Crain's Cleveland Business by Crain's Cleveland Business

SMALL BUSINESS

 In largely vacated downtown Cleveland, many restaurants, like David Ina’s Zaytoon, fight for survival. CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I February 15, 2021

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REAL ESTATE

Newfound purpose Nonprofit launched by kidnapping survivor Gina DeJesus and her cousin draws outpouring of support in construction industry ``BY MICHELLE JARBOE | In a former manufacturing

building on Cleveland’s West 25th Street, sleek white tables await nonprofit volunteers, law enforcement officers and families seeking lost loved ones. Through the conference room’s windows, a mural of a young woman is visible on the brick wall of a building across the street. She’s surrounded by flowers, the word “hope” emerging from the loosely gathered bouquet in her hands. This 2,500-square-foot office, where the construction dust is still settling, is home to the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults. When kidnapping survivor Gina DeJesus, the woman in the painting, and her cousin Sylvia Colon signed a lease at the emerging Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression, they had a modest vision for their space. “We could have made it out of boxes, and that would have been fine,” DeJesus said. But local contractors teamed up to build something different — free of charge.

Gina DeJesus and Sylvia Colon are shown in an interview room of the newly finished home of their nonprofit, the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults.

See DEJESUS on Page 20

FOCUS | HEALTH CARE A shot of hope: Providers stand ready to deliver far more COVID-19 vaccines than they are receiving. PAGE 10

NEWSPAPER

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GUS CHAN FOR CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

SPORTS BUSINESS

Now at almost 500 acres, Spire’s grand plan is coming into focus Complex looks to add new entrance and vineyard, form partnerships BBY KEVIN KLEPS

Space was never an issue for Spire Institute and Academy. The massive complex in Geneva spans 177 acres, and its 750,000 square feet of indoor facilities are capable of hosting high-caliber competitions in several sports. Instead, Spire’s problems were financial, as the institute, according to a 2018 appraisal, was said to be losing more than $1 million a year. Axxella, a Baltimore investment firm that purchased Spire from Ron Clutter in December 2019, believed

the solution was to keep adding to the property. Last year, Spire added esports and drone/robotics programs to its academy — the viability of which is the key to the complex’s success. Five dorms, each capable of housing 12 students or 24 campers, were constructed, and five more should be ready in mid-May. Plans for an 89-unit TownePlace Suites hotel were announced, and the project is slated to begin in March. Also completed was the construction of a 22,000-square-foot aca-

demic center and a rebranding that brought a new name (Spire IA) and website. “Our whole thought was, ‘We can get through this, and we’ve got a whole lot of work to do that can be done in the meantime,’ ” Ted Meekma, Spire’s co-managing director, said of advancements that were made during the pandemic. Now, as COVID-19 vaccines give hope that some sense of normalcy will arrive later this year, more improvements are on the way. See SPIRE on Page 21

2/12/2021 3:33:31 PM

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FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT

In downtown Cleveland, many restaurants cling to survival Operators hope relief comes with warmer weather and the return of businesses and events BBY JEREMY NOBILE

As people ghosted from downtown Cleveland, David Ina’s once-reliable lunch rush vanished along with them. With office towers emptied and events canceled, Ina mothballed the restaurant he opened in 2017, Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen, not long after the rise of coronavirus. He reopened for a stint following the lift of state lockdowns that were imposed in mid-March, but business simply was too slow and operation costs were too high. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Ina once again will reopen the eatery he has shelved for so many months. Driving him is not just pride for his craft, but necessity for the budding business he had envisioned running since he was 12 years old. “Financially, I can’t just keep going like this because I’ve been paying rent this whole time as well,” Ina said. “I’ve reached a point where I’ve been treading water, and I can’t keep treading. I need to sink or swim at this point.” Ina is optimistic the pandemic will continue coming under control with the availability of vaccines and that people will return to downtown streets this year. He wants to ramp up now in anticipation of customer traffic in the warmer months. “I’m very hopeful in the coming months that the situation continues to improve and that more of the workforce that is typically downtown returns,” Ina said. “We want to stay relevant, and we want to stay in people’s face, so to speak, so they don’t forget about us and we become an afterthought.” The hospitality industry has been reeling for nearly a year. In downtown Cleveland, where businesses rely on the patronage of commuters and a steady yet transient visitor base that is now mostly absent, many restaurants are clinging to survival. Business is more unpredictable than ever. That can make running these small businesses all the more challenging in terms of managing labor and inventory, all while margins are tighter than ever amid rising costs for food and personal protection equipment. “I believe the pandemic is having a greater impact on downtown businesses due to the lack of foot traffic from office workers, convention business and events,” said Thomas Starinsky, associate director of Gateway District Cleveland. “That said, I am impressed daily by the resilience of our businesses and how they adjusted to the ever-shifting business environment.” A number of downtown bars and restaurants have closed permanently amid the pandemic, including Bar Louie, XO Prime Steaks and Lola. Many more have shuttered temporarily like Zaytoon to ride out part of the COVID-induced economic downturn that is further complicated by the slower traffic of the winter season. Still, others have opened all the same, like Sauce Boiling Seafood, whose owner, Kyler Smith, also is looking to open Filter in the former Take 5 Rhythm and Jazz space on Superior Avenue. Starinsky said at least six new businesses opened in downtown last year and that he’s working with four others planning to open this spring.

David Ina, owner of Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen, works in his restaurant prior to the pandemic. Ina recently reopened the restaurant. “I’m very hopeful in the coming months that the situation continues to improve and that more of the workforce that is typically downtown returns,” he said. | CONTRIBUTED

Staff at Blue Point Grille in downtown Cleveland serve guests amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. | CONTRIBUTED

All are banking on drawing downtown customers as the city wakes up from a COVID slumber.

‘It’s the risk I have to take’ PJ Saracusa, general manager for Blue Point Grille, a popular downtown lunchtime spot for business types pre-COVID, said business has completely flipped. Weekdays and afternoons used to be the restaurant’s bread and butter, but now it doesn’t open until after lunch. Traffic there during the workweek is spotty at best

and takeout orders are minimal (seafood doesn’t make the best travel food), but weekends have been busy. “We were never really weekend warriors, and that’s kind of what we are now,” Saracusa said. He added, though, “2020 was incredibly difficult.” Blue Point is making between 50% and 60% of the revenue it normally would. Other restaurants in the portfolio of Blue Point’s parent company, Hospitality Restaurants, such as Cabin Club in Westlake and Rosewood Grill in Hudson, seem to have a more

baked-in core of regular guests visit- better suited for the current environing from the nearby neighborhoods, ment, Petkovic said. Nonetheless, Petkovic said Mabel’s Saracusa said. It’s a benefit downtown venues is “treading water, just really survivdon’t quite get. ing right now.” It’s doing about 20% of Compared with the suburbs, restau- the business it would in normal cirrants downtown also manage much cumstances. higher rents, which according to CBRE Petkovic said he’s “cautiously optiGroup was $16.52 mistic” about the per square foot in future and that the “I’VE REACHED A POINT warmer mid-2020. Monthly months rent for downtown WHERE I’VE BEEN could be a turning spaces varies but can point for restaurants run between $15,000 TREADING WATER, AND fighting to get by. and $23,000. I CAN’T KEEP TREADING. “It’s a matter of Coupled with a time and consumer drop in customer I NEED TO SINK OR confidence. But I traffic and the costs SWIM AT THIS POINT.” think everything is of being open, moving in the right ——David Ina, owner of some restaurants Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen direction,” Petkovic could quickly besaid. “How much will it move? I don’t know. Nobody come unsustainable. That’s not a concern for Blue Point. knows. For the first time since I’ve But management nonetheless is been in this business, and I’ve been in it for 30 years, no one really knows waiting for business to improve. “(In terms of the restaurant busi- what’s going to happen.” Saracusa said, “I personally feel like ness), downtown, unfortunately, has taken the brunt of the virus,” said the spring is going to be the starting Doug Petkovic, owner of Flannery’s point where things really do start to Pub and a partner in Michael Symon turn around for us and all the businessRestaurants. “We’re going to be the es downtown. It’s very difficult to preslowest location to come back in dict what 2021 is going to be like. It’s all Northeast Ohio.” dependent on when things come back, Petkovic is weighing when to re- when (workforces) start moving back open Flannery’s, which could hap- in, when shows start again and when sporting events have attendance.” pen in March or April. For many restaurants just coming Flannery’s — located at East Fourth Street and Prospect Avenue, a online — or reopening — the hope is prominent intersection in the heart the worst is behind them. But restaurateurs like Ina know the of downtown — lost money last summer when it was open and closed future is never fully certain, let alone in a pandemic. down to stem the bleeding. “I don’t want to burden myself with On East Fourth Street, Michael Symon’s Lola has been closed for good, too many costs and not enough cash coming in,” Ina said. “And there’s that but Mabel’s BBQ remains open. Lola simply wasn’t drawing enough fear of, OK, maybe it won’t be busy customers interested in the white-ta- enough and I’ll have to shut down blecloth experience or high-ticket fare again. But that’s the risk I have to take.” to justify continuing. The BBQ joint, however, has benefited from a pivot to Jeremy Nobile: jnobile@crain.com, carryout and delivery. The concept is (216) 771-5362, @JeremyNobile February 15, 2021 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 3

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REAL ESTATE

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Your Business Lending Partner SM Contact Jonathan A. Mokri 440.526.8700 jmokri@cbscuso.com www.cbscuso.com The Harbor Court assisted living center in Rocky River is one of two Northeast Ohio properties that Fannie Mae seeks to foreclose upon and sell to make good on loans it backed. Harbor Court and The Waterford in Richmond Heights are owned by Capital Senior Living, a Dallas-based public company. | STAN BULLARD/CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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Harbor Court and The Waterford owner faces foreclosure proceeding BY STAN BULLARD

Forbearance, or a loan payment holiday, is a key way lenders deal with distressed commercial properties during downturns, especially in 2020 in the rapid run-up to a national recession during the pandemic. However, forbearance has finally run out for the six-floor Harbor Court and the two- and the three-story Waterford assisted living centers for seniors in Rocky River and Richmond Heights, respectively. Both were given forbearance from March to July 31 of last year. Both are owned by Capital Senior Living, a Dallas-based publicly traded real estate company that announced last summer it was “repatriating” to its lenders the two properties along with 16 others around the country that it feels are underperforming. The company, one of the nation’s largest operators of senior citizen housing, took the move to give back almost a third of its properties to shore up its balance sheet and cope with dropping occupancy during the pandemic. Effectively, it meant both KeyBank

of Cleveland and Wells Fargo Bank of San Francisco recouped loans on The Harbor Court and The Waterford, respectively, from Washington, D.C.based Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored entity that backstopped them. Fannie Mae filed suit Jan. 26 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to foreclose on loans totaling $35 million secured by both properties. The case, assigned to Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, asks the court to foreclose on both properties and order them sold at a Cuyahoga County sheriff ’s sale. A receiver has also been appointed to monitor and oversee both properties. Capital Senior did not reply to two phone calls and emails for comment. However, its Security & Exchange Commission filings said the turnback of the 18 properties to the lenders and Fannie Mae would remove $218 million from the company’s balance sheet as part of a restructuring plan. The plan is designed to cope with COVID-19-related decreases in occupancy to 76% as of Sept. 30. Capital Senior’s consolidated occupancy was down 150 basis points in the

third quarter compared with the prior quarter. Harbor Court, located at 22900 Center Ridge Road, dates from 1987 and has 112 units. The Waterford, at 261 Richmond Road, was built between 2009 and 2014, and has 141 units. Capital Senior does not provide individual property results. However, multiple assisted living centers have been built throughout the region over the past decade. The National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Care, an Annapolis, Md.,based nonprofit that provides data on senior housing to support housing access and choice for older people, reported occupancy in the category was at 80% at the end of 2020, a record low. The nonprofit’s report also said the Cleveland area has the second-lowest occupancy in the country at 76.6%. The data cover all types of housing for older Americans, from nursing homes to independent living. Separately, the National Investment Center put assisted living occupancy nationally at 77.7 %. Stan Bullard: sbullard@crain.com, (216) 771-5228, @CrainRltywriter

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4 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 15, 2021

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TECHNOLOGY

7SIGNAL sees more growth ahead after $9.5M financing round Capital will be used to accelerate product development, raise market awareness and hire staff BBY SCOTT SUTTELL

7SIGNAL, an Independence company that provides a cloud-based wireless network monitoring platform, says it monitors about 5 million devices daily to help its 200-plus customers maximize uptime and device connectivity. In doing that work, the company is analyzing about 1 billion Wi-Fi performance data points each day from individual devices, such as laptops, cell phones and point-of-sale systems, to help organizations monitor those operations in real time. Here’s one more notable number: $9.5 million. That’s the amount of money 7SIGNAL raised last year in a Series D round of financing led by Technology Venture Partners, a Minneapolis-based venture capital firm that describes itself as being focused on growth-equity investments in high-potential technology and health care companies. 7SIGNAL’s existing institutional investors — Allos Ventures, Mutual Capital Partners, JumpStart Inc., North Coast Ventures, CoreNetwork Fund, Blue Ridge Leasing and Everest Investments — also participated in the financing, which came a couple years after the company, in 2018, closed a $7 million Series C investment round. Tom Barrett, CEO at 7SIGNAL, said the capital from the Technology Venture Partners-led round will be

