LI Business News articles from August 2004

LI Business News archives from August 2004

Long Island retailers increasing variety of merchandise for plus-size shoppers.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Across the country people are getting bigger, and the retail industry is paying attention. On Long Island, that has meant increasing the amount of merchandise for plus-size shoppers in stores where the...

Terror concerns, new gadgets, keep RV sales up.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Recreational vehicles have come a long way from the days of the Port-o-Potty and window fan. Today's RVs have expandable walls, central air conditioning and satellite dishes. That's right, satellites. So...

Weight Watchers reclaims right to license its name on products.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Five years after Heinz Foods sold the company in a leveraged buyout, Weight Watchers is finally going to gain the right to license it name on a bevy of products again. Heinz sold Weight Watchers in 1999 but...

Terror threats pique interest in backup systems.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi With the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement that several buildings used by financial firms have been targeted by terrorists, the need for secondary locations to protect intellectual property...

Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch cut their stake in Nu Horizons.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Two of the nation's biggest institutional investors, Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, have cut their stake in Nu Horizons Electronics Corp., according to government filings. Boston-based...

Suffolk County Industrial Develop. Agency approves Northport performing arts development.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency approved an $8 million tax-exempt bond on July 27 for the acquisition and redevelopment of the aging Northport Movie Theater into a performing arts center. The move...

Long Island citizens advocacy group protests Playboy's "Women of Home Depot".
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff There was the "Women of Starbucks" pictorial and even the "Women of Wal-Mart." Now Playboy.com is featuring its "Women of Home Depot." The latest collection has infuriated Huntington-based Long Island Citizens for...

OSI Pharmaceuticals submits application to FDA for cancer drug.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff OSI took a giant leap forward Aug. 2 toward treating lung cancer when it submitted an application to the FDA for Tarceva. But you'd never know it judging from the company's stock price. Shares of OSI fell from $59.91...

President of Growth Strategies uses her vast experience to advise small businesses.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Lorette Farris never had a role model as a kid growing up in Amityville and Brooklyn. And she wasn't sure what she wanted to do when she grew up. But she knew what she didn't want. "There were too many folks not...

Small firms grapple with computer viruses and spam.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Protecting against computer viruses and spam is among the top technological concerns troubling small-business executives, as Sol Weiss can tell you. As executive director and director of financial operations at...

Long Island housing permits on the decline, but demand remains strong.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi The diminishing volume of building permits may mean fewer houses are going up on Long Island, but it also spells big bucks for developers and a housing market that's shifted into overdrive. The Long Island...

Spokane, Wash.-based Protocall goes public, nets $7.2 million infusion.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Protocall Technologies Inc., a maker of equipment used to reproduce software CDs on-demand on the sales floors of stores such as Comp USA, went public several weeks ago through a reverse merger and obtained a $7.2...

State of New York auditing four Long Island school districts.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The Lawrence, Manhasset, Hempstead and Brentwood school districts will be the subject of in-depth audits by the New York State Comptroller's Office, Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi announced Tuesday. The audits are part...

Stony Brook-based Collaborative Group sells to N.J. firm.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The Collaborative Group, a research and development labs group in Stony Brook, has been sold to Iselin, N.J.-based Engelhard Corp. The purchase price was not disclosed. Collaborative has about 100 employees on...

Judi Schillaci leaving Hauppauge Industrial Association.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The board of directors of the Hauppauge Industrial Association announced that Judi Schillaci, executive director, will step down in December after her contract expires. Schillaci cited family issues as the reason for...

CPI Aerostructures Inc. awarded subcontract for C-5 parts.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff CPI Aerostructures Inc. has been selected by Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. to supply various parts for the C-5 Galaxy aircraft in a deal valued at up to $10 million over seven years. Dallas-based Vought on July 29...

Accounting firm of Marcum & Kliegman moving to Melville.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The accounting firm of Marcum & Kliegman has signed a long-term lease for 10 Melville Park Road, a 53,000-square-foot office building owned by Melville Industrial Associates. The firm is currently located in multiple...

