Crain's Cleveland Business articles from June 2005

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from June 2005

Colleges lure adult learners with more online options.
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Patricia Book thinks Kent State University has been missing the boat with adult learners. However, Dr. Book hopes to begin to remedy that problem soon. Kent State next fall will begin offering degree programs...

Oh, Noe.(Opinion)
June 6, 2005... We only can hope the scandal swirling around rare coin dealer Thomas Noe will trigger enough public indignation with the way government operates in Columbus that Ohio voters finally will put an end to one-party rule in the state. We doubt it...

Diagnosis by a nose; Clinic doc develops breath test to detect lung cancer.(News)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... An "electronic nose'' developed in Cleveland can identify people with lung cancer by detecting distinct characteristics in their exhaled breath, according to a story posted last week on Forbes.com. "Based on prior work, we hypothesized...

Entrepreneur shines in Wal-Mart pitch; Meeting leads to shoe polisher's appearance in 351 stores nationwide.(News)
June 6, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH So there's Doug Whitner at Wal-Mart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, pitching a small Cleveland-based company's product to an executive of the retail giant, and the guy he's talking to disappears under the table....

Letter: Much is building at Myers University.(Letters)
June 6, 2005... Congratulations on an outstanding 25th anniversary issue of Crain's. It is a magnificent issue of which the publication and its staff should be justifiably proud. Having said that, we would like to point out that in your piece on Euclid...

Organization offers entrepreneurs the lowdown on startup resources.(News)
June 6, 2005... Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR When the phone rings at Neo411.biz, 60% of the time the caller is seeking guidance in starting a business. The questions vary - how to write a business plan, how to get funding, how to incorporate a business once...

Emerging emergency education; EMS Academy develops new training divisions, gains state accreditation.
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Pig hearts, lungs and tracheas might sound gross to some, but they are an effective way to teach, and Dan Zezena is betting it will help boost business. Using pig organs in the classroom is just one of the ways...

Short Takes.(Briefs)
June 6, 2005... * FREE ADVICE: Denise Gott and Pattianne Gibson are picking up where the federal government left off. As part of its Long-Term Care Consumer Awareness Campaign, the federal government provided free informational kits. Now that the campaign has...

On the Job.
June 6, 2005... Byline: TIM TIBBITTS Rob Hilton President and CEO The A.M. McGregor Group, the A.M. McGregor Home and the McGregor Foundation Last Christmas Eve, Rob Hilton had dinner with his wife Dale and a handful of colleagues and...

Hiring mature workers has benefits.(Special Report)
June 6, 2005... Byline: Rachel Stehle Older workers face unique difficulties when job searching that severely can limit their success in the market. Although age is a protected demographic set by the federal government (starting at age 40) during the...

On the cover.(News)
June 6, 2005... The four large stone pylons with their eight figures at the entrances of the Hope Memorial Bridge represent the Guardians of Traffic and symbolize transportation's progress. CAPTION(S): photo

ICI Paints property set to sell for $28M.
June 6, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD The sellers of the ICI Paints Strongsville Research Center stand to extract the color from the building that matters most to real estate operators: green, and lots of it. ORG Real Property principals Jonathan Berns...

Going Places.(People)(Appointments and Resignations)
June 6, 2005... Job Changes Entertainment CAROUSEL DINNER THEATRE: Sean Cercone to vice president of production. Legal ROETZEL & ANDRESS LPA: David H. Gunning II and Aaron E. McQueen to partners. Manufacturing Capital Tape Company:...

The Week: May 30 - June 5.(The Insider)(Incidents happened during May 30 - June 5)
June 6, 2005... The big story: Forest City Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: FCEA), which has sought for several years to get a new convention center behind its Tower City development, might be having second thoughts. Asked about rumors that the company was withdrawing...

Gilbert insightful on city's psyche.(Opinion)(Dan Gilbert)
June 6, 2005... Byline: Brian Tucker Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert did much to quiet his critics last week as he made a whirlwind tour through town with his new head coach, and he probably made a few new friends along the way. At an event we...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
June 6, 2005... What advice do you have for this year's graduating seniors? Lori Stagliano Cleveland Even though work is important, remember that there are other things that are important like family and friends. It's just a job. Tom Naftzger...

CapitalWorks adds Highland team to fold.(Finance)(CapitalWorks LLC )
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER If Cleveland merchant banker CapitalWorks LLC was to keep growing, chairman Robert G. McCreary III concluded, the firm needed to make the best of a down market. Problem was, the 6-year-old business had been...

