Crain's Cleveland Business articles from February 2002

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from February 2002

Port project to bring truck access; Oglebay Norton stands to benefit from plan.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will start work this week on a $3.6 million road project designed to reshape the bulk cargo terminal of Cleveland's port and to provide companies there with truck access for the first time. ...

On the Job; Michael Kelley, Kelley & Ferraro founding partner.(law firm Kelley and Ferraro)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Even as a child, Michael Kelley dreamed of becoming a lawyer so he could be an advocate for the people in his Cleveland community. At 50, he's a founding partner of the Cleveland-based law firm Kelley & Ferraro. Founded nearly five years...

Temp hiring on hold; Rough economy means most aren't looking for any extra help.(in legal services)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Juanita M. Reynolds has seen the law firm door swing open for countless temporary legal secretaries, paralegals and legal assistants during her 28 years in Cleveland's legal human resources business. Recently, that door has swung shut and...

A prescription for fewer med mistakes; Hospital systems institute plans to prevent potentially deadly errors.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The drive to reduce medical errors is prompting some unusual efforts by Northeast Ohio health care institutions, including a program at the Cleveland Clinic Health System to teach doctors how to write prescriptions more clearly Medical...

Datebook.
February 4, 2002... Week of Feb. 9-15 Monday David Fink, President and CEO, National Inventors Hall of Fame. Sponsored by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Cleveland. Windows on the River in the Flats. 11:30 a.m. $25 members. $35 nonmembers....

Grant to fund U. of Akron center's elder care study.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Nurses at the University of Akron's new gerontology center will draw on academic research to identify ways to help older adults live independently longer. The College of Nursing's Center for Gerontological Health Nursing and Advocacy will...

Scaled-back hiring leaves attorneys looking for work.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The law business should be good these days with business failures leading to record numbers of bankruptcies, sagging stocks, and insurance litigation and government regulation law growing since Sept. 11. But in some areas of law, business...

Concrete group hopes idea to move Burke to site at steel plant takes flight ; Plane thinking for LTV.(old LTV Corp. site could be converted for use as airport near downtown Cleveland, Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Though the ominous cloud hanging over steelmaker LTV Corp. grows darker by the day, David Bentkowski sees a silver lining in the form of an idea he's pitching to some Northeast Ohio public officials. So far, Mr. Bentkowski, executive...

County responds to need for new re-employment site.(Cuyahoga County, Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Cuyahoga County this week will open its second re-employment services center in response to the growing number of worker layoffs at Cleveland-area companies. ``There is a strong need for another site,'' said Robert E. Paponetti, director...

Glazen now touting design capabilities; New partners ready to reshape agency's focus.(Glazen Creative Inc.; two other news items)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... With two new partners on board, film production firm Glazen Creative Group of Cleveland isn't going to be bashful anymore about its abilities. The company now will tout its ability to develop and design creative work for ``anything that...

Bids for tech funds pouring into state.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Entrepreneurs, organizations and research institutions aren't shying away from seeking a piece of the state's Technology Action Fund despite a controversial process last year for awarding money. The Ohio Department of Development, which...

Late News.(multiple Cleveland, Ohio-area business and industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... TRW CONSOLIDATES SPACE IN LYNDHURST TRW Inc. will be vacating about half the office space in its Lyndhurst ``Business Support Center,'' formerly known as its headquarters, as it consolidates operations so that departments and employees in...

Drug Court tries treatment approach; Municipal Court program gives nonviolent offenders alternative.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Every morning, Cuyahoga County assistant public defender William B. Kelly's first stop is Room 3D, the felony arraignment room at the Justice Center. He calls himself ``a missionary in the morning and a lawyer in the afternoon.'' His...

CWRU students can choose a concentration.(Case Western Reserve University law students)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Case Western Reserve University law students now have the option to zero in on a specific area of law during the course of their studies. Law students in their second or third year can choose one of several new concentrations in an effort...

Short Takes.(multiple Cleveland, Ohio-area business news briefs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... * HEADING SOUTH: Cleveland law firm Javitch, Block, Eisen & Rathbone recently opened a 1,500-square-foot office in Gahanna, northeast of Columbus. The office is home to five collectors and clerical staff, and the firm plans to add 10 more...

Work it out.(Cleveland, Ohio mayor Jane Campbell faces budget challenges)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2002... Both Jane Campbell and members of Cleveland City Council have stated that they want to put away the spirit of contention that typified the relationship in recent years between the mayor's office and the legislative body. There will be no better...

