Downtown

lube stop receives kudos for long-term sustainability program
Slow and steady may win the race, but a quick oil-change company is winning kudos for its sustainability practices. Cleveland-based Lube Stop has been recognized nationally for its formal sustainability program and its re-refined oil change service, EcoGuard. The latest recognition comes from the Institute for Sustainable Development's Green Plus awards, which named Lube Stop a Medium-Size Business of the Year recipient.

This award recognizes a company's ability to affect triple-bottom-line sustainability practices. Lube Stop's sustainability efforts revolve around a five-step process: strategy development, ongoing waste reduction, sustainable operations, individual initiatives and public awareness.

Lube Stop has 37 stores in Northeast Ohio and more than 240 employees. The company adopted its sustainability program in 2007


SOURCE: Lube Stop
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
cleveland manufacturers taking wind energy by storm
Ohio is second only to California in creating renewable energy jobs, according to the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC). And some of Greater Cleveland's top manufacturers are now supplying components such as bearings and performance coatings to the wind energy industry.

Sherwin Williams, Parker Hannifin and Lubrizol are among the companies that have expanded their capabilities to meet the needs of renewable energy projects.

Another local company that is finding success as a renewable energy parts contractor is Advance Manufacturing Corp., a 75-year-old specialist in large-part fabrication and machining. According to the Ohio Business Development Coalition, Advance Manufacturing Corp. has broadened its reach to cover both traditional manufacturing and current needs for renewable energy. The company, which has invested $6 million in facility upgrades, manufactures massive pieces for wind turbine gear boxes.

Herman Bredenbeck, president of Advance Manufacturing Corp. has said that his company is committed to helping Ohio develop wind energy.

"We believe the renewable energy industry holds great potential for Ohio manufacturing companies," he says.


SOURCE: Ohio Business Development Coalition
WRITER: Diane DiPiero





cle chefs fare well in early beard nods
The James Beard Foundation has just announced its list of Semifinalists for this year's James Beard Awards, to be held in New York on May 9. As usual, Cleveland-area chefs and restaurants fared well. The final list of nominees will be released on March 21.

Michael Symon racked up nominations in the the big-time categories of Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant (Lola).

Jonathon Sawyer from Greenhouse Tavern is in the running for the much-coveted Rising Star Chef.

Both Zack Bruell (Parallax, L'Albatros) and Eric Williams (Momocho) are in the running for Best Chef: Great Lakes Region.

See the entire list of semifinalists here.

LA times calls cle 'tale of optimism and renewal'
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times examines the debate surrounding Cleveland's economic renewal.

"Cleveland has weathered this recession much better than past slumps, as local industries have retooled and reinvented themselves. Old shops and factories have embraced new technologies. And for the first time in a while, there are grounds for optimism," the article states.

During his recent visit to Cleveland for the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business, President Obama pushed the idea of public investment. "The American economy should update itself Cleveland-style," he believes, "and the federal government should nudge it along with smartly placed investments."

Republicans such as House Speaker John A. Boehner, however, believe that Cleveland's success is due to innovation by business, and that government should help by cutting spending and taxes. Last week, the House proposed cutting $61 billion from the government's budget for 2011, including funds for local economic-development programs. President Obama's budget for 2012, on the other hand, increases investments in infrastructure, technology, and education.

"In Cleveland, the remaining steel mills have come to specialize in higher-end materials. Old plastics and glassware factories now make things such as cellphone heat-shields that compete with the best products coming out of Japan. A Lake Erie wind farm could soon stand just miles away from where the Cleveland Browns play football."

The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals also contribute to the growing biomedical industry.

Obama believes the government should invest in these private businesses as well as medical and scientific research and education programs to create a more technically educated workforce. He also pledges to decreases taxes for many corporations and reform the corporate tax code to promote a more level playing field.

Republicans, however, argue that government spending will only inhibit growth and hinder the creation of new jobs. They support cutting federal spending and encouraging private-sector investment.

Read the rest here.



