Crain's New York Business back issues from June 2009:
Summer deals keep NYC a tourist trip; Visitors down, but not out; big-spending businesspeople give way to local folks.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher Cheap airfares, half-price hotel rooms and discounted attractions appear to be saving the city from what would otherwise have been a washout summer. While the Big Apple won't be quite as flush with tourists as it was last summer, it certainly won't be a ...
Former journalist's frothy beer story; Outsourcing, self-distribution key.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Kira Bindrim Steve Hindy has come a long way from the days when he peddled six-packs of Brooklyn Lager out of the back of a white GMC van. The brewery that he co-founded 20 years ago sold more than 1 million cases last year, and Mr. Hindy expects revenues to increase 10% ...
Hot Jobs; WANTED: president.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar WANTED: president Organization: Brooklyn Children's Museum JOB DESCRIPTION: Running the nonprofit, recently expanded to 102,000 square feet MOST IMPORTANT TASKS: Fundraising to compensate for cuts in city ...
Winners Like Results.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Crain's top entrepreneurs of 2009 are people who excel at delivering results in good times and bad. Their taste in politicians reflects that bottom-line orientation. We asked all six of our winners to rank the on-the-job performance of President Barack Obama, Gov. David Paterson ...
PLUS SIZES A FASHION VICTIM; More designers, stores cut lines.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli Attention, plus-size shoppers, your fashion options are getting fewer by the day. Larger sizes are among the latest victims of the recession, with the retail industry cutting them on all fronts. Well-known brands such as Ellen Tracy have ...
Real estate minnows prep attack on Big 3; Goal: Grab leaders' business when market rebounds.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Theresa Agovino Amid the devastating deal drought in the commercial real estate business, brokeragesespecially small and midsize firmsare remarkably busy. Sure, office leasing swooned to a 25-year low in the first quarter, and sales of Manhattan buildings fared even ...
The pharmacist's financier; How drugstore cowboy became lending lifeline to hundreds of indie owners.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz When cash was at its tightest last year and banks were calling in credit lines, pharmacy owner Jacob Jameron did the impossible: He took out two small-business loans, one in August and one in December, totaling $500,000. Mr. Jameron used the ...
SPITZER REDUX? Image on upswing.
Jun 01, 2009 ... In a Siena poll released last week, 21% of New Yorkers say they wish Eliot Spitzer were governor, up from 11% a month ago. The disgraced former governor placed third, behind former governors Mario Cuomo (31%) and George Pataki (30%); Gov. David Paterson was fourth, at 11%. Campaign ...
HELPING HANDS.
Jun 01, 2009 ... The harsh economic climate has spurred companies to go the extra mile to assuage potential franchisees' fears about starting a business, as well as to help them get loans. Red Mango, for example, has introduced a store buy-back program. Franchisees who are dissatisfied with ...
In Brief.
Jun 01, 2009 ... The recession is weighing heavily on three New York City retailers. Clothier Oilily USA, restaurant Zoe in SoHo and furniture chain Door Store all filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. All plan to restructure for survival. Oilily, which has already shuttered eight stores, ...
Dry cleaner presses for smoothest service; Answer to customers is always `yes'.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Cara S. Trager Surviving, much less standing out, in a city that boasts thousands of dry cleaners is a struggle. For Victoria Aviles, the key is customer service. At her two shops, she does more than tenderly tailor, clean and press everything from ...
Designer crafts artisan community; Site provides paths for direct purchases.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Cara S. Trager As a high-school dropout who had gone on to attend half a dozen colleges before finally emerging from New York University with a major in the classics, Rob Kalin seemed to have fewif anyof the ingredients for entrepreneurial success. Instead, ...
Fed funds come to B'klyn complex.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Amanda Fung Brooklyn's whitman-ingersoll Houses complex has emerged as one of the biggest local beneficiaries of President Barack Obama's federal stimulus spending. Out of the 70 New York City Housing Authority public housing developments that will receive a ...
Low cost of burgers lucky for Lucky's.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli Lucky's famous burgers is still trying to grow into its name. The eatery just signed a 12-year lease for 800 square feet of ground-floor space, along with a 325-square-foot basement, at 264 W. 23rd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues. The asking ...
Ex-Lehmanites go full circle at old site.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Theresa Agovino The founders of Trilantic Capital Partners are back where they startedonly higher up. The private equity fund, recently established by former Lehman Brothers merchant bankers, leased roughly 13,300 square feet at 399 Park Ave. that had been ...
