Crain's Cleveland Business

SOURCE LUNCH: Sam McNulty, owner of Market Garden Brewery PAGE 26

MANUFACTURING Six new patents help Tesla Nanocoatings crack the oil and gas market. PAGE 22

CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I NOVEMBER 11, 2019

REAL ESTATE

Out-of-state option surfaces for Sherwin-Williams’ HQ

BY STAN BULLARD

Proof that The Sherwin-Williams Co.’s search for a new headquarters site extends to at least one other state and an indication of the scale of the project under consideration — a million square feet — have surfaced from observations by the top executive of a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust based in Atlanta.

Brent Smith, CEO of Piedmont Re-

BRENT SMITH, CEO OF PIEDMONT REALTY TRUST INC., SAID THE SHERWINWILLIAMS SEARCH IS “VERY EARLY” AND THE COMPANY HAS MULTIPLE ATLANTA SITES IT COULD ENTERTAIN.

alty Trust Inc., said on the Atlanta-based company’s conference call with investors and stock analysts on Oct. 31 that it’s “in the running for a potential build-to-suit for SherwinWilliams” at its Galleria office park, which is near Sun Trust Park, the home ballpark of the Atlanta Braves and about 10 miles from the midtown Atlanta arts and commerce district.

Piedmont owns five high-rise buildings with a total of 2 million square

feet in the park. Its overall portfolio consists of 55 properties in several major cities, from Boston to Chicago.

In response to an analyst’s question, Smith said the Sherwin-Williams search is “very early” and the company has multiple Atlanta sites it could entertain. He also cited press reports that other suitor cities might be Charlotte and Dallas.

“I think I wanted to mention that,” Smith said, according to a Seeking

Alpha transcript of the call, “because it demonstrates the scale of the opportunity that we have at that location. It’s effectively unhindered in terms of development only by the actual footprint itself is zoned for an effect of — you could build it even greater than 1 million square feet, although we think that’s probably logical given the overall size of the site.”

See ATLANTA on Page 23

SPORTS BUSINESS

Kaulig Companies’ new sports division has major plans, is led by Ignatius grad who manages Stipe Miocic and Myles Garrett

BY KEVIN KLEPS

FIGHTING CHANCE Jim Walter (in tie) is shown with Stipe Miocic, Miocic’s wife, Ryan, and their team following the heavyweight champ’s knockout of Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 on Aug. 17. | MIKE ROACH/ZUFFA LLC

J

im Walter used the money he had saved from a consulting job to launch a sports management and marketing agency from a folding table in the basement of his Chicago home.

Within a couple years, he was representing future UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

This past summer, he started working with Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, and in September, his agency, ASTR Sports, was acquired by Kaulig Companies Limited.

Now, Walter, a 2005 St. Ignatius High School graduate, is working in his native Northeast Ohio, and he’s happier than Miocic after another title-clinching knockout.

“Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, London, Warsaw, D.C. — I’ve lived everywhere,” Walter said.

“I’m really excited to be home.”

See KAULIG on Page 23

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FINANCE

Banks shrink their footprints while growing deposits

Consolidation remains the trend as brick-and-mortar institutions lose traffic to digital services

BY JEREMY NOBILE

Top 10 depository banks

In the deposit market, Columbus’ Huntington Bank is once again beating out Cleveland’s KeyBank on the latter’s home turf.

According to annual figures from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., updated earlier this fall and current through the end of June, Huntington is now the largest retail bank in Northeast Ohio (which Crain’s defines as 15 counties in and around Greater Cleveland) and the thirdlargest across the state.

KeyBank, meanwhile, is No. 2 in the local market and No. 6 across the state, where it’s led by Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank by a decent margin.

On the deposit front, Huntington benefits from its branch network, with more than double the number of Key’s offices in Northeast Ohio and across the state despite both companies trimming office counts.

Huntington culled its Ohio branch network by at least 32 in the past year, part of an ongoing rightsizing since absorbing Akron’s FirstMerit Bank more than three years ago. Huntington still operated the most branches of any bank with a retail presence in Ohio, followed by Fifth Third Bank and Pittsburgh’s PNC Bank.

Companies listed by market share and in-market branches.

Ohio market U.S. Bank’s grip on Ohio tightened in 2019, with a market share of 21.28%, a yearly gain of almost four percentage points. Its closest competitor is Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bank, at 14.79%, followed by Huntington (14.55%), PNC Bank (8.35%) and JPMorgan Chase Bank (8.02%).

Of the top 10 banks in Ohio, U.S. Bank and Fifth Third were the only ones to grow market share, though Fifth Third’s gains were much smaller. Everyone else lost ground over the prior year.

As consolidation remains the trend in branch strategies as brickand-mortar banks lose traffic to digital services, the number of branches across Ohio fell by nearly 2% compared to 2018, while deposits in them

OHIO, STATEWIDE Institution

Market In-market share branches

U.S. Bank Fifth Third Bank Huntington Bank PNC Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank KeyBank Citizens Bank The Park National Bank Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland First Financial Bank

21.28% 14.79% 14.55% 8.35% 8.02% 6.68% 3.14% 1.7% 1.65% 1.38%

18.81% 17.73% 12.57% 9.87% 7.99% 5.59% 5.11% 2.5% 2.15% 1.8%

264 314 453 314 256 206 99 107 21 67

Huntington Bank KeyBank PNC Bank Citizens Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland Fifth Third Bank U.S. Bank New York Community Bank (dba Ohio Savings Bank) Dollar Bank

SOURCE: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORP. DATA AS OF JUNE 30, 2019

increased by 7.5%. So Ohio customers have deposited more year-overyear, with U.S. Bank seemingly the greatest benefactor of that.

“We have made a concerted effort to increase deposits as part of a holistic banking strategy. We talk about offering one U.S. Bank to customers and about the importance of being central in the lives of our customers,” said Andi Garten, U.S. Bank’s consumer and business banking leader for Cleveland and Columbus. “This strategy is not only about attracting new customers but also about deepening relationships with existing ones.”

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Deposit battle cools off The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the third time this year on Oct. 30. It’s a stark reversal from the rising interest rate environment of prior years that included nine rate hikes between 2015-2018. This year brought the first reductions to the federal funds rate since the Fed began raising rates in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

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In the recent past, under a strong economy with rising interest rates, banks aggressively went after deposits with competitive rates on retail accounts, including savings accounts and CDs, to fund their lending businesses. But as interest rates fall, so does the spread on what a bank earns on a loan. Rates on retail products have fallen with them.

“From a deposit rate perspective,

KeyBank would typically be the leader in the regional area — as was the case by a slim margin in 2018 — but it’s been battling Huntington, which now controls Northeast Ohio with 18.81% of the market to Key’s 17.73%.

Both are well ahead of the No. 3 competitor, who at a 12.57% market share is PNC Bank, followed by Citizens Bank (9.87%) and JPMorgan Chase Bank (7.99%).

In the Northeast region, the number of branches dwindled by almost 3% over 2018, faster consolidation than the statewide rate of 1.93%. Total in-market deposits, meanwhile, grew by 4.4%.

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NORTHEAST OHIO Market In-market share branches Institution

the super high rates are not as prevalent as they were previously,” said Chris Manderfield, head of product management for Key’s consumer bank. He indicated the bank doesn’t have any plans to get aggressive on deposit rates right now.

There’s all the more of a balancing act for banks today, said Kevin Jacques, Boynton D. Murch chair in finance at Baldwin Wallace University and a former economist in the U.S. Treasury Department.

Deposit rates tend to move in tandem with federal interest rates. A lowrate environment means a low cost for deposits. A rising interest rate environment means more deposit costs, but also a greater spread on loans, which is primarily how banks make their money.

If banks are optimistic about the economy, they may want to increase lending, which means aggressively going after deposits. If they’re worried about a downturn sooner than later, they may be less aggressive on loans, yet still want to shore up deposits because of the liquidity that brings.

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The central location and 270-space parking lot made a two-building office complex in Valley View attractive for the Bricklayers and Masons union Local 5. The 150-year-old union plans to move to part of one of the buildings. | COSTAR

Bricklayers union buys pair of buildings

Valley View complex goes for $2.3M; BBB also will have new home

BY STAN BULLARD

Two suburban office buildings are about to become the new homes of two Northeast Ohio organizations with regional operations.

Supported by dime-an-hour contributions from the 1,200 members of the Bricklayers Local 5 in Ohio, its building fund has resulted in the union purchasing a new home in Valley View for $2.3 million.

Eric Puente, the local’s president, said in a phone interview Friday, Nov. 8, that the two-building complex at 9525-9565 Sweet Valley Drive was the “perfect fit” for the union because it could provide enough parking for the group to hold its membership meetings there after it moves in next spring.

“We sacrificed from our paychecks for these buildings,” Puente said.

The structures came with a 271space parking lot, according to CoStar, an online real estate data source.

The union is also becoming a landlord with the new property as the buildings, each with 11,500 square feet of space and dating from 1998, have tenants. The union will occupy about 5,000 square feet of space, the same amount it has leased for the last eight years on Rockside Woods Boulevard. The union has a full-time staff of five, but its officers, aside from financial secretary Dennis Rahe, “are in the field with our tools,” Puente said.

“If one of the tenants moves and the union needs to expand, we can,”

BANKS

Puente noted. “We thought it would be a smart move for the union to generate some rental income. We view this as a new chapter for the union and setting a foundation for future generations of members.”

The union’s search for a new home began about eight years ago, when its former headquarters at 4205 Chester Ave., Cleveland, was in such bad shape the union moved to the rented office in Independence. It later sold the building to Cuyahoga County for $325,000, and the county demolished it to expand a parking lot.

“We always wanted to own our own home,” Puente said. “We always have,” he added, except for the past eight years of the union’s 150-year history.

Being builders by trade, Puente said the union plans to invest in improving the appearance of the masonry structures. Plans include upgrades — not only outfitting the local’s new office but adding a new roof, refreshing overgrown landscaping and resurfacing the parking lot.

Puente said the cost of the improvements has not been determined.

Cuyahoga County land records say the seller was the estate of the late Sid Caplan, a Cleveland native who developed the buildings and others from shopping centers to apartments, both here and in California.

The county valued the structures at $1.87 million.

Another long-established Northeast Ohio organization, the Better Business Bureau Inc. of Cleveland, is also bound for a newly purchased

Stan Bullard: sbullard@crain.com, (216) 771-5228, @CrainRltywriter

MARKET SNAPSHOT

From Page 3

The jury is out on what the industry is feeling. In a recent meeting with Crain’s, Citizens Bank CEO Bruce Van Saun said his company doesn’t expect a recession in the next year.

And according to the October Beige Book report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, core deposits ticked down in the last reporting period, “mostly as a result of falling interest rates, although one banker commented that competition had decreased because most banks are facing ‘not enough loan demand to go after deposits.’ ” Regardless, lower rates nowadays are driving retail customers to interest-rate shop, and many are finding the best deals in online banks.

Citizens, for example, launched Citizens Access in 2018, an exclusively online offshoot that offers higher rates on deposits than customers can find at brick-and-mortar branches.

building, this one in Broadview Heights. The BBB will be moving from a rented office on the fourth floor of 2800 Euclid Ave. in downtown Cleveland.

The nonprofit paid $800,000 on Oct. 31 for the 7,600-square-foot building at 200 Treeworth Blvd., according to Cuyahoga County land records. The seller of the building, constructed in 1997, was the Greater Cleveland Dental Society Service Corp.

Sue McConnell, BBB president and CEO, said the organization, which focuses on ethical business operations, wanted to own its own home, and this purchase has made that a reality for the first time in its century of operations.

The building is larger than its current office and has room for more educational programs, she noted, as well as enough additional land for construction of another building if the BBB needs one. The Broadview Heights building has a conference room that the BBB plans to make available to other organizations.

The Better Business Bureau plans to move its full-time staff of 24 to the new building in January, McConnell said.

Both organizations have wide reach in the region. The BBB serves Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties, while the bricklayers and masons local serves workers in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Medina counties.

Banks in market Total branches Total deposits

Ohio (gain/loss)

Northeast Ohio (gain/loss)

217 (-1/-0.4%) 3,528 (-69/-1.93%) $369.2 billion (+$26 billion/+7.57%)

54 (unchanged) 1,176 (-35/-2.8%) $109 billion (+$4.6 billion/+4.4%)

SOURCE: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORP. DATA AS OF JUNE 30, 2019

The idea is customers going to physical branches get better service, while online customers may get less service but better rates.

According to Bankrate.com, Citizens Access is offering CDs from six months to five years at 1.6% to 2.25%. The national average one-year CD rate in the first week of November was 0.74%. That 2.25% rate on a one-year CD is the high-water mark night now in the industry.

“This is a bit of a cat-and-mouse game,” said Patricia Oliver, a banking consultant with Tucker Ellis. “The banks need new deposits to fund their loan pipelines, but on the other hand, they don’t want to give money away needlessly in a low interest rate

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS GRAPHIC

environment. I think many of them had guessed that the Fed would continue down the path of small interest rate increases this year. The fact that things have gone in the other direction has given them some pause as they look at their budgets and financial projections.”

As to where rates go from here, Jacques expects the Fed to sit back for a bit, barring unforeseen changes in economic indicators.

“I think we are in a pattern where we are going to hold for a while,” he said. “I expect it to hold into next year. The question is how far?”

