Inside Business articles from December 2005

Inside Business archives from December 2005

Two Clevelands. Two votes.(ABSOLUTELY)
December 1, 2005... I've been in love with both Clevelands all my life. Of course, when I was growing up in the suburbs, I didn't know there were two Clevelands. Everything I enjoyed was Cleveland--the Browns, the Indians and downtown were all Cleveland. My first...

Words of praise.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2005... Thank you for the inspiring articles you wrote summarizing the lives and accomplishments of some tremendous business leaders here in Northeast Ohio ("Business Hall of Fame," October). They were an encouragement and an inspiration. The...

Dilfer on dollars.(PERSONAL FINANCE)
December 1, 2005... Cleveland Browns Quarterback Trent Dilfer has seen more than one hotshot rookie in the NFL, younger than most college graduates, blow their million-dollar salaries only to get cut by the team, or injured, and never play again. One running...

Brains over brawn.(GIVING BACK)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Gregg Lowe, a senior vice president at Texas Instruments, knows global competition. He spent five years working in Germany and traveling the globe marshalling the $12.5 billion technology firm's European sales force. "The basics of science...

79.(BY THE NUMBERS)
December 1, 2005... Percentage of American small businesses who say they do not have a disaster recovery plan. SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL PROFIT ASSOCIATES SMALL BUSINESS RESEARCH BOARD

Losing our minds.(BRAIN GAIN)(employment prospects in Ohio)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Graduating from Bowling Green State University in Northwest Ohio four years ago, I had a choice: Stay in Toledo, the town where I've spent most of my 26 years, or get the heck out of Dodge and never look back, with memories of a lackluster...

Akron's hazardous solution.(RECYCLING)(Akron launches recycling center)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... It's not glamorous, but Akron is the proud owner of Ohio's first small-business hazardous waste recycling center. Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic launched BizMat in late October as a two-year pilot project between the city and the Ohio...

For the good.(LAW)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... While volunteering at one of the Legal Aid Society's free clinics this summer, Hugh McKay realized a great need for legal services for the poor. McKay, partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, won't...

It's a Gas.(ADVERTISING)
December 1, 2005... The recent price hikes in gas have forced many consumers to cut back on, or even boycott, the use of gasoline. With its new slogan and television advertisements, the Marathon gas station chain is working hard to combat such backlash. ...

Work is swell.(RANKINGS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... We're No. 1! We're No. 11! Oh, wait--I'm sorry. We're No. 25! We're No. 25! According to researchers from the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Ohio comes in at 25th in the nation (tied with...

Sweet smell of success.(The Web)
December 1, 2005... www.inside-business.com/teamneosuccess Inside Business Magazine is pleased to accept nominations for the Team NEO Success Awards, which honor Northeast Ohio's top-performing companies. These companies exemplify what is best about our...

2005 Business Hall of Fame and Anthem Impact Awards.(WORKING THE ROOM)
December 1, 2005... Northeast Ohio notables filled the InterContinental Hotel and Conference Center in late October for the 2005 Business Hall of Fame and Anthem Impact Awards gala and dinner. This year's inductees were Sam Covelli of Covelli Enterprises...

Northern Ohio Minority Business Council Annual Awards Dinner.(WORKING THE ROOM)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The Northern Ohio Minority Business Council (NOMBC) honored outstanding area businesses during its Seventh Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 15. The black-tie event recognizes excellence in minority business development and honors Minority Business...

United Way of Greater Cleveland small business event.(WORKING THE ROOM)
December 1, 2005... Entrepreneurs from around the region gathered on Oct. 27 at Pickwick & Frolic to listen to Henry L. Meyer III, chairman and CEO of KeyCorp and United Way's 2005 campaign chairman, and Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell lead a discussion on the...

JumpStart Annual Meeting--a year in review.(WORKING THE ROOM)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... On Nov. 3, some of the region's most ambitious entrepreneurs flooded the vestibule of Cuyahoga Community College's Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights for a chance to mingle with other small-business owners, investors and the...

Good eatin'.(let's do lunch: This month's local lunch scene pick)(Jacob Good Downtown)(Restaurant review)
December 1, 2005... JACOB GOOD DOWNTOWN, AKRON ADDRESS: 45 E. Market St. LUNCH HOURS: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. CUTSINE: Classic American with an Asian flair CREDIT CARDS: All major credit cards RESERVATIONS: Recommended CONTACT:...

The Hitchhiker's guide to the laptop: don't panic! There are several things you can do to help prevent technology theft.(E-INDUSTRY)
December 1, 2005... I was driving along Chester Avenue in the middle of the day. A guy approached at a light and said his car broke down and he needed a ride a few miles down the road. I wanted to help. He looked scruffy but maybe he had been working on his...