Schiavo case triggers living will questions.(Special Report)
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER For four months, Sue Priem's mother sat by her husband's bedside, his life gradually slipping away following a stroke. When a feeding tube was necessary if Ms. Priem's father were to survive, Ms. Priem, 54, of...

Customized community; Judson Services' senior living options expanding with plan for new campus.(Special Report)
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHARON N. SCHNALL Ask Cynthia Dunn: "Which is better, retirement living at home or on a senior residential campus?'' The CEO and president of Judson Services Inc. in Cleveland would answer "both.'' Same goes for: "Which is...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
June 6, 2005... Ratner offers no-comment comment on Ritz rumors * Rumors are buzzing about town that Forest City Enterprises Inc. is preparing to sell the Ritz-Carlton at Tower City Center or to bring in an investor group as a partner in the high-end...

Job creation slow-go under Third Frontier.
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Northeast Ohio has attracted the lion's share of the money the state has distributed under Gov. Bob Taft's Third Frontier initiative. But unless there is a big hiring spurt during the next few years, it appears...

Crain's on the Web.(News)(real estate)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... www.CrainsCleveland.com Calling all yuppies * After years of white flight and the suburbanization of America, real estate professionals gathered in Cleveland for the annual convention of the Ohio Association of Realtors, where they...

Late News.(Staybridge Suites opens new hotels)(BioEnterprise Corp. gets local grant)(Soulsby Accounting Group expands its business and existing building)
June 6, 2005... DIRT FLYING TO READY MILL SITE FOR RETAILERS * Workers from Great Lakes Construction Co. are laboring on the proposed site of Steelyard Commons, the big-box shopping center planned for the Flats by First Interstate Properties Ltd. of...

Of mice & machines; Case, UH creating center to house latest in animal imaging equipment.(University Hospitals)(Case Center for Imaging Research)
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Mice and rats soon will have bigger roles in efforts by local researchers to cure and treat illnesses as the $41 million Case Center for Imaging Research opens this summer. The center, a collaboration between...

Charter school to plug entrepreneurship.(News)
June 6, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Last fall, John Zitzner visited the E City program at Glenville High School. What he saw made him angry, but it also inspired him. E City, a 70-hour, after-school entrepreneurship program for high school...

Private account program's success depends on structure.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Byline: SARA HANSARD Private accounts in public-pension programs have worked well in other countries, but if the United States adopts such a system, the way the program is structured will be crucial to its success. A key element of the...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
June 6, 2005... "You fall in love with the real estate business, not a piece of property.'' - Jonathan Berns, principal, ORG Real Property. Page One "It really will be like going from a Honda Civic to a Ferrari, in terms of what we can do.'' -...

New HQ gives Galley room to grow.(News)(headquarters)(Galley Printing Inc)
June 6, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Galley Printing Inc. can call a new, $1.7 million headquarters in Brunswick home after spending the last 13 years in the cramped confines of a North Royalton building. The company for five years had owned a...

Medicare OKs lenses for cataract surgery.(Special Report)
June 6, 2005... Byline: LYNN R. NOVELLI Medicare's recent approvals of two state-of-the-art lenses for cataract treatment have Northeast Ohio ophthalmologists and patients taking a fresh look at cataract surgery. Under two separate rulings, Medicare...

Nominations.(News)
June 6, 2005... * Women of accomplishment, perseverance and character. Such are the women Crain's Cleveland Business plans to profile in its Women of Note section, scheduled for the Oct. 31 issue. We are seeking recommendations from readers for the 12...

What's New.(The Insider)(from Creativity for Kids)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... COMPANY: Creativity for Kids, Cleveland PRODUCTS: Fast Car Race Cars and Oodles of Poodles With kids now out of school, parents are looking for activities to keep the summer from getting boring. The folks at Creativity for Kids have...

Tax Liens.(News)
June 6, 2005... 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...

Studio drawing in customers with new imaging technology.(News)(TRG Studios)
June 13, 2005... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Like a Hollywood studio that produces movies where the life-like characters on screen are not always real, a Cleveland photography and film studio is creating value for manufacturing customers by bringing their...

On the cover.(News)
June 13, 2005... The cost to build the Lorain Carnegie Bridge, now the Hope Memorial Bridge, was $4.75 million. The construction was completed in 1932. CAPTION(S): photo

A hit-or-miss market; Job search a struggle for some grads, easier for others.(Insight)
June 13, 2005... Byline: ALLISON WOOD Depending on their choice of major, recent college graduates looking for jobs in the Cleveland market could see one extreme or the other - luck or misfortune. Career service directors at several area universities...

