Business First of Buffalo articles from November 2000

Business First of Buffalo archives from November 2000

Bills lead NFL's high-tech offensive.
November 6, 2000... When it comes to the Information Superhighway, the National Football League has entered the fast lane. And the Buffalo Bills are among the franchises riding shotgun in this high-speed marketing chase. Click no further than the team's...

Incentives may lure middle class homebuyers.
November 6, 2000... A ground breaking public sector/private sector initiative aimed at luring more middle income residents back to Buffalo has been greeted with an overwhelming reception. The West Side Initiative, a program that offers qualified middle income...

Lock it up.
November 6, 2000... Boaters get a lift in Lockport In the Erie Canal's 175 years, no one knows how many times the locks at Lockport have moved boats up and down 50 feet of the Niagara Escarpment. There are scant records of the men who tended the locks...

Chek.com shifts focus, adds products, partners.
November 6, 2000... In its first two years in business, Chek.com has relied on the strength and loyalty of affinity groups to sign up more than 5 million e-mail users. The process works by providing email accounts through major partners who have existing...

5th Coast.
November 6, 2000... Thumbs up ... to the Big Three - Gov. Pataki, County Exec Giambra and Mayor Masiello - for realizing pressure from preservationists to re-bury the old Commercial Slip could have buried their political careers. Each of them counted the votes...

Vote early, vote often.
November 6, 2000... Unlike a certain Daily Monopoly, which mostly endorses incumbents, we here at Fifth Coast are independent thinkers. That is, we vote for the person likely to do us the most good or who has the best commercials. (It's a scientific method that...

M&T mobile banking takes to the streets.
November 6, 2000... M&T Bank kicked off its first mobile banking service at the Buffalo Bills-New York Jets football game Oct. 29 in Ralph Wilson Stadium. The new mobile bank, housed in a large recreational vehicle, will be available at various public events...

How about no tax when buying a car?
November 6, 2000... The Erie County Legislature is considering a local tax-free period for auto sales and leases. The plan, while still in early stages, would consider establishing at least one 24- to 48-hour period a year where residents could purchase or...

Resource library group awarded catalog grant.
November 6, 2000... The Western New York Library Resources Council has received a $100,000 grant to create a virtual union catalog for Western New York. The grant, from the federal Library Services and Technology Act, will allow people to search the 12 largest...

Erie, Niagara counties smoke out state grant.
November 6, 2000... Erie and Niagara counties will received $300,000 toward a tobacco control program from a state Department of Health initiative to reduce smoking. The funds are part of $7 million being made available to 25 community programs serving 100...

Talks on between HMO, Catholics.
November 6, 2000... The Catholic Health System and Independent Health expect to begin the arbitration process that will lead to resolution of a dispute affecting the HMO's members access of care at the region's five Catholic hospitals. Officials of both...

Tech company takes hold in ASP market.
November 6, 2000... Another application service provider has entered the Buffalo market, targeting nonprofit, health care and small- to medium-sized companies. Aspen Technologies was formed a year ago by two former executives from Inacom. The company, which...

Lockport developer promises new look.
November 6, 2000... Prominent developer David Ulrich, who recently acquired the Golden Triangle Plaza, says that as one of the most visible buildings in the city it will be a key element in his plan to give downtown a new look. Ulrich Development Co., Ulrich's...

Crawdaddy's revival set for waterfront site.
November 6, 2000... City planners have finally gotten their first look at the proposed Crawdaddy's restaurant in Buffalo's Waterfront Village. After months of uncertainty, Crawdaddy's owners have submitted a new set of plans to Buffalo officials for the...

Kisslings buy apartment complexes.
November 6, 2000... The Kissling interests LLC, a New York City investment group, is adding more apartments to its local portfolio. Kissling acquired the Hertel Home Apartments and Sanders Court Apartment, both in North Buffalo, for a reported $6.5 million....

WNY banks, businesses paid special dividends.
November 6, 2000... Western New York banks and businesses are among the stockholders of the New York Business Development Corp. that received special dividends of $12.50 per share payable Nov. 2. The corporation, which helps finance small businesses in New...

