Tag Archives: Chillicothe Ohio

Small Business Spotlight: The Willis-James

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Being a small business owner is a tough job! That’s why we feature a different small business in our Small Business Spotlight every month. Today we learn about an exciting renovation happening in historic Chillicothe.

The phrase “if walls could talk” may sound cliché but that’s the focus of a big renovation happening now at a historic home in Chillicothe. The early nineteenth century era home is being transformed into a boutique bed and breakfast named for two prominent former residents. Now known as The Willis-James, the 6,000 square foot home is expected to provide guests with an experience that fuses old traditions with sophisticated hospitality.

Owners Drew Musser and Steph Moore have an extensive plan and a vision to honor the heritage of the home while giving their guests an exceptional, memorable stay.

What’s so special about this house?

Everything.

From the pocket doors to the eleven fireplaces to the history of the people who lived there, the Federal/Greek Revival house and its story could fill a book.  That story begins with Nathaniel Willis who was an apprentice in Benjamin Franklin’s printing office in Boston. He started his own newspaper, participated in the Boston Tea Party and was a veteran of the Revolutionary War all before journeying to the Northwest Territory and this new town called Chillicothe. When Willis arrived in 1797, the town had been laid out only the year before.

Here, he started the first newspaper in the Northwest Territory, securing his status in the area as a contemporary and friend of prominent men in Ohio history including Ohio’s sixth governor Thomas Worthington. The Scioto Gazette would go on to operate for 110 years, becoming the oldest continuously operating newspaper in Ohio.

Willis built the original house in 1805. The home changed hands over the centuries with each new owner expanding the home, improving and leaving their own mark. One such owner was Thomas James who is known as the “Father of the Western Iron Industry” for the work he did in constructing iron forges throughout southern Ohio and Missouri. The city of St. James, Missouri is named in his honor.

The house also was held by Eleanor Tiffin and Matthew Cook. She was the daughter of Ohio’s first governor Edward Tiffin. The home remained with Tiffin descendants for more than a century.

Drew can weave together the entire narrative of the people who called this place home and the influences they had on the house. As they have worked on the home for nearly two years, they have found where it has been added on to and uncovered interesting details like a large painted archway first thought to be wood that’s actually stone.

Long forgotten artifacts help to tell the stories of former inhabitants including Wesley Claypool whose labeled vest was found beneath attic floor boards.

While they are honoring the integrity of this home’s history, they intend to blend in 21st century amenities aimed at appealing to the modern guest. Each room will have its own thermostat, a king or queen bed fitted with high quality linens, slippers and robes. Each room will have a luxurious new bathroom fit for royalty complete with a walk-in shower and a comfortable tub for a long soak.

In all, the house has five guest rooms including one ADA accessible guest room on the main level and a two-room suite upstairs.

Guests will find nooks and crannies in common areas throughout the house where they might linger to relax and unwind. For example, just beyond the breakfast room, a greenhouse or orangery as it was once called will be at the ready for anyone wishing to sit with a book and a glass of wine. “There will be lots of spaces to relax and to make you just want to hang for a while,” Steph explained. “We want people to feel welcome to make this house their home during their stay,” she said.

Yet, they also want guests to explore the best that Chillicothe and the surrounding area have to offer. They are focused on helping guests discover the experiences that will make their stay special. Whether it be an in-room massage or help locating the best hiking trail, the hope is to create an authentic experience that allows guests to feel like they are the first to discover the amazing qualities that make the area special.

They intend to bring in local products such as Rost Coffee, local produce and Amish baked goods to provide guests with a taste of the area as well.

The property boasts a carriage house that will provide space for public rental. The board room table for twelve can be removed for small social gatherings and events. An ADA accessible restroom and kitchenette will be available for comfort and convenience. The upstairs of the carriage house will be Steph and Drew’s new home. As primary caretakers, the couple will provide top notch daily housekeeping services and home cooked breakfasts.

The couple do know a thing or two about hospitality. They are avid travelers who love the bed and breakfast experience. They have lived and worked in resort communities like Vail, Colorado and Santa Barbara California throughout their married life. She has been in the luxury boutique hospitality business for the last 28 years and has specialized in operations, finance and business development.

“It’s one thing to work hard for someone else’s dreams but it’s so meaningful to get to work on your own dreams and visions,” Steph said.

