Business First of Buffalo articles from April 2001

Business First of Buffalo archives from April 2001

Minority influence.(growing Hispanic population in New York)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
April 2, 2001... Hispanic businesses find their niche Ivette Virella took a major gamble last fall and quit her job to open a Puerto Rican/American restaurant on River Road in the Riverside section of Buffalo. Though Virella's catering business has...

HSBC bringing 500 jobs to Buffalo.(HSBC Bank USA)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... Western New York is reaping more economic rewards than anyone expected from HSBC Bank USA's acquisition of Republic National Bank. In new jobs, instead of the 200 anticipated originally, the number soon will balloon to 500, more than...

Salaries for WNY executives beat U.S. norm.(western New York)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... The typical business executive in the Buffalo area earns nearly 3 percent more than the U.S. norm for his or her field, according to a new Demographics Daily analysis of executive pay. The average salary for local managers and...

Before you leave ...(political satire for Buffalo, New York)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Our Daily Monopoly has asked selected newsmakers and shakers to opine about life in our fair burg. (Which, according to editors at One New Millennium Plaza, is basically Donn Esmonde's neighborhood.) Pshaw on their highfalutin' survey....

Special Olympics needs volunteers for games.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Special Olympics New York is looking for groups interested in volunteering at the 2001 Summer Games, June 14-17, at the University at Buffalo and other locations in Erie County. Special Olympics provides year round sports training and...

Upstate Farms finds new headquarters.(Upstate Farms Cooperative Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Upstate Farms Cooperative Inc. relocated headquarters to 25 Anderson Road, Cheektowaga. The general office will house the cooperative's administrative functions including marketing, sales, human resources, finance and customer service. The...

Support for private Falls airport is sought.(Niagara Falls International Airport)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Business, labor and government officials in Niagara County have formed an alliance to generate letters of support surrounding the privatization of the Niagara Falls International Airport. The Niagara Airport Coalition will be co-chaired by...

Clarifications & amplifications.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
April 2, 2001... In this week's issue of Tech First, one of the award winners was inadvertently omitted. The story on Liquid Matrix Corp. appears on page 4.

Grass is greener on other side of winter.(preparing Buffalo Bisons' stadium after harsh winter)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... So you think it's been a long, long, long winter? At least we've got all spring to get the lawn and garden in shape. Jim Hornung has just a few more days to rally his green space into playing shape. Hornung, if you don't know, is head...

Delphi fiscal impact tops $700 million.(Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems in New York)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems pumped $740 million into the state economy last year, the third consecutive year that the figure topped $700 million, according to the Lockport automotive components and systems supplier. The company's...

Mercy Hospital starts building heart program.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Mercy Hospital has begun construction of an expanded cardiovascular services program that will include open-heart surgery. When it is completed early next year, the Mercy program will be the third in the Buffalo region offering open-heart...

Hasek contribution targets area youth.(Buffalo Saber Dominik Hasek)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Dominik Hasek has made an impression on Buffalo in the nine years he has lived here. The Buffalo Sabres goaltender wants to leave an indelible mark. On March 28 Hasek announced the formation of the Dominik Hasek Youth Sport & Scholarship...

Company eases online admissions.(correction)(Correction Notice)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Liquid Matrix an Orchard Park software company won Best Emerging Company honors at the Beta Awards, sponsored by InfoTech Niagara on March 29. This profile was inadvertently left out of this week's tech.first publication. Name: Liquid...

Williamsville agencies await OK for merger.(TRC Insurance Agency)(Cesar Insurance Agencies)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Two Williamsville insurance agencies are awaiting regulatory approval to merge into one of the largest insurance agencies in Western New York. TRC Insurance Agency and Cesar Insurance Agencies would form TRC-Cesar Group Inc. it the state...

Study supports urban residential development.(downtown housing)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... With what are sometimes point blank recommendations ringing loudly in their ears, city leaders agree now is the time to move on a cohesive downtown residential plan as outlined by the just-completed Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team study....

