Crain's Cleveland Business articles from January 2005

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from January 2005

Going Places.(People)
January 3, 2005... Job Changes Health Care LAKE HOSPITAL SYSTEM: Lisa Rubin Falkenberg to director of rehabilitation services; Sally Haaser to director of medical staff services; Josephine Jones to director of emergency services. Insurance ...

New Clinic bldg. to fill up slowly; Researcher recruiting for genetics and stem cell center to take up to six mos.(Health Care)(Cleveland Clinic Genetics and Stem Cell Research Building)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The doors will open at the Cleveland Clinic's new Genetics and Stem Cell Research Building this month, but the bulk of its tenants - genetics and stem cell researchers - won't arrive for at least another six...

Simulations help law students hone practical skills.(Special Report)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SHARON N. SCHNALL A woman seeking a divorce sits in her lawyer's office. As she answers the attorney's questions about assets and tax returns, she hesitates and then starts crying. What should the lawyer do? "Hand her a tissue...

New grant guidelines set at Mt. Sinai foundation.(Finance)(Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation has changed its grantmaking guidelines to focus on four new areas of philanthropy. As of Jan. 1, Mt. Sinai will provide grants for projects that promote health in the Jewish...

Coordination lacking for city projects.
January 3, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER, STAN BULLARD Civic leaders are talking up three projects - a new county administration building, a convention center and a casino - that they believe would help revitalize Cleveland's downtown. However, the people...

Jobs casualties of Clinic's fast-food fight.(Opinion)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HARRY ALFORD In the ongoing attempt to finger the leaders of the fast-food industry for all that ails America's waistlines, there is an oft-forgotten victim who pays the ultimate price. In Cleveland, that person's name is Turan...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 3, 2005... Let's identify a growth agenda in '05 * I ask our newly elected and re-elected leaders to place this issue first on their agenda for 2005: What, specifically, are we doing regionally and nationally to stimulate the economy and to generate...

Late News.
January 3, 2005... DATATRAK RAISES $4.6M IN PRIVATE OFFERING * Datatrak International Inc. of Mayfield Heights, which makes software to manage clinical trial data, has raised $4.6 million in private equity to pay for marketing and product development....

Costs high for prescription drug ads.(Opinion)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell Leaders at the Cleveland Clinic are in a feisty mood these days. Their effort to eject McDonald's from the Clinic's food court has won national attention for the debate about obesity and health. Now, Dr. Eric J....

On the Job; Constance Korosec, Ursuline College Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising.(Special Report)(Ursuline College )
January 3, 2005... Byline: TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA While Ursuline College student Che Paskert of Seven Hills studied fashion design in New York City last year, she always felt support from Constance Korosec. But Dr. Korosec wasn't in New York. The...

SuperTrapp sees sales zoom on bike craze.(News)(SuperTrapp Industries Inc.)
January 3, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Driven by strong consumer demand for motorcycles, SuperTrapp Industries Inc. of Cleveland saw its sales roar ahead in 2004, and the maker of customized motorcycle exhaust systems expects its revenue engine to...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 3, 2005... The entries for the March of Dimes in the Dec. 27 Book of Lists incorrectly identified the top executive. Sheryl Markowitz is executive director of the March of Dimes, Northeast Ohio.

The Big Issue.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... What's your New Year's resolution? Chuck Engle Cleveland I never make one. If there's something to change, I figure you can just do it any time of the year. Stephanie Neihaus Cleveland To maintain my composure. I'm a...

A healthy dose of design; New program links Clinic and Cleve. Institute of Art students.(Insight)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Sometimes a problem can be better solved by simply infusing a fresh - and younger - perspective. So biomedical engineers at the Cleveland Clinic are pairing up with industrial design students at the Cleveland...

10 stories ... that mattered in 2004.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell Heavy Mittal * Who says there's no life in steel? International Steel Group, built from the remnants of LTV, agreed to be bought in a deal that will create the largest steel company in the world. The business...

Riding out the winter; Indoor park keeps mountain bikers pedaling year-round.
January 3, 2005... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ If you're not paying close attention, you're bound to drive or pedal right past Ray's MTB Indoor Park, a recently opened company in Cleveland where extreme sports meet Rust Belt USA. Hidden within the dilapidated...

