20160314-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 3/11/2016 3:23 PM Page 1 VOL. 37, NO. 11 MARCH 14 - 20, 2016 HIGHER ED: Akron Business of Life University fights drop in enrollment P. 4 Fun mail Local companies will send FOCUS: Big Fun you stuff other than bills Owner adjusts to Internet age P. 15 P. 22-23 SOURCE LUNCH CLEVELAND BUSINESS The List John Petures Jr. talks local giving Employee benefit services firms P. 24 P. 27 Avoiding the fall Bankruptcy filings plummeted in 2015, but will the trend continue this year? BY JEREMY NOBILE Mirroring a national trend, Ohio’s commercial and per- sonal bankruptcy filings continued to plunge in 2015, hitting a multi-year low in response to factors in- cluding a generally stronger economy and a prolonged low-interest rate environment. But that could change this year, partic- ularly for corporate filings tied to more unstable industry sectors, like oil and gas, which many businesses in this region are exposed to. According to the American Bank- ruptcy Institute, all filings in the Unit- ed States fell 10% in the 2015 calendar year from 2014. That includes a 14% annual drop in commercial filings and 10% drop for consumers. Those 819,285 commercial and personal bankruptcies filed in calendar year 2015 are the fewest filings logged nationwide SEE BANKRUPTCY, PAGE 12 DANIEL HERTZBERG Global Center out Local donors back to reduce vacancy BY JAY MILLER reach. It has more than 500 offices in 67 countries. Kasich Super PAC [email protected] Its job will be to lease the remain- @millerjh ing 20,000 feet of vacant space in the four-story building, that, along with Businesses, execs give $1.3 million to New Day for America The Global Center for Health In- the First Merit Convention Center of novation is hiring Colliers Interna- Cleveland, comprise a $465 million BY JAY MILLER according to Federal Elections Com- based gambling operations. tional to begin a “full court press” to investment by Cuyahoga County de- mission data analyzed by the Center They are Hard Rock Rocksino, fill the roughly 15% of its space that signed to boost tourism broadly, [email protected] for Responsive Politics owned by the Milstein family, Jacobs is vacant. with a focus on bringing medical and @millerjh (bit.ly/226yda6). CRP data is based Investments Inc., led by chairman Colliers, an international real es- health care meetings to Cleveland. on FEC filings as of last Monday, and CEO Jeff Jacobs, and Dan tate brokerage and property man- The Global Center has yet to live Among the people Ohio Gov. John March 7. Gilbert, principal owner of the agement firm with a local office at up to the aspirations of its creators Kasich will have to thank if his cam- New Day has spent more than $10 Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. 200 Public Square, was chosen at and has struggled to find a success- paign for president manages to sur- million to help Kasich pursue his The other top donor to New Day is least in part because of its global SEE GLOBAL CENTER, PAGE 26 vive Tuesday’s Ohio primary will be presidential ambition. Independence Excavating Co., a group of Northeast Ohio business- Kasich for America, the official owned by the DiGeronimo family. It es and business people — and a la- campaign committee, has spent $7.2 gave $125,000. Entire contents © 2016 by Crain Communications Inc. bor union — who made large contri- million. The union donor is Political Edu- butions to the independent political At the top of the New Day list of cation Patterns, the political arm of action committee that has done the Northeast Ohio donors is Tony Local 18 Operating Engineers. It lion’s share of spending to get him George, the owner of the Harry Buf- contributed $40,000. elected the Republican Party’s can- falo restaurants, who gave $500,000 The largest contributor to New didate for president on the Novem- through George Pearl Rd Ltd. Day was Boich Cos., a Columbus ber ballot. George is listed as agent and in- coal marketing firm. It gave $1 mil- A look at the top donors to New corporator of that partnership on lion to New Day. Day for America, a so-called Super documents filed with the Ohio Sec- Super PACs have no limit on the PAC, shows a group of 15 Cleveland- retary of State’s office. Also on the size of contributions from corpora- area entities that have contributed New Day list are three contributions tions, unions and individuals, which more than $1.3 million to New Day, of $100,000 each from three Ohio- SEE KASICH, PAGE 25 20160314-NEWS--2-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 3/11/2016 10:44 AM Page 1 20160314-NEWS--3-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 3/11/2016 12:06 PM Page 1 LINCOLN LEXUS: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE IRISH TO BE LUCKY THIS WEEK. THESE LUCKY OFFERS EXPIRE 3/23/16. Drive .com 2016 LINCOLN MKZ LEXUS BRAND NEW SAVE OVER 2015 LX570 A MONTH $2995 Security deposit waived. Excludes AWD $10,000 FOR 36 MONTHS taxes, title, license & doc. fee. 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Or Call Terry at Senate, and a decline in total giving. Kristy Hull represented the tenant 216.453.3001 Among those struggles, there is at and David Hollister represented least one number the university is watching particularly closely: the the landlord. number of students who have con- firmed enrollment for next fall. 1350 Euclid Ave., Suite 300 As of last Wednesday, March 9, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 about 1,310 students have submit- ted their deposits and confirmed they will attend Akron in the fall, said vice president of advancement (Contributed photo) Lawrence Burns. That’s down by about 350 students from around this time two years ago, and by more didn’t speak specifically to the situ- campus visits. than 600 students from about this ation at Akron, but said he universi- While Akron still uses traditional MEET YOUR time last year. ties overall are facing a declining media, a critical part of its outreach The numbers of students who student population. The council is taking place through social media. LOCAL LENDER have applied and been admitted — represents Ohio’s 14 public univer- The university is active on Facebook, about 17,000 and about 11,300, re- sities. Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and spectively — are down a bit from The traditional student popula- Snapchat, Burns said. The school is using videos to try to showcase the 2015, he said, but up from 2014. tion has declined as the number opportunities available at Akron and There’s a good pool of students to of students graduating high school give students what he called a draw from, Burns said.