Jeremy Nobile: jnobile@crain.com, (216) 771-5362, @JeremyNobile

4 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 11, 2019

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MANUFACTURING Detectable warning surfaces alert people with visual impairments to potential hazards or pedestrian crossing areas. | MAR-BAL INC.

Reducing Real Property Tax Assessments Throughout Ohio And Across The United States Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA

Acquisition aids Mar-Bal’s move to additional spaces Company now has a standalone products group BBY RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY

Mar-Bal Inc.’s new product line has moved it into new industry spaces and put a stronger focus on the company’s proprietary products.

Chagrin Falls-based Mar-Bal, a compounder and thermoset material molder, acquired AlertTile and Detectable Warning Systems near the end of last year.

That means Mar-Bal is now a maker of detectable warning surfaces. Such surfaces, like the raised bumps on the sidewalk before an intersection, signal to the blind and people with visual impairments that they’re about to walk into a potentially hazardous area, such as traffic or a grade change.

Mar-Bal sees opportunity for more product development in that space, said president and CEO Scott Balogh, and the company has been adding employees in product management and product engineering to meet anticipated demand.

“We feel that there’s a strong future in construction and infrastructure-related use of composites,” Balogh said.

Mar-Bal has long made proprietary products in addition to its products for specific customers, but since the acquisition, the company has added a standalone proprietary products group to its business structure. That group includes the detectable warning surface products, but also longstanding products like electrical insulator lines and fire-resistant wastebaskets. Those products previously had been embedded in the relevant industry verticals, but Mar-Bal wanted to put a stronger focus on them, Balogh said.

Mar-Bal employs about 475. It has a plant in Painesville, as well as facilities in Virginia, Missouri and China.

The company does not disclose annual revenue.

The company started working with AlertTile in 2017, explained Tony Lignetta, director of proprietary products for Mar-Bal. At the time, that meant bringing all of the company’s work under one roof, from the molding to the assembling to the shipping.

Prior to that, AlertTile’s supply chain was fragmented, Balogh said.

“It was pretty clear to us we could handle everything for them, as well as their distribution,” he said.

Soon, the previous owner of AlertTile approached Mar-Bal about acquiring the business outright, Balogh said.

Mar-Bal acquired AlertTile and

Detectable Warning Systems, with which AlertTile had previously had a strategic partnership, for an undisclosed price in September 2018. That acquisition expanded Mar-Bal beyond its core electrical, appliance and industrial markets and into the construction and safety markets.

Mar-Bal’s detectable warning surface line includes a variety of products, both flexible and rigid. They can be cast in wet concrete or surface-applied, Lignetta said.

The company is looking to grow its portfolio in the space so it can offer an even broader range of products to its customers. For example, Lignetta said the company wants to add a cast-iron detectable warning surface product to its line.

In addition to adding new materials to the tiles, Mar-Bal plans to introduce new designs, Balogh said. The company will also begin offering adjacent products for places such as crosswalks, bus stations and parking decks.

Lignetta said the company sees a lot of demand in this space, in part due to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with which new construction must be compliant.

There are different ways to meet ADA specifications, but Lignetta said he thinks the composite tiles Mar-Bal makes have some benefits over bricks or stamped concrete. They’re lightweight and durable, and they can be made in any color.

But to grow, he added, Mar-Bal knows it needs to build a stronger network across the country. To that end, Mar-Bal added a warehouse in California to better serve the West Coast.

That addition, which is located at one of the company’s manufacturing partners, happened in the first quarter of 2019. At the end of the second quarter, the company expanded its warehouse in Virginia. And Lignetta said Mar-Bal is looking for another location, and possibly another partner, to add more warehouse space in the future.

The manufacturing of the new products is taking place at the company’s Virginia plant, where it added presses and molds to grow capacity, Balogh said. The new products didn’t require any direct investments in MarBal’s Ohio plant, where it makes resins and compounds, but that plant is producing higher volumes of products.

Rachel Abbey McCafferty: (216) 771-5379, rmccafferty@crain.com

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Global program will be a local showcase for entrepreneurs BBY JAY MILLER

A weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Northeast Ohio begins Monday, Nov. 18, with the goal of stimulating the development of new businesses and breaking down the silos that slow down that effort in the region.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Northeast Ohio includes 14 events in Akron, Cleveland and Hudson. Organizer Pauly Suchy said he expects at least 4,000 people to attend at least one event.

The local program is part of an international project that has affiliates

in 170 countries. As elsewhere around the world, it is designed to showcase the region’s resources for would-be entrepreneurs and established business operators, give them opportunities to network and educate them on best practices.

“During Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), thousands of partners throughout the country hold events, activities and competitions to celebrate and support local entrepreneurs,” said Ellen Bateman, director for U.S. ecosystems at the Global Entrepreneurship Network, the event sponsor. “GEW serves as an opportunity to remove barriers and welcome

all to participate in entrepreneurial activities as well as collaborate within their ecosystem.”

The Global Entrepreneurship Network was founded in 2008 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Mo. Now, according to the foundation, 25 million people around the world participate in more than 25,000 activities. The Cleveland group held its first series of programs last year, attracting 500 people to five events.

“We’re just making the region super-focused on entrepreneurship, laser-focused, for an entire week,” said Suchy, director of business development with the Akron office of Bio-

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flightVR, a California company that works with hospitals to develop virtual-reality training programs for doctors and other health care providers.

“It will be about where we’re headed, where we’re going, who’s doing what.”

Suchy first connected with one of the entrepreneurial network’s affiliates while doing work for BioflightVR in South America. “The president of the South American Global Entrepreneurship Week got me connected with some of these folks,” he said. “I got in touch with them and they gave me the opportunity to step up and become the regional host in Cleveland because I told them, ‘We don’t

have this at home.’ ” The biggest event is the Dare to Dream retreat, one of many similar programs around the world. Dare to Dream is a daylong event sponsored

by John Carroll University and the Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, a program of the Pepper Pike-based Veale Foundation, that encourages high school students to pursue their dreams. It has already sold out the 1,000-seat Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square, according to the website.

Founder Fest targets people who have started, or hope to start, a business in software, food, health and other businesses. Its programs, which run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will range from the care and feeding of entrepreneurs to how to scale up from $1,000 to $1 million in revenue, and will include a discussion with venture investors from Northeast Ohio.

Founder Fest events are sponsored

by BlueBridge Networks LLC, a Cleveland IT service management firm, the nonprofit JumpStart Inc. and the Midtown Tech Hive, a co-working space. The day’s events will be at JumpStart and Midtown Tech Hive, both along Cleveland’s Health Tech Corridor.

Lorne Novick, JumpStart senior partner for services and deal flow management, said his organization sees the week’s events as a way to stimulate new businesses and attract new clients to JumpStart, a nonprofit that provides services and investment capital to early-stage businesses.

“There is a heavy emphasis on networking and on founders and entrepreneurs working together to learn more about each other, which is an important part of being entrepreneurial,” he said. “And then it does seem like there certainly is an emphasis on the youth and, from my perspective, in terms of driving clients here to work with us at JumpStart, selfishly, that focus on the youth is an area Cleveland definitely needs more emphasis on to drive the younger entrepreneurs, to create a longer, sustaining pipeline.”

In addition to Dare to Dream, the week includes Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Cleveland on Tuesday, Nov. 19. That program is scheduled to bring at least 15 women entrepreneurs to the 78th Street Studios at 1300 W. 78th St. in Cleveland to share how they are applying new technologies and innovative thinking to bring products to market.

There will also be a daylong Black Entrepreneurs Summit on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society in University Circle. The program will focus on marketing, legacy building, establishing a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem and blockchain.

The Burton D. Morgan Foundation of Hudson, another key sponsor of the week, has helped put together four programs in Akron and Hudson. One of those is an event the foundation has sponsored independently for seven years, the Hudson Library & Historical Society’s Entrepreneurial Pitch Night.

Pitch Night is a “Shark Tank”-style event where seven entrepreneurs can pitch their capabilities to a panel of judges. The first-place finisher will win $5,000 and mentoring sessions with the judges, while two runnersup will receive $2,500.

Jay Miller: (216) 771-5362 jmiller@crain.com

6 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | November 11, 2019

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EDUCATION

Art institute fine-toons its animation program

$1.5 million investment in department is paying off, via program’s 17% enrollment jump

BY RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY

The Cleveland Institute of Art has long had ties to the animation industry, but less than a decade ago, it didn’t have a dedicated program for it.

Today, CIA’s animation program is growing fast, gaining students and settling into a new, state-of-the-art center.

“The explosion of interest in animation among our student body has been striking,” said Grafton Nunes, president and CEO of the Cleveland Institute of Art. The school saw a small dip in overall enrollment this fall, from 670 students in fall 2018 to 645 in fall 2019.

But enrollment in the entertainment arts — animation, illustration and game design — has been growing in recent years. This fall, animation, which has 69 students, saw the largest year-over-year increase of the three, growing by almost 17%.

This summer, the Cleveland Institute of Art invested about $1.5 million to renovate and equip a new space for its animation department. The bulk of that funding went directly to the creation of the new center, while the rest supported renovations needed because of the program’s move.

Before the renovations, illustration and animation shared space, which affected the number of students the institute could accept in those programs,

Cleveland Institute of Art faculty member Daniel Olszewski watches student Dustin Geiger create an illustration with a Cintiq and Adobe Photoshop. | ROBERT MULLER/CIA

said Anthony Scalmato, associate professor and department chair of the animation program. The renovations doubled the capacity for both programs.

The animation program began eight or nine years ago, after Scalmato was a student himself. He learned about storyboarding and drawing at the school and taught himself some of the basics of animation by watching films frame by frame.

Scalmato started teaching at the institute in 2012 while working at American Greetings. A year later, he joined

the faculty full-time, with the goal of helping the animation program grow because he saw the potential it held.

Animation has a lot of applications beyond the entertainment industry, Scalmato noted. It’s used in industries from sports to education to medicine to product development, and showing students those different career opportunities is a focus for CIA’s program.

“Pretty much every industry is affected in some way by animation and, more importantly, storytelling,” Scalmato said.

After joining the institute, Scalmato quickly got to work making the animation program more focused on industry. He brought in industry veterans to serve as faculty and put a stronger emphasis on client projects that allowed students to gain real-world experience working with companies. Those projects led to more internships, which led to employment after graduation, Scalmato said.

Recent graduate Alex Marek said he liked that the institute’s animation program was well-rounded instead of focusing on a specific style of animation or a particular set of artistic skills. He entered the program without a lot of digital art experience. Today, he’s working on contract or freelance jobs for American Greetings and Sesame Workshop.

Marek had two internships during his time at the institute with those same companies. He said he thinks the internships helped him break into the industry and led to the work he’s doing now.

“It’s definitely taught me everything that I know,” he said.

The entrance to the new center features video screens showing student and alumni work, and a wall inside boasts posters of films worked on by graduates, including the “Lord of the Rings” and “Avengers” series.

The center has classrooms full of

equipment that students can use outside of class hours, as well as open collaborative space. Some of the center’s features, like the green-screen room, existed before, but others, such as a dedicated stop-motion room, are new as of the renovations.

The center also has about 30 Cintiqs, which are large tablets students can draw on, and some of the latest software students need in animation, Scalmato said.

Beyond the benefits to the animation program, he pointed out that the larger space and the increased number of faculty will help the department offer more electives to students outside the major.

Nunes said an interdisciplinary approach is “absolutely essential” to the institute’s students, who typically don’t want to be restricted to one subject. The institute strives to give them exposure to related disciplines.

“They want to explore. They want to play. They want to experiment,” Nunes said.

To continue growing, CIA will continue to invest in faculty and technology, Scalmato said. The plan is for the institute’s digital programs, including animation, to expand into augmented reality and virtual reality.

Rachel Abbey McCafferty: (216) 771-5379, rmccafferty@crain.com

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PERSONAL VIEW

Post-9/11 veterans are helping to reshape region

RICH WILLIAMS FOR CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

BBY ELIANA J. TURAN

EDITORIAL

Taking a bow On Oct. 23, the board of the Gordon Square Arts District (GSAD) voted to wrap up the nonprofit’s daily operations and suspend its work on Dec. 31, 2019. A board task force is working to conclude the organization’s operations and determine which, if any, programs will be transferred to other neighborhood-based nonprofits.

However, the group’s decision to fold its tent isn’t due to a scarcity of funds or volunteers, such as plenty of other nonprofits experience. Instead, it’s a statement that the arts district’s original mission has been accomplished, its work is done.

“The Gordon Square Arts District has been a successful collaboration for 12 years and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished,” said Fred Bidwell, co-chair of Gordon Square Arts District’s board of directors, in a release. “There are many able organizations in the neighborhood today that will continue our mission to offer a thriving arts center and free, inclusive arts programming.”

GSAD was formed in 2007 to undertake a joint capital campaign by Cleveland Public Theatre, Near West Theatre and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, with additional leadership from Cleveland City Councilman THE GORDON SQUARE Zone, to revitalize the ARTS DISTRICT MIGHT Matt section of Detroit Avenue beALSO SERVE AS A MODEL tween West 45th and West 80th streets, focusing on the FOR THE MANNER OF arts and culture to attract investment.

ITS DEPARTURE. When the campaign was completed in 2014, it had raised $30 million to expand and renovate CPT, build NWT and preserve and refurbish the longshuttered 1921 Capitol Theatre, converting it into a moviehouse. It also funded streetscaping and construction of parking lots for residents and visitors, and formed the first Special Improvement District in Cleveland outside of downtown.

