Hartville, Canal Fulton among new spots for Almost Heaven Ice Cream
Almost Heaven Ice Cream is doubling its size.
A third location opened at the end of February in Hartville. And the family-owned business hopes to have a fourth location open later this year in Canal Fulton after acquiring Oser’s Dairy & Deli.
The sites are an addition to the original Almost Heaven locations at 6590 Middlebranch Ave. NE in Plain Township and the second site at 2154 Beechwood Ave. in Alliance.
The string of ice cream parlors started in 2007 when Todd Truax opened the first location next door to Sonshine Medical, a medical equipment business the Truax family owns.
The ice cream business started expanding five years ago when the Truax family bought property in Alliance to build a second location. They also built a new store in Hartville at 624 S. Prospect St.
Jared Truax, Todd’s son, said the family decided to build in Hartville because it’s a destination town that draws people from outside the area for shopping.
“It’s a good, local community,” he said.
Plans were to open the Hartville location in early January, but supply chain issues delayed construction, Jared Truax said. The company had to wait on building supplies and equipment, he said.
It’s anticipated that supply chain delays will be a factor in getting the Canal Fulton location ready, Jared Truax said. He hopes to start work soon to convert from Oser’s to the Almost Heaven theme, but expects it could be the end of summer before the location is ready to serve ice cream.
Canal Fulton Mayor Joe Schultz said the city’s Historic Preservation Commission will work with Almost Heaven on plans. Canal Fulton officials want to ensure there aren’t drastic changes to buildings in the historic downtown district.
According to county records, the building dates to 1890, while Oser’s has been operating there since 1954.
Schultz is happy to see Almost Heaven invest in downtown Canal Fulton.
“We expect they’ll be a good business partner for the community,” he said.
Jared Truax said the shop expects to maintain some of the 68 years of Oser’s Dairy history.
“We don’t want to lose all of the heritage,” he said.
Until then, Almost Heaven’s more than 20 ice cream flavors and other treats are available at the Plain Township, Hartville and Alliance locations.
Ice cream makes folks happy and Jared Truax said he enjoys serving happy customers.
“That’s the best part of the business,” he said.
Diebold Nixdorf, McDonald’s Germany expand IT service agreement
McDonald’s Germany and Diebold Nixdorf have expanded their IT service partnership agreement.
The new agreement has Diebold Nixdorf installing and providing maintenance for equipment in new and upgraded restaurants at McDonald’s Germany. The chain has more than 1,430 locations.
It marks another milestone in the collaboration between the companies, which has seen Diebold Nixdorf self-service terminals and payment transaction technology. Diebold Nixdorf’s equipment helps the restaurant chain meet German security regulations for point-of-sale systems.
Diebold Nixdorf and McDonald’s Germany have worked together for many years, and expanding the agreement was a logical step, especially because customer expectations for technology have grown in recent years, Nicolas von Sobbe, vice president for technology at McDonald’s Germany, said in a press release.
415 Group opens Alliance office
Accounting and business services firm 415 Group has opened an office in Alliance.
The Jackson Township certified public accounting, business consulting and IT services firm said it added the office at 960 W. State St. to better serve customers in Alliance, Louisville, Minerva, Salem and Sebring.
Joining 415 Group as tax director and leader of the Alliance office is Marcie Curry, who has 20 years experience in accounting.
Housing sales flatten
The number of properties sold in Ohio during February matched housing sales in February 2021, the Ohio Realtors reported.
Real estate agents around the state reported selling 9,382 residences during February, the same number as last year. The average price on the properties increased by 11.9% to $235,359, the organization said.
Real estate agents in MLS Now, which includes Stark and 22 other Northeast Ohio counties, reported selling 3,201 units in February, up less than 1% from 3,183 sold during the same period last year. The average price increased 11.2% to $204,625.
During the first two months, real estate agents in the MLS Now group reported selling 6,592 residences, up 2.2% from 6,447 in 2021. Statewide, agents have sold 18,897 units, up less than 1% from 18,776 sold last year.
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