Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH) articles from February 2004

Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH) archives from February 2004

Dayton Daily News, Ohio, Business Briefs Column.
February 1, 2004... Feb. 1--TECH FIRMS MERGE TO CREATE E.M.S.: E.M.S. Inc. and CBN Solutions LLC, both information technology firms, have merged and will operate as E.M.S. Inc, according to John R. Thyne, founder of E.M.S. and president of the expanded business....

Ohio-Based Home-Products E-Retailer Files for Bankruptcy Protection.
February 1, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 1--TooHome Inc., a Beavercreek-based online retailer of home products, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dayton. TooHome Inc. owed its top 20 creditors more than...

Moral Roadblocks to Las Vegas Plan Surprise Dayton, Ohio, Club Owner.
February 1, 2004... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 1--DAYTON, Ohio -- Of all the things that could have gone wrong opening a new business in Las Vegas, Dayton businessman Don Troxel never expected the news he got from his new landlord in Sin City. Troxel...

Flooding Shuts Down Dayton, Ohio, Eatery.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 2--DAYTON, Ohio -- A busted water tank has forced the temporary closing of the Moraine Embassy, a popular downtown eatery. Co-owner Tom Xarhoulacos said he came into the Moraine Embassy on Sunday and...

GM, Ford Report Drops in January Car, Truck Sales.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 3--General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday both reported drops in their January sales of new cars and trucks, dimming some of the high hopes the nation's two largest automakers had for getting...

Greene County, Ohio, Approves $7 Million Plan to Upgrade Roads.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Anthony J. Gottschlich Feb. 3--XENIA, Ohio -- Greene County commissioners approved Tuesday a $7 million plan -- including $1 million from reserve funds -- to improve roads and bridges throughout the county. County Engineer...

Whirlpool Says Sales, Net Income Rose in 2003.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 3--Whirlpool Corp., the world's largest maker of home appliances, said Tuesday increasing global demand and the weak dollar helped it reverse a year-earlier loss. Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool...

Profits Climb 12 Percent at St. Louis-Based Manufacturer Emerson Electric.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 3--Emerson Electric Co., a diversified manufacturer that operates Sidney-based Copeland Corp., said today its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose more than 12 percent as sales and profits improved across...

Irving, Texas-Based Pump Maker Has 42 Percent Rise in Fourth-Quarter Earnings.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 3--IRVING, Texas -- Flowserve Corp., a large maker of pumps, valves and mechanical seals, said today its fourth-quarter earnings jumped more than 42 percent, helped by strong sales to the petroleum...

Passenger Traffic Soars 14.3 Percent at Dayton, Ohio, Airport in 2003.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 4--DAYTON, Ohio -- Passenger traffic at Dayton International Airport grew by 14.3 percent last year, a period when other airports in the region saw small increases or decreases, according to airport figures....

Ohio Bill Would Require Contractor Registration, Provide Homeowner Protection.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Laura A. Bischoff Feb. 4--Home improvement contractors who fail to register with the state could be charged with a felony if a proposal backed by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro becomes law. State Rep. Jim Trakas,...

U.S. Homeownership Reaches Record Levels, But Minority Gap Increases.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 4--An increasing number of Americans became homeowners in 2003, eclipsing previous records, but the growing gap between the number of white and minority homeowners is creating a push for equality. By the end...

Dayton, Ohio, Economist Predicts Continued Rise in Stock Market for 2004.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 4--DAYTON, Ohio -- As the presidential election approaches, the stock market will keep climbing, a National City Bank investment manager predicted Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average will rise 5 to 8...

Dayton Daily News, Ohio, Jim Dillon Column.
February 7, 2004... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 7--I read the first paragraph of a recent news release from Standard Register and immediately realized that the company had a problem, one it shares with other local companies. The malady I speak of is the...

Beavercreek, Ohio, Settles Lawsuit against Golf Course.
February 8, 2004... Byline: Amelia Robinson Feb. 8--BEAVERCREEK, Ohio -- Prosecutors are continuing their investigation of the company that, until recently, managed the Beavercreek Golf Club, despite the city's $1.15 million settlement agreement with the...

