Crain's Cleveland Business back issues from May 2008:
Cuyahoga County Public Library Gates Mill branch.(Real Estate)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: SHARON SCHNALL The retail buildings were deteriorating in the Village of Gates Mills. Retail spaces remained empty, and the village had no community hub. "The question raised was, `How do you revitalize an area without destroying the pastoral quality of our ...
SHORT TAKES.(Real Estate)
May 05, 2008 ... * CLIMBING HIGHER: Cleveland's office market is starting to climb from the bottom of the cellar in a national ranking of office markets in the Marcus & Millichap brokerage's 2008 National Office Report. The report puts the Cleveland market at 38th place out of 43 in its 2008 National ...
The Week: April 28 - May 4.(The Insider)
May 05, 2008 ... The big story: The Jackson administration is looking to build up the city of Cleveland's business assistance programs. Cleveland City Council last week heard Tracey Nichols, the city's director of economic development, describe six new or expanded programs to attract businesses - ...
Goodyear's North American unit back to black; From CFO to president, Kramer navigates company from near-bankruptcy to profit.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: LISA HOCKENSMITH Tire Business As chief financial officer (CFO) for three years, Rich Kramer had a front-row seat for many of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s financial troubles. The Akron-based tiremaker struggled with deep losses, high debt, financial ...
Prog hits No. 1; Field tops ballpark rankings.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Sure, the Indians' offense has been oppressively offensive in the early going - and yes, this survey was taken before the Tribe got off to a rocky start - but Progressive Field is home to at least one winner: Progressive Field. The Prog ranked first in SI.com's MLB Ballpark ...
Discount outlet Ollie's plans 3 store openings.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Nobody's calling this a retail boom, but closeout discounter Ollie's Bargain Outlet figures now's the time to hit the Northeast Ohio market. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based chain opens its first Cleveland-area store this Tuesday, May 6, in Parma, and two ...
Arts, culture advocacy group sees potential in region's blight; President hoping to `retain creative work force'.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND What many see as detriments to Cleveland, Thomas Schorgl sees as opportunities. Some might view Cleveland as a city laden with foreclosures and shuttered businesses, but Mr. Schorgl sees a city that could offer residential and work spaces at ...
Late News.
May 05, 2008 ... INVESTMENT TO AID NINESIGMA'S GROWTH * NineSigma Inc. of Beachwood has closed on a $4 million investment from Cincinnati venture capital firm Blue Chip Venture Co., which was a previous investor, and River Cities Capital Funds, which has offices in Cincinnati and Raleigh, N.C ....
Ohio Capital Fund serves as venture cap magnet; As firms build presence within state, more eye investment opportunities.(Insight)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: CHUCK SODER The Ohio Capital Fund has been particularly good at two things: Attracting venture capital firms to the state and pumping money into Northeast Ohio. The state fund, which puts money into venture capital firms that commit to investing in Ohio, has ...
Digital age adds new dimension to market.(Real Estate)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: STAN BULLARD One morning in March, Pat Finley, managing partner of Omni Property Cos. of Pepper Pike, sent an e-mail to about 1,000 Northeast Ohio real estate brokers and business owners he knows personally. When opened, the e-mail showed Mr. Finley on an ...
Tenn. travel firm's HQ headed this way; GTP Travel Group's investors hope to expand web abilities.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: CHUCK SODER A Tennessee-based travel planning company is taking a trip of its own - to Northeast Ohio. A group of individual investors, including Northeast Ohio entrepreneur Ed Tromczynski, bought Group Travel Planet LLC for an undisclosed price last month ...
Flying right.(Opinion)
May 05, 2008 ... Continental Airlines may yet enter a merger with another airline. However, we believe its board made the right call in walking away from a potential combination with the weaker United Airlines. The herd mentality that can grip particular industries can produce miserable ...
LOOKING SOUTH; In planning for downturn in NE Ohio, Medical Mutual finds attractive clients in growing Georgia, S.C. markets.
