Inside Business articles from April 2002

Inside Business archives from April 2002

A site to behold. (Editor's Column).(OhioTechNet.org)(Editorial)
April 1, 2002... The dais was crowded for the official launch of a new Web portal to promote tech transfer and research in Northeast Ohio. As Gov. Bob Taft pushed a colored plunger for the "digital ribbon cutting" of OhioTechNet.org, he was surrounded by...

Rolling out the orange barrels. (Manufacturing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... As the old joke goes, there are two seasons in Northeast Ohio: winter and road construction. And nothing better symbolizes the change of seasons than the sight of those dreaded orange barrels along the highway. But Brian Grabowski wants...

High-tech specs. (Liquid-Crystal Technology).(custom sunglasses)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... It's rush hour, and your sunglasses aren't doing much to dim the rays of a blazing sun. Instead of squinting or flipping down your car's visor for relief, you gently tap your glasses at the temple, and the lenses darken to your comfort. ...

The big picture: a hospital executive's hobby pays tribute to a decades-old photographic tradition. (Passions).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... James Lubetkin prefers the challenge of large-format photography to the click-click-click of today's 35 mm cameras. His heroes are the press photographers of the 1920s through 1950s who manually reloaded only two shots at a time into...

Creative Wizard. (Hip Job Titles).(Mark Zust of Zust and Co)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Who: Mark Zust, 45 Company: Zust & Co., a Cleveland training and image-management firm Has held title: Since May 2001 Education: Master of arts in graphic design and a B.S. in journalism, Kent State University Email:...

Stopping the spread of 'Enronitis'. (Five Questions).(Enron Corp's collapse ripple effect)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The collapse of energy-trading company Enron Corp., once the seventh-largest corporation in the United States, has created waves that most certainly will wash up on the shores of the North Coast. This ripple effect has been dubbed...

Blind taste test. (Inside-business.com).(Improvita Health Products product development)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Improvita Health Products has been manufacturing dietary supplements in Northeast Ohio for four years. During most of that time, its president, Tom Klamet, was looking for a better-tasting zinc supplement. He may have found it. According...

Colortone takes the podium. (Inside-business.com).(Colortone Staging & Rentals )
April 1, 2002... When Colortone Staging & Rentals opened its Salt Lake City office in 1997, president Bob Leon was hoping to grab some Olympic contracts. He had no idea his company would end up with the majority of lighting and staging work. "We wound up...

An entrepreneurial success ... so far. (Inside-business.com).(Notiva venture capital financing details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... When Mark Brandt graced the cover of Inside Business' June 2001 issue, the company he co-founded, Notiva, a provider of back-office software solutions, was beating the venture-capital bushes for $3 million in financing. Six months later,...

Up in smoke? (Inside-business.com).(Richard Osborne's personal narrative)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Several local journalists (not Dash, unfortunately) were invited to fly to Jamaica on Jan. 23 by 1-800-Jamaica, which offers direct charter flights once a week from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Montego Bay. Richard Osborne,...

Strong-arm tactics. (By the Numbers).(Bullies research data)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... It's easy to spot bullies. They're the children who verbally or physically strong-arm their peers on the playground. But bullies also are grownups who intimidate co-workers. According to a Wayne State University study, nearly 22 percent...

Community Impact Awards Luncheon. (Working the Room).(award ceremony details)
April 1, 2002... If there's money involved, expect a crowd to gather. So it was no surprise that the room was full for the Community IMPACT AWARDS LUNCHEON on Feb. 5 at The Club at Key Center. Dominion East Ohio, which co-sponsored the awards with Inside...

2002 FirstMerit Bank Economic Forecast Luncheon. (Working the Room).(conference details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Considering the sweeping budget cutbacks and personnel losses, there is very little to distinguish the 2002 economy from the upcoming Cleveland Indians season. Except that the Tribe may have a better chance for recovery by year's end. ...

Search engine: the truth is out there. Is your PC the link to finding it? (Technology).(Editorial)
April 1, 2002... I know it has been awhile since I've written, but I've been a little busy. During the last few months (well, almost a year), I finished earning my bachelor's degree in business management through Hiram College's weekend program (after a...

Down to earth: Environmentally friendly products turn profits for two Lake County companies. (Regional Focus: Lake County).(Terresolve Technologies Ltd product details)
April 1, 2002... Curtis Scharf holds up a small tube of transparent brown liquid. The president of Terresolve Technologies Ltd. in Eastlake peers through the container filled with a base oil for the company's line of environmentally friendly oil products. He...