New Long Island Conventions chief offers fresh beginning.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau made the right decision this week in choosing a new chief from out of town. R. Moke McGowan comes with an impressive background and a fresh vision for new possibilities in...

Brookhaven supervisor submits plan for departmental restructuring of town government.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff In what the town calls the first major departmental restructuring of Brookhaven Town government in 25 years, Brookhaven Supervisor John Jay LaValle submitted a plan this week he says will quicken the dismal response...

Commentary: It's all about winning the party base.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Martin Cantor John Kerry, in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president, threw the first punch in what will be a bruising negative campaign of in-your-face politics. In this race, with Republican and...

Commentary: Metro Transportation Authority sends crossed signals with budget plans.
August 6, 2004... Byline: John Kiernan The announcements made last week by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority regarding a draft of its new five-year capital plan and its preliminary 2005 operating budget seem contradictory. The five-year capital...

Commentary: Election 2004: Media seeks predictability.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Jerry Kremer If there is one word that seems to be of great comfort to most human beings, it is "consistency." Everybody is happy with the status quo. We expect the same people to be in certain places and want no changes that will...

Smithtown Bancorp to expand its branch network.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale In the coming months, Smithtown Bancorp will expand its branch network to 14 from 10, and in keeping with the banking theme of recent years, all of those locations will be "customer friendly," said Brad Rock, the...

NY State Society of Certified Public Accountants wants state to update accounting laws.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants is hoping that the state updates its accounting practices laws. The organization said laws that govern the accounting profession have not been...

Bank of America holds groundbreaking for its new tower in NYC.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale On Aug. 2, Bank of America held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Bank of America Tower in New York. The new tower, to be completed in 2008, will be located in midtown Manhattan on 6th Avenue, between 42nd and...

Island Associates brokers Smithtown TDR exchange.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Saam Associates' sale of a 22.7-acre piece of environmentally sensitive land in the Town of Smithtown, in proximity of the Nissequogue River, was the catalyst for the pending expansion of a retail power center in...

Strong leasing activity at One Old Country Road in Carle Place.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Leasing activity continues to be brisk at the newly renovated One Old Country Road in Carle Place. In separate transactions, the building has signed three new tenants and helped three others move into new and...

Hauppauge-based Coldwell Banker Residential buys Smithtown brokerage.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Coldwell Banker Residential has acquired Marie Grant Realty in Smithtown, a move that adds 18 sales associates and $43 million in annual volume to the growing Hauppauge-based real estate services firm. The move by...

Suffolk County's Community Develop. Agency to lose funding for affordable housing.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Suffolk County's Community Development Agency stands to lose $555,000 in funding as a result of a recent vote by the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee to approve a fiscal-year 2005 Housing and...

Charlotte, N.C.-based Bonsal American to acquire land owned by Fireworks by Grucci.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Bonsal American, a Charlotte, N.C.-based manufacturer and distributor of concrete repair products, is ready to acquire 10 acres of land owned by Fireworks by Grucci to open a Long Island bagging operation. But...

Real property law a big part of many Long Island firms' practice.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik With real estate an important part of assets and often litigation on Long Island, it's probably no surprise that it's also a big part of many Long Island law firms' practice. Sixty-three percent of Long Island...

Five energy companies sued by group of attorneys general over global warming.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Five energy companies are being sued by a group of attorneys general, including New York's Eliot Spitzer. The suit, filed in federal district court in New York, argues that the defendant companies' emissions harm...

NY State Bar Assn. makes push for no-fault divorce.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik We already have no-fault automobile insurance. No-fault divorces may be next. The New York State Bar Association is planning to ask the New York Legislature to approve no-fault divorce in New York - the only state...

First-time author launches Web site to tout his newly released book.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Say this about Michael J. Panzner: He knows nothing about zebras. Panzner has launched a new Web site, www.stockmarketjungle.com, which touts his newly released book - "The New Laws of the Stock Market Jungle."...

