Business First of Buffalo articles from May 1999

Business First of Buffalo archives from May 1999

Destroyers marketing program scores big.(Arena Football League Buffalo Destroyers)
May 3, 1999... It would not be a reach to say Buffalo's newest professional sports franchise, the Arena Football League Destroyers, has taken the harbor by storm. The Destroyers' long-awaited landing goes beyond the addition of yet another sports entity...

Survey suggests more hospital cutbacks likely in WNY.(Western New York)
May 3, 1999... Buffalo is about on par with national average numbers of health-care employment and hospital beds but lags behind places like Minneapolis where managed care is well developed, according to the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care 1999, a survey of...

Direct mail solicitations feed credit card industry.
May 3, 1999... The uninvited advertising that crams Western New York mail boxes is "junk mail" to many postal customers. But like the trash/treasure at any flea market sale, whether or not mail is junk lies in the eye of the beholder. To some advertisers...

Doctor faces prison, fines after entering guilty plea.(Samuel Rosati)
May 3, 1999... A Lockport doctor has admitted in federal court that he bilked Medicare and two private health insurers out of $391,500 in reimbursements. Dr. Samuel Rosati, 41, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of filing false claims against the...

Canadian air controllers strike could boost traffic here.(Niagara Falls International Airport)
May 3, 1999... Officials at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority are hoping for a labor strike by the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association to increase operations at Niagara Fails International Airport. Air Canada, the largest trans-border...

Small WNY businesses finding benefits in NAFTA.(Western New York; North American Free Trade Agreement)
May 3, 1999... When the federal government introduced the North American Free Trade Agreement back in 1993, critics complained the main result would be the loss of thousands of jobs over the border. But five years after NAFTA's introduction in 1994, some...

VA funnels more contracts to area's small businesses.(Department of Veterans Administration)
May 3, 1999... Small businesses looking for procurement opportunities with the federal government would do well to look to the Department of Veterans Administration. The VA Department in Buffalo increased procurement contracts to small businesses in 1998...

WNY firms lobby for cuts in corporation franchise tax.(Western New York)
May 3, 1999... Dresser-Rand Co. would like a little tax relief. The company pays thousands of dollars each year in Corporation Franchise Tax to New York state, levied mostly on jobs and plants in the Southern Tier. A proposal by the Business Council...

Canceled conventions revive calls for new hotel.(Amway conventions in Buffalo, NY)
May 3, 1999... Did Buffalo lose two Amway conventions because of a lack of downtown hotel rooms, or did the conventions go elsewhere because they were late in making their arrangements? The answer rests with who is doing the talking. Either way, the...

Carpet magic: Tiftickjian family celebrates 100 years in the rug business.(Small Business Handbook)(A.S. Tiftickjian's Oriental Rugs)
May 3, 1999... What's up: A.S. Tiftickjian's Oriental Rugs is a 100-year-old family business that sells primarily new and antique handmade wool rugs from India, Pakistan and China. It also wholesales older rugs of 40 to 100 years old, and provides appraisal,...

Planning for the long haul: insurance agents are writing more long-term health policies for the elderly.(Special Report: Insurance & Employee Benefits)
May 3, 1999... Insurance agents are writing more long-term health policies for the elderly At 77, Hazel Esch of Cheektowaga bought long-term health care insurance. It cost $269 a month, but the selling point was that it would give her comfort in the...

Straight to the heart: sprawling development defines Transit Road axis.
May 10, 1999... Sprawling development defines Transit Road axis In July 1799, surveyor Joseph Ellicott - architect of Buffalo's original street system - began at the Pennsylvania border to cut a straight swath north through virgin forest. He hired 150...

WNY index: economy remains stagnant.(Western New York)
May 10, 1999... Western New York's economy battled back during the winter, though not enough to dispel worries about its long-term direction. The Business First Economic Index improved by 4.5 percent in the first quarter, reaching 1,264 points, its best...

Delaware North said to favor Key Center site.(food service and concession industry giant)
May 10, 1999... After months of scouting a number of sites, it appears that Delaware North Cos. Inc., one of the area's largest privately held companies, has opted to remain in downtown Buffalo. The food service and concession industry giant is eyeing a...

Fitzgerald's disciplined approach promotes growth at CTG.(chairman and CEO Gale Fitzgerald)
May 10, 1999... More than four years after moving up to chairman and CEO at CTG, Gale Fitzgerald has her eye on continued growth in revenues and market share in the information technology industry. By all accounts, CTG has done quite well under...

Fort Niagara development takes another step forward.(Fort Niagara State Park's historic buildings to be turned into commercial establishments)
May 10, 1999... A project to redevelop three historic buildings at Fort Niagara State Park into a hotel, bed-and-breakfast and theater-equipped conference center has taken a major step toward getting a start later this year. The April 29 completion of a...