Late News.(Radius Communication moves into new office)(contract of Environmental Protection Agency and Kinetico Systems)(Pulte Homes to build homes and sales center)
June 13, 2005... DEL WEBB LAUNCHES 600-HOME DEVELOPMENT * Construction of homes and the sales center in Ohio's first Del Webb community for active adults, the over 55 set, begins with fanfare this Friday, June 17, in North Ridgeville. The unit of Pulte...

Crain paper reaching China readers online.(News)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Plastics News, a sister publication of Crain's Cleveland Business, has launched a weekly electronic news service for the Greater China region. The e-mail news broadcast, free to subscribers, is backed by a new web site filled with articles...

Tax Liens.(News)(Public Notice)
June 13, 2005... 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...

Going Places.(People)(KA Architecture)(JTO Inc.)(Jefferson Wells)
June 13, 2005... Job Changes Architecture KA: Mark Johnson to designer/project manager; Abigail Dachille to marketing coordinator; Brian Rorick to drafter III; Nicholas Faehnle to design drafter. Construction JTO INC.: Mark Clark to vice...

What's New.(The Insider)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... COMPANY: Vita-Mix Corp., Cleveland PRODUCTS: Vita-Prep 3 blender, Compact Cover and Container Brush Vita-Mix, a maker of advanced blending equipment for the food service industry, recently unveiled a bevy of new products at the...

Women's real estate group pushes networking, impact on local deals.(Small Business)(Commercial Real Estate Women Inc.)
June 13, 2005... Byline: Marsha Powers One of the best ways to build your business is through solid networking that gets results. CREW, Commercial Real Estate Women Inc. of Cleveland, is an excellent forum for business owners who are attorneys,...

Woo attendance to fix convention biz woes.(Opinion)
June 13, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DUCKETT I always read the convention business articles in Crain's with interest given my 20-plus year career in it. So, I put together this list of few recommendations to help increase the city's convention business right now...

Bankruptcies.(Public Notice)
June 13, 2005... 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...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
June 13, 2005... At exec search firm, it's an attack of the e-mail clones * Lee Ann Howard just thought it would be a good idea to solicit the several hundred alumni of Leadership Cleveland by e-mail for candidates for the new executive director of the...

Local man links companies to markets in Europe, U.S.(News)(Mark Kohoot of American World Trade Company Ltd.)
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER Mark Kohoot hopes this doesn't make him sound un-American, but he really admires the French. He has been enamored of their laid-back way of life since he was an undergraduate at Ohio State University and became...

Three's a charm; Chesterland shop offers something for all with blend of bicycles, coffee and yoga.(Small Business)
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHARON N. SCHNALL Diane Lees admits she's spread thin, but she sees in her overload limitless possibilities. For more than three decades, she's worked in the bicycling industry. She's run a full-service shop and developed and...

Stimulating solution; Implanted electrodes could result in relief for patients and the area economy.
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE After a five-hour surgery last month at the Cleveland Clinic, a patient whose uncontrollable shaking prevented him from doing simple daily tasks legibly wrote his name with a steady hand for the first time in...

Repair shop leans to green; Cleveland Heights garage owner shares environmental, safety concerns.(News)(Lusty Wrench)
June 13, 2005... Byline: BRENNAN LAFFERTY Waste News Consider yourself warned: Don't take your Lincoln Navigator to the Lusty Wrench. Oh, this two-technician garage in Cleveland Heights might work on your sport utility vehicle, especially if you've...

PolyOne seals deal for piece of Novatec Plastics.(News)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Byline: FRANK ESPOSITO Plastics News PolyOne Corp. will expand its PVC compounding business by purchasing part of Novatec Plastics Corp. No price was disclosed in the deal, under which PolyOne will acquire three twin-screw extrusion...

Jerico swaps Pa. plant for new Minerva space.(News)(Jerico Plastic Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Byline: FRANK ESPOSITO Plastics News Jerico Plastic Industries Inc. of Wadsworth has opened a new compounding plant in Minerva that will replace a smaller plant the company had operated in Uniontown, Pa. The 55,000-square-foot Minerva...

Beachwood software biz gains $2.5M investment.(Technology)(Unitask Inc.)(Early Stage Partners LP )(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE Unitask Inc., a software company that earlier this year moved its headquarters to Beachwood from Israel, received a $2.5 million investment last week to grow its U.S. operations. The funding came from Early...

