Business First of Buffalo articles from December 2000

Business First of Buffalo archives from December 2000

More cutting likely at Delphi.(Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)
December 4, 2000... Western New York's largest manufacturer took belt-tightening to another notch in 2000 and more cost-cutting will be needed next year. That is how Ronald Pirtle, president of Lockport-based Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, gauges the year...

Saratoga serves last entree to bargain-hunting bidders.
December 4, 2000... For the last time in its storied history, the Saratoga Restaurant made its final sale. The menu, this time, didn't include Porterhouse steaks, chicken scampi or stuffed sole. Rather, the items were the restaurant's menus themselves...

Productivity motivation snowed under by long layoff.(Buffalo, NY)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Productivity slowed to a crawl at many businesses in and around Buffalo when a major snowstorm and a national holiday landed days apart during the week of Nov. 20. And it really didn't pick up again until hours into back-to-work Monday on...

5th Coast.
December 4, 2000... Thumbs up unless Santa is very good to Buffalo this year, the Bills' season is in the tank because of the injuries to the heart and soul of the team's defense in Tampa Bay. (What is it about Florida anyway that tears elections -- and ankles and...

First in line.
December 4, 2000... It was a tough election season in 2000. And 2001 may be even tougher. All the signs point that way Literally. Just a month after the 2000 election season has (almost) ended, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Rick Lazio and Brian Higgins have...

State software groups form network.
December 4, 2000... With the rapid growth of the software industry in New York, regional associations have formed the New York State Software Network Association. Established in Albany on Nov. 17, the association will speak with one voice to public policy,...

Harold C. Brown to help nonprofits.(Buffalo, NY)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Harold C. Brown & Co. Inc., a Buffalo investment firm, will provide grants to agencies and associations that serve education, arts and the community. Guidelines are available by contacting Philanthropic Chairperson, Harold C. Brown & Co....

Women needed for Hall of Fame.
December 4, 2000... The Women in History Hall of Fame is looking for nominations of outstanding Western New York women, living or deceased, who have made an impact through a demonstrated commitment of service to the community. The award is to honor women who...

Corporate Caring and Health Care Heroes.
December 4, 2000... If you've scheduled your event for 2001, Business First would like to publicize it in the annual Corporate Caring Calendar to be published Jan. 22. Business First announces the second annual Health Care Heroes awards. Deadline for...

M&T not part of Albany bank deal.(M&T Bank, Hudson River Bancorp Inc. to acquire Cohoes Bancorp Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 4, 2000... In banking and other business, "no" doesn't necessarily mean never. Two months after Hudson River Bancorp Inc. and Cohoes Bancorp Inc. terminated one merger agreement, the Albany-area rivals announced a new deal: Hudson River will acquire...

Univera boosts premiums, adds drug benefit.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Univera Healthcare will increase premiums an average 15.5 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2001, becoming the third area HMO to impose double-digit rate hikes for the new year. The premium adjustment will affect the plan's 200,000 members in Western...

Storm brings few claims for auto, property damage.
December 4, 2000... Unlike other recent historic snowstorms, the Thanksgiving Week storm that blanketed Buffalo with more than 2 feet of snow left vivid memories but comparatively little destruction. Though there have been some reports of an above-normal rise...

Two WNY companies line up with QVC site.
December 4, 2000... Two area businesses are gearing up for what they expect will be an especially e-lucrative Christmas season. Lou-Retta's Custom Chocolates was selected by QVC to be the featured merchant on the home furnishings section of its Web site,...

Trucks power dealership expansion.
December 4, 2000... Jim Ball Pontiac Buick GMC has launched a $1.5 million project as part of the Orchard Park dealership's major move into the light-duty commercial truck business. Included in the expansion is a new 3,500 square-foot building adjacent to the...

HMO, Catholic hospitals like new contract.
December 4, 2000... Catholic Health System doctors and Independent Health officials expressed satisfaction with having reached an agreement in principle to their long-time contract dispute just prior to scheduled arbitration. The two sides announced their...

