Business First of Buffalo articles from September 2001

Business First of Buffalo archives from September 2001

Small-business owners stay upbeat.(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... Business is good, if a little odd, at M&C Leasing Co. Inc. Last week, the Buffalo equipment leasing company signed a deal to lease a tractor to a tiger and lion sanctuary in California. Other deals have included leases for everything from...

Water well drillers find jobs in drought.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The status of this year's water well drilling season depends on what driller you ask. Some drillers have been flooded with calls while others say it's been an average year. "I drilled 200 water wells for the entire season last year,"...

Exec seeks new Delphi solution.(Guy Jones of Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)
September 3, 2001... By June 2000, when he arrived as site manager of Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, Guy Jones had become known within the corporation as a fix-it expert. A veteran then of 34 years in the automotive industry, he served successful stints at...

Prosperity, recession both found in New York.(economics of metro areas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... New York is a state of economic extremes. Its largest urban center, New York City, is doing so well that it earned four stars in Demographics Daily's economic ratings for August. That puts it just one level below the highest possible score....

5th Coast.(New York news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Thumbs up ... to Gov. Pataki for doing a Gorski and announcing something before all the "t's" were crossed and "i's" were dotted. The gov and a host of others believe casino gaming is the answer to our economic woes and, dang it,...

An apple for old teachers.(author names best teachers)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The media bigshots are crowding my space. For the past two years 5C was the reliable voice that told its readers how area colleges rated among today's hep (Is that still a word?) students, at least according to the bright and adroit young chaps...

Amherst company has European office.(Customer Operations Performance Center)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Customer Operations Performance Center Inc. (COPC), based in Amherst and Austin, Texas, has opened a European office in Bedford, U.K., completing its effort to establish a global footprint. The expansion into Europe meets a need of many of...

Medaille expands program to Rochester.(Medaille College)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Medaille College will expand its degree completion program for adults to Rochester with a new campus. The college will open a branch campus in Brighton this fall offering master's and a bachelor's degrees in business administration and an...

'Thursday' season rocks record book.(Buffalo's Thursday at the Square concerts)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The popular "Thursday at the Square" concert series has proven that records are made to be broken. Again and again. The weekly summer concert series, presented by Buffalo Place Inc., set a record last year by attracting an estimated 250,000...

Credit union seeks OK to expand membership.(Niagara DuPont Employees Credit Union)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Niagara DuPont Employees Credit Union has applied to the state Banking Department for authorization to expand. The credit union, in the DuPont plant at Buffalo Avenue and 26th Street in Niagara Falls, wants to enroll employees of six...

Nursing home construction begun at Mount St. Mary's.(Mount St. Mary's Hospital)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Construction on a nursing home that's been an on again, off again project for about nine years has begun on the campus of Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston. The 250-bed facility to be called Our Lady of Peace, will be a subsidiary of...

Gander Mountain stores climb into Buffalo.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Gander Mountain, a sports store that devotes itself entirely to the hunting, fishing and camping markets, is close to making its first entry into Western New York. Gander Mountain confirmed it "is nearly finished with negotiations for two...

Health care firm seeking nurses from Western New York.(InteliStaf Healthcare opens Amherst office)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The shortage of nurses has prompted a national health care placement company to expand into Buffalo. InteliStaf Healthcare has established an office in Amherst, one of four new sites for the company based in Oak Brook, Ill. The company also...

Business signing on to high-speed hookups.(high-speed Internet connections)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Internet's value as a tool for businesses continues to grow. A report by the Federal Communications Commission last week said that high-speed Internet access in the United States jumped 63 percent to more than 7 million homes and...

Main Street may see vehicle traffic.(Buffalo, New York)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Area officials are taking a serious step forward to get vehicle traffic back on Main Street in downtown Buffalo. At an Aug. 29 press conference, it was announced that the City of Buffalo, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Erie...

New CVB exec ready to sing region's praises.(appointment to Buffalo, Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Paul Brown never paid much attention to Buffalo. Growing up in Cooperstown and working for the past few years in Michigan, Brown's only exposure to Western New York was driving along the Youngmann Highway to the New York State Thruway and...

Beat Publications hits a sour note.(files chapter 11 bankruptcy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... The commercial printing company that remained in business after the sale of its corporate partner, the former Buffalo Beat newspaper, has filed for protection from creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The Chapter 11 filing by Beat...

