Inside Business articles from September 2004

Inside Business archives from September 2004

Regionalism: the little blue pill.(Absolutely)(Column)
September 1, 2004... If you believe what you read and hear, regionalism is going to save Northeast Ohio. I haven't seen this much hype for an idea since the introduction of Viagra. In fact, I'm surprised we haven't hired a professional baseball player--a...

Let's mute 'Quiet Crisis'.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... On-point article regarding The Plain Dealer ("IB to PD: Bury Quiet Crisis," August). Unfortunately, the PD relishes the fact that Clevelanders do not have the team instinct to rise up against the drivel that it spouts. Cleveland has...

Conventions do help business.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... In your Director's Column for Ohio Entrepreneur ("The Proof is in $2 Bills," April), I read your comments regarding convention folk who come in to town. Our businesses here on West Sixth Street see a big financial benefit from people who...

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... The photo credit on page 28 in a feature in the August issue about developer Robert Stark ("Stark's Reality") misspelled Bialosky + Partners Architects. A NEO News piece in August on a new building in downtown Cleveland ("Skyline...

That's amore.(The Work Force)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In stocking his new Italian restaurant with servers, Curtis Gray met with the sopranos... as well as some tenors and altos, too. Gray, previously of Water mark Restaurant fame, serves as the managing partner of Castaldi's Market & Grill...

Columbus on his mind.(Overheard)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic is "thinking about considering" a run for statewide office. "This state needs leadership," Plusquellic said at a Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce event held for him in August at Canal Park honoring his becoming...

By the numbers.(NEO News)
September 1, 2004... Total amount of research funding that came into Northeast Ohio in 2003 to support bioscience. -- BIOENTERPRISE CORP. 57 Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria's rank out of 61 U.S. cities and metro areas for entrepreneurial activity, growth, and...

LESCO's new turf.(Relocation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In early August, LESCO Inc. President and CEO Michael P. DiMino announced his half-billion-dollar turf grass products company would relocate its corporate headquarters from Strongsville to the Erieview Office Tower in November. This is a...

Major announcement(s)?(Overheard)
September 1, 2004... Expect Bob Farley and his Team NEO to give the region a sample of the fruits of their labor over the past year. Some interesting deals are in the works, says one local economic development insider. But don't expect one huge announcement...

Scorecard.(Office Space)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... LESCO Inc. isn't the only one setting up shop at the Erieview complex. In the past year, several companies have been lured to the Galleria and Tower at Erieview at 1301 E. Ninth St. in downtown Cleveland. NEW TENANTS Tower at...

The waffle house rules.(Work Force)(Waffle House Inc.)
September 1, 2004... Never turn your back on your employees. That's the lesson Waffle House Inc. learned in a lawsuit in which a group of its former and current restaurant managers sued because they weren't paid overtime. The jury awarded the workers nearly...

Something in the air.(Ohio environment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Quick quiz: Which Northeast Ohio county has the poorest air quality? Cuyahoga, the region's gritty urban center? Nope. Summit, another longtime manufacturing haven? Wrong again. Believe it or not, it's Geauga. Of the eight counties...

Tightknit clientele.(Small Business)
September 1, 2004... River Colors Studio is a knitter's candy store. Carefully stacked crates and table displays are strewn with whimsical yarns in Starburst colors and "flutter" textures fit for boas--a curious alternative to grandmother's basic wool. "I...

Feuer resisted Boise buy.(Overheard)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... That check's already cashed, so I guess I can tell you this," former OfficeMax CEO Michael Feuer, 59, told a packed ballroom at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven during a Corporate Club luncheon in July. The founder of the Shaker...

Let's do lunch: this month's local lunch scene picks.
September 1, 2004... SIMPLE BY THE SQUARE BISTRO 70, PAINESVILLE ADDRESS: 70 North St. Clair LUNCH HOURS: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mon.-Fri. CUISINE: Classic American CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club ...

