Crain's Cleveland Business

VOL. 38, NO. 22

MAY 29 - JUNE 4, 2017

CLEVELAND BUSINESS DAVID T. ABBOTT, GEORGE GUND FOUNDATION VIRGINIA C. ADDICOTT, FEDEX CUSTOM CRITICAL CRAIG ARNOLD, EATON JODI BERG, VITAMIX RONALD M. BERKMAN, CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY JULIE A. BOLAND, ERNST & YOUNG AKRAM BOUTROS, METROHEALTH SYSTEM SHERROD BROWN, U.S. SENATE ARMOND BUDISH, CUYAHOGA COUNTY JOSEPH A. CALABRESE, GREATER CLEVELAND REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY RICK CHIRICOSTA, MEDICAL MUTUAL OF OHIO PAUL CLARK, PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP. WILLIAM CONSIDINE, AKRON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DELOS ‘TOBY’ COSGROVE, CLEVELAND CLINIC EDWARD F. CRAWFORD, PARK-OHIO HOLDINGS FRED CUMMINGS, ELIZABETH PARK CAPITAL JENNIFFER D. DECKARD, FAIRMOUNT SANTROL PAUL DOLAN, CLEVELAND INDIANS ART J. FALCO, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE FOUNDATION UMBERTO P. FEDELI, THE FEDELI GROUP JOSE C. FELICIANO SR., HISPANIC ROUNDTABLE WILLIAM D. FRIEDMAN,, CLEVELAND-CUYAHOGA PORT AUTHORITY MARCIA FUDGE,, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KAREN GAHL-MILLS, CUYAHOGA ARTS & CULTURE FRED AND GREG GEIS, GEIS DEVELOPMENT JAY A. GERSHEN, NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY DAN GILBERT, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, ROCK VENTURES DAVID GILBERT, DESTINATION CLEVELAND, GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION LOURENCO GONCALVES, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES MARCIE GOODMAN, CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ERIC GORDON, CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT CARL GRASSI, MCDONALD HOPKINS ANDRE GREMILLET, CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA TRICIA GRIFFITH, PROGRESSIVE WILLIAM GRISWOLD, CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART BRIAN HALL, COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC INCLUSION HOWARD W. ‘HOBY’ HANNA IV, HOWARD HANNA REAL ESTATE SERVICES GREG HARRIS, ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME JIMMY AND DEE HASLAM, CLEVELAND BROWNS MICHAEL HILTON, NORDSON DAN HORRIGAN, CITY OF AKRON FRANK JACKSON, CITY OF CLEVELAND LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ALEX JOHNSON, CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHARLES JONES, FIRSTENERGY JOE KANFER, GOJO INDUSTRIES MARCY KAPTUR, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANET KAVANDI, NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER CHRIS KELLY AND HEATHER LENNOX, JONES DAY ROBERT KLONK, OSWALD STEWART KOHL, RIVERSIDE LEN KOMOROSKI, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS RICHARD KRAMER, GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER KYLE KUTUCHIEF, KNIGHT FOUNDATION RAY LEACH, JUMPSTART CHRISTOPHER MAPES, LINCOLN ELECTRIC ARI, JORI AND RICK MARON, MRN ANDY MATTES, DIEBOLD NIXDORF STEPHEN McHALE, CHARLIE LOUGHEED AND ANIL JAIN, EXPLORYS DARRELL L. McNAIR, MVP PLASTICS LORETTA J. MESTER, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CLEVELAND STEVE MILLARD, COUNCIL OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES BETH E. MOONEY, KEYCORP BERNIE MORENO, BERNIE MORENO COS. JOHN G. MORIKIS,

WHO’S WHO IN NORTHEAST OHIO SHERWIN-WILLIAMS DEAN AND SCOTT MUELLER, DEALER TIRE FREDERICK R. NANCE, SQUIRE SANDERS BOGGS AUGUST A. NAPOLI JR., UNITED WAY OF GREATER CLEVELAND ARAM NERPOUNI, BIOENTERPRISE JON J. PINNEY, KOHRMAN JACKSON & KRANTZ DOUGLAS E. PRICE AND KAREN M. PAGANINI, K&D GROUP BILL PRIEMER, HYLAND SOFTWARE JOE PULIZZI, CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE CLAIBORNE R. RANKIN, NORTH COAST ANGEL FUND JAMES A. RATNER, FOREST CITY REALTY TRUST JIM RENACCI, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RONALD B. RICHARD, THE CLEVELAND FOUNDATION SEAN RICHARDSON, HUNTINGTON BANK JOE ROMAN, GREATER CLEVELAND PARTNERSHIP CHRIS RONAYNE, UNIVERSITY CIRCLE WALT ROSEBROUGH, STERIS VICTOR A. RUIZ, ESPERANZA TIM RYAN, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IVAN SCHWARZ, GREATER CLEVELAND FILM COMMISSION BAIJU SHAH, BIOMOTIV JONATHAN STAMLER, HARRINGTON DISCOVERY INSTITUTE ILENE SHAPIRO, SUMMIT COUNTY MARK SMUCKER, J.M. SMUCKER BARBARA R. SNYDER, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY ROBERT STARK, STARK ENTERPRISES MARC A. STEFANSKI, THIRD FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN FRANK C. SULLIVAN, RPM INTERNATIONAL EDDIE TAYLOR, TAYLOR OSWALD JIM TRESSEL, YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY BEVERLY WARREN, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY JEFFREY AND ZEV WEISS, AMERICAN GREETINGS BRAD WHITEHEAD, FUND FOR OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE THOMAS L. WILLIAMS, PARKER HANNIFIN MATTHEW WILSON, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON SCOTT WOLSTEIN, WOLSTEIN GROUP THOMAS F. ZENTY, UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

Entire contents © 2017 by Crain Communications Inc.

AKRON Insuring pets is welcome move for company. Page 35

THE LIST Ranking the region’s top money managers Page 28

SOURCE LUNCH Rafael Hernandez Brito, Spanish play-by-play voice of the Cavaliers Page 39

Crain’s illustraion by David Kordalski

PAGES 13-27

CONTENT

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NEWS AND TRENDS FROM NORTHEAST OHIO’S TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

TECH MATTERS Summer camps aim to sharpen student technology skills

C

ourtney DeOreo ushered in the last two years of Tech Corps/RITE Board summer high school coding camps by asking the students seated before her to raise their hands if they had taken computational thinking courses, information technology or computer science courses at school. The majority of hands remained stationary.

“Most of those students’ skills in those areas were self-taught. That’s starting to change,” said DeOreo, director of Regional Information Technology Engagement, or RITE, which offers IT training to students throughout Northeast Ohio. More schools realize the need for computer science in their curriculum, she said. (Ohio lawmakers this spring introduced House Bill 170, which would permit schools to count computer science courses toward math or science graduation requirements.)

In the meantime, elementary, middle and high school students will be streaming through the doors of local school campuses to create apps, build robots, problem-solve cybersecurity vulnerabilities or design games.

The skills that students glean from these summer tech camps will amplify school-based education by giving essential exposure to programming and computer science concepts.

“Employers and universities throughout Lorain, Greater Cleveland and AkronSummit engage with the students during these camps, which are driven by curriculum and experiential learning,” DeOreo said.

In total, RITE and Tech Corps this year are offering eight weeklong interactive high school coding camps for 160 students in either cybersecurity or C# coding. These camps are sponsored by big-name Northeast Ohio employers that include Smucker’s, Eaton, OEC and Progressive.

Repeat coding camp supporter OEC is once again sponsoring this year’s all-girls high school coding camp in July at Baldwin Wallace University.

“The all-girls camp has been extremely well-received. Women are largely underrepresented in tech across the country. In order to change that, we need to build a strong pipeline of female talent. That begins with teaching middle school and high school girls to code. This environment

CALENDAR OF

EVENTS

UP TO CODE Last year, there were about 16,000 open software development jobs in Ohio, and of those, about half were located in Northeast Ohio. Meanwhile, only about 300 students graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from local colleges and universities, said Anthony Hughes, CEO and co-founder of Cleveland-based Tech Elevator, a coding boot camp provider.

“There’s a huge talent demand and supply gap,” he said.

Coding boot camps help plug the talent shortfall and often provide direct access to career opportunities among some of the region’s most notable employers.

Among them: n Tech

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TECH CORPS

Tech Corps offers eight summer camps throughout Northeast Ohio in collaboration with RITE Board, as well as summer techie camps.

Tech camp for adults Software developers, designers, database administrators, project managers and others will donate their time from July 21-23 to create software and web-based applications for nonprofits. The eighth annual Cleveland GiveCamp is one of the largest events of its kind in the country. Since its inception, local volunteers have donated nearly $4 million of development work to more than 250 regional nonprofits.

gives these young women the confidence they need to pursue tech as an interest and a career. It’s important and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Jennifer Luu, marketing communications specialist at OEC. Elsewhere, students will be sharpening their STEM acumen at Tech Corps’ summer techie camps, which are held at various educational institutions. Activities during these weeklong events revolve around robotics, programming, app development, 3D printing and web development, said Alexis Crosby, regional director of Tech Corps for Northeast Ohio.

“This summer, we’ll be working with more than 1,000 students in Northeast Ohio,” she said. “We’ve grown in participation and partnerships with regional employers every year.”

Elevator offers 14-week boot camps in Cleveland and Columbus three times a year. Students pay $14,000 and attend all day, Monday through Friday. The typical student is either a recent college graduate, up-skiller or career changer. They have the opportunity to concurrently attend a pathway program that polishes their career-readiness skills. Its job placement rate among those students is 98% within 120 days after graduation. The average entrant’s salary is $60,321. By the time students graduate and land a job, their salaries increase an average of nearly $24,000.

“Software developers are experiencing some of the greatest year-over-year salary increases,” Hughes said.

n We

For those who aren’t able to attend a summer program, Code.org offers free online coding courses for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Hyland Software, which helped develop the curriculum for the RITE Board and Tech Corps high school coding camps, launched a couple years ago its own tech outreach program — Hy-Tech Camp — for sevenththrough 12th-grade students. Each of the 11 summer camps covers a different technology topic, from building a web page to dismantling and rebuilding a computer, said Caitlin Nowlin, technical outreach program manager.

“We want to make sure students are being exposed to this field from an early age so they have the opportunity to learn critical computer science skills,” Nowlin said.

Can Code IT affords women, minorities and those who are economically disadvantaged an opportunity to advance their careers within three to five months.

The upfront cost is $12,000. Boot camps are located in Cleveland and Columbus. That entity plans to graduate 300 students this year.

Its placement rate among full-time students in 2016 was 85%, according to CEO Mel McGee.

n Akron-based Software

Guild gives participants the chance to learn junior-level developer coding skills either through an accelerated 12-week full-time format or as part-time over 14 months. The in-person program is $13,750, while online is $12,000.

n Four-year

universities and colleges and community colleges also offer continuing education courses or noncredit workforce development for adults seeking professional development in technology. Students can also seek industry certifications in a particular area.

JUNE 2

JUNE 13

JUNE 28

Big Data for Small Manufacturers: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., MAGNET, 1768 E. 25th St., Cleveland. These workshops help smalland medium-sized manufacturers learn how to harness the power of big data with small budgets. Info: jumpstartinc.org/events/ big-data-small-manufacturers.

Caffeinated Ideas: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron. This forum at the library’s Microbusiness Center is open to entrepreneurs, small business owners, mentors and business professionals. Participants are invited to present ideas for new concepts or products at any stage of development, and help figure out how to better position it for the marketplace. Info: tinyurl.com/lp8ux38

COSE WebEd Series: Internship Program for Small Businesses: 11 a.m. to noon. Greater Cleveland Partnership’s director of education and workforce will lead a webinar discussion on how small businesses can grow solid internship programs within the constraints of time and resources.

Info: tinyurl.com/n3zxon4

TO READ PREVIOUS TECH MATTERS STORIES, GO TO crainscleveland.com/techmatters.

A PRODUCT OF

CRAIN CONTENT STUDIO C l eve l a n d

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

M AY 2 9 - J U N E 4 , 2 017

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How Cleveland investors made a killing in Verizon’s latest $3 billion acquisition

By JEREMY NOBILE jnobile@crain.com @JeremyNobile

When Straight Path Communications Inc., a small telecommunications company in Virginia with nine employees, in April announced a pending sale to AT&T for $1.6 billion, some Cleveland investors with a sizable stake in the firm — largely due to a $17.5 million loan negotiated only several weeks prior — thought they had walked into the deal of the decade.

They didn’t expect it to morph into the deal of a lifetime.

“April 10 was a very, very exciting day,” said Robert Clutterbuck Sr., the 66-year-old founder and managing partner of Cleveland’s Clutterbuck Capital Management, which secured that debt financing.

“Then, May 8 was the best,” he said.

“At that point, you’re hoping for even more (upside) because you’re delirious. But to be able to tell your investors this may be the best deal you were ever in, that’s pretty exciting.”

May 8 is when Straight Path announced a revised sale offer of $184 a share from a new, then-undisclosed buyer that soon was revealed as Verizon Wireless.

On April 6, a few days before the AT&T offer was announced, Straight Path’s stock was worth $36.48 a share.

The Verizon deal eventually was inked

How the deal went down

with a ticket price of $3.1 billion. That’s a 404% premium over that $36 stock price, very likely making it the largest takeover premium in history for transactions greater than $1 billion.

That sale means a nice payday for Straight Path stockholders.

But it’s the debt deal Clutterbuck Capital chased down that has become the envy of Wall Street and drawn attention to the small investment firm running a $100 million fund.

“We had some stock in the deal.

But the deal Bob structured was kind of no downside, all upside,” said Tom Boucher, managing director at Ingalls & Snyder, a New York investment firm that owned Straight Path stock but didn’t participate in the Clutterbuck-led loan, which gave the firm a large stake in the business.

“He got the whole thing done very quickly,” Boucher said. “And, yes, some people were surprised” this came from Cleveland.

tions companies. Crane and the Clutterbucks sought out more info, soaking in investor presentations and digging through company filings for clues about the future of 5G. In fall 2014, the fund took its first stake in Straight Path.

That would prove critical in establishing a relationship that set the foundation for the debt deal that Clutterbuck would assemble a few years later as the firm built a strong connection with the company’s senior management.

Jan. 12 of this year was a pivotal moment. That’s when Straight Path settled a consent decree from the FCC, which charged the company with failing to build out its 5G network via 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands it had licenses in.

It gets more complicated from there.

But to settle the issue, Straight Path was slapped with a $100 million civil penalty — of which it had to pay $15 million up front, the remainder of the cost suspended — and ordered to sell its license portfolio in the next 12 months.

This is where Clutterbuck comes in.

The company, looking for ways to maximize shareholder value, filed a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission allowing up to 1.25 million shares to be issued. Doing so would raise capital to pay its $15 million FCC fine.

Summer 2014: Clutterbuck Capital Management (CCM) begins to research Straight Path Communications (STRP) out of interest in the company’s wave spectrum’s potential interface with 5G. Fall 2014: CCM makes first investment in STRP. Jan. 12, 2017: STRP settles a consent decree with the FCC calling for a steep, $100 million fine (only $15 million needed paid with the remainder suspended) and requiring the company to sell its license portfolio in 12 months.

Jan. 23, 2017: STRP files a shelf registration with the SEC allowing up to 1.25 million shares to be issued to cover costs of its FCC fine.

Feb. 7, 2017: STRP secures a $17.5 million debt financing with warrants for stock led by CCM, giving the firm’s partners and investors a major stake in the business and setting it up for acquisition.

April 10, 2017: AT&T announces an agreement to buy STRP for $95.63 a share (stock was $36.48 on April 7).

April 25, 2017: STRP announces a “superior proposal” from a company that would later be identified as Verizon Wireless for $104.64 a share.

May 3, 2017: STRP announces a revised offer made for $135.96 a share.

May 8, 2017: STRP announces yet another revised offer for $184 a share.

May 11, 2017: Verizon publicly announces a definitive agreement to buy STRP for $184 a share. The deal is valued at $3.1 billion and represents a 404% premium over the $36.48 stock price on April 7, the first business day prior to AT&T’s first bid.

How they did it

Commission. The industry giants want to build up 5G networks to support the next generation of wireless technologies; the “internet of things” won’t function without it.

Clutterbuck learned about Straight Path in the summer of 2014 through its network of contacts. At the time, 5G was barely part of the tech lexicon. And the firm’s investors, while intrigued, had very little expertise

For Clutterbuck Capital, whose staff of three comprise Clutterbuck Sr., his son, Robert Clutterbuck Jr., and partner Ryan Crane, a deal that took a matter of days to assemble was years in the making.

Verizon and AT&T were fighting over Straight Path for its 5G spectrum band claimed via licenses auctioned off by the Federal Communications

with that end of the industry.

“As time went on, we were getting up to speed on 5G and how the rest of the wireless revolution would take place,” Crane said. “In the beginning, you heard very little about this. What we heard was positive, but it was all years away.”

The need for 5G was apparent, Crane said, but the only chatter about it was coming from the government and massive telecommunica-

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FDA designation ‘really big deal’ for Athersys

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As Athersys Inc. moves toward a Phase 3 clinical trial for its stroke treatment, the Cleveland-based biotech company has received a federal designation that CEO Gil Van Bokkelen says is a recognition of the therapyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s importance.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration awarded Athersysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clinical program for stroke â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fast Track Designation,â&#x20AC;? an expedited drug development and review program for new drugs or biologics to treat serious or life-threatening conditions. In the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiscal year 2016, the FDA granted 132 of these requests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really a sign that the FDA is trying to support to the fullest extent possible what we are doing, because they recognize that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve targeted something that has shown promise and that is really focused on a serious unmet medical need,â&#x20AC;? Van Bokkelen said.

Athersysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MultiStem is an adult stem cell therapy for ischemic stroke patients.

The designation means Athersysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clinical program for stroke is eligible for three main things, Van Bokkelen said: rolling submission, in which the company can submit data as it goes through the trial; accelerated approval, making the program eligible for expedited consideration in certain respects; and priority review, which shortens the timeframe of the review cycle.

In the near term, he said, it allows Athersys to engage more frequently with the FDA and â&#x20AC;&#x153;if our data warrants it, to then be in a position to re-

Athersys CEO Gil Van Bokkelen says the FDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fast Track Designationâ&#x20AC;? is a recognition of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress. (Contributed photo)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you put (shortening the regulatory process) in the context in terms of the number of patients that we might otherwise be able to help, six months is actually very important. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very valuable.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Gil Van Bokkelen, Athersys CEO

ally get through that regulatory process as quickly and efficiently as possible.â&#x20AC;?

While shaving off about six months of the process may seem small, Van Bokkelen stresses that it is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;really big deal.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you put that in the context in terms of the number of patients that we might otherwise be able to help, six months is actually very important,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very valuable.â&#x20AC;?

In February 2016, Athersys said that MultiStem performed well in a smaller Phase 2 trial involving stroke patients. Two white papers released earlier this year laid out the results from the Phase 2 trial, showing that if administered within 36 hours after a stroke has occurred, MultiStem can help prevent damage from the stroke.

