Crain's Cleveland Business

VOL. 38, NO. 21

MAY 22 - 28, 2017

Source Lunch

Akron

Cal (Khalid) Al-Dhubaib, principal data scientist, Pandata LLC

Crave owner opens Latin-themed spot in Cuyahoga Falls. Page 40

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Page 43

The List Northeast Ohio’s top-paid CEOs Page 38

DEVELOPMENT

Center has room to grow Facility’s backers say mostly empty structure still has limitless potential

By JAY MILLER jmiller@crain.com @millerjh

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is probably the most successful tenant of the Global Center for Health Innovation. Its fourth-floor HIMSS Innovation Center is averaging 1,000 visitors a month.

“We’ve had a lot of international visitors,” said John Paganini, the HIMSS Center’s senior manager for interoperability initiatives. “At the same time, there is a heavy Northeast Ohio presence here.”

The HIMSS center is a demonstration, exhibition and education facility, for several dozen firms offering health IT-related services to the health care providers. Since its opening, it has hosted 450 events in the building on Cleveland’s Mall.

The Global Center also has seen a tenant grow its way out of the building on Cleveland’s Mall.

RelateCare, a Cleveland Clinic spinoff designed to improve patient experience, planted its call center with a handful of employees in a small space at the Global Center.

Late last year, it moved to an office on Superior Avenue and has plans to create 50 full-time jobs over the next five years.

SEE CENTER, PAGE 12

The Global Center for Health Innovation, framed by “The City of Light” sculpture on Mall B, sits near the convention center. (David Kordalski)

SPORTS BUSINESS

MANUFACTURING

Tribe has ambassadors on move Taking ownership is part of Parker’s plan

By KEVIN KLEPS

kkleps@crain.com @KevinKleps

Ronald Hitch used to work in a corporate office — doing “the 9-to-5 thing.”

On this Tuesday night, he was leading the birthday cheers for 11-year-old twins who were celebrating outside the Kids Clubhouse at Progressive Field.

When it was over, Hitch, a North Royalton resident, asked the boy,

Entire contents © 2017 by Crain Communications Inc.

who was clearly much more excited about all of the attention than his sister, “How was our singing? All right?”

The boy gave Hitch a high five, and the throng of Cleveland Indians seasonal ambassadors went on their way.

There were other birthdays to celebrate — a 75-year-old woman would be serenaded just a few minutes later — and more trinkets to pass out.

The seasonal ambassadors are new to Progressive Field this season.

(You can’t miss them — they’re the ones in the bright orange shirts, with AMBASSADOR on the back.) They only work on game nights, and their job description is pretty simple: Make sure fans are having a great experience.

SEE INDIANS, PAGE 37

By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com @ramccafferty

Parker Hannifin Corp. chairman and CEO Tom Williams wants to build on the 100-year-old company’s culture to create a sense of ownership among employees, as well as grow profits. The different goals are encompassed in the company’s Win Strategy, a wide-ranging strategy designed to drive Parker into the future.

Mayfield Heights-based Parker Hannifin is a motion and control technologies company that serves a

variety of industries, from aerospace to flow and process control. The Win Strategy, which first started in 2001, was designed to help this large, decentralized company bring its best practices together. But when Williams became the company’s CEO in early 2015, he knew it was time for an update.

The first goal of the new Win Strategy, which was rolled out September 2015, focuses on engaging employees and focuses on safety, entrepreneurial spirit and high-performance teams and leaders. Williams said it’s about “creating owners” at the company.

SEE PARKER, PAGE 42

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PA G E 3

Metro making smaller hospitals a focus

By LYDIA COUTRÉ

“Cleveland is used to much larger facilities and mega towers from University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth. ... There are so many reasons to do this, but first and foremost, it’s demand from our own patients, who said we should do this.”

lcoutre@crain.com @LydiaCoutre

MetroHealth’s 12- and 16-bed hospitals coming online next year will join the ranks of a series of other socalled “micro-hospitals” popping up around the country.

These small 24/7 inpatient facilities are designed to fill service gaps in hyper-local markets that couldn’t support a full-scale hospital.

In a $25 million project, MetroHealth plans to add single-occupancy patient rooms to its Cleveland Heights and Parma facilities, each of which already has an emergency department and services including lab, pharmacy and radiology. With the addition of 12 beds in Cleveland Heights and 16 in Parma, the facilities will each become community hospitals — a term Dr. Akram Boutros, president and CEO of MetroHealth, prefers to micro-hospital.

“Cleveland has never experienced the feeling, the ambiance and care that gets generated in this kind of a community hospital,” Boutros said.

“Cleveland is used to much larger facilities and mega towers from University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth. ... There are so many reasons to do this, but first and foremost, it’s demand from our own patients, who said we should do this.”

Both of the facilities — located at 10 Severance Circle in Cleveland Heights and 12301 Snow Road in Parma — are former HealthSpan urgent care sites and medical offices. The HealthSpan dissolution last year has allowed MetroHealth to expand quickly and at a relatively modest cost. In addition to taking on these sites, MetroHealth hired many of the physicians that had been part of HealthSpan’s medical

— Dr. Akram Boutros, president and CEO of MetroHealth

group, including bringing on the group’s top doc, Dr. Nabil Chehade, as its new vice president of population health.

MetroHealth announced in 2015 plans to take over the two urgent care centers and transform them into freestanding emergency departments, which came online in February 2016. Boutros said the possibility of converting these to community hospitals was a “major consideration” in the decision to bring on the facilities. Supportive staff and patient focus groups subsequently affirmed the idea.

In Cleveland Heights, the new patient rooms will be built on an empty floor. In Parma, they’re looking to gut a floor that had housed procedure rooms. The total $25 million pricetag for the new facilities is significantly less than it would cost to build these community hospitals from scratch — $70 million to $100 million each, Boutros estimated.

The two locations already have “very robust” outpatient primary and specialty services, he said. “So adding the inpatient, private rooms just completes the offering to the community.”

Health systems with micro-hospitals are often using them as entry

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points into specific markets, according to a report from Advisory Board, a global firm offering research technology and consulting to improve health care performance. Micro-hospitals can treat some high-acuity needs when necessary, but the goal is not to be all things to all patients. A good rule of thumb is locating the facilities within 18 to 20 miles of a full-service hospital, according to Advisory Board.

Several times a day, patients are transferred to other facilities or to MetroHealth’s main campus from the Parma and Cleveland Heights locations. Of the cases that originate from these emergency rooms, about 70% would be appropriate for a community hospital, Boutros said.

MetroHealth’s community hospitals, which are slated to be ready for patients by January, will offer adult medicine and focus on caring for patients in need of shorter stays, he said. Patients in need of pediatrics and obstetrics, intensive care or things like cardiac surgery would be transported to a larger facility. But most of those decisions would be made during a risk assessment up front to determine how the patient is best treated.

The expanded MetroHealth facili-

ties, meanwhile, give the health system another foothold in the community. In particular, the expansion of the Cleveland Heights facility gives MetroHealth another anchor on the city’s East Side — an area in which the system had only a modest presence until a few years ago.

Moreover, the expansions in Cleveland Heights and Parma escalate MetroHealth’s efforts in areas where University Hospitals — the region’s second-largest health system, behind the Cleveland Clinic — has a strong presence. The system’s flagship UH Cleveland Medical Center sits about 3.5 miles away MetroHealth’s Severance Circle location.

Also, UH Parma Medical Center, a 332-bed facility UH took over in 2014, sits about the same distance from MetroHealth’s expanding Parma site.

Boutros said he doesn’t worry about competition.

“Our focus is to maintain our mission and our strategy, our mission for a healthier community and our strategy to serve everyone in Cuyahoga County with high-quality, low-cost care,” he said. “This is all about the patient, not about competition.”

Though in recent years, there’s been some activity and interest in micro-hospitals across the country, the small-scale hospital model hasn’t really taken off in Ohio, said John Palmer, director of public affairs for the Ohio Hospital Association. Ohio has some hospitals with fewer beds, but MetroHealth’s approach of converting existing facilities is a new emergence in the state.

“I think what we’re seeing is obviously hospitals becoming more, I think, in-tune to the communities,” Palmer said. “What is appropriate?

And then what ultimately are they able to provide? So whether it’s an urgent care facility, whether it’s an independent emergency depart-

ment, whether it’s a smaller scale hospital. ... Ohio’s seeing a lot of activity with different service line changes.”

As the health care industry nationwide sees a shift from inpatient to outpatient care, smaller hospitals may be one solution. As patients are treated in Cleveland Heights and Parma, Boutros said he expects the number of patients needing inpatient care at MetroHealth’s West 25th street main campus will decrease proportionately.

The project to convert the facilities comes as MetroHealth takes major steps toward a dramatic transformation of its main campus. Earlier this month, investors reacted favorably to the system’s $945.7 million bond issuance to fund the makeover, which includes the construction of a new 12-story, 270-bed hospital.

With construction in Cleveland Heights and Parma scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, Boutros said they’ll be able to understand the inpatient impact of the remote locations before building the new tower. MetroHealth says the new facilities’ aesthetics will be similar to the expanded Critical Care Pavilion, another major project that opened in 2016.

Including these small community hospitals, 80% of Cuyahoga County residents will be within a 15-minute drive of a MetroHealth hospital, according to the system.

Though the small hospital concept is new to Cleveland, Boutros is confident that the community will appreciate it.

“I expect that people who experience it are going to be so positively impacted by it that, given a choice for most of their care, that they will choose this site over the larger, more complex, harder to navigate sites,” he said.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

NEO’s warehouse boom is built by e-commerce

By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

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The rise in demand for huge warehouses to serve the expanding e-commerce market is combining with a tight industrial market in Northeast Ohio to produce what looks to be the region's first great industrial-zoned land rush of the 21st century.

In a striking sign of the times as internet retail sales climb and bricks and mortar stores weather an epic shakeout, an affiliate of Atlanta-based United Parcel Service just bought a 65-acre parcel in Middleburg Heights from heirs of the original 19th-century farming family that put it into service on Engle Road in the 1800s.

The price: $7.5 million, according to Cuyahoga County land records.

Intentions of UPS for the site: surprisingly, it has “no current project plans.”

That’s the word from Susan Rosenberg, UPS public relations director at the global package delivery company.

“Land adjacent to our UPS Middleburg Heights small package operations facility became available, and we made the purchase,” Rosenberg wrote in an email. She said the company may use it for additional trailer staging and parking during its busy holiday period.

Should UPS develop the land, it could accommodate a building of as much as 1 million square feet, or multiple small structures, according to industry estimates.

The industrial-zoned property actually adjoins two UPS operations.

One is a small-package distribution

“Land adjacent to our UPS Middleburg Heights small package operations facility became available, and we made the purchase.”

— Susan Rosenberg, UPS public relations director

and customer center at 17940 Englewood Drive. The other is what it calls “a supply chain solutions center” at 18401 Sheldon Road. Rosenberg said UPS does not discuss lease terms or specifics of its real estate activity.

The parcel is in the well-established industrial area on Engle in Middleburg Heights and has been eyed by real estate developers and others for years, according to Howard Lichtig, a CBRE Group vice president who represented the Mark & Susan Galloway Family Trust and other in the April 10 transaction.

Lichtig discussed selling the site, which includes a couple houses and bar, with the family 20 years ago — a time period that reflects ups and downs in the region’s industrial market as well as the family reaching a decision to sell.

“I don’t know what UPS plans to do with the land,” said Lichtig. He said the family was working on closing terms with another potential buyer when UPS surfaced with its sudden, better, offer through BT-OH LLC. The land’s end use may be undetermined, but it fits the larger scenario

playing out in the region — and already has played out in much of the country as Amazon’s fast growth has had it snapping up real estate across the U.S. Amazon already has leased a new building in Twinsburg and more than 60,000 square feet in Euclid at Bluestone Corporate Park. It’s in the vanguard of multiple e-commerce service providers with growth plans to serve the area.

Meantime, across East 260th Street from Bluestone, Euclid Square Mall may go down, so a 600,000- to 1-million-square-foot warehouse can go up.

A proposal to rezone the mall and several adjoining parcels fronting on Babbitt Road to industrial from retail was approved unanimously on May 9

by Euclid’s planning and zoning commission. It has been forwarded to Euclid City Council for consideration.

The proposal was filed by Seefried Industrial Properties Inc., an Atlanta-based real estate developers that has built properties for Amazon and others around the nation. Seefried has not told the city the names of prospective tenants of the structure.

Even before the latest internet blood-letting for retailers and enclosed mall owners, Euclid Square Mall has languished for more than a decade. Typical of ailing malls, the 1976-vintage property has a low asking price compared with past values.

That ask is $5.6 million, according to a listing by Cresco Cushman & Wakefield of Independence.

Terry Coyne, vice chairman of the Cleveland office of the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank brokerage, said the proposed Euclid deal fits the sudden appetite of industrial users and real estate developers to buy SEE WAREHOUSE, PAGE 39

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De Nora Tech LLC will move 150 employees from Chardon to a new building in Mentor. (Contributed rendering)

De Nora Tech is investing $31.2M in move to Mentor Manufacturing company has been in Chardon for 48 years

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De Nora Tech LLC last week officially kicked off a construction project that will move more than 150 employees from Chardon to Mentor in the coming years.

And that’s a big change, because the plant that today is known as De Nora Tech has been in Chardon for about 48 years. But as the company has grown and changed, it’s now in need of a larger, more technically advanced plant.

De Nora Tech makes anodes and cathodes for various industries, said project manager Jamie Schafer. Some recognizable products under that umbrella are in-ground pool chlori-

nators and equipment for chrome plating on vehicles. And that’s been the case throughout the company’s history. It got its start as Diamond Shamrock and became Eltech before being purchased by Italian-based De Nora in 2005.

The company is investing about $31.2 million in the move to Mentor from Chardon, Schafer said. That includes the building, the land, equipment and moving costs. Overall, Schafer said the investment is indicative of De Nora management’s long-term commitment to the region. De Nora Tech is a subsidiary of De Nora and operates the company’s only sites in Ohio, Schafer said. De Nora Tech is based in Concord, but also has the plant in Chardon.

De Nora Tech president Frank

Tomaselli said the current building in Chardon has seen a “patchwork� of growth over its nearly 50 years.

The new building will give the company the chance to create a more efficient layout, he said, as well as give the company the chance to invest in state-of-the-art equipment.

De Nora Tech primarily serves the industrial and chemical, automotive, energy and water purification industries, Tomaselli said. “We’ve grown with our customers,� he added.

Schafer said the company has also worked to build a broad portfolio and serve new markets. For example, De Nora Tech is looking to do more in the energy sector, he said.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Project could give downtown Berea a lift DiGeronimo-Baldwin Wallace venture would add retail, housing

By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

“Main Street Revisited” would add retail and Baldwin Wallace University housing to downtown Berea. (Contributed rendering)

HE

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In a more than $15 million development project, a joint venture by Baldwin Wallace University and DiGeronimo Cos. of Independence plans to develop a four-story mixed-use building in downtown Berea.

The plan calls for replacing two single-story commercial buildings on the north side of the suburb’s downtown at 111-118 Front St. with a structure with retail on the ground floor and a total of 81 units capable of housing 131 students above it.

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Robert C. Helmer, president of Baldwin Wallace, said, “This novel collaboration will expand the attractive, contemporary housing options available to BW students and, at the same time, provide vibrant economic development for downtown.”

In a joint statement the college and DiGeronimo provided Crain’s Cleveland Business, Kevin DiGeronimo, a principal of the family-owned construction firm, said he is excited about breaking ground on the project this year and he appreciated working with the city of Berea and Baldwin Wallace on shaping the project over

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the last three years. The developers plan to take the plans to the city for review within the next few months.

The plan calls for the student housing to be ready for occupants by the 2018 school year.

Abbas Hasan, director of development for DiGeronimo, said the project represents a new level for the company.

“We’ve done several projects with development partners but this is a new level of sophistication for us to undertake,” Hasan said. Hasan would not say how much the proposed project would cost to develop.

However, industry estimates put it at more than $15 million.

DiGeronimo is one of several partners with Fairmount Properties of Cleveland in the $240 million mixed-use project rising in Orange with retail, office, apartment and hotel components.

DiGeronimo Cos. is best known by its trade name Independence Excavating Inc., a heavyweight among heavy construction companies that do site preparation for highway, commercial, institutional and industrial concerns.

An affiliate of DiGeronimo, 111 Front St. LLC, paid $500,000 for a two-tenant commercial building at that address May 15, according to Cuyahoga County land records. Another affiliate has owned the adjoining building housing a U.S. Bank branch at 118 Front St. for the past three years, land records say.

Under the plan, Hasan said, DiGeronimo will sell Baldwin Wallace the housing units and retain the first-floor retail base of the structure for its portfolio.

Dick Fletcher, Baldwin Wallace senior vice president, wrote in an email to Crain’s that the university and developer have a written contract for the project and future sale of the student housing. He added that the project will provide additional, upgraded housing options for students as well as amenities they seek.

The proposed project adjoins the southeast corner of the campus that traces its roots to a predecessor institution opened in 1845.

Baldwin Wallace has full-time enrollment of 3,017 and a 125-acre campus next to the suburb’s downtown, which dates from the early 19th century and once boasted a massive nearby sandstone quarry, now flooded and part of Cleveland Metroparks.

The other side of the collaboration is that the university will move its bookstore from its home on campus at 1965-vintage Strosacker Hall to the new complex.

Hasan said plans call for the bank and some retail tenants in current properties to return to the structure’s 16,000 square feet of street-level retail.

The planned project is the latest in several efforts to improve the city’s Western Reserve-style downtown dating back to the 1970s. The design

by Akron-based GPD Group for the new project is termed “Main Street Revisited.”

Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem said the development suits the city’s downtown master plan, which calls for steps to bring the university closer to downtown so students and their families may patronize its businesses.

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PA G E 9

Britton Gallagher plans to double down Acrisure partnership has Cleveland firm poised to acquire independent shops

By JEREMY NOBILE jnobile@crain.com @JeremyNobile

It was just a matter of time before Acrisure LLC, one of the insurance industry’s most active buyers, broke into Ohio.

This market was on the firm’s radar for at least the last four years, said Acrisure CEO Greg Williams, who founded the business in Caledonia, Mich., in 2005.

But it wasn’t until last fall that the firm began to pursue Cleveland’s Britton Gallagher, which happened to be right around the time Acrisure completed a $2.9 billion management-led buyout from its private equity sponsor Genstar Capital — something that helped Acrisure seal the deal with its Northeast Ohio platform investment.

Now under the Acrisure umbrella — the firms announced their partnership on May 12 — expect Britton Gallagher, which is retaining all of its staff and leadership in the partnership, to buy up independent shops of its own as the firm marks its 75-year anniversary and its next phase of growth.

“Our goal is to double in size in a year,” said Britton Gallagher president Jeremy Bryant, who declined to share company revenues.

“Without a partnership with Acrisure, I don’t see that we’d be able to do that at the current setting with limited resources," he said. “Having them on the ground with corporate service and bench strength will really help us.”

