Starting in July, HGR Industrial Surplus will be open only one Saturday per month instead of on every Saturday as in the past to give employees more time to spend with their families. Store hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
We still will be open Saturday, June 25. Our only open Saturday in July will be July 9; so, mark your calendar!
From chatting with him a few times, it is clear that Dennis Althar, president and CEO of Althar Audio (www.altharaudio.com), is one part Renaissance Man, one part self-professed Maker, one part technology fiend with a dash of philosopher thrown in. He is a people person and storyteller extraordinaire with a variety of interests and passions that revolve around technology and electronics.
You have been involved with FIRST Robotics for 13 years. Tell us about your work with them.
I had a friend who was a mentor to one of the schools involved. I found out that they needed someone to inspect the robots to make sure they met specifications. As an inspector, you need experience in electronics or technology. Then, in the last two years, I have worked as a judge. It’s not as technical because you are judging professionalism, interaction, how the team helps other teams, community involvement, the team’s Web page, the safety of its booth, documentation, and its video presentation.
It costs about $25,000 to do a robot. The students have to find mentors and sponsors. Each robot is built from the same basic kit and software but the students write their own code; so, there is opportunity for innovation in the traction system and performance of the robot, and the uniqueness of the idea.
“For inspiration and recognition of science and technology” is what FIRST stands for. Our country graduates about 70,000 engineers per year as compared with 350,000 in India and 600,000 in China (Cse.msu.edu). We need to close that gap.
What is your opinion of STEM versus STEAM programs?
Art is integral to design. Some things may work and do the same job but the artistry is important and what distinguishes one product from another. For example, there is a difference between one website and another. How does it look and interact with the user? Some design elements to think about that could use improvement:
User experience is the art part.
What other student-mentoring opportunities are you involved with?
I speak at Cuyahoga Community College, Case Western Reserve University and Youth for Christ about careers and electronics since I’ve been doing technology since Apple II’s in the late 70s and electronics since I was five.
Tell us about when your love for technology started.
At age 5, I read books on electronics and science fiction at the library to get away from my home life. I started repairing stereos at about age 6 but never just repaired them; I modified them and improved them. The tubes took time to warm up; so, I would put a solid-state diode across the power switch to make them instant on.
Record players used to have 30 watts with one channel driven and only 20 with both driven. I would take the cartridge and flip one channel’s wires so that one was positive and one negative to change the polarity then flip the wires on one speaker. That way, I was able to get 30 watts per channel with both channels driven rather than 20 basically increasing the power by flipping two wires on each end, one pushing and both pulling back. Technology is about understanding what things do.
Then, I drove a car as a teenager with a knocking rod. This usually blows up within an hour. I pulled the spark plug wire so it wasn’t firing, took off the valve cover, removed the push rods from the intake valves and took the spark plug out so it didn’t suck fuel. The car ran on seven cylinders instead of eight and missed a little on the freeway but I drove it like this for months. I had a broken tie rod end and drove the car backward to get home to get it off the road. You can’t push it forward. Again, it’s knowing how things operate. Going back to the previous question, that’s what STEAM and STEM are: understanding the basic principles of how things work. To design, a person has to have a basic understanding of servicing things and the ability to look at the product as a complete system during its whole lifetime. They have to be able to service it, whether a robot or a TV, to see how things integrate.
How did you get involved in your current line of work, and what did you do in the past?
I left home when I was 14. A high school guidance counselor turned me onto Upward Bound where I went to college in the summer to be away from my bad home conditions. II was paid a $7 per week stipend and got to live in the dorms in the summertime. I just kept on going from there. I stayed with friends the rest of the time and was emancipated when I was 17. I slept in cars and anywhere I could, and I finished high school.
I also was in a foster home at 8 for about a year. There, I saw a different kind of life and could see possibilities. I was told I would never amount to anything or drive a nice car. I have owned Jaguars, Porsches and a limo. What doesn’t kill you motivates you; it gave me a heart for mentoring and foster programs. Although I knew electronics, I joined the Air Force so others would believe it, and I went through 2.5 years of training in eight weeks.
