Crain's Cleveland Business articles from April 2008

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from April 2008

Aim high.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... The Strickland administration's much-awaited, 10-year strategic plan for higher education in Ohio contains several ambitious and worthwhile goals, not the least of which is to increase the number of Ohioans with college degrees. However, there...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
April 7, 2008... Let's hope you don't need to find out about this policy * If you have surgery performed on the wrong body part, don't worry - you won't have to pay for it. That's if you're covered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio. The...

MILESTONES.(The Insider)(Ohio Desk Co.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... COMPANY: Ohio Desk, Cleveland THE OCCASION: Its 100th anniversary The company, founded in 1908 as Ohio Desk and Chair Co., kicked off its 100th anniversary year with a Work Space Trends Forum held last month focusing on the latest...

The Week: March 31 - April 6.(The Insider)
April 7, 2008... The big story: Though it was careful not to say so, National City Corp. effectively hung a "for sale'' sign on itself. National City announced that its board of directors "is reviewing a range of strategic alternatives for the company.'' The...

State's for-profit schools experience rise in enrollment; Some say programs help fill need for trained employees.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY For-profit career colleges and technical schools have seen a boost in enrollment in recent years, acting as a supplier of badly needed young workers for local business and industry. "The employers I talk to are...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... Do you think it would be good for Cleveland if National City merged with KeyCorp? Kari Disinger Eastlake I don't think it would be a good idea. I think a lot of people would lose their jobs, unfortunately, if it merges. Gus...

Banking on a hit; Nat City's sale would produce deluge of empty office space, but might not stop new construction downtown.
April 7, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD If KeyCorp or another U.S.-based bank buys National City Corp., it will mean bedlam for Northeast Ohio's office market. Although a developer still may be able to snap with a new building the nearly 20-year dearth...

Briefs.(Higher Education)(GAR Foundation)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Grant to fund Hiram nursing lab Hiram College recently announced that it received a $100,000 grant from the GAR Foundation in Akron to open a simulation laboratory for the school's new nursing program. The lab will be located on the...

Going Places.(People)(Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of America)(Herbruck Alder)
April 7, 2008... Job Changes insurance FAMILY HERITAGE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA: Willy Fuentes to junior claims examiner. THE FEDELI GROUP: Nathalie Lacouture to account executive. HERBRUCK ALDER: Ethan Hendrickx to partner and...

Competitor's head start could benefit Athersys; Rival may prove value of weight loss drugs.(Insight)
April 7, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Athersys Inc.'s biggest competitor just might turn out to be its biggest ally. The Cleveland-based biotech company could benefit from the development by its much-larger rival of a similar weight loss drug,...

Employ Media's '.jobs' domain gains traction among corporate recruiters; Local firm has licensed name to Yahoo, Coors.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Tom Embrescia eventually wants the ".jobs'' Internet domain name to become so popular that job seekers assume every company uses it. For now, however, the CEO of Cleveland-based Employ Media LLC is simply glad his...

Labor grant magic for metalworkers; Enhanced training for employees at region's big, small companies focus of $2.3M windfall.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY A $2.3 million U.S. Department of Labor grant could lead to enhanced training for 300 to 350 workers employed at the region's metalworking companies. Companies as varied as Ford Motor Co. in Brook Park and...

Riverside Co. acquires UK firm for $71M.(News)
April 7, 2008... Riverside Co., a private equity firm co-headquartered in Cleveland and New York, said it has bought Summit Medical Limited, a global supplier of single-use medical devices, for [pounds sterling]36 million, or $71.6 million. Summit Medical,...

Internal development programs key to tapping worker, firm potential.(Higher Education)
April 7, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINE GORDILLO When accounting and business services provider CBiz Inc. surveyed employees last year about their satisfaction with the company, one of the top requests was for more employee training and development. As a...

Pricing deal a dicey challenge.
April 7, 2008... Byline: JAY MILLER Don't shred those checks with the National City Bank logo just yet. While unconfirmed news reports last week identified KeyCorp and Fifth Third Bancorp of Cincinnati as among its potential merger partners, National...

Late News.
April 7, 2008... DEAL DEAD FOR MYERS INDUSTRIES * The planned acquisition of Akron-based Myers Industries Inc. by an affiliate of investment banking firm Goldman Sachs officially has fallen through. In an announcement last Friday that wasn't a surprise,...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 7, 2008... A March 31, Page 15 story contained incorrect information regarding Event Expo 2008. The event is free to attendees. Attendees can register for free at www.eventplannersexpo.com.

