thinking outside the corrugated box · 1 thinking outside the corrugated box packaging to...

geaugaW i n t e r 2 0 1 5

A “Dying” Business Burr Funeral Home & Cremation pg 4

Mar-Bal One of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Businesses pg 8

Hitting The Slopes At New and Improved Alpine Valley

Thinking Outside the Corrugated Box

PLUS:

Packaging to Perfection

P U B L I S H E RChris Yuhasz

Owner, Persistence of Vision, Inc.

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E FMargie Wilber

Owner, Write 2 the Point

C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R SKim Breyley

Rebekah MapleGina McVey

Jennifer SewardChris Taylor

Margie Wilber

D E S I G NEllen Seguin

Write 2 the Point

Persistence of Vision, Inc.16715 West Park CircleChagrin Falls, OH [email protected] p. 440.591.5443 x222

1 T H I N K I N G O U T S I D E T H E C O R R U G AT E D B O X PA C K A G I N G T O P E R F E C T I O N

4 A “ D Y I N G ” B U S I N E S S F U N E R A L S E R V I C E I N D U S T R Y A L I V E A N D W E L L B U R R F U N E R A L H O M E & C R E M AT I O N C E L E B R AT E S 6 T H G E N E R AT I O N A S A FA M I LY - O W N E D B U S I N E S S

7 C H E M T E C H E X P A N S I O N I N M I D D L E F I E L D

8 M A R - B A L O N E O F A M E R I C A’ S FA S T E S T - G R O W I N G , P R I V AT E B U S I N E S S E S

12 K E N T S T AT E U N I V E R S I T Y PA R T N E R S W I T H B U S I N E S S T O F I L L L A B O R N E E D S I N C O U N T Y

14 R E D M A P L E I N N : A L I T T L E B I T O F C O U N T R Y

16 H I T T H E S L O P E S AT N E W A N D I M P R O V E D A L P I N E V A L L E Y

18 V E N T U R E L A U N C H C O N S U LT I N G G R O U P : H A R N E S S I N G ‘ T H E L I F E C Y C L E O F A N I D E A’ F O R C O R P O R AT E P R O F I T S

20 N E W B U R Y ’ S C U L I N A R Y R E N A I S S A N C E

23 W E N E E D Y O U G E A U G A L I B R A R Y F O U N D AT I O N M I N I - G O L F C O R P O R AT E S P O N S O R S N E E D E D

24 R A I S I N G T H E B A R F O R F A M I LY - F R I E N D LY G Y M N A S T I C S

26 M A R I LY N ’ S V O I C E

27 A T R I B U T E T O F R A N K S A M U E L

28 C I C

29 C O N S I D E R T H E I M PA C T Y O U C A N M A K E R A V E N W O O D M E N T A L H E A LT H C E N T E R S E E K S B O A R D V O L U N T E E R S

Write 2 the PointPO Box 385Newbury, OH [email protected]. 216.410.2395

Geauga Business articles are written and selected for their general interest and entertainment value. Authors’ views do not necessarily represent the policies of POV Print Communication, Inc. nor does their publication constitute an endorsement by POV Print Communication or Write 2 the Point. All submissions are subject to space availability and editing. For advertising opportunities or submissions, contact POV Print Communication, Inc.

A special thanks to our partners whose financial contributions make this publication possible.

PACKAGING

TO PERFECTION

on cover: Louie Dejesus, President and CEO, Third Dimensions. Also: (l-r): Marc H. Burr and Marc “Burrly” Burr of Burr Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Junction Auto FAmily

Our 81st Anniversary

1931

2012

GEAUGA BUSINESS Winter 2015

By Margie Wilber

Louie Dejesus knows a bit about packaging.

In fact, the President and CEO of Third

Dimensions understands a great deal after

logging in more than 30 years of innovative

printing and packaging experience. His

limitless passion along with his creative

approaches in solving even the most

complex packaging dilemmas has rewarded

Third Dimensions with some very strong

business partnerships with clients that

include such Fortune 100 and Fortune 500

companies as Chiquita, Kraftmaid, Trico

Corp., USG Corp. and Great Lakes Cheese.

Thinking Outside the Corrugated Box

PACKAGING

TO PERFECTION

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2

GEAUGA BUSINESS Winter 2015 1

Third Dimensions designs and implements packaging solutions

for their customers. “We save our clients millions of dollars in damages by providing the best custom, protective-packaging solutions to solve packaging problems and enhance the brand,” explains Dejesus. “We handle small- to large-scale runs and specialize in protecting oddly shaped and fragile product, point-of-purchase displays and sales kits. Unlike competitors who are locked into using corrugated exclusively, Third Dimensions will design and implement the best packaging solutions for our clients – whether that involves fabricated and molded foams, triple-wall corrugated boxes, specialty pallets, or simply the traditional brown corrugated box.”

The self-professed “rebel in the packaging industry” is no stranger to hard work. Dejesus remembers his first job at the age of eight, working at Wayside Gardens, a nursery in Mentor. Other jobs growing up included a cashier at A&P and Tasty Freeze, and a gas station clerk. “At one time, I had three jobs,” Dejesus laughs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania in 1977. After working in finance at Society National Bank (Key Bank), he was hired in sales and design at Smurfit Stone Container where he learned the ins and outs of the packaging industry.

The drive to control his own destiny resulted in Dejesus opening his own packaging company. “My wife Jeanette and I started Third Dimensions in 1985 in Geneva, Ohio as a fulfillment center and non-traditional source of packaging,” says the consummate entrepreneur. “We always felt that to solve the many packaging issues, a company must embrace the use of all available media – not just brown corrugated sheets. “If you take care of your customer needs, your customer will reward you with their business and loyalty.

The couple has stayed true to this belief. Third Dimensions utilizes 600,000 square

feet of production and warehousing space to produce packaging – from a brown corrugated box and four-color P.O.P. (Point of Purchase) displays, to certified, heat-treated export crates, pallets and molded and fabricated foams. To its credit, Third Dimensions owns the largest eps molding presses, corrugated die cutter, and automated, four-color, large corrugated press, and large format printer this side of the Mississippi.

“All of this production equipment is at our immediate disposal to serve the unique needs of our customers,” the high-energy Dejesus says with a smile. “We specialize in custom-printed displays, protective product packaging, short-run custom boxes and fulfillment solutions. We have state-of-the-art equipment, experienced production managers, and creative designers to manage a supply-chain solution for you.”

Third Dimensions is a certified-minority company due to Dejesus’ Puerto Rican roots. AIB certified, it currently has 80 full-time and 12 part-time employees including six structural and graphic designers. The company recently invested $1.5 million on a hp Scitex 15000 printer which does six- and eight-color, large-format UV digital corrugated printing – one of only two such printers in the country. The packaging process starts with fast prototype development and often concludes with pick-and-pull service where Third Dimensions’ fulfillment team warehouses their clients’ product and ships it directly to end users as orders are received on a daily basis. Third Dimensions provides fast turnaround and has custom-kitting and full-assembly capabilities as well.

Dejesus is always willing to invest in equipment and go the extra mile for his customers.

“I have a problem saying no,” admits the successful business owner. “Everything can be figured out. I am passionate about finding the perfect packaging solution

“Everything can be figured out. I

am passionate about finding the

perfect packaging solution for

my clients. Thankfully, I have

surrounded myself with smart

people who enjoy what they do

and share the same passion.”

- Louie Dejesus,

President and CEO of Third Dimensions

Thinking Outside the Corrugated

BoxC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1


for my clients. Thankfully, I have surrounded myself with smart people who enjoy what they do and share the same passion. I also never micro-manage.”

Five years ago, Dejesus decided to expand his business into Geauga County, purchasing the old Carlisle Building in Middlefield. This facility warehouses corrugated boxes for such customers as Kraftmaid, Dillen, Great Lakes Cheese and Flambeau. Third Dimensions employs 18 individuals at this 250,000-square-foot plant, located at 15322 Old State Road in Middlefield, who sequence boxes to match part numbers and then ships the packaging to customers on an as-needed basis.

Terry Geraci, warehouse manager at the Third Dimensions Middlefield site, says there is intensive labor, time, and logistics involved in the packaging industry. “Our customers do not have the design and storage capabilities that we offer,” says Geraci. Third Dimensions also owns three additional warehouses in Middlefield: a 15,000-sq.-ft. facility on Rt. 87, a 20,000-square-foot plant on Navoo Road, and another 20,000-sq.-ft. building on Valplast Street. “Basically, we take orders, warehouse and sequence boxes, and ship them to customers at this Middlefield site,” states Geraci.

“I’ve known Louie for 10 years. He is a real mover and a shaker,” describes Geraci, who is responsible for all shipping, receiving, logistics and warehousing at the Middlefield warehouse. “Louie is very progressive. I love working for him.” Geraci is pleased with the labor force in this area. “They are hardworking, responsible individuals,” he states.

Third Dimensions also expanded to Charlotte, North Carolina, where their employees design and produce four-color P.O.P. and houses a CNC work center. His son Kyle, who has a background in marketing and design, serves as operations manager at this facility. (Louie and Jeanette also have two married daughters, Rhea Greene and Nara Skipper.)

Third Dimensions recently purchased their fourth main facility in Geauga County on Rt. 87 in Burton (formerly Shade Tree). This facility will do light assembly work and serve as a repacking center in addition to warehousing products.

Dejesus hopes to triple his business in the next three years. A large part of this growth will come from the P.O.P. side of the business. He says, “Currently 10% P.O.P. should grow to 25% percent of our business in the next few years.” The

P.O.P. includes murals, life-size cutouts, sales kits and trade show displays. “Combine these services with our warehousing/fulfillment and in-house logistics, and our customer have a total solution company. It all works together to the benefit of our customers,” Dejesus describes.

“I’m on vacation when I am working 10-hour days,” admits the packaging leader. “I love this work. It is my passion. Packaging is about reducing damage to zero – that is the goal. In order to accomplish that goal, you cannot forget about the other packaging medias. If you do, you may not be solving the shipping problems. We always think outside the box and look at all the possibilities. We work very hard to innovate and design new solutions to meet the new changing market. We also push the envelope on what we can do with a corrugated box.”

If you are interested in increasing brand awareness and sales with stunning packaging that will create a strong identity for your company and your products, visit their Web site: Thirdinc.com or call Third Dimensions at 440.466.4040 or 877.926.3223, or email [email protected].

“ We work very hard to innovate and design new solutions to meet the new the changing market. We also push the envelope on what we can do with a corrugated box.”

- Louie Dejesus, President and CEO of Third Dimensions


A “Dying”BusinessFuneral Service Industry Alive and Well

Burr Funeral Home & Cremation Celebrates 6th Generation as a Family-Owned BusinessBy Margie Wilber

(l-r): Marc H. Burr and Marc “Burrly” Burr


A “Dying”Business

Burr Funeral Home & Cremation Celebrates 6th Generation as a Family-Owned BusinessBy Margie Wilber

The funeral service industry across the United States is alive and well. Consider these facts. More than 2.5

million people die each year in the United States, with approximately 20,000 funeral service establishments generating around $16 billion in annual revenue. In the coming decades, baby boomers – members of America’s largest natural growth spurt (born between 1946 and 1964) – will die at a steady rate. That is an estimated 76 million people. The sheer numbers spell big business for the funeral service industry.

