Strictly Business

From Business Today:

The region's local unemployment rate dropped to a three-year low in August. At 7.3 percent unemployment, the region's rate is far below national jobless rate of 9.1 percent. There were 7,100 more jobs in the region in August than a year earlier. Although the jobless rate remains much higher than when the recession started, every turnaround has to start somewhere.

Pyrotek is a Washington state-based company with an operation in Sanborn that just celebrated the opening of an expanded factory to make material for electrical anodes. The company was looking at sites across the country to expand, and the Niagara County site won due to a combination of state, federal and local incentives. The plant is in the process of hiring 50 more people.

Independent Health, the local health  insurance company, was recognized as one of the top in the nation for its commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans. It ranked 28th out of 483 plans in the National Committee for Quality Assurance's rankings. HealthNow New York ranked 49th and Univera ranked 63rd.

Another airliner will be offering Buffalo-to-St. Petersburg, Fla., flights from the Niagara Falls International AIrport beginning in December. Allegiant Air plans to start with twice a week flights, on Thursdays and Sundays.

Who is getting hired, promoted and honored?