Hometown Apparel & Screen Printing, LLC, in collaboration with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), and the Greater Chillicothe and Ross County Development, today announced plans to expand its operations in Chillicothe, Ross County.
Founded in 2016, Hometown Apparel & Screen Printing is a manufacturer of apparel products based in Chillicothe. Hometown Apparel produces and designs apparel products for regional and local businesses. The company is based in downtown Chillicothe with retail locations on Main Street and at The Fort Collective. Hometown Apparel does have a digital presence for its products as well.
At this point, about 60 percent of the company’s products are manufactured by third parties. The goal of company ownership is to manufacture 100 percent of its products by expanding its in-house manufacturing operations. To accomplish this goal, Hometown Apparel will be renovating 2,000 square feet of its space in downtown Chillicothe and adding new automated equipment.
Hometown Apparel will be investing $305,000 in building renovations and the purchase of equipment. During the course of the next three years, the company will be creating six new jobs.
“We feel very fortunate for the generous resources made available to us by JobsOhio, OhioSE, and the Greater Chillicothe and Ross County Development,” said Ben Thomson, owner of Hometown Apparel & Screen Printing, LLC. “We are excited to expand our operations in the heart of our beautiful community. This expansion will not only aid us in providing more employment opportunities but also will help us to continue serving our growing customer base.
“We’re so excited for the future of our company and our community. At Hometown Apparel, we often say it’s ‘more than shirts.’ It is the people of our company, it is every customer that walks through the door and it is collaborating with our community. These are the things that matter most to us.”
JobsOhio supported the project with a $25,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant and Ohio Southeast Economic Development assisted the company with the grant process. The Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development Department will provide the company with connections to local service providers and training resources.
“Hometown Apparel is an important player in the renaissance of Chillicothe’s historic downtown district,” says Tammy Eallonardo, Director of Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development. “Their products promote hometown pride and they have turned their niche market into a thriving business. We are delighted to support their expansion and wish them continued success.”
The JobsOhio Inclusion Grant exists to provide financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state. Eligibility requirements for the program can be found at Inclusion Grant | JobsOhio.
“We certainly are thrilled to see another business growing in Ross County,” said OhioSE President Mike Jacoby. “We applaud Hometown Apparel for its decision to invest and grow in our region.
“Again, we were proud to partner with JobsOhio to provide assistance for this project. The JO Inclusion Grant is a tremendous tool for our organization to use when it comes to serving our 25-county region.”
Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) is the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern, eastern, and southeastern Ohio, providing economic development work and resources in 25 rural counties; they are the newest and geographically the largest of the six regions across the state. OhioSE partners closely with regional development districts, local economic development offices, state agencies, and other entities to expand, retain, and attract businesses in the counties they serve.