Eatery case study: Can Payard pay up? Rent hike may force famed East Side patisserie to close.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher Prominent pastry chef Francois Payard may close his flagship cafe and bakery on the Upper East Side because of a steep rent hike. Mr. Payard filed a notice with the New York State Department of Labor stating his intention to shutter Payard ...
A blurry Univision; Ole: Spanish-language network's audience soars. Ay, caramba: all that debt.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm In 2006, media entrepreneur Haim Saban won the battle for Univision Communications, edging out Grupo Televisa with a $12.3 billion offer. Three years later, advertising revenue has plunged, and the Spanish-language media giant has written off ...
Central Perk.
Jun 01, 2009 ... It's easy to take a public place like Central Park for granted, so the Central Park Conservancy wants to remind peopleespecially donorshow valuable it is. Today, the conservancy is releasing its first study of the park's economic impact on New York City, which shows that the ...
No idling: GMAC reparks on Sixth; Battered financier takes prime space outside GM Building as it streamlines.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Theresa Agovino Fortified by a fresh $7.5 billion infusion of federal bailout cash, GMAC just inked a good deal for prime office space at 1177 Sixth Ave. for its capital markets group. The former financing arm of General Motors is subleasing the entire 16th floor of the ...
Playing politics with city budget.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Greg Daivd The advertisements saturating the airwaves in New York portray Michael Bloomberg as the decisive, independent and effective leader the city needs to get through tough times. The mayor's achievements are many, but his self-description leaves out one ...
Bimmy's.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Bimmy's Founded 1994 Employees 85 Revenue $8 million Best recession strategy: Keep investing in new and ...
SecondMarket.
Jun 01, 2009 ... SecondMarket Founded 2004 Employees 100 Revenue $20 million Best recession strategy: Create a well-balanced business model that is ...
Brooklyn Brewery.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Brooklyn Brewery Founded 1987 Employees 40 Revenue $18 million Best recession ...
Etsy.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Etsy Founded 2004 Revenue $1 million/month Employees 65 Best recession strategy: Not spending what Etsy doesn't have. Not doing things that are outlandishlike ballooning ...
Bridge Cleaners & Tailors, King Garment Care.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Bridge Cleaners & Tailors, King Garment Care Founded: 1976 Employees: 24 Revenue: $2.2 million Best recession strategy: Marketing ...
Getting it worked out; Former development lawyer builds firm's NYC office by helping distressed projects.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Amanda Fung James Raved When real estate giant Tishman Construction reduced its staff numbers late last year, James Raved was among the high-ranking executives whose posts were eliminated. With the market turning increasingly sour, Mr. Raved ...
Personnel File.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Employer: Radco Development Solutions Title: Senior vice president Age: 40 Resume: Senior vice president, Tishman Construction; ...
Toys "R' Us seals acquisition of venerable FAO Schwarz; Vows to uphold brand; FAO owners relieved of burden.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli Geoffrey the giraffe will soon be taking the place of Tom Hanks tickling the ivories on a giant keyboard mat as the prevailing image of FAO Schwarz. The move by Toys "R'' Us last week to snap up the legendary retailer will allow the buyer to extend ...
Hedge funds face serious trimming; Managers try to survive by cutting fees and imposing lockup periods.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein For years, dan loeb was the hedge fund world's hanging judge, firing off blistering letters to hapless chief executives that condemned them for their shortcomings. "Do what you do best,'' he hissed in a 2005 letter to a soon-to-be-gone CEO ....
In the markets.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein An argument to buy (Bank of) America Now that Bank of America has passed the government-run "stress test'' that everyone knew it wouldn't fail, some investors are beginning to tread back into this beaten-bloody stock. The brave souls ...
Gotham Gigs.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Maia Blume In the spotlight Apollo theater President and Chief Executive Jonelle Procope, 57, works to spread the famed theater's influence. "It's had a real impact on the development of American culture,'' she says. Legal expert The Philly native ...
From laid-off to owner; Recession sparks franchising boom.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher As months without a job dragged on, Jason Saber began thinking about starting his own business. The idea clicked into place one afternoon early this spring when his 13-year-old daughter persuaded him to take her to a Red Mango near their home in Syosset, ...
Gridlock sam moves people; Consultant parlays government career.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Sollars Several years ago, when planners were faced with figuring out how people would get to a sprawling new waterfront park marooned on the wrong side of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, they called Sam Schwartz. The transportation engineer produced a ...
