Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) articles from April 2001

Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) archives from April 2001

Stock of Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Companies Performs Well in First Quarter.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 3--Taking stock in Chattanooga wasn't very profitable during the bull market of the past two years. But during an otherwise bear market in the first quarter of this year, investing in most local stocks...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Conference Center Opens.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 3--A round wooden table sits by itself in the lobby of the sparkling new Chattanoogan conference center, reflecting the small-meeting focus of the Southside facility. The center, which has 20 meetings rooms of...

Dupont Plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., to Lay Off 240 Workers.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 3--Chattanooga's DuPont plant is laying off 240 employees, or about 14 percent of its work force, as it cuts out one of its production operations due to a declining market. The chemical giant said Monday it is...

Kmart Welcomes Back Its Blue Light Special.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Apr. 3--Pro athletes do it all the time. Bill Clinton raised it to an art form. Even disco pulled it off. Now Kmart's Blue Light Special is making a comeback after a decade in the dark, much to the enjoyment of Harold...

Unfinished Nuclear Power Plant in Hollywood, Ala., May Become Coal Plant.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 3--HOLLYWOOD, Ala.--The nation's biggest unfinished nuclear power plant could end up being the site of a new clean-burning coal plant. The Tennessee Valley Authority is preparing plans to build a coal...

Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Retires with `Mixed Record'.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 3--KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-- From his 12th-story office suite overlooking downtown Knoxville, Craven Crowell's favorite view is not out the window but at three plaques hanging on the wall. The awards displayed at...

Marketing Specialists Say Waffle House Should Deal with Bias Suit Quickly.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Clint Cooper Apr. 3--Waffle House would do well to learn from the corporate strategy Johnson & Johnson used when seven people died in the Chicago area from Extra-Strength Tylenol poisoned with cyanide in 1982, marketing experts...

Lower Taxes, Land Prices May Contribute to Hamilton County, Tenn.'s Growth.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 4--For the first time, there are fewer people in Hamilton County looking out than across the fence looking in. Hamilton County was credited with a population of 307,896 in the 2000 Census. The count in...

Percentage of Women-Owned Firms in Chattanooga, Tenn., Is Similar to Nation.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 4--Denise Dorais had to do more than write a check to buy the Midas Auto Service Experts franchise on Highway 153 in Hixson last month. "I went through five weeks of training," she said. "I couldn't have told...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Hospital to Get New Executive Vice President.
April 5, 2001... Apr. 5--A former executive of one of the biggest hospital networks in Southwest Florida joined Erlanger hospital Wednesday as the hospital's No. 2 executive. Earl J. Tamar, formerly chief system services officer for the Lee Memorial Health...

Retirement Services Workers Seek to Expand Business in Chattanooga, Tenn.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 5--In an era when one 65-year-old person is said to have the economic impact of three 25-year-olds, Chattanooga officials are looking at ways to cash in on the retirement boom. "It's not just bringing people...

Tennessee Governor to Help Break Ground for Automotive Seat Frame Plant.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 6--Job-hungry Grundy County is preparing for a feast. Tenn. Gov. Don Sundquist is set to help break ground today for Toyo Seat USA Corp.'s new $12 million plant at Pelham, Tenn. Toyo Seat USA, a subsidiary of...

Outdoor Power Equipment Store Holds Tour of New Facility in Cleveland, Tenn.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 6--CLEVELAND, Tenn.--Neil Groothuis is officially throwing his barn doors open to the public. Mr. Groothuis is spending today and Saturday celebrating the move of his John Deere dealership, Homestead Lawn &...

Conference Center in Chattanooga, Tenn., Hopes to Attract High-Tech Businesses.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 7--The high-speed technology in the newly opened Chattanoogan conference center isn't just an attraction, but it's seen as a necessity if the facility expects to woo high-end business groups. "It's an absolute...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Trucking Executives Say Industry Faces Challenges.
April 8, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 8--Jim Rogers of Sterling Trucks in Chattanooga says the trucking industry has driven into the eye of the perfect storm--higher fuel costs, lofty interest rates and lower freight volume. "A lot of factors all...