Playhouse Square Foundation to redevelop luggage retailer's shop; Traveler's Shoppes to maintain other four stores.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Scratch another legacy retailer from battered Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland. This time it is Traveler's Shoppes and Cleveland Trunk, a luggage and gift store in the city's Theater District since 1936 that...

Rebound in apartment market lures developers; Plans on for Westlake, Brunswick complexes.
April 7, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD An out-of-town developer and a local apartment developer quiet for years are preparing to launch new projects in the region's resurgent apartment market as the for-sale housing market remains buried in the blues. ...

Students take on real-world jobs to help with tuition; Participants say work-study program mutually beneficial.(Higher Education)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JUDY STRINGER When Colin Scully agreed to hire a team of inner-city high school students to help staff his company's call centers, he was understandably skeptical. At the very least, the CEO of Cleveland-based Life Line...

In-house management training groomed recruit to leasing VP.(Higher Education)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Amy Ann Stoessel For a period of time, Bryan Zabell was consistently the youngest and least experienced person in the room at Developers Diversified Realty in Beachwood. The Cleveland-area native was one of the first to go...

Financial illiteracy at root of problems.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Scott Suttell While Eric Fingerhut and others are busy remaking Ohio's higher education system, maybe they can find a way to squeeze in a few more classes on personal finance. It's pretty clear that the rate of financial...

CHOICE BITS; Excerpts from recent Editor's Choice blog entries on CrainsCleveland.com.(Briefs)(Excerpt)
April 7, 2008... Beer's not the only big expense at the stadium * Cleveland is among the cities where an auction-rate bond crisis is raising borrowing costs on sports stadiums, according to a March 28 story from Bloomberg. The piece noted that debt...

Shamrock Cos. further extends reach; Westlake marketing communications specialist acquires two firms, sets ambitious sales goal.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Mounted on a wall in the accounting department of The Shamrock Cos. is a bright metal and glass sculpture engraved with the phrase, "Numbers speak louder than words.'' For the Westlake marketing communications...

The Week in Quotes.(News)(Quotation)
April 7, 2008... "Three years ago, interest rates were so low, everyone who could was moving out to buy homes. Now home sales are not doing well, but apartments are.'' - Ken Sacks, president, Harsax Inc. Page One "What are some of these (National City)...

Tax Liens.(News)
April 7, 2008... 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...

Employee has firm to thank for education.(Higher Education)(Eaton Corp.)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck The end is in sight for Pam Dutton, who in a little more than a month will receive her bachelor's degree in organizational studies from Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pa., near Pittsburgh. Well,...

DO THE MATH; Employers say providing tuition assistance programs part of formula for attracting, retaining talent.(Higher Education)
April 7, 2008... Byline: CHRISSY KADLECK When executives at Eaton Corp. realized college costs were escalating and outpacing salary increases, the Cleveland-based manufacturer did an about-face in how it handled the company's education assistance program....

Is business dying?(News)
April 7, 2008... As death rates decline and more people choose cremation over burial, find out how funeral homes are changing their business models. CAPTION(S): photo

THE CONTRACTIONS ARE SHORTER.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... The Cato Institute says in a new report that economic contractions in the United States have become shorter in the last 25 years, a development the libertarian think tank attributes in large part to the spread of free trade. Here's a quick...

The Week in Quotes.(News)(Quotation)
April 14, 2008... "Everybody who is big and has any scale based in the U.S. is looking overseas. There is no question that the U.S. has become more mature as a real estate market.'' - Rich Moore, managing director, RBC Capital Markets. Page One "We were...

Entrepreneurial group drives professional, personal growth.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: ANNE BRENNAN Herding cats. That's what it's like getting a group of entrepreneurs together. By nature, they're an independent bunch. "We don't do what people tell us to do,'' said Steven Shaffer, who owns Lighting Max Inc., a...

Natural gas growth aids firm's growth.(News)
April 14, 2008... Growth in the worldwide liquefied natural gas market is benefiting Chart Industries Inc. of Garfield Heights, according to an April 4 story from Investor's Business Daily. Chart makes specialized gear for liquefied natural gas (LNG)...

Robert Falls PR firm to expand in move to nearby Terminal Tower.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH A short but significant move is in the near future for Robert Falls & Co. This summer, the Cleveland public relations firm will leave the Landmark Office Towers, which it has called home since 1989, for a two-floor...