Going Places.(multiple Cleveland, Ohio area business appointment briefs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Job Changes Finance FIFTH THIRD BANK, NORTHEASTERN OHIO: Sarah A. Bohac and Usha Muralidhar to assistant vice presidents; Thomas R. Cirincione to portfolio manager. Financial Services THE BENEFITS GROUP: Frank Scalish to...

Dealers' expansion plans shift into drive.(Motorcars Acura/Volvo Inc., Stoddard Imported Cars Inc. plan renovations)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2002... Greater Cleveland's only Acura dealer is embarking on a $1 million expansion to meet the standards of the automaker's new marketing strategy, while several area Porsche dealers are planning their own expansions in preparation for the launch of...

Achievement Centers sets sights on site; Nonprofit seeks Enterprise Park locale for HQ.(Achievement Centers for Children to acquire new space for headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The Achievement Centers for Children is poised to buy from the city of Cleveland the final development plot in Cleveland Enterprise Park as the site for an $8 million headquarters. Cleveland City Council's Finance Committee today, Feb. 4,...

Research star lands at CWRU.(Jonathan Karn, Case Western Reserve University)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Jonathan Karn has bumped elbows with Nobel Prize-winning scientists in a long career in the United Kingdom. Soon, his own knowledge will be rubbing off on scientists and doctors in Cleveland. Dr. Karn, 49, a scientist who spent the past 22...

Bankruptcies.(filed in Cleveland, Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total...

Lighting the way to a brighter tomorrow.(Ashtabula, Ohio to raise money for street lighting)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Reversing the fortunes of an old industrial port city is anything but easy. Just ask Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell. A recent newspaper story about the challenges facing Ashtabula, and how some local merchants are working on solutions,...

Hotel business slumbers.(Northeast Ohio market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2002... Northeast Ohio's hotel market, hit hard by the trifecta of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a slump in business travel and overbuilding, is struggling to regain its balance, according to a new survey. ``It's ugly out there, and beauty school...

Ohio juries hand down bigger awards in 2001.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2002... Ohio juries were more generous last year than they were in 2000, and some think the increased jury awards are a result of higher-quality jurors. On average, the state's top 10 jury verdicts each doled out $9 million, up from 2000's $7...

AccuSpray files for Chapter 11.(AccuSpray Inc., bankruptcy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2002... AccuSpray Inc., a Bedford Heights company owned in part by Cleveland venture capital firm MCM Capital Corp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland. Though an expensive warranty issue involving...

Investment pros out to ease clients' fears after scandal.(Northeast Ohio region)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Local financial planners and money managers are eager to make sure the investing public doesn't paint them with the same brush as Frank D. Gruttadauria, the former Lehman Bros. general manager in Cleveland suspected of defrauding clients out of...

Largest 2001 SBA guaranteed loans.
February 4, 2002... List of 24: see printed publication.

Stocks.
February 4, 2002... table: see printed publication.

Area investors aim to buy ISP.(e-Command L.L.C. and John Goss look to acquire expedient/CAVU Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... At least two separate groups of Northeast Ohio investors are among those lining up to bid on the assets of an Orlando, Fla.-based provider of high-speed wireless Internet access that is in bankruptcy proceedings. The fate of the assets of...

Liens stalling plans for industrial park.(Hemisphere Corp. tries to negotiate deal with GLS Capital-Cuyahoga Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... A Beachwood developer of old industrial land is seeking help from the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to move forward with a proposed industrial park that been delayed due to an impasse over tax liens incurred by a former land-owner. ...

Late News.(multiple industry briefs)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... LAND O' LAKES BUTTERS UP KENT Land O' Lakes plans to consolidate its food service and retail spreads manufacturing at its plant in Kent as the company closes its Faribault, Minn., plant. The consolidation will take place in phases and...

New law limits liability for brownfield buyers.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Saying ``environmental protection and economic growth can go on together,'' President Bush last month signed legislation that provides money to developers of brownfields and liability protection to small businesses. The U.S. Environmental...

Scrap savvy builds biz; Turtle Plastics turning leftover plastic into array of profitable products.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... Turtle Plastics Co. is making headway in the recycled plastics industry ``slowy'' but surely. The misspelled ``slowly'' in the Lorain firm's slogan is indicative of ``finding products that are very forgiving,'' said Tom Bradley-Norton,...