Drew is a Chillicothe native and Chillicothe High School graduate. The Ohio State University graduate has been an elementary school educator for the last several years. His local roots run deep and he has family in the area. “We love to travel and always go to bed and breakfasts but we also love to be home and to cook, to be surrounded by people,” Drew said.  “There’s always room for one more! The more the merrier” Steph exclaimed!

“We want to give the traveler somewhere nice, somewhere special to stay and we want to give Chillicothe something to be proud of,” Drew said. “We want to honor the history and the integrity of the house and the town, but still give guests the comforts they appreciate. We want to be a part of the town’s story.”

These images show parts of the Willis-James in various stages of restoration and construction.

While The Willis-James is still under construction, they will be ready to host guests during the Christmas Tour of Historic Homes on December 11-12.

Small Business Spotlight: Rivers Bend Bike Shop

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Being a small business owner is a tough job! That’s why we feature a different small business in our Small Business Spotlight every month. Today we talk shop with the owner of Rivers Bend Bike Shop!

Jamie Sharp has loved bicycles for as long as he can remember. That enthusiasm shines through when he talks about his business Rivers Bend Bike Shop in historic downtown Chillicothe. The shop offers bicycle sales and service along with a host of accessories and products for cyclists of all ages and experience levels.

Sharp actually started working in a local bicycle shop when he was just a kid. “I needed a bike to go riding with a buddy and two girls. I had narrowed it down to a Rink’s bike that was cheap and in my budget or this bike shop bike that was so much nicer but a little more money. It was white with red and gold trim –  a Scorpion bike. I went back and forth but went for that better bike and I’m so glad I did. That was my first lesson in how you get what you pay for when it comes to bikes,” he said.

Sharp says the number one question he gets every day is whether he does bicycle repair. “Yes! I do repair bicycles. That’s one of the big things that a bike shop does and people bring me their bikes for tune-ups and for all sorts of reasons,” he said.

While a bicycle seems like a straightforward thing to put together, they tend to be more complicated than a lot of people realize and are often assembled incorrectly by people who do it at home or at the big box stores.  “You see a lot of the same problems when they’re not put together by someone who understands bikes. People bring them in with serious things wrong that make the bike harder to ride and less safe,” he said. “A guy recently brought in a bike and the handlebars were on backwards. He said it was like riding a different bike after that. It seems like a simple thing but these are common mistakes.”

He also sells a full line of bicycles to fill every need. “When I was a kid it used to be a cruiser or a ten speed. Now you have all kinds of bikes for specialties,” he said as he described the store’s selection that includes adult comfort bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, Ebikes, BMX bikes and all kinds of kids bikes.

Sharp said that he aims to not just sell or service a bike but to truly help the customer. “A lot of times people have questions or they need a little direction. I’m happy to listen, offer advice. People come in only to look around and realize that I’m not just trying to sell something. I’m trying to help them out too.”

This is the kind of service offered by most bike shops but traditional bike shops are becoming more difficult to find. “Years ago, every town around here had at least one bike shop,” he said as he began reminiscing about all the bike shops that once existed in the area. “Now people have to travel just to find one so I guess it is pretty unique that we’re here.”

Sharp first opened his own shop in 2008. Locals may remember Rent and Roll along the bike path in town where he rented roller blades and bikes. The following year, he relocated to a Water Street location where he became a full service bike shop. He grew again two years ago, moving just around the corner to a Walnut Street location with off street parking and more display space.

He noted that the pandemic has been good for hobby cyclists but has created some challenges for people in his line of work. “People want to get outside, they want to exercise and a bike is a great way to do that. You could get out of the house, exercise even when the gyms were closed and have fun so the bike world really took off last year,” he said.

Unfortunately, the pandemic caused supply issues as well since it became harder to get in new bikes and parts. “I sold every bike I had. I sold every used bike I had at home and whenever I was able to order bikes, they would be sold before I got them here. It’s been a tough year.”

Sharp is an avid mountain biker who supports the biking community as a trail steward for Great Seal State Park and as an active member of Columbus Ohio Mountain Biking Organization or COMBO. This group advocates for new trails around central Ohio and in Ross County. Here, Sharp hopes to see more mountain bike trails developed to appeal to overnight guests. “Some of the best mountain bike trails in the state are right here but we need more to entice people to come ride. We want them to stay longer and spend more money in our community,” he explained.