Crain's on the Web.(News)
June 13, 2005... www.CrainsCleveland.com Executive Chatter * It's been an eventful few months for Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. As part of our Executive Chatter series, Mr. Gilbert sat down with CrainsCleveland.com reporter Brandon Glenn to...

Developer to add $9M office bldg. in Strongsville.(News)(Norwood Development Group)
June 13, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD Norwood Development Group wants to do something different near Westfield Shoppingtown SouthPark in an area that has had a profusion of shopping centers the past few years. Norwood recently won Strongsville city...

The Week in Quotes.(News)
June 13, 2005... "We're not going to be making the living we've had in the past. I think that's a given.'' - Richard Berris, partner, Weisman, Kennedy & Berris Co. LPA, Cleveland. Page One "We don't need SUVs. We don't need four-wheel drive in the...

The Week: June 6 - 12.(The Insider)(McDonald Investments Inc. fined for mutual fund malpractice)(merger of Invacare Corp. and Altimate Medical Inc.)(Target Corp. opens new shopping center)
June 13, 2005... The big story: There won't be a new convention center at Tower City Center. Forest City Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: FCE.A) last week sent a letter to the Convention Facilities Authority asking that its convention center proposal be withdrawn....

Dismay dogs developer's withdrawal.(Opinion)
June 13, 2005... Byline: Brian Tucker Criticizing Forest City Enterprises is difficult to do because the company has been such a solid corporate citizen over its decades in Cleveland, and its officers have generously donated significant money and personal...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Business Advisers of Cleveland gives award to Janet Schmidt)(DiversiStaff opens new office)(Employers Resource Council introduces online service called CareerCurve)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... * APPLAUSE: The nonprofit Business Advisers of Cleveland recently gave Janet Schmidt, proprietor of Magnolias Floral Shop in Vermilion, the Pinnacle Award for achievement in business. The group also gave five companies its annual On the Road to...

Talks expose cloudy future for Tower City.(Forest City Enterprises Inc.)
June 13, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER, STAN BULLARD One of the city's leading corporate citizens - Forest City Enterprises Inc. - pulled out another thread in the region's frayed public-private partnership last week, in a hardball move to shore up its...

Inner suburbs push ahead with group purchasing pilot program.(News)(Column)
June 13, 2005... Byline: JAY MILLER A handful of inner-ring suburbs is moving ahead with an effort to buy services and goods collectively with help from a group of local entrepreneurs. The pilot program, called the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office, or...

Nu-Image Renovation LLC.(Small Business)(Kurt Meng)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Byline: John H. Tidyman Kurt Meng, owner of Nu-Image Renovation LLC in Brook Park, says custom renovation has a regional flair. "I grew up here and worked for a contractor for a long time, so I know what the homes here are like,'' he...

The Big Issue.(Opinion)
June 13, 2005... Should Congress allow states to legalize medical marijuana? Pam Borovica Seven Hills I think so. Our society is so into pills, but if we've found something else that works as well or better for sick people, they should have the...

Advertising exec rejects annual agency rankings.(Marketing)(executives)
June 13, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH When you've been running your own ad agency for more than a half-century, there's little point in pulling punches. Wyse Advertising chairman and CEO Marc Wyse, who founded the Cleveland-based shop in 1951, wasted no...

B-W, banks pair for biz plan clinic.(Small Business)(Baldwin-Wallace College)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Sometimes good ideas fail simply because entrepreneurs don't know how to manage and market them. But some local banks are working with Baldwin-Wallace College to try to keep that from happening. B-W's Business...

Gilbert gearing up to push for stringent security.(News)(Dan Gilbert )(Cleveland Cavaliers )
June 13, 2005... Byline: BRANDON GLENN Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert isn't the most popular man in Northeast Ohio - many blame him for the team's late-season collapse. Now Mr. Gilbert's popularity could decline among other National Basketball...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 13, 2005... A May 30, page 4 story incorrectly identified the designer of the golf course at Barrington Estates & Golf Club in Aurora. Golfer Jack Nicklaus designed the course.

Grand Openings.(Small Business)
June 13, 2005... Bead Q 8505 Tanglewood Square Bainbridge Township 44023 Jewelry designer Kieu Pham Gray, who features her designs at national shows in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, recently opened a retail bead store. It sells tools, supplies...

Crain's calling for nominations.(News)
June 13, 2005... Women of accomplishment. Women of perseverance. Women of character. Such are the women Crain's Cleveland Business plans to profile in its Women of Note section, which is scheduled for the Oct. 31 issue. We are seeking recommendations...