SEE ATHERSYS, PAGE 8

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Youngstown State helps museum make memories

By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com @ramccafferty

The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Laborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest program isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t designed to teach people anything they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already know.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed to help them remember parts of their past.

The centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sparking Memories project joins a host of programs at museums across the country aimed at better serving people with dementia and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease.

Youngstownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sparking Memories tours officially started with an event in April. But the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasing focus on partnerships with different departments at Youngstown State University may be to thank.

The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor is owned by the Ohio History Connection but has been managed by Youngstown Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history department since 2010, said Marcelle Wilson, site manager for the center and an adjunct professor at Youngstown State.

Since then, the history department has leveraged the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources by partnering with different programs and departments. For instance, Youngstown Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s additive manufacturing lab made replicas of tools for the center that people can actually pick up and touch, Wilson said. The history center has also been working with the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rich Center for Autism, helping students with autism learn marketable skills like sorting and filing materials. And the new Sparking Memories tours grew out of a partnership with the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gerontology program.

Amy Plant, adjunct faculty in gerontology and research and consulting associate at Youngstown State, said the goal of the Sparking Memories tours is to create conversation rather than focusing on education. People with dementia may have trouble with shortterm memory loss, Plant said, but they often retain long-term memories.

Youngstownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sparking Memories tours, available by appointment, will be limited to three or four exhibits, which means less walking than the typical tours. Tour guides will spend a few

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Museums have really made an effort in the last decade to be as well-integrated into the community as possible.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dale Hilton, Cleveland Museum

of Art adult and distance learning department director

minutes talking about an exhibit before linking it to something in the attendeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; past. For instance, Wilson said one exhibit that could be included is on company housing. Attendees may be asked to imagine what it would be like to cook for a family of four or six in the kitchen depicted. Plant said the tour is designed so that if an exhibit catches peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, they can stay there instead of moving on.

The Sparking Memories program also includes two other programs under its umbrella: Museum in a Suitcase and the Sparking Memories CafĂŠ. Both offer portable collections that can spark conversation in the same way as the tour, with the first

on-site at locations such as skilled nursing facilities and the latter at the history center.

The program will give people with dementia or Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the chance to share memories or experiences, without corrections, even if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get all the details right, Wilson said.

This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a new concept, as museums, notably New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum of Modern Art, have been running similar ones for years.

Accessibility isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about making museums accessible to people with physical disabilities anymore; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more of a focus on cognitive disabilities, said Beth Ziebarth, director of the Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program. People with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and dementia are a growing part of the population, Ziebarth said, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of museumsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; social responsibility to make their programs available to a wide group of people.

That kind of accessibility to art and the removal of barriers has been a focus in recent years, said Dale Hilton, department director for adult and distance learning at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Making sure art is available to the community has also been a priority. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Museums have really made an effort in the last decade to be as well-integrated into the community as possible,â&#x20AC;? Hilton said.

The Cleveland museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art in the Afternoon program for people with memory loss started about seven years ago and was created in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic and the local Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association, said Trina Prufer, a docent for the program. The tours, like those in Youngstown, focus on a limited number of exhibits.

SEE MUSEUM, PAGE 31

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PA G E 7

Case gives youth league priceless support

By KEVIN KLEPS kkleps@crain.com @KevinKleps

Virgil Pittman Jr. played in the B-Buzz Baseball League when it was revived in 1969.

Now, two years after the youth baseball league in Cleveland’s LeeMiles neighborhood went through yet another restart — after more than 30 years of being dormant — Pittman is part of a group trying to keep it afloat.

The B-Buzz Baseball League, which plays its games at Kerruish Park in southeast Cleveland, recently got a major assist from a pair of Case Western Reserve University law students.

“I couldn’t put a price tag on it,” Pittman, B-Buzz’s president, said of the work of Mia Ulery and James Walsh, who graduated from the CWRU School of Law earlier this month.

Last summer, Ulery and Walsh began working with B-Buzz in an effort to establish the league as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — a designation that, in theory, would help the league raise money from donors.

The pair of third-year law students were able to do the necessary legwork free of charge via Case’s Community Development Clinic. The clinic, one of six at the law school, gives students the chance to work on cases full-time for a semester or parttime for two semesters.

Ulery and Walsh went the latter route with B-Buzz, spending what Ulery estimates as about seven to eight hours per week to help B-Buzz establish a board of directors, inform the board of their duties and put together the league’s 501(c)(3) application.

Case professor Matt Rossman, who heads the Community Development Clinic, said the nonprofit desig-

Case Western Reserve University law students Mia Ulery and James Walsh, right, helped the B-Buzz Baseball League earn 501(c)(3) status.

At center is B-Buzz chairman Wendell Fields. (Contributed photo)

nation was approved in a span of two weeks, “which I think is indicative it was a well-prepared application.”

Walsh found out via an email from Rossman on May 5 — his 29th birthday. He graduated 16 days later.

“I told Matt it was the best birthday present I could have received,” Walsh said.

“It lets (young people) know there are things out there other than just sitting in front of a TV or joining a gang.

There’s so much out there that can propel you in life.”

— Virgil Pittman Jr., B-Buzz Baseball League president

Making ‘lifelong friends’ Pittman, who retired in 2014 after 33 years with the Cleveland fire department, has coached in the B-Buzz Baseball League in each of the last two years. (The league’s name originates from a beekeeper who, according to local lore, founded B-Buzz in the late 1950s.)

When the league was restarted in 2015, Pittman said it had only two teams, comprised of boys and girls ages 8 to 13. Now that the league can start accepting donations — none had come in as of May 24, Pittman said — the league president is hopeful fundraising and promotional efforts will help it recruit young baseball players. That has proven to be difficult for B-Buzz, which in its heyday had almost 300 players and boasts the likes of Desmond Howard, Brad Sellers and Zack Reed as alumni.

“They want to play football or basketball,” Pittman said of kids in the Lee-Miles neighborhood. “That’s what they want to do. I mean, it’s hard. We haven’t given up. We’re still trying.”

Ideally, the league would grow to four teams this year, Pittman said.

Doing so would allow the 8-13 age group to be split, eliminating the fiveyear gap between some participants.

The league hopes to start a twomonth season in June, though Pittman said the signups are “going real slow right now.”

The retired fire department captain believes bringing the league back to its glory days is important for the neighborhood in which he grew up.

“It means helping to build up our community, and it’s another avenue to be a mentor for the youth in the neighborhood,” Pittman said. “We have a lot of youth in the neighborhood who still don’t know each other. When I was growing up, you knew everyone in the neighborhood.

“I established lifelong friends,” he added. “It lets them know there are things out there other than just sitting in front of a TV or joining a gang.

There’s so much out there that can propel you in life.”

Waiting for the first pitch Walsh grew up on the city’s West Side. As “a big Cleveland guy” and a huge Indians fan, he said the B-Buzz case was right in his wheelhouse.

He said there were hangups along the way — the most prominent of which was that B-Buzz had already registered with the state as an unincorporated association.

“We kind of had to unravel all that and make a few judgment calls on what type of filings to make with the IRS in order to gain tax-exempt sta-

tus, and what the league would have in terms of resources and those types of things,” Walsh said.

Ultimately, though, their case was a winner.

“We see the determination letter from the IRS as the icing on the cake,” said Ulery, a Conneaut native who grew up in San Francisco and relocated to Northeast Ohio in 2012.

Rossman said B-Buzz will remain a client of the law school’s “until we finish any additional legal duties.”

The work, however, would be done by different students, since Ulery and Walsh have graduated.

Both are studying for the state bar exam, which they’ll take in late July.

After that, they’ll get a much-needed month off before starting full-time positions at prominent Cleveland firms — Ulery at Frantz Ward LLP and Walsh at Benesch.

Still, they remain interested observers of the youth league.

“We got our B-Buzz T-shirts and talked about going to opening day,” Ulery said.

Walsh, meanwhile, is looking for more.

“I was hoping they’d have me throw out the first pitch, but I haven’t heard anything,” he said with a laugh.

As for Pittman, whose early organizational efforts were strongly aided

by Wendell Fields, another B-Buzz alum, he said he’s praying the neighborhood gets to experience what he did as a child.

“I started playing (baseball) at 8 or 9 years old,” Pittman said. “What I got out of it is so rewarding. Not only for the youth, but the parents, too. They got to know each other by participating in the league. Back then, the community was tight. Nowadays, some people don’t speak to their own neighbors.”

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PA G E 8

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At the time, Van Bokkelen said that the company was steadily ticking off important milestones “and now we’re in the home stretch,” he said. “And that’s pretty exciting, because in the not terribly far off future, we might be in the position to have developed a new therapy for stroke.”

Dr. Ken Uchino, research director at the Cleveland Clinic’s Cerebrovascular Center, participated in the Phase 2 trial. He noted that a large portion of patients don’t receive needed therapy because they’re too late for the three-hour window that the standard stroke treatment requires.

With MultiStem, that window extends out 36 hours after time of stroke. This was critical for Kristopher Little, who three years ago woke up around 4 a.m. unable to move. Upon seeking medical care, the Newcomerstown resident eventually was transported to the Clinic.

Little presented with a “moderately severe stroke,” said Uchino, also an associate professor of medicine (neurology) at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Unsure of when overnight he had the stroke, the time that had passed made Little a candidate for the Athersys Phase 2 trial. After receiving treatment, he did weeks of patient rehab, where he re-learned how to walk.

“It’s not 100%,” Little said, “but it’s good enough I can use it.”

Uchino notes that cannot draw a one-to-one correlation, but from early on, Little did very well. And while he of course doesn’t know what to expect from Phase 3, Uchino remains “hopeful and optimistic.”

The FDA designation comes as

Healios K.K., Athersys’ partner in Japan, gears up for patient enrollment of its 220-patient study.

By the end of the year, Athersys plans to launch a 300-patient Phase 3 trial in the United States and Canada, as well as in the European Union and in the United Kingdom. This summer, the company is focused on ensuring regulatory alignment with European regulators.

Last fall, Athersys’ design of its planned Phase 3 clinical trial received FDA approval under what’s called a “Special Protocol Assessment.”

“In the not terribly far off future, we might be in the position to have developed a new therapy for stroke.”

— Gil Van Bokkelen, Athersys CEO

Although the company hasn’t said anything about specific dollars needed for the Phase 3 trial, Athersys is exploring potential partnerships with pharmaceutical companies that could help fund the study, according to a spokesperson.

The fast track designation is a positive indicator for companies that Athersys is in partnership discussions with, Van Bokkelen said.

“They see that we have the (Special Protocol Assessment), they see the Fast Track Designation. Those are all things that are pointing in the right direction for potential partners,” he said. “And it’s I think, just one more tangible thing for them to be able to look at to say, ‘Yeah, these guys are doing it right.’ ”

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PA G E 9

Region’s April employment is up slightly NEO, however, is 66 cents behind U.S. norm for hourly pay; ‘having fewer people’ contributes to slow pace

By JAY MILLER

The ACE Report

jmiller@crain.com @millerjh

The Northeast Ohio region added 1,226 private-sector jobs between March and April, with a gain of 1,872 service sectors jobs offsetting a loss of 656 goods-producing jobs, as tracked by the Ahola Crain’s Employment (ACE) Report.

Total private sector, seasonally adjusted employment in the seven-county Cleveland-Akron metropolitan area hit 1,177,449, a 0.3% gain over 1,174,071 in April 2016.

The regional jobs number has bobbed up and down in recent months, but Jack Kleinhenz, the Cleveland Heights economist who created the ACE Report model, is optimistic after what had been a weak first quarter.

“The recent consumer sentiment, employment and retail sales reports are positive signs that the weak momentum in the first quarter should prove to be transitory,” Kleinhenz said. “April’s seasonally adjusted projection of 1,177,449 indicates a pickup in economic activity. This month’s

AHOLA. CRAIN’S. EMPLOYMENT

Crain’s Cleveland Business has partnered with The Ahola Corp., a payroll and human capital management firm in Brecksville, and local economist Jack Kleinhenz to provide monthly data — and clarity — about a key factor in business decisionmaking: the size of Northeast Ohio’s workforce.

Seasonally adjusted employment numbers, Northeast Ohio NOVEMBER: 1,165,459 DECEMBER: 1,165,080 JANUARY: 1,173,913 FEBRUARY: 1,176,517 MARCH: 1,176,223 APRIL: 1,177,449 1,155,000

1,160,000

1,165,000

regional labor market appears to be consistent with several reported national indices.”

The U.S. job market grew in April by 211,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The uptick

1,170,000

1,175,000

was driven largely by gains in lower-paying jobs in the hospitality, leisure and health care fields. The BLS reported an increase of 55,000 jobs nationally in the leisure and hospitality sector, and 41,000 in health and

education services.

Those sectors have been key contributors in Northeast Ohio’s job growth.

Long term, the health and education, and leisure and hospitality, sectors added 48,800 jobs between 2007 and 2016. Of that total, 37,600 were in health and education services, and 11,200 were in leisure and hospitality fields.

Those gains, however, have been offset by losses in manufacturing and public sector jobs. The impact of the loss of 29,000 manufacturing jobs between 2007 and 2016 is well-known, but the loss of 10,300 government jobs, has not been as closely examined. Those losses have had a significant impact on the economy.

“Having 10,000 fewer people working in Northeast Ohio communities contributes to our slower overall economic growth,” said Amy Hanauer, executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland think tank that tracks labor markets, in an email.

“But it’s also why people in Greater Cleveland, compared to many other similar cities, might have to wait longer for a preschool slot, a treatment

Boston private equity firm buys PartsSource

By SCOTT SUTTELL ssuttell@crain.com @ssuttell

PartsSource, a fast-growing medical parts supplier based in Aurora, has been acquired by Boston private equity firm Great Hill Partners.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a news release, PartsSource said the acquisition will allow it to “accelerate its sales and marketing investments and further position the company to execute on its growth plan.”

Sellers in the transaction include PartsSource founder A. Ray Dalton, Polaris Partners and Primus Capital Funds.

Dalton, who founded PartsSource in 2001, stepped down as CEO in February 2014. He was succeeded in the CEO role by Dr. Philip Settimi, who will remain with PartsSource following the Great Hill acquisition.

Settimi wasn’t available for an interview last week. In response to questions emailed by Crain’s, Mark Taber, a managing partner at Great Hill, said sales and marketing investments at PartsSource “will include hiring new employees, in Ohio and elsewhere, to accelerate the company’s growth. We believe these initiatives will drive overall employee growth throughout the company.”

A key to the company’s leadership position in the market is PartsSource’s e-commerce technology, which automates the procurement

process of medical parts and, Taber said, “has disrupted a workflow that has historically been offline, allowing providers to maintain their facilities efficiently and more cost effectively.”

Taber said Settimi and the team at PartsSource “developed an innovative approach to serving hospitals, allowing those providers to procure parts and supplies more efficiently and with significant cost savings. We believe this effort can be greatly expanded.”

PartsSource said in the news release that it “facilitates more than 1.5 million transactions annually by connecting thousands of suppliers and OEMs to over 3,300 hospitals worldwide.” The release did not disclose annual sales or its number of employees. Taber also would not disclose those numbers.

Dalton said in the release that he was “proud of the team that has contributed to PartsSource’s emergence as the leading procurement solution for the health care industry, and (I) believe we have found the right partner in Great Hill to build on its accomplishments to date.”

PartsSource will join Great Hill’s portfolio of health care companies that includes Qualifacts, RxBenefits and PlanSource.

As part of the transaction, Taber and Great Hill’s Rafael Cofiño and Cheng Li will join the PartsSource board with Settimi. Other members “may be added in the near future,” Taber said in his email.

bed or a bus route,” Hanauer said in the email. “It’s why we have higher college costs, more potholes, and among the lowest state support for children’s services.”

Hanauer wrote that she believed most of those lost government jobs have come at the local level — a result of Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s decision to severely cut state support to local government.

Despite the growth in employment in the last year, the region still lags the country in wages. Average hourly wages in the Cleveland area lagged the national pay level by 66 cents an hour, according to BLS latest occupational employment statistics. Local pay was $23.20, compared with $23.86 nationally.

Some local jobs, though, tracked above the national average.

Local carpenters averaged $26.22 an hour, against the national average of $23.24. Similarly, customer service representatives here were paid an average of $17.52 an hour versus $16.91 an hour nationally.

At the other end, local computer systems analysts were earning $37.83 an hour, compared with $44.05 nationally.

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Correction

A May 22, Page 40 story about a lawsuit filed against FirstEnergy Solutions incorrectly described the status of a similar, previously filed suit. In 2014, a group of companies that included Lincoln Electric Co., Marathon Petroleum Co. in Canton and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority sued FirstEnergy for passing along polar vortex-related charges. That court case is still pending.

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PA G E 10

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Opinion Personal View

Keep investing in charters that sustain results

By BERNIE MORENO

Editorial

Trudging along Almost four years after the ribbon was cut, Cuyahoga County still isn’t quite sure what it has with the Global Center for Health Innovation, or as it was originally conceived, the medical mart, in downtown Cleveland.

The Global Center, of course, is only a piece of the hulking $465 million taxpayer-paid complex that also houses the Huntington Convention Center and the Hilton Cleveland Hotel — and the latter two have seen some success and were crucial to Cleveland’s securing of the Republican National Convention.

Still, the Global Center’s performance, despite some true wins (the HIMSS Innovation Center, in particular), continues to underwhelm, as Crain’s reporter Jay Miller outlined in a Page One story last week. Not for lack of trying, major real estate on two of the center’s three tenant floors still remains vacant.

The idea for a so-called medical mart had simmered for decades and got a significant push locally in the mid-2000s from Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove, with the idea being to create a destination to showcase and sell the latest and greatest in health care wares. Since its opening, though, the center’s positioning — and the people who run it — has been about as consistent as Cleveland’s weather.

But now it appears the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp. (CCCFDC), the quasi-public nonprofit overseeing the convention center and Global Center complex, is trying to make the best of what many agree was a poorly cooked idea.

George Hillow, executive director of the CCCFDC, told Crain’s he believes in the center’s mission, but he’s being realistic about the whole thing.

Already, Hillow has attracted a Starbucks that will open in a few months and is expanding the Au Bon Pain cafe, doubling its space. He also has wooed a United Parcel Service store to take what had been Au Bon Pain’s smaller space. All three will have entrances on St. Clair Avenue — something that is expected to make the Global Center’s sprawling and often deserted atrium

a little more lively.

Hillow’s other considerations include creating a co-working space in the building to attract work-at-home or traveling health care professionals. Vacant space on the second floor of the Global Center too could be converted into meeting rooms that can be rented by the hotel and by large conventions.

Are these groundbreaking ideas? Hardly. But they are realistic, unlike the Global Center’s original intention.

The whole medical mart concept was a shot in the dark.

While Cleveland moved forward, other cities apparently saw the light. Developers in New York City and Nashville, for instance, nixed their medical mart plans before putting their shovels to earth.