He also encourages use of the bike and walking path that uses the abandoned B&O Railroad corridor to connect Chillicothe and Washington Court House. Locals call it the floodwall but it’s actually called Paint Creek Recreational Trail and offers 32 paved miles for exercise and recreation.  “It’s a great place to get out and go for a ride,” he exclaimed.

What is it about bicycles that he loves so much? “I’ve been asking myself that for a long time. It’s the freedom of being on two wheels. You’re in total control of those two wheels and where they go. That makes me happy. If you think back, the first feeling of freedom when you were a kid was on a bike. Some of us just never lost that,” he said.

River Bends Bicycle Shop is located at 86 N. Walnut Street in Chillicothe. Stop by, call them at 740.779.0061 or follow them on Facebook.

Small Business Spotlight: Casa Del Taco

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Being a small business owner is a tough job! That’s why we feature a different small business in our Small Business Spotlight every month!

Since 1984, Casa Del Taco has been one of Chillicothe’s signature flavors. The family owned business offers up fast casual Mexican food in two locations.

Owner Bill Barker said they set themselves apart from other restaurants in town with made-to-order food that uses fresh, high quality ingredients. “Everything is very fresh and we make it when you order it. We make our own sauces, avocado dressing, and chicken tortilla soup from scratch using our own recipes,” he explained.

Lean ground beef, real cheese, and fresh vegetables are just some of the delicious ingredients used to make their signature dishes. “We sell more regular tacos than anything but we are known for a lot of things,” he said as he began to list popular dishes like their Mexican Chef Salad with homemade avocado dressing, burritos and Casadillas which is their version of the quesadilla. “We want to be proud of the product we serve and one way we do that is to start with the best ingredients.”

That pride in work has been instilled in the entire family. Bill and his wife Tammy have four grown sons who are all involved in the business. Three work for Casa Del Taco while their youngest son manages the Old Canal Smoke House which they purchased in 2013. “I’m proud that they all chose to stay and help. It isn’t the easiest business in the world but we all love what we do and love serving great meals to people,” he said.

When they opened their first location on Bridge Street, the landscape of this now busy street was much different. At the time there were only about eight restaurants. Today there are close to eighty and growing.

As the city has grown, so has Casa Del Taco. They opened a second location near Kroger on Western Avenue, making it easier for residents on that side of town to obtain their “Casa Del fix.” In fact, the restaurant is a favorite first stop for many former residents when they visit town as well as a destination for people all over the region who have fallen in love with the food. “It’s pretty neat when someone says they drove from far away just to eat your food.”

While Bill is quick to admit that the restaurant industry is a challenging one, he said the complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have made it even more difficult. They were able to remain open with pick up services at Old Canal and drive-thru services at Casa Del Taco but traffic was diminished during these months.

They also have had to negotiate challenges like supply chain issues and staffing shortages. “Things that we bought for years suddenly weren’t available. Pork was harder to find because of meat shortages. It was just a real challenging time.”

The company employs about eighty people but they do have some openings available. “We are blessed to have such a great staff but things would go better if we had a few more people. But the people we have, I can’t say enough good about them. They’re rock stars, they’re soldiers, they’re so loyal to what we are doing and we are truly fortunate to have them,” he said.

Casa Del Taco is located at 1055 North Bridge Street and at 1360 Western Avenue in Chillicothe. The Western Avenue location is currently still drive thru only due to the dining room size but the Bridge Street location is open for dine-in or drive-thru. Find them online at www.gottagetyourcasa.com.

Kim Carpenter Will Retire Friday

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Kim Carpenter has spent her entire career in banking and it shows. The drive thru window teller will retire Friday from her post at Ross County Banking Center on Main Street in Chillicothe after spending years developing a loyal following of customers.

Customers know Kim as the friendly woman who remembers how they like their change and who knows the names of all their dogs. What some may not realize is that she hasn’t always worked in a customer facing job. She actually started out in the operations department of a bank in Homestead, Florida at the age of 17. “When I was a high school senior, I went to school in the morning and went home for lunch. Then I would go to the bank where I worked part time in bookkeeping. I loved that job.”

Kim Carpenter will retire this week after 22 years at Ross County Banking Center in Chillicothe.

After graduation, she got married and went full time at the bank before eventually taking time off to have children. “I tried to go back to work after my first son was born but I kept hearing about his firsts from other people and I didn’t want to hear about those things. I wanted to be there to see him grow up.”

