There seems to be no stopping Aclara RF Systems from growing and adding jobs in Northeast Ohio. Last year, the Beachwood-based company moved to a larger facility in Solon. So far in 2010, Aclara RF Systems has hired 25 new people to prepare for the release of its Acendant Network, a multipurpose wide-area network (WAN) that manages data between utilities, diverse networks and devices. Aclara's 2011 budget allows for even more hirings next year.
Aclara RF Systems is an arm of a Missouri-based manufacturer of automated meter reading systems and utilities software. Aclara has enjoyed success with its traditional meter-reading equipment, designed and made in Solon, with annual sales of more than $100 million. The company is poised for equal success with the release of the Acendant Network in 2011.
As a result of its successes and its positioning for growth through the Acendant Network, Aclara's number of employees has grown to about 300, nearly double of what it was just two years ago.
SOURCE: Aclara RF Systems
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Aclara RF Systems is an arm of a Missouri-based manufacturer of automated meter reading systems and utilities software. Aclara has enjoyed success with its traditional meter-reading equipment, designed and made in Solon, with annual sales of more than $100 million. The company is poised for equal success with the release of the Acendant Network in 2011.
As a result of its successes and its positioning for growth through the Acendant Network, Aclara's number of employees has grown to about 300, nearly double of what it was just two years ago.
SOURCE: Aclara RF Systems
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The day after the Cavaliers' exciting upset of the reigning champion
Boston Celtics, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert celebrated by announcing a new
commitment to his adopted city: He's bringing his Detroit-based Bizdom U program to Cleveland.
Bizdom U is a non-profit "boot camp" for entrepreneurs established by Gilbert in his native Detroit in 2007. Participants receive four to six months of intensive training in marketing, sales, finance and other fundamentals, all at no charge. During the training, the aspiring entrepreneurs develop a plan for a business; the only requirement is that the business must be located downtown.
Participants whose business plans are approved receive up to $100,000 in funding, an ownership stake that grows over time, and continued mentoring.
"Entrepreneurs are the key to invigorating a city because they are the engines that create jobs and significantly contribute to the prosperity of a city and region," Gilbert said in a statement. "Our program searches out people with a burning passion to be entrepreneurs and helps them turn their business dreams into commercial realities in urban areas that need the investment."
The Detroit Bizdom U has helped launch a pre-licensing training center, an electronic medical records company, a limited-edition footwear manufacturer and a marketing firm specializing in college campuses.
The Cleveland Bizdom U will launch in 2011.
Source: Bizdom U
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Bizdom U is a non-profit "boot camp" for entrepreneurs established by Gilbert in his native Detroit in 2007. Participants receive four to six months of intensive training in marketing, sales, finance and other fundamentals, all at no charge. During the training, the aspiring entrepreneurs develop a plan for a business; the only requirement is that the business must be located downtown.
Participants whose business plans are approved receive up to $100,000 in funding, an ownership stake that grows over time, and continued mentoring.
"Entrepreneurs are the key to invigorating a city because they are the engines that create jobs and significantly contribute to the prosperity of a city and region," Gilbert said in a statement. "Our program searches out people with a burning passion to be entrepreneurs and helps them turn their business dreams into commercial realities in urban areas that need the investment."
The Detroit Bizdom U has helped launch a pre-licensing training center, an electronic medical records company, a limited-edition footwear manufacturer and a marketing firm specializing in college campuses.
The Cleveland Bizdom U will launch in 2011.
Source: Bizdom U
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Nine square dice adds up to 54 sides, making them ideal for displaying a full deck of cards: 52 regular cards plus two jokers. Lakewood's Heartland Consumer Products is betting that its unique new dice/card game, Square Shooters, will be a hit when it is finally unveiled before this year's holiday season.
The award-winning Square Shooters uses the dice as a twist on traditional card games, including poker, rummy and a bevy of original and challenging games. Heartland Consumer Products, which markets playing cards and games, has designed Square Shooters as a family game for ages seven through adult. Square Shooters earned the coveted "Dr. Toy's Best Picks Children's Products" seal of approval.
Heartland Consumer Products set a modest goal of selling Square Shooters to 20 retail stores around the country, explains Tom Donelan, CEO. "Instead, we sold to 180 stores," including Discount Drug Mart, Okay Let's Play, Pat Catan's and Recess.
This is precisely the type of game launch that Donelan had hoped for two years ago when he led a group of investors to acquire the game marketer Harbro LLC. A little over a year ago, he moved the company headquarters from Brighton, Michigan to Lakewood, bringing nearly a dozen jobs with him. Donelan says that number will increase in the near future.
"This is going to be a catalyst for our company," Donelan says. "We're in business to grow."
Look for additional dice-based games from Heartland Consumer Products in the future.
SOURCE: Heartland Consumer Products
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The award-winning Square Shooters uses the dice as a twist on traditional card games, including poker, rummy and a bevy of original and challenging games. Heartland Consumer Products, which markets playing cards and games, has designed Square Shooters as a family game for ages seven through adult. Square Shooters earned the coveted "Dr. Toy's Best Picks Children's Products" seal of approval.
