Crain's Chicago Business articles from April 2008

Crain's Chicago Business archives from April 2008

Pharmacy technician; George Matusyan, 25 Walgreens, Buffalo Grove.(Occupation overview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill I start at 8 in the morning, and we get busy right away. We're a 24-hour store, and we fill an average of 650 prescriptions a day. When I come in, I look in the queue to see if there's any work left from the...

Insurance rates going up; Some policyholders can kiss their premium reductions goodbye.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Illinois consumers are seeing higher rates for car and home insurance after three years of price cuts. In the past few months, three of the state's top five auto insurers, including Northbrook-based Allstate...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)(Directory)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "No Country for Old White Men" 1616 N. Wells St. (312) 337-3992 www.secondcity.com 7 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $19 The Second City opens its 95th revue with material from a YouTube...

Destination: Normandy, France.(Business of Life)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli GET AWAY: There are few better places for World War II buffs to soak up history than France's Normandy region, comprised of five departements, or counties. The coastline of Calvados, about a two-hour drive northwest...

Winter 2008: The Last Straw.(Rivendell Communications)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli This winter left Julie K. Berry feeling she had two choices: Go on anti-depressants, or move away. Ms. Berry, who owns Rivendell Communications, a La Porte, Ind.-based media relations firm, chose the latter....

Paying with the big boys; How much is Private Bancorp willing to spend for top-flight talent? A lot.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS PrivateBancorp Inc. is shelling out big-league salaries to the roster of business banking all-stars it recruited from LaSalle Bank last year. A recent proxy filing gives a first glimpse of how much the mid-sized...

Firing line; STUDENTS' SAFETY CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE OF P0LITICAL RHETORIC OVER SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz They gather every morning by the school down the street, like a squad of stressed Humvee drivers ferrying troops to the front lines. One by one, the SUVs roll up, a door opens and a little one emerges. A...

Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi Even without being Mirandized, Thomas Demetrio, 60, confesses to being computer illiterate. "I have no patience for it; I have people'' who handle technology in the Loop law offices of Corboy & Demetrio P.C. Instead,...

CAT digs into China; Grabbing bigger share of building boom key to offsetting U.S. housing slump.(Caterpillar Inc.)
April 7, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA It took Caterpillar Inc. three decades to reach $1.5 billion in annual sales in China. The Peoria-based construction-equipment maker now aims to more than double that in the next three years. With the U.S. construction...

Singin' the blues? Not these execs; Blue Cross chief gets $10 mil. as health care costs continue to surge.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS "Wellness,'' the new marketing slogan of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, also applies to the pocketbooks of the insurer's top executives. Pay for almost all of the top 10 execs at the Blues' Chicago-based...

Tough cell: Motorola's spinoff; Lack of glitzy new phones dulls its edge on Wall Street.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Motorola Inc.'s new plan to spin off its cell phone business is up against the same old problem: lackluster phones. Unless Motorola comes up with some appealing new phones by next year, it will have as tough a time...

City tragedy draws couple into a cause.(Business of Life)(Interview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Big Shoulders Fund was founded in 1986 by a group of civic leaders to assist schools that support disadvantaged students in Chicago. Funds are used for scholarships, special education programs, instructional...

General counsel cleared for takeoff at AAR.(People)
April 7, 2008... Byline: John Pletz Job: Vice-president, general counsel, Wood Dale-based AAR Corp., beginning June 1; joined the company, which manages aircraft parts supplies, provides maintenance services to airlines and builds portable shelters, on...

ON THE MEND; Drugstore chain angles for return to investors' good graces in wake of earnings stumble last year.(Markets)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE A pair of pleasant earnings surprises haven't restored Walgreen Co.'s stock to its former heights. Shares of the Deerfield-based company, the nation's largest drugstore chain by sales, have fallen nearly 18%...

