The Euclid Chamber of Commerce presents the Annual Community Leaders Breakfast, featuring speakers Euclid City Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail and new Euclid Schools Superintendent Marvin Jones.
Enjoy breakfast in the Lincoln Electric Welding Technology & Training Center, the newly constructed 130,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to training educators, industry leaders and skilled trade workers in the craft and science of welding.
Venue
Lincoln Electric Welding Technology & Training Center
SAVE THE DATE! Join the Euclid Chamber of Commerce at the office of Euclid City Councilperson Brian Moore., 22657 Euclid Ave., Euclid, Ohio, on Oct. 9 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. EST for a for coffee and a chat.
There is no cost to attend. Membership is not required.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Richard Fiorelli, artist and retired instructor)
How did you first become involved with Cleveland Institute of Art?
When I was in fourth grade, I received a scholarship from Euclid’s Upson Elementary School to attend Saturday children’s art classes at Cleveland Institute of Art.
The City of Euclid is accepting proposals from potential buyers for the buildings at 19770 St. Clair Ave. They would be a perfect fit for a small manufacturer/maker that also wants a retail storefront. For more information and to submit a proposal, click here.
Join the Euclid Chamber of Commerce at the Irish-American Club, 22770 Lakeshore Blvd., Euclid, Ohio, on Mar. 22 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. for the annual awards evening. Celebrate the businesses and people of the year and sample food from the best chefs in town.
And, if that’s not exciting enough, HGR Industrial Surplus has been selected as one of the chamber’s 2017 award winners! Each winner will receive an award and a commendation from state officials in attendance.
Join the Euclid Chamber of Commerce at Euclid High School, 711 E. 222nd St., Euclid, Ohio, on Mar. 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as they spend the day helping to develop our future workforce, while also meeting potential candidates available for immediate hire. Give local students a first-hand look at viable career opportunities. Then the doors will open to the public for a job fair.
Timeline:
Manufacturer set-up: 9:30-10:15 a.m.
Students EXPO: 10:28 a.m.- 1:17 p.m.
Break: 1:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Job Fair: 2:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. (open to the public)
Manufacturer Registration:
$100 per 6-foot table
10% off registration and sponsorship for all Euclid Chamber of Commerce members
Sponsorship:
Presenting Sponsor- Euclid Chamber of Commerce
Gold- $750 (table and registration included)
Logo on website (with link to website)
Logo on advertisement for afternoon Job Fair
Social Media recognition (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
City, Schools, Library, and Chamber recognition on websites
Silver -$500 (table and registration included)
Logo on website (with link to website)
Logo on advertisement for afternoon Job Fair
Social Media recognition (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
Bronze- $250 (table and registration included)
Social Media recognition (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
City, Schools, Library, and Chamber recognition on websites
STUDENT EXPO
Engaging and hands-on activities or demonstrations to entice the student population. You are welcomed to bring materials/giveaways for both the student expo and job fair.
(courtesy of the U.S. Navy): A Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine heads out to sea after a brief port visit in Greece.
(An interview with Doug Paulson, general manager, BWX Technologies, Euclid, Ohio)
Tell me about how your business started.
BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) traces its history all the way back to the 1850s when Stephen Wilcox patented the water tube boiler. Almost 100 years later, with the advent of nuclear energy, our expertise in the power generation business put us at the forefront of commercial and government nuclear industries. Operating for many years as the Babcock & Wilcox Company, we spun off our power generation business in 2015 to allow BWXT to focus on government and nuclear operations.
Why was the decision made to locate in Euclid?
BWXT purchased the Euclid operations from an offshoot of TRW in 2007. TRW’s predecessors have been in the Cleveland area since the early 1900s and here on Euclid Avenue since before World War II.
How are the products that you manufacture used?
BWXT’s Euclid site manufactures electro-mechanical components for naval nuclear reactors used in submarines and aircraft carriers.
For more than 60 years, the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers have safely steamed millions of miles using components manufactured by BWXT Nuclear Operations Group facilities – a track record that is highlighted by our commitment to safety, quality and integrity.
How many employees work in the facility in Euclid, and what kind of skilled labor do you hire?
About 350 employees work at our Euclid facility. Due to the high-consequence nature of our products, most of our employees are considered to be highly skilled. We employ machinists, welders, inspectors, engineers and a variety of professional support staff.
Are there ways that the company participates in the community?
We support the community through sponsorship of Euclid Chamber of Commerce events and contribute to a number of deserving charitable organizations in the community such as the United Way.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that manufacturing currently faces?
The retirement of the older generation of trade workers has, in many cases, left manufacturers with more openings than there are qualified and available employees. This is exacerbated by generally low unemployment. We have an advantage in that our factories have industry-leading safety records and that our work is especially meaningful. Our employees take tremendous pride in the fact that our products keep our sailors and our nation safe. These jobs pay well and do not require tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, so attitudes about trades and technical careers are changing quickly. Our schools and community colleges are helping us narrow the gap.