Ohio Consumer Advocates Voice Opinions in Selection of State Utility Official.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Susanne Cervenka Feb. 9--A statewide coalition of consumer advocates is urging lawmakers to balance the interests of the residents they represent with the utility industry as the process to select a new chairman of the Public...

Complex Federal Income-Tax Code Gets More Complex.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 9--DAYTON, Ohio -- It's that headachy time of year when boxes of receipts come out and folks deal with the Internal Revenue Service This year, those worrisome news reports about tax cuts and massive federal...

Dayton, Ohio-Area Cities Defer Action on New Natural-Gas Plan.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 9--CENTERVILLE, Ohio -- South suburban cities offered residents an optional natural gas co-op buying plan last fall that backfired and now have deferred action on a new plan that would rope in everyone. Members...

Wiper Problems Force Recall of GM SUVs.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 9--DAYTON, Ohio -- General Motors Corp. said Monday it will recall 636,000 of its popular midsize sport utility vehicles because of a windshield wiper problem linked to two crashes. The vehicles...

Dayton, Ohio, Apartment Complex to Become Retirement Home.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 9--The Aspen Waterford apartment complex will lose about a fifth of its tenants as it undergoes the switch from a senior-friendly apartment complex to a retirement home. Tom Henley, spokesman for Aspen...

Dayton, Ohio, Area Gets Low Marks for Business Startups.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 10--Inc. magazine, a widely read business publication, lists Dayton as the fourth-worst metro area in the nation for entrepreneurs. In its March issue, Inc. says it analyzed 10 years worth of government data for...

Columbus, Ohio-Based Restaurant Company Bob Evans Farms Posts Income Decline.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 10--COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Bob Evans Farms, Inc. reported that fiscal third-quarter net income fell 7 percent to 15.6 million, compared with $16.7 million a year ago. Per-share earnings of 44 cents for the quarter...

Rock-Oldies Radio Station Plans May Debut in Huber Heights, Ohio.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Bob Batz Feb. 10--HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Federal Communications Commission has approved a request for a low-power radio station here that will play a rock oldies format. Joe Muchnij, the station's chief engineer, said...

Stock Sale by Dayton, Ohio, Utility's Top Executives Called 'Eye-Popping'.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 10--DAYTON, Ohio -- A noted executive pay expert on Tuesday criticized a DPL Inc. stock incentive plan and called the recent sale by DPL's top three executives of $9.6 million of restricted shares...

Top Three Executives at Dayton, Ohio, Utility Sell $9.6 Million in Stock.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 10--DAYTON, Ohio -- As 2003 drew to a close, DPL Inc.'s top three executives sold nearly $10 million of restricted DPL stock, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Interim...

Robot-Warplane Program Could Get $710 Million.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 10--A program to develop a new generation of robot warplanes with support from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base would get a big funding boost under the Bush administration's 2005 defense budget. The Joint...

Magazine Ranks Dayton, Ohio, Fourth-Worst City for Entrepreneurial Growth.
February 10, 2004... Feb. 10--Dayton ranks as the fourth worst city in the nation to start a business, according to Inc. magazine's inaugural ranking of the best and worst cities to do business in America. The business magazine says its findings are based on an...

Ohio Utility Holding Firm DPL Posts Quarterly Loss, Gain for Year.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 10--DAYTON, Ohio -- DPL Inc. said today it swung to a fourth-quarter loss because of a $76.7 million charge related to the settlement in December of 11 state and federal lawsuits against the company. ...

Kettering, Ohio, Audiovisual Equipment Firm MCSi Seeks Approval to Close.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 11--MCSi Inc., the once high-flying Kettering company that collapsed under the weight of bogus accounting, a federal investigation and numerous shareholder lawsuits, has scrapped its recovery plan and is...

Dayton, Ohio, Automation Systems Maker DT Industries Posts $16.7 Million Loss.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 11--DAYTON, Ohio -- DT Industries Inc., a manufacturer of industrial automation equipment, on Wednesday reported a wider fiscal second-quarter loss as the company completed the sale of one division,...

Gas-Utility Vectren Could Owe $11 Million to Dayton, Ohio-Area Customers.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 11--COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dayton-area customers of Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio have paid too much for natural gas and deserve $11 million in refunds, according to the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, an oversight agency....