Lying 101: the ABCS of pandemic political corruption and public indifference.(POLITICS)
December 1, 2005... The lack of interest in Cleveland's politics this fall was stunning. A blanket of apathy, or maybe hopelessness, settled over the town, and not just over the unfortunate, but the privileged as well. If you followed the mayoralty race and...

It's a small world: thanks to camp's build incubator, innovators in Cleveland and Russia work together in the best of both worlds.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
December 1, 2005... Getting a new product to market presents a myriad of challenges for any business. But imagine trying to accomplish such a feat when the main players are housed across the globe from one another. That's exactly what Chris Vacca, COO of Aria...

Full service: with the help of a few score advisers, an area construction company learns the importance of a good image.(OHIO ENTREPRENEUR)
December 1, 2005... Don Mckeod, president of ProTrades Design and Construction Services in Euclid, doesn't turn off his cell phone. Ever. "I answer it 24/7," he says. "You never know when a client is going to need you. I once had to take care of a client at...

Road map.(OHIO ENTREPRENEUR)(Directory)
December 1, 2005... 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, locate and expand their businesses in Ohio. We...

Thank You!(Knowledge for Life.)(employee health management)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Dear Friends, Thank you for joining HealthSpace Cleveland, Kaiser Permanente, Cuyahoga County of Ohio and Lake Hospital System as we recognize Northern Ohio's 50 healthiest employers. HealthSpace Cleveland created Healthy 50 to honor our...

Tri-C employees keep fit through education, exercise.(Knowledge for Life.)
December 1, 2005... Tri-C employees have a wide selection of health courses they can participate in for free, including strength training, fitness nutritional programs, yoga and Tai Chi. Befitting an educational institution, employees of Cuyahoga Community...

Moen's programs keep wellness in mind: Moen offers an in-house fitness center where employees can participate in classes such as aerobics, kickboxing and step exercises.(Knowledge for Life.)
December 1, 2005... All-day access to exercise appeals to executives these days. Just ask Veronica Gilbert, manager of compensation and benefits for Moen, Inc., the prominent, high-end plumbing supplies company in North Olmsted. "Convenience is the first...

Westfield Insurance Co.: Westfield's expensive program features four facets: fitness, wellness and recreation programming and comprehensive incentive programs.(Knowledge for Life.)
December 1, 2005... For the past five years, Douglas Carpenter has started his workday exercise routine at 5:30 a.m. For the next two hours, he typically runs five miles on a treadmill or rides for 15 miles on a stationary bike or works out on a weight-training...

Headhunter firm socius search is small, but healthy: employees of socius search often work out during their lunch break--their two-hour lunch break. And that's the way the owners like it.(Knowledge for Life.)
December 1, 2005... Rob Huxtable is proud of two things: The fact that he and his fellow managing partner, Jason Peterson, have grown their Cleveland-based company, Socius Search, LLC, into the nation's largest mortgage-only search recruiting firm in the United...

Main Street Gourmet serves up commitment to measure success: Main Street Gourmet recently started an in-house health fair that take place each summer and fall. About 60 percent of employees who attend plan to make changes based on health screenings offered at the fair.(Knowledge for Life.)
December 1, 2005... Since its founding in 1987, Main Street Gourmet has been committed to offering health and wellness-related programs. In the past, for example, the frozen bakery products manufacturer, with headquarters in Cuyahoga Falls, has paid for smoking...

Healthy 50 company roster.
December 1, 2005... LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES: BrownFlynn Communications Cleveland.com Cleveland Film Society ERC LNE Group Montana Products SCK Design Socius Search SteriTec thunder::tech Well Corp 51-250...

Biz links: Northeast Ohio's business resource guide.(Directory)(Table)
December 1, 2005... Biz Links Northeast Ohio's business resource guide ACCOUNTING & FINANCIAL PLANNING Brott Mardis CPAs (330) 762-5022 brottmardis.com Grant Thornton (216) 771-1400 gt.com Kiplinger & Co. ...

Wake of the storm: KeyCorp's Chairman and CEO Henry Meyer took over as chairman of the Greater Cleveland United way annual campaign with modest fundraising goals--and then came Hurricane Katrina.(PHILANTHROPY)
December 1, 2005... On September 1, waters from Hurricane Katrina continued to fill New Orleans like a bowl. More than 30,000 people driven from their flooded homes were trapped in the Superdome as the city descended into anarchy. No one was sure when food, clean...

