Cincy Magazine Fall 2020

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Celebrating Local Manufacturing

Your Votes for the best:

Food Entertainment Services And More! Newport Aquarium

FALL 2020 Volume 17

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Contents

The Magazine for Business Professionals

FA LL 2020

In our inaugural Family Choice Awards, we honor the many people, services and businesses that make the Tristate such a great place to raise a family. BY THE EDITORS Page 19 View 4 Publisher’s BY ERIC HARMON 5 Web Exclusives

HOME + DESIGN

46 Style

BUSINESS

63 2020 MANNY Awards

INSIDE Cincy

6 Healthier, Faster, Better Wildfire in Hamilton specializes in home goods designed to bring people happiness. BY CORINNE MINARD

50 Q&A 7 questions with Danielle Harris, co-owner of JLH Customs. BY CORINNE MINARD

Better Blend Nutrition is expanding to bring healthy meal replacements to Greater Cincinnati. BY KEVIN MICHELL

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Is Coworking the Future of Downtown Development? Coworking spaces like 1628 Ltd. are providing alternative options to working from home. BY CORINNE MINARD

14 Scene Columns & Leadership 10 History Steve Driehaus takes on a

new leadership role with the National Democratic Institute. BY DAN HURLEY

View 12 Another A how-to for those wanting

to vote in the 2020 election. BY DON MOONEY

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Smokin’ 52 Still Kitchen renovations even

more popular during the pandemic. BY TERRY TROY

Family Business That 54 The Keeps Growing

The Siebenthaler Company has served the community with its gardening expertise for 150 years. BY KARLA HOLLENCAMP

is Key 56 Customization Interior design company Luken

Interiors works with homeowners to create timeless, comfortable spaces. BY CORINNE MINARD

Business Bureau 58 Better Tips for home improvement and repair projects from the BBB.

62 Historic Home

Honoring the best in Tristate manufacturing. BY CORINNE MINARD

A New Future 73 Courting City streetscape is an example of Cincinnati’s teamwork. BY TERRY TROY

Busy 78 Staying Arlinghaus Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning has continued to grow during COVID-19. BY LIZ ENGEL

Well Cincy 80 Live St. Elizabeth Healthcare is

set to open its new cancer center in the coming month. BY CORINNE MINARD

Update 83 Retirement Otterbein SeniorLife has adapted to COVID-19 with procedures that protect both residents and staff. BY DAVID HOLTHAUS

84 Love Cincy

Cincy (ISSN-1934-8746) published in Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer for a total of four issues by Cincy, 30 Garfield Place, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cincy, 30 Garfield Place, Suite 440, Cincinnati, OH 45202.


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Publisher’s View

Celebrating Family & Those Who Serve Us

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h a n k s to COV I D -19, many of us have been spending much more time with our families than we ever have before. Keeping plates spinning in the air isn’t easy for acrobats, and the same can be said for the challenges parents are facing as they try to keep their kids engaged while also trying to grow their own careers. That’s why I’m particularly excited to be launching the Greater Cincinnati Family Choice Awards this year. Finding places and new things to do is an ever-occurring task in households, and it’s our hope that this feature can help. In fact, we all know some really good hangs, and it’s your thousands of votes that determined this year’s winners. We’re excited to share them with you in this issue. The feature is about honoring your trusted service providers, favorite restaurants and most fun attractions. From air conditioning repair companies and local colleges to tourist attractions and pizzerias, we list them all. The time to show your support for these local businesses is also timely and crucial. Many of our go-tos have had to reduce hours and capacity to keep everyone safe. As a result, their revenues are down significantly. Undoubtedly we will all make decisions as we see appropriate, but looking for ways to engage with those you see featured here can afford them a shot to continue serving us for years to come.

Locally, veteran and family owned Editor & Publisher Eric Harmon

Managing Editor Corinne Minard Contributing Writers Liz Engel, Karla Hollencamp, David Holthaus, Dan Hurley, Kevin Michell, Don Mooney, Terry Troy Creative Director Guy Kelly Digital Content Coordinator Danielle Cain Associate Publisher/Director of Sales & Print Operations Rick Seeney Director of Digital Operations & Events Stephanie Simon Custom Sales Manager Brad Hoicowitz Sales Representative Jon Castonguay Inside Sales Tom Marschall Custom Business Development Kelly Dorsey Burdick Advertising, Circulation & Office Manager Laura Federle Advertising Coordinator Katelynn Webb Cincy on the web: www.cincymagazine.com Cincy Co. LLC Cincinnati Club Building 30 Garfield Place, Suite 440 Cincinnati, OH 45202 Contact Cincy: information@cincymagazine.comor call (513) 421-2533. Go to www.cincymagazine.com to get your complimentary subscription to Cincy.

Voice for Community Progress

Cincy Magazine is a founding partner of Voice For Community Progress, a 501(c)3 nonprofit center for research and communication whose mission is to tell the stories of the individuals and organizations advancing Ohio and its communities economically, politically and socially. VCP Cincinnati is an initiative-driven, community-based voice for educating and engaging citizens in the things that matter in achieving community progress and, just as importantly, personal growth. 4

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Digital Exclusives Top 5 Online Stories

INSIDE : 37 Inside the Data

1 Rating the Burbs 2020 by Bill Ferguson Jr.

4 Are Y’all Ready for Some Baseball? by Noah Tong 5 Keeping the Arts Alive by Corinne Minard Top tweet

named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, an American Revolutionary War officer. The mostly rural community of 5,839 is located in the southwestern corner of Butler County on the state line with Indiana.

38 How We Did It In our 14th annual Rating the Burbs feature, we look at our local communities to see how they stack up against each other. Where did your community fall in this year’s list?

Compiled by Bill Ferguson Jr.

2 The Viability of College Sports by Noah Tong 3 Cincinnati & COVID-19: A Continuum of Care by Terry Troy

Madeira

34 Top 10 Communities

Montgomery

39 Top 75 Communities 46 Education Chart 48 Crime Chart

6 Montgomery

2 Madeira

when its population reached 5,000 in the With high rankings across several late 1960s but changed its official name to categories, Madeira finished just behind “City of The Village of Indian Hill”—has a Terrace Park in the No. 2 spot. The city of police department, the Indian Hill Rang9,219 residents is a regular top community ers, that dates to 1903 and helps maintain in Rating the Burbs, finishing at No. 1, No. a relatively low crime rate. Indian Hill 2 or No. 3 every year since 2010. Median was settled as a farming community in home-sale prices soared 51% from five 1795 and prospered as the Little Miami years earlier, to $347,450. Madeira City Railroad provided good transportation Schools provide a strong education for the for its products. city’s children, and crime remains low. More than 90% of Madeira’s land is zoned Milford Township residential, and the Madeira Chamber of (Butler County) Commerce lists more than 120 retailers Milford Township improved its ranking and service providers, offering shopping, this year to No. 4 from No. 9 last year. The dining and many services. Butler County township has placed in the Top 50 in all but two years since 2010 with a good school system (primarily the Talawanda City School District), a high median-home-sale gain (up 96% in 2019 to $241,500 from five years earlier) and a high rate of homeownership. The township expects to pave all public roads there this year after replacing all road signs in 2018-19 and upgrading the Somerville Fire Station.

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Terrace Park

Terrace Park, ranking in the top five in three categories, took the top spot in this year’s Rating the Burbs. The village of 2,297 tallied its second No. 1 ranking (the other in 2013), led by a low crime rate (second in the area), a strong education system (Mariemont City Schools) and a high homeownership rate (94.4%). Settlers began arriving in the area in the late 1700s, but it wasn’t until 1893 that the village incorporated. Terrace Park was the winter home of the popular touring John Robinson Circus until 1916; it became part of the American Circus Corp., which was bought by John Ringling in 1929. Terrace Park began an urban forestry initiative in the late 1890s with the planting of 1,600 trees, and its urban forester maintains a database of more than 3,300 street trees. 34

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Morgan Township 5 (Butler County)

3 The Village of Indian Hill

Terrace Park

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With one of the top school systems in the state and the highest homeownership rate in the area (98.7%), the Village of Indian Hill made its eighth appearance in the Top 10 since 2010. The almost-20square-mile city—yes, it became a city

Continued high homeownership and a strong education system were the primary reasons that Montgomery recorded its sixth straight year in the Top 10. The city’s median-home-sale price last year was up 33% to $447,500, compared with five years earlier. In the spring of 1795, six families from Orange County, New York, arrived as the first settlers in what became Montgomery. The 5.3-square-mile city of 10,805 offers eight parks with 96-plus acres of protected green space, playgrounds, ball fields, picnic shelters, a pool, and tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.

7 Hidden Valley Lake, Ind.

Located about 30 minutes west of downtown Cincinnati just across the OhioIndiana border, Hidden Valley Lake is a planned residential community that was originally designed as a weekend getaway. High homeownership (96%, second in the area), good schools (primarily SunmanDearborn Community School Corporation, with a part in Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation) and low crime overall were the primary drivers behind the community making its first Top 10 appearance. The community is built around its 150-acre namesake deep-water lake, which has a marina, and six smaller lakes

High homeownership (92.6%), a low crime rate and good schools (primarily Ross Local School District) helped this Butler Morrow County community rank No. 5 this year. Residents in this Warren County vilThe township has placed in the Top 50 lage experienced strong gains in home-sale every year since 2011. Immigrants from prices, low crime and a good education, Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, Wales, placing Morrow in the Top 10 Greater Cinsettled in the area in 1801, and the township cinnati communities for the first time. The began March 4, 1811, when county commis- median price for homes almost doubled sioners divided it from Ross Township. It is to $204,450 from 2014 to 2019. The com-

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DIALOGUE Mitchell’s Salon @mitchellssalon Thanks to all of you, our amazing and loyal customers, we’re finalists in @cincymagazine Best of the North in THREE categories: Place for a Spa Day, Hair Salon, and Manicure/Pedicure. We’d be honored to have your vote! Barleycorn’s @barleycornsky BIG NEWS Barleycorn’s has been voted Best Wings in the @CincyMagazine 2020 Family Choice Awards! Thank you to all that voted. Now get over here and enjoy some award-winning wings! #cincyfamiychoice2020 Adam Samuels @ SamuelsEDU Shout out to @CincyMagazine for this story, sharing the Forest Hills Esports @FHesportsEDU success and vision! Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference @ HCACDIII COVID Q&A | HCAC Commissioner Jones answers questions regarding the HCAC’s current approach to the return of sports for the upcoming year in @CincyMagazine #TheHeartOfD3 AquiSense @AquisenseTech Glad to be spotlighted in @CincyMagazine! We are happy to be providing a solution to the #COVID_19 pandemic and we love the support we’re seeing in #NKY and #Cincy. @nkychamber @CincyChamber

Want to be featured in our Instagram stories? Follow us at @cincymagazine and use our hashtag #LoveCincy! Show us what makes you love this city!

Are you interested in valuable local content about the Cincy community? We’ve got you covered with our new newsletter—Cincy Today! Subscribe now for our timely articles, other good news, events and more! Visit Cincy-Today.com to sign up! w w w.

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Dining

Healthier, Faster, Better Better Blend Nutrition is expanding to bring healthy meal replacements to Greater Cincinnati By Kevin Michell

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he concept for Better Blend Nutrition came to its founder and CEO, Isaac Hamlin, after joining the University of Kentucky’s rugby program. The Florence native knew he was fast and strong enough to be a good player, but also that he should be able to reach another level. “I was good, but I knew I should be better,” Hamlin says. He noticed that the heavy team meals of pork chops or pasta made him feel more sluggish than energized for game day. “The part of it that was lacking was the nutrition side.” So, Hamlin created meal replacement recipes that were rich in nutrients while being light on calories, carbohydrates, sugars and fats. After he honed his new diet, Hamlin went on to be named firstteam SEC All-American at the end of the season. But beyond achieving on the rugby pitch, Hamlin discovered a path to post-

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graduation success as well. Since graduating in 2017, Hamlin has run Better Blend Nutrition from its first store at Isaac Hamlin started Better Blend Nutrition over two years ago in Florence after developing recipes at the University 8181 Mall Road in Flor- of Kentucky. ence. Better Blend’s selection of proteinrich smoothies, blends and superfood Better Blend Nutrition. But once customers bowls has spurred the business’ steady became acquainted with the nutritious growth since opening in June 2018. Now, offerings, Better Blend’s products did the the company is ready to open a new loca- rest of the work. tion the weekend of Oct. 2 in downtown “You leave feeling better than when you Cincinnati—at 345 W. Fourth Street—with came in,” says Hamlin, recalling an adage another to follow in January 2021 on Mc- that guides his company’s mission: “You Millan Street in Clifton. never regret eating healthy today.” Hamlin bootstrapped his way to foundDemand for healthy eating options is ing Better Blend Nutrition, eschewing rising and Better Blend’s recipes make nuoutside funding for maxing out credit tritious food that tastes like it’s bad for you, cards to cover initial expenses while Hamlin explains, making it a great entry working a side job at night—something point for people starting their journey to he doesn’t recommend to future healthy eating and living. entrepreneurs. With the help of his “We want to change the way that people family—particularly his father, a look at fast food,” he says, “because we master carpenter—Hamlin built can pump these meal replacements out the Florence location and his as fast as somebody can do at a Wendy’s company the way he wanted to. drive-thru.” “Me and [my father] would start The company is also looking to ship its working at 8 a.m. and quit working meal replacements in the near future, so at 7 p.m.,” Hamlin recalls, “then customers can recreate the recipes with I would go to Amazon to work just water, ice and a blender. at a factory to make some extra “The reason we do what we do is for those money. We did that for three or letters and messages and emails that say, four months before we finally ‘Hey, I’ve lost 25 pounds, I’ve been drinking opened in June.” Better Blend for the last two months, thank Through grassroots marketing you so much,’” Hamlin says. “That’s the efforts—selling T-shirts at cost kind of stuff that we’re here for and that’s and a quality social media pres- the kind of stuff we want to bring to new ence—the word spread about communities.” n


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Is Coworking the Future of Downtown Development? As businesses reconsider their commercial footprint, coworking spaces like 1628 Ltd. are providing alternative options to working from home By Corinne Minard

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hen COVID-19 came to Cincinnat i, many businesses transitioned their employees to working remotely from home to help stop the spread of the virus. But as quarantine continued, some companies began to realize that maybe they didn’t need all that office space they had before. “You’re going to see companies come out of the pandemic realizing that a more flexible work environment is something that they desire,” says Tamara Schwarting, founder of 1628 Ltd., a coworking space in downtown Cincinnati. While the term coworking may bring to mind large open-air spaces where social interaction is encouraged, not all coworking spaces are the same. 1628 Ltd., for example, is designed for the mid-career professional who desires reliable internet, 8

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good coffee and a business-like setting for work and meetings. “When we think about the 1628 differentiator, really we don’t think of ourselves as selling space as much as selling productivity,” says Schwarting. As we leave the pandemic, the coworking industry expects the demand for these spaces to grow, as those spaces can fill a variety of roles for a company that has eliminated or reduced its office space. At 1628 Ltd., members have access to private offices and conference rooms in addition to open desk areas, allowing companies to host private meetings and provide employees with a temporary place to work when they no longer want to work from home. Schwarting says that many corporations have already been using coworking spaces this way. In fact, she says that when it comes to coworking corporations are the fastest growing segment, not individuals or startups. “It removes the capital barrier that companies have when it comes to establishing a professional presence in our downtown business district,” she says. So a company with headquarters elsewhere may use a coworking space to start doing business in the region before investing in a commercial space. “Someone can meet with a key business partner and give a sense of comfort

Private meeting areas are available.

and a sense of trust from the location even though it’s not their physical office. We definitely know that that helps them build credibility with a potential client or a customer,” adds Schwarting. And while some may see companies leaving their downtown offices as the death knell of downtown development, Schwarting sees coworking spaces as a way to keep businesses downtown and attract new ones. “If we want to see a city that is welcoming to all different types of businesses, large and small, it’s about having real estate options that meet the organizational needs at different phases of their development. It really isn’t an either-or,” she says. For example, if a company can’t afford to sign a long-term fixed contract for commercial space downtown, using 1628 Ltd. allows the business to have a downtown presence without taking that expense on. Then, when the company is ready, it can transition to its own space while remaining downtown. “For us to really dynamically grow as a region, [coworking] really needs to be a viable option for companies. In the end of the day it’s about people effectively doing business in our region and making sure they understand that we have these options,” says Schwarting. n


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History & Leadership By Dan Hurley

Mr. Driehaus Goes to Iraq Steve Driehaus takes on a new leadership role with the National Democratic Institute

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any organizations target young people so that they can be molded for the future. The military recruits 18-year-olds promising to instill a sense of pride and discipline that will last a lifetime. Corporations and professional firms offer co-op and internship opportunities to college undergrads promising to jumpstart lucrative careers. Some service organizations that recruit recent college graduates often have more radical goals in mind. From the moment John F. Kennedy proposed creating a Peace Corps during his 1960 presidential campaign, he imagined an organization with a dual mission. One set of goals revolved around sending talented men and women to developing countries to work hand-in-hand with local citizens to promote understanding, progress and peace. A second set of goals was to create a cadre of Americans who would return home with an international perspective, ready to enrich American society. Steve Driehaus, born and raised on the West Side of Cincinnati, is an excellent example of the transformative power of the Peace Corps and the principles of collaborative leadership it promotes. On Aug. 31, Driehaus started a new job as the resident senior director in Iraq for the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Steve has no illusions about the assignment. He describes Iraq as “a place that is as tough as any in the world,” but it is “a challenge that I’m up for.” Iraq is a fractured nation. The central government in Baghdad controls only a portion of the country and is plagued by corruption. The north is autonomous and under the control of the Kurds, the largest 10

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Steve Driehaus’ two-year Peace Corps stint in Senegal in the last 1980s instilled in him a larger sense of purpose. ethnic group without a nation state, who have little loyalty to Baghdad and ties to the Kurds in Syria, Turkey and Iran. Competing warlords control fragments of the south and west of the country. Steve will live in Erbil in the autonomous Kurdish region. The city has been continuously occupied for 7,000 years, allowing it to lay claim to being the oldest city in the world. Iraqi Kurdistan has a history of great diversity and openness, embracing Christians as well as Sunni and Shia Muslims and being more open to women in public roles. NDI, which was founded by the United States Congress in 1983 and is now also funded by Canada and other countries, is an independent organization committed to promoting the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. “Democracy can look different in different countries,” says Driehaus, but the commitment to freedom of expression, freedom of the press, rule of law and the protection of the rights of women are

“very difficult to achieve in a government structure that is not democratic.” He knows that first hand from the five years he directed Peace Corps volunteers in Swaziland. Ruled by an absolute monarch, an independent press was suppressed and political parties were treated as terrorist organizations. During the past year NDI contracted with Driehaus to train members of the Iraqi and Kurdish parliaments in the importance of constituent relations and to help build the capacity of still fragile political parties. In his new role he will be leading an NDI team of 12 to 15 Iraqi nationals, two Canadians and another American. Because of his Peace Corps training, Steve sees himself as the coach of the NDI team. Much of NDI’s work over the next year will to be to help the country prepare for parliamentary elections in June 2021, which includes election monitoring. The Canadians on his team are funded specifically to promote the increased engagement


of women in politics, including running for elected office. Steve’s community organizing experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer combined with his experience as an elected official in the Ohio House and the U.S. Congress will allow him to straddle multiple environments. “I feel just as comfortable being in a village, sitting on the ground with a family talking about their issues, sharing tea, as I do meeting with the prime minister.” Steve is particularly interested in finding ways to open a dialogue with young Iraqis who have recently taken to the streets in larger numbers to demand change. Today Steve looks back on his defeat for reelection to Congress in 2010, as “the best thing that ever happened to me and my family.” He was offered several administrative jobs in Washington, but wanted to be “on the ground doing the work rather than at a desk in Washington.” He jumped at the chance to return to the Peace Corps and Africa as the country director for Swaziland and later Morocco. Because his family was able to accompany him to Africa, his three children have become citizens of the world. “I wish every American had the opportunity that I had

Steve Driehaus giving a speech when he was sworn into the Peace Corps.

to live overseas,” Steve muses. If they did, we would have “very different views about race, immigration and poverty.” A two-year Peace Corps stint in Senegal in the late 1980s instilled in Driehaus a larger sense of purpose. Thirty years later, he is much more than a politician chasing the next office. He is a true servant leader

with an international consciousness. Because the Peace Corps ruined Steve Driehaus’ life, people in Senegal, Swaziland, Morocco, Kurdistan, Iraq and Cincinnati are better for it. n Dan Hurley is the president of Applied History Associates.

