TWi

What TWi does

TWi (legal name The Workshops, Inc.) is an Ohio-based private nonprofit founded in 1974 and rebranded to TWi in 2024. The organization provides day services, vocational habilitation, pre-employment training, employment placement, transportation, and community/personal-care services to adults with developmental disabilities across four physical locations in Canton, Massillon, and Mineral Ridge. Its Business Services line contracts supervised crews of participants to external Ohio businesses and nonprofits for janitorial work, document destruction under the SureShed sub-brand, and production and assembly tasks, while the Just Imagine sub-brand operates an art program with a retail gallery in the Canton Arts District.

The organization is funded through a hybrid model: reimbursements from county boards of developmental disabilities and Medicaid home- and community-based services waivers cover participant services, while Business Services contracts generate offsetting earned income from Ohio businesses and nonprofits. Pricing for business contracts is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Marketing relies on community events, social service case-manager referrals, a WordPress site, and a dedicated Marketing & Business Development hire. The technology stack is minimal, consisting of a marketing website, Facebook and Instagram pages for the Just Imagine sub-brand, and standard communications tooling.

Governance is exercised through a Board of Trustees led by President Deanna Kidwell, with executive management comprising CEO Ryan Heckert and COO Kathy Kocher. The organization operates independently with no parent company, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no disclosed institutional investment. Geographic reach is confined to Ohio and serves an unknown number of participants across roughly 11-50 staff positions plus supervisory personnel at each site.

Name

TWi

Legal name

The Workshops, Inc.

Website

https://choosetwi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TWi is a Canton, Ohio-based nonprofit that serves adults with developmental disabilities through day services, vocational training, employment placement, transportation, and community programs at four Ohio locations, and offers janitorial, document destruction, production, and the Just Imagine art program as offsetting business activities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Vocational Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Vocational habilitation programs
• Contract labor services
• Document destruction services
• Developmental disabilities training

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ohio Labor Services: TWi provides low-cost Ohio labor services to businesses and nonprofits, with participants engaged in janitorial, document destruction, and production/assembly work. Revenue is generated through contracted labor services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TWi delivers vocational, day, transportation, and community-living programs to adults with developmental disabilities across four Ohio locations, and supplies contracted supervised labor—janitorial, document destruction, and production/assembly—to Ohio businesses and nonprofits. Participants progress from group employment toward independent employment, while the Just Imagine sub-brand sells participant-created artwork through a Canton gallery and online shop.

Product overview

TWi (The Workshops, Inc.) is a regional disability services provider offering a portfolio of programs and business services. The organization operates People Programs including Day Services (at four locations: West, Just Imagine, Causeway @ Canton, and Causeway @ Mineral Ridge), Employment Services, Transportation Services, and Community Services. Additionally, TWi provides Business Services to external organizations including Janitorial Services, SureShred Document Destruction, and Production and Assembly. The Just Imagine Art Program represents a distinct sub-brand offering art creation and sales opportunities. All services focus on empowering individuals with developmental disabilities through training, employment, and enrichment programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Just Imagine: A unique art program offered by TWi that empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to discover their creative side. Artists create, display, and sell their artwork through this program.

Products and services

• Day Services
• Employment Services
• Transportation Services
• Community Services (Homemaker Personal Care)
• Janitorial Services
• SureShred Document Destruction
• Production and Assembly
• Just Imagine Art Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants build work skills through individual or group employment and can progress from group employment scenarios to independently employed positions

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Service Partners (Social Service Network)coreOthersTWi is a strong supporter of the social service network in the region, working with case managers who have high caseloads. When individuals choose TWi as their provider, service partners gain a resource that supports outcomes, remains accessible, considers overall lifestyles, provides reliable activities, documents progress accurately, and approaches each case in an organized fashion.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Largest nonprofit provider of employment services for people with disabilities in North America. Operates the same dual model of mission-driven training plus commercial revenue (Goodwill stores), making it the closest structural analog to TWi.
• Hattie Larlham: Ohio-based nonprofit serving children and adults with developmental disabilities through residential, day, and employment services. Closely comparable to TWi in mission, Ohio geography, and service mix.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability services including employment training, day services, and community-based supports. Directly comparable to TWi's core service portfolio across multiple states.
• The Arc: National organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy and direct services including employment, day programs, and community living support.
• UCP (United Cerebral Palsy): National nonprofit providing services for people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, including employment, day programs, and assistive technology. Mission and service mix closely aligned with TWi.
• Melwood: Nonprofit providing employment, day, and community services for people with disabilities in the mid-Atlantic region. Comparable dual model combining contract labor services with disability mission programming.
• Chimes International: Nonprofit providing services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across multiple states. Comparable offerings in vocational, day, residential, and community services.

Broad incumbents

• BrightSpring Health Services: Large national provider of home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Public company offering pharmacy, behavioral health, and I/DD services at much greater scale than TWi.
• Sevita Health: National provider of home and community-based specialty health services including I/DD day and employment services. Operates at much larger scale than TWi across multiple states.
• RHA Health Services: National behavioral health and I/DD services provider offering day, vocational, residential, and community services. Operates at much larger scale than TWi across multiple U.S. states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheWorkshopsInc
• Instagraminstagram.com/justimaginebytwi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theworkshopsinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TWi