Up close and personal: after a complete reorganization of departments, medical mutual has positioned itself closer to its clients.(CUSTOMER SERVICE)(Medical Mutual of Ohio)
December 1, 2005... Medical Mutual of Ohio, the state's oldest health care insurer, has done something unheard of for its industry. The Cleveland-based company eliminated its underwriting department. In its place are five restructured divisions in sales and...

Legally copied: profile imaging expands its brand of legal document services to columbus.(SERVICES)
December 1, 2005... Say the word "Enron" and thoughts of corporate scandal most likely fill your head. Ask the guys at ProFile Imaging, and they'll likely say "mounds of paper" and "profit." Those mounds of paper used in court cases are what concern the...

Armed with talent: strong employee ownership has helped ComDoc blossom for 50 years.(IB's BIRTHDAY CLUB)
December 1, 2005... ComDoc emerged from rather humble beginnings. Walter Griffith, an account executive with IBM in Chicago, accepted an offer to become a dealer for 3M Corp., selling thermo fax units. In 1955, Griffith opened the doors to Griffith Management Co....

To the Weatherhead 100 class of 2005.(THE WEATHERHEAD 100)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Since 1987, The Weatherhead 100 has been a hallmark for recognizing companies in Northeast Ohio. It acknowledges, supports and celebrates the fastest-growing companies in this region. The Weatherhead 100 identifies and honors the 100...

The Weatherhead 100.(WEATHERHEAD 100)
December 1, 2005... The Weatherhead 100 The Weatherhead 100 identifies and honors the 100 fastest growing companies based on sales from 2000 through 2004. Companies must have had sales more than $100,000 in 2000 and more than $1 million in 2004....

Upstarts.(WEATHERHEAD 100)(Table)
December 1, 2005... UPSTARTS Companies whose percentage sales growth qualifies for the Weatherhead 100 and who 15 or fewer employees, and/or had less than $1 million in net sales in 2004. Sales Rank...

Centurions.(WEATHERHEAD 100)(Table)
December 1, 2005... CENTURIONS Companies with 100 percent or more sales growth from 2000 through 2004 and net sales of $100 million or more in 2004. Sales Rank Name City Founded...

Breakdown by employment *.(By the Numbers)
December 1, 2005... Breakdown by employment * Employees Companies 1,000-plus 2 250-999 21 50-249 28 16-49 58 1-15 29 Note: Table made from bar graph. * Includes winners from the Weatherhead 100, Upstart...

Top 5 rankings for employment growth.(By the Numbers)
December 1, 2005... Top 5 RANKINGS FOR EMPLOYMENT GROWTH Mirifex 2,986% Mainthia Technologies Inc. 1,500% Background Information Services Inc. (BIS) 1,350% Evergreen Homes LLC ...

10 oldest companies & year founded.(By the Numbers)
December 1, 2005... 10 Oldest Companies & Year Founded Cleveland-Cliffs Inc 1847 Oswald Companies 1893 Atwell-Hicks 1905 Ulmer & Berne LLP 1908 Althans Insurance Agency Inc. 1925...

Top 10 Weatherhead winners % growth.(By the Numbers)
December 1, 2005... Top 10 Weatherhead Winners % Growth MemberHealth Inc. 9,355 Mirifex 3,667 S.M.I.L.E. Inc. 1,965 Background Information 1,885 Services Inc. (BIS) Vertex Computer Systems...

Leaps and bounds: MemberHealth astonishing growth is fueled by the new medicare part D program.(No. 1 Member Health's)(Cover story)
December 1, 2005... From his office, Charles Hallberg, founder and CEO of MemberHealth, has organized and executed several prescription drug plans over the last few years. Among them are Ohio Golden Buckeye Card and the Medicare Discount Drug Card. Each...

Information now: Mirifex allows companies to get pertinent data in real time, in-hand.(Mirifex Systems L.L.C.)
December 1, 2005... One company Bill Nemeth worked with saw 40 percent of its customer service calls eaten up by questions from its own sales reps. This was instead of answering questions from customers. "'Do we offer this? What about this?'" were some of the...

S.M.I.L.E.--you're on camera: Bedford Heights company specializes in home automation, theaters, and surveillance.(No. 3 S.M.I.L.E Inc.)(Company overview)
December 1, 2005... Leo Golubitsky would love to wire your home. Or install that home theater you've been dreaming about. As co-founder of Bedford Heights-based S.M.I.L.E. (which stands for Systems Modulation and Integration for Lifestyle Enhancement),...

Screening candidates: background information services takes on projects on a global scale.(No. 4 Background Information Services Inc.)
December 1, 2005... If those employment dates on that resume you're reviewing seem a little off, you might want to give Background Information Services a call. The Beachwood-based company, which was started in 1999, has become a leading supplier of background...