7SIGNAL produces MobileEye, which is an application for user devices that monitors Wi-Fi performance remotely. | CONTRIBUTED

used to accelerate product development, raise market awareness, drive revenue growth and continue to expand the company’s staff. “Now we’re able to grow faster, put more money into development and take the product to the next level,” said Barrett, whose company in 2019 earned a spot on a VentureOhio list of the 50 most promising startups in the state. Barrett said 7SIGNAL has added seven people in about the last four months, bringing the total to about 35, and it’s looking to add several more in areas including product development, sales and account management. The company, founded in

2007, doesn’t disclose revenues. 7SIGNAL’s primary products are Mobile Eye, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application for user devices that monitors Wi-Fi performance remotely, and Sapphire Eye, a Wi-Fi appliance that’s installed on-site and designed to measure and analyze wireless network quality through the cloud. The company’s technology is used across industries, including finance, health care, retail and manufacturing. Barrett noted that 7SIGNAL’s five largest companies are from five different industries. Don Bossi, general partner at Technology Venture Partners, which manages more than $100 million in venture

capital and growth equity, said the business applications of Wi-Fi — even before the pandemic drove millions of people to work from home, and certainly after — represented “a very attractive investment thesis to us.” He said 7SIGNAL’s technology was impressive, both for the sophistication of its design and the way it “helps people solve problems rather than just saying, ‘You have a problem.’ The human approach to managing Wi-Fi is what’s so appealing.” 7SIGNAL says its platform has 13 patents and “combines a client-based enterprise application and software-enabled sensors that help users find and fix Wi-Fi issues anywhere in

the world from a browser.” The company is Technology Venture Partners’ first investment in an Ohio company. The firm’s other investments are in companies based in Massachusetts, New Jersey and North Carolina. The shift toward working from home “has been a huge driver for us,” Barrett said, as customers — and companies across the world that are able to do so — make what he calls a “COVID pivot,” with billions of wireless devices already in use and billions being added every year, with many of them being critical in company operations. A Gartner Inc. survey of 317 CFOs and finance leaders from last spring, for instance, found that about 75% of respondents will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post-pandemic, requiring more WiFi devices to be managed and supported. In turn, Barrett said, companies are moving away from spending on infrastructure in favor of focusing on monitoring and managing networks. Bossi added transformation in the way work is done due to COVID-19 “has probably accelerated digital transformation by five to 10 years,” which, as he sees it, “raises the importance of technology to contend with a decentralized workforce.” Scott Suttell: ssuttell@crain.com, (216) 771-5227, @ssuttell

AUTOMOTIVE

REAL ESTATE

Two well-known car dealerships in Cleveland and Euclid change hands

to sell some properties

BBY STAN BULLARD

Spitzer buys last Rick Case Ohio stores Known as a buyer, ICP looks The Spitzer Honda and Spitzer Hyundai names have replaced Rick Case on the two well-known car dealerships off I-90 in Cleveland and Euclid. The purchase of the last two Ohio stores from Rick Case Automotive Group of Sunrise, Fla., also marked the end of a familiar name in Northeast auto and motorcycle sales. Alan Spitzer, chairman of the Elyria-based Spitzer Management Group, said in a phone interview he had approached Rick and Rita Case about the purchase years ago. The sales were consummated last month. Spitzer announced the purchases on his LinkedIn account. “We’ve not had Honda and Hyundai brands before, although we have Acura and Kia brands. We’re very excited about it,” Spitzer said. The locations also complement those of Spitzer and fit a strategy to use acquisitions to build economies of scale. “They’re also well-known dealerships with high-profile locations by the highway,” Spitzer said, but noted that internet sales have somewhat dimmed the value of locations in the car business. Rita Case, who has succeeded her late husband as CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, said in a phone interview that the company will focus on its dealerships in southern Florida and Atlanta. Rick Case died

An era has ended in Euclid as Rick Case Automotive Group has sold its high-profile Honda dealership to Spitzer Management Group. | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

in September of last year. Case also said it was important to her and her husband to sell to another family-owned company that would have similar values about the brands, customers, employees and communities. Terms of the sales were not disclosed. However, the Hyundai dealership at 19991 Villaview Road, Cleveland, sold for $2.25 million on Jan. 27, according to Cuyahoga County land records. The larger Honda dealership at 915 E. 200th St., Euclid, sold for $4.25 million. Spitzer stressed that the real estate was only part of the transaction cost for the well-established franchises. Neither he nor Case would disclose full financial terms of the sales.

The purchase showed the Spitzer family connections that have marked its operations since the early 20th century. The Cleveland and Euclid properties were both acquired through Spitzer A-Team LP, a family limited partnership. Spitzer said the name was inspired by the 1970s television show “The A-Team.” However, it also reflects that all of his six children have names that begin with the letter A. Case said she and her husband had retained the Cleveland and Euclid stores long after they relocated to Florida in 1985 to launch an Acura dealership because they are good, profitable locations. “It wasn’t sentimental,” she said. However, for many Clevelanders, the old Rick Case name by the East Shoreway might be. The highly visible Cleveland dealership originally sold both cars and motorcycles, she said. Spitzer said all of the roughly 50 employees at both locations will be retained. Some updates to the properties are being planned, he added, such as upgraded lighting. Case said her husband enjoyed visiting Northeast Ohio often because he grew up in Akron and continued to have friends and family in the area. Stan Bullard: sbullard@crain.com, (216) 771-5228, @CrainRltywriter

Buy. Buy. Buy. That has been the mantra the past few years for Industrial Commercial Properties of Solon. That was especially the case in 2020 as it snatched up 22 properties. However, the company owned by Chris Semarjian also started to sell some of its properties. Case in point: the Henkel/PPG building at 26235 First St. in Westlake was sold Jan. 29 to a San Francisco-based investor group for $5.7 million, according to Cuyahoga County property records. ICP had owned the 1965-vintage former research and development building since it acquired it in 2004 for $2.4 million from PPG Inc. of Pittsburgh. PPG remained a tenant in part of the building, and the remainder is now leased to Henkel Corp. as the U.S. headquarters for the German company’s additives business. After buying the structure, ICP substantially renovated it, including adding larger windows as well as painting the exterior to give it the look and feel of a contemporary office building. Semarjian in a phone interview agreed the company is beginning to sell some properties on a selective basis. “We’ve bought a lot, but we’re also selling more than we ever have,” Semarjian said. “Call it a health and wellness program.” Semarjian said it was a case of get-

ting an offer the company would accept for the property more than wanting to shed the Westlake structure. He credited Mike Petrigan, a CBRE first vice president, with finding a buyer on the West Coast willing to pay an acceptable price for the property. Semarjian declined to say if the Westlake property was shed because it’s a single building, or smaller in size compared with ICP’s other properties. Many of ICP’s holdings are former massive industrial buildings converted into multitenant industrial parks under one roof, or former corporate campuses with multiple buildings. Semarjian did not spell out how many buildings the company might sell. He noted decisions are on more of a case-by-case basis. The company also has distinguished itself by its willingness to offer to sell or lease some of its properties in order to snag a new occupant for one of its holdings. That was the case with ICP’s last major disposition, the former torpedo plant at 18901 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland. It sold the sprawling plant two years ago to a user who wanted to own rather than lease the property and was willing undertake its own improvements. In its way, the decision to sell some properties reflects ICP’s diversification and expansion. It was notable when the company launched an expanded staff in 2018 to move beyond its roots as an industrial building redevelopment specialist to include office and other properties.

6 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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MANUFACTURING

LEFCO Worthington’s new venture aims to make better masks Wood packaging manufacturer launches Cleveland PPE division BY RACHEL ABBEY MCCAFFERTY

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the long-standing overseas supply chains the U.S. relied on for personal protective equipment such as masks weren’t enough to satisfy demand. The pandemic also disrupted business for many manufacturers whose products were suddenly in less demand. Making needed PPE was a way for companies to help out and to buoy their bottom lines. But now, some companies see PPE as a growth opportunity for the future. That’s the case at Cleveland PPE, a new division of LEFCO Worthington LLC in Cleveland. LEFCO Worthington makes commercial and industrial wood packaging. Company president and CEO Larry Fulton also runs Hanlon Composites LLC, a maker of fiberglass products. The PPE work is a departure from both markets. But Fulton said he saw an opportunity to help. When COVID-19 hit, the U.S. didn’t have a strong domestic supply chain for PPE, leading to shortages, especially of the N95 masks needed by medical workers. “That spoke to me. It spoke to me greatly,” Fulton said. “Out of that concern was the action. So we formed Cleveland PPE, and we went after this grant fairly aggressively. And we got it.”

In the second quarter of 2020, LEFCO was awarded a $290,000 grant from the state of Ohio to make face masks and other PPE. Fulton got to work sourcing equipment and materials, and clearing out space for a clean room. The clean room takes up about 6,000 square feet in LEFCO’s facility on Euclid Avenue. The room has its own filtration, pressurization and HVAC systems, Fulton said. Production began at the start of February. LEFCO installed a fully automated, 50-foot production line dedicated to the mask-making operation. The company can make about 30 masks a minute, or about 12,000 a day, Fulton said. Cleveland PPE is focusing on N95style masks and seeking National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to be able to label them as such. “We wanted to focus on the N95 market because we felt as though that would be a longer term, more sustainable product that we could sell into multiple markets,” Fulton said. Fulton expects the demand for these products to continue, due to the rising COVID-19 variants. And he said he’d consider it a “good thing” if he was wrong on that count and

Cleveland PPE’s clean room occupies about 6,000 square feet at LEFCO Worthington’s facility. | CLEVELAND PPE

would turn his focus to selling into other markets, such as construction and manufacturing. Cleveland PPE is currently making five-layer masks with and without valves, Fulton said.

The masks with valves are used in settings such as construction when COVID isn’t a consideration. Companies entering the PPE market for the long run have to make sure they’re making a cost-competitive product, said Brandon Cornuke, vice president of strategy and startup services at Cleveland-based MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network. Fulton is a board member at the nonprofit. It quickly became apparent last year that there was more demand than supply in the PPE market, and MAGNET was among the organizations to ask if Ohio manufacturers could step up and help fill that gap. At

the same time, Cornuke said, the state began providing funding for companies that wanted to retool and make these kinds of products going forward, like Cleveland PPE. People won’t buy these products just because they were made domestically, he said. But domestic supply chains may have the benefit of appearing more secure or predictable to U.S. companies and institutions. “How you value that is tough, and the economic equation has got to make sense,” Cornuke said. Cleveland PPE is working to keep costs competitive. It has four dedicated employees, and LEFCO is providing much of the overhead, allowing the division to produce masks at a lower cost and sell them competitively priced. Last Thursday, Feb. 11, its valveless masks were advertised for sale at $2.50. Cleveland PPE’s products are currently being sold on its website, and Fulton said the company also will do business via online vendors such as Amazon. And once the company’s masks are N95 certified, Fulton plans to sell them directly to the medical community. Cleveland PPE also plans to make and sell acrylic sneeze guards and to distribute hand sanitizer products. While Cleveland PPE is currently part of LEFCO Worthington, Fulton expects to spin out the division as its own entity in the future. Rachel Abbey McCafferty: (216) 771-5379, rmccafferty@crain.com

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CLOSE DATE: Feb. 19 | ISSUE DATE: March 15 FEBRUARY 15, 2021 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 7

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EDITORIAL

Market maker D

avid K. O’Neil certainly has his work cut out for him. He’s the man tasked by the city of Cleveland to serve as the consultant to review operations at the West Side Market, the landmark that has been plagued by vendor departures and deteriorating physical conditions — problems exacerbated by, though hardly initiated by, the economic slowdown stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The city, at least of late, has not been a good steward of the market, but it looks to have done well with the hiring of O’Neil, who notes on his website that he has been a consultant for more than 200 historic and new market projects nationwide and internationally. He previously consulted with the West Side Market dating back to the 1980s, so he knows the territory. O’Neil on his website spells out in some detail the “10 qualities that power successful markets,” which encompasses getting the following factors right: vendors, location, mix, mission, public spaces, connections, economics, promotion, value and management. That’s a lot of ground to cover. Cleveland City Council late last year approved paying a consultant up to $137,000 for the review of market opBRINGING ON THE erations and recommendaCONSULTANT IS ONLY tions on its future, and while details of the contract THE FIRST STEP IN A with O’Neil were not reJOURNEY TOWARD leased, he’ll have plenty of runway to dive into the reaTURNING AROUND A sons the market has not PROPERTY THAT HAS HIT been up to snuff. Bringing on the consulHARD TIMES. tant is only the first step in a journey toward turning around a property that has hit hard times. Vendors, and potential vendors, have not been shy about airing concerns. For instance, Kate’s Fish, a fishmonger at the market, tweeted recently, “We lose vendors regularly, and new applicants don’t hear back from market management or the city for months. They move on when they realize how inept the city is at running the WSM.” Owner Tom McIntyre has said the market’s management is understaffed. Kate’s Fish indi-

cated it will leave the market at the end of the year if the property is not “turned over to a nonprofit management structure.” A respected player in the local food world, Cleveland Bagel Co. last week tweeted that it had “applied 3 times for WSM, urged by those that run it. Cost is $40 every time and ignored for two-and-a-half years. On the third app, we got a call to check out two stalls. It had always been a romantic notion of ours to be in the WSM. When we got there, we quickly realized the city-run WSM wouldn’t even come close to passing a CITY inspection.” Those are the types of sentiments that should, but apparently don’t, draw the attention of the city, which operates the West Side Market as an independent enterprise. The market, as Cleveland.com noted, is “supposed to generate enough revenue to pay for itself.” But that “hasn’t happened in years,” and when revenue falls short, “the city’s general fund picks up the tab.” So there should be plenty of incentive to get things right. One move in the right direction is the city’s plan to spend about $5.6 million this year for building repairs, in areas including electrical systems and plumbing, as well as upgrades to vendor booth and food preparation areas and repairs to the iconic clock tower. The market on its website notes that the property’s last major renovation took place in 2004. It shows. The market’s condition is yet another example of disengaged leadership, if you can call it that, from the Jackson administration. Several vendors, city leaders and politicians want the market to shift to a nonprofit form of operation. That’s understandable, given the city’s track record. It would take a lot for the city to regain the trust of vendors, and we’re inclined to agree that a management shakeup is in order. Still, a nonprofit manager isn’t necessarily a panacea. O’Neil’s analysis of the underlying strengths and weaknesses of the market’s operations should guide consideration of its management structure. The market is in some respects a metaphor for Cleveland itself: an early example of strength and beauty that has stumbled and needs new energy for the future. With proper upgrades and management, the market can shine once again.

