Crain's Cleveland Business articles from April 2005

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from April 2005

Late News.
April 4, 2005... IF YOU CARD THEM, WILL THEY COME? * The Downtown Akron Partnership hopes a new Do Downtown discount card, coupled with the launch of the web site www.downtownakron.com, will bring more visitors to the heart of the city. Organizers of the...

Garage projects snag fed funding.(News)
April 4, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER Euclid Avenue and three parking garages for major Cleveland institutions stand to be big winners in a federal transportation lottery now working its way through Congress. The losers, transportation planners say, will be...

Going Places.(appointments)(Liberty Bank NA)
April 4, 2005... Job Changes Education CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Sheldon Green to senior director of development and alumni relations; Joseph Piekunka to executive director of admissions. Finance FIRST FEDERAL OF...

Contractors casualties of NASA Glenn fiscal woes.
April 4, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park, running out of money to get through fiscal 2005, has slashed the value of previously awarded contracts in a move that has caused about 70 contract workers to lose their...

Biz pushes for paperless mortgages; Hyland Software's program electronically stores, tracks documents.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... Byline: BRANDON GLENN Hyland Software Inc. can't wait for the day when paper-based mortgages become obsolete. As the Westlake-based document management software provider continues to grow, it's building an ever-increasing portion of...

What's Online.(News)
April 4, 2005... At www.CrainsCleveland.com Keeping the Press alive Joseph Cole, the former chairman of specialty retailer Cole National Corp., thought he could be the one to right the sinking ship that was the Cleveland Press 25 years ago. As part of...

The Big Issue.(Indian cricket team)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... Do you expect the Indians to be playoff contenders this season? Oleh Mahlay Hinckley Yes, I do. I think they have good pitching. The bullpen's better than last year, and the young hitters are a year older. Dustin Klapka ...

Close to home; State law opening up more NE Ohio communities to oil-and-gas drilling operations.
April 4, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER The daybreak noise brought an abrupt end to Al Yanda's slumber on the morning of March 19. "At first it didn't disturb me too much because they're always doing something over there,'' said Mr. Yanda, an architect...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total liquidation....

Riding high; Progressive lands spot in best-performing businesses list.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... Progressive Corp. is No. 21 on the BusinessWeek 50 list of the country's 50 best-performing public companies. It's the only Northeast Ohio company to make the magazine's April 4 list. BusinessWeek uses 10 performance measures, starting...

Buying at a bargain? Cleveland's poverty ranking influencing area real estate market.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD Tom Rosenthal, a principal at Hampshire Properties of Brooklyn, N.Y., last summer was close to buying Reserve Square, the massive downtown Cleveland apartment and office complex, when he reconsidered. He had met...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
April 4, 2005... "We were optimistic that a lot of these companies that were in incubators at the start of this project would be growing and expanding and going to the next stage, and that hasn't been the case.'' - Martin Herman, president, Ferchill Group....

MTD rolls out fix-it shop concept.(MTD Products Inc.)
April 4, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT A grinding sound in your lawn mower usually is followed by a trip to the local fix-it shop or a search of the house for the extended warranty policy. However, a new unit of Medina-based MTD Products Inc., which...

New meaning to better late than never.
April 4, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell Ask business executives what they enjoy about Cleveland and you're likely to hear, during some point of the conversation, about the city's great cultural amenities. That's not just the usual civic puffery. Cleveland...

Timetable mandate on sewer work stinks.(Opinion)
April 4, 2005... Byline: GARY STARR, ERWIN ODEAL For more than 30 years, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District has worked tirelessly to improve Northeast Ohio's water quality. In addition to state-of-the-art technology and award-winning wastewater...

Mold experts help keep home-buying deals intact.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... Byline: DIANE DI PIERO Laura Cappelletti found her dream home a little over a year ago. But not long after she made an offer on the house, she encountered a potential nightmare. A home inspection revealed mold growing in a basement...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
April 4, 2005... Missing a case of Jack Daniels? Read on * If you're a liquor distributor and one of your delivery vans was a case short of booze after one of its runs last week, I may have the 4-1-1 on your missing goods. From my palatial third-floor...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
April 4, 2005... Advice for addressing the gender gap We couldn't agree more with Scott Suttell's Feb. 28 Personal View, "Women deserve more shots at CEO jobs.'' For years, the YWCA has lamented about the number of women that appear in Crain's lists....

