Crain's Cleveland Business articles from August 2007

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from August 2007

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
August 6, 2007... Would you sign a petition that would enable Cuyahoga County residents to vote on a sales tax hike of one-quarter percentage point to pay for a new convention center? Lisa Kempfer Broadview Heights No. I think that (a new...

Wrong way.(Opinion)
August 6, 2007... The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is correct in its desire to bring greater clarity to the state's maternity leave rules. However, the changes the commission is advocating could prove more detrimental than beneficial to women of child-bearing...

ACTIVE ANGELS; North Coast startup fund well ahead of projected pace; work called `critical' to region's tech industry.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: CHUCK SODER The North Coast Angel Fund LLC already has had a good 2007, even without the remaining five months. The group of angel investors last week struck a deal to back its fourth technology startup, Stanton Advanced...

What's New.(The Insider)
August 6, 2007... COMPANY: Faber-Castell USA Inc., Cleveland PRODUCT: Creative Studio Inspiration Kits The company's new line of craft kits is aimed at the busy adult who still yearns to unleash his or her inner artist. Faber-Castell's Inspiration...

Going Places.(People)(briefs)(appointments)
August 6, 2007... Job Changes Finance FIRSTMERIT: Farnaz Harbaugh to assistant vice president. NATIONAL CITY: Terri B. Eason to vice president and senior relationship manager, commercial banking. Health Care CLEVELAND CLINIC: Dr. M....

Promising Glenwillow biz park draws ire of Solon neighbors; Geis crews moving forward despite complaints.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Billed as one of the most prom-ising development projects to surface in Cuyahoga County in years, the proposed Diamond Business Center in Glenwillow has many cheerleaders. However, in the last few weeks, it has drawn...

Parmatown reinvents retail space; Nontraditional tenants provide opportunity for more visitors to mall.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: JENNIFER KEIRN For local examples of the latest trends in mixed-use retail development, look no further than Crocker Park, Legacy Village and... Parmatown Mall? Facing tough competition from other shopping options -...

REPEATING HISTORY; Business owners who opt to restore older buildings swear by vintage feel of structures, distinctiveness of architecture.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: BRAD DICKEN Shuttered churches, dilapidated houses and rundown buildings aren't the sort of places that spring to mind when most business owners start looking to expand their operations, but there are those who look at the relics...

Employers more strategic in recruitment tactics.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: JOHN BOOTH In the world of employment recruiting, expecting job prospects to happen upon your classified ads has grown akin to using carrier pigeons and papyrus scrolls to communicate. "Recruiting has typically been a reactive...

FROM THE GROUND UP; Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Joseph Carrabba is leading a global expansion, push into metallurgical coal.
August 6, 2007... Byline: DAVID BENNETT During his business life, Joseph Carrabba has put a lot of distance between himself and the family farm in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he spent his childhood. In a much-traveled career, the president, chairman and...

Cost segregation offers property owners immediate savings.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Peter Bellini Property owners around the country are beginning to take notice of using cost segregation on their real estate holdings to improve cash flow, reduce tax liabilities and generate immediate, accelerated deductions to...

Silver Line's impact taking shape; As first stops near completion, construction deals rise right along with property values.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: JAY MILLER With the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Silver Line bus-rapid transit little more than a year from its first paying run, the expectation that the new line would stimulate economic development slowly is...

Dramatic chargeoff rise traced to economy; Sluggishness especially evident in Midwest as credit quality continues rapid deterioration.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER Bad loans popped up on the balance sheets of banks doing business in Northeast Ohio in significantly larger amounts during the second quarter than in the like period last year. Problems in the real estate sector...

Developer stays true to roots; Zeisler Morgan aims for right mix in building, maintaining its sites.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO They come. They develop. They stay. It's a pledge Zeisler Morgan Properties Ltd. has made for 31 years. The Orange Village-based retail developer has developed more than 2 million square feet of shopping centers...

Tax Liens.(News)
August 6, 2007... 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...

Lighting product maker eyeing ways to increase its export sales.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: DAVID BENNETT With a more focused international growth strategy to light its way, Mentor's Eye Lighting International of North America Inc. is looking to see its export numbers jump in the next three years. The company, which...

The Week: July 30 - August 5.(The Insider)
August 6, 2007... The big story: University of Akron trustees approved financing and construction plans for a $55 million, on-campus football stadium and field. Construction of what will be called InfoCision Stadium and Summa Field is scheduled for completion...