Chicago execs not shy about reaching 50.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos As they reach the big Five-O, notable Chicagoans are shedding the angst that comes with turning 40. No jokes about staying "39 forever.'' They're embracing the half-century mark the old-fashioned way-with friends and...

Guv's panel can set new standard for infrastructure funding.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
April 7, 2008... Byline: George A. Ranney George A. Ranney is president and CEO of Chicago Metropolis 2020. Now that the 16 distinguished citizens appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to his Illinois Works Coalition have started their "listening tour'' to...

Respiratory therapist; Maxine Greene, 44.(Viewpoint essay)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill Advocate Bethany Hospital, Chicago Years ago, there was a gentleman who lived next door who was like a father to me. One Sunday morning, one of the coldest in Chicago, he had a heart attack. The ambulance...

Ditching Boca blowout, CME starts its own show; Convention split underscores tensions with biggest customers.(News)(Conference news)
April 7, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR In the latest sign of escalating tensions between CME Group Inc. and some of its biggest customers, the Chicago-based exchange company dropped its sponsorship of the futures industry's big annual convention and is...

For The Record.
April 7, 2008... Fortune Brands launched a share-buyback program in the wake of a failed bid to acquire Swedish distiller Vin & Sprit, maker of Absolut vodka. Fortune CEO Bruce Carbonari said he had hoped the company could buy Absolut "at the right price,'' not...

On the Move.(People)
April 7, 2008... FINANCIAL SERVICES FIFTH THIRD BANK, Cincinnati: Robert Swanson, 51, to vice-president and group head of the North division for middle-market banking, from senior vice-president and division head at LaSalle Bank N.A. Also, Douglas Brymer,...

Kellogg eyes $100-million building.(Briefs)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management is laying the groundwork for a building likely to cost more than $100 million. "At this time, the cost, size and location have not been determined,'' a spokesman said. Former Illinois Tool...

Relocated-just for a few months; Corporate assignments boom for shorter stays overseas; an easier adjustment, but still missing some things back home.
April 7, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Five years after joining Aon Corp. in Chicago, attorney Samantha Caldwell took a six-month assignment in the insurance company's London law division. Single and childless, with her parents in good health, Ms....

Help wanted, stat; U.S. will need 3 million workers for growing ranks of elderly and sick.(Focus: Health Care)
April 7, 2008... Byline: DEE GILL The health care industry is expected to create more jobs, pay higher wages and face more worker shortages than any other in the next 10 years. Health care will generate some 3 million new jobs between 2006 and 2016,...

Primary care doctor; Jennifer Olson, 32.(Viewpoint essay)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill North Shore Physicians Group, Chicago and Skokie I became an internist because, in med school, I liked all the specialties. I get to practice them all as an internist, because people see me for all sorts of...

Physician assistant; Barbara Miller, 54.(Occupation overview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County Many people don't know what a physician assistant is. We do what a physician does: examine patients, diagnose medical problems, initiate treatment and write...

Cardiology technologist; Patrick Coon, 40.(Viewpoint essay)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill University of Chicago Hospitals Echocardiography-ultrasound of the heart-has exploded in the last few years. Whenever patients have chest pains or murmurs, the doctor sends them to us. We'll take images,...

Physical therapist; Daphne Scott, 37.(Occupation overview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: As told to Dee Gill AthletiCo, Oak Brook My brother broke his elbow during wrestling in high school and had to have surgery. I had just gotten my driver's license, and sometimes I would drive him to his therapy appointments....

Sound of a train freighted with meaning, money.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
April 7, 2008... We at Crain's love the sound of a train in the distance. The moan of a train whistle on a summer night fills us with wistful thoughts of prairie-town depots and cross-country rail voyages. But we know the romance fades the nearer you get to...

Advanced Equities builds a bridge to its own IPO; New direction in finance for securities broker.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: BROOKE SOUTHALL Advanced Equities Financial Corp., a Chicago-based securities broker that's carved a niche for itself financing companies backed by venture capital firms, is preparing for an initial public offering. ...

