Crain's Cleveland Business by Crain's Cleveland Business

VOL. 38, NO. XX 49

%DAY_OF_WEEK_DATE% DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2017

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

30TH ANNIVERSARY

NORTHEAST OHIO’S

FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES PRESENTED BY

WITH SUPPORT FROM

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VOL. 38, NO. 49

DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2017

Source Lunch

At the Table ClusterTruck ‘cuts out the middleman’ in food delivery. Page 8

Elizabeth Bartz, State and Federal Communications Page 59

The List

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

The region’s largest new office leases Page 57

CRAIN’S C-SUITE AWARDS

GOVERNMENT

Tax reform provisions Honoring those who brought NEO’s businesses to new heights have cities 2017 RECIPIENTS on watch

The best at leading the flock Lifetime Achievement

General Counsel

Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, Cleveland Clinic

Keith A. Ashmus, Vocational Guidance Services Page 46

Page 13

2017 Champion Award Winner

Jennifer M. Griveas, Eliza Jennings

Page 46

By JAY MILLER

David Gilbert, Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Page 13

Jonathan Leiken, Diebold Nixdorf

Page 47

jmiller@crain.com @millerjh

Chief Marketing Officer Jeanne Hammerstrom, Benesch

Page 48

Paul Matsen, Cleveland Clinic

Page 48

Rob A. Spademan, Cleveland State University Page 49

Board Chairperson Chief Operating Officer

George F. Dixon, Greater Cleveland RTA

Page 50

Chris Adams, Park Place Technologies

Page 14

Gregory J. Skoda, Skoda Minotti

Page 51

Anthony Ciepiel, Vitamix

Page 14

Chief Executive Officer

Daniel Lewis, MetroHealth

Page 15

Scott Mueller, Dealer Tire

Page 52

Brian Zimmerman, Cleveland Metroparks

Page 52

Chris A. Raanes, Viewray

Page 53

Chief Financial Officer Marty Butler, ExactCare Pharmacy

Page 16

Laurence A. Sivic, NASA John H. Glenn Research Center Page 16

Sandra L. Madison, Robert P. Madison International Page 53

Director/Trustee

Chief Information Officer

J.B. Silvers, MetroHealth

Illustration by mangsaab via iStock

Loss of two bond issues could hurt

Page 45

Allen K. Wiant, Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center Page 45

Amy G. Brady, Keycorp

Page 54

Heather Kelley, Western Reserve Area Agency On Aging Page 54

Two obscure provisions of the tax reform proposals making their way through Congress threaten some of the tools local communities use to save money and develop affordable housing. The communities are already holding their breath, fearing the loss of historic and New Markets Tax Credits that help rebuild older cities like Cleveland. Buried more deeply in the tax plans, though, are provisions that would end some of the tax-exempt bond funding used by local governments, school boards and even some nonprofit agencies to help maintain and build their communities. One is a provision to end what is called the advance refunding of tax-exempt bonds. Another would end the use of tax-exempt private activity bonds, or PABs. Tax-exempt financing is used by governments and other public agencies to finance capital improvements and other projects. Both the House and Senate versions of the tax plan would cut back on the ability of local governments to save money by refinancing existing debt at lower interest rates. SEE TAX BILL, PAGE 55

REAL ESTATE

Statler Arms Apartments getting ready for sale By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

Key Center owner and Cleveland-based apartment owner Frank Sinito is taking steps to land another big downtown building: the Statler Arms Apartments. Sinito, CEO and founder of Millennia Cos., which owns a portfolio of 27,000 apartments, on Nov. 16 organized two new companies with telltale names at the Ohio Secretary of State’s office: Statler Cleveland LLC and Statler Cleveland Investment LLC. The move came two weeks after Statler’s current owner, an affiliate of

New York City-based LCor real estate ownership and development company, assigned part of its interest in the 12-story building at 1127 Euclid Ave. to Deutsche Bank Trustee Co. Americas, the agent for a securitized Freddie Mac-backed loan for multiple properties totaling $1.2 billion. Online documents for the $1.2 billion loan include a $20 million acquisition loan for Statler Arms among 50 properties receiving funds from the issue. That likely does not represent the prospective sale price, because such a purchase would require substantial equity as well as a loan to finance the purchase. The century-old luxury hotel turned office building that is now apartments is appraised for $31 million. That’s ac-

cording to an exhibit Morgan Stanley provided prospective investors about properties receiving funds from the securitized mortgage issue. Cuyahoga County assigns Statler Arms a value of $11 million for property tax purposes. As of last June, the 295-suite building was 91% leased and produced more than $1.6 million annually in cash flow after expenses, the document showed. The $31 million appraisal for the property is telling, for that was the amount of the original U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-backed loan that funded the Cleveland-based Milstein family’s conversion of the long-dark office building to apartments in 2000. SEE STATLER, PAGE 55

Statler Arms Apartments is being positioned for sale. (Stan Bullard)

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PA G E 4

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017 |

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Local nonprofit hopeful campaign expands reach By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com @ramccafferty

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Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio has seen a lot of changes in recent years. What once was a small, residential program for students in need of stability has evolved into an academic and socio-emotional support structure for more than 100 students every year. And now, the program is setting its sights even higher, with the help of a $5.5 million capital campaign. Boys Hope Girls Hope in Garfield Heights hopes to break ground on a new academic and athletic center by June, said executive director Tim Grady. The new center, an expanded and renovated gymnasium the organization plans to buy from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, will add nearly 30,000 square feet of space for Boys Hope Girls Hope’s programming, enabling it to serve more students, more often. Programming at present ranges from hands-on STEM learning activities to social and emotional wellness programs to regular home-cooked meals. “We’re not out to replace the school,” Grady said. “Schools are doing the heavy lifting with the learning, but all the complementary activities that go into the whole child, I think we’re picking those up as best we can.” The referral-based program serves students in poverty with “high potential,” Grady said. Boys Hope Girls Hope’s local site — there are sites across the country — began in 1989 as a residential program just for young men. A little more than 10 years later, it moved to its current location and added a residential program for young women. The residential program, which gives at-risk students a home and structure, though they attend school elsewhere, is still a core part of the program’s offerings. But in 2007, Boys Hope Girls Hope added programming for non-resident middle school students during the summer. The programming expanded to a year-round schedule in 2011, at which time it also added programs for non-resident high school students. And in the last year, Boys Hope Girls Hope began offering more support to its graduates through college advisers who reach out to the students regularly and connect them with resources. Students also are given a monthly survey, which gives Boys Hope Girls Hope a look at how they’re doing and at what changes the program needs to make to better serve students. “That college advising is as important as a new building, because it’s the last piece to our continuum. The building is going to really create just a remarkable set of opportunities that we didn’t have for the middle and high school kids,” Grady said. “But if

Corrections J Ancora is No. 38 on the Weatherhead 100 list, which is published in this week’s custom publishing feature. An incorrect company name appears on Page W16 of the section, which was printed prior to the full press run.

Rajan Academy Center (Rendering by Mykie Hrusovski/DLR)

it’s truly a middle school to career continuum, we’ve got to make sure we see the investment through and stick with the kids all the way through college.” Today, there are about 160 scholars in the program, with 34 of them in college. Only eight of those students are in or in the process of enrolling in the residential program. Grady said the expectation with the new building is that the program will be serving “well over” 200 students by 2020, with 20 in residence and about 60 in college. He said he hopes students will view the new building as a “home away from home.” Plans are for the building to blend ideas commonly found in homes, like a living room or a deck, with those found on college campuses, like a cafe or classrooms. Boys Hope Girls Hope didn’t really have a space like this before. It has its residential homes, which it tries to keep separate for the students who live in them, along with a small community room originally designed for residents and a converted two-car garage where it could hold programs. “And neither of those buildings were designed for what we’re trying to do,” Grady said. “So this sends a message. I mean this sends a message to our scholars, to our families, about what we’re here to do.” The recent capital campaign has been full of stops and starts, beginning a few years back with a plan to increase endowment, said Tom Eby, a board member serving as capital campaign chair. Eby has been part of the Boys Hope Girls Hope board for more than 10 years. The endowment campaign was underway (to date, the program has received about $2.1 million in pledges) when Boys Hope Girls Hope’s leadership realized it needed a new building for the rapidly growing Academy Program, its name for the non-resident programming it offers. A building committee was formed, and funds began to be raised after the design was complete, Eby said. But then,

the gymnasium behind the Boys Hope Girls Hope campus came up for sale. The existing Boys Hope Girls Hope campus is about 2.5 acres, Grady said. The purchase of the gymnasium and surrounding land from the Diocese of Cleveland will add about 3 acres, including a parking lot. Boys Hope Girls Hope is not purchasing the nearby, closed Ss. Peter & Paul school building also owned by the diocese. The gymnasium it does plan to purchase is about 18,000 square feet, and Boys Hope Girls Hope plans to wrap an additional 11,000 square feet around it, creating a multi-use space with the gym, a fitness room, a STEM lab and open spaces for studying. The additional space at the new building will give Boys Hope Girls Hope the chance to offer more programming and support to families of students, too, Grady said. “When we look at that gym, I mean, the brainstorming is so much fun: family movie night, family gatherings, all these things we can’t do without space,” Grady said. The new design combining the athletic and academic spaces, along with a significant gift for the project, was a turning point. “Everything came together, just all at one time,” Eby said. In total, the program has already secured about $3 million of the $5.5 million capital campaign in gifts and pledges, including a lead gift of $1.5 million from Sam and Maripat Rajan. And Grady said it may receive an additional $1.5 million through a new markets tax credit. Grady said the gymnasium will cost $450,000, with renovations of the building costing about the same. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018. The new construction for the expansion is expected to cost about $4 million. Grady said the school hopes to break ground in June 2018 and have a soft opening in spring 2019. By summer 2019, the building should be fully in use.

J A Nov. 27, Page 18 story about Akron’s West Hill area contained incorrect information about area resident Karen Starr. She moved to the neighborhood in 2004. The story also included an error about the location of the PorchRokr festival. The event is held in the Highland Square neighborhood.

J Also in the Nov. 27 edition, the name of Todd Federman, managing director of the North Coast Angel Fund and the related North Coast Venture Fund, was misspelled in a Page One story about Shaker Heights High School alumni who are engaged in civic affairs.

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D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017 |

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Year-over-year October jobs drop 0.4% in region By JAY MILLER

Crain’s Employment Report

jmiller@crain.com @millerjh

Crain’s Cleveland Business has partnered with local economist Jack Kleinhenz to provide monthly data — and clarity — about a key factor in business decisionmaking: the size of Northeast Ohio’s workforce.

Although the uptick shouldn’t be seen as part of a long-term trend, the increase of an estimated 1,250 jobs in the goods-producing sector of the Northeast Ohio economy in October largely offset a decline in service-sector payrolls for the month, resulting in a net regional loss of 57 jobs from September, according to the latest Crain’s Employment Report (CER). That’s a barely measurable percentage of the total October payrolls, which were 1,168,796 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Meanwhile, service-providing firms appear to have decreased payrolls by 1,306 during October. Importantly, though, Jack Kleinhenz, the Cleveland Heights economist who developed the CER model, reports that the service sector is showing a gain of 972 jobs over the level in October 2016. Overall, estimated October payrolls were down 5,255 from a year ago, a 0.4% loss. The larger service sector employed an estimated 963,241 people in October; the goods-producing sector had 205,555 workers on payrolls. “The recent gain in the manufacturing sector is being helped by strong foreign demand and a softer dollar,” Kleinhenz said. “The global economy has shifted into higher gear, and foreign demand for U.S. goods has accelerated, reaching their highest level since December 2014.” Kleinhenz noted that new factory orders were up 1.4% in September, the latest month available, and that

Seasonally adjusted employment numbers, Northeast Ohio MAY: 1,170,995 JUNE: 1,167,608 JULY: 1,172,637 AUGUST: 1,173,201 SEPTEMBER: 1,168,852 OCTOBER: 1,168,796 1,155,000

1,160,000

1,165,000

“The global economy has shifted into higher gear, and foreign demand for U.S. goods has accelerated, reaching their highest level since December 2014.” — Jack Kleinhenz, economist

new orders for manufactured goods jumped nearly 7% since September 2016, “a healthy pickup that is consistent with recent business optimism.” The one-month increase in jobs in the goods-producing sector — largely comprising the manufacturing and construction industries — comes on the heels of a month-to-month loss

1,170,000

of 3,544 between August and September. In addition, the sector has lost about 6,228 jobs since October 2016, according to CER data. The year-over-year loss is part of an expected long-term decline in manufacturing jobs, according to a recent report from Team Northeast Ohio. The business development nonprofit forecasts that the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector in the 18-county region of Northeast Ohio it surveys will decline from 265,437 in 2017 to 236,179 by 2027, a drop of 11%. The flat employment seen in the seven-county region compares unfavorably to a statewide survey taken by ADP LLC. ADP’s report estimates that Ohio added 8,280 jobs in October. ADP is a national business outsourcing firm that surveys 406,000 U.S. companies monthly and breaks down the data to the state level for its report.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017

PA G E 7

Lease breathes life into Dragon Ranch By KEVIN KLEPS

tron space that is an homage to the Palmer family’s love of Savannah, Ga., and Southern comfort food. “It’s not the most ideal time of the year to open a restaurant at a golf course,” Palmer said of Green Square, which debuted in late October. “But it’s better than letting it sit there.”

kkleps@crain.com @KevinKleps

Jonathan Palmer, a third-generation golf course operator, is tired of the talk about doing business in a dying industry. “We’re trying to change the narrative,” said Palmer, the president of Columbia Station-based Fairways Golf. “I’m so sick of hearing about how bad golf is. It doesn’t have to be like that.” As many golf courses struggle, Palmer and his group see opportunity. Jonathan’s father, Ronald, purchased and developed Mallard Creek Golf Club, which opened in Columbia Station in 1992. Fairways has a partnership with owner John Knezevich on the operation of Briarwood Golf Club in Broadview Heights, and Palmer’s group manages and operates Pine Brook Golf Links in Grafton. In late October, Fairways added a fourth golf course to its management stable, as it struck a lease agreement with Dragon Ranch Golf Club in Elyria. Jonathan Palmer said Fairways’ latest venture stemmed from a few trips he took past the former Deer Track Golf Club, which was renamed after auto dealer Ed Mullinax purchased the property in 2005. “I couldn’t figure out if they were open or not open,” Palmer said. “I actually went in there one day and dropped my card off, and started a discussion with Mr. Mullinax.” Those talks led to Fairways taking over the management of the facility

Membership has privileges

Fairways Golf recently added Dragon Ranch Golf Club in Elyria to its portfolio of courses under management. (Contributed photo)

and reopening the on-course restaurant, now named Green Square. In such situations, Palmer said Fairways works out “a basic triple net lease.” In the simplest terms, Fairways rents the property from Mullinax, is responsible for all of the costs associated with the operation of the course and its facilities, and reaps the rewards should the course be profitable. “Essentially, our business plan as far as managing a facility is to protect the owners of properties from the downside,” Palmer said. “A lot of these guys are throwing hundreds of thousands (of dollars) into facilities that won’t turn anything for them.” Mullinax, according to Lorain

County land records, purchased the 27.14-acre property for $2.1 million in January 2005. Fairways spent much of August redoing the greens at Dragon Ranch. The putting surfaces had been wiped out by anthracnose (a common disease on the tightly mowed grass surfaces). Its next project was the sand traps, and Palmer said the goal is for the course to be in tiptop shape by the spring. The restaurant — which opened in 2007, closed abruptly in 2011, then was shut down again a few years later — was “pretty modern” and didn’t need a lot of work, Palmer said. But Fairways did revamp the menu, creating a fare for the 85-pa-

The addition of Dragon Ranch to its portfolio means golf fanatics at the four Fairways courses have another option if they’re part of the group’s membership program. Fairways customers can get unlimited golf, including on weekends and holidays, for $398. (Cart fees aren’t included.) The membership price covers two seasons — 2018 and ’19. Fairways offered the memberships for the first time in 2010. Seven years later, it’s grown from a one- to fourcourse offering. “It gives them a variety of options on where to play,” Palmer said. It’s also a creative way to expand the business, which Palmer said has drastically changed because “hardly any corporate dollars” are being spent on outings. In the past, the majority of Mallard Creek’s golf revenues came from company outings and leagues, Palmer said. Now, “the entire outing business has basically changed to fundraisers,” and the “league situation has depleted.” Fairways, then, is catering to the younger demographic. “The 40-to-60 demo is pretty thin,” Palmer said.

The Fairways president said Mallard Creek has a group of golfers in the 8-13 age group that has finished in the top five in the nation a couple times in recent PGA junior competitions. Jim Wise, a longtime head pro at Columbia Hills Country Club, was recruited to lead Mallard Creek’s youth efforts in 2014. “We’re big into golfer development,” Palmer said. “What I see are a lot of young people playing golf right now.” The National Golf Foundation’s annual participation report backs up quite a bit of Palmer’s belief. In 2016, according to the NGF, the sport’s total participants dropped 1.2% to 23.8 million, but the number of beginner golfers grew 14% and reached an all-time high of 2.5 million. The number of junior golfers remained steady at 2.9 million. “That’s good for the future of the industry,” said Palmer, whose grandfather, Richard, transitioned from real estate to developing golf courses after he served in World War II. Leagues and outings can still be “the bones of the business,” Jonathan Palmer said. “But without our members,” he added, “we’re dead in the water.” Those customers now can choose between playing in Broadview Heights, Columbia Station, Elyria and Grafton. Without giving specifics, Palmer said the last couple years have “been good” for Fairways. “I think we’ve seen the bottom,” Palmer said. “I think we’re well on the rebound as an industry.”

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

At the Table

ClusterTruck delivers ‘a restaurant without a dining room’ Who doesn’t want more convenience in their life? In a hungry world of endless responsibilities and accelerating demands, there’s a certain comfort in knowing that food is on its way. Food delivery services are nothing new, of course. Turn to the internet, and you’ll find a procession of firms equipped to connect you with your next meal. Grubhub, Skip the Dishes, UberEATS, Deliver Me Food, Bring Me That and Eat24 are all offer services that arrange deliveries of prepared food from a range of area restaurants. ClusterTruck, which begins service Monday, Dec. 4, enters the Northeast Ohio market with a different approach. Rather than connecting customers with restaurants by way of various iterations of third-party drivers, ClusterTruck is creating its own kitchen in downtown Cleveland. Drivers transport your food order right to your address — within boundaries of roughly a six- to eight-minute drive from its location at St. Clair Avenue at East 16th Street — delivering it curbside at your home or place of business. “We’re essentially a restaurant without a dining room,” said Gwen Ragno, digital marketing manager for the Indianapolis-based company. “Instead of having servers, we deliver our food to the customer,” she said. Delivery time is the key consideration. Often, there can be long lags between a restaurant’s preparation of food, pickup by a driver and transit time. Quality can break down. ClusterTruck, Ragno said, “cuts

out the middleman.” Boundaries are “within sort of a weird polygon shape,” she said. Delivery borders include Burke Lakefront Joe Airport to the Crea north; the Greater Cleveland Aquarium to the west; the West Side Market to the southwest; and East 40th Street (south to Woodland Avenue) on the east/ southeast. By the company’s calculation, those perimeters puts delivery time at no more than 10 minutes from the time an order is confirmed. Rather than employing conventional food trucks, ClusterTruck is a “virtual” system. The firm works with roughly 10 independent drivers who use their own vehicles — anything from a sedan or van to a bicycle. Food is selected from a standing website menu and then made to order, not chosen from a conventional food truck’s daily menu. Payment is made by credit card. Customers can set up an online account to speed the process. When customers place an online order, two things happen simultaneously. Much like when a subscriber puts in a call to Uber for a driver, ClusterTruck sends out an electronic call to independent drivers within its network. As soon as the dispatch center gets word that a delivery person is on the way to the central kitchen, kitchen staff starts cooking the food that’s been ordered.

Home-delivered gift cards

Donatos Pizza is offering home-delivery of its gift cards. (Contributed photo)

“We actually have a little bit of everything,” Ragno explained. “Our menu has a few takes on burgers, one that’s creative and upscale, another that’s more traditional, and we have a mac-and-cheese ‘truck’ with a good buffalo-style mac-and-cheese), and then there’s our breakfast menu with lots of different choices.” Customers can view the process in real time. When the delivery is en route, the customer can track its progress and get a text message within a few minutes of its arrival. Delivery is free. Because orders are placed online, a customer can set up delivery as much as seven days in advance and within a 30-minute win-

dow of delivery. Customers can either tip the driver when the food arrives or include a tip with their order. Ragno emphasized that either way, the driver receives 100% of the gratuity. “Drivers are part of our core constituency,” she said. “We want to make sure they make their money and can run their own businesses. So you can tip, knowing that person is getting all of that money.” ClusterTruck opened a Columbus operation last month and expects to enter the Denver and Kansas City markets during December. You’ll have to judge the quality of the food for yourself; the company’s Cleveland kitchen was not open at press time.

Amazon and a gazillion other vendors will get your holiday gifts right to your door. Now you can add Donatos Pizza to that list. In this case, it’s gift cards. Visit the Donatos website to place your order, just as you would to get a pizza. Cards are available in $10, $25 and $50 increments. You don’t have to order food. “The unveiling of our gift card delivery is the latest move Donatos has made to not only meet, but exceed customers’ evolving expectations in an on-demand market,” said Tom Pendrey, chief operating officer in a prepared statement. Donatos already aligned with Apple Watch, Amazon Prime Now, UberEATS and new iOS and Android apps this year.

Good Night John Boy The closing of FlipSide Burgers in the Flats East Bank last week means a new opening at the 1050 West 10th St. site. Owners Tiffany and Shawn Monday and Michael Schwartz are remodeling the space to house their new concept — Good Night John Boy — to open in spring. According to the partners, the space will be transformed into a 1970s-style “corner bar” with a diner food concept. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. FlipSide locations still operate in Hudson, Chagrin Falls, Rocky River, Liberty and Columbus.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Opinion From the Editor

Join us in toast for C-Suite, aid for Red Cross

Editorial

In the rough The Bridgestone Invitational will celebrate 65 years of professional golf in Akron when the World Golf Championships event tees off in August at the highly regarded Firestone Country Club. But as Crain’s reported last week, speculation continues to mount that it could be the final go for the venerable tournament. The tournament provides a considerable jolt to Akron’s economy each year — estimates peg the economic impact at more than $20 million annually. It also generates a seven-figure payout for local charities. More difficult to quantify — though no less important — are the relationships forged among family members and colleagues on Firestone’s fairways each year during the tournament. Ominously, this year’s Bridgestone Invitational was played without the tournament and PGA celebrating another sponsorship extension, as had been typical during the 2009 and 2013 invitationals, when lucrative, four-year extensions had been announced. Complicating matters further, the PGA is considering shaking up its calendar, potentially leaving Akron out of the mix. As such, local officials are rightfully concerned about the potential departure of an event where Akron shines on an international stage. Officials insist talks are ongoing, so there’s still hope. “I have so many great memories of Firestone,” Jack Nicklaus — one of the all-time greats — has been quoted as saying. “I loved coming up here. I loved playing the golf course. It suited my eye. It suited my game. I don’t care what’s going on. I’m going to get to Firestone sometime and I’ll be able to play well there.” The players’ or community’s fondness for the tournament, of course, likely aren’t enough to salvage the event for the Rubber City. Money, as is often the case with any commercial endeavor, will be the deciding factor. And if the WGC event departs, we are hopeful Firestone will lure a major sponsor — something critical for Northeast Ohio to keep its place on the PGA’s schedule. Still, it would be irresponsible for the region’s civic community to sit idly by and watch a community asset fade away.