M&T listing added to Standard & Poor's index.
December 4, 2000... M&T Bank Corp. has been added to the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index. On Nov. 28, the day after the listing was announced but before it became effective at the close of trading, the volume of M&T stock traded -- 2.7 million shares --...

Election may keep bankruptcy reform on hold.
December 4, 2000... The events that wreaked havoc on the presidential election have made guesswork not only of who our next president will be, but of what will happen to bankruptcy reform legislation now at stake in the Senate. Bankruptcy filing rates have...

WNY progress report shows good, bad sides.
December 4, 2000... The first "State of the Region" progress report offers a mixed review of Western New York. The report, issued on Nov. 29 by the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth, notes the area has made several positive steps, but still...

Bank of Akron plans 2nd branch for Clarence.
December 4, 2000... The Bank of Akron is fanning out in Buffalo's eastern suburbs. The $126 million-asset bank has applied to state banking regulators for authorization to open its second branch office in Clarence. The location at 9865 Main St., would be...

Deal collapses for AdvanteXcel.com.
December 4, 2000... A planned merger between a Buffalo company with a Toronto Web hosting company has fallen apart. But the company remained optimistic that another deal will help bring in more than $1 million in revenues. Cheektowaga-based AdvanteXcel.com...

Microsoft program helps WNY Boys & Girls Clubs.
December 4, 2000... Boys & Girls Clubs in Western New York will receive new computers and software as part of a major gift from Microsoft that will benefit clubs across the country. Microsoft will announce Dec. 4 a new initiative to outfit every single club...

ECC, Jim Ball Pontiac sign naming rights deal.
December 4, 2000... Jim Ball Pontiac-Buick-GMC Sales & Service has secured naming rights to the football field/track at Erie Community College's south campus. Next fall the facility will be the home field for the ECC Kats football team. The sponsorship...

Sabres red jersey bringing in the green.
December 4, 2000... Unveiling a new "third" jersey right before the start of the holiday shopping season looks to be-a good marketing ploy by the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres became the 11th National Hockey League franchise to sport an alternate jersey which...

Bills' Rob Johnson joins exclusive club.
December 4, 2000... Rob Johnson has surpassed Doug Flutie on the Bills' depth chart and now he joins him and many more National Football League players, as a member of the "NFL Quarterback Club." Johnson, Oakland Raiders' QB Rich Gannon and Tennessee Titans...

Bank savings program targets foreign refugees.
December 4, 2000... The International Institute of Buffalo has received $800,000 over five years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will allow refugees to save money in bank accounts. The program will match federal dollars with a...

Stovroff takes new look and signs to Albany.
December 4, 2000... Real estate buyers in Albany will be seeing red in January. And white. And blue. And yellow. That's one more sign pointing to. Stovroff Realty's fast-rising presence in the Capital District. Stovroff, which earlier this year acquired...

Another good month.
December 4, 2000... October proved to be another good month for the local residential real estate industry. According to statistics released by the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors, home sales in October were up 5 percent from one year ago and the...

Buffalo Bills.(football player Pat Williams)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... * In just a few years, Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman Pat Williams has gone from free agent signee to one of the team's stalwarts. Now, Williams, who signed a long-term deal last summer, is making himself home in Buffalo. Williams...

Adelphia Communications.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... * To help promote its wide array of products and services, Adelphia Communications has opened two retail outlets in the past few weeks. The stores are in the Boulevard Mall and in the Lockport Mall. Customers will be able to sign up or...

Veridian, AAA market remote safety system.
December 4, 2000... On-board crash notification and remote diagnostic systems are some of the ways Veridian and Response Services Center LLC are working together to enhance transportation safety and fleet management. Veridian's transportation sector and...

Niagara Falls medical center launches campaign.
December 4, 2000... The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Foundation has embarked upon a two-year campaign to raise $750,000 to relocate and modernize the medical center's obstetrics and gynecology unit and develop a comprehensive women's health program. ...

Holiday Valley chalet ready for 1st ski season.
December 4, 2000... A $3 million chalet-style ski lodge, featuring a mountain-view lounge area that can accommodate large conferences during the off-season, is just days away from completion at Holiday Valley Resort. Yodeler Lodge replaces the resort's Middle...

