Business First of Buffalo articles from September 1992

Business First of Buffalo archives from September 1992

Analysts see Kleinhans' demise unless management buys retailer. (Kleinhans Co.)
September 28, 1992... The fate of the area's Kleinhans Co. stores rests 500 miles away in Chicago. Analysts are giving the longtime Buffalo retailer a mixed chance for survival, with the best option possibly coming from a local management buyout. Kleinhans was...

Integrated Waste loses partner in port venture. (Integrated Waste Services Inc; Twin Ports)
September 28, 1992... Integrated Waste Services Inc. has lost its partner in a venture the Buffalo company had said could add substantially to its bottom line. But the waste services company now may get into the international shipping business by developing a...

Jerome Hoffman rides again; unveils St. Louis grocery chain.
September 28, 1992... Jerome Hoffman, the man whose big plans for a Lackawanna aluminum mill and 2,000 jobs never materialized, is back in the news. This time he's in St. Louis talking groceries instead of aluminum, and this time he's going by the first name...

As budget troubles mount, governments eye privatization. (Niagara County considers sale or privatization of assets)
September 28, 1992... For sale: a 172-bed nursing home. That sign has not gone up in front of the Niagara County Courthouse. And it may not, ever. But that doesn't mean Niagara County lawmakers won't look at selling some of the county's assets or privatizing...

Varity to extract some good from European money crisis. (Varity Corp.)
September 28, 1992... Varity Corp., which has about 55 percent of its manufacturing capacity and one-third of its sales in Europe, expects to reap some benefits from the current European economic chaos. But hope is tempered by realization that conditions could...

Buffalo lawyer sues to remove metal detectors in courthouses. (Attorney Alan Bozer)
September 28, 1992... A Buffalo attorney has filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court to remove the metal detectors and keep sheriff deputies from searching people at the entrances of the Erie County Court House. Attorney Alan Bozer said he started the suit Aug. 20...

Upstate looks like it'll take driver's seat out of recession. (upstate New York)
September 28, 1992... An Albany investment firm is predicting that upstate New York will lead the Northeast on the way to economic recovery. The output of goods and services in the 51 upstate counties -- defined as everything north of Orange and Putnam counties --...

Buffalo was a happy trail for Phoenix-bound Keeley. (Greater Buffalo Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Keeley)
September 28, 1992... Kevin Keeley says he knows how Cinderella must have felt. "It seems like I'm always working hard in the kitchen but when it comes time to go to the ball, I leave," he said. After four years as president, Keeley will leave the Greater...

J.C. Penney CEO says extra push needed for United Way's success. (J.C. Penney Co. Inc. CEO and United Way of America board chairman William Howell)
September 28, 1992... William Howell came to Buffalo to play some golf and, despite a downpour, he got in nine holes. And the chairman and chief executive officer of J.C. Penney Co. Inc. didn't let the weather dampen his enthusiasm for the United Way. Howell,...

Pamela Heilman can't slow down. (United Way of Buffalo and Erie County chairman Pamela Davis Heilman)
September 28, 1992... Buffalo lawyer lends energy to United Way's campaign Pamela Davis Heilman's desk at Hodgson, Russ, Andrews, Woods & Goodyear is a typical lawyer's desk, dominated by three stacks of manila folders. But Heilman is not a typical lawyer....

Servotronics, Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
September 28, 1992... American Stock Exchange -- SVT Servotronics Inc., headquartered in Buffalo, is organized into two operating groups--Advanced Technology and Cutlery Products. The beneficial owners with more than 5 percent of the company's stock are...

Employees value family leave; but some business groups say mandates will hurt companies. (includes related article) (Special Report: Legal)
September 28, 1992... When Anita Burke had her baby Dec. 16, 1990, her job was held for six months until she returned. State law requires that an employer grant six to eight weeks paid maternity leave. But Burke, an executive secretary and 23-year veteran...

Ignorance of music copyright could give a business the blues. (Special Report: Legal)
September 28, 1992... Walk into a supermarket these days and in between calls for price checks and a cleanup in Aisle 5, you may hear a great old song or maybe a great new one. Head for the corner pub and pop a coin into the jukebox for a little ditty to dance to...