Marrano builds empire one home at time.(Marrano-Marc Equity Corp., home builders)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... Little did Pasquale Marrano know that when he left the Air Corps in 1945 and start working around Western New York as a carpenter's apprentice that he would be laying the foundation for one of the region's largest home builders. It was...

Ulrich plans facelift for key Lockport parcels.(improving city look and attract more people to work downtown)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Lockport developer David Ulrich is on a mission to improve the look of the city's languishing business district and at the same time attract more people to work down town. Mayor Thomas Sullivan says the project "could be the jump start we...

LaFalce submits finance legislation.(aimed at curbing abusive lending practices)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Rep. John LaFalce; the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, has submitted legislation aimed at curbing abusive lending practices and tightening financial privacy laws. LaFalce, D-Town of Tonawanda, offered 11 bills...

Wellness programs could lower premiums.(proposed New York legislation)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Proposed state legislation could give individuals a break on health insurance costs if they take part in programs like smoking cessation or weight lass to improve their health. It is the second time Assemblyman Robin Schimminger sponsored a...

SBA recognizes business owners.(Small Business Administration awards)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Two business owners from the Buffalo area were recognized at the regional level with Small Business Administration awards for 2001. Every year since 1963, the SBA honors" businesses and individuals at the local, state, regional and national...

Big Bear Embroidery sews up Ohio facility.(now in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... An area embroidery company has opened a facility in Cincinnati and plans to establish an operation on the West Coast later this year. Big Bear Inc. started operations in Cincinnati in mid-January with 16 employees in a 12,000-square-foot...

UB Law School students debut law journal.(University at Buffalo Law School)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Buffalo Intellectual Property Law Journal, brainchild of a team of students in the University at Buffalo Law School, debuts in April. It will provide a forum for addressing issues in patent law, copyrights, trademarks and related...

Music museum looks for downtown home.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... After years of talking, it now appears that the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame is serious about opening its own downtown Buffalo museum. The turning point for the 17-year-old organization came last fall when it was granted 501-3C status, thus...

New player in town.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The lure of bidding on work in a very robust local construction market has brought Don Todd Associates to town. The San Francisco-based firm, one of largest minority-owned companies in the construction industry has opened an office in the...

RELO network.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Stovroff Realty is beefing up its relocation efforts by joining ranks with the nationally acclaimed RELO network. The deal brings together the state's largest, independently-owned real estate firm with the bench strength of the RELO network....

Bona searching for answers and a new coach.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... No a one is irreplaceable. That's what administrators and supporters of the basketball program at St. Bonaventure University have to keep telling themselves. Nonetheless, the departure of longtime coach -- and alumnus -- Jim Baron this...

Fillin' it up ...(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... * After yet another slow start at the gate the Sabres are on pace to match last seasons attendance figures at HSBC Arena. Heading into the final four home games of the regular season the Sabres have sold out 17 of 37 home games. Only two of the...

Nurses reject contract, plan strike.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Registered nurses employed by St. Joseph Hospital plan to strike April 4, having rejected a contract offer that would raise salaries up to 18 percent over five years while increasing employee contributions to health-care insurance costs. ...

Legislation would improve health insurance access.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Business leaders are applauding a bill designed to ensure small business access to health insurance. The bill's sponsors, state Sen. James Seward (R-Otsego County) and Assemblyman Joseph Morelle (D-Monroe County), joined business leaders...

Former WNYer named to oversee Falls project.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Gov. George Pataki has tapped a former Western New Yorker from his own staff to head up his Niagara Falls redevelopment effort. Michael Wilton, Pataki's director of regional affairs, has been named president of the fledgling USA Niagara...

Family Court judge balances the law and emotions in cases.
April 2, 2001... Some jobs are tougher than others. While the post of Family Court judge comes with a certain amount of prestige and has its share of rewarding moments, it also comes with a bittersweet certainty: Even cases that end happily are rooted in...

Domestic techs fill area's needs.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... An apparent decrease in the number of H-1B visa applications sought by high-tech companies nationally isn't likely to make much of a difference in the Buffalo region, where a strong work force has lessened the need for foreign workers. ...

