I never actually heard of them, but apparently they make national news.

 

Jani-King Ranked as #1 Commercial Cleaning Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine

 

CLEVELAND, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Jani-King International, the world's largest commercial cleaning franchisor, has climbed back into the list of the Top-10 franchise companies.

 

Even more impressive is Jani-King's grip on the top spot in the commercial cleaning franchise category. For the 23rd year, Jani-King has been rated the #1 Commercial Cleaning Franchise Company by Entrepreneur. Jani-King has also retained its title for 2010 as the #1 Homebased Franchise.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jani-king-ranked-as-1-commercial-cleaning-franchise-by-entrepreneur-magazine-80696357.html

I had no idea either!!

^They are in most automotive plants.  Probably a bunch of other industries as well, just saying I saw them in all plants I went to.

Interesting.  Their website says they're based in Texas, outside of Dallas.  Local office is in Broadview Hts.  I wonder how many people the local franchise employs.

Good article from The Economist:

 

Restoring Cleveland

 

Micro-projects aim to restore a shattered area

 

Jan 7th 2010 | CLEVELAND, OHIO

 

The recession has exacerbated the divide, as has the billion or more dollars poured into expansion projects in the University Circle area in recent years. Four cranes block out the skyline, but the foreground is row upon row of boarded-up houses and shuttered storefronts. The Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals are powerhouses of economic activity, spending a combined $3 billion on goods and services annually. But little of that money stays local.

 

The Evergreen Co-operative Laundry opened in October 2009 after spending $5.7 million in start-up costs on building and equipment. Ohio Solar Co-operative, a solar-panel installation company, also launched in October. Green City Growers opens later this year and will grow lettuce and herbs on 14 acres of once-abandoned lots, selling produce to nearby hospitals and competing with goods trucked in from Californian farms. Each of the ten projects aims to employ around 50 local workers.

 

MORE AT

 

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15213793

Man this is a crappy day.  Cleveland Police lay-offs, Cleveland Orchestra going on strike, and now American Greetings talking about moving??  Wow, I think we need a breather.  Cleveland can't afford for one of these things to happen.

 

Of course, not one has actually happened.

 

EDIT:

Oh wait, RTA cut routes....there we go; there's the Debbie Downer.

In other news...

 

Step2 Co. to close factory in Georgia, move work to Northeast Ohio

By BILL BREGAR

Plastics News

 

8:18 am, January 7, 2010

 

Rotational molder Step2 Co. LLC in Streetsboro said it is closing its factory in Fort Valley, Ga., that employs 104, and will bring the work it does to Northeast Ohio.

 

Step2 opened the 109,250-square-foot plant in 2000 to serve the southeastern United States and to supply customers in Latin America. But now the tough economy has taken its toll. Effective immediately, Step2 will shift the work done in Georgia to its two remaining factories in Ohio, which are in Streetsboro and Perrysville

 

MORE FROM CRAINS: http://crainscleveland.com/article/20100107/FREE/100109916

OUCH! First the fitness center at One Cleveland Center closed, now this:

 

Forum Conference Center in downtown Cleveland closes abruptly

By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer January 14, 2010, 6:15PM

 

The Forum Conference Center, one of Cleveland's largest venues for meetings, has closed after nearly 20 years in business. The 30,000-square-foot conference center shut its doors Dec. 31. Now the owner of One Cleveland Center, the chisel-shaped building at East Ninth Street and St. Clair Avenue, is puzzling over what to do with the Forum's space on the second and third floors. And several businesses and groups, many of them in downtown Cleveland, are scrambling for new places to hold employee training seminars, annual meetings and other events.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/forum_conference_center_in_dow.html

^Too bad; it was a nice facility.  If there's a market for such a facility in downtown, I think the upper floor of the Galleria could be repurposed in such a way to make a nice conference center.  That would mesh nicely with some ground floor retail/business and the existing food court area.

^Too bad; it was a nice facility.  If there's a market for such a facility in downtown, I think the upper floor of the Galleria could be repurposed in such a way to make a nice conference center.  That would mesh nicely with some ground floor retail/business and the existing food court area.

 

If this placed closed, do you really think there is a market need??

^Too bad; it was a nice facility.  If there's a market for such a facility in downtown, I think the upper floor of the Galleria could be repurposed in such a way to make a nice conference center.  That would mesh nicely with some ground floor retail/business and the existing food court area.

