Weatherhead 100 2023

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FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES WEATHERHEAD 100 Weston and Associates, LLC Handy Rents / Aladdin Rents Flannery | Georgalis, LLC Edgewater Research Company LLC Fuzion Textbook Painting Sweet Kiddles Brookpark Design Builders Marcum Wealth, LLC Rent A Daughter Senior Care Services, Inc. FIT Technologies Brookes & Henderson Building Co. Repair Authority Fully Accountable reLink Medical LLC Consolidus, LLC INSIGHT2PROFIT ReMax Haven Property Management infinIT Apex Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center Sgt. Clean Car Wash Great Lakes Fasteners, Inc. QualityIP Midwest Home Care LTD Exacta Land Surveyors, LLC Global Transport, Inc. Fleet Fast Fire-Dex Sky Quest Crescendo Commercial Realty, LLC Ashton Solutions J&O Plastics Grants Plus Inner Circle Advisors Enterprise Door & Supply DIGITAL PRINT SOLUTIONS Molding Dynamics, Inc. Direct Recruiters, Inc. AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management Futuri Media MediQuant, LLC AtNetPlus JCI Contractors Foundation Software/ Payroll4Construction BlinkSwag Air Control Products, Inc. LDA architects Talan Products Inc. WTWH Media

MarshBerry Infinium Wall Systems, Inc. ConnectedHR Onyx Creative Inc. Simplified Facilities Group, Inc. WHS Engineering Inc. Laketec Legacy Roofing Services Charak Center for Health and Wellness Ancora Request A Test Starfish Computer Incept Shaker Numeric NPL Home Medical Perspectus Architecture Progressive Poured Walls Etactics Inc. D&R Commercial Flooring Corporate Technologies Group, Inc. Carver Financial Services Simplex-IT Event Source MUM Industries NCS Credit Corrigan Krause Microplex, Inc. Conveyer & Caster Corporation R.L Hill Management, Inc. Powdermet, Inc. Calyx LLC Barnes Wendling CPAs T&D Fabricating, Inc. DMS Management Solutions Proforma Premier Development Partners OGS Industries Banyan Technology SC Fastening Systems LLC FORM EMERGENT BUSINESS AgileBlue bROK Products LLC Champ Titles Gertsburg Licata Co., LPA Sangfroid Strategy The Emerald Group Consultants ENTERPRISE Anderson|Biro Staffing, LLC Even Mix Synergy International Limited, Inc.

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IRA Plan Partners dba iPlanGroup CiresiMorek Cornerstone Wealth Management Roeder Consulting Shaker Investments M Genio Inc. Mortach Financial Services The Wealth Advisory Group of DiLauro Wracher & Thomas Ralston Instruments, LLC Return on Life Wealth Partners ZenStrategies by EA Loxley True Hire BudgetEase Bookkeeping US FREIGHT Shon Christy Social Media StandOut Stickers TITAN Nations Lending Corporation CrossCountry Mortgage Group Management Services, Inc. MAI Capital Management, LLC Park Place Technologies GEMCORE Echo Health, Inc. Morrison Products Inc. Valley Truck Centers Crawford United Corporation Budget Dumpster NOMS Healthcare TalentLaunch Compass Self Storage The Federal Metal Company Mazzella Holding Company, Inc. Brennan Industries Inc. Peoples Services, Inc.

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ABOUT THIS PROJECT: This special section was produced for Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University by Crain’s Content Studio, the custom advertising division of Crain’s Cleveland Business. Select companies were chosen by Weatherhead to be featured in this section; in addition, all of the companies were given an opportunity to sponsor their own spotlights. For questions about this project, contact Crain’s Associate Publisher Amy Stoessel at astoessel@crain.com.

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35th anniversary an inflection point to honor business community’s progress and potential Weatherhead School of Management continues to shape Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial prowess

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he 35th anniversary of the Weatherhead 100 offers us an opportunity to reflect on how much the business world has changed. In the 1990s, the rapid expansion of the Internet was the big news, with a host of new businesses emerging to support organizations looking to have a dominate presence on the World Wide Web. Then, in the 2000s, eCommerce took center stage, with the rapid rise of dot-com startups in 2000, and the dramatic fall of many of these new ventures three years later. Big Tech emerged, but the bigger challenge in 2008 was a global financial crisis. And most recently, a global pandemic.

Today, businesses are facing a new paradigm shift. The transition to data-driven and analyticsbased decision-making across organizations has led to a rapid acceleration in data analytics, deep machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, digital transformation and cloud computing. In parallel, the growing social challenges, including ongoing disruptions created by climate change, social inequalities, digital divide and the new realities of the geo-political environment demand business leaders recognize the interconnectedness between organizations and society and how to do well by doing good.

“Our role as a leading higher education institution is to be the problem-solving business

INSIDE BUSINESS PROFILES Brookpark Design Builders ... W3 Anderson|Biro ... W4 Flannery | Georgalis, LLC ... W4 Champ Titles ... W5 Valley Auto / Valley Truck Centers ... W6 Foundation Software ... W6 J&O Plastics ... W8 Weston & Associates ... W9 THE LISTS Weatherhead 100 Winners ... W10 Titans ... W13 Enterprise ... W13 Emergent ... W14

school. We bring the best of our talent, innovation and networks from around the world to Cleveland, and in doing so, serve the region’s corporate community,” said Andrew Medvedev, interim co-dean of the Weatherhead School of Management.

Now in its 35th year, the Weatherhead 100 sheds a spotlight on those businesses modeling the leadership, growth and success that define

Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial spirit and visionary acumen. Presented by the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, The Weatherhead 100 program recognizes fast-growing, for-profit Northeast Ohio-based organizations.

This year’s winners were required to show exemplary net sales growth over the past five years, starting with 2018 net sales of at least $100,000. The organization could not have been a franchise or subsidiary of another company between 2018 to 2022. The organizations were required to be headquartered in one of the counties in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area: Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull or Wayne.

The winners are recognized in four different categories: • Weatherhead 100 Winners: Exceptional net sales growth over the past five years, from at least $100,000 to $1 million.

• Weatherhead 100 Enterprise: (formerly known as Upstarts). Fast-growing companies with 15 or fewer employees or net sales of less than $5 million last year.

• Weatherhead 100 Titans: (formerly known as Centurions). Fast-growing companies with at

least $100 million in net sales last year.

• Weatherhead 100 Emergent Businesses: (new category for 2023). Companies in business for two to four years with a significant increase in sales.

Weatherhead’s problem-solving reputation is powered by its world-class research enterprise.

From artificial intelligence, data analytics and supply chain resiliency to organizational transformation, the school’s faculty have long been shaping, and not just teaching, the future of business through ground-breaking research.

J.B. Silvers, Ph.D., interim co-dean and professor of health care finance and banking and finance at Weatherhead, explained that the school’s goal is to present a curriculum rooted in applying its research work to real-world scenarios and the ever-evolving challenges faced by businesses worldwide.

“We want to make sure the Weatherhead experience is inextricably linked to real life, informed by ideas and involvement from our major stakeholders,” Silvers said.

The dynamics of a 21st-century global business world may continue to change at a rapid pace.

However, the Weatherhead School of Management remains unwavering in its mission to serve as the intellectual hub of the corporate community.

