Crain's Cleveland Business articles from August 2004

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from August 2004

Place of Note: Walter & Haverfield LLP.(Special Report)
August 2, 2004... The place: After 52 years in the Terminal Tower, Walter & Haverfield LLP recently renovated and moved into new space at the Tower at Erieview. The location: A total of 45,000 square feet on floors 34, 35 and part of 33 designed to maximize...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
August 2, 2004... Tax refunds on tap for beer truck owners * Transporters of beer and cold perishables could be in line for a tax refund, based on a recent ruling from the Ohio Supreme Court. The court decision exempts businesses from paying taxes on...

Clinic planning new institute; Center to study heart-brain link may be first of kind in nation.(Cleveland Clinic)
August 2, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The Cleveland Clinic plans to create an institute to pioneer research on how the brain and heart impact each other - a link researchers hope will unlock new treatments for heart attacks, strokes and other...

Boost in loan biz brings rise in CD rates.
August 2, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER The outlook for savers is brightening, as Northeast Ohio banks begin to raise rates on deposits while the competition for money heats up. When the Federal Reserve Board raised its federal funds rate in late June,...

TV news coverage encourages terrorists.(Opinion)
August 2, 2004... Byline: Brian Tucker When will the national network television news departments wake up and realize that they are being used as pawns by militant Islamic radicals? For that matter, when will America's newspapers come to the conclusion that...

Filtration system greasing profits for Copley company.(News)(Frontline International Inc.)
August 2, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT What began as a plan to grab a modest share of the cooking oil disposal business has become a supersized endeavor for Frontline International Inc. of Copley. Founder and president John Palazzo said the 4-year-old...

Good speed.(Opinion)(The Fund for Our Economic Future)
August 2, 2004... There are a lot of reasons to be impressed with The Fund for Our Economic Future, which last week laid out its plan to begin allocating money to four organizations dedicated to sparking economic development throughout Northeast Ohio. ...

The Week: July 26 - August 1.(The Insider)(Fund for Our Economic Future)
August 2, 2004... The big story: FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) agreed to pay $89.9 million to settle shareholder lawsuits stemming from last summer's blackout, an extended outage at its Davis-Besse nuclear power plant and its earnings restatement. FirstEnergy...

Attorney heading into new job with development, finance focus.(Special Report)(Raymond C. Headen)
August 2, 2004... Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR Attorney Raymond C. Headen sees his new job as a blend of entrepreneurial spirit, economic development, civic mindedness and middle-market resourcefulness - with a nod toward regionalism. The fresh approach is a...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
August 2, 2004... "Formerly, BP America and TRW Inc. would get people in. They were like a mill churning out people who were being hired or moved into the area.'' - Paula Kaval, Realty One agent, Bratenahl. In "Big-ticket home sales rebounding,'' Page One...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 2, 2004... Article on medical crisis misled readers * The article in your July 19 issue entitled "What's Up? Docs'' provided your readers with information regarding active medical licenses in Ohio and tied these numbers to the medical liability...

Breaking up the boys' club; Women are no longer just joining firms, but instead are owning their own.(Special Report)
August 2, 2004... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Attorneys Karen L. Giffen and Kerin Lyn Kaminski became pioneers of sorts this year. They joined a growing trend of women law firm owners when they opened Giffen & Kaminski LLC, and their focus is in an area...

The Big Issue: Is the economic recovery real?(Opinion)
August 2, 2004... Andrea Wilson Brunswick No. It's taken my sister five to six months to get a full-time job. People are still out looking for jobs. David Wesley Sagamore Hills No, it's not getting any better. It's hurt the steel and...

New leadership to refocus IT Alliance.(News)(Ohio IT Alliance)
August 2, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON The Ohio IT Alliance, a statewide group that looks to promote the growth of Ohio's information technology sector, is attempting to re-establish itself as a vital body with new leadership and a change in direction. ...

Won't you be my neighbor? Detroit Shoreway gaining tenants as area undergoes $500M renovation.(Insight)
August 2, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER The ribbon cutting didn't attract much attention from the cars zipping along Detroit Avenue. Still, the four new retail tenants of the Courtland Building at the corner of West 54th Street think that they have found a...

Age-related disputes, jury awards boom as workers age.(Special Report)
August 2, 2004... Byline: JUDY STRINGER The number of baby boomers is growing, and so is the prospect of age-related workplace disputes and hefty settlements. That is the message from local employment lawyers who want companies to become more savvy about...