If this placed closed, do you really think there is a market need??

 

I think it's impossible to make such a judgment based on one business' failure.  There are a multitude of reasons why one business fails and another succeeds - management, capitalization, location, amenities, etc.  On the other hand, if you're right, what does the Forum's closure say about the potential market need/viability for new convention/conference space in downtown? 

 

 

^ 20,000 sq. ft. Apples to 300,000+ sq. ft. Oranges.

^ 20,000 sq. ft. Apples to 300,000+ sq. ft. Oranges.

 

Agreed!

I'm on the board of an organization that used to have our regular programs at the Forum and we were surprised/shocked at this and are scrambling for new locations for our 2010 programs.  I've got a few ideas, but I can tell you that every time we were there for a program, there were always other groups there in the adjacent rooms, so yes, there is demand.

perhaps the owners of one cle ctr can run it temporarily until a new owner is found. any enterprising folks here on UO want to step in to keep the center alive? otherwise, this economic activity may move out to the burbs or dry up altogether.....

I'm on the board of an organization that used to have our regular programs at the Forum and we were surprised/shocked at this and are scrambling for new locations for our 2010 programs.  I've got a few ideas, but I can tell you that every time we were there for a program, there were always other groups there in the adjacent rooms, so yes, there is demand.

 

The Galleria already caters to hosting events. I would suggest contacting them.

 

I also did not know that fitnes center closed. Too bad. It was a nice place. I remember going in there years ago on a tour. I swear, as we take a few steps forward, we always take one major leap backwards in becoming what we should be.

Although this is pretty much common knowledge on this board, it's nice to see that it got picked up by the paper:

 

Northeast Ohio more closely tracking U.S. performance during this recession, researchers say

 

By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer

January 18, 2010, 9:00AM

 

CLEVELAND -- The recession of 1981 was bad. This one, dubbed the Great Recession, looks and feels worse to many.

 

But researchers at Team NEO, the region's business-attraction group, say there's an intriguing, even hopeful, trend in our economic plight.

 

Employment and economic output haven't dipped as far and as fast as they did in the recession three decades ago.

 

This time around, our economic performance is tracking more closely to the nation's, Team NEO's latest quarterly report shows.

 

Why? The region's economy has grown more diverse, lessened its dependence on manufacturing and lifted its education levels, Team NEO officials say.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/northeast_ohio_more_closely_tr.html

 

Crain's also has a version:

 

In Team NEO report, reasons for optimism: more educated, diverse work force

 

By Jay Miller [email protected]

 

4:30 am, January 18, 2010

 

Amid the bleak economic news of the last 18 months, Team NEO has found at least a couple things it believes the region can puff its chest over.

 

The business attraction nonprofit in its year-end quarterly report examines how the Northeast Ohio economy has changed since the severe recession of the 1980s. Among what might be considered its more surprising findings:

 

Despite legitimate frustration that the regional economy isn't growing, Team NEO points out that since that earlier, harsh recession, the economy has grown 65% in real dollars, despite the lack of population growth in the region.

 

Also in this recession, the report argues, the Northeast Ohio economy is not as far off the pace of the national economy as it was during the earlier downturn. That difference, Team NEO says, is a result of a diversification of the local economy away from manufacturing and an improvement in the education level of the regional work force.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100118/SUB1/301189983

Playing off of the above report.  I thought this was very interesting in the Roldo column from Cool Cleveland this past week (for once).  It is an analysis of a report by researcher George Zeller on the most recent economic indicators for Ohio. 

 

It is interesting because it shows for the first time in over a decade that the numbers of unemployment claims may be leveling off for Northeast Ohio and even showing growth for the Youngstown and Canton areas. 

It did indicate that overall the job destruction was continuing, but not so much at the expense of Northeast Ohio. 

Could this be the end to our downward slide!!! 

 

Maybe most surprising, the findings are not as good for Columubus and Cincinnati, the typical more immune areas.

 

“Columbus passed Cincinnati this week to restore its unwanted distinction as the Ohio urban metropolitan area with the most elevated level of new unemployment claims above normal "job growth" levels at this time of year. Surprisingly, Ohio's most elevated levels of current new unemployment claims are in Columbus, while the second most elevated levels of new unemployment claims are in Cincinnati. The third highest current levels of currently elevated job loss are in Dayton-Springfield, with Toledo ranking fourth highest. In this week's update, Youngstown-Warren has the state's least elevated level, a slightly better performance than Canton had. In fact, both Youngstown-Warren and Canton have returned to a low "job growth" level of new unemployment claims this week. These rankings are relative measures, since most of the entire state in 57 counties is still currently suffering job destruction from layoffs.”

