Weatherhead 100 by Crain's Cleveland Business

WEATHERHEAD 100

30TH ANNIVERSARY

NORTHEAST OHIO’S

FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES

A+ Solutions

Laudan Properties

Accellis Technology Group, Inc.

Marsh, Berry & Company, Inc.

Acorn Technology Corporation

MediQuant, Inc.

Allegro Realty Advisors

MFS Supply, LLC

American Colors Inc.

National Automotive Experts / NWAN

AMG Marketing Resources

National Safety Apparel

Ancora Capital

Nicole Brayden Gifts, LLC

Applied Companies, LLC

Northeast Factory Direct

AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management

Norton Industries, Inc.

ArtWall

ON Partners

ASMGi

OnShift

Avantia, Inc.

Osborn Engineering Co.

Banyan Technology

Panel Master LLC

Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, LLC

Patton Painting Incorporated

Bialosky Cleveland

Perspectus Architecture

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

Pinnacle Construction & Development Group, Inc.

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

UPSTARTS

Greenspace Construction Services Group Management Services, Inc.

Adatasol

Mortach Financial Services

American Heelers

O’Reilly Equipment

Aurum Wealth Management Group, LLC

Planned Financial Services

Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management

Pritt Entertainment Group

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

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

Kiwi Creative

TIES - Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM

Lakeside Produce Distribution, Inc.

TLC Products, Inc.

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

Payroll4Construction.com

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

KHM Travel Group

Wireless Environment, makers of Mr Beams

Lake City Plating LLC

World Synergy

Laketec Communications, Inc.

WTWH Media

CENTURIONS Crosscountry Mortgage, Inc.

MobilityWorks

LDA architects

True Hire

ExactCare Pharmacy

Park Place Technologies

Lead to Conversion, LLC

Woodside Health

Garland Industries, Inc.

Union Home Mortgage

Metisentry

YellowLite

LeafFilter North, Inc.

US Acute Care Solutions

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NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

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INSIDE THE SECTION PAGES

3-9

COMPANY PROFILES:

ArtWall ExactCare Pharmacy CleanLife Energy Norton Industries LeafFilter YellowLite

PAGES

10-11

Five former winners on how business has changed

PAGES

11-12

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

PAGES

14-27 THE LISTS

Weatherhead 100 Upstart Centurion

EVER-CHANGING

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

By Barry Goodrich

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

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

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

LOOKING FORWARD

Ron Fry, Ph.D. Professor of Organizational Behavior

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AWARD CATEGORIES PAGE

BY THE NUMBERS

Weatherhead 100

Upstart

Centurion

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

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

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

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

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

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

David Aheimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dale Wollschleger

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

“

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

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

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

— DALE WOLLSCHLEGER, founder and CEO, ExactCare Pharmacy

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“

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

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

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

BRIGHT LIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#65

Tricia Rhea

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

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

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

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

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GUTTER GREATNESS

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

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

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

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

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30TH ANNIVERSARY

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

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

“

LEAFFILTER CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

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

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

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

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

Azam Kazmi

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

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

W10

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

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

MIKE JARRETT | president

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

TOM HAUGHT president

SEQUOIA FINANCIAL 12-time Weatherhead 100 winner

STEVE PEPLIN | CEO and founder

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

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

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WEATHERHEAD 100

W11

30TH ANNIVERSARY

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

W FRED ODE | CEO, chairman and founder

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

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

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

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

STACEY LAROTONDA | vice president, client services

GROUP MANAGEMENT SERVICES 10-time Weatherhead 100 winner

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

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

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SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE

MALRITE COMMUNICATIONS

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

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

1988

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

1988

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

1988

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

1988

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

byRedwood.com

216.360.9441

7510 East Pleasant Valley Road, Independence, OH 44131

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WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

ARTWALL www.brushstone.com

2011 2,286.28% Cuyahoga Strongsville

Five Lakes helps dental practices attract and retain FIVE LAKES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Mayfield 2010 1,419.98% Cuyahoga patients and maximize reimbursements. www.fivelakespro.com Heights

www.gcsteam.com

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

Manufacturer of canvas art products for home or office.