Car Sales in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area Drop Off.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Apr. 10--The new car business in Hamilton County has moved into the slow lane. The number of new vehicles sold in the county dropped 11 percent in the first quarter of 2001, compared to last year's first three...

Tennessee's Largest Health Insurer Reports a Profit for 2000.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 10--Tennessee's biggest health insurer boosted its own fiscal health last year. BlueCross and BlueShield of Tennessee, which threatened to pull out of TennCare last year because of projected annual losses of...

Tennessee Lawnmower Engine Maker Cuts Jobs, Closes Plant Temporarily.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 10--Tecumseh Products Co., a maker of lawnmower engines in Sequatchie County, has laid off about 90 to 100 people and plans to shut down its plant for four days this week. "We've built ahead of customer needs and...

Lakeland, Fla.-Based Supermarket Chain Plans Expansion, May Reach Tennessee.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 10--A decade after one of Florida's biggest grocers expanded into Georgia, the supermarket chain is hungry for even more growth. Publix Super Markets Inc. is planning 340 new stores by 2006, or nearly double...

Red Bank, Tenn., Machine Builder Hopes to Double Work Force with New Facility.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 11--A Red Bank company is shifting operations to a new facility under construction on Moccasin Bend, where it could nearly double its work force to 125 employees within three years. Tennessee Rand Co., which...

Tennessee Valley Authority May Use Idled Nuclear Reactors for More Power.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 11--The Tennessee Valley Authority may reactivate some of its mothballed nuclear reactors for extra power in the future, TVA Director Skila Harris said Tuesday. But Ms. Harris said construction or repair work...

Gasoline Prices Are on the Rise in Chattanooga, Tenn.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 12--Gasoline prices are climbing with the temperature, surging about a dime or more at some convenience stores this week and fueling complaints from both merchants and motorists. Many experts expect prices at the...

More Stores Are Added to Chattanooga, Tenn., Retail Complex.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 12--It's four down, one to go at Oak Park Town Center, the new Hixson shopping center set to open this October. Bucky Wolford, Oak Park's developer, announced Wednesday that Marshalls, Office Depot and Goody's...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Workshop Focuses on Stopping Repetitive Motion Injuries.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 13--Advanced Vehicle Systems is a firm that looks at ergonomics from two viewpoints -- the safety of its employees and of the riders on the electric buses its workers produce. "Ergonomics is a key consideration...

Tennessee Valley Authority To Generate More Power at Existing Nuclear Plants.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 13--The Tennessee Valley Authority may not be building any more nuclear power plants, but it does expect to generate more electricity from its atomic reactors. The government's biggest power producer is...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Native Retires As CEO of Atlanta-Based Bottling Firm.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 13--The leadership of Coca-Cola Enterprises is changing but keeping its tie to Chattanooga. The Atlanta-based company announced Thursday that Chattanooga native Summerfield K. Johnston Jr. is retiring as chief...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Native to Leave CEO Post at Coca-Cola Enterprises.
April 14, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 14--The leadership of Coca-Cola Enterprises is changing but keeping its tie to Chattanooga. The Atlanta-based company announced Thursday that Chattanooga native Summerfield K. Johnston Jr. is retiring as chief...

Ford Dealers Nationwide Have High Hopes for New Explorer.
April 14, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 14--When the time came earlier this year to replace his Explorer sport utility vehicle, Jim Sharp of Cleveland, Tenn., a self-described "Ford guy" for 20 years, gave it some thought -- but not much. Ford's...

Nextel Communications to Expand Calling Area in Tennessee.
April 14, 2001... Apr. 14--Nextel is expanding its Tennessee calling territory into much of Georgia. Starting May 1, Nextel customers in the Chattanooga area can call within Tennessee or across the Georgia state line as a local call. The new Nextel local...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Candy Maker to Market Teen Band with Fruit Snack.
April 17, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 17--Brach Confections Inc. is going for the heart of the fruit snack market with a new product featuring the popular teen band 'N Sync. In one of its biggest new snack introductions this year, Brach...

