CantonINC, Winter 2014-15

Canton INC

STARK COUNTY, OHIO | GOOD FOR BUSINESS

HALL OF FAME VILLAGE WINTER 2014-15

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HEALTH CARE

BUSINESS PROFILES

STARK ENTREPRENEUR ALLIANCE POISED TO HELP PAGE 50

FORWARD-THINKING APPROACH TO LOCAL HEALTH CARE PAGE 40

TIMKENSTEEL PAGE 34 AND MORGAN ENGINEERING PAGE 56

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CantonINC WINTER 2014-15 ISSUE

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Canton Inc. is an economic development publication produced through a collaboration of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Repository.

CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Dennis P. Saunier President and CEO dennys@cantonchamber.org 330-456-7253 Michael P. Gill Vice President for Economic Development, Canton Development Partnership mikeg@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2090 David C. Kaminski Vice President for Public Policy davidk@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2059 Joanne K. Murray Vice President for Community Events and Sponsorships joannem@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2050 Denise A. Burton Director of Membership Programs and Services deniseb@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2067 Collyn Floyd Director of Marketing and Public Relations collynf@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2071 Kathy D. Irwin Director of Finance and Accounting kathyd@cantonchamber.org 330-456-7253 Eric Smer Director of Community and Workforce Development 330-458-2302 erics@cantonchamber.org Fran Wells Director of Leadership Programs franw@leadershipstarkcounty.org 330-458-2094

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER Early on, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was much smaller.The Hall plans to expand once again. GATEHOUSE PHOTO

08 10 17 18

CEO message Zimmermann Symphony Center Economics Industrial Land & Business Parks

HALL OF FAME FEATURES

PLANS FOR THE NEW VILLAGE

20

29 31 34 40 50 53 56 58 60 66

22 26 28

HALL OF FAME COVERAGE See what’s in store for the Hall of Fame HALL OF FAME VILLAGE Plans for growing the Hall of Fame HOTELS Plans for 800 more rooms to accommodate Hall of Fame visitors TOM BENSON HALL OF FAME STADIUM Fawcett Stadium to be renamed in honor of gift from Tom Benson

Agricultural census Agritourism TimkenSteel Corp.

Health care on the local level Stark Entrepreneurship Alliance Recap of the Utica Summit Morgan Engineering Systems, Inc. Area Contact Information Area Education, Business and Economic Resources Parting Shot

CantonINC REPOSITORY/GATEHOUSE OHIO James A. Porter Publisher jim.porter@cantonrep.com 330-580-8428 Jess Bennett Director, magazine division jess.bennett@cantonrep.com 330-580-8474 Kelsey Reinhart Editor, magazine division kelsey.reinhart@cantonrep.com 330-580-8318 Therese D. Hayt Executive editor teri.hayt@cantonrep.com 330-580-8310 Molly Ott Advertising consultant molly.ott@cantonrep.com 330-580-8422 CONTRIBUTORS Collyn Floyd, David Kaminski, Joan Porter, Joan Renner Executive Committee, Board of Directors Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce CHAIRMAN William C. Shivers Huntington Bank SR.VICE CHAIRMAN Mark Fleiner LG Fuel Cell Systems VICE CHAIRMAN Brian Belden The Belden Brick Co. VICE CHAIRMAN Bruce Blaise Kenan Advantage Group VICE CHAIRMAN Judith Barnes Lancaster Attorney TREASURER D.William Allen Pro Football Hall of Fame IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Philip D. Fracassa The Timken Co. PRESIDENT AND CEO Dennis P. Saunier Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce INTERIM CORPORATE SECRETARY Brian Belden The Belden Brick Co.

AD INDEX 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 19 27 30 37 39 49

Innis Maggiore Huntington Bank Harrison Paint Company DeHoff Realtors Schauer Group Inc. Canton Regional Chamber Aultman Hospital Diebold Inc. Canton Palace Theatre Hammontree & Assoc. Ltd WKSU

Maloney + Novotny LLC Putman Properties Leadership Stark County Canton Development Partnership Krugliak,Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., LPA Pro Football Hall of Fame Stark State College The Repository AultCare

51 Mercy Medical Center 51 Voices of Canton (VOCI) 52 Kent State University at Stark 55 Canton Regional Chamber 57 Northeast Ohio Medical University 57 CSE Federal Credit Union 59 Aultman PrimeTime Health Plan 60 Young Truck Sales Inc. 60 Eye Centers of Ohio 61 University Center at Kent State University at Stark 61 Canton Sign Company 62 Aultman College of Nursing 63 Selinsky Force 63 Stauffer Glove & Safety 65 NAI Spring 65 Canton Regional Chamber 67 Grabowski & Co. 68 Belden Brick

For information about how to advertise in this publication, please call Molly Ott at 330-580-8422 or molly.ott@cantonrep.com.

CantonINC is published by GateHouse Ohio Media, 500 Market Ave. S, Canton, OH 44702, 330-580-8300. CantonINC is protected by federal copyright law, which gives the publication

exclusive rights to reproduce or authorize reproduction of its materials.

CEO MESSAGE CantonINC

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

VILLAGE he Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Repository/ GateHouse Ohio Media are excited to continue our collaboration in 2015 on Canton Inc., a publication designed to showcase why Canton/Stark County is a prime destination for businesses.

The Winter/Spring 2015 issue is packed with good news for the region. Our cover story explores the approved master plan to develop Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame into a “Hall of Fame Village.” A professional sports museum is already a coveted asset for our mid-sized community, and now we have an opportunity to transform it into a world-class destination.

At the center of the master plan is a renovation of Fawcett Stadium. Additional components of the village may include a four-star hotel and conference center and center for athletic performance and safety, along with youth football fields, retail stores, thematic restaurants and housing.

The project is designed to provide more opportunities for fan engagement, which translates to more visitors to our region.

That’s good news for the new Village as well as our airport, retail stores, restaurants and hotels. It’s also good news for the Hall of Fame’s neighbor, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, which recently completed the gorgeous Zimmermann Symphony Center.

You can read more about its new facility on Page 10.

Venture a few miles in any direction from the Hall of Fame, and you’ll find plenty of rich Ohio farmland. You can read about the changing face of agriculture, from the Department of Agriculture’s recent farming census to the rise of the “agritourism” as a method for farmers to

CantonIncMagazine.com

T

8

supplement their income.

In 2014, The Timken Company, one of Canton’s oldest and largest companies, split into two entities: The Timken Company and TimkenSteel. We take a closer look at the new TimkenSteel, which manufactures high-quality steel for demanding applications and the impact of the new company on the region and the steel business.

The Stark Entrepreneurship Alliance helps start-up, early-stage and small/medium-sized companies get moving. On Page 50, we share the work it’s doing to nurture and grow entrepreneurial activity in Stark County.

The health care outlook changes almost daily, and in this issue, we look at how four local hospitals are adapting to new technology, new methods for delivery of care, an aging population and of course, financial challenges and opportunities.

We recently held our second Utica Summit, an event that brought together 225 attendees and leading industry experts in Canton, the Utica Capital™, to discuss how developments in the Utica shale play are shaping this region’s energy-rich future. On Page 53 is a recap of the event, which largely focused on “downstream” use of Utica energy, from chemicals and plastics manufacturing to CNG commercial transportation. Plans are underway for a series of oil and gas events in 2015, including a third Utica Summit.

Finally, we profile a small business making a big impact in Canton/Stark County: Morgan Engineering.

Thank you for reading this issue of Canton, Inc. We’re thrilled about what’s happening in Canton/Stark County and hope you’ll agree that this is indeed an exciting place to do business.

Dennis P. Saunier President and CEO Canton Regional Chamber

James A. Porter Publisher and CEO The Repository and GateHouse Ohio Media

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SYMPHONY CantonINC

ZIMMERMANN SYMPHONY CENTER

CantonIncMagazine.com

BY COLLYN FLOYD

10

CantonINC SYMPHONY

CantonIncMagazine.com

INCLUDES: ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES,A MUSIC LIBRARY, AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AREA AND A MULTIPURPOSE HALL FOR COMMUNITY USE

11

SYMPHONY CantonINC

Adjacent to McKinley High School, Canton’s largest high school, the addition includes administrative offices, a music library, an educational program area and a multipurpose hall for community use.

Previously, its cramped offices were at the Cultural Center for the Arts in downtown Canton, 2.5 miles from COMBINED CHORUS A 2014 holiday performance at the Zimmermann Symphony Center.

Umstattd Hall, which also needPHOTO COURTESY OF THE ZIMMERMANN SYMPHONY CENTER ed renovations.

The three-story “Z” is modor the first time in its history, the Canton ern, open and bright. A wall of two-story windows allows sunSymphony Orchestra has a consolidated light to pour into a large open area on the center’s main level. home to maintain administration and edu- “Every piece of architecture and design in the ‘Z’ is intentioncation offices, as well as hold performances. al,” said Michelle Mullaly, executive director of the Canton In July 2014, the highly anticipated new Zimmermann Symphony Orchestra. “The space on the main floor is Symphony Center, named after longtime music director designed to cultivate patrons, entertain donors and subGerhardt Zimmermann, opened as a 22,000-square-foot addi- scribers, and host community functions.” tion to the newly renovated Umstattd Performing Arts Hall.

Upstairs, in the staff offices, the space is equally beautiful,

F

CONNECTING CANTON WITH OPPORTUNITY As a global organization, Diebold serves communities around the world. But since 1872, Canton has been our home. It is our privilege to link Canton’s economy with a global network, bridge the digital and physical worlds of cash and connect people with their money all across the globe.

CantonINC SYMPHONY

and paintings from local artists splash the walls with color.

The open offices were laid out purposefully to allow collaboration and staff expansion, as well as room for interns, volunteers and visitors.

ing. That’s how we run the orchestra, and that’s the expectation that goes into every performance,” he said.

The reach and programming of the Canton Symphony extend beyond its MasterWorks live concert performances. For “My philosophy is to push The goal is that the public will instance, ConverZations is a new use the facility as more than just a the audience just a little out free speakers’ series designed to concert hall. Community members appeal to musicians and musicof their comfort zone. I like can use the space free of charge lovers alike. Guests bring their during the week; in fact, the NFL lunch, and the symphony provides to say that I’ll meet the Network used the space during the Youth and children’s proaudience 70 percent of the dessert.

2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame gramming also are essential, espeway, if they’ll give me Enshrinement Festival. cially given the center’s proximity Mullaly says that public support to McKinley High School.

