Business First of Buffalo articles from March 2000

Business First of Buffalo archives from March 2000

UB's money is on a new Children's.(University at Buffalo; Children's Hospital of Buffalo.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The University at Buffalo medical school wants Children's Hospital of Buffalo to be on High Street, so to make that happen UB has pledged $45 million to $65 million. UB's interest ups the ante in the debate about whether the Kaleida Health...

Rising fuel costs worry car dealers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Following fresh on the heels of record industry sales in 1999, Western New York auto dealers were expecting another good year. But some dealers now worry that a 57 percent run-up in gas prices at the pump over the last 13 months and the...

Ontario makes pitch for convention center.(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Niagara Falls, Ont., is making a push to be ground zero for the convention market. Niagara Falls leaders, including Mayor Wayne Thomson and Tony Zappitelli, owner of the Sheraton Fallsview hotel, are leading an effort to construct a...

Against all odds.(Laszlo Meszaros' life and career.)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... VTG sale to Intel continues Meszaros' remarkable career There was just one telephone in the small town where Laszlo Meszaros grew up in Hungary. And that was about the most technical piece of equipment around. He had never seen a...

Thumbs up.(Public schools and Philharmonic Orchestra of Buffalo.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... ... to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo Public Schools for the annual youth performances at the end of February. Previously funded by Title VI grant money, the orchestra and school system staged the concerts this year...

Thumbs down.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... ... to County Executive Giambra's transition team, which seems to have trouble counting. Perhaps an abacus or a piece of chalk and a slate board would help it count the number of county cars. The team claimed the county fleet mushroomed by...

On the Street.(Includes several articles.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... On the Street Change edition Subject Word on the street Toll hike A proposal to take more spare change away from motorists is dead for now. The state...

POTUS power.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Buffalo's Millard Fillmore -- one of the truly lousy presidents but great Buffalonians -- has an anniversary this week. It's not one usually celebrated, but Fillmore fans mark March 8, 1874, with sorrow because it's the day their hero died....

Controversial Web site going out of business.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... A Canadian-based Web site that had been streaming video from several Buffalo-area TV stations is apparently going out of business. An out-of-court settlement was reached with iCraveTV after U.S. movie studios, sports leagues and the corporate...

Chain opens store at Boulevard Mall.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The Children's Place, a national retail chain, has opened its latest location in the Boulevard Mall. The Secaucus, N.J.-based chain opened a 3,600-square-foot store Feb.24. The store features clothing and other items for newborns through...

First Niagara Bank opens new branches.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... First Niagara Bank, formerly Lockport Savings Bank, has scheduled two branch openings for the week beginning March 6. The bank's 19th and 20th branches are in: * Amherst at 1531 Niagara Falls Blvd., scheduled to open March 6. *...

Researchers will study impact of gambling.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Researchers at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions will study how people deal with the gambling problems of their family and friends. The RIA will use a $649,283 grant from the National Institutes of Health to...

No Women's Business Center for WNY.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Everywoman Opportunity Center has decided to abandon its effort to open a Women's Business Center with funding from the Small Business Administration and instead will focus on offering services through its existing structure. Despite a...

National chain scouts locations for restaurants.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... One of the country's fastest-growing restaurant chains has set its sights on a downtown Buffalo location. Sandella's Cafe, an upscale sandwich shop that's known for its wraps and flat-bread pizzas, is in negotiations for a...

Delphi workers, managers deal with competitive issues.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Over the next few months, a team of hourly workers and management representatives at Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems will be working on ways to improve the financial status of the Lockport plant. The project, which is to devise a strategic...

Junior championships bring top skaters to WNY.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... From March 6-11, as some 400 figure skaters carve up the multiple skating surfaces at the Amherst Pepsi Center, the anxiety level is certain to be high. The pressure of the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships will extend beyond the...

