В городе Northwood выдан первый в истории кредит на расширение центра речевой и эрготерапии

The city of Northwood’s Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) recently awarded a first-of-its-kind revolving loan to Beautiful Refinement, a pediatric speech and occupational therapy center, in recognition of communal needs. “It seemed like a win-win for us,” Dave Gallaher, the president of the CIC, said. “They’re at a point where they needed a little bit of help to expand, and they had the potential to expand with that help, which will open the door for more therapy for kids. This is about helping a business that is actually servicing our residents and children. That was a big thing for us. It was something we have never done before, and we thought it was a real good place to start.” Nick Tammerine, the co-owner of Beautiful Refinement alongside his wife Chelsea, said the firsthand experience his family had with their son, Greyson, needing speech therapy services is what sparked the initial idea for the business. They started planning in the beginning of 2024, and they saw their first patient in February 2025. Greyson, now six-years-old, was three when his family was told he would need brain surgery to help with his genetic mutation. “After he had brain surgery, the neurosurgeon suggested that he get speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy,” Nick Tammerine said. After Nick and Chelsea called several speech therapy centers in northwest Ohio, the problem they continued to face was waiting nine-to-12 months for Greyson to get the care he needed. “My wife and I said, ‘If a three-year-old who just had brain surgery can’t get speech therapy services quickly, then that tells us that there are a bunch of other kids out there that can’t get it either,’” Nick Tammerine said. “My background is in corporate restructuring, and Chelsea was a stay-at-home mom, and we just decided to start the therapy center because we saw a need in the community.” What originally began as a speech therapy center has expanded its services to those who are in need of other types of therapy as well. As a result of the loan awarded by the CIC, Beautiful Refinement is now able to put more energy into occupational therapy services. “We had a small occupational therapy offering (of) only a couple hours a week,” Tammerine said. “Now because of the loan, we were able to build an additional room within our facility that is strictly for occupational therapy. Now, we anticipate seeing 30 to 40 hours of kids a week.” Additionally, the loan has allowed for the purchase of more therapeutic materials for the facility. As a result of this, Tammerine said that not only will Beautiful Refinement be able to help more children, but the process of how they will help will be impacted as well. Knowing the experience of struggling to find timely assistance firsthand, Tammerine said this is what sets Beautiful Refinement apart from other therapy centers. “We run this as parents’ first and business owners second,” Tammerine said. “We’ve filled the shoes of the parents whose kids we are seeing, and we know what it’s like to have that sense of uncertainty, anxiety or fear of the unknown. We’ve lived it, and I really want to drive that home that if you’re looking for a place to be considered family, this is the place for you.” Depending on the success of this loan, Gallaher said the CIC will look to help other businesses in the city. “There are going to be really good companies who could use a loan that are a really good investment, but if we don’t have the capital to do that, then it’s just not going to happen,” Gallaher said. “We have to build that capital and put ourselves in a position to address needs as they come forward.” To learn more about Beautiful Refinement and the services they provide, visit BeautifulRefinement.com. The business is located at 500 Commerce Park Blvd., Unit A, in Northwood.