Avon 2023

WORKING TOGETHER

Avon, Ohio, is a great place to live, work, play and raise our families. As president of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce, I am proud to serve the Avon businesses in our wonderful city. Our members work hard every day to provide high-quality products and services to serve the residents of Avon and beyond. On the following pages, meet some of the diverse businesses, people and organizations making a positive impact in our community. If you have or are planning on starting a business and are not a chamber member yet, I invite you to visit northcoastchamber.com and join us for an event. You’ll be glad you did.

Members came out en masse to support the North Coast Chamber of

Commerce golf outing fundraising event for college scholarships. We were able to add another $4,500 to the more than $125,000 the North Coast Chamber has already awarded.

The North Coast Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to bring you this edition of the Avon Community Guide. The North Coast Chamber is a founding member of the Power of MORE chambers of commerce. The Power of MORE is a consortium of nine local area chambers of commerce dedicated to growing businesses and creating jobs.

The North Coast Chamber would like to thank our members for their continued support and dedication to continue to make Avon a destination community.

Sincerely, Jerry Cline President, North Coast Chamber of Commerce

North Coast Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 275, Avon Lake 440-933-9311 northcoastchamber.com

Pictured on Cover: X-Golf Play, Train, Entertain by Laura Watilo Blake

from the chamber president

BY LINDA FEAGLER

AUTOMOTIVE

RAY’S AUTO & TRUCK SERVICE

Business at Ray’s Auto & Truck Service is truly a family affair. Avon residents Ray and Jeanne Gilles launched the business in their garage in 1979 before finally opening an independent shop in 1988. Although the couple’s son, Mike, and his wife, Cathy, are an integral part of the operation, Ray, who celebrated his 80th birthday in November, still puts in more than 60-hour workweeks doing what he loves.

Through the years, the family’s business has blossomed, specializing in providing auto and truck repairs for residential and commercial customers, fixing a range of vehicles that include cars, vans, trucks, semi-trucks, buses, emergency vehicles and generators, as well as heavy equipment.

Longtime Avon residents, the Gilles family enjoys participating in all facets of community life.

“We’ve been able to keep a very strong customer base,” says Cathy Gilles, the com pany’s corporate treasurer and co-owner. “We have forged relationships with other business owners over the decades, where they count on us for vehicle repairs and we purchase goods and services from them. It’s a support system that goes both ways.”

Cathy is grateful for the connections she’s made through her membership in the North Coast Chamber of Commerce.

“The organization provides great network ing opportunities with business owners in surrounding communities,” she says, “which makes businesses grow a little further.”

Ray, a former North Coast Chamber of Commerce president, is a board member and chairs the scholarship committee, and his daughter-in-law is an active participant. The group works with local schools to select students eligible to receive annual awards.

Ray’s

Auto & Truck Service

Discover 12 businesses that provide a variety of critical services to those who live, work and play in Avon and beyond.

SUCCESS DRIVE TO

MARK WAHLBERG CHEVROLET OF AVON

When actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg and his business partner, Jay Feldman, were looking to add another car dealership to their enterprise, the duo knew Avon would not disappoint. The dealership, which opened under new man agement in 2021, is a full-service business, specializing in sales of new and preowned vehicles and repairs ranging from general maintenance to engine overhauls.

“We’ve got good visibility from the highway,” says Rick Limbers, general manager of the dealership and executive officer for the Wahlberg Group. “Not to mention the fact that the city and sur

rounding towns are growing. That’s why we purchased the store.”

The dealership is also dedicated to giv ing back to the community by supporting high school athletic events in Avon and North Ridgeville.

“Other business owners we’ve met have been very welcoming and share our philosophy of community involvement,” Limbers says. “I think that’s huge.”

Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Avon 37995 Chester Road, Avon 440-965-6643 markwahlbergchevyavon.com

EDUCATION

LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Whether it’s giving students the tools they need to earn the degree that leads to landing a dream job or transitioning into a brand-new vocation, Lorain County Com munity College (LCCC) is a leader when it comes to ensuring a promising future.

“We are the community’s college,” says Tracy Green, LCCC’s vice president of strategic and institutional development. “As a community college, we’re responsive to both the needs and aspirations of our com munity. Education and workforce develop ment is primarily at the center of what we do. But we’re also committed to economic, community and cultural development.”