Jewish nonprofit struggles with less cash, more need.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Cuts in reimbursement rates from Medicaid have hit another nonprofit hard. The Jewish Family Service Association is looking for partnerships with similar nonprofits and is creating a new strategic direction to...

Schools react to calls for more modern campuses; Classrooms, dorm rooms infused with technology.(Insight)
August 6, 2007... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Today's college students are demanding. They want new, high-tech buildings and classrooms, wireless services, comfortable lounging locales spread across campus and dormitories that feature more than a bunk bed...

Staffing provider IMAC to add to stable.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER The addition of millions of dollars in new contracts might mean hundreds of additional temporary workers for staffing company International Management Assistance Corp. of Strongsville. Joseph B. Schollaert, vice...

Area biz giving gift cards a personal touch.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: CHUCK SODER DimpleDough Inc. in Independence is banking on the idea that it really is the thought that counts. The startup's new program allows shoppers to add photos to gift cards while buying them online from participating...

Late News.(Ohio Department of Development)(Clovervale Farms Inc.)
August 6, 2007... UH TO BREAK GROUND ON CANCER HOSPITAL University Hospitals tomorrow, Aug. 7, is slated to break ground on a slightly updated version of its new cancer hospital and Center for Emergency Medicine on its main campus in University Circle. The...

Port Authority to help revamp NASA campus; Two agencies hope an aviation/aerospace district will take off with transformation.
August 6, 2007... Byline: JAY MILLER The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and NASA Glenn Research Center have agreed to work together on an effort to transform the NASA Glenn campus in a way that would help an aviation/aerospace industry district...

Clinic tapped for cardiothoracic research network.(News)
August 6, 2007... The Cleveland Clinic is one of seven academic medical systems chosen to participate in a national cardiothoracic research network. A $35 million, five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute will finance evaluations of...

Lubrizol Corp. to open Malaysia plant.(News)
August 6, 2007... Lubrizol Corp. of Wickliffe is opening a manufacturing plant in Malaysia dedicated to the company's Estane engineered polymers product line. Mike Vaughn, general manager of Lubrizol's Estane engineered polymers business, said the plant...

Class B gets look with prime occupancy up.(Real Estate)
August 6, 2007... Byline: STAN BULLARD Unlike its former dark appearance and steam-room style temperatures in the summer, The Standard Building lobby this summer is bright and cool. The terra-cotta ceiling in the 72-year-old building's lobby now gleams like...

Same as it ever was.(News)
August 6, 2007... The business world changes at a rapid pace, but small-business owners' chief concerns remain the same, according to a report from the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Surge in production won't change Aurora lighting firm's energy focus.(News)
August 6, 2007... Byline: JOHN BOOTH TCP Inc. is selling a lot of light bulbs. By the end of the year, the Aurora-based company expects to be cranking out 1.2 million of its compact fluorescent lamps a day -double the rate at the end of 2006 - and it's...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
August 6, 2007... "NASA can't do development itself. The port was the logical answer.'' - Deb Janik, senior vice president of real estate and business development, Greater Cleveland Partnership. Page One "There's a market for us in all of those...

Region must be put front and center.(Opinion)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Brian Tucker If there is anyone, other than a political officeholder afraid to lose his or her job or influence, who doesn't understand the importance of regionalism in Northeast Ohio's future, they ought to listen to a couple of...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
August 6, 2007... He really must love those alpacas Cose Update, the monthly publication put out by the Council of Smaller Enterprises, nabbed an exclusive interview with former Cleveland mayor Mike White. The story shows Mr. White in more peaceful...

Med mart backers aim to avoid referendum on sales tax hike.
August 6, 2007... Byline: JAY MILLER Forget stuffing the ballot box. The forces that want to see a convention center and medical merchandise mart built in Cleveland are working to prevent from ever appearing on the ballot a possible referendum to repeal a...

Late News.
August 13, 2007... U-STORE-IT DEAL WITH AMSDELLS AIDS HQ MOVE * Securities and Exchange Commission filings by U-Store-It Trust last week indicated the self-storage property operator cleared the way to move its headquarters to Terminal Tower from Middleburg...

Going Places.(People)(briefs)(appointments)(Cedarwood Architectural Inc.)(Thendesign Architecture)
August 13, 2007... Job Changes Architecture CEDARWOOD ARCHITECTURAL INC.: Robert B. Marshall to director of architecture. THENDESIGN ARCHITECTURE: Edward R. Shearson to senior project manager. Distribution BARNES DISTRIBUTION: Mike Slusser...