Burr Funeral Home & Cremation Services, in Chardon, is one of several Geauga County funeral homes positioned to experience a steady increase in caring for local families in the next few decades. It has earned the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated business in Geauga County. And with the addition of Marc H. and Nan Burr’s son, Marc F. or “Burrly,” the family celebrates its sixth generation as a family-owned business.

Started in 1859 by great-great grandfather John Burr, Marc. H. Burr recalls how he originally did not want to go into the family funeral business as a young man. “I wanted to be a doctor, but my first year of college was very enjoyable at the University of Mount Union. So enjoyable, in fact, that it didn’t set the table for medical school,”

laughs Marc. “Still, my father never said I should go into this business. He left the decision to me, as I did with my son.”

His son Burrly concurs, “I majored in Theater Production at Allegheny College but always wanted to go into this line of work. As a little boy, I would go into the basement and watch my grandpa and dad embalm the bodies. I would also put on my little suit and help my dad and grandpa set up chairs for funeral services or ride in the hearse to the cemeteries. I never thought it strange or odd living at a funeral home. It was simply home.”

Located at 116 South Street, this is Burr Funeral Home’s fourth location in Chardon. “Grandpa bought this house as his home, but when his partner Fleet Smith suffered a heart attack, Grandpa began having funerals here so Fleet could recover,” Marc recalls. (Members of the Smith family still reside in the Chardon area.)

With more than 150 consecutive years in business, the Burr family remains committed to the same business principles since opening – honesty, dignity and service.

“We are still learning how we can do something more to make it easier on families,” admits Marc. “All we can do is to help a family go through a bad time and

make it tolerable. It will never be ‘good’ because of the nature of this service.”

He continues, “Shopping for funeral services can be emotionally overwhelming. Our job is to help simplify the process and make it easier. Unlike what is commonly depicted on television shows and in the movies, the vast majority of funeral directors across the country do not take advantage because people are distraught when they come in their doors. It is our job to direct them – hence the name funeral ‘director.’ If a family wants a simple service, fine. If they want it to be extravagant, that is also fine. We’ve even been asked to have fireworks. “

Burrly concurs, “Our name is on the door. We have a reputation to maintain: a reputation for professionalism, sensitivity and commitment to excellence.”

Both gentlemen reflect on how the funeral industry has changed.

“A lot of small, family-owned funeral homes are shutting their doors. SCI (Service Corp International) has been buying many of these homes, which was particularly pronounced 25 years ago,” notes Marc. “They do not change the name because they don’t want communities to know they are no longer family owned.”

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 6


In 2013, Service Corp International bought Stewart Enterprises, Inc. for $1.13 billion, merging the two largest U.S. funeral home operators as the industry gears up for serving baby boomers. The group owns 1,653 funeral homes and 515 cemeteries in 48 states, eight Canadian provinces, and in Puerto Rico, with revenues of nearly $3 billion, according to Reuters. In fact, in the U.S., the 50 largest companies account for about 25 percent of industry revenue.

Despite such consolidations, small operators can successfully compete with national companies because the funeral business is intensely local.

Where are the dollars made? Today, pre-burial services, which include embalming and cosmetic preparation, transportation, facility rental for wakes and memorial services, account for 50 percent of revenue. Sale of caskets and other funeral goods – urns, wreaths, etc. – make up about 45 percent of revenue. Other revenue sources include obituary placements online and in local newspapers, food, remembrance cards, etc.

Burr Funeral Home & Cremation Services has a selection room on site offering various steel and wood caskets, decorative urns and outer burial containers. All of their prices are conveniently itemized online at burrservice.com. Families will know what they can expect to pay for funeral costs – generally $10,000 to $12,000 before coming in, according to Burrly. Burr Funeral Home also provides a host of special services including online obituaries, certified copies of Death Certificates, Ohio Burial/Transit and Cremation permits, limousine service, newspaper death notices, coordinating wishes with the florist of your choice and

aftercare. In 2008, Burr Funeral Home installed its own crematorium for their families’ peace of mind and offer the “Cremation with Confidence” guarantee. “Their loved one is always in our care,” ensures Burrly. And this past summer, the parking area was enlarged from 33 to 83 spaces and a new “handicap accessible” entrance is currently being installed to aid the families and their guests.

“At Burr Funeral Home, we focus on our families. We go out of our way to make sure all their needs are met – whether it is serving particular food during the wake to butterflies, doves or balloon launches at the cemetery, we make it happen,” states Burrly. “We take the same view as the Ritz Carlton – ‘It’s our pleasure, whatever the request.’”

If baby boomers are recognized for anything, it is their desire to “have it their way.” This desire is extending to death, as aging boomers buy pre-arranged funeral packages designed to leave the world as they lived in it. The very nature of funeral services is changing, says Burrly. Many baby boomers are opting for fun, more elaborate services – from a farm-themed service complete with a tractor pulling the casket to the cemetery to tie-dyed caskets.

“As long as there is a need, we will be needed. Since the beginning of time, people were buried with some ceremony. Even the name ‘funeral’ is derived from the Greek and means ‘torch-lit procession,’” Burrly explains. “Being a funeral director is

not a business, it is a life. Unless you give yourself completely to serving others, this field is not for you.”

Marc remembers, “My wife Nan was having shoulder surgery recently, but I could not be there during the operation. I had a funeral service scheduled that I had to attend to. I was serving that other family. Many people have no idea how much effort goes into making a service perfect. It isn’t their job to think about it. It is our pleasure to help. “

The Burr family believes in giving back to a community that has supported them for six generations. Burrly coaches football at Chardon High School and will be president of the Burton/Middlefield Rotary. The 33-year-old husband (wife Ashley) and father of eleven-month-old Warner also enjoys playing Santa for local schools and Breakfasts with Santa. For years, Marc has

dressed as President Abraham Lincoln and performed at the Chardon Memorial Day Ceremonies and at local schools and nursing homes. He remains a long-term member of the Chardon rotary.

Marc concludes, “My hope is that when I meet a family we have provided funeral services for in the grocery store a few months later, we meet as friends. Geauga County is our home, and it is our pleasure to assist families in their time of need.”

“ At Burr Funeral Home, we focus on our families. We go out of our way to make sure all their needs are met – whether it is serving particular food during the wake to butterflies, doves or balloon launches at the cemetery, we make it happen.”

- Mark F. “Burrly” Burr

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 5

A “Dying” Business

Marc “Burrly” Burr


By Kim Breyley

Since August, construction crews have been preparing an expansion site on 15 acres southeast of Routes 528 and 87

for Chem Technologies. Chem Tech is a privately owned, state-of-the-art custom mixer of rubber as well as a chemical dispersion and blend manufacturing company. The corporate offices and a seven-line production facility are housed on Bonner Drive near the northeast end of the Village of Middlefield.

“Our objective has always been to stay ahead of customer demands,” says Randy Vancura, COO of Chem Tech. “In fact, before we finish building the first phase, industry needs may call for the installation of two production lines and we might have to jump right into building the second attaching facility.” Chem Tech, in operation since 2001, experienced its best month on record this past June.

When Vancura and Chem Tech founder, CEO and chairman of the board, Jim Schill, initially began contemplating expansion, they looked to secure acreage inside Village boundaries directly across the street just south of their current facility. But due to topographical issues, building there was ruled out.

Aware of Chem Tech’s expansion needs and determined to facilitate job growth and additional tax revenue for Middlefield Village residents and schools, Mayor Ben Garlich approached the Middlefield Township trustees with a financially amenable proposal to annex almost 200 acres just east of the Village, on the east side of Route 528 and south of Route 87.

This annexation, the first in Geauga County in many years, provided Chem Tech with opportunity to purchase land and have

access to Village utilities. In 2013, the 198-acre property was annexed into the Village and zoned industrial. Maps outlining the area are on the web at www.middlefieldmeansbusiness.com.

Chem Tech’s first-phase plans call for a 36,000-square-foot building, currently in construction, which will operate production Line 8 and utilize a state-of-the-art rubber compound mixer, awaiting delivery in Akron. This will increase Chem Tech’s rubber mixing capacity by 50 percent. Chem Tech, under Vancura’s direction, is acting as general contractor for the project, hiring many local companies such as Sayre Construction, Mullett Construction and Osborne Concrete.

Seven phases are planned for this facility. “Every one to three years another phase will be added,” Vancura states. “When finished, it will look like one building; each phase is designed with no interior gutter, carrying the ridgeline back to expansion four so that the rain water will flow south on the balance of the building. The building in its finished state will cover a quarter of a million square feet. For now, it will be somewhat utilitarian in appearance especially if compared to the impressive newly added offices and entrance at the existing facility on Bonner Drive.

“This expansion can only be ‘good’ for current employees,” says Schill, who has worked in the rubber industry for many years. His career began with Burton Rubber and taking those skills, he co-founded Elastochem in Chardon. After selling that facility, he co-founded Gold Key in Middlefield in 1998, which was sold in 2007, and now Chem Tech competes with Hexpol in the custom rubber mixing market. Vancura joined Schill at Gold Key as COO. Another key player in the future of Chem Tech is Vice President Donna Decker.

She has worked with Schill since their days at Elastochem. These three, along with Vice President Kevin Cohill make up the executive committee and half of the Board of Directors.

“Our corporate headquarters will remain on Bonner Drive,” says Schill, who lives in Florida and travels monthly to Ohio to handle Chem Tech financial affairs and oversee business strategies. “This company is privately owned and I am committed to keeping it that way, now and after I am no longer here, because inevitably,” he adds, “When a company is sold, it is almost always the employees that lose out.”

Initially, several new personnel will be needed in the Bonner Drive facility and up to 30 to run the new production line around the clock. Currently, Chem Tech employs 86, and boasts almost no annual turnover. “We value our employees and we treat them well,” says Schill. “And we pay 100 percent of their health insurance; to do otherwise would be like giving them a pay cut. When the expansion is complete,” he continues, “We will be one of the largest employers in the area, probably supporting somewhere between 200 to 300 employees.”

“Our corporate mantra is: Do the right thing,” Schill states emphatically.

“That’s right, “ adds Vancura. “By the customer, by the vendor and by the employees.”

Operations in the Chem Tech first phase should be in full production this year. The Middlefield community is fortunate to be the home of this exemplary corporation.

Chem Tech Expansion in Middlefield

(l-r): Jim Schill, CEO & Chairman; Randy Vancura, COO;Kevin Cohill, Vice President – Sales & Marketing;Donna Decker, Vice President – Purchasing & Customer Relations; Dan Breit, Director; Jack Menosky, Director

Marc “Burrly” Burr


It started with an immigrant with a can-do spirit who didn’t speak English and was willing to take a risk. Now, his Geauga County

composites manufacturing company has been recognized for two consecutive years as one of America’s fastest-growing private businesses.

Hungarian born and raised Jim Balogh knew nothing of the American culture and hadn’t a penny to his name but that didn’t stop him from jumping headfirst into a business endeavor many people wouldn’t attempt. Despite overwhelming obstacles, Balogh started Mar-Bal, Inc. in 1970, now headquartered in Auburn Township.