Heartland Consumer Products set a modest goal of selling Square Shooters to 20 retail stores around the country, explains Tom Donelan, CEO. "Instead, we sold to 180 stores," including Discount Drug Mart, Okay Let's Play, Pat Catan's and Recess.
This is precisely the type of game launch that Donelan had hoped for two years ago when he led a group of investors to acquire the game marketer Harbro LLC. A little over a year ago, he moved the company headquarters from Brighton, Michigan to Lakewood, bringing nearly a dozen jobs with him. Donelan says that number will increase in the near future.
"This is going to be a catalyst for our company," Donelan says. "We're in business to grow."
Look for additional dice-based games from Heartland Consumer Products in the future.
SOURCE: Heartland Consumer Products
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Some things do get better with age. GrafTech International has been a part of Cleveland's manufacturing scene for 130 years. The producer of advanced carbon and graphite materials has stayed current with the times and technology to stay viable and profitable.
GrafTech, which among other things produces a micro-thin, flexible graphite used to dissipate heat on everything from laptops to flat-screen TVs, saw its nets sales increase 55 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2010. GrafTech's net income more than doubled to $40 million, and its gross profit increased from $28 million in third quarter 2009 to $75 million a year later.
With these numbers, it is no wonder that GrafTech is adding to its workforce. The company hired 60 people over the summer, and will likely add up to 40 more. The average annual salary for new hires is $80,000. The new jobs are located at GrafTech's Parma headquarters and laboratories and its Lakewood factory.
Craig Shular, chairman and CEO of GrafTech, says that the company's continuous improvement efforts have kept it on the cutting edge while focusing on changing customer needs. GrafTech, for example, has embraced Lean Manufacturing in recent years. "Lean is very much a part of our corporate culture, the culture we are trying to build," he says.
SOURCE: GrafTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
GrafTech, which among other things produces a micro-thin, flexible graphite used to dissipate heat on everything from laptops to flat-screen TVs, saw its nets sales increase 55 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2010. GrafTech's net income more than doubled to $40 million, and its gross profit increased from $28 million in third quarter 2009 to $75 million a year later.
With these numbers, it is no wonder that GrafTech is adding to its workforce. The company hired 60 people over the summer, and will likely add up to 40 more. The average annual salary for new hires is $80,000. The new jobs are located at GrafTech's Parma headquarters and laboratories and its Lakewood factory.
Craig Shular, chairman and CEO of GrafTech, says that the company's continuous improvement efforts have kept it on the cutting edge while focusing on changing customer needs. GrafTech, for example, has embraced Lean Manufacturing in recent years. "Lean is very much a part of our corporate culture, the culture we are trying to build," he says.
SOURCE: GrafTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Since being founded in 2001, EverStaff
has developed a national presence that touches 22 states. Still, the
Cleveland-based firm has not forgotten its roots, as it continues to
expand operations in Northeast Ohio. Within the past three months, the
staffing and recruiting firm has added offices in Ashtabula and Cuyahoga
Falls.
In addition to its Independence headquarters and the two new facilities, EverStaff has local offices in Brooklyn, Mentor and Solon. The goal is to continue to expand nationally while maintaining the local partnership of a smaller boutique agency.
EverStaff has grown its number of employees by 27 percent since this time last year, with the biggest surge occurring in its sales and marketing force.
EverStaff's local offices handle temporary staffing, temporary-to-hire, direct hire, payroll services and vendor management. The company focuses on staffing for office and administration, light industrial/general labor, accounting/finance, sales, legal, IT and engineering.
"EverStaff's strategic plan has enabled us... to maximize the resources we provide to our clients," says Danny Spitz, president of the company.
Inc. Magazine this year placed EverStaff on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, ranking the nation's fastest-growing private companies.
SOURCE: EverStaff
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In addition to its Independence headquarters and the two new facilities, EverStaff has local offices in Brooklyn, Mentor and Solon. The goal is to continue to expand nationally while maintaining the local partnership of a smaller boutique agency.
EverStaff has grown its number of employees by 27 percent since this time last year, with the biggest surge occurring in its sales and marketing force.
EverStaff's local offices handle temporary staffing, temporary-to-hire, direct hire, payroll services and vendor management. The company focuses on staffing for office and administration, light industrial/general labor, accounting/finance, sales, legal, IT and engineering.
"EverStaff's strategic plan has enabled us... to maximize the resources we provide to our clients," says Danny Spitz, president of the company.
Inc. Magazine this year placed EverStaff on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, ranking the nation's fastest-growing private companies.
SOURCE: EverStaff
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
‘last place’ is best place for fledgling clothing company
Cleveland has long been a struggling kind of place -- even when the
steel mills were smoking or the Browns were winning, and especially when
the river was burning or LeBron was bolting. It's that constant
struggle to keep going even when failure looms that gives the city its
edge.