30 percent to challenge for the project has exceeded The symphony’s artistic mission them with new pieces.” expectations. In a time when many is to perform a varied repertoire, symphonies across the country are including both standard and con—Gerhardt Zimmermann struggling, the Canton Symphony temporary music. “Of course we continues to grow and receive gendo the classics—Bach, Beethoven, erous support.

Mozart—but we also do newer Zimmermann attributes the success to the orchestra’s com- pieces from around the world,” said Mullaly. “In fact, during mitment to excellence. “It’s quite simple. Our board and sym- the 2015-16 season, we’re incredibly excited to have four phony management demand the highest-quality music mak- world premieres here.”

CONCERT A 2014 holiday performance at the Zimmermann Symphony Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ZIMMERMANN SYMPHONY CENTER

CANTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OFFERS DIVERSE YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING: MasterWorks concert series Pops concerts ConverZations, a free lecture series featuring musicians Youth programming Canton Youth Symphony Casual Series, a recital-style concert series featuring orchestra members

Zimmermann isn’t one to stick only to the masters. “My philosophy is to push the audience just a little out of their comfort zone. I like to say that I’ll meet the audience 70 percent of the way, if they’ll give me 30 percent to challenge them with new pieces.”

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS IN NORTHEAST OHIO 90

LAKE ERIE 90

Brecksville Peninsula Akron

30

Stark County

80

76

Canton 30

71

77

Columbus 70

RIVER

NORTHEAST OHIO

Dover New Philadelphia

OHIO

Akron Art Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 miles Akron Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 miles Cleveland Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium . . . . . . . . 61 miles Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville . . . . . . 41 miles Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland . . . . . . . . 60 miles Hale Farm and Village, Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 miles PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 miles Progressive Field (home to Cleveland Indians) . . 60 miles Quicken Loans Arena (home to Cleveland Cavs) 60 miles Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . 60 miles Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron . . . . . . . . . . 28 miles Trumpet in the Land, New Philadelphia . . . . . . . . 30 miles University Circle museums, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . 58 miles Warther Museum, Dover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 miles

Cleveland

Get the complete story. With more in-depth regional news coverage, along with the best of NPR national and world programming.

Kent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. 14-0101

CantonINC ECONOMICS

STARK COUNTY

ECONOMICS INCOME AND COST OF LIVING

MAJOR INDUSTRIES

Median household income:

24.5% 18.3% 11.6% Manufacturing:

Median home value:

$124,200

Retail trade:

Median rent:

Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodations, food service:

$642/MO.

9.1%

Cost of living:

Professional, scientific, management:

14% LOWER

8.6%

than U.S. average Unemployment rate: (0.8% lower than national average)

MAJOR OCCUPATIONS

5.1%

HOUSEHOLDS Canton population Stark County population

Management, business, science and arts:

72,535 375,432

Median resident age

41

Age 17 and younger

22.1%

Age 18 to 24

8.7%

Age 25 to 44

23.6%

Age 45 to 64

28.3%

Age 65 and older

17.3%

EDUCATION High school graduate or higher:

31% 25.3% 19.2% Sales and office:

PARKS & TRAILS

Stark County Park District includes:

7,000 80+ 31 acres of land,

miles of walking/bicycling trails and

miles of equestrian trails, in addition to the parks maintained by cities and townships

Service:

Production, transportation and material moving:

Bachelor’s degree:

16.7%

Graduate or professional degree:

WORKFORCE

88.5% 20.7% 6.8%

Alliance Community Hospital Aultman Hospital Canton City Schools Synchrony Bank H.J. Heinz Company, L.P. Mercy Medical Center Nickles Bakery Republic Engineered Products Stark County Government Stark State College The Timken Company TimkenSteel Wal-Mart Stores Inc

Total workforce: 191,456 Average commute: 22 minutes

WEATHER Average January high:

Average July high:

degrees

degrees

33 82 SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau, Ohio Department of Development, NOAA and the National Weather Service, Stark Parks, U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

CantonIncMagazine.com

$45,689

Education, health care and social assistance:

MAJOR EMPLOYERS

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BUSINESS PARKS CantonINC

INDUSTRIAL LAND AND BUSINESS PARKS AKCAN INDUSTRIAL PARK Location: North Canton, Ohio Acres available: 15 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan DeHoff, DeHoff Realty, 330-499-8153

ALLIANCE COMMERCE PARK

Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 88 Highway access: U.S. Route 62 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Bob DeHoff, DeHoff Development, 330-499-8153

ELM RIDGE INDUSTRIAL PARK

Location: Alliance, Ohio Acres available: 75 Highway access: U.S. Route 62 Zoning: Light/heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Jim Stout, Coastal Pet Products, 330-821-2218

CANTON CENTURY PARK Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 65 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Heavy commercial Rail access: No Development contact: Bryce Custer, 330-966-8800

EASTRIDGE COMMERCE PARK

Location: Canal Fulton, Ohio Acres available: 25 Highway access: State Route 21 and I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Ken Schalmo or Fred E. Etheridge, Schalmo Properties Inc., 330-854-4591

FORD PROPERTY Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 75 Highway access: U.S. Route 30

Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Rafael Rodriguez, 330-438-4129

HARTVILLE INDUSTRIAL PARK Location: Hartville, Ohio Acres available: 12 Highway access: State Routes 43 and 619 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: Some potential Development contact: Mayor's office, village of Hartville, 330-877-9222

MASSILLON REPUBLIC Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 300 Highway access: State Route 21 and U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Massillon Development Foundation, 330-833-3148

Call our team of professionals for all your real estate needs!

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Wick Hartung 330-495-0601

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• Medical • Industrial • Residential

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3978 Fulton Dr. NW, Canton | 330.498.4400 | info@putmanproperties.com | www.putmanproperties.com

MILLER I Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 125 Highway access: State Route 21 and U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Ray Hexamer, Massillon Development Foundation and Miller Family Trust, 330-833-3148

MILLS BUSINESS PARK Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 100 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan DeHoff, Canton Commerce LLC, 330-499-8153

NAVARRE PROSPECT PARK Location: Navarre, Ohio Acres available: 300 Highway access: U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Perry Township, 330-833-2141

NOVA EAST Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 25 Highway access: U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan Spring, 330-966-8800

PORT JACKSON Location: North Canton, Ohio Acres available: 14 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Lisa Gould, AkronCanton Airport, 330-668-4000 Looking for more information, or for details about industrial buildings and service sector properties? Contact Steven J. Katz, senior vice president, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce at 330-458-2062.

CantonIncMagazine.com

ON THE COVER CantonINC

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ARTIST’S RENDERING OF HALL OF FAME CONCEPT, PROVIDED BY THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

HALL OF FAME VILLAGE Read about the Hall’s plans for the Hall of Fame Village, the impact on the surrounding community, resulting hotel development in Stark County, the city’s pledge of support and New Orleans Saints’ owner Tom Benson’s $11 million gift.

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CantonINC ON THE COVER

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ON THE COVER CantonINC

CantonIncMagazine.com

PART OF THE VILLAGE With plans for the “Hall of Fame Village,” this would just be a portion of the village. PHOTO BY SCOTT HECKEL

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PLANS FOR THE VILLAGE

BY EDD PRITCHARD

CantonINC ON THE COVER

P

ro Football Hall of Fame officials have been discussing plans that could take the Hall beyond tourist attraction status with members of Canton Mayor William J. Healy II’s administration, Canton City Schools, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and developer Stuart Lichter’s Industrial Realty Group.

The extent of the changes remains to be seen, but the project—tagged “Hall of Fame Village”—could stretch from

closer to a vision they all can agree upon, Lichter said in a telephone interview. “Everything is looking positive.”

ALWAYS IMPROVING

Since opening in 1963, the Hall of Fame hasn’t stood stagnating, simply waiting for fans to show up. There have been four major expansions and a variety of improvements and upgrades through the years.

In December 2010, the Hall launched its Future 50 Project with

The extent of the changes remains to be seen, but the project could stretch from Fulton Drive NW south past the Hall to Fawcett Stadium.

Fulton Drive NW south past the Hall to Fawcett Stadium.

Will the village be home to a new four-star hotel? What about a convention center? Will the Hall— already drawing visitors from around the country—be transformed into a facility that rivals some of the country’s biggest tourism drawing cards?

David Baker, who became the Hall of Fame’s president and executive director last January, suggested in September that a Hall of Fame Village could be in the offing.

Baker likened the impact of the Hall’s potential development to what happened in Kissimmee, Florida, after the city became home to Disney World.

Lichter—whose forte has been to revitalize a property someone has given up on—is confident a development will move forward.

Project participants are getting

the goal of completing the fourth expansion in time to celebrate the facility’s 50th birthday. But it was more than celebrating. The Hall’s leaders wanted to take a look toward the next 50 years.

As Future 50 wrapped up, eyes turned south to Fawcett Stadium.

Built in 1938, it needed improvements.

Canton City Schools, which owns the stadium, and the Hall, which uses the facility for enshrinement events, worked on an initial plan calling for $24.3 million of renovations at Fawcett. The plans were placed on hold, however, as a broader group tied the stadium to the Hall of Fame’s potential.

Additional players—the Chamber, city officials, Lichter’s development company and the National Football League—had started discussing a bigger project, one that some locals had considered for several years.

CantonIncMagazine.com

BAKER LIKENED THE IMPACT OF THE HALL’S POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TO WHAT HAPPENED IN KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA, AFTER THE CITY BECAME HOME TO DISNEY WORLD.

23

ON THE COVER CantonINC

CantonIncMagazine.com

WONDERING WHY

24

Lichter is from New York, and IRG now is based in Southern California.

He started working in Northeast Ohio during the late 1980s after he and several partners bought 3 million square feet of aged factories and offices that once housed the B.F. Goodrich Co. The Goodrich works just south of downtown Akron helped Lichter establish a reputation as a developer capable of shining up the Rust Belt. The complex was renamed Canal Place because it bordered remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Multistory tire factories became home to offices and small manufacturers. Other buildings house restaurants and retailers.

Lichter and IRG have used that formula around the country. But the company doesn’t just buy aged properties.

“We own a lot of small buildings that never get any attention,” he said.

One example is an office and warehouse complex on 11th Street SE, which was added to IRG’s fold in the late 1990s. That’s when Lichter started coming to Canton and driving past the Hall of Fame’s iconic dome on Interstate 77.

Lichter said he saw the Hall and wondered why there hadn’t been more development nearby. He wondered if anyone had kicked around ideas or made proposals. Had anyone ever asked the NFL if it might be interested in the Hall being more than a museum?

