Downtown
Rosetta, an interactive marketing firm, boasts 1,500 team members spread across nine offices in places like New York, Los Angeles and Toronto, among others. But thanks to 450 staffers locally, Cleveland is now Rosetta's largest. That the firm has chosen 2012 to set-up shop in a downtown Cleveland landmark is pure poetry.
It's been a good first year here at Fresh Water, but that doesn't mean for a minute that we plan to slow down. In fact, today we roll out two new content sections: "For Good" and "Fresh Filter," which give us the room to cover the non-profit and arts and culture scenes with more depth.
If you fancy yourself a fan of Cleveland and its offerings, you have doubtless been asked for a recommendation or three. Having lived and worked in town for 20 years, Nina McCollum considers herself an unofficial tour guide, dispensing advice on everything from food and shopping to arts and entertainment. In preparation for a visit from an out-of-town friend, McCollum has devised her dream weekend in Cleveland.
dca seeks applicants for popular city advocates program
The City Advocates program is an effort by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) to engage young professionals in the revitalization of downtown. For two years, City Advocates attend monthly meetings and take on projects that will help advance downtown. Every two years, a new batch of skilled community leaders emerges from the program.
"The program has truly taken off in the past three years," says Gina Morris, DCA's Director of Marketing and Public Relations. "We're entering our fourth year now and have some incredible people with dynamic ideas."
In March, the City Advocates Program will select and announce up to 16 new participants. Those selected must make a two-year commitment to DCA’s program. Participants are chosen through a competitive application process that seeks to assemble a group of diverse individuals who share a passion for Downtown Cleveland and who represent a wide array of interests, professional backgrounds, and relationships to Downtown.
"Qualifications are simple," adds Morris. "Live or work in Downtown, and have a passion to generate change in the civic-realm. We recruit emerging leaders with a vision and guts."
The deadline to apply for the upcoming session is 5 p.m. February 5. More information and application instructions can be found here.
For more info contact Laura Kushnick.
"The program has truly taken off in the past three years," says Gina Morris, DCA's Director of Marketing and Public Relations. "We're entering our fourth year now and have some incredible people with dynamic ideas."
In March, the City Advocates Program will select and announce up to 16 new participants. Those selected must make a two-year commitment to DCA’s program. Participants are chosen through a competitive application process that seeks to assemble a group of diverse individuals who share a passion for Downtown Cleveland and who represent a wide array of interests, professional backgrounds, and relationships to Downtown.
"Qualifications are simple," adds Morris. "Live or work in Downtown, and have a passion to generate change in the civic-realm. We recruit emerging leaders with a vision and guts."
The deadline to apply for the upcoming session is 5 p.m. February 5. More information and application instructions can be found here.
For more info contact Laura Kushnick.
What's the cumulative impact of Cleveland's 200-plus community gardens, 20-plus farmers markets and 60-odd acres of urban land that have been tilled and planted for a future harvest?
That's an as yet unanswered question, says the City of Cleveland's new Sustainability Chief, but one she hopes to glean serious answers to in the coming year. Billed "The Year of Local Food" by Sustainable Cleveland 2019, a grassroots, city-led movement to employ sustainability as an engine to grow the regional economy, 2012 is going to be a momentous year.
"Local food is exciting because it combines entrepreneurship and environmental benefits with making connections in the local community," says Jenita McGowan, who last week succeeded Andrew Watterson as the city's Sustainability Chief. "We're really hoping to better connect Cleveland residents with local food, since many people still don't know what is available and how to access it."
Other plans for 2012 include increasing the number of urban farmers in the city, tying into the West Side Market's centennial celebrations this fall, and garnering commitments from large institutions to buy more food locally.
"The Year of Local Food allows all local groups to co-market their work," says McGowan. "That helps them to tie into a larger movement."
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 will host a kick-off event for the Year of Local Food this Friday, Jan. 20th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's an as yet unanswered question, says the City of Cleveland's new Sustainability Chief, but one she hopes to glean serious answers to in the coming year. Billed "The Year of Local Food" by Sustainable Cleveland 2019, a grassroots, city-led movement to employ sustainability as an engine to grow the regional economy, 2012 is going to be a momentous year.
