The Business Journal MidAPRIL 2010

The Valley’s Business Matters www.BusinessJournalDaily.com

MidAPRIL 2010 $2.50ISSN 1047-8582 Vol. 26 No. 19

Ira “Guy” Hughes used to hide from fans of his barbecue sauce. So eager were they to buy the spicy

condiment that he couldn’t make it fast enough.

A line superviser at General Mo-tors’ auto assembly plant in Lord-

Ira “Guy” Hughes’ barbecue sauce has won numerous awards. At the Mahoning Valley Rib Burn Off last year, he won both Best Sauce and Best Ribs awards.

Research Magnifies Business Opportunities

Professor Veronica Porterfield explains some of her research to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan during his visit to Kent State University April 6.

Hot Sauce, Hotter SalesGuy’s BBQ Sauce business catches fire.By Maraline Kubik

stown, Hughes loved to barbecue and thought opening a little restaurant would be a nice sideline. He never expected that his customers would insist on taking bottles of the barbecue sauce he made in his kitchen in his Newton Falls home with them. Or, that meeting demand for that sauce would become his primary business.

Today, Guy’s Award Winning BBQ Sauce has expanded to include a hand-ful of flavors – original, spicy, hot and spicy garlic, plus Sweet Thunder Hot Sauce and Sweet Thunder Inferno Hot Sauce, all available for sale at retail giants such as Kmart, Wal-Mart,

The bright, colorful image of the human brain rotating on the wide screen at first looks like the

result of a routine CT scan. The scope of research under way at

Kent State University doesn’t leap out at the observer until he puts on a pair of sunglasses to see the medical – and the potential business – opportunities beaming back.

“This is going to save lives,” pro-claims the president of the university, Lester A. Lefton, as he and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio, take in a 3-D image of the brain using technology that could someday unlock answers to a host of neurological problems that range from juvenile autism to post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans.

The breakthrough is among a long list of research and development ef-forts at the university that stand to bring long-term economic benefits to northeastern Ohio, officials say.

Critical to keeping this research alive is continued funding through

See HOT SAUCE, page 12

Kent State spins off 109 patents, 16 startups.By Dan O’Brien

federal resources such as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Depart-ment of Defense and other federal and state support. And, a key component to ensuring this research translates into economic-development dollars is

its transition to and eventual applica-tion in the private sector.

Using the assets of universities in northeastern Ohio to promote eco-nomic development has been one of Ryan’s priorities since he was elected

to Congress in 2002. “Here at Kent, we have a collaboration between neuroscience and behavioral science that can translate into cost savings in treating neurological and mental

See RESEARCH, page 47

2 MidAPRIL 2010 The Business Journal

36-37 Remembering the HolocaustThe wood carvering pictured above – “Our Faith Will Keep Us Together: Life in the Ghetto Is Difficult But Somehow We Shall Overcome” – is one of the haunting im-ages Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss saw during her visit here.

15 Lou Zona

18 Interest Rates

25 Media Scope

14-15 Tea Party at the Health ClinicThe protest March 30 outside the Youngstown Community Health Center didn’t do the clinic or Tim Ryan any good. Our editorial, “Dissing the Congressman,” appears on page 14; a letter to the editor from the clinic’s CEO on page 15.

26 Local.Com

49 BBB Report

57 Transactions

Inside

41 In Search of Bountiful BuffetsOur seach team saddles up for another go at the expense account, this time head-ing for all-you-can-eat joints. Buffet fare can be rather bland but “two or three are worth paying for,” they find. Just be sure to come hungry, very hungry.

See FURNITURE, page 4

F or 73 years, Scarsella Furniture has stood by its slogan, “solid wood, solid value, solid American,” by selling only furniture made

in the United States of solid wood. Recent studies suggest its customers enjoy health benefits as well.

Less expensive furniture made of veneers – com-pressed sawdust, peanut shells, plastics or some mixture of these three – are held together with glues and adhesives that often contain formaldehyde and other toxins.

In Canfield, the owner of Scarsella’s, Fred Scar-sella, touts his store’s furniture as “the best invest-ment you can make,” because it can last generations. And, he is quick to add, it can also be better for the respiratory system than less-expensive veneer tables, entertainment centers, bookcases and other furniture.

Veneer furniture is made up of composite mate-rials covered by the glued-on outer layer intended to make the piece appear as if it were built of solid wood. “It’s the glue that’s the culprit,” Scarsella says.

“There’s a type of glue that holds the composite of sawdust and various material they’re using to make furniture from imitation wood,” Scarsella said. “And that [emits gases] that could be dangerous to your health.”

Scarsella isn’t familiar with the chemicals in the glue, he admits, and concedes that not all veneer furniture poses a hazard. He bases his avoidance of such furniture on the research and standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) – a regulatory body that saw its Airborne Toxic Control Measure take effect Jan. 1, 2009. The measure sets the standards all manufacturers and retailers of home furnishings in California must follow or face

Knock on Wood, Not Veneers, For Environmental Health

By Jeremy Lydic

penalties for selling furniture made of “noncompli-ant wood.”

Producing adhesive agents for wood is one major use of formaldehyde, and “one of the major sources of exposure is from inhalation of formaldehyde emit-ted from composite wood products containing urea-formaldehyde resins,” state the board’s Web site. In 1992, California designated formaldehyde as a toxic air contaminant “with no safe level of exposure,” and in 2004 the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as “carcinogenic to humans.” Their research shows that inhalation and exposure

‘It’s the glue that’s the culprit,’ warns Fred Scarsella.

Fred Scarsella displays a piece of solid wood used to construct the furniture on sale at his 73-year-old store.

The Business Journal MidAPRIL 2010 3

Furniture: Knock on Wood, Not VeneersFrom Page 3to formaldehyde in furniture can cause asthma and some types of cancer, and the glue can take up to one year to finish “off-gassing,” the board says.

In addition to stemming the sale of hazardous furniture in California, the measure has forced other manufacturers here and abroad, especially in Asia, to adapt to CARB regulations, Scarsella says. But until other states adopt similar measures, hazard-ous furniture will continue to be sold in the United States, he adds, and customers will have to take responsibility to avoid it.

“It’s like ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” Scarsella says. “We always bring up the topic immediately instead of let the buyer beware. We only buy from U.S. manufacturers that use solid wood.”

Scarsella encourages his customers to ask ques-tions about the composition and origin of the furniture he offers. To promote awareness among retailers and consumers, Scarsella became involved with the North Carolina-based Sustainable Furnish-ings Council; in April 2009, he received its Green Leaders sustainability training certification.

The council started the certification two years ago to complement the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, says its executive director, Susan Inglis. While LEED focuses on how a building is made, Green Leaders focuses on what furnishes the building by offering training on what materials to use and how to make the furniture, she said. Besides minimizing the industry’s carbon footprint, the council works to ensure manufacturers

use green products, such as commercially harvested wood, rapidly renewable or recyclable materials and organic textiles.

“It covers different materials and processes,” Ing-lis says. “It touches on every single component that would go into a home furnishing product.”

Since its inception, some 300 industry members, including retailers, manu-facturers and interior de-signers, have completed the program, Inglis says. Its design is based on two years of research the council conducted to learn homeowners’ priorities when they set out to buy furniture. Most homeown-ers are “overwhelmingly interested in making eco-friendly choices,” she says, “and 75% of homeowners are at least a little bit interested in sustainability issues and are taking action.

“Climate crisis is a worry,” Inglis says. “And we in the home furnishings industry have an impact on the outcome by reducing our use of fossil fuels and reducing our use of illegally harvested wood.”

Among the sections of the course are interior de-sign, such as which paints to use, window treatments, flooring and carpeting, Inglis says. The course also covers energy reduction from manufacturing plants to retail showrooms. Reducing energy consumption helps dispel the myth that environmentally friendly furniture is more expensive, she says.

“One of the reasons eco-friendly home furnish-ings can cost the same or less,” Inglis says, “is that when processes are as environmentally friendly as possible, they use less energy. Which is to say they cost less money. You spend less money on energy.”

With California’s formaldehyde abatement rules in effect, “there is a federal equivalent that will be

law within a couple of years,” Inglis predicts. Until then, she encour-ages homeowners to visit the council’s Web site, SustainableFurnishings.org to find green manu-facturers, retailers and designers in their area and learn more about green

furnishings. She also advises retailers to educate their customers.

“Educate yourself, educate your staff, and know that your customers are interested in the information you can share with them,” Inglis advises. “[They should know about] the sustaining initiatives you are implementing as a business and about the prod-ucts that you carry.”

The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a non-profit organization, formed four years ago, that represents some 400 retailers, manufacturers and in-terior designers in the home furnishings industry.

To promote awareness among retailers and consumers, Scarsella became involved with the North Carolina-based Sustainable Fur-nishings Council; in April 2009, he received its Green Leaders sustainability training certification.

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Transcribing medical notes is ideal for those who work from home or relocate often.By Maraline Kubik

Carissa Urey is a teacher but for her, working in a school doesn’t make sense. Her husband, who is in the military, is transferred frequently,

mandating that the couple relocate often.Just a few weeks ago, they were living in Las

Vegas. Today, they’re in Panama City, Fla., and Urey knows her husband will be transferred again within the next four years “and probably more times after that,” she says. So, if she wants consistency in terms of her work and employment, she needs a job that’s portable.

Transcribing notes from physcians across the country fits the bill. “As long as I have my computer and an Internet connection, I’m good to go,” Urey says.

She works for The Inner Office, a medical tran-scription and health-information-management- consulting firm in Cortland.

The Inner Office also trains workers in medical transcription, coding and billing, and health infor-mation management.

Urey started working at The Inner Office about

‘Portable’ Profession Offers Opportunity18 months ago while her husband was deployed overseas and she was living at home in Trumbull County.

“I wasn’t really looking for a job,” she says, “but I figured this would be a great opportunity.

“I wasn’t sure I’d like it,” Urey adds, “but I did and I stuck with it.”

She works 40 hours a week and is paid ac-cording to the number of lines of transcription she completes.

“We were comfortable before,” she says, explain-ing that her husband’s salary is adequate to pro-vide for the both of them. Now, they’re even more comfortable.

Her take-home pay covers their mortgage and her husband’s salary covers the costs of utilities, grocer-ies, incidentals and “extra fun-money,” Urey says.

In addition to being portable, she says, working as a medical transcriptionist offers other perks: “I don’t have to start work exactly at the same time every day and I can work in my pajamas.”

She’s also able to do a few household chores during breaks, work a flexible schedule and earn vacation time. That’s important, Urey says, because she needed a week’s vacation to drive across country

to her new home and she took advantage of flex scheduling so that she could visit the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to have her driver’s license and auto registration changed.

“They’re only open during the day, so I couldn’t have done it if I was working” a standard 8-to-4-

or 9-to-5 schedule, Urey says.

Although the medical transcriptionist profes-sion seems to appeal pri-marily to women, there’s no reason it shouldn’t ap-peal to men, says Bonnie Randolph Boatright, pres-ident, CEO and founder of The Inner Office.

“Men have the same computer skills,” Boatright says, and experienced transcriptionists can earn between $12 and $18 an hour.

Qualified medical transcriptionists are in de-mand, she continues, and unlike many professions, they are not bound by geography. Because most work to be transcribed at The Inner Office is sent via the Internet using digital technologies, it doesn’t matter where transcriptionists or clients are located as long as they have Internet access.

“We get work from all over the country,” See ‘PORTABLE’ PROFESSION, page 8

Transcriptionists who work in doctors’ offices usually aren’t as productive as those who work for transcription services be-cause they are often interrupted or have other duties, such as answering the phones, Boatright explains. Hospitals tend to out-source the whole department.

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Boatright says. Her transcriptionists – The Inner Office employs

about 50 workers overall – are not as widely dis-persed but there are several who work out of their homes, a few of whom, like Urey, live out of state.

Training and career education is provided onsite or via an Internet-based distance learning program. Tuition for a complete medical transcription pro-gram, which involves 248 hours of classroom and practical experience, is $3,000 excluding fees and books.

The company provides training in specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology, respiratory, cardiology, gastrointestinal and genitourinary while covering medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical science, pharmacology, human diseases and laboratory procedures. It also includes computer training and a supervised internship.

To be admitted, applicants must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, be knowledge-able about Windows Explorer and Microsoft Word, be able to type 40 words per minute, be proficient in English grammar and spelling, and have access to a computer.

Those who successfully complete the program are qualified to work for medical transcription service providers, hospitals and physicians.

While many physicians and hospitals employ medical transcriptionists, the trend is for these businesses to outsource transcription work. Tran-scriptionists who work in doctors’ offices usually

aren’t as productive as those who work for transcrip-tion services because they are often interrupted or have other duties, such as answering the phones, Boatright explains. Hospitals tend to outsource the whole department.

This could be good news for medical transcription services and home-based transcriptionists. Although there’s been a lot of talk about voice recognition software that could theoretically enable physicians to transcribe verbal notes themselves, Boatright says the need for professional transcriptionists “is going to stay and it’s going to grow.”

Mandates for electronic medical records could help spur demand, she continues.

Initially, she says, the thought was that physi-cians would enter information for the electronic records, but that is not the most productive use of a physician’s time. So, notes will still be dicatated and transcribed and then be combined with the pa-tients’ electronic medical records in a manner that information can be mined.

“Data mining is becoming more important,” Boatright says. Technology has driven dramatic change in the transcription industry, she observes, but demand, much as in other professions in the health-care industry, continues to grow.

“Last year was our best year ever,” she says. “We hired nine new people and I’m hopeful we’ll hire at least another six this year.”

While a few of the new-hires replaced employ-ees who left, most were hired to fill new positions, Boatright adds.

‘Portable’ Profession: Medical Transcription Field Offers OpportunityFrom Page 7 These jobs are especially appealing, she says, to

persons interested in health care but don’t want to provide hands-on patient care.

At Professional Transcription Services in Youngstown, where home-based transcription-ists work as independent contractors, demand for service is steady, confirms Mary Jane Arquilla, who founded the company after she retired from a local hospital. Independent contractors, because they are not employees of the company, do not have taxes withheld from their pay and do not qualify for em-ployer-sponsored benefits.

Like The Inner Office, most of Professional Transcription Services’ independent contractors are women. Some are stay-at-home mothers, others are women who may have performed similar tasks for a hospital or doctor’s office and want to maintain their skills; others are women who want to work only part-time and would prefer to do it without leaving their homes.

“In the dead of winter, not having to go out can be a big benefit,” Arquilla notes.

The flexible schedule, which enables transcrip-tionists the freedom to work whatever hours best suit them, is also very appealing. As long as tran-scriptionists’ turnaround time for completing work assigned meets clients’ expectations – 24 or 48 hours for most accounts – they can work whenever they want, Arquilla says.

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Medical Billing Firms Prescribe Less Hassle

By Jeremy Lydic

Physicians would rather outsource billing than deal with insurance regs.

As more providers of health care outsource their billing work, medical billing companies are

enjoying growth despite the recession. They are also keeping an eye on forthcoming changes.

New technology will allow billing offices to offer more comprehensive services along with keeping medical records electronically, says the CEO of Youngstown-based Accrohealth, Ken Hurdley. But Vince Russo, vice president and owner of Total Practice Management in Boardman, says that same technology could hurt billers.

Quest AdvantEdge in Youngstown has noticed more potential clients coming forward to complete deals started a year ago, says its president, Lori Gavalier.

And, as the cost to do billing rises, more doctors will outsource their work, says Jim Isabella, president of Computer Ap-plications Co. Inc. in Boardman.

“They realized that it cost too much to do it in-house,” Isabella says. “They were be-coming businessmen and they wanted to be doctors.”

In 1984, Computer Applications began installing billing computer systems for physicians in private practice, but didn’t engage in off-site medical billing until 1992, Isabella says. As billing became the bulk of his company’s business, it stopped install-ing the systems in 1998. Since then it has gained 26 clients and seen its work force grow. “We’re five times the size we were back then,” Isabella says.

The company enjoyed a 30% increase in business over last year, which Isabella attributes to doctors’ desire to avoid the hassle of changes in insurance regulations and new billing procedures.

Such rules seem to change almost daily, requiring Isabella to frequently update the billing software he wrote in 1985.

Other issues arise as employers constantly change insurance provid-ers, requiring billing companies to “deal a lot more closely with the pa-tients to get the correct info.”

While a physician’s staff can per-

form these tasks, their other respon-sibilities can distract them and result in something being overlooked, he says.

“This is all we do,” Isabella states. “Everything has to be exact so these claims click. If we have to bill it three times, I’ve lost money.”

Off-site billing is the trend and will continue as health care reform mea-sures take effect and doctors get more patients, Isabella says. The downside is that the measures also call for a re-duction in Medicare reimbursements for physicians.

“They’re looking at a 21.5% re-duction,” says Quest’s Gavalier. “We charge a small percentage of what the health care providers collect. If the health care providers are getting less money, so are we.”

Gavalier is seeing more physicians strive to cut costs. Some leave single practices and join groups to take ad-vantage of buying supplies in bulk, she says. To this end, she says, going with an off-site billing agency would benefit them because an agency has the dedicated staff to research denied

claims. Offices that do

their own billing usually have what Gavalier calls a “Porsche drawer,” where denials are filed and rarely

followed up.“The amount of money in there is

astronomical, and this is the money you’re losing because you don’t have the staff to research denials,” Gavalier says. “They may not have the luxury of time because they’re doing multiple things in a doctor’s office.”

Claims can be denied for lack of medical necessity, services not covered in the insurance policy, or simply be-ing filed late, Gavalier says.

Claim submission times can range from 90 days from the date of service to 15 months, depending on the in-surance company. Billers “have got to know the insurance carriers and what their rules are,” she says.

Knowing the details of specialty claims is also important because some require authorizations in advance or certificates of medical necessity, Gavalier says. Such claims can be for special services, medical equipment and ambulance services; billers must be aware of any special needs before they submit a claim.

Business has been steady for Quest AdvantEdge, which has 38 clients, Gavalier says. Because of changes

coming to health care, many provid-ers are “hesitant to make any changes to what they’re doing now,” she says, especially keeping electronic medical records.

