| Emerging Entrepreneur Highlight
Eric Hamilton |
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"The Sign Guy"
Eric Hamilton's business is not a small business - it's a very small business. Talk to Eric, and he'll tell you moments after you ask. Talk to him a little more, and you'll find out there's nothing small about Eric Hamilton, the man, or his franchise business, Signs by Tomorrow, where he and his four employees supply signs, banners, graphics, vehicle graphics, and visual communication displays, while helping clients with design and branding.
Eric's journey began in Cleveland's Lee-Harvard neighborhood, where his parents offered him strong models for the importance of family, hard work, and education. He then went on to Penn State, graduating with a business degree and earning a ring playing on the 1987 NCAA football championship team. (A look at the box score reveals that Eric even grabbed a 23-yard pass in the championship game). He later earned an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Eric believes in the power of establishing and maintaining relationships. His gregarious personality disguises an intensity and drive that bodes well for his business. He also credits his promotional prowess to his early work experiences at IBM and Merrill Lynch, where he learned to approach people aggressively, in a professional, respectful way. But Eric knew his future was in running his own business. He wanted to spend time with his family, and to be active in his community. He also wanted to put out his own product. In 2005, Eric bought a Signs by Tomorrow franchise, and has been dotting the landscape with his signs ever since.
Knowing that relationships matter, when Eric heard a presentation about The Presidents' Council's Emerging Entrepreneurs Program, he understood that joining was a must. It was one more opportunity to meet new people and refresh some of his business skills. The Presidents' Council has given him one more avenue to make the sale, as 85 percent of his business happens through direct sales. His relationship with The Presidents' Council is paying off.
Last year, Eric approached Collette Appolito, the president and executive director of The Presidents' Council, to inquire about any relationships she had with University Circle, Inc. ("UCI"). Collette made one call, and got Eric a meeting that has led to a great relationship between Signs by Tomorrow and UCI. Travel down University Circle's Main Street, Euclid Avenue, today and above the streetscape representing the institutions of University Circle you will see 100 colorful banners made by Signs by Tomorrow that celebrate the opening of RTA's new HealthLine. When UCI opened The Rink at Wade Oval, the area's only opportunity for outdoor skating, it called on Eric to create the signs that wrap the picturesque rink and welcome the thousands who have used it since it opened in early December.
In just five years, Eric has made a name for himself through his signs. In addition to University Circle, Inc., he's making signs for Case Western Reserve University, Hawken School, and many others. For him, the competition continues. It's a "never ending battle to advertise and market the business," he says. He feels comfortable and confident making the sale. He's happy the Emerging Entrepreneur's Program has given him that chance and knows that "everybody needs a sign."
Everything about Eric and his company, Signs by Tomorrow, is big because he'll always want to develop the new relationship and make the sign. Just give him the chance, and he'll convince you.
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Leadership Message
Eddie Taylor & Collette Appolito
"A New Year for The Presidents' Council"
As The Presidents' Council begins the New Year, we're hopeful about the opportunities ahead. While The Presidents' Council has enjoyed a variety of successes during the decade since its founding, we have the potential to grow the organization and significantly strengthen our ability to build economic empowerment throughout the region. We have a simple plan to execute, but will need the support of our individual Members and Associates, and the community to accomplish our aggressive goals this year.
With 15 African American businesses and the Foundation, the Presidents' Council is positioned to broaden awareness of the organization throughout Northeast Ohio. We can do this in a variety of ways, beginning with increasing the size of the organization, developing a more powerful marketing package, and targeting new investment opportunities.
Working with our Membership Committee, we will identify new Members and Associates to build a stronger organization with a broader array of businesses joining our efforts. Building on the success of our Emerging Entrepreneurs program and establishing stronger connections between the participants and graduates, we plan to create a new Member class to allow Emerging Entrepreneurs to join The Presidents' Council and grow their businesses.
We also must tell The Presidents' Council's story more often and to more people. Reaching a wider audience is crucial for a variety of reasons, including marketing Member and Emerging Entrepreneur businesses and the community-based programs that reinforce The Presidents' Council's mission, paving the way for future business leaders to succeed. It's simple. Most people now get their information online. We will redesign the website that tells our story and provides more frequent business networking opportunities for Members, Associates, and Emerging Entrepreneurs to develop new relationships and business-to-business opportunities. We're going to reach our audience by marketing The Presidents' Council's story through every possible media.
While we will lead with a strong story and brand through this new media, we also must continue to get in front of people, face-to-face, and tell our story. This year, we will meet with more Associates to help grow the awareness of our Member businesses. Meeting in person can make the difference with developing new business relationships, and we will develop these relationships by creating opportunities for more Members to meet with Associates. It's already happening. Last week, we met with Jim Rohr at PNC Bank thanks to Phil Rice and Paul Clark, in order to begin developing a relationship with the company. The meeting was very successful and should pave the way for a strong relationship going forward.
Finally, we need to grow The Presidents' Council by targeting new investment opportunities. These investments can help develop The Presidents' Council's assets, which, in turn, will help make a greater impact on the community. We will work with our Investment Committee to research these opportunities, evaluating real estate, business, and merger and acquisitions opportunities. We need to stay nimble and creative as an organization if we want to grow.