Hot Rods Gain Popularity in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
April 17, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 17--Mike Malone allows people to play with their fantasies. The 42-year-old real estate developer, whose interest in hot rodding led him to crank up the Chattanooga Hot Rod Connection almost a year ago, said he...

Tennessee Valley Authority Launches Retail Bonds.
April 18, 2001... Apr. 18--The Tennessee Valley Authority is offering a new series of bonds that should appeal to retail investors. The new "electronotes" will feature twice monthly bond offerings in a variety of callable structures for maturities from one to 30...

Developer to Sell 830 Acres in Marion County, Tenn.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Apr. 18--A horseshoe-shaped parcel of land where American Indians walked and Union and Confederate troops reportedly clashed is being offered for sale. The 830-plus acre Eagle Mont development in Marion County...

Chattanooga, Tenn., University Honors Local Entrepreneurs.
April 19, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Apr. 19--The man who grew the concept of the drive-through window into a leading convenience store chain and the couple who turned a love of art, architecture, landscaping and fine food into a thriving art district...

Weak Economy Hits Chattanooga, Tenn., Convention Center Traffic.
April 19, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 19--The soft economy is hitting the Trade Center hard enough to cause it to ask the city and county for more money. "We're starting to see a 10 to 12 percent drop in bookings," said Tim Riddle, the executive...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Business Owners Appreciate the Interest Rate Cut.
April 19, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 19--With a fleet of new cars on two dealer lots, Newton Chevrolet owner Grant Law estimates that the interest rate cuts ordered Wednesday by the Federal Reserve will save him more than $50,000 a year in inventory...

Phone Service's Success Leads to Bigger Goals for Chattanooga, Tenn., Utility.
April 20, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 20--In its first year of operation, the local phone service started by Chattanooga's electric utility has already become a million-dollar-a-year business. But EPB has much bigger communications plans for the...

Atlanta-Based Group Gains Safety, Environmental Protection Adviser.
April 20, 2001... Apr. 20--Jim Hall of Signal Mountain, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, has agreed to join Atlanta-based Colonial Pipeline as an advisor on safety and environmental protection issues. "Jim Hall's years of public...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Road Building Equipment Maker Posts Its Earnings.
April 20, 2001... Apr. 20--Astec Industries Inc. reported Thursday that its first-quarter revenues were higher than a year ago, but net income was down 38.5 percent. The Chattanooga-based road-building equipment maker cited adverse economic conditions,...

Atlanta Company Buys Chattanooga, Tenn., Electrical Contracting Firm.
April 21, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 21--Duncan Electric Co., with Chattanooga roots dating to the close of World War II, has joined the ranks of local firms acquired by bigger companies with headquarters outside of the city. Duncan officials...

Etowah, Tenn., Hospital to End Relationship with Health Plan.
April 21, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 21--Subscribers to one of TennCare's biggest health plans may soon be shut out of Woods Memorial Hospital in Etowah for non-emergency care. Woods Memorial officials said Friday they are ending the hospital's...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport To Buy Nearby Sites for Runway Addition.
April 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 24--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials, laying the groundwork for a major runway addition to boost air cargo business, agreed Monday to spend more than $3 million for the former Target store on Lee Highway...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Healthcare Foundation, Hospice Get Donation.
April 24, 2001... Apr. 24--All residents of Bradley County will benefit from the creator of particleboard's care for his community. Monday night it was announced that the estate of Dr. John Meiler and his wife, Jean, gave $450,000 to the Bradley Healthcare...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Hospital to Gain Anchors for Medical Mall.
April 24, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 24--Erlanger hospital will soon get a couple of new anchors for its medical mall. But with 30 percent of its biggest physician office complex still vacant two years after its completion, Erlanger officials...