The district is now home to five performing arts theaters, the Capitol, the Happy Dog music venue, more than 60 artists’ studios and galleries, as well as a host of trendy restaurants.

GSAD’s work created jobs and encouraged entrepreneurship.

In addition, it stabilized the area’s population, stemming what

had been a flood of departures (average home prices there had sunk to $16,000 by 1990, and the poverty rate was 40%). Today, hundreds of new housing units have been added, and the Detroit Shoreway area now attracts not only artists but young professionals, young families and empty-nesters.

Visiting the neighborhood during his tenure as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Rocco Landesman said, “I wish I could transplant what is happening in Gordon Square all around the country, because not only are they engaging their own artists and their own artistic ethos, but they are transforming a neighborhood, a community. And that kind of model is what we want to highlight and showcase and bring all across the country to every community we can.”

Americans for the Arts agreed, writing that “GSAD has become a national model of how to use the arts to boost economic development and job creation through preservation and renovation of historical buildings and complementary new construction.”

Now, the Gordon Square Arts District might also serve as a model for the manner of its departure.

While the nonprofit was originally scheduled to dissolve after the capital campaign’s completion, its board voted instead to extend its work in the community for a few years. A subsequent master plan still envisioned that the arts district’s success would ultimately spell the end of the nonprofit.

Such a model wouldn’t fit every nonprofit, of course, but it might be appropriate for some to set themselves a mission more defined in its scope, with a plan to eventually close up shop once that goal was attained rather than maintaining their fiefdom, dragging out fundraising indefinitely and trying contort their mission in new and unrelated directions to remain relevant. Instead, they could step aside, as GSAD is doing, to pass the torch to other organizations and free up donor dollars to support other worthy goals.

The Economist once wrote that GSAD “has essentially applied economic shock paddles to an entire area.”

Now, that patient is stable and able to thrive on its own again — but too many other Cleveland neighborhoods face the same challenges that once nearly gutted Detroit Shoreway.

The template is there and it’s been shown to work. Is there a doctor in the house?

Publisher and Editor: Elizabeth McIntyre (emcintyre@crain.com) Managing Editor: Scott Suttell (ssuttell@crain.com) Contact Crain’s: 216-522-1383 Read Crain’s online: crainscleveland.com

Recently, I unearthed a box of old pictures, letters and artifacts. Like a time capsule, the box had hidden undisturbed while the years passed by. Smiling, I saw that most of the relics were from my Army days, and my eyes rested on one item in particular. It was a picture of me sitting in a chair, my hair buzzed short just above my clean-cut baby face.

In my arms, I held my newborn neph- Turan is associate director ew’s tiny body.

It was late December 2001. I was of community home on leave to visit my family and — campaigns for despite the holiday cheer — I was the United Way stressed. I was a soldier in the 101st Air- of Greater borne, and the Sept. 11 attacks had just Cleveland. devastated the world as we knew it.

Units across the U.S. were mobilizing to fight in Afghanistan, the first front on what would become the Global War on Terrorism. Looking back, it all still seems like yesterday. But as I thought about my nephew the other day, I realized that he will be turning 18 this year — old enough for him to fight in Afghanistan himself.

It was then I grasped that an entire generation has matured in the wake of those terrible attacks. In turn, the veterans of the post-9/11 generation are returning home to THE VETERANS OF reshape their communities, THE POST-9/11 including Greater Cleveland.

A new, unforeseen millennium

GENERATION ARE RETURNING HOME TO RESHAPE THEIR COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING GREATER CLEVELAND.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many Americans looked toward the new millennium as the start of a profound peace.

As a xennial (the first millennials), I grew up believing that war was coming to an end. However, that assumption shattered the day of the attacks.

As such, a relatively small, all-volunteer group of young Americans deployed repeatedly to danger zones like Iraq and Afghanistan while also serving in fault lines the world over: Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Bosnia, etc. Meanwhile, they struggled to provide for families, look after loved ones and somehow preserve the lives they'd left behind. They weathered divorces and deaths, family fights and foreclosures, PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, substance dependencies and suicides.

But the War on Terrorism was not all. The post-9/11 veterans saw the first of the climate crises. Storms, floods and fires — previously considered once-in-a-lifetime disasters — have become increasingly common, driven by a warming, evermore-crowded world. Storms like Katrina, Sandy, Maria and Harvey decimated the coastlines while California has burned.

Leaders and innovators Tempered by the fire of these hardships, Cleveland’s post9/11 veterans are returning home and reshaping the city. In the long view, they are following in the footsteps of service members before them. For example, the GI generation following World War II (my grandparents included) migrated to the Midwest en masse to build homes, highways and automobiles.

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited. Send letters to Crain’s Cleveland Business, 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44113, or by emailing ClevEdit@crain.com. Please include your complete name and city from which you are writing, and a telephone number for fact-checking purposes.

See TURAN on Page 11

Sound off: Send a Personal View for the opinion page to emcintyre@crain.com. Please include a telephone number for verification purposes.

10 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | November 11, 2019

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OPINION Providing a private travel experience that exceeds expectations

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sewer District aims to meet needs and contain costs TO THE EDITOR: The Personal View by Lance Traves in the Oct. 14 issue of Crain’s Cleveland Business about increasing sewer rates in Northeast Ohio highlights an ever-increasing challenge: How do wastewater utilities provide one of the most critical life-sustaining and business-sustaining services while minimizing costs for all customers? As the CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, I share his concern.

Traves notes that Cleveland’s competitive edge is an abundant supply of fresh water from Lake Erie. I agree; however, that edge does not happen by chance. Like manufacturing companies invest in their business processes, the Sewer District invests in sewer infrastructure. The endgame is the same: to benefit our community and economy.

The Sewer District has been part of this community since 1972. In that time, it has invested $5 billion to improve water quality and create jobs. And, just like any well-managed business, the Sewer District makes strategic financial decisions to best meet the needs of the community and environment. For example, Traves highlights an increase in the professional services budget in 2017.

It’s important to note that those costs were specifically related to a critical and thorough assessment of the region’s sewer and stormwater systems, both of which are critical to our work and the region’s growth.

Investment requires a keen eye on controlling costs, and health care continues to be a challenge. This is not unique to the Sewer District. While we’ve realized cost savings in natural gas and electricity, as Traves notes, the long-term savings will be seen in big-ticket categories such as bond refinancing and value engineering.

Just this summer, the Sewer District realized a $37 million savings from a bond refinance.

I live in this community and want to see a robust manufacturing sector. However, there are additional costs to treat wastewater produced by many manufacturers.

Some pretreatment is mandated, whereas other companies choose to pretreat their wastewater to cut costs.

Some industries opt not to pretreat and are charged accordingly. If we don’t equitably charge these process-heavy users, the costs are incurred by everyone else.

The Sewer District understands the concerns related to increasing costs and takes our role as public servants seriously. We have a proven track record of working closely with our customers to find creative and innovative ways to address the costs, and I invite any customer to call me directly with questions, concerns or just to better understand our business.

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

Nonprofits must embrace diversity in boardrooms Thank you for the important article “Diversity powers Cleveland’s nonprofit sector” in the Oct. 28 issue of Crain’s Cleveland Business. Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) could not agree more. In fact, the very next day, at BVU’s 2019 Nonprofit Leadership Summit, two sessions addressed this critical topic.

In the session “Untapped Potential: Recruit, Retain and Engage People of Color on Your Nonprofit Board,” Randy McShepard, vice president of public affairs for RPM and co-founder of Policy Bridge, said, “It breaks my heart that we have not moved the needle,” in response to the statistic that the levels of board diversity have mostly remained unchanged since 1994.

In 2017, 90% of chief executives and 84% of board members report as Caucasian, according to the “Leading with Intent: 2017 BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices” series of studies. BVU’s luncheon plenary speaker, Kevin Clayton, vice president of diversity, inclusion and engagement for the Cleveland Cavaliers, discussed the need to make diversity, equity and inclusion part of the organization’s strategic plan. He stated that “increasing the diversity of our workforce increases the value that we add to our customers.”

In terms of recruiting and engaging diverse board members, McShepard recommended that nonprofit boards ask the right questions. For example: Are people of color comfortable serving on this board? What can our board do to be more inclusive and welcoming? He suggested that boards need to become more comfortable having the uncomfortable discussions, and new and diverse perspectives in the boardroom need to feel heard.

BVU interviews, trains and matches people to serve on nonprofit boards. At any given time, 95% of the boards we work with are seeking diversity, specifically minority professionals, for their boards. Since 2010, at least 12% of the individuals who participate in BVU’s board matching program have been minority professionals. In order to move the needle, nonprofit boards need to be clear on why diversity is important in their boardroom, and how diverse voices will be heard.

Boards will need to look beyond “who they know” and perhaps even redefine how a board member can be effective. BVU is partnering with Policy Bridge and others to move the needle further.

As Greater Cleveland Food Bank CEO Kristin Warzocha affirmed in Crain’s Oct. 28 article, “The more diverse we are, the stronger we are.”

Elizabeth Voudouris Executive vice president, BVU

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thought and social justice. This critical propensity was born from the often-conflicting narratives surrounding many of today’s global conflicts, which have forced service From Page 10 members to step outside of rhetorical comfort zones as a Likewise, the returning veterans from Korea and Viet- matter of survival. As such, their prevailing worldview is nam ushered in the Information Age, complete with typified by nuanced thought patterns, strong ideals and computers, cellphones and satellite connections. Now, pragmatic approaches — again, the building blocks of any Cleveland’s post-9/11 veterans are shaping Cleveland’s innovative economy.

Likewise, the post-9/11 military community has applied fourth Industrial Revolution, powered by the same disruptive technologies they developed to wage the War on some of the most significant desegregation policies since Terror: the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, vir- the Vietnam era. For example, when I enlisted 19 years ago as a pansexual transwoman, tual reality, etc.

Further, our repatriated BEYOND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND PERSONAL I had to serve in secret beservice members are guid- CHARISMA, POST-9/11 VETERANS SHOW A cause of both “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and a militarying in a new era of leaderwide prohibition on female ship in civilian life. On the STRONG PROPENSITY TOWARD OPEN THOUGHT troops serving in combat national level, two of the AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. units. Now, LGB and female 2020 presidential candidates are veterans of the Afghan and Iraq wars. Likewise, a new service members are free to serve openly according to their wave of local leaders are working their way up through abilities, rather than being barred based on biological sex Greater Cleveland’s boardrooms, public offices and startup and/or sexual orientation. And while the military ban ventures. After all, the abilities to organize, inspire and em- against trans service members continues to target many of bolden through personal example — often in chaotic, dy- our troops, the majority in the military community remain namic, high-pressure environments — are indispensable determined to create a day when all are free to serve acassets in any industry. cording to their talents, courage and dedication. Not surprising then, that these same service members are earning leadership roles in the civil rights struggles back home.

Free-thinkers and trailblazers Let us work to honor the contributions of our veterBeyond technical expertise and personal charisma, ans by making Cleveland that safe and prosperous post-9/11 veterans show a strong propensity toward open home for all, as well.

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NOTABLE WOMEN VETERANS IN THE WORKFORCE

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Area companies that craft strategies to reach veterans are often rewarded with an experienced, skilled and dedicated workforce | BY DOUGLAS J. GUTH

In 2012, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. made a commitment to hire 1,000 U.S. military veterans over the course of three years. The tiremaker reached its goal a year early, and since then has worked to put additional vets on the payroll. Goodyear’s percentage of veterans in its U.S. workforce (6.7%) outpaces the annual national average by nearly a point, an effort reflected among other local companies seeking to hire a talented if sometimes underappreciated demographic.

Through veteran recruitment, Northeast Ohio businesses are bridging a civilian-military divide that persists in today’s workforce. A 2016 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative reported that while veterans are top recruiting targets, employers don’t always understand the difficulty of transitioning from a rigid military environment back to civilian life.

“With less than one-half of 1% of

all Americans serving in uniform over the last 10 years, HR professionals and hiring managers often lack sufficient knowledge about military service or the skills acquired during that time,” the report stated. “Further, many have misperceptions about military service and whether veterans suffer from an invisible injury like post-traumatic stress.”

Area companies are crafting strategies to not only reach veteran

About Crain’s notable women veterans in the workforce These current and former female service members are held up by colleagues, superiors and others as leaders and role models within their workplaces as well as in the wider community. The profiles were written by freelance reporter Leslie Green.  PAGE 13

 Rebecca Bidinotto  Destiny Burns  Maia Hansen  PAGE 14

 Kirsten Lino  Chelsea Treboniak  PAGE 15

 A. Renée Jacobs  Christine Young

candidates, but to ease their adjustment into the workaday world as well. As part of its military recruiting campaign, Goodyear has forged partnerships with veteran-friendly job sites such as Hirepurpose. Internal support and networking opportunities, meanwhile, are boosted by an employee group consisting entirely of ex-service members.

Officially chartered in 2013, the Goodyear Veterans Association provides new hires with crucial information and resources, from adaptive communication training to how they can translate military skills into the corporate realm. Over the years, the group has become a powerful word-of-mouth recruiting source, noted Gary VanderLind, Goodyear’s senior vice president of global human resources.

“It’s an informal network of connections and relationships for referrals, and members are participating in interviews and our onboarding

process,” VanderLind said. “When a veteran comes in, we want to make sure they’re connected with someone who could be a mentor. Once we get this momentum going, veterans become our best advocates.”

