Introduction

In the 1970s, some enraged business leaders suggested that older cities including Cleveland, OH, were rapidly losing their edge to newer areas in the Sunbelt. Recently publicized catastrophes such as the Hough and Glenville riots and the Cuyahoga River catching on fire seemed to lend some credence to their salacious suggestions. However, nothing was further from the truth. Cleveland, OH, continues to serve as a prime location for Fortune 500 headquarters right to the present day.

Situated halfway between New York and Chicago and midway between Great Lakes resources and national markets, this gem of a city not only affords a qualified workforce and many viable business sites near major transportation connectors; but also, a host of other equally high quality amenities and educational opportunities generally equated with larger communities. This study will examine the Fortune 500 phenomenon and why Cleveland has done so well over those years. In this particular case, Cleveland refers to the metropolitan area not just the city proper. Those firms calling Cleveland home are worth investigating further in that many of the pragmatic business approaches they used so successfully in the past remain vital in today’s highly competitive world market.