BUSINESS BEAT | Recent news, awards, grants, and more in the Mahoning Valley

OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank opens milk drop site at Akron Children’s

The OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank has opened a new milk drop location at Akron Children’s. The new milk drop site, located in the Akron Children’s Hospital Kay Jeweler’s Pavilion at 1 Perkins Square, Akron, will house a freezer to store donated human milk, which will be transferred to the milk bank in Whitehall at no cost to the donor. It is the first milk drop site in Summit County.

The milk bank, located in the OhioHealth Eastside Health Center in Columbus, relies on donations from healthy, lactating women who generously provide milk to help other babies.

To become a human milk donor, mothers must take part in a screening process to ensure the quality and safety of the milk. This process includes a phone screening to verify eligibility, completion of a medical and lifestyle history review, a signed medical release from the donor and physician, and consent to receive a blood test to screen for HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis. The donated milk is pasteurized, frozen, and distributed by physician’s prescription.

Interested donors are encouraged to email milkbank@ohiohealth.com or call (614) 566.0630 to arrange a screening phone interview.

The OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank, under the guidelines of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), provides pasteurized human milk to those infants whose mothers are unable to provide milk to nourish their babies. It is one of just 33 milk banks in North America – 30 in the United States and three in Canada.

“We are thrilled to be opening this new milk drop to make donating even easier,” said Chris Smith, RN, IBCLC, outreach coordinator and lactation consultant at the milk bank. “With this new milk drop, approved donors around Akron have a convenient location to drop off their donated milk. Pasteurized donor milk is liquid gold for babies who need it. In 2023 alone we distributed over 460,000 ounces of milk in 11 states – that’s 3,593 gallons! Just one ounce can feed a premature infant for three days, so every little bit helps.”

“At Akron Children’s, we specialize in caring for kids,” said Dr. Carly Dulabon, IBCLC, NABBLM-C, director of breastfeeding medicine at Akron Children’s. “This new milk drop-off site allows us to extend that care even further. By making it more convenient for mothers to donate breast milk, we’re supporting the health of the most vulnerable infants in our community and beyond. Together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of premature and ill infants who rely on donated breast milk for their growth and development.”

Hynes Industries named 2024 Excellence in Manufacturing Award Recipient

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and partner MAGNET are pleased to announce that Hynes Industries is the recipient of the 2024 Excellence in Manufacturing Award, to be presented at the Economic Forecast breakfast on Nov. 7 at the Eastwood Event Centre.

Youngstown-based Hynes Industries, gearing up to celebrate 100 years in business in 2025, is a custom fabrication and roll metal solutions manufacturer that employs more than 200 people across three Midwest locations. The company is a recognized industry-leading manufacturer serving diverse end markets, including automated material handling, truck trailer, solar and general industrial.

In just the past few years, Hynes Industries has invested in its growing capacity by adding specialized custom fabrication equipment that enables the company to give additional value to its customers and bring in new revenue. Deepened in-house engineering talent also ensures quality, reliability and world-class customer service.

Kim Calvert, SVP of Marketing & Member Services at the Regional Chamber, said, “We are honored to recognize Hynes Industries for its growth, as well as investment in, and ongoing commitment to, our community—and celebrate the company’s century in business! Hynes’ leadership has worked to stay on top of workforce dynamics, industry changes and customers’ changing needs to ensure success.”

The Excellence in Manufacturing Award focuses on a company’s longevity in business, growth, product innovation and achievement. Nominated manufacturers must be located in Columbiana, Mahoning or Trumbull counties and also be a member of the Regional Chamber.

Past recipients for the Excellence in Manufacturing Award include Boardman Molded Products; Haltec Corporation; Quality Switch; Panelmatic Building Solutions; Commercial Metal Forming; Schaefer Equipment, a Division of Wabtec Corporation; and Millwood, Inc.

For more information about Hynes Industries, visit hynesindustries.com. For more information about the Chamber’s Economic Forecast breakfast, visit regionalchamber.com.

Business students selected for John D. Beeghly Fellows Program

Youngstown State University students Kodi Kinsey, Tanishka Agnihotri, Jan Harter and Nathan Heinly from the Williamson College of Business Administration were selected as the John D. Beeghly Fellows for the 2024 fall semester.

The Beeghly Fellows program provides students with a paid fellowship working with the Ohio Small Business Development Center Export Assistance Network and the APEX Accelerator at YSU.

Projects include domestic and international market research, financial modeling, export readiness studies, business viability analysis, cash flow projections, sales forecasting, marketing and social media strategies, research on government contracting opportunities, marketing capability statements and outreach for government contracting efforts.

Through the fellows program, students gain valuable work experience to competitively position themselves in the job market upon graduation.

The Ohio SBDC at YSU received a best practice for their service delivery model that integrates the student interns into SBDC services.

The ASBDC Accreditation team visiting Ohio, stated that the model should be an example to other universities based SBDCs for integrating educational, community and economic development services.

