Complete Lawn Maintenance Services - Employed in a local machine shop, Dave Nowakowski frequently longed for the fresh-air working environment he had come to know while growing up on one of Ohio's many family farms. In 1987, Dave began a sideline business providing landscaping and lawn maintenance services to local residents and business owners. In 1990 Dave resigned from his position at the machine shop to focus his full-time attention to his new and growing company. We visited recently with Dave and his wife, Sharon, and listened as they provided this overview of Razor Sharp Lawn Maintenance's wide range of services; - read more...

The Perfect One-Stop-Shop for Mom-To-Be and Baby - Coming from a background in the hospitality industry, Lori Miles founded Details in Avon, Ohio in 2003. Specializing in "gifts from the heart", Details had a small section devoted specifically to babies that underwent tremendous growth, eventually growing to the point that it needed a home of its own. In 2005, Lori opened The Littlest Details at 36840 Detroit Road at The Shoppes of Olde Avon Village dedicated to items for mothers-to-be and babies. We visited with Lori recently, and listened as she provided this overview of The Littlest Details' offerings; - read more...

Lifestyle. Quality. Philosophy. - Devon Oaks assisted living is proud to be part of Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network, a non-profit organization caring for older adults in the Cleveland area for 120 years. Devon Oaks opened its doors in 2000 in the heart of Westlake on Crocker Road, across from (what is now known as) Crocker Park. We met recently with Executive Director Danielle Maur, Director of Marketing Carrie Cuadrado, and Administrator of Clinical Services Melissa Foldi, and listened as they provided this overview of Devon Oaks: - read more...

Voted One of Cleveland's Best Dentists - As a young man growing up in Canada, Allen Park, D.D.S. had been interested in becoming a dentist from a very young age. One day while doing his undergrad work in Ontario, he was approached on campus by a recruiter from Case Western University in need of directions. As Dr. Park led him to his destination, the recruiter asked if he might have in interest in dentistry, gave him a business card, and invited him to investigate Case Western's dental school. Dr. Park came to the United States to enroll in Case Western University's School of Dental Medicine, and after graduation founded Dover Center Family Dentistry in North Olmsted in 2004. We met with Dr. Park recently, and listened as he provided this overview of the services his practice offers; - read more...

Three Decades of Heating & Cooling Excellence - After graduating from trade school, Jim Armaro spent several years working for local heating and air conditioning companies. In 1978 he founded Armaro Heating, Cooling, and Refrigeration in North Ridgeville, Ohio, and has spent the past three decades building a reputation for top quality workmanship and unparalleled customer service. We met with Jim recently, and listened as he provided this overview of the services Armaro Heating, Cooling, and Refrigeration provides; - read more...

Four Generations of Insurance Excellence - In 1934 Sydney H. Lance founded one of the first insurance agencies in Medina County. He ran the successful agency until his retirement in 1965 when the day-to-day operations of the company became the responsibility of his son-in-law. A satellite office in Brunswick, Ohio was opened in 1957, and in 1974 Mr. Lance's grandson, Robert A. (Rob) Rapp joined the agency. The family sold their Medina operation in late 1984, and on April 1, 1985 Rob purchased the Brunswick agency and changed the name to Homestead Insurance Agency Inc. Today Rob continues the family tradition of service to their policyholders with the assistance of his wife Valerie and son Brandon. We met with Rob recently, and listened as he described the products and services that have enabled Homestead Insurance Agency Inc. to remain a dominant force in the local insurance industry for the past five decades; - read more...

Fast, Accurate Claims Reimbursement - Working for over nineteen years in administration and customer service, Jeanne M. Hall began to search for a business opportunity that would utilize her computer and customer service skills. She discovered in the late 1990s that automated medical billing enabled medical service providers to submit their claims to insurance companies electronically, thereby eliminating their dependence on the mail and improving their cash flow by receiving their payments quickly. Many medical practitioners, although, were not taking advantage of this revolutionary technique due to the high cost of the software needed. Jeanne decided to make the investment in the necessary software, offer her services to the medical community, and in 1999 founded Blue Sky Automated Billing. We visited with Jeanne recently, and listened as she offered this overview of the services Blue Sky Automated Billing provides; - read more...

