Buckeye Reporter

(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced that 18 East Palestine businesses will receive a total of more than $3.3 million in forgivable loans to assist with their recovery from February’s train derailment. 

"The strong business community here in East Palestine is more than just the backbone of the local economy, it's the heart and soul of this town,” said Governor DeWine. “By supporting these businesses, we’re giving them the tools to recover and restore jobs, services, and the vibrancy of their community.” 

The 18 businesses receiving Emergency Support Program loans are: 

• Strohecker Incorporated - $965,145.97
• Fuller Hardware Inc - $3,107.87  
• TRIPCO, LLC - $150,000.00  
• Ohio Valley Foods, Inc. - $566,127.76  
• Columbiana Sanitation Industries CSI  - $62,250.00  
• McKim's Honeyvine LLC - $37,400.50  
• Medart, Inc. - $526,083.36  
• Brave Industries LLC - $134,500.00  
• Cardinal Welding, Inc. - $232,021.76  
• Bea's Insurance Agency, LLC - $36,518.00  
• Linsley-Royal Funeral Home - $160,683.50  
• Gorby's Grocery, Inc.  - $97,721.25  
• Hardcastle Realty, LLC - $80,066.76  
• Enchanted Salon, LLC - $18,871.50  
• 1820 House, LLC- $66,531.25  
• DAH Realty, LLC - $95,202.00  
• EPO2, LLC - $15,162.00  
• Bush Heating, LLC - $87,774.00 

“The economic health of East Palestine relies on the resilience of its businesses,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “The impact of these loans goes beyond dollars and cents – it’s about positioning these businesses for recovery and long-term success.” 

The loans were approved through the Ohio Department of Development’s East Palestine Emergency Support Program, which launched in August to provide loans to businesses impacted by the train derailment. Businesses are eligible to apply for 0% interest, forgivable loans ranging from $10,000 to $1 million to assist with ongoing expenses and recovery efforts. In total, $5 million was made available for the program.  

The loans are forgivable if utilized for payroll, employee benefits, rent or mortgage payments, utility expenses, worker protection, or inventory replacement expenses related to the train derailment.  

“These loans are an important step to getting our community back to normal and making sure that our businesses are taken care of,” said Mayor Trent Conaway. “It’s good to know that the state has our back as we continue on the path to recovery as a community.”  

Additional loan applications are currently under review by the Ohio Department of  Development. Eligible Ohio businesses can still apply for a loan through the online application available at development.ohio.gov/EastPalestine. For-profit and nonprofit Ohio businesses located within a two-mile radius of East Palestine that were operational on or prior to Dec. 1, 2022, are eligible to apply.  

The loan program was created in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly with funds from the Controlling Board Emergency Purposes/Contingencies Fund. 

For program notifications and status updates, subscribe for email updates. 

Original source can be found here.