The Beeghly Fellows Program is made possible by an endowment established at the YSU Foundation by Beeghly’s wife and children.

John D. Beeghly was a lifelong resident and businessman in Youngstown, Ohio, and son of area industrialist and philanthropist, Leon A. Beeghly. From 1967 until his death, Beeghly served as vice president and director of Standard Slag Co. and Stancorp, Inc., a holding company for industrial businesses.

“We are extremely grateful to the John D. Beeghly Family for making this generous investment in our business students. Providing our students with career-related experience contributes to the success of our regional businesses and the professional preparation of our students,” said Betty Jo Licata, interim dean of the WCBA.

Kodi Kinsey is a Business Administration major graduating in spring 2026, from Wellsville, Ohio. From her participation in the Ohio Export Internship Program at YSU, Kinsey gained valuable insights regarding international markets and global trade. After graduation, Kinsey hopes to operate her own business and expand internationally. Through the Beeghly Fellows program, Kinsey has the opportunity to work with the EAN and SBDC, which will help her succeed in future career endeavors.

Tanishka Agnihotri is an international student from India and a Business major graduating in spring 2027. With a strong interest in finance, she aims to build a career in the industry. The Beeghly Fellows program provides Agnihotri with hands-on experience in government contracting and working with small to medium-sized businesses, bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world practice.

Nathan Heinly, from Jefferson, Ohio, is a Finance – Management track major, graduating in spring 2025. He was given the opportunity to become a Beeghly Fellow through his participation in the Ohio Procurement Internship Program at YSU. Heinly looks to become a professional in the world of finance, government contracting or possibly obtain a position that deals with both. His ultimate goal is to be able to run a business of his own someday. Through the Beeghly Fellowship during the summer semester, Heinly witnessed real-world clients reap the benefits of working with a SBDC. He is excited to continue this internship through the fall semester, helping small businesses succeed in both the commercial and government marketplaces.

Jan Harter is a Business Economics major set to graduate in Spring 2026. Originally from Ulm, Germany, he is passionate about pursuing a career in Corporate Strategy Consulting. Harter’s career goal is to work with global firms, guiding them through challenges and helping them capitalize on emerging opportunities in an ever-changing market. Harter’s commitment to continuous learning and his strong work ethic, developed through the Beeghly Fellowship and various academic projects, have provided him with invaluable experience in directly assisting clients. These experiences have equipped him to effectively support businesses in achieving their objectives. Harter looks forward to applying his skills and knowledge to make significant contributions in the corporate sector, approaching challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm and dedication.

Akshay Khandelwal, MD, named Gerald E. McGinnis chair in cardiovascular medicine at AHN

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) has named Akshay Khandelwal, MD, as the Gerald E. McGinnis Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine.

The appointment was made possible through a generous $2 million endowment from the family of Gerald “Jerry” E. McGinnis, the late bioengineer, entrepreneur, founder of Pittsburgh-based Respironics and collaborator with the late Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) cardiovascular surgeon-pioneer, George Magovern, Sr., MD.

The purpose of the endowed Chair is to provide a nationally renowned surgeon or physician at the AHN Cardiovascular Institute with funding to advance therapeutic approaches for complex cardiovascular disease. The appointment marks one of eight endowed chairs and professorships within the nationally-recognized AHN Cardiovascular Institute.

Dr. Khandelwal, a practicing interventional cardiologist, is Chair of AHN’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, part of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute. In his leadership role, he oversees a robust team of AHN physicians, fellows, residents and other clinicians to ensure the provision of advanced, high-quality cardiovascular care across AHN’s hospitals, outpatient facilities and physician practices.

Since joining AHN in 2023, Dr. Khandelwal has been instrumental in championing multidisciplinary collaboration between AHN’s cardiologists and surgical teams through all stages of the patient care journey. As an interventional cardiologist, he specializes in treating heart disease with catheter-based techniques; his areas of expertise include complex coronary interventions, such as angioplasty, stent procedures, and diagnostic cardiology.

“There are certainly similarities between Jerry McGinnis and Dr. Khandelwal,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, Chair of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute in a tribute video which will be shown at the event. “They are both problem-solvers, driven and action-oriented type people. I can’t think of a better recipient of the Gerald E. McGinnis Endowed Chair than Akshay Khandelwal.”

This landmark endowment is intended to support Dr. Khandelwal’s vision of advancing cardiovascular care at the AHN Cardiovascular Institute. With the endowment, the department will focus on advancing new, groundbreaking cardiac therapies and reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease among all patient populations.

“On behalf of the Cardiovascular Institute and Allegheny Health Network, I want to extend our sincere thanks to the entire McGinnis family for their remarkable generosity and support to help us continue advancing the frontier of cardiovascular medicine. This endowment is another fitting tribute to the incredible legacy of Jerry McGinnis and everything he accomplished in his remarkable life and career,” said Dr. Khandelwal.