For 15 years, Lichter would drive past and ponder those questions. He had a gut feeling. The opportunity finally came to ask some of those questions, which led to the discussions that have occurred this past year.

“I know a lot more now,” Lichter said.

For example, the Hall of Fame, operating as the National Football Museum, owns plenty of property north of the complex stretching to Fulton Drive NW. Some of that land has been cleared and is used for park-

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CantonINC ON THE COVER

ing and special events. A number of properties are along Barr Avenue NW, which is west of the Hall.

Last year, Baker noted the holding—most of the land purchased before he joined the Hall—but didn’t elaborate on future use. The property does provide an opportunity, he said in April.

NOT THAT DIFFERENT

While Lichter’s reputation has been to revitalize older properties, he insists that what IRG does best is identify an asset and help to make it better.

“You take a nugget and figure out what you can do with it,” he said.

That’s what’s being done now with the Hall of Fame.

It’s not that different from the work in North Canton’s Hoover District or in east Akron where IRG has built a new headquarters for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Lichter bought the Hoover complex in 2008, months after it was left abandoned by TTI Floor Care, the company that now owns the Hoover brand. Working with partners, Lichter formed Maple Street Commerce. It has leased parts of the complex to about a dozen companies that have created roughly 900 jobs.

IRG started renovating an older portion of the complex to create

apartments and retail space. Crews are starting work that will be more visible to travelers along N. Main Street, Lichter said.

North Canton Mayor David Held said the project has been great for the city, adding jobs and much-needed income tax revenue. Lichter has delivered for North Canton, and Held is confident the developer will deliver for the Hall of Fame.

“Having Stu Lichter work on that project will just ensure its success,” Held said.

In Akron, Lichter worked with Goodyear to give the company a modern headquarters and nearby amenities—restaurants and a hotel—that were missing from the city’s east side. The hotel is a new building under construction, while the old headquarters building and Goodyear Hall will become home to apartments and shops.

“We’ve changed the neighborhood. That’s what we’re doing,” Lichter said of IRG’s work with Goodyear.

Will the neighborhood near the Hall of Fame change?

It’s a complicated, multiyear project with a lot of interested parties, Lichter said. If it happens, the economic impact for the community will be enormous, he added.

“We have to move from the ‘planning and hope’ stage to the ‘what do we do to implement this’ stage.”

Hotels are being constructed throughout town for the Hall of Fame Village. PHOTO BY SCOTT HECKEL

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IT’S A COMPLICATED, MULTIYEAR PROJECT WITH A LOT OF INTERESTED PARTIES, LICHTER SAID. IF IT HAPPENS, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE COMMUNITY WILL BE ENORMOUS, HE ADDED.

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ON THE COVER CantonINC

HALL OF FAME VILLAGE TO BRING HOTELS

BY JESSICA HOLBROOK

MORE ROOMS Hotels are being built on Everhard Road and Whipple Ave. to accommodate Pro Football Hall of Fame visitors. PHOTO

BY SCOTT HECKEL

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B

26

y the end of the year, visitors to Stark County will have 2,800 hotel rooms from which to

choose.

That’s about 800 more than exist in the county right now, said Allyson Bussey, assistant director of the Canton/Stark County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau.

The hotel industry in Stark County has thrived in the last year, with numerous hotels being built and others undergoing renovations.

And if a proposed plan for the Pro Football Hall of Fame comes to fruition, the number of rooms could be even higher.

In September, the Hall of Fame

announced its vision for a Hall of Fame Village that could include a four-star hotel and conference center.

Stark should have no problem supporting the hospitality boom, Bussey said. “I’m really excited. ... We’re on the cusp of something really great (in Stark County).”

We may not fully understand what the future will look like “but it will be exciting,” she added.

Stark County isn’t alone in seeing a spurt of hotel growth. There are 100 new hotels under construction across Ohio right now. But it’s great to see the county get its fair share, especially since the new hotels here are associated with strong brands, said Matt MacLaren, president and

CEO of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association.

There are a lot of hotel rooms being built, but there are also a lot of travelers coming to Ohio, MacLaren said.

“Everything you’re seeing, it looks like for the foreseeable future, it will be strong,” he said.

BUSINESS TRIPS The hotel upsurge coincided with the growth of the oil and gas industry in Stark; as workers relocated to the area, they needed housing quickly, Bussey said.

Though industry workers now are moving to more permanent housing, the region is bracing itself for another rush

CantonINC ON THE COVER

of people as midstream oil and gas operations grow, she said.

Thanks in part to the oil and gas growth, Stark County businesses are bouncing back from the recession, she said. Stark’s companies bring people to town for meetings, conventions and business discussions, and those people need a place to stay.

WEEKEND GETAWAY While Stark County is attracting plenty of business travelers, people are coming here for more than work.

Alongside a strong business community, tourism is thriving in the area, Bussey said.

The Hall of Fame is “absolutely” a part of that, she said, adding that the annual enshrinement festival alone draws hundreds of thousands of people.

Stark County is a great sports destination, with facilities such as Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon, the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, and numerous baseball and softball fields, she said.

It’s a popular region for youth and amateur sporting events that attract entire families.

And when families come to cheer on athletes, they spend significant amounts of money during the weekend, she said.

Stark also has a traditional tourism base—attractions that draw people for a weekend getaway—including places such as Gervasi Vineyard, Amish Country and the businesses surrounding the Hartville MarketPlace (the site of one of the new hotels), she said.

It’s more important than ever for Canton to spend money on marketing “to make sure they get their fair share of travelers,” MacLaren said.

Without that marketing push, the new hotels could be in jeopardy, he said. “Strong marketing will make the difference.”

INDUSTRY GROWTH In 2013, visitors generated $1.6 billion in direct and indirect sales in Stark County, according to a study by

TourismOhio, the state’s tourism marketing arm.

According to the study, direct tourism sales in Stark County jumped 37 percent in 2012 and 13.6 percent in 2013, outpacing both the state (4.6 percent growth in 2013) and the Northeast Ohio region (5.8 percent growth in 2013).

The whole region is seeing growth in the

hospitality sector, Bussey said, pointing to new hotels in Akron.

That growth could continue. As the Hall of Fame and the downtown Canton Arts District continue to flourish, you’ll probably see new lodging pop up to support them, she said.

“It’s really an exciting time for Stark County,” she said.

HOF VILLAGE CantonINC

CANTON PLEDGES $5 MILLION FOR HALL OF FAME PROJECT

BY MATTHEW RINK he city committed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s expansion project more than a year ago, but just recently, City Council was asked to officially pledge $5 million to the project.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame plans to invest millions to develop the area around its museum and stadium.

Plans call for a sports and entertainment complex, a four-star hotel and conference center, a center for athletic performance and safety, a youth football center with playing fields, an institute for integrity and officiating, a coaches university, an academy for corporate excellence, themed restaurants and a residential area called Legends Landing that can be used by Hall of Famers.

Before that plan blossomed, there was a $24.3 million proposal to renovate Fawcett Stadium. Mayor William J. Healy II said he verbally committed $5 million of taxpayer funds to the project as Hall of Fame and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce officials sought local buy-in.

The local investment, he said, was used as leverage in obtaining assistance from the state. Gov. John Kasich pledged $10 million for the stadium overhaul in his

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NEW NAME Fawcett Stadium will be renamed Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in honor of the large donation from Tom Benson. PHOTO COURTESY OF PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

2014 biennial capital budget in March.

The verbal commitment now will go to City Council, which has reached a consensus on the grant, Healy said. The city intends to issue a revenue bond anticipation note to make the grant. The note eventually will be rolled into a larger bond issue once the administration and council determine other projects they intend to finance. Healy has said the city intends to borrow $15 million to $17 million to repair leaky roofs at City Hall, two service stations and the Canton Memorial Civic Center, and finance a $2 million loan for a

developer’s renovation of the Onesto Hotel, among other things.

The city will borrow against its capital improvement fund, which is used to repair streets and buy vehicles, for example. The city anticipates two loans paid with capital dollars to be paid off in coming years.

The city’s verbal commitment predated the hiring of new Hall of Fame President David Baker and his grand vision to not only renovate the stadium, but develop the Hall of Fame Village concept, Healy said.

The project will be funded by both public and private investment.

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FAWCETT TO BE RENAMED TOM BENSON HALL OF FAME STADIUM

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By Todd Porter Fawcett Stadium was built at a cost of $500,000 more than 75 years ago. A gift of $11 million and a strong belief in the future of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is changing the name of Stark County’s most-identifiable venue.

The new stadium will be named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Benson is the owner of the New Orleans Saints, and his $11 million donation to the Hall of Fame’s expansion efforts is the largest individual gift in the Hall’s history.

“This is a donation that I feel very strong-

ly about,” Benson said.

For 76 years, the stadium has been named after John A. Fawcett, a former Canton City Schools Board of Education member and standout athlete.The Hall of Fame has agreed with Canton City Schools to commemorate the memory of Fawcett in special exhibits at both Benson Stadium and the Hall of Fame.

David Baker, the Hall’s president, talked with Benson about the idea of a significant gift toward the sports and entertainment complex. Within a week, Benson agreed to not only donate $10 million, but he

increased it another million.

“There was no bargaining involved,” Baker said. “This was a talk about a vision and making something good happen. This was one of the easiest things I’ve ever been involved with.”

Benson didn’t purchase the naming rights to the stadium.The Hall of Fame is honoring his gift by renaming the stadium.

Benson’s gift, along with state money, just about pays for the stadium renovation. The sports and entertainment complex covers the stadium, practice fields for youth programming and the center for excellence.

CantonINC AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURAL CENSUS: TWISTS AND TURNS IN RECENT YEARS

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BY SHANE HOOVER he agricultural census sprouts every five years with new data on farming in Stark County and around the nation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the latest crop of local stats last May, documenting changes from 2007 to 2012, a five-year window that included the recession and Congressional debate over the farm bill. “We’ve had a lot of interesting twists and turns along the road,” said Heather Neikirk, agriculture and natural resources educator at Ohio State University’s Stark County Extension Office.

In several ways, agriculture in the County held its ground or made gains: • Average farm size increased 9 percent to 116 acres.

• Average farm property values grew 27 percent to $640,867, faster than inflation.

• The market value of sales per farm was $111,895, up 7 percent, but not outpacing inflation.

There also were declines: • The county lost 132 farms, leaving it with 1,168.

• Total farm acreage decreased 1.7 percent to 135,749 acres.

• The market value for all agriculture products contracted almost 4 percent to $131 million.

• The average age of farmers remains 56.