Crain's Top Entrepreneurs 2009.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Against the bleakest economic backdrop in decades, Crain's top entrepreneurs of 2009 are true standouts. Some are mapping innovative ways to weather the storm, while others are finding ways to actually benefit from it. At SecondMarket, an online marketplace for trading financial ...
Defying odds, FreshDirect delivers gains; Online grocer emerges from troubles with stronger sales, fewer complaints.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher Last year, FreshDirect was a company in crisis. The federal government was investigating whether the online grocer hired undocumented workers, and the company was fending off a labor organizing campaign. Now, in the midst of a deep recession, ...
Bronx residents go against shelter.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz Facility would be eighth in Longwood, but may be needed to house homeless Residents of Longwood fear that their Bronx neighborhood is fast becoming City Hall's preferred home for the homeless. The community has seven Department of Homeless ...
A must-do list for Albany.
Jun 01, 2009 ... With the state legislative session in its final weeks, three business-related issues deserve action: overhauling the state's antiquated liquor laws, providing long-term tax incentives for the film industry and increasing New York's woefully inadequate unemployment insurance benefit. ...
Guv-O-Meter.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Beleaguered Gov. David Paterson has hit yet another rough patch. Last week, a judge blocked his new bottle bill from taking effect June 1, prompting environmentalists to blame Mr. Paterson for not fixing the legislation weeks ago. "The governor should have displayed more leadership,'' says ...
New York, New York.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Gen Art wishing on stars The celebrities whose careers Gen Art helped launch are coming together to try to keep the organization from going under. Adrien Brody, Adrian Grenier and Zac Posen are just a few of the boldfaced names who are ...
Good signal for radio ads.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Good signal for radio ads the market for local radio advertising may have finally bottomed out. According to industry insiders, some of New York's top-rated stations, including WCBS-AM and WLTW-FM, sold out their inventory for May. "They were turning away business,'' ...
Queens sandwich maker on a roll; Food wholesaler finds magic recipe.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Tina Traster Growing up as the son of a food service director for a big hospital and the grandson of a legendary Toronto restaurateur cum television chef, Elliot Fread never had any doubts about what he'd do. "I knew my life would be about food,'' he says. "I ...
Online exchange has trade surplus; Draws buyers, sellers of illiquid assets.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Tina Traster When Barry Silbert was an investment banker struggling to sell off pieces of a bankrupt Enron Corp. six years ago, he kept asking himself the same question: "Wouldn't it make sense if there was an organized marketplace, like eBay, where illiquid assets could ...
Agent provocateur on media mission; Stock analyst breaks the mold; rudely blogs a path toward power and influence.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm IN THE BUTTONED-DOWN world of financial analysts, some cheerlead for the companies they follow, some couch their critiques in jargon and some speak their minds. Then there's Richard Greenfield. While his peers confine themselves to making calls ...
Feud over, Apthorp condos hit market; Owners of Upper West Side landmark reach agreement.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Theresa Agovino AFTER AN UGLY, public battle over control of the famed Apthorp apartment building that almost landed it in default, the owners now say they've resolved their differences. Owners Africa Israel Investments and Mann Realty Associates bought the ...
IN BRIEF.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Helped ALONG by the financial meltdown, hotel room rates HAVE declined faster in the city than in any other major market in the country. In April, the city's hotel room rates were down 26%, to $224$78 below year-earlier levels, according to PKF Consulting. Nationwide, the decline was 9.5% ....
IN THE MARKETS.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein Insurer finds shelter from the storm Perhaps the famous red umbrella is shielding Travelers Cos. from the storms hitting many other insurers. More likely, the folks who run Travelers didn't forget that an insurance company's job, above all else, ...
Player back in analysis; Goldman's former top bank analyst takes up with a British brokerage in town.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein Bill tanona learned early that there was big money to be made on Wall Street. He recalls forking over a hefty feethough not exactly how muchto buy IBM stock as a teenager. "When I realized how much I paid in commissions, I decided to get into ...
PERSONNEL FILE.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Employer Collins Stewart Title Managing director Age 35 REsumE Brokerage industry analyst, Goldman ...
Recession for record books; Damage to small firms is severe; survival strategies blunt carnage.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Robert Hordt Dennis belfiore has weathered some difficult periods in the 10 years he has owned an architectural firm in New York. In 2001, with the economy already in a recession, he was forced to relocate operations from lower Manhattan for four months after the Sept ....
