Protem
Thinking about long-term growth was also on
Protem Health Care’s agenda from their office near
Equity Engineering’s original Warrensville Center
Road location. A provider of skilled home health
care services, this office was demolished as part
of the reconfiguration of the Van Aken Boulevard
and Northfield Road intersection. Suddenly
losing their office led owners John and Ada
Nworie to search for a building they could own.
While the search included locations in
Cleveland and other nearby areas, the City showed
the Nwories a building on Lee Road that it owned
through a tax foreclosure.
“Everything had to be replaced,” says Ada in
her second-floor office that looks across Lee Road
towards The Dealership. But the Shaker Partnership
Loan, a program of the City, Cuyahoga County, and
the Small Business Administration, allowed them to do
substantial renovations. They also qualified for the Lee Road
Storefront Renovation program, funded through Cuyahoga County and
administered by Shaker, for the costs associated with new signage.
The new space allowed the business to grow while adding a second business,
Alliant Treatment Center, on the first floor. “Being by the Rapid, this location is ideal,”
Ada says, “and being accessible makes people want to come and apply.” Home health
care is a rapidly growing business and demand for skilled workers is high. The benefits
of being in Shaker Heights – such as public transit accessibility and safety – are a
competitive advantage for Protem and Alliant.
The investment by the Nwories paid off by allowing them to grow their businesses
while the City returned a formerly vacant building to productive use. The benefit to the
City from increased payroll and property taxes is straightforward, but the bigger longterm
impact is strengthening the Lee Road commercial corridor. With Protem and The
Dealership anchoring the Chagrin Boulevard intersection, Process Canine is quickly
transforming the southern stretch of Lee Road near the Scottsdale border. Multiple
additional investments are being made in between, creating more value for the City
and its residents.
In the bigger picture, the culture, values, and diversity of Shaker Heights that
make it the ideal choice for residents also make it the ideal choice for growing
businesses. With office spaces ranging from the contemporary Van Aken District to
the Modernist Tower East, and from small office buildings to co-working space along
Lee Road, every business can find a potential home. The Shaker Vision Fund and
Shaker Partnership Loan allow the City to co-invest with businesses, accelerating their
growth while benefiting the City, the businesses, their employees, and residents who
have more services, and jobs, a short trip from home. SL
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