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September Antwerp Chamber Business Spotlight: Kim Kemerer - Independent Consultant for Norway & L'BRI

September Antwerp Chamber Business Spotlight: Kim Kemerer – Independent Consultant for Norway & L’BRI

Posted on by Chamber Admin

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for September is one of our Independent Consultants in Antwerp, Ohio. 

Kim Kemerer is an independent consultant for two businesses which she manages out of her home. 

Norwex provides sustainable cleaning products and a clean without chemicals style of home care. Explore safer options with advanced microfiber cloths, mops and plant- and enzyme-powered cleaning solutions. Norwex uses microfiber which is densely woven, superfine and physically removes up to 99% of bacteria from a surface using only water when following proper care and use instructions. The company has been in the business for 30 years and contains products from cloths to mops to skin care products. Removing harmful chemicals can mean less long-term impact to your health. It also means less chemicals going into the ground, our waterways and the planet.

L’BRI is a pure and natural skin care based company that has been in the skin care business for 26 years. Our Aloe-First philosophy makes a real difference to your skin, hair, body, and overall wellness. Aloe Vera attracts and locks in vital moisture to Rebuild, Regenerate and Restore from the inside out. Nature’s healer, Aloe Vera, has been proven for centuries to strengthen cellular integrity, increase collagen production and nourish the whole body with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antiseptic protection. We believe natural beauty lies within the power of Aloe Vera, and your success lies in putting Aloe First. 

Kim was motivated to start this journey due to health issues she had and the need to turn to a better, safer way to clean her home and help her skin in a more natural way. She honestly is not as interested in selling the products but in teaching the benefits of the item. This attitude has allowed her to build relationships with her clients and to help them solve their problems both men and women alike. 

Kim is always available. She is open 24 hours a day to help answer questions about products and to inform her customers in the many benefits both of her companies have to offer. Customers keep coming back because of that personal touch and of course the new items and tips that the companies offer. She truly cares about helping people.

Both of her companies operate in all 50 states. Kim stands behind both Norwex and L’BRI. She is proud that she is upfront and honest with people. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I wasn’t upfront with my people”, states Kim. She is most passionate about changing lives, one face at a time. Making friendships is very important with each lady that she talks with. Whether you join her, host a party or place an order, she is very grateful for the support. 

L’BRI is the only company in Direct Sales that offers a 10 day supply, FREE sample program. They have a 60 day money back guarantee once you purchase the product and Kim is there to help you every step of the way. After using L’BRI for several years, her skin feels so soft that she wonders why she did not try L’BRI sooner. L’BRI products combine the best time-tested, proven science and nature’s purest benefits. We are committed to formulating products as naturally as possible to ensure stability and performance, including fragrance blends that gently enhance the L’BRI customer experience.

Norwex believes in a safer, cleaner and better way to live and their mission statement supports that belief. “We believe that all of us need to be more mindful of the presence of chemicals in our everyday lives and the potential impact these harmful chemicals can have on our health, environment and planet. We believe that we all can take small steps to protect our health and the health of future generations by reducing exposure to chemicals in our daily lives. By staying true to our Norwegian heritage, we believe we can all take small steps to create a cleaner, safer and better way to live. We offer more than cleaning and personal care products; we advocate a simpler, more natural and sustainable way of living, free of unnecessary toxins and waste.”

You can trust Kim to advise you on the best products for a cleaner and healthier approach to purchasing products for yourself and your home. You can contact Kim via her personal Facebook page at Kim Polter Kemerer. To place an order for L’BRI- www.lbri.com/kkemerer. To place an order for Norwex www.norwex.com/kimkemerer, You can also email Kim at kemerer@paulding-net.com.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Kim Kemerer with Norwex and L’BRI in the growth of Antwerp and the surrounding community. 

Sam Switzer Realty, LLC- Jennifer Ankney

Posted on by Chamber Admin

119 E. High Street

Hicksville, Ohio 43526

(208) 596-9245

jankney@samswitzerrealty.com

Jennifer is a full-time agent serving the NW Ohio region. Have you thought about taking advantage of this hot market and listing your home? Or are you looking for your dream home? Contact Jennifer for one-of-a-kind, devoted customer service.

