OHIO GRANT SPURS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Cleveland Innovator and City Benefit From Clean Ohio Grant

Cleveland, OH (March 30, 2006) The future of the City of Cleveland and one of WIRE-Net’s member companies was brightened by Monday’s announcement of a $750,000 Clean Ohio Assistance Fund (COAF) grant that has been awarded for brownfield remediation activities at the Detroit Avenue site of the former Monarch Aluminum/Trinity Building.

Energy Wise Building Systems, LLC, a manufacturer of energy efficient panelized building systems, hopes to invest approximately $3.2 million in a new office/warehouse facility on the 5.6 acre site, owned by the City of Cleveland’s Industrial Land Bank. Jacki Adams, WIRE-Net’s Industrial Outreach Manager and a representative affiliated with Cleveland’s Industrial Retention and Expansion (CIRI) Network, has been working with Energy Wise for the past 12 months. Adams states, “Joe Gallo and Mark and Brett Crudele are true innovators, just like leaders of other WIRE-Net member companies. They are committed to creating wealth, jobs, and new investment, and believe in sharing their success with the rest of the region. The construction of this new facility will permit the company to expand operations and add 35 new jobs. That’s good news for Energy Wise and great news for Cleveland.” According to Adams, the City of Cleveland would like to use the Energy Wise development as a sustainability model for future development activity at the Midland steel site. Their project still must go through a City and community review .

Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grants target projects in distressed communities that support job creation and economic expansion. Monies are used for Phase I and II Environmental Assessments, brownfield remediation, and public health projects. According to Mike Hoag, WIRE-Net’s Vice President of Redevelopment, the former Monarch Aluminum/Trinity Building site has been on WIRE-Net’s “short list” for some time. WIRE-Net used $55,000 from a USEPA grant in 2000 to launch assessment efforts to understand the environmental issues now being addressed with this grant. “We were very pleased the City made this property one of the Industrial Land Bank’s first acquisitions. This is a prime piece of real estate that meets the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund guidelines perfectly. Once demolition and remediation are complete, the property will bring new investment and a cutting edge manufacturing company into the city.”

Energy Wise Building Systems is one of over 200 manufacturing-related WIRE-Net-member companies that are bringing innovation and excellence to Northeast Ohio manufacturing. WIRE-Net offers management services and support to company leaders who use the principles of Total Manufacturing Innovation-- a holistic approach to company performance that incorporate innovation and best practices for managing people, products, processes, and productivity improvement. WIRE-Net members network to leverage their combined expertise to increase business productivity, sales, and global competitiveness.

For more information please see WIRE-Net’s website at www.wire-net.org. or call (216) 588.1440.