Crain's Cleveland Business articles from September 2003

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from September 2003

Late News.(briefs)
September 1, 2003... TOWER CITY OFFERS WEEKEND FREEBIE The Avenue at Tower City Center is offering free parking at two of its self-park lots on Saturdays and Sundays - with no strings attached. Beginning Sept. 6 and running indefinitely, the lot behind Tower...

Weatherhead goes bold with new branding plan.(Special Report)(Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND In its quest to become more prominent, the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University has developed a new branding statement and tagline. "Bold Ideas, Lasting Impact'' will be the new...

Determination drove rise from Arter's ashes.(News)(Tucker, Ellis and West L.L.P. formed from remnants of Arter and Hadden L.L.P.)
September 1, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL From late June through mid-July, during the chaotic last days of Arter & Hadden LLP, the partners in the Cleveland office were working exhausting days and sleepless nights trying to find a way for the law firm to...

Kent info architecture master's on the grow.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003... Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR When Carrie Garzich of Tallmadge finished up her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications at Kent State University two years ago, she knew she didn't want to be a beat reporter. So instead of...

China scrap demand squeezing industry.
September 1, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY The growing competition Cleveland-area companies face from finished products made in China has been well-documented, but China's voracious appetite for copper and brass scrap now is creating concern among processors...

Second look.(Opinion)(analysis of electric deregulation)(Column)
September 1, 2003... In the musical "Lil' Abner,'' there's a tune the women of Dogpatch sing once they realize they really don't like the muscle-bound hunks their puny husbands have turned into after drinking Mammy Yokum's Yokumberry Tonic. The number is entitled,...

Resident match program subject of scrutiny.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003... Byline: TONY FONG Crain News Service As they fight a lawsuit challenging the way medical students are assigned to residency programs, elements of the medical community have begun bending the ears of lawmakers to create legislative antitrust...

Dealers to add new Acura, GM sites.(Wolfe Automotive Group will move into Ohio market with new Acura dealership)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND A Kansas City, Mo., auto dealer is coming to Cleveland next year with plans to open an $8 million Acura dealership, while at the same time two local General Motors dealerships are making plans for new locations off...

Eveready plant will make way for housing.(Real Estate)(Energizer Holdings Inc. will demolish old Eveready plant to make land available for residential development)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD The one-time Eveready battery-making plant, a vacant industrial relic in Cleveland, will be demolished to ready the site for potential reuse as housing near Edgewater State Park. Subcontractors hired by Marous...

Oberlin library receives grant.(Special Report)(from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Oberlin College Library, along with five other academic libraries, has received $500,000 from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a project to focus on recruiting librarians. The project also will focus on alleviating the lack of...

Pay hikes to hang on at 3%; Estimate near to actual raises in '02.
September 1, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Northeast Ohio employers expect pay hikes for the next year to be on par with actual increases this year, which remained well below the levels reached a few years ago, according to the annual wage and salary survey...

Places of Note.(Special Report)(Auburn Career Center to open Technology Learning Center)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Deanna Bottar * The Place: Auburn Career Center's new Technology Learning Center, a more than 20,000-square-foot high-tech building set to open this Thursday, Sept. 4. The center was designed to be a hub for technology-focused...

Restoring integrity a corporate must.(Opinion)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Brian Tucker Life is full of ironies, but this one was just too good to let pass without comment. Last week, as I read through the daily newspaper, I came to the story about MCI (the former and disgraced WorldCom) and its attempts...

Meritech Blue now Blue Technologies.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Copier and printer dealer Meritech Blue Inc. of Cleveland is taking on a new name, boosting its advertising and keeping an eye out for companies to acquire. Meritech Blue this month will become Blue...

Plenty of players in MBA game; Area's programs profuse, but degree is paying off for grads.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003

ISG ads out to tout importance of steel.(Marketing)(International Steel Group Inc.)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND International Steel Group Inc. next week will launch an ad campaign to get people to think about where they would be without steel - and, to an extent, without ISG, which was born from the steelmaking assets of the...

Court ruling may prove positive for teaching hospitals.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: MARK TAYLOR The coffers of teaching hospitals could benefit from a federal judge's ruling in Columbus. The judge overturned a decision by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) administrator Tom Scully to disallow indirect...