Value menu battleground; Costs, margins choking profits, franchisees say.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK The ubiquitous dollar value menus that have boosted fast-food industry sales are hurting some franchisees. As the economy weakens, discount menus offered by Burger King Holdings Inc., McDonald's Corp. and...

John Buck, Abu Dhabi firm unite.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN A real estate company owned by Abu Dhabi's government is forming a joint venture with Chicago-based developer John Buck Co. to build properties in the oil-rich Middle East emirate. The new venture, known as...

Naha takes simple, makes it memorable; Chef's Armenian roots flavor accessible menu; an unbeatable burger.
April 7, 2008... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Naha is one of the city's pure dining pleasures. Chef Carrie Nahabedian's seasonally driven cooking reflects a kitchen that continues to stretch and grow after eight years (and counting) on the corner of...

Demand slows for downtown offices; Vacancy rate hits 11.4% in first rise since 2005.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN Chicago's downtown office vacancy rate had its first quarterly increase in more than two years, a signal that demand for space is leveling off as the economy stumbles. The vacancy rate rose to 11.4% in the...

Fewer Ill. landfills, but more capacity; Stricter EPA regulations led to some site closures.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JIM JOHNSON Landfill capacity in Illinois increased by 4.5% in 2006 as existing waste-disposal operations continued expansion, according to state environmental regulators. The state's landfills added 44 million cubic yards in...

Trimming costs to expand market; Female Health's sales gain after it drops prices.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Female Health Co., its profit bolstered by a shift to manufacturing in Asia, is aiming for growth. The Chicago-based company, the world's only maker of commercially available female condoms, expects to increase...

Rockford lands carrier; Southern Skyways will serve Denver, Detroit and Myrtle Beach, S.C.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Rockford's airport, abandoned by large passenger airlines, will soon have a new carrier to help fill the void. Southern Skyways, an Atlanta-based unit of charter specialist Aviation Advantage Inc., on June 6...

Steelmaker staying put; Finkl chooses Chicago over Canada, handing victory to Daley.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN Longtime North Side steelmaker A. Finkl & Sons Co. is backing off a threat to leave Chicago and plans to move next year to the Southeast Side, a big win for Mayor Richard M. Daley in his campaign to keep...

GLUTTED CONDO MARKET NOT ABOUT TO SPRING BACK; A Conversation with Money Manager Dan Cardell.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Bruce Blythe Dan Cardell, 50, president and chief investment officer, Wayne Hummer Asset Management Co., Chicago Experience: 26 years Assets under management: $1.5 billion Crain's: You believe the real estate slump...

BOAR MARKET: PENNY-WISE CONSUMERS FAVORING PORK; A Conversation with Money Manager Alan Cole.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Bruce Blythe Alan Cole, 42, president, Cedar Hill Associates Inc., Highland Park Experience: 15 years Assets under management: $965 million Crain's: Oil hit a record $112.21 a barrel last week, and natural gas reached...

Profit train slowing down; Recession fears weigh on freight broker Hub.(Markets)
April 14, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA The rickety economy is threatening to throw profit off track at Hub Group Inc. Shares of the Downers Grove-based freight transportation broker have fallen 12% since April 3, the day before Florida-based Raymond James...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
April 14, 2008... In this week's pre-printed Golf Guide, tee information for Tamarack Golf Club is incorrect. Find the corrected version online at ChicagoBusiness.com/golfguide. CAPTION(S): 2008 Crain's Golf Guide supplement

After B of A, going private for Wm. Blair.(People)(Chicago-based William Blair & Co.)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Ann Saphir Job: Head of private wealth management at Chicago-based William Blair & Co., since Feb. 28. Vitals: 45 years old; bachelor's in economics, 1984, and MBA, 1985, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.; credit analyst,...