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FAMILY BUSINESS That last statistic is no surprise, and has been a concern in agriculture for some time.

The number of Stark farmers younger than 35 grew 56 percent between 2007 and 2012, but that group accounts for less than 8 percent of all farmers.

“Start-up for somebody who has nothing and is looking at a more traditional model of farming can be very costly,” Neikirk said.

Farmers need to buy equipment, animals, feed, fertilizer and chemicals.

They need to rent or purchase land; build or renovate buildings.

In an economy without a lot of dollars floating around, the next generation of farmers predominantly will inherit their

businesses, Neikirk said.

Some farmers transition to the family farm from other careers, bringing along experience in finance or marketing.

Others step up after older generations retire or die.

And Stark County mostly has family farms, a factor of its substantial urban areas, which limit the size of farms in the surrounding rural townships. The county doubled the number of farms with more than 2,000 acres—giving it eight—but more than half of Stark farms have less than 40 acres.

“We don’t have the expanse that they have in western Ohio, where it’s completely rural and you can have 5,000 acres in a swath,” Neikirk said.

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PHOTO BY JULIE BOTOS

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ALTERNATIVE PATHS Of course, not everyone involved in agriculture grows acres of soybeans and corn, or raises chickens and dairy cows.

Some farmers are turning to specialty crops to find a profitable niche for their small operations. Others are tapping into nostalgia for the rural lifestyle with agritourism, ranging from wineries to corn mazes.

Agriculture has even made inroads in urban areas with community gardens, such as the downtown Canton Community Garden at High Avenue and Fifth Street NW. With its chirping crickets, towering sunflowers and flitting butterflies, but the adjacent streets, parking lots and construction projects leave no doubt that it’s in the city.

One of the gardeners, Dottie Hockenberry, a 59-year-old retired postal worker, rents four plots on which she grows zucchini, cucumbers, beans, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, red cabbage and turnip greens. What she doesn’t use or give away to neighbors, Hockenberry donates to the Stark County Hunger Task Force.

Compared with buying a home with 10 acres, renting plots in a community garden and selling the produce at a farmers’ market can be a more affordable option to an aspiring farmer.

“If they start as a community gardener, that’s a pretty small investment for them,” Neikirk said.

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NEW CAREERS Some young people from farming families are finding their ways into professional careers not far from their heritage.

Brittany Sheckler, 24, grew up on a farm in Washington Township, and is teaching the next generation of agricultural students at Marlington High School, only some of whom share her background.

“A lot of the kids I get, especially the new kids, the freshman kids, don’t come from a family farm,” Sheckler said. “A lot of them are from the city, some of them are rural, but they don’t live on a farm.”

Jessica Ruegg, 18, of Tuscarawas Township, wants to be a large-animal vet-

erinarian. Growing up on a farm, it was her job to look after livestock, skills that were reinforced by her involvement in 4-H. “I’ve been working with cattle since I can remember,” she said.

The Fairless High School grad is in a two-year pre-veterinary medicine program at Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, and plans to transfer

to the main campus. On average, it takes eight years to complete the entire vet program, and Ruegg said she sees herself returning to the country after graduation.

“I would definitely love to go back to the farm-style of life after having to live in Columbus for six years,” Ruegg said.

“I’m not a big-city person, so farm life is more desirable.”

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PHOTO BY JULIE BOTOS

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AGRITOURISM ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// That’s because of the way Raymond Goddard and his family planted the original orchard. “The men back then knew what they were doing,” Gram said.

When Goddard planted Arrowhead Orchard in the late 1930s, he sold the produce directly to customers in Canton. Eventually, the orchard began selling to area grocers. In the late 1980s when Gram and his wife, Sharon, took over the farm, 80 percent of the sales were wholesale. Today, 80 percent of sales are retail.

The sales flip is one reason Arrowhead Orchard has ventured into tourism farming, or agritourism.

Farmers around the nation have been turning to agritourism as a supplement to their income. It’s evolved from selling produce or eggs at roadside stands into corn mazes, tours where school children can see farm animals, and pickyour-own patches.

STAYING ALIVE Farmers made the move in order to survive.

Maize Valley has been in agribusiness for 20 years. It started with Bill Bakan selling sweet corn grown on his in-law’s farm at a stand on state Route 619 east of Hartville.

Kay and Donna Vaughan—Bakan is

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BY EDD PRITCHARD erry Gram brings the Kubota bobcat to a stop near the top of the hill and explains the lay of the land.

Apple trees sweep across the slope, which faces east. Every morning, sunshine warms the slope and the air around the trees. The cooler air tends to lie in the valley and away from the orchard during the spring, so the trees are protected. There have been years when cool weather damaged a few trees on the lower end of the slope. But there never has been a year when the orchard didn’t produce a crop, Gram said.

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married to their daughter Michelle— Neikirk, agriculture and natural ent websites, the Arrowhead Orchard began farming stretches of Marlboro resources educator at Ohio State is seeing people drive down from the Township during the 1960s. The busi- University’s Stark County Extension Cleveland area. “It’s been excellent ness of farming went through changes Office, said of the interest people have for bringing people out,” Gram said. during the 1980s as prices fell and in visiting the local farm and buy from costs climbed, Bakan said. The the folks who tilled the soil and plant- CHANGE, GROWTH Maize Valley has been offering the Vaughans had operated a dairy farm, ed the seeds.

Area farms have responded with fall fun experience for 15 years. but were facing a multimillion dollar investment, so they changed to keep family fun weekends during the fall. Bakan, the Vaughan’s son-in-law, Corn mazes, doughnuts and cider, hay started with the vegetable stand. He the farm going.

That led to Bakan’s vegetable stand. rides and pumpkins all are part of the added a corn maze during the fall, After a few years, the farm started fun. “It should be an affordable fami- then built a “pumpkin cannon.” growing and selling pumpkins. Things took off. Now /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Maize Valley covers 100 acres. Families can wander the corn maze. Children can see and pet farm animals. Fathers can watch Bakan blast pumpkins into the side of a van.

“What we’re doing here is selling an experience,” Bakan said. “We compete with Tinseltown.”

Nickajack Farms in Lawrence Township offers tours for school children.

It’s a chance for them to see goats, a pot belly pig, horses and other animals.

They learn what farms do /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// to bring food to the table.

Debbie Sebolt likes to call it “agri-cation” because she’s teaching about the expe- ly opportunity that’s close to home,” Business grew and the stand became a store. rience of farm life. “We love to teach Neikirk said.

The biggest change came when Arrowhead Orchard had a small kids about animals.” store for selling apples and cider Maize Valley began making and sellFALL FUN before Gram and his parents started ing wine. Todd Vaughan started wine Harvest time seems to serve as a working the farm in the late 1970s. making in 2005. This past year, the magnet for farms. Folks begin looking Gram’s son and daughter-in-law— farm added beer brewing.

Maize Valley’s agritourism business for sweet corn in late summer. Apples Curtis and Rachel—started helping at are ready to pick in September. And the farm in 2008, selling apples at includes an 8-acre corn maze, a pumpeveryone wants a pumpkin for local farmers’ markets. The next year, kin patch and another 10 acres for they started offering hay rides, then growing grapes. The farm also grows Halloween.

All of those items can be found in a added a corn maze and play area for hay in fields that double as parking lots during the fall. local super market—in most cases children.

Meanwhile, the Vaughan family This year, the Gram’s added the year around. But some folks like option of allowing folks to pick their farms another 600 acres around the going to the source.

“It’s a romantic notion,” Heather own apples. Thanks to posts on differ- farm. There are some 50 crops,

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FARMERS AROUND THE NATION HAVE BEEN TURNING TO AGRITOURISM AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THEIR INCOME. IT’S EVOLVED FROM SELLING PRODUCE OR EGGS AT ROADSIDE STANDS INTO CORN MAZES, TOURS WHERE SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN SEE FARM ANIMALS, AND PICKYOUR-OWN PATCHES.

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including tomatoes, soy beans, asparagus and zucchini, Bakan said.

When Debbie and Joe Sebolt started Nickajack, education was just one part of the plan.

The couple owned an 18-acre farm and some animals along Route 93.

When the neighboring 120-acre family-owned dairy farm came up for sale, they were in a position to buy.

The Sebolts started off boarding horses and offering riding lessons. But Debbie had been an elementary school teacher before the couple had children. She told Joe that she also wanted to use the farm as a place where children could learn about farm animals. The closest things to exotic animals at the farm are an alpaca and llama.

Nickajack has operated for 10 years.

During that period, the farm has cut back on the amount of soy beans and corn being grown, because prices have

dropped. Hay remains a big product.

Sebolt said the farm produces more than 25,000 bales per year with much of it sold to horse farms in the Cleveland area.

The farm recently stopped boarding horses. Debbie Sebolt called that a painful decision, because some had been there since the farm opened. But the cost of keeping the horses exceeded what Sebolt could charge.

Horse care and riding lessons remain a key part of the business.

Sebolt said the farm averages 50 to 75 lessons per week.

Education remains a main focus, Sebolt said. “I will not get away from that.”

Arrowhead Orchard is celebrating 82 years of operation. Gram is operating as if he expects 82 more.

The farm has 7,000 trees—with a pumpkin patch mixed in—spread across 45 acres. Another 60 acres is

used for corn and hay, and to graze cattle.

Gram grows 37 types of apples.

Picking of some varieties starts in July and continues through October.

He also grows peaches and nectarines.

Each year, older trees are replaced with saplings, and sometimes new varieties are added, Gram said. It all depends on what consumers want.

Meeting consumer demands is a key to agritourism success, Bakan said.

Several years ago he tried to pull back on some of the activities, but that disappointed customers. So Bakan started making changes. More exhibits are focused toward children, but he also has opened a paintball shooting range in conjunction with Intense Paintball in Canton. Bakan figures the different exhibits provide between three and six hours of “intergenerational fun” for families.

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PHOTO BY JULIE BOTOS

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TIMKENSTEEL CantonINC

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TIMKENSTEEL

BY JOAN RENNER

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tark County’s newest steel company is only a few months old, but it has nearly 100 years of experience.

TimkenSteel Corp. was born July 1 when The Timken Co. spun off its steel division into a separate company.

The steel division was founded in 1915, when the Timken Roller Bearing Co. started making its own quality steel for its tapered roller bearings. By the 2000s, The Timken Co. was using only about 10 percent of the steel produced by its steel division; the rest was sold to hundreds of other companies.

