Inside Business articles from July 2004

Inside Business archives from July 2004

Time of change.(Absolutely)
July 1, 2004... This is a good news, bad news story. John R Brandt, Inside Business editorial director, is leaving to devote full time to his own business. As many of you know, John is one of the most sought-after business consultants and speakers in...

Looking at the innovators.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Your recent article entitled "Money. Risk Return?" (June) on VC and Jamie Ireland was an interesting read, and it made me wonder if you have ever done a piece (or would consider doing a piece) examining one dimension on the flipside of the VC...

Keep an eye on Youngstown.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Thank you so much for the excellent articles on Turning Technologies ("Good Feedback") and Bird Dog Contact Services ("Tracking a Solution") in the June edition of Inside Business Magazine. We truly do have an exciting portfolio of very...

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2004... A feature in the May issue on Lauren Manufacturing ("Leaner, Faster, Better") gave an incorrect square footage rut the company's plant floor. It is 100,000 square feet. A Meeting and Events Guide in the March issue gave incorrect...

No swim.(Along Ohio's North Coast, no-swimming advisories have increased 50 percent since 1998 )
July 1, 2004... Poor lake water quality ruins more than just a day at the beach. Along Ohio's North Coast, no-swimming advisories have increased 50 percent since 1998 because of spikes in E. coli bacteria counts. With each incident, a local community loses...

42 minutes.(By the numbers)
July 1, 2004... AVERAGE LENGTH OF THE TYPICAL EXECUTIVE LUNCH BREAK --OFFICETEAM

Oil sends air fares up, up ...(Executives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Continental Airlines Inc. chief Lawrence Kellner jokes that his company has been running like a nonprofit. But the new president and CEO wasn't kidding about fuel price increases being the Houston airline's biggest threat. Kellner was the...

A rich history.( Sherwin-Williams Co. logos)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Long before Geico had pitch lizard, Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams Co. had a chameleon for its corporate icon. The story goes founder Henry Sherwin adopted the reptile after a trip to India, where he became enamored of the lizard's color...

New CEO at Lincoln.(Executives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.'s COO, John Stropki Jr., succeeded Anthony Massaro as president and CEO in early June. Massaro says he will stay on as chairman for an interim period to oversee the transition. Stropki has been with the...

City within a city.(Development)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DeBartolo Development broke ground in mid-May on an ambitious retail project to construct a "mini city" within Chardon. Big-box retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot will anchor the proposed 450,000-square-foot Meadowlands Townf Center. No...

New look for Crain's.(Media)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Readers of the new-look Crain's Cleveland Business will play guess-the-building as the weekly rotates which iconic building it displays on the cover. Aside from the landmarks display, the Crain's redesign features a move toward the color...

Telemarketer in good shape.(Executives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... While most call-center operations are singing the blues about recent federal regulations, InfoCision Management Corp.'s new president says the company is positioned to grow. Former COO Carl Albright, who succeeded founder and new chairman...

$90 million.(By the numbers)
July 1, 2004... ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC HAS IN OHIO --CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

Polk out at EA.(Entrepreneurs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... After John Polk and John Carroll University agreed to part ways in May, Polk says he harbors no hard feelings toward the university. "It was sort of like a consulting gig," says the former director of JCU's Entrepreneurs Association by...

Cool entrepreneur.(Entrepreneurs)(Ice Tubes Inc)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Tallmadge entrepreneur Pamela Moore was the only Ohio woman recognized among the nation's outstanding woman business owners at a U.S. Small Business Administration event. Moore's Ice Tubes Inc. sells ice trays that freeze water into...

Strong opening.(Entrepreneurs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NEO411.biz got 50 calls during its first official week in operation--not bad for the region's newest entrepreneurial assistance portal, which logged about 150 calls during the two months before its public launch in May. "The first two...

New boss at BioEnterprise.(The Next Wave)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Can we call 'em, or what? In late May, BioEnterprise Corp. named Baiju Shah--18's November 2003 One to Watch--to replace Matt Jennings as president of the Cleveland-based nonprofit bioscience business-development organization. Jennings...

2004 Manny Awards.(Working The Room)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Manufacturing isn't dead in Northeast Ohio, says Invacare Corp Chairman and CEO A. Malachi Mixon III, but it could be much better. However, it won't improve unless local, state, and federal governments do a better job of providing the...