CETconnect.org w w w.

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Another View By Don Mooney

Getting Counted

A how-to for those wanting to vote in the 2020 election

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020 is an election year, and the level of voter interest is the highest in years. But Ohio voters’ anxiety about whether they can safely vote is even higher. High interest in voting is easy to understand. Our president is a political lightening rod: drawing devotion from his followers and fear and loathing from others. In Cincinnati, voters also have compelling races for sheriff, county commissioner and prosecutor to consider. No wonder so many want to weigh in. So what’s all that voter anxiety about? A pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, with the threat of a second wave gathering as Election Day approaches. Many voters—particularly seniors and other COVID-vulnerable people—are reluctant to risk their health to show up at packed polling places. The easiest alternative to taking your chances on Election Day is voting by mail. By late August more than 400,000 Ohio voters had applied for absentee ballots. But the president is doing his best to vilify mail-in voting. While voting by mail himself, he alleges voting by mail is a nefarious scheme to “steal” the election. Despite (or maybe because of) the anticipated surge in mail-in voting, the Trump-appointed Post Master General has been trashing expensive high-speed sorting machines and removing thousands of mailboxes. Many voters wonder whether their absentee ballot will get to their local Board of Elections. The nation’s security agencies have also reported continuing efforts by Russia to disrupt our election. Many fear foreign hackers will tamper with voter registration and/or vote tallies to change or obscure the outcome. So what is an Ohio voter to do? My suggestion: be sure you are registered to vote (the deadline is Oct. 5), then make a plan to be sure your vote is submitted in plenty of time to be counted. How? There are three ways: First, trek to your local Board of Elections for early in-person voting starting on Oct. 6. 12

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The Hamilton County Board is in Norwood. It may not be convenient for most of us, particularly if you rely on public transit. But if you can get there, there is plenty of parking and space for social distancing. Bring your ID—a driver’s license or utility bill with your name and address listed on it if you’ve moved recently. Check with your board for hours and days for early voting, which will include some Saturdays and Sundays. To avoid long lines, go there on a weekday more than a week before Election Day on Nov. 3. Second, vote by mail. But get working on it NOW. In Ohio it’s a two-step process. First, apply by mail for an absentee ballot. The Secretary of State has mailed out applications, or get one online at OhioSOS. gov. Follow the instructions carefully, filling in information like your address, date of birth and driver’s license number or last four digits of your social security number. Mail that application pronto! Once you

get your ballot in the mail, you need to be just as careful in filling in the identifying information, signing and properly using the two envelopes provided. Then find a stamp and get it in the mail early. Ballots must arrive postmarked no later than the day before Election Day, and no later than 10 days after. Thousands of mail-in votes are disqualified each year because voters failed to fill them out properly or they did not arrive on time. You can check whether your ballot arrived and was counted (Look for “Track my Ballot” at OhioSOS.gov). Finally, if you can’t vote early or by mail, you can still vote at your local polling place on Election Day. Crowds should be down because of all that early and absentee voting. Bring your ID and/or that utility bill. And your mask! n Don Mooney is an attorney, a past member of the Cincinnati Planning Commission and is active in local politics.



SCENE

Fifth Third Center Stage Dedication

On Aug. 11, Fifth Third Bank was joined by partners like 3CDC and local city officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating the Fifth Third Stage in Fountain Square. After the ribbon cutting, Fifth Third sponsored a Better Together Virtual Concert featuring Matt Waters and The Kevin McCoy Band. The free concert was streamed on Facebook Live for those who didn’t attend the event. 1 Fifth Third Bank was joined on the stage by local officials, members of the Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce and other organizations for the ribbon cutting. 2 While Fifth Third Bank has been a sponsor of Fountain Square activities for many years, last year it became the square’s exclusive banking partner. 3 The Fifth Third Center Stage is part of Project Connect, which includes the bank’s creation of a two-story welcome atrium and the Fifth Third Museum. 4 Mayor John Cranley 5 Matt Waters was one of the acts the performed a virtual concert that was streamed over Facebook after the ribbon cutting event. 6 The Kevin McCoy Band performed a virtual concert on the Fifth Third Center Stage after the ribbon cutting.

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Baby Boomers need help getting answers to their complicated tax, estate and retirement planning questions.

• Attorney

Baby Boomers meet with Bill now at no cost or obligation for 30 minutes to find out whether you need his new Patent-Pending Retirement Trust in your estate plan to provide for the financial security of your children when they retire.

today at (513) 509-7829 to receive legal, tax, business or financial advice from a:

• CPA • Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) • Former CFO of a $70 million privately owned company • Former Deloitte TAX Partner

William E. Hesch Law Firm, LLC

As an Attorney, CPA and Personal Financial Specialist, Bill is uniquely qualified to advise Baby Boomers on their complicated tax, estate and retirement planning matters. Get your second opinion now by calling Bill at 513-509-7829.

Cincy Magazine’s

PEACE OF MIND IS ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY

the Trust and Estate Area for

Check out our website at www.heschlaw.com to see the videos which identify the Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make in Tax, Succession and Estate Planning.

Leading Lawyer in 16 consecutive years

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Scene Talbert House’s Bang Bang in Paradise (To-Go) Paradise was at home this year for Talbert House’s 11th annual Bang Bang in Paradise (To-Go). Over $30,000 was raised through carryout Paradise Party Packs full of delicious Bonefish fare as well as the Sunset Staycation Raffle, which included a three-hour cruise on the Ohio River. These funds support Talbert House’s services empowering children, adults and families to overcome challenges such as homelessness, substance use, mental illness and involvement in the justice system. 1 Talbert House Board Member Stevie Swain and Tony Swain 2 Candace Novak Sabers and Brian Sabers 3 John Simmons and Talbert House Board Member Carol Goodman 4 Mary Kay Calonge, president of the Council on Child Abuse Board, a Talbert House Affiliate, and Neil Tilow, Talbert House president/CEO 5 Michael and Theresa Gastright 1

Holidayinn.com/cvg-eastgate

H O L I D AY I N N & S U I T E S C I N C I N N AT I E A S T G AT E One and Two Bedroom Suites 15,000 square feet of Event Space Full Service Restaurant Indoor Heated Pool

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PENCIL IN SOME

ME TIME

THIS FALL

Your safety is our priority • Equipment spaced six feet apart • Masks required in common spaces • Temperature checks at the entrance • Fitness class and lap swim reservations • Online fitness classes offered

Join online at MyY.org/join


By The Editors In this, our inaugural Family Choice

Auto

Awards, we wanted to honor the many

Auto Body Repair Torbeck’s Auto Repair

people, services and businesses that make the Tristate such a great place to raise a family. From chicken nuggets and pizza to orthodontists and tax professionals, we cover it all in this feature. Thousands of people voted in this online competition for their favorites in 194 categories. We are excited to celebrate these winners with these brand-new awards.

8045 Vine St., Cincinnati torbecksautorepairs.com

Auto Dealer New Jake Sweeney Chevrolet 33 W. Kemper Road, Cincinnati jakesweeneychevrolet.com

Auto Dealer Used McCluskey Chevrolet 9673 Kings Auto Mall Road, Cincinnati, and 435 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati mccluskeychevrolet.com With close to 50 years in the region, McCluskey Chevrolet has won over customers with its

welcoming atmosphere and “customer comes first” mentality. Manager Karen Shepherd says, “Our customers are the reason why we won, and we are truly humbled and thankful for this designation and trust.” The dealer offers guaranteed credit approval to shoppers, both in-person and online appointments and an in-house car insurance agent.

Auto Parts Store KOI Auto Parts Multiple locations including Western Hills (5101 Crookshank Road) koiautoparts.com

Auto Repair Garage Firestone Complete Auto Care Multiple locations including Norwood (4120 Montgomery Road) firestonecompleteautocare.com w w w.

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Best Tire Center Tire Discounters

Spears. Each day, the shop serves Deeper Roots coffee alongside a variety of pastries.

Multiple locations including West Chester (7493 Tylers Corners Drive) tirediscounters.com

Education

Drink Best Brewery (Family Friendly) MadTree Brewing 3301 Madison Road, Cincinnati madtreebrewing.com

Best Independent Coffeehouse I AM Coffee 4728 Vine St, St. Bernard facebook.com/WeAreIAMCoffee/ The small, family-owned I AM Coffee, located in St. Bernard, provides visitors with a relaxing atmosphere that they may not get at other coffeeshops. “We make our customers feel welcomed, and try to give them a cozy place to relax, have conversations, and meet new people, study or read,” says owner Carolyn

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Best Local Community College Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Best Child Care Center Abby’s Child Enrichment Center

Multiple locations including Clifton (3520 Central Parkway) cincinnatistate.edu

Multiple locations including Fort Thomas (29 Churchill Drive) abbysnky.com

Best Local University Northern Kentucky University Nunn Drive, Highland Heights nku.edu

Best Preschool Royalmont Academy 200 Northcrest Drive, Mason royalmontacademy.org Mason’s Royalmont Academy serves students starting in preschool through 12th grade, which Director of Admissions Karen Kinross says is part of the appeal of the school’s preschool program. “Parents love that their children can all be together in one school and see one another throughout the day. We believe parents are the primary educators of their children. Our preschool teachers partner with parents to form


the whole child in a nurturing, loving environment,” says Kinross of the Catholic school.”

Best Private School (High School) Mount Notre Dame High School 711 E. Columbia Ave., Cincinnati mndhs.org Mount Notre Dame High School, a private, all-girls Catholic high school in Cincinnati, first opened in 1860 and has focused on three elements of the high school experience ever since—academics, spirituality and student development. “MND cultivates academic and personal excellence while offering opportuni-

FWR0820_CinciMag_Ad.indd 1

ties for unparalleled experiences that prepare our students for life. We had a record 95 Advanced Placement Scholars named by the College Board this past school year and our athletic teams and performers have won 24 state championships since the mid-1980s,” says Chris Gramke, director of marketing and communications.

Best Public School (Middle School) Princeton Community Middle School

Best Private School (K-8) & SAT/ACT Prep Villa Madonna Academy

2600 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati uc.edu

2500 Amsterdam Road, Villa Hills villamadonna.org

Best Public School (Elementary) Loveland Elementary School

200 Viking Way, Cincinnati princetonschools.net/Domain/9

Best School Spirit (College) University of Cincinnati

Best School Spirit (High School) Mercy McAuley High School 6000 Oakwood Ave., Cincinnati mercymcauley.org

757 South Lebanon Road, Loveland lovelandschools.org/elementaryschool_home.aspx

Best Public School (High School) Walnut Hills High School 3250 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati walnuthillseagles.com

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Best Tutoring/ Learning Service Mathnasium

Enrichment

an arts-based summer camp. “The ArtsConnect Summer Camp empowers youth to make a difference through their art. Each week features a unique theme with projects that bring about conversation, different points of view and some kind of community give-back,” says Kimblerlee Flamm, communications and marketing manager.

Arts and Crafts Classes Baker Hunt Art & Cultural Center

Best Music Shop Willis Music

620 Greenup St., Covington bakerhunt.org

Multiple locations including Florence (7567 Mall Road) willismusic.com

Multiple locations including Loveland (10669 Loveland Madeira Road) mathnasium.com

Best Cooking Class Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio 11915 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati outofthymechef.com

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Best Dance Instructor, Dance Lessons, Gymnastics Center, Kids Fitness/Sports Trainer and Sports Lessons Midwest Elite Dance Center 1329 Ohio Pike, Amelia midwestelitedance.com

Best Day Summer Camp ArtsConnect 9158 Winton Road, Cincinnati theartsconnect.us The recently renovated ArtsConect in Springfield Township is home to a pottery studio, workshop, four large classrooms and two small galleries, making it the ideal home for

YEARS Like a Dry-Aged Steak, we only get better with Age! Celebrating 60 Years in Service to YOU!

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Best Musical Instrument Lessons School of Rock Mason 755 Reading Road, Mason locations.schoolofrock.com/mason

Best Overnight Summer Camp YMCA Camp Ernst 7615 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington myycamp.org


Best Theater Program Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati 4105 Red Bank Road, Cincinnati thechildrenstheatre.com

Best Visual Arts Instruction Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati cincinnatiartmuseum.org The Cincinnati Art Museum is known for its collection of more than 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years, but its Rosenthal Education Center has also been making its mark. “The REC is a space for families to discover the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection in a fun, immersive, handson and safe manner,” says Jill Dunne, director of marketing and communications. The center’s studio hosts a variety of art experiences, including summer camps, Family First Saturdays, Wee Wednesdays and Art in the Making.

Best Voice Lessons Cincinnati School of Music Multiple locations including Montgomery (9361 Montgomery Road) cincinnatischoolofmusic.com

Entertainment Best Church Festival All Saints Parish Festival

Best Live Music Bogart’s

8939 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati allsaintsfestival.com

2621 Vine St., Cincinnati bogarts.com

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Best Live Theater Venue Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Cincinnati cincyplay.com

Best Local Fair/Festival Oktoberfest Zinzinnati oktoberfestzinzinnati.com

Best Movie Theater AMC West Chester 18 9415 Civic Center Blvd., West Chester amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/cincinnati/ amc-west-chester-18

Best Parade Findlay Market Opening Day Parade findlaymarketparade.com

Family Fitness Best Child Care at a Fitness Center Blue Ash YMCA 5000 YMCA Drive, Cincinnati myy.org

Best Fitness Class Instructor/Personal Trainer Beyond Fitness with Lisa facebook.com/BeyondFitness.CoachLisa/

Best Yoga Studio Anahata Yoga Center 770 Reading Road, Mason yogacincy.com

Best Family Fitness Center & Group Fitness Program Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati 8485 Ridge Road, Cincinnati mayersonjcc.org The Mayerson JCC is a fitness and community center that’s open to everyone, regardless of race, religion or ability. The center’s goal is to create a more vibrant Jewish community, and the center wants everyone in the region to participate. Its fitness class provides visitors with an inclusive atmosphere while they work out. “Our community is at the core of everything we do. We are here to be a warm, welcoming environment, and our classes are taught by instructors who form personal relationships with the people they teach,” says Karli Wood with the Mayerson JCC.