“By accident I ended up here and started my own company just like my grandfather did,” he explains. “When you come to America, you leave everything behind and have the mentality that you want to prove it to yourself that you’re going to make it in this country.”

Balogh’s grandparents came to Ellis Island from Hungary in the 1900s. His mother lived in Akron for 25 years then returned to Hungary before WWII. Balogh grew up under communist rule and served in the Hungarian military during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, was shot in combat, and jailed.

After escaping jail and leaving Hungary at 18 years old, Balogh served five years in the U.S. Army then studied mechanical engineering in community college. He worked for a family-owned company in Euclid as a tooling engineer and designer, which gave him his start in mold design. After working a difficult job for little money, he thought, “If I could buy a beat-up machine and start my own company, maybe I could make a good living.” That’s what he eventually did. He started with one machine and kept growing and growing.

Balogh’s sons Scott and Steven are now president and vice president of the family business. Scott joined Mar-Bal in 1992 and has been president and chief executive officer since 1998. With Scott’s leadership, the company opened its state-of-the-art research and development technical center in 2007 and expanded globally by opening a sales office in Shanghai, China in

Mar-Bal O N E O F A M E R I C A’ S FA S T E S T- G R O W I N G P R I VAT E B U S I N E S S E S

By Rebekah Maple

8

2012. Vice President Steven started with Mar-Bal in 1993 focusing on the development of new materials and production techniques. Through his research and development, he enabled the company to support an annual compound-sales-growth rate of more than 10 percent.

Mar-Bal operates from five different locations across America: a research and development center and corporate office on Queens Way in Auburn Township, a manufacturing plant on Munn Road in Auburn Township, two Missouri plants and a Virginia plant. They also operate from their Asia sales office in China.

As a one-source solutions provider, Mar-Bal designs, formulates, compounds, molds and finishes products for their customers. The company serves the appliance, electrical, industrial, food service and transportation industries as the leading compounder and molder of BMC (Bulk Molding Compound) Thermoset composite products and finishing services. It is a one-source-solutions provider that takes a product from start to finish for the customer. Whirlpool is its largest customer in appliances and Eaton Corporation, a power management company, is its largest customer in industrial equipment.

By definition, composites are the result of two or more significantly different materials that, when combined, produce a substance with characteristics different than the individual elements. Each element independently contributes its physical properties to the combined material.

Mar-Bal composites are blends of various resins, such as polyester and epoxy, and fillers, like glass and limestone, that are combined in large, dough-like mixers with many different pigments added to reach an end material. Thermoset composites cure through heat,

chemical reaction and pressure to form an inter-linked molecular structure that permanently maintains its form and cannot be melted, reformed or dissolved.

“We’re different than a lot of plastics,” Scott Balogh explains. “A lot of plastics are mostly oil, whereas our stuff is mostly mineral fillers and fiberglass, so really the carbon footprint of our composite is a lot lower than most plastics.”

“Regular plastic,” Jim Balogh adds, “like the junk plastic you see every day, is almost 100% petroleum products.”

Because of the plethora of benefits, composites can be used in more diverse applications as a replacement for traditional engineering materials such as wood, metal, aluminum, ceramic and steel. These beneficial characteristics as listed by the American Composites Manufacturers Association include: light weight, high strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistant, chemical resistant, heat resistant, low to no smoke emissions, nonconductive, non-magnetic, low maintenance and long-term durability.

On the electrical side, Mar-Bal makes standoff insulators for such products as tow motors, windmills and different kinds of electrical

equipment like circuit breakers and electrical switches. For appliances, it makes products like knobs, control panels, appliance vents and handles. The company also has its own proprietary items: a fire resistant wastebasket and iron organizer.

In Mar-Bal’s Research and Development (R&D) Center, materials engineers test the products to comply with industry-set standards. The R&D center is where Scott Balogh says they “bust ‘em, break ‘em and burn ‘em.” They will bend test bars and measure pounds of force and deflection until it breaks, angle changes

Mar-Bal O N E O F A M E R I C A’ S FA S T E S T- G R O W I N G P R I VAT E B U S I N E S S E S

By Rebekah Maple

Mar-Bal is the largest manufacturer and supplier of electrical insulators in North America with 139 customers, plus or minus.

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 0

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and how long the test bar burns before it extinguishes. They measure for and perform various tests – such as scratch and stain tests and even real-life scenarios like cooking ketchup, mustard and vinegar on the oven handles. Scott Balogh says, “You don’t want your appliances to burn.”

The analytical equipment performs different kinds of breakdowns, but mostly thermal, and looks at what happens to the base material as it is broken down and decomposes over time. It creates an organic fingerprint for the material itself that is inspected by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global independent safety science company, to make sure everything is compliant and all electrical equipment is safe.

Scott Balogh says that within Mar-Bal, they customize used machines to run their own materials, and they design their own molds. “It takes a minimum of three months but usually closer to six months before a machine is finished, but it’s brand new when it leaves. There’s a group of six people working in equipment and equipment rebuilding and five materials engineers, plus a group who does all the part and product design.”

“It’s like a hot rod shop,” he explains. “We literally change a lot of the equipment, then we rebuild it. We add a lot more in terms of electrics, safety devices, and large circuit breakers made of our composites. We also rebuild all the hydraulics if it’s a molding press or hydraulic machine. We replace hoses and rebuild valves. Like a frame-off restoration, we really restore the whole piece of equipment.”

The molds they design take approximately six months to finish, but can take up to a year from day one. They are expensive, chrome-plated molds that go through many steps before completion. Mar-Bal samples them, and the customer must approve it before it is used.

“When a customer says they want to design something, we help figure out how to manufacture it,” Scott Balogh says. “They

know what they want it to look like but not necessarily how to design and detail it.”

Ron Poff, global marketing and brands manager, revamped the company’s web site in April 2014, and soon after saw a 20 percent hit rate due to search engine optimization and utilization of key words. He is also responsible for Mar-Bal’s insulator line, materials and branding. He says Mar-Bal is the largest manufacturer and supplier of electrical insulators in North America with 139 customers, plus or minus.

Because of the availability of raw materials over the years, there is some competition and quite a hotbed of thermoset composite manufacturers in northeast Ohio. Poff says Mar-Bal led over the past 20-25 years because of the investments they made with their injection molding machines, automation and robotics.

“We compete on a global scale,” he explains. “So Geauga County is actually competing with folks in Mexico, India, China and Vietnam, and we’re winning business.”

Poff says their investments and integration are important to drive innovation and successfully compete with other low-cost countries. “And good people,” he adds. “We hire good people within Geauga County.”

Mar-Bal was recently honored by Inc. magazine, a premier entrepreneurial publication focused on growing companies, with an Inc. 5,000 award for the second consecutive year. This exclusive list ranks the nation’s top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies according to percentage revenue growth over a four-year period.

Currently Mar-Bal employs 525 people company-wide. To put this number into perspective, there were only 380 employees three years ago. Mar-Bal is still growing with a range of $50 million to $100 million in annual sales.

In 2010, Mar-Bal researchers developed a new metalized finishing process called Thermital. Poff explains, “The finished product really looks

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 9

Mar-Bal

(l-r): Scott Balogh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mar-Bal, Inc., Steven Balogh, Vice-President of Mar-Bal, Inc.


and feels like metal, but it allows for geometric design freedoms where metals can be limiting.” Stainless steel,

chrome and brass are some examples of the limitless options for consideration. While many metal-finishing processes are toxic and harmful to the environment, the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process utilized by Mar-Bal is environmentally friendly and considered a “green” application.

Applications for Thermital include appliance handles, control knobs for stoves, oven control panels, washer, dryer and dishwasher components, counter top kitchen appliances, and under-the-hood automotive and heavy truck parts.

Scott Balogh says their competition isn’t just people who make composites – since Mar-Bal is the premier supplier within its market – but it’s metals, and not just in the finishing process, but overall parts consolidation as well.

Appliances and control panels are made of metal, but by using composites, many different parts, such as brackets and weld pieces, can be consolidated. A single piece made of composite material can replace an entire assembly of metal parts. Reducing parts saves time and cuts down on the maintenance needed over the life of the item.

From a marketing standpoint, Poff focuses on market development opportunities by identifying where Mar-Bal can fit in to grow and expand. He also delivers the message that the products are made in America, which resonates with many of their customers.

“A lot of people don’t even know what the material is,” Jim Balogh says. “Marketing is very important. We’re replacing aluminum, cast iron, cheap plastic and brass, which can save a customer a lot of money.”

Their type of material hasn’t even been around 100 years, so there’s still a small niche and not a lot of competition compared to other plastics.

Poff adds that many composites companies don’t even know what thermoplastics are either. He helps educate by doing knowledge-share events where he presents the benefits and advantages of thermoset composites to the customer. There’s an awareness that needs built. If the industry is growing, the business is growing.

“We’re a good neighbor, an innovative neighbor,” Poff says. “We’re a global company with multi facilities right here in Geauga County and are probably one, if not the only one, of America’s fastest-growing companies in Geauga County.”

Stealing a line from German chemical company BASF, Scott Balogh adds, “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.” So although people don’t necessarily know who makes all these parts, they are all still there. Consumers come into contact with composite materials every day.

Ohio has almost every major manufacturing technology someone could want: plastics, ceramics, paints, steel, metal stampings, etc. A perk of being in Geauga County, Scott Balogh says, is that people have a work ethic that’s very positive, and it’s a safe environment where people come to work to do their job, enjoy what they do, and then go home and have dinner with their family. “We all want to grow the industry, in terms of jobs in the community,” Scott Balogh says. “We’ve got a good state and a good region.”

Mar-Bal invests in the community in a number of different ways. It contributes to the volunteer fire department every year, participates in fundraisers for United Way Services of Geauga County and helps during community days for WomenSafe, Inc. in Chardon. Scott Balogh says they also like to take the day off a couple times a year to do things like landscaping as community

service work. For veterans’ organizations, they worked on a brick-paving project and donated to them. In addition, Mar-Bal and the Balogh family have always supported the Geauga Park District financially, both as a company and privately.

In May 2014, Mar-Bal received the legacy award from the Geauga County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC). Anita Stocker, director for the Geauga County Department of Community and Economic Development (CED) and member of the CIC Board of Trustees, explains that winning as a legacy company means they have a long-standing history with the county, they continue revenue growth, increase jobs and continue to be a presence in the community.

Jim Balogh’s wife, Carolyn, has done a lot of volunteer work for the CIC and has also served on the Geauga Growth Partnership (GGP) board.

“They’re a good model for any other business to look at because company comes first before egos or anything else,” Stocker says. “They provide customers, community and family with the best. They’re really a poster child.”

Scott Balogh says first and foremost Mar-Bal’s goal is to be the premier supplier within the industry – meaning the best in terms of its materials, technology and people. To accomplish this, he adds that they need to exemplify world-class quality and continue improving technology, which drives the cost structure because automating improves quality and reduces labor costs. The other way to become the premier is through materials and materials development since the basis of competition is in development and great people within the engineering team.