Frank talk: As RPM Inc. emerges from a painful two-year restructuring, Frank Sullivan prepares to succeed his father as CEO and renew the company's commitment to the ideals of his grandfather, the company's founder.(company management details)
April 1, 2002... When Frank Sullivan gives a tour of RPM Inc., it's not to show off the company's Medina headquarters, a country-club-like complex set deep within a 150-acre wooded campus that was once a horse farm. Rather, Sullivan, RPM's president and...

Comforts of home: Central to the longevity and success of Norwalk Furniture are the hometown and family ties of its founders.(Company Profile)
April 1, 2002... ext to the English-style carved-stone fireplace in Jim Gerken's Norwalk home, the Thdor house his grandfather built in 1936, is a child-sized chair his great-grandfather made. Nearly 100 years old, the brick-red upholstered chair has been...

Simply Accelent: the complete-system approach of Akron-based Accelent Systems has software giants taking notice. (TechKnow).(Accelent Systems Inc management strategy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... YUNG-FU CHANG AND JOHN IMBODEN AREN'T JUST TRYING TO MAKE LIFE EASIER -- THEY'RE WORKING TO MAKE THE DEVICES THAT SIMPLIFY LIFE EASIER TO PRODUCE. The mission of the Accelent Systems Inc. co-founders is to help companies streamline...

Chain link: Cleveland-based e-Ventus finds a solution for complex supply-chain transactions. (TechKnow).(company management details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... BENDIX COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS HAD A PROBLEM. The vehicle-components manufacturer wanted to continue its globalization push, but its growing supply chain was becoming a high-maintenance mess. For one Chinese aluminum-castings supplier,...

Online pioneer: KeyCorp's early adoption of the Web and innovative services make it an Internet leader. (TechKnow).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... IT PAYS TO BE AN EARLY ADOPTER OF NEW TECHNOLOGY While many banks remained skeptical in the early days of the World Wide Web, Cleveland-based KeyCorp launched its Web site, Key.com, in 1996. Key's early belief in the Web has helped...

Net results: Richfield-based New Media Communications spreads the word about being heard. (TechKnow).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... MIKE CONNELL IS INTERESTED IN PROMOTING DEMOCRACY -- WHEREVER HE CAN. Case in point: A Slovenian resident might have received a short text message on his or her cellular phone in fall 2000, promoting an "adults only" Internet site....

Vital images: a Philips Medical Systems scanner that has dual capabilities helps doctors target radiation treatment. (TechKnow).
April 1, 2002... HIMANSHU SHUKIA NEVER WORKED OUTSIDE ACADEMIA BEFORE HE JOINED PICKER INTERNATIONAL IN 1997. When the medical physicist joined the company that became Philips Medical Systems in October 2001, he brought his Ph.D. and the seed for an...

Java jolt: Euclid-based preEmptive solutions' DashO brings speed and security to Java reduction. (TechKnow).
April 1, 2002... DASHO, THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM OF EUCLID-BASED PREEMPTIVE SOLUTIONS, FUNCTIONS LIKE A CARPET SWEEPER. It collects and compacts extraneous data, leaving behind cleaner Java code, which is smaller, faster-running and more secure. One of the most...

Home pages: Finding the perfect home may be just a few clicks away, thanks to Realty One and DigiKnow. (TechKnow).(Realtyone.com )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... BUYING A HOME CAN BE ONE OF LIFE'S MOST EXCITING YET PAINSTAKING EXPERIENCES. Realty companies have tried to case home-seekers into the process by offering their services via the Web. But Realty One's Web site, redesigned by Internet...

Tracking tech: Area experts discuss the latest on e-commerce, e-marketing and other IT trends. (TechKnow Awards).
April 1, 2002... Q: How are companies using IT solutions to save money? A: "Whether it's supporting their sales force, their vendors or their customers in ways that don't require printing, shipping or customer-service representatives, companies are using...

Rx for health-care costs: Faced with ever-increasing premiums, Northeast Ohio employers search for cost-containment strategies. (Inside Business' Guide to Health Care).
April 1, 2002... Gideon Oswitch recalls a time in the late 1980s when Norton Chemical Process Products Corp.'s employees paid a mere $8 per month for individual health-insurance coverage. Family coverage cost $16 a month. For that contribution, employees...