From bust to boom: Vertex'S focus takes it worldwide.(No. 5 Vertex Computer Systems Inc.)
December 1, 2005... Like most software comies, Vertex Computer Systems Inc. was impacted by the technology bust of the late 1990s. "We saw the opportunity to provide information technology services in the marketplace in 2001," says Ganesh Iyer, CEO of Vertex...

Charting the course: White Hat Ventures' charter school mission goes nationwide.(No. 6 White Hat Ventures LLC)
December 1, 2005... Mark Thimmig figures most employees can't recite or remember their company's mission statement. They're often wordy and tough to grasp. Not so for White Hat Ventures LLC. White Hat is the largest charter school operator in Ohio, and is...

Creating something special: Captiva Direct focuses on a captive audience.(No. 7 Captiva Direct Inc.)(Walter Nelson )
December 1, 2005... Walter Nelson started his multi-million dollar business in his basement with just $300. Four years ago, he used the money and a laser printer to found Captiva Direct Inc., a direct mail business. Today, Nelson owns a 20,000-square-foot...

Content is King: rely on timeliness, accuracy.(No. 8 October Research Corp.)(Company overview)
December 1, 2005... In the publishing industry, it's rare when a new publication is so quickly embraced by readers. But that's what happened to October Research Corp. of Richfield when it published its first national newsletter, The Title Report, in 1999 for...

On their own: Metro Disposal LLC learned day by day the ups and downs of growing quickly.(No. 9 Metro Disposal)
December 1, 2005... Mike O'Donnell was sheltered by the comfort of a big corporation for nearly 10 years before going out on his own to start Metro Disposal LLC. "When I was in the corporate world, I never had to deal with everything from the ground up," says...

Reaching for the stars: with revenues expected to double next year, Mainthia Technologies Inc., a service company specializing in aerospace systems operations and engineering, is flying high.(No. 10 Mainthia Technologies Inc.)
December 1, 2005... Hemant Mainthia, president and CEO of Mainthia Technologies Inc., isn't afraid to take risks. After earning a degree in mechanical engineering in his native India, he came to the United States in search of a graduate degree and the...

A healthy niche: Med-XS handles asset management for medical equipment.(COSE Spotlight: MED-XS SOLUTIONS)
December 1, 2005... It's tough enough to throw out an old couch. But what do you do with an unwanted X-ray machine? Fortunately for hospitals throughout the United States, Kevin Tenkku, who co-owned a computer-systems wholesaling company in the early '90s, figured...

Hitting new markets: Core-Tech looks to new manufacturing processes.(COSE Spotlight: Core-Tech Inc.)
December 1, 2005... After working the first two decades of his professional career in the investment casting industry, James Corbett gave in to his desire to run his own company and formed Core-Tech Inc. with two partners in 1995. The Mentor-based company...

Raising the roof: Ronald Janoski and Mark Rundo combined their expertise to develop a solvent-free roofing product that's revolutionary.(COSE Spotlight: Millenium Adhesive Products Inc.)
December 1, 2005... Ronald Janoski and Mark Rundo revolutionized a portion of the roofing industry by doing one thing: reducing the smell. In 1997, Janoski, a chemist, and Rundo, a roofing contractor, jumped at the chance to combine their complementary...

Building the store: Lawler & Crowley Constructors specialize in work for grocers.(COSE Spotlight: Lawler & Crowley Constructors LLC)
December 1, 2005... Many grocery store customers have seen the work of Lawler & Crowley Constructors LLC, but probably don't know it. The Cleveland Heights-based firm is focused on the construction and remodeling of grocery stores. James Lawler and Allen...

Keeping a count: D'Amore Tatman Group focuses on taxes, accounting, auditing.(COSE Spotlight: D'Amore Tatman Group LLC)
December 1, 2005... When Kathy Tatman and Dominic D'Amore left a Cleveland-based regional accounting firm to found their own company in October 1999, they capitalized on 40 years of combined experience and an innovative plan for a CPA firm that specializes in...

On the move: National Interstate covers the risks for passenger-transportation businesses.(Centurion: National Interstate Insurance Co.)
December 1, 2005... As a young man working for Northeast Ohio's insurance giant, Progressive Insurance, Alan Spachman conceived a new approach to insurance for the transportation industry. In 1989, he started National Interstate Insurance Co. to provide...

Sparkling profits: jewelry seller Princeton Enterprises got a jump with its web presence.(Upstart: Princeton Enterprises Inc.)
December 1, 2005... Sometimes good fortune favors the simple approach to business. Marian Dieter and her husband, Steven Sagri, had been selling estate jewelry and watches as a sideline business. But in 1997, attracted by the sparkling potential of the Internet,...