Electronic record keeping has both benefits and drawbacks, says Total Practice Management’s Russo. As more physicians go digital, they will be able to interface with the systems of offsite billers, which will allow information such as patient demo-graphics, charges and diagnoses to be uploaded directly into the billing sys-tem. This will eliminate the need for scanning and paper, thus saving time and money, Russo says, but he doesn’t expect everyone to take part.

“I have a lot of clients that aren’t going to do it,” Russo says. “It would take 15 to 18 years before it even pays for itself.”

Still, Russo sees a threat to the billing industry as vendors might try to sway providers who get the new medical-record equipment to resume doing their own billing, he says.

Russo contends that providers pay for the knowledge of the billing com-pany, not just entering data.

“It’s the people, not the machine,” Russo emphasizes. “You still need people to run all that.”

Accrohealth’s Hurdley says his company will promote its interface capabilities with electronic medical record equipment because of the ef-ficiency.

Accrohealth enjoyed a 34% in-crease in business in 2009, “and this year we’re seeing an increase already,” he says. He attributes the growth to the new technology.

“It’s enabled us to do more with less because of the efficiencies with using the system to its utmost abil-ity,” Hurdley says. “Doctors see a faster turnaround in their claims, and double-digit increases in their collections.”

Hurdley is constructing a new Ac-crohealth Web site that will feature a Web-based medical record system. The service will be included in the cost for billing services and allow clients to send prescriptions directly to pharmacies, he says.

“We feel that that’s going to be a good product for future clients as well as current clients,” Hurdley says.

As more providers of health care outsource their billing work, medical billing companies are enjoying growth despite the recession. ��

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125 by attending its monthly meetings “when work was slow. I fell in with people trying to make a difference and joined them to bring about change.”

The work that the rank and file of the Laborers International Union performs is physically demanding – al-beit less so today – and often danger-ous, such as removing asbestos from buildings and cleaning up hazardous waste. Along with the other building trades, such as carpenters, bricklayers and masons, the laborers build and resurface roads, dig tunnels and build and repair bridges. They erect and dis-mantle the scaffolding that allows oth-ers in the trades to construct schools, hospitals, churches and stores.

“It’s hard, dirty work that’s well-paying. The work is diverse,” Warga

Tom Warga’s first job as a member of Local 125 of the Laborers International Union of North

America was building service stations in Mahoning County.

That was 41 years ago when he was a student majoring in economics and working his way through Youngstown State University. Warga, age 61, retired March 31 after serving four three-year terms as business manager of the local. Before that he was president five years and before that served on its executive board. He was first elected in 1978.

In retirement Warga is becoming a farmer – he and his wife, Donna, bought 85 acres in Jackson Town-ship where he will grow raspberries, strawberries, grapes and day lilies – all the fruits of his labor promised to well-wishers before he set foot on the fields this spring. “There won’t be any profit,” he laughs.

Warga, who holds both a baccalau-reate and master’s degree in economics from YSU (classes of 1982 and ’87), found his education invaluable when he went to the bargaining table to negotiate new contracts for his mem-bers, he says. “Actually,” he elaborates, “economics gives you a better under-standing of nearly everything.”

When Warga entered YSU, his father, Henry, a member of Local 171 of the Carpenters union, “told me one day, ‘You might as well work,’ ” along with attending classes, so he would have more control over his life.

Joe Koss, his professor who taught collective bargaining, stressed the im-portance of perceptions, Warga recalls, and when negotiating a new agree-ment, trying to separate management’s stated claims of how much it could af-ford from what it really could afford.

The toll the recession took on con-struction companies “made it tougher at the bargaining table,” Warga says. Members of the building trades have agreed to work Saturdays at straight time instead of overtime rates when weather on a weekday either sends them home early or keeps them from reporting for work.

“Everybody likes a 40-hour pay-check,” he remarks on why unions agreed to management’s insistence on straight time.

“Tom is very thoughtful, very thorough,” says Dave Knickerbocker,

retired business agent for Local 66 of the Operating Engineers union, who worked closely with Warga.

That thoughtfulness allowed him to resolve most of the grievances his members filed “at the lowest possible level,” Warga says, with the number of grievances filed actually declining on his watch.

Where Knickerbocker often was eager to act when the building trades were challenged, Warga urged re-straint, for studying a problem more thoroughly before taking action, the retired operating engineer says. He also came to appreciate Warga’s “dry sense of humor” when they were ana-lyzing how to respond to an infringe-ment on their jurisdiction.

Warga became involved in Local

Warga Retires to the Fruits of His Labor

By Dennis LaRue

Leader of Local 125 of the Laborers Union becomes a gentleman farmer.

states. “You must be careful. Safety is paramount.”

Because of the nature of the work, when Bob Taft was governor, the state contracted with private companies to use penal labor to remove asbestos in the houses in the path of where state Route 711 was built. Advocates of pe-nal labor argued the inmates could do just as good a job, at little risk to their health, at a fraction of the cost.

The business manager would have none of it. “You have to believe in the union cause,” Warga remarks, “that it does help people” earn a fair wage and work in safe conditions.

The use of prisoners “upset him,” Knickerbocker recalls. “Here we had Youngstown people [Local 125] who had gotten training on how to [safely] remove asbestos.”

The Western Reserve Building & Construction Trades Council pro-tested, pointing out that not only were the prisoners working for less than minimum wage, they were not trained to remove the asbestos and lacked the protection needed to keep from inhaling the fibers as they were razing the houses.

The practice was short-lived and the state’s not using penal labor since counts as a victory for the Laborers and organized labor, Warga notes.

Being a member of the Laborers re-quires more than brawn as evidenced by the four-year apprenticeship pro-gram begun in 2000. For example, learning to operate a jackhammer. “The jackhammer does the work if you’re doing it properly,” Warga ex-plains. Doing it properly is not some-thing that comes without effort.

Brawn helps, he continues, “but if you know what you’re doing, you don’t have to rely as much on how strong you are. In our work, you have to figure out what has to be done and adapt as you go. No two projects are the same.”

Regardless, the perception that to be a Laborer takes more than average physical strength keeps women from seeking to join. “We try to recruit fe-males,” Warga relates, “but the work doesn’t seem to appeal to them.”

As he was about to enter retire-ment, Warga was well aware of the defensive posture organized labor finds itself in. “We’re trying to keep unions alive,” he says. Of the many concessions organized labor has made to avoid further job losses and keep employers afloat, he expresses confi-dence both the United States and the union movement will recover: “We can get it back.”

Tom Warga’s first job as a member of his union was 41 years ago, building service stations.


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a smile. “I saw him take a bite and then he just stopped.”

Santangelo and Audi turned around, walked back to the trailer and started reading the label on a bottle of Hughes’ sauce.

“It was awesome,” Santangelo says.“They asked me who bottled and distributed it,”

Hughes adds. “I told them and Mike Audi said, ‘You need to come see me.’ Two days later I was in his offi ce and two weeks after that they were distribut-ing my sauce.”

“It’s been a success story ever since,” Santangelo says.

“The reason we like Guy’s sauce so much is its unique fl avor,” says Rick Coradini, director of re-search and development at Summer Garden Food Manufacturing, Boardman, which today manufac-tures and bottles the full line of Guy’s BBQ and hot sauces.

Summer Garden is a sister company of Zidian Specialty Foods.

“It has a sweetness and a hottness – a two-stage fl avor profi le. It’s not like a lot of sauces that are vinegary,” Coradini continues.

Apparently, consumers like the sweet hotness too. Production has increased by more than 50% since Summer Garden began bottling Guy’s BBQ Sauce

about three years ago, Coradini reports.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are even big fans. Summer Gar-den/Gia Russa and Guy’s BBQ catered a dinner for the team

and coaches during their preseason training

camp late last summer and “it was the best catered meal

we had in two years,” says Jim Cordle, a three-year starter who’s played tackle, center and guard. “Everybody said it was the best ribs they ever had. I ate for an hour straight – I don’t know how to quantify that much food because I’m not a slow eater.”

The Buckeyes aren’t Guy’s only celebrity fans. Guy Mitchell, former executive chef for the Philadelphia Eagles who has cooked for movie stars and politi-cians, including guests at Vice President Joe Biden’s residence, sampled the sauce during the Fancy Food Show in New York last July and walked away with eight cases that he planned to share with the chefs who cook in the White House, Hughes reports.

Next month, the entrepreneur will take his sauce to “a huge food show in Las Vegas” where he expects his products to garner similar reactions. Hughes says his business’ recent designation as a certifi ed Minor-ity Business Enterprise through the state of Ohio Department of Administrative Services should also help spur interest and sales of Guy’s BBQ sauces in stores such as Sam’s Club and KeHE Foods, which have programs that target minority-owned busi-nesses for inclusion among their suppliers.

Hughes also expects the private-label sauce created for YSU to help drive ongoing growth and demand for his product, both because demand for Pete’s Offi cial Tailgate Sauce continues to grow, and

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because other universities want their own. (Hughes says he is in discussions with OSU and the Univer-sity of Akron). “Everybody’s heavy on tailgating,” he says.

With ongoing support from Zidian Specialty Foods’ national sales team, Hughes says the geo-graphic area where Guy’s BBQ sauces are available will continue to expand. He even expects to begin exporting his products to Mexico.

Promoting his product and operating his catering/concession business became Hughes’ sole occupa-tion in 2006 when he retired from GM. His company, Guy’s BBQ Pork LLC, employs 10, including his wife, three sons, daughter and 17-year-old grandson.

Ira “Guy” Hughes holds a commercial-size jug of his Sweet Thunder Hot Sauce during a local home and garden show where he explained how to make barbecued ribs and his son, Kevin, left, and Emily Littell, right, offered samples to those in attendance.

Journal Opinion

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The Business Journal is published semi-monthly (twice a month) in Youngstown, Ohio. Copyright 2010 by Youngstown Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use, with-out written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.

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BY LOUIS A. ZONA

Impressions

Dissing the Congressman

26Patients who sought treatment the afternoon of

March 30 at the Youngstown Community Health Center could be forgiven for being taken aback at the scene there as activists protesting recently enacted federal health insurance reform showed up to voice their displeasure with their congressman.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio, had intended to hold a forum at the clinic to more fully inform his con-stituents of the provisions of the bill passed by Con-gress and signed into law by President Obama. The presence of the protestors, who identified themselves as part of the Tea Party movement, led Ryan’s office to cancel the event at the last minute, citing security concerns and disruptions to health care services.

Among those joining the Tea Party protestors was the chief operations officer of the Youngstown Community Health Center, Beth Haddle, who wore a tea bag on her tunic. “I work here and I’m a member of the Tea Party,” she told The Business Journal. “I have a life after work.”

Whether Ryan overreacted to the presence of the protestors by canceling the event is a valid point. It is also fair to note the protest occured at a time when federal law enforcement officials report that serious threats to members of Congress have nearly tripled in recent months. Ryan and his staff are among those receiving threats, including a threat to blow up his Warren office.

No one disputes that Haddle has a right to her po-litical beliefs, but her presence at the daytime event at the Youngstown clinic, by all appearances, was in

her role as an official of the clinic as well as a member of the Tea Party. The line that she attempted to draw between her personal and professional lives was blurred – to the detriment of the health center.

Then there’s the blatant hypocrisy. Haddle and the CEO of the clinic, Ronald Dwin-

nells, have shared a podium with Ryan twice in the past year as the congressman announced funding that his office secured for the clinic and its par-ent, Ohio Health One Inc., through earmarks or the federal stimulus bill – spending the Tea Party claims to abhor. That funding includes $880,910 Ryan secured last year for the organization’s new health clinic in Warren and a $216,000 earmark to fund a mobile clinic

Haddle’s actions call into question how the clinic and its parent should respond on its 2010 Form 990 – the tax return filed by nonprofit or-ganizations – in the section that asks whether the organization engaged in “direct or indirect political campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office,” or if it engaged in lobbying activities.

The events of March 30 showed disrespect to the congressman’s efforts to help fund the opera-tions of the health center, ill served its constituents and reflected poorly on the judgment of its upper management.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ohio Health One Inc. CEO Ron Dwinnells responds to our online coverage on page 15.


BY LOUIS A. ZONA

Impressions

See ZONA, page 16

Not Understanding English as It’s Spoken

Community Health Center CEO Rebuts Assertions

By Ron Dwinnells

See DWINNELLS, page 16

Although harmless in itself, let’s hope that octomom doesn’t last long enough to make the next edition of the dictionaries.

‘Why don’t you Google it?’ Mom would not be amused.

To the Editor:As the CEO

of my organiza-tion, it is my responsibility to comment and respond to the recent neg-ative portrayal expressed by Congressman Tim Ryan and

his staff of last week’s canceled health care informational event. This asser-tion was extensively reported in The Business Journal’s electronic media on March 31 and April 1.

As a nonprofit community health center organization receiving partial fi-nancial support through a federal grant, we have always remained and will continue to stay politically impartial. Members from both sides of the con-

gressional aisle support our endeavor of improving health care access and diminishing barriers to the medically underserved through legislation.

We educate and support our gov-ernmental leaders on the positive outcomes our organization aspires to achieve. Indeed, in 2009, our program was responsible for the health care of over 20,000 lives and saw more than 83,000 medical and dental patient-visits, utilizing over 50 outpatient exam rooms located in three counties serving patients from northeast Ohio and portions of western Pennsylvania. Thus, we serve as a major safety net to the citizens who cannot afford health care as well as create jobs and help hos-pitals reduce financial burdens by re-ducing emergency room visits through the provision of medical centers.

Blaming my organization for the

You would have thought that my little niece was listening to Swahili when my mother asked

her to go to the parlor closet and get her valise.

Today people rarely, i f ever, speak of the par-lor, what used to be the formal room for enter-taining guests. Today we say living room or family room. Valise is the antiquated term for suitcase.

Mom always scolded me for not wearing my galoshes in the rain. Our refrigerator remained the icebox.

My mother also used the word dear but in the same sense as Patrick Henry in his famous speech that ended, “Give me liberty or give me death!”

She once asked a department store clerk if the blouse she was considering

buying was dear. As with Patrick Hen-ry, dear meant expensive or costly. (Still does according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, even if few people use it in that sense.)

It’s interesting to see and hear how our language continually changes, add-ing words such as blog, dropping oth-ers, such as parlor and hi-fi – not to be

confused with wi-fi – and transforming the usage of yet others. Gay (as in the Fred and Gin-ger movie, “The Gay Divorcee”) no

longer means happy or lighthearted. Speaking of Mom (and new words),

she would not be amused by the name of the popular search engine, Google, which by the way, has become a verb as well as a noun as in, “Why don’t you Google it?” When she was a little girl, Mom’s favorite song was “Barney Google with the Goo-Goo Googoly eyes.” Those of you who know this old song know that the rhyming line

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Zona: Not Understanding English as It’s SpokenFrom Page 15

Dwinnells: Community Health Center CEO Rebuts Congressman’s AssertionsFrom Page 15canceled health care informational event at the Youngstown Community Health Center March 30 and mak-ing accusatory public statements, the congressman’s office has created an environment of fear among our patients in the af-termath. Many of our patients have canceled their ap-pointments and are fearful for their safety, citing the congressman’s words of threats and fears. Thus, a barrier to health care access has been created. This is truly regrettable and unnec-essary and I hope this was simply a reaction of emotions and not an orchestrated retribution due to the canceled event.

When I was approached by Con-gressman Tim Ryan’s office March 26

to host a health care event related to the Mahoning Valley Organizing Col-laborative (MVOC) and the health care reform bill, I expressed concern about potential disruption to patient flow

and access. I was assured this was to be a private event and would not be highly publicized. I agreed to host it but requested that my organization retain a low profile due to our com-

mitment to political neutrality and the potential volatility of the subject matter.

On March 30, the day of the event, I received a call from the congressman’s office stating an announcement had been made of the event to the media the evening prior and as a result there was considerable activity stirring among anti-health care reform groups.

I was informed that the congressman’s office would notify the police to help maintain security and agreed to have members of our staff assist in traffic control if required. The repeated al-legation by the congressman’s office as reported by The Business Journal that somehow we were responsible for security and did not provide it, is not only an inappropriate expecta-tion but also an untrue one. We are in the health care business to provide positive health outcomes. We are not experts in the provision of security for elected officials.

Several references were made in regards to “tea-baggers” being in the waiting room and somehow they were a threat while patients were present. This is absolutely false. All of Con-gressman Ryan’s constituents includ-ing staff members, members of our board of directors, MVOC participants, and those with signs, placards and the American flag were respectful and no

one was ever placed in a threatening situation. Our waiting rooms, located some 300 feet away from the front of the building where the gathering took place, had only patients occupying them. There were no demonstrators in the waiting areas and no one’s safety was ever compromised.

Certainly, life is fraught with unin-tended consequences. Their genesis can often be traced to either actions of emotional reactivity or intentional reprisal. I hope and believe the recent negative public comments made by Rep. Ryan and his staff regarding the Youngstown Community Health Cen-ter as it relates to the canceled health care informational event were rooted in emotional mire.

Editor’s Note: Coverage of the protest, Rep. Ryan’s cancelation of the health care forum, his subsequent explanation and in-depth video interview were all published online at BusinessJournalDaily.com and our daily newscast, the BusinessJournalDaily BUZZ.

is “Barney Google had a wife three times his size.”

When I recently scolded my daugh-ter for walking into the snow without her galoshes, she asked if it came out of the same dictionary as “red up.” My mother was always redding up our house instead of cleaning it. Red up is probably derived from the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is a western Pennsylvania colloquialism, just like younz, the plural of you.

Sometimes words appear that I wonder about, for example chipotle. I never saw the word until about five years ago. And what about brus-chetta? Unless you prefer a chimi changa. When I was a kid, a dude was an Easterner who wanted to be a cowboy on the Texas ranges.

I recently heard a little girl at the

airport say to her father, “Hey, dude, help me with my backpack.” Knap-sack has become backpack.

No longer is tweet the sound that a bird makes. My father, a real meat-and-potatoes guy, would have gotten a kick out of gardenburger. He would also get a kick out of the fact that spam, as in junk e-mail, has replaced Spam, the processed meat served GIs during World War II.

Certain words sound funny to me – like fiduciary or the neologism Norman Mailer coined, factoid. Mailer couldn’t be bothered trying to confirm an assertion he believed was so, so he came up with factoid, something that ought to be true, but couldn’t easily be verified.