Media master.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: MAIA BLUME Robin Domeniconi, 47, a one-time print media gal, is currently U.S. vice president of advertising sales, publishing and marketing at Microsoft. Ms. Domeniconi's switch to the tech world was certainly well-timed, considering print advertising's rapid decline. ...
HOT JOBS.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: AMANDA FUNG WANTED: president COMPANY TV Guide Publishing Group JOB DESCRIPTION Oversee the 56-year-old weekly entertainment magazine and other titles MOST IMPORTANT TASKS Boost ad revenue and increase readership CREDENTIALS ...
Let banks out of bailout.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Some of the nation's biggest banksled by New York's J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachsare lined up at the Treasury window, desperate to repay billions of dollars in bailout funds. Inexplicably, the Obama administration is dragging its feet on collecting the money. Take it back, already. ...
Nonprofits gird for long battle; Groups struggle to hold skittish donors.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar KAREN BROOKS HOPKINS saw it coming. "Last summer, when it was clear that the world as we knew it was coming apart, I looked at my boyfriend and said, `The next year of my life is going to be hell,' '' says Ms. Hopkins, president of the ...
NEW REVENUE SOURCE.
Jun 08, 2009 ... If Gov. David Paterson needs money to fill the state's depleted coffers, legalizing gay marriage could help. The few states that do allow gay marriage are cashing in. A report released last month found that in the five years since Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, the ...
Gay marriage on the march.
Jun 08, 2009 ... States that allow gay marriage Connecticut Iowa Massachusetts Coming soon ...
THE INSIDER.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Erik Engquist and Daniel Massey Bloomberg canvassers hit streets Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election campaign has begun extensive voter outreach a whopping five months before the election. Paid and volunteer canvassers, traveling in pairs, are going ...
Gussied-up 515 Madison draws crowd; Three deals follow $5 million makeover.(Brief article)
Jun 08, 2009; ... Byline: THERESA AGOVINO Fresh off a $5 million makeover that includes an expansion and renovation of its lobby, 515 Madison Ave. lured two new tenants, while an existing one expanded its footprint. The new deals total nearly 34,000 square feet. In the biggest of the ...
Paterson fights to stay in game; Time running out for headway before Legislature adjourns.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Erik Engquist AN INCREASINGLY anxious Gov. David Paterson, cornered by an uncooperative Legislature and a slumping economy, has charted a course back to popularity. Back-slapping and joke-cracking are out; tough talk and vetoes are in. Reining in lawmakers ...
ALL HAIL BARNEY; Wall Streeters court the man from Mass. They have to. He's calling the shots.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein JUST ABOUT EVERYONE in banking wants to be Barney Frank's friend nowadays. Last week, 600 people, including executives from Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase, filled the cavernous National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., for a ...
Drama down on the farm in Queens; Developer's latest move sparks simmering fury over Klein Farm.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: HILARY POTKEWITZ A simple eviction notice has resurrected a battle over a two-acre plot of farmland in Queens and stirred up latent fears about a local developer's intentions. A year into its second two-year lease on an original building on the Klein Farm ...
STIRRING THE POT The president.(Brief article)
Jun 08, 2009 ... President Barack Obama's nomination last week of northern New York Rep. John McHugh as Secretary of the Army was blasted as a political maneuver by the National Republican Congressional Committee, but it also creates dangers for Democrats. Republicans fear the loss of Mr ....
NY bankruptcy courts fill up; Cases generate big fees for attorneys, restructuring firms.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz BIG APPLE BOOSTERS typically push New York as a great place to do business. What's said less often is that New York is also great place to go bust. When General Motors chose to file for bankruptcy protection last week in New York, rather than ...
NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
Jun 08, 2009; ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher Celeb chef's new course Star chef Geoffrey Zakarian (left) has been knocked around during the downturn. In April, his Town eatery filed for bankruptcy, and last year, the formal dining room of his Country restaurant shuttered. But those ...
Attention, drinkers!
Jun 08, 2009 ... Goodbye, Barna. Hello, Oasis. The Giraffe Hotel at 365 Park Ave. South has a new rooftop lounge, Oasis, operated by Hospitality Holdings. ...
Banks, borrowers dig in over credit crunch; Finger-pointing misses the point; it's all about standards.
Jun 08, 2009 ... Byline: Daniel Macht HE'S BEEN TURNED DOWN for a commercial loan seven times in the past six months, but Jerry Pozniak is not throwing in the towel just yet. He thinks he has finally found a lender to refinance $1.5 million in short-term loans for his four ...