Business First of Buffalo articles from December 1999

Business First of Buffalo archives from December 1999

Labor of Love.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Nonprofit wages rarely compete favorably with private sector More than once Richard Gehring has heard a click on the other end of the phone after telling a potential hire what the salary would be. The response doesn't surprise Gehring,...

Adelphia takes a 'swipe' at hockey fans.
December 6, 1999... The ticklish challenge facing communications companies entering into ownership of professional sports franchises is how to crossmarket those businesses. Adelphia Communications Corp. is launching a plan that will take a "swipe" at Buffalo...

Drug riders take big jumps at local HMOs.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Independent Health subscribers will be charged an average 7.6 percent more for health care coverage in 2000 than they are paying now. The number includes an average 9.9 percent hike in drug rider premiums. Independent Health last...

5th Coast.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Thumbs down Thumbs up ... to the state Thruway Authority for finally ignoring. Niagara Falls politics and erecting signs telling people how to get to the falls. These long-awaited signs along the northbound 190 finally clue people in...

On the Street.
December 6, 1999... On the Street James Harris Christmas giftedition Subject Word on the street Calendar This guy has a problem remembering dates. So he needs a calendar to keep in mind...

Saving the shopping season.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... It was a month before Christmas and in Western New York, not a bus went to the malls, not even in Dunkirk. For the lawsuits were nestled all snug in briefcases, while dusty cash registers cha-chinged only in rare places. The briefs...

Noco expands market for fuel distribution.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Noco Energy Corp. has again expanded its fuel distribution business with the acquisition of another company. Noco merged its distribution business with C.H. Colvin Inc. of Cherry Creek. Terms of the deal were not released. The merger...

Peace Bridge authority buys expansion parcel.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... As the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority continues to prepare for the expansion of the Peace Bridge, the authority has added another piece of real estate to its portfolio. The authority, on Nov. 19, acquired the Physician's...

Extra Mile opens offices in Erie and Maryland.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Extra Mile Transportation LLC, a provider of transportation services and logistics solutions, has opened offices in Columbia, Md., and Erie, Pa. Based in Buffalo, Extra Mile maintains a network of motor carrier capacity through contracts...

Delphi invests in Brazilian start-up.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Delphi Automotive Systems will invest $45 million in the start-up of a new Brazilian manufacturing plant that will produce high-efficiency automotive air-conditioning compressors. The compact variable compressor line is the same that...

MDNY ready to close operations in WNY market.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The doors might be closing at MDNY, the doctor-owned HMO that was born in Buffalo three years ago. A Health Department spokesman said state officials have met with MDNY officials regarding their intent to end business. The earliest the...

1999 surplus predicted for Newfane hospital.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Though most Western New York hospitals anticipate losses at the end of the year, tiny Inter-Community Memorial Hospital in Newfane expects to be in the black. The president and CEO of the 71-bed facility in eastern Niagara County believes:...

Ski slope owner on course for all-season development.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The new-owner of Hidden Acres Golf Course in West Falls has designs on making the property a year-round recreational facility. The Lore family, owners of neighboring Ski Tamarack, purchased the 9-hole, par-3 course on Route 240 from Robert...

Job is still an education for D'Youville president.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... You might think that someone who spends 20 years in the same job might get a little lax or bored with the task at hand. Sister Denise Roche doesn't think so. Roche, who is celebrating her 20th year as president of D'Youville College,...

HSBC closes in on acquisition of Republic.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The acquisition of Republic New York Corp. by the British parent of Buffalo-based HSBC Bank USA has moved a step closer to completion. Shareholders of Republic on Nov. 30 approved HSBC Holdings plc's $9.85 billion buyout offer of the U.S....

After 8 decades on Chippewa, M&T will close branch office.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... For nearly eight decades there's been an M&T Bank branch at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa Street. But that tradition ends next month, the victim of the bank's need for modern amenities in its branches. M&T officials...

Hospitals get some budget relief.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... Western New York hospitals will be spared more than $42 million in Medicare cuts during the next five years as Washington begins to address losses wrought by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The figure represents a partial restoration of...

