Mayor Thomas P. Perciak
(440) 580-3150
tom.perciak@strongsville.org

Gene Magocky
Director of Economic Development
(440) 580-3117
gene.magocky@strongsville.org

Brent Painter
Economic Development - Administrative Assistant
(440) 580-3118
brent.painter@strongsville.org

About the City of Strongsville, OH

I want to extend a warm welcome to Strongsville on behalf of the City Council and myself. I think you'll find our city a wonderful place to live and/or work, a "spirit of community" exists here. We have many fine recreational facilities for residents of any age, and our churches and civic organizations offer the opportunity to become involved, if you are so inclined, and thereby extend your friendships and the feeling of “being at home.

I know you understand that we are in a period of unprecedented growth, not only in homesites, but in commercial and business growth. Major road improvements will be taking place this year and for several years beyond. The city staff will assist you in any way possible. I assure you that we are working hard to make Strongsville a city you'll be proud to call "home".

Sincerely,
Thomas P. Perciak
Mayor

Population of Location

43,858

GDP by industry

Manufacturing - 17%
Real Estate - 14%
Wholesale/Retail Trade - 13%
Finance & Insurance - 11%
Information/Professional & Technical Services - 9%
Health Care & Social Assistance - 8%
Other - 28%

Workforce

24,072

House prices

$170,200

Transport & Logistics (airports, motorways & ports)

Distance to Local Airports:
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: 10 miles
Burke Lakefront Airport: 21 miles
Cuyahoga County Airport: 34 miles
Akron-Canton Regional Airport: 36.2 miles

Distance to Mayor Highways:
I-71 runs through Strongsville with two exits/entrances within the City
The Ohio Turnpike runs through and intersects I-71 in Strongsville

Distance to Local Ports:
Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority: 24 miles

Universities
Distance to Local Colleges & Universities:
Cuyahoga Community College: 6 miles
Baldwin Wallace College: 7 miles
Cleveland State University: 20 miles
Case Western Reserve University: 23 miles
John Carroll University: 28 miles
Kent State University: 35 miles
The University of Akron: 36 miles
Ohio State University: 123 miles
Ohio University: 199 miles

Strongsville is a community that has produced significant economic progress in its recent history, growing from a small village rooted in agriculture into a thriving city of nearly 50,000 residents with a productive and diverse industrial and commercial base.

182 acres of undeveloped land have recently been made available through the expansion of Foltz Parkway within the 1,693 acre Strongsville Business & Technology Park.

The acreage is owned by the City of Strongsville and:

• Classified as Greenfields
• Zoned General Industrial
• Tax incentive eligible
• Quick access to interstates and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
• With campus-like settings

Along with the available acreage within the Strongsville Business & Technology Park, Strongsville's advantages include:

Accessibility
Strongsville is easily accessible by interstate roadways from the north, south, east or west. The interstate system intersects Strongsville with I-71 and I-80, the Ohio Turnpike. Via the local interstate system, other major areas in the county can be reached in 20-30 minutes. I-480 is just 5 miles to the north, I-77 is 5 miles to the east and I-90 is 15 miles to the north. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is 10 minutes north on I-71. CSX rail services two business parks. All major freight carriers service the City's industrial and business parks. The Port of Cleveland is the world gateway for overseas shipping. RTA bus service is also available to all four business parks. Local accessibility and connectivity to the interstate system has been improved with the widening of SR 82 from I-71 to the county line. Access and mobility is further enhanced by the reconstruction of numerous residential and arterial roadways annually.

Utilities
Reliable utilities, especially phone service, will enable maximum "up time" for your facility. Highly reliable electric and gas service complement the water and sewer service provided through the City. Digital telephone switching, ISDN service and fiber optic distribution ensure unsurpassed internal and external communication continuity and speed.

Pro-Business Climate
The City of Strongsville is truly a pro-business environment with a Moody's bond rating of Aa1 and local officials with the background and expertise needed for strong economic growth. An industrial survey conducted in 2006 indicated that 94% of respondents would recommend Strongsville to another business, while 96% rated the quality of life in Strongsville as excellent or good.

The City of Strongsville hosts quarterly Business Network Meetings created to help foster a positive relationship between local businesses and the City. The City also maintains a blast email system that is utilized to notify companies of local activities, including road construction schedules, business opportunities, and community events.