New Reeds/Jenss store will miss holiday rush.
November 6, 2000... The Reeds Jewelers/Jenss Home Decor store on Maple Road in Amherst will still make its holiday season opening, but the holiday will be Easter instead of Christmas. It may have taken a little bit longer than anticipated, but Reeds...

Buffalo bidding for Olympic trials.
November 6, 2000... After successfully hosting the U.S. Junior Olympic Track and Field competition this past summer Buffalo is primed to take a run at the country's Olympic track and field trials in 2004. A delegation of local officials will make bid at the...

Site selectors get to see what Buffalo can offer.
November 6, 2000... For a handful of top site selectors, they learned there's more to Western New York than snowstorms and empty steel mills. A real estate and economic development group came to the Buffalo area Oct. 29 and 30 for a multi-fold mission....

SBA seeks nominations for annual awards.
November 6, 2000... The Small Business Administration is looking for nominees for its 2001 Small Business Awards. Awarded annually since 1963 during National Small Business Week, the awards honor business owners and supporters of small business. Awards are...

Technology investor buys into WNY market.
November 6, 2000... Buffalo technology companies will have an additional potential source of capital when Newtek Capital Inc. enters the market via an investment/acquisition of a Western New York technology integrator. Newtek, based in New York City, acquired...

Tim Hortons rolls out dough at new locations.
November 6, 2000... The presence of rival Krispy Kreme isn't slowing down an aggressive local expansion plan by Tim Hortons Donuts. Tim Hortons, the chain founded by the former Buffalo Sabres' defenseman, has confirmed it will open two stores next year in...

Hamister puts football in Rochester's arena.
November 6, 2000... The businessman who brought indoor football to Buffalo is bringing son of the Arena Football League, af2, to Rochester. Mark Hamister, CEO of Buffalo Sports Enterprises LLC and the Buffalo Destroyers, has formed Rochester Sports Enterprises...

Bills still dominate local TV ratings.
November 6, 2000... Once more the Bills were involved in the most-watched TV program in the Buffalo viewing area last week. The Bills game against the New York Jets drew a 32.3 household rating and a 61 share. For the season the Bills are averaging a 31.8...

New Era expanding Alabama operation.
November 6, 2000... New Era Cap Co. is opening a new distribution center in Mobile, Ala., a 217,000 square-foot facility that will employ 50 people. It will be New Era's second operation in the state. Company officials say the facility is necessary to...

Organizers hope cash, big prizes will lure anglers to annual derby.
November 6, 2000... Financial commitments from Niagara, Erie and Orleans counties along with Empire State Development have upped the stakes for a popular Western New York fishing derby. The three counties will be host to thousands of anglers vying for cash...

Med school applicants down at UB, across U.S.
November 6, 2000... The University at Buffalo medical school, like other institutions across the country, received fewer applications from potential students this year in what officials say might be a reaction to a strong economy and negative media reports about...

Pearce & Pearce sells plaza, buys apartment units.
November 6, 2000... The sale of a North Tonawanda shopping plaza has lea the way for a separate deal involving an Amherst apartment complex. Pearce & Pearce Co. Inc. has sold the Wurlitzer Plaza on Nash Road in North Tonawanda to one of its longtime tenants,...

United Way chooses successor for Bennett.
November 6, 2000... The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County has selected Arlene Kaukus as its new executive director. Kaukus, who joined the agency 21 years ago and is currently executive vice -president, will take over the position Jan. 1,2001, when Robert...

Acme Electric division signs deal with Invensys.
November 6, 2000... The North Carolina division of East Aurora-based Acme Electric Corp. has signed a major three-year contract with Invensys Power Systems Division, a global leader in power control and energy storage products. Acme's Distribution Products...

Finance e-newsletter earns kudos for prof.
November 6, 2000... An e-newsletter launched a couple years ago to help college finance students with their studies and serve as a way to stay in touch with them after they graduated has snowballed beyond the expectations of its creator. Not long ago the free...

UB counseling center targets city students.
November 6, 2000... The University at Buffalo has opened a center designed to serve children from the Buffalo Public Schools who have been suspended for disruptive behavior or violence. The Vision Integrity Structure and Accountability Center will be run by...