Family Fun Arcade Scene75 Entertainment Center Cincinnati 876 OH-28, Milford scene75.com/cincinnati/

Best Carousel, Holiday Lights Display, Petting Zoo Farm, Place for a Family Day, Social Media Account & Tourist Attraction Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati cincinnatizoo.org

LOCAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS MARCH OF DIMES

GOLD SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR- - $5,000 $5,000

Recognition as a Gold Sponsor in ALL public relations and media efforts pertaining to the 2020 Signature Chefs Extravaganza where appropriate

LEADS THE FIGHT

Logo/name recognition as Gold Sponsor featured on all promotional pieces, including but not limited to: • Signature Chefs Extravaganza Calendar (featured on FOX 8 & digital download off website) • Geo-targeted social media announcements (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) • Geo-targeted emails • Signature Chefs website

Important Campaign FORDates THE HEALTH Virtual Kickoff on XXXX OF MOMS AND Use of logo in mutually agreedALL co-branded custom promotion for Signature ChefsBABIES. Extravaganza Local Impact Rally XXXX (March of Dimes final approval) 10 entries into Signature Chefs Extravaganza raffle

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

More than [$xxx,xxx] raised locally in 2019

SILVER SPONSOR SILVER SPONSOR- - $2,500 $2,500

Event is Chaired by XXXX [SCA Chair] MAKE A MONETARY Recognition as a Silver Sponsor in ALL public relations and media efforts pertaining to the with [XXX Company name] 2020 Signature Chefs Extravaganza where appropriate

DONATION

Logo/name recognition as Silver Sponsor featured on all promotional pieces, including but not limited to: MARKET STAFF – EDIT WITH YOUR • Signature Chefs Extravaganza Calendar (featured on FOX 8LOCAL & digital download off website) • Geo-targeted social media INFORMATION andannouncements PHOTOS(i.e. Facebook and Twitter) • Geo-targeted emails • Signature Chefs website

BE A CORPORATE SPONSOR DONATE AN AUCTION ITEM

Use of logo in mutually agreed co-branded custom promotion for Signature Chefs Extravaganza (March of Dimes final approval) 5 Entries into Signature Chefs Extravaganza raffle

Join us virtually on November 12th at 7:00 PM Registration Required.

for an hour of philanthropy. FUND THE MISSION GIFT

signaturechefs.org/cincinnati

Premature birth is the leading cause of death in children under 5, worldwide. In addition to, or in lieu of a sponsorship contribution, a 100% tax-deductible donation can be made to support the work of March of Dimes. With a donation, you can help fight premature birth through March of Dimes-funded research and education programs. Companies have the opportunity to provide a donation that can serve as a Lead or Matching Gift, both offering company recognition and visibility in your alignment with our important mission.

Community Champion Sponsors

© 2020 March of Dimes

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Media Partner


Best Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch Shaw Farms

proach is why their patients return again and again. “Every decision made at Vita Dental is done with the intention of giving our patients high quality, comprehensive and personalized care in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Honesty, quality and comfort are our top priorities,” he says.

1737 Ohio 131, Milford shawfarmmarket.com

Best Fruit Farm Irons Fruit Farm

Best Doula Midwife Megan E. Byrd, APRN, CNM, Seven Hills Womens’ Health Centers

1640 Stubbs Mill Road, Lebanon ironsfruitfarm.com

Best Pool St. Bernard Swimming Pool

Multiple locations including West Fork (3747 West Fork Road) womenshealthcenters.com

4700 Vine St., Cincinnati cityofstbernard.org/services-departments/ recreation

Best Emergency Room Cincinnati Children’s Hospital - Liberty Campus

Family Health

7777 Yankee Road, Liberty Township cincinnatichildrens.org

Best Dentist Vita Dental 5841 Snider Road, Mason vitadental.com Dr. Aaron Shaftel, who practices at Vita Dental with Dr. Andrew Jordan, says that his and Jordan’s methodical, hard-data based ap-

Best Eye Care Midwest Eye Center Multiple locations including West Chester (8760 Union Centre Blvd.) midwesteyecenter.com

Best Family Chiropractor Live Well Chiropractic Center 6860 Tylersville Road, Mason livewellcc.com Live Well Chiropractic Center in Mason credits this win to the training and friendly attitude of its chiropractic physician, Dr. Kim Muhlenkamp-Wermet. She specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care, has a certification in chiropractic pediatrics by the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice and the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and is certified in the Webster Technique, which helps to correct pelvic misalignment during pregnancy.

Founder’s Day October 15, 1915

105 Years of Impacting Our Community Please consider a donation to honor the past, celebrate the present, and cultivate the future.

1919

2019

To donate, please call 513-771-7600 or visit us online at https://www.srsdeaf.org/FoundersDay.aspx w w w.

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Best Family Physician’s Office UC Health West Chester Hospital 7700 University Drive, West Chester uchealth.com/westchesterhospital/

Best Health Shop Clifton Natural Foods 336 Ludlow Ave., Cincinnati cliftonnaturalfoods.com

Best Hospital & Pediatric Asthma & Allergy Specialist Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati cincinnatichildrens.org

need. “Since the onset of COVID-19, we have continually educated our caregivers and provide them with PPE to keep our clients safe, as well as themselves,” says Sylvia Dwertman, marketing liaison.

Best OB-GYN Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers

Best Massage Therapist Dr. Laurie Jahnke & Dr. Stephan Moje, Apex Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Best Orthodontist Murdock Orthodontics

800 Compton Road, Cincinnati apexchirocenter.com

Best Medical Facility & Rehabilitation Center Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers 5400 Kennedy Ave., Cincinnati fyzical.com

Best In-Home Health Care Visiting Angels Cincinnati West Serves West Cincinnati visitingangels.com/cincinnatiwest Visiting Angels knows that caregiving can be difficult, particularly during COVID-19. The Cincinnati West franchise has worked to make sure its trained, caring providers are still able to provide the care their clients

Multiple locations including Anderson Township (7495 State Road) womenshealthcenters.com

5420 North Bend Road, Cincinnati murdockorthodontics.com Murdock Orthodontics is not your typical orthodontics office. The practice has a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme, virtual appointment options, an iPad check in, 3-D oral scanning and more. “We believe orthodontics should be fun! Patients, families and friends love our game room, contests for concert and sports tickets, and taking part in our annual skating party,” says Dr. Don Murdock.

Best Pediatric Dentist Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry 1319 Nagel Road, Cincinnati seaofsmilesdds.com

A Place To

Mount Notre Dame

be you

is Cincinnati’s oldest all-female Catholic high school, founded in 1860 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and is part of the worldwide Notre Dame Learning Community. MND provides a college preparatory learning environment with an average class size of 19 students. Led by its talented faculty, each student is challenged through a broad selection of engaging classes, including 26 Honors and 20 Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Instruction is enhanced through collegiate-style Block Scheduling and a One-to-One Tablet PC Program that supports a variety of learning styles. MND graduates are prepared for the journey that lies ahead.

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, November 1

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cation u d e o xperience oeesults or greatoaks.com

www.mndhs.org

3.625 x 4.875


Best Pediatrician Dr. Jeff Drasnin, ESD Pediatric Group

Best Kids’ Haircuts Great Clips

905 Main St., Milford esdpeds.com

Multiple locations including Madiera (7005 Miami Ave.) greatclips.com

Best Place to Have a Baby Good Samaritan Hospital, TriHealth 375 Dixmyth Ave., Cincinnati trihealth.com/hospitals-and-practices/goodsamaritan-hospital

Family Services Best Car Wash Gills Car Wash 2969 Madison Road, Cincinnati gillscarwash.com

Best Dry Cleaner Tide Cleaners Multiple locations including Oakley (3348 Madison Road) tidecleaners.com

Best Family Photographer & Newborn Photographer Cindy Dover Photography Serves Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky cindydoverphotography.com Cindy Dover says that the reason she has so many passionate fans of her business is because of her many years as an experienced certified professional photographer. “Cindy Dover Photography won this category because of having amazing clients that understand the importance of hiring a certified professional photographer that will provide quality and experience,” she says.

Best Florist Oberer’s Flowers Multiple locations including Cincinnati (7675 Cox Lane) oberers.com

Best Manicure/ Pedicure Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa Multiple locations including Rookwood (3831 Edwards Road) ambiancenailsalon.com

Family Shopping Best Bike Shop Montgomery Cyclery Multiple locations including Loveland (116 Karl Brown Way) montgomerycyclery.com

Best Bookstore Joseph-Beth Booksellers 2692 Madison Road, Cincinnati josephbeth.com

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Best Children’s Local Clothing Store & Consignment Shop Once Upon A Child Multiple locations including Fields Ertel (9136 Union Cemetery Road) onceuponachild.com

Best Electronics Store Best Buy Multiple locations including Western Hills (5555 Glenway Ave.) bestbuy.com

Best Farmers Market Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Multiple locations including Newport (82 Carothers Road) freshthyme.com

Best Furniture Store Furniture Fair Multiple locations including Fairfield (7200 Dixie Highway) furniturefair.net

Best Garden Center/Nursery Burger Farm & Garden Center 7849 Main St., Newtown burgerfarms.com

team members in this region who work hard to provide the best shopping experience possible for our customers,” Abbott says.

Best Jewelry Store Herzog Jewelers

Best Grocery Store & Pharmacy Kroger

2501 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell herzogjewelers.com

Multiple locations including downtown (100 E. Court St.) kroger.com

Best Hardware Store & Lumber Yard Menards Multiple locations including Evendale (2789 Cunningham Drive) menards.com Menards has become a go-to location for home improvement needs thanks to its friendly, knowledgeable staff and variety of products, says Jeff Abbott. Today, items are available for online order and curbside pickup, too. “We are humbled by the recognition and believe it’s a credit to our dedicated Menards

Gills Car Wash has been proudly serving the Oakley community and Cincinnati area for nearly 20 years. We would like to thank everyone who recognizes our commitment to both quality and satisfaction when it comes to our customers and their vehicles. We take great pride keeping everyone shining and smiling.

$3 off any wash

10% off detail service

FREE Ceramic Coat

with any wash purchase

2969 Madison Rd, Cincinnati OH 45209 513-631-1156 • www.GillsCarWash.com Hours: Mon - Sat 8-7 , Sun 9-6 28

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Best Kids Furniture Bargains & Buyouts

Best Monogramming Poeme

Multiple locations including Greenhills (50 Eswin St.) bargainsandbuyouts.com

3446 Michigan Ave., Cincinnati poeme-online.com

Best Kids Shoes Kohl’s

Best Place for Home Accessories HomeGoods

Multiple locations including Blue Ash (4150 Hunt Road) kohls.com

Multiple locations including Hyde Park (2692 Madison Road) homegoods.com

Best Local Store for Baby Gifts The Spotted Goose

Best Shopping Center Kenwood Towne Centre

3048 Madison Road, Cincinnati thespottedgoose.com

7875 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati kenwoodtownecentre.com

Best Speciality Gift Shop Pill Box Pharmacy & The Gift Box 1400 state Route 125, Amelia facebook.com/giftbox.pillbox01/ The combined location of the Pill Box Pharmacy and the Gift Box gives Amelia shoppers a unique experience—a 5,000-square-foot gift store and a pharmacy in one location. The store specializes in gifts for any occasion, but

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it also has one of the largest bereavement gift selections in the region.

Best Sporting Goods DICK’S Sporting Goods Multiple locations including Newport (175 Pavillion Parkway) dickssportinggoods.com

For the Home Apartment Complex Four Bridges Luxury Apartments 6800 Saint Andrews Cross, Liberty Township fourbridgesapts.com

Best Carpet Cleaner Widmer’s Carpet Cleaners 2950 Robertson Ave., Cincinnati widmerscleaners.com Widmer’s Cleaners has been in business since 1910, and added its award-winning carpet cleaning business to its list of services in 1998. The company cleans carpets, area rugs, tile, wood floors, upholstery and even drapery. Jack Cunningham, president


and CEO, says, “We go out of our way to provide the best in customer service and quality cleaning. Widmer’s Carpet Cleaning offers competitive pricing and trains their techs not to use pushy sales tactics or switch and bait techniques.”

Best Carpet Store McSwain Carpets & Floors Multiple locations including Forest Park (1170 Smiley Ave.) mcswaincarpets.com

Best Electrician Apollo Home Serves Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Indiana apollohome.com

Best Frame Shop Fabulous Frames & Art Multiple locations including downtown (17 W. Fourth St.) fabframes.com

Best Heating/Cooling Service Logan AC & Heat Services Serves Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton logan-inc.com

Best Home Builder (New Homes) Drees Homes 211 Grandview Drive, Fort Mitchell dreeshomes.com

Best Home Remodeler Staley Transformations Serves Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky staleytransformations.com JD Staley, owner of Staley Transformations, says his company’s commitment to the community is what separates it from other general contracting company. He says the company sponsors numerous youth sports teams and donates materials and labor to several organizations. That same giving nature is also directed to its customers. “We understand what it means to get the very most for your money without sacrificing quality,” he says.

Best Landscaper Brentwood Landscape & Design 8131 AA Highway, Alexandria brentwoodlandscape.com

Best Plumber Robert Jones Plumbing 6071 state Route 128, Cleves robertjonesplumbing.com

Best Pool Services Watson’s Multiple locations including Cincinnati (2721 E. Sharon Road) watsons.com Watson’s has been a community staple for more than 50 years, providing the region with indoor and outdoor furniture, pools and spas, games and recreation, and more, all under one roof. In fact, Watson’s has sold over 400,000 pools since 1968. Chris Strong, vice president of marketing, attributes this win to the store’s diverse and quality products and its team’s customer service.

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We’re gonna need a bigger stork. We deliver the most babies of any health care system in the region and now one call to 1 833 TH 4 BABY and a mom-to-be will be guided to a health care provider who will be her partner on the journey to motherhood.

TriHealth.com/Maternity 1 833 TH 4 BABY


Best Tree Care Stegman Landscape & Tree

Best Funeral Home Spring Grove Cemetery

Best Real Estate Agent Tracy Winkler, Hoeting Realtors

66 Covert Run Pike, Fort Thomas stegmanlandscape.com

4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati springgrove.org

6048 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati hoeting.com

Parent Resources

Best Insurance Agent Allison Doner, Allstate Insurance

Best Computer Repair AAA Laptops and More 174 W. McMillan St., Cincinnati

3006 Portsmouth Ave., Cincinnati insurance-agent-alisondoner-cincinnati.business.site

Best Financial Institution PNC Bank

Best Law Firm Wagner & Bloch

Multiple locations including Norwood (4650 Smith Road) pnc.com

9000 Plainfield Road, Blue Ash wagnerandbloch.com

Best Financial Planner Fidant Wealth Partners Multiple locations including Crestview Hills (740 Centre View Blvd.) ameripriseadvisors.com/team/fidant-wealthpartners

Best Mortgage Company First Equity Mortgage 211 Grandview Drive, Fort Mitchell firstequityonline.com

Best Real Estate Agency Hoeting Realtors 6048 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati hoeting.com

Best Retirement Facility Maple Knoll Village 11000 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati mapleknoll.org

Best Tailor Robby’s Quality Alterations 509 Wyoming Ave., Cincinnati

Family owned, Authentic Neapolitan Wood Fired Pizza Dough is hand rolled daily. Imported Italian ingredients meet locally sourced ingredients. There is no freezer or microwave in the building assuring quality you can smell and taste! Thank you Cincinnati for voting us Best Local Pizzeria!

(513) 248-0082 • joespizzanapoli.com 507 Chamber Dr. • Milford, OH 45150 w w w.

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Best Tax Service William E. Hesch, CPA 3047 Madison Road, Cincinnati heschlaw.com The firm of William E. Hesch is able to offer a full range of accounting, tax and small business consulting services thanks to the expertise of Hesch and his team. He’s been a practicing CPA for 46 years and has two longterm employees who each have more than 30 years of experience, too. “They are always accessible by phone or email, very service oriented and eager to help with any questions,” says Vickie Egan, office administrator.

Party Time Best Birthday Party Location & Recreational Outing for Families Archery Arena 4950 Provident Drive, West Chester archery-arena.com Archery Arena is known for its one-of-a-kind offerings (where else can you play archery dodgeball in the Tristate?), but the company

says its passionate fans helped it snag this year’s win in these two categories. With the company waiving its private event costs during COVID-19 so that more small groups could use the space, in addition to offering “dart wars” for younger players, the company says more people have been discovering the place.

Best Caterer Vonderhaar’s Catering

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212 Market St., New Richmond brewhausdogbones.com

Pets Best Pet Boarding Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa 5081 Madison Road, Cincinnati reddogpetresort.com/cincinnati/

Best Pet Rescue Stray Animal Adoption Program adoptastray.com The Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) is the largest foster-based rescue in the area, working with around 40 shelters in the

W. Scott Cameron A Walk Along the Beach Father and daughter using a sand wheelchair to enjoy the ocean.

Contest Sponsored by:

Best Pet Store Brewhaus Dog Bones

19 W. Pleasant St., Reading vonderhaars.com

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

Elliot Grossman Father’s Day on Fountain Square Elliot and his daughter, Dani, enjoy time at the Genius of Water statue and fountain after a Reds game.

Tristate. The 100% volunteer-based organization has placed almost 26,000 rescues into homes since it was created in 1998. “SAAP is fortunate to have such amazing community support that allows us to fulfill our mission and rescue at-risk pets throughout the Greater Cincinnati region,” says Amy Jones, volunteer grants manager and events coordinator.

These are extraordinary times. Each day a new challenge. At Lindner Center of HOPE, we’re here to assist you with managing your mental health and substance use, providing treatment you need today and every day. Your mental wellness is important.

Call 513-536-HOPE or visit lindnercenterohope.org

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Best Veterinarian Peach Grove Animal Hospital

Best Family Day Trip Sharon Woods

Best Hotel/Motel Hotel Covington

5636 Springdale Road, Cincinnati peachgroveanimalhospital.com

11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville greatparks.org/parks/sharon-woods

638 Madison Ave., Covington hotelcovington.com

Places to Go

Best Family Staycation Winton Woods Campground

Best Local Park & Playground Summit Park

Best Bowling Alley Western Bowl Strike & Spare 6383 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati westernbowl.strikeandspare.com

Best Family Attraction Newport Aquarium 1 Aquarium Way, Newport newportaquarium.com Matt Duda, sales and marketing manager for the Newport Aquarium, says the aquarium was voted Best Family Attraction because it’s so much more than an aquarium. “We hear from guests over and over, they come for a visit expecting to enjoy seeing the fish but realize there’s so much to do and a whole culture built around educating and really caring for our guests,” he says. In addition to viewing the fish, visitors can cross the Shark Bridge, meet penguins and view two albino alligators.