By the time she returned to the workforce in the early eighties, a lot had changed. She recalled being assigned to use a computer for the first time. “I had been there a while and thought I was doing a good job but one day this message popped up that my password was going to expire and I thought that meant I was being fired,” she laughed. “I worried about that for two days before I worked up the nerve to ask someone about it. They got a big laugh out of it because it’s just standard procedure in a bank. But I didn’t know! I hadn’t worked with computers before!”

In 1995, her sons were grown, she was divorced and had an opportunity to return to Ohio. Her family had moved to Florida when she was in the first grade but her heart remained in the Buckeye state. In fact, she fondly recalls childhood summers spent visiting her grandparents’ farm where they raised crops and animals. “I looked forward to it all year. It was old school farm life and I think that’s where I really learned to love animals. I got that from my grandparents.”

After coming back to Ohio, she briefly worked another job before returning to her banking roots, this time as a teller. And the rest, as they say, is history.

“I had never worked as a teller or with customers so I really didn’t know if I could do it but I’m so glad that I came here.”

Starting part time, she quickly was offered a full time position and eventually moved to the drive thru window where she has stayed for about 18 of the 22 years she has been with the bank.

Here she has gotten to know customers from a different perspective. “The drive thru is different than meeting people at the teller window. You see a little bit into their world. You see their kids grow up in the backseat, meet their dogs. I‘ve been offered opportunities to do other things but really love working the drive thru and didn’t want to leave.”

She recalls how children who loved getting suckers when they came through with their parents are now adults bringing their own little ones to the bank. One little girl didn’t want her mom to even stop at the bank “unless my Kim is working” –she still banks with Kim as an adult.

While Kim loves her work, she looks forward to having free time to spend as she wishes. “I want to just be home, to take care of things I’ve been putting off because I’m busy. And I want to have more time with my animals,” she explained.

In fact, Kim’s eyes light up when she talks about her animals like her little dog Mandee, a pony named KT and a host of others including chickens, cats and goats. She and her husband Jeff have a small farm complete with a garden that she looks forward to working in more. “I love being outdoors. If I’m home, I’m not in front of the tv. I’m outside with the animals or mowing – there’s always something!” she said. “We like going to auctions and yard sales on the weekends so it will be nice to get things done during the week and not feel bad about going out to have fun on the weekends.”

Kim and Jeff have been married for almost 23 years. She has two sons, four stepchildren and five grandchildren. She soon will be a great grandmother.

Her last day of work will be Friday. “I will miss my customers and I’ll miss a lot of coworkers too,” she said. “The people here are so nice, so friendly. I will miss that aspect but I think this is a good time to go and I’m looking forward to my freedom.”

Meet Your Banker: Matthew Giroux

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Today we continue our “Meet Your Banker” series by talking with Matthew Giroux. Matthew is the Branch Manager at our Ross County Banking Center on Western Avenue in Chillicothe.

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Matthew Giroux is the Branch Manager of our Ross County Banking Center on Western Avenue.

Ask Matthew to talk about his role as a community banker and he first mentions his experience working for a big bank. “This is so much more rewarding than corporate banking which is very black and white. In corporate banking, there’s no opportunity to get to know your customers or to help someone who you’ve had to tell they can’t have what they want but that there may be another solution,” he said. “It’s like night and day when you go to work for a bank that actually wants to work with customers.”

While he’s relatively new to VCNB, Matthew has close to sixteen years of experience in banking and a degree in Finance from Ohio State University. The Chicago native’s father attended OSU  and so Matthew said he always knew that’s where he wanted to study.

With sixteen years in banking around central Ohio he said that he especially likes working with business customers and small business start-ups. “New businesses are exciting. They’re usually starting a business with a purpose and they’re doing it because they’re passionate about something .  . . they’re doing it because they want to, not because they have to.”

However, he pointed out that many small business customers don’t know where to go for an EIN or to register their name. “They don’t know where to start but it’s something we deal with every day so it’s easy for us. It’s a lot of fun to guide customers to where they need to be,” he said.

Matthew and his wife Beth will celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary in May. They have a four-year old son.

In his free time, he is an avid OSU fan and is proud to be a 23 season ticket holder. He is also the Treasurer of the Ohio State Alumni Club of Ross County, belongs to the Chillicothe Rotary, and helps with concessions for the Zane Trace Athletic Boosters. He also represents the bank at the quarterly Ross Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce New Member Breakfast that the bank sponsors.