In terms of potential firms on Bryant’s radar, he said the “pipeline is full.”

Williams said the delay in coming to Ohio was simply in finding the right company to work with. A well-established, midsize broker like Britton Gallagher offered the perfect platform to enter the state with gusto with its staff of about 50 and a single office. It’s firms of that size that hit a sweet spot in deals, being large and reputable enough to offer a strong foothold in the market, but small enough for an even bigger company like Acrisure to make a big impact.

“There’s no replacement for entering a market than picking a highly credible company that’s got strong leadership and a vision and appetite to grow,” Williams said. “That’s what the Britton Gallagher folks represent.”

Besides filling in the gaps in its now 29-state footprint by establishing a platform in a market right in Acrisure’s backyard, the region itself is one poised for growth in the insurance business.

“Northern Ohio has the population density we like to see and a growing business community,” Williams said. “It’s exciting, and we think there is a ton of opportunity there.”

Acrisure has been on a buying spree the last several years, having completed 138 acquisitions of retail brokerages while owned by private equity sponsors Genstar Capital, which took a controlling stake in the business in 2013. According to a report by Chicago investment banking and financial consulting firm Optis Partners, Acrisure was the most active buyer in their space in both 2015 and 2016, announcing 56 and 63 deals in each year, respectively.

Following its management-led buyout from Genstar, Acrisure is now 78% owned by its management team.

That ownership structure appealed to Britton Gallagher, Bryant said, which helped cement the in-

Britton Gallagher’s most likely acquisition targets would be small or midsize firms with specialty insurance niches. (Contributed photo)

Bryant

Williams

vestment partnership that will fuel the firm’s own acquisitive efforts.

And it’s that structure executives expect will enable Acrisure to court even more independent brokers this year.

“We’ve led the M&A field in insurance for the last two years. But what has us driving the numbers up this year is that management-led buyout and us now truly having control of the company,” said Acrisure president D. Michael Sherman. “That’s very exciting to our partners.”

Sherman is quite familiar with the Ohio market, having competed with Britton Gallagher while running Cleveland’s Dawson Cos. as chairman and CEO for several years before it was acquired by AssuredPartners in 2012. Ohio was conspicuous by its absence in the expanding Acrisure footprint that now includes platforms in 29 states and some 3,300 employees.

The firm reported revenues of more than $670 million in 2016.

Williams said Acrisure is on pace for 57 acquisitions through the first half of 2017, adding it will “likely do 100 deals this year.”

Deloitte’s 2017 Insurance M&A Outlook predicts tailwinds, not headwinds, to fuel an ongoing flurry of deals and middle market consolidation for various reasons: capital in property and casualty and reinsurance subsectors is at an all-time high, according to the report, while organic growth is still difficult. Private equity, meanwhile, is particularly interested in brokerage deals.

In Ohio, M&A has been quite active, said Jeff Smith, CEO of the Ohio Insurance Agents Association Inc. trade group. Indeed, in this particular market, there have been a few other notable deals in past months, including Oswald Cos. acquiring The Hoffman Group. Some have been fueled by succession plans warranted by aging, baby boomer era leadership.

For Britton Gallagher, the Acrisure partnership sets up the firm for growth with its global platform, enabling it to compete in an “all-new marketplace,” Smith said.

There won’t be an immediate impact on the wider regional market.

However, deals like these could influence others to reconsider M&A in an already fragmented market that’s seeing competition ratchet up.

“For the largest competitors, like Oswald or Fedeli Group, I don’t think it changes their approach or perspective that much,” Smith said. “But it probably makes some feel like they need to get bigger and they need to scale their operations or need some outside expertise to compete.”

In terms of Britton Gallagher’s own growth plans, which are now infused with additional capital from Acrisure, deals could include partnerships

with firms in this market or beyond.

“If we find the right partner to build on our service model and culture, and it happens to be outside Northeast Ohio, that shouldn't stop us,” Bryant said.

The overarching goal, though, is to build upon the Ohio platform. Firms on Britton Gallagher’s radar would likely be other small or midsize firms with specialty insurance niches that could be further developed. (Niche

insurance is one of Britton Gallagher’s offerings, and one that the firm sees both as a growth area and one differentiating itself in the marketplace).

Bryant commented on other deals, claiming he’s seen the “fallout” of those.

“But this one feels different,” he said. “There’s a newly found buzz of excitement here. This feels like a partnership to grow. It’s not about getting rid of personnel or expenses.”

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Opinion Personal View

Job hubs offer shared approach

By PETER TRUOG

Editorial

Frank and banks Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s announcement this month that the city is embarking on a $65 million program to bolster neighborhood development is, undoubtedly, a savvy political act. It will be a test of his leadership abilities to make sure it’s more than that, and that the money helps reinvigorate neighborhoods that have yet to share in Cleveland’s renaissance.

A common knock against Mayor Jackson, who’s about to seek a fourth term, is that he has focused on downtown development at the expense of city neighborhoods. We don’t share that view, but in politics, perception is reality, and Jackson certainly understands that a high-profile push to boost housing and commercial development beyond downtown is helpful for his re-election prospects. (He says this initiative has been in the works for 18 months, and we don’t doubt his commitment to all Clevelanders.)

We’re encouraged, though, that the plan Jackson outlined is thoughtful in its construction, targeted in its thinking and, most importantly, achievable in its initial aims.

The city is contributing $25 million toward what it’s calling the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. Those funds, which come from a $100 million bond issue in 2015, were specifically targeted for neighborhood development. On top of the city’s $25 million is $40 million from the private sector; Fifth Third Bank, Huntington National Bank, KeyBank and PNC all have pledged support. Also on board are partners including the Cleveland Foundation; the Urban League of Greater Cleveland; Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland; JumpStart Inc.; The Real Black Friday; and Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.

Kip Clarke, Cleveland market president for KeyBank, told Cleveland.com of the initiative, “This is not about charity. It’s all about economic development.”

Indeed, the money in the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative will be provided in loans and grants that primarily target commercial development and housing construction.

And it’s not a scattershot approach.

Drawing on findings of a city-commissioned study by Cleve-

land State University on neighborhood vitality, the program will target a swath of the city’s East Side in the Buckeye-Woodland and Glenville neighborhoods, as well as the Clark-Fulton neighborhood on the West Side. Those neighborhoods are near areas that already have prospered — University Circle to the east and Tremont/Ohio City on the west — but are themselves still in need of an economic jolt.

To fuel commercial growth, loans and grants will be made available to encourage businesses to locate in the targeted neighborhoods and to undertake expansions that increase employment opportunities. Aid also will be targeted at new affordable housing, as well as rehabilitating existing housing and demolishing dilapidated houses.

The city expects to put out requests for proposals soon and hopes to see some projects start as early as this summer.

We encourage city officials and those in the private sector working on the initiative to be vigilant in considering the specific needs of neighborhoods as they evaluate project proposals.

Of course, all economic development is welcome in struggling areas of the city. But the initiative won’t work if it’s not disciplined in its approach; $65 million is a lot of money, but it’s not going to address every need in a city the size of Cleveland.

Some areas of the city, particularly in the East Side neighborhoods targeted in the initiative, are in desperate need of fresh housing stock. Others are commercial development-poor.

Don’t try to be all things to all people, all at once. Consider this an opportunity to make some positive first steps that lead to economic momentum.

In announcing the program, Jackson said, “Our goal is to move the entire city forward, the entire city, every neighborhood and all of its people.”

That’s a more than worthwhile goal. It won’t be easy, and it won’t come as fast (or as completely) as anyone would like. But the fresh focus on finding ways for the public and private sectors to work together to help create a more dynamic local economy is the next step in making Cleveland a true comeback city.

Publisher and Editor: Elizabeth McIntyre (emcintyre@crain.com)

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Managing Editor:

Scott Suttell (ssuttell@crain.com)

Sections Editor:

Timothy Magaw (tmagaw@crain.com)

Contact Crain’s:

216-522-1383

As evidenced in the recent Crain’s Cleveland Business article

by Jay Miller on job hubs, our region is increasingly seeing that physical access to jobs is one of the community’s most pressing workforce issues that limits our overall economic growth.

People who live closer to jobs are more likely to work, and when they are out of work, they tend to find new jobs quicker, research by the Brookings Institution shows. In short, it matters where jobs locate.

Unfortunately, our land use and transportation policies, practices and investment decisions of yesterday have resulted in people having longer and more difficult commutes today. Indeed, among large metros, Cleveland saw the largest drop in the number of jobs within a typical commute distance for the average resident from 2000 to 2012.

This growing distance between people and jobs creates a significant drag on our region’s economic competitiveness in several ways.

One, it burdens workers who spend more and more time and resources commuting to work. Based on data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing and Transportation Index tool, Clevelanders spend a greater share of their income on transportation than on housing (and the same can be said for residents of other cities in the region).

Two, it affects businesses that struggle to fill open positions or that have workers who cannot get to work on time.

Three, it strains the fiscal health of municipalities that are required to spend increasing amounts of their tax revenue to not only expand the infrastructure base for new development, but also to maintain the vacant, underutilized infrastructure that has been left behind.

And, four, it’s also detrimental to our environment, as longer car-based commutes to work result in poorer air quality.

For a long time, civic leaders have recognized the need to work across disciplines on factors that influence business location decisions. But figuring out how to work together has been hard. Professionals in transportation, economic development, community development, philanthropy and elected officials all use different languages, and the desire to develop mutually supportive strategies has often been lost in translation.

This is where job hubs come in.

The Fund for Our Economic Future, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Team NEO and other key stakeholders across the region have defined and mapped the region’s job hubs: Specific areas with a high volume of jobs and multiple traded-sector employers that sell their goods and services outside of the local market.

Equipped with a shared definition and a clear picture of where jobs are locating, civic leaders now have the ability to use the same language to a powerful, prosperous effect. History does not have to repeat itself. Aligning strategies across economic development, transportation planning and workforce organizations to support priority job hubs will allow us to raise the bar for sustainable, inclusive growth in our region. How can this shared language be used?

J Economic development organizations can identify upgrades required to priority sites within job hubs for business attraction and expansion, and can identify site aggregation opportunities to bring new products to market.

J Elected officials and other civic administrators can modify land use and zoning policies, shift business attraction and expansion incentives, and leverage “placemaking” strategies to enhance the regulatory underpinnings for growth in regional job hubs.

J Transportation and infrastructure planning can prioritize new projects as well as maintenance and repair work based on the extent to which they advance the economic competitiveness of a regional job hub.

SEE JOB HUBS, PAGE 11

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 letters@crain.com. Please include your complete name and city from which you are writing, and a telephone number for fact-checking purposes.

Sound off: Send a Personal View for the opinion page to emcintyre@crain.com.

Please include a telephone number for verification purposes.

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Full-Service Integrated Solutions From Northeast Ohio’s Single-Source Commercial Real Estate Experts

Letter to the Editor

Walter Mueller : The rest of the story On May 8, in the “Eight over 80� section of Crain’s Cleveland Business, Chuck Soder wrote a very fitting tribute about Walter D. Mueller, describing his contribution to the evolution of Mueller Tire, a company started by his father and now expanded and continuing under the direction of his two sons, Dean and Scott. It described how the often unknowing mentoring of one man can pass down values that provide the foundation that guide his children to build an already successful family business into a world leader in its market niche.

It is a very instructive story in and of itself, but it doesn’t end there. As the radio broadcaster Paul Harvey used to say, “And now here is the rest of the story.�

There is a very successful small family corporation in Valley City called Goosefoot Acres, Inc. which manufactures and distributes a coffee substitute called Dandy Blend Instant Herbal Beverage with Dandelion. It wouldn’t exist today had it not been for the example set for me by the actions of Walter and his son Dean some 40 years ago Dean Mueller was a student of mine at Cleveland State University. Passing the time one day, I told him I needed tires for my car, and learned that he helped his father in his tire shop, and if I would come by, he could give me a good deal on a set. That began an involvement with Mueller Tire and its successors that still continues.

I would often go to their shop to eat lunch and observe the workings of Mueller Tire up close. I was impressed

JOB HUBS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

J Transit organizations can assess their current route network and determine whether job hubs are currently served by transit, and

with how a family business worked, and mused about how I would like to do that for my family, leaving them with a legacy that they could continue after I was gone.

Using their example as a model, and experiences I was having watching how Amish businesses were run, I left Cleveland State University in 1988 to set up my own family business.

Our pattern and the Muellers has turned out to be very much the same. In short, I started the company and laid the foundation over 15 years. In 2003, my son-in-law came aboard and now is in full control of day-to-day operations. Along the way, he brought his children into the company to grow under his mentorship. They are both now in college — interestingly, also at Cleveland State — while still working for Goosefoot Acres, and both plan to stay with the company after graduation.

I expect them to evolve the Dandy Blend brand even further using their experience and college insights, as Scott and Dean have done for Mueller’s. So Walter didn’t just do it for himself. He also, unknowingly, did it for me as well.

Who knows how many others have also caught the vision from his example and have gone on to grow their own family businesses.

And that is the rest of the story.

Peter A. Gail, President and CEO, Goosefoot Acres Inc. Valley City

how service could be improved.

The benefits extend to workforce agencies, community developers, educators and others that can incorporate job hubs into elements of their strategies as well. We’re encouraged to see a number of progressive chambers, cities and counties al-

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

CENTER

would be a place for medical equipment and health care service providers to show off their wares, “the latest and greatest technology in health care,” he said in 2013.

Soon, it was tied to a new convention center that Cleveland sorely needed. With Cleveland as a growing medical hub, a new convention center that could demonstrate a specialization in medical and health care seemed to make sense.

And, apparently, it did. Medical mart developers in Nashville and New York City were racing to get

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Despite those positive outcomes, no one is calling the Global Center for Health Innovation, part of the $465 million complex that includes the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and the Hilton Cleveland Hotel, a rousing success.

Large chunks of space on two of the three tenant floors remain vacant, three-and-a-half years after the doors first opened. Below, an atrium that stretches from floor to roof too often is deserted.

Still, the success of HIMSS and RelateCare — and a sales and bed tax that provides a stable, if controversial, financial base — allows the Global Center’s operator and supporters to see promise and argue that the center’s changing mission justify a longer-term look.

“We’re not yet realizing the potential of that facility,” said Baiju Shah, now CEO of BioMotiv, a Cleveland-based drug development accelerator. “It shouldn’t be looked at as real estate. It’s not a real estate play.

To me, it was always an opportunity to cement our position as a medical innovation capital.”

Shah, who served on a task force that helped redirect the center’s strategy in its formative years, also believes it can attract new businesses to the region. “There’s nothing like it in the world,” he said. “We’re pioneering it. We have to have an entrepreneurial approach to it.”

Tim Hagan acknowledges that the Global Center is struggling. But the former Cuyahoga County commissioner stands by the vote he cast in 2004 to boost the county sales tax by a quarter-percent to pay for the complex.

Hagan, now retired, takes a 30,000foot view of the projects he helped bring to life. He sees the major public investments made in his time in office — the Gateway sports complex in the mid-1990s, in addition to the

to be entrepreneurial.

“We’re going to tweak things here and there to figure out what it takes to create more business for the convention center and create jobs and innovation,” he said.

First off, he’s making the atrium more lively and open to people who work in the neighborhood. Hillow has attracted a Starbucks that will open in a few months and is expanding the building’s breakfast and lunch spot, the Au Bon Pain cafe, doubling its space. He also has wooed a United Parcel Service store

“We’re not yet realizing the potential of that facility. ... To me,it was always an opportunity to cement our position as a medical innovation capital.”

— Baiju Shah, CEO of BioMotiv, a Cleveland-based drug development accelerator

The $465 million complex includes the Global Center, the convention center and the Hilton Cleveland Hotel (shown in the background).

(David Kordalski)

convention center, medical center and hotel — as critical to the revival he sees underway in downtown Cleveland and for the financial support new construction and rising property values brings to the city and its schools.

“The new investment in older buildings (rehabbed for downtown residences), the increased assessed value of those buildings and the new buildings, have increased the money available to the city of Cleveland” for its schools and city services, he said.

“People don’t make that connection.”

The Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp. (CCCFDC), the quasi-public nonprofit that oversees the convention center and Global Center complex, is working to get the building to fulfill a mission centered on health care innovation, a mission that is continuing to evolve from the original medical mart concept.

The idea for a medical mart originated in the 1980s but only came to life in the mid-2000s. In Dubai in 2001, Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove met a businessman who was considering a building that

shovels in the ground before the Cleveland project. Those threats never materialized, and the local project was the only one that actually broke ground, in January 2011.

But then, before the center opened, the concept changed. While many health care firms were expressing some interest in coming to a Cleveland medical mart (though not signing leases), not enough of the industry’s major players were in that group. The complex’s developer, MMPI Inc. of Chicago, and thenCuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, decided to take it from a building of health care business showrooms to an “innovation center” and change the name to match.

Now it’s George Hillow’s task to move the building ahead. Hillow, executive director of the CCCFDC, believes in the innovative center mission, though he’s working to respond to the opportunities he sees in front of him, trying a few new things, trying

to take what had been Au Bon Pain’s smaller space. All three will have entrances on St. Clair Avenue, but they also will open up to the atrium.

In addition, he’s considering creating co-working space in the building, a place where that could attract workat-home or traveling health care professionals. Hillow said it would be patterned on the successful 1871 Center in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, which is nurturing highgrowth, sustainable businesses.

Hillow, who also oversees the convention center, said he’s considering turning vacant space on the second floor of the Global Center into meeting rooms that can be rented by the hotel and by large conventions.

“We need meeting rooms; conventions need a lot of meeting rooms,” he said, noting that some of the larger events in the convention center run out of meeting space. “The Hilton also asked us if they could rent our meeting rooms.”

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Stark State program could help regional companies restock their talent pipelines

By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com @ramccafferty

This fall, students in Summit and Stark counties will have the opportunity to train for in-demand careers while earning their high school diplomas.

Stark State College last month announced its new Learn to Earn program. The program will let students use College Credit Plus to earn industry certifications, which can also count toward their high school diploma under the state’s graduation pathways.

This is another example of schools working to help local companies fill the skills gap by introducing students to available careers early on in their education. “It’s as much about awareness at a younger age as it is about anything,� said Para M. Jones, president of Stark State.

The program was announced in April along with the news that the Stark County Educational Service Center was moving into a space on Stark State’s North Canton campus.

A news release noted that Learn to Earn had been developed with the center, local school districts, employers and the Ohio Department of Education. To start, pathways in information technology; automotive; welding; and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration were highlighted. But the program already has been expanding beyond just those areas.

The Learn to Earn program really started with companies in the area approaching Stark State for help fill-

ing their talent pipelines, Jones said.

The school soon realized its own students wouldn’t be enough to fill that need and decided to reach out to the K-12 schools in the region.

Dan Pittman, chief operating officer for DRB Systems in Green, said the company has grown quickly in terms of revenue and people in recent years. DRB Systems develops software and provides hardware for the car wash industry, making point of sale and business systems products. Business has been good, Pittman said, because the industry it serves has been strong.