New Owner Close for Historic Dayton, Ohio, Arcade.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 12--The historic Dayton Arcade could be changing hands soon. The Arcade has been owned by developer Tom Danis since 1990 through an entity known as the Dayton Arcade Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. But...

White Plains, N.Y.-Based Label Maker's Restructuring Takes Toll on Earnings.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 12--Paxar Corp., a maker of labels and tags for retailers, said today restructuring charges caused its fourth-quarter earnings to plunge almost 76 percent. White Plains, N.Y.-based Paxar reported...

Dayton, Ohio-Based Auto Dealer Software Company Has Shareholders Meeting.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 13--DAYTON, Ohio -- Shareholders spoke out Thursday at the Reynolds and Reynolds Co. annual meeting and challenged Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd "Buzz" Waterhouse on several topics, including bonuses. Al...

Dayton, Ohio-Based Business Forms, Labels Firm Loses $24.4 Million in Quarter.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 13--DAYTON, Ohio -- Standard Register Co. on Thursday reported losses for the fourth quarter and full year as it was buffeted by falling sales and high labor, pension and restructuring costs. ...

Lebanon, Ohio, Strip Club Needs to Repay Debts to Avoid Padlock Order.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Budd Feb. 13--LEBANON, Ohio -- Bristols, a Monroe strip club fighting eviction, has been ordered to pay $83,690 or have its assets seized and the building padlocked. Bristols has been ordered to pay $67,583, as well as...

Valentine's Day Likely to Prove Sweet for Candy, Flower Shops.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 13--Cupid's arrows are getting more expensive. The average consumer will spend $99.24 on Valentine's Day, up from $80.44 last year, according to the National Retail Federation. In all, spending for today is...

White Plains, N.Y.-Based Tag, Label Maker Says Profits Fell 76 Percent.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 13--Paxar Corp., a maker of labels and tags for retailers, said Tuesday restructuring charges caused its fourth-quarter earnings to plunge almost 76 percent. But after a tumultuous year that included...

Enterprise Zones Use Tax Breaks to Draw Businesses into Poorer Areas of Ohio.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Mara Lee Feb. 14--Printing Service Co. got a tax break for opening a new plant in Springboro's industrial park through a program created to encourage businesses that locate in Ohio's poor rural areas and inner cities. The...

Price of Homes in Ohio's Miami Valley Dips 2.1 Percent in Fourth Quarter 2003.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 14--It's a buyers' market for people home-shopping in the Miami Valley as the fragile economy takes its toll on home prices. The median price of existing homes in the Dayton-Springfield area fell...

Funding for School Construction Helps Moraine, Ohio, Concrete Company Profit.
February 15, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 15--MORAINE, Ohio -- If diesel prices hold steady, interest rates drop and school boards rule in his favor, Mark Snyder expects more growth for his family's company, Snyder Concrete Products Inc. For the...

Owner to Sell Dayton, Ohio, Tavern Building, Looks for Larger Venue for Club.
February 15, 2004... Byline: Anthony J. Gottschlich Feb. 15--DAYTON, Ohio -- The Canal Street Tavern, a popular downtown spot for live music, is for sale while owner Mick Montgomery shops for a larger venue, his real estate agent said Sunday. "He usually...

Dayton, Ohio, Housing Authority to Review Links with Nonprofit Agency.
February 15, 2004... Byline: Jim DeBrosse Feb. 15--DAYTON, Ohio -- After officials at Sankofa Corp. discovered that former executive director Deborah E. Brown had taken $45,000 of the agency's public funds, they had her resign and sign a note for a $45,000...

Dayton, Ohio, Company Wants to Buy Optimal Robotics' Self-Check-Out Business.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 16--DAYTON, Ohio -- NCR Corp. announced Monday it has tentatively agreed to acquire Optimal Robotics Corp.'s self-check-out business for $30 million. The companies entered into an agreement in principle...

National City to Acquire Cincinnati-Based Provident Financial.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 17--The winter of 2004 has become a season of bank mergers, as Cleveland-based National City Corp. announced Tuesday that it will acquire Provident Financial Group Inc. of Cincinnati and its Provident Bank in a...