Lunchspots: where to do lunch in Northeast Ohio.(Brief Article)(Directory)
September 1, 2004... 1 CUYAHOGA COUNTY Brio, Lyndhurst: (216) 297-9232 Bucci's, Berea: (440) 826-4500 Don Pomeroy, Strongsville: (440) 572-1111 Fire, Cleveland: (216) 921-3473 John Q's Steakhouse, Cleveland: (216)...

Break IT: you owe it to your business to consider some smart technology upgrades.(E-Industry)(Column)
September 1, 2004... If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's one philosophy when it comes to computers. When your business depends on the smooth operation of technology, you don't want to be a pioneer and risk downtime. But as new technologies emerge is this really...

Northeast Ohio's business resource quide.(Biz Links)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Northeast Ohio's business resource quide ACCOUNTANTS The Ohio Society of (800) 686-2727 www.ohioscpa.com CPAs ARCHITECTURE KA, Inc. Architecture (216) 781-9144 www.kainc.com AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION ...

Is time on your side? or do you manage it so poorly that it becomes the enemy?(The Bottom Line)(Column)
September 1, 2004... Thomas Edison, who knew a thing or two about getting things done (he filed 1,093 U.S. patents, more than any other individual in history), once said: "Time is really the only capital that any human being has and the thing that he can least...

Just do it.(business enterprises management)(Column)
September 1, 2004... A cold, crisp breeze whisks through the air as a family walks down Euclid Avenue, passing the store windows of Higbee's, Halle's, and the May Co. Oh, how we long for those good, old days. If only we could bring Cleveland back to when...

Born leader.(One 2 Watch)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... BORN SALESMAN? Maybe. I'd rather say I'm a born leader and sales is how I pay the bills. MOMENT YOU REALIZED YOU WERE AN ADULT? There's stages of adulthood, really. There are times when I'm a big kid and there's times when I'm 10 years...

Strength in numbers: a Youngstown software company is connecting computers and gaining attention.(Regional focus: Youngstown)
September 1, 2004... Eric Parker and Andrew Reinhardt have created a monster. Well, a monster of a computer The duo behind Youngstown-based Zethus Software LLC has developed a software application that organizes unused computer memory to act as a virtual...

Superintendent's letter.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... The well-being of Northeast Ohio and the nation increasingly depends upon our educational institutions rising to the challenge of preparing youth and adults for a new economic reality. Prior to the 1970s when Cuyahoga Valley Career Center...

Something for everyone: comprehensive programs and a state-of-the-art facility enable CVCC to reach a broad section of the community.(offering many services)(Cuyahoga Valley Career Center)
September 1, 2004... When Larry Hartman enrolled in Cuyahoga Valley Career Center's heating and air conditioning program in 1972, the vocational school was in its infancy. "They handed out these brochures because the school was brand new," Hartman says. "I had...

Employer opportunities: Cuyahoga Valley Career Center prepares its graduates for today's labor market.(training todays professionals)
September 1, 2004... Anthony Raymond Barchanowicz made his career choice at an early age. "I always knew I wanted to work in an architectural held of some sort," the 19 year-old says. "Ever since the fifth grade I really liked designing houses." As...

Action reaction: from no news to No. 2, WOIO's Action News is turning heads and turning dials in Northeast Ohio. Now it sets its sights on No. 1.(Media)
September 1, 2004... Police brutality caught on tape. Man shot in home seven times. Alleged child killer seeks acquittal. Man falsely imprisoned for seven years. Shaving Bag Bandit strikes again. Rabid bat terrorizes small town. And that's just the first five...

Ready for takeoff: Akron-Canton Airport is jetting toward another record year. Is this growth good for Northeast Ohio?(Transportation)
September 1, 2004... Fred Krum suggests you fly out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. And book flights on Continental Airlines. It's strange advice from the director of Akron-Canton Airport, whose recent marketing campaign included a billboard at...

Plastics, pressure, and profits: after three years of losses, is PolyOne Corp. transforming itself into the polymer industry player it was destined to become?(After The Merger)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2004... Thomas Waltermire is disappointed with the 2004 version of PolyOne Corp. Three years of economic pounding have taken their toll on the Avon Lake-based polymer manufacturer. It's taken the company twice as long to get where it is now than...