Delphi recalls workers as absenteeism soars.(Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, which laid off 430 hourly workers for an indefinite period in the first three months of this year, has brought back 49 of them. A company spokesman said the recall, which began the week of Aug. 20, was...

Regional company gets fire apparatus contract.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Central States Fire Apparatus LLC has appointed Emergency Vehicles & Equipment of New York as its new authorized sales and service dealer in Western New York. A division of Snowfighting Equipment & Consultants of Buffalo Inc., Emergency...

Goodwill asking for good will of community.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Goodwill Industries of WNY officials will be asking the community for dollars in addition to clothing and household items as it scrambles to recover from a fire earlier this month. An early morning fire Aug. 16 destroyed three trailers...

Job boards get data from study.(Workforce Investment Boards in New York release survey)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Workforce Investment Boards in Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties released the results this week of a survey designed to gauge the level of familiarity by the public of the One-Stop employment and training centers created from the...

Hamburg estate could become medical site.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The historic McNaughton Estate in Hamburg is on the verge of serving as the home of a new traditional and holistic medical campus. Amherst neurologist Dr. James Teter has submitted plans to the Hamburg Industrial Development Agency to...

Gowanda Electronics opens new facility.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Gowanda Electronics has opened a new facility for its worldwide headquarters. A new 40,000-square-foot building houses the supplier of high-performance magnetic components' entire operations. "The company had evolved by site specific...

Graycliff sheds 'light' on area historic sites.
September 3, 2001... The Graycliff Conservancy is teaming up with Studio Arena Theater's presentation of "City of Light" to help aid the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. The fundraiser is set for Oct. 13, when participants will start the day with a 1:30 p.m....

Marrano helps fund Lancaster center.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... A tip of the hat should go to Marrano/Macr Equity Corp. Marrano, the region's largest home builder, has given something back to the Town of Lancaster. It's no secret that Marrano does a lot of business in Lancaster and when the town needed...

Labor unions.(directory and finances)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... Labor unions Ranked by most recent fiscal year receipts Rank Prior Name Total rank address phone receipts 1 3 Operating Engineers Local 17 ...

Family tech.(profile of the president of Aspen Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Mom balances family with new business FIRST PERSON Michelle Winer would love to be part of the downtown Byte Belt and share in all the excitement that comes-along with working in the city. But even more important is her commitment...

Technology often a step ahead of law.(federal statutes regarding technology and the internet)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... We can all easily take stock of the ways that technology has changed our own lives. Indicators include how much time we spend staring at a computer screen on a daily basis, how many relatives we now communicate with via e-mail rather than...

Businesses cautiously surfing for customers.(internet advertising, techniques and strategies)(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... As owner of Teal Travel in Amherst, Chuck Teal is always looking for new avenues to help promote his company. That's why Teal was willing to take a chance and buy some ad space on RealAmherst.com, a Web site that offers insightful views...

Smooth road ahead for truckers.(Satellite tracking systems for trucking companies)
September 3, 2001... Getting shipments of products -- from cat food to car engines -- across the nation by truck has never been an easy task. Traffic jams, weather conditions and highway construction slowdowns have plagued over-the-road truck drivers for decades....

Property manager makes office run smoothly.(Experience level of property manager is crucial)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Location, rent and amenities probably are the deciding factors when it comes time for a company owner or manager to lease a space to house a business. Before signing a lease contract and arranging for movers, it pays to learn about the...

Status quo is change for technology.(Mobile wireless communication's emerging technologies)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... We live in an age of technological miracles. Innovations that were considered science fiction a mere 20 years ago are now commonplace, and innovations once reserved for costly high-tech products are now routine. Even our toasters have...

Order in the courthouse.(Erie County Courthouse)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... When the first motion is heard later this month in the new Erie County Courthouse, it will mark both the beginning and the end of a long judicial and construction process. The eight-story, 165,000-square-foot Erie County Family Court...

Moot Hall becomes beacon for Buffalo State renovation.(Buffalo State College, Moot Hall renovation project)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Buffalo State College is making a moot point this fall. The college, the region's second largest, is taking the wraps off a revamped Moot Hall. The Moot Hall renovation project, a $7.25 million investment, was the centerpiece of a $70...

The American Institute of Architects/Buffalo WNY Chapter.
September 3, 2001... The American Institute of Architects/Buffalo WNY Chapter will host the 2001 AIA New York. State Convention in Buffalo Sept. 13-16 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The convention, expected to draw about 200 architects from around the state, will...

