If a list existed of people who are pillars of resilience and second chances, you would find Ta’Keyla Clayton’s name written on it. She credits WorkAdvance for giving her an opportunity to start over as an operator at Dinesol Plastics in Youngstown.

Clayton was working somewhere else when she heard about the program from a co-worker.

“He was saying good things about WorkAdvance, and he gave me the number for the career coach at the National Center for Urban Solutions, so I contacted him,” she said.

After giving about a month’s notice to her employer at the time, she joined the October 2023 cohort in Youngstown.

“My job before was sort of manufacturing, so I was familiar, but this seemed like a step towards growth and gaining more knowledge.”

She benefitted from the technical training, but Clayton was more surprised by her personal growth through WorkAdvance.

“The cohort always worked together and fed off each other when there were issues. We learned everybody’s weaknesses and strengths, and we could talk and help each other during the struggles. There was no judgment – just a lot of support.”

Facing and conquering challenges

After completing the program, she was hired at Dinesol in January 2024.

However, getting to that point was a bit rocky. A timing issue caused the first interview to be rescheduled. The second time, she showed up late. Reliable transportation remains her biggest challenge.

“I asked her what was going on, and I saw she needed a chance to help herself with everything she has going on. I just believed in her from the beginning,” said Krystal Schulz, HR manager, Dinesol Plastics.

Clayton’s mom gives her a ride to work most days but also battles serious health issues. That sometimes throws off Clayton’s schedule – mainly if she’s working on the weekend.

“I’ll usually just scramble to find a ride. As long as it’s not Sunday, I can take the bus,” she said.

Although she lives in Youngstown, a bus ride means an hour (or more) commute versus a 12-minute drive. It’s not affecting her work, though.

“Her attendance is great. She’s continuously making it happen. You’d never know there were any issues happening,” Schulz said.

Clayton admits the journey hasn’t been easy, but she’s grateful for the opportunity to prove herself.

“Krystal was understanding and worked with me, and I’m very considerate of that.”

Growth with confidence

Aside from being an operator, she’s back up for quality assurance and training to be on the floor. Schulz says not many people get this far.

“I appreciate her, and I’m very proud. A lot of people give up, and don’t keep trying. I hope she sees herself the way I do. We hope to keep her for a long time.”

Clayton credits WorkAdvance for becoming more confident and a better communicator.

“The class had team building. You have to listen to people and step forward to learn how to work with others.”

Those skills will follow her to any job – even though she doesn’t plan to leave Dinesol anytime soon. She’s finding more financial freedom as well.

“I’m trying to get my own place and find something closer to the plant to make it easier to get back and forth to work.”

Despite that challenge, she says WorkAdvance is a good fit for anyone needing to improve their situation.

“Just try it. If you can’t find a job, or need a new job, you’ll get help through it and get to talk with people in different situations and circumstances. It helps you grow as a person,” Clayton said.

At a time when Ja’Tice Provitt was searching for career consistency, he saw a WorkAdvance flyer posted on social media by Warren Forward. It’s one of the organizations that MVMC partnered with to get the program up and running in Trumbull County.

Provitt, who’s 46, took advantage of the opportunity and joined the first-ever cohort held in Warren in December 2023 at Trumbull Community Action Program.

Faith in the process

“I was doing mostly landscaping before going to WorkAdvance. I needed steady work, so this seemed like an opportunity to get that going. I took a leap of faith,” he said.

When that happened, Provitt never gave up.

“I was a little overwhelmed at first. I was rusty with the math, but they walked us through it and helped us out. I dusted the cobwebs off.”

He says the career coaching is also helpful. Participants learn about good communication, workplace behavior and get assistance with removing barriers to employment.

Hard work reaps rewards

After completing WorkAdvance, Provitt interviewed with Liberty Steel Industries in Warren and was hired in February 2024 in packaging.

“My day starts at 5 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., or it could go to 3:30 p.m. It depends on the orders for the day,” he said. “Some days it’s way more than others, and you’re constantly going.”

Provitt says his new manufacturing career has been a good change and brings peace of mind.

