ProVia Door buys former newspaper building in New Philadelphia

Aug 22, 2023

Building materials producer ProVia will add a 70,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility to its operations in Tuscarawas County.

The company recently purchased the former office printing plant of the Times-Reporter newspaper in New Philadelphia. The property was sold at auction for $1.41 million by Gannett, owner of the newspaper.

More:A look at the history and growth of ProVia Door.

Putman Properties, based in Jackson Township, worked with Ten-X and Bell Cornerstone on the the online auction, which attracted a number of bidders. About a half dozen prospective buyers toured the facility before the auction, said Wick Hartung, a broker and co-owner at Putman properties.

The building, which was constructed in 1975, has 20,000 square feet of office space and a 50,000-square-foot area for industrial use.

ProVia is based in Sugarcreek and has several facilities in the region, as well as in Mississippi. The company makes entry doors, windows, siding and stone products. More than 1,600 people work for ProVia.

The company started in 1977 when Bill Mullett and his brother bought a business that manufactured and sold aluminum windows and storm doors. Mullett purchased Sugarcreek Window & Door in 1995 and renamed the business Precision Entry.

In 2002, the company added an automated glass insulating line and formed Monarch I.G. The three businesses combined as ProVia Door in 2007.

The property in New Philadelphia will support continued growth of the company, Joe Klink, director of corporate relations, wrote in an email. The company still is in the planning process and excited about the possibilities this facility holds in relation to ProVia's growth, Klink wrote.

Messages seeking additional information were left with ProVia.

Gannett plans to have the Times-Reporter offices relocate to another building in the Dover-New Philadelphia area.

A split tapered roller bearing designed by Timken Co. for the main shaft of wind turbines has been included as a 2021 R&D 100 award winner.

R&D World magazine presents the awards and Timken's bearing was included in the mechanical and materials category.

More:R&D Magazine's review of Timken's split tapered roller bearing for wind turbine shafts.

More:A look at split tapered roller bearings made by Timken.

A split tapered roller bearing is made in two halves that are wrapped around the shaft in a machine. The split bearing can be replaced easier because it can be fitted without requiring access to the end of a shaft.

Ryan Evans, Timken's director of research and development, said the company's employees applied their "innovative problem-solving capabilities" to develop the split tapered roller bearing for wind turbines.

Timken has invested heavily in research and development to build manufacturing, engineering and testing capabilities that reinforce its position in renewable energy, the company said in a news release. The company has customers in the wind and solar markets. In 2020, renewable energy represented 12% of the company's sales and was the largest end-market sector.

The R&D 100 awards recognize promising new products, processes, materials and software. A panel of judges from around the world recognize new innovations based on technical significance, usefulness and uniqueness.

Mike Davidson has been named president and chief executive officer of Buehler's Fresh Foods.

Davidson moves into the new job on Jan. 2, taking over from Dan Shanahan who announced his retirement in early November.

Davidson joined Buehler's in 2015 as executive vice president of store operations, and most recently served as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He participated in the management buyout of Buehler's in 2017 that created an employee stock ownership plan for the company.

In a press release announcing the change, Shanahan said of Davidson: "He's had a significant impact on the success of our company and our culture. We are confident that he has the leadership skills to take Buehler's to the next level."

Based in Wooster, Buehler's operates 14 supermarkets, including stores in Jackson Township and Green. It also has seven liquor agencies, an outside catering business, coffee shops and a food truck named Ferris.

Real estate agencies closed fewer sales in October, according to numbers released by the Ohio Realtors.

The number of properties sold statewide slipped 1.4% in October when compared with 2020 sales, the association said. Statewide, 15,731 properties were sold, compared with 15,949 sold last year.

Members of the 23-county MLS Now region, with includes Stark and neighboring counties, reported selling 5,497 properties, down 4.4% from 5,749 sold in October 2020.

So far this year, total sales remain ahead of 2020 numbers. Statewide, 141,823 properties have been sold, a 5.1% increase from 134,948 sold last year. in The MLS Now region, agents have sold 47,966 properties this year, a 4.5% gain from 45,885 units sold in 2020.