Crain's Cleveland Business articles from May 2004

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from May 2004

New locale for LakeEast; System builds in Concord to meet high-tech needs.(Health Care)
May 3, 2004... Byline: JENNIFER A. WEBB The decision by Lake Hospital System to move most of its services from Painesville's LakeEast Hospital to a full-service, all-digital hospital it plans to build in Concord Township has been a bitter pill for the...

Bigger is better for coatings co. Acquisition places SK Finishing on track to meet its growth goals.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Last year, Roger Mahoney decided he wanted his color coating company to be bigger, faster and better. Today, SK Finishing Inc. of Lorain is meeting all its president's goals after its recent acquisition of a local...

Late News.
May 3, 2004... NO JOKE: SPENCER GIFTS IN TOWER CITY Spencer Gifts Inc., the New Jersey-based retailer known for its gaggle of gag gifts and other novelty items, this week will open a store at The Avenue at Tower City Center. The store, on the first level...

Ford plant back in action.(News)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT After three-and-a-half years of anticipation and a $350 million makeover, Ford Motor Co.'s Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 in Brook Park is churning out new engines again. Joe Koenig, manager of powertrain public...

Playing matchmaker; Law firms join forces for event to hook up with minority vendors.
May 3, 2004... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Representatives from 10 of Cleveland's largest and highest-profile law firms are gathering together, not to argue or litigate, but to meet with minority-owned vendors to explore buying the goods and services they...

Tax Liens.(News)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... 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...

Team NEO forms its lineup; Execs get moving with meetings, project planning.(Northeast Ohio)
May 3, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER Team Northeast Ohio quietly has gotten its show on the road. While the Cleveland Indians were introducing the 2004 roster to the home folks April 12, the regional business development group was showing off its own...

Lumitex aglow over new light; Company expanding as surgical device earns rave reviews.(Technology)
May 3, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON Lumitex Inc. of Strongsville is looking to light up revenues with this week's launch of Solis, a fiber-optic lighting product that will help surgeons make smaller incisions when performing hip replacements. Solis,...

New accounts spur rollout of high-deductible plans.(Health Care)
May 3, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND The math is simple: The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. To cash in on this equation, local health insurance companies Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente and Medical Mutual of...

Rock Hall on push to raise revenues, profile.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ For the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to keep rockin' in Cleveland, president and CEO Terry Stewart knows the 9-year-old hall must become less of a symbol and more of an actual destination. Hosting the...

New workplace programs promote healthier choices; Plan providers encouraging more self-care.(Health Care)
May 3, 2004

The Interview; A conversation with H. Michael Cheung, University of Akron professor and volunteer pilot for Angel Flight.(Health Care)(Interview)
May 3, 2004... Byline: Deanna Bottar Next week, H. Michael Cheung will be back in the saddle again - his saddle in the sky, that is. His steed is a four-seat 1982 Mooney 231 airplane, his self-termed midlife crisis toy that replaced the larger model...

Early purchase of long-term care plan pays off; Younger buyers may receive preferred rates, pay lower premiums.(Health Care)
May 3, 2004... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER Less then 10 years ago, the average age of people who purchased long-term care insurance was 68. Today it is 63. Marty Puin expects the average to continue to dip even lower. While his main job is selling the...

Grand Openings.(Health Care)(Directory)
May 3, 2004... Performance Training Inc. 10900 Euclid Ave. Veale Center Case Western Reserve University Cleveland 44106 www.performancetraininginc.com Utilizes the principles of speed, agility and quickness training, plus weight...

Bankruptcies.
May 3, 2004... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland and Akron. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total...

Convention push heads to surface once again.
May 3, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER The campaign for a new convention center in downtown Cleveland is about to get under way - again. Peter Lawson Jones, president of the Board of County Commissioners in Cuyahoga County, said he and his board...

Making the grade.(Opinion)
May 3, 2004... Adults have failed the children in the Cleveland schools, and remedial work must start now if the district is to continue the progress it has made the last few years. Some of the failures are personal, as with parents who don't take an...

Clinic wins grant for pediatric heart pump.(Technology)
May 3, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE The Cleveland Clinic has received $4.2 million from the federal government to advance the development of a miniature heart pump for children. Clinic officials say market demand exists for small circulatory...

