Crain's Cleveland Business articles from August 2008

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from August 2008

THEWEEK JULY28 - AUGUST 3.
August 4, 2008... It's a raid!: Cuyahoga County government is now officially an embarrassment. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service on July 28 executed search warrants at the Cuyahoga County administration building, the office of the county engineer, the...

Study: Business taxes costly.
August 4, 2008... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Businesses in Ohio and other states pay too much in taxes for the benefits they receive from state and local public spending, according to a recently completed analysis by Ernst & Young LLP and the Council on State...

WHAT'S NEW.
August 4, 2008... COMPANY: West Development Group, LaGrange PRODUCT: Z-Guard The Z-Guard is for use on sprayed-in-place polyurethane foam roofs. West Development, which specializes in silicone and polyurethane foam technologies used in the roofing...

Private-party ethics issues arise in county probe wake.
August 4, 2008... Byline: JAY MILLER As federal investigators last Monday, July 28, searched several homes and offices across Cuyahoga County and gathered boxes of documents and images from computer hard drives, most of the attention was focused on two...

My state's better than yours; Ball State research shows Indiana better than Ohio for manufacturing.(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Some researchers at Ball State University are stirring up a regional rivalry with a report that claims their home state of Indiana is vastly better for manufacturing and logistics companies than Ohio and other nearby states. In the 2008...

GOING PLACES.(briefs)
August 4, 2008... Job Changes education LAWRENCE SCHOOL: Angela Rincon to director of institutional advancement. MENTOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Diana Zarlenga to director, business operations. NOTRE DAME COLLEGE: Mary Breckenridge to vice president...

LeBron's athlete, entertainer sides mix well.(LeBron James)
August 4, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Two summers back, LeBron James and the friends he'd formed into a sports marketing firm known as LRMR Marketing looked down the road and planted a six-digit signpost: 08/08/08. While marking the starting date of the...

Local accounting firms combine.
August 4, 2008... Two local accounting firms established in the 1920s have merged. Card, Palmer, Sibbison & Co., in Cleveland since 1920, and McQuilkin Vine, in Lakewood since 1923, have joined operations. The combined firm will be known as Card, Palmer,...

Flashline team delves into new venture; IT colleagues launch partnership to establish $30M fund for investing in young tech firms.
August 4, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Charles Stack started two information technology companies in Cleveland during the 1990s, but, to him, the good old days are now. That's why Mr. Stack and some former colleagues from one of those IT companies,...

One orchestra's traveling show won't go on; Increased costs force Philadelphia Orchestra to cancel tour, though Cleveland counterpart remains confident it will continue touring.(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... A major U.S. orchestra has canceled an international tour because of the ailing economy, The New York Times reported July 31, but the Cleveland Orchestra is moving forward with a strategy to maintain a strong global presence. The...

LATENEWS.
August 4, 2008... BUSINESS CONFIDENCE PICKS UP IN JULY Cleveland-area businesses were more confident in July than they were in June, and plan to do more hiring, according to a survey by National City Corp. released Friday. Nearly 56% of area...

St. Louis mulch producer opens Twinsburg shop for better access to Northeast; Customer wanted firm to be in closer proximity.
August 4, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD St. Louis-based International Mulch Co. plans to use a new Twinsburg warehouse to grow its business making and distributing landscape mulch made from rubber after a local company's demise seeded its presence here. ...

ScanPath.
August 4, 2008... Byline: SHERRY GAVANDITTI For a web site to be effective, designers need to know where the eyes of their users will travel. And for a fee, businesses can get that kind of data through a Kent State University- associated venture started in...

Strained economy a boon for financial consultants.
August 4, 2008... Byline: ARIELLE KASS A tough economy that's putting more local businesses under duress means more work for consulting firms that advise companies feeling the stress. Domenic Aversa, managing director of Morris Anderson's Cleveland...

Private schools work to limit students' debt burden; Institutions implement new programs, urge students to be smart about taking on loans.
August 4, 2008... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER Officials at the area's private colleges are trying to teach some important lessons be creative and use all your available resources as they work to make college affordable. Their efforts come as college...

PART-TIME PROFESSION; Enrollment increases, limited resources drive employment of adjuncts at local colleges.(Survey)
August 4, 2008... Byline: JUDY STRINGER In 2006, one year after the birth of her first child, Julie O'Neil Wagner traded in her full-time job with the Cleveland public schools for a part-time teaching gig at Baldwin- Wallace College. Working part time...

Housing woes will continue to burden banks' books; Economy still vexes Nat City, KeyCorp.
August 4, 2008... Byline: ARIELLE KASS Those who are waiting for the dismal mortgage and housing markets to bottom out are going to need to wait a good deal longer, if key executives at Cleveland's two biggest banks are correct. Robert Rowe, chief...

