By: JACOB BROWN
Salina Post
DELPHOS - A new business arrives in Delphos as Audio Video Innovations (AVI) opens up a new technical academy and corporate office in the renovated Delphos school building.
AVI originally started in 1994, located in Fort Myers, FL. They provide classes and instructional material for technical classes ranging from video editing to diesel engines.
"We thought, the middle of the country is where we need to have our operations,'" Vince Manship said. "And I said, really you need to be in Delphos."
Vince Manship is the Director of Operations for the AVI Technical Academy. He lived in Delphos periodically since 1994, moving occasionally for work, but always coming back to the small farm town. When AVI announced that they were looking to move, he proposed Delphos, eventually purchasing the Delphos school building. The building set empty for 16 years before AVI renovated it.
"It says a lot about Delphos, the fact that it sat here empty and unlocked for 16 years and it wasn't hardly vandalized...so this place is in amazing shape," Manship commented.
AVI celebrated its grand opening during the local Delfest, a city wide celebration held in early August. President and Owner of AVI, Paul Lowers, and Vice President, Katie Malone attended the grand opening, and community members were allowed to tour the facilities and see the new business in their town.
While benefiting from the move to Delphos, one of the current setbacks is the lack of local businesses in town. Delphos has no hotels, restaurants or shops. The local gas station is the closest AVI has to a local vendor. The academy however, is currently in partnership with a hotel in Salina, which houses guests for them. In the future, Manship hopes to make something in Delphos, which could make it a destination spot.
Manship is no stranger to creating business in Delphos. Previously, he owned a restaurant on the city square. Being one of the most successful businesses in Delphos at the time, he only sold the property when he moved away for a job. Today, he now owns the property again and is deciding what to do with it to benefit Delphos and AVI.
"The school has been a good thing for Delphos," Jimmy Klein said. "It brought life back into a building that was nonexistent."
Jimmy Klein is the owner of Klein Oil, the sole gas station and mechanic shop in Delphos. Having run the store for decades, Klein knows how to run a store in a small town.
"It's been a real blessing for us to have something in Delphos that brings different people in for that," Klein stated.
Klein elaborated on how he and AVI work together to build each other's businesses, "Actually, I've been up there and asked them questions. I don't do technical work...And they've supported me on tires and things that they don't specialize in...It's good business for me."
AVI will continue to grow and support the community. On October 1, a new Prometric test center will open to any ASE credited tests.
The Delphos Fireman's Ball will be held October 18, in the gymnasium inside AVI Technical Academy. Another local business, Schwartz Farms, will provide pork for the dinner at the event.
For more information on AVI click here.