Trio takes swing at glowing mini-golf.(News)
April 4, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH There are no tranquil fairways here. No hushed galleries peppering the air with polite, restrained applause. No, this golf course is pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne on the sound system, a psychedelic journey from the...

All or nothing.(Opinion)
April 4, 2005... Attention, all advocates of allowing casino gambling in Ohio. After 15 years of vigorously opposing the legalization of gaming in the state, we are changing our position - or, perhaps more precisely, our terms for supporting your cause. ...

What's New.(The Insider)
April 4, 2005... COMPANY: Office Creations LLC, Russell PRODUCT: Terra-Glide Series Oak and Vinyl Composite Chair Mats Office Creations aims to make a fashion accessory of those mats beneath your office chair. The company has introduced oak and...

Carroll Mfg. wraps up deal for $5M expansion in Avon.(Carroll Manufacturing and Sales)
April 4, 2005... Byline: SCOTT SUTTELL A Westlake company that makes food packaging and handling products is cooking up an expansion project and a move to Avon. Carroll Manufacturing & Sales plans to construct a 70,000-square-foot plant on Avon...

Tax Liens.(News)
April 4, 2005... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that...

The Week: March 28 - April 3.(The Insider)
April 4, 2005... The big fight: Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell and City Council President Frank Jackson exchanged barbs last week over the city's general revenue fund budget. Mayor Campbell said she signed the $469.5 million budget even though she considered it...

Correction.
April 4, 2005... The family of TG Embedded Systems co-founder Jeffrey Spiegler still owns Alexander's Hardware, located just a few blocks from the company. A March 29, Page One story about NASA employees who became entrepreneurs misstated the store's ownership...

Nat City data reveals home lending disparities; Bank reports in Wall Street Journal that numbers reflect scores, not race.(NewsNational City Corp)
April 4, 2005... The Wall Street Journal last week waded into an age-old problem - discrimination in home lending - and found some troubling results. Data released by U.S. home-mortgage lenders show that African-Americans "are far more likely than whites to...

Children's hospitals join to fight reimbursement freeze; Taft budget may include halt in providers' annual Medicaid increases.(Health Care)
April 4, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Ohio's six children's hospitals are coming together to lobby state lawmakers in an effort to convince them not to freeze Medicaid reimbursement rates as the Legislature attempts to balance Ohio's budget. Gov....

HR execs see salaries soar; Growing complexity of job reflected in official's average pay.(Insight)
April 4, 2005... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Working in a company's human resources department has become a lot more lucrative. The median pay for top HR executives and HR managers in Northeast Ohio jumped 23% and nearly 30%, respectively, last year from...

Saving NE Ohio's scenery; Program protects Chagrin River watershed from development.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Development is a dirty word in the Chagrin River watershed. The scenic views and natural resources are home to many families with 20-plus acres of rolling hills, winding streams and abundant wildlife. But...

Loan hang-up shelves tech ctr.(Midtown Technology Center)
April 4, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE It was supposed to be Cleveland's first big technology center and a shining example of urban renewal. Instead, construction on the $18 million Midtown Technology Center at Euclid Avenue and East 61st Street has...

Malls plan overhauls to stay competitive.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY If you can't beat them, copy them. That business strategy is being put to use at many aging shopping malls, which in recent years have lost many customers - and tenants - to upscale retail clusters called lifestyle...

LEED certification can lead to lower energy costs.(Real Estate)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
April 4, 2005... Byline: Earle Kurrass What does the Cleveland Environmental Center have in common with construction projects in your future? LEED certification. For those contractors and building owners who have never heard of LEED - Leadership in...

Appeal of high-end log homes lies in their alternative look.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO When your children or grandchildren create crude structures with their Lincoln Logs, do you climb on the floor and map out your future dream house, thinking, "One day...'' You're not alone. More than...

Short Takes.(Briefs)
April 4, 2005... * YES MICHIGAN!: Medina-based Kasparnet Inc., a provider of real estate title production, management and research services, recently expanded into Michigan. So far, the company has a presence in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. Kasparnet...

Business of Poverty.(Real Estate)
April 4, 2005... This story is the fourth in a monthly series that examines the relationship between business and poverty in Northeast Ohio.