“It’s a true American dream,” Poff adds. “And Jim had that dream in 1970. Even with all the challenges, his can-do spirit created a secon- generational business in manufacturing. There’s not a lot of that left, but we’re surviving.”

“ Geauga County is actually competing with folks in Mexico, India, China and Vietnam, and we’re winning business.”

- Ron Poff, Global Marketing

and Brands Manager, Mar-Bal


Talk with any major Geauga County employer in the manufacturing sector,

and you will hear loud and clear, “We need to fill our labor needs, particularly entry-level and middle-management positions.” Kent State University’s Geauga campus has taken steps to help the business sector fill these critical openings.

For instance, a Kent State University at Geauga representative serves on the Business Resource Network, where representatives interview area businesses regarding their needs, and confidentially, respond with resources to assist them.

“Kent State Geauga is also among those resources, when appropriate,” states Susan Emens, Ph.D., Interim Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Kent State University at Geauga & Regional Academic Center at Twinsburg. “In addition, our Career Services department provides information about area job openings, internships, and volunteer postings for our students, faculty and staff. These postings are also placed on campus bulletin boards and ‘Hot Jobs & Cool Internships’ notebooks.”

LuAnn Linson Coldwell, M.A., Career Adviser at Kent State Geauga, says, “It is vital for our regional campus to partner with local

businesses – for-profit as well as non-profit – in terms of career development. Our students desire experience in the real world, which, hopefully, will transition into full-time jobs. Many of our students on the Geauga campus have already decided they want to stay in the area, which is good news for local business and industry.”

According to Dr. Emens, students interested in business can pursue two pathways: one of several Associate of Applied Business Management in Technology degrees, which allows them to move seamlessly toward a variety of four-year degrees; or a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management or Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies degree.

On the KSU Geauga campus, students enjoy face-to-face courses with such high-quality, credentialed faculty as Dr. Joseph Muscatello, Ph. D., CFPIM, associate professor of Business Management Technology; Maxim Bushuev, Ph. D., assistant professor of Management; and Velvet Landingham, Ph. D., associate professor of Management, as well as take some distant-learning courses.

“These professors are part of the College of Business at Kent State University and bring a wide variety of business courses to

the Geauga campus,” Emens explains. “My goal is to work closely with the business community here in Geauga County and build the business program at KSU-Geauga and build pathways for our working students to achieve associate and bachelor degrees in business.”

One such pathway is Kent State Geauga’s accelerated degree program where students can take up to two classes at a time each semester over a two-year period and complete an associate degree while working full time. “This ‘hybrid’ program is primarily a face-to-face experience with a few online courses,” she describes.

Professor Muscatello says many Geauga County residents may not be aware that college credits are still viable, even if they were earned 20 years ago. “They are still valid,” he explains. “We can help you finish your degree, no matter what college you attended. Many people would be surprised to learn that they have already earned the equivalent of an associate degree. By simply applying here, we can get them that degree.”

Emens says Kent State Geauga also has active connections with area Chambers of Commerce, Geauga Growth Partnership, GEL,

Kent State Partners with Business to Fill Labor Needs in CountyBy Margie Wilber

“ Many of our students on the Geauga campus have already decided they want to stay in the area, which is good news for local business and industry.”

- LuAnn Linson Coldwell, M.A., Career Adviser at Kent State Geauga

(l-r): Maxim Bushuev, Assistant Professor of Management; Susan Emens, Ph.D., Interim Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs; Joseph Muscatello, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business Management Technology; and LuAnn Linson Coldwell, Career Adviser


Kent State Geauga currently offers six associate degrees and two bachelor’s degrees related to business:

• Management Technology in Accounting Technology

• Associate of Applied Business Management Technology in Business Administration

• Associate of Applied Business Management Technology in General Management, Entrepreneurship, and Manufacturing

• Associate of Applied Business Management Technology in Information Technology

• Associate of Applied Business Management Technology in Marketing and Sales

• Associate of Applied Business Management Technology in Computer Applications (with options in: Application Development Technology, General Technology, Internet/Multimedia Technology, or Network Technology)

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management

• Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies

and other area business organizations which prove pivotal in helping fill vacant positions.

“From the Business Resource Network, we have identified a strong current need for manufacturing employees. Our goal is to not only meet the needs of the market today but prepare our students for jobs that don’t even exist yet,” Coldwell states. “We do this by providing a strong foundation in critical-thinking skills and communication. Our graduates are prepared to be adaptable because they have demonstrated the ability to learn and grasp concepts from a wide variety of perspectives.”

Kent State Geauga currently offers six associate degrees and two bachelor degrees related to business. (See sidebar.)

“We can also offer Lean Management Training and 6 SIGMA certifications at KSU-Geauga,” Muscatello, adds. The business-savvy professor owns six businesses himself in addition to teaching business courses at Kent State. “We’ve also completed XL training for Geauga Growth Partnership.”

Many other majors, while not specific to any one particular business focus, provide students the opportunity to gain the key managerial skills of problem solving, motivating others, creativity, communication, working with others towards a common goal, leadership, and more, says Emens.

“We are constantly in the community talking to business leaders in venues such as our regular meetings with our campus advisery board members, GEL breakfasts held monthly on campus, attendance to area Chamber meetings, etc.,” notes Emens. Kent State Geauga also sponsored a “Career Fair” on campus in March of 2014 and will be co-sponsoring a “Jobs & Majors” Fair with the Chardon Chamber of Commerce in spring 2015. (Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 4-7 pm, Kent State Geauga, Clark Commons)

Much progress has been made to give high school students on-the-job experience thanks to Geauga Growth Partnership initiatives. Since most employers view college internships as a recruitment step towards possible full-time employment within their organization (59-82 percent of college interns are offered full-time jobs

by their intern employer), and since each academic department may have specific requirements for their internships, creating one, unified college internship program is not a usual approach, Coldwell says. “Instead, our Career Services department can serve as a liaison to make those opportunities available to our students.”

She continues, “Many students at KSU-Geauga need to work while they attend college. Because of that fact, we encourage our students to seek part-time and full-time jobs that relate to their career goals. Students can gain valuable career experience through working and volunteering, as well as internships.” Paid internships are desired for KSU-Geauga students who often struggle with financial constraints.

Emens added, “We are not just in the community. We are a part of this community. We feel this philosophy resonates throughout Kent State University, beginning at the top of our leadership pyramid with KSU President Dr. Beverly Warren. President Warren understands the role Kent State University plays in this community. During her first few months as president, she visited the regional campuses and engaged in campus conversations to hear about the community’s expectations and desires.”

Any employer seeking interns, or who has questions about setting up internships (including information on the Department of Labor’s 6-point test for for-profit organization’s internships), can contact Kent State University at Geauga Career Adviser LuAnn Coldwell at [email protected] or call 440.834.4187. Available internship positions can be posted to Kent State University’s Experience job/internship database, accessible to all 45,000 Kent students at http://www.kent.edu/career/welcome-employers.

Any business or non-profit organization seeking to hire part-time or full-time employees, or with volunteer (non-profit groups only) opportunities, may also contact LuAnn Coldwell. Businesses and organization wishing to broaden their recruiting to all eight KSU campus locations can post openings to Experience job/internship database by clicking on: http://www.kent.edu/career/welcome-employers.

(l-r): Maxim Bushuev, Assistant Professor of Management; Susan Emens, Ph.D., Interim Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs; Joseph Muscatello, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business Management Technology; and LuAnn Linson Coldwell, Career Adviser


A car full of kids for a spring ride in the country, a visit to the Apple Butter Festival and Maple Syrup Festival along with

a panorama of fall colors splashed across the horizon – sometimes the happiest memories are the foundation for dreams that do come true. At least that’s how it worked out for Gordon Safran, owner of Burton’s Red Maple Inn, located off the Burton circle.

Gordon and Evie Safran grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland. It was there that they met, married and raised their four children. “I was always drawn to Geauga County. Evie and I often packed up the kids and took a ride for a day in the country,” he remembers fondly.

A pharmacist by education, the hard-working Safran took advantage of opportunity and wasn’t afraid to take risks. Clearly, these characteristics led him to a career change and the eventual purchase of the EB Brown Opticians– three optical stores in 1975. Over the next 21 years, the chain expanded to include 42 stores in four states.

In addition to success in business and the demands of raising a family, Gordon and his wife are avid volunteers. Perhaps that is why the couple purchased a second home in Burton as a retreat from the hustle and bustle. Here, the family – children and grandchildren—would come to relax and unwind.

Safran was enamored with country life in Burton and its surrounding villages. However, like many, it was the Amish culture that truly piqued his interest. And so, when the 61-year old Safran retired from EB Brown Opticians in 1996, the seeds of a project were already planted.

“This part of Geauga County really has so much to offer. The quiet, country atmosphere is a great place to relax, and I always found that business meetings were much more productive in this type of atmosphere than in the city. I decided to build an inn,” he states.

The project took three years to bring to fruition. First, he purchased three acres just off Burton’s town square by the historical Century Village. Next, he sought approval to build. Finally, the inn was constructed. Each stage was a year in the making!

RED MAPLE INN: A Little Bit of Country by Gina McVey


RED MAPLE INN: A Little Bit of Country by Gina McVey

“ I set out to build an inn where people could enjoy a bit of the country, and I believe we have done just that.”

- Gordon Safran, owner of Burton’s Red Maple Inn

Gordon and Evie Safran

In March 1999, the Red Maple Inn opened its doors. The 18-room inn is a hybrid with both the charm and easy warmth of a bed and breakfast along with the amenities and privacy of a small hotel. “What sets the Red Maple Inn apart is attention to detail. Gordon really didn’t forget a thing,” explains Red Maple Inn General Manager Gina Holk.

Guest rooms are charming with a traditional decor, Amish-built furniture, and a private bath with Jacuzzi. Many rooms offer a fireplace and balcony. Each room is equipped with a unique “always on” night light, so guests can turn off the lights without fear of a bump in the night and valet for “his” jacket and personal effects. Reading glasses, shoe polishers and his and her interest magazines are just a few additional niceties guests appreciate.

Local Amish builders had a strong influence—on the construction, millwork and custom furniture. The main rooms are immaculate and engaging, offering expansive views of the horizon that includes historical buildings, barns and pastures of Century Village. On occasion, a guest might even peek into yesteryear as an Amish farmer tends the animals grazing on the property.

A visit to the Red Maple Inn Library offers a comfy couch, a place to play a game, try a puzzle or watch a movie. The Burton Room is used for receptions and as a business conference center; a lower level offers exercise equipment and a place for a little ping pong and pool.

The inn offers a delicious Amish-made hot breakfast featuring homemade granola offered to guests each morning as well as wine and cheese in the afternoon. A partnership with the Welshfield Inn and their excellent chefs provides catering services. Twice a month, a local Mennonite family with their Amish neighbors serve guests a delicious Amish dinner with all the fixings!

The Red Maple Inn has all the makings of a lovely getaway. In fact, the Red Maple Inn is a 4-Diamond AAA award winner since 2003. But, there is more.

Immediately upon entering the inn, guests know that they are part of a community where friendships and partnerships are easy and true. The lobby shelves hold treasures of local wares: Burton’s finest maple syrup, hand- painted wine glasses, hand-knitted

hats and throws, Miller’s homemade jellies and jams, and Amish wood crafts.