Xerox facing new bias charges.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... In the second wave of bias charges to hit the company within two weeks, according to the lawyers representing them, a group of African-American employees at Xerox Corp.'s Operations Division in Texas have filed charges of discrimination with...

She tries to help court understand 'why'.(Selena Garr of the Client Specific Planning Service)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The teen-ager's record showed a propensity for burglary, and he was surely headed for jail. Until Selena Garr interceded. She showed the court that the-boy had a difficult life at home that climaxed with witnessing his father's...

Nation - specific laws tricky on the Internet.(International Pages)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... When the Internet first gripped the popular imagination a few years ago, one of the main attractions of electronic commerce was its worldwide accessibility. But as Yahoo! Inc. recently discovered, there's a downside to being able to easily...

Smart law firms eye economic barometer.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... A decade ago, the legal profession went through an economic downturn that caused layoffs and sagging profits at many firms. Some law firms emerged from the recession weakened, their ranks thinned by defections and layoffs. Some firms...

American Lawyer Media reports earnings rise.(annual earnings report)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... American Lawyer Media, Inc. (ALM), the nation's leading legal journalism and information company, announced that fiscal year 2000 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased 49.4 percent, over 1999. Annual...

Clarity, precision key in legal documents.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... What makes a good legal document? How can a business executive or owner determine if the provisions of an agreement that he or she is about to sign are well-written? The courts are frequent arbiters of the meaning of a document in the...

Manufacturing is critical to upstate.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Manufacturing remains the key component of the upstate economy, and state economic policies must continue to reflect the priorities and realities of manufacturing, Gov. Pataki's chief economist told The Business Council this week. ...

Extensions take time to file return.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... If you can't meet the April deadline to file your tax return you can get a four-month extension of time from the IRS. The extension does not extend the time you have to pay taxes due. You will owe interest on any amounts not paid by the April...

Cooking up a business.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... What's going on: If you need a restaurant-strength six-burner stove or perhaps a commercial mixer, then check out Prime Restaurant Equipment. The West Side company specializes in selling new and pre owned restaurant equipment. Even the...

Keep portable from becoming vulnerable.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Probably the best thing about having a notebook computer is its portability. But with that portability comes the threat of theft. How do you keep your notebook from becoming mobile with someone other than yourself? One way to deter thieves...

Great Arrow Graphics.(web site allows virtual tour of greeting card production studios)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Great Arrow Graphics, which publishes hand silk-screened greeting cards, launched a Web site. Visitors can take a virtual tour of the production studios, meet selected designers and search the catalog of more than 700 cards. The company began...

Mills and Associates.(To procuce corporate profiles for new book)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Mills and Associates was chosen for the task of producing corporate profiles for "Vision and Voice," a new Buffalo Niagara Partnership book about Western New York. The book will profile attractions, industries, professions and education in the...

Crowley-Webb and Associates.(gets marketing communications contract from Pro-Laser North America)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Pro-Laser North America of Dallas retained Crowley-Webb and Associates to develop a comprehensive marketing communications program? Formerly WECO International, Pro-Laser has shifted its emphasis from lens finishing to the entire Pro-Laser...

Buffalo Ambulatory Surgery Center.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Buffalo Ambulatory Surgery Center dedicated its new Center of Excellence In Urology in honor of Dr. Pasquale Greco, a lifelong Buffalo resident who has been an associate clinical professor of urology at the University at Buffalo since 1978. The...

Hydro-Air Components Inc.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Hydro-Air Components Inc.'s quality management system has been registered as compliant with the international standard ISO 9001:2000 by Bureau Veritas Quality International. The company is a hydronic heating manufacturer.

Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation is temporarily offering 4 percent loans, down from the present 10 percent, to help small businesses pay high winter utility bills. The BERC plans to offer the low-interest loans from March 15 through...

SBA says streamlining to aid Hubzone program.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Small Business Administration streamlined its electronic application for the Hubzone program so that businesses can be certified for the government contracting program more quickly. The upgrade features pop-up menus that direct...