Out of the Air Force, I got involved with medical equipment and large-system computer equipment repair. Then I started my own business doing graphics systems for Bobbie Brooks; laser equipment for Richmond Brothers; research equipment for General Tire, BFGoodrich and all the rubber companies; and medical electronics repair and sales, Including the first ultrasound machines and heart stress testing. We then went into manufacturing.
I beefed up VCRs to work in cardiac cath labs to take in non-standard video and play it back on the monitors. After working with that ultrasound technology for years, I used it to apply to sound systems.
Tell us how that came about. How are they being used and where?
I had a separate business selling high-end home theater and laser discs in the 1990s. After 911, I let the medical stuff go as it went to big network PAC systems moving away from film. I went full time into sound system technology based upon medical technology. I basically retired after 911 and hung out and did fun stuff until three to four years ago.
But I would still repair the things I built and support my customer base. I never want satisfied customers. Satisfied customers go to McDonalds, pay the buck, get a hamburger and are satisfied. They also would buy from Burger King. Loyal customers go to Rally’s, not anywhere else, because they are excited and are evangelists.
Our current markets are churches, gyms, warehouses, factories, football fields and auditoriums. The systems are being used by St. Edwards, Central Catholic, Independence High School, Notre Dame, Gilmour Academy, Beachwood, Warrensville, Ursuline, St. Thomas Aquinas, Western Reserve Academy, Toledo, Riverside High School, Lear Romec Crane, AkzoNobel, Musicians Alex Bevan and Dan Bode, and on mobile billboards as the trucks drive around sporting and political events.
Communications are about getting what’s from my mind to your mind with as little destruction as possible, which you know well if you are married. You need a universal translator from Star Trek so that what goes out of someone’s mouth and into the other person’s ears is in synch. Our mission is to make intelligibility in communications, whether visual or aural. Your brain tries to make things fit to its experience. You can seldom have lossless transfer of ideas.
As an HGR customer, how did you hear about HGR? What do you come here to purchase and why?
For the deals and because it’s a one-stop shop. If you’re building a maker’s space like Dan Moore at Team Wendy and need a drill press, lathe, vacuum, etc., you can get it all in one place, save money, and keep items from going to landfills and scrapyards. HGR is full of more than just metal; they’ve made it so people can compete who couldn’t afford to buy a $200,000 spray booth. Companies may go out of business but something is still left in the ashes.
I was a customer of HGR’s founder’s prior company. I did work with Reliance Electric. One of its locations was across from that company, and I saw sign about surplus, which is my middle name. This was before the Web, and I wouldn’t have known it existed. It was serendipity, then I found out about HGR from word of mouth. We have bought electronics, lighting, lockers, carts, power supplies boxes, containers, a wire stripper, test equipment for our engineering lab, and material handling equipment. The place is full of too many cool things. For instance, I bought three skids of hardcover foam-lined cases made for ultrasound probes and found a use for them. I bought an ultrasound machine and donated it to The Cleveland Pregnancy Center. Sometimes, I buy an item because it looks cool then find a use for it later on. I seldom buy things that don’t work but if they don’t you can return them. What you guys get is eclectic; it’s like you say, you do sell everything.
In the United States, education reform has been underway since the 1990s to prepare our youth to be more globally competitive in their careers by integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subject areas in the curriculum. It was felt that the U.S. has fallen behind its global counterparts in the classroom and that fewer students had been focusing on careers in these fields. As a result, the National Science Foundation coined the STEM acronym and began encouraging an implementation program in the schools, and in 2009 President Obama’s administration announced the “Educate to Innovate” campaign to inspire students to excel in STEM subjects and teachers to educate in these subjects in order to move American students from the middle of the pack to the top of the international arena. (1)
There also is an effort to attract women and minorities to STEM careers. This website has audio files of women who work in President Obama’s administration talking about their personal female heroes from STEM fields in order to encourage young women to pursue a career in the sciences.