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Brookpark Design Builders opens new doors in construction industry Vince Guerrieri Crain’s Content Studio

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rookpark Design Builders has always been well-known for pre-engineered metal buildings. In fact, it was the first company in Northeast Ohio to prefabricate buildings in warehouses and then erect them on site.

But new ownership brought a new focus on design-build work, and that has opened up a variety of new and interesting projects for the North Royalton-based company. (Brookpark Design Builders was founded on Brookpark Road in 1951; hence its name.)

“We still have a very good relationship with the pre-engineered metal building world,” said Steve Friedmann, vice president (his father Ralph, who bought the company, is president).

“We still build and furnish those kinds of buildings as far south as Columbus. But we wanted to expand.”

Because of the company’s experience working with metal, it was an easy move into what Steve Friedmann calls the “exterior envelope” world of construction, using various metals to create a tapestry of colors and textures on a building’s exterior.

“Traditional brick or block kind of limits you to one particular material,” Friedmann said.

“With cladding, you can use a variety of materials.”

Friedmann notes that one of the company’s current projects is the Library Lofts being built atop the new Martin Luther King, Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library in University Circle. The architect used four or five different materials for the building’s exterior, thanks to Brookpark’s work.

“We’ve used zinc,” Friedmann said of previous projects. “There are high-pressure laminates, fiber cement and some different types of stone materials as well.”

Brookpark also worked on INTRO Cleveland, the large mixed-use project on Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. The project was heralded as the largest wood-framed structure in the United States, although Brookpark designed, engineered, fabricated and installed all the exterior metal panels on that project.

Andy Hudak, regional vice president at Albert M. Higley Co.’s Ohio office, first crossed paths with Brookpark about six years ago, when the

Brookpark Design Builders designed, engineered, fabricated and installed all the exterior metal panels on INTRO Cleveland, a stateof-the-art mass timber project on Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

construction industry began trending toward more use of metal panels. One of the big projects with which he recently worked with Brookpark was a renovation of Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights, which included a recladding of the campus’ brick buildings.

project used five colors of aluminum siding, laminate panels from Europe and specialty trim. But the biggest thing to figure out was how to do it on the back of the building, on Lake Erie.

And that starts, Friedmann said, with a collaborative relationship early on.

“We had three to four floors over the water,” Friedmann said. “In some cases, we were working on scaffolding on barges on the water.

There aren’t too many opportunities where you get to work over the water like that. It was really exciting for us.”

“A lot of times, for a project like that, we get initial design drawings from the architect, and they essentially ask, ‘Can we do this?’ and it’s on us then to figure it out,” he said.

Brookpark remains in a unique space in the market. “There weren’t a lot of companies that install metal,” Hudak said. “There still are not” — but also looks to move inward.

It’s a challenge Friedmann relishes.

“We recently purchased a fiber laser, and we’re starting to create perforated panel systems,” Friedmann said. “We want to move inside to do interiors and wall cladding.”

“It was complicated engineering, but they did a really nice job with it,” Hudak said.

Another recent project was at Castaway Bay, a resort near Cedar Point in Sandusky. That

Congratulations to our employees and partners for achieving this milestone!

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Anderson|Biro makes a splash in the staffing industry with its relationship-based approach to hiring and spent the first six months rebuilding the operation,” Biro said. “She rebuilt our accounting process, our compliance process, how we interact with customers and how we interact with candidates.”

Since then, the staffing firm’s relationship-based approach to interacting with hiring clients and potential job candidates has set it apart in the market.

Anderson|Biro Staffing LLC prioritizes relationship-building with their clients, potential job candidates and their own team members.

Brooke Bilyj Crain’s Content Studio

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stablished in 2016, Anderson|Biro Staffing LLC grew out of clients’ evolving needs from the executive search firm that Ryan Anderson and Eric Biro previously launched in 2007. The original business, Anderson|Biro LLC, focused exclusively on the real estate financial services niche as a retained recruiting firm filling mid- to senior-level management positions.

“As we grew that practice, a need developed for our customers to add hourly employees to their

production staff,” said Biro, a founding partner.

“So we started Anderson|Biro Staffing to support our customer base, and we quickly realized that running a staffing company is quite a bit different from running a direct-hire executive search practice.”

“Our differentiator is really about how we approach people,” Murphy said. “A lot of staffing companies focus on building that relationship with the clients, but it’s such a competitive candidate market that it’s really about the candidate’s experience and building trust and rapport with them, too. We take time to learn about (the candidate’s) goals to make sure we’re aligning them to the right opportunities and setting them up for success.”

Using a “white glove approach to the staffing industry,” borrowed from Anderson|Biro’s executive search practice, Biro says the firm brings “more polish and professionalism” to matching candidates to open positions.

To help grow the staffing firm, which provides talent acquisition services for office professional and light industrial roles, they hired their first employee, Jessica Murphy, as vice president of operations in 2021.

“A lot of staffing companies are just numbersdriven, but it’s not all about the numbers; it’s really about the relationships and how we interact,” he said.

“She came in and tore everything to the ground

Murphy says that Anderson|Biro streamlines the

Enterprise

No. 1 Anderson|Biro Staffing, LLC Founded: 2015 Sales growth: 97% Number of employees: 12

hiring process for both clients and candidates by meeting candidates on their preferred platforms — whether chatting on Zoom or completing paperwork through a convenient mobile app.

This approach has propelled the firm’s growth under Murphy’s leadership, with 25% revenue growth expected this year and another 50% next year as the current client companies plan upcoming hiring streaks.

“You see a lot of small staffing companies pop up and go, but we are not just dipping our toe into the water,” Biro said. “We’re making a huge splash because we’re quite a bit different than other staffing companies.”

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Flannery | Georgalis expands through formidable legal service offerings Vince Guerrieri Crain’s Content Studio

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fter becoming colleagues and friends at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland, Chris Georgalis and Paul Flannery set out on a path not usually trod in Northeast Ohio.

Most lawyers, after leaving the Department of Justice, latch onto a large law firm. But Georgalis and Flannery decided to strike out on their own.

“I’d worked for Jones Day, so I’d done the big firm thing,” Georgalis said. “And Paul had worked for a mid-sized firm in Baltimore. I think we wanted to try something different. In bigger cities, a lot of AUSAs hang out their own shingle. It wasn’t common in Cleveland.

We saw an opportunity in the Cleveland market to do something a little different.”

In 2017, they started Flannery | Georgalis in downtown Cleveland. Since then, they’ve grown from “an army of two,” as Flannery put it, to a staff of more than 40, including 25

attorneys, with offices in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit and Charlotte in addition to Cleveland. And although they started with no client list to speak of, they’ve become a key firm in the Cleveland legal community for complicated investigative, dispute and trial work.

“We knew that our experience was in the area of complex criminal and civil litigation, and we wanted to stay reasonably focused on that,” Flannery said. “Initially, we started to market ourselves narrowly in criminal defense, but we had clients coming to us with other cases.

“We’re hitting our stride now. We represent clients all over the country and all over the world. The challenge is to show that you have not only the skill set, but the wherewithal to handle cases like these.”

Flannery | Georgalis draws many of its attorneys from the ranks of former prosecutors on the county or federal level. Its investigators also come from a multitude of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General,

Paul Flannery and Chris Georgalis of Flannery | Georgalis LLC.

the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the IRS. “These are people who could go to many places but have a similar passion for the type of work we do, ” Flannery said.