Diner closes, making way for 65-suite hotel project.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... An Amherst restaurant has closed, making way for the area's first Hawthorn Suites hotel. Hart Hotels Inc., owners of Max Hart's Diner, closed the Flint Road restaurant in late January as a prelude for a repositioning of the Hawthorn Suites...

American Axle workers vote on agreement.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... United Auto Workers members at American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. facilities in the Buffalo area were scheduled to vote on a tentative national agreement March 5. The voting came just over a week after negotiators reached a tentative...

Peace Bridge debate adds a new dimension.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Area residents have a new way to view the Peace Bridge debate: three-dimensionally online. A collaboration between the University at Buffalo Center for Computational Research and IBC Digital, a local animation company, will allow observers...

Electronic banking giant acquires Cartel network.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Buffalo-based Integrated Delivery technologies Inc., operator of the Cartel electronic banking and transaction processing network, is being acquired by a Cincinnati bank. In announcing an agreement to purchase the private company, Fifth...

Home & Garden Show opens building season.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The annual Buffalo Home & Garden Show opens next week. The show will run March 11-19 in the Buffalo Convention Center. First Niagara Bank is the sponsor. Featured in the show will be an array of home improvement and related products....

Minority-owned firms sought for harbor work.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... As the Inner Harbor project moves toward its pre-bidding stages, Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello is leading a drive to include more minority and woman-owned businesses in the $27 million project. The Inner Harbor work, which covers...

Town officials lobby Adelphia.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... A host of suburban town supervisors and village mayors are urging Adelphia Communications Corp. to build its new communication center in downtown Buffalo's Webster Block. The March 2 rally, held on the Webster Block, comes one week after...

Natural gas production on the way up in NewYork.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Western New York is home to five of the top 10 natural gas-producing counties in the state, according to a new report by the State Department of Environmental Conservation. Chautauqua County topped the list, with 7.2 billion cubic feet of...

Incentives in place for Delaware North.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The final piece of the public sector incentive package that enabled Delaware North Cos. Inc. to keep corporate headquarters in downtown Buffalo has been approved. The Empire State Development Corp., at its Feb.24 meeting, approved a...

Six bids filed for Amherst tract.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... For the Empire State Development Corp., one year made a big difference when it came to finding potential buyers for a large tract of vacant Amherst land. With the Feb.29 deadline come and gone, the state's primary economic development...

Quarterly profits rise for HSBC Holdings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... HSBG Holdings PLC, the London-based parent of HSBC Bank USA, which has headquarters in Buffalo, said second quarter profit rose 42 percent as it set aside less money for potential loan losses because of the economic recovery in Asia. The...

Fort project still on hold despite judge's approval.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... A Youngstown developer has received a judge's go-ahead to start a much-delayed commercial project that would turn three unused military buildings at Fort Niagara State Park into a hotel, restaurant and conference complex. But an appeal of...

Name game continues for downtown arena.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Name game is not over. It was well over a month ago that an apparent name change for Marine Midland Arena was reported to be all but official yet nothing has been finalized. And the continued delay will mean another opportunity for national...

Radio free agency waves.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... A couple of changes are in store on the pregame portion of Buffalo Bills radio broadcasts next season. Buffalo News sports editor Larry Felser has been added to "Murphy and the Gang," joining host game analyst John Murphy, pregame show host...

Record numbers at Empire Winter Games.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The 20th Empire State Winter Games in Lake Placid attracted 1,236 participating athletes, a record number according to organizers. New York was the first state to offer this brand of amateur athletic competition within its borders in 1980....

High school wrestling championships on TV.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... For the eighth straight year Empire Sports Network will broadcast the state Public High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships. The championships are March 4 at the Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse. Empire will provide...

Donor gives Houghton gift worth $15 million.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Houghton College has received a $15 million gift from an anonymous donor that will be used to establish a master of music degree program. The gift is the largest in the 117-year history of the Christian liberal arts college. The...

