Business briefs: Chamber award winners, new patents, farm loans online
Elzy Milling & Trade wins Small Business of the Year
BELLVILLE — Agricultural feed mill and retail outlet Elzy Milling & Trade, based in Bellville, was recently named the 2023 Small Business of the Year in the 14 Employees-and-Under category by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
The award is given annually to the top performing Richland County small business in two different categories based on company size. This is the second time Elzy Milling & Trade has earned the prestigious award, previously winning in 2014.
“We take a lot of pride in this achievement, both for our company and for the Village of Bellville,” said Donnie Clark, Elzy Milling & Trade corporate manager. “The Elzy family of employees focuses heavily on customer service, and our customers rewarded the efforts by nominating us for the award. More than anything, I think it shows the resilience of small, family-operated businesses can still resonate in today’s retail culture.”
Founded in 2011, Elzy Milling & Trade is a full-service feed mill and retail destination, housed in eight buildings along the banks of the Clear Fork River in downtown Bellville. Amongst its notable two-block campus is a pre-Civil War era feed mill that has been in continuous use since first constructed in the mid-1800s.
In addition to winning the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development Small Business of the Year in 2014 and 2023, Elzy also earned the 2015 Economic Excellence Award through the Richland Community Development Group. Additionally, the company was featured in the August 2021 Business Spotlight by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
Earning the Richland Area Chamber's Small Business of the Year Award in the 15 Employees and Over category was Sluss Realty. Downtown Mansfield Inc. was named recipient of the Large Non-Profit of the Year award while the Mansfield Playhouse was the Small Non-Profit award winner.
Local inventors awarded patents
Two inventors, Madison Running and Brian Running, both of Mansfield, have been awarded a patent for "protective liner for cookware" to reduce the user's risk of suffering a burn, especially on the top edge of a pot or pan. It's adapted to fit on cookware having variable diameters, thicknesses and handles and it's configured to receive a lid.
Another patent has been awarded to Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, of Herzogenaurach, Germany, for a "cooling crescent for e-motor of hybrid module" for hybrid motor vehicles. One of the four inventors is Richard Fraley of Mansfield.
USDA now accepting applications for farm loans online
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched an online application for Direct Loan customers. More than 26,000 customers who submit a Direct Loan application each year can now use an online, interactive, guided application that is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet and build a farm operating plan. This tool is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency to streamline its processes, improve customer service, and expand credit access.
The online farm loan application replicates the support an applicant would receive when completing a loan application in person with an FSA Farm Loan Officer, while continuing to provide customers with one-on-one assistance as needed. This tool and other process improvements allow farmers and ranchers to submit complete loan applications and reduce the number of incomplete and withdrawn applications.
Mansfield News Journal
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Elzy Milling & Trade wins Chamber award, inventors awarded patents