Justin Withrow was one of the early lawyers for the firm. By his estimation, he was the fifth attorney to join. Now a partner, Withrow said he was excited to get in on the ground floor of something exciting.

“I had the opportunity to work on the opposite side of Paul when he was an assistant U.S. attorney, and I thought it was a great opportunity to work with Paul and Chris to build the firm,” he said. “I thought it was the right idea at the right time.”

Cases handled by the firm can include

anything from an OVI charge at a local municipal court to investigations on behalf of corporations or school districts.

“The range of sensitive matters that we’ll take is a point of pride for us,” Georgalis said.

It’s one of the instances where being a small firm pays off as well, Flannery said. A larger firm may have conflicts of interest that will prevent them from taking certain cases. Because Flannery | Georgalis is so small and focused on its niche, that’s not an issue for them.

And that gets them noticed by other firms.

“We are a resource for other law firms that have clients for whom they do provide wide-ranging services, but don’t do what we do,” Flannery said. “When a serious matter comes up that fits into our experience, we’re proud to be the firm that other law firms call.”

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How Champ Titles is digitizing asset title management for DMVs Brooke Bilyj Crain’s Content Studio

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ealing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can be a frustrating, timeconsuming process when you buy, sell or register a car — but Champ Titles is improving the experience by digitizing the titling process. With its unique blockchain-based approach to digital title management, Champ has quickly gained momentum in the last five years since its launch, growing its revenue by 125% this year alone.

Four state DMVs have already adopted Champ’s solution. By the end of next year, an estimated 30 million people, including vehicle retailers and wholesalers, insurance carriers, lenders and fleet operators, will be using Champ’s technology to transact on titles more efficiently. When Champ started rolling out its solution to DMVs, it took 45 days on average to process a vehicle title of registration. Now, the DMVs using Champ’s digitized process can turn around a title in less than one day.

“If you’re in automotive commerce, insurance or lending, that friction is eliminated,” said Shane McRann Bigelow, Champ CEO. “On a consumer level, the ‘time tax’ that you spend waiting on government forms to be processed is enormous. That’s the time to get to the DMV, wait in line, fill it out and find out what you did wrong so you can go home and get something else and do it again. It’s now digital, and that’s what we’re proudest of, is that we’ve really changed the consumer experience by changing the constituent experience relative to title and registration.”

Champ’s solution leverages blockchain technology, which provides “a cryptographically secure system of record to indicate provenance and enable transactions,” Bigelow said. “It’s not just a database with entries in it.

It’s a much more sophisticated way to enable a true system of record and

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Champ Titles Founded: 2018 Sales growth: 1,427.2% Number of employees: 62

turn it into something transactable.”

Bigelow compares it to airplane boarding passes — which used to be just a piece of printed paper and then went digital, allowing travelers to change their seats, pre-order meals and check in from their phones.

“It was no longer a record; it was a conduit to transact,” he said. “We’ve enabled the same sort of technology with titles. No longer is a title just an entry in a system of record; it unlocks your access to get a loan, insure your car, sell your car or monetize it — without any paperwork.”

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Champ Titles has amassed a team of about 60 employees committed to growth with a “Champ versus the world” mentality.

“It’s a demanding environment, but we’ve got a group of people who are all laser-focused on a single goal and have committed themselves to the business in amazing ways,” said LT Slater, head of strategic partnerships.

Propelled by more than $30 million in funding — including last year’s $12.9 million Series B investment — Champ is well-positioned to continue innovating its blockchain platform to streamline the titling process for more states.

“We didn’t build this company to be a moderate-sized company,” Bigelow said. “We built this company to be the largest software company in Northeast Ohio, so we’ve got a long way to go.”

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877-598-8534 www.cc-efi.com Champ has been recognized as one of the largest software developers in the area. While the tech company works across the country, they are proud to call Cleveland home.

Honored to be named a Weatherhead 100 company and excited to continue advancing our customers’ operations in 2024 and beyond!

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NEO’S FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES SPONSORED BY VALLEY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP / VALLEY TRUCK CENTERS

The O’Donnell family has continued to build a portfolio of dealerships that has propelled them into the higher ranks of national automotive and truck sales.

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Celebrating

45

years

Customer service shifts Valley Truck Centers into high gear Judy Stringer Crain’s Content Studio

“

Dog years” is a popular formula used to communicate the notion that pets age faster than people.

Valley Truck Centers Inc. operates on a similar acceleration called “Valley Time,” CEO Brian O’Donnell said.

“If it takes other companies a year to innovate or move a project forward, we want it to take months. If it takes months, we want it to take weeks,” he explained, adding that Valley Time condenses weeks into days,

days into hours, hours into minutes and minutes into seconds. “We’re asking our people to put themselves in the place of our customers and the importance of their time.”

Valley Truck’s explosive growth over the last couple of years indicates the O’Donnell philosophy is more than effective. The family-owned enterprise, which has a retail automotive division in addition to its commercial truck group, is on track to top $1 billion in sales this year, even after annual growth slowed in 2023 following an

Foundation Software grows by diversifying with focus Brooke Bilyj Crain’s Content Studio

F ARCHITECTURE | ENGINEERING | INTERIOR DESIGN

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oundation Software introduced its accounting software for the construction industry back in 1985. Since then, the firm has diversified its platform — adding mobile apps, payroll portals, estimating software, project management solutions and other tools to serve its target customer base. But through it all, Foundation remains laser-focused on simplifying back-office functions for construction firms.

“In order to grow, you have to be able to offer more to your clients,” said Foundation CEO Mike Ode, whose uncle, Fred Ode, founded the firm.

“We’ve tried to create multiple entry points into the market, complementary to the accounting, so that clients lean on us more heavily for all their back-office work, not just the accounting.”

Foundation continues to grow steadily by adding new offerings — both through organic product development and strategic acquisitions — without losing focus.

Weatherhead 100

No. 44 Foundation Software/ Payroll4Construction Founded: 1985 Sales growth: 15.9% Number of employees: 329 “It’s very easy to get tempted or teased to try and take a product into a different industry,” Ode said. “But when you start to chase those shiny objects, sometimes you get distracted, and that leads to the complete opposite of growth. So, we stay very focused on balancing growth and profitability.”

Foundation’s 2020 acquisition by tech-focused private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo supercharged its growth.

“They have given us the means to acquire companies with

SPONSORED CONTENT explosive 13.4% year-to-year surge between 2021 and 2022.

“Right now, we have about $235 million in sitting new truck inventory, of which 70% is sold and waiting for outfits, completions, delivery, etc.,” said Brian, whose seven children all help run the business. “We feel pretty good about going into (2024).”

He started working at Valley Truck in 1978, when the Valley View establishment — originally founded as the Ford Motor Co. distribution center — was a single site, Class A commercial truck sales center on Canal Road. He bought it outright in 2006, and over the years built the company to include six retail automobile and seven commercial truck dealerships spanning from Columbus to Monroe, Michigan. He also added a rental arm and two businesses that customize commercial vehicles for specialized uses.

of which was COVID, supply chain shortages and, more recently, inflation and soaring interest rates.

Andy added “staying ahead of the curve” as an additional growth factor.

In early 2022, for example, the company moved in a direction of providing game-changing service offerings new to the retail automotive industry. Last month, according to Andy, those services were responsible for 700 additional service events.