GREENSPACE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (GCS)

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

2011 1,294.61% Cuyahoga Cleveland

DIRECT CONSULTING ASSOCIATES

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

2011 1,173.24% Cuyahoga

TECHNICAL ASSURANCE, INC.

Technical Assurance is a nationally recognized building enclosure consulting firm.

1993 900.14%

www.dc-associates.com

www.technicalassurance.com

Solon

Lake Willoughby

Leading national distribution and management source WELLNESSIQ Independence 17 2007 872.62% Cuyahoga for small and mid-size corporate wellness solutions. www.wellnessiq.net

BUDGET DUMPSTER www.budgetdumpster.com

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

2009 636.19% Cuyahoga Westlake

TPI EFFICIENCY www.tpiefficiency.com

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

2009 605.18% Cuyahoga Cleveland

ACORN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

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

1993 491.9% Cuyahoga Cleveland

WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT, MAKERS OF MR BEAMS Mr Beams is a line of motion-sensing, battery-pow Mayfield 2006 486.28% Cuyahoga ered LED lights that install anywhere without wires. www.mrbeams.com Village

www.acorntechnology.com

SANCTUARY MARKETING GROUP North Sanctuary is a digital marketing agency that helps its 2006 483.49% Stark 21 www.sanctuarymg.com Canton clients grow by generating leads online. www.northeastfactorydirect.com

NORTHEAST FACTORY DIRECT

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

1999 408.58% Cuyahoga Cleveland

ONSHIFT www.onshift.com

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

2008 403.48% Cuyahoga Cleveland

152

www.oxygo.life

APPLIED COMPANIES, LLC

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

1993 380.79% Cuyahoga Westlake

WHS ENGINEERING INC.

MEP consulting engineering firm.

2005 333.93% Cuyahoga Cleveland

A+ SOLUTIONS www.thinkaplus.com

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

2005 316.86% Cuyahoga Beachwood

COMPASS SELF STORAGE www.compassselfstorage.com

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

2008 302.63% Cuyahoga Cleveland

176

CHECKPOINT SURGICAL www.checkpointsurgical.com

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

2009 301.21% Cuyahoga Cleveland

RE/MAX HAVEN REALTY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Residential property management and sales.

2010 298.68% Cuyahoga Solon

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

1996 286.44% Cuyahoga Euclid

FUTURI MEDIA www.futurimedia.com

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

2007

BELLWETHER ENTERPRISE REAL ESTATE CAPITAL, LLC

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

2008 252.72% Cuyahoga Cleveland

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

1991 246.61% Cuyahoga Independence 257

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

2008

www.whs-eng.com

www.clevelandmanagement.com

POWDERMET, INC.

www.powdermetinc.com

www.bellwetherenterprise.com

REDWOOD LIVING, INC.

www.byredwood.com

LAUDAN PROPERTIES www.laudanproperties.com

275.86%

245.66%

Cuyahoga

Summit

Seven Hills

Twinsburg

205

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

W15

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

www.divinityboutique.com

1989 237.55% Cuyahoga Solon

Leading provider of electronic payment and consolidation ECHO HEALTH, INC. 1997 225.18% Cuyahoga Westlake systems and solutions. www.echohealthinc.com

Speedeon Data connects leading brands to high-value customSPEEDEON DATA LLC 2008 220.73% Cuyahoga Cleveland 26 ers through data-driven, omni-channel marketing solutions. www.speedeondata.com

EXSCAPE DESIGNS LLC www.exscapedesigns.com

NICOLE BRAYDEN GIFTS, LLC

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

2016 EMPLOYEES 17 54

Develop and install naturally unique landscapes.

2004 213.93% Geauga Novelty

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

1986 213.17% Summit Fairlawn

29 30

Full-service construction payroll provider that helps PAYROLL4CONSTRUCTION.COM 2006 210.19% Cuyahoga Strongsville contractors eliminate the hassles of payroll. www.payroll4construction.com

MEDIQUANT, INC. MediQuant creates health care IT efficiencies with 1999 206.71% Cuyahoga Brecksville www.mediquant.com intelligent applications for revenue and data life.

32 33 34 35

RISK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.

www.riskinternational.com

KHM TRAVEL GROUP

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

2005 205.53% Medina Brunswick

PUREBUTTONS.COM

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

2005 190.41% Medina Medina

OSBORN ENGINEERING CO.