Until the pandemic caused disruption to daily life, Matthew was volunteering with the United Way, doing taxes for people through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program which provides free tax preparation services to low to moderate income tax payers in the community. “I was having a lot of fun doing taxes for people a few nights a week and some Saturdays,” he said. He laughed when teased for calling tax time fun. “It IS a lot of fun. You get to meet a lot of people and help others. Plus, I got to expand my own knowledge so I think the program is great,” he said.

“The pandemic has complicated the way we do some things but we are still here helping customers. I’m just a phone call away and we can accomplish everything a customer needs.”

 

Kevin Coe To Retire On Valentine’s Day

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It’s a brand new year and a new decade. 2020 also marks a fresh start for VCNB employee Kevin Coe. The popular Ross County Banking Center Commercial Lender will retire on Valentine’s Day after a 40 plus year career in banking.

Kevin Coe“I’ve achieved what I set out to do. I worked for another bank for twenty years and worked here for twenty. So I’ve made it to 40 years and I’m retiring in 2020 with twenty and twenty at two banks,” he explained. “The timing is right to retire.”

Ask Kevin to talk about his career and he’s very quick to mention his customers. You see, the Chillicothe resident says that his job isn’t just to loan money – it’s to help people. “I love talking to my customers and learning about their businesses,” he explained. “I’ve gotten to start with some customers on the ground floor. Being a part of their businesses and learning about their line of work … well, that’s one of the most rewarding things. I’m a people person so I like to relate to people and to hear their story.”

Kevin’s parents were educators who lived in West Jefferson when he was born. They relocated to Chillicothe when he was just five and he is proud to say he calls Ross County home. After graduating from Chillicothe City Schools, he spent two years at Miami University in Oxford. Uncertain what he wanted to do, he took a break from college and accepted a seasonal position at Mead Corporation in Chillicothe.

While there, he chose to pursue a career in finance. He graduated from Columbus State with an Associate Degree in Banking and Finance before taking a job in the Collections Department at another bank in Chillicothe. He moved into lending after three years before finally becoming a Commercial Lender. After twenty years with that bank, he made the leap to Ross County Banking Center where he started out as a Lender and eventually became a Commercial Lender.

Commercial lending clearly is Kevin’s niche and his interest in people and their businesses has been a key to his success. He is outgoing and kind but it’s the genuine interest that he takes in people that makes customers look forward to doing business with him.

That’s not to say that life has been without problems. The grandfather of three was devastated by the loss of one granddaughter in January 2018. A few months later a blown knee forced him into surgery and off work for the shortest period of time his doctor would permit. When he returned just two and a half weeks after surgery, a new software system for processing loan requests was being implemented.

“I’ll be honest with you. I was struggling. I was in a lot of pain and I’m not a techie person to begin with. Losing my granddaughter . . .  the surgery. . .it was just too much at one time and I didn’t know if I would make it to retirement,” he said. “But I’ve had good people help me along the way and I’m so pleased that I was able to stay until I was ready to retire. I’m grateful to my customers and my coworkers and everyone that has helped me.”

When asked if he has advice for someone considering a career in banking, Kevin’s answer went back to the human aspect of the job. “It’s a rewarding career but if you’re not a people person, lending is probably not the career for you. If you like people, if you’re interested in their successes and in what they care about, you’ll love it,” he exclaimed.

While Kevin looks forward to having free time, to catching up on some things around the house and maybe even playing a little golf, he isn’t in any hurry to leave.  “I’m not counting the days or anything like that. I know how long I have but I’m not dying to leave. In fact, I’m sure I’ll miss working. I know I’ll miss the people,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to doing something different. Catch up on things at home, maybe find a part-time job to keep me busy,” he said with a grin.

He does look forward to having more time with his family including Debbie, his wife of 37 years. “I’m so blessed that I had the opportunity to come to work here. Wow, retiring! It’s going to be a big change. For forty plus years I’ve gotten up and gone to work,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it!”

“Banking has been a rewarding career and I am blessed to have worked with so many fine people and to meet so many great people throughout my 40 plus years in the business. And to be able to work in my hometown was icing on the cake.”

Customers and friends are invited to join Kevin for an informal reception at his office on East Main Street in Chillicothe from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12.