Regalia is funny because it sounds like something different and other words are funny because they sound like what they mean, such as burp.

If they made me the czar of ono-matopoeia, I’d replace sneeze with achoo (accent on the second syllable), as in, “Did you just achoo?” Every discipline or field has its own lingo.

In the world of art criticism, we say juxtapose a lot. We also talk about diptychs and triptychs (works of art in two or three parts), and we talk a lot about figure-ground ambiguity. (Forget I mentioned it.)

Isn’t the word disturbing disturb-ing? And why do we hear the word diphthong only in an English class? (Onomatopoeia, too.) Come to think of it, I would like it better if disturb-ing became the technical term for an atomic wedgie.

One of my all-time favorite words is “gobbledygook” (coined appropriately enough by U.S. Rep. Maury Maverick of Texas), followed by fisticuffs (labeled

“antique” in Webster’s New World).Certain words I wish had never

entered the language have gained widespread acceptance. Among them are terrorist, road rage and carjacking. Sadly, the adjective postal, as in “to go postal,” has acquired a very negative connotation.

Although harmless in itself, let’s hope that octomom doesn’t last long enough to make the next edition of the dictionaries even through vulgar terms for bovine waste and various bodily functions, once left out, have been included in recent years.

Were my mother still alive, she’d marvel at how common so many vul-garisms have become, that discretion and good taste seem to have been redefined. Boy, how I’d love to “fetch her valise out of the parlor closet” just one more time.

As a nonprofit community health center organization receiving partial financial support through a federal grant, we have always remained and will continue to stay politically impartial.

5083 Market Street • Youngstown, Ohio 44512330/ 788-4001 • FAX 330/ 783-3966 • www.callos.com • [email protected]

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YOUNGSTOWN - WARREN

Regional Chamber Report

If you own or manage a business in the Mahoning Valley and have some concerns or opinions about Ohio’s

Workers’ Compensation system, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni wants to hear from you.

Schiavoni, D-33rd, is completing his first term in the Ohio Senate and serves as ranking minority member of the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee, which has some oversight over the Workers’ Compen-sation program.

The state senator, a resident of Canfield, also is experienced as an attorney working in workers’ com-pensation law. His district covers all of Mahoning and Carroll counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

If you have concerns, questions or suggestions, here is his address: Ohio Sen. Joseph Schiavoni, Senate Build-ing, 1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor, Columbus, 43215, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Mark Your CalendarThe Regional Chamber urges its

members and other business leaders to attend Youngstown State University’s second annual Sustainable Energy Forum. The event will take place June 7 and 8 on the YSU campus.

The topic of this year’s forum is Advanced Materials for Sustainable Energy, which includes new compos-ites, platings, metals and ceramics being developed to accelerate sustain-able energy initiatives.

The event’s leaders are interested in recruiting presenters who will feature research that is approaching or already is in the commercialization phase.

Forum topics will center around energy efficiency, energy storage and grid, fuel cells/electric vehicles, car-bon capture/sequestration, landfill gas, wind and solar sourced renewable energy, bio fuels and liquid fuels from coal or natural gas.

A call for flyers and more informa-tion about the forum can be found at www.ysu.edu/sef.

In the next couple of months, the Chamber is hosting some of its most exciting events of the year. Be sure to make your reservations to be part of the fun at the following events:

• April 23: Good Morning, War-ren. Mayor O’Brien will give his state of the city address and Warren busi-ness owners and the new promoters of the summer concert series at the Warren Amphitheater, Marty Cohen and Ken Haidaris, will discuss what they’ve got planned for this summer.

The Upton Community Service Award also will be presented to a nonprofit, social service or govern-ment agency or organization in the city that exemplifies superior ethical, moral and professional standards. The breakfast event at Enzo’s Restaurant is sponsored by the Warren Area Board of Realtors.

• May 20: Athena Award Dinner.The 18th annual Athena Award Din-ner will be held at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman and will feature a keynote address from Patricia R. Miller, the co-founder of Vera Bradley Designs and former Indiana secretary of commerce. With 30 accomplished nominees, this is sure to be an exciting event. Watch your mailbox for your invitation.

• June 9: Regional Chamber Golf Classic. Join us at Kennsington Golf Club in Canfield to enjoy some sun-shine while playing a round of golf with friends, colleagues and contacts. A mid-day dinner will be provided by Antone’s Banquet Centre. Don’t miss your chance at some amazing hole-in-one prizes from Komara Jewelers and Hubbard Music as well as a chance to win a lease on a Chevrolet Equinox courtesy of Sweeney Chevrolet, Buick, GMC.

Workers’ Comp Worries?Call Sen. Joe SchiavoniServes on insurance committee, specializes in workers’ comp law. Regional Chamber Events

You Won’t Want to Miss

WATCH KIM GONDA’s Regional Chamber video report at RegionalChamber.com and on the BusinessJournalDaily BUZZ.

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TERM

PASSBOOKSTATEMENT

SAVINGSAPY*

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT

*Annual Percentage Yield Arrows tell whether rates rose or fell since last issue. Dashes indicate “unchanged.”

Minimum $500

Minimum $500

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

CF BANK (formerly Central Federal S&L) 1 Year 1.25 .10/Wellsville 24 Mos. 2.00 — N.A.

CHARTER ONE BANK 12 Mos. .60 N.A./ 5 Year 2.15 .05

CONSUMERS NATIONAL BANK 12 Mos. .55 — .10/Salem 4 Year 2.50 — .18

CORTLAND BANKS 1 Year .70 — .15/Cortland 5 Year 3.00 — .25

E.S.B. BANK 1 Year .60 — .30/Ellwood City, Pa. 4 Year 2.00 — .30

FARMERS NATIONAL BANK 1 Year .75 .10/Canfield 4 Year 1.80 .25

FIRST MERIT BANK 1 Year .35 — N.A./New Castle, Pa. 2 Year 1.60 — .05

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PA. 1 Year .50 — N.A./Hermitage, Pa. 5 Year 2.25 — .10

1ST NATIONAL COMMUNITY BANK 1 Year .75 .15/East Liverpool 37 Mos. 2.17 .35

FIRST PLACE BANK 6 Mos. .45 — .25/Boardman 12 Mos. .80 — .25

HOME FEDERAL 1 Year 1.00 — .50/Niles 3 Year 1.61 — .60

HOME SAVINGS 12 Mos. 1.10 —

.35/Youngstown 5 Year 2.85 .35

HUNTINGTON BANK 1 Year .94 — N.A./Youngstown 4 Year 2.75 — N.A.

KEYBANK 1 Year .20 — N.A./Youngstown 3 Year 1.10 — .45 5 Year 2.10 —

MIDDLEFIELD BANKING COMPANY 1 Year .85 — .35/Cortland 13 Mos. 1.10 — .65 2 Year 1.51 —

PNC BANK 1 Year .65 N.A./Youngstown 48 Mos. 1.30 N.A.

PNC BANK 1 Year .60 — N.A./Conneaut Lake, Pa. 5 Year 1.25 .05

US BANK (formerly Firstar Bank) 1 Year .25 N.A./Boardman 59 Mos. 3.15 — .10

Interest Rates

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of The Business Journal compilations. Rates are subject to change without notice and should be confirmed with the individual financial institution before entering into transactions. ©2010 Youngstown Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

April 9,2010

ANNUALPERCENTAGE YIELD,

2-Week Trend

Overlooking a magnificent lake and wildlife setting

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Interest Rates Bringing our Mission to life!

Over the years, Park Vista Retirement Community donors have greatly enhanced our residents’ quality of life.

Thanks to the generosity of people like Helen Stambaugh, Park Vista donor and resident, we have enhanced services, expanded and improved facilities and developed new programs. This legacy of caring has made a world of difference to Park Vista residents and the people of the Mahoning Valley.

To find out more about charitable giving to Park Vista, please contact Debra K. Hagarty, gift planning director for the Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services (OPRS) Foundation serving Park Vista, at 330-742-3609.

Brian KolenichExecutive Director

Park Vista

Debra K. HagartyGift Planning Director

OPRS Foundation

life!Over the years, Park Vista Retirement Community donors have

Thanks to the generosity of people like Helen Stambaugh, Park Vista donor and resident, we have enhanced services, expanded and improved facilities and developed new programs. This legacy of caring has made a world of difference to Park Vista residents and

please contact Debra K. Hagarty, gift planning director

life!Over the years, Park Vista Retirement Community donors have

Thanks to the generosity of people like Helen Stambaugh, Park Vista donor and resident, we have enhanced services, expanded and improved facilities and developed new programs. This legacy of caring has made a world of difference to Park Vista residents and

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FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT

Term APY Minimum

AUTO LOANS

Term Rate Type Down Payment Term Rate, 2-Wk Trend Fees

MORTGAGE LOANS

Arrows tell whether rates rose or fell since last issue. Dashes indicate “unchanged.” Rates are subject to change without notice and should be confirmed before entering into transactions. ©2010 Youngstown Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

ASSOCIATED SCHOOL 1 Year 1.00 — $1,000 Up to 48 Mos. 5.25 Fixed 20% 15 Year 5.00 — 2+200EMPLOYEES 2 Year 1.75 — $1,000 Up to 66 Mos. 5.50 Fixed 20% 20 Year 5.25 — 2+200

FIRST CHOICE COMMUNITY 1 Year 1.25 — $500 Up to 48 Mos. 5.65 Fixed 20% 15 Year 5.50 — 2+200(formerly RMI CO. EMPLOYEES) 2 Year 1.90 — $500 Up to 60 Mos. 5.65

OHIO EDISON/ 1 Year .90 $1,000 Up to 48 Mos. 4.20 Fixed 5% 15 Year 4.75 0+costsPENN POWER 2 Year 1.65 $1,000 Up to 60 Mos. 4.49 Fixed 5% 30 Year 5.50 0+costs

SEVEN SEVENTEEN 1 Year 1.00 — $1,000 Up to 48 Mos. 5.99 Fixed 5% 15 Year 4.25 — 0+costs 2 Year 1.00 — $1,000 Up to 60 Mos. 5.99 Fixed 5% 30 Year 4.875 — 0+costs

STRUTHERS FEDERAL 1 Year 1.00 — $1,000 Up to 48 Mos. 6.00 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 2 Year 1.51 — $1,000 Up to 66 Mos. 6.00

YOUNGSTOWN CITY 1 Year .75 — $2,000 Up to 60 Mos. 5.49EMPLOYEES FEDERAL 2 Year 1.00 — $2,000 Up to 72 Mos. 6.99 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.

Credit Union RatesApril 9,2010


Financial planners do what their clients lack the time – and sometimes the inclination, sometimes the insight – to do for themselves.

Whether it’s writing a retirement plan, help-ing parents setting up a fund for their children or grandchildren’s college education, developing a succession plan for the owner of a small business, tax planning or creating a trust, a financial planner offers the reassurance that all reasonable options have been explored.

Planners also seek to dispel myths about the vehicles their clients have available and set the re-cord straight about misperceptions and incomplete information they have.

For example, most Americans who invested in stocks are oblivious to the bull market that began more than a year ago, says Sidney G. Jones, first vice president-investments in the Canfield office of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Citing a Bloomberg National poll conducted March 19-22, Jones notes that the Standard & Poor’s Index rose more than 73% since its low March 9, 2009. And gross domestic product grew at a 5.9% pace in the last quarter of 2009.

Yet by a 2-to-1 margin, Americans say the economy has gotten worse and of those who own stocks, bonds or mutual funds, only three in 10 say the value of their portfolio has risen.

Wealth Planners Dispel MisconceptionsBy Dennis LaRue “Despite the largest one-year run-up we’ve had

in our history, the public perception is that the economy is not getting better,” says Andrew M. Moyer, a certified financial planner and principal in W3 Wealth Management Inc., Warren. “So percep-tion and reality have never diverged more.”

Because stocks have recovered only half of the 40% drop from the market high, Stan Shearer sug-gests they perceive the economy remains stalled. That and the fact many employers reduced or sus-pended matches to employees’ 401k plans and have not restored them perpetuates the misperception.

Shearer, associated with Northwestern Mutual, Northeast Ohio Group of Cleveland, recently added fee-based financial planning services to his practice. He has received the designations of CLU (chartered life underwriter), ChFC (chartered financial con-sultant), CASL (chartered adviser for senior living), CLTC (certified in long-term care) and wealth man-agement adviser.

“I want to be as educated as I can be,” he says of his earning the five designations. “I want to bring value to the table.”

The software that advisers and planners such as Shearer and Moyer have readily available, to say nothing of the related financial accounting software that Jones, James Sisek and Karen Cohen have at their fingertips, while not beyond the means of many of their clients, wouldn’t make sense for them to acquire.

The tax code has become so complicated, says Cohen, a principal in Packer Thomas, Youngstown, “If it weren’t for the tax software, we couldn’t do our jobs at all,” especially when it comes to computing the Alternative Minimum Tax.

Sisek, president and CEO of the Farmers Trust Co., tells of the extent many clients of Farmers rely on his trust officers before making a major purchase. Not that long ago, he says, a retired couple consulted him on whether they could afford to buy a new car. Because they had saved and invested prudently, Sisek relates, they need not have asked him. But it illustrates how widespread the misperception is of a stalled economy.

“That’s a large concern,” Moyer agrees. “People are afraid they’ll outlive their money. But that’s the whole point of financial planning. Often older peo-ple are making sacrifices they don’t need to. We try to help people make the most of what they have.”

With the exception of those in religious orders who take vows of poverty, most Americans want to become, at the very least, comfortable when they retire. What keeps many from achieving that goal is “a lack of discipline, a tendency to procrastinate,” Merrill Lynch’s Jones says. “They don’t understand what’s required.”

Adds W3’s Moyer, “They procrastinate because they think it’s a goal that can’t be reached.” Their perception is reinforced, he says, “when they look

See WEALTH PLANNERS, page 22

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around and they see other people not reaching their goals. So the reality is that not everyone who wants to retire will.”

Shearer doesn’t discount the procrastination factor but suggests it’s also a belief that they don’t have the time to be on top of their situations.

So many begin saving for retirement late, if not too late, to retire when they want to. “Last night I met with a couple, both 55 years old, who wanted to know if they had enough to retire at 62,” Shearer said. While “their investments fared fair,” he told them, 62 was probably unrealistic.

“A life-changing event,” as Farmers’ Sisek calls it, is the impetus that gets people to approach a financial planner: “a marriage, the birth of a child, seeing a child off to college, the sale of a business.”

So while it’s never too early to start, it’s rare for financial planners to see someone under 40, they say, and far more common see new clients in their late 40s and early 50s. That phenomenon is based in part on the assumption many believe they lack an estate large enough to be of interest to planners and advisers.

“No amount is too small [to save],” Moyer advises. “And when you get a raise, start to save and save all of your raise.”

Because so many want to retire early, not so much for a life of leisure, but to start a second career (often as a volunteer or at lower pay at a nonprofit), “The goal today is financial independence,” Shearer finds, “not retirement necessarily.”

Shearer, Moyer and Jones stress how each indi-

Wealth Planners: Dispelling MisconceptionsFrom Page 21

Estate Tax TipsNot only do financial planners help their clients

build their estates, they help them maintain their wealth and avoid taxes in directing its distribution while alive and after they die.

There is a certain gallows humor when they note that people who die before Dec. 31 avoid all taxes on their estates. Early in the George W. Bush Admin-istration, Congress phased out estate taxes with the tax coming to an end in 2010. But they would return to their old levels with a 50% maximum Jan. 1, 2011. The compromises entered to get the tax passed were based on the assumption Congress would return to the issue before 2011. It hasn’t.

Karen Cohen, a principal at Packer Thomas, offers some steps that can be taken to reduce an estate in anticipation that the estate tax will continue at some level in 2011:

• One can give up to $13,000 a year per indi-vidual without paying a gift tax. If you’re married, your spouse can give another $13,000. If you have four children, that’s $104,000 a year.

• If you own a small business and don’t want to have your heirs forced to sell it because of taxes, you can keep control of your enterprise while giving your children a small minority stake and increasing it each year as long as that stock is worth less than $13,000 per child.

The Internal Revenue Service is paying stricter scrutiny to family limited partnerships, Cohen says, and is “looking to stop discounts on gifts” where the value of an asset exceeds $13,000 but is discounted to reflect that limit.

vidual or married couple is different, that there is no cookie-cutter approach. As Shearer puts it, “I want to learn everything I can about their goals and how they manage their money” before he presents them with a plan or recommends an investment.

With more women in the work force, especially professionals, women have a larger say in developing goals and executing the plans to attain them, all the planners agree.

“There is no difference between men and women,” Moyer has discovered, “but there is between spouses.

I’ve come across spendthrifts and savers and almost always, one spouse is more frugal and this is the source of stress in marriages. What one spouse wants to save, the other wants to spend.”

Moyer tells how one couple resolved their differ-ences. One, who thinks Starbucks is an extravagance, allows the other to spend a set amount each month on whatever the spouse wants “with no comment.” Only exceeding the budget gives the other the right to complain. The compromise “cuts down strife on those people’s marriage,” Moyer says.

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The history of charitable giv-ing in our com-munity is long and storied.

If we were to make a list of local philan-thropists, we would all be-gin by listing

our best-known benefactors – those whose names are on buildings or are honored at gala events. The list would lengthen as we add the names of those donating at our places of worship and the booster club supporters at sporting events.

Finally, add those who contribute when a local family falls on hard times, those who give every time a neighborhood child rings the door-bell, or as they pass a red kettle during the holiday season. Now look at this list. Does it surprise you that nearly everyone you know would be consid-ered a philanthropist – including you? All of the people on this list share a common trait – they care about the causes they are supporting.

Including your favorite cause in your will, often referred to as planned giving, can have a lasting impact on the charitable organizations you care about the most. Planned giving uses estate and tax planning techniques to help philanthropists achieve their charitable giving goals. While some planned gifts provide an income stream to donors during their life-times, others provide direct support for charities in ways that maximize the value of the gift. Most important, es-tate planning with a charitable giving component is critical to continuing the support to charities.

A report released by the Giving USA Foundation reports that among organizations working to meet peo-ple’s basic needs, more than half (53%) were underfunded or severely under-funded for 2009. Our recent economic trauma has been a catalyst in changing the jargon of philanthropy to words with a broader scope. Sustainability, capacity and strategy are the new buzz words, and when layered over

By Patrica BrozikPresident, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley

alarming phrases such as “immedi-ate need,” planned gifts have become increasingly important to charitable organizations.

