Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News articles from December 7 1997

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News archives from December 7 1997

Gulfport, Miss., Native Puts Local Face on Region's Gaming Industry.(Originated from The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.)
December 7, 1997... BILOXI, Miss.--Dec. 7--Beverly Martin has been described as tenacious and hard working. "A pit bull," said one Coast casino executive. "A smart, tough, charming woman," said another. Whatever. Most casino executives agree that...

Wachovia Weighs Acquisitions Around 'Laboratory' of Florida.(Originated from The Charlotte Observer, N.C.)
December 7, 1997... WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--Dec. 7--In the wake of Wachovia Corp.'s failed attempt to acquire Barnett Banks Inc. in Florida this summer, Leslie "Bud" Baker says the Sunshine State has become "almost something of a laboratory" for the bank. ...

Wichita, Kan., Business Women Increasingly Interested in Golf.(Originated from The Wichita Eagle, Kan.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--David McClure, Swing Rite Golf Training Center's general manager, says more and more of the people seeking golf lessons at the center are business women wanting to entertain clients on golf courses the way their male counterparts...

Raytheon Wants Property Tax Break from Sedgwick County, Kan.(Originated from The Wichita Eagle, Kan.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Raytheon Aircraft Co. says it has invested $137 million in new buildings, manufacturing equipment and facilities improvements this year. Now it wants a break on its property taxes. Plus, the company says it plans to spend $1...

Kentucky Tobacco Markets Proving to Be Mixture of Really Good, Bad.(Originated from Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--This year's burley markets are turning out to be the best of times for farmers with carefully graded red-tip tobacco. But it's turning out far worse for those who didn't sort their tobacco or who brought in leaf that was...

Christmas Tree Growers Face Steep Challenges Before Making a Profit.(Originated from Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Would you sink your money into a business unlikely to turn a profit for at least six years and maybe even eight? One with risks including theft, insects, drought and fickle consumer tastes? With no guarantee you'd get your original...

South Carolina's Georgetown Steel Corp. Workers Decide to Strike.(Originated from The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
December 7, 1997... GEORGETOWN, S.C.--Dec. 6--With contract talks at a dead end Friday night, the 590 union workers at Georgetown Steel went on strike at 11 p.m. It will be the first full-fledged strike at the plant since the bloody union-recognition...

Barnett Banks Played Great Role in Jacksonville, Fla., Turnaround.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--In a state where the economy is dependent on positive images -- palm trees, beaches and the like -- Jacksonville has historically had trouble putting on a happy face. Smelly paper mills. A badly polluted river. A population...

Success Assured the End of Barnett Banks.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Rare is the corner of Florida that's more than a stone's throw from a Barnett Bank branch. Hard to find is the Florida city without the bank's name, like a sentry guarding the territory below, emblazoned atop a prominent...

Prudential Buys Aventura, Fla., Loehmann's Fashion Island for $37.3 Million.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 6--After sparking a renaissance at Loehmann's Fashion Island, its owners are selling the Aventura shopping center. As part of its plan to get out of the real estate business, Property Capital Trust, a Boston-based real estate...

Republic Industries to Sell Saturn Dealerships, Focus on Other Franchises.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 6--Calling the brand unessential to its retailing strategy, Republic Industries said Friday it will sell its six Saturn dealerships to Saturn Corp. for an undisclosed amount. Republic acquired the Saturn stores in the course of...

Arco Alaska to Abandon Warthog Site Company mum on results of drilling.(Originated from Anchorage Daily News)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 6--Arco Alaska Inc. this week notified federal officials it will plug and abandon its Warthog well just off the shore of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But the company won't say if that means the project is a bust. ...

Brazil Opts for Slowed Growth over Devaluation in Face of Market Turmoil.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... RIO DE JANEIRO--Dec. 7--Brazil these days is like a giant on a tightrope, hoping to tread safely along the narrow path between recession and a return to high inflation. In the wake of last month's heavy stock market losses,...

Family-Owned Miami Cigar Business Is Smoking.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--When Charlie Torao was growing up his father used to tell him not to count on going into the family cigar business, that he didn't even know if it would provide much of a future for himself. Even though tobacco was in his...

Colonial BancGroup's Rapid Expansion Plan Targeting Florida.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Don't underestimate Colonial BancGroup Chairman Robert E. "Bobby" Lowder. Since setting his sights on Florida last year, the low-key Montgomery, Ala., banker has snatched up a grab bag of South and Central Florida banks,...

Florida Faces High-Tech Hurdle in Recruiting Firms, Employees.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Will the future leave Florida behind? As technology companies are increasingly important to the U.S. economy and as demand for high-tech products keeps growing, Florida seems to struggle to attract new high-tech companies...

Customized Joy Found in Cultural, Religious Greeting Cards.(Originated from The Miami Herald)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Spin the card rack at Ujamaa Books in Fort Lauderdale and find offerings that just a few years ago, would have taken rounds of phone calls to locate. The small shop on West Broward Boulevard is filled with colorful African...

Facing Deregulation, Energy Utilities Provide Customers with Little Extras.(Originated from Post-Tribune, Gary, Ind.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Energy utilities, historically among the most conservative equities because of their necessity for everyday life, are shedding their stodgy reputations in anticipation of a deregulated marketplace. Utilities are like most...

Capable, Sub-$1,000 Computers Ready to Go Under Christmas Tree.(Originated from The Salt Lake Tribune)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--If a personal computer popped up on your Christmas wish list for the first time this year, you are not alone. The availability of truly low-cost yet capable PCs is attracting uninitiated buyers like never before, says Ed...

Christmas Retailing Surveys Paint an Interesting Picture.(Originated from The Bradenton Herald, Fla.)
December 7, 1997... BRADENTON, Fla.--Dec. 7--Here's an early holiday message from the American Collectors Association: "Twas the night after Christmas and all through the store, not a creature was stirring 'cause they were all poor. The shoppers had...

Anti-Gay Stance May Be Shrewd Marketing for Burroughs & Chapin.(Originated from The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
December 7, 1997... Dec. 7--Politics and emotions aside, Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc.'s anti-gay stance might be a marketing coup. Americans are increasingly concerned with the moral direction of the country, experts say, and a company's hard-nosed...