Business First of Buffalo articles from August 2000

Business First of Buffalo archives from August 2000

Nations apart.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Western New York officials the 1989 U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement with unbridled enthusiasm. They predicted the lowering of trade barriers would trigger rapid growth of the local economy. "The U.S.-Canada trade bill is going to mean as...

Thumbs up.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... ... to the spirit of regionalism and cooperation blooming across Western New York. The so-called Olmsted Crescent will link Buffalo's cultural institutions, and a-cross-county-tourism plan will prove to outsiders that there is life north of...

Thumbs down.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... ... there are charges of back room dealing in Cattaraugus County, where the Democrats accuse the GOP of keeping their candidates off the ballot. Despite the histrionic mud-slinging, voters still only have GOP candidates in the county treasurer...

Hi, Canada.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... My name is Coast and I'm from Buffalo. That means I'm an American who understands Canada, or so believe the downstaters who think we're a border colony in the cold hinterlands. It means I took Spanish in high school, a language spoken...

Iroquois shareholders OK First Niagara deal.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Shareholders of Iroquois Bancorp Inc., the Auburn, N.Y.-based holding company of Cayuga Bank, have overwhelmingly approved an agreement in which Cayuga would become a subsidiary of First Niagara Financial Corp. The Homestead Savings FA, a...

Pepsi Bottling Group moving to Wheatfield.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Pepsi Bottling Group is moving its longtime North Tonawanda operations. The Soft drink bottler has signed a lease with CRS Properties Inc. of Amherst to occupy all 38,528 square feet of the former Try-It Distributing Co. Inc. building on...

We want to hear about your works in progress.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Do you have a new office building or shopping center on the drawing board? Maybe there's am apartment building or medical center in your future. If your company is expanding, building or renovating, we want to know about it for our...

Marketing pays off for law school.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... A new push to attract students is making it tougher to get into the University at Buffalo school of Law. The law school stepped up its marketing efforts beginning the spring of 1999, including sending recruiters to four times the number of...

Stovroff buys Albany-based realty company.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Stovroff Realty, the area's largest residential real estate firm, has taken its first steps toward transforming itself into a statewide agency. Stovroff has acquired Realty USA Capital District Agency Inc., the second largest firm in...

Booming hotel industry sparks growth in Falls, Ont.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The latest construction boom in Niagara Falls, Ont., will see the development of nearly $100? million (Canadian) in new hotel properties during the next year. The projects are part of an economic boom that has enveloped Niagara Falls since...

GM plant expansion ends Jones' era in WNY.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The Arvin Jones era at GM's Powertrain engine plant opened in 1996 on a high note and closed Aug. 2 on an even higher one. At both ends of the four years, the Town of Tonawanda plant received major capital investments totaling hundreds of...

Economic development efforts pay off with investments in WNY.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... First it was Southwest Airlines. Then it was Adelphia Communications Corp. Now it's General Motors Corp. Area and state economic development leaders have put together a series of deals that have collectively amounted to nearly $1 billion in...

Two aquariums could be 1 too many.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Despite the fact that AquaFalls and the Aquarium of Niagara will be located within half a dozen blocks of each other come next year, Niagara Falls' future as a two-aquarium city is in doubt. Construction continues on the site of AquaFalls,...

Choice One completes merger.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Choice One Communications has completed its merger with US Xchange of Michigan to expand to 26 markets in 11 states. Headquartered in Rochester, Choice One Communications is an integrated communications services provider offering voice and...

Batavia hospital system consolidates services.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... United Memorial Medical Center is moving through a multi-year, multi-million dollar project that will consolidate services arid add new programs at the Batavia hospital system. So far, about a half-dozen departments have be consolidated,...

Info Tech Niagara nearing decision on exec director.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Info Tech Niagara has narrowed its list of candidates for executive director and hopes to have the position filled by mid-September. The organization, which represents 120 information technology firms, received more than 20 resumes for the...

Sabres get shut out on ABC broadcasts.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... SPORTS BUSINESS NOTES ABC, the national over-the-air network for the National Hockey League, has released the package of five Saturday telecasts it plans for next season. Sabres' fans won't be seeing their team on any of the weekly...

Basketball camp targets officials.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... There are numerous camps for players and coaches to learn more about the games they play, but what about those charged with keeping order on the court, the officials? That's something Jim Huetter, a local basketball official with 34 years of...

Fort Erie track on comeback trail.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Fort Erie Race Track will again offer owners and trainers the chance to win more money. The track has announced it is raising the purse for each day of racing to more than $110,000, a 120 percent increase since Nordic Gaining Corp. took over...