That's the gritty, hip, survivor-type message thrust on the front of T-shirts and hoodies created by fledgling clothing company Last Place. The bold designs and short, witty sayings graphically depict the impressions of young people who call this fair city home.
"Last Place represents the creative individuals everywhere that are making things happen by challenging mediocre," says Irwan Awalludin, who came up with the brand as a project for his senior BFA. The idea took off, and Awalludin joined forces with three other Cleveland Institute of Art students to take Last Place from senior project to legitimate clothing line.
Last Place has an online catalog; the clothing is also on sale at Heart and Sole in Cleveland Heights. Prices range from $24 for a pre-shrunk, heavy-weight cotton tee to $64 for a sweatshirt. The fall lineup officially launched in October, and there's more planned.
"Regardless of where you stand, the garments serve as a symbol that you're on your way, or as a badge worn with pride showing that you were able to overcome your circumstances," according to the Last Place website. Awalludin and his cohorts hope that Last Place represents the beginning of a bright future amid the ongoing struggles.
SOURCE: Irwan Awalludin
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
That's the gritty, hip, survivor-type message thrust on the front of T-shirts and hoodies created by fledgling clothing company Last Place. The bold designs and short, witty sayings graphically depict the impressions of young people who call this fair city home.
"Last Place represents the creative individuals everywhere that are making things happen by challenging mediocre," says Irwan Awalludin, who came up with the brand as a project for his senior BFA. The idea took off, and Awalludin joined forces with three other Cleveland Institute of Art students to take Last Place from senior project to legitimate clothing line.
Last Place has an online catalog; the clothing is also on sale at Heart and Sole in Cleveland Heights. Prices range from $24 for a pre-shrunk, heavy-weight cotton tee to $64 for a sweatshirt. The fall lineup officially launched in October, and there's more planned.
"Regardless of where you stand, the garments serve as a symbol that you're on your way, or as a badge worn with pride showing that you were able to overcome your circumstances," according to the Last Place website. Awalludin and his cohorts hope that Last Place represents the beginning of a bright future amid the ongoing struggles.
SOURCE: Irwan Awalludin
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Imagine being an entrepreneur and having at your fingertips resources
for everything from pre-seed funding to regional incubators. Questions
about how to turn an idea into a business, how to request funding and
how to place your innovative idea in the proper hands could be answered
by simply clicking a button or linking to a respected adviser.
That's the idea behind the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network's newly launched website, which aims to make access to the appropriate connections simpler and more effective for entrepreneurs within a 21-county radius.
"By having this website serve as a single entry point to a continuum of resources, we're making access to those resources quicker and easier," says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart Inc. Interested parties fill out a form detailing their idea or startup business, and are then put in touch with the appropriate local resources.
Several area entrepreneurial support organizations, all of which have received funding from Ohio's Third Frontier, comprise the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network: GLIDE, MAGNET, Braintree Business Development Center, Youngstown Business Incubator, Akron Global Business Accelerator, BioEnterprise, Glengary, LLC, North Coast Angel Fund, North Coast Opportunities Technology Fund of Cuyahoga County, Innovation Fund founded by Lorain County Community College Foundation, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NorTech, IdeaCrossing and JumpStart. The region's higher-education institutions are also members.
According to Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart, this influential group has together received $69 million in federal and state grants, reached annualized revenues of $100 million and created and supported 850 direct jobs at an average salary of $67,200.
SOURCE: Jumpstart, Inc.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
That's the idea behind the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network's newly launched website, which aims to make access to the appropriate connections simpler and more effective for entrepreneurs within a 21-county radius.
"By having this website serve as a single entry point to a continuum of resources, we're making access to those resources quicker and easier," says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart Inc. Interested parties fill out a form detailing their idea or startup business, and are then put in touch with the appropriate local resources.
Several area entrepreneurial support organizations, all of which have received funding from Ohio's Third Frontier, comprise the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network: GLIDE, MAGNET, Braintree Business Development Center, Youngstown Business Incubator, Akron Global Business Accelerator, BioEnterprise, Glengary, LLC, North Coast Angel Fund, North Coast Opportunities Technology Fund of Cuyahoga County, Innovation Fund founded by Lorain County Community College Foundation, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NorTech, IdeaCrossing and JumpStart. The region's higher-education institutions are also members.
According to Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart, this influential group has together received $69 million in federal and state grants, reached annualized revenues of $100 million and created and supported 850 direct jobs at an average salary of $67,200.
SOURCE: Jumpstart, Inc.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Partners Investing in Nursing's Future
(PIN) is a nationwide initiative to ensure nurses receive the training
and skills necessary to meet current and future trends in healthcare.
The program provides support to local and regional philanthropies to
develop strategies for creating and sustaining a viable nursing
workforce.
