The Business Journal is a regional business publication published twice monthly. It features business news of interest to the Mahoning Valley in northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania.
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The Valley’s Business Matters ISSN 1047-8582 Vol. 26 No. 13 JANUARY 2010 $2.50 www.BusinessJournalDaily.com W hen the recession hit, it hit the Mahoning Valley hard as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression drove many companies here to cut jobs and wages. Altronic Inc., Girard, was no exception. Then again, maybe it was an exception. “It’s definitely better than what could have been,” says Sandy Winans, logistics manager at Altronic. The silver lining, she relates, is that the company has secured a sizeable business overseas, which helped to recover a portion of the domestic sales and orders lost during the recession. “Most definitely, our international business has helped.” Valley manufacturers that have carved out pieces of the world market for themselves have, for the most part, withstood the punishing effects of the last two years far better than those whose business is fused to the domestic economy alone. Moreover, Recession Not As Harsh Where Firms Export U.S. goods have become more attractive overseas in part because of a very weak dollar. By Dan O’Brien the international cushion allows these companies to better position themselves for when business fully rebounds, industry analysts say. “I’m a strong advocate in pursuing international business,” Winans agrees. “I think there’s a lot of potential there.” Altronic manufactures ignition systems and con- trol panels used on stationary engines powered by natural gas. The company exports its products to Lisa Keller and Bill Wilson spend much of their time answering questions from customers of Morris Financial Group, Salem, who want to know whether – and how much – their health insurance premiums are likely to rise. T he great unknown for small- business owners and their employees here and across the United States is the premiums they will pay for health-care insurance. Both chambers of Congress passed Karen Rohan, a production supervisor at Altronic in Girard, holds a control panel the company produces here and ships overseas. Unhealthy Uncertainty By Dennis LaRue measures intended to expand the number of Americans covered and make such insurance more afford- able, the Senate passing its version Christmas Eve. What will emerge from the conference committee appointed to resolve the differences has made employers wary and left insurance brokers with few answers. Says Stan McCamon at McCamon- Hunt Insurance Agency Inc., Board- man, as the Senate was deliberating last month, “A lot of people are con- fused. I try to tell them as much as I know, but that changes every day.” Ray Kashmiry of R. Kashmiry & See UNCERTAINTY, page 13 See EXPORTERS, page 14 Health insurance brokers, their customers await final action by Congress.
Transcript
The Valley’s Business MattersISSN 1047-8582 Vol. 26 No. 13 JANUARY 2010 $2.50
www.BusinessJournalDaily.com
When the recession hit, it hit the Mahoning Valley hard as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression drove many
companies here to cut jobs and wages. Altronic Inc., Girard, was no exception.Then again, maybe it was an exception.“It’s definitely better than what could have been,”
says Sandy Winans, logistics manager at Altronic. The silver lining, she relates, is that the company has secured a sizeable business overseas, which helped to recover a portion of the domestic sales and orders lost during the recession. “Most definitely, our international business has helped.”
Valley manufacturers that have carved out pieces of the world market for themselves have, for the most part, withstood the punishing effects of the last two years far better than those whose business is fused to the domestic economy alone. Moreover,
Recession Not As Harsh Where Firms ExportU.S. goods have become more attractive overseas in part because of a very weak dollar.By Dan O’Brien
the international cushion allows these companies to better position themselves for when business fully rebounds, industry analysts say.
“I’m a strong advocate in pursuing international business,” Winans agrees. “I think there’s a lot of
potential there.”Altronic manufactures ignition systems and con-
trol panels used on stationary engines powered by natural gas. The company exports its products to
Lisa Keller and Bill Wilson spend much of their time answering questions from customers of Morris Financial Group, Salem, who want to know whether – and how much – their health insurance premiums are likely to rise.
The great unknown for small-business owners and their employees here and across the
United States is the premiums they will pay for health-care insurance.
Both chambers of Congress passed
Karen Rohan, a production supervisor at Altronic in Girard, holds a control panel the company produces here and ships overseas.
Unhealthy Uncertainty
By Dennis LaRue
measures intended to expand the number of Americans covered and make such insurance more afford-able, the Senate passing its version Christmas Eve. What will emerge from the conference committee appointed to resolve the differences has made employers wary and left insurance brokers with few answers.
Says Stan McCamon at McCamon-Hunt Insurance Agency Inc., Board-man, as the Senate was deliberating last month, “A lot of people are con-fused. I try to tell them as much as I know, but that changes every day.”
Ray Kashmiry of R. Kashmiry & See UNCERTAINTY, page 13
See EXPORTERS, page 14
Health insurance brokers, their customers await final action by Congress.
2 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
16 35-Foot Salute to City’s Top Ranking Youngstown’s downtown business commu-ity celebrated the holidays by taking joy in the hoisting of a huge reproduction of En-trepreneur magazine’s cover ranking the city among the 10 best for entrepreneurs. It’s a huge sign of better times ahead.
17 Lou Zona
27 Media Scope
28 Wire Service
9 Made in the Valley at Fithian-Wilbert Kyle Travis, Tom Scott and Ray Fimognari pour concrete into forms at Fithian-Wil-bert Burial Vault Co., the second-oldest, continuously operating company in Board-man and the subject of Maraline Kubik’s continuing series, Made in the Valley.
33 In Search Of
37 Getting Ahead
41 Sales Savvy
See BBB ACCREDITATION, page 7
29-32 Beauty Business Is Big BusinessTawnya Reents, a surgical technician for Dr. Richard Gentile, relaxes as her boss demonstrates one of the techniques his practice uses to help patients look younger. Gentile is profiled in our editorial section on the Beauty Business.
There are plenty of strong, reliable companies in the Mahoning Valley, and the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau wants to make
sure the community knows about them.“We need to tell the consumers just how good
these businesses are,” says Patricia Rose, president of the Better Business Bureau of Mahoning Valley Inc.
In their midst are companies that have failed to meet the ethical and professional standards set by the demands of their customers as well. The Better Business Bureau wants consumers to be aware of them, too.
The challenge was to effect a better way to in-form the community about how companies doing business in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties rate, and to give consumers a fair, objective assessment of how these businesses perform. “There are rules and rigid standards businesses should meet,” Rose says. “We go that final, extra step.”
Last year, the organization launched its “Start With Trust” campaign – an effort to deliver more efficiently quality information regarding local busi-nesses and their standings with customers. Instead of rating businesses simply “satisfactory” or “unsat-isfactory,” the BBB adopted letter grades that help consumers decide before they select a company to do business with.
“Consumers know they’re looking at a level playing field and can assess the worth and value of a company,” Rose says. “Today, consumers can get their information from us 24 hours, seven days a week,” vis-à-vis 20 years ago when reports could be accessed only during business hours, she says.
BBB Accreditation Helps Business, Consumers
By Dan O’Brien
Over the last three years, BBBs across the country have become linked into a single networking system that allows fast, efficient sharing of information, Rose relates. “It was a departure from the way the BBB used to operate,” she notes, including the deci-sion to establish the new grading system.
Rose, who sat on a national committee to adopt the new system and guidelines, brought the propos-als back to the board of the Mahoning Valley chapter, which embraced the idea.
“The board decided to spend more money and make a greater commitment,” she says. “They’ve always been in step with improvements and new technology.”
Key to understanding a business is its relationship to its customers and how that company responds to consumer complaints, Rose says. However, the size of a company often affects the nature and response time of addressing a grievance, which should be
The board of directors of the Better Business Bureau of the Mahoning Valley Inc. say the organization’s services and resources allow
business owners and professionals like themselves to enhance their stature and even improve their relationships with customers.
“I call them every year to see how we’re doing,” says Chuck Booth, president of The Don Booth Co.,
Businesses Applaud Efforts of BBB
By Dan O’Brien
Adoption of letter-grade system, single networking system improves sharing of information.
See BBB EFFORTS, page 4
32-member board of directors oversees agency, directs scholarship activities and community support campaigns.
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BBB Efforts: From Page 3North Jackson. “We’ve been here for 56 years and we’re not afraid to put our name on the line with the BBB.”
Booth, also a Better Business Bureau board mem-ber six years, says the BBB serves as a watchdog for consumers who often don’t know where to turn when they encounter a problem with a company they’ve done business with.
“It’s a different environment today,” Booth says. “A lot of companies come and go, and people are moving in and out of the area.”
For folks new to the Mahoning Valley and for those who have lived here a long time, the BBB should be a first place of reference when they search for a product or service, he says.
“For example, if you have something done to your house and you’re not satisfied, you have somebody you can go to,” Booth says. “The BBB will put [the contractor] on notice and if the problem isn’t taken care of, they’ll take action.”
The BBB, he continues, provides an invaluable tool so consumers can make more informed deci-sions before they buy products or services from local companies. Booth, whose company provides hardwood flooring and installation, says his indus-try is saturated with companies that quickly appear and disappear.
However, those businesses with BBB accredita-tion have proven their staying power in even the toughest of economic times, and often are the com-panies that survive the longest.
The local BBB’s board of 32 is also active in directing the organization’s scholarship activities and campaigns to support other issues that affect the community, Booth says. “They’ve worked with General Motors to keep the [Lordstown] plant here, the air base here and they get involved with keeping companies and businesses in the Valley,” he points out.
Dan Becker, director of Becker Funeral Service, Struthers, says he believes the BBB “brings tremen-dous value to the community. That’s why I put my time on the board.”
Becker has sat on the BBB board about 15 years. No other organization in the area provides more information and data on the status and conduct of local businesses, he says.
Being identified as a BBB-accredited business is important, Becker says, because it shows that the company adheres to certain high standards. How-ever, many of these companies still don’t use the BBB logo on their Web sites, advertising or promotional items.
“A lot of businesses just don’t think about it,” Becker says. “I think it’s just an oversight.”
Even Becker’s business just recently started to promote the BBB logo along with the services the funeral home offers. “We just never thought of it before and just took it for granted,” he concedes.
The BBB logo is a visual connection with the public that sends a message of legitimacy and good business practices.
“When consumers see that symbol, they know they’re dealing with a business that’s in good stand-ing,” Becker notes.
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4 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
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Thursday, January 28, 2010The Future of Manufacturing
and Public PolicyWilliamson Symposium
Morning Session 7:30-9:00 a.m.DeBartolo Stadium Club in Stambaugh Stadium-YSU
To make a reservation, please call Christine Shelton at 330-941-3068 or [email protected]. Free parking is available in the M24 parking lot on Fifth Avenue.
Working-Class Communities and the Future of Manufacturing
Sponsored by the Center for Working Class Studies/YSUEvening Session 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Chestnut Room in Kilcawley Center-YSUNo reservation is required.
WilliamsonCollege of BusinessAdministration
Richard McCormack
Editor & PublisherManufacturing & Technology News
Manufacturing & Technology News, created by McCormack in 1994, is read by executives in industry, government and ����������������������������McCormack has spent 22 years in Washington, D.C., as a journalist covering science and technology, industry and government. He has appeared on C-Span, CNN and PBS.
BBB Accreditation: Helps Businesses and Consumers From Page 3taken into consideration before a grade is issued.
For example, Rose says, larger companies often experience communication problems that inhibit a swift response because the complaint didn’t move through the proper channels. “That may not be as bad as a small company that just shuts off the con-sumer,” she says.
The BBB also incorporates arbitration for any business that feels a rating is unfair or unwarranted, Rose adds. “We’ve found that it’s a fair way to resolve a complaint,” she says.
In one case, Rose relates, a contractor who dis-puted a complaint was called out to a job that one of his employees performed. “In this case, the owner wasn’t aware that the job had been done incorrectly, and he then took the proper measures to correct the problem and it was resolved.”
Those companies that respond ethically and work with consumers to address differences can have that complaint expunged, Rose says. “These issues are resolved privately,” she notes, adding that the process helps separate “the good companies from the bad ones.”
Between 30 and 40 complaints end up in arbitra-tion each year, she reports.
As nonprofit agencies, BBBs are funded directly by annual dues paid by accredited businesses within the region a chapter serves, Rose says. Each chapter compiles reports on businesses, provides informa-tion about charitable organizations, keeps the public informed about fraud schemes, and helps resolve disputes between consumers and companies. About 90% of the BBB-accredited businesses in the Mahon-ing Valley are companies with 10 or fewer employees that “bear the same burdens as large companies,” she relates.
The chapter today boasts 2,000 accredited businesses, Rose reports. To earn accreditation, a company must be in business at least one year and establish a strong track record. And, those busi-nesses must also commit to conducting business lawfully, advertise truthfully, work with the BBB re-garding complaints and investigations, and respond promptly to questions or grievances.
“It’s very serious when the board reviews its companies,” says Daryl Morrison, area manager for Time Warner Cable and president of the BBB’s board of directors. “We take action when companies don’t meet their obligations.”
Should the BBB board consider expelling a com-pany from its ranks, representatives are requested to appear before the board to explain their case, Morrison says. Between six and eight companies are dropped from the BBB each year, he says.
“It was very important that we started this cam-paign,” Morrison adds. To boost the visibility of the organization and enhance the status of accredited businesses, the BBB is encouraging these companies to incorporate the BBB logo in their promotional and advertising ventures.
He adds that the ability of the BBB to alert the
community about scams or fraudulent companies is an important public service. “Senior citizens who are confined to the home are often very vul-nerable targets,” Morrison says. To help, the BBB has printed 2,000 informational sheets explaining scams perpetrated throughout the community by phone or door-to-door. These tip sheets are often delivered alongside senior services such as Meals on Wheels.