There are many different types of planned charitable gifts. The follow-ing categories are the most common.

• Bequest. A bequest can be made by naming a charitable benefi ciary in a new will, or adding a codicil to an existing will. The bequest can be in the form of a stated dollar amount or specifi c property, a percentage of the estate, or a portion of or the entire residue.

• Life Insurance. Donors may give a life insurance policy they no longer need, take out a new policy or

name their charity as a benefi ciary of an existing policy, with the possibil-ity of income and estate tax savings.

• Donor Ad-vised Funds. DAFs allow tax free growth of donated assets and deferred distributions to charities. Such funds are excellent strategies during a donor’s lifetime and afterward.

• Charitable Remainder Trust. A charitable remainder trust allows a do-nor to establish a trust for the ultimate benefi t of his or her organization of choice, retain a lifetime income gener-ated by the contributed assets, receive a current income tax deduction and defer the capital gain recognized on the sale of the contributed asset. Tax savings may be signifi cant.

• Charitable Lead Trust. This al-lows donors to provide income to an organization for a specifi ed number of years. The remainder is then re-turned to the donor or his benefi ciary. Benefi ts may include the transfer of assets to others free of estate, gift and income taxes.

• Retirement Accounts. Retirement accounts and IRAs may be subjected to layers of taxation, both estate and income tax. A charitable gift of these funds at death, however, can provide a donor’s fund with the full 100 cents on the dollar.

In times of economic turmoil, planned giving provides a reliable way for organizations to build their endowments and stave off fi nancial crisis.

Tax laws pertaining to charities are complex and ever-changing. Always consult your professional advisers with any questions.

Planned Giving Benefi tsCharitable Organizations

Does it surprise you that nearly everyone you know would be considered a philanthropist – including you?


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BY STACIA ERDOS

Media Scope

I’ll never forget how concerned we were as news anchors two years ago at WPXI in Pittsburgh

as the station transitioned to high definition. “They’ll be able to see every zit, wrinkle and imperfection!” we lamented.

Makeup artists came in to test what we would look like on camera. The verdict: less make-up. With HD, our regular makeup looked caked on. The eyeliner, eye shadow and bright lipstick made us look like we were performing in a circus rather than reporting the news.

Now anchors at WKBN, WYFX and WYTV are feeling the same anxiety. April 19 is the target date for those stations to begin broadcasting news in HD. News director Gary Coursen says everyone is excited, but a little uncertain of the unknown, and that date may be pushed back to ensure compatibility issues are worked out.

While some television stations have made it a step-by-step transition, starting with in-studio cameras before the field gear, the owners of WKBN, New Vision Television of Youngstown, are doing a complete switchover to HD all at once including live trucks. That’s a $2.7 million investment over three years, Coursen says.

“I’m proud of our company,” said Coursen. “We have to put two stations on; that’s a big investment. For them to give that vote of confidence speaks well for the potential here.”

The set used by 27 First News and First News on Fox has already been upgraded to an HD design. Now it’s being relit with the anchors more spread out because of the wider format. WKBN will also be able to produce local programs in HD as well as commercials for clients.

For over-the-air antenna viewers, the WYTV tower on Shady Run Road is being upgraded to handle the power of a million-watt transmitter, another $600,000 investment, Coursen says.

As for WFMJ, news director Mona

WKBN-TV Goes High Def, WFMJ Wins with Olympics

Alexander says her station is well on its way to HD, currently installing an HD master control, but she couldn’t be certain of the timeline.

February Nielsen ratings showed more viewers tuning in to local news and turning away from cable, thanks to the Olympics and some wicked snowstorms. It was a particularly good

book for WFMJ.At 6 a.m. and 6

p.m., all three lo-cal stations saw an increase in viewers with WYTV still a distant third in all time slots.

WFMJ’s morning show saw the biggest jump in audience, widening its already solid lead.

At noon, WKBN still has more than twice the viewers of WFMJ with the latter losing shares and WKBN gaining them year-to-year.

As the sole newscast at 5 pm, WKBN saw a big increase in view-ers and is now neck-and neck with Oprah. Coursen notes that taking Channel 33’s news off the air at 5 proved a positive move.

At 6 p.m., WFMJ beat WKBN and WYTV combined, but all three sta-tions posted gains with 117,000 view-ers watching the newscasts daily, 26% more viewers than last year.

First News on Fox at 10 lost some viewers from a year ago, taking a hit from the Olympics.

At 11 p.m., WFMJ was still the solid No. 1, even subtracting the two weeks where its news was pre-empted by the Olympics. WKBN again took a hit and lost viewers.

WFMJ news director Alexander says she’s pleased and proud of the rat-ings. “Stations need to do more than cover the daily news calendar and I think we do that,” she says. “I give all the credit to the news staff and news managers who consistently fight for stories relevant to people’s lives.”

Coursen is also happy with the book saying his TV stations gained in most time spots, despite the Olympics. “I’m anxious to see what high def does,” he adds,

February Nielsen ratings showed more viewers tuning in to local news and turning away from cable, thanks to the Olympics and some wicked snowstorms.

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BY MONNIE RYAN

Local Dot Com

The region’s architects are the topic here, but first I must offer an apology to all who visited the

Pittsburgh International Airport’s Web site as listed in last month’s column. In fact, that site did have airport information, but it’s not one of the airport’s official sites. The preferred URL, I’m told, is FlyPittsburgh.com. Mea culpa!

Now it’s off to see the architectural firms, starting with Strollo Architects in Youngstown, StrolloArchitects.com. The home page is neatly laid out with colorful photos of projects and quick facts, such as the firm was founded in 1956 and has earned nearly 5,000 design commissions. At the left are links to more information, including direct e-mail addresses and phone numbers for principals of the firm. Mailing addresses and phone numbers for Strollo’s six offices are listed in the “Contact Us” section.

Projects are listed here by category, so I peeked at a couple that are of in-terest to me and ended up looking at all of them simply because the photos are so colorful and well done.

From there, I visited Phillips/Sekanick Architects Inc. in Warren, Phillips-Sekanick.com. The first thing I discovered is that the site isn’t Firefox-friendly; photos of completed projects flash by at dizzying speed, and the navigation links on the left are distorted. But when I switched to Internet Explorer, everything turned to good working order.

This firm has projects sorted by category – office, retail, educational – as well as works in progress. In ad-dition to a basic description of each, photos scroll by to provide interesting visuals. One project, for instance, is the O’Charley’s restaurant in Niles, a prototype design and the first of its kind in the nation.

Next was Baker, Bednar & Associ-ates in Warren, BakerBednar.com, which has a cool home page that scrolls down from the top, ending with rotating photos of the firm’s proj-ects. Even the colors are a bit unusual

Their Designs on the Web– mostly soft blues and complemen-tary oranges – very easy on the eyes. The “Personnel” link brought me to a colorful panorama of the folks who work there; more extensive informa-tion on the principals of the firm can be accessed from another link on that page.

The “Portfolio” section lists proj-ects by category first, then individual project such as the Kresge Court at Mount Union College (under “Edu-cation”). A main photo appears with thumbnails above it; click on any of the thumbnails and that image whiz-zes right up. I usually don’t give shout-outs to any one site I visit, but I’m making an exception for this site.

Then, I moved on to visit Stephen Berry Architects in Youngstown, ArchitecturalDesignInc.com. Simple is the operative word here – plain white, black and gray type with con-tact information and a single colorful rendering on the home page. At the top are links to various types of proj-ects as well as the background of the firm and its services and employees.

Berry, I learned, specializes in the design of hotels and high-rise build-ings, among other things. I especially like the photos of the Sheraton in Detroit, which was completed in 2007, and the jazzy-looking, in-progress renovation of the Hilton in downtown Pittsburgh.

My last stop was at Balog Steines Hendricks & Manchester Architects Inc. of Youngstown, BalogArchitects.com. Here, I headed straight for the gallery, where I found many – almost 80, in fact – beautiful photos of com-pleted projects. The portfolio section showcases projects by type, such as schools and historical buildings, as well as projects in the design stage.

Here, too, I like that employees are listed complete with title and direct e-mail address, making it easy to contact anyone you need. Mailing addresses for the Youngstown and Co-lumbus offices are on the home page where thumbnails of projects rotate to keep things interesting as well. The “Our Staff” section features photos of principals, associates, technical and administrative employees – many in action rather than simple mug shots – also a neat touch.

Architectural firms showcase their projects, staffs.


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Escape Stress: Go to Spa, Get MassageFrom Page 27

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WarrenBusinessPages 29-36

Renewed interest in setting up businesses downtown and securing government help to

restore the central business district point to a renaissance in the heart of Warren.

It’s a transformation that officials say will help remake the local econ-omy, bring in new jobs and restore a sense of vitality.

“We’ve had a resurgence of busi-ness activity downtown,” says Mayor Michael O’Brien. In the next three to five years, he anticipates at least $10 million in new investment and up-grades in or near the downtown.

Prospects for a new high-tech busi-ness incubator, as well as the potential of securing a site for the main campus of Eastern Gateway Community Col-lege, are among the major projects O’Brien hopes will take root. Mean-time, private investment in abandoned buildings is on the rise as evidenced by the recent purchase of the Showcase Books building.

The building was just months away from the wrecking ball, O’Brien recalls. Enter Paul Clouser, the owner of Na-tional Fire Repair Inc., Youngstown, who expressed interest in buying the building from the city and establishing a Warren office on the first floor.

The renovated second floor is being converted to apartments while Clous-er and his wife remodel the third floor and convert the 4,000 square feet into their residence, said Michael Keys, community development director.

“He’s willing to put his money into renovating this building,” Keys notes. The landmark structure was built around 1861.

Clouser bought the building in October, he says, and renovation is in swing after delays resulting from a harsh winter. “The first phase is going to be about $250,000,” he says. “We’ll renovate all of the third floor, and half of the first and second. We’re looking toward an opening in late summer.”

Clouser says he didn’t think twice about purchasing the building. “I’m a

Michael Keys, community development director, and Mayor Michael O’Brien believe Warren is on the cusp of creating a new vibrant downtown with entertainment venues and public projects.

Warren JFK graduate, a YSU graduate, and I worked at National Fire Repair for 20 years before I purchased it,” he says. “I’m heavily invested in this area.”

And, he says, he and his wife, Holly, spend much of their time in downtown Warren attending festivals, enjoying events in the amphitheater, strolling along the Riverwalk and the park.

“A year ago, there were a lot of empty storefronts downtown,” Keys says. And so the city and its downtown development arm, Warren Redevelop-ment and Planning Corp., or WRAP, acquired some of the empty store-fronts and sought potential users of the property.

“The objective is for the city to acquire and control the abandoned property,” Keys says. Then, the city can negotiate with prospective buyers or, if those efforts prove unsuccessful, raze those dilapidated structures that have become eyesores and hindrances to development.

“Every year, there’s been some physical improvements downtown,” he notes.

The Showcase Books project was a success and the city is negotiating with other parties interested in some of the buildings it owns. “We’re in dis-

cussions with a local agency regarding the Work Force Investment building for the purposes of a large-scale in-vestment,” the mayor says.

Other business owners have taken a chance at downtown in hopes of capitalizing on what is shaping up to be a busy summer in the city, O’Brien relates. The new Piazza Italia along East Market Street is open nights and weekends in anticipation of events held at the downtown amphitheater. “We’re expecting between 4,000 and 5,000 people downtown every Satur-day night,” O’Brien says.

Each Saturday, beginning May 29 through Aug. 28, the amphitheater will host its River Rock at the Amp series. The venue features tribute bands performing hits by The Beatles, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band along with highlighting local talent.

“These new restaurants and busi-nesses want to take advantage of the busy Saturday nights and families downtown,” O’Brien notes.

The mayor concedes the central business district will never regain its status as a retail hub. However, the downtown is emerging as an impor-tant entertainment spot for large-scale events, a destination for professional

offices and small businesses, and gov-ernment agencies.

“A lot of companies like the low cost downtown,” O’Brien adds. On average, the price for office space there is roughly $6 a square-foot compared with $12 to $14 in the suburbs.

Key to developing a healthy pulse for small, growing businesses is the proposed Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center, more commonly known as the Warren incubator.

O’Brien says the incubator plans to focus on housing companies that develop “green” technology applica-tions, and the city has narrowed the possible sites to three in the down-town. “We’re about a month away of making a decision,” he says.

The city received $500,000 from the state of Ohio and another $2.2 million from the federal government to help develop the incubator.

The bulk of new development downtown is related to government, O’Brien says. The Warren City School District is set to occupy the former Trumbull Savings & Loan Bank, add-ing about 100 jobs downtown, he says. Meantime, the city is working with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and the Warren Commu-nity Improvement Corp. to combine Trumbull County One-Stop and nu-merous city agencies into one building in the central business district.

These projects would be greatly augmented should Eastern Gateway Community College open its branch downtown in the Atrium Building, O’Brien says. “It would bring em-ployees, instructors and students to the downtown,” he says. “And, we’ve got to understand that community colleges have undergone enormous expansion over the years.”

There is great potential for a com-munity college to grow in Warren, he observes, which would also spur demand in local restaurants and busi-nesses around the central square.

“We’re on the brink of a new downtown,” O’Brien says. “During the 1930s through the 1960s, down-town was known for its retail. Now, the focus is on government, schools, entertainment and small-business activity.”


Downtown Warren Reclaims Its VitalityResurgence of business activity brings rebirth.By Dan O’Brien

Micro Doctor Inc., a company that provides information technology solutions for businesses, has experienced steady growth since it was founded in 1989, says its president, Mark Richmond. The company made significant upgrades to its network infrastructure three years ago, enabling it to deliver products and services more efficiently at a better price. The company employs eight.

Mike Sparacino, owner of AVP Digital Inc., says his company has always been in Warren, and every year business “gets a little better.” AVP, which specializes in producing and editing television commercials for clients in northeast Ohio, was the first production house in the Mahoning Valley to move fully into high-definition video, he says. “2010 looks to be one of our best years ever.”

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WarrenBusiness

Main Street Warren, the nonprofit entity that has played a leading part in

downtown Warren’s revitalization efforts, will continue in that role as it searches for a new executive director, something likely to take a while.

Main Street Warren, which evolved from Warren Grows when that or-ganization received the Main Street designation from Heritage Ohio in November 2007, has lacked an execu-tive director since the sudden resigna-tion of James Dalessandro.

Dalesssandro, the first executive director, stepped down when City Council denied a request of $18,000 to cover a fund-ing gap created when grant funds the organization counted on did not come through and a Wean Foundation funding com-mitment wouldn’t be disbursed until June.

Chuck Joseph, Main Street Warren board chairman, maintains the money was available through an economic development fund supported by rents and parking revenues from downtown properties the city owns.

“We’ve got to do the best we can to keep things moving with Main Street. That’s the challenge we have,” Joseph says.

The Main Street program is struc-tured so that each of a chapter’s four committees – they focus on organiza-tion, promotion, design and economic restructuring – has work plans defined for the year, Joseph explains. “The role the executive director plays is to help keep those things moving along,” he says.

In those plans are posting on the Main Street Web site an inventory of downtown buildings, wrapping up a survey of downtown businesses and collaborations with the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County on events such as Noon in the Park and Christmastime in the City.

Main Street Warren has also be-come involved with the summer concert series sponsored by Sunrise Entertainment, a partnership of Marty Cohen of Mickey’s Army Navy and Ken Haidaris of Sunrise Inn. Cohen and Haidaris took over the series after

Main Street Advances Agenda Minus DirectorBy George Nelson the death of its promoter last year.

Joseph hopes to have Main Street War-ren sell tickets for the concert series as a fundraiser for the organization.

Main Street Warren was just ac-credited for its 2009 accomplish-ments, Joseph says, and Heritage Ohio officials have been informed of what is happening with the executive director vacancy. “Their position is these things happen. People move on,” he says.

“It’s not an easy position,” says Joyce Barrett, executive director of Heritage Ohio, which administers the Main Street program in Ohio. Warren is one of 36 Main Street communities

in the state. Main Street ex-

ecutive directors try to satisfy “a lot of varied in-terests,” she says, “[and they face] a lot of pressure and demands, so I’m not surprised there

is turnover.”Still, the longer an executive direc-

tor is in place, the more productive a Main street community becomes, so the organization wants to minimize turnover. She is committed to helping Warren “in any way we can” to keep its committees running and projects “on task, which is tough without a staff person,” as well as help in hiring a new executive director.

Alford Novak, 2nd Ward council-man and chairman of the finance committee, says he didn’t learn of the funding request until he read a newspaper account before receiving his council packet for that meeting. While Mayor Michael O’Brien rec-ommended the item be passed as an emergency measure, “I don’t rubber stamp things,” Novak says. “After 19 years on council, I’ve learned there has to be discussion.”

While the economic development fund Joseph cites has about $156,000, Novak says Auditor David Griffing’s position is that there are “other priorities” downtown to direct the money. “This is our bean counter,” he remarks. “I count on him. It’s not a personal thing.”

The finance chairman says he needs more information to justify city expenditures to taxpayers, especially with the city in such dire financial straits. Organization representatives

Main Street executive directors try to satisfy “a lot of varied interests,” Barrett says, “[and they face] a lot of pressure and demands, so I’m not surprised there is turnover.”

See MAIN STREET, page 32


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Main Street: Minus DirectorFrom Page 31need to approach council armed with their financial-impact statements and budget, show other grant money they’ve received, how they spent that money and explain their need for the $18,000.

Main Street Warren’s parent, Heri-tage Ohio, has approved the local entity acting without an executive director, that the chairman can “ba-sically be the point person” in the interim, Novak says. “So it’s not a dire emergency.

“I’m not against Main Street. It’s an excellent program,” he says, and he doesn’t have an agenda against Dales-sandro or Joseph. While he agrees that Main Street “needs to be in place,” the central business district also has orga-nizations active such as the Downtown Warren Business Association and the recently established Downtown War-ren Events and Promotions Council, which he says, “splintered away” from Main Street Warren.