Nontraditional campuses becoming mainstream.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003... Byline: TAMMY BATTAGLIA When Tiffin University opened the school's first Northeast Ohio campus in Elyria six years ago, 20 students met one evening per week to earn a fast-track bachelor's degree in business administration. In contrast,...

U. of Akron to offer more Cisco training.(Special Report)(University of Akron)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN University of Akron's Community and Technical College has been named a regional academy site to train and certify students on how to implement wireless computer network systems and network security equipment made by...

Tourism task force to assess life without new ctr.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Mayor Jane Campbell, who has convened multiple task forces since taking office, is preparing to serve up another, this one to study a study-weary subject: marketing Cleveland for its hospitality and lodging businesses...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * FORGING AHEAD: Auburn Career Center in Concord Township has implemented a customized apprenticeship program for Viking Forge Corp. of Streetsboro to help the company to advance its employees' technology skills. Viking Forge is a closed die...

OAI goes retro in refocusing; Organization plans return to its original mission.(News)(Ohio Aerospace Institute)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN The Ohio Aerospace Institute soon will begin to look like it did in 1990, when the nonprofit organization was formed to bring together Ohio universities and aerospace contractors that employed researchers at the...

Datebook.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2003... Week of Sept. 6-12 Tuesday The Greening of an Existing Building. Sponsored by the International Facility Management Association. Cleveland Environmental Center, 3500 Lorain Road, Suite 200. 5:30-8 p.m. $20 members. $25 nonmembers....

Going Places.(People)
September 1, 2003... Changes Distribution PIONEER-STANDARD ELECTRONICS INC.: Martin F. Ellis to executive vice president, corporate development. Education KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: Ann Penn to director, affirmative action. OBERLIN COLLEGE:...

Shopping center latest Avon project.(Real Estate)(Zeisler Morgan Properties Inc.)(Avon, Ohio)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Avon, that beacon for developers in the western suburbs, is about to get a shopping center with a clock tower, a signature of recent real estate developments by Zeisler Morgan Properties Inc. The clock tower, a...

AxioMed finishes its first round of financing at $3.25M.(News)(AxioMed Spine Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SHASTA CLARK CrainTech.com Here's something you don't hear often in this economy: A fledgling company didn't need more capital to meet its milestones, but a venture capitalist was eager to invest. AxioMed Spine Corp. of...

Merge city, suburbs.(Letters)
September 1, 2003... Editor: I read with interest, although not with surprise, the story about the Cuyahoga County commissioners deciding to "go it alone'' on the issue of the convention center. The story caused me to reflect again (as I have many times) on my...

Medical school applications on upswing.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JARED KLAUS Applications to medical schools in Northeast Ohio spiked this year after a six-year decline, while residency programs saw shifts in the popularity of specialty areas. Applications for admission in 2003 to the Case...

Ashland grows into newly renovated space.(Special Report)(Ashland University)
September 1, 2003... Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR Growth at Cuyahoga Community College's East Campus sparked another college program to find new space and refine its commitment to Northeast Ohio. The Ashland University Cleveland Center, which for the past three...

Investment group's buy means new start for EDR.(Technology)
September 1, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL EDR Corp., a multimedia services provider in Beachwood that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection more than 15 months ago, has found a new lease on life. A Nevada-based investment group, led by EDR's CEO,...

Mather plans full steam ahead.(Steamship William G. Mather Museum)
September 8, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD The Steamship William G. Mather Museum is preparing to leave a wider wake in Cleveland's tourism business. Holly Holcombe, Mather executive director, said the Harbor Heritage Society, which owns the Mather, is...

Court says NCS funds not for Brown Gibbons.(News)(Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Co. loses legal battle over NCS HealthCare Inc. sale)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Cleveland investment banking firm Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Co. has lost its legal fight to share in the $4 million payout Candlewood Partners LLC earned for its work on the January sale of Beachwood-based NCS HealthCare...

Playing field has changed for shareholder disputes.(News)
September 8, 2003... Disputes between majority and minority shareholders of privately held companies are nothing new, but the ground rules have changed over the years. At one time, minority shareholders had few rights, and majority shareholders could and did...