Loan helps Sulecki purchase building.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT With help from a nonprofit development corporation in Lake County, Sulecki Precision Products Inc. of Mentor has purchased a new building to house its growing machining operation. Though it is only 1,500 square...

CWRU prof picked for MS research team; Project goal to quickly develop new treatment.(News)(Case Western Reserve University)(Management Services)
May 3, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND A new research effort might be able to prove that, as the old saying goes, two heads - or, in this case, five - really are better than one. Robert Miller, a professor of neuroscience at Case Western Reserve...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
May 3, 2004... Faulty logic Editor: The April 5, Page One story "Business under the gun'' was devoid of logic. In the opening paragraphs, probably hoping to manufacture a scare, Crain's poses a hypothetical in which a fired person turns out to...

Going Places.(People)
May 3, 2004... Job Changes Construction GILBANE BUILDING CO.: Randolph J. Reber to project manager; William W. Vaniel Jr. to superintendent; Debra A. Timm to receptionist. RRAM CONSTRUCTION INC.: Ronald Murphy to president, co-owner. Health...

BP Tower attracting mainly local bids; $155M offer by Transtar's Ahuja rejected.(Real Estate)(Bharat Petroleum Corp.)
May 3, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD At least three bidders remain in the hunt for BP Tower, even after high-profile business leader Monte Ahuja counted himself out of the running following the rejection of an offer he made in tandem with the Goldman...

Sky covering more territory in town; Bank expands with West Side branch plans.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN After operating in Cleveland's eastern suburbs the last four years, Sky Bank this summer will venture west across the Cuyahoga River to open two branches. Richard Hollington III, president of the bank's Greater...

FDA red-flags CWRU labs; School of Medicine tries to educate researchers after FDA inspection.
May 3, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine is taking steps to better educate its researchers about laboratory practices after a government inspection prompted a mid-April warning letter from the U.S. Food...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... * THE HEALTH BOAT: The Cleveland Clinic has taken its wellness seminars to the high seas. Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises has signed up the Clinic to offer wellness programs and seminars on cruises all over the world, said Mimi Weisband, a...

Forget the sideshow; give us substance.(media coverage of irrelevant issues)
May 3, 2004... Byline: Brian Tucker Watching John Kerry fume off-camera last week as an ABC News interview wrapped up was like watching my third-grader when told he can't play PlayStation for another hour. No one knows, I imagine, whether this was a...

On the Cover.(News)
May 10, 2004... When completed in 1927, the 52-story Terminal Tower, at 708 feet, was the tallest building outside New York City until 1967, when Boston's Prudential Center was built.

Snapshot: Head-hunting; Innovative ways to find great employees.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Network to find qualified people Encourage current employees to refer applicants Consider hiring senior citizens Give college students financial incentives to work part time Keep resumes of promising applicants on file ...

Wide Open Spaces: Part 2 of 2; Job losses and office vacancies are mounting downtown. Can fresh initiatives reverse the trend?
May 10, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Downtown's downers Brokers say parking, convenience for commuting employees and business owners, and the ability to reach business contacts throughout the region are primary tenant considerations when downtown...

New development set for Cleve. Hts.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Construction began late last month on a $6.8 million, tony residential development in Cleveland Heights. This time it's Kenilworth Mews, a cluster community of 17 homes costing upwards of $400,000 each. The development is at the...

Financing employee stock buys can give rise to a tax surprise.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Carl Grassi We see it all the time: The patriarch who wants to help his successors buy him out, the entrepreneur who wants her key employees to invest in the company, the board that wants to jumpstart stock ownership among...

Eatery cooks up franchising deals; San Franciso Oven concept finds new takers.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Branching out from their Ohio roots, executives at Broadview Heights-based San Francisco Oven say they have agreements in place with nine franchise groups to open restaurants in four other states. Matt Harper,...

Phil the Fire could rise from ashes; Investor exploring options for shuttered comfort food restaurant.(News)(Phil Davis)(Interview)
May 10, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ While the cinders of Phil Davis' chicken-and-waffles enterprise smolder, an Atlanta businessman is poking the ashes and pondering whether to revive Phil the Fire at its Gateway location. Mr. Davis last month...