City 'gateways' may be upgraded.
December 4, 2000... For years business leaders clamored for a more inviting gateway into downtown Buffalo. Now, they may finally be getting their wish. Buffalo Place Inc. officials said they are close to a deal with the state Department of Transportation,...

Endorsements follow new UB football coach.
December 4, 2000... National Football League coaches George Seifert of the Carolina Panthers and Al Groh of the new York Jets. Major college coaches like Tennessee's Phil Fulmer and Johnny Majors. Ex-college and pro star and Western New York native Darryl...

Canada tour operator targets WNY travelers.
December 4, 2000... Western New Yorkers dreaming of a Caribbean vacation won't have to drive to Toronto to take advantage of lower air fares. Air Transat Holidays has expanded its operations to Buffalo by offering vacation packages from the Buffalo Niagara...

Area business leaders featured on 20/20 program.
December 4, 2000... Two area business executives will be featured later this month on the television show "20/20" for their involvement in a unique leadership development program that includes visits to the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica. The Dec. 25...

Niagara YWCA seeks support for 'Habitat' home.
December 4, 2000... The YWCA of Niagara is soliciting funds and volunteers to help build a Habitat for Humanity home in eastern Niagara County. The agency is working with the Zonta Club of Lockport and Lockport's Habitat for Humanity on Barb's House, which was...

Stopping the RACKET.
December 4, 2000... Studies show that quieter offices are more efficient, happier offices Remember the days of typewriters chipping away, creating a symphony of noise? It wasn't that long ago. Office noise, once an accepted part of the daily work routine,...

Changes are brewing in many office kitchens.
December 4, 2000... "It's a nice bennie," said Jim Bisco, creative director at Creative Concepts of Western New York, a marketing communications agency in East Aurora. He wasn't talking about profit sharing. Or a 401(k) plan. Or the group dental plan. He was...

Investment doesn't ring as true as in the past.
December 4, 2000... Hanging up on investors? Not too long ago telephone company stocks were considered some of the safest stocks to own. They consistently paid good dividends and their stock prices rose over time. One such stock, AT&T, was considered a "widows...

Technology presents challenging new issues.
December 4, 2000... Sometimes it's easy to forget how dependent we are on technology working just right. Yet technology failures are inevitable. Indeed, we can expect more of them simply because we're increasingly dependent on technology. Whether effortlessly...

Exec sets sail in her own business.
December 4, 2000... Those who had college courses with Lynn Tranchell might be a little confused if they saw her on the job today. Tranchell, 44, now heads up her own computer company, Clear Ahead Computer Solutions, specializing in Lotus Notes and Domino in...

Technology changing real estate definitions.
December 4, 2000... Technology and change have become synonymous in many circles. This is particularly true for real estate owners, lenders, developers and analysts. When it comes to valuation methodologies, several emerging trends have become increasingly...

It's no contest, gimmicks bring in new customers.
December 4, 2000... You might say the proof is in the pudding when it comes to Internet service providers. That was BuffNet's message to summer fairgoers in Hamburg as company officials handed out free six-packs of pudding cups featuring the corporate logo....

Walter Simpson.
December 4, 2000... Walter Simpson, energy officer at the University at Buffalo and director of its UB Green office, was inducted into the Association of Energy Engineers' Energy Managers Hall of Fame. An Amherst resident, he developed Conserv UB, a program...

YMCA of Greater Buffalo.
December 4, 2000... Camp Weona, a resident camp operated by the YMCA of Greater Buffalo, received a Community Partner Award from the Epilepsy Association of Rochester and Syracuse. Camp Weona hosts groups from that organization's Camp EAGR every year.

Gabrielle Burton.
December 4, 2000... Writer Gabrielle Burton of Amherst was one of fivewinners of the 2000 Don and Gee Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Foundation. The prize was awarded for her script "The...

Gerry's Service.
December 4, 2000... Auto repair shop Gerry's Service of East Amherst was one of 50 companies nominated for the CarQuest Auto Parts Excellence Award; the winner will be announced late this year. Owner Bruce Weiss purchased the company four years ago.

