Ross Foundation Donates $4 Million to Lorain County Fair Board for the Construction of 55,000-Square-Foot Expo Center and Covered Horse Arena

January 10, 2023UncategorizedJanie Eyerman

The Ross Foundation, Inc. presents the first installment of a $4 million grant to the Lorain County Fair Board.

ELYRIA, Ohio – The Ross Foundation, Inc. announced today the approval of a $4 million grant to the Lorain County Fair for the construction and naming rights to a new exposition center and covered horse arena.

The expo center, to be named for the Ross Group of Companies, will be a climate-controlled facility with restrooms, office and shower space. The covered horse arena, measuring approximately 32,500 square feet, will be located at the site of the current horse arena on the west corner of the fairgrounds.

Bill Cromling III, co-chair of the Ross Foundation, said the foundation’s pledge will secure naming rights for years to come.

“We’re fortunate to be in a position to help usher in a new era for the Lorain County fair,” Cromling said. “This has always been a special place for our family and will continue to be for many years to come.”

Construction will begin this year. Both facilities are expected to be completed in time for the 2024 Lorain County Fair. The $4 million grant will be paid in installments over the next several years as part of an overall project valued at approximately $12 million.

“This transformational project will bring the fairgrounds into a year-round resource for agricultural, sport and trade show venues,” said Rick Ternes, President of the Lorain County Senior Fair Board. “Having the ability to host large equine events, tournaments and trade shows will increase the viability of Wellington and Lorain County as a whole with an influx of tourism revenue.”

Ternes said the fair board has already been in touch with numerous civic and community organizations to utilize the new facilities most weekends throughout the year.

The project also includes the construction of a new 16,200-square-foot Junior Fair Cattle Barn.

About the Lorain County Fair

The Lorain County Fair is the largest tourist attraction in Lorain County and the second-largest fair in the state of Ohio. It is typically attended by more than 120,000 people every year. It is celebrating 176 years of annual fairs. After briefly pausing for the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in 2021.

About the Ross Foundation, Inc.

Ross Foundation, Inc. is the philanthropic arm of the Ross Group of Companies (Ross Environmental Services, Inc., Ross Incineration Services, Inc., Ross Transportation Services, Inc.). Ross Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our communities and addressing community needs by supporting programs that benefit education, health & wellness and economic development. The Foundation operates on the belief that business, as a corporate citizen, has a responsibility to play a meaningful role in the communities where it operates and draws its associates.

GALLERY: Ross Companies Host Holiday Open House

December 13, 2022UncategorizedJanie Eyerman

Associates mingled with community members at the Ross companies’ Holiday Open House in early December. Kids of all ages snacked on cookies, sipped drinks at the cocoa bar and wrote letters to Santa. Mr. and Mrs. Claus even attended the party, so children could personally deliver their letters to them.

Add in a balloon artist, face painting and magicians … and it was a special evening.

Can’t wait until next year!

The Ross Companies Partner with Lorain County Children Services for Caring Tree Initiative

December 2, 2022NewsJanie Eyerman

Every holiday season the Ross Group of companies partners with Lorain County Children Services to buy gifts for at-risk children in the area.

The 2022 holiday season will be no different.

More than 70 children in Lorain County will receive gifts purchased by Ross associates this year. The county provided a wish list for each child as part of the Caring Tree program. Associates fanned out to area malls and toy departments to retrieve the much-desired items. In many cases, associates went above and beyond what was asked.

They returned each present wrapped, ready to be opened.

The agency says the only gifts many of their children will receive this year are gifts provided by the community. As a public agency, they cannot use taxpayer money on holiday gifts.

If you want to participate, contact Lorain County Children Services at 440-329-5340.

2022 Holiday Open House Announced!

November 15, 2022NewsJanie Eyerman

Ross companies participate in Eaton Township’s “Dumpster Days” event

October 11, 2022NewsJanie Eyerman

Ross associates volunteered their time on a chilly October day to accept household hazardous waste from the Eaton Township community – a longstanding initiative that saw an increase in participation this year.

Eaton Township’s “Dumpster Days” event was held Oct. 1. Community members were free to use township services to discard trash, debris or unwanted furniture. Ross associates were on hand to accept potentially harmful substances like paint, pool chemicals, motor oil and pesticides. Substances were then disposed of with the proper care.

The Ross companies have participated in the event since 1993 and delivery numbers continue to rebound from the pandemic-level lows. Associates accepted 83 deliveries in 2022 compared to 73 the year before. Delivery numbers are indicative of pre-pandemic levels.

“We’ve participated in Eaton Township’s Dumpster Days for so many years,” said Pat Lawson, Vice President of Corporate Risk and Compliance. “. We have a great time interacting with our Eaton Township neighbors and doing something beneficial for the community and our environment.”