Dispute resolution proponents don't want to see you in court. (Special Report: Legal)
September 28, 1992... Instead of facing the cost and delay associated with court, many parties to lawsuits are opting to sit down and talk instead. Lawyers, judges and companies have taken to settling disputes through arbitration, mediation and other alternatives...

Schools teach law - concentration comes later. (Special Report: Legal)
September 28, 1992... When law school ends, the learning begins for new lawyers who want to concentrate in an area of law. "Law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer, how to recognize a problem and figure out how you are going to resolve it and what...

Changes in partnership law offer option to S corporation. (Special Report: Legal)
September 28, 1992... Under federal tax law, the maximum income tax rate for corporations is higher than the maximum rate for individuals. This fact has caused many corporations to elect to be taxed as S corporations. The effect of an S election is that the...

Parts, repairs drive auto dealer profits. (Automotive Trends) (Industry Overview)
September 28, 1992... WASHINGTON -- Most auto dealerships nationwide made money over the last year despite the weak economy and sluggish new-car sales, an analyst for the National Automobile Dealers Association says. But the gains came at a price. Some dealerships...

GM chief sees expanded role for parts operation. (General Motors Corp.'s Service Parts Operation) (Automotive Trends)
September 28, 1992... SWARTZ CREEK, Mich. -- General Motors Corp.'s Service Parts Operation is bustling despite a recent strike at an Ohio plant, the division's new general manager says. The parts division should grow in coming years as GM dealers become more...

Canadian home builder plans nearly 600 homes in Lancaster. (Akal Properties Ltd.; Lancaster, New York)
September 21, 1992... Buys 227-acre site in William Street-Bowen Road area A Toronto area home builder has acquired a 227-acre parcel in Lancaster for what could be one of the town's largest subdivisions. Akal Properties Ltd. of Oakville plans up to 594...

MAC and NYCE sever ties as ATM battle accelerates. (MAC/Metroteller; NYCE/Instabank)
September 21, 1992... An agreement that used to benefit thousands of Western New Yorkers who bank in supermarkets has gotten the sack. A pact allowing MAC/Metroteller and NYCE/Instabank network members to access each other's systems has expired after being in...

Left to his own devices, Douglas Taylor turns a profit at his father's old company. (Paul Taylor; Taylor Devices Inc.)(includes related article)
September 21, 1992... Almost a year ago, Paul Taylor lost a bitter battle with his son Douglas for control of three companies the elder Taylor founded and ran for 28 years. At the time, only one of the Taylor companies was profitable -- and barely at that -- and...

If the clients can't find a lawyer, throw the (telephone) book at 'em. (lawyer advertising)
September 21, 1992... When you need their services in the courtroom, a portion of the nation's lawyers hope your fingers will do some walking across their ads in telephone books. "The yellow pages are the best type of ads lawyers can do for the money," said...

Susan Leong: Ph.D. by day; restaurant owner by night. (Women in Business 1992)
September 21, 1992... Attention, couch potatoes. This is a story of a woman who makes most workaholics look like professional sunbathers. If you have an aversion to descriptions of 20-hour workdays, juggling career and family and success through hard work, skip...

Lupe Breen: from receptionist to company owner. (Dunhill of Buffalo Ltd.) (Women in Business 1992)
September 21, 1992... She liked being a receptionist at Dunhill of Buffalo Ltd. so much, she bought the company. It may sound like the Remington razor commercial, but it's Lupe Breen's story, a classic example of someone starting at the bottom with nothing but...

Kathleen Mersmann: bills, bills and bills are good for business. (president of Pioneer Credit Recovery Inc.) (Women in Business 1992)
September 21, 1992... When she was younger, Kathleen Mersmann never saw herself as president of her own credit recovery company, employing 32 people including her mother and owning two buildings because one just wasn't big enough. A natural athlete and excellent...