The psychological impact of bad times; There's much more at stake here than just the bottom line.(Focus: Small Business)(Gail Golden, RHR International Co. )(Interview)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU When recession talk spreads, employees start to feel insecure about their jobs, affecting everything from productivity to morale. Crain's asked Gail Golden, 45, a management psychologist with RHR International Co....

The quick and the dead; Get your business in order before things turn ugly.(Focus: Small Business)(Geoff Harlow, an accountant with Kessler Orlean Silver & Co. P.C.)(Interview)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU With financial and mortgage crises topping newscasts every night, it's no wonder business owners are worried about sales, cash flow and credit. So what should be done now to protect the bottom line? And what can...

Seeing the upside of a downturn; Entrepreneurs' perspective often differs from general population's.(Focus: Small Business)(Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll Inc. in Glenview)(Interview)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU Check out any small-business economic survey and among the hiring index and salary data you'll find a measurement of something less tangible: optimism. Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll Inc. in Glenview,...

Charities offer after-school aid; YMCA, others aim to expand programs in poorest parts of city.(News)(Young Men's Christian Associations)
April 14, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE A trio of local social-services agencies are joining forces with Chicago Public Schools to dramatically expand after-school programs for children in poor neighborhoods. The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago,...

Docs prep med-mal ad blitz; Running 6,000 radio spots ahead of key Supreme Court ruling.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS The state's medical lobby is rolling out an ad blitz trumpeting the importance of caps on jury awards to malpractice victims that it pushed through nearly three years ago. The "Keep Doctors in Illinois''...

Shark tank; BLAGOJEVICH'S WOUNDS ATTRACT A PACK OF PROSPECTIVE GUBERNATORIAL RIVALS.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz Maybe it's the talk that the Illinois Senate will follow the lead of the House and allow voters to recall Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Maybe it's the hammering G-Rod continues to take in the federal corruption trial of...

What not to do in a downturn.(Focus: Small Business)(economic slump affecting business enterprises marketing budget)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau It's good to learn from your mistakes. It's even better to learn from someone else's. Here's some advice on what not to do in an economic slump. Act before you think. Rash behavior never ends well. Owners...

How to win in a tough economy; It's not easy, but some entrepreneurs show how it can be done.(Focus: Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU To hear many small-business owners tell it, there is no recession. But that's part of their entrepreneurial DNA: eternal optimism. It doesn't mean some aren't already implementing survival strategies-or that you...

Slow play: the curse of the course; Long rounds frustrate prime-time golfers; hitting the links at dawn.(Business of Life)
April 14, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Steven Schoenbrun is a familiar figure in the misty dawn at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in north suburban Kildeer. He often tees off by 6:30 and zips around the course in a cart by himself, finishing 18 holes in a...

Canada, not China, is partner in our economic prosperity.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Paul O'Connor Paul O'Connor is a consultant and former head of World Business Chicago. Maybe our global future doesn't always look brighter on the other side of the salt water. Maybe it can be found in a common market that...

Gene & Georgetti keeps it old school; Steaks, chops stand out, but is warm welcome for regulars only?(Business of Life)
April 14, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Old school and proud of it, 67-year-old Gene & Georgetti delivers a no-frills, dependable steakhouse menu in a 1940s neighborhood setting. Just north of the Merchandise Mart, the restaurant has defied the...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "Around the World in 80 Days" 821 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 337-0665 www.lookingglasstheatre.org 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $25-$55 The latest...

Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau As secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Dean Martinez, 33, oversees anyone licensed to practice, from banks to acupuncturists. "We regulate 10% of the population, so...

The spendiest putter in town.(Business of Life)(Bettinardi Golf Inc. )(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: H. Lee Murphy Spring brings Eric Leet, 23, to an Astroturfed studio above the Bettinardi Golf Inc. factory in Tinley Park to be fitted for a putter. Technicians study lie angles and face loft as he hunches over a battery of cameras...