“Like health care. I’m getting older, and I needed something I could rely on. I don’t have time to sit around and think. I’m completely occupied when I’m here. Then, when I leave, I can go do my landscaping, too.”

He now has more financial freedom with a regular paycheck and making money from his business.

“Doing this was worth it. I’m trying to incorporate both jobs. Now, I don’t have to worry about winter time and making ends meet.”

Thinking ahead

Provitt is satisfied with his career path, but he’s open to learning new skills to advance within Liberty Steel.

“I want to eventually train on the slitter. That’s a pretty interesting job. However, I would like to be able to learn everything.”

The slitter takes a coil of aluminum or steel and cuts it into specified lengths and widths as it runs through the machine.

Support and encouragement

WorkAdvance has launched Provitt forward in life, and it’s something he highly recommends to anyone who needs a new start.

“It’s for the betterment of yourself, so go for it.”

He gets a lot of support from his eight children. The oldest is 30, and the youngest is 11.

They also understand and acknowledge what he’s accomplished.

“I get ‘I’m proud of you dad’ and texts sometimes. One day, I got a message, and I had to go into the bathroom to get myself together. That was a good one from my 26-year-old son. He made me feel good.”

There’s no doubt the WorkAdvance program is changing lives. For those hesitating to go through the program, Provitt has some last words of encouragement.

“If I can do it, anyone can do it. You have nothing to lose.”

Business started in 1906 by delivering bread door-to-door to 40 homes in Youngstown. Now, more than a century later, Schwebel Baking Company produces almost a quarter of a million packages of bread and buns every day.

Schwebel’s has bakeries on Midlothian Boulevard in Youngstown and in Hebron, Ohio. There are 17 distribution centers across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. From there, trucks take products to customers around the region.

Great Opportunities

The company makes a variety of breads and buns and has its sights set on future growth.

“We have a great legacy and are continuing that path with excellent momentum and improvements in operational processes, equipment, lean manufacturing, and people initiatives such as relaunching our mission, values, and a deliberate people strategy,” said Melinda Rombold, Director of Human Resources. “Schwebel’s delivers nourishing products to your table with it’s over 700 employees.”

However, like many other manufacturers, the company continues to grapple with an evolving workforce.

“Society is changing, workforce is changing, everything is changing,” she said. “We have to know and acknowledge that and make sure we’re attracting and keeping good employees.” 

Strengthening the workforce through MVMC

Those are reasons why Rombold believes being part of MVMC is important to the company.

“Organizations like this can help when we need additional, creative resources and partnerships to do things we need to do.”

The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber first put her in contact with MVMC, and after that, Schwebel’s became a member.

“Partnering with an organization like MVMC can be a great benefit. There are like-minded individuals and community partnerships. It’s good for the area, employees and companies at the same time,” Rombold said.

Schwebel’s is currently looking to hire and is excited about the WorkAdvance program to help fill open positions.

“Since the end of the pandemic, we have been very busy and working to stabilize operations and the workforce. Plus, summer is our busy bun season. When we don’t have enough staff, we have people working overtime and/or six to seven days a week,” she said.

Rombold also explained that our employees’ input on production improvements and culture is key, so a survey was recently conducted to gain production employee insights.

“As the workforce evolves, so must we. We’re excited to be part of MVMC because it’s one of the groups already doing that.”

If there’s an example of how manufacturing and construction can blend, look no further than Pantheon Innovative Builders. The company’s plan for 3D printed housing could revolutionize the industry.

Pantheon Innovative Builders is new to the area and making big moves to change housing options in the Mahoning Valley and across the country. The concepts are there, and the company is getting close to turning their hopes into reality.

“We need to design a pathway to meet workers where they are. We’ve done some work in Columbus and New Mexico. We’re begging to do something here, but we have to close that gap,” said Ryan Kelly, owner, Pantheon Innovative Builders.

Kelly points out that with the U.S. housing crisis, it’s never been more important to build affordable, secure living spaces.

“In Ohio alone, we’d need 15,000 housing units built every year for the next 10 years in order to keep up,” he said.

Bridging the gap through MVMC
Kelly believes construction can benefit from taking a manufacturing approach. Most recently, he noted the supply chain battle, which affects efficiency across the board. His effort to bridge the gap between the two industries was a direct push to join MVMC.