Don't forget Fido.(News)
August 13, 2007... From new regulations at the state and national level to living wills, incentive trusts and planning for your pet's care, there's a slew of information that's critical to consider when planning out your estate. Check out next week's Estate...

$4M plan in the mix for Columbia Chem; Producer's project to include new HQ, plant to handle zinc plating industry's high demand.(News)
August 13, 2007... Byline: STAN BULLARD Columbia Chemical, a growing specialty chemical additive producer, plans to build a $4 million headquarters and plant, doubling the size of its current complex in Brunswick. The company needs the extra space to...

Vineyard fund aims to grow wine industry.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: AMY VINY The Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Ohio Wine Producers Association are working on a public-private partnership to preserve farmland and promote the wine-making industry in Lake, Geauga and...

MRN targeting West 25th site; Owners of landmark United Office Building in talks with brains behind East Fourth Street.
August 13, 2007... Byline: STAN BULLARD MRN Inc., the developer of downtown Cleveland's East Fourth Street Neighborhood, is targeting the prominent United Office Building near the West Side Market for a potential $15 million project. Daryl Ross, a vice...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
August 13, 2007... Regionalism an alternative in higher ed, too * We are beginning to think regionally about taxation and about government here in Northeast Ohio. Why not do so, at least in part, with university education for some of our "best and...

On health care, teachers' unions lag.(Opinion)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Brian Tucker It looks to be fairly tense across Northeast Ohio as students prepare to begin their new school year, thanks to a teachers' union approach that's as outdated as the "duck-and-cover'' drills of the Cold War era. ...

Taking a break? For many small biz owners, getting away for a while means still staying connected.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Vacation. For most people, this eight-letter word conjures up images of taking off on a family road trip or boarding a plane destined for a tropical location. Even if no travel is involved, a vacation - by...

Postcards from...Corinne Bomba and Bill O'Neil.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck For the husband-and-wife marketing agency of Bomba, O'Neil & Co., a two-week beach vacation is a luxury that comes with a cost, but it's one that's necessary for the duo's sanity. The couple - Corinne Bomba and...

Postcards from...Don Scipione.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Don Scipione quickly estimates that he has upwards of 500 hours of accumulated vacation time. "Please, someone buy my company and pay off my vacation,'' quipped the president of Acme Express Inc., a software...

Postcards from...Eldon S. Kabb.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Eldon S. Kabb's experience with time away from the office has evolved in the 37 years he has been a business owner and executive. In 1970, Mr. Kabb joined the steel distribution company that his father and...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Restaurant Tea Services of Cleveland Inc. changes its name to Solstice Distributors Inc.)(Hudec Dental Associates opens new facility)(Moochie and Co. opens new facility)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... * COFFEE OR TEA?: Restaurant Tea Services of Cleveland Inc. has changed its name to Solstice Distributors Inc. and has expanded its product lines and service area. Owned by Joe Deinhart, Solstice has partnered with Rick Sheehan, former owner...

Swagelok, Navy set sail together; Process of Solon manufacturer's tech services spinoff hardens steel, prevents metal corrosion.(News)
August 13, 2007... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Swagelok Co. has signed a contract with the U.S. Navy to provide a technology that could generate new industrial customers for the Solon-based manufacturer. The maker of valves, fittings and other hydraulic system...

Private role in med mart negotiations to be tricky; Project tenant, landlord may need each other, but that alone won't seal deal.(Forest City Enterprises Inc.)(Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.)
August 13, 2007... Byline: JAY MILLER Coming to terms on how as much as $500 million will be spent on a new convention center and medical merchandise mart could lead to one of the most dynamic business negotiations this community has seen. Most of that...

Postcards from...area biz owners.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Small business owners were asked through the Council for Smaller Enterprises for input on how they balance taking vacations with running their businesses. Here's how some responded: * "My vacation world has changed dramatically since...

Key moves to expand reach after fed blessing.(News)
August 13, 2007... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER Now that KeyCorp has been given the green light to make acquisitions by federal regulators, the Cleveland-based company is angling to strengthen its presence in the northeastern and western regions of the country....

Assets align.(Opinion)
August 13, 2007... Northeast Ohioans have good reasons to be skeptical about claims that this region is making progress on the economic front. But two recent reports from BioEnterprise Corp. and Entrepreneur magazine offer strong evidence that efforts to remake...