Shearer's seals deal for $66M plant that calls for new HQ, 180 more jobs; Snackmaker set to bag green designation.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH They've come up with ideas such as black bean-and-salsa-flavored whole grain tortilla chips, and they've re-engineered their potato-chip ripples to better hang on to seasonings such as parmesan and garlic. Thinking a bit...

Going Places.(People)
April 14, 2008... Job Changes distribution KAUFMAN CONTAINER: Anthony J. Delco to purchasing manager. education MAGNIFICAT HIGH SCHOOL: Mary Lou Schlosser Toler to director of advancement. financial service BROCKMAN, COATS GEDELIAN &...

Retail consolidation has Detroit 3 closing more dealers; GM, Ford, Chrysler still have two-thirds of U.S. dealers, but account for half the sales.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: ARLENA SAWYERS Automotive News The Detroit Three continued to subtract U.S. dealerships and franchises last year, largely a result of the automakers' retail consolidation plans. As of Jan. 1, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor...

Patient charter to standardize ratings of medical providers.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Business Insurance A standardized method to judge medical provider performance that passes muster with critics of health plans' previous doctor-ranking efforts is likely to boost the consumerism movement by providing...

WHAT'S NEW.(The Insider)(iCubed International)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... COMPANY: iCubed International, Cleveland PRODUCT: iWave Cube Here's a product for anyone who's ever been disgusted by the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of the microwave in the office lunch room. The iWave Cube is a personal,...

The Week: April 7 - 13.(The Insider)
April 14, 2008... The big story: Akron will house the headquarters of a new national initiative that aims to expand high-speed Internet access across the United States, and the city also will be the first beneficiary. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation...

Winemakers get taste of competition, cooperation; Two vineyard owners share resources, business strategies through 'coopetition'.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: SHARON SCHNALL When farmer Gene Sigel works in the vineyards, he sees 120 acres, all needing his attention. While more than 80 of those acres are owned by Mr. Sigel's employer, Anthony "Tony'' Debevc of Debonne Vineyards Inc....

Tax Liens.(News)
April 14, 2008... 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...

Aurora logistics firm to close.(News)(CaseStack Inc.)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... The Aurora office of a Los Angeles-based logistics company is closing and laying off 52 people. CaseStack Inc. said in an April 7 letter to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services that it will close its operation at 125 Lena Drive and...

FINDING A COMFORT ZONE; Funeral homes reinvent business models as flat death rate, cremations affect profit margins.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: KATHY AMES CARR Some funeral homes throughout Northeast Ohio are changing the way they do business in response to recent industry trends that are hurting their bottom lines. They are cutting staff, advertising and overhead...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... Are you concerned about the safety of flying in the wake of the recent groundings of planes and cancellations of flights by American Airlines, Southwest and other airlines? Shefali Malik Cleveland I don't have any trips planned,...

Without buyer, Ohio nursing home operator files for Chapter 11.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Three of six included properties in this region The operator of six nursing homes scattered throughout Ohio has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors after an attempt to sell the nursing...

IT internship availability stirs debate within field; NorTech study reports 11,000 open jobs in area.(Insight)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER There very well might be 11,000 open information technology jobs in Northeast Ohio, but a reported lack of internships for IT students might not be among the reasons those positions are going unfilled. Officials...

Forest City's India jaunt follows trend to go abroad; Developer sets sights on housing potential.
April 14, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Forest City Enterprises Inc. is taking steps that may change its corporate profile to "international real estate developer'' from national developer with holdings from New York to Hawaii. Charles Ratner, CEO of...

Downtown Kent plan calls for $48M facelift; City selects Fairmount, partner of $500M Flats proposal, to spearhead the project.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Plans for a $48 million mixed-use makeover of a block in downtown Kent, a city that thousands of alumni of Kent State University's main campus consider their second home, are going on the drawing board after the city...

Third Frontier spurs investment; Private dollars supporting state initiative far exceed forecast, but job formation slow.
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Ohio's Third Frontier Project has attracted more than twice as many private investment dollars as the state thought it would to this point, though it's harder to tell whether it's meeting its job creation goals. ...

Over 'n' out.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... Forgive us if we sound cold-hearted, but we're not shedding any tears over the demise in one week's time of three airlines - Aloha, ATA and Skybus. Tough times have a way of thinning the ranks in particular industries to create better...

Community colleges up the ante on tuition aid; Local institutions raise scholarship offerings as more students seek financial assistance.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Financial aid - a means of covering college costs well-known to students at four-year schools - is growing as a way for people of limited means to afford an education at a community college, too. Officials at...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
April 14, 2008... SportsTime Ohio proves a hit for Dolans * It's too early to tell if any of the player moves by Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro will bring a world championship to Cleveland. But a look at Forbes magazine's take on the...

Down the road to infrastructure ruin.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brian Tucker As the war in Iraq drags on, it's harder for Americans who once supported this endeavor to remain behind it, especially given its enormous costs and the other needs facing our nation. It's clear that the billions...

Short Takes.(Small Business)(briefs)(Moreland Partners Inc.)(Cleveland Yoga)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... ON THE MOVE: Strategy and management consulting firm Moreland Partners Inc. has opened its new headquarters in Independence. The company moved from Beachwood to be closer to downtown clients and to provide a central location for its 14 staff...

SAY HELLO TO NEW LINE.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH American Greetings' personalizethis blends cards, customized keepsakes, aims to expand customer base American Greetings Corp. committed almost $72 million to buy a pair of online photo-sharing and publishing...

Late News.
April 14, 2008... NAT CITY E. SIXTH TOWER IN NEW HANDS * Call it bad timing, but the new owner of the National City East Sixth Street Building, 623 Euclid Ave., plans to make the best of it. San Diego-based Westcore Properties paid $8 million March 25 for...

CHOICE BITS; Excerpts from recent Editor's Choice blog entries on CrainsCleveland.com.(News)(Excerpt)
April 14, 2008... Number of unlucky '13s' grows at Goodyear * Factory jobs aren't what they used to be, and no one knows that better than the "$13 workers'' at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The Wall Street Journal on April 9 took a look at how Goodyear,...

PLENTY TO SEE; Already entrenched in eyeglass lenses, Mentor coating firm benefits from added luxury in cars.
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH The 21st-century dashboard is a crowded place: Satellite-fed navigation systems, stereos to handle every format but the vinyl LP, and touch-sensitive panels that have replaced knobs and buttons. And all those...

Cord Blood Center has lofty ambitions for adult stem cells; Group pushing program that collects valuable tissue-developing agents from umbilical cords.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND When women give birth, they also discharge in their umbilical cords a bundle of stem cells that can help treat various diseases. That's where the mission of the Cleveland Cord Blood Center comes into play. The...

Minimize impact of fraud through awareness, action.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Cindy Grotty Fraud. It's one of your business's biggest problems, and yet, it is one for which your company may not have taken the necessary steps to combat. Right now, businesses like yours are being marked as possible...

Careful planning can yield tax benefits on health care expenses.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Carl Grassi Business owners and entrepreneurs are all too familiar with the impact that the rising cost of health care is having on the bottom line. These costs have been inflating year after year, despite relatively low rates...

Business owners turn to coaches who coax firms into broader view.(Small Business)(Survey)
April 14, 2008... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER Sports coaches constantly prod athletes to improve their performances by working harder. But as a business coach, Wayne Bergman, president of Woodmere-based ActionCoach Business Coaching, takes a very different...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Child Impressions P.O Box 572 North Olmsted 44070 www.ChildImpressions.com A veteran police detective has launched Child Impressions, which supplies fingerprinting services, ID packets and DNA collection kits that are used to...

Small step.(Opinion)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Imagine a little boy who has stuck his finger in the hole of a dam that already has sprung thousands of leaks and shows evidence from the cracks in its face that thousands more are coming. That's the picture we have of most efforts to stem the...

EATON BUSES IN DRIVE IN CHINA.(News)
April 14, 2008... Eaton Corp. said Guangzhou Armada Development Corp. and Guangzhou Yiqi Bus Co. formally have agreed to buy for an undisclosed price 207 Eaton diesel-electric hybrid power systems to be installed in new buses for operation in the city of...

In sickness and health.(Small Business)(Survey)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... A recent study that looked at evidence from 1995 to 2005 found that access to family health care coverage through a spouse's large firm is very important to small-firm employees. Specifically: 47% of small-firm workers with a spouse working...

Hit the links with Crain's.(News)
April 14, 2008... The weather is warming and the ground is drying out just in time, as area golfers are itching to break out those new clubs. In our annual golf section, we'll take you on a tour of the region's golf scene, looking at some of the trends and...

