YOUNGSTOWN - The people behind the names that have become synonymous with live entertainment in the Valley and got their start in Youngstown have announced plans to expand through other parts of the country.

JAC Management Group and JAC Live issued a news release on Monday announcing that they are looking to further expand their business in markets across the U.S.

JAC Management Group is a management company in the northeast part of the United States. JAC Live is a concert and event promoter of events such as Y-Live and the grandstand entertainment at the Canfield Fair.

The expanded effort will be spearheaded by founder Ken Bigley who has been promoted from Vice President to Chief Operating Officer and by former JAC Management Executive Director Jordan Ryan, who is now Vice President of both JAC Management Group and JAC Live.

According to JAC, Bigley’s two decades of experience and direction over the company’s operation have allowed for further business development while remaining focused on entertainment management and talent buying within facilities with 2,000 to 10,000 seats.

 Bigley is credited with carving out JAC’s niche by building and maintaining a network of talent agencies, venues, and vendors across 15 states.

Ryan, whose role with JAC began when he was just a teen, has had a lifelong exposure to the concert industry. JAC says in his new role as Vice President, Ryan is expected to transform new spaces into full-?edged concert venues and develop exclusive booking opportunities.

Reporting banner years for both companies, JAC says the pandemic allowed it to create a framework that brought rapid growth. Coming out of 2020, JAC was responsible for more than 100 events each year in 2022 and 2023.