The Week: August 6 - 12.(The Insider)
August 13, 2007... The big story: Richmond Heights-based Corporate Wings sold its airplane services division to Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Melbourne, Australia, in a cash deal valued at $615 million. The sale was for Corporate Wings' two dozen fixed-base...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)(Thompson Hine L.L.P's Chris Rassi)(medical mart at Missouri )(Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals are providing Advanced Bioethics course)
August 13, 2007... Lawyer returns from a 'nightmare' with wide eyes * Thompson Hine attorney Chris Rassi has returned from an 18-month stint in Tanzania, where he served as associate legal officer for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
August 13, 2007... "It's a great spot for condos. The upper floors have views of downtown and Lake Erie. I've often fantasized about what could be done with that building.'' - Keith Brown, president, Progressive Urban Real Estate. Page One "Our work to...

What's New.(The Insider)
August 13, 2007... COMPANY: Swagelok Co., Solon PRODUCT: SK series multipurpose ball valves Swagelok says the new SK series valves "offer positive, quarter-turn shutoff for general process and control applications in fluid systems.'' Key features of the...

IRS may end up with audit fodder under rules.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Carl Grassi About a year ago, the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, commonly called "GAAP,'' were changed to require more tax disclosure. The Internal Revenue Service recently has indicated how its examiners will handle the...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)
August 13, 2007... Dish Global Deli 1834 W. 25th St. Cleveland 44113 www.dishglobaldeli.com Dish Global Deli offers take-away meals, catering and prepared meals, as well as eat-in and patio dining options. Owners are Cleveland-native sisters Heather and...

Study commission, Strickland raise bar for public higher ed.(News)
August 13, 2007... Byline: THEODORE V. BOYD As chairman of the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration & Innovation Study Commission, I congratulate Gov. Ted Strickland and Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut for their most recent commitment to...

Software firm to repay missing 401(k).(News)
August 13, 2007... The U.S. Department of Labor said it has recovered $93,000 that had not been forwarded to the 401(k) plan of the Jared Group Inc., a Beachwood software systems consulting company. In a consent order and judgment filed in Cleveland's federal...

MEDICAL MOMENTUM; Many manufacturers prosper by providing health care devices.
August 13, 2007... Byline: CHUCK SODER Some Northeast Ohio manufacturers are piggybacking growth in the medical community to improve their own bottom lines. An increasing number of manufacturing companies in the region are producing medical devices or...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
August 13, 2007... Given the number of entrepreneurial assistance and startup capital organizations in the region, do you think Northeast Ohio is a good place to start a business? Lisa Deinbler Cleveland It seems like things are starting. I see a...

Getting with the program; Local group hopes to stimulate NE Ohio video game, simulation industry to attract gurus.(Insight)
August 13, 2007... Byline: CHUCK SODER Daniel Carl thinks Northeast Ohio one day could score big points in the video game field. The leader of the Northeast Ohio Game Initiative and at least a dozen other individuals are working to develop what they hope...

Late News.
August 20, 2007... OFFICE, INDUSTRIAL SALES VOLUMES CLIMB Sales volumes of office and industrial properties put on a strong showing in Northeast Ohio in the first half of this year compared to the like period in 2006, reports real estate data provider...

Going Places.(People)
August 20, 2007... Job Changes Education THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC: Richard Buffett to director of development. Engineering TEC INC. ENGINEERING & DESIGN: Richard Spang to senior project engineer; Timothy Krzywicki and Paul Trentanelli...

Deals still flowing for mid-market buyout firms.(private equity firms)
August 20, 2007... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER A focus on smaller deals has helped insulate Northeast Ohio's private equity firms from a sudden chill in buyout activity felt at the high end of the acquisition market. Officials at these middle-market buyout...

Biomec Inc. spinoff snags $3M grant.(News)(ElectroSonics Medical Inc.)(United States. National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... ElectroSonics Medical Inc., a spinoff of Biomec Inc., has been awarded a $3 million grant to continue developing a device aimed at detecting collapsed lungs, according to a company press release. The Cleveland company will use the money to...

Help for health care system not a simple fix.(Opinion)
August 20, 2007... Byline: DARRELL E. WHITE, M.D. Crain's recently has published opinion pieces and letters regarding health care economics, notably Sister Judith Ann Karam's May 21 Personal View and Susan Taft's June 25 letter. I congratulate Crain's for...

Union affiliations dip, earnings gap persists.(News)
August 20, 2007... Unions represent a dwindling percentage of the U.S. population, but members continue to do better than non-union employees in earnings. The percentage of union workers nationwide has fallen to 12% in 2006 from 13.4% in 2000.