The Cleveland Foundation has been chosen as one of nine foundations across the country to receive funding from PIN. The two-year, $200,000 grant to the Cleveland Foundation will be used specifically to address Ohio's nursing needs by expanding the number of nurse educators in the state. Local funding totaling $210,000 will match the grant.
The Cleveland Foundation will be working in collaboration with the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the nursing schools at Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ursuline College to address specific nursing-related concerns in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to the Cleveland Foundation, PIN grants were awarded to foundations in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Texas. These PIN partners will focus on key areas of concern in building a nursing workforce: capacity, diversity, education, recruitment and retention.
SOURCE: Cleveland Foundation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The Cleveland Foundation has been chosen as one of nine foundations across the country to receive funding from PIN. The two-year, $200,000 grant to the Cleveland Foundation will be used specifically to address Ohio's nursing needs by expanding the number of nurse educators in the state. Local funding totaling $210,000 will match the grant.
The Cleveland Foundation will be working in collaboration with the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the nursing schools at Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ursuline College to address specific nursing-related concerns in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to the Cleveland Foundation, PIN grants were awarded to foundations in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Texas. These PIN partners will focus on key areas of concern in building a nursing workforce: capacity, diversity, education, recruitment and retention.
SOURCE: Cleveland Foundation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Studying "the ways businesses incorporate sustainable practices into
product design and manufacturing, supply-chain relationships, marketing,
customer relationships and operational efficiencies" is how
Baldwin-Wallace professor David Krueger defines the new MBA in
Sustainability program at Baldwin-Wallace (B-W).
The two-year sustainability program is the first of its kind in Ohio. B-W was also the first higher-education institution in the state to offer an undergraduate major in sustainability, which began in 2008.
Krueger, professor of business and director of the Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, says that the MBA in Sustainability program is designed so that students learn by doing and by observing how sustainable practices are applied in the workplace.
For its part, B-W has been putting sustainable practices to work on campus for the past few years. These have included installing geothermal heating and cooling systems in buildings, instituting an industrial-scale waste composting program and campus-wide recycling and constructing a wind turbine.
B-W's Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, which serves as a resource to businesses, recently received $100,000 from the Cleveland Foundation for its Sustainability Plan Clinic.
SOURCE: Baldwin-Wallace
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The two-year sustainability program is the first of its kind in Ohio. B-W was also the first higher-education institution in the state to offer an undergraduate major in sustainability, which began in 2008.
Krueger, professor of business and director of the Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, says that the MBA in Sustainability program is designed so that students learn by doing and by observing how sustainable practices are applied in the workplace.
For its part, B-W has been putting sustainable practices to work on campus for the past few years. These have included installing geothermal heating and cooling systems in buildings, instituting an industrial-scale waste composting program and campus-wide recycling and constructing a wind turbine.
B-W's Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, which serves as a resource to businesses, recently received $100,000 from the Cleveland Foundation for its Sustainability Plan Clinic.
SOURCE: Baldwin-Wallace
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
recent college grads-turned-entrepreneurs make a 'CnXn' with student athletes
Brian Verne and Mike Eppich graduated from Oberlin and Rollins colleges,
respectively, in 2009, and found themselves without job prospects. The
two Shaker Heights High School alum decided to take matters into their
own hands: They founded CnXn (short for Connection), an apparel company that seeks to unite people through athletics.
This year, CnXn has produced athletic wear for Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Cleveland Central Catholic high schools, as well as youth football and cheerleading teams.
"The branding strategy involves using an area code logo, beginning with 216, to create a shared element for individuals who reside in the same city or geographic region," explains Verne, who was a starter on the Oberlin baseball team. (Eppich was a pitcher at Rollins.)
The idea comes from a trend of professional athletes to display their area code somewhere on their equipment or body. (Professional football player Reggie Bush can often be seen with the numbers 619 written into his eye black.)
Verne and Eppich have made giving back a major part of the CnXn business plan. "We take 15 percent of the profit from each sale and donate it back to student-athletes who reside in the area code that is on the apparel," Verne says. "The consumer will constantly be reminded that his purchase can have a positive impact on a young student athlete in his hometown."
Right now, Verne and Eppich are actively looking for additional seed money to produce all of the performance wear in the CnXn collection.
Source: Brian Verne
Writer: Diane DiPiero
This year, CnXn has produced athletic wear for Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Cleveland Central Catholic high schools, as well as youth football and cheerleading teams.
"The branding strategy involves using an area code logo, beginning with 216, to create a shared element for individuals who reside in the same city or geographic region," explains Verne, who was a starter on the Oberlin baseball team. (Eppich was a pitcher at Rollins.)
The idea comes from a trend of professional athletes to display their area code somewhere on their equipment or body. (Professional football player Reggie Bush can often be seen with the numbers 619 written into his eye black.)
Verne and Eppich have made giving back a major part of the CnXn business plan. "We take 15 percent of the profit from each sale and donate it back to student-athletes who reside in the area code that is on the apparel," Verne says. "The consumer will constantly be reminded that his purchase can have a positive impact on a young student athlete in his hometown."