651 Lakeview Drive, Cincinnati greatparks.org/winton-woods/winton-woodscampground

4335 Glendale Milford, Blue Ash summitparkblueash.com

Best Field Trip & Museum Cincinnati Museum Center 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati cincymuseum.org

Best Golf Course Blue Ash Golf Course 4040 Cooper Road, Blue Ash blueashgolfcourse.com

Best Hiking Spot Cincinnati Nature Center Rowe Woods - 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford cincynature.org

Best Place For A Picnic Eden Park 950 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati cincinnatiparks.com/central/eden-park/ Eden Park’s iconic view of the city skyline and multiple lakes makes it an ideal location for a family picnic. Kelly Piller with Cincinnati Parks says that the park’s access to cultural institutions like the Cincinnati Art Museum and ample green space also make this park a great picnic spot.

www.Barleycorns.com

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Best Place to Camp/ Campground Big Bone Lick State Historic Site 3380 Beaver Road, Union parks.ky.gov/union/parks/historic/big-bonelick-state-historic-site

Sports Best Local College Sports Team University of Cincinnati Football gobearcats.com/sports/football

Best Place to Go for a Walk or Run Miami Whitewater Forest

Best Local High School Sports Team Colerain High School

9001 Mt. Hope Road, Harrison greatparks.org/parks/miami-whitewater-forest

8801 Cheviot Road, Cincinnati nwlsd.org/Athletics.aspx

Best Rainy Day Outing Krohn Conservatory

Best Local Professional Athlete A.J. Green

1501 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati cincinnatiparks.com/krohn/ Krohn Conservatory has been a favorite location of the Tristate since it was built in 1933. Today, people enjoy the annual butterfly show and the opportunity to enjoy nature no matter the weather. Kelly Piller with Cincinnati Parks says, “The glass pane roof will keep you dry while you view over a thousand different plant species in environments such as the desert house and the palm house.”

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Best Swim Lessons M.E. Lyons YMCA

mlb.com/reds

Best Martial Arts Patten’s Martial Arts

Best Youth Sports Program Monfort Heights Athletic Association

10930 Loveland-Madiera Road, Loveland keepkicking.com

clubs.bluesombrero.com/Default. aspx?tabid=256560

Best Local Professional Sports Team Cincinnati Reds

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5770 Springdale Road, Cincinnati indoorsoccercity.com

8108 Clough Pike, Cincinnati myy.org/location/me-lyons-ymca/ While some swim lesson providers focus on children’s swim lessons, M.E. Lyons YMCA knows that it is a skill that people of all ages can learn. Associate Executive Director Samantha Mosby says that the Y offers lessons to those as young as six months all the way up to adults. “One of our greatest programs is our adaptive swim lessons for individuals with special needs. This program gives children and adults with special needs a controlled environment to work with an instructor and become proficient swimmers,” she says. “

OPEN HOUSE OCTOBER 25

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Best Soccer Facility Soccer City


Sweets Best Cakes Cakes & Pastries By George 3674 Muddy Creek Road, Cincinnati facebook.com/Cakes-Pastries-byGeorge-114196848767687/

Best Candy Store Aglamesis Brothers Multiple locations including Oakley Square (3046 Madison Road) aglamesis.com

Best Desserts Nothing Bundt Cakes

Best Burger Zip’s Cafe

Multiple locations including Cincinnati (2733 Madison Road) nothingbundtcakes.com

1036 Delta Ave., Cincinnati zipscafe.com

Best Ice Cream & Milkshake Graeter’s Ice Cream Multiple locations including Cherry Grove (8533 Beechmont Ave.) graeters.com

Tasty Eats

Best Cookies Jenny’s Homemade Cookies

Best BBQ Eli’s BBQ

6143 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati jennyshomemadecookies.com

Multiple locations including Riverside (3313 Riverside Drive) elisbarbeque.com

Best Cupcakes Gigi’s Cupcakes Multiple locations including Cincinnati (7940 Hosbrook Road) gigiscupcakesusa.com

Best Breakfast/Brunch First Watch Multiple locations including Hyde Park (2692 Madison Road) firstwatch.com

Best Butcher Shop Lehr’s Prime Market 740 Main St., Milford lehrsprime.com Lehr’s Prime Market takes the idea of being a local butcher shop to heart. The shop’s meats are local, in addition to its sauces, seasonings, breads and desserts. Once the meat is at the shop, Lehr’s makes its own brats, sausages, gourmet burgers, stuffed chicken breasts and marinated meats. “Our meats are of the highest quality and as local as possible. No hormones or antibiotics ever! All of our meats come to us fresh daily and we cut and grind inhouse all day long,” says owner Alison Homan.

Thank you for voting us BEST VOICE LESSONS!

Trusted by over 2,000 Families. Top Rated in Cincinnati. Lessons Available Online or Onsite! 3 Locations in Anderson, Mason, and Montgomery

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Best Chicken Strips/Nuggets F&N Goode Chick’n Tenders 5102 Crookshank Road, Cincinnati fngoodechicken.com

Best Chili Skyline Chili

Best Date Night Restaurant Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 9769 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati jeffruby.com/carlo-johnny Carlo & Johnny’s ambiance is what makes it such a great date night restaurant, says Mary Grace Sillies, brand engagement manager. “From the quiet, romantic dining room to the fairytale patio, the settings and service trans-

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Best Fresh Catch (Seafood) Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

Best Donuts Wyoming Pastry Shop

Multiple locations including Springdale (11975 Northwest Blvd.) pappadeaux.com

505 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming wyomingpastryshop.com

Multiple locations including Hamilton (3787 Herman Road) skylinechili.com

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port diners to an unforgettable, chandelierclad date night,” she says.

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Best Fine Dining & Steaks Jeff Ruby’s Precinct 311 Delta Ave., Cincinnati jeffruby.com/precinct The Precinct, Jeff Ruby’s first steakhouse, takes Best Fine Dining and Best Steaks this year thanks to its continued commitment to quality, even during a pandemic. “Jeff Ruby’s Precinct delivers an incomparable total dining experience by offering guests the very finest U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, an award-winning wine list, and impeccable service,” says Mary Grace Sillies, brand engagement manager.

Best Fried Chicken The Eagle 1342 Vine St., Cincinnati eaglerestaurant.com

Best Grilled Cheese Tom & Chee Multiple locations including Anderson (7578 Beechmont Ave.) tomandchee.com

Best Hot Dog Senate Multiple locations including OTR (1212 Vine St.) senatepub.com

Best Food Truck Empanadas Aquí Café and Food Truck

Best Italian Sorrento’s Italian Joint

322 Reading Road, Mason empanadasaqui.com

5143 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati sorrentosnorwood.com


Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant & Kids Menu Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

products locally. There are times you can order a pizza with basil, when the basil is picked only a few hours before it hits your plate,” he says.

Best Restaurant Overall Dewey’s Pizza

Multiple locations including Amelia (3792 Waterford Parkway) freddysusa.com

Best Macaroni & Cheese Keystone Bar & Grill

Multiple locations including Harper’s Point (11338 Montgomery Road) deweyspizza.com

Best Local Bakery Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

Multiple locations including Covington (313 Greenup St.) keystonebar.com

Multiple locations including 8 Mile (8315 Beechmont Ave.) servatiipastryshop.com

Best Meal-To-Go Colonial Cottage

Multiple locations including Red Bank (4416 Red Bank Expressway) penn-station.com

3140 Dixie Highway, Erlanger thecottagenky.com

Best Mexican Cuisine El Rancho Grande Mexican Grill & Cantina

Best Local Pizzeria Joe’s Pizza Napoli 507 Chamber Drive, Cincinnati joespizzanapoli.com When Joe Nunner, owner of Joe’s Pizza Napoli, was asked what separated his pizza from other places in the region, he pointed to the pizzeria’s local and authentic flavor. “We source as much product from Italy as possible to give authentic flavor. We then source all produce and other

Best Sandwich Overall & Subs Penn Station East Coast Subs

Multiple locations including Mason (4920 Socialville Foster Road) elranchogrande.info

Best Patio Dining & Wings Barleycorn’s Multiple locations including Cold Spring (1073 Industrial Road) barleycorns.com

Best Sushi Dancing Roll Multiple locations including Hyde Park (3443 Edwards Road) dancingrollsushi.com

Best View From a Restaurant Incline Public House 2601 W. Eighth St., Cincinnati inclinepublichouse.com

Thank You

Cincinnati for voting

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Finalists The 2020 Family Choice Awards recognizes those that are the best in providing services and products to Greater Cincinnati families. Finalists were determined by nominations cast by the general public and the readers of Cincy Magazine. People voted online at cincymagazine.com for their favorites. There were 194 categories, including food, retail and service organizations. Below you will find the finalists as well as the winners in each category.

Child Care Center n Abby’s Child Enrichment Center n Ross Country Day Preschool & Child Care n Skidaddles - Mason Children's Local Clothing Store n Castle House n Once Upon A Child n The Spotted Goose Chili n Gold Star n Price Hill Chili Family Restaurant n Skyline Chili Church Festival n All Saints Parish Festival n St. Clement Parish Festival n St. Jude Festival Computer Repair n AAA Laptops and More n Office Depot n Tech Castle

Apartment Complex n Four Bridges Luxury Apartments n One Lytle Place Apartments n Village of Coldstream

Breakfast/Brunch n Colonial Cottage n First Watch n Sleepy Bee Cafe - Blue Ash

Arcade n Archery Arena n Scallywag Tag Family Entertainment Center n Scene75 Entertainment Center - Cincinnati

Brewery (Family Friendly) n Little Miami Brewing Company n MadTree Brewing n Sons of Toil Brewing

Arts and Crafts Classes n Art Workshop n ArtsConnect n Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center

Burger n Flip Side - Liberty Center n Tavern on the Bend n Zip’s Cafe

Auto Body Repair n Torbeck’s Auto Repair n Ulmer’s Auto Care Center n West Chester Collision Center

Butcher Shop n Dave’s Quality Meats of West Chester n Langen Meats and Fine Wine n Lehr’s Prime Market

Auto Dealer New n Jake Sweeney Chevrolet n Joseph Toyota of Cincinnati n Performance Lexus RiverCenter

Cakes n A Spoon Fulla Sugar n Cakes & Pastries by George n Daydreams Cake Company

Auto Dealer Used n Columbia Acura n McCluskey Chevrolet n Performance Kings Honda

Candy Store n Aglamesis Brothers n Fawn Candy Co. n Peter Minges & Sons Confectionary

Auto Parts Store n KOI Auto Parts n O’Reilly Auto Parts n Tire Discounters

Car Wash n Gills Car Wash n Johnny’s Express Car Wash n Mike’s Carwash

Auto Repair Garage n Firestone Complete Auto Care n Kings Toyota n The Bike Shop

Carousel n Carol Ann’s Carousel n Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden n Kings Island

BBQ n City Barbeque n Eli’s BBQ n Velvet Smoke BBQ

Carpet Cleaner n Coit Cleaning & Restoration - Cincinnati n Stanley Steemer n Widmer’s Carpet Cleaners

Bike Shop n Montgomery Cyclery - Loveland n Walmart Supercenter n West Chester Cyclery

Carpet Store n Buddy’s Flooring America n JP Flooring Design Center n McSwain Carpets & Floors

Birthday Party Location n Archery Arena n Perfection Gymnastics School n Totter’s Otterville

Caterer n It’s Just Brick’s n Velvet Smoke BBQ - White Oak n Vonderhaar’s Catering

Bookstore n Barnes & Noble n Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Chicken Strips/Nuggets n F&N Goode Chick’n Tenders n Tender Towne

Desserts n Dorothy Lane Market n Nothing Bundt Cakes n Tucker’s Whippy Dip

Bowling Alley n Crossgate Lanes n Rotolo n Western Bowl Strike & Spare

Child Care at a Fitness Center n Blue Ash Recreation Center n Blue Ash YMCA n Cincinnati Sports Club

Donuts n Duck Donuts - Deerfield Towne Center n Stan the Donut Man n Wyoming Pastry Shop

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Consignment Shop n Once Upon A Child n Snooty Fox n Talk of the Town Cookies n Donna’s Gourmet Cookies n Dorothy Lane Market n Jenny’s Homemade Cookies Cooking Class n Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio n The Jewish Discovery Center n The Learning Kitchen Corn Maze n Burwinkel Farms n Irons Fruit Farm n Shaw Farms Cupcakes n Cakes & Pastries by George n Daydreams Cake Company n Gigi’s Cupcakes - Cincinnati Dance Instructor n Lauren Crook, Mount Notre Dame Academy n Midwest Elite Dance Center n Stacie Hawley, Midwest Elite Dance Center Dance Lessons n Beyond the Barre n Miami Valley Ballet Theatre n Midwest Elite Dance Center Date Night Restaurant n Jag’s Steak & Seafood n Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny n Valley Vineyards Day Summer Camp n ArtsConnect n Benton Farm Camp n King of Kings Lutheran Church Summer Bible Camp Dentist n Emily Boehm, DDS - Wyoming Family Dentistry n Kramer Family Dentistry n Vita Dental

Doula Midwife n Embodied Journeys n Lesli Newton Doula Services n Megan E. Byrd, Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers Dry Cleaner n Springdale Cleaners n Tide Cleaners n Widmer’s Cleaners Electrician n Apollo Home n Cooper Electric n HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Drains Electronics Store n Best Buy n Micro Center Emergency Room n Cincinnati Children’s Hospital - Green Township n Cincinnati Children’s Hospital - Liberty Campus n Mercy Health Jewish Hospital Emergency Department Eye Care n Dr. Pamela Bernard, Berri Eyecare n Dr. Radhika L. Kumar, Apex Eye n Midwest Eye Center Family Attraction n EnterTRAINment Junction n Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - Mason n Newport Aquarium Family Chiropractor n Academy Chiropractic Clinic n Baker Chiropractic and Wellness n Live Well Chiropractic Center Family Day Trip n Brookville Lake & Beach n Caesar Creek State Park n Sharon Woods Family Fitness Center n Countryside YMCA n Crossfit Cornerstone & Cornerstone Fitness n Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati Family Photographer n Casey Burns Photography n Cindy Dover Photography n Sienna Photography Family Physician’s Office n Bethesda North Hospital n Dr. Allegra R. Tenkman, Mercy Health n UC Health West Chester Hospital Family Staycation n Caesar Creek State Park Campground n Newport Aquarium n Winton Woods Campground Farmers Market n Blue Ash Farmers Market n Fresh Thyme Farmers Market n Montgomery Farmers’ Market Field Trip n Caesar Creek State Park n Cincinnati Museum Center n Newport Aquarium Financial Institution n Emery Federal Credit Union n PNC Bank n Wright-Patt Credit Union Financial Planner n Charles Schwab n Fidant Wealth Partners n Foster & Motley


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Fine Dining n Bouquet Restaurant n Jeff Ruby’s Precinct n Primavista

Health Shop n CBD Source n Clifton Natural Foods n Susan’s Natural World

Kids Furniture n Bargains and Buyouts n Morris Home n Pottery Barn Kids

Local Store for Baby Gifts n Cincinnati Reds Team Shop n Diamonds and Dimples Chic Boutique n The Spotted Goose

Fitness Class Instructor/Personal Trainer n Angela Gordon, Benefit Studio n Beyond Fitness with Lisa n Steve Pence, Team Pence Personal Training

Heating/Cooling Service n Logan AC & Heat Services n Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing n Wyoming Air

Kids Menu n Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers n Frisch’s n Izzy’s

Local University n Northern Kentucky University n University of Cincinnati n Xavier University

Florist n Adrian Durban Florist n At All About Flowers LLC n Oberer’s Flowers

Hiking Spot n Caesar Creek State Park n Cincinnati Nature Center n Sharon Woods

Kids Shoes n Fleet Feet - Blue Ash n Kohl’s n Nordstrom

Lumber Yard n 84 Lumber n Huber Lumber Co. n Menards

Food Truck n Empanadas Aquí Café and Food Truck n Island Noodles n The Screaming Goat

Holiday Lights Display n Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden n Coney Island n Sharon Woods

Kids' Haircuts n Great Clips n Sports Clips - Tylersville

Macaroni & Cheese n Keystone Bar & Grill - Covington n Keystone Bar & Grill - Hyde Park n Tavern On the Bend

Frame Shop n Browning’s of Wyoming n Fabulous Frames & Art n In the Frame Custom Picture Framing & Art Gallery

Home Builder (New Homes) n Dominion Homes n Drees Homes n Fischer Homes

Fresh Catch (Seafood) n Court Street Lobster Bar n Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen n Red Feather

Home Remodeler n Custom Cabinetry & Countertops by Granite World n Margin n Staley Transformations

Fried Chicken n Colonial Cottage n Ron’s Roost Restaurant & Bar n The Eagle

Hospital n Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center n The Christ Hospital n West Hospital, Mercy Health

Fruit Farm n Indian Springs Berry Farm n Irons Fruit Farm n McGlasson Farms

Hot Dog n Chicago Gyros & Dogs n SENATE n The Root Beer Stand

Funeral Home n Hodapp Funeral Homes n Spring Grove Cemetery n T.P White and Sons Funeral Home

Hotel/Motel n AC Hotel Cincinnati at Liberty Center n Extended Stay America - Cincinnati - Blue Ash - Kenwood Road n Hotel Covington

Furniture Store n Furniture by Otmar n Furniture Fair n Handcrafted Amish Furniture

Ice Cream n Graeter’s Ice Cream n Putz’s Creamy Whip n Tucker’s Whippy Dip

Garden Center/Nursery n Burger Farm & Garden Center n Natorp’s Nursery Outlet n White Oak Gardens

In-Home Health Care n Queen City Homecare n Visiting Angels

Golf Course n Blue Ash Golf Course n California Golf Course n Kenwood Country Club

Independent Coffeehouse n Goshen Grind n I AM Coffee n Urbana Cafe

Grilled Cheese n C’est Cheese n Plain Folk Café n Tom & Chee

Insurance Agent n Allison Doner, Allstate Insurance n Henry Insurance Agency n Nick Brown, State Farm Insurance

Grocery Store n Kroger n Meijer n Trader Joe’s

Italian n Giovanni’s Family Italian Restaurant n Sorrento’s Italian Joint n Tano Bistro

Group Fitness Program n Burn Boot Camp n Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati n Summit Park Fitness Classes

Jewelry Store n Geraci Fine Jewelry n Herzog Jewelers n Robin James Jewelers

Gymnastics Center n Kids First Sports Center n Midwest Elite Dance Center n Premier Athletics