In the Akron area, the company really needs people with customer service and technical skills for roles in its Knowledge Center, which handles technical support, and in engineering and development.

DRB Systems is working with Stark State on what Pittman called the TECHS program, or the Teaching and Enhancing Carwash Hardware and Software program. The program will offer targeted training to high school juniors and seniors, including internships, and will fall under the Learn to Earn umbrella.

DRB Systems’ work with Stark State will give students the opportunity to see what it would be like to work at the company, Pittman said, and it gives DRB Systems the chance to see if students would be a good fit with its culture.

Learn to Earn will include pathways that directly partner with companies, like DRB Systems and the TECHS program, as well as those without a direct industry link, said Marisa R. Rohn, Stark executive director of advancement, marketing and the Stark State College Founda-

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“It’s as much about awareness at a younger age as it is about anything.� — Para M. Jones, president of Stark State

tion. Rohn said that in addition to TECHS and the initial certificate pathways, more are in the works.

These certificate pathways have existed for at least 10 years, Jones said, but they weren’t necessarily offered to high school students. Those students could have sought out the programs on their own and earned the certificates, but now they will be offered through College Credit Plus, the state’s program that allows high school students to earn both high school and college credit by taking college courses for free.

And because of the state’s graduation pathways, starting with the class of 2018, these certificates will count toward a student’s diploma.

One of the options students have is to earn an industry-recognized credential or group of credentials (that the State Board of Education has approved) and earn a specific score on the WorkKeys work readiness test. “We’ve connected all the dots for the first time,� Jones said.

The Learn to Earn program fits in with the state’s goals of better preparing students for in-demand jobs.

One state initiative that Jones is part

of in that space is the New Skills for Youth program, which focuses on creating and growing in-demand career pathways for students. Ohio was one of 10 states to receive a second New Skills for Youth grant from the Council of Chief State School Officers and JPMorgan Chase & Co. earlier this year.

One of the program’s main objectives in supporting these career pathways speaks to the need for collaboration between the K-12 and higher education systems, said Steve Gratz, senior executive director of the Center for Student Support and Education Options at the Ohio Department of Education. He said the state is excited that Jones, through her involvement with the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, hopefully will get other schools to implement programs similar to Learn to Earn.

Overall, the state wants to make sure that training programs in different regions of the state are addressing the skills needed for in-demand jobs in that area, Gratz said. “We want to make sure that we’re meeting that demand,� he said.

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TAX LIENS The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder’s Office. The lien is a public notice to creditors that the government has a claim against a company’s property. Liens reported here are $5,000 and higher. Dates listed are the dates the documents were filed in the Recorder’s Office.

LIENS FILED Administrative Business Systems Inc. 33095 Bainbridge Road, Solon Date filed: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $846,799 T & A Construction Inc. 8931 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $378,764 Biskind Contract Cleaning LLC 6777 Engle Road, Suite I, Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $146,788 Dunecraft Inc. 19201 Cranwood Parkway,

Warrensville Heights Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Failure to file complete return Amount: $85,260 Phoenix Cement Inc. 151 Lou Groza Blvd., Berea Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Unemployment, employer’s withholding Amount: $55,844 Amazing Angels Ministries Inc. 7400 Wade Park Ave., Apt. 804 Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $51,427 FMI Products LLC P.O. Box 360247, Strongsville Date filed: Feb. 9, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $50,001 LCP Finishing Solutions LLC 24816 Aurora Road, Suite F, Bedford Heights Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $45,142 David R. Beckman DDS Inc. 6363 York Road, Suite 201, Parma Heights Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $32,599

Art American Printing Plates Inc. 1138 W. 9th St., Cleveland Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $25,517 Mueller Art Cover & Binding Co. 12005 Alameda Drive, Strongsville Date filed: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $21,085 All My Heart Education Center Inc. 10210 Brecksville Road, Brecksville Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, corporate income Amount: $19,643 Blue Star Partners LLC 28020 Miles Road, Solon Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $18,727 A Mendolera & Son Inc. 2750 Belgrave Road, Pepper Pike Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Corporate income, employer’s withholding Amount: $17,986 Lynda V. Butler DDS 14100 Cedar Road, Suite 210, University Heights Date filed: March 28, 2017

Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $16,980 CJG Inc. 1282 SOM Center Road, Mayfield Heights Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017

Date released: March 2, 2017 Type: Corporate income, employer’s withholding Amount: $390,784

Type: Annual tax return

Balogh General Contracting Co. 9112 Running Brook Drive, Parma Date filed: June 11, 2007

Amount: $15,129 CBRestaurants LLC 1261 SOM Center Road, Mayfield Heights Date filed: Feb. 9, 2017

Date released: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding

Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $12,888 Imperial Glass & Door Co. 6517 Bessemer Ave., Cleveland Date filed: March 28, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $11,409 Retab Inc. 23715 Mercantile Road, Suite B 102, Beachwood Date filed: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $10,750 Employment Specialists International Inc. 12800 Shaker Blvd., Suite 200, Cleveland Date filed: Feb. 9, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $7,866 Harold Pollock CC LPA 3438 Courtland Road, Pepper Pike Date filed: Feb. 17, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $5,376

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Blink Marketing Inc. 1925 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland Date filed: Feb. 9, 2017

LIENS RELEASED

Amount: $47,286 Frank’s Coach & Carriage 1120 Brookpark Road, Cleveland Date filed: Nov. 17, 2008 Date released: Feb. 9, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $27,716 Jorge Castillo Design Inc. 13302 Cormere Ave., Apt. 304, Cleveland Date filed: Sept. 13, 2016 Date released: March 28, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding Amount: $25,971 Foiltek Inc. 1700 London Road, Cleveland Date filed: Dec. 11, 2015 Date released: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $13,753 Kidz Corner Inc. 3749 E. 142nd St., Cleveland Date filed: July 28, 2011 Date released: March 2, 2017 Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment Amount: $13,622

PGT Construction Inc. 9900 York Theta Drive, North Royalton Date filed: May 22, 2012

Little Anonuccis Inc. 7323 Clinton Road, Brooklyn Date filed: June 18, 2007

Date released: March 28, 2017

Date released: March 2, 2017

Type: Employer’s withholding

Type: Employer’s withholding, unemployment

Amount: $210,482

Amount: $10,789

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REAL ESTATE: COOL REHABS

The Leader Building, which is being rehabbed by K&D Group, originally housed the The News-Leader, a newspaper eventually acquired by The Plain Dealer. (McKinley Wiley for Crain’s)

The Residences at Leader boasts 224 modern apartments.

An exterior shot of Leader.

Leader’s intricate details remained intact during the conversion.

Preservation tax credits energize Cleveland’s aging urban landscape

What’s old is new

History helps us move forward

By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

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After the Leader Building opened in 1912 at 526 Superior Ave. in downtown Cleveland, reporters and printers hustled to meet daily newspaper deadlines for 20 years there for The News-Leader. After the paper was sold to The Plain Dealer, it was moved, but the ornate lobby remained a feature after the structure became a multitenant office building.

At the same time, across the Cuyahoga River, at 1526 W. 25th St., a building constructed in the 1870s for the family-owned Baehr Brewery was serving as a machine shop and would later become a warehouse for convention displays.

Both buildings have just joined the lineup of adaptive reuse projects of

historic buildings that are becoming apartments at a rapid rate. They are among an onslaught of more than 1,100 suites that will open in 2017, and will later be joined by buildings such as The Standard, 99 W. St. Clair Ave., and Garfield, 1965 East Sixth St., and further the transformation of downtown Cleveland as a residential neighborhood and boost the population of the city’s West Side neighborhoods.

Ironically, much of this new apartment and hotel action that is reinvigorating downtown streets is not altering the skyline. That’s because most of the realty development action for the last 30 years has been built on financing plans that incorporate federal historic tax credits and, more recently, state historic preservation tax credits to repurpose buildings over 50 years of age.

And it’s adding up, on both a national and local basis.

Converting office buildings over age 50 to apartments and hotels has been big news recently in downtown Cleveland.

Recent projects build on a legacy of historic preservation tax credit deals that has touched much of downtown. More than $1 billion in investments in 85 projects used federal historic preservation tax credits, according to data from Ohio History Connection, the Historic Gateway Neighborhood and the Historic Warehouse District Development Corp.

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Crain’s map

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

REAL ESTATE: COOL REHABS

HISTORIC

“In Cleveland, you turn over every rock because you have to.

It’s not used much in New York City because that’s where the real estate values have remained strong. Meanwhile, in Cleveland we had this resource of extraordinary buildings that were underutilized.�

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

A study by Ohio History Connection, the statewide history organization which manages the State Historic Preservation Office, said Ohio topped the nation for such projects in the 2015-2016 federal spending year with 103 projects, an investment totaling $365 million.

Of those, 10 projects are in Cleveland and totaled $128 million.

Moreover, since the federal historic tax credit went into effect in 1976, Cuyahoga County has had 292 federal tax credit projects with a total investment of $2.2 billion, according to an Ohio History Connection analysis.

Summit County has had 28 qualifying projects with a $146 million investment.

Both Franklin and Hamilton counties had more projects than Cuyahoga, 491 and 623, respectively.

However, the Columbus area investment totaled $371 million and the Cincinnati area, $808 million.

In Northeast Ohio, downtown Cleveland has been the biggest single beneficiary of this federal and state largess, with 85 projects spanning the area from the Warehouse District to the Campus District.

Burt Logan, executive director of Ohio History Connection, said in an interview, “A great number of the projects that have been done in all likelihood would not have been done without the state and the federal tax credits. It can take five to eight years in some cases to get the right plan in place. It has had a very robust impact to help restore and reclaim a lot of neighborhoods in Ohio.�

In downtown’s DNA Multiple factors contributed to downtown’s embrace of such projects, ranging from a large supply of underutilized office buildings to in-

— Kathleen Crowther, executive director of the Cleveland Restoration Society

The West 25th Street Lofts project on the edge of Ohio City uses the shell of the former Baehr Brewery. The building later served as a machine shop and a warehouse. (McKinley Wiley for Crain’s)

novations associated with finding new ways to use the sometimes empty or obsolete structures.

Tom Yablonsky, executive vice president of Downtown Cleveland Alliance and executive director of the Historic Warehouse and Gateway Neighborhood local development corporations, said downtown has benefited from waves of such projects. “We’ve had historic advocacy lasting for decades,� Yablonsky said. “Large, empty former garment factories and warehouse buildings in the Warehouse District showed in the 1980s and 1990s that people would live downtown. In the 1990s, after Quicken Loans and Progressive Field opened, the movement spread to the

Gateway Neighborhood, particularly Prospect and Euclid avenues.�

And finally, in the 2000s, buildings in Playhouse Square such as the Creswell, 1020 Huron Road, and Residences at the Hanna, 1401 Prospect Ave., carried the momentum to the Cleveland State University area.

Moreover, downtown Cleveland has a large supply of buildings created in the city’s glory years from the 1890s to the 1920s, and even the early 19th century.

Kathleen Crowther, executive director of the Cleveland Restoration Society, which advocates for preserving buildings and operates programs that assist homeowners in maintaining older homes, said inventory and

need drove the incentives’ success in Northeast Ohio. “First, the culture of Cleveland has been collaborative,� she said. “It’s that public-private partnership. The professional legal and accounting community early on became familiar with how to use the historic tax credits and pushed to bring the resources into the community. We still have the legacy of big law, accounting and excellent architecture firms that did the heavy lifting to helped their clients achieve the credits. And then they had developer clients who did not give up.�

Moreover, she said, historic preservation is made for city like Cleveland — as well as Buffalo, Detroit and Pittsburgh, which have soft real es-

tate markets and lower rental costs. “In Cleveland, you turn over every rock because you have to,� Crowther said. “It’s not used much in New York City because that’s where the real estate values have remained strong.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland we had this resource of extraordinary buildings that were underutilized.�

Crucial ingredients When developers John Carney and Robert Rains originally considered putting an office building in the former City Mission, which along with others became the Grand Arcade, 408 W. St. Clair, in 1996, they sought to do an office project. “However, there was no office market to support it, so we thought about apartments,� Rains said. “Our accountant, Ron DeGrandis, told us about the historic preservation tax credit.�

DeGrandis, a tax partner in the

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LEASING INFORMATION 526 Superior Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio 44114 216.241.7706 www.ResidencesAtLeader.com

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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REAL ESTATE: COOL REHABS real estate practice at RSM US LLP’s Cleveland office, said he pointed out the benefit of the tax credit as a way to even the playing field between the cost of restoring existing buildings and new construction. The tax credit provided more funds to compensate for lower rents at that time in the Cleveland area, he said. Over time the federal, and then the state, historic credits became a gigantic factor in Cleveland’s rebirth.

Essentially, the credits mean for every dollar spent on restoring historic elements of a building, it creates a credit for 20 cents on a well-heeled investor or corporation’s tax bill.

Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits are worth a 25% deduction on a state tax bill.

“The first one was a bitch,” DeGrandis recalled of the projects because of unknowns associated with the projects. “The second one was less of a bitch. Now, you can give me the numbers and I can tell you in an hour and a half if you have a project.”

Those early projects were also tough because there was no market for buying historic tax credits, which usually are bought by large companies to reduce their tax liabilities.

Now, Rains said, as he and Carney and investor David Goldberg tackle converting the massive May Co. Building on Public Square to apartments, the tax credit remains crucial.

However, Rains said there are now ready buyers for tax credits.

“I get a call every week from someone wanting to buy the tax credit on the May Co.,” Rains said.

K&D Group, a Willoughby-based

The West 25th Street Lofts conversion required 63 suite designs. It includes 83 market-rate apartments. (McKinley Wiley for Crain’s)

apartment owner and developer that handled the Leader Building project, had bought and upgraded tens of buildings before tackling its first historic restoration project, the Residences at 668, in 2007.

Doug Price, K&D Group CEO, said the company found converting the former office complex, originally a department store and its warehouse, a different proposition.

“Before 668, we would buy an old apartment, rehab it, rent it out and move on,” Price said. “Downtown buildings are different. You have to renovate them 100%. It’s like building a new building, only you are keeping the old shell on the outside. With construction of a new building, there is no place to go for the kind of help you can get with a historic building.”

Handling technical requirements for qualifying rehabilitation expenditures remains trying for developers.

At West 25th Street Lofts, Rick Foran, a partner in the project, said the 83 market-rate apartments required 63 different suite designs.

Even so, meeting historic guidelines was a challenge. “We were told,” Foran said, “‘Don’t fight it. Go with it.

You’ll wind up with a better project.’”

Today, Foran can point out plaster details in a suite where the original brewer’s family lived above the brewery.

In the details

West 25th Street Lofts’ amenities include a fitness center that embraces the building’s original brick walls.

Another factor that helped both neighborhood and downtown projects was the creation of federal historic districts. Such areas share design features and uses and were built

in about the same time periods. In the case of downtown, Yablonsky said the creation of nine historic districts was crucial, ranging from the original Warehouse District to another at East Fourth Street and another on Euclid Avenue from Public Square to Cleveland State University.

“Many of these buildings qualify because they contribute to a district,” Yablonsky said. “Without the districts, some of the buildings would have a more difficult time qualifying for credits.”

Other, more technical, tools also went into play, such as flexible building codes, and historic conservation easements, which provide federal tax benefits for keeping building heights intact, foregoing potential income from a taller, denser development on a historic site.

The result: Yablonsky estimates that $1 billion of downtown development is attributable to historic tax credit projects, about half the total in Cuyahoga County. “And you’ve seen downtown become a residential neighborhood,” he said.

Originally, long-empty warehouse or office buildings that had gone dark spawned historic projects. Now they are going in as portions of mixed-use projects. While the number of buildings available for immediate conversion diminishes, the passage of time will supply more.

Yablonsky and others point out that mid-century modern buildings from the 20th century are starting to qualify for tax credits downtown. And Crowther said outlying neighborhoods and other towns will supply more old buildings for future projects.

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REAL ESTATE: COOL REHABS

Q&A: Jonathan Sandvick Founder, Sandvick Architects

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Soft-spoken architect Jonathan Sandvick has had an out-sized impact on the rebuilding of downtown Cleveland for more than three decades. He is known as a specialist in crafting adaptive reuse plans of old buildings that allows their owners to win valuable federal and state historic tax credits that help to finance the deals. He’s participated in restoration and reuse projects at 60 buildings in downtown Cleveland. Including others in Ohio and around the country, he has worked on the restoration of 300 buildings in 200 historic rehabilitation projects with a total investment of $1.6 billion.

Sandvick, 67, was introduced to downtown Cleveland by his late Norwegian immigrant grandmother, Gina. He believes she showed him as a 5-year-old The Old Arcade, 425 Superior Ave., as well as the May Co. and Higbee department stores on Public Square. He would later redesign the Old Arcade as the Hyatt Regency Cleveland Hotel in a project that saved the building from deterioration that might have threatened its existence.

His Sandvick Architects has 30 staffers and occupies space in a Warehouse District building whose adaptive reuse he designed for Cleveland-based Landmark Management. — Stan Bullard Why did you focus on preservation rather than pursuing the design opportunities that go with new buildings?

I was focused on design at KSU. However, my epiphany came in 1975 when I spent four months at Fiorenza, Italy, through the university. On my flight I noticed how Dutch cities were intensely developed until they got to a certain line when they became green. It was very different from what I had seen flying to California and the sprawl in the U.S. In Italy, I realized what the experience was like to have a home and office in the same building and go to a bakery on the first floor. In Florence, I saw a building that had been in use for 600 years that had 37 different uses at that point, including having been a library and goldsmith’s shop and a mansion.

Once, through a translator, I listened to a discussion about demolishing a building for a new use and people talked about how the property was part of their sense of place.

There was continued vitality by making buildings meet changing needs as opposed to the American way of bringing in cranes to demolish them for something new. At the same time, downtowns in the United States were suffering, no matter how wealthy a city they were located in. There was a design problem here that had to be addressed to help cities in distress. I saw the potential to restore vitality and that it is more sound environmentally to reuse the buildings. It was a great change for me, but community revitalization and historic preservation and reuse became my mission as an architect.

Isn’t it frustrating for a designer to work within the limited canvas provided by an old structure?

It’s more of a challenge as a designer. You have to break the conventional design paradigm of the building and see how it can be put to new use. If you have a floor with a 60-foot depth, how do you lay out apartments so they will have enough light? I raised up the bedrooms so there could be privacy but transparency (an opening at the top that)

allows in light and a view of the city.

You have to find ways to infuse the space with charisma for it to be successful.

How do you do that?

You take advantage of the quirks or unique character of the building and pay attention to the extraordinary details they have. In Bridgeview (originally the Otis Terminals Building) I put in two-story units. When we added the atrium, we left the wooden beams exposed. The structural design of the building became an architectural element.

Aren’t there a lot of building code issues in restoring old buildings to new use?