Play n Store files suit versus giant Federated; Owner seeks payment for consulting role.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Christine Roulston claims she had a deal to put her Warrensville Heights company's plastic indoor playgrounds in several stores owned by retail giant Federated Department Stores Inc. Now the founder of Play n Store...

Diversity deficit; National ACES program aims to add tenure-track female faculty to those academic fields dominated by men.(Special Report)(Academic Careers in Engineering and Sciences)
January 3, 2005... Byline: CHRISSY KADLECK When Case Western Reserve University turned its scientific eye inward it realized it had a real problem - a lack of women faculty. But the deficit of women scientists is not confined to University Circle. It's...

Disassembled ISG mill on its way to new China owner.(News)(International Steel Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT The majority of a hot-strip steel mill that was a 40-year-old fixture on the West Side of the Cuyahoga River is on a slow boat to China. Most of the parts of the disassembled, 17,000-ton mill, which belonged to...

College creating nursing degree to combat shortage.(Special Report)
January 3, 2005... Byline: CHRISSY KADLECK To help treat an ailing statewide shortage of nurses, Bryant & Stratton College plans to launch a new associate's degree program for registered nursing next spring. The private college will begin offering a...

Retail vacancy rate still slipping.
January 3, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD Shoppers can look forward to more places to plunk down their cash while owners of shopping centers in Northeast Ohio can expect shrinking vacancies but more competition in the coming year, according to a newly issued...

Royal Manor looks to set up in Independence; Nursing home operator to buy campus of former troubled-teen school.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Once a palatial summer estate and then a home for troubled teen girls, the former Hanna family property in Independence likely will be a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in its next life. Royal Manor...

Akron opens direct marketing institute.(Special Report)(Gary L. and Karen S. Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing)(University of Akron)
January 3, 2005... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Direct marketing is a $2 trillion-per-year industry. But it's an industry that academia largely ignored. Until now. The University of Akron began blazing a trail with the opening of the Gary L. and...

Oberlin offering students chance to explore biz fields.(Special Report)
January 3, 2005... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Oberlin College has no intention of transforming itself into a business school, but the liberal arts bastion is growing a program to link some of its students to the world of commerce. Organizers of the project,...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... * NEW AT TRI-C: At Cuyahoga Community College's Western Campus in Parma, a new associate's degree program to train scientific imaging technicians has launched. Graduates will be equipped to work in fields such as medicine, forensics, science...

Industry insiders critique sites.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER, STAN BULLARD The prospect of a new round of downtown development projects is prompting plenty of informal speculation among architects, developers and real estate brokers about where the best places would be for a...

On your mark.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... It's a long way until November, but we're excited about the prospect of a spirited race this year for mayor of the city of Cleveland. We believe it holds the potential of producing ideas from the candidates that the winner can use for the...

10 deals/investments ... that mattered in 2004.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell Cole remembered * Specialty retailer Cole National Corp. was sold to Italy's Luxottica Corp., which laid off about 400 people in Twinsburg as it consolidated U.S. retail operations in suburban Cincinnati. ...

10 people ... who got our attention in 2004.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell Bart Wolstein * The hard-charging developer and philanthropist, one of the few outsized personalities in the Cleveland business scene, died in May. His widow, Iris, now runs part of his Heritage Development Co.,...

2 people ... who got our attention but didn't really deserve it.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Suttell WOIO anchor Sharon Reed * She got naked for the newscast (in the name of art, of course) and earned the station its best ratings of the year. Ms. Reed wound up on "Letterman'' and (big surprise) was a hit on the...

Huddle up.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Urban planners at a couple local universities are cringing at the thought that a new county administration building, a new convention center and possibly a casino could be created in downtown Cleveland without a coordinated effort to figure out...

Caribbean cuisine.(News)(La Borincana Foods)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... The West Side's La Borincana Foods, a Caribbean specialty food store, is expanding to provide customers with better service and larger selection. CAPTION(S): photo

On the cover.(News)(Garfield Monument)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... A combination of Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine architecture, the Garfield Monument in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery has been called the first true mausoleum in America, combining both tomb and memorial functions. CAPTION(S): photo...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
January 3, 2005... "The Avons, the Mentors and Medinas are areas where stuff gets built, and when it gets built there it gets filled. " - Mark Rantala, vice president, CB Richard Ellis. Page One "If it fails, I'll lose money - and I'd be thrilled if I...