(1) Horn, Elaine. “What is STEM education?” Livescience.com. Web. 19 April, 2016.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Allison Lukacsy, community projects manager, City of Euclid)
On a gorgeous late spring afternoon on June 9, 2016, the City of Euclid and the Euclid Landmarks Commission dedicated an Ohio Historical Marker at the Euclid Police Mini-Station on HGR Industrial Surplus’ property at 20001 Euclid Avenue, Euclid, Ohio, to formally recognize the site at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case The Village of Euclid vs. Ambler Realty Co. (1926).
Euclid v Ambler Realty is known nationally for establishing the constitutionality of zoning and land-use regulations throughout the country. The subject property consisted of roughly 68 acres of land located between Euclid Avenue and the Nickel Plate Rail Line. The site ultimately was developed for industrial purposes during World War II.
Today, the historic property is owned by HGR Industrial Surplus, which operates an industrial supply showroom and distribution center at the site. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank helped facilitate HGR’s purchase of the property through foreclosure, and now the site has a bright future, with HGR investing millions and attracting major new tenants. The site also is home to the NEO Sports Plant and the Euclid Police Mini-Station.
The dedication featured a keynote address by Paul Oyaski, former mayor of the City of Euclid, and remarks by Ohio House District 8 Representative Kent Smith and Ohio Senate District 25 Senator Kenny Yuko. In his address, Oyaski painted a picture of Northeast Ohio circa 1926 and made fascinating the details of both the local and Supreme Court cases.
In her welcome address, Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail commended the Euclid Planning Commission for continuing the legacy of thoughtful planning in Euclid as well as the Landmarks Commission that helped prepare the marker application.
A representative from the Ohio History Connection delivered a proclamation to kick off the ribbon cutting by city officials, council and committee members, and representatives from the American Planning Association.
The marker purchase and dedication event were made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Cleveland Section of the American Planning Association, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP and a grant from the Ohio History Connection – Historical Markers Program.
The Euclid Historical Society and Museum, 21129 North Street, Euclid, Ohio, is a great place to visit and learn more about the Euclid v Ambler Realty case and the rich history of the City of Euclid.
Marker text:
By 1922, the Ambler Realty Company of Cleveland owned this site along with 68 acres of land between Euclid Avenue and the Nickel Plate rail line. Upon learning of the company’s plans for industrial development, the Euclid Village Council enacted a zoning code based on New York City’s building restrictions. Represented by Newton D. Baker, former Cleveland mayor and U.S. Secretary of War under Woodrow Wilson, Ambler sued the village claiming a loss of property value. In 1926, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Euclid and upheld the constitutionality of zoning and land-use regulations by local governments. The federal government eventually acquired the Ambler site during World War II to build a factory to make aircraft engines and landing gear. From 1948 to 1992, the site was used as a production facility by the Fisher Body Division of General Motors.
On June 8, 36 baseball (and Euclid Chamber of Commerce) fans attended the chamber’s luncheon at Classic Park, 35300 Vine Street, Eastlake, Ohio, to root on the Lake County Captains. A good time was had by all as we watched them bring home a victory at 14-12 against the Lancing Lugnuts. The Captains have been a minor-league Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians as part of the Midwest League since 2009.
Check out this short video about the history of HGR Industrial Surplus, including a big THANK YOU to its customers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB17u3V74Sy_Qf7_Xq-e4Ig
On May 9, Turner Construction, Special Projects Division, broke ground on an interior fit out of 13,000 square feet in the back of HGR Industrial Surplus’ showroom for future use as executive and administrative offices, conference rooms, a kitchen, and restrooms with locker room and shower facilities. Included in the buildout is a new sprinkler system, HVAC system, interior finishes, corridor to connect with the showroom, and a back entrance for business guests. The architectural drawings were designed by Vocon; and construction is targeted for completion in August.