Instilling military values According to VanderLind, veterans, National Guardsmen and reservists are drawn to Goodyear’s team-oriented approach, which centers on delivering the highest-quality products. Ingrained values such as leadership, dedication and commitment can put veterans at a hiring advantage.

“These characteristics are tough to train in others, but they’re already part of the military DNA,” said VanderLind. “Combine that with technical expertise and that’s a powerful combination.”

See VETERANS on Page 14

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NOTABLE WOMEN VETERANS IN THE WORKFORCE

Rebecca Bidinotto

Destiny Burns

Maia Hansen

``Title: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland

``Title: CEO and founder, CLE Urban Winery, Cleveland Heights

``Title: Senior partner, McKinsey & Co., Shaker Heights

``Service branch: U.S. Army

``Service branch: U.S. Navy

``Latest degree earned: Master of health science in anesthesia, LaRoche University

``Latest degree earned: Master of science in public administration, Central Michigan University

``Latest degree earned: MBA and master of science in civil and environmental engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lt. Col. Rebecca Bidinotto served as chief CRNA during her deployment to Afghanistan. Bidinotto earned numerous medals after joining the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in 2000. Now, she serves in the U.S. Army Reserve Nurse Corps.

“Lt. Col. Bidinotto has a profound commitment to her clinical practice and the Army profession,” stated Lt. Col. Craig Budinich, Landstuhl, Germany. “Her infectious sense of intense confidence and deep empathy radiates to all staff and patients with whom she interacts and promotes an environment of professionalism and safety. An outstanding educator, she delivered cutting-edge presentations to anesthesia providers and support personnel.”

As associate director of the nurse anesthesia program at the University of Akron, Bidinotto has added specialty training, changed the classroom environment and chaired one of the busiest committees in the School of Nursing. At MetroHealth, she recruited top CRNAs and has administered projects to improve anesthesia delivery and increase patient safety.

“Ms. Bidinotto was probably the most requested CRNA at Metro,” said MetroHealth program director Brian Radesic.

“She was requested to do anesthesia for the department chair’s family three times, for staff anesthesiologists, for children of many colleagues and for several PACU staff.”

Bidinotto has volunteered her valuable skills to medical missions in Guatemala and Honduras, where she was the sole anesthesia provider for three medical missions aiding adult and pediatric patients with minimal resources.

After 20 years and six promotions, Destiny Burns, a former volunteer firefighter and EMT, retired from her post as deputy program manager and operations officer for the National Reconnaissance Office of the U.S. Navy. From there, she led business development for a Fortune 200 defense company.

Then, three years ago, Burns followed her passion for wine by returning to her hometown and using her retirement savings to establish CLE Urban Winery. She brings to wine what microbreweries brought to beer. By importing nonfinished raw materials (grape juice) from high-quality California and Italian suppliers and then finishing the process of winemaking in her urban factory, Burns combines quality with a local twist. CLE Urban Winery operates a tasting room and sells to restaurants, grocery stores and other wineries.

She also established a strategy to give back, which includes developing a special wine whose proceeds go to the Cleveland Heights Fire Department. So far, she has donated more than $50,000 to causes in the community and led fundraisers that resulted in more than $100,000 in donations.

Burns serves as treasurer of the Greater Cleveland Fisher House, which is similar to the Ronald McDonald Houses but for the Veterans Administration Hospital system. She also is an ambassador for Key Bank’s Key4Women program.

“She is a model for all women” said National Key4Women director Barb Smith. “She turned passion into vision, vision into concept, and concept into success. I also love that she is one of our program ambassadors and therefore shares her talent with other women leaders.”

Lt. Maia Hansen served four years with the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps. during which she was stationed in Charleston, S.C., and at a NATO base in Sicily. She has told colleagues that her military service “built discipline into her DNA.” Now, Hansen oversees McKinsey’s operations and organizational practices, working with product manufacturers, distributors and retailers across the consumer health care value chain.

She managed the lean transformation of one major pharmaceutical company’s 15 plants and realized a 25% cost reduction, with improved quality metrics and a culture-change program for approximately 10,000 client personnel.

“I have recently had the opportunity to work closely with Maia on a multi-organization effort to accelerate growth through innovation in Northeast Ohio,” said PwC partner Mark D. Ross. “One might wonder how well two consultants from competing firms would work together, but the opportunity to collaborate with Maia has been incredible. She brings exceptional insights with no ego and truly understands the meaning of teamwork.”

Hansen also serves on the Corporate Advisory Committee for Case Western University and the board of LAND studio.

“Maia has been a colleague for a generation and has the qualities of a strategist and diplomat all bred into one,” said Joe Roman, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. “She has helped so many economic development initiatives in Cleveland, professionally and from the sidelines, during that timeline that she deserves a dozen of these awards.”

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NOTABLE WOMEN VETERANS IN THE WORKFORCE

VETERANS

From Page 12

Congratulations to our Director of Spiritual Development and Agency Chaplain

Rev.A.Renee Jacobs for Being Honored as One of Crain’s Notable Women Veterans in the Workforce

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUOUSLY ENRICHING THE LIVES OF OUR CLIENTS AND EMPLOYEES! www.OhioGuidestone.org

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THANK YOU

VOTERS FOR SUPPORTING ISSUE 3!

Where futures beginSM

Goodyear isn’t the only local company doing right by veterans, noted Bryan McGown, board chairman of Neovets, a Cleveland nonprofit connecting service people to employers and other resources.

Solon-based fluid systems manufacturer Swagelok functions like a military operation, with a company culture its veteran employees are more than accustomed to, McGown said.

“Military personnel are used to black-and-white rules,” he said. “Ei-

ther you’re on time or you’re not; there’s no in-between. And there is an understanding that mission is everything. When the mission’s objective is met, everybody wins.”

Neovets — which counts Cleveland Clinic, Hyland and Cuyahoga Community College among its clientele — offers area businesses an overview of service branches as well as the specific types of training veterans receive on active duty. Access to Department of Defense Joint Service Transcripts provides companies further information on military schooling and work history, but couched in civilian language.

However, dry information and sta-

Kirsten Lino

A

Title: Sales execution program manager, Huntington National Bank, Cleveland

 O

 Service branch: U.S. Marine Corps  Latest degree earned: Completion, Flight Equipment Technician School, U.S. Marine Corps

Cpl. Kirsten Lino served from 1992-94 as a parachute rigger and supply administrator for Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 in Beaufort, S.C., and then from 1994-2000 in the Reserves in Brook Park. In the service, she learned flexibility, fortitude and teamwork.

After the Marines, Lino employed her mission-driven leadership skills as a commercial banker at ShoreBank, KeyBank and then FirstMerit, where she led a team and 1,300 business-banking customers through the merger of FirstMerit and Huntington National banks. In 2018, Huntington promoted Lino to her current position, where she manages sales strategy execution for business banking.

“She empowers her colleagues to try new ideas and coaches them to achieve outstanding results, and she empowers women throughout the community through a lens of equity,” said Julie Tutkovics, executive vice president and chief communications and marketing director at Huntington.

Lino also is a board member and past chair of the Women’s Network, where she was integral to launching a gender-equity study of women’s executive and leadership roles in Summit County.

She also was key to the Network’s collaboration with Leadership Akron and the launch of the Women’s Network Community Leadership Institute.

“If I could pick one person with the ability, drive and strategic insight to lead a grass-roots organization into a sustainable nonprofit, it would be Kirsten Lino,” said Women’s Network executive director Jan Conrad.

“Her passion for the mission of empowering and growing women leaders is infectious, and her heart for serving in whatever capacity needed to make that a reality is the leading reason Women’s Network is still growing and thriving in Northeast Ohio.”



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Chelsea Treboniak  Title: Owner and president, Critical Ops LLC, Westlake  Service branch: U.S. Army  Latest degree earned: Bachelor of science in management, United States Military Academy at West Point

Capt. Chelsea Treboniak served in the U.S Army for six years as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division, the 18th Airborne Corps and the 1st Special Warfare Training Group. As the most decorated female diver in U.S. Army history, she was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.

After launching Critical Ops in 2012, Treboniak grew the company into a leader in risk management for emerging technology, health care, critical infrastructure and financial services industries. Critical Ops serves universities, tribal organizations, government entities and small-to-midsized companies.

Treboniak graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in 2018 and completed an entrepreneurial mentorship through Notre Dame University’s National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program.

The Small Business Administration recognized Critical Ops as its 2019 Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for Northeast Ohio and the Sumter, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce honored her with its 2017 Young Professional of the Year award.

Treboniak serves on the supervisory committee for the Credit Union National Association and gives back to the community. She organized resources and donations to build a new preschool playground in South Carolina. The national recognition she received for her work on a 2019 entrepreneurial-based baking competition earned her a grant from the ALDI Action for Healthy Kids program.

14 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 11, 2019

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tistics can never replace human interaction, a message McGown instills in his growing employer network.

Organizations are required to respond within 48 hours of a candidate submitting a contact form. McGown suggests companies schedule special outreach events that are less about recruiting than establishing a brand supportive of service members and their families. At Hyland, veterans are given olive-drab T-shirts, a straightforward, cost-effective means of building that rapport.

“Simple things like that go a long way in telling employees you care about them, and tells the public you want to hire more vets,” McGown said.

Building ‘a productive life’ Another Neovets client, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, has 32 veterans working at three treatment plants, an environmental services facility and its Euclid Avenue headquarters.

The district’s IT director and security chief are both veterans, while members of every service branch are represented throughout the organization.

NEORSD created a military-centric employee service group, part of a push to raise awareness around a segment of skilled individuals amounting to 8% of the adult population. Hiring managers use an occupation translator called O*Net to

A. Renée Jacobs  Title: Director of spiritual development and agency chaplain, OhioGuidestone, Berea  Service branch: U.S. Army

match applicants with civilian job openings based on education, training, skills and experience.

“Technical skills in the Navy translate to what we do here, especially in stormwater or wastewater processes,” said Constance Haqq, director of administration and external affairs for the district. “We have a maintenance training program that gives employees hands-on experience.”

Veterans are always going to need a hand in leaving a structured military environment for a less stringent civilian workplace, said Joshua Burns, director of the veteran student success program at Cleveland State University.

Burns, a former Army combat engi-

Christine Young  Title: Senior paralegal, Dworken & Bernstein Co. LPA, Painesville  Service branch: U.S. Army

massive difference.”

A first-generation college graduate, Burns understands how his fellow vets may only have cursory knowledge of tutoring programs or financial benefits inherent in the college experience. Companies have business incentives for hiring service members as well, in the form of tax breaks like the IRS Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Ultimately, Burns said, more companies should be considering a talented population known for its loyalty and discipline.

“Veterans deal with misconceptions about being angry or violent, when they just want to have a productive life,” he added. “There’s a lot of resiliency there.”

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 Latest degree earned: Master of divinity, Hood Theological Seminary

Rev. A. Renée Jacobs quieted fears as a battalion chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve and continues to share in the joy and sadness of others as chaplain of OhioGuidestone, a foster care and family services agency.

At OhioGuidestone, she provides spiritual and emotional support for those the agency serves as well as the employees charged with their care. Jacobs also trains volunteers in mentoring children and assists with their weekly spiritual group, Faith Friends.

Jacobs developed New Employee Support Training (NEST) with an understanding of the importance of employee retention. The program, for both new and seasoned staff members, emphasizes OhioGuidestone’s commitment to creating and maintaining a safe and nurturing environment where employees can prosper personally and professionally.

She also developed We Care, which ensures that any employee who experiences a loss or celebratory moment receives a personal card, and the Calendar of Kindness on the agency’s intranet, where staffers can share stories of how people spread joy. Under her leadership, OhioGuidestone won the Helping Hands Award from the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County for spiritual care services and tools.

Jacobs is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains and the American Legion and a contributing member of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries (UMA), which oversees the faith-based EAGLE Accreditation Program.

“I have been impressed with her ability to listen and share her thoughtful voice to support our work in promoting, inspiring, empowering and recognizing excellence in human service ministries,” said UMA president and CEO Mary Kemper.

“Rev. Renée has enriched the lives of our clients and employees by being there for their joys and sadnesses,” added Benjamin Kearney, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for OhioGuidestone. “Her contagious smile and infectious laugh enrich the lives of everyone who comes in contact with her. Rev. Renée’s guidance on spiritual concerns quiets the fears of our day-to-day lives.”

neer who served two deployments in Iraq, is currently developing a workforce pilot program for military students within 18-30 credits of graduation.

Launching early next year, the endeavor will pair students with fellow veterans in their preferred field. Mentors will help young charges with résumés, interview techniques or any additional concerns regarding their employment search.

Burns said he remembers his own issues explaining to HR managers how disarming roadside bombs would be a transferable skill in the workplace.

“I learned the message is not as important as the way you deliver it,” he said. “Veterans tweaking how they express their skills can make a

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Christine Young actively participates in Team Red, White and Blue and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, organizations that, respectively, support other veterans through physical and social activity and provide them with basic needs like food and shelter.

Young, who began her legal career as a secretary, now handles multimillion-dollar litigation matters for Dworken & Bernstein’s class-action department. This includes responding to hundreds of class member inquiries, ensuring status reports and data conform to the terms of settlement agreements and court orders, and disbursing relief funds to class members and charities and nonprofits.

At the same time, she is responsible for hiring, scheduling, payroll and other administrative tasks related to the employment of temporary employees and independent contractors.

“The military teaches loyalty. Chris demonstrates that daily, always wanting to put the job and the company first before her own needs or obligations,” said Dworken & Bernstein senior partner Patrick Perotti.

