Business First of Buffalo articles from February 2001

Business First of Buffalo archives from February 2001

Suppliers feel impact of auto cuts.
February 5, 2001... Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems has pumped more than $2.27 billion into Western New York's economic engine during the last three years. That figure -- based on what the company says it spent in 1998 and 1999 and an estimate for 2000 --...

Little printer, big job.
February 5, 2001... A small Buffalo-area printing company has landed a big job from a giant in the world's financial services business. Sterling Sommer Inc. of the City of Tonawanda won the assignment to print the employee newsletter for all 14,000 HSBC...

Another new hotel across the border.
February 5, 2001... For Niagara Falls, Ont., it's the same old story -- but a good one. Another year, another wave of new development, this spearheaded by a Niagara Region developer, Michael Rudan, who wants to construct a $40 million (Canadian), 30-story,...

Commission report details blueprint for tax savings.
February 5, 2001... The "if" factor will ultimately determine if the recommendations from the "Who Does What?" Commission are followed through or end up with so many other studies, collecting dust on a library shelf. The commission, a byproduct of an...

Blaming the messenger.
February 5, 2001... A liberal columnist wrote that-George Quincy Bush hates the press and says bad things when he thinks the microphones are off. His Accidency blames the media for every bad move he's made since he tried to dance with Ricky Martin and his wife at...

New Penn trucking opens larger facility.
February 5, 2001... New Penn Motor Express has completed construction of a new trucking facility in Buffalo to serve greater Buffalo and portions of Western NewYork, Pennsylvania and southern Ontario. The new 55-door facility, on an 8-acre site on Transit Road...

TX RX awarded NYC subway contract.
February 5, 2001... TX RX Systems Inc. of Angola, a unit of Bird Technologies Group, has been awarded a contract in excess of $15 million to upgrade the communications equipment in NewYork City's subway system. The contract was awarded to TX RX by EA....

Dresser-Rand Olean wins pollution award.
February 5, 2001... Dresser-Rands Olean plant has been awarded the 2000 Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention which recognizes industry's efforts to protect the environment. Dresser-Rand reduced hazardous waste generation by 95 percent by retrofitting and...

Golf season is coming.
February 5, 2001... If your group has a golf outing planned, we'd like to publicize it for you. Just send us all the information including greens fee and sponsoring organization. This comprehensive listing of golf tournaments will appear in the March 26 golf...

Clarifications & amplifications.
February 5, 2001... The dates for the Auto Show at the Buffalo Convention Center were listed incorrectly in last week's paper. The correct dates are Feb. 7-11.

Irish TV producer to focus on WNY.
February 5, 2001... Western New York could find itself as the focus of several Irish TV specials. Duncan Stewart, producer and host of "About the House," a show on Ireland's RTE network and Discovery's "Home & Leisure Channel" in Britain, spent several days...

Lancaster club to start renovations.
February 5, 2001... For the first time since Lyndon Johnson was president, the Lancaster Country Club is giving a facelift to its main clubhouse. The country club is embarking on a $1.1 million renovation that includes construction of a 2,300-square-foot...

WNY could be in line for computer giveaway.
February 5, 2001... FleetBoston Financial is preparing to give away 3,000 new computers to low-to-moderate-income families in a pilot project that eventually could be expanded elsewhere, including Western New York, where Fleet operates. "(The project) is...

'Old' prescriptions make comeback.
February 5, 2001... Some Buffalo-area pharmacists are returning to the ages-old tradition of customizing prescriptions, hopeful that the specialty service will give them financial reward. Medications are tailor-made, or compounded, by changing the flavor or...

Study focuses on River Road parcel.
February 5, 2001... The River Road area in the Town of Tonawanda, a long silent neighbor in the region's economic development equation, is poised to be a new Northtowns focal point. A just-completed study by the Town of Tonawanda Development Corp. has...

Tops marketing deal boosts teem auto racer.
February 5, 2001... Through a marketing sponsorship with Tops Friendly Markets, a 16-year-old Lancaster High School junior is primed to accelerate his auto racing career. Tops and a number of its vendors have signed on to sponsor Joey Manko as his team...

