Category: Business Spotlight

Antwerp Chamber of Commerce Spotlight for July is Jennifer Ankney and the Sam Switzer Realty in Hicksville, Ohio 

Jennifer Ankney is the newest Full Time Realtor in Sam Switzer Realty’s Hicksville Office. She comes to real estate with a passion and excitement for helping people buy and sell their homes to start their next big life adventures! She works in the NW Ohio region (Hicksville, Antwerp, Payne, Edgerton, Sherwood, Cecil, Defiance, Edon and beyond), but also has an awesome network of Realtors in NE Indiana to refer to as well if that is where the next stage of your life is taking you.

Jennifer is a graduate of Hicksville High School and was born and raised in this area. She lives in Hicksville with her husband Paul, who also graduated with her Class of 2000. She has two sons and has been active in both the little league program as well as the Huber Opera House since returning to this area in 2017. In summertime, you’ll find her working hard for her clients, in her garden, at the baseball field, or you might even find her performing at various coffee shops and wineries with a high school classmate from time to time.

After almost a year in the business, Jennifer has brought 18 complete transactions to a successful close and helped dozens of people into their new homes! After just nine months, she qualified for the President’s Sales Club award by selling over $1 million worth of real estate. With an excellent attention to detail, she is friendly and helpful, very organized and on top of all situations. Clients have given her an average of 4.9/5 stars on RateMyAgent after completed transactions. When you hire her to work as your agent, you can expect professionalism and hard work that extends beyond the normal 9-5 business hours.

The market can be scary and difficult to navigate right now, and there’s no better help than an outstanding and knowledgeable agent. Jennifer can help you navigate inspections, appraisals, different types of financing, zoning, and title issues as well as connect you with excellent and respected professionals in other areas of this industry. Building? No problem! If you’re thinking about selling, the first step is to give Jennifer a call, and she will come out and suggest a list price for your home by researching comparable sales in the area. If you’re buying, and you need a dedicated agent who will negotiate the best deal for you and help you navigate through the process, Jennifer is your girl. One thing she wishes buyers knew is that we can show you any property in the state of Ohio, even if it’s not listed by our office. 

Give Jennifer a call today at 208-596-9245 or stop by the Hicksville office and see her, and she will get you started and answer all your questions. She can’t wait for YOU to be the next buyer or seller and she is excited to help you along in realizing your dreams.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Jennifer and Sam Switzer Realty for the growth of Antwerp and the surrounding communities.

Our Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for May is the Antwerp Conservation Club at 17814 Road

53, Antwerp, OH.

The Conservation Club is a non-profit organization which was organized for charitable and educational

purposes, as well as the conservation of wildlife and its habitat, and for the betterment of the

community.  This is a club whose interests are in conservation and the shooting sports on the Rifle

Range, Pistol Range, Bow Range and Trap Range.

Gary Mabis is the current Club President.  The club began back in the 1950’s with a small group of men

that had an interest in hunting and conservation.  Early club meetings were held at the old American

Legion hall which is currently where the Right Turn driving school is on South Main Street where they

also held wild game dinners.  The club moved in the 1980’s to their current location between Antwerp

and Hicksville on 22 acres that had been purchased in the 1950’s.  The current clubhouse was built in

2006.

The club is very active and they are best known for their well-maintained ranges and facility. They

promote, sponsor and hold several youth and adult classes.  Classes include: ladies introduction to

firearms, youth firearms training, deer butchering, turkey butchering, meat processing and more.

These programs draw people from across the state. Most active members, however,  live in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana. Their membership numbers 450-500 members and they have had people from as far away as California join the club.  When the group is choosing which educational programs they would like to sponsor they think about what they would have liked to have someone teach them in their younger years.

The club has a close relationship with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources- Division of Wildlife section

which helps to support many of their education programs.  Membership in the club is very

affordable for an individual and/or family to have access to such a wide variety of programs and a safe

range to shoot. Basic membership fees are $35 for a single membership and $50 for a family. Programs

also include hunter education, youth day, monthly pistol matches, and trap shoots.  

The club sets aside time to have fun.  They host an annual Easter Egg hunt each spring open to the

public.  This year they had 71 kids hunting eggs on the beautiful acreage. They have a grand 4^th of July

celebration and they also sponsor a club social event that is all open to the public once a month on the

2^nd Wednesday.  This includes games, card games, hot dogs, ham sandwiches and a great evening to

spend with friends.

