The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

NW Ohio Welch Trophy buys new building

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy will be more than doubling its space with its purchase of the former Dilly Door building at 1034 Westwood Drive, and the city’s Revolving Loan Fund is helping fund the purchase.

Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy owner Rob Welch (right) signs a city Revolving Loan Fund contract on Tuesday while Mayor Don Farmer looks on. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)
Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy owner Rob Welch (right) signs a city Revolving Loan Fund contract on Tuesday while Mayor Don Farmer looks on. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Rob Welch, owner of Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy, signed papers Tuesday for a $100,000 loan, the maximum given out by the Revolving Loan Fund program.

Welch said the new building, which has 7,200 square feet of space, provides significant more room for his business than the current 3,000-square-foot location on South Washington Street, with a larger showroom and twice the workspace of the current building.

“The location’s great,” Welch said, noting that he’s glad to be making the move after 15 years in the community, rather than having to do so as a new business.

“Everybody knows who we are now,” Welch said.

As part of the Revolving Loan Fund contract, Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy must add four new employees from low- to moderate-income levels over the next two years. Welch said two of those were hired on Monday to handle new work he has gotten, while he plans to hire another screen printer and a folder in the near future. The additional screen printer would work exclusively on a big contract Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy recently acquired.

“We’re doing a lot more work,” Welch said of the need for more employees and a bigger building.

He said there is some remodeling required yet to do before he can move into the new building, but noted he hopes to have the building ready for opening by May 1.

POSTED: 04/01/15 at 7:29 am. FILED UNDER: Business, News