Business First of Buffalo articles from January 1997

Business First of Buffalo archives from January 1997

Buffalo football fans among league's best. (Buffalo Bills fans ranks 3rd in NFL fan support survey)
January 27, 1997... Annual survey ranks Bills 3rd Being a fan of a professional football team sure isn't what it used to be. Once upon a time, all one had to do was buy a ticket, don the team colors and trek to the stadium. Now, it's not so simple. Loges rim...

Charge it: credit card use soars.
January 20, 1997... Banks expect surge in fraud as customers get holiday bills Holiday gift-buyers who charged with plastic instead of paying in cash pushed national credit card purchases in the recent shopping season 25 percent above the 1995 figure. Fraud...

New terminal has WNY feel. (Western New York terminal in Greater Buffalo International Airport)
January 20, 1997... Coming to an airport terminal opening near you: Herman Fisher meets Frank Lloyd Wright and the two shake hands over a cash register. As the $168 million upgrade of the Greater Buffalo International Airport moves toward a long winter of...

No stopping Tops' growth in N.Y., Ohio. (Tops Markets Inc.)
January 20, 1997... The motto for Tops Markets Inc. is it "never stops." Whether store expansion, upgrading existing stores or moving into new markets, Tops isn't stopping. At the center of that growth is Lawrence Castellani, the chain's president and chief...

Local HMOs near top of health plan ranking. (health maintenance organizations in Western New York)
January 20, 1997... Western New York-based health plans have placed among those with fewest consumer complaints, according to a statewide ranking by the state Insurance Department. HealthCarePlan, in fifth place, ranked highest on the list among area insurers...

Bigger is better for NationsBanc mortgage division.
January 20, 1997... Get big or get out. That was the choice when NationsBanc Mortgage Corp. and KeyCorp opted to take opposite strategic paths for their mortgage servicing businesses in 1995. KeyCorp got out. The decision enabled Charlotte, N.C.-based...

Buffalo cheese producer selling packaging plant. (Sorrento Cheese Co. of Buffalo, New York)
January 20, 1997... Sorrento Cheese Co. Inc. is selling its Clinton Street packaging plant and consolidating production, research and development work there into a $3 million expansion at the company's flagship plant on South Park Avenue. All the approximately...

Gazette attracting interest among prospective buyers. (Niagara Gazette)
January 20, 1997... Now that two Western New York daily newspapers have new owners, the remaining question is: Who will buy the Niagara Gazette? Gannett Co. Inc., the Arlington, Va.based media giant, put the 26,500-circulation Niagara Falls paper on the market...

Spurned WNY hospitals campaign against Advantage. (drive against Community Blue's Advantage option by Western New York hospitals)
January 20, 1997... Hospitals not included in Community Blue's Advantage option are sending a message of caveat emptor to the communities they serve. They want to remind Community Blue subscribers that if they opt for Advantage, they could incur additional...

Blues, North American introducing Medicare managed care products. (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York Inc.; North American Administrators Inc.)
January 20, 1997... Two more area HMOs will offer managed care programs for Medicare recipients this year. Both Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Western New York Inc. and North American Administrators Inc. expect to have programs ready for the area's...

Perry's hopes new flavors will take market by storm. (Perry's Ice Cream Co. Inc.)
January 20, 1997... Call it a marketing effort that went a little overboard. Call it a coincidence. OffiCials at Perry's Ice Cream Co. Inc. in Akron deny reports that their marketing department had anything to do with the foot-plus of snow dumped on the area...

Proposed law would give seniors property tax break.
January 20, 1997... There's a movement afoot in Erie county Hall to come up with a new residential tax relief program for senior citizens. A proposal presented by Legislator John Greenan, R-West Seneca, is moving through County Hall. It would, in some cases,...

Former UB star wins right-to-work for NCAA athletes. (National Collegiate Athletic Association rules challenged by University at Buffalo's Bridget Niland)
January 20, 1997... As a star runner in 1993, Bridget Niland led the University at Buffalo women's cross country team to a conference championship, winning the 5-kilometer race. This week, she culminated a long distance chase of another kind at the National...

Popularity of condos, patio homes growing in WNY. (Western New York)
January 20, 1997... What's the difference between living in a single-family house rather than a town-house or condo? Just look at last weekend's snowstorm. While homeowners were wrestling with shovelling nearly two feet of snow, condo owners were watching...

High-tech training: firms teach a new generation of office workers how to work.
January 20, 1997... The technology revolution has brought a proliferation of high-tech gadgets and equipment into the office. Just 20 years ago, the most technical equipment in an office was probably a typewriter or a copying machine. Today's offices are filled...