The vice president of Downtown Business Association, Jim Valesky, says the aim of his organization is to help businesses help themselves, “no more, no less than what the name implies.” His organization and Main

Street Warren need to work together. “If you look at the main principles of Main Street, it’s important that there is a business association,” he says. “Working together with them is cru-cial to revitalizing the downtown.”

Ohio OKs Warehouse LoanThe State Controlling Board voted

April 5 to approve a $1 million loan from Ohio’s 166 Direct Loan program for An-derson-DuBose Co. The loan would help defray the costs of new machinery and equipment that would be installed at a site in Warren still to be chosen.

The Solon-based company, which employs 160, 94 in Ohio and 66 in Pennsylvania, is looking to consolidate its operations at a new 130,000-square-foot warehouse.

The project would create 50 full-time jobs and help retain 94 at-risk jobs, according to the controlling board request.

Youngstown/Warren RegionalCham-ber officials said they continue to work with the company, which has not decided where it will build the warehouse.

Anderson-DuBose is a wholesale dis-tributor that supplies 480 McDonald’s restaurants in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

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Dino and Ken Haidaris operate the Sunrise Inn, a landmark Italian restaurant at 510 W. Market St. This summer the family also is promoting the concert series at the city’s amphitheater.

Jacki and Thom Duma Jr. operate Thom Duma Jewelers at 115 W. Market St. The origin of the business dates to 1957 when Thom Duma Sr. and his co-worker, Izadore Diamondstein, purchased Klivan’s Fine Jewelers. The store was renovated in 2002 and reopened under the Duma name.

WarrenBusiness


Volunteers Target CleanupSome 40 volunteers turned out April 9 for a

neighborhood cleanup on Atlantic Street NE in Warren. It was spearheaded by the Mahoning Valley

WarrenBusiness

Organizing Collaborative and North Side Neighbor-hood Action. Volunteers also boarded up vacant houses, a magnet for criminal activity.

John Goddard and Jerry Milks work on cutting and clearing fallen tree limbs at an abandoned house.

Josh Keen and John Cope board up a side door at a vacant house on Atlantic Street NE.

Brigitta Oaks clears away branches and other debris littering the neighborhood on the north side of Warren.

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A shake-up in the company’s executive suite, a more productive relationship between managers and the union, and a desire to use

innovative means to carve out new markets and develop relevant products. All make for a promising future for Thomas Steel Strip Corp.

“We have to work together and pull together as a team,” said William Boyd, who took over as president and CEO of Thomas Steel a year ago. “I know that we all share the same aims – a healthy, safe, prosperous Thomas Steel that we can look forward to many years of employment with this company.”

Just six months before Boyd came on board, the situation confronting Thomas Steel wasn’t promis-ing. The company and its union – United Steelwork-ers of America Local 3523 – couldn’t come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement and an acrimonious strike lasted throughout the summer and into the early winter of 2008.

Since then, changes in upper management and a punishing recession have succeeded in bringing labor and management closer than ever, as each discovered ways of working in unison to help sur-vive one of the toughest economic downturns in recent history.

While the worst of the recession is over and the economy is on the slow climb to recovery, Boyd said it’s critical that businesses such as Thomas Steel take full advantages of new opportunities in emerging sectors of the economy.

Boyd and other company executives hosted U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio, labor officials, and a representative of Youngstown State University during a tour March 29 of the company’s plant on Delaware Avenue.

Last year was especially difficult for the industry, Boyd told the congressman. In 2009, employees were placed on rolling layoffs, while others retired and were not replaced. The harsh effects of the reces-sion slammed the company hard, but the market is picking up.

Boyd explained environmental regulations in this country make it difficult to compete with companies in countries that have no such mandates. Moreover, batteries imported from countries such as China have also affected their business.

“I think we’ve weathered the economic storms through a team effort,” Boyd said. “I think it’s helped to bring us together as a company.”

Still, it’s vital that Thomas Steel diversify its product line and attract new capital. “We need to get ourselves in a financial situation where we can encourage and successfully attract capital invest-ment,” Boyd said. “To do that, we need to get some new business in.”

Thomas Steel processes specialty steel used mostly for the commercial battery industry and the automotive industry.

The battery market, which currently constitutes

about 65% of the company’s business given the weakness in the auto industry, has matured to a point where there’s little room for additional growth. The market has evolved from a disposable culture to one that purchases the longer-lasting rechargeable cells, driving down demand for traditional batteries.That leaves open the ability to enter more dynamic markets, such as solar energy, said Michael Hartman, director of technical services.

Most solar panels, Hartman said, use stainless steel for racking and other components. But the nickel-plated steel that Thomas Steel produces is a low-cost alternative to stainless and has proven to be more durable.

“We’re offering a lower cost to stainless that’s more corrosion-resistant,” he said.

There’s one problem. Thomas Steel would have to invest in a new production line to manufacture the larger widths of steel components that solar-panel systems require. That could range from modifica-tions to its NiZn (nickel/zinc)-Cote line at a cost of about $8 million to more comprehensive upgrades of its cold-draw operation that could cost as much as $30 million. Hartman said.

State inducements provided through the Ohio Department of Development are particularly helpful for expansion projects or any large capital invest-ment, Ryan replied. And, there are opportunities for mid-size companies such as Thomas Steel to improve and expand its engineering, research and development capabilities with the help of YSU’s Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics,

or STEM, College.“We want to make sure that companies are tak-

ing advantage of every opportunity,” Ryan said. “Those companies that don’t want to change will die. We need to make sure these companies have the resources they need.”

Martin Abraham, dean of STEM College, said the challenge is applyng existing technology at manufacturers such as Thomas Steel to making new products. “We just need to put the process together and make it work.”

As the company explores new opportunities for its products, it has also established a more produc-tive dialogue with its labor partners, union officials confirmed. “We’re light years ahead of where we were a year ago,” said Tom Jones, president of Lo-cal 3523 of the United Steelworkers. “There was a change at the top, and they’ve made it much more easy to communicate.”

Business is still down from the production levels before the work stoppage in July 2008, Jones noted. At that time, the plant was turning out 7,500 tons of product a month. “Now, 4,500 is a good month,” he noted.

However, there are signs orders are on the in-crease and he expects the plant to be producing at least 5,000 tons by June. There are 209 hourly work-ers at the plant; down from 275 in 2007. Thomas Steel also employs 79 salaried workers.

Boyd said he expects all employees to be back at work and doesn’t anticipate layoffs this year. “I think we’ve gotten behind that.”

Thomas Steel Eyes New Markets, Products

By Dan O’Brien

Turnover in executive suite, recession bring labor and management closer than ever.

“We have to work together and pull together as a team,” says William Boys, the new CEO of Thomas Steel Strip Corp. in Warren.


Eva Schloss remembers waiting for years for her father to come home. He was a strong and physically fit 45-year-old the last time she saw him. She was a young girl. Surely if she and her mother could

survive a Nazi death camp, he could too.Although it took a long time for her to accept it,

Schloss’ father, Erich Geiringer, and older brother, Heinz, were among the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. So was her stepsister, Anne Frank, the Nazis’ most famous victim.

Schloss, who’s lived in London most of her adult life, was in Youngstown last week promoting her books, Eva’s Story and The Promise, and dedicating an art exhibit at the Jewish Community Center of Youngtown that opened in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Holocaust Remembrance Day, an annual event the Youngstown community marks with a memo-rial service and other special events, honors those who died during World War II and reminds the

rest of us “of the horrors of the Holocaust,” says Sandford Kessler, executive director of the Jewish Community Center.

“This year, we were fortunate enough, through Harold Davis and the B’nai B’rith organization, to

Exhibit Keeps Memory of ‘I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in God even when he is silent.’By Maraline Kubik

bring in a series of wood sculptures that were done by Bill Brown, a machinist in Pittsburgh, and owned by Stanley Cohen. The sculptures evoke the feeling of what it must have been like for those folks in the concentration camps,” Kessler says.

Ten carvings are on display, beginning with “Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Commandment that Our Captors Could Not Live By,” which depicts an image of Moses, heavily bearded, holding a staff and gazing beyond a burning bush.

Other carvings, such as “The Long Train Ride to the Camp: Many of Us Did Not Survive This Ordeal,” meld the torturous physical and emotional journeys those persecuted were forced to endure and brings them painfully into the present with vivid images of desperate faces and emaciated bodies. Perhaps the most powerful, “Out of the Furnace: If This Is Our Fate, They Cannot Take Our Soul,” depicts the tortured souls of victims rising above the furnaces like smoke escaping from a chimney.

While the images are horrific and hauntingly surreal, there is also profound hope. The underly-ing strength that enabled those who lived to not merely survive, but rebuild their lives, families, faith and culture is clear: faith, hope and family. All are depicted throughout the exhibit.

“My Father Will Watch Over Me: He Is Gone But He Will Give Me the Courage To Survive” depicts

Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss addresses a crowd, including several children, during a book signing at Barnes & Noble.

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Exhibit Keeps Memory of a survivor held up by the outstretched limbs of his murdered ancestors. Similarly, “My Family Is With Me: I Can Rise Above Any Hardship If They Will Stand By Me” depicts a skin-and-bones survivor held aloft by his family. The message echoes throughout the exhibit with courageous victims holding strong in “Together We Have Hope: If We Lose Our Hope All Is Lost,” “Our Faith Will Keep Us Together: Life in the Ghetto Is Difficult But Some-how We Shall Over-c o m e , ” “Pray for Us To Be Free: We C a n n o t Give Up, With Hope W e C a n S u r v i v e ” and “Salva-tion Is Our Hope: We Know That We M u s t Hang Onto Life – This Will Be Our Legacy.”

Finally, “Liberation at Last: This Is the Day That All of Us Prayed For. For Many, It Came Too Late.” Those who were lost and the horrors they suffered must be remembered.

“This is a true image of the Holocaust,” Davis observes. “You understand the pain of these people just by looking at the images. It’s very compelling.” That’s why, he says, he wanted to bring the exhibit to Youngstown and why Schloss, who’s visited the area four times before, wanted to take part in the dedication.

“It was a very, very moving experience,” Schloss says of the first time she saw the carvings in Pitts-burgh during her last visit to the United States. “It’s amazing, huge carvings with people and expres-sions. It’s unbelievable. … [It depicts the] suffer-ing of the Jewish people and many, many people, groups of people and the expression on every face is so amazing and so moving and so exceptionally well done…”

Schloss has devoted much of her life to speaking at schools, synagogues and churches teaching others

about the Holocaust in an attempt to rid the world of hatred. “Unfortunately,” she says, reminding others about the atrocities “is still necessary. After Auschwitz people thought we have learned our les-son and there wouldn’t be any hatred, discrimina-tion, genocides. Unfortunately we know that’s not the case. There is a lot of bad things happening.”

Recently, Schloss says, she heard a news re-port about a young girl who committed suicide to escape being bullied by her class-mates. “I think this is really just atrocious and we have to put a stop to it,” Schloss insists. Bullying, she notes, “is how it starts.”

S c h l o s s ’ f i r s t book , Eva’s Story , p u b l i s h e d in England in 1988, de-tails her life in Austria before the Nazi inva-sion, life dur-

ing her imprisonment at Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp where around the clock entire families were gassed and incinerated, and her libera-tion.

The Promise, Schloss’ second book, fulfills the promise her father made to her brother when the boy asked what would happen when he died. “If you have children, you will continue on in your children,” Eva says her father explained. Knowing the end could be near, her brother asked, “What happens when you die before you have children?”

“Everything you do leaves something behind – nothing is lost as long as some-body remembers,” her father replied. The Promise, Schloss says, keeps her brother, Heinz, alive.

Images of the Holocaust, which also includes concentration camp liberation photos collected by the late Samuel Zoldan, runs through April 23. Admis-sion is free.

Holocaust Victims Alive

Wood carvings by Pittsburgh artist Bill Brown hauntingly capture the pain of those persecuted during the Holocaust. Ten carvings and a collection of photographs taken during the liberation of the death camps are included in the exhibit.


ROTARYwww.youngstownrotary.org

The YOUNGSTOWN

$100 per ticket • Dinner-only tickets $50.00Silent Auction • Dinner • Open Bar

THE MOST EXCITING

in MAHONING VALLEY HISTORY!REVERSE RAFFLE

$3,000 Grand Prize plus Additional Cash Prizes!

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Have you been searching for a way to make a difference in your community? Maybe it’s time to discover what Rotary is all about. Stop by for lunch. The Rotary Club of Youngstown meets every Wednesday, 12:00 PM at The Youngstown Club, 5th Floor Com-merce Bldg. Downtown. For more informa-tion call the Rotary Office at 330-743-8630.

Have you been searching for a way to make Join Us!

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�� :Monday, April 26 at 5:45-6:30 p.m.Cafaro Suite, Williamson Hall

Thursday, April 29 at 5:45-6:30 p.m.Cafaro Suite, Williamson Hall

Advance your career with an MBA degree�� Consulting projects for regional businesses� Outstanding faculty committed to teaching� International study tours� Classes meet one night per week��Managerial perspective

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Accounting Students Place First at Regional CompetitionFrom left: Matt Pollock, Ryan Garman, and Tarik ��

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Congratulations to Dr. Ronald Volpe and Kathleen Mumaw for receiving the Best Paper Award from the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences for the paper titled “Financial Literacy and the Sub Prime Mortgage Crisis.” The paper was accepted for publication by the ��.

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Good Luck to our Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Campaigns team as they compete in the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition with their IMC campaign for State Farm.

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Dr. David E. Stout recently ��Cost Management: A Strategic Emphasis, which was published by McGraw Hill/Irwin.

Leading the Way

To make a reservation or learn more about the MBA program, call Monique Bradford, MBA Coordinator, at 330-941-3069 or send her an email at [email protected]. For additional information, go to ��


By Dennis LaRue

Since the recovery began, despite the reluctance of employers in the private sector to hire, some jobs are out there – more so in the

public sector – and many college students are eager to fill them.

The 50 employers at the spring Job Expo at Youngstown State University April 7 were looking for students who can begin work almost immediately in part-time positions as well as those interested in careers after they graduate this spring or summer. They were also discussing internships with juniors and seniors who want one this summer and next fall.

Public accounting firms Hill, Barth & King LLC and Packer Thomas vied with the Internal Revenue Service to talk to accounting majors.

The president of Panelmatic Inc., Richard Leach, wanted to talk to engineering majors, whether mechanical, electrical or chemical. He was also interested in students pursuing associate degrees in engineering technology.

The Armed Forces wanted to talk to graduating seniors about military and naval careers and their Officer Candidate School programs.

The Social Security Administration has hired phi-losophy majors and music majors, said a supervisor in its Youngstown office, Al Baltes.

“We don’t pigeonhole,” he said. “We need ser-vice representatives and claims representatives. Our jobs are diverse; we work with people from diverse backgrounds; we’re looking across the board for people who can handle retirement and disability [claims].”

A primary qualification, he said, is “You’ve got to like working with the public.”

InfoCision, which operates call centers, was looking for college graduates interested in becom-ing program supervisors to train its employees who man the phones.

Giant Eagle was recruiting part-time employees to stock shelves, man cash registers and work in delicatessen and prepared-foods sections. The su-permarket chain promotes from within, explained field recruiter Sheri Snedecker, and has found that employees who start at the bottom and work their way up make the best store managers.

Of the students who approached the Navy booth, said Lt. Robert Rood, a medical officer recruiter, 80% fell within the weight standards for their height and about half of those he talked to were women. (YSU has a nursing program.)

To be considered as a Naval medical officer, a person must have a baccalaureate, be a U.S. citizen, have no physical disabilities and no criminal record. Except for medical officer recruits, the maximum age to enroll is 29 and most who agree to become officers have a five-year commitment.

Depending on the position, it can be as few as three or run as long as nine, Rood said.

CVC Pharmacy/Caremark, which describes itself as “the only fully integrated pharmacy health care

YSU Students Find Employers Are HiringAccounting, engineering grads in demand at job expo.

company in the United States,” was looking for students to be management trainee candidates, said regional trainer Scot Henry.

He was looking for students who have helped put themselves through college by working retail, business majors in general and marketing majors in particular. A background in accounting is a plus, Henry said.

While CVS has a formal 90-day management-

training program, on-the-job training continues for a year.

Where CVS was looking to fill management posts in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and the pan-handle of West Virginia, Wells Fargo Financial was looking to fill vacancies in its office in Canfield, said its credit manager, Scott Loehrke.

Wells Fargo, he elaborated, promotes from within See JOB EXPO, page 40

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and is seeking candidates who want to sell financial services, especially mortgages and auto loans. “A business degree with an emphasis on sales” describes the attributes he’s looking for.

As is usually the case, Clear Channel Radio, Boardman, had a booth at the job expo. And as usual, it “had no open-ings but the FCC [Federal Communications Com-mission] requires that we attend four a year,” explained Thomas John. “In my 17 years, I think there was one time we had an opening,” he said.

On the Clear Channel Web site is a list of all its openings worldwide, John said, but in the Mahoning Valley, employment has fallen to 41 from 82 because technology allows the network to increasingly use recordings instead of human beings.

At the Mary Kay Cosmetics booth, future execu-tive sales director Betty McKendry, a former teacher, was having interested students – all women – fill out applications to become consultants. The flexible work schedule Mary Kay offers proves attractive she said.

Working for Mary Kay can become a lucra-tive career after graduation, McKendry added, as evidenced by the 13 Mary Kay pink Cadillacs she’s been awarded during her career. And working part-

time for Mary Kay can help students put themselves through school.

A college degree is not required to sell cosmetics, the company notes. Many who work full-time for the cosmetics concern earn more than they would

as teachers and nurses, McKendry said.

With her at the expo was Melissa St. Thom-as, a music major who will graduate in May. St. Thomas began with Mary Kay last fall, and she ex-pects being a consultant will supplement her earn-

ings playing the flute and giving flute lessons.The Mary Kay booth was unusual in that while

most companies at the expo accepted resumes, other representatives directed interested students to visit their Web sites and apply online.

And even students that companies inform of their interest will often find they’ve taken only one step. At Panelmatic, for example, candidates undergo a five-hour battery of tests conducted by psychologist Doug Crush, Leach said. And once they are offered a position, they attend “Panelmatic University.”

Most companies were reticent to say what the starting compensation was for new hires. “We’re competitive” or “We’re competitive with our indus-try” were the most frequent first responses. Factored in to how much new hires would be paid was where they would be assigned.