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Like many Northeast Ohioans, Kent Clapp has his eye on the South, though he doesn't plan to become a snowbird. The chairman, president and CEO of Medical Mutual of Ohio Inc. instead is looking to some southern states to grow the ...
Tax Liens.(News)(Public notice)
May 05, 2008 ... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that the government has a claim against a company's ...
NEW VIEW OF PARMA; From building a university to a dam, graduate students redesign aging suburb.(Real Estate)
May 05, 2008; ... Byline: BRAD DICKEN You can't buy much in the way of waterfront property in Parma, which is not surprising since the city of 80,000 residents doesn't have a big lake. But Kent State University graduate architecture students didn't let that stop them from envisioning ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
May 05, 2008 ... An April 21, page G-4 story on the junior golf circuit included an incorrect location name. The ...
REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK; Behind the news with Crain's writers.(The Insider)
May 05, 2008 ... This feud shows no sign of abating * Cuyahoga County commissioners had a full-throated response last week to accusations in The Plain Dealer about nepotism in county hiring. "In 1971 I got a job here because I knew county commissioner (Hugh) Corrigan,'' current county ...
MILESTONE.(The Insider)
May 05, 2008 ... COMPANY: The Sausage Shoppe, Cleveland THE OCCASION: Its 70th anniversary The Sausage Shoppe on Memphis Avenue in Old Brooklyn has been a place to meat since its founding on March 3, 1938, by Hans Kirchberger and Theo Johanni. The recipes they brought from ...
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'; Transportation software products gain ground as shippers look for more efficient routes, cheaper fuel.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: CHUCK SODER David Wangler said he never guessed IDSC ExpertFuel would become such a big seller. Skyrocketing fuel prices have made it one of the most popular software products sold by TMW Systems Inc. in Beachwood. TMW is one of three transportation software ...
$1.5M loan drives SageQuest's plans to enhance GPS software.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: @@Text: SageQuest LLC is preparing for more growth after four straight years of it. SageQuest LLC is preparing for more growth after four straight years of it. The Beachwood company has received a $1.5 million, five-year loan from the Innovation Ohio Loan ...
Citizen-produced Observer catching on; With three new editions on tap, company's publisher envisions an edition `in every town'.(News)
May 05, 2008; ... Byline: CHUCK SODER The Lakewood Observer is spawning clones. The free, citizen-produced newspaper already has helped Cleveland Heights and University Heights create the Heights Observer, and similar publications serving East Cleveland, Geauga County, Westlake and Bay ...
TravelCenters settles with competitor.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... TravelCenters of America LLC said it has agreed to settle a civil antitrust lawsuit brought against the company by rival Flying J Inc. and its affiliates. Simultaneously, Westlake-based TravelCenters announced that it will enter arrangements under which TCH LLC, an affiliate of ...
The Week in Quotes.(News)(Quotation)
May 05, 2008 ... "We think it will be a great market. ... We probably won't be No. 1 in Georgia or South Carolina, but we would like to be No. 2.'' - Kent Clapp, chairman, president and CEO, Medical Mutual of Ohio Inc. Page One "This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a test ....
Good ol' Mayor What'shisname; Johnson, Reynolds ... Why doesn't anyone know Cleveland's top dog?(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson seems like an anonymous figure in his own hometown, so we suppose it's no surprise the national media might mistake him for someone else. In The Wall Street Journal last Thursday, May 1, columnist Daniel Henninger wrote an opinion piece headlined, ...
Good replacing good as head of CIM.(Opinion)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: Brian Tucker When I read that my friend David Cerrone, a classmate in Leadership Cleveland '89 (the best class ever!) would be retiring as president of the esteemed Cleveland Institute of Music, I had several reactions. First, I thought David was way too young ...
Litigation fees cost OurPet's.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... The fight against a patent infringement lawsuit has taken a bite from the OurPet's Co. supper dish. The Fairport Harbor maker of pet products last week reported a first-quarter loss of $391,472 despite a 12.5% increase in revenue, to $2.9 million, from the like period a year ...
