Rockefeller bought out the competition, and not surprisingly, oil spilled all over

One of the shrewdest steps John D. Rockefeller conducted, historians say, was the Cleveland Massacre of 1872. In less than six weeks’ time, he acquired 22 of his 26 Cleveland oil refinery competitors. The business move worked for Rockefeller, the subject of this month’s Uniquely Cleveland, and gave his Standard Oil Co. a corner on the market. By 1878 Standard Oil was refining 90 percent of the oil in the U.S.
Standard Oil grew to be a behemoth and by 1911 was broken into 34 companies when the U.S. Supreme Court found it violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
But what wasn’t so shrewd in today’s terms was this: of all that oil, not a drop was for company culture.

Timeline of Cleveland Business history

1797 Lorenzo Carter, Cleveland’s first permanent settler, builds and operates a tavern and inn on the East Bank of the Cuyahoga River and operates a ferry boat to the West Bank. 1800 David and Gilman Bryant operate a secondhand distillery with goods brought from Virginia on the banks of the Cuyahoga River at the foot […]

Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors make a big difference in lives

The organization, which is observing its 60th anniversary in Cleveland this year, serves about 450 families in Cuyahoga County. Volunteers from the corporate and private sectors, churches and individuals give four hours a month minimum to a child that has been identified as a Little. Mentors are called Bigs, and people are always sought who want to have an impact on a child’s life.

These 10 tips for negotiation can sharpen your skills

Know what you want. You can’t get what you want from others if you don’t know what you want for yourself. Establish a specific goal for negotiation. Consider what it will take to satisfy your interests, needs and objectives.