Yes. Historical buildings are more complicated than constructing a building in a green field. The principal one is wooden floors as a risk to fire safety. But those buildings have other natural safety advantages. The adaptive reuse code Chapter 34 makes it easier for existing building to achieve equal to or greater levels of safety (compared to new buildings.)

There are elements you can use. I was very involved in code issues as an architect. There is now the adaptive reuse code as part of the international building code. That effort welled up from Ohio. I was looking for tools, and that became one. In our practice, we don’t use historical consultants; we have that skill in house. I think you have to draw on the history of the building and your skill as an architect to do it successfully. It’s a tactical challenge. There are also problems of scale. Many people think about the tall ceilings in old buildings; I think about how to use the areas with seven-foot ceilings. We combined several buildings into one project and found we had to find ways to work with different floor levels or find ways to smooth them out.

We’ve often heard you talk about the number of designs in a loft apartment or hotel conversion.

What is the largest number of designs of suites or rooms you’ve put into a single project?

It’s hard to say. There are 96 different room designs in the Cleveland Hyatt. Some are triangular.

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Some are double ended (with windows at both ends of the suite.)

At the time we did the Colonial Marketplace becoming a Residence Inn and the Hyatt, it was common for architects to design the outside of the building because the hotel companies had their prototype rooms and suites. Guests had to see the TV from the bed. That’s not the case today; hotel companies are now embracing the different designs of the buildings so that not all hotels look the same. Look at the Schofield Kimpton Hotel — the design is part of the attraction of the property.

Did you see much of a change as the federal historic preservation tax credit came into use after 1976?

It became a valuable tool. It helped.

Where would Cleveland be today without the federal tax credit? The buildings would be more deteriorated; conditions would be worse. Euclid Avenue would not look the way it does. The state historic tax credit also was an immense help. It helped fill the gap created by the loss of programs such as the former U.S. Urban Development Action Grant that helped get a lot of buildings renovated in Cleveland.

Have there been disappointments?

Oh, yes. An extraordinary one is the loss of the Stanley Block Building on Ontario Street (which was razed after it was surrounded by the parking garage of Jack’s Cleveland Casino.) The (Victorian-era) building originally had lighting features at night and a long history. They (casino representatives) thought it was structurally unsound. But when the new garage collapsed while it was being built, the Stanley Building remained intact. (The site of the Stanley Block became the patio as the Wahlburgers restaurant went in during the spring of 2017.)

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What jobs does Sandvick Architects have in the shop today?

We’re working on the Huntington Building project planned in downtown Cleveland. We’re working on the Cleveland Athletic Club and the Standard Building, which are under construction. In Dayton, we’re working on the Dayton Arcade, which will incorporate eight buildings. In Columbus, we’re working on a plan to put 86 units in the Barnett School near German Village. We’re working on the sixth building at the former Heinz plant in Pittsburgh (for Cleveland-based Ferchill Group.) In Corpus Christi, Texas, we are putting a luxury hotel into a jail and courthouse. In Bradenton, Fla., we’re working on a $75 million hotel project that connects to an existing convention center.

When did you see things start to click in downtown as the residential hotbed it is today?

There was no one thing. I saw it change after we got several projects done, such as Grand Arcade and Bridgeview (both in the Cleveland Warehouse District.) I remember serving on a Downtown Cleveland Housing Task Force and hearing bankers wonder if anyone would live in buildings down here. I’ve seen a lot of the change in outlook with my own (four) children. They want to live where they can walk to work and entertainment and not have to rely on a car. Moving back to the urban cores is now a nationwide trend.

Do you think downtown will run out of old buildings with options as housing?

No. We’ll see mid-century buildings become available as they age. We’re just now getting to the point that rents will support construction of apartments from the ground up. It’s going to happen. It has to.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

REAL ESTATE: COOL REHABS

D.W. Ross brings architectural history to life

By DOUGLAS J. GUTH clbfreelancer@crain.com

Someone examining the biography for D.W. Ross Co. may see only a successful family-run enterprise that provides customers with the building materials they require to outfit a business or home.

That description is not inaccurate.

D.W. Ross has been in the supply game since founder Charles Ross opened the doors in 1927, and the company does indeed distribute windows, doors and insulated panels to a diverse clientele including Heinen’s and the Cleveland Clinic. However, the company has carved out a niche that most distributors aren’t interested in pursuing — that of architecture and historic design.

D.W. Ross’ expertise in Cleveland’s historic building market has evolved over years of studying architectural minutiae that doesn’t exist outside of a sketch or black-and-white photograph. When a client is remodeling an historic home or building, the company is challenged with re-creating century-old window and door designs it either installs itself or provides to a builder.

The design process is meticulous, as final plans must meet established criteria set by the city’s Landmarks Commission, said D.W. Ross vice president Dan Ross.

“An architect will supply us with pictures from the commission,” Ross said.

“Then we have to get our design approved through the local community development corporation. Our work is always changing from day to day.”

Ross can drive down any number of Cleveland streets and witness evidence of his company’s efforts. His

D.W. Ross recently replaced upward of 140 windows at Gypsy Brewing, an offshoot of the Platform Beer Co. (Contributed photos)

firm recently replaced upward of 140 windows at Gypsy Brewing, an offshoot of the Platform Beer Co. operating out of 3506 Vega Ave., near Fulton Road and Interstate 90. D.W. Ross was tasked with creating a modern window system based on designs dating back to the 19th century, when the facility was owned by an Iowa brewer named Isaac Leisy.

“The old windows were made of single-pane wood with non-insulated glass,” Ross said. “We had to mimic the size and look as close to the original as possible, so we designed an aluminum window with dual pane, ‘low E’ glass that filters out the sun but lets in natural light. By filtering out the sun, we can keep the building’s heat

Partnering with Westlake Capital Management, D.W. Ross have supplied products for renovations in the Detroit-Shoreway area.

down in the summer months.”

D.W. Ross’ five distinctive window lines allow it to tailor new window systems to both customer and historical needs, said the company vice president. For example, the company outfitted a former firehouse on West 29th Street with classic radius-style windows — where the bottom half of the window is rectangular while the top is an arch or half-circle — constructed from modern materials.

“We’re not involved with historical jobs every day, but when we are it helps break up the monotony,” Ross said. “I love to be challenged. Choosing different radiuses or colors requires a skill. You’re working on these unique properties, and that’s part of what excites me.”

Historic design was not always on the firm’s radar, Ross noted. In decades past, D.W. Ross sustained itself with no-frills vinyl window replacements. That modus operandi changed when the company got into higher-end window jobs, including those with historical features.

“Word spread on the historical jobs and we got more businesses from word-of-mouth,” Ross said. “Most of our customers are repeat customers.

CDCs will throw people our way because they know our capabilities. Customers come to us and we’re able to go in and solve their problems.”

Along with windows and doors, D.W. Ross offers its clients — many of them in the food industry — materials such as flooring, decking, cold storage, environmental coolers and freezers. The business also applies its historical skill set to remodeling older homes in the Detroit-Shoreway community.

Through a partnership with Westlake Capital Management, Ross and

his brother, Don, have supplied building products and expertise to seven 1900s-era homes in the neighborhood. Turning dilapidated shells into single-family residences that sell for $310,000 and have been appraised for more has earned the company two “Residential Remodel of the Year” awards from the Detroit Shoreway CDC. “We’re taking homes that everybody else walks away from,” Ross said. “We don’t believe in tearing stuff down.”

D.W. Ross sinks over $100,000 worth of materials into each house, said Westlake Capital founder Keith Pryatel. Dan Ross finishes projects with a signature architectural feature such as a carved front archway or a center beam that runs the length of the entire structure.

“These aren’t cut-and-paste houses,” Pryatel said. “We’re using firstclass building products for families who can thrive in this neighborhood.”

Making old homes new again takes a special talent that symbolizes D.W. Ross’ lucrative place within the historic building trade, Pryatel added.

“You get what you pay for, and Dan knows his windows and doors,” he said. “His knowledge about materials and what exactly fits a house makes a property stand out. It’s those details that gives our houses that ‘wow’ factor.”

For his part, Ross is pleased not to be simply moving product. If bringing history to life helps make a tangible impact on the city’s steady resurgence, the lifelong Clevelander is more than happy to continue his work.

“I love to drive by the projects we’ve done,” Ross said. “I’m proud because these buildings carry the family name. I rather walk away from a job than not do it right.”

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Ohio

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HELPING YOU FIND THE RIGHT PROGRAM FOR YOUR CAREER

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S2 May 22, 2017

THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

PUBLIC TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The flexible MBA at Akron enables students to attend on a full-time or part-time basis. The university also offers a two-year Saturday MBA program. Concentrations are available in areas that include Business Analytics, Finance, Global Technological Innovation, Health Care Management, International Business, Management, Strategic Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

CLASS LOCATION: The flexible MBA classes are held on the main campus in Akron, as well as online.

Saturday MBA classes are held at UA Lakewood and UA Medina.

ONLINE OPTIONS: All MBA required courses may be offered online. Electives are in-person only.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: An online graduate application and acceptable GMAT, GRE or LSAT exam with scores above 50% on all sections is preferred, along with two reference letters, résumé, statement

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AKRON | 330-972-7043 |

of purpose and transcripts from all programs attended.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Half-time graduate assistantships, student loans and limited scholarships are available.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE

INFORMATION: The Saturday MBA is $33,000. The fees for the flexible MBA program are $465 per credit for in-state students and $765 per credit for out-of-state students. The flexible program is 36 to 51 credits.

ACCOLADES: UA’s College of Business Administration graduate

SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

412

gradcba@uakron.edu |

College of Business Administration students were enrolled in spring 2017.

gradbusiness.uakron.edu

programs have been included in The Princeton Review’s list of Best Business Schools every year since 2005. Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the part-time MBA program among the best in the nation, and ranked its business school as one of the best in the U.S. for six consecutive years, placing it in the Top 50 for 2016. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the MBA program among the best part-time MBA programs in the U.S., and ranked the College of Business Administration as one of the best business programs in the nation. The College of Business Administration is accredited in business and has an additional, specialized accreditation in accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. Fewer than 5% of business schools in the world have attained AACSB accreditation.

Additionally, the College of Business Administration has the largest number of Fulbright Scholars in any graduate business program in the state of Ohio.

WHAT’S NEW

Beginning in fall 2017, the College of Business Administration will offer an MBA with a concentration in Risk Management and Insurance. Developed in response to the needs of Ohio employers, the new concentration is ideal for professionals who work in the area of property, liability, life or health insurance, as well as corporate risk and investment management. Additionally, UA has partnered with Northeast Ohio Medical University to offer dual pharmacy and MBA degrees.

The agreement allows pharmacy students at NEOMED to earn an MBA in addition to their doctor of pharmacy degree. As many as 19 course credits can transfer and count toward their MBA.

GET YOUR MBA. KEEP YOUR LIFESTYLE.

Earn a fully accredited MBA in just two years by attending class every other Saturday at UA Lakewood or UA Medina. Call 330-972-7043 or email saturdayMBA@uakron.edu for more information.

The Saturday MBA program is designed for the working professional.

UA has the highest-ranked part-time MBA program at a public university in northeast Ohio, according to the 2018 U.S. News and World Report ranking of part-time MBA programs.

The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution - uakron.edu/eeo

•

Two years (six semesters) – one course at a time – to graduation

•

Cohort format – students start and graduate together

•

Free parking and lunch provided

•

Great networking opportunities

•

Outstanding faculty

•

Fully AACSB accredited

OHIO MBA GUIDE

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ASHLAND UNIVERSITY DAUCH COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

PRIVATE SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

ASHLAND | 419-289-5214 |

mba@ashland.edu |

rounded, academically prepared students. Applicants are required to provide both their academic and professional experiences for admission consideration. Students may qualify for a GMAT/GRE waiver.

A business undergraduate major is not required. Additional admission information can be obtained from the MBA Programs Office.

586

MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The MBA programs at Ashland University are designed to meet the needs of working professionals. Students can enroll part time or full time in evening, weekend or hybrid classes.

Online programs are available and include part-time, full-time and accelerated options. Ashland University recently launched a 1 Year Accelerated MBA, with Saturday classes and two international study tours included.

Students are able to specialize in any of the following areas: Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Global Management, Health Care Management and Leadership, Human Resource Management, Management Information Systems, Project Management, Sport Management or

May 22, 2017 S3

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Financial aid is available for all MBA program options.

Supply Chain Management.

CLASS LOCATION: Students can complete all MBA requirements at the main campus in Ashland, or at one of the four off-campus locations, in Independence, Canton, Medina or Columbus. The accelerated weekend option is currently only available in Columbus and Independence.

ONLINE OPTIONS: The Online MBA program is available in full-time, part-time or accelerated options.

The Online MBA can be completed in one year. Part-time students typically complete the program within two years.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: The university seeks well-

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: The tuition for the non-accelerated MBA program option is $635 per hour for the 2016-17 academic year. The Accelerated 1 Year International MBA Program is priced at an all-inclusive tuition of $29,500.

ACCOLADES: U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Online MBA rankings placed Ashland University’s Online MBA as No. 5 in Ohio, and No. 111 nationwide.

ashland.edu/mba

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

The first cohort of the 1 Year International MBA Program began in January 2017. Students attend classes on Saturdays, allowing for no interruption of business-day work schedules.

The all-inclusive $29,500 tuition covers two international study tours. The first study tour is designed to be an introduction to the global business environment. The second study tour focuses on applying the knowledge and concepts learned in the classroom to realworld businesses. In March 2017, the first study tour featured visits to the overseas offices of Google, Goodyear Tire and Parker Hannifin.

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S4 May 22, 2017

PRIVATE SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BEREA | 440-826-2392 |

graduate @bw.edu |

and in Warrensville Heights. Health Care and Executive MBA classes meet every other weekend.

ONLINE OPTIONS: The Management MBA is also offered in an online, hybrid format for students who find it difficult to commit to weekly attendance on campus, due to scheduling conflicts and distance.

Most coursework is completed

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: Tuition varies by MBA program. Federal student loans, a monthly payment plan and/or tuition reimbursement are available. More information is available at bw.edu/mba.

MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

BW also offers an MBA in Accounting, a Health Care MBA, and an Executive MBA for managers with 10 or more years of experience.

CLASS LOCATION: Evening classes are offered in Berea and at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights, or students can choose a Saturdayonly program in Berea. The Health Care MBA is offered both in Berea

bw.edu/mba

online, and students come to campus for only seven weekends in the course of the two-year program. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the hybrid program as among the best online business graduate programs.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Interested students are encouraged to schedule a personal advising session with a program director.

They can apply online and are required to submit academic transcripts for a bachelor’s degree, two letters of recommendation and GMAT or GRE scores. The test score requirement is waived for applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better, or applicants who hold another graduate degree.

350

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: More than 6,500 Baldwin Wallace MBA graduates work and lead in Northeast Ohio. They serve many different kinds of organizations — from small startups to Fortune 500 companies to nonprofit organizations.

They have benefited from an MBA faculty composed of expert scholars and corporate executives who can provide business theory as well as real-world application. With its parttime class offerings, the program is ideal for experienced, working professionals. The MBA in Management takes a systems approach to the business enterprise. Students can choose to focus on a particular area: Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources or International Business.

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WHAT’S NEW BW has added a full-time MBA for recent business graduates. The one-year MBA program helps to develop key business and leadership skills that increase career potential. Emphasizing the systems approach to business, it focuses on both the strategic and tactical responsibilities of management. This MBA is designed for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in business within the last 12 months. The full-time cohort begins classes in May and finishes in April of the following year.

More than an MBA

A CAREER CATALYST Baldwin Wallace University’s broad “systems approach” takes a 360° view of modern business, providing insight to all facets of the enterprise and preparing you to meet today’s challenges—and tomorrow’s.

Learn how a BW MBA can develop your personal expertise,expand your network and accelerate your career at www.bw.edu/mba.

Baldwin Wallace University School of Business 275 Eastland Road, Berea, Ohio 44017 440.826.2392 www.bw.edu/mba Baldwin Wallace does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, age, disability, national origin, gender or sexual orientation in the administration of any policies or programs.

OHIO MBA GUIDE

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May 22, 2017 S5

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY WEATHERHEAD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

PRIVATE

CLEVELAND | 216-368-2030 | weatherhead.case.edu/degrees

julie.dibiasio@case.edu

enrolled in the MSM in Health Care Management specialty master’s program also take classes at the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Applicants should submit a completed online application form, two essays, a current résumé, unofficial transcripts, GMAT or GRE scores and letters of recommendation.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The university offers full-time, part-time and Executive MBA programs, as well as an executive track for health care professionals in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. Weatherhead also offers eight specialty master’s programs and nine dual-degree master’s programs to enhance man-

agement expertise and leadership potential in a variety of sectors.

CLASS LOCATION: The Weatherhead School of Management is located at the Peter B. Lewis Building on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. Students

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Financial aid is available through the Office of Financial Aid. Scholarships are awarded based on academic and professional qualifications.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: Tuition for the full-time MBA class entering in the fall of 2017 is $39,390 per year for the two-year program.

ACCOLADES: The Weatherhead

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS Weatherhead is home to many of the business concepts practiced around the world, including Appreciative Inquiry, Emotional Intelligence, manage by designing and flourishing enterprise.

Weatherhead has incorporated both design and sustainability courses into its core curriculum. An emphasis is placed on the skills of design thinking and the knowledge of sustainable practice to meet challenges facing business in the 21st century. Students have the opportunity to practice these methods in AMES Business Models, which is a yearlong experience. Building on knowledge acquired in the first year of the MBA program, students work in teams with outside business clients on three different projects.

SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS: full-time MBA students, 133 part-time MBA students, and 81 executive MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

125

full-time MBA has been ranked No. 24 in the U.S. by AméricaEconomía, No. 58 in the U.S. by The Economist,

and has been named one of the top 15 Most Innovative MBA Programs

by Inc. magazine.

Design your seat in the boardroom.

Discover your future career by partnering with other creative and analytical minds to change business for the better. Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees that challenge students to design a better world.

Learn more at weatherhead.case.edu.

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S6 May 22, 2017

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY MONTE AHUJA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

PUBLIC SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

SPONSORED CONTENT

CLEVELAND | 216-687-3730 |

thecsumba.com

csuohio.edu/financial-aid.

The size is dependent upon the cohort/MBA program.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: All of the university’s MBA programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The program enables students to attend on a full-time or part-time basis. The university’s MBA options are designed to accommodate students’ work schedules and lifestyles.

Options include the Executive MBA (19 months); Global Accelerated MBA (12 months); Online Accelerated MBA (12 months); Health Care Administration MBA; and the new BBA 2 MBA program for recent Cleveland State University alumni.

CLASS LOCATION: Classes are held on the Cleveland State University campus, located downtown next to

cbacsu@csuohio.edu |

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: The all-inclusive tuition for the Executive MBA is $49,900, and the Global Accelerated MBA is $35,000. These programs include an international study experience. The Online Accelerated program is $35,000.

Tuition and fees for all other MBA programs can be found online at csuohio.edu/treasury-services/ tuition-and-fees/.