1Q profit sets precedent for Ford's long-term outlook.(News)(Financial report)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: AMY WILSON Automotive News Cost-cutting largely drove Ford Motor Co.'s surprise first-quarter improvement, but CEO Alan Mulally has a lot to do to achieve a full turnaround. Mr. Mulally told Automotive News, a sister publication of Crain's Cleveland Business, ...
Going Places.(People)
May 05, 2008 ... Job Changes architecture KA ARCHITECTURE: Anthony D. Roppa to director of business development. MBI/K2M ARCHITECTURE INC.: Philip Ozan to project manager; Scott Ross to architectural drafter; Marta Ralston to staff designer. VAN AUKEN AKINS ...
As city, Wolstein near deal, legislative wrinkle could save developer millions; Flats primed for pumping up.
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: JAY MILLER The city of Cleveland and the Wolstein Group real estate concern are putting the final touches on the $500 million Flats East Bank development plan in anticipation of a July groundbreaking. A handful of revisions to the development plan are going ...
Duke Realty's office pullout plan on hold; Firm fails to sell 14 properties, exit area, as credit crunch squeezes would-be buyer.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: STAN BULLARD Hunker down. Wait it out. Hold out for your price. That's how Duke Realty Corp. of Indianapolis is handling efforts to sell its last 14 office buildings in Northeast Ohio and exit the region after its main suitor for the portfolio couldn't swing ...
Sources: Ernst & Young to move 1,200 to new East Bank project; Flats primed for pumping up.
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: STAN BULLARD A big piece of the massive Flats East Bank project quietly went into place recently as Ernst & Young LLP made a preliminary commitment to move 1,200 employees to a planned office building there from the landmark Huntington Building in downtown Cleveland. ...
CHOICE BITS; Excerpts from recent Editor's Choice blog entries on CrainsCleveland.com.(Briefs)
May 05, 2008 ... America goes on a recession diet * The New York Times already has made Cleveland its go-to city for all stories related to foreclosure, so it was no surprise the paper looked to our town again for an April 28 story about the country's sudden fondness for saving money. ...
In a hurry? Columbus startup has an air taxi for you; Waypoint, banking on continued frustration in commercial flights, expects to begin this summer.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: JAY MILLER As soon as this summer, you may be able to "hail'' a taxi that will fly you to Columbus or Indianapolis or Chicago. Waypoint Corp., a Columbus startup, is preparing to offer air taxi rides from Cleveland to any of hundreds of airports in the Midwest ...
Award boosts mine tracking capabilities.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Byline: Chuck Soder Mine communications company InSet Systems LLC has been awarded $400,000 from Northeast Ohio venture development organization JumpStart Inc. The company, located south of Canton in Strasburg, soon will relocate to the Akron Global Business ...
Enough already.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
May 05, 2008 ... The NBA better watch where the extracurricular activities on its courts are headed, because a failure to stop hockey-like thuggery during its playoffs puts at risk the well-being of its players, and ultimately of the league itself. Even if LeBron James wasn't "our guy,'' we'd ...
ROUGH START.(Real Estate)
May 05, 2008 ... The U.S. warehouse market weakened considerably during the first three months of ...
Kings of the castle.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... Spending on Fido has risen mightily in the past decade, and NE Ohio ...
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.(News)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 05, 2008 ... These obviously aren't the best of economic times in the Midwest, but middle-market business leaders are confident about their long-term growth prospects. A new survey from accounting and business advisory firm Plante & Moran of nearly 350 executives found considerable hope that the ...
Submit your women-owned business.(News)
May 05, 2008 ... To help raise the profile of women doing business in Northeast Ohio, Crain's Cleveland Business will publish an online Directory of Women-Owned Businesses starting June 23. The directory is a tool for individuals and companies that are looking to do business with women-owned ...
CWRU prof aiming for West Coast links.(News)(Case Western Reserve University)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008; ... Byline: CHUCK SODER Mehran Mehregany is putting the "Western'' in Case Western Reserve University. The engineering professor has moved his office to San Diego so that he can help the university establish partnerships with companies on the West Coast. Dr ....
