WILMINGTON — Kim Benz, co-owner of Onederings Lavender Farm in Clarksville, spoke to the Wilmington Rotary Club which meets at noon on Mondays at Damon’s Restaurant.
Benz stated she was born in Loveland and received a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Benz worked for years for Procter & Gamble in their beauty division. In the early 1980s, Benz and her family purchased an approximately 100-acre farm near Clarksville.
After retirement, she and her sister, Amy, decided to grow lavender for commercial sales.
Benz said the farm grows both English and French lavenders. Also, Benz stated that the French lavender is the fragrant variety and not a hardy plant. The English lavender is very hardy and used to make the make the bridal bouquets for weddings.
The sisters are now producing boutique skincare and beauty products made with farm-grown lavender and the highest quality natural ingredients. The flower and the oil of lavender are used to make medicine. Lavender is commonly used for anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, depression, headache and pain.
Benz stated that If you are interested in Onederings products, they have a website at onederings.com.
Joe Rozzi of Rozzi Fireworks spoke to Wilmington Rotary about his family’s company.
he said the company was founded 125 years ago by his great-grandfather in southern Italy before emigrating to New York City. After tremendous company growth, Arthur Rozzi and his sons, Joseph and Paul moved the company to Cincinnati and later to Clinton County for the production process.
Rozzi referred to the company’s website which states, “The work we do is hands-on, hand-crafted, and incredibly detailed. We are proud to support long-time American traditions, and proud to have been one of the first companies in the world to combine music with our fireworks, ushering in a new era of the industry. The pyrotechnic displays we design can be as large-scale as a spectacular pyro musical for an audience of 100,000, or as simple as a treasured annual fireworks display for a small community.”
Rozzi also stated the company recently purchased a factory in Italy to create their fireworks with qualified craftsmen. Rozzi said that if you are interested in becoming licensed to shoot fireworks, please attend their annual training program at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