“Three years ago, that number of these game-changing services would have been close to zero,” he said. “It’s really growing like wildfire and bolstering our business in a kind of uncertain time.”

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RLHill MANAGEMENT, INC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS

The next game-changer to break ground next year is a Ford-branded automotive campus that will be located across the street from the current Canal Street headquarters and dealership.

“Whether you need a Ford pickup truck for your son or daughter or a Western Star Twin Steer mining truck with the equipment put on, we do everything from cradle to grave — the outfitting, financing, servicing, leasing and rental and so forth,” said Brian’s son, Andy O’Donnell, who oversees the retail division.

Andy described the planned 23-acre complex as an outdoor lifestyle development. Along with traditional showrooms, the site will have stocked ponds, walking paths, extended-hour service garages, a test track, specialized Bronco and Mustang experience centers and 24/7 EV charging stations, among other features.

The elder O’Donnell credited much of Valley Truck’s growth to acquisitions, solid customer service and success developing new customer relationships amid a host of market challenges — not the least

“We really want to make it a destination,” Andy said. “Our customers don’t want to come for an oil change and sit and drink horrible coffee, and we don’t want them too, either.”

Celebrating 25 years serving the greater Cleveland area 440.439.0490

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complementary products that our customers want, and that accelerates our go-to-market strategy,” Ode said.

OUR SERVICES

In May 2021, for example, Foundation acquired an Arizonabased estimating software provider, Teamwork is integral to success at Foundation Software. specifically serving the electrical, plumbing these acquisitions is assimilating the and mechanical trades. Then in same culture across the new January 2022, the firm acquired additions. another estimating package in Florida geared toward roofing and interior “When you’re thousands of miles contractors — moving Foundation apart, it’s a challenge to embed your closer to its goal of becoming an culture,” Ode said. “If you can’t get all-in-one back-office solution. people to buy in or understand what More recently, in May 2023, Foundation acquired a Utah-based mobile cost management platform that allows employees to clock in and out automatically using geofencing and biometric data.

“This latest acquisition is very innovative for us and very advanced for the construction industry,” Ode said. “It has helped bridge the communication gap between the office and the field.”

These additions have grown Foundation’s footprint to four offices nationwide, with about 500 employees combined. The key to integrating

you’re doing and why you’re doing it for the greater good of the umbrella company, then you’re going to have problems — but we’ve been able to do that successfully.”

Bolstered by these acquisitions with an aggressive appetite for more, Foundation continues to diversify its offerings to maintain 20% annual growth.

“The market is ripe,” said Steven Antill, chief revenue officer. “There are hundreds of thousands of construction companies just in the U.S., so the runway in front of us is still tremendous.”

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J&O Plastics pioneers growth in plastic injection molding industry Vince Guerrieri Crain’s Content Studio

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scar and Christine Gross started J&O Plastics in 1982 with three injection machines on an unfinished barn floor in Lodi. By the late 1990s, the company had grown to become the largest supplier for Mr. Coffee machines, running two assembly lines and making 5,000 coffee makers a day. J&O was just getting ready to start its operations in a new 100,000-square-foot facility in Rittman when Mr. Coffee got swallowed up in an acquisition by Sunbeam. Those manufacturing jobs in Northeast Ohio suddenly disappeared, and J&O’s position became a lot more tenuous.

“Mr. Coffee was about 85 percent of the business, so it was a pretty big hit when they left,” said Jason Gross, the founders’ son and current J&O president and CEO. J&O had to reinvent itself, and it did so successfully, becoming a manufacturer of a host of retail products, from shelves and containers you might see at Walmart or Target to a product for a Montana-based company called AccuFooting, which allows builders to position rebar for concrete pouring.

“We have some industrial products,” Jason said. “We go literally from mailing tube caps to chicken hatcheries. The only things we don’t touch are medical or automotive.”

Jason began working in the company’s factory in 2004 after graduating from Baldwin Wallace University.

“I wasn’t even allowed in the front office for five years,” he said. “I’ve worked in every position in the company, except for being a machine operator.”

In 2015, Jason became vice president of operations as his father retired. In 2020, he took over as president and CEO. By then, the reinvention was complete. To this day. the company continues to grow, with 60 injection machines and a 125,000-square-foot distribution center in Wadsworth, in addition to its Rittman production center.

Mike Lerner, owner and president of Lerner Molded Plastics, a sales and consulting firm, started working with the late Oscar Gross and has maintained a working relationship with his son.

“Jason’s taken the company to a completely different level,” Lerner said. “He’s a very

dynamic leader. I really admire what he’s accomplished.”

But Jason realized he didn’t know what he didn’t know and reevaluated the company’s business model.

Until two years ago, the company was run by four administrators, Jason said, including himself. But he’s brought in a variety of new directors — for human resources, supply chain, finance, quality, informational technology and manufacturing — to draw on their expertise and form an infrastructure to help scale the business and increase sales.

“I became the limiting factor of growth,” Jason said. “And I had to bring in people who knew other aspects of business, who knew how to scale, who knew things I didn’t have the time to learn. Everybody (who) I brought on has taught me things I didn’t know, and they’re all subject matter experts in their field.”

He first hired Melinda White as director of human resources in 2022 to help drive his goal of organizational change. She grew up five minutes from the factory and has spent her career working in human resources in Northeast Ohio.

“We came here because of what he’s allowing us to do in our departments,” she said. “I’ve never worked with someone who will allow you to truly be that expert and let us implement our ideas.”

Among the ideas being implemented is further automation on the factory floor. For example, labels are now machine-applied rather than hand-applied. Efficiency is the key to

J&O Plastics was founded in 1982 as an injection molding supplier for Mr. Coffee Co. Today, high-quality plastic products for the consumer market comprise a significant share of the business. The company also provides injection molding for retail, agricultural, logistics and OEM applications.

sustainability and growth, Jason said. He notes they’ve reduced and optimized the workforce, although not through layoffs, while giving employees better opportunities within the company.

“Instead of standing press-side and doing the same thing people were doing in the 1980s and 90s, we’re teaching them a skillset of technology and automation, turning those $15-an-hour jobs into $25-an-hour jobs,” he said. “We’re giving them more career-oriented opportunities, not just eliminating labor.”

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Innovation central to Weston’s growth in storage tank market Brooke Bilyj Crain’s Content Studio

Weatherhead 100

A

ndrew Feucht planned to consult companies purchasing large storage tanks for diverse applications when he founded Weston & Associates in 2017. Whether end-users wanted to store perishable goods for the food and beverage industry, grains and liquid fertilizers for the agricultural sector or even wastewater, oil or gas, he tried to guide clients toward the best storage solution for each use.

However, “we easily identified some major issues with quality and supply chain shortages in the industry,” he said. “Most manufacturers’ lead times were over a year out, and that wait was detrimental to our clients. We quickly turned into a manufacturing company because we weren’t finding the quality of products that we would expect or promote.”

Weston began manufacturing stainless steel tanks with a goal of building storage solutions better and faster than the competition.

They then continued innovating specialized liners, covers, and, more recently, durable coating systems.

Now, the company combines manufacturing and engineering expertise to custom-design and build specialized storage tanks for various applications.

“We were able to take a lot of the lessons learned from the construction field, tailor that into our design and provide a product that outlasts our competition,” Feucht said.