Look a little closer and the bulletin board announces local events going on – from a Middlefield craft show, a performance at the Chardon Geauga Lyric Theatre, or an art fair in Chagrin Falls.

Yes, it seems the Red Maple Inn is truly vested in the community.

Safran continues to be involved in volunteerism and has been recognized by several local organizations, including Burton/Middlefield Rotary, Leadership Geauga and the Geauga County Commissioners. He serves on the board of the DDC, a clinic concerned with improving the quality of life for those with genetic disorders, particularly that of the Amish community. In May 2012 Gordon was honored with the first DDC Clinic Champion Award.

Both Safran and Holk served for several years on the local tourism board. That makes sense. However, the inn does many things to advertise beyond internet marketing, word of mouth and providing interviews for articles such as this. Their efforts are making their mark, as the inn sees many guests time and again and boasts a higher than average occupancy.

“More and more, we host corporate retreats,” states Holk. “And, we have many clubs and organizations that visit us on a regular basis.” Favorite guests include the ladies club that makes an annual trip to the inn for a weekend of scrapbooking while making a few fond memories in the process.

Yet, both Safran and Holk know their Amish neighbors and local manufacturers and businesses are the real draw to the state’s second-largest Amish community.

“We want to showcase Geauga County,” adds Safran. So, for those that make the trip to Geauga County the inn offers a two-hour, back-road tour that includes a visit to an Amish school house and a glimpse into a culture so very different from our own.

Now, remember, this is a man that knows a thing or two about growing a business.

As homage to the community, Safran commissioned local artisan Chris McConnell of Mesopotamia, Ohio, to produce a sculpture – a seven-foot horse and buggy fashioned from scrap metal for his inn. Gordon looks very much forward to doing another in the near future.

“For me, the best part of the job is reading the heartwarming stories in the guest diaries,” Safran shares. “I set out to build an inn where people could enjoy a bit of the country, and I believe we have done just that.”

For more information on the Red Maple Inn or to make a reservation, please call 440.834.8334.

www.redmapleinn.com 14707 S Cheshire St, Burton, OH 44021


It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Alpine Valley Ski Resort.

Snow-sport season is upon us, and at Alpine Valley, it’s better than ever thanks to multi-million-dollar improvements undertaken by its new owners in 2013.

“They’ve done a lot to improve the hills and make them more user-friendly,” enthuses Elaine Kuhl of Chardon, whose family has been going to Alpine Valley for years. “We’ve been really happy with them and all of the changes they’ve made.”

Jason Boyd is general manager of the full-service ski resort, located on Mayfield Road in Munson Township. “We have great beginner terrain and really wide, mellow runs for people of all abilities to come out and have a great time skiing and snowboarding,” Boyd says.

Alpine Valley offers all three types of ski terrain – beginner, intermediate and advanced – as well as Polar Blast snow tubing.

The resort was bought in November 2012 by St. Louis, Missouri-based Peak Resorts Inc., which also owns Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort in Peninsula. In addition, Peak Resorts owns 10 other ski areas in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic region and New England.

“It was a great opportunity and felt right in our wheelhouse of ski operations,” Boyd reflects. “We’ve been running Boston Mills/Brandywine since the early 2000s, and we’ve been very satisfied with their performance and with the resilience of the winter enthusiasts of the Cleveland area and surrounding region.

“Having Alpine Valley here to serve the same consumer base made a lot of sense for us,” he continues. “We are also able to have some synergies from an operations standpoint because the resorts are so close together.”

There’s also the obvious advantage of a location in the snow belt.

“We had 125 inches of natural snow at Alpine Valley last year,” Boyd states. By comparison, Boston Mills and Brandywine, about 45 minutes away, tallied 85 inches.

Alpine Valley also came with a built-in, loyal customer base that is growing.

“We’ve had some pretty encouraging increases in our base since we made the improvements,” Boyd notes.

“That was our goal,” he adds. “We knew there were some improvements we could make and that were short term that would get results in a short period of time.”

Alpine Valley recorded about 40,000 visits to its slopes last year, its first year after making $2.5 million in improvements in the off-season.

Among the major capital improvements at the resort was the installation/replacement of about 3,500 feet of underground snowmaking pipe, and adding 20 snow guns to the previous inventory of 13.

Hit the slopes at new and improved Alpine ValleyBy Jennifer Seward

16 GEAUGA BUSINESS Winter 2015

“When we bought the property, the snowmaking was really lacking from a volume standpoint,” Boyd explains. “That’s our specialty – snowmaking and grooming – and we knew we were going to have to make quite a bit of an investment to ensure we could guarantee every season that we can make snow for the entire area.”

Snow guns combine high-pressure air with high-pressure water from the snowmaking pipes and shoot plumes of snow, with about a 25-foot throw, Boyd explains.

Sno-Cat tractors push out and flatten the piles of snow and can create jumps in the terrain. “Sno-Cats have a tiller on the back that grooms the snow, making it a nice, soft, skiable surface,” Boyd adds.

Another big change was to re-grade an expert terrain area into a new area for beginning skiers and snowboarders that is chair-lift accessible. Alpine Valley also doubled its chair lifts by adding two more – including one that seats four across – and installing a “magic carpet” conveyor belt lift system for young skiers and snowboarders.

Two of those chair lifts load right at the base area, with one leading to the beginner terrain and the other to the top of the hill, which is 260 vertical feet, Boyd notes.

Long-time customer Kuhl, who has two children, sees those changes as a tremendous benefit. “The kids don’t have to struggle with the J-bar or fight with the rope tow,” she says. “That helps build their confidence, and they are better able to get to all of the areas at Alpine Valley.”

The J-bar and rope-tow systems can be difficult for children and even adults to master, she explains.

“Having the magic carpet to get up the little hill or using the lift makes it so much easier. It was a huge advantage to the kids when they got into snowboarding.”

In fact, Kuhl adds, “The changes and renovations at Alpine Valley really helped me to get a better handle on snowboarding.”

Other big changes at the resort include widened trails and the relocation of the Polar Blast snow-tubing hill to the other side of the property. The new, five-lane tubing area is longer than a football field, and a handle tow tugs the tubes and their riders to the top of the hill.

The grounds at Alpine Valley also include a main base lodge, where patrons can grab a cup of hot cocoa or a sandwich in the cafeteria, or take a seat in the full-service bar on the third floor.

Next to the lodge is the guest services building, which provides everything needed for a day on the slopes – lift tickets, snowboard and ski lessons, and rental equipment such as ski boots, snowboards and skis.

“What’s great about Alpine Valley is that you don’t have to buy anything; you can just rent it,” Kuhl points out.

Kuhl, 40, took to skiing about 15 years ago and snowboarding two years ago. She and her husband Donald and their 9- and 11-year-old sons are perennial season pass-holders; all three ski, snowboard and tube. The boys have been skiing since they were 3 years old.

An all-day snow pass for skiing and snowboarding is $43 for ages 13 and up, plus rental equipment. Discounts are offered to children and senior citizens, and after 3:30 pm. Snow tubing is $25 for a three-hour session, $59 all day. The cost for a season pass varies with age and when it is purchased; the best deal is to buy one between the end of February and April for the next season.

At that time, Boyd says, “It’s $299 for an unlimited season pass, and you can use it for the remaining part of the season.”

“The cool thing about that is that we are able to combine ski privileges at all three areas – Alpine Valley and Boston Mills/Brandywine,” he emphasizes. “We felt that was a really nice value to be able to give to our pass-holders.”

The season typically begins in mid- to late December and wraps up by mid-March.

“We run between 70 and 95 days in a typical year,” Boyd notes.

Alpine Valley has about 15 full-time, year-round staff, with a staff about 10 times that during ski season.

“It’s a great, inexpensive way to get the family out and enjoy the winter weather,” says Kuhl, whose family frequents the slopes about twice a week.

“It’s nice to have facilities so close to home, and it’s a good opportunity to expose your kids to something fun and active to do in the wintertime.”

For more information, visit alpinevalleyohio.com or call 440-285-2211.

“ We have great beginner terrain

and really wide, mellow runs

for people of all abilities to

come out and have a great time

skiing and snowboarding.”

- Jason Boyd, general manager of Alpine Valley

17 GEAUGA BUSINESS Winter 2015

How do you take an idea or a startup company with $0 in revenue and grow it to

a thriving business? According to Scott Purvis, Ph.D., owner and chief executive officer of Venture Launch, the recipe includes these ingredients: a good product, strong leadership, a solid strategic plan, and good people.

Venture Launch Consulting Group helps entrepreneurs and companies develop strategies for locating investors; evaluates merger and acquisition opportunities; builds financial models to forecast company cash flow and profit & loss; builds commercialization plans; prepares audit documentation; and more. In addition, the consulting group offers basic services such as accounting and IT support that allow the founders to focus on building the core business.

Purvis earned a BS degree in biology and chemistry from Bowling Green State University and an MS degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Ph.D. in Immunology/Virology from Case Western Reserve University. This fall, the innovative, results-oriented operations executive with entrepreneurial biotechnology and software development organizations started Venture Launch Consulting Group, LLC.

The seasoned businessman has several successes in his back pocket.

“In 2009 at Cleveland HeartLab, LLC, we had a great product that advanced the way doctors managed their patients’ cardiovascular risk. We developed a good strategic plan and were able to attract investment during difficult economic times. After that, we put together an outstanding team, and the company quickly grew to become one of Inc.com’s 2013 Top 10 Fastest-Growing Businesses in Cleveland.”

Prior to Cleveland HeartLab, Dr. Purvis used the same recipe to build Datatrak International to profitability. “We had a great team of project and data managers who grew corporate revenue from $0 to $10 million in four years.

VENTURE LAUNCH CONSULTING GROUP: Harnessing ‘The Life Cycle Of An Idea’ for Corporate Profitsby Margie Wilber

“There is a

wealth of talent

in North East

Ohio – people

who have great

ideas but just

need help with

the intricacies

to make it

happen.”

- Scott Purvis, Ph.D.,

Owner and Chief

Executive Officer of

Venture Launch


“I enjoy the intellectual stimulation that comes along with helping companies realize their goals. That’s what keeps me going,” admits Purvis. “There is a wealth of talent in Northeast Ohio – people who have great ideas but just need help with the intricacies to make it happen.’”

Dr. Purvis acknowledges he is a long-time student of the “life-cycle concept” – taking an idea and turning it into a real business.

“Very few people bring together science and business into the mix. My science background allows me to understand highly technical ideas and products,” says Purvis. “My business experience in operations management, project management, mergers and acquisitions, corporate vision, strategic planning, financial modeling, FDA quality systems, leadership and team building, software development/implementation, and good manufacturing practices allows me to think both tactical and strategic when it comes to growing a business.

“My experience in start-ups, medical devices, revenue growth, and finance can assist entrepreneurs, CEOs, and inventors who are hungry to take their ideas into the marketplace,” states Purvis. “Think of me as a tool you can use to bounce off ideas and help with strategic planning to move ideas into production.”