Organic store already growing after launch.(Briefs)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... A new organic lifestyle store in Rocky River has doubled its space after being in business less than a month. Planet Green on Old Detroit Road, which opened Jan. 26, has expanded to include 1,500 square feet from its original 700 square...

COMING TO THE END.(News)
April 14, 2008... The Cleveland Clinic is among the more frugal academic medical centers when it comes to the amount and cost of end-of-life care provided to Medicare patients with chronic illnesses. Dartmouth researchers found huge variations in Medicare...

Late News.
April 21, 2008... JOBLESS RATE RISES IN OHIO * Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.7% in March, up sharply from 5.3% in February, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio continues to fare worse than the nation when it comes to job...

JCU master plan places emphasis on modern housing; Additional parking, sports fields also top university's priorities.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND John Carroll University has three immediate needs: more on-campus student housing, more parking and more sports fields. The Jesuit school will stress those priorities in the coming weeks when it presents the...

HOT TICKET; Despite the team's late-season struggles on the court, Cavaliers have little trouble filling The Q.
April 21, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH The Cavaliers begin the postseason with off-the-court numbers as promising as the final month on the court was harrowing: new attendance and sellout records, earlier ticket renewal requests, and a season ticket base...

CULTURALCONNECTION; Founder of firm that specializes in multicultural marketing says growth results from understanding target audiences.(News)(Singleton & Partners)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Ask Renee Singleton what "multicultural marketing'' is, and a lot comes at you: It's research; it's media planning; it's getting face-to-face feedback and learning about home, family and business relationships and...

The Week: April 14 - 20.(The Insider)
April 21, 2008... The big story: The Cleveland Clinic is one of four main research institutions chosen to participate in an $85 million, government-sponsored effort to find new treatments for wounded soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The...

Tax Liens.(News)(Public notice)
April 21, 2008... 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...

Going Places.(People)
April 21, 2008... Job Changes construction PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.: Scott Kauker to business development representative. RELIABLE CONSTRUCTION HEATERS INC.: Gordon D. Newell to president and COO. education AUBURN CAREER...

StoneWater's absence from Nationwide slate might be temporary; Parties ran out of time on deal for 2008 event.(Special Report)(Nationwide Tour)
April 21, 2008... Byline: ERIC STOESSEL The Nationwide Tour will not make a stop in Northeast Ohio this year, but all signs point to its eventual return. The Legend Financial Group Classic at StoneWater Golf Course in Highland Heights was well received...

Firestone proves to be major challenge in '07; Course played fourth-toughest on PGA Tour.(Special Report)
April 21, 2008... Byline: ERIC STOESSEL Tiger Woods has never been shy about his love for the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron. Woods is always up for a challenge. His 13 major championships are proof enough of that. Woods also has...

Rules director no average Joe; Far beyond pin placement flap, Nageotte still garners respect after decades in the game.(Special Report)(Tam O'Shanter Golf Course )
April 21, 2008... Byline: ERIC STOESSEL Joe Nageotte's most famous moment in golf is the one he'd least like to remember. At the Ohio Open at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course in Canton nearly 20 years ago, Nageotte was responsible for the pin placements as the...

Pro shop dynamics change as business of golf evolves; From large-scale outlets to smaller on-course operations, sport's retail side is a new game.(Special Report)
April 21, 2008... Byline: ERIC STOESSEL Not only has the game of golf changed through the years, but so has the business behind it - and one example of this evolution is the pro shop. Traditionally owned and run by the course professional, the pro shop...

Junior circuit on upswing; Section's 600 members, high-profile events show popularity of game among younger crowd.(Special Report)(American Junior Golf Association)
April 21, 2008... Byline: ERIC STOESSEL Tom Kmiecik jokes he couldn't even spell AJGA a few years ago. It might as well be his middle name now. The assistant treasurer at Forest City Enterprises is the father of one of the top junior golfers in the...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
April 21, 2008... Guinea pigs that use cell phones? Yes * Students at Case Western Reserve University for the past two months have served as the U.S. test market for a cell phone-based technology that already is popular in parts of Asia and Europe. ...

Keep out.(Opinion)
April 21, 2008... It's not that we're rooting against National City Corp. or homeowners who face foreclosure, but we'd prefer if the federal government didn't play a role in bailing out financial institutions and borrowers that are in a world of hurt because of...