Inside Business articles from April 2009

Inside Business archives from April 2009

Corrections.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2009... CORRECTIONS: In the March issue, we attributed the creation of Lube Stop's eight key customer service points to the wrong person. The company's vice president, Tony Commerata, developed the program. Also in the March issue, the name of Avid...

Going for broke.(ABSOLUTELY)(Column)
April 1, 2009... The popular opinion throughout Cleveland is that there has never been a better time to change county government. When will we ever get the opportunity to go face to face with two serious issues such as corruption and recession? It's a slam...

Sell mate: first-time real estate agent Chris Banham finds her calling despite the depressed housing market.(REAL ESTATE)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... Tbe gasp was unmistakable as the numbers are announced: 23 transactions, $4.1 million in home sales--by a rookie. If Howard "Hoddy" Hanna III arriving on the State Theatre stage via faux jet pack didn't grab the audience's attention at...

Creative class: six steps to producing an award-winning ad.(MARKETING)(advertising)
April 1, 2009... You're bombarded with ads: TV, radio, Web. It's a nonstop assault. Yet how many of those spots stick with you? Not many. "A lot of forces need to come together to do great creative work," says Mike Hudock, creative director at...

GrindHouse Corp.(WHAT'S IN A NAME)
April 1, 2009... JETTON FREEMAN, 30 PROMOTER/ARTIST INCORPORATED JANUARY 2009 CLEVELAND Not your routine job Life in general is a grind, according to Jetton Freeman, CEO of GrindHouse Corp., even when working as a promoter and agent in...

Shelter me: Cleveland's older properties seek new love.(URBAN RENEWAL)
April 1, 2009... What was a firm that helps companies earn historical tax credits doing with offices in the 24-yearold BP Building? It was an odd pairing until last year when Global X, a strategic tax consulting firm, dumped its suite, pursued Cleveland's...

Kenneth J. Douglas.(ACCOUNTING)
April 1, 2009... Kenneth J. Douglas has joined Bruner-Cox LLP as an audit partner in the firm's Akron office. He has 26 years of Big Four experience providing audit and accounting services to clients in the manufacturing, health care and education industries. A...

Les Smeach.(ACCOUNTING)(Schlabig and Associates Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Les Smeach, a partner at Schlabig & Associates Ltd., earned an exclusive certification in financial forensics by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The credential is granted to qualified CPAs with considerable professional...

HSB Architects & Engineers.(ARCHITECTURE)
April 1, 2009... HSB Architects & Engineers named Peter Kamis a partner. Kamis has served as HSB's director of engineering services since 2000 and is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and 34 other states. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical...

Herbruck Alder.(CONSULTING)
April 1, 2009... Herbruck Alder recently appointed Brian Kempton as a partner and shareholder. Kempton has been with Herbruck Alder for six years. He has more than 25 years experience in group health insurance and pension sales management with a concentration...

Baldwin-Wallace College.(EDUCATION)
April 1, 2009... Dale G. Kramer has been appointed director of the MBA/EMBA programs at Baldwin-Wallace College. He brings to the position 29 years of business leadership, which includes seven years at Ferro Corp. and more than 20 years with The BFGoodrich Co....

John Carroll University.(EDUCATION)
April 1, 2009... John Carroll University appointed Richard Mausser as vice president for finance and CF0. Since joining the university in 1995, he has served as controller, executive director of finance and associate vice president for finance. Previously,...

BlueBridge Networks.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(appointment of Jeff Levine)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... BlueBridge Networks has appointed Jeff Levine as president and CEO. Levine brings more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry. During his 24 LEVZNE years with Agilysys, he was responsible for multiple areas in information...

Catherine M. Swartz.(LAW)
April 1, 2009... Catherine M. Swartz joined Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP as an associate in its public finance group. She focuses her practice on serving as bond counsel in general obligation and revenue bond financing for Ohio cities, counties,...

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association.(NONPROFIT)
April 1, 2009... Pamela A. Carson, executive vice president for KeyBank, has been elected chairman of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association board of directors, on which Carson has served since 2004. Carson earned her bachelor's degree from Ohio...

Liggett Stashower.(MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS)
April 1, 2009... Liggett Stashower has promoted Elizabeth Ballash to brand contact planner; Julie Krebs to vice president, brand director; and Linda Reyes to accounting supervisor. Ballash began her career at as a brand contact coordinator after graduating from...

CRU Solutions.(MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS)(promotion of Janet L. Gehring)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Janet L. Gehring was promoted to director of marketing at CRU Solutions. Prior to joining the company in 2007, Gehring had more than 15 years of experience in communications and marketing. She earned her bachelor's degree from Kent State...