Pro Park lands contracts for three lots.
February 5, 2001... Pro Park LLC has secured contracts to manage parking in three downtown lots. Pro Park, which was created less than one year ago, signed separate five-year deals to manage and run an 80-space parking lot on Washington Street near the...

It's no minor offense for storeowners.
February 5, 2001... Convenience stores are utilizing new methods and technologies to thwart minors attempting to buy tobacco and alcohol. Everything from zero tolerance policies to scanners that verify driver's licenses are being used. More than 1,000...

Royal Bank of Canada acquires Carolina bank.
February 5, 2001... The Royal Bank of Canada, which ran a commercial lending office in Buffalo from 1990 to 1992, says it will pay $2.3 billion in a stock exchange for a North Carolina bank. Centura Banks Inc., an $11.5 billion-asset banking company based in...

Federal housing panel carries links to WNY.
February 5, 2001... A recently convened Washington commission that deals with affordable housing issues is loaded with Western New York connections. The Millennial Housing Commission, which met for the first time on Jan. 23 and 24 has four locally connected...

Financial factors 'fair' for WNY health insurers.
February 5, 2001... Western New York's health insurers have been given "fair" grades for financial safety by a national rating agency. Analyses by Florida-based Weiss Ratings Inc. are based on studies of an organization's capitalization, asset quality,...

RSA still hiring despite layoffs at DaimlerChrysler.
February 5, 2001... DaimlerChrysler Corp.'s recently announced massive workforce reductions, which will result in 26,000 employees in North America being cut, will not affect Amherst-based Remarketing Services of America Inc., local officials say. RSA, which...

UB's Blue & White Club tackles $500,000 goal.
February 5, 2001... The University at Buffalo Division of Athletics has launched its annual scholarship fundraising drive with an ambitious goal of $500,000. The campaign was launched Jan. 31 and will run for five weeks. The Blue & White Club oversees the fund...

Image-conscious NFL faces super dilemma.
February 5, 2001... The post-Super Bowl talk centered on Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis and the decision by several companies to immediately pass on using the game's Most Valuable Player as a product endorser. The most notable national companies to ignore Lewis...

Super Bowl ratings score well in WNY.
February 5, 2001... The Super Bowl national TV ratings have drawn mixed reviews, with many observers noting the 40 rating was down from last year's 43 rating. The 60 share was the lowest ever for the NFL championship game. Still, it's estimated the game had a...

NFL Fields program benefits Buffalo.
February 5, 2001... The Emerson Park Football Field on Buffalo's East Side will share a portion of $2 million set aside by the National Football League to rehabilitate playing fields in 22 cities. The Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood Housing Services and the...

Lucky Dunkirk lad to assist NHL stars.
February 5, 2001... Dominik Hasek will be the lone Sabres' representative at this weekend's National Hockey League All-Star game in Denver, but one other lucky Western New Yorker will be close to the action, too. Christopher Messina, an 8-year-old Dunkirk...

Medical campus team tours Louisville center.
February 5, 2001... Two cities, aspiring to develop top-notch medical centers might find themselves both competing and collaborating with each other. As a group of medical and civic leaders from Louisville, Ky., and Buffalo finished dining in Louisville on...

Urgency surrounds medical campus.
February 5, 2001... With plans for a downtown medical campus being kicked into high gear by the recently formed Buffalo Niagara Medical Center group, Buffalo Place Inc. officials got their first look at the initiative. Thomas Beecher Jr., volunteer chairman of...

Box seats a suite deal for Darien Lake concerts.
February 5, 2001... Demand for corporate box seats has prompted operators of Darien Lake Performing Arts Center to add suites to the outdoor amphitheater. The Metropolitan Entertainment Group is adding 24 boxes to the 21,500-seat concert venue. Last year, the...

Anderson's plans restaurant on Niagara Falls Boulevard.
February 5, 2001... Custard's Last Stand has served its last customer, but that doesn't mean ice cream won't be sold from the Niagara Falls Boulevard site. Anderson's Frozen Custard Inc. has agreed to purchase the property and replace Custard's Last Stand...

State grant will be used to renovate landmark.
February 5, 2001... The state will contribute $250,000 to help renovate the home of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society's Museum in Buffalo. The building is the only permanent structure remaining from the Pan-American Exposition, held in 1901. "The...

