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Almanac
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Business New Haven
7/3/1995
By: BNH
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Putting Women on Top: A new organization has emerged in the Park City to focus on placing women into key decision-making roles in the business world. The Women's Leadership Council is headed by June Kimball, president of the Bridgeport-based Kimball Group Inc. Its mission is “to enhance the economic vitality and management quality of businesses and other organizations in greater Bridgeport by utilizing the abilities of business and professional women.” The group held its first event, a reception for new and prospective members and supporters, June 21 at the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Says Kimball, “We want women to be full players in decision-making for the region.” Information about the new group is available by calling 203-335-3800.
Shavian Musings: Pilot Pen of America head Ronald Shaw is sure making the rounds lately. At the annual dinner of the Manufacturers Association May 25, he told rapt listeners how he grew Pilot from $1 million to $100 million in annual sales in barely 15 years through clever advertising and an uncanny knack for generating PR (e.g., inducing Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to use a Pilot Pen to sign the peace agreement with the PLO). He saved his most intriguing remarks for discussing doing business with the Japanese (Pilot Pen of America is owned by a Japanese conglomerate.) For successful negotiations, one needs to listen, to understand, and to make one's self understood. Protectionist measures, such as the Clinton administration's looming (at press time) 100-percent import tariff on luxury automobiles, is likely only to provoke more protectionism in turn, Shaw said. While true that the playing field Japan shares with major trading partners hasn't always been level, Shaw said it makes sense to try to understand why and improve communications with Japanese counterparts. As a general observation, Shaw said it made more sense to try and sell Japan products that the U.S. manufacturers best, such as computers and airplanes, in lieu of items such as large American autos, which have difficulty navigating narrow Japanese streets. Hai.
What Goes Up: Milford Hospital last month broke ground on a new three-story, 84,143-square-foot patient care center on Seaside Avenue. The new facility will include an emergency center, ambulatory outpatient service department, operating rooms and surgicenter, as well as a women's care unit and birthing center. The Ritchie Organization of Newton, Mass. is the architect and O&G Industries of Torrington is the construction manager on the $24.4 million project, which is expected to take 24-28 months to complete.
BNI Bucks: The Milford-based Barter Network Inc. (BNI) is making $1 million available to small New England business seeking to finance new or growing operations. Through a new business-development arm called the Barter Finance Division, BNI will make the funds available in the form of barter dollars. The recipients need not be members of BNI to qualify. The barter financing will be interest-free; BNI makes its money by charging a commission on transactions between and among members. Says BNI Sales Manager Clay Yalof: “This new finance division will allow BNI to increase awareness and market share. Favorable financing terms and an aggressive marketing plan will allow BNI to grow and generate new customers and business relationships.”
Tools of the Trade: POP Fasteners of Shelton and Heli-Coil of Danbury, both part of the industrial division of Emhart Fastening Teknologies, a Black & Decker company, last month announced that they had received ISO 9001 certification for quality assurance in their products' design, development, production and servicing. According to the company, POP Fasteners is the first North American rivet manufacturer to receive ISO certification; POP and Heli-Coil are also the first Black & Decker divisions in North America to earn the distinction. Less than two percent of North American companies are ISO 9001-certified.
Taylor Made for Systems: The New Haven-based Systems Inc. has acquired Taylor Business Systems of Milford for an undisclosed purchase price. According to Systems, the two companies were among the largest Mita copier and fax product dealers in the state; together, they will be the largest in New England. In addition to the Mita line, the new company will continue to handle Toshiba copier and fax machines, Okidata fax machines, Polaroid presentation systems and Ascom Hasler mailing equipment.
Eyes on the Prize: The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership has introduced a new performance-based prize for which all Connecticut organizations are eligible. The Connecticut Innovation Prize seeks to recognize innovations developed by state organizations to improve competitiveness. The prize is open to individuals, teams, groups, sections or units of organizations including manufacturing, service, health care, education, not-for-profit and governmental. Winning innovations will be included in the 1995 Connecticut Best Practices book to be distributed at the October Team Connecticut Conference on Quality and Innovation. To learn more, call 203-322-9534.
Gigs: The Stamford-based ad agency of Marquardt & Roche has been named agency for USCO Distribution Services Inc. of Naugatuck, a $100 million firm specializing in third-party logistics. M&R will help USCO target key business segments through an integrated advertising, direct marketing, public relations and interactive media campaign. With billings in excess of $35 million annually, M&R is ranked by Adweek magazine among New England's ten largest agencies...The Rochester, N.Y.-based First Federal Savings & Loan Association has invested more than $1 million recently in new call-center technology - including more than $500,000 for EDGE TeleBusiness software and services created by the Shelton-based Information Management Associates Inc.(IMA). Fifty First Federal agents will employ EDGE on an IBM RS/6000 UNIX platform to provide personalized banking services, including deposit products, checking, savings, CDs, consumer loans, home equity, home improvement and auto loans, round the clock. Founded in 1984, IMA is a privately held, 170-employee firm creating sales, marketing and customer-service software in more than 600 installations worldwide.
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