“Partnership is important. We’re better together, and that’s our philosophy. We want to work and show our added value. We know manufacturing is growing, so we want to learn what we can,” Kelly said.

Prior to becoming a member, he heard about MVMC regularly through various community connections, news articles and social media.

“I love the work MVMC does and the way the organization approaches workforce issues. It’s not just about throwing money at something. There’s an understanding of what’s happening out there, and things are getting done,” Kelly said.

Partnerships make things happen
If any business understands how partnerships help get things done, it’s Pantheon. The company wouldn’t be where it is today without them.

Pantheon is partners with the Ohio State University Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) and COBOD – the world leader in 3D construction printing. Pantheon had the printer delivered to CDME in January 2023. This allows for research and testing of the technology.

“Organizations like CDME and COBOD continue to have impact on the additive manufacturing/3D printing industry worldwide. This helps us create a model to reimagine, retrain and recruit the future workforce,” Kelly said.

He says despite some challenges, 3D printed construction also has advantages like time efficiency, safety and less impact on the environment.

Kelly also believes in the partnership with America Makes to advance research and development of 3D printed home construction.

“America Makes deals with billions of dollars in federal funding. It’s going to bring manufacturing back here, and not enough people know about it. We have what’s needed to come back as an area built on manufacturing. We just need to utilize these things,” he said.

Evolving the next generation
Reaching young people is another priority for Pantheon. The company’s partner, non-profit organization, Evolve Innovation Center, is led by Bryant Youngblood, the chief workforce and education officer. He’s been in education for years before working for Pantheon and Evolve.

Part of Evolve’s mission is conducting workshops and training students with 3D printing curriculum. The YMCA in downtown Youngstown is one of the places that benefits from this program. Groups of students took part in an 11-week course over the summer.

Youngblood wants to reach as many kids as possible – especially inner-city youth that might not otherwise have the opportunity.

“We’ve had great participation. We use the Tinkercad program for 3D printing designs in the class, which is an AutoCAD system for beginners,” Youngblood said.

There are also more advanced programs available. High school students can even go on to earn credentials recognized by the Ohio Department of Education through Evolve.

“Many of these kids have the capabilities but don’t always have the best support system,” Kelly said. CAD is the future. It’s almost like the typing class of the past. No matter what field you go into, technology is going to be the future.”

The summer classes at the YMCA were packed, and the hope is to continue the program and expand the number of sessions.

“We’re trying to change the script for some kids that will likely have a tougher time than others getting into the industry. Even if they don’t go into construction, it feeds a greater scope because they can go do other things with their skills,” Kelly added.

The end goal is to expose kids to all opportunities which will help develop the future workforce.

Hopes for local 3D housing
As for Pantheon’s goals, the company has a “first order of business” for 3D housing plans in the area.

“We want to build mission-based, homeless housing, places for pregnant mothers and long-term homeownership. The interest is there, we just need to generate funding and partners to make it happen,” Kelly said.

Youngblood says the interest outside the Mahoning Valley is a little more inviting, but he remains hopeful more people will come around to accept the idea.

“We feel that being part of MVMC, we can introduce people to this and expedite our effort.” 

It’s safe to say that manufacturing and the trades have been a part of Amelia Roberts’ life since she can remember. Growing up, her family demonstrated the importance of hard work.  

“My family is nothing but construction workers, truck drivers and welders, but I always wanted to be in manufacturing in some way,” Amelia said.

She’s married with a three-year-old and lives in Lisbon next to her parents who own a farm and run a trucking company. Being busy and working with her hands is familiar territory.

“I know hard work. I put everything into what I do. I’m used to fast-paced learning, and I still try to absorb everything I can,” she said.

“Brazing” career paths

During high school, Amelia enrolled at Columbiana County Career and Technical Center for welding. After graduation, she started working for Compco as a production welder and fabricator.

Compco acquired Quaker Manufacturing in Salem in 2017 – which is now CQL Manufacturing. That’s where Amelia has been working for the last five years.

She’s been successful with welding but wanted to switch things up and train to be a die maintenance technician (DMT). That led her to the registered apprenticeship program for machining and taking classes at CCCTC.

