Family Roofers for Over 50 Years - John McNamara, a fireman by trade, was a part-time contractor who painted houses and handled roofing projects. As he began to build a reputation in the roofing industry, he was approached by a Cleveland roofing contractor who suggested he use his Irish gift of gab to sell roofing jobs for them rather than doing the work himself. John accepted their proposal, and was soon one of the company's leading salesmen. Before long, the company decided to place him in charge of their newly opened Akron office. - read more...

Insuring Your Future Since 1935 - In 1954 Michael Herzak, Jr. founded The Herzak Agency to represent the Motorists Insurance Group of Columbus, Ohio. The agency was renamed Insurance Systems Agency, Inc. in the 1980s, and acquired The Beardsley Agency of Warren, Ohio in 1991. The Beardsley Agency had been founded in 1935 and over the years grew to be one of the largest agencies within Grange Insurance Companies. - read more...

Beautiful Smiles for a Lifetime - W. Charles McLuckie, D.D.S., M.S. graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland Dental School in 1988. After completing his Graduate Residency in Orthodontics and receiving his Master of Science in Oral Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1993, Dr. McLuckie returned to Maryland where he had a very successful orthodontic practice for thirteen years. - read more...

A Commercial Printer You Can Count On - Brothers Dave and Bill Kasper combined their talents in January 1995 to found Panther Press Inc. on Brecksville Road. Bill has a degree in graphics art from Kent State University and is in charge of the company's graphics, sales, and customer service departments, while Dave employs his background in engineering and his business degree from Ashland University to oversee the daily operation of the firm. We met with Dave recently, and listened as he provide this overview of Panther Press' offerings; - read more...

Eliminate Gutter Cleaning Forever - Guaranteed!™ - After many years in the home improvement industry, Mike Shanks decided to start his own company. While searching for the right opportunity, he discovered the remarkable Gutter Topper®, gutter protection system. In June of 1998, Mike became a dealer for Gutter Topper® and founded The Gutter Cover Company in Elyria, Ohio. We met with Mike recently, and listened as he explained how you can eliminate gutter cleaning forever; - read more...

The Pathway to a Better Life - For over two decades, Dr. William P. Mulhausen, Ph.D., P.C., N.C.S.P., R.A.S. has been helping Northeast Ohio residents find the pathway to a better life through hypnosis, counseling, and school psychology. Utilizing a breadth and depth of both knowledge and experience seldom found in one individual, Dr. Mulhausen has experienced phenomenal success in areas ranging from smoking cessation to weight loss, stress reduction, grief and anger management, and overcoming various addictions. He's enabled his patients to improve their relationships, build their self-confidence, increase their memory and concentration skills, discover new-found motivation, overcome procrastination, enhance their study skills, and heighten their sports performance. All these and more are available through Dr. Mulhausen's ACC Alpha Counseling Center®; - read more...

Setting a New Benchmark in Child Care and Development - When Stella Moga enrolled her newborn son in daycare, she was horrified when she was told as she picked him up afterward that he had cried all day. She couldn't believe that they hadn't taken the time to call her at work and let her know about the situation. Upon returning home, Stella resolved to start her own daycare where she could provide children with the tender, loving care they desperately needed. Although she had recently immigrated to the United States, had few English skills, and no money, she wanted to provide children with a level of care that was unheard of in the daycare industry. Stella began working extra jobs, attending business school at night, and developing a business plan for a day care center. With only $1,800.00 and a burning desire to succeed, she founded Le Chaperon Rouge in 1982 in the basement of a local church. Today Le Chaperon Rouge has grown to eight schools throughout Northeast Ohio, with more in the planning stages. We met with Stella recently, and listened as she offered this overview of the services available at Le Chaperon Rouge; - read more...

What's That Dripping Noise? - That's a noise that makes a homeowner's heart sink and the bravest of them turn pale. That's also a noise that starts a search for roofers and all too often, confusion for homeowners deciding whose advice to follow unless they live in the local area. Fortunately for local residents, Mike Priebe Roofing & Home Improvement has a long running history of curing the ills of roofs gone bad through both age and improper installation. Mike took much of the mystery out of roofing for us recently with these words; - read more...

Effective Talent Management Solutions - When Jim Ratliff's employer decided to downsize, the entire management team, Jim included, found themselves out of work. Typical of those who experience similar situations, Jim made a conscious decision to never let that happen again. His purchase of a small business in Mentor, Ohio enabled him to take control of his future while helping other professionals deal with the aftermath of corporate displacement. In 1990, Jim moved his company to Independence, Ohio, and hired Rick Taylor as the company's President in 1994. The company grew significantly, and in 2002 Mike Milby joined the firm as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). We met with Jim recently, and listened as he provided this overview of the services available from Ratliff & Taylor, Inc.; - read more...

Personalized CPA Services - The origins of Hill, Stonestreet & Co. can be traced back to the mid 1930s when Matt Clark began his accounting practice on the back porch of his Chagrin Falls home. As the company began to grow, Vern Hill came on board as a partner and the company became known as Hill & Clark. In the mid 1960s, Eunice Stonestreet, one of the early female Certified Public Accountant in this area, also became a partner and the company then was renamed as Hill & Stonestreet. Jim Simon and Bill Stasuk, current partners in the firm, recently provided us with this overview of the services available at Hill, Stonestreet & Co.; - read more...

The Most Effective Legal Representation for Professionals and Small Business Owners - From the time he was a child, Louis J. Licata, Esq. knew he wanted to help people by becoming a lawyer. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, the Professional Fellowship Program at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, and Cleveland State University, Mr Licata founded his practice in Cleveland in 1990. Mr. Licata, currently the Chairman of The Council of Small Enterprises (COSE), moved his practice to Independence in November 1997; - read more...

A Proven Program for Helping Children with Attention Deficits - A Working Mind was founded in 2006 by a group of individuals interested in bringing the best of science-based cognitive skill development programs to the marketplace. These proven, software-based interventions are specifically designed to help children with serious attention deficits. We met recently with Chief Operating Officer Gary L. Showalter, and listened as he described the educational programs A Working Mind has to offer; - read more...

Effective Estate, Retirement, and Income Tax Planning Services - When still a young child, Donald A. Thompson recognized the vital importance of estate planning when his father passed away without a plan in place. His family was devastated and it took them many years to recover. Learning from this tragic personal experience, Don dedicated his life to creating positive results by helping others avoid similar situations. He founded The Estate Planning Team, Inc. in 1989, and today the company has convenient locations in Akron, Beachwood, Hudson, Independence, Middleburg Heights, and Westlake, Ohio. We met with Don recently, and listened as he offered this overview of The Estate Planning Team's services and offerings; - read more...