 

 

VCNB Team To Compete In The Buck Fifty

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When the Buck Fifty kicks off in Chillicothe Friday afternoon, a team from VCNB will be among a field of nearly a hundred teams hoping to conquer the challenging overnight relay race through Ross County. The course winds through several communities, along back roads and through the area’s state and national parks. While the region’s rolling hills and winding roads make a scenic backdrop for a run, the course is a grueling 150 miles of physical and mental challenges.

But this relay race isn’t just about winners and losers. It’s also about raising money for an important cause in Ross County. Buck Fifty proceeds benefit the Drug Free Clubs of America Program in Ross County.

VCNB Head of Consumer Lending and VCNB Team Captain Tom Oyer said that helping raise money for this important cause was part of the reason the bank wanted to participate. “It’s an important cause here in Ross County. All the money raised is used to combat the drug problems in the community, specifically young people in schools,” he said.

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Look for the VCNB team jerseys during the Buck Fifty Friday and Saturday!

The bank’s participation in this third annual event was actually the brainchild of VCNB President Mark Erslan and Personal Banker Dustin Nusbaum. An avid runner, Nusbaum logs ten to twenty miles every week and has supported the Buck Fifty since its inception three years ago.

The Buck Fifty funds this program which has attracted 65 percent of all Ross County high school students, using a drug free pledge, education and incentives to keep kids clean.

The race begins on Friday and ends Saturday, mainly with ten person teams and just a handful of elite five person teams. The bank’s team consists of ten people from Chillicothe and other areas where the bank has branches.

Each ten person team is divided into two vans, with one van on the road at all times while one person is running. While the terrain is challenging, the schedule is grueling. It calls for participants to run several miles at a time, at three different times during a 24 hour span.

By day, Bryan Radabaugh works as Vice President of Operations at the bank’s McArthur office. In his free time he’s been training and looking forward to some family time with his two grown children who have also joined the bank’s team. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m in the same van as my kids so we’ll get to have some family time,” he said while describing the competitive spirit of son Bret, age 23, and daughter Hannah, age 20.

While Nusbaum has experience running this course, it will be a first time experience for the rest of the team. “It should be interesting for all of us. It’ll certainly be a challenge. You know, running is physical but it’s a mental thing too. Your body is saying ‘I can’t. I don’t want to do this.’ But you have to stay focused and use your mind to keep going,” Radabaugh said.

The VCNB Buck Fifty team consists of:

Mark Erslan, Chillicothe
Bryan Radabaugh, McArthur
Tom Oyer, Chillicothe
Mike Thurston, Pataskala
Gracie Rarick, Pataskala
Keirstan Mirgon, Lancaster
Josh Palmer, Pataskala
Dustin Nusbaum, Chillicothe
Bret Radabaugh, McArthur
Hannah Radabaugh, McArthur

“We’re all just proud to represent the bank and hope to do a good job,” Oyer said. “More than anything, we’re happy that the money raised at the Buck Fifty will be used for such a good cause.”

Best wishes to all of these volunteers who make up our team. We are proud of the work you do for the bank and look forward to seeing you compete this weekend! Want to learn more about the Bucky Fifty and how the money raised will be used locally? Click here for details.

Turn Coins Into Cash At Select VCNB Locations

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If you’re like a lot of us, you probably have in your home a jar or a piggy bank filled with loose change. You empty your pockets each evening and give those pennies and dimes a toss into the jar until it gets full. Now, instead of rolling that coin, you can bring it to some of our banks to run it through a coin counting machine.

These self-serve machines are available at the following locations:

     Friendly Bremen Banking Center – East Main Street branch
Friendly Bremen Banking Center – Pataskala branch
Hocking Hills Banking Center – Logan branch
Ross County Banking Center – Western Avenue branch
Vinton County National Bank – McArthur branch

Jackson County Banking Center – Jackson branch (temporary machine)

To use one of these machines, simply follow the instructions on the screen and dump your change onto the conveyor belt. The machine does all the sorting and counting! Then it prints a receipt which you can take to the tellers to receive your cash or have the funds deposited into your VCNB account.

This is a free service to VCNB customers. Anyone who does not have a VCNB account but who wishes to use the machine may do so for a five percent fee.

Small Business Spotlight: Totem Supply Company

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Small businesses are important to communities and running a small business is tough work. That’s why we feature a small business in one of our communities every month! 

