Jackie O's Pub & Brewery is a family-owned and independent brewpub established 18 years ago in the heart of Appalachia, Athens, Ohio. The Ohio SBDC at Ohio University assisted Art in getting his first loan. Since then, and with continuous SBDC support, Jackie O's has become a pillar of the Athens community by focusing on locally inspired and produced products. Having tapped out its market potential in the region, Jackie O's was ready to expand into new markets.
"It has been great working with the SBDC... The SBDC created a great process that allowed this expansion to happen."
Art worked with Ohio SBDC Advisor Erin Gibson on developing multiple facets of his new idea to bring Jackie O's experience to the heart of Ohio in Columbus. With SBDC support, Art developed a new business plan to realize his vision. The SBDC was able to leverage its expertise in finance and accounting to create strong projections and a solid loan package. Between 2020 and 2023, Art received nearly 60 hours of advising from the Ohio SBDC at Ohio University!
The SBDC was instrumental in working with Jackie O's and local lenders to help Art get a loan to make this multimillion-dollar expansion possible. Jackie O's on 4th is open and includes a 5,800 square foot brewing facility, indoor bar, outdoor bar, retail space, two-story patio, and private event venue.
Humtown Products is a three-generation family-owned company that has served the foundry industry for more than 60 years. Coming out of the “great recession,” Humtown faced significant challenges related to the regional decline in the steel industry. These challenges threatened the existence of the business as its workforce shrank from 220 to just 10 employees.
"The SBDC has opened our company up to a world of opportunities. We developed such a great relationship with the SBDC team that any questions we have with research, marketing, sales, or projections, we would reach out to them."
Humtown contacted the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University for assistance. This started a 13-year business relationship between Mark Lamoncha, President & CEO, and the Ohio SBDC. The SBDC provided hundreds of hours of advising and training that included financial modeling, sales projections, market research, management training, export assistance, and connections to other businesses and resources.
By embracing innovation, technology, and with SBDC support, Humtown has grown to be a global leader and innovator in 3D printed sand core technology—expanding from serving the steel industry in the region to serving customers across the globe. Its resilience and continued success resulted in Humtown Products being recognized as one of 68 businesses nationwide by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Legacy Business. During the Legacy Award Reception, Lamoncha shared “Without the SBDC I don’t know if I would be standing here today talking about what Humtown has done…”
Started 150 years ago in Greenville, Ohio, Hartzell Hardwoods is a six-generation, family-run business that continues to thrive in Ohio and beyond—a true leader in producing premium walnut and oak lumber with a focus on sustainability. During the pandemic, Hartzel, facing stagnant domestic sales, needed to find new customers.
“he SBDC Export Assistance Network worked closely with us during the pandemic to help find prospects and customers in underserved markets. Since then, we’ve utilized the SBDC to conduct specific market projects in Japan, Italy, Indonesia, S. Korea, Mexico, and India. Also, through the Ohio Export Intern Program, we’ve had three (3) stellar interns work with us to help drive international sales.”
Hartzell looked for support to grow international sales from the Ohio SBDC’s Export Assistance Network, a dedicated team of advisers that specializes in helping small businesses grow international sales. SBDC provided market research, assistance in market prioritization, and worked with partners to identify prospective clients in foreign markets. Additional projects supported logistics, financing, and compliance. The SBDC was even able to connect Hartzell with SBA STEP Grant funding and a highly trained export intern to support its international growth.
With Ohio SBDC support from 2020 and 2023, Hartzell pursued clients in nine new countries, increased sales, and was even recognized by the SBA as the Midwest Region Small Business Exporter of the Year—one of eight (8) companies nationwide recognized for this award!