State plans to clean up contaminated dump.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... State environmental officials will attempt to eliminate exposure to contaminated groundwater as part of its remediation plan for a Cattaraugus County hazardous waste site. The proposed remedial action plan addresses contamination at the...

Challenged students gain career training.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Developmentally disabled students will have an opportunity to develop careers in food service and culinary arts through a new partnership. The agreement between Erie Community College, Buffalo Public School's Occupational Training Center...

Summer St. property finds its future is history.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Sometimes real estate deals happen because of extensive marketing campaigns or aggressive brokers. And sometimes they happen just because of fate. A few months ago, Janet Maher, president of Buffalo Heating & Speech Center, attended a...

Taking a byte.(Anthony Masiello's economic policy.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... During the Feb. 16 Erie County Industrial Development Agency board meeting, Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello was acting like a proud father. Masiello was particularly proud of an abatement package being offered to Reciprocal Inc. for new...

Flying high.(Land development around Niagara Falls International Airport.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Want some more proof that the area around Buffalo Niagara International Airport is becoming increasingly more attractive to developers? Look no further than Uniland Development Co. and Ciminelli Development Co., two of the area's largest...

Getting the green light.(Western New York Computing Systems Inc. gets money for new headquarters construction.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Plans by the Western New York Computing Systems Inc.-Amherst Data Center to build a new headquarters got a significant boost from the Amherst Industrial Development Agency. The agency, on Feb. 18, approved a $2.09 million inducement package...

Paragon Forming Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Paragon Forming Corp. has leased a 15,000-square-foot building on Lincoln Avenue in Lockport. The deal was brokered by Howard Saperston Jr., chairman of Saperston Real Estate Corp.

Construction Economists of America Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Construction Economists of America Inc. of Lewiston has been named by HSBC Bank USA as construction monitor for an 11-story, 196-roam Sleep Inn hotel in Orlando. Benderson Development Co. is developing the project. Locally,...

Revvo Caster Co. Inc.(Revvo Caster Company Inc. relocates.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Revvo Caster Co. Inc. has moved its operations from Cheektowaga to the North America Center in West Seneca,

High-speed service on Amtrak's fast track.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Ross Capon gives good reviews to Amtrak's first step toward providing highspeed rail service. "It actually arrived early," Capon says of his Acela Regional train, which whisked him from Boston to New York City in under four hours, compared...

United Way back home after renovation project.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... United Way of Buffalo & Erie County has returned to Delaware Avenue and Summer Street after being temporarily relocated on South Park Avenue throughout the past year as the building was being renovated and expanded for greater community use....

Bona is WNY's best hope in March Madness derby.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... It's a good thing March Madness is coming to town because once again it appears chances are not good that any of the locals will be leaving town for the NCAA Tournament. Slim and none. Sadly, that phrase once again sums up the chances of...

For those wondering.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... For those wondering... Hasek's prolonged absence this season due to injury wound up "saving" the Sabres $1.5 million on his $7 million salary with insurance picking up that portion of the cost.

Doug Flutie.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... As poorly as Doug Flutie came off in a recent interview with Dave Hodge of TSN in Canada it would have been fair to see the entire segment -- not a few quotes pulled out for print purposes or the 15-second soundbite TSN granted to Empire Sports...

Wade.(Football players.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Flutie's rant over his benching only adds to Wade's winter of discontent leading us to wonder... which Phillips do you think has had a worse year: Wade, whose Bills will forever be linked to the Tennessee Titans and the Music City Miracle?...

Bruce Smith.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... More b-s from B.S. -- Bruce Smith that is. The former Bill told the New York Times last week that he was sorry he didn't get a chance to say good-bye to the fans of Buffalo, due to his release in mid-February feeling that the salary cap...

Primary produces windfall for media outlets.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Thanks to an earlier than usual presidential primary, area broadcasting outlets are catching an advertising windfall as the major candidates jockey for voter attention. New York, which is playing a significant role in the March 7 "Super...

