Cincinnati Manufacturer Prioritized Second Chances

A local firm has built its business model around hiring individuals who have faced significant employment barriers.

Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Consumer Goods

Interior view of an organized industrial warehouse in Cincinnati featuring tall steel shelving racks and stacks of wooden pallets. — Nehemiah Manufacturing, a Cincinnati-based firm, continues to integrate workers with significant employment barriers into its warehouse operations through professional development partnerships. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you believe companies should prioritize hiring individuals with significant past employment barriers?

Nehemiah Manufacturing has operated in Cincinnati since 2009 with a mission to build brands while providing jobs to those with criminal records or work history gaps. The company supports its workforce through professional coaching and partnerships with local social service organizations.

Why it matters

The company utilizes a unique hiring philosophy that focuses on changing lives by providing second chances to individuals who often face significant challenges in securing steady employment. This approach allows the firm to successfully manage warehouse operations while integrating employees into the workforce.

Scott Maxey currently manages approximately 40 employees and oversees operations involving 125 pallets in warehouse rows. The company was founded in 2009 to handle the contract-manufacturing and acquisition of consumer brands.

The players

Nehemiah Manufacturing

A Cincinnati-based company that licenses, acquires, and contract-manufactures consumer goods while employing individuals with significant employment barriers.

Scott Maxey

A warehouse operations manager at Nehemiah Manufacturing who entered recovery in 2016 and joined the company after seeing a television commercial.

The details

Nehemiah Manufacturing maintains a portfolio that includes recognizable consumer goods brands such as Tide, Downy, Febreze, Dreft, and Kandoo. The company integrates its staff by partnering with local social service agencies and providing whole life coaching alongside professional support.

Nehemiah Manufacturing was founded in 2009.
Scott Maxey experienced deep gambling addiction in the winter of 2017.
Maxey learned of the company via a television commercial in December 2017.

Market Landscape

Nehemiah Manufacturing follows a pattern set by the second-chance hiring movement for individuals with criminal records. This business model positions the company as a leader in social-impact manufacturing within the competitive consumer goods sector.

Consumers purchasing brands like Tide, Downy, and Febreze may be supporting a supply chain that prioritizes stable employment for individuals in the local community. The company's operational model demonstrates how large-scale brand manufacturing can coexist with social support systems.

The takeaway

Businesses that prioritize social mission alongside operational efficiency can achieve stability for their workforce and the community. By removing traditional employment barriers, firms can access and retain dedicated staff while maintaining production targets for major national brands.