Bagel shop makeover starts on local turf; Bruegger's revamps look of locations, offerings on menu.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ After a successful test run in five cities, Vermont-based Bruegger's Enterprises Inc. has tapped Greater Cleveland as the takeoff point for a drive to update the look and menu of the bakery chain's 250 fast-casual...

Rolling into high profits; Baby boomers shift from hobby to business with some fuel-injected fervor.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MARY ANN JANNAZO They are rolling time machines. With sleek lines and eye-catching colors, they cruise with a look of distinction. They are classic cars and their restoration and maintenance pump significant dollars into...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... * THREE-WAY PARTNERS: With its recent move to the Galleria in downtown Cleveland from Westlake, eight-employee ad agency Division Street Design, plans to partner with two other creative groups in the Galleria, Broadcast Media Ideas Ltd. and...

Looking ahead to new, well-red era.(Opinion)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Brian Tucker You may not think of it this way, but right now, at this very moment, you're holding an historic copy of Crain's Cleveland Business. This issue of May 10, 2004, is the culmination of more than a year of research, focus...

Chi preps for move to bigger HQ; Data firm busy with Thompson Hine work.(Technology)
May 10, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON Chi Corp. is heading this summer from Warrensville Heights to a bigger new headquarters in Solon as the data storage firm moves ahead on a big project: providing disaster recovery backup for Thompson Hine LLP, the large...

Local mgmt. buys Stow plant from Donaldson.(Falls Filtration Technology Inc)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Donaldson Co., a publicly traded provider of filtration systems that is based in suburban Minneapolis, has sold its manufacturing plant in Stow to a private group led by current plant management. The buyer, Falls...

InnoDesk brings more funding to the table.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PETTYPIECE InnoDesk Inc. of Beachwood, a developer of handheld electronic office supply products, has secured $2 million in its latest round of fund raising as the company continues to snatch up shelf space at some of the...

E-mail newsletters: low cost, high impact; Effective online marketing means keeping content client-focused, free of tech bells and whistles.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Bruce Hennes For many small companies, it's a never-ending challenge to find new clients and to introduce new services to past and present clients. In concert with traditional marketing methods such as advertising, direct...

Big business backs effort to force big cash class actions to fed. court.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and other business interests are making a big lobbying push for legislation before the U.S. Senate that could change how class-action lawsuits are handled on a national level. If signed...

Consultant spills the secrets on starting a successful restaurant.(Small Business)(Interview)
May 10, 2004... Byline: John H. Tidyman When Rose Carroll advises her clients about the restaurant business, she speaks from experience. In two weeks, she and partner Larry Moore will open Tomaydo-Tomahhdo Express downtown at East Ninth Street and...

Pricey home office products can help save money over time.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: HARRIET TRAMER Ads that announce computers, printers and other equipment on sale at all-time-low prices might sound tempting, but aspiring entrepreneurs should think twice before rushing out to buy. The real money-savers often...

Letters.
May 10, 2004... Time for end to lawsuit lottery * When I saw the Personal View entitled "Time to take action in fixing malpractice system'' in the April 19 edition of Crain's, I was excited. I felt that Barbara Belovich, as executive director of the...

Google resellers look for boost from IPO.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON Cleveland businessman David Goebel, who resells Google's search technology, thinks the initial public stock offering of the popular Internet search engine will give his company a big boost. Tim Needles, founder and...

Reporters' Notebook; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
May 10, 2004... Time waits for no one Since Peter Lawson Jones succeeded colleague Jimmy Dimora last January as president of the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, the on-time rating of the board's weekly public meeting has improved dramatically. ...

OSHA inspections aren't without employer rights.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Peter Poulos Since 1970, when Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers have been mandated to comply with a range of standards designed to ensure safe and healthy workplaces. However, small manufacturers...

Bankrupt QuikCat's assets go on the block.(Technology)
May 10, 2004... Byline: TOM JACKSON All the assets of debt-ridden QuikCat.com Inc. of Mayfield Village will be sold in a Bankruptcy Court auction scheduled for next week. At one time a promising technology company, QuikCat makes software for...

Squire Sanders opens third Chinese outpost.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN To further assist the growing number of its clients looking to expand into Asia, Cleveland-based law firm Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP last week opened a third office in China. The newest office is in Shanghai,...