Janitorial services.
February 5, 2001... Janitorial services Ranked by WNY employees Prior Rank rank 1 3 OneSource Facility Services Inc. 777 Sheridan Drive Tonawanda, NY 14150 2 2...

All ears.
February 5, 2001... Area employee assistance programs help workers at more than 100 firms Thirty years ago, if a bank teller had experienced a robbery on the job, it was likely she would be expected to deal with the postevent stress on her own. The same...

Helping workers get a new start.
February 5, 2001... Every year Michael Aquilina plays a role in helping nearly 200 people get specialized machinist training and find permanent jobs in the Western New York marketplace. An admissions/placement coordinator at the Metalworking Institute of WNY...

The press of business squeezes good health.
February 5, 2001... Seven-day workweeks from January through April are a fact of life for Lisa Kirisits and other area GPAs entrenched in tax season. Though she'll-typically put in 14-hour days Monday through Friday, come the weekend she takes a so-called break by...

Past bankruptcy not enough to deny work.
February 5, 2001... When Marlene Leary heard that Warnaco Inc. was hiring a new executive assistant, she thought she was a perfect match for the position. She had experience. She had references. She had the necessary qualifications. Having successfully completed...

American Beauties.
February 5, 2001... American Beauties held grand re-opening activities throughout January to mark its relocation from a 450-square-foot space on Eggert Road tb a new 1,000-square-foot store. Daily deliveries of long-stemmed roses account for 90 percent of the...

Flynn & Friends.
February 5, 2001... Flynn & Friends was named agency of record by court reporting company Jack W. Hunt and Associates. The advertising agency, founded in 1986 by Mitch Flynn, will provide creative services including new brochures, print ads and direct mail. The...

JWH Consulting Inc.
February 5, 2001... JWH Consulting Inc. was named a platinum reseller by Novell. Among the benefits the partnership will afford the company are additional technical training and support, sales training, enhanced licensing agreements and reduced response time....

Reciprocal Inc.
February 5, 2001... Reciprocal Inc. has partnered with Qpass to offer an integrated service for media companies and other content owners. The offering enables customers selling content through Qpass to use Reciprocal's digital rights management services to protect...

Kookalook Publishing.
February 5, 2001... Kookalook Publishing is releasing paperback and audio versions of "Sellout," a novella by company founder Brad Lockwood. The publisher, launched a new Web site in support of the book's release, where visitors may view, listen to or download...

Second City.
February 5, 2001... Second City, a new Internet publishing company, launched a Web site offering personalized and custom-made art from local artists. Offerings include family portraits painted from photos; poems composed for special occasions; and jewelry. Dina...

ee-plan.
February 5, 2001... ee-plan signed an agreement with Med-ibank Inc. of Birmingham, Mich., which will use ee-plan's Flex Convenience Card. The system allos participants in the benefits company's medical savings accounts and flexible spending accounts to pay for...

NetSetGo.
February 5, 2001... NetSetGo created business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce Web sites for Crosman Corp., an airgun. manufacturer. NetSetGo created the look, feel, navigation and overall user interface for the sites. Both feature improved...

Toski Schaefer & Co. P.C.
February 5, 2001... CPA firm Toski Schaefer & Co. P.C. completed the fourth successful quality review of its accounting and auditing practice, according to the standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Engineering Society of Buffalo Inc.
February 5, 2001... The Engineering Society of Buffalo Inc. invites scholarship applications from graduating high school seniors in Erie and Niagara counties who are interested in pursuing engineering or engineering technology degrees. The program makes six awards...

Trocaire College.
February 5, 2001... Trocaire College is offering a $1,000 scholarship to Infotech Niagara members or their employees who enroll in the college's associate's degree program in computer network support technology. Trocaire will also offer a 30 percent discount to...

HR Works.
February 5, 2001... The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies is offering discounts to clients who purchase affirmative action plans developed by HR Works. A management outsourcing and consulting company, HR Works produces training programs, employee handbooks and...

GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies Inc.
February 5, 2001... GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies Inc. has been purchased by its employees and is no longer publicly traded on Nasdaq. WIliam Beloff, a 26-year veteran of the company, is its new CEO. The conversion to private ownership was accomplished through...