Young also plays an integral role with the Boy Scouts of America as the unit tools team lead for the Cub Scout Division, Lake Erie Council. In April, she won the Council’s Division Award of Merit.

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NOVEMBER 11, 2019 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 15

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THE LIST

Savings Institutions Ranked by Northeast Ohio deposits

BANK NAME

6-30-2019

6-30-2018

% CHANGE

2018 LOCAL MARKET SHARE %

1

Third Federal Savings & Loan 7007 Broadway Ave., Cleveland 44105 800-844-7333/thirdfederal.com

$6,088.6

$6,118.4

-0.5%

5.9%

$8,497.3 $13,900.2

1,050

Marc A. Stefanski chairman, president, CEO

2

Ohio Savings Bank, a division of New York Community Bank 1801 E. 9th St., Cleveland 44114 216-588-4100/mynycb.com

$2,341.2

$2,190.3

6.9%

2.1%

$26,911.6 $47,095.9

2,813

Anthony Donatelli executive vice president

3

Dollar Bank FSB 1301 E. 9th St., Cleveland 44114 216-736-8934/dollar.bank

$1,961.5

$1,943.8

0.9%

1.9%

$6,671.9 $8,391.4

1,364

William M. Elliott Jr. executive vice president

4

First Federal Lakewood 14806 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 44107 216-529-2700/ffl.net

$1,618.4

$1,480.3

9.3%

1.4%

$1,480.3 $1,907.0

390

Timothy E. Phillips president

5

Westfield Bank FSB Two Park Circle, Westfield Center 44251 800-368-8930/westfield-bank.com

$1,194.0

$1,039.2

14.9%

1.0%

$1,039.2 $1,396.1

180

Jon W. Park chairman, CEO

6

Northwest Bank 457 Broadway Ave., Lorain 44052 440-244-8014/northwest.bank

$886.3

$896.8

-1.2%

0.9%

$8,198.0 $9,641.1

2,241

Kevin Nelson president, Ohio region

7

First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Lorain 3721 Oberlin Ave., Lorain 44053 440-282-6188/fflorain.bank

$315.0

$319.1

-1.3%

0.3%

$343.3 $423.1

97

Michael E. Brosky president

8

Geauga Savings Bank 10800 Kinsman Road, Newbury 44065 440-564-9441/geaugasavings.com

$193.4

$181.7

6.4%

0.2%

$181.7 $264.2

50

James E. Kleinfelter president, CEO

9

Conneaut Savings Bank 305 Main St., Conneaut 44030 440-599-8121/conneautsavings.com

$58.3

$59.1

-1.4%

0.1%

$62.1 $77.2

21

Jim Greenfield president, CEO

Home Federal Savings & Loan Association of Niles 55 N. Main St., Niles 44446 330-652-2539/homefedniles.com

$58.0

$58.7

-1.4%

0.1%

$58.7 $100.4

11

Daniel E. Csontos president

LOCAL DEPOSITS (MILLIONS) RANK

10

TOTAL DEPOSITS/ ASSETS (MILLIONS)

FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STAFF COMPANYWIDE 6-30-2019

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

RESEARCHED BY CHUCK SODER: CSODER@CRAIN.COM Source for financial data: FDIC. Numbers are as of June 30, 2019. Includes deposits in these 15 Northeast Ohio counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne. Send feedback to Chuck Soder: csoder@crain.com

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16 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | November 11, 2019

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11/7/2019 3:01:59 PM

MANUFACTURING

PPG Industries seals the deal on new Cleveland lab Pittsburgh-based company invests in space that is part of its ‘flagship’ facility for automotive OEM work BBY RACHEL ABBEY MCCAFFERTY

Automotive adhesives and sealants, if working correctly, are the kind of products no one’s going to notice. There are sealants to keep water out and to muffle sound. Structural adhesives glue materials, like plastics and metals, together, reducing the need for welding.

But these behind-the-scenes products represent a big potential growth area for Pittsburgh-based paint and coating maker PPG Industries Inc. That could be a good thing for Cleveland, where PPG recently invested in a new automotive OEM adhesives and sealants lab.

The lab had originally been in Michigan, but having it in Cleveland will allow for greater collaboration.

The 42-acre Cleveland campus is the “flagship” facility for PPG’s automotive OEM work, said Gary Bennett, PPG’s senior global general manager for automotive OEM adhesives and sealants.

All the coatings that go on a vehicle, from the clear top coat to the adhesives, have complex interactions, Bennett said, and they have to work together. Being in the same complex will allow for more in-person collaboration that used to have to take place remotely.

“It’s really going to allow us to devel-

Chemists test the strength of a new structural adhesive at PPG’s new adhesives and sealants lab in Cleveland. | PPG

op systems that work very much in concert with one another,” Bennett said.

PPG repurposed some space on its Cleveland campus for the approximately 2,000-square-foot lab, Bennett said. All of the equipment, however, is brand new. The lab features a variety of material-testing equipment, as well as the equipment needed to mix and make batches, Bennett said. He declined to share the specific investment PPG made in the new

47,000 worldwide. Currently, the new lab has about a dozen employees, some of whom relocated to Cleveland from Michigan. Four chemists are new hires and the company is now looking to add more technicians, Bennett said.

He added that the new lab, which has been running for about a “THERE’S SUCH A STRONG month, will be a TALENT POOL WITHIN THE customer-facCLEVELAND MARKETPLACE.” ing one focused on bringing ——Gary Bennett, PPG’s senior global new products to general manager for automotive market.

That OEM adhesives and sealants means PPG plans to bring automakers in from around the world to see the work being done there.

While the automotive market overall has been slowing, some of the areas in which the adhesives and sealants department is working, such as lab, but said it was “in excess of seven lightweighting and electric vehicles, are markets where PPG sees growth. figures.”

In addition to increased opportu- For example, its adhesives could be a nities for collaboration, Bennett said component for lightweighting vehiCleveland was also attractive to PPG cles as automakers look to reduce because of the skilled talent available weight and increase fuel efficiency. in the region.

And the department has products “There’s such a strong talent pool that can control how heat is managed within the Cleveland marketplace,” in batteries, which could be importhe said. ant for electric vehicles. An electric PPG has about 700 employees on vehicle’s battery pack has more coatits Cleveland campus and about ings on it than the rest of the vehicle

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combined, Bennett said.

“We’re very bullish and optimistic on our outlook for the lab and how this lab is going to grow and really enable us, as a global organization, to be successful,” Bennett said.

Julie Fream, president and CEO of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association in Michigan, also sees growth potential for automotive suppliers in trends like lightweighting and electric vehicles. Lightweighting in particular is having a “tremendous impact on the industry,” she said, adding that she expects that to continue because of its role in improving fuel efficiency.

As automakers start to use different materials in their lightweighting efforts, sealants and adhesives take on more importance, ensuring those materials can stand up to the automotive environment, Fream said.

The same applies to electronic vehicles, which Fream said are eventually expected to be lighter than their gasoline-powered counterparts.

Electric vehicles will have new structural and battery needs that could also lead to the use of different materials in their manufacture.

“There’s a real need in the industry for both adhesive and sealants to be developed to support it,” Fream said.

Rachel Abbey McCafferty: (216) 771-5379, rmccafferty@crain.com

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11/7/2019 3:10:08 PM

THE PANEL ERIC BAISDEN

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON #METOO SPONSORED CONTENT

Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Practice Group Benesch

As co-chair of Benesch’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Eric Baisden maintains a national labor and employment practice through which he litigates on behalf of employers before federal and state administrative agencies and in trial and appellate courts throughout 45 states. He litigates claims of wrongful discharge and discrimination, including ADA, age, race, pregnancy, gender and sexual harassment and intentional torts. He also has significant experience in protecting employers from unfair competition, litigating the enforceability of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements. Eric has handled numerous cases under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state wage and hour laws, including collective and hybrid class actions. His litigation experience also extends to cases pertaining to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and claims relating to executive compensation and change of control agreements associated with corporate mergers and acquisitions.

ANTHONY W. COLLY System Director, Employee Relations and Absence Management Summa Health

Addressing workplace assault and harassment

U

nwanted comments or staring. Expecting a date or sexual favor in exchange for a request. Making vulgar or offensive jokes about a coworker. Gossip. Intimidation.

Inappropriate touching. Workplace harassment is broad and can take on many different forms, and the #MeToo movement has shed light on the prevalence of assault and harassment at work. Prior to the #MeToo movement, studies found that only 6% to 13% of individuals who experience harassment file a formal complaint, but by the end of 2018, complaints had increased by 12% over the previous year, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Despite the increase in formal complaints, many employees who experience harassment do not file a complaint out of fear of retaliation, blame or inaction. Meanwhile, a study by HR Acuity found that the number of companies requiring mandatory investigations in response to claims nearly doubled from 23% in 2016 to 41% in 2018. That means almost 50% of companies still don’t require an investigation of every complaint.

Indeed, there is still much work to be done before workplaces feel 100% safe, for all.

What can companies and organizations do to reduce or eliminate workplace harassment?

How can they make workplaces feel comfortable and harassment-free? Crain’s Content Studio — Cleveland turns to professionals in the legal and employee relations sectors to address these and other questions pertaining to harassment in the workplace.

Anthony has more than 20 years of recruiting and employee relations experience. As system director of employee relations and absence management at a large health system, Anthony ensures the fair, efficient and effective implementation and application of Summa’s employment-related policies, procedures, practices and collective bargaining agreement for nonbargaining unit and bargaining unit staff. He is an expert on employment matters and regularly counsels staff on workplace conflict resolution to help facilitate healthy work relationships. Prior to his current role, Anthony spent four years as the human resources manager of Summa Rehab Hospital, where he spearheaded all HR activities related to opening a freestanding 60bed rehab hospital. He led the development of HR operational policies and employee engagement surveys while administering payroll and performance improvement plans. Anthony also worked for the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years in a variety of roles. Initially, as a recruiter, he focused on fostering community and organizational relationships to fill critical Air Force vacancies throughout the world. He also had the opportunity to build a number of high-performing recruiting teams and develop effective training programs tailored to individual needs.

JOHANNA FABRIZIO PARKER Partner Benesch

Johanna Fabrizio Parker represents and counsels management clients in a wide range of complex employment matters, including claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Those claims stem from protections under the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as well as other state laws. She also represents management clients in employee benefits litigation, including cases involving retiree medical benefits. She practices in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. Her litigation experience ranges from single plaintiff cases to large class actions. Johanna also provides daily counseling on employment-related matters and compliance issues, such as personnel management, employment policies and handbooks, investigations and corporate reorganizations and reductions in force.

She is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and the John M. Manos Inn of Court.

This advertising-supported section is produced by Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland, the marketing storytelling arm of Crain’s Cleveland Business. The Crain’s Cleveland Business newsroom is not involved in creating Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland content.

11-11 Crains Virtual Roundtable.indd P018_P021_CL_20191111.indd 18 1

11/7/2019 11/6/19 3:18:55 3:28 PM PM

SPONSORED CONTENT

Q&A What can businesses do to encourage employees to report harassment? What are the risks if employees do not report this type of behavior?

JOHANNA PARKER: An important first step is to make sure employees know how to raise these concerns. Of course, there is often (if not always) a procedure specified in a policy or handbook, but a reminder can help, and can show that you want to listen.

At the same time, I would encourage front-line supervisors and managers to keep their eyes and ears open for these issues, and bring them to HR (or whomever is meant to receive them), even if there is no formal complaint. The next step is how you address a complaint, both in terms of whether/how you take action to correct inappropriate behavior and how you treat individuals who come forward. Both the employees involved and others are watching here — and a fair and respectful process will help to let others know that it’s really OK to raise a concern.

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies have to take training and the complaint reporting process seriously.

Companies should start training at orientation and conduct regular follow-up training. New hires should formally acknowledge training on the policy at hire, not just that a policy exists somewhere in the handbook.

The orientation needs to include the policy and reporting procedures for violations of the policy. Harassment policies should be visible and clearly state that complaints made under the policy will not result in retaliation.

Upon receiving a complaint, an investigation must be conducted and consequences need to follow as appropriate. When employees see that a company is serious about dealing with legitimate claims of harassment, they will both be more likely to report complaints and to conform behavior to appropriate norms in the workplace.

What procedures should companies be following in response to a complaint?

What is the proper response?

ANTHONY COLLY: In dealing with complaints for any situation, not just #MeToo, I always recommend managers or HR conduct investigations every time they become aware of potential violation of company policy and/or state/ federal law. The investigations steps

11-11 Crains Virtual Roundtable.indd P018_P021_CL_20191111.indd 19 2

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

‘‘

Companies have to take training and the complaint reporting process seriously.

Companies should start training at orientation and conduct regular follow-up training.... Upon receiving a complaint, an investigation must be conducted and consequences need to follow as appropriate.”

— ERIC BAISDEN, Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Practice Group, Benesch

are consistent, but the length and detail of an investigation can vary. An investigation includes, at a minimum, documenting the initial complaint.

I always recommend including who, what, when, where, why, how and a list of witnesses. All witnesses should be interviewed; video surveillance if available should be reviewed, and a documented interview with the accused must be conducted.

After all the facts are gathered, decision makers must review the facts and identify if any violations of law or policy occurred. If so, consistent steps should be taken to ensure the behavior is stopped and not repeated in the future. Ultimately, establishing a process for dealing with violations of policy or law ensures managers

have a process for dealing with difficult situations. It also ensures an organization is investing in a culture that cares about their employees, one that believes employees should be able to come to work and feel comfortable and be productive.