Firms find frequent safety policy communication minimizes injuries.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: COLLEEN McCARTHY Business Insurance Risk managers say communicating the importance of safety in the workplace is a critical component of any strategy to control the frequency and severity of a company's loss due to worker injuries. "If you're not a safe place ...
Municipal borrowing costs on the rise; Cleveland works to stabilize interest expense on $437 million of project debt.(News)
May 12, 2008; ... Byline: JAY MILLER The lending excesses that led to the subprime mortgage fiasco is hitting strapped homeowners hard. But not far behind on the feeling-the-pain continuum are the communities where those homeowners live. Cities, counties and other government bodies ...
PET PROFITS; No matter how tough the times, businesses catering to our furry friends are still seeing steady increases in spending.(Small Business)
May 12, 2008; ... Byline: SCOT ALLYN Recession or not, it appears most pet owners are still spending money - and more of it than ever - on their nearest and dearest. This year alone, it is estimated that Americans will spend $43.4 billion on their pets, which is up more than 5% from ...
Global marketers must keep current base close to home; Study suggests firms miss opportunities in retaining, capitalizing on customers.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: KATE MADDOX BtoB While business-to-business marketers are increasingly focused on improving relationships with customers, they still have a long way to go in implementing effective, consistent customer retention practices, according to a study released last month by the ...
Grand Openings.(Small Business)
May 12, 2008 ... VANITYLAB 24945 Detroit Road Westlake 44145 VanityLab is a 3,500-square-foot salon, spa and shop that aims to feature personalized services with a chic, city edge. Owner Angie Hofelich launched VanityLab based on experience as a stylist at salons in Cleveland and the ...
Big trucks, SUVs not pulling their weight in auto industry; Dealers, dealing with bevy of inventory, brace for worst yearly sales drop since '91.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: RICHARD TRUETT Automotive News After an awful April, nearly every auto industry forecaster now agrees: U.S. sales will plummet by about 1 million units in 2008 - the first time sales have tumbled that much in one year since 1991. But it's not just the million ...
Short Takes.(Briefs)(JM Green CPA Group LLC acquires Robert J. Fisher & Associates CPA)(BrightStar Healthcare opens a location in Beachwood)(Ronald Clutter of Nordic Air Inc.)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008 ... CLIENT SWITCH: JM Green CPA Group LLC, a full-service accounting firm in Beachwood, recently announced the acquisition of the accounting clients of Robert J. Fisher & Associates CPA in Solon. JM Green CPA Group LLC provides chief financial officer, controllership, financial and tax ...
The Big Issue.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008 ... Should Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann either resign or be impeached for his actions in office? Katie Maxwell Parma He should (resign). When you're in public office, you're supposed to be an example in every way for the state or country that you're ...
Tenk Machine leaving longtime Flats home; Workers join new Strongsville employer; developer mulls Stonebridge expansion.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: STAN BULLARD Tenk Machine & Tool Co. is disappearing from Cleveland's Flats in a deal that has reopened the closed Demag Plastics Group plant in Strongsville and might allow the Stonebridge mixed-use complex to expand. A skeleton crew last week arranged drill ...
Pittsburgh gas company cites job candidates in move to Independence.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: CHUCK SODER A Pittsburgh-area distributor of industrial gas and welding equipment has moved to Northeast Ohio to be closer to current and future employees. Valley National Gases LLC three weeks ago relocated its headquarters to Independence from Washington, ...
Whiskey Island loan wrangling continues.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: JAY MILLER As Cuyahoga County commissioners prepare this Saturday, May 17, to dedicate a new bridge that restores access to Wendy Park at Whiskey Island, a squabble continues over $1.6 million of the county's payment for the lakefront property. Cleveland ...
Solon firm aims for an ace with hole-in-one device.(Small Business)(VeriShot)
May 12, 2008; ... Byline: CHUCK SODER Dan Quigg describes VeriShot with three words: Excitement, revenue and promotion. The Solon company, formerly called Charitee Golf, aims to bring those three things to golf courses nationwide in 2009, when it plans to begin a national rollout for ...
