Business First of Buffalo articles from September 1998

Business First of Buffalo archives from September 1998

Anti-monopoly issues killed 1st Tyco deal. (Tyco International Ltd.'s acquisition plan for Graphic Controls Corp. in 1994)
September 28, 1998... Tyco International Ltd., the Bermuda-based company that is poised to purchase Graphic Controls Corp. for $460 million in cash, also tried to buy the Buffalo manufacturer four years ago. That attempt in 1994 - a deal that would have cost Tyco...

Niagara's new king of the hill. (Sanitary Landfill No. VI in Niagara County, New York)
September 28, 1998... The highest ground in Niagara County is no longer a creation of nature. It is the work of man: a dump. Sanitary Landfill No. VI in the Town of Niagara and City of Niagara Fails has topped out at 699 feet above sea level. That beats by 24 feet...

Officials look for positives in sale of Graphic Controls. (Tyco International Inc.'s acquisition proposal)
September 28, 1998... The sale of Graphic Controls Corp. to Tyco International Ltd. could go one of two ways. Planners who take the optimistic route liken the deal to one where Buffalo was able to convince Trico Products Corp. to remain in the city. Pessimists...

Foot wear and care: manufacturer takes the first step for those with problems affecting walking. (Tru-Mold Shoes Inc.)
September 28, 1998... What's going on: Tru-Mold manufactures prescription shoes for customers with severe foot problems brought on by diabetes, arthritis and other diseases and conditions. Doctors and health-care professionals send the company molds of the patients'...

Computers make it even easier to order out. (ordering food from restaurants)
September 28, 1998... Pat Hahn was intrigued when he saw actress Sandra Bullock order a pizza on the Internet in the movie "The Net." What could be more convenient? The computer user didn't have to search through a phone book and select from the hundreds of pizza...

Colleagues praise Buffalo's 'unsung hero.' (hospitality industry; Karen Miranda, vice president of the Great Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau in Western New York)
September 28, 1998... Karen Miranda is a Buffalo ambassador. As vice president of the Greater Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau since 1988, Miranda works 50-hour weeks to convince potential conventioneers that Western New York is a great place to be. Her...

Fitness is being served to workers during the noon hour. (Buffalo, New York)
September 28, 1998... Increasing numbers of busy business people are finding that their lunchtime menu features a taste of the treadmill, a portion of pool laps and a dollop of dumbbells. For those whose hectic schedule includes work responsibilities during the...

Travelers find ways to fight flab when away from gym. (physical fitness centers in Buffalo, New York)
September 28, 1998... Staying in shape is part of the job for Daniel Brignone, a former Buffalonian now working in Georgia as a law enforcement officer. So when he returned to Kenmore to visit relatives last month, he grabbed some early-morning workout time at the...

Couch potatoes bake up fun when winter flexes muscles. (executives' outdoor recreation in Western New York)
September 28, 1998... If you see a man in a business suit coasting in a snow tube this winter, don't brush off your snow goggles - it's really happening. "This was the funniest thing I ever saw," says Peter Calleri, marketing director for Kissing Bridge, adjacent...

Computer users find some common ground at cafes.
September 28, 1998... In the past few years, several Internet cafe businesses have come and gone in Western New York. Scott Herman has watched closely, taking notes along the way. Herman will celebrate the third anniversary this month of his business, Common...

Ontario Foods buys Fisher-Price plant. (factory in Medina, NY)
September 21, 1998... The former Fisher-Price Inc./Mattel Inc. factory in Medina, vacant since the toy maker left last year, will reopen as a distribution and manufacturing hub for Ontario Foods Inc., a food products firm. Ontario Foods, a division of Genesee...

Casino raises stakes on convention center. (Buffalo, NY, convention center in danger because of Niagara Falls, Ontario Casino/Gateway project)
September 21, 1998... With the Niagara Falls, Ont., Casino/Gateway project about to start dealing, the $500 million development plan creates a sense of urgency for champions of the proposed Buffalo convention center. At risk, tourism officials say, is the local...

Credit union regulations won't apply to Dresser. (Olean Dresser Clark Community Federal Credit Union)
September 21, 1998... Proposed rules that will be used in enforcing a new credit union law are expected to become final later this year or early 1999. One suggested guideline sets a definition for "community" that might be tougher to meet for community-based...