George Maziarz.(senator gets award from Niagara Frontier Center for Independent Living)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Sen. George Maziarz received the legislative award from the Niagara Frontier Center for Independent Living. The honor recognized his efforts in supporting legislation to increase opportunities for people with disabilities.

L&M Financial Services.
December 4, 2000... Nine L&M Financial Services representatives attended a Nathan & Lewis Securities inc. conference for top producers. They are: Victor Anastasia, Vicki Cantor, Patrick Chapin, Steve DeMarie, Dan Jeffery, Arthur Kargen, Bill Pszonak, Bob Rosenberg...

David Braunstein.
December 4, 2000... David Braunstein, a financial planner with Saperston Asset Management Inc., attained executive committee status with American Skandia. The committee is an educational program for top planners.

Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart.(honors alumnae)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Three Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart graduates were honored as distinguished alumnae with the Christus Super Omnia Award: Carmela Anastasia Colucci '51, executive director of the Peter and Tommy Fund, a fund for children with pediatric...

Michael Powers.(attorney from Phillips Lytle Hitchcock Blaine & Huber LLP evaluated)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Michael Powers was among 14 attorneys from Phillips Lytle Hitchcock Blaine & Huber LLP's Buffalo office included in "The Best Lawyers in America 2001-2002," published by Woodward/White Inc. It was the first time Powers, a partner in the trial...

Eric Mower and Associates.(receives award)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Eric Mower and Associates received a Silver Microphone Award for work created on behalf of Eastman Kodak Co. and Nance's Mustard. The agency's Buffalo offices handled broadcast production for the projects. The award, which recognizes excellence...

Erie Community College.(receives award)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The Erie Community College public relations department received three District 1 Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. The department was recognized in the publications category for its 1999...

Anthony Tripi.(financial planner, Carroll Financial Services Inc. gets executive committee status at American Skandia)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Anthony Tripi, a financial planner with Carroll Financial Services Inc. in Niagara Falls, attained executive committee status at American Skandia. Membership in the educational program is performancebased.

Thomas Johnson.(Cheektowaga Councilman receives award)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Cheektowaga Councilman Thomas Johnson received the Greenway and Community Trails Public Service Award from the New York Parks and Conservation Association. The statewide nonprofit recognized Johnson for promoting the creation of the Cheektowage...

I'm happy with my present source. Well, maybe.
December 4, 2000... The prospect is not waiting by the phone for your call. Most people have what you're selling and are doing business with someone else. They have a source for what you do and they think they are happy. Satisfied. Good news: Satisfied people...

Eastern Niagara chamber honors three.(Walter Moxham Jr. of law firm Miskell & Moxham, Merritt Plywood Machinery Inc., Prudden & Kandt Funeral Home)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Walter Moxham Jr., a partner in the law firm of Miskell & Moxham, is the Eastern Niagara Citizen of the Year, sponsored by the Eastern Niagara Chamber of Commerce. Moxham was one of the original organizers of the Lyman Spaulding Fund,...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
December 4, 2000... NVS Interactive Media promoted Holly Golding to manager of publisher relations and Jennifer Patterson to assistant manager of publisher relations. Golding of Buffalo joined the company in 1993 and Patterson, Wheatfield, came on in 1997. The...

Porcelain 'smugglers' flushed with success.
December 4, 2000... Illegal aliens, drugs, liquor, Cuban cigars, china and other expensive housewares and clothing items... Those are the answers. The question? Exactly what contraband are the Customs inspectors looking for when they question people as...

Election shows need for reform.
December 4, 2000... In spite of putting men on the moon, developing critical disease cures and sustaining the world's most thriving economy, America can't seem to count votes or standardize its vote-counting process. And we still have to rely on the collective...

Economic development looking up.
December 4, 2000... Economic development efforts have improved considerably in Erie County. The announced successes this year of Adelphia, Southwest Airlines and General Motors Powertrain were achieved with regional cooperation among Erie and Niagara...