Executive Editor: Elizabeth McIntyre (emcintyre@crain.com) Managing Editor: Scott Suttell (ssuttell@crain.com) Contact Crain’s: 216-522-1383 Read Crain’s online: crainscleveland.com

For years, our readers have accessed Crain’s Cleveland Business news and information through our website, email newsletters and the print edition. Media companies, like any other organization, thrive by diversifying the product suite, giving readers new and interesting ways to engage with content. To that end, I am excited to introduce two new assets to our lineup — the Crain’s Cleveland Business app and the Crain’s Cleveland Business podcast.

Mike

SCHOENBRUN

Crain’s Cleveland Business app Well over half of our readers consume our daily content via their mobile device, so it only makes sense to give our readers a more streamlined way to read Crain’s. The Crain’s Cleveland Business app will pull content from our website, but will be easier to read whether you have an Apple or Android device. The app also will enable us to provide you with push notifications, breaking news and, over time, live-streaming video and events. The app, launching in early March, will be available to all digital subscribers and available in the Apple app store and on Google Play.

Crain’s Cleveland Business podcast

WELL OVER HALF OF OUR READERS CONSUME OUR DAILY CONTENT VIA THEIR MOBILE DEVICE, SO IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO GIVE OUR READERS A MORE STREAMLINED WAY TO READ CRAIN’S.

In addition to the app, we are really excited to get in the podcasting world. Several times a week, executive editor Elizabeth McIntyre and her team will dive into a variety of business news and information important to our audience and our city. From leadership to real estate, health care and more, these roughly 20-minute episodes will enable you to engage with Crain’s in yet a different way. For those of you who listen to a podcast on a regular basis, you will be familiar with the benefit of listening at your leisure and the richness that audio will bring to our stories. If you have not yet jumped into the podcast world, we hope you will give ours a try. Over the next few months, you will see additional promotion of these new products. We hope you take a few minutes to download the app and listen to our podcast. As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to me email me at mike.schoenbrun@crain.com. Thank you for being a Crain’s reader, and we look forward to providing you with future product updates.

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.

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8 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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OPINION

PERSONAL VIEW

Is your non-union company ready for new administration’s labor agenda? BY MARC BLOCH

the actualization of initial collective bargaining agreements. It is significant that many organizing attempts As Democrats take a marginal majority in the Senate fail, even if the union wins an elecand a slight majority in the House, labor and employtion, because the initial contract ment laws and regulations will likely change back to failed. Mandates will likely be propre-2017 standards over the next several years. Addiposed to provide that if the parties tionally, there will be a renewed push for more aggrescannot reach an initial contract, sive pro-union proposals to accelerate the moribund they must enter into mediation and organizing process. These proposals have been kicked around for some time but have failed to get traction be- Bloch, a partner finally binding interest arbitration. Under such a law, an arbitrator will cause of reluctance on the part of Democrats and the at Walter | decide what your contract looks like. Republicans’ lack of interest in helping organized labor. Haverfield, has We need look no further than Ohio However, with the new administration in which Presi- more than 40 and other states like it that have dent Joe Biden has espoused a pro-union agenda, this years of legislation will clearly be brought up again. experience in the public sector bargaining to see how this onerous procedure impacts emfield of labor ployers. The labor movement has relations law. Get prepared used binding interest arbitration as a sword with which to carve powerLet’s start with a brief look at what employers can expect early in 2021. Clearly minimum wages are likely to fully advantageous collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, there are a series of “reform” proposals be boosted. While this boost may not happen immediately in the $1.9 trillion relief package, Democrats have by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Rep. Bobby promised to send up a stand-alone bill on raising mini- Scott of Virginia titled “Protecting the Right to Organize mum wages this year. Additionally, the House just ful- Act.” Such laws intend to bolster remedies and punish filled its first down payment to the AFL-CIO by passing violations of workers’ rights, which will in turn strengththe initial pro-organizing bill onto the Senate. Further, en workers’ rights so they may “stand together” to negotiate and “restore fairness” to an the president announced that Mayeconomy that has been “rigged” or Marty Walsh of Boston will be his CLEARLY MINIMUM WAGES workers. The NLRB would labor secretary. Walsh is the former ARE LIKELY TO BE BOOSTED. against have the authority to assess signifipresident of a laborer’s local in Boston and also the former “head” of WHILE THIS BOOST MAY NOT cant monetary penalties and/or force collective bargaining for violathe Building and Construction HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY IN tions of workers’ rights. The bill proTrades Council. As noted above, poses to authorize a private right of one of the most likely changes that THE $1.9 TRILLION RELIEF action for violations of workers’ organized labor will be looking for in the near term relates to signifi- PACKAGE, DEMOCRATS HAVE rights, even going so far as to permit secondary boycotts. cant changes in its ability to orga- PROMISED TO SEND UP A The “Right to Organize Act” also nize employees and concomitantly proposes that: the ability to achieve an initial col- STAND-ALONE BILL ON  unions collect fair share fees; lective bargaining agreement. To RAISING MINIMUM WAGES  misclassification of employees (inaccomplish this, the primary item dependent contractor status or exon labor’s agenda will be to make THIS YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, empt status for overtime) would be organizing simpler. Consider that THE HOUSE JUST FULFILLED violation of the law; under the Obama administration it  employees have the right to barwas proposed that a mere majority ITS FIRST DOWN PAYMENT gain collectively with ALL the comof union authorization cards, rather TO THE AFL-CIO BY panies that control the terms of emthan a confidential election conployment and are necessary ducted by the National Labor Rela- PASSING THE INITIAL partners for meaningful collective tions Board (NLRB), would suffice PRO-ORGANIZING BILL bargaining; to bring about unionization in an employers must post notices that inorganization. Under those pro- ONTO THE SENATE. form workers of their rights under the posed changes there would be no FURTHER, THE PRESIDENT National Labors Relation Act; and campaigning and no election. ANNOUNCED THAT MAYOR  employers be mandated to disWhy is this important? MARTY WALSH OF BOSTON close contracts with consultants hired to persuade employees on how to exercise those rights. Unless an employer is sophisticat- WILL BE HIS LABOR The slim majority in the Senate ed and has its “ear” to the ground, it SECRETARY. WALSH IS THE and House may act as a brake on aggenerally does not know that union gressive legislation. Nevertheless, organizing has been underway in its FORMER PRESIDENT OF A we will be entering a new era of proplant/office until authorization LABORER’S LOCAL IN union legislation. Consequently, cards are presented. If that occurs, it this comment merely touches the will be too late to effectively act be- BOSTON AND ALSO THE surface of labor and employment cause the employer will have lost the FORMER “HEAD” OF THE proposals that labor unions and emopportunity to dissuade employees ployee rights advocates have on from unionization during a union BUILDING AND their 2021 agenda. While we have election campaign. It is therefore in- CONSTRUCTION TRADES had a long period of declining union cumbent upon every non-union activity in the country for a variety of employer to make sure it is secure in COUNCIL. reasons, more aggressive and politiits non-union status. Mere thinking that employees are “happy” is probably a poor decision. cally astute unions are surfacing, which appeal to the The fact is that in anticipation of an initial Democratic sense of malaise among younger employees. Do not sweep in the Senate, unions have been “gearing up” for wake up when the wolf is in the hen house — it will be some time by hiring additional organizing staff. Union too late! It is critical for employers to actively seek out promises are seductive, and you will not have an oppor- knowledge of what is happening “on the floor.” This cantunity to change minds unless you get ahead of it. Your not be easily done without sophisticated advice. Conseemployees may be the exception, but remember loyalty is quently, if an employer wants to remain union free, it must take prophylactic actions as soon as possible. a mile wide and an inch deep. There may also be proposed legislation that facilitates Waiting for tomorrow will be too late.

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FEBRUARY 15, 2021 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 9

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NEW MARKETS Pandemic means business for companies that repair or deliver home respiratory equipment. PAGE 12

HEALTH CARE

HOPE, ONE SHOT AT TIME As providers build mass vaccination infrastructure, demand far outpaces supply BBY LYDIA COUTRÉ

longside the national push to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, health officials across the country were developing plans last year for how they would eventually distribute that vaccine throughout their communities. In Northeast Ohio, they spent months thinking through the logistics of a mass vaccination event. By the time the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were approved and available, the region’s health care industry says it was prepared. In many cases, providers stand ready to deliver far more vaccines than they are receiving. “We have a clinic that just runs beautifully at our management services center,” said Dr. Robyn Strosaker, chief operating officer of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “We could easily vaccinate 1,600 patients in a 12-hour day, no problem. And I could set up three more of those, no problem. But we don’t have a lot of vaccine supply.” The first week of February, UH got just a few hundred doses, she said.

See VACCINE on Page 14 10 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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Gov. Mike DeWine announced in early February that Pfizer and Moderna expect to increase the weekly number of vaccinations to Ohio. In the meantime, providers are working with what they have. They began vaccinating health care workers in December and quickly learned how to tweak and improve processes ahead of the mid-January start date for certain populations to get vaccinated. Summit County Public Health has had vaccine rollout plans since H1N1, a novel influenza virus that emerged in 2009, and began looking closely at those plans last spring, said Donna Skoda, Summit County’s health commissioner. Cuyahoga County Board of Health also dusted off what it learned from H1N1 and began thinking about distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. During the H1N1 influenza, there was a mismatch between supply and demand, but this time is different, said Terry Allan, Cuyahoga County’s health commissioner. Rollout plans must take into consideration the temperature sensitivity of the COVID-19 vaccines, coordinating second doses, keeping people socially distanced throughout the process and more. Plus, it’s not about serving just one county, state, region or country.

2/11/2021 3:26:56 PM

60 M

FOCUS | HEALTH CARE

s or

Health officials work to build trust, bust vaccine myths Public awareness campaign aims to ease unique concerns about inoculation and distinct barriers to accessing it BY LYDIA COUTRÉ

The first day COVID-19 vaccines were available to the public, 90-yearold Jether Tiller of Maple Heights was at University Hospitals bright and early, ready for her appointment. She wants everybody to take the same step, so her family shared a video on social media of her vaccination. “A lot of them were saying, you know, ‘If your mother’s 90 years old and got it, then I can get it also,’” Tiller said. Health officials are in the midst of a public awareness campaign to encourage vaccinations. Because different populations may have unique concerns about the vaccine and distinct barriers to accessing it, officials have launched a multifaceted approach to get out accurate information for people to make fact-based decisions about their health. Misinformation, and sometimes outright conspiracy theories, is fueling skepticism and vaccine hesitancy. Myth busting and trust building are a big part of these efforts. Dr. Carla M. Harwell, medical director of University Hospitals Otis Moss Jr. Health Center, said the hesitancy she saw during clinical trials has persisted during vaccine rollout, if not escalated. When it comes to this messaging — whether it’s a radio spot, social media campaign, bus stop sign, TV commercial or virtual town hall — one size does not fit all, said Dr. Sherrie Williams, member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health

Jether Tiller, 90, receives her COVID-19 vaccine at UH. Her family shared a video of the process on social media.