Playhouse Square and online.

ONLINE OPTIONS: In addition to the accelerated program, many graduate-level courses are offered online each semester. The Online Accelerated MBA was ranked No. 1 in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report and No. 31 in the world by CEO Magazine.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: MBA admission requirements are similar to that of the Graduate

College at Cleveland State University. With the exception of the BBA 2 MBA program, admissions requirements can be found online at csuohio.edu/graduate-admissions/ admission-requirements.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: A number of scholarships and graduate assistantships are available to graduate students. Financial aid is offered through our main Financial Aid office. For more information, visit

ACCOLADES: The Online Accelerated MBA program is ranked No. 1 in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report. CEO Magazine ranked the university’s MBA programs as Tier One for the second year in a row. All MBA programs are accredited by AACSB. Fewer than 5% of the world’s business schools or colleges of business hold this accreditation. The Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University has been ranked in Military Times’ 2016 Best for

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

About 80% of Cleveland State University traditional MBA alumni live and work in Northeast Ohio. The Online Accelerated MBA program is ranked No. 1 in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report and No. 31 in the world by CEO Magazine. This program is completely online and is one of the first AACSB-accredited online MBA programs. The Health Care Administration MBA includes an experiential component of working within a health care setting.

Vets: Business Schools listing, which was the first time the institution had been represented in this ranking.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER. EARNING A MASTER’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS is an investment that can help boost your career and earning potential to the next level.

At Cleveland State’s Monte Ahuja College of Business, we have an AACSB-accredited graduate program that fits your interests and lifestyle. With several MBA OPTIONS and specialized programs in ACCOUNTING, HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS, our dedicated advisors will work with you to choose a program so that you earn more than a degree. You earn a competitive edge.

Visit CSUOHIO.EDU/GRADBUSINESS for application & more.

OHIO MBA GUIDE

SPONSORED CONTENT

May 22, 2017 S7

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY DEVOE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

PRIVATE

INDEPENDENCE | 216-525-6200 | iwuenroll@indwes.edu indwes.edu/adult-graduate/programs/mba/

SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

45

students are enrolled in the Independence-based program in 2016-17.

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: Concentrations are available in Executive Management, Health Care Administration, International Business, Personal Financial Planning and School Administration.

CLASS LOCATION: The Cleveland campus is located in Independence.

ONLINE OPTIONS: Online options are available.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: The university requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accred-

ited institution and a bachelor’s degree GPA of 2.5 or higher.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Financial aid is

Define Yourself with a MBA from IWU

available for students.

program selection.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: Tuition is $536 to $750 per credit hour based on the

ACCOLADES: The MBA was ranked No. 11 on a College Choice list of the Most Affordable Online MBAs of 2017.

The MBA program is designed to help students advance in their careers. The MBA combines academic excellence and real-world strategies for a dynamic and relevant education experience. IWU offers learning format options that range from online, onsite at one of its regional education centers, or through a virtual MBA, in which students learn through real-life scenarios. Visit indwes.edu/ online to learn more.

Online

Business Degrees • PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING • HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION • SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION • MANAGEMENT SOME PROGRAMS ARE ALSO OFFERED

Onsite Education centers in

CINCINNATI • CLEVELAND COLUMBUS • DAYTON Not all programs are offered at onsite locations.

indwes.edu 866.498.4968

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S8 May 22, 2017

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

PUBLIC SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

SPONSORED CONTENT

KENT | 330-672-2282 | gradbus@kent.edu kent.edu/business/degrees/masters-programs

180

MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: Students can choose from a full-time MBA, Online MBA and Executive MBA. Five dual-degree MBAs are available, with concentrations in Architecture, Nursing, Library Science, Translation and Communication.

CLASS LOCATION: Kent.

ONLINE OPTIONS: An online MBA will be available beginning in fall 2017.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Interested individuals should submit an application, résumé, transcripts, and GMAT or GRE scores. Two years’ minimum work experience is required for the Online MBA, and a minimum five years of work experience is necessary for the

WHAT’S NEW

Beginning in fall 2017, the MBA program will be offered online in addition to the full-time on-campus program. One of a select number of AACSB-accredited schools to offer an Online MBA, the college will deliver the program in a modular, eight-week course structure.

This format enables students with two or more years of work experience to enroll at any time and complete the accelerated program within 12 months.

Executive MBA program.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Scholarships are available for full-time and executive MBA program students.

R U O Y EARN

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: The cost to students breaks down as follows: Full-time MBA — $505 per credit hour in state or $6,145 per semester, and $881 per credit hour out of state or $10,281

per semester. The Executive MBA program is an all-inclusive $43,900.

The Online MBA is $830 per credit hour, less than $30,000 total for the program, for both in-state and out-ofstate students.

ACCOLADES: The program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International for business and accounting, recognized by U.S. News & World Report and ranked as Tier One by CEO Magazine.

!

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INFORMAT

REGISTER NOW! bit.ly/KentStateMBA

or by appointment: (330) 672-3622

OHIO MBA GUIDE

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LAKE ERIE COLLEGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

PRIVATE SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

150

MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: Students can choose from a Professional MBA, an Accelerated MBA and as of fall 2017, an Online MBA. The Professional MBA program is designed for students with current or previous work experience, and classes are held on weekday evenings. The Accelerated MBA requires significant professional work experience and strong academic records. Students admitted to the Accelerated MBA track can earn the MBA degree in 11 months by attending classes for full days on Saturdays (Lakeland location only). Beginning in fall 2017, LEC will offer the full Parker MBA program 100% online, allowing greater flexibility of scheduling for current and prospective students. Select Parker MBA program tracks offer optional

May 22, 2017 S9

PAINESVILLE | 440-375-7075 |

must also submit a current résumé and a personal statement of up to 500 words (topics found online with application).

concentrations in Health Informatics (fall 2017), Health Care Administration and Information Technology Management.

CLASS LOCATION: To accommodate the need for the latest technology, flexibility and convenience of educational opportunities, Lake Erie College’s MBA classes are offered at two locations. The east side location is at Holden University Center of Lakeland Community College in Kirtland. The west side location is the Desich Business and Entrepreneur Center at Lorain County Community College in Elyria.

ONLINE OPTIONS: MBA students have the option of taking selected courses online. Beginning in fall 2017, the college will also offer the Professional MBA program 100% online.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Admission to the Parker MBA

dbird@lec.edu |

program is determined on the basis of demonstrated professionalism, intellectual capability for successful completion of the program and the potential for leadership. Students may be admitted and begin the MBA program during spring, summer or fall semester. Criteria for admission to the MBA program includes a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, submission of official transcripts and a completed MBA application available at lec.edu/ admissions/graduate. Applicants

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be eligible for graduate student loan programs.

Lake Erie College’s FAFSA Code is 003066.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: Tuition and fees for the 2017-18 academic year are $679 per credit hour. The program requires 36 total credit hours, which consists of nine required courses and three electives.

ACCOLADES: The MBA program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Fewer than 10% of business programs are IACBE-accredited.

lec.edu/parkermba

WHAT’S NEW Lake Erie College recently partnered with Lorain County Community College and its University Partnership to offer the Parker MBA program to professionals on the west side.

Starting this summer, LEC’s MBA program will be available in the Richard Desich Sales Institute in the Desich Business and Entrepreneurship Center on LCCC’s campus. LCCC is the first community college in Ohio to have a University Partnership program and offers 50 different bachelor’s and master’s degrees, including programs in Computer Science and Engineering, Business, Biology, Education and Accounting. Visit lorainccc. edu/UP for more information.

Whether you choose convenient evening classes, a Saturday accelerated option, a fully online track, or a combination of these options, Lake Erie College makes it easy to earn your MBA on your terms! As a graduate of the Parker MBA program, you can leverage our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to take additional courses for the rest of your life - at no cost.

Parker MBA Program

Take advantage of our convenient locations at Lakeland Community College's Holden University Center on the east side and Lorain County Community College on the west side.

Visit lec.edu/parkermba

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S10 May 22, 2017

MALONE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP

PRIVATE SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

SPONSORED CONTENT

CANTON | 330-471-8500 |

gps@malone.edu |

malone.edu/mba

179

MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The university offers a traditional MBA.

CLASS LOCATION: Online, on campus in Canton, or in a hybrid format.

ONLINE OPTIONS: Students can earn their degree in 20 months working with Malone faculty. The online program provides for life/ work balance, and graduates have the opportunity to advance in their careers by earning an MBA.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Students must have earned a 3.0 in their bachelor’s program.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Malone offers several financial aid options for graduate students.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: $645 per credit hour.

ACCOLADES: The MBA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Malone’s MBA program prepares you for career advancement and better earnings. Both learning options are structured so that you can continue to work while pursuing your degree.

The program is offered online in 20 months, or in the classroom, in which students typically finish in 24 months. The campus-based programs are offered one night a week, with classes of 15 to 20 students and with a manageable, one-course-ata-time format. The program may also be taken online over four semesters. Malone MBA graduates earn a degree that is nationally respected.

BALANCE WORK

LIFE

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER, ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH A MALONE UNIVERSITY MBA At Malone, we understand the needs of adult learners. Balance life and work by choosing one of three paths to earning your MBA.

ONLINE

Finish in 20 months

Customized to your life and schedule

ON CAMPUS

Finish in 24 months One course at a time, one night a week

www.malone.edu/mba | 800.257.4723

BLENDED

Finish in 12 months

Online and on campus, one night a week

OHIO MBA GUIDE

SPONSORED CONTENT

May 22, 2017 S11

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MAX M. FISHER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

PUBLIC

COLUMBUS | 614-292-8511 |

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The MBA provides flexibility through topranked program offerings.

Students can choose to attend on a full-time or part-time basis, on evenings and/or weekends.

Dual degrees and an Executive MBA also are offered.

CLASS LOCATION: The campus is located in Columbus, which is the largest and fastest-growing city in Ohio, where historic neighborhoods intersect with vibrant fashion, music and entertainment scenes. It’s a center for technology, health care, global enterprises and business incubators, with a diversity of lifestyles and opportunities.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: The MBA admissions committee looks for well-rounded candidates representing a variety of backgrounds. Individuals who have

MBA program), written and video essays, a résumé, letters of recommendation and official transcripts.

Fisher strongly prefers applicants with prior work experience and/ or proven leadership ability.

had diverse and stimulating life experiences that will add value to their classmates and to the Fisher community in meaningful ways are of particular interest. Applicants must submit an online application, GRE or GMAT scores (GMAT/GRE waiver available for the part-time

SCHOLARSHIP/ FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Financial assistance available to students include Scholarship of the Americas, Scholarship of Africa, Scholarship of Europe, university fellowships, military/veteran scholarships, diversity scholarships, graduate assistant positions and technology entrepreneurship scholarships.

SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

206

full-time MBA students, and 375 part-time MBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

mba@fisher.osu.edu |

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: Ohio State’s tuition and fees are consistently the lowest in the Big Ten. Fisher offers grants, scholarships and assistantships. Instate tuition opportunities are available for qualified students, including Forever Buckeye, Ohio GI Promise and more.

ACCOLADES: Fisher College of Business is among those top-ranked MBA programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. U.S. News & World Report ranks the full-time MBA program No. 27, and the part-time MBA for Working Professionals No. 9 in the nation. Fisher also is a partner of several higher education groups, including Forté Foundation, National Black MBA Association, Prospanica and Reaching Out MBA. The university is a Graduate Management Admission Council military friendly school. MBA students also benefit from the large Fisher alumni network (there are currently 76,000-plus Fisher alumni in 104 countries and 500,000-plus Ohio State alumni).

fisher.osu.edu/graduate

MBA PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

The university offers the ability to customize the MBA through 10 majors. The most recent addition is a Technology Entrepreneurship major that enables students to conceptualize, fund and create the world’s next innovation in a dedicated Venture Lab. Experiential learning and leadership are at the core of every Fisher MBA. Students participate in exclusive global expeditions and real-life consulting initiatives. While Fisher retains a tight-knit culture, it also leverages the resources of The Ohio State University, which is one of the nation’s largest universities.

Students have access from the onset of their education to a dedicated MBA career adviser.

WEEKEND MBA

An unmatched MBA

#1 in Ohio, top 10 in the nation WI-FI ENABLED BUS SERVICE FROM CLEVELAND NEW FLEXIBILITY FOR BUSY PROFESSIONALS

An MBA with flexibility for working professionals. Take classes in the evening, on the weekend, or both.

go.osu.edu/mbaweekend

FULL-TIME MBA Fisher’s MBA prepares tomorrow’s leaders for career success. Explore our top ranked program.

go.osu.edu/mbafulltime

CAREER MANAGEMENT FOCUSED ON YOU

go.osu.edu/fishermba RANKING: 2018 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT - PUBLIC MBA PROGRAMS

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S12 May 22, 2017

UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND INNOVATION

PUBLIC SIZE OF MBA PROGRAMS:

SPONSORED CONTENT

TOLEDO | 419-530-5680 | kelly.barger@utoledo.edu utoledo.edu/business/graduate/

490

MBA and EMBA students are enrolled in 2016-17.

TYPES OF MBAS AVAILABLE: The university offers an Executive MBA program to individuals with significant and progressive work experience.

This is an accelerated 12-month program, in which students meet in an on-campus class one weekend per month. The Professional MBA enables students to take classes at their own pace in a variety of formats with multiple specializations.

CLASS LOCATION: EMBA courses are located in Stranahan Hall, and Professional MBA classes are held in the Savage & Associates Business Complex.

ONLINE OPTIONS: The Professional MBA program offers various courses

both in class, as well as online. Certain courses also are offered in a hybrid format, in which much of the coursework is studied both online and in class.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION: Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale; a GMAT composite score of 450 or higher; leadership potential demonstrated through work experience, community service or research projects; a typed Statement of Purpose; and at least one letter of recommendation.

International applicants are required to submit TOEFL test results.

SCHOLARSHIP/FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Graduate assistantship opportunities are available. Students

What a Difference a Year Makes!

ing international students.

can apply for work through UT, where tuition is covered on a full-time basis and a small stipend is available.

GENERAL TUITION/FEE INFORMATION: EMBA tuition is $42,500 for the whole program, including all fees and expenses. Professional MBA tuition rates are $526.86 per credit hour for in-state students, and $942.98 per credit hour for students from out of state, includ-

ACCOLADES: The College of Business and Innovation offers various degree programs with value and flexibility that help students expand their skills and their career.

The MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. Fewer than 5% of the world’s business schools or colleges of business hold this accreditation.

U.S. News & World Report recently recognized UT for its long history of delivering a quality education through distance education, and ranked it No. 42 for student engagement and accreditation. The graduate program also has a student placement rate of over 90% upon completion of the MBA/EMBA program.

WHAT’S NEW

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation’s newest facility is the Savage & Associates Business Complex, which offers state-ofthe-art technological resources for MBA students. Features include the PNC Entrepreneurship Lab and the John B. and Lillian E. Neff trading room, in which students manage a real $1 million investment fund utilizing Bloomberg terminals commonly used by major trading firms on Wall Street. The complex also features the Alan Barry Accounting Lab, which offers computer software, hosts guest speakers, tutoring sessions and workshops to help prepare students for the CPA and CMA exams.

Give yourself the competitive edge with an Executive MBA from The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation.

E X ECU TIV E MBA AT A GL A NCE: • Intense, 12-month program with remarkable return on investment

• Establishes lifelong networks and community ties

• Welcomes students regardless of undergraduate major without additional coursework

• Promotes global business environment with international study trip

• Capable executive coaches and faculty transform your professional and personal goals • Fosters leadership skills and business acumen necessary for promotion and new business establishment

• Flexible special topics electives increase your exposure to current technology, issues and trends to better prepare you for real-world application • Competitive tuition that includes all course materials, meals while on campus and the international study trip.

Invest in yourself and advance your career.

Email the COBI Graduate Programs Office at COBIGradPrograms@utoledo.edu or call 419.530.5680 to begin your application.

BA 1255 0117

T H E COBI BR A N D: INSPIRE. TRANSFORM. EMPOWER. ACHIEVE.

BA 1255 Crains Cleveland print ad.indd 1

utoledo.edu/business

5/10/17 3:54 PM

OHIO MBA GUIDE

SPONSORED CONTENT

May 22, 2017 S13

OHIO MBA DIRECTORY PRIVATE

ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Dauch College of Business & Economics Ashland 419-289-5214 ashland.edu/mba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Part-time or full-time in evening, weekend, online or hybrid format. One-year accelerated MBA with Saturday classes and two international study tours available. Concentrations available in 11 areas including Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Global Management, Management Information Systems and Sport Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Ashland, Independence, Canton, Medina or Columbus. The accelerated weekend option is only available in Columbus and Independence.

ONLINE: The online MBA can be completed in one year. Part-time students typically complete the program within two years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S3

PRIVATE

bluffton.edu/mba MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Foursemester program with concentrations offered in Accounting and Financial Management; Leadership; and Production and Operations Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Bluffton, Edison Community College in Piqua, and Northwest State Community College in Archbold.

ONLINE: The Collaborative MBA offers live videoconference classes, with two, one-week residencies.

PUBLIC

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY College of Business Administration Bowling Green 419-372-2488 bgsu.edu/business/students/futurestudents/graduate-programs/mba.html

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations are available in accounting, finance and supply chain management.

Students also may develop their own customized areas of emphasis by selecting elective courses from the graduate catalog.

The university also offers an executive MBA and a professional MBA. CLASS LOCATIONS: Main campus in Bowling Green and off-campus classrooms in Perrysburg and Findlay.

ONLINE: None.

time, part-time and Executive MBA, as well as an executive track for health care professionals in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. The university also offers eight specialty master’s programs and nine dual-degree master’s programs.

CLASS LOCATION: Cleveland. Students enrolled in the health care management specialty master’s program also take classes at the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland.

ONLINE: None.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S5

PRIVATE

CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY School of Business Administration Cedarville 937-766-8000 cedarville.edu/MBA

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: MBA; MBA with Operations Management Concentration; dual PharmD/MBA (pharmacy).

CLASS LOCATION: Online only.

ONLINE: Yes.

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY School of Business Berea 440-826-2392 bw.edu/mba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: New fulltime, one-year MBA for business graduates. Saturday program, evening program and a hybrid format available. The MBA in Management offers focus areas in Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources or International Business. BW also offers an MBA in Accounting, a Health Care MBA and an Executive MBA for managers with 10 or more years of experience.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Berea. Certain evening courses offered at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights.

Health Care and Executive MBA classes meet every other weekend.

ONLINE: The management MBA is offered in a hybrid program.

CAPITAL UNIVERSITY School of Management & Leadership Columbus, Ohio 614-236-6996 capital.edu/mba/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: MBA classes meet once a week, on Monday or Thursday evenings. Program can be completed within two calendar years.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Bexley. Some classes may be offered at Capital University’s Law School in Columbus.

ONLINE: None.

