Ohio Business Spotlight

Address: 721 7^th Street, Portsmouth
County of Headquarters: Scioto

BabcockEyeCare.com

Social Media:
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About
Joseph M. Babcock, Sr. started Babcock Eye Care in 1916 when he moved to Portsmouth. Throughout his career he volunteered with the American and Ohio Optometric Associations to advocate and grow the profession of optometry, for his work he was inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2016. His son Joe Jr. joined him in practice in 1950 after serving in WWII. Joe Jr. practiced for nearly 50 years, shortly after moving back to Portsmouth he was one of the first doctors to fit contact lenses in southern Ohio. In 1981, his son Joe Wm. also returned to Portsmouth to practice optometry. Joe Wm. actively practices optometry, and was one of the first eye doctors to introduce OCT technology to southern Ohio, now considered standard of care. His son Taylor, the fourth generation optometrist, joined the family business in 2014 and they currently practice together in downtown Portsmouth. In 2019, Dr. Taylor Babcock began serving on the board for the Ohio Optometric Association. All doctors were actively involved in the southern Ohio community and have volunteered their time to numerous organizations to help better their community. Babcock Eye Care has taken special interest in growing southern Ohio and optometry.

A century of business is quite the accomplishment, what has made your business successful over the last 100 years?
Having a loyal base of patients that trust us with their overall eye health. Also, practicing in a profession that is rewarding and enjoyable allows for generations to be happy in a career. Optometry has been fortunate to be able to embrace change and evolve as the needs of our patients have change over time.

Your business has obviously seen a lot of transformations over the past 100 years, what is the biggest change that your company has experienced?
The evolution and addition of technology has revolutionized the way we practice and are able to diagnose and treat conditions of the eye. Additionally, the scope of practice for optometry has changed and expanded over the years. In 1916, prior to the many technology booms, an optometrist's job was largely based on manufacturing of glasses. However, over time with the expansion of diagnostic technologies and therapeutic options, we have been able to expand the services that we provide our patients. We have seen a huge shift in helping to co-manage systemic diseases, like diabetes, by providing comprehensive eye exams. As with any profession, optometry continues to evolve and expand. With the advent of new technologies and improvements in education I expect optometry to continue to grow and evolve. As the overall population ages the needs for eye care will continue to grow and optometry is uniquely situated to help these individuals.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to start a business in Ohio?
I would advise them to embrace hardships and setbacks and look at them as learning experiences and a necessary part of life and business. In order to grow, learn and build any business you must be able to become comfortable with failure and learn from mistakes and not let them hold you back from growth and seeing the big picture in the future. I would also say to follow the golden rule and treat others the way you wish to be treated.

Address: 1243 Elm Street, Cincinnati
County of Headquarters: Hamilton

CincinnatiOpera.org

Social Media:
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

About
Cincinnati Opera celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2020, making it the nation’s second-oldest opera company (just behind the Metropolitan Opera in New York). The company presents an annual summer opera festival which includes productions of beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative teams. Cincinnati Opera also presents a robust roster of concerts, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives year-round throughout the region.

Cincinnati Opera’s 100th anniversary season (June 18-August 1, 2020) features a thrilling lineup of operas, including Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, the world premiere of William Menefield and Sheila Williams’s Fierce, Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, the world premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s Castor and Patience, and Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida.

Season sponsor for the 2020 season is Huntington. The 2020 season is also made possible with support from ArtsWave, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, The Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, UC Health, Ohio National Financial Services, and many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences.

A century of business is quite the accomplishment, what has made your business successful over the last 100 years?
Founded in 1920, Cincinnati Opera began its life at the Cincinnati Zoo, where it presented a summer festival of grand opera for more than half a century. In 1972, the company moved to its current primary home, Music Hall, and since 2013, the company has incorporated programming in smaller, second-stage venues as part of its annual summer season. Throughout our history, we have strived to entertain, engage with, and inspire passionate opera fans as well as those who are new to the art form. Opera also is the ultimate collaborative art form, and we are fortunate to benefit from longstanding creative partnerships with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Arts Association, Cincinnati Ballet, the May Festival, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts, and our local theatrical unions, to name a few; these partnerships are key to our continued ability produce world-class opera.

Your business has obviously seen a lot of transformations over the past 100 years, what is the biggest change that your company has experienced?
The cultural landscape, both locally and globally, is constantly evolving. Audience members have countless ways that they can choose to spend their time and money, so it’s our challenge and responsibility to make opera as meaningful and accessible as possible, and to connect with our community members in authentic ways. That includes broadening the types of opera we present to include not only the tried-and-true classics, but also contemporary works that reflect the richly diverse human experience.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to start a business in Ohio?
Ohio is fertile ground for new ideas and endeavors—the arts included. Cincinnati Opera is fortunate to receive generous support from the Ohio Arts Council, which provides valuable resources—financial, informational, and beyond—for arts organizations large and small throughout our state. On a local level, many of Ohio’s communities benefit from the presence of passionate arts advocates, funders, supporters, and creatives. To those entrepreneurs who are looking to enter the arts sector, we invite you to immerse yourself in your local arts community, attend exhibits and performances, and talk to arts creators and administrators; arts professionals are collaborators by nature and are eager to encourage the growth and diversification of the arts community.