“THE MESSENGER HAS TO BE IN TUNE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HAS TO KNOW WHAT WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY ARE THE BARRIERS. WHAT WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY ARE THE QUESTIONS? WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNITY NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED?” — Dr. Carla M. Harwell, medical director of University Hospitals Otis Moss Jr. Health Center

| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

and chair of the board’s diversity committee. Telling a community what they need is a recipe for failure, she said. “The messenger has to be in tune with the community and has to know what within that community are the barriers,” she said. “What within that community are the questions? What does that community need to feel comfortable about getting vaccinated?” It ultimately comes down to listen-

ing. And in a climate of misinformation, trust and relationships are key to that education, which often means turning to community partnerships. For instance, MetroHealth published a video of faith leaders getting vaccinated and urging others to do so. And health care workers across the region are sharing their own vaccination stories with friends and family. Dr. Lee Kirksey, vice chairman of vascular surgery at Cleveland Clinic, said the work to educate people in a compelling and understandable way has been one of the most important periods of his medical career. It’s also no easy task. “Societal trust and trust in larger institutions, whether it’s the government or whether it’s just general society, is at an all-time low,” he said. Alan Nevel, chief diversity and human resources officer at MetroHealth, said he sees three groups of patients: the early adopters who are ready to get the vaccine immediately, those who want to wait to see how it goes for others, and folks who don’t plan to get it unless they’re made to. Similar to Tiller’s family sharing her vaccination process, Nevel’s mom wanted to share her vaccination with Nevel’s childhood friends. Through Facebook live, she strongly encouraged anyone watching to get vaccinated, and a couple of Nevel’s friends told him they decided to do so after seeing the video, he said. See TRUST on Page 16

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2/11/2021 3:27:21 PM

FOCUS | HEALTH CARE

Home care equipment companies face pandemic challenges Increases in demand and COVID protocols add new complexities to industry BBY DOUGLAS J. GUTH

The coronavirus pandemic has created an acute need for post-acute respiratory care, resulting in a natural downstream impact for companies that repair or deliver life-saving home medical equipment (HME). How enterprises provide their services also has changed, with revamped safety and sanitation protocols sometimes colliding with the unknown human element. An HME client of Strongsville-based Repair Authority had a patient purchase brand new equipment just to avoid a driver coming over to collect a damaged device, CEO Jesse Keirn said. Anecdotal examples aside, home care companies must still manage the enormous and evolving role they play in patient health. Repair Authority fixes ventilators, oxygen concentrators and CPAP machines, serving equipment providers via a seven-vehicle fleet facilitating pickup and delivery in six states. COVID patients prescribed oxygen therapy are usually fitted with an athome oxygen concentrator or noninvasive ventilator. Repair Authority provides maintenance for this equipment as well as for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Respiratory repair comprises about 60% to 65% of company revenue, which has tripled alongside workforce growth since a new ownership group purchased the company five years ago. However, Keirn and his team are

A Medical Services Co. representative works with a customer to set up his positive airway pressure (PAP) machine. | MSC

feeling the downward pressure of limited equipment supply not meeting skyrocketing demand. “There are more patients coming onto the rolls, and we can’t get their equipment returned fast enough,” Keirn said. “Or we can’t get the parts to fix equipment because the manufacturers are overwhelmed. We have 50 employees now and would like to hire 10 more. We just can’t find the labor.”

Rolling with the changes The company, formerly known as The Repair Center (TRC), was renamed Repair Authority upon acquisition by Keirn and two business partners — chief revenue officer Dan Meyer and COO and Jason Ziebro. The Strongsville headquarters includes a 35,000-square-foot repair facility, currently being expanded by

an additional 10,000-square-feet to keep up with COVID-stimulated demand. The virus has altered the ground rules around equipment pickup and delivery, too. Routes are now consolidated to limit the number of stops, while drivers sanitize pickups three times before they even hit a technician’s bench. Though employees have no direct contact with patients

at home — most customers drop off and pick up their machines at HQ — full PPE is a necessity both at the facility and in limited contact with HME dealers. “The biggest wild card for us has been pickup and delivery,” Keirn said. “Our process is the same, but our trucks are a lot fuller. From the driver’s standpoint, it’s masks, gloves, sanitation and social distancing — the same thing everyone’s trying to do. That slowed us down at first, but it’s been no problem otherwise.” HME providers are challenged in safely delivering to patients even as supply issues permeate the industry. A survey from HME News, an industry trade publication, revealed 86% of dealers are running low on oxygen concentrators, with 88% reporting difficulty in obtaining more. Medical Services Co. (MSC), an Oakwood Village distributor of respiratory and sleep disorder-management equipment, has realized a 300% uptick in oxygen orders, indicating a larger pain point in the health care ecosystem. “PPE and beds are what you hear about, but on that continuum to free up hospital beds, you must have proper care management,” said Josh Marx, managing director of sleep and vice president of business development for MSC. “When a COVID patient is discharged needing oxygen or ventilation therapy, that transition is ours to do.” See EQUIPMENT on Page 14

Wellness programming shift is just what the doctor ordered Companies’ health initiatives become more personal for workers during COVID era BBY JUDY STRINGER

In January, Solon wellness business Be Well Solutions announced the rollout of an app designed to help its client organizations connect with employees and encourage healthier habits via a 12-week weight-management and lifestyle program. “Weigh of Life” is the 16-year-old company’s first foray into the 8-million-unit app space, but the timing couldn’t be more appropriate, said executive vice president Bill Frankel. “Especially now with so many people working from home, organizations are trying to engage their employees,” he said. “This is a tool that organizations can use to provide [employees] with activities to help them feel better physically and emotionally during the pandemic and really show support.” For many years, corporate wellness initiatives were focused on how better employee health could benefit businesses in the form of lower insurance premiums, reduced absenteeism and perhaps even increased productivity. While those remain sought-after outcomes, industry insiders say COVID-19 has greatly accelerated a shift toward viewing wellness programs as an integral part of winning employees’ hearts and minds. “There’s an old adage that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I think that that’s applicable to the types of

enhanced benefits that many employers want to give to their employees to be an employer of choice,” said Jim Pshock, founder and CEO of Bravo Wellness. “So part of it is just showing a very holistic approach to the benefits that you’re offering and the culture that you want to create within your organization that makes people want to be there, because they know that you genuinely care for them.” Almost half of all U.S. work sites offered some type of health promotion or wellness program in 2017, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the first federal probe of its type in more than 13 years, the agency found that nearly 30% of the 3,000 organizations surveyed had programs in place to address physical activity, fitness or sedentary behavior. About 19% offered a program to help employees stop using tobacco products, and about 17% of work sites had programs for obesity or weight management. Cincinnati-based health and wellness consultant Maggie Gough said that workplace wellness initiatives have been criticized — and rightly so, according to Gough — for not delivering on their promises of cost containment for companies or improved health outcomes for employees. Gough argues that the disconnect arises from not aligning healthy lifestyle programming with real-life priorities. Participation rates for traditional

wellness programs hover around 30%, she said. “We can do biometric screening and say, ‘You need to eat more fiber’ to someone who is struggling with cholesterol and even give them a list of foods that contain more fiber, right? But what if that person is dealing with a toxic manager, or having mental health issues, or is in the middle of a divorce or a global pandem-

site “lunch and learn” opportunities now are in the position of having to help themselves. “People have started to understand that when you’re isolated and you’re in this home environment for nearly a year now, it’s up to you,” Pshock said. “You have to find what motivates you. And that’s been a positive change for the people who have really said, ‘Look, I can’t sit here and

“PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU’RE ISOLATED AND YOU’RE IN THIS HOME ENVIRONMENT FOR NEARLY A YEAR NOW, IT’S UP TO YOU. YOU HAVE TO FIND WHAT MOTIVATES YOU. ” ——Jim Pshock, founder and CEO of Bravo Wellness

ic? All of those things are impacting an individual’s well-being,” Gough said. She anticipates economic pressure caused by the pandemic will persuade some businesses to reevaluate and/or abandon their wellness programs. But Gough — like Frankel, Pshock and executives at Medical Mutual, which bought Bravo in 2020 — also think COVID-19 has created a unique opportunity for organizations to strengthen participation. For one thing, Pshock said, workers who have historically been “spoon-fed wellness” via incentive-based health screenings or on-

gain the COVID 19 (pounds).’” At the same time, wellness providers have had to come up with new ways to reach their intended audiences, no longer at the work site. Some of that involves doubling down on the promotion of online self-service tools, which have seen a usage bump during the pandemic, according to Nate Hunt, director of population health for Medical Mutual. It has also meant pushing telehealth and virtual coaching services, and lower tech approaches such as timed emails reminders to, for example, trigger midday exercise breaks, said Dr. Tere Koenig, Medical Mutual

executive vice president and chief medical officer. “We did have to pivot on a lot of things like biometric screening because those places were closed down, but the answer was never to abandon [wellness programming],” Koenig said. “In a way it became more important, because of the isolation people were experiencing and the mental health challenges we are seeing as a result of the pandemic.” Pshock details how one large client saw wellness program participation rates nearly triple from about 16% in prior years to 46% in 2020, after it allowed employees to earn a $600 incentive — previously tied to a biometric screening and a health assessment questionnaire — to complete of online learning modules of their choice. “So making that convenient for them as a way to earn their incentive, but also providing courses that were timely and had relevant, valuable content for them in this current situation was very well received,” he said. It’s precisely that intersection of convenience and content, Be Well’s Frankel said, where “Weigh of Life” fits in. He said the app is an outgrowth of the company’s “robust wellness portal,” providing pandemic-weary workers with easy access to evidence-based guidance and real-life fitness and/or nutrition experts. See WELLNESS on Page 14

12 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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FOCUS | HEALTH CARE

VACCINE

From Page 10

“This is an international, logistical, unparalleled challenge that we’re dealing with,” Allan said. Beyond the millions of Americans eager but unable to get vaccinated, the limited trickle of vaccines to providers creates a slew of logistical challenges itself. Jason Briscoe, director of pharmacy operations for Discount Drug Mart, said that in many ways, the rollout process is similar to what the Northeast Ohio-based drug store chain has done in the past for flu vaccinations. But COVID-19 vaccine demand is far greater than the supply, which Discount Drug Mart is managing by aligning its processes and people so that when it does get product, it is ready to receive and store it, and schedule and vaccinate patients. But it’s not as if they can simply order product, Briscoe said. “We can’t put in a prebooked amount of doses and say, ‘Hey state, or hey feds, please send us 100,000 doses.’ like we would do during flu season,” he said. “The engine is built, so to speak. It’s just, everything is predicated on having access to product, which we don’t have direct control of.” As of Feb. 9, there were 878 vaccine administration locations in the state. Providers learn weekly which vaccine they’ll receive and how much, offering a short runway week to week that remains one of the biggest ongoing challenges, said John Feucht, Summa Health’s vice president of pharmacy. For the supply they do get, officials are adamant that they will not waste any doses, but that sometimes takes an extraordinary amount of effort. Dr. Brook Watts, vice president and chief quality officer for MetroHealth, was expecting a shipment of 300 doses one week, but the hospital received a couple of thousand. Employees spent the weekend making calls and getting patients on the schedule for the unexpected supply, she said. “We have not wasted a single dose, but it’s because people run around like crazy town at 7:30 on a Saturday night, trying to make sure every dose that needs to gets in an arm,” Watts said. Patients sometimes register with

several institutions to get in line for the vaccine, but they aren’t automatically removed if they’ve gotten vaccinated elsewhere. Providers coordinate where they can, but it’s a “very decentralized model,” Skoda said. Some officials say that this has resulted in no-show appointments for which they’ve been able to adjust. Even with the high demand, sometimes patients don’t show because the weather was bad, they weren’t feeling well or their transportation may have fallen through — an issue especially acute among seniors. Providers then lean on contingency plans to get every dose into an arm, such as vaccinating more employees or calling patients who might be able to come in with little notice. The vaccines already require special handling with strict guidelines around the ultra-cold temperatures they must be stored at, as well as the process of thawing the correct number of needed doses that then must be used within a certain timeframe. “We knew that we had to do this on a scheduled basis, because we had to protect the cold chain integrity of the vaccine. Because first and foremost, if we break that cold chain, then we wouldn’t be giving safe vaccine,” said Dr. Michelle Medina, associate chief of clinical operations for Cleveland Clinic community care and one of the physician leaders for vaccine rollout. “And really the only way to do that with such a complicated thawing and drawing up procedure was to have a schedule that’s predictable for the day so that our pharmacists and our nurses knew how many they had to draw, how many had to be given.” Because supply is arriving slowly, that already delicate and time-sensitive process becomes an even more challenging calculation in planning out the timeline. Brett Carroll, vaccine distribution coordinator for the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, said that one of the operational challenges he faces is matching vaccine supply with booking appointments and clinics, because the last thing he wants is to book a clinic without a vaccine. A team of schedulers and other staff are keeping a close eye on this balancing act, he said. The VA, like all

shin wou noti Cou 600 min

Rem

Gene Goering, director of operations for the Cleveland Clinic, unpacks a box with Pfizer vaccine to place into one of the ultracold freezers at the Clinic. | CLEVELAND CLINIC

Providers learn weekly which vaccine they’ll receive and how much, making for short planning time to schedule appointments. | CLEVELAND CLINIC

providers, must roll out vaccination plans without interrupting current operations. “It’s not like we have endless sup-

EQUIPMENT

From Page 12

No sense of complacency MSC cares for 100,000 patients annually, with a 350-person staff comprising respiratory clinicians, insurance claim processors, drivers and more. Early on, the company spent $5 to $6 each on individual N95 masks for drivers of its 60 vehicles. An increase in mask supply cut costs in half, though MSC is seeing a 30% price increase in hard-to-find oxygen equipment. MSC has also heavily invested in virtual care technology, performing 1,500 online clinician-to-patient appointments each month in lieu of the in-person interactions the company administered pre-COVID. As for home delivery, equipment is now transported directly to a caregiver or dropped off on a customer’s porch before being called in by a driver. “We take every necessary precaution to protect families and our employees, but you can’t control all behaviors of the people you’re dealing with,” Marx said. “That’s a challenge

