Business First of Buffalo articles from May 1998

Business First of Buffalo archives from May 1998

Delphi's profitability at crossroads: Lockport plant faces challenges, Frost says. (Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)
May 25, 1998... Storm warnings are flying at Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems in Lockport. Management has told the company's 6,400 area employees that there could be dire consequences if Western New York's biggest manufacturing facility and largest private...

CGF predicts year-end gain despite first-quarter loss. (CGF Health System)
May 25, 1998... Just days after the CGF Health System became official in March, the merged entity was in the red by $3 million. But officials are following an aggressive course they say will deliver the health system to a $5.5 million bottom line by...

Growth a weighty matter for WNY scale manufacturer. (SR Instruments Inc.)
May 25, 1998... Weighty matters occupy most of John Siegel's time. Heavy on his agenda is a planned expansion at SR Instruments Inc., a City of Tonawanda electronic scale maker. Siegel is treasurer of the company. The firm is in the process of annexing...

Auction of power plants generates interest in Huntley. (planned sale of C.R. Huntley Steam Station)
May 25, 1998... The upcoming sale of the C.R. Huntley Steam Station has energized government and business development leaders who want to preserve jobs at the Town of Tonawanda plant. Owned by Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., the station is scheduled to be...

First Empire State Corp. takes new name to NYSE. (becomes M&T Bank Corp.)
May 25, 1998... M&T Bank's parent company is getting more than a new name June 1. When First Empire State Corp. - its name since 1969 - becomes M&T Bank Corp., the company's stock will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange instead of the American Stock...

Easy does it: wheelchair company customizes equipment for clients' needs. (Buffalo Wheelchair Inc.)(Small Business Handbook)
May 25, 1998... What's going on: The staff at Buffalo Wheelchair evaluates clients and works with doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other health professionals to arrive at a seating solution for clients. The result is custom-made...

Economic optimism: WNYers are confident but concerns remain over job opportunities. (economic survey of Western New Yorkers)
May 18, 1998... The economy is cooking along, both locally and nationally. The Business First Economic Index, which tracks conditions in Western New York, reached an all-time high last week. The index of leading indicators, which monitors the national...

Sold out: Arena suites under lease. (Buffalo Sabres lease Marine Midland Arena suites)
May 18, 1998... Nearly two full seasons after relocating to Marine Midland Arena, the Buffalo Sabres have leased all 80 suites. The Amherst Chamber of Commerce recently signed a three-year deal on the last available one. "Right now, all 80 are leased...

Report shows boom in service sector employment.(Industry Overview)
May 18, 1998... When the Pier restaurant opens for the summer, it will bring on a slew of seasonal staffers. But though these staff will report daily to the restaurant and serve drinks and food, they will not be counted as employees in the retail/wholesale...

Supplier deal with CGF could boost local vendors. (CGF Health System contracts with VHA Inc.)
May 18, 1998... Area suppliers and manufacturers likely will profit from the recently merged CGF Health System when it begins a new purchasing arrangement in July. The health system has contracted with VHA Inc., one of the nation's largest group purchasing...

Merged phone companies ready to compete in WNY. (SBC Communications Inc. merger with Ameritech Corp.)
May 18, 1998... Buffalo is one of 30 markets targeted for aggressive telephone competition under the merger of two mega-phone companies, SBC Communications Inc. of San Antonio and Ameritech Corp. of Chicago. The $62 billion deal will create a company with...

Real estate trusts rebound as investors test markets. (real estate investment trusts to move to Western New York)
May 18, 1998... Real estate investment trusts, a byproduct of heady economic times, will soon be making a bigger impact in Western New York. REITs were popular in the early 1980s. They died out after the 1987 stock market crash and ensuing economic downturn...

Doctors align with HMOs, consider merger with group. (doctors contract with Medical Partners of Western New York and Independent Health and Community Blue)
May 18, 1998... The doctors formerly affiliated exclusively with HealthCarePlan have signed on with two Buffalo HMOs and are talking merger with another physicians' group. Medical Partners of Western New York has become credentialed with Independent Health...

Amoco Oil digging deep for propane market share. (Amoco Oil Co. to construct propane storage facility in Gainesville, WY)
May 18, 1998... Amoco Oil Co. is looking to increase its share of the Western New York propane market by constructing a $7.5 million propane storage facility in the Wyoming County Town of Gainesville. The underground facility would have a capacity to store I...

Gowanda Electronics Corp. expands, plans to add jobs. (expansion in Cattaraugus County)
May 18, 1998... A handsome incentive package, coupled with a strong dose of community pride, helped Gowanda Electronics Corp. decide to expand in Cattaraugus County. Gowanda Electronics, a manufacturer of circuit board electronic components, withstood some...

Manufacturer turns up heat on infrared ray technology. (Roberts-Gordon Inc.)
May 18, 1998... In 1995, Roberts-Gordon Inc., an infrared heater maker, consolidated manufacturing from plants in Canada and the United Kingdom to Buffalo. The company, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, added equipment, improved system and...

WNY economy turns in record quarter. (Western New York; 1998)
May 11, 1998... Western New York's economy ran at record efficiency during the first quarter of 1998, according to a roundup of newly released statistical indicators. The Business First Economic Index gained an impressive 7.3 percent in the first quarter,...