C&S Cos.(to open Cleveland, Ohio office)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... C&S Cos. has opened a Cleveland office. The company has been working in the city since 1999 as project manager for the residential sound attenuation program at Cleveland. Hopkins International Airport. G&S has offices in Buffalo and five other...

Cannon Design.(awards scholarships in partnership with University at Buffalo, School of Architecture and Design)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Cannon Design, in partnership with the School of Architecture and Design at the University at Buffalo, has awarded the Cannon Design Graduate Scholarship to two students. The recently established program aims to enhance the recruitment and...

Largo Real Estate Advisors, Inc.(arranges financing for construction projects)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... Largo Real Estate Advisors, Inc. has arranged first mortgage financing on several projects: $7.2 million for the Meridian Centre Office Center in Brighton, with Perry Miceli representing the company; $1.5 million for three mixed-use properties...

GMAC Commercial Mortgage.(arranges financing for construction projects)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... GMAC Commercial Mortgage arranged financing for a King of Prussia, Pa., industrial distribution center; a .76,000-square-foot retail property in Abington, Pa; a two-story, 6,575-square-foot office building an 81,208-squarefoot retail property...

The Evans Center Volunteer Fire Co.(dedicates Erie Road Fire Station No. 1)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Evans Center Volunteer Fire Co. dedicated the Erie Road Fire Station No. 1 in July. The Erie Road site was the culmination of 10 years of planning, saving and investing and features two, drive-through bays, two apparatus bays for an engine...

Southgate Plaza.(Americorps fundraiser)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Southgate Plaza raised $1,229 to benefit Americorps at its Taste of Southgate Plaza in July. Participating restaurants were Dynasty 11, Karen's Family Restaurant, Salvatore's Cafe, Brando's Pizza, Market in the Square, Fanny Farmer and Cookie...

Calamar Enterprises Inc.(opens Woodland Corporate Center building)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Calamar Enterprises Inc., a full-service real estate and construction company, cut the ribbon to open the Woodland Corporate Center's second building on Commerce Court off Niagara Falls Boulevard. The building is the first multi-tenant...

Mach Architecture + Engineering P.C.(receives award)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Buffalo-based design firm of Mach Architecture + Engineering P.C. earned an honorable mention from School Planning & Management magazine's annual Education Design Showcase Awards for its design of the pre-K through 12 Chautauqua Lake...

The Building Owners and Managers Association International.(approves usage of Associated General Contractors of America contract documents)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Building Owners and Managers Association International approved the usage of the Associated General Contractors of America's standard form contract documents for members. The forms address design-build, design-bid-build and negotiated...

Sear-Brown.(recognized by Mark Zweig and Associates Inc. and Building Design and Construction periodical)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... Sear-Brown was recognized by The Zweig Letter Hot' Firm 2001 and Building Design and Construction, which ranked the company as a top firm in its industry. The Zweig Letter ranked the firm No. 11 among the 100 fastest-growing architecture,...

Stovroff Realty.(integrates eHomeSales into Web site)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Stovroff Realty has integrated eHomeSales from BidTrac into its stovroff.com Web site, enabling customers to make online appointment requests, receive hot listed property notifications and make offers online. Stovroff, based in Williamsville,...

Developers find need and space in downtown.(for apartments)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... LOOK no farther than the corner or Delaware Avenue and Allen Street for proof that Buffalo needs market-rate apartments. That's where local developer Carl Paladino last month opened the Bellasara Apartments in the University Club building....

From bartender to MBA land developer.(Frank Chinnici of Brandon Management Group)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Even when he was working as bartender at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott hotel, Frank Chinnici kept his goal in mind. He wanted to be his own boss and run his company. At 42, he's living that dream as principal in Brandon Management Group....

BOMA International honors Toronto buildings.(Building Owners and Managers Association)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... While no Western New York office buildings were named in this year's annual The Office Building of the Year" (TOBY) awards from BOMA International, the region was still well-represented. Six Toronto area buildings won awards from the...

13th annual Agents Day to be held Oct. 3.
September 3, 2001... The Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors and Niagara Frontier Builders Association is celebrating the 13th annual Agents' Day and Trade Show. It will be held Oct. 3 at the Adams Mark Hotel, Buffalo. This is the largest event for the...

Fairview Fittings to construct new plant.(in West Amherst)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Fairview Fittings and Manufacturing Inc., a global manufacturer and distributor, will construct a 25,000-square-foot office and manufacturing plant in West Amherst. The plant will be in the Woodlands Corporate Center at Niagara Falls...

