Category: Business and Industry

EXPLORYS was a healthcare informatics company in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded officially in October 2009, via a deal with Cleveland Clinic Innovations. Explorys would eventually be acquired by IBM in April 2015 and become a part of IBM’s Watson Health division. Explorys became a casualty of Watson Health’s implosion in 2018.  

The FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CLEVELAND was established in 1914 as part of the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States. It is one of twelve regional reserve banks that, together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System.

FERRO CORP. is a worldwide producer of specialty materials using organic and inorganic chemistry. It operates principal manufacturing facilities either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries or partially owned affiliates in 24 countries on 5 continents.

FIGGIE INTERNATIONAL, INC., a diversified operating company, was organized by Clevelander Harry E. Figgie, Jr. in Dec. 1963 when he bought the "Automatic" Sprinkler Corp. of America. Through acquisitions he made Figgie Intl. the 367th-largest corporation in the U.S. "Automatic" Sprinkler originated from the merger of 4 small companies in 1910 and was incorporated in Delaware in 1919. The firm was bought by 1926 by John A.

The FIRST BANK NATIONAL ASSN., a financial institution organized to support local black entrepreneurs, was established in June 1974 by Cleveland lawyer John H. Bustamante and 4 partners. Originally known as the First Bank & Trust, it opened for business at 232 Superior Ave. with $2.5 million in capital, and the following year its assets grew to $15.2 million with a net income of $90,336.

FIRST NATIONAL SUPERMARKETS, INC. (FINAST) is a leading supermarket chain in the Cleveland area. Its origin can be traced to 1928, when Edward Silverberg opened a small dairy store in CLEVELAND HTS. In the 1930s, Silverberg expanded his company into a chain called Farmview Creamery Stores. He introduced the supermarket to Cleveland in 1938, when he opened a store on E.

FIRST NATIONWIDE BANK of San Francisco was the 8th largest U.S. savings and loan, with $11.9 billion in assets, when it took over Cleveland's STATE SAVINGS AND LOAN CO. in June 1986. The acquisition gave the San Francisco bank representation in Ohio for the first time and State Savings offices immediately assumed the name of their new owner. On 30 Dec.

FISCHER AND JIROUCH is a nationally known maker of decorative architectural relief sculpture. The company was established in 1902 and incorporated in 1909 by two sculptors, George J. Fischer (1876-1958) and FRANK L. JIROUCH (1878-1970).

The FISHER BODY DIVISION OF GENERAL MOTORS CORP. operated a Cleveland plant at E. 140th and Coit Rd. and a Euclid plant at 20001 Euclid Ave. The Coit Rd. facility was opened in June 1921 by the Detroit-based Fisher Body Co. to build bodies for the Cleveland Automobile Co. and the Chandler Motor Car Co. (see CHANDLER-CLEVELAND MOTORS) among others.

FISHER FOODS, INC. was one of Cleveland's major food retailers. It began as the Fisher Bros. Co. in Feb. 1907 when 3 New York grocers, Manning F. and Chas. Fisher and Joseph Salmon, opened a grocery store at W. 47th St. and Lorain Ave. The company was incorporated in 1908.

FISHING INDUSTRY. Although Cleveland is situated on a lake that historically ranked among the world's great fisheries, Clevelanders never looked to Lake Erie as a food source in any major sense. After 1796 the fishery was a marginal commerce, overshadowed by the port's role as a transportation hub and industrial depot.

The FOOD CO-OP (Food Community Organization of People) is a grocery store which focuses on selling food at low prices, as well as offering quality natural foods. The organization began, however, as a traditional buying co-op in 1970 in the UNIV. CIRCLE area, operating without a permanent location. In 1974 the co-op opened a store at 12408 Euclid Ave.

The Benjamin P. Forbes Chocolate Company has manufactured Forbes Chocolate in Cleveland, Ohio since 1901. After working for Milton Hershey, Benjamin Forbes began an empire of his own called Cleveland Chocolate Company in 1896. Forbes first day of business on March 12th 1901 began operating from Seneca Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1913, the name was legally incorporated as the Benjamin P.

FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES, INC., which grew to own some $2 billion in real estate in 1993, was founded in 1922 by Jewish Polish immigrant Charles Ratner who opened the Forest City Materials Co. to sell lumber and building materials at E. 93rd St. and Harvard Ave.

The FOREST CITY PUBLISHING CO. was a holding company formed on 29 Sept.

FRANK CATALANO & SON, Cleveland produce dealers from 1880-1929, began as a wholesale house on Woodland Ave., one of the earliest fruit businesses in BIG ITALY. Frank Catalano (d. 30 Jan. 1915), an immigrant from northern Sicily (see ITALIANS), started out importing oranges and later expanded to other fruits and olive oil.

The FRIDRICH BICYCLE COMPANY, began as a coal and animal feed store in 1883 on Lorain Avenue in OHIO CITY. An 1888 Cleveland Directory lists Schmitt & Fridrich Coal (partners: August Schmitt and Joseph W. Fridrich) at 840 Lorain Avenue. By the turn of the century, the store had moved to its current (2017) location at 3821 Lorain Avenue.

FRIES & SCHUELE CO., one of Cleveland's pioneer dry goods stores, was also the west side's oldest department store. The original company was founded in Apr. 1868 when Charles Fries and George Klein opened a dry goods store at 515 Pearl (W. 25th) St.

Cleveland based FULLER & SMITH & ROSS, INC. (FSR) was a leading nationally known ad agency in the 1930s, ‘40s and '50s, specializing in industrial and business-to-business advertising. It generally ranked among the top 20 to 25 U.S. agencies in terms of billings.