LI Business News articles from November 2003

LI Business News archives from November 2003

Interpharm Holdings targets Arrow Electronics building.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi Interpharm Holdings Inc. is poised to buy the Arrow Electronics building, a move that would effectively double the company's space holdings, real estate sources said.The 92,000-square-foot Arrow building at Horseblock...

Ex-NYPD chief to serve on DWS Defense Systems' advisory board.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Schachter It's not often that a Long Island company signs up a former New York City police commissioner and rarer still that a company can turn to a one-time Iraq interior minister for advice.But a newly formed security-glass...

Management snaps up 'pennysavers' chain.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik Long Island's second biggest chain of "pennysavers" has a new lease on life following an acquisition by its management.Richard Megenedy Sr., publisher of the Suffolk editions of Carrier News and Pennysaver News, and...

Town of Babylon seeking moratorium on airport acquisition, construction projects.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi Raising the stakes in its long-running squabble with Republic Airport, the Town of Babylon is seeking a moratorium on airport acquisition and construction projects. "We've had it," said recently re-elected Babylon...

Federal legislation revolutionizes bank check-clearing.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ben Abelson Newly signed federal legislation is expected to revolutionize the way financial institutions process checks and eventually save the industry an estimated $2 billion a year.The Check Clearing Act for the 21st Century,...

Comverse Technology chief exec. sells $9M in shares.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Schachter Comverse Technology Chief Executive Kobi Alexander, whose salary has been restored after a voluntary 90 percent pay cut, sold about $9 million worth of shares in October as he and other top insiders face a blackout...

Brodsky family to sell stock in National Medical Health Card Systems.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik Six months after Bert Brodsky took health care software maker Sandata Technologies private, he and his family plan to sell most of their stock in National Medical Health Card Systems Inc. as he focuses on private...

Economic recovery isn't near, Cuomo tells leaders.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Spreading doom and gloom, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo told a group of Long Island government and business leaders Wednesday that they shouldn't expect an economic turnaround anytime soon.The recovery, he said,...

Indianapolis-based accounting firm grows business in Long Island.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ben Abelson A Midwestern regional accounting powerhouse has begun to make its mark in Long Island by aggressively adding local clients to its financial services practice.Indianapolis-based Crowe, Chizek & Co. has quietly built an...

Former Patchogue mayor , family launch microbrewery.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Next time you're heading upstate, you might want to check out the Keegan Ales operation in Kingston.Keegan? Yep, former Patchogue mayor turned North Fork Bank exec Stephen Keegan and relatives are the backers in the...

Assemblyman says NY authorities shouldn't pay 'success fees' to lobbyists.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff State authorities shouldn't pay "success fees" to lobbyists, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Westchester, said last week. "Issues of ethics and honesty arise when the system distorts reward and risk for lobbyists," he...

Long Island Financial Briefs November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ben Abelson Chandra Bhansali, president and co-founder of Hauppauge-based AccountantsWorld, has for the second-year running been named one of the Accounting Today's 100 most influential people.Bhansali founded Micro Vision Software...

Long Island Technology Briefs November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Schachter The Arrow is pointing up and that's good news for the tech sector.The Arrow is Arrow Electronics and if there is a leading indicator of tech-sector recovery, the giant components distributor would appear to fill the...

NY wine industry hopeful Congress will let wine flow.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Marco Borghese, co-owner of Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery, believes he soon will be shipping bottles of his chardonnay and merlot out of state. He'd need the law to change before he could do that, but he...

Commentary: TV station's decision to cancel miniseries is troubling.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff The decision to yank the four-hour CBS miniseries "The Reagans" from prime time marks one of the most troubling examples of corporate self-censorship in recent memory, and it underscores the dangers of the Federal...

Commentary: Brownfields bill a triumph of nonpartisanship.
November 7, 2003... Byline: John Kiernan In a year when so much legislative business went unfinished in Albany, there was a major piece of environmental legislation passed by two Long Island legislators who chair the environmental committees in their...