“We want to spend time getting our message out in front of the consumer, and give them reasons why they should use our services,” Morrison says.
Melissa Ames, Darlene Burkey, Patricia Rose, seated, and Dianne Seitl-Vasko, say the Better Business Bureau of Mahoning Valley Inc. helps distinguish companies that do business in a fair and ethical manner from those that don’t.
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8 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
Some businesses have staying power. At Fithian-Wilbert Burial Vault Co. that staying power is set in concrete.
Incorporated in 1929 as Fithian Cement Prod-ucts, the company is the second oldest, continu-ously operating company in Boardman – the oldest is Agnew Farm Equipment.
Two cousins, William C. and J. Albert Fithian, founded the cement products company along with Fithian Contracting Co., which specialized in ex-cavation for the installation of utility lines, says Heather Davis, owner and president of Fithian-Wilbert.
Fithian Cement Products made porch steps, birdbaths, steppingstones and a basic burial vault for caskets. In the early days, before Fithian became a
Wilbert licensee, Davis says, the burial vault it made wasn’t necessar-ily its primary product – it was one of several products made onsite
at the cousins’ manu-facturing plant at the
corner of Market Street and Wildwood Drive.
Burial vaults became the company’s primary product after
Wilbert Funeral Services Inc., based in Chicago, approached Fithian about becoming a licensee for the manufacture of its hermetically sealed vaults.
Burial vaults protect the casket and are required by cemetaries because they are able to support the weight of the soil above the burial site, preventing it from sinking and creating an uneven lawn, Davis says.
Wilbert fi rst approached Fithian in 1935, says Terry Whitlock, executive vice president at Wilbert Funeral Services. The Fithians, however, were not interested in buying a Wilbert license, Whitlock says. It wasn’t until 1937 that the cousins obliged, becoming a Wilbert licensee responsible for serving the greater Mahoning Valley. Today, Fithian-Wilbert is among 196 licensees authorized to manufacture Wilbert burial vaults.
“We’re No. 72,” Davis notes.Wilbert, the largest supplier of concrete burial
vaults in the world, serves more than 18,000 funeral homes and cemetaries in North America.
Fithian-Wilbert serves funeral homes and cem-etaries throughout Mahoning, Trumbull and Colum-biana counties in Ohio and the greater Sharon area in Pennsylvania. At one time, the Boardman-based manufacturer served a larger geographic area – “all the way to Cook’s Forest,” Davis says – but travel time became an issue.
Her employees, Davis explains, deliver vaults to the cemetaries before graveside services and remain
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Fithian-Wilbert’s Success Set in Concrete
By Maraline Kubik
Owner says ornamental concrete is ‘perfect complement’ to burial vault manufacturing business.
onsite to place the casket into the vault, lower it into the grave and place the lid on top.
“My boys are unsung heroes,” she says. “Everyday they’re in the cemetery waiting for people to come to cry.”
Davis fondly refers to most of her employees as “my boys.” She says she thinks of them as family – the younger ones as the sons she never had and the older ones as brothers.
Fithian-Wilbert has always been a family business that serves generations of families. “Our custom-ers are amazing,” Davis says enthusiastically. “I’ve known many of them more than half my life.”
Because funeral homes often remain family- owned and operated, passing from one generation to the next, Davis remembers the fathers and grand-fathers of many of the region’s current funeral direc-tors. They did business with her stepfather, Robert Fithian, son of one of the founders, and his father, so those ties remain strong, she explains.
Fithian-Wilbert sells the burial vaults, which are made to order, to consumers through funeral homes within its geographic service area. While Fithian-Wilbert’s relationships with many of those funeral homes were forged decades ago and have lasted generations, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any competition. There are two other manufacturers of burial vaults in the area, one in Youngstown and one in Niles, Davis says. Families can request vaults from any manufacturer and the funeral homes honor those requests. But, she stresses, the competition among manufacturers is friendlier and more respect-ful than it is in other enterprises.
The relationships other vault manufacturers have formed with the funeral homes they serve are just as strong as those Fithian-Wilbert has with its custom-ers, Davis says. Out of respect for those relationships, she says she would never approach a funeral home that does business with her competitors and attempt to undercut their prices.
There’s enough business to go around, she says, explaining that in the death-services industry, changes in consumers’ attitudes are more likely to impact business than competition from companies that provide similar products and services.
“This area is very ethnic and we have some very solid traditions,” Davis observes. So, she surmises, there will always be traditional burials. “But crema-tion and the use of masoleums is defi nitely on an upswing.” Neither of those employ burial vaults, which has a direct effect on her business.
To compensate for the decline in demand for burial vaults resulting from the increasing popular-ity of cremation and masoleums, and to level out demand throughout the year, Davis began diversify-
Heather Davis, owner and president of Fithian-Wilbert, says the company has always been a family business.
Ray Fimognari pours concrete into a mold for a burial vault at Fithian-Wilbert’s manufacturing plant in Boardman.
See FITHIAN-WILBERT, page 10
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 9
Fithian-Wilbert: Success of Burial Vault Manufacturer Is Set in ConcreteFrom Page 9
Fithian-WilbertBurial Vault Co.
Products: Concrete burial vaults
Founders: William C. and J. Albert Fithian
Year Founded: 1929
Headquarters/Manufacturing: Boardman, Ohio
Number of Employees: 14
Sister Companies: Cobblestone Corner, Every-thing’s Written in Stone
Sister Company Products: Ornamental concrete lawn ornaments, steppingstones, benches, pet memorials, custom-carved sandstone address markers and garden ornaments
Source: Fithian-Wilbert Burial Vault Co.
There is stronger demand for burial vaults in the winter, she explains, because more people die then as the result of illness, accidents and sucides.
So, she founded Cobblestone Corner a decade ago. A sister division of Fithian-Wilbert, Cobble-stone Corner manufactures ornamental concrete – lawn ornaments, steppingstones, benches and pet memorials. “It’s the perfect complement to the burial vault business,” Davis observes. Not only because demand for lawn and garden ornaments is strongest in the summer when sales of burial vaults wane, but because more consumers are interested in buying concrete memorial benches and angels as gifts for grieving families rather than sending flowers, she says.
Debbie Kreatsoulas, vice president of Poland Middle School’s parent-teacher organization, called on Cobblestone Corner last year after coming up with a new idea for a fundraiser. Rather than sell wrapping paper for $10 a roll or candy, PTO mem-bers wanted to sell concrete bulldogs.
Poland schools’ mascot is a bulldog.She’d visited two other garden statuary manufac-
turers before selecting Cobblestone Corner. “From Day One they treated us like gold,” Kreatsoulas says. “They make you feel like a member of the family rather than like a customer.” Plus, the staff at Cobblestone “took the idea and ran with it, finding us different bulldogs,” Kreatsoulas continues.
Cobblestone Corner provided two concrete bull-dogs and paw-print steppingstones that the PTO sold, Kreatsoulas says. A 30-pound bulldog that stands 15 inches tall sold for $30; one that stands 6 or 8 inches tall sold for $15. In seven months, Kreatsoulas says, sales of the bulldog lawn orna-ments and paw-print steppingstones raised $2,000 for the organization.
This year, a 10-by-12-inch molded block with a detailed image of a bulldog was added to the items offered through the fundraiser, Kreatsoulas says, and sales are on track to match last year’s.
“It’s a great fundraiser,” she says, and working with Cobblestone Corner “has been a very pleasant experience. That’s nice,” Kreatsoulas notes, “because fundraising can be a real nightmare.”
She also likes the fact that Cobblestone Cor-ner is local. Sales of the concrete bulldogs benefit the Poland PTO as well as a local business, not a fundraising company based elsewhere, Kreatsoulas says. Plus, she can pick up and deliver the concrete bulldogs as they’re ordered so there’s no need for her or other PTO members to store fundraiser mer-chandise as they would if they were selling more traditional items.
Other customers of Cobblestone Corner come from a much broader geographic area, largely the result of the ornamental concrete manufacturer’s display at the Canfield Fair.
“We started [exhibiting] at the fair seven years ago. We have a golf cart to deliver purchases to customers’ cars. Sometimes people will buy some-thing just so we’ll take them to their car,” Davis jokes. The ornamental concrete division of her company also distributes hundreds of business cards. Many of those visitors, some from as far as Cleveland and Pittsburgh, keep the cards and visit Cobblestone Corner later – sometimes years later, she continues.
Customers seek out Cobblestone Corner “because our concrete is beautiful,” Davis says. The quality is also outstanding. “We [are the only one in the area to] have our own batch plant,” she elaborates. “So we control the quality.” Cobblestone Corner uses the same materials that are used to make the burial vaults, she points out, “so they’re made to last.” Some of Fithian-Wilbert’s burial vaults have a 75-year warranty, she notes.
A year ago, Davis introduced a third division, Everything’s Written in Stone, which makes cus-tom-carved sandstone address markers and garden ornaments.
Together, Cobblestone Corner and Everything’s Written in Stone account for about 10% of sales, but they’re growing every year, Davis says.
An e-commerce Web site, www.concretefarms.com, should be operational later this month, mak-ing items manufactured for Cobblestone Corner and Everything’s Written in Stone available to a much broader consumer base, Davis continues.
She also plans to transform a 40-acre farm in Brookfield into a new wholesale/retail center to ac-commodate growing demand and to make access easier for customers in the Cleveland area. The new location may open as soon as this spring and should help boost sales. “We’re always looking for retailers to carry our products, too,” she adds.
Diversifying also ensures Davis will be able to keep all 14 of her full-time employees on the job year-round. They are all cross-trained, working in the manufacturing plant in the early morning and finishing up in time to deliver vaults and perform cemetery duties.
Keeping her workers on the job year-round is imperative, Davis explains, because workers who are laid off may find other jobs and choose not to return to Fithian-Wilbert. Training new employees is time consuming and costly both in terms of the company’s bottom line and employee morale, she says.
She ought to know. Davis had planned a career in law enforcement administration – an interest inspired by her father, Ray T. Davis, who served as Mahoning County sheriff from 1961 to 1976. She joined Fithian-Wilbert after being laid off from her position as a 911 dispatcher during a department downsizing.
Davis went to work for her stepfather at Fithian-Wilbert while she looked for another job in her field but, when offered another position in law enforce-ment, Davis realized she didn’t want to leave the family business. None of her siblings was interested in it, she continues, so her stepfather agreed to sell it to her.
Davis bought the business in March 1989. Since then, she has guided the company through a series of challenges, including a fire in January 1993 that burned the burial-vault manufacturing plant and company offices to the ground.
After the fire, employees worked out of construc-tion trailers for a year – a year that turned out to be the busiest in company history, averaging 279 burials a month, she recalls. Even then, Davis says, Fithian-Wilbert continued to make all of its burial vaults in Boardman. The only components that could not be manufactured onsite – personalized vault covers – were made by another Wilbert licensee in Erie, Pa., and delivered to Fithian-Wilbert’s make-shift manufactuing site every day for four months, Davis notes, until her “boys,” had all manufacturing operations back up and running.
Davis attributes the dedication of her employees and the eagerness of other burial-vault manufactur-ers to help, with Fithian-Wilbert’s ability to provide uninterrupted services while it rebuilt its manufac-turing plant.
While Fithian-Wilbert serves a limited geograph-ic area, Davis notes, Wilbert vaults are available through the corporation’s licensees “anywhere in the United States.” Those nearest Fithian-Wilbert, Davis says, are in Beaver Falls, Pa., and Akron.
Kyle Travis uses a trowel to smooth concrete freshly poured in a burial vault form. The company makes each vault to order.
Uncertainty: Health Insurance Brokers, Their Customers Await Final Action by CongressFrom Page 1Associates Inc., Boardman, agrees. “No one knows [what Congress will send to President Obama], what it’s going to cost, what’s going to be taxed. There’s so much unknown,” he says.
“I say we [brokers and employers] can’t make de-cisions based on what might be in the bill,” says Bill Wilson at the Morris Financial Group Inc., Salem.
Kashmiry emphasizes (as did all brokers inter-viewed for this article), “It not health care reform. It’s health insurance reform.”
Adds Robert A. Lackey, agent with First Place Insurance, Boardman, “None of [whatever Obama signs] will make Americans healthier.” Reform sim-ply rearranges the way and how much Americans pay for health care, he says. “It broadens the pool and spreads the risk,” which he explains, “is expected to reduce the price” of those covered today.
The bill sent to Obama’s desk isn’t expected to take immediate effect and, as Lackey notes, “Any new plan design won’t come about before 2013.”
“Small groups are still undefined,” Wilson says. “Will it be 25? 100? It looks like the public op-tion is out but a national exchange system where individuals can go out and pick their coverage has taken its place.”
As rates have risen, employers have both raised deductibles and asked their work forces to contrib-ute more of the companies’ premiums.
Today the average employee contribution is 12%, Lackey says. At larger employers, that figure rises to “25% to 50%,” says McCamon. This increased awareness of how much they are paying for health care – either their own or their co-workers – has not changed employee behavior about how much they use health care, most brokers agree.
McCamon is the exception. “I’m not seeing less use of [insurance plans],” he says, “I’m seeing more. My guess is [those covered and paying more] are saying, ‘If I’m paying for it, I’m going to use it.’ ”
“I think all employees should contribute [to health care insurance premiums],” Kashmiry says. “I think it makes them more responsible and gives them a sense of ownership.”
The recession has also forced employers to seek lower rates by “tweaking benefits,” as Kashmiry puts it, that is, reducing or eliminating access to insurance-paid dental and vision care, increasing deductibles, increasing co-pays for visits to doctors’ offices and prescription medicines.
