Inside Business articles from July 2008

Inside Business archives from July 2008

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2008... Correction: The Web site mentioned in "Business Matchmakers" on page 43 of the June issue should have been www.IdeaCrossing.org.

American Dream on life support.(ABSOLUTELY)
July 1, 2008... Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagen recently proposed eliminating elected offices such as auditor, treasurer, engineer, coroner and clerk of courts. The following week Debbie Sutherland, mayor of Bay Village and candidate for County...

Rising from the ashes: after surviving a devastating fire. Arslanian Brothers Carpet & Rug Cleaning Co. is back in business.(JOB MARKET)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Things looked bleak for the three Arslanian brothers after an electrical fire destroyed nearly everything the carpet and rug cleaning company owned last May. "We lost our equipment, all of our records," recalls...

Payback: a customer's financial problems may return to haunt your bottom line. (BANKRUPTCY).
July 1, 2008... If you suspect one of your customers has fallen on hard times, you might want to think twice before cashing its next check: You might have to return the money. Known as "preference payments," this well-established but little-known area of...

All apologies: Papa John's apology promotion provides big dough to area charities.(PROMOTIONS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite the Cavaliers' second-round loss to the Celtics in the NBA playoffs, Cleveland fans, starved for a championship title, didn't go away hungry. On May 8, Papa John's sold 65,692 pizzas during its 23-cent...

Worth the wait: Karen Skunta brightens the boring lobby.(FIVE QUESTIONS WITH ...)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tattered furniture, dog-eared 3-year-old magazines and some faded brochures that haven't been updated since George H.W. Bush was president. Is that the first impression you want to give to your office visitors? ...

Planned Giving Day: Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council.(WORKING THE ROOM)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... On May 8, the Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council held its 17th annual Planned Giving Day. The seminar provides information and assistance to individuals who wish to integrate planned giving into a comprehensive estate plan. The goal is to...

The Court of Nisi Prius annual dinner.(WORKING THE ROOM)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Since 1900, local lawyers and judges have met regularly to enjoy conversation and fun in their invitational society known as Court of Nisi Prius. On April 28, the Court held its annual dinner party at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel with skits...

The 2008 Manny Awards.(WORKING THE ROOM)
July 1, 2008... Inside Business held its annual Manny Awards ceremony May 22, honoring the top manufacturing and distribution companies in Northeast Ohio. Sponsored by Bricker & Eckler, Grant Thornton, Huntington Bank, Kent State University and Pepco, the...

Plante & Moran.(ACCOUNTING)
July 1, 2008... Plante & Moran named Roberta Reed an associate with the company's health care/continuing care group. She is a past member of the executive advisory board for the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators and currently serves as the...

Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Co.: L. Martin Vettel.(ACCOUNTING)
July 1, 2008... Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Co. named L. Martin Vettel a senior manager in taxation services. He has eight years of experience with Ernst & Young and Deloitte, serving multinational companies, as well as 14 years as director of tax at some of...

Bober, Markey: David R. Roberts.(ACCOUNTING)
July 1, 2008... Bober, Markey has also named David R. Roberts as a senior manager in the audit and accounting services department. Previously, Roberts served in several positions at First National Bank of Pennsylvania, as well as senior manager at Ernst &...

Bober, Markey: Jennifer McGuire.(ACCOUNTING)(appointment of Jennifer McGuire at Finally, Bober, Markey )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Finally, Bober, Markey named Jennifer McGuire senior accountant in the audit and accounting services department. McGuire has six years of experience in industry and public accounting, working in financial and internal auditing, as well as...

Liberty Bank.(BANKING & FINANCE)
July 1, 2008... Liberty Bank named Peter G. Shaw vice president of commercial lending. Prior to joining Liberty Bank, Shaw served as business banking client manager in global communications with Bank of America. He has also held numerous relationship manager...

Wachovia Securities.(BANKING & FINANCE)
July 1, 2008... Wachovia Securities named Ronald B. Croissant senior vice president, investments. He was previously a financial adviser with Smith Barney. Croissant is a certified financial planner with more than 23 years of experience. He earned his...

Medical Mutual of Ohio.(HEALTH CARE)(appointment of dared Chaney)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Medical Mutual of Ohio named dared Chaney executive vice president of corporate communications and advertising. He also serves as chief communications officer and is chief adviser to the company regarding internal and external communications...

Community Health Partners: Dr. Haysam El Dalati.(HEALTH CARE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Community Health Partners named Dr. Haysam El Dalati chief medical officer. His major focus will be to ensure medical staff integration and collaboration with the operational, financial and strategic decision-making of the health system. Dalati...

Community Health Partners: Jennifer Kennedy.(HEALTH CARE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Community Health Partners also named Jennifer Kennedy director of marketing and communications. She will identify and develop marketing and communication strategies and direct E the marketing, media relations, internal communications and...

Bricker & Eckler LLP.(LAW)
July 1, 2008... Bricker & Eckler LLP has hired Christopher Ernst as a senior attorney, serving as a member of the litigation and business law groups. Prior to joining Bricker, Ernst was a partner at Bucking--ERNST ham Doolittle & Burroughs, a partner at Weston...

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart.(LAW)
July 1, 2008... Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart announced that Michelle R. Arendt has joined the firm's Cleveland office and will hold an of-counsel position. Prior to joining Ogletree, Deakins, Arendt was an associate at Ulmer & Berne. She earned her...

PolyOne Corp.(MANUFACTURING)
July 1, 2008... PolyOne Corp. named Robert M. Patterson senior vice president and chief financial officer. "With the addition of Bob Patterson, we gain a proven executive with solid international experience and a keen strategic perspective," says Stephen...

Shamrock Companies, Inc.(MARKETING)
July 1, 2008... Shamrock Companies, Inc. named Christopher Hunter director of operations for its growing fulfillment-services group. Before joining the company, Hunter managed large-scale print, mail and Fulfillment for divisions of IBM, ABP, ClintLogic and...

Do you take visa? Once A hotbed for newcomers with fresh ideas and melting-pot energy, Northeast Ohio could benefit from relaxing the current immigration rules.(E-INDUSTRY)
July 1, 2008... It's a beautiful day for baseball, and you've gathered a bunch of kids at a nearby park. You really need a catcher, because none of the kids assembled can play that position. There's a kid looking over the fence who is a skilled catcher. He has...

A lasting impression: DimpleDough is turning gift cards, long the ultimate choice for the lazy giver, into effective, memorable messaging mediums.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Handing your business card to a potential customer is always a gamble. Odds are he'll put your card in his pocket, but you never know if it will make it to his Rolodex or if it will meet its fate in the washing...

Road map.(Directory)
July 1, 2008... 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 Northeast...

Eye rise: in his new book, The American Skyscraper, photographer Eric Mull asks us to take a fresh look at our country's 50 tallest buildings. Here, he shares with Inside Business Cleveland's entry on the list, key tower, and four others that captured his fancy.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eric Mull grew up about 20 miles from Columbus when there wasn't much obstructing a clear view of the skyline from the city's outskirts. With the faint outlines of skyscrapers looming in the background each day, Mull...

Today's entrepreneurs: from hair dryers to insurance claims, Web browsers to investment plans, instructions were not included for these four small-business owners who assembled their companies from scratch. But out of the box and into the open market, these new entrepreneurs have found success.(Cover story)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... cutting it close Angie Hofelich discovered that opening her New York City-inspired hair salon and spa was all about timing. Step inside Westlake-based VanityLab and you're transported to New York City's East Village. Hip pop music...

Entrepreneur's toolkit: inside this manual you will find seven steps to a successful startup.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Helping Small Businesses Make It Big The term "small business" has always struck me as a bit of a misnomer. When you think about it, there s really nothing small about these businesses at all. For those willing...

The soft touch: your newest hire may have an MBA from Harvard, but how well does he interact with your customers?(Guide to: Education)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Kris Clucas, the human resource manager for MC Signs in Mentor, attended her first soft skills training seminar with the Capstone Group at Employers Resource Council, she was so impressed that she urged upper...

College financing 101: higher education doesn't come cheap--here are five ways to pay for it.(Guide to: Education)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are very few independently wealthy students striving for advanced degrees and specialized training on college campuses today. However, each year more students are piecing together their drive, ambition and...

Ask the experts.(Guide to: Education)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... W. Benoy Joseph Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Cleveland State University Nance College of Business Administration 2121 Euclid Ave., BU 420 Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 687-9354 www.csuohio.edu ...

Vision quest.(ONE 2 WATCH)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO GO INTO PUBLIC RELATIONS? I was a pre-med major for about four weeks my freshman year [at OU], until I got to biology. I spent another year trying to figure out what to do and knew the only thing I truly loved to...