Power failure

The Republican tax plan isn’t the only piece of bad economic policy coming out of Washington that’s tilted dramatically in favor of big donors and corporate interests. As Bloomberg put it in a story last week, President Donald Trump “is on the verge of subsidizing coal plants that would otherwise be driven out of business by cheaper, cleaner natural gas.” Driving a plan due out Dec. 11 “that would leave consumers footing a potential multibillion-dollar bill” is Neil Chatterjee, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chatterjee told Bloomberg that his plan would be “the most significant proposed change to market rules in decades,” but that’s only true in scope, not creativity. Coal, as well as nuclear, plants “would collect monthly payments from grid operators to keep them in the black, regardless of how much energy they generate,” the news service said. And where would those payments come from? Electricity customers, primarily in the Midwest. Reviving the coal business was a central theme of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Elections indeed have consequences, and this plan is one of them. Coal magnate Robert Murray, owner of Murray Energy Corp. in St. Clairsville and a big Trump donor/supporter, is pushing the bailout plan hard. Akron’s FirstEnergy Corp., beset by financial challenges in its coal and nuclear operations, stands to be a major beneficiary. Indeed, Bloomberg noted that more than 80% of the coal payments proposed in the plan would go to five companies, including FirstEnergy. Last March, in an editorial on FirstEnergy’s desire for “zero emission credits” for nuclear plants in its home state, we noted, “The addiction to subsidies is not serving Ohio residents well, as they continue to prop up old power-generation sources at the expense of fully committing to development of renewable energy.” The same is true here. This emergency lifeline for coal, paid for by consumers, is in no one’s long-term interest.

Publisher and Editor: Elizabeth McIntyre (emcintyre@crain.com)

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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In this week’s issue of Crain’s Cleveland Business, you have the chance to read about 23 of Northeast Ohio’s outstanding executives in the C-Suite. We here at Crain’s have long recognized business leaders through various-level award programs: CIO of the Year, CFO of the Year, General and In-House Counsel Awards and the Archer Awards for human resources professionals. Each of these events has been successful in honoring deserving recipients. But after much thought, we decided this year to get all of these leaders together for a major function that celebrates each of them at the same time. Rather than a series of individual events, we’re celebrating the entire C-Suite — from CEOs and directors and trustees to COOs and CMOs — with a gala event recogElizabeth nizing the leaders responsible for their orgaMcIntyre nization’s growth, strategy and success, as well as their civic involvement and career achievement. At this year’s inaugural C-Suite Gala, we also will honor a Northeast Ohio business leader with the first-ever Champion Award, given in recognition of distinguished service and extraordinary efforts in promoting and advancing Greater Cleveland outside of the region. The work done by this person should have a direct economic impact, attracting outside investment and direct spending. Additionally, this person’s efforts should help to positively advance the region’s image, both nationally and internationally. For our first year in presenting the Champion Award, we can think of no one who better embodies what the award represents than David Gilbert, president and CEO of both Destination Cleveland, the regional convention and visitors bureau, and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. Gilbert also served as president and CEO of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee, which oversaw the preparation of the city of Cleveland for the hugely successful Republican National Convention last year. He is truly a champion of Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio. Like the executives and their organizations we will be honoring on Dec. 7, we at Crain’s strive to build a stronger community, which is why we have selected the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region, as a charity partner for this year’s C-Suite Gala. The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, deadly wildfires in California and other recent national tragedies, the importance of the Red Cross and its work has been magnified — work that since mid-August has included providing 1.3 million overnight stays, serving more than 10.5 million meals and snacks, and distributing more than 6 million emergency relief items. Northeast Ohio’s Red Cross chapter shared in the national relief efforts, sending 119 volunteers and staff to help those impacted by recent events, while still responding locally to emergencies such as home fires and, of course, its ubiquitous blood drives. Crain’s will donate a portion of the C-Suite Gala ticket price to the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region. The Giving Campaign is presented by Hylant. Attendees at the Dec. 7 gala will have an opportunity to donate to the Red Cross during the evening’s program. For those unable to attend the event, you can still donate at www.redcross.org/crainsclevelandbusiness-pub. The campaign will run through Dec. 14. We hope to see you at the C-Suite Gala on Dec. 7, and thank you in advance for your generosity and for helping to support the important work of the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region.

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited. Send letters to Crain’s Cleveland Business, 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44113, or by emailing ClevEdit@crain.com. Please include your complete name and city from which you are writing, and a telephone number for fact-checking purposes. Sound off: Send a Personal View for the opinion page to emcintyre@crain.com. Please include a telephone number for verification purposes.

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Providing a private travel experience that exceeds expectations

Personal View

Training workers in coding could narrow the tech skills gap By AMI SARNOWSKI

NPR found that economists don’t agree on the response to the question. Some say new immigrants deIn a recent op-ed piece, Genesis10 CEO Harley Lip- press wages for teenagers and workers with high pman calls on the Trump administration and U.S. school diplomas or less. Others say an influx of immibusinesses to work together to bring technology jobs grants overall revitalizes the economy. For instance, back to the United States. While few would argue the National Academy of Science, Engineering and against this position, it does raise important ques- Medicine, says immigration’s impact is a relatively mitions. With low unemployment in the U.S., who will fill nor factor in the $18 trillion economy. But also their research points to some evithese roles? How can an underutidence that new immigrants lized talent pool — displaced It’s become more blue-collar workers — be retrained challenging to find skilled can reduce the employment of previous immigrants. for new jobs in technology to help talent needed to fill roles There are forces other than close the gap? immigration that affect blue-colFirst, some background. As you in companies across the know, there is a tech talent gap, and it country. And the situation lar worker displacement to incontinues to grow. It’s become more may worsen before it clude the increase use of robotchallenging to find skilled talent ics and automation, declining needed to fill roles in companies improves. unionization and government across the country. And the situation policies on overtime. may worsen before it improves. The Bureau of Labor Politicians routinely bemoan the loss of good Statistics projects the number of computer and IT jobs blue-collar jobs, writes Clive Thompson in a story, The to grow 13% through 2026, adding more than 500,000 Next Big Blue-Collar Job is Coding, on WIRED.com. If new roles to the economy in the next 10 years. That’s he’s right about coding becoming the next big blue-colfaster than for other occupations. lar job in America, training for programmer roles and Meanwhile, President Trump continues to move who gets encouraged to pursue them could change. It forward with plans to reform immigration policy, would introduce more coding classes at the vocational which could affect the tech talent pool. Most recently, level in high school, and community college and the administration announced in August “a major his- mid-career folks would have the opportunity to pursue toric change to U.S. immigration policy.” The Reform- intense months-long programs like Dev Bootcamp. Rusty Justice, co-founder of Bit Source, a code shop ing American Immigration for a Strong Economy, or RAISE, Immigration Reform Act proposes to limit fam- that builds its workforce by retraining coal miners as ily-based immigration to spouses and minor children programmers, highlights why blue-collar workers are and establish a new points-based entry system. RAISE, a good fit, saying, “Miners are accustomed to deep fothe administration says, will help prevent the dis- cus, team plan and working with complex engineering tech.” Could this be another avenue for job creation placement of U.S. workers. But have immigrants taken jobs from — and low- and job retention in the U.S. as well as a source for talered wages for — American blue-collar workers? NPR ent to aid in shoring up the developer skills gap? asked this question in a piece in which its reporters fact-checked comments made by Stephen Miller, a Sarnowski is chief innovation officer for Genesis10, a White House senior policy adviser, during a press con- professional technology services firm with a regional office in Akron. ference announcing the new plan.

Web Talk Re: Plan for Cyan Park townhouses in Detroit Shoreway

Re: Retirement of Youth Opportunities Unlimited CEO Carol Rivchun

These things are hideous. It is a shame the really ugly buildings are being built near the Shoreway with a view of the lake. ... Why does this new construction have to stick out like a sore thumb from the surrounding architecture? — cuegirl

I remember being brought in as a board member when Carol ... took over a very troubled organization. It was evident from day one that she would make the difference needed. I developed deep respect for her dedication and drive, and she has proved worthy of that respect. In the ensuing years since then, I have often used Y.O.U. and Carol as a model with the other nonprofits that I have been involved in. As she moves on to the next phase of her life, I am sure we will hear of more accomplishments. — Neil Dick

Cleveland is getting with the times. Thanks for stepping out of the colonial stone age. It's nice to see some modern/contemporary construction happening in Cleveland. We travel a lot and certainly appreciate all the new, modern architecture coming to the downtown area. It would also be nice to see this happening more in the suburbs. — B. New

Re: Football blues Who cares about the Browns? Their incompetence and disrespect for our national anthem has just made it easier to kick the whole NFL habit. ... I’m pleased about not wasting any more of my time and money, and doing something useful on Sundays. — Bob Fritz

Re: Returning to Shaker The Nov. 27 article, "Shaker Heights grads often circle back to help beloved community," is spot-on. I was a second-generation Shakerite, and civic responsibility, acceptance and equality were something on which I grew up. When it came to sending my son to school, Shaker was a no-brainer. Many of my co-alums did the same thing. And to have my son walk the same halls, sit in the same classrooms, and learn the same values in the same place that his grandparents did meant a lot to me, and to him. — Blythe

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PA G E 13

2017 C-Suite Awards This year, Crain’s Cleveland Business is honoring Northeast Ohio’s executives in one unified program that celebrates the entire C-Suite. From general counsel all the way up to the CEO, it takes an entire team to steer a successful enterprise. After all, a company is only as strong as its top leaders. ¶ This year’s class was selected by a panel of Crain’s editors. In choosing the winners, we looked for not only their contributions to their particular enterprises, but also their commitment to Northeast Ohio at large. ¶ Winners will be honored at a gala on Thursday, Dec. 7, at The 925 Building in Cleveland. Tickets can be purchased online at www.CrainsCleveland.com/C-Suite.

illustration by Madedee via iStock

2017 Champion Award Winner

Lifetime Achievement

David Gilbert

Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove

Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission David Gilbert already had two prominent jobs. In 2016, and in the years of preparation that led up to it, the president and CEO of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission added a third — president and CEO of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention. And as is so often the case in Gilbert’s other roles, the reviews indicated it was a job well done. Cleveland was lauded as a “fantastic host city” by Fortune and other publications, and soon after the RNC, Cleveland appeared on several “best places to live” lists. More importantly, Gilbert told Crain’s in 2016, a “switch has finally flipped and Clevelanders are believing in their own town.” What Gilbert described as Northeast Ohio’s “once-in-a-generation year” also featured the Cavs’ ending the city’s 52-year championship drought and the Indians advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1997. After some of the accolades had subsided, Gilbert, at Destination Cleveland’s annual meeting last March, set a goal of luring 20 million visitors to Cuyahoga County by 2020. The county drew a record 18 million visitors in 2016, and had a 2.8% year-over-increase that more than doubled the national growth rate of 1.25%.

The regional convention and visitors bureau has a new strategic plan that it believes will aid its efforts to reach the 20 million goal, which Gilbert said includes a greater engagement with the business community. Gilbert’s other big job, as the head of the sports commission, in 2017 celebrated bringing the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships to Edgewater Park for two years, beginning in 2018, and the successful hosting of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at FirstEnergy Stadium. In 2018, the NCAA Division I and III wrestling championships will be held at Quicken Loans Arena and Public Auditorium, respectively, and the NCAA D-I men’s basketball tournament (aka March Madness) will return to The Q in 2020. “You know what’s funny: A lot of times we talk about now, especially after the RNC, you can’t just wait for that home run,” Gilbert told Crain’s after the USA Triathlon announcement in April. “This is one of those big doubles.” Other big hits await. And maybe just as crucial: Gilbert has helped to see to it that Cleveland at least gets to take a swing at being in the big-event conversation. — Kevin Kleps

Cleveland Clinic In his 13 years leading the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Delos "Toby" Cosgrove has helped transform the health system. He led the Clinic as it grew within the region, solidified its reach across the nation and stretched around the world. He championed the “patients first” mantra that has become part of the Clinic’s DNA. “The thing I admire most about Dr. Cosgrove, is that he doesn’t accept the present as being good enough,” said Larry Pollack, a member of the Clinic’s board of directors. “Whether it’s with a patient in the operating room or running the entire Cleveland Clinic, his concept is always one that requires that we move forward, that we get better.” Between 2004, when Cosgrove became CEO after nearly 30 years as a surgeon, and 2016, revenues more than doubled from $3.7 billion to $8.5 billion, and total visits grew from 2.8 million to 7.1 million. In that time, the Clinic bolstered its research efforts, with research funding growing from $121 million to $260 million and the number of physician-scientists increas-

ing from 1,800 to 3,400. Cosgrove, who joined the Clinic in 1975, was named chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery in 1989. In his near 30-year career as a cardiac surgeon, Cosgrove performed 22,000 operations. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, after his undergraduate work at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He completed his clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and Brook General Hospital in London. A surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, Cosgrove served in Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, as the chief of U.S. Air Force Casualty Staging Flight and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal. “When you say Toby Cosgrove, people will look at you like he's a legend in health care, which he is. I mean, he is really an icon,” said Kelly Hancock, the Clinic’s chief nursing officer. — Lydia Coutré

Winner profiles continue on pages 14-16 and 45-54

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

Chief Operating Officer

Anthony Ciepiel

Chris Adams

Vitamix

Park Place Technologies

Anthony Ciepiel is constantly in the mindset of both a manufacturer and a marketer, and that’s why he has been so valuable to Vitamix, the nearly century-old company in Olmsted Township that produces high-performance blenders. According to the nomination, due in large part to Ciepiel’s vision, the company has reached market share, sales and profitability goals. In particular, during his time with the company over the last decade, he spearheaded the evolution of Vitamix’s business model, brand, distribution channels, operating model and marketing strategy. Those contributions, according to the nomination, were crucial to the company’s organic growth of more than 400% over the last several years. In the nomination, Vitamix president and CEO Jodi L. Berg said, “For Tony, creating a beloved iconic brand that can help change people’s lives around the world is personal and meaningful.”

Vitamix has expanded to reach more than 140 countries around the world. “I derive great pleasure from having the chance to work directly with him on a daily basis,” Berg said. “He effortlessly blends the disciplines of marketing, sales and operations, creating a common internal language and understanding of both our shortterm goals and long-term objectives.

This, I would suggest, is a skill possessed by only the most accomplished C-level executives in the business world.” Prior to beginning his role as COO in 2012, Ciepiel was vice president of sales and marketing. During his time in that role, the company’s sales more than tripled, and international exports grew by more than 80%, according to the nomination. He also led the team that added Starbucks and other large commercial chains to Vitamix’s customer list. “Tony is a man of immense talent and immense integrity who is passionate about the Vitamix brand and changing lives,” Berg added. “We all benefit from having him in a position of leadership at Vitamix.” Before Vitamix, Ciepiel was president and chief operating officer at The Flood Co., a producer of specialty coatings and paint additive solutions. During his time with the company, he completed the sale of the company to Akzo Nobel. — Timothy Magaw

Two decades of experience in finance and enterprise technology is serving Chris Adams well at Park Place Technologies, the Mayfield Heights-based data center maintenance company that has made six acquisitions in the last 12 months — including the largest deal in its history. As COO, Adams manages day-to-day operations at Park Place, “with his key objectives including streamlining work processes and ensuring that all business initiatives and objectives are in sync,” according to the nomination. Adams also “focuses on key growth strategies and initiatives to improve Park Place’s profitability, and is responsible for European and Asia-Pacific sales and service operations as well as North America,” the nomination said, and he has worked with CEO Ed Kenty in leading Park Place’s Global Service Operations Divisions. He also has reorganized Park Place’s delivery operations; developing strategies for hardware support in the storage space; helped complete multiple acquisitions both domestic

“Tony is a man of immense talent and immense integrity who is passionate about the Vitamix brand and changing lives. We all benefit from having him in a position of leadership at Vitamix.”

“Chris enhanced our financial reporting package to enable better control mechanisms, designed and implemented a variable sales compensation model that is still in place today, and replaced all systems and applications to support the growth of the business.”

— Jodi L. Berg , Vitamix president and CEO

— Ed Kenty, Park Place Technologies CEO

watch more here agined im e /r M O .C W A L B BD Happiness is the look on a General Counsel’s face after we’ve successfully managed another complex employment issue; it’s the firm handshake of a CEO who just acquired her fifth company with our help; it’s the father who is comforted in knowing his business assets are taken care of by someone who truly has his back. Happiness is the pride that comes from helping more than 300 middle market businesses in Ohio flourish.

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017

PA G E 15

Daniel Lewis MetroHealth and international; and launching Park Place’s European and Asia-Pacific business units. Of the six acquisitions in the past 12 months, the largest was Park Place’s purchase in August of NCE Group Ltd., a British company with more than 280 employees. The deal immediately increased Park Place’s total headcount by nearly 50%. The company had about 590 employees worldwide prior to the deal. The nomination said that Adams “has helped grow the Park Place client portfolio to more than 10,000 organizations in over 100 countries.” In a statement, Kenty said Adams, a member of Crain’s 40 Under 40 class of 2011, has made “significant and game-changing contributions” to Park Place. “Many of these contributions have required extraordinary intellect and work ethic,” Kenty said. “Chris enhanced our financial reporting package to enable better control mechanisms, designed and implemented a variable sales compensation model that is still in place today, and replaced all systems and applications to support the growth of the business.” He concluded that Adams “has always stepped up to every business challenge and continues to do so through the extraordinary year-over-year growth Park Place has experienced.” — Scott Suttell

In May, $4.5 billion in orders were placed as MetroHealth’s self-issued bonds went to market. It was a stunning display of confidence in MetroHealth’s bold plan to remake its aging campus, and much of that confidence was due to the health system’s strong operational performance over the last several years — something that in many cases can be attributed to Daniel Lewis. According to the nomination, during his time as COO, MetroHealth’s financial and operational position has “strengthened significantly.” Revenue has climbed 15%, patient volume is up by 17%, and market share has continued to rise even as the county’s population dipped. MetroHealth has also operated in the black for the last nine years. “His unique experience and his decades in HR leadership have given him rare perspective on how organizations can improve,” MetroHealth president and CEO Dr. Akram

Boutros said in the nomination. “He has used this understanding to elevate our operations and financial performance to extraordinary levels. Dan’s successes have built a strong foundation for the long-term financial success of MetroHealth. The significant, sustainable results he achieved sparked much of the confidence we saw from investors as we

moved forward with our historic financing. ... It wouldn’t have happened without Dan’s brilliance.” Beyond his traditional COO responsibilities, Lewis also was charged with moving the hospital system to a service-line management model and develop a dyad structure of leadership across those new lines of service, according to the nomination. The effort involved 14-hour days in 2015 alongside the hospital’s chief clinical officer as they crafted an eight-service-line system. The shift was designed to “reverse the traditional rivalry between the business and clinical sides of health care,” the nomination said. Boutros said Lewis “accomplished it masterfully.” “I don’t know of any defection of leadership during that period of time,” he said. “That’s unheard of.” Before arriving at MetroHealth, Lewis held a variety of roles at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., IMG and Rubbermaid Inc. — Timothy Magaw

“The significant, sustainable results he achieved sparked much of the confidence we saw from investors as we moved forward with our historic financing. ... It wouldn’t have happened without Dan’s brilliance.” — Dr. Akram Boutros, MetroHealth president and CEO

PA G E 16

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017 |

C-SUITE AWARDS

Chief Financial Officer

Marty Butler

Laurence A. Sivic

ExactCare Pharmacy

NASA John H. Glenn Research Center

CFOs pay close attention to numbers. Here’s one that’s a point of pride for Valley View-based ExactCare Pharmacy and its CFO, Marty Butler: 4. That’s the number of consecutive years ExactCare — a full-service pharmacy provider that specializes in medication management for complex, high-risk patients with multiple disease states and multiple medications — has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. Inc. placed ExactCare at No. 2059 on its 2017 list, with 2016 revenue of $137.2 million and a three-year growth rate of 180%. The company has come a long way in a short time. It was started in 2009 with three people (it now has about 300), and it has a 75,000-square-foot headquarters in Valley View as well as an office in New Jersey. Butler has been with ExactCare for

about half the company’s existence; he was named CFO at the start of 2013. Before that, he was CEO of a Cleveland Clinic spinout company called Enforcer eCoaching, a health and wellness coaching company; a vice president at Walgreens; and manager of corporate development

and strategy for Eaton Corp. ExactCare’s growth prospects received a significant boost in March 2016 when it received an investment from Nautic Partners of Rhode Island. (Nautic bought some shares from ExactCare CEO Dale Wollschleger, and it acquired the minority stake that Primus Capital of Mayfield Heights had acquired in 2014.) Butler earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from John Carroll University. He’s a past president and board chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and serves on the boards of Town Hall of Cleveland and the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Northeastern Ohio. In 2015, he was named to Crain’s CFO of the Year class of 2015, honoring Northeast Ohio’s top financial officers. — Scott Suttell

Cleveland & Akron 2017

Executive Challenge Members Adam Andolina, KeyBank Pete Baka, Acclaim John Bryan, Knuth’s Michael Burke, Cryothermic Systems Robert Dean, MD, Cleveland Clinic Janet Hanacek, Ziegler Bolt & Nut House Kathy Harris, Goodyear Erin Hill, Ethicon Mary Huggins, Prism Health Anna Lang, Cleveland Clinic Michael Leikin, Leikin Motor Companies Bailey Lyden, TrueNorth Robert MacAdam-King, Bedford Cabinet Amanda Maggiotto, Cleveland Clinic Karen Mihalik, Cleveland Clinic Amanda Mockbee, Dollar Bank Jennifer Murphy, Dealer Tire Paula Nylander, Jones Day Mark Nylander, Secure View Kay Pierson, Cleveland Clinic Joseph Prignano, Walgreens Maureen Roth, Celgene Nancy Sauer, AECOM Lindsay Silverstein, LLS Rich Sittema, Grant Thornton LLP Donna Thrane, Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC Susan Turner, Community Volunteer Stacey Vaselaney, SLV Public Relations Louise Warner, Community Volunteer Matthew Wenham, C&S Companies Randy Writz, Muy! Hamburgers, LLC Executive Challenge is a fundraising competition among local business executives which raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk. For more information, visit www.lightthenight.org/noh

Laurence Sivic, chief financial officer at NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, has spent six years on the job inspiring his staff to strive for greatness, according to the nomination. That’s not some empty platitude, as Sivic fosters teamwork and development both in and out of the office, the nomination said. Over 45% of his new hires and promotions are minorities or veterans, and he is a key member of the team that built a community connection with the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Sivic meets monthly with GCP leadership to discuss new NASA Glenn initiatives, part of an overall community connection effort that includes a working relationship with the Association of Government Accountants. Last year, Sivic received the Ohio Diversity Council Leadership Excellence Award for driving change and innovation in his field while inspiring others to succeed. His numerous community contributions include 20 years coaching multiple international-level basketball, baseball and soccer teams. Sivic, who was named CFO of NASA Glenn in 2011 after seven years with the agency, currently manages the research center’s $700 million budget, acting as principal adviser to the center’s director on organizational resources and financial management matters. He also is responsible for helping the center provide world-class research and technology in the areas of aeronautics and space exploration. The careful distribution of resources at his fingertips advance space missions and other high-tech NASA projects. Monthly CFO reviews under his purview tally monthly resource expenditures, requiring careful cost estimations at the project level. During his career with NASA, Sivic has served as chief of the mission support and integration office, as well as deputy chief financial officer. Awards include the Ohio Diversity Council Leadership Excellence Award, the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for exceptional teamwork, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for outstanding leadership. “Mr. Sivic is a tribute to NASA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer and is deserving of the Agency’s deepest appreciation,” said associate center director Janet Watkins. “He inspires his staff to do the best and be the best they can be.” — Douglas J. Guth

EXP3RT1S3 Here, it’s about more than just numbers. At Ciuni & Panichi, we take a personal approach to accounting and auditing. One that’s built on understanding and trust. When you work with us, you can feel confident that you’ll get the highest level of attention. Most importantly, you’ll get expert guidance to help you achieve your definition of success.