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

1892 171.16% Cuyahoga Cleveland

100

THE SPYGLASS GROUP

SpyGlass provides telecommunication cost-consulting services to finance executives.

2001 166.47% Cuyahoga Westlake

141

www.khmtravel.com

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

Delivering on the Promise.

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

Infinium Wall Systems

Aurum Wealth Management Group, a Skoda Minotti firm

Keene Building Products

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

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

Foundation Software, Inc.

SureSite

Hartland

Wireless Environment

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

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W16

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

SAFETY CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY Middleburg A woman-owned business enterprise delivering comprehensive 1999 165.45% Cuyahoga www.sct.us.com Heights occupational safety and health solutions.

INSIGHT2PROFIT combines pricing expertise, technology, INSIGHT2PROFIT 2006 162.59% Cuyahoga Cleveland and implementation to deliver profit growth. www.insight2profit.com

38 39 40

Ancora is a client-focused investment management and family ANCORA CAPITAL 2003 158.23% Cuyahoga Cleveland 59 wealth advisory firm with assets over $5 billion. www.ancora.net

JCI CONTRACTORS INC.

Commercial and industrial building firm.

1988 154.23% Ashtabula Ashtabula

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

2008 149.72% Cuyahoga Cleveland

Architecture, engineering and interior design firm K2M DESIGN 2001 145.22% Cuyahoga Cleveland specializing in the public and private markets. www.k2mdesign.com

ON PARTNERS ON Partners recruits C-suite, board and senior talent 2006 144.8% Cuyahoga Solon www.onpartners.com for public, private and PE/VC-backed companies.

43 44 45 46

BRIAR ROSE NURSERIES www.briarrosenurseries.com

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

2002 144.59%

AVANTIA, INC. www.avantia-inc.com

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

2000

FABO ARCHITECTURE, INC.

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

1998 140.84% Cuyahoga Cleveland

INFINIUM WALL SYSTEMS

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

2003 136.8%

www.jcibuilds.com

CRESCENDO COMMERCIAL REALTY, LLC

www.cc-realty.com

www.faboarch.com

www.infiniumwalls.com

141.41%

Lake Cuyahoga

Perry Valley View

Cuyahoga Strongsville

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

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

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

IMPROVE PROFESSIONALISM with a single business line caller ID

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

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES 1996 136.42% Wayne Dundee 175

AMG MARKETING RESOURCES

1973 136.28% Cuyahoga Solon 29

SKY QUEST LLC

2001 134.96% Cuyahoga Cleveland 44

QUALITYIP

2003 131.81% Portage Kent 32

HILEMAN GROUP

2005 131.53% Cuyahoga Cleveland 34

RDL ARCHITECTS

1995 131.41% Cuyahoga Shaker Heights 43

47 48

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

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

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

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

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

DANIEL’S AMISH COLLECTION

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

WHAT CAN UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS WITH IP CENTREX DO FOR YOU?

UNION HOME M O R T G A G E

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

Join our World Class family

Become a Partner today at UnionHomeMortgage.com/Careers

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

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Weatherhead 100 Winners List ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

53 54

GREAT LAKES COLD STORAGE

1999 131.14% Cuyahoga Solon 183

SECUREDATA 365

2006 120.79% Stark Canton 21

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

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

SURESITE

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

Congratulations to the entire Weatherhead Class of 2017.

| maloneynovotny.com

1999 119.31% Cuyahoga Beachwood 119

PURE WATER TECHNOLOGY, LLC

2006 117.89% Cuyahoga Bedford Heights 46

US FREIGHT LLC

2009 117.74% Cuyahoga Rocky River 20

56 57

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

PATTON PAINTING INCORPORATED

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

2003 116.63% Cuyahoga Westlake 36

BANYAN TECHNOLOGY

2001 116.09% Lorain Elyria 39

KEENE BUILDING PRODUCTS

2002 112.51% Cuyahoga Mayfield Heights 42

WTWH MEDIA

2006 111.17% Cuyahoga Cleveland 45

BIALOSKY CLEVELAND

1952 111.05% Cuyahoga Cleveland 53

DIGITAL PRINT SOLUTIONS

2009 110.19% Summit Richfield 42

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

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

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

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

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

Business Advisors and Certified Public Accountants

216.363.0100

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

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

SPONSORED CONTENT

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

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30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

DIRECT RECRUITERS, INC. Direct Recruiters, Inc., Executive Search, recruits, acquires, 1983 106.64% Cuyahoga Solon www.directrecruiters.com and retains top talent for mission-critical positions.