Talking trash: solid waste laws hit the books. (New York state's recycling law) (Special Report: Environment)
September 21, 1992... Most WNY municipalities put recycling programs in motion Recycling. It is, of course, one of the buzzwords of the 1990s, ranking up there with downsizing, value and customer service. And the concept became a major concern across New York...

Industry launches campaign as antidote to image problem. (chemical industry) (Special Report: Environment)
September 21, 1992... A few years ago, teen-agers in Niagara County dared each other to swim in "the dioxin" -- also known as Lake Ontario. While they may not have known exactly what dioxin was, they knew it was a chemical and it wasn't good for them or the lake....

1992 Athena Award winner: Christeen Kanowski is a blur of constant work and learning. (district manager of Durham Temporaries Inc.) (Women in Business 1992)
September 21, 1992... Western New York hasn't seen many of the likes of Christeen Kanowski, winner of the 1992 Athena Award. The enthusiasm and self-described passion she has -- for everything from her family and community involvement to her job as district...

Banks battle for bigger bite of Rochester: Buffalo's lenders increase interest in evolving market. (Industry Overview)
September 14, 1992... Evolution continues to force changes on upstate banking almost as radically as political reform has altered the map of Europe. Nowhere is there more impact than in Rochester. The state's third largest metropolitan area is the current focus of...

A helping hand for minority business. (includes related article)
September 14, 1992... Take your pick of success stories coming out of the Buffalo Minority Business Development Center. * A small construction company that has grown to 12 employees and $1 million in annual sales. * The Lackawanna nightspot that created three...

It's still the same picture of a stagnant economy. (Industry Overview)
September 14, 1992... George Smyntek was talking specifically about Western New York's employment picture, but his comments easily applied to all aspects of the regional economy. "The only real positive is that we aren't doing as poorly as some other places. But...

Falls: money crunch puts rehab of stadium behind in the count. (Niagara Falls; Sal Maglie Stadium)
September 14, 1992... The New York-Penn League is encouraging cash-strapped minor league baseball communities including Niagara Falls to apply for state bond money to improve their stadiums. "I made it known that there ought to be some funding for them," said...

American Precision's line of succession: Kurt Wiedenhaupt, former AEG executive, takes reins from founder Robert Fierle. (American Precision Industries Inc.)
September 14, 1992... Kurt Wiedenhaupt, who was with AEG Corp. for 32 years, never thought he'd be running a company like American Precision Industries Inc. "I was always dreaming that somebody would give me a company in trouble to turn around," he says. "I've...

Kmart Corp. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
September 14, 1992... New York Stock Exchange -- KM Based in Troy, Mich., Kmart Corp. is a retailer which owns discount and specialty stores including Kmart, Pace Membership Warehouse, Builders Square, Waldenbooks, and OfficeMax. The beneficial owner of the...

When the price on the window is the price: WNY dealers still kicking the tires on the 'no-dicker sticker' concept. (Western New York automobile dealers) (Special Report: Automotive) (Industry Overview)
September 14, 1992... No-haggle selling may be on its way to a new-car showroom near you. Though it has only a toehold in Western New York, this radical but explosive trend is getting attention and interest from Western New York car dealers. The basic premise of...

Dealers: low rates, old cars will drive up WNY auto sales. (Western New York automobile dealers) (Special Report: Automotive) (Industry Overview)
September 14, 1992... An improving economy will lift auto sales in 1993 like the proverbial rising tide carries all boats. So goes one Buffalo area auto dealer's view of the new model year. But there are other explanations for the good feelings of some car...

Auditing services keep freight payments rolling. (freight auditors) (Special Report: Automotive) (Industry Overview)
September 14, 1992... When it comes to niche services, one of the most esoteric and least visible around is protecting manufacturers and other heavy shippers from excessive or incorrect freight charges. According to industry estimates, about 300 such companies --...

Barrister Information Systems Corporation. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
September 7, 1992... $$$$$$Emevmgen Stock$E/ghenge$--$BIW$$ $$$ $$$$ $$$ $$ $$$$$$ Barrister Information Systems Corp., headquartered in Buffalo, services, develops, assembles and markets computer network systems for the legal profession. The beneficial...