"Local food is exciting because it combines entrepreneurship and environmental benefits with making connections in the local community," says Jenita McGowan, who last week succeeded Andrew Watterson as the city's Sustainability Chief. "We're really hoping to better connect Cleveland residents with local food, since many people still don't know what is available and how to access it."
Other plans for 2012 include increasing the number of urban farmers in the city, tying into the West Side Market's centennial celebrations this fall, and garnering commitments from large institutions to buy more food locally.
"The Year of Local Food allows all local groups to co-market their work," says McGowan. "That helps them to tie into a larger movement."
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 will host a kick-off event for the Year of Local Food this Friday, Jan. 20th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
SparkBase, a leading loyalty program and gift card processor, launched a new way for merchants to reach their customers through smart phones. Paycloud allows customers to sign up for loyalty programs on their phones, eliminating the need for plastic cards and key tags to take advantage of special offers.
“One of the things we heard repeatedly is the cost of cards -- it’s expensive -- and the time it takes to sign up for a loyalty card,” explains Doug Hardman, SparkBase CEO. “With Paycloud you only need five things: Zip code, email address, first and last name. Then you tap in the merchant’s name and go from there.”
Paycloud is designed to improve customer retention and easily attract new customers. “It’s a really great way for merchants to build up customers,” says Hardman. “Merchants can learn more about customers but also give customer discounts.”
SparkBase already launched Paycloud in Chicago with more than 100 businesses reaching thousands of customers. This week, Paycloud launched in Cleveland with high expectations. “We have 50 to 100 merchants in Cleveland and would like to have 200 by the time we go to Columbus in three weeks,” says Hardman.
The launch of Paycloud only adds to SpakBase’s rapid growth. “We’re going to be hiring like gangbusters in the next six weeks,” says Hardman. SparkBase currently has 36 employees and is interviewing for 30 to 50 open sales reps positions.
Source: Doug Hardman
Writer: Karin Connelly
“One of the things we heard repeatedly is the cost of cards -- it’s expensive -- and the time it takes to sign up for a loyalty card,” explains Doug Hardman, SparkBase CEO. “With Paycloud you only need five things: Zip code, email address, first and last name. Then you tap in the merchant’s name and go from there.”
Paycloud is designed to improve customer retention and easily attract new customers. “It’s a really great way for merchants to build up customers,” says Hardman. “Merchants can learn more about customers but also give customer discounts.”
SparkBase already launched Paycloud in Chicago with more than 100 businesses reaching thousands of customers. This week, Paycloud launched in Cleveland with high expectations. “We have 50 to 100 merchants in Cleveland and would like to have 200 by the time we go to Columbus in three weeks,” says Hardman.
The launch of Paycloud only adds to SpakBase’s rapid growth. “We’re going to be hiring like gangbusters in the next six weeks,” says Hardman. SparkBase currently has 36 employees and is interviewing for 30 to 50 open sales reps positions.
Source: Doug Hardman
Writer: Karin Connelly
ArcelorMittal, a leading steel manufacturer, announced last week that it will re-open part of its west side Cleveland mill. A portion of the facility was idled in 2008 because of slow market conditions.
The re-opening means ArcelorMittal will add 150 salaried and hourly employees to the current staff of 1,700. The current staff is performing maintenance work in preparation for the restart. The new hires will mainly be skilled crafts persons and entry-level operators. The company will provide the training and support necessary to ensure that new hires are prepared to work safely, intelligently and effectively.
“The ability to restart steel producing is due in large part to ArcelorMittal Cleveland’s concentrated efforts to remain flexible and efficient, no matter what the market conditions,” says Eric Hague, vice president and general manager of the Cleveland plant. “The flexibility of our workforce, and strong partnership with United Steelworkers Local 979, is the cornerstone of our efforts to safely produce quality steel for our customers.”
No exact date has been set for the opening, but it should be sometime in the spring. All laid-off workers have been rehired and the new hires will be taken from an existing applicant pool. The Cleveland restart has the potential to add 480,000 tons of annual steel supply to its production capability, dependent on market conditions.