Job Expo: YSU Students Find Employers HiringFrom Page 39

The 50 employers at the spring Job Expo at Youngstown State University April 7 were looking for students who can begin work almost immediately in part-time positions as well as those interested in careers after they graduate this spring or summer.

The lower cost of living in the Mahoning Valley means most who stay here would start out $5,000 to $10,000 less a year than if they were to work in Pittsburgh, New York or Chicago.

And this includes the Social Security Adminis-tration and IRS, not just a firm such as Panelmatic where Leach mentioned a difference of $5,000 if a candidate stays here rather than Houston or St. Louis, Mo.

Giant Eagle recruiter Sheri Snedecker says the grocery store needs part-time employees to stock shelves, man cash registers and work in delicatessen and prepared-foods sections.

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By Jeremy Lydic

A judge’s ruling on a challenge to a federal building permit is good news for Baard Energy LLC and helps put some steam in the engine

of the $5.5 billion project, executives say.On March 31, Judge Donald C. Nugent of the

U.S. District Court for Northern Ohio threw out a lawsuit by the Sierra Club, based in San Francisco, and the Natural Resource Defense Council from New York.

The plaintiffs accused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of failing to adequately assess the environ-mental impacts of Baard’s proposed coal liquefaction plant at 16 School Road, Wellsville.

The court found the claims unfounded, and in a prepared statement released April 6, the CEO of Baard, John Baardson, applauded the decision. Baard is headquartered in Vancouver, Wash.

“These disruptive activities only serve to delay the creation of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in Ohio,” Baardson said. “In this case, the U.S. Army Corps spent more than a year scrutinizing our application before is-suing our permit, and now a court has determined that the claims of the NRDC and the Sierra Club are warrantless.”

The lawsuit is one of three the environmental groups filed in 2008, challenging the permits issued earlier that year. They include the Corps’ 404 fed-eral wetlands permit, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit (NPDES) and air quality permits issued by the Ohio Environmental Protec-tion Agency.

Because the lawsuits would be included in the U.S. Department of Energy’s risk analysis of the project, Baard withdrew its application for $2.5 billion in funding through DOE’s loan guarantee program until the suits were resolved. Should the other lawsuits favor Baard, Baardson said, “we could be reopening these discussions.”

Decisions such as the one regarding the federal permit also help to “promote the cleanliness of the science,” and to move things forward with financ-ing, Baardson said. He hopes to have financing secured this summer, and possibly break ground by fall, he said.

“We’ve got great interest in this project,” said Steve Dopuch, a vice president of Baard. “And we still plan to proceed.”

Despite the ruling, the environmental groups will continue to oppose the project. In their suit, the NRDC and the Sierra Club argued the Corps didn’t perform its own evaluation of the effects of emissions the plan is likely to produce, instead relying on data in Baard’s clean air application with the Ohio EPA. Nugent said the Corps could legally do so under the rules of the permit.

“The effects of the facility’s operations are clearly separate and distinguishable from the effects of filling the wetlands, which were the subject of the permit request,” Nugent wrote. “The Corps clearly considered all of the evidence properly before it, even if it did not interpret that information in a manner consistent with the plaintiffs’ beliefs and interpretations.”

The Sierra Club disagrees, said its Beyond Coal

Ruling Gives Boost to $5B Baard ProjectCampaign spokesman, Nachy Kanfer. While the Corps discussed “the positive impact of coal min-ing when it comes to employment,” it needed to also discuss any potential negative environmental impacts. The club will likely try to appeal the judg-ment, he said.

“We strongly disagree with the court’s ruling, and we are currently reviewing our options,” Kanfer continued. “We will continue to make the case that

this plant is a financial disaster.”Baard plans to hire up to 4,000 construction

workers to build the plant over five years. Once up, it will employ more than 400 to operate the plant. The plant is designed to use the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to produce 52,000 barrels per day of ultra-clean diesel and jet fuel, as well as naphtha, a low-octane gasoline to be used as a fuel in the chemical industry.

SKILLED PROFESSIONALS. PRODUCTIVE RESULTS.

Ask about our nine-point Customer Bill of Rights!

I f you care about quality– commit to using the best contractors in this region’s construction industry:

Members of The Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

We are skilled professionals who offer productive results.

We are veteran craftsmen who complete jobs on time, on budget and in a customer-friendly manner.

We support the local construction industry with training and resources so that our project owners get skilled, expert workmanship. Every day.

THE UILDERSS K I L L E D P R O F E S S I O N A L S . P R O D U C T I V E R E S U LT S .

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To obtain a list of association members please call 330-539-6050 or visit our website at: www.TheBuildersOnline.com

The Builders: Teamwork. Safety. Manpower.

Choose Smart. Choose the Builders.



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Thanks to all of our employees for helping us achieve this honor THREE years in a row.

At Packer Thomas our employees are our most valuable asset. We provide a work environment where innovation is nurtured, achievement is rewarded, and respect for individuals is honored.

PROVEN TRUST � PROVEN VALUE � PROVEN RESULTS Youngstown, Ohio � New Castle, Pennsylvania � www.packerthomas.com � 1-800-943-4278

In these tough economic times, dining out has become a casualty of war for many folks, including our search team. But we’ve found a way to eat to our hearts’ content without destroying our

budget – buffets.

We admit we never used to be big fans of the all-you-can-eat joints, first of all because what happens at the buffet stays at the

buffet – no doggie bags allowed – so forget about tomorrow’s lunch. Also, buffet fare can be rather bland, so we end up with just two or three worth paying for. Happily, recent experience has made be-lievers out of us. In fact, we’ve made return visits to all the buffets here, starting with CiCi’s Pizza.

As a specialty buffet, the menu is somewhat limited, but it’s hard to imagine anyone going home hungry. Nor will you go home broke; unlimited buf-fet access is $4.99 for adults (beverages are extra). Since pizza is the big attraction, kids tend to love it here; an arcade game room keeps them entertained while mom and dad (or in our case, grandma and grandpa) polish off third or fourth helpings.

Pizza possibilities range from pepperoni to Ital-ian-style sausage to ham and pineapple (which is surprisingly good). CiCi’s “Signature” line includes buffalo chicken, spinach alfredo, macaroni and cheese, pepperoni jalapeno and more, depending on day and location. Except for a deep-dish ver-sion, the crust is on the thin side and filled with delicious spices.

We had seconds of the veggie pizza with green peppers and tomatoes and the pepperoni and sau-sage. Pizza rolls, which consisted of pepperoni and cheese sandwiched between layers of thin pizza crust, were delicious as well.

A salad section features fresh chopped greens and spinach, with a variety of toppings such as cherry tomatoes and black olives and at least three different dressings including bleu cheese. We also tried the yummy chicken vegetable soup filled with the obvi-ous plus curly pasta – the latter of which is available as an entrée with a marinara sauce that won’t scare any real Italian chef, but it’s quite tasty. Don’t miss the garlic bread with cheese – lip-smacking good!

The dessert bar has just three items: Apple cin-namon “pizza,” chocolate fudge brownies and cinna-mon rolls. The brownies are totally decadent, dusted with powdered sugar. Then we tasted the cinnamon rolls. Frosted, oozing with sugar and cinnamon, they were irresistible.

Buffet Buffer: Along the way, we picked up some tricks for maximizing the buffet experience. Most important, scope out the joint before anything goes on your plate; you can’t possibly try everything no matter how long you dawdle.

Known for grilled meats and seafood, Ponder-osa serves up specials that bundle a steak or shrimp with what they call the “salad bar” at

quite reasonable prices. Buffet-only trips, though, go for $6.59 for lunch and $9.59 for dinner for adults, plus beverages.

The salad bar has plenty to choose from. Maca-roni, potato and pasta salads and cole slaw join the requisite head lettuce and Caesar greens, and top-pings include hard boiled eggs, beets, ham, chick peas, shredded cheddar and tomatoes. Generally, two soups are on the menu; on this day, it was chicken

noodle and tomato basil – both quite flavorful.Entrees include baked ham, stuffed cabbage,

pork and sauerkraut, pizza, rigatoni with red sauce, build-your-own tacos and fried chicken and some of the tastiest chicken wings anywhere. Among the accompaniments are mashed potatoes with beef or chicken gravy, sweet potato casserole, spiced apples, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, cabbage and noodles, rice pilaf, green beans, mixed veggies, redskin chunks and baked potatoes with optional warm cheese sauce.

We do advise passing on the green beans. “They taste like they’ve been stored in an institutional-sized can for 20 years,” one team member griped. But the rest more than made up for it – unusually tender and moist rice pilaf, redskins swimming in butter and flavorful mac and cheese.

As for dessert, ah, where to start? A soft-serve ice cream machine spits out vanilla and chocolate, and add-ins include confetti sprinkles and sauces. After that come brownies, gingerbread, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, cookies, pudding and a few fruits such as pineapple and melon.

Buffet Buffer: Filling your plates with small amounts of each item to start with minds both waist and waste – if you find something you want more of, you can always go back. And, eat slowly. It isn’t kosher to spend an entire afternoon in a booth, but no one will throw you out just because you’re a leisurely eater.

Generally speak-ing, kids love buffets – where

else can they eat only the food they want and no one insists that they clean their plates? Hometown Buffet is a favorite of two of our grandkids, and we like it too; adult prices are $7.99 and $11.39 for lunch and dinner, respectively, and beverages are included.

If we’re not careful, we could fill up at the salad bar alone. It’s nice to have fresh spinach that’s not al-ready swimming in Caesar dressing; cottage cheese, broccoli-bacon salad are other faves. But nothing beats the seafood salad – small seashells, sliced celery and crabmeat (albeit artificial) in a delicious creamy sauce. Add-ins for the greens include large sliced raw mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, bacon bits and croutons. Three soups are the order of the day – the vegetable beef is particularly good.

Entrée possibilities start with a build-it-yourself taco bar, pizza, spaghetti and sauce and fried chick-

en. (It isn’t likely to make the Colonel jealous, but it’s tasty all the same.) Other choices are meatloaf, sirloin steak, smoked kielbasa, chicken Florentine, chicken a là king over biscuits and hot sausage with peppers and onions.

The day of our visit, we watched a chef carve generous slices of roast beef. Sides are plentiful here too, although the entrée options are so entic-ing that we didn’t bother with much except corn on the cob and a half baked potato topped with cheese and bacon.

Dessert was almost out of the question, but we sampled anyway. Frozen yogurt joins chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream, and toppings include hot fudge sauce. Warm cherry and peach crisps are delicious, and the lemon pudding was so tart that it made us pucker. But we had to pass on brownies, apple lattice pie, cheesecake and chocolate cake with frosting so dark it looked like licorice.

Buffet Buffer: Avoid long lines by stopping half an hour or so before or after the usual lunch and dinner hours. Another tip we picked up here: If you arrive 15 minutes or so before the dinner hour begins, you’ll pay the lunch price but still be there to chow down on the dinner items when they’re added.

Last up was the Golden Corral, and the minute we walked in the door, we knew this isn’t your father’s buffet. Prices are comparable to the

others – lunch costs $7.29 for adults and dinner is $9.89 – but after we laid eyes on the salad bar alone our jaws dropped and we didn’t close them for at least another hour except to chew.

The experience here is absolutely overwhelming, starting with the enticing smells of grilled-to-order steaks, chicken, salmon steaks and burgers. At the

expansive salad table, we sampled seafood, macaroni, Cajun and “regular” potato salads and deviled eggs; to our greens, we added baby shrimp, artichoke hearts, chunks of grilled

chicken and beef and bleu cheese crumbles. After that came tastes of Tim-

berline chili (wonderful), chicken noodle soup and clam chowder (ditto).Except for tasting a delicious jalapeno cornbread

muffin, we avoided the huge rack of breads and rolls – instead trying to narrow our entrees to a manage-able level while circling around do-it-yourself tacos, spaghetti and sauce, meatballs (standard and Swed-ish), bourbon chicken and fried rice and beef with peppers and onions. After that came pulled pork (with straight-from-the-bayou flavor), meatloaf, pot roast (fork tender), cheeseburgers, chopped sirloin steaks, lasagna, fried and baked chicken and pizza. We couldn’t think of a single vegetable that had been left out – right down to fried okra, broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes.

We didn’t even consider dessert until we let what we’d already consumed settle a bit. Even then, we couldn’t muster up much beyond eyeballing the awe-some array that included cherry and apple cobbler, German chocolate cake (moist and delicious), blue-berry pie (delicious as well), and oodles of cookies and other decadent-looking sweet treats. We didn’t walk out of this place – we waddled.

Buffet Buffer: Keep your appetite in check by picking a table or booth furthest away from the food, where you’ll be less tempted to pass by the tables of other diners and hear them whisper, “There he goes again – what a pig!”

Bountiful Buffets

In Search of:

By Monnie Ryan


City seeks cleanup funds for Erie Terminal project.By George Nelson

Lou Frangos is rethinking his plans for the Wick Building and may offer student housing rather than upscale apartments for professionals.

Five apartments have been leased in the Realty Towers building, which Frangos’ company, The

Frangos Mulls Student Housing for Wick BuildingFrangos Group of Cleveland, has developed into up-scale apartments. The Frangos Group owns several parking lots and buildings downtown, including the Realty, Wick and Erie Terminal buildings.

The Frangos Group acquired the Erie Terminal building in 2007 from the city of Youngstown, with plans to develop the building to accommodate demand for near-campus housing for students at Youngstown State University. The city’s Board of Control approved a $6,500 contract April 1 with

Partners Environmental Consulting Inc., Cleveland, to prepare an application for Clean Ohio funding to help pay for remediation of the structure.

Cleanup could cost $100,000 or more, said David Bozanich, city finance director. Youngstown is seek-ing the Clean Ohio funds on behalf of the Frangos Group. Bozanich expects the city to submit its appli-cation for the funds by the third quarter, with a pos-sible decision on an award by first quarter 2011.

The opening this fall of the new building for the Williamson College of Business Administration, between YSU’s main campus and downtown, will lead to Erie Terminal’s “successful conversion“ to student housing, he predicted.

The company is “re-envisioning and exploring all options” regarding the Wick Building, Frangos wrote in an e-mail. Before moving forward on the Wick Building, which had been slated for develop-ment into upscale apartments, “We first need to get the Realty apartments to an 80% occupancy level to show the lenders that there is demand for housing to be able to obtain financing,” he said.

Because of delays in opening the Realty Build-ing apartments last year, the company missed the best months for leasing – June, July and August, he said.

Student housing remains “the most viable option” for the Erie Terminal, and once a final determination is made and cost estimates are complete, he will seek financing, Frangos said. While the bank-lending environment remains uncertain, he is optimistic that his company can secure financing and complete the project.

“Because of the need that YSU has for housing, student housing is definitely on the table” for the Wick Building, he affirmed.

Meantime, the level of activity has increased ten-fold for apartment and commercial space showings at Realty Towers, Frangos said.

“We continue to be optimistic about our invest-ments in Youngstown and the progress and the success the city has had in attracting new develop-ment,” he remarked.

Sarah Lown, Youngstown development incentive manager, said the city is trying to get Clean Ohio staffers to look at the Erie Terminal building. Its “long-term future is hopefully some YSU-related use,” she said. “It’s still in the early says of planning, so we’re exploring all of our options.”

The Frangos Group secured historic preservation tax credits for redevelopment of the Erie Terminal and Wick buildings; they expire within the next two years. “So we’re under the gun to do something,” Lown said.

Frangos has at least one happy tenant at the Realty Towers, attorney and businessman Michael Morley.

“It’s been great. We’ve loved it,” he said. Proximity to downtown attractions including the Youngstown Symphony, stage theaters, the YMCA and restaurants and nightspots “has made for a fun and a convenient lifestyle,” he remarked.

Morley agreed that the months of April, May and June are “critical” for leasing the apartments.

“I’ve noticed considerable increased traffic in recent weeks,” he said. “We have two friends who are looking right now.”



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Research: Spurs BusinessFrom Page 1

health,” he says. “If it just stays in the ivory tower, then it doesn’t do any good.”

Ryan, who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, toured Kent State’s biomedical labs in Cunningham Hall April 6. The congressman also met with faculty to hear firsthand how stimulus funding has helped further research efforts at the university and how that research could affect eco-nomic development in the region.

“We’ve developed intellectual property that con-nects what we do here to clinical work,” says James Blank, chairman of the biological sciences depart-ment at Kent.

The 3-D stereoscopic imaging system, for ex-ample, has the capability of displaying detailed im-ages of the brain, showing not only arteries, blood vessels and nerves visible in a traditional CT Scan or MRI, but what is behind this network inside the most complex organ of the human body. “With this 3-D imaging system, you can see blood vessels that otherwise would be obscured in a two-dimensional image,” he says.

Neurophysicians can then pinpoint with more accuracy developmental problems, trauma or long-term effects on the brain related to diseases, Blank relates. The Oak Clinic in Green, Ohio, near Akron, is using the technology to better diagnose and treat patients with multiple sclerosis. “MS is a very ex-pensive, very disabling disease,” he says. With these instruments, researchers can better diagram the brain and thus provide a more thorough diagnosis early on.

Selling these ideas can prove challenging when dealing with a medical community trained and com-fortable in using accepted research and methods of treatment. “It’s going to take some time,” he said, noting that such devices are bound to change how physicians view the brain and other organs.

Ryan says such research could prove vital for combat veterans who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. “This could have a long-term impact,” he states.

Lefton also sees this as a way to better understand neurological disorders such as autism and children’s behavioral health. “It’s a public health issue, espe-cially kids’ health,” he says.

And, Blank says, there are opportunities for such technology to be marketed outside the medical

world. “We’re doing some marketing in China,” he reports. The system is being adapted to accommo-date game systems so that enthusiasts can experience video games in 3-D.

Among the initiatives under development are $2.7 million in funding for new sensor technology that could be applied to identifying levels, and the nature of, pollution in the environment, Blank says.

“We’re able to determine the source and levels of contamination” through this new technology, he re-lates. Moreover, the program would be used to train doctoral students not only in the sciences but in the business disciplines on how to develop intellectual property and take these ideas to market.

The impact KSU has on the economy is nearly $2 billion a year, according to a study conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc., which examined the role the main campus and its seven regional campuses play in the 12-county area. Of that impact, $292 million is related to Kent State’s business, employment and research endeavors.