Old Dominion Freight Lines to Open Service Center in Dayton, Ohio.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 17--Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. will open a 26-door service center in Dayton next month near Ohio 4, the company announced Tuesday. Old Dominion provides less-than-truckload carrier service in 38...

Miamisburg, Ohio-Based Huffy Plans Cuts, Consolidations after Quarterly Loss.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 17--MIAMISBURG, Ohio -- Huffy Corp. on Tuesday reported losses for the fourth quarter and full year and announced a major restructuring that will include 100 job cuts and the consolidation of its bicycle...

Computer Marketer Systemax to Cut 200 Jobs; Fletcher, Ohio, Factory Unaffected.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 17--Systemax Inc. said Tuesday it's cutting 200 jobs to improve customer service, reduce costs and make the company more profitable. The cuts affect back office and warehouse operations of the company's...

Honda, GE to Make Jet Engines.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 17--Honda Motor Co. and General Electric Co. on Monday announced a partnership to produce an engine for the emerging "micro-jet" market. Under the agreement, GE will help further develop and certify...

Veteran Restaurateur Opens New Cafe in Springboro, Ohio.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Ann Heller Feb. 18--Veteran Cincinnati restaurateur Paul Sturkey will open an Encore Cafe at The Marketplace at Settler's Walk in Springboro late this summer or early fall. Sturkey, who operates Sturkey's in the Cincinnati...

Ohio's Antioch College Proposes Educational Overhaul.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Mark Fisher Feb. 18--YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio -- Antioch College would dramatically overhaul the way it educates students under a proposal that has the blessing of the school's board of trustees, but it first must grapple with a budget...

Dayton, Ohio, Area Bucks National Construction Trend in January.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 18--Home construction fell nationally in January because of a bad winter, but the cold weather has not dampened housing construction in the Miami Valley. The Commerce Department said Wednesday home...

Lender Sues Dayton, Ohio-Based Funeral Home Company.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 18--DAYTON, Ohio -- A Texas bank has filed for foreclosure on Tobias Funeral Homes Inc.'s six locations and said the company defaulted on more than $2.1 million in loans, according a lawsuit filed in...

Report Blames NAFTA, International Trade for Job Losses in Ohio.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 18--Since 1995, Ohio has lost more than 45,000 jobs as a result of international trade, with Montgomery County being among the hardest hit, according to a report released Wednesday by a Cleveland -based...

Dayton, Ohio, Mall Owner Glimcher Realty Trust Reports Higher Operating Funds.
February 19, 2004... Feb. 19--DAYTON, Ohio -- Glimcher Realty Trust, owner of the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp. and The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, said Thursday that fourth-quarter funds from operations rose 84 percent to $29.5 million, or 77 cents per...

Dayton, Ohio, Digital Information Company Rewriting Future.
February 21, 2004... Byline: Christopher Montgomery Feb. 21--DAYTON, Ohio -- When Standard Register Co. released its fourth-quarter results on Jan. 31, 2002, the company held a celebration for its employees. While it posted a loss for the prior year,...

Workers at Troy, Ohio, TV Manufacturing Plant Await Word on Layoffs.
February 21, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 21--TROY, Ohio -- TV manufacturing's big picture hasn't reassured workers at MT Picture Display Corp. of America as they wait to hear if the company will follow through with possible job cuts and layoffs. ...

Dayton, Ohio, Investors Say They Were Misled.
February 23, 2004... Byline: Wes Hills Feb. 23--DAYTON, Ohio -- Mamie Mullen appears typical of the more than 3,000 victims who invested more than $150 million to buy insurance policies of people they were misled into believing would die within five years. ...

Troy, Ohio, Council Unveils $48.8 Million Budget.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 24--TROY, Ohio -- The city has budgeted $48.8 million in spending this year -- an 8 percent increase over last year's budget -- as it prepares for another ambitious year of capital improvements. Capital...

Tipp City, Ohio, Council to Raise Base Electric Rates.
February 24, 2004... Feb. 24--TIPP CITY, Ohio -- City Council has begun the process of raising base electric rates for the first time since 1990. The Council on Tuesday heard a first reading of an ordinance that would add to rates for all electric customers...