Right now, Verne and Eppich are actively looking for additional seed money to produce all of the performance wear in the CnXn collection.
Source: Brian Verne
Writer: Diane DiPiero
JumpStart invests $250K in its 50th company
Cleveland's JumpStart Ventures just reached an important milestone: The early-stage venture company recently invested in its 50th company.
That move consisted of a $250,000 investment commitment in Endotronix, Inc., which is developing a wireless monitoring technology for patients with congestive heart failure. Endotronix's "Anytime, Anywhere" wireless sensing platform technology will allow physicians to remotely monitor a patient's health status and deliver the appropriate medications, thus reducing the likelihood of hospitalizations related to congestive heart failure.
According to Dr. Harry Rowland, co-founder of Endotronix, this innovation "has the potential to not only improve patient care, but also reduce the cost of treating heart failure."
Six years into its existence, JumpStart works to add companies, jobs and residents to Northeast Ohio by offering cash and guidance to promising ventures. While just a number, the big 5-0 is a testament to the number of quality ideas and passion in this region. Many of those ideas will develop into high-growth companies that will prove to be a significant part of this region's economic environment.
But, promise staffers, 50 is just the beginning.
That move consisted of a $250,000 investment commitment in Endotronix, Inc., which is developing a wireless monitoring technology for patients with congestive heart failure. Endotronix's "Anytime, Anywhere" wireless sensing platform technology will allow physicians to remotely monitor a patient's health status and deliver the appropriate medications, thus reducing the likelihood of hospitalizations related to congestive heart failure.
According to Dr. Harry Rowland, co-founder of Endotronix, this innovation "has the potential to not only improve patient care, but also reduce the cost of treating heart failure."
Six years into its existence, JumpStart works to add companies, jobs and residents to Northeast Ohio by offering cash and guidance to promising ventures. While just a number, the big 5-0 is a testament to the number of quality ideas and passion in this region. Many of those ideas will develop into high-growth companies that will prove to be a significant part of this region's economic environment.
But, promise staffers, 50 is just the beginning.
growing 20-person marketing firm insivia to relocate to 5K-sq-ft facility in the flats
The Cleveland marketing solutions firm Insivia
has solved its most recent challenge: how to accommodate record growth
and provide optimum space for creativity and interaction. The result:
Insivia's new 5,000-square-foot office on Center Street in The Flats.
The rambling, open interiors and plethora of natural light sold the firm
on the move from its previous location downtown.
"The ability to be in an exciting and creative space like this provides more value to our clients," says Andy Halko, CEO of Insivia. "We have more room to collaborate, create and envision."
Founded in 2002, Insivia's clients include Cleveland Clinic, Positively Cleveland and Rohrer Corporation. Insivia has experienced steady financial growth and has added several new positions in recent months to bring its total employees to around 20.
Insivia's new location in The Flats will accommodate planned future growth.
Source: Andy Halko
Writer: Diane DiPiero
"The ability to be in an exciting and creative space like this provides more value to our clients," says Andy Halko, CEO of Insivia. "We have more room to collaborate, create and envision."
Founded in 2002, Insivia's clients include Cleveland Clinic, Positively Cleveland and Rohrer Corporation. Insivia has experienced steady financial growth and has added several new positions in recent months to bring its total employees to around 20.
Insivia's new location in The Flats will accommodate planned future growth.
Source: Andy Halko
Writer: Diane DiPiero
intergenerational school again named 'ohio school of promise', grows employee and student base
The Intergenerational School
(TIS) is doing its best to keep its promise of offering academic
excellence in Cleveland. For the fourth year in a row, the private, free
K-8 school has been named an Ohio School of Promise by the Ohio
Department of Education for excellence in reading and math.
"Identifying schools in this way reinforces the fact that all children can learn when given the opportunity in a quality educational setting," says Brooke King, executive director of TIS.
TIS began in 1998 with a three-person staff in a two-room facility. These days, the school occupies a 20,000-square-foot building on the campus of Fairhill Partners, a nonprofit organization focused on successful aging, located in the Buckeye-Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland. As of this fall, TIS had 29 employees and more than 200 students.
Each classroom at TIS is composed of 16 students of multiple ages. Mentors and community partners work with the students to provide a multigenerational environment.
In addition to the Ohio School of Promise designation, TIS has received a number of awards from organizations dedicated to the elderly. For example, TIS was the recipient of the National MindAlert Award from the American Society on Aging for its mental fitness programs for older adults.
Source: Brooke King
Writer: Diane DiPiero
"Identifying schools in this way reinforces the fact that all children can learn when given the opportunity in a quality educational setting," says Brooke King, executive director of TIS.
TIS began in 1998 with a three-person staff in a two-room facility. These days, the school occupies a 20,000-square-foot building on the campus of Fairhill Partners, a nonprofit organization focused on successful aging, located in the Buckeye-Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland. As of this fall, TIS had 29 employees and more than 200 students.