 

http://coolcleveland.com/index.php/Newsletter/Roldo011310

Sherwin-Williams 4th quarter earnings up 30%

By Shaheen Samavati, The Plain Dealer January 26, 2010, 11:55AM

For more information

 

Sherwin-Williams earning statement (PDF) Sherwin-Williams Co. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter earnings increased by 30 percent as cost cutting increased efficiency and improved profits.

 

Sherwin-Williams earned $65.3 million, or 58 cents a share, in its fourth quarter, up from $50.2 million, or 42 cents, a year earlier. Revenue dropped 5.9 percent to $1.6 billion.

 

 

MORE AT http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/sherwin-williams_4th_quarter_e.html

Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center Wins Top Trip Advisor Award and Offers Guests Three Chances to Check Them Out

 

CLEVELAND, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center was recently named number 18 on Trip Advisor's Traveler's Choice award list as part of their "Top 25 Hotels in the United States" for the fifth year in a row.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cleveland-marriott-downtown-at-key-center-wins-top-trip-advisor-award-and-offers-guests-three-chances-to-check-them-out-83475562.html

Sherwin-Williams 4th quarter earnings up 30%

By Shaheen Samavati, The Plain Dealer January 26, 2010, 11:55AM

For more information

 

Sherwin-Williams earning statement (PDF) Sherwin-Williams Co. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter earnings increased by 30 percent as cost cutting increased efficiency and improved profits.

 

Good. Now go build your own office tower downtown that consolidates all of your scattered offices!

Ouch. Not unexpected, but ouch nonetheless:

 

From crainscleveland.com:

 

Penton Media plans Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing

By KATHY AMES CARR

 

10:48 am, February 9, 2010

 

 

New York-based Penton Media, which has about 280 employees in Cleveland, announced today it will file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the next few days under a debt restructuring plan that, once finalized, will eliminate about $270 million of the company's debt and strengthen its balance sheet.

 

The business-to-business media company said in a statement that there will be no layoffs, and operations will be unaffected by the restructuring plan that has been approved by lenders.

 

More at http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100209/FREE/100209819

 

 

FirstEnergy to Buy Allegheny in $4.7 Billion Merger

February 11, 2010, 7:54 am

FirstEnergy of Ohio agreed on Thursday to buy Allegheny Energy of Pennsylvania for $4.7 billion in stock, creating a giant electricity provider with customers spread across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

 

The merger marks what some analysts believe will be a wave of consolidation among energy producers to help lower costs and gain scale.

 

The combined company — which will retain FirstEnergy’s name and headquarters in Akron, Ohio — will have about six million customers and $16 billion in annual revenue and $1.4 billion in annual profit. It will own 10 distribution companies in seven states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and New Jersey, generating electricity from a mix of coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil and renewable energy sources....

 

Read More at:

 

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/firstenergy-to-buy-allegheny-in-4-7-billion-merger/

 

 

^Great news for the region!

Hehehe.  I'm a FirstEnergy investor; I hope this works out.  (The stock is down more than 10% in the last couple of weeks, though, which makes me worry if major institutional investors knew this was coming and didn't like it.)

 

ETA:  Hmph.  Stock is definitely tanking today: Down 5.84% already and falling.  Well, I'm not going to join the mad rush to the exits just yet, but that's discouraging.  Wish I'd have waited until now to get in.

Hehehe. I'm a FirstEnergy investor; I hope this works out. (The stock is down more than 10% in the last couple of weeks, though, which makes me worry if major institutional investors knew this was coming and didn't like it.)

 

ETA: Hmph. Stock is definitely tanking today: Down 5.84% already and falling. Well, I'm not going to join the mad rush to the exits just yet, but that's discouraging. Wish I'd have waited until now to get in.

 

Buy more!

Good news on many fronts

 

Huntington Bank to boost small business lending in Cleveland

By ARIELLE KASS

 

10:35 am, February 11, 2010

 

 

Huntington Bank is continuing its Cleveland push with the announcement that it will make $360 million in loans to small businesses in this area over the next three years.