Kid-Friendly Restaurant n City Barbeque - Blue Ash n Dewey’s Pizza - Oakley n Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Hardware Store n Ace Hardware - Loveland n Engel’s Hardware n Menards

Kids Fitness/Sports Trainer n Kids First Sports Center n Midwest Elite Dance Center n Perfection Gymnastics

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Landscaper n Brentwood Landscape & Design n Natorp’s n Sharon Nursery Law Firm n Christopher Rivello, Brafford & Rivello n Law Offices of Blake R. Maislin n Wagner & Bloch Live Music n Bogart’s n Plain Folk Café n Valley Vineyards Live Theater Venue n Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park n Taft Theatre n The Cincinnati Children’s of Theatre Local Bakery n Bonnie Lynn Bakery n Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli n The BonBonerie Local College Sports Team n Northern Kentucky University’s Men’s Basketball n University of Cincinnati’s Football n Xavier University’s Men’s Basketball Local Community College n Cincinnati State Technical and Community College n Sinclair Community College n University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College Local Fair/Festival n Oakley Entertainment Series n Oktoberfest Zinzinnati n Red White & Blue Ash Local High School Sports Team n Archbishop Moeller High School n Colerain High School n Mason High School Local Park n Sharon Woods n Summit Park n West Fork Park Local Pizzeria n Joe’s Pizza Napoli n Marion’s Piazza n Two Cities Pizza Co. Local Professional Athlete n A.J. Green n Joe Burrow n Joey Votto Local Professional Sports Team n Cincinnati Cyclones n Cincinnati Reds n FC Cincinnati

Manicure/Pedicure n Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa - Rookwood n Pinky Nails & Spa n Salon Bastille Martial Arts n Blue Dragon Martial Arts n Cincinnati Krav Maga n Patten’s Martial Arts Massage Therapist n Dr. Laurie Jahnke & Dr. Stephan Moje, Apex Chiropractic & Wellness Center n The Muscle Mechanix n The Woodhouse Day Spa - Montgomery Meal-To-Go n Colonial Cottage n Golden Dragon - White Oak n Lean Kitchen Co. - Cincinnati Medical Facility n Artis Senior Living of Bridgetown n Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center n Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers Mexican Cuisine n Bakersfield n El Rancho Grande Mexican Grill & Cantina n La Piñata Authentic Mexican Restaurant Milkshake n Graeter’s Ice Cream n Nanny Belle’s n Putz’s Creamy Whip Monogramming n Gilson’s Engraving & Elegant Gifts n MK’s Totebags & Monogramming n Poeme Mortgage Company n Emery Federal Credit Union n First Equity Mortgage n Regions Movie Theater n AMC West Chester 18 n Cobb Liberty Luxury 15 & Cinébistro n Envision Cinemas - Blue Ash Museum n Cincinnati Museum Center n Creation Museum n Promont House Museum Music Shop n Baroque Violin Shop n Buddy Roger’s Music n Willis Music Musical Instrument Lessons n ArtsConnect n Cincinnati School of Music n School of Rock - Mason


Newborn Photographer n Cindy Dover Photography n Tazetta Photography n Wendy Magee Photography

Place to Camp/Campground n Big Bone Lick State Historic Site n Caesar Creek State Park Campground n East Fork Campgrounds

Rehabilitation Center n Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers n Hillebrand Nursing & Rehabilitation Center n Triple Creek Retirement Community

Tailor n Kim Dao’s Alterations n Philippe Haas Bespoke Tailoring n Robby’s Quality Alterations

OB-GYN n Dr. Ambrose A. Puttmann, Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers n Dr. Michael R. Draznik, The Christ Hospital n Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers

Place to Go for a Walk or Run n Caesar Creek State Park n Miami Whitewater Forest n Veterans Park

Restaurant Overall n Bouquet Restaurant n Dewey’s Pizza n Flip Side - Liberty Center

Tax Service n Gary Arnzen, CPA n Orcutt & Company n William E. Hesch, CPA

Place to Have a Baby n Fairfield Hospital, Mercy Health n Good Samaritan Hospital, TriHealth n The Christ Hospital

Retirement Facility n Artis Senior Living of Bridgetown n Maple Knoll Village n Pinebrook

Theater Program n ArtsConnect n Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati n Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Playground n Smale Park n Summit Park n West Fork Park

Sandwich Overall n Carl’s Deli n Penn Station East Coast Subs n The BonBonerie

Tire Center n Costco Wholesale n Princeton Tire n Tire Discounters

Parade n Findlay Market Opening Day Parade n Harvest Home Parade n St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Plumber n Apollo Home n HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Drains n Robert Jones Plumbing

SAT/ACT Prep n Kumon Math and Reading Center of Loveland n LEAP n Villa Madonna Academy

Tourist Attraction n Ark Encounter n Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden n Land of Illusion Adventure Park

Patio Dining n Barleycorn’s n Cabana on the River n Mesa Loca

Pool n Life Time Fitness n Shady Lane Swim & Tennis n St. Bernard Swimming Pool

Pediatric Asthma & Allergy Specialist n Cincinnati Allergy & Asthma Center n Cincinnati Allergy Associates n Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Pool Services n Klimat Master Pools n Tim’s Pools and Spas n Watson’s

School Spirit (College) n Cincinnati State Technical and Community College n University of Cincinnati n Xavier University

Pediatric Dentist n Advance Dentistry - Anderson n Dr. Brad Skelton, Fairfield Pediatric Dentistry & Chew Chew Junction n Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

Preschool n King of Kings Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten n Pilgrim Preschool n Royalmont Academy

Shopping Center n Kenwood Towne Centre n Liberty Center n Rookwood Commons & Pavilion

Pediatrician n Dr. Christina DuMont n Dr. Christopher S. Co, Mercy Health n Dr. Jeff Drasnin, ESD Pediatric Group

Private School (High School) n Archbishop Moeller High School n Mount Notre Dame High School n Seton High School

Soccer Facility n River’s Edge Indoor Sports n Soccer City n Tri-County Soccerplex

Pet Boarding n Happy Tails Dog Training n Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa n Tailwaggers Doggy Daycare

Private School (K-8) n Mercy Montessori n St. Peter in Chains School n Villa Madonna Academy

Social Media Account n @CincinnatiZoo n @cincyartmuseum n @CincyMuseum

Pet Rescue n Kitty Brew Café n Peppermint Pig Animal Rescue n Stray Animal Adoption Program

Public School (Elementary) n Loveland Elementary School n Oakdale Elementary School n Sharonville Elementary

Speciality Gift Shop n MiCA 12/v n Mim’s Off Main n Pill Box Pharmacy & The Gift Box

Pet Store n Brewhaus Dog Bones n Delhi & Harrison Pet Center n Your New Puppy

Public School (High School) n Loveland High School n Walnut Hills High School n Princeton Community Middle School

Sporting Goods n DICK’S Sporting Goods n Koch Sporting Goods n Play It Again Sports

Petting Zoo/Farm n Behringer-Crawford Museum n Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden n Parky’s Farm

Pumpkin Patch n Burwinkel Farms n Neltner’s Farm n Shaw Farms

Sports Lessons n Midwest Elite Dance Center n Queen City Racquet & Fitness Club n The Scuba Shack

Pharmacy n Kroger n Ruwe Family Pharmacy n Yost Pharmacy

Rainy Day Outing n Archery Arena n EnterTRAINment Junction n Krohn Conservatory

Steaks n Jeff Ruby’s Precinct n Outback Steakhouse n Trotta’s Steak & Seafood

Place for a Family Day n Caesar Creek State Park n Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden n Scene75 Entertainment Center - Cincinnati

Real Estate Agency n Duffy Team Comey & Shepherd Realtors n Hoeting Realtors n Wyndham-Lyons Realty Services

Subs n DiBella’s Subs n Penn Station East Coast Subs n Sub Station II

Place for a Picnic n Caesar Creek State Park n Eden Park n Smale Park

Real Estate Agent n Sara Mirus, Keller Williams Realty n Tina Rieder, Hoeting Realtors n Tracy Winkler, Hoeting Realtors

Sushi n Dancing Roll - Hyde Park n Fuji Steak House n Mint Bistro

Place for Home Accessories n At Home n Everything But The House (EBTH) n HomeGoods

Recreational Outing for Families n Archery Arena n Caesar Creek State Park n Summit Park

Swim Lessons n Bear Paddle Swim School n Goldfish Swim School - West Chester n M.E. Lyons YMCA

Orthodontist n Bryan Wirtz Orthodontics n Cassinelli, Shanker & Baker Orthodontics n Murdock Orthodontics Overnight Summer Camp n Camp Friedlander n SpringHill Camps n YMCA Camp Ernst

School Spirit (High School) n Bishop Fenwick High School n Mercy McAuley High School n Mount Notre Dame High School

Tree Care n AM Tree & Landscape n Lefke Tree Experts n Stegman Landscape & Tree Tutoring/Learning Service n Huntington Learning Center n Mathnasium n Varsity Tutors Veterinarian n All Creatures Animal Hospital n Hyde Park Veterinary Clinic n Peach Grove Animal Hospital View from a Restaurant n Buckhead Mountain Grill n Incline Public House n Moerlein Lager House Visual Arts Instruction n ArtsConnect n Cincinnati Art Museum Voice Lessons n Cincinnati School of Music n Hal Thomas Colerain Township n School of Rock Mason Wings n Barleycorn’s n Oakley Pub & Grill n Wild Mike’s Yoga Studio n Anahata Yoga Center n DEFINE Body & Mind n Sage Yoga Co. Youth Sports Program n Arsenal Volleyball Academy n Monfort Heights Athletic Association n Pisgah Youth Organization

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“We do have products we keep restocked, however more than half of our shop changes seasonally. Many items come into the shop only once,” she says. “My goal is that the shop feels new and fresh every time my customers visit.”

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Q&A

7 Questions with Danielle Harris Co-Owner of JLH Customs By Corinne Minard

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usband-and-wife duo Josh and Danielle Harris started their home renovation and remodeling company JLH Customs in 2010 and have been working with homeowners in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky ever since. The company was recently named Best Home Remodeler in the 2020 Best of NKY, so we sat down with Danielle, the company’s designer, to learn more about the company and get some advice for those considering a remodel of their own. You can learn more about them and their services by visiting facebook.com/ Jlhcustoms/ or calling 513-225-1811.

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LH Customs owners Josh and Danielle Harris

Q A

How did JLH Customs come about?

Ten years ago, Josh was working in logistics and I had a project I was working on for a client. I was having a hard time finding a carpenter to build just what I needed. He asked to see the picture and casually said, “I can do that.” Both relieved and worried since I was unaware of this “hidden talent” he possessed, I let him build the piece and it was flawless! Over the next few months I kept coming to him with other projects and he knocked them all out of the park. Finally, I told him you

need to start your own business. We can do this together; you build it and I will design it! He thought I was slightly crazy, but he jumped on board and here we are today.

Q A

What kind of projects do you work on?

We are a full-service home remodeling company that specializes in both large and small projects. We remodel lots of kitchens, master baths and lower-level builds. We also specialize in custom carpentry work such as trim detail, built-in cabinetry, accent walls and flooring.


Q A

What kind of styles do you like to work with?

We enjoy working with all styles and designs! We really thrive on getting to know our clients personally and love to make their home dreams come true through each individual’s unique styles.

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What are some common mistakes you see homeowners make when they start a project?

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Probably the largest mistake we see is homeowners not doing the homework prior to hiring a contractor. We witness horror stories almost daily and unfortunately it can cost an individual thousands of dollars to have things fixed correctly. These things can be avoided by doing your research, get referrals or references, and ask lots of questions! Nothing is worse than when someone spends their hard-earned money and it turns into a nightmare project.

Q A

Are there any trends you’re seeing right now?

We h a v e b e e n s e e i n g a lot of trends going more towards t he natural elements. Clients want a fresh look incorporating elements such as brick, wood, concrete and fresh greens to add those organic pops of color. Pattern floors and feature walls with texture are also a huge trend coming into our area.

Q A

What spaces add the most value to your home?

Kitchens and masters sell houses so you can never go wrong revamping those spaces. Finishing your lower level is always a good idea to add value and extra square footage!

Q A

When do you know it’s time to remodel?

Before and after kitchen remodel by JLH Customs. Danielle Harris says that a kitchen remodel is one of the best ways to add value to your home.

Every eight to 10 years is when you really need to update. Resale value is very important and in order to keep up with trends and styles it’s best to give the home a facelift every eight to 10. n

It’s time to take back control KATHY DRUFFNER Professional Organizer

(937) 271-4154 • DPOrganizing@gmail.com DPOrganizing.com • 2312 Far Hills Ave, #214, Dayton, OH 45419 HOME + DESIGN

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Still Smokin’ Kitchen renovations even more popular during the pandemic By Terry Troy

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funny thing happened when Governor Mike DeWine gave the stay at home order last spring. People not only stayed home, they also started to look around to see how they might improve their surroundings. As one of the focal points of any home, people looked at how they might improve their kitchens, which has kept the home renovation market very robust, not only in the area, but across the nation. In mid-August the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and John Burns Real Estate Consulting (JBREC) released their Q2 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Index, a survey of NKBA members involved with manufacturing, building/construction, design and retail, that rated the industry at 5.9 on a scale of 1 through 10. That put the industry a little stronger than 5.0 (or normal) for the second quarter, up sig52

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nificantly from the 4.1 rating of the first quarter. Better still, future conditions are rated at 61.9 out of 100, which means the industry should remain strong through the end of the year. “Overall, with the pandemic and people staying at home more, there has been some increase in what people are doing,” says Andrew Glasgow, president of H. Glasgow Construction, a recipient of the 2020 National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Contractor of the Year Award. “However, what they have been doing has been modified. They may not be putting on a new sun room, but instead focusing on some other area of the home.” Redoing a kitchen or creating a more comfortable work-at-home space have become top of mind for people dealing with the pandemic, says Glasgow. Not only are they working at home, they are also doing a lot more cooking. “In the ‘50s the kitchen was a clean but basically boring space,” says Glasgow. “Then the kitchen started to grow into a hub for family gatherings. When houses moved to an open floor plan design, the

Experts say that adding accent colors like black is becoming an increasingly popular design choice.

Rebekah Calhoun


Andrew Glasgow kitchen continued to be the hub, but it also had access to wide open spaces where you could see everything that is happening from the kitchen.” Kitchens being a focal point for home design is a lifestyle trend that will likely continue well into the years ahead. “People are still enamored with their kitchens, and now even more so because they are staying at home and cooking more,” says Rebekah Calhoun, a designer with Meyer Brothers & Sons, and the current president of NARI’s Greater Cincinnati Chapter. “Today, our clients want a fresh look for the kitchen, but it has what we call a snowball effect on the rest of the home. The kitchen becomes the first step in revamping the entire home.” That could mean changing out trims, casings and baseboards, upgrading door hardware or even painting the interior, says Calhoun, who is seeing an increasing popularity of interior colors such as navy, gold and matte black. “We’re even seeing an increase of greens. Not the traditional avocado of the ‘70s, but more modern versions,” she says. “When

you redo your kitchen you want to tie design elements of the kitchen to everything else in the home, and make the entire home more modern.” Emerging kitchen design trends include quartz counter surfaces, “which look like marble but hold up as well as granite,” adds Calhoun. “A lot of people are also extending their hardwood floors into the kitchen.” Calhoun’s clients are finding it much easier to remodel thanks to online resources, which have not only helped consumers define choices, but also made it easier and safer to do business during COVID-19. “Technolog y makes it possible for everything to be done online, which is great, especially during the pandemic,” says Calhoun. “We’re still able to work as a team but we can also work from our own homes.” “It used to be that years ago, you would go out to a client’s home with a book of photos of the projects that you had done and they would pick out the designs they liked,” says Glasgow. “But now, their choices are not necessarily completed but are better defined because the client may have spent

some time in a peer’s home (which we call the Jones effect), or they have done a lot of research online. “Today, you have a lot of people sitting at home and when they have free time, they look at different designs,” Glasgow adds. “So when they contact us for an appointment, they often know what they want. Then, we just have to use our expertise to bring it all together.” One of the trends, especially with more upscale budgets, involves creating a complete entertaining and working kitchen, greatly expanding its functionality. And, of course, there is the whole concept of creating an outdoor kitchen and food service area for expanded patio and deck entertaining, especially in summer and fall months. Expanding the kitchen’s functionality, “could mean creating a butler’s kitchen or a caterer’s kitchen where the client hosts events, uses the kitchen to set up and bring in food for presentation, and then has enough room for clearing away items for easier cleaning,” says Glasgow. There are some new technological developments on the horizon, which will directly impact kitchen upgrades in the future, notes Glasgow. Through the internet of things (IoT Technology), smart appliances are now able to program functions— like ovens set remotely to pre-heat while you are on the commute home, or smart refrigerators detecting which items you’re running low on or even creating an online shopping list for you to pick up something at the store on the way home. “Those new developments are not only going to make the entire kitchen more efficient, they will also impact kitchen design,” Glasgow says. “You’ll even soon see things like digital backsplashes.” Which will take kitchen design to a whole new level. Want something traditional in a backsplash? Try going with a traditional black and white tile design. Like that picture of the waterfall you took while on vacation? It can be displayed on your backsplash or some other wall. “I’ve already seen some prototypes, and you’ll soon start seeing some articles on it,” Glasgow says. It all means that you’ll basically be able to change the entire look of your kitchen, simply by clicking on something you like. It’s a brave new world, where you’ll be able to increase the functionality of your kitchen, or change its entire design, in the blink of an eye. n HOME + DESIGN

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Siebenthaler’s has used its landscaping expertise to create one-of-a-kind gardens for generations.