Because visits to specialists are not as frequent, employers are willing to have their workers pay, say, $15 for a visit to a family practitioner vis-à-vis $50 for a visit to a cardiologist. This can reduce their premiums by 2% to 3%, Kashmiry says.
“When the economy was robust,” Wilson says, “employers competed to fill vacancies, so they added ancillary services” and made dental and vision insur-ance a selling point. The recession changed that as companies have been shedding ancillary coverage.
What is changing employee behavior and life-styles are the wellness programs where employers encourage their work forces to quit smoking, lose weight, eat better diets and exercise more, the bro-kers say. Because such programs are relatively new, it’s too early to assess their full effect on premiums because workers have reduced their risk of high blood pressure, heart attack or heart disease, dia-betes and cancer.
“The big thing in the last three to five years,” say McCamon, “has been educating employees on the costs of health care and what they can do to stay healthy.”
What makes a wellness plan succeed, says Morris Financial’s Wilson, is “when the employer embraces the concept.” The employer must address his work force and say, “We’re all in this together and we can lower premiums,” he says.
The results – such as lost weight, lower blood pressure – in a work force that embraces a wellness program are visible in “six to nine months,” Kash-
miry says. “It may take three years for this to be reflected in lower premiums,” Wilson says.
The fly in the ointment is the employees who re-fuse to join their fellows in adopting more healthful lifestyles, the brokers allow. “You can have a group where you have 19 triathletes and one who isn’t,” Wilson observes, and most of the risk in the pre-mium paid is contained in the “one who isn’t.”
The brokers note that while companies can re-ward employees who adopt or maintain better diets and exercise programs, they cannot penalize those who don’t or continue to smoke.
China, Europe, South America, and recently signed a contract for a project in Azerbaijan. “The Chinese market is pretty steady and South America is doing well,” Winans remarks.
Over the last year, the international business of Altronic has climbed roughly 10%, its logistics man-ager reports. Before the downturn, its global activity constituted about 30% of the company’s business.
“Now, it’s about 60% to 40%,” domestic to inter-national business, Winans says.
Even with its burgeoning global business, she says, the company couldn’t escape the effects of the economy. “There are between 15 and 30 employees on layoff,” Winans reports, as some 130 work at the plant.
On average, companies that continued to export throughout the recession feel much less of a pinch than those dependent entirely on domestic sales, relates John Senese of the International Trade Assis-tance Center, an organization based at the Northeast Ohio Economic and Trade Consortium, or Neotec, in Kent.
“Exporting had a reversal effect” on U.S.-based companies doing international business, Senese says. “As the economy worsened in the United States, those that were exporting didn’t start feeling the pinch until July, and didn’t suffer throughout the entire duration.”
U.S. goods became more attractive overseas in part because of a very weak dollar, Senese notes.
Shirley Winans, logistics manager at Altronic, holds the modular ignition rail product manufactured at the factory in Girard for the operators of natural gas engines.
Also, he points out, the country’s trade deficit nar-rowed considerably during the recession (it’s since widened) mainly because of reduced purchasing power in the United States. While exports fell overall, so, too, did the level of imports, reducing the trade deficit.
“Proportionally, we were starting to sell more than we were importing,” Senese says.
International business is a vital component to the U.S. and Ohio economies, Senese says. “Export-ing represents 13% – or $1.8 trillion – of our gross domestic product,” he reports. Some 7,500 jobs are created for every $1 billion worth of goods and services exported, he says. That translates to 13 million employees across the country and 360,000 jobs in Ohio alone.
Moreover, exporting shouldn’t be viewed as strictly product-oriented, he points out, adding that one-third of all exports are services such as consult-ing, training, travel, transportation and technology. “You can export an idea, skill or service,” he says. “It’s the fastest growing part of our economy.”
Those businesses engaged in some type of global enterprise are also more likely to succeed. “A com-pany is 10% less likely to go out of business if it exports,” he says.
That said, companies should still evaluate their options before jumping into the international mar-ket, Senese says. “Good firms become exporters, not the other way around,” he says. It’s therefore important that a business ascertain whether it is in
14 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
Exporters: Recession Not as Harsh Where Firms ExportFrom Page 1
its best interests to consider the global market. “It can depend on what product you make,” he says.
For example, if a company produces a bearing that has the potential to be used by another country in a military vehicle, then that product is probably restricted. “The U.S. has a list of restricted products that you’re not allowed to export,” he says.
And, countries under a U.S. trade embargo – such as Cuba – are also off-limits. “Exporters also need documentation, licenses, and in some cases might have to partner with another company” in the coun-try they export to. “So, there are challenges, and it can be difficult.”
Which explains why the vast majority of exports from the United States go to Canada, Senese says. “About 42% of all of our export trade goes to Canada and 7% goes to Mexico,” he says.
The most obvious reason is because most trade barriers have vanished since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta, during the mid-1990s.
“A lot of companies doing well in the interna-tional market have gotten started by exporting to Canada,” says Kim Holzina, director of the Interna-tional Trade Assistance Center. “We recommend that companies don’t start out with exporting to countries such as China, because it’s so complex.”
The need to expand opportunities for companies – especially in Ohio – has never been greater, as evi-denced by the shocks of the latest recession, Holzina
CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 15
says. “A lot of companies have seen a downturn in their domestic sales, and they look for a way to get their products out.”
Even smaller companies are searching for ways to sell their wares overseas and crack the international market. “We get a lot of requests from businesses that first want to learn the basics,” she says.
Ohio is also becoming a more important player in the international trade community, adds Ron DeBarr, executive director of Neotec. The organi-zation manages the state’s foreign trade zone, or FTZ, program. Foreign trade zones are established to help offset import duties for companies engaged in global trade.
“Ohio is seventh in terms of FTZ activity,” De-Barr reports. “Our strategy is to lay the zones over transportation hubs.”
A company operating within an FTZ has the ad-vantage of reducing, defraying – or in some cases, eliminating – the duty tax on products shipped into the country.
Neotec administers FTZ 181, which includes the Mahoning Valley. In terms of acreage, the Youngstown-Warren area has the largest FTZ in the state, he says. Yet none of the zones – dispersed between the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, land in North Jackson, and also on land along Poland Avenue – is active.
“The 270 FTZs across the country support 350,000 employees,” DeBarr says. “That’s very small when compared to other countries.”
Were it not for his international business, Russ Sewell, president of Quality Switch Inc., says his company “would be half the size we are now.” Over the last four years, he says, the company “has hit the global market hard,” opening opportunities in Korea, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.
Quality Switch produces high-voltage switches sold to companies that manufacture heavy-duty transformers, which are then sold to utility compa-nies, Sewell says. “International business has broad-ened our markets, and our exposure,” he says.
He reports 35% of Quality Switch’s business is international. “It’s slightly better than the U.S. busi-ness, but it’s still down,” Sewell says. In Mexico, for example, companies there are ramping up alternative energy projects such as windmill farms. “We were sending these switches to Mexico” to supply these projects.
Key to the company developing a global business is establishing relationships with international trade
associations and customers, Sewell says. “Meeting people and getting your name out there is critical to growth,” he says. “Once a customer gets com-fortable with you, you get a recommendation. And that’s key for us.”
Quality Switch’s latest venture is in Korea, where Sewell says the “company is just scratching the sur-face” of the potential there. “That market is holding its own. We’ve been trying to push higher voltage switches” that require further testing.
The company employs 27 and four employees are on layoff, Sewell relates. “But a lot of our global business is up,” he says. “This is still a new area for us.”
Michael Jackson assembles the modular ignition rail.
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The Valley’s Business Matters
25 East Boardman Street, Suite 306P.O. Box 714, Youngstown, Ohio 44501-0714
Videographers Jeremy Lydic Tony Marr Mike Moliterno
Senior Reporters Dan O’Brien George Nelson Jeremy Lydic
Columnists Monnie Ryan Lou Zona
Photographer Tony Mancino
Rate Comparisons Cara J. McClure
Sales Manager Janet O’Malley
Account Executives Gail S. White Dan Gonder
Art Director/ Webmaster
Fred Sipe
BY LOUIS A. ZONA
Impressions
A Sign of Better Times AheadSince Youngstown was named one of the 10 best
cities to start a business – by no less an authority than Entrepreneur magazine – political and eco-nomic development leaders have availed themselves of every opportunity to brag about that distinction. And rightfully so.
We’ve heard them repeat this everywhere from groundbreakings here to the floor of the U.S. Sen-ate. The cover of last August’s Entrepreneur, in fact, singles this area out with the simple message, “Youngstown, Ohio, anyone?”
Thanks to a 24-by-35-foot reproduction of that magazine cover hanging on the southern face of the Ohio One Building, anyone who somehow missed the news will have a hard time missing it if he travels downtown via Market Street or South Avenue. The banner, created by Water Drop Media in Brookfield, was hung courtesy of the Regional Chamber in co-operation with area businesses.
As a city all too often held up as a poster child of the Rust Belt or political corruption, Entrepreneur’s recognition is a welcome sign.
But even as the banner was raised Dec. 18, the Mahoning Valley was – again – the subject of a less-than-flattering portrayal, this time by the MarketWatch news service, which ranked it the worst of 101 metropolitan areas in the country to do business. The previous day, a Washington Post story detailed the agony the recession has inflicted on the Valley.
Eric Planey, vice president of international/na-
tional business attraction for the Regional Chamber, sees similarities between our situation, the national economy and the timing of when the banner was raised.
When the economy enters a recession, bad news tends to dominate; when it emerges from the dol-drums, the news is more mixed, he explains. “The Valley has made great strides over the last 10 years, obviously, as recognized by magazines like Entre-preneur and The Economist,” Planey says, “and at the same time the reality is we still have significant unemployment and we need to address that. We have to have events like this. We have to have the publicity to help us generate job opportunities down the road.”
True enough. We also must do a better job of promoting the tools here available for entrepreneurs and the economy to flourish. There is no denying that times are hard for far too many of us here, but it’s clear that the environment for business is improving.
As a business community, we must continue to encourage each other to take on risk – risk properly assessed and deserving of financing – that leads to growth. And that means urging our community-based lenders to encourage entrepreneurs who have solid plans.
One day, we hope, historians of the Valley will look back and see the Entrepreneur banner was a harbinger of an economy that recovered and enjoyed a new period of prosperity.
16 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
BY LOUIS A. ZONA
Impressions
See ZONA, page 18
My Lifelong Affl iction With Hypochondria
See LaRUE, page 18
What could be a greater superlative?
Like some 90% of the human race, I am right-handed. When I broke a bone in my left wrist the
fi rst Saturday in December, I waited for the pain to subside and completed my tennis match, feeling only a dull throb. When I tossed the ball to begin my serve, I had no problem. My partner and I completed our doubles match and then I played an hour-long singles match.
If you must know the details, I tripped over my feet trying to return a shot hit deep at the baseline and broke my fall with the heel of my left hand. It was so quick that I found myself still gripping my tennis racket with my right as I picked myself up. And while I got my racket on the ball, it
My Left Handfell just short of the net.
My left wrist was sore and as long as I didn’t try to do much with my left hand, I felt only a dull ache.
Taking a shower showed me just how tender my left hand and wrist were. And how much humans rely on their nondominant hand.
A day later, my family doctor, San-tuccio Ricciardi (also a tennis player), directed me to get an X-ray, which revealed the broken bone and resulted in wrapping my left wrist and arm in a cast at Boniface Orthopaedics Inc.
There the orthopedic technician who put my arm in the cast, Sam Artle, wrapped it efficiently and quickly, very quickly. “Are you going to put
OK, I’m a hypochondriac – I admit that – but the pains on both sides of my head are no
less real. They can’t be a mere sinus infection. It has to be more than that.
And let me also say that the pain in my lower back is not just arthritis affecting vertebrae L-4 and L-5 and the ridges on my fi ngernails are not just a Zona trait. No, they’re indicative of a heart is-sue.
I know what you’re thinking, but those of us fraught with worry about our health have a new ally, the Inter-net. Now we hypochondriacs can put our collective heads on the collective shoulders of like-minded people who log into such sites as WebMD, Health-
line.com and LiveAndChat.com.If you have the nagging suspicion
that the unusual itch in your left ear canal is more than simple wax build-up, you can confi rm it by visiting one of dozens of sites where other people similarly affl icted can learn the worri-some truth. There you will read about one fellow’s aunt who experienced
such an inner ear itch that turned out to be the fi rst sign that led to to-tal hearing loss.
I r e c e n t l y learned that a drop
of warm olive oil and cloves can allevi-ate, if not cure, a myriad of conditions, all of which I suffer.
There’s a phenomenon where doctors in training fi nd they have all the diseases they’re studying. But my doctor-friends’ personalities are far different than mine. So different in fact that it’s hard for me to believe
We hypochondriacs have our heroes. My favorite also happens to be my all-time favorite base-ball player, Roberto Clemente.
BY DENNIS LARUE
Commentary
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The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 17
LaRue: My Left HandFrom Page 17
Zona: Lifelong Afflication with HypochondriaFrom Page 17
plaster on it?” I asked. Plaster casts, which used cotton padding, were discarded at least 20 years ago, he informed me, and you didn’t dare get them wet or the plaster would dissolve.
Fiberglass replaced the plaster and Gortex padding wrapped beneath these casts replaced cotton. Then came Delta-Dry, which replaced Gor-tex. Artle, who’s applied casts some 30 years, says he’s set some 400 to 500 bones in the three years or so since Delta-Dry was introduced.
