Beachwood Library presents Jim Grant and The Gradall Excavator, First Manufactured in Beachwood Village in 1944 T he Gradall excavator was first manufactured in Beachwood by brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda. Since that time, the product has grown to be a globally-recognized telescopic boom machine used in road maintenance, construction, mining and the maintenance of steel mill furnaces and ladles. With the celebration of Beachwood’s Centennial, Jim Grant, retired executive of Gradall Industries, Inc., will share the history of the Gradall at the Beachwood Library, on Thursday, July 9 at 7 p.m. He will explain why this machine was invented, where it was built and how it was first used in construction and road maintenance, with the use of digital vintage photographs and colored 16-mm movies. In 1943, the Gradall had a rural-pioneer beginning in a garage that was located on the northeast corner of Enterprise Parkway and Chagrin Boulevard, in what was then the Swetland Building, where P.F. Chang's is currently located. Learn about the Ferwerda brothers and what prompted them to rent a garage in Beachwood to make construction equipment and invent the Gradall, a machine with unmatched versatility due to its five movements that match the human arm. Grant will also talk about economic times, how the company was affected by the war, its business dealings with Warner & Swasey Company, and how it became a successful business in the U.S. construction industry. Today, the Gradall continues its industry legacy from the Gradall Industries’ production facilities in New Philadelphia. The Gradall name likewise continues as the iconic description for the telescopic boom excavator. Like the names Kleenex® and Clorox®, which are synonymous with tissues and bleach, the name Gradall® has become synonymous with the unique and versatile hydraulic excavator and industrial maintenance machine with a triangular telescopic boom. Be sure to visit the library for Grant's presentation and learn more about the Gradall and Beachwood as a village. Southeastern Equipment, the Ohio Gradall distributor, will have a new Gradall Excavator machine on display at the library for this presentation. Since his retirement from Gradall Industries in 2005, Grant has published two books, The Gradall, A Story of American Ingenuity, published in 2010, and LOAD HANDLER – The Gradall LOED Materials Handler, published in 2012. Beachwood Business Networking Group is Expanding T Pictured from top: Two FWF Gradall machines at work removing the worn road surface of a city street in Shaker Heights in 1945. The Swetland building at 26011 Chagrin Blvd. with a Beachwood Police Dept. patrol car in 1938. The Gradall Model XL5100 III being used in the finish grading of the devil-strip along the side of a new city street. he Network Breakfast, an 11year old business networking group, is reaching out to increase its membership and broaden the range of industries and occupations represented in the group. According to its newly-designed business card, The Network Breakfast is "A friendly, Cleveland-area referral group that provides a platform to advance skills, expand your network and grow your business.” Members of the group have also described it as helping to "create a life in business and a lifetime of friends.” The group meets on Tuesday mornings for breakfast, at 7:30 a.m. at Corky and Lenny's on Chagrin Blvd. The Network Breakfast has held true to its original concept of being a somewhat less structured, informal and low-cost organization. The only cost to members is the price of breakfast plus a tip. There is no penalty for missed meetings. In addition to being a vehicle to develop business opportunities, the group also creates a sense of fellowship as evidenced by its volunteer efforts. Members have raised money for worthwhile causes and provided "person power" for such organizations as Ronald McDonald House and the Cleveland Food Bank. At a typical meeting, after breakfast, members introduce themselves and explain how their company's products and/or services can help others in the group, and one member gives a more extensive presentation each week. Meetings usually adjourn about 8:30 a.m. For additional information and a roster of current members, visit TheNetworkBreakfast.com. Anyone interested is invited to join the group next Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. June 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 57