Firms take the wraps off casual wear at the office.
January 20, 1997... Mirroring a national trend, Western New York companies are increasingly opting for a more casual workplace. Casual, that is, in terms of dress codes. Instead of the rigid power suits of the 1980s, the 1990s is the decade of business casua....

IRS counts on computer expert for help. (Tommy McClam)
January 20, 1997... Tommy McClam can still laugh about the phone call, although it has been a few years since he's had to answer one like it. It was the kind of call most any computer person fields at least once, something like "My screen says press any key, but...

Rule of the office is to get it on paper. (paperwork)
January 20, 1997... Whatever happened to the paperless office - a wonderful work environment where everyone uses computers and other electronic tools to handle most business tasks without reducing anything to writing? "It was predicted in the early 1980s that by...

Consultants can stick to the web when looking for business. (business consultants)
January 20, 1997... In the world of consulting, it would appear there is at least one truism: It's easy to say you are a consultant, much harder to find someone to pay you to consult. But in the recent past many consultants have found the key to success is just...

Improvement by Sabres comes despite makeover. (Buffalo Sabres hockey club)
January 20, 1997... As the Buffalo Sabres continue to challenge for first place in their division, the interest level of their fans increases. Instead of just counting the days until spring arrives - somewhere around Memorial Day - area hockey fans are banking on...

Perception of WNY winters seldom equates with reality. (Western New York)
January 20, 1997... Each joyous, happy and healthy new year is accompanied by the grim feeling of apprehension that grips newcomers about to endure their first winter in Buffalo. What can be said to counsel them and prepare them for the months ahead? We all...

Marine banks on WNY for service center. (Marine Midland Bank; Western New York)
January 13, 1997... Mortgage unit consolidation prompts search for new site Western New York apparently has emerged as the first choice for Marine Midland Bank's consolidated mortgage servicing operations center. Marine Midland had been considering sites in...

Peace Bridge ready to go high-tech. (US-Canada border crossing)
January 13, 1997... A test of the nation's first high-tech non-stop border crossing is coming to the Peace Bridge, bringing with it business for Calspan SRL Corp. and Mark IV Industries Inc. The Buffalo and Fort Erie Bridge Authority has awarded Calspan a $2.1...

Credit unions hope to gain new members.
January 13, 1997... Many of the nation's and Western New York's largest credit unions got a Christmas Eve present in the form of a go-ahead to again roll out the welcome mat to thousands of new members. But the girl could be short-lived. If, as expected, the...

Government sector employment continues to decline.
January 13, 1997... When the City of Niagara Falls eliminated the sanitation department this month, the workers joined a not-so-exclusive club of former government employees. Many former Niagara Falls workers moved to the private sector, hired by Modern...

Retailers hope tax holiday brings shoppers to stores.
January 13, 1997... Shoppers will enjoy a sales tax reprieve as part of an experimental tax holiday in the state Jan. 18-24. The sales and use tax suspension was initiated by the state Legislature and the Department of Taxation and Finance in an effort to spur...

Technology born in Buffalo heads for space. (Advance Refractory Technology Inc.'s Dylyn film)
January 13, 1997... As the space shuttle Atlantis pushes toward a planned weekend rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir, it will carry a test of specialized coatings developed in Buffalo by Advanced Refractory Technology Inc. (ART). The shuttle is...

Hospice groups enter managed care era.
January 13, 1997... Executive directors of Western New York's hospices say their organizations are poised to perform in the cost-saving environment of managed care. "We're the originators of managed care in a lot of respects. We arrange all the care of...

Eckel's real estate market blossoms on Florida coast. (David Eckel's Wagner Realty and Kevin Levins Realty)
January 13, 1997... The Anna Maria Island/Long Boat Key area of Florida is taking on a Buffalo flavor. The reason is the growing presence of former Stovroff & Herman Inc. partner David Eckel. About 18 months ago Eckel bought Wagner Realty on Anna Maria Island...

Down in front: Angola company keeps you in your seat at the ballgame. (Angola, NY-based Seating Services Inc.)(Small Business Handbook)(Company Profile)
January 13, 1997... When it comes minor league baseball success stories, the Bisons aren't the only area franchise tale to tell. The American Association team has built quite a reputation for, ahem, putting fannies in the seats at North AmeriCare Park. There is,...

'Suited for Science': there's no disguising this educator's love for teaching. (Buffalo State College professor Donald Birdd)(Special Report: Education & MBA's)
January 13, 1997... Donald Birdd can be a primitive man, but he's no outdated science teacher. If you ask, he'll be a clown, pirate, super hero, bat or zebra mussel. He can be a globe or a water drop, a volcano or a butterfly. He'll be almost anything you want....