Management team takes over Pearl Street Grill.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The local operators of the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery have exercised an option to buy the downtown restaurant from its Denver-based owners. An investment team, headed by Pearl Street's manager Nick Wesley, is finalizing a deal for 90...

Delphi contributors honored for work.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Thirty-one employees of Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems were honored recently for contributions in 1998 that the company calls the lifeblood of the organization. These include patents, publications and securing trade secrets for the...

Business association targets health costs.
December 6, 1999... The Niagara Business Alliance has joined a coalition of businesses and other organizations from across the state committed to stopping legislative mandates affecting health-care costs. The coalition, called the Employer Alliance for...

Class A office space fills quickly in Amherst.
December 6, 1999... Given all the items on the Amherst Industrial Development Agency's Nov. 19 agenda, it's not surprising that a routine sublease approval wouldn't generate much debate. This was a meeting where the IDA approved incentive packages to a number...

Olean chamber earns 5-star accreditation.
December 6, 1999... The staff at Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce may not be singing Tina Turner's song "Simply the Best," but they are feeling good about gaining national accreditation. The chamber earned a five-year accreditation from the U.S. Chamber...

NHL grasps for solution to dismal bottom line.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The cry of the poor? It seems most everywhere you turn there is a National Hockey League owner who will, almost willingly, say they are losing money. By the millions. Tens of millions according to the cable magnates here in Buffalo....

Million Dollar Nonprofits.(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... Million Dollar Nonprofits Tracey Drury Ranked by revenues Prior rank Rank (1998) Phone 1...

Percent of expenses devoted to services.
December 6, 1999... Percent of expenses devoted to services Buffalo Neighborhood Revitalization Corp. [*] 155.0% Buffalo Youth Employment and Training Program 99.0% United Cerebral Palsy of...

Year-end fund balances.
December 6, 1999... Year-end fund balances Buffalo Fine Arts Academy (Albright Knox) $64,479,497 Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. $38,957,161 Foundation...

Ahoy mateys.
December 6, 1999... Let the buyer beware, but let the non-buyer be downright panicked. That's the message that software manufacturers are sending to businesses and individuals who may have illegal copies of software on their computers. With pitch lines like...

Experts say don't measure PR impact by bottom line.
December 6, 1999... In a business environment that features increasingly sophisticated customers, aggressive competition and sometimes shrinking budgets, it's imperative to show tangible results from marketing and communications expenditures. Sometimes, that...

Technology lets travelers puts e-mail in the hand.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Guess what? The Next Big Thing in mobile telecommunications technology is, once again, quite small. But it packs a huge punch in efficiency. It's a two-way pager, which is more of a giant leap forward than you might expect. Two-way pagers...

New firms stamp out need for a post office.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... I thought it would be a good time to give an update on some of the more interesting companies that have held Initial Public Offerings. Some of the more popular companies having a recent IPO include United Parcel Service, Martha Stewart Living...

Courts reviewing non-competition clauses.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Restrictive covenants intended to limit the ability of a worker to compete with businesses remain popular. This is true at the beginning of employment, during employment, or at the end of employment. Such restrictions are used and enforced...

Air Force helped area woman's career take off.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... * SPECIAL REPORT FIRST PERSON If a straight line is the most direct path between two points, Amy Shantler-Wallis took several spins and loops in a career journey that led to her current position with the Center for Hospice and Palliative...

Firms will stay in the black when making color copies.
December 6, 1999... What Walt Disney Productions used to call "The Wonderful World of Color, to describe its Sunday night extravaganzas that most saw on black and white television in the early 1960s, is beginning to explode into the once prosaic world of office...

NFL SEASON-TO-DATE.
December 6, 1999... NFL SEASON-TO-DATE Team Dates Total Average Arizona Cardinals 6 354,453 59,076 Atlanta Falcons 5 293,300 58,660 Baltimore Ravens 5 343,631 68,726...