As a proud board member of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce, Green is impressed by the organization’s outreach efforts, which has led to a strong network of members who are ready to promote all that the region offers, as well as the services available to help companies grow and attract new markets.

Lorain County Community College is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Green and her

team are dedicated to learning about and solving workforce development issues to help businesses remain competitive.

“We’re not only responsive but proac tive,” she says. “Our partnership with communities, including Avon, is so im portant. It allows us to be at the table to make sure we’re providing the talent they need to stay competitive.”

Lorain County Community College 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria 440-365-5222 lorainccc.edu

COURTESY MARK WAHLBERG CHEVROLET OF AVON / LCCC: RON JANNTZ

HEALTH CARE

FITNESS CENTER AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS AVON HEALTH CENTER

Since it opened in 1999, families in Avon and surrounding communities have come to rely on Fitness Center at Univer sity Hospitals (UH) Avon Health Center for a range of services that include lab testing, diagnostic imaging and radiology, comprehensive women’s health care and fully staffed, state-of-the-art urgent care.

But as Brad Calabrese, UH Avon Health Center’s general manager explains, there’s so much more patients and residents are amazed they can take advantage of — namely, 140 pieces of state-of-the-art fitness equipment, more than 75 weekly group exercise classes for every fitness level, an indoor/outdoor running track, lap swimming pool, hot tubs, a basketball court and day spa.

“There’s this common misconception many people driving along Interstate 90 have that we’re strictly a clinical hospital when they see the UH name,” Calabrese says. “Our mission is to not just treat the sick, but get them well and keep them well and, should they need additional services,

be able to provide a continuum of care. As a result, we’re one of the first medically based wellness centers in Greater Cleveland. We want everyone to know that the entire facility is open to everyone, and there are no long-term contracts to sign to become a member.”

The North Coast Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront of letting commu nities know about all the UH Avon Health Center offers.

“It’s great to have a relationship with the chamber,” Calabrese says. “It was one of the first chambers to put on an in-person event a year or so ago, even during the pandemic. You can only do so much in this virtual world, and it’s wonderful to work with them to be able to see, touch and feel what everyone has to offer.”

Fitness Center at University Hospitals Avon Health Center 1997 Healthway Drive, Avon 440-988-6801 uhhospitals.org/fitness

CLEVELAND CLINIC AVON HOSPITAL AT RICHARD E. JACOBS HEALTH CAMPUS

No matter the health care need, Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital is ready to help. The five-story center attached to the Richard E. Jacobs Health Center outpatient facility opened in 2016 and has 126 inpatient beds, including a 12-bed intensive care unit, a 10bed step-down unit and 20-bed observation unit. The Avon Hospital has six operating rooms, a cardiac catheterization lab and a 24/7 emergency department, as well as outpatient imaging and services.

“We’re dedicated to providing compre hensive care to patients in Lorain County, western Cuyahoga County and other nearby counties,” says Avon Hospital President Re becca Starck, M.D. “Avon Hospital is part of a very system-oriented practice model where we can link patients seamlessly be tween outpatient care and inpatient care so they don’t run the risk of not knowing their own medical or surgical history. Our Avon location repeats the great care Cleveland Clinic is known for, but closer to home.”

“The fact that it’s an easy drive right off the highway,” she adds, “was a key feature

as to why Avon made sense for us.”

Starck applauds the success the North Coast Chamber of Commerce has with bringing businesses together to focus on community needs. She meets monthly with members to discuss how to break employ ment and workforce development barriers and works closely with Lorain County Com munity College’s nursing program.

“The North Coast Chamber of Com merce and Cleveland Clinic are all about col laboration in the community,” Starck says.

“And it’s not just business. We want Avon and surrounding communities to be the healthiest in terms of health care, good nutri tion, access to jobs and economic growth. We partner with various agencies throughout our community to make that happen.”

Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital 33300 Cleveland Clinic Blvd., Avon 440-695-5000 myclevelandclinic.org

Starck, M.D.