Employers wise to review overtime rules.(Small Business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Karen Giffen There has not been a major overhaul of the rules regarding which employees must be paid overtime since 1975. In 2004, the Department of Labor finally updated some of the antiquated rules by announcing new regulations...

Miceli targets $20M upgrade.(Miceli Dairy Products Co.)
January 10, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER Talk about a grate deal for Cleveland. Miceli Dairy Products Inc., a local cheesemaker, is planning a $20 million investment in its production plant on East 90th Street. CEO Joseph Miceli Jr. was reluctant to...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Does the world depend too much on the United States for financial aid? Steven Sims Cleveland No, they don't. The U.S is the most powerful country in the world and has positioned itself as a leader in the world. We have a moral...

Sizzling '04 sales spur move for Fire Safety International.(News)(Fire Safety International Inc.)
January 10, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Fire Safety International Inc., a Berea company that makes decontamination equipment, is moving to a larger production site in Sheffield Lake to handle the growing list of customers concerned with threats to homeland...

Subprime lender leasing new space for direct-sales unit.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD To gain cubicle room, subprime lender NovaStar Financial Inc. plans to move 115 employees in a fast-growing unit from its Independence office to a new one in Richfield. NovaStar leased enough space to house 160...

Short Takes.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... * NOT JUST ON THE MIDWAY: You know those talented folks at the summer amusement parks who create custom caricatures, portraits and silhouettes? Well, you no longer have to wait until summer to be dazzled by their personalized artistry. Kaman's...

Optical coating biz snaps up old Steris HQ; North American Coating sees opportunity to expand with move.(News)(business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD The old Steris Corp. headquarters on Pine Needle Drive in Mentor is about to gain new life as the home of North American Coating Laboratories of Highland Heights. Vacant for two years since Steris moved nearby to...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
January 10, 2005... "In the current state of health care, people have a lot of distrust in the data because the pharmaceutical companies pay for most of it.'' - Jacob Mathew, founder, Holisticonline.com. Page One "In America prior to 9/11, the equipment...

The Ritz stands alone; Only Ohio hotel on top 500 list.(News)(Ritz Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Cleveland has the best hotel in Ohio, and one of the 500 best in the world, according to Travel + Leisure magazine. The honor goes to the Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, the 206-room luxury hotel at 1515 W. Third St. downtown. Readers of...

Online training company teaching Freightliner, Microsoft a lesson.(Small Business)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN KLI Learning Corp. of Chagrin Falls, a developer of online training courses, will be teaching a thing or two to a couple of giants - Freightliner LLC and Microsoft Corp. The company has closed a deal, valued at...

New law brings S corp tax benefits to more biz owners.(Small Business)(Business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Carl Grassi Since the provisions of Subchapter S were added to the Internal Revenue Code in 1958, small business owners have been able to own a business in corporate form without incurring the corporate income tax that applies to...

Lack of profitability can lead to lender fatigue.(Small Business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Marsha Powers Many banks annually assess how profitable their individual client relationships are to the bank, their shareholders and their ratings on Wall Street. In many cases, a relationship manager conducts these audit reviews...

Clipping service to switch to cyberspace.(Small Business)(News Watch Inc. plans email order service)
January 10, 2005... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER Before long, clients of a local broadcast news clipping service will receive the broadcast segments they order via e-mail. The move toward e-mail marks a giant step away from video, which itself only recently...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)
January 10, 2005... Snip-its haircuts for kids 89 First St., Suite 203 Hudson 44236 Children's salon features characters Flyer Joe Dryer, Curly Comb, Maranga Mirror, Jean Luc le Spritz, and Marlene and Charlene, the Clip-ette sisters. Children play custom...

City's top tech dog; New czar's plans emphasize an effort to bring businesses to Euclid Avenue.(Insight)(Michael DeAloia)
January 10, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Cleveland's new tech czar, Michael DeAloia, has a hefty challenge ahead of him and a lot of free advice at his fingertips. After eight months without a technology liaison in City Hall, many in the technology...