Sports business people.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Len Nardone, director of health, physical education and athletics at Genesee Community College, recently returned from a two-week stint in Hong Kong, where he taught a post-graduate course in sport facility planning and design. Nardone's course...

Fitch chosen to head Shea's drive.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Shea's Performing Arts Center has tapped Michael Fitch, first vice president of Merrill Lynch, to head its annual campaign. The fund raising effort which in the past five years has increased by 162 percent, has set a $500,000 goal for the...

Few Canadian firms enticed by free trade.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... A Canadian company looking to, expand operations should virtually salivate at the prospect of entering the United States market. Consider The U.S.'s 200 million potential consumers against Canada's 30 million. Measure the U.S. Gross...

The rules are different when you go to Canada.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... There's more than a border that separates the Canadian market and U.S. businesses. Anyone from this side of the line with an inkling of doing business in the north country will encounter some unique situations that will cost time and...

Falls' casino-driven economy is envy of WNY.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... In an economic development sense, the opening of Casino Niagara has made Niagara Falls, Ont., appear to be the high roller and left Western New York with snake eyes. Consider since its December 1996 debut, Casino Niagara, according to the...

Flying to Toronto has never really taken off.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Airline industry experts say Buffalo and Toronto are too close to make commercial flights viable. Factor in cost and overall travel-time with flight connections and it makes more sense to drive to Toronto and take your chances in the...

Buffalo media market reaches into Canada.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Unless you happen to be in the news business, you probably don't know Harry Rosetani. But if you read the paper, listen to news on the radio or watch it on TV, you've read, heard or seen his work. Never mind any of the border crossings...

Spanning the border.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... The U.S.-Canadian border is a 4,000-mile-long line on the map stretching from Maine and New Brunswick in the Atlantic Northeast to British Columbia and Washington state in the Pacific Northwest. In recent years, various projects have been...

Common ground: A bi-national view of life along the border.
August 7, 2000... Americans friendlier; Canadians more sincere * Tami Jeanneret On-air co-host The River/CJRN-710 Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ont., Jeanneret lived in downtown Buffalo for about a year in the late 1980s when she worked at...

WNYers know little about Ontario.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Western New Yorkers don't know it, but Mike Harris is a major political figure. Harris is the controversial, high-profile premier of Ontario, the top elected official for the province of 11.5 million people, including hundreds of thousands...

Canadian customers help companies thrive.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Don Moran loves Canada. And, with good reason. As vice president and general manager of WUTV-TV (Channel 29), Moran knows that Southern Ontario is a major part of his audience. Just what does Canada mean to WUTV? For some...

Experts say a Euro-like currency makes sense.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The 1999 launch of the euro in Europe has heightened debate over whether a shared currency ought to be in North America's future, too. A study by a Canadian think tank concludes that it should. The study says a common currency would...

20 QUESTIONS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... How much do you know about Canada? Take our quiz and find out. * Geography 1. How many provinces does Canada have? a .8 b. 10 c. 12 d. 14 2. Which province has the most residents? a. Alberta b....

Canadian beers put WNY on market's edge.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Sure, people drink Chardonnay in Buffalo, but we must be way behind the national average. Why? Because this has always been a beer town. Several years ago, I met a sales manager from New Jersey who had just taken a job with a Buffalo...

Health Care Systems.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... 1 Kaleida Health 901 Washington St * Buffalo, NY 14203 * Phone: 843-7500 Fax: 843-7595 * Employees: 11,915 * 1999 Net revenues: $743,780,000 * 1999 net expenses: $751,761,000 * 1999 net surplus/deficit:...

SBA expands pilot loan program.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... When Monique White decided to move her Buffalo-based child care business. from her home to a larger location, she knew she'd need not only financial help, but technical assistance. She found both through Chase Manhattan Bank with the Small...

Entrepreneurs want skilled workers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Tax relief and regulatory reform may dominate the public policy agenda for traditional small businesses, but entrepreneurs have other things on their mind. The struggle to find quality people to fuel their growth was the top challenge...

Backlog already building for next year's H-1B visas.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Supporters of raising the cap on H-1B visas say new numbers from the Immigration and Naturalization Service show the need for prompt action to allow more foreign professionals to work in America. The INS, which hit this year's limit on H-1B...

Small business owners lose with Social Security.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... A new study shows the average married couple running a small business would have $461,190 more in retirement income if they could have invested their self-employment taxes in personal accounts instead of Social Security. The study was...

Federal agencies failing to use Hubzone program.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... The chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee says many federal contracting officers are not using the Hubzone program, which gives small businesses in low-income areas preference for government contracts. "The apparent indifference...

Some employers would benefit from drug plan.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Large employers who sponsor health plans for retirees would save more than $5 billion in 2003 if Medicare began providing prescription drug coverage, according to a new study conducted by Hewitt Associates for the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation....