What's New.(The Insider)(Products)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... COMPANY: Waltco Truck Equipment Co., Tallmadge PRODUCT: EZL Flipaway liftgate The EZL Flipaway is a large-platform liftgate that's designed to be easy to install, operate and maintain. Designed to accommodate Class 3-5 trucks with low...

Editor's Choice.(The Insider)
August 2, 2004... Exelon examining FirstEnergy In lieu of stocks this week, here's a sample of news drawn from Editor's Choice columns last week. Editor's Choice appears as part of the Crain's Cleveland Business free daily news summary e-mail. To subscribe,...

Parma hospital doubles size of ER dept.(Health Care)(Parma Community General Hospital)(Emergency Room)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Parma Community General Hospital recently opened its $5.2 million emergency department, which more than doubles the size of the old ER. Constructed in three phases over two years, the new, 21,000-square-foot ER...

Officials seek to fix school funding; Proposals include taxes on sales, income and business inventory.(News)
August 2, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND As voters statewide face 103 school tax issues on the ballot - a record during a special election - school officials and legislators are exploring alternative methods of funding the state's ailing public school...

Big-ticket home sales rebounding; Number of luxury properties sold grows, but prices still a sore spot.
August 2, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Life in the lap of luxury is looking up, but there's still plenty of pain for people seeking to sell million-dollar homes in Northeast Ohio. Real estate agents say the market for such pricey properties is the best...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Boland Consulting)(Koewler Law Firm Inc)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * NEW TECH: Boland Consulting of Cleveland recently added a new offering to its list of technology services, digital imaging consulting. The firm provides training and consulting regarding digital image creation, storage and tracking. The focus...

Late News.(Cleveland King Jame Office Park foreclosure)(Hemisphere Development LLC buys former factory in Bedford OH)(Induction Tooling receives bond from Ohio Development Financing Advisory Council)
August 2, 2004... LENDER SEEKS TWO KING JAMES OFFICE BLDGS. Colliers International's Cleveland office recently became the receiver and got the keys to King James Office Park's Building III and IV in Westlake as a foreclosure lawsuit looms over the two office...

Phoenix Steel rises in city with expansion.(News)
August 2, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER Phoenix Steel Service Inc., a 6-year-old steel service center, has moved into the city of Cleveland and is planning a $5.6 million expansion to equip its newly purchased building in Cleveland Industrial Park on the...

Firms becoming conscious of need for cultural awareness.(Special Report)
August 2, 2004... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER These days, if you want to read a legal document, you might need a translator - not because the text is written in legal jargon that nonlawyers can't understand but because the document itself very well might be in...

Coming next week.(News)
August 2, 2004... Bioscience migration The number of bioscience execs leaving top technology towns to be part of Northeast Ohio startups is growing. Dan Brown (left) says he joined the Arteriocyte Inc. team because he was excited by the technology's impact...

On the cover.(News)(photo caption)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Based on a design patented by Buckminster Fuller 50 years ago, the geodesic dome headquarters of ASM International, The Materials Information Society, near Russell Township in Geauga County, is the largest such open-work dome in the world. ...

High notes.(Opinion)
August 2, 2004... Democrats must be feeling pretty good about last week's convention - most everybody stuck to the script, nobody committed news and, after what must have been some extensive anger management sessions, the Bush-bashing was kept to a minimum. ...

Corporate Compensation.(Special Report)
August 2, 2004... Starting salaries, based on experience, for lawyers heading to new jobs in corporate legal departments. First year: $48,500-$72,000 1-3 years: $61,000-$89,000 4-9 years: $84,500-$146,500 SOURCE: Association of Corporate...

Crain's seeking 40 under 40.(News)
August 2, 2004... In the Nov. 22 issue, Crain's will profile 40 individuals under the age of 40 who already have made marks for themselves in Northeast Ohio business and civic circles. Candidates can nominate themselves or can be nominated by someone else. ...

Cleveland's Core City program in slow-mo.
August 9, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER To say that the Campbell administration's signature economic development effort, the Core City program, is off to a slow start is an understatement. Nonetheless, city officials appear poised to raise even more money in...

Hitachi to build room to grow in Twinsburg; Medical imaging equipment developer breaking ground on $3M headquarters.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Hitachi Medical Systems America Inc. in Twinsburg is entering the next phase of its evolution with an eye toward the future and a $3 million construction project on the front burner. The company, which develops...