Ergonomics repeal part of 'corporate power' tilt.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... President Bush ended the business community's long battle to stop OSHA's ergonomics regulation by signing legislation that repeals the rule, which would have required employers to establish programs to reduce soft-tissue injuries such as carpal...

Chamber, AFL-CIO team on health insurance.(assistance for medically uninsured)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... They may not agree on ergonomics, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO do agree that Congress should help the 43 million Americans who do not have health insurance. The chamber and the labor union are among 11 organizations that...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
April 2, 2001... Robert Roth of East Amherst was elected to the Wyoming County Bank board of directors. The founder of Spectrum Home Mortgage Corp., he retired as executive vice president of HSBC in 1998. Debra Ressler of Williamsville and Paul Wisniewski...

MORTGAGE RATES.(conventional, fixed rates)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... MORTGAGE RATES Conventional Fixed Lender (phone) 30 yr. Amer. Home Loans Orch. Pk. (667-3733) 7.00 Banas Mortgage...

NEW YORK METROS ECONOMIC RATINGS (MARCH).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... NEW YORK METROS ECONOMIC RATINGS (MARCH) Albany-Schenectady-Troy *** Binghamton *** Buffalo-Niagara Falls * Elmira ...

MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS MM 6 mos. 12 mos. 24 mos. Bank of Castile 2.75-2.78 5.00-5.13 5.30-5.44 5.60-5.76 Cattaraugus County Bank 2.45-2.48 4.05-4.13...

This market expert understands business.(Dave Camillo and his Sloan Super Market)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... In the face of growing evidence that the small businessman is doomed, it is always reassuring to find a guy like Dave Camillo who is one of those notable exceptions. He is in a tough and bitterly competitive business, too, selling...

Capitalizing on WNY's resources.(water resources)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Rolling blackouts continue to make news in energy-poor California, but the republic's most populous state continues to roll out the red carpet for thousands of new residents each year. Growing areas of the Southwest look at the Great Lakes...

DaimlerChrysler needs a new attitude.(what the merger has meant for the two companies)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The news out of Germany was bittersweet: Chrysler will continue bleeding billions of dollars this year but will return to profitability by 2002. But the really important part of the news released by DaimlerChrysler about its turnaround...

Linstar takes cash off school campus.
April 2, 2001... Linstar, a Buffalo distributor of smartcard technology, has debuted a new ID card-point of sales system with the Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District. The students and staff are the first in the nation to experience a cash-less...

E-Merge software translates online.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... E-Merge Strategies Inc. has released new features to its language management software, Transmerge. The most significant addition to the Web-based application service provider is its translation memory functionality which enables...

All in hand.
April 2, 2001... Company brings a world at information to your palm Parul Thakore smiles every time she sees someone whip out a Palm pilot, cellular phone or pager to access the Internet. Chances are good the software used to connect to the Internet were...

Crosswater makes itself heard across country.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... In the old days, recording an audio session for a band, a commercial or even for a corporate in-store track meant lots of complicated scheduling and then hours of mixing and cutting. Technology has transformed the process, allowing voices...

Beta awards recognize info tech community.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... We are pleased to sponsor the first annual Beta awards with our partner, Business First. A leading role of infoTech Niagara is to create awareness of our industry, demonstrating how it is a key to the growth and success of our region. We can...

Exchanges expand markets and open sources.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... At a quietly growing clip, smaller and mid-sized businesses are borrowing a Web page from the big guys' strategy book: They are turning to the Internet to grow revenues, cut costs and enhance the bottom line. By logging on to...

Prosys Information Systems.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Prosys Information Systems has opened an office in Buffalo. The Atlanta-based company is a reseller of computer products with authorizations in all tier one vendors such as Cisco, Compaq, IBM, HP, 3Com and others. The company has five offices...

Iwantanewkitchen.com.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Iwantanewkitchen.com has opened an office in Buffalo. The Cleveland dot.com bills itself as the Internet's premier kitchen resource guide. The firm's Web site helps consumers and designers research, plan and construct a new or remodeled...

