Licking/Knox Goodwill Industries, Inc. is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in June 1957 by community volunteers from The Business and Professional Women's Club of Newark and incorporated on November 16, 1977. Based in Newark, Ohio, it operates across Licking County and Knox County, providing training, employment and support services to individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment. The organisation employs more than 500 people, having grown from a single employee at its founding to a significant regional employer.
Its business operations span several lines of work. These include nine brick-and-mortar thrift and retail stores, an online auction platform for selling donated goods, and contract janitorial and business services. Career services provide employment, training and support designed to help individuals achieve independence through work. Employment paths run from retail and assembly and manufacturing work to food service and administrative positions.
Staff benefits comprise a comprehensive package including health insurance, paid time off, paid holidays and professional development opportunities. The organisation describes its emphasis as independence through the power of work, applying that mission both to the people it serves and to the businesses it runs.