Long Island Golfer Magazine offers free rounds of golf for a year's subscription.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Long Island Golfer Magazine has a new offer that will turn the heads of many area golfers. Anyone subscribing for one year at the price of $39 will receive a certificate for six free rounds of golf at area courses,...

Society for Marketing Professional Services forms Long Island chapter.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale The Society for Marketing Professional Services officially formed a Long Island chapter earlier this month. Alexandria, Va.-based SMPS offers a marketing conference, national seminars, award programs,...

Commerce Bank continues golf ads for Long Island Classic.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Commerce Bank just concluded its first year as the main sponsor of the Commerce Bank Long Island Classic. But that doesn't mean the end of the golf season for the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based bank, which has 16 branches...

Veeco's stock leaps 13 percent after order from leading wireless manufacturer.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The bulls cheered on Veeco Instruments (Nasdaq: VECO) after the company said it obtained an order for its GEN2000 molecular beam epitaxys systems from a "leading" wireless device manufacturer. Veeco's stock leaped...

Shares of Lifetime Hoan Corp. fall 21 percent after reports of lower second-quarter income.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Shares of Lifetime Hoan Corp. (Nasdaq: LCUT) tumbled 21 percent to $16.43 after the firm reported that second-quarter income slipped to $203,000 from $724,000. The maker of housewares said net sales rose to $33...

North Shore-Long Island Jewish's Huntington Hospital opens new pediatric center.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman With the removal of a sailor's rope, former New York Islander Clark Gillies helped doctors at North Shore-Long Island Jewish's Huntington Hospital embark upon the maiden voyage of the fully renovated and nautically...

Residents of East Neck nursing home take computer classes for recreation and therapy.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman It's the age of computers and the Internet, but many older people are left in the dark when it comes to technology. East Neck Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, home to 300 residents, is trying to show them the light...

PULSE seeks funds from Nassau County for patient safety.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Ilene Corina, president of the New York chapter of Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors in Healthcare, will be meeting this week with the Nassau County Legislature's health committee to seek funding for...

Off-Track Betting parlors make effort to attract women and younger clientele.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Think back to the old days of Off-Track Betting parlors - cigarette smoke hanging like a cloud, extinguished butts smashed on the floor around hundreds of ripped betting slips. Back then, 25-cent gumball machines were...

Schwartzenberg appointed foreclosure counsel to Huntington-based Advantage Title Agency.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman David Schwartzenberg was appointed foreclosure counsel to Huntington-based Advantage Title Agency. He will provide legal expertise regarding foreclosure matters and other real estate transactions. Previously, he...

Charles J. Casolero named newest associate at Mineola-based law firm.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman The law firm of Fochelli, Curto, Schwartz, Mineo, Carlino & Cohn welcome Charles J. Casolero as the newest associate at the Mineola-based firm. He will work in the field of municipal law. Currently Casolero is...

Mohammad Bilal appointed to the staff of John T. Mather Hospital.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Mohammad Bilal, an interventional radiologist, was appointed to the staff of John T. Mather Hospital. He is now part of the New York Imaging practice with locations in Port Jefferson, East Setauket and Smithtown. ...

Long Island non-profits announce staffing changes: August 6, 2004.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Carol DiLaurenzio was elected to the board of directors of The Coalition on Child Abuse and Neglect, where she will work with the leadership of the organization to make strides in the fight against child abuse. ...

Caroline J. Tamer joins CJ2 Communication Strategies as account executive.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Caroline J. Tamer has joined CJ2 Communication Strategies as an account executive. She will oversee daily activities on key accounts while maintaining a focus on client and media relations. Previously, she worked...

Simon Property Group promotes Evan Moser to regional director of business development.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Evan Moser was promoted to regional director of business development in the tri-state area for Simon Property Group. He will use his marketing, event managing and public relations experience to position the 16 Simon...

Joe Gaffney joins Waldner's Business Environments as VP of sales for Long Island.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Joe Gaffney joined Waldner's Business Environments as vice president of sales for Long Island. In that position, he will develop new business, direct the sales force on Long Island and ensure profit growth of the...