Camp asks clients to lobby Congress; Group wants to stop proposed cut in funds.
February 11, 2002... Camp Inc., a Cleveland nonprofit group that helps manufacturers modernize their operations, is turning to its clients for support in convincing Congress to turn back an effort by the White House to kill a federal grant program that provides...

RTA project could drive more W. 117 development.(Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Lakewood Mayor Madeline Cain expects a $4.5 million transit project will boost economic development along a section of West 117th Street that has been underused in the past few years. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority project...

Moving company to make own move.
February 11, 2002... American Transportation Cos., a Brecksville moving company, is planning a move of its own to a new office and warehouse in Cleveland Business Park in Cleveland. Robert Strickland, president of American Transportation, said the company has...

Developers' rehad project cloaked in luxury.
February 11, 2002... Real estate developer Gus Georgalis has transformed into downtown's most posh rental property a nondescript, 1870-vintage building in the Warehouse District that some observers had deemed unredeemable. Ironically, Mr. Georgalis said before...

Program out to pique students' interest in health care careers.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... A wide-ranging collaboration in Akron is showing eighth-graders and their parents that it's ``HIP'' to consider health care as a career. The Healthcare in Progress, or HIP, initiative is a joint effort by the Akron Public Schools, three...

Fill the gap.(Ohio economic plan)
February 11, 2002... At least Gov. Bob Taft was willing to wave the flag for investment in innovation during his State of the State speech last week. Holding a banner high won't be enough, though, for the governor to convince legislators and the people of Ohio to...

Laying a new foundation; Old Stone programs help build new beginnings for moms, workers.
February 11, 2002

Correction.
February 11, 2002... The editorial, ``Work it out,'' in the Feb. 4 issue incorrectly stated that Mayor Jane Campbell's staff had found no evidence of an $11.8 million surplus that her predecessor, Mike White, said he had left behind for the next budget. That issue...

Battered venture cap due for rebound.
February 11, 2002... Last year was an anemic one for Cuyahoga County companies seeking venture capital financing, but local investment professionals are optimistic the trend will reverse itself in 2002. Just eight Cuyahoga County businesses tapped into a total...

Envisioned BioEnterprise would recruit, build tech.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... A picture of what BioEnterprise Corp. might be has been revealed, even though the organization's official business plan hasn't been finalized and submitted to the state. BioEnterprise chairman Bill Sanford said the plan ``is really very...

Grand Openings.
February 11, 2002... New Paradigms - Feng Shui 1310 West Blvd., Suite 2, Cleveland 44102 Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese study of the natural environment, enhances people's use of physical spaces, such as offices and homes. Founded by certified Feng Shui...

Datebook.
February 11, 2002... Week of Feb. 16-22 Saturday Engineering Exposition - National Engineers Week. Sponsored by the Cleveland Area National Engineers. Great Lakes Science Center. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Free. Information, 216-228-5388. Sunday Engineering...

Bridge starts new firm, names a new partner.
February 11, 2002... An economy in recession makes for busy times at Bridge Associates, so the crisis management firm recently added a partner to its Cleveland office and rolled out a new company to dissolve and wind down bankrupt and distressed businesses. ...

Short Takes.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * BIGGER AND STRONGER: Private, one-on-one personal training company Keyfit Personal Training and Post-Rehab Studio recently moved into a larger location in Willoughby. To keep pace with growing demand for its services, Keyfit moved into a...

Rough start to new year.(in Northeast Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... For Northeast Ohio's economy, the start of 2002 brought to life in a negative way the old adage, ``Out with the old, in with the new.'' December's upward climb in certain areas of the economy plummeted last month, according to the results...

NeoMed picks HQ location.(headquarters to be located in Cleveland)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... NeoMed Technologies LLC is locating its headquarters in Cleveland. The startup, which makes a medical test that identifies coronary artery disease in people who don't exhibit symptoms, has moved its headquarters from its founders' homes...

Commentary: Economy overhaul will take money, guts.(Ohio's education and economic programs, James Traficant charged with corruption)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 11, 2002... Tim Hagan was right about one thing when he responded to last week's State of the State speech by Gov. Bob Taft. It clearly was a signal that the Republican incumbent has formed his re-election plans. Mr. Hagan, the former Cuyahoga County...