Safety engineers want ergonomics rule altered.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The latest opposition to OSHA's proposed ergonomics regulation comes not from businesses, but from safety engineers. The American Society of Safety Engineers says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's proposed ergonomics...

Strippit/LVD.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Metalforming equipment manufacturer Strippit/LVD now offers a complete line of DAVI 3-and 4-roll plate rollers with material capacities from one-quarter inch to 10 inches. Design features include automatic balancing system, permanent...

Meridian Technology Group.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Meridian Technology Group was designated a Platinum Partner, for PCs and servers by Hewlett-Packard, The company sells Microsoft products and is an authorized reseller of HP, Compaq, Citrix, NetScreen and Cisco products.

Creative Concepts of Western New York Ltd.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Creative Concepts of Western New York Ltd. completed production of two video projects. The advertising agency scripted and directed a promotional video and series of public service announcements, including an open-captioning version, for the...

PartnerAmerica.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... PartnerAmerica, a partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Management Services Inc., launched a local initiative to promote small-business growth and development. The organization offers management expertise, technical...

The Internal Revenue Service Business Assistance Center.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The Internal Revenue Service Business Assistance Center relocated Aug. 1 from its location on Huron Street in downtown Buffalo to the Appletree Business Park. The center assists current and prospective small-business owners with federal, state...

Is your fax cover sheet selling or annoying?(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... I got a fax from a lawyer the other day, and the cover sheet had a bunch of negative disclaimers and warnings, about who should and shouldn't read the fax. The bottom line was (according to the person who sent it) that if the wrong person read...

Community center adds job search facility.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Residents of the Kenfield Development have access to a new job search/computer raining facility at the Martha Mitchell Community Center of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority. The Oakmont Avenue site, which featured a grand opening...

Found money.(Statistical Data Included)
August 7, 2000... Entrepreneurs don't have to mortgage their lives to get stark funds anymore Thanks to a strong economy, stable interest rates, 1ow unemployment and consumers with discretionary dollars to spend, now is a good time for starting a business....

CEO booked on future with Rand Capital Corp.
August 7, 2000... Pete Grum's future seemed mapped out the day he finished Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead" -- the author's milestone novel about individualism and capitalism. From that moment in 1980 until 1995, When he became president of Rand Capital Corp.,...

Stock depends on people laying down on the job.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Couch potato investing requires research and relaxation Clearly the research part is not fun. Since most of us spend a fair bit of time on the couch, I thought it would be helpful to point out an investment opportunity that could allow you...

Franchises growing with the Internet.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... I can't tell you how many times I've run out the door for work, leaving my dry cleaning sit ting behind on the kitchen table and delaying, yet again, that trip to the dry cleaner. It's just one more thing a working professional must find time...

Study says happy workers make for happy investors.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Companies that take the high road with their work forces may find that it leads to good news on Wall Street. Human Capital Index, the catchy name for a study designed to measure employee satisfaction, suggests a correlation between the way...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Susan Whittemore Mentecki was promoted from quality assurance and improvement coordinator to director of quality at United Cerebral Palsy of Western New York Inc. She was merchandise manager for Coyne Textile before joining UCP. Kelley...

A river runs through it.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Western New York and Southern Ontario enjoy a unique relationship. In the satellite image reproduced on Page 1, the entire region comes together neatly, separated only by the Niagara River as it makes its way around Grand Island, tumbles over...

Public education is an investment.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The argument that money can solve all the problems of our schools suffered a significant setback recently in The New York Times. In a study comparing school spending with school performance, the Times came to a conclusion that business...

By the numbers: Five statistical views of the complicated relationship between Western New York and Southern Ontario.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MORTGAGE RATES.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

LOCAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

On the Street.
August 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Wal-Mart.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have jointly presented a $5,000 grant to the Ceramics Corridor Innovation Centers (CCIC). The funding will be used for the CCIC's business incubation program in Alfred, NY.

Clarence apartments attract outside investors.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... This week's opening of the Coventry Green apartments in Clarence is notable for a number of reasons. Among those, the decidedly upscale apartments are already attracting a lot of attention, both from renters and from investors. The...

New partnership boosts Syrinex, Barrister.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Syrinex Communications Corp. has signed a deal with Barrister Global Services Network that is expected to generate both companies millions in revenues over the coming year. The agreement will see Barrister providing installation and support...

Economic development: A study in contrasts.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... If Western New Yorkers want an example of a coordinated economic development effort, all they need to do is look about 20 miles down the Niagara. River. Niagara Falls, Ont., having adopted a business and development-friendly...

