Manufacturing

Study Stirs Debate on Future of Chicago Waterways
Mon, 01/02/2012
A new Army Corps of Engineers study of Chicago-area waterways has stirred the debate over whether to sever the connection between Lake Michigan and inland waterways that were created by the construction of canals a century ago. The study, released on Dec. 7, is part of the Corps’s nearly decade-long process aimed at preventing invasive species,...

Even old-hand entrepreneurs need mentoring
Mon, 09/19/2011
Tips on locating mentors and building a strong working relationship with themWhen Kenny Lao found out in July that his Rickshaw Dumpling Bar had won a proposal to open a restaurant in Times Square this fall, he realized that the tight time frame allowed no room for mistakes. “This was an unplanned opening,” Mr. Lao said. Mr. Lao turned to the...

Green Scene: Celebrating an anniversary, and looking ahead
Thu, 08/18/2011
  This month marks the one-year anniversary of the Green Scene column’s debut, so I thought I’d take a moment for a quick look back and an eager eye ahead.   The local green economy cuts such a wide swath across so many sectors of business, government, non-profits, and various combinations of the above, that there has been no...

A brain trust for female business owners
Mon, 08/01/2011
Marion Hindenburg, owner and president of New York City-based paper distributor Mrs. Paper, recently faced a problem many entrepreneurs know all too well in these rocky economic times: A longstanding customer stopped paying. Ms. Hindenburg mentioned the situation at a meeting of the Women Presidents’ Organization, where the guest speaker that...

Green Scene: Germans eye Chicago for renewable energy expansion
Thu, 07/07/2011
 Chicago and the Midwest could see an uptick in renewable-energy business with a German flavor if goodwill forged at a recent gathering translates into real deals. That optimism was shared by many among the 120 attendees at a recent daylong meeting in Chicago between business executives, policy experts and government officials from...