County proposals ambitious in scope.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER, STAN BULLARD The call from Cuyahoga County's commissioners for proposals for a new, $100 million-plus county office building brought out of the woodwork 10 proposals, most from local developers who haven't seen big game...

Pulte plans pair of projects for senior set.
May 10, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Pulte Homes plans to bring its Del Webb name - best known for the huge Sun City retirement communities in Sun Belt states - to Northeast Ohio in a big way with two huge, 600-home developments, one in North Ridgeville...

Bankruptcies.
May 10, 2004... The following businesses recently have filed for protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Cleveland and Akron. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that must be approved by the court. Chapter 7 is a total...

No pain, no gain for Chagrin Falls business district.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO Cracked sidewalks and utility poles. That's what started a $3.9 million downtown improvement project in the village of Chagrin Falls. Ben Himes, the village's chief administrative officer, said one of the...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Europa International Salon and Spa Eton Collection 28699 Chagrin Blvd. Woodmere 44122 The Europa experience blends European traditions with cutting-edge technology and holistic treatments for hair, skin and nails. Owners are...

Buckingham beefs up office to make space for growth.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Needing room to grow, the Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLP law firm has decided to take on enough office space to accommodate future expansion from players to be named later at its Cleveland office. As the...

The ideal job is matter of taste; To find the best fit, identify what work situations best suit you.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Cyndi McCabe Whether you are in the midst of career transition or are merely thinking about changing jobs, it is critical to identify your "Ideal Work Preferences'' as early in your search as possible. If you can't define your...

Money men; Five local CEOs pop up on top half of Forbes' executive pay list.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... They aren't in Reuben Mark's league. But of the nine Northeast Ohio chief executives who appear in the Forbes list of CEO pay at America's 500 biggest companies, five were in the top 50%. According to the magazine's May 10 issue, Eaton...

How They Did It; A look at how a small business tackled a challenge.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: EILEEN BEAL Who: Patricia Tinkler, owner-manager of Euclid-based Tinkler Enterprises, a gardening services company that specializes in installing, maintaining and restoring small- to medium-size gardens. Did What: Turned a...

Bug in rug deal turns litigious; Flooring company claims Henkel breached joint venture agreement.(Optimum Technologies Inc)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Officials at a company in suburban Atlanta that makes a product to prevent rugs from slipping on bare floors say Avon-based Henkel Consumer Adhesives Inc. has pulled the carpet out from under their feet. The fall...

Summa goes high tech with Rx system.(News)(Summa Health System)
May 10, 2004... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Akron's Summa Health System is planning a $24 million technology upgrade that, among other things, should eliminate the problem of doctors' hard-to-read handwriting, which can lead to patient care mistakes and even...

Hawk gearing up for growth; New plant in Oklahoma among company's expansion strategies.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Hawk Corp. is going on offense this year as it expands its friction products business and seeks a buyer for its motor parts operation, said chairman and CEO Ronald Weinberg. In a recent interview, Mr. Weinberg...

The Week in Quotes.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... "We're one merger away from a meltdown. If we lose Key or National City, we're in deep trouble.'' - Anonymous real estate source in "Wide Open Spaces,'' starting on Page One. "A lot of our clients call us the `garden wenches' because...

Center goes way beyond copies; New venture brings office services, coffee and wine under one roof.(Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Call it an oasis for the suburban-based salesperson with a downtown territory. Or call it a wine bar, coffeehouse, copy center, videoconference center, and even micro office. The four 40-something partners who...

Osborn Int'l shuts doors on Cleveland; Manufacturer moving to Indiana, planning to lay off 110 employees.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID BENNETT Osborn International, a maker of industrial power brushes in Cleveland that is more than a century old, plans to lay off 110 union and salaried employees this July when it shuts the doors on its plant in the city and...

Global view in plastics pushed.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: ANGIE DeROSA, BILL BREGAR Crain News Service Members of the plastics industry need to change their mindset about China and foreign competitors and to rely on networking to build competitive strength, according to executives who...

WSJ tough on Taft; The Journal delivers Ohio's governor an editorial page beating.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... The Republican-friendly editorial page of The Wall Street Journal has found a Republican it loves to bash: Ohio Gov. Bob Taft. In its lead editorial last Tuesday, May 4, the Journal lit into Gov. Taft and the Republican-controlled state...