Guide targets women entrepreneurs. ('Women Entrepreneurs: Access to Capital and Educational Services)
May 11, 1998... Women entrepreneurs and business owners will have access this December to a guide listing hundreds of resources for capital and educational services. "The intent is to list all those organizations that help women," said Elizabeth Pap,...

More expansion in Ingram's future. (Ingram Micro Inc.)
May 11, 1998... Ingram Micro Inc., which has done three expansions since 1992 at its Amherst complex, is considering yet another one. "We're looking at alternatives already and that includes Buffalo and other places," said Alan Cherbow, Ingram vice...

First Empire linked to takeover rumors.
May 11, 1998... Speculation that Evergreen Bancorp of Glens Falls had a deal to be acquired, possibly by Buffalo-based First Empire State Corp., caused Evergreen stock to jump $9 in two days in mid-April. But since then, the price of the Capital District...

Rink naming rights pour it on for Pepsi. (Pepsi-Cola Buffalo Bottling Corp.)
May 11, 1998... It's no surprise that the Pastor family and its Pepsi-Cola Buffalo Bottling Corp. won naming rights at the Amherst skating and recreational center. Hockey and the Pastors first linked in 1956 when the family bought the Buffalo Bisons of the...

Attorneys seek alternatives when law careers grow stale.
May 11, 1998... John Hurley and Tom Nusbaum went to law school but they're not practicing lawyers. It's not that Hurley didn't give law a try. But after nearly 16 years, the majority specializing in bankruptcy and secured lending, Hurley had enough. "I...

Environmental cleanup near for Forest Glen. (Niagara Falls, New York)
May 11, 1998... It's been eight years since Helen Sumbler was relocated from her home at the Forest Glen subdivision in Niagara Falls. Sumbler and her daughter were one of 53 families relocated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after contamination...

Playoffs pay off for Sportservice.
May 11, 1998... Jack Hertenstein is rooting for the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Supersonics to do well in their respective playoffs. His interest comes from being the vice president of building operations for Sportservice Corp., the sports...

Buffalo is primary target for Canada-based exporters.
May 11, 1998... As many as 90 percent of Canadian companies looking to export to the United States hope to do so through the Buffalo region. "Buffalo is the principle destination for most Canadian companies which are looking for their first exports," said...

All the world's a balance sheet: Buffalo's theaters use marketing strategies to get their share of economic support.(Special Report: Power Marketing & Sales Promotions)
May 11, 1998... It can be as simple as a $2 ticket discount advertised in the Wegmans weekly newspaper supplement or as lavish as Curtain Up!, the annual gala that kicks off the Buffalo theater season. When it comes to marketing, the theater community shows...

Dunlop on a roll with new ATV tires. (Dunlop Tire Corp; all-terrain vehicle)
May 4, 1998... All-terrain vehicle tires have started rolling out of Dunlop Tire Corp.'s Town of Tonawanda plant. Made for the original equipment and replacement markets, ATV tires are the fifth product line at the River Road facility. The plant also makes...

Here's the scoop: hot ice cream sales. (Perry's Ice Cream Company Inc)
May 4, 1998... Death By Chocolate is a good way to go. But some prefer vanilla. Of course, at Perry's Ice Cream in Akron, any flavor will do. "How can you not like working with ice cream?" said Mark Weigel, vice president of sales and marketing. With...

Real estate market feels impact of Galleria expansion. (Walden Galleria to spur development in the area)
May 4, 1998... The proposed expansion of the Walden Galleria is already producing some ripple effects in the real estate market around the Cheektowaga mall. Real estate sources say the Walden Galleria is close to cutting a deal with the U.S. Postal Service...

Wyoming County Bank rates tops for business lending.
May 4, 1998... Community banks tout their small size, personal service and friendly demeanor. Wyoming County Bank has the data to back it up. The bank was ranked No. 1, ahead of all 157 banks in the state for friendliness to small businesses, in a report by...

State hopes tax deductions will encourage expansion. (New York)
May 4, 1998... What goes up must come down, even taxes. Business in New York is expected to reap rewards of corporate tax reductions instituted in the $71.4 billion 1998-99 state budget. Designed to relieve the burden on industry and foster economic...

VW, Isuzu acquisitions trigger Northtown moves. (Northtown Auto Cos acquiring Volkswagen and Isuzu franchises)
May 4, 1998... Northtown Auto Companies, one of Western New York's largest auto dealerships, is getting bigger. The Amherst-based business is acquiring its 10th and 11th nameplates - the Volkswagen and Isuzu franchises of Delia Car Corp. - on Niagara Falls...

Agencies grow as competition drives travel industry.
May 4, 1998... Increased competition in the air travel business has pushed fares down for consumers and volume up for area travel and tour agencies. A majority of the region's largest travel and tour agencies saw increases in volume during 1997, according...

CA One contracted for Texas airport concessions. (CA One Services Inc; George Bush Intercontinental Airport)
May 4, 1998... CA One Services Inc., the airport concession arm of Delaware North Cos., was awarded a 10-year contract by the City of Houston to manage new and existing food and beverage operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The airport is...

All in the family: Lockport insurance firm is in its third generation of Murphys. (M.J. Murphy Agency)(Special Report: Insurance & Employee Benefits)
May 4, 1998... In an industry rife with consolidations, sellouts, mergers and clusterings, Mary Murphy is an exception. Unlike many younger members in family-owned businesses who choose to blaze independent paths, Murphy is carrying on her family's...