The Family Business That Keeps Growing The Siebenthaler Company has served the community with its gardening expertise for 150 years By Karla Hollencamp

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or any small business to last 150 years, it must be doing something right. The Siebenthaler’s Company, a landscaping and nursery company with garden centers in Beavercreek and 54

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Centerville, has used its continuing expertise and good management to survive. Over the years the company has had many prestigious projects, including Orville Wrights’ Hawthorn Hill and the Dayton Art Institute. “And now we’re finishing the [institute’s] historic hillside preservation project,” says sixth-generation President Robert Siebenthaler of his family’s business. But the true test of sustainability is how the company handles the not-so-good times. “I think I counted 80 different worldwide events we’ve been through as a community

over that time,” Robert says. Siebenthaler’s has survived world wars, pandemics, economic crises, tornadoes and floods. “As Dayton was recovering from the 1913 flood, we supplied produce to the downtown residents and stores. We are helping to reforest the areas of the city destroyed by the tornadoes a year ago,” Robert says. “The current coronavirus situation has people looking at their yards and gardens in a different way. It’s not quite a back-to-nature movement but they want to live outdoors more. Anybody with a square inch of space wants to


TOP: Siebenthaler’s did the original landscaping for the Dayton Art Institute. BELOW: Siebenthaler’s has two garden centers—one in Centerville and one in Bevercreek. plant something. [There’s] a renewed interest in growing vegetables, planting trees, creating flower gardens, [and] also making the most of outdoor living—patios to enjoy, more elaborate grilling and cooking space.” Each generation of the Siebenthaler family has added something and found new ways to serve the community. First-generation Georg immigrated from Germany in 1866 and purchased an 8-acre plot along what is now Siebenthaler Avenue and Catalpa Drive. That’s where he and his son John started the business in 1870. The

nursery grew to offer fruit trees and over 60 varieties of grapes. The family grew, too. Second-generation John had seven children, including Wilber, who succeeded his father as head of the company. Wilber traveled throughout the world, establishing a broad base for the business. By 1920, ornamental trees and shrubs were the chief offerings. A wide variety of evergreens, including Norway Spruce, were grown. This third generation also included Clarence, who developed the company’s landscape planning services. Clarence

was part of the nationwide movement to establish home and industry beautification as a profession. Brothers John and George took over growing the plant stock and the retail side of the business, respectively. In fact, John developed many new varieties of lilacs and two new shade trees (Moraine Ash and Moraine Locust) while George used his Cornell University degree to pioneer the development of the modern garden center, one that was located within easy reach of city and suburban customers. Merchandising was his specialty and he was internationally recognized for his innovative designs. In 1947, the company purchased the land that became the Siebenthaler Farm. Fourth-generation Robert “Bob” Siebenthaler graduated from Michigan State with a degree in landscape architecture, served in the Korean War and then came home to Dayton to head the business. He was a National Landscape Association Hall of Fame member and received the Distinguished Outstanding Horticulturist Award. He gave much to his hometown and has been recognized by the Dayton Rotary and Beavercreek Wetlands Association for his service. Fifth-generation Robert “Jeff” Siebenthaler was president from 1990 until 2015. He continues with company as CEO and chairman of the board. He is a past president of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association and the National Landscape Association. He has served the community as a board member of organizations like Dayton History, the Better Business Bureau and Dayton Children’s Medical Center. The family tradition is to work in the nursery and garden centers after school and during the summer. Afterwards, they go to college and study horticulture or landscape architecture as well as business. Sixth-generation Robert, the company’s current president, is a certified arborist as well as a graduate of the Miami University Farmer School of Business. Family members learn a lot of the business at the dinner table and at family gatherings on the holidays. “We like to have fun,” Robert says. “In honor of my grandfather’s birthday we’re having a plant growing contest. There are four different entries in the contest. My secret weapon is my 8-year-old son Jackson.” Robert smiles. “He’s got an 8-foot-tall avocado tree he’s raised from the seed.” Looks like the seventh generation is in place. n HOME + DESIGN

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With a large focus on maintaining a contemporary vibe in this formal great room, notes of classic elements also found their way in to create a collected, well-curated feast for the eyes. Every element that entered the palette was thoughtfully studied and positioned to create an intentionally mixed interior. Lead Designer: Ashley Powell, Allied ASID, DSID Photography: Jeanne Mam-Luft

Customization is Key Interior design company Luken Interiors works with homeowners to create timeless, comfortable spaces By Corinne Minard

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uken Interiors knows a thing or two about interior design. The Dayton-based team, comprised of five interior designers along with a support staff, has a combined experience of more than 100 years helping its clients create interiors that enhance their lives. “We all share the same values that design is vital to the health and well-being of all people in interior environments. Our No. 1 goal is to help our clients create spaces that improve their lives both functionally and emotionally,” says Jon Blunt, interior designer at Luken Interiors. The company assists homeowners with a range of projects, from color consultation to new kitchens to total home construction. “We start all projects with space planning and learning how the client will use the space. 56

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Luken Interior Designers, from left: Jon Blunt, Brigid Ashworth, Ashley Powell, Lori Wilke and Randy Luken From there we can provide any variety of services including new furnishings, kitchen and bath remodels, flooring, lighting, window treatments and all their design needs from the ground up,” adds Blunt. And while hiring an interior designer sounds like it can be an expensive endeavor, Blunt says that the company works with many budgets, and that working with a designer can actually help a homeowner save money. “We want everyone to know that customization is the key to good design that

fits the client and the project. And good design is available to everyone!” he says. “Designers have excellent resources that don’t always show up in a Google search and many times are not available to purchase online. Finding the right sofa, lamp, cabinet, countertop, f loor, etc. takes the knowledge and resources of an expert. Don’t settle for the first thing you see.” We spoke with the Luken Interiors team about several of their projects to learn more about how they were created. n


Creating a guest room that feels special was the goal of this project that started with a blank box. The wall of wallpaper was the starting point for the color scheme and the project developed through to the details that give the guest the warm feeling of welcome. Lead Designer: Jon Blunt, FASID Photography: Guy Kelly First, Luken Interiors reworked the envelope of this cozy den, which involved floor-to-ceiling warmed, knotty pine paneling, built-in bookcases and a flat-boarded coffered ceiling. According to the team, nothing says, “warm up in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of coffee” better than this space. Lead Designer: Ashley Powell, Allied ASID, DSID Photography: Jeanne Mam-Luft

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Better Business Bureau The following pages have been provided by the Better Business Bureaus (BBB) of Cincinnati and Dayton for readers of Home + Design.

When DIY Goes Wrong, Do You Know What to Do? “Install hardwood flooring in your home for $15 in a weekend!” “The surprising $25 hack homeowners are using to completely renovate their bathrooms!” “This cheap, easy DIY kitchen remodel tutorial is saving people thousands!”

Have you ever clicked on a headline like that? If you’re like any of the millions of American consumers who have been inspired to DIY a major home project, you probably have. The can-do, creative spirit of DIY is what makes our society unique. We are so here for it. But few DIY projects go off without a hitch. Not enough preparation or research, surprise construction flaws and unrealistic expectations sneak up on even the most enterprising of do-it-yourselfers. So, do you know what to do when your DIY project goes wrong? Check the list below: □□ Take five. Stop and reevaluate your project. Be realistic about your options and limitations. Whatever the obstacle, it will probably require an adjustment of your timetable, budget or supplies. □□ Don’t take shortcuts. When you hit a snag, you may be tempted to skip steps or cut corners. Short-term solutions lead to long-term problems. □□ Consider consultation. When you’re stuck, a local contractor may be willing to consult with you about how best to proceed. □□ Get backup. It may be time to bring in a professional to finish your project. If things are critical, it’s essential that you find someone trustworthy and credible. □□ Go to bbb.org. Our database has everything you need to know about businesses in your area, so you can find highly rated, well-reviewed professionals to help you finish your project. With BBB, better backup is just a click away. n 58

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Better Business Bureau The following pages have been provided by the Better Business Bureaus (BBB) of Cincinnati and Dayton for readers of Home + Design.

Looking for a Trustworthy Business? Check Its BBB Accreditation. At one point or another, you’ll need help choosing the right business. Whether hiring a home improvement contractor, finding the right lawyer or getting a new dentist, you need a way to find a company you can trust to meet your needs. But you’re busy and time is precious—sometimes there isn’t enough time to research a business properly or not enough information out there to set your mind at ease. That’s where we come in. BBB evaluates businesses that apply for accreditation using a set of standards. Those that meet our standards commit to a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices. In a nutshell, these businesses have promised to treat you right. 60

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BBB Accredited Businesses do the following: □□ Build trust. They establish and maintain a positive track record. □□ Advertise honestly. They adhere to high standards of advertising and selling. □□ Tell the truth. They honestly represent products and services, and clearly disclose all terms. □□ Are transparent. They’re open about the nature, location and ownership of their business. They disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that have bearing on a customer’s decision to buy. □□ Honor promises. They abide by all written agreements and verbal representations. □□ Are responsive. They address disputes quickly, professionally and in good faith. □□ Safeguard your privacy. They protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud. They collect personal information only as needed and respect your preferences about how they use it. □□ Embody integrity. They approach all dealings, transactions and commitments with integrity. The bottom line is that when you need a business you can trust, lean on BBB accreditation. It’s a seal that gives you confidence about your choice. Check bbb.org to find a company’s status and reviews and look for the BBB logo on its website and advertisements. n


Better Business Bureau The following pages have been provided by the Better Business Bureaus (BBB) of Cincinnati and Dayton for readers of Home + Design.

Contracts 101 Do you know all there is to know about contracts? Did you know that a contract, once it is signed, can’t be changed or broken unless both parties agree? But, the Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule gives you three days to cancel purchases of $25 or more for any reason. Before you hire a business to perform a service or repair, obtain a loan or make a large purchase, you may need to sign a contract. Here’s what it should include: □□ Company’s name and address □□ Person’s name and contact information □□ Product price, type and model number □□ Quality and condition of materials used □□ Service obligations and delivery/completion time □□ Project cost and payment schedule □□ Cancellation and return policies □□ Warranty and guarantee information Always, always, always read and clearly understand a contract before you sign it. Make revisions, additions or deletions as needed. Contracts are designed to protect you and the business, so put them to work for you! Before you sign a contract: □□ Be wary of vaguely worded provisions, exclusions or limitations. □□ Request confusing statements be removed or clarified. □□ Make sure oral promises are included. □□ Consider having your contract reviewed by an attorney. □□ Resist any pressure to sign before you feel comfortable. □□ Never sign a blank contract. □□ Keep a copy of the signed contract. Protecting yourself is more than just doing business with a trustworthy company—it means making sure you’ve reached a solid contractual agreement. With BBB’s help, you can feel confident when you sign your name to any dotted line. n HOME + DESIGN

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Historic H o me

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hen I first stepped into the vacant English Tudor that is now our beloved home, I knew it was a diamond in the rough, just waiting for someone with vision and a great “old house” contractor to bring it back to life. The house almost had it all: quiet no-outlet street, a first-floor master and bath, original parquet and marble floors, a screened-in porch and a carved stone fireplace. What it didn’t have was a workable kitchen, family room area, access to the wooded back yard or workable staircase to the second floor. All of the walls in the house were painted beige, there was ancient linoleum on the floors, but oh, the charm! It had been in the same family for a couple of generations and had clearly been cherished. We decided to do our best to restore it while maintaining the original character and making it work for our lifestyle. This home has now turned 100 and has never been more livable. With help from architect Tim Jeckering and Gus Thierry and his crew at ICS Building Restoration, we were able to reconfigure the tiny kitchen and web of pantries into a beautiful, usable space and move the existing back stairs to create a stunning staircase off the front hall. We were also able to create a first-floor laundry room, which allows us the luxury of complete “first-floor living” in a two-story home. The addition of a modest deck and bluestone patio now allows us to enjoy the “rural” life right here in the middle of the city. - Barbara McManus of Clifton

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Celebrating

MANUFACTURING

Excellence By Corinne Minard

2020

For the last 13 years, we have honored the achievements and triumphs of the Tristate manufacturing community. While we were unable to hold an in-person event this year, the winners of the 14th annual MANNY Awards still deserve to be honored for their successes. Read on to learn more about this year’s winners in the categories of Best Product Development, Biggest Breakthrough, Best Apprenticeship, Top Growth, Best Place to Work and New Job Creation. VonLehman sponsored this year’s awards. Learn more about the organization and how it assists manufacturing companies on page 68.

New Product Development

Formica Group

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 1913 Employees: 517 (local employment) President: Mitch Quint Website: formica.com Business: Designer, manufacturer and distributor of commercial and residential surfacing products Formica’s history and future have been built on new product development. The company was founded in 1913 when Daniel J. O’Conor and Herbert A. Faber invented high-pressure laminate, and that same inventive spirit continues today with its new product, Intentek. “Intentek takes all the historic qualities of laminate and adds in a modern flair for today’s technological world. We’ve

embedded wireless charging coils into the laminate that will charge mobile phones and other Qi-certified devices,” says Owen Serey, assistant marketing manager for the company. “Since the coils are embedded within the product, the beauty of the laminate surface is uninterrupted, allowing designers to marry the function of Intentek with trend-forward design.” Formica sees a great future for the product, with an estimated 80% of the United States owning smart phones. “Formica Group remains a futureforward company with eyes on what’s next. We remain committed to innovative surfacing solutions so that our customers— from architects and designers to retailers and homeowners—have a wide range of options for their next project,” adds Serey.

Amy Gath, vice president of marketing w w w.

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New Product Development

Perfetti Van Melle

Location: Erlanger, Ky. Ownership: Private Founded: USA operations 1970 Employees: 454 (U.S.) President & CEO: Sylvia Buxton Website: perfettivanmelleus.com Business: Manufacturer and marketer of nonchocolate candy, mints and gum, including Mentos and Airheads Perfetti Van Melle, the confectionary manufacturing company that makes beloved products like Airheads and Mentos, was awarded Best New Product Development this year not for a new candy, but for a new system that helps it distribute its products faster than ever before. Called the Mass Put Module, the new system was implemented in the company’s Erlanger distribution center in 2019.

“This module streamlines product flow in Perfetti’s distribution center as we process orders by centralizing case picking,” says James Biro, vice president of North America Supply Chain at Perfetti Van Melle. The system uses a voice-to-pick process that moves items from storage to pallet. Since the company started using the module, the company has increased capacity without increasing staffing. Before, the Perfetti recorded picking close to 20,000 cases in a 21-hour period with 18 people. With the module, close to 60,000 cases are being picked in the same time period with the same number of people. While this increased efficiency has already been impactful for the company, Biro only sees more improvement down the road. “The road ahead for the Mass Put Module is to streamline it and get it to its full ca-

pacity through growing the business! Our organization is committed to a culture of continuous improvement, and the Mass Put will be a key part of our improvement and optimization efforts in the distribution center,” he says.

James Biro, vice president of Supply Chain Biggest Breakthrough

TrueChoicePack Corp.

Location: Mason Ownership: Private Founded: 2008 Employees: 10 President & CEO: Heena Rathore COO & CSO: Rakesh Rathore Website: truechoicepack.com, biogreenchoice.com, progressessentials.com Business: Design, manufacturing and distribution of private label and customized disposable products

ing facilities, and they are OK Compost HOME and BPI-certified. Our manufacturing procedures put fewer greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals into the environment than conventional plastic and paper,” says Rakesh Rathore, company COO and CSO. “Because people use table-top disposables often, these products don’t seem to be going away. By continuing to innovate,

we are making those daily disposables and plastics less energy-intensive, reducing the toxic load and lightening our landfills,” he adds. In addition to its innovative product, TCP says it can impact the market thanks to its price—it’s kept its products’ price comparable to single-use non-compostable products in the category.

For many families, disposable tableware is a blessing that reduces cleanup time. However, many of these products are single-use only and can negatively impact the environment. TrueChoicePack aims to combat this with its BioGreenChoice brand. “TrueChoicePack uses renewable components like corn and sugar cane. These upcycled materials are leftovers from manufacturing that would otherwise go directly to waste. All these products degrade in 90 days in commercial compost-

Heen Rathore, president & CEO, and Rakesh Rathore, COO & CSO 64

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Biggest Breakthrough

Component Repair Technologies, Inc. Ownership: Private Founded: 1985 Employees: 450 President: Rich Mears Website: componentrepair.com Business: Aviation, industrial and marine turbine component repair

Component Repair Technologies was facing a problem that many other manufacturing companies are facing—it had an aging, retiring workforce and was struggling to find new talent to add to the business. CRT’s solution, the Student Opportunities in Aviation Repair (SOAR) program, addressed this issue while also increasing awareness of CRT as an innovator. “The four week SOAR program offers a learn-while-you-earn experience working in an entry-level position for students com-

ing directly out of high school. Job shadowing opportunities in machine, weld, non-destructive testing and inspection give a closer look at what a career in manufacturing entails. In addition to hands-on learning, we meet with the participants to discuss life skills, offer extracurricular activities and provide housing to assist with the transition to adulthood,” says Kristin Conteen, marketing and community relations specialist for the company. The success of the program can be seen in the numbers. In 2019, 250 students toured the facility, 15 students completed t he program and 10 accepted a position at CRT. “The success of the

program can be attributed to the dedication of our staff and partnerships in the community. CRT works closely with post-secondary educational institutions throughout the state to bring work experience, certifications and degrees together. We believe a culture of learning provides the best environment for the success and advancement of our company, our employees and our communities,” adds Conteen.

The 2019 graduating SOAR class Best Apprenticeship

Festo

Location: Mason Ownership: Private Founded: 1925 Employees: Around 250 at the Mason location CEO: Carlos Mercedes Website: festo.com Business: Producer and seller of pneumatic and electrical control and drive technology

classes at Sinclair, which are covered by the company for which the student works. “Our company lacks the internal resources to fully develop apprentices and Festo has been perfect for bridging that gap for us,” says Greg Knox, president of Knox Machinery. “The Festo program gives them

diverse hands-on lab experience that they cannot get at a university, or even within our own organization.” The program has proven to be such a success in the Tristate that Festo expanded into Florida and is planning to do so in California as well.

