The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) articles from August 2003

The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) archives from August 2003

Omaha, Neb.-Based Pet Care Firm to Expand Memphis, Tenn., Plant, Add 135 Jobs.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Jerome Obermark Aug. 1--Omaha, Neb.-based Sergeant's Pet Care Products will create 135 new jobs, as the company begins packaging pig ears, beef bones and other pet snacks locally. The pet products giant, which already operates...

Pinnacle Airlines Slashes Hours, Benefits of Some Full-Time Ramp Workers.
August 2, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 2--Despite all-time high traffic, Pinnacle Airline Inc. is slashing the hours and benefits of nearly half of its full-time ramp workers. In June 65 employees were told they would be working six-10 hours a...

Memphis, Tenn., Quarterly Economic Survey Sees Signs of Improvement.
August 3, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 3--The economy wasn't that great nationally or locally in the second quarter, but a panel of three business executives cited signs of recovery during The Commercial Appeal's second quarterly economic forum. ...

Proposed Project Adds Seven Upscale Homes to Memphis, Tenn., Neighborhood.
August 3, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 3--With walls and shrubbery, it's hard to see the stately homes set back along East Parkway south of Union. And while a proposed project for the property at 175 East Parkway at Union won't disturb those...

Two Memphis, Tenn., Architecture Firms Win Awards.
August 3, 2003

Lakeland, Tenn., Design Firm Hosts Web Clearinghouse for Digital Artists.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 4--If you're in advertising and you want to endow a computer-animated character with balletic grace, you could spend time shooting video of dancers, then converting that into motion-capture programs for your...

Tennessee Health Board Prepares for Medicare Changes.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 5--NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Proposed Medicare changes could cause a big impact in what types of health care facilities are needed across Tennessee. For example, adjustments proposed in how Medicare reimburses health...

Memphis, Tenn.-Based Bank Purchases Headquarters Building for $15 Million.
August 5, 2003

Tennessee Lottery Board to Consider Georgia Alliance.
August 5, 2003

New Jersey Investment Trust Buys Lakeland, Tenn., Outlet Mall.
August 5, 2003

Memphis, Tenn., Securities Firm Wins Suit against Former Employees.
August 5, 2003

Memphis, Tenn.-Based Buckeye Technologies Reports $5.2 Million Loss.
August 5, 2003

Memphis, Tenn., Arena Builders Unsure How Storm Delays Will Affect Project.
August 6, 2003... Byline: David Williams Aug. 6--The FedExForum construction site was alive Tuesday afternoon with all the bustle and clang you'd expect of a $250 million arena project. But a question remains: What was the July 22 windstorm's effect on...

Memphis, Tenn., Grizzlies Hope Previews Sway Basketball Fans to Lease Suites.
August 7, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 7--If you're going to spend $99,000 to $225,000 for something that isn't built yet, you still want a pretty good idea what you're going to get for the money. To that end, the Memphis Grizzlies opened a preview...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Wise Consumer Column.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 7--HOUSING AGENCY HONORED: Hats off (if I wore hats) to the Memphis Area Legal Services' Fair Housing Center, which has received the Fair Housing Best Practices award for innovative programs. Memphis Area...

FedEx Employees Contemplate Company's Early Retirement, Buyout Offers.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 7--The packets went out last week, and this week the 14,000 FedEx Express employees here and across the country eligible for either early retirement or buyouts are weighing the benefits against whatever the rest...

Memphis, Tenn., Packager Is Laid-Back on Employees' Leave, Timeliness.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 7--If you punch the clock at Express Contract Packaging, it doesn't matter if you're late -- or even come at all. Express Contract has no absence policy and an inner-city work force of the convicted, addicted...

South Florida Real-Estate Firm Buys Memphis, Tenn., Skyscraper.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Deborah M. Clubb Aug. 8--A South Florida real estate firm has bought Clark Tower for $40.1 million, about 26 percent less than the previous owner paid for it in 1998. In-Rel Management Inc. closed Wednesday on its purchase of...

Memphis, Tenn., Residents Commemorate Wind Storm with Specialty T-Shirts.
August 8, 2003... Byline: David Williams Aug. 8--Forget the calm. This would be the fashion statement after the storm. Michael Malone, 24, a project manager for a local logistics firm, had a screen printing company produce 100 "I Survived the Memphis...