He explains that, as in nature, not all companies take the same path to success or travel the same life cycle. But, in general, the life cycle of a company starts when an inventor has an early version of the product and has demonstrated some level of “proof of concept.” At this point, getting a patent is usually the first hurdle. Northeast Ohio has many business incubators that can help with this complex process.

“Protecting the invention by a well-written patent application is important during the very early stages as this is often the only source of ‘value’ that future investors consider,” explains Purvis. “With patent in hand, the money chase starts.”

Purvis admits these companies tend to be very high-risk investments, so early seed money usually comes from private individuals, called “investment angels,” government agencies (in the form of grants), family members, or even personal credit card loans.

“At this stage, companies usually need help with strategic, commercialization, and financial planning. Raising money is hard work and making sure that every dollar is focused on growth is key,” continues Purvis.

He adds, “At different times in a company’s growth, I’ve also learned that needs can change dramatically.”

If the company continues to grow and show success, the next step is usually to approach venture capital firms (VCs) for investment. To be successful in raising VC money, the company usually has some form of revenue or is close to acquiring revenue. According to Purvis, there are some exceptions – in particular, clinical trials for new drugs are very time consuming and expensive.

“As a CEO searching for VC money, it’s very important to pitch to the right firm. In addition, strategic and financial plans need to be fine-tuned and accurately reflect the company’s operational growth plan. It’s also important to understand the expectations associated with this type of investment. Investors are looking for a 500 to 1,000 percent return on their investment, and in the venture-capital world, they are expecting this to occur in a five- to seven-year term,” Purvis states.

“One of my favorite TV shows is Shark Tank because it shows different companies at different stages, their different needs, and it embodies the value Venture Launch strives to deliver,” says Purvis. “Many of the entrepreneurs give poor presentations because they did not think through all of the details and become shark food. But then you see someone who understands the recipe for success and walks away with an investment. The goal of Venture Launch is to help entrepreneurs understand the business landscape so they can tell a solid, complete, and credible story to whomever they are talking to.”

Purvis says Shark Tank also teaches people about another key element that is critical, but not often openly discussed: talent. “You can have a great product and the perfect plan, but you need people to put it all in motion and manage through the inevitable turmoil. Inventors need to know when to give up leadership to a CEO with business skills. This is often a difficult discussion as the dream of most inventors includes leading a company. Smart organizations find technical roles for inventors and keep them engaged.”

To contact Dr. Scott Purvis and Venture Launch Consulting Group, call 440.346.5784 or email [email protected].

VENTURE LAUNCH CONSULTING GROUP: Harnessing ‘The Life Cycle Of An Idea’ for Corporate Profitsby Margie Wilber


Newbury’s Culinary Renaissance by Chris Taylor

Ask Newbury residents where they buy groceries, and most will say Chardon, Middlefield,

Chesterland, or Bainbridge. All lovely places, but not the most convenient stops for Newbury shoppers.

Thankfully, Newbury is experiencing a culinary renaissance. Cruise down Route 87 (Kinsman Road) to witness industry making way for quality eateries and specialty food shops. Some of the newest food-related businesses to stake claims on the Route 87 corridor are Paradise Pub and Eatery, Subway, D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café, Sharon James Cellars, Newbury Country Meats, and Familia’s Deli & Fresh Market.

Geauga Business magazine welcomes all of these fine establishments to the county. We would like to feature each one here, but due to space limits, we will focus on a vintner, a baker, and a sandwich maker.

Sharon James CellarsAfter years of traveling through and enjoying Ohio’s wine trails, wine enthusiasts Jim and Sharon Sciaulino began making wine at home. It was so well received by friends and family that their wine soon took on a life of its own. In 2007, the Northeast Ohio natives planted a vineyard on their Mantua property. After three years, once the vines matured, the notion of owning a winery began to take root. What was once a hobby would soon become a new business venture.

In August 2012, the Sciaulinos combined their first names and Sharon James Cellars was born. Truly one of Newbury’s gems, the boutique winery is located on Kinsman Road, just one mile west of Punderson State Park. Nestled on five acres in the former Green Acres Tavern & Restaurant building, Sharon James is a local favorite and must-stop destination for visitors and tourists. The Sciaulinos renovated their building to include a tasting room, wine bar, production facility, and outdoor patio. Rustic elegance and live entertainment attract patrons looking for a memorable gastronomic experience. The warm atmosphere, complete with wood floors and fireplace, is the ideal setting in which to relax and enjoy great wine, food and company.

“We chose Newbury because we’d been looking for a building for a few years,” says Jim Sciaulino, who retired from the auto industry before becoming a professional vintner. “This building became available, and it was perfect for our needs. Also, Geauga County offers so much help from organizations like Geauga Growth Partners and Leadership Geauga. The Geauga County Tourism Council has been great, too. It is very aggressive in promoting local businesses and offering networking opportunities.”

Sharon James wines are produced on the Newbury premises and named after virtues. From Vitality (a dry Cabernet Sauvignon) to Defiance (a sweet Catawba) to Acceptance (a semi-dry Riesling), the Sciaulinos offer customers a balanced variety of eight different wines. All chilled wines are served through a tap system, a feature that sets Sharon

James Cellars apart from many other wineries—it is one of Northeast Ohio’s only wineries to serve varieties on tap. Reds are in bottles for temperature control purposes. All wines are available in bottles for to-go sales.

“The tap helps keep fresh product every time we serve,” explains Sciaulino. “Also, it’s greener for the environment. The wines are served in-house in carafes, nicely chilled.” Recognizing that not all potential customers are wine drinkers, Sciaulino says his establishment serves handcrafted beer on tap from two local microbreweries: Chardon BrewWorks and Little Mountain Brewing Co., Mentor.

“We do not want to be a bar, we are a winery,” he says. “But, we realize that not everyone drinks wine. We try to keep it local and have something for everyone. To me, running a boutique winery means we are able to connect more with customers. Our customers have become our friends.”

Sharon James Cellars is known for its wine and atmosphere, but its food is another top-notch feature. Cheese plates, fresh hummus, baked pretzels, bruschetta, warm cellar sliders, and desserts are always available, while chef-prepared dinner specials change weekly.

“ To me, running a boutique winery means we are able to connect more with customers. Our customers have

become our friends.”

- Jim Sciaulino, Sharon James Cellars


“We offer more food choices than a typical winery does, and our menu is expanding,” says Sciaulino.

When fair weather reaches Northeast Ohio, Sharon James’ large outdoor seating area is an al fresco hot spot. Live entertainment – year-round on weekends – moves to the patio. No matter the season, the winery is the perfect setting for intimate dinners, large outings, private parties, and fundraisers.

“We try to help the community as much as possible, and we are getting a good response,” says Sciaulino, who has hosted fundraisers for Newbury Local Schools, Geauga County Dog Shelter & Warden’s Office, and others.

“It’s been great doing business in Geauga County,” he adds. “The community supports us, and the local government tries to help out as well.”

Sharon James Cellars 11303 Kinsman Road, Newbury, OH 44065. Phone: (440) 739-4065 Hours: Wednesday - Friday, 1 – 9 pm Saturday, 1 – 10 pm

www.sharonjamescellars.com

D.S. Cakes & Sweet CAFéIn October 2014, Diane Schneider, 30-year Newbury resident and baker, opened her shop doors. After 25 years of running her home-based baking business, Diane and husband Fred Schneider knew it was time for a change—whether it meant investing in a storefront or closing shop.

“I was getting busier and busier,” says Diane. “It was time to either move forward or discontinue the business.”

Diane, often referred to as the “Cake Lady” by her customers, is now realizing her dream of owning a bakery and cafe. Located at the corner of Kinsman and Auburn roads, D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café offers Geauga County residents and visitors a tasty alternative to processed baked goods and fast food. From cakes, cookies and pastries to coffee, chocolates

and desserts, D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café is a sweet-lover’s dream. Schneider’s fresh-made offerings include her wildly popular cupcakes, s’mores bars, peanut butter bars, cakes, cookies, four-berry cheese muffins, and cinnamon rolls. Gluten-free choices round out the menu.

On the savory side, D.S. creates fresh homemade soups, salads and wraps daily. From the looks of the satisfied lunch crowd, the savories are as popular as the sweets.

For shoppers seeking delicious, home-made gifts, Schneider’s shelves are loaded with beautifully packaged shortbread, gift baskets, jars of layered baking mixes, locally produced jams and honey, and chocolates.

From the moment customers walk into D.S. Cakes, they feel at home. There is nothing cookie cutter about the décor—pale blue walls, white wainscoting, antique walnut furniture (circa 1920s -1940s), and one-of-a-kind pendant lights (repurposed from commercial-grade mixer whisks, the skilled handiwork of Schneider’s son Kevin) add to the charm. Schneider’s husband Fred and other children, Rachel and Jacob, also pitched in

with planning and construction. The family effort yielded a comfortable atmosphere with a vintage yet modern twist.

“I would not have done this anywhere else but Newbury,” says Schneider of her new locale. “I love this town. I researched other areas, but because so many people in the community have supported me, I wanted to give back and be more accessible to my customers. I believe with all my heart that Newbury is up and coming. I am very proud to be here.”

Every food item at D.S. Cakes—from batters to frostings to soups—is made from scratch. Schneider says she and her staff make things the hard way, which customers appreciate. She employs six people, all Newbury residents. Reflecting on the economics of running a bakery and café in Geauga County, Schneider stresses the importance of supporting small businesses.

“We have to start taking care of small businesses,” she says. “Too many are getting gobbled up by big stores. We want

Newbury’s Culinary Renaissance by Chris Taylor

Diane Schneider, owner of D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2 2


people to be aware of the importance of small businesses in local communities. They are here because they want to be here—they want to make a difference in a town.”

Since D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café opened its doors in October, public response has been very enthusiastic. Many customers have thanked Schneider for opening.

“We feel blessed to be here, knowing that God has a plan for each of us,” says Schneider.

D.S. Cakes & Sweet Café 1110 Kinsman Road, Newbury, Ohio, 44065. Phone: (440) 564-1106 Hours: Monday - Wednesday, 8 am – 5 pm Thursday and Friday, 7 am – 7 pm Saturday, 8 am – 4 pm

www.dscakessweetcafe.com

Familia’s Deli & Fresh MarketThe newest establishment to hit Newbury’s Kinsman Road corridor is slated to open in late winter 2015. The former Two Cone Heads ice cream shop at the corner of Routes 87 and 44 is now home to Familia’s Deli & Fresh Market.

Owners Vince and Lisa Dimora say their vision is to bring Geauga County an inviting place where Euro-Italian flair meets country hospitality. Familia’s fresh-made products will include deli meats and cheeses, hot and cold sandwiches, daily specials of pasta and soups, homemade sausages, smoked and barbequed meats, cold salads, freshly baked breads, and European-style pastries. Baked goods will be made daily on premises. Look for staples like fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, olive oils, and spices. Fresh produce will be provided by local growers; plans for an outdoor produce stand are underway. For ice cream aficionados, Familia’s will dish up soft-serve custard, old-fashion scoop, and gelato styles.