Source: Eric Hague
Writer: Karin Connelly
The re-opening means ArcelorMittal will add 150 salaried and hourly employees to the current staff of 1,700. The current staff is performing maintenance work in preparation for the restart. The new hires will mainly be skilled crafts persons and entry-level operators. The company will provide the training and support necessary to ensure that new hires are prepared to work safely, intelligently and effectively.
“The ability to restart steel producing is due in large part to ArcelorMittal Cleveland’s concentrated efforts to remain flexible and efficient, no matter what the market conditions,” says Eric Hague, vice president and general manager of the Cleveland plant. “The flexibility of our workforce, and strong partnership with United Steelworkers Local 979, is the cornerstone of our efforts to safely produce quality steel for our customers.”
No exact date has been set for the opening, but it should be sometime in the spring. All laid-off workers have been rehired and the new hires will be taken from an existing applicant pool. The Cleveland restart has the potential to add 480,000 tons of annual steel supply to its production capability, dependent on market conditions.
Source: Eric Hague
Writer: Karin Connelly
sawyer makes debut as 'iron chef america' challenger
When it comes to food TV, the top of the mountain, most would have to agree, is "Iron Chef America." One need only look to Michael Symon to see how much influence this star-builder of a show can have on a chef's career.
That's why Cleveland chef Jon Sawyer has been smiling ever since he got the invite to compete on the Food Network show. Though taped a few months back in Kitchen Stadium, the episode will finally air this Sunday, January 22. As always, the identity of the secret ingredient is under million-dollar lock and key.
Sawyer, chef and owner of Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, will compete against Geoffrey Zakarian, who recently secured his Iron Chef status thanks to a win on "The Next Iron Chef." Zakarian is the chef-owner of multiple restaurants, including the Lamb's Club in New York.
This will not be Sawyer's first appearance in the Food Network's famed Kitchen Stadium. He previously served as sous chef for Symon on some of his previous battles.
Sawyer and company will be hosting watch parties/tweetups at Greenhouse and Noodlecat this Sunday during airtime.
Check out additional airtimes here.
That's why Cleveland chef Jon Sawyer has been smiling ever since he got the invite to compete on the Food Network show. Though taped a few months back in Kitchen Stadium, the episode will finally air this Sunday, January 22. As always, the identity of the secret ingredient is under million-dollar lock and key.
Sawyer, chef and owner of Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, will compete against Geoffrey Zakarian, who recently secured his Iron Chef status thanks to a win on "The Next Iron Chef." Zakarian is the chef-owner of multiple restaurants, including the Lamb's Club in New York.
This will not be Sawyer's first appearance in the Food Network's famed Kitchen Stadium. He previously served as sous chef for Symon on some of his previous battles.
Sawyer and company will be hosting watch parties/tweetups at Greenhouse and Noodlecat this Sunday during airtime.
Check out additional airtimes here.
Bad Girl Ventures, a micro-finance organization focused on educating and financing women-owned startup companies, graduated its first Cleveland class on January 3 and announced the winner of a $25,000 low interest loan. Out of 70 applicants, 10 start-up companies participated in an eight-week program to learn the ins and outs of successfully running a business.
Kimberly McCune Gibson and Ann Marie Larrance of Grass Roots LLC, the parent company for ReHive Ale, The 1815 House, and Hungry Bee Catering won the grand prize. Three other prizes were awarded. The Business of Good foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to Michael's Mobile Oil, and the City of Cleveland gave two $1,000 grants to The Brunch Project and Tonja's Tranquility Inn.
Of Gibson and Larrance, Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures founder and CEO says, “These women have the biggest fire in the belly that I’ve seen. It was a very close vote, but I haven’t seen two people who work harder ever.”
About 150 people came to the graduation event, which was held at Rosetta in Cleveland. Food Network filmed the event because Gibson and Larrance are also participating in a reality show for the network. “It was great coverage,” Klein says.