BUCKTOWN BLOCKBUSTER; DQ kingpin buys bank, lots for $18 mil.; there goes the neighborhood?(News)(CG Development Group LLC.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN A little-known developer has paid $18.4 million for a landmark bank building in the heart of Bucktown, a stunning price for a small structure far from downtown and the latest sign of the revival, or ruin, of the...

Destination: Reno, Nevada.(Business of Life)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: At press time, tickets were about to go on sale for the 2008 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Take advantage of four wine-tasting stations as you watch players compete...

How to survive this mess; Recession debate aside, business owners need to prepare for the worst.(Focus: Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU True, people disagree about whether we're in a recession. If you're a homebuilder, it sure feels like a slump. If you're an exporter, things are looking good. If your business does anything in between, it depends...

Attorney gives hand to Court Theatre.(Business of Life)(Interview)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey Since its founding in 1955, the Court Theatre, a non-profit, professional theater on the campus of the University of Chicago, has produced more than 200 plays, including 39 by Shakespeare, 16 by Moliere and 10 by...

UNITED'S NEXT HURDLE: COSTLY REPAIRS; Safety crackdown comes as airline's maintenance expenses are rising.(News)(United Air Lines Inc.)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Rising worries about airline safety spotlight a strategic weakness at United Airlines, where an aging fleet is pushing up maintenance costs. A series of slip-ups at United and other carriers in recent weeks...

Enemy of your enemy isn't always a friend.(Opinion)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Business leaders counting on Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to contain the populist impulses of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state Senate President Emil Jones had better pay close attention to the action in Springfield. After lining up...

McD's picks a soda fight; Takes on 7-Eleven with $1 pop as economy softens.(News)(McDonald's Corp)
April 14, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Already gunning for Starbucks, McDonald's Corp. now is targeting 7-Eleven. The burger chain is urging store owners in the Western United States to slash prices on large soft drinks to $1 this summer to win...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
April 14, 2008... 80,000 U.S. jobs lost last month. $3.49 Average price of a gallon of gas in Chicago, up from $2.86 last year. 6 Consecutive quarters the dollar has fallen vs. the euro. 8% Decline in the dollar vs. the euro so...

Riding out the storm; MEMO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DOOM AND GLOOM.(Focus: Small Business)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Thomas Mucha Worried about the economy? You're hardly alone. A mere glance at recent headlines is enough to plunge even the most relaxed reader into a morass of fear. U.S. mortgage foreclosures are at a record high and rising....

For The Record.(Briefs)(mergers between Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago and Dallas counterpart)
April 14, 2008... Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Tracy Letts won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play "August: Osage County,'' which has an open-ended Broadway run. The Tribune won the prize for investigative reporting for its series on dangerously...

Airlines weigh action after 787 delay.(Briefs)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Boeing delayed its 787 jetliner program for the fourth time, pushing back the plane's expected commercial-service debut to the third quarter of 2009. The first flight, originally targeted for last year, now isn't expected until the fourth...

Barbie Adler finds love-with a client.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos Add another wedding to the 300 already on the list at Selective Search Inc., the company that finds love for high-ranking executives and politicos. This time, CEO Barbie Adler will be walking down the aisle after...

Kraft taps cheese head; Jordan charged with fixing foodmaker's signature product.(News)(Marketing agreements between Kraft Foods Inc. and veteran)
April 14, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Kraft Foods Inc. has assigned the company veteran who shook up salad dressing, Jell-O and other lines to revive its flagship cheese business. Rhonda Jordan, 50, took charge of the Northfield-based company's...

Second tier of traders at CBOE? New permits would let people trade without owning or renting a seat.(News)(Chicago Board Options Exchange )
April 14, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Chicago Board Options Exchange CEO William Brodsky plans to expand trading privileges in a move that could eventually double the exchange's profit. Mr. Brodsky is seeking approval from the Securities and Exchange...

Mergers mean woe for fliers; Airline hookups boost fares, diminish service.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ For airlines, mergers promise relief from the effects of record fuel prices and powerful foreign competitors. But for Chicago-area travelers, they offer little more than the prospect of higher fares, fewer corporate...

