The 2018 Economic Development Award was presented to Arnold Machine for their recent 25,000 square foot expansion, creating 25 new jobs. Zach Arnold started Arnold Machine in a garage as a small custom machine shop, beginning with machining and fabricating, in 1994. The business grew quickly, and branched out into designing and manufacturing manufacturing systems in a 50,000 square foot building in the Northstar Industrial Park in Tiffin. The company now has more than a hundred customers throughout the United States, including Commercial Metals Company, Sonoco, Bridgestone, Cooper Tires, Libbey, Nucor, Whirlpool, Roush Fenway Racing, National Machinery, NISIN and SSC. Arnold is a Sentinel Career Center alum and still maintains a strong relationship with the career technology institution. Arnold serves on their business advisory council and hires on students through a work-study program, as well as a new three-phase employment program that starts students out working in their Junior year of high school and prepares them to be hired on upon graduation. More than 40% of the workforce at Arnold Machine are now Sentinel grads. In 2016, Arnold Machine announced a new, 25,000 square foot addition to their facility, adding 25 jobs. The expansion was built and completed, the space is full, and 11 of the 25 positions have been created and filled. Arnold has had a long relationship with SIEDC. In 1996, they purchased their first brand-new machine using the Revolving Loan Fund with SIEDC's assistance. Today, Zach Arnold serves on the SIEDC Board of Trustees. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvIQVSaFXAw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]   Economic Development Award criteria: A community based project that will significantly impact other development in the community. A project that underscores the commitment of the business or owners to the community. A project that eliminates a potential blight in the community. A project that brings recognition to the community and is imaginative.