Ohio's tax system needs overhaul.(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ROBERT A. LAWSON With economic and population growth in Ohio lagging behind the nation, it's about time that Ohio take a serious look at its outdated system of taxation. In short, we need a 21st century tax code for a 21st century...

Initiatives push product innovation.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Developing products - not just manufacturing existing ones - could be just the prescription Greater Cleveland needs to broaden its economic horizons. At least that's the hope of two initiatives seeking to draw...

Grand Openings.(News)(Public Notice)
September 8, 2003... Caruso's Coffee 10300 Brecksville Road Brecksville 44141 Founded by Michael P. Caruso, former president and co-founder of Berardi's Fresh Roasted Coffees, the company roasts 38 varieties of coffees and more than 20 flavors. It...

Big space now on tap for House of LaRose.
September 8, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Bulldozers and earthmovers are excavating part of a 32-acre site in Brecksville for a $30 million warehouse and corporate headquarters that will allow House of LaRose of Cuyahoga Heights to consolidate and expand its...

opinion.(division between mayor's office, commissioners)
September 8, 2003... Iraq West Why the sudden interest of the Cuyahoga County commissioners in cutting a deal to buy a big chunk of Whiskey Island's shoreline? Does someone want to do the property's owners a favor by taking it off their hands, or do the...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
September 8, 2003... Crash the system Editor: Regardless of who or what caused the great blackout of 2003, it is clear FirstEnergy has troubles. Beyond letting football-size holes get to the point that they nearly breach a nuclear reactor, it appears...

Biz park planned for Berea purchase.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD A local real estate developer plans to market 14.5 acres in Berea for a business park after agreeing to buy the land last week from Cuyahoga County. Tom Coury, president of TC Pinnacle Properties, said his company...

Communication critical to keeping your clients.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: CONNIE DIEKEN Have you noticed that people aren't listening to you the way they used to? They now expect you to get to your point, pronto, or else they'll tune you out. Our fast-paced, electronic society has raised the bar on...

Wanted: Stem cell stars.(News)(Cleveland Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine seeks leaders)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN The search is on to find the people who will lead the Cleveland Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, a collaborative research center by Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic and University...

VillaWare now filling bigger digs.(News)(VillaWare Manufacturing Co. moves to new office)
September 8, 2003... Byline: DAVID LEVEY VillaWare Manufacturing Co., which manufactures pasta makers, waffle irons and related electronic cookware that make domesticity more fun, is settling into a new home of its own. The company recently moved to a...

New rules surface for split-dollar insurance plans.(News)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Carl Grassi In February of last year, I discussed in this column that regulations would be forthcoming on the taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements. Since that time, two IRS pronouncements and one nontax...

Tax Liens.(News)
September 8, 2003... 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...

Salons step up services to make mark.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: RAIZEL MICHELOW Changing times mean a change in style in the way independent beauty salons are operated in Northeast Ohio. Creative cuts and up-dos no longer automatically ensure a salon's success. These days, salons and spas...

Adding an ATM can draw in profits.(News)
September 8, 2003... Like pay phones or vending machines before them, automated teller machines are the latest convenience installations for businesses. If your business is high-traffic, far from a bank ATM, or is a destination location where customers spend...

Mortgage lenders brace for big falloff.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Rising interest rates are causing local mortgage lenders to brace themselves for a drop-off in business that could reduce mortgage volumes nationwide by as much as 55% in 2004 from levels this year. Several local...

Communities take S corp. tax continuation to ballot.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER This obviously is not a year to bring taxes in front of the voters - even if it means losing a few tax dollars. While many communities put school and library issues - mostly renewal issues - on the ballot, only eight...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... 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...

Datebook.(Calendar)(Calendar)
September 8, 2003... Week of Sept. 13-19 Saturday Small Business Success Seminar. Sponsored by SCORE. Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus, 11000 West Pleasant Valley Road, Parma. 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $50. Information, 440-526-3555. Monday ...

Going Places.(People)(appointments, various companies)
September 8, 2003... Job Changes Architecture HASENSTAB ARCHITECTS INC.: Amador Gonzalez, Scott Lukens and John Van Auker to principal. URS: April Baker to director of technology; Katherine Laura Gluntz and Ivan Valentic to landscape architects. ...