POTUS calls cleveland model of 'reinvention'
President Obama came to Cleveland on Tuesday to hear what small business owners say they need to grow their businesses and thus strengthen the U.S. economy. But the President took the time to praise the region for its growth in biotechnology, sustainability and other innovations.

"Cleveland is a city founded on manufacturing," the President said during his closing remarks on the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business, held at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, which this writer attended.

"A lot of people wrote off Cleveland as a shell of what it used to be, but you knew different," the President said to the small business owners and entrepreneurs who had been selected to attend the forum.

The President talked about the united effort of local universities, hospitals and entrepreneurs to advance innovations in biotechnology and clean energy. "They've made Cleveland a global leader in both fields," the President added.

Cleveland's ability to reinvent itself, the President noted, can be an inspiration for other areas of the country, as well as the United States in general. "How will America reinvent itself?" the President asked the audience.

Obama also pointed out the success of several long-standing businesses in Cleveland, including Miceli Dairy Products, which has operated a facility on E. 90th Street since 1949. Miceli's received a $5.5 million SBA loan to build a new factory and expand its production, according to the President. "This will double the output of ricotta cheese and add 60 workers," said Obama, joking that he'd like some cheese samples once the expansion project is complete.


SOURCE: President Obama
WRITER: Diane DiPiero



clevelanders officially have gone loco for taco tuesday
To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: "Taco Tuesdays -- what's up with that?" Seems that all across this great city, barflies are bellying up to the counter for bottomless plates of dirt-cheap tacos. While the origins of this fad are fuzzy, the rationale behind the trend is simple enough: offer deeply discounted tacos to hungry diners in hopes of upping business on a traditionally slow weeknight. Some fans hit up new spots weekly, while others fashion a taco-themed pub crawl. Soft or crunchy, beef or pork, gourmet or fast-food… Here are some fan faves.
local female entrepreneur chats biz with POTUS, cabinet
Rachel Talton, Ph.D. was one of the entrepreneurs invited by the Obama Administration to attend Tuesday's Winning the Future Forum on Small Business. Talton, co-founder of Cleveland-based Trust, a marketing and management consultant agency, and founder and CEO of Fairlawn-based Synergy Marketing Strategy & Research, joined about 20 other small business owners and entrepreneurs in a discussion on entrepreneurism. They had the ear of President Obama himself, who took the time to listen in on various breakout sessions during the forum.

"President Obama was very engaged in intensive and substantive conversation," says Talton. She and her fellow entrepreneurs in the group shared with the President a list of ways that the administration could help both small and large businesses thrive: access to capital, formalized mentorship programs, access to capacity-building services and less onerous processes for doing business with the federal government.

Talton says she was encouraged to hear that Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and a career entrepreneur, will be taking a lead role in President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. "The initiative will be quasi-government. Decisions will be made more quickly -- without much red tape," she says.

Talton was also happy to hear that Obama expects to engage large corporations in mentor-protegee programs. "I think this approach can be truly sustainable," she notes.

The President's "real commitment on this issue [of spurring small business growth to strengthen the economy] can move people within the federal and state government, even those who disagree," Talton says. "He can also attract large corporations to participate, for the greater good and for their own good."


SOURCE: Rachel Talton, Ph.D.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero


IT firm acendix says it weathered recession, now ready to grow
For Jonathan Husni, founder and president of Cleveland-based IT development firm Acendex, It's not enough to sit back and reflect on how his company emerged from the recession relatively unscathed. The fact that Acendex had no layoffs and managed to gain an impressive list of clients over the last few years motivates Husni and his team to set impressive goals for 2011.

"We are focusing on making raving fans of a number of new customers this year," says Husni. "Acendex anticipates double-digit growth in 2011 spurred by the onset of the economic recovery in the region -- particularly in the manufacturing sector -- which is empowering companies to take a second look at the way their information management solutions can be leveraged as competitive assets."

Thanks to "unprecedented demand" for a host solution for cloud computing, Acendex is advancing a new application of what it calls "Get Your Own Cloud!"

