LI Business News articles from September 2005

LI Business News archives from September 2005

Copiague-based agency experiences rapid expansion after getting Home Depot as a client.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Adina Genn What does rapid-fire expansion feel like? Just ask Vincent Valentino, president of Greentree Sales, a Copiague-based manufacturer's representative agency. As Valentino tells it, his employee roster skyrocketed from...

Luxury concierge company with offices in New York and Baldwin caters to jet setters.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Adina Genn If you're the kind of person who needs a Rolls Royce Phantom - but just for an evening - chances are you don't like to be kept waiting. Ike Iregbulem doesn't shy away from that sort of client. In fact, he's built a...

Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Commerce Bancorp moves its Long Island headquarters.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Commerce Bancorp has shifted its Long Island headquarters to 45 Melville Park Road in Melville. The company had been at 155 Pinelawn Road, which is also in Melville. Commerce has 125...

Competitors of Melville-based North Fork Bank look for new branch locations in Long Island.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Wachovia Bank wants in. Commerce Bank is targeting various area locations. Heck, Bank of Smithtown, Suffolk County National Bank and other smaller banks based here are looking high and low for new branch locations....

Jericho accounting firm advises contractors about tax credit for energy-efficient homes.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale For each energy-efficient home they build, contractors can take a general business credit of $2,000 or $1,000, depending on whether the home is 50 percent or 30 percent more efficient than the standard. That's the...

Insurance brokers moving toward prescription-drug management programs.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Insurance brokers are slowly moving toward prescription-drug management programs to help keep the cost of their health-are insurance costs down, according to Bob Nystrom, an executive vice president at Melville's...

Urban flair keeps residents from leaving Rockville Centre, Long Island.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Bernadette Starzee Rockville Centre feels like "a small town with an urban flair," said Liz Wallace, owner/broker of Century 21 Sherlock Homes, which is located in the village. "It's very much like the city. It has great...

Hofstra professor named lifetime fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II In August Harris Brodsky added a new pin to his lapel. He was named lifetime fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a professional society whose mission is to advance health-care management...

Jeffrey L. Bass named to American Heart Assn's Long Island Heart Walk executive committee.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Jeffrey L. Bass, principal of Garden City-based Margolin, Winer & Evens, was named to the American Heart Association's Long Island Heart Walk executive committee.

General manager at Copiague Red Lobster receives Red Lobster's "Diamond Club" award.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Brian Duffy, general manager at the Copiague Red Lobster received Red Lobster's "Diamond Club" award. He received the award because his restaurant was ranked among the top 5 percent of Red Lobsters in the...

Long Island educational institutions announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Old Westbury-based Empire State College received a CASE/Wealth ID Award for Educational Fund Raising from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The Sewanhaka Central High School District...

Long Island engineering firms announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Woodbury-based Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor named Andrew Grundy project manager and civil engineer. He had been project manager at North Shore Hebrew Academy. The Farmingdale-based Thomas Group named Michael...

Long Island financial firms announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Woodbury-based Bankers Life of New York named Tom Granata regional vice president. He has 15 years experience in the life insurance industry. Commerce Bank named Valia Balafoutis manager of its Hicksville...

Long Island medical facilities announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II West Islip-based nursing and rehabilitative center Our Lady of Consolation named David Siskind medical director of medical services. He had been attending physician for long-term care at Birchwood Health. ...

Garden City-based Moritt Hock Hamroff & Horowitz names Kim D. Victor associate.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Garden City-based Moritt Hock Hamroff & Horowitz named Kim D. Victor associate in its bankruptcy and litigation practice. He had been an associate at New York-based Hahn & Hessen.

Long Island not-for-profits announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II The Islip Arts Council named Lillian Barbash founding director. She had been the organization's executive director since 1976. The Nassau County AHRC Foundation named Bob Isaksen to its board of directors....

Debra Lund named director of marketing for Newsday.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Debra Lund was named director of marketing for Newsday. She had been the paper's marketing research manager since 2001.