Horschel Brothers Precision LLC.
February 5, 2001... Horschel Brothers Precision LLC has achieved certification to the ISO 9002 standard following a three-day audit by SGS ICS of Rutherford, N.J. The scope of the audit covered precision machining, post processing of parts and light assembly.

Susan Riley Design Inc.
February 5, 2001... Susan Riley Design Inc. now offers courtroom graphics service, creating visual support such as event reconstructions and floor plans. The company assists legal professionals with pretrial preparation and works with legal teams to determine the...

MORTGAGE RATES.
February 5, 2001... [] MORTGAGE RATES Conventional Fixed Adjustable Jumbo Lender (phone) 30 yr. 15 yr. 1 yr. 30 yr. Anderson Funding (662-8924) ...

NEW YORK METROS ECONOMIC RATINGS (JANUARY).
February 5, 2001... [] NEW YORK METROS ECONOMIC RATINGS (JANUARY) Albany-Schenectady-Troy *** Binghamton *** Buffalo-Niagara Falls *...

MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELD.
February 5, 2001... [] MONEY MARKET AND CD RATES-YIELD MM 6 mos. 12 mos. 24 mos. 48 mos. Cattaraugus County Bank 2.45-2.48 4.50-4.62 4.95-5.07 4.90-5.02...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
February 5, 2001... E-commerce and software company Fisher Towne & Associates hired Paul Bramkamp as executive coordinator of global operations. A Buffalo resident, he previously worked as a government consultant and Web adviser for the Boxlight Corporation of...

Engine plant expansion still on target.
February 5, 2001... Despite the auto industry's economic troubles, General Motors Corp. says it is forging ahead with plans for a new engine, production facility at its Town of Tonawanda manufacturing complex. "We are on schedule to have the new plant finished...

Ingram Micro Inc.
February 5, 2001... Ingram Micro Inc. has granted $25,000 to Everywoman Opportunity Center Inc. to award scholarships to Western New York women in need of employment-related assistance. The scholarship funding wilt serve up to 30 women in need of career and life...

Niagara University.
February 5, 2001... Niagara University has received a $2,500 grant from the Internal Revenue Service for the Tax Counseling for, the Elderly (TCE) program. Students enrolled in Niagara University's business program Will provide free free assistance.

Greater Buffalo Business.
February 5, 2001... The Greater Buffalo Business and Advertising Club has granted Meals on Wheels of Western New York $2,500 to fund the Birthday Remembrance Program for the 27th consecutive year.

Rocket science isn't exactly brain surgery.
February 5, 2001... I've heard enough about the abilities of brain surgeons and rocket scientists to last me a long, long time. I don't want to hear anymore. Think about it, and maybe you'll agree. How often have you heard this familiar claim? "You...

Businesses find way to survive.
February 5, 2001... It has been a while since anyone armed with even the most basic understanding of economics, accurately described the Western New York economy as robust, so the onset of a slowdown of the national economy should catch few area businesses...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
February 5, 2001... Gifts committee aids cardiac program We appreciate the January 15 article ("One year and counting for heart surgery unit") on the Catholic Health System's cardiac surgery program. We will continue to share more information with your...

Vision of the Future.
February 5, 2001... 2001 Winner Dr. Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted: Doctor, aviator, philanthropist As her age nears 86, Dr. Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted Ross, Buffalo's first female ophthalmologist, has her sight on the future with two goals in mind. Neither has...

Family Inc.
February 5, 2001... Working with parents, siblings and children can be a daily blessing The intertwining of family and business continues to be a dominant force in corporate America, as the sector represents an estimated 90 percent of modern. enterprises. ...

Auto industry finding positives.(Buffalo Auto Show)
February 12, 2001... Uncertainty in the auto industry gave added importance to this year's version of the Buffalo Auto Show, the annual kick-off for the spring selling season. "Without a doubt it will be more important than in the past couple of years," said...

Falls mayor's gamble spurs Ontario boom.
February 12, 2001... In a city known for honeymoons, the marriage between Wayne Thomson and Niagara Falls, Ont., remains as strong as ever. Thomson was elected to his seventh term as mayor in November, garnering some 84 percent of the vote. Thomson has...