Cable ads now one-stop shopping.(News)(Cleveland Media Connect)
September 8, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Northeast Ohio's cable TV advertising market is the latest to join the consolidation trend, as advertisers now can make one stop to buy air time on cable stations in Cleveland, Akron and Canton. Time Warner...

Crain's draws readership survey winners.(News)
September 8, 2003... Five Crain's Cleveland Business subscribers recently were chosen as winners in Crain's readership survey drawing. Nearly 200 readers filled out surveys. The five winners are Stacey Bolgrin, Robert Claugherty, Mike Gaul, James McAndrews and...

Post 9/11, security steps still evolving.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER Two men in dark business suits carrying leather briefcases move swiftly through the revolving door and into the elevator lobby of the Terminal Tower. Before they reach the elevators that will take them to their 1 p.m....

Health Care Directory coming in Dec.(News)
September 8, 2003... On Dec. 29, as part of the 2004 Book of Lists, Crain's Cleveland Business will publish its sixth Health Care Directory, a listing of companies and organizations that provide health care services in Northeast Ohio. If your company or...

Late News.(local briefs)
September 8, 2003... SBC TO CUT 116 JOBS AT LAKEWOOD OFFICE SBC Communications Inc. Oct. 30 will eliminate 116 administrative support jobs at its Detroit Avenue office in Lakewood as part of a "work force adjustment'' announced last year. SBC last week...

Hospitals, schools work to whittle RN shortage.(News)
September 8, 2003

Equipment leasing can offer competitive edge.(News)
September 8, 2003... Large companies appreciate leasing as a powerful capital investment tool. They understand that owning equipment is less important than using it productively. Leasing also is the perfect solution for smaller businesses to provide a...

Both sides dug in over tariff decision.(News)(imported steel tariffs)
September 8, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY The battle lines have been draw in Northeast Ohio over whether President Bush should keep in place for another 18 months a controversial- system of tariffs on imported steel that has pitted steelmakers against...

Shedding light on OMA's dark outlook.(Ohio Association of Manufacturers)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Just when we thought we had some perspective on the lousy weather that has afflicted Northeast Ohio, along comes another body blow. Many of us felt impotent against the further vagaries of Mother Nature as we dealt with the summer monsoons. ...

Program helping Marines adjust back into civilian life.(News)(transition assistance to former Marines)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JARED KLAUS For Kyle Ohearn, the shift to civilian life since coming off active duty in the United States Marine Corps in March has not been an easy transition. Out of the 150 job applications the 23-year-old Strongsville native...

New chair has Baker on top of tax.(News)(Baker & Hostetler to expand its tax practice)
September 15, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Baker & Hostetler LLP wanted to expand its tax practice geographically and to deepen its expertise in tax law, so it hired a man who helped write the book on taxes. Jeffrey Paravano, who last month became chairman...

Tighten up.(Opinion)(Cleveland unemployment rates rise)
September 15, 2003... Officials with the city of Cleveland finally seem resigned to doing what they should have done at the end of last year, if not before - that is, cut payroll. Any reductions made are overdue. Despite a languishing economy that showed no...

Smoothie seller looks to sip up sites in market.(News)(California health foods retailer)
September 15, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Fresh from the front lines of a West Coast fitness craze, a California health foods retailer is bringing its high-energy juices and power drinks to the Great Lakes region. Privately owned Robeks Corp., which started...

Sherwin-Williams.(Technology)(Best IT Internship Program)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Deanna Bottar Sherwin-Williams Co. is no stranger to CAKI recognition. In fact, it's a repeat winner in a single category - Best IT Internship Program, having taken home the same award in 2001. The contest's judges this...

Thunderstone Software.(Technology)(Best Software Product competition)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Deanna Bottar A tool that enables web sites to add site search capabilities took the top prize in this year's Best Software Product competition. The Webinator from Thunderstone Software of Lakewood is flexible and can be scaled...

Advanced Elastomer Systems.(Technology)(Advanced Elastomer Systems gets Best Web Site citation)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Deanna Bottar Ease of use and maintenance were the key attributes that led Advanced Elastomer Systems LP to the head of the class in the Best Web Site category in this year's CAKI awards. Representatives from Akron-based...