“Machining has everything I want to learn – like dealing with different types of metals and tools, working on presses, being able to diagnose issues and how to fix those issues,” Amelia said. “It’s a lot of repair work and running machines like the surface grinder, lathe, mill, hand tools and other conventional tools.”

Tool and die makers construct precision tools or metal forms, called dies, that are used to cut, shape and form metal and other materials. They produce devices that hold metal while it’s bored, stamped or drilled.

“If something breaks down, or there’s a problem with the steel, you’d have to fix it by using whatever the best process would be. It’s pretty much like a mechanic, but instead of cars, I work on dies,” she said.

Amelia enjoys the variety of the job and the fact she’s always learning new skills.

“It makes your brain work a little more. I have fantastic mentors. They’re smart, and they’ve been doing this stuff for a long time, so they help me out quite a bit,” she said.

Apprenticeship expectations

She was the only new apprentice in the fall of 2023.

“I was surprised there was no one else, but it also means more one-on-one time with the instructor,” Amelia said.

The apprenticeship takes two years to complete. The classes at CCCTC are two days a week for three hours. Amelia was able to start working in tool and die over the summer and is grateful for the little bit of experience with machines before moving into the program.

MVMC offers a registered apprenticeship in machining for its members. There is an upfront cost, but most of the training is eligible for reimbursement by the state. Compco has been able to fill talent gaps for the last few years by participating. It’s only offered to employees in good standing who are willing to commit to the process.

For Amelia, that isn’t a problem. She’s a dedicated, loyal employee.

“I’ve been with the same company since high school. I don’t plan on going anywhere. The atmosphere is good, the people are good, and everyone seems to get along here,” she said.

Confidence, courage and conquering goals

As a woman in manufacturing, she says CQL has a good work culture and feels supported. Amelia is also confident in her abilities. She encourages other women not to feel intimidated by this kind of work.

“You’ve got to know the basics, but there are people to help you out with everything,” she said.

Her average day starts at 5 a.m. working on dies. If a press call comes through, she immediately attends to that.

“Production is the most important, so we stop what we’re doing to figure out what’s going on with the press. Sometimes it’s a changeover,” Amelia said.  

There are some awkward aspects of the job, too.

“I literally had to lie down on a die inside a press for a repair. You just never know what the day will bring, but we’re constantly moving and doing something different,” she said.

No matter what, she keeps the end goal in mind.

“I’ll learn more skills, get a NIMS certificate, and I want to be a pro at this kind of stuff. I want to know exactly what to do when problems arise. I also want to help future apprentices, too,” she said.

Amelia has long-term goals as well.

“I’d love to be an engineer – whether it’s welding or another type of engineer in manufacturing,” she said.

She’s also grateful for her family’s support on her career journey.

“Family is big for me, and they’re loving what I’m doing.”

For more information on MVMC’s registered apprenticeship program, contact Alex Hertzer.

Community outreach and giving second chances are two big reasons why International Steel & Counterweights joined Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition. The Youngstown company continues to battle a revolving door of employees – a familiar story in the manufacturing world.

International Steel & Counterweights has been at the North West Avenue location since its founding about 14 years ago. The company has grown to around 120 employees – fully occupying an historic and century-old industrial complex.

ISC is owned by AMG Resources Corporation, of Pittsburgh. The company is primarily a recycled metals – with ISC being the only manufacturing facility it has.

“While we are a global organization, we’re a different piece of the puzzle for them, turning metal products into finished goods,” said Larry Wiley, operations manager at International Steel & Counterweights.

Where counterweights are used

ISC makes counterweights for applications from around the world.

“Ballast and counterweights are used in every conceivable application where something needs to be pushed, pulled, lifted or anchored,” Wiley said.

The president of ISC has been in the counterweight business for more than 45 years. He started off renting a small part of the current location, but as the company grew, he ended up taking over the whole building.

ISC primarily serves customers in the counterweight industry, but the company also serves the market as a machine shop, metal service center and full-service scrap yard. ISC prides itself on being as environmentally friendly as possible.

