Business First of Buffalo articles from January 1998

Business First of Buffalo archives from January 1998

Buffalo Bills owner predicts success for NFL franchise (interview with Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills franchise in the National Football League)(Interview)
January 5, 1998... "Are they sure they have the right Wilson?" asked Ralph Wilson when told he had been chosen as the "Most Influential Person in Western New York" by Business First. Right Wilson indeed There is no mistake that the only owner the Buffalo Bills have...

Friedlander's job is to make the hospital business healthy. (John Friedlander, head of CGF Health System)
January 5, 1998... Perhaps the most significant development in Buffalo's health-care industry in 1997 was the evolution of the CGF Health System. So it's appropriate that the person directing the coming together of three of the area's largest hospitals be...

Reach of the service sector touches many areas of life. (services industry in New York)
January 5, 1998... You can't escape it. Whether seeking computer software solutions or primary health care, buying home heating fuel or a hot dog at a game, the service industry stretches far and wide. And those who preside over it - presidents and CEOs of...

Benderson has a real touch for spurring city development. (real estate development projects of Benderson Development Co., headed by Nathan Benderson, in Buffalo, New York)
January 5, 1998... When Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello took office four years ago, one of his first priorities was to land more retail centers - especially suburban-style shopping centers - in the city. Masiello looked no further than 570 Delaware Ave., corporate...

Wilmers' quiet influence embraces WNY community. (Robert Wilmers, CEO of First Empire State Corp., in Western New York)
January 5, 1998... Robert Wilmers, who topped the Business First list of most influential persons in Western New York in 1995, ranks third on the new list. But the chairman, president and CEO of First Empire State Corp., parent of M&T Bank, has no less esteem....

Gioia brims with clout behind the scenes of power. (Anthony Gioia, CEO of Gioia Management Inc.)
January 5, 1998... His business holdings include three manufacturing companies with combined annual sales of more than $80 million. But Anthony Gioia does not get a No. 6 ranking on Business First's list of most influential people in Western New York or the top...

Bills near top of pack in annual fan survey: team's followers rank among NFL's best. (Buffalo Bills; National Football League)
January 12, 1998... Rejoice Cheeseheads! Just as the Green Bay Packers were toasted as champions of the National Football League this past year, now their green and gold clad fans have another reason to celebrate. The Packers' faithful overtook fans of the Denver...

Foreign markets key to Delphi profitability. (Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)
January 12, 1998... Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems posted a 5 percent gain in revenues in 1997 and improved profitability. All around, it was a solid year for Western New York's largest private employer, said Ronald Pirtle, general manager of a Western New...

Entrepreneurs struggle for success. (startup businesses in Western New York)
January 12, 1998... Melvin White has found that doing business with help from a national affiliate can be a hindrance. White is owner of WhiteCo. Enterprises, a company that distributes specialty data-phones that function as a telephone, fax and dataport for...

WNY health plans face few subscriber complaints. (Western New York)
January 12, 1998... Western New York-based health plans are among those with the fewest consumer complaints for 1996, according to a statewide ranking by the state Insurance Department. HealthCarePlan, in seventh place, ranked highest among area insurers with...

South Korean automaker opens 1st WNY dealership. (Kia Motors Corp.'s first dealership in Western New York at suburban Buffalo)
January 12, 1998... South Korean automaker Kia Motors Corp. opened its first area dealership in December and expects to have a second suburban Buffalo location in a few weeks. The Western New York dealerships are among 12 locations that Kia Motors America Inc.,...

Renegotiations at Mercy could reduce loss of jobs. (Mercy Hospital)
January 12, 1998... There's some hope for Mercy Hospital union workers threatened with a job loss. Nurses represented by Local 1133 of the Communications Workers of America began contract renegotiations Jan. 6 that, if successful, could limit the number of...

Customs brokers guide goods through the legal maze.
January 12, 1998... Goods, merchandise and products imported from Canada across the four international bridges to Western New York must first pass through a vast assortment of U.S. codes, regulations and inspections. A cadre of customs brokers on the Niagara...