UB School of Nursing offers advanced program.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The University at Buffalo School of Nursing will begin a postbaccalaureate advanced certificate program in case management. The program is open to all degree-prepared nurses who are licensed to practice in New York. The study will be three...

Eastco Pro Media Corp. launches Web site.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Eastco Pro Media Corp. of Orchard Park has launched a new version of its Web site featuring extensive site sections on media manufacturing, business services and Web development. It also includes content from the company's color print catalog....

Advertising agencies.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Advertising agencies Ranked by 1999 gross income [*] Rank Prior Phone rank ...

OSHA formalizes policy against home inspections.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... It's official: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will not inspect home offices and doesn't expect employers to inspect them either, according to a directive sent Feb.25 to all OSHA offices. The directive also explicitly...

Agency adds a week to ergonomics hearings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... OSHA added another week to the public hearing schedule for its proposed ergonomics standard. More than 300 individuals and organizations have requested to testify in Washington, D.C., about the controversial proposal, which would require...

Small-business 'strike' urged over tax change.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... National Small Business United is calling for every small-business owner in America to pledge they won't sell their businesses until Congress repeals a law that makes seller financing more difficult. A tax law change that went into effect....

Corporate travel agents oppose employer ID plan.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The airline industry wants corporate travel agents to identify the employer of every customer who buys a ticket through them. This information would then be available to airlines under a proposal being reviewed by the U.S. Department of...

Clearinghouse will track tech education projects.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The American Electronics Association hopes to raise $1 million over the next two years to establish a national clearinghouse for data on educational projects sponsored by high-tech companies. The main purpose of the clearinghouse will be to...

Commerce group meets as chairman campaigns.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The work of the Senate Commerce Committee continues, even as Chairman John McCain stays out on the campaign trail. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, says McCain encouraged subcommittee chairs to hold hearings in his absence and "keep the...

Senate committee challenging SBA budget.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... The chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee says he has "serious reservations" about the SBA's ability to tackler new programs when offices supporting current programs are "underfunded and understaffed" despite past budget increases....

Many borrowers pay off loans early.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... An increasing number of business owners who borrow money through the Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) loan program pay off their debts early. That's not because these businesses are succeeding more quickly than they expected,...

New cereal products run against the grain.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Recently, I was telling a friend of mine about this new cereal my family has been eating from Kellogg's. Not knowing he was a beleaguered shareholder of the company, I proceeded to tell him that I, too, enjoyed this cereal. Then he said "Have...

'The price is (getting) right'.(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Deregulation may signal switch in power costs For years New York's commercial and residential sectors have shared a common complaint: that the state's electricity costs were among -- or are -- the highest in the nation and that precious...

Learning to love again the greenery at UB.
March 6, 2000... I remember taking the campus tour with my parents the winter before my freshman year at the University at Buffalo. As the tour guide, her back to the window, began telling us the weather wasn't as bad as everyone says, it began to snow over her...

Environment should be everyone's concern.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... For John Vena, it's all about the big picture. Vena, a professor in the social and preventive medicine department at University at Buffalo and co-director of UB's Environment and Society Institute (ESI), advocates a holistic perspective on...

Superfund rules redefined.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The federal Superfund statute created liability for people who arranged for the disposal of materials containing "hazardous substances." This liability, which is strict, joint and several in an action brought by federal government or a state,...

Environmental audits can save some green.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... There's no telling what you can learn from a Dumpster dive. That and a few jumps in the pool were part of the learning process last year for University at Buffalo students promoting environmental stewardship at a suburban high school. ...

Partnership has annual awards.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The Buffalo Niagara Partnership will honor businesses and CEOs for their contributions at the second annual Buffalo Niagara Partnership member Awards to be held at 5 p.m. March 9 at the Tralf in Buffalo. Member of the Year is going to Tops...