Several of the more active members have been given unusual nick names such as Putz, Mud Slide, Sugar

and Honey.  Each nick name has an entertaining story behind it and they are happy to share it with you. 

There are no secrets.  If you visit the Club, make sure to ask for one of these club members by their nick

name.

When someone walks into the Club, they can expect a smile and a welcome to the Antwerp

Conservation Club.  Membership gives you access to all of the programs and ranges.  The club is proud

to give back to the community.  They offer two $400 scholarships each year to students in the Antwerp,

Hicksville, Wayne Trace, Paulding, Fairview and Woodburn high schools.

The hall is also available for rental for parties.  It holds 90 people and an application can be found on the

Antwerp Conservation Club website. It includes a full kitchen and plenty of tables and chairs.

Events include a 22 Cal. Pistol Shoot the 3^rd Sunday of April and May. Noon sign

up and shooting is from 1pm-4pm. There is a $5 match fee and eye protection is required as well as 50

rounds of ammo minimum needed.   Targets include 8” steel plates, arcade style targets, water balloons

and many others.   Trap shoots are on the 3^rd Sunday May through October.

IDPA Pistol Matches are held the 1^st Sunday of the month May thru October.  June 5^th is a Ladies

Introduction to firearms from 9am-3pm and on June 19^th from 8am to noon will be Youth fishing day as

part of Ohio’s free fishing days June 19^th and 20^th.  Residents of Ohio can fish without a license on those

two days as a chance to experience Ohio’s fishing opportunities.

Check out the club’s website for more information and membership application. Follow them on

Facebook at Antwerp Conservation Club Antwerp, Ohio, Visit the website calendar at

antwerpconservationclub.com or watch for ads in the West Bend News about upcoming events and

schedule. Memberships can be purchased several ways- by filling out the application form

on the website and mailing it in, by coming to a meeting or an event,  or may be purchased at the

following businesses: The Ammo Can in Hicksville Ohio, McDougall Firearms in Antwerp Ohio or at

Paulding ACE Hardware in Paulding Ohio.

Club meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00 P.M.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is pleased to have the Antwerp Conservation Club partnering with us in the Antwerp Community.

Our Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for January is Small Town Bliss Hair and Nail Studio on 103 W. River St. in Antwerp, Oh.

Audrey Feasby is the owner and a cosmetologist at Small Town Bliss.  Audrey graduated from Antwerp High School in 2006.  After high school she attended Ravenscroft Beauty College in Fort Wayne.  After graduating, she began working at the Shadow Box Salon in downtown Antwerp.  The salon was eventually purchased by Audrey’s aunt, Paula Lichty, and the name was changed to Keystone Salon.  Audrey purchased the business from her aunt in 2014 and changed the name to Small Town Bliss in 2016 when she moved to her current location on River St.  

Audrey has always had a passion for doing hair.  She enjoys the challenges of getting the style just right and seeing the delight in her client’s eyes.   She is proud to say that here at Small Town Bliss your beauty is our business, and she is right.   She employs 4 other stylists and a nail technician.  Stylists working with Audrey are Paula Lichty (Audrey’s aunt), Deb Lucas, Susie Miller and Nicki Harrmann.  Chantel Lawson is the nail technician. 

Small Town Bliss pulls in clientele from not only Antwerp but Payne, Paulding, Hicksville and Woodburn.  Besides shampoos, cuts and blow-outs they also do color, foils up to 3 colors, along with up-dos and formal styles for that special occasion and something called Creative Coloring. This is a coloring style with vibrant and lasting results.  Two types of creative coloring are Balayage and Ombre.  Balayage service is a highlighting technique that targets a smaller section of hair. A colorist paints bleach or hair color just on the surface of your hair freehand; he or she doesn’t saturate the entire section with hair dye. The result is soft, natural-looking, sun-kissed highlights that easily blend in as hair grows longer.   The Ombre is typically done with lightener being placed horizontally with full saturation of the section and then blended upward to diffuse the line.   Ombre is more of a horizontal placement while Balayage is more vertical.  Choosing which one is right for you really depends on the look you’re trying to achieve. Whether you’re looking for a blonde, brown, red, rose gold or even vivid color look, your artist should be able to work with you on either technique to create the color effect you’re looking for.