Advancements such as these have encouraged Husni to build up his IT team to meet existing and new customer needs. "Our take-no-prisoners approach to the cloud computing solution has won favor from the word go," Husni says, "and we are staffing up to meet customer demand for our outsourcing services."

In 2010, Acendex took on a number of new projects, such as providing an IT infrastructure with VOIP for Flack Steel, a Cleveland steel distributor.


SOURCE: Jonathan Husni
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

place making: MRN caps off string of successful urban developments with tudor arms
The stately Tudor Arms has been vacant since 2007 when its last tenant, Cleveland Job Corps, moved to a new home. Now, thanks to a $22 million restoration project, the landmark property appears set to reclaim some of its former glory when it reopens this spring as a Double Tree Hotel. The project is the latest in a string of successful urban developments by local firm MRN Ltd.
new name same game for cleveland scholarship program
Increasing the college attainment rate in Northeast Ohio by just one percent would mean an additional $2.8 billion for the region's economy. That statistic, courtesy of CEOs for Cities, a national civic lab composed of urban leaders, was part of the impetus for leaders of the Cleveland Scholarship Program to change the name of the 40-year-old organization and renew its focus to make college attainable for teens and young adults.

College Now Greater Cleveland, as the organization is officially now known, will continue to assist more than 20,000 students annually through advising, financial aid counseling and scholarship services. Some partners of the organization have stepped in to provide additional funding or opportunities. The PNC Foundation, for one, awarded a grant to College Now for advising services. PNC will also provide financial education programming, and Cleveland Clinic will offer college preparatory programs aimed at minority and disadvantaged students who want to attend college and pursue careers in science, medicine and business.

Other partners of College Now include the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Cleveland State University and Tri-C.

College Now connects with local educational institutions to bolster higher education resources. According to Eric S. Gordon, chief academic officer for CMSD, College Now's strengthened focus meshes well with CMSD's own efforts to boost college attendance by graduates of the city's high schools. "CMSD is excited to continue our partnership with College Now to ensure high quality college counseling is available to all juniors and seniors as part of our Cleveland Goes to College program," Gordon says.


SOURCE: Eric S. Gordon
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

paragon consulting 'hiring as fast as it can'
Founded in 1993, the IT consulting company Paragon Consulting has built an impressive client list that includes Cleveland Clinic, Charles Scwab and Heinen's. Paragon recently announced a partnership that will make it the Northeast Ohio distributor of iAPPS Product Suite, a web engagement platform developed by Bridgeline Digital that integrates e-commerce, e-marketing, SEO and web analysis with content management. Paragon also has partnerships with Microsoft and Site Core.

With all of this opportunity knocking on its door, Paragon is answering by expanding its workforce over the next few months.

"We will double the size of the company in May," says Frank McGee, Paragon business development executive. "We're hiring as fast as we can, mostly developers and QA people." Once the hirings are complete, Paragon will have 60 employees, McGee says.

Paragon has built relationships with businesses like Bridgeline Digital by strengthening its content management systems and e-commerce expertise. "Bridgeline went through a search process" for a Northeast Ohio distributor of iAPPS, McGee says. "They vetted us and saw we knew what we were doing."

McGee says Paragon concentrates on large, local clients, such as Forest City and major law firms, although from time to time the company ventures outside the regional boundaries to form relationships with clients. Bridgeline purchased Tenth Floor, a Cleveland-based web application company, in 2008.

You can learn more about Paragon's new partnership with Bridgeline by visiting http://www.paragon-inc.com/index.php/partners.


