CRAIN’S LIST See which company on the 100 Largest Northeast Ohio Employers list grew local employment by 50%. PAGE 19
NOTABLE: These immigrant leaders cover a variety of professions, businesses. PAGE 10
CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I AUGUST 29, 2022
College rankings a riddle Officials can’t ignore system that’s grown into a behemoth BY AMY MORONA
When Eric Kaler, president of Case Western Reserve University, thinks about the fixation on college rankings, he thinks about baseball. The two are linked, according to Kaler. When debating who is or was the best player in the game, there are plenty of criteria to judge. Is the GOAT — that’s “greatest of all time” — the athlete who hit the most home runs? What about the one with the lowest earned run average or highest batting average? Those are all different people. So, which one of them is the best? It depends. “Same with a college,” Kaler said. “It depends on what you’re looking for.” See RANKINGS on Page 23
Workers with Gervasi Vineyard in Canton sort wine grapes during a past fall harvest. | CONTRIBUTED
EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
Ohio’s wine industry is maturing and growing at an amazing rate BY JEREMY NOBILE
With the market trending toward 400 wineries in operation today and local winemakers increasingly drawing awards and respect, Ohio’s wine industry is growing at an amazing clip and aging as gracefully as a fine Bordeaux. This may surprise some, considering the Buckeye State is probably not the first that comes to mind for wine aficionados. Connoisseurs would be more familiar with the celebrated Napa and Sonoma valleys of California. With its warm climate and rich soils con-
ducive for grape farming, there’s a good reason the Golden State has become synonymous with American winemaking. Its flourishing industry, home to nearly 4,400 wineries, is responsible for roughly 85% of U.S. wine production. But here in Ohio, local wines and the grapes they’re made from are improving. The varieties of wine produced are expanding beyond the sweet, fruited types that are popular with a certain crowd but that might make sommeliers thumb their nose.
NEWSPAPER
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See WINE on Page 24
“THE STATE OF THE OHIO INDUSTRY IS PROMISING, AND WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR A REALLY BRIGHT FUTURE. WE JUST NEED TO FIND WAYS TO FULFILL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.” — Donniella Winchell, who has led the Ohio Wine Producers Association for 44 years
THE
LAND SCAPE
Digital literacy essential to fill workforce deficits BY KIM PALMER
Over the past two years, more than $100 billion in funding dedicated to bridging the digital divide has been appropriated by Congress with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the bipartisan infrastructure law. The state of Ohio has dedicated $20 million and the city of Cleveland $5 million to broad programs to bridge the digital divide, providing subsidized service, infrastructure buildout, Wi-Fi hot spots and digital devices. But the on-the-ground groups working on the issue stress that it is digital literacy that is the crucial final step, or last mile, when effectively connecting underserved communities to employment opportunities. See LITERACY on Page 25
A CRAIN’S CLEVELAND PODCAST
8/26/2022 12:24:33 PM