“We’ve been doing this for 100 years,” said TimkenSteel chairman, CEO and president, Ward J. “Tim” Timken Jr. “If you look at the people we compete against in North America, the majority of them are relatively new to this market space; they’re, in essence, playing catch-up.”

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METAL STRANDS With an ability to cast difficult-to-produce alloy steel grades, the caster offers the only combination in the world of a large continuous vertical bloom caster and an in-line forge press.The forge press, coupled with the new vertical caster, expands TimkenSteel’s capabilities and helps improve sound centers in large-bar sizes, efficiently giving customers more of what they need.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMKENSTEEL

“WE’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 100 YEARS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WE COMPETE AGAINST IN NORTH AMERICA, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS MARKET SPACE; THEY’RE, IN ESSENCE, PLAYING CATCH-UP.” —WARD J. “TIM” TIMKEN JR.

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BLOOM CASTER Rising 180 feet above ground and submerged 90 feet below ground for an overall height of 270 feet, the $200 million caster is the biggest continuous vertical bloom caster in the world and the only one of its kind in North America.The new vertical caster uses an optimized tundish design and advanced clean steelmaking technology. PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMKENSTEEL

a variety of roles in sales and marketing So far, the division has been a “... ONE FACTOR THAT management before becoming presigood one for TimkenSteel: The MAKES TIMKENSTEEL SUCH A dent of the steel division in 2004. He company is on track for 20 to became chairman of The Timken Co. 22 percent growth over last year’s STRONG COMPANY IS THE in 2005 and served in that role until the net sales of $1.4 billion.

ABILITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES TimkenSteel spinoff. He is the greatA specialty product, a skilled TO SOLVE CUSTOMERS’ great-grandson of Henry Timken, the workforce, capital investments and CHALLENGES, AND IT ALL founder of The Timken Co. fortunate timing all have played a The split, which was decided by a part in this success.

STARTS WITH THE PEOPLE OF vote of Timken Co. shareholders, TimkenSteel has roughly 600 cusTHIS COUNTY.” came at a fortuitous time. tomers, but its offerings have one —TIM TIMKEN JR. TimkenSteel’s big customers—the thing in common: They are made for automotive, industrial, and oil and the most challenging applications.

“We let our competitors chase the easy stuff,” said Timken. gas drilling markets—all are experiencing growth spurts.

But trusting luck is pretty much the opposite of TimkenSteel’s busi“We like the hard stuff because we believe we have the knowledge to tackle it and the operational excellence to execute it.” ness plan. The company has invested “north of $300 million” in capTimkenSteel’s products can be found in drilling equipment ital investments, Timken said. Improvements include a new jumbo 30,000 feet under the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Mars bloom vertical caster, an in-line forge press and an intermediate tube finishing line.

Rovers’ bearings more than 30 million miles in space.

These investments will make the manufacturing process more “Very, very harsh environments with a lot of stress, with corrosive environments: Those are the places that our steel efficient and increase the amount and type of products TimkenSteel can sell. really holds up,” said Timken.

Ultimately, TimkenSteel is banking on its ability to offer TimkenSteel stands out from other specialty steel suppliers with its wide selection of steel grades and product sizes and customers solutions to the most difficult problems in a rapidly changing market. the broad range of order sizes it can fill.

“We have to continually renew our portfolio,” said Timken, It also offers “value-added” services, such as heat-treating noting that 30 percent of the company’s products didn’t exist and machining.

The company is intensely engineering-focused: The sales depart- five years ago. “That’s how we drive value for our customers.”

“Stark County is a great place to do business because we ment is dominated by engineers, who work closely with customers have a highly skilled and educated workforce. One factor that to identify and develop the right product for each application.

Timken became chairman, CEO and president of TimkenSteel this makes TimkenSteel such a strong company is the ability of summer, when The Timken Co. spun off its steel division into a sep- our employees to solve customers’ challenges, and it all starts arate company. He joined Timken’s steel business in 1992 and served with the people of this county.”

HEALTH CARE CantonINC

HEALTH CARE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL

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BY JOAN RENNER

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EMERGENCY Mercy Medical Center’s Emergency Department. PHOTO COURTESY OF MERCY MEDICAL CENTER

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ospitals aren’t just about putting patients in beds anymore.

“The emphasis is shifting to ‘how do you keep them out of the hospital?’ ” said Ron Bierman, CEO of Affinity Medical Center in Massillon.

How does a hospital survive by keeping patients out? By communicating, reaching out to the community and focusing on health rather than disease.

AULTMAN HOSPITAL

PHOTO COURTESY OF AULTMAN HOSPITAL

DENTAL SUITE Mercy Medical Center’s dental suite. PHOTO COURTESY OF MERCY MEDICAL CENTER

shortage of psychiatrists in the county, as well as several disparate agencies and practices serving psychiatric patients, makes this job a challenge, said Roth.

A behavioral health navigator, a clinician and a social worker now work in Aultman’s Emergency Department, matching patients with the appropriate resources and treatments.

Roth sees all of these steps as a unified effort to improve care without increasing cost.

“It’s a very exciting time to be in our business,” he said. “It’s also a very challenging time.”

AFFINITY MEDICAL CENTER Affinity Medical Center CEO Ron Bierman agrees that the hospital business is changing rapidly.

“We’re moving from a fee-for-service model to a pay-for-performance model,” Bierman said. “The conflict is paradoxical: You still want volume, but you have to focus on the value.”

The move is changing where hospitals put their resources.

Affinity is focusing on aligning with longterm care facilities and home health care agencies, where Medicare patients may be receiving treatment before or

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“We’ve got a healthcare system in America that’s not financially viable,” said Aultman Hospital CEO Ed Roth.

Aultman is focusing on “population health management,” a popular term among hospitals these days. According to Roth, Aultman intends to focus on health promotion and disease prevention “by considering the health needs of the whole person, highly coordinating care among providers, utilizing evidencebased practices and engaging individuals in their own health and wellness.”

For example, the hospital has started bringing physicians together to share their treatment plans and outcomes, in a quest to find what works. The hospital aims for much tighter communication and coordination among doctors, hospitals and departments to improve the care of each patient.

Aultman soon will start work on a new cancer care center.

“We’ll be putting all the (cancer) services in one part of our campus,” said Roth. The result of the project will be a more accessible space with state-of-theart technology, such as Aultman’s lowdose CT screening and radiation therapy that allows the doctor to deliver a small dose directly on-target.

Since the closure of Mercy Medical Center’s psychiatric unit last year, Aultman is the only one of the four Stark County hospitals that provides inpatient psychiatric health services. A

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HEALTH CARE ABOVE AND BELOW LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF AULTMAN HOSPITAL BELOW RIGHT: Affinity Medical Center’s main nurses station in the Emergency Room. PHOTO COURTESY OF AFFINITY MEDICAL CENTER

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says that Ohio’s hospitals can compete on a national level.

“I really do believe that the level of health care in Stark County is as good as it is anywhere in the country,” said Bierman.

ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL “Hospitals are going to be much more rewarded for keeping patients healthier,” said William J. James, associate vice president of support services at Alliance Community Hospital.

For Alliance, that means reaching out to patients, not waiting until a crisis brings them to the emergency department.

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“WE WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE CARING, COMPASSIONATE, SYMPATHETIC AND EMPATHETIC … PEOPLE WHO REALLY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR OUR PATIENTS. THAT’S THE TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE THIS PLACE HAS.” —WILLIAM J. JAMES ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Procedures already had increased 65 percent between 2011 and 2013.

“Our patient satisfaction scores are really, really high” in that department, said Bierman.

In July, the hospital’s new, expanded emergency department turned one year old. Visits are up 12 percent in the department, and the hospital has set a goal of keeping wait times within 30 minutes, and discharging or admitting patients within three hours of the patient’s arrival.

“Wait times have gone down significantly,” said Bierman.

Bierman, who has worked in management at hospitals in five different states,

This year, the hospital started a “health coaching” program aimed at reducing readmissions. Students in Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner programs at NEOMED and Mount Union get college credit for going out to patients to teach them how to monitor and protect their health.

“This program is really helping us to reduce the readmissions to the hospitals,” said James. “We’ve had some pretty good stories of patients calling us and thanking us for the service.”

Alliance Community Hospital also opened its second after-hours care center this year. (The first after-hours care

center has been operating in Louisville for four years.) The new center is in Alliance roughly two miles down State Street from the hospital. The center is open from 4 to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.

“It’s been a big hit,” said James. He noted that the after-hours care allows patients to avoid going to the Emergency Department with non-emergency issues. This, in turn, frees the Emergency Department’s doctors and resources for true emergencies.

Alliance Community Hospital is in its second year of its partnership with MAC Trailer. A physician’s assistant provides basic medical services at the employer’s headquarters, giving roughly 1,000 employees access to treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, and health and wellness counseling.

“It’s been working phenomenally,” said James.

Among the technology the hospital is offering is a three-dimensional MRI camera; the hospital uses it to create custom knee replacements.

But James says the hospital’s success lies in its people, not its machines.

“We want people who are caring, compassionate, sympathetic and empathetic … People who really go above and beyond for our patients,” he said.

“That’s the type of atmosphere this place has.”

MERCY MEDICAL CENTER Mercy Medical Center is no newcomer to the concept of improving patient value.

The Catholic hospital opened its new, 48-bed emergency department in September. The department, which has 15 more beds than the previous one, was designed to improve treatment and decrease wait times.

“Overall, everything is going wonderfully,” said Cindy Hickey, administrative director for public services and marketing. “We are actually seeing

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after a hospital stay.

Affinity is not yet planning to acquire any of these businesses, Bierman said— although that could be a consideration in the future. Instead, the hospital has developed a new transition-of-care committee. The committee tries to improve communication between the entities, to determine where the patient will receive the best treatment and to eliminate gaps in care as patients move between institutions.

Affinity is doing more follow-up calls on patients, particularly those with chronic illnesses, to make sure patients are following their treatment plan.

Affinity’s open-heart program grew by two percent in the last year, despite a nationwide drop in cases, Bierman said.

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numbers of patients we didn't have the capacity to see.”

The emergency department has its own radiology area, so patients don’t need to be transferred to another area of the hospital for imaging. According to one newspaper report, this should save the hospital 43 hours a day previously spent transporting patients.

The new emergency department also features a designated emergency dental triage and treatment room, which operates hand-in-hand with Mercy’s onsite dental residency program.

“Inadequate dental care is one of the greatest health care needs in our area,” said Hickey. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“OUR PATIENT SATISFACTION SCORES ARE REALLY, REALLY HIGH.” —RON BIERMAN

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In the last year, Mercy has added state-of-the-art radiological technology, designed to target cancerous areas with lower doses of radiation, and cardiac imaging that provides views of the heart in two planes rather than the standard single plane.

