The Summit-Akron Solid Waste Management Authority is a mouthful of a name for a little-known local agency.
It is seeking a brand or identity and has two proposed new names under consideration: ReWorks and MindFill.
Those names were presented Tuesday to the agency’s governing board by Jon Kapper of Public Design, an Akron marketing firm.
ReWorks appeared to have more support on the governing board, but no vote was taken.
The board delayed picking a name to allow attorney Suzanne Ketler of Roetzel & Andress law firm to determine if making a selection would create problems in registering the name with federal and state agencies.
Kapper said ReWorks and MindFill were selected from seven choices with the help of two focus groups of local residents. The other five names under consideration were: RE-Act, UCycle, 1ne Source, E 2 Z and QuRE.
Getting a new brand for the agency that promotes recycling in Summit County is “very, very important,” said Yolanda Walker, executive director of the authority.
The agency would keep its old name as its legal identity, she said.
The new brand name would be used in marketing and for public purposes.
Walker likened the new name to being “a catchy nickname” for the agency. The goal, she said, is to pick a name that will help the agency become a household word in Summit County.
Walker said she and her staff were split on the name. Three favored ReWorks; two liked MindFill.
Board member Alex Stakleff of the University of Akron likened the process to picking a name for a baby and making some family members unhappy with the choice.
Board members Paul Barnett of Akron and Patrick Bravo of Summit County said they leaned toward the ReWorks name.
Summit County Public Health Commissioner Gene Nixon said the two final names do “not knock me out.”
Kapper said a new logo and tag lines must be finalized after the authority picks its new name.
His firm is to be paid $45,900 for the name and logo work plus working on a relaunch with the new name and redesigning authority’s materials, Walker said.
In other action, the board approved a $160,000 contract with Summit County Public Health for inspections of closed landfills, waste transfer stations, recycling and compost facilities, dumps, tire piles and litter problems.
The board also approved a contract expected to cost about $85,000 with Rosby Resource Recycling Inc. of Brooklyn Heights to continue local food-waste recycling in 2013.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
