The State of Outbound Sales in Akron, 2026

The largest buyer categories

Sites with 20 or more people are the ones worth an SDR's time: big enough to have a facility lead, a service budget and a contract that comes up for renewal. The "vs. U.S. mix" column compares each category's share of local employment with its national share (1.00x is the U.S. average).

Where the sites are

The projects

• 01 · 193,000 sq ft Martin Wheel Brimfield Township Manufacturing Facility Opened July 2026 A 193,000 sq ft plant (180,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space plus 13,000 sq ft of offices) in Brimfield Township near Kent, Portage County, where Kenda's Martin Wheel makes steel wheels and tire-and-wheel assemblies after moving from Tallmadge. A newly occupied plant needs HVAC and electrical service contracts, sprinkler inspections, and recurring cleaning, and the 28-acre site has room for another 400,000 sq ft of building space that would bring new construction and paving work. HVACelectricalfire protectioncleaningpaving Modern Tire Dealer, 2026-07-23
• 02 · $76 million Pfeiffer-Miller South Campus Under construction, completion expected August 2028 A dual-school campus on the former Kenmore High School site in Akron's Kenmore neighborhood that combines Pfeiffer Elementary and Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. A new school building runs through mechanical, electrical, fire protection and roofing packages into 2028, then finish work in flooring and painting before students arrive. constructionHVACelectricalflooringpainting Signal Akron, 2026-03-20
• 03 · $32 million University of Akron Polsky Building Downtown Project Phase 1 completion March 2027, full completion end of 2028 A phased buildout of the University of Akron's Polsky Building in downtown Akron for purchasing, HR and administrative offices, followed by the School of Counseling, bringing about 100 employees downtown. Office and classroom buildouts inside an existing building are steady work for electrical, HVAC, flooring and painting crews across 2027 and 2028. electricalHVACflooringpainting Signal Akron, 2026-06-15
• 04 · $21 million Lehner Family Foundation Giraffe Journey at the Akron Zoo Broke ground June 2026, opening 2028 A 9.25-acre expansion of the Akron Zoo with indoor and outdoor giraffe viewing areas, a concessions stand, gift shop and tower ride, the zoo's largest expansion to date. Indoor animal buildings and visitor amenities need heating, ventilation and electrical work, and a 9.25-acre outdoor exhibit brings landscaping and paving scope through 2028. constructionHVACelectricallandscapingpaving Signal Akron, 2026-06-05
• 05 Akron Children's Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit Expansion Opened August 2026 An expanded pediatric inpatient behavioral health unit on the fifth floor of Akron Children's Kay Jewelers Pavilion in Akron, growing from 24 to 30 beds with room for 40, and adding a crisis stabilization unit. Behavioral health units need medical-grade cleaning and durable flooring, and room to grow to 40 beds signals more interior fit-out work for HVAC and electrical contractors. cleaningflooringHVACelectrical Akron.com, 2026-09-10
• 06 · $85 million Akron North High School replacement In design; scope under board review September 2026 A new or partly renovated North High School in Akron's North Hill for about 1,100 students, with Hasenstab Architects presenting options from an $85 million, 169,000-square-foot new build to a $105 million to $110 million version; the 90-plus-year-old original building will be demolished under every option. Whichever concept the board picks, a high school of 169,000 square feet or more needs roofing, fire sprinkler and alarm systems, flooring and painting, with a construction manager at risk now pricing the work. constructionroofingfire protectionflooringpainting Signal Akron, 2026-09-18
• 07 · $16.5 million University of Akron Schrank Hall North and South renovation State capital funding approved June 2026; programming study planned State capital money toward renovating Schrank Hall North and South, a pair of multipurpose academic halls in the center of the University of Akron campus, as part of the university's plan to consolidate into fewer buildings. The university puts elevator repairs, roof replacements and interior renovations at about $20 million, so roofing contractors and interior finish trades are the main openings once the program is set. roofingconstructionflooringpainting Signal Akron, 2026-06-15
• 08 · $40.7 million Quaker Square and Quaker Station redevelopment Ohio historic tax credits awarded June 2026 Conversion of the Quaker Oats silos at Quaker Square in downtown Akron into a hotel and residences, plus updates to the restrooms, kitchen facilities and roof of the neighboring Quaker Station conference center at 120 E. Mill St. The state describes the work as addressing deteriorated materials and modernizing building systems, which in a hotel conversion means fire sprinkler and alarm work, new floors and interior build-out, while Quaker Station adds a roof job and an operating banquet venue that needs cleaning. roofingfire protectionconstructionflooringcleaning Signal Akron, 2026-06-25
• 09 · $37 million CitiCenter apartment conversion Interior demolition started September 2026; completion expected January 2028 Welty Development's conversion of the vacant 10-story former YWCA building at 146 S. High St. in downtown Akron into 115 market-rate apartments. Converting a 95-year-old building to apartments means new fire sprinkler and alarm systems, flooring and painting throughout, with historic plaster restoration adding specialty finish work through 2027. fire protectionconstructionflooringpainting Signal Akron, 2026-09-10
• 10 · $160 million Akron-Summit County Public Library branch renovation program Bonds approved April 2026; first phase under way, six-to-11-year program A voter-approved bond program to renovate all 19 Akron-Summit County Public Library locations, including a $33 million Main Library makeover, a new Springfield-Lakemore branch and about $6.8 million for each remaining branch. The first phase is roof replacement at the Ellet, Nordonia Hills and Tallmadge branches, closed until summer 2027, and the phased renovations that follow at the other branches bring interior construction, flooring and paint work for years. roofingconstructionflooringpainting Akron.com, 2026-04-30

Projects current as of 2026-09; each source is linked on its card. Values are as reported by the source.

The anchor owners

Health systems, campuses, large employers and industrial parks hold the biggest concentrations of commercial buildings in Akron. One relationship with a facilities team here can cover many buildings.

Anchor facts checked 2026-10; each source is linked on its card.

Which trades the work touches