Startup out to score big with sports supplement.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Carl Holmes of Chagrin Falls likes to describe SportLegs, his all-natural dietary supplement that aims to eliminate the painful "burn'' of lactic acid produced by exercise, as Viagra for athletes. And hey, if the...

Elyria-based Invacare opens second plant in China.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Elyria medical device manufacturer Invacare Corp. last week opened its second manufacturing plant in China as part of the company's strategy to lower costs in an intensely competitive global market, said Invacare...

Tax Liens.(News)
August 9, 2004... 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...

Corrections.(Correction)
August 9, 2004... An Aug. 2, Page One story on the Cleveland Clinic's planned Heart Brain Institute should have cited a sixth formal institute at the Clinic. It is the Glickman Urological Institute. * * * * An Aug. 2, page 14 Legal Affairs section story...

Sewing up a strong rebound; Success of Jo-Ann superstores leads to turnaround.
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Reaching a benchmark it uses to measure the success of its turnaround from a two-year sales slump, fabric and crafts retailer Jo-Ann Stores Inc. of Hudson opened its 100th superstore last week in Seattle. Jo-Ann,...

Startup execs hop from hotbeds to here; Bioscience CEOs hail city's health technology.(Insight)
August 9, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Don Brown said his co-workers at Boston bioscience company ViaCell Inc. were a bit shocked when he announced he was stepping down as an executive with the 200-employee company, which last year posted revenue of...

Don't blame CEO for staff's bad info.(Opinion)
August 9, 2004... Byline: Brian Tucker Sometimes, a simple conversation can clarify what seems on its face to be a complicated topic. An old friend, who happens to be the retired CEO of an Akron-area company, recently visited and our conversation, as it...

What's New.(The Insider)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... COMPANY: Pratt & Lambert, Cleveland PRODUCT: Accolade, The Crown Jewel of Paints Pratt & Lambert aims to serve consumers, interior designers and professional painters with the Accolade line, which it bills as being made from a "100%...

Short Takes.(Small Business)(Red Maple Inn)(Labyrinth Management Group)(Wineries)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * UNITED COLORS OF BURTON: So much for the fall splendor of New England. You needn't drive that far to get an eyeful of autumn color, according to Arrington Publishing, which publishes B&B/country inn magazine Inn Traveler. It recently named...

Merger may refocus Pearle Vision, LensCrafters stores.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ As the government ponders the merger of Twinsburg's Cole National Corp. with Italian optical retailer Luxottica Group S.p.A., what remains to be seen is whether two dueling brands can survive the process. In the...

Scorpio, Media Group form partnership.(News)(Alliances and partnerships)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ In combining their assets and talents, the presidents of two small Cleveland multimedia production studios said they hope to promote a team atmosphere in a business that is increasingly competitive locally. David...

Wayne eyes ties with Team NEO; Drastic job losses spur county to hire consultant to devise growth strategy.(News; Wayne County Ohio)(Team Northeast Ohio)
August 9, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER Economic development officials in Wayne County are embarking upon the development of a new strategy that eventually could bring them into closer alignment with the regional economic development alliance known as Team...

The Week: August 2-8.(The Insider)
August 9, 2004... The big story: Downtown Cleveland snagged a big new tenant last week, but it appears it's about to lose an even bigger one. Lesco Inc. (Nasdaq: LSCO) plans to move more than 200 jobs and an $11 million payroll to downtown Cleveland as it...

Group-buying biz expanding its Rocky River operations.(Small Business; Corporate United)
August 9, 2004... Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR Gregg Mylett founded his company with one thing in mind - transferring the money-saving, group-buying idea used in the hospital supply world to the rest of the business community. After doing just that with...

Supreme court decision boosts power of noncompete pacts.(Small Business)
August 9, 2004... Byline: Eric Johnson As a result of a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision, small businesses have a new tool to protect them from losing business because of competition from former employees. The court's decision in Lake Land Employment...

NOCA to shift from club to official organization.(Marketing)(Northeast Ohio Communication Affiliates)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Just when Greater Cleveland seemed to reach a saturation point for regional economic cheerleading groups, a collection of 24 communications-related organizations is on the verge of formally creating another. NOCA,...

Late News.
August 9, 2004... BLUE POINT CAPITAL HEADS TO THE FAR EAST * Blue Point Capital Partners, a Cleveland-based private equity firm, this week will open an office in Shanghai, China, to help its portfolio companies establish business relationships in Asia. Blue...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)(Directory)
August 9, 2004... White Hill Traders P.O. Box 45593 Westlake 44145 www.whitehilltraders.com Importers of fine, hand-crafted jewelry and home furnishings from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. 888-839-5069 whitehilltraders@hotmail.com The...