However, as the cliché goes, hindsight in 20/20. So while we believe the Global Center had no chance of ever really living up to its expectations, it’s heartening to see its leaders talk in more pragmatic terms to make this facility work for the county and — most importantly — the taxpayers that help fund it.

Credit is due

Crain’s reporter Stan Bullard recently took an enterprising look at how federal historic tax credits and, more recently, state historic preservation tax credits have helped fuel downtown Cleveland’s revival.

A study by the National Park Service showed Ohio topped the nation for such projects in the 2015-2016 federal spending year with 103 projects, an investment totaling $365 million.

Of those, 10 projects are in Cleveland, and they totaled $128 million.

While downtown has seen its fair share of new structures — some more appealing than others (see above) — it’s good to know our region’s developers, architects and civic leaders continue to rely on Cleveland’s storied and gritty history for inspiration.

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

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Managing Editor:

Scott Suttell (ssuttell@crain.com)

Sections Editor:

Timothy Magaw (tmagaw@crain.com)

Contact Crain’s:

216-522-1383

As a business owner in Cleveland as well as other cities, I spend a lot of time thinking about return on investment (ROI).

It’s a financial term that when used in public education can make some people feel uncomfortable. Students and teachers are not units or widgets, and running schools is not a business — or so the thinking goes. Many would argue that the educational process of expanding a child’s mind and equipping them for a lifelong love of learning simply can’t be reduced to numbers.

I agree that teaching is an art form, that children are unique, and that K-12 public education — as a public good — cannot and should not be reduced to balance sheets alone. Yet we see the results of a poor education very much in terms of numbers.

These are cold, hard facts that we must contend with and eventually pay for. Low percentages of students who can’t read or do math at grade level lead to high dropout rates, which give way A 2016 labor to discouraging numbers on unemployment and crime, a swelling market prison population, and an ultimate analysis of breakdown of healthy communities. The cost of all this is emotion- Cleveland and al, physical and, yes, economic.

Cuyahoga Recognizing these trends and patterns is partly what motivates County shows me to volunteer for Breakthrough that just 15% Schools, a nonprofit network of public charter schools in Cleve- of residents in land serving 3,400 students in 11 schools in some of our city’s the city of neediest areas. Nearly all Break- Cleveland have through students are students of color, and eight of 10 are low-in- a bachelor’s come. degree or Despite the challenges they bring with them to school each higher — half day, including many coming to the rate of school several years behind, its schools are in the top third of all Cuyahoga schools in the city for academic County. performance. Breakthrough is ranked among the best charter networks in the state and is doing its part to change lives and get many first-generation students equipped for high school and college. This also has the long-term benefit of helping to revitalize neighborhoods and to prepare young people to contribute meaningfully to our local workforce.

An increasing number of jobs require postsecondary education, and Cleveland lags the surrounding region on these metrics. A 2016 labor market analysis of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County shows that just 15% of residents in the city of Cleveland have a bachelor’s degree or higher — half the rate of Cuyahoga County. Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 Cleveland residents live at or below the federal poverty line.

To escape poverty, Cleveland families need access to decent-paying jobs. Access to those jobs is made possible through a postsecondary education or meaningful workforce training — both of which rely on a high-quality K-12 education. Breakthrough is providing that education, offering hope to families that their students may reach greater heights one day.

This is a dream that all parents, rich or poor, have for their children.

SEE MORENO, PAGE 11

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 letters@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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Web Talk Re: Future of Global Center for Health Innovation This project was a “build it and we will figure out what to do with it” endeavor.

Rather than identify what it would be used for that would be sustainable, we forced the issue and hoped that somehow it would be OK. This project will continue to be a drain on the county.

— 172684 (A major problem is) you have county people with no experience in health care running it. There are so many companies that would bring great outcomes to the center if they didn't have to go through the red tape of the county. We need to look at who sits on the board and what their experience is in health care. Just because you are a name in the city does not make you the right fit for this center. ...

We need to have more private investment and input into running the Global Center.

— Wendy Fitos

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MORENO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Despite their schools’ impressive scores and high parental satisfaction rates, their charter schools as well as all Ohio charter schools receive, on average, two-thirds as much funding as traditional public schools. This means that Breakthrough has to raise significant private capital in order to fill the gap and provide the quality of education their students deserve.

As a donor, I see this firsthand and can say that such a funding model is not only unfair, it is unsustainable.

While some politicians or opponents of change like to suggest charter schools like Breakthrough’s are “draining” funds from traditional districts, they forget that those educational dollars don’t belong to institutions. They belong to children. From a business point of view, we should be investing in what’s working.

Two years ago, the Ohio Legislature did just that when it created a competitive grant fund for high-performing charter schools to purchase or remodel school facilities. The $25 million fund had rigorous parameters and ended up providing much-needed support to Ohio’s best charters, like Breakthrough, which won $6.5 million to continue growing and expanding. The Ohio House of Representatives did the right thing recently when it made funds left over from that grant cycle available to great schools again.

But they should take it a step further and reinstate the grant program for this budget cycle as well. Breakthrough aims to serve almost 5,000 students at full capacity. Although strong partnerships with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District have eased the burden slightly, making it easier for Breakthrough to access some public school buildings, there are many additional costs involved. Charter schools in Ohio have to dip into already-limited operations funding in order to purchase or renovate facilities — a challenge traditional schools never have to face.

The Ohio Legislature should continue to recognize and reward excellence, and make it easier for those with a track record of great performance to continue their good work. Continuing the competitive facilities grant program is one such way to get a solid return on investment. Breakthrough is accomplishing results for kids that so few are able to achieve, setting them up for success in high school, college and eventually the workforce. Shouldn’t we recognize what’s working and invest our public dollars accordingly?

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FOCUS

F

rom CEOs and politicians to philanthropists and entrepreneurs, Crain’s Who’s Who list is just a snapshot of those making an impact on Northeast Ohio. There were no specific criteria used, but our editorial team huddled and determined which leaders we thought every person doing business in the region should know. Special consideration was given to those who go well beyond their official roles to make the region a better place to live and do business.

WHO’S WHO IN NEO 1. David T. Abbott

Executive director, The George Gund Foundation Highlighted involvement: The Fund For Our Economic Future, Team NEO In the news: The George Gund Foundation remains one of the region’s powerful foundations, doling out significant funding for the arts, education, economic development and human services. Late last year, the foundation won the Ruth Ratner Miller Award from the Downtown Cleveland Alliance for its substantial support of downtown’s improvement efforts.

2. Virginia C. Addicott

President and CEO, FedEx Custom Critical Highlighted involvement: Kent State University, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron Community Foundation In the news: Addicott joined FedEx Custom Critical in 1986 and rose through ranks, taking on the top role in 2007. She has since become one of the most active and philanthropic leaders in Northeast Ohio, and, in particular, a champion for women in the business world.

3. Craig Arnold

Chairman and CEO, Eaton Corp.

Highlighted involvement: University Hospitals, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: About a year ago, Arnold succeeded Sandy Cutler as CEO of the diversified power management company.

Arnold is the only African-American CEO of a Northeast Ohio public company, and a large one at that. With a market capitalization of more than $30 billion, Eaton is the largest company in the region.

4. Jodi Berg

5. Ronald M. Berkman

President, Cleveland State University Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Playhouse Square, Downtown Cleveland Alliance In the news: Since Berkman arrived in 2009, Cleveland State has seen a growth in enrollment and the expansion of several of its academic offerings. Most recently, the university announced the creation of a film school, which will be housed on the sixth floor of the Idea Center studio in Playhouse Square, following a partnership with ideastream.

6. Julie A. Boland

Managing partner, Cleveland, Ernst & Young Highlighted involvement: Achievement Centers for Children, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: Boland became the first female managing partner of Ernst & Young’s Cleveland office in 2014. The company is by far the region’s largest accounting firm, as it employs about 1,300 professionals in the Cleveland market, including roughly 300 CPAs.

7. Dr. Akram Boutros

President and CEO, The MetroHealth System Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: Boutros has been credited with the financial and operational overhaul at MetroHealth since he joined in 2013, and now he’s setting his sights on the health system’s physical transformation at a cost of about $1 billion.

The wide-ranging physical transformation will include the construction of a new 12-story, 270-bed hospital to replace the system’s aging patient towers.

8. Sherrod Brown U.S. Senate, Ohio, Democrat

Highlighted involvement: Senate Banking, House and Urban Affairs Committee; Veterans’ Affairs and Finance committees In the news: Brown emerged as a vocal critic of the Trump administration, particularly when it comes to urging the president to keep his promises concerning trade and infrastructure. He’s also expressed frustration over Trump backing off his promise to declare China as a currency manipulator.

9. Armond Budish

County executive, Cuyahoga County Highlighted involvement: Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, County Commissioners Association of Ohio, Early Childhood Partnership Council In the news: In his recent state of the county address, Budish said his administration has saved taxpayers $100 million and that he expects to add $150 million in savings over the next five years. Also, Budish has defended at length the county’s role in helping to finance the $140 million upgrade of Quicken Loans Arena.

10. Joseph A. Calabrese

President and CEO, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

President and CEO, Vitamix Corp.

Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Team NEO, YPO Gold In the news: Berg is the great-granddaughter of Vitamix founder William G. “Papa” Barnard and has been credited with leading the maker of high-performance blender’s expansion into international markets. The last few years have proven to be particularly fruitful for the company because of the increased interest in healthy foods and wellness.

Highlighted involvement: American Public Transportation Association, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Downtown Cleveland Improvement Inc. In the news: RTA, under Calabrese’s leadership, had a very public spat with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson over whether buses should be routed through the newly renovated Public Square. The mayor had argued, to no avail, a closure was a requirement for public safety, though RTA said the closure would have caused operational and financial problems.

11. Rick Chiricosta

President and CEO, Medical Mutual of Ohio Highlighted involvement: Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: Last year, Medical Mutual of Ohio acquired the group and individual insurance business of HealthSpan Partners.

The move strengthened Medical Mutual’s position as the largest health insurer in the market.

12. Paul Clark

Regional president, Cleveland, PNC Bank Highlighted involvement: Musical Arts Association, University Circle Inc., University Hospitals In the news: After a four-decade stint in the region’s banking sector and deep involvement in its civic circles, Clark is one of the most recognizable businessmen. PNC, meanwhile, is one of four banks involved in Mayor Frank Jackson’s $65 million neighborhood investment program.

13. William Considine

President and CEO, Akron Children’s Hospital Highlighted involvement: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, Greater Akron Chamber In the news: Considine is one of the longest-tenured hospital CEOs in the country.

As for the hospital, it’s in the midst of an ongoing construction project that will add 230,000 square feet to its Considine Professional Building, an $84 million project.

14. Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove President and CEO, Cleveland Clinic

Highlighted involvement: Cuyahoga Community College, Greater Cleveland Partnership, BDT Capital Partners In the news: Once again, Cosgrove was a leading contender to take over the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but he ultimately pulled his name out of the running.

Cosgrove announced in May that after 13 years he would transition out of his role at the Clinic later this year.

15. Edward F. Crawford

Chairman and CEO, Park-Ohio Holdings Corp.

Highlighted involvement: n/a In the news: As the Republican party’s finance chairman in Ohio, Crawford led the state effort to raise money to elect Donald Trump president. He also was part of the Ohio delegation at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

16. Fred Cummings

President, Elizabeth Park Capital Management Highlighted involvement: Laurel School, The Marshall Project In the news: Every one in the local investment community knows Cummings — and if they don’t, they should. Elizabeth Park Capital, named after the north Akron neighborhood in which Cummings grew up, is a single-strategy hedge fund launched in 2008 that has been particularly successful.

17. Jenniffer D. Deckard President and CEO, Fairmount Santrol

Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Foundation, RPM International, The EDWINS Foundation In the news: The fracking industry seems to be having a bit of a rebound, which is good news for Fairmount Santrol. Also, Deckard and her husband, Daryl, have backed a program at Cleveland State that provides educational opportunities for people aging out of foster care.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 18. Paul Dolan

Part owner, chairman and CEO, Cleveland Indians Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Clinic, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland

20. Umberto P. Fedeli CEO, The Fedeli Group

Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Clinic, Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation

In the news: Last year was a busy one for the Cleveland Indians, as the Dolan family sold a minority stake of the enterprise to John Sherman, a Kansas City entrepreneur, which resulted in a welcome cash infusion for the team. Also, shortly after the Indians’ first World Series berth since 1997, the Tribe learned it would host the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.

In the news: After more than 35 years in the insurance brokerage and consulting business, Fedeli earlier this year handed over the president portion of his title to Fedeli Group newcomer Scott Wick. The move, Fedeli said, allows him to spend more time with clients and work on other strategies and investments.

19. Art J. Falco

21. José C. Feliciano Sr.

President and CEO, Playhouse Square Highlighted involvement: Destination Cleveland, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Playhouse Square District Development Corp.

In the news: Last year, Playhouse Square polished off a more than $5 million renovation of its historic Ohio Theatre lobby, built in 1921 and destroyed by a fire in the 1960s. The project is one of many being funded through a $100 million fundraising campaign launched publicly in 2014.

Chair, The Hispanic Roundtable

Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Clinic, Commission on Economic Inclusion In the news: Feliciano, who retired recently from BakerHostetler, continues to lead the Hispanic Roundtable, which is designed to empower the Hispanic community. Thousands attended last fall’s Convención Hispana, which the organization hosts every three years, to voice their thoughts on the need for social change.

Congratulations to Bill Considine.

Thank you for making our kids and our community your priority.

22. William D. Friedman

President and CEO, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Highlighted involvement: American Great Lakes Ports Association, Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., Green Marine In the news: Last year was not a banner year for shipping through the docks along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, but that trend mirrored the shipping industry as a whole. As for the Port, it recently announced it would spend $6 million in federal dollars to rehabilitate structurally deficient bulkheads at the Cleveland Bulk Terminal.

23. Marcia Fudge

U.S. House of Representatives, 11th district, Democrat Highlighted involvement: House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Education and the Workforce In the news: Fudge, like the other Democratic members of the Ohio delegation, has emerged as a fierce critic of the Trump administration. On the local level, she came out in favor of the plan to overhaul Quicken Loans Arena at a cost of $140 million — a project that will be split between the Cavs and taxpayers.

24. Karen Gahl-Mills

CEO and executive director, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Destination Cleveland, United States Urban Arts Federation In the news: Gahl-Mills remains one of the most powerful figures in the arts community, as the political subdivision she leads distributes cigarette tax revenue through grants to local arts organization. The organization is trudging through some high-profile strategy work to decide how it should tweak its grantmaking strategy to have the greatest and most equitable impact.

25. Fred and Greg Geis Geis Cos., Hemingway Development

Highlighted involvement: (Fred) Geis Foundation, Destination Cleveland, Global Cleveland; (Greg), n/a In the news: The Geis brothers are two of the recognizable real estate developers in town. One of their most notable projects as of late is the restoration of the Ameritrust Fred Geis Greg Geis complex that now houses The 9. Last year, The Plain Dealer reported, the Geis brothers amicably restructured the ownership of Geis Cos. Fred sold his stake to Greg, and Greg gave up his position in Hemingway Development.

26. Jay A. Gershen

President, Northeast Ohio Medical University Highlighted involvement: Greater Akron Chamber, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education In the news: Gershen is leading a medical school that in May 2016 launched its fifth area of research focus: Neurodegenerative Diseases and Aging. The focus group initially will study Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma. His seven-year tenure at NEOMED is highlighted by a $166 million campus expansion.

27. Dan Gilbert

Majority owner, Cleveland Cavaliers; founder and chairman, Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures LLC Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Clinic, Children’s Hospital Foundation, Children’s Tumor Foundation

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In the news: In 2015-16, when Gilbert’s Cavaliers snapped the city’s 52-year drought without a major pro sports championship, he funded a payroll of more than $160 million, including $54 million in luxury taxes.

Gilbert’s tax bill for the 2016-17 Cavs is in line to be about half that, but Cleveland again had the league’s largest payroll (almost $127 million before taxes) — and again the Cavs are poised for an NBA Finals run.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 28. David Gilbert

President and CEO, Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Highlighted involvement: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Greater Cleveland Film Commission, International Children’s Games In the news: Gilbert did double (triple?) duty leading up to and during the 2016 Republican National Convention, serving as the president and CEO of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. The city was lauded as a terrific host, and Gilbert said afterward that a “switch has finally flipped and Clevelanders are believing in their own town.”

29. Lourenco Goncalves

Chairman, president and CEO, Cliffs Natural Resources Highlighted involvement: American Iron and Steel Institute In the news: The head of the largest iron-ore producer in the U.S. had said he believed Donald Trump’s pledge to focus on infrastructure building and crack down on unfair trade would give a needed boost to the steel industry.

That hasn’t been the case yet. In late April, after Cliffs reported a first-quarter loss and cut its 2017 outlook, the company’s shares dropped below $7.

30. Marcie Goodman

Executive director, Cleveland International Film Festival Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Film Commission In the news: The film festival’s total attendance of 106,504 in 2017 is more than triple its gate numbers from 2003, when Goodman was in her second year as executive director. CIFF41 reported $167,350 in matched donations for a festival with 202 feature films, 216 shorts and 325 guest filmmakers.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 31. Eric Gordon

CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District Highlighted involvement: Council of the Great City Schools, United Way of Greater Cleveland, ideastream In the news: The school district’s 15-mill renewal levy passed by a wide margin in November. A few weeks prior, Gordon, who was promoted from chief academic officer to CEO in 2011, was named “Urban Educator of the Year” by the Council of the Great City Schools.

32. Carl Grassi

Chairman, McDonald Hopkins

OUR HOME SINCE 1847 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) is celebrating 170 years in 2017. For nearly two centuries, Cliffs has navigated through major world events, economic recessions and eras of SURÀWDEOH JURZWK DQG JUHDW SURVSHULW\ Today, Cliffs is the largest and oldest iron ore mining company in the United States. Thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of our past and present employees, Cliffs looks forward to serving our customers for many more decades.

Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Greater Cleveland Film Commission, BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence In the news: Last October, Grassi transitioned from McDonald Hopkins’ president, a role he had served for more than nine years, to chairman. He remains on the Cleveland law firm’s executive committee. Grassi said the elevation of Shawn Riley was “a carefully crafted transition that has been in the planning stages for quite some time.”

33. André Gremillet

Executive director, Cleveland Orchestra Highlighted involvement: University Circle Inc. In the news: Gremillet, who has been at the helm of the orchestra since January 2016, has been tasked with improving the bottom line of an organization that reported a $2.4 million deficit for the last fiscal year. A key to that is the orchestra’s centennial celebration, a 16-month event that kicks off in September.

34. Tricia Griffith

cliffsnaturalresources.com

President and CEO, Progressive Corp.

Highlighted involvement: n/a

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2017 Crain’s Cleveland Business’ award and recognition programs honor those throughout the Northeast Ohio community who are excelling and thriving in their industry.

CrainsCleveland.com/Nominations

Celebrating Northeast Ohio

In the news: Griffith was elevated to CEO of the nation’s fourth-largest auto insurer on July 1, following the retirement of Glenn Renwick. Near the close of 2016, she was the lone Northeast Ohio representative to be named to Fortune magazine’s list of the most powerful women in business. Griffith checked in at No. 18.

