Crain's Chicago Business articles from January 2003

Crain's Chicago Business archives from January 2003

Down-home mainstays delivered with flair.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Phil & Lou's)(Restaurant Review)
January 6, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN West Madison Street isn't likely to morph into a restaurant row overnight, but as a result of all the residential development, the dining possibilities are improving. One of the latest newcomers is Phil & Lou's, an...

Late News.(includes, industrial property vacancies increase)
January 6, 2003... MORE SPACE TO LET AT FACTORIES, MALLS Vacancies continued to rise at Chicago-area industrial properties and shopping centers in the fourth quarter, according to two reports. The vacancy rate for area industrial space rose to 10.5%, up from...

Newsmakers deserve recognition for gaffes.(Commentary)(people in the news receive awards)(Editorial)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Now that all of the other print and broadcast news organizations have selected their biggest, most important and momentous news stories of the past year, it's time to take a different kind of look backward. In honor...

CEO's payment package is a Household shame.(Opinion)(William F. Aldinger to receive compensation following acquisition of Hosehold International Inc. by HSBC Holdings PLC)(Editorial)
January 6, 2003... CEO voraciousness: There's no end in sight. Household International Inc. CEO William F. Aldinger-who this fall engineered the sale of the consumer lender for a bargain-basement $30 a share after settling predatory lending charges-is about...

Krasny ventures to bankroll startups; CDW founder eyes incubator.(News)(CDW Computer Centers Inc.; Michael Krasny to launch venture capital operation)
January 6, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Michael Krasny, who said he wanted to spend more time in his woodshop when he turned over the reins at CDW Computer Centers Inc. two years ago, apparently has discovered that furniture-making doesn't fully satisfy his...

Odds favor more gambling; The wheeling and dealing begins to expand state's gaming presence but the new governor will be a wild card in this high-stakes play.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ and BOB TITA With state government drowning in red ink and City Hall finances weak, odds are rising fast that Illinois lawmakers soon will authorize the biggest expansion of legalized gambling in decades. A...

School board fighting TIF for big Lisle project.(News)(tax-increment financing)
January 6, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Suburban school districts are becoming increasingly vocal on municipal development issues, with the latest skirmish shaping up in Lisle, where school officials are fighting a plan to divert tax revenues to a downtown...

Hang-up: FTC regulations disconnecting telemarketers; Anxious to call, industry set to challenge fed's rules.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Telemarketers are bracing for the ultimate hang-up. The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) decision last month to create a national do-not-call list for telemarketers means that consumers, with just a few...

What's the plan? UAL can't seem to say.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES When UAL Corp. appears before U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge Eugene Wedoff in Chicago next week, the airline company will have to present a solid business plan and establish financial credibility as it attempts to...

Revamp, cuts hit Kemper; Capital-challenged insurer to exit lines, slash jobs, demutualize.(News)(Kemper Insurance Cos.)
January 6, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Kemper Insurance Cos., overextended and hungry for additional capital, is shedding business lines and moving to change its ownership structure. The business insurer also will lay off an undisclosed number of...

Accountability? Mutual funds must come clean.(Opinion)(Column)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Marc J. Lane The most powerful mutual fund companies in the country have banded together and mounted a vigorous public relations offensive. The object of the unlikely alliance: to thwart a Securities and Exchange Commission...

Turn away funding for arts and suffer a deficit of spirit.(Opinion)(Column)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Marj Halperin ``Education, medicine, museums and theaters-that's the core of civilization of any city.''-Mayor Richard M. Daley The word is going out from the Blagojevich compound: Only those who can help generate new revenue...

Past divides United Ways; Alliance talks must bridge differences.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Negotiators working to forge an alliance of the Chicago area's two major United Way chapters must overcome a history of animosity between the rival fund-raising organizations. The 2-month-old discussions, spurred...