Staging a martini-and-GQ lifestyle; Faux possessions play to buyers' aspirations.(Business of Life)
April 21, 2008... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS To make a two-bedroom townhouse in Roscoe Village appeal to young buyers, home stager Natalie Officer created a table setting for a sushi dinner, complete with dipping plates, chopsticks and a small Buddha statue. ...

Industrial vacancies hit high; Economic downturn taking toll on area's demand for space.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The Chicago-area industrial vacancy rate hit its highest level in four years in the first quarter, a sign that the faltering economy is depressing demand for manufacturing and warehouse space. The local vacancy rate...

Open Skies: Opportunity, challenge for airlines; Europe-U.S. pact opens routes, competition for carriers like United.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION The new aviation agreement between the United States and Europe known as Open Skies promises just that: It has the potential to open up competition on the lucrative overseas routes key to United Airlines'...

JOB INSECURITY; Wall Street layoffs clouding outlook for executive headhunter Heidrick & Struggles.(Markets)
April 21, 2008... Byline: MEGHAN STREIT Wall Street's credit maladies are boding ill for executive recruiter Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. Shares of Chicago-based Heidrick are down 32% over the past 12 months amid subprime mortgage losses that...

Need to Know.(Focus: Global Busines Travel)(Brief article)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Source: Airports Council International 4.5 billion Airline passengers worldwide in 2007. 68.6 million Flights worldwide in 2007. 17.6% Percentage increase in passengers flying into Middle East airports last...

Sound advice from Dr. Sleep; What to eat, how (and when) to nap, and which drugs to take (or to avoid).(Focus: Global Busines Travel)(Interview)
April 21, 2008... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN As director of the Sleep Disorders Centers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, James K. Wyatt helps business executives lessen the strain of jet lag. The 40-year-old psychologist has been studying sleep,...

Flights of fancy.(Focus: Global Busines Travel)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Sarah A. Klein Competition for business travelers, who make up only 10% of trans-Atlantic passengers but account for 30% of airline revenue, is intense, especially on long-haul routes. Warm lobster popcorn, anyone? Don't forget the...

High-end blunders; Big errors that keep properties stuck: pricing too high, over-customizing, failing to stage.(Business of Life)
April 21, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI When the owner of a $1.3-million house in Old Town insisted on a pre-approval letter for every potential buyer who wanted a showing, Mario Greco cringed. "I can understand if it's a $15-million property, but at a...

Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi Except for e-mail and booking a restaurant, 39-year-old Michael Golden rarely logs onto the Internet. As co-founder of @properties, Mr. Golden appreciates the irony. Instead, he surfs: Conde Nast Portfolio, a...

Huberman failing to keep CTA on track.(Opinion)(Ron Huberman of Chicago Transit Authority )
April 21, 2008... The loud thump heard in Chicago last week was the sound of CTA President Ron Huberman falling out of bed as his honeymoon with transit riders came to an abrupt end. Until Tuesday's meltdown on the Blue Line, passengers had been giving Mr....

Twisted taxes; COOK COUNTY'S BYZANTINE PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM PRODUCES BIZARRE, AND UNFAIR, RESULTS.(News)(Viewpoint essay)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz When it comes to sheer complexity, Chicago's convoluted property tax system ranks somewhere between advanced calculus and nuclear physics. More than one conspiracy theorist suspects that a system loaded with...

Expanding Middleby's food processing biz.(People)
April 21, 2008... Byline: David Sterrett Job: Executive vice-president of the food processing group at Elgin-based Middleby Corp., since March 13 Vitals: 59 years old; bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt,...

Contingent offers: weighing the risk.(Business of Life)(Interview)
April 21, 2008... Byline: DARCI SMITH In a challenging housing market, is any offer a good offer? Maybe not, if it's contingent on the buyers selling their home. It pays to evaluate carefully the house you'll be hinging the deal on, says Greer Haseman,...