Commentary: Scandals are spooking the small investor.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Jerry Kremer Forgive me for a little bit of television nostalgia. If you ever watched the old Johnny Carson show, you must remember a character named Karnak the Magician. Karnak would give you the answer and you had to guess the...

Urban League prepares to triple its LI outreach.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi The Urban League of Long Island recently broke ground at the site of what will be the agency's new facility, known as the Center for Community Empowerment. The groundbreaking ceremony took place Oct. 24 in the...

Tast Corp. renovates 108-year-old church.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi Tast Corp., the Northport-based contracting firm, was chosen to complete the $300,000 restoration, renovation and expansion of the St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church in Seaford. Built in 1895 for $1,491.76, the...

Long Island Real Estate Briefs November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi The financial services firm First Empire Securities will be expanding its operations in Hauppauge by more than 30 percent with a new lease at 100 Motor Parkway.The company has signed up for 29,000 square feet of space...

Long Island Legal Briefs November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Just months after leaving a major Manhattan law firm to join Meltzer Lippe & Goldstein, Ira Halperin has been promoted to co-chair of the firm's corporate practice group.Halperin, formerly of counsel to Weil...

Islandia restaurateur/caterer focuses on small details.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Adina Genn If running a business requires juggling, and cooking is nothing without timing, imagine Don Ravella's balancing act at The Garage, the Islandia-based company he founded in 1997. On any given day, The Garage fulfills 40...

Five things you didn't know about... Lyle Cogen / Founder, Pint Size Productions.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Adina Genn She loves Frank Sinatra and show tunes and dreamed as a little girl of performing on stage. Later, she won roles, but as a 4-foot-10 college student, she grew tired of being typecast. "I got frustrated," she said. "I was...

Long Island Entrepreneurial Briefs November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Adina Genn Back in 1999, former investment banker Lorette D. Farris created Developing Stages, a consultancy that helped small businesses across the board pursue their goals. As she grew the practice, she offered workshops in...

The Educational Society for Resource Mgmt. elects exec. VP.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Daniel Marrone, professor of business at Farmingdale State University of New York, was elected executive vice president of The Educational Society for Resource Management, historically known as the American Production...

The Legal Studies Institute program re-approved by ABA.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The paralegal studies program the Legal Studies Institute at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, was awarded re-approval by the American Bar Association.The Legal Studies Institute is part of C.W. Post's...

First National Bank of Long Island announces staffing changes.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The First National Bank of Long Island in Glen Head appointed Mary E. Casey as vice president and director of human resources.Casey will be responsible for the management of all human resource functions for the...

Long Island medical facilities announce staffing changes: Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Mark Weiss joined the board of directors of Peninsula Counseling Center.Weiss, of Hewlett, is president and chief executive of Rowland Communications Worldwide in Manhattan and is responsible for the agency's global...

Long Island nonprofits announce staffing changes: Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The NYS Rehabilitation Association honored the late Kathleen O. Maul with the Adrian Levy Award.Maul, who died last April from cancer, was the executive director of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Suffolk and spent...

President of Epoch 5 Public Relations honored.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Promote Long Island presented Katherine Heaviside, president of Epoch 5 Public Relations in Huntington, with the 2003 Spirit of Long Island Award for Entrepreneurship & Business. The award honors outstanding citizens...

T. Weiss Realty Corp. announces staffing changes: Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Brianna Cordell was promoted to senior leasing representative at T. Weiss Realty Corp, a real estate development and management company. Cordell, of Glen Cove, will be responsible for negotiating tenant renewals...

On Site Energy appoints new chief financial officer.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak On Site Energy in Hicksville appointed Joseph Meola as chief financial officer.Meola will be responsible for all company financial and administrative functions.Prior to joining On Site, which rents and sells electric...

Long Island Marketing Briefs Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik Departing from ads touting price and sales alone, Islandia-based CBC Media and P.C. Richard's in-house marketing department have launched a TV campaign that for the first time stresses service and uses humor to market...

