Strictly Business

From Business Today:

Robert Rich Jr., chairman of Rich Products Corp., is having a good week. He was elected chairman of the board of directors of the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, an  institution he has served for years. And on Tuesday the New York Times had a front-page story about his investment in a struggling semi-pro soccer team in England. The whimsical story recounted how Rich discovered some royal ancestry, and his wife Mindy bought him the title Lord of Bedlington. So, in the spirit of the title, he has helped sponsor the Bedlington Terriers, a low-level team near Newcastle. All in all, a pretty good week.

National Fuel says it will move 20 to 30 jobs from its Amherst headquarters to Pittsburgh to be closer to its lucrative Marcellus Shale drilling operations. The company had announced the opening of the Pennsylvania office earlier but had not disclosed how many jobs would be affected.

Verizon Wireless stores are gearing up for a rush of technophiles Thursday, when the Apple iPhone goes on sale. The phone sold out quickly in a pre-order sale to existing customers last week. When the stores sell out, people will be able to place orders at the store.

Astronics, the East Aurora-based maker of aircraft electronics and lighting systems, returned to making a profit in the fourth quarter. And CEO Peter Gundermann  is optimistic sales will be strong in the coming year.

Who is getting hired, promoted and honored?





Some Bedlington Terriers action..