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland 216-687-3730 thecsumba.com

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Executive MBA (19 months); Global Accelerated MBA (12 months); Online Accelerated MBA (12 months); Health Care Administration MBA; full-time and parttime MBAs; as well as the new bachelor of BBA 2 MBA program for recent Cleveland State University alumni.

CLASS LOCATION: Cleveland.

ONLINE: Online accelerated MBA program available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S6

PRIVATE PRIVATE

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S4

PRIVATE

BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY Bluffton 419-358-3000

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Weatherhead School of Management Cleveland 216-368-2030 weatherhead.case.edu/degrees

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Full-

CLASS LOCATION: Defiance.

ONLINE: Some courses are available online.

FOR PROFIT

DEVRY UNIVERSITY Keller Graduate School of Management

877-923-8833 keller.edu/graduatedegree-programs/mba-program.html MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations in Accounting; Business Intelligence and Analytics Management; Entrepreneurship; Finance; General Management; Global Supply Chain Management; Health Services; Human Resources; Information Systems Management; Marketing; and Project Management.

CLASS LOCATION: Seven Hills.

ONLINE: Online MBA program is available.

PRIVATE

FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY

Columbus 877-341-6300 franklin.edu/mba-degree-program MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The MBA can be completed in 14 months online.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Downtown Columbus and Dublin location.

ONLINE: The full program is available online.

PRIVATE

HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY School of Business

Tiffin 800-434-3352 heidelberg.edu/academics/programs/ master-of-business-administration MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The one-year program runs on eight-week terms. All courses are offered in the evening. Entrepreneurship concentration offered. The PlusOneAdvantage Free MBA Program is available for undergraduates.

CLASS LOCATION: Tiffin ONLINE: No.

PRIVATE

DEFIANCE COLLEGE

Defiance 419-783-2359 defiance.edu/graduate-programs/ mba-home.html MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: General MBA and an MBA with a concentration in Leadership.

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY DeVoe School of Business Independence 216-525-6200

OHIO MBA GUIDE

S14 May 22, 2017

indwes.edu/adult-graduate/ programs/mba/ MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Specializations in Executive Management, Health Care Administration, International Business, Personal Financial Planning and School Administration.

CLASS LOCATION: Independence.

ONLINE: Online options are available.

Community College in Lorain.

ONLINE: The Professional MBA will be offered 100% online starting in fall 2017.

JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY Boler School of Business University Heights 216-397-4391 Sites.jcu.edu/boler/pages/ graduate-programs/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: A 5th-year MBA for recent college graduates and a parttime MBA are offered.

CLASS LOCATION: University Heights.

ONLINE: Certain online MBA courses are available.

PUBLIC

MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PRIVATE

MALONE UNIVERSITY School of Business and Leadership Canton 330-471-8500 malone.edu/mba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The program is offered online in 20 months, or in the classroom, where students typically finish in 24 months. The campus-based programs are offered one night a week with classes of 15 to 20 students. The program can also be completed online over four semesters.

CLASS LOCATION: Canton.

ONLINE: The MBA can be completed in 20 months online and is also offered in a hybrid format.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S10

PUBLIC

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY College of Business Administration Kent 330-672-2282 kent.edu/business/degrees/ masters-programs

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Fulltime MBA, online MBA and Executive MBA. Five dual-degree MBA options are available in Architecture, Nursing, Library Science, Translation and Communication.

CLASS LOCATION: Kent.

ONLINE: An online MBA is available starting in fall 2017.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S8

MIAMI UNIVERSITY Farmer School of Business West Chester 513-895-8876 miamioh.edu/fsb/mba/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The program can be completed in two years. The accelerated format includes extended evening classes, with classes held twice a week.

CLASS LOCATION: West Chester. A “mini-MBA” abridged version is offered in downtown Cincinnati.

ONLINE: None.

PRIVATE

440-375-7075 lec.edu/parkermba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Professional MBA, Accelerated MBA and an Online MBA (fall 2017). All MBA program tracks offer optional concentrations in Health Informatics (Fall 2017), Healthcare Administration and Information Technology Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Lakeland Community College in Kirtland and University Center Building of Lorain

Mount Vernon, New Albany, Mansfield and Newark 800-839-2355 mvnu.edu/gps/online/mba/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations in Finance, Human Resource Management, Health Care Administration, Human and Social Services Leadership, and Organizational Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Online or in a hybrid format at all four locations.

ONLINE: The program is offered online.

PRIVATE

OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Circleville 877-762-8669 ohiochristian.edu/mba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations in Accounting, Digital Marketing, Finance, Health Care Management, Human Resources and Organizational Leadership.

Flexible formats available.

CLASS LOCATION: Circleville.

ONLINE: The program is available online or in a hybrid format.

farmer school of business

PRIVATE

LAKE ERIE COLLEGE School of Business

PRIVATE

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S9

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S7

PRIVATE

SPONSORED CONTENT

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Cincinnati 800-654-9314 msj.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ master-of-business-administration/ MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Saturday MBA and a 4+1 MBA, the latter of which is available to full-time undergraduate students.

CLASS LOCATION: Cincinnati.

ONLINE: None.

PRIVATE

OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY Columbus 614-251-4615 ohiodominican.edu/Grad

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations in Data Analytics, Risk Management, Finance, Accounting and Leadership. An on-campus only concentration is available in Sport Management.

CLASS LOCATION: The program can be completed entirely online, on campus, or a combination of both formats. The MBA can be completed in 16 months.

ONLINE: The program can be completed online.

PUBLIC

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Max M. Fisher College of Business Columbus 614-292-8511 fisher.osu.edu/graduate

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Full-time MBA, part-time MBA (evening and/or weekend), dual degrees and Executive

MBA. There are several options to customize the program, including 10 majors. The most recent addition is a Technology Entrepreneurship focus.

CLASS LOCATION: Main campus in Columbus.

ONLINE: None.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S11

PUBLIC

OHIO UNIVERSITY College of Business Athens 740-593-2053 business.ohio.edu/pmba

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The Professional MBA is a two-year program. Concentrations are available in Executive Management, Business Analytics or Finance.

CLASS LOCATION: Dublin.

ONLINE: The curriculum is delivered in a hybrid format — a blend of virtual and oncemonthly Saturday classes in Dublin.

PRIVATE

OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY Westerville 614-823-1095 otterbein.edu/mba.aspx

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Part-time and full-time programs, and evening classes available. Focus areas offered in Financial Economics, Health Care Administration and Actuarial Science.

CLASS LOCATION: Westerville.

ONLINE: None.

PRIVATE

SOUTH UNIVERSITY College of Business

Warrensville Heights 216-755-5000 southuniversity.edu/cleveland/ areas-of-study/business-administrationand-accounting/business-administrationmaster-of-business-administration-mba MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Part time and full time. The program offers a general MBA and Health Care Management MBA. CLASS LOCATIONS: Warrensville and online.

ONLINE: The entire program is available online.

OHIO MBA GUIDE

SPONSORED CONTENT

PRIVATE

Tiffin 800-968-6446 tiffin.edu/graduateprograms/mba/ MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations available in 10 areas including Finance, Health Care Administration, International Business, Leadership, Nonprofit Management and Data Analytics.

CLASS LOCATION: Tiffin.

ONLINE: Online options available.

PUBLIC

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON College of Business Administration Akron 330-972-7043 gradbusiness.uakron.edu

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Flexible MBA with full- and part-time options, as well as a two-year Saturday MBA program. Concentrations available in Business Analytics, Finance, Global Technological Innovation, Health Care Management, International Business, Management, Strategic Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Akron, Lakewood and Medina.

ONLINE: All MBA required courses may be offered online. Electives are in-person only.

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON School of Business Administration

Dayton 937-229-3733 udayton.edu/business/academics/graduate/ master_of_business_administration/ index.php MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrations available in Marketing, Finance and Cybersecurity. The program offers JD/MBA, flexible programs and scheduling, and night and online courses.

CLASS LOCATION: Dayton. The LexisNexis Park is for LexisNexis cohorted students only.

Cybersecurity courses are held on the main campus.

ONLINE: MBA@Dayton and an Advanced Standing MBA, both delivered online. The Advanced Standing MBA is available for individuals with significant work experience in the field. Classes are expected to begin in October 2017.

PRIVATE

UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY College of Business Findlay 800-472-9502 findlay.edu/business/mba/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Day, evening and online classes available.

CLASS LOCATION: Main campus in Findlay.

ONLINE: Online classes are available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S2

walsh.edu/mba

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

TIFFIN UNIVERSITY

May 22, 2017 S15

UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO College of Business and Innovation

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The program offers an accelerated 12-month Executive MBA, and a Professional MBA in which students can take classes at their own pace in a variety of formats with multiple specializations.

CLASS LOCATION: Toledo.

ONLINE: The professional MBA offers various courses both in class as well as online. Certain courses also utilize a hybrid format.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE S12

PRIVATE

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Carl H. Lindner College of Business Cincinnati 513-556-7020 business.uc.edu/mba.html

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Full time, part time and online. The MBA can be customized with one of more than 20 different specializations. Specialization options include Marketing, Finance, Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship and Health Care.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Clifton and Blue Ash, Ohio.

ONLINE: The online MBA is 100% online and can be completed in 12 months.

Lima 419-998-3180 Unoh.edu/academics/graduate-college/ mba.html MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: The program offers small, interactive classes on campus and online.

CLASS LOCATION: Main campus in Lima.

ONLINE: Hybrid format and fully online.

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY Raj Soin College of Business

Dayton 937-775-2437 business.wright.edu/master-of-businessadministration MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Part-time evening programs and accelerated programs are available. Concentrations offered in 11 fields, including Economics, Finance, Health Care Management, International Business and New Venture Creation.

CLASS LOCATION: Dayton and Lake campuses.

ONLINE: Online or hybrid format.

PRIVATE

URBANA UNIVERSITY

Urbana 937-772-9327 urbana.edu/academics/masters-degrees/ master-business-administration-mba MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Health Care MBA and a general MBA. The program offers evening classes.

CLASS LOCATION: Urbana.

ONLINE: Most classes are available in a hybrid format.

PRIVATE

URSULINE COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN OHIO

PUBLIC

Toledo 419-530-5680 utoledo.edu/business/graduate/

PRIVATE

PUBLIC

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Specialties offered in Management, Health Care Management and Marketing. Accelerated format is available.

CLASS LOCATION: North Canton.

ONLINE: Online or hybrid format.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY Williams College of Business Cincinnati 513-745-4800 xavier.edu/master-of-businessadministration/

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Full-time, evening, off-site, Executive MBA and online.

Concentrations in Business Intelligence, Finance, Innovation/Change/Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing, Pricing Strategy and Supply Chain Management.

CLASS LOCATIONS: Cincinnati or West Chester.

ONLINE: The program is available online.

Pepper Pike 440-646-8119 mba.ursuline.edu

PUBLIC

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Eight-week sessions and evening classes offered. MBAs in General Management, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Health Services Management.

CLASS LOCATION: Pepper Pike.

ONLINE: Some courses are available online.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY Williamson College of Business Administration

PRIVATE

Youngstown 330-941-3000 ysu.edu/academics/williamson-collegebusiness-administration/businessadministration-mba

WALSH UNIVERSITY DeVille School of Business

MBA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Evening classes, and flexible and accelerated formats available.

CLASS LOCATION: Main campus in Youngstown.

ONLINE: The MBA program is available online.

North Canton 330-490-7399

Schools in the directory are those with a physical presence in Ohio and that verified the information upon request from Crain Content Studio-Cleveland.

Advertising director Nicole Mastrangelo, nmastrangelo@crain.com

Managing editor, custom and special projects Amy Ann Stoessel, astoessel@crain.com

Project editor Kathy Carr

Graphic designer Staci Buck

For more information about custom publishing opportunities, please contact Nicole Mastrangelo.

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M AY 2 2 - 2 8 , 2 017 |

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AISCO Metallizing Corporation

Kisling, Nestico & Redick

Nick Kinsinger, a 2006 graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in communications, public relations and business management, brings his 11 years of management, sales and operations experience to esteemed metallizing industry leader, AISCO Metallizing Corporation. Prior to AISCO, he managed multiple branches for Yogurt Vi /Gia Lai/ LamHo Enterprises and also managed warehouses for Directtech of Akron, Ohio.

ACCOUNTING

ACCOUNTING

LAW

As the Director of Human Resources, Jeanne will oversee all hiring, work place policies and human resources needs of Kisling, Nestico & Redick’s Akron, Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown offices.

Anne McCauley

David Andrews

Market Associate

Ohio Market Managing Partner

The Siegfried Group, LLP

RSM US LLP

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Before joining Siegfried, McCauley held an Account Manager role at Google. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and finance from the University of Dayton.

We are pleased to announce that Dave Andrews has been selected to succeed John Zalick as the Ohio market managing partner, effective May 1, 2017.

Dave has been the Ohio audit leader for over three years and has more than 24 years of experience providing audit and business consulting services to a variety of industries, including higher education, non-profit and real estate. Congratulations to Dave on his new leadership role.

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INDIANS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Improving the fan experience is a sports industry initiative older than Francisco Lindor.

This season, with their largest season-ticket base in nine years and the likelihood that the ballpark will be packed quite a bit during the summer months, the Indians have taken it a step further.

And while the initiatives include across-the-board increases in parttime service staff (about a 15% overall hike since 2015) and the quadrupling of full-time sales support staffers in the last two years, it’s the ambassadors who are the most difficult to miss.

It’s not just because of the shirts.

'It's a win-win' When she returned from maternity leave last year, Anne Keegan — formerly the Tribe’s assistant director of communications — had a new role, and her own, albeit small, department.

Keegan is now the Tribe’s director Indians seasonal ambassador Nicolette Kunath gives a foam finger to a child. (Allison Farrand/Cleveland Indians) of service excellence, a two-person group that drives the strategy behind who has her own social media con- the infamous Governor of Brohio the insurance industry. During a the club’s fan experience efforts. sulting firm, said 15 to 17 ambassa- during Nick Swisher’s time with the Friends of Francona Mother’s Day The focus on service amped up a dors work on a typical night.

Tribe. “It’s a big study for me to find event on May 14, Glus was one of the ambassadors who tended to a group few years ago, but it wasn’t until the The group is stationed around the out how everything works.”

2016 season that it became the pri- ballpark — a handful are outside the Near the other end of the experi- of blind veterans.

That day, Glus said he played the mary role of some Indians full-timers gates before games to answer ques- ence spectrum is Richard Glus, a Me— instead of something they worked tions, steer customers to quicker lines dina resident who said he’s retired role of waiter — taking food orders and on during breaks from their main job. or just make small talk — and given a twice — first from the Air Force, then delivering ballpark fare to the vets.

“Longer term, we think service can radio to communicate with their felhave an impact on the bottom line,” low ambassadors, a backpack stocked Keegan said. “We’ve looked at other with goodies to give away and a notecompanies that put a focus on ser- pad to keep track of everything.

They range in age vice. It’s not the only from early 20s to 70s. thing that drives the “We’ve looked Some are “retired,” business, but it can and some are working become a driving at other jobs. force for business.” companies that second Katie Lewis is a To get there, the teacher at Metro CathIndians haven’t just put a focus on added staff and sent olic School in Clevethem off to sing for service. It’s not land who has been a BEYOND PARTS AND SERVICE. random fans.

Tribe part-timer for 13 the only thing They’ve developed years. In 2017, she what they call a “net that drives the moved from guest serBEYOND ENGINEERS AND promoter score for vices to seasonal amTECHNICIANS. service,” which stems business, but it bassador, a role that from surveys that ask has her stationed at can become a how likely fans are to the front of the fan serBEYOND PROUD TO SERVE tell their friends driving force vice center in the main about the experience concourse. There, she NORTHEAST OHIO. they had at the ball- for business.” said she answers questions about taxi serpark. (That score is vices, the quickest up 45% since 2013, — Anne Keegan, Indians director of service routes to the elevator, the team said.)

Trane has expanded operations in Northeast Ohio. escalator or ATM, the Full-timers in such excellence We did this to continue providing you with the HVAC best choices for dinner departments as brand management and business and even whether it’s safe to walk equipment, connected solutions and energy services analytics are shadowing seasonal from the ballpark to the casino. you need to bolster your business’s productivity, “I’m a third-grade teacher during staffers of all types to get a better feel for what they deal with, and how fans the day and a ballpark extraordinaire sustainability and energy goals. Our complete team of feel about the franchise. During an at night,” Lewis said. engineers, energy services specialists and technicians Her role is a valuable one for the 80-degree game night on May 16, Japartner with you to set the standard for building son Wiedemann, the Indians’ direc- Tribe, but Lewis might not have as tor of brand management, was fol- much fun as the ambassadors who, like solutions at our Valley View location. lowing the gregarious Hitch around Hitch, get to roam the ballpark and look for a kid who might be having a bad day Progressive Field.

At one point, Wiedemann, who or, as was the case for another ambassastopped to talk to another employee, dor, the chance to teach the game of briefly lost Hitch, because the latter baseball to a visitor from Belgium.

Mark Gockowski, a 23-year-old always seemed to be looking for the who plans to pursue a masters denext person to greet.

“It’s a fun part-time job,” Hitch said gree in sports management at Cleve Contact us at 800-598-4545 of his seasonal ambassador role. “It’s land State University, said he recentor visit us at Trane.com/Cleveland. great because I’m interacting. It’s ly extolled the city’s virtues to cast making me feel good, and hopefully members from “Freaky Friday” who were in town for an extended run at I’m making them feel good.

L E T’S G O B E YO N D. ™ “I’m getting my 10,000 steps a day,” Cleveland Play House.

But Gockowski said the highlight of he added. “It’s a win-win for everybody.” his initial season as an ambassador Trane and the Circle Logo are trademarks of Trane in the United States and other countries. All trademarks referenced in this document are the was probably when a colleague who is Remember the Golden Rule trademarks of their respective owners. built like a linebacker did an Incredible Hulk impersonation to cheer up a Traci Christler and Rik Danburg © 2017 Ingersoll Rand. All Rights Reserved.

Trane is a brand of Ingersoll Rand, a world leader in creating comfortable, (whose son, Curtis, is the Tribe’s se- 4-year-old comic book fan. sustainable and efficient environments. Ingersoll Rand’s family of brands “It’s my first job in the (sports) nior director of communications) are includes Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane®. the part-timers in charge of the sea- field, and I’m trying to get the most experience and learn a lot,” said Gocsonal ambassadors.

Christler, a Brunswick resident kowski, whose brother, Adam, was TRANE17032_Ad_6x8_F.indd 1

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PA G E 3 7

“The most fun thing about it is making sure everybody has a great time,” Glus said. “That’s the whole thing. It just comes back to the Golden Rule: You want to treat people the way you want to be treated. We’ve all been there at one time or another.”

Glus’ comments brought a wide smile to the face of Keegan, who said the club’s seasonal ambassador program was modeled after a “robust” one used by the Boston Red Sox. Aside from that of one of the Indians’ American League rivals, however, Keegan wasn’t aware of efforts as extensive as the Tribe’s in Major League Baseball.