What does the future of manufacturing, especially in Northeast Ohio, look like?
We can only speak for ourselves. This is an exciting time to work for BWXT. BWXT’s Nuclear Operations Group, which includes our Euclid and Barberton manufacturing facilities, has reported record revenues each quarter for the last few years. The Nuclear Operations Group had a backlog of nearly $3 billion at the end of September. Our fourth quarter and full-year 2017 results are scheduled to be announced Feb. 28, 2018.
What inspires you?
Our products enable our sailors to carry out their mission to keep our nation safe. We keep those customers in the forefront of our minds in everything we do.
Are there interesting facts about you or your business that most people don’t know?
In August 2017, NASA awarded the company an $18.8 million contract to start designing a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) reactor in support of a possible future manned mission to Mars. With NTP technology’s high-energy density and resulting spacecraft thrust, NASA is projecting up to a 50 percent reduction in interplanetary travel times compared to chemical rockets, significantly increasing the crew’s safety by reducing exposure to cosmic radiation.
(courtesy of the U.S. Navy): The aircraft carrier U.S.S. George H.W. Bush underway from its home port in Norfolk, Va.
On Feb. 22, Euclid Mayor Gail addressed members of the chamber, local businesses and the community over lunch at the Irish-American Club. The mayor introduced two tables of city employees in attendance then shared her commitment statement to provide Euclid residents and businesses with “the best services in a cost-effective and innovative manner.” She said there are three themes that consistently surface in her work with the city: investment, resilience and innovation.
She spoke mainly about investment, including the new Amazon fulfillment center, other new businesses, and business and school expansions. She mentioned the recently created master plan and its goals for residents, businesses and infrastructure: stay, prosper, play, connect, engage and preserve. Finally, the mayor acknowledged the investment in safety by the police and fire departments. The police department received many prestigious safety awards for its work in 2017 and responded to 43,471 calls, while the fire department answered 10,825 fire and EMS calls.
The mayor closed the luncheon by looking forward toward more investment, resilience and innovation in 2018.
Join The Euclid Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 22 at noon at The Irish-American Club, 22770 Lakeshore Blvd., Euclid, Ohio, for lunch as Mayor Gail presents her annual State of the City Address. Q&A session will follow the presentation.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be served at 12 p.m.
Tickets:
$25 members / $30 guests
Members may purchase a reserved table of 6 for $140
Sponsorship Package $300: Includes reserved table of 6 with premier seating, special mention during announcements, opportunity to hand out promotional materials, and logo on event signage.
Euclid Art Show first-place winner “Hot Sauce in my Cup of Noodles” by Brady WilsonEuclid Art Association first-place winner “Losing Faith” by Madeline PfluegerEuclid Art Association first-place winner “Self-Portrait” by Chazlyn JohnsonEuclid Art Association first-place winner “This is How Euclid will Look in 2050” by Zania JonesEuclid High School fine art students (first-place winner Brady Wilson on the right)Euclid High School photography students
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Joan Milligan, Euclid Art Association program director)
How do you start an art movement? By making connections! During a planning meeting in June for the second-annual Euclid Art Walk, the Euclid Art Association brought up the idea that an art walk should have an art show for the students of the city. That was how the All-Student September Art Show was born.
The goal of the student art show was to connect the community to the local schools to promote the arts. Art is an important, but often limited, part of curriculum. Art teaches students be creative and to look for and recognize designs and patterns all around them. By developing this ability, students can be led to careers not only in art, but also in computer science, graphic design, architecture, engineering and more. Because of limitations in school budgets or family resources, many talented students don’t have access to quality art supplies. We realized the art show could serve another purpose – create a forum to display and recognize budding talent and award that talent with access to good supplies for various media.
Once the seed was planted, the show began to grow! A local landlord offered a vacant storefront to use as a gallery. Businesses, including HGR Industrial Surplus, made donations so that good-quality art supplies could be awarded as prizes to the students and classrooms. The prizes presented to the winners included:
Large and small tabletop easels
Pastel sets
Framing certificates to Driftwood Gallery
Drawing tablets
Canvases
Paint sets
Paint brushes
Crayons
Gift certificates to Dodd Camera
Photo paper
Art books
Additionally, the Cleveland Museum of Art sent its mobile art truck complete with hands-on art projects for children, and even a troupe of stilt walkers!
The Euclid Art Walk was held on Friday, Sept. 22, from 6:00-11:00 p.m. The Student Art Show was held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the donated storefront. We created a mini-gallery-feel in the store with art racks and tables from the Euclid Art Association. Live painting opportunities for both adults and children were available in front of the store.