Slip is victory for preservationists.
November 6, 2000... Score one for the local preservationist community. The decision by the state to not bury the Erie Canal Commercial Slip and include the slip in its $30 million-plus downtown Inner Harbor plans is probably the most significant gain by the...

A much needed voice.
November 6, 2000... When it comes to urban planning and being the voice of reason in economic development issues, there are few people in this community who have the stature of Bob Shibley, from UB'S School of Architecture and Planning and head of the Downtown...

Hilbert program featured in national magazine.
November 6, 2000... Hilbert College appears in the Oct. 26 issue of Rolling Stone in the magazine's College Report. The college's new economic crime investigation program, one of only two in the country was selected as one of the hottest specialized college...

Kaleida, unions agree on master contract.
November 6, 2000... Kaleida Health and its unions have reached a tentative agreement that combines 17 bargaining units under a single master contract. Talks are continuing, however, about employment issues at each of the sites in the hospital system....

Arts Council survey draws cultural profile.
November 6, 2000... Arts and cultural organizations in Erie County attracted more than 2.7 million people to events last year, according to a new survey by the Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County. The survey, completed in conjunction with the Art...

UB searches for stability in high-profile sports.
November 6, 2000... Quietly, former director of athletics Nelson Townsend is winding down his career at the University at Buffalo. At the same time, the football team will post another losing season, which cost the coach, Craig Cirbus, his job. Townsend has...

High-tech job training focus of on efforts.
November 6, 2000... Organized labor is launching a campaign to address the region's shortage of information technology employees. The AFL-CIO created the Working for America Institute to support labor-led strategies for building job training skills. ...

Church begins work on new community center.
November 6, 2000... Work is scheduled to start this month on a new $4 million, three-story facility that will house a range of community services at St. John Baptist Church, Goodell Street and Michigan Avenue. Ground breaking for the Rev. Bennett W. Smith Sr....

Colleges and Universities.
November 6, 2000... Colleges and Universities David Fink Bachelor-degree schools:Ranked by full-time enrollment for the 2000-2001school year Phone Prior ...

Enviromnental lobby favors green approach.
November 6, 2000... Environmentalists are seeing green in downtown Buffalo. It's not the playing field at Dunn Tire Park nor the remnants of summer but the hope, of an environmentally friendly new building to spur an economic development trend. The Erie...

School of Management at UB honors GM's Kutner, Moog's Brady.
November 6, 2000... Harold Kutner, a top General Motors Corp. executive, and Robert Brady, CEO of Moog Inc., will be honored by the University at Buffalo School of Management at its Nov. 9 annual alumni association awards banquet. Kutner, vice president for...

Tech association, agency to team on worker needs.
November 6, 2000... The Information Technology Association of America will be the Department of Labor's partner in helping employers find workers for high-tech jobs. The partnership "brings an unprecedented channel for communication between government and...

Patent office opens electronic filing to all.
November 6, 2000... Anyone can now file patent applications over the Internet. The Patent and Trademark Office opened its electronic patent application filing system to all inventors Oct. 27. Previously the agency had offered electronic filing to a select...

DATABASE.
November 6, 2000... MORTGAGE RATES Conventional Fixed Adjustable Lender (phone) 30 yr. 15 yr. 1 yr. American Home Loans-Depew 7.75 7.63 7.38 (685-8735)...

High-tech entrepreneurs need to have business savvy.
November 6, 2000... Theresa Kennedy knows a lot about teaching and education. And she loves to read and play with computers. When she decided to start a business so she could stay home with her three young children, it seemed only natural that she should open...

Dot-commers can click and flex.
November 6, 2000... A growing number of American telecommuters are hard at work in their home offices, but they might not be applying that same self-discipline to staying healthy on the job. "What we find is people who work at home ask more of themselves than...

Entrepreneurs still are selling Buffalo on cells.
November 6, 2000... It's difficult to turn on the television or open the newspaper without hearing about the next revolution in technology: wireless communications. Cell phones are here to stay and personal digital assistants and pagers are becoming more and more...

Entrepreneurs selling region on cell phones.
November 6, 2000... In an age when computers border on obsolescence shortly after leaving their boxes, advancing telecommunications technology, plus deregulation, has changed the product and service mix of what used to be called "telephone" companies. And they've...

