20131216-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_--
12/13/2013
4:33 PM
Page 1
$2.00/DECEMBER 16 - 22, 2013
Gas Natural under fire from PUCO State utilities commission orders investigative audit of two subsidiaries of company that has ties to Osborne family By MICHELLE PARK LAZETTE mpark@crain.com
Following what it termed an “unprecedented recommendation” by its staff, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has ordered an in-
vestigative audit of two subsidiaries of Gas Natural Inc. and all related companies, citing concerns about the companies’ internal controls, the propriety of their executive compensation system and alleged self-dealing by management,
which includes members of the well-known Osborne family of Mentor. The PUCO, which regulates investor-owned utilities in the state, also ordered the two subsidiaries — Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corp.
ON THE WEB Read the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s order at: tinyurl.com/ndg8eoz and Orwell Natural Gas Co., which are local distribution companies that serve portions of Ohio — to pay civil forfeiture fines of $26,000 and $50,000, respectively. In a 65-page opinion and order
made public Nov. 13, the PUCO raised questions about the true corporate separation of Northeast Ohio Natural Gas and Orwell Natural Gas from their affiliates, and the “inflated” fees the two subsidiaries paid to an affiliate company for natural gas purchases. The PUCO in its order said its staff’s call for an investigation into the management practices of the See PUCO Page 7
Vitamix searching for overseas blend Strongsville move could be just the start of expansion
DO YOU KNOW THESE FACES?
By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com
Vita-Mix Corp. of Olmsted Township is stirring things up in Strongsville with plans to move about 120 employees next month to the former MCPc building on Drake Road, though the maker of high-
By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com
For many people, the 2013 holiday shopping season hasn’t kicked into high gear as yet, but local retailers don’t sound too worried. Store owners and managers cited a variety of possible reasons for a slow start to December after the
50
See VITAMIX Page 5
Retailers banking on late shopping sprees Some Northeast Ohio companies attribute so-so sales to late Thanksgiving season
You should. They are our 2013 Newsmakers. Pages 11-16
end blenders could find its next growth-driven property deals overseas. Tony Ciepiel, chief operating officer of the company, which brands itself as Vitamix, said the domestic growth that prompted the latest expansions in Strongsville is smaller on a percentage basis than its growth in international sales. Thus, the family-owned company expects to decide in mid-2014 where to establish operations for the first time in Asia and Europe.
hype of Black Friday weekend; among them are a lack of spending downtime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, an increased focus on online shopping and unseasonably cold weather. But most expect sales to pick up in the remaining days before Christmas, and national expectations are for this year’s sales to exceed last year’s. Steve Presser, owner of the Big Fun toy and collectible stores in Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Columbus, said crowds are usually robust about two weeks before Christmas. That hasn’t been the case this year, which Mr. Presser attributes to a trick of the calendar. See RETAILERS Page 22
0
NEWSPAPER
74470 83781
7
SPECIAL SECTION
PATENT POWER Crain’s takes a look at some of Northeast Ohio’s most prolific innovators ■ Pages 17-21 PLUS: PATENT POWER INDEX ■ MASTER INVENTORS ■ & MORE
Entire contents © 2013 by Crain Communications Inc. Vol. 34, No. 50