Ross Associates Donate Supplies to Midview Local Schools

September 6, 2022NewsJanie Eyerman

The Ross group of companies held its annual school supply donation drive in August. It culminated in the delivery of more than a dozen boxes of supplies to Midview Local Schools.

Supplies were distributed during the district’s back-to-school bash on August 24.

Have a great year, Middies!

PHOTOS: Lorain County Fair 2022

September 6, 2022NewsJanie Eyerman

For the first time ever, The Ross group of companies manned a booth at the Lorain County Fair.

Located in Building 17, associates took turns interacting with the public and getting the word out about job opportunities. A number of candidates have already been contacted! Oh, and we can’t forget about the Plinko board. Kids of all ages had opportunities to win lime green backpacks, personal misters, phone chargers and school supplies.

When we weren’t at the booth, we were buying livestock at the 4-H auction. Among our purchases:

Lamb (Grand Champion) from Rylee Howard (Saddle-Lites 4H Club)

Steer (Reserve Grand Champion) from Lukas Kowalski (Lorain County Steer Club)

Duck (Reserve Grand Champion) from Kyleigh Ryan (Sunset Riders)

Two market chickens from Maddelin Maclean (Desperados 4H Club).

One market chicken from Jason Urig (4-H Homegrowers)

A market rabbit from Daniel Hartung (4-Leaf Clovers 4-H Club)

We also raffled off tractor pull tickets to our employees. You could say it was a busy week.

Time to start planning for next year!

Ross Incineration Services is SHARP recertified

August 2, 2022UncategorizedJanie Eyerman

Ross Incineration Services is thrilled to announce its SHARP recertification.

SHARP, an acronym for “Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program”, is a voluntary safety program between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and companies across the U.S. to ensure proper safety systems and programs are in place. OSHA inspectors were invited onto the Ross Incineration premises to freely walk the grounds with associates. Inspectors look things over, offer suggestions and perform audits with the company’s commitment to correct any findings.

RIS received its last SHARP renewal in 2019, which was valid for three years. Renewing certification meant embarking on several separate audits over the course of many months. It was a company-wide effort. All shifts and departments were involved. Hourly associates spoke with inspectors in the field and department managers met with them in private meetings.

Inspectors were complimentary.

“Your efforts in providing a safe and healthful workplace for you and your employees are appreciated. We wish you continued success in all your endeavors as a continuing member of the Region V SHARP family,” OSHA said in a letter to Ross Incineration Services.

RIS will be up for recertification again in 2025.

Ross Incineration Services completes required stack testing

July 19, 2022UncategorizedJanie Eyerman

Ross Incineration Services recently completed required stack testing to demonstrate that the incineration system is operating in compliance with its permits and within regulatory emissions standards. The company must meet stringent standards set by both the United States and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), which are written into in its operating permits. These permits require Ross Incineration to conduct periodic testing, called a Comprehensive Performance Test (CPT), of its incineration and air pollution control system.

The performance test was conducted following methods approved by the U.S. and Ohio EPA. The test was designed to demonstrate that the incineration system meets regulatory emission standards while operating at maximum feed rates and worst-case conditions while burning waste received from Ross Incineration customers.

During the testing, an independent testing firm took samples from the gasses in the stack while the incinerator was operating. These samples are then sent to an EPA-approved laboratory for analysis. The results are then submitted to the EPA for their review. Ross Incineration anticipates the results of this testing will be available in the next 60 days.

Ohio EPA representatives were at the site to monitor and evaluate the process during the testing.

RIS is committed to protecting the environment by incorporating the best available waste management technology at its facility. Hazardous waste incinerators are the most stringently regulated combustion sources in the world, with standards more stringent than power plants and most manufacturing facilities.

Ross Incineration has safely conducted emission tests many times in its history. This testing has demonstrated how emissions from the facility have been reduced as the company has invested in new, more advanced equipment.

Ross Group to sponsor tractor pull at Lorain County Fair

July 1, 2022UncategorizedJanie Eyerman

The Ross Group of Companies is proud to sponsor the popular tractor pull events at the 176^th annual Lorain County Fair.

The Lorain County Fair is the second-largest county fair in Ohio. This year it will be held from Aug. 21 to Aug. 28. Tractor pull events will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that week. The Friday event serves as the NTPA Grand National Event.

The Ross companies have a long history of working with and sponsoring the Lorain County Fair. For many years, trash barrels have been provided to the fair board free of charge. Last year, for the first time, Ross associates participated in the Junior Fair Auction to benefit local 4-H students. Purchases included a duck, chickens, a goat, rabbit and a turkey. Most were donated back to the 4-Hers who showed them.

The first Lorain County Fair was held in 1846.