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WEATHERHEAD 100

30 ANNIVERSARY TH

NORTHEAST OHIO’S

FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES

A+ Solutions

Laudan Properties

Accellis Technology Group, Inc.

Marsh, Berry & Company, Inc.

Acorn Technology Corporation

MediQuant, Inc.

Allegro Realty Advisors

MFS Supply, LLC

American Colors Inc.

National Automotive Experts / NWAN

AMG Marketing Resources

National Safety Apparel

Ancora Capital

Nicole Brayden Gifts, LLC

Applied Companies, LLC

Northeast Factory Direct

AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management

Norton Industries, Inc.

ArtWall

ON Partners

ASMGi

OnShift

Avantia, Inc.

Osborn Engineering Co.

Banyan Technology

Panel Master LLC

Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, LLC

Patton Painting Incorporated

Bialosky Cleveland

Perspectus Architecture

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

Pinnacle Construction & Development Group, Inc.

Briar Rose Nurseries Budget Dumpster Carver Financial Services Checkpoint Surgical Compass Self Storage Crescendo Commercial Realty, LLC Daniel's Amish Collection DataServ Integrations, LLC Digital Print Solutions Direct Consulting Associates Direct Recruiters, Inc. Echo Health, Inc. Emerson Thomson Bennett, LLC. EVENT Source Exscape Designs LLC Fabo Architecture, Inc. Farmers National Banc Corp. Five Lakes Professional Services Five Points Dentistry Foundation Software, Inc. Futuri Media Great Lakes Cold Storage

UPSTARTS Adatasol

Greenspace Construction Services Group Management Services, Inc.

Mortach Financial Services

American Heelers

O’Reilly Equipment

Aurum Wealth Management Group, LLC

Planned Financial Services

Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management

Pritt Entertainment Group

Cleanlife Energy LLC Coastal Quality Construction Inc. Dependable, LLC DMS Management Solutions Ethode, LLC Grants Plus HMT Events, Inc. Hy-Tech Products, Inc.

PR 20/20 R & K Technologies, Inc. Razor Ltd. LLC Request A Test Richardson Design Simplex-IT Smartland, LLC Special Metal Stamping Spire Advertising

Kiwi Creative

TIES - Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM

Lakeside Produce Distribution, Inc.

TLC Products, Inc.

Hartland Hileman Group Infinium Wall Systems INSIGHT2PROFIT Jarrett Logistics Systems, Inc. JCI Contractors Inc. K2M Design Keene Building Products

Payroll4Construction.com

Powdermet, Inc. Pure Water Technology, LLC PureButtons.com QualityIP Razorleaf Corp. RDL Architects Re/Max Haven Realty Property Management Rebound Physical Therapy and Urgent Care Centers, Inc. Redwood Living, Inc. Risk International Holdings, Inc. Rock The House Safety Controls Technology Sanctuary Marketing Group SecureData 365 Selman & Company Sequoia Financial Group, LLC Skoda Minotti Sky Quest LLC Speedeon Data LLC SureSite Talan Products Inc. Technical Assurance, Inc. Testoil The SpyGlass Group ThenDesign Architecture, Ltd. TPI Efficiency US Freight LLC WellnessIQ WHS Engineering Inc.

KHM Travel Group

Wireless Environment, makers of Mr Beams

Lake City Plating LLC

World Synergy

Laketec Communications, Inc.

WTWH Media

CENTURIONS Crosscountry Mortgage, Inc.

MobilityWorks Park Place Technologies

LDA architects

True Hire

ExactCare Pharmacy

Lead to Conversion, LLC

Woodside Health

Garland Industries, Inc.

Union Home Mortgage

Metisentry

YellowLite

LeafFilter North, Inc.

US Acute Care Solutions

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INSIDE THE SECTION PAGES

3-9

COMPANY PROFILES:

ArtWall ExactCare Pharmacy CleanLife Energy Norton Industries LeafFilter YellowLite

PAGES

10-11

Five former winners on how business has changed

PAGES

11-12

Where are they now? Five companies from the first Weatherhead 100 list

PAGES

14-27 THE LISTS

Weatherhead 100 Upstart Centurion

EVER-CHANGING

LANDSCAPE Northeast Ohio — and the world of business — has transformed since the first Weatherhead 100

By Barry Goodrich

n 1988, Downtown Cleveland saw the groundbreaking for Tower City Center and the unveiling of the project that would eventually become Key Center, resulting in Cleveland’s tallest building, Key Tower. The Cleveland Clinic, meanwhile, for the first time looked beyond Ohio, establishing Cleveland Clinic Florida, according to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. On the consumer front, the nowiconic Great Lakes Brewing Co. opened its doors, and Akron-based GOJO had just invented what is today a household name, Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer. Indeed, much has changed over the past 30 years since the first Weatherhead 100 awards were presented, from the transformation of the city’s skyline to shifts in the way businesses operate and which ones succeed and grow.

KEEPING IT REAL “It’s about authenticity,” says Chris Laszlo, the faculty executive director of the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. “There’s an evolution toward companies that create value in a broader sense. Doing the right thing for the right reasons results in better economic results for a business.” While sustainability was linked to energy conservation and waste reduction 20 to 30 years ago, those concerns are simply considered good business practices today. “It’s more about creating a positive than reducing a negative,” says Laszlo. “Acting with compassion and empathy

“Job satisfaction was a hot topic in the 1980s,” said Weatherhead’s Ronald Fry, co-creator of the Appreciative Inquiry method, a tool for organizational change. “Now, we focus on employee engagement, which is different. We’ve gone from a structural approach to a relational approach … a larger identification with the organization, its mission and purpose.” Today’s employees are less concerned with paychecks, concentrating on a more holistic connection with their employers and an ability to have a legitimate input. “Happy people are more resilient, productive and motivated,” says Fry. “Employee engagement is one of the main predictors of an organization’s success.”

LOOKING FORWARD

Ron Fry, Ph.D. Professor of Organizational Behavior

Susan Helper, Ph.D. Frank Tracy Carlton Professor of Economics

was terribly absent in the 1980s.” Laszlo has watched sustainability morph from an ecological movement into a standard business model. “We have seen some very comprehensive research that showed sustainability high performers outperform the market average,” he says. “Today, you’ve got more and more companies, whether it’s KeyBank or Great Lakes Brewing Co., who understand the business values of sustainability.”

A NEW KIND OF ENTREPRENEUR Entrepreneurship also has evolved over the past 30 years, particularly among the region’s changing industrial base. “The whole system of entrepreneurship activity has changed dramatically,” says Scott Shane, who specializes in entrepreneurial studies at the Weatherhead School of Management. “When I came here in 2003, Cleveland had been hit pretty hard

Scott Shane, Ph.D. A. Malachi Mixon III Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies

Chris Laszlo, Ph.D. Char and Chuck Fowler Professor of Business as an Agent of World Benefit

and lost a lot of companies at the end of the first dot-com bubble,” says Shane. “We kind of missed the Steve Jobs and Bill Gates era in the 1980s and 1990s. Now we have much more of that (technology) with different players coming together for what I call self-interested collaboration.” Bootstrapping a business has become much rarer for today’s entrepreneurs, who are much more likely to raise external capital. While 20 years ago it might have cost $20 million to bring a new software product to market, he said, today it might be done for $100,000. “There are different kinds of people starting companies at a younger age,” says Shane. “And it’s not all white men like the late 1980s.”

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Organizational behavior has become a key tool in enabling firms to increase their ability to engage in strategic thinking, planning and change.

One of the most significant factors in Northeast Ohio’s economic development during the past 30 years has been the rise of the Cleveland Clinic and the subsequent transformation of the region’s hospital sector. “We have many industries tied to the health sector,” says Weatherhead economics professor Susan Helper. “There’s a lot of benefit to economic clusters. I don’t think we focused on that in the past.” Looking forward, Helper, a former chief economist in the U.S. Department of Commerce (2013-15) and senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors (2012-13), is concerned with the city’s trend toward corporate tax breaks. “We’re spending a huge amount on tax breaks instead of putting that money directly into things like schools and the transit system,” she says. “There’s a better way to do economic development than just going for the home run … hit some singles. The home runs are really expensive.” Helper believes the government can play a hand in the region’s continued economic rebirth – and in the next 30 years. “Part of the responsibility of government is to align public and private incentives,” she says. “We can do more to promote companies that don’t exploit workers or their environment.”

AWARD CATEGORIES PAGE

BY THE NUMBERS

Weatherhead 100

Upstart

Centurion

The 100 fastest-growing companies in Northeast Ohio are based on revenue from 2012 through 2016. Companies on the list must have had sales of at least $100,000 in 2012, plus a minimum of 16 full-time employees and more than $1 million in sales in 2016.

These companies have met all Weatherhead 100 qualifications, employed 15 or fewer employees and/or had less than $5 million in net sales in 2016.

These companies have met all Weatherhead 100 qualifications and had net sales of $100 million or more in 2016.

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ART ON DEMAND With brands ArtWall and BrushStone, DWA is the force behind the artwork we gaze at every day By Roxanna Coldiron

hether it’s a large print from a local artist gracing the walls of homes nationwide or small desk photo that brightens an office, original art is meant to be seen and enjoyed. The challenge: how to distribute works of art on a large scale while also compensating artists fairly. Enter David Aheimer. In 2011, he founded ArtWall, which utilizes an on-demand digital manufacturing model designed to connect artists to retailers for original works of art. ArtWall was recently joined by BrushStone, a new direct-to-consumer operation, as part of DWA Marketing and Promotional Products. The company has grown despite difficult internal circumstances — Aheimer cut ties in 2015 with his business partner when the two disagreed about where the company should head. “My business partner had a different vision for the company than I had,” Aheimer says. “While he wanted a distribution model for ArtWall, I saw it as an on-demand art manufacturing model that supplied retailers in 24 hours. I wanted to find that focus on raw manufacturing, where we license the artwork of 150 artists and take it digital for reproducing prints in 24 hours after it’s been ordered from the retailer.” ArtWall’s retail partners include household names like Wayfair, Amazon, Overstock.com and others. Consumers order artwork from such retailers, and ArtWall creates the reproductions to fulfill those orders on demand. What began as a basement operation has led to three location moves to accommodate the need for more space. ArtWall started in a Lakewood gallery

with 300 square feet of showroom, 300 square feet for printing and another 300 square feet in the basement. Two years later, it moved to a larger location in West Park. In 2015, ArtWall relocated to a 35,000-squarefoot space in Strongsville. “We have grown this small manufacturing and distribution operation to a $5 million company in just a five-year time frame,” Aheimer says. “The Strongsville location tripled our space, but we needed it. WEATHERHEAD The outgoing UPS as order handling and 100 shipments could barely production planning, fit in our former space is done through a smart anymore.” automated system, while In fact, Aheimer says that the UPS manufacturing employees follow a employee took one look at the boxes variable demand model. Aheimer in the foyer of its previous location says this ensures that all orders can and walked out. The shipments be met within 24 hours as promised, wouldn’t have fit in his truck, so he and creates a smooth workflow for the needed to go get another truck in order to take the shipments. The company also implemented a new enterprise resource planning system at the same time as the physical move. “We made a pretty significant technology leap at the same time we moved our facility,” Aheimer says. “We completed that transition just prior to the fourth quarter retail season of 2015 and went live without missing one order.” The demand for artwork prints has grown from 30 units a week to a whopping 2,000 units a week. From 2016 to 2017, ArtWall saw revenue growth of 27% and unit growth of 32%. In 2018, the company expects to send out 3,500 units a week and will add another 10 employees by the end of that year to meet the increased demand. Much of the background work, such

David Aheimer

staff who handle the printing, framing and packing. Three to four people gather the high-quality prints from the large Epson printers in the printing area. Typically, eight people are in the warehouse to frame each print and pack it for shipping to retailers. Another group of people build the

custom frames. “Our core values can be summarized as motivation, integrity, attitude, smarts and teamwork,” says Aheimer. “This company is a success because all of us strive to live those values every day. Our people have grown with the organization, and they 100% deserve the credit.”

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“

WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU?

This is a recognition of the quality of character of the people who work in this business. When you manufacture a product, it becomes a commodity, but in the end it’s all about the people, the caliber of their character.” — DAVID AHEIMER, president and founder, ArtWall

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FAST-TRACK GROWTH ExactCare Pharmacy’s growth The selection of a financial banking partner can pay big dividends in the growth of your business. came faster than expected, but now The Middlefield Banking Company’s accomplished professionals have been impacting business it’s in new facilities with new staff growth and success throughout our 113 year history. Our local approach, responsive decision to serve patients nationwide making and personal attention have been heralded by our peers, but most importantly by our customers. they keep. “We took two and a half, three years By Vince Guerrieri We’re the relationships

to build out the operation. ... We moved to multiple locations and xactCare Pharmacy was caught we justBank neededand more experience and Come to aofCommunity the by surpriseover at the level sucmore space. Now we’ve cess it achieved quickly. best banking has to offer. built our operations to Founder and CEO Dale Wollschleger handle more growth. says he won’t replicate that mistake for We’re expanding in ExactCare, a pharmacy business best known for the ExactPack, which delivers Northeast Ohio, but we’re also looking to medications to patients in personalized CENTURION Island-based Nautic packaged doses that are organized by the expand in other places Partners. throughout the country.” order they should take them. The company is now The company started in Now licensed in all 50 states — the serving more than 25,000 2009 with three employees, “Weatherhead - Success” last holdout, California, came in the patients in 15 states, and expects to be and today has nearly 300. In addition past year — the company is planning Crains - 6” x 6” active in seven more before the end to its 75,000-square-foot Valley View to hire about 100 new employees in of the year. To ExactCare, “active” headquarters, it also has an office in the next six to 12 months. means having clinicians going into Lakewood, N.J., with more planned. “We’re ready to handle quite a bit patients’ homes, which is the big Last year, it received its second round of growth to the point of three to four driver of the company’s growth. times the volume,” says Wollschleger. of private equity funding from Rhode

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Dale Wollschleger

“We look to our referral sources — typically from the home health field, but sometimes through insurance companies — to identify patients on multiple medications and in multiple disease states,” he says. “From there, we try to make it easier for patients.” The average ExactCare patient is on roughly a dozen medications, an increase from last year when the average patient was on about 10 medications. Wollschleger, a pharmacist by training, says in some instances, those medications are prescribed by multiple doctors, so the proverbial left hand might not know what the right hand is doing. He was inspired to start ExactCare during the time that he owned his own pharmacy at Lutheran Hospital, where he worked with patients with mental illnesses who required multiple medications. “Our referral services are really starting to learn to hone in on complex patients on multiple medications,” Wollschleger says. ExactCare’s clinicians do a “medication reconciliation” for the patient, at times actually reducing the amount of medications they need to take, at a cost savings to the patient as well as the insurer. Wollschleger says a recent study undertaken in conjunction with an insurance company found that ExactCare’s services save insurers $500 to $1,000 per member per month. The company had to build its own software to automate the assembly of the ExactPacks, which includes taking

“

a photo of every pill dispensed. At first it was quite the undertaking, but it’s turned into one of the company’s greatest strengths. “The beauty of building your own software is you can change it whenever you want,” Wollschleger says. “You can move much quicker, and it’s helped us propel our growth.” The company also used its software to develop an app, MyECP, which can be programmed to send push notifications to remind patients to take their medication, as well as to relatives or caretakers who aren’t nearby. It can also be used to handle co-payments, refills and other information. Wollschleger estimates about a quarter of the company’s patients use the app. “The notifications provide us data, but can also be sent to others,” he says. “If you have a family member in another state and you want the peace of mind to know they’re taking their medications, you can get that.” In the next year, the company is also focused on training its employees, both on its software and the company’s culture, introducing the “Patient Promise” to keep employees focused on who they serve. “We’re extremely committed to that patient-first mentality,” Wollschleger says. “It sounds so repetitive, but it’s so true. You have to take care of the patient and everything really will fall into place. If you don’t, you can’t sustain your growth.”

WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU?

It’s a great list. I love seeing any company grow, not just mine, and seeing that is something that’s very important to me.”

— DALE WOLLSCHLEGER, founder and CEO, ExactCare Pharmacy

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“

WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU?

We’ve been working really hard to grow our company over the years here in Cleveland. (This gives) us some recognition in the community to show who we are (as we) continue to attract talent to come and work here. We would like to start developing more business locally, so it’s going to be excellent for us to get more recognition.” — JUSTIN MILLER, CEO and founder, CleanLife Energy

traditional lighting. Miller moved back to the U.S. and launched CleanLife in October 2011, initially focusing on selling LED lighting for vending machines and, later, for refrigeration and outdoor signs. The company cleared $500,000 in sales its first year, but learned that LED technology was cost-prohibitive for many businesses — “probably 20 to 30 times more expensive than it is right now,” he says. Convincing customers to choose the pricier option was tough — Miller flew around the country hosting lunch-and-learns with architects, designers and engineers to demonstrate the technology in person. “A quick little e-mail blurb — that didn’t do the trick,” he says. “We had to get our product and our face and our brand in front of these customers.” Successfully scaling CleanLife also Justin Miller was a challenge, because the company needed bigger facilities, more testing equipment and the capacity to hire more staff. Miller says he found an ally in the city of Cleveland, which has offered equipment loans, job creation grants and vacant property initiatives. That allowed CleanLife to bring some of its technology in-house and build a local engineering team with talent recruited from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University. “We were able to utilize our local resources to help grow the company,” Miller says. business experience,” Miller says today. Industry trends are also on their “I was fortunate enough to learn my side: In the last few years, LED business lessons at a much younger age, lighting has become more affordable, both domestically and internationally. and CleanLife had a competitive I’ve been able to build the right network advantage because it had beat other, of contacts and take the right steps to larger companies to market. prevent those mistakes from “We were able to get ourselves happening again.” in front of some very big, Miller knew he had Fortune 500-level found a winning customers that have business proposition stayed loyal to us and when he saw the have become major emerging market customers,” Miller says. for LED technology CleanLife now sells UPSTART while living in its products across the China. At the time, U.S. and in Canada, Miller “saw the future Mexico, Europe and Asia. The and the potential” with it, company also has added a division and was passionate about LED’s called UltraLux, which offers light bulbs environmental benefits. and fixtures to residential and consumer He saw LED as high-quality markets. In 2017, CleanLife was named light that’s more energy efficient, to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastestlasts longer and free of hazardous growing companies in the U.S. substances, he says, with a safer The company currently has 20 manufacturing process than employees in Cleveland and one in

BRIGHT LIGHT

CleanLife Energy beat its competition to the LED market, and is reaping the rewards By Annie Zaleski

ustin Miller is only 29 years old, but he’s been an entrepreneur for most of his life. Miller, who today is the CEO and founder of LED lighting and component manufacturer CleanLife Energy, first got the entrepreneurial itch when he was 13 and learned HTML from a middle school web design class. He used his skills to start a sports blog — funded by selling online ads to local restaurants — and to build websites for businesses owned by his friends’ parents. Later, while attending Miami University, he booked and sold tickets to concerts and other on-campus events. Then he studied abroad and, later, moved to China, launching an English-Chinese translation service and a branding and marketing consulting company to help American companies enter the Chinese market. “I’m a 29-year-old with 16 years of

Italy, and Miller says they plan to create about 35 to 40 jobs in the next three years locally in manufacturing, engineering and supply chain. “CleanLife was the right time, the

right place, the right people, the right time in my business career,” Miller says. “The right time of getting in with the technology in the early stage. It was really timing. Everything fell in place.”

congratulates our client, Powdermet, Inc., member of the 2017 Weatherhead100 www.faysharpe.com

Congratulations and continued success to ASMGi Avantia, Inc. Daniel’s Amish Collection Osborn Engineering Co.

and all of the Weatherhead 100 winners! Walthall Rea 216.573.2330 | www.reacpa.com a Top 100 firm | 300 professionals | 13 Ohio offices

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LOOKING UP Ceiling manufacturer Norton Industries has doubled in size over three years after revamping its business model By Rebecca Meiser

n a recent Wednesday in September, Tricia Rhea walked around the floor of Norton Industries’ 45,000-square-foot plant, stopping to admire a piece of freshly cut lumber. The wood would soon be shipped to the Bahamas, where the pieces will be assembled into a ceiling for a Wendy’s restaurant. “I never thought I’d be walking around the shop petting wood, and saying, ‘Oh, this is such a beautiful maple,’” says Rhea, who is president of the Lakewood-based manufacturer of commercial architectural wood ceiling and wall systems. Under Rhea’s leadership, Norton Industries has been transformed from a small family firm completing about 12 highly specialized custom ceiling jobs a year to a national powerhouse in the wood ceiling industry, supplying wood ceiling products and designs for more

than 400 projects a year. You can find Norton’s ceiling designs in Chase Bank locations across the U.S., at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. “Looking Forward to Looking Up” is their trademark. In her younger years, Rhea was never one to spend much time looking forward or WEATHERHEAD looking up. Graduating 100 from high school in 1987, To her surprise, Rhea she had no idea what she enjoyed the job. wanted to do with her life and “I loved being able to meet had little interest in college. all these people and have a product “My father made it very clear that if that solved a problem for them,” she I wasn’t going to go to school I had to says. “Within a month I felt like I was have a job,” she says. She reluctantly supposed to be doing this.” went to work in his ceiling company, Rhea spent the next decade getting which he had started out of the to know the business. She wondered basement of his Cleveland Heights at times why her father was so focused home in 1967. on custom ceilings and whether

#65

Tricia Rhea

the company should manufacture standardized ceiling prototypes, but for the most part she was content to sit in his passenger seat. Then in 2010, Rhea received devastating news. Her mother had cancer, and her father was quitting to take care of her. It upended things for Rhea. “I was pregnant with my fourth child and had been planning on retiring myself,” she recalls. But after some soul searching with her husband Alan, who also works at the company, Rhea decided to keep Norton Industries going. She made some tweaks — deciding to focus on wood ceilings instead of luminous ones, for instance — and “we were getting by and that was fine.” But in 2013, Rhea received another devastating phone call. This time it was from her own doctor — Rhea was now the one with cancer. During treatment, “I had the opportunity and blessing to look at my priorities,” she recalls. “I made the decision that if I was going to work every day, then I wanted to be doing something fantastic and amazing and not status quo.” After treatment, Rhea told her employees and clients that she was changing the way Norton Industries manufactured and distributed

everything. No longer would they do individual, specialized ceilings. Now they would focus only on wood ceilings and replicable designs. As part of the repositioning, Rhea had to revamp her sales force, dramatically change the manufacturing process, and invest in new computer technology and equipment. The gamble paid off. “I could tell it was working by the sales reps’ energy, the feedback we were getting and by repeat customers,” she says. Rhea says that from 2013 to 2016, Norton Industries doubled in sales and size. Today, the company has 45 employees and offers 14 ceiling prototypes and 28 different wood options. “We are very pleased with their service and quality and timeliness of delivery,” says Eric Mau, president and owner of Mau Inc., who has worked with Norton on many projects. “We like that Tricia actually participates in the day-to-day business, which many other owners do not.” Rhea credits her success to a mindset shift. “What finally happened is that I got out of the daughter role and stepped into the ‘I’m president of a manufacturing company’ role,” she says. “I gave myself permission not to need my father’s permission anymore.”