For example, Weston partnered with Lockheed Martin engineers to create an electrochemical energy storage system that holds raw energy until it’s converted into electricity for their Gridstar Flow battery. Lockheed Martin was so impressed with the solution that they named Weston an Outstanding Supplier of the Year in 2020.

“Weston is the only company that customizes their tanks to our specifications. Their bolted tanks are of the highest quality, and they have always delivered on time,” said Victor Luna, senior specialist and mechanical technician in advanced energy storage at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

No. 1 Weston and Associates, LLC Founded: 2017 Sales growth: 238%

Number of employees: 89

th to all

e

We 3 2 0 2

at

S N O AT I

d1 a e h r he

0

ner n i w 0

s!

these key components with local manufacturing companies,” he said.

Last year, the company introduced Weston NanoCoat, utilizing a nano-coating technology initially formulated for aerospace applications to create a durable coating that protects against harsh elements. Compared to traditional powder coatings, which take about eight hours to cure after several passes through 400-degree industrial ovens, Weston NanoCoat cures within an hour and 20 minutes when heated to just 150 to 200 degrees.

Not only is this process faster, but it consumes less energy, too, reducing the solution’s carbon footprint.

Only Construction-Ready Site Available On Opportunity Corridor

This relentless innovation is propelling Weston’s growth. Since entering the market with about $300,000 in sales in its first year of business, Weston ended 2022 with $32 million in sales and expects to hit nearly $50 million this year.

Although quality products are paramount to Weston’s success, Feucht said his skilled team of 125 employees is just as critical to growth.

“We’re hiring people to grow with us, so as we’re looking at growth, we’re talking with our key individuals to understand what that means for them,” said Feucht, who walks through each of Weston’s four facilities in Massillon every day to stay connected. “A lot of times, when companies grow at this rate, the leaders get stuck in their office just focused on numbers, whereas I’m more focused on the people and making sure they’re the reason why we’re growing.”

WE ARE

HONORED to be in the company of THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS.

At Flannery | Georgalis, we proudly salute the businesses leading the charge in Northeast Ohio.

Thank you for making our community stronger.

Feucht attributes the quality and longevity of Weston’s products to the superior strength of the domestic steel they use, combined with Weston’s innovative Americanmade coatings.

“All of our coating systems are domestically made and formulated, and we’re able to make

N O C

L U T A R G

W9

Founded in 2017, Flannery | Georgalis focuses on sensitive matters and complex investigations, disputes, and litigation.

f lannerygeorgalis.com Weston & Associates provides customized storage tank solutions for industrial, commercial and municipal needs.

W10

NEO’S FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES

WEATHERHEAD 100 WINNERS RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

WEBSITE

1

Weston and Associates, LLC

Stark

2017

westonandassociates.com

2

Handy Rents / Aladdin Rents

Lake

1984

handyrents.com & www.aladdinrents.com Consumer goods rental company.

90.2%

3

Flannery | Georgalis, LLC

Cuyahoga

2017

flannerygeorgalis.com

Focuses on sensitive matters, including criminal defense, investigations and business litigation.

52.6%

4

Edgewater Research Company LLC

Cuyahoga

2018

edgewaterresearch.com

Independent equity research and market intelligence firm.

48.5%

5

Fuzion

Cuyahoga

2017

gearbyfuzion.com/fuzion/shop/home

Curates and decorates incredible gear and apparel.

48.2%

6

Textbook Painting

Cuyahoga

2006

textbookpainting.com

A residential and commercial painting contractor serving Northeast Ohio.

45.5%

7

Sweet Kiddles

Cuyahoga

2011

sweetkiddles.com

The first flexible childcare concept. Each customer attends on their own schedule.

35.4%

8

Brookpark Design Builders

Cuyahoga

1951

Brookparkdesign.com

Exterior envelope contractor specializing in panel systems, metal roofing and pre-engineered metal building systems.

34.2%

9

Marcum Wealth, LLC

Cuyahoga

2006

marcumwealth.com

A team of financial advisors that lead clients with financial planning.

33.6%

10

Rent A Daughter Senior Care Services, Inc.

Cuyahoga

2003

rentadaughter.org

"Our mission is to ensure a better quality of life for our elderly clients and their families by providing dependable and affordable care."

33.0%

11

FIT Technologies

Cuyahoga

1999

fittechnologies.com

Managed IT services, cybersecurity, and data services company, that is headquartered in Cleveland.

31.8%

12

Brookes & Henderson Building Co.

Geauga

2012

Brookes-Henderson.com

We are a high-end, custom, home builder and renovator.

31.2%

13

Repair Authority

Cuyahoga

1990

repairauthority.com

Repairs home medical equipment including oxygen concentrators, CPAPs, ventilators and other respiratory devices.

30.2%

14

Fully Accountable

Summit

2014

fullyaccountable.com

Outsourced accounting/CFO and finance services for e-commerce and digitally based businesses.

30.1%

15

reLink Medical LLC

Summit

2014

relinkmedical.com

The nation's largest independent provider of medical equipment disposition services.

28.3%

16

Consolidus, LLC

Summit

2006

consolidus.com

Leading innovation company in the promotional products industry, leveraging proprietary technology improving costs and service.

27.2%

17

INSIGHT2PROFIT

Cuyahoga

2006

insight2profit.com

Helps businesses accelerate profitable growth through pricing expertise, data science and tailored technology.

25.4%

18

ReMax Haven Property Management

Cuyahoga

2010

rentcle.com

Residential property management.

24.4%

19

infinIT

Cuyahoga

1995

infinit.us

Cleveland's leading data center and ISP providing internet, voice, cloud, backup, MSP and security.

23.7%

20

Apex Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center Cuyahoga

2011

apexskin.com

Driven by one common purpose: Transforming lives through healthy skin.

23.7%

21

Sgt. Clean Car Wash

Stark

2013

sgtclean.com

Express exterior car wash chain with free vacuums. Currently with 14 locations in Northeast Ohio and 1 more under construction.

23.2%

22

Great Lakes Fasteners, Inc.

Summit

1958

glfus.com

Supplier and packager fasteners, selling to manufacturers and service companies across the globe.

22.1%

23

QualityIP

Portage

2004

qualityip.com

A managed services company dedicated to helping businesses with tech related issues.

21.7%

24

Midwest Home Care LTD

Summit

2004

mwhcare.com

An in-home health care agency offering a variety of services to their clients.

21.2%

25

Exacta Land Surveyors, LLC

Cuyahoga

1994

exactaland.com

Leading provider of land survey and field management services to companies & individuals.

20.9%

26

Global Transport, Inc.

Cuyahoga

2008

globaltransportinc.com

Full-service trucking, brokerage, logistics and 3PL provider serving 48 states.

20.9%

27

Fleet Fast

Summit

1974

fleetfastsolutions.com

Commercial truck repair facilities specializing in fast and creative damage repair solutions for fleets of all sizes.

20.8%

28

Fire-Dex

Medina

1983

firedex.com

Global manufacturer of PPE for first responders and PPE care and maintenance under Gear Wash.

20.7%

29

Sky Quest

Cuyahoga

2001

flyskyquest.com

Provides safe and reliable private jet charter services, aircraft management and aircraft sales.