Each classroom at TIS is composed of 16 students of multiple ages. Mentors and community partners work with the students to provide a multigenerational environment.
In addition to the Ohio School of Promise designation, TIS has received a number of awards from organizations dedicated to the elderly. For example, TIS was the recipient of the National MindAlert Award from the American Society on Aging for its mental fitness programs for older adults.
Source: Brooke King
Writer: Diane DiPiero
cleveland’s overdrive has 20th consecutive quarter of profitability; announces major investment
OverDrive distributes
one of the world's largest catalogs of e-books, audiobooks and
multimedia, with more than 500,000 premium copyrighted titles. Founded
in 1986, OverDrive has built a reputation for hosted solutions of
digital media, and has gained partnerships with major publishers like
Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin, Hachette and McGraw-Hill.
The Cleveland-based company is poised for even more dramatic growth thanks to a major investment from Insight Venture Partners of New York City. Subject to regulatory approval, the investment will provide additional resources and capital to expand OverDrive's presence in the United States and abroad.
Larry Handen, managing director of Insight Venture Partners, noted that its investment announcement coincided with OverDrive's 20th consecutive quarter of profitability.
"Insight values OverDrive's partnerships with leading libraries, educators, publishers and authors," says OverDrive founder and CEO, Steve Potash. OverDrive currently reaches out to 11,000 retailers, libraries, schools and other digital channels around the globe.
The Cleveland-based company is poised for even more dramatic growth thanks to a major investment from Insight Venture Partners of New York City. Subject to regulatory approval, the investment will provide additional resources and capital to expand OverDrive's presence in the United States and abroad.
Larry Handen, managing director of Insight Venture Partners, noted that its investment announcement coincided with OverDrive's 20th consecutive quarter of profitability.
"Insight values OverDrive's partnerships with leading libraries, educators, publishers and authors," says OverDrive founder and CEO, Steve Potash. OverDrive currently reaches out to 11,000 retailers, libraries, schools and other digital channels around the globe.
cleveland-based rsb spine boasts whopping 229% year-over-year growth
Earlier this month, Cleveland-based RSB Spine announced a 229-percent increase for the third quarter of 2010 versus the third quarter of a year earlier. The medical device company also recently completed a $1.5 million private offering to grow its operations in the United States.
RSB Spine's InterPlate C-Ti has become the first inter-body fusion device to be cleared as an anterior cervical plate. The device is implanted during spinal fusion surgery, holding the vertebrae together while increasing stability. The clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that the C-Ti can function either as an inter-body device or as a cervical plate.
"[The InterPlate C-Ti] has the advantages of both without the drawbacks of either, so this indication is appropriate," says RSB Spine CEO John A. Redmond.
The InterPlate C-Ti is made of titanium and is used in conjunction with grafting material to fuse two vertebral bodies. When the FDA reclassified inter-body fusion devices in 2007, the C-Ti from RSB Spine was the first device to receive clearance under the new guidelines. With this new clearance, the C-Ti shows its versatility in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.
RSB Spine has more than 150 independent distributors in the United States.
Source: John A. Redmond
Writer: Diane DiPiero
RSB Spine's InterPlate C-Ti has become the first inter-body fusion device to be cleared as an anterior cervical plate. The device is implanted during spinal fusion surgery, holding the vertebrae together while increasing stability. The clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that the C-Ti can function either as an inter-body device or as a cervical plate.
"[The InterPlate C-Ti] has the advantages of both without the drawbacks of either, so this indication is appropriate," says RSB Spine CEO John A. Redmond.
The InterPlate C-Ti is made of titanium and is used in conjunction with grafting material to fuse two vertebral bodies. When the FDA reclassified inter-body fusion devices in 2007, the C-Ti from RSB Spine was the first device to receive clearance under the new guidelines. With this new clearance, the C-Ti shows its versatility in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.
RSB Spine has more than 150 independent distributors in the United States.
Source: John A. Redmond
Writer: Diane DiPiero
MAGNET and NorTech create positive attraction with $285k federal contract
The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET) has partnered with the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition (NorTech)
to receive a $285,000 federal contract for a pilot project focusing on
the advanced energy value chain. The contract comes from the National
Institutes of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Program
(MEP).
MAGNET and NorTech will work together to coach and train a group of regional manufacturing companies to stimulate and support manufacturing innovation, technology acceleration, supply chain development and continuous improvement and efficiency. Specifically, the one-year pilot project will target small-to-mid-sized manufacturers in the areas of biomass/waste-to-energy and electric vehicles.
Ohio currently ranks third in the country in terms of manufacturing production output and manufacturing employment. The MEP project is a chance for this region of Ohio to further assist manufacturers in meeting the demands of an ever-evolving marketplace, according to Rebecca O. Bagley, president and CEO of NorTech.
"Our goal is to establish Northeast Ohio as a regional model for helping manufacturers transition from slow-growth markets to new, high-demand markets with stronger growth potential in emerging technology sectors, such as advanced energy," she says. "Working with MAGNET, we can help our region's manufacturers leverage their existing strengths and diversify their business to capture more global market opportunities."