United Way's Kaukus focuses on community.
February 12, 2001... Arlene Kaukus began her new job as president of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County six weeks ago, following the agency's most successful annual appeal ever, a campaign that raised nearly $20 million. She heads an agency that counts 50...

Feeling the heat.(energy costs)(Statistical Data Included)
February 12, 2001... Businesses grapple with energy costs Escalating natural gas prices are forcing businesses to make tough decisions. Some are raising prices or absorbing costs to avoid passing the increase to consumers. With six weeks of winter left,...

5th Coast.
February 12, 2001... Thumbs up ... to the John R. Oishei Foundation and the McGowan Scholarship Program for helping fund scholarships for minority students at Canisius College. The $650,000 Oishei grant will help fund a portion of the McGowan Program at...

On the Street.
February 12, 2001... On the Street Gov edition Subject Word on the street Pataki In sports talk (And why do people use it so often?), the incumbent has home field advantage. ...

'This is my town'.(local politics)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Coudersport, Pa., is 2 1/2 hours and several dozen egos southeast of Buffalo. Yet the two burgs are both feifdoms. John Rigas, who lived in Wellsville and Coudy, should have remembered that. The chairman of Adelphia and the Buffalo Sabres...

CVB elects Dandes to chairman's job.(Jonathan Dandes)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Jonathan Dandes, executive vice president for Rich Entertainment/Rich Products Corp., has been elected chairman of the Greater Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau. Vice chairman is David Hart, president and COO of Hart Hotels Inc.;...

Canisius names Fatta to entrepreneur post.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Angelo Fatta, the founder and former CEO of ACTS Testing Labs in Buffalo, has been named Entrpreneur in Residence at Canisius College. The new position was created by the Paul '38 and Rita Strassberger Center for Entrepreneurship at...

Golf season is coming.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... If your group has a golf outing planned, we'd like to publicize it for you. Just send us all the information including greens fee and sponsoring organization. This comprehensive listing of golf tournaments will appear in the March 26 golf...

Purple Eagles are Saturday night owls.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Call it Saturday Night Live, a Midnighgt Special or even Midnight Madness. You can bet the Niagara University men's basketball team had this weekend's home game with Iona College circled on the calendar. Not only were the Purple Eagles and...

Dot-com extends to world market.(WorldWebDex)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Kelly Fermoyle did a search last week on a Web yellow page sites. In her search through the apparel category, she came across a listing for refrigeration equipment company. "That was the kicker, the perfect selling point for us," said...

Transit Road plaza is next stop for BJ's store.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Deep discount behemoth BJ's s Wholesale Club Inc. has targeted Amherst-Clarence. Benderson Development Co. is working with Clarence officials to build a 108,523-square-foot BJ's Wholesale Club in the Eastgate Plaza on Transit Road. The...

Community Blue wins HMO enrollment race.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 12, 2001... Community Blue appears to be the winner of the membership derby following the busy fall enrollment period for area health maintenance organizations. The HMO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Western New York started the new year with 371,191...

21st Century Fund unveils favorites.(two economic development projects, one arts project and a cultural tourism project )(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... The next phase of the 21st Century Fund grant project has moved forward, with an evaluation committee narrowing the field to their four favorite projects of the 21 applicants. Committee members selected two economic development projects,...

New generation ATMs set for debut in WNY.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Five Noco Express Shops in the Buffalo area will be the testing ground this summer for a new generation of ATMs capable of more than just handing out cash. If the new machines prove to be the hot draw they are expected to be, the Town of...

Amherst-based collections firm adds 338 jobs.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... After weighing aggressive and handsome offers from four other regions, NCO Financial System Inc. has opted to double its work force in Amherst. The accounts receivable collections agency has decided to move into an 87,000-square-foot...

Tech firms, nonprofits vie for city jobs grants.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... For several months, Jeff Belt has been meeting with Realtors and talking with property owners in his search for a new downtown home for ACEN Inc., a dot-com business he runs serving the construction industry. Though it was incorporated a...

Venture capital boosts Chek.com.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2001... Executives at Chek.com had both good and bad news to report this weeks. On the heels of a just-completed merger uniting Chek.com with MyPersonal.com of San Francisco, the company announced a $10 million investment from several venture...