U.S. Agriculture Industry Graying as Average Age of Farmers Rises.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 24--TURTLE CREEK TWP., Ohio -- Si Luthman is gladly following advice from a recent physical exam: "Whatever you're doing, keep it up." At 77, Luthman intends to work in the fields 14 hours a day or more this...

Cincinnati-Based Fifth Third Shares Profits with Employees.
February 24, 2004... Feb. 24--CINCINNATI -- Fifth Third Bancorp, the Dayton area's largest bank, said Tuesday it has distributed $48.5 million in profit sharing to its employees as a result of the company's 2003 earnings performance. Fifth Third employees with...

Dayton, Ohio-Based Robbins & Myers Names New Vice Chairman.
February 24, 2004... Feb. 24--DAYTON, Ohio -- Robbins & Myers Inc. has appointed Thomas P. Loftis, 59, as vice chairman to assist Chairman Maynard H. Murch IV. Loftis was appointed after Murch told the Robbins & Myers board that for health reasons, he believed...

Tipp City, Ohio, Airplane Canopy Maker to Expand Due to Increased Business.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 25--TIPP CITY, Ohio -- The view of the light airplane market has never been better at Airplane Plastics, a tiny company where co-owner Jeff Rogers stretches heat-softened acrylic sheets into crystal-clear...

Panasonic Trims 25 Salaried Positions in Troy, Ohio.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 25--TROY -- MT Picture Display Corp. of America (Panasonic) on Tuesday began dismissing 25 salaried employees as the plant seeks to compensate for a 20 percent drop in prices for its picture tubes. The 11...

Clear Channel Plans to Clear Its Airwaves, to Institute Zero Tolerance Policy.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Bob Batz Feb. 26--DAYTON, Ohio -- Clear Channel Communications -- owner of eight Dayton radio stations -- has hauled out a huge bar of soap in an effort to remove titillating language and other smutty stuff from the airwaves. ...

Dayton, Ohio, Credit Union Shifts to Downtown Location.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Jim Bohman Feb. 26--DAYTON, Ohio --The Wright-Patt Credit Union has moved its downtown office from the DP&L Building to One Dayton Centre at Third and Main Streets. Douglas A. Fecher, president, said the new location gives the...

Farm Emissions in Ohio Unlikely to Impact Neighbors, Study Reports.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 26--PLAIN CITY, Ohio -- An air-quality study at three large livestock and poultry farms in northwest Ohio found their dust and other emissions weren't likely to affect neighbors, but also found room for...

Xenia, Ohio, in Financial Bind; Officials Seek Renewal of 3.5-Mill Levy.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Amelia Robinson Feb. 26--XENIA, Ohio -- Months after an increase of the city income tax failed and 13 city jobs were eliminated, Xenia officials now want to keep what they already have. The city is seeking renewal of a...

Xenia, Ohio, Schools Seek 7.9-Mill Emergency Levy.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Amelia Robinson Feb. 26--XENIA, Ohio -- Public school children stopped practicing for basketball games, wrestling matches and other extracurricular activities after a 9.2-mill school levy was defeated Nov. 6, 1990. About 100...

Piqua, Ohio, Approves Tax Break, Lands Metal-Roofing Factory Jobs.
February 26, 2004... Feb. 26--PIQUA, Ohio -- Union Corrugating Co. has received a 55 percent, five-year tax credit worth $67,524 to begin operations here. The North Carolina-based manufacturer and distributor of metal roofing products is expected to create 34...

Ownership of LifeTime Capital Life Insurance Firm in Ohio Is Uncertain.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Wes Hills Feb. 26--DAYTON, Ohio -- A company whose founder was indicted in Florida was left in the hands of the wife of Montgomery County Commissioner Don Lucas. Phyllis E. Lucas, who resigned Friday after three years as...

Dayton, Ohio-Area Home Sales Show Strength in January.
February 27, 2004... Byline: Jason Roberson Feb. 27--DAYTON, Ohio -- Low interest rates helped pushed sales of previously owned houses higher in January than a year ago, according to a study released Wednesday. Existing home sales were at a seasonally...

Leaders to Discuss Space Program Initiatives at Dayton, Ohio, Aviation Base.
February 29, 2004... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 29--The birthplace of aviation is getting ready to tell a presidential panel how to send Americans back to the moon and on to Mars. Military aerospace researchers, university officials and business...