“

WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU?

When I got the notice of the award I was like, ‘Wow.’ To be in a group of other business owners that is successful in growing their businesses is a place I never really expected to be. But the award is a welcome acknowledgement of hard work.” — TRICIA RHEA, president, Norton Industries

Litigation Firm of the Year.

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2017

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entrepreneur grows operation from one man GUTTER Local in a home office to a 43-location multi-national gutter protection operation GREATNESS The following year, Kaulig became the largest LeafFilter dealer in North America, and in 2012, he bought out the remaining dealers. In 2015, Kaulig purchased LeafFilter’s manufacturing operations and patent. Today, Kaulig has 43 offices in the U.S. and Canada and is a $112 million business that employs 300 people in Northeast Ohio alone with 1,600 employees and sub subcontractors total. “It was about control,” Kaulig says of the play to acquire LeafFilter. “In life, CENTURION you control the things that you can control, and don’t worry about what you can’t. I wanted as much control over my destiny and processes, and I had the opportunity.” He’s also managed to maintain control over growth so rapid that it might have crushed another company. Matt Kaulig “You always hear about companies that are growing and then they go away,” Kaulig says. “They grew too fast and couldn’t keep up. I was very aware of this, and we have been By Kristen Hampshire careful.” To scale the business, Kaulig focused att Kaulig was 31 years old on developing repeatable systems so and working in the remodeling that sales, installation and marketing industry when he learned would be handled the exact same way about a gutter protection product that he no matter the city, state or country. was so confident in, he was willing to “If you go to a LeafFilter in Akron, give up his steady job to sell it. it’s the same as the one you’ll visit “I thought, ‘This is a rock star in Minnesota,” Kaulig says. The product, and people seem to love it,’” company’s Hudson call center he says. “I figured, ‘I can quit my handles all incoming inquiries and job, just sell this stuff and make more customer service matters. money.’ And so I did.” Kaulig admits that the growth has In 2005, Kaulig became one of 91 been a challenge for some of the LeafFilter dealers in North America. He executives, who might have been welldid the sales and cleaned out gutters, versed at running an eight-location adding LeafFilter, a mesh gutter guard, business but not prepared to several to homes he serviced. The following years later oversee 30 operations. year, he hired two salespeople and a LEAFFILTER CONTINUED couple of installers. By 2008, he had ON NEXT PAGE opened three more offices in Pittsburgh, Columbus and Toledo.

A sincere thank you to our dedicated employees.

You’ve made Ancora one of the fastest-growing companies in Northeast Ohio!

“

WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU?

Family Wealth | Asset Management | Retirement Plans WWW.ANCORA.NET

To be one of the top 100 companies and still one of the fastest growing in Northeast Ohio is awesome. You don’t set out to win awards, but when you are nominated or when you do win, you are really proud of your team for accomplishing some great things.” — MATT KAULIG, owner, LeafFilter

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SOLAR SUCCESS Soaring gas prices in 2008 prompted YellowLite’s entry into the solar panel market, where it has continued to succeed By Vince Guerrieri

Kazmi says. “They were out of our reach, but now we have the experience to be able to cater to those n 2008, the United States was in commercial projects.” the midst of an uncertain time. YellowLite seeks to grow its The economy was teetering on business through digital marketing the brink and oil prices were at an and social media, trying to correct all-time high, leading to gas prices as misconceptions about solar power. high as $5 a gallon in some places in He often has to explain that the cloud the country. cover in Northeast Ohio is good for Those were the circumstances that gave birth to YellowLite — a company solar energy because cooler weather helps electronic equipment, and that started with two employees seeking although a southern-facing roof is to make a business out of alternate ideal, solar panels can work with sources of energy, specifically just about anything. focusing on solar energy. At Installation is relatively the time, it was little more easy, Kazmi says, and than a curiosity. can take one to four “People didn’t know days, depending on about the product,” the size of the job says Azam Kazmi, (he said the average one of those two UPSTART is about two days). employees and now But the company says YellowLite’s president. about 28 panels to generate about YellowLite can be the company to get it takes about a month “People didn’t know where seven kilowatts costs between them those benefits. to get a solar energy system to get it or how to use it.” “People don’t really come to visit us,” $18,000 and $22,000, and his biggest operational, because of the permissions Today, the company sells, installs residential order has been for around he says, “So we try to go see them.” needed from the local utility company and maintains solar panels, logging $160,000. He says a residence sees His message to home and property as well as a governmental body, be it a nearly $3.3 million in sales last its return on investment in nine or owners is that solar power can result city or a county. Sometimes, approval year and on pace for more than $4 in a faster sale and higher offers when 10 years — which, he says, is pretty million this year. YellowLite has more is needed from a homeowners good for products sold with a 25-year the time comes to sell, not to mention association as well. than 30 employees and at least one warranty. Even after that point, Kazmi the energy savings. Still, it can be a Even with robust digital marketing, television appearance, installing solar says, the panels likely only lose about tough sell when it comes to dollars Kazmi knows that he has to engage panels on an episode of “Vanilla Ice 15% to 20% of their efficiency. and cents. potential customers on their terms. Goes Amish” on the DIY Network. “There are no moving parts, so they “Everybody wants solar power,” Employees regularly schedule Its reach extends throughout Ohio really don’t break down,” he says. Kazmi says. “But when you get to information meetings throughout the — they’re considering a second cost, you kind of lose them.” Cleveland area, telling people about office next year in Cincinnati — and Kazmi says a typical system of the benefits of solar energy and how within a 200-mile radius of their Cleveland office, including cities such as Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Detroit. Kazmi estimates that between 20% WHAT DOES BEING ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 LIST MEAN TO YOU? and 25% of YellowLite’s business comes from out of state. My mother, who just passed away, got her master’s degree The company started out installing in social work from Case Western Reserve University, residential solar panels, which still so being recognized anywhere there means a lot to me.” make up about 70% of its business annually. — AZAM KAZMI, president, YellowLite “The commercial projects we looked into initially were enormous,”

“

LEAFFILTER CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“If you were in charge of sales and you have 10 people under you, then you have 300 salespeople to manage, it’s a different skill set,” Kaulig says. “Some people didn’t make it, honestly.” But, his very first employee is now the chief marketing officer. “He has been able to scale,” Kaulig says. “We have developed our people over time.”

And, working at LeafFilter is a fun time, because Kaulig makes sure the culture stays energetic. In the company’s bright corporate office located in Hudson, there’s techno music bumping in the lobby. “We have a great, young environment,” he says. “I walk around the building every day and talk to everyone. This is where I work, what I do for a living — and I want to go to

work at a place that’s fun and a place where we get after it.” LeafFilter headquarters encompass three buildings and about 50,000 square feet. On Rock Star Wednesdays, Kaulig buys lunch for everyone. There’s a NASCAR race car parked in the courtyard. “There is a racing theme, and everyone is always decked out in LeafFilter gear — t-shirts, bracelets,” he says.

That’s because five years ago, Kaulig decided to sponsor a NASCAR team. Then two years ago, he decided to start his own LeafFilter NASCAR team. “Being entrepreneurial, I decided, ‘I can do this myself,’” he says. “Again, we sell gutter screens. It’s not the most exciting thing in the world, but racing is. We are a fun, team-oriented company.”

Azam Kazmi

“But there’s always new technology on the horizon.” Kazmi also found that customers can act as his sales representatives as well. “Some people like to show off their solar panels,” he says. The company has also benefitted from changes in the marketplace. Kazmi says solar energy used to cost roughly $8.50 per kilowatt hour. That’s now down to roughly $3 per kilowatt hour, thanks to improvements in technology, government incentives and continued adaptation of solar power. “With any technology, the more people use it, the more feasible it becomes,” Kazmi says. And even though the federal solar power tax credit will expire after 2021, Kazmi’s not worried. “For the industry, the hard part is behind us,” he says. “Solar panels have gone down dramatically in cost, and have gone up in efficiency, even if it’s not as dramatic. Our costs are going to keep going down.”

What’s next for LeafFilter? Kaulig points out that LeafFilter has the western section of the U.S. map to fill with offices. “We have a whole lot of the country left — we only have one office in Seattle and two offices in Canada,” he says. “So, we’re looking forward to more of the same. We have our systems now, so we just want to have fun and keep growing.”

W10

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WHAT HAS CHANGED THE MOST FOR YOUR BUSINESS? By Vince Guerrieri

MIKE JARRETT | president

JARRETT LOGISTICS 13-time Weatherhead 100 winner “The biggest change is people and technology. Obviously, technology has moved at light speed and continues to do so. We still see a lot of opportunities to deliver data and provide more information faster. That improves the customer experience and makes us more efficient. “I don’t want to bash millennials, but they’re different. They don’t just want the job. They want the experience. To recruit great people — of any age — you need to have that experience for them. It’s creating an environment where people are valued and feel their worth, and that’s not a high-cost investment.”

TOM HAUGHT president

SEQUOIA FINANCIAL 12-time Weatherhead 100 winner

STEVE PEPLIN | CEO and founder

TALAN PRODUCTS 14-time Weatherhead 100 winner “The biggest change is communication. When we started in 1986, there were cell phones, but they were rare and just these big bricks. The internet was around, but not in wide use. We had a computer, but it was rudimentary. When we went looking for our first integrated manufacturing and accounting software, we looked at 12 different companies, and only one had a graphical user interface. “Now, timeliness has changed. You used to write letters, or if it was really important, you’d call. Now everything is instant. I can be walking on a trade show floor, but I’m constantly in contact with my office. “Safety has changed too. I don’t want to say we were unsafe, but we took it for granted. We didn’t emphasize it like we do today.”

“The most significant change is from a transactional focus to more comprehensive financial management. Before, we had to meet a suitability standard. If you wanted to, say, make a stock purchase, all I had to do was execute it. It may not be the best transaction for you, but if you wanted to do it, and I could help you, that was the only standard. “Now, it’s become more, ‘I’m trying to accomplish my goals. How can you help me do that?’ With more comprehensive management, we’ve moved to a fee-based model, which is more transparent, and that has a fiduciary standard, meaning you have to operate with your client’s best interests in mind.”

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Checking in with five companies from the first Weatherhead 100 list

W FRED ODE | CEO, chairman and founder

FOUNDATION SOFTWARE 11-time Weatherhead 100 winner “In the 1990s, you might see nine, 10 competitors when you went to bid for a job. A lot of companies were automating, and that was the heyday for companies like ours. It was like picking apples off a tree, but it was like the auto industry in the early 1900s. There were so many companies, and then the industry streamlined. “Right around November 1999, it was like someone turned off a faucet. We grew more slowly, and that provided us the infrastructure we needed. We’d accumulated cash, and in September 2008, as competitors were cutting back, I said, ‘We’re not going to change, but we’ll increase research and development.’ We went from 55 employees in 1999 down to 39. We were at 65 in 2010, and we’ve grown 25% every year since. Now we’re up to 250.”

hen the Weatherhead 100 debuted in 1988, Ronald Reagan was president and the world was a different place: the Dow Jones closed off the year at 2,168; the annual inflation rate was just over 4%; and interest rates were pushing 11%. A lot has changed since then — in the world, in Northeast Ohio and for the companies on the original Weatherhead 100 list. Even with all the transformations in business and beyond, a number of the original honorees still remain well-known entities three decades later. See how things have changed for five well-known companies since their appearance on the inaugural Weatherhead 100.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2017 WEATHERHEAD 100 AWARD WINNERS! WITH SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO: JARRETT LOGISTICS SYSTEMS SPEEDEON DATA, LLC THE GARLAND COMPANY, INC. US FREIGHT, LLC

From left, Stacey Larotonda, VP client services; Mike Kahoe, president; and Matt Dalakas, financial operations manager

STACEY LAROTONDA | vice president, client services

GROUP MANAGEMENT SERVICES 10-time Weatherhead 100 winner

“Employers use professional employment organizations like us for advice when regulations change, so they can focus on their business, and over the past 30 years, we’ve seen the industry grow tremendously. “Every time the presidency changes, different things happen. It’s been particularly pronounced in the last five to seven years, with pay and tax changes, but nothing’s been as big as the Affordable Care Act, particularly when it comes to health benefits and claims management. People talk about Obamacare every day.”

MEADENMOORE.COM TAX & ACCOUNTING FORENSIC ACCOUNTING CORPORATE FINANCE TALENT DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING

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PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE

MALRITE COMMUNICATIONS

When Progressive Insurance was named to the first Weatherhead 100, it had just crossed the $1 billion threshold in premiums. Last year, the Mayfield Heights-based company did more than $23 billion in sales. Its growth has RANKING been paced by its accessibility. The company says it was the first major insurer with a website, and its spokeswoman Flo — so famous she’s available as a Halloween costume — is now on Facebook Messenger. In 2008, Progressive bought the naming rights to the home of the Indians, last year’s division champions — something that seemed impossible back in 1988.

In 1988, Malrite Communications was poised for growth. Originally a small group of radio stations headquartered in Michigan, Malrite owned WMMS-FM and WOIO-TV, which two years earlier had become Cleveland’s broadcaster of the RANKING fledgling Fox Network. WOIO became a CBS affiliate in 1994, and four years later, owner Milton Maltz sold the company to Raycom for an undisclosed price. Since then, he’s been an active philanthropist, donating millions to arts and education in the Cleveland area and serving as the driving force behind two museums, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

1988

PARKER-HANNIFIN Parker-Hannifin already had a storied history by the time RANKING it was named to the first Weatherhead 100 in its 70th anniversary year of 1988. Its products had been requested by Charles Lindbergh for his monoplane “The Spirit of St. Louis,” and its parts were used for everything from the moon landing to the mechanical shark that was the title character in “Jaws.” Since then, the company has continued to expand — with purchases including Commercial Intertech, Micro Thermo and Clarcor — and innovate, with creations like an exoskeleton that allows paralyzed people to walk.

1988

OHIO BUSINESS MACHINES The office technologies sold by Ohio Business RANKING Machines today are vastly different now than they were when the company made the initial Weatherhead 100 list. But the company — with an office in Toledo in addition to its headquarters here — remains committed to customer service, offering a guarantee they call a “7 Year Security Blanket” on its printing and mailing products and services. They’ve also renewed their commitment to downtown Cleveland, where the company started in 1975. After a dozen years in the suburbs, the company can be found again downtown at 1111 Superior, not far from its original home on Saint Clair Avenue.

1988

NORDSON Nordson’s postWorld War II mission was to supply RANKING precision tools to spread paint and other materials, but it adapted its technology for applications in the biotechnology and telecommunications industries. The company, which built a new LEED-certified green headquarters in Westlake in 2011, continues to grow with mergers and acquisitions, including four purchases of companies in the United States and Europe in this year alone. Nordson has raised dividends for 54 straight years, one of the longest active streaks by a publicly traded company. — Vince Guerrieri

1988

Redwood is honored to be recognized as a 2017 Weatherhead 100 awards recipient. As an innovative apartment development and management company, we believe our growth and success is attributed to our employees, who embody a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit and continue to enrich lives by creating Redwood neighborhoods throughout Northeast Ohio and suburban America.

byRedwood.com

216.360.9441

7510 East Pleasant Valley Road, Independence, OH 44131

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Weatherhead 100 Winners List

DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

Manufacturer of canvas art products for home or office.

2011

2,286.28%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

FIVE LAKES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Five Lakes helps dental practices attract and retain patients and maximize reimbursements.

2010

1,419.98%

Cuyahoga

Mayfield Heights

GREENSPACE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (GCS)

GCS provides CM at risk, general contracting and design-build services to clients around Ohio.

2011

1,294.61%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

DIRECT CONSULTING ASSOCIATES

DCA is an IT staffing firm assisting top-tier organizations with recruiting and acquiring IT talent.

2011

1,173.24%

Cuyahoga

Solon

TECHNICAL ASSURANCE, INC.

Technical Assurance is a nationally recognized building enclosure consulting firm.

1993

900.14%

Lake

Willoughby

WELLNESSIQ

Leading national distribution and management source for small and mid-size corporate wellness solutions.

2007

872.62%

Cuyahoga

Independence

BUDGET DUMPSTER

Budget Dumpster provides affordable and dependable waste removal solutions to customers nationwide.

2009

636.19%

Cuyahoga

Westlake

TPI EFFICIENCY

Manage clients’ operating costs and dynamic needs for energy, LED lighting, and other services.

2009

605.18%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

ACORN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

Manufacturer of industrial control systems, panel boards, HVLS (high-volume, low-speed) fans, marine and electric equipment.

1993

491.9%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT, MAKERS OF MR BEAMS

Mr Beams is a line of motion-sensing, battery-powered LED lights that install anywhere without wires.

2006

486.28%

Cuyahoga

Mayfield Village

SANCTUARY MARKETING GROUP

Sanctuary is a digital marketing agency that helps its clients grow by generating leads online.

2006

483.49%

Stark

North Canton

NORTHEAST FACTORY DIRECT

Help people save money on big-ticket items like kitchen cabinets, furniture and hot tubs through a no frills warehouse concept.

1999

408.58%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

ONSHIFT

Human capital management software and services to solve everyday workforce challenges in health care.

2008

403.48%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

152

www.oxygo.life

APPLIED COMPANIES, LLC

Manufacturer and supplier of medical and industrial gas equipment, supplies, accessories and training.

1993

380.79%

Cuyahoga

Westlake

WHS ENGINEERING INC.

MEP consulting engineering firm.

2005

333.93%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

A+ SOLUTIONS

A+ Solutions provides high-quality learning, development and psychological services.

2005

316.86%

Cuyahoga

Beachwood

COMPASS SELF STORAGE

Self-storage industry leader providing self-storage and moving solutions nationwide.

2008

302.63%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

176

www.checkpointsurgical.com

CHECKPOINT SURGICAL

Producer of a medical device surgeons use to assess, protect and repair nerves in complex procedures.

2009

301.21%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

RE/MAX HAVEN REALTY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Residential property management and sales.

2010

298.68%

Cuyahoga

Solon

A material science technology incubator and manufacturer with a proven track record of commercializing fundamentally different technologies.

1996

286.44%

Cuyahoga

Euclid

FUTURI MEDIA

A global leader in audience engagement technology to help broadcasters drive audience and revenue growth.

2007

275.86%

Cuyahoga

Seven Hills

BELLWETHER ENTERPRISE REAL ESTATE CAPITAL, LLC

Bellwether Enterprise is a full-service commercial and multifamily mortgage banking company.

2008

252.72%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

205

New innovative apartment development and management company exclusively building single-story Redwood Neighborhoods throughout suburban America.

1991

246.61%

Cuyahoga

Independence

257

Laudan provides residential inspection, preservation and REO services to banks and investors.

2008

245.66%

Summit

Twinsburg

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

www.brushstone.com

www.fivelakespro.com

www.gcsteam.com

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

ARTWALL

www.dc-associates.com

www.technicalassurance.com www.wellnessiq.net www.budgetdumpster.com www.tpiefficiency.com www.acorntechnology.com www.mrbeams.com

www.sanctuarymg.com

www.northeastfactorydirect.com www.onshift.com

www.whs-eng.com

www.thinkaplus.com www.compassselfstorage.com

www.clevelandmanagement.com

POWDERMET, INC.

www.powdermetinc.com www.futurimedia.com www.bellwetherenterprise.com

REDWOOD LIVING, INC.

www.byredwood.com

LAUDAN PROPERTIES

www.laudanproperties.com

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

W15

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

Nicole Brayden Gifts is a family of gift brands sold to retail stores.

1989

237.55%

Cuyahoga

Solon

ECHO HEALTH, INC.

Leading provider of electronic payment and consolidation systems and solutions.

1997

225.18%

Cuyahoga

Westlake

www.speedeondata.com

SPEEDEON DATA LLC

Speedeon Data connects leading brands to high-value customers through data-driven, omni-channel marketing solutions.

2008

220.73%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

EXSCAPE DESIGNS LLC

Develop and install naturally unique landscapes.

2004

213.93%

Geauga

Novelty

RISK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.

Global risk management and benefit services firm that’s 100% independent from the insurance industry.

1986

213.17%

Summit

Fairlawn

PAYROLL4CONSTRUCTION.COM

Full-service construction payroll provider that helps contractors eliminate the hassles of payroll.

2006

210.19%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

MEDIQUANT, INC.

MediQuant creates health care IT efficiencies with intelligent applications for revenue and data life.

1999

206.71%

Cuyahoga

Brecksville

KHM TRAVEL GROUP

Travel Group is an award-winning host travel agency, supporting 4,000-plus independent travel agents.

2005

205.53%

Medina

Brunswick

PUREBUTTONS.COM

PureButtons produces custom pin-back buttons, magnets, keychains and photo easel displays.

2005

190.41%

Medina

OSBORN ENGINEERING CO.