A Repair Authority technician works on an oxygen concentrator. The pandemic has prompted a spike in demand for home medical equipment. | REPAIR AUTHORITY

in some communities, so we’re doing all we can to not interrupt service for our patients.” Parma-based Health Aid of Ohio mostly deals in custom wheelchairs for patients with ailments ranging from spinal cord injuries to multiple sclerosis. Sleep therapy and oxygen encompasses about 20% of the company’s $13 million to $14 million in

yearly revenue, services that also include in-home repair. Cortney Skory, former Health Aid vice president and now a company consultant, said customers initially feared having anyone in their homes. Necessity brought technicians back into the field, protected by PPE and a round of vaccinations received in late January. “We’ll service equipment outside

ply of space and employees to give vaccines,” he said. This has meant overtime, weekend work and a whole lot of providers

pitching in with their time and expertise. Cleveland Clinic has been calling some nurses out of retirement to lend a hand. Cuyahoga County Board of Health has been working EMS personnel into the process, as well as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and the Medical Reserve Corps, a network of locally organized volunteers, Allan said. They can help with nonmedical aspects of the process, such as traffic control, or with the appropriate qualifications, they can help with more clinical aspects. Ohio is recruiting volunteers to assist with COVID-19 vaccinations as well. The main hurdle, though, remains the vaccine supply. Many say that with existing resources they have the capacity to vaccinate far more people. For instance, Cleveland Clinic planned to be vaccinating 20,000 people a week but have been inoculating between 10,000 and 11,000. “(If ) suddenly the vaccine god

WELLNESS

the home, too, or if there’s a nursing home with a COVID outbreak,” Skory said. “We’ll bring the tools and fix equipment in the van.” Business has rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels after a 40% drop last year. Skory said 17 Health Aid employees have tested positive for the virus. Although transmission occurred outside the company in each case, enhanced PPE measures are expected to continue in perpetuity. “It’s opened everyone’s eyes that if it’s not the coronavirus that gets you, it could be something else,” Skory said. “We want to avoid a sense of complacency.” Marx of MSC thinks the coming months, and perhaps years, will be a continuing exercise of crisis management within the industry. “I don’t feel like we’re coming out the other end yet,” Marx said. “COVID is a short-term illness, but we don’t know the long-term impacts. Will patients need oxygen forever, or over a short period of time? We’re committed to supporting these patients and our community.”

During beta testing of the app in 2020, three-fourths of the participants achieved their desired lifestyle goal, whether that was increasing physical activity, eating healthier or losing weight. The average weight loss was six pounds, Frankel said. “That’s half a pound a week, which is not only very attainable but sustainable,” he said. “Most research shows it takes about 90 days for a new behavior to become a habit, and that’s really what we want.” Much like the pandemic response itself, Gough said, some companies “will hit it out of the ballpark” with their wellness programs in this turbulent time. Others will not. But one thing’s for sure: “When the job market recovers,” she said, “people will remember how they were treated during a pandemic.”

Contact Douglas J. Guth: clbfreelancer@crain.com

Contact Judy Stringer: clbfreelancer@crain.com

From Page 12

14 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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shined on us, and we got vaccine, we would run double lanes,” Skoda said, noting this would allow Summit County Public Health to double the 600 to 700 doses they typically administer in a day.

Removing barriers The public rollout of the vaccine has prioritized senior citizens, a population that is at a higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19. Seniors are also a population with additional barriers to care that providers must account for, such as access to the internet and transportation. “Supply chain is layering on top of the complexity of just scheduling seniors,” said Watts of MetroHealth. She said the vaccine rollout has shown her two basic lessons: the importance of location and finding the right messaging approach. Offering the vaccine in locations that are familiar and comfortable can help relieve barriers to accessibility. And an automated messaging approach through a patient portal doesn’t resonate with everyone. This is important not just for reaching seniors but in how to ensure equitable access for everyone, across race, age and class. Patients with different education levels, who are poor, unable to take time off work or who don’t have reliable internet access will all have different barriers that need to be addressed. UH first offered pre-registration online but learned “very quickly” it would need an alternative method, Strosaker said. Within 12 hours, UH developed a way for patients to register by phone. Strosaker said she also learned during the employee distribution process that the most efficient and effective approach was to do it at scale. Setting up a vaccination clinic — with a check-in process, vaccine

Larissa Venditti, chief pharmacist at the Broadview Heights Discount Drug Mart, administers a COVID vaccine. | DISCOUNT DRUGMART

stations and observation areas — at scale is much simpler, she said. “It’s a challenge with a limited supply to sort of splinter that supply over lots and lots of places,” Strosaker said. By nature of each organization working largely within their own patient population, some may be working their way through the age groups at different rates, Strosaker said, noting that she absolutely appreciates the need for prioritization. “You could wind up with some sites that are on 85-year-olds and other sites that on 70-year-olds, and it just happens to be the way that the vaccine supply is splintered, which kind of defeats the purpose of this whole prioritization anyway,” she said. On the other hand, the state’s approach of distributing the limited supply across a broad range of providers makes a lot of sense, said Briscoe, of Discount Drug Mart, which has 76 lo-

cations across 25 counties. Offering the vaccine at hundreds of locations across the state can help ease accessibility barriers while building the infrastructure for mass distribution. Once all the providers who are activated have more doses, “that’s when the engine really starts to rev up,” he said, “but I think the framework is there.” Providers are hopeful that the supply chain will begin to ramp up and stabilize, especially if more vaccines are approved. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson both have vaccines in the works. Johnson & Johnson, which asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization of its vaccine in early February, is a single-dose vaccine, which could be a game changer in simplifying the process ahead. Strosaker said she’s encouraged by how much UH has learned about how to quickly deliver large numbers of vaccines. With a better, more stable supply, she said she has “no doubt” that providers will be able to quickly vaccinate the community. “A year ago, if you told me I could vaccinate 1,600 patients in a day, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” she said. “The fact that I know very well how to do that, I think is great.” Urging everyone to be patient, Allan said the United States is fortunate to have the vaccine, even if it many will be waiting weeks or months. In some countries, that wait will be years. “We know that in the coming weeks and months there will be more vaccine available, which will make it easier for people to get it,” Allan said. “That’s what motivates all of us here, because we get to play offense now. We’re not just on defense.” Lydia Coutré: lcoutre@crain.com, (216) 771-5479, @LydiaCoutre

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FOCUS | HEALTH CARE

TRUST

From Page 11

While Tiller had no hesitation in getting vaccinated, her daughter Andrea was a bit more skeptical. She was tired of the fear and the panic every time she felt a tickle in her throat, even though she knew she was doing everything she could to not contract COVID-19. But stuck in the back of her mind was medicine’s dark history of unethical and dangerous practices among minority communities. Both she and her mom are African American. One of the most notable examples of this history is the Tuskegee study, which began in 1932 to monitor syphilis among Black men. Though treatment was available in the mid1940s, these men weren’t notified of that or offered treatment. They suffered from syphilis until a newspaper article in 1972 revealed the experiment. This may be one of the better-known atrocities, but history is littered with many more. Given that, Andrea Tiller’s first reaction was concern. But then she thought about existing health disparities, COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on the African American community and the need for people to protect themselves. She did some research and got her first vaccine dose in January as a UH employee. “You kind of had to let your intelligence and the facts rule instead of your emotions about history,” she said. While the scars of that study and others are seen in minorities’ fear and mistrust, Nevel tries to flip the script:

The Rev. Benjamin F. Gohlstin from Heritage Community Baptist Church receives a COVID-19 vaccination at MetroHealth’s main campus in Cleveland. | METROHEALTH

Quincy

Nevel

Morse

The Tuskegee study withheld medicine, whereas the vaccination effort is offering a tool to help combat a deadly pandemic that’s affecting communities of color at a disproportionate rate. It’s also important to not paint medical inequities as solved or strictly a problem of the past, said Rev. James P. Quincy, III, pastor of Lee Road Baptist Church. Last summer, Greater Cleveland Congregations, a cohort of faith communities united to strengthen neighborhoods, created the Color of

Williams

Health Initiative, which recruited congregations to serve as free COVID-19 testing sites. More recently, the initiative, which Quincy co-chairs, has been working to better understand vaccine hesitancy among minority populations through listening sessions in collaboration with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a national science advocacy nonprofit. The initiative is training people to hold listening sessions in their congregations and in January trained 78 people.

Vaccine education needs to address not just the historical events like Tuskegee, but also the ongoing medical disparities like infant mortality to be effective, Quincy said. Part of healing is acknowledging that what happened was wrong and sharing the protections that are now in place, such as institutional review boards at hospitals that ensure research is ethical and morally sound, Williams said. While addressing this history within the Black community is top of mind for many health officials, Williams emphasizes that diversity means far more than race; it is age, location, income, education, mobility, access to digital devices and the internet, and so much more. She has been leading the charge within the health department to collect data on who’s getting vaccinated and where and what partnerships are supporting their efforts — and, ultimately, addressing any inequalities in vaccine uptake and distribution. Uptake among minority or disadvantaged populations is a complex issue that necessitates meeting people where they are and removing barriers, Williams said. These include language, transportation, internet access and access to accurate information. Circle Health, a federally qualified health center, began offering vaccines in January when the state broadened eligibility to begin vaccinating the public, starting with seniors. During the first three weeks of vaccine distribution, the patients were by and large white and from the suburbs

Lydia Coutré: lcoutre@crain.com, (216) 771-5479, @LydiaCoutre

CUSTOM PUBLISHING SECTION

E NC

CH T S LA

because most of the health center’s patient population wasn’t eligible, said Eric Morse, president and CEO of the Centers for Families and Children and the affiliated Circle Health. The organization did little messaging before quickly booking those seniors, but Morse said he knows that won’t be sufficient for many of the patients Circle Health serves, including those who are lower income, minorities and particularly those who are mentally ill. His team is focused on assertive outreach and making time for conversations with patients to address concerns and accessibility. Across all of the different outreach approaches, health officials stress the importance of sharing facts, dispelling myths and encouraging vaccination — but not forcing it. Harwell of UH tells people that they should look at the relationship with their primary care as a marriage — a 50/50 partnership in decision-making rather than a dictatorship. Jether Tiller has been pretty content in lockdown. She has her Kindle, her crossword and the TV. Once she gets her second dose, she’s looking forward to seeing her family more, shopping at Giant Eagle again and going inside the bank rather than the drive-thru. Other than that, her main wish is for children to be able to return to schools and day care so parents can get to work and communities can get back to how things were before COVID-19. She hopes that continuing to talk about it will help people get vaccinated and move toward a new normal.

WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT: •Buying and selling property •Divorce and marriage •Money management •Career advancement •Moving and relocation •Self-improvement •Investment decisions •Opening a business •Stress management •Caring for the elderly •Education and parenting •Changing jobs •Planning for retirement •Saving for and choosing a college •Charitable commitments •Second careers

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE From relocating and career decisions to caring for

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WHO SHOULD BE IN THIS SECTION: •Financial advisers •Real estate professionals •Attorneys •Higher education •Career coaches •Senior living counselors •Leadership experts •Entrepreneurs •Human resources professionals •Business advisers •Health care professionals

better made with the help of a trusted adviser. In this section, we want to hear from all sorts of experts who help guide life’s biggest decisions. This is your chance to share your knowledge and expertise with the Crain’s audience.