APPLE OF HIS EYE; MIMvista's medical image viewer for the iPhone wows computer icon Steve Jobs, sets tone for product's intro.
August 4, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Several Cleveland-area companies are working on software for the iPhone, but only MIMvista Corp. in Beachwood can claim to have shared a stage with Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs. The provider of medical...

WHAT IS SCANPATH?(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Byline: Sherry Gavanditti The scanpath theory of vision and eye movements originally was defined by David Noton and Lawrence Stark in 1971. Now, it can be translated to how a user may view a web site. Imagine an inverted triangle...

Here's hope for government rebound.
August 4, 2008... "Corruption'' is a strong and overused word, especially when it's paired with its most common modifier: "public.'' But that's what dominated the news last week, in Cleveland, our state and the nation. By now, we all know about the event...

$3.5M Fairhill campaign to create new housing for elderly caregivers.
August 4, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND After providing for more than a decade programs for older people raising their young relatives, the Fairhill Center in Cleveland now wants to give some of them a place to live. Fairhill is in the quiet phase of...

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK.
August 4, 2008... If you passed the first buyout by, now's your chance Not enough employees of Ford Motor Co. accepted its buyout offer in April, so the automaker has extended another offer to its workers, including those at its plant in Brook Park. ...

Opinion; It stinks.(Viewpoint essay)
August 4, 2008... Like a moldy plate of seafood alfredo that someone forgot in the office 'frig, something has stunk in the halls of Cuyahoga County government for quite some time. It's the aroma of arrogance, a stench created by more than a half-century of...

Zoo, CWRU program a different animal for biology students; Collaboration provides hands-on experience, research.(Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)
August 4, 2008... Byline: SHARON SCHNALL As a second-year doctoral student with Case Western Reserve University's biology department, Christine Cassella attends classes, is an instructor for undergraduate students and conducts animal behavior research...

CWRU tames once-grandiose West Quad plan; Massive research park no longer on drawing board as school adjusts to economic realities.(Case Western Reserve University)
August 4, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Three years after announcing it would create a huge research park on the former Mt. Sinai Medical Center property, Case Western Reserve University has greatly scaled back its plans for what initially was called the...

Quartz popularity drives Minn. firm's Kent expansion; Countertop maker cites wealth of available employees as factor in locating plant here.(Cambria)
August 4, 2008... Byline: DAN SHINGLER Despite a national slowdown in new housing starts and sales of existing homes, a company that makes quartz countertops is expanding in Kent. Cambria, a privately held company based in Eden Prairie, Minn., has...

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August 4, 2008... Byline: JANET CENTURY MIMvista Corp. chief technical officer Mark Cain (left) and CEO Dennis Nelson were pleasantly surprised when their medical imaging software firm was one of 11 companies out of thousands chosen to display their product...

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August 4, 2008... Byline: JESSE KRAMER ABOVE: Julie O'Neil Wagner, a part-time English as a Second Language professor at Baldwin-Wallace College, opted for a part-time job so she could spend more time with her family, including two sons, Ben (center) and...

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August 4, 2008... Byline: ROGER MASTROIANNI Mark Willis, an associate professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University, guides students through the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Mr. Willis created with Kristen Lukas, curator of conservation and science...

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August 4, 2008... Byline: JESSE KRAMER ScanPath, a venture associated with Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science, shows companies the habits of web site users. Dave Robins, an assistant professor in KSU's Information...

Snap-On weighing NE Ohio, Michigan sites for new HQ; 330 employees in Richfield, Wooster in limbo.
August 11, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Snap-On Business Solutions is planning to consolidate its Northeast Ohio employees into a new headquarters that most likely will be built within the region but could end up in Michigan. The company, which provides...

Grand Openings.(Backyard Playground)(GoodWorks Group)(wine bar at Visible Voice Books)
August 11, 2008... The Backyard Playground 9397 Mentor Ave. Mentor 44060 The Backyard Playground is a parent- supervised indoor playground for children located behind Half Price Books at Mentor Avenue and Heisley Road. The Backyard Playground offers a...

Niederst adds in-demand Strongsville apartments; Firm likes location, plans to add 30 suites.
August 11, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Adding an apartment jewel to a portfolio dominated by older or less well-located properties, Niederst Management of Fairview Park has acquired the Polo Club apartment complex in Strongsville for $20 million. The...

