Dayton bank, nonprofit to help businesses
Each household will receive a box of 50 disposable face masks.
PNC Bank is teaming up with a Columbus-based nonprofit to help small businesses that often find themselves outside the “economic mainstream” apply for forgivable business loans.
The bank said it is giving $10 million to the Economic Community Development Institute, so small businesses in all 88 Ohio counties can apply for a PPP loan at www. ecdi.org, PNC announced Tuesday.
The Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI) will provide assistance to help businesses with the application process. The deadline to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans is March 31.
ECDI will fund the loans to Ohio entrepreneurs and small businesses that “often are not able to participate in the economic mainstream,” PNC said in a release.
This includes low- and moderate-income and lowwealth individuals, women, people of color, refugees and immigrants, and businesses that have been most vulnerable during the pandemic, PNC said.
“As a Main Street bank, PNC is committed to serving small businesses across the state,” Michael Taylor, PNC’s senior vice president and west territory executive for Community Development Banking, said in the announcement. “These entrepreneurs are the backbone of our communities and it is critical that we support the economic vitality that they provide.”
“According to PNC’s semi-annual Economic Outlook survey released March 1, small business owners feel left out of the broader economic recovery,” the bank said. “Of those small and mid-sized business owners surveyed, 48% said they are facing challenges to stay in business and 43% of those who planned to apply for a PPP loan in 2021 viewed it as extremely important for their business.”
The PPP program offers forgivable loans to businesses that use the money to pay wages, rent and mortgages and other approved operational business expenses.
Since Feb. 4, ECDI has received more than 600 applications from small businesses in Ohio seeking PPP loans.
“Cash flow is the number one concern for small businesses,” said ECDI Founder and Chief Executive Inna Kinney. “This is especially true for minority- and women-owned businesses, as they have traditionally had less access to capital.”
Added Kinney: “We made the decision to participate in the second round of PPP because our top priority is assuring that these underserved communities have access to much-needed resources, including PPP funding.”
ECDI is a nonprofit organization which says it has assisted more than 262,000 people, disbursed over $76.5 million through nearly 3,400 loans, helping to create and retain more than 10,400 jobs since 2004.
The Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Community Energy Advisors (CEA) to offer the Chamber Energy Program. Through this program, CEA provides Chamber Members with Education, Protection, and Savings on both regulated and deregulated energy expenses.
With a credible partner looking out for your bottom line, you can enjoy peace of mind and “budget-ability” when it comes to your utility costs.
Contact them via email at chamberenergy@ceateam.com or via phone at 330-208-2082.
Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., which is cooperating with a public corruption investigation, has cut back its lobbying ranks at the Ohio Statehouse since indictments were unsealed in the $60 million bribery case, state records show.
FirstEnergy terminated three lobbyists in February — Ty Pine, Joel Bailey and Justin Biltz — who had each represented the utility for several years. In September, it cut ties with lobbyists Anthony Aquillo, MacKenzie Davis, and Mike Toman of The Success Group, according to filings with the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee.
Half a dozen Columbus-based lobbyists remain registered as representing FirstEnergy.
In October, FirstEnergy fired its chief executive Chuck Jones and senior vice presidents Mike Dowling and Dennis Chack for violating company policies and failing to inform the board of directors of a $4.3 million payment in January 2019 to someone who was appointed as an Ohio utility regulator.
This week, FirstEnergy announced Steven Strah as the new CEO. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, FirstEnergy said Strah would receive an annual base pay of $1.1 million and be eligible for up to $1.26 million in short-term bonuses and up to $4.95 million in long-term incentives.
Energy Harbor, formerly known as FirstEnergy Solutions, reduced its registered lobbyists from seven in early 2019 to four now. Only one of the seven — Dave Griffing — remains on the state lobbying roster for Energy Harbor.
The company, which owns two nuclear power plants in Ohio, has said it is also cooperating with federal investigators.
In 2019, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 6 into law that would give a $1.3 billion bailout to Energy Harbor and provide other financial benefits to FirstEnergy. All Ohio electricity customers would foot the bill.
In July 2020, FBI agents arrested then Ohio House speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, and four other men. Federal prosecutors alleged that Householder took nearly $61 million in bribes to gain political power and then pass and defend House Bill 6 from a referendum attempt. While the federal criminal complaint doesn’t name the utilities involved, descriptions identify them as FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy Services Co. and Energy Harbor.
To date, Householder’s political strategist Jeff Longstreth, Energy Harbor lobbyist Juan Cespedes and Generation Now, a 501(c)4 non-profit used as a funnel for political money, have pleaded guilty.
Householder, lobbyist Neil Clark and former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges have pleaded not guilty to racketeering.
The Clark County Emergency Management Agency will be distributing free masks to residents this week.
The EMA will host three distribution events this week in Springfield. At the events, each household will receive a box of 50 disposable face masks.
“As the vaccine continues to roll out in Clark County, wearing a mask and maintaining social distance is still the most important thing you can do to slow the spread of COVID,” EMA Director Michelle Clements-Pitstick said. “It’s important Clark County residents continue to stay vigilant in wearing masks according to CDC requirements until we reach the finish line in battling the virus.” Events will be held:
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the parking lot of the former Kroger building located at 1822 S. Limestone St.
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the parking lot of the Southern Village Shopping Center located at 1121 Sunset Ave.
■ 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Burnett Plaza Shopping Center located at 440 S. Burnett Rd.
Masks are also available for pick up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily at the EMA’s office located near the Clark County Sheriff ’s Office East District office at the Springview Government Center at 3130 E. Main St.
Daycare centers, non-profit organizations, home healthcare agencies and other Clark County entities in need of PPE can email mclements-pitstick@clarkcountyohio.gov or call 937-521-2176.