35. William Griswold

Director and president, Cleveland Museum of Art Highlighted involvement: American Federation of Arts, American Friends of the Shanghai Museum, University Circle Inc. In the news: The museum celebrated its centennial throughout 2016, and its ninth annual Solstice begins June 24. Another big item on Griswold’s agenda: Joining his fellow Northeast Ohio art museum leaders in a fight against Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate national endowments for the arts and humanities.

36. Brian Hall

Senior vice president, Greater Cleveland Partnership; executive director; Commission on Economic Inclusion, Cleveland Highlighted involvement: The Presidents Council Foundation, Cleveland Water Alliance, University Hospitals

We are pleased to honor our Chairman, Carl Grassi, and to celebrate the Who's Who in Northeast Ohio. These exceptional people help make this region a distinctive and special place.

In the news: The commission’s latest report showed that the percentage of minority employees among Greater Cleveland Partnership members surveyed grew to 26% from 22% a year earlier and that minorities in senior management grew to 14.5% from 9%.

37. Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna IV

President of real estate brokerage, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Highlighted involvement: North Coast Community Homes, Hathaway Brown School, University School

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In the news: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services continues to grow. It became the No. 1 residential real estate firm in Western New York in the past year and it continues to expand its Hanna Commercial Real Estate business, purchasing Pepper Pike’s Kelly & Visconsi late in 2015.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 38. Greg Harris

President and CEO, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Highlighted involvement: Great Lakes Science Center, Destination Cleveland In the news: Harris is leading a major transformation effort at the Rock Hall, both physically and from an operations standpoint. In terms of physical transformations, the Rock Hall’s efforts got a $9 million boost with a gift from Chris and Sara Connor. In recognition of the gift, a new interactive theater will open this summer bearing the Connor name.

39. Jimmy and Dee Haslam Owners, Cleveland Browns

Highlighted involvement: Haslam Scholars Program at the University of Tennessee, National Association of Truck Stop Operators In the news: Following a 1-15 season that was the worst in franchise history, the Haslams — instead of yet another regime change — stayed the course with Sashi Jimmy Haslam Dee Haslam Brown and Hue Jackson. In late April, the team’s 10-player draft class earned positive reviews around the league.

40. Michael Hilton

President, CEO, Nordson Corp.

THE CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Board of Directors proudly recognizes Executive Director

MARCIE GOODMAN FOR HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY.

Highlighted involvement: Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, Magnet, Friends of Breakthrough Schools In the news: So far this year, Nordson has completed three acquisitions and announced one more. The most recently announced is a portion of Vention Medical for more than $700 million. “The important thing is to strategically know what you’re interested in, to establish relationships early, and to be there when everybody’s ready and take advantage of it,” Hilton said.

41. Dan Horrigan Mayor, Akron

35th Anniversary

Highlighted involvement: Downtown Akron Partnership, Ohio Mayors Alliance In the news: In his short time in office, Horrigan created the Akron Growth Committee to rally the city’s sluggish economy and the Akron Civil Rights Commission to protect against discrimination. Horrigan succeeded the venerable Don Plusquellic, who served as Akron’s mayor for 28 years.

PROMOTE.

35th Anniversary

CLEVELAND BUSINESS VOL. 36, NO. 47

NOVEMBER 23 - NOVEMBER 29, 2015

35th Anniversary ALLYSON O’KEEFE, 37 Partner; Porter Wright

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

VOL. 36, NO. 47

NOVEMBER 23 - NOVEMBER 29, 2015 Allyson O’Keefe started her legal career at Porter Wright in 2004 after completing a summer internship there as a Case Western Reserve University law student. Since then, she has worked on many significant deals across Cleveland, including Flats East Bank, The Metropolitan at the 9, Uptown in University Circle and Steelyard Commons, and has been promoted to real estateALLYSON partner.

O’KEEFE, 37 “Young professionals who live downtown are so excited about the city,” said O’Keefe, a Partner; Porter Columbus native who lived downtown forWright 10 years before moving to Rocky River. “The ones who aren’t from here are often more excited about it. When you move here from somewhere else, you don’t for granted.”

VOL. 36, NO. take 47 it Allyson NOVEMBER 23 - NOVEMBER 29, 2015 O’Keefe started her legal career at Porter Wright in 2004 after completing a sumWhen O’Keefe is not working or spending time with her husband and two children, she can mer internship there as a Case Western Reserve University law student. Since then, she has be found volunteering on the boards of nonprofit organizations and watching college football. worked on many significant deals across Cleveland, including Flats East Bank, The Metropolitan at the 9, Uptown in University Circle and Steelyard Commons, and has been proWHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT YOUR WORK? moted to real estateALLYSON partner.

O’KEEFE, Just seeing what Cleveland has gone through in the time that I’ve 37 been here, there’s obvious“Young professionals who live downtown are so excited about the city,” said O’Keefe, a ly a lot of excitement around real estatePartner; development.

I started in 2004 when we were crazy Porter Columbus native who lived downtown for Wright 10 years before moving to Rocky River. “The ones busy with development. That was sort of the boom from ’04 through ’08. I saw it go through who aren’t from here are often more excited about it. When you move here from somewhere the downturn, then I saw it rise again, even stronger than before locally. else, you don’t take it for granted.”

Allyson O’Keefe started her legal career at Porter Wright in 2004 after completing a sumWhen O’Keefe is not working or spending time with her husband and two children, she can mer internship as a Case Western Reserve University law student. Since then, she has MANY OF THE PROJECTS YOU WORKED ON there ARE MIXED-USE URBAN PROJECTS. IS be found volunteering on the boards of nonprofit organizations and watching college football. worked on many significant deals across Cleveland, including Flats East Bank, The THAT AN AREA OF EXPERTISE? Metropolitan at the 9, Uptown in every University and Steelyard Commons, and has been proYes, definitely. Real estate is extremely interesting because deal Circle is differWHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT YOUR WORK? moted to real estate ent. You can never get bored because there’s so partner. much variety there, from tax Just seeing what Cleveland has gone through in the time that I’ve been here, there’s obvious“Young who live downtown so excited about the city,” said O’Keefe, a credits to historic renovations, from professionals ground-up development to rehab, are from ly a lot of excitement around real estate development. I started in 2004 when we were crazy mixed-use to residential. Columbus native who lived downtown for 10 years before moving to Rocky River. “The ones busy with development. That was sort of the boom from ’04 through ’08. I saw it go through who aren’t from here are often more excited about it. When you move here from somewhere the downturn, then I saw it rise again, even stronger than before locally. else, you LEADERSHIP don’t take it for granted.”

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O’KeefeI expect is not working or spending timeI work, with her husband and two children, she can I definitely believe in leadingWhen by example. the people with whom MANY OF THE PROJECTS YOU WORKED ON ARE MIXED-USE URBAN PROJECTS. IS be found volunteering on the very boards of nonprofit and watching college football. my associates, to work hard, and they see me working hard.

For me, it’sorganizations all THAT AN AREA OF EXPERTISE? about working hard and doing good work.

Yes, definitely. Real estate is extremely interesting because every deal is differWHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT YOUR WORK? ent. You can never get bored because there’s so much variety there, from tax Just WHAT seeingWAS whatITCleveland has gone the time that I’ve been here, there’s obviousWHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: LIKE TO WORK WITHthrough O’KEEFEinON credits to historic renovations, from ground-up development to rehab, from ly a lot of excitement around real estate development. I started in 2004 when we were crazy THE FLATS EAST BANK PROJECT? mixed-use to residential. busy with development. sort of the boom from ’04 through ’08. I saw it go through “Allyson is extremely bright and quick witted, butThat whatwas truly distinguishes her the downturn, then I saw itpeople rise again, even from most successful attorneys is her exceptional skills.

Shestronger has an than before locally.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? uncanny ability to encourage the ‘adversaries’ in her negotiations to work in I definitely believe in leading by example. I expect the people with whom I work, OF THE PROJECTS YOU WORKED concert with her to achieve win/winMANY solutions to difficult problems,” said ON ARE MIXED-USE UR my associates, to work hard, and they see me working very hard. For me, it’s all THAT AN AREA EXPERTISE?of the Scott Wolstein, CEO of Starwood Retail Partners andOF co-developer about working hard and doing good work.

Yes, definitely. Real estate is extremely interesting because every deal is differFlats East Bank project. ent. You can never get bored because there’s so much variety there, from tax — Lee Chilcote WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH O’KEEFE ON credits to historic renovations, from ground-up development to rehab, from THE FLATS EAST BANK PROJECT? mixed-use to residential.

“Allyson is extremely bright and quick witted, but what truly distinguishes her successfulInc. attorneys is reserved. her exceptional people skills. She has an Reprinted with permission from the Crain's Cleveland Business. © 2015from Crainmost Communications All Rights HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? ability to encourage the ‘adversaries’ in her negotiations to work in Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visituncanny www.crainscleveland.com. #CC15040

I definitely believe in leading by example. I expect the people with whom I work, concert with her to achieve win/win solutions to difficult problems,” said my associates, to work hard, and they see me working very hard. For me, it’s all Scott Wolstein, CEO of Starwood Retail Partners and co-developer of the about working hard and doing good work.

Flats East Bank project.

— Lee Chilcote WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WORK W THE FLATS EAST BANK PROJECT? “Allyson is extremely bright and quick witted, but what truly distinguishes her successfulInc. attorneys her exceptional people skills. She has an Reprinted with permission from the Crain's Cleveland Business. © 2015from Crainmost Communications All Rightsisreserved. ability to encourage the ‘adversaries’ in her negotiations to work in Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visituncanny www.crainscleveland.com. #CC15040 concert with her to achieve win/win solutions to difficult problems,” said Scott Wolstein, CEO of Starwood Retail Partners and co-developer of the Flats East Bank project.

Reprinted with permission from the Crain's Cleveland Business. © 2015 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. www.crainscleveland.com.

Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www. ww crainscleveland.com. #CC15040

42. Frank Jackson Mayor, Cleveland

Highlighted involvement: United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: In May, Jackson kicked of a $65 million program to boost both housing and commercial development beyond downtown, in targeted city neighborhoods.

He also squabbled recently with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority over whether to re-open Public Square to bus traffic. Last fall, Jackson announced he would seek an unprecedented fourth term.

Shout out to Rock Hall President and CEO,

GREG HARRIS !

43. LeBron James

Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Hustles, LeBron James Family Foundation In the news: As if leading Cleveland to its first professional sports championship in 52 years weren’t enough, James’ foundation and the Akron Public Schools announced recently they were teaming up to design a new Akron public school called the I PROMISE School.

The school is following suit with the foundation’s program to help some of the city’s most challenged students.

44. Alex Johnson

President, Cuyahoga Community College Highlighted involvement: American Association of Community Colleges, Commission on Economic Inclusion, Greater Cleveland Partnership In the news: Tri-C is leading the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Carl Stokes election as the first black mayor of the city of Cleveland. “By honoring the work of the past and inspiring greater work in the years to come, the future of Cleveland will be bright,” Johnson wrote in Crain’s this year.

Photo by Henry Diltz

1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44114 | rockhall.com

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 45. Charles Jones

President and CEO, FirstEnergy Corp.

Highlighted involvement: Greater Akron Chamber, Team NEO, Youth Opportunities Unlimited In the news: FirstEnergy has been attempting to get out of the market for competitive generation, where its older, coal-fired power plants have difficulty competing with producers running on natural gas. The company has made some progress in Ohio where state regulators gave the company the ability to collect an additional $200 million a year from ratepayers, through at least 2019.

46. Joe Kanfer

47. Marcy Kaptur

U.S. House of Representatives, 9th district, Democrat

In the news: Kaptur is among three dozen Midwestern Democrats, and one Republican, who in April urged the Trump administration not to close a regional Environmental Protection Agency office in Chicago that oversees the bulk of the nation’s fresh water supply that stems from the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed.

48. Janet Kavandi

Director, NASA John H. Glenn Research Center

In the news: Kanfer’s company recently expanded products to include Purell soap in addition to surface disinfecting and sanitizing sprays. He told the Akron Beacon Journal in February that Purell hand sanitizer took nearly a decade to turn a profit, noting, cheekily, if he worked at a large public company, he would’ve been fired. “Being private, we can take a longer-term view,” he said.

Current and former Cleveland office partners-in-charge, Jones Day

Highlighted involvement: House Appropriations Committee

Chairman and CEO, GOJO Industries Highlighted involvement: StarVest Partners, Bits and Atoms Innovation Center, Lippman Kanfer Philanthropies

49. Heather Lennox and Chris Kelly

Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Great Lakes Science Center, Case Western Reserve University In the news: The research center is involved with testing the European Space Agency’s service module for Orion, a craft designed for the next generation of space travel, which could include sending humans to Mars. “Ohio has figured prominently in the nation’s space program,” she told an audience at a recent event in Columbus, according to the Norwalk Reflector.

Highlighted involvement: (Lennox) Greater Cleveland Partnership, Playhouse Square, BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence; (Kelly) United Way of Greater Cleveland, Musical Arts Association, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In the news: Lennox was a lead lawyer on Detroit’s historic municipal bankruptcy case, for which a plan for adjustment was approved in late 2014. Kelly was one of four co-chairs for Cleveland’s 2016 RNC host committee that helped bring the event to the city.

Lennox

Kelly

50. Robert Klonk CEO, Oswald Cos.

Highlighted involvement: The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Northeast Ohio Medical University, The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission In the news: Klonk, who became CEO in 2013, is an expert when it comes to health care policy and will no doubt have plenty to say in the coming months as the Republicans look to piece together a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. As for the bill that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives? Klonk told The Plain Dealer, “Right now, there’s not a lot of negativity in this for employers.”

51. Stewart Kohl Co-CEO, The Riverside Co.

Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Clinic, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Oberlin College In the news: Riverside recently announced a partnership with Cleveland investment firm Parkwood LLC, which bought a 10% stake in the private equity firm. The investment should allow Riverside to expand in various ways and could speed up the process to turning a profit in deals. “As the PE industry’s momentum and pace have picked up, it’s important for Riverside to be able to do that cycle more quickly,” Kohl told Crain’s. “This allows us to launch fund one at a larger scale, break even in fund one and hit profitability by fund two. Shortening that cycle is important to us.”

52. Len Komoroski

CEO, Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena Highlighted involvement: Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Downtown Cleveland Alliance

Michael F. Hilton

In the news: Komoroski, who has been with the organization since 2003, has been the Cavs’ point person in negotiations with the city and Cuyahoga County over the much-debated transformation of Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs are hoping to start dramatic renovations on the soon-to-be 23-year-old arena after the playoffs.

53. Richard Kramer

President & CEO

CEO, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Highlighted involvement: John Carroll University, Akron Regional Chamber of Commerce, Akron Tomorrow

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MIKE HILTON! Thank you for your outstanding leadership and inspiring our global team.

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In the news: Goodyear saw this year’s first-quarter income fall 8% on the heels of higher rubber prices coupled with weak demand, yet the CEO remains measuredly optimistic about the business. “While raw-material inflation has moderated in recent weeks, we continue to expect a significant year-over-year headwind in 2017,” Kramer told Rubber & Plastics News. “We remain confident in our ability to offset raw-material cost inflation over time.”

54. Kyle Kutuchief

Akron program director, Knight Foundation Highlighted involvement: n/a In the news: Reimagining the Civic Commons, a national effort that drew one of four $5 million grants to Akron to revitalize public space along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, has been a major focus for Kutuchief at Knight. “By transforming these community-owned physical spaces, we hope to prove that thoughtfully designed, well maintained public places can help bring people together across seemingly intractable economic, social and cultural divides,” Kutuchief wrote alongside co-authors in a recent editorial in Philanthropy Daily.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 55. Ray Leach

Founding CEO, JumpStart Inc. Highlighted involvement: VentureOhio, Smithers Group, Global Center for Health Innovation In the news: Leach has earned a slew of industry accolades, including, recently, Ohio’s 2017 Economic Opportunity Award and the National Venture Capital Association’s American Spirit Award. “It’s also important to point out that this work would not have been possible without the long-term vision of our state government — particularly the Ohio Third Frontier — who has been one of our largest and most-valued supporters,” Leach said in a statement about the former honor.

56. Christopher Mapes

Chairman, president and CEO, Lincoln Electric Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, National Association of Manufacturers, Magnet In the news: Mapes has long been vocal about the need to get the next generation interested in manufacturing and welding careers, which has increasingly gotten the company attention as the skills gap becomes a more pressing need. On the business side, Lincoln Electric is looking to grow, with plans for a $125 million acquisition of Air Liquide Welding.

57. Ari, Jori and Rick Maron Partners, MRN Ltd.

Highlighted involvement: n/a In the news: MRN Ltd. has been a driving force in Cleveland’s renaissance and earned Ari Maron Jori Maron Rick Maron national accolades for so. The developer, for instance, has been behind projects like the revival of East 4th Street into a residential and dining destination and the renovation of the former Tudor Arms Hotel in University Circle.

58. Andy Mattes

President and CEO, Diebold Nixdorf Highlighted involvement: n/a

Brag.

Did your company have a stellar year? :g Z] bg <kZbg l bl ma^ [^lm pZr mh [hZlm mh ma^ <e^o^eZg] [nlbg^ll \hffngbmr' ;HHD RHNK := MH=:R MH KNG BG HNK ;>LM BLLN>L' Contact Nicole Mastrangelo • nmastrangelo@crain.com • 216-771-5158

In the news: Mattes has made several changes at the ATM company since becoming CEO in 2013, notably putting a focus on services and software and making a push into retail markets. The biggest shift occurred last summer, when Diebold Inc. merged with Wincor Nixdorf AG, creating a giant in the ATM market.

Your leadership serves as an inspiration to all of us.

Huntington congratulates Cleveland Regional President, Sean Richardson, for being recognized by Crain’s Who’s Who: 100 Names to Know in Northeast Ohio.

Sean Richardson Huntington Cleveland Regional President

We would also like to congratulate all Crain’s Who’s Who: 100 Names to Know in Northeast Ohio honorees for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the community and for making our region that much better.

Member FDIC. ® and Huntington® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Huntington.® Welcome.SM is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. © 2017 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 59. Stephen McHale, Charlie Lougheed, Anil Jain Founders, Explorys, an IBM company

Highlighted involvement: (Stephen) Center for Families and Children, North Coast Angel Fund, Global Center for Health Innovation; (Charlie) Friends of Breakthrough Schools, Galen Foundation; (Anil) Federal Health IT Advisory Committee

McHale

Lougheed

In the news: The Cleveland Clinic spinoff Explorys, a software company that focused on health care data analytics, was acquired by IBM in 2015 and has continued to grow under its new owners. Work is underway on a new IBM building near the Clinic campus at East 105th Street and Cedar Avenue that will house Explorys.

Jain

60. Darrell L. McNair

62. Steve Millard

CEO, MVP Plastics Inc.