Employees work on preventing injuries while on the job.(Special Report: Manufacturing in WNY)
May 10, 1999... Most often, Occidental Chemical Corp. employees will see Charles Goss for a little sympathy and an aspirin. But as a registered nurse with a specialty in occupational health, Goss' responsibilities exceed mere mothering. He and other...

Experts say regional manufacturing base is still strong.(Special Report: Manufacturing in WNY)
May 10, 1999... Despite more than two decades of job erosion, manufacturing is a long way from being dead in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls metropolitan area. "Manufacturers are still investing in Western New York, and we're looking for manufacturing to...

Career in manufacturing was made in Western New York.(Special Report: Manufacturing in WNY)(Buffalo Batt and Felt General Manager Robert Heilman)
May 10, 1999... Manufacturing in Western New York is alive and well, at least among small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Take it from Robert Heilman, general manager at Buffalo Batt & Felt Corp., whose 30-year career in manufacturing at several companies...

Unions put a priority on keeping area jobs.(Special Report: Manufacturing in WNY)
May 10, 1999... When outsourcing of machining jobs at American Axle & Manufacturing began a few years ago, members of the United Auto Workers union soon took notice. "We were getting to the point where we weren't being competitive with other...

Acquisition swells HSBC's influence.(Marine Midland Bank buys Republic New York Corp.)
May 17, 1999... Buffalo would become headquarters for the nation's 12th largest bank when the parent of former Marine Midland Bank completes its planned $10.3 billion acquisition of Republic New York Corp. London-based HSBC Holdings plc announced May 10...

TRW will close LucasVarity headquarters.(automobile parts companies)
May 17, 1999... Cleveland-based TRW Inc. completed its $6.53 billion acquisition of LucasVarity plc May 10 and will close the company's North American headquarters in Buffalo by the end of the year. "We will try to dispose of the structure by selling it,...

A stitch in time: Big Bear sews up embroidery market.
May 17, 1999... For years, the old cafeteria at the vacant Harrison Radiator Division plant in Buffalo was idle. Today the space on Clyde Avenue hums with activity and the clickety-clack of industrial sewing machines churning out embroidered caps, shirts...

Nursing shortage looms in WNY.(Western New York)
May 17, 1999... Buffalo's health-care industry is heading into a greater demand for nurses, especially those with advanced degrees and skills who can work with older patients in increasingly technical settings. Driven in part by an aging population and...

Adding low-cost flights boosts passenger air traffic.(Vanguard Airlines Inc.)
May 17, 1999... Vanguard Airlines of Kansas City, Mo., will begin offering low-cost flights to Chicago from Buffalo Niagara International Airport this summer. The carrier is expected to spur price reductions for fares in the highly competitive market....

Transition nearly complete as Delphi splits from GM.(Delphi Automotive Systems Corp.)
May 17, 1999... On May 28, Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. will formally and finally leave the General Motors nest to become a separate and independent company. On that date, the company - which is the parent of Lockport-based Delphi Harrison Thermal...

Keeping the air fresh.(Great Lakes Environment and Safety Consultants Inc.)
May 17, 1999... Environmental consultants clean up others' mess What's going on: Evan Casey acknowledges that his 6-year-old company is a "necessary evil." And Great Lakes Environmental & Safety Consultants Inc. services may fall under the category of pay...

Brand Names is close to deal for area stores.(Brand Name Sales Inc.)
May 24, 1999... Brand Names Sales Inc. is closing in on a return to Buffalo. The company plans to open two new stores, one in the city, the other on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst. The Tonawanda-based retailer will move its store from a small...

Dresser credit union waits for upgrade.(Olean Dresser Clark Community FCU)
May 24, 1999... Western New York's second largest credit union - Olean Dresser Clark Community FCU - is asking federal regulators to let it expand far beyond its current size. It wants to spread out beyond Olean city limits, where it is currently...

Two outside companies taking a look at WNY sites.(Western New York)
May 24, 1999... The Empire State Development Corp. has approached the real estate and economic development community about two real estate deals with the potential to create 1,000 jobs and $50 million in new investments. Local officials reacted cautiously...

Hy-Grade training center forges client partnerships.(Hy-Grade Distributors Inc.)
May 24, 1999... Anyone who reads business and trade publications has heard the phrase "value-added solution." A Tonawanda distributor has gone one step further by instituting a whole program of value-added services for his customers that includes training...

Buffalo company tunes in to Internet music market.(Reciprocal Inc.)
May 24, 1999... Reciprocal Inc., which specializes in digital rights management (DRM) solutions, has formed a music division to be staffed by a dozen employees hired away from AT&T. Reciprocal Music will provide DRM solutions to all parts of the music...

Running a legal business: document company services Buffalo law offices.(DocuLegal)
May 24, 1999... What's going on: The 2-year-old company exclusively serves the legal community with specialized photocopying and document preparation services including binding, trial preparation and discovery production, appellate printing and litigation case...