Find Your

Success! Success!

lcjvs.com

Tori Barbee Early Childhood Education senior from Avon

Rebecca

HEALTH CARE

EYE CENTER OF AVON

We count on our sight to provide a clear picture of the world around us, and Eye Center of Avon is dedicated to ensuring that view is the best it can be.

“There are so many diseases that can affect the eye,” says Mary Becka, practice administrator for the company’s five of fices, including the one in Avon, which opened in 2020. “We’re a comprehensive surgical eye care practice that offers services ranging from basic eye exams to treatments for complex issues that are the result of diabetes and age-related macular degeneration. The center’s optical shop helps patients select the eyeglasses that are right for them.”

The Avon location in the city’s health and wellness building is the company’s newest. When Becka and her team scouted around for an additional site, it didn’t take long to realize Avon was a perfect fit.

“Avon has shown such growth over the last few years,” she says. “When we had the opportunity to be part of the health and wellness complex, we jumped at the chance. The office space is phenomenal.”

Becka is also impressed with the fore thought civic leaders have given in develop ing the business corridor along the highway to ensure it doesn’t encroach on residential areas. She marvels at the camaraderie North Coast Chamber of Commerce members ex tend to one another even though their busi nesses are located in neighboring towns.

“I worked on the East Side for many years, and I was always a member of a variety of chambers, but they were just individual city chambers,” Becka says. “To come here and see how members of the North Coast Chamber work together for the good of everyone is a wonderful thing to see and participate in.”

Eye Center of Avon 38530 Chester Road, Suite 200, Avon 440-787-2067 fairvieweyecenter.com

Carla M. Krebs, M.D. Theodore E. Loizos, M.D.

MICHAEL L. MCCRAY, IRIS IMAGING

DURACLEAN RESTORATION & CLEANING SERVICES

Since 1975, Duraclean Restoration & Cleaning Services has been making a clean sweep of footprints and fingerprints left behind on carpeting, flooring and upholstery throughout Lorain County and Northeast Ohio.

“We clean just about any fabric and any type of surface flooring in homes and businesses,” says company president Todd Wearsch.

Duraclean’s team of trained and tested technicians also have the knowhow to handle fire, water and smoke damage restoration, provide odor removal and

remediation services and offer their customers climate-controlled warehouse storage for contents and property during reconstruction projects.

When it came time to expand the firm in 2008, Wearsch didn’t have to think twice about location.

“I was born and raised in Avon. I still live there and wanted to be close to home,” Wearsch says. “For me, that was the ideal location to make a permanent footprint.”

As a board of trustee member and incom ing president of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce, he’s ready to continue the

organization’s success in making Avon a thriving, growing community.

“Clearly, the city has a lot to offer,” Wearsch says. “Avon is one of the few small cities that has four exits off Interstate 90. The fact that businesses band together to really support each other is quite an accomplishment.”

Duraclean Restoration & Cleaning Services

1264 Lear Industrial Pkwy., Avon 440-937-5900 duracleanohio.com

WEST 34970 Detroit Rd., Avon 440.899.1957 RIVER 19025 Old Lake Rd., Rocky River 440.333.7994

WEST 34970 Detroit Rd., Avon 440.899.1957 RIVER 19025 Old Lake Rd., Rocky River 440.333.7994

STEWART’S TV & APPLIANCE

Mention Stewart’s TV & Appliance and old-fashioned dedication to customer service and quality come to mind. Although Elyria has changed throughout the years, Stewart’s Appliance has become an iconic landmark, occupying the same Cleveland Street location where Dick Stewart officially launched his enterprise in 1950.

“My dad [Dick] really started the business in 1946, when he began repairing radios

in my grandparents’ basement that people would bring over,” says company president Ed Stewart. “Four years later, he decided to open a store.”

In addition to television sets, Stewart’s has added kitchen appliances, washers and dryers, freezers and outdoor grills to the store’s inventory.

“My dad taught me that it’s easier to get people to come to you than you having to go to them by opening other locations,” he says. “So we’ve made Stewart’s a destina

tion that draws customers from all over Lo rain County, as well as western Cuyahoga, Medina, Huron and Erie counties.

But, Stewart adds, it’s not just the vast array of appliances the store showcases that draws clientele.

“Our calling card on the appliance side is our service department,” he says. “Custom ers can count on us to be there when they need us.”