This inaugural art show had 46 entries from elementary through high-school students ranging. There were enough entries at the high-school level that we were able to designate two judging categories: Photography and Fine Arts.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Dale Kiefer, freelance journalist)
On Nov. 10, HGR welcomed members of the public to its headquarters to gain insights about important trends that are likely to affect Northeast Ohio manufacturers in the coming year. The third-annual State of Manufacturing event was organized by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network whose mission is to help area companies grow and thereby contribute to the manufacturing renaissance in Northeast Ohio.
The morning event began with a networking breakfast that gave attendees a chance to connect with other industry professionals, including HGR associates and expert consultants from MAGNET. Ethan Karp, president and CEO of MAGNET, launched the formal part of the program with opening remarks. This was followed by an expression of thanks to HGR and all of the participants from Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.
The first presenter was Joseph N. Gross, an OSBA certified specialist in labor and employment law who is also a partner at Benesch Attorneys at Law. He spoke about changes at OSHA and what manufacturers can expect when dealing with the agency in the coming year.
He was followed by Mark Wolk, the central region manager for Bank of America Leasing & Capital, who gave an overview of the equipment finance market. This included a lease versus loan benefit comparison for capital equipment.
The third and final speaker for the morning was Dr. Ned Hill who teaches economic development policy, public policy, and public finance at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. The focus of his presentation was Manufacturing 5.0, or the Fifth Industrial Revolution, which describes the most recent major shift in the economy’s structure. Under Manufacturing 5.0, all aspects of enterprises will see full digital integration. In this new economy, soft skills will be just as valuable and essential among the workforce as harder technical skills.
Following the presentations, the speakers opened the floor to questions. Thereafter, attendees were given a chance to take guided tours of HGR’s facility and learn more about the history of the company and the value that HGR itself provides to manufacturers. More than 40 attendees toured HGR’s 500,000-square-foot showroom and newly renovated offices.
The State of Manufacturing 2017 event was sponsored by MAGNET, The Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Benesch Attorneys at Law, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
On Oct. 17, a full house of Euclid-area residents and businesspeople gathered in the meeting room of the Euclid Public Library for the Euclid Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leaders Breakfast. First, Kacie Armstrong, library director, said a few words about the purpose of the library in the community. Next, Sheila Gibbons, Euclid Chamber of Commerce executive director, announced upcoming chamber events and introduced a representative from the breakfast’s sponsor, Allstate Insurance Agent Bill Mason.
The first guest speaker was Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. She addressed three areas of focus for the city: economic development, safety and building a vibrant community. Some recent and future projects in the city that bring in new investment and tax dollars for the city include 1,000 new jobs being created with the demolition of Euclid Square Mall and new construction of an Amazon distribution center, the creation of a technology center at Lincoln Electric and surrounding streetscape at E. 222nd St. and St. Clair Ave., a 25,000-square-foot expansion at Keene Building Products, a 40,000-square-foot expansion at American Punch Co., an expansion of Rick Case Honda, a groundbreaking for an O’Reilly auto parts store, and planned expansions to Irie Jamaican Kitchen and Mama Catena.
The second initiative, safety, includes promotions, new hires, training and community-education opportunities for the fire and police departments. Finally, building a vibrant community encompasses community cleanup, recycling, beautification and improvement grants. On Nov. 2, the city will unveil its master plan draft to the Planning & Zoning Department.
The second community leader to speak was Euclid City Schools’ Superintendent Charlie Smialek. He introduced a number of school employees in attendance as well as three Euclid High School students. Then, he went through a presentation on the district’s vision that included a new Fab Lab to be built as part of the Early Learning Center to introduce science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction in grade school. It will be one of only two early learning Fab Labs in the nation. He also discussed technology programming at the high school and an update on the campus construction project that is underway for scheduled completion in 2020.
Both speakers fielded questions from the audience and gave a plug to support Cuyahoga Community College’s November 2017 bond, Issue 61 to update aging buildings.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Paula Maggio, PR specialist with HGR Industrial Surplus)
The goal of Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail is to make Euclid a first-choice suburban location, a goal that she shared at Tizzano’s Party Center on Feb. 22 during the State of the City Address hosted by the Euclid Chamber of Commerce.
Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail gives the 2017 State of the City Address during the Euclid Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Tizzano’s Party Center on Feb. 22.
Key items required to turn that goal into a reality include: growing the business base by building strong relationships with the business community and continuing city-business partnerships, making safety a priority, and improving services to residents — all things that are in progress now, according to the mayor.
Planning with public input
To this end, Mayor Holzheimer Gail said the city began updating its community master plan last year and is creating a steering committee that will include public input. The city will complete the planning process in 2017 by outlining goals and objectives and identifying the resources needed to realize them.
The next meeting regarding the process is April 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Central Middle School, and the public is invited.