Cost control: Area experts weigh in on cost-saving strategies, program options and the benefits of preventive behavior. (Guide to Health Care).(preventative care)
April 1, 2002... Q: What is an easy, and often overlooked, way for an employer to reduce employee health-care costs? A: "Ben Franklin got it right when he said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," says John Schaeffer, president and...

Cross-training, geek-style: a little "idea reconnaissance" could put your company on the path to innovation and profits. (EIndustry).(management theory)
April 1, 2002... A few times each year, Bill Gates disappears for a weekend with a stack of reading materials unrelated to computers. He devours business and science publications, master's theses, doctoral dissertations and various non-IT trade journals to...

Internet mind-set.(Electronic commerce)
April 1, 2002... Corporate cultures must change so that companies can capture the enormous potential of the net, says internet visionary John Patrick. Are you ready for the next generation of the Internet? In its next evolutionary stage, the Net will...

A whole new attitude. (Know Show News).(conference details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Can you feel it? I know I can. There's a new attitude at the Know Show 2002. Maybe it's the change in venue. After many years at the Cleveland convention Center, this year's show moves to the expansive I-X Center, which provides...

Technology in business expo. (TechKnow).(conference details)
April 1, 2002... Where corporate decision makers will find the latest in technological advances covering the internet, operating systems, IT, e-commerce, telecommunications, networking and network security, PDAs and Web-site design. TW-1 Viruses, Spain...

Techknow awards luncheon. (Luncheons).(conference details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... April 18, 2002, 11:30 a.m. Featuring a keynote address by John R. Patrick, president of Attitude LLC and former vice president of Internet technology at IBM Net Attitude: The mind-set necessary for success in the era of connectivity....

SME luncheon. (Know Show News).(conference details)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... April 17, 2002, 11:30 a.m. Featuring a keynote address by David Fink, president and CEO of the National Inventors Hall of Fame "Success Through Invention" How does a financially troubled local institution become internationally...

Special attractions. (Know Show News).(conference details)
April 1, 2002... Explore the Future at These Exciting Pavilions and Attractions In addition to stimulating seminars and exhibits, Know Show 2002 features exciting pavilions and events where you will interact with leading professionals and well-known...

Economic development. (Players).(Bradley W. Whitehead )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Cleveland Foundation has appointed Bradley W. Whitehead to a two-year term as a senior fellow for economic development. "The foundation... is very excited that Brad is taking a leadership role in what is a crucial area for the region's...

Education. (Players).(Baldwin-Wallace College personnel changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Patricia Vandenberg has been named director of Baldwin-Wallace College's M.B.A. in Health Care Executive Management program. She most recently served for 11 years as president and CEO of Holy Cross Health System. Vandenberg holds a bachelor...

Health insurance. (Players).(Medical Mutual promotes Susan Tyler)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Medical Mutual has named Susan Tyler executive vice president and CFO. "Susan brings to us a solid background, which includes 20 years of experience in finance and insurance," says chairman, president and CEO Kent Clapp. Tyler recently served...

Law. (Players).(Brouse McDowell personnel changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Lee C. Weingart, former commissioner of Cuyahoga County, has been named of counsel for Akron-based Brouse McDowell's business and corporate practice. "Lee's practical experience and knowledge of technology and investments will benefit our...

New media. (Players).(Glazen Creative Group executive changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Ron Goldfarb and Tony Weber have been named president and COO, respectively, of Cleveland-based Glazen Creative Group. "Now with Ron and Tony in vested leadership roles, we will be positioned to more actively compete beyond the traditional...

Nonprofit. (Players).(Recovery Resources personnel changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Recovery Resources, which provides mental-health and substance-abuse treatment, has named Margaret Cunningham as COO. "In addition to more than 20 years of executive-level management experience, she brings to her position a keen ability to...

Public relations. (Players).(Edward Howard & Co personnel changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Edward Howard & Co. has announced two top-level promotions: Kathleen A. Obert has been elected chairman and CEO; Wayne Hill has become president. Obert joined the firm in 1992 and previously served as president and CEO. She graduated from...

Venture fund. (Players).(Cleveland Social Venture Partners personnel changes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Cleveland Social Venture Partners, a philanthropic venture fund that works to build nonprofits, has selected David W. Wittkowsky as its first executive director. Wittkowsky, a New York native who graduated from Case Western Reserve...

Winery. (Players).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Supermarket veteran Tony Rego has joined Madison winery Debonne Vineyards as director of sales and marketing. Rego is charged with helping the winery cultivate its largest marketing effort in its 30-year history. Rego has served as store...