ISSUE DATE: March 22 // AD CLOSE: Feb. 19 // ARTICLES DUE: March 1 // AD DUE: March 8 To book an ad and share your expertise, contact Mike Schoenbrun at mike.schoenbrun@crain.com

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16 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 15, 2021

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CRAIN'S LIST | CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES Ranked by number of residents as of Jan. 1, 2021 NAME

# RESIDENTS

FTE STAFF

ENTRANCE FEE

# INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS

# ASSISTED LIVING UNITS

# NURSING BEDS (LICENSED)

YEAR FOUNDED

OHIO LIVING BRECKENRIDGE VILLAGE 36855 Ridge Road, Willoughby 44094 440-954-8359/ohioliving.org

685

325

$0—$215,000

744

108

1979

Dean M. Palombaro executive director

JUDSON SERVICES INC. 2181 Ambleside Drive, Cleveland 44106 216-791-2004/judsonsmartliving.org

551

340

$100,000—$660,000

370

159

1906

Kendra J. Urdzik president, CEO

LAUREL LAKE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 200 Laurel Lake Drive, Hudson 44236 330-650-0681/laurellake.org

462

161

$112,000—$550,000

354

1989

David A. Oster CEO

COPELAND OAKS 800 S. 15th St., Sebring 44672 330-938-6126/copelandoaks.com

460

350

325

124

176

1964

David Mannion CEO, CFO

WESLEYAN VILLAGE 807 West Ave., Elyria 44035 440-284-9000/villageliving.org

400

—

195

130

1896

Steve Wolf administrator

KENDAL AT OBERLIN 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin 44074 440-775-0094/kao.kendal.org

352

167

$105,309—$575,176

223

1993

Barbara W. Thomas CEO

JENNINGS 10204 Granger Road, Garfield Heights 44125 216-581-2900/jenningsohio.org

342

236

176

174

1942

Allison Q. Salopeck president, CEO

THE RENAISSANCE RETIREMENT CAMPUS, AN ELIZA JENNINGS COMMUNITY 26376 John Road, Olmsted Township 44138 440-235-7100/renaissance.elizajennings.org

305

131

—

175

1989

Sandy Skerda executive director

MCGREGOR 14900 Private Drive, Cleveland 44112 216-851-8200/mcgregoramasa.org

264

195

$1,250—$3,000

148

1877

Ann M. Conn president, CEO

PROVIDENCE CARE CENTERS 5000 Providence Drive, Sandusky 44870 419-624-1171/homeishere.org

263

—

136

1998

John Ingles executive director

THE VILLAGE OF ST. EDWARD AT FAIRLAWN 3131 Smith Road, Fairlawn 44333 330-666-1183/vsecommunities.org

250

101

1964

Amy Harris, administrator Danielle Maur, VP of operations

SPRENGER HEALTHCARE TOWNE CENTER COMMUNITY CAMPUS 500 Community Campus Drive, Avon Lake 44012 440-930-6600/sprengerhealthcare.com

222

220

—

120

2004

Morgan Hammond administrator

BROOKDALE WESTLAKE VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 28550 Westlake Village Drive, Westlake 44145 440-892-4200/brookdale.com

219

—

205

1989

Tina Gendics executive director

WESTERN RESERVE MASONIC COMMUNITY 4931 Nettleton Road, Medina 44256 330-721-3000/wrmcohio.org

217

105

2005

Jason K. French president, administrator

BRETHREN CARE VILLAGE 2140 Center St., Ashland 44805 419-289-1585/brethrencarevillage.org

200

125

$2,500

109

1972

Troy Snyder president, CEO

CONCORDIA AT SUMNER 970 Sumner Parkway, Copley 44321 330-664-1000/concordiaatsumner.org

200

—

$0—$310,000

166

2003

Greg MacPherson executive director

SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY-HOWLAND 4100 N. River Road, N.E., Warren 44484 330-856-9232/shepherdofthevalley.com

184

133

$0—$50

1998

Tamara Salvino associate director

STOW-GLEN RETIREMENT VILLAGE 4285 Kent Road, Stow 44224 330-686-7100/stowglen.com

183

130

120

1985

Tammy Denton CEO

OHIO LIVING ROCKYNOL 1150 W. Market St., Akron 44313 330-867-2150/ohioliving.org/communities/ohio-living-rockynol

173

104

1966

Kara Hanzie executive director

ANNA MARIA OF AURORA 889 N. Aurora Road, Aurora 44202 330-562-0600/annamariaofaurora.com

165

$2,500

197

1965

Aaron Baker administrator

THE VILLAGE AT MARYMOUNT 5200 Marymount Village Drive, Garfield Heights 44125 216-332-1100/villageatmarymount.org

164

295

102

130

1988

Jeffry A. Myers chief operating officer

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS 35755 Detroit Road, Avon 44011 440-937-3111/stmaryofthewoods.com

160

200

2005

Ben Massaro administrator

SMITHVILLE WESTERN COMMONS 4110 E. Smithville-Western Road, Wooster 44691 330-345-9050/sprengerhealthcare.com

156

165

$0—$8,000

127

1975

Tonia Mowry administrator

CHAPEL HILL COMMUNITY 12200 Strausser St. N.W., Canal Fulton 44614 330-854-4177/unitedchurchhomes.org

152

150

$2,728—$134,900

1918

Debra Durbin executive director

OHIO LIVING LAKE VISTA 303 N. Mecca St. (Rt. 46), Cortland 44410 330-638-2420/ohioliving.org/communities/ohio-living-lake-vista

116

1998

Brian Kolenich executive director

RANK

TOP EXECUTIVE FOR THIS FACILITY

Researched by Chuck Soder (csoder@crain.com) | Information is supplied by the companies. Numerical data is as of Jan. 1, 2021. We define a Continuing Care Retirement Community as a senior-living community that offers independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care.

Want all 30 communities and more than 100 executives in Excel format? Become a Data Member: CrainsCleveland.com/data February 15, 2021 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 17

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AKRON | DEVELOPMENT

Petros Homes’ Merriman Valley project to begin later this year As townhomes get underway, activists continue to lobby for more planning for the area BY DAN SHINGLER

The initial round in the fight over development in the Merriman Valley is over, with the city of Akron recently granting Petros Homes the variance it needed to build 197 townhomes on Akron-Peninsula Road. So, now what? Development of the former Riverwood Golf Course site will probably start this summer, Petros Homes said. But for the broader valley, activists say they’re now organized to better confront future plans they think are ill or inadequately considered. First, the Riverwood project. “We’re starting to formulate our game plan now with everything,” said Petros Homes CEO Sam Petros. “We’re going to do everything we said we’re going to do. I don’t imagine we’ll put a shovel into the ground until June. That will be the earliest we’ll put a shovel in the ground. It will probably be July.” First, Petros Homes has to develop an engineering plan for the site that suits state and local officials, he said. After that, it will take two years to fully build. “Twenty-four months. First, we have to do all the underground work, which is a good amount of time and work,” he said. “Then we’ll start building, and I would hope we’ll put up a building a month once we get them started. … We might have as few as 30 or 40 (of the 197 units) at the end of

this year and then we’ll do the rest.” The company will build the townhomes in groups of up to eight units at a total cost of about $40 million, he said. As part of its efforts to win over city officials — who were under heavy pressure from organized residents to halt the development — the company agreed to increase the number of for-sale units from 28 to 35, with the rest leased. Petros said he’ll probably start with some for-sale and for-lease units at the same time but hasn’t decided if there will be a size difference between the two. The project, to be built by Medina-based Pride One construction company, might take longer to build now than in normal times due to COVID restraints, Petros said. “Everything has become very challenging in our industry right now,” he said, citing increasing prices for lumber and labor, and a shortage of some materials and things such as appliances. “We have to order a dishwasher the day we start the house, because you’re not going to get it for three months … Normally all of this stuff is readily available for you, but it isn’t now.” While potential owners and tenants might be watching to see when units are available, nearby residents are watching to see how the project proceeds with its promised public amenities, such as canoe access to

the Cuyahoga River and links to local hiking trails. Petros Homes is donating 48 acres of the 78acre site to the Parma-based West Creek Conservancy, which Aleman will be charged with preserving the riverfront and other natural areas on the site and developing the anticipated amenities. West Creek executive director Derek Schafer said he’ll begin his work once Petros Homes completes the site’s development plan. Then his top priority is going to be the preservation aspect of his mission. “First, it’s protect it, then it’s restore it. Then it’s connect it. … We don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” Schafer said. “We have to make sure the site is protected first.” Schafer said he’s meeting expectations for expensive features with “tempered optimism,” because he’s not yet sure how much it will cost to preserve the site and develop the called-for amenities. It may take some time to do, and West Creek has yet to determine whether it will need to raise funds for the project through a capital campaign or via partners, or even what the work will cost, he said. Residents have been asking that

the site include a bridge across the Cuyahoga River to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Schafer said it hasn’t been determined if that’s going to happen, or how it will be paid for if it does. “A bridge in a floodplain like that could be quite expensive,” he said. The city requested a site for the bridge, and Petros said via email that he’s got it in his plans. He said he also acquired 2 acres on the other side of the river for the crossing “with the intent of working with West Creek and other agencies to develop a plan and seek funding sources.” Petros said he’s seen an extremely high level of interest in the project from potential buyers, tenants and even lenders who might finance it. “We’re getting people calling us constantly … and lenders are calling me all the time,” he said. Meanwhile, the project has left in its wake a cadre of local residents who didn’t want it to happen until Akron and neighboring Cuyahoga Falls deliver a promised master plan for the entire Merriman Valley that they share. Those people lost a battle but are now better prepared for a larger fight if more developments are proposed before that master plan comes to fruition, said Dallas Aleman, owner of the Towpath Tennis Center near the Petros development and a member of the citizens’ group Preserve the Valley.

“We have about 700 people who are on the website and active,” said Aleman, who has had his business in the valley for 50 years. “That’s in about four months, so it’s a groundswell that says, ‘Hey, there are some people really concerned about this.’ ” Aleman said he’s not against development, or plans like those of Petros Homes, but he still thinks the city should have done its master plan before giving the development the go-ahead. Still, he said he was happy city officials listened to his group and got some changes made to the Petros Homes plan, such as increasing the setback from the river from 50 feet to 100 feet. “I do applaud the city officials for listening to Preserve the Valley,” he said. “They shook the boat and rattled some cages, and got some results.” Far from going away, the group is energized for the next potential battle, which Aleman said could take place over 45 acres the city of Akron owns and is considering selling. The city has said it wants to sell that land to a conservation group. “If anything, it’s invigorated us,” Aleman said of Preserve the Valley and the Petros Homes project. “It’s not like this was just one battle and now everyone’s going home with their tail between their legs.” Dan Shingler: dshingler@crain.com, (216) 771-5290, @DanShingler

ANYWHERE YOU GO. RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE. CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS.

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INNOVATION WHY DOES DIVERSITY AND EQUITY MATTER? The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated long-standing economic and workforce vulnerabilities in many communities throughout the U.S. The economy produces too many low-wage, low-quality jobs, front-line workers are susceptible to hardship during times of crisis, and disparities continue to challenge economic recovery and growth. To address the current and post-pandemic economic challenges, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions in January announced a grant program targeting four communities in its network to buoy inclusive economic recovery and growth within its region. Each of the four community networks — including the Fund for Our Economic Future — received a $195,000 grant to aid local recovery plans and achieve financial resiliency and equitable economic mobility. The Fund aims to convene health care employers, workers and community leaders to generate more career growth and advancement opportunities for state-trained nursing aides. Other initiatives and investments targeting inclusive innovation throughout Northeast Ohio are underway.

REGIONAL BLUEPRINT

CLEVELAND INNOVATION DISTRICT Last month, state and regional government, economic development, health care and educational leaders announced the creation of the Cleveland Innovation District, which aims to catalyze ongoing investment, business attraction and talent to maintain state and regional economic competitiveness. The district’s goal is to create 20,000 new jobs in Northeast Ohio and generate an economic impact of $3 billion for Cleveland and Ohio.

UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AS AN ASSET The Health-Tech Corridor is a flagship element of the innovation district. The Health-Tech Corridor has prioritized inclusive economic growth as part of its mission, focusing on community engagement and workforce development among its surrounding low-income neighborhoods.

Compiled by Kathy Ames Carr, Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland

The Cleveland Innovation Project, an alliance of the Cleveland Foundation, Fund for Our Economic Future, Greater Cleveland Partnership, JumpStart and Team NEO, has identified initiatives to realize an inclusive innovation economy by 2030. These goals include achieving diversity, equity and inclusion workforce metrics, and propelling the Smart Manufacturing, Health Innovation and Water Technologies sectors toward more scalable growth.

INNOVATION THROUGH DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Research quantifies the business imperative for inclusive innovation. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability, and 27% more likely to have superior value creation, according to a 2018 study titled “Delivering Through Diversity,” conducted by McKinsey & Co. That same study found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic/cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have industryleading profitability.

SOURCES: BROOKINGS, CITY OF CLEVELAND, CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, MCKINSEY & CO., NATIONAL FUND FOR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, TEAM NEO

The importance of inclusivity in NEO’s innovation ecosystem DR. ALBERT GREEN Founder, CEO AMG Consulting Group agreen@amgtechconsulting.com 703-304-9949 Dr. Albert Green is the founder and CEO of AMG Consulting Group, which focuses on technology scouting and commercialization, technology-based economic development, international business development and executive mentoring. Prior to founding AMG Consulting, Green was the CEO of Kent Displays Inc. He is a manufacturing advocate, having served on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council. He serves on a variety of local boards, including Team NEO and JumpStart, and he was a member of the Cleveland Innovation Project Steering Committee.

reater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio’s innovation ecosystem is one of the region’s greatest, often underappreciated assets. I’ve been delighted to participate in recent activities such as the Cleveland Innovation Project (CIP) and the recently awarded Cleveland Innovation District, which have brought attention to the need to supercharge our innovation ecosystem. Broadly speaking, these initiatives have identified areas where we have unique assets and thought leadership that merit “big bet” investments with potentially transformative economic outcomes. Of course, nothing is guaranteed and a bet is still a bet — but identifying and then betting on those areas in

which we excel is by far the best strategy. This is not new and other regions have done this either by design or holistically. A critical component of these activities has been to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) into the very fiber of the strategy. There is a clear understanding that these efforts will not achieve long-term success without it.

