About Us

Deepwood Industries continues its front line support of business and industry.

Rubber, automotive, aftermarket, cardboard, vacuum cleaners, direct mail marketing, PVC, restaurants, hotels, glass block insulation, fasteners, car wax - the products of an international conglomerate? Not quite. It is "work in production" on any given day at Deepwood Industries workshops.

Deepwood Industries' two modern plants, located in Mentor and Willoughby, Ohio, provide business and industry a resource for light assembly, packaging and bulk mailing fulfillment. With a current customer base of over 100 local companies, almost four decades of experience and sales topping $500,000.00, Deepwood Industries is a proven player in the local business arena. An independent non-profit organization with its own board of directors, Deepwood Industries relies heavily on the assistance provided by then Lake County Board of Mental Retardation Deepwood Center. The staffing and facility support received from the county program enables Deepwood Industries to provide the employment training and employment opportunities it offers to its over 350 consumer/employees.

However, that support was not always available as Deepwood Industries was operational five years before County Boards of Mental Retardation even existed. In 1962 a group of concerned citizens and parents recognizing the lack of employment training for mentally retarded adults, applied for and received a corporate charter under the name of Lake County Sheltered Industries. Operations began with six consumer/employees, one supervisor, a donated station wagon, and space obtained from the American Legion on Hopkins Road. In 1965, a growing Lake County Sheltered Industries with 32 consumer/employees packed up and moved to a larger facility, the vacated Post Office at 3rd and Clark in downtown Willoughby.

The State of Ohio's formation of County Mental Retardation Boards in 1972, placed Lake County Sheltered Industries under the operating guidelines of Lake County. Ten years after their charter, Lake County Sheltered Industries, with an enrollment of 98 consumer/employees, relocated to a newly constructed facility on Deepwood Boulevard.

In 1986 the supported employment program – currently known as Community Employment Services was formed by a committee of County Board employees. These employees also provided services to individuals in the sheltered workshop. Funding came from a grant through the Rehabilitation Services Commission of Ohio to purchase vehicles and provide funding for staff to support the employment of 20 individuals in community work settings. Community Employment Services currently partners with over 50 area businesses.

Sitting in the background. Deepwood Industries continues its front line support of business and industry. Whether the company is Fortune 500 or a one person home based business, customer service is our goal. With a commitment to quality, on time completion and competitive fair pricing, you will never find us listed on Wall Street. But to local businesses, our service is gold.