On the cover.(News)
April 4, 2005... Jacobs Field opened on April 4, 1994, when 41,459 fans filled the ballpark to watch the Indians beat the Mariners, 4-3, in 11 innings. CAPTION(S): photo

On the cover.(News)
April 11, 2005... The lure of Jacobs Field and the Indians helped the team to a Major League record 455 consecutive sellouts between June 12, 1995, and April 4, 2001. CAPTION(S): photo

The Week in Quotes.(News)
April 11, 2005... "People felt comfortable in that restaurant, as cheesy as it was with the three-dollar paneling on the walls and the bench seats." - Joe Piteo, co-owner, Blazin' Bills. Page One "The military side was the reason we were able to remain...

Pair of projects to give Parma's north side a lift.(News)(Glenwood Homes)
April 11, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD Two proposed real estate projects hold the promise of giving Parma's north side a fresh dose of development. View Pointe Ridge is designed to redo the southeast corner of Ridge and Pearl roads with a $5 million...

Military, low-fare airlines lift Argo-Tech sales skyward.(News)
April 11, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Even though the commercial aviation industry still hasn't recovered from its long financial nosedive, aircraft parts manufacturer Argo-Tech Corp. of Euclid is enjoying a view from on top since expanding its customer...

Next chapter; Zubal turns page to next generation.(Small Business)(John Zubal )
April 11, 2005... Byline: EILEEN BEAL While it broke his heart to part with the science fiction and fantasy books - especially the Edgar Rice Burroughs collection - he'd been amassing since he was a teen, John Zubal (above) credits his decision to sell them...

Clinic's brain stimulation work for mental disorders cutting edge.(Technology)
April 11, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The Cleveland Clinic is one of a handful of hospitals in the world using a procedure called deep brain stimulation to treat depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. And its work eventually could lead to...

Going Places.(People)(appointments)
April 11, 2005... Job Changes Architecture COLLINS GORDON BOSTWICK ARCHITECTS: David J. Miano to senior associate; Damian A. Henri and Christina E. Vernon to associates. URS CORP.: Gary Hribar to manager, Cleveland office. Financial Service ...

Late News.(Protonex Technology Corp.)
April 11, 2005... PETROS, DUKE TEAM IN BID FOR AVERY HQ Duke Realty Corp. has surfaced as home builder Sam Petros' partner in the competition for the new headquarters and 450 jobs of Avery Dennison Corp.'s Roll Materials and Fasson North America operations....

City Club begins discourse on how to thrive in future.(News)(City Club of Cleveland)
April 11, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER Lining up a speaker is rarely this easy for Jim Foster, executive director of the City Club of Cleveland. Last July, Colby Cooper, media director for the National Security Council, called Mr. Foster and said...

Desire not to offend has become offensive.(Opinion)
April 11, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER I was on the phone recently with Joseph Roman, president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. He was returning a call about state tax reform. It's an important subject for the business group, and the partnership has...

Schneller adjusts flight plan; While still serving airlines, laminate maker expands into new markets.(News)
April 11, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT For much of its 41 years, Schneller Inc. of Kent has made decorative laminates for the biggest carriers in commercial aviation. But with that industry hurting, Schneller is riding different growth tracks. The...

Future franchisees should review contracts carefully.(Small Business)
April 11, 2005... Byline: Donna Flammang An ongoing lawsuit involving 7-Eleven franchisees provides a valuable lesson for would-be entrepreneurs. The suit seeks to overturn a contract limiting franchisee product buying decisions and requiring them to buy...

Growing MCPC scouting new HQ.(Miami Computer Products and Consulting Inc.)
April 11, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Miami Computer Products and Consulting Inc., a large technology reseller and service provider based in Strongsville, has put its headquarters up for grabs as the company seeks a new home that can accommodate its...

Advanstar to sell off six divisions; New company, Questex, formed to acquire units in $185M deal.
April 11, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH About half of the 200 local employees of business information provider Advanstar Communications Inc. will have a new employer by the end of the month, and some jobs will be eliminated as parts of the company change...

Blingin' in the Blues; HOB's Foundation Room offers VIPs opulence mixed with cool cachet.(News)(House of Blues)
April 11, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH The House of Blues may be an overall tribute to the hard-working roots of rock, but the Cleveland venue's latest riff is definitely an ode to exorbitance. Here are ancient palace doors used as ceiling panels;...

