Charming Mesopotamia Township may seem like the middle of nowhere to some, but that is one reason it is expected to be a good location…
Charming Mesopotamia Township may seem like the middle of nowhere to some, but that is one reason it is expected to be a good location for the Mespo Expo.
“It’s between Niles and Cleveland,” said the center’s owner, Melvin Byler, who bought the 36,000-square-foot building in 2012 and started renovating it last fall.
Built in the ’80s for plastic production, the first section of the three-part facility has been attractively divided up to house the Western Caf, featuring a Maggie’s Donuts counter, comfortable seating for 150 and a spacious hall that can handle everything from school fundraisers to large gatherings.
So far, the most popular event at Mespo Expo seems to be a variety of household auctions.
Middlefield auctioneer Mike Davis said he and Crist Miller, also of Middlefield, have made good use of Mespo Expo. Tables full of boots, tools and household items were arranged in neat rows on either side of the hall May 31 in advance of an upcoming Miller auction.
Chairs will be arranged in the middle of the hall, Davis said, adding the western third of the facility can easily handle 500 hundred visitors.
“We already have scheduled four or five events a month through the summer,” Byler said.
The July 4 weekend is booked for three days, with the community ox roast at the center of the activity.
It was on Independence Day 2015 that Byler started to think seriously about turning the concrete-block structure into an event center.
“It was because of the ox roast. The trade show started it,” he said.
People come from miles around for the annual event, celebrating the holiday and buying locally-made products to take home.
“We kicked it around and decided maybe we’d do it,” Byler said, adding Stephanie Austin, his coordinator, has been very helpful with the project.
He knew the expo center in Niles had been replaced by a hotel, so he felt the Mespo Expo could fill that gap.
In the fall, his crew started partitioning off the 12,000-square-foot western end of the building with barn siding and imagination.
One wall of the caf consists of faux storefronts from an old west movie, including a sign for the Longhorn Saloon that makes Byler laugh. Behind the Western-town faade is simple storage space, not a bar and bordello.
Davis said the auction side of the business resembles a popular event center in Kidron, Ohio, used by auctioneers all year around.
“Everyone uses it,” he said, adding his auctions in Mespo Expo draw a lot of attention, partly because it is new and well maintained. He should know what will bring in a crowd — he’s been in the game a long time.
“I was licensed to auction in ’88. After all this time, it’s still fun,” Davis said.
On the opposite wall from the western town scene hangs a sign for Eli Miller’s Leather Shop and Country Store that Byler acquired after Miller retired last year. Miller’s shop was a gathering place for the Amish community for decades.
The caf is open during auctions and can be leased for other events, Byler said. A full kitchen with deep fat fryers is under construction and will be available, as well, for fundraisers or big parties.
Meeting community needs is another reason Byler is working to renovate the huge building. A laundromat will occupy part of the center section of the building.
Behind the laundromat, making good use of the 20-foot-high ceiling, will be four batting cages, two equipped with batting machines, he said.
With Astroturf on the floor and netting between the cages, baseball enthusiasts will be able to play all year without worrying about the rain or driving long distances in snow. He is hoping local schools will use the cages.
Plans for the eastern section are still on the drawing table, but Byler, who is from Farmington, said it could be laid out as a second event center if more parking is added on the east side.
During the summer, the manicured grounds are also available.
Recently Byler signed a contract with The Dollar Store for 1.5 acres on state Route 87 by the Mespo Expo sign, a move that made township trustees happy and might cement his 12 acres as the commercial center of the community, he said.
At the top of Byler’s list of projects is installing a hitching rail to accommodate his Amish customers.
For more information go to mespoexpoevents.wix.com or email mespoexpoevents@gmail.com.