Osborn Engineering is a 125-year-old, multi-discipline, consulting engineering firm.

1892

171.16%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

100

THE SPYGLASS GROUP

SpyGlass provides telecommunication cost-consulting services to finance executives.

2001

166.47%

Cuyahoga

Westlake

141

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

www.divinityboutique.com

www.echohealthinc.com

27 28

www.exscapedesigns.com

NICOLE BRAYDEN GIFTS, LLC

29 30

www.payroll4construction.com

www.mediquant.com

32 33 34 35

www.riskinternational.com

www.khmtravel.com

www.purebuttons.com www.osborn-eng.com www.spyglass.net

Delivering on the Promise.

Congratulations to all Weatherhead 100 honorees! We are proud to be a Weatherhead 100 winner and to provide business advisory services to the following companies: Ancora Capital

Infinium Wall Systems

Aurum Wealth Management Group, a Skoda Minotti firm

Keene Building Products

Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, LLC DataServ, a Skoda Minotti technology firm

Marsh, Berry & Company, Inc. Mortach Financial Services Park Place Technologies Powdermet, Inc.

Foundation Software, Inc.

SureSite

Hartland

Wireless Environment

Hy-Tech Products, Inc. 440-449-6800 skodaminotti.com

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W16

SPONSORED CONTENT

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Weatherhead 100 Winners List YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

A woman-owned business enterprise delivering comprehensive occupational safety and health solutions.

1999

165.45%

Cuyahoga

Middleburg Heights

INSIGHT2PROFIT

INSIGHT2PROFIT combines pricing expertise, technology, and implementation to deliver profit growth.

2006

162.59%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

www.ancora.net

ANCORA CAPITAL

Ancora is a client-focused investment management and family wealth advisory firm with assets over $5 billion.

2003

158.23%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

JCI CONTRACTORS INC.

Commercial and industrial building firm.

1988

154.23%

Ashtabula

CRESCENDO COMMERCIAL REALTY, LLC

Commercial real estate services: consulting, leasing, investment brokerage and property management.

2008

149.72%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

K2M DESIGN

Architecture, engineering and interior design firm specializing in the public and private markets.

2001

145.22%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

ON PARTNERS

ON Partners recruits C-suite, board and senior talent for public, private and PE/VC-backed companies.

2006

144.8%

Cuyahoga

Solon

BRIAR ROSE NURSERIES

Wholesale nursery, large tree transplanting, plant locator service, custom production digging and shipping.

2002

144.59%

Lake

Perry

AVANTIA, INC.

Avantia is a software development solutions firm providing business advantages for clients.

2000

141.41%

Cuyahoga

Valley View

FABO ARCHITECTURE, INC.

National architecture firm specializing in retail, restaurant, office and hospitality projects.

1998

140.84%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

INFINIUM WALL SYSTEMS

Manufacturer of interior glass wall systems for office fronts and conference rooms.

2003

136.8%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

DESCRIPTION

www.sct.us.com

SAFETY CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY

www.insight2profit.com

38 39 40

www.jcibuilds.com

www.cc-realty.com

www.k2mdesign.com

www.onpartners.com

43 44 45 46

www.briarrosenurseries.com www.avantia-inc.com www.faboarch.com

www.infiniumwalls.com

RANK

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

www.danielsamish.com Manufacturer of wooden bedroom and dining furniture.

www.accessamg.com AMG is a digital marketing agency linking data-driven strategy with creative thinking to get results.

MOVE ACTIVE CALLS between devices so you can go freely about your day

INCREASE YOUR AVAILABILIT Y with instant messaging and presence capabilities on any device

IMPROVE PROFESSIONALISM with a single business line caller ID

CALL (877) 404 -2533 OR VISIT COXBUSINESS.COM/IPCENTREX

1996 136.42% Wayne Dundee 175

AMG MARKETING RESOURCES

1973 136.28% Cuyahoga Solon 29

SKY QUEST LLC

2001 134.96% Cuyahoga Cleveland 44

QUALITYIP

2003 131.81% Portage Kent 32

HILEMAN GROUP

2005 131.53% Cuyahoga Cleveland 34

RDL ARCHITECTS

1995 131.41% Cuyahoga Shaker Heights 43

www.flyskyquest.com Aircraft management and air charter in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

www.qualityip.com QualityIP provides professional IT services to companies throughout Northeast Ohio.

www.hilemangroup.com Hileman Group is a digital marketing agency specializing in health care and B-to-B industries.

www.rdlarchitects.com Architectural firm focused on retail, mixed use, interior design, senior, market rate and affordable housing.

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

DANIEL’S AMISH COLLECTION

WHAT CAN UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS WITH IP CENTREX DO FOR YOU?

2016 EMPLOYEES

UNION HOME M O R T G A G E

BACK-TO-BACK We are proud to be a back-to-back Weatherhead 100 recipient, recognized as a Top 100 Fastest Growing Company in Northeast Ohio.

Join our World Class family

Become a Partner today at UnionHomeMortgage.com/Careers

1.800.767.4684 | UnionHomeMortgage.com 8241 Dow Cir, Strongsville, OH 44236 Union Home Mortgage Corp. NMLS #2229 Union Home Mortgage Corp. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

W18

NEOâ€™s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK

53 54

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

GREAT LAKES COLD STORAGE

1999 131.14% Cuyahoga Solon 183

SECUREDATA 365

2006 120.79% Stark Canton 21

www.glcsinc.com Superior frozen and refrigerated warehousing and distribution services for food, commoditites and various ingredients.

www.securedata365.com State-of-the-art, purpose-built data centers in Canton and Cleveland.

SURESITE

Maloney + Novotny congratulates our clients on their Weatherhead 100 Win! National Safety Apparel US Acute Care Solutions Selman & Company

Congratulations to the entire Weatherhead Class of 2017.

| maloneynovotny.com

1999 119.31% Cuyahoga Beachwood 119

PURE WATER TECHNOLOGY, LLC

2006 117.89% Cuyahoga Bedford Heights 46

US FREIGHT LLC

2009 117.74% Cuyahoga Rocky River 20

56 57

www.gousfreight.com US Freight is a rapidly growing transportation firm, serving customers nationwide.

PATTON PAINTING INCORPORATED

www.pattonpainting.com Professional painters, carpenters and craftsmen.

2003 116.63% Cuyahoga Westlake 36

BANYAN TECHNOLOGY

2001 116.09% Lorain Elyria 39

KEENE BUILDING PRODUCTS

2002 112.51% Cuyahoga Mayfield Heights 42

WTWH MEDIA

2006 111.17% Cuyahoga Cleveland 45

BIALOSKY CLEVELAND

1952 111.05% Cuyahoga Cleveland 53

DIGITAL PRINT SOLUTIONS

2009 110.19% Summit Richfield 42

www.banyantechnology.com Banyan Technology is the pioneer and leader in live carrier connectivity.

www.keenebuilding.com Keene, an innovative manufacturer for applications in noise control, building envelope and floor prep.

www.wtwhmedia.com WTWH Media produces 40-plus technical web sites, five print publications, online and live events and marketing services.

www.bialosky.com Award winning architecture, engineering, interior design, planning and graphic design firm.

www.dpsohio.com Office technology provider specializing in digital printing support for the commercial print and office environment.

Business Advisors and Certified Public Accountants

216.363.0100

www.sure-site.com Wireless network infrastructure services including: site development, architectural design and engineering, RF design, construction management, construction and installation. www.purewaterohio.com Providing business and industry with pure drinking water systems for employee healthy hydration and wellness.

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

SPONSORED CONTENT

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W19

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

Direct Recruiters, Inc., Executive Search, recruits, acquires, and retains top talent for mission-critical positions.

1983

106.64%

Cuyahoga

Solon

NORTON INDUSTRIES, INC.

Manufacturer of wood ceilings, wood walls and luminous ceiling components.

1967

105.82%

Cuyahoga

Lakewood

FOUNDATION SOFTWARE, INC.

Develops and supports job cost accounting and project management software for the construction industry.

1985

103.64%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

182

EVENT SOURCE

We deliver special event rentals, including linen furniture and tabletop accessories.

1979

103.12%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

111

JARRETT LOGISTICS SYSTEMS, INC.

3PL specializing in supply chain management services for high-growth North American companies.

1999

102.09%

Wayne

Orrville

THENDESIGN ARCHITECTURE, LTD.

Celebrating more than 25 years providing planning, architecture and interior design services.

1989

95.04%

Lake

Willoughby

ASMGI

ASMGi helps you grow and protect your businesses with cybersecurity, software and cloud/IT services.

2002

94.02%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

WORLD SYNERGY

Integrated business services that encompass a breadth of marketing, applications and technology.

1998

90.46%

Cuyahoga

Beachwood

NATIONAL SAFETY APPAREL

National Safety Apparel proudly manufactures specialized safety apparel.

1935

89.41%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

264

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

DESCRIPTION

www.directrecruiters.com

DIRECT RECRUITERS, INC.

www.nortonceilings.com

www.foundationsoft.com

www.eventsource.com

www.jarrettlogistics.com

www.thendesign.com

www.asmgi.com

www.worldsynergy.com

www.thinknsa.com

For enterprise-wide solutions, use the red key. ®

No matter what your industry, from healthcare to oil and gas, public sector to non-profits, enterprises of all sizes rely on our capital, corporate services, and expertise to ensure their success. We offer commercial payments and investment banking as well as employer services and major real estate financing. We also provide timely research and outlooks from our industry experts. For businesses, executives, and owners, we are truly your one-stop bank for all your financial needs.

key.com

W20

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

2002

87.51%

Geauga

Chardon

101

Physical therapy and urgent care in Ohio.

2006

86.92%

Cuyahoga

Lakewood

SKODA MINOTTI

Skoda Minotti is a business advisory firm that helps clients grow and achieve financial success.

2001

85.28%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

290

ALLEGRO REALTY ADVISORS

Allegro is a global commercial real estate tenant representation brokerage and advisory services firm.

2001

83.9%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

SELMAN & COMPANY

Leading supplemental benefit insurance administrator with more than $300M in premium, and 200-plus employees across three offices.

1980

82.36%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

132

RAZORLEAF CORP.

Razorleaf bridges the gap between business needs and technology solutions for engineering and manufacturing.

2000

80.4%

Summit

Stow

EMERSON THOMSON BENNETT, LLC.

Intellectual property law firm offering comprehensive legal services to clients worldwide.

2008

78.63%

Summit

Akron

FARMERS NATIONAL BANC CORP.

Committed to the Mahoning Valley for 130 years, Farmers is the Valley’s leading community bank.

1887

77.91%

Mahoning

Canfield

443

SEQUOIA FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC

Comprehensive wealth management, asset management, wealth planning, family office and institutional.

1991

77.15%

Summit

Akron

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

www.aquadocinc.com

full-service, aquatic management company.

REBOUND PHYSICAL THERAPY AND URGENT CARE CENTERS, INC. www.ptrebound.com

www.skodaminotti.com

www.allegrorealty.com

77 78 79 80 81

DESCRIPTION

AQUA DOC LAKE & POND MANAGEMENT AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management is a Chardon-based,

www.selmanco.com www.razorleaf.com www.etblaw.com

www.farmersbankgroup.com www.sequoia-financial.com

Congratulations Great Lakes Storage on being named to the Weatherhead 100. From the day you broke ground, to the day you set new standards for success, we’ve been behind you all the way. Your partners at First Commonwealth Bank.

fcbanking.com

Member FDIC

FOR OVER 18 YEARS, MORTACH FINANCIAL has focused on principal protection and safeguarding clients’ ﬁnancial goals so that they can enter into retirement with added peace of mind.

OUR TEAM PUTS YOUR NEEDS FIRST, looking to match you with the perfect ﬁxed indexed annuity or life insurance product designed to help protect the assets you worked hard to earn. At Mortach Financial,, we understand you’re in control of your ﬁnancial future, and we’re here to help you create the retirement strategy you deserve. Weatherhead 100 Award Recipient

CALL TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY REVIEW!

440-391-4753 www.MortachFinancial.com

By contacting us, you may be provided with information about insurance products, including annuities, oﬀered through Dave Mortach. Licensed in Ohio.

W22

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK

CREATING CHEMISTRY

IN CLEVELAND.

Since 1917, we’ve helped businesses thrive with abundant financing options and a full range of business banking products. The right business connections can help you be more successful. That’s why it is important to partner with the right people who will listen to what you need, and realize how important your business is to you and the community. Learn more at ChemicalBank.com.

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

BLACKBURN OEM WHEEL SOLUTIONS

1983 76.77% Summit Macedonia 63

CARVER FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

1990 76.74% Lake Mentor 21

www.blackburnwheels.com The nation’s largest privately owned OEM wheel distributor. www.carverfinancialservices.com Carver Financial Services Inc. provides Personal Vision Planning to improve clients’ lives.

LAKE CITY PLATING LLC

www.lakecityplating.com Lake City Plating provides application of industrial coatings on metal parts.

www.testoil.com Oil analysis service assisting reliability engineers in keeping large industrial plants running.

www.rthgroup.com Rock The House is a production and entertainment company that produces corporate, nonprofit and social events.

www.talanproducts.com Contract manufacturing, progressive die stamping, aluminum extrusion fab/ supply and secondary ops.

www.accellis.com Accellis helps legal and financial firms maximize productivity, security and stability.

1949 73.86% Ashtabula Ashtabula 84

TESTOIL

1988 71.53% Cuyahoga Strongsville 73

ROCK THE HOUSE

1999 71.47% Cuyahoga Oakwood Village 26

TALAN PRODUCTS INC.

1986 70.34% Cuyahoga Cleveland 69

ACCELLIS TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.

2001 69.85% Cuyahoga Cleveland 18

FIVE POINTS DENTISTRY

2000 68.87% Cuyahoga Strongsville 16

MFS SUPPLY, LLC

2006 66.46% Cuyahoga Solon 72

AMERICAN COLORS INC.

1975 65.35% Erie Sandusky 73

PERSPECTUS ARCHITECTURE

2003 64.01% Cuyahoga Cleveland 49

www.fivepointsdentistry.com General care dentists, serving children, teens and adults.

www.mfssupply.com National distributer of appliances, cabinets, HVAC and renovation materials to contractor and multi-housing markets.

www.americancolors.com Manufacturer of colorants and chemicals for composites, coatings, plastics and agriculture markets.

www.perspectusarch.com Perspectus excels in architectural design, planning, interior design and historical architecture.

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

W23

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

A strategic IT solutions and managed services provider, specializing in voice, network and cloud.

1989

63.92%

PANEL MASTER LLC

Custom designer and manufacturer of industrial control systems.

1985

GROUP MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.

GMS is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and a third-party administrator (TPA).

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

DESCRIPTION

www.laketec.com

LAKETEC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

www.panelmaster.com

www.groupmgmt.com

www.hartlandco.com

www.naenwan.com

www.dataservtech.com

www.marshberry.com

RANK

100

2016 EMPLOYEES

COUNTY

CITY

Cuyahoga

North Olmsted

63.31%

Lorain

LaGrange

1996

62.97%

Summit

Richfield

193

Independent institutional and wealth advisory firm.

1989

61.93%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE EXPERTS / NWAN

Third-party administrator specializing in service contracts and captive insurance throughout the U.S.

1996

61.79%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

115

DATASERV INTEGRATIONS, LLC

DataServ is a comprehensive provider of information technology solutions.

1986

60.31%

Cuyahoga

Westlake

MARSH, BERRY & COMPANY, INC.

MarshBerry provides consulting services to independent insurance agents, brokers and carriers.

1981

58.84%

Cuyahoga

Woodmere

HARTLAND

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

PINNACLE CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC.

www.pinnacleconstruction.bz Innovative leaders in general contracting specializing in unique, complex and safety critical construction.

2000 58.72% Cuyahoga Cleveland 27

THERE’S NO

BUSINESS

It Worked For Us. It can work for you.

LIKE YOUR BUSINESS. Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is a full-service corporate law ﬁrm that works with all kinds of businesses to help them grow. We recognize that your business is unlike any other. And what a coincidence — because our law ﬁrm is unlike any other, too.

Grow your business with our integrated approach to marketing

For more information, visit vorys.com. Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP 200 Public Square, Suite 1400, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 106 South Main Street, Suite 1100, Akron, Ohio 44308

W I N N E R o f 2 0 1 7 W E AT H E R H E A D 1 0 0 INFO@ACCESSAMG.COM | ACCESSAMG.COM | 1.877.677.0967

Columbus

Washington

Cleveland

Cincinnati

Akron

Houston

Pittsburgh

W24

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List

Meet all Weatherhead 100 qualifications, employed 15 or fewer employees and/or had less than $5 million in net sales in 2016 RANK

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

Total LED solutions provider for manufacturing, residential, hospitality and commercial industries.

2012

600.08%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

PRITT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

PEG brings brands to life through video production, animation, photography and graphic design.

2008

548.82%

Summit

Akron

RICHARDSON DESIGN

Full-service interior and graphic design consultancy creating strategic, meaningful brand experiences.

1994

354.98%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

YELLOWLITE

YellowLite designs and installs solar electric systems for residential and commercial clients.

2009

283.57%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

DESCRIPTION

CLEANLIFE ENERGY LLC

www.cleanlifeled.com

www.prittentertainmentgroup.com

www.richardsondesign.com

www.yellowlite.com

RANK

We are honored to be in the Weatherhead 100 class of 2017. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to our employees who have helped us achieve this honor.

Providing Private Jet Flights

» Saving you time » Keeping you productive

FlySkyQuest.com

216-362-9904 Charter@FlySkyQuest.com

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE/DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

275.33% Summit Hudson LEAD TO CONVERSION, LLC 2006 www.leadtoconversion.com / Digital marketing agency focused on website design, SEO, PPC, social media, email and video.

2011 250.87% Cuyahoga Broadview Heights HMT EVENTS, INC. www.hmtassociates.com / Shopper marketing, brand activation and event hospitality experiential agency dedicated to developing smart, successful, award-winning solutions.

www.ethode.com / Ethode is a software development firm specializing in web and mobile applications.

www.adatasol.com / Company goal is a 10-to-1 improvement in your business process.

ETHODE, LLC

2010

ADATASOL

2000

249.4% 234.71%

Medina Cuyahoga

Medina Beachwood

16 9

SPONSORED CONTENT

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WEATHERHEAD 100

W25

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List RANK

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

REQUEST A TEST

www.requestatest.com A national leader in affordable direct-to-consumer lab testing.

KIWI CREATIVE

www.kiwicreative.net Creative marketing solutions for B2B software and technology companies.

www.woodsidehealth.com Woodside Health is a medical office building acquisition and management firm.

www.grantsplus.com Partner with organizations to identify funders, write proposals and make long-term gains.

13 14 15

2011 214.29% Cuyahoga Strongsville 5 2011 200.05% Cuyahoga Cleveland 0

GRANTS PLUS

2007 188.89% Cuyahoga Cleveland 12

COASTAL QUALITY CONSTRUCTION INC.

2009 182.5% Cuyahoga Broadview Heights 15

TIES - TEACHING INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM

2002 181.76% Cuyahoga Cleveland Heights 4

DMS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

2003 147.22% Cuyahoga Westlake 11

TRUE HIRE

1995 145.83% Stark Uniontown 15

DEPENDABLE, LLC

1951 130.96% Cuyahoga Mayfield Heights 11

SMARTLAND, LLC

2008 120% Cuyahoga Highland Heights 12

METISENTRY

2006 104.77% Summit Akron 6

www.cqcohio.com Commercial general contractor, building all over Ohio and beyond, including Florida.

www.iesteach.org TIES helps children make sense of the world through STEM education. www.dmsmgmtsolutions.com DMS Management Solutions provides a wide range of accounting services to small and midsized businesses.

16 17

www.floorprep.com Dependable, a manufacturer of professional floor products for repair, restoration and new construction.

2001 218.37% Cuyahoga Brecksville 11

WOODSIDE HEALTH

www.true-hire.com True Hire is a service business that performs background check services to businesses.

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

www.smartland.com Real estate development and construction.

www.metisentry.com Metisentry empowers businesses to create efficiency through technology and achieve success.

Taking your Business from

THOUGHT to THRIVE

™

From our people to yours, we are HONORED to be recognized for the fourth year in a row. Let us help you thrive.

440.349.4940 | worldsynergy.com

World synergy-Weatherhead-.25PG.indd 2

10/26/17 5:04 PM

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W26

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

PR 20/20 is an inbound marketing agency and PR firm.

2005

101.54%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

MORTACH FINANCIAL SERVICES

Retirement planning specialist providing risk-free and tax-free retirement options and income strategizing retirement options.

2000

98.05%

Lorain

Avon

PLANNED FINANCIAL SERVICES

Independent financial steward for individuals, families and businesses seeking objective wealth planning and investment advice.

1994

96.03%

Cuyahoga

Brecksville

R & K TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Simplifying print technology management by providing one invoice, one partner, no hassle.

1991

95.91%

Lorain

North Ridgeville

AURUM WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC

Aurum specializes in providing financial planning, investment management services and 401(k) plans.

2006

91.59%

Cuyahoga

Mayfield Village

RAZOR LTD. LLC

A full-service business solutions firm, bringing best practices to all of our clients.

2003

91.47%

Cuyahoga

Beachwood

AMERICAN HEELERS

Modify shoes for people who have a leg length difference or inequality with a shoe lift elevation.

2009

90.81%

Cuyahoga

Beachwood

LDA ARCHITECTS

LDA architects is a design-oriented architectural firm known for superior service.

1995

89.14%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

HY-TECH PRODUCTS, INC.

Hy-tech Products is a distributor of commercial and industrial roofing supplies and equipment.

1984

84.88%

Cuyahoga

Broadview Heights

TLC PRODUCTS, INC.

TLC Products develops, manufactures and markets live bacterial products for improving agricultural and environmental applications.

1996

82.01%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

SPIRE ADVERTISING

Small business marketing agency, specializing in done-for-you services for local Ohio entrepreneurs.

2006

79.47%

Ashland

RANK

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

www.pr2020.com

www.mortachfinancial.com

www.plannedfinancial.com

PR 20/20

www.randktechnologies.com

www.aurumwealth.com

25 26 27 28 29 30

www.razor-marketing.com www.orthopedicshoelift.com www.ldaarchitecture.com www.hy-techroof.com

www.tlc-products.com www.spiread.com

CHEMICAL BANK CONGRATULATES WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT, LLC. AND THE WEATHERHEAD 100 CLASS OF 2017.

RANK

SIMPLEX-IT

2007 76.54% Summit Stow 9

O’REILLY EQUIPMENT

2002 69.89% Geauga Newbury 12

www.simplex-it.com Providing full range of managed IT services for small- to medium-sized organizations.

www.oreillyequipment.com O’Reilly Equipment is a truck, trailer and snowplow equipment sales, service and parts facility.