It'll make ya Melt; Lakewood eatery in USA Today for grilled cheese work.(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... USA Today recently included Lakewood's Melt in a story about how restaurants nationwide are getting fancy with a comfort food staple: the grilled cheese sandwich. "I have 32 versions,'' said Matt Fish, who opened Melt two years ago and...

The Week; August 4-10.
August 11, 2008... The big story: The Greater Cleveland Partnership formally recommended to the Cuyahoga County commissioners that a riverfront site behind Tower City Center be the home for a new convention center and medical merchandise mart in downtown...

Local builders eye tax credit's ripple effects; National outfits waste little time promoting incentive, adding their own deals to it.
August 11, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Homebuilders value their new, hard-fought federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers so much that they're quickly turning the credit into a marketing centerpiece and sweetening the financial incentive to boot. ...

What's New.(Neundorfer Inc's SmartAsh 7.0 Ash Evacuation System)(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... COMPANY: Neundorfer Inc., Willoughby PRODUCT: SmartAsh 7.0 Ash Evacuation System Neundorfer, a maker of equipment that helps industrial businesses reduce emissions from their plants, says the new SmartAsh software builds on patented...

Going Places.
August 11, 2008... Job Changes Financial Service CBIZ INC.: Brian Gregory to vice president, internal audit; Annette Olson to accounts payable clerk; Stephen Rinehart and Margaret Sokolski to applications developers; Susan Robb to senior associate;...

Optical manufacturer on notice from FDA.
August 11, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Volk Optical Inc. of Mentor recently received a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detailing at least eight violations the FDA found while visiting the company last spring. The maker of contact...

GE Lumination's hopes bright for Vio brand; Clients turning on to energy-efficient product.
August 11, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH There's a lot that's small about GE Lumination's Vio solid-state lights. A half-dozen of the tiny, light-emitting diodes that illuminate Vio can fit under a bubble the size of a marble. Even the Vio's production...

Duke Realty alters NE Ohio exit strategy; After failed attempt to shed 14 properties, company offers three North Olmsted sites.
August 11, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Duke Realty Corp. is reviving in a modest way its effort to exit Northeast Ohio, this time by offering three North Olmsted office buildings for sale rather than its remaining 14 office buildings in the region. ...

Data tracking system's track record has Cleveland on board; Officials say CitiStat, a hit in Baltimore and elsewhere, can make city more efficient.
August 11, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Darnell Brown has heard all about how the CitiStat program helped Baltimore save tens of millions of dollars in its first three years. Now he hopes it can do the same for Cleveland. The city this fall plans to...

MINIATURES TAKE OVER BIG STAGE; Medina company's annual Aurora trade show has industry abuzz.
August 11, 2008... Byline: JOHN BOOTH This weekend, the small stuff will be a big deal in Aurora. The 2008 Aztec International Miniature Trade Show at The Bertram Inn and Conference Center Aug. 16-18 could be the most well- attended event in the show's...

Independent gas station owners also feel pump pain; Consumer tendencies, credit card charges force many to consider drastic measures.
August 11, 2008... Byline: BRAD DICKEN Drivers aren't the only ones feeling the squeeze of high gas prices. The owners of independent gas stations say they're suffering, too, and are struggling to make ends meet even as the big oil companies are...

FHI Heat able to let hair down with Solon move.
August 11, 2008... Byline: KATHERINE FAY FHI Heat, a maker of hair styling products, is moving to a 42,000-square-foot building in Solon from its much smaller 5,800-square-foot home in Maple Heights. The Solon property will function predominantly as a...

GROWING CONCERN; Forget taxes and insurance; inflation fears take over small businesses' lists of worries.
August 11, 2008... Byline: KATHERINE FAY Inside a small brick storefront, intricately designed and richly colored carpets line the walls and are piled across the wooden floor. While Larchmere Oriental Rugs has dozens of rugs to choose from, what won't be...

Neighborhood revival; Forest City, Johns Hopkins serve as model in Baltimore.
August 11, 2008... Forest City Enterprises Inc. and Johns Hopkins Hospital are turning to an old strategy to revive a Baltimore neighborhood as a technology community. The New York Times last week looked at how the Cleveland-based developer and the Baltimore...

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August 11, 2008... ABOVE: Dan Harrell, eastern sales manager for Medina-based Aztec Imports Inc., said the sixth year of the company's annual miniature trade show might be the most well attended in its history. LEFT: Samples of Aztec Imports' miniatures.

Two deals bring Riverside's total to 19.
August 11, 2008... Byline: ARIELLE KASS The Riverside Co. of Cleveland last week bulked up its portfolio with two more deals, bringing to 19 the private equity firm's number of deals this year. Riverside said it acquired Results Weight Loss of Naples,...