Audrey has a talented and friendly staff. In fact, her staff has a combined total of 155 years of making people beautiful.   Her salon is cozy and clean and has a small town feel to it.   You can expect to be greeted as soon as you walk in the door and Audrey is not shy about telling you about the amazing group of ladies working at the salon that make every day enjoyable.  They all enjoy helping their clients to look and feel their very best.  Bridal season, prom time and during the holidays you will find Audrey busily working in her shop to make sure that you are ready for your big day.  

Audrey was tired of trying to find a shampoo that she loved, one that made her hair feel healthy and looking good without using a lot of chemicals and fillers.  She came across a company that helped her develop her own hair care product line.  Small Town Bliss is the label and she carries shampoo and conditioner (for both moisturizing and volume), hair spray, amplifying foam, everyday miracle treatment, amethyst oil-which helps with hydration and frizzy hair and illusionist spray.

Chantel Lawson, the nail technician, worked first at Keystone. She stayed with Audrey through the changes and came to Small Town Bliss.   Chantel stays very busy with her nail art which is incredibly popular and pedicures which she also does.   She is obsessive about keeping her area very clean and professional.  She sterilizes her instruments right next to her station and sterilization is done between each client.

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to have Small Town Bliss and Audrey and her wonderful staff partnering with us in the Antwerp Community. 

Spotlight on Paragon Tempered Glass Specialists 

Paragon Tempered Glass is a specialty custom glass fabricator. Based in Antwerp, OH the business began in 1977 in Paulding, OH in a horse barn by brothers George and Don Rhonehouse. Their father, George Sr, had worked with the famous Harold McMaster, the inventor of tempered glass. Fortune 500 magazine called Mr. McMaster “The Glass Genius”. Mr. McMaster was from the Henry County area and graduated from Defiance College and The Ohio State University. Tempered glass is widely used around the world and almost everyone has benefitted and observed the world through this amazing invention.  

Within the first year of business, the Rhonehouse brothers were given the opportunity to build a tempering furnace for a customer. In 1978, due to lack of space for this furnace, the site was moved to Antwerp and the original building still exists in the northeast corner of the complex. In 1980, the business was purchased by Glasstech, Inc. out of Perrysburg. During the next decade the company experienced steady growth, turning out quality products and gaining the respect throughout the industry. This growth was spurred by the surging recreational vehicle industry in Elkhart Indiana where 80% of the RV’s in the US are manufactured.  By 1987 the company boasted almost $13 million in sales and employed 200. The plant grew in stages during this time but by the end of the 1980’s the competition for this glass tempering became intense. It was at this time that Glasstech decided to focus on building tempering furnaces. In 1990, the company changed its name to Spec Temp- specializing in fine tempered glass.  Spec Temp focused on cutting edge equipment and became ISO: 9002 certified in 1995. Since then the company has gone through several plant renovations and multiple owners until it merged with Tem-Pace, located in Niles, MI., in 2012 and became known as Paragon Tempered Glass. 

Paragon produces both flat and bent tempered glass as well as insulated glass, to meet the demands for strength, thermal and aesthetic quality glass products. You can find tempered glass in architectural doors and windows, vending machines and laboratory equipment, solar panels, refrigeration, food service equipment, home appliances, shower enclosures and aquariums. You can find it in aircrafts, boats, construction, ATV, military and agricultural equipment as well as cars, truck caps, heavy duty trucks and limousines. All glass is made and sold in the U.S.  

“What separates us from our competition is our customer service and timeliness.” stated Dan Wright, President of Paragon Tempered Glass. Paragon prides themselves in providing quality glass products and on-time performance. They have scored a 98% in customer surveys and boast of nearly 40 years’ experience in glass fabrication and each product is reinforced by their product warranty. Quality is measured on 3 levels including: customer satisfaction, on-time delivery and defect rate which is monitored by the in-house quality lab.  

Paragon has a second plant in Niles, Michigan employing 87. It is smaller than the Antwerp facility which employs 104 people. Paragon runs three shifts and they are always looking for quality, creative and independent thinking workers that desire to work close to home. Paragon offers health insurance, profit sharing and cross training. The administration is committed to investing in this plant ($3 million in capital investments over the last 3 years) and look forward to being part of the community for a long, long time. A commitment to this plant is a commitment to the Antwerp community.  

We, the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce, look forward to working with Paragon Tempered Glass for many years to come.  