33 Chemical Bank aims to create a personal bond with each community we serve and every small business, family or customer that walks in our door. Learn more at ChemicalBank.com or your local Chemical Bank office.

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

BEESE FULMER PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

www.beesefulmer.com Wealth management for ultra highnet-worth multi-generational families and their businesses.

LAKESIDE PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION, INC.

www.lakesideproduce.net National distributor of fresh produce, specializing in serving the salad manufacturing community.

www.specialmetalstamping.com Specialize in blanking, forming and prototyping of high-temperature alloys like Inconel and Monel.

SPECIAL METAL STAMPING

1980 64.59% Stark Canton 9 2002 62.54% Cuyahoga Rocky River 5 2010 60.8% Lorain Columbia Station 13

SPONSORED CONTENT

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W27

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Centurion Winners List

Meet all Weatherhead 100 qualifications and had net sales of $100 million or more in 2016 RANK

YEAR EST.

SALES GROWTH

COUNTY

CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

Long-term-care pharmacy at home for high-risk patients to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.

2009

509.65%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

249

ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE

DESCRIPTION

EXACTCARE PHARMACY

CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, INC.

www.exactcarepharmacy.com

www.myccmortgage.com

A lending and refinancing company with a team of licensed professionals dedicated to serving people.

2003

277.32%

Cuyahoga

Brecksville

994

www.leaffilter.com

LEAFFILTER NORTH, INC.

LeafFilter North, LLC is the nation’s largest gutter protection company.

2005

233.83%

Summit

Hudson

387

MOBILITYWORKS

Largest retailer of wheelchair accessible vehicles with 70 locations across the country.

1997

189.28%

Summit

Richfield

885

PARK PLACE TECHNOLOGIES

Largest pure-play post-warranty data center maintenance organization supporting 10,000 businesses globally.

1991

161.46%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

469

UNION HOME MORTGAGE

Independent mortgage banking company headquartered in Ohio with a network of branches throughout U.S.

1970

158.95%

Cuyahoga

Strongsville

738

US ACUTE CARE SOLUTIONS

US Acute Care Solutions is the nation’s largest physician-owned integrated acute care provider.

1992

75.47%

Stark

Canton

2375

GARLAND INDUSTRIES, INC.

The Garland Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance roofing solutions.

1895

68.36%

Cuyahoga

Cleveland

793

4 5 6 7 8

www.mobilityworks.com www.parkplacetechnologies.com www.unionhomemortgage.com www.usacs.com

www.garlandco.com

W28

NEOâ€™s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

By the Numbers DECADE ESTABLISHED

1800s

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

1930s

5 - 25 ............. 22 101 - 150 ......... 6 26 - 50 ........... 40 151 - 200 ......... 5 51 - 100 ........ 22 201 - 300 ......... 4 300-plus..........1

1940s

1950s

1960s

OLDEST COMPANY Farmers National Banc Corp.

Founded 1887

MOST EMPLOYEES Farmers National Banc Corp.

443 Employees

1970s

1980s

WINNERS BY COUNTY

1990s

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13-plus

16 6 13 8 9 5 5 1 3 1 1 1

Architecture/Building/ Construction -16 Automotive/ Transportation - 2 Consulting - 4 Consumer Products - 5 Environmental - 3 Financial & Professional Services - 27 Health Care Services & Manufacturing - 5 IT Products & Services -13 Manufacturing & Distribution -14 Real Estate -7

WINNERS

Advertising/PR/ Marketing - 4

YEARS ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 YEARS

2010s

MARKET SECTORS OF WINNING COMPANIES

CUYAHOGA - 74 SUMMIT - 8 LAKE - 4 LORAIN - 2 STARK - 2 MEDINA - 1 GEAUGA - 2 WAYNE - 1 PORTAGE - 1 ASHTABULA - 2 ERIE - 1 MAHONING - 1 TUSCARAWAS - 1

FIRST-TIME WINNERS

2000s

FIVE-YEAR GROWTH RATES 1

2,000% 1,000% - 1,999%

750% - 999%

500% - 749%

2 14

250% - 499%

100% - 249%

50% - 99% 0

NOTE: Numbers do not add up to 100 due to winners being in multiple categories.

Advertising director: Nicole Mastrangelo, nmastrangelo@crain.com Managing editor, custom and special projects: Amy Ann Stoessel Section editor: Jennifer Keirn Graphic designer: Staci Buck Photos: Brad Ronevich For more information about custom publishing opportunities, please contact Nicole Mastrangelo.

WEATHERHEAD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT CONTACTS Award and application: Brigid Schaefer brigid.schaefer@case.edu Sponsorships: Cassie Pinkerton cassie.pinkerton@case.edu

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C-SUITE AWARDS

Director/Trustee

J.B. Silvers

Allen K. Wiant

MetroHealth

Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center

In 2016, MetroHealth’s revenues exceeded $1 billion for the first time. Deciding how to spend that money is a complicated process, one that board of trustees vice chairman J.B. Silvers is charged with simplifying. Silvers brings a national reputation to MetroHealth’s board as a health care finance expert with a vast well of knowledge in insurance, health policy and management, according to the nomination. His experience — including four decades as professor of banking and finance at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management — allowed him to craft MetroHealth’s official financing plan so it satisfied bond-rating agencies and encouraged investors to purchase the available bonds to support the system’s campus transformation plan. Silvers’ years of research and teaching at CWRU, coupled with his tenure as CEO of QualChoice Health Insurance, has brought additional credibility to the MetroHealth board. According to the nomination, Silvers’ expertise has been sought by Congress, state legislatures, the courts, and a bevy of media outlets. “J.B. understands the details, and can explain them in a way everyone understands,” said Akram Boutros, president and CEO of The MetroHealth System. “His understanding of our health care system is extraordinarily wide and deep.” In addition, Silvers has been a key planner in the hospital’s shift toward a population health delivery system, advising the MetroHealth team on best practices and potential risks, the nomination said. A new academic medical center gives MetroHealth a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to harness the full promise of population health, Silvers told hospital officials. “With Silvers’ assistance in the project, the new hospital will maximize the benefits of technology, efficiencies and patient safety,” Boutros said. “J.B. has been a great source of information and inspiration as we continue our successful move to population health. He is one of the reasons why we have seen such significant results, so fast, while other health systems stumbled or barely dipped their toes in the population health waters.” — Douglas J. Guth

For almost 20 years, Allen K. Wiant has applied his strategic know-how beyond his day job in real estate to the nonprofit realm with his work at the Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls. Since 1999, Wiant — a top official with Playhouse Square’s real estate arm — has worked with Fieldstone Farm in a variety of ways. He has been a donor, a mentor and trustee. In particular, Wiant has been a key figure on the organization’s board because he is “wonderful at stepping back to look at the big picture and helping to guide without interfering,” according to the nomination. He joined the board in 2008, became board president in 2014 and chair in 2016. “As a seasoned leader, Allen has a strong but easy-going style which is very effective as the board leader of this nonprofit entity,” said Robert J. Rogers, a principal at Findley Davies and Fieldstone Farm’s current board president.

“J.B. has been a great source of information and inspiration as we continue our successful move to population health. He is one of the reasons why we have seen such significant results, so fast, while other health systems stumbled or barely dipped their toes in the population health waters.” — Akram Boutros, president and CEO of The MetroHealth System

According to the nomination, during Wiant’s tenure on the board, he guided the farm’s fundraising team as they re-engineered its fundraising events to one large annual event — no small feat given the amount of orchestration required to ensure it raised as much, if not more, revenue than the previous events.

Wiant lead the charge in securing sponsorships for Fieldstone Farm’s hallmark Chefs Unbridled event. To date, the farm has raised more than $1 million under his leadership, according to the nomination. The event, which features a team of allstar chefs draws a crowd of about 600, regularly sells out. “Allen is also one of the leading commercial real estate professionals in Northeast Ohio involved in many important initiatives with Playhouse Square, which makes it even more impressive that he devotes so much time to the mission of Fieldstone Farm,” Rogers said in the nomination. Fieldstone Farm is one of the largest therapeutic riding centers in the country. The farm’s horses, according to the organization’s website, give people with special needs the opportunity for emotional and physical healing in ways that may not be possible through traditional methods. — Timothy Magaw

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

General Counsel

Jennifer M. Griveas

Keith A. Ashmus

Eliza Jennings

Vocational Guidance Services

Jennifer Griveas arrived at Eliza Jennings in 2011 to lead its internal restructuring efforts and launch a revolutionary new learning program. Under Griveas’ dual role as chief human resources officer and general counsel, the aging services organization has done nothing but flourish. Griveas successfully reconstituted the infrastructure at the nationally recognized nonprofit, which provides independent living, nursing care and other services to older adults on Cleveland’s West Side. In partnering with Eliza Jennings’ leadership team, she also shapes critical services and programs provided by the organization, according to the nomination. For example, Griveas developed a risk management training program to promote best practices and foster teamwork across Eliza Jennings’ multiple sites. By working with the nonprofit’s information technology department, she helped create a database that allows the risk management team to identify trends through raw incident data.

In addition, Griveas negotiated an agreement to acquire the Japan-based Kumon Institute of Education SAIDO Learning license, a non-pharmacological treatment shown to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Griveas was charged with protecting her organization’s interests in the collaboration while navigating challenging cultural and language differences.

The experienced attorney’s hard work has borne fruit for the nationally recognized health care organization. Over her seven-year tenure, Eliza Jennings has been tabbed by human resource provider ERC as one of Northeast Ohio’s best places to work. Prior to joining Eliza Jennings, Griveas practiced law at Frantz Ward in the firm’s labor and employment and litigation groups. Griveas participates in the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer mentoring program, and mentors law students through the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law’s externship program. She is a member of LeadingAge Ohio, the statewide organization for not-for-profit aging services providers, and contributes to the group’s advocacy efforts. “Jennifer’s dedicated service makes her a star in the nonprofit world,” said Adam Russ, a partner with Frantz Ward. “Her keen intellect, sharp wit and guiding presence has helped Eliza Jennings find calm seas in the otherwise boisterous sea of health care.” — Douglas J. Guth

Congratulations, Paul Matsen. 2017 Class of C-Suite Honoree

Keith Ashmus is a longtime friend of the worker, dating back four decades to his volunteer involvement with Vocational Guidance Services (VGS), a nonprofit agency serving people with barriers to employment. Ashmus’ dedication to would-be hires continues today as a partner with Frantz Ward, where he specializes in employment and business law. As general counsel for VGS, he has guided the organization through multiple transitions, including strategic planning sessions, financing and various capital improvements. “As a not-for-profit agency without an attorney on staff, Keith’s work for VGS has been incredibly important to our success,” said Robert Comben, the organization’s president and CEO. “His presence as our general counsel has contributed greatly to VGS’s growth and expansion, allowing the agency to serve more individuals in need in our community. Keith’s

“His presence as our general counsel has contributed greatly to VGS’s growth and expansion, allowing the agency to serve more individuals in need in our community. Keith’s unwavering belief in and commitment to our mission has been an inspiration to all of us.” Robert Comben, Vocational Guidance Services president and CEO.

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Jonathan Leiken Diebold Nixdorf unwavering belief in and commitment to our mission has been an inspiration to all of us.” According to the nomination, Ashmus is an advocate for small business, having served as chair of both the Council of Smaller Enterprises and the National Small Business Association. He also has testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Committees — as well as the Ohio General Assembly — in support of small business positions. Peer review publication Best Lawyers named Ashmus its “Lawyer of the Year” in labor law management in Cleveland, adding to accolades that include a listing in the Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyers. Ashmus is a past president of the Ohio State Bar Association and a past chairman of both the Labor Law Section and the ADR Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. With VGS, Ashmus has been an active volunteer, and served on the agency’s board of directors from 1999-2002. “Keith’s guidance and assistance have factored strongly in VGS’s stability, and we wouldn’t have achieved all that we have without him,” Comben said. “His accolades are numerous and well-deserved, and we are tremendously fortunate to have him on our team.” — Douglas J. Guth

Overseeing a major technology company’s global legal functions makes for the donning of a number of hats. Just ask Jonathan Leiken, the senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary for Diebold Nixdorf. Leiken, who joined the company in 2014 following a partnership stint at Jones Day, works in corporate compliance and serves as secretary to the company’s board of directors. In 2016, Leiken orchestrated legal aspects of Diebold’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Wincor Nixdorf, the largest transaction in the organization’s 100year history. Following the acquisition, he led the successful divestiture of Diebold’s legacy business in the United Kingdom, allowing the company to finalize its integration with Wincor. Leiken also helped conduct a worldwide enhancement of Diebold’s ethics and compliance program along with completion of the company’s corporate monitorship with the U.S. Department of Justice and Secu-

rities and Exchange Commission. “Unlike many other executives, including legal professionals, Jonathan doesn’t view issues through one lens, but rather, he looks at business issues from all lenses so that he can devise workable solutions that will move the company forward,” said John Kristoff, Diebold’s chief marketing and communications officer, in the nomination. In addition to his legal duties,

Leiken acts as trustee of the Diebold Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, leading the foundation’s $100,000 multiyear gift to revitalize Public Square. A Cleveland native, Leiken is past president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and co-founder of CMBA’s criminal law section. For the past 12 years, Leiken has taught a course on white collar crime as an adjunct professor at the Case Western Reserve University Law School. His local charity work includes raising money for the Hanna Theatre and participating in a biennial benefit sponsored by the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. “By focusing on what we can do instead of what we can’t do, Jonathan offers creative solutions that advance the business while minimizing legal risks,” said Kristoff. “His exceptional leadership abilities, understanding of business goals, knowledge of governance and compliance matters, and positive attitude all make him a prime candidate for the (C-Suite) award.” — Douglas J. Guth

Investing in Cleveland’s Young People Today and Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders

TULA TO

Jennifer Griveas, Esq., one of the many staff members who excel in services and care at Eliza Jennings.

Alicia ’21 with Craig Arnold, Chairman and CEO, Eaton

Keith and Diamond ’18 with Heather Lennox, Partner-in-Charge, Jones Day

Angie ’20 with Kip Clarke, Cleveland Market President, KeyBank

Malik and Nikayla ’18 with Akram Boutros, MD, FACHE, President and CEO, MetroHealth

Thank you to the committed partnership of over 130 organizations and their dedicated employees who provide our students with real-world, professional experiences and exposure to careers, industries and relationships that help prepare them for success in college, work and life.

For more information on Corporate Work Study or to become a partner today contact Ann Davis, Vice President, Corporate Work Study Program: 216-881-1689 x 311 or adavis@stmdphs.org. 216.881.1689 | www.SaintMartinCleveland.org | 6111 Lausche Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

Chief Marketing Officer

Jeanne Hammerstrom

Paul Matsen

Benesch

Cleveland Clinic

Jeanne Hammerstrom’s dozen years in legal marketing at Benesch have been marked by continual progression, beginning with her role as a marketing/ recruiting director to the chief marketing officer position she currently holds. As CMO, Hammerstrom is head of a six-person department overseeing the firm’s strategic marketing approach. Under her direction, Benesch developed a business training program now ingrained into the firm’s culture, and includes a cross-selling function that points clients to different departments within the firm depending on their needs. Benesch’s climb to the nation’s fourth-ranked law firm marketing department — per rankings from industry publication Marketing the Law Firm — was sparked by another Hammerstrom-led program. Team Everest: The Peak Performers Summit was created for Benesch attorneys who helped grow business, increase revenue and advance the firm’s footprint within numerous practice areas. Enhancing client ser-

vice and creating new products are additional goals of the enterprise, according to the nomination. Hammerstrom boosted the firm’s outreach further via an award-winning podcast and videocast program providing listeners with mini legal seminars. The marketing guru also serves as a member of Benesch’s executive committee, participating in

critical strategic growth, client service and diversity efforts. “Jeanne truly has a ‘seat at the table’ when it comes to management and strategy,” said Julie Gurney, the firm’s director of marketing and communications. Hammerstrom can be found in the office by 6 a.m. most days, a commitment she instills in others, Gurney noted. Several of Hammerstrom’s direct employees have moved from entry-level marketing positions to senior positions under her tutelage. “Three of them have been with her at Benesch for her entire time at the firm — more than 12 years — which is a testament to what a loyal and mentoring boss Jeanne is,” she said. Hammerstrom’s leadership has been recognized through national awards, among them a 2017 sales and service team of the year award from The Legal Sales and Service Organization. “Jeanne is constantly developing people,” Gurney said. “She empowers her department to be successful.” — Douglas J. Guth

The Cleveland Clinic has a reputation to uphold, and as chief marketing officer of the world-renowned hospital system, Paul Matsen is the perfect person for the job, according to the nomination. Matsen’s work has been instrumental in making the Clinic the No. 2 hospital in the country as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Successful sports sponsorships with the Cavaliers and Indians raised the hospital’s already considerable profile, while award-garnering media campaigns overseen by Matsen played a vital role in helping millions of patients access Clinic medical services. Matsen joined the Clinic in 2006 to lead global brand development and other marketing and communications endeavors. In the digital and content marketing space, he spearheaded efforts in developing the highly trafficked ClevelandClinc.org website, while the hospital’s Facebook page has the most “likes” of any site in its category. The nomination said the system had more than 70,000

“Jeanne truly has a ‘seat at the table’ when it comes to management and strategy.”

“Paul is a true serving leader, with a global perspective on business, marketing and healthcare. At the same time, he is sensitive to needs of our local community, and tireless in promoting better access to health care services for all Greater Clevelanders.”

— Julie Gurney, Benesch director of marketing and communications

— Dr. Toby Cosgrove, Cleveland Clinic CEO and president

Congratulations We congratulate all of the Crain’s Cleveland C-Suite honorees on their leadership, innovation and success. bakerlaw.com

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Rob A. Spademan Cleveland State University media mentions and 14 billion impressions across all social media platforms last year. Health Essentials, a consumer-facing health and wellness blog, is the top hospital blog with over 45 million sessions accrued over the last year. A Matsen-led advertising campaign called “Power of Today,” meanwhile, generated 1.3 million same-day appointments in 2016 alone. The Clinic’s high marks in a number of major categories are a testament to Matsen’s decade on the job, the nomination said. Alongside its top-tier overall ranking, the system is recognized as best-in-class in services such as heart care and urology. As for awareness of the Clinic, Matsen’s marketing division has driven an alltime high awareness level of 60% nationally. Matsen is a booster for the local community as well, acting as campaign co-chair for the United Way, and serving on the boards of Positively Cleveland and Hathaway Brown School. “Paul is a true serving leader, with a global perspective on business, marketing and healthcare,” Clinic CEO and president Toby Cosgrove said in the nomination. “At the same time, he is sensitive to needs of our local community, and tireless in promoting better access to health care services for all Greater Clevelanders.” — Douglas J. Guth

Cleveland is busy building its brand to draw residents downtown. Cleveland State University’s ability to attract students is key to the city’s growth, with Rob Spademan standing at the forefront of the effort, the nomination said. Spademan, CSU’s associate vice president and chief marketing and admissions officer, has elevated the school’s reputation through a brand campaign aimed at prospective learners, their parents, donors and community leaders. Called “Engaged Learning,” the undertaking helped double freshman enrollment from 3,000 to 6,000, according to the nomination. The campaign champions CSU programming alongside a vibrant and rising downtown, aligning marketing with admissions to drive the dramatic enrollment increase. “‘Engaged Learning’ is a brand differentiator for CSU,” said Wyse CEO Michael Marino in the nomination. “It describes a special college experience created there because of CSU’s downtown location. That experience expands learning in the classroom

with real-world learning in the Cleveland arts and cultural communities.” Spademan also designed a new welcome center — located among the Euclid Commons residence halls — where newcomers get their first taste of university life. The marketing head’s other career highlights include reintroducing Homecoming Weekend, launching an internship program for minority stu-

dents, and managing CSU’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration in 2014, which drew more than 10,000 visitors to campus throughout the school year. Family-friendly programs created by Spademan’s department have enjoyed similar success, the nomination said. Recruiting events such as Junior Day and Spring Open House draw thousands of families to campus annually. For parents, Spademan debuted a parent kit that addresses concerns about the cost of college and ways to accelerate time to graduation. On the public relations front, Spademan has pursued national media coverage that led to stories in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The Hill, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post. “As the marketing leader of a major university with Cleveland in its name, Rob has been forward-thinking and bold,” Marino said. “He has helped build the Cleveland State brand. He has helped build the Cleveland brand. And he has helped make us proud of both.” — Douglas J. Guth

“As the marketing leader of a major university with Cleveland in its name, Rob has been forward-thinking and bold.” — Michael Marino, Wyse CEO

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CRAINâ€™S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

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Board Chairperson

George F. Dixon III Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority As board president of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, George Dixon has compiled a history of transportation experience on the national, regional and community levels, a record of public service that has gotten him re-elected 23 times by his peers. According to the nomination, Dixon is the longest-serving transit board member in state history, with two decades of service under mayors Michael White, Jane Campbell and Frank Jackson. The long-standing RTA official has guided the board through numerous capital projects, among them a multi-year process to connect the downtown and University Circle employment hubs, leading to the $200 million Euclid corridor transportation project. During the 1990s, Dixon joined a local group that traveled to Brazil to study the countryâ€™s emerging transit technology. The trip led to construction of the HealthLine along Euclid Avenue, a bus rapid transit project that proponents say has increased ridership and sparked urban development. According to the nomination, Dixon has also contributed to RTAâ€™s performance, reliability, safety and customer satisfaction over the course of his tenure. The board president led

the transit authority to six straight years of ridership growth, and worked with management to make all major rail stations ADA-compliant. From a fiscal standpoint, Dixon circumvented a shrinking state and federal budget to balance RTAâ€™s year-

ly books, saving taxpayers an estimated $25 million annually, the nomination said. Dixonâ€™s service record reaches beyond Greater Cleveland, and includes a stint with the Ohio Turnpike Commission. President Bill Clinton appointed him to represent public transportation interests on the Federal Advisory Committee to Reduce Greenhouse Gases. In 2003, he guided development of a strategic fiveyear plan for the American Public Transportation Association, a nonprofit international trade association representing public transit. â€œIn my more than 30 years in the transit industry, I have rarely met anyone who is as charismatic, dedicated, and passionate as George Dixon,â€? said RTA CEO and general manager Joe Calabrese. â€œHe makes a lasting, positive impression on everyone he meets. He is a great ambassador for public transit.â€? â€” Douglas J. Guth

â€œIn my more than 30 years in the transit industry, I have rarely met anyone who is as charismatic, dedicated, and passionate as George Dixon.â€? â€” Joe Calabrese, RTA CEO and general manager