As a local business owner, Stewart is grateful for the support he receives from

Homestead: (440) 329-5222

J.

CRAIG SNODGRASS, CPA, CGFM

J. CRAIG SNODGRASS, CPA, CGFM

Lorain County Auditor

Lorain County Auditor

226 Middle Avenue, 2nd Floor • Elyria, OH 44035

226 Middle Avenue, 2nd Floor•Elyria, OH 44035

General: (440) 329-5207

General: (440) 329-5207

Auditor Snodgrass: (440) 329-5170 Appraisal: (440) 329-5488 Board of Revision: (440) 329-5269 CAUV: (440) 329-5485

Auditor Snodgrass: (440) 329-5170 Appraisal: (440) 329-5488 Board of Revision: (440) 329-5374 CAUV: (440) 329-5485

Homestead: (440) 329-5222

Tax Exemption: (440) 329-5739

Tax Exemption: (440) 329-5739

License: Dog, Vendor, Junk Yard and Cigarette: (440) 329-5217

Real Estate: (440) 329-5212

Licenses: Dog, Vendor, Junk Yard and Cigarette (440) 329-5717 Real Estate: (440) 329-5212 Special Assessments: (440) 329-5210

Special Assessments: (440) 329-5210

Tax Map: (440) 329-5757

Tax Map: (440) 329-5272

Owner Occupancy: (440) 329-5203 Weights and Measures: (440) 329-5151

Owner Occupancy: (440 329-5203 Weights and Measure: (40) 329-5657

www.loraincounty.com/auditor • auditor@loraincounty.com

www.loraincounty.com/auditor•auditor@loraincounty.com

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

the business community and the relation ships he’s formed through North Coast Chamber of Commerce events.

“There are many new people moving into the area who are familiar with the big-box stores because they’re everywhere, but not familiar with many of the small businesses who call this area home,” Stewart says. “Independent business owners like me have to shout as loud as we can to let them know we’re here. The chamber helps us get the word out.” Stewart’s

STACK HEATING, COOLING, PLUMBING & ELECTRIC

We can all relate to the moment when a major operating system goes on the fritz, and panic sets in. Brian Stack, president of Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, understands that angst.

“My parents, Andy and Sandy Stack, founded the business in 1976 out of our home in Lakewood,” says Stack. “My dad became known for his expertise in fixing the steam and hot water heating systems many of the older homes in the area had.”

The business grew through the years and after being headquartered in several locations, the family, which also includes Stack’s two brothers and sister, moved the 68-employee company to Avon in 1997. The full-service firm specializes in HVAC, plumbing and electrical maintenance, repair and replacement in residential and light-commercial buildings.

“My parents built a house in Avon in 1995, and we could see the growth poten tial the area had,” Stack says. “We looked at the future and knew Avon would be a great spot for our company to grow. It’s also the ideal midway point between Lake

wood, Rocky River and points west, where most of our customers are located.”

Stack values the fact that despite the city’s growth, Avon has maintained a small-town ambiance.

“Businesses work together to promote the city and support each other,” he says. “I find the networking opportunities particularly valuable because they are an ideal way to get to know each other, build relationships and exchange ideas.”

SPECIAL EVENTS

TOM’S COUNTRY PLACE

Bill Hricovec’s voice is filled with pride as he describes how Tom’s Country Place came to be. His grandparents, Tom and Mary Hricovec, were farmers looking for a new opportunity when they decided to build a party center on Stoney Ridge Road, a street that was considered to be practically in the middle of nowhere back in 1959.

“People told them they were nuts,” Hricovec says, “and that no one would come all the way out here to host special events. But my grand parents had the foresight to predict what this area would become.”

Now, 63 years later, Tom’s Country Place has become the iconic center for generations of celebrations that range from wedding recep tions to baby showers and special anniversaries to occasions commemorating the memory of a life that had been well lived.

Tom’s grandson, Bill, now the third-gener ation owner and president of Tom’s Country Place, has seen the business blossom from

hosting on-site events to providing off-site catering services.

Much of that success is due to the network ing opportunities the North Coast Chamber of Commerce provides.

“The chamber is a great way to connect with people who can help spread the word about your business,” he says.