Highlighted involvement: Port of Cleveland, Minority Development Financing Advisory Board, Presidents’ Council Business Chamber

Executive director, Council of Smaller Enterprises; Executive vice president, Greater Cleveland Partnership

President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Clinic, Financial Intermediation Research Society In the news: Mester has been a vocal proponent of the idea of the Fed raising interest rates and lowering its balance sheet in recent months, assuming the U.S. economy continues to improve.

Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp

Highlighted involvement: Greater Cleveland Partnership, Catalyst, United Way of Greater Cleveland

Highlighted involvement: Presidents’ Council Business Chamber, Fund For Our Economic Future

In the news: McNair has been busy in recent years, expanding his custom injection molding business to better serve automotive customers. He also made headlines when he purchased and leased back the headquarters of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland through an affiliate.

61. Loretta J. Mester

63. Beth E. Mooney

In the news: COSE and GCP have become more closely intertwined in recent years as the organization focused on small businesses saw membership shrink. The Affordable Care Act meant that COSE members had more options for low-cost insurance, which used to be a major part of the services COSE provided.

Passion. city pride. hard work. authentically great guy.

In the news: Mooney oversaw KeyCorp’s large acquisition of First Niagara Financial Group Inc., which closed in the summer of 2016. The deal, which initially was valued at more than $4 billion, added more than 300 branches and about $29 billion in deposits to KeyCorp.

64. Bernie Moreno President, Bernie Moreno Cos.

Highlighted involvement: Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, Greater Cleveland Partnership In the news: Moreno’s car dealership empire had grown in recent years, including a notable expansion in Streetsboro that started in 2014. But Moreno recently switched gears, downsizing by selling dealerships and putting a stronger focus on luxury brands.

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These are just a few reasons why we’re proud to know David.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 65. John G. Morikis

Chairman, president and CEO, Sherwin-Williams Co. Highlighted involvement: Fortune Brands, Joint Center for Housing Studies Policy Advisory Board at Harvard University, Greater Cleveland Partnership In the news: Sherwin-Williams is in the midst of a large change, as the paint and coatings giant — despite some regulatory pushback — is working to close the acquisition of Valspar Corp. at a price of about $11.3 billion. The deal is expected to close by early this summer.

66. Scott and Dean Mueller CEO/President, Dealer Tire

Highlighted involvement: (Scott) Cleveland Museum of Art, Greater Cleveland Partnership, MetroHealth Foundation; (Dean) Western Reserve Historical Society, Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland Animal Protective League In the news: Dealer Tire signed the biggest new office lease in Northeast Scott Mueller Dean Mueller Ohio for 2016 when it agreed to take over Victory Center in Midtown Cleveland. The move also gave the tire distribution company a reason to step into the limelight. During their first interview with Crain’s, the Mueller brothers revealed that Dealer Tire generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

67. Frederick R. Nance

Global managing partner, Squire Patton Boggs Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Greater Cleveland Partnership, RPM International Inc. In the news: On Jan. 1, Nance became the company’s global managing partner. Nance, who previously served as regional managing partner, now oversees 36 offices in 16 countries. He’s also been working on a notable deal, helping Cuyahoga County during negotiations related to the planned renovation of Quicken Loans Arena.

68. August A. Napoli Jr.

President and CEO, United Way of Greater Cleveland Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Council on World Affairs, City Club of Cleveland, Temple-Tifereth Israel In the news: Napoli was named president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Cleveland on Aug. 3, 2016. He came from the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he led the $320 million capital campaign that funded a massive construction and renovation project at the museum.

69. Aram Nerpouni

President and CEO, BioEnterprise Corp.

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Highlighted involvement: Cleveland School of Science and Medicine, Great Lakes Science Center In the news: Young health care companies in Northeast Ohio raised $198 million in venture capital last year. If you round up, you can say local health care startups have raised at least $200 million in venture capital every year for the past five years, according to data from BioEnterprise. The nonprofit revels in such data: It has been working to help local biomedical companies raise capital and grow since 2002.

70. Jon J. Pinney

Managing partner, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz

BOB STARK PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, STARK ENTERPRISES – 100 NAMES TO KNOW IN NORTHEAST OHIO –

Highlighted involvement: Destination Cleveland, FRONT Exhibition Company, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum In the news: Pinney and KJK had reason to celebrate when the Republican National Convention went off without a hitch. Pinney was the primary author of the bid for the RNC and served on the RNC host committee.

Plus, the law firm he leads put together hundreds of contracts related to the event. Another 2016 highlight: KJK assembled the deal that convinced Dealer Tire to take over Cleveland’s Victory Center building.

AND INSPIRE US EVERY DAY. — YOUR TEAM AT

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 71. Douglas E. Price III and Karen M. Paganini CEO/President, K&D Group

Proud to recognize Northeast Ohio’s Who’s Who

Highlighted involvement: (Doug) Mentor Harbor Yachting Club; (Karen) Downtown Cleveland Alliance, DCA Step Up Downtown Committee, Andrews Osborne Academy In the news: K&D has been in the news a lot lately, buying and Price Paganini renovating buildings in downtown Cleveland. The most prominent property? Terminal Tower. The Willoughby-based apartment developer and operator bought the landmark from Forest City for $38.5 million in 2016.

72. Bill Priemer

President and CEO, Hyland Software Highlighted involvement: John Carroll University, BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, 7signal In the news: Hyland is about to get a lot bigger.

Northeast Ohio’s largest software company will buy Lexmark International’s Perceptive Software business later this year. Perceptive, which has been cutting staff, had 500 employees at its main office near Kansas City, Kan., as of April 2016. Hyland also is in the process of expanding its headquarters in Westlake.

Business Advisors and Certified Public Accountants

73. Joe Pulizzi

Founder, Content Marketing Institute Highlighted involvement: The Orange Effect Foundation

216.363.0100 maloneynovotny.com

AT HOME. IN THE OFFICE. AT THE GYM. ON THE GO.

STAY CONNECTED.

Facebook.com/CrainsCleveland Twitter.com/CrainsCleveland Instagram.com/CrainsCleveland

In the news: Pulizzi is widely considered one of the top authorities in the world on content marketing, and his company hosts the annual Content Marketing World conference in Cleveland. He sold the Content Marketing Institute for $17.6 million to UBM plc of London in 2016 but continues to run the business.

74. Claiborne R. Rankin

Managing director, North Coast Angel Fund Highlighted involvement: Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc., Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Neuros Medical Inc. In the news: North Coast Angel Fund raised fresh capital last year, with help from the Ohio Third Frontier program. More good news came in August 2016, when Myriad Genetics announced it would acquire one of its portfolio companies, a Cincinnati-area biotech company called Assurex Health, for $225 million upfront plus an earn out that could reach $185 million.

75. James A. Ratner

Non-executive chairman, Forest City Realty Trust Highlighted involvement: Playhouse Square Foundation, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Museum of Art In the news: James A. Ratner replaced his brother, Charles A. Ratner, as chairman of Forest City on Jan. 1.

The previous month, the company announced it would eliminate the dual-class stock structure that gave its founding families control over the business.

The company has been selling its local properties to focus on bigger markets. For instance, in 2016 it sold Terminal Tower to K&D Group for $38.5 million.

76. Jim Renacci

U.S. House of Representatives, 16th district, Republican Highlighted involvement: House Ways and Means Committee, House Budget Committee In the news: Renacci is serving his fourth term representing Ohio’s 16th district. This spring, he entered Ohio’s 2018 gubernatorial race with a focus on his background in business.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 77. Ronald B. Richard

President and CEO, Cleveland Foundation Highlighted involvement: Global Cleveland, Evergreen Cooperatives, JobsOhio In the news: Richard, who has held senior management positions in governmental, private sector and nonprofit organizations, has led the foundation since 2003. He recently received the distinguished service award from the Council on Foundations, a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations.

78. Sean Richardson

Regional president, Cleveland market, Huntington Bank Highlighted involvement: College Now Greater Cleveland, Playhouse Square Foundation, University Circle Inc. In the news: Richardson previously served a similar role at FirstMerit, which Huntington acquired last summer. As the bank comes together, he has been tasked with growing the Cleveland market, which includes a heavy emphasis on the commercial business.

CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (TRI-C®)

APPLAUDS

DR. ALEX JOHNSON

79. Joe Roman

President and CEO, Greater Cleveland Partnership Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Magnet, BioEnterprise In the news: GCP is one of the nation’s largest metropolitan chambers of commerce and has more than 8,000 members. Its current focuses include maintaining competitive air service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, helping to reform public education in the city and continuing to support the development of Cleveland’s downtown business district, lakefront and other projects in the region.

CONGRATULATIONS on your recognition in Who’s Who: 100 names to know in Northeast Ohio.

tri-c.edu 216-987-6000

80. Chris Ronayne

Where futures begin

SM

President, University Circle Inc.

17-1549

Highlighted involvement: Port of Cleveland, Holden Parks Trust, Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association In the news: Since being named president in 2005, Ronayne and UCI have leveraged institutional assets in the growing employment district to help transform it into a mixed-use district.

Future Meet Your^ Clients

Crain’s 2017 event sponsorships are limited. To reap the benefits of the ultimate in-person marketing opportunity, contact Nicole Mastrangelo at 216-771-5158 or nmastrangelo@crain.com.

Thanks for making CLE greater.

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 81. Walt Rosebrough

82. Victor A. Ruiz

President and CEO, Steris

Executive director, Esperanza, Inc.

Highlighted involvement: AdvaMed, Health Insights, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In the news: Rosebrough has held leadership positions in most major business functions and has been a health care executive for more than 30 years, and CEO for more than 25.

Last year, Steris sold its unit known for hand sanitizers to SC Johnson and acquired Medisafe Holdings Ltd., a United Kingdom-based maker of washer/disinfector equipment and related consumables.

Highlighted involvement: Cuyahoga Community College In the news: Esperanza’s board last summer approved a new strategic plan to expand its work from its historic focus on getting Hispanic students thorough high school to a broadened scope to reach younger students and those in college.

83. Tim Ryan

U.S. House of Representatives, 13th district, Democrat

84. Ivan Schwarz

President, Greater Cleveland Film Commission

Highlighted involvement: House Appropriations Committee In the news: An eighth-term Democrat, Ryan’s primary focus is on the economy and quality of life in Northeast Ohio. His bid to unseat minority leader Nancy Pelosi last fall, though unsuccessful, helped elevate his national profile. He has been working on an initiative to bring tech companies to areas like Ohio.

Highlighted involvement: Cleveland International Film Festival, MetroHealth Foundation, Cleveland Hillel In the news: Under Schwarz’s leadership over the past decade, more than 300 productions have been filmed in Ohio, including commercials, documentaries, independent and studio feature films, television shows and more.

Most recently, he and the commission helped to bring in “White Boy Rick,” which is currently filming with Matthew McConaughey, and “American Ninja Warrior.”

85. Dr. Jonathan Stamler and Baiju Shah

A CLEAR

VISION TOWARD A BRIGHT

Harrington Project for Discovery & Development

Stamler

Shah

Highlighted involvement: (Jonathan) Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine; (Baiju) Invacare, Citizens Bank

ON BEHALF of the students, faculty and staff of Kent State University, we congratulate President Beverly Warren on being named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business Who’s Who. Dr. Warren is an inspiring visionary who is leading Kent State to its rightful place among the best public research universities in the nation, with exceptional standards and honored traditions that make us undeniably Kent State.

In the news: The Harrington Project is a major drug development and commercialization effort out of University Hospitals. Stamler is president of Harrington Discovery Institute, the venture’s nonprofit arm, while Shah is CEO of BioMotiv, the for-profit accelerator associated with the project. The institute, meanwhile, provides millions of dollars annually in financial and commercialization support to 35 Harrington Scholars across North America and the United Kingdom.

86. Ilene Shapiro

County executive, Summit County Highlighted involvement: University of Akron Research Foundation, Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization, Akron Community Foundation In the news: Though long known in Summit County political circles, Shapiro came into the spotlight when County Executive Russ Pry died last summer and Shapiro was selected as his interim replacement.

She then went on to win the post outright in last November’s election.

Recently she’s been in the news for things like making Summit County “autism friendly.”

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Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 87. Mark Smucker

President and CEO, J.M. Smucker Co. Highlighted involvement: Akron Art Museum, Musical Arts Association In the news: Mark Smucker was named president and CEO of the company that bears his family name in 2016. He represents the fifth generation of his family to run the food industry giant, which now employs more than 7,000 people and has annual sales of about $7.8 billion.

88. Barbara R. Snyder

President, Case Western Reserve University Highlighted Involvement: Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, Wexner Center for the Arts Foundation, John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy In the news: Snyder is most often cited in the press for her success in growing Case Western Reserve University during a challenging time for higher education. Since taking the helm in 2007, Snyder has reportedly increased undergraduate applications from 7,297 to more than 22,000 — and has increased the school’s selectivity criteria at the same time.

Forest City salutes our very own James Ratner – a visionary leader and advocate for inspiring places where people, businesses, and communities thrive.

89. Robert Stark

President and CEO, Stark Enterprises Highlighted involvement: Great Lakes Theater Festival, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.

In the news: Stark’s footprint extends beyond real estate in Northeast Ohio. He recently purchased a former department store in downtown Pittsburgh to develop, for example. But he is probably most often in the news locally for his continued efforts to develop a 48-story skyscraper he has proposed for downtown Cleveland, known as the nuCLEus project, which is still in the works.

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90. Marc A. Stefanski

Chairman and CEO, Third Federal Savings and Loan

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In the news: Stefanski is most often seen in the press for supporting charitable causes, such as the Rhonda’s Kiss charity set up to honor his late wife. But he’s probably best known for building the area’s secondlargest financial institution behind KeyCorp.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 91. Frank C. Sullivan

92. Eddie Taylor

Chairman and CEO, RPM International

93. Jim Tressel

President, Taylor Oswald LLC

Highlighted involvement: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio Business Roundtable, Greater Cleveland Partnership.

In the news: RPM’s CEO is in the news for one thing more than any other: making acquisitions. Sullivan has kept up that tradition since taking over as chairman in 2008. Just this year the company announced it had purchased the Prochem business from Kärcher North America Co., a controlling stake in Virginia-based Arnette Polymers LLC, and also the foam division of Clayton Corp.

President, Youngstown State University

Highlighted involvement: Cleveland Leadership Center, Commission on Economic Inclusion, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission In the news: Taylor made his biggest news splash when he took a controlling stake of Oswald Cos. insurance brokerage in 2012, but he continues to make news for his civic involvement.

In 2016, he gave the commencement speech at Baldwin Wallace University.

94. Beverly Warren President, Kent State University

Highlighted involvement: YSU’s Ellen and Jim Tressel Student Work Opportunity Endowment Fund, Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Watson and Tressel Training Site In the news: Since becoming president of Youngstown State in 2014 Tressel has helped the school hit record fundraising levels, announce its first Rhodes Scholar recipient, freeze tuition and expand its scholarship offerings. Most recently, the school announced it is partnering with two private developers to construct new apartment-style student housing.

Highlighted involvement: Musical Arts Association, Greater Akron Chamber, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education.

In the news: Warren became president of Kent State in 2014, and in 2016 the board of trustees extended her contract through 2020.

Since her arrival, the university has seen increased graduation and retention rates, as well as record enrollment at the Kent campus. The university last year embarked on what it described as its largest fundraising campaign in its history.

95. Jeffrey and Zev Weiss Co-CEOs, American Greetings Corp.

Jeffrey Weiss

Zev Weiss

Highlighted involvement: (Jeffrey) Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Partnership; (Zev), n/a In the news: In 2014, the Weiss family paid more than $600 million to acquire American Greetings, putting the company back in the hands of its founding family. In 2016, the company completed the development of its headquarters in Westlake.

96. Brad Whitehead President, The Fund for Our Economic Future

Highlighted involvement: DigitalC, Cuyahoga Community College, Akron Growth Council

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97. Thomas L. Williams

Customers: Over 80,600

Chairman and CEO, Parker Hannifin Corp.

Highlighted involvement: Chart Industries, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Greater Cleveland Partnership

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In the news: Analysts contend that improving conditions for industrial manufacturers could bode well for Parker, a maker of motion and control systems used by the aerospace industry and other sectors. The company’s so-called “Win” strategy that outlines Parker’s growth plans was recently refreshed under Williams’ watch.

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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PA G E 2 7

Who’s Who in Northeast Ohio 98. Matthew Wilson President, University of Akron

Highlighted involvement: Greater Akron Chamber, Mid-American Conference Council of Presidents, University of Akron Research Foundation In the news: Wilson brought some stability to the University of Akron last year, at least when it came to leadership, after Scott Scarborough resigned from the post in May after a controversial two-year stint on the job.

Wilson is the former dean of the university’s law school and known for his accessibility to students and staff.

Congratulations, Jenniffer!

99. Scott Wolstein

CEO, Starwood Retail Partners; Managing partner, The Wolstein Group Highlighted involvement: H.E.L.P, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals

Jenniffer Deckard, President and CEO

In the news: Wolstein, in partnership with Fairmount Properties, has led the charge to redevelop the East Bank of the Flats in downtown Cleveland. Several new restaurants are expected to open in the coming months. And while there have been some high-profile turnovers and some slow nights in the new district, businesses there are far from struggling.

100. Thomas F. Zenty

The Fairmount Santrol Family is proud of your accomplishments and position as a leader in the industry and the greater Northeast Ohio community. Your commitment to excellence is demonstrated daily through your dedicated community involvement and guidance of our organization.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition from Crain’s!

CEO, University Hospitals

Highlighted involvement: Governor’s Executive Workforce Board, Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland In the news: Fresh off a series of acquisitions, Zenty said recently UH in 2016 had its strongest year in the system’s 150-year history. Building upon that news, UH recently announced it had reached its $1.5 billion fundraising goal for its Discover the Difference campaign, which has supported much of its high-profile expansions in recent years.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

THE LIST

Money Managers/Investment Advisors Ranked by regulatory assets under management locally TOTAL ASSETS UNDER LOCAL MANAGEMENT (MILLIONS) 2016 (1)

2015 (1)

LOCAL AUM WITH MINIMUM DISCRETION (MILLIONS) # OF LOCAL ACCOUNT % CHANGE 2016 (2) (3) ACCOUNTS SIZE

Victory Capital Management Inc., Brooklyn (216) 898-2400/www.vcm.com

$10,179.3

$10,318.1

-1.3%

$9,771

168

$10,000,000

18

Percentage of AUM

CIO at franchise level

David C. Brown chairman, CEO

CBIZ Retirement Plan Advisory Services, Independence (216) 447-9000/www.cbiz.com/retirement

$8,977.9

$7,926.8

13.3%

$716

636

$1,000,000

6

Fixed fees, percentage of AUM; hourly

Brian Dean

Luke F. Baum president

Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC, Cleveland (216) 771-3450/www.boydwatterson.com

$7,500.5

$6,087.3

23.2%

$6,561

364

$1,000,000

19

Fee only, percentage of AUM

Brian L. Gevry

Brian Gevry, CEO, CIO; Tim Hyland, Mike Bee, Jim Shirak, managing partners

4

CAPTRUST, Akron (330) 535-4550/www.captrustadvisors.com

$6,849.3

$6,016.1

13.9%

$109

113

$1,000,000

0

Fee only, percentage of AUM

Kevin Barry

Steve Wilt, senior vice president, financial adviser

5

AB Bernstein, Cleveland (216) 263-8090/www.bernstein.com

$6,076.9

$4,754.6

27.8%

$6,077

NA

$1,000,000

NA

Performance based or percentage of AUM

Seth Masters

Shane Bigelow, managing director, senior VP

6

Ancora Holdings Inc., Mayfield Heights (216) 825-4000/www.ancora.net

$4,759.5 (4)

$2,636.0 (4)

80.6% (4)

$3,140

894

$500,000

26

Percentage of AUM

John P. Micklitsch

Frederick D. DiSanto chairman, CEO

MAI Capital Management LLC, Cleveland (216) 920-4800/www.mai.capital

$3,913.5

$3,819.6

2.5%

$3,230

1,252

$500,000

12

Fee based on AUM; set fee for non-investment services

John D. Zaller

Richard J. Buoncore managing partner

Wasmer, Schroeder & Company LLC, Cleveland (216) 622-0000/www.wasmerschroeder.com

$2,927.7

$2,099.0

39.5%

$2,872

1,548

$500,000

4

Percentage of AUM

Thomas N. Richmond Jr.