 

The announcement is part of a $4 billion initiative that will increase lending in Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky, the bank said.

 

Huntington also will add more than 150 business bankers in those areas, including about 24 in the Greater Cleveland area.

 

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100211/FREE/100219940

 

I could be speaking too soon (and I hope I'm not)... but is it me, or does the PD seem as if it is becoming more pro-Cleveland?

 

 

 

Suburbs losing jobs faster than city of Cleveland, new data show

 

By Olivera Perkins, The Plain Dealer

February 13, 2010, 3:59PM

 

The worst recession in our lifetimes has hit suburban workers far harder than people in Cleveland, new data show.

 

Suburban Cuyahoga County lost 41,000 jobs -- 5.6 percent of its employment -- from 2007 through 2009, according to a study from economic research analyst George Zeller. Cleveland lost 5,700 jobs, or 2.2 percent.

 

The pattern reverses a decades-old trend of heavier job loss in the city. This time, layoffs -- like home foreclosures and demand for social services -- have spread well beyond Cleveland's borders, showing again that this recession has reached farther and deeper than any we've known.

 

Found at:  http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/percentage_of_jobs_lost_in_the.html

 

 

NorTech, Crain's Cleveland Business Announce 2010 Innovation Award Winners - dBusinessNews

 

CLEVELAND -- NorTech, in partnership with Crain's Cleveland Business, is pleased to announce the winners of its annual Innovation Awards program which honors the achievements of Northeast Ohio's most innovative organizations and leaders.

 

This year, twelve winners have been selected to receive awards, representing innovations from a broad range of technology industries including bioscience; instruments, controls and electronics; advanced materials; information and communication technologies, and advanced energy.

 

A panel of distinguished judges from across Northeast Ohio, representing academia, venture capital, private industry and economic development, selected this year's winners.

 

"NorTech is pleased to showcase some of the most exciting innovations being developed and commercialized right here in Northeast Ohio," said Rebecca O. Bagley, President and CEO of NorTech. "We strongly believe that the innovations being honored this year will help advance existing technology industries and build new ones throughout our region."

 

Award winners will be recognized during an evening ceremony on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at LaCentre Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake, Ohio. Mr. Harry Shimp, Operating Partner at Element Partners, a firm that invests in high growth companies in the energy and clean technology markets, will be the keynote speaker for the evening. More information about the event is available at: www.nortechinnovationawards.org.

Below is a list of NorTech's 2010 Innovation Award winners and descriptions of their innovation.

 

ABS Materials, Inc.

Osorb, A Glass Capable of VoC Separations and Remediations

A shape changing glass capable of swelling to absorb eight times its weight in liquids. The technology can separate oil or drugs from water, eat chlorinated solvents and has the potential to revolutionize water treatment, drug recovery, and brown field clean ups worldwide. www.absmaterials.com

 

Parker Hannifin

Hybrid Hydraulic Energy Recovery System

The system replaces a vehicles' conventional transmission with a new power distribution unit that decouples the wheels from the engine operation to provide superior engine management. Engine optimization coupled with brake energy recovery, reduces carbon emissions, brake wear, and fuel consumption by up to 50% when applied to applications with high start and stop operations such as refuse, buses and delivery vehicles. www.parker.com

 

Cleveland State University, Fenn College of Engineering

Wind Harnessing System for Urban and Low-Wind Speed Regions

Wind tower capable of harnessing wind energy in urban and low wind speed regions, where the use of conventional wind tower systems are not feasible. This innovative design provides an opportunity for use of distributed wind harnessing systems in low wind speed areas where the conventional wind tower vendors have not been able to market their products. www.csuohio.edu

 

Kent Displays

Reflex TM LCD Electronic Skins

Reflex LCD Electronic Skins bring new levels of personalization and differentiation to a wide range of products. They are ultra thin, plastic displays that can be custom cut and conformed to another surface such as a cell phone or laptop computer case. They are reflective and require no power from the host device to retain an image. Electronic skins currently display eight different colors to match a user's mood, clothing, preference, or device status (e.g., new voice mail). www.kentdisplays.com

 