Additional Services
Financial- Industrial revenue bonds are available through the Strongsville Community Improvement Corporation. Business loans are available through all local banks as well as the state and federal programs (i.e. 166 Loan Program, 504 Corporations and Linked Deposits Program, etc.).

Tax Incentives & Relief- Real estate improvements are abatable in the City's 19 community reinvestment areas. Franchise tax reductions are possible through the State's Jobs Development Bill based on new jobs created. Tax reductions are also possible through the export, machinery and equipment, and research and development tax reduction programs of the State.

Business Development- Information on business, governmental and business services and sources of direct product and process improvements are disseminated by our Economic Development Department. Information on demographics, worker training, transportation, and market development is also available. Planning aids, business growth aids and a myriad of business information can be accessed through clear path referrals by our Economic Development Department. Sponsored business meetings encourage common interest action and new customer development. For further information, please contact our Economic Development Director.

Sector strengths
The City of Strongsville is home to a diverse business community with 185 companies employing nearly 10,000 people within four business parks.

Manufacturing companies such as Avery Dennison, PPG Industries, and Atlantic Tool & Die blend well with large service companies such as Cintas, Antares Management Solutions, and National City Bank's Technology Center.

Strongsville is also home to the North American Headquarters of ICI/Glidden Paints, as well as the world headquarters for Darice Inc., Momentive Performance Materials, and Clark Reliance Corporation.

High-tech companies such as C.TRAC, Mirifex, the CSC Group, Edgerton Corporation, and many more are also important members of the Strongsville business community. With the expansion of Foltz Parkway and the establishment of a new 182 acre technology park, the City plans on expanding it's foothold in the high-tech sector.

Key investors in the region

New investments to the region

• All Foils
• Computer System Company
• Enterprise Rental Car

NEWS RELEASE

March 17, 2006
City of Strongsville
Contact: Mayor Thomas P. Perciak
(440) 238-5720, ext. 2102

Mayor Thomas Perciak and Councilman Mike Daymut today announced the completion of the City of Strongsville's "Quality of Life" survey.

Working closely with Ohio State University's BR&E Initiative, the purpose of the survey was to determine the value Strongsville residents place on available amenities and services, as well as their satisfaction level in those areas.

In December of 2005, the Strongsville, OH, Economic / Community Development Committee mailed the "Quality of Life" survey to a census of 16,000 Strongsville Households and received 5,841 completed surveys for an amazing 36% return rate (20% is considered very good).

The survey results indicated that 92% of respondents rated the "Quality of Life" as good to excellent with 89% saying they would recommend Strongsville to others as a place to live. In addition, 84% would still choose to live here if they could make the choice again, a finding many consider to be the acid test.

The top four reasons given for living in Strongsville were:

• Quality and Diversity of housing
• Safe Environment: Police, Fire, EMS
• Quality of Schools
• Accessibility to Family

The evaluation of services and amenities showed that the subsequent percentages of citizens rated the following as high in quality:

• Health care services (84%)
• Police (83%)
• Fire-paramedic (82%)
• Recreation-cultural-entertainment activities (79%)
• Schools (77%) " Access to air service (74%)
• Snow-ice removal (73%)
• Senior services (69%)

In contrast, road repairs and transportation thoroughfares were rated as needing improvements.

When asked whether citizens are willing to pay more for improved amenities and services such as police and fire services, 38% of those surveyed unequivocally responded "yes" while 23% responded with a "possibly". The responses when combined together can be interpreted as positive support for the improved services.

When looking at the profile of the respondents the survey showed that:

• 60% have lived in Strongsville more than 10 years
• 92% own their home
• 19% earn between $75,000 and $99,000
• 33% earn $100,000 or more per year
• 38% have 2 people in the household
• 66% are working
• 49% are between the ages of 41-60
• 52% were female, 48% male

Greg Davis, Director of Ohio State University's BR&E Initiative, adds an expert's insight on Strongsville's survey process and results: "Strongsville leaders innovatively used the Ohio BR&E to better understand the residents' sentiments toward community services and amenities. Such information will be very useful to local leaders as they allocate resources to support the services and amenities most desired by residents."

Copies of survey results will be available to the public at Strongsville's public library branch, City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and at the City's web site (www.strongsville.org). The results have been presented for review to the City of Strongsville Council and to the Strongsville Board of Education.