Gelia, Wells & Mohr.(Small Business Award Winners)(advertising agency)
May 24, 1999... A mainstay in the sometimes topsy-turvy world of advertising in Western New York, Gelia, Wells & Mohr is a full-service agency which brings a strong marketing research and consulting presence to its clients, enabling them to better understand...

Crown Vending Inc.(Small Business Award Winners)(vending machine operator)
May 24, 1999... When Thomas Strauss founded Crown Vending Inc. in 1975, he had one cigarette vending machine and little else, except a desire to succeed. Today, he doesn't have many more such machines, but the hundreds of others in Crown's stable dispense...

Buffalo Stix Golf Co. Inc.(Small Business Award Winners)(maker of golf clubs)
May 24, 1999... Trouble with your swing? Entrepreneur and former golf pro Robert Philips says that too many golfers try to adjust their technique to poorly-fitted equipment. The solution? Built-to-order clubs from Buffalo Stix Golf Co. Inc., founded...

Capital Heat Inc.(Small Business Award Winners)(installs heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment)
May 24, 1999... Founded in 1957 as a small home heating and ventilating enterprise in Depew, Capital Heat is now a $5 million annual enterprise serving commercial and residential customers throughout Western New York as far east as Rochester. It is a...

Clarence Center Coffee Co.(Small Business Award Winners)(coffee shop)
May 24, 1999... Those who encounter the remarkable energy with which Kyleena Falzone conducts herself are likely to react by saying, "I'll have what she's having." Fueled by the caffeinated concoctions she peddles, the 28-year-old co-owner of the Clarence...

Keeping hospital is Lockport's priority.(Lockport Memorial Hospital in New York)
May 31, 1999... In Lockport, where people refer to Lockport Memorial Hospital as "theirs," the community hopes that talks with Buffalo's Kaleida Health will keep the facility right there at 521 East Ave. whale restoring its financial well-being. Parties...

Pa. investor buys Trico building.(businessman Stephen McGarvey buys Trico Products Corp.)
May 31, 1999... The sale of the former Trico Products Corp. building is the latest transaction in a trend that has seen out-of-town investors buying downtown Buffalo real estate. The six-story, 700,000-square-foot former windshield wiper plant was...

Rich Products still a family affair.
May 31, 1999... When Robert Rich Jr. graduated from Williams College, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but he knew one thing in 1964: working for his father's company really wasn't in the picture. So Rich interviewed with the U.S. Air Force, the CIA...

M&T near the top of the hill in Rochester ranking.(Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co.; New York)
May 31, 1999... M&T Bank Corp. will complete its $129 million stock and cash purchase of FNB Rochester Corp. on May 28. The acquisition eliminates the last remaining hometown banking company from Rochester and gives the lion's share of deposits to M&T...

Atto accepts incentives, decides to expand in WNY.(Atto Technology, Inc.; Western New York)
May 31, 1999... For many years Amherst Industrial Development Agency officials have said that for the region to grow, high-tech companies must be nurtured. At its May 21 meeting, the Amherst IDA put some action behind its words. The agency's directors...

New retro-look Denny's will make debut in WNY.(Western New York)
May 31, 1999... The Denny's restaurant chain is reaching into the past for a new look. Most of the South Carolina-based company's 1,635 U.S. restaurants, including 21 in the Buffalo area, are being converted into rockin' 1950s-style diners. The area...

Delphi Automotive launches new era as GM spinoff.(Delphi Automotive Systems Corp; General Motors)
May 31, 1999... May 28 was Independence Day for Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. and its Lockport-based unit, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems. On that date, an era that encompassed most of the 20th century ended and another was launched: For the first time...

New savings bank targets late summer opening date.(Greater Buffalo Savings Bank)
May 31, 1999... Five contractors have submitted bids seeking the general contract for remodeling the downtown - and only - branch of Greater Buffalo Savings Bank. The project, at 43 Court St. in the Convention Tower, will cost an estimated $300,000, said...

Phone directory publisher dials into new markets.(White Directory Publishers Inc.)
May 31, 1999... White Directory Publishers Inc. is continuing an aggressive expansion plan through acquisitions and start-ups of new telephone directories. The Williamsville company, publisher of The Talking Phone Book, now distributes more than 5 million...

New Cattaraugus oil wells find success under ground.(Western New York)
May 31, 1999... Drilling success by a Kentucky oil company in Cattaraugus County could spur further exploration in Western New York. Robo Enterprises Inc. of Bowling Green, Ky., has drilled four successful wells producing both crude oil and natural gas...

Showing their true colors: Venus Rising owners turn art into fashion.(Small Business Handbook)
May 31, 1999... What's up: Venus Rising designs and produces one-of-a-kind, hand-painted and hand-dyed velvet and silk charmeuse scarves and shawls using custom-made colors. Who's who: Buffalo natives Jamie Marie Forton and Paula Ruzzene own the business...