On the Street.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Science Grants.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MORTGAGE RATES.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

GREAT LAKES METROS ECONOMIC RATINGS (NOVEMBER).
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELDS.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Tops bags 10 supermarkets.
December 11, 2000... A deal between Tops Markets Inc.'s parent company and the distributor for a financially-troubled rival supermarket chain will see Tops increase its presence in northern New York state. Royal Ahold, Tops' Dutch-based parent company, has cut...

Young entrepreneurs venture out.
December 11, 2000... Tense moments passed Monday night as five teams of students anxiously awaited a selection panel's decision that could literally change their lives. The students, some of whom have never worked a real fulltime job, were competing for...

Balmy Buffalo gets a snow lob.
December 11, 2000... It might surprise the rest of the country, but Buffalo doesn't have the worst winter weather in America. Not even close. Mount Washington, N.H., endures the harshest conditions anywhere in the United States, according to new rankings by...

American Sales plans major expansion in Cheektowaga.
December 11, 2000... American Sales Co., for the second time in less than one year, is planning a major Western New York expansion. American Sales, a subsidiary of Royal Ahold and sister company to Tops Markets Inc., has signed a lease to take 280,000 square...

5th Coast.
December 11, 2000... How far away is Key West? The snow was falling at the rate of 6 million inches an hour when this was written last Tuesday. Hey, a clap of thunder just shook downtown! Oh boy! The peak of Mt. Washington looks like a garden spot right now....

Need advice? Call Herb Ausderau.
December 11, 2000... Herb Ausderau never won any popularity contests; Just ask him, he'll be glad to tell you more about his legendary crankiness. But if you want business advice, Ausderau is the man to see. He'll be recognized for his business counseling...

Empire zone wanted for parts of city.
December 11, 2000... Having found success with one Empire Zone designation, the City of Buffalo has begun lobbying efforts to land a second state-sponsored zone. Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello has started pushing state lawmakers for a second Empire Zone, a...

New owners take over landmark restaurant.
December 11, 2000... The Shebeen, one of Delaware Avenue's storied bar/restaurants, has closed but the venerable city landmark will reopen soon with new owners and The Red Room name. Four local businessmen purchased The Shebeen. They are William Paladino from...

Ontario expects jump in new employment.
December 11, 2000... Thanks a booming tourism-based economy in Southern Ontario, Niagara. regional officials are anticipating an estimated 50,000 new jobs in the area during the next five years. A survey, set to be released on Dec. 8 by the Niagara Economic &...

Hepatitis C program receives federal grant.
December 11, 2000... The Erie County Department of Public Health, has received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to expand its hepatitis C program to seven counties. "Hepatitis C is a growing public health concern, infecting more than 300,000 New...

Corporate Caring and Health Care Heroes.
December 11, 2000... If you've scheduled your event for 2001, Business First would like to publicize it in the annual Corporate Caring Calendar to be published Jan. 22. Business First announces the second annual Health Care Heroes awards Deadline for...

Clarifications & amplifications.
December 11, 2000... Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems spent about $290 million from 1996 through the end of October in capital investments at its Lockport site. The figure represents spending to date out of a projected $305 million to be invested over a...

Niagara chambers on brink of merger.
December 11, 2000... A single unified chamber of commerce in Niagara County may soon be a reality. Both the Eastern Niagara and Niagara Falls Area chambers formed a task force to design a single organization. A November retreat helped develop a plan, and...

Regional bank institute elects HSBC's Howard.
December 11, 2000... Theron Howard, a project specialist and officer of HSBC Bank USA, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Buffalo-based American Institute of Banking, Regional New York Inc. Howard, formerly vice president of finance,...

Delphi blames layoffs on declining auto sales.
December 11, 2000... Layoff notices for the first production workers being temporarily idled at Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems were expected to be issued Dec. 9. Fewer than 200 hourly employees will be laid off for at least one week, but the duration could be...

Parker leaving Sportservice.
December 11, 2000... Nancy Parker, the first female president of division, is leaving the food industry giant. Parker has been president of Delaware North's Sportservice Corp. since 1997, corning to the Buffalo company from the Winchell's Donut House chain....