According to Jason Spieth, superintendent with Turner SPD, “The biggest challenge thus far was the coordination of the air handler in the mezzanine area because the lead time for it is 10-12 weeks, which is almost the same duration as the project. Also, it’s location is in the middle of the building; so, we would’ve needed a massive crane to set it through the roof, which would have cost a substantial amount. We elected to drive it into the building and lift it into place, instead. The downside here is that until it is set, we can’t complete some of the finishes in the kitchen area. Other than that, we haven’t had too much trouble.”
The area housed prior tenant, Paintball City. Due to a truss that was collapsing, a new steel beam was installed in the roof. Prior to HGR purchasing the building, the city was talking about closing the building due to a concern that the truss would crush a gas line. HGR purchased the building in 2014, shored up the truss and has replaced it, as can be seen in the photo below.
When it’s finished, we will be sure to show you the “after” photos!
In 2015, HGR’s Austin office entered two teams that placed fifth in the Fittest Companies Micro category, qualifying for the Wall of Champions, and came in second in the Fittest Professionals, Course 3, Level 1. There were 400 participants from 30 companies. Each team consists of three to four members who compete in a three-course fitness challenge.
Once again, the Austin office is up for the challenge and six people have begun twice-per-week group training, with a current focus on strength training, for the Sept. 10 event to take place at Zilker Park (Barton Jaycee Complex). The strength training consists of doing burpees, situps, pushups and mountain climbers each for one minute, rotating nonstop for 20 minutes. Each participant also is encouraged to walk or run on his or her own time for four to six miles per week. The number of reps and time per training will increase every four weeks. That’s dedication!
If you plan to be in Austin, please root them on! We’ll keep you posted on the results.
You are invited to The City of Euclid’s Ohio historical marker dedication on June 9 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at HGR Industrial Surplus, 20001 Euclid Ave., Euclid, Ohio. This event commemorates the 90th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the landmark case of The Village of Euclid vs. Ambler Realty Co.
According to an article on Wikipedia, “It was the first significant case regarding the relatively new practice of zoning, and served to substantially bolster zoning ordinances in towns nationwide in The United States and in other countries.”
This tract of land remained undeveloped for 20 years until the construction of an aircraft plant during World War II and, later, a GM Fisher Body plant. This site now is the home of HGR Industrial Surplus.
A reception with light refreshments will follow. Please register at:
The 60,000-square-foot NEO Sports Plant (www.neosportsplant.com), owned by Rodger Smith, opened May 1 in the site of the former Euclid Sports Plant at 20001 Euclid Avenue in the Nickel Plate Station building behind HGR Industrial Surplus. Smith already has begun renovations, including painting and carpeting the office, cleaning the entire facility, and renovating the bathrooms and locker rooms. He will host a grand reopening in September.
In the meantime, the facility remains open during the summer for youth and adult clinics, camps, tournaments, and private or group lessons on six indoor volleyball courts and four indoor basketball courts. The courts are available for rental to organizations, for business/corporate events, and for private parties and events on a year-round basis.
Smith says that a group of friends or coworkers can form a six-person volleyball team and play for a nine-week session plus two-week playoffs for a around $200 per team plus ref fees. There will be fall, winter and spring leagues. He also plans to start a girls’ J.O. volleyball club where, he says, “Students and parents can get to meet people they never would have met and develop new friendships.” In addition, he would like to see corporate sponsorships of a youth program or individual sponsorships of an underprivileged youth.
The facility also has a weight room for athletic training and conditioning run by Mac Stephens, former NFL linebacker with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Heights head football coach. His team works out here, and college talent scouts have frequented the facility.
There are major improvements in the works. In Phase II, Smith plans to convert the existing baseball area into four indoor sand volleyball courts in time for the grand re-opening. The closest place to play indoor sand volleyball is in Columbus. NEO will be the third facility in Ohio, including Columbus and Cincinnati, but the only one to offer both indoor volleyball and sand volleyball at one facility.
Smith is seeking a grant to dress up the storefront and working to get a liquor license in order to open a bar and grill for participants.