ERIC BAISDEN: The company’s policy should be followed, and an investigation should be conducted.

Every complaint needs to be treated as a legitimate complaint. Some investigations are going to be more involved, particularly if there are witnesses involved. Nonetheless, each and every complaint needs to be

#METOO

treated seriously. Once the complaint has been investigated, HR needs to follow up with the complaining party and, to the extent disciplinary action is warranted, take action.

JOHANNA PARKER: There is no one-size-fits-all for investigations, and I wonder whether the statistics referenced in the roundtable introduction really track reality.

It may be how people define investigations. Some complaints warrant a more formal investigation and include multiple interviews and a summary report. In other complaints, there may be nothing to “investigate,” as in, there is no witness, or a concrete issue has not been identified. Those situations still need to be addressed, but that investigation may start and stop with the initial discussion with the complaining party.

I do think every issue needs to be addressed. I like to see the complaining party write down his/ her complaint so the employer can really understand what is at issue. I also like to make sure that the employers “close the loop” and let the complaining party know what happened (in as much as is permitted due to any confidentiality

November 11, 2019 S2

concerns). Too often, employees can be left wondering. Knowing the result — even if they don’t like it — is important.

#MeToo has highlighted employees’ lack of trust in HR departments and how HR handles reported incidents. What can corporate HR departments do to build this trust back so all employees are comfortable reporting these type of incidents?

JOHANNA PARKER: First, as I discussed in response to the first question, how you treat people in investigating concerns and how you respond to those concerns sets the overall tone for HR’s interaction with employees. Beyond this, getting out there with the employees in more informal settings is key here. I know HR has to maintain confidentiality and often can be closed off from the overall workforce. But I would encourage your HR team to make an effort to eat lunch in common areas, attend department meetings and even offer an “open house” to engage with employees when there is not necessarily a problem or issue.

ANTHONY COLLY: In general, the value HR brings to an organization is the support and professionalism it provides its employees. If employees don’t trust their HR department, it almost always points to a failure in one or both areas. HR must provide defined policies and a process that handle complaints in a timely and confidential manner. An organization should have zero-tolerance policies for retaliation.

Employers should proactively train all employees on harassment and reporting options. I always recommend establishing a welldefined investigation process that includes steps to protect all employees involved as well as the work environment from further potential harassment. A complaint must be thoroughly documented because it is the roadmap for the entire investigation. It identifies witness, dates, times, locations and details of the complaint.

Completing the investigation and taking timely, appropriate action will establish and build trust with employees and management. #MeToo is an important example. It is a serious situation that if left unchecked can demoralize the workforce, lower productivity and result in financial liability for the organization.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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S3 November 11, 2019

ROuNDTABLE DISCuSSION

#METOO

SPONSORED CONTENT

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ERIC BAISDEN: I do not necessarily agree with the premise of this question. The employers that I work with on a daily basis have a history of handling reported incidents in a prompt and effective manner. It is important that any HR department has properly trained anyone investigating complaints to make a prompt, thorough and unbiased investigation. This includes, to the extent possible, keeping the claims and information included in the report confidential. Confidentiality cannot be absolute in these types of investigations, but the audience of who needs to know can be kept small and still be effective in addressing the issues raised in an investigation.

To be credible, an organization has to be able to address both unsubstantiated and substantiated situations appropriately. And has to be willing to apply the same standards for an investigation throughout all levels of the organization. Favoritism or turning a blind-eye to a situation because of who is involved is the fastest way to destroy credibility in the HR function and will lead to an unwillingness to make complaints.

Will the #MeToo movement cause, or has it already caused, boards and investors to become more involved or interested in the company culture?

What can companies do to demonstrate to their board/ investors that they “get it” and want to create a culture of gender equity, genuine inclusiveness and zero tolerance at all levels?

JOHANNA PARKER: I have always liked the concept of “sponsor” (as opposed to mentor). Women and other minorities need real opportunities to have a seat at the table, and having a sponsor (as in, someone who has that seat) goes a long way toward making that happen.

Also, it is not enough just to say it.

When I had kids, my dad told me that they will be looking so much more at what you do versus what you say. I think the same advice holds true here; what leadership actually does in terms of diversity is worth so much more than any statement.

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies were already focused on diversity and inclusion efforts before #MeToo. #MeToo has simply shone a bright light on another specific problem in the workplace. Too often these efforts have been misguided or half-hearted in an attempt to be able to portray the particular entity as meeting certain diversity or inclusion goals.

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If companies want to create an inclusive and diverse culture, they have to come up with a way to reward individuals in the organization who make genuine efforts and achieve results in these areas, even though it may not immediately show up on the bottom line.

What are some other key solutions that can and should be implemented in the workplace in general to eliminate workplace harassment?

JOHANNA PARKER: It starts with education. While there is certainly increased attention on this issue in the media, we can’t assume that everyone just gets it. Employees at all levels need to understand what is not acceptable behavior.

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies should have regular and systematic training on a variety of topics including harassment. More than that, companies need to adopt a culture that promotes civility in the workplace and holds managers and supervisors accountable when they fall short of these standards and yet also rewards those who are leaders in promoting an inclusive and collaborative culture.

ANTHONY COLLY: In general, eliminating workplace harassment begins with strong leadership. A leadership team must lead by example and establish a culture that ensures a safe work environment for all employees. Initial steps to eliminating harassment include establishing comprehensive workplace harassment policies that define harassment, clearly identify reporting procedures and emphasize a zero toler-

‘‘

A leadership team must lead by example and establish a culture that ensures a safe work environment for all employees.

Initial steps to eliminating harassment include establishing comprehensive workplace harassment policies that define harassment, clearly identify reporting procedures and emphasize a zero tolerance for retaliation.”

— ANTHONY W. COLLY, System Director, Employee Relations and Absence Management, summa Health

ance for retaliation. It is also important to establish expectations and train employees.

I also believe how the organization responds to a complaint is critical in fostering the desired culture. How we respond to complaints will ultimately send a leadership message. What will that message be? Are complaints taken seriously, is confidentiality important, did we protect complainants, and was the accused treated appropriately and given an opportunity to respond? Failing to establish policies, processes and effectively responding to complaints will result in a lack of trust in an organization.

Has your organization made any changes to its leadership composition, and if so, what and how?

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies are focused on efforts to bring more diversity to the C-suite. C-suite leaders also are more vocal concerning the company culture and expectations for all levels of the organization. I have seen real efforts to diversify leadership teams by gender.

What are some of the ways in which #MeToo has impacted your workplace?

JOHANNA PARKER: I recently presented on this topic and found (per a recent survey by the Pew Research Center), the majority of people (51%) — men and women — say the increased focus on sexual harassment/assault won’t make much difference for women’s workplace opportunities. And according to a LeanIn/McKinsey 2018 report, women still are underrepresented at every level.

ERIC BAISDEN: On the positive side, most companies that I work with already have zero-tolerance policies in place. But now, employers are more likely to enforce the policy more stringently, and the disciplinary consequences for violations of the policy tend to be more severe as well.

Companies are also focusing on more formalized training and mentoring of all employees concerning appropriate interactions in the workplace. #MeToo has had some negative unintended consequences in this regard, as well. Clients have experienced situations where male supervisors are less willing to engage in socializing or mentoring with female subordinates. A recent study confirmed this is more than an isolated trend when it reported there is a general hesitance of male supervisors to engage in mentoring or activities outside normal work hours with female subordinates.

Approximately 55% of men and 47% of women in the survey believe it is now more difficult for men to navigate these interactions. This is an unanticipated negative impact of #MeToo that may stifle progress.

What types of harassment training do you utilize? Has that changed at all, and if so, how?

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies have a tendency to bring this training in-house because of the cost (both direct and indirect) for training of all employees. More companies are looking to third-parties to provide a more polished/individualized product and sometimes combining harassment training with other types of diversity and inclusion training.

Even companies doing a good job with training have looked at ways to increase training and awareness of anti-harassment initiatives.

Companies also are focusing more on emphasizing inclusion and diversity at all levels. continued on next page

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JOHANNA PARKER: Some of the states now require anti-harassment training, and in at least one jurisdiction, the training has to be interactive.

How have organizations in general changed their harassment or reporting policies and procedures?

ERIC BAISDEN: Virtually all of the companies that I work with have compliant harassment policies and reporting procedures. Most also do a good job in training on their policy and investigating claims. So for them, it is simply continuing to build on the foundation that was already in place to prevent harassment in the workplace.

#METOO

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

‘‘

serious of keeping the workplace free from harassing behavior and allow everyone to focus on doing their jobs.

People spend a significant amount of time at work, work outside of the office and often regularly interact with their coworkers even when not working — whether in person or on social media. Given the wide reach, work and workplace interactions no longer can exist only in a separated world.”

— JOHANNA FABRIZIO PARKER, Partner, Benesch

What role do companies and organizations play in ensuring that workplace harassment or intimidation of any kind is eliminated?

ERIC BAISDEN: Companies have to take the lead in setting the cultural tone for the work environment, including providing robust training

programs for anti-harassment, inclusion and diversity for employees at all levels. Executives should actively participate in the training and visibly commit to enforcing the policies.

Accountability for any failures to meet these expectations and rewards for doing so will show the organization that the company is truly

ANTHONY COLLY: Companies have a responsibility to provide a work environment that is free of harassment and discrimination.

They are also required to comply with both state and federal law.

Company policies defining what harassment and intimidation are should be established. The development of education will communicate company expectations. These are steps in the right direction, but will not always eliminate bad behavior. Companies should also invest in a workplace culture focused on respect and trust for all employees. Combined with solid policies, training and appropriate investigation into complaints will go a long way in

November 11, 2019 S4

reducing workplace harassment.

JOHANNA PARKER: People spend a significant amount of time at work, work outside of the office and often regularly interact with their coworkers even when not working — whether in person or on social media. Given the wide reach, work and workplace interactions no longer can exist only in a separated world. While companies and organizations don’t need to (or want to) regulate all activity among their employees, the current state of the law (as well as the direction it seems to be moving) should motivate organizations to set the standard for acceptable behavior. They also need to hold people accountable when/if they step out of line — no matter the position. Can we make kindness the new normal?

Managing editor, custom and special projects: Amy Ann Stoessel, astoessel@crain.com Project editor: Kathy Ames Carr Graphic designer: Lisa Griffis For more information about custom publishing opportunities, please contact Amy Ann Stoessel.

“Benesch always does a good job of explaining what our options are and giving us counsel from a very pragmatic approach aimed at keeping matters moving forward and reaching effective agreements.”

FRITZ KOHMANN CFO, Shearer’s Snacks Not every company has an on-site legal team, but the right legal partner can make you feel as if you do. Fritz and the Shearer’s team rely on Benesch to help them handle a wide array of legal matters touching all parts of Shearer’s business—from contract negotiations, M&A deals and IP protection to leases, litigation, employment and more. They know they can count on the Benesch team for a practical, risk-intelligent perspective that cuts through legalese and focuses on the business. It’s the convenience of in-house counsel with the advantage of wideranging business experience and deep legal knowledge.

To learn more about our relationship with Shearer’s, visit beneschlaw.com/myteam

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MY BENESCH MY TEAM Featured team (left to right): ROBERT A. ROSS, W. ERIC BAISDEN, COREY CLAY, MARGARITA S. KRNCEVIC, JOHANNA FABRIZIO PARKER, JOSEPH N. GROSS AND RICK HEPP © 2019 Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP ShearersSnacks4c_10.25x7Ad.indd 1

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AKRON MANUFACTURING

Massillon's Tesla Nanocoatings may be about to hit a gusher The maker of corrosion-proof coatings has six new patents this year, sees big opportunities in the oil and gas market

BY DAN SHINGLER

Todd Hawkins thinks his company, Tesla Nanocoatings in Massillon, is about to strike it big in the oil and gas industry.

The company, which received six patents this year for its technologies and processes, makes corrosionproof coatings for metal, especially steel. It sells them to customers who need to protect metal assets in harsh environments such as saltwater.

Think offshore oil rigs and commercial and military ships.

All told, the company now has been awarded 22 patents for its technology, including 12 in the U.S. and the rest abroad, Hawkins said.

In the past year, Tesla has sold about $5 million worth of its coatings, and in 2019, it turned the corner to become profitable. That’s something Hawkins said he could have achieved last year, but he chose instead to invest further in the company and its intellectual property.

So far, Hawkins is working with a fairly small staff. He’s got 10 employees in Massillon and four working in the South on projects in the Gulf of Mexico, he said.

Now, Hawkins is getting his shot at the big leagues, he said. A major oil producer and smaller oil and gas customers are testing his coatings, including on offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

If it works like Hawkins says it does and is approved for use, Tesla is likely to hit a revenue gusher, he said. Some

Tesla Nanocoatings sells its corrosion-proof coatings to customers who need to protect metal assets in harsh environments, such as saltwater. The company is targeting the oil and gas industry. These pipes are used to extract oil from the Casablanca oil platform, operated by Repsol SA, in the Mediterranean Sea. | BLOOMBERG

experts in offshore drilling who know about related corrosion problems said there’s definitely a big market and opportunities out there. So, what does Tesla Nanocoatings make exactly?

“Disruptive carbon nanotechnology,” Hawkins called it, explaining the technology is based on what are known as “carbon nanotubes” — ittybitty tubes of carbon discovered in

the 1980s in nature that are now being produced commercially. They’re so small, you’d need to cluster thousands of them together to get a fiber the width of a human hair, Hawkins said.