Trizec's new office; REIT moves to Chicago but can't leave woes behind.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Trizec Properties Inc. shareholders hope that Chicago has better karma than New York and Toronto. Yet it will take more than good vibrations to turn around the real estate investment trust (REIT) after its...

Online poll: Many threats to economy; Overseas tension not only concern.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: KELLY QUIGLEY It seems we're becoming blase about war and terrorism. Even as the likelihood of the United States going into battle with Iraq grows, few people believe that such a conflict-or even another terrorist attack on...

Feds: Boeing leaked secrets.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... The U.S. State Department accused Boeing Co.'s satellite systems unit, along with Hughes Electronics Corp., of illegally sharing space technology in the mid-1990s that may have helped China develop missiles. The companies were formally charged...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(week of January 6)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 6, 2003... WEEK OF JAN. 6 Jan. 12-14: International Housewares Assn., McCormick Place, estimated attendance 58,000. FOUR WEEKS FROM NOW Feb. 5-7: Retail Advertising Conference, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 2,000. Feb. 7-9:...

Still room at the inn as occupancy droops.(Real Estate)
January 6, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The Chicago-area hotel market slid further in 2002, as price cuts and marketing initiatives aimed at local tourists failed to spur enough demand to offset a drop in business travel. The average occupancy rate for...

Profile: Insignia's new Midwest chief still sees upside despite industry slump.(Real Estate; Samuel C. Delisi)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Steve Daniels Samuel C. Delisi is unusual in the world of commercial real estate. That's because he's as comfortable in a roomful of big-ego dealmakers as he is supervising junior brokers just getting their start in the...

Looking for cool customers; Backed by Vienna chief, fridge effort heating up.(News)
January 6, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER A local manufacturer is hot to expand its presence in the refrigeration industry, and a longtime Chicago-area executive turned investor is helping to stoke the fire. XDX Innovative Refrigeration, a 4-year-old...

SPRAWL'S PACE IS PICKING UP: Land rush; Super-sized subdivision trend fuels developers' appetite for open space.(Real Estate)
January 6, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The hunt for raw land is heating up. Demand for new residential and commercial construction in the Chicago area remains intense, even as the overall economy sags. But the old 30-to-50-acre subdivision won't do...

Taking a healthy attitude toward doing business.(Opinion)(Mayor Richard Daley)(Column)
January 6, 2003... It's good that Mayor Richard Daley's recent illness and brief hospitalization is over and that he's on the mend. It would be better if the mayor followed the advice of his doctors and family and slowed down for a while to regain his strength....

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
January 6, 2003... It's a sad day for telemarketing. Telemarketing executive Sandra Pernick on the Federal Trade Commission's plan to create a national do-not-call list. PAGE 4

Executive moves.(Profiles)
January 6, 2003... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Mark Vanderpoel, 44, to managing director at Partners by Design Inc., from project director. EDUCATION David W. Eisinger, 51, to vice-president for finance and corporate treasurer at Aurora University in...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)
January 6, 2003... WEEK OF JAN. 6 JAN. 6: Women's Business Development Center presents Wine and Cheese Introduction. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Women's Business Development Center, 8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 400. Free. (312) 853-3477, ext. 0. JAN. 7: Assn. of...

Chicago Observer: Mere months at the investment bank may just cover that tuition.(Briefs)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler Former Chicago Chief Financial Officer Walter Knorr, who had a very long goodbye after he decided last year to move to investment bank Salomon Smith Barney Inc., apparently misses the relatively low-paying (but...

Firms are wary of incoming guv; Blagojevich, Dems create concern over fees, wages.(Small Business: Rod Blagojevich is the new Democratic governor of Illinois)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JIM SONNENBERG Ronald Hawley has seen the future, and he's not sure he likes what he sees. ``The cost of doing business in Illinois is going to go up,'' says Mr. Hawley, CEO and part owner of FDC Corp. in Elk Grove Village, a...