When the Indians interviewed candidates for the part-time positions, they had a handful of employees participate, to get an accurate sense of how the potential ambassadors interact with others.

Several key factors in the fan experience — the on-field performance and the weather, for starters — are out of the front office’s control. And some fans might be having a bad day and looking to vent.

“But we can control the service a fan has here — knowing if the level of service is exceptional, it can be a driver of sustainable business growth,” Keegan said.

Hitch, the leader of the birthday sing-alongs, is on board with that strategy.

“I love the little kids because you can get them excited with a high five or a player magnet or a foam finger, and the parents get into it, too,” he said.

5/17/17 2:00 PM

PA G E 3 8

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M AY 2 2 - 2 8 , 2 017 |

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

THE LIST

Highest Paid CEOs Ranked by 2016 Compensation

EXECUTIVE COMPANY

TOTAL COMPENSATION 2016 2015 % CHANGE SALARY

1

Richard J. Kramer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

$19,798,104 $19,307,800

2.5

2

W. Nicholas Howley TransDigm Group Inc.

$18,650,700 $12,674,856

3

Alexander M. Cutler (2) Eaton (former CEO)

4

CHANGE IN PENSION VALUE (1)

COMPANY NET INCOME ALL OTHER IN 2016 COMPENSATION (MILLIONS)

BONUS

STOCK AWARDS

OPTION AWARDS

NONEQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

$1,233,333

NA

$2,132,331

$3,089,998

$9,667,094

$3,509,123

$166,225

$1,264.0

47.1

$32,750

$0

$0

$10,392,997

$0

NA

$8,224,953

$583.4

$17,435,467 $15,649,592

11.4

$541,666

$0

$8,590,614

$2,470,252

$1,991,927

$3,698,012

$142,996

$1,922.0

Charles E. Jones Jr. FirstEnergy Corp.

$14,117,391 $10,008,322

41.1

$1,133,840

NA

$6,650,012

NA

$2,017,755

$4,280,377

$35,407

($6,177.0) (3)

5

Craig Arnold (4) Eaton

$13,037,109 $5,335,149

144.4

$884,764

$0

$7,434,517

$1,453,379

$1,703,088

$1,376,872

$28,864

$1,922.0

6

Frank C. Sullivan RPM International Inc.

$12,537,773 $6,675,601

87.8

$960,000

$0

$8,111,067

$2,186,000

$1,050,000

$98,174

$132,532

$354.7

7

Thomas L. Williams Parker Hannifin Corp.

$10,786,328 $9,496,922

13.6

$1,000,000

NA

$3,062,194

$1,871,520

$1,887,760

$2,837,394

$127,460

$806.8

8

Glenn M. Renwick (5) Progressive Corp. (former CEO)

$9,793,407 $10,143,552

(3.5)

$633,654

NA

$7,500,012

NA

$1,587,303

NA

$72,438

$1,031.0

9

John G. Morikis Sherwin-Williams Co.

$9,647,808 $6,010,399

60.5

$1,095,795

$0

$3,399,264

$2,569,993

$2,291,000

$0

$291,756

$1,132.7

10

Lourenco Goncalves Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

$9,536,481 $11,113,808

(14.2)

$1,200,000

$0

$2,184,134

$0

$5,520,000

$314,528

$317,819

$174.1

11

Walter M. Rosebrough Jr. Steris plc

$9,056,964 $4,503,893

101.1

$819,231

$0

$985,710

$1,609,644

$888,865

NA

$4,753,514

$110.8

12

Beth E. Mooney KeyCorp

$8,167,203 $6,994,704

16.8

$1,000,000

$0

$3,959,985

$439,999

$2,700,000

$4,176

$63,043

$754.0

13

Bernard Rzepka (6) A. Schulman Inc. (former CEO)

$7,267,727 $2,327,619

212.2

$812,950

$0

$1,958,347

$0

$0

$975,549

$3,520,880

($357.1) (7)

14

Richard K. Smucker (8) The J.M. Smucker Co. (former CEO)

$7,241,597 $9,025,837

(19.8)

$1,038,462

$20,000

$4,000,000

$0

$2,090,000

$0

$93,135

$688.7

15

Susan Patricia Griffith (9) Progressive Corp.

$6,864,146 $5,121,712

34.0

$616,346

NA

$4,800,172

NA

$1,422,631

NA

$24,997

$1,031.0

16

Kevin M. McMullen (10) Omnova Solutions (former CEO)

$6,709,689 $2,953,789

127.2

$789,919

$0

$1,659,620

NA

$598,820

$0

$3,661,330

($0.4)

17

Christopher L. Mapes Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.

$6,696,609 $5,335,973

25.5

$865,429

NA

$2,315,716

$1,117,327

$2,320,266

$32,704

$45,167

$198.4

18

Richard G. Kyle The Timken Co.

$6,644,743 $6,643,770

0.0

$900,000

NA

$2,784,713

$1,192,862

$518,400

$1,123,000

$125,768

$152.6

19

Michael F. Hilton Nordson Corp.

$6,428,849 $5,639,519

14.0

$850,000

$0

$1,897,868

$1,416,040

$1,380,400

$775,637

$108,904

$271.8

20

Alfred M. Rankin Jr. Nacco Industries Inc.

$6,388,646 $3,876,986

64.8

$604,034

NA

$2,442,736

NA

$1,761,910

$1,234,283

$345,683

$29.6

21

Andreas W. Mattes Diebold Nixdorf

$5,966,752 $9,391,174

(36.5)

$937,500

NA

$3,179,794

$1,074,000

$585,000

$0

$190,458

($33.0)

22

Matthew A. Ouimet Cedar Fair LP

$5,856,993 $9,291,314

(37.0)

$955,000

$0

$3,464,982

$0

$1,367,350

NA

$69,661

$177.7

23

Peter T. Thomas Ferro Corp.

$5,393,938 $5,061,275

6.6

$913,200

$0

$2,126,400

$913,644

$1,210,900

$1,933

$227,861

($20.8)

24

Edward F. Crawford Park-Ohio Holdings Corp.

$5,051,904 $7,252,279

(30.3)

$750,000

$0

$2,869,350

$0

$1,336,399

$5,419

$90,736

$31.7

25

Ward J. "Tim" Timken Jr. TimkenSteel Corp.

$4,467,849 $4,188,490

6.7

$865,200

NA

$1,234,630

$988,676

$207,648

$1,084,000

$87,695

($105.5)

26

Marc A. Stefanski TFS Financial Corp.

$4,464,105 $4,355,250

2.5

$1,080,000

$0

$339,268

$684,385

$2,019,600

$74,361

$266,491

$80.6

27

Thomas F. August (11) DDR Corp. (former CEO)

$4,132,296 NA

NA

$357,693

$484,932

$3,073,740

$0

$0

NA

$57,562

$60.0

28

Matthew E. Monaghan Invacare Corp.

$4,091,621 $3,630,645

12.7

$765,000

$0

$3,107,953

NA

$168,300

$0

$50,368

($42.9)

29

Samuel F. Thomas (12) Chart Industries Inc.

$4,076,517 $2,954,168

38.0

$775,000

$0

$1,104,488

$1,195,416

$877,068

NA

$124,545

$28.2

30

Richard J. Hipple (13) Materion Corp. (former CEO)

$4,010,629 $3,845,411

4.3

$849,538

$0

$1,448,487

$541,228

$792,107

$374,098

$5,171

$25.7

31

Robert M. Patterson PolyOne Corp.

$3,805,171 $3,725,576

2.1

$911,538

NA

$868,055

$871,757

$1,033,315

$0

$120,506

$165.2

32

Thomas M. O'Brien TravelCenters of America LLC

$3,700,300 $3,932,970

(5.9)

$300,000

$2,020,000

$1,380,300

NA

NA

NA

$0

($2.0)

THIS YEAR

COMPANY NET INCOME % CHANGE FROM 2015 311.73% 31.44% -2.88% NM -2.88% 48.12% -20.28% -18.67% 7.48% NM -17.99% -15.57% NM 99.68% -18.67% NM 55.63% NM 28.77% 34.68% NM 58.33% NM -34.1% NM 10.97% NM NM NM -19.96% 14.25% NM

RESEARCHED BY CHUCK SODER

Want the full version of this list Ñ and every other Crain's list? Become a Data Member: CrainsCleveland.com/data

Data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence (Marketintelligence.spglobal.com). NM = not meaningful. Crain's Cleveland Business does not independently verify the information and there is no guarantee these listings are complete or accurate. We welcome all feedback and will include omitted information or clarifications in coming issues.

(1) Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (2) Left CEO position May 31, 2016. (3) FirstEnergy attributed this loss to a $9.2 billion pre-tax impairment charge related to its decision to close plants and exit competitive power generation operations by mid-2018. (4) Became CEO June 1, 2016 (5) Left CEO position July 1, 2016 (6) Left CEO position on Aug. 18, 2016. (7) A. Schulman took a $402 million impairment charge largely

related to two units it acquired when it bought a company called Citadel. They've performed below expectations, partly because of quality control issues that the company is working to address, according to the company's 2016 annual report. (8) Left CEO position May 1, 2016 (9) Became CEO July 1, 2016 (10) Left CEO position Dec. 1, 2016 (11) Became CEO July 8, 2016; left position March 2, 2017 (12) Thomas is slated to leave the CEO position on May 25, 2017; he will continue as executive chairman. (13) Left CEO position March 2, 2017

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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PA G E 3 9

List: CEO pay jumps at big firms

By CHUCK SODER csoder@crain.com @ChuckSoder

If you’re a CEO of big public company in Northeast Ohio, you probably got a big pay increase last year.

The median increase was 13.5%, if you look at the 20 highest-paid CEOs who held the top job for all of 2016, according to the Crain’s Highest-Paid CEOs list.

By comparison, the median increase for the other 26 CEOs who served a full year was just 2.1%, according to the full digital version of the list, which was compiled with data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Those CEOs tend to work for smaller companies.

Base salary accounts for just 13% of the $300 million in total compen-

DE NORA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

The current building in Chardon is about 76,000 square feet. The new building at 6300 Tin Man Road in Mentor will be about 110,000 square feet on a little more than 18 acres, Schafer said, and the company will have the option of adding up to 80,000 square feet in the future. It used to be a recycling site for road construction debris, Schafer said.

This move has been in the works for about four years. Site development began last fall, and the company held a groundbreaking ceremony last week.

The structure will begin to be built in about two to three months and completed in fall 2018, Schafer said.

The new plant will include a host of new equipment, such as a new conveyor oven line, new etching processing lines and surface blasting equipment, Schafer said. Employees will move once the equipment is installed, and Schafer estimated the new plant would be up and running by mid-summer 2019. The company will sell its Chardon plant after that, but its Concord location will remain open.

The design of the new building also will take employees into consideration, as Schafer said De Nora Tech is looking to improve ventilation and reduce noise levels in the plant.

One of the factors in the company’s choice of location was its employees, the majority of whom live in Lake County, Schafer said. Employees are at the “heart” of the business, he said, and it was important to De Nora Tech

WAREHOUSE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

increasingly scarce land in densely populated areas in Northeast Ohio, as well as its fringe locations.

“When you’re buying a mall and tearing it down for industrial uses, it shows how scarce developable land is in Cuyahoga County,” Coyne said.

Coyne said he is familiar with at least four other land transactions pending in the region that are brewing because of the combination of resurgent industrial demand, e-commerce and low vacancy.

NGKF estimates 6% vacancy in the Northeast Ohio industrial market and far less than 1% vacancy among 30-foot tall warehouses built since 2000.

“I expected (industrial) land to start selling,” Coyne said. “I did not

sation brought home by the 61 CEOs on the full list. Stock awards account for more than 38% (or more than 50%, if you include stock options).

Public companies nationwide have been putting less emphasis on salary and more emphasis on performance-based compensation in recent years.

No local company embodies that trend more than TransDigm Group.

The aerospace products manufacturer pays its CEO, W. Nicholas Howley, an annual salary of just $32,750.

Yet, he’s the second highest-paid CEO on the list, with $18.7 million in total compensation, up 47% from 2015. Almost all of his pay is in the form of stock options and “dividend equivalent payments” (that’s in the “all other compensation” category).

Goodyear CEO Richard Kramer held the top spot on the list for the

second year in a row, with total compensation of $19.8 million, a slight increase from last year.

The list also shows just how many CEOs have been replaced since the start of 2016. The print version of the list includes seven former CEOs — a number that will rise to eight when Samuel Thomas steps down from the top spot at Chart Industries later this month.

Many of the former CEOs didn’t even come close to serving a full year but still made enough money to get onto the print version of the list. Two of them — former A. Schulman CEO Bernard Rzepka and former Omnova Solutions CEO Kevin McMullen — saw their pay rise substantially thanks to their severance packages.

Their replacements are paid much less — even if you factor out the severance packages.

to stay close to where they live.

About 165 to 175 jobs will move to Mentor when the plant is complete, Schafer said. The majority — about 150 to 160 — will be coming from Chardon, but some may move from Concord. The majority of the new location will be factory, with some offices to support it.

Schafer does not expect De Nora to need to hire because of the new plant (or to lose jobs), but he thinks there

it, he said. De Nora Tech’s departure will open up the large facility for new opportunities, but Yaney said the move will be “bittersweet” for the city.

Ronald M. Traub, director of economic and community development for the city of Mentor, said the De Nora Tech project is great for the city and the region, both in terms of jobs and tax collections.

Mentor’s varied manufacturing base and its balance with retail helped it weather the Great Recession, Traub said. He couldn’t think of a direct competitor in the area for De Nora Tech, though he said some companies may require similar skill sets.

The city looks to have a diversified manufacturing base of companies in different sectors and of different sizes.

“And that has contributed to our overall economic success,” he said.

The city offered De Nora Tech its Mentor Incentive Grant, which requires companies to meet investment and payroll thresholds.

In an email, Traub said De Nora Tech would be expected to meet a payroll of $3.5 million a year for its incentive.

If it does, the grant will provide for 50% of its payroll taxes for 10 years, which is expected to add up to about $950,000. The company also will receive a one-time, $10,000 grant to help with the costs of the sewer capacity fee and a fire booster pump.

The grant will begin in January 2019. Traub said De Nora Tech’s payroll is expected to be above $8 million in 2019.

One of the factors in the company’s choice of location was its employees, the majority of whom live in Lake County. will be some employee additions as the company continues to grow.

Outside of the employee base, Schafer said De Nora Tech was interested in moving to a location that was primarily industrial. The new site also has good highway access.

De Nora Tech was in Chardon for a long time, said planning and zoning administrator Steven Yaney, and it was one of the city’s largest employers. But the plant is on the edge of town on Center Street, where a lot of retail companies like Home Depot and Walmart have grown up around expect so much land to start selling at the same time.”

He said he expects the action to start driving up industrial land prices as developers and industrial property users seem to have accepted that $60-a-square-foot construction costs and associated rents

“When you’re buying a mall and tearing it down for industrial uses, it shows how scarce developable land is in Cuyahoga County.”

— Terry Coyne, vice chairman of the Cleveland office of the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank brokerage

are worthwhile. That’s a big hike from a decade ago, when large distribution centers cost about $40 a square foot to build.

Although the resurgence of industrial building in Northeast Ohio is engaging given its deep manufacturing roots, experts don’t expect this round of action to make it a center of warehousing like Columbus or Indianapolis.

“The market constraints of the North Coast,” said David Browning, managing director of CBRE’s Cleveland office, referring to Lake Erie, are likely to prevent the region from getting the giant warehouses that more centralized locations enjoy.

E-commerce logistics to serve the substantial size of the region’s population will boost the resurgence of demand from locally based manufacturers and shippers users, he said, but are unlikely to transform it into an interstate warehousing center.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

AKRON The Dish: Jennifer Karpus-Romain

Crave Cantina finds a home and a Latin concept Aaron Hervey thinks he has found the ideal location for his newest venture, Crave Cantina.

No matter that the site for the new restaurant, which will feature globally inspired tacos and Latin fare, lies right in the middle of the construction zone as Cuyahoga Falls works to open up Front Street to traffic. The work will be right outside Crave Cantina’s front door beginning in July, said Hervey, who owns the new spot and the original Crave in Akron with his wife, Dana.

Crave Cantina is set open on Tuesday, May 23.

The city of Cuyahoga Falls has committed to building an access bridge over the roadwork, and Hervey has plans to offer valet parking as needed, he said.

When it’s finished, “the area will be one of the nicest redevelopments in (Northeast) Ohio,” he said, adding that the project definitely played a part in deciding on a location.

But it wasn’t the only factor.

The Akron Crave have been serving food lovers for the past 12 years, and Hervey knew he wanted to grow the brand. But finding the right spot for the right concept — be it barbecue Asian or Latin — was key. The Herveys wanted to expand, but not build a replica of the original site.

“We felt like we couldn’t go anywhere in the Greater Akron area and not cannibalize what we were already doing,” Hervey said. “Our original broadcast search was everywhere from Shaker Heights to the Flats to Medina to Youngstown to Canton.”

They shopped around the three different concepts looking for a spot that matched their vision.

Through the grapevine, they heard about the 2,800-square-foot space for rent in the River Square District in Cuyahoga Falls.

“After three-plus years of searching, we finally found the space, and that space spoke directly of the Latin concept. It has good bones, tin ceiling. It had a lot of attributes that you

Crave Cantina, at a glance Where: 2097 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls When: Opens Tuesday, May 23.

Opens at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for dinner. Saturdays and Sundays will include lunch service beginning at 11 a.m.

The vibe: Latin-inspired theme complete with unique light fixtures, artwork and a tin ceiling.

Menu: More than 12 types of tacos and seven types of guacamole.

Sandwiches include a jalapeno-breaded chicken torta and steak Milanesa.

Crave Cantina owner Aaron Hervey says the space the new restaurant occupies in Cuyahoga Falls helped to define the eatery’s concept. (Shane Wynn for Crain’s)

Crave Cantina’s interior has a decidedly Latin vibe.

would think would go well with a Latin concept.”

He added, “Latin covers … every Spanish-speaking place from the Dominican Republic to Cuba to Central

America to Mexico to South America,” said Hervey. “It’s not just Mexican. It’s all Latin foods.”

It had the framework, but Hervey worked with the owner on a heavy

renovation to shape his dream. The Herveys have borrowed $275,000 for the project.

Crave Cantina seats 100 inside and 34 on the patio. Additionally, there is a party room downstairs that can seat up to 40 patrons.

While a few staff members transferred from the Akron site to the new project, there will be no shared employees. Hervey has hired 35 people, with about 13 of them full-time.

Hervey collaborated with Crave veteran and Peruvian chef Monica Valdez and chef Gregory Oatley. Hervey said that Valdez created the backbone of the menu, which is crafted with dietary restrictions in mind, including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

“I’m just enamored with everything we’ve put together,” he added.

“There’s just a lot of good flavor profiles.”

The menu includes appetizers such as Latin poutine, crab guacamole and roasted cauliflower nachos; entrees such as herb-crusted mahi-mahi and paella Cubana; and more than 12 different taco options.