In 1964, William S. Bricker, DDS opened a dental office at 203 S. Cleveland St. in Antwerp.  As he approached retirement, he began looking for a like-minded provider to take over his practice. This person had to be someone who was comfortable working in a small town, would carry on the practice that he had built, and would come to love this small town as much as he did. Lucky for Dr. Bricker’s patients, and the residents of Antwerp, he found that provider in Sarah Mowery. As Sarah took over the business, the name became Sarah J. Mowery, DDS.  

Sarah had grown up with many dental issues of her own, some of them good and some of them not so good. She knows firsthand how important is it to have a good relationship with your dentist and she genuinely wants to provide a positive experience for her patients. After completing her undergraduate studies at Butler University, she continued her studies and graduated from the Indiana University School of Dentistry in 2008. Eventually she, along with her husband Tyson, took advantage of the opportunity presented to them and moved to Antwerp where they live with their two daughters, Annabelle and Lillian. 

Sarah and her team specialize in beautifying smiles, maintaining your dental health and helping you improve your appearance. Whether you need a veneer, crown, filling or bridge, they promise to make your teeth look as good as or better than the teeth that Mother Nature gave you. You can expect them to spend much individual time with you, educating you on good oral hygiene and addressing any concerns you or your family may have. They strive to provide a stress-free environment and you can expect to hear her staff and their patients laughing during their dental appointment as it happens multiple times each day.  This is exactly the reason people travel from Fort Wayne, Toledo, Lima and Indianapolis to her practice right here in Antwerp. 

Sarah is most proud of her staff because they are the “salt of the earth” type of women who care about their patients and their well-being.  They have all been in the chair and they know how it feels and how stressful it can be.  None of them EVER want to be the reason that a child or an adult are afraid to come back to the dentist.

Sarah also enjoys working with children, often treating children as young as a few months. Children should begin seeing a dentist at age 1 or when their first tooth comes in.  Many times, these visits are done with the child sitting on the mother’s lap in the dentist chair. She loves to coach anxious children through their fears and leave the office with bright happy smiles. Sarah likes to tell the story of when she was a child and was having some crown work done. When her dentist pulled his hands out of her mouth, his gloves were red. Having some unhappy experiences in the past, Sarah was concerned about all of the red. Her dentist told her that when the crown is put on, it turns your spit red for a short time. Well, that settled that!

She appreciates when the whole family is involved in healthy dental habits. She believes that if everyone in the household is on board with good dental hygiene habits, then great smiles will come easily. 

One of the new investments that the Mowery’s have made in the practice was the purchase of a Solea CO2 laser unit. The laser makes it possible to cut or vaporize many types of tissue around the teeth and gums to perform reliably anesthesia free treatments that help to make patients more comfortable during procedures. Blood free, suture free, and pain free treatments make fillings, root canals and biopsies extremely easy and with a shorter recovery time. Lasers are used to remove decay within a tooth prior to a filling procedure. Lasers are also used to reshape gums and remove bacteria during root canals. 

One other aspect of Sarah’s business is the identification and release of tongue-tie. Tongue-tie is a hereditary condition marked by thickening or tightening of the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth thus restricting the movement of the tongue. A tongue-tie can often be the reason that some babies have difficulty breast feeding. Tongue-tie can also cause improper speech development, especially with articulating the letters “r” and “l”. A tongue-tie is treated by a minor surgical procedure called a frenectomy that can be performed quickly, with a laser, in the dentist office.

The dentistry can also make custom mouth guards for sports activities. A mold is cast from a soft rubber/gum-like material that the person bites into. After the cast hardens it will be put into a machine that will heat a clear or colored rubberized plastic and then vacuum fit to the cast so it is always a perfect fit! Companies or schools can even have their logo formed into the mouth guard at the same time, completely customized for the end user!

One tip that she wants to share with you to improve your experience is do not lie about flossing! They know and they can tell from the other side of the room whether or not you are a flosser. 

One little known secret about the field of dentistry that most of you do not know is that Gatorade, energy drinks, and soda pop are nearly as corrosive as battery acid! It doesn’t take long or with much exposure to damage teeth and cause other health problems with these drinks.

Sarah J. Mowery, DDS is a member of the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce, which seeks the betterment of the community through strong businesses such as this. If you would like to know more about the Antwerp Chamber, please visit our Facebook page. If you would like to join, email at antwerpchamber@gmail.com

Sarah wants to leave you with this: Life is short, smile while you still have your teeth!