The new Goodwill facility just north of Chillicothe was showcased Wednesday. The building at 1285 Industrial Drive in Gateway Industrial Park was the site for the Chamber’s monthly “Business After Business” on June 19th, 2024. Tours of the 50,000-square-foot building showed the meeting rooms, training rooms, and large warehouse / work area.
Marvin Jones, CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central Ohio, explained that in December they moved in, after struggling with COVID construction delays.
Jones said he has been leading the Goodwill division for 8 1/2 years, and from the start wanted to consolidate their facilities. He said 50 to 60 people work in the building, with a total of 250 on the payroll across eight counties in this division of Goodwill.
The public is familiar with the Goodwill stores, but the stores support the mission to partner “with individuals with disabilities and challenges to help them lead the lives they envision.”
One major new service they have developed is child care. Jones said they opened one at their Western Avenue store that now serves 35 children in Ross County…and will be doubling its size in two to three months. Another child care is planned to open in McArthur in September or October.
Jones said Goodwill will also open a second Athens County store, in Nelsonville, in August.
Goodwill also offers two free opportunities: trailers for donors to load up large amount of items on their site, and the Chillicothe conference room for groups who need meeting space.
Hear Jones in his own words in the interview video in the article on the Scioto Post. Goodwill Industries of South Central Ohio has a website and Facebook page.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.