REACHING BEYOND THE ‘USUAL SUSPECTS’ The business incentive for DE&I is simple: to grow the economic pie, more customers for goods and services are better than less customers; and more contributors with skill sets that can lead and develop the required

goods and services are better than less. For a region that has struggled with a declining population this leads to the obvious conclusion that you had better reach beyond the “usual suspects.” In addition to doing the right thing, looking to elevate the economy by tapping into underutilized individuals and communities that already are here is easier than trying to recruit new ones. We can’t underestimate the importance of the “ecosystem,” which is the collection of organizations and individuals that work together to seed, grow and sustain the innovations. We need to focus on DE&I in ALL portions of the ecosystem. I sometimes see an emphasis on recruitment and services for diverse “seeds” (e.g. entrepreneurs) who will be the future leaders and decision makers — which is outstanding — but find little DE&I emphasis in attracting diverse leaders in the more mature ecosystem of development, maintenance and support services. We should pay the same attention to this important area since it provides role models for today’s “seeds,” is often a more suitable career pathway for rising stars from families and communities with little tolerance for the high-risk, high-stakes entrepreneurial mindset, and is more flexible for multiple career stages. We must also be willing to reach beyond the usual suspects in the business areas that command attention. Rather than focus all attention on med/fin/info/water-tech, watch

out for innovations in logistics, supply chain, sales and marketing and business processes that can also drive new opportunities. This will be especially true as we look toward the post-pandemic, not so “socially distant” future business landscape. SOURCE AND INTEGRATE INNOVATIONS REGIONWIDE A thriving innovation ecosystem requires the seed for tomorrow’s “next best” thing — which is often born out of our institutions of higher ed and our large corporate research centers. Inclusiveness means that we source and integrate innovations from across the greater region such as Cleveland’s world renowned life sciences and bioengineering; Akron’s long history of polymer science; Kent’s global leadership in liquid crystals and fashion; Youngstown’s additive manufacturing and energy cluster; and Lorain’s microelectronics, smart automation and digital fabrication. Wrapped around all of this is our unquestioned manufacturing muscle. The most impactful innovations are generally found at the intersections of established disciplines, regions and individuals. We can’t be beat if we cast our net broadly and harvest ALL of our regional diversity.

This advertising-supported section/feature is produced by Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland, the marketing storytelling arm of Crain’s Cleveland Business. The Crain’s Cleveland Business newsroom is not involved in creating Crain’s Content Studio content.

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DEJESUS

From Page 1

As DeJesus and Colon’s nascent nonprofit, often referred to simply as Cleveland Missing, begins a makeor-break year, it’s doing so in a workspace whose very walls speak to a community’s desire to start anew. “In commercial construction, I’m not going to say that everyone’s out for money, but people hate losing money. So it was really nice to see people step up and help out,” said Kyle Hlebak, a project manager for Snavely Group, the general contractor on the Pivot Center job. DeJesus, who just celebrated her 31st birthday, was abducted at age 14 and was missing for nine years. She and two other girls were held captive by Ariel Castro in a house on Seymour Avenue, only steps from where Colon and DeJesus are setting up shop. Since DeJesus was reunited with her family in 2013, Castro’s house has been razed. A new veterinary clinic popped up across the street. And the Pivot Center, where the Cleveland Museum of Art is preparing to unveil a community arts center and gallery, is emerging as an eclectic hub for offices and nonprofit groups. Cleveland Missing is one of the smallest tenants in the 80,000-squarefoot complex, a onetime awning factory at the edge of the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. But the nonprofit, nestled on the second floor between the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and a Spanish language online radio station, serves as a beating heart of sorts. “I see all of our tenants here as being vehicles for connecting to the community in one fashion or another,” said Rick Foran, the real estate developer behind the Pivot Center project. “To me, it would have been a disservice not to include Gina and Sylvia’s organization. We made a definite effort to not let it overshadow what we’re doing here. But at the same time, to ignore it would have been wrong.” Colon and DeJesus launched Cleveland Missing in 2018 and, until recently, occupied a makeshift office on the Pivot Center’s third floor. Run by a volunteer board and staff, the nonprofit is focused on aiding the families of missing people, both during searches and after recoveries — or losses. That mission involves everything from printing flyers to advising families on how to navigate interactions with police officers and media outlets.

A piece of artwork done by a family member adorns the office of Sylvia Colon.

The palette in Cleveland Missing’s offices is black, white and gray. But pops of purple — an accent wall here, a swath of carpet there — break up the monochrome. Those bright touches are all Gina DeJesus. | GUS CHAN FOR CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Sylvia Colon works in the family room at the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults. Local construction professionals teamed together to donate materials for the nonprofit’s space.

The Pivot Center space will serve as a neutral meeting site for families and survivors and a venue for programs, such as law enforcement training. “At the end of the day,” Colon said, “we just want to be a soft place for families to land.” The organization secured tax-exempt status last year. But the coronavirus pandemic, which has dealt a particularly harsh blow to small charities and arts

groups, forced Cleveland Missing to cancel its in-person fundraisers. DeJesus and Colon are preparing to host their first virtual event, a Feb. 25 Facebook Live gathering during which they’ll share stories from families, show off their new offices and attempt to raise at least $10,000. “We have to build this out this year,” said Colon, who is 60 and works full-time as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry.

Until now, the nonprofit has relied on a single grant, payments for DeJesus’ occasional speaking engagements and cash from its founders. Late last year, a Homeland Security officer wrote a $1,500 check toward rent costs after hearing DeJesus speak. Other donors have chipped in for utility bills. If their formal fundraising efforts are successful, Colon hopes to hire employees in the second half of this year. She and DeJesus aspire to build a model that can be replicated in other cities. Their goal is to complement, not to duplicate, the work of other nonprofits and law enforcement agencies, said John Majoy, Cleveland Missing’s board president. “Having been in this business for 30 years, I’ve experienced a lot. But I can’t say I know what it’s like to have a loved one go missing for almost 10 years,” said Majoy, the chief of police for Newburgh Heights and chairman of the Northeast Ohio Amber Alert Committee, which has oversight of emergency child abduction alerts across nine counties. “While I’m thankful for not having that happen to me,” he said, “I can’t go to someone else and say, ‘I know how you feel.’ They can. Sylvia and Gina can.” As a parent of three children, including two daughters, construction contractor Timothy Lanham can’t fathom what DeJesus and her family experienced. He and business part-

ner Matt Sopkovich took on the drywall, framing and ceiling work in Cleveland Missing’s space for free. “Being a new company, we really didn’t have the finances,” Lanham said of T.O.S. Construction, which the partners formed in early 2019. But, he added, “I’m a father before I’m a business owner.” Twenty or so businesses contributed labor and materials worth tens of thousands of dollars. American Interiors, a design firm, led the charge, planning the space and donating three private offices that were sitting in its downtown showroom. The

“THERE’S JUST A LOT OF AMAZING GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT … WHEN IT’S PROBABLY THE HARDEST MOMENT, FINANCIALLY SPEAKING, FOR EVERYBODY TO SAY YES. IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN.” —John — Webster, local director of business development, American Interiors

firm also rounded up excess furniture from Eaton Corp. in Beachwood and Bolton Pratt in Highland Heights. “There’s just a lot of amazing generosity and kindness right at this moment … when it’s probably the hardest moment, financially speaking, for everybody to say yes. It doesn’t happen often,” said John Webster, the local director of business development for American Interiors. Foran said suppliers and contractors required little convincing.

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THE WEEK SQUARED AWAY: A major apartment landlord finally has gained control of 55 Public Square, a downtown Cleveland office tower that has been mired in a tug-of-war between Ukraine’s largest commercial bank, the U.S government, local lenders and a Florida-based owner. On Feb. 11, the K&D Group of Willoughby paid $17 million for the 22-story building in the heart of the city, just off Public Square. Property records weren’t immediately available, but K&D CEO Doug Price confirmed by phone that the closing had occurred. The sale ends a foreclosure fight and resolves the question of whether the federal government will seize the property as part of an international money laundering probe. But it’s still unclear who will end up with the profits: the feds, who have laid claim to the money in a civil forfeiture case; PrivatBank, the Ukrainian lender that claims it’s entitled to repayment for fraudulently obtained loans that flowed to the building; or the seller,

The K&D Group has purchased 55 Public Square, a 22-story office building now earmarked for redevelopment. Apartments will fill floors 2 to 11, with offices consolidated on the tower’s upper floors. | MICHELLE JARBOE/CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSIENSS

Optima Ventures of Miami, whose owners are caught up in an investigation that centers on accusations that oligarchs plundered PrivatBank with Optima’s help.

A LITTLE HELP HERE: The University of Akron will hire an outside consultant to help it manage its real estate holdings, including likely selling and leasing some of it, the school announced

Feb. 11. “A nearly $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will allow UA to hire a real estate consultant to develop a plan for reducing and/or repurposing properties to assist the institution’s budget,” the university said in a release. UA’s holdings are huge — about 8 million square feet under roof on its campus near downtown Akron, said vice president of operations Nathan Mortimer. The university acquired or built nearly all of that space decades ago or when it was a bigger school. With enrollment dropping from about 26,000 students in 2008 to about 18,000 today, the university needs to sell, lease or find ways to better use its space, Mortimer said. FORGING BONDS: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority board of directors voted Feb. 11 to issue $75 million in bonds as part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s “Transforming the World of Discovery” expansion and renova-

tion project. The tax-exempt cultural facility revenue bond is part of the funding needed for the latest part of the museum’s $150 million expansion program that president and CEO Sonia Winner told Port board members will “connect people to the natural world” and make the museum “the most dynamic natural history museum of its kind.” HOMECOMING: Former U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman will return to Jones Day’s Cleveland office as a partner in the firm’s investigations and white collar defense practice, according to a Feb. 10 announcement. Before his appointment in 2017 by then-President Donald Trump to head the U.S. Attorney’s office in Cleveland, Herdman had been a partner at Jones Day since 2013. Prior to joining Jones Day, he was the Assistant U.S. Attorney and deputy chief of the National Security, Human Rights and Organized Crime Unit in the Northern District of Ohio.

20 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | February 15, 2021

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SPIRE

From Page 1

“Quite frankly, nobody really twisted anybody’s arm,” he said. “I remember the painter saying, ‘They’re sweet. That’s free. That’s on us.’ Likewise, the electrician said, ‘I want to talk to my boss.’ And it’s not because he heard the other guy say it. We want to set the record straight here. We want to show the world what Cleveland and its people are all about. And it’s not that guy who used to live next door.” The palette in Cleveland Missing’s offices is black, white and gray. But pops of purple — an accent wall here, a swath of carpet there — break up the monochrome. Those bright touches are all DeJesus. She was firm about the color, her favorite, just as she insisted that the nonprofit’s office couldn’t be located anywhere else. “I did not want to be here,” Colon said. “I did not think this was a good idea. … And Gina said, ‘This is where we’re going to be. This is where we have to be. We can’t be afraid of it.’ ” DeJesus, who laughingly described her cousin’s early resistance as “her little tantrum fit,” said she’s intent on bringing hope not only to families but also to a once-overlooked neighborhood. At times, she said, the experience of being a public figure, recognized on the street, doesn’t feel real. But she and Colon have been overwhelmed by early shows of support, particularly from all the tradespeople who helped to make West 25th Street feel like home. “This is all because of the kindness of strangers that this space exists,” Colon said. “It just is. We would never have been able to do this. We just couldn’t have.”

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Michelle Jarboe: michelle.jarboe@ crain.com, (216) 771-5437, @mjarboe

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SEALING THE DEAL: Canton-based US Acute Care Solutions, a provider of physician-owned emergency medicine, hospitalist and observation services, is buying out its minority capital partner with the help of a big preferred equity investment made by funds managed by affiliates of the giant Apollo Global Management Inc. US Acute Care said its physician-owners agreed to buy out New York-based private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, and that following the transaction, the company will be 90% owned by its physicians. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of this year. Apollo Global Management helped make the recapitalization of US Acute Care possible. Apollo said funds managed by its affiliates committed to invest up to $470 million of preferred equity in US Acute Care. Two Apollo representatives will join the US Acute Care board of directors.

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A disc golf course should be ready for use this summer. Other plans include a vineyard and a cross country skiing/running course that will be part of a new entrance, partnerships with universities that would have a presence on Spire’s campus, and the possible addition of a new sport to the academy’s offerings. Axxella — after paying $7.35 million for the property and buildings, and, according to sources, another $2 million to $4 million for the furnishings and equipment inside the buildings — has continued to gobble up land. Once deals with various land owners close in the coming months, Spire will have added more than 300 acres to its property, putting it at about 480, co-managing director Rich Odell said. Axxella, under the leadership of Jonathan Ehrenfeld, is investing “multiple millions” in the complex, Odell said.

Welcome to Spire Last month, CBRE broker Kevin Moss tweeted that he had closed a “vineyard deal” in which Spire was acquiring a 49-acre property just to its east. Meekma and Odell, consultants with strong IMG ties who were hired by Axxella to turn around Spire’s fortunes, aren’t ready to disclose specifics for an on-campus winery because of ongoing negotiations, but they did divulge other big-picture elements. The new property, located off Clay Street, will be part of what Odell describes as “a more scenic and a less warehouse-type entrance.” The current entrance, between a Wendy’s restaurant and Chops Grille & Tap House on Route 534 in Geneva, leads to an area populated by construction equipment, indoor facilities, the new dorms and mounds of dirt. That portion of the complex will continue to serve as the gateway to events at Spire. Further north on 534 is Clay Street, which will take visitors to the spruced-up new entryway that will connect to the south end of the complex, where the academic center and dorms reside. Construction on the road is expected to begin later this year. Among the amenities planned for the new entrance is a “walking art park,” which Odell said will feature the works of local and national artists. The idea is that the many events Spire hosts — from NCAA championship meets in swimming and track, to high school football games, youth sports leagues and a plethora of camps — often result in spectators who have time to spare between competitions. Spire is hoping to give them plenty of options, and eventually a place to stay — the hotel, which will be part of the Marriott chain and could be ready by the spring of 2022. “We are creating a variety of ancillary — some free, some for minimal money — things that family members can participate in,” Odell said. “Now, we’re not an amusement park, but we’re creating things to amuse people when they are in their down period.”