Melville-based Lloyd Staffing names Carolyn Doyle vice president of sales.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Melville-based Lloyd Staffing named Carolyn Doyle vice president of sales. She had been vice president and regional market manager for Randstad North America.

Long Island technology firms announce staffing changes: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Melville-based Park Electrochemical named Albert J. Mastrangelo senior vice president, marketing. He had been Park's vice president of technical marketing. Park also named Margaret Kendrick vice president...

Cornell Cooperative Extension advocates for healthy eating habits in Long Island's youth.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County has begun an advocacy mission for healthy eating habits in Long Island's youth. The crux: Cut out those foods high in fat and sugar from their diets. To do...

7-year-old wins contest to name kinkajous at the Long Island Game Farm.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II To follow up an item featured in this column a few months ago, the once-nameless Kinkajous at the Long Island Game Farm have been named. Rebecca Piekarski, a 7-year-old from Sound Beach, won the farm's Kinkajou...

Author of "Awakening the Buddha Within" introduces spirituality as a workplace tool.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter Lama Surya Das is a bundle of contradictions. He was reared a Jew in Valley Stream and became a Buddhist. He's a jock who preaches spirituality. He's a holy man in a two-piece suit. And add one more conundrum:...

Garden City officials work with shopping mall owner to help fill downtown vacancies.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty American downtowns have long blamed malls for their demise, and Garden City's core is no different. With good reason: Nearby Roosevelt Field Mall - the country's sixth largest - robbed much of the retail...

Town of Brookhaven considers a building moratorium for stretch of Ronkonkoma Ave.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The Town of Brookhaven is moving toward another building moratorium, but town leaders haven't agreed on what exactly the breather would accomplish. A town councilor, business owners and an active citizens group...

United Way of Long Island rebounds from 2004 slump, posts 15% increase in fundraising.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter Rebounding from a 2004 slump, United Way of Long Island posted an increase of about 15 percent in fundraising from core Long Island sources and about 7 percent in overall revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30,...

North Fork Bancorp officially converts all GreenPoint branches on Long Island.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale North Fork Bancorp has officially erased the GreenPoint name from the Long Island banking landscape. In the last week, North Fork has draped banners with its logo over all 35 of its Nassau and Suffolk...

Riverhead's Industrial Development Agency assists New York developer.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty A major New York developer aims to tap Riverhead's Industrial Development Agency's assistance to buy and refurbish a housing development long reserved for lower-income residents. Riverhead Village...

Nassau County Legislature increases its scrutiny of Coliseum project.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The Nassau County Legislature is stepping up its analysis of a $200 million Nassau Veterans Memorial redevelopment proposal from Islanders owner Charles Wang. The Democratically controlled Legislature plans to...

DHB Industries' year-to-date loss is 73%.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff In 2003 and 2004, DHB Industries had the wind at its back. In those years, the maker of body armor notched stock gains of 321 percent and 172 percent. This year, however, shareholders have had to scurry for...

No one bids to assume lease of former Organized Living Inc. space in Huntington Station.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff The former Organized Living Inc. space is off the auction block. Because no one bid to assume the lease, owner Simon Property Group regained control of the 17,600-square-foot shell at the Walt Whitman Mall in...

St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson launches computer-assisted surgery.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Surgeons at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson have started to perform computer-assisted total hip replacement surgery. The surgery is conducted with a device known as the Orthopilot. The first surgery at the...

Netsmart Technologies awarded contract by St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik As part of a push to serve psychiatric hospitals, Netsmart Technologies has been awarded a software contract by St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse. The firm, through its Creative Socio-Medics Corp....

Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola expands cardiac care with new cath lab.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola has opened its fourth catheterization laboratory to meet the growing demand for cardiac care services. The lab, which went into service at the hospital's Miller...

Sterling Glen of Glen Cove launches short-term stay programs.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Sterling Glen of Glen Cove, an assisted senior living residence, has launched two short-term stay programs designed for people that are either recuperating or trying to decide whether to move into the facility. ...

