Meet the owners of 2025 family-owned businesses honored at Lake Club of Poland
Leaders in the Youngstown business community honored family-owned business’ past achievements and want to prepare the next generation to succeed in 2025.
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber recently invited the nominees for this year’s Family-Owned Business Awards ceremonial dinner at The Lake Club in Poland.
The winners were chosen out of 20 nominees by a selection committee, according to Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the chamber.
Humtown Products
Humtown Products won the Huntington Social Impact award for above-and-beyond community service.
Humtown is a three-generation company that started as a foundry in Columbiana, according to Mark Lamoncha, the president and CEO.
With the help of his son, they’ve grown to specialize in additive manufacturing and started introducing students to 3-D printing with school tours, according to Lamoncha.
“It’s all about the team,” he said. “Our call is to create more of your businesses where we can bring these young adults as career ambassadors. We’ve done this all the way down to fourth grade - they are capable of so much.”
Other nominees in the category include Boak & Sons, Inc., Advanced Technology Partners and Youngstown Blue Coats.
Phantom Fireworks
Phantom Fireworks won the Roetzel & Andress award for local to national presence.
Bruce Zoldan started Phantom Fireworks in 1977 in Youngstown, but since then, the brand has grown to become the top consumer fireworks retailer in the nation.
“On behalf of the Zoldan family and the Phantom family, staying in the Valley and being a part of the Valley means everything,” Zoldan said.
Other nominees for the award included JAC Live/JAC Management Group, Rick’s Ranchwear, Inc. and Quality Switch, Inc.
PI&I Motor Express, Inc.
PI&I Motor Express, Inc. won the HBK Growth Story which highlights a family-owned business taking their enterprise to the next level.
Founded by father-and-son duo John and Joe Kerola in 1951, the PI&I Motor family has been the top manager of flatbeds and metal hauling for 70 years in the region.
In 2023, Joe Kerola expanded by purchasing United Steel Service.
“The opportunity to align these two strong companies, both with long histories of customer service, allow us to look toward the future with optimism,” the Kerola family wrote.
The five other nominees for the award category included United Protective Technologies, REM Electronics Supply and White House Fruit Farm.
Cubbison Company
The Cubbison Company won the JFS Wealth Advisors Success in Succession for having a well-executed plan for expanding the company.
The Cubbison Company started in 1951 manufacturing industrial nameplates, labels and advanced printed products.
Tim Merrifield has been CEO of the Cubbison Company for 20 years, and JC Kocjancic is the current chief operations officer.
“This community has done a lot of good for us and we appreciate everyone’s efforts. I am proud to be a minority owner in the company now, and here’s to the future,” said Kocjancic.
Other nominees for the award include J.A. McMahon, Inc., Brittain Motors and Liberty Maintenance.
HLW Fast Track
HLW Fast Track received the Family-Owned Business Advocate of the Year.
Herb Washington is the CEO of HLW Fast Track. Washington has been a franchise owner and operator of McDonald’s restaurants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York for over 40 years.
Washington has participated as one of the judges in the Youngstown Business Incubator’s Shark Tank event to fuel northeast Ohio’s economic growth.
“For us to be in business for almost 50 years is quite an accomplishment. When I grew up, no one who owned a business looked like me,” he said. “When you’re given an opportunity, a chance and have a little tenacity, you can be anything you want to be. Without my employees, I would not be here today. I accept this for you.”
Other nominees for the award include The Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, Kaleel Brothers Inc. and New Beginnings Residential Treatment Center.
What does it mean to be in the Mahoning Valley business community?
Before the winner was announced, each family business received recognition and spoke about what it meant to them to be in the Mahoning Valley, including Sam Boak, owner of Boak & Sons.
“In the Mahoning Valley, we believe if you take from the Valley, you’ve gotta give back,” Boak said.
Patty Summers is the founder of Youngstown Blue Coats, which has provided winter jackets and apparel to 3,800 Ohioans in need since 2017.
“I’ve been here all my life and it means a lot to be able to help people in my hometown,” she said.
The Family-Owned Business Program was designed to help family businesses of all sizes and industries with succession planning, including maximizing value, understanding tax implications and multiple other aspects during the transition of a business.