Should the initial year of the MEP project be successful, there is an opportunity of funding for a second year.
SOURCE: NorTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
MAGNET and NorTech will work together to coach and train a group of regional manufacturing companies to stimulate and support manufacturing innovation, technology acceleration, supply chain development and continuous improvement and efficiency. Specifically, the one-year pilot project will target small-to-mid-sized manufacturers in the areas of biomass/waste-to-energy and electric vehicles.
Ohio currently ranks third in the country in terms of manufacturing production output and manufacturing employment. The MEP project is a chance for this region of Ohio to further assist manufacturers in meeting the demands of an ever-evolving marketplace, according to Rebecca O. Bagley, president and CEO of NorTech.
"Our goal is to establish Northeast Ohio as a regional model for helping manufacturers transition from slow-growth markets to new, high-demand markets with stronger growth potential in emerging technology sectors, such as advanced energy," she says. "Working with MAGNET, we can help our region's manufacturers leverage their existing strengths and diversify their business to capture more global market opportunities."
Should the initial year of the MEP project be successful, there is an opportunity of funding for a second year.
SOURCE: NorTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
community greenhouse partners to spend $3.4M on urban farm and greenhouse on vacant cleveland lot
First, a tree grew in Brooklyn; now a massive greenhouse will be built in Cleveland.
Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners recently announced that the organization has made an agreement to buy the site of the former St. George Catholic Church to build a greenhouse. The estimated $3.4 million project will realize Community Greenhouse Partners' goal of selling organic vegetables at low cost to low-income families.
Community Greenhouse Partners had been searching for property in an economically distressed area of the city. The concrete lot outside St. George, which closed its doors in 2009, is located at East 67th Street and Superior Avenue.
The proposed greenhouse will have a polycarbonate-plated shell, which will allow it to operate no matter the weather. The project will make use of green technology and sustainable practices.
Smith estimates that Community Greenhouse Partners will initially employ three to five people for the project and eventually grow that to more than 25. Part of the nonprofit organization's mission is to employ local residents and teach sustainability and earth science to youngsters.
Community Greenhouse Partners estimates it will bring $1 million in annual payroll and $2.5 million in annual sales to the area. The revenue estimates are based on production volumes from Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based urban farm project. Down the road, Community Greenhouse Partners plans to generate revenue from the sale of compost, rental of the greenhouse to other organizations and education dollars from local school districts.
Source: Community Greenhouse Partners
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners recently announced that the organization has made an agreement to buy the site of the former St. George Catholic Church to build a greenhouse. The estimated $3.4 million project will realize Community Greenhouse Partners' goal of selling organic vegetables at low cost to low-income families.
Community Greenhouse Partners had been searching for property in an economically distressed area of the city. The concrete lot outside St. George, which closed its doors in 2009, is located at East 67th Street and Superior Avenue.
The proposed greenhouse will have a polycarbonate-plated shell, which will allow it to operate no matter the weather. The project will make use of green technology and sustainable practices.
Smith estimates that Community Greenhouse Partners will initially employ three to five people for the project and eventually grow that to more than 25. Part of the nonprofit organization's mission is to employ local residents and teach sustainability and earth science to youngsters.
Community Greenhouse Partners estimates it will bring $1 million in annual payroll and $2.5 million in annual sales to the area. The revenue estimates are based on production volumes from Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based urban farm project. Down the road, Community Greenhouse Partners plans to generate revenue from the sale of compost, rental of the greenhouse to other organizations and education dollars from local school districts.
Source: Community Greenhouse Partners
Writer: Diane DiPiero
university circle's western reserve historical society opens hands-on family education center
It's all child's play, and that's okay. Within the newly opened Kidzibits Family Education Center at the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), toddlers to preteens can discover fun ways to learn about the history of the region.
"History is fun when offered to children in age-appropriate ways," says Janice Ziegler, vice president for education at WRHS.
Part of the WRHS complex at University Circle, Kidzibits offers "Backyard of History," which is geared for children ages two to five. Interactive play includes dressing up in historical clothes, shopping at a mini-West Side Market and building Cleveland's Skyline. "Backyard of History" also involves cars in the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum.
The preschool section of Kidzibits was funded by the Hershey Foundation and created in collaboration with the Montessori High School at University Circle.
In 2011, WRHS will open two other sections of Kidzibits, one designed for six-to-nine-year-olds and the other for ten-to-12-year-olds.
Source: Janice Ziegler, WRHS
Writer: Diane DiPiero
"History is fun when offered to children in age-appropriate ways," says Janice Ziegler, vice president for education at WRHS.
Part of the WRHS complex at University Circle, Kidzibits offers "Backyard of History," which is geared for children ages two to five. Interactive play includes dressing up in historical clothes, shopping at a mini-West Side Market and building Cleveland's Skyline. "Backyard of History" also involves cars in the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum.
