Smart Business Magazine, September 2016

54 Smart Business Cleveland September 2016 2016 FAMILY BUSINESS CONFERENCE honorees G eneral Metal Heat Treating GMHT was founded in 1942 Arthur Torok joined the business as a young metallurgist and minority owner in 1962 By 1972 he had become the majority owner and president Today three of Arts children are involved in the business Chris Torok in charge of maintenance and pyrometry Deb Dougherty in charge of quality and Katie Churchin the companys president in charge of finance and administration The management team is rounded out with Frank Skully who joined the company in 1976 and serves as plant manager as well as a shareholder GMHT has furnace lines that include vacuum salt pit batch draw and deep freeze Over the years the company has become known for high quality and the ability to heat treat complex jobs GMHT is proud to be Nadcap and AS9100C certified This level of quality certification is not typical for smaller owner operated heat treat facilities These certifications allow GMHT to heat treat parts for aerospace nuclear and other industries that require a high level of quality and technical capabilities The company has a strong base of younger employees and the leadership team firmly believes that these talented employees who truly care for the business are the core of its success GMHT prides itself on its people to people interaction and to this day does not have voicemail to ensure that all customer needs are dealt with quickly and directly Employees and owners work directly with the customers to understand each jobs requirements and to customize the heat treating to those needs Katie Churchin president www generalmetalheat com General Metal Heat Treating Inc H oward and Anne Freyvogel Hanna started their family business in 1957 in a single office in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Today Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the fourth largest real estate company in the U S Howard and Annes three children Hoddy Helen and Annie and the third generation Annie Hanna Engel Hoby Hanna Kelly Hanna Riley Duffy Hanna and Dennis Cestra Jr carry on the family tradition throughout the company in 205 offices across eight states with more than 7000 sales associates and employees As the Hannas expanded the company they looked first to the Buckeye State and have been at home in Ohio since 1996 with the acquisition of Del Realty in the Youngstown area They went on to acquire many other smaller companies in the Mahoning Valley region and then focused on Cleveland In 2003 Howard Hanna acquired the Smythe Cramer Co which at that time was the second largest real estate broker in Ohio and followed that up with a second major expansion in 2008 when it acquired Realty One As one of the most respected familyowned companies in the U S the company is now led by Howard W Hoby Hanna IV who serves as president Its a company focused on building stronger communities Its also the only real estate firm in the nation to offer a 100 percent money back guarantee meaning that if the buyer of a guaranteed home is not satisfied the company will buy back the home for 100 percent of its purchased price Howard W Hoby Hanna IV president www howardhanna com Howard Hanna Real Estate Services W hen the late Sam DiGeronimo came to the U S in 1928 from Abruzzi Italy little did he realize the impact his lifes work would have on the city of Cleveland and beyond Sams son Don started Independence Excavating Inc in 1956 with a backhoe a bulldozer a truck and a few employees along with the guidance and financial assistance of his father The company quickly grew to become a leader in the residential and small commercial excavation field In 1971 Don lost his battle with cancer and the responsibility for running the business was assumed by Dons brothers Vic Rich Bob and Tony Under this management teams leadership the company began to expand and diversify honoring the legacy of Sam and Don by performing quality work with honesty and integrity Today the company has become a large diversified construction company led by the third generation leadership team which strives to maintain the original core values of its humble beginnings The company owns and operates an impressive fleet of more than 400 major pieces of construction equipment and continues to remain loyal to its roots Victor DiGeronimo Jr serves as president and oversees a succession planning strategy that focuses on developing capable and industrious family members that support the long standing culture of the organization Family members wishing to work in management are required to obtain a degree and are promoted by meeting or exceeding established criteria These individuals must earn the respect of their peers gain experience from senior managers and abide by the core values instilled by its founders Victor DiGeronimo Jr president www indexc com Independence Excavating Inc FAMILY BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS