Business First of Buffalo articles from January 1996

Business First of Buffalo archives from January 1996

Downtown is suffering from office vacancy blues. (Buffalo, NY)(Industry Overview)
January 8, 1996... The local office space occupancy story is a tale of two regions. To no one's surprise, office space in Amherst is hard to find. Based on Business First research, Amherst has a very healthy 91 percent occupancy rate. But taking that a step...

Harrison gears up for record sales. (Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)
January 8, 1996... When 1995's bottom line is tallied, Western New York's largest provider of factory jobs expects to register record sales and is poised to pass a milestone in 1996. Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, the Lockport-based auto parts unit of General...

Indicators are mixed on local economy's health. (Buffalo, NY)
January 8, 1996... Economists warn against expecting too much from the new year. They point out that the index of leading economic indicators is in a slump, the national unemployment rate is slightly up, and a recent Federal Reserve Board survey found a definite...

Bank of America expansion plans include WNY. (western New York)
January 8, 1996... Bank of America, which has visions of becoming the nation's first real "bank of America" with offices coast to coast, wants to create a branch network with suburban Buffalo as one location. The unfolding plan came to light in late December....

State judicial system courts legal alternatives to trial. (New York; alternative dispute resolution)
January 8, 1996... State courts in Buffalo and across New York are studying alternatives to settling issues in court. The statewide effort to expand alternative dispute resolution would put litigants before a mediator or arbitrator instead of a judge. It would...

State development chief wants to meet with Bills. (Charles Gargano, chairman of Empire State Development Corp.; Buffalo Bills)
January 8, 1996... The state's economic development chief wants to huddle very soon with Buffalo Bills officials about their upcoming lease negotiations. Charles Gargano, chairman and commissioner of the Empire State Development Corp., said as soon as the Bills...

Lake Ontario ferry includes service to Niagara County.
January 8, 1996... Youngstown is being considered as a side trip on a Lake Ontario ferry linking Toronto and Rochester. The Toronto city council has approved spending up to $100,000 to study the ferry plan and the tourism and fast freight markets. Rochester...

Buyer may keep Empire mortgage operation in WNY. (Empire of America Realty Credit Corp.)
January 8, 1996... Empire of America Realty Credit Corp. is negotiating with a potential buyer who would purchase the company's remaining assets and keep the mortgage servicing operation in Buffalo. Kenneth Wilson, who took over Dec. 29 when former President and...

$42 million offer by First Empire rejected by Orange County Bank. (First Empire State Corp.; MSB Bancorp Inc.)
January 8, 1996... A Hudson Valley banking company has rejected an unsolicited $42 million stock purchase offer from Buffalo-based First Empire State Corp. But one day after the proposal was announced, the major shareholder of MSB Bancorp Inc. said the quick...

Bus companies pick up riders stranded by NFTA cutbacks. (Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority)
January 8, 1996... The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's cutback in suburban bus routes is trickling down to Western New York charter companies. Following a 10 percent cutback in NFTA service on Dec. 24, Niagara Scenic Bus Lines Inc. added a cycle of...

Creating a seamless border. (A Canada/U.S. Accord on Our Shared Border)(Special Report: International Trade)
January 8, 1996... U.S.-Canada accord aims to ease crossings, reduce paperwork, cut costs A kinder, gentler border crossing experience is quietly in the works for Americans and Canadians seeking business, pleasure or commerce in one other's country. The goal...

BorderNET organizers trying to erase economic border.(Special Report: International Trade)
January 8, 1996... Librarians in the Business Information Department at the downtown Buffalo & Erie County Public Library have been asked recently about a new local initiative called BorderNET that pertains to Canada-U.S. trade and tourism. I talked with Robert...

Bridging barriers. (Access)(Company Profile)
January 8, 1996... Search for medical devices leads to entrepreneurship Who's who: Cynthia Hatalak, owner Kathy Kowalczyk, office manager Donna LaMastra, marketing director What's going on: The business sells medical equipment and tools for daily living...

How to get the customer to say 'yes, I'll buy right now.'(Sales Moves)(Column)
January 8, 1996... What do you say when the prospect, says, "I want to think about it." Nothing happens in business until someone sells something. You sell so the factory can produce the orders, so the copiers can be delivered, so the paper and paper clips can...

Software that anticipates the boss' next question. (Negotiator Pro for Windows; Process Charter for Windows)(Computers)(Column)
January 8, 1996... This column is about software for managers. We are not talking about your run-of-the-mill spreadsheets and word processors here, but real tools for both left-brainers and right-brainers. These will deal with the controllable and with the...

Private sector jobs decline in WNY. (Western New York)
January 15, 1996... In November 1994, International Imaging Materials Inc. chose Western New York over incentives offered by South Carolina. Had it not been for the help that the company received through Western New York economic development agencies and local...

Graphic Controls' purchase strengthens position. (Graphic Controls Corp.'s acquisition of Devon Industries Inc.)
January 15, 1996... Graphic Controls Corp. has embarked on a journey that could almost double sales within the next five years. The company has agreed to purchase a major manufacturer of operating room supplies and is considering two other purchases, including one...

On mean streets of Buffalo, they get the drift. (snow removal)
January 15, 1996... I didn't realize until later that I was dreaming in vivid Technicolor, watching the snowplows returning to the Broadway Garage to refuel, hearing the crews recount their latest exploits contending with drifting conditions at places such as Tifft...

In Lewiston, they're watching Hulk Hogan. (home video stores)(Industry Overview)
January 15, 1996... Behind all the clapboard, New England-style homes in Lewiston lurks a town filled with World Wrestling Federation fans. Just ask Video Factory Inc., the area's largest, locally owned video rental and sales outlet, which videos are more popular...

Small businesses growing source of union activity.
January 15, 1996... Private sector labor unions in Western New York added 592 employees through organizing drives in 1995, and Barbara Clark or Scott Chismar probably had coffee with most of them. Clark is organizing director of the AFL-CIO Hospital and Nursing...

Developer toys with uses for Fisher-Price complex. (real estate developer Roger Hungerford)
January 15, 1996... A portion of Medina's former Fisher-Price toymaking complex is starting life over again under a new name. Four tenants with 50 employees now occupy space in "The Olde Pickle Factory," a name that harkens back three decades to when H.J. Heinz...

Local HMOs score well in ratings by states, Fla. firm. (New York health maintenance organization; Weis Ratings Inc.)
January 15, 1996... [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] Subscribers of Western New York HMOs filed fewer complaints and got more for their money than subscribers of other health insurers in the state for 1994. Health Care Plan Inc. and Independent Health Association Inc....

Salamanca bank expands, changes name. (Salamanca Trust Co.)
January 15, 1996... Salamanca Trust Co. has rolled out an aggressive expansion strategy that includes new products and services, and a new name: First Tier Bank & Trust. The name change, which will become effective Jan. 15, is the second since the 115-year-old...

Video Factory chain hopes venture will be big hit. (Video Factory Inc.'s Hitz! outlets)
January 15, 1996... Hitz!, a no-frills video rental and sales store, will be making its debut this month. Hitz! comes from a solid pedigree. It is the latest brain child of the locally owned Video Factory Inc. and joins Zappers! in the Video Factory stable....

Appearances are everything to IRS' watchdog inspectors.
January 15, 1996... While driving a fancy car or living in a big house might send a message to some about your wealth, to an IRS inspector it could be a tip that you're living beyond your means. The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging its inspectors to be more...

Ellicottville manufacturer tools around on Internet. (Ellicottville, New York; Stride Tool Inc.)
January 15, 1996... Lori Northrup is using a new tool. The president of Stride Tool Inc. in Ellicottville is launching a virtual catalog, a location on the Internet to sell specialty hand tools. The project is run by Stride - and offers Stride's products - but...

Key Bank president champions change. (Key Bank of New York; LInda Duch)(Profile)
January 15, 1996... Linda Duch's road to the top began with part-time teller job at Erie County Savings Bank One can only imagine the imprint that Linda Duch might have made on the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau or the Dewey decimal system. A career in...

Office suppliers: if it's needed for work, Sofco-Mead has it. (Sofco Mead Inc.)(Small Business Handbook)(Company Profile)
January 15, 1996... Small Business Profile What's going on: The company distributes industrial papers and packaging, printing papers, office products, janitorial and food service supplies, and retail packaging. Three shifts keep the business running five days a...

Magical atmosphere lures in new, repeat customers. (Felissimo, Japanese-owned boutique in Manhattan, New York, New York)(Small Business Handbook)
January 15, 1996... Subtle lighting, haunting music, fragrant candles and tables laden with objects asking to be touched are just a few of the ways that Felissimo embraces consumers. The doorman-security guard smiles at customers just before the concierge offers...

Well seasoned: Ellicottville had added a bit of spice to its skiing reputation by adding events for spring, summer and fall. (Ellicottville, New York)(Special Report: Arts & Entertainment)
January 15, 1996... Ellicottville has added a bit of spice to its skiing reputation by adding events for spring, summer and fall Out of necessity comes innovation. Consider the community of Ellicottville where, despite the steady traffic at nearby ski slopes,...

'Adventures of Huck Finn' were almost 'Paradise Lost.' (Buffalo and Erie County Public Library)(Special Report: Arts & Entertainment)
January 15, 1996... Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain On May 12, a very important part of Mark Twain settled permanently into the downtown branch of the Buffalo & Erie County Library: The Mark Twain Room was...

Batavia campaigns to save city's last five-and-dime. (Batavia, New York; J.J. Newberry Co.)
January 15, 1996... The message on the "Stock Reduction Sale" signs that adorn the front windows of the J.J. Newberry Co. store in Batavia conveys an unmistakable and familiar message: Another tradition is about to bite the dust. Newberry's, a staple in downtown...

Salary issues, free agency cloud future of key Bills. (Buffalo Bills)
January 15, 1996... Along with Jim Kelly, they have been the cogs in the Bills offense, and now there is a high probability that the triumvirate will be broken up. Kelly is a definite to return, and Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed have expressed a desire to continue;...

Biography of Benderson chronicles a success story. (Nathan Benderson)
January 15, 1996... This is certainly not one of those unauthorized biographies. Clearly and simply told, the story of the rise of Nathan Benderson makes for a quick and lively read. A high school dropout, Nathan Benderson had started his own successful...