DHB Industries will take $60M charge as it replaces customers' Zylon body armor.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff DHB Industries Inc. said it will take a $60 million charge as it replaces customers' body armor made with Zylon, a material whose certification has been revoked by the National Institute of Justice. The move comes...

Seven board members resign from Huntington Chamber.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff Following the dramatic firing and re-hiring of former congressman Michael Forbes as president of the Suffolk Nassau Chamber of Commerce in August, seven board members - including the majority of the executive board -...

MD-based Globecomm Systems Inc. extends Iraq phone deal.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff Globecomm Systems Inc. announced a one-year contract extension to provide international calling services for a large Iraqi phone company. The extension ensures that, for the next year, customers of the Iraqi Telecom...

Astoria Financial Corp. to outsource mortgage loan servicing.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff Astoria Financial Corp. announced that it would begin outsourcing its mortgage loan servicing beginning in December. Illinois-based Dovenmuehle Mortgage Inc. will begin handling Astoria Federal's mortgage services....

Arbitrator awards Symbol Technologies Inc. nearly $12 million in overdue royalties.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff An arbitrator awarded Symbol Technologies Inc. nearly $12 million in overdue royalties. The arbitrator ruled that Metrologic Instruments Inc., a New Jersey bar-code designer and manufacturer, improperly ceased paying...

Forest Laboratories nearing drug settlement with generic manufacturer.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff Forest Laboratories Inc. is headed toward a settlement with a generic manufacturer over anti-depressant Lexapro. Forest, which has major operations in Commack, announced that the company is "negotiating in good...

Cablevision Systems to test market Tivo digital video services to subscribers.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff In a bid for new customers, Cablevision Systems said it will offer Tivo digital video recorders and a wireless router to satellite subscribers who take its Optimum triple play. Cablevision has had success in...

Curative Health Services' stock rises 27% one week after being downgraded.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff What a roller coaster ride for Hauppauge-based Curative Health Services Inc. (Nasdaq: CURE), which watched its stock rise 27 percent to $2.30. The rise came a little more than a week after the specialty...

Commentary: Big, not so easy.
September 2, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff We lost our sister paper in New Orleans this week, a victim - like thousands of other businesses - of Hurricane Katrina. Knowing they would be blown or flooded out of their building, most staffers fled for higher...

Commentary: Opposition based on supposition.
September 2, 2005... Byline: John Hritcko Jr. It is a classic supply and demand problem. The cost of natural gas increases as supplies decline. But this is no business school case study, and the bottom line fact of life for businesses on Long Island is as real...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: In housing issue, accountability first.(Letter to the Editor)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Long Island Business News Staff To the Editor: It's housing versus open space. Some say the solution is more government. However, only leadership without government programs and interference could solve the problem in the long...

Commentary: Be prepared for the next hurricane.
September 2, 2005... Byline: John Kiernan The news has recently been dominated by the hurricanes that have struck Florida and the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina is the latest example of a catastrophic storm that caused billions of...

Commentary: For this president, August has been stressful.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Jerry Kremer Ask any politician what their favorite month is and most of them will tell you August. Why August? It is when the most Americans turn off their televisions sets, go to the mountains or the shore, and try to forget...

Writers Guild of America, East battles with producers of PBS television children's show.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter When you're enmeshed in a labor dispute, it doesn't hurt to have some big names in your corner. At least that's the thinking of the Writers Guild of America, East in getting more than 40 well-known actors and...

NHL TV contract could black out TV viewing of Isles, NY Rangers.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter The National Hockey League is back, but customers of Cablevision Systems, the owner of the New York Rangers, could be put in the penalty box. As things stand now, the NHL's new contract with the Outdoor Life...

Cablevision's iO service wins Emmy for interactive service.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter The graphics, navigation system and interactive services of Cablevision Systems' iO cable TV service has won an Emmy. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences cited iO in the category of "non-program-specific...

According to statistics from Dept. of Justice, costs, alternatives drive drop off in tort trials.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter Federal tort trials have become disappearing acts. Between 1985 and 2003, the number of tort trials that concluded in federal district courts dropped by 79 percent, shrinking from 3,600 trials to 800, according to...

