Strictly Business

From Business Today:

The Buffalo Niagara economy must be one of the most studied and fretted over in the land. Every year or so another group tries to divine what it is we can do to get the economy going. The latest and perhaps most thorough is by the Western New York Economic Development Council. This hard working panel has really gone to ground with their efforts, talking to everyone and enlisting businesses to come up with concrete, do-it-now projects that can benefit from some state seed money and tax breaks. Their latest effort picks eight private-sector projects that could use state money to proceed.

The panel's recommendations came out on the same day U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand unveiled her own economic development plan for upstate - more broadband access and a $30 billion revolving loan fund. With all these good intentions, let's hope people in the private sector, the ones who can really make things happen, step up and take advantage.

Automobile sales in the Buffalo Niagara region rose about 3 percent in October. People are driving their old cars as long as they can, but when it's time for a new one, it seems they're finding some decent deals.






The Occupy Buffalo movement protested outside the law offices of Steven J. Baum PC, the largest foreclosure firm in the state. The group, known for sleeping out in Niagara Square to protest the unfairness of the American economy, wants the firm to apologize and stop with the chaotic foreclosures.







Premier Gourmet, the ecclectic and lavish cheese and speciality products store linked to Premier Wines,
is being bought back by the Notarius family. Burt Notarius sold it to Janet Ostrow in 1996, while he concentrated on neighboring liquor store. Now the gourmet store will move with the wine and liquor store off Delaware Avenue in Kenmore to the new facility being built on Maple Road, across from the Boulevard Mall in Amherst. Phew! Now you can get still the brie to go with Cab Sauv.

Who is getting hired, promoted or honored?