‘Seven days a week, 18 hours a day’ The plans, no matter how grand and regardless of how much capital Axxella invests, likely don’t work without a successful academy. After Axxella acquired Spire,

Spire has added five dorms, with five more on the way, in an area behind its aquatics center. | CONTRIBUTED RENDERING

Meekma, who played a major role in Capital gains “innovative, smart business apthe development of IMG Academy, Following are some of the new and proach” being displayed by Spire’s told Crain’s the group hoped to grow upcoming additions since Axxella new leadership team — one that inenrollment at Spire’s high school purchased Spire Institute and Academy cludes longtime chief operating offiand postgraduate academies to at C Rin Orloff. A December I N ’ S C L E V2019: E L A N D B U S I N E S S | Scer E P TJeff EMB E R 3 - 9 , 2 018 | PA G E 3 7 least 250 in the next five years. “It’s certainly not as simple as ‘if That was a few months before the ``New esports and drone/robotics you build it, they’ll come,’ ” Gilbert pandemic, which throttled the programs for Spire Academy. said. “And I think Spire showed that, events industry (a major recruiting `À 22,000-square-foot academic because they built arguably one of tool for Spire Academy) and forced center with classrooms, labs, an esports the finest sports facilities in many Spire to switch gears. Spire offered suite, a student lounge with workstaways in the country. And yet the fiprograms designed to cater to high tions and administrative offices. nances showed it had a difficult time school and college students whose ``10 dorms, each of which can house based on that alone.” athletic and academic endeavors 12 students or 24 campers. In October, the sports commission were disrupted by their schools and Spire are scheduled to host a `Àn 18-hole disc golf course that is shifting to remote learning. five-day U.S. Masters Swimming naSpire met its 2020-21 goal of 45 stu- slated to open this summer. tional championship meet. Other high-profile events, including one dents participating in its academy `Àn 89-unit TownePlace Suites hotel programs for basketball, swimming, that is expected to open in 2022. that is expected to be announced as early as next week, are on the way. and track and field. The total, which `À new entrance with a vineyard, an “You bring that vision backed up Meekma said Spire is hoping to dou- art park and a cross country skiing and with funding, and it’s amazing what ble next year, includes students running course also are on the agenda. can be done,” Gilbert said of Spire. whose stays were temporary because of pandemic-impacted schedules. David Gilbert, the president and Currently, students are taught by CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Kevin Kleps: kkleps@crain.com, Grand River Academy instructors, Commission, is impressed with the (216) 771-5256, @KevinKleps but Odell, who created the Pendleton School at IMG Academy, thinks 10 universities ultimately could have Advertising Section a presence on Spire’s campus. A few formal partnerships, including two with Northeast Ohio institutions, could be announced soon, he said. “The parent who sees their child having some particular strength, whether it’s medicine or anything else, is going to get the sense of, ‘If my child goes and I spend that money at To place your listing in Crain’s Cleveland Classifieds, Spire now, I might not have to spend that money to get them to go to colcontact Ainsley Burgess at 313-446-0455 lege, because the college might want them and offer them more scholaror email ainsley.burgess@crain.com ship money,’ ” Odell said. “We know how the demographic is changing of the student population — ethnically, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY culturally, but also financially. So it’s got universities up against a wall, and they’re looking for ways to break the Selling Your Business? wall down. And we are the perfect Free Market Analysis antidote for that as a model.” No Upfront Fees Spire has worked with Ayers Saint 25 Years of Experience Gross, a Baltimore-based firm, on a www.empirebusinesses.com master plan for its sprawling cam440-461-2202 pus. The result, Odell said, will be a property with commercial and eduPOSITION AVAILABLE cational sides. The Spire co-managing director NCE Manager (Nestlé USA, Inc. - Solon, OH) said the educational piece has a fiveLead implmnttn of Nestlé Continuous Excellence intvs incl Total Productive Maintenance to seven-year goal of 700 full-time (TPM) prctcs & othr cont imprvmt prctcs to imprv ops acrss rgnl manfctr’g fclts in US mkt. students — a proclamation that’s F/T. Reqs Bach’s deg in Eng, Acctg, OpsRsrch, Bus Adm or rel fld & 7 yrs exp in job offrd more than twice as lofty as the target or prtcpt’g in desgn & exctn of oprtnl change intvs. Mst hv 5 yrs exp in the fllw’g: TPM Meekma stated late in 2019. implmntn in manfctr’g envrnmt; prfrm’g root cause anlyss; wrk’g w/ Software Asset Mgmt “This,” Odell said, “works really tools or Power BI dsktp fr SAP; change mgmt; prjct mgmt incl lead’g crss-fnctnl teams; &, well as a business when it’s open commnct’g cmplx tchncl cncpts thru wrttn rprts & prsntns to stkhldrs & sr mgmt. Exp may seven days a week, 18 hours a day be gaind cncrrntly. Trvl w/in US apprx 50-75% wrk’g time. Resumes: V Finch, Nestlé USA, and has 300 people in it every hour Inc., 1812 N Moore St, Arlington, VA 22209. Job ID: 4363784. of those 18 hours a day.”

CLASSIFIEDS

February 15, 2021 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 21

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Advertising Section To place your listing, visit www.crainscleveland.com/people-on-the-move or, for more information, contact Debora Stein at 917.226.5470 / dstein@crain.com

BANKING

LAW

SERVICES

Key Private Bank

Taft Law

Key Private Bank, the wealth management division of KeyCorp, has appointed Brian Pietrangelo to Managing Director of Investment Strategy. In this newly created role, he is responsible for enhancing the communication and collaboration between Key Private Bank’s Investment Center and all client-facing segments within the wealth management business.

Ashley M. Bailes has joined Taft as an associate in the Litigation group, focusing her practice on complex civil litigation in state and federal courts. Her experience includes contract disputes, bankruptcy, consumer class actions, internal investigations, trade secrets, and legal malpractice. She is experienced in legal research, offensive and defensive discovery, motion practice, depositions, and trial. She earned her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2017.

Kathleen A. Martini has joined Taft as an associate in the Business & Finance group. She advises public and private companies in matters related to private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and financing and lending transactions. She also counsels new and emerging companies spanning a broad range of industries through every stage of development. Kathleen holds a B.A., cum laude with honors, from The Ohio State University. She earned her J.D. in 2018 from the University of Chicago Law School.

Brandon M. Summers has joined Taft as a staff attorney in the Litigation group. He most recently served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, where he argued and prosecuted cases before the courts. Brandon earned a B.A. from Bethel College in 2013. He received his J.D. from ClevelandMarshall College of Law in 2017, and was the recipient of the Law and Justice Scholarship and served as an active member of the Black Law Student Association.

Geisel Heating, Cooling and Plumbing Geisel by HomeServe, an Elyria-based heating, cooling and plumbing company, is pleased to announce Matt Hedberg’s promotion to General Manager. Hedberg has been with Geisel for 12 years as Operations Controller and has been instrumental in supporting Andy Culberson, long time GM, since joining the company. Matt will foster a smooth transition from Andy’s excellent leadership to help lead Geisel forward on its growth trajectory.

ENGINEERING / CONSULTING

LaBella Associates Tyler Allen joins LaBella’s Cleveland office as a Mechanical Engineer. With 4 years of AEC industry experience, Tyler will provide HVAC/plumbing design, project management and construction administration services for projects in a range of markets. His expertise includes healthcare and laboratory design, and K-12, higher education and commercial buildings. The addition of Tyler continues LaBella’s sustained growth in Cleveland, allowing the firm to provide full-service capabilities to Ohio.

SERVICES LAW

LAW

SERVICES

Geisel Heating, Cooling and Plumbing

Taft Law

Helen Jazzar has joined Taft as an associate in the Business and Finance practice group. She advises private equity funds, private equity-backed companies, venture capital funds, and emerging growth companies on capital formation, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities regulation compliance. Helen holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from Ursuline College. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2020.

Lysette Roman has joined Taft as an associate in the Labor Relations, Public Law, Commercial Litigation, Education Litigation, and Employment Law practice groups. Lysette holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Writing & Rhetoric from Colgate University, summa cum laude, and was a member of the Colgate Women’s Soccer team. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2020, where she was copresident of the Hispanic Law Student Association.

Geisel Heating, Cooling and Plumbing

Geisel by HomeServe, an Elyria-based heating, cooling and plumbing company, is pleased to announce Art Popa will become Regional Plumbing Manager. He’ll be responsible for Plumbing Operations at Geisel, including the residential and commercial sides of the service, installation and excavation departments. Under Art’s leadership for the past nine years, Geisel has grown rapidly and plans to continue to invest in resources to support our plumbing expansion in Cleveland and surrounding markets.

Geisel by HomeServe, an Elyria-based heating, cooling and plumbing company, is pleased to announce Andy Culberson is taking on the new role of Commercial Sales Manager, where he will focus on developing a profitable business within the Commercial HVAC arena and help oversee Residential HVAC sales management. As a valued leader at Geisel since 1983, Andy brings an innovative industry knowledge and a vast network of contacts within the Cleveland market.

INDUSTRY ACHIEVERS ADVANCING THEIR CAREERS FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ancora We are happy to announce that Ms. Elin Young, Esq. joined Ancora in 2021 to serve alongside the Compliance team as Ancora’s Chief Risk Officer. She will oversee the firm’s risk management and internal controls program while monitoring external risks and regulatory matters. Elin has extensive experience in compliance, law and risk management. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan. 22 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 15, 2021

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V2 Technology welcomes Jon Whiley as its newest Resident Chief Information Officer. Jon has over 25 years of experience in successfully building and leading operational and IT teams. He brings extensive capabilities in delivering transformative technology solutions that drive immediate business impact across organizations. V2 is excited to have Whiley on-board to drive growth and execute on MyCIOSM end-to-end IT service offerings. For more information, visit www. v2portal.com.

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Lead Arranger & Administrative Agent

Joint Book-Running Manager*

Joint Bookrunner*

Active Bookrunner*

Lead Arranger & Administrative Agent

$275,000,000

$500,000,000

$3,320,000,000

$450,000,000

$200,000,000

Senior Credit Facility

Senior Unsecured Notes Offering

Senior Secured Notes Offering

Senior Unsecured Notes Offering

Senior Credit Facilities

Entertainment, Lodging & Leisure

Energy, Power & Utilities

Entertainment, Lodging & Leisure

National Commercial Real Estate

Renewable Energy

Planet Fitness Midwest Joint Bookrunner*

Bookrunner*

Active Bookrunner*

Lead Arranger & Administrative Agent

$6,000,000,000

$982,100,000

$1,250,000,000

$128,000,000

$1,250,000,000

Senior Secured Notes Offering

Follow-On Offering

Floating Rate Notes Offering

Senior Credit Facilities

Senior Unsecured Notes Offering

Diversified Industries

Entertainment, Lodging & Leisure

Energy, Power & Utilities

Consumer & Retail

Energy, Power & Utilities

Joint Lead Arranger & Joint Bookrunner

Administrative Agent, Joint Lead Arranger & Joint Bookrunner

Joint Book-Running Manager*

$3,215,000,000

$625,000,000

Senior Bridge Facility

Senior Secured Bridge Facility

Joint Book-Running Manager*

Senior Unsecured Notes

Senior Secured Notes

$90,000,000

$450,000,000

$1,200,000,000

Senior Secured Credit Facility

Senior Unsecured Notes Offering

Healthcare

Joint Book-Running Manager*

Healthcare

Technology, Media & Telecom

has been acquired by

sold a 294 MWDC utility-scale solar project to

$2,825,000,000

Diversified Industries

$625,000,000 Consumer & Retail

a portfolio company of

has been recapitalized by

has completed a recapitalization

has been acquired by

M&A Advisory*

Renewable Energy

Tech-Enabled Business Services

Healthcare

a Leading Private Equity Buyer M&A Advisory*

Consumer & Retail

M&A Advisory*

Industrials: Transportation & Logistics

*Transaction completed by Fifth Third Securities. Fifth Third Capital Markets is the marketing name under which Fifth Third Bank, National Association, and its subsidiary, Fifth Third Securities, Inc., provide certain securities and investment banking products and services. Fifth Third Capital Markets offers investment banking††, debt capital markets†, bond capital markets†, equity capital markets††, financial risk management†, and fixed income sales and trading††. Fifth Third Bank, National Association, provides access to investments and investment services through various subsidiaries, including Fifth Third Securities. Coker Capital Advisors is a division of Fifth Third Securities. Fifth Third Securities is the trade name used by Fifth Third Securities, Inc., member FINRA / SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and registered investment advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

Securities and investments offered through Fifth Third Securities, Inc.: Are Not FDIC Insured | Offer No Bank Guarantee | May Lose Value | Are not Insured by any Federal Government Agency | Are Not a Deposit †Services and activities offered through Fifth Third Bank, National Association. ††Services and activities offered through Fifth Third Securities, Inc. Deposit and credit products offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Credit products are subject to credit approval and mutually acceptable documentation.