Tweaks to SBA's 504 program land larger loans.(Small Business)
April 11, 2005... Byline: Marsha Powers With President Bush's enactment into law of a new U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program, small businesses and manufacturers now have the ability to increase their loan sizes dramatically with...

What's Online.(News)
April 11, 2005... www.CrainsCleveland.com Executive Chatter with Michael Gibbons * Mr. Gibbons, a nearly lifelong Northeast Ohio resident and the co-founder and chairman of Cleveland investment banking firm Brown Gibbons Lang & Co., is rarely at a loss...

EPA manager to head city's land bank efforts.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency)
April 11, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER The Campbell administration, following through on a plan unveiled last fall to develop an industrial land bank, is picking up a loaned executive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is thinking about...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
April 11, 2005... Is there any price gasoline could reach that would make you drive less? Erica Thursby Cleveland It's already there. I moved downtown from Fairlawn and love it. I drive only on the weekends and don't miss it at all. Dena...

Climaco finds new Playhouse Square home.(Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox and Garofoli LPA)
April 11, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER The Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli LPA law firm is making a two-step move at Playhouse Square as the Halle Building gets ready for the arrival later this year of more than 300 Case Western Reserve University...

Inspiration a must from mayor's office.(Opinion)
April 11, 2005... Byline: Brian Tucker If mayors were judged like baseball players, last week would have been a far better one for Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell than it was for the Indians as they began their season. The Indians lost a couple close...

Short Takes.(Calendar)
April 11, 2005... * MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Events are in the works for the 2005 Northeast Ohio Business Plan Challenge, which is designed to support and encourage entrepreneurship. * 5:30-7 p.m., April 19: Lecture series, "Creative and affordable online...

What's New.(new lighting system)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... COMPANY: Kichler Lighting, Cleveland PRODUCT: BeautyWraps Kichler has introduced BeautyWraps to help put its customers in the most favorable light. The company describes the product as "a unique bath and powder room lighting...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
April 11, 2005... Now, if we only can recall which color does what... If patients at the Cleveland Clinic are wondering what kind of medical professional is caring for them, they just have to look at the color of the caregiver's uniform. Nurses, patient...

Couple rekindles Blazin' Bills.
April 11, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Building a new restaurant from scratch is no picnic. But, as the owners of Blazin' Bills in Geauga County have learned, sometimes it's even harder trying to recapture the feel of a well-established local hangout. ...

New carrot on campus; Decked-out rec centers latest way for colleges to lure recruits.
April 11, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND When high school students tour local colleges these days, their faces often don the same expression - Wow! That's exactly the reaction colleges and universities are going for as they construct behemoth...

Coughlin's comedown; Abuses led to leaving Wal-Mart.(Thomas Coughlin)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Cleveland business people used to be quick to claim Thomas Coughlin, former vice chairman of Wal-Mart Inc. and a Cleveland native, as a great local success story. Those days are done. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Mr....

Not so fast.(Opinion)
April 11, 2005... There are tax cuts, and then there are well-advised tax cuts. For as much as we've studied Gov. Taft's biennial budget for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, we've yet to be convinced that his proposal for simultaneously reducing Ohio's personal...

The Week: April 4 -10.(The Insider)(Cliffs Inc)
April 11, 2005... The big story: State and local politicians eager to prevent the Bush administration's space exploration priorities from inflicting sharp budget cuts upon NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park say Ohio should be reaping the benefits of...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total liquidation....

Law shakes abusive tax shelters.(Small Business)
April 11, 2005... Byline: Peter DeMarco In its efforts to help the Internal Revenue Service clean up abusive tax shelters, Congress included a provision in last year's tax law that requires taxpayers to include information in their tax returns about a host...

Grand Openings.(small business)
April 11, 2005... Fine Art Pregnancy Portraits by Rebecca Jessey Photography 4615 Mayfield Road South Euclid 44121 www.rebeccajphoto.com Delivers high-quality artistic heirloom images in black and white. Children, events, family sittings and small...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
April 11, 2005... Not all casino money flies away * In the March 14 issue of Crain's Cleveland Business, Brian Tucker wrote in his commentary, "A dollar spent in a casino leaves.'' My issue here is not to argue for or against a casino. It is to point...