Quality of Life Survey Task Force
Thomas P. Perciak, Mayor
Richard L. Pinkerton, Ph.D, Taskforce Chair & Professor Emeritus, Calif St Univ, Fresno
Michael J. Daymut, Co-Chair, Councilman Ward One
Rea Cantwell, Executive Director, Strongsville Chamber of Commerce
Greg Davis, Director, Ohio BR & E Initiative
Theresa Fleming, Director, "Moms for Ohio"
Eugene P. Magocky, Director of Strongsville Economic Development
The Reverend Ron Mowry, Pastor, Strongsville United Methodist Church
Brent T. Painter, Administrative Assistant, Strongsville Economic Development
Marcie Sprosty, President, Palm & Patterson, Inc.
Barry R. Zimmerman, Executive Vice President, Edgerton, Corp.

Tourist attractions

3 Major League Sports Teams
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Cavaliers

The Playhouse Square Center
2nd largest U.S. theater district outside of New York

Cleveland Metroparks & Cuyahoga Valley National Park
3rd most visited national park system in the U.S.

Cleveland Orchestra
Ranked in the top five major orchestras in the world

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Including more than 43,000 collections from all times and places displayed in four joined buildings stretching 389,076 square feet

Miles of lakefront and water activity
With a cost of living ranging from 12-20% below the national average, our residents are provided a quality of life that is both dynamic and satisfying.

Shops & restaurants
Strongsville has a large variety of local retail and restaurants. The Westfield Southpark Shopping Center is located at the center of the city and consists of over 1 million square feet of retail stores and restaurants. The shopping center recently was expanded to include the new Strongsville Cinemark, Dick's Sporting Goods, and over 200,000 square feet of additional shops.

Located just west of Southpark Shopping center is the 325,000 square foot retail center known as the Greens of Strongsville with anchor tenants including Target, Heinen's Fine Foods, Old Navy, Pier 1 Imports, TJ Maxx, and many more.

Retail development in Strongsville is ongoing with plans for new retail centers including Renaissance Plaza (130,000 SF of shopping, restaurants, and office) and the new Plaza at Southpark (300,000 plus square feet of new retail opening in the fall of 2009 across from Southpark Shopping Center).

Strongsville is blessed with many fine and diverse restaurants. Don's Pomeroy House, The Italian Village, and Shinto's Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar all offer city residents fine dining opportunities.

The Strongsville Business & Technology Park was rated the #1 Business Park in Northeast Ohio by Crain's Cleveland Business Magazine in September of 2007.

The City of Strongsville is the owner of 182 acres within the Strongsville Business & Technology Park being marketed for high-tech end users.

Westfield Southpark Shopping Center is the largest retail center in Northern Ohio with over 1 million square feet of shopping and restaurants.

The world renowned Cleveland Clinic local branch in Strongsville

The Mill Stream Run Reservation section of the Cleveland MetroParks extends through Strongsville and provides residents with nearly 1,000 acres of green space.

The Gardenview Horticultural Park is a unique public garden with 6 acres of gardens and a 10 acre arboretum containing 500 varieties of plants.

Strongsville Recreation and Senior Complex consists of 100,000 square feet with three gymnasiums, three swimming pools, and a family aquatic center.

Petitti's in Strongsville is a 14-acre garden center replicating a Victorian conservatory and one of the first of its kind in the United States.

Fiscal incentives

Pre-1994 Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs)
Strongsville currently has nineteen (19) Pre-1994 Community Reinvestment Areas established for the City's Tax Abatement Program. All industrial zoned land in the City is part of a CRA Incentive. This means that Strongsville will provide tax incentive on the real estate improvement, upon application, for ten years based on 100% of the real estate improvements actually made at the site.

Limited Enterprise Zone
The City also has a Limited Enterprise Zone and can offer limited real estate and personal property tax incentives. Tax incentives are limited to existing and new companies qualifying under the state program. We will be happy to work with you and negotiate a fair project for you and the City of Strongsville.

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)
Foreign-trade zones (FTZ) were created by Congress in 1934 to stimulate economic growth and development in the United States. The FTZ program was designed to promote American competitiveness by encouraging companies to maintain and expand their operations in the United States. The FTZ program encourages businesses to locate in the United States by removing various disincentives commonly encountered. Under the program companies many reduce, defer, or eliminate Customs duties on imported parts, materials, or components entered into the zone. A Foreign Trade Zone has been defined and established within the City of Strongsville and can be adjusted to incorporate additional projects.

The Ohio Investment Training Program (OITP)
The Ohio Investment Training Program (OITP) provides financial assistance and technical resources for customized training involving employees of new and expanding Ohio businesses.