Long Island Medical Briefs Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik Manhasset-based CMP Media, best known for its stable of high-profile, high-tech electronics and computer publications, has made a major move to grow its health care publications.United Business Media, CMP Media's...

Lumiere Ballet blends teaching, performance.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Cerini For centuries, ballet has been more than an art form offering captivating choreography. Dating back to the 1500s, ballet could be found in the training regiments of soldiers preparing for battle. It helped improve their...

Long Island Nonprofit Briefs Nov. 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak ELIH receives $250,000 for emergency expansionNorth Fork Bank donated $250,000 to Eastern Long Island Hospital in support of "Operation: Emergency Expansion," a project to rebuild and redefine emergency care at the...

LI hospitals find an RX for privacy.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik When North Shore University Hospital at Glen Cove unveiled the first phase of an $11.5 million revamp of its emergency department a few weeks ago, it did away with the curtains dividing patients from each other that...

For hospitals in competitive market, it's a brand new world.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik When U.S. News and World Report in July named St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center in Roslyn among the top 50 cardiac specialty programs in the United States, St. Francis could have simply fired off a press release...

CHS sells ambulance unit to home in on hospital ops.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik In a move to focus on its core health care operations, Catholic Health Services of Long Island said it has agreed to sell its ambulance unit to the owners of Inwood, Nassau-based Hunter Ambulance Inc. for an...

EDO Corp. revenues surge 40 percent.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff EDO Corp. (NYSE: EDO) reported a 65 percent increase in third-quarter net income to $5.6 million, or 30 cents per diluted share, compared with $3.4 million, or 19 cents per share, in the 2002 quarter.The defense...

CPI Aerostructures wins $972,000 contract.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (Amex: CVU) has been awarded a $972,000 contract to provide engine cowl assemblies for the C-5A Galaxy cargo jet, the company announced.This U.S. military award is a follow-on order for an...

Griffon Corp. doubles net income.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Griffon Corp. (NYSE: GFF) posted fourth-quarter net income of $16.2 million, or 50 cents per diluted share, versus $7.2 million, or 21 cents per diluted share, in the 2002 quarter, as its specialty plastics unit...

TII Network Technologies sales, earnings surge.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff TII Network Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: TIII), a provider of telecommunications network protection and management products, said first quarter net income rose to $913,000 from $61,000 a year ago. The firm said net sales...

Curative's Prescription City offices searched.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Curative Health Services Inc. (Nasdaq: CURE) said Wednesday that U.S. Attorney's Office searched the offices of its recently acquired Prescription City pharmacy unit as part of a criminal investigation. Curative said the...

Abbott Laboratories to market BioSpecifics' Collagenase.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff BioSpecifics Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: BSTC) Nov. 3 said the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories Inc. has indicated it will market and distribute the company's Collagenase Santyl ointment as of Jan. 1.Abbott...

American Technical Ceramics posts flat sales; Shares dip.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Stock in American Technical Ceramics Corp. (Amex: AMK) fell 36 cents, or almost 5 percent, to $6.97 Tuesday afternoon after the company reported flat first-quarter sales and a net loss following the close of trading...

MSC announces earnings rise, names new prez.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co. (NYSE: MSM), a supplier of industrial parts, jumped 14 percent, or $3.37, in mid-day trading Tuesday to $27.93 after the company reported strong earnings and the appointment of a new...

KeySpan gets rate increase in Massachusetts.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff KeySpan Corp. (NYSE: KSE) said Tuesday its Boston Gas Co. subsidiary received a rate increase from the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy valued at $26 million.KeySpan said certain portions of the...

Symbol Tech.'s net falls short of Street estimates.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Symbol Technologies Inc. (NYSE: SBL) reported third-quarter revenue of $382 million, essentially flat with the $380 million reported in the year-ago period and a 2 percent increase sequentially.In unaudited results...

Health care products distributor names former health commissioner to board.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Health care products distributor Henry Schein Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) named former New York City health commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg to its board.Hamburg from 1991 to 1997 served as commissioner of health for the City...