Got it all.(Kenmore Renting Company Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2000... Home improvements? Office renovations? Rental store has been stocking tools for decades What's up: In these days when many of us change careers almost as frequently as we change our hairstyle, Andy Smith is a marked exception. Smith, 61,...

Webcams become more than novel gadgets.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Installing a full-fledged video conferencing or remote monitoring system can be a costly investment for any business. Still want the benefit of a real-time electronic eye? Webcams offer a low-budget alternative worth exploring. These...

St. Bonaventure University.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Among the recipients of St. Bonaventure University's Gaudete Medal are Buffalonians John Callahan and Gail Johnstone. The medal is awarded to "business and community leaders who exemplify the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi." Callahan, who...

The Schutte Group.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Two commercials created by The Schutte Group for Roswell Park Cancer Institute were national finalists in the healthcare/medical products category at the 1999 Vision Award Competition. Both spots were written and produced by Alden Schutte,...

Coordinated Care.(Community Leadership Awards)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Coordinated Care will present its Community Leadership Awards at its annual meeting and awards luncheon March 8 in the Statler Golden Ballroom. Awardees are: Tops Pharmacy Inc., Jerry Flaschner of "Living Prime Time Magazine", Charles Battaglia...

Murray Roofing Company Inc.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Murray Roofing Company Inc. was one of 256 Firestone-licensed roofing contractors to be honored with a 2000 Master Contractor Award from Firestone Building Products. It was the 10th year the Cheektowaga company earned the distinction.

Pine Avenue Business Association.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Niagara Falls' Pine Avenue Business Association will present the following awards at a March 18 dinner dance: Business of the Year, A Plus Accounting; Business Person of the Year, David Hazelton, owner of System Resource; The PABA Award (Pine...

Niagara Community College.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Niagara Community College Alumni Association selected three graduates as NCCC Distinguished Alumni for 2000: Gene Carella '70 of Ransomville, a professor of biology at the college; Jamie Marcolini '81 of Pendleton, senior vocational addictions...

The Courtyard by Marriott Buffalo/Amherst.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The Courtyard by Marriott Buffalo/Amherst won two national customer service awards from Marriott International. The hotel shared in the Northeast region's Region of the Year award, and General Manager David Guyton was named Opening General...

Erdman Anthony.(awards for top engineers)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Erdman Anthony, an Amherst consulting engineering firm, presented its 1999 Quality Service Award to professional engineer Sheila Ransbottom and another service award to Michael Galley, who has been with the company for five years.

Western New York Defense Trial Lawyers' Association.
March 6, 2000... The Western New York Defense Trial Lawyers' Association named John Cegielski Defense Lawyer of the Year for 1999. A partner at Bouvier O'Connor, he has been a trial lawyer for 36 years. He graduated from Canisius College in 1958 and from the...

SEV/Sherwin-Greenberg.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... SEV/Sherwin-Greenberg received a bronze statue at the 21St annual Telly Awards competition. The prize was awarded for a television commercial the company made for MVP Health.

Peter Hunt.(Hunt Real Estate)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Peter Hunt, president and CEO of Hunt Real Estate, was honored as Buffalo/Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives Inc. Executive of the Year. The organization also honored Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award recipients chosen by their...

Linda D'Agostino.(Adam's Mark Hotels sales manager)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Linda D'Agostino, sales manager for Adam's Mark Hotel in Buffalo, received a Vanguard Award from the Empire State Society of Association Executives. She coordinated the organization's Holiday and Charity Auction to benefit Hunter's Hope...

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce will honor the following at its April 6 awards dinner: Martin's Fantasy Island, Business of the Year; Moore North America, industry award; Betty Harris, business person award; Joseph Fusco, service to youth...

Powerful thoughts for relationship selling.(improving sales personnel-to-customer relationships)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2000... Here's the rock, paper, scissors game of selling: Relationship is more powerful than price. Relationship is more powerful than delivery. Relationship is more powerful than quality. Relationship is more powerful than service....