Profile: Surgeon has treatment for heart complications in the bag.(Technology: Cardiothoracic surgeon Jai Raman invents Acorn)
January 13, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Jai Raman, a cardiothoracic surgeon at University of Chicago Hospitals, is trying to fix broken hearts with a material familiar to any supermarket shopper-a netting like that used for bags of onions and potatoes. ...

Something fishy in the southern suburbs.(Dining/Restaurant Review: Tin Fish is a trendy restaurant )(Restaurant Review)
January 13, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN The southern suburbs don't get their fair share of trendy restaurants, so the late-September opening of Tin Fish in Tinley Park is cause for celebration. Chef Colin Turner and manager Curtis Wierbicki, both...

Exotic cars, boats also available.(Small Business)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JENNIFER MARTIN Entrepreneurs are taking the fractional ownership model to other luxury assets. Consumers can own a share in a classic car or yacht for a sliver of the full purchase price. Palatine-based Exotic Car Share,...

Lack of an exit plan vexing many firms.(Small Business)
January 13, 2003... Byline: BILL CLEMENTS Phyllis Apelbaum was 33 when she founded Arrow Messenger Service in 1974. The last thing on her mind then and for many years was preparing an exit plan. She was too busy growing Arrow. But when she turned 60 in...

Spam fans try to avoid stigma; Companies find blanket e-mails an efficient tool.(Small Business)
January 13, 2003... Byline: MARGARET LITTMAN When Chicago Gateway Green, a not-for-profit environmental advocacy organization, spreads the word about its major charity events, it uses e-mail to save on printing and postage costs and appeal to computer-savvy...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
January 13, 2003... WEEK OF JAN. 13 JAN. 13: Chicago Chapter of Institute of Internal Auditors presents Lennon Corporate Governance Conference. 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. University of Chicago, Gleacher Center, 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive. Fee: $300. (847)...

Fractional fascination; Partial ownership of jets lets smaller players enjoy prestige and privilege.(Small Business)(Industry Overview)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JENNIFER MARTIN For Thomas M. Begel, a private jet has made the skies much friendlier. The Chicago resident climbs into a Cessna Citation V Ultra whenever he takes a business trip. He could have bought the plane for $7.5...

Relocation can be risky; Stores on the move must calculate costs, retain clients.(Small Business)
January 13, 2003... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI After nearly 30 years in Lakeview, Sandy Horwitz relocated Clothes Minded, her women's wear boutique, to Bucktown. ``I wanted to re-energize myself,'' Ms. Horwitz says. ``Twenty-nine-point-five years on Broadway...

Executive Moves.(People: Chicago area executive briefs)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Andrew J. Neuhalfen, 41, Michael W. Rogers, 41, Roch J. Shipley, 48, to senior vice-president at Packer Engineering Inc. in Naperville, from vice-president. Also, James I. Daniel, 48, to vice-president in the...

Medicine man; Pushing his scientists to do no less than solve the remaining mysteries of medicine, CEO Miles White has reshaped Abbott Labs-but not without controversy.(News)(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Miles D. White wasn't tight-lipped about his mission when he became CEO of Abbott Laboratories in 1999. Yes, he wanted the sleepy North Chicago-based drugmaker to run faster, better and leaner-hardly surprising...

Inner-city training center reboots in tech slump.(Technology: Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Since 1998, the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center has tried to give inner-city Chicagoans the same access to technology as residents of Silicon Valley enjoy. But in a slumping economy and with the...

Check the numbers: Daley could break dad's record.(Opinion: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley)(Column)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Paul M. Green Is Mayor Richard M. Daley politically invincible? On Feb. 25, a few little-known challengers will attempt to stop his quest for a fifth term-a tenure attained only by his father and the Carter Harrisons, father and...

State's delegation regroups to make its federal case.(Opinion)(Column)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Paul Merrion With the start of a new legislative season, the Illinois congressional delegation is repositioning to fight the never-ending battle for money and effectiveness in Washington. There are huge fights ahead for...