Melville-based CPA Tammy E. Straus launches Long Island CPA firm.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Melville-based CPA Tammy E. Straus has started a self-named firm that will provide accounting, tax and consulting services for businesses across Long Island. Straus is a certified fraud examiner who specializes...

Management company gives musicians council on career matters.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Mark Goldstein and partners Robert G. Ploska and Ray Brown may have spent the past two years putting together a business plan and networking with music industry types, but their artist management company, Zoom...

The Great Knights exposes children to educational opportunities through playing chess.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Ken Cerini Sixteen school districts across Long Island are currently offering programs through The Great Knights, a not-for-profit organization that exposes children to educational and career opportunities, primarily through the...

Touro Law Center sponsors golf tournament to help fund tech center.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman On Aug. 16, Touro Law Center will host its second annual "Susan M. Dietrich Clyne Memorial Golf Outing" at the Muttontown Club in East Norwich. The tournament will benefit the Susan M. Dietrich Clyne Computer Fund...

Long Island healthcare professionals present seminar for women.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Local healthcare professionals will be presenting "Women on the Go," a free health and fitness workshop. The seminar, slated for Aug. 12, is part of "Helping You Help Yourself," a not-for-profit community education...

Brookhaven blood drive sets record.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Residents and employees of the Town of Brookhaven came out in full force to address Long Island's blood supply shortage. Nearly 400 pints of blood were collected at a large-scale drive held in July, a whopping...

NY senator awards state grant to Island Harvest.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman State Sen. John J. Flanagan awarded Island Harvest with a $20,000 grant. The money will be used to support general operating costs that enable Island Harvest to provide nutritious meals for thousands of children and...

Roslyn Savings Foundation awards two grants.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman The Roslyn Savings Foundation recently donated a $10,000 grant to the Nassau County Association for the Help of Retarded Children for the Marcus Avenue Early Childhood Developmental Program at SUNY Old Westbury....

Illinois-based payroll outsourcing company reports increase in small-businesses.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Small-business headcounts are increasing, and the Northeast is outpacing the rest of the country, says Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll, an Illinois-based payroll outsourcing company that also tracks...

Aetna calls for entries for Northeastern Region "Small-Business of the Year" program.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn If you're an Aetna customer that owns an innovative small business and would like to win $10,000 for your favorite charity, read on. Aetna is calling for entries for its Northeastern Region "Small-Business of the Year"...

Long Beach-based jewelry designer launches variation of the pink breast cancer ribbon.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Lori Rae Silvers, a Long Beach-based jewelry designer, is launching a variation of the pink breast cancer ribbon in the form of a popular flip-flop pendant charm. Silver, who fought breast cancer after being...

Banks get defensive as lending interest rates rise.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik New York Community Bancorp made a big splash July 1 when it announced it had sold $5 billion in mortgage-backed securities and other bonds with an average length of six years. To find out the reason for the sale, one...

American Bankers Assn. executive wants pointless regulations eliminated.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik A little more than 20 years ago, Bradley Rock was approached by politicos after a speech at a local meeting. They asked him if he wanted to run for office. He declined. "I think I made the right choice. I don't...

OSI Pharmaceuticals submits cancer drug to FDA.
August 6, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a little closer to launching a potential blockbuster cancer drug. The company said it has submitted its new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Tarceva. The...

PricewaterhouseCoopers survey finds many firms exploring non-bank financing options.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik ***** CORRECTION: In the Feb. 13 edition of LIBN, we published that William B. Kuhl was formerly principal-in-charge at University Village and resides in Garden City with his wife, Rena, and their two children,...

Group buys Lindenhurst-based South Bay's Newspaper.
August 6, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Stan Henry couldn't stay out of the media game long. Less than two years after handing over the reins of WLIE-AM radio to his son Stuart, and seven years after selling This Week Publications to Newsday for $31...