Improving housing
“The City of Euclid is committed to improving its existing housing stock,” she said. A housing operations plan has been developed to strengthen rental compliance. In addition, the city is conducting a housing inventory.
Potential home buyers are receiving help, too. Down payment assistance is available to eligible homeowners, as well as a Heritage Home Loan Program.
All of this helped median single family home prices increase by 20 percent in 2016, the fifth year in a row they have increased, according to the mayor.
Full house
Tizzano’s was full for the mayor’s address, with guests meeting, mingling, and networking before and after her speech.
Kacie Armstrong, director of the Euclid Public Library, shared information about the library’s new acquisitions with the guests at her table during the Euclid Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Feb. 22.Euclid Chamber of Commerce events are about networking — and Kristina Swann of Quality Ribbons and Supplies made the rounds before lunch was served.Ann Miller and Sheila Gibbons, executive director of the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, checked in guests at the Feb. 22 luncheon.
On Jan. 26 at the Irish American Club, 22770 Lakeshore Blvd., Euclid, Ohio, The Euclid Chamber of Commerce and COSE hosted a special event with Keynote Speaker Armond Budish. Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail made the introduction. She thanked the chamber and local business for their commitment to economic growth.
About Budish, she says, “He has been an advocate for business, economic development and seniors, and is committed to regional initiatives. But, specific to Euclid, he has been responsive to the city’s needs, especially with the Lincoln Electric expansion, St. Clair expansion, lakefront development, and demolition and senior programs.”
Budish took the floor to discuss the county’s investment in small-business growth and community development, including road and bridge work, removing blight, city master planning, and public safety efforts.
He mentioned that the county is working to create a master data center for law enforcement in order to integrate separate systems when an officer is pulling over a motorist. In addition, the county is installing license-reading cameras on thoroughfares that, in real time, will alert law enforcement in the community so that they can apprehend an individual in the event of a warrant or search effort.
With regard to jobs and training, he says are two initiatives underway:
The creation of a one-stop shop for public benefits that will integrate offices with a career planning coach who will stay with the applicant through his or her career path.
An “Earn & Learn” program to help businesses upskill employees with the potential to advance within the company from an entry-level position by providing financial and training support, which, according to Budish, “will open up more entry-level jobs and, in turn, help people get started.”
In closing, he says, “The county is on the move. Euclid is on the move. It’s only as cities move forward that the county can move forward. The cities are us, and we are the cities.” His colleague, Ed Kraus, Cuyahoga County’s director of regional collaboration, summarizes, “It’s all about leadership.”
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Audrey Holtzman, public relations & marketing coordinator, Euclid City Schools)
The Euclid City School District secured passage of Issue 111 this week. This successful effort will allow the schools to rebuild their high school, build a new middle school, construct an Early Learning Village on the site of Forest Park Middle School, improve recreational facilities at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium and Memorial Park, and convert the Central Middle School property to a MetroPark.
Dr. Charles Smialek, Superintendent of Euclid Schools, issued the following statement:
“Thank you to our Euclid community for believing in our school district and passing Issue 111. We have secured a much brighter future for our district because of you!
We continue to have much work to do to become the district we need to be for our community and students. We will soon begin a strategic planning process to help us collaboratively lend clarity to our immediate future. In the coming weeks, we will communicate these steps and ask many of you to participate in the process. Today, however, let us celebrate a truly significant victory for Our Euclid.
We will immediately begin to prepare to rebuild our high school, construct a new middle school, shape an Early Learning Village, and improve multiple recreational outlets in our community. We will work to ensure that our efforts will improve Euclid for generations to come.”
The 7.89 mill bond issue passed by more than 1,100 votes and will result in an increase of approximately $16 per month in property taxes for the owner of a home valued at $70,000. The overall cost of the construction will be offset by a $40-million contribution from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
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The morning event began with a networking breakfast that gave attendees a chance to connect with other industry professionals, including HGR associates and expert consultants from MAGNET. Ethan Karp, president and CEO of MAGNET, launched the formal part of the program with opening remarks. This was followed by an expression of thanks to HGR and all of the participants from Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.
On Oct. 17, a full house of Euclid-area residents and businesspeople gathered in the meeting room of the Euclid Public Library for the Euclid Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leaders Breakfast. First, Kacie Armstrong, library director, said a few words about the purpose of the library in the community. Next, Sheila Gibbons, Euclid Chamber of Commerce executive director, announced upcoming chamber events and introduced a representative from the breakfast’s sponsor, Allstate Insurance Agent Bill Mason.
students. Then, he went through a presentation on the district’s vision that included a new Fab Lab to be built as part of the Early Learning Center to introduce science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction in grade school. It will be one of only two early learning Fab Labs in the nation. He also discussed technology programming at the high school and an update on the campus construction project that is underway for scheduled completion in 2020.