Independence pursuing proposals for downtown development.(News)
June 13, 2005... Byline: ALLISON WOOD Independence plans to spruce up its old downtown along Brecksville Road by building more retail and residential units and making the area more pedestrian-friendly. The city has begun seeking proposals from real...

GM blues.(Opinion)(General Motors Corp.)
June 13, 2005... General Motors Corp. is in a fight for profitability, but it's a battle that isn't going to be won just by laying off workers and closing plants so that it can run at 100% of capacity. The giant automaker also can't stay afloat by continuing to...

Documentation a determining factor for deductible claims.(Small Business)
June 13, 2005... Byline: Peter DeMarco You've heard the phrase coined by real estate agents to describe the three most important factors that determine a good buy: location, location and location. In tax matters, we can borrow from that philosophy to...

Savvy web sites help bring in business.(Small Business)
June 13, 2005... Byline: Alex Yakubovich Three simple yet crucial web site design attributes often are overlooked, causing many companies to lose out on opportunities and profits. One mistake is disorganization. The easiest way to drive customers off...

Firms feeling the effects as law limits malpractice cases.
June 13, 2005... Byline: SHAWN A. TURNER The woman entered the office of attorney Robert F. Linton Jr. earlier this year with what looked like a textbook medical malpractice case. Following what was supposed to be routine abdominal surgery, the woman...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
June 13, 2005... Mixed advice for graduating seniors * A quick response to your feature titled The Big Issue in the June 6 edition, in which people on the street responded to the question, "What advice do you have for this year's graduating seniors?'' ...

Law firm to begin new chapter by reviving bookstore building.(Real Estate)
June 13, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD Brothers and law partners Joseph and Vincent Stafford plan to make a new home for their law firm out of the former Daughters of St. Paul religious bookstore at Ontario Street and Prospect Avenue in downtown Cleveland....

Clare M. Rimnac; Director, Musculoskeletal Mechanics and Materials Laboratories.(Special Report)
June 20, 2005... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Clare M. Rimnac is linking the fields of engineering, materials science and joint replacement surgery at Case Western Reserve University. As director of the Musculoskeletal Mechanics and Materials Laboratories,...

Forget it.(Opinion)
June 20, 2005... The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation has nothing to do with Bob Taft's Third Frontier Initiative - or so the governor might hope. But we believe the headline-grabbing troubles related to the bureau's investment portfolio will cause many...

Revving up the race; Champ Car Grand Prix insiders speeding ahead with plans to enliven Cleveland's annual event.(Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland)
June 20, 2005... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Rena Shanaman is gunning for two finish lines. As general manager of the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland, Ms. Shanaman is going full-throttle in seeking to boost attendance at and to secure a new title sponsor for...

Crain's snags annual AABP honors.(News)
June 20, 2005... Crain's Cleveland Business was honored with five awards in the annual Editorial Excellence Awards competition conducted by the Alliance of Area Business Publications. Crain's received Most Improved Publication honors for last year's...

Care Alliance starts campaign for a new home.(Health Care)(Care Alliance Health Center )(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Byline: ALLISON WOOD At the Care Alliance Health Center on 2227 Payne Ave., the exam rooms have no running water, and employees and patients must wear heavy coats inside during the winter because of the poor ventilation. Those...

Going Places.(People)
June 20, 2005... Job Changes Construction PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.: Derrick Griffin to estimator; Brian Budnick to controller. Education THE RATNER SCHOOL: Mitch Cupach to director of finance. Engineering HULL &...

Late News.
June 20, 2005... MOODY'S OPTS NOT TO DOWNGRADE KEYCORP * Moody's Investors Service has announced it will not downgrade the long- and short-term debt ratings of Cleveland-based KeyCorp and its subsidiaries. The rating agency in April had said it was mulling...

SID supporters organize alliance.(Real Estate)(special improvement district)
June 20, 2005... Byline: STAN BULLARD With a name that reeks of balancing many factions, a proposed successor group to the Downtown Cleveland Partnership is in the formative stages to serve as an umbrella organization for stakeholders throughout the bulk...

New Clinic office to work with local high schools.(News)(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND The Cleveland Clinic has established the Office of Civic Education Initiatives to help develop educational programs for local students. The office will work with local high schools to develop programs in math,...

William S. Trainor; General Partner, Mutual Capital Partners LLC.(Special Report)
June 20, 2005... Byline: BRANDON GLENN Everyone knows Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs would benefit from more sources of investment capital, but William S. Trainor, general partner of Mutual Capital Partners LLC, thinks they could use a little more of...