Perhaps Familia’s most exciting offering is its eagerlyanticipated morning drive-thru window. A true godsend to Newburians and all who travel through their scenic township, the window will feature hot-off-the-grill breakfast sandwiches, fried dough, cannoli, fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee, and other delights.

“We decided to start the business because we’ve always had a passion for food, and we enjoy the togetherness of family and friends,” says Vince, who left a 26-year industrial distribution career to launch his own business. “We felt it was time to rebalance our lives and do something locally so we could spend more time with family and friends, and possibly leave a legacy for our children.”

The Dimoras, who reside in Newbury, wanted their store close to home for convenience. Also, they are hoping to meet

a real need in their own backyard.

“Newbury is a great location because, except for gas stations, there is no place close for residents to buy grocery items,”

says Lisa Dimora. “Driving down Route 87—between the Heinen’s on Chagrin Boulevard and Lander Road (Pepper Pike) and Middlefield Giant Eagle—there are no food stores. The same goes for Route 44, from the 422 exit to Chardon. We think there is a big need for it in Newbury.”

A big need indeed. While Familia’s was under construction, several future patrons stopped by, hoping to buy groceries and sandwiches.

“ Part of giving back

to the community is

being able to hire

folks locally.” - Vince Dimora, Familia’s Deli & Fresh Market

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 2 1

From a philanthropic

perspective, the Dimoras firmly believe

that investing in their town is a way to give back to their community and church. For example, while the deli and market underwent extensive renovations, Familia’s sold fresh Christmas trees and donated 20 percent of its proceeds to St. Helen Catholic School, Newbury. The couple is making an effort to support local businesses as well. They have already contracted several local companies, including WillowLeaf Sign Company, Burton, and Hoenigman Landscaping Co., Newbury.

“Part of giving back to the community is being able to hire folks locally,” adds Vince. “We want employees who will go beyond expectations. Our goal is to provide great service and fantastic food. When people leave Familia’s, we want them to feel like they got value for their buck.”

Familia’s Deli & Fresh Market 12399 Kinsman Rd. - Bldg A, Newbury, Ohio 44065. Hours: Monday - Friday, 6 am – 6 pm (Drive-thru open 6 – 9 am) Saturday, 7 am – 7 pm Sunday, 8 am – 12 pm

www.familiasdeli.com

Newbury’s Culinary Renaissance


To make this event a fundraising success, we ask local business owners and corporations to provide corporate sponsorships at one of these levels:

Event Sponsor $5,000

Major Sponsor $1,000

Tee Sponsor $250

Green Sponsor $250

Both $500

We encourage companies to be creative and make this a lively event!

Geauga Library Foundation Mini-Golf CORPORATE SPONSORS NEEDED

Name to be advertised

Contact person’s name

Address

Phone Email address

Please make your check payable to Geauga Library Foundation and mail a copy of this page to: Geauga County Library Foundation, 12700 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024. Payments are due by February 15th. Questions: 440.286.6811, ext. 131.

Please check all that apply____ Enclosed is my check for $________ to sponsor (circle one) Event sponsor ($5,000) Major sponsor ($1,000) Tee ($250) Green ($250) Both ($500)

____ I prefer to make a donation of $________

____ I want my sponsorship to remain anonymous

Signature Date

Sunday, March 22, 2015 | 10 am - 3 pmGeauga West Library

13455 Chillicothe Rd (Rt. 306), Chesterland

Each year hundreds of Geauga County residents and families enjoy a day of mini-golf at the Geauga West Library, where the entire building is converted into an 18-hole mini-golf course to help raise money for the Geauga Library Foundation. This year,

participants will test their miniature golf skills up and down the library aisles.

WE NEED YOU!

Sponsors will have their company logo displayed on all signage at the event and listed in the Library & Links newsletter as well as in all press releases regarding the event. In addition, each sponsor may decorate their tee, green or both, creating a fun, engaging tee that may reflect the nature of their business. The Geauga West Library will be open from 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, March 21 and from 9 to 9:30 am on Sunday, March 22 to assemble the course. Play will begin at 10 am and continue to 3 pm. Any decorations you wish to keep must be taken down by 4 pm.

23


Chery’s Gymnastics and Beyond in Auburn Township is an all-around family-friendly facility and business. Owner/Director Chery

Braun Bessette believes in not only providing flexible programming and schedules to her customers, but also to her employees, many of whom have families and other jobs. As a result, Bessette says, “I have an energetic, happy staff. They are happy to be part of it, and that melts into the students.”

Located at 9943 E. Washington St., within the Rad Van Business Park, Chery’s Gymnastics and Beyond has 16 staff and an enrollment of 350 students ages 1 to 18. The 6,400-square-foot facility includes a lobby with a play area, a gym, and a multi-purpose studio. The studio is used for activities including dance, martial arts, theater, parent-child classes, and for teaching the fundamentals of ball sports such as baseball.

For younger gymnasts, the gym offers five sets of junior-size bars, including parallel bars, a high bar and rings; a pummel horse; balance beams; a trampoline; a vault; and smaller-scale equipment and various mats. For gymnasts ages 7 and older, the gym is equipped with four sets of regulation-sized uneven parallel bars, five balance beams, a vaulting table, a regulation-sized spring floor, and mini trampolines.

“Our philosophy is to develop thinking gymnasts,” Bessette explains. “We really try to facilitate the growth of the younger gymnasts by teaching the movement patterns of gymnastics with the correct terminology. As children work through the program, they gradually learn the skills correctly in a comfortable atmosphere because we don’t push them to be on a team. They have fun while learning.

Gymnastics By Jennifer Seward

Raising the Bar for Family-Friendly

“ My girls are awesome

pitchers because of

their strong arms.

They’re good at track,

and great at hurdles

because they know

how to leap. I’m a

fan of swimming,

and I recommend the

butterfly stroke.”

- Chery Braun Bessette, Owner, Director, Chery’s Gymnastics and Beyond


Gymnastics By Jennifer Seward

“We also always pick out a leader for the day for each class, and you really get to see their different personalities come out,” she continues. “We want them to learn to be helpful, to help each other in class, and to encourage each other.”

When someone learns a new skill, for example, the whole gym celebrates with a ring of the bell and an announcement, and the students goes home with a “new skill” ribbon to celebrate.

“We progress kids at their own speed,” Bessette notes. “We also challenge the recreational child just as much as the competitive one, and we are just as nurturing to both.”

The Junior Olympic facility has five recreational competitive teams, which opens the door for her gymnasts to pursue other sports, which Bessette does not discourage.

“I believe in cross training,” she says. “That helps develop other skills and self-esteem. My girls are awesome pitchers because of their strong arms. They’re good at track, and great at hurdles because they know how to leap. I’m a fan of swimming, and I recommend the butterfly stroke. If they have bad ankles and are good flippers, I suggest diving.

“I’m a ‘mom’ coach. I look ahead in that child’s life and think about what benefits them so that they have a healthy body in their 30s. Parents appreciate the insight.”

Flexibility is not only part of the curriculum, but also of Bessette’s philosophy as an employer.

“Those on my staff have other jobs; I don’t have them teach any more than they want to teach,” she notes. “I’m very adaptable; for example, if their kids have summers off, I can give them summers off.

“I believe in happy families, happy kids; happy staff, happy students.”

The business is also flexible with its programming.

“We’re very accommodating to people’s lives and lifestyle changes,” Bessette points out. For example, there is an after-school bus stop at the gym, which parents appreciate, and summer camps.

“We ask for families’ input all of the time,” she adds.

Safety and proper training are paramount when coaching gymnastics. Bessette, a former emergency medical technician, and all of her staff are certified in first aid and CPR, and the gym is certified in safety and risk management through the U.S. Gymnastics Federation. In addition, coaches are also certified by the Positive Coaching Alliance, and the gym is a member of both the USA Gymnastics Federation and the Amateur Athletics Union.

“Everyone on my staff is very experienced,” emphasizes Bessette, who is quite experienced herself.

A competitive gymnast in her youth, Bessette joined the sport at age 9 and lettered all four years in high school. She reached level 8, an advanced level in the sport. (Levels range from 1 to 10.) As a teen, she got her first taste of coaching, when she was recruited by her coaches to assist.

The U.S. Army veteran taught gymnastics on the side to military dependents while in Germany from 1978 to 1982 and also when the family moved to Louisiana. Bessette returned to Northeast Ohio when her children reached school age, working in advertising for several years while teaching gymnastics on the side. She then decided to take on gymnastics as a near-full-time job by working at three difference facilities in the area before becoming the gymnastics program director at Fairmount Fine Arts Center, a program that served about 400 students.

After 19 years there, staff changes forced out Bessette and all of her staff. That tough experience, however, led her to realize a dream.

Parent Dick Clark, of Clark Mechanical, was pleased by Bessette’s coaching of his children and owned property in Auburn. He suggested that she build her own facility on his land.

“We made a deal with a handshake,” Bessette remembers, “and I came fully staffed with great instructors.”

Chery’s Gymnastics and Beyond opened its doors in 2006.

She designed the facility, decked out with colorful walls, images and shapes that appeal to young children.

Bessette also manages her own website, creates her own graphics, and more.

“I don’t farm out a lot of things in my business, but when I do, I support other local businesses,” she says.

Bessette, 55, grew up in Bainbridge and Auburn, and her children, James, 33, and Patrick, 25, of Mantua, are Kenston graduates, like their mother.

In her spare time, Bessette is a volunteer naturalist for the Geauga Park District and participates as a character in the park district’s annual Winter Solstice Candlelight Walk. In the past, she served on the board of the Bainbridge Historical Society and the board of the former Centerville Mills YMCA camp, now a park owned by Bainbridge Township.

For more information, visit cherysgymnasticsandbeyond.com or call 440-708-0588.

“ We also challenge the recreational child just as much as the

competitive one, and we are just as nurturing to both.”

- Chery Braun Bessette, Owner, Director, Chery’s Gymnastics and Beyond


Mar

ilyn’

s Vo

ice

By M

argi

e W

ilber

When the owners of the iniquitous Buckeye Dog Auction announced its sale and relocation to Geauga

County, Kristina Lange fought back, organizing a peaceful protest against the auction, known to cater to puppy mills in Ohio and throughout the United States. After further research and through personal experience in owning two puppy-mill rescues – Marilyn Monrow and Jackie-O – the horrors of what these dogs and puppies go through at mills and auctions became devastatingly clear to her.

“I was appalled to learn that Ohio is one of the worst states in the number of these puppy mills,” states Lange. “I vowed to dedicate my life to fighting this despicable practice.”

Thanks to pressure from city officials, the media, and concerned citizens, the Geauga Dog Auction was cancelled. Unfortunately, the Buckeye Dog Auction then returned to Holmes County, according to Lange.

Lange and her compatriots decided to continue the fight, forming “Marilyn’s Voice,” in 2007. The non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization was named after Lange’s rescue, Marilyn, whose vocal cords had been cruelly cut while she was still at the puppy mill. Such debarking is a common practice at mills to keep the large number of dogs housed there quiet. Members of Marilyn’s Voice continue to educate the public about the inhumane puppy mill practices in Ohio.