When asked about his lifelong love of sports, he says, “My parents said I would shoot a basket in my crib, and when it would fall out I would start crying.” He played basketball in junior high and high school and football in high school. He got involved with volleyball as a senior in high school and, according to him, “It became an addiction.”
From 2003-2014 he worked in many roles with a facility in Eastlake. In the beginning it was Club Ultimate. When he started with Club Ultimate there were only four outdoor sand courts and about 60 teams. By 2009, he was able to put four indoor courts to go along with the sand courts. In 2010, One Wellness Sports and Health took over the facility. Smith started as an employee and eventually leased space from them to start his own business. From 2010-2014 indoor leagues grew from 60 to 180 teams, and they added two outdoor sand courts. In February 2014, Force Sports bought the business from One Wellness, and Smith became their employee. During the next year and a half he worked with Force to implement their programs. After building the adult volleyball program to 250 indoor teams and more than 300 sand teams, they parted ways. That’s where HGR came into play.
He knew Ron Tiedman, HGR’s chief production operations officer and co-owner, who was a member at One Wellness and whose daughter played for the J.O. volleyball club that practiced there. Smith also was a customer of HGR. Tiedman called him after HGR bought its building to see if Force wanted to expand into the area. It did not.
In April 2016, Smith decided to branch out onto his own, Tiedman put him in touch with the owner of Euclid Sports Plant. Smith bought the business, changed the name, invested in the facility and is committed to bringing volleyball and basketball to youth and adults in the region. He says, “I put people and the game before business without hurting the business.” Smith and his team plan to put in the same work ethic as he did to build the previous business and is excited and thankful for the opportunity to do it again.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Alan Maslar, co-owner, Railside Creations)
Railside Creations, opened in early 2016 by friends Alan Maslar and Chuck Schilling, makes unique furniture pieces and home accessories using wood and metal. Their inspiration comes from classic and modern designs, as well as the natural beauty in wood itself. Maslar had previously been a woodworker for local custom shops where he made a wide variety of furniture, cabinets, and millwork for luxury residences. Exotic woods, veneers, and radius work are some of his specialties. Schilling was employed by the City of Mentor to make exhibits and displays for fairs and Mentor CityFest, while building musical instruments as a hobby on the side. The lack of their individual creativity in their previous jobs motivated them to move and start on their own.
Their vision and approach leads the duo to brainstorming sessions and some design-on-the-fly situations. Many of their pieces are created utilizing re-purposed equipment from HGR Industrial Surplus. Newer technologies, such as AutoCAD and CNC machining also are used by Railside. For several years, their thought process has naturally been aligned with those individuals who have been a part of the Makers Movement, whether Alan and Chuck knew it or not. Using parts and processes different than their intent definitely drives both of these guys in a lot of what they do. In addition to their in-house designed pieces, they also work with customers to help bring their visions to reality.
Maslar and Schilling make sure a trip to HGR is at minimum a monthly excursion. The items they purchase are not usually what you would expect from a couple of woodworkers. “The stock is constantly changing and some pieces just jump out at you as great platforms to build ideas around. We bought an old riveting machine and components from it were the foundation for several pieces of furniture we’ve made. The vast rotating inventory and low prices keep us coming back.” HGR is a great place to outfit most any manufacturing facility; the guys at Railside see it as a place for materials and inspiration.
To view and purchase items made by Railside Creations, visit www.railsidecreations.com, or visit them on Facebook.
Although we are closed on Memorial Day to remember those who died while serving in our armed forces, we will be open on Saturday, May 28 during our normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Please have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Jennifer Ristic, vice president, content, Point To Point)
Industrial manufacturers often discuss the need to use marketing to help increase sales, yet most never pull the trigger.
Gone are the days of winning business strictly through personal relationships or using traditional marketing tactics like high-priced advertisements in trade publications to capture the attention of prospective customers. Today, buyers are in control more than ever, which requires manufacturers to engage with them on the buyers’ terms.