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August 11, 2008... Inflatables are just one of the attractions offered at Backyard Playground, a parent-supervised indoor playplace for children in Mentor. Owner Nereida Serrano demonstrates.

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August 11, 2008... MAZZOLINI ARTCRAFT CO. ABOVE: Mazzolini Artcraft designed and supplied all the marble appointments and custom mosaics on the front of Sacred Heart church in Peoria, Ill. BELOW: An example of an 8-foot Welcoming Christ statue, featured...

GAUGING THE GAS GOUGING.(affect of rising gas prices on independent gas stations)(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... Terry Adams, owner of Rusty's Autocare Shell in Wickliffe, offers a snapshot into the struggles independent gas station owners face in these days of $3.50 or $4 per gallon of gas: * The typical owner of a small gas station makes between...

State's second public health school in works at Kent State.(Kent State University)
August 11, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Kent State University is creating a School of Public Health that would teach students to deal with rising health care issues such as obesity and diabetes. Detailed plans for the new school including the number...

CWRU researchers work to speed effect of cancer drugs; Device could hit tumor in minutes, not days.
August 11, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Little hairballs usually don't conjure up pleasant thoughts, but they eventually could for some people suffering from cancer. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have created a new nanoparticle...

Easy2 ahead of growth goals thanks to software; Product allows users to create demonstrations; firm doubles staff size.
August 11, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER John Bukovnik expected his company to have a big year. He just didn't know how big. Easy2 Technologies Inc. of Cleveland has doubled the size of its staff to 28 during the past year on the strength of a software...

Late News.
August 11, 2008... CONVENTION BUREAU SEES FINANCING PERIL While a new convention center/medical merchandise mart would make it easier to market Cleveland to trade groups and tourists, the plan that's developing to pay for the center could devastate...

East Side Market now in hands of developer; Group seeking basic neighborhood retailers for site on struggling corner in Glenville.
August 11, 2008... Byline: JAY MILLER The shuttered East Side Market is being sold by its owner, the city of Cleveland, to a private developer who plans a $1.6 million makeover of the 20-year-old, 19,000-square-foot building. The project will inject some...

WEATHERING THE STORM; Marketing efforts, customer service take on added importance as companies attempt to emerge from rough patch unscathed.
August 11, 2008... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Small business owners and managers are going the extra mile to boost sales and stay viable in a tough economy. There is no silver bullet, but companies here are increasing marketing efforts and are paying...

A winner who resides in third place.(parent child relation)(Column)
August 11, 2008... Byline: BRIAN TUCKER Since this is Olympics week, I thought it would be appropriate to write about first, second and third. But no, this is not about the places that the world's athletes will be striving to win in their respective...

Sick daze.
August 11, 2008... Employers as a general rule should provide their employees with some form of paid time off to deal with their own illnesses or those of family members. However, the mandates for paid sick leave found in the proposed Healthy Families Act are so...

UA fundraising at healthy level.
August 11, 2008... The University of Akron is seeing record amounts of money pour in for research and the school's $500 million capital campaign. The university raised $41 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, a 26.5% jump over the $32.3 million...

Reporter's Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.
August 11, 2008... What's up, docs? These survey results, they hope Ohioans covered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield now can share stories the good, the bad and the ugly about their physicians. Anthem has launched throughout the state its Zagat...

Continuing a family tradition; Founded 104 years ago, Mazzolini Artcraft still strong with design, restoration offerings.(Mazzolini Artcraft Co.)(Company overview)
August 11, 2008... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO It was the early 1900s and young artisans were flooding Ellis Island with the hope of attaining the American dream. One of those immigrants was Primo Mazzolini, who, after perfecting his craft of sculpting,...

More individuals passing on their vision; Ethical wills provide moral compass to heirs.
August 18, 2008... Byline: SCOT ALLYN When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, died July 25 at age 47, he left behind a legacy for his children titled "The Last Lecture,'' co-written with Jeffrey Zaslow, a reporter with...

IS THE PATIENT IN TROUBLE? Sure, there are problems. But with a city center undergoing a major makeover and capital pouring into other projects, things in Cleveland aren't as bad as Forbes might think.
August 18, 2008... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND There's no doubt Cleveland has problems. The city has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, jobs and people are leaving, and the schools struggle with educating students while also dealing with...

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August 18, 2008... RETIREMENT: Several factors determine where an older individual chooses to live, a choice involving careful planning and consideration. Daniel Lansell, for example, chose to live at a "life-care'' campus in Olmsted Township, where he also...

CORRECTION.(Correction notice)
August 18, 2008... In an Aug. 11, page 6 story on GE Lumination, industry-wide sales figures for light-emitting diodes incorrectly were reported as General Electric's LED sales. General Electric would not provide its own LED sales figures, but it noted that GE...