Fresh baked: restaurateurs Matt Harper and Eddie Cerino cook up a franchise and serve it nationwide.(Franchise)
September 1, 2004... National food chains don't come out of Cleveland. Ever. However, restaurateurs Matt Harper and Eddie Cerino are working to change this fact with San Francisco Oven, a fast-casual restaurant the pair opened in Willoughby in 2001. With more...

What's the frequency, Kennedy? The Kennedy Group, a Willoughby-based label maker, tunes in to tracking shipments.(Ohio Entrepreneur)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2004... Michael, Patrick, and Todd Kennedy want to help consumer product manufacturers see the light. Their Willoughby-based business, The Kennedy Group, has become an industry leader in the production of radio frequency identification (RFID)...

Catering to the region: a new conference center on Cleveland's West Side looks to draw business from all over.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
September 1, 2004... Bob and Sandy Lontkowski wagered a lot--$35 million to be exact--on regionalism before it was a buzzword "We believe in the whole area," Bob says. "We don't just believe in East Side or West Side. We believe in what Northeast Ohio has to...

Road map.(Ohio Entrepreneur)
September 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. ...

The 2004 Athena Awards: Northeast Ohio applauds those who show the way for businesswomen.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... For more than 20 years, the ATHENA Foundation has honored the success and efforts of women in business around the world, and this fall marks the second year that these prestigious awards have been presented in Northeast Ohio. The ATHENA...

Big change on campus: a five-year development campaign is transforming the University of Akron.(Guide to: real estate visionaries)
September 1, 2004... When he walks through campus, University of Akron President Luis Proenza takes time to admire it. A favorite spot, he says, is "a stunning little amphitheater with Greek type columns" behind the Arts and Sciences Building and Bierce Library....

Downtown excitement: with a House of Blues, upscale housing, and office space on the way, things are looking positive on East Fourth Street in Cleveland.(Guide to: real estate visionaries)
September 1, 2004... During the late 1800s, East Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland was lined with brownstones and Euclid Avenue was dubbed "Millionaires' Row" for its posh housing. In the early 1900s, residences gave way to retail, with five-and-dime stores...

Bringing past to present: Elyria's new City Hall takes historic buildings into the 21st century.(Guide to: real estate visionaries)
September 1, 2004... If walls could talk, Elyria's old Town Hall would have lots of colorful stories. Built in 1867, part of the building originally housed a fire department and stable for the horses that pulled the fire-fighting equipment. In the late 1880s,...

Real estate visionaries: resource directory.(Directory)
September 1, 2004... ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CITY OF SOLON (440) 337-1313 WWW.SOLONOHIO.ORG CONTACT: PEGGY WEIL DORFMAN PWEIL@SOLONOHIO.ORG Solon Excels in Business--800-plus businesses located in Solon enjoy our excellent services, convenient location, safe...

Bookkeeping blunders: companies should avoid these three common accounting mistakes.(Guide to: accounting)
September 1, 2004... Dan Hursh remembers a scheme that left one man dead and a group of doctors short $3 million. A group of Michigan-based physicians made the mistake of giving complete control of their financials to an attorney/certified public accountant....

Ask the accountants: the experts weigh in.
September 1, 2004... Q: HOW CAN COMPANIES AVOID GETTING HIT WITH THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX? A: "The Alternative Minimum Tax was designed to increase the tax bill of taxpayers who took undue advantage of tax benefits, such as accelerated depreciation,...

Banana bash.(Working The Room)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The time was ripe for a party, and Inside Business couldn't have agreed more. The magazine threw a bash for about 200 friends in July at LACENTRE Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake. The Banana Bash ("we believe that hanging together...

Cleveland world trade 2005.(Working The Room)(World Trade Center Conference)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs, and academics from around the world gathered in late July at the Cleveland Convention Center for the 59th World Trade Center Conference and Exhibition titled "Innovation for the Global Market." The...

Mayoral celebration.(Working The Room)(U.S. Conference of Mayors)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Almost 400 people showed up to applaud Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic's rise to the presidency of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The event, held by the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce in early August at Canal Park, was sponsored by Advanced...