As a B2B marketing agency focused on industrial manufacturing, we’ve found that taking an inbound marketing approach is the most effective ways for a manufacturer to generate qualified sales leads.
According to HubSpot, inbound marketing “focuses on creating quality content that pulls people toward your company and product, where they naturally want to be. By aligning the content you publish with your customer’s interests, you naturally attract inbound traffic that you can then convert, close and delight over time.”
It’s all about ensuring your business can be found easily online, which is accomplished through a blend of content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and marketing automation. These efforts, when used in the right way, will turn website traffic into leads and qualified leads into customers.
Here are the top three reasons manufacturers should use inbound marketing:
Because inbound marketing is about attracting – not interrupting – your target market, the more valuable the content, the more engaged your audience will be and the more they will share their information. Building great content, disseminating it via the right mix of marketing communications vehicles and measuring the impact via marketing automation tools will drive real business results for manufacturers who understand the power of marketing.
Point To Point is a premier B2B digital marketing agency focused on accelerating growth through more intelligent customer interactions driven by deep customer insights and data. As a trusted advisor to clients, the company’s cross-functional team brings a unique combination of strategic guidance, creative brilliance, technology innovation and delivery excellence to manage the change and resources to achieve success. For more information, visit www.PointToPoint.com.
They all played the accordion! And, so do many folks in Cleveland. What style of music often comes to mind when you think of an accordion? Yep, polka. But, not everyone plays polka on the instrument. It can be used for folk music, classical, and even jazz and blues. We talked to Brian Slosarik of Valley City who not only plays the accordion but he is a collector and is well known for accordion repairs.
How did you get involved with accordions?
I work fulltime in HVAC, worked for a heating company for five years and was a builder prior to that for 10 years. My grandfather played the accordion, and I remember hearing him play when I was younger. I lived in California when I was growing up, and my parents pushed us kids into playing a musical instrument. I chose the accordion at the age of nine. I was taught using the Palmer-Hughes Accordion Course, Book 1-12, and additional sheet music, including classical and overtures. After one year of taking lessons I was entered into accordion competition. I did pretty well, collecting several small trophies and many ribbons during the next few years. I quit at 13 after my parents moved to Connecticut because I couldn’t find a teacher who I felt comfortable with in the area. In 2004, I had an accident working on my house. I was on a scaffold painting gutters, stepped off the side of the scaffold and took 15-foot fall. I broke my left foot and right wrist. Recovery was about four months. My hand was still a problem. I still had my original accordion that my dad bought me in 1960. I picked it up for therapy to be able to get my fingers working again, move my wrist and use my hand. That’s all it took. I got hooked again and started buying them. Most needed repairs; so, I took them all the way to the east side to get repaired. To save money and time, I started reading everything I could find on accordion repairs. With the help of a new accordion friend, I began repairing my own. People found out I could do this, and it snowballed. There are usually six to 10 accordions waiting to be repaired in my second-floor shop. I probably work on more than 100 per year. People drive from Michigan, Pennsylavania and southern Ohio to drop them off and send them via UPS from as far away as California. There aren’t many people in this country doing repairs. I am doing my part to try and keep the instruments going. Accordions really are very fragile and need someone to look after them. I do some traveling to accordion events around the country. My favorite is the Cotati accordion Festival in Cotati, California, in August. I enjoy repairing accordions and meeting all the passionate, nutty enthusiasts. It has become a very enjoyable hobby.
What is your favorite style of music to play?
In this area, most players love and play polkas, waltzes and dance I personally like and play jazz-type music from the 40s on my accordion. Friends in California got me involved in jazz. I was playing my old music when I restarted and got hooked up with Frank Marocco’s arrangements and bought up everything he had produced. His music was my influence, and I play some of his arrangements of French and Italian music jazzed up, blues and tangos.
What is your favorite accordion? What makes it so special?