RFQlogix.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... RFQlogix has introduced software for the industrial sourcing marketplace. The Buffalo firm provides a high speed, virtual marketplace for local and worldwide buyers/suppliers of made-to-order engineered products. The firms GlobalogiX 2.0 allows...

WorldWebDex Corp.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... WorldWebDex Corp. is using a unique method of advertising that promotes click-throughs in a different way than traditional banner ads. The advertising technique is similar to an effort by the Internet Advertising Bureau which is working with...

The Superior Group.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Superior Group a leading provider of strategic staffing solutions and labor services, has introduced a Web-based solution for the labor services industry. The Labor Activity Management System (LAMS360) streamlines supply chain management of...

Raymour and Flanigan.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Raymour and Flanigan has added an online catalog that allows customers to place orders on the company Web site. The site offers an online catalog and referral system so shoppers can find area Raymour and Flanigan stores. The company, founded in...

Evalue Consulting.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Three industry executives have founded Evalue Consulting, an IT consulting firm. Don Harris, Paul Bagar and Linda Kramer will concentrate on high-end IT strategy and development. Evalue's founders each have over 20 years of experience in IT...

Computer Aid Inc.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Computer Aid Inc. has opened an office in Albany, further expanding its presence in the upstate NewYork/Canadian region. The Allentown, Pa, company has 31 offices including Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester and an office in Ottawa, Canada....

Advance Furniture.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Advance Furniture had gross sales of close to $1.4 million from its Web site last year. The local contemporary furniture retailer started doing business on the Internet four years ago.

LiquidMatrix Corp.(receives award)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... LiquidMatrix Corp., an Orchard Park Internet software company, won top honors for Web site design in the Admissions Marketing Report 16th annual advertising awards. Winning entries included a gold award for design of the Purchase College site;...

Advantage Computer Co.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Advantage Computer Co. is now an exclusive Epicor value added reseller in Western NewYork. Epicor delivers solutions enabling eBusiness across the enterprise from front office operations like sales automation, marketing, customer...

Daemen College.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Daemen College physician assistant program has joined PA programs across the country in the Association of Physician Assistant Programs which will offer the central application service for PAs via a Web based application service. The site...

Buffalo-Niagara Web and Tech Fair.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Buffalo-Niagara Web and Tech Fair has instituted a trade balance initiative which will allow minority and women-owned businesses to exhibit at a 10 percent discount rate on any show space. The fair, scheduled for May 5 at the...

Appraisal.com.(releases Version 2.0 of its Nationwide Appraisal Network system)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Appraisal.com of Amherst has released Version 2.0 of its Nationwide Appraisal Network. The system allow appraisal users such as mortgage brokers, lending institutions and consumers to identify licensed appraisors anywhere in the U.S. based on...

Regional Mail Xpress.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Regional Mail Xpress has spun off Net-Ex Services to provide flat mail service, as well as document imaging and expediting services through partner relationships. Other services will include specialized fulfillment, outsource billing,...

Viper Business Development.(introduces a networking function on its Web site)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Viper Business Development has introduced a networking function on its Web site for entrepreneurs and new business owners. The ViperNetwork provides information on running a business smarter and other consulting services. Viper is a...

Verizon Wireless.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Verizon Wireless has introduced a Web-ready, Palm-powered wireless handset. The Kyocera 6035 Smartphone dual-branded handset features wireless Web access, large screen and supports installation of applications compatible with Palm OS software....

PC 911.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... PC 911 has expanded with a second mobile MediVan. The company provides on-site computer repair via mobile shops. Service includes trouble shooting, repairs, upgrades, installation of software and peripherals, regular maintenance and network...

University at Buffalo School of Engineering.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... A program sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Engineering helped businesses save more than $1 million last year. The Co-op Program and summer Engineering Career Institute prepares students for the workforce during 12 weeks of...

Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. will launch an improved Web site April 16. The new site will include descriptions of agency programs and incentives, specific BERG contacts, maps of the Empire Zone, latest information on the Buffalo Byte...