View Ray

MRI Guided Radiation Therapy

ViewRay is developing the world's first real-time MRI guided radiation therapy device to treat cancer patients. The Renaissance System technology will continuously image the patient in three dimensions during radiation therapy delivery. This real time imaging will control the delivery of the radiation therapy and record the dose delivered to the patient, allowing physicians to potentially reduce side effects and improve cure rates. www.viewray.com

 

Catacel Corp

SSR TM Stackable Structural Reactor

A catalyst-coated metal foil structure that enables the production of hydrogen gas with less consumption of fossil fuel and less greenhouse gas emission. SSR is a significant advancement in the production of hydrogen from natural gas. SSR can enable hydrogen plant operators to meet the increasing global demand for this essential gas while achieving favorable economic and environmental results. www.catacel.com

 

Tremont Electric

nPower TM Personal Energy Generator (PEG)

The nPower®PEG (Personal Energy Generator) can recharge handheld electronic devices through kinetic energy generated by the human body. nPower® technology produces significantly more usable power than any other alternative energy product of similar size. nPower® produces zero emissions and can be scaled for a multitude of applications for generating less than 1 watt to more than 100 kilowatts. www.greennpower.com

 

MesoCoat

PComP Nanoengineered Cermets

The patented PComP nanocomposite coatings provide higher performance at lower cost as compared to hard chrome and nickel plating or carbide thermal spray coatings in aerospace, oil and gas, and heavy equipment markets. In addition to wear and corrosion resistance, the many benefits of MesoCoat's technology include reduced cost, lower weight, improved ductility, improved adhesion, and reduced machining costs, as well as significantly reducing environmental, safety, and health liabilities. www.mesocoat.com

 

Akron Research Commercialization Corp

Silver-based Pharmaceutical Candidates for Cystic Fibrosis

A new pharmaceutical candidate, trade named Silvamist, is an inhaled drug that was developed to treat respiratory disorders and lung infections. This treatment is based on the use of a silver carbene complex which has shown efficacy as a broad spectrum therapy for patients with cystic fibrosis. It is particularly targeted towards antibiotic-resistant infections, and early stage research has shown that this product can treat lung infections where no conventional antibiotic can perform. www.uakron.edu

 

InSeT Systems, LLC

Inertial Sensor Tracking System

The system uses inertial technology to provide the most accurate location data available in underground and other GPS denied situations. The system utilizes miniature inertial devices combined with cutting edge software to control drift of the location data to provide location information accurate to a radius of 10 feet. The InSeT system will be marketed to underground mines in the U.S. first to help them comply with the MINER Act of 2006, then to other underground mines in both the U.S. and around the world. www.insetsystems.com

 

NASA Glenn Research Center

RF Telemetry System for Implantable Bio-MEMS Sensors

The Radio Frequency (RF) Telemetry System for Implantable Bio-MEMS Sensors is a patented wireless system for real-time inductive powering and data collection from implantable sensors through electromagnetic coupling. Each sensor is made from bio-compatible materials and is powered without batteries. The newly licensed innovation has a novel design that mitigates infection risks and enhances monitoring. www.grc.nasa.gov

 

RSP Tooling

Nozzle Design to Atomize Inconel 718

RSP Tooling has developed an innovative nozzle design that allows Inconel 718, a super alloy with very high strength at elevated temperatures, to be atomized and sprayed on a substrate to produce molds and dies. This technology has been shown to increase die life by 20 times compared to steel and has major advantages in jet engines versus traditional titanium. In addition to the economic benefits this technology reduces energy consumption, improves the properties of the material, and uses no machining fluids which reduce the environmental effects of machining. www.rsptooling.com

 

For more information about the 2010 NorTech Innovation Award winners, please visit www.crainscleveland.com or www.nortechinnovationawards.org.

 

About NorTech:

NorTech is a non-profit technology-based economic development organization that champions growth in Northeast Ohio's high tech economy. NorTech marshals resources and forges collaborations to put economic growth on the fast-track by: accelerating technology development and moving innovations from the lab into the marketplace; driving growth in the region's high tech industries (with a current focus on Advanced Energy and Flexible Electronics); and expanding state and federal funding to support early-stage technology commercialization and industry building. www.nortech.org

 

About Crain's Cleveland Business:

For a quarter-century, Crain's Cleveland Business has been Northeast Ohio's leading source for weekly business news, analysis and commentary. Every Monday, its award-winning editorial staff reports on area companies, executives and business owners in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, real estate, higher education, government, non-profit, technology, small business, law and more. Crain's also holds a number of Awards Dinners such as 40 Under 40, Women Of Note, CFO of the Year and 20 In Their 20's, along with various business-focused breakfasts and lunches. www.crainscleveland.com