While Gortex padding could get wet, it did not dissipate water and moisture the way Delta-Dry does. Patients wearing Delta-Dry beneath their fiberglass casts can swim with no problem. And taking a shower is easy. The warm water that goes inside the cast relieves the itching endemic with wearing almost any cast.
“Delta-Dry allows patients to bath and wash as normal,” says the brochure Artle handed me. “[Its] patented design and fiber composition allows most water to quickly drain from the cast. Remaining moisture and perspiration is heated by the body and evaporated through the cast.”
The lightweight cast also allows patients to play tennis, if they are so inclined, which I did the next Satur-
day. It took me the best part of 45 minutes to adjust my toss for the cast. Other than that, I played just as well (and just as bad) as usual.
The market manager for Delta-Dry, Phil Peary, of BSN Medical Corp., Charlotte, N.C., explains that it’s the weave of the synthetic padding that allows Delta-Dry to dissipate the water (and sweat) so quickly. Artle advised it might take as long as an hour for all the water to drain after a shower or swimming, but my experience has been more like 15 minutes.
While my tennis game is not that much worse for wearing a cast, I can’t say the same for the everyday tasks I took for granted.
For example, I shave with my right hand and use a mug of shaving soap and brush to apply lather. So nothing’s changed. Applying aftershave lotion requires a new approach. I would pour a small amount in my left hand. Can’t do that until later this month. An atomizer helps but I still feel funny trying to distribute the aftershave on my face and chin.
I brush my teeth with my right hand. Flossing is another matter. I can’t get the floss between my teeth as well as I used to; reaching my upper right teeth is nearly impossible.
I can tie my tennis shoes but tying dress shoes makes me glad I have
dress loafers.I can’t tie a tie and have only a
couple of “cheater” bow ties. So the trend for men to wear dress shirts with the top unbuttoned doesn’t make me stand out – except to those used to seeing me wear a tie. As for buttons, it takes longer to button my shirts because my left hand lacks strength.
Opening bottles of medicine, de-pending on the container, either takes longer or I have to turn to my wife. I have gained a sudden empathy for people with arthritis.
When I drive, securing my seat belt is no problem. I easily insert the belt to my right. The passenger side is another story. I can stretch the seatbelt across my torso but can’t click it. The driver has to. And I’m glad my car shifts gears automatically. I’d always owned stick shifts before buying my 2008 sedan 14 months ago. But it’s hard to find standard shift anymore.
I can type but not quite as fast. And in researching this essay, I learned that the left hand makes 56% of all strokes on a keyboard. That hasn’t been a problem. Holding the telephone re-ceiver in my left hand and taking notes in my right as I conduct interviews remains awkward.
Our sales manager, Jan O’Malley, told me that she couldn’t put her con-tact lenses in her eyes when she broke
her left hand 20 years ago (playing football, no less). Opening her eyes wider so she could apply the lenses required her left hand. I wear glasses, so that’s another daily routine I don’t have to contend with.
Donning T-shirts, pullovers and coats takes longer and I have to put my left arm through first. Until I broke my wrist, I wasn’t aware it was my habit to stick my right arm through first.
Loading and emptying a dishwash-er and putting glasses and dishes back in the cupboards requires me to do it one item at a time. Emptying the cats’ litter boxes also takes longer.
Even writing in longhand is a slight challenge because I’m so used to hold-ing the paper or card in place with my left hand. Reading a book or magazine has me hold it against the cast, and thus setting it down more often.
Opening and locking doors is a little difficult. Inserting a key is as easy as ever. Turning the key and pushing in, whether to lock or unlock, is the challenge. And, I’ve discovered, some doorknobs work much more easily with two hands.
I’m not complaining although it might sound like it. It’s just that after waiting so long to break a bone, I had no idea how much I took my left hand for granted, how reliant I am, and how much I use my left hand.
that they ever worry about that pain in their right shoulder.
We professional worrywarts, we members of Hypochondriacs of Amer-ica, come from a long line of worriers. It’s in our DNA as evidenced by one recollection of my father who, from time to time, asked my mother, my brother or me to listen to his heart-beat.
“Did you hear that?” he’d ask, after he sensed an abnormal beat. “How about that? Did you hear anything different?”
“No, Dad,” I’d tell him, “but do you think we can go fishing later?”
“Sure, but let Dad rest here a while.” He was the king of worriers, and my very favorite hypochondriac.
Even if scientists hadn’t discovered the hypochondria gene in DNA, we hypochondriacs could point to our childhood experiences. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, the scourge of polio regularly made the front page of our newspaper. Every-one knew families with members crippled by this dread disease.
I remember a little boy named Den-nis – he lived two doors down from
us – who contracted polio and died in a matter of weeks. That family was devastated as was the family of a boy I played baseball with. Most people did not understand the causes of the dis-ease; it was assumed that polio could be caught by experiencing a sudden chill or swimming in public pools or being around dirty water.
Heck, we swam in the Neshannock Creek in New Castle, which was any-thing but clean back then. I remember swimming with my friends and seeing a watermelon rind or empty bottles or half-eaten corncobs floating by as we played in the water. So when polio struck so close to home, my friends in the neighborhood and I would sit on our front porches wondering who would be the next victim.
Later my parents teased me that for a summer or two I would run into the house to tell my mother that a fly had flown past my mouth. “Is that anything, Mom?” I’d ask.
“No,” she would comfort me. “Stop worrying and go play with your friends.”
To this day when I hear the name Dr. Jonas Salk, I pause and quietly salute the man who developed the
vaccine that halted polio. It is because of that great man that so many of us grew up healthy.
We hypochondriacs have our he-roes. My favorite also happens to be my all-time favorite baseball player, Roberto Clemente. Those old enough to remember “The Great One,” as he came to be known by his adoring fans, recall that this Hall of Fame right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was a Major League hypochondriac.
During a post-game interview after he’d hit a couple of home runs to win the game, he’d talk about his sore back, his aching shoulder or the pain in his ankle. In the same breath that he described how he made a great defen-sive play, he also told you what made that his great catch and throw was par-ticularly difficult because of the pain in his right arm and the slight groin strain he had been experiencing.
Clemente’s hypochondria was so famous that the artist at one of Pitts-burgh’s two daily newspapers drew a cartoon of Clemente for its sports page. Around the drawing of his body were dozens of arrows pointing to muscles, bones, joints and organs that at one time or another he had
complained about to the press.It was hilarious to those of us who
followed his career and who had heard his many, many, many comments about his physical ailments. But I’m sure that Clemente was not pleased with the cartoon with the dozens of pains detailed in full. Despite his incessant complaining, Clemente played every game at 100% and, I would argue, is the greatest National League right fielder in the history of the game, pains and all.
I know that I’m in good company since my informal poll of friends and my browsing the Internet tells me that our numbers are indeed great. I guess that I’m not quite as bad as some of my friends, such as a colleague who’s a museum director in Missouri and brags that he has not been to a doctor in 40 years and has no plans to ever visit one.
“I know that I have some things wrong with me,” he’s told me, “but I really don’t want to know [for sure].” At that point I should have interrupt-ed and told him about early detection and cures, but I did not want to be a hypocritical hypochondriac. (Say that fast five times.)
18 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
YOUNGSTOWN - WARREN
Regional Chamber Report
By Jim RowlandsDirector, Regional Chamber REACH Program
Government Reform, One Person at a Time
It w a s a n i d e a t h a t Joe Lucente,
a B o a r d m a n n a t i v e a n d extension agent with The Ohio State University Extension/Ohio Sea Grant College
Program, and his colleagues came up with a few years ago to fill a void in Ohio.
People are trained and educated to become doctors, teachers, nurses, writers, welders and bricklayers. But how do you learn about being an ef-fective city council or school board member? Where do you get the education to be a productive county commissioner, mayor or township trustee? Nowhere, it seemed.
So the Ohio State University Exten-sion devised a new program called the Local Government Leadership Academy and started giving seminars on local government leadership for the Ohio Township Association, the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the Ohio Municipal League. It also put together a curriculum that other groups, including chambers of commerce, could use in their com-munities to boost the cause of local government reform. The Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce became the first chamber in Ohio to start its own Leadership Academy several years ago.
In 2008, the Regional Chamber de-cided to establish the Mahoning Valley Local Government Leadership Acad-emy to support and promote good government through a curriculum geared toward improving leadership and decision-making skills.
The nine-class program is designed to benefit a wide variety of individuals including current public officials, pri-vate citizens considering running for public office, individuals appointed to various boards, committees and commissions or anyone employed in a
position that requires interaction with elected officials, including those in the business sector.
The first Mahoning Valley academy class was filled to capacity. Twenty-five people from various walks of life enrolled to take such classes as “Lead-ership Skills, Styles & Effective Deci-sion Making,” taught by Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams; “Regionalization/Economic Development,” taught by Barb Ewing, Congressman Tim Ryan’s economic development coordinator; and “Communicating and Working with the Media,” taught by Mona Al-exander, WFMJ news director.
All 25 class members later received certificates during graduation ceremo-nies. What’s interesting is that many of the members of the first academy class have taken on leadership roles in local government and school col-laboration in the Valley and are more active in the Regional Chamber and other community groups.
In 2009, 21 additional Valley resi-dents graduated from the academy. In 2010, academy classes begin Feb. 2 and run every Tuesday until March 30. Class times are from 6 to 8 p.m. Course fee is $240 and includes a light dinner that is provided before each class at 5:30 p.m.
Presenters will include Mayor Williams and Ewing, as well as Vin-dicator editor Todd Franko, Howland Township Administrator Darlene St. George, IT expert Ralph Zerbonia and representatives of the Ohio Eth-ics Commission, Ohio Commission on Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution and the Ohio State Univer-sity Extension Service.
A new sponsor of the academy in 2010 is Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell LTD Public Sector Practice Group, which has provided legal assistance to leaders of state agencies, schools, cities, townships, villages, housing authorities and other public sector organizations for 175 years.
There are still openings in the up-coming class. If you’d like to enroll, contact Shari Budge at the chamber, 330 744 2131 ext. 31, or e-mail her at [email protected].
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The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 21
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22 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
Advocacy efforts such extending and increasing tax credits for homebuyers will remain a focus of the Youngstown Columbiana Association
of Realtors, former and current presidents say. The Realtors’ interest in advocacy reflects a shift
from their early days when it was “a more social type of a thing,” says Sharyn Braunstein, execu-tive director 21 years. This year, the trade group celebrates its centennial, having been founded just two years after the National Association of Realtors was formed in 1908.
Today the association is “so much more involved in legislative issues,” she says.
“One thing that was pretty neat at the national level was when all the realtors – local, state and national – actually went to Capitol Hill” to lobby for extending the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, recalls Eric Caspary, president of Cold-well Banker First Place Real Estate in Poland and president of the Realtors in 2009. Additionally, the national Realtors secured a new tax credit for owners looking to buy another house.
The association’s incoming president, David Klacik, vice president of sales and acquisitions at Klacik Real Estate in Poland, advocates reforming the FICO score, the gauge lenders use to set rates for borrowers. Benchmarks “have been too high,” he says. “We felt if they would be lower, it would create more of a response in our market to purchase homes.” The Realtors have been talking to legislators in Columbus “to implement different ideas that will control and regulate how the service is done.”
Starting with 15 or so members, the association grew to more than 15,000 members in the 1980s. By the end of that decade, however, it had fallen to 700, a figure that has remained steady, Braunstein says.
Dave Walker, owner of Dave Walker Realty in Boardman and president of the association in 1983, says he always appreciated the former presidents because they have always stayed close to the board
Realtors Group Begins Its 100th Year
By George Nelson
Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors takes on new advocacy role.
and the organization’s activities. “There’s something about being a Realtor that you take great pride in and you don’t want somebody to mess it up so that people get the wrong idea of our profession,” he says. “And I truly believe it is a good profession, and one that I’m glad to be part of.”
A former outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies who played in the 1950 World Series, Jack Mayo, president of the Realtors in 1965 and a 60-year vet-eran of the industry, says he enjoys the business for the same reason he was in baseball. “Every day is a new challenge. You can hit four home runs or strike out four times, but you always had that chance,” he remarks. “The same thing in real estate. The feeling of making a sale has the same feeling as hitting a home run.” Mayo is the founder and owner of Mayo & Associates, Boardman.
Reflecting on the history of the local chapter, Klacik, says its code of ethics sets Realtors – mem-bers of the industry’s trade association – apart from
David Walker, 1983 president, Sharyn Braunstein, executive director, Eric Caspary, 2009 president, and David Klacik, incoming president, reflect on the changing role of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors.
other real estate agents. The code “protects the homebuying and selling
public to make sure that the Realtors are always ethical in their dealings with the public,” Braunstein says. It goes beyond what is required of those hold-ing real estate licenses.
“We’ve always strived to bring professionalism into our ranks,” Klacik says, and the promotion of home ownership has always been a focal point for the Realtors.
In addition, education has been a big part of the organization, “keeping the agents on top of the ever-changing real estate community,” Caspary remarks.
In Walker’s mind, the education Realtors have today is “far superior” to that of years ago. “If you take the time to read the articles,” he says, “you’re well informed as to what is not only happening locally but what has happened statewide and also
See REALTORS, page 26
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nationwide,” he says. One of the biggest changes Walker has seen in his
41 years as an agent is how property values “put you more aware of what the basic economy is doing,” he says. “Today we recognize that the basic economy has had an impact on the value of our homes.”