Like the other hospitals, Mercy is reaching out to the community: Last January, it opened a facility in Alliance that offers family practice and some imaging services.

The Alliance facility brings the total number of Mercy’s satellite facilities to nine, including the Mercy St. Paul Square facility, which completed its second year in the under-served northeast section of Canton. Mercy St. Paul Square offers primary medical care for adults and children, and dental services.

Mental health counseling is offered through Community Services of Stark County, an area nonprofit agency.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT Dr. Frank Kaeberlein in the new Mercy Emergency Department. PHOTO COURTESY OF MERCY MEDICAL CENTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

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ABOUT AULTMAN HOSPITAL ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

PHOTO COURTESY OF AULTMAN HOSPITAL

ED ROTH TITLE: CEO, Aultman Health Foundation YEARS AT AULTMAN HEALTH FOUNDATION: 34 YEARS AS CEO: 14 QUOTE: “We have great schools, excellent health care, vibrant arts and a strong base of local industry and service organizations. Residents in our community work together to volunteer and help one another in times of need. As a life-long resident, I believe Stark County is a great place to live and work.”

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LOCATION: 2600 6th St. SW, Canton YEARS IN STARK COUNTY: 122 AULTMAN HEALTH FOUNDATION CEO: Ed Roth WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Aultman Hospital is Stark County’s oldest and largest hospital—and the only one vertically integrated with an insurance provider (Aultcare) and colleges of nursing and radiology.

LICENSED BEDS: 808 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: About 5,000 (includes hospital, colleges, insurance provider) SATELLITES: 18 facilities in three counties ACCEPTS: AultCare insurance plans. Non-AultCare patients can be admitted through Aultman’s “Yes,You Can” program.

Website: www.aultman.org

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ABOUT AFFINITY MEDICAL CENTER LOCATION: 875 Eight St. NE, Massillon YEARS IN STARK COUNTY: 104 CEO: Ron Bierman WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Affinity Medical Center is Stark County’s only forprofit hospital, with access to a network of 207 hospitals leased, operated or owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems.

LICENSED BEDS: 266 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 828 SATELLITES: Seven physician offices, a pain management center and a therapy facility in Stark County; an additional therapy facility/fitness center in Orrville.

ACCEPTS: All major insurance programs.

Affinity works with out-of-network patients through its Affinity Access program.

WEBSITE: www.affinitymedicalcenter.com

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RON BIERMAN TITLE: CEO YEARS AT AFFINITY: 6 YEARS AS CEO: More than 20, at seven hospitals QUOTE: “The Stark County community is fortunate to have outstanding hospitals and exceptional physicians and staff who render care to their patients. As the healthcare climate continues to change, Affinity Medical Center will continue to adopt to meet the needs of the patients and communities we serve.”

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CantonINC HEALTH CARE

LOCATION: 200 East State St., Alliance YEARS IN STARK COUNTY: 114 CEO: Stan Jonas WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Alliance is Ohio’s only Planetree-affiliated hospital.

Planetree is a patient-oriented philosophy LICENSED BEDS: 204 (includes 68 skilled nursing beds in affiliated nursing home and 10 beds in the center for rehabilitation) NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: About 1,000 ACCEPTS: All major insurance plans, will treat out-of-network patients

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WEBSITE: www.achosp.org WILLIAM JAMES TITLE: Associate Vice President of Support Services YEARS AT ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL: 7 YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 1 QUOTE: “I’m from Youngstown, and coming out here I was shocked at how great the atmosphere is. Planetree … is just a natural fit for the kind of values we have here.”

STAN JONAS TITLE: CEO YEARS AT ACH: 17 YEARS AS CEO: 17 QUOTE: “Alliance Community Hospital is blessed to have a dedicated medical community that cares for and supports those who are less fortunate.The tight-knit atmosphere makes this a wonderful place to work and serve the needs of those that trust us with their care.We are honored to share our Planetree philosophy with the numerous people we care for each and every day.”

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ABOUT ALLIANCE HOSPITAL

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HEALTH CARE CantonINC

ABOUT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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LOCATION: 1320 Mercy Dr. NW, Canton YEARS IN STARK COUNTY: 105 CEO: Tom Cecconi WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Mercy Medical Center is Stark County’s only Catholic hospital, and the only one that offers a dental residency program. It also offers a dental emergency department.

LICENSED BEDS: 523 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: About 2,500 SATELLITES: Nine facilities in three counties.

ACCEPTS: All major insurance plans.

Mercy works with out-of-network patients through its “Your Choice” program.

WEBSITE: www.cantonmercy.org

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TOM CECCONI TITLE: President and CEO YEARS AT MERCY: 12 YEARS AS CEO: 11 QUOTE: “Mercy, which has long been highly regarded for its quality of services, is well prepared for the new government shift toward value-based purchasing or pay for performance. During this past year, we worked very effectively to reduce operating costs to provide more value to the services that we offer, and Mercy was already the low cost provider in this region.The numerous quality awards and national certifications, including five years in a row as an Energy Star facility, show our commitment to quality and cost containment.

As for future plans, we just finished a nearly two-year-long project to expand and upgrade our emergency department.We are now working with the medical staff to make sure that we are fully prepared to accommodate the increase in patients at the emergency department is now sized to handle.”

Mercy Medical Center’s St. Paul building. PHOTO COURTESY OF MERCY MEDICAL CENTER

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CantonINC

STARK ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALLIANCE

BY JOAN PORTER

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oving forward often requires looking backward. And that is what the Stark Development Board (SDB) did in an effort to bring Stark County out of the economic doldrums brought on by the loss of manufacturing jobs and the Great Recession.

They knew Stark County was in need of a major boost. A survey of business and university people a few years ago told them that. Relying solely on existing companies to provide that shot in the arm was not going to work. To move forward, Stark County and its surrounding areas needed to look backward to the entrepreneurial spirit of nearly a century ago.

With that in mind, the SDB helped

launch the Stark Entrepreneurship Alliance (SEA) in early 2013.

The SEA is a working partnership of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, JumpStart, the Small Business Development Center at Kent State University at Stark, Stark State

growth throughout the region.

To accomplish that goal, the SEA provides “one-stop” help to startups and early-stage small and medium companies in the Stark County area. Business consulting, equity or debt financing, management recruiting, product innovation,

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“The more success stories we have, the greater our reputation will become. We will keep evolving.”

—STEVE PAQUETTE ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

College, the Technology Accelerator Alliance (TA2), the University of Mount Union, Walsh University, ystark!, and the Stark Development Board. By supporting entrepreneurial ventures, SEA’s ultimate goal is to create new job opportunities and economic

legal and accounting guidance, incubation space, and mentoring and coaching are the main areas in which the SEA can help a potential or existing business owner create or grow his business. In addition, the SEA offers a speaker series and a number of business-oriented events

throughout the year.

But it’s not only advice that the alliance has to offer. Armed with $2 million from Ohio’s Third Frontier Fund for economic development and a newly formed Impact Angel Fund of 40 individual investors from Stark County and surrounding areas, the SEA is primed to provide equity financing.

That equity capital can open the door to additional venture and debt capital, money needed to help a company grow, said Alan Edie, SDB’s vice president of business development. Within the next few months, the SEA hopes to begin funding four to six companies, added Steve Paquette, SDB’s president and CEO. Only high-tech companies may apply for Third Frontier funding, since those funds have been earmarked by the state to create new technology-based products, companies, industries and jobs. The Impact Angel Fund does not have those restrictions.

A model of how the SEA will work is the SDB’s coordination with Stark State College and the East Central Ohio Tech Angel Fund to acquire funding for Tesla Nanocoatings of Massillon. After five years of working out of his home, the owner wanted to grow his business of corrosion-control coating for structural steel using carbon nanotubes. The result for Tesla was an award of $100,000 by the Innovation Fund, a regional fund supporting technology-based entrepreneurial endeavors and emerging businesses, and a space at the Stark State College Advanced Technology Center for research and development.

With funding in place, the SEA is eager to get the word out about what it can do to help entrepreneurs, said Paquette. “The more success stories we have, the greater our reputation will become. We will keep evolving.”

For additional information and to begin the application process, entrepreneurs may visit the SEA’s website at starkentalliance.com or call 330-453-5900.

CantonINC UTICA SUMMIT

RECAP: UTICA SUMMIT II C

anton calls itself the Utica Capital, and the annual Utica Summit is one reason why it can.

For the second year in a row, leaders from the energy, plastics and chemicals industry came to Canton to report on what is happening to the U.S. economy and what could happen because of the energy riches being extracted from the Utica Shale.

Utica Summit II in mid-October attracted a gathering of 225 interested business leaders to the campus of Kent State University at Stark. The event once again was produced by the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Repository and Shaledirectories.com.

The presenters were: Tom Gellrich, founder of TopLine Analytics of Philadelphia, a firm that studies the market for ethane, a form of natural gas found in abundance in the U.S. shale plays.

Michael Taylor, senior director for international affairs and trade at SPI, the Plastics Industry Trade Association, based in Washington, D.C. Anthony Palmer, vice president of IHS Chemical, who MICHAEL TAYLOR directs a consulting practice of about 200 experts in New York and California.

Dr. Iryna Lendel, an economist at Cleveland State University, who is directing a major research project to predict the five-year growth of upstream drilling, midstream infrastructure buildout and downstream chemical and plastics business growth, all based on Utica energy.

Bill Renz, general manager for GAIN Clean Fuel in Appleton, Wisconsin, a leading company in the development of CNG truck fueling stations across the country.

Rayola Dougher of Washington, D.C., senior economic

adviser with the American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and gas trade association in the nation.

Christopher Guith, senior vice president for policy with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy in Washington, D.C. The business audience drawn to Utica II from throughout Ohio and several nearby states received an update on the overall growth in energy security being enjoyed by the United States. They checked in with the growth of CNG as a commercial trucking fuel, and they received a deep briefing on the strength of the chemicals and plastics business sectors in the United States. Some natural gas molecules can be converted into the feedstocks for the chemicals and plastics industry.

Ethane, for instance, can be converted to polyethylene in an ethane cracker. Shell Chemical is coming closer to the day when it decides whether to build one for many billions of dollars in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

The establishment of one or more ethane crackers in the Utica region was a recurring theme throughout the day.

A full review of each speaker’s presentation slides is available at the Canton Regional IRYNA LENDEL Chamber’s event website, uticasummit.com. Just click on presentations in the top navigation bar to choose which speaker’s slides to review in PDF format.