The preschool section of Kidzibits was funded by the Hershey Foundation and created in collaboration with the Montessori High School at University Circle.
In 2011, WRHS will open two other sections of Kidzibits, one designed for six-to-nine-year-olds and the other for ten-to-12-year-olds.
Source: Janice Ziegler, WRHS
Writer: Diane DiPiero
greater cleveland's mesocoat teams up with nasa on breakthrough nanotechnology
Greater Cleveland-based MesoCoat, an advanced materials company, has teamed up with NASA Glenn to produce a breakthrough nanotechnology that protects metal parts from wear and corrosion in extreme environments. Potential uses for the high-tech coating includes protecting the nation's water, transportation and energy infrastructures.
MesoCoat is working to incorporate a new reflector design on NASA's 200 kW arc lamp system to produce an extremely hot light that melts stainless steel and other metallic coatings and bonds them to the surface of steel in a fraction of a second. CEO Andrew Sherman says the system is capable of cladding nickel-based alloys to steel substrates, which are often used for highly corrosive applications. MesoCoat recently fired up the plasma arc lamp, marking a significant milestone in the project.
Founded in 2007, MesoCoat develops advanced nanocomposite coating products for hydraulic cylinders, storage tanks, pipelines and other sliding or exposed parts.
The U.S. Army recently recognized MesoCoat as one of the most successful companies in its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The company was lauded for its progress in attracting funding and customers from the private sector and non-SBIR government sources to transition its nanocomposite cermet coating technology into viable commercial products and savings for the U.S. Department of Defense.
MesoCoat is working to incorporate a new reflector design on NASA's 200 kW arc lamp system to produce an extremely hot light that melts stainless steel and other metallic coatings and bonds them to the surface of steel in a fraction of a second. CEO Andrew Sherman says the system is capable of cladding nickel-based alloys to steel substrates, which are often used for highly corrosive applications. MesoCoat recently fired up the plasma arc lamp, marking a significant milestone in the project.
Founded in 2007, MesoCoat develops advanced nanocomposite coating products for hydraulic cylinders, storage tanks, pipelines and other sliding or exposed parts.
The U.S. Army recently recognized MesoCoat as one of the most successful companies in its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The company was lauded for its progress in attracting funding and customers from the private sector and non-SBIR government sources to transition its nanocomposite cermet coating technology into viable commercial products and savings for the U.S. Department of Defense.
SOURCE: MesoCoat, Inc.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
$4 million reinvestment helps cleveland's bluebridge offer clients 'uninterruptible power supply'
Power is king. To hear Kevin Goodman repeat that mantra again and again, one might imagine him standing in front a dozen snarling transformers spitting out noise and smoke, sucking up all the juice from here to Katmandu.
Instead, Goodman, director of business development at BlueBridge Networks, is standing in front of a row of four sleek Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) towers in the Cleveland company's electrical staging room. These towers will help BlueBridge ensure that its clients receive safe and effective data storage solutions.
BlueBridge provides disaster recovery and business continuity services for clients like Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, Olympic Steel and Southwest General Hospital. Thanks to its reinvestment efforts, BlueBridge is able to offer clients a broader range of solutions.
The UPS towers are new, and they replace the large, hulking batteries that once filled the now cavernous space. "UPS power is more reliable," Goodman says. "Today we have a more dense amount of power even though we have fewer pieces of equipment."
Efficient, state-of-the-art equipment is just one part of the $4 million reinvestment project that BlueBridge has undertaken to broaden its offerings and increase its bottom line. Goodman says that BlueBridge is experiencing its most successful quarter in its six-year history. And, he adds, "We have no debt."
To keep up with the latest technology, the company has hired several new engineers. BlueBridge is committed to recruiting local talent or bringing former Clevelanders back to the area, according to Goodman.
SOURCE: BlueBridge Networks
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Instead, Goodman, director of business development at BlueBridge Networks, is standing in front of a row of four sleek Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) towers in the Cleveland company's electrical staging room. These towers will help BlueBridge ensure that its clients receive safe and effective data storage solutions.
BlueBridge provides disaster recovery and business continuity services for clients like Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, Olympic Steel and Southwest General Hospital. Thanks to its reinvestment efforts, BlueBridge is able to offer clients a broader range of solutions.
The UPS towers are new, and they replace the large, hulking batteries that once filled the now cavernous space. "UPS power is more reliable," Goodman says. "Today we have a more dense amount of power even though we have fewer pieces of equipment."
Efficient, state-of-the-art equipment is just one part of the $4 million reinvestment project that BlueBridge has undertaken to broaden its offerings and increase its bottom line. Goodman says that BlueBridge is experiencing its most successful quarter in its six-year history. And, he adds, "We have no debt."
To keep up with the latest technology, the company has hired several new engineers. BlueBridge is committed to recruiting local talent or bringing former Clevelanders back to the area, according to Goodman.
SOURCE: BlueBridge Networks
WRITER: Diane DiPiero