Though Crave Cantina has a different menu than Crave, it has a similar style. Hervey said it was important to convey the brand to guests from outside the Akron area.

When walking into Crave downtown, Hervey said, people notice the light fixtures, the orange paint scheme and the artwork.

Guests will have no doubt the two locations are connected.

Hervey commissioned George Roush to create 16 new paintings for Crave Cantina to complement his work on display at Crave.

Crave Cantina is the Herveys’ current focus, but they haven’t given up on a barbecue or Asian concept and are open to even more expansion down the road, and maybe even beyond Greater Akron.

Hervey said he’d like to keep locations within a 15-minute drive of one another, but “if something would come along in Cleveland, we’re totally open.”

FirstEnergy Solutions faces suit over fees

By DAN SHINGLER dshingler@crain.com @DanShingler

Just what Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. needed as it was arguing before state legislators to save its nuclear plants, largely for their benefit to the state’s economy: a new, potential class-action lawsuit led by an Ohio business claiming the power company ripped them off during the polar vortex of 2014.

That’s what it got, in the form of a May 8 lawsuit — which plaintiffs have asked to be classified as a class-action suit — led by the Youngstown-based Schwebel Baking Co. against FirstEnergy’s unregulated power subsidiary, FirstEnergy Solutions. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, in Youngstown.

And while Schwebel’s name is on the suit, the complaint purports to cover an untold — and still undetermined — number of other businesses and puts the potential cost of the

suit into the millions.

According to the complaint, the suit’s class “includes hundreds to thousands of businesses” and “the amount in controversy exceeds $5,000,000.”

The plaintiff’s attorneys either declined to comment publicly on the story or did not respond to requests for comment, but it’s typical for class-action lawsuits to entail damages far beyond the amount stated in an initial complaint.

At issue is whether FirstEnergy was contractually permitted to pass on the increased cost of electricity during the historic cold weather during the winter of 2014, when the polar vortex, extremely cold air usually penned in by the jet stream near the North Pole, shifted south.

The vortex caused temperatures to drop in early January of that season, across the middle and eastern portions of the northern U.S. — including Cleveland, where thermometers hit minus 11 degrees. That caused increased demand for electricity and prompted PJM, the regional transmission organization (RTO) that

serves the region, to increase what it charged companies such as FirstEnergy for the power it distributed.

The suit’s complaint does not dispute that fact, but it claims that FirstEnergy had no right to pass on its additional electricity charges to customers who had negotiated fixedrate prices for their power.

Much of the case seems to center on a particular paragraph of FirstEnergy’s agreement with the big commercial customers who negotiate and use such contracts. But the interpretation of that paragraph is key, and already FirstEnergy and the customers in the suit disagree strongly over what it means.

It says, in part, that FirstEnergy can pass on additional costs “if any regional transmission organization (RTO) or similar entity … requires a change to the terms of the Agreement, or imposes upon (FirstEnergy) new or additional charges or requirements …”

But does that include increased costs for power during an extreme weather event? Is an increase in costs a “new or additional” charge?

Plaintiffs don’t think so.

“Nothing in the Fixed-Rate Agreement permits FES to pass through an increase in electrical charges to its customers because of an unusually cold winter. In fact, the only weather-related provision that FES included in its Agreement was its ‘force majeure’ clause … which excuses a party’s non-performance due to ‘flood, earthquake, storm, fire, lightning,’ ” the complaint states.

FirstEnergy, on the other hand, thinks the paragraph says the opposite — that it specifically can pass along such additional charges from PJM, which it did.

“Our contracts allowed us to pass through those charges to customers,” said FirstEnergy spokeswoman Diane Francis.

“It was probably one of the coldest Januaries that we’ve had on record, and what happened during that time was … the demand went very high trying to keep up with the very cold temperatures. PJM basically had to remove all of their price caps, in order to serve the load,” she said of the situation then.

Francis declined to estimate how much was at stake in terms of charges related to the polar vortex that are contested by FirstEnergy customers.

This is not the first time customers have complained. In 2014, a group of companies that included Cleveland’s Lincoln Electric Co., Marathon Petroleum Co. in Canton and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority sued FirstEnergy for passing along polar vortex-related charges.

That court case got bogged down while regulators looked into the matter, but Francis said it was ultimately settled and the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Francis said it was too soon for FirstEnergy to comment on the potential outcome of the suit – to which it has yet to even file an answer in court.

But the stakes are fairly high already and could go higher. Plaintiff’s attorneys are not only asking that the suit be classified as a class action, but their complaint invites more affected companies from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland and New Jersey to join it.

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AKRON

Coleman making employment a tool in opioid crisis fight

By JUDY STRINGER clbfreelancer@crain.com

In his four decades of working in mental health services — including 31 years as president and CEO of Coleman Professional Services, a provider of behavioral health and rehabilitation services headquartered in Kent — Nelson Burns has seen a lot of heartbreak and devastation, and, on the other side, resilience and recovery.

He’s never seen anything, though, like the current opioid addiction epidemic, in which the roadblocks to recovery are complicated and the delay of treatment can be fatal.

“We are really in a crisis state at this point,” Burns said. “The struggle against opiate addiction and deadly overdoses is being fought in every one of the eight counties that Coleman serves, including Portage, Summit and Stark.”

And, he believes, employment is a key weapon in that fight.

As many as 60% of individuals with disabilities — that includes addiction disorders and other chronic mental health issues — are unemployed.

Meanwhile, having a job is a way of normalizing life for people in recovery. It gives them structure, Burns said, and, perhaps more importantly, a way to support themselves and their families, and better access to health benefits and services.

“It’s very tough to recover being poor,” he said.

That’s why Coleman — which also serves Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Jefferson and Trumbull counties — is on the front lines of the battle to get opioid-addicted individuals off the streets and into the job market.

“We make every effort to pave the way for recovery in the best possible format and that is: immediate access to treatment; get them in a home, a permanent, safe place to stay; and, of course, change their destiny through a job and responsibilities.”

Between July 1, 2016, and the end of March, Coleman Employment Services found jobs for 424 disabled Ohioans, up from 400 job placements for the full fiscal year from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, said Ken Penix, chief officer of employment services for Coleman.

Some of those new job holders — about 5%, Penix estimates — landed at Coleman Data Solutions, one of three social enterprise businesses owned and operated by the nonprofit. The Akron document management firm employs 120 individuals and brings in about $7.5 million annually, which helps support Coleman’s unfunded services, Burns said.

Overall, Coleman employs more than 750 people and has an annual budget of about $44 million. The bulk of its revenue, 70%, comes from Medicare payments and county mental health board contracts or grants.

Most Coleman clients, however, are placed outside its umbrella. Penix said the organization works with “well over” 100 private and public companies to find employment for clients. Some employers, he added, are more willing than others to take the leap when it comes to hiring an

individual in recovery.

“We know, for example, if an employer has experience in their family with somebody having a mental health diagnosis or drug or alcohol problem, they may have an interest in giving other people a hand up and working with folks that want to turn their life around,” he said.

When Burns advocates on behalf of recovering clients, he tells community employers, to these individuals “it’s more than a job.”

“They feel that it is critical to their recovery,” he said. “Many times they tend to take the job a lot more seriously than the average person, and they work diligently and are trustworthy. … It’s a very loyal, reliable workforce that we have to offer to the employer.”

Beyond the 424 job placements, another 461 individuals sought career help from Coleman Employment Services in the past nine months — be it data entry training at Data Solutions, coaching and counseling, or diagnostic career assessment. Portage and Summit county residents comprise about 50% of the client base, Penix said.

Of course, not all of its 885 clients are struggling with opioid addiction.

The organization serves people with any diagnosed physical and/or mental disability or limitation. Roughly 31%, about 270, have confirmed alcohol or drug addiction issues, Penix said. Seventy-five have an opioid dependency diagnosis, although he expects dependency may play a larger role than these numbers suggest.

Along with the social stigma still attached to addiction, which keeps many people from seeking treatment, research shows that at least half of people with a mental health diagnosis at some point also have abused alcohol or drugs, Penix said.

Whatever the underlying issue, drug dependency often has a devastating impact that lingers after treatment, particularly for those caught in the opioid web, said Jerry Craig, executive director of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board. They may have criminal records, be homeless or have lost their driver’s license.

Many have not had steady employment in years.

“They may not have held a job at all. For some of them, their development is arrested back to when their use first started so they don’t have the soft skills they need to be employable,” Craig said. “So, it’s really important for us to develop employment skills training and employment opportunities in order for them to be able to re-enter society and be successful at overcoming the obstacles to employment.”

Getting there, he said, is a communitywide effort involving service providers like Coleman and county assets, such as the Department of Job and Family Services OhioMeansJobs Center and a coalition that works with recovery providers and drug courts.

“Rather than try to meet those needs in the context of services at the treatment agency, we try to link up with existing resources and make those connections formally and informally,” he said.

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CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Cleveland is PARKER contender for plant

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Cleveland is one of three markets in contention for a new assembly and distribution center planned by Los Angeles-based American Plasma Energy Group that would employ 100 to 125 people initially.

The company last week announced it has narrowed its options for the 100,000-square-foot center to Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh. It said it will release a full request for proposal later this month. The company is developing technology to improve the efficiency of the combustion engine.

American Plasma did not disclose specific sites that are under consideration.

A company spokesman, Bob Ellsworth, said American Plasma is seeking to refurbish and occupy existing manufacturing facilities rather than building a new structure.

For instance, Ellsworth said the empty Ford Engine plant No. 2 on Snow Road in Brook Park is one possible location, if the company picks Cleveland for the project. He said American Plasma has been working with JobsOhio to identify appropriate site in this market. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Scott Suttell

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Owners think differently than employees,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And so what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do is create an ownership culture where people think and act like an owner, as owners know a couple of basic properties.

They know how the customers are doing, they know whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making money or not, and they know how their team members, their employees, are doing.â&#x20AC;?

The next component of the Win Strategy focuses on customers. This was part of the original strategy, but Williams said the company chose to put a focus on the holistic approach of customer experience for the new version.

The last two goals of the Win Strategy are dependent on the success of the first two, as they have to do with profitable growth and financial performance. For example, one of the strategies Parker lists under its goal of profitable growth is market-driven innovation, which depends on those customer relationships. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not innovation that starts on the factory floor or in a meeting room, but is sparked by customer need.

One of the new strategies Parker has been deploying in terms of its financial performance has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;simplification,â&#x20AC;? which Williams compares to decluttering a house.

For the company, this means examining product lines, organization

structure and bureaucratic processes for opportunities to make the company â&#x20AC;&#x153;faster and nimbler,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. It also means consolidating divisions with common end markets or similar technologies. The company has gone from about 115 divisions when the new strategy started to about 100 now.

But a plan is nothing without goals.

Of note to shareholders would be the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal of growing 1.5% more than the industrial production market â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just through organic growth, not through acquisitions. Williams said that instead of setting a goal of growing 5% or 10% as a company, shareholders were interested in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dynamicâ&#x20AC;? goal that measured the company against the market as a whole.

Another important growth goal is the one focused on organic yearover-year growth in division net earnings. Right now, that goal is set at 8%, Williams said. That forces divisions to focus on margins, as well as top-line growth.

Shortly after Williams started, the country went into an industrial recession, which made growth difficult, but also gave the Win Strategy a stronger backdrop.

Last quarter, Parker saw sales and net income grow significantly yearover-year, with fiscal year 2017 third-quarter sales growing to $3.12 billion from $2.83 billion in the like period last year. Net income grew 28% to $238.8 million.

While Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share price dropped

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting, when you turn 100, is you step back and you reflect a lot on what got you here.

But then you realize, well, this is Day One of the next 100.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tom Williams, Parker Hannifin Corp. chairman and CEO

slightly after the results, analysts didn't seem too concerned.

Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo both listed the stock as â&#x20AC;&#x153;overperform,â&#x20AC;? and Stifel encouraged people to buy Parker shares. Wells Fargoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report said the company â&#x20AC;&#x153;sold offâ&#x20AC;? after beating expectations, noting that there could be short-term profit taking. But Wells Fargo seemed confident in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term growth potential, pointing to an improvement in end market demand, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal growth initiatives and the Clarcor acquisition.

Stifelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report stated that â&#x20AC;&#x153;investor expectations likely were a little ahead of themselvesâ&#x20AC;? to explain the post-earnings drop in stock price and said it viewed the results as strong.

Parker wants to be a company that generates and deploys cash well, Williams said. That gives the company the chance to reinvest through dividends, capital expenditures and acquisitions.

And he thinks the company has done that well in recent quarters, as evidenced by measures like dividend increases and the late-2016 acquisition of Clarcor Inc., an air filtration systems maker, for $4.3 billion.

While the company has always done a lot of acquiring â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Williams estimated that Parker had completed about 80 acquisitions in the past 10 to 12 years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Clarcor acquisition was notably large. Williams doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect acquisitions of that size to be-

come the norm for Parker, because large acquisitions have to be strong cultural and strategic fits. But he does think the company will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;more assertive in putting the cash to workâ&#x20AC;? for shareholders.

Beyond just the coming quarters, Williams has the responsibility of setting the stage for Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. The company turned 100 this year, a milestone that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go unnoticed

by Williams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting, when you turn 100, is you step back and you reflect a lot on what got you here,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But then you realize, well, this is Day One of the next 100.â&#x20AC;?

Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundational values and entrepreneurial spirit have remained intact over its first 100 years, Williams said. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clearly a more global company with a broader technology platform.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still grounded in that industrial base, but it has expanded into new, high-tech areas. Its Indego exoskeleton, which can be used to help people with spinal cord injuries walk, has gotten a lot of press in recent years. Just last month, the company unveiled its push into the Internet of Things with a platform itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calling the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voice of the Machine.â&#x20AC;? And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuing to innovate in its more traditional markets, like creating dissolvable sealing solutions for the oil and gas industries.

Parker will stay focused on the motion control space, Williams said, while continuing to look into adjacent technologies and services where it can expand. The new Win Strategy builds on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical success while letting it look to the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to see us jump high to the right and buy a sneaker company,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to stay in the motion control space. But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look for the pieces that make the most sense to invest and where the most encouraging, what have better growth rates, where do we have a competitive advantage.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue to flush that out as we go forward.â&#x20AC;?

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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Cal (Khalid) Al-Dhubaib

Principal data scientist, Pandata LLC Cal Al-Dhubaib says his entire career “has been built around being brave enough to ask the questions no one else wanted to ask.” In 2016, Al-Dhubaib became the first person to earn a data science degree from Case Western Reserve University.

But that never would have happened if he had been afraid to ask questions. Case Western launched its data science degree in 2014. Al-Dhubaib wanted that degree. So he started knocking on doors to see if he could create his own dean’sapproved major in data science, based around the dataintensive classes he’d already taken as a computational neuroscience major (also a custom major). It worked. Today, the 25-year-old Al-Dhubaib is principal data scientist at Pandata LLC, a Cleveland-based data analytics consulting firm that works with health care providers, manufacturers and other organizations. He encourages his clients to ask questions, too. “A common mistake is, ‘Oh, I have sales data. I have information on customer, location and their favorite color. I’m going to do an analysis with just that.’ You need to take a step back. ... What are the questions you’d like to ask?” — Chuck Soder

Five things Where are you from?

Al-Khobar, a Saudi Arabian city by the Persian Gulf

But it isn’t called the Persian Gulf back home In Saudi Arabia, it’s the Arabian Gulf.

Why come to Cleveland?

He found Case Western through the Common Application and liked its engineering focus. His mom grew up here: His parents met at the University of Akron.

World’s biggest company While in college, he conducted health care-related research for Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s oil company.

Personal goal He just did his first 10K. He plans to run a half marathon within a year.

“It’s a great way for me to de-stress.”

Lunch spot Lucky’s Cafe 777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland www.luckyscafe.com

The meal Lucky Reuben with a Diet Coke; Lamb Burger and water

The vibe Located in Tremont, Lucky’s serves “protein, produce, dairy, and grain” sourced from Ohio farmers and vendors, according to its website. It also sells a variety of pastries. This writer resisted buying them.

The bill $36.73, including tip

You studied at Case while doing research for Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia’s oil company). How did that happen?

When I told my dad, “I’m going to school in America,” he says, “Great, who’s paying for it?” (laughs) ...

There’s this scholarship program offer by Saudi Aramco. They take care of all your college expenses and you have opportunities to work on projects for the company while you’re in college.

Saudi Aramco is the biggest company in the world. Did it give you a sense of what it would be like to work for a huge company?

It did. Being in a corporate environment taught me a lot about process that I’m now applying in the startup world. I value structure and organization and reproducibility. But at the same time I don’t value the whole seven layers of approval. ... A culture that embraces failing correctly is an environment I like to be in.

I wonder — is there a big company in Northeast Ohio that knows when to sidestep that sevenlayers-of-approval process?

They’re starting to, especially when it comes down to data science and big data. ... People around here are starting to move into big data, and it’s companies you wouldn’t even suspect. And they’re making the approval process on experimentation around data as streamlined as possible. They’re learning to separate experimentation from the bread-and-butter reporting that their organization needs to survive.

You started a health care data company called Triple Analytics during college. Why did you start the company, and why did you end up shutting it down?

The whole idea was to use treatment and outcome data from EMRs (electronic medical records) to begin identifying which treatments work best for specific types of patients.

You have to touch providers because you’re talking about best practices. ... There’s also legalities behind it, and on top of that you have insurance payers. My biggest failure was trying to address too many problems in a fragmented marketplace.

I know of a few local companies doing big data projects, and they’re large organizations. What opportunities are there for small and midsize companies that don’t have entire teams focused on data?

I like to separate data science and big data (huge datasets that often include unstructured data). You can do data science on regular organizational data. What comes to mind is Enterprise Resource Planning Systems and CRM systems, customer relationship management, where they’re tracking who their customers are, what are they buying, what are their touch points. A valid data science project is, “Can we predict employees at risk in our organization of churning over? Can we begin to understand which campaign messages are most effective at converting leads from our website analytics?”

You don’t need big data to begin asking those questions.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen a company do with data?

Natural language processing on customer feedback data. ... It’s this whole idea of taking language, turning it into mathematics and doing something cool with it. It’s almost like magic. You finish building one of these systems and you type in a random message, and it’ll tell you, “This is 50% about website performance and 20% about website design.” ... You can get up to 90%-plus accuracy on some of these things. It’s cool and within reach. ... It’s off the shelf. You can configure it yourself.

What’s something about life in Saudi Arabia that a reasonably educated person might not know?

There is a huge emphasis today in Saudi Arabia on entrepreneurship that wasn’t there when I moved to the United States. The whole country is coming into awareness that oil isn’t sustainable as our safety net. So there are a lot of incubators popping up all over the place, and the startup ecosystem is thriving there.

Any hobbies?

I used to go salsa dancing. I was part of the Ballroom (Dance Society) at Case. For a little bit I was the social chair. I would organize excursions to the different salsa clubs in Cleveland, and I would occasionally teach.

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