Bad Girl Ventures has educated more than 250 business owners in Cleveland and Cincinnati and funded 24 companies with $650,000. Klein is now accepting applications for spring classes in Cleveland.
Source: Candace Klein
Writer: Karin Connelly
Kimberly McCune Gibson and Ann Marie Larrance of Grass Roots LLC, the parent company for ReHive Ale, The 1815 House, and Hungry Bee Catering won the grand prize. Three other prizes were awarded. The Business of Good foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to Michael's Mobile Oil, and the City of Cleveland gave two $1,000 grants to The Brunch Project and Tonja's Tranquility Inn.
Of Gibson and Larrance, Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures founder and CEO says, “These women have the biggest fire in the belly that I’ve seen. It was a very close vote, but I haven’t seen two people who work harder ever.”
About 150 people came to the graduation event, which was held at Rosetta in Cleveland. Food Network filmed the event because Gibson and Larrance are also participating in a reality show for the network. “It was great coverage,” Klein says.
Bad Girl Ventures has educated more than 250 business owners in Cleveland and Cincinnati and funded 24 companies with $650,000. Klein is now accepting applications for spring classes in Cleveland.
Source: Candace Klein
Writer: Karin Connelly
OnShift, the staffing software developer for the healthcare industry, recently received an overall performance score of 92.6 in a survey conducted by KLAS, a research firm the monitors healthcare vendors. The numbers confirm OnShift’s dedication to customer service and providing a quality product.
“We’re very proud to be ranked so highly by our customers,” says Mark Woodka, OnShift CEO. “We put a lot of energy into being responsive to our customers.”
OnShift turned over its entire customer list to KLAS. The company then randomly called customers. The research measures OnShift’s performance in a variety of criteria including functionality and upgrades, implementation and training, service and support, and contracting.
“Your customers will always say good things to you, but when they’re telling a third party you know they mean it,” says Woodka.
The report will help OnShift in its hiring, as the company is still on track to grow their 36 person staff to 55 or 60 by year's end. They currently have six open positions in everything from sales to customer service to development.
“The report helps us from a recruitment standpoint,” says Woodka. “People who want to provide good customer service will want to work for us.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We’re very proud to be ranked so highly by our customers,” says Mark Woodka, OnShift CEO. “We put a lot of energy into being responsive to our customers.”
OnShift turned over its entire customer list to KLAS. The company then randomly called customers. The research measures OnShift’s performance in a variety of criteria including functionality and upgrades, implementation and training, service and support, and contracting.
“Your customers will always say good things to you, but when they’re telling a third party you know they mean it,” says Woodka.
The report will help OnShift in its hiring, as the company is still on track to grow their 36 person staff to 55 or 60 by year's end. They currently have six open positions in everything from sales to customer service to development.
“The report helps us from a recruitment standpoint,” says Woodka. “People who want to provide good customer service will want to work for us.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
cle aquarium makes big splash in usa today
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has yet to open, but it is already generating national buzz.
In a recent article in USA Today titled "8 Big Openings of 2012," the aquarium is featured alongside attractions like The Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt, SkyPoint Climb on Australia's Gold Coast, and the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement -- aka the Mob Museum -- in downtown Las Vegas.
"What's new -- or newly reopening -- in 2012?," asks the article. "So much. Here are eight notable attractions."
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
"The Greater Cleveland Aquarium debuts Saturday, Jan. 21, with 40-plus tanks swimming with sand sharks, native brook trout, piranhas, madtom catfish and more. The attraction is in the FirstEnergy Powerhouse on the west bank of the Flats."
See the rest of the list here.
In a recent article in USA Today titled "8 Big Openings of 2012," the aquarium is featured alongside attractions like The Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt, SkyPoint Climb on Australia's Gold Coast, and the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement -- aka the Mob Museum -- in downtown Las Vegas.
"What's new -- or newly reopening -- in 2012?," asks the article. "So much. Here are eight notable attractions."
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
"The Greater Cleveland Aquarium debuts Saturday, Jan. 21, with 40-plus tanks swimming with sand sharks, native brook trout, piranhas, madtom catfish and more. The attraction is in the FirstEnergy Powerhouse on the west bank of the Flats."
See the rest of the list here.
Enterprise Community Partners, which helps find affordable housing options, is hosting its first 2012 Enterprise Community Innovation Awards. The award, sponsored through KeyBank, is designed to recognize organizations creating new and lasting community development solutions in Greater Cleveland. The winner will receive a $25,000 grant to support the project.
“We were looking at the future of community development in the area,” says Mark McDermott, Ohio director of Enterprise. “We know there are groups out there doing all sorts of innovative work, and we wanted to highlight that.”
McDermott and his team are looking for organizations that are making a positive impact toward making Cleveland a better place to live. “We’re looking for innovation, but innovation in ways that show new solutions to the challenges in our communities,” says McDermott. “Cleveland is a great place for community development work. We have a set of challenges we haven’t seen for a long time and we have to look at new ways to solve problems.”
Entries are due January 20. Three to five finalists will be chosen who will then present their case to a panel of experts. The winner will be announced in late February or early March at an awards event.
Source: Mark McDermott
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We were looking at the future of community development in the area,” says Mark McDermott, Ohio director of Enterprise. “We know there are groups out there doing all sorts of innovative work, and we wanted to highlight that.”
McDermott and his team are looking for organizations that are making a positive impact toward making Cleveland a better place to live. “We’re looking for innovation, but innovation in ways that show new solutions to the challenges in our communities,” says McDermott. “Cleveland is a great place for community development work. We have a set of challenges we haven’t seen for a long time and we have to look at new ways to solve problems.”
Entries are due January 20. Three to five finalists will be chosen who will then present their case to a panel of experts. The winner will be announced in late February or early March at an awards event.
Source: Mark McDermott
Writer: Karin Connelly
The prevailing impression of regionalism that has been bandied about Northeast Ohio for the better part of a decade is all wrong, says a collaborative group of area nonprofits. While the consolidation of countless municipalities is useful, it is not intrinsically regionalism. True regionalism, they argue, is defined by economic activity -- not political boundaries.
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) is about to offer a 14-week network support specialist training program to meet the high demand for IT specialists in Cleveland. The technology jobs are out there, but companies are having a hard time finding qualified candidates.
In fact, the more recent quarterly survey conducted by the COSE Technology Network (NEOSA) showed that 82 percent of companies surveyed had current job openings in IT. As a result, local companies have had to rely on foreign H1-B visa candidates to fill the positions.
“This program will reduce the number of H1-B visas that companies depend on to help fill these positions,” says Tri-C executive director Linda Woodard.
The Tri-C program is geared toward creating a local talent pool in the long-term unemployed. The program is funded through a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which will cover all costs associated with the training. “We will be training 650 individuals over the four years,” says Woodard.
As part of the training, Tri-C has partnered with COSE to place participants in four-week unpaid internships as part of the program. “We will place them in COSE technology companies as well as larger area companies,” explains Ann Marie Powers, COSE manager of board and external relations. “This is geared toward displaced workers. We’re trying to put people back to work in Northeast Ohio.”
“We’re really excited about being able to help,” says Woodard. “The jobs are out there. If you have no IT experience coming into the program you can make a salary in the low $30,000s with this program, $45,000 or more with some IT experience, and up to $75,000 with a BA and experience.”
Classes start in March. Tri-C plans to offer a similar program later this year in health information technology.
For more info, inquire here.
Source: Linda Woodard, Ann Marie Powers
Writer: Karin Connelly
In fact, the more recent quarterly survey conducted by the COSE Technology Network (NEOSA) showed that 82 percent of companies surveyed had current job openings in IT. As a result, local companies have had to rely on foreign H1-B visa candidates to fill the positions.
“This program will reduce the number of H1-B visas that companies depend on to help fill these positions,” says Tri-C executive director Linda Woodard.
The Tri-C program is geared toward creating a local talent pool in the long-term unemployed. The program is funded through a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which will cover all costs associated with the training. “We will be training 650 individuals over the four years,” says Woodard.
As part of the training, Tri-C has partnered with COSE to place participants in four-week unpaid internships as part of the program. “We will place them in COSE technology companies as well as larger area companies,” explains Ann Marie Powers, COSE manager of board and external relations. “This is geared toward displaced workers. We’re trying to put people back to work in Northeast Ohio.”
“We’re really excited about being able to help,” says Woodard. “The jobs are out there. If you have no IT experience coming into the program you can make a salary in the low $30,000s with this program, $45,000 or more with some IT experience, and up to $75,000 with a BA and experience.”
Classes start in March. Tri-C plans to offer a similar program later this year in health information technology.
For more info, inquire here.
Source: Linda Woodard, Ann Marie Powers
Writer: Karin Connelly
nrdc writer says rust belt cities 'hollowed out' rather than shrinking
Writing for Switchboard, the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Kaid Benfield examines a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland that illustrates the importance of a dense urban core.
The study reveals that cities that maintained their core densities between 1980 and 2010 -- like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago -- saw overall growth of their greater metro regions. While cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, which suffered massive urban population losses at the hands of sprawl, experienced a disproportionately greater share of regional population losses.
The conclusion is that the hollowing out of urban centers thanks to suburban sprawl does more than just simply shift population around: It harms the overall success of the greater metro region. Failure to address suburban sprawl will only exacerbate the problem.
Read the rest of the article here.
See the Cleveland Fed's study here.
The study reveals that cities that maintained their core densities between 1980 and 2010 -- like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago -- saw overall growth of their greater metro regions. While cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, which suffered massive urban population losses at the hands of sprawl, experienced a disproportionately greater share of regional population losses.
The conclusion is that the hollowing out of urban centers thanks to suburban sprawl does more than just simply shift population around: It harms the overall success of the greater metro region. Failure to address suburban sprawl will only exacerbate the problem.
Read the rest of the article here.
See the Cleveland Fed's study here.
The Hollywood movies that have been filmed in Cleveland recently have created buzz and the hope of being cast as an extra or rubbing elbows with a star. But when a film is made in Northeast Ohio, jobs are created across virtually every industry.
“Film productions in Cleveland have all sorts of goods and services that we don’t think of as normal film industry jobs,” says Ivan Schwarz, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. “But whenever a film production needs an alley cleaned, they hire a crew to power wash and disinfect it.”
The need is for everything from seafood distributors to cleaning crews and sign makers. “The owner of FastSigns was blown away by what they wanted,” Schwarz says of a recent film project. The Film Commission is helping to tout the many opportunities films bring to Cleveland through workshops on everything from production to how to become a vendor to writing workshops.
The idea is to illustrate how many opportunities come with a film production. “Some of the companies made 50 percent of their revenues on movies this summer,” says Schwarz. “Vendors alone spent $100,000 a week on fuel.”
All of the workshops are listed on the Film Commission’s website. Schwarz is working with Cleveland State University to illustrate the economic development benefits to the region. “It’s really about building and creating ancillary jobs that support the industry,” he says. “The idea is to build an industry that is ongoing.”
Source: Ivan Schwarz
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Film productions in Cleveland have all sorts of goods and services that we don’t think of as normal film industry jobs,” says Ivan Schwarz, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. “But whenever a film production needs an alley cleaned, they hire a crew to power wash and disinfect it.”
The need is for everything from seafood distributors to cleaning crews and sign makers. “The owner of FastSigns was blown away by what they wanted,” Schwarz says of a recent film project. The Film Commission is helping to tout the many opportunities films bring to Cleveland through workshops on everything from production to how to become a vendor to writing workshops.
The idea is to illustrate how many opportunities come with a film production. “Some of the companies made 50 percent of their revenues on movies this summer,” says Schwarz. “Vendors alone spent $100,000 a week on fuel.”
All of the workshops are listed on the Film Commission’s website. Schwarz is working with Cleveland State University to illustrate the economic development benefits to the region. “It’s really about building and creating ancillary jobs that support the industry,” he says. “The idea is to build an industry that is ongoing.”