Aceto acquiring unnamed biopharma firm.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Aceto Corp. (Nasdaq: ACET), a distributor of pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals, said Monday it had signed a letter of intent to acquire an unidentified biopharmaceutical distribution company. The company said it...

CPI Aerostructures shares sag on dilution worries.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Shares of CPI Aerostructures Inc. (Amex: CVU) slid 50 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $10.61 in midday trading Monday after the defense contractor cited an increase in shares outstanding for lower net income per share in the...

Aeroflex buys Celerity Systems for $10.3M.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Aeroflex Inc. (Nasdaq: ARXX) has agreed to acquire Celerity Systems Inc. from L-3 Communications Corp. for $10.25 million in a cash, stock and debt deal, the company announced.Like Aeroflex, Celerity makes test and...

Twinlab sale approved.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Twinlab Corp. (OTCBB: TWLBE) said Monday that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the planned sale of its assets to IdeaSphere Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., for $65 million. The deal...

Lifetime Hoan sharpens profits.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Housewares maker Lifetime Hoan Corp. (Nasdaq: LCUT) Oct. 30 said third quarter net income rose to $2.9 million from $543,000 a year ago as net sales rose 37 percent to $44.1 million.The firm also said income from...

Gentiva Health Services earnings and guidance rise.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Boosted by new managed care contracts, home health services provider Gentiva Health Services Inc. (Nasdaq: GTIV) reported a 25 percent jump in third-quarter income to $4.5 million on a 6 percent rise in revenues to $200...

Hain Celestial sales, stock head skyward.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Shares of tea and organic food maker Hain Celestial Group (Nasdaq: HAIN) rocketed 12.3 percent after the firm reported that first-quarter net income soared 40 percent to $6.5 million CEO Irwin Simon said sales rose 32...

Report: Cablevision chairman says Voom spinoff will be delayed until 2004.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff Cablevision Systems Chairman Charles Dolan said that he doesn't expect federal regulators to sign off on the company's spinoff of its Voom direct-broadcast satellite business until 2004, according to a Reuters report.The...

Computer Associates co-founder pledges stock worth $80M for loan from Swiss billionaire.
November 7, 2003... Byline: LIBN Staff New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has pledged 5.3 million shares of Computer Associates stock worth $80 million to secure two loans from Swiss billionaire Walter Haefner.The shares, worth $126.5 million based on...

Long Island Legal Briefs: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini Just months after leaving a major Manhattan law firm to join Meltzer Lippe & Goldstein, Ira Halperin has been promoted to co-chair of the firm's corporate practice group. Halperin, formerly of counsel to Weil...

Long Island hospitals find an RX for privacy.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik When North Shore University Hospital at Glen Cove unveiled the first phase of an $11.5 million revamp of its emergency department a few weeks ago, it did away with the curtains dividing patients from each other that...

Lumiere Ballet blends teaching, performance.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff For centuries, ballet has been more than an art form offering captivating choreography. Dating back to the 1500s, ballet could be found in the training regiments of soldiers preparing for battle. It...

Eastern Long Island Hospital receives $250,000 for emergency expansion.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff North Fork Bank donated $250,000 to Eastern Long Island Hospital in support of "Operation: Emergency Expansion," a project to rebuild and redefine emergency care at the hospital. Expansion plans...

$350,000 benefits breast cancer treatment.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff Mather Hospital's 38th annual "One Enchanted Evening" fundraising gala raised $350,000 to benefit the Fortunato Breast Health Center and breast cancer treatment at the hospital. The event...

$50,000 goes to Long Island's Nature Conservancy.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded The Nature Conservancy a $500,000 grant to implement habitat restoration projects in New York, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Mississippi,...

$40,000 raised for Canine Companions.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff The recent 12th annual Dog Walk-A-Thon and Canine Education Fair raised $40,000 to benefit Canine Companions for Independence. The group trains and places assistance dogs with adults and children with...

Golf outing brings $30,000 to Mather Hospital.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff The Bretton Woods Charity Golf Tournament raised $30,000 that was divided between four health care programs and services at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson. The disaster preparedness program,...

