E-Commerce Company Prepares to Open in Warren

WARREN, Ohio – JerkyXP will open a fulfillment center at the former location of the Warren Family Mission on Youngstown Road no later than the end of the month, the company’s co-founder says.

“We are 99.9% sure on the site,” Zach Zitney says.

Zitney co-founded the company, which sells premium jerky online, with his twin brother, Max, in 2012. The company is targeting the gaming market and is working on establishing distribution with gaming stores across the United States and Australia, according to a company news release. No job creation figures were projected in the announcement.

JerkyXP received a $100,000 from the Chase Mission Main Street program. The brothers wrote the grant while students at Ohio State University.

The company is using the funds specifically to create a center to provide a “second chance” for individuals who suffering from chemical additions and provide them a place to work “that doesn’t put them back in line for drugs and alcohol,” Zitney said.

The brothers met with representatives of the local recovery community, including First Step Recovery and the Sahara Club II.

“They have this whole program to become recovered but they don’t have a place to work,” Zitney said. “We thought this would be a great opportunity for us and for them.”

Zitney cited Mayor Doug Franklin and Councilman Vince Flask for their roles in helping bring the company to Warren.

“A job can be the difference in someone putting their life on track and falling back into a destructive pattern. Having a company that is willing to provide these opportunities is going to have a positive impact on the community and people’s lives,” Flask said.

“We believe that Warren is an attractive place for companies to do business. Economic development often happens one small business at a time and we are pleased to have companies like JerkyXP in Warren,” Franklin said.

Pictured: Zach and Max Zitney, co-founders of JerkyXP.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.