Fund receives $3 million grant to help businesses

Fund receives $3 million grant to help businesses

YOUNGSTOWN

The state awarded a $3 million grant to a Mahoning Valley investment fund to support high-tech companies.

The Ohio Third Frontier Commission announced Thursday that Valley Growth Ventures received the grant.

VGV is a for-profit investment fund partnership of the Youngstown Business Incubator, the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center in Warren, Youngstown State University and the Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corp.

VGV focuses on providing seed money to start-ups in business-to-business software, additive manufacturing, energy, clean-tech and advanced materials firms. It attempts to attract companies from outside the Mahoning Valley to come to the area, but can make investments to companies across the state.

The Ohio Third Frontier is the state’s $2 billion technology-based economic development initiative to create high-wage jobs through the accelerated growth of high-tech start-up and early-stage companies.

The Third Frontier awards will be used to make direct investments in Ohio-based technology companies over the next three years.

Ground broken for new facility

POLAND

Shepherd of the Valley in Poland broke ground Thursday for its new 32-bed rehabilitation and skilled-nursing unit at 301 W. Western Reserve Road.

The skilled-nursing addition will provide a full continuum of care at the Poland facility. A special emphasis was placed on patient-centered care while designing the building.

The project is expected to take nine months to complete, according to a Shepherd news release.

Highlights of the new addition will include the addition of 24,000 square feet; three neighborhoods, with private rooms and private full bathrooms; an outdoor patio and happy-hour lounge; and a 1,900-square-foot therapy gym featuring a pool with treadmill capabilities.

Children’s Miracle Network campaign

Ollie’s Bargain Outlets will conduct its annual Children’s Miracle Network hospital fundraising campaign Sunday through April 30, with proceeds benefiting Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital.

Local Ollie’s locations are 385 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman, and 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road at Eastwood Mall in Niles.

During the campaign, Ollie’s customers may make a donation at the register to purchase a Children’s Miracle Network paper balloon.

In 2015, Ollie’s raised $165,000 for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in communities where they do business, including $2,044 in the Mahoning Valley. More than $10,000 has been raised locally since the campaign began four years ago.

Staff reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1210.010.22

Aqua America, .71 31.21-0.13

Avalon Holdings,1.970.00

Cortland Bancorp, .2815.310.00

Farmers Nat., .129.05-0.02

First Energy, 1.44 35.41-0.24Fifth/Third, .5217.730.32

FirstMerit Corp., .6821.960.10First Niles Financial, .208.150.00FNB Corp., .4813.170.05

General Motors, 1.5230.72-0.06

General Electric, .9231.020.04

Huntington Bank, .28 9.980.08

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.24-0.01

JP Morgan Chase, 1.7662.590.80

Key Corp, .3011.730.23

LaFarge, .3417.570.00

Macy’s, 1.44 39.66-0.67Parker Hannifin, 2.52 112.270.06

PNC, 2.0484.69-0.48

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.40207.950.31

Stoneridge 14.15-0.35

Talmer Bank, .20 18.630.10

United Comm. Fin., .10 5.84-0.09

Selected prices from Thursday’s 4 p.m. close.