20.5%

30

Crescendo Commercial Realty, LLC

Cuyahoga

2008

cc-realty.com

Commercial real estate services (consulting, leasing, investment brokerage and property management.)

20.1%

31

Ashton Solutions

Cuyahoga

1994

ashtonsolutions.com

Business technology consultant and managed IT services provider.

20.0%

32

J&O Plastics

Wayne

1982

jandoplastics.com

A leader in the plastic injection molding industry since 1982.

19.3%

33

Grants Plus

Cuyahoga

2007

grantsplus.com

As the nation’s leading grants firm, we’ve helped nonprofits raise over $300 million in funding.

18.9%

34

Inner Circle Advisors

Cuyahoga

1996

innercircle.cpa

Advisor to small businesses, helping them grow in value and minimize income taxes.

18.3%

35

Enterprise Door & Supply

Lake

1980

enterprisedoor.com

Family-owned and operated distributor of architectural grade doors, frames and hardware.

18.1%

36

DIGITAL PRINT SOLUTIONS

Summit

2009

dpsamerica.com

A sales and service solution for production printing, finishing and embellishment equipment and supplies.

18.0%

37

Molding Dynamics, Inc.

Cuyahoga

2001

moldingdynamics.net

Custom plastic injection molding, we make you more competitive.

17.8%

38

Direct Recruiters, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1983

directrecruiters.com

Executive search firm recruiting top talent for mission-critical positions.

17.8%

39

AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management

Geauga

1983

aquadocinc.com

Since 1983, we have been keeping lakes and ponds beautiful.

17.0%

40

Futuri Media

Cuyahoga

2009

futurimedia.com

Develops AI-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence technology for media companies and creators.

16.5%

41

MediQuant, LLC

Cuyahoga

1999

mediquant.com

Healthcare's leading provider of active data archiving technology and solutions for the enterprise.

16.4%

COMPANY DESCRIPTION A turn-key manufacturer and contractor of the world’s largest storage tanks and systems.

* SALES GROWTH 238.0%

opening one door opens doors across our community.

An investment in education is an investment in the future. That’s why KeyBank is proud to support people and programs that focus on helping children and adults in our community reach their full potential. We believe in creating opportunities for students to grow and excel and appreciate everyone who helps prepare them to achieve their goals.

KeyBank congratulates this year's Weatherhead 100 award winners.

©2023 KeyCorp. KeyBank Member FDIC. 221108-1326908-1265533584

W12

NEO’S FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES

WEATHERHEAD 100 WINNERS RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

WEBSITE

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

* SALES GROWTH

42

AtNetPlus

Summit

1998

atnetplus.com

A leading managed IT services provider specializing in comprehensive and reliable managed IT and managed cybersecurity.

16.0%

43

JCI Contractors

Ashtabula

1988

jcibuilds.com

Commercial and industrial building company.

16.0%

44

Foundation Software/Payroll4Construction

Cuyahoga

1985

foundationsoft.com

Develops & supports job cost accounting & project management software for the construction industry.

15.9%

45

BlinkSwag

Cuyahoga

2007

blinkswag.com

Branded swag/apparel, print, gifting, employee rewards & recognition organization.

15.8%

46

Air Control Products, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1975

aircontrolproducts.com

Ohio's premier HVAC supplier, where people and culture come together to partner with you delivering solutions and service.

15.1%

47

LDA architects

Cuyahoga

1995

ldaarchitecture.com

Architectural, interior design, landscape, historic preservation design firm.

15.1%

48

Talan Products Inc.

Cuyahoga

1986

talanproducts.com

A contract manufacturer specializing in metal stampings and fabricated aluminum extrusions.

15.1%

49

WTWH Media

Cuyahoga

2006

wtwhmedia.com

B2B media company serving engineering, healthcare, retail, hospitality, and food industries.

14.7%

50

MarshBerry

Cuyahoga

1981

marshberry.com

Provides intellectual capital, strategic consulting, and investment banking services to clients in the insurance and wealth management industries.

14.4%

51

Infinium Wall Systems, Inc.

Cuyahoga

2003

infiniumwalls.com

Manufacturer of glass wall systems used as demountable partitions.

14.3%

52

ConnectedHR

Cuyahoga

2014

connected-hr.com

Delivers high-caliber, right-sized human resources strategy and support to growing businesses throughout Northeast Ohio.

14.2%

53

Onyx Creative Inc.

Cuyahoga

1974

onyxcreative.com

Architecture and engineering professional services firm providing aspirational design.

14.1%

54

Simplified Facilities Group, Inc.

Lorain

2002

simplifiedfacilities.com

A single source solution for facility management and maintenance services.

14.0%

55

WHS Engineering Inc.

Cuyahoga

2005

whs-eng.com

Consulting engineering firm offering mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural design services for building systems.

13.9%

56

Laketec

Cuyahoga

1989

laketec.com

An IT solutions and managed services provider, specializing in voice, network & cloud.

13.5%

57

Legacy Roofing Services

Summit

2012

legacyroofing.com

58

Charak Center for Health and Wellness

Cuyahoga

1994

charakcenter.com

59

Ancora

Cuyahoga

2003

ancora.net

A boutique firm, offers asset management, family wealth, insurance solutions and retirement plan services.

12.7%

60

Request A Test

Cuyahoga

2001

requestatest.com

A national leader in direct to consumer lab testing.

12.6%

61

Starfish Computer

Cuyahoga

1996

starfishcomputer.com

IT managed services for business.

12.4%

62

Incept

Stark

1993

inceptresults.com

Brings the human element of conversations back to customer experience.

12.3%

63

Shaker Numeric

Cuyahoga

1996

shakernumeric.com

Trusted partner for precision machining in the Midwest with 65 years of knowledge and craftsmanship.

11.9%

64

NPL Home Medical

Cuyahoga

1993

nplhomemedical.com

The leading provider of custom wheelchairs in Northeast Ohio.

11.8%

65

Perspectus Architecture

Cuyahoga

2001

perspectus.com

Provides architectural design, planning, interior design & historic architecture with a client-focused philosophy.

11.8%

66

Progressive Poured Walls

Medina

2006

progressivecg.com/ppw

Offering a full range of foundation-building services to meet your residential & commercial needs.

11.0%

67

Etactics Inc.

Summit

1999

etactics.com

Products and services assist clients across various business sectors to improve business processes, boost staff productivity, reduce expenses and accelerate payment.

11.0%

68

D&R Commercial Flooring

Cuyahoga

1978

drflooringgroup.com

Offering superior quality flooring products to a variety of industries.

10.9%

69

Corporate Technologies Group, Inc.

Summit

1999

ctgusa.net

A unified IT services provider for voice, data and security services to regional businesses.

10.8%

70

Carver Financial Services

Lake

1990

carverfinancialservices.com

Provides Personal Vision Planning™ to help people live well while simplifying their lives.

10.8%

71

Simplex-IT

Summit

2007

Simplex-IT.com

Empowering clients by providing managed and co-managed IT services including CIO, cybersecurity. Simplifying the Complex.

10.7%

72

Event Source

Cuyahoga

1979

eventsource.com

Providing premium rental products for any event with world-class service.

10.4%

73

MUM Industries

Lake

1996

mumindustries.com

Parent company of industrial product manufacturers: Integra Enclosures, StrongBox and EMF.