BILLS HOME SCHEDULE.
December 6, 1999... BILLS HOME SCHEDULE Game Season Sept. 19 vs. New York Jets 68,839 68,839 Sept. 26 vs. Philadelphia 70,872 139,711 Oct. 10 vs. Pittsburgh 71,038 210,749 Oct. 17 vs....

BILLS SEASON-TO-DATE.
December 6, 1999... BILLS SEASON-TO-DATE Home attendance (through 6 games) 1990-99 comparison (through 6 games) 1991 477,587 1993 476,489 1992 475,716 1994 472,258 1996 468,826 1990...

NFL'S LARGEST CROWDS.
December 6, 1999... NFL'S LARGEST CROWDS Bate Home team Visitors Crowd Nov. 21 New York Jets Buffalo 79,285 Sept. 12 Washington Dallas 79,237 Nov. 7 Washington Buffalo 78,721 Sept. 19...

Bion Technologies Inc.
December 6, 1999... Bion Technologies Inc. signed a contract with the Leo Dickson & Sons dairy in Steuben County for the design, installation and operation of a patented Nutrient Management System. The system will control odors and treat the waste from 1,000 cows,...

Buffalo Advertising Management.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Buffalo Advertising Management completed production of a television ad campaign for Custom Carpet Centers; a series of spots for Mineo & Sapio Italian Sausage; and an employee orientation video for Precious Plate Inc. in Niagara Falls.

Raymour & Flanigan.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Raymour & Flanigan now offers free in-home design service at all locations. The trained designers will help consumers create a custom look for one room or an entire home, recommending furnishings that fit within a desired budget. Areas for...

Martin Sanders CPA.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The Martin Sanders CPA website was recently selected as site of the week by Bizland.com. The Internet co-op noted that the small business consulting site's strongest feature is "Question of the Week," in which the CPA answers visitor's...

Conax Buffalo Technologies.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Conax Buffalo Technologies released a four-page, four-color brochure highlighting their line of temperature sensors and sealing assemblies for the semiconductor processing industry. Contact the company for more information on the brochure or to...

Accounting Group of Western New York CPA P.C.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Accounting Group of Western New York CPA P.C. now offers financial assistance, tax help and other services in cyberspace. Through its website, users can access information presented in an easily understood format. The site consists of almost...

Vibratech Inc.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Alden's Vibratech Inc. formed a joint-venture, limited partnership with STE Schwingungstechnik GmbH of Klieken, Germany. The venture, to be known as STE-Vibration-Technik GmbH & Co. KG, will target the truck diesel engine markets in Europe and...

Do you have the qualities of a master salesman?(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 6, 1999... Napoleon Hill is the author of the legendary Think and Grow Rich, has a rare book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life" (1939). This is the last of a four-part series' that will present the 28 Qualities the Master Salesman Must Develop. The...

High-tech investments at core of jobs program.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Gov. George Pataki signed into law an economic development program to fund the Jobs 2000 program. This and other bills recently signed by the governor are reviewed below: Jobs Bill S3B. Sponsor: Bruno Pataki signed a $522 million...

Junior League of Buffalo donating proceeds.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The Junior League of Buffalo has chosen the Theatre of Youth to receive proceeds raised from the 1999 Decorators Showhouse. The theater was one of 46 candidates. More than 2,000 people paid to tour the Buffalo Seminary Larkin House on...

Over 1 million small businesses ignore Y2K.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Up to 1.5 million small business owners won't take any steps to address the Year 2000 computer problem before Jan. 1, 2000, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The new estimate is based on an October Gallup...

Entrepreneurs form own public policy group.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Nearly half of all Americans have the wrong idea about who is responsible for the nation's economic growth, reports the National Commission on Entrepreneurship. A poll commissioned by the new organization found that 45 percent of the...

Independent inventors continue patent fight.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Independent inventors who oppose changes in the U.S. patent, system say they will continue their fight even though patent legislation was tacked on to the budget passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. Steven Michael Shore,...

Some small businesses get break on paperwork.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... Minority-owned government contractors can now pursue federally funded state and local transportation projects without going through an additional round of extensive paperwork and examination. The Small Business-Administration and the U.S....