But in large numbers, they are mighty, he said, and can be used to produce extremely tough and selfhealing coatings like the ones Tesla Nanocoatings makes.

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His small facility on North Avenue NW, where the company does much of its research and development, is largely filled with devices that test how the coatings withstand saltwater, exposure to UV light, extreme temperatures and impacts from hard objects. Those are the sorts of things the coatings will encounter in the field and must endure to protect ships and drilling rigs, Hawkins said.

Hawkins said he’s developed coatings that not only perform better, but also are easier to apply than competing products. Those other products require four or more coats, he said, while Tesla’s coatings only require two: a primer and a topcoat.

“In a shipyard, the paint shop is kind of the bottleneck. When you take three-, four- and five-coat systems, they take a week or more to get through the paint shop. We can get them through the paint shop in two days,” he said.

Tesla’s coatings also conduct electricity, something Hawkins said most existing coatings can’t do. That makes his coatings more versatile than others, he added, and they can be combined with other corrosion-prevention methods more easily.

“Not only are they 100 times as strong as steel, they’re 1,000 times as conductive as copper,” Hawkins said of the nanotubes he uses.

Tesla has done well with the shipbuilding industry, but the oil and gas industry represents an even bigger source of potential sales. And there’s also a whole nation full of steel bridges and other so-called “metal assets” that Hawkins said need protection.

Oil and gas is also an industry Hawkins knows. He came out of the local aerospace industry before starting Tesla Nanocoatings, but his degrees are in petroleum engineering and geology, in addition to an master’s degree in business administration.

Experts say the corrosion-protection market is as big as Hawkins’ nanotubes are small. That’s because the costs of allowing corrosion to take place are too huge to ignore, especially with metal assets that are earning money while they work.

“In a 2016 National Association of Corrosion E n g i n e e r s (NACE) study, direct and indirect corrosion costs in the U.S. were estimated to be $1.1 trillion annually.

Hawkins This exceeds 5% of GNP. Corrosion costs the oil and gas industry at least $10 billion every year. Consequently, it is a major focus area to the industry,” Dr. David Young, a researcher and assistant director for Academic Affairs at Ohio University’s Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology, said in an email.

Hawkins now is waiting to see if end-users and groups like the American Petroleum Institute, which sets many of the standards for the industry, will approve his coatings for broader use on offshore drilling rigs.

He said he should know soon, once his first big potential customer completes its testing. Hawkins said he can’t divulge the name of the company but said it’s one of the world’s largest oil businesses.

He predicted he’ll succeed with the testing and the result will be an “exponential” growth in Tesla Nanocoatings’ sales.

Time will tell if he’s correct, but those who know the oil and gas industry say there is a definite need for corrosion protection, and that the industry is always looking for better and more cost-effective ways to achieve it.

“It is the biggest single concern outside of the technology of what you’re doing, which is drilling and producing,” said John Givens, now retired but a former design and project engineer for the former Brown & Root engineering construction firm in Houston.

Givens, who spent more than 40 years designing, building and working with offshore drilling rigs, said protecting them from corrosion always has been critically important. In addition to the cost of corrosion itself, drillers lose a lot of money if a rig goes down or if it’s not deployed quickly because it’s held up by slow construction methods, he noted.

Givens is not familiar with Tesla Nanocoatings’ technology but said that if it works, the industry will likely give it a chance.

“If, in fact, he’s got the ability to prove that, they certainly will listen to him, because time is money,” Givens said.

Working with a big producer to get tested and approved might be a good approach, too, Givens said. That’s because there are a lot of federal, industry and corporate standards to comply with, and meeting them with the approval of a major producer is a way for a company to prove itself to the rest of the industry.

“If you are approved, like with testing with someone like Shell, you can certainly market yourself as being out there and doing it. Then they can come in and market against the established leaders,” Givens said.

Dan Shingler: dshingler@crain.com, (216) 771-5290, @DanShingler

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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KAULIG

From Page 1

That became a reality when Kaulig Companies — a Hudson-based firm that operates LeafFilter and has financial, media and philanthropic divisions — acquired Walter’s business and put him in charge of the newly launched Kaulig Sports & Entertainment.

The firm will specialize in partnership and branding opportunities for its athletes. Walter said the sports division will take a “soup to nuts” approach in which everything — endorsements, public relations and player contracts — ideally will be done in-house.

“We need to find the right clients that we drive the most value for,” Walter said.

The Kaulig Sports & Entertainment president has finance and accounting degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He studied alternate investing at the London School of Economics in 2009, but the economic downturn meant he “couldn’t find a job to save my life.”

That resulted in Walter working as a director for a prominent consulting company for a few years.

At that point, he had to decide whether to continue on the partner track or go the entrepreneurial route.

He went with the riskier of the two paths. As he was building his budding sports agency, Walter and Miocic collaborated with Kaulig Racing, which has been competing in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series since 2016.

Walter’s relationship with Matt Kaulig, the company’s founder and executive chairman, and the pair’s similar viewpoints made the difference when Walter was studying a handful of firms during the acquisition process.

At the time, his 15-employee agency had a vice president of relations in Los Angeles and a VP of sales in Chicago.

“There were a lot of moving pieces,” Walter said.

Merging with Kaulig brings everything together under one roof — or, in the case of Kaulig Cos., a sprawling five-building setup on Georgetown

ATLANTA

From Page 1

Smith was elaborating on the Galleria office park because his company recently bought two structures in the park to put all of the office buildings under control of a single company for the first time. He noted Piedmont paid $18.5 million for the development site alone.

Giving up the name of a potential tenant before it commits to buy or lease a property is generally eschewed by commercial real estate companies because it might alert competitors to a juicy opportunity.

It’s also anathema to state and local economic development groups, which as a rule maintain that secrecy is sought by companies until they commit to incentives and a location.

Michael Cantor, managing director and principal at Allegro Real Estate Brokers & Advisors of Cleveland, said he does not believe disclosing that it’s wooing Sherwin-Williams hurts Piedmont in its efforts. Allegro primarily bills itself as a real estate consultant for companies and has run site searches for major concerns.

“It’s actually helpful to SherwinWilliams,” Cantor said of the disclosure, because it proves to Ohio and regional economic development groups that the paint and coatings

This picture Myles Garrett posted on Twitter on Sept. 1 shows the Browns defensive end with, from top left, the Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr., Jim Walter, UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. | TWITTER

Road.

Matt Kaulig, a former University of Akron quarterback, started a LeafFilter dealership out of his basement in Stow in 2005. Ten years later, he acquired the company outright, which, he recently wrote in Smart Business, “will do over $500 million in top-line revenue” in 2019.

The company’s North Carolina-based racing division has racked up 50 top-10 finishes in four seasons in the Xfinity Series, including 19 by 20-year-old driver Justin Haley in 2019.

Walter said he believes Kaulig’s diverse portfolio will create plenty of cross-promotional marketing opportunities, similar to how he first got involved with the company as part of the Miocic-Kaulig Racing partnership.

Eric Smallwood, the president of Apex Marketing Group Inc., a St. Clair, Mich.-based sports sponsorship and analytics firm, said a sports agency trying to make a name for itself needs to get “involved with somebody who proves themselves and becomes successful.

“If it’s a successful UFC fighter,” Smallwood added, “that’s going to get noticed.”

Miocic, an Eastlake North High School graduate, is just that, with a 19-3 record and a heavyweight belt he regained via a TKO of Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 in August.

Miocic has marketing deals with the likes of Cub Cadet and Modelo, and his next fight might prove to be his most lucrative yet, whether it’s a third bout against Cormier or a matchup with reigning UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.

Walter started working with the fighter in 2016. Since then, Miocic has had six title fights.

This year, Miocic became tight with Garrett, the top overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft who is on pace to shatter the Browns’ single-season sack record. Walter said he began working with Garrett in mid-August — a relationship a Browns source confirmed.

Walter is also representing golfer Jason Kokrak, a 34-year-old Hudson resident who finished 14th in the 2019 FedEx Cup standings, and his UFC ties

maker, which has a 150-year history in Cleveland, is seriously considering locations outside Northeast Ohio.

“The one group that would be unhappy about it being public would be state and economic development groups who don’t want it known they are pursuing a particular piece of business to avoid competition,” Cantor said. “The CEO might want the investors to know that it has a property for such a nice opportunity and would prefer for them to know before the company makes its decision known.”

Sherwin-Williams, whose CEO, John G. Morikis, has said it would announce a decision by the end of this year or early in 2020, has not previously said how large its new facilities might be.

A million-square-foot office building could be 44 floors, if such a structure has a floor plate similar to that of Ameritrust Center, the ill-fated 60-story building that the late developers Richard and David Jacobs proposed building on Public Square. The site, considered a contender for SherwinWilliams, remains under the control of a corporation linked to the Jacobs family and is used for parking.

The other big unknown is how large the research-and-development center would be — and Sherwin-Williams has mentioned the research center first when discussing its site search.

The company’s headquarters is in

Landmark Office Towers, which it owns, although the 900,000-squarefoot property includes a portion of office space rented to outside firms.

Mike Conway, spokesman for Sherwin-Williams, said in an email Thursday, Nov. 7, that the company had nothing new to report beyond its initial statement about its site search.

While Northeast Ohio has in its favor its status as the company’s birthplace and the size of its current staff, Atlanta boasts the nation’s busiest airport, with many international flights, which puts it automatically on the list of most sitesearch consultants for relocation of a global corporate headquarters.

The site that Piedmont’s CEO pointed to is similar in size to the superblock in downtown Cleveland that is considered a potential new location for Sherwin-Williams, or part of one. Construction crews conducted soil tests on the asphalt parking lots there the week of Nov. 4. That sea of parking spaces is primarily owned

by Weston inc., a Warrensville Heights-based real estate company.

Sherwin-Williams has about 3,600 employees downtown and 4,400 in Northeast Ohio. All told, the company, which had $17.5 billion in sales in 2018, employs a total of 60,000 associates and sells its products in 120 countries.

Stan Bullard: sbullard@crain.com, (216) 771-5228, @CrainRltywriter

extend to the likes of light heavyweight contenders Anthony “Lionheart” Smith and Gian Villante, plus former middleweight champ Chris Weidman.

Boosted by Kaulig’s resources, Walter said he hopes to get more in-

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volved in Major League Baseball (he said he’s done work with former Indians catcher Yan Gomes and Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant), the NBA, the PGA Tour and esports.

Kaulig Sports & Entertainment has an attorney, along with a vice president of operations, who eventually will be licensed agents, Walter said.

“We now have the ability and resources to move at the velocity and scale that I want,” he added. “It’s mutually beneficial for everyone.”

When Kaulig launched its sports and entertainment division, a company news release said Walter would “be responsible for scaling” it to a global level.

He welcomes the challenge and knows it won’t be easy. This time, though, he’s not starting in the basement.

“The sports world is the best and worst job in the world,” Walter said.

“Some of the best relationships I’ve had have come out of sports. And some of the most toxic have come out of sports. We always lead with a service-oriented mentality.

“What I always tell everyone,” he continued, “is client first, ethics always open doors and create the solution.”

Kevin Kleps: kkleps@crain.com, (216) 771-5256, @KevinKleps

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NOMS Healthcare NOMS Healthcare promotes Sarah Opfer to Chief People Officer. In her six-year tenure with NOMS, she has served in progressively responsible roles in Human Resources including most recently, vice president of human resources. Prior to NOMS, Sarah spent 10 years as a human resources director in manufacturing. In her new role she will develop and lead initiatives to facilitate a culture that embraces positivity, teamwork, acceptance, and inclusion & collaboration. Visit: NomsHealthCare.com

MANUFACTURING

Modern Retail Solutions LLC Modern Retail Solutions is proud to announce Tony Neuhoff has been promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Tony will be focusing on e-commerce growth along with talent expansion in sales and internal resource development. Modern’s core business consists of manufacturing plastic, wire and cardboard displays for retail stores of all sizes. You can see all offerings on www.ModernRetailSolutions.com (Made in America and Veteran owned).

Mr. Roland counsels clients, from closely-held corporations to non-profit associations, on corporate and banking matters, employee stock benefits plans, corporate governance Roland issues, M&A, business dispute resolution, and commercial real estate transactions. For more information contact: dminkler@ bdblaw.com | rroland@bdblaw. com or visit: www.bdblaw.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Sharp Specialty Resources Sharp Specialty Resources, a fractional C-Suite, accounting, and human resources company, welcomes Rob Simon to its team as Director of CFO Services. Rob brings 30 years of financial leadership from the trucking and logistics industry to assist small and medium sized businesses increase profitability and scale growth. In his role with SSR, Rob will lead the expansion of services here in Cleveland as well as other surrounding markets.

Visit https:// sharpspecialtyresources.com.

CUSTOM PUBLISHING SECTION

CORPORATE GROWTH AND M&A Don’t miss the chance to be part of this special section detailing the latest trends in the market, produced by Crain’s Content Studio – Cleveland in partnership with the Association for Corporate Growth, Cleveland chapter.

To book an ad and submit an article, contact Megan Norman (Lemke) at mlemke@crain.com.