Hricovec, a member of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce board of directors, helps select the trio of scholarships awarded to graduating seniors in the Avon, Avon Lake and Sheffield-Sheffield Lake school systems who display positive character, leadership skills, academic excellence, community involvement, past or present work experience and future aspiration. To be eligible, students must also be pursuing a full-time course of study at a college, university or vocational or technical school.

“We’re always looking for students who have an entrepreneurial spirit, but maybe had some bad luck along the way and need a bit of help,” he says. “That’s what we’re all about.”

Tom’s Country Place

3442 Stoney Ridge Road, Avon 440-934-4553 tomscountryplace.com

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RECREATION

X-GOLF PLAY, TRAIN, ENTERTAIN

Regardless of the weather, golfers of all skill levels can stay on top of their game at X-Golf Play, Train, Entertain, home to the “most innovative and accurate golf simula tor experience in the world.” The venue’s technology measures not only the motion vector of the golf ball, but also the path, angle, trajectory and velocity — thus repli cating the flight of the ball on real grass. The business features a driving range and nine simulators designed to help enthusiasts of the sport hone their technique by playing on 55 courses around the world.

“We offer a nice variety of playing op tions, which people really appreciate,” says Tim Smith, X-Golf’s general manager and head golf professional, adding that since the business opened in January, he’s given more than 700 lessons.

X-Golf also staffs a small retail shop with polo shirts, hats and gloves; and features a full bar that also serves shareable dishes including chicken tenders, french fries and chips and salsa. This fall, Smith launched a series of golf leagues, which he predicts will continue in the winter and spring. The GM appreciates the fact that since the venue is located in Avon Commons, it attracts shoppers at other estab lishments who stop by to take a look.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people I see going into Heinen’s next door who come in to ask, ‘What is this place?’ and want more information,” Smith says. “Some people are golfers who say, ‘Oh, this is awesome. Next

time I have my golf clubs in the car, I’ll stop and play.’ And someone who’s not a golfer will say, ‘My husband would love this,’ or ‘My son is just getting into golf, and I’d love to bring him here and have him play on your simulators.’ Others decide to make a fun night out of it by coming in, ordering drinks and food, and playing for a couple of hours.”

Smith also credits the North Coast Chamber of Commerce with promoting his business.

“The chamber’s partnership with Power of MORE has been very helpful, making sure we’ve met a lot of great people with dif ferent companies,” he says. “I’ve attended a number of corporate networking events and hosted several, which has definitely helped bring more business to the store.”

“The chamber,” Smith adds, “is com prised of good people dedicated to helping each other out.”

X-Golf Play, Train, Entertain 35948 Detroit Road, Avon 440-937-8026 playxgolf.com

LAURA WATILO BLAKE

Tim Smith

RIDGE CLEANERS

In today’s wash-and-wear world, Ridge Cleaners remains at the forefront of keeping folks looking good.

“So many things have changed in regard to business wear, but for us, the quality of service we provide remains the same,” says Ridge Clean ers president and owner Lisa Sebastian, whose parents, John and Sandy Sebastian, purchased the business in 1987. “It’s been very interesting to see men and women adapt to business casual, a style that is much more colorful and vibrant.”

In addition to eco-friendly dry-cleaning, resi dents in neighboring communities also rely on Ridge Cleaners for full-service alterations and tailoring, wedding gown cleaning and preserva tion and wash-dry-fold laundry services.

Sebastian is grateful to be the second gen eration at the helm of the company’s three locations in Avon Lake, Amherst and North Ridgeville, as well as a pick-up-and-delivery service encompassing Lorain County and western Cuyahoga County. A member of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce, she ap preciates the support that local residents and chamber members have given Ridge Cleaners, helping to spread the word about the services the company offers.

“Like most small businesses, we have good relationships with our customers and serve multiple generations as young people become ready to dress for success in their work envi ronment,” Sebastian says. “We’ve found it to be such a blessing to be part of the North Coast Chamber of Commerce and appreciate the relationships we’ve built through network ing events and the way members support each other. The chamber’s leadership has been amazing when it comes to reaching out and keeping us in the loop about topics that might be of interest to our specific business.”

Lisa Sebastian