Double espresso for your business.(Working The Room)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Michael J. Coles supplied the coffee and entrepreneurial inspiration at COSE's Business Unusual event May 10 The CEO of Caribou Coffee Co. served up his tale of founding and building the Great American Cookie Co. from an $8,000 investment (and...

International ATHENA Convention.(Working The Room)(Norma J. Rist CEO Consulting Inc. in Akron.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Akron businesswoman Norma Rist met with other ATHENA Award recipients at a convention in Chicago from April 29 to May 1. Rist, one of two 2003 Northeast Ohio ATHENA recipients, met with other professionals to discuss the role of woman...

The web.
July 1, 2004... Do you get enough? That's what we thought. So Inside-business.com delivers more of what you like about Inside Business Magazine. Here's some of what has appeared exclusively at Inside-business.com in the last month. See what...

The geek in the hat: the lyrical entreprenerd muses on canning spam find other email annoyances.(E-Industry)
July 1, 2004... I will not spam you with a hole I will not spam about a goat I do not like to spam and spam I will not spam, CAN-Spam I am Apologies to Dr. Seuss, but email has gotten crazy, l used to log in to read messages--now I log in to...

Northeast Ohio's business resources guide.(Biz Links)(Illustration)
July 1, 2004... Northeast Ohio's business resource guide AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION Colortone Staging & Rentals (440) 914-9500 BENEFITS CONSULTING American Benefits Management (800) 456-4002 CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE...

Customer-reduction techniques: swamped with business? Follow these easy steps to downsize your customer base.(The Bottom Line)
July 1, 2004... Many businesses I deal with have learned something scary about good customer service: If you provide it once, those pesky customers will just want it again and again and again. Accordingly, these businesses--intent on saving time, money, and...

People, are you listening? Communication is at the core of every successful business.(Customer Service)
July 1, 2004... Communication. There's no gigantic universal mystery here. Like anything in business, communication is equal portions science, sport, and art. And to get better you need to practice. For instance, like many speakers, I enlist the...

High-tech horizon: technology and education are critical to diversified industry in Lorain County.(Regional focus: Lorain County)
July 1, 2004... Jim Walborn and Lance Healy didn't fancy themselves high-tech entrepreneurs. They were construction guys. Walborn owned a material supply business in Westlake, and Healy joined him in the 1990s. With the emergence of the Internet, the...

Shark or bait? How John Cochran has FirstMerit swimming hard to stay ahead.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... It's hard to say no to John Cochran. Sid Bostic tried for months to fend off Cochran's offer to leave his job at Norwest Bancorp and serve as the No. 2 executive at Akron-based FirstMerit Corp. For personal and professional reasons, Bostic...

Why WI-FI? The wireless Internet is creating a mobile, muscular business class. Make it work for you.
July 1, 2004... PETER PETTO'S TIME IS VALUABLE. That's why the constantly moving Petto, co-president of Arrow Aluminum Castings Co. in Avon Lake, uses wireless Internet technology during and between his appointments to gain a competitive edge. Petto...

Modern art: Central Cadillac-Hummer is doing something unheard of these days--expanding in downtown Cleveland.(Renovation)
July 1, 2004... FRANK Porter Jr.'s executive office could double as a modern-art gallery. Sculpture and paintings abound with texture and color. Many of the 120 pieces found throughout the dealership, Porter says, convey what it means to be alive in a...

Smooth operator: Daniel Stanowick sees hot prospects in the cool business of fruit-smoothie franchises.(Robeks)
July 1, 2004... DANIEL Stanowick has a map of Northeast Ohio with dozens of blue numbered dots littering the landscape. It's Stanowick's blueprint for his franchise's regional expansion. His goals are ambitious, to say the least. But Stanowick is...

Due recognition: Ernst & Young honors the people who create, lead, and grow businesses.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
July 1, 2004... Martin Myers isn't a rock star or an athlete. But like the best musicians and ballplayers, he's a hall of famer. That's because he too is very good at his job--starting and running successful businesses. Last year Ernst & Young LLP named...

High achievers: with advice from a group of retired executives, two award-winning ventures are experiencing success.(Business Advisers of Cleveland )
July 1, 2004... Know when to ask for help. It's a lesson business owners Donna Marchetti and Susan Myers of The WineBuzz and Debbie Holy and Ellie Chalko of Cynergies Consulting Inc. learned when launching their respective businesses Faced with...