Here are a few of the highlights from the speaker.

For the second year in a row, Tom Gellrich kicked off the chemicals and plastics discussion at Utica Summit.

Because of shale gas, Gellrich sees $125 billion in capital investments by the chemical industry in the 10-year period 2012-22, $20 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues during that investment period and $274 billion in economic output.

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BY DAVE KAMINSKI

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UTICA SUMMIT CantonINC

Gellrich believes it makes sense for companies such as Shell Chemical to consider building ethane crackers in the Ohio-Pennsylvania-West Virginia region because they are close to the source of ethane and because, in his view, the Gulf Coast cannot continue to absorb all of the ethane processing needs of the nation.

Taylor pointed out that the plastics industry was the third largest industry in the nation in 2012, shipping more than $373 billion BILL RENZ in goods, employing 892,000 people, operating 15,949 facilities in all 50 states and spending more than $9.6 billion on new capital equipment. Plastics employment in Ohio in 2012 numbered 68,800 jobs, second only to the 74,600 jobs in California.

Taylor cited a number of studies that showed a large number of American manufacturers were involved in, or considering, shifting of manufacturing to the United States from places such as China because of favorable energy trends.

Palmer said U.S. shale gas will produce abundant supplies of chemical feedstocks, such as polyethylene, and that chemical producers have initiated plans to invest more than $120 billion in new chemical assets and infrastructure. It is the new energy resources of the United States that create a sustainable cost advantage over other locations in the world, and that is what drives long-term capital project investment.

Lendel provided a preliminary look at a study predicting the short-term future of the Utica Shale: hundreds of new wells drilled within the next five years, total UticaMarcellus investment of $30 billion in midstream pipelines and gas processing plants through 2020, and continued

expansion of industries using chemical feedstocks from Utica energy.

One of the trends that Utica Summit has followed is the growth of compressed natural gas as a fuel for truck fleets. Renz explained why CNG is growing as a transportation fuel: a 30 to 60 percent savings in fuel costs over diesel, a plentiful supply of fuel, and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and noise levels.

Energy abundance and CHRISTOPHER GUITH opportunity were themes in the presentations by Dougher and Guith for 21st Century Energy.

Dougher cited IHS Global’s prediction of increases in industrial production across several sectors, from iron and steel to plastics and rubber. She said the new energy riches in the United States have produced about $1,200 in annual consumer savings. In Ohio, schools realized $60 million in energy savings in 2013, and state and local government realized $10.2 million in savings, she said.

Guith presented data that showed abundance but also sharp rises in worldwide energy demand. The nation’s technically recoverable resources are 120 years of natural gas, 206 years of oil and 464 years of coal.

However, energy demand will increase 56 percent by 2040, and 90 percent in developing countries, where 1.4 billion people are without electricity.

The United States is in a position of strength in energy, compared with the rest of the world, but Guith warned that the nation could “still screw this up” if federal, state and local governments tax or regulate in ways that stifle energy exploration and production.

Utica Summit III will be in Canton on Oct. 13, 2015.

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The United States is in a position of strength in energy, compared with the rest of the world, but Guith warned that the nation could “still screw this up” if federal, state and local governments tax or regulate in ways that stifle energy exploration and production.

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MORGAN CantonINC

MORGAN ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, INC.

BY JOAN PORTER usiness is looking up for Morgan Engineering Systems Inc. Literally.

Known as the world’s No. 1 supplier of overhead cranes, Morgan Engineering is making a name for itself in kinetic structures, specifically operable roof systems.

Morgan’s reputation in kinetic structures began with the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the Toronto Skydome, “the first retractable dome on this half of the planet,” explained Mark Fedor, owner and president of the Alliance company. Morgan Kinetic Structures, a division of Morgan Engineering Systems, provided the mechanical drives and idler wheel assemblies for the roof system, one of the largest movable structures in the world.

Word-of-mouth took Morgan to Seattle’s Safeco Field, where the company upgraded the wheel assemblies for the baseball stadium’s retractable roof.

Those two projects have since led Morgan Kinetic to the United States Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. Home to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships since 1978, the open-air stadium, the largest tennis-only venue in the world, is slated to get a retractable roof by 2017. The role of Morgan Kinetic Structures in adding the roof to the stadium exceeds

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FABRICATION Morgan Engineering’s fabrication processes exceed specifications of the American Welding Society, Inc. PHOTO COURTESY OF MORGAN ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, INC.

Automation was born out of a decision to automate its own cranes. That led to automating equipment built by other companies. The automation group easily can interface with a plant’s computer system to troubleshoot any automation problems. The trend in industry today, said Fedor, is to automate as much as possible. Automating processes and applications improves a company’s efficiency and reliability, thus saving money and sometimes making more

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MORGAN ENGINEERING? THE COMPANY IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, SAID FEDOR. PLANS ARE TO DEVELOP ITS OWN SOFTWARE AND ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER SERVE ITS CUSTOMERS, BOTH BIG AND SMALL. supplying the mechanical parts. Morgan also will automate the roof and has a long-term contract with the stadium to operate the roof during events.

Automation is another one of Morgan Engineering’s specialties. Morgan

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money.

Morgan’s newest automated product is the eyeCrane, 10 of which are heading to Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI), a specialty metals producer, near Pittsburgh. ATI will be the first facility to use eyeCranes handsfree cranes using cameras to determine where to pick up and place a product. The cameras gather data in real time and proprietary technology adjusts coordinates as needed.

While Morgan Engineering continues to develop new products and technology, it remains strong in its core business. Considered the world’s No. 1 supplier of overhead cranes, the company has more than 140 years of excellence under its belt. Starting out in 1868 as a small steam-hammer shop in Pittsburgh, Morgan Engineering has grown to a 520,000-square-foot facility. Known primarily as a designer of traveling cranes for aluminum companies, steel mills, electric power plants, refuse facilities, container handling and general industry, the company also manufactures transfer cars, ladles, scrap buckets and presses.

What does the future hold for Morgan Engineering? The company is constantly evolving, said Fedor.

Plans are to develop its own software and robotic technology to better serve its customers, both big and small. The automation group will continue to enhance the core product as well as kinetic structures, where there is “tremendous potential and wonderful things on the horizon,” he added. If it involves engineering, design, manufacture or remanufacture, the future also holds what has made Morgan Engineering successful—doing whatever its customers need to find solutions to their problems.

For additional information about Morgan Engineering Systems Inc., visit the company’s website at morganengineering.com.

WHAT IGNITES YOU? NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITYChanging Lives, Expanding Knowledge At Northeast Ohio Medical University, we’re on the cutting edge of the latest health care innovations. Our College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy and College of Graduate Studies are lighting the way for current and prospective students, enriching the educational experience through new and innovative studies. Through our mission of education, research and service, Northeast Ohio Medical University continues to improve the quality of health care and make a strong economic impact in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

n eomed.edu

CONTACT INFO CantonINC

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

AREA CONTACT INFO ALLIANCE

JACKSON TWP.

MINERVA

Mayor: Alan C. Andreani Alliance Area Chamber: www.AllianceOhioChamber.org Alliance Area Development Foundation: www.AllianceADF.com City of Alliance: www.CityofAlliance.com

Board of Trustees President: Todd J. Hawke Jackson Township: www.jacksontwp .com Jackson/Belden Chamber: www.JBCC.org

Mayor: James Waller Village of Minerva: www.ci.minerva.oh.us Minerva Chamber: www.Minerva Chamber.org

LAKE TWP.

NORTH CANTON

Board of Trustees President: John Arnold Lake Township: www.laketwpstarkco.com Lake Township Chamber: www.lakechamber.com

Mayor: David J. Held City of North Canton: www.NorthCantonOhio.com North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce: www.NorthCantonChamber.org

CANAL FULTON Mayor: Richard Harbaugh City of Canal Fulton: www.CityofCanalFulton-oh.gov Canal Fulton Chamber: www.DiscoverCanalFulton.com

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CANTON

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Mayor: William J. Healy II City of Canton: www.Canton Ohio.gov Canton Regional Chamber: www.CantonChamber.org

HARTVILLE Mayor: Richard A. Currie Village of Hartville: www.hartvilleoh.com

LOUISVILLE Mayor: Patricia Fallot City of Louisville: www.LouisvilleOhio.com Louisville Area Chamber: www. LouisvilleOHChamber.com

MASSILLON Mayor: Kathy Catazaro-Perry City of Massillon: www.MassillonOhio.com Massillon Area Chamber: www.MassillonOH Chamber.com Massillon Development Foundation: www.MassillonDevelopment.com

PLAIN TWP. Board of Trustees President: Scott Haws Plain Township: www.PlainTownship.com Plain Township Chamber: www.PlainTownship.com

LOCAL COLLEGES Quality: our driving force since 1954

Please call or visit one of our family of companies: Young Truck Sales, Inc. - 1-800-362-0495

New & Used Freightliner/Isuzu Sales, Parts & Service

AULTMAN COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES 2600 Sixth St. SW Canton, 44710 www.aultmancollege.edu Phone: 330-363-6347 Fax: 330-580-6654

Young Volvo - 1-800-308-0838

New Volvo Sales, Full Service Leasing, Parts & Service

JayMac Body & Frame - 1-866-601-7654

Full Service Body Shop, alignment & paint specialists

Young Trailer Repair - 330-479-8992 Trailer repair & rehabilitation

Please visit us on the web: www.youngtrucks.com

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT STARK 6000 Frank Ave. NW North Canton, 44720 www.stark.kent.edu Phone: 330-499-9600

MALONE UNIVERSITY 2600 Cleveland Ave. NW Canton, 44709 www.malone.edu Phone: 800-521-1146

UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION Complete Eye Exams • Eye Lid Sur gery Multi-Focal Cataract Sur gery • Glaucoma Eye Car e BOTOXTM Injections • Optical/Contact Lens Cor neal Transplants • Pediatric Eye Car e Refractive Laser Sur gery • Eye Muscle Sur gery

GREGORY GRAY M.D. • LAURENCE KARNS M.D. J ERRY MACHER M.D. • ELBERT MAGOON M.D. PAUL TURGEON M.D.

