Fostoria business competition nixed

FOSTORIA — The 2025 edition of the LAUNCH Fostoria business competition has been scrubbed.Sarah Stephens Krupp, project administrator of the Fostoria Economic Development Corporation, said in a reply to an email from the Review Times on Thursday that the event would not take place.After a year off last year to start a new program, LAUNCH was planned for a return this year, with the finals scheduled for Aug. 15 in Fostoria's Market Square Park.In response to an email from the RT requesting an interview about LAUNCH, Stephens Krupp said by email that the event would not take place and she had no comment as to why.Stephens Krupp organized the first three LAUNCH competition, from 2021 through 2023 as the chamber/small business director prior to being named FEDC's project coordinator.Jocelyn Reinhart followed Krupp as chamber/small business director for two years and had been the media contact person for this year's planned LAUNCH event. In June, however, the chamber board of directors sent an email to chamber members saying that Reinhart's work as director had concluded.Neither Stephens Krupp nor FEDC President Renee Smith replied to a Review Times email seeking comment that day on Reinhart's departure."I appreciate you reaching out, but there is nothing to discuss at this time," Reinhart said in a text message to the Review Times on that day.The local LAUNCH competitions involved the competition's finalists addressing a crowd at Market Square Park and pitching his or hers prospective endeavor. Each year's champion received a prize package worth thousands of dollars in such areas as providing a paid lease for a year in a downtown storefront, legal advice and marketing tips.The first three winners, Jena Stearns of Beyond Laser Creations, Kristin VanCuren Koester of Calico Charlie's Candy & More, and Brent Hoerig of In the Axe, continue to run their downtown businesses.This year's winner was to receive a prize package valued at nearly $13,000.The job of chamber director was posted on website www.fostoriachamber.com on June 19, and the website says the application period has closed. No announcement on the new director has been made.