Congratulations to Bill DeRodes on being named the 2024 Wall of Fame Award recipient!
When Bill DeRodes launched D+S Distribution in 1986, he started with three tractor-trailers to serve Rubbermaid. Little did he know, the company would become the vehicle to drive greater community involvement.
Read MoreCongratulations to Freeman Building Systems on being named the 2024 Business of the Year Award recipient!
When the president of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce called Dan Freeman, President of Freeman Building Systems, to arrange a meeting, he expected it might be fundraising-related.
Read MoreCongratulations to Ashley Hershberger on being named the 2024 Jack O'Donnell Award recipient!
Ashley Hershberger, Wooster’s recreation manager, is the 2024 Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce Jack O’Donnell Award for Community Service honoree.
Read MoreCongratulations to Andrew Guidetti on being named the 2024 Mike Lezak Award recipient!
While growing up on his family’s beef cattle farm, Andrew Guidetti wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to work outdoors and not be stuck inside.
Read MoreCongratulations to Smetzer's Tire Center on being named the 2024 Small Business of the Year (More than 15 Employees) Award recipient!
Much has changed in the tire industry since Smetzer’s Tire Center opened its doors in 1957, but one thing has not: The company’s commitment to delivering quality products and services.
Read MoreCongratulations to JAFB Wooster Brewery on being named the 2024 Small Business of the Year (15 Employees or Fewer) Award recipient!
In college, Paul Fryman developed an appreciation for beer, but it was in Germany where he fell in love with microbreweries.
Read MoreCongratulations to Kitty Poo Club on being named the 2024 Board of Directors Award recipient!
Kitty Poo Club, a homegrown company specializing in home- delivered litter boxes and litter, has been honored with the Board of Directors Award by the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce.
Read MoreCongratulations to Leo Miller on being named the 2024 Leadership Wooster Distinguished Alumni Award recipient!
Leo Miller has attended many Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner programs over the years.
Read MoreCongratulations to Joyful Cafe on being named the 2024 WorthyWorks Award recipient!
Robin Wisner and Heather Yates had no idea what was brewing when they collaborated to find a solution for what to do when their children aged out of their school’s respective special needs programs.
Read MoreBeyond ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings, do you know what your local chamber of commerce is or has to offer? Read on to discover not only what a chamber is but also what we consider to be the top ten benefits of joining your local chamber of commerce.
Read MoreA leap of faith led Stan Wengerd on a journey that quickly grew into a new career and a successful business. When he purchased a CNC machine at an auction in 2004 he had no idea that would be the beginning of Wooster Clock Company. Each clock is handcrafted using a multi-step process to carve and finish every detail.
Read MoreOn Thursday, November 3, the ninth annual Wayne Economic Forum was held at Greystone Event Center, with 300 guests in attendance.
From the first time Dr. Isaac Cueto, DDS toured the office at 2300 Gateway Drive in Wooster, he knew this could be an excellent opportunity for his practice. At the time, the dental practice belonged to Dr. Robert Salmans, but when he was ready to retire Dr. Cueto happily took over. Nearly 11 years later, he still sees some of those original patients today. The team at Gateway Dental Care is dedicated to making the dental experience comfortable for each patient and works with them to decide the best treatment plan for each individual need.
Read MoreFor the first 20 years in business, a line of printing presses completed most of the jobs at Murr Printing & Graphics. As forms and documents have shifted to digital, that has changed the structure of the pressroom and the industry as a whole. Murr Printing has been selective in keeping the presses and tools most vital to their operation. They continue to adapt and find ways to maximize efficiency and quality across their business.
“I find that over the years, industry has to change with the times,” Joe Murr, President of Murr Printing & Graphics said
Read MoreSTAHL has been manufacturing truck bodies in Wooster for over 50 years. Considered a leader in the industry, STAHL has a strong reputation and has introduced several product innovations and many product enhancements to the industry. STAHL’s truck bodies include standard and medium-duty service utility bodies. Under the ARBORTECH brand, the Wooster facility also manufactures forestry chip bodies used by tree service fleets as well as independent arborists. With a newly completed expansion in Wooster, STAHL continues to invest in the Wooster community and anticipates more growth in the years ahead.
Read MoreCongratulations to Bowman Beverage on reaching their 40th anniversary of business!
Bowman Beverage was started when Bret Defibaugh, a 1979 graduate of Wooster High School, happened upon a building on East Bowman Street that was a small convenience store. Bret saw the potential in this building, a business he had shopped in many times as a kid and young adult. With dreams of success, Bret and a friend, Jerry Szemplak, opened the doors of Bowman Beverage in 1982.
Read MorePickup trucks remain a top-selling vehicle in the U.S., with much of that production supported out of Schaeffler’s Wooster facility. Every other day Schaeffler converts an Eiffel Tower’s worth of steel into high-precision components used for the automotive industry. Each year, Schaeffler produces 4 million torque converters and continues to be an innovator in the automotive industry as they explore electric mobility and ways to increase efficiency, intelligence, and sustainability in vehicles worldwide.
Read MoreWith over 40 years of experience, SPEED Group is a leader in the production of synthetic monofilament lines. Headquartered in France, SPEED Group produces its monofilaments in four factories on four continents - SPEED South America located in Chile, SPEED South Africa, SPEED France, and SPEED North America located in Wooster, Ohio. SPEED North America is most recognized for its production of trimmer lines. They supply a vast amount of trimmer manufacturers (OEMs) and supply some of the world's largest distributors of agricultural and gardening equipment. They are recognized as the number one trimmer line manufacturer in the world.
Read MoreAcross the world, you can find a Rayco product wherever there is a tree. Founded in 1978, in Wooster by John M. Bowling, Rayco Manufacturing fills a unique need in the tree and landscape industry. The current range of Rayco products includes stump cutters, crawler trucks, forestry mulchers, and an aerial trimmer. The company is dedicated to the design and production of innovative environmental equipment.
Read MoreFor Zac Rowley and Clint Sprunger of C.W. Production + Design, quality production services and great experiences for their clients are their main focus. They really enjoy finding the extra depth of detail in providing full-service audio, video, lighting, and production solutions for live entertainment and event programming. As a team of self-starters who love learning, their goal is to give their clients peace of mind that all of the details will be handled and they don’t have to worry about a thing.
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