Bush in Chicago: cold wind, warm remarks.(Commentary: President George W. Bush)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo There was a considerable flurry of excitement last week when President George W. Bush decided to announce his economic stimulus plan at a meeting of the Economic Club of Chicago. Over the next few months, we will hear...

Sweet charity: Two rival United Ways must merge.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... In business, mergers and consolidation are a way of life. In the non-profit world, however, charitable groups have been reluctant to align with their brethren, often because they fear a loss of control and diminished commitment to their...

FCC chairman's plan will hurt phone competition.(Opinion: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell)( )
January 13, 2003... Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell seems to think the way to stimulate competition in the local telephone business is to eliminate the competitors that have just begun to challenge regional Bell companies. His plan...

Stressed foundries are being cast aside; Competition, poor economy burn shops.(News)(Industry Overview)
January 13, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY There was no joy two days before Christmas at C. W. Shumway & Sons LLC in Batavia. After 130 years, the family-owned foundry closed its doors-a victim of the recession, foreign competition, environmental regulations...

Stocks still suffer a nasty hangover; Tough 2002 for area's firms.(News)
January 13, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Local stocks were down in 2002, with even once-trusted blue-chips such as McDonald's Corp. and Northern Trust Corp. each diving close to 40%, as the frothy bubble of late-1990s economic excess faded from investors'...

Xbox may mark spot at Midway; Players see Microsoft engaging in Mortal Kombat.(News: Midway Games Inc.)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Bill Gates appears ready to play Mortal Kombat. The Microsoft Corp. chairman needs video game franchises for his company's struggling Xbox game console, and the maker of the renowned Mortal Kombat franchise,...

Cantalupo plans will get grilling; Investors urge McD's to accept cash-cow model.(News: McDonald's Corp.'s new CEO is James Cantalupo)(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER The new CEO of McDonald's Corp. is about to go into the deep fryer. When James Cantalupo gives his first presentation to Wall Street this week, he must demonstrate to disgruntled investors that he has a plan...

School reform wrangling; Teachers union coming on strong.(News: Chicago Teachers Union)
January 13, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ Chicago school reform is facing a big test in Springfield, as officials scramble to salvage a political deal that insiders consider crucial to cementing labor peace in a fast-changing legislative environment. At...

Walgreen reformulating growth outlook; Street gets restless as non-drug sales sag.(News)(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES Walgreen Co., one of the steadiest growth companies of the past decade, stands to show its lowest profit growth since 1993 as sales of over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics and other general merchandise wane. The...

A shadow over city's office scene; Leased-but vacant-space will slow market rebound.(News)
January 13, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Amid rising vacancies and falling rents, landlords of Chicago-area office buildings can put another item on their list of worries: shadow space. Shadow space is office space that is leased but vacant, either...

Dimon deal countdown is starting; Bank One CEO eyes a financial services buyout.(News: Jamie Dimon)(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Bank One Corp.'s acquisition machinery is in high gear as Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon confronts revived pressures to produce revenue growth and get on with the next phase of his company's turnaround plan. Out...

Dividend tax repeal to aid Rust Belt biz; Investors will prod firms to boost payouts.(News)
January 13, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION The White House plan to repeal all taxes on dividends will bring about a fundamental shift to many bedrock Chicago companies, as investors reward steady payouts and create pressure for a greater share of the wealth....

United unions accept pay cuts.(Briefs: United Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Four of United Airlines' unions approved interim wage cuts last week that the Elk Grove Township-based unit of UAL Corp., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December, says it needs to satisfy the terms of its financing...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... The CEO can no longer say, `Why should we distribute earnings to shareholders if it's going to be taxed?' James Glassman of the American Enterprise Institute on the president's proposed dividend tax repeal PAGE 1

Late News.(Chicago area news briefs)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WELLS FARGO READY TO OPEN BRANCH HERE Wells Fargo & Co. is scouting downtown locations for its first Chicago-area retail bank branch, an executive with the San Francisco-based bank says. Wells Fargo, the country's fifth-largest bank with...