And grow we will. By increasing our size, broadening our awareness, and targeting new investment opportunities, The Presidents' Council will become an even stronger economic development engine for the region than it is today. Our region needs The Presidents' Council and its mission for its future economic viability. That future is bright with The Presidents' Council's Members, Associates, Emerging Entrepreneurs, and even PC Scholars all working together to execute our simple plan for growth. If we focus and achieve these goals, despite the economy's woes, 2009 can be a solid year for the Presidents' Council.
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Member Portfolio
Warren Anderson
"A Cleveland Winner" 
It's refreshing to hear about a Clevelander aggressively invading Pittsburgh territory. Warren Anderson's distribution firm, the Anderson-Dubose Company, recently expanded in December to take over a Pittsburgh-based competitor, adding 80 employees and territory across Western Pennsylvania to Warren's ever-growing distribution empire. In fact, despite the national recession, Warren says his business is thriving and had a "great year last year."
Part of Warren's success undoubtedly derives from his diverse background. He spent time as a child in Nigeria and Tanzania due to his father's career in Foreign Service. He later attended the University of Michigan where he made extra cash flipping burgers at a local restaurant, not knowing he would later become responsible for supplying 500 McDonald's with their daily essentials.
Warren began his professional career in writing, broadcast journalism, television production, sales, and management at radio and television companies in Washington DC, Detroit, New York, and Hartford. In the late 1980s, he seamlessly transitioned from distributing information across the airwaves to distributing goods across the highways, becoming the first and only minority distributor for McDonald's.
When asked to describe his rapidly expanding business enterprises, Warren says, "Not sexy." Perhaps it's not sexy, but certainly it has been successful. In the last year alone, Anderson-Dubose has doubled in size thanks to Warren's aggressive leadership, and the company now provides distribution for McDonald's and Chipotle franchises across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Warren says his business is recession resistant because it gives value to those who are on a budget, adding, "in tough times people will move more to our products than from them."
Warren also has stretched his influence westward by acquiring Capital Beverage, a beer distributorship in Oklahoma City. Capital supplies restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and convenience stores with everything from the American stand-bys, such as Miller and Coors, to imports like Stella Artois. Despite the downturn in the economy, Capital's beverage business continues to thrive, something Warren attributes to the broad base of his market. People may not always splurge on the expensive drink at the bar, but many will still enjoy "Miller Time" at home with a six-pack they picked up at the corner convenience store.
Warren sees his success as just one example of the growth of local African American-led businesses. He believes The Presidents' Council is on the right track to cultivate and grow its member profile, and sees this as an important driver for the regional economy.
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Community Partner
Thompson Hine LLP
"A First Class Associate"
 In 2000, The Presidents' Council welcomed Thompson Hine as a new Associate Member. Thompson Hine is a business law firm based in Cleveland with more than 400 lawyers in eight offices worldwide. Under the leadership of Managing Partner David Hooker, the firm has been an active supporter of The Presidents' Council's mission.
Thompson Hine set up an innovative meeting with The Presidents' Council members to explore issues of mergers and acquisitions and raising capital in privately held companies. The meeting brought together a panel of experts from Goldman Sachs & Co., The Riverside Company, Blue Point Capital Partners, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, L.P., Key Principal Partners, LLC, and The Walton Johnson Group, Inc.
In December, Thompson Hine announced that April Boise will take over as partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office in February 2009. April will become the second African-American to hold the position with the firm, and the first woman to lead a major law firm office in Cleveland.
The Presidents' Council thanks Thompson Hine for its long-standing support and looks forward to continuing this rewarding relationship for years to come.
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News
"PC Scholars Starts Second Year"
After just one year, the PC Scholars program has become one of the most sought after opportunities for sophomore students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). It has also earned the attention of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, which recently awarded The Presidents' Council $20,000 to continue and improve the program.
After a competitive selection process yielding a 53 percent increase in applications from last year, the PC Scholars selection team offered 19 students an opportunity to join the 2008-2009 class. The new class is a wonderful melting pot of students from many different CMSD schools with diverse interests, backgrounds, and goals.
The program's popularity with students and importance to CMSD is echoed by guidance counselors throughout the system. Wesley Sanderson, a counselor from Max Hayes High School, agrees that PC Scholars is a top-notch program and opportunity for the students: "The program reinforces many of the concepts that we instill in our students at Max Hayes High School," Wesley said recently. "What a wonderful thing to be able to tell our students that they will meet other students with similar values to better themselves."
From guidance counselors to students to business mentors to foundations, the PC Scholars program is being noticed. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation recognized its value and became the primary sponsor of the PC Scholars program. The $20,000 grant has helped make improvements to the program as suggested by the first-year class. One of the students' suggestions was to increase the time students spend with the facilitators and with each other. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation grant helped achieve this by doubling class sessions from once a month to twice a month. More time with each other and with facilitators helps the students follow the rigorous preparation schedule for the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), and develop the life and career skills that will make them successful in their futures.
The Presidents' Council is excited about starting the second year of the PC Scholars program, and is grateful for the support of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and others. Only with the support of the community will this program continue to grow. Hundreds of CMSD students may qualify for the program, but funding only supports the current class size.
Please consider supporting the PC Scholars Program with a financial contribution or sponsorship of a student and help The Presidents' Council continue impacting the lives of students who will ultimately decide Cleveland's future.
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