The most visible of the private enterprises emerg-ing from Kent State are associated with the Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute. Three companies, Kent Displays Inc., Alphamicron Inc. and Crystal Diagnostics Ltd. have associations with the institute and the university.

The study also showed that faculty research over the last eight years has led to 109 active patents and 24 licenses that have generated $3 million in licensing income. And, 16 different startup com-panies have been directly attributed to endeavors at Kent State.

External funding for research initiatives at Kent have also climbed since the middle of the decade. In 2005, Kent received $25.4 million in external fund-ing. In 2009, that number hit $46.1 million.

The university has also reaped the benefits of federal stimulus dollars as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, or ARRA. John West, vice president of research at the university, reports that Kent State secured $5.5 million for various projects that led to the creation of between 75 and 100 jobs.

Ryan says programs such as the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, or ICTR, a part-nership between Kent and Summa Health Systems in Akron, landed $750,000 in ARRA funds to support its efforts to bring research to applicable cases in traumatic stress and geriatric mental health.

“The general appreciation for science has really changed,” Ryan told a group of about 25 faculty members. “The work that you’re doing and what you’re studying will have an impact on all of us.”

Rob Clements, associate professor, biological sciences, right, and James Blank with a 3-D image resulting from their work.

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BuildingBetterBusiness

On c e u p o n a time there was a Little Red Hen

who owned a wheat field. “Who will help me harvest the wheat?” she asked.

“Not I,” said the pig. “I don’t know how.”

“Not I,” said the cow. “I’m too clumsy.”

“Not I,” said the dog. “I’m busy with some other things.”

So the Little Red Hen did it herself.

“Who will help me grind the wheat into flour?” she asked.

“Not I,” said the pig. “That’s another vocation in which I’m untrained.”

“Not I,” said the cow. “You could do it much more efficiently.”

“Not I,” said the dog. “I’d love to, but I’m in-volved in some matters of greater urgency. Some other time, perhaps.”

So she did it herself.Needless to say, she got the same answers

when she asked for help making the bread for her dinner party. So she did it herself.

The evening of the dinner party, the Little Red Hen had nothing to serve them except bread. She had been so busy doing work that could have been done by others that she never got around to cooking the other food, or pre-paring dessert or even setting the table.

The evening was a disaster and she lived unhap-pily ever after.

MORAL: A good leader will find a way to involve others to the extent of their abilities. To do the job yourself is the “Chicken” way out!

Effective delegation will not only give you more

time to work on your important opportunities, but you will also help others on your team learn new skills. Obviously, The Little Red Hen didn’t have the skills to do this but you can develop these skills and do a much better job as not only a leader but as a teacher.

• Delegation helps the people beneath you grow in an organization and thus pushes you even higher in management. It provides you with more time, and you will be able to take on higher-prior-ity projects.

• Delegate whole pieces or entire job pieces rather than simply tasks and activities. This method makes it more important and interesting to the staff and allows them to see how they completed an entire job.

• Clearly define what outcome is needed, then let individuals use some creative thinking of their own to arrive at the desired outcome. You may discover a “diamond in the rough” among your staff who can

become invaluable to you and your company.• Never underestimate a person’s potential.

Delegate slightly more than you think the person is capable of handling. Expect them to succeed, and you will be pleasantly surprised

more often than not.• Don’t completely abandon your respon-

sibilities for the project. Decide with your staff what monitoring and measurement procedures to use so you can stay in the loop and judge progress of the project.

It would be a big management mistake to completely ignore the project that YOU are still responsible for. It is in your best interest to delegate wisely. Keep your finger on the project but not nec-essarily in it. Using these simple guidelines, your dinner party should be a huge success and your staff can feel a part of that success.

In this down economy, the most important word for any business is profit. Now more than ever, marketing executives and other people in

management must be concentrating on the bottom line.

Priority No. 1 on everybody’s agenda must be protecting the company. The marketing department should be in the forefront, not in the background.

Return on Investment Is BossLook at the line items of your marketing budget

daily, and constantly measure the results of each channel or tool in your marketing mix.

If you don’t continuously review your distribu-tion of media buys, you’re probably in trouble. Consider rethinking all placements and be sure to ramp up your Web placement and search-engine optimization efforts.

ROI Is KingYour company is in business to do two things:

provide a product or service to an audience, and make money (and probably not in that order). The further away any team gets from adding value to the bottom line, the greater the risk it runs of being downsized. Value is the key.

ROI RulesThe departments that make money for the com-

pany in a down economy are far less likely to suffer cuts than other, less-productive teams. They rule because they deliver. But there are rules.

Advertising and marketing departments tend to be more creative than analytical – just the opposite of most other teams in a company.

If small or midsize companies are to be effec-tive, executives will need to focus on financials and develop a plan with the rest of the team. But don’t count them out for providing good input into marketing. You just might find a gem with real creativity talents from one of the “bean counters” at your company.

And that is key: Involvement breeds commit-ment, so don’t be afraid of involving the right team members even if you might typically not involve them in planning. It’s a great time to grow closer as a team, and definitely a time to get all the smart thinking possible – each team member’s area of expertise – on paper.

ROI ServesRecessions and cutbacks put pressure on and can

The Bottom Line Is Bottom Line increase tension among colleagues – from C-level executives to the maintenance crew. If you get too big for your britches, even though you are getting results, you’re not leading well.

Great leaders get results, but they share the results and help others discover how to get results, too.

ROI CelebratesThe current economic climate is challenging,

sure, but it’s important to remember that whether the bottom line is what you want it to be or you’re

Your marketing department should be in the forefront, not in the background.

heading in that direction, celebrate.Celebrate the big; celebrate the small. Celebrate

the birthdays, and lift up the smallest of efforts if it improves profitability, motivates the team or brings the team together.

It’s easy to forget to celebrate when you’re work-ing in survival mode or simply trying to slow the bleeding. And although those might be reasonable excuses, there is really no reason not to celebrate, smile, and help your team stay focused on what can be done.

By Pat RoseBBB President

Tale of the Little Red Hen

WATCH THE BETTER BUSINESS REPORT every Thursday on the BusinessJournalDaily BUZZ.


By Dan O’Brien

Auto dealers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties report sales of new vehicles rose 11.4% during March, the first

monthly increase for area auto sales in more than a year.

The Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio reported April 8 that new vehicle sales stood at 1,833 units during March compared 1,645 during the same period in 2009.

Sales of new vehicles for the first three months of the year are still lower than the same period in 2009, but just by 1.6%. Area dealers report 4,043 new cars and trucks were sold during the first three months of 2010 compared to 4,109 vehicles sold through March in 2009.

Combined sales of new and used vehicles also rose 1.7% for the month, with dealers reporting they sold 5,940 vehicles compared to 5,839 in March 2009.

To date, sales of new and used vehicles fell from 15,196 through the first three months of 2009 to 14,245 during the first quarter of 2010, a drop of 6.2%.

Greenwood Chevrolet of Austintown sold the

Auto Dealers See Jump in March Salesmost new and used vehicles during March with 250. The dealership also sold the most new vehicles – 131.

“It’s the best month we’ve had since Cash for Clunkers,” says Greg Greenwood, president of Greenwood Chevrolet. Cash for Clunkers was the government program that awarded vouchers of up to $4,500 to consumers who purchased a new vehicle and turned in older, less fuel-efficient models. The program ended in August.

“Compared to a year ago, there’s been a sub-stantial increase in overall traffic, credit availability and then ultimately our combined unit deliveries,” Greenwood says.

Fairway Ford, Canfield, sold the second-most new vehicles during the month with 44, while Taylor Kia, Boardman, posted the third-highest sales of new cars with 36. Rounding out the top five were the Honda Store with 87 new sales and Preston Toyota, Boardman, with 84.

The Chevrolet Malibu proved to be the best-sell-ing model in the Mahoning Valley, according to the trade group’s report, with sales of 204 new units.

“Malibu is really, really hot right now,” Green-wood confirms.

Sales of the Chevrolet Cobalt, the model pro-duced at General Motors Co.’s Lordstown Complex, were off during March because of a power steering recall earlier in the month.

“We’ve been challenged with inventory levels.

‘Best month’ since Cash for Clunkers, Greenwood says.

We wish we had a little more of the hot crossovers and SUVs,” Greenwood says.

Greenwood reports he’s getting inundated with questions from customers about the Chevrolet Cruze, the small vehicle that will begin production in Lordstown in August.

Sardello Buys Vacant Delphi PlantCORTLAND, April 9 – Sardello Inc., a supplier of remanu-factured diesel-engine components for the marine, truck and rail industries, says there are no immediate plans to occupy the former Delphi Corp. building it now owns. “We bought the facility looking ahead for the next 20 years,” said Eric Statler, general manager.

Sardello operates a 48,000-square-foot plant in Hopewell, Pa., and a 72,000-square-foot plant in Dar-lington, Pa. Sardello purchased the former Delphi plant from DPH Holdings for $2.2 million. DPH Holdings Co. is the entity formed in Delphi’s bankruptcy reorganiza-tion to own certain assets and liabilities.

Statler said there are no plans for the Aliquippa-based company to expand into the former Delphi plant in the near-term. His office has been inundated with calls from this area inquiring about possible jobs. “The phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said. “But like everybody, our business is down.”

The plant here holds about 151,000 square feet of manufacturing space and was formerly used as Delphi’s plastics-injection molding center.

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Getting AheadTIPS FOR CLIMBING THE CAREER LADDER, COMPILED BY MONNIE RYAN

Getting Ahead

First impressions count – a lot – and that’s just as true for your re-sume as for the way you look and act at a job interview, says Dawn Dugan, contributing writer at Salary.com.

Dugan offers the following advice for what to include (and leave out) of your resume to help ensure that yours will survive the circular file:

The summer you spent as Harry’s Hot Dog Hut mascot was the best ever. But unless you’re applying for a job to wear the gorilla suit for the Phoenix Suns, leave it out.

Being nominated prom queen is not an achievement – nor is belong-ing to a sorority or fraternity. Stick to professional and community service awards only.

It’s fine to include a hobby or two, but avoid those that are borderline silly, like “twisting balloons into ani-mal shapes.” Stick to less detailed and more generic hobbies, such as reading, gardening and playing tennis. And keep them to a minimum.

I f y o u r e - m a i l a d d re s s i s [email protected], it doesn’t belong on your resume. Get a new, professional address from one of the free e-mail services.

Save oddball font types and ink colors, glitter and brightly colored or perfumed paper for personal use – they have no place on a resume.

CEO Pay Linked to Success? In humorist Garrison Keillor’s fic-

tional hometown of Lake Wobegon, all children are above average. Pub-licly traded corporations may want in-vestors to believe the same thing about highly paid CEOs, which may explain high CEO pay, finds a study by Scott Schaefer and Rachel M. Hayes, two researchers in the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business.

Companies have incentives to pay even bargain-basement CEOs a lot to to keep stock prices up, their research shows. If a firm hires a hires a CEO with poor labor-market options, it could pay a low salary, Schaefer notes. Investors then might conclude the CEO isn’t great and downgrade the firm’s stock. If the firm decides to pay

Keep Resume Fluff-Freeits bargain-basement CEO as if he or she were a superstar, investors might conclude he is a superstar and share prices might jump.

“The Lake Wobegon idea as ap-plied to CEOs seems to presume that investors aren’t very smart,” Shaeffer says. “You can imagine investors be-ing fooled once or twice, but over time you’d think they’d catch on as highly touted and well-paid CEOs consistently fail to deliver.”

And if investors understand a firm’s incentives to goose CEO pay just to pump up stock prices, then wouldn’t firms give up trying? The answer, Schaefer argues, is no. “Our research shows that the Lake Wobegon effect can drive up pay even if investors are super smart about it,” he says. “The key is investors’ expectations.”

The practice of rewarding manag-ers regardless of companies’ success should be re-examined, according to Shaeffer. “Pay packages have gotten so high that the repercussions of getting fired are minimal because these guys are so wealthy,” he says. “They’re not afraid of taking risks.”

The solution? Tie pay to long-run value-creation in firms by lengthening the vesting periods for CEO stock and stock-option grants, Shaeffer posits. This will ensure that the CEO’s path to wealth is the creation of sustainable, long-run value for shareholders.

Assess Your CareerIt’s always a good idea to conduct

a reality check of your current job satisfaction, according to CollegeView.com. Asking yourself the following questions can help you determine what needs to be done now to improve the job you have or make the decision to go elsewhere:

What are your hopes and fears regarding your current job?

What can you do to make it bet-ter?

What aspects of your job would you like to change?

What personal goals are related to your career now? In the future?

What are your long- and short-term priorities for your career?

If you decide to change jobs, what steps would you take now? In the next three months? Long-term?

Expert advises what to leave in, leave out.


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PEOPLE, COMPANIES, MAKING NEWS

For the RecordThe Automobile Dealers Association

of Eastern Ohio, which represents new car and truck dealers in Trumbull, Ma-honing and Columbiana counties, has elected Robert Fellman, owner of Board-man Subaru, president of its board of trustees for the 2010-2011 term.

Other newly elected of ficers are Kim Welsh Koch of Welsh Motors in New Springfield, vice president, and Matt Taylor of Taylor Kia in Boardman, treasurer.

Elected to three-year terms as trustees are Bob Davis of Fairway Ford Mercury in Canfield and Vince Prindle of Wollam Chevrolet in Cortland. Chuck Eddy of Bob and Chuck Eddy Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Austintown and John Ku-fleitner of Salem Chrysler Jeep Dodge also sit on the ADAEO board.

The Automobile Dealers Association is soliciting donations of items to be auctioned during its annual president’s gala May 1 at Antone’s Banquet Center, Boardman. Proceeds will benefit the Rich Center for Autism at Youngstown State University. For information, call 330 759 1111. This year’s event honors Russ Banks.

St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Cen-ter has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a provider of information to improve the cost and quality of health care. Winners were announced in Modern Healthcare magazine.

Reservations for the seventh annual fellowship brunch sponsored by Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic, slated for 11:30 a.m. April 25, are due April 19. For information, call 330 744 1181.

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society will present a free walking tour of downtown Youngstown at 3 p.m. April 17. For information, call 330 743 2589.

The Youngstown Playhouse and Mahoning County Career & Technical Center will present the sixth annual Ad-ministrative Assistant Day event April 21 at Avion on the Water Banquet Center, Canfield. The breakfast session begins at 8 a.m., the luncheon session at 11:15 a.m. Both sessions will feature live entertainment. For tickets, call 330 729 4100.

Tremain Myers has joined Prodi-gal, a branding and marketing agency in Poland, as marketing coordinator. Jamie Mash has joined Prodigal as a writer/producer.

Joel Mastervich, chief operating of-ficer at V&M Star, will assume the role of president effective April 15 when Roger Lindgren retires.

ByceAuction LLC has been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee’s Office as an auctioneer for the Northern Dis-trict of Ohio.

Crandall Medical Center, Sebring, dedicated its new prayer chapel and newly renovated centrums and therapy area with a ceremony March 25.

Along with the dedication, 60 staff members of Copeland Oaks and Cran-dall Medical Center were honored for contributing to the project.

The owners of Greene Eagle Winery in Greene Township, Keith and Dale Bliss, and the Youngstown/Warren Re-gional Chamber held a ribbon cutting at the winery March 26.

The new owners of French Street Café, Howland, are Ginny and Melissa Taylor and Joe Lanzo. They held a ribbon-cutting March 30 at the bakery/café to mark the change in ownership.

Help Hotline Crisis Center has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline organization. The funding will be used to buy a new telephone system.

Help Hotline also received a $28,844 grant from the Hine Memorial Fund to provide a central information line to help parents and caregivers of children with disabilities navigate the social service, health care and education systems.

Help Hotline’s Victims’ Assistance Program’s annual luncheon honoring victims of crime will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 21 at Antone’s Banquet Cen-tre, Boardman.

For information, call 330 747 2696.

Michael Longo has joined The Youngstown Club as executive chef.

Tod Crowe of Vector Securty Sys-tems, Boardman, has received an award from the company for securing more than $390,000 in sales during 2009.

Anthony Daprile of Gem-Young Insur-ance & Financial Services Inc., Board-man, has achieved PaceSetter status with State Auto Insurance Co.

Master Park Martial Arts Interna-tional, with locations in Boardman, Austintown, Poland, New Castle, Pa., and Norfolk, Va., is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

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By George Nelson

When workers come to the Mahoning Valley to fill positions at General Motors Co.’s Lordstown plant and other employers on

the rebound, Jim Graham and real estate agents want them to plant roots.

That desire sparked the creation of a new Web site, MahoningValleyLiving.com, a first-of-its-kind effort between the Warren Area Board of Realtors and the Youngstown-Columbiana Association of Realtors.

The newly active site features links to informa-tion on schools, governments and amenities as well as incentives offered to homebuyers, such as discounts on home inspections, title services, car-peting – even mortgages offered by affiliates of the real estate agencies.

The site also features links to Web sites of both boards, each of which has property search functions. “It is truly on the cutting edge of Web sites,” says David Klacik, president of the Youngstown-Colum-biana association.

“It’s unprecedented for the two boards to work

Realtor Boards Launch Joint Web Sitetogether,” adds Steve Ferrebee, president of the Warren board.

Graham, president of Local 1112 of United Auto Workers, approached the two organizations because of the hiring resulting from the addition of a third shift at the plant, ex-pected to add 1,200 jobs. “Of course, they’re going to be bringing in employ-ees from different GM plants,” Graham says.

Under the UAW agree-ment with GM, workers laid off from other plants have the first option on those positions, Graham says.

The UAW chief “wanted something that they would be able to refer to workers” highlighting the Valley’s features and attractions, Klacik says.

In the past, when GM added positions at Lord-stown, transplanted workers often rented, sending much of their pay to their permanent households out of town and departing when their positions ended.

“We’re trying to encourage them to relocate their families into this area,” Graham says.

By showing the incoming workers the school systems, recreational opportunities and lower taxes,

“hopefully we can pick up a percentage of those people moving here,” he says.

“We’re hoping they’re gong to stay here and buy homes here, and not just send their paychecks back to Texas or Michi-gan,” Ferrebee says.