My favorite accordion that I play is a Sano double-tone chamber from the 1950s. The Sano brand was imported into the East Coast. The sound is what makes it special to me. The interior is all made from Mahogany wood. Mahogany has a lot to do with the appealing tonal quality. Jazz boxes are mellower with a deeper bassoon. They have a richer tone that is a bit quitter. Not everyone likes this; therefore, they prefer a brighter, livelier, louder accordion.
How are accordions and/or polka music an important part of Cleveland’s history?
Yankovic started here. The Detroit and Pittsburgh areas also have a big polka following, as does the whole Great Lakes area due to the Slavic people who settled this region.
What words of wisdom do you have for the next generation of aspiring musicians?
I know several younger people who love and play the accordion but who are exclusively playing polkas for entertainment. I encourage them to diversify if they want to continue to play because as their audience ages, they need to appeal to other audiences. Some students who visit me from Oberlin College are playing Irish and Scottish mixed with jazz. In Europe the accordion is very popular. You see people playing on street corners. It is a big part of their heritage. The accordion is showing up in popular bands like Bruce Springsteen’s. And with Paul McCartney, I remember from a few years ago seeing an accordion sitting in the corner of a stage during a New Year’s Eve celebration. The accordion is out there. I feel that as younger people discover it, the accordion will be made to do new and different things.
What kind of tools do you use to repair your accordion?
Small files for tuning, custom-made tools for getting in tight places for adjustments, screwdrivers of all sizes, power tools, a table saw, belt sanders, acetones for celluloid work, sanders, polishers, X-Acto knives, glues. Being a former builder, remodeler and cabinet maker, I’ve always been into tools. Many of my tools show their age from many years of use.
What are some of the problems accordions have that cause them to need repair?
From accidents, bass buttons collapse just from knocking it over on the floor. The more you play, the bellows wear out and need to be replaced or retaped. Scratches and dings. Straps wear out, keyboards get out of adjustment and start getting too much play. Humidity and temperature are terrible on accordions. If they are stored on the floor in a basement they can mold inside. Attics with humidity and heat disintegrate the wax causing the reeds to fall out. Accordions like the same atmosphere and living conditions that people like: 70-75 degrees F. As with most things, accordions can just wear out. If it is a good brand, something special or sentimental, an accordion can be rebuilt to like-new condition. I have restored several during the past 10 years, including some for myself.
How long does it take to repair one? How costly is the repair?
I have repaired as many as five in one weekend if they require minor repairs like a stuck or broken reed or a key is hooked and bent. It can take up to 50 hours of work for a major restoration I find most repairs are in the $100-500 range.
How much do accordions cost, and where do people buy them?
A new, small, Chinese accordion runs $500-600 up to $12,000-15,000 for a top-of-the-line Italian accordion. A new full-sized, standard accordion runs $3,000-5,000, and you can get a good used one for $1,000. There are a few stores on the East and West Coasts and in Michigan that sell new ones. There’s nothing in Ohio that I know of. I can order them new through my connections, and I have almost 200 used accordions in my shop with 30-40 ready to sell at any time. I have four in my personal collection: my grandfather’s last accordion, the one from my childhood, my Sano, and one that is believed to have been owned by Myron Floren from the Lawrence Welk Show. I think picking an accordion is very personal. Everyone has different preferences and taste in how it should feel and sound.
How do you tune an accordion?
There are hundreds of reeds inside, and each reed has two reed tongues. When you pull out and push in the bellows the reed should make the same sound. To change the pitch on a reed you scratch or file the tongue in specific places to raise or lower the pitch. I use, in combination, a computer tuning program and Peterson strobe tuner. It can take up to 12 hours to tune a full-sized accordion; therefore, it is expensive — $500 or more. It is difficult to tune an accordion right to get a proper sound when you are done. It’s an art. What makes it more interesting is the different types of tunings there are: dry or concert tuning, polka, Irish, French, Italian and many more. Without proper training and experience a set of reeds can be ruined real fast in the wrong hands. Most accordions only need to be tuned about every five years if they are played regularly. Your better accordions tend to have better quality reeds. The higher quality reeds will hold a tune longer.