John Majoros III, managing director, director, Taxable Portfolio Management

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC, Akron (330) 375-9480/www.sequoia-financial.com

$2,788.9 (5)

$1,476.1 (5)

88.9% (5)

$2,282

5,094

No minimum

2

Percentage of AUM, hourly rates, fixed fees

Russell Moenich

Thomas A. Haught president

10

CM Wealth Advisors Inc., Pepper Pike (216) 831-9667/www.cmwealthadvisors.com

$2,638.4

$2,471.2

6.8%

$2,385

497

$5,000,000

0

Percentage of AUM, fixed fees

Cynthia G. Koury

James W. Wert president, CEO

11

Lincoln Financial Advisors/Sagemark Consulting, Woodmere (216) 765-7400/www.lfa-sagemarkcleveland.com

$2,374.0

$2,181.7

8.8%

$0

21,000

$100,000

4

Flat fee, commission and/or percentage of AUM

David Downing

Brian R. Deal managing director, Ohio

12

HPM Partners LLC, Cleveland (216) 687-0700/www.hpmpartners.com

$1,999.9 (6)

$1,343.3 (6)

48.9% (6)

$2,000

494

$2,000,000

5

Fee only

Benjamin A. Pace

Robert Smith, partner, Cleveland market leader

13

Fairport Asset Management, Cleveland (216) 431-3000/www.fairportasset.com

$1,565.4

$1,410.1

11.0%

$1,217

1,730

$1,000,000

5

Fee only

JT Mullen John Silvis

Ken Coleman, Heather Ettinger, managing partners

14

Cedar Brook Group, Mayfield Heights (440) 683-9200/www.cedarbrookfinancial.com

$1,563.1

NA

NA

NA

3,916

No minimum

4

Negotiated

Azim Nakhooda

William Glubiak CEO

15

Carnegie Investment Counsel, Pepper Pike (216) 367-4114/www.carnegieinvest.com

$1,442.0

$1,206.0

19.6%

$1,232

965

$500,000

6

Fee only, percentage of AUM

Richard Alt

Gary Wagner, Richard Alt, Arthur Merriman III, principals

16

Fairway Wealth Management LLC, Independence (216) 573-7200/www.fairwaywealth.com

$1,151.0

$1,052.7

9.3%

$0

179

$2,000,000

5

Fee based on assets and/or services

Mark S. Weiskind

Daniel R. Gaugler CEO, managing director

17

Oak Associates Ltd., Akron (330) 668-1234/www.oakfunds.com

$1,100.0

$930.0

18.3%

$1,100

50

$3,000,000

3

Percentage of AUM

Mark & James Oelschlager

Mark & James Oelschlager, co-CIOs

18

Carver Financial Services Inc., Mentor (440) 974-0808/www.carverfinancialservices.com

$1,089.5

$945.2

15.3%

$0

2,143

$500,000

6

Fee and commission

Team

Randy Carver president

19

McDonald Partners LLC, Cleveland (216) 912-0567/www.mcdonald-partners.com

$984.0

$871.8

12.9%

$356

2,474

No minimum

2

Fee and commission

Bill Hegarty

Thomas M. McDonald president, CEO

20

North Point Portfolio Managers Corp., Mayfield Heights (440) 720-1100/http://nppmcorp.com

$702.2

$674.0

4.2%

$697

234

$500,000

4

Percentage of AUM

Diane M. Stack

Ronald J. Lang president, secretary

21

MGO Investment Advisors Inc., Beachwood (216) 771-4242/www.mgo-inc.com

$654.1

$626.3

4.4%

$321

3,303

$15,000

5

Percentage of AUM

Michael B. Moskal

Ronald S. Gross CEO

First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc., Independence (216) 643-9100/www.firstfiduciary.com

$556.5

NA

NA

$557

432

$1,000,000

3

Percentage of AUM

Mary Anderson, Bill Henry

Mary Anderson president

23

Winslow Asset Management Inc., Beachwood (216) 360-4700/www.winslowasset.com

$553.7

$609.0

-9.1%

$538

126

$1,000,000

5

Percentage of AUM

Gerald W. Goldberg

Gerald W. Goldberg CEO, CIO

24

St. Clair Advisors LLC, Mayfield Heights (216) 925-5670/www.saintclairadvisors.com

$526.0

$488.9

7.6%

$526

360

$2,500,000

2

Fee only, fixed or based on AUM

David W. Sommer

Ronald E. Bates CEO

25

Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management, Canton (330) 454-6555/www.beesefulmer.com

$517.2

$458.0

12.9%

$517

489

$500,000

4

Percentage of AUM, fee only

Dennis S. Fulmer

Dennis S. Fulmer president, principal

Aurum Wealth Management Group LLC, Mayfield Village (440) 605-1900/www.aurumwealth.com

$504.6

$453.1

11.4%

$382

227

$1,000,000

2

Fee only

Michael T. McKeown

Chris Bart, managing director, principal; Eric Wulff, managing director

27

Landing Point Financial Group, Avon (440) 934-7100/www.landingpointfinancialgroup.com

$478.0

$454.0

5.3%

NA

2,497

$1,000

2

Percentage of AUM

Joe L. Flinner

Joe L. Flinner president, CEO

28

Cornerstone Capital Advisors, Uniontown (330) 896-6250/www.ccadvisors.com

$472.5

$534.4

-11.6%

$472

1,690

$100,000

4

Fee only

Mario C. Giganti

Mark W. Fearigo, Mario C. Giganti, principals

29

Chapman & Chapman Inc., Twinsburg (440) 287-7600 /www.chapmanandchapman.com

$457.8

$406.2

12.7%

$0

650

No minimum

2

Fee and commission, percentage of AUM

Philip J. Amos

Walter K. Chapman CEO

30

Vantage Financial Group Inc., Independence (216) 642-7878/www.vanfin.com

$427.0

$429.0

-0.5%

$317

1,942

No minimum

20

Fee and commission

NA

Autumn A. Taylor senior vice president

Van Cleef Asset Management Inc., Beachwood (216) 464-0253/www.vancleefinc.com

$405.0

$351.6

15.2%

$395

115

$1,000,000

5

Percentage of AUM

Geoffrey Hauck Lino Sergo

Geoffrey Hauck, CIO, principal; Martin Burke Jr., portfolio manager, principal

Demming Financial Services Corp., Aurora (330) 562-2122/www.demmingfinancial.com

$366.7

$339.3

8.1%

$367

2,500

No minimum

1

100% fee based on AUM

David William Demming Jr.

David William Demming president

THIS YEAR COMPANY

1 2 3

7 8 9

22

26

31 32

LOCAL PORTFOLIO COMPENSATION ANALYSTS STRUCTURE (2)

HEAD OF INVESTING

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

RESEARCHED BY CHUCK SODER

Want the full version of this list Ñ and every other Crain's list? Become a Data Member: CrainsCleveland.com/data The digital version of this list includes 47 companies and names of additional executives. Information is provided by the companies. Send all feedback to Chuck Soder: csoder@crain.com.

(1) As of Dec. 31 (2) AUM stands for assets under management. (3) Firms have full control over how client assets in this category are invested; figures as of Dec. 31. (4) Ancora acquired Inverness Holdings of Beachwood in 2016.

(5) Sequoia acquired RAV Financial of Beachwood in 2016; figures as of Jan. 31. (6) HPM acquired Spero-Smith Investment Advisors of Cleveland in 2016.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Ohio City apartment project gets update

By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

After three years of site acquisition, property demolition and planning, developers of the $50 million One Twenty West apartments in Ohio City near the Hope Memorial Bridge plan to take updated designs soon to Cleveland City Planning Commission.

The original plan for a 500-suite apartment complex has been divided into two phases, with a 300-suite first phase proposed immediately. Another 200 suites will go up in a later second phase, according to Andrew Brickman, principal of Warrensville Heights-based Brickhaus Partners.

Apartment investor-developer Dan Siegel’s Integrity Real Estate Group of Beachwood also has joined the project since its first airing in late 2013.

“We didn’t want to bring 500 units on the market on day one,” Brickman said.

Dividing the project allows the first phase to start construction later this year or early next, depending on when the plan gets final city approvals and secures financing. Moving back the timeline for 200 suites may also explore converting the concept to for-sale condominiums, Brickman said. Although local apartment occupancies have remained high, more than 2,500 rental units are bound for downtown Cleveland and the city’s West Side.

The design calls for a four-story building with two floors of underground parking on the site on the north side of Lorain Avenue on the opposite side of a hill that the project shares with Grove Court Condominiums.

“By zoning, we could have gone 13 stories on the site,” Brickman said.

The plan for the One Twenty West apartment complex in Ohio City now calls for a 300-suite first phase that would start soon. (Vocon rendering)

“We wanted to keep it local. I see too many out-of-town architects coming here to do our signature buildings.”

— Andrew Brickman, principal of Brickhaus Partners

The developers went with a shorter height and expanded plans for firstfloor retail in the structure at the request of local development corporations. That change allows the street to be more active and gives the project better visibility from Lorain.

“It will be an architecturally significant building with the lobby and terraces and amenities positioned to

take advantage of the dramatic views of the skyline, Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie,” Brickman said. “There will be a 20-foot glass wall overlooking the city skyline. It will be consistent with other Brickhaus properties in terms of classic and timeless modernism. It will have simple lines, elegant materials and attention to details. Our goal is to make it an iconic building for Cleveland.”

The project also breaks the mold because Brickman said the developers conducted a competition between out-of-town architects such as RTKL and decided to go with Cleveland-based Vocon as the designer.

“We wanted to keep it local,” Brickman said. “I see too many out-oftown architects coming here to do our signature buildings. We have many talented architects in town we’ve worked with in the past and

now with Vocon’s Denver Brooker, Michael Christoff and Krystal Knapik.”

Asked if a local firm was less expensive than a high-profile outside firm, Brickman said, “I wish. Large international firms have vast libraries of other apartment buildings. They can go in, pull a design for suites off a shelf and tweak it. Ours don’t, and we want to change that.”

The project also calls for one- and two-bedroom micro-apartments, which are about 20% smaller than typical units.

Caution about adding new apartments while still proceeding with them is not new to Cleveland, which traditionally was a slow-growth apartment market until 2008.

Robert Vogt, managing director of Columbus-based housing consultant Vogt Strategic Insights, said his firm

recently surveyed apartments in downtown Cleveland, Ohio City, Tremont and University Circle and found an occupancy of 95.8%. He had expected the figure to be more like 94% because several projects are in lease-up, 900 are under construction and another 2,200 are in the planning pipeline.

“It’s surprisingly really, really good,” Vogt said.

He said unknowns developers face include how many millennials continue to live at home and when they move out to rentals, and how many empty-nesters are being attracted by the buzz of a resurgent downtown.

He estimates 30% of millennials are living with their parents and are not yet in the housing market.

Brickman was more sanguine: “If you don’t bring jobs here, it doesn’t really matter.”

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“But we felt this was not the right avenue for them to pursue,” Clutterbuck Sr. said. “Ryan felt it. Bob (Jr.) felt it. I felt it. It would’ve been the most expensive source of capital for shareholders.”

Clutterbuck contacted Evercore Partners, a New York investment bank and Straight Path’s financial adviser in the situation, to pitch a better deal, one that would ultimately amount to $17.5 million in debt financing with warrants for company stock.

But Clutterbuck needed some partners to pool the financing together.

The art of the deal Evercore seemed incredulous at first at Clutterbuck’s pitch. They’d never heard of this Cleveland firm before.

They contacted Straight Path, whose CEO, Davidi Jonas, vouched for the team of their longtime shareholder.

Meanwhile, Clutterbuck, which was competing against proposals from other large New York hedge funds, was then faced with assembling the loan quickly and quietly.

The firm reached out to its contacts at Cleveland’s The Ancora Group and, according to company filings, individual investors connected to Columbus’ Stonehenge Partners Inc. Clutterbuck also brought on Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP for support.

Clutterbuck went two for two on calls with partners it was well-connected to — a major win for investors who want to keep their work under wraps.

The plan’s upside was promising, but the lack of downside risk was compelling, Clutterbuck Sr. said. The syndicated loan received 252,161 warrants with a strike price of $34.70 based on the average stock price around the time.

The loan came with 5% interest, was callable at $103 a share and matured on Dec. 29. The loan’s backers also had a top lien on the sale of any asset behind just the government itself.

From left, Robert Clutterbuck Jr., Ryan Crane and Robert Clutterbuck Sr. put together what proved to be a lucrative deal. (Contributed photo)

A solid return seemed likely. The risk was low. And Clutterbuck’s partners were sold.

“We knew it was a possibility this could be something this lucrative, but we thought it was a low probability,” said Brian Hopkins, co-director of Ancora’s hedge fund group. “This was a pretty exceptional opportunity in that when you get something this safe, typically you don’t have nearly this kind of upside.”

The upside that would eventually come via the massive sale to Verizon was some added “gravy, if you will,” Hopkins said.

The debt deal was pieced together after about five days of near non-stop negotiations.

Once consummated, Clutterbuck had a large (but undisclosed) stake in Straight Path alongside its co-investors.

With its fine paid, the company was now an attractive acquisition target.

Investors simply had to sit and wait for a sale to come.

It didn’t take long.

The sale AT&T’s offer for Straight Path was announced April 10. Over the next four weeks, Verizon and AT&T battled over the company, making higher and higher bids.

The stock surged to a peak of $230.68 on May 10. Verizon’s deal was announced the next day.

Investors couldn’t have asked for a better scenario than two corporate behemoths jocking over a tiny, unique

|

company. No other firm had the network Straight Path offered. A couple other similar, privately held firms were acquired by those companies before this one, but those terms were never unsealed. The worth of the company was truly anyone’s guess.

And it ballooned appropriately.

“In any situation where there are two interested parties, people are going to move fast,” said Clutterbuck Jr., calling it the deal of a lifetime. “That’s what happened here. The perfect scenario played out. And our investors are very pleased.”

Clutterbuck, the small but quietly successful investment firm, was now on other radar screens. Calls from Wall Street hedge fund managers started blowing up their phones.

Each wanted the Clutterbuck team to call them on their deals in the future.

Truly, Clutterbuck, and Cleveland investors, garnered Wall Street envy that day.

“Here in Cleveland, we beat out all the other guys,” Clutterbuck Sr. proudly said. “There will eventually be a new number one deal. But to be part of a record-breaking worldwide M&A deal, and to be at the epicenter of it here in Cleveland is a pretty exciting thing.”

And what do Clutterbuck’s deal partners think? They’re laughing all the way to the bank.

“This was all pleasantly surprising,” Hopkins added with a quiet chuckle. “We are extremely happy. I told Bob I owe him a steak anywhere he wants in Ohio.”

M AY 2 9 - J U N E 4 , 2 017

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MUSEUM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Prufer said one of her favorite tours, called “Women’s Work,” includes portraits of women from different time periods. The participants are asked to use their imaginations to, for example, think of what it would be like to go to a party at one of the women’s houses.

The tours give individuals with memory loss and their caregivers a social experience, as well as a sense of normalcy, Prufer said.

Plant said Youngstown’s tours will have benefits to professional caregivers, as well as the attendees with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The programs will help them get to know the people they are caring for in a new way, she said, bringing back a “sense of personhood.”

Museums that deal with history already have collections that can be used to easily spark memories, so these kinds of programs are a “natural fit” for them, said Bethany Hawkins, chief of operations at the American Association for State and Local History.

More inclusive programs also help museums fulfill their missions of connecting people with history, albeit in a different way than may be traditional. And, she said, becoming a resource to the community will help sustain museums.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Cleveland Institute of Art profs hope art can lift East Cleveland

By MARK OPREA clbfreelancer@crain.com

If there is any big division in the city of Cleveland, there is no starker separator than the bridge over East 118th Street and Euclid Avenue. On one side, two lush universities sprawl with skeletons of rising luxury apartments as bustling doctors and art undergrads walk on the sidewalks in front. Drive eastward for 30 seconds, and your surroundings change: potholes as big as washing machines, two-story neo-classicals window-less, beauty shops and Foot Lockers vacant with only a sign imprint to discern them. Leaving the question: How is such close disparity even possible?

For a little over a year, representatives from both sides of the tracks have been bettering this rift via cross-boundaries partnerships. Rather than aim for a belittling merger, a newly run East Cleveland is preferring a pick-me-up-by-its-bootstraps approach, and enlisting nearby professors from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art to help deal with its most pressing concern: beautification.

East Cleveland, a small but dense suburb once known for its wealth, is one of the poorest in the state of Ohio. As of 2016, 42% of the city is under the poverty line, hundreds of abandoned homes await demolition, and three murders occur annually inside its borders. For a time, the city was without EMS or snow plows.

Then, in May 2016, then-mayor Gary Norton applied for bankruptcy. He approached Cleveland with the pos-

sibility of annexation, but the request was denied. The result was a citywide head-scratch: A fiscal emergency saw no hope of solvency. At end of the year, on Dec. 6, voters scrapped Norton.

On Dec. 19, a former City Council member named Brandon King was voted into office to take the mayor’s seat. A deep-voiced, clear-cut orator raised in East Cleveland by a West Indian mother, King appears to be an antithesis to his predecessor. He prefers to walk to work, and has faith in grassroots programming. If a resident complains about high grass or potholes on their street, he sets up a one-on-one in his office, on the spot (he has “Pot Hole Ambassadors” for that reason). Also, he would rather the city be independent.

“We had that pretty much instilled in us from a young age,” he said one afternoon in February, sitting behind a spartan table in his office, sporting a red flannel shirt with his long dreads tied in a tuft. “We always learned to be self-reliant here. When I look at the challenges of the city? It ties right back in. Rely on ourselves.

Pick ourselves up.”

