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Batteries Get Second Life with ACEnet Tenant!
ACEnet tenant, the Center for the Creation of Cooperation (CCC), with design help from Ohio University mechanical engineering students is working on a system for salvaging lithium ion batteries and turning their still-working components into a new battery system. The CCC's RePower Second Life Lithium Ion Battery Reuse Program is also collaborating with ARECC (Appalachian Renewable Energy Consumer Coops). This program could keep batteries from laptops and household power tools out of landfills by extricating the good cells from the battery and repackaging them in a new battery pack.
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Photo courtesy of RePower Network
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Existing lithium ion battery packs have individual power cells that are permanently connected, but the pack is only as strong as its weakest power cell. Therefore, when one cell goes bad, the battery becomes unusable and is often discarded. The CCC envisions a system for cracking open discarded or recycled lithium ion batteries, salvaging the good cells, and repackaging them into a new pack that can be easily opened so cells can be replaced. These RePower packs would be available at roughly the same initial cost as standard battery packs, and operating costs would be lower since future replacements would be of individual cells instead of full packs.
The CCC is collaborating with Ohio University's Recycling and Zero Waste initiative to collect spent lithium ion batteries from cordless power tools and laptops for research and building product prototypes. The CCC also has a battery drop-off station here at ACEnet, where their office is housed.
For full story, check out the OHIO News page!
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Nelsonville Sees New Restaurant Open
The newest restaurant in Nelsonville, Ohio, Starbrick BBQ, specializes in consistent smoked meats, house-made sides, rubs, & sauces. Husband and wife team, Chris and Missy Holley, started Starbrick BBQ as a food truck business in 2016 to share their love of BBQ. After a few years of catering events and festivals, they decided to open a brick and mortar restaurant in Nelsonville, renovating the space that was previously occupied by Buddy's Burritos, Burgers, & Fries.
Set to debut the first week of March 2020, Starbrick was almost immediately faced with challenges a little unusual for a new restaurant. Covid-19 was just beginning to make its presence known in Ohio, and three weeks into Starbrick BBQ's being open for business, all Ohio restaurants were ordered to close except for carry out or delivery.
After being closed for three weeks, Starbrick BBQ re-opened for carry out and have been going strong since.
"Nelsonville & our followers from our food truck have been so awesome. They have been so supportive since the very beginning & continued through Covid-19. We are happy to have such loyal customers" said Missy, when asked about how Starbrick was faring in these challenging times.
Initially postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Nelsonville Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00am on Tuesday, June 30th, kicking off Starbrick's Official Grand Opening Week event with daily specials and drawings for prizes.
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ACEnet Wood Manufacturing Center
 Our region is experiencing a resurgence of small businesses within the wood products sector, capitalizing on our rich traditions and natural resources.
Did you know that ACEnet opened a
Wood Manufacturing Center in our Nelsonville Business Campus in 2017 in order to strengthen these small businesses? Setting aside more than 1,200 square feet of secured space, the center hosts regional wood manufacturing businesses in need of space and expensive equipment. By providing this space and
shared equipment, woodworkers can start up or expand their businesses without the large initial cost of equipment while they operate in the low-cost environment of our business incubator!
Equipment List: Steff Power Feeder; Jet Shaper; Grizzly 37" Drum Sander; Jet 20" Planer; Apollo Sprayer; Jet Belt Sander; SawStop 10" Industrial Table Saw; Laguna Band Saw; Dust Dog & Jet Dust Collectors. Also available, Warehouse Storage, Loading Docks & Garage Entrance next to Wood Manufacturing Center.
The creation of the center was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office and our matching general revenue funds.
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The Local Solution
It was just for such a time as this that ACEnet was launched 35 years ago. A time when local small businesses would be the backbone of our region and a strong, local food system would exist to help deal with shortages and issues of food safety. And so, here we are on the front lines working to help small businesses find the resources to stay in operation and provide our community with essential products and services. We have been offering our technical support to help these businesses access the Small Business Administration loan programs and to understand all the various relief programs. Likewise, our Food Ventures Center has been a consistent, safe, place where local food producers are working their hardest for you and your neighbors to produce food. For example, Butcher's Bites beginning their Fuel the Frontline initiative which has provided over 300 free meals to those fighting in the COVID trenches, and a new small business, MADE, which began providing healthy meals for a local recovery house.
Now, as things are reopening in phases, we are engaging in increased food safety trainings with our local and regional restaurants as they begin to open their doors within the new guidelines. We are working hard to deliver trainings through new virtual platforms and even some in-person trainings for people without broadband access. We are helping new clients enter new markets and work on new products, some who are even producing hand sanitizer at ACEnet. And we are starting to look at new ways to use our
Food and Farm Enterprise Center to increase local meat production and take pressure off of our clients as demand for their products increase.
In such a time as this, ACEnet needs your support to increase our reach and services for our small businesses and our local food system, including our farmers, food producers, and restaurants. This is a
critical time to help us as we continue our work to further develop these essential services and products, and increase the level of food safety in the coming weeks and months. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution in support of your community through Paypal,
https://tinyurl.com/support-acenet-2020, to enhance food safety right here in our region. If you'd like to help, but not online, you can also mail a check to ACEnet at 94 Columbus Road, Athens, OH 45701. This moment is the reason ACEnet is still working. This moment is why your support is greatly needed.
For such a time as this.
Sincerely,
Larry G. Fisher
Executive Director
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Journey with Horses
Ohio's Winding Road Stories: Journey with Horses, LLC. Winston Churchill once said, "There is something about the outside of the horse that is good for the inside of a man." Vickie Ball-Seiter is among those who believe in a horse's ability to comfort and act as a source of respite for humans. Journey with Horses is an avenue to help facilitate experiences--both with and without horses--that allow people to cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, self-discovery, and mindfulness.
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Executive Director Opportunity
The the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia (ORCA), a council of governments established to manage cross-boundary outdoor recreation in Southeast Ohio, is now accepting applicants for the position of Executive Director. Please see the attached job posting for full details and share with anyone who may be interested.
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Need A Licensed Facility for Processing Meat or Veggies?
Well you're in luck! ACEnet's Food & Farm Enterprise Center in Nelsonville is open for business! Process your meats and/or your veggies for retail, wholesale, etc. in adjacent rooms and take advantage of ACEnet's packaging and labeling space! Contact ACEnet's Food Ventures Coordinator, Adam Kody, for more info! AdamK@acenetworks.org or 740-249-1125
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ACEnet's Meat Processing Room
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So You Want to Start a Business?
The first step is creating a business plan. You can download our free business plan template from our website's home page!
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Did You Know?
Did you know that Kroger has a community rewards program much like Amazon Smile? If you sign up for Kroger Community Rewards & designate ACEnet as your nonprofit of choice they'll donate a percentage of the money you spend on groceries to us!
You may need to renew your choice if it's been a while. Go to Kroger Community Rewards and search for ACE NET (needs to have the space), after you choose us, Kroger donates to us every time you shop!
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94 Columbus Rd, Athens, OH 45701
740-592-3854
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Sincerely