Klacik, Mayo and Caspary all agree that computer technology has had a considerable effect on how houses are bought and sold. Using the Internet, “We’re able to gather more sources of information to help us further our industry and to offer that to the general public,” Klacik says.
Or, for would-be homebuyers to gather informa-tion on their own, Caspary and Mayo say.
“It’s made it much easier for the consumer to col-lect information that they need to make a decision when they’re buying or selling a piece of property,” Caspary says.
“People look to the Internet before they even come to buy a house, so they know almost as much as you know,” Mayo says. “Before, you rode them around in a car until they found something.”
Another shift is the prevalence of women in the profession. “I know when I first started we had a handful of women,” Klacik recalls.
Today “we have a handful of men,” Caspary comments.
Men still tend to be the brokers, adds Braunstein, “but you’ve got a lot more women today than you do men [as agents].”
One reason, Mayo suggests, that fewer young men enter the business because it takes several years to start making money, a challenge for anyone support-ing a family. Women have entered the field because it makes a “good second income” for a family.
“The women came in and they came in strong. There have been some strong women Realtors,” he reflects, and he singles out one former colleague for praise, the late Elaine de la Croix. “She was a tough woman and she ran the best real estate of-fice,” Mayo says.
Walker, Caspary and Klacik – who collectively have more than 90 years in the industry – agree that never before have they seen the conditions in today’s markets.
The Mahoning Valley went through a similar situation in the early 1980s when the steel mills closed, Walker notes, and interest rates “went sky high.” The other thing that he found back then was that local lenders were less creative in making loans than banks in other markets, such as Columbus. “It was localized,” he recalls.
“It’s national. It’s a credit crisis,” Caspary says of conditions today.
“It’s been a macroeconomic problem,” Klacik says.
The Realtors were also optimistic about their prospects for this year and, by extension, the economy.
“Real estate does drive the economy,” Caspary says. When people buy a home, they also buy win-dows, roofing, siding, carpeting, paint and landscap-ing products and services. Combine the new tax credits with interest rates at a 50-year low and the housing supply and “we’re going to be able to stabi-lize prices,” he says. “It’s going to put a lot of people back to work.” He also expects Realtors to lobby to make the new homeowner tax credit permanent.
What are you watching at 11 p.m.? According to the November ratings, more
than half of Valley residents with their televisions on aren’t watching local news. And just over half are watching local news at 6 p.m. Where have all the local news junkies gone?
There was a time when 90% of the TVs on at 6 and 11 p.m. were tuned to local newscasts. Of course, that was in the Tom Holden era, pre-Internet and before the cable explosion.
While WFMJ still handily won the 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. news slots, it also suffered the biggest blow in Novem-ber when it comes to viewers turning away from news.
In the mornings, WFMJ still reigns supreme, beating WKBN by 11 audi-ence share points, but lost a whopping nine shares from last November.
WKBN’s morning news is up four shares with Amy Radinovic now part of the team. WYTV’s morning show is also up two audience share points.
In fact, the loss of audience for WFMJ Today, anchored by Lauren Lindvig and Scott Schneider, has prompted WFMJ management to ask the Nielsen company to look into what it calls a significant problem in week two of the ratings period when Channel 21 plummeted only to re-bound in weeks three and four.
“We lost over 60% of our view-ers that week,” points out WFMJ’s sales manager, Jack Grdic. “We have them investigating what might have happened with the diaries,” which Nielsen selects a sample of viewers to fill out.
At noon, WKBN lost 9% of its audi-ence but still maintained its huge lead by pulling a 30% share (thanks largely to its “Price is Right” lead in), and doubling the audience of WFMJ.
Grdic points out WFMJ did very well at 6 p.m., garnering about the same number of viewers as the other two stations combined. Still, FMJ was down from last November while the
Watching Local News?WFMJ ratings tumble as local news viewers continue to disappear.
other two stations each picked up a share point.
In their exodus to wherever, view-ers have left behind a tight, competi-tive race at 11 p.m., with no dominant leader. WFMJ’s broadcast, anchored by Bob Black and Cindy Matthews, tumbled eight share points from last November – landing in a tie with WKBN, which dipped two shares.WYTV, a solid third, dropped three share points.
“I think that’s a culmination of what we’ve been seeing for years.
Morning news-casts are becom-ing more impor-tant than the 11 p.m. newscast,” observes Dave
Coy, the general manager of WKBN/WYTV.
Overall, Coy says he’s very pleased with the November book. “Our enter-tainment programming was strong,” he says. “We are encouraged by the performance of local news. We trend-ed up in virtually every newscast – and it’s now a horse race at 11 p.m.”
As we examine FMJ’s big drop at 11 p.m., can we blame it partially on the new Jay Leno Show, which has proven disastrous as a lead-in for NBC affiliates elsewhere? Actually, no. In the Youngstown market, Leno’s rat-ings (while they didn’t help) are only down slightly from NBC’s offerings in November 2008, not greatly influenc-ing FMJ’s eight share-point drop.
WFMJ’s Grdic attributes the loss of viewers for his station’s morning and late newscasts in large part on the weather. “The one big thing that didn’t happen this November was se-vere weather, which can really drive viewership,” he explains.
Grdic says when margins are that much higher, there is that much more to lose in a bad news cycle.
Interestingly, more people are watching local news at 10 p.m. on WKBN’s second sister station, WYFX. Viewership for “First News on Fox” was up 75% from last November. And this comes as no surprise to this writer, who, after getting up at 5:30 a.m. everyday, working and running two kids here and there, isn’t tuning in anywhere at 11 but instead is tuned out with eyes closed.
There was a time when 90% of the TVs on at 6 and 11 p.m. were tuned to local newscasts.
It’s in one year and out another, and if you’re like me, at least one of your New Year’s resolutions
already has gone by the boards. This year (again), I’m determined to try harder – and I found some great online resources to help keep me on track.
Getting your financial house in or-der almost always appears near the top of most people’s resolutions, and in this lousy econo-my, it’s never been more important. Sometimes, it’s the little things that count. If you’re the owner of a rear-projection TV set, for instance, did you know that it uses at least four times as much electricity when turned off than a “regular” TV and VCR? Or that your cute little cordless phone with an answering ma-chine gobbles up twice as much power as the answering machine alone?
These are just a few of the neat facts you’ll find at Standby Power, Standby.lbl.gov, compiled by the Lawrence Berkeley National Labora-tory. Standby power is used by appli-ances and equipment when they are turned off or not being used for their primary function. When any of these uses, say 5 watts of power on standby, that translates to about $5 a year. Not much, perhaps, but it adds up fast when you add in the refrigerator, your upright freezer, computer monitor and printer and a gazillion other things that you usually take for granted.
Another helpful site is BillShrink.com, where you can compare the cost of wireless service, savings accounts and credit cards and even gas stations. Just enter information on what you currently have, what features you need (if appropriate), and you’ll get a list showing possible savings.
Also helpful is WiseBread.com, which purports to help you “live large on a small budget.” This site is a bit different, though, in that it’s a com-munity of bloggers who share their experiences and tips for saving money, from where to find great shopping
Put the Internet to Work deals to an entire Small Business Re-source Center filled with blogs relating to – well, you get the picture.
Taking steps to protect your com-puter (and yourself) from viruses, scams and other nasty things is another resolution to consider. For years, I’ve been a big fan of the AVG Free Anti-Virus program, Free.AVG.com. It’s kept me relatively worry-free for a long time. Now, it seems the com-pany is limiting the free version to one computer for personal use only. I’ve got three computers – a PC, a note-
book and a new Christmas-present netbook. Accord-ing to the rules, I can’t download the program on all three. So, I’ve switched to the
free anti-virus program from Avira, Free-av.com, on two of my comput-ers. It was quick to download, and it comes with high reviews from experts. This is a program I’d recommend in a heartbeat. Both AVG and Avira, I should note, offer for-sale versions that are much more powerful.
Still another security measure I’ve taken is to make Mozilla Firefox my default browser, GetFirefox.com. To be sure, part of the reason is that In-ternet Explorer has taken to crashing every second hour, and that gets quite tiresome when you’re online as much as I am. But by most accounts, Firefox offers much more security, and that was enough to convince me.
I’m a huge believer in backing up data – especially given that my hus-band, Jack, and I amass thousands of photographs every year. (They’re hardly all gems, but I don’t want to lose them, either.) For the most part, I use large-capacity portable hard drives – for instance, the Western Digital My Book Essential; the 500 GB version, which I have, can be found for under $100 if you shop around.
Another possibility that’s becoming popular is online storage. One of the most popular sites is Carbonite.com, which provides unlimited storage for a flat $54.95 per year. Given what it would cost in time and tears if you were to lose important data – most notably business data – that doesn’t seem like a high price to pay.
Sites that help you save money, improve computer security.
Another helpful site is BillShrink.com, where you can compare the cost of wireless service, savings accounts and credit cards and even gas stations.
Job seekers with experience and a youthful appearance may have an edge when it comes to landing new jobs in a recessive economy.
At least that’s what many of the nation’s plastic surgeons say their patients believe. Three out of four physicians polled by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery report that in 2008 they treated patients seeking facial plastic surgery as a means to remain competitive in the workplace.
“We’re definitely seeing patients because of the economy,” says Richard D. Gentile, a board certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic facial and laser surgery. Gentile has offices in Board-man, Fairlawn and Cleveland.
While recent studies indicate that up to 75% of patients seek facial plastic surgery or other pro-cedures to remain competitive in the workplace, Gentile says the percentage of patients he sees pursuing procedures specifically to improve their marketability in the workplace is considerably lower. Even so, he says, the sluggish economy has driven demand for some procedures.
Many people plan to have procedures when they have a block of time away from work. Those fortunate enough to have time off and still have the resources required to pay for procedures to
Getting Rid of Wrinkles• In 2008, physicians in the United States per-formed more than 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures.
• 1.7 million of those were surgical cosmetic procedures, down 9% from 2007.
• 10.4 million were minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, up 5% compared to 2007.
• 4.9 million were reconstructive procedures, up 3% over 2007.
Top Four Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Botox – five million procedures performed, up 8%.
• Hyaluranic Acid Fillers – 1.1 million procedures performed, up 6%.
• Chemical Peel – One million procedures per-formed, down 2%.
• Microdermabrasion – 842,000 procedures performed, down 6%.
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Best Face Forward Gives Competitive EdgeIt’s easier to look younger than to acquire work experience.By Maraline Kubik
Dr. Richard D. Gentile shows before-and-after pictures of one of his patients. He developed the “LaserSmartLift” procedure.
improve their appearances are taking advantage, he says. “They’re not always big procedures. Many are minimally invasive.” And, he says, some patients interested in the bigger procedures, such as facelifts, “trade down” to more affordable alternatives such as fractional laser skin rejuvenation.
Gentile says the results patients experience from laser skin rejuvenation “are very dramatic,” provid-ing 80% of the results a patient would receive with a facelift. Laser skin rejuvenation also requires sub-stanially less recovery time.
Minimally invasive procedures may also be acceptable alternatives for patients with health problems that make them unsuitable candidates for elective surgeries that would require general anesthesia, Gentile adds. All procedures Gentile performs in his onsite surgical suite are performed without general anesthesia.
Laser rejuvenation and other minimally invasive treatments are not a replacement for surgery, Gentile clarifies, but they may be an acceptable alternative.
A LaserSmartLift, which Gentile describes as a “laser-assisted facelift” – a proprietary procedure he developed in 2007 – offers fewer side effects than traditional facelifts, quicker recovery times and lower costs.
The technologies employed – Gentile’s practice has access to some 20 lasers – reduces operation time which, he says, reduces costs to the patient. This is important because cosmetic surgery is rarely covered by insurance and most of his patients have average incomes of between $50,000 and $90,000 a year.
The procedure has captured the attention of
plastic surgeons throughout the United States and Europe and was featured in Elle magazine.
The majority of Gentile’s patients – 80% – are women and most of them believe that improving their appearance will improve their confidence and well-being.
Nearly all of the male patients, Gentile says, believe improving their appearance will help them improve or maintain their competitiveness in the workplace. “If you look baggy, saggy and tired,” he reflects, it takes its toll. “Looking younger puts them on easy footing [with their younger, less-expe-rienced counterparts]. It’s easier to look younger,” Gentile says, “than it is to gain experience.”
Sales people, executives and teachers are among those Gentile says often seek treatment to improve their appearances – sales people and executives to gain an edge in the workplace, and teachers because they have large blocks of time away from work.
Gentile’s practice experienced significant growth in minimally invasive procedures in each of the past two years – a 9.5% increase in 2008 over the year before and a 2% increase last year over 2008. This compares to a 30% to 40% decline at similar practices throughout the country.
He attributes the growth to his focus on the most popular emerging technologies, expertise and favor-able fee schedule. Increasingly, he says, patients rely on financing to pay for their cosmetic procedures, and consider cosmetic procedures to be investments that will pay off, he says.
Gentile says his patients come from throughout the United States, Mexico and Australia.
Pursuits of Beauty Change with AgeTattoo removal tops the list for women in their 20s and 30s.By Maraline Kubik
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder and it appears that view changes with age.
For middle-aged women, beauty – and the pursuit of it – often includes a wrinkle-free face and youthful glow.
For women in their 20s and 30s, tattoos or unwant-ed facial or body hair may stand in the way of true perfection.
For men, i t could be any or all of the above.
Middle-aged women with sun-damaged skin comprise the majority of patients at the Vayda Cosmetic Laser Center in Warren, says Zach-ary Veres, a board-certified family practitioner with special interests in dermatology, cosmetic laser and aes-thetic procedures.