Address: 200 W. Railroad Street, Columbiana
County of Headquarters: Columbiana

CBCO.com

Social Media:
Facebook, LinkedIn

About
At Columbiana Boiler Company, they rely on over a century of experience in fabrication of galvanizing kettles and ASME pressure vessel products, combined with the newest fabrication and welding techniques available, to give their customers guaranteed state-of-the-art products.

Columbiana Boiler Company is more than a century old, dating back to its founding in 1894. Their first products included the manufacture of boilers and other steel plate work. The manufacture of boilers was discontinued in 1922 and production has since been focused on kettles for the galvanizing and other hot dip coating industries, pressure vessels and transportation packages for the chemical industry. Additionally, they have recently begun expanding their focus to include custom heavy plate fabrication. The pride in quality workmanship and products, which existed when the company was founded, still exists today with their experienced and stable work force.

Columbiana Boiler Company maintains a documented quality management system designed and implemented to fulfill various industrial standards such as the ASME U stamp and ASME R stamp, and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) M-1003. These systems create a framework for clearly defining the control of materials, processes and verification activities, thus providing customers with confidence that the production of products is performed in a well-defined and controlled environment.

Their Nondestructive Testing Program is in accordance with the American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A. CBC employs an ASNT Level III individual who is certified in radiography testing, magnetic particle testing and liquid penetrant testing methods. They also employ various Level I and Level II certified technicians in the same inspection processes. In addition to the ASNT certifications, they also have individuals certified through the American Welding Society as Certified Welding Inspectors (AWS-CWI).

A century of business is quite the accomplishment, what has made your business successful over the last 100 years?
The main reasons for our great success over the last 125 years are:

• The dedicated workforce that is with our company, and some of the employees are third and fourth generation employees.
• A great ability to adapt and change to the worlds business needs.  An example is we are Columbiana Boiler, but have not built a boiler since the 1920’s.
• We have a niche product line where we are the only producer in the US of both Ton Containers and Galvanizing Kettles, and due to the specialized requirements for manufacturing and customer demands of the product lines we only have limited competition
• We have a family atmosphere and positive work environment where we operate as a family and are willing to give our best to any task required.

Your business has obviously seen a lot of transformations over the past 100 years, what is the biggest change that your company has experienced?
Over 125 years there have been many changes such as transitioning away from boilers in the 1920’s to adapting to today’s workforce needs and technological advances.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to start a business in Ohio?
Build a great product, treat your people the best you can, and always be dedicated towards adapting and advancing. 

Address: 22801 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland
County of Headquarters: Cuyahoga

LincolnElectric.com

Social Media:
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

About
Lincoln Electric was founded in Cleveland in 1895 by John C. and James F. Lincoln as a manufacturer of electric motors and quickly expanded into arc welding. Today, Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. Headquartered in Cleveland, Lincoln has 60 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. The company is renowned for its unique and progressive “Incentive Management System,” which has been studied by academics and business professionals for decades, for its performance-based culture, long-term focus, and the alignment of all of its stakeholders’ interests (employees, management, customers, communities, and shareholders). 

A century of business is quite the accomplishment, what has made your business successful over the last 100 years?
Lincoln Electric will celebrate its 125^th anniversary in 2020. This milestone is achieved through a culture founded on the Golden Rule and a shared purpose of operating by a higher standard to build a better world for our employees, customers and the communities in which we live and work. This achievement is reinforced by a track record of developing innovative joining and cutting solutions that help our customers be more productive and efficient in their operations.

Your business has obviously seen a lot of transformations over the past 100 years, what is the biggest change that your company has experienced?
The digitization of arc welding equipment and the introduction of specialty metals have been catalysts for innovation in our industry and among our customers. Software-driven equipment systems have enhanced productivity and the quality of the weld, enabled advanced robotic solutions, and production and quality monitoring systems that ensure safer and more efficient operations. Combined with the advent of new, specialty metals, customers today have an unparalleled ability to re-design and enhance the build of their products, pursue more rigorous infrastructure projects, and operations. These technological changes are the catalyst for ongoing innovation and change at Lincoln Electric, such as the development of large-scale, metal 3D printing technologies.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to start a business in Ohio?
Ohio provides a strong business environment to support entrepreneurial start-ups. Partnering with local and state government agencies, as well as regional economic development organizations can help businesses leverage the tremendous resources available in the state.