 

  Media  Contact:

  Kelly South

  216-241-8458

  [email protected]

 

Source: NorTech

CONTACT: Kelly South of NorTech, +1-216-241-8458, [email protected]

Web Site: http://www.nortech.org/

http://www.nortechinnovationawards.org/

http://www.crainscleveland.com/

Sherwin-Williams Co. to acquire Arch Chemicals Inc.'s Sayerlack brand

9:11 am, February 18, 2010

 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Industrial Wood Coatings business of Arch Chemicals Inc. (NYSE: ARJ).

 

Sherwin-Williams did not say what it will pay for Arch Industrial Wood Coatings, a company in Pianoro, Italy, that sells products under the Sayerlack brand name. Its net sales in 2009 were $147 million.

 

MORE AT http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100218/FREE/100219828

 

 

Ford Invests $155 Million in Fuel-Efficient Engines; Adds Jobs with Cleveland Plant No. 1 Upgrade

 

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:  F) is investing $155 million and adding 60 jobs at its Cleveland  operations to build a new fuel-efficient V-6 engine for the 2011 Mustang, which has expected class-leading highway fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 305 horsepower. 

 

The investment and jobs at Ford's Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 brings the company's investment in powertrain engineering and facility upgrades in North America to $1.8 billion to support its 2011 vehicle launches – with more to come.  The total number of jobs being added as part of these investments is 1,260.  The new Mustang engine is one of nine new or upgraded engines or transmissions for 2011 model Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ford-invests-155-million-in-fuel-efficient-engines-adds-jobs-with-cleveland-plant-no-1-upgrade-85465237.html

Sweet! So the two auto plants on Brookpark Road are both adding jobs?

 

I'm glad that it's happening here rather than in Mexico etc.

This is the second recent expansion of Engine Plant No. 1 I believe.  Just last year they started building that eco engine of the Taurus, no?

The Cleveland Model

By Gar Alperovitz, Ted Howard & Thad Williamson

 

Something important is happening in Cleveland: a new model of large-scale worker- and community-benefiting enterprises is beginning to build serious momentum in one of the cities most dramatically impacted by the nation's decaying economy.

 

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100301/alperowitz_et_al/single

This new "Cleveland Model" has a lot to do with ShoreBank's Enterprises work.  I am not sure if they are the originators of this type of idea but I know that they have strongly supported it financially and are continuing to look for ways to develop low-income talent and minority business owners

 

Sounds like a good model... I hope it encourages and helps stimulate indepently owned business overall as well; and not exclusively minority owned businesses.

Was that the same article from the economist a few weeks back, or is that "Cleveland Model" taking off.

I like the concept, but one question immediately comes to mind: Who has hiring and firing authority in a cooperatively-owned business like this?  Are there still managers who take care of that?  Are there "senior" shareholders that do that?  The reason I ask is that, exactly as the article stated, a cooperative model that turns all employees into owners does take a little extra bit of commitment from the owner-employees, which means that the organization has to be able to shed people that aren't committed to the company success, or it will be handing out equity to people who aren't pulling their weight.

 

I would love to see this kind of model take off, and I'm saying this as one of the more conservative and capitalist posters here.  I'd love to see teacher-owned schools and steelworker-owned steel mills the same way we have lawyer-owned law firms (partnerships) and doctor-owned hospitals.

It seems like it us run like most corporations, the employees have company stock

Sounds like a good model... I hope it encourages and helps stimulate indepently owned business overall as well; and not exclusively minority owned businesses.

 

It can- anyone can follow the model afterall.  Shorebank is specifically geared towards creating access to capital in underserved, usually minority neighborhoods, though.  So that is where they are going to focus.

Not sure if this belongs here (I can't remember if there was a Hugo Boss thread) but I thought this was pretty cool that it was getting national attention...

 

Danny Glover says Hugo Boss not fashionable for this year's Oscars

NEW YORK - Actor Danny Glover is calling on stars at this weekend's Oscar awards to take a stand on behalf of Hugo Boss workers in Cleveland.

 

In a letter sent to dozens of Oscar nominees and others in the film industry set to attend Sunday's Oscars, Danny Glover called on the stars not to wear Hugo Boss to the event.

