ARDL Named Barberton Community Foundation’s 2026 Business or Organization Game Changer Award Recipient

Great Trail Council, Scouting America, and Ignite Brewing Company named 2026 Game Changer Award honorees.

BARBERTON, Ohio – Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL) has been selected as Barberton Community Foundation’s 2026 Game Changer Award recipient in the business or organization category for helping build a direct pathway from Barberton classrooms to careers in the polymer industry.

Through its partnership with Barberton City School District, ARDL has gone beyond introducing students to its industry. The company helped initiate and co-develop Barberton High School’s dual-credit polymer science course, contributing staff time, technical expertise, curriculum development, classroom demonstrations, facility visits, and hands-on learning experiences.

Fifteen students participated in the course during the 2025–26 school year, and 22 students are registered for the 2026–27 school year. ARDL has already hired two Barberton High School students from the 2025–26 course, demonstrating how the pathway can lead from classroom learning to local employment.

ARDL’s impact also extends beyond the students enrolled in the dedicated polymer course. Through its broader work with Barberton City School District, hundreds of students receive hands-on polymer experiences in chemistry classes and other courses. ARDL employees introduce students to industry equipment and processes, as well as the range of careers, training programs, and post-secondary opportunities available in the field.

“ARDL does more than tell students that careers in the polymer industry are available. They helped develop the curriculum, created hands-on learning opportunities, and built a pathway that has already led to jobs for two Barberton students,” said Josh Gordon, executive director of Barberton Community Foundation. “They saw an opportunity to connect education with local employment, and they stepped forward to help make it happen. That kind of partnership creates momentum for our students, our workforce, and our community. That is what makes ARDL a game changer.”

“ARDL is committed to the pursuit of knowledge and wanted to share this commitment with the Barberton community. For me, the Barberton High School class is just the tip of the iceberg; I would like to create a certificate program for polymer manufacturing and maintenance,” said Nicki Hershberger, V.P. of Technical Consulting at ARDL.

ARDL’s work advances the Foundation’s Workforce Development and Career Pathways strategic priority by connecting education, technical training, and employment. It also provides a model for how employers and educators can work together to prepare Barberton students and residents for stable, high-skill careers with strong earning potential and opportunities for advancement in a major regional industry.

“In my experience white-collar jobs are more mobile than skilled blue-collar jobs. Therefore, if you want an area to prosper you must focus on skilled blue-collar pathways. I believe that if we create a sustainable, skilled polymer manufacturing pathway for students and adults alike then businesses will come. When the businesses come Barberton and the surrounding communities will prosper,” Hershberger said.

ARDL was selected by Barberton Community Foundation’s Community Engagement Committee from three finalists in the business or organization category. The Game Changer Award recognizes businesses and organizations whose leadership, service, and influence have strengthened Barberton and created meaningful, lasting community impact.

Great Trail Council, Scouting America, and Ignite Brewing Company have been named 2026 Game Changer Award honorees in recognition of their significant contributions to Barberton.

This year, the Foundation expanded its awards program to recognize honorees, ensuring that exceptional nominees who rise to the top receive meaningful public recognition for their impact. Honorees remain eligible for future nomination.

Great Trail Council, Scouting America

Great Trail Council was named an honoree for its longstanding investment in Barberton youth through leadership development, community service, outdoor experiences, and career exploration. Its local Scouting legacy spans more than a century, and nomination materials identify at least 425 Eagle Scouts from Barberton-area programs. Their service projects have improved parks, memorials, public spaces, and charitable initiatives throughout the community.

The organization also reaches Barberton students beyond traditional Scouting. Barberton Middle School’s seventh-grade experience at Camp Manatoc has continued for more than 40 years. During the past four years, Great Trail Council’s Exploring program has also connected more than 600 Barberton middle and high school students with careers, regional employers, and mentors.

Ignite Brewing Company

Ignite Brewing Company was named an honoree for using its business, team, and downtown gathering space to support local causes and bring people together. Its owners transformed a vacant former tire-service building into a destination that draws residents and visitors to West Tuscarawas Avenue while contributing to the continued revitalization of downtown Barberton.

Through its “Making Beer Make a Difference” mission, Ignite has hosted fundraisers, organized food drives, distributed meals, donated space and staff support, and built partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, public safety organizations, and local families. Nomination materials report more than $100,000 in community contributions through 2025, including complete Thanksgiving meals for Barberton families and school supplies for local students.

ARDL, Great Trail Council, and Ignite Brewing Company will be celebrated at Barberton Community Foundation’s Annual Dinner at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at John S. Knight Center in Akron.

As the 2026 Business or Organization Game Changer Award recipient, ARDL will be featured in a video celebrating its impact and will receive the coveted Don Drumm Award during the event. Great Trail Council and Ignite Brewing Company will be welcomed as honored guests and recognized on stage.

Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2anndin/event/202anndinreganspocop/