Darke County is saddened for the potential closure of FRAM who has been an employer in the county for numerous years and provided opportunities for employment to many of our residents. We are diligently working to find the ability to find another owner for the facility, but due to the bankruptcy process and the criminal activities of the previous owners it is a difficult task to communicate to who owns or has the ability to negotiate with to find another owner.
In the interim our Job & Family Services has activated the Rapid Response team as Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS) continues to try to make connections with the right folks at the Greenville plant to move forward. We as a county will make sure program availability remains unchanged or our mission is to provide support to those affected by the closure.
For those looking for alternative employment, our Job Center has job postings along with computers available to file weekly unemployment claims and applying for jobs online, job search and resume assistance, job interviewing, career coaching and training opportunities. OhioMeansJobs.com and hometownopportunity.com are great resources for available jobs. Reminder, unemployment eligibility is determined at the State level, but our local office can provide meaningful assistance to claimants. Also, each county has an OhioMeansJobs Center and folks can visit the location closest to them if they live outside of Darke County, but we serve everyone!
Another service available to citizens here in Darke County affected or otherwise is our Shared Harvest on the last Wednesday of the month at Radiant Lighthouse Church from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at Radiant Lighthouse, 5256 Sebring Warner Rd, Greenville, OH 45331. Along with food bank services at a few other facilities
around the county.
One thing about Darke County is when times get hard our residents pull together for each other. We will continue to work with FRAM, the Bankruptcy Court, Job & Family Services, Economic Development, and
the multiple villages and city here affected in Darke County to provide resources and opportunities as they become available.