Botox injections, which smooth out creases and wrinkles on the face, Juvéderm, a gel filler that is placed under the skin to smooth lines, and chemical peels that remove the outer layers of damaged, blemished or dis-colored skin are among the options available, Veres says.
For the most dramatic effect, he says some patients opt for “a liquid facelift,” which combines all three procedures.
A liquid facelift can be completed in 30 to 45 minutes, Veres says, so it’s possible for patients to have it done during their lunch breaks. There is no preparation and no down time – patients can even wear makeup immediately after the procedures, he continues. Results are immediate.
Another option, ProFractional microlaser treatments, use laser micro beams to stimulate the production of collagen deep within the dermis. This, Veres explains, significantly improves the appearance of wrinkles, acne scars and stretch marks and evens out skin pigmentation.
Patients experience two to three days of redness. With a traditional facelift, Veres says, patients may expe-
rience weeks of discomfort following surgery.
All of these treatments, he reflects, provide similar results as plastic sur-gery with little or no downtime and at a much-reduced price.
Younger women, who are natu-rally wrinkle-free, sometimes opt for chemical peels “to enhance their glow,” Veres says, but most visit his office to have tattoos removed – espe-cially if they’re looking for a job in a professional environment.
“The demand for tattoo removal is bigger than peo-ple think,” Veres says. He estimates tattoo removal ac-counts for 30% of his business.
Both women and men often want tattoos removed from visible areas – arms, ankles and the back of the neck. In a professional office, having tattoos might be unac-ceptable and hamper the individual’s job search or opportunity for advance-ment, Veres explains.
There are only two types of lasers capable of removing most tattoo colors, he continues, and Vayda Cos-metic Laser Center is the only office with these lasers between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Unlike some cosmetic procedures that can be completed in a single visit, tattoo removal requires more than one visit – depending on the size and colors of the tattoo – spaced about six weeks apart. Results, Veres says, are often undetectable until the patient has had several treatments because of the way it works.
The laser, he explains, targets the ink and breaks it down so the body can absorb it and carry it away. Changes or fading of darker colors – black, red and dark blue – appear first. Lighter colors take longer to fade and may require more treatments. Prices are per visit, based on the size of the area to be treated.
Veres also uses lasers to remove unwanted hair on the face, underarms and bikini area of some of his younger female patients.
Men visit his office for laser hair removal on their backs and treatment of scars caused by acne. Most of Veres’ male patients are between 25 and 50 years old, he says.
A liquid facelift can be com-pleted in 30 to 45 minutes, Veres says, so it’s possible for patients to have it done during their lunch breaks.
While most balding men would certainly wish to preserve a full head of hair, stylists also say most don’t wish it enough to conceal their trouble spots with surgeries or toupees.
Of the some 200 men who walk through the doors of William Leonard’s Extraordinary Gentlemen Salon & Spa in Youngstown every month, about half are losing their hair or bald, says its owner, Lisa Reali.
None seem to want comb-overs, and most “shiver and shake” at the mere mention of hair plugs, she adds. Although a few have asked Reali about hair restoration surgery, such procedures are becoming passé, she tells them, which Reali chalks up to the increasing popularity of being bald.
“Men don’t have self-esteem issues like they used to,” she suggests. “A lot of the guys now are even shaving it off when they start losing their hair. It’s more fad to be bald than it is to get a toupee.”
Shaving the scalp completely often can be very traumatic because, Reali says, “They don’t know what they would look like without any hair.” In such situations, she gradu-
By Jeremy Lydic
Don’t try to conceal baldspots with comb-overs, and don’t expect hair to grow back like it was.
Hair Thinning? ‘Shave It Off,’ Stylists AdviseFrom Page 31
Hair Loss IsBig Business
In 2008, Propecia was the most prescribed product for hair loss, accounting for 76% of prescriptions, the International Society of Hair
Restoration Surgery reports. Minoxidil was second at 64%, followed by Rogaine foam at 52% and Biotin at 13%.
Of the 750 hair restoration physicians the Geneva, Ill.-based organization represents world-wide, 82% say they rarely or never recommend a hairpiece, wig or extensions.
Hair restoration surgery was a $1.26 billion market in the United States in 2008, with 93,035 scalp surgeries performed by organization mem-bers, the trade group reports.
Men and women ages 30 to 49 were the most common patients, with men accounting for 85% of the procedures and tending to be slightly younger than women.
works clients to a tighter hairstyle by layering their hair, she says. The hair appears fuller when layered, and the cut is usually kept pretty tight.
“The cut is tremendously important,” Reali says. “It’s a combination of who you are, what you want, the convenience, and how much you want to maintain it.”
Although most of Reali’s clients opt to clipper their thinning hair short, some are still willing to try different products to keep their hair thick, she says.
William Leonard’s Extraordinary Gentlemen Salon & Spa carries Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree sham-poo, which helps nourish dry scalp, and an artificial hair product that shakes on to a customer’s existing hair.
Small, crystalline, hairlike fibers fuse with the customer’s hair and can be styled, Reali explains. Customers attending social functions or getting their pictures taken usually use the product, she says.
Men should pay attention to maintaining their hair at a young age, advises Donna Tringhese, co-owner and operator of Entheos Salon & Day Spa in Boardman.
When a customer says he’s finding a lot of hair on his pillow or in his comb, Tringhese first asks what his diet consists of. In addition to stress, she sees a correlation between poor diet and hair loss, and says a high-protein, low-fat diet is best for maintaining a full head of hair.
“We eat so many carbs and high fatty foods that we’re not getting that protein from the grains,” Tringhese says. “The nourishment just isn’t there. In this day and age, people are eating too much fast food and greasy foods.”
Some over-the-counter products also help main-tain hair, says Tringhese, who mostly encourages customers to take a biotin supplement.
An exfoliating shampoo, such as the Aveda brand
for sale at Entheos, uses grit to cleanse and exfoliate the scalp and won’t dry out hair, she adds. Products with minoxidil, such as Rogaine, are also good for maintaining hair, but Tringhese says she has never once seen them grow back a head of hair.
Berni Ritenour agrees, and says most products do little to regrow hair that’s been lost naturally. Riten-our, managing cosmetologist at La Bella Vita Salon & Day Spa in Hubbard, says one of her customers uses Rogaine, but “his hair is not growing back. He thinks it’s growing back, but what it’s doing is
plumping it up and making it grow fuller.” When Ritenour first started working as a stylist
32 years go, she worked at a truck stop. Even though truck drivers work under a good amount of stress, “Thinning hair still wasn’t as common back then as it is now,” she observes.
Ritenour doesn’t recommend surgery, and for those that have lost too much, her advice is simply “shave it all off. A lot of them I buzz now,” Ritenour says. “They want me to do that sweep over, and I won’t.”
No, Silly – not that kind of hook-ing up! We’re talking about connecting, or reconnecting, with family, friends, co-work-ers and just about anyone else
online through the so-called “social network-ing” Web sites. It’s a relatively new phenom-enon, but it’s growing by leaps and bounds: Fully 83% of the Internet population ages 13 to 54 are social networking players, accord-ing to a survey by Knowledge Networks, and nearly half of those folks get in the game at least once a week.
Count our search team among them; even though we’re well past that 54-year mark and admit a prefer-ence for staying in touch by phone or (gasp!) snail mail. We, too, have dipped our toes in the social networking waters.
Along the way we’ve been able to touch base with old friends as well as make new ones, whether they’re from the local region, a different state or even another country or two – and what’s more, it’s fun.
Now we’re aware that sites featuring homemade videos are popular – at least if the large number of those pesky forwarded e-mails we get every week is any indication – but we have zero interest in show-ing anyone our granddaughter’s cat pussyfooting on the piano keys, nor do we really care to see anyone else’s version. So the sites we’ll concentrate on here focus primarily on the printed word.
We’re also sticking with four of the more well-known sites, but we will note that there are dozens of specialized sites out there (Geni.com for families, Eons.com for Baby Boomers and Gather.com for people who like to meet with others who share similar interests, for instance).
If you’re a newbie, our suggestion is to start with one of the biggies to learn the basics – then branch out from there.
Actually, our search team stepped into the world of social networking way back in 1990, when Class-mates.com was just getting started. We signed on mostly in the hope of staying in touch with some of the folks we went to school with. Since then, the site has mushroomed to somewhere around 3.5 million paid members – and we’re still among them.
As membership has grown, so have the benefits. We’ve had fun creating a list of favorite songs for the years we graduated from high school (1958 and 1959, if anybody gives a hoot). The site helps with planning class reunions and provides space to upload photos after the fact. There are places to add your favorite movies, TV shows, activities and more – and if you’re a “chatter,” you can post updates on what you’re doing and why at any given minute.
Classmates.com isn’t limited to 12 grades, either; you can connect here with college friends as well as current and former
workplaces. So if you’ve lost touch with that sorority sister or cubicle-mate from years ago, this could be the place to find each other again.
NOTWORKING: Networking offers many ben-efits, but that doesn’t mean you should join in with total abandon. First and foremost, carefully read
Hooking Up In Search of:
By Monnie Ryan
each site’s privacy policy and terms of service before signing up.
Here’s a for-instance caveat from Classmates.com: “…once you are registered your name, community affiliations and years associated with those affilia-tions will be displayed on the site and you will no longer be anonymous to us or to other individuals
who access the site.” Bottom line? If anything you read bothers you the least little bit, don’t join.
If there’s any site most fo lks are fami l iar with, it’s most likely
Facebook.com. Some of these folks also go a little crazy, as we can attest; we recall watching a young man sitting at his laptop at a WiFi-enabled restaurant in Marietta, clearly checking his Facebook page. An hour and a quarter later, when we were finished eating, he was still there – still adding entries on Facebook.
We’re nowhere near that fanatical, although we can see how easy it is to get caught up in all the “apps” such as setting up shop in “Farmville” or filling out questionnaires to discover what “color” or “plant” your personality most resembles. If we visit once or twice a day, though, we figure we’ve done our part.
Still, the site is a great way to meet others. Our friends’ lists range from local friends and relatives in Houston and Branson, Mo., to high-school class-mates to photographer friends in six states. When we log in, we see all the latest postings by all of them; we can add our comments or send a private e-mail as we choose. It’s also quite easy to post photos, videos and links to other sites we want to share with others.
NOTWORKING: Facebook has made news on several occasions as a result of shaky privacy issues, although new customizable privacy settings have eased the pain a bit. We do cast a wary eye toward giving the site access to our e-mail address list (sup-posedly to “find” our friends who also are Facebook members). Doing that requires turning over our e-mail password – and on that, we pass.
Just like Rockin’ Robin, Twitter.com users love to go tweet, tweet, tweet – but they must keep it to 140 or fewer characters. Started in March 2006
as a privately funded startup in San Francisco, the site has grown to millions of members who love to share what they’re doing at that very moment. The question that’s asked when you log in is a simple, “What’s happening?” And since the site accepts messages from all sorts of devices including cell phones, it’s readily accessible to folks wherever they are.
There are several “Twitter Goodies,” as the pow-ers-that-be call them, such as buttons to promote your messages – called “tweets” – on other Web sites. There’s also a bunch of “apps” that allow you to send and receive Twitter updates in a variety of ways (al-most all totally foreign to us, by the way – “Twhirl?” “Widsets?” “Spaz?” “Digsby?” Say what?).
On the other hand, it’s easy to add links to other Web sites – if we’ve added a new entry to one of our blogs, for instance, we can announce it here.
Some confusion aside, Twitter is a quick, fun way to tell folks we’re off to Mill Creek Park, babysitting the grandkids or busy finishing an “In Search Of”
feature for The Business Journal. Hooking up is done by “following”
someone else – an individual, organization or business
– and they can follow you as well. The list we follow is rather diverse, includ-ing relatives and friends,
a couple of TV shows and other Web sites, two uni-
versities, a county tourism bureau and even a couple of
our favorite restaurants.
NOTWORKING: Twitter was made for short messages, which
is nice, but watch out for “friends” who spend half their waking hours
spewing out these little gems (and whoever invented “re-tweeting” mes-
sages to you that they like from other folks should be drawn and quartered).
Get a notice that someone new is “following” you? Check out that person immediately and don’t hesi-tate to block him or her if it’s an unsavory person with whom you’d rather not be associated.
Anyone in the working world should consider signing up at LinkedIn.com, which can be an excellent way to build a network of
professionals who might well come in handy if you find yourself looking for a new job. Even if that doesn’t happen, you’ll be able to meet up with other working stiffs with interests similar to yours.
Like the other sites, there’s a place to tell folks what projects you’re working on or what’s new in the world of work. You can see at a glance what the folks in your personal “network” are up to, and there’s always a short list of people you may know and can invite to join your network.
Another neat feature is the chance to join vari-ous special-interest groups, such as the Kent State University Alumni Association and Ohio’s “State of Perfect Balance.”
Other neat features include listings of job open-ings on your profile page that match keywords you’ve entered and the opportunity to answer questions in your field of expertise posted by other members. Of course, you can search for jobs by keyword and ZIP code or, if you’re an employer, post job openings at your own company.
NOTWORKING: LinkedIn is a great place to offer suggestions and advice and ask questions of others, but avoid “selling” yourself, your products or your services. Members here are a savvy lot, and they can smell the tiniest hint of self-promotion a mile away. When they do, you’ll lose respect and may even be on the receiving end of some nasty comments.
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 33
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If you’re like most Ohio employers, you’re look-ing for the best Workers’ Compensation group rating program for your company. With all the BWC changes that have occurred over the past year, and the state of our economy, it’s important to weigh your options and make a good decision.