Coynes to put new lot in Flats.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER The Coyne family, owner of parking-lot land around downtown Cleveland, has bought for $530,000 four parcels in the Flats that cover about half an acre. Not surprisingly, the properties will be turned into a parking...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
January 10, 2005... Katherine Miracle was incorrectly identified in the Dec. 26 Book of Lists as the top executive of March of Dimes, Metro Division. She is the president of Miracle Resources LLC. A Dec. 20, page 6 story incorrectly identified a U.S....

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
January 10, 2005... Enough with writing stories; now he is the story * Talk about getting involved in your beat. Corwin Thomas, a reporter who covered downtown and commercial real estate for the last four years at The Plain Dealer, next month will join...

Creation of diabetes research center sought.(Health Care)
January 10, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Case Western Reserve University and the major medical centers in Cleveland are discussing creating a joint Center for Diabetes that would focus on research and education. The creation of the center was...

Akron Children's addresses need for high-risk pregnancy division.(Health Care)
January 10, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Akron Children's Hospital is forming a new division for maternal/fetal medicine to deal with high-risk pregnancies by hiring two of the three Summit County doctors who specialize in that field. Akron Children's...

County OKs $1M to aid product ideas.
January 10, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER If you think you can build a better mousetrap and can do it in Cuyahoga County, the county commissioners might have some money for you. Late last month, the commissioners approved spending $1 million to create a...

Letters: Smaller entities face NIH crunch, too.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 10, 2005... * Although the major institutions mentioned in the Dec. 20, Page One story, "Researchers worry over brakes on NIH budget,'' will clearly be affected by the slowed rate of growth in research grant funding, many others are likely to feel a major...

Days of civil discourse are on the wane.(Opinion)
January 10, 2005... Byline: MARK DODOSH Can we talk? That is, can we have a civil discussion of the issues of the day? It sure doesn't seem that way. Our managing editor, Scott Suttell, and I were talking last week about the downright angry responses...

Holistic hookup; Web site lures Google partnership with millions of visits a month.
January 10, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE A quarter-million people a day are getting health advice from an unlikely source - a Hudson man's web site. Holisticonline.com, a site devoted to alternative medicine, has been receiving about 8 million hits...

Project making over ethnic food market.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: DAVID LEVEY Lovers of exotic foods from around the world will have an easier time finding their favorite ingredients in the coming months. La Borincana Foods, the region's largest Caribbean specialty food store, last month...

The Week: January 3 - 9.(The Insider)
January 10, 2005... The big story: The hoopla last week was about Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder of the nation's largest online home lender, Quicken Loans, who reached an agreement to buy the Cleveland Cavaliers from current owner Gordon Gund. The deal is...

Right track.(Opinion)(Summit County Port Authority and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority plan Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. financing)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Regionalism is a concept that hasn't been warmly embraced by all civic and business leaders in Northeast Ohio, and often has proven difficult to put into practice even among its advocates. So, it's heartening when a regional approach is used...

Going Places.(People)
January 10, 2005... Job Changes Financial services COHEN & CO.: Peter Bastulli, Mike Harding, Keith Klodnick and John Stark to partners; Rob Whittall and Kathleen Murphy to principals; Chris Bellamy, Joel Jancsura and Rob Mackinlay to senior managers. ...

O-Web design firm makes case for student startups.(Marketing)(O-Web Technologies Ltd.)
January 10, 2005... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Oleg Fridman, Stan Garber and Alex Yakubovich had, by any poor college kid's measure, a very nice 2004. After each shelling out $75 to start their own web design firm in 2003, the friends watched their business grow...

What's Online.(News)
January 10, 2005... Headlines from: www.NEOhio.CrainTech.com Imalux closes financing round The medical device maker receives $4.8 million and gains FDA clearance to sell its imaging device. Easy2 moves to new stage The interactive marketing...

Tressel can't stay mute amid turmoil.(Opinion)(Jim Tressel )(Column)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brian Tucker t's time - probably past time - for Jim Tressel to speak up. Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not one of those people who think Jim Tressel should resign as football coach of Ohio State University, despite its...

Late News.
January 10, 2005... VELVET DOG REMIX: MIAMI, SPRING BREAK * The Velvet Dog on West Sixth Street is undergoing renovation to become a cross between a Miami nightclub and a spring break bar, said Tino Roncone, its marketing manager. The first floor will continue...