10.3%

74

NCS Credit

Cuyahoga

1970

ncscredit.com

AR security services for the construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail industries.

10.3%

75

Corrigan Krause

Cuyahoga

1989

corrigankrause.com

Provides comprehensive consulting, tax and accounting services to individuals and privately-held businesses.

9.8%

76

Microplex, Inc.

Stark

1985

microplex-inc.com

Manufactures custom cables and wire harnesses for industrial automation, medical, military, and OEM markets.

9.5%

77

Conveyer & Caster Corporation

Cuyahoga

1961

cc-efi.com

Regional distributor of casters and material handling equipment.

8.8%

78

R.L Hill Management, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1998

rlhillmgmt.com

Our unique strengths lies with defining and understanding what needs to be done to succeed and taking advantage

8.5%

79

Powdermet, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1996

powdermetinc.com

The U.S.'s largest producer of wrought magnesium and a leader in advanced materials development.

7.4%

80

Calyx LLC

Cuyahoga

2005

Calyxit.com

An IT solutions provider that focuses on delivering better business outcomes for our clients.

7.3%

81

Barnes Wendling CPAs

Cuyahoga

1946

barneswendling.com

Our client service objective is to build and maintain our clients' net worth.

6.7%

82

T&D Fabricating, Inc.

Lake

1991

tdfab.com

Fabricating, stamping, and metal finishing.

6.7%

One of the largest roofing services providers in Ohio, and one of the fastest-growing roofing companies in the country.

Charak provides comprehensive and cutting-edge mental health and substance abuse treatments to all socio-economic classes.

13.4% 13.4%

W13 SPONSORED CONTENT W17

RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

WEBSITE

83

DMS Management Solutions

Cuyahoga

2003

dmsmgmtsolutions.com

84

Proforma

Cuyahoga

1978

proforma.com

The $600 million technology and business success leader in the printing, promotional products & packaging industry.

4.6%

85

Premier Development Partners

Cuyahoga

2007

premierdevelop.com

A full service design-build, construction, and commercial real estate development company.

4.3%

86

OGS Industries

Summit

1959

ogsindustries.com

Manufacturer of precision metal components for critical applications in aerospace, industrial and transportation markets.

4.0%

87

Banyan Technology

Cuyahoga

2001

banyantechnology.com

Leading provider of freight management software for OTR shipping driving operational efficiencies and cost savings.

2.1%

88

SC Fastening Systems LLC.

Summit

1999

scfastening.com

Customer-focused industrial and construction supply distributor. Value-added services-kitting & packaging.

1.4%

89

FORM

Geauga

2004

theformgroup.com

A digital-first creative agency for arts & culture and nonprofit organizations.

0.1%

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

* SALES GROWTH

COMPANY DESCRIPTION Provides a wide range of accounting & consulting services to small- & medium-size businesses.

* SALES GROWTH 6.0%

TITAN WINNERS RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

1

Nations Lending Corporation

Cuyahoga

2003

nationslending.com

A growing IMB in the Cleveland area, licensed to lend in all 50 states.

150.3%

2

CrossCountry Mortgage

Cuyahoga

2003

crosscountrymortgage.com

The nation's No. 3 largest and fastest-growing retail mortgage lender.

50.8%

3

Group Management Services, Inc.

Summit

1996

groupmgmt.com

GMS is a certified professional employer organization (CPEO) that helps small businesses with HR administrative tasks.

39.8%

4

MAI Capital Management, LLC

Cuyahoga

1973

mai.capital

Full-service registered investment adviser with $17.1 billion AUM as of 6/30/23.

39.2%

5

Park Place Technologies

Cuyahoga

1991

parkplacetechnologies.com

Global data center and networking optimization firm.

30.4%

6

GEMCORE

Summit

1992

gemcorehealth.com

A family of companies transforming lives through industry-leading diabetes management solutions and personalized health coaching services.

29.6%

7

Echo Health, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1997

echohealthinc.com

Offering business payment solutions through core principles of partnership, expertise, innovation and ease of integration.

26.9%

8

Morrison Products Inc.

Cuyahoga

1923

morrisonproducts.com

Leading manufacturer of fans for the North American HVAC industry, celebrating 100 years in 2023.

21.2%

9

Valley Truck Centers

Cuyahoga

1964

valleytruckcenters.net

Customer driven provider of premier global vehicle brands through advanced value business solutions.

20.7%

10

Crawford United Corporation

Cuyahoga

1910

crawfordunited.com

A growth-oriented holding company providing specialty industrial products to diverse markets.

17.8%

11

Budget Dumpster

Cuyahoga

2009

budgetdumpster.com

Provides affordable and dependable waste removal solutions to customers nationwide.

17.2%

12

NOMS Healthcare

Erie

2001

nomshealthcare.com

A diversified multi-specialty organization with over 300 providers in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

15.1%

13

Talent Launch

Cuyahoga

2016

mytalentlaunch.com

A nationwide network of independently-operated staffing and recruitment firms under common ownership.

14.1%

14

Compass Self Storage

Cuyahoga

2008

compassselfstorage.com

Self-storage industry leader providing self-storage and moving solutions nationwide.

13.9%

15

The Federal Metal Company

Cuyahoga

1913

federalmetal.com

Since 1913, an industry leader in high quality copper-based cast alloys.

12.7%

16

Mazzella Holding Company, Inc.

Cuyahoga

1954

mazzellacompanies.com

One of the largest independently-owned companies in the overhead lifting and rigging industries.

8.5%

17

Brennan Industries Inc.

Cuyahoga

1953

brennaninc.com

Global distributor and manufacturer of critical flow components.

7.7%

18

Peoples Services, Inc.

Stark

1914

peoplesservices.com

A network of 3PL warehouses providing supply chain logistics, freight brokerage, and asset-based transportation.

6.6%

WEBSITE

ENTERPRISE WINNERS RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

WEBSITE

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

* SALES GROWTH

1

Anderson | Biro Staffing, LLC

Cuyahoga

2015

andersonbirostaffing.com

A staffing firm focused on the office professional and light industrial space.

97.0%

2

Even Mix

Cuyahoga

2013

evenmix.com

Designs and manufacturers patented mixers for containers from 30 to 10,000 gallons.

93.5%

3

Synergy International Limited, Inc.

Summit

2002

synergyloyalty.com

Excels in leadership development, DEIB, marketing research and executive coaching for global & regional organizations.

92.0%

4

Peak Technology

Cuyahoga

2017

ptcle.com

Managed IT service provider.

50.3%

5

WAN Dynamics, Inc.

Cuyahoga

2016

wandynamics.com

A cloud-based and traditional managed network services provider and technical consultancy.

45.8%

6

Inforce Technologies

Cuyahoga

2009

inforce.io

A systems integration and technology consulting firm specializing in the P&C insurance industry.

44.8%

7

Woodside Health, LLC

Cuyahoga

2011

woodsidehealth.com

A medical office building acquisitions and management firm.

43.2%

W14

NEO’S FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES

ENTERPRISE WINNERS RANK

COMPANY

HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

WEBSITE

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

* SALES GROWTH

8

Flourishing Leadership Institute LLC

Summit

2016

xchangeapproach.com

A leadership development facilitation company that teaches change agents to create transformational online learning experiences.

39.7%

9

Ten10 Design

Geauga

2009

ten10design.com

Centralizes and improves purchasing processes for promotional marketing products, apparel and print collateral.