“One of the best things about steel is that it’s the most recyclable product in the world. Nothing is wasted. We are fortunate that we have developed customers that can use steel in its every form. We have a home for every part of steel, from the beginning of its life to the end of its life, where ultimately, it’s remelted and starts life again,” Wiley said.

“In a nutshell, we’re a very large production and fabrication shop,” Wiley said.

Customers are spread throughout the United States, North America and even some overseas.

“Our business model allows us to bring savings and value to just about every corner of the world,” Wiley said.

Kristin Wheatley, the senior HR business partner at ISC, says the company is always getting creative meeting customer demands and creating products to offer customers.

“There isn’t one format for anything here. This makes our work interesting and gives us room to keep developing new offerings to the market,” Wheatley said.

The MVMC impact

As far as building a workforce, ISC wants to help people who are restarting their lives and finding a new career. The company attended the MVMC-hosted Ohio to Work impact breakfast in January, and management was on board from there.

“When we heard about WorkAdvance, that was it for us. The fundamentals are being taught in those bootcamps. That’s our biggest struggle. Candidates need to know things like basic math skills and being comfortable in a manufacturing facility,” Wheatley said.

She stresses the company needs machine operators, but the challenge is getting employees to show up every day and knowing how to behave in the workplace.

“For instance, not having someone get mad and complain because we told them to put their phone away. It’s a safety issue, and the person is also not working,” Wheatley said.

ISC needs people from all experience levels that are willing to learn, develop and grow with the company.

“Make the commitment before day one. If someone shows up on the most basic level, we will notice that. We will move people to a better job with more opportunity as rapidly as possible, but they have to make that commitment,” Wiley said.

Forward-thinking mindset

Patience is another piece of advice for job seekers.

“You’ll be in a busy, fast-paced facility. Give it time to feel comfortable and progress. People get intimidated and give up. We’ll train on every level,” Wheatley said.

The company is also putting in some advanced manufacturing and automation tools at the plant, but they’re not replacing jobs. Workers are still needed to set up and run all facets of production and manufacturing. The goal is to help cut down on physical labor and speed up the time getting products to market.

Wheatley says the days of college being the only option for a good career are ending.

“It’s about changing the mindset. Buildings are going up. Companies are opening. We just need the workers to come in,” she said.

She added many supervisors at the plant had entry-level positions before working their way up. The president of the company even started out sweeping floors. Management is eager to see how being part of MVMC will help ISC’s workforce.

“It’s an adventure for us, and we’re going to learn as much as we can in this beneficial partnership,” Wiley said.

A difficult life lesson is transformed into hard work, consistency and a sense of purpose for a Warren mother. Ashley Zins has never held what she calls “typical jobs”. She describes herself as artistic, creative and has worked in manufacturing settings before – including a granite company.

However, she hit a bump that slowed her career journey for a while. Zins was justice impacted for OVI offenses, and part of her two-year sentence was to complete a program at the Community Corrections Association (CCA).

“When I was in jail, I was where I needed to be. I was on a bad path. I felt like God sat me down in there to learn from this,” Zins said.

A pivotal moment
She’s the mother to a teenager and a 21-year-old, and she often worried how being away would affect them.

After a couple of months at CCA, she saw a WorkAdvance flyer. That was a turning point for her life.

“The job coordinator pointed me to it, and I was interested. I ended up filling out an application and got accepted in November of 2022,” Zins said.

Then, in December, she became part of the WorkAdvance cohort with more than a dozen others. Participants go through classes and career readiness as part of the experience through the National Center for Urban Solutions and Eastern Gateway Community College.

“I have always enjoyed manufacturing because you get to make things. I’ll even do little projects in my spare time. My dad always said not to rely on a man to take care of me, and my mom was the same way,” Zins said.

The first steps
Meanwhile, she requested an early release from CCA, and one of the requirements was to be employed. Her first choice was ClarkDietrich in Vienna, a WorkAdvance partner, but that posed a transportation challenge with her suspended license and the plant not being on the bus line.

CCA denied her early release, but to go home, she still needed a temporary job to pay off a fine.  That’s when the NCUS and MVMC stepped in to help get her a job at a dry cleaner.