Sheakley, a human resources consulting company based in Cincinnati, has been a trusted partner of the Better Business Bureau for 18 years, providing a solid group rating program to our members. This company is able to help reduce employers’ Workers’ Comp premiums through aggressive claims management and comprehensive safety programs.
Note: If you don’t qualify for the traditional group rating program, you may qualify for the new BWC retrospective-group rating program.
If you aren’t a Workers’ Comp expert, rely on the organization that “star ts with trust” – your Better Business Bureau -- and its partner, Sheakley.
For a free, quick analysis, call Mark Pallo at 800 820 7292.
BBB Workers’ Comp Group Rating Partner Is Sheakley
I a d m i t i t : T h i s column is serving as a reminder about
ignoring my own age.I started my career
at the Better Business Bureau in 1985. This year I’ll celebrate my 25th anniversary here. I graduated from Board-man High School in 1958. My son is 47 – so that makes me 59, give or take a few years.
My only resolution this year is to ignore my age, not act my age and
begin to accomplish all the things I still want to accomplish in my lifetime.
Marlee Matlin won the Academy Award for best actress at age 21; Jessica Tandy won it at age 80. James Michener didn’t write his first novel until he was 42 and then wrote best sellers until he died at age 90. I didn’t find true love until I was 37 and I didn’t find my true career until I was in my 40s.
This just proves to me that wonderful things can happen at any age.
Answer these two questions just as I did when I read “The 60 Second Self-Starter” by Jeff Davidson.
First, I have now come to the end of my life and I’m disappointed that I didn’t _________.
How did you answer that question? Whatever first came to your mind is something you should do right away or as quickly as possible. No use put-ting it off. If it came up first – it must be important to you.
Second question. I have now come to the end of my life and I’m glad that I ________. What did you come up with this time? This too, is probably very important to you.
Now think about this. What you didn’t accom-plish was probably because of procrastination. What you did accomplish was probably because you didn’t procrastinate.
When you think about the opportunities that await you and those you can create, procrastination should never again be a part of your vocabulary or one of your bad habits that you resolve to quit every New Year’s Day.
It is never too late to start something, especially in the entrepreneurial arena.
In my somewhat biased world, life experience will win over youthful energy. Most of us have
abilities, a compelling vision and flair for devel-oping a concept, perseverance and a passion to succeed.
Granted I don’t have the energy level that I had at 22, but my life experience beats energy
any day of the week.I’m challenging anyone reading this to
make only one resolution this year. Ignore your age and concentrate on what you will achieve if you never again let procrastina-tion invade your mind.
Don’t be afraid to start something new or different at any stage of life. I hope young people as well as those of us (calendar wise) who are not so young take my message to heart.
Jonathan Larson said, “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”
Don’t regret your past, but begin to live your life one day at a time. And use these days, one day at a time, to attain all the accomplishments you truly desire. Happy New Year.
The FBI and your Better Business Bureau are warning consumers about an ongoing threat involving pop-up security messages that
appear while they are using the Internet. The messages may contain a virus that could
harm your computer, cause costly repairs or, even worse, lead to identity theft. The messages contain scareware, fake or rogue anti-virus software that looks authentic.
The message may display what appears to be a real-time, anti-virus scan of your hard drive. The scareware will show a list of reputable software icons; however, you can’t click a link to go to the real site to review or see recommenda-tions.
Cyber criminals use botnets – collections of compromised computers – to push the software and advertisements on Web sites to deliver it. This is known as malicious advertising or “malvertis-ing.”
Once the pop-up warning appears, it can’t be easily closed by clicking the “close” or “X” buttons. If you click the pop-up to purchase the software, a form to collect payment information for the bogus product is launched.
In some instances, the scareware can install mali-cious code onto your computer, whether you click the warning or not. This is more likely to happen if your computer has an account that has rights to install software.
Downloading the software could result in viruses, malicious software called Trojans, and/or keyloggers – hardware that records passwords and sensitive data – being installed on your computer.
Malicious software can cause costly damages for individual users and financial institutions. The FBI estimates scareware has cost victims more than $150 million.
Cyber criminals use easy-to-remember names and associate them with known applications. Beware of
pop-up warnings that are a variation of recognized security software.
You should research the exact name of the software being offered. Take precautions to ensure operating systems are updated and security software is current.
If you receive these anti-virus pop-ups, close the browser or shut down your computer system. You should run a full anti-virus scan whenever the computer is turned back on.
If you have experienced the anti-virus pop-ups or a similar scam, notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by filing a complaint at IC3.gov or contact the Better Business Bureau at [email protected].
‘Scareware’ can install malicious code onto your computer.
Possessed of a vision and fortified with $2.7 million in federal and state grants and another $1.7 million in private funding, a steering
committee of 26 will, over the next 10 months, work toward the birth of an advanced-energy business incubator in downtown Warren.
Midwife to this birth is Rebecca O. Bagley, presi-dent and CEO of NorTech, a consulting firm based in downtown Cleveland whose tagline is “Growing Northeast Ohio’s High Tech Economy.”
Bagley, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio, state Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-32 Hubbard, state Rep. Tom Letson, D-64 Warren, and Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien, outlined their vision Dec. 21 of what such an incubator might achieve in the fields of “advanced energy and flexible materials.”
Long on optimism and short on specifics, the five expressed hope the incubator will rejuvenate manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley through infant enterprises that one day produce parts for windmills, geothermal, solar and nuclear energy plants and sources of energy other than petroleum, coal and natural gas. “Four hundred tons of steel go into a windmill,” Ryan noted.
Bagley offered the number of people she expects would be employed in the incubator – “50 to 70 jobs” – rather the number of companies that would be housed there.
“We have done some market testing,” she said
later, reporting that “450 firms” in the region are interested.
The incubator is incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that will be funded by both the public and private sectors.
The site of the incubator, whether it will be a
NorTech to Help Launch Warren IncubatorBy Dennis LaRue
Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien looks on as NorTech’s president, Rebecca O. Bagley, tells how her agency can help.
converted building or a brand-new structure, and its design all must be worked out, to be determined by the steering committee that includes “nine CEOs or CEO-level executives,” Bagley said.
Mike Garvey, president of M7 Technologies, Youngstown, and William Letson, president of the Trumbull 100, were present at the press event in Ryan’s Warren office. So, too, were leaders from or-ganized labor such as Gary Steinbeck, Sub-District 1 director of the United Steel Workers of America, and Mark Catello, business manager of Local 573 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Anthony I. Iannucci, executive director of Warren Redevelopment and Planning, “will be involved,” O’Brien promised. Iannucci is on the steering committee.
“Our role is facilitation,” Bagley said, “walking the steering committee through the process.”
The steering committee will look closely at the Youngstown Business Incubator, which Ryan called “a successful model [that will help the committee] avoid landmines.”
O’Brien voiced great optimism about the incuba-tor, which in conjunction with the main campus of Eastern Gateway Community College to be estab-lished in Warren, should boost his city’s economy. Bagley and Ryan expect a partnership will develop between the community college and incubator.
“From North Park [Avenue] to Main Street,” O’Brien predicted, “within the next year, all [vacant buildings] will be filled.”
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Getting AheadTIPS FOR CLIMBING THE CAREER LADDER, COMPILED BY MONNIE RYAN
Getting Ahead
While the latest U.S. Labor De-partment reports indicate layoffs are at their lowest level in a year – and some experts believe the recession is over – the good news comes with this warning: Unemployment could still rise in the coming months and recovery will most likely be slow. So what’s a job seeker to do?
Andrew O’Connor, president of A.J. O’Connor Associates in Parsippany, N.J., offers this advice:
• Be focused. Despite the head-lines, many companies are hiring and people are landing jobs. What has changed is that hiring is a slower, more rigorous process, so candidates must be prepared for what could be an extended search. Today, it’s not unusual for an employer to review 400-plus resumes, conduct 90 phone interviews and meet face-to-face with 25 prospects before hiring for one position.
• Keep energized. Finding a job comes down to staying encouraged, motivated and focused. Set achiev-able daily and weekly goals; maintain a daily schedule. In this market, you can’t realistically say, “I will land a job in two months,” but you can say, “I will contact 10 new people each week.”
• Put your network to work. Many people are finding jobs through LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Twit-ter.com and other outlets. Let your network know you’re in the job mar-ket and the type of position you’re looking for. Also, many companies’ recruiting efforts rely heavily on so-cial networking. As such, it’s critical to know how to use these kinds of networks to promote your skills. One caveat: Potential employers will check out your Facebook page, so never post anything online that could embarrass you later.
• Learn to sell yourself. Package yourself professionally, practice and polish your “brand” and tweak when necessary. Ask friends and former, colleagues to critique your resume and presentation. Make sure every-thing about you – from your interview clothes to the way you introduce your-self – reflects the image you want to
Tips to Stand Out in the Crowded Labor Market
project to potential employers.• Invest in yourself. Look at transi-
tion time as a chance for exploration. Pursue a passion, develop a new set of skills and look for interesting oppor-tunities that may be on the periphery of your comfort zone. These new interests may enhance your life long after you find your perfect job.
Factors That Affect Your PayEmployers sometimes pay a pre-
mium for the right education and ex-perience. These could be your stron-gest negotiating points in your next performance review, job interview or request for a promotion, according to the experts at Salary.com.
Employers typically determine the value of the position by researching pay practices for comparable jobs at comparable companies – then adjust the data to reflect the employee’s back-ground and experience.
Typically, more experience results in higher pay – up to a point. Similarly, if the position calls for someone with 10 years of experience in a particular occupation, and you don’t meet those requirements, you may find yourself on the lower end of the pay scale.
Another big factor is education. Earning a degree from a top program generally has a positive influence on pay, for instance, while earning a de-gree from a school that’s considered weak in a particular field may reduce your earning potential. Emphasize your education only if it’s more than the job calls for and it’s relevant.
Since most employers base their pay decisions at least partly on what you’ve accomplished, performance reviews are an important variable. Another consideration is the number of employees you manage; the higher the number, the higher your pay can be. It’s always good to emphasize the success of those who report to you.
Certifications and memberships in professional organizations or trade as-sociations can have a positive effect on pay, but if the job calls for something you don’t have, your pay might be set lower accordingly. Having a certifica-tion that’s optional can be a plus that allows you to earn a little more.
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 37
38 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 39
PEOPLE, COMPANIES, MAKING NEWS
For the RecordCorky Allison has been named general sales manager of the Apostolakis Auto Group, Cortland. Dorothy Setinsek has been named business manager at Apos-tolakis Honda Mazda.
Farris Marketing, with offices in Board-man, Cleveland and Tampa, Fla., has created 3-D animated scoreboard games for Dunkin’ Donuts, American Hockey League team The Hartford Wolf Pack, the Norfolk Admirals and Virginia Beach Dodge.
Marcia Demerest, specifications met-allurgust at Severstal Warren, has received the Kenneth J. Boedecker Jr. Distinguished Service Award from ASTM International.
Cohen & Co. has been added to the Weatherhead 100 list as one of the fast-est growing companies in northeastern Ohio. The Weatherhead 100 has been compiled and managed by the Council of Smaller Enterprises since 2004.
Catherine V. Mott, CEO and founder of Blue Tree Capital Group and Blue Tree Allied Angels, Wexford, Pa., has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of directors of Angel Capital Education Foundation.
The Best Western Penn-Ohio Inn & Suites in Hubbard was named Best of the Best in customer care during Best Western International’s North American Convention.
Exal Corp. took top honors and swept the “Beverage Bottle” categor y at Canmaker Magazine’s Cans of the Year Awards. The award was based on Exal’s lightweight, sustainable aluminum bottle for the Eska brand of still and sparkling water produced by Eaux Vives Water. The bottle was manufactured using Exal’s coil-to-can technology, said Delfin Gibert, company president and CEO.
Businesses are invited to showcase their products and ser vices at the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo Feb. 13 and 14. The event will be held at Mercer High School in conjunction with Penn’s Woods West Folk & Art Festival. For more informa-tion, call 724 662 4185.
Joe Davenport, president of Workforce Designs, Warren, will address “Work-force Productivity – Getting More with Less: How Can HR Make an Impact?” during a meeting of the Western Re-serve Chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management Jan. 12. For information, call 330 638 1881.
Beverly Brunker, manager of medical oncology at St. Joseph Health Center, Warren, has been appointed trainer for the Oncology Nursing Society Can-cer Chemotherapy and Bio Therapy course.
Austintown Kwik Kopy Printing has installed a Canon Image Prograf digital machine to copy standard blueprints and large format art.
Cinnamon Pelly, Deborah Eppinger and James Pitzer of JP Morgan Chase, present $60,000 to Presley Gillespie and George Garchar of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. The grant will provide, among other things, homeownership training and financial incentives to buyers who purchase houses in YNDC’s focus neighborhoods.
40 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
Turning shovels are, from left, Nelson Witmer of Witmer’s Inc.; Dave Ludt, Mahoning County commissioner; Stephen Hanzely, acting executive director of Habitat for Humanity; Anthony Traficanti, Mahoning County commissioner; Terry Stocker, mayor of Struthers; Jim Petuch, director of the Mahoning County Green Team; Linda Hartwig, manager of the ReStore; and Pam Cronenwett, president of Habitat for Humanity. The addition will provide for a larger sales area and receiving area where donated items will be collected, sorted, cleaned and prepared for display.
Shovels Turn For ReStore ExpansionHabitat for Humanity and the
Mahoning County Green Team marked the start of
construction of a $170,000 addition to the ReStore in Struthers with a ceremonial groundbreaking Dec. 16.