Committed to Quality and Customer Value - After Tom Brunner graduated from Ohio State in 1972, he went to work for a national lawn care company where he remained employed for several years. Late in the fall of 1976 he returned to Northeast Ohio and founded Personal Lawn Care, starting with himself, his brother, and a friend. Focusing on providing their customers with quality workmanship on each and every job, the company specialized in mowing and fertilization services. - read more...

Tradition and Quality for Over 65 Years - Shortly after graduating from high school, Michelle Carter completed the floral design course at Hixson's School of Floral Design in Lakewood, Ohio. After gaining experience at several Northeast Ohio flower shops, including Sissons, she purchased the shop in 1995. Sissons Flowers & Gifts was founded in 1939, and Michelle continues to help people express their feelings with flowers. We visited with Michelle recently, and listened as she provided this overview of the products and services Sissons Flowers & Gifts provides; - read more...

Expert Tree Care Since 1973 - Mike Wechter began working for a local tree service while still in high school. After gaining a few years' experience and attending courses at Ohio State along the way, Mike decided to open his own business. In 1973 he founded Mike's Tree Service Inc. which originally consisted only of himself and one truck. Throughout the years, the fledgling company continued to grow as a result of plenty of hard work and dedication to complete customer satisfaction. To accommodate this consistent growth, Mike built a new facility on Just Imagine Drive to house his business in the 1980s. We met with Mike recently, and listened as he described the services Mike's Tree Service Inc. provides; - read more...

Specializing in Plumbing & Heating Sales and Service Since 1971 - Working indoors as a machinist, George R. Leonard longed for a job that would present the opportunity to be outside more. He found a job as a plumber's helper, liked the work, and in 1971 founded Leonard's Plumbing & Heating, LLC. We visited with George recently, and listened as he provided this overview of the services Leonard's Plumbing & Heating provides; - read more...

Avon, Ohio's Version of Cheers - The owner always dreamed of being in business for himself. He was a hard worker and early in life realized the benefits of dedicating his energy to creating equity in his own company. He discovered a property built in 1952 that has long been the location of an Avon, Ohio tavern. The business is located on the first floor of the building, and the previous owners have always occupied the three bedroom apartment on the second floor. The old North Ridge Tavern became ZZ's Big Top in 1984 and began to transform a dream into a reality. We visited with owner Keith Zeman recently, and listened as he described ZZ's Big Top's offerings; - read more...

Catering to Your Individual Borrowing Needs - With a Masters Degree in Finance and twenty years banking experience, Michael B. Sartor determined to find the most effective way to help consumers searching for mortgages on residential and commercial real estate. Naturally, they could always approach their bank or another financial institution for their lending needs, although Michael knew that mortgage brokers could offer a wider variety of loan choices coupled with a level of personalized service that banks simply couldn't match. In 2004, he founded Gold Medal Mortgage, Inc. to aid borrowers in finding loan options tailored to their individual needs. We met with Michael recently, and listened as he provided this overview of the products and services available from Gold Medal Mortgage, Inc.; - read more...

Where Barbering is Still an Art - The two biggest influences in Bob Catanza's life were his uncle and his grandfather. Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, Bob was a frequent visitor to his uncle's barbershop in Mayfield. The shop had seven barber chairs lining one wall, with another row of chairs for those waiting running down the opposite wall. Both walls were mirrored and afforded a panoramic view of the entire shop. It was a sight that Bob found positively mesmerizing, but the part that made the biggest impression on him was that his uncle knew everybody coming into the shop. He knew all about them, all about their families, and everything that was going on in the neighborhood. - read more...

Your One-Stop Floral Design Center - Avon resident Tammy Gilles-Brandt began working with flowers when she was only sixteen years old. She found employment with Kathy Pawlitfch at A Secret Garden Floral Design, and when Kathy offered the business for sale, Tammy took over ownership on April 1, 2007. We visited with Tammy recently, and listened as she described A Secret Garden's offerings; - read more...