Not just any list.(2005 WHEATHERHEAD 100)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The numbers are staggering--in a good way. One company saw sales growth climb by more than 9,354 percent. Another increased the number of employees by more than 2,985 percent. These are the kinds of numbers of the dot-com boom of the 1990s. But...

2006 leading lawyers: the verdict is in: These attorneys are Northeast Ohio's top legal minds.(Table)
December 1, 2005... The prominent and powerful listed in the following pages are the 2006 Leading Lawyers, nominated by colleagues and chosen by a jury of peers. Winners must have received nominations from outside their firms. Same-firm ballots were given less...

Back giving: Bill Gagliano holds influence at his firm and on the American Red Cross national Board of Governors.(LEADING LAWYERS)
December 1, 2005... Bill Gagliano is making the rest of us look bad. A consummate attorney whose professional interests span the gamut of real estate law, the chair of the real estate group at Ulmer & Berne LLP is also on the national Board of Governors of the...

The entertainer: Hilary S. Taylor defends clients by day and croons karaoke by night.(LEADING LAWYERS)
December 1, 2005... On any given night of the week, there's a chance you could run into "Hil" at your neighborhood bar, belting out a version of Frankie Avalon's "Venus" or The Doors' "People Are Strange." "I go to places where people don't know my name,"...

Drive to win: Bill Stavole's competitive spirit drives his practice and his life.(LEADING LAWYERS)
December 1, 2005... You wouldn't know by looking at him, but Bill Stavole was a four-year starting offensive guard on his college football team. At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Stavole says he was the Kenyon College Lords' smallest lineman, but he made up for his...

Doing business in China is not a question Of if--but how.
December 1, 2005... For some middle-market company owners, doing business in China is not a question of if--but how. "More and more Northeast Ohio companies are considering whether they need to go to China," says Peter K. Shelton, partner and co-chair of the...

In the know: not understanding health insurance, coverage limits, and confidentiality requirements can be costly.
December 1, 2005... Do your employees know what their medical insurance plan covers and what it doesn't cover? And does your human resources staff know how to protect the confidentiality of your employees' health information? If you're not sure, you'll want...

Patent pending.
December 1, 2005... Steven M. Auvil has heard his share of complaints from Northeast Ohio business owners about patents. "I've heard my clients say, 'how in the world did this get through the US. Patent and Trademark office,"' says Auvil, partner and chair of...

Time to sell: thinking about selling your business? No better time than now.
December 1, 2005... If you're thinking about selling your business, there is no better time .than right now. No one knows that better than James M. Hill, managing partner of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, who has represented leveraged buyout and other...

Supply chain is complex & so are liabilities.
December 1, 2005... Because of consolidation, globalization and just-in-time manufacturing, the transportation industry has become enormously complex. And these changes have caused new liability issues. Most companies use third-party logistic providers, who in...

Doing the right thing: Peter Brodhead of Spangenberg. Shibley & Liber LLP is in awe of his chosen profession.(LEADING LAWYERS)(Biography)
December 1, 2005... Peter Brodhead owes a lot to his older brother, William. When Brodhead was in college, he assisted his brother, who is 13 years his senior, with his campaign for Congress in Michigan in the early 1970s. A graduate of the University of Michigan...

Art of the deal: Larry Crystal clarifies mergers and acquisition for clients.(LEADING LAWYERS)
December 1, 2005... The biggest Larry Crystal ever handled was the 1980 sale of nine small cable companies to a big conglomerate in Boston. The buyer at the time was Robert Wood Johnson, owner of the New York Jets and scion of the John son & Johnson fortune. ...

Leading lawyers 2006.(Directory)
December 1, 2005... * Keith R. Ashmus Keith Ashmus is one of Ohio's leading employer-side labor lawyers, recently completing terms as president of the Ohio State Bar Association and Chair of COSE. He is also a mediator and arbitrator in business and...

The golden rule: planned giving is a wise and thoughtful way to ensure financial and philanthrophic success.(Guide to: Planned Giving)
December 1, 2005... Throughout the history of philanthropy, planned gifts have built educational and health care institutions. Today, universities and hospitals rely heavily on planned charitable giving to help fund areas of advancement such as research, building...

Raising the bar.(ONE 2 WATCH)(Interview)
December 1, 2005... FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING? Make coffee. I can't really function without it. WHAT DOES YOUR SIGN SAY ABOUT YOU? It actually says I'm very two-sided. I'm a Gemini. It's pretty true. I can be very outgoing, and...