34.5%

10

Wave Strategy

Cuyahoga

2016

wavestrategyllc.com

Healthcare innovation consultancy serving academic medical centers/technology transfer offices, industry, start-ups and funders/accelerators.

30.8%

11

Kiwi Creative

Cuyahoga

2011

kiwicreative.net

Digital marketing agency and HubSpot partner for B2B software + tech companies.

30.0%

12

True Wealth Design

Summit

2007

truewealthdesign.com

Caters to successful individuals and families, providing integrated financial planning, tax and investment services.

27.9%

13

MOD

Cuyahoga

2016

yourmarketingondemand.com

A marketing-on-demand service company that provides marketing, event and project–based consulting.

27.4%

14

Fast Friendly Repair & Towing

Lake

2013

fastfriendlyrepair.com

Elite full service auto & truck repair from a Kia to Kenworth located in Lake County, Ohio.

25.9%

15

Saorsa Wealth Management, LLC

Lorain

2018

saorsawm.com

Comprehensive wealth management services firm.

25.4%

16

TinyCircuits

Summit

2011

tinycircuits.com

Designs and manufactures small electronic products.

24.5%

17

Avrem Technologies, LLC

Mahoning

2007

avrem.com

Business IT & cybersecurity consultants.

22.3%

18

AC Wellman

Lake

1902

acwellman.com

Bronze, aluminum & other plaque design, fabrication, finishing & restoration; medical device manufacturer; pattern letters and pattern manufacturer.

22.1%

19

CleanLife

Cuyahoga

2011

cleanlife.com

Finding a better way to illuminate the world.

18.7%

20

Muse.

Cuyahoga

2011

MuseHeadquarters.com

A brand strategy and content marketing firm.

15.3%

21

IRA Plan Partners dba iPlanGroup

Cuyahoga

2012

iplangroup.com

Self directed IRA administrator.

14.8%

22

CiresiMorek

Cuyahoga

2012

ciresiandmorek.com

Revolutionizing search: shaping the future of executive recruitment through our honest and candid approach.

14.6%

23

Cornerstone Wealth Management

Cuyahoga

1996

cornerstonewealthmgmt.com

A fee-only, financial planning & investment management Registered Investment Advisor (RIA).

13.7%

24

Roeder Consulting

Cuyahoga

2001

roederconsulting.com

A project management firm, we bring strategy to life through a holistic approach centered on people.

13.2%

25

Shaker Investments

Cuyahoga

1991

shakerinvest.com

A boutique investment management firm focused on small and mid-cap growth companies.

12.9%

26

M Genio Inc.

Cuyahoga

2012

mgenio.com

A downtown Cleveland-based technology solution provider specialized in mobile app, Internet of Things, Salesforce and blockchain solutions.

11.3%

27

Mortach Financial Services

Lorain

1993

mortachfinancial.com

Retirement and wealth planning advisor using annuities to attain consistent growth and lifetime retirement income.

10.1%

28

The Wealth Advisory Group of DiLauro Wracher & Thomas

Summit

2015

raymondjames.com/wagdwt

Wealth management firm focusing on high-net-worth families and small/mid sized businesses.

9.7%

29

Ralston Instruments, LLC

Geauga

1969

Ralston Instruments, LLC

We design and manufacture pressure and temperature measurement instruments and software for the process industry.

9.2%

30

Return on Life Wealth Partners

Cuyahoga

1994

RetunOnLifeWealth.com

Independent financial steward for individuals, families & businesses seeking personalized wealth planning.

8.3%

31

ZenStrategies by EA Loxley

Summit

1995

zenstrategies.net

Takes a holistic approach to supporting your business through strategic advising and accounting.

5.1%

32

True Hire

Stark

1995

true-hire.com

A leading provider of background checks, drug testing and other HR services.

4.4%

33

BudgetEase Bookkeeping

Cuyahoga

2010

budgetease.biz

Generates the financial information for growing organizations so they can make insightful decisions that result in a simpler life.

4.4%

34

US FREIGHT

Cuyahoga

2009

GOUSFREIGHT.COM

Premier transportation company delivering on exceeding expectations.

3.7%

35

Shon Christy Social Media

Summit

2017

shonchristy.com

A niche social media marketing agency specializing in strategy, management and consulting.

2.9%

36

StandOut Stickers

Medina

2009

standoutstickers.com

We make custom stickers and magnets.

2.0%

EMERGENT BUSINESS WINNERS HQ COUNTY

YEAR FOUNDED

AgileBlue

Cuyahoga

2019

AgileBlue.com

An AI-enabled SOAR | XDR platform that monitors and detects cyber attacks before a breach.

453.2%

bROK Products LLC

Stark

2018

brokproducts.com

Develops innovative towing accessories for professional and recreational users to the automotive aftermarket industry.

114.3%

Champ Titles

Cuyahoga

2018

champtitles.com

A leading provider of digital vehicle title and registration services.

1427.2%

Gertsburg Licata Co., LPA

Cuyahoga

2021

gertsburglicata.com

Business law and strategic advisors. We create freedom and growth for entrepreneurs and their ventures.

121.0%

Sangfroid Strategy

Cuyahoga

2016

sangfroidstrategy.com

Helps organizations connect data to strategy in real-time to increase their social impact.

127.1%

The Emerald Group Consultants

Cuyahoga

2019

theemeraldgrp.com

Recruiting and staffing firm.

169.7%

COMPANY

WEBSITE

* Ties in Growth % are broken based on employee growth stats.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

* SALES GROWTH

SPONSORED CONTENT W15

Ohio entrepreneurs, in their own words Graduates of the Weatherhead School of Management talk with Crain’s Associate Publisher Amy Stoessel for a series of Quick Take videos that focus on the spirit of entrepreneurship that the Weatherhead 100 program promotes.

• Scot Lowry, Weatherhead professor and co-founder of PromiseOne Companies, talks about the strategy for business ownership that he teaches his students.

• Brent Zimmerman, founder, Saucy Brew Works production brewery, shares his thoughts on Cleveland’s startup scene.

• Laura Guilliam, manager, Center for Talent Development at Progressive Insurance, talks about her experience in Weatherhead’s Master of Science in Organizational Development program.

• Watch their stories at www.crainscleveland.com/Weatherhead

Get more with Ancora.

We offer comprehensive investment solutions as well as tailored guidance across wealth planning, retirement plan management and insurance solutions.

216-825-4000 / www.ancora.net

Scot Lowry MBA ’01

Brent Zimmerman EMBA ’08

Laura Guilliam MS ’18

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE

WEATHERHEAD 100 HONOREES

on their well-deserved recognition!

For more than a century, Buckingham has helped businesses achieve their goals.

bdblaw.com December 18, 2023 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | 23

WE’RE ON A MISSION...

Brennan Industries is proud to be recognized as a Weatherhead 100 Titan for our commitment to leadership, growth and success.

2023 marks Brennan Industries’ 70th anniversary and a continued commitment to our core values of quality, service, and innovation. More than a leading global supplier of hydraulic fittings, we’re a multi-generation family business rooted in Cleveland. We are honored to be named a Top 60 Best Employer in Ohio and a Weatherhead 100 Titan, and grateful to continue serving our community and customers.

brennaninc.com 24 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | December 18, 2023