The mission of Marilyn’s Voice is to rescue, rehabilitate and find loving homes for severely neglected and abused dogs from commercial kennels, puppy mills, and other unfortunate situations; to eliminate the puppy mill industry in Ohio by raising awareness through education, outreach, protests, and other events; and to help individuals find responsible ways to acquire dogs as companion animals. Since its founding, Marilyn’s Voice has rescued and rehabilitated close to 1,200 animals in need.

According to Lange, Marilyn’s Voice is extremely different from shelters and brick-and-mortar facilities. The major differences between most shelters and Marilyn’s Voice is funding and financing, how the animals are housed, and the risk of euthanasia.

“First, many but not all humane agencies receive some sort of government funding,” explains Lange. “Marilyn’s Voice receives no federal funding of any kind. Our funding comes through adoption fees and direct public support. Basically, we beg the public to help. We also have no paid staff. Every dollar received goes directly to helping animals in need.”

Marilyn’s Voice is a foster network and works closely with several Ohio agencies. “Every dog or puppy is housed with a foster family that has been carefully screened and graciously volunteers their home and time. We see

tremendous progress once dogs are removed from their caged environment. Our dedicated and altruistic volunteers are trained in every aspect of caring for an abused or neglected dog. Most importantly, these families and individuals display amazing patience, which is imperative when caring for damaged animals.”

The passionate founder of Marilyn’s Voice insists fosters are the backbone of this organization. “They love every minute of the fostering experience, even on adoption day when many tears are shed,” she describes.

No KillMarilyn’s Voice proudly works with more than two dozen shelters across Ohio to help them remain “no kill.” This term can be misleading. While many organizations and shelters advertize themselves as no kill, in instances of overcrowding, many shelters have two choices: euthanization or work with organizations like Marilyn’s Voice to save the lives of animals in their care.

“We not only take animals due to overflow, but we also take animals that cannot be adopted due to poor behavior,” explains Lange. “Many animals in the shelter environment bite out of fear. We take these dogs and help them become less temperamental through patience and behavior modification.”

Furthermore, Marilyn’s Voice removes dogs and puppies with severe health issues that shelters cannot afford to treat. These issues include heartworm-positive dogs, dogs in need of expensive surgeries, dogs missing limbs or eyes, and many other concerns.

“We recently accepted a heartworm-positive beagle from Knox County that would have been euthanized because the cost to treat was nearly $1,000,” Lange says. “We gladly accepted Lila to our rescue and treated her, saving her life. Once Lila received a clean bill of health from our veterinarian, she was adopted into a loving home.”

Kristina Lange, Founder, Marilyn’s Voice


Frank SamuelBy Tracy Jemison, Geauga Growth Partnership President

It is with great sadness that we must inform the community that Frank Samuel, the founding executive director of the Geauga Growth Partnership, was killed on October 20, 2014 in a car crash on Rapids Road in Burton. Words cannot begin to say how Frank will be missed. We would not have an organization of the caliber of the GGP had it not been for Frank’s leadership and determination. Frank was a visionary that always had the community’s best interests in mind. Whatever he set his sights on, he accomplished.

Frank was the executive director of GGP for its first three years, helping to build the organization with the assistance and support of the founding members. The Geauga Growth Partnership under his leadership advocated for business, entrepreneurs and workforce development, among other initiatives. In November 2014, he stepped down to become president of Columbus-based VentureOhio, Inc. a trade association focused on financing and building a strong entrepreneurial community who would have resources available to them throughout all stages of development and growth. He served as Science and Technology adviser to the Governor of Ohio from 2000 to 2007, when he was a principal architect of Ohio’s Third Frontier Project. Frank also served on several advisory councils and boards. A graduate of Hiram College and Harvard Law School, his paper recommending a venture capital strategy for the Great Lakes region was published in 2010 by The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Frank was presented with the first Frank Samuel Distinguished Service Award by John Epprecht, board chairman at the Growth Partnership annual meeting in June, honoring him for his years of service and his contributions. His memory will live on, as we lost a great man and good friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jacqueline and his children at this time.

“ Our dedicated and

altruistic volunteers

are trained in every

aspect of caring for

an abused or neglected

dog. Most importantly,

these families and

individuals display

amazing patience,

which is imperative

when caring for

damaged animals.”

- Kristina Lange

Lange says the organization’s largest expense is medical care for the dogs. Veterinary bills average $60,000 annually. “We do receive support from the community through donations and receive adoption fees. We also hold large-scale fundraisers as well as mini-fundraisers to bring in much needed revenue to care for the animals,” she states.

This year Marilyn’s Voice held a successful fundraiser at Signature of Solon that netted

$20,000. Another art auction in November at Gallery One raised $10, 000.

As for Marilyn Monrow and Jackie-O, both girls experienced health, socialization, behavioral, trust, and

housebreaking issues when they first came to Lange’s home in 2006. Jackie-O continues to overcome these issues. Marilyn became a certified therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International (TDI) and loved visiting patients at hospitals and nursing homes where people often are in poor health, lonely and depressed. Lange believes, “Marilyn had a special gift for making others feel loved.” Sadly, Marilyn passed away on November 13, 2007. The cutting of her vocal cords caused severe damage to her trachea and the subsequent buildup of scar tissue that led to her untimely death.

The current mascot for Marilyn’s Voice is Betty Davis, a three-pound Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix that the group rescued from a local puppy mill once she was done breeding. Betty also had severe health and trust issues when rescued but is now a certified therapy dog.

“We, the volunteers of Marilyn’s Voice, are now and always will be her voice,” exclaims Lange. Lange is a cardiovascular perfusionist at The Cleveland Clinic in the Heart & Vascular Institute, the country’s busiest and top-rated hospital for heart surgery and cardiovascular care.

Anyone interested in adopting, becoming a foster parent or financially supporting Marilyn’s Voice may contact Kristina Lange at [email protected]. To learn more, visit www.marilynsvoice.org.


What’s On Your Mind?

Expanding Your Business?

Buying New Equipment or Machinery?

Looking to Build or Buy a New Facility?

As a Geauga County Business You Don’t Have to Settle for Expensive SBA Loans.Take advantage of Geauga County’s own low interest loan fund to finance your next project.

We can work with your lender to find the RIGHT government financing for your project. The Geauga County Revolving Loan Fund has lower interest rates and lower fees than any other Government loan program.

Don’t fall for the hype – check us out first.

Call Anita or Kelly at 440.279.1792.


Junction Auto Sales was started in 1931 by Clifford Babcock and his father-in-law, Tracy Spencer. Clifford’s son, Warren Babcock, worked from 1947 until his retirement in 1992. Warren’s son, Ed Babcock, started full time in 1975 and is the current owner and President. Ed’s son, Cliff Babcock, started with Junction Auto in December of 2012 after graduating from the University of Dayton and working at Penske Chevrolet in Indianapolis.

Junction Auto Sales was built next to the Junction Tavern Restaurant (never served alcohol since it started during Prohibition) which was built and run by the Babcocks and Spencers. Junction Tavern Auto Sales, as it was originally named, started with Plymouth and Dodge. Clifford’s wife, Dorothy, said there were many sleepless nights spent worrying whether they could meet their commitment to sell twelve cars in a year. Fortunately, they met their goal and grew over the years. Today, the Junction Auto Family sells over two thousand new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Buick, GMC vehicles, used cars and trucks of all makes.

The Babcock family has long been deeply involved in the community not only with generous philanthropic giving, but actively giving of their time. Tracy Spencer was involved with writing the zoning rules for Munson Township, the first such rules in Ohio. Clifford Babcock was a Claridon Township Trustee on the Chardon School Board and active with Claridon Congregational

Church. Warren was a starting member of the Chardon Jaycees, helped bring Little League to Claridon, served on many boards including Boy Scouts, the Red Feather Agency (which became United Way) and was a charter member of the Welfare Federation, which began both Geauga Transit and the Mental Health Board. Ed has been a forty year fixture in a multitude of community events, charities and local and professional organizations. Cliff knows he has big shoes to fill but is already involved with a few groups.

The Junction Auto Family prides itself on retaining the old-fashioned values that the company started with eighty-four years ago. We pride ourselves on friendly people, outstanding service and fair deals. Clifford Babcock started with the philosophy that if you take good care of your customers and

employees, you will be successful. Junction Auto has been one of the top dealers in the country honored by Chrysler including being the top dealer in the entire Great Lakes area and being a Time Magazine Dealer of the Year. Ed is more proud of local honors like Business of the Year and Leadership Geauga’s Emerald Business Award saying, “We don’t do business to win awards but we win awards because of the way we do business.”

Why Buy From Us?Dependability Since 1931 - The Junction Auto Family is a fourth generation family owned business. We still run the business in a friendly, honest, old-fashioned manner. Ed Babcock still shares and follows his family’s values. We really do want to help you!

Documented Best Service - Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep earned “Dealer of the Year” for a four state area. We have the highest GM customer service and sales satisfaction numbers from Youngstown to Toledo. We also have a wide selection of parts and accessories to customize your vehicle.

Community Involvement - The Babcocks and the Junction Auto Family have always been very active. Our personal involvement and donations have earned Chardon Chamber of Commerce’s “Business of the Year”, Leadership Geauga’s “Emerald Leader Award” and Time Magazine’s “Dealer of the Year” award for the state of Ohio. We don’t do business to win awards, we win awards for the way we do business.

Best of Both Worlds - The bitterness of bad service lasts much longer than the fleeting joy of a low price. You don’t have to choose. Junction will give you the best price and the best service! Let us help you get the car or truck that you really want and deserve.

Outstanding New Products - We offer the most exciting new vehicles around: Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Ram and Jeep. With quality at all time highs, more standard safety features than ever, our highest fuel economy, dynamic design, the industry’s best warranties, and hundreds of models, we will have the right car for you! And if we don’t, we’ll get it for you!

Body Shop - The premier collision center in the area, we offer Icar gold trained technicians and accept all insurance quotes. From door dings to complete body repair they work magic.

Experienced Cars and Trucks - We offer a wide selection of used vehicles from most domestic and import manufacturers. All of these are safety inspected and many are factory certified.

Special Events - Join us for fun events like our Fall Family Festival, Mopar Classic and Muscle Car Show, and our Right From the Start Clinics.

TWO FULL SERVICE DEALERSHIPS

Buick • Chrysler • Dodge

GM • Jeep • Ram

• Used Cars and Trucks – Many Certified

• Award Winning Service Departments

• Factory Parts & Accessories

• Modern Collision and Repair Shop

• Commercial Specialists

• Financing and Leasing Professionals

WE DO IT ALL FOR YOU!

We want to earn your business. Junction Auto is the right place for you. Big enough and high-tech enough to meet all your automotive needs, yet small enough to treat you the way that you would like and that you deserve!

Junction Auto Family


Celebrating 82 years!Service & Dependability Since 1931

Full Service Dealership Featuring:

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Business Legacy Continues

Ed and Cliff say, “Thank you!” to all of our loyal customers and if you haven’t been to Junction yet, we invite you to visit and see what 84 years can do for you. As their motto says, “If you want to pay more, that’s your business. If you want to pay less, that’s Our business!”

Persistence of Vision Communications, Inc.16715 West Park CircleChagrin Falls, OH 44023

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