Festo has done more than create an apprenticeship program that trains future Festo employees—it’s created a program that benefits manufacturing companies throughout the region. The Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program Partners (MAP2) was established by Festo to bring together participating companies and Sinclair Community College to give individuals the opportunity to learn advanced manufacturing skills while earning an associate’s degree in mechatronics. Students learn hands-on skills at the Festo Learning Center, work at one of the partner companies and take

Andreas Brockman, head of Technical Training & Education, U.S. w w w.

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Top Growth

Deceuninck North America

Location: Monroe Ownership: Public Founded: Business 1969, purchased by Deceuninck in 1995 Employees: 550 President & CEO: Joren Knockaert Website: deceuninckna.com Business: Design, engineering and PVC extrusion/ manufacturing company Deceuninck North America has once again won a MANNY Award for Top Growth thanks to continued record sales—up 23% over the past five years—and by exceeding the $150 million mark in 2019. “We attribute our years of double-digit growth to our customers and our people. They are at the core of our business. Our three pillars—reliability, innovation and sustainability—influence how we shape our business to develop solutions to

meet customers’ needs and those of the marketplace,” says Helen Peyton, senior marketing manager for the company. “Our most important asset, of course, is our people backed by a strong leadership team.” Last year also brought severa l new product advancements, which also contributed to its growth. This momentum has proven to be instrumental for the company in 2020. Despite COVID-19, the company’s half-year results show continued double-digit growth. “While there will continue to be uncertainties in the marketplace for the foreseeable future, look-

ing at recent new home buying and remodeling trends, we are cautiously optimistic and planning for more economic stability and continued growth,” says Peyton.

Joren Knockaert, president & CEO

Proud to be selected as a Winner of the 2020 Manny Award for

Best Place to Work Learn how KDM is helping our retail partners: (855) 232-7799 infosales@kdmpop.com www.kdmpop.com

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Top Growth

General Tool Company

Location: Reading Ownership: Private Founded: 1947 Employees: 302 President: William J. Kramer III Website: gentool.com Business: Supplier for mission-critical defense and aerospace systems

in the company’s growth of 150% over the last five years. In addition, the company grew its workforce 30% over the last year, from 215 to 302. While the plan has been important to the company’s growth, Kramer also attributes the company’s success to its

corporate values and strong culture. “GTC’s team members understand the importance of our mission that we have as a company. The parts and systems that we produce are a critical part of keeping our fighting men and women safe,” he says.

The General Tool Company and its growth is a reminder that smart planning can lead to success. “Our senior leadership team did a comprehensive analysis of the company’s business strategy resulting in a three-year plan that focused exclusively on the defense and aerospace market space,” says President William J. Kramer III. This has led to incredible growth for the company. In 2019, the General Tool’s gross revenues were $63 million, a major factor

William J. Kramer III, president

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Top Growth

Elite Biomedical Solutions

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 2012 Employees: 45 CEO: Jeff Smith Website: elitebiomedicalsolutions.com Business: USA manufacturer of new plastic replacement parts servicing U.S. hospitals

company’s nomination form, it says that the introduction of in-house manufacturing has also contributed to this growth. “Our biggest growth opportunities are in our continued expansion of our USA manufacturing capabilities,” Smith says.

As the company has grown, Elite Biomedical Solutions’ footprint has grown w ith it. In 2017, the company added 6,500-square-feet of office space. In 2018, it doubled its space by adding an additional 17,000 square feet.

Elite Biomedical Solutions has seen tremendous growth over the last five years, growing its revenue from $5.6 million to $15.7 million, a 178% increase, and adding 30 new jobs over the same time period, a 231% increase. Jeff Smith, CEO, says that company’s growing name within the health care industry, and several long-term contracts with major companies servicing U.S. hospitals, has led to this success. In the

The Elite Biomedical Solutions team

Top Growth

Monti, Inc.

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 1971 Employees: 270 CEO: Gavin Narburgh Website: monti-inc.com Business: Manufacturer and fabricator of conductors, insulators and steel parts for the electrical industry The family-owned Monti, Inc. has seen phenomenal growth over the last five years thanks to several factors, says Molly Fender, vice president of human resources. One: “Always being flexible and willing to grow, while adapting to our customer’s needs,” she says. Two: The company has continued to invest in additional services that were

traditionally outsourced to other vendors. Three: The company is expanding in Greenwood, South Carolina, and hopes to automate its fluidized epoxy process and offer customers copper fabrication by 20201. And four: The company hired two outside sales managers. Together, these factors have led to a gross revenue increase of 45%, from $46.5 million to $67.4 million. The company also has added 44 full-time jobs over the past five years. To keep this momentum going, Monti has heavily invested in its

employee training and prioritized continuing education. It has increased the amount it spends on sending employees back to school from $2,500 to $74,000 over the last five years.

Molly Fender, vice president of Human Resources

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Best Place to Work

Gold Medal Products Co.

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 1931 Employees: 520 President: Adam Browning Website: gmpopcorn.com Business: Manufacturer of concession food equipment and supplies When it comes to being a great place to work, the numbers speak for themselves at Gold Medal Products. This year, the company recognized more than 280 employees who’ve worked with the company for more than five years. Another 55 were honored for 25-plus years, three for more than 50 and one for 62 years of service with the company. “This phenomenal longevity demonstrates the steadfast loyalty of Gold Medal

employees. Through ups and downs, we are fortunate to retain so many incredible team members,” says Heather Gims, senior communications specialist for the company. The company does much to ensure employees enjoy their time at work—it hosts an annual company picnic, pops fresh popcorn each day for staff, has a walking trail on its grounds for use throughout the day and has an employee engagement committee. “We couldn’t do what we do without [our employees]. Family owned and operated for nearly nine decades, our business has been built with a strong foundation of employee appreciation. That means we strive to provide value for our employees through benefits and other programs. Day to day, they give their best efforts to make Gold Medal’s success possible,” adds Gims.

Adam Browning, president

Best Place to Work

Richards Industries

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 1948 Employees: 140 President: Jordan Bast Website: richardsind.com Business: Manufacturer of industrial valves Richards Industries has done it again— this marks the 13th time the company has won a MANNY award. Many of those times were for the company’s fantastic workplace. “We are very proud and humbled to once again be named a best place to work. Our employees are our best asset, and we are continually striving to be a best workplace and to keep improving as a best place to

work,” says Cheryl Neiheisel, vice president of human resources. The company does this by continuing to find new ways to engage employees. This year, the company incorporated new employee events, such as a chili cook-off for National Chili Day and free cupcakes on National Cupcake Day. Richards Industries has also worked to keep its benefits package robust and inclusive. Employees receive medial, dental, vision, 401k, tuition reimbursement and cross training. And in 2019, the company’s engagement in the wellness program was so high that the company passed along a 4% reduction in medical premiums to its employees. “Recruiting and retaining top talent today is hard. In order to continue to at-

tract and retain the best, we have to have the culture at the forefront of our efforts,” says Neiheisel of the company’s efforts.

Jordan Bast, president

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Best Place to Work

KDM Pop Solutions

Location: Cincinnati Ownership: Private Founded: 1970 Employees: 300 President: Bob Kissel Website: kdmpop.com Business: Point of purchase solutions provider KDM Pop Solutions has made its workplace into a great place to work by continuing to offer unique programs to its employees. For example, its Dream Makers Coaching Program has workers meet one-onone with a certified coach for 30 minutes each month to identify, plan and achieve

their personal goals, which can vary from learning a new skill to buying a house. More than 50% of the company’s employees participate in the program, and the company even contributes $500 to assist qualifying dreams. This same inventive spirit can be found in the company’s other employee programs. The Wellness program encourages healthy habits by having on-site biometric screening and flu shots, DeVry Works allows employees to learn or develop skills through DeVry University that can be used toward earning a degree, and the Employee Discount Program gives employees access to discounts on entertainment, travel and other items.

Bob Kissel, president

your choices, our advice. Respected for our expertise, common sense approach, and vision, VonLehman's Manufacturing & Distribution Service Group assists 250 best-in-class companies. From strategic business insights that drive meaningful change, to process improvement, and everything in between, regional manufacturing and distribution firms know that VonLehman is the team to trust. After all,your future is our top priority.

CONTACT US TODAY! vlcpa.com • 800.887.0437 • info@vlcpa.com

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New Job Creation

ABB Optical Group

Location: Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., facility in Erlanger, Ky. Ownership: Private Founded: 1989 Employees: 60 in Erlanger ABB Optical Group CEO: Tom Burke ABB Labs Managing Director: Scott Pearl Website: abboptical.com Business: Leading provider of optical products, services and business solutions in the eye care industry ABB Labs, part of ABB Optical Group, has found great success in the Tristate. Originally located in Cincinnati’s East End, the company found itself needing more space than that offered in its 8,000-square-foot facility. On Nov. 20, 2019, the company

opened it new 42,000-square-foot laboratory and fabrications and distribution center in Erlanger. The company invested $7.5 million renovating the space. And with that new space the company has had the opportunity to increase its number of employees. ABB Labs currently employs 60 in its Erlanger location and is expected to reach 200 in the coming years. “With time, our new lab in Erlanger will be able to produce between 2,500 and 3,000 lens fabrication jobs per day. We are excited for the future of ABB Labs and the important role we play in ensuring that eye care professionals have the products, services and solutions they need to help them deliver the best in eye care to their patients,” says ABB Optical Group CEO Tom Burke.

Scott Pearl, managing director, ABB Labs

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[advertorial]

5 Best Practices for Reskilling Your Manufacturing Workforce

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t’s likely that the COVID-19 crisis has changed your business operations. For example, in response to the crisis, you might need to alter your company’s production line, cleaning and scheduling practices, supply chain partners, distribution methods and even product offerings. Whether these changes are temporary or you’re using recent product and operational shifts as blueprints for the future, you’ll likely need to retrain or “reskill” workers. Even before the pandemic, rapid technological advances made retraining workers necessary for many manufacturers. Perhaps you’ve already invested considerable time and money ensuring employees are proficient using the most innovative equipment. But if your business model is changing and you want it to be successful, you’ll likely need to re-educate your workforce. Consider the following best practices for reskilling your workforce: 1. Identify what needs to change. Pinpoint the skills that will be the most valuable in the future and gear training programs to those skills. Also, decide what new roles need to be created and how daily operations should change. If, for example, employees previously had limited customer contact but will now participate in sales activities, their training programs should reflect this. 2. Don’t just reskill, up-skill. Start the retraining process by training workers for the jobs that produce optimal value. “Value” depends on the manufacturer, but most companies in the industry will benefit if workers know how to operate digital tools and can adapt and show resilience in the face of rapid change. Make sure that training in these areas accommodates a range of employee learning curves. 3. Customize your learning plan. If you’re in the process of reimagining your business model, develop a detailed view of the core activities and required skillsets that will be needed in the next 12 to 18

months. You can customize learning plans to specific roles, but also scale up by training workers digitally. The most effective digital tools, such as live video sessions, replicate in-person learning methods. 4. Test and adapt. There’s no guarantee your company will develop a perfect reskilling plan on its first attempt. Be willing to acknowledge mistakes and fix them. The skills you’re sharpening now, even with a few missteps, can pay dividends later—particularly if your company is forced to adapt to disruptive events again. 5. Spend money to make money. All the plans in the world will fail if you don’t have adequate financial resources for reskilling employees. Be careful not to skimp on this point. Modify your budget to make skillbuilding a point of emphasis.

Smaller May Be Better A recent survey from a leading management company revealed that reskilling efforts at small companies (those with fewer than 1,000 employees) are often more successful than those at larger companies, even though bigger entities typically have greater resources. Smaller companies are

generally more nimble and better able to shift workers around, and managers may have less red tape to contend with. Smaller companies may also have a better handle on their skill deficiencies. This makes them better at prioritizing issues and choosing the best candidates for reskilling.

An Accelerated Trend There’s nothing new about the need for reskilling. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated a major manufacturing industry trend. If your business is pivoting in response to recent shifts in customer demand or because of changing supply chains or financial conditions, put reskilling at the top of your priority list. It is a critical task necessary to return to more profitable times. If you have any questions please contact Erin Young, HR Consultant with VonLehman CPA & Advisory Firm, at eyoung@vlcpa.com or 859-331-3300. To learn more about how VonLehman’s Human Resource Consulting Team can help your manufacturing company please v isit vlcpa.com/human-resourcesconsulting. n


Courting A

Rendering of the Court Street Plaza (courtesy of 3CDC).

New Futur e City streetscape is an example of Cincinnati’s teamwork By Terry Troy

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In Partnership with The Voice for Community Progress—Cincinnati

s revitalization projects go, the Court Street Streetscape is hardly one of the largest seen in downtown Cincinnati. But it is indicative of the kind of teamwork that’s driving Cincinnati forward, despite COVID-19 and an economic downturn. While urban development and revitalization projects in other major metropolitan areas across the country are either on hold or falling off drawing boards, Cincinnati is forging ahead thanks to its unique ability to forge public/private partnerships, balance business interests with public concerns and bring together

all stakeholders to form compromises that everyone agrees upon. The Court Street Streetscape is an obvious and most recent case in point. This month, construction will start on the $8.8 million revitalization project, which will impact as much as $145 million in current and future surrounding development. T he project i ncludes widening the pedestrian sidewalk and increasing areas for outdoor dining and entertainment. It will also allow for outdoor art displays, connect to Fountain Square, increase parking and accessibility for existing business and

create a new destination neighborhood for downtown Cincinnati. But it all started with a wide-open idea. With 67% of the storefronts vacant, pavers along Court Street beat up and tree roots bulging walkways making them dangerous for pedestrians, action needed to be taken. “This all started when Mayor (John) Cranley and Councilmember (Chris) Seelbach decided to form a taskforce back in February of 2019 to create a more inviting and engaging pedestrian experience and return vibrancy to this block of Court Street,” says Joe Rudemiller, vice president w w w.

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A rendering of Fourth and Race of marketing and communications for the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC). “They wanted all options on the table. That meant everything from doing nothing to completely shutting the area off to vehicular traffic and making it a pedestrian plaza. “One of the things we contemplated was expanding outdoor seating for dining areas, which we thought was a good idea from the start, but even more necessary now, given everything we have seen and what we are dealing with related to COVID-19.” The pandemic didn’t even exist as the taskforce started its planning last year— talk about fortuitous insight. Mayor Cranley and Councilmember Seelbach called on former mayor Roxanne Qualls to spearhead the new taskforce. “Then 3CDC provided staff support,” says Rudemiller. “The whole process was really pretty seamless.” Especially considering the wide breadth of varying viewpoints the taskforce had to consider. “It was actually a very engaged group of people, many of whom had extensive experience with downtown and other projects,” says Qualls. “As people shared their ideas with consultants, they would come back with new designs based on the ideas they heard. “So it was a constant iterative process of adjusting. As a result, we came out with 74

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a plan that achieves our goals in terms of supporting and creating a vibrant space in which we can live, work and play, and where residential and retail establishments can grow,” Qualls adds. “But in addition, the plan was also adapted to accommodate the needs and concerns of some of the long-term businesses in the area.” According to Rudemiller, there were some businesses that expressed concerns. Among them was an attorney with clients who faced physical and accessibility challenges. The other was Avril-Bleh Meats and Deli, which caters to customers who might need to load up vehicles, requiring parking that was close by. “One of the key things we did throughout this process was to do a real world parking study, where we actually blocked off some spaces in the area to determine whether or not parking was actually going to be an issue,” says Rudemiller. “So we worked with the city on blocking off spaces, and put together a report. “What we came up with was a compromise that included adding in loading zone spaces and creating handicapped parking so customers with accessibility issues can park close. It’s a good mix that allows for enough parking while expanding sidewalks.” There was already a lot of good parking in the general area, Rudemiller notes.

“As one of the developers of the new Kroger On-The-Rhine, we operate a parking garage, which includes some spaces that are reserved for Kroger’s customers,” says Rudemiller. “Other spaces are reserved for tenants of the 139 apartments that are a part of that development. That leaves about 420 open spaces for the general public. Then, there used to be a Monroe Muffler store in a vacant lot just north of the Court Street Condos, which we just wrapped up. We got control of that site, which is now another 36-space surface lot, serving Kroger customers who just need a quick in and out.” While relatively small in terms of its scope, the Court Street Streetscape is still very important to the renaissance of our entire downtown. “Even smaller projects like Court Street are critical to future growth,” says Qualls. “These smaller projects build upon successes like Washington Park, Ziegler Park, Fountain Square and other major investments in public space. Cities are about people and bringing people together. It’s important that we create spaces that encourage people to use those spaces to conduct their daily lives. “So this is an investment that will be transformative for the surrounding retail and for the surrounding residential that already exists there. But it will also support the expansion of more retail and residential coming into downtown.” The fact that this section of Court Street is bracketed by Kroger’s headquarters and its new 52,000 square-foot urban format store also created a sense of urgency.