Construction workers stood in waist-deep trenches preparing foot-ers where the new exterior walls will be built as representatives from Habitat, the Green Team, local gov-ernment and Witmer’s Inc., general contractor, turned shovels in a bed of sand at the site, 480 Youngstown-Poland Road.
The ReStore, which sells donated new and used building materials, appliances and housewares with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Hu-manity, opened in May 2008 “and is exceeding our expectations,” said Stephen Hanzely, the acting executive director of Habitat who secured the state grant funding the expansion.
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 41
BY JEFFREY GITOMER
Sales Savvy
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible, conducts seminars, sales meetings and training programs. Reach him at 704 333 1112 or at [email protected].
Salespeople hate holidays. They’re an excuse for decision- makers to put buying decisions
on hold. Stalls are twice as bad as objections. When you get a stall, you have to dance around it, and then you still must find the real objection before you can proceed.
Here are some clever lines and winning tactics to use when the holi-days return at the end of this new year. With some creative adaptation, you can use them year-round:
• Close on the stall line. “What day would you want to take (would be most convenient to take) delivery?”
• Firm it up, whenever it is. Ask for a specific date. “Can I buy you the first breakfast of the new year?” Make a firm appointment.
• If it’s just a callback, make the prospect write it down. Callbacks must be appointed, or the other guy is never there when you call. Writing it down makes it a firm commitment.
• Tell them about your resolu-tions. “I’ve made a New Year’s resolu-tion that I’m not going to let people like you who need our service delay until after the first of the year. You know you need it.”
• Offer incentives and alterna-tives. Invent reasons not to delay. Bill after the holiday. Order now, deliver after the holiday.
• Question them into a corner – and close them when they get there. “What will be different after the holi-days? Will anything change that will cause you not to buy?” (Prospect’s answer, “Oh no, no, no.”)
“Great!” you say, “Let’s get your order in production (service sched-uled) now, and we’ll deliver it after the holiday.”
• Agree. Then disagree. “I know what you mean ... lots of people feel that way. Most don’t realize that the money wasted between now and the first of the year will equate to a huge savings if they buy now. Are you sure you want to waste the money?
• Get a testimonial letter. Ask someone who bought before the holi-
days and was glad they did to write you a two-paragraph letter. Get one paragraph about the value they re-ceived and how they originally wanted to wait. The second paragraph should be about how happy they are about your service after the sale.
• Drop in with holiday cheer. Use a small holiday plant or gift to get in the door. (No one says no to Santa.)
• Create ur-gency. There’s a product or deliv-ery backup – so schedule now.
• Be funny. Say, “So many people
have said, ‘Call me after the first,’ that I’m booked until April. I do however, have a few openings before the first. How about it?” Making the other person laugh (smile) will go a long way toward getting past the stall. An alternative joke is, “What holiday?”
Reality check: The success with which this stall can be handled is directly related to the quality of the relationship that’s been built with your prospect or customer. A good relationship allows more liberty to press for immediate action. A weak relationship will mean you wait until after the holiday. Or longer.
Prevention is the best cure. If you know this objection is coming, do something before it happens. Preven-tion of objections and stalls is the most obvious, most powerful, and least used sales technique. Here are a few prevention methods.
• Start early to create urgency.• Set price raises in September to
take effect Jan. 1. Announce them right away and communicate them weekly into the holiday season.
• Create a holiday special. Have a five-day sale in December.
• Offer December price incentives or special-value incentives.
• Throw a holiday party. Invite prospects and customers, and offer them a “tonight-only deal.” Serve great food.
• Build relationships year-round.
Prevention of objections and stalls is the most obvious, most powerful, and least used sales technique.
Clever Lines, Winning TacticsWhen you get a stall, you have to dance around it.
Legal ListingsCHAPTER 1109-44525 Sigma OH Industries Inc. dba Pick-ens Plastics Inc., 149 S. Cucumber St., Jef-ferson 44047. Total Assets: $7,889,303.38. Total Liabilities: $27,570,808.59.
09-44421 ACHG Inc. (Alliance Continental
Business Bankruptcies
New Ohio Incorporations
Ohio Fictitious Names
Holdings Group Inc.), 1100 N. Market St., 6715 Tippecanoe Road, Building A, Suite 202, Canfield 44406. (Rodney Square N., Suite 200, Wilmington, Del. 19801.) Total Assets: $320,000. Total Liabilities: $4,217,980.
Dorothy Day House of Hospitality Services, Youngstown. Incorporator: Sister Ann McMa-namon HM. Filed by: Sister Rosemary Murray, 6788 Fox Xing, Austintown 44515. Agent: Sister Ann McManamon HM, 620 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44502.
Dorothy Day House, Youngstown. Incorpora-tor: Sister Ann McManamon. Filed by: New-man, Olson & Kerr, Federal Plaza Central, Suite 1200, Youngstown 44503. Agent: Sister Ann McManamon HM, 620 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44502.
Lovethisplace Inc., Boardman. Incorporators: David A. Bennett, George Freeze. Filed by: Charles M. Draa, 1315 Boadman-Canfield Road, Suite 2, Youngstown 44512. Agent: Same.
God’s Church Inc., Youngstown. Incor-porators: Cher yl Evans, Rhonda Poole, Monica Phillips. Filed by: Cheryl Evans, 1055 Hawthorne Ave., Youngstown 44502. Agent: Monica Phillips, 2320 Volney Road, Youngstown 44511.
Good Samaritan, Struthers. Incorporator: Charles Fabian Pike. Filed by: Charles Fabian,
Mahoning Valley Housing and Finance Agency, Youngstown. Incorporator: Thomas P. Gilmartin Jr. Filed by: Mahoning Valley Housing and Fi-nance Agency, 4319 Market St., Youngstown 44512. Agent: Thomas P. Gilmartin Jr., 4319 Market St., Youngstown 44512.
Terry and Sam D. Roth Family Foundation, Girard. Incorporator: Paul L. Millet. Filed by: Paul L. Millet & Associate, 25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 403, Beachwood 44122. Agent: PLM Service Corp., 25550 Chagrin Blvd., Cleveland 44122.
McDonald Track and Cross Country Boost-ers, McDonald. Incorporator: John M. Saganich. Filed by: Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, 52 E. Gay St., Columbus 43215. Agent: Statutory Agent Corp., 52 E. Gay St., Columbus 43215.
Golden Rule Caregiver Rel ief Inc. , Youngstown. Incorporators: Kimberly Ham-ilton, Wayna Hightower. Filed by: Margaret Filaccio, 223 Churchill-Hubbard Road, Youngstown 44505. Agent: Margaret Filaccio, 3132 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44505.
The Biz Space Inc., Warren. Incorporator: Ralph Keeler Cox III. Filed by: Ralph K. Cox III, 242 Marwood Drive, Warren 44484. Agent: Same.
Editor’s Note: A fictitious business name is the name under which a company conducts business but which is not the legal name of the owner or of the corporation as indicated in its articles of incorporation.
St. Joseph Emergency and Diagnostic Cen-ter, Humility of Mary Health Partners, 1044 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44501.
St. Joseph Minor Emergency and Diagnostic Center, Humility of Mary Health Partners, 1044 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44501.
St. Joseph Urgent Care Center, Humility of Mary Health Partners, 1044 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44501.
PK Youth Scripts, Kathleen (Kadey) A. Kimpel, 8490 Squirrel Hill Drive NE, Warren 44484.
GS Mags, GS Engine Power Inc., P.O. Box 151, Mineral Ridge 44440.
Matrix Prints and Graphics, Robert N. Finney, 10310 Hopkins Road, Garrettsville 44231.
Inphonow, Ronald Sullivan, 414 S. Main St.,
Poland 44514.
Columbiana County Rescue Mission, Bethesda Life Ministries, 33348 Baker Road, Lisbon 44432.
MBA Data Systems, James E. Dodd, 321 Longview Ave., Boardman 44512.
Lee’s Painting, Lee B. Auvil, 526 N. Beaver St., Lisbon 44432.
Affordable Gutters and Metal Roofing, Edward James Puett, 10040 Oyster Road, Alliance 44601.
Big Dude’s, Felder Finley Partnership, 1804-1810 Wilson Ave., Youngstown 44501.
AFA, Al Paolone, 1195 E. Western Reserve Road, Poland 44514.
See More Advertising, David J. Sammartino, 391 Goldie Road, Youngstown 44505.
The Business Journal JANUARY 2010 43
By Dan O’Brien
The management transition at The Cafaro Co., one of the largest privately held retail and shopping center developers in the country,
will be seamless as a new generation of leadership takes the reins, executives say.
The company announced Dec. 28 that President and CEO Anthony M. Cafaro Sr., 63, and his brother, Vice President John J. Cafaro, 58, would retire ef-fective Jan. 1.
Anthony Cafaro’s sons, William, 40, and Anthony Jr., 34, have assumed the title of co-president and started their new positions Jan. 1.
“It may have come as a surprise to a lot of people, but not to a lot of people inside this building,” says Cafaro spokesman Joe Bell. “It’s really been an or-ganic growth and development of the third genera-tion of The Cafaro Co.”
In a statement Anthony Cafaro said the company is “proud of the hard work William and Anthony Jr. have put in to prepare for their new roles. They’ve learned the business from the ground up,” he says. “In reality, they have been managing the day-to-day operations of the company for the past few years.”
New Year, New Leadership at Cafaro Co.Bell says the elder Cafaros selected this time to
retire and resign their positions because, for one, the Cafaros felt comfortable with William and Anthony Jr. running the company.
“In talking with the Cafaros, they say there are a number of things” that led to the change, Bell elaborates. “They want to go into retirement in good health, and a lot has to do with them celebrat-ing their 60th year as a company.”
The retiring brothers’ father, William, and their uncle, John, founded the Youngstown-based com-pany in 1949. Anthony Cafaro began working for the company in maintenance and as a construction laborer, and became a leasing agent in the real estate department in 1968. He was appointed president and CEO in 1984.
His brother, known as “J.J.,” also started with the company in maintenance and construction and joined full-time in 1974. He was appointed vice president in the late 1970s.
In 2002, J.J. Cafaro was convicted of bribery in relation to the corruption trial of former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. Cafaro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to 15 months probation and paid a $150,000 fine.
“This is an example of succession planning at its
Retirements of Anthony Sr., ‘J.J.’ make way for Cafaro family’s third generation.
best,” J.J. Cafaro said in his statement. “Will and An-thony Jr. are ready to take over and, if called upon, we stand ready to assist them in order to maintain the stability and viability of The Cafaro Co.”
Bell says the younger Cafaros started work-ing in the family business at the age of 12, and
“started learning the busi-ness from the bottom up. They’ve had a long, on-the-job interview.”
William Cafaro was graduated summa cum
laude from Youngstown State University and earned his master’s in business administration at Duquesne University. He joined the corporate staff in 1994 and rose to oversee the company’s finance and invest-ment operations.
“We’ve always been a conservative company from a development and financing point of view,” he said in his statement. “I want to continue doing what we have done in the past so that eventually I can pass the reins to my three children.”
Anthony Jr., a graduate cum laude of John Carroll University, joined the company full-time in 1997 and ultimately assumed the role of supervising the company’s leasing, development, construction and information technology departments. He said that he and his brother “cherish the legacy passed down to us by our father and grandfather. We believe that personal integrity is paramount.”
‘This is an example of succession planning at its best,’ J.J. Cafaro said in his prepared statement.
44 JANUARY 2010 The Business Journal
CONSUMERS NATIONAL BANK – SalemUp to 60 Mos. 5.75 - 16.50 Rate varies based on applicant’s credit rating
CORTLAND BANKS – CortlandUp to 60 Mos. 6.75Up to 72 Mos. 6.75
E.S.B. BANK – Ellwood CityUp to 60 Mos. 7.40Up to 72 Mos. 8.40
FARMERS NATIONAL BANK – CanfieldUp to 60 Mos. 6.40Up to 72 Mos. 6.94Rate varies based on applicant’s credit rating
FIRST MERIT BANK – New CastleUp to 48 Mos. 5.50-12.50
10% Down
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PA. – HermitageUp to 60 Mos. 7.85Up to 66 Mos. 7.85
1ST NATIONAL COMMUNITY – East LiverpoolUp to 60 Mos. 6.00 - 11.75
Mortgage Rates1ST NATIONAL COMMUNITY FHA 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costsEast Liverpool Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.50 0+costs FIRST PLACE BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.625 0+costsBoardman Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.20 0+costs
FLAGSTAR BANK Fixed 0% Down 15 Yr. 4.75 0+costsBeechwood Fixed 0% Down 30 Yr. 5.125 0+costs
HOME FEDERAL Fixed 20% Down 15 Yr. 5.50 — 0+costsNiles
HOME SAVINGS Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.625 0+costs Youngstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.125 0+costs
HOWARD HANNA FINANCIAL Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.75 0+costs Pittsburgh Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs
HUNTINGTON BANK Fixed 3% Down 15 Yr. 4.625 0+costsYoungstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs
KEYBANK Fixed 20% Down 15 Yr. 4.625 — 0+costsYoungstown Fixed 20% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 — 0+costs
PNC BANK FHA 3% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 1+costsYoungstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs
WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE FHA 3% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 0+costsBoardman (Formerly Norwest Mortgage) Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 — 0+costs
US BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.75 0+costsBoardman (Formerly Firstar Bank) Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 1+costs
TYPE FEESRATE, 2-Wk TrendTERMFINANCIAL INSTITUTION
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