Business Spotlight- Hometown Speech Connections

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The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for August is Hometown Speech Connections in downtown Antwerp, Ohio. The business can be found at the new Main Street Business Center at 112 S. Main Street. 

Hometown Speech Connections is a child-led play based speech therapy clinic that provides comprehensive speech/language/fluency evaluations and treatment sessions for children of all ages and abilities.  The business is owned and operated by Jennifer (Womack) Smith, MS, CCC-SLP.

Jennifer previously worked as a pediatric Speech Language Pathologist at Community Memorial Hospital for 8 years. When the hospital closed in early 2024, Jennifer was devastated for her patients and their families as there are not many options for speech services in our area without experiencing a long wait time.  Jennifer seeing the need for these services made her dream a reality as she sought to provide a convenient option for families in the Antwerp and surrounding communities. Her concerns of running her own business were overcome and she pushed out on her own and made the best of a sad situation not only for herself but for the children and families that she had grown so close to while working at Community Memorial Hospital.

Jennifer is known for building strong and meaningful relationships with her clients and their families.  She truly believes that children will take more communication risks and are more motivated to work on difficult tasks if there is a strong relationship foundation. She uses a child-led and play based approach to her task and many times she finds herself on the floor the entire session so her clients feel as if they are equals.   She loves to see them having fun and working toward goals in a way that just feels like playtime for them.

Flexibility is a key word in today’s society.  Jennifer is determined to make each treatment plan fit the needs of the child and their family.  Sometimes there are boundaries that must be overccome, but she will try to find a creative way to use in person treatments and home programs to allow the child progress.   Her clients continue to seek her out because their children enjoy the sessions and they see them making progress in expected and unexpected ways.

Hometown Speech Connections provide services for Antwerp and all surrounding communities. Convenience is key and a willingness to drive for quality speech sessions for children in need.   Jennifer is most proud of the time, thought and work she has put into opening her business and making it a space that is comfortable and inviting for children.

When a customer walks into her business they can expect to be greeted with a smile first and then asked about life outside of therapy. “I want to them to know that I care about more than targeting our goals” states Jennifer.   One of the unique things about Hometown Speech Connections and Jennifer is her “away from the table” approach to speech therapy.  She seriously spends more time seated or crawling on the floor than she does sitting in a chair.

What stands out about Jennifer is her approach to her craft.  She is not a traditional “clinic” setting.  She wants her clients to feel like they are in a play room instead of at the doctor.  She tries to accomplish this by dressing more casual and making sure that there is a variety of easily accessible toys and games.

Jennifer is most passionate about giving children a way to communicate better with ones they love by whatever communication method suits them best.  She is very encouraging and has been known to
cheer very loudly during a session when a child does something new.  Be prepared to hear some noise!

To prepare for a visit with Jennifer, prepare a list of questions and concerns for that first appointment. It can be very easy to forget things when you are having a long discussion about a child’s strengths and areas of need. You can reach Jennifer at 419-210-1822.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Hometown Speech Connections in the growth of Antwerp and the surrounding community.   

Spotlight on Business- West Bend Printing and Publishing

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The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for June is West Bend Printing & Publishing, Inc. …publishers of the West Bend News in Antwerp, Ohio.

Bryce and Angel Steiner are the owners of West Bend Printing & Publishing which was established in July 2005. West Bend News published its first edition on August 31, 2005. Bryce’s motivation began in 1995 when he was working for Courier Printing Company in Grabill, IN. He found that he enjoyed printing on the presses, doing prepress design work, and working on the layout for the East Allen Courier newspaper. He had been working there for about 10 years when he and his wife Angel were convicted to move to Antwerp to live in the community in which they went to church. They also thought it would be the perfect time to branch out and start a business of their own. They attended church at Riverside Christian Church (known then as Antwerp church of Christ) then, and started talking to some friends who live in Antwerp (Steve and Sue Knapp) about starting a business. Knapp’s were thinking of ways to spend their retirement. It seemed like a good fit for the two couples to partner together to start a printing company and newspaper in Paulding County Ohio – Antwerp in particular. Steve decided to retire from West Bend in 2010, and Sue followed him a few years later. Angel and Bryce bought out their portion of the business as well as the building. Angel has been writing and reporting since high school where she was on the newspaper staff for four years as a staff writer, feature editor, and editor-in-chief.