Union lobbies to keep Plum Island scientific institution open during renovations.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter Work is rarely boring for the lawyer representing the workers at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. First, Marty Glennon, a labor attorney with Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein in Mineola, helped navigate Local...

Controversial dorm project is finished at the Five Towns College in Dix Hills, Long Island.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty Just in time for the new school year, a controversial dorm project is finished at the Five Towns College in Dix Hills. Melody Hall joins three other musically-named residences - Harmony, Symphony and...

Blumenfeld Development Groups sells office building in Hauppauge, Long Island.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty The Blumenfeld Development Group sold one of its office buildings - but it's not part of the portfolio the company aims to unload. It sold 205 Oser Ave., a 17,000-square-foot building in Hauppauge, for...

Title company City-Settlements selects its first Suffolk office.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty Title company City-Settlements selected its first Suffolk office. It inked a deal for 12,000 square feet at 181 Freeman Ave. in Islip. The former Hitachi office building is being renovated to accommodate...

EGC Group buys office building in Melville.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty The EGC Group, a marketing firm with about 30 employees, purchased an 8,337-square-foot office building at 1175 Walt Whitman Road in Melville. EGC will relocate from roughly 5,000 square feet at 129 East Marie...

Sutton & Edwards Inc. brokers two commercial real estate deals.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty North Shore Abstract Ltd., a land title abstract company, sold its headquarters at 330 Great Neck Road in Great Neck for $1.35 million to mortgage broker Maric Capital Corp. North shore Abstract then leased...

Long Island Commercial Real Estate Briefs: September 2, 2005.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty * In another Sutton & Edwards deal, Riverhead Building Supply, a 57-year-old lumber and building supply company, leased a 37,000-square-foot industrial building on 400 Motor Parkway in Hauppauge. The site,...

Huntington Arts Council announces its annual Juried Landscape Competition.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II No, it's not about who can build the best tie wall. The Huntington Arts Council has announced its annual Juried Landscape Competition. During the competition 32 pieces from 23 artists will be displayed at the...

Three Long Island groups receive grants.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Rep. Carolyn McCarthy presented $1,000 to the Child Care Council of Nassau County. Citibank presented $5,000 to the Middle Country Library Foundation to support the library's Miller Business Resource...

Special Olympics New York, Long Island helps intellectually disabled to shine.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II When a cyclist gets a flat tire during a race, they usually quit. It is not often that an athlete will be persistent enough to pick up the bike and finish the race with their bike on their shoulder like one...

T. Weiss Realty consults with Long Island Power Authority about how to reduce energy use.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Like most developers, T. Weiss Realty seeks design advice when considering a new building. But while consultants typically carry a price tag, the Melville-based commercial real estate firm receives expert advice at no...

Long Island executives want corner offices.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik When the Bank of Smithtown moved to its new headquarters last year on the top floor of 100 Motor Parkway, Chief Executive Officer Bradley Rock finally got a room with a view. Or rather, a few views. From his...

Federal government rolls out energy conservation incentives for companies and property owners.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik There's some good news for companies and property owners seeking to save on energy: The federal government has rolled out a program that may reward you for your efforts. President George Bush on Aug. 8 signed into...

Laptops, lower cubes, revolutionize office landscape.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik At Computer Associates, mobility is important for workers who need to travel from office to office. And CA designed its offices to reflect that, setting up dozens of stations at its headquarters where workers plug in...

Interview with Gregory Peterson, candidate trying to unseat County Executive Tom Suozzi.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty Since Gregory Peterson launched his campaign to unseat County Executive Tom Suozzi in February, he's assailed everything about the county's plans to transform the dated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum into a...

Theater director makes comeback after being beaten by actor.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Adina Genn The last time theater director Toni Munna made national headlines, she'd survived an assault by an actor. In Oct. 2004, Brian J. Faber reportedly punched Munna repeatedly one hour before the final, sold-out...