Area colleges must manage right mix in MBA programs. (Western New York)(Special Report: Education & MBA's)
January 13, 1997... Before you sign up for an MBA program, pay the tuition and work the classes into your schedule, make sure you know who will be at the front of the classroom. Experts say MBA programs should be taught by a diverse faculty with the highest...

Experts say save now to help pay kids' college bills.(Special Report: Education & MBA's)
January 13, 1997... One minute you're shaking a rattle in front of your child, the next you're handing over the car keys. Or so it seems. That's why experts strongly advise parents to start saving as soon as possible for college education. Eighteen years can...

Career path could hinge on designing an education.(Special Report: Education & MBA's)
January 13, 1997... Robert Ostrander knows employers need workers to hit the ground running. He has the drawings, scribbled down during his 1963 job interview at Fisher-Price Inc., to prove it. In the last step before he became a toy designer for the East...

Count on a game for help solving challenges of math.(Special Report: Education & MBA's)
January 13, 1997... Here's a tricky math problem: How do you help urban schoolchildren, some with below-average academic skills, develop the math skills they'll need to function effectively in the 21st century and have fun while they learn? Conrail Inc. has a...

Levy remains a constant as Bills begin to rebuild. (football coach Marv Levy; Buffalo Bills)
January 13, 1997... He is the winningest coach in franchise history. He has, in the judgment of many, cemented his credentials for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by leading his team to an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Short of Canton, Ohio,...

Erie County tops '97 influence list. (county government administration)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... THE 100 The Rath Building is not the tallest building in Western New York. Nor is it the area's most architecturally interesting or historically significant structure. But it is the most powerful one. County Executive Dennis Gorski runs...

Albright-Knox, Maid of the Mist are known around the world. (Albright-Knox Art Gallery)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... If they were trees, they would be redwoods. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Maid of the Mist Corp. not only influence Western New York, but serve as national and international ambassadors. "Albright-Knox is a world-class institution," says...

Auto industry dominates WNY manfacturing base. (Western New York)(General Motors Corp.)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... General Motors Corp. is the biggest provider of private sector jobs in Western New York. That is why GM, the world's largest car-maker and also the biggest corporation, places near the top (No. 3) on our list of 100 most influential...

Region's leading non-profits assume leadership roles. (United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, People Inc.)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... Successful nonprofit organizations sometimes have a problem: It's difficult to define exactly who they serve. Organizations like United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, People Inc. and Clarkson Center serve a wide range of people and have been...

Powerful 'Midas touch' propels Benderson fortunes. (industrial real estate developer Benderson Development Co. Inc.)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... The influence of Benderson, Development Co. Inc. isn't a black and white issue. It's red and white. Those are the colors of their signs in virtually every neighborhood and hamlet in Western New York. In Niagara Falls, Benderson took a...

Loyalty produces influence for Buffalo News, WKBW. (newspaper, WKBW-TV station)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... Numbers only tell part of the story. Any look at how influential the media are in Western New York will include dry numbers such as newspaper circulation figures and broadcast ratings, but what can't be easily measured are factors such as...

Financial clout, leadership earn ranking for 6 banks. (First Empire State Corp.)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... "He who controls the purse holds power and an importance above his peers." The originator of the saying is not precisely known. But its self-evident truth explains in part why Western New York's major banks rank so high among influential...

County wields influence in wide range of venues. (Erie County, New York)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... To many, County Executive Dennis Gorski symbolizes Erie County, but the breadth of the county's impact can be found on virtually every street and corner. The county's tentacles range from social services programs to daily infrastructure...

When it comes to influence, you just have to wing it.(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)(Column)
January 6, 1997... Influential organizations? Sure, I know all about them. I deal with them every day. I've worked for them. I've observed them long enough so that I believe I understand what makes them different. I took an advance look at the list and I...

Service sector companies touch our everyday lives. (Tops Markets Inc.)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)
January 6, 1997... When we think of services that are influential, we consider how certain services affect us personally. Utilities such as telephone, gas and electric play major roles in our everyday lives, thus the importance of companies such as Nynex,...

Hungry? Horseradish will add zip to your lips. (Moss Foods Co.)(Small Business Profile)
January 6, 1997... Moss Foods Co. 149 Roosevelt Drive * Lockport, NY Phone: 622-2999 * Fax/answering service: 433-3333 What's going on: Moss Foods Co. imports Terry's brand horseradish from Canada for distribution in the Northeast. The regular, extra hot, hot...

Skilled worker shortage fails to meet demand.
January 6, 1997... WASHINGTON - A shortage of qualified technology workers around the country is driving up wages, impacting college curriculums and separating the nation's true tech centers from the also-rans. After a bitter struggle to make their products...