Memphis, Tenn.-Area Realtors Form Commercial Council.
August 9, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 9--The local commercial real estate community has created its first professional association specifically for the industry. The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council, a freestanding...

Industry, Advocates Disagree over How Much to Do about Problem Gamblers.
August 9, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 9--If you've been to a casino in Tunica County, Miss., this week you may have seen workers wearing stickers or buttons that say "Ask about keeping it fun." That's part of the gaming industry's latest annual...

Memphis, Tenn., Racquet Club Plans to Add Luxury Condominiums.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Jerome Obermark Aug. 10--The Sanderlin landmark is so familiar to so many that people giving directions often mention only its name and not the street number. Soon The Racquet Club, 5111 Sanderlin, may gain an even stronger...

Divorce Planners in Memphis, Tenn., Facilitate Financial Side of Splitting Up.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 10--If divorce is the real storm in your life these days take comfort that it at least allows you to plan. People contemplating divorce should be aware of not only what they have, but what it costs to live...

Archer Records Strives to Put New Spin on Memphis, Tenn., Music Tradition.
August 10, 2003... Byline: David Williams Aug. 10--The musician sits in the small recording studio, the record mogul by his side. They're talking business, but the words are lost to the sound from the speakers -- a very cool record they're about to...

Main Street Makeover in Memphis, Tenn., Will Fill Spaces, Go Places.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Deborah M. Clubb Aug. 10--Main Street in Memphis is about to lose some scabby buildings and greet construction to fill two long-empty gaps. The Center City Commission's four-year determination to beg, coerce or lure property...

Different Motivations Drive Tennesseans to Become Entrepreneurs.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 11--Displaced executives Dave Forell and Mike Gallagher wanted to stay in Memphis, run a business the way they wanted and avoid adding to a collective number of moves already in the teens. Ministers Walter...

Memphis, Tenn., Independent Recording Studio Supports Small Musicians.
August 11, 2003... Byline: David Williams Aug. 11--The musician sits in the small recording studio, the record mogul by his side. They're talking business, but the words are lost to the sound from the speakers -- a very cool record they're about to...

Slump Can't Stop Entrepreneurial Business Owners in Memphis, Tenn., Area.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 11--Displaced executives Dave Forell and Mike Gallagher wanted to stay in Memphis, run a business the way they wanted and avoid adding to a collective number of moves already in the teens. Ministers Walter...

Thrifty Memphis, Tenn., Women Create Company to Share Cost-Cutting Secrets.
August 11, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 11--You might say Cathy McCollum and Dana Griffin started their business on a shoestring -- and probably used a coupon to buy the shoestring and got a rebate to turn a profit on it. The women created A Better...

Memphis, Tenn., Firms Apply to Be State Lottery Legal Counsel.
August 11, 2003

FedEx Begins First-Ever Deliveries in Iraq.
August 12, 2003

Tennessee School Ends LPN Program, Plans Baccalaureate Nursing Program.
August 12, 2003

Burlington Northern Seeks to Boost Capacity at Memphis, Tenn., Rail Terminal.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Richard Thompson Aug. 13--Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. officials said Tuesday that the company is studying ways to increase capacity at its Memphis terminal five-fold. "We have some studies under way to...

Federal Judge Withdraws from FedEx-UPS Dispute with ASTAR Air Cargo.
August 14, 2003... Byline: James W. Brosnan Aug. 14--WASHINGTON--A federal judge angrily denied he favors FedEx and UPS in a dispute with a major competitor but withdrew from the case anyway Wednesday. Ronnie Yoder, the Department of Transportation's...

Southaven, Miss., Mayor Upbeat about Fate of Planned Mall.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Katherine Cromer Aug. 14--Southaven Mayor Greg Davis is looking forward to the summer of 2005. He plans on doing his summer shopping at the Southaven Towne Center, a new 848,000-square-foot open-air mall. "Things are...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Linda A. Moore Column.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 14--The Melting Pot Inc., a fondue restaurant chain with a new Memphis location, is establishing a national charity program to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It began with a $4,500 donation...

Memphis, Tenn., Database Management Firm to Benefit from Do Not Call Registry.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 14--Although one telemarketing group says the National Do Not Call Registry will cost about 2 million jobs in its first eight months, one local company is benefiting. archer>malmo is making money through the...