Former exec. is brought on as head of biz school at C.W. Post.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Let academics talk all they want to about business, quoting executives and analyzing case studies. That's all second-hand. Robert Sanator, formerly of Fairchild Republic Co., knows business from the inside....

Colleges beef (and veg) up on-campus catering.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Don't call Dowling College's dining area a cafeteria. You could, but then with fare like grilled salmon prepared with restaurant-like culinary expertise, the phrase "college restaurant" might be more apropos. After...

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers launches online shopping service.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Claude Solnik Barnes & Noble College Booksellers runs campus bookstores for schools such as Hofstra University, Stony Brook University, Adelphi University, Dowling College, Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community...

Businesses need a disaster-recovery plan in order to avoid interruption in service.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The storyline is familiar. On Aug. 14, 2003, the nation's energy grid failed, plunging the northeast United States into darkness. Unable to conduct even the most routine transactions, businesses shut down. Right? ...

The anatomy of gas prices.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter Look in the rearview mirror. The year is 1959. The Texaco man fills your tank, checks your oil and washes your windows. Your total tab? Seven bucks, including tip. Fast forward 40 years to March 1999. The price...

LI companies try to mend tattered lives after Hurricane Katrina.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Ken Schachter As news reports stream stinging daily reminders of the Gulf Coast's agony, Long Island businesses are gearing up to aid survivors of Hurricane Katrina. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System offered to send...

Small businesses urge staffers to forego insurance.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Adina Genn As health insurance costs soar, a growing number of small businesses are offering incentives to workers who forgo the company medical plan. Some 14 percent of businesses with fewer than 200 employees offer lump-sum...

Parkell Inc. doubling space, relocating to Edgewood.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty Here's something Parkell Inc. can smile about: after four decades here, the dental giant is doubling its space and relocating to Edgewood. Parkell, a dental-product manufacturer and distributor, inked a...

In real estate, square feet little guidance.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Dawn Wotapka Hardesty A 75,000-square-foot deal. Leasing 150,000 square feet. Buying a 300,000-square-foot building. Just how big is that? There's no easy answer - even for Long Island's real estate professionals. A...

2-minute drill with Joe Perry, partner in charge of Marcum & Kliegman's tax practice.
September 9, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Joe Perry was on top of the accounting world. It was October 2001 and there he was, in New Orleans, taking part in his Arthur Andersen partners meeting. The message was positive. According to the company, it was...

Symbol Technologies, Intermec Technologies kiss and make up.
September 9, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff When it comes to intellectual property, Symbol Technologies has never been shy about pursuing a lawsuit to the bitter end. So when Symbol and Intermec Technologies announced they were trying to resolve all their...

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System declines option on office lease.
September 9, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff Months after leasing 454,000 square feet at the sprawling iPark in Lake Success - likely Long Island's biggest office lease ever - North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System declined its option for another 102,000. ...

Plug pulled on WLIE morning talk program.
September 9, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Three years ago, Island Talk 540 AM went on the air prepared to change the Long Island radio landscape. The station planned to suck away listeners from stalwarts WCBS-AM and WABC-AM and become the prime radio news...

Long Island shut out again in venture capital.
September 9, 2005... Byline: David Reich-Hale Companies in the Nassau-Suffolk market failed to obtain any venture capitalist funding in the second quarter of 2005, according to the MoneyTree Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Venture Economics and...

Newsday to cut New York City staff.
September 9, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff In a move that harkens back to its closure of New York Newsday in the 1990s, Newsday plans to cut its New York City bureau by offering buyouts to 45 newsroom employees. In a memo to the paper's staff, Editor John...

Comtech Telecommunications snares contract worth up to $5.5M.
September 9, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff A subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. has won a contract worth as much as $5.5 million to produce components for a radio used in air defense. The contract, with initial funding of $2.9 million through...

Long Island's Jillian's shops to be converted to Dave & Buster's.
September 9, 2005... Byline: LIBN Staff The Jillian's moniker will soon disappear from Long Island. In a conference call with investors, Buster Corley, president and CEO of Dave & Buster's, announced plans to rebrand its Jillian's shops as Dave & Buster's...