YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Mark Lamoncha had “a pretty good inkling” ahead of time that he was going to be named National Small Business Person of the Year, Barb Ewing recalled.
Lamoncha, the president and CEO of Humtown Products in Columbiana, reached out to Ewing, CEO at YBI, before he headed down to Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s event, she said. He expected winning the award would give him the opportunity to speak directly with President Donald Trump and asked Ewing what he could do to help YBI, which manages the new Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense.
“He is passionate about helping us secure the funding that we need for the innovation hub, and I mean he is singular in that,” Ewing said. “In that moment, when he is meeting one of the most powerful people in the world, he is asking his friends how he can serve, and that is uniquely Mark.”
That kind of dedication to YBI and its mission led the organization’s board of directors to name the building currently known as Tech Block Building 5 after Lamoncha and his family, in recognition of their efforts on YBI’s behalf. The announcement was made at YBI’s Advanced Manufacturing User Expo last month.
“We wanted to recognize him, but after the SBA gives you an award, how much does an award mean after that?” she said. “We wanted to do something big and bold that really reflected our relationship with him and the family and the company.”
Lamoncha said he was “pleasantly surprised” to learn of YBI’s decision and “grateful for the relationships” that have developed in the building.
“The naming has less to do with where we’ve been but to where we’re going,” he said. “I always like to say that the fabric of success is rarely woven with a single thread. We have quite a solid fabric down there at Tech Block 5, so it was an honor, one not to be treasured as much as it is to be empowered to what else can we do?”
The YBI CEO credited Lamoncha as being “the impetus for us getting into the game of working directly with both government and industry partners” to support the commercialization of printed sand core technology, which led to securing additional funding through America Makes, broadening YBI’s relationships and deepening its understanding of the technology’s capabilities.
Additionally, when YBI acquired an XJET metal printer but didn’t have the space for it, she made one call to Lamoncha, who agreed to house it at Humtown.
“We keep finding something that we can help each other with,” Lamoncha said.
Looking to the future, the businessman said he sees new technologies emerging from synergistic relationships with various partners. Among those is adaptive manufacturing, which uses artificial intelligence and real-time sensor technology to provide information that can be used to adjust the manufacturing process.
Beyond the incorporation of the Lamoncha name, details remain to be finalized regarding the center’s official name, Ewing said. She expects a formal dedication event to take place in July or August.
“He has always been a supporter of YBI,” she said. “Even during very difficult times at Humtown, he still managed to find a way to financially support us. He truly just does embody the spirit of innovation, looking for new ways to do things better, and entrepreneurship and community leadership.”
Pictured at top: The Tech Block Building 5 in Youngstown.