Small firms offer learning experience.(Small Business)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO College students will be descending on businesses of all kinds as finals wrap up and the promise of job experience, money or both beckons. But as a small business owner, should you take on an intern? Should you pay them? And should you ...
PolyOne changes branding strategies; Firm extends profile by increasing global, customer outreach.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: JOHN BOOTH Here's how things used to work at PolyOne Corp.: You needed the polymer compounding company to make something to your specifications, they looked at the information and said, "It'll cost you this much.'' Times have changed. Research and development ...
SUMMER ON A BUDGET; As consumers' wallets are increasingly taxed, tourism promoters push NE Ohio as a bargain.
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: JOHN BOOTH With gasoline prices at record highs and consumers feeling shaky about the economy, local tourism promoters are pushing Northeast Ohio as a bargain destination as the summer travel season nears. "There's general agreement that people, throughout the ...
Foul workplace language leads to legal ramifications; Employees can make hostile environment claim even if they are not target of remarks.(News)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD Business Insurance Sexually explicit language in the workplace that is not directed at a particular person still can be the basis of a hostile work environment claim, according to a federal appeals court decision that observers say could be influential. ...
DOCTOR DEFICIT; As population ages and treatments become more specialized, health care faces greater physician shortage.(Insight)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND If you simply looked at the numbers, you wouldn't believe Ohio has a shortage of doctors. From 1985 to 2004, Ohio's population grew 6.8%, to 11.4 million, while the number of doctors in the state rose 44%, to 25,968. But local hospitals and ...
Tax Liens.(News)(Public notice)
May 12, 2008 ... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that the government has a claim against a company's ...
Going Places.(People)
May 12, 2008 ... Job Changes Distribution GARICK: Peter W. Klaich to senior organics manager. Education KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: Donald R. Williams to dean, Honors College. THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: Beth A. Houseman to assistant director of University ...
The Week: May 5-11.(The Insider)(regional economic redevelopment project)(Eaton Corp. estimates 120 million in revenues for the company)(Ernst & Young L.L.P. wins naming rights to office building)
May 12, 2008 ... The big story: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is putting under the microscope the complicated financing arrangements for the planned, $500 million Flats East Bank redevelopment project. The port authority's regional economic advancement committee postponed a recommendation to ...
Hold firm.(Opinion)
May 12, 2008 ... Common sense is busting out in Columbus - at least in the part not occupied by Attorney General Marc Dann - with the Legislature's recognition that the state needs to address the consumer gouging that goes on in the payday lending business. The Republican-led Ohio House on April ...
SPX manufacturing shutdown to cost 88 local jobs.(News)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008 ... Publicly traded SPX Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., has informed state officials that it will be phasing out its Cleveland manufacturing operations, resulting in the eventual layoff of 88 people. The Cleveland plant, 15825 Industrial Parkway, is known locally as Actron Manufacturing, ...
The Week in Quotes.(News)(Quotation)
May 12, 2008 ... "We're using those opportunities as the lead. ... And we're combining the uniqueness of those attractions along with the fact that it won't break your bank.'' - Tamera Brown, vice president of marketing, Positively Cleveland. Page One "We are struggling, and Ohio, ...
Late News.
May 12, 2008 ... LUXURY CAR DEALER ADDS SAAB TO LINEUP Luxury car seller Bernie Moreno has expanded his chain of dealerships again, this time with the purchase of the former Shaker Saab, which now goes by Saab of North Olmsted and calls 28300 Lorain Road home. Mr. Moreno also owns Mercedes-Benz ...
An apology, or pizza publicity coup?(Opinion)
May 12, 2008 ... Byline: Brian Tucker So, was last week's 23-cent pizza-pie apologia a heartfelt attempt at making amends with Cavaliers fans or a brilliant marketing coup? For the few of you who missed this whole thing during the last game against the Washington Wizards, it was ...