Strictly Business

From Business Today:

When the administrator of the Small Business Administration selects your company to highlight how things should work, you must be doing something right. Administrator Karen Mills dropped in at the EcoStar factory in Holland to celebrate the small company's eco-friendly business model and the fact that it used SBA money to expand. The federal program loaned Staroba Plastics $2 million to buy back EcoStar, the sales arm of its roofing products business. The company has expanded its production of plastic roof tiles made from 80 recent recycled materials.

Evans Bank wants to grow, and it's starting in Williamsville. It's 14th branch will go into the historic Mennonite Meeting House on Main Street. After that bank President and CEO David Nasca said the bank is considering sites in Cheektowaga, Buffalo and the Southtowns.

 The annual Panasci entrepreneurial competition at the University at Buffalo brings out some sharp students pitching business ideas. The winner gets $10,000 in cash and other services to help bring the idea to market, plus loads of intellectual help. This year a plan by four students and a professor to launch a social networking site that tracks people's interests and delivers news to them won the award. Several previous winners have launched successful companies, so stay tuned.

Greatbatch Inc. more than doubled its profits on a 13 percent jump in sales. Executives said the company has diversified its product offerings and now has a more complete array of medical products.

Five Star Bank's parent company Financial Institutions reported a 9 percent jump in profits, as it increased deposits and loans. The basic banking model the bank employs has proved to be a steady course.

Who is getting hired, promoted or honored?

Some royal wedding fun...