ISSUE DATE: Jan. 20 AD CLOSE: Nov. 27

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

PRODUCED BY:

CRAIN’SCONTENTSTUDIO CLEVELAND

24 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | November 11, 2019

After many exciting changes, including a complete corporate rebrand, EOX Vantage is proud to announce Dan Hanna as Vice President of Business Development. As a native Clevelander and active member in the Cleveland technology scene, Dan will lead the sales and services teams to deliver innovative solutions through EOX Vantage’s Managed Services division and expand on the new technology offerings on the Enterprise Operating System, along with helping to grow the company’s national footprint.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VETERANS IN THE WORKFORCE

By AMY ANN STOESSEL

CRAIN’S CONTENT STUDIO

Totaling more than 848,000, Ohio is home to the sixth-largest population of veterans in the United States, according to the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.

And, in Northeast Ohio, more than 160,000 of those veterans are of working age, according to some estimates.

In a time during which recruitment, retention and workforce issues are top of mind for most of the region’s industries, employers would be wellserved to take note of this potential talent pipeline.

Just ask Bryan A. McGown and Rick DeChant, who both are board members for NEOVETS, a nonprofit organization committed to making connections between military families and employers, higher education and community resources.

DeChant, who served more than two decades with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and has been inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, also leads the Veterans Initiative at Cuyahoga Community College, a position he has held since 2017.

McGown, meanwhile, retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 20 years and has since worked in a number of capacities to help veterans transition to the civilian workforce.

For its part, Delta Dental of Ohio supports a number of workforce and veteran initiatives in its commitment to building healthy communities. Here, as part of Delta Dental’s efforts in Northeast Ohio, DeChant and McGown were asked to weigh in on what employers need to know about hiring veterans.

1.

SOFT SKILLS

“There’s no clocking in or clocking out in the military,” McGown said.

From leadership and flexibility to teamwork, discipline and the ability to delegate, the soft skills that many say are lacking in today’s workers are prevalent among veterans transitioning to civilian life.

“A lot of employers are missing the boat in understanding our leadership and skills,” he said.

Veterans – and their spouses – also bring a high level of dedication to an organization and a position.

“They are unstoppable; they are completely loyal,” McGown said. “They want to be successful, and they want the entire team to be successful.”

2.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

3.

REAL-WORLD EDUCATION

Veterans are technically proficient. “We have to be experts in regulations, technical manuals,” McGown said. “The simple crossing of a wire can take a whole aircraft down.”

Depending on the field, many members of the military have been exposed to technology that is far advanced from that being used in the civilian business setting.

“The training they are getting in today’s military far surpasses schools,” DeChant said.

That training, of course, can translate into any number of fields and specialties in Northeast Ohio: cybersecurity, IT, logistics, project management, manufacturing, health care, law enforcement and transportation all are popular directions.

DeChant also noted that general business degrees often are sought, as the entrepreneurial spirit is strong among veterans.

If you look at almost any professional job requirement, a bachelor’s or advanced degree is a requirement.

For veterans, this could be a stumbling block, and it’s one that both McGown and DeChant have worked on from both the employer end and higher education side.

While McGown in his work with NEOVETS has urged employers to re-evaluate in some cases the requirement for a degree, DeChant is part of the statewide Military Strategic Implementation Team, created to carry out a statewide initiative and legislation to issue appropriate credit and credentialing for military training and experience.

And, while the conversion of military experience to college credit or credentials is a help, a college degree, via the GI Bill, sometimes is a necessity, DeChant said.

Veterans who choose to pursue an education while working have a high rate of success, he said. “They tend to have a better ability to pursue a dual track.”

4.

CHALLENGES

5.

MAKING THE CONNECTION

The transition to the civilian workforce is not without its challenges, of course.

The pay scale – and benefits packages – are substantially different, and many military families face financial struggles initially. Housing stipends, hazard pay and military base amenities are not a reality in civilian life, and the transition can be difficult for some.

However, McGown said if an employer can outline a clear path to leadership and success within an organization, accepting such a change in position, responsibility and authority may be more palatable to a veteran.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of speaking the same language – translating the skills of a veteran into the job requirements of civilian life, DeChant said.

Luckily, there are multiple resources to link employers and veterans.

Tri-C’s Veterans Initiative, for one, responds annually to almost 10,000 veteran inquiries, while NEOVETS works with employers to achieve certification as a Military Talent Employer.

Ohio Means Jobs also has a slew of resources available for both employers and veterans to make the necessary connections to be successful.

“I don’t want veterans to feel unheard, ignored or not respected,” McGown stressed. “It makes good business sense to hire veterans.”

ABOUT DELTA DENTAL Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, and its affiliates in Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Tennessee collectively are among the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2018, the enterprise paid out $4 billion for dental care for 14 million members.

Content sponsored by Delta Dental of Ohio

This advertising-supported feature is produced by Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland, the marketing storytelling arm of Crain’s Cleveland Business. The Crain’s Cleveland Business newsroom is not involved in creating Crain’s Content Studio content.

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SOURCE LUNCH

Sam McNulty

crainscleveland.com

``What do you see when you think about the craft landscape nowadays?

So it’s certainly competitive. There is a finite amount of shelf space in stores, and it’s getting crowded. The local craft beer world is very collaborative, but you’re starting to see some more elbows out more than you would’ve five years ago. Now, I always try to make this distinction: There is still plenty of room for brewpubs. But the folks who are rolling into distribution, that’s where it’s hypercompetitive. That’s where there is a lot of venture capital going in. And the macros are out there on the hunt to buy craft beer brands because they see them chipping away at their market share. The Bud/Miller/Coors of the world, they want to innovate in-house, but very often it’s easier to acquire innovation. ``We obviously saw that here with AB InBev’s acquisition of Platform Beer Co. What do you think of that?

Not speaking to any particular deal, I do find that any time a multinational corporation buys a local company, regardless of industry, that I’ve yet to see a single instance where it was good for the local community, the employees of that company and the brand itself. There are often a lot of promises and then the next thing you know, the company is gone, the jobs are gone or relocated elsewhere. So I guess we’ll see what happens. ``How many times have you been approached about an acquisition?

Well, I’ve signed nondisclosure agreements, so I can’t talk about those. ``What is something you think will be a trend in the craft business in 2020?

Closures and consolidation.

``So you think we’re getting near that saturation point that has been talked about for a while?

I do think so. Or, put another way, you could be looking at either bankruptcy or Budweiser. ``Do you see a market contraction affecting your businesses?

I don’t think so. The secret sauce to our business model is our four partners.

We’re north of 200 employees today. We have no outside investors. And we’re so underleveraged it’s almost comical. But we are very happy that way. We can sleep well at night knowing whatever happens in the future, we’re going to be just fine. build all your businesses on one `Why ` street? Is it not a reasonable worry that those could all cannibalize each other?

CONTRIBUTED

As co-founder and owner of Market Garden Brewery and several other enterprises clustered along a once-depressed strip of West 25th Street — McNulty’s Bier Markt, Bar Cento, Speakeasy, Nano Brew Cleveland — Sam McNulty operates a business model unique from other craft beer-centric enterprises here. With competition among craft brands only continuing to grow across the country and Ohio itself, which is now home to more than 310 craft breweries, Crain’s sat down with McNulty to talk about the landscape for independent brewers today, his approach to business, the reasoning behind building an enterprise along a single strip of Ohio City and why he thinks his operations are well-positioned to coast through a market contraction that may lie ahead. — Jeremy Nobile You know, it’s funny, when we opened (McNulty’s Bier Markt) in 2005, people thought we were crazy to do anything in Ohio City because it was a bad neighborhood. Then, we opened an Italian restaurant and wine bar, and they said, “Now you’re really crazy because you’re just going to cannibalize the business you created at Bier Markt.” Then, we opened Speakeasy in the same building, and Market Garden brewpub across the street. Same thing. The thought was always, “Why are you not diversifying geographically?” ``So why didn’t you?

My background is actually in city planning. I was an intern in Ohio City 26 years ago with what is now Ohio City Inc., working on the neighborhood and

THE McNULTY FILE

LUNCH SPOT

Biggest influence in your life?

“My dad, William McNulty. He was a social worker, raised seven kids and somehow maintained his sanity throughout.”

Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen 1150 Huron Road East, Cleveland 216-795-5000

Favorite beer you make?

“Prosperity Wheat, though Citramax IPA would be my desert island beer.”

If not your beer, what are you most likely drinking nowadays?

“Evil Motives IPA from Noble Beast Brewing Co. We love what (owner) Sean Yasaki is doing there.”

The meal Falafel salad with spicy tahini dressing for one; chicken shawarma plate with Lebanese salata for the other.

The vibe The small, urban space downtown has a bit of a New York vibe, with most seating along a window counter.

The bill $21.65, plus tip

forming a Special Improvement District, which was a novel idea at the time.

Putting on my urban planning hat, my partners and I realized if we were really going to succeed at attempts to rejuvenate the neighborhood, we had to play real estate developer, neighborhood planner, restaurateur, brewer and also coalition builders. We are capitalists with a conscience. So, as a result, instead of taking the Market Garden concept and cookie-cuttering it — one on the East Side, West Side one south, then go to the next city — our approach is to have five different concepts all on one street. And we own our properties, so we are invested both in the sticks and bricks and in the operations within those. ``Ever think about expanding more aggressively or building something beyond Ohio City?

So one model is a taproom/brewpub in different markets and using that as your home base and marketing tool.

We’re obviously on one street. And we distribute from that home base.

The other approach is fast-growth, breakneck pace, just racing into new markets, signing distributorship deals and maybe losing sight of the quality of the beer. The model of racing into new markets and expanding quickly, that usually leads to two options: bankruptcy or Budweiser — not referencing anyone in particular. We are not growing by smearing ourselves out 5 miles wide and a half-inch thick.

Our approach is to be 5 miles deep in our local markets. So it’s just a different strategy, not saying one is really wrong or right.

THE WEEK UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP: General Motors Co. has sold its shuttered Lordstown auto plant to Lordstown Motors Corp., an electric-truck startup.

Terms of the deal aren’t being disclosed. GM announced a year ago that it wouldn’t allocate future product to Lordstown, and the United Auto Workers union wasn’t able to convince GM to keep the factory as part of the new labor contract ratified late in October. In the wake of the acquisition, Lordstown Motors will now focus on seeking cash to convert the plant from making gasoline-burning Chevrolet Cruze sedans to plug-in pickups. The company’s CEO said he would work with the UAW and look to hire experienced workers who didn’t accept GM’s offer to transfer to one of its other facilities.

Shaker Heights, is buying the storied Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series of racing events, marking the end of 74 years of ownership by the Hulman family. Penske said he’s entertaining various additions to the speedway’s schedule, such as a 24-hour race or a Formula One competition.

General Motors’ idled plant in Lordstown, which had produced GM cars since 1966, has been acquired by electric-truck startup Lordstown Motors Corp. | MADDIE MCGARVEY/BLOOMBERG

GET OUT OF TOWN: Sun Country Airlines will offer a new seasonal route from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to the Twin Cities from May 29 to Aug. 24, 2020, with fares for the Friday

and Sunday flights starting as low as $59 one-way.

OFF TO THE RACES: Billionaire Roger Penske, who was born and raised in

ANOTHER PROMISE: The LeBron James Family Foundation announced that it’s teaming up with Graduate Hotels to develop transitional housing for students of the I Promise School and their families who may be confronting homelessness, domestic violence or other dire circumstances. The housing, to be located a few blocks from the school in an apartment building on Akron’s West Market Street, should be ready for move-in by July 2020.

Publisher/editor Elizabeth McIntyre (216) 771-5358 or emcintyre@crain.com Group publisher Mary Kramer (313) 446-0399 or mkramer@crain.com Managing editor Scott Suttell (216) 771-5227 or ssuttell@crain.com Sections editor Michael von Glahn (216) 771-5359 or mvonglahn@crain.com Creative director David Kordalski (216) 771-5169 or dkordalski@crain.com Web editor Damon Sims (216) 771-5279 or dasims@crain.com Associate editor/Akron Sue Walton (330) 802-4615 or swalton@crain.com Assistant editor Kevin Kleps (216) 771-5256 or kkleps@crain.com Senior data editor Chuck Soder (216) 771-5374 or csoder@crain.com Editorial researcher William Lucey (216) 771-5243 or wlucey@crain.com Cartoonist Rich Williams REPORTERS

Stan Bullard, senior reporter, Real estate/ construction. (216) 771-5228 or sbullard@crain.com Jay Miller, Government.

(216) 771-5362 or jmiller@crain.com Rachel Abbey McCafferty, Manufacturing/energy/ education. (216) 771-5379 or rmccafferty@crain.com Jeremy Nobile, Finance/legal/beer/cannabis.

(216) 771-5255 or jnobile@crain.com Kim Palmer, Government.

(216) 771-5384 or kpalmer@crain.com Dan Shingler, Energy/steel/auto/Akron.

(216) 771-5290 or dshingler@crain.com Lydia Coutré, Health care/nonprofits.

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Customer service and subscriptions: (877) 824-9373 or customerservice@crainscleveland.com Reprints: Laura Picariello (732) 723-0569 or lpicariello@crain.com

Crain’s Cleveland Business is published by Crain Communications Inc. Chairman Keith E. Crain Vice chairman Mary Kay Crain President KC Crain Senior executive VP Chris Crain Secretary Lexie Crain Armstrong Chief Financial Officer Robert Recchia G.D. Crain Jr., Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr., Chairman (1911-1996) Editorial & Business Offices 700 W. St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44113-1230 (216) 522-1383 Volume 40, Number 45 Crain’s Cleveland Business (ISSN 0197-2375) is published weekly, except for the last week of December, at 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44113-1230.

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26 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | November 11, 2019

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