole goal here is to drive our recycling numbers up," he said.
Mahoning County's was one of the first recycling divisions in the state to hire a marketing company, Berlekamp said. It costs the county about the same to pay Farris as it did for the department to do all of its own advertising and mailings.
The benefit is that his staff is no longer tied up with those duties and can focus on other things.
He said the agency sought bids for marketing services last year, even though bidding was not required under Ohio law. Five bids were received and Farris was chosen. He did not seek bids this year because he wanted to maintain continuity of services for at least three years.
After the third year, the marketing program will be revisited, he said.