Cut the cuts: in this down economy, reactionary companies lay off workers while smart ones find better, more creative ways to reduce costs. (Some even--gasp!--make hires.).(HUMAN RESOURCES)
April 1, 2009... It has been fascinating to watch America's workplaces adjust to the recession. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some organizations reacted without much thought and started slicing jobs back in October. Others laid off workers after seeing drops...

Tweet me right: online social networks are here to stay. Is your business taking advantage of them?(E-INDUSTRY)(Column)
April 1, 2009... I confess: I've been "tweeting" with my "friends." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No, that isn't what got Michael Phelps in trouble. Tweets are messages sent on the social network Twitter, and contacts on Facebook are called friends. It may...

Sales & marketing executives of Akron's distinguished sales & marketing awards.(WORKING THE ROOM)
April 1, 2009... On Feb. 17, the Sales & Marketing Executives of Akron honored the area's leading sales and marketing professionals at its 37th annual Distinguished Sales & Marketing Awards, held at the Tangier in Akron. Ward "Tim" Timken Jr., chairman of the...

Dominion's strong men and women excellence in leadership.(WORKING THE ROOM)
April 1, 2009... On Feb. 5, Dominion held its eighth annual Strong Men and Women Excellence in Leadership recognition luncheon at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center. The program honors the accomplishments of African-American role models and turns...

Spine signaling.(Ohio Entrepreneur)(SpineMatrix Inc.)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A patient suffering from low back pain stands in front of a doctor wearing what looks like a heating pad dotted with dozens of deep-penetrating electrodes. The device is hooked to a computer. After a few seconds, the...

Road Map.(OHIO ENTREPRENEUR)(Directory)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Ohio Entrepreneur is a partnership of companies, universities and economic development organizations dedicated to providing access to the information and services entrepreneurs need to start or expand their businesses in Northeast Ohio. We...

Thunder's road: former Cleveland Indians slugger Andre Thornton has traveled a successful path as a business owner, running one of the largest minority-owned businesses in Ohio. But he doesn't want to stop there. He's positioning asw global for national and international growth.(Company overview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Inside a 75,000-square-foot warehouse near the Akron-Canton Airport, the post-lunchtime rush is in full gear. Electric-powered forklifts busily crisscross paths, picking up pallets from 48 bays on one side of the...

The pink-slip economy.
April 1, 2009... They wait in the rain outside an Independence hotel. They are your friends and neighbors, your spouses, your siblings, your children. They are about 7,500 people competing for 1,000 jobs at a fair, the F entrance to which is at least two hours...

Manage in tough times.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)
April 1, 2009... Marcus Thomas employees are encouraged to take outside classes--anything from yoga to metalsmithing--and the company helps pick up the tab. Financial advisers visit to counsel employees on managing investments, protecting credit scores and...

Get noticed.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)(methods of employee selection)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The good news: Hyland Software is hiring and expects to continue doing so this year. The bad news: As of early March, the software developer already received more than half the total number of applications it did in...

The extreme.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)
April 1, 2009... William Roberts never imagined he'd have trouble finding a new job. He'd easily found jobs in the past. So when the commodities manager at Conversion Resources, a Macedonia-based scrap recycler, was laid off in the midst of a restructuring...

Doing layoffs right.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was a big job--a 5 percent reduction in North American employees by a $3 billion global manufacturer and services company. So when outplacement pro Pattie Wagoner, president of CareerCurve, got called in last...

Pursue your passion.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)(Mary Netzel)
April 1, 2009... At the tender baking age of 28, Mary Netzel won "Best in Show" for her yeast dinner rolls at the Cuyahoga County Fair. "I was the youngest woman standing in the bread line with my rolls, surrounded by all of these grandmas, and I was...

What now?(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)(impact of job loss )
April 1, 2009... It's 3 p.m. This morning you had a job. Now you don't. You're back at home, numb from the news. A trucking school commercial is on TV. And you're watching it, like unemployed people do. What next? Two plans, two mind-sets: You've got...

That sinking feeling.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It doesn't take Warren Buffett to see your company struggling. Orders are down. Water-cooler chats are depressing. "This is the time to work as hard as you can to show your value," says Becky Osborn of Solon's SS&G...

Trim costs, not jobs.(THE PINK-SLIP ECONOMY)
April 1, 2009... Canton's Timken Co. expects to cut 400 salaried workers this year, even after reducing its hourly work force by about 2,500 last year. But the global bearing and steel manufacturer has also cut production, shortened work weeks and instituted...

Rescue mission: how the $790 billion Recovery and Reinvestment Act can benefit your business.(Guide to: Accounting)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] John DeLillo has routinely competed against half a dozen businesses when trying to win public works projects for his Willoughby paving firm. But the president of the Ohio Paving Construction Co. recently found...