Metal market specializes in filling small orders.(Metal Supermarkets opens in Brook Park)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... In a business where bigger is considered better, Rush Williams clearly is bucking conventional wisdom. Mr. Williams this month opened Metal Supermarkets, a franchise in Brook Park of a Canadian metals distribution and processing company...

Tyler takes the lead ; $60M county design job turning point for firm.(Ralph Tyler Cos. awarded Cuyahoga County Youth Intervention Center contract)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Ancient African masks line the walls, old swords stand in a wastebasket, and a flintlock sits on a coffee table in Ralph Tyler's Chester Avenue office. They reflect his love of collecting things from the past. However, a commission that...

Group out to build black biz ; President's Council puts emphasis on mentoring.(President's Council plans educational program for African American entrepreneurs)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Leaders of the President's Council, an organization of local business executives dedicated to the economic development of black-owned businesses, are touting a trio of programs this year that they hope will continue to open corporate doors for...

University of Phoenix no longer bound to traditional textbooks.(puts textbooks online)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Students will trade in textbooks for technology in March as the Independence campus of the University of Phoenix goes book-free. The 500-student campus will offer online all textbooks used in its classes and will charge students about $80...

Let's see the real Cleveland.
February 11, 2002... Editor: I almost let it pass, but since Brian Tucker alludes to it in his Feb. 4 commentary, I am compelled to write. By ``it'' I mean the ad that appears in your sister publication, Crain's Chicago Business, from the Convention & Visitors...

Tax Liens.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 11, 2002... Lamm Enterprises Inc. 1265 Inglewood Drive, Cleveland Heights ID: 34-1761337 Date filed: Nov. 28, 2001 Type: Employer's withholding Amount: $10,593 Wolf International Inc., Pro Health Laboratories ID: 31-1508611...

Going Places.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Job Changes Government CITY OF INDEPENDENCE: Ron White to economic development director. CITY OF PARMA HEIGHTS: Robert M. Verdile to director of economic development. Health care CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION: Dr. Lars G....

IRS revises rules for split-dollar insurance plans.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Last month, the IRS issued a new notice on the taxation of split-dollar life insurance plans, which essentially repeals the 2001 notice. The controversial 2001 notice, published in January of that year, said the IRS might begin assessing...

Merger kicks off a year of growth plans at Cohen & Co.(acquires W.S. Rudner CPA and Associates)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Randy Myeroff, the managing partner of Cleveland accounting firm Cohen & Co., has a straightforward philosophy when it comes to business: ``If you sit still, you'll be in trouble.'' In keeping with that maxim, Cohen & Co. is putting growth...

Jo-Ann Stores crafts way out of slump.(expects to post fourth quater earnings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... Fabric and craft retailer Jo-Ann Stores Inc. finally has stitched up the holes in its inventory and distribution system and is showing signs of pulling out of a two-year slump. The Hudson company said last week it expects to post earnings...

Crunch owners set high goals ; Out to triple team's value, trio turns on marketing, promo press.(Cleveland Crunch)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... The days are over when owning a pro soccer team in Cleveland was just a hobby. It's time to get down to business at the Cleveland Crunch, say the team's owners. As the Major Indoor Soccer League team continues to lose more games than it...

Foreign steelmakers size up LTV's Cleveland assets.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... As foreign companies consider buying the assets of Cleveland's shuttered LTV Corp., the local economy soon might feel the presence of perhaps the greatest change in international business in the past 10 years - the increase in foreign direct...

Convention center off city's calendar.(Cleveland to focus on ailing economy)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... A downtown convention center has slipped far down the to-do list of Cleveland's political leaders, eclipsed by more pressing economic development matters and by a plan to reshape the lakefront and the highways that run through the city. ...

The Details.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... This survey was conducted with the help of Precision Dialogue, a Cleveland-based permission marketing firm. CrainTech.com readers that registered as ``Business Voice of Cleveland'' panelists received e-mail questionnaires. Other business...

Patents.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The following patents recently were issued to Northeast Ohio companies and individuals by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Shaped ice article and article for making same Assignee: Pamela R. Moore, Tallmadge Issue date: Feb. 12...

Short Takes.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... * PAIRING UP: National provider of e-commerce services and business directories, Locality.com, has entered a strategic marketing partnership with Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio. Time Warner will integrate the Locality.com online business...