Flanking him are chief of staff Michael Smedley and executive assistant Belinda King — “the minds,” as the mayor likes to comically dub them — both in City Hall during Norton’s reign. Under King’s helm, both say they’re fully backing city autonomy.

“What the mayor is trying to say is, ‘Where is the analysis about the possibility of revitalizing? How do we maintain the city’s autonomy?’ ” Smedley, a burly fast-talker who has been on staff since 2010, said. “We’ve researched income tax increases. Prop-

erty tax increases. Bankruptcy. Even annexation. But we never started to truly path for revitalization until now.”

The question of beautification comes up. A month in, King’s itinerary is slated with a near-implausible to-do list: criminalize furniture dumpers, encourage residents to pick up trash, pave hard-hit streets, topple 700 empty homes. All which, the mayor said, would need a kickstart, and paradoxically, some outside help.

“Our city still brings in a significant amount of money,” he said. “So our challenge is this: What is the quality of service we can provide residents given the resources we have? And what kind of partnerships do we need to make?” He uses the RTA Healthline — a bus redesign that stopped at East 112th Street — to back up his perspective on beautification. “In my understanding,” he added, “that improvement never really crossed that bridge.”

‘Not another urban garden’ A month after King took over a second-story office in City Hall, he met with two professors at the nearby Cleveland Institute of Art. Chris Whittey and Beth Hoag had been brushing a beautification idea off the Norton administration and wanted to pique King’s interest. Off the bat, the concept was a win-win: a dozen CIA students would beautify a post-demolitioned lot with a custom-made art installation. Both parties seemed ecstatic.

“We were like people from the moon walking into his office,” Whittey said in February. “But the thing is,

we’re not the experts. I’m not just going to plop a piece of sculpture down.

It’s an ongoing, long-term conversation with the community: What do you need?”

“It’s, ‘What do you want to see here?’ ” Hoag, a practiced archaeologist, added. “‘How do you envision your community moving forward?

And what can we do?’ ” A Detroit-born artist who turned from stage-building to teaching in his 40s, Whittey is not a stranger to experimentation.

In 2008, as professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, he created a class that met weekly in a Baltimore women’s penitentiary. Paired with Hoag, who spent three years investigating a Rockefeller house’s site remains, the two formed a course that would satisfy CIA in-the-field requirements while satiating personal curiosities in East Cleveland beautification. What kind of practical art that might be — front porch meeting spot? Impression barbershop? — was intentionally up in the air. As long as, Whittey said, “it’s not another damn urban garden.”

“We’re creating agency, first of all,” Hoag said. “There are of course things we can help with, and things that we can’t.”

Beginning in March, Whittey’s class went out “into the field” to hear from residents. They sat down with teenagers from Shaw High School to tap their brains for build ideas. One Wednesday in April, Whittey convened class in a newly built Salvation Army cafeteria with Hoag, his 12 students and seven teens from Shaw, led by a director named Vanessa Veals. For two hours, the professors mediated a close ex-

Cleveland Institute of Art professor Chris Whittey talks with a Shaw High School student.

(Contributed photo)

change. At one table, Hoag asked Shaw students and CIA juniors to name an East Cleveland landmark. A Shaw junior named Kevin offered, “This building?”

“What else?” Hoag said. “Landmarks are important places. They mean something.”

“A unicorn farm,” a Shaw student named Kesha joked.

Hoag laughed. “Go on,” she said.

“If I could build my own?” Kevin asked. “I guess a better police station.

Maybe a park? I don’t know.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;What about a movie theater?â&#x20AC;? a CIA senior named Riley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t no movie theater here,â&#x20AC;? Kesha said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we should design my daycare.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What would be in your daycare?â&#x20AC;?

Hoag asked, intrigued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kids,â&#x20AC;? Kesha snapped.

Later, right before class let out, Veals and Hoag chatted about possible future partnerships between CIA and Shaw. Hoag later suggested to her students their installation could possibly be a gallery in East Cleveland used to show public art. Whittey agreed, and students nodded their heads. Afterward, when asked whether art could somehow uplift the city, Veals said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of it, but not all of it.â&#x20AC;?

Bare lots, budding Seurats In the remaining weeks of his course, Whittey invited 15 East Cleveland residents all over the age of 60 to visit CIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest exhibition on African-American artwork. He previously invited the mayor and his staff to the opening in March â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and now aimed to listen to what lifelong residents had to say. After a 30-minute walk-through, Whittey led the 15 residents to an empty classroom for a boxed lunch of roast beef sandwiches, to pick their brains. It was their first time ever in a University Circle gallery.

The conversation quickly turned to housing (65% of East Cleveland residents are renters). Aaron Martin said

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he spent years trying to fix up his three-bedroom home. The 72-yearold entertained enlisting a son to convert it into a rental, but decided years ago it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth the effort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tried to sell it for $40,000 but only was offered $20,000,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, I suppose I could rent it out to students, but how many of them are going to want to live out my way?â&#x20AC;? He answered, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not many.â&#x20AC;?

Although Whittey and Hoagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class ended without formal blueprints or breaking ground, the professors both feel theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve instigated kindling. So far? A planned gallery installation on both sides of the tracks, one that will highlight the artworks of both East Cleveland seniors and Shaw students. The blueprints of which, Hoag said, will be dealt with when her course resumes in the fall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like we did the legwork,â&#x20AC;?

Hoag said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have ideas for the time I teach this class next year.â&#x20AC;?

On May 9, King held his second town hall meeting, in an immaculate gym at the Salvation Army. For an hour or so, King, dressed presidentially in a dark suit and a flag pin, announced to hundreds of residents for the first time his path to revitalization.

Carefully spoken, King shared plans for a $80 million development project, a $2 million demolition strategy and a system to punish dumpers (heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caught three so far), all funded by grants and gradual budget cuts. After his speech, when asked whether befriending neighbors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by crossing literal, and metaphorical, boundaries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; would keep East Cleveland autonomous, King said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about: teamwork.â&#x20AC;?

He then pointed to a part of his speech notes that read â&#x20AC;&#x153;TEAMâ&#x20AC;? in blue handwriting. He added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all in this together.â&#x20AC;?

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PA G E 3 4

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

AKRON The Dish: Jennifer Karpus-Romain

Historic Kent train depot to get new Italian spot Kent State University grad and PGA golfer Ben Curtis may have won the 2003 British Open, but he’s concentrating on another part of Europe in a venture close to home.

Curtis is among the partners turning the historic train depot in Kent, most recently home to the Pufferbelly Restaurant, into Treno Ristorante.

The upscale Italian restaurant featuring a Northern Italian cuisine is set to open mid-June.

Curtis’ co-owners are longtime Kent businessman Ronald Burbick and local restaurateur Mike Awad.

And the building itself is only one part of this restaurant’s place in Kent’s history. “(The building) was built in 1875 by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad,” Burbick said about the former train depot located on Franklin Avenue. The depot closed around 1968 and the building is owned by the Kent Historical Society, from which the Treno owners are renting the space. The location was home for 25 years to the Pufferbelly, which closed at the start of the year.

When Burbick heard Pufferbelly was closing, he was hesitant to think about a new venture in the spot.

“I said, ‘Guys, I’m 72 years old. I’ve been retired four times. I don’t need another project,’ ” he said.

But Burbick first signed on as an agent and that changed once he spoke with frequent partner Awad (the two co-own the Franklin Hotel Bar with Mike Bedar, and Burbick is Awad’s landlord for his Laziza Restaurant). They decided to jump into another project together, along with their wives, Joan Burbick and Nicole Awad. Also co-owning Treno is Ben and Candace Curtis, and Darrin and Michelle Hartman.

Awad said he spoke with Curtis, who

Treno Ristorante, at a glance Where: 152 Franklin Ave. in Kent When: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday-Saturday.

The vibe: A white-tablecloth Italian restaurant with historical décor ranging from steam engines to a replica of Kent resident Ben Curtis’ British Open trophy.

Menu: Classic Northern Italy cuisine prepared in house from scratch with fresh ingredients, including locally sourced products as available. Sunday brunch to come in the near future.

Treno Ristorante will open in the train depot in Kent that used to house the Pufferbelly. (Sue Walton for Crain’s)

lives in Kent, a while ago about doing a venture together in Kent, and Burbick indicated he’d like to be a part of it.

When the old depot became available, it really got their attention, Curtis said.

“Such a great building that has been such important landmark for Kent … would make a great business opportunity,” he said.

While the new owners knew the building had been neglected, they didn’t realize how badly, they said.

“We are revamping it from (1981),” Awad said.

They ended up putting in all new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, a boiler, a new bar and bar equipment. They

also gutted the kitchen.

“It was important to us to keep the historical integrity of the building during this transformative renovation,” said Michelle Hartman, executive vice president and COO of the Burbick Companies. “For example, we are maintaining the exposed brick walls and cleaning and polishing the terrazzo flooring in the main dining room instead of covering it with carpet, as was previously done.”

Structurally, the exterior is in pretty good shape, Ronald Burbick said.

The partners are making a significant investment in the space.

“It’s costing us about a little more than twice than we originally

planned,” Burbick said.

It’s a $600,000 investment. The original estimate was $250,000 to $300,000, he said.

One of the biggest attractions for patrons may be Treno’s free valet parking to their 42 parking spaces.

And, of course, the food.

“What we’re looking to do is stay with traditional Italian food,” Awad said, including homemade pasta, bread and sauces. The partners chose an upscale, Italian theme after getting feedback from patrons about what kind of restaurant Kent needed, Hartman said.

“We’re not looking at very high dishes. At the same time, everyone

can come and enjoy a meal at a very reasonable price,” he added.

The bar and part of the dining area will pay homage to Curtis.

“I went to school at Kent State and golfed for the golf team,” Curtis said.

“And fortunately was able to win the British Open, one of the biggest events in golf.”

There will be items and memorabilia that depict Curtis’ golf career, Burbick said, including a replica of the British Open trophy, the Claret Jug. Finishing touches will be completed in the next few weeks, and Awad can then start training his new staff of 35 employees — half of whom will work part-time and half of whom will work full-time.

Oak & Embers update: With an original open date of early February, the new Oak & Embers location in Hudson hit a snag and now aims to open in July, said owner Marc Garofoli, who declined to talk specifics of the holdups. He did say the space is beautiful inside.

Program fosters diversity along supply chain

By RICHARD WEINER clbfreelancer@crain.com

Veronica Cook-Euell is leading a mission at Kent State University and coming up with some unique programs as a result.

Cook-Euell, KSU’S supplier diversity program manager, is the first administrator to hold a position specifically designed to recruit minority-owned businesses to supply the university and one of the first in the state, said Timothy J. Konczal, director of KSU’s procurement department.

“We take supplier diversity very seriously,” Konczal said. “She’s always out searching for minority partners to try to nurture so that they can become a viable supplier for us — almost like creating a business incubator. Her mission, and her long-term goal, is simply to improve the business climate here.”

An outgrowth of Cook-Euell’s undertaking is a unique public-private partnership designed to teach minority business owners in the construction trades how to bid for contracts at KSU. The result is a nine-week workshop, co-sponsored by the university and Turner Construction Co., that just graduated its first class of 14 participants on May 9.

The path to the new workshop starts with a proprietary minority business database Cook-Euell developed at the university. While any company can bid on university projects, KSU is always looking to expand its use of minority suppliers.

Now in its second stage of growth, the database lists about 1,200 minority suppliers and is available to any end-user at the university. The database lists each company’s skills, certifications, past projects, services offered, key clients and a narrative.

To qualify as a minority-owned business under Ohio law, more than 51% of ownership must be African-American, Asian, Hispanic, or woman-owned. The university also includes veterans in the bidding process, Cook-Euell said.

In looking at ways to expand the opportunities for companies in her database, Cook-Euell approached Turner Construction because of a longtime program the company already was offering.

Turner Construction has been offering its Turner School of Management since 1969, said Jason Jones, vice president and general manager for Turner’s Northeast Ohio office.

The annual 12-week workshop at the Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus is specifically designed to increase opportunities for minority-

Veronica Cook-Euell, manager of KSU’s supplier diversity program, speaks at the program’s May 9 ceremony. (Shane Wynn for Crain’s)

and women-owned construction businesses.

“I knew that Turner had been doing their supply management program for years, and I reached out to them,” said Cook-Euell, to see if they could create a three-way partnership with the university as the host and educational component, the state of Ohio as the purchaser, and Turner as both a private contractor and a veteran of this kind of training program.

Kent State came to the table with Cook-Euell’s office, the Office of the University Architect, and the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainabili-

ty, and Technology, along with the university’s educational facilities.

“We had one meeting with Veronica and we were sold on the project,” Jones said.

“We have been working with Kent State for the last three years,” he said, and particularly with the state’s EDGE (Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity) guidelines, which recommend at least a 15% minority stake in any state-financed project.

Indeed, any tour of Kent in the past few years would have run into Turner Construction signs attached to any number of projects on campus.

The minority training program originated in Turner’s Cleveland office and has spread to many of the company’s other locations, Jones said. The classes “try to teach all aspects of the construction industry” to potential minority subcontractors, including sales, marketing, bidding, scheduling, site logistics, insurance, quality control and anything else that can give an edge in this highly competitive field, he said.

Following that first meeting, Jones, Cook-Euell and their teams went to work melding Turner’s knowledge base with the needs of the university.

The result, Cook-Euell said, was a program that wound up being about 60% Turner materials and 40% origi-

nal KSU materials.

The KSU class materials included presentations and discussion on topics such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) systems and lean construction, scheduling, field operations, estimating and bidding, project delivery systems and contract risk, accounting, insurance and marketing, and a special discussion on working with state universities and institutions.

Beyond in-class training, both Cook-Euell and Jones note, the networking opportunities for class participants are ample, both with end-users and one another.

One class participant, Teresa Golden, owner of Canton’s Environmental Flooring Group LLC, is effusive in her praise for the program.

“I learned so much about how to develop and grow my company,” she said. “They covered so many topics.

This has been a great opportunity, because I’ve met many small business owners like myself.”

This first class was considered to be a pilot effort, Cook-Euell said, but has been successful enough that another class is scheduled for the fall.

And, while nothing has been approved yet, Cook-Euell hopes construction is just the start. She’s said she’s working on other programs for other businesses.

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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M AY 2 9 - J U N E 4 , 2 017

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AKRON

As our love for pets grows, so does insurer

By JUDY STRINGER clbfreelancer@crain.com

Ask Liz Watson about what she does for a living and she will tell you, “I work for the coolest company in the coolest industry you’ve never heard of.”

Watson is chief marketing officer Rushovich Watson for Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group, one of the oldest and largest village in 1997, not a cutesy nod to pet insurers in the United States. that affection. A New York-based Nestled in the shadow of the land- hedge fund investor brought mark Lockheed Martin Corp. Airdock Rushovich on board in 2005, and on Massillon Road, it provides health Hartville Pet Insurance moved to insurance for companion animals — North Canton one year later.

Early on, Rushovich set out to difdogs and cats primarily, but more recently horses, too. Plans typically ferentiate Hartville by aligning the cover accidents and illnesses, al- insurance company with the Amerithough preventative coverage is can Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, aka the ASPCA, available.

The Akron business was known as one of the world’s largest humane societies.

Hartville Pet InsurIn 2006, Hartville ance Group until last “Ten years ago, approached the ASmonth, when it adCPA about donating opted the name of we had 48 portion of each parent company and employees and apolicy sold to the specialty insurance nonprofit, which in provider Crum & about 25,000 turn agreed to enForster Co. The redorse Hartville’s inbrand is meant to pet policies in surance if it stopped give Watson and her covering services the team greater visibili- force. Today, ASPCA considered ty as they penetrate we employ inhumane, such as the U.S. marketdeclawing, tail dockplace, where cur- more than 150 ing and ear croprently only about 2% ping. Soon after, of all pets are in- people and are Hartville added the sured. at nearly name ASPCA to its “The awareness is policy line. not there as much as 120,000 “It’s been exit is in other places, tremely successful. like the U.K.,” she policies.”

We’ve had that said. “We think this industry can get — Dennis Rushovich, Crum & brand and that partfrom the 2% to the Forster senior vice president nership for more than 10 years,” 5%, but it really is Rushovich said. “It is part of our still in that growth phase.”

According to Watson, 65% of growth, part of our culture, and we’ve American households — nearly 80 aligned ourselves very closely with million families — own a dog or a cat. them” Rushovich also was a founding Pet owners spent $63 billion on their pets last year. That includes $16 bil- member of the North American Pet Insurance Association, lion worth of veterinary care, where Health costs have increased 71% since 2006, launched in 2007. That was importdriven primarily by greater utiliza- ant, Watson said, because “in an intion and a wider range of treatments dustry that is starting to grow and and services, such as chemotherapy, does not necessarily have as much market awareness as other insurhip replacements and root canals.

Recurrent Harris Polls, mean- ance, you have to find a way to work while, show that Americans are be- together collaboratively to raise the coming more pet-centric in their atti- awareness of the product and come tudes toward companion animals, up with best practices.”

In 2013, Crum & Forster, a longwith 95% of today’s pet owners saying they consider their pet a part of the time underwriter for Hartville’s polifamily — a trend not lost on market- cies, bought the company and added ers that frequently refer to owners as Hartville to its specialty insurance portfolio. “pet parents.”

Watson said the financial whereAnd more pet parents are turning to insurance to manage higher veter- withal of Crum & Forster — which is inary costs and give Fido and Fluffy owned by Ontario-based Fairfax Fithe best care possible. As an industry, nancial, a $9.3 billion global financial Watson said, pet insurers have seen holdings business — allowed Hart14% to 15% year-over-year growth in ville to invest for growth. That meant the past three years, with about 1.6 moving out of the cramped North million dogs and cats in the U.S. cur- Canton facility and into a newly renovated, open and airy corporate rently insured.

Crum & Forster is seeing policy headquarters in a building abandoned by Lockheed. growth rates closer to 20%.

The 25,000-square-foot office, “The company has developed really well with an increasingly pet-cen- opened in 2015, houses a state-oftric culture,” according to senior vice the-art call center, a data center, a president Dennis Rushovich, who cafeteria appropriately named the oversees the Akron outfit. “Ten years “chow room” and an outdoor play ago, we had 48 employees and about area for dogs.

“We have over 30 dogs in the office 25,000 pet policies in force. Today, we employ more than 150 people every day,” Watson said. “Little ones.

Big ones. Some people will bring in and are at nearly 120,000 policies.”

Yes, Americans love their pets, but two. Young. Old. They’re are all here.”

In its 20 years of business, Crum & the Hartville moniker was derived from its founding in the Canton-area Forster Pet Insurance Group has is-

It’s a dog’s life for Lucy, the office pooch of Crum & Forster Pet Insurance’s Akron location. (Contributed photo)

sued 400,000 policies and processed more than 1.6 million claims. Gary McGeddy, president of Crum & Forster Accident and Health, which includes the pet insurance group, said much of that success can be attributed to the ever-evolving product line.

When pet parents wanted preventative care, the company added a wellness rider. Age and breed restrictions were removed in response to consumer demand.