West Bend Printing & Publishing can fulfill all of your business and personal printing needs. They use several different mediums to print on – paper, waterproof paper, metal, corrugated plastic, ACM, and PVC, among others. WBPP also prints banners large and small including the popular outdoor wind mesh banners. Need letterhead, business cards, fliers, notepads, invitations, envelopes, carbonless forms, brochures? WBPP has you covered. The design team and production department can get you what you need and get it done fast. West Bend Printing & Publishing is also the publisher of the West Bend News weekly newspaper. West Bend News is among the last of the locally owned newspapers in the tri-state area. WBN publishes approximately 4,500 newspapers a week that is distributed to over 200 pick up locations in NW Ohio and NE Indiana – as far north as Bryan, OH as far south as Van Wert, OH, as far west as New Haven and Fort Wayne, IN and as far east as Continental, OH.

West Bend Printing is known for getting custom print job back to customers in a quick turnaround time. They believe in customer satisfaction which includes a timely completion date. West Bend News motto is “Good News for Good Communities”. They are a community-driven newspaper that encourages businesses, schools and organizations to submit their news to us and we will publish it to the public. Bryce states that  “It is important to keep our focus on the Good this world has to offer, there’s enough bad news everywhere else, we will let the other news outlets cover that.”

What makes West Bend different from many other news and printing businesses in the area is that it is a family-owned and operated small business. There are 5 full-time employees, 3 free-lance photographers, and 5 free-lance newspaper writers. The owners and employees work and live in the community it serves. “We are your neighbors, we are your friends. Having this level of personal touch is paramount in an age that is becoming remote and AI influenced.” states Angel. If you want quality work, done with quality care, completed in a timely manner and affordable in an ever-challenging economy see the staff at West Bend Printing.

What keeps customers coming back to West Bend Printing is their dedication to striving to work to perfection for the customer.  Sometimes this doesn’t happen, but if the customer isn’t completely satisfied with the completed product, WBPP will do everything they can to make it right for the customer. When you walk into the business you can expect a warm welcome.  WBN is the only commercial printing company that is locally owned in Paulding County Ohio and the only locally owned newspaper in the NW Ohio area.  The staff at West Bend can make your idea come to life, help you market your business, provide office essentials and essentials for events.  If they are unable to serve your needs, they will point you in the right direction to get your job done.  

One anecdote about the business that many people don’t know has to do with inserts in the newspaper. Going back to this is a family-owned business… occasionally there are inserts in the newspaper, and in the early days of West Bend News, they had to insert each newspaper by hand. Bryce and Angel have four children, so they would enlist each of them to help insert into the newspapers before school (at that time 10,000 newspapers were printed each week). They would be paid 25 cents for every bundle they inserted (bundles have 100 newspapers in them). The kids made it a competition. Oh, and Steve bought donuts, that was their favorite part of insert mornings. 

Bryce and Angel are most proud that they navigated through the hardest part of owning a business, the treacherous waters of the first 5 years. Those years were hard for a young family – especially the weeks when there wasn’t a pay check to go around. But with their prevailing faith that God is good all the time, they persevered and kept attending community events and school functions, and volunteering in their community and donating to local fundraisers and organizations, and now 19 years later, West Bend Printing has become a staple to many local businesses and organizations for designing and printing, and news publication.

The Steiner’s are most passionate about is keeping business local.  WBPP sources all of our supplies as locally as possible because we understand the importance of supporting small business. Shopping online may save a few pennies here and there, but that kind of thinking is what turns thriving communities into ghost towns. Shop local, support your neighbors.