National chain tunes in to WNY.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... A just-opened store hopes to strike, a chord with, musicians. Music Go Round, a national chain that specializes in selling used instruments, opened its first Western New York store recently. The store is leasing 3,000 square feet in the...

UB school, Motorola offer MBA in China.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The University at Buffalo School of Management has been selected by Motorola to create an executive MBA program for its customers and employees in China. The two-year program will be offered in Beijing at Motorola's in-house university,...

Meeting studies future of downtown growth.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... What should be a priority for downtown Buffalo development? New convention center or the Inner Harbor? What will it take to get more interest from people who want to live in or near the central business district? Is downtown safer today than it...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
December 6, 1999... CPA Leo Bradley was named to the board of directors of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. He is a partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP. Elwood Specialty Products appointed Ann Hagan as secretary/treasurer; Barbara Mulvenna as director of...

Statewide employment trends.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... Construction remains the strongest of the seven employment sectors across the state. The number of construction jobs in New York increased by 6.9 percent between October 1998 and October 1999. The service sector was second with a growth rate of...

Upstate employment growth.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... The employment base in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls region is growing at a slower pace than the job bases of upstate's four other major metropolitan areas. Utica-Rome led the way with a 1.5 percent gain between October 1998 and October 1999. The...

BUSINESS FIRST ECONOMIC INDEX.(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... BUSINESS FIRST ECONOMIC INDEX Quarter Index 3rd 1999 1,216 2nd 1999 1,242 1st 1999 1,264 4th 1998 1,210 3rd 1998 1,226 The Business First Economic Index tracks the level of business activity in Erie and...

LOCAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS.(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... LOCAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS Indicator Period Total 1-year trend Business bankruptcy filings (per week) Oct. 6.5 -4.4% Construction contracts (total in 2...

BUFFALO-NIAGARA FALLS METRO EMPLOYMENT.(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... BUFFALO-NIAGARA FALLS METRO EMPLOYMENT Current 1 year ago 2 years ago 5 years ago Sector Oct. 99 Oct. 98 98-99 Oct. 97 97-99 Oct. 94 All nonfarm jobs 554,200...

STATE ECONOMY.(nonfarm job statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... STATE ECONOMY Nonfarm jobs Change since Metro area Oct. 99 Sept. 99 Oct. 98 Sept. 99 Oct. 98 Albany 448,500 444,700...

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES.(statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 6, 1999... UNEMPLOYMENT RATES County Oct. 99 Sept. 99 Oct. 98 Allegany County 5.9% 6.5% 6.2% Cattaraugus County 5.7% 6.2% 6.1% Chautauqua County 4.2% 4.4% 4.6% Erie County ...

MORTGAGE RATES.(statistics)(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... MORTGAGE RATES Fixed Adjustable Lender(phone) 30 yr. 15 yr. 1 yr. 3 yr. Alliance Mortgage Banking (684-5020) * ...

LOCAL STOCKS AND LARGE EMPLOYERS.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... LOCAL STOCKS AND LARGE EMPLOYERS Company Nov. 30 Acme Electric 5.94 Alpha Bytes 5.50 American Precision 10.88 Aria Wireless Systems 0.19...

MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS.
December 6, 1999... MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS MM 6 mos. 12 mos. 24 mos. 48 mos. Bank of Akron * * * * * Bank of Castile 2.75-2.78 4.15-4.24...

Will anyone mourn the last call for 716?(discusses plans to change Buffalo's area code)(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... "What about our area code?" a man asked me the other day. It was easy to see that he was agitated. "What about it?" "They may be taking it away from us and giving it to Rochester," he said. I knew that much already, but was I...

Nonprofits' execs are worth their pay.(discusses low pay in the nonprofit industry)(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... The time has come to shed, the misconception that people in the nonprofit sector don't deserve to make a lot, of money. Certainly the altruistic value of a job, whether in the private, public or nonprofit sector, can define the values of a...