Joe Rudemiller


“This project is also a recognition that Kroger is a very important corporate member of our community, which is an understatement to say the least,” adds Qualls. “But certainly, one of the things that Kroger would like to do is not just support residential development, but also support this public space by encouraging their employees to use it. The vibrancy of any space is how many hours during the day you can have people living in the space and enjoying it—whether it’s actively or passively.” With two major facilities in the neighborhood, Kroger was among the first to jump on board with the concept. “Kroger is heavily invested in Cincinnati, including our new Kroger On-The-Rhine grocery store located on Court Street,” says Erin Rolfes, corporate affairs manager, Cincinnati-Dayton division, Kroger. “We believe the Court Street Plaza Revitalization project will continue to take Court Street to the next level with vibrant new businesses and restaurants—and we’re enthusiastic about all the possibilities the redesigned plaza holds.” With the completion of the 139 apartments on top of the new Kroger store and its Court Street condos close by, it’s clear that 3CDC is heavily invested in the area. When Kroger closed its redundant store on Vine Street five blocks away last year to make room for its new store on Court Street, the nonprofit economic development corporation took over the Over-theRhine property, converting it to a parking lot. There are now plans to redevelop that site into yet another mixed use building within the next five years. “In terms of our other downtown projects, we’re still in construction of our Fourth and Race project,” says Rudemiller. It’s another mixed use, $116 million project in the southwest corner of the central business district that includes 22,000 square feet of street level commercial space, 584 parking spaces and 264 apartments. “And we just wrapped up some office projects in Over-the-Rhine, which include street level commercial space,” he adds. It’s obvious that 3CDC is bullish on mixed-use development. “When you do a mixed-use development, you are essentially doing two things,” says Rudemiller. “You are building up residents, but you are also supplying them with amenities in the commercial space, which could be retail or restaurants, that

The Willkommen project before and after are right in their own building. And for small businesses that move in, they have a built in customer base. “We also try to incorporate a parking element to our projects as well—and that has been the key to our success so far. Pairing residential with commercial space drives more feet on the street, which also means a safer neighborhood—so it all works together.” While 3CDC is heavily committed to the Court Street Corridor, the organization feels the whole area is on the rise, says Rudemiller. “One of the key components of this project is that if you are at Fountain Square and walk up Vine Street, there is a section at Sixth or Seventh where you get up to Over-the-Rhine that is a bit of a dead zone. What we are trying to do is connect those two neighborhoods,” says Rudemiller. “So

that when a visitor comes in and catches a concert on Fountain Square (once COVID is over) they can walk up Vine and it’s a positive seamless experience all the way up.” In terms of OTR, 3CDC is focused on creating more affordable housing. “When we first started our work in 2003 and 2004, there was very little home ownership—only about 4%,” notes Rudemiller. “A lot of our projects there are now about providing market-rate housing to bring our homeownership rates up. We are at a place in Over-the-Rhine where economic forces have allowed some other developers in the area to come in and do their own condos like the ones we were doing.” Two affordable housing projects from 3CDC are currently under construction, Rudemiller notes. These include the Perseverance project and the Willkommen project. w w w.

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Rendering of the Court Street Plaza (courtesy of 3CDC). Perseverance includes 32 units of affordable housing with street-level commercial space on Vine, which is being co-developed with Over-The-Rhine Community Housing. The project includes the renovation of three existing historic buildings and infill construction on one vacant lot at the western 1500 block of Vine Street. The project includes the development of residential apartments—100% affordable units, available to people making 50-60% of the Area Median Income and five street-level commercial spaces. Perseverance is part of the larger Affordable Housing strategy 3CDC is executing with several partners, and is also the organization’s first development partnership with OTRCH.

The Perseverance project before and after 76

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The development will provide a huge visible impact to the northern portion of Vine Street south of Liberty Street, and the historic and new construction buildings will also achieve Enterprise Green Communities Certification (renovation) or LEED silver certification (new construction). For its part, Willkommen is a mixeduse, mixed-income project consisting of 16 historic rehabs and four new infill buildings scattered throughout four different project sites in OTR. Part of a larger affordable housing strategy between

3CDC and several of its partners, the project is being co-developed with the Model Group. The project required a complicated financing structure that included 13 different funding sources, including federal and state New Markets Tax Credits, federal and state Historic Tax Credits, Opportunity Zone investments, conventional debt and city funding. It will include a total of 163


“it was a constant iter ative process of adjusting. As a result, we came out with a plan that achieves our goals in terms of supporting and creating a vibr ant space in which we can live, work and play, and where residential and retail establishments can grow” —Roxanne Qualls

units—69 apartments available to people making 50-80% of the Area Median Income and 94 market-rate units. The apartments range from efficiencies to three-bedroom units. In addition to the residential component, the project contains nearly 20,000 square feet of first-floor commercial space. The historic buildings will be Enterprise Green Communities certified while three of the four infill buildings will achieve LEED silver certification. Those are but a few of the multi-million dollar investments being overseen by 3CDC. “From the start of our operations in 2003, our projects account for more than $1.5 billion in development,” says Rudemiller. “Last year, we also merged with Downtown Cincinnati, Inc., so we manage downtown for bids in our special improvement district. “But we are really excited about Court Street and not only the huge impact it will have on the area in terms of placemaking and beautification, but also with the events and programming we envision. It will turn into a great destination area over the next couple of years as we finish up all these projects.” Cincinnati is lucky to have a nonprofit economic development engine like 3CDC,

but the organization wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation, support and partnership of government and business. Clearly, 3CDC was formed here because of city leadership. The city’s political leaders often stay involved in the community well after they leave office, like former mayors Qualls and Charlie Luken, says Rudemiller. “Then there are the major corporations and their corporate leaders, like George Schaefer, former CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, and A.G. Lafley, former chairman, president and CEO of P&G. Without this kind of corporate leadership an organization like 3CDC would simply not exist. “The major corporations in Cincinnati contribute their finance as well as their time to our work, and I think that’s what really sets apart from other cities. It’s our civic pride.”

So is it just 3CDC, the city’s unique business and government partnerships and corporate civic pride that are driving downtown development? The easiest answer is no. There are key market forces at work as well “I think Cincinnati’s strength are numerous,” says Qualls, who is also a real estate executive with an eye for emerging markets. “No. 1, we are very affordable. But two, we have also invested a tremendous amount of time, talent and money in making our city a place where people want to visit. Our residential sector, retail sector and entertainment sector are all best in class for any city our size, and I would argue for many cities that exceed our size as well. “We are simply best in class, and we’re getting better every day.” n w w w.

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Staying Busy Arlinghaus Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning has continued to grow during COVID-19 By Liz Engel

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rlinghaus Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning has a slogan it often uses, and it has nothing to do with the company’s signature hot pink uniforms. That oft-repeated phrase? “We’re always hiring.” Arlinghaus, based in Erlanger and with a service footprint in Cincinnati, Indiana and Northern Kentucky, is one of few businesses experiencing growth amid COVID-19. After all, it’s an essential business. Problems with heating and cooling—even a clogged toilet—typically can’t wait. While turnover in the HVAC world is traditionally high, Arlinghaus tries the best it can to combat that by training and retaining its new hires. At press time, it had roughly a dozen open positions listed on its website, from service technician, inside sales and install to customer service representative and more. “We like to say we have a people problem. We don’t have enough people,” says Shara Evans, Arlinghaus marketing manager. “We absolutely want to be the best and most reliable resource to our customer base. Trade industries are incredible, and that job security is there. It’s one of our big pushes right now, is finding the right people.” Arlinghaus, founded by Brian Arlinghaus in a small space over Ernie’s Garage in Elsmere in 2008, has seen steady growth in terms of revenue. Its team fluctuates, but the company now employs about 65. It added plumbing to its list of residential services back in 2017, including installation, replacement, repair and maintenance. Business in that specialty “has just been phenomenal,” Evans says. “We’re busy.” Usually companies specialize in one area or the other—either HVAC or 78

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plumbing—but more outfits, she says, are combining those services. Locally, it’s a very competitive market. “Ideally, we would love to be a one-stop shop, where you call, and we can make your house a happy house all around,” Evans says. “We like to look at it from a whole-home perspective. To have a relationship with a customer on the HVAC side, or on the plumbing side, and when they have a need for the other, we want

them to feel comfortable and confident in our skillsets.” Evans says demand for indoor air quality products, like whole-home purification systems, has been strong. That’s another windfall of COVID. An air purification system can reduce dust, mold, germs and overall air pollution in the home; improve air quality for those with allergies and asthma; lower humidity levels; and eliminate pet dander and airborne

Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning wants to be a one-stop shop for homeowners experiencing HVAC and plumbing issues.


Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning has remained busy during COVD-19. bacteria and germs. Using special testing kits and state-of-the-art monitoring systems, the Arlinghaus team can quickly determine the allergens and bacteria contaminating a home and come up with a customized solution. It’s a product Evans says customers have been very interested in. Air filters should be changed once a month, the company says. And at the very minimum, every three. “Air purifiers can really help out with the cleanliness of the air, and it’s an add on [to the HVAC system], just like when you buy a car and you can get leather or power steering,” Evans says. “With COVID, it’s something everyone has been really cognizant of.” Despite the company’s overall growth, Arlinghaus has entered its slow, or shoulder season, unusually early, thanks to COVID-19, the presidential election cycle and general market uncertainty. In other words, “You have to put your shoulder into it and dig a little deeper [for sales],” Evans says. To weather that stretch in a normal year, the company offers a special promotion in the spring. But, this year, it has kicked off

a campaign in September. The company is running a BOGO promotion through Oct. 31, in which those who purchase a highefficiency AC unit receive a free furnace as well. Customer retention in the offseason is key. So Arlinghaus continues to promote the need for annual maintenance—those tune-ups should occur before the start of summer and winter, respectively, before it gets too hot or too cold. And Arlinghaus continues to heavily market its financing options, as customers are more strapped for cash or are being more conservative with spending as the pandemic continues. The cost to replace an HVAC system is, on average, $7,000, according to HomeAdvisor, digital marketplace for home service professionals, with a typical range of $5,000-$10,000. “If you look at an HVAC system, the average lifespan is 10 years. Unfortunately things are going to break, and when it goes out, most people aren’t prepared to make that kind of investment,” she says. “We want to try to eliminate those worries. We look at it like cars and oil changes. Preventative maintenance is always key and will help you keep on top of those unexpected

repairs. It’s something we really encourage our customers to do, to be proactive.” Of course, any potential team member that’s considering applying for one of the aforementioned jobs should keep one thing in mind. While Arlinghaus provides training—and even apprenticeship programs— it’s important to have compassion, Evans says. Arlinghaus, as one can imagine, is not typically meeting its customers in the best of times. “Compassion is a huge thing,” Evans says. “These are not sexy purchases. [A call to us] is not a fun call to make. Something’s broke, and they’ve got a newborn at home or somebody elderly, and it’s hot or it’s cold. It’s a huge inconvenience to be uncomfortable in your home. When we walk into that environment, we don’t know what that stress level is on that family or that person that day. We try to be very solutions-oriented, from the moment a customer calls us on the phone through the service or install process. Service is our passion. We want to help restore that comfort as soon as possible and maintain that comfort. We want to go the extra mile to make our customers feel comfortable.” n w w w.

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Live Well Cincy

A New Level of Care

The new St. Elizabeth Cancer Center will offer personalized cancer care, leveraging precision medicine and genomic health; education screening and prevention; clinical research; and advanced, innovative technology.

St. Elizabeth Healthcare is set to open its new cancer center in the coming month By Corinne Minard

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n October, St. Elizabeth Healthcare will finally open the project it’s had under construction for the last two years—the St. Elizabeth Cancer Center. “We have this beautiful center that is going to help us define a new level of cancer care in our community,” says Dr. Doug Flora, executive medical director of the St. Elizabeth Cancer Center. “This particular cancer center is going to be built from the ground up with patient needs.” And this is a center that is needed in the region. According to statistics collected by St. Elizabeth, the state of Kentucky has the highest rates of lung cancer incidence and death, colorectal cancer incidence, overall cancer death and overall cancer incidence in the country. With this new center, the community will have access to personalized cancer care, cutting-edge technology and education opportunities, as well as screening and prevention. One of St. Elizabeth’s 80

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goals with the center is to provide cancer patients with one location that meets all of their care needs. “I’m very excited about the new cancer center,” says Rose Mulberry, advanced practice registered nurse at St. Elizabeth. “I think that it is going to be an innovative place where patients can find everything in one place, where things aren’t piecemeal to this physician and then that physician and then you have to go to this building or that building. They’ll be able to go to one place to get all their cancer care.” When the St. Elizabeth Cancer Center opens, it will be home to St. Elizabeth’s breast health, thoracic surgery, gynecologic oncolog y, radiation oncolog y and precision medicine departments. But while there, patients can also meet with their nurse navigators, who can guide patients through their care and offer needed support; receive their chemotherapy and infusion treatments in

Infusion Services; shop in the boutique, for products, support and gifts specifically designed with cancer patients in mind; and visit the doTERRA Center for Integrative Oncology, which may be one

Breast Cancer Care The new St. Elizabeth Cancer Center is opening this October, just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The new cancer center includes medical care for breast health, including diagnostic services and nurse navigators. The doTERRA Center for Integrative Oncology also includes many complementary services designed to assist breast cancer patients. According to St. Elizabeth, 50% of cancer patients report using some sort of complimentary care, and that percentage rises to 80% for women with breast cancer.


Introducing The James Cancer Diagnostic Center At The James, we understand that cancer is a complex disease that when detected early has more opportunities for successful treatment and cure. That’s why we have opened The James Cancer Diagnostic Center. Our experts provide patients who may have cancer with direct, expedited access to diagnostic testing. The center offers a first step in determining each patient’s specific type of cancer delivered by the experts who study and treat cancer every day. To make a same-day or next-day appointment, visit cancer.osu.edu/diagnosticcenter or call 800-293-5066.


Live Well Cincy of the most innovative ideas included in the center. “The entire first f loor is going to be dedicated to softer touches—art therapy for cancer patients, music therapy rooms, yoga and Tai chi, massage therapy, aroma touch, aromatherapy. To really provide world-class care you have to care for the whole patient and not just the tumor,” says Flora. The doTERRA Center for Integrative Oncology is designed to complement the patient’s medical care by addressing the side effects of treatment—physically, mentally and spiritually—and providing education. For example, the center includes a demonstration kitchen, where patients can take cooking classes and learn mealplanning tips, as nutrition can be a vital factor before, during and after treatment. Other areas in Integrative Oncology include an art therapy studio, meditation room and a space for mind-body therapies. St. Elizabeth sees this center as an extension of its community-focused spirit. “I think St. Elizabeth truly does have the patient at the center of medical care,” says Dr. Michael Gieske, a primary care physician with St. Elizabeth. “It has a little bit of a small-town, small-community feel but yet it’s a very advanced, very technologically oriented hospital. We’ve been trendsetters in many areas.” That advanced, technologically oriented focus is also being used to improve the patient experience at the cancer center with the introduction of a real-time location system (RTLS). Upon entering the cancer center, patients will receive a locator that allows St. Elizabeth to see where they are while in the center. This will help St. Elizabeth keep patients’ experience running smoothly by providing patient status during appointments and coordinating labs and medication to decrease unnecessary wait times. And while the construction on the cancer center was started in Summer 2018, long before COVID-19, the new facility will have many advanced features that will help slow the spread of germs and viruses like the coronavirus. These features include a motion-activated, touch-free revolving door entry way to the building; terrazzo flooring, which is easier to clean and sanitize than other floor surfaces; barrier-free entries to bathrooms and auto-flush toilets; 82

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Dr. Doug Flora, executive medical director, St. Elizabeth Cancer Center

UVC systems (which emit ultraviolet light) in specific areas that are capable of killing viruses; and localized cough stations throughout the center that provide visitors with masks, hand sanitizer and tissues. St. Elizabeth believes that the new cancer center, with its centralized care and advanced technology, will provide a new standard of care for many cancer patients

in the region. “I’m excited for patients to be able to have some of the latest, greatest technology right at their fingertips in their own community. I think it will give them kind of like a onestop shop and then all of their physicians will be there to help support them,” says Dr. Lauren Castellini, a radiation oncologist at St. Elizabeth. n


Retirement Update

A Rapid Response Otterbein SeniorLife has adapted to COVID-19 with procedures that protect both residents and staff By David Holthaus

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it h more t han 3,000 aged residents living in congregate situations at 17 locations, a home health agency and two hospice organizations, as well as 2,500 employees, the management of Lebanon, Ohio-based Otterbein SeniorLife Communities was presented with a life-and-death challenge with the emergence of the COVID-19 virus and its rapid spread. So many older people, many with preexisting conditions, living, socializing and dining together, coming into daily contact with employees who could transmit the virus to their families and friends, was a disaster waiting to happen. “We’re dealing with the most vulnerable population to this virus,” says Senior Vice President of Operations Jason Miller. “There isn’t anything more important than protecting our residents and our employees from COVID-19.” Beginning in late winter when the virus began appearing in the U.S., Otterbein management began readying a plan, creating an incident command team that would develop protocols for the entire organization on supplies, personal protec-

tive equipment, staffing, communications and developing a COVID-19 operational plan. The team included Otterbein’s chief executive officer, its chief operating officer, Miller, its vice president of human resources, its vice president of marketing and communications, vice president of clinical quality and vice president for neighborhood operations. The team met seven days a week at first and continues to meet five days a week now, Miller says. The team put together an extensive plan for infection control, assessing residents, communicating with family members and physicians and treating positive cases. Visitors, as well as nonessential caregivers, were initially prohibited from entering the facilities. Employees continue to be screened each time they enter. If someone has a fever, they are isolated in their respective homes and tested. The team also built a testing algorithm to help coordinate testing frequency of residents, Miller says. The company contracts with a private lab that conducts 1,500 to 2,000 COVID tests a week, he says. Turnaround time ranges from 24 to 72 hours,

To keep residents active, Otterbein SeniorLife offered axe throwing as an activity to its residents.

Social activities have returned to Otterbein. One memorable activity was the portable zipline. Pictured is Jason Miller, senior vice president of operations.

with the average being 48 hours. Today, turnaround time is rarely over 24 hours. Earlier this year, Otterbein purchased two Sofia 2 point-of-care machines that promise to deliver results in less than an hour. However, the rapid tests aren’t considered as accurate, so Otterbein will continue to prioritize the nasal swab test, Miller says. Residents who test positive are transferred to COVID isolation units, where employees must wear masks and goggles and only designated caregivers can work. Restaurants at the Otterbein facilities have been closed, but are beginning to open again, especially those that have created outdoor dining spaces. Seating is by reservation only and residents must be masked and use hand sanitizer before being seated, Miller says. Small group activities are picking up again, socially distanced and with masks. The company recently brought in a portable zipline for a day and an axe-throwing vendor. “At first, we had to shut the doors and make sure people were safe,” Miller says. “We didn’t know a lot about the virus at first. Today, we’re looking to lessen the restrictions. Social isolation and loneliness can be detriments to someone’s health as well.” Some of the adaptations, such as outdoor dining, will be kept whenever the virus is brought under control, Miller says. “I don’t think our learning is going to stop here,” he adds. n w w w.

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