A little know secret is that the papers is not printed here in Antwerp. A newspaper press is as large as the existing building! All other printing projects are done on the many machines housed in our building here in Antwerp. There are probably more options than you think about your printing project you have in mind. There are numerous paper options, color of paper options, fonts, and sign mediums to choose from, so be ready to deliberate and ask questions.

In July 2024, WBPP will have completed 19 years in business. Look for some upgrades to the website coming soon focusing more on the West Bend’s printing division. Commercial printing is the majority of the business, and West Bend News completes the business triangle – Print – Advertising – Design.

Owning a small business, especially one that was created from nothing, is not for the faint of heart. It takes ambition, a positive attitude, faith, perseverance, aka the good old “blood, sweat and tears”.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with  West Bend Printing & Publishing in the growth of Antwerp and the surrounding community.  Congratulations on 19 years in business.

Business Spotlight- The Antwerp Pit Stop

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The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for March is The Antwerp Pit Stop in Antwerp, Ohio.

Christy and Tony DeLong are the owners of the Pit Stop.  It all began with a phone call and the opportunity to purchase a business.  Tony and Christy discussed the idea and then set the papers aside for awhile.  Then Gene Mosier from National Oil and Gas came and asked for a chance to meet with them and discuss things in more detail.  That was the moment for Christy when faith kicked in and it felt like the right time to take a chance and things began to fall into place.

Christy and Tony began the business with zero knowledge about what it takes to run a gas station and convenience store. Previously Christy had worked as a dental hygienist for 15 years. The last 19 years of owning the business has proven to be challenging as well as rewarding and Christy is most positive of the impact they have had on the local economy and the relationships they have been able to build with their customers.

The business, originally the Shell Station, became known as the Antwerp Pit Stop.  A gas station and convenience store that is a one stop destination for fuel, a variety of snacks and even a delicious pizza emerged as a result of that decision.   The station features multiple fuel pumps for various fuel types which makes it convenient for customers that have different fuel needs.  The convenience store is well stocked with everyday essentials, snacks, beverages hot and cold and other convenience items.

Our hometown locally owned and operated gas station is best known for its beer cave and its pizza. Being locally owned the Pit Stop adds a special touch to the community, distinguishing itself from larger, corporate chains.  Customers often appreciate knowing that their purchases contribute directly to our local economy and that Christy and Tony regularly give back to the community through donations to various community functions, sports team sponsorships as well as being very active within the community. These things are what set the Pit Stop aside as our only locally owned gas station in the village of Antwerp.

The friendly and approachable staff members work hard to keep that sense of community connection alive.  They work hard to keep a clean and well maintained gas station and convenience store and that makes a positive impression within the community.   Gas discounts are available through programs that they participate in such as Marathon Rewards and Get Upside. Customers return to the Pit Stop because of the convenient location, competitive pricing and the wide range of products offered in the store. The staff does their best to make sure customers find what they are looking for.

The Antwerp Pit Stop serves the Antwerp community as well as people traveling through town and many from across the state line. The best way that a customer can improve their experience when they visit the store is if you don’t find what you are looking for, please ask the staff. Chances are that they may be able to work with any of one of their remarkable vendors to get this item into your hands.

Congratulations to Christy and Tony on serving the Antwerp Community for the last 19 years. Your dedication to the Village of Antwerp and the surrounding communities is obvious in the care that you take with your customers, your staff and the business community of Antwerp.

Ignite Dance Academy

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Ignite Dance Academy is under the direction of Antwerp native Allison Banks.

Allison has danced alongside the professional company with the Fort Wayne Ballet for 8 years. She has continued her ballet training through Grant Training Company and Ratio Dance to expand her knowledge of competition dance.

Allison offers professional quality dance classes in the following styles: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, musical Theater, Contemporary, along with Adult classes in Ballet, Tap, Ballroom, and Stretch and Tone/Spice Moms. a Parent Tot class is also available for ages 2 and under.

Check out the Academy’s Facebook page at Ignite Dance Academy

Located at 211 S. Main St Antwerp, OHio 45813

Ignitedanceacademyohio@gmail.com