It also switched from reimbursements based on “reasonable and

customary” charges — as is done in human health insurance — to those based on a percentage of actual charges, which decreases out-ofpocket costs for customers, McGeddy said.

Watson thinks much of Crum & Forster’s current growth is linked to a new Complete Coverage package that allows customers to choose the type of services that are covered, the percentage of reimbursement and their deductible.

“You can get the amount of coverage you need that fits into your budget,” she said.

Going forward, the company has a multichannel plan to get a growing slice of the expanding pet insurance pie.

Some of those channels, like vet reps and direct-to-consumer, have been in place for years. Others are emerging, most notably companies making pet insurance a benefits option for their employees.

Pet insurance ranks as one of the two most requested voluntary benefits in corporate benefit plans, Watson said, often just behind identify theft coverage.

“We see that as an exciting growth opportunity.”

Recognizing the fastest-growing companies in Northeast Ohio.

30TH ANNIVERSARY

The honor you’ve earned. The recognition you deserve.

SAVE THE DATE You’ve worked hard and done what it takes to make your business a success. Now it’s time to see if you’ll land atop the 100 fastest growing companies in the region!

NOMINATION FORM FOR THE 2017 WEATHERHEAD 100 OPENS JUNE 5, 2017.

Also, plan to join us THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 when we gather to count down the 2017 winners.

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CRAIN’S

WOMEN OF NOTE AWARDS PRESENTED BY

ANNOUNCING THIS YEAR’S

2017 HONOREES JODI L. BERG, President and CEO, Vita-Mix Corporation (Vitamix)

ERICA CALDERAS, Partner, Hahn Loeser & Parks DOREEN CANNON, President, Plumbers Local 55 and Chair, Cleveland Building Trades Tradeswomen Committee HALLE JONES CAPERS, SVP, Operations and manager, Transportation, G. Stephens Inc. COLLEEN M. COTTER, Executive director, Legal Aid Society

GINA M. CRONIN, Executive director — Global Leadership and Learning Institute, Cleveland Clinic KIRSTEN M. ELLENBOGEN, President and CEO, Great Lakes Science Center

KELLY FALCONE-HALL, President and CEO, Western Reserve Historical Society

ANNE P. NOONAN, President and CEO, OMNOVA Solutions SHARLENE RAMOS-CHESNES, President and CEO, InterChez LAUREN RICH FINE, CFA managing director, Gries Financial LLC

CONSTANCE HILL-JOHNSON, Owner and CEO, Visiting Angels, Cleveland

PATRICIA SHLONSKY, Partner-incharge, Ulmer & Berne LLP; chair, Tax Group; chair, Employee Benefits

ELIZABETH NEWMAN, President and CEO, Centers for Families and Children

MICHELLE TOMALLO, President and co-founder, FIT Technologies

Cleveland Foundation Women of Note Legacy Award Winner

Beth Mooney, Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp Turning passion into purpose for generations of women

DATE: July 18, 2017

FirstEnergy Stadium – City Club Level FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION, visit www.crainscleveland.com/WON

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CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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TAX LIENS The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office. Liens reported here are $5,000 and higher.

Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $30,957.82 (total of two liens) Incredible Kids Childcare & Preschool Center 4651 Northfield Road, North Randall Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Failure to file complete return Amount: $28,852.70

LIENS FILED Biskind Contract Cleaning LLC 6777 Engle Road, Suite I, Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, unemployment Amount: $170,320.16

Taylor Financial Group Inc. 26827 Normandy Road, Bay Village Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, corporate income Amount: $21,456.36

Stroud-Lawrence Funeral Home 95 S. Franklin St., Chagrin Falls Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $80,719.03 The P & S St. Clair Liquor Inc. 16208 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Corporate income, employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, unemployment Amount: $39,972.96 Halo Metal Prep Inc. 5712 Brookpark Road, Unit C, Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $33,452.98 DeLoach Orthodontics Inc. 5 Severance Circle, Suite 805, Cleveland Heights Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $32,920.28 Capitol Painting Inc. P.O. Box 307, Chagrin Falls Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $32,059.81 Parma Pre-School Inc. 5280 Broadview Road, Parma Date filed: March 28 and April 26, 2017

Professional Health Record Consultants Inc. 13421 Highlandview Ave., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, unemployment Amount: $10,501.21 Tomo Hibachi Restaurant and Lounge 1293 W. 9th St., Cleveland Date filed: April 26, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $10,396.65 Poorich Tires Inc. (Poorman Richman Tires) 11702 Superior Ave., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, unemployment Amount: $9,203.74

Medical Care Center LLC 1250 Superior Ave. E., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $19,634.59 Paul F. Smith Jr. DDS Inc. 3461 Warrensville Center Road, Suite 306, Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $18,207.27

Watsons Funeral Home Inc. 10913 Superior Ave., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $8,319.28

TMG Services Inc. 8100 Grand Ave., Suite 100, Cleveland Date filed: April 26, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $17,027.98

Satkabir Inc. (J&M Food Market) 2000 Warrensville Center Road, South Euclid Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Corporate income, employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, failure to file complete return Amount: $8,283.61

Art American Printing Plates Inc. 1138 W. 9th St., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $13,872.72

William E. Crowe MD Inc. 6681 Ridge Road, Suite 204, Parma Date filed: April 26, 2017 Type: Corporate income Amount: $7,020

Bradley Metal Fabrication LLC 17600 S. Waterloo Road, Cleveland Date filed: April 26, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $12,637.57

Protax LLC 32499 Pinetree Road, Pepper Pike Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $5,592.03

REAL ESTATE

Phone: (216) 771-5276 Contact: Lynn Calcaterra E-mail: CLBClassified@crain.com

AUCTIONS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

FOR SALE

§ §

LIENS RELEASED Job Placement Services Inc. 14729 Puritas Ave., Cleveland Date filed: Nov. 10, 2008 Date released: April 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $235,462.67 Integrity Waterproofing Inc. 1334 Summit Ave., Lakewood Date filed: April 30, 2007; Feb. 23, 2009; May 4, 2009; April 26, 2011; Jan. 18, 2012 Date released: April 5, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $96,077.96 (total of five liens released) William E. Crowe MD Inc. 6681 Ridge Road, Suite 204, Parma Date filed: Sept. 3, 2015 Date released: April 26, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, unemployment Amount: $62,390.37 Spectrum Home Health Care LLC 2000 Auburn Drive, Suite 200, Beachwood Date filed: Aug. 14, 2014 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $41,245.69 CBR Regulatory LLC 27800 Belcourt Road, Pepper Pike Date filed: April 4, 2014 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $37,357.16

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Blues To You Inc. 812 Huron Road E., Cleveland Date filed: April 10, 2014 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Corporate income Amount: $6,825

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CALL TODAY 216-799-9911 Kubota L2350D 4X4 1993 - 25 HP, Manual Transmision, Diesel tractor with only 450 hours. $2,150 Call for more info: 937-503-7034

Metro Equipment Sales & Service 17900 Miles Road, Warrensville Heights Date filed: Dec. 6, 2016 Date released: April 26, 2017 Type: Annual tax return Amount: $8,726.24

CLASSIFIED "We haul away your unwanted stuff"

AUCTIONS

Mindlin Consulting Group Inc. 14837 Detroit Road, Suite 306, Lakewood Date filed: Dec. 8, 2014 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, corporate income Amount: $15,302.48

Transnational Property Investments LLC 3473 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Date filed: Aug. 11, 2016 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $5,730.01 CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS μ MAY 29, 2017 μ PAGE 37

Full Service Junk Removal and Mini Dumpster Rental

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Westlake Methodist Church 27650 Center Ridge Road, Westlake Date filed: Sept. 14, 2016 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $16,009.38

Expert System Applications Inc. 26401 Miles Road, Cleveland Date filed: May 12, 2015 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding Amount: $27,746.42

Haul-My-Mess.com

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B & E Construction Inc. 1226 E. 152nd St., Cleveland Date filed: June 16, 2008; Dec. 23, 2016 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s withholding, corporate income Amount: $17,393.48 (total of two liens released)

www.buildingretrofit.com (216)533-0563

BUSINESS SERVICES

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ENVIRONMENTAL UST REMOVALS â&#x20AC;¢ REMEDIATION DUE DILIGENCE INVESTIGATIONS (800) 690-9409 CHIM CHIMNEY MASONRY We repair or tuck point with color, and build or rebuild all brick, block and stone. Top A Angieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List Contractor, BBB A+ with 28 years experience. You, or someone you know knows us! 216-240-4260

C.W. JENNINGS INDUSTRIAL EXCHANGE Global Industrial Consulting Construction â&#x20AC;¢ Acquisitions Exporting â&#x20AC;¢ Financing (855) 707-1944

Looking to fill a position on your staff?

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Call 216-771-5276

BUSINESSES FOR SALE Commercial Cleaning Franchise With as little as $30K down you can own this business making over 200K. Sales $1.3M Asking price $295K mike@empirebusinesses.com www.empirebusinesses.com 440-461-2202

BUSINESS SERVICE OWNERS! Submit your business card to promote your service.

To find out more, contact

Lynn Calcaterra at

216.771.5276

PA G E 3 8

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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CONSTRUCTION

LAW

LAW

Paul Hervey

Joseph Monroe II

Family Law Attorney

Associate

Day Ketterer

Bill Painter

Rhonda Molenaar

Project Manager

Controller

R. L. Hill Management, Inc.

Day Ketterer is pleased to announce Paul B. Hervey has joined the Firm as a Member attorney practicing in the area of Domestic Relations and Family Law. For more than 20 years, Paul has assisted clients in complex family law matters including divorce, dissolution, child custody, and child support. His comprehensive domestic relations experience encompasses the basic dissolution of a marriage to multi-million dollar divorce cases successfully defended all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Bill Painter joins the R. L. Hill Management team as our Project Manager after recently working for Turner Construction. He will have complete oversight managing the projects. He is proficient in collaborating with the owner, the architect, and engineers during pre-construction and constructionMr. Painter’s experience includes health care, retail, education, hospitality, and food service.

Rhonda Molenaar joins the R. L. Hill Management team as our Controller. Ms. Molenaar spent 3 years in public accounting before she began her construction career as the Assistant Controller for Schirmer Construction and as the Controller for Gorman-Lavelle. In late 2015 she took a one year sabbatical from her career, during which time she lived in Kenya and Madagascar and volunteered at an orphanage and a women’s clinic.

LAW

LAW

William T. Raiff

Patrick A Hruby

Associate

Associate

Walter & Haverfield LLP

Walter & Haverfield LLP

Walter & Haverfield LLP is pleased to announce that William T. Raiff has joined the firm as an associate in its Real Estate Group. Bill focuses his practice on commercial real estate matters and transactions, including retail and residential leasing and the disposition and acquisition of commercial properties. He earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. For more information, visit www.walterhav.com.

Walter & Haverfield LLP is pleased to announce that Patrick A. Hruby has joined the firm as an associate in its Corporate Transactions Group. Patrick’s experience includes representing banks and other commercial lenders, commercial property owners, creditors and debtors in the United States Bankruptcy Court, and bankruptcy trustees, among others. He is a member of the Ohio, Florida, and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Associations. For more information, visit www.walterhav.com.

Gallagher Sharp LLP Gallagher Sharp announces that Joseph Monroe II has joined the firm as an Associate. Joe received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, cum laude, in 2010.

Before joining Gallagher Sharp, Joe served as a Staff Attorney to the Hon. Carolyn B. Friedland, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, an Instructor at the Beijing, China, University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and as a Foreclosure Mediator. For more information please visit www.gallaghersharp.com.

LAW

LAW Dolores (Lola) Garcia Prignitz

Nicholas B. Buzzy

Associate

Gallagher Sharp LLP

Associate

Ulmer & Berne LLP Lola represents clients in complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. Her practice focuses on commercial matters, contract disputes, and business torts. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, including health care, finance, and telecommunications. She previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio Civil Division.

Gallagher Sharp announces that Nicholas B. Buzzy has joined the firm as an Associate. Nick received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, cum laude, in 2012, where he participated on the Ault Mock Trial Team and was a finalist in the Dunmore Moot Court Competition. Before joining Gallagher Sharp, Nick served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Summit County, Ohio. For more information please visit www.gallaghersharp.com.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Source Lunch Rafael Hernandez Brito

Spanish play-by-play voice, Cavaliers Rafael Hernandez Brito — or Rafa “El Alcalde” (The Mayor), as he’s often referred — moved from El Salvador to the United States at age 16. When he found out his mechanical engineering degree from Boston University wasn’t going to help him as much as he thought (more on that in a bit), Hernandez Brito got a sales job with a Coors distributor in New York. ¶ “I was young, making a lot of money, but I wasn’t happy,” he said. ¶ So he said he put on his “best suit,” told his boss he was quitting and pursued a job about which he was passionate — one in sports. ¶ Two decades later, Hernandez Brito has done it all — calling 13 Super Bowls, the World Series, the Final Four, and 300 games with LeBron James back in Cleveland. Hernandez has been the Spanish radio play-by-play voice of the Cavs on La Mega 87.7 FM since James returned in 2014. — Kevin Kleps

Five things New home in the U.S. Hernandez Brito is the youngest of four. His parents were the last members of his immediate family to move from El Salvador. They relocated to Sacramento about five years ago.

Eclectic list “I listen to music a lot. I don’t discriminate,” he said of his wide-ranging tastes.

Favorite part of his job Calling the games. “That’s when you see the fruits of your work,” he said.

Broadcasters he admires Jim Nantz and Bob Costas.

Hernandez Brito, who called his first Final Four in 2017, said he wants to one day reach the trifecta Nantz has many times — calling the Super Bowl, Final Four and Masters.

Green, but not with envy Hernandez Brito knows a thing or two about suffering through bad football losses. He’s a Jets fan.

Lunch spot Barroco 12906 Madison Ave., Lakewood 216-221-8127 www.barrocogrill.com

The meal Barroco skewers — one with chicken and one with steak — plus Colombian Empanadas (fritters with shredded beef), French Fries and a salad. One had water and one had a soft drink.

The vibe An unassuming storefront gives way to an eclectic atmosphere inside the Lakewood spot. (A Larchmere location is coming soon.)

The bill $55.08, plus tip

You’ve covered pretty much every major sporting event. Where does Game 7 of the 2016 Finals rank on that list?

At the top of the list. I’ll tell you why: Because I’ve done 13 Super Bowls, I did the Final Four for the first time (in 2017), I’ve done the World Series, I’ve done my Yankees (his favorite MLB team), I’ve done, like you said, everything, but I never was invested 100% the way I am with the Cavs. It was something that I never experienced before of all the things I’ve covered. … I saw losers and winners, but it never really meant anything.

Game 7 was just unbelievable. From watching the guys work day in and day out, and seeing the sacrifices everybody puts in, especially with the way the Finals before that ended with all of the injuries and everything.

It was just surreal.

You’re the first broadcaster in the U.S. to call the finals of the three major sporting events (the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and World Series) in Spanish. What’s that mean to you?

I didn’t realize it until I had the Finals of the NBA. It was very important to me because I was part of the whole evolution of team broadcasting to Spanish 20 years ago. I was the first (Hispanic) voice of the Jets, the Nets when they were in New Jersey, I did St. John’s men’s basketball, a lot of boxing, some UFC. In the beginning, it was just doing little things to be in the business. And when I called my first Finals, it’s good to have something that nobody else has done, I guess. It’s not something that I got to do by chance. I think I earned it.

You travel with the Cavs. Is the chemistry as good as it seems on the outside?

Yes. There’s nothing made up. I’m a Yankee fan, and when you think about the Yankees, you think about the Bronx Zoo from 1978, when they said it was a 25-cab team (meaning all the players went separate ways after a game). Literally, this team is a one-bus team. They genuinely like each other, and the most amazing thing about this chemistry is it’s a whole bunch of different personalities and backgrounds. ... It is a brotherhood, I think, that starts with 23 (LeBron James) and ends all the way down to the last guy. The way they do get along — they have dinner together when they’re on the road, especially now in the playoffs.

Have you met another broadcaster that has a mechanical engineering degree?

John Michael (the play-by-play voice on the Cavs Radio Network) has a mechanical degree and is a lawyer from Notre Dame. The two of us actually left our careers. He left his law career to become a broadcaster.

I left my sales career to become a broadcaster. I didn’t have to go that far (to find another).

That was decision you made on a whim, that you wanted to try something else?

Well, I could never work as an engineer because when I graduated I only had a permanent resident (card), and the jobs that I was looking for were only for U.S. citizens because of national security. I wanted to work building jet engines.

Nobody bothered to tell me that when I was going through my hell for four years of engineering school.

What do you try to bring to a broadcast?

I try to bring the way I look at the game. A lot of people ask me if what comes out of my mouth is planned, and it never is. I always listen to myself to critique myself and try to get better. I think the energy that we put into our broadcast, I think the worst thing to say is we call the game like it’s soccer because it’s not.

I think I have the privilege to watch the game and say what I think is going on. You’ve gotta prepare yourself, but to bring that energy to the broadcast, I think that is the most important part.

What’s your favorite sport to call?

Football. It’s football and basketball.

Football, I love it because the preparation is so amazing and so challenging. The media packet you get is like this big (he gestures to show a stack of papers that’s a couple inches high). When doing football, I learned something that was kind of eye-opening. I used to admire these guys by listening on TV and listening to all the stuff they come up with. But then I realized, they give it all to you. It’s just a matter of how good of a storyteller you are. But basketball I love because I played it, so I feel comfortable telling fans what you do when you have your back to the basket or have a bad pass. Obviously, I never played at the level I work at, but the fundamentals of the game are the same.

in

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sider intel

MARKETING, ADVERTISING & EVENTS INSIGHTS.

Today’s Tip:

Research has shown that the more senses you engage during an event the more an attendee will remember and enjoy their experience.

Look for multiple ways to stimulate the five senses at your event and through your marketing. Promote your event through multiple avenues -- print (touch); online (sight); or video (sound). Have an enticing and textured program at each setting so your attendees can hold and feel it. Place a fragrant centerpiece at the table and provide engaging content along with an eye-catching presentation.

megan lemke

Events Coordinator, Crain’s Cleveland Business mlemke@crain.com

How Crain’s can work for you: At Crain’s, we value the experience our partners, clients and attendees have at an event. By partnering with us as a sponsor or advertising partner, we will provide you with our expertise in event content, setup and promotion. We can provide you with a successful event marketing plan that takes advantage of our print and online audience.

We invite you to come experience our upcoming events: • JUNE 21, Health Care Forum • JULY 18, Women of Note Awards • AUG. 17, Crain’s Archer Awards • AUG. 23, MidMarket Perspectives For more information check out CrainsCleveland.com/events or contact Nicole Mastrangelo at 216.771.5158 or nmastrangelo@crain.com.

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Volume 38, Number 22 Crain’s Cleveland Business (ISSN 0197-2375) is published weekly at 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 441131230. Copyright © 2017 by Crain Communications Inc. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices. Price per copy: $2.00.

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