Manufacturer of wood ceilings, wood walls NORTON INDUSTRIES, INC. 1967 105.82% Cuyahoga Lakewood and luminous ceiling components. www.nortonceilings.com

Develops and supports job cost accounting and project FOUNDATION SOFTWARE, INC. 1985 103.64% Cuyahoga Strongsville 182 management software for the construction industry. www.foundationsoft.com

EVENT SOURCE www.eventsource.com

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

1979 103.12% Cuyahoga Cleveland

111

www.jarrettlogistics.com

JARRETT LOGISTICS SYSTEMS, INC.

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

1999 102.09% Wayne Orrville

Celebrating more than 25 years providing planning, THENDESIGN ARCHITECTURE, LTD. 1989 95.04% Lake Willoughby architecture and interior design services. www.thendesign.com

ASMGI ASMGi helps you grow and protect your businesses 2002 94.02% Cuyahoga Cleveland www.asmgi.com with cybersecurity, software and cloud/IT services.

WORLD SYNERGY www.worldsynergy.com

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

1998 90.46%

Cuyahoga Beachwood

www.thinknsa.com

NATIONAL SAFETY APPAREL

National Safety Apparel proudly manufactures specialized safety apparel.

1935 89.41% Cuyahoga Cleveland

264

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

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

key.com

W20

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

AQUA DOC LAKE & POND MANAGEMENT AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management is a Chardon-based, 2002 87.51% Geauga Chardon www.aquadocinc.com full-service, aquatic management company.

101

REBOUND PHYSICAL THERAPY AND URGENT CARE 2006 86.92% Cuyahoga Lakewood Physical therapy and urgent care in Ohio. CENTERS, INC. www.ptrebound.com

Skoda Minotti is a business advisory firm that helps clients SKODA MINOTTI 2001 85.28% Cuyahoga Cleveland 290 grow and achieve financial success. www.skodaminotti.com

www.allegrorealty.com

77 78 79 80 81

ALLEGRO REALTY ADVISORS

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

2001 83.9%

Cuyahoga Cleveland

SELMAN & COMPANY

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

1980 82.36% Cuyahoga Cleveland

132

Razorleaf bridges the gap between business needs and RAZORLEAF CORP. 2000 80.4% Summit Stow technology solutions for engineering and manufacturing. www.razorleaf.com

EMERSON THOMSON BENNETT, LLC. Intellectual property law firm offering comprehensive 2008 78.63% Summit Akron www.etblaw.com legal services to clients worldwide.

www.selmanco.com

FARMERS NATIONAL BANC CORP.

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

1887 77.91% Mahoning Canfield

443

SEQUOIA FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC

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

1991 77.15% Summit Akron

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

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

fcbanking.com

Member FDIC

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

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

CALL TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY REVIEW!

440-391-4753 www.MortachFinancial.com

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

W22

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

CREATING CHEMISTRY

IN CLEVELAND.

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

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

BLACKBURN OEM WHEEL SOLUTIONS

1983 76.77% Summit Macedonia 63

CARVER FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

1990 76.74% Lake Mentor 21

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

LAKE CITY PLATING LLC

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

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

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

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

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

1949 73.86% Ashtabula Ashtabula 84

TESTOIL

1988 71.53% Cuyahoga Strongsville 73

ROCK THE HOUSE

1999 71.47% Cuyahoga Oakwood Village 26

TALAN PRODUCTS INC.

1986 70.34% Cuyahoga Cleveland 69

ACCELLIS TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.

2001 69.85% Cuyahoga Cleveland 18

FIVE POINTS DENTISTRY

2000 68.87% Cuyahoga Strongsville 16

MFS SUPPLY, LLC

2006 66.46% Cuyahoga Solon 72

AMERICAN COLORS INC.