Cut-A-Thon aids Breast Cancer Help.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff The staff at Special Effects Hair Salon in East Hampton donated $10,000 to Breast Cancer Help. The funds were raised to support Breast Cancer Help's programs in the fight against breast cancer...

Girls Scouts perform at Holiday Lights Spectacular.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff The Holiday Lights Spectacular at Jones Beach will be open Nov. 21 through Jan. 4. As an added attraction, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Chorus will be performing holiday tunes at the exhibit...

CARF gives Options for Community Living in Smithtown highest accreditation.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff Options for Community Living in Smithtown was granted a three-year accreditation by CARF for its housing and case management programs for people with mental illness and people living with HIV/AIDS....

North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights seeking foster families.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights is recruiting foster treatment families to participate in its "Turnabout: Family Based Treatment" program. Training and professional...

Long Island Financial Briefs: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ben Abelson Chandra Bhansali, president and co-founder of Hauppauge-based AccountantsWorld, has for the second-year running been named one of the Accounting Today's 100 most influential people. Bhansali founded Micro Vision...

Long Island Technology Briefs: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Schachter The Arrow is pointing up and that's good news for the tech sector. The Arrow is Arrow Electronics and if there is a leading indicator of tech-sector recovery, the giant components distributor would appear to fill...

Marrone elected VP of American Production and Inventory Control Society.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Daniel Marrone, professor of business at Farmingdale State University of New York, was elected executive vice president of The Educational Society for Resource Management, historically known as the American Production...

Melville-based T. Weiss Realty Corp. announces promotions: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Brianna Cordell was promoted to senior leasing representative at T. Weiss Realty Corp, a real estate development and management company. Cordell, of Glen Cove, will be responsible for negotiating tenant renewals...

On Site Energy in Hicksville appoints Joseph Meola as chief financial officer.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak On Site Energy in Hicksville appointed Joseph Meola as chief financial officer. Meola will be responsible for all company financial and administrative functions. Prior to joining On Site, which rents and sells...

Lawrence A. Israeloff named director of taxation at Feldman, Meinberg & Co. in Syosset.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Lawrence A. Israeloff was named director of taxation at Feldman, Meinberg & Co. in Syosset. Israeloff will be responsible for all technical and procedural aspects of FM & Co.'s tax practice. Prior to joining...

ABA re-approves paralegal program at C.W. Post Campus of L.I. University.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The paralegal studies program the Legal Studies Institute at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, was awarded re-approval by the American Bar Association. The Legal Studies Institute is part of C.W....

First National Bank of Long Island announces appointments: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The First National Bank of Long Island in Glen Head appointed Mary E. Casey as vice president and director of human resources. Casey will be responsible for the management of all human resource functions for the...

Long Island not-for-profits announce staffing changes: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak The NYS Rehabilitation Association honored the late Kathleen O. Maul with the Adrian Levy Award. Maul, who died last April from cancer, was the executive director of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Suffolk and...

Promote Long Island presents Katherine Heaviside with award for entrepreneurship & business.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Josefak Promote Long Island presented Katherine Heaviside, president of Epoch 5 Public Relations in Huntington, with the 2003 Spirit of Long Island Award for Entrepreneurship & Business. The award honors outstanding...

Long Island Medical Briefs: November 7, 2003.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Claude Solnik Manhasset-based CMP Media, best known for its stable of high-profile, high-tech electronics and computer publications, has made a major move to grow its health care publications. United Business Media, CMP Media's...

Town of Babylon seeks moratorium on airport acquisition and construction projects.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Anastasi Raising the stakes in its long-running squabble with Republic Airport, the Town of Babylon is seeking a moratorium on airport acquisition and construction projects. "We've had it," said recently re-elected Babylon...

Ex-NYPD chief goes from Iraq to Hauppauge.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Ken Schachter It's not often that a Long Island company signs up a former New York City police commissioner and rarer still that a company can turn to a one-time Iraq interior minister for advice. But a newly formed...