Convention center challenge laid down.(Opinion)(new convention center in downtown Cleveland)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Brian Tucker It would be easy to give in to depression after the bungling that helped kill the near-term chances for a new convention center in downtown Cleveland. After all, most reasonable people would think that the leaders...

Crain's reporter Cornell wins first-place award.(News)(Ohio SPJ Awards)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Crain's Cleveland Business has been honored with a first-place award in the annual Ohio SPJ Awards, sponsored by the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Reporter Ryan Cornell won...

Cuyahoga Community College.(Technology)(regional work force dropping)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Mary Ann Jannazo The national economy continues to wobble along. The regional work force continues to struggle in a fickle marketplace. And everyone has a plan to spark the economic fire before the flame flickers and fades. ...

Benesch adds transportation group.(News)(new transportation and logistics practice group at law firm)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Cleveland law firm Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP has formed a 10-attorney transportation and logistics practice group to tap into what group leader and Benesch partner Eric Zalud says is a fertile legal...

Going Places.(People)(Gene Gottfried, new senior vice president)
September 15, 2003... Job Changes Finance BANK ONE: Valerie Labriola to assistant vice president and banking center manager, Parmatown mall; Phillip R. Duryea to first vice president, senior banker. FIRSTMERIT: Gene Gottfried to senior vice president,...

Tooling University and NextMed Systems.(Technology)(online education provider for manufacturers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Shasta Clark On the surface, the companies that share this year's award for Most Promising IT Company don't appear to share much else. One is an online education provider for manufacturers, and the other develops software for...

Tax Liens.(News)
September 15, 2003... 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...

Patents.(Technology)(High-intensity discharge lamps)
September 15, 2003... High-intensity discharge lamps, arc tubes and methods of manufacture Assignee: Advanced Lighting Technologies Inc., Solon Issue date: Sept. 2 Filing date: March 8, 2001 Description: A tipless arc tube for a high-intensity...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(new auto dealers' inventory databases product)
September 15, 2003... * PARTS POSSESSION: OEConnection LLC, a Richfield-based startup, has developed an online tool to allow auto dealers to scour other auto dealers' inventory databases for auto parts via the web. The tool, called D2DExpress, broadens the search...

Program aims to Re-$tore city retail.(News)(Cleveland renewing its residential neighborhoods)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER The city of Cleveland has made considerable strides in renewing its residential neighborhoods. Now some of the same groups that helped rebuild the side streets with new housing are turning their attention to the main...

SBC in formation to go long; Phone company awaits long-distance OK even as rivals rally to oppose it.(SBC Communications Inc. will expand to Ohio)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN After years of talking about entering the long-distance phone market in Ohio, it appears local phone service provider SBC Communications Inc. next month will win approval to do just that. Even so, SBC's...

NEOpreneur has its sights set on what EDI has to offer.(Technology)(nonprofit organization assists entrepreneurs)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN NEOpreneur Inc., a nascent nonprofit organization created to assist entrepreneurs with startup issues and venture capital location, is eyeing a more entrenched nonprofit's programming and resources. How much of...

C.Trac on Strongsville growth track.(Technology)(onlline document management services)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN C.Trac Information Solutions Inc., a provider of direct mail and Internet-based document management services in Strongsville, plans to build a 12,000-square-foot office and warehouse building on Foltz Industrial...

Correction.(Markfrank and Rosalina Markfrank salons)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Information about Markfrank and Rosalina Markfrank salons on page 34 of the Sept. 8 edition of Crain's was incorrect. In 2000, Markfrank bought out the business interest of a retiring partner at Rosalina in Shaker Heights. The salon was renamed...

Segway inventor coming to town.(News)(Dean Kamen to speak)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Byline: SHASTA CLARK CrainTech.com The modern-day inventor who's been referred to as the "Thomas Edison in the medical world'' is coming to Westlake this month. Dean Kamen will share his thoughts about the process of innovation and...

Late News.(Oglebay Norton Co.'s credit agreements)
September 15, 2003... LENDERS GIVE OGLEBAY RELIEF Oglebay Norton Co. said its bank lenders and senior secured noteholders have agreed to amend the debt-laden company's credit agreements. The supplier of industrial minerals said the amendments provide Oglebay...