ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A Flurry of Activity By Ken McEntee
A new restaurant in town is always sure to set social
media abuzz. And there has been plenty to post about in Strongsville during the past year, noted Brent Painter, the city’s director of economic development. “We’ve seen a lot of dining and retail space fill up,” Painter said. “The Chamber of Commerce has been very busy with its ribbon cuttings.”
From a flurry of new Mexican and Southwestern restaurants and burger joints to Asian cuisine and dessert shops, Strongsville, more than ever before, offers myriad fine dining and carryout options to satisfy just about any palate. But tucked away from the heavy traffic, on roads less frequently traveled, light industrial businesses and corporate offices generate the bulk of the city’s income tax revenue. “Eighty-two percent of the city’s general fund revenue comes from income tax collections, and the majority of the income tax comes from our business parks,” Painter explains. Like the thriving retail and dining sector, Painter said the city’s business parks boomed in 2022. “Between new
14 Strongsville Image Book & Community Guide | 2023
construction and expansions last year we had project after project after project going on,” Painter said. “During the last three or four months of 2022 alone, we had announcements of more than 500 new jobs in our business parks. That would normally be considered a great number for a full year.” Significantly, Painter said, Strongsville is drawing attention from companies around the world. “It’s been awesome to see a global presence here, with companies like CCL, of Canada, and Schaeffler USA, of Germany, setting up divisions and North American headquarters here in Strongsville,” Painter said. Painter said the city’s location at the crossroads of two major interstate trucking routes, its pro-business philosophy and the infrastructure to support manufacturing operations are among the reasons why the city’s four business parks outperformed most others in the region. “We’ve had some desirable buildings available and we have strived over the years to maintain a solid reputation as a city that wants to work to help our business community prosper,” he said.” Amenities that make a town desirable to working families also are an important factor, Painter said. “Businesses today want to be able to recruit from a talented workforce, so being in a town where people want to live has become more important than ever,” he said. “We have a lot of amenities in town, from the restaurants and shopping to recreational areas like the Cleveland Metroparks and the new Town Center project that will soon be under construction. Those types of things help employers when they are looking to build their workforce. Strongsville is truly a place where people want to live and work.” Painter said the number and diversity of businesses in Strongsville helps to protect the city from reliance on one or two major employers. None of the city’s largest employers which include PNC Bank, Cleveland Clinic and the Strongsville City Schools – contributes more than three percent of its income