SOURCE: Frank McGee
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
jumpstart's ray leach on midwest innovation

main course: tri-c's new hospitality facility deepens local culinary talent pool
This past October, Cuyahoga Community College relocated its 20-year-old hospitality management and culinary program from the older Metropolitan Campus to a gleaming new complex on Public Square. Although the move from E. 33rd and Woodland to the center of downtown was less than a half-mile, the shift will forever change Cleveland's culinary economy.
trash compactor: E4S's zero waste initiative is far from zero-sum proposition
In a true zero-waste system there is no garbage, there are no landfills. Entrepreneurs for Sustainability's Zero Waste Network is urging Cleveland organizations to track and reduce their waste stream. Those that do are discovering that the benefits extend well beyond a slimmer carbon footprint, including economic windfalls, community engagement and marketplace recognition.
the social network: savvy entrepreneurs tweet their way to a better bottom line
Social media provides entrepreneurs with a great vehicle for communicating with current and potential clients. And like the companies they seek to promote, social media feeds often mimic the personality of their owners. But marketing experts warn that one size definitely does not fit all. What works for one type of business may come across as inappropriate for another.
window dressing: cleveland storefront art aims to brighten up landscape one window at a time
Cleveland Storefront Art aims to brighten up the downtown landscape by filling the windows of vacant properties with works of visual art. Through their tireless efforts, Robert Carillio and Joan Smith have crafted an artful albeit temporary solution to an irritating problem.
digiknow and downtown cleveland alliance partner in mobile marketing plan
Digiknow and Downtown Cleveland Alliance have partnered up in a new mobile marketing plan that uses QR codes to provide information to on-the-go residents. The QR codes will connect residents and customers to online profiles of downtown stakeholders such as bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and commercial and residential properties.
sign language: how bold design bolsters neighborhoods
Creative signs are making a comeback in Cleveland. Dramatic signage not only perks up a neighborhood visually, it makes them more competitive by helping indie retailers stand out from national chains. For proof, look at East Fourth Street.

GE's newly installed streetlights to reduce east cle's energy use, enhance safety
If things seem a little brighter in East Cleveland these days, it may be because of the new streetlights gleaming along a block of Noble Road. General Electric bestowed its first local LED lighting installation on East Cleveland, where GE Lighting has had its headquarters for the past 100 years.

The GE Evolve LED Street Lights could reduce East Cleveland's energy use by several million watts a year, according to the lighting manufacturer. And because the LED lights shine bright, uniform light across a long swath of street and sidewalk, they offer enhanced safety along busy Noble Road. The lights have an estimated service life of 10-plus years.

GE Lighting Solutions recently received a best-in-class award for its Evolve LED street lighting from the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Luminaires competition.

GE is pushing to secure a multimillion-dollar lighting contract for the City of Cleveland. Bids for the project were due to the city on December 1. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has vowed to tie energy-efficient lighting installation with job creation in Northeast Ohio by requesting that bidding companies agree to build a plant in Cleveland and bring 350 jobs there.

Could the East Cleveland installation serve as a kind of test drive for GE? GE Lighting president and CEO Michael B. Petra Jr. calls the Evolve streetlights "the perfect fit for the needs of urban municipalities."


SOURCE: City of E. Cleveland; GE Lighting
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
college consortium has goal of training 2,700 people per year for hot HIT jobs
Health Information Technology (HIT) is a rapidly emerging field that will likely grow much faster than the average jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Midwest Community College HIT Consortium is designed to ready a trained workforce for jobs in the HIT sector.

The consortium is comprised of 17 large community colleges in 10 Midwest states, and is being led by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Last month, the consortium launched a new website to educate potential students and employers about the training offered through these community colleges. The website lists workforce roles within HIT and the training opportunities available at each community college and through virtual learning.

Executive director of the consortium, Norma Morganti, says that the website is another tool to help the consortium reach its goal of training 2,700 people annually for HIT jobs. "Studies indicate that as many as 50,000 additional HIT professionals may be needed over the next five years," she notes. The consortium was created to support national electronic health records implementation, Morganti adds.

Tri-C received the ARRA/HITECH Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be the lead college for the consortium. As a result, Tri-C created several short-term, non-credit training programs to fill HIT jobs such as implementation support specialists, clinician/practitioner consultants and technical/software support staff.

Applicants for the short-term programs at Tri-C should have IT or IS experience in a business or health care environment or related work with medical billing, health information management or medical records.


SOURCE: Norma Morganti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero