Reporters' Notebook: Jan. 29, 2007
4:30 am, January 29, 2007
Weston and Geis decide to play nice
A situation that could have produced a clash of local real estate titans has led to a new dynamic duo instead. Geis Cos., the Streetsboro-based industrial builder and developer, and Weston, the big realty investment and management company in Solon, avoided a potential fight by partnering in the recent purchase of 212 acres in Glenwillow for an industrial park. “Rather than kill each other, we decided to team up,” said Greg Geis, who operates Geis Cos. with his brother Fred. The Geises and T.J. Asher, a member of the family that owns Weston, struck up the partnership when both found they were competing to buy the same parcel from Browning Ferris Industries Inc. Weston decided it was better to enter a joint venture than to hire someone and build a department to do ground-up developments for the company, said James Asher, Weston president. He said Weston primarily has built only when it had excess land that came with a structure it bought and has not tackled new land developments before. Terry Coyne, director of Grubb & Ellis Co.’s industrial unit, said Geis is good at construction and development and does some management, while Weston is good at buying and managing properties and does some building. “It should create a lot of deals,” Mr. Coyne said.
Both sides say they will see how this project goes before considering future ventures together. — Stan Bullard
It’s like eHarmony for the startup set
JumpStart is playing matchmaker.
The nonprofit business development organization last Thursday launched a web site aimed at connecting entrepreneurs with investors and anyone else who can help get a business running.
The site, www.ideacrossing.org, will allow entrepreneurs and investors to create profiles of themselves for free, then will match them based on common needs. For instance, entrepreneurs in the medical device field would be paired with investors who focus in the area.
“It’s kind of like a Match.com for businesses,” said Clyde Miles, executive vice president of Optiem, the Cleveland marketing company that created it.
JumpStart aims to raise $750,000 to pay for IdeaCrossing’s creation and to maintain and market the site for three years. — Chuck Soder
Now that’s the power of persuasion
It’s a start: A test of possible advertising material for the Greater Cleveland Marketing Alliance’s coming regional branding campaign landed some encouraging results.
Jennifer Deutsch, senior vice president and general manager of the Cleveland office of ad agency Doner, said as a result of a focus group last Wednesday in Detroit during which the agency promoted Northeast Ohio, three participants indicated they were considering a trip to Cleveland this weekend.
A fourth went so far as to say he’d look into moving here.
The marketing alliance is expected to roll out its new pitch in April.
After trying to sell the merits of the North Coast in January, the rest of the year should be a cinch. — John Booth
We CAD you not — Swagelok customers like this service
A new customer service from Swagelok Co. apparently is the CAD’s meow.
Thomas Gubanc, director of e-business at Swagelok, said the Solon-based maker of valves and fittings now offers more than 1 million product and computer-aided design (CAD) drawings on the company’s web site, which is making life easier for customers.
The technology allows purchasing agents and others not proficient in CAD to obtain drawings of specific components via the web site. Such drawings previously were done manually for customers.
Erik Mikisch, vice president of business development at ThomasNet Inc., which helped develop Swagelok’s CAD drawings, said the CAD offerings have drawn 22,000 users since August, about double what program developers originally anticipated. — David Bennett
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