A day in the life of Cheryl Finck, branch manager at Commerce Bank in Melville.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik We have a great close-knit group. We have a few different cheers we'll do in the morning to get everyone motivated. Every store has its own. It could be "East Northport rocks" or "East Northport is rocking and...

Port Jefferson ferry targets New Haven.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik All aboard? After plying its way from Port Jefferson to Bridgeport, Conn., for more than a century, the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Co. has taken the first steps to add a route to New Haven. The ferry...

Newest security alert prompts limo searches.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn The recent addition of limousines to a list of suspected vehicles that terrorists might use has made local limo drivers subject to frequent searches by law enforcement at New York City transportation hubs and prompted...

Digital forensics is growing field.
August 13, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale John Sgromolo's laboratory doesn't have test tubes, white coats or microscopes. With hard drives and various computer equipment strewn across several desks, it looks more like a disorganized programmer's spare room...

Sen. Schumer eyes building-supply price inquiry.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Cement shortages and price spikes in steel and other raw materials have prompted some Long Island builders to level charges of price gouging and Sen. Charles Schumer to initiate an inquiry. Jack Kulka, president...

King Kullen trumpets local farm connection.
August 13, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale In less than two months, Long Islanders will begin buying pumpkins for the Halloween season, and to prepare for that, King Kullen will bring in 187,000 pounds of the winter gourds - every one of them a born and...

In race for patents, wait grows longer.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Hurry up and wait. That's what people seeking protection for their inventions are being told. Inventors ranging from entrepreneurs to giant corporations are applying for patents at a rate of nearly one per minute...

E-Data continues patent infringement campaign.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter After peeling Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes (Nasdaq: AAPL), E-Data Corp. (OTCBB: EDTA) is pressing its patent infringement campaign against 14 more corporate icons, including Amazon.com and The New York Times. As...

Former hockey player has successful career as insurance exec.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff When coach Scotty Munro told Bobby Nystrom, one of the players on his Calgary Centennials minor-league hockey team, that he didn't think Nystrom could make it in the big leagues, the young Swede stayed on the ice for...

Small-biz loans climb as confidence soars.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Small businesses are borrowing money again - a sign they're regaining confidence and seeking to expand. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, a Washington-based trade group, the number of...

Newsday warned on coercion.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff A federal judge warned Newsday against trying to steer advertisers away from a lawsuit that charges the newspaper inflated circulation figures. An initial ruling by U.S. Magistrate William Wall on Aug. 2 denied a...

On Fire Island, new venture offers wireless Web.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter The surf is up again for Fire Islanders - at least those with wireless computers. A joint venture has emerged to offer Wi-Fi access to a large swath of the barrier beach after Bohemia-based Long Island Wireless...

Cablevision posts 2Q loss.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Cablevision Systems Corp. reported a second-quarter net loss of $187.1 million, or 65 cents per share, as sluggish demand for its new Voom satellite service offset strength in its core cable TV business. Revenue rose...

Globecomm Systems awarded $7.7M contract.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Globecomm Systems Inc. announced that the company has been awarded two satellite infrastructure contracts valued at $7.7 million. Both of the contracts are from repeat customers in the United States, though the company...

Nathan's Famous income, sales rise.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Nathan's Famous Inc. put a little more sizzle in its business in the first-quarter, reporting net income of $950,000, up from $744,000 a year ago. For the quarter ended June 27, the firm's revenue jumped to $9.5...

Medical Action adds to its board.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Surgical products maker Medical Action Industries Inc. has named one-time investment banker and longtime medical products executive William W. Burke to its board of directors. Burke most recently served as chief...

CoActive Marketing adds to board.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff CoActive Marketing Group Inc. has named advertising veteran James H. Feeney to its board of directors. Feeney, a partner at marketing company O'Neill Lifton Huffstetler Feeney & Barry, served as president and CEO of...

Commentary: Disbanding LI Convention and Visitors Bureau would be a mistake.
August 13, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Just when our two counties finally start talking about a regional approach to economic development, along comes Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki with a misguided call to disband the Long Island Convention and...