Chicago Observer: Come what may, Ryan is getting ready for post-gubernatorial life.(Briefs: Illinois Gov. George Ryan)(Column)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler As he leaves office today, Gov. George Ryan is apparently turning to not one, but two name-brand former U.S. attorneys to defend him against any charges in the ongoing federal probe of licenses for bribes while...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)
January 20, 2003... WEEK OF JAN. 20 Jan. 21-26: Assn. of Theological Field Educators, Palmer House Hilton, estimated attendance 200. Jan. 22-29: January Chicago Gift and Home Market, Merchandise Mart, estimated attendance 25,000. Jan. 23-25: Illinois...

Kraft to launch healthier Lunchables.(News)
January 20, 2003... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Crain News Service Franchise looks to boost flat sales Kraft Foods Inc. is bringing out a nutritious line of Lunchables this month, backed by a major media push, in a bid to boost the faltering...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
January 20, 2003... WEEK OF JAN. 20 JAN. 21: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Reference Checking. 7 p.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Free. (847) 295-5626. JAN. 21: Women's Business...

Searching for culinary comforts of home.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(South Water Kitchen)(Restaurant Review)
January 20, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN A press release announcing the opening of South Water Kitchen, which recently replaced Mossant Bistro in the Hotel Monaco, boasts that it reflects the ``intimacy, warmth and comforts of home'' and is ``reminiscent of...

It's $50K, eats gas and space; Army-like Hummer flying off local lots.(News)
January 20, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA It's big, brash and politically incorrect, but the Hummer is a hit with local new-car buyers. Six months after its debut, General Motors Corp.'s muscular Hummer H2 is the top seller among high-priced sport utility...

Figuring out ways to put Fat City on healthier road.(Opinion)(Editorial)
January 20, 2003... Byline: James LaBelle Men and women throughout the Chicago region have resolved to become more fit in 2003. Apparently, we have some work to do. Men's Fitness magazine has once again ranked Chicago as the nation's second-``fattest'' city....

Profile: Retiring rural banker believes in service despite big-city competition.(Finance)(Willard Lee)
January 20, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The passing of an era occurs this week in exurban Somonauk, 20 miles west of Aurora, with the retirement of Willard Lee as president and CEO of Farmers State Bank. Mr. Lee, 73, will remain as chairman. His 41-year...

Money manager anticipates slow growth.(Finance)(Diana J. Joseph, portfolio manager at Mesirow Financial Inc.)(Interview)
January 20, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Diana J. Joseph is that rare Loop-based money manager who also has a law degree. ``The detailed analysis of a company's financial prospects are similar to the rigor of (trying) a law case,'' she says. ``In both...

Papers' fight for youth is yesterday's news.(Commentary)(seek younger demographic audience)(Editorial)
January 20, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Chicago's two metropolitan daily newspapers are competing in a new arena, and it's possible neither may win this contest. It started a couple of months back when the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times almost...

After leaving consumers on shelf, banks branch out.(Opinion)(Editorial)
January 20, 2003... Byline: Robert Reed When reporting on the world of business, there inevitably comes a time when you say, ``Huh?'' That's been my bewildered response to recent decisions, made by many large lenders, to open a slew of full-service bank...

Executive Moves.(People)(includes, Gordon and Glickson L.L.C. announces new partners)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... EDUCATION Sylvia R. Ramos, 58, to president at Richard J. Daley College, from president at Houston Community College Southeast in Houston. Mary Ann Rowan, 53, to associate vice-president of academic marketing at Illinois Institute of...