Uncertain times can mean investment opportunities.
November 6, 2000... With the recent stock market volatility many investors aren't sure whether they should buy, sell or do nothing. To complicate matters, there are also some year-end tax considerations to consider. The market is feeling the effects of five...

Selling today's technology one line at a time.
November 6, 2000... When Ed Evilsizor graduated from college in the late 1970s, he figured he would spend his working life in the music business behind a radio microphone. A musician who dreamed of being a radio announcer as a child, Evilsizor changed his...

Verizon Wireless launches its new prepay service.
November 6, 2000... Verizon Wireless has launched a national prepay wireless service which offers similar advantages of the company's all-inclusive digital SingleRate plans, including no long distance charge's and no roaming fees throughout most of the company's...

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS.
November 6, 2000... Victor Anastasia was included in Putnam Investments' Millionaire's Club for the third consecutive year. A Clarence resident, he is an affiliated representative with L&M Financial Services and a registered investment adviser agent through Nathan...

U.S. Small Business Administration.
November 6, 2000... The U.S. Small Business Administration marked the 20th anniversary of its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program, which has provided technical assistance to more than 8 million entrepreneurs. Locally, there are SBDCs at Buffalo State...

Eric Mower and Associates.
November 6, 2000... Eric Mower and Associates was selected to provide integrated marketing services for the Internet-based market research firm Harris Interactive.

Meridian Technology Group.
November 6, 2000... Meridian Technology Group was named a Hewlett-Packard Open View partner. The company is an authorized reseller for Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Citrix, NetScreen and Cisco products and a partner-level provider of Microsoft software.

Carr Marketing Communications Inc.
November 6, 2000... Catholic Charities of Buffalo selected Carr Marketing Communications Inc. to provide public relations services for its 2001 appeal. The company will provide strategic public relations planning, media relations and writing services working with...

Digging a well and striking gold is worth a read.
November 6, 2000... I hate Harvey Mackay books because every time I read one, I wish I'd written it. I especially hate his new book "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" (the only networking book you'll ever need). It's by far the best he's written. In case...

Where there's a will, law says there's a way.
November 6, 2000... This week's column reviews bills passed by state lawmakers during the 2000 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. George Pataki. Stock options Bill S6780. Sponsor: Skelos New York companies that wish to compensate their...

Senator accuses SBA of election eye politics.
November 6, 2000... The chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee accuses the Small Business Administration of promoting Vice President Al Gore's candidacy for president by conducting a "national public relations blitz" just before the Nov. 7 election. ...

Home builders criticize 'flawed' growth poll.
November 6, 2000... The real estate industry is fighting back in the public relations war over sprawl. The National Association of Home Builders says a recent poll released by Smart Growth America is "seriously flawed" because it relied on "leading questions"...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
November 6, 2000... St. Bonaventure University named Brother Basil Valente director of its Oxford Program, an academic program that lets SBU students study at Oxford University for six weeks. He is a lecturer in journalism and mass communication at St....

Don't be too hasty to write-off paper.
November 6, 2000... For years I've been worrying about the advent of the paperless office. While some workers yearned for its arrival, I occasionally awoke in the middle of the night, sweating and frantic, worrying how I would ever manage when paper became...

Good news fuels WNY economy.
November 6, 2000... If nothing else, the rhetoric tossed around in the U.S. Senate campaign confirmed statewide what most of us here figured out a long time ago: Economic growth has been a stranger to most upstate communities for much of the last decade. Not...

It is all about people.
November 6, 2000... Some complain that Generation X doesn't seem to buy into company loyalty. If there's blame for that attitude, it must go deeper than a single generation. It starts with those who have come before. I'm a member of the criticized...

40/40 program finds wealth of young talent.
November 6, 2000... G. SCOTT THOMAS Business First's ninth annual 40 Under Forty honor roll offers proof that Western New York has a plentiful supply of young, committed leaders. This year's 40 winners -- all under the age of 40 -- are being recognized...

Big Brothers Big Sisters lends big hand to kids.
November 6, 2000... Sometimes what a child needs most in this world is an arm around a shoulder. Many times it's the arm of a Big Brother or Big Sister. They are adult volunteers who are matched with at-risk boys and girls to simply offer the encouragement...