Envisioned Hermando, Tenn., Medical Park Gets Start with New Dental Office.
August 15, 2003

Memphis, Tenn., Research Facility Incubates Biomedical Device Firms.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 17--The research facility housed in the former Post Office at 44 S. Cleveland gives Memphis an edge in nurturing biomedical technology businesses, says its founder. "Some people dismiss us in Memphis because...

Northwest Airlines Wins Exemption from Pension Financing Rules.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 19--Northwest Airlines got a rare reprieve Monday when the government said it could fund pension plans with stock from a wholly owned subsidiary instead of with cash, sparing its cash balance while the airline...

Memphis, Tenn., Considers Making Bid for Sports Fishing Event.
August 19, 2003

Bachelor's Degree Nursing Program Returns to University of Tennessee.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 20--Methodist Healthcare-University Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are joining forces to re-establish a bachelor's degree program in nursing at the UT's Memphis campus. At...

Memphis, Tenn., Hospital Builds $10.4 Million Outpatient Surgery Center.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Mark Watson Aug. 20--Saint Francis Hospital is spending $10.4 million on a new 16,600-square-foot outpatient surgery center northeast of the East Memphis hospital. Construction on the one-story facility, which includes four...

Arkansas Cotton Producers Win Battle in Assessment War.
August 21, 2003... Byline: Jane Roberts Aug. 21--Six Arkansas cotton producers scored a coup this week in their fight to overturn the mandatory boll weevil eradication assessments in Mississippi and eastern Craighead counties. Pulaski County Circuit...

Consumer Groups, Police Investigate Memphis, Tenn.-Based Furniture Firm.
August 22, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 22--In April, Kelly Emery of North Port, Fla., ordered a four-piece Italian sofa set from Memphis-based Payless Furniture Inc. for $1,649. Four months later, Emery still hasn't seen the furniture -- indeed,...

Memphis, Tenn., PR Firms Are Finalists for State's Education Lottery Contract.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Linda A. Moore Aug. 22--Four Memphis public relations firms are among the three PR teams that are finalists for consideration to handle PR and marketing for the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. Young Sanford Marketing and...

Memphis, Tenn., NBA Franchise to Take Arena Naming-Rights Revenue in Lump Sum.
August 26, 2003... Byline: David Williams Aug. 26--The Grizzlies have decided to take their FedExForum naming-rights revenue overnight, rather than over time. The franchise was to receive $90 million over 20 years of the FedEx Corp. naming-rights deal...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Wise Consumer Column.
August 26, 2003

Developer Plans Second Phase to Memphis, Tenn.-Area Retail Center.
August 26, 2003

FedEx's Pension Decision at Hand; Choice Will Impact About 137,000.
August 26, 2003

Big Distributors Buoy Industrial Real Estate Market in Memphis, Tenn.
August 26, 2003

FedEx, UPS Team Up to Challenge Legality of Rival Carrier's Ownership.
August 26, 2003

Tennessee Valley Authority Rate Plan Aids Big Business; Small Users Pay More.
August 26, 2003

FedEx Contract Propels Growth at Memphis, Tenn., Aircraft Repair Firm.
August 26, 2003

Home Sales in Memphis, Tenn., Area Up 4 Percent from Last Year.
August 26, 2003

Tennessee Health Insurance Program to Cut Back Costly Drug Benefit.
August 27, 2003

IRS Veterans Take Top Memphis, Tenn., Posts.
August 27, 2003

Retail Real Estate Market Remains Sound in Memphis, Tenn., Area.
August 27, 2003

Search for National Recognition Promotes First Tennessee Bank to Change Name.
August 28, 2003... Byline: David Flaum Aug. 28--In its continuing effort to position itself as a national player, First Tennessee National Corp. is planning to change its name. But the name change likely will only apply to the $27.9 billion asset holding...

BellSouth, DirecTV Partner to Offer Satellite TV as Part of Service Package.
August 28, 2003

FedEx Ground Reveals Texas Hub Site; Firm Says Memphis, Tenn., Plans Are Next.
August 29, 2003

Lowe's Home Improvement to Build Store in Olive Branch, Miss.
August 29, 2003

T.G.I. Friday's Restaurant in Memphis, Tenn., to Close.
August 29, 2003

Memphis, Tenn., Firm Says It Was Snubbed for Basketball Arena Work.
August 30, 2003