Eastwood Company Lands Retail Store In Parma

The ribbon is cut at Eastwood Company in Polish Village on Ridge Road.

Parma officials are happy to welcome another retail business to town, and Mayor Tim DeGeeter is especially pleased at the added bonus that Eastwood Company owner Curt Strohacker is community minded and can't wait to get his local store and staff involved.

Eastwood started as a catalog and online automotive restoration business. The retail operation in Parma at 5673 Ridge Road is the company's third brick-and-mortar store. The company chose Parma because a high volume of its online and catalog customer base comes from this area.

The addition of Eastwood continues a rejuvenation of the Polish Village area, which has seen its Mr. Chicken franchise undergo a $250,000 renovation. That Mr. Chicken is now the new model for Mr. Chicken franchises. The city partnered with Mr. Chicken by investing $30,000 of Community Development Block Grant money for sidewalk repairs and upgrades.

The City will be using CDBG money to offer the same type of upgrades to the Local Tavern plaza nearby. Taken together, all these investments help to create a positive entranceway into the city.

DeGeeter said, "Adding Eastwood to Polish Village is an excellent boost for that area. That community has been growing steadily and is one of the first areas people might see coming into that part of the city. I welcome Eastwood to Parma and am looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship for the business and for the city."

Councilwoman Debbie Lime, whose ward includes Polish Village, said she is looking forward to including Eastwood Company in Polish Village's community activities. "Eastwood is a great addition to the Polish Village community," Lime said. "We are looking forward as a community to supporting this business and doing lots of cool things with them."

According to the company's website, Eastwood was launched in 1978 to serve auto restoration and customization hobbyists. By the end of 1985, company advertisements appeared in over 50 magazines, including Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Popular Mechanics. Catalog success gave rise to online retail sales, and today, the company continues both of those avenues as well as the three retail stores located in Parma, Pottstown, PA and Chicago.

The company caters to restoration and customization enthusiasts and offers classes on using specialized tools of the trade. Parma store manager Nate Talabac said that when he is fully staffed – the store is seeking "well-qualified" applicants, he said – the store will hold classes on-site to explain customizing techniques and proper use of tools. He called it "creating an interactive culture" at the store.