Sluggish upstate economy producing few new jobs. (New York state)
September 21, 1998... Percentage change in total non-farm employment, 1995-1997 Stalled employment growth upstate is offsetting significant growth in the downstate/New York City region, resulting in minimal statewide growth. Nick Perna, chief economist at Fleet...

Ford granted tax break on stamping plant project. (Ford Motor Co. plant in Hamburg, NY)
September 21, 1998... Ford Motor Co., which plans to invest $50 million over five years at its metal stamping plant in Hamburg, has been granted a financial package to save an estimated $950,000 in associated sales tax costs through the end of the year 2000. The...

Owners of Melody Fair face possible closure. (theater in the city of North Tonawanda, NY)
September 21, 1998... The City of North Tonawanda is stepping up efforts to foreclose on Melody Fair as the theater nears the end of its shortest season. The city recently took court action to allow seizure of the domed theater. Augusto International Corp., owner...

Light-year business: Wyoming-born designer takes a shine to custom pieces with Western flair. (Penrose Custom Design Lighting and Fine Furnishings)(Company Profile)
September 21, 1998... What's going on: Penrose designs and fabricates custom lighting, marquetry and lodge-style furniture, usually with a rustic, Western or lodge-style design. The pieces are made of wood, glass and metals. "We don't rely on history," owner Steve...

Dealers think GM strike will change business ways. (General Motors Corp.)
September 21, 1998... While area General Motors dealers tend to view the recent UAW strike that virtually shut down the giant automaker as little more than a short-term inconvenience, they concede it will ultimately change how they do business with GM and, by...

Business travelers awaiting low-cost carriers for them. (air transportation in the state of New York)
September 21, 1998... The friendly skies are widening for leisure travelers from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, but low-cost business flights have yet to take off. Beginning in October, two low-cost carriers - Delta Express and MetroJet (U.S. Airways' new...

Airport manager's job is not grounded by sparse crowds. (Niagara Falls International Airport Manager Ralph Napolitano)
September 21, 1998... The Niagara Falls International Airport terminal looks modern, neat and clean. And quiet. Too quiet. Through the end of August, small numbers of air travelers and only one scheduled commercial airline were using the airport - hardly enough...

M&T rides volatile market. (stock of M and T Bank)
September 7, 1998... The stock market's big plunge Aug. 31 pulled already tumbling bank stocks down with it. One of them was Buffalo's M&T Bank, whose stock had nose-dived 30 percent in six weeks, falling $172 from an all-time high of $582 a share on July 17 to...

Banks, insurers await impact of acquisition. (Lockport Savings Bank to acquire Warren-Hoffman and Associates)
September 7, 1998... Lockport Savings Bank's announcement that it was acquiring Warren-Hoffman & Associates, one of the area's largest full service insurance agencies, is likely to reverberate throughout Western New York insurance circles for years. "It is big...

Veridian puts on the brakes for commercial truckers. (Veridian Calspan Operations)
September 7, 1998... Commercial track inspection and maintenance is going high-tech and Veridian Calspan Operations is pushing the drive. Formerly Calspan SRL Corp., the Cheektowaga company is developing an on-board device for truck system monitoring through a...

High-tech firm goes downtown. (Biosight Inc)
September 7, 1998... Biosight Inc., an Orchard Park high-tech products holding company, may have the prescription to make Buffalo's medical corridor feel better economically. City officials have confirmed that the medical products manufacturer will move its...

NFL's network alignment is golden for Channel 4. (CBS affiliate WIVB-TV to benefit from National Football League)
September 7, 1998... When the National Football League season kicks off this weekend, WIVB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, should see a rise in ratings and an improvement on the bottom line. CBS is back as an NFL broadcaster after taking the American Football...

Southern Tier expansion boosts HMO's client base. (Independent Health to add new subscribers to Jamestown, New York)
September 7, 1998... Independent Health has added a group of 17,000 subscribers in the Jamestown area as it begins a campaign to build membership in the Southern Tier. The contract came through the Health Insurance Purchasing Group, which combines 30 companies...

Mercury's radio stations form events subsidiary. (Mercury Radio Communications LLC)
September 7, 1998... Mercury Radio Communications LLC, owners of four area radio stations, is dialing into a new enterprise, special event planning and related sponsorship opportunities. Mercury is the area's first radio group to branch into special...

American Axle, auto workers forge competitive mission.
September 7, 1998... One-time adversarial attitudes have given way to cooperation between labor and management as both segments work towards greater competitiveness. A case in point is American Axle & Manufacturing, employing more than 2,500 at the East Delavan...