It’s not unusual to see Mark Nelson at work on the streets of Steubenville, looking for ways to improve the city.
In addition to helping to lead the way in successful projects such as the Nutcracker Village and Advent Market, which has quickly become a Christmas tradition in the area around Historic Fort Steuben, and the downtown Eggsibition, which was launched this year and will run through Mother’s Day, Nelson is involved in the Steubenville Revitalization Group and runs a successful business, Nelson Fine Arts and Gifts.
Those efforts helped him to earn the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance’s 2017 Small Business Excellence Award. The honor was presented during EODA’s 27th-annual meeting April 28 at the Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek.
More than 30 employees work out of his manufacturing and graphic design company, which was founded in 1994 and moved into its current location, the former Lincoln School building on Lincoln Avenue, in 2010. Its specialties include religious art and inspirational plaques as well as custom framing.
The Nelson family played a large role in making Steubenville a nutcracker capital, designing and crafting the more than 100 life-sized nutcrackers that are on display from mid-November through the first week in January. The attraction drew more than 20,000 people to Steubenville this past season, a boost in tourism that helped local businesses and retailers. In the meantime, the Nelson family has created two new businesses, Dosselmeyer’s Nutcracker Shoppe and the Steubenville Popcorn Co.
This was not the first time EODA has recognized area businesses and organizations. The nonprofit, which works to promote economic growth in 16 counties, honored Bully Tools, located in the Jefferson County Industrial Park, in 2011; Cryogenic Construction, located in Mingo Junction, in 2012; and the Irondale operation of C.A. Joseph, a supplier to the mausoleum industry, and Historic Fort Steuben in 2013.
Judy Bratten, executive director of the fort, joined with Steubenville Mayor Domenick Mucci and Evan Scurti, executive director of the Jefferson County Port Authority, to nominate Nelson for this year’s award.
All pointed in their nominations to Nelson’s efforts to increase tourism and show that manufacturing is still a viable business in the area.
It’s an award that is well-deserved, and one that Nelson — and the community — should be proud of.
From Herald-Star | May 10, 2017