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Chillicothe is for Dreamers.  That’s the phrase printed on one of the most popular custom t-shirts at Totem Supply Co. Store owner Courtney Lewis is one of those dreamers.

After growing up in Chillicothe and graduating from Ohio University in Athens, Courtney Lewis decided she wanted to live in a big city.  She moved to Cleveland with a sense of adventure and excitement.  She found inspiration while living there for five years.  The majority of people she met were proud to be from Cleveland.  They held the city and its landmarks in high regard.  She began to miss her hometown and found that she had much pride in her hometown as well.  Realizing that small towns sometimes get a bad rap, she wanted to encourage the same pride in Chillicothe that she had witnessed in Cleveland.

After moving home in 2009 and while working in graphic design, she noticed there was no place to purchase Chillicothe memorabilia.  In 2012 Lewis started to sell custom t-shirts while working at her former career.  All shirts featured logos of former local businesses whose memory lives on in the community.

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In November 2013, with her t-shirt sales doing well, she decided to take a leap of faith and open Totem Supply Co.  Her vision of the nostalgia-based business was to highlight the small town and service the townspeople who enjoy being from the area.

Located in the historic district of downtown Chillicothe, Totem Supply Co is a retail store filled with merchandise created by local authors, designers, and artisans.  Memorabilia with references to Chillicothe are of the upmost popularity.  Everything from Chillicothe logoed coffee mugs to Ohio patterned pillows are arranged beautifully in clusters of like items making it easy to shop.  Some of the other items available include handmade deodorants, greeting cards, jewelry and sustainable toys for children.

T-shirt sales have flourished in the store and remain one of the top selling items.  Lewis often looks back into her childhood memories for which former business logos to use next but she’s also been contacted by families requesting her to make their families’ former businesses into shirts.

Printed on soft cotton tees, these shirts are comfortable to wear and tug at many people’s heartstrings.  Recently, Lewis was contacted by a customer who had purchased a Schachne’s t-shirt for her elderly mother.  Her mother had worked at this popular downtown clothing store in her earlier years.  The customer told Lewis that her mother lit up when she was given the shirt.  This gift sparked a lengthy conversation about her time working at Schachne’s and other stories from her youth.  “It’s so cool to spark memories,” Lewis says.  “There’s something so special for generations to share stories.”

Totem Supply Co. is open Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 pm. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.  Visit them at 11 West 2nd Street in Chillicothe or follow them on Facebook.

 

 

Small Business Spotlight: JT’s Auto and Truck Glass

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Being a small business owner is a tough job. That’s why we spotlight a different business each month to help you learn about unique businesses in your own back yard.

Have you ever been driving down the road only to have a rock fly up and hit your windshield?  Did it leave a small chip that you think is too minor to fix?  Well, JT Thacker of JT’s Auto and Truck Glass thinks you should fix it before the problem gets bigger.

JT should know as he has been working on cars and trucks since the before the age of 18.  Much of that time was in auto body collision repair and specializing in working with big trucks.  In 2006 he began doing glass replacement and windshield repairs part-time and found that he enjoyed that aspect of the business very much.  He said he loves being able to satisfy the customers with a completed job in a shorter time and being there for customers when they needed him.

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JT and Angela Thacker are pictured standing alongside one of the mobile chip repair vehicles they use for their business JT’s Auto and Truck Glass in Chillicothe.

With the help of his wife Angela, he decided to take the business full time in 2008.  Based in Chillicothe, the business has grown over the past eight years to serve Greenfield, Circleville, Waverly, and all areas in between.  Now JT, along with a staff of two additional technicians, offers service for all vehicle makes and models as well as heavy equipment for private owners, commercial and fleet vehicles.

The work they do includes glass replacement for windshields, windows and sunroofs and on-site repair of window cracks, chips, bull’s eyes and stars.  They also provide Aquapel glass treatments to repel rain from your windshield and on-site diagnosis for window operation issues.

Working with insurance companies can sometimes be daunting for the consumer but JT will work with all insurance companies to take the hassle out of the equation and make auto glass claims a little easier for you.  All you do is make the initial call and they do the rest!

JT said he loves what he does.  “I have found the best way to serve the community and make a living,” he said.

To learn more about JT’s Auto Glass call JT at 740.703.3922, visit their website                       or check out their Facebook page.