Business of Business of the Year in its 150th.
November 6, 2000... HSBC Bank now celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding as the Marine Trust Company in Buffalo, has long maintained a presence in Amherst, where it is currently constructing a $57 million data center, one of only four such facilities it...

Is there anything smart about managing growth?
November 6, 2000... "Is there anything smart about managing growth?" was an interesting title of an article I recently read. It was the impetuous for the context of this column. While my comments may result in some controversy, I believe them to be true and,...

On the Street.
November 6, 2000... On the Street Un-believe-a-BULL! edition Subject Word on the street Lou Saban He's the original poster boy for frequent flier miles as he seeks ever more obscure jobs. And that's why he's the perfect...

New name, same game for medical insurer.
November 6, 2000... The former HMO North AmeriCare has been renamed Univera Healthcare-Southern Tier Inc. The name change follows the Jan. 1 acquisition of North AmeriCare by Univera, the region's third-largest health maintenance organization. Univera...

Acquisition, expansion power limak.
November 13, 2000... Fresh off a leveraged buyout, Amherst's International Imaging Materials Inc. has acquired a North Carolina company and moved ahead with plans to open a European unit. Iimak, a thermal transfer ribbon manufacturer, has acquired Acucote...

Customers seize control of Info Age, GM exec says.
November 13, 2000... More than ever, knowledge is power. Held by customers in this the Information Age, it gives them absolute life-or-death control over business, says Harold Kutner. That is the new world order, of things. "Knowledge has moved into the...

Sale of Graphic Controls plant attracts prospective tenants.
November 13, 2000... The sprawling Graphic Controls Corp. plant, a 10-story structure that towers over the city's Exchange Street development corridor, has been sold to one of the region's largest property owners. Industrial Commerce Facility LLC, an affiliate...

Upbeat economy arrests bank heists.
November 13, 2000... Upstate New York's improved economy is paying extra dividends in the form of a two-year plunge in bank holdups. Robberies in western and central New York fell 32.7 percent in the fiscal year ending Sept.30. The total of 66 in the 17...

5th Coast.
November 13, 2000... Thumbs up ... to Buffalo Sabres' goalie Dominik Hasek who pledged about $1 million for a proposed downtown Buffalo hockey rink that would be used primarily by youth and amateur hockey programs. This isn't Hasek's first bit of civic beau...

'Can you spare a dime?'.
November 13, 2000... As this is being written on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8, we still don't know who the new president is. And maybe you won't know by the time you're reading this days later, either. The recount of Florida votes is kind of like a John LaFalce...

Doctor's estate gives $1 million to UB.
November 13, 2000... The University at Buffalo has received a $1 million gift to endow a professorship in the Medical School in memory of Meyer Riwchun, M.D., an eye surgeon, professor at the UB Medical School and head of eye services for the U.S. Armed Forces in...

Street Gear store expands to Erie, Pa.
November 13, 2000... The Lifestyle Street Gear chain recently opened a new store in the Perry Plaza in Erie, Pa. The chain has six stores. As one of the top 100 Inner-city Businesses in America, Lifestyle Street Gear is expanding to serve an urban market. ...

ABC Cos. opens office in China.
November 13, 2000... The ABC Companies Inc., an international debt collection service based in Buffalo, has opened an office in Shanghai, China, to further develop its range of services to the growing china economic region and to expand a client base there. ...

Regional progress report to be presented.
November 13, 2000... The public release of the State of the Region Progress Report 2000 will be held at 9 a.m., Nov. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The report covers 11 topic areas including economy, education and government. The report is available for $15...

Largest HMOs bump up premiums.
November 13, 2000... Community Blue and Independent Health, the two largest HMOs in the Buffalo region, will increase premiums an average 14 percent and 18 percent respectively beginning Jan. 1, 2001, for companies with a first quarter enrollment date. ...

Boating event takes fun in the sun in Buffalo.
November 13, 2000... Buffalo's warm weather, that's right Buffalo's warm weather, played a significant role in landing a five-day competition next summer. The Solar Energy Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers will hold "Solar Splash 2001"...