On March 18, Zins left CCA after completing the requirements. She credits the WorkAdvance opportunity for a second chance at life.

“I’m just so thankful for everyone. The career coaches still check up on me. The interview classes really helped me with communication. It gave me confidence, and all the support has boosted that. Now, I get to help others in similar situations,” Zins added.

Breaking free
She quit the dry cleaner a couple months ago and was hired at ClarkDietrich. She works on the pack line and plans to be there as long as possible.

“I’m hitting all my marks, so far, and bonus money has been a blessing. I have to be there a while longer for apprenticeship consideration, but I plan to do that and work my way up at the company,” Zins said.

She’s relieved to have a steady income and not be as stressed about money and paying bills. Zins has also been sober for three years, sponsors people in recovery, does talks in meetings and regularly attends them for herself.

“I really believe in karma and putting out the good. You just have to keep giving back. It’s not hard. You have to do the work and keep showing up,” Zins said.

It’s been a somber reality check when she reflects on everything that happened.

“I could’ve killed someone, and then, seeing how everything affected my kids. I’m thankfully working on repairing relationships with them now,” Zins said.

“I know what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to die, and I didn’t want to lose my family,” she added.

Building a future
Now that she’s made monumental changes, the future includes helping others do the same. Zins will continue working with people in recovery and wants to eventually become a chemical dependency counselor. She’s currently taking classes through Kent State University.

One of her long-term goals is to build a better community. Most recently, she spoke to participants in the All-Women WorkAdvance cohort about her story and experience. Those who have helped her up to this point are happy to see her succeeding.

“I was impressed, right away, with Ashley’s desire to have a good job and be active in her community, and I’m glad she’s doing so well,” said Kelly Bancroft, project manager for the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.

TEMA is woman-owned by CFO Margaret (Meg) Froelich. She is married to owner and president Thomas Froelich Junior. Before TEMA existed, Thomas worked at Roth Bros. and eventually became owner. His father-in-law, Bill Charles, led the development of the roofing division at Roth Bros. and was Thomas’s boss and mentor throughout his career. Charles serves as senior consultant at TEMA Roofing with nearly 60 years’ experience.

In 2011, Thomas and his partners sold Roth Bros. to Sodexo. After that, Thomas and Meg started building TEMA and have made an impression in the roofing world ever since.

So, why “TEMA”?

The letters stand for ‘Thomas Edward Margaret Ann’. As part of the logo, the five bars next to the name represent the couple’s five children. The sons, Justin, Adam, Scott and Tommy all carry the title of vice president at TEMA. Their daughter, Kate, is in the health and fitness world but organizes the wellness program at the company.

Right now, TEMA has at least 40 employees. The company serves northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania and does some business around the country. As expected, the spring and summer are busy seasons.

TEMA has a lot of contracts with area schools, so this is the time crews are out doing maintenance and repair for those buildings. The company most recently learned it will be doing work at the new recreation and wellness center at Warren G. Harding High School. It’s one of the biggest projects landed in the last five years.

Reputable roofing

Along with a good reputation and integrity, a presence in the market is what drives TEMA’s growth. Megan Wine, the business development executive, says customer service is a big part of the vision and mission for the company.

“Coming to a smaller, family company, it’s good they have heart and passion behind what they do. They genuinely care about their employees and the people they do business with,” Wine said.

She has been with the company for two years and was promoted to her position in January 2023. Her role includes being at community events, sales and promoting TEMA’s services for industrial and commercial roofing – including the asset management program.

“We work with companies that have anywhere from one building to multiple complexes or facilities,” Wine said.

TEMA offers multiple programs like leak repairs, restoration, preventative maintenance and new construction. There’s also an emergency response team available anytime for commercial customers.

Community connection

The family prides itself not only in building partnerships and good relationships but also in giving back to the community. This year, two of the sons attached big accomplishments to their names.

Justin Froelich was presented with the Business Advocate of the Year award through the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber. He’s involved with the chamber, the Youngstown Rotary Club, Youngstown Business Incubator, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley and the Salvation Army, to name a few. Scott Froelich was named president of The Builders Association where he’s been a member since 2017 and is active with the American Seniors Housing Association.