1975 65.35% Erie Sandusky 73

PERSPECTUS ARCHITECTURE

2003 64.01% Cuyahoga Cleveland 49

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

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

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

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

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

W23

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Weatherhead 100 Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

LAKETEC COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Cuyahoga North A strategic IT solutions and managed services provider, 1989 63.92% Olmsted www.laketec.com specializing in voice, network and cloud.

Custom designer and manufacturer PANEL MASTER LLC 1985 63.31% Lorain LaGrange of industrial control systems. www.panelmaster.com

GROUP MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC. GMS is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) 1996 62.97% Summit Richfield 193 and a third-party administrator (TPA). www.groupmgmt.com

HARTLAND www.hartlandco.com

www.naenwan.com

Independent institutional and wealth advisory firm.

1989 61.93% Cuyahoga Cleveland

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

1996 61.79%

Cuyahoga Strongsville

115

DataServ is a comprehensive provider DATASERV INTEGRATIONS, LLC 1986 60.31% Cuyahoga Westlake of information technology solutions. www.dataservtech.com

MARSH, BERRY & COMPANY, INC. MarshBerry provides consulting services to independent 1981 58.84% Cuyahoga Woodmere www.marshberry.com insurance agents, brokers and carriers.

NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE EXPERTS / NWAN

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

100

PINNACLE CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC.

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

2000 58.72% Cuyahoga Cleveland 27

THERE’S NO

BUSINESS

It Worked For Us. It can work for you.

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

Grow your business with our integrated approach to marketing

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

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

Columbus

Washington

Cleveland

Cincinnati

Akron

Houston

Pittsburgh

W24

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List

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

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

www.cleanlifeled.com

www.prittentertainmentgroup.com

animation, photography and graphic design.

RICHARDSON DESIGN www.richardsondesign.com

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

1994

YELLOWLITE www.yellowlite.com

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

2009

CLEANLIFE ENERGY LLC

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

PRITT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PEG brings brands to life through video production,

RANK

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

Providing Private Jet Flights

» Saving you time » Keeping you productive

FlySkyQuest.com

216-362-9904 Charter@FlySkyQuest.com

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE/DESCRIPTION

2012 2008

600.08% 548.82% 354.98%

283.57%

Cuyahoga Cleveland

2016 EMPLOYEES

Summit Akron

Cuyahoga Cleveland

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

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

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

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

2000 234.71% Cuyahoga Beachwood ADATASOL www.adatasol.com / Company goal is a 10-to-1 improvement in your business process.

HMT EVENTS, INC.

ETHODE, LLC

2010

249.4%

Medina

16 9

SPONSORED CONTENT

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W25

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

REQUEST A TEST

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

KIWI CREATIVE

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

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

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

13 14 15

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

GRANTS PLUS

2007 188.89% Cuyahoga Cleveland 12

COASTAL QUALITY CONSTRUCTION INC.

2009 182.5% Cuyahoga Broadview Heights 15

TIES - TEACHING INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM

2002 181.76% Cuyahoga Cleveland Heights 4

DMS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

2003 147.22% Cuyahoga Westlake 11

TRUE HIRE

1995 145.83% Stark Uniontown 15

DEPENDABLE, LLC

1951 130.96% Cuyahoga Mayfield Heights 11

SMARTLAND, LLC

2008 120% Cuyahoga Highland Heights 12

METISENTRY

2006 104.77% Summit Akron 6

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

www.iesteach.org TIES helps children make sense of the world through STEM education. www.dmsmgmtsolutions.com DMS Management Solutions provides a wide range of accounting services to small and midsized businesses. www.true-hire.com True Hire is a service business that performs background check services to businesses.

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

2001 218.37% Cuyahoga Brecksville 11

WOODSIDE HEALTH

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

www.smartland.com Real estate development and construction.