Etiquette for the entrepreneur: we take you beyond 'please' and 'thank you' at the table.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
July 1, 2004... During a business meal, having good table manners means more than just chewing with your mouth closed. Knowing how to properly conduct business over lunch or dinner is a skill that needs constant refining. Here are a few basic rules of thumb...

Road map.(Ohio Entrepreneur)(Directory)
July 1, 2004... 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. ...

World Trade Center Cleveland.
July 1, 2004... Northeast Ohio is a significant force in the international business world. * Our strong export and import performance indicates that our companies' suppliers, customers, and partners span the globe. * Successful international...

Strategic connection: Nextel boss Timothy Donahue discusses how mobile phones are breaking down barriers to business.(World Trade Center Cleveland)(Interview)
July 1, 2004... Timothy Donahue's company allows businesspeople to reach international contacts with one push of a button. That makes the president and CEO of Nextel Communications Inc. a logical choice to be the lunch keynote speaker at this year's...

Delivering the goods: FedEx economist Gene Huang discusses the state of the global economy.(World Trade Center Cleveland)(Interview)
July 1, 2004... Gene Huang tries to forecast events that rival the worst squalls or sunniest days. The chief economist and managing director of FedEx Corp.'s economic and industry analysis group is recognized as one of the nation's best economic...

Unlocking the global marketplace: with help from the World Trade Center Cleveland, Northeast Ohio companies are doing business everywhere.(World Trade Center Cleveland)
July 1, 2004... On his mobile phone in an office in Israel, Danny Mayerfeld speaks highly of Cleveland and his company's prospects to grow its nascent U.S. business operations. "I got a very positive impression from both the people I met and the...

International commercial terms: transport obligations, costs and risks.(World Trade Center Cleveland)(Illustration)
July 1, 2004... TRANSPORT OBLIGATIONS, COSTS AND RISKS Seller Carrier Buyer Export Import clearance clearance GROUP E Departure Under EXW, the seller minimizes his risk by only making the goods available at his own...

The benefits battle: the cost won't decrease, but there are ways to keep them from hurting your company and employees.(Human Resources)
July 1, 2004... The cost of doing business is constantly rising: more expensive materials and products, higher hills for services, growing employee salaries, and, always, rising benefits costs. Human resource professionals are at the heart of the struggle...

Expert resources: answers from the HR pros.(Ask The Experts)
July 1, 2004... Q: HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS KEEPS THEIR WORKERS' COMPENSATION COSTS IN CHECK? A: "Organization that keep workers' compensation costs in check often have things in common," says Gil Kuhrt of Community Health Partners. "They have created a fun...

The virtual teller: the banking industry adjusts to o consumer shift online.(Online Banking)
July 1, 2004... When taking care of her banking needs, Felice Douglas has gone from in line to online. She used to visit a branch to do her banking; now, she uses the Internet. Her paycheck is directly deposited into her Charter One checking account...

Resource directory.(Online Banking)(Brief Article)(Directory)
July 1, 2004... FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FIFTH THIRD BANK OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO (216) 274-5407 WWW.53.COM Whether you own a new startup company or an established small business, put Fifth Third Bank's Integrated Business Solutions to work for you. We...

The convenient MBA: beat the school-work-family challenge with proper planning and careful program selection.(Education)
July 1, 2004... When Michael White turned 50 last year, he decided it as time to make some changes in his career path. After 24 years with Nordson Corp., most recently in the company's Amherst office, the regional service manager decided it was time to...

Back to school: talking to the region's education authorities.(Ask the Experts)
July 1, 2004... Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY TRENDS THAT WILL DRIVE THE EVOLUTION OF MBA EDUCATION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS? A: "Some trends are easy to see--the ongoing "internationalization" of issues facing businesses, a heightened awareness of business...

Biz links: connect with Northeast Ohio's top B2B online resources.
July 1, 2004... TRIAD COMMUNICATIONS INC. (330) 237-3531 * www.triadadv.com Triad Communications Inc. is dedicated to providing creative solutions and first-rate customer service to clients in a timely and fiscally responsible manner. A full-service...

Change agent.(One 2watch)
July 1, 2004... "How do you build community that lasts? You create ways for the community members to work together." BEST COMPLIMENT EVER RECEIVED? "I would never question your intention to do the right thing." BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? "This...