On The Cover.(Jacobs Field design)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... HOK Sport designed Jacobs Field so it would blend in with downtown Cleveland; from its exposed steel design, which matches that of the many bridges, and the vertical light towers, which match the smokestacks of Cleveland's industrial zone and...

The Week In Quotes.(News)
April 18, 2005... "We knew we had to improve the product of Geauga Lake to increase attendance. It wasn't a tough sell, because it fit so well with the overall goals of Cedar Fair..." - Bill Spehn, vice president and general manager, Geauga Lake and...

PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR; CHAD SEYMOUR/WESTFIELD CC.(golfer)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... Seymour was named Northeast Ohio PGA's 2005 Pro of the Year, following his 2003 win as NOPGA Junior Leader of the Year. He attributed his achievements to the support he receives. "Without a great support team, it doesn't make any difference...

Club Champ; Marilyn Althus/Kirtland.(Kirtland Country Club)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... You'd smile too, if you were the champ at Kirtland Country Club. Althus is no stranger to the winner's circle, having won the championship a number of times. And the course is no pushover. Kirtland is a U.S. Open qualifying site in addition to...

A Lott of heart; Amputation doesn't slow exec's drive for competitive golf.(Special Report)(Pat Lott )
April 18, 2005... Byline: John H. Tidyman If you ask Pat Lott his handicap, you could get a couple of answers. While he plays to a 14, the 58-year-old Los Angeles native also plays with an artificial leg. "I lost about 30 yards off the tee and my iron...

Going Places.(appointments)
April 18, 2005... Job Changes Distribution SAECO USA: Andrew Joyce to commercial sales manager; Ted Richissin to housewares sales manager. Engineering TRANSYSTEMS CORP.: Tracy L. Engle to vice president and office manager. Finance ...

An ace that really pays; Entrepreneur sees national market for hole-in-one monitoring system.(Special Report)
April 18, 2005... As if Manakiki Golf Course, the Cleveland Metroparks gem in Willoughby, didn't offer enough amenities to daily-fee players, now it pays a cool grand when players ace No. 7, the downhill par 3 that plays around 150 yards. Last year, on one...

Following rules game in itself.(Special Report)
April 18, 2005... Byline: John H. Tidyman Golf is a game of diverse elements, beginning with etiquette and finishing with rules. Ahh, the rules. They actually are few, only 34. However, their interpretations could give the tax code a run for its money....

Area investment projects ebb.
April 18, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT While the national economy has been bouncing back from the post-9/11 economic downturn, Northeast Ohio's economy still seems to be running in reverse, according to an Ohio Department of Development report that tracks...

Decent shot.(Case Western Reserve University's biopark plans)(Column)
April 18, 2005... If you had asked us 10 or even five years ago whether a bioscience park in Cleveland could become a reality, we likely would have laughed in reply. However, we would not bet against plans by Case Western Reserve University to create a biopark,...

Digital billboards to pop up in market.(News)
April 18, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH "The Roadsides of Cleveland'' might not have the same lyrical quality as "The Sidewalks of New York,'' but advertising titan Clear Channel Outdoor is hoping a recent hit in the Big Apple translates to similar success...

Waves of change; Geauga Lake hopes to make a splash with water park plan.
April 18, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Redecorate a room in two days? Kid stuff. Overhaul a house in a week? Yawn. Re-invent an entire theme park in about nine months, the way they are at Geauga Lake? Now that's an extreme makeover. Deftly...

Taft Stettinius expanding in BP; Growing firm to occupy part of a second floor in downtown tower.(News)(Taft, Stettinius and Hollister L.L.P.)
April 18, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER The Cleveland law office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP spent nine months looking for a suitable location in the area to expand. After all that searching, the firm opted to look no farther than the building in...

Gamble of grand scale; Developers of sprawling new Blue Heron betting that Medina County not tapped out on courses.(Special Report)
April 18, 2005... David Conforti held up well through his first Ohio winter, and the smile on the California native's face appears genuine. However, he didn't come here to sample snow. He is here for what might be the greatest challenge of his professional...

Zinner & Co. bolstering credit mgmt. services.(News)(credit management services )(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER Zinner & Co. LLP has entered into a joint venture with Cleveland attorney Ken Fisher to bring added credit management services to the Cleveland accounting firm. In a shaky economy, it is imperative that...