The Microsoft case is starting to smell.(Brief Article)
December 6, 1999... I could have saved Americans a ton of cash if the Feds would have thought to ask me whether or not Microsoft is a monopoly. I was ready to serve my country on the cheap. As payment, I would have asked for nothing more than a box of Hostess...

UB athletics scrambles to repair image.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... This is not the publicity the University at Buffalo was seeking in its "Run to Division I." The Bulls' football team did not win a game this autumn and on most Saturdays was not competitive with its opponents. At nearly the same time...

Marketing a champion.(Joe Mesi, professional boxer)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Business supporters rally around boxer Joe Mesi "And in this corner, from Buffalo, New York, the heavyweight champ-een of the world..." Those words have a nice ring to them. And if "Baby" Joe Mesi has his way, we'll soon be hearing...

Area HMOs embrace alternative treatments.(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Western New York is the latest area health insurer to accept alternative medicine as a complement to traditional treatment. Beginning in February, the insurer will offer discounts for acupuncture, massage...

5th Coast.(Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Williamsville toll barrier)(Brief Article)
December 13, 1999... Thumbs up ... to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for plans to record and release four CDs, featuring classics by American composers. This is the first recording contract the orchestra has had in about 20 years and is a great way to show...

On the Street.
December 13, 1999... On the Street Wonderful World of Al Gore Invention & Discovery Edition Subject Word on the street Falls airport "There was a runway right under our plane com- ing into Niagara...

'He knows ...'.
December 13, 1999... Santa knows if you've been bad or good, but the rest of us need help. Actually, we really need help figuring out what gifts to buy people, regardless of their naughtiness or niceness. That's why some shopping centers in California have hired...

Gibraltar Steel Corp. acquires Florida firm.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Gibraltar Steel Corp. has made another acquisition, the Buffalo specialty steel company's ninth in the last two years. Hughes Manufacturing Inc. is a Largo, Fla.-based manufacturer of highly engineered steel lumber connectors. Terms of the...

Seminars offered on Pan-American Expo.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Erie Community College and the Buffalo and Erie County-Historical Society have partnered to offer seminars this spring on the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition. The historical society received a $25,000 National Endowment for the Humanities...

EPA fines Calspan SRL for federal violations.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Calspan SRL Corp., a division of Veridian Corp., has been charged by the Environmental Protection Agency with five counts of mismanaging PCBs at its Genesee Street facility. The company, which houses a wind tunnel research and testing...

Clarifications & amplifications.
December 13, 1999... Turner/Carroll High School, ranked 15th on the November 29th Private Secondary Schools list, is a coed school.

Quinn returns with high-tech venture.(Larry Quinn's Head Gear Company Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Larry Quinn, the man who played a key role in downtown's early 1980s development boom and later was the pointman for Marine Midland Arena, is looking to launch a new career in Buffalo. Quinn is working with city officials on having his...

UB benefactor opens doors to Butler Mansion.
December 13, 1999... For years the University at Buffalo has promised to have a larger presence in downtown Buffalo. UB, through a deal worked with one of its biggest benefactors, now will work out of one of the city's most prestigious addresses. Jeremy Jacobs...

Site redevelopment is next for Tonawanda property.(New York)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... For years Town of Tonawanda officials had the demolition of long vacant grain mills just off Military Road on the top of their economic development wish list. The town's wish has come true. In a Dec. 6 ceremony, the demolition of the...

African-American initiative boosts minority business.(Office for Urban Initiatives Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... African-American business executives began their day Wednesday by gassing up their cars at Colston's Mobil Gas Station and followed it with breakfast at Mattie's, a 20-plus-year-old restaurant on Buffalo's East Side. The idea was to lead...

Reduced-price packages boost NHL ticket sales.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... The absence of star players such as Alexei Yashin and Keith Primeau, not to mention the retired Great One, Wayne Gretzky, isn't all that's missing from National Hockey League games this season. In many cities there again is an early season...

ECC offering course in computer programming.(Erie Community College)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 13, 1999... Erie Community College will offer a new computer programming course in the spring semester as part of the new computer information systems degree requirement. It is also available as a professional development tool. The 15-week visual...