 

Full article: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/danny-glover-says-hugo-boss-not-fashionable-for-this-year's-oscars

 

Danny Glover Meeting With Cleveland's Hugo Boss Workers Tomorrow Afternoon

 

Actor Danny Glover, Workers United President Bruce Raynor, and workers from the Hugo Boss suit factory will hold a press conference on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. outside of the plant. Glover and Raynor will meet with the workers inside the plant prior to the press conference. Glover, Raynor, and workers will be available for one-on-one interviews following the press conference. Earlier in the month, Glover asked people to boycott the clothing at the Academy Awards in support of the factory workers here in  Cleveland.

 

Glover will be expressing moral support to the working families of Hugo Boss -- after his successful leadership in encouraging Hollywood to boycott Hugo Boss suits at the Oscars earlier this month. This is his first visit to the plant.

 

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/13410

Optima could add Huntington Building to its downtown Cleveland portfolio

The out-of-state owner of 55 Public Square and One Cleveland Center is looking to scoop up another downtown landmark -- the troubled Huntington Building, at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue.

 

Tenants in the 22-story office building recently received a letter indicating that Optima Ventures LLC is interested in the property. Public records connect Optima Ventures to Optima International of Miami, the U.S. branch of a private, global operation with considerable investments in oil, gas, telecommunications and manufacturing in Eastern Europe.

 

In a March 22 memo to tenants, Huntington Building manager Hines wrote that "we have recently been informed that the owner is engaged in substantive discussions regarding the potential sale of the Huntington Building and has, in fact, entered into a purchase agreement with Optima Ventures LLC.

 

 

.........................

 

 

Chaim Schochet, an Optima investment executive, did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment. In previous interviews with the Plain Dealer, he has described Optima as a long-term investor attracted to Cleveland's stability and downtown redevelopment.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/optima_could_add_huntington_bu.html

Hugo Boss Must Return to Bargaining Table with Cleveland Workers

CLEVELAND, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Faced with the threat of a formal NLRB complaint, Hugo Boss has retreated from its position on closing its Ohio plant and has agreed to return to the bargaining table.

 

"For months, Hugo Boss has held a sledgehammer over the heads of these workers," said Workers United President Bruce Raynor. "Now the force of law has demanded the company reconsider its actions. This is a significant victory for the workers in their struggle to keep this plant open. As we've said all along, Hugo Boss' actions are wrong legally, wrong morally, and bad for Hugo Boss' business. We look forward to returning to the bargaining table and negotiating a new contract."

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hugo-boss-must-return-to-bargaining-table-with-cleveland-workers-89629917.html

Um, pretty sure the NLRB can't forcibly keep a plant from closing.  They can make it more expensive to close, but they can't stop someone from just walking.

I'm glad there's at least a chance at negotiating now

I can't believe there is no general business thread for Lorain-Elyria. Well, there is one now. Note the impact of the Marcellus Shale natural gas which is figuring heavily into an economic rebound in Youngstown as well as in Western PA (see this thread: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,22242.0.html)....

 

U.S. Steel expansion of mill in Lorain exciting possibility

Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

 

Lorain seems to be in the right spot to capitalize on the nation's desire to drill for more clean-energy natural gas.

 

U.S. Steel is considering spending $250 million to expand its Lorain Tubular Operations because of the Lorain plant's proximity to an immense Appalachian Marcellus shale deposits that include parts of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.

 

Natural gas is locked in that shale and energy companies need specialized steel tubing to drill for it. Some of the best steel tubing is made by U.S. Steel in Lorain.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/03/31/opinion/mj2529846.txt

 

BREAKING NEWS: Teletech shutting Amherst call center, hundreds to lose jobs

Filed by Rona Proudfoot April 1st, 2010 in BREAKING.

 

AMHERST — Teletech is shutting its Amherst call center, and hundreds of employees will lose their jobs, according to Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo.

 

The company informed employees this morning that the company had lost its contract with T-Mobile and will be shutting at the end of May.

 

The company employs 585 people, a spokesman said this afternoon...

 

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2010/04/01/breaking-news-teletech-shutting-amherst-call-center-hundreds-to-lose-jobs/

One step forward, one step back.... Lorain County can't seem to catch a break.

neither can neo in general.

 

* hopes for a fair & accurate census count *