A shout for Trout; Magazine names Kilgore Trout among best in country.(News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... The upscale Kilgore Trout at Eton Collection has been named one of the 25 most exciting menswear stores in America by MR magazine, where it has earned a place alongside luminaries such as Barney's New York and Louis Boston. MR, which...

Wright Ctr. competition stiff; Organizations statewide requesting more than $370M.(Wright Centers of Innovation )
August 9, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE There is no shortage of multimillion-dollar research aspirations in Northeast Ohio, with local organizations seeking state money for projects in areas such as nanotechnology and deep brain stimulation. But the...

County's online database pushes product promotion.(News)(Cuyahoga County)
August 9, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT As part of a broader effort to bolster the county's economy, the Cuyahoga County commissioners have introduced an e-commerce initiative that enables Cleveland-area manufacturers to promote their products online. ...

Eat'n Park to try out trendier store prototype in Streetsboro.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Buying into the latest trend in quick and affordable dining, Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, a Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain and foodservice contractor, will launch its new store prototype this fall in Streetsboro....

West Side road manufacturing new neighbors.(Real Estate)(Acquisitions and mergers)
August 9, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD New owners have taken up positions to buy two Manufacturing Road industrial buildings on Cleveland's West Side that have lost or are about to lose their occupants to the suburbs. Wood Dimensions, a Cleveland-based...

Going Places.(People)
August 9, 2004... Job Changes Architecture HAYES LARGE ARCHITECTS LLP: David Dickinson and Randy Doi to associates; Barb Doidge to marketing manager. K2M DESIGN INC.: Karrie Williams to business development manager. SCHMIDTCOPELANDPARKERSTEVENS...

The Big Issue: Do you take the government's terrorist warnings seriously?(Opinion)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Jane Nedley Cleveland Heights I do take them seriously. There are real threats in the world today. But the scary part is that I can't trust my government on this. We've been misled in the past, so it's hard to know if new warnings are...

Martinizing franchiser in market for more stores.(News)(Martin Franchising Inc.)
August 9, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Martin Franchising Inc., the Cincinnati-based franchiser of more than 600 Martinizing Dry Cleaning shops worldwide, has targeted Greater Cleveland as one of the markets it will hit in its first hunt for multiunit...

Convention authority in pursuit of dollars.(News)(Convention Facilities Authority)
August 9, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER The new Convention Facilities Authority is looking to raise $1.35 million over the next three years to finance its efforts to determine whether Cleveland should build a new convention center or renovate the existing one....

Cleveland's Kilroy Steel bought by Texas company.(News)(Commercial Metals Co.)
August 9, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Kilroy Steel Inc., an erector of structural steel in Cleveland that almost closed earlier this year, will remain here and will begin fabricating steel again thanks to a publicly traded metals conglomerate from Texas....

Keep partners from peeping at personal info.(Small Business)
August 9, 2004... Byline: Peter DeMarco Business owners who are treated as partners for tax purposes might reveal more about themselves than they expect to when filing required tax documents. Tax returns and the information they include generally are...

Lights. Camera. Action. Local couple readying to roll out new home-based production studio.(Small Business)(Kona-Kini Productions)
August 9, 2004... Byline: MARY ANN JANNAZO George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Jane and Don Baracskay are in the same business, making movies. Mr. Lucas and Mr. Spielberg, who started their careers by writing fictional tales of California cruising and...

Gears shift into biz mode as OneCleveland goes live.(News)
August 9, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON After two years of providing high-tech visionaries in Northeast Ohio with hopes of a high-speed Internet future, OneCleveland has gone from vaporware to reality. OneCleveland, the operator of a fiber optic cable...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 9, 2004... Regional school system deserves a look The Aug. 2, page 3 story titled "Officials seek to fix school funding'' should be changed to, "Officials seek to find new ways to increase the tax burden on an already overtaxed constituency.'' ...

Flying right.(Opinion)(Cleveland Hopkins International Airport )
August 9, 2004... Cleveland Hopkins International Airport must be capable of providing efficient air service if Northeast Ohio is to remain a viable center of commerce in the global economy. That belief is why we hail last week's opening of Hopkins' improved...