Boulevard Mall adds new stores.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... * The Boulevard Mall, at Niagara Falls Boulevard and Maple Road, recently signed several new stores. They are: * Yankee Candle Co., 1,905 square feet. * Verizon Wireless, 671 square feet in the food court. * Taco Bell, 746 square...

Banking change may disrupt realty system.
September 3, 2001... Congress designed the Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999 to lift many restrictions placed on the banking industry after the Great Crash of 1929 by the Glass-Steagall Act. One boundary pointedly not removed is the restriction on...

Title abstract cos.(ranked by number of Western New York employees)(Brief Article)(Directory)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... Title abstract cos. Ranked by number of WNY full-time employees Rank Prior rank 1 1 Ticor Title Insurance 420 Main St., Suite 200 Buffalo, NY 14202 2 2 Public Abstract Corp., ...

REAL ESTATE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
September 3, 2001... Ed Kosmoski was promoted to vice president of facilities at the Center for Hospice & Palliative Care. He previously held executive positions in property management and plant engineering at the organization and in the construction industry....

Efficient lighting helps small business.(Small Commercial Lighting Program)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... The Small Commercial Lighting Program, created by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and ICF Consulting, is a program designed to help owners and managers of small commercial spaces improve lighting and decrease...

UB dedicates Flint Village student apartments.
September 3, 2001... The grand opening of Flint Village, the University at Buffalo's newest student housing complex, was held Aug. 17 on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The fourth apartment-style complex to be built by UB in four years, Flint Village will open...

Dot-biz getting ready to join the Web world.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Dot-com and dot-net have become part of the American lexicon. Now get ready for dot-biz. Businesses and other groups have already filed for more than 2 million names under the new dot-biz domain name that will debut in October. Dot-biz,...

Reputations built now outlast downturn.
September 3, 2001... Much has already been written about the free-fall of technology fortunes. Enthusiasm in the technology industry is at its lowest in decades. Is there still money in technology? What should companies be focusing on in this tough economy?...

Two WNY companies among finalists at forum.
September 3, 2001... Two area companies are among 36 emerging technology companies taking part in the first SmartStart Venture Forum sponsored by the Empire State Venture Group. The event, to be held in Albany on Oct. 12, attracted more than 100 applicants...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
September 3, 2001... Shelley Rohauer, director of advertising sales for Business First, was inducted as president of the Buffalo/Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives Association. Additional board members are: Gary Kenline, Hunt Real Estate Corp.; David Spara,...

DATABASE.(mortgage rates)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2001... DATABASE MORTGAGE RATES Conventional Fixed Lender (phone) 30 yr. 15 yr. Alexis Funding *** (632-7674) 6.88 6.38 Amer. Home Loans Orch....

It's getting tougher to find Dick and Jane.
September 3, 2001... When the teacher calls the roll as students return to school this week, it won't be like it used to be as far as Richard is concerned. I've always been partial to Richard for obvious reasons. In the old days it was a name of real...

An economy of agencies.(in Western New York)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Economic development Western New York style shares too many unfortunate similarities with one of those hedge mazes. That is, a whole bunch of turns and a lot of dead ends. There may have been a time -- though we have a difficult time...

Supply, demand drives gas volatility.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... What's up at the pump? These are interesting times in the world of energy, especially if you are keeping an eye on the industry's high-profile bellwether--the price of gasoline. And who isn't? A truckload of complex explanations has...

A new look.(for Fleet Bank)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2001... Fleet Bank's branch at Delaware Avenue and North Street brandishes the new logo recently, installed at Western New York locations. The emblem evolved from Fleet,s 1999 merger with BankBoston. New York branches were the last to receive the...

Scott Aviation expanding in Lancaster.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Scott Aviation, the Lancaster manufacturer of fire protection and oxygen, masks, is preparing to embark on its first major, expansion in more than a decade. The company is working with the Empire State Development Corp., the State's...

Marketing the Bills.(Buffalo Bills)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Team markets like few others in NFL The Buffalo Bills: A model National Football League franchise? With no Vince Lombar di Troplies, emblematic of the Super Bowl champion, in the hardware case it would not seem likely. Yet a national...

High- profile architects vie for Adelphia project.(Adelphia Communications Corp. contract)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Six nationally recognized architectural firms have made Adelphia Communications Corp.'s short list for its $125 million downtown Buffalo operations center. Adelphia officials expect to select an architectural firm within the next six...

