Ohio creamery finds success with broadband

Having affordable access to high-speed Internet can help small businesses succeed. The Snowville Creamery in Meigs County is one such business.

Before June 2008, the creamery had access to dial-up Internet only. Day-to-day business duties were much more difficult. An Athens-based Internet provider expanded into their area and the creamery hasn’t been the same since.

According to Victoria Taylor, an owner of the creamery, sales have doubled each year since they received high-speed Internet access.

“Our business is all distribution and logistics. We wouldn’t be around without it,” said Taylor. “I don’t know how we would survive. We just wouldn’t.”

The creamery first opened its doors with three employees. They now have twenty-five. Taylor says Snowville Creamery is projected to earn $3 million in gross milk sales this year.

“All of our orders are placed through the Internet,” said Taylor. “We’re now even marketing online.”

Snowville Creamery supplies the cream for Columbus-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. They sell the most milk for Whole Foods stores located in Ohio. Snowville Creamery milk is also distributed through Cleveland-based Heinen stores, as well as used in various restaurants and coffee shops throughout the state.

Available Wi-Fi Keeps Meigs County Firefighters Trained and Working

Many areas of Ohio are still in the midst of the digital divide – and emergency services personnel are no exception.

A volunteer fire department in Bashan, Ohio felt the brunt of the divide when firefighters began losing their certification.

“Three lost their fire certification because they had no Internet here and the certification had to be completed online,” said Luck McDaniel, a Bashan volunteer firefighter.

Though the fire station housed one computer and had dial-up Internet access, McDaniel said the Internet capabilities were “not functional, wouldn’t download and took forever”. He approached the Wireless Internet Service Provider for the area, New Era Broadband, for any possible solutions.

David Hannum, with New Era Broadband, LLC, explained Bashan’s predicament.

“Point-to-Multipoint [Wireless Connectivity] has limitations due to terrain and foliage. You cannot get the signal over or around hills and into hollows directly most of the time,” he said.

Bashan is located in a low-lying area surrounded by elevated forest terrain.

New Era Broadband found a cost effective way to relay the Wi-Fi signal from one of their Access Point’s to a siren tower, then directly to a receiver atop the fire department’s building. With the help of Bart Winegar, Technical Outreach Manager for Connect Ohio, a partial grant provided by the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, the Meigs County Community Investment Corporation and New Era Broadband, the Bashan Volunteer Fire Department now has free broadband service.

“Now we can communicate with the State. Our firefighters are in compliance and staying in touch,” said McDaniel.

Winegar said, “This is an example of how a community can come together in a private/public collaboration to solve last-mile broadband issues.”

The relay system also offers high-speed Internet access to nearby residences. New Era Broadband can currently serve ten homes within 1000 feet of the siren tower. The company is planning some upgrades, which would increase that number to thirty.
New Era Broadband is also using the Bashan relay method as a pilot for other parts of their coverage area.