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Skoda Minotti Skoda Minotti chairman and co-founder Gregory Skoda has never been satisfied with merely reaching specific organizational goals. A drive to surpass those metrics through accelerated growth has set the bar for the Cleveland-based CPA firmâ€™s longterm success. Skodaâ€™s day-to-day includes developing strategic plans for the firm and providing creative business and personal tax planning. He also assists clients with mergers, acquisitions, estate planning and wealth accumulation strategies. Behind those daily duties is an entrepreneurial spirit that drives the culture at Skoda Minotti, according to the nomination. The chairmanâ€™s innovative nature, for example, led to office openings during the last nine years in Fairlawn, Westlake and Tampa, Fla. Since Skoda Minottiâ€™s 2001 launch, the company has experienced revenue growth of 2,600% ($2 million â€” $51.9 million) and employee growth of 2,100%, the nomination said. â€œFrom day one, every employee is empowered to act and feel like an owner of the firm,â€? said Matt Seltz, Skoda Minotti senior marketing manager. â€œFollowing Gregâ€™s leadership style, we want to do more than

provide great client services â€” we also want to create raving fans.â€? Skoda Minotti supports employees working remotely from their homes, allowing the firm to attend to an expanding client base and recruit new

â€œFrom day one, every employee is empowered to act and feel like an owner of the firm.â€? â€” Matt Seltz, Skoda Minotti senior marketing manager

workers from across the country. â€œAs a result, weâ€™re contributing to the economic base of each region, spurring job growth and investing in the communities and people we serve,â€? Seltz said. Skoda is a long-time entrepreneur whose accomplishments include owning, operating and growing private and public companies from startup to over $2 billion in market capitalization, according to the nomination. He co-founded CBIZ, a professional services company, and has facilitated over 500 transactions for numerous clients. He also holds board positions with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, John Carroll University, Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and the Leading Edge Alliance. Ultimately, itâ€™s Skodaâ€™s commitment to innovation that has led his company to such heights. â€œWhat began as a CPA firm has evolved into a complete business advisory firm,â€? Skoda Minotti partner Patrick Carney said in the nomination. â€œGreg expects much of himself, and he pushes to get the most out of everyone in the firm, from fellow partners to staff.â€? â€” Douglas J. Guth

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

Chief Executive Officer

Brian M. Zimmerman Cleveland Metroparks

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Since joining in 2010, Brian Zimmerman’s time at the helm of the Cleveland Metroparks has been nothing short of transformational. For one, Zimmerman — the sixth director in the system’s history — has overseen one of the most ambitious expansions for the 100-year-old park system, which now spans more than 23,000 acres, 18 park reservations, eight golf courses and a nationally acclaimed zoo. Notably, in 2013, the park system took the lead on managing several hundred acres of prime waterfront real estate the state had controlled for years. Also, this year, the Metroparks opened a stunning beach house at Edgewater Beach on the city’s near West Side. “In our search, we were very consciously attuned to the significance of our fast-approaching centennial (in 2017) and our commitment to enlisting a leader who would respect and appreciate the legacy of the first 100 years, while having the vision to develop the legacy for the next 100 years” said Bruce G. Rinker, president of the Cleveland Metroparks board of park commissioners, in the nomination. “I do not exaggerate in stating that Brian has been transformative — not only for metropolitan Cleveland, but arguably for much of our Northeast Ohio region, which is releasing tangible rewards of a reimagined and reinvigorated community asset.” Some of Zimmerman’s other accomplishments, according to the nomination, include the reopening of Rivergate

Park in Cleveland’s urban core and the East Side’s 155-acre Acacia Reservation, which had been a golf course and is being restored to its natural state. Zimmerman, of course, isn’t solely responsible for the park system’s success. He often is quick to credit the park system’s 1,500 full-time, parttime and seasonal employees. In his recommendation, Rinker characterized Zimmerman as the “coach.” “Within just seven years, Brian has assured his legacy will have a lasting and positive regional impact by ensuring that future generations will have access to quality green space and Greater Cleveland’s natural assets for centuries to come,” Rinker added. Zimmerman is also committed to civic engagement. He serves on several boards, including Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Destination Cleveland and Flats Forward. — Timothy Magaw

Scott Mueller Dealer Tire

Daniel K. Lewis Chief Operating Officer recipient

J.B. Silvers

Board of Trustees recipient

The MetroHealth System congratulates Daniel K. Lewis and J.B. Silvers, winners of the Crain’s C-Suite Awards.

Scott Mueller and his brother Dean in the last 15 years have helped grow Dealer Tire to a business generating $1.5 billion in annual sales with 36 distribution centers across North America — and a new, expanded headquarters in the heart of their hometown. Their Mueller Tire business formed the Dealer Tire brand in 1999. It became an independent business when the Muellers sold the retail business, which consisted of 19 stores in Ohio, to Tire Kingdom in 2002. Dealer Tire sells replacement tires to more than 10,000 franchised U.S. new-car dealerships. In September, it won a key piece of business when Southeast Toyota Distributors inked a deal with Dealer Tire to have the Cleveland company deliver replacement tires to 176 Toyota dealerships in five states beginning Dec. 1. According to the nomination, Dealer Tire operates with four core principles: fairness, “which can be simply defined as operating in a win-win environment, so all parties involved in the business are treated fairly;” accountability, which has “created a very flat organization where everyone can make decisions because everyone is aware of the company’s operating guidelines;” innovation, marked by “willingness to take risks to make change;” and “playing to win,” in which Scott Mueller “has learned that companies that operate with a winning attitude do, in fact, win.” The company had outgrown its original operation at East 40th Street and Euclid Ave., and Scott “led the

team at Dealer Tire to find a solution with one mission — keep the headquarters in Cleveland,” according to the nomination After a lengthy search process, Dealer Tire moved its headquarters to Midtown in the historic Victory Center building. In 2015, Scott Mueller donated more than $20 million to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s capital campaign. He serves that institution as vice chairman and was one of the leaders in bringing in William Griswold as the museum’s director. Scott Mueller also is co-chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and was “instrumental in the construction of the new facility and transforming the museum from a regional attraction to one with an international reputation for drawing some of the finest works of art,” the nomination said. — Scott Suttell

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Chris A. Raanes ViewRay Inc. Chris Raanes is the man responsible for guiding the growth and development of ViewRay Inc., the Oakwood Village-based maker of an MRI-guided radiation therapy system that in the fall raised about $50 million in a sale of common stock that will help support commercialization of its products. ViewRay, which designs, manufactures and markets the MRIdian Linac system, in mid-November reported results that show the company is moving in the right direction. Revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 was $12.2 million compared with $400,000 in the like period of the prior year. For the first nine months of 2017, revenue hit $14.1 million, more than double the $6.1 million of the January-to-September period of 2016. Received new orders for MRIdian Linac totaled $29.9 million in the third quarter, up from orders of $24.5 million in the previous year's third quarter. And the company reported that its total backlog grew to $194.8 million as of Sept. 30, up from $125.2 million as of Sept. 30, 2016, a reflection of growing demand for the product. ViewRay's a startup, and it's still losing money as it focuses on investing in and marketing MRIdian Linac. The company's net loss for the nine months that ended Sept. 30 was $47.5 million, or 85 cents per share, compared with a loss of $39.6 million, or $1.02 per share, for the like period of 2016. In October, ViewRay raised the $50 million from the issuance and sale of 8,382,643 shares in a direct registered

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offering. Raanes said at the time the offering "provides further validation of our belief that MRIdian Linac will lead to a new standard of care in radiation oncology." In July, for instance, ViewRay announced that cancer patients had been treated with the MRIdian Linac system at Henry Ford Health System in the Detroit area. The previous month, ViewRay said the National Cancer Center in Tokyo treated its first patients using MRIdian; among the first indications treated at the center were cancers of the lung, liver and pancreas. ViewRay continues to make progress with MRIdian Linac in leading hospitals. On Nov. 10, the company announced that the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis completed installation of a MRIdian Linac. — Scott Suttell

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Robert P. Madison International

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If it weren’t for Sandra L. Madison, the architecture firm that bears her family’s name may no longer be in existence. According to the nomination, under her leadership in 2013 and now majority ownership today, the firm’s downward spiral has stopped and Robert P. Madison International is growing once again. In 2013, work slowed to a halt and downsized to the point of almost going out of business, the nomination said. However, Sandra Madison, through some entrepreneurial business development, led the charge that restored the firm — the first African-American-owned architecture firm in the state of Ohio — to its former glory. For one, she landed the firm a role in the Hilton Hotel design build team in late 2013, which generated a $550,000 fee for the firm. That was followed by landing two additional large projects — the Cleveland Heights-University Heights and Lakewood high school projects, which generated a combined $1 million for the firm. In 2015, the firm won the design of Cleveland schools, with a total fee of $1.78 million, according to the nomination. One of those schools was Almira Elementary School on West 98th Street in Cleveland. In a 2013 letter endorsing the firm’s services, Cleveland City Councilman Jay Westbrook described the firm as “the guiding hand that led this every step of the way.” “While working with such diverse partners as the school district, com-

munity and civic leaders, the Madison team achieved an extremely high degree of excellence in the building and worked within very constrained budgets,” Westbrook wrote. “Almira School is now open for its next 90 years of commitment to quality education to the families of Cleveland thanks in large part to the diligent and resourceful work of lead Sandra Madison and the entire team.” During that time, the firm also grew by five employees. And in 2017, Robert P. Madison International partnered with AVG to win the Elyria school systems project, which is expected to boast a construction cost of more than $100 million. Sandra Madison, meanwhile, is married to R. Kevin Madison, another executive at the firm who is the nephew of its founder, Robert P. Madison. — Timothy Magaw

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

C-SUITE AWARDS

Chief Information Officer

Amy Brady

Heather Kelley

KeyCorp

Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

It’s fair to say KeyCorp probably wouldn’t be as successful as it is today without chief information officer Amy Brady. With a banking career now spanning three decades, Brady made virtually an immediate impact at the $134 billion-asset KeyBank when she joined the company in 2012. Just two years into the job overseeing Key’s technology, security, data and procurement functions, Brady totally revamped the organization. Among various achievements in that time, she modernized the bank’s website, upgraded online bill-payment and retooled the KeyBank app, adding tablet and mobile banking. Technology and operations is composed of more than 4,500 people and is considered a vital element in Key’s ability to succeed in the modern, digitally focused banking marketplace. By 2014, Key reported a doubling in mobile traffic and enhanced its investments in data, analytics in reporting. Those wins were on top of increasing employee engagement — a personal goal of Brady’s has been the advancement of women and minorities in the business. A few years later, as Key followed through

Modern industry demands someone with practiced and proven IT skills. With that need trickling down to the nonprofit world, the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging (WRAAA) is pleased to have Heather Kelley on board. Kelley, brought in as a consultant in 2015, quickly moved into her current position as the organization’s director of information technology and cybersecurity, with an additional title of HIPAA security officer. In less than a year, Kelley transformed an unstable IT operation into what the nomination called an “invaluable asset of constant reliability.” This evolution occurred through strategic hiring, new software and equipment purchases, and incorporating specialized field expert advice when necessary. WRAAA is the planning, coordinating and administrative agency for federal and state aging programs in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. Aiding the nonprofit’s work is an IT infrastructure that flourished under Kelley’s direction. Kelley’s skills, honed by more than 20 years as a technology professional, brought the agency’s online network from impending daily

on its $4.1 billion acquisition of First Niagara Financial Group in Buffalo, N.Y., a deal which closed in summer 2016, Brady played a pivotal role in the technology integration. To manage the conversion, Brady, who also serves on Key’s executive council, created a “technology and operations command center” that ultimately oversaw 50 work streams, according to a September profile by American Banker where Brady was named one of 2017’s most powerful women in banking. Her work on that transition of systems during the First Niagara combination largely supported that recognition. During the long hours that consumed workers during that combination, Brady provided food during overnight shifts, flipped pancakes at team breakfasts, arranged chair massages and even sent flowers to people’s homes, according to American Banker. Prior to Key, Brady worked at Bank of America, which she joined in 1987 as a banking center manager. She most recently served there as CIO for a little more than a year before being recruited to Key. — Jeremy Nobile

crashes to nearly 100% security. She also quarterbacked efforts to educate staff on cybersecurity and consistently updated software and security protocols. During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Kelley implemented a voiceover internet protocol phone system for staff placement at various locations, ensuring the nonprofit’s consumers received uninterrupted service. New keyless entry and security camera systems have also been established during Kelley’s watch. In her role as a HIPAA officer, Kelley oversaw three security audits and wrote 50 policies to meet health insurance standards. This year will be another busy year, as Kelley spearheads the planning stages of a new website that includes an intranet to serve employees in collaboration with the agency’s HR department. “Heather is an asset to WRAAA who continually finds ways to bridge gaps in day-to-day operations to make the agency more productive, proficient and best in class,” said Christopher Hall, the organization’s CFO. “She brought strengths that transported a backwoods corporate IT environment to streamlined, state-ofthe-art efficiency.” — Douglas J. Guth

With George F. Dixon, III at the wheel, we’re on the path to success. Congratulations, George, on being named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business 2017 C-Suite honorees.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

STATLER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The property went into HUD default in July 2005 as apartment rents weakened and vacancy soared during the for-sale housing boom. However, LCor in a joint venture with the California State Teachers Retirement System in 2011 bought Statler along with other properties that became available in the Lehman Brothers liquidation. A Lehman affiliate had owned Statler since 2006, when it acquired the property and others that HUD sold after their owners had defaulted on HUD-backed loans. LCor, now owned directly by CalSTRS, said at the time it acquired Statler and the other properties that it planned to shed those it did not consider strategic to creating a larger portfolio. Statler was the only property in the portfolio in Ohio. Meantime, values of the properties escalated as rents and apartment occupancies climbed after the economy recovered. Cuyahoga County land records also show housekeeping that sometimes accompanies pending sale of a property. One item pertains to the county itself terminating a ground lease on Oct. 19 that it had secured on the land under the building as part of the financing for the residential remake. Matt Carroll, the county’s chief economic opportunity and growth officer, said the county lease terminated with the sale of the Statler, but the ground lease had not been removed as it should have when the property transferred in 2011. Statler played a key role in establishing Euclid Avenue as a residential street early in its transition from business-only use, according to Tom Yablonsky, executive vice president of Downtown Cleveland Alliance and executive director of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood and Historic Warehouse District local develop-

ment corporations. Now other apartments are nearby on Euclid, such as The 9, Schofield and Truman buildings. And more are on the way, including conversion of part of Halle Building to apartments in a mixed-use project and Cleveland Athletic Club to residential rentals. Both are on the other side of Euclid from Statler. “It’s a successful building and it’s largely full,” Yablonsky said. He added that there is upside potential to the property because the 1912-vintage hotel’s vast ballrooms have not been restored to active use. While that vast space might be off-putting to most apartment buyers, it might be less so for Sinito because he has taken an entrepreneurial approach to additional uses that came along with his other downtown ventures. Sinito, whose wife, Malisse, operates the Lockkeepers Restaurant in Valley View as part of Millennia’s hospitality unit, has demonstrated that at Key Center, the connected office tower, Marriott Hotel and Superior Savings Building the company bought for $268 million in January. The couple updated the hotel’s restaurant and set plans for adding a banquet facility in the dining room of the former Club portion of the complex, along with bringing in a tenant to operate the fitness center. The couple recently opened The Marble Room restaurant in the ornate former banking lobby of The Garfield, 1965 E. Sixth St. The restaurant is on the first floor of a largely empty office building that Millennia converted to luxury apartments. The continuing growth trajectory for Millennia is no surprise. Sinito last summer told Crain’s he had a bid in to buy the Huntington Building, 925 Euclid Ave., where a massive remaking has stalled to add apartments and a hotel in place of most of its office space. However, developer Hudson Holdings of Delray Beach, Fla., has continued to pursue plans to update that building itself.

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TAX BILL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The ability to issue what are called tax-exempt advance refunding bonds has saved the city of Cleveland and other local governments millions of dollars in recent years. The ability to issue what are advance refunding bonds has saved the city of Cleveland $53 million since 2014, including a recent $22 million savings from the refunding of airport bonds, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council president Kevin Kelley said in a letter to Congressional leaders. A section of the House version of the tax bill would eliminate tax-exempt private activity bonds (PABs), which communities use to help businesses, nonprofits and private developers of affordable housing to make their projects work financially. The city of Cleveland used a $16 million PAB to help Miceli Dairy Products Co. with the $20 million-plus expansion of the company’s East Side cheesemaking operation. The Lake County Port and Economic Development Authority used a mix of taxable and tax-exempt private activity bonds to help a Minnesota developer, LaSalle Development Group Ltd., turn the abandoned Mosley Select Suites sites on Euclid Avenue in Wickliffe into a senior assisted-living and memory care facility in Wickliffe. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in November. The Senate version of the tax plan was still under construction last Friday, Dec. 1. It does not eliminate PABs, but it would end the tax exemption for advance refunding bonds. In their letter sent Nov. 27 to Congressional leaders, Jackson and Kelley urged them to reconsider eliminating the tax exemption for PABs and advance refundings, as well as the tax credits, in the tax bill. “Including the above provisions in the final version of the Tax Cuts and

Jobs Act will negatively impact the city of Cleveland by decreasing tax revenue, eliminating important sources of job growth and de-incentivizing private investment dollars from flowing into the city,” they wrote. The interest received by holders of both categories of municipal bonds is exempt from federal income taxes and, in some cases, from state and local income taxes. That exemption means investors will accept a lower interest. An investor in a 25% tax bracket would receive the same after-tax income from a tax-exempt bond bearing interest at 6% that he or she would receive from a taxable obligation bearing interest at 8%, according to the Council of Development Finance Agencies, a Columbus-based national association of government finance agencies and commercial bankers. CDFA estimates that borrowing costs for state and local governments could rise by as much as 35% if PABs lose their tax exemption. Losing the tax-exempt status of advance refunding bonds also would cost government agencies money. Most government bonds, which typically are issued for terms of 20 or 30 years, can be called, or paid off early, after a certain time, typically 10 years. But if interest rates drop quickly, cities and states have been able to issue advance refunding bonds to take advantage of lower interest rates. The tax bill would end the tax exemption on advance refunding bonds, making it unattractive to refinance at a taxable rate. Dennis Kennedy, Cuyahoga County’s fiscal officer, said the county does not see this change affecting the county at the moment. “Fortunately, we don’t foresee the need to do anything in the immediate future,” he said. “But we are cognizant of fact that a change (in the tax bill) could affect our ability to do something in the future.” But other communities are making plans to get bonds refinanced before

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the end of the year, before any tax law changes go into effect. “Our advance refunding volume has been pretty regularly within a $7.5 billion to $10 billion range over a 30-day period,” said Tim Offtermatt, an investment banker with the Cleveland office of Stifel Financial Corp., and a former Cleveland finance department official, in a telephone interview Nov. 28. “This week, we have $25 billion on our calendar,” he said. “That includes issues planned for January, February and March that are now slated to get done in front of Dec. 31.” The loss of private activity bonds will also have an impact on local government funding. “All airports do private activity bonds to fund improvements used by the airlines,” Offtermatt said. “Cleveland has issued a lot of private activity bonds.” Airports Council International North America estimates that 60% of bonds issued for terminal renovations and other airport capital projects during the past decade, including Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, were PABs. The loss of private activity bonding would also curtail plans of CHN Housing Partners, formerly the Cleveland Housing Network, to build affordable housing in the area. PABs are used along with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) to finance the housing CHN develops. While the LIHTC program is expected to survive the new tax bill, about half of CHNs projects require companion PABs to make financial sense, said Kevin Novak, CHN’s general counsel. “In our pipeline right now we have (projects) that are likely to need private activity bonds,” he said. “In East Cleveland, we’re doing a senior assisted living project with the McGregor Foundation and one in Bedford with United Church Homes of Dublin (near Columbus).” CHN has 435 units under development, with about 150 of those needing the lower interest rates of tax-exempt PABs to be financially viable.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

ANALYSIS

Office leases on list aren’t quite as big this year By CHUCK SODER csoder@crain.com @ChuckSoder

It hasn’t been a big year for new office leases in Northeast Ohio, judging by our Largest New Office Leases list. The 36 leases on the print version of the list account for just 1.13 million square feet of office space — a 19.4% decrease from the top 36 leases on last year’s list. Granted, the total square feet figure can fluctuate widely from year to year. A few big deals can quickly skew

the number. For instance, the 2014 total got a huge boost when American Greetings sold its Brooklyn headquarters and then leased back 1 million square feet of space. Take that lease away, and this year’s total is close to the 2014 total. But the difference between the 2017 and 2016 numbers wasn’t caused by one or two deals. Consider the No. 1 deal on this year’s list: Forest City leasing 147,795 square feet at Key Tower. That deal isn’t all that much smaller than the lease that topped last year’s list — Dealer Tire taking over all 163,000

square feet at Victory Center in Midtown Cleveland. But that trend continues as you move down the list. For instance, the 10th-largest lease (Merrill Lynch taking 32,817 at One Cleveland Center) is smaller than leases in the No. 10 spot on lists from the previous three years. You’ll notice the same thing if you compare the leases in the No. 20 spot or those in the No. 30 spot. At least one trend is driving down overall demand for office space: Companies these days often favor open office layouts, which let them

ADVERTISING SECTION

squeeze in more employees per square foot. Even so, there’s not much vacant office space in downtown Cleveland, which could be causing tenants to stay put. The vacancy rate for top-tier Class A properties downtown fell from 17.9% to 13.5% over the course of 2016, according to a survey from the JLL real estate brokerage. There hasn’t been a big injection of new office space in downtown — the region’s largest office market — since Ernst & Young Tower opened in 2013, which set off a round of musical chairs in the office market.

The musical chairs metaphor could describe much of the activity on the list. For instance, after Dealer Tire moved to Victory Center, The Revenue Group moved into its former headquarters (No. 3 on the list). American Greetings left an even bigger hole to fill when it moved to Westlake in 2016. Since then companies like Inogen (No. 16) and American Safety Apparel have leased space in Brooklyn. Medical Mutual recently signed a non-binding letter of intent to lease space there, so maybe it will be on the list next year.

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INSURANCE Ohio Retirement Practice Leader

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is pleased to announce the recent hire of Aubrey Christ, working in our Cleveland, Ohio office leading the Ohio Retirement Team. Aubrey brings an extensive background, most recently serving as President of National Associates, responsible for leading the execution of marketing, sales, operations, staff management, client service, and retention. Prior to that, Aubrey held a retirement role with Voya Financial, responsible for a combined book of $3.5 billion across three states. PAGE 58

DECEMBER 4, 2017

KNOW SOMEONE ON THE MOVE?

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CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

REAL ESTATE

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017

PA G E 5 7

THE LIST

Largest New Office Leases Ranked by square feet THIS YEAR BUILDING

CITY

SQUARE FEET

TENANT

TENANT REPRESENTATIVE

LANDLORD REPRESENTATIVE

Key Tower 127 Public Square

Cleveland

147,795

Forest City Realty Trust Inc.

CBRE

Jacobs Real Estate Services LLC

National Interstate headquarters expansion 4059 Kinross Lakes Parkway

Richfield

115,500

National Interstate Insurance Co.

Former Dealer Tire headquarters 3711 Chester Ave.

