History
Since 1967
Areway, created in 1967 by Sidor and Aggie Hadgis, began as a small, family-operated polishing and buffing shop in Cleveland’s industrial flats. Sidor, a native of Greece, founded Areway because he wanted to create a shop that people would want to go to work in - a shop that would take care of its customers. Sidor’s philosophy was that in order to be successful, you have to work hard and provide top quality at a fair price. In 1974, just 7 years later, having outgrown their 1,000 square foot shop on Scranton Road, the family built a new 12,000 square foot facility on a one-acre tract on Ridge Road in Brooklyn, Ohio. From the average age of eleven, each of Sidor and Aggie’s three sons entered the family business. From that early age they were taught their parent’s philosophy. Gregg and John Hadgis, today’s owners, are both extremely proud to be able to maintain the tradition to this day.
Moving Forward
During the past four decades, Areway has re-invested in the company: steadily adding technology, capacity and capability. 1984 - in response to changing industry trends and customer demand, plating services were added. 1988 - we got our first computer system. In the late 80’s we began operating an aluminum pre-plating line that is still utilized to prepare a variety of aluminum parts for nickel and chrome plating. May 1993, a new state-of-the-art lab was created to conduct quality control and chemical analysis of plating baths as well as analyze the waste treatment system. August 1993, after two years in the making, a 53 station, fully automated, computer controlled, hoist nickel and chrome plating line was completed. The previous process was far more cumbersome, so this line provided welcome relief. Additional processes such as acid copper plating and micro-porous nickel have been added through the years as business demanded.
Today, we have nearly 60,000 square feet of production space; over 65 employees, high-tech equipment and processes, but we have never forgotten our parents’ philosophy: “To be successful you have to work hard and provide top quality at a fair price.” In an industry that's constantly changing and consolidating, Areway remains a constant model of stability, innovation, dependability, exceptional quality and added value in metal finishing. We'll keep looking for opportunities, for smart growth and for change. With this entrepreneurial spirit, Areway will continue to be a preferred partner to the worlds most demanding and innovative manufacturers.