Conducting his dream; Model train enthusiast turns his love into his livelihood.(Small Business)(Joe Andrews)
January 10, 2005... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Joe Andrews can trace his obsession with trains back to Christmas 1947 when Santa brought his older brother the primo gift for boys at the time - a Lionel train set. Mr. Andrews, all of 4 then, immediately...

What's New.(The Insider)(Belgian Iron Works)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... COMPANY: Belgian Iron Works, Akron PRODUCT: Truffle Hot Chocolate The food company, which sells its gourmet sweet Liege waffles from a store in Columbus' Easton Town Center, is making its first venture into packaged foods for retail...

Fresh start.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... A new, two-year session of the General Assembly got into gear last week, with fresh faces at the helms of the Ohio House and Senate. We hope these new leaders show a greater willingness than their predecessors to deal with the critical issue of...

On the Cover.(News)
January 10, 2005... The construction of President Garfield's monument in Lake View Cemetery began in 1885 and was completed in 1890. President Benjamin Harrison, former President Rutherford B. Hayes and Garfield family members attended its dedication on Memorial...

Coming Up.(News)
January 17, 2005... The number of companies offering HMOs to Ohio Medicaid recipients could double in the near future as the state looks to find more savings via managed care. Your Work Your Life Tattoos in the workplace: inapproprate or an OK reflection...

On The Cover.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Nearly $135,000 was collected in public donations to erect the Garfield Monument in the Lake View Cemetery. The final cost of construction was $225,000. CAPTION(S): photo

CFOs Look At The Year Ahead.(Finance)
January 17, 2005... CFOs were asked, "What is your company's top business priority or concern for 2005?" Below is a list of their responses:

The Week In Quotes.(News)
January 17, 2005... "The Warehouse District isn't a trashy, rundown eyesore. I think that was the problem with The Flats." Michael Schwartz, partner, Liquid Living LLC. Page One "They sold like hotcakes. For years, Barry and I argued over who thought of...

Audiopack expansion signals growing biz.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER Audiopack Technologies Inc. is growing by making hazardous duty safer. The Garfield Heights company, which makes wireless communications equipment for the military and first responders, is embarking on a $2.6...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 17, 2005... City engaged in plans for trio of projects * You were right in your 2005 season opener to point out that a triple play for downtown revitalization looms large with a convention center, new county administration building and casino plan on...

Avery Dennison project up for grabs.
January 17, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD At least two developers controlling sites in different Lake County cities are competing to create the new headquarters for two divisions of adhesive-materials giant Avery Dennison Corp. At stake is a rare prize: a...

Trucking industry vets buy Dedicated Transport.(News)(Dedicated Transport Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN The top two managers of Dedicated Transport Inc., the trucking subsidiary of Cleveland-based Distribution Technologies Inc., have purchased the 165-employee unit. Frank Wagner and Tom McDermott, who started the...

Judge blasts Benesch for 'inexcusable' conduct; Role in PricewaterhouseCoopers case assailed; firm denies wrongdoing.(News)(Column)
January 17, 2005... Byline: BRANDON GLENN A federal judge has criticized the conduct of a Cleveland law firm as "utterly inexcusable'' in a case involving accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers and its alleged destruction of documents. The Cleveland...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... 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 liquidation....

Area's auto sales slip in 2004.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... With the exception of Chryslers, Buicks and GMCs, domestic car brands had a bumpy year in Northern Ohio. New car and truck sales overall dipped 3.5% in 2004, according to data released last week by the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers'...

Skoda adds final touches to Mayfield expansion.(Finance)
January 17, 2005... Byline: SCOTT SUTTELL The days of people on top of people are about to end at Skoda, Minotti & Co. The Mayfield Village accounting and financial services firm this month is wrapping up an expansion that will increase space at its...

Places Of Note; A look at Northeast Ohio's Interesting spaces.(Finance)(Pease & Associates)
January 17, 2005... Byline: DIANE DI PIERO Pease & Associates The place: The offices of accounting firm Pease & Associates of Cleveland. The location: The traditional CPA firm prides itself on creating a homey, family-like atmosphere for its 25...

China deal opens doors for Key Principal Partners.(Finance)
January 17, 2005... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Key Principal Partners LLC, a private investment affiliate of KeyCorp, looks back at 2004 as a banner year. The firm completed 10 investments totaling about $142 million during 2004, exceeding its...