MEDINA, Ohio -- It’s the kind of plot that movies are made of. An accidental moment leads someone in a direction never expected. A dream is born -- does it ever come true?
A few weeks ago, Packard Motors opened in Medina with a new 1934-style Packard convertible as its central point.
One of the “Three Ps” -- alongside Peerless Motor Company and Pierce-Arrow -- the Packard company was known for building high-quality, luxury automobiles before World War II. The vehicle price was five or six times that of its American contemporaries.
The handmade vehicles were exported in record numbers to Europe and competed successfully with Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz.
But how did this revival come to be? Why Packard? Why Medina?
The opening scene of this story began in 2019, when internet consultant Scott Andrews was driving to a job and saw a car for sale on the side of the road. He was intrigued by the look of the car, but didn’t recognize the brand.
He called his father, a lifelong auto mechanic.
“Have you ever heard of Packard?” he asked.
His father was astonished that they had never discussed the iconic American luxury automobile. And the adventure began.
Andrews, who grew up in Brook Park and lives in Chagrin Falls, learned that Packard was not only an American car, but was created in Warren, Ohio -- home of the National Packard Museum.
“I fell in love with the Packard history,” he said. “What really impressed me was that most of the innovations made in the automobile were patented and brought to the market by Packard.”
Inventor James Ward Packard joined his older brother William Doud Packard in founding the Packard Electric Company in 1890, where they manufactured incandescent carbon arc lamps.
The brothers then formed a partnership with Winton Motor Carriage Company investor George L. Weiss, called Packard & Weiss, in 1893. The first Packard automobile was released in 1899. The company was renamed the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902.
Here comes another of those made-for-TV moments: Andrews has a very unusual hobby. He is a watchmaker.
“Most people spend their spare time watching TV or resting. I make watches,” he said.
That’s when he learned that J.W. Packard was a watch collector, especially luxury watches.
The coincidence was not lost on Andrews. He saw there was a link between the craftsmanship in the watches and fine details in those vintage Packards.
Another interesting “coincidence”: Andrews graduated from Cleveland State University’s James J. Nance Business College with a bachelor of arts in business information systems and marketing. That college was named after the last president of the original Packard Motor Car Company.
“Pretty cool I graduated from the business college he helped start,” Andrews said.
Now Medina comes into the story. Andrews is familiar with the county because his parents now live in Brunswick. With an eye on watchmakers and sellers, he discovered Medina Gem Co. and certified gemologist Annaliese Nefos.
Once he stopped at her establishment, he realized she knew about luxury retailing, as well sharing his attention to detail.
“She’s been an invaluable help to me on special projects,” he said.
Andrews created an edition of 50 watches -- one for each state of the union. The 1899 Model A, limited-edition timepiece helps celebrate the automaker’s legacy, priced at $1,899. You can read about some of the work at https://packardmotors.us/blogs/news/geared-up-the-packard-workshop.
Meanwhile, Andrews’ friend Steve Constantino, a chemist he met in about 2015 while working on a joint project, was also becoming entwined in the Packard story. They began collaborating on actually building new versions of 1930s Packards.
They found a company in Nebraska that makes all the parts for those particular vehicles. Andrews researched and now owns the legal rights to the Packard brands, patents and trademarks, which was a major step in moving forward.
Importantly, Andrews had a finely detailed plan of how to proceed to making his multi-layered dream come true.
Constantino, who lives in Aurora and is an Orange High School and Ashland College graduate, is no stranger to innovative thinking and the patent process, holding several of his own.
In his job as a formulating chemist at Bonne Bell in Westlake, he invented a new way to waterproof skin and hair products. He went on to work at Matrix Essentials and BF Goodrich, with several patents to his name, and started his own business, Natugen Labs Inc., selling his patented hair regrowth product.
Another of his companies, NNC, did all the compounding of his products. He also helped a firm get a facility approved by the USDA and invented a pain relief product that received FDA approval.
“Now I’m inventing new products and building a car,” he said.
It was Nefos who recommended that the men explore Medina as the center of their operations. They contacted Kimberly Marshall, the city’s economic development director, who learned that a business had moved from a “perfect” space at the Raymond Building at the corner of North Court and West Friendship streets.
The owner agreed to put a sliding door wide enough to allow vehicles to move in and out.
The men began working 12 hours a day to hand-make the 1934 convertible that stands at the center of the store. It was completed and moved the day before the ribbon cutting.
If you stand outside, you can see how it stops people in their tracks as they walk by.
They are now working with city leaders to open a manufacturing facility in Medina.
Constantino noted that the iconic Packard will be available with the latest technology in engines, with myriad options to make each vehicle truly unique.
“The philosophy is to listen to the prospective buyer and learn what they want and what they love and use it so the vehicle becomes an expression of their own personality,” Constantino said. “Tailor-made.”
While you can’t yet buy a vehicle, the storefront offers a few other interesting items that might be great for Christmas giving. A buttery-soft leather motorcycle jacket made in Cleveland, for instance. Or a specialty coffee called Thunderbolt Roast.
In addition, Andrews has a dream for a better internet experience and has launched a new internet service, called Postmaster, powered by Eaglefire OS, which allows each user to own his or her own data. Learn more at https://packardpost.us.
Want to stop in to speak with Andrews or Constantino or to check out a product or even start putting together a plan for your dream car? The retail store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Private meetings are available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can call 234-430-4004 to make an appointment.
Read more from the Medina Sun.