Cleveland

69,223

The Revenue Group

IRGICP LLC

East End 1144 E. Market St.

Akron

65,465

SummaCare

CBRE

AES Business Campus 388 S. Main St.

Akron

54,060

Homesite Insurance

JLL

Key Tower 127 Public Square

Cleveland

45,072

Millennia Cos.

Jacobs Real Estate Services LLC

Landerbrook Corporate Center II 5910 Landerbrook Drive

Mayfield Heights

43,560

Park Place Technologies (expansion)

NAI Daus

CBRE

Halle Building 1228 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland

42,952

The NRP Group LLC

Allegro Realty Advisors, Ltd.

Davison & Co.

Idea Center 1375 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland

39,523

Cleveland State University

PlayhouseSquare Real Estate Services

One Cleveland Center 1375 E. 9th St.

Cleveland

32,817

Merrill Lynch

JLL

Newmark Knight Frank

6200 Oak Tree Blvd.

Independence

32,543

Permanent General Assurance Corp.

Newmark Knight Frank

Former Whitlatch Building 1910 Carnegie Ave.

Cleveland

30,000

Ohio Means Jobs

Hanna Commercial Real Estate

Hudson Corporate Center 300 Executive Parkway W.

Hudson

26,344

Gabriel Partners

CBRE

Park Center Plaza I 6100 Oak Tree Blvd.

Independence

25,438

New York Life Insurance

JLL

Lee & Associates

1111 Superior Ave.

Cleveland

24,797

One Source Technology LLC (dba Asurint) (expansion)

Allegro Realty Advisors Ltd.

Kowit & Company Real Estate Group

Former American Greetings headquarters 1 American Road

Brooklyn

22,100

Inogen

CBRE

IRG

Link59 6001 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland

20,554

MCPc

Allegro Realty Advisors Ltd.

Hemingway Development

The Tower at Erieview 1301 E. 9th St.

Cleveland

19,766

Northcoast Research

Direct

JLL

One Cleveland Center 1375 E. 9th St.

Cleveland

19,654

Meaden & Moore

CBRE

Newmark Knight Frank

Van Aken District

Shaker Heights

18,495

McGlinchey Stafford

CBRE

NAI Daus

4141 Rockside Road

Seven Hills

16,755

Futuri

Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate

200 Public Square

Cleveland

16,690

Fisher & Phillips LLP

Newmark Knight Frank

Colliers International

1111 Superior Ave.

Cleveland

15,954

Kowit & Company Real Estate Group

4244 Mt. Pleasant St. NW

North Canton

15,492

Area Wide Protective

Pinecrest 100 Park Ave.

Orange Village

15,370

Prime Alliance Holdings

Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate

JLL

30700 Bainbridge Road

Solon

15,300

Key Tower 127 Public Square

Cleveland

14,791

Marshall Dennehey Warner (previously a sublease)

Jacobs Real Estate Services LLC

Landerhaven Office Plaza 6001-6009 Landerhaven Drive

Mayfield Heights

14,500

Kowit & Company Real Estate Group

The Halle Building 1228 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland

14,400

Cleveland Teachers Union

JLL

K&D Real Estate Services

Phoenix Building 1975 E. 61st St.

Cleveland

14,349

Infinite Arthroscopy Inc.

The King Group

Hemingway Development

3296 Columbia Road

Richfield

14,200

K Hovnanian Homes

Kowit & Company Real Estate Group

Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate

O'Neil's Building 222 S. Main St.

Akron

13,693

Country Pure Foods

CBRE

4141 Rockside Road

Seven Hills

13,457

Ohio Educational Credit Union

Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate

Oswald Centre 1100 Superior Ave.

Cleveland

13,349

FormFire

Newmark Knight Frank

Kowit & Company Real Estate Group

AES Business Campus 388 S. Main St.

Akron

12,990

Roadrunner Trasportation Services

Fisher

JLL

Brown Mackie College 4300 Munson St. NW

Canton

12,384

Bank of America

JLL

McDonald Companies

21 22 23 24

RESEARCHED BY CHUCK SODER (CSODER@CRAIN.COM)

Want the full version of this list Ñ and every other Crain's list? Become a Data Member: CrainsCleveland.com/data Information provided by CoStar Group Inc. (www.costar.com) and tenant and landlord representatives. The full digital list includes 48 new leases signed between Oct. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2017. The list covers 15 counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne. Send questions, suggestions and corrections to Chuck Soder: csoder@crain.com.

PA G E 5 8

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017 |

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

AKRON

A. Schulman enters 3-D printing market By DAN SHINGLER dshingler@crain.com @DanShingler

Fairlawn-based A. Schulman is stepping up its game and stepping into a new arena: the materials market that serves the 3-D printing industry. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3-D printing uses specialized equipment to build parts and pieces one tiny particle at a time, rather than by carving parts from larger pieces of materials the way a machine shop would or molding materials the way a traditional plastics manufacturer might. One of the chief challenges the burgeoning industry faces, however, is finding new materials with which 3-D printers can work. Schulman, with its French partner, Prodways Technologies, hopes to help fill that void. It’s a fairly big move for Schulman, which is better known for grinding, blending and processing plastic resins and materials for others through its tolling business. It might help profits, too, since engineering new materials often provides more margin than tolling work. “I think what’s nice is this is not sort of the same kind of materials and processes that Schulman’s been working in. It’s not the tolling business. This is a foray into the truly innovative side of these products,” said company spokeswoman Jennifer Beeman. After agreeing to work jointly on development efforts in November 2016, Schulman and Prodways have unveiled their first product under the catchy name PA6-12T.

Some 3-D printers, such as the one pictured, are familiar, while other types, such as those that rely on selective laser sintering, are known mostly to those at large companies or research centers. A. Schulman has introduced its first material for the industry, which the company hopes to serve more broadly. (Bloomberg)

The product is still a plastic, but in this case the material is engineered to work with specific types of 3-D printing technology. It also has glass in it. The end result is a material that produces parts that are tougher, more rigid and more heat resistant than competing materials, said John Steele, head of business development for Schulman’s powder business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Those characteristics mean PA612T can be used to make parts that are not possible with other materials, including for industries that manu-

facture automotive, aerospace or medical parts or devices. The material is designed for a specific type of 3-D printing known as selective laser sintering, or SLS. Unlike the type of 3-D printing most people are familiar with — where a printer builds up a part one particle at a time until a part is fully printed — SLS makes numerous small parts at once, all packed together tightly when the process is finished. It does that, Steele explained, by laying down one very thin layer of material at a time, followed by a laser that traces the shape of each part, essentially welding the particle from

the newest layer of powder to the previous layer as it goes along. When the process is complete, the machine leaves a block of powder that has finished and hardened parts inside. All that’s left to do is blow away or remove the loose powder. Steele hopes Schulman and Prodways’ new product can compete with or replace the current material — known as PA12— used in SLS. “Probably 95% of the industry in SLS is using PA12, and PA12 has a number of limitations, one of them being resistant to high temperatures under the hood, which it’s not,” Steele said. The new product won’t necessarily revolutionize the industry — 3-D printing is still a fairly slow process, and the new material Schulman and Prodways have developed has specialty applications. But Steele thinks it has benefits that certain manufacturers need. “This material is definitely easy to use, and it’s very, very rigid,” he said. It’s being launched in Europe now and will hit the U.S. market in the first quarter of 2018, with Prodways handling sales, Steele said. It’s not likely to significantly move Schulman’s revenue needle, at least at first. But it’s important because it marks Schulman’s entrance into a new and growing industry, where the company can engineer products that are less commoditized than the plastics and materials Schulman usually deals in. “We are aiming to release other materials that are not quite so specialized,” Steele said of Schulman’s future plans. That would be just fine for most players in the 3-D industry, which is

always looking for new materials it can work with and for new suppliers who will develop them, said Darrell Wallace, chief manufacturing officer and program coordinator for Youngstown State University, which works extensively with additive manufacturing technologies. Wallace said many manufacturers prefer SLS technology, because it produces parts that are uniform from their outer edges to their inner core. However, manufacturers often have to compromise to use the technology, if they even can. “A lot of the materials we are able to print are not identical to the materials we use traditionally,” Wallace said. “I may have a particular polymer I like to use, but that polymer in its present form might not be suitable to 3-D printing. So we’re often limited to a variant of a polymer or member of the same polymer family.” Wallace would like to see Schulman and other companies get into the 3-D materials market. He said it’s a natural fit for Northeast Ohio, which has a long and strong history in materials science in general and in polymer science in particular. “Absolutely,” Wallace said. “As more materials become available, the number of opportunities we have to use 3-D printing increases.” What’s more, as the new materials demonstrate different strengths, they can be used for new purposes. For example, if a material is heat resistant enough, it can be used to print molds that will be used by traditional injection molders to make plastic parts. “The better materials we get — like the new material that Schulman has — that opens up the number of opportunities we have as well,” Wallace said.

Medina’s Vexor Technology turns trash into fuel By DAN SHINGLER dshingler@crain.com @DanShingler

Who among us has not thrown a questionable item into the recycling bin — a piece of thin or gnarled plastic, or some cheap paper we might have wondered about. Not all of it is good enough to actually be recycled into new paper or plastic after all. In Medina, Vexor Technology has come up with another way to use those items: Process them and burn them as fuel. And the company has been expanding its capacity to do just that for a partner that uses all of the fuel it can currently produce. “We source a select variety of what we call ‘difficult to recycle’ paper, plastic and cardboard … and we process that into an engineered fuel,” said Brian Surane, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. The business is compatible with and even supports other efforts aimed at recycling, too, he said, because Vexor’s process gives recyclers a better option than landfills for getting rid of the materials they reject. “We don’t want to keep actual recyclable materials out of the loop,” Surane said. The process is not as sophisticated or costly as some other methods of converting trash to fuel, such as those that cook and mix recipes of refuse into synthetic gas or oil. Vexor relies

Vexor Technology in Medina processes “difficult to recyle” paper and plastic into an engineered fuel. (Contributed photo)

on selecting the right materials, grinding and mixing nonhazardous papers and plastics into a dry fuel made up of flakes and pieces about three-quarters of an inch in size. It doesn’t burn as cleanly as some other fuels, such as natural gas, but that’s OK in terms of the company’s business model. “This is replacing a fossil fuel — basically, replacing coal — with an engineered fuel,” said Mario Romero, who took over as Vexor’s CEO in early November. He was previously CEO of Custom Ecology Inc., a Georgia-based waste

management company. Others around the world also are looking into burning plastic as fuel. Plastic is generally made from oil and gas to begin with, so it contains a lot of energy that can be released if it’s burned. In addition to Vexor, entities such as Penn State University are working on new ways to use it as a fuel. “Our prototype machine works by taking waste plastics and forcing them through a heated extrusion die, melting a thin jacket that locks unmelted pieces within. A hot knife cuts the extruded material into easily

stored and readily shipped nuggets called Plastofuel, which can be burned with coal in a coal-fired boiler or, eventually, combusted directly in the boiler system described,” Penn State states in an August article on its Penn State Extension website. Romero and Surane said Vexor’s engineered fuel is intended to compete with coal. It does burn much more cleanly than coal, with a reduction of up to 80% in some of the pollutants found in coal, they said, while at the same time keeping waste from landfills. It’s also cheaper than coal and can be mixed and burned with coal if necessary. That landfill factor is important to some trash haulers and their customers, as more companies and local governments seek to minimize how much waste they put into landfills or to eliminate the use of landfills altogether, Surane said. As for the desirability of the fuel, it’s useful in energy-intensive processes, such as the production of lime and cement, and even could be used as a fuel to produce electricity, Surane said. So far, all of Vexor’s output is being used by a single partner, Belgium-based Carmeuse Group, an international lime and limestone company that uses the fuel in its U.S. lime kilns. Vexor began producing the fuel in 2010 at a 60,000-square-foot facility at its Medina plant, which for more than 20 years has been handling other types of industrial and specialty

waste as well. “Then, based on the success of the engineered fuel here, we opened the plant in Gary,” Surane said. That was in April, when Vexor opened a second, larger plant — this one 70,000 square feet — in Indiana to also provide fuel for Carmeuse, which touts its own sustainability in its marketing efforts. “The two plants keep 250,000 tons per year from going into landfills,” Surane said. There’s room to do more, too, he said, especially in Gary, where the newer plant is still staffing up. About 30 people work at the Medina operation, while only about 10 work in Gary so far. But that plant may soon employ as many or more as the Medina site, Surane said. Romero said Vexor likely isn’t done building this business, either. The company is talking to potential partners about constructing more plants, he said. Each plant needs to be in an area where it can access an ample waste stream. A location near packaging industry participants works well, Romero said. Each site also needs to be near a dedicated partner that will use the fuel, he added. “We’ve looked at three to four options, and right now we’re looking in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest” regions, Romero said. If all goes well, the company will have opened two new plants in the next two years, Romero said.

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Source Lunch

D E C E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017

PA G E 5 9

Elizabeth Bartz

Owner and CEO, State and Federal Communications You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger booster of Akron than Elizabeth Bartz. ¶ It’s a requited love, too. Bartz is a standout employer in downtown Akron, and her company, State and Federal Communications, is the kind of company the city works to attract, retain and grow. ¶ Bartz started the firm with just one employee in 1993, after buying it as a division of her previous employer in Washington, D.C. Today, it employs 40 people, including 13 attorneys, and helps clients across the country to stay current and comply with a maze of regulations and disclosure requirements around lobbying activities. ¶ She says she initially liked Akron because it was a “Goldilocks” city – not too small, not too big – and is located where she could get quickly to Washington or to visit clients around the country. She fell in love with the place. Other leaders, from Mayor Dan Horrigan on down, love that she’s there, talking up Akron’s benefits in her travels around the country and proving it’s a great place to grow a business that relies on technical and professional services. — Dan Shingler

Five things What’s your favorite chocolate? Milk chocolate, but I should probably like dark.

Favorite thing to listen to in the car? WKSU. And when I’m not listening to the news, I’m all about Broadway show tunes.

What are your favorite movies? You name the rom-com and I’ve seen it.

You travel as much as anyone. What’s your favorite hotel? I’m a Starwood snob. Probably the Westin in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Favorite restaurant? When I travel, I try to find a great restaurant. Probably Kellari (Taverna) in Washington, D.C.

You’re closely identified with the city today, but when did you move to Akron? I moved to Akron from Washington, D.C., in 1993, but when I was young, we lived in Warren. My father managed a Brown Derby restaurant there. You wanted to come back to Ohio, but why Akron in particular? I lived in Washington (the suburb of Alexandria, Va.) for 12 years and I was tired of running in fourth gear. I thought it was time to move and I had an opportunity to buy a department that I was managing for my company, and I could move it anywhere I wanted. Warren was the baby bear; it was too small. Cleveland was the papa bear; it was too big. But Akron was the mama bear, and it was just right. Akron, at the time, was probably twice as big as Alexandria, so it was actually a nice increase in size. When you were a kid, did you have something you thought you were going to do or be? I grew up during Watergate. I wanted to be a reporter.

Lunch spot Urban Eats 17 Maiden Lane, Akron

The meal A Thai chicken wrap sandwich, a Greek chicken pizza, bottle of water and a Snapple

The vibe Always hip, always casual. Sam Frohnapfel and Nathan Franks have owned and been running the place since June, but have kept the vibe and flavorful food of the place intact. It remains a favorite spot of civic leaders, business people and other downtown residents and workers.

The bill $19, plus tip

Did you pursue that? I have an undergraduate in public relations and journalism (from Kent State University). I claim I worked at The New York Times for three weeks. I did, and this is what I did: For three weeks in August of 1983, I went to the Federal Election Commission, and all day long I had to photocopy federal election reports. Then I walked down to The New York Times office and I turned it in for someone else to write the articles. … Then I got a job at State and Federal Associates and I never looked back. What was your first job? Driving the station manager crazy at WKSU, the radio station at Kent State University. What makes this career work for you? What I always liked about the work was it was always different and it’s always changing. Back in the dark ages, as I call them, if the state would pass a piece of legislation on

Nov. 15, it wouldn’t go into effect until January. Now, everything’s an emergency, and the people working in the state agencies have to hurry up and make changes. What made you think that lobbying compliance would support a business? I worked at State and Federal Associates for 10 years — from ’83 to ’93. A lot happened then. Jesse Jackson ran for president and his filing fee in West Virginia bounced. The Abscam scandal happened. All these things happened, and all of a sudden the lobbying law would go to the right, even here in Ohio. … And in Illinois and Georgia, lobbyists now have to file a report every other Friday. Isn’t that good for your business? Yes. But they don’t make themselves, the legislators, file a report every other week. They make the lobbyist do it. What do you like most about your work? There’s never a dull moment. I like that it’s so different. People look at me and say, “Well, I don’t know what she does, and she’s never home, but she seems happy and her parents seem to love her.” What is your biggest source of stress? HR. You have one person who always takes up 80% of your time. Are you able to grow and find the people you need in Akron? Definitely. We just hired a couple more people. Has the city been a good place for your business generally? Absolutely. I love Akron, and it’s been great for us. … I really like working with the mayor, and I see him a lot at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He texted me recently, from South by Southwest, about Amazon. … I said, “How did you know I worked for Amazon?” He said, “They told me.” My client said, “Do you know Elizabeth Bartz?” The mayor said, “I love Elizabeth Bartz.”

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SPONSORED CONTENT

December 4, 2017

ASK THE PROFESSIONAL

Financial and tax matters associated with acquiring or selling a business Insights from the co-founder of a CPA firm

oe Pease’s passion for helping entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams is rooted in his own career experience as an entrepreneur in the certified public accounting industry. This ability to relate to his clients, combined with 35 years of expertise in handling hundreds of mergers and acquisitions, gives Joe a unique perspective into the needs of buyers and sellers as a co-founder and managing partner of Cleveland-based Pease & Associates CPAs. He also leads the firm’s M&A group. Joe’s recent experience includes serving as a lead negotiator on the sale of an integrated limestone quarry and aggregate shipping and transportation outfit to a large public company, and working on the sale of a multi-state organization to its employees through the use of an employee stock ownership plan. Joe works closely with business owners on acquisitions and sales, succession planning, business valuation, corporate tax planning, executive pay plans and other businessrelated matters. His professional affiliations include serving as a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Ohio Society of CPAs, and as an advisory member on the board of tax division for CPAmerica International. Joe is the co-author of “Mergers and Acquisitions for Distributors, Expert Advice for Buyers and Sellers.” Crain Content Studio — Cleveland asks Joe to share some key financial and tax insights pertaining to the acquisition or sale of a business. What procedures are covered by a CPA firm as part of financial due diligence?

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Financial due diligence tends to target the quality of the company’s earnings; therefore, it largely depends on the issues of the company, its industry and the type of financial statements prepared by outside accountants. Generally, the services performed for balance sheet accounts will include review and verification of receivables, inventory, fixed assets and prepaids, as well as accounts payable and accrued expenses. For revenue and expenses, we would verify the amounts and timing, as well as look at trends, customer analysis, product and margin history. We usually prepare a report of our findings, which we then review with our client.

What should a client look for in terms of finding a qualified CPA who can help facilitate a merger or acquisition?

It is critical that both the current business owner and acquirer have proper representation. The services can be very different, and much more specialized, than the routine services an accountant provides for their client. The biggest factor should be deal experience, especially relevant to the size and type of deal that is being contemplated. Large deals can provide different challenges than smaller deals. Manufacturing company deals have very different tax, valuation and due diligence approaches than service or IT company deals. Stock deals can benefit a seller, but at a cost to the buyer.

Knowing how to navigate through these issues is what should be most important when finding a qualified CPA to assist.

What should one expect as a typical process when buying or selling a business?

If buying a business, the process starts with a plan to locate a business to acquire. This can be done on their own, or with the help of a buy-side adviser. Once an acquisition candidate is identified, there is usually a series of calls and meetings that will lead up to a decision to submit an offer. From there, the buyer performs all due diligence, and then moves into the purchase agreement, financing and closing. If selling a business, the process starts with deciding on whether to shop the business for sale, or handle the sale in more of a private process. Once a buyer is identified, the process is similar to that of the buyer’s.

What are the primary advantages and/or disadvantages between buying or selling a company’s stock versus its assets?

For a seller, the sale of stock may result in lower taxes than in a sale of assets, especially if the entity is a C Corp. The difference can be as much as 30% of the proceeds. The tax rate is generally 20%. The sale of stock can be less complicated and happen more quickly. There are also times when a stock sale may be necessary, such as when the

business has contracts that could be terminated in the event of a sale of assets. A buyer of stock will usually forgo certain tax benefits in exchange for the ease of doing a stock deal. This can result in a lower price paid for the business. A purchase of assets causes the selling entity to go away and be replaced by the buying entity. The taxes to a seller can vary between rates of 15% to 39.6% depending on the type of assets sold. The benefit to the buyer is that they can depreciate certain assets acquired, which results in significant tax benefits. This can, and usually does, result in a higher purchase price than if stock is acquired.

What are some of the most common tax considerations that both a business owner and seller face during M&A?

The most common are related to how to maximize the after-tax proceeds to the seller while providing the buyer as many tax benefits on the purchase as possible. It starts with whether the deal will be an asset deal or stock deal, and how that impacts each side. Ideally, you’d like to see a deal that results in a stock-sale type outcome for the seller, with an asset-deal type outcome for the buyer.

What types of tax laws influence the acquisition or sale of a business?

Tax laws related to how a seller is taxed or how a buyer can benefit from writeoffs can impact the timing and value of a business. Capital gain tax rates have been relatively low, and the expensing of assets acquired is relatively favorable. These factors can contribute to a strong M&A market. Income tax rates also influence this market. After-tax cash flow available to service debt and meet the needs of the business is lower if tax rates are high. The opposite holds true if rates are low.

What are some of the potential federal or state tax legislation changes on the horizon, and what are their possible impacts?

The proposed Republican tax plan, among other things, plans to significantly reduce the tax rates on business income, which will likely drive up prices of businesses. We have already seen this with the recent run-up in the stock market. By reducing taxes on business income, and increasing the after-tax cash flow of the business, the value of that business should increase. The increased cash flow allows the buyer to have more cash flow available to service acquisition-related debt. While it is too soon to tell how this plays out, it will definitely be of interest to buyers and sellers on any deals anticipated within the next several months.

44th Annual David A. Bowers Economic Forecast Luncheon Friday, December 8, 2017 11:30 a.m. â€“ 1:00 p.m. Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

For over 40 years, one of the Schoolâ€™s most esteemed traditions, the Bowers Economic Forecast Luncheon, has provided a community forum for Weatherhead School of Management faculty experts to offer insights on emerging trends and market factors that help inform our understanding of the near-term economic outlook. Join business leaders from banking, financial services, legal, healthcare and manufacturing as Mark Sniderman, PhD, Executive-in-Residence at Weatherhead and former Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, provides his expert forecast of the U.S. economy in 2018.

Registration: bowers2017.eventbrite.com weatherhead.case.edu

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