1972 Clark Ave. Alliance, 44601 www.mountunion.edu Phone: 800-992-6682

STARK STATE COLLEGE 6200 Frank Ave. NW North Canton, 44720 www.starkstate.edu Phone: 330-494-6170

WALSH UNIVERSITY

800 McKinley Ave. NW, Canton

330-452-8884

6407 Frank Ave. NW, North Canton

330-966-1111

www.eyecentersofohio.com

2020 E. Maple St. North Canton, 44720 www.walsh.edu Photo: 800-362-9846 | 330-490-7090

EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP STARK COUNTY Leadership Stark County, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, engages and educates Stark County’s community leaders through a range of programs tailored to meet business and community needs. LSC works with community organizations to identify, prepare and position graduates for leadership within these organizations.

The result is a core of motivated leaders with a lifelong commitment to community trusteeship. www. LeadershipStarkCounty.org, 330456-7253.

STARK CTY. EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER The Stark County Educational Service Center is committed to meeting Stark County school district needs by providing quality educational support and services for more than 60,000 diverse, wide-ranging students in Stark County. StarkCountyESC.org, 330-492-8136.

STARK EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP The Stark Education Partnership Inc. is a nonprofit education reform support organization in Stark County, crossing the lines of 17 public school districts.The partnership collaborates with educators, business and community and civic leaders to create and respond to opportunities that will add substantial and measurable value to education. www.EDPartner.org, 330-452-0829.

YSTARK! ystark!, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is Stark County’s dynamic young professional initiative.The organization works to attract, retain and engage young professionals, ultimately developing an involved and educated workforce for area businesses through programs, networking opportunities, and educational engagement. ystark! program highlights include the Twenty under 40! awards and the Fellowship Program with local businesses. www.ystark.org, 330-4567253.

INFO SESSION

April 11, 2015 t 10 a.m.

CANTON/ STARK COUNTY BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of nearly 1,600 businesses dedicated to the advancement of the economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare of Stark County. Since 1914, the Chamber has worked to advance business and develop community through partnerships, programs, services and events to achieve economic growth for Canton/Stark County. www.CantonChamber.org, 330-456-7253.

CANTON DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP The Canton Development Partnership, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a coalition of area development organizations and city government that share an interest in downtown Canton’s continual improvement, revitalization, image and quality of life for its citizens. Partner organizations include Canton Regional Chamber, Downtown Canton Special Improvement District, Downtown Canton Land Bank, Canton Tomorrow, Inc., and city of Canton. www.DowntownCanton.com, 330-456-7253

CANTON/STARK COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS’ BUREAU The Canton/Stark County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is here to assist you in your travels to our area.Whether you are organizing a tour group, a convention or sporting event, we have professional staff members ready to assist in your planning.The CVB services the community by attracting tourists, convention and meeting planners and sporting events to the Stark County area and operating the Visitor Information Center. www.VisitCantonStark.com, 800-552-6051.

CITY OF CANTON Canton is home to well-known national landmarks such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and national monument, and the National First Ladies’ Library and Research Center. Mayor William J. Healy II is aggressively pursuing new companies and businesses to the city. Canton has a wide variety of attributes that make the city a smart location for companies of all shapes, sizes and industries to locate in, and the city has programs that provide incentives for business location, relocation or expansion. www.CantonOhio.gov, 330-489-3283.

IDEACROSSING IdeaCrossing® is a free online resource that connects entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio with the resources necessary to turn innovative ideas into thriving companies, and established businesses into growing ones. By connecting entrepreneurs with vital resources, as well as providing private online collaborative environments for their engagement, IdeaCrossing can help facilitate connections between entrepreneurs, investors, business mentors and service providers. www.ideacrossing.org/neohio/crc

Selinsky Force offers unsurpassed customer service and wide-ranging capabilities in industrial construction, plant maintenance, refractory, rigging and hauling, equipment rental and pulverizer services.

With our diverse portfolio we can service all of your Industrial, Construction and Oil & Gas needs.

4244 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, Suite 100, North Canton, OH 44720 for more information call - 330-477-4527

www.selinskyforce.com

SHALEDIRECTORIES.COM ShaleDirectories.com is an online directory that connects oil and gas industry operators, their employees and families with local business.

ShaleDirectories.com provides a comprehensive list of local businesses that can serve the E&P companies and oil-field service companies in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. www.shaledirectories.com.

SHALEMART.COM Local source for Ohio shale and other related business directories. ShaleMart.com focuses on providing local resources for the shale and energy worker market. Users are the men and women employed in the shale job industry who need resources and are often new to the area. www.shalemart.com

STARK AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY SARTA provides more than 2.4 million rides a year in Stark County through fixed route and Proline services. Its goal is to ensure that Stark County residents, including employees, students, seniors and disabled individuals, have access to a quality transportation system that is both reliable and affordable. www.SARTAOnline.com, 330-47-SARTA.

STAUFFER GLOVE ƭ SAFETY Keeping you safe...

Servicing all your personal protective equipment needs for over 100 years!

Supported the Stark County Area for Over a Decade Safety Consultants Local Vending Specialist Local Safety Store Large Boot Selection Oơering FREE SHIPPING on Website Orders of $50 or More

CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECT 3866 KROPF AVENUE SW | CANTON, OH

330-484-4197

44706 FAX: 330-484-5365 | WWW.STAUFFERSAFETY.COM

RESOURCES CantonINC

STARK COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Stark County Association of Realtors®, proudly serving the Realtors®, homebuyers, and home sellers of Stark County, Ohio, strives to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically, and to promote the preservation of the right to own, use and transfer real property. www.StarkRealtors.com, 330-494-5630.

JOBSOHIO

STARK COUNTY BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION The Building Industry Association of Stark County is a nonprofit trade association affiliated with the Ohio Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. Chartered in 1945, the BIA represents and promotes the interests and concerns of the building industry and the community. The organization provides Stark County consumers and businesses with a directory of member builders. www.BIAStark.com, 330-494-5700.

STARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

CantonIncMagazine.com

Stark Community Foundation has been the community's trusted partner in giving for nearly 600 individuals, families, businesses and communities that have created funds to impact the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Since 1963, the foundation has granted more than $111 million to nonprofit organizations.

Stark Community Foundation ranks in the top 10 percent of community foundations in the United States today. www.StarkCF.org, 330-454-3426

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STARK ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALLIANCE The Stark Entrepreneurship Alliance is a virtual network to assist startup, early-stage and small/medium-size companies in the Stark County area. Their goal is to be a single point of entry for companies seeking assistance in their formation, growth and sustained viability. www.starkentalliance.com, 330.543.7637

JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation designed to lead Ohio’s job-creation efforts by singularly focusing on attracting and retaining jobs, with an emphasis on strategic industry sectors. JobsOhio is your ambassador. www.JobsOhio.com, 614-224-6446.

MAGNET MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, supports, educates and champions manufacturing, with the goal of transforming the region’s economy into a powerful, global player.The organization helps manufacturers adopt innovative techniques, and increase productivity and global access. www.magnetwork.org, 800- 669-2267.

BUSINESS RESOURCE NETWORK The Business Resource Network aggregates resources to bring Stark,Tuscarawas and surrounding county businesses specialized services, funding through grants and loans and staffing options any company can access and use to do business better. www.thebrn.net, 855-669-4726.

SCORE SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. www.CantonRegional.

SCORE.org, 330-244-3280.

SBDC The Small Business Development Center at Kent State University at Stark is a fully funded nonprofit organization devoted to helping small businesses grow and individuals start new small businesses through training programs and consultation sessions. www.CantonSBDC.org, 330-244-3290.

MINORITY BUSINESS The Stark County Minority Business Association fosters development and growth of minority-owned businesses. www.TheABCDinc.com, 330-371-0048.

OHIO MEANS JOBS Ohio Means Jobs, formerly The Employment Source, is northeastern Ohio’s premier workforce development and training center, connecting job seekers with employers by providing numerous resources. www.ESwork.com, 330-433-9675.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR FUTURE The Fund for Our Economic Future is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations and individuals that have united to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio through grantmaking, research and civic engagement. www. FutureFundNEO.org, 216-456-9800.

JUMPSTART, INC. Jumpstart provides intensive assistance and service to Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs, and selectively invests in the highest-potential companies. www.JumpstartInc.org, 216-363-3400.

TRADE CONSORTIUM The Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium is a multicounty regional economic development partnership that works collaboratively in the region with the goal of attracting capital investment and jobs to Northeast Ohio through the administration of Foreign-Trade Zone 181. www.NEOTEC.org, 330-672-4080.

OHIO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGENCY Working with partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the nonprofit sector, the Ohio Development Services Agency works to attract, create, grow and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. www.Development.Ohio.gov, 800-848-1300.

TEAMNEO TeamNEO serves companies and site consultants by acting as the single point of entry into the 16-county Cleveland Plus region, and then works with counties and communities to ensure seamless attraction into Northeast Ohio. www.Cleveland PlusBusiness.com, 216-363-5400.

STARK COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION Whether you are new to the human resources field or have years of experience, Stark County Human Resources Association is a local starting point for networking, information, professional development and continued support of excellence in human resources.The organization, founded in 1944, is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. Stark.SHRM.org, 330-451-8670.

STARK COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY The Stark County Port Authority helps to provide the Greater Stark County area with an economic development tool for new capital investment, job creation and retention.The organization helps create and preserve jobs through a wide variety of financing, real estate and foreign trade zone programs. www.StarkCoOhio.com, 330-453-5900.

STARK COUNTY SAFETY COUNCIL The Canton Regional Chamber, with support from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, administers Stark County Safety Council, one of the top councils of more than 80 in the state of Ohio.

The safety council provides a forum for safety and health information, education and networking in Stark County, through leadership, innovation, facilitation, programs and support. www.StarkCounty SafetyCouncil.org, 330-456-7253.

STARK DEVELOPMENT BOARD The Stark Development Board is a private, nonprofit corporation created to help local companies grow and expand. In addition, it actively seeks to attract new business investments to Stark County, one of the most economically viable areas in Northeast Ohio, as well as to advocate for workforce development. www.StarkCoOhio.com, 330-453-5900

STARK REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION Stark County Regional Planning Commission improves the quality of life in Stark County and its communities through an effective regional forum characterized by communication, collaboration, facilitation and planning assistance.The organization includes metropolitan planning, community development and engineering departments. www.Co.Stark.OH.us, 330-451-7389.

TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR ALLIANCE Housed on the campus of the University of Mount Union,TA2 looks to incubate companies to that of successful enterprises while connecting students to the real-world environment of startup, early-stage, and successful business operations.TA2 accommodates both physical and virtual companies along the startup and early-stage business development process. www.techalliance2.com, 330-829-6804

ON THE RUN The Kids Fun Run at the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Pigskin Run.

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