Transplanted work-ers should begin coming here in May or June, before the Lordstown plant goes to three shifts in July, Graham says.

Real estate agents also hope to tap into the mar-

ket created by the construction and operation of a $650 million rolling mill for V&M Star next to its Youngstown operation. Construction of the mill, to begin this year, is expected to create more than 400 jobs with the mill employing another 350 once it’s up and running.

The two Realtor associations worked closely on the project, at “warp speed” to put the site together in just a few weeks, Klacik says. Staff members bought more than a half-dozen Web addresses to direct visitors to the MahoningValleyLiving site.

“We’re trying to encourage these people to re-locate into this area. God only knows, we need it,” Graham says.

Graham, president of Local 1112 of United Auto Workers, approached the two organi-zations because of the hiring resulting from the addition of a third shift at the plant, ex-pected to add 1,200 jobs. “Of course, they’re going to be bringing in employees from dif-ferent GM plants,” Graham says.

Goal is promote quality of life in the Mahoning Valley to transplanted autoworkers.

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1000 Fifth Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio

Skeggs LectureSeries

JANE GOODALL

Established in 1966, the Skeggs Lecture Series continues in recognition of Leonard T. Skeggs, Sr., and the vital role he played in the formation of Youngstown State University.

Goodall’s lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets must be picked up in person from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 12-14 at the Information and PC Lab in Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. Tickets will be limited to four per person. For more information call YSU Alumni and Events Management,

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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].

I have been a student of sales since Nov. 11, 1971. I was listening (via the brand-new technology called

the “cassette tape”) to a guy named Jay Douglas Edwards, who uttered this sales tip: “If the customer says, ‘Do these come in green?’ you say, ‘Would you like them in green?’ ”

That’s the day I realized that there was a science of selling. I wanted to learn more.

True, most sales skills and sales tips taught in the 1970s were somewhat manipulative. But at the time, that’s all that existed. Over the last 40 or so years, sales models have changed.

Probably the best example of change I can offer is what I call the “Benjamin Franklin close.” Rather than use an old, time-worn manipu-lative sales close on the customer, try using it on yourself before you go into the sale as a means of preparation.

I have read all or portions of hun-dreds of sales books over the past 40 years, but most of what I have learned has come from the spark of an idea gleaned from a book, and then it was somewhat altered once I got into the field and had to actually apply the strategy. Kind of like you.

All sales books offer some form of valuable information. All sales experts offer some form of valuable information.

As a student, your job is to deter-mine how that information fits into your set of skills, your environment, your marketplace, and your customer interactions.

Learning sales skills is a matter of understanding, adopting, applying and a bit of tweaking.

In my experience, I have found that unless the tip or strategy is comfort-able to me, I won’t use it. It has to fit with my personality and be in the framework of my comfortable conver-sation and ethics.

How to Read Sales BooksLook at the sales tips you read with

an open mind and strike from your

mind the phrase, “I know that.” Most salespeople already know everything. The problem is they don’t do it.

Instead, ask yourself, “How good am I at that on a scale of 1 to 10?”

Then ask yourself: • How does this information apply

to me? • Do I agree

with this? • Am I comfort-

able with this? • Does it fit my

personality? • Is this “me”? If the answer to all of those ques-

tions is yes, then ask yourself these questions:

• Is this in the best interest of the customer?

• Will this lead me to a long-term relationship with the customer?

• And finally the true self-test question: Will this make my mother proud?

CDs, the Internet, YouTube, pod-casts and other forms of accessing sales skills information are all great. They’re just not as great as reading a book. Of course, there are multi-media forms of sales information you can access. But none is as flexible as reading.

Reading gives you a chance to move at your own pace, underline, scribble notes in the margins, re-read what you may not understand, even dog-ear the important pages and where you left off.

Reading time is usually quiet time. It gives you a chance for reflection. Whenever you choose, you can stop and think about the meaning of what you just read, or you can adapt and apply what you read.

The messages offered in books are from experts in their fields who have actually used these methods and strategies to build their success. Your job is to adopt them, adapt them, and turn them into money.

Learn Science of Selling, Adapt Tips to Your Style

Learning sales skills is a mat-ter of understanding, adopting, applying and a bit of tweaking.

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RealEstateMarket Compiled byMark Heschmeyer

Mahoning County’s Largest Transactions

The proprietors of the Wedgewood Lanes, Ed and Kathy Carrozzino, now own the real estate that houses their bowling alley at 1741 S. Raccoon Road, Youngstown. The Carrozzinos, operating as Carrozzino Plaza LLC, purchased the property for $1.2 million. In addition to the bowling lanes, the building houses other tenants including Aadam’s Appliance Service Inc.

Wedgewood Plaza Inc., controlled by the Shutrump

family, sold the building. The 61,000-square-foot structure contains

approximately 53,700 rentable square feet, which subsequently sold for about $22.35 per rentable square foot.

The sale did not include other parcels or buildings that make up Wedgewood Plaza Shopping Center. The Shutrumps developed the center about 40 years ago and sold off the main portion of the center in 2003.

Featured Property1741 S. Raccoon Road, Youngstown

Buyer: Carrozzino Plaza LLC

Seller: Wedgewood Plaza Inc.

Sale Amount: $1,200,000

The proprietors of the Wedgewood Lanes, operating as Carrozzino Plaza LLC, recently purchased the building that houses their business for $1.2 million. The seller was the Shutrump family.

Address Buyer Sale Price Seller Sale Date

1741-43 S. Raccoon Road, Youngstown Carrozzino Plaza LLC $1,200,000 Wedgewood Plaza Inc. 2/26/2010

8043 Camden Way, Canfield Perry G. and Julie Deltor $645,000 Tod and Lori A. Burkert 3/30/2010

1707-1711 Fifth Ave., Youngstown DB Midwest I LLC $500,000 Crunch Inc. 3/9/2010

77 Wood St., Lowellville Baja Holding LLC $380,000 Angelilli Property Group LLC 2/2/2010

6190 Deer Spring Run, Canfield Anthony and Deborah Sano $375,000 Anthony Altala and Sharon Harvey 2/5/2010

8075 Market St., Boardman Flynn Properties LLC $370,000 Garca Real Estate Inc. 3/22/2010

1716 Raccoon Road, Youngstown Cera Management LLC $358,000 Plaza West Acquisiions LLC 2/2/2010

6001 Whispering Meadows Drive, Canfield Jerome David and Melissa Sue Scheetz $350,000 Michael Teutsch Jr. 3/24/2010

7880 Tuscany Drive, Poland Richard A. Carna Jr. $295,000 Camuso Builders Inc. 2/9/2010

1090 Boardman-Poland Road, Poland 1090 Boardman Poland LLC $284,111 Uni-Marts Ohio LLC 2/24/2010

500 S. Main St., Poland Michael Freeman $283,000 Virginia M. and W. Stephen Meloy 2/18/2010

66-80 Washington Blvd., Boardman Todd Bury $260,000 John Wilkoski 2/16/2010

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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. 6.650Up to 72 Mos. 7.650

FARMERS NATIONAL BANK – CanfieldUp to 60 Mos. 4.40Up to 72 Mos. 4.94Rate 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

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of The Business Journal compilations. The rates are subject to change without notice. All rate information should be confirmed with the individual financial institution before entering into transactions. © 2010 Youngstown Publishing Co.

FIRST PLACE BANK – BoardmanUp to 60 Mos. 8.00

10% Down

HOME SAVINGS – YoungstownUp to 60 Mos. 7.74Up to 66 Mos. 8.24

10% Down

HUNTINGTON BANK – YoungstownUp to 60 Mos. 5.99

KEYBANK – YoungstownUp to 66 Mos. 6.69

Down: Varies

PNC BANK – SharonUp to 66 Mos. 7.24

PNC BANK – YoungstownUp to 66 Mos. 7.00 - 13.00Rate varies based on applicant’s credit rating

US BANK (formerly Firstar Bank) – BoardmanUp to 48 Mos. 4.00

Auto Loan RatesApril 9,2010

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Mortgage RatesTYPE FEESRATE, 2-Wk TrendTERMFINANCIAL INSTITUTION

Arrows tell whether rates rose or fell since last issue. Dashes indicate “unchanged.”

AMERISTATE BANCORP INC. FHA/VA 3.5% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 0+costsBoardman Fixed 3% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 0+costs

CHARTER ONE BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.75 0+costs Boardman Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

CONSUMERS NATIONAL BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costsSalem Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

CORTLAND BANKS Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costsCortland Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

DOLLAR BANK MORTGAGE CENTER ARM 5% Down 5 Yr. 4.00 0+costsCleveland Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.18 0+costs

E.S.B. BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 — 0+costsEllwood City, Pa. Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 — 0+costs

FARMERS NATIONAL BANK Fixed 20% Down 15 Yr. 4.75 — 0+costs Canfield Fixed 20% Down 20 Yr. 5.125 — 0+costs

FIRST MERIT BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costsNew Castle/Boardman Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PA Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costsYoungstown, Ohio Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

April 9,2010

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Mortgage Rates1ST NA TION AL COMMUNITY FHA 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.125 0+costsEast Liverpool Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.375 0+costs FIRST PLACE BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costsBoardman Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

FLAGSTAR BANK Fixed 0% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 — 0+costsBeechwood Fixed 0% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 — 0+costs

HOME FEDERAL Fixed 20% Down 15 Yr. 5.75 — 0+costsNiles

HOME SAVINGS Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costs Youngstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

HOWARD HANNA FINANCIAL Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 0+costs Pitts burgh Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

HUNTINGTON BANK Fixed 3% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 — 0+costsYoungstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 0+costs

KEYBANK Fixed 20% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 — 0+costsYoungstown Fixed 20% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 .125+costs

PNC BANK FHA 3% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 — 0+costsYoungstown Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.25 — 0+costs

WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE FHA 3% Down 30 Yr. 5.125 0+costsBoardman (Formerly Norwest Mortgage) Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.125 0+costs

US BANK Fixed 5% Down 15 Yr. 4.50 — 0+costsBoardman (Formerly Firstar Bank) Fixed 5% Down 30 Yr. 5.00 1+costs

TYPE FEESRATE, 2-Wk TrendTERMFINANCIAL INSTITUTION

April 9,2010

© 2010 Youngstown Publishing Co. All rights reserved. *Private Mortgage Insurance because less than 20% down.

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$

Local business news. Every business day.

Business Leaders Urge Third Frontier Renewal

D avid Wilhelm knew he was preaching to the choir March 29 but his goal is to begin building “the biggest possible choir.”

Wilhelm, co-chairman of the Issue 1 Committee, joined business leaders at the Semple Building in Youngstown to urge the renewal of Ohio’s Third Frontier initiative. The ballot issue would allow the state to issue $700 billion in bonds to continue funding the program through 2016. The current bonding mechanism expires in 2012.

“When Ohioans hear about the Third Frontier story, they like it,” says David Wilhelm, co-chairman of the state Issue 1 campaign.

Rendell Wants to Make Pa.’s Tax Laws Fairer

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell declared April 5 that he doesn’t want his legacy to be a state struggling with financial hardships and

challenges when federal stimulus dollars dry up. “If we don’t do something now to raise revenue, then we’ll be paying big-time,” Rendell told a crowd assembled at Sharon High School. Without a new, stable, revenue stream, residents of the commonwealth are likely to see their property taxes rise as they see drastic cuts in services.

Gov. Ed Rendell is greeted at the event by John Sarandrea, superintendent of the Sharon City School District, Sharon, Pa.

Kids Laugh at StoryOf ‘Mrs. Money’s Hat’

Greeting the first lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland, as she arrived at Fellows Riverside Gardens March 27 were signs announcing

“Children’s Book Fair” and “Plant the Seed to Read” and a filled parking lot. Strickland came to support Altrusa International’s efforts to promote literacy and encourage in children a love of reading. This was the fourth year the Youngstown chapter of Altrusa sponsored the book fair, says Patty Zitello, co-chairwoman of the event.

Liz McGarry of the local chapter of Altrusa International holds “Mrs. Money’s Hat” for Frances Strickland to read from.

ONLY on the Web


Legal ListingsVision Outreach Ministries, Youngstown. Incorporators: Tina Fleisher, Tony Fleisher, Michael Jones. Filed by: Tina Fleisher, 345 S. Hazelwood Ave., Youngstown 44509. Agent: Aaron Samuels, 3616 Southern Blvd., Youngstown 44507.

Ontic Prosource Inc., Youngstown. Incorpo-rator: Richard P. McLaughlin. Filed by: Roth Blair Roberts Strasfeld & Lodge, 100 Federal Plaza East, Suite 600, Youngstown 44503. Agent: Margaret Maxim, 100 E. Federal St., Suite 600, Youngstown 44503.

C. Calm Inc., Newton Falls. Incorporator: Charles Verbanic. Filed by: Charles R. Ver-banic D.D.S., 2000 Milton Blvd., Newton Falls 44444. Agent: Same.

Dawkins Communications Inc., Warren. Incorporator: Donald Dawkins. Filed by: D&D Services, 490 Fairlane Drive NW, Warren 44483. Agent: Donald Dawkins, 490 Fairlane Drive NW, Warren 44483.

NBM OH Inc., Niles. Incorporator: Ronald James Rice. Filed by: Ronald James Rice Co., 48 W. Liberty St., Hubbard 44425. Agent: Barry Miller, 950 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles 44446.

TMKP Industries Inc., Hubbard. Incorporator: Ronald James Rice. Filed by: Ronald James Rice Co., 48 W. Liberty St., Hubbard 44425. Agent: Richard J. Perline Jr., 122 E. Water St., Hubbard 44425.

Legal ListingsNew Ohio Incorporations

Ohio Fictitious NamesA 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.

The Culinary Arts Center. Filed by: Roth Blair Roberts Strasfeld & Lodge, 600 City Center One, Youngstown 44503. Agent: Summer Garden Culinary Center Inc., 492 McClurg Road, Boardman 44512.

Integrated Entry Systems. Filed by: IES, 3704 Smith-Stewart Road, Niles 44446. Agent: Chillin Enterprises LLC, 3704 Smith- Stewart Road, Niles 44446.

Kangaroo’s Pouch Consignments. Filed by: Multari, 78 Buena Vista Ave., Boardman 44512. Agent: Phyllis L. Multari, 1135 W. Western Reserve Road, Poland 44514.

PJ’s Cleaning Services. Filed by: Paul E. Ausnehmer, 238 Marcia Drive, Youngstown 44515. Agent: Paul E. Ausnehmer Jr., 238 Marcia Drive, Youngstown 44515.

Governor’s Square Co. Filed by: Denise Glinat-sis Bayer, 2445 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44505. Agent: Governor’s Square Co., 2445 Belmont Ave., Youngstown 44505.

Ark Electric Co. Filed by: George L. White-house, 4430 Bradley Brownlee Road, Cort-land 44410. Agent: Same.

The New Drive Thru. Filed by: Christopher B. McFall, 2156 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles 44446. Agent: ZBC Brew Thru LLC, 2156 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles 44446.

Gott Transport. Filed by: Huntington Bank, Cleveland 44101. Agent: Neil H. Gott, 22751 Georgetown Road, Homeworth 44634.

Cool Valley Improvements. Filed by: My-ron Krebsbach, 7131 Cool Road, Canfield 44406. Agent: Same.

K.E.Y. Home Repair. Filed by: Kenneth Yurco, 4212 E. South Range Road, New Middletown 44442. Agent: Same.

Down Pat Productions. Filed by: Legalzoom.com Inc., 7083 Hollywood Blvd., #180, Hol-lywood, Calif. 90028. Agent: Patrick Dobson, 40 Spring Creek Hollow, Warren 44484.

Quality Home Painter. Filed by: Scott A. Kidd, 4930 Brookwood Road #5, Boardman 44512. Agent: Same.

Coin & Jewelry Buyers. Filed by: Matthew L. DeVicchio, 20 W. Federal St., Youngstown 44503. Agent: Boardman Coin, Jewelry & Estate Buyers Inc., 935 Great East Plaza, Niles 44446.

Commission on Religious Counseling and Healing. Filed by: Syro-Russian Orthodox Catholic Church, 7815 Akron-Canfield Road, Canfield 44406. Agent: Same.

Byceauction.com. Filed by: Byce Auctions.com, 755 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44505. Agent: Byce Auction Ltd., 755 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44505.

Joe’s Back Country Taxidermy. Filed by: Joseph J. Albanese Jr., 11770 Silica Road, North Jackson 44451. Agent: Same.

Just Quilt It Inc., Warren. Incorporator: Dorothy D. Bettiker. Filed by: Burkey, Burkey & Scher Co. LPA, 200 Chestnut Ave. NE, 200 Chestnut Place, Warren 44483. Agent: Dorothy D. Bettiker, 2298 High St., Warren 44483.

Groundstruck Entertainment Inc., Warren. Incorporator: Meghan Record. Filed by: My Corporation, 23586 Calabasas Road, Cala-basas, Calif. 91302. Agent: Raymel Menefee, 2063 Stewart Drive NW, Warren 44485.

A Dental E.R. Inc., Newton Falls. Incorpora-tor: Charles Verbanic. Filed by: Charles R. Verbanic D.D.S., 2000 Milton Blvd., Newton Falls 44444. Agent: Same.

Meiner Transportation Inc., Bristolville. Incorporator: Kevin Meiner. Filed by: Meiner Transportation, 7200 Fenton Road, Bris-tolville 44402. Agent: Kevin Meiner, 7200 Fenton Road, Bristolville 44402.

LAS of Columbiana County Inc., Salem. Incorporator: Lori A. Sokol. Filed by: LAS of Columbiana County Inc., 12800 Beaver Creek Road, Salem 44460. Agent: Lori A. Sokol, 12890 Beaver Creek Road, Salem 44460.

Shilot Real Estate II Inc., East Liverpool. Incorporator: Amber M. Ramsey. Filed by: Wee the People Preschool and DayCare, 112 W. Fourth St., East Liverpool 43920. Agent: Amber M. Ramsey, 42660 state Route 39, Wellsville 43968.

Alex & Jorgine Shaffo, Owners

330-743-0920Hours:

Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Located in the YMCA Building17 N. Champion St. • Downtown Youngstown

NEW MENU EVERY DAY


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THE BUSINESS JOURNALP.O. BOX 714YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO 44501

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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The Business Journal MidAPRIL 2010