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Chill can complex to bring pride to Youngstown
Joseph Co. purchased Watson Terminal to have access to rail
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Mitchell Joseph says his chill-can plant coming to the East Side will bring pride to the city.
The Youngstown native gave an update on the $20 million project Friday at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s “Good Morning, Youngstown” event.
“This [technology] is the holy grail of the beverage industry,” Joseph said.
Joseph’s company, Joseph Co. International, created the world’s first self-chilling beverage can, and he is bringing it home to Youngstown for his East Coast operations. Joseph is opening the beverage technology center on the lower East Side at 130 N. Lane Ave. where his great-grandfather started and operated Star Bottling Co. from 1921 through 1970.
Joseph purchased eight blocks on Lane to build a new complex complete with four production buildings and an administrative headquarters. On Friday, Joseph also announced the company purchased Watson Terminal on the East Side to have access to rail.
The complex will bring a minimum of 257 jobs to the city.
“I am very proud to be from Youngstown,” the YSU graduate said. “It’s an honor to be back here.”
Also at the event, Mayor John A. McNally and Youngstown Schools CEO Krish Mohip provided updates on the city and the school district.
“I think that our business community should know that Youngstown is a much safer city,” McNally said. “I have focused on quality-of- life issues.”
In the past three years, McNally said the city has demolished more than 1,100 homes and this year he would like to see more than 500 taken down. The city also plans to work on resurfacing several roads including Meridian Road, which the city is working on with Mahoning County.
Mohip introduced the leadership team he has put in place to help him get the Youngstown school district where it needs to be.
“We are committed to this district,” Mohip said. “We are committed to the community. We are committed to this city.”
Mohip asked those in attendance to come by the schools and meet with students for one hour a week.
“You have no idea the impact one hour could have,” he said. “I need this community to come behind us and believe in us.”
Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Director Heidi Daniel provided an update on the construction of the new West Side library branch on Mahoning Avenue. Ground was broken on the library in November. The $3.775 million 12,342-square-foot branch will be both a neighborhood library and a place to house materials and vehicles for “pop-up” libraries that visit housing projects, schools and community events, according to The Vindicator files.
Dr. Ronald Dwinnells, CEO of One Health Ohio, introduced a new foundation he created about a year ago called Butterflies and Hope. The goal of the foundation is to support behavioral health programs for children, adolescents and young adults.
One Health Ohio is developing a full-fledged medical center on the West Side inside the former Bottom Dollar grocery store.
“I think it will be a remarkable site,” Dwinnells said.