Uniland plans $11 million building.(Uniland Development Co.)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Uniland Development Co., which in recent months has embarked on an expansion of its Sheridan Meadows Office Park and bought a Rochester developer's real estate portfolio is proposing another suburban Class A building. Uniland has submitted...

Rising interest.(Bank of American's mortgage center in Buffalo)
August 14, 2000... Numbers add up at mortgage center Bank of America's mortgage servicing center bears the same modern look as many business buildings in corporate Western New York. But what goes on inside makes it different. Here, a growing number...

40 Under Forty winners announced.
August 14, 2000... Business First's ninth annual 40 Under Forty honor roll offers proof that Western New York has a plentiful supply of young, committed leaders. This year's 40 winners -- all under the age of 40 -- are being recognized for their records of...

5th Coast.(Buffalo news briefs)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Thumbs up...to organizers and participants of the Hotluck Festival. The recent festival did more than promote spicy food, it reminded us that Buffalo is a diverse community with many ethnic variations. And some of the money raised went to the...

Opportunity lost.(John LaFalce should be a vice presidential candidate)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Once again, the Republicans and Democrats have made politics safe for middle-aged white guys. What we mean is, neither party's presidential nominee went far afield in picking their running mate. In particular: Richard Cheney was picked...

Grant to People Inc. provides training.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... More than 400 human services staff in the region will receive training on improving relations with consumers and cutting down on job-related injuries through a grant from the State Department of Labor. The $32,345 grant, awarded to People...

KeyCorp buys assets of mortgage company.(Newport Mortgage Company)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... KeyCorp., the Cleveland-based parent of KeyBank, which has major operations in Western New York, said it has agreed to purchase all of the assets of Newport Mortgage Company 12 of Dallas, Texas. The Aug. 7 announcement said the acquisition...

Bank of Castile plans to buy Mahopac bank.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... The parent of Bank of Castile plans to buy out the other shareholders of a Hudson Valley bank where it is a majority owner. Ithaca-based Tompkins Trustco, which owns 70 percent of $194 million-asset Mahopac National Bank of Mahopac, said...

Clarifications & amplifications.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
August 14, 2000... Regarding the Aug. 7th Health Care Systems list: Kaleida a 1999 net deficit of $7,981,000. The Catholic Health System reported net revenues of $424,199,000 and net expenses of $445,417,000. Exports from Ontario to New York State in...

Niagara charts new nursing course.(Niagara University)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Though its long-standing nurse education programs are ending next year, Niagara University plans to become a training ground for a new arrival in health care: the parish nurse. Next May, the Lewiston institution will host 25 registered...

Acquisition may double firm's output.(Science First, Trippensee Planetarium)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... Employment and revenues will double at Buffalo-based Science. First following the acquisition of a Michigan company. The company bought Trippensee Planetarium Co., a 90-plus-year-old manufacturer in Saginaw that makes astronomy models and a...

Developer plans to soon begin remodeling buildings.(Signature Management Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... Sometime this week, the first signs of construction and redevelopment of the former M. Wile Building on Goodell Street will be visible. Crews from Lehigh Construction will Begin interior demolition of the five story, 171,800-square-foot...

New company parks its business in region.(Pro Park L.L.C.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... A new parking lot firm, run by some familiar faces, has debuted in Buffalo. Pro Park LLC has secured the parking lot operations for several lots, including ones at 50 High St. near Buffalo General Hospital; Seneca and Pearl streets across...

Goodyear officials confident about performance of tires.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America Ltd. has never had a problem similar to what prompted the recall of 6.5 million Firestone brand tires, a company spokesman in Akron, Ohio, said. The Firestone tires are the focus of a federal...

Area HMOs fared well in state's report card.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Health maintenance organizations in the Buffalo region received high scores overall in a health plan report card issued by a national organization that measures HMO quality. The National Committee for Quality Assurance tested the three area...

Charter One pursues small business banking.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... Charter One Bank FSB has plunged into small-business banking in Western New York, a market where M&T Bank and HSBc Bank USA are the big established home town leaders. Going head-to-head against the Buffalo based banking companies doesn't...

NU master's program gains OK from state.
August 14, 2000... Niagara University received approval from the State Education Department for its new master's program in literacy instruction. The program, which will begin this fall, will include the most current theory and practice in literacy education....

Junior figure skaters on ice in Jamestown.
August 14, 2000... For the fifth consecutive summer a few hundred top junior figure skaters from around the country will converge on Jamestown for the annual "Skate Chautauqua." The competition features as many as 300 skaters and is ranked by the United...

Occupancy rates 'good'.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 14, 2000... At first glance June's hotel occupancy for Buffalo looks like a ho-hum affair with rates staying about the same between last year and this year. But remember last June the Buffalo Sabres were in the midst of the Stanley Cup run that saw...