All of this year’s Smart 50 honorees have made a difference in their organizations and in the region. Their positive impact on employment has reinvented the Northeast Ohio landscape into one of the most up-and-coming business regions in the country.

This year’s Smart 50 class includes a lot of new faces — executives who are making a difference in their organizations and region. Meet the 2018 Central Ohio Smart 50 honorees.

Facing a competitor like Expedia has been daunting for travel agencies. But KHM Travel Group President and CEO Rick Zimmerman found a chink in the tech giant’s armor.

In its 92 years, American Textile Co. hasn’t made a single acquisition. The third generation of this family business, Lance and Blake Ruttenberg, explain how this organic growth has come through product development and innovation.