The Week: August 13 - 19.(The Insider)
August 20, 2007... The big story: Dutch coatings giant Akzo Nobel NV, long rumored to be in the hunt for British company Imperial Chemical Industries, said it plans to buy the maker of Glidden and Dulux paints for $16.3 billion. ICI employs more than 500 at its...

TAKING SIDES; Developer Eli Mann's pending purchase of the Cleveland Athletic Club building would give him control over much of the Euclid Avenue block.
August 20, 2007... Byline: STAN BULLARD Real estate developer Eli Mann is pursuing the Cleveland Athletic Club building for a $23 million makeover to apartments under a plan that also would shrink but retain the structure's struggling namesake social club,...

On the clock.(Opinion)
August 20, 2007... The next seven months may be the most critical in the fledgling administration of Gov. Ted Strickland as he and Eric Fingerhut, the man he handpicked as chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, work to put together a 10-year master plan for...

Discussing parents' finances awkward but essential.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Era Griffin It can be tempting to put off preparation for the future. But for those of us who can travel to see our parents only a few times a year, a regular summer visit offers an ideal opportunity to check in with them about...

Bankruptcies.
August 20, 2007... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Akron or Cleveland. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total...

Mayor must make police visible downtown.(Opinion)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Brian Tucker Mayor Frank Jackson has a crisis on his hands, and all of Northeast Ohio will be watching over the next few weeks and months to see how he and his silent administration respond. It's not that the mayor and his team...

What's New.(The Insider)
August 20, 2007... COMPANY: Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland PRODUCT: Concepts in Color palette The 250 new shades in the Concepts in Color palette are organized into 10 color families and displayed on larger paint chips, "streamlining the choice of the...

Trust, teamwork needed for proper planning.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO You've done pretty well for yourself over the years - a nice house, a nicer investment portfolio, maybe a hot little sports car or a boat. Now look around and think about who can't wait to get their hands...

Thinking ahead; Parents of special needs children must plan for their futures - as well as their kids'.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: EILEEN BEAL Even when her now-24-year-old son Seth was a baby, Debra Chwast thought he might have a developmental problem. "His language didn't seem to be developing in an appropriate way,'' explained the 62-year-old former...

Law allows individuals to pick point person for final arrangements.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: CHRISTINE GORDILLO A new state law gives Ohioans a way to avoid the type of nightmare scenario that played out in the national media over who had the right to determine the final resting place of Anna Nicole Smith's body. ...

Gone to the dogs; Pet trust legislation makes it possible to provide for an animal despite owner's sickness, death.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: SHERRY GAVANDITTI When 31-year-old Lacie O'Daire, an attorney at Cleveland's Walter & Haverfield LLP, began researching Ohio's new pet trust legislation, she was excited. As a pet lover, she knew it would make life easier for pets...

Father, son ties tighten as stock swap bonds ITS, Flight Services.(News)(Company overview)
August 20, 2007... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER The post-bankruptcy version of International Total Services Inc. is taking its first baby steps toward growth. ITS, which on May 30 emerged from a nearly six-year Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, has added as a...

Agencies firm up branding, design merger.(News)
August 20, 2007... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Familiarity, it's said, breeds contempt. In the case of Nead Brand Partners, Newbomb Design and David Moss, it's leading to a merger and the creation of a new Midtown branding and design firm, Boondock Walker. Nead...

Private equity biz Riverside Co. purchases Nordic manufacturer.(News)
August 20, 2007... Private equity firm The Riverside Co. has acquired for an undisclosed price a Nordic manufacturer of cast steel components and a subsidiary. The acquired company, Keycast Group, operates four foundries in Finland and Sweden. Its...

A BRIGHTER FUTURE; Notre Dame was losing money, enrollment before president Andrew Roth turned around the East Side school's fortune.(Insight)
August 20, 2007... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Four years ago, Notre Dame College was quite a different place than it is today. The formerly all-women's college was losing money, had a low enrollment and was spending down its endowment to make ends meet....

Law firms, care managers pair to provide all-out assistance.(Special Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER One-stop shopping has long been a buzzword in virtually every sector of society. And now, some geriatric care managers and attorneys are joining forces to extend this phenomenon into yet another realm. Thanks to...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
August 20, 2007... News about tainted toys creates mostly noise here So far, the recent massive recalls of China-produced toys made with lead paint haven't had an effect on local toy companies beyond sparking inquiries from concerned parents. Dotti...