Reopening of East Ridge, Tenn., Theater Is on Hold Due to Dispute.
April 24, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 24--A month after its planned premiere, the reopening of the East Ridge Six movie theater is still just a coming attraction. The East Ridge theater closed last August when its tenant, Carmike Cinemas, filed a...

Tennessee Valley Authority Sees Higher-than-Expected Demand for Green Power.
April 25, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 24--More than 3,300 homeowners and businesses across the Tennessee Valley are shelling out more green to make sure their power is also green. Since the Tennessee Valley Authority turned on its "Green Power...

Health Firm Chair Defends Program, Asserts Five Months of Fraud-Free Service.
April 25, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 25--The chairman of HCA-The Healthcare Co. said Wednesday that his company is now beyond reproach, five months after agreeing to forfeit more than $840 million for defrauding federal health-care programs. "As...

Tennessee Lawmakers Again Delay Looking at Hospital `Good Samaritan Bill'.
April 25, 2001... Apr. 24--NASHVILLE, Tenn.--An attempt by Erlanger hospital to force Memorial and other non-profit hospitals to provide more charity care or pay more taxes is getting a less than charitable reception here. For the third time in the past...

Atlanta-Based Natural Gas Firm Doubles Quarterly Earnings.
April 25, 2001... Apr. 24--AGL Resources Inc., the parent company of Chattanooga Gas Co., more than doubled its quarterly earnings. The Atlanta-based natural gas distributor said Wednesday it earned $45.2 million, or 83 cents per share, in its second fiscal...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Residents Dispute Assessed Values for Property Taxes.
April 25, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Apr. 25--The house that Gene built isn't worth what the Hamilton County Assessor of Property says it is worth. At least that is what Gene Meyer claims. Mr. Meyer's house at 3853 Hixson Pike was appraised for...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Real Estate Firm Boosts Sales at Shopping Centers.
April 25, 2001... Apr. 25--Despite store closings from the slowing economy, CBL & Associates Properties Inc. continued to boost sales and rental incomes at its shopping centers during the first quarter. The Chattanooga-based real estate developer reported...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Urban Development Proposal to Be Unveiled.
April 25, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 25--A proposal to narrow Riverfront Parkway from four to two lanes to boost development and better connect downtown to the Tennessee River at Ross's Landing will be unveiled today. The plan also calls for...

CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-Based Healthcare Company Defends Integrity.
April 26, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 26--The chairman of HCA-The Healthcare Co. said Wednesday that his company is now beyond reproach, five months after agreeing to forfeit more than $840 million for defrauding federal health-care programs. "As...

Parkway, Intersection Proposals to Be Unveiled in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
April 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Apr. 26--A proposal to narrow Riverfront Parkway from four to two lanes to boost development and better connect downtown to the Tennessee River at Ross's Landing will be unveiled today. The plan also calls for...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Firm Promotes Use of Software to Store Building Records.
April 27, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Apr. 27--Michael Luscher knew he had a drainage problem outside one of the elementary schools he maintains in Scott County, Ky. He just didn't know where. To locate the leaking pipe, school maintenance workers...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Jobless Rate Rises, Still Falls Below State Average.
April 27, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 27--Chattanooga's unemployment picture for March was the classic good news/bad news. The bad news: Statistics released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed...

Partners in Chattanooga, Tenn., Firm Suing Over Division of Sale Proceeds.
April 27, 2001... Apr. 27--About a third of the partners in J.C. Bradford & Co. at the time of its sale last year to PaineWebber are suing members of the firm's former executive committee. The suit, filed in federal court in Nashville this week, said...

Trucking Company Displays New Headquarters in Chattanooga, Tenn.
April 27, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Apr. 27--The trucking industry's woes seemed a long haul away Friday as Sterling Trucks showed off its new Chattanooga headquarters. A subsidiary of Freightliner LLC, Sterling sells medium and heavy trucks to...