Unwieldy county cries for reform.(Opinion)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL THOMAS The initiative to reform Cuyahoga County government by adopting a charter form of government is gaining momentum and should be a priority for all who want our county to be a more effective tool for solving our area's...

Two big box brokers make move to broaden horizons.(Real Estate)(NAI Alan R. Daus & Associates)
May 10, 2004... Byline: STAN BULLARD Two brokers known as Northeast Ohio's "big box specialists'' for their focus on mammoth industrial properties have shifted houses to NAI Alan R. Daus & Associates from Grubb & Ellis Co. However, it wasn't...

Oglebay creditors more satisfied than shareholders.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Creditors of debt-laden Oglebay Norton Co. will be made whole, according to a proposed reorganization plan filed by the producer of industrial minerals in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. Oglebay Norton's...

Wow factor lures talent to town; Recruiters out to pitch city's finer points to potential new hires.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: CHRISSY KADLECK Even in a down economy, luring top-level talent to Northeast Ohio takes more than three-figure salaries and enticing stock options. Though executive search firms and recruiters admit it's easier to find...

Valuation complex but worth tackling; Knowing your value helps when it comes time to negotiate.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Marsha Powers In an ever-changing marketplace of mergers and acquisitions, restructuring of companies and buy/sell opportunities, it's a good idea to know the value of your business. This knowledge strengthens negotiations upfront...

Good taste at core of startup; Apple snack company proves appealing to Cleveland market.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ When Mark Brandt visited Cornell University's Big Idea Competition last year, the founder of Say Yes! To Cleveland hoped to sell Northeast Ohio as the perfect nest for a startup tech company. Over lunch, he wined...

Effort builds lobbying clout for small manufacturers; Neo-Cam voices the concerns of 500 companies, 15,000 employees.(Small Business)(Northeast Ohio Campaign for American Manufacturing)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY A grass roots movement is taking shape in Northeast Ohio to make the voice of small manufacturers heard in the distant corridors of power in Washington, D.C., and Columbus. Organizers of the movement, called the...

The Week; May 3 - 9.(The Insider)
May 10, 2004... The big story: Cleveland finally got its big bank merger, but it was Charter One Financial Inc. (NYSE: CF) - not KeyCorp or National City Corp. - that was gobbled up. Citizens Financial Group Inc., a Rhode Island-based unit of financial...

What's New.(The Insider)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... COMPANY: Vita-Mix Corp., Olmsted Township PRODUCT: BarBoss Maximum Performance (MP) Blender A blender that answers the question, "Who's the boss?'' The BarBoss MP blender has enough torque to crush 64 ounces of cubed ice in less than...

Going Places.(People)
May 10, 2004... Job Changes ARCHITECTURE DORSKY HODGSON + PARTNERS: Brett Kratzer to principal. KA ARCHITECTURE: John Tepfenhart to director of corporate business development. URS: Christopher Wilson to project manager. Construction ...

Tax Liens.(News)
May 10, 2004... 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...

Homesellers heading to greener pastures; Cuyahoga residents migrating outward.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JAY MILLER In 10 years, half of all homesellers in Cuyahoga County will head for the adjacent counties, predicts Thomas Bier, director of the Housing Policy Research Center at Cleveland State University. As a result, figuring...

Slick slope.(Opinion)(acquisitions)
May 10, 2004... Last week's announcement that a U.S. subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed to acquire Cleveland-based Charter One Financial Inc. can't be welcome news for anyone concerned about the economic health of the city's downtown. The center...

Study: IT spending on the rise.(Technology)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... The IT outlook continues to improve. A new national study by the research and consulting firm IDC of Framingham, Mass., predicts information technology spending will increase 3.8% in 2004. "For the first time in a long time, survey...

Late News.
May 10, 2004... FAIRLAWN'S ACCELENT SYSTEMS FOLDS * Fairlawn's Accelent Systems Inc., which was founded in 1997 and developed handheld computing hardware and software, has shut down. Employees were told last Wednesday that the company had become a "dead...

Not exactly the top; Cleveland lands at 125 on Forbes list of biz-friendly cities.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Forbes magazine's annual Best Places for Business report is out, and the results aren't pretty for Cleveland. The city ranked 125th on a list of the country's 150 largest metropolitan areas, just behind Lakeland, Fla., and just ahead of...