TMW driving home profits with new trucking software.(Technology)(TMW Systems Inc.)
August 9, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON TMW Systems Inc., a Beachwood company that makes software to help trucking companies improve their productivity, is sharing in the transportation industry's rebound due to the improving economy and has increased...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
August 9, 2004... * You're seeing it here first....almost. "It'' is the new logo of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the organization formed earlier this year that united the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, Cleveland Tomorrow and the Greater...

Needed step.(Opinion)(Cleveland school district )
August 9, 2004... With its coffers strapped and hundreds of employees already laid off, the Cleveland school district has no choice but to ask city homeowners for more money. Hence, its board has begun the process of approving resolutions to put an 11.4-mill...

On the cover.(News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... ASM International's headquarters in Geauga County was designed by Cleveland architect John Terence Kelly, who wanted a design that would symbolize humanity's mastery of metals.

The week in quotes.(News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... "You can't just bond dollars and not spend them." - Cleveland City Councilwoman Merle R. Gordon. In "Cleveland's Core City program in slow-mo," Page One "... There's no one else in both the fabrics and crafts businesses. Jo-Ann is a...

Online survey says: Is Google a solid dot-com investment?(News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Percentages based on 91 respondents. No: 37% Yes: 31% There is no such thing as a solid dot-com investment: 32% SOURCE: www.crainscleveland.com & www.neohio.craintech.com

Economy is top priority.(Small Business)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... According to small business owners, the economy is the top issue facing the next president. Pie chart: Economy: 32% Terrorism: 31% War in Iraq: 21% Education/Govt. Regulation: 2% each Crime/Environment: 1% each ...

IntelliNet in negotiations to move HQ downtown.(News)
August 16, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON IntelliNet Corp., a company in Richmond Heights that helps businesses and government agencies keep their computer networks running, plans to move to downtown Cleveland, said Richard Taton, the company's president and...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)(Cleveland Clinic Lerner College)
August 16, 2004... Good thing he doesn't live in Gnadenhutten * Why would a Chagrin Falls software company name its main product after a city in Arizona? Because its top computer geek insists on living there. Perennial Software, which makes software...

Merge eFilm partnership to transform SourceOne.(Technology)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Medical imaging equipment supplier SourceOne Health Care Technologies Inc. of Mentor is going digital with a new partnership with Merge eFilm, a division of health care software company Merge Technologies Inc. of...

Centers of med research suffer two key losses.
August 16, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The medical research community in Cleveland was hit with two big defections last week, though the doctors who are leaving aren't taking with them much of the research money they helped to generate. Dr. Marc...

What's New.(The Insider)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... COMPANY: OurPet's Co., Fairport Harbor PRODUCT: GroovyStick Dr. Steven Tsengas, president of OurPet's, says the GroovyStick "provides hours of healthy and safe fun, physical and mental stimulation, as well as smell and swimming skill...

Intelligent production lines may revive area manufacturing.(Technology)(Holonic controls)
August 16, 2004... Byline: CHRISSY KADLECK Competitive edge. Efficiency. Flexibility. Less vulnerability. These words define the focus of a local effort championing, even evangelizing, the impact holonic controls promise automation markets and...

The Week: August 9 - 15.(The Insider)(Paint Sundry Brands Corp. )
August 16, 2004... The big story: After nearly a decade as head of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University and the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Dr. James Willson is leaving for a key position at a...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
August 16, 2004... "You also become more kissable, and there isn't anybody in the world that doesn't want to be more kissable.'' - Dr. James Pelagalli, dentist. In "Reason to smile,'' Page One "Capitalism gives everyone a chance. People here don't have...

Bankruptcies.(The Craftsman's Edge Inc.)(Northeastern Ohio Aquatic Creations Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland and Akron. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total...

An unconventional start; Entrepreneur's efforts make good on government grants.(Insight)
August 16, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The typical story of most Northeast Ohio bioscience startups goes like this: A company gets money from an investor. The investor brings in new management. The founder steps aside. The story for Bob Schmidt's...

Case computer science dept. expanding with four new hires; New professors could aid economy through business startups.(Technology)
August 16, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON Case Western Reverse University has pulled off a "reverse brain drain'' this year by hiring four top computer scientists from across the United States, said the chairman of the school's Electrical Engineering and...

Area's strengths prompt IT company to open office.(Technology)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON The CEO of SilverTrain Inc., an information technology company based in Milwaukee that provides computer consulting to businesses, says great opportunities offered in Northeast Ohio prompted his company to open an...