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August 18, 2008... BODY DONATION: Karen Vaughn is one of 1,700 individuals to pre-register with NEOUCOM to have her body donated after she dies. "In my wallet, I have a uniform donor card,'' she says. Body donations serve educational purposes while fulfilling...

ADDITIONAL SOURCES.
August 18, 2008... For more information on body donation, visit: Cleveland Memorial Society www.clevememorialsociety.org/ NEOUCOM Body Donation program: www.neoucom.edu/audience/about/departments/anatomy/ bodyDonation/ContactInformation Case...

GOING PLACES.
August 18, 2008... Job Changes finance DOLLAR BANK: Douglas Koi to assistant vice president, commercial real estate division. financial service CAPITAL ADVISORS LTD.: Douglas A. Price to senior manager. JEFFERSON WELLS: Eric Matyac to...

Members at Acacia take first step toward sale; Well-placed club suffering from declining membership, rising costs.
August 18, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Members of Acacia Country Club in Lyndhurst are starting to play the greatest game in real estate terms ever played in its 83-year history. In teeing up an effort to sell the club, Acacia has hired the Thompson...

Westlake tech firm bulks up in fight prep; Logos has ambitious plan for acquisitions to answer big competitors.
August 18, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Logos Communications Inc. is beefing up to defend itself against a potential "barbarian'' attack, according to CEO Chris Tjotjos. The Westlake communications hardware provider has bought Data Eclipse Computers of...

Noteworthy continues e-med record push; As interest grows in hospitals, independent doctors sharing files, software firm acquires Wash. outfit.
August 18, 2008... Byline: CHUCK SODER Noteworthy Medical Systems Inc. went shopping for one company and came home with two. The Mayfield Heights producer of electronic medical records software has agreed to acquire ChartConnect Inc. of Yakima, Wash.,...

FOR THE RECORD.
August 18, 2008... WESTON, CHICAGO FIRM TEAM FOR PURCHASES Western Reserve Partners LLC, an investment banking firm in Cleveland, has helped the Weston Inc. real estate company in Solon form a joint venture with Blue Vista Capital Management of Chicago to buy...

Low interest rates conducive for wealth transfer to heirs.
August 18, 2008... Byline: KATHY AMES CARR Low interest rates and stagnant stock prices may be hurting investor portfolios, but current market conditions also can spell opportunity for individuals who are interested in transferring wealth to their families....

Advisers mixed on income allocation.
August 18, 2008... Byline: LISA SHIDLER Although they typically use the same investment products to build retirement portfolios, financial advisers are almost evenly split as to the best way to manage retirement income distributions from these assets. ...

Tubbs Jones wins battle to ease rehab tax credit use; Measures should help spur developers' efforts to restore historic sites.
August 18, 2008... Byline: STAN BULLARD Look for broader use by real estate developers of the highly prized federal historic rehabilitation tax credit thanks to measures that U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones sponsored in the new housing stimulus bill. ...

NOT A PIECE OF CAKE; Finding a responsible, committed executor can be a tricky process.
August 18, 2008... Byline: CHARMAINE JONES Honest, capable, trustworthy, organized responsive are qualities valuable in any friend, co-worker or employee. But they're absolutely essential in an estate executor. "Handling an estate takes time and...

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August 18, 2008... Byline: JESSE KRAMER Karen Vaughn is one of 1,700 individuals who has pre-registered with NEOUCOM to have her body donated for teaching purposes.

THE WEEK; AUGUST 11-17.(briefs)
August 18, 2008... The big story: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum plans to open an outpost in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, as it is called, will be a small exhibit space intended in part to whet the...

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August 18, 2008... Diane Baumberger (left) and her daughter, Brooke, shop for back-to-school clothes at Plato's Closet.

May letter, July fall not adding up at PVF.
August 18, 2008... Byline: ARIELLE KASS The president of Solon's PVF Capital Corp. parent company of Park View Federal Savings Bank said an ongoing decline in the housing market is why the company doubled its loan loss reserves and slashed its quarterly...

IN GOOD FUND.(JumpStart)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... The fund's premise: JumpStart's separate fund will invest in area companies led by minorities as well as firms in distressed regions. The Emerging Market Fund hopes to raise an additional $5 million on top of the $1 million currently in the...

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August 18, 2008... Debbie D'Errico, owner of the Plato's Closet franchise in Strongsville, is flanked by a rack loaded with purses at the clothing resale store. Ms. D'Errico has seen a spike in sales as more consumers seek back-to-school bargains.