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

Taking your Business from

THOUGHT to THRIVE

™

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

440.349.4940 | worldsynergy.com World synergy-Weatherhead-.25PG.indd 2

10/26/17 5:04 PM

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W26

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Upstart Winners List RANK ORGANIZATION/WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

www.pr2020.com

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

2005 101.54% Cuyahoga Cleveland

www.mortachfinancial.com

MORTACH FINANCIAL SERVICES

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

2000 98.05%

www.plannedfinancial.com

PLANNED FINANCIAL SERVICES

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

1994 96.03% Cuyahoga Brecksville

Simplifying print technology management by North 1991 95.91% Lorain 8 providing one invoice, one partner, no hassle. Ridgeville www.randktechnologies.com

AURUM WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC Aurum specializes in providing financial planning, investment Mayfield 2006 91.59% Cuyahoga 8 management services and 401(k) plans. www.aurumwealth.com Village

25 26 27 28 29 30

RAZOR LTD. LLC www.razor-marketing.com

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

2003 91.47%

Cuyahoga Beachwood

AMERICAN HEELERS www.orthopedicshoelift.com

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

2009 90.81%

Cuyahoga Beachwood

LDA architects is a design-oriented architectural firm LDA ARCHITECTS 1995 89.14% Cuyahoga Cleveland known for superior service. www.ldaarchitecture.com

Hy-tech Products is a distributor of commercial HY-TECH PRODUCTS, INC. Broadview 1984 84.88% Cuyahoga and industrial roofing supplies and equipment. www.hy-techroof.com Heights

PR 20/20

Lorain

2016 EMPLOYEES

Avon

R & K TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

TLC PRODUCTS, INC.

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

1996 82.01% Cuyahoga Cleveland

SPIRE ADVERTISING

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

2006 79.47% Ashland Ashland

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

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

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE RANK DESCRIPTION

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

SIMPLEX-IT

2007 76.54% Summit Stow 9

O’REILLY EQUIPMENT

2002 69.89% Geauga Newbury 12

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

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

YEAR EST. SALES GROWTH COUNTY CITY 2016 EMPLOYEES

BEESE FULMER PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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

LAKESIDE PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION, INC.

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

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

SPECIAL METAL STAMPING

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

NEO’s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

W27

30TH ANNIVERSARY

Centurion Winners List

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

YEAR SALES EST. GROWTH COUNTY CITY

2016 EMPLOYEES

EXACTCARE PHARMACY www.exactcarepharmacy.com

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

2009 509.65% Cuyahoga Cleveland

249

www.myccmortgage.com

CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, INC.

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

2003 277.32% Cuyahoga Brecksville

994

www.leaffilter.com

LEAFFILTER NORTH, INC.

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

2005 233.83% Summit Hudson

387

MOBILITYWORKS www.mobilityworks.com

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

1997 189.28% Summit Richfield

885

PARK PLACE TECHNOLOGIES www.parkplacetechnologies.com

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

1991 161.46% Cuyahoga Cleveland

469

UNION HOME MORTGAGE www.unionhomemortgage.com

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

1970 158.95%

738

US ACUTE CARE SOLUTIONS

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

1992

GARLAND INDUSTRIES, INC.

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

1895 68.36% Cuyahoga Cleveland

4 5 6 7 8

www.usacs.com

www.garlandco.com

75.47%

Cuyahoga Strongsville Stark

Canton

2375 793

W28

NEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fastest Growing Companies

WEATHERHEAD 100

SPONSORED CONTENT

30TH ANNIVERSARY

By the Numbers 1800s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

DECADE ESTABLISHED 2 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

1 1

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

OLDEST COMPANY Farmers National Banc Corp.

Founded 1887

MOST EMPLOYEES Farmers National Banc Corp.

443 Employees

1 3 15 21 50 5 WINNERS BY COUNTY

MARKET SECTORS OF WINNING COMPANIES Advertising/PR/ Marketing - 4 Architecture/Building/ Construction -16

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

Automotive/ Transportation - 2 Consulting - 4 Consumer Products - 5 Environmental - 3 Financial & Professional Services - 27 Health Care Services & Manufacturing - 5 IT Products & Services -13 Manufacturing & Distribution -14

YEARS ON THE WEATHERHEAD 100 FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Real Estate -7

YEARS

WINNERS

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

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

FIVE-YEAR GROWTH RATES 2,000%

1,000% - 1,999%

750% - 999%

500% - 749%

2 14

250% - 499%

100% - 249%

50% - 99% 0

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

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

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