Cash flow: credit may be hard to come by for many business owners, but there are alternatives that can provide the cash bridge over troubled economic waters.(Guide to: Accounting)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like many small Northeast Ohio businesses, the Rutledge Group has been cutting costs to make it through the economic recession. After years of double-digit growth, the independent insurance company has seen business...

Greenbacks for growth: help is on the way to expand your business in Northeast Ohio.(Guide to: Construction/Development)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Space is cramped at Kalt Manufacturing. The North Ridgeville manufacturer squeezed a semitruck-size horizontal boring mill, which produces gear boxes for wind turbines, into its 43,000-square-foot facility last June....

En route to a healthier you: walk toward a healthy lifestyle--and bring your friends on the journey!
April 1, 2009... WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HEALTH TODAY? "It's something that virtually everyone can do: Walk 30 minutes and then call a buddy," says Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer and chairman of Cleveland Clinic's...

Let's get it started! Start! Cleveland Heart Walk Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009.(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... PUT ON YOUR WALKING SHOES and get ready to walk for your heart on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Mall C. The walk kicks off at 9 a.m., but there will be a flurry of activity in the area starting at 7 a.m. with the opening of the Create Hope, Inspire...

2009 ATHENA[R] awards.(Call for Nominations)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Named in recognition of the Greek goddess of wisdom and courage, the ATHENA[R] Award honors outstanding individuals who have achieved professional excellence, given back to their communities and created leadership opportunities for women here...

We walk for ...(healthier lifestyle)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "When my daughter Jessica got engaged, my wife and I began to reflect on our growing family, and I really became motivated to lead a healthier lifestyle. I ate heart-healthy foods and walked regularly. My energy...

Start! Walking events in Northeast Ohio.(Calendar)
April 1, 2009... Bring your family. Bring your friends. Bring your co-workers. Bring your sneakers! Start! your own walk team and raise funds for heart research. Then join us at one or more of our Start! Heart Walks across the region. Wednesday, April 8...

What's a fit-friendly company?(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... The American Heart Association's Start! initiative calls on all Americans and their employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthier lives through walking. At its core is the Start! Fit-Friendly...

Walk this way: a Highland Heights manufacturer encourages in-house exercise for optimal employee health.
April 1, 2009... AT PHILIPS HEALTHCARE, healthy employees are just as vital as the medical imaging technology the company creates for the medical industry. As a leading manufacturer of high-end CT and MRI scanners, the company's more than 1,100 employees often...

Stop waiting ... start! Walking.
April 1, 2009... DO YOU GET TIRED OF SITTING AROUND in uncomfortable chairs waiting for your flight? Do you end up eating fried food to pass the time? Soon there will be a healthier way to kill time preflight: the Cleveland Hopkins Airport's new American Heart...

Walk more + eat well = live longer: heart.org/start.
April 1, 2009... Do you have a personal story to tell about heart health? The American Heart Association would like to hear from you. Please submit your personal story to the American Heart Association by May 1, 2009. You could be featured in future materials....

Spirited staff.(ONE 2 WATCH)(dialogue with Robin Doerschuk branch manager of Alliance Staffing Solutions )(Interview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I MAKE A STRONG EFFORT TO ADD VALUE EVERY DAY TO WHATEVER I'M DOING. WITH PEOPLE NEWLY STARTING OUT IN THEIR CAREERS, THEY HAVE TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND...

To our valued clients & friends.(Prepared)
April 1, 2009... It is with great pleasure we provide our 2008 Aon North-Central Ohio Report to the Community. Thanks to the continued support of clients and friends like you, we had another strong year--despite the many economic challenges and the financial...

About us.
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Every day we ask ourselves these fundamental questions: * What can we do to help our clients? * What can we do to help our colleagues help our clients? 1 WHO WE ARE We are the leading global...

Collaborate.
April 1, 2009... You can judge a company's success and standing by the company it keeps. So it says a lot that Aon does business with some of the best organizations around. Here is what other top-notch businesses have to say about working with Aon. CALFEE...

Enterprise risk management.(INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT)
April 1, 2009... Today, the government and investors are watching your risk-management procedures. Standard & Poors is now factoring Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) into a company's credit rating--from large corporations to middle-market companies. A...

Community involvement.(Today, Tomorrow, Ready)
April 1, 2009... Aon North-Central Ohio provided financial and volunteer support to a variety of local organizations and causes. Some examples include: Adopt-A-Family Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Akron Children's Hospital Akron Jaycees...

Pillar award.(Today, Tomorrow, Ready)(Aon Risk Services)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Aon Risk Services Northeast Inc. employees celebrated our company's twentieth anniversary with an award for our involvement in the community. Our support of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cleveland and Cleveland Central Catholic High School...