At the Wednesday, May 18, state-of-the-schools address and luncheon at Euclid High School, Euclid City Schools’ Assistant Superintendent Charlie Smialek introduced two Euclid High School juniors who sang “Glory” by John Legend. Both have GPAs of 3.6 or higher and are part of the College Credit Plus (CCP) program. Through CCP, they each have already earned 15-20 hours of credits toward college.
Smialek then presented what he calls, “a story of inspiration and bonding together as a community to ensure that we continue to remain a viable educational choice.”
Phase I of that program includes:
• Fiscal responsibility (closing Forest Park to consolidate three schools into two due to structural issues and declining enrollment)
• Student achievement
• Credibility in the community (partnerships with organizations such as Lincoln Electric for a welding lab and HGR Industrial Surplus for a robotics program and scholarship)
He mentioned that a career tech program will be added in 2017 to address the three-million manufacturing jobs that will be open in the next 10 years. It is anticipated that 2 million of those will go unfilled. With the creation of the program, the school hopes to meet the needs of its students, their families and employers looking for a skilled workforce. According to a statistic in his presentation, there’s a 92-percent graduation rate for students who participate in career tech programs versus the 70-percent current Euclid High School graduation rate. The school also plans to work with HGR on its STEM learning lab since half of all STEM jobs do not require a degree and pay an average salary of $53,000.
Phase II revolves around campus achievement, which depends upon an 8-mill, $96.3-million bond issue to create a secondary campus housing grades 6-8 and 9-12 on one site, turn the Forest Park site into an Early Learning Village for ages 3-4 and grade K, make stadium improvements, move the culinary arts program to the secondary campus, and repurpose the Central site as a metropark. If passed, potentially on the November 2016 ballot, this work would take place 2017-2019.
(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Liz Fox, marketing associate, MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network)
In the world of manufacturing, the term “thought leadership” is an ever-present buzzword that transcends industry. People perceived as thought leaders often speak at conferences, maintain blogs, and write extensively on topics pertinent to their audience. More importantly, thought leaders engage in the sharing and discussion of ideas that influence the thoughts of others and help people achieve success.
But what does it really take to transform yourself into a thought leader? While you might not become the next Seth Godin or Jim Tompkins, it’s definitely possible to drive conversation and influence key people in your industry. The following characteristics can help you not only be perceived as a thought leader, but engage with others on multiple levels that can propel your ideas forward.
Enhanced Storytelling: Stories are the first step to connecting with your audience on a personal level. Begin with a hook, then dive into details to which you feel they’ll respond. Anecdotes from your own life often serve as great backdrops, descriptors, and metaphors for the larger message you may be trying to convey.
Quality Curating: Thought leaders know great content when they see it, and many have the impulse to share it with others. Think about what topics are important to you, then research different aspects of them. Determine which publications and sources are the most relevant or credible, then put them out there for the world to see – it will only add to your credibility.
Leveraged Networks: While your expertise alone may be important in some areas, becoming a thought leader is also about who you know. It’s crucial to stay connected to key figures inside (and outside) of your industry, as there are some who can help you tell your story and share your ideas in a meaningful way. After all, this is why LinkedIn and other social media platforms have been so successful for existing thought leaders!
Individualism and Credibility: The value of a unique and trusted voice cannot be understated in the world of thought leadership. No matter your audience, location, or enterprise, conveying your competence plays a vital role in growing your support base. Tone also matters; so, it is recommended that you find a balance between being relatable and being an expert with all the answers.
Developing these qualities requires a huge commitment and may not come easily to some; however, turning yourself into a thought leader in your industry can empower you and ultimately take your company to new heights of success. For example, MAGNET’s intimate event series, [M]anufacturing Matters, is a new part of our strategy that has driven leads and kept manufacturers informed of present and future trends. Our passion for the region is reflected in our eagerness to share important information with others, and such a trait is crucial in training yourself to become an expert in thought leadership.
Want to know how MAGNET can help your business? Call Linda Barita at 216.600.1022 or email [email protected].