Source: Ivan Schwarz
Writer: Karin Connelly
A weekend project to build a hoop house turned into a thriving business for three local entrepreneurs. Carlton Jackson, Todd Alexander and Michael Walton were all at a Sustainable Cleveland 2019 meeting in 2009. Walton needed help erecting a hoop house on his urban farm, Jackson and Alexander came to help, and they all ended up with a business idea.
“It took seven to 10 days to build instead of the weekend,” recalls Jackson. The three started talking and figured they could do better. They came up with a design for a better tunnel hoop house and have been building ever since.
Tunnel Vision Hoops designs, manufactures and installs high tunnel hoop houses for everyone from the backyard gardener to working farms. Hoop houses extend the growing season by keeping out harsh elements like wind and sleet while trapping the heat from solar radiation.
Jackson’s hope is to expand Northeast Ohio’s 135-day growing season and use of the 3,500 acres of vacant land in Cleveland for growing food and thus creating jobs. His hoops are comprised of galvanized steel arches covered with UV-protected, condensation-control polyethylene plastic
“We innovated and came up with our own designs and install them,” says Jackson. “We had no intention of actually starting a company. We thought we’d just make a few bucks. We each paid $7, went to Home Depot and made a scale model.”
Their model was a success and TVH’s first client was CWRU’s Squire Vallevue Farm. Today, the company has put nearly 20,000 square feet under cover in four counties. “You know you have a good product when someone’s willing to spend their own money,” says Jackson.
TVH has plans to expand by 2013, hiring trained installers or landscapers to erect the hoops as well as summer interns. Jackson also has plans to expand their product line and to build hoops for disaster relief efforts.
Source: Carlton Jackson
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It took seven to 10 days to build instead of the weekend,” recalls Jackson. The three started talking and figured they could do better. They came up with a design for a better tunnel hoop house and have been building ever since.
Tunnel Vision Hoops designs, manufactures and installs high tunnel hoop houses for everyone from the backyard gardener to working farms. Hoop houses extend the growing season by keeping out harsh elements like wind and sleet while trapping the heat from solar radiation.
Jackson’s hope is to expand Northeast Ohio’s 135-day growing season and use of the 3,500 acres of vacant land in Cleveland for growing food and thus creating jobs. His hoops are comprised of galvanized steel arches covered with UV-protected, condensation-control polyethylene plastic
“We innovated and came up with our own designs and install them,” says Jackson. “We had no intention of actually starting a company. We thought we’d just make a few bucks. We each paid $7, went to Home Depot and made a scale model.”
Their model was a success and TVH’s first client was CWRU’s Squire Vallevue Farm. Today, the company has put nearly 20,000 square feet under cover in four counties. “You know you have a good product when someone’s willing to spend their own money,” says Jackson.
TVH has plans to expand by 2013, hiring trained installers or landscapers to erect the hoops as well as summer interns. Jackson also has plans to expand their product line and to build hoops for disaster relief efforts.
Source: Carlton Jackson
Writer: Karin Connelly
While we pride ourselves here at Fresh Water in having crisp, professional prose, the truth is, without art, a feature is just font on a page. Pictures tell a thousand words, we're told, but the best ones simply leave us speechless. Every masthead and feature image since we launched this pub over a year ago has been shot by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski. Here is a collection of some of his finest work.
When Fresh Water launched in September 2010, we promised to highlight Cleveland's most progressive and creative people, businesses and organizations. But more importantly, we endeavored to place those subjects against the most compelling backdrop of all: Cleveland and its wonderful neighborhoods. Each Thursday, our readers are invited to dig a little deeper into this city we call home. What follows is a list of the 10 most-read features of the previous 12 months. Looking at the subject matter of those stories, it's clear that the most important topics to our readers include neighborhood development, sustainability and transportation, and, of course, food and booze.
tribe's snow days a hit with washington post reporter
A writer for the Washington Post files a post about Cleveland Indians Snow Days, which takes place at Progressive Field from Thanksgiving to mid-January. The family-friendly attraction is a festival of winter sports, with ice skating and tubing facilities installed in a place that typically sees a different sort of sliding.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.