Leki finds happy trails.(Leki USA sponsors Continental Divide Trail initiative)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... A Buffalo firm played a role. in a major conservation effort of the Continental Divide Trail. Leki USA, a distributor of trekking and ski poles, provided 20 pairs of poles to volunteers who traveled to remote locations along the 3,100-mile...

Give me a call.(cellular telephones)(Brief Article)(Column)
September 10, 2001... It has taken me a long time, but I finally see the need for cell phones. I can't say the same for Tom Totes' "Randolph Itch, 2 a.m.," but I'm energetically working, on that, so get back to me in a decade or two. I wasn't even on my way to...

State honors Cattaraugus company.(Buffalo Crushed Stone Inc. receives award from New York Department of Environmental Conservation)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Buffalo Crushed Stone Inc. received the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Mined Land ReclamationAward for 2001. The DEC honored Buffalo Crushed Stone for its Town of Machias location which the company purchased in 1982 from...

Jamestown hospital adds catherization lab.(WCA Hospital, Jamestown, New York)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 10, 2001... WCA Hospital in Jamestown has added a cardiac catheterization lab to its Heart Center for the convenience of heart patients who typically have traveled out of town for the service. "We know that in any given year, almost 1,000 residents...

M&T Mortgage is fast growing originator.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 10, 2001... M&T Mortgage, an arm of M&T Bank, was the nation's second-fastest growing online mortgage originator in the second quarter-over the previous year. National Mortgage News ranks M&T Mortgage second behind Banc One Mortgage with an 805...

Mercy Flight demonstrates impact.(helicopter ambulance service places signs at accident scenes)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 10, 2001... Those bright red "Mercy was here" lawn signs seem to be everywhere. With 2,700 signs and billboards around Western New York, they're part of an awareness campaign by Mercy Flight Inc. to demonstrate the agency's impact during the last 20...

Country Club of Buffalo plans renovations.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... JAMES FINK The Country Club of Buffalo, one of the area's prestigious private clubs, is preparing fora $35 million expansion and renovation. According to documents filed with the Town of Amherst, the Youngs Road club wants to add...

Cohen Swados lawyers join Underberg & Kessler.(Cohen Swados Wright Hanifin Bradford and Brett L.L.P.)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Rochester business law firm Underberg & Kessler LLP has expanded its Buffalo office with the addition of six attorneys from the corporate department of Cohen Swados Wright Hanifin Bradford & Brett LLP Joining Underberg & Kessler as...

Ex-Sabre makes point in high-tech markets.(Rick Martin of Kieffer Martin Ltd., Globalquest Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... As a longtime -member of the Buffalo Sabres, Rick Martin scored a lot of goals for the team. He's still scoring goals, but for his own team. Martin is vice president of Kieffer Martin Ltd. and its sister company, Globalquest Solutions...

New HSBC data center is high-tech showpiece.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... HSBC Bank USA's ultra new Global Data Center in Amherst is now, 15 months after construction started, fully operational. The technological nerve center is one of four in the world run by the bank's British parent, London-based HSBC Holdings...

United Way of Buffalo & Erie County sets $19.8 million campaign goal.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County has announced a goal of $19.8 million for its annual campaign, nearly $400,000 higher than last year. The campaign, launched Sept. 6, runs through the end of October. Funds raised support agencies...

Delphi closing doors on training center.(Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, UAW-Delphi Training Center)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... The drive to cut costs has led Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems to give up using its UAW-Delphi Training Center while at the same time hoping to find an interested party willing to sublease it. The center on East Avenue in downtown Lockport...

Independent Health subscribers will have access to vision benefits.
September 10, 2001... Routine vision care, currently available only to subscribers who buy a rider, will be accessible to nearly all Independent Health members in 2002. The benefit will cover eye exams, frames and lenses for nearly all the HMO's 375,000 members...

Expansion of HMO defies trend.(Health Now)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 10, 2001... The parent company of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Western New York plans to expand its Medicare HMO both here and in the Albany market. That Health Now expects, to increase membership in the Senior Blue plan is significant given...

UB receives $5 million in health grants.(University at Buffalo receives National Institutes of Health grants)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2001... Researchers at the University at Buffalo received project grants totaling $5 million from the National Institutes of Health. The federal agency awarded two separate grants to UB: * UB, the Buffalo VA Medical Center and Roswell Park...