Startup's growth linked to digitizing disease tracking.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... A growth spurt recently came over Cellular Technology Ltd., a biotech startup in Cleveland's University Circle. The company now has a leading position in the blossoming industry of digitizing how the human body's disease-fighting system...

Deal takes TMW's products to Europe; Venture to tap into growing market.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... TMW Systems Inc., a Beachwood company that develops operations and dispatch software for the trucking industry, will distribute its products throughout Europe as the result of forming a venture with a British entrepreneur. The venture, TMW...

On the Job; Doug Wenger, chief information officer for Omnova Solutions.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Doug Wenger, senior vice president and chief information officer of Omnova Solutions Inc. of Fairlawn, a maker of commercial wallcoverings, coated fabrics and other products. His mission: Mr. Wenger wants Omnova to provide more than just...

Privatizing pares pay center jobs; Transfer of DFAS work to save $9 million.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... After more than three years of planning and false starts, the Department of Defense has privatized a sizable portion of the military pay processing work at the Cleveland office of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service - and jobs have been...

Survey says: Bring in the biz.(Cleveland's tech czar)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Cleveland's first tech czar should speak with an accent. Nearly 80% of respondents to a recent survey said the city's first technology-focused leader should be a proven economic development guru from a technology-rich community such as...

Okla. company to promote job services of EmployOn.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Express Personnel Services of Oklahoma City has agreed to promote the online job placement services of Euclid-based EmployOn Inc. Express Personnel has more than 400 franchise offices across the country. Central to the agreement is...

Datebook.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Week of Feb. 23-March 1 Tuesday Business Plan Workshop. Sponsored by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Cleveland chapter. YWCA Conference Center, 4019 Prospect Ave. 8 a.m. $25 members. $35 nonmembers. Reservations,...

Marcus to unite staffs in new space.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Employees at Marcus Thomas LLC will be united with each other and with their pets as the marketing communications firm consolidates its two Greater Cleveland offices next fall into a new location in Warrensville Heights. The company has...

City thinks contingency for LTV site; Redevelopment pondered should buyer fail to surface.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Talk about covering all your bases. Even as city and state officials work feverishly to help find a buyer for LTV Corp.'s idle steelmaking operations in Cleveland, the city's Department of Economic Development is applying for a $600,000...

Commentary: Remembering the spirit behind the rebirth.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Elsewhere on this page, we attempt to honor the memory of Richard Shatten, the mastermind of Cleveland's rise from the municipal scrap heap to national leader in downtown renewal. Although no small number of political leaders and business...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... These businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total liquidation. Chapter...

Tri-C, Cuyahoga County team to train tech workers.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... To stem the rising tide of Cuyahoga County employers that rely heavily on recruiting information technology workers from foreign countries, the county and Cuyahoga Community College are collaborating on an initiative to raise the technical...

Roadway system keeps truckers in touch.(QualComm Inc. and Roadway Express Inc. developed Roadway Digital Dispatch)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... If knowledge is power, Roadway Express Inc. is one powerful company. The Akron-based international trucking concern has developed a digital communication system that keeps truckers, dispatchers and, ultimately, customers in constant...

Israeli biotech company bringing R&D unit here.(Simbionix Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Simbionix Ltd., an Israeli developer of computer-assisted surgical simulation equipment, plans to move its research and development operations to Cleveland next month. ``We are definitely, for sure, going to Cleveland,'' said Simbionix CEO...

Business incubator coming to Lake County.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Lake County entrepreneurs will be able to get a lesson in starting their own companies through a business incubator to be launched by the end of the year. The incubator will be sponsored by Lake Erie College, the Painesville Area Chamber...

Columbus Watch.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Biz expansions lure billions in state aid in `01 Despite the economic downtown, more than 800 companies committed to expand in Ohio last year, with 117 of them undertaking projects of at least $10 million. Preliminary figures for 2001...

Biz brightens for brokers ; Commercial, industrial markets see inquiries pick up; office still lags.(Cleveland-area real estate)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Terry Coyne, a senior vice president at the Grubb & Ellis Co. real estate brokerage, had 17 voice mail messages at his office last Tuesday afternoon after he was out just a short time. He got to the office at 7 a.m. that day and then worked...

Wal-Mart slated to join Avon retail mix.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is preparing to join the fast-developing retail fray at state Route 83 and Interstate 90 in Avon in eastern Lorain County. Wal-Mart Real Estate Inc., a subsidiary of the big retailer, paid $3.7 million for the 20-acre...