NETWORK SHOWDOWN: Trading on tech; Archipelago takes its exchange to the next level.(Finance)(Archipelago Holdings L.L.C.)
January 20, 2003... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Gerald D. Putnam is both a dreamer and a realist-bold enough to be present at the creation of a new technology and yet sufficiently grounded to realize that his company may not last. Six years ago today, he...

Calif. plant purchase has Oil-Dri purring; Now positioned to compete for cat litter biz there.(News)(Oil-Dri Corporation of America to bid for Wal-Mart contract)
January 20, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Oil-Dri Corp. of America, which has been producing cat litter for more than 40 years, was embarrassed last year when it had to walk away from a lucrative national distribution deal with prime customer Wal-Mart Stores...

Plastics firm acquires rival in forming biz.(News)(Profile Plastics Corp. acquires Arrem Plastics Inc.)
January 20, 2003... Byline: ROGER RENSTROM Crain News Service Profile Plastics Corp. acquired Arrem Plastics Inc., linking two longtime Chicago-area heavy-gauge thermoforming operations. Terms were not disclosed. Within a year, Profile intends to close...

Real Estate Review: Algonquin is next target for 'lifestyle center'.(Real Estate)
January 20, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The developer of the Geneva Commons ``lifestyle center'' is moving even farther afield with its next upscale shopping center. Flush with the success of Geneva Commons, which opened in the far western suburb last...

Peoples taps market for mini power plants.(News)(Peoples Energy Resources Corp., Hess Microgen to offer on-site generation)
January 20, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The unregulated energy marketing arm of natural gas utility Peoples Energy Corp. is moving into the market for commercial on-site power generators, just as competitors are exiting. Chicago-based Peoples Energy...

Crain's Chicago Business recently promoted two editorial staffers.(People)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... Sandra Jones has been named senior reporter for the business news weekly and its Web site, Chicago-Business.com. Ms. Jones, 39, covers retail and the economy. Since joining Crain's in 2000, she has covered technology and has contributed to many...

New Bally CEO goes lean on growth plans.(People)
January 20, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Paul Toback wants the nation's largest health club chain to add less bulk and more profit. Named CEO of Chicago-based Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. in December, Mr. Toback figures a slowdown in new club...

As economic stimulus, Bush dividend tax plan falls short.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... As tax reform, President George W. Bush's plan to exempt stock dividends from federal income taxes makes perfect sense. Few would argue that it's fair or logical to tax business profits once at the corporate level and again at the individual...

Surviving the Conseco wreck; Bankers Life now aims to rebuild.(News)
January 20, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Over its 124-year history, Bankers Life & Insurance Co. has survived the Great Depression, the death of its famous patriarch and the near-bankruptcy of its former parent. Now comes the latest chapter-no less...

ESOP sows division at Amsted; Workers accuse managers of bungling. (News).(Amsted Industries employees file class action suit over bungled acquisition )
January 20, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER In the glow of the late-1990s boom, Amsted Industries Inc. shone as an example of successful employee ownership at a mid-sized manufacturer. The company shares owned by Amsted's employee stock ownership plan...

Shifting winds in DuPage GOP; Board chairman eyes a larger stage. (News).(Robert Schillerstrom makes political hay from support of O'Hare expansion)
January 20, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA By orchestrating the DuPage County Board's recent dramatic about-face on the proposed expansion of O'Hare International Airport, Chairman Robert Schillerstrom has staked his claim to lead a new generation of DuPage...

DuPage leaders charting the right course on O'Hare.(Opinion)(Robert Schillerstrom and DuPage County Board supports O'Hare International Airport expansion program)(Editorial)
January 20, 2003... There's a welcome change in the air with last week's vote by the DuPage County Board to reverse its long-held position and support expansion of O'Hare International Airport. The about-face is remarkable for a government body that vehemently...

Auto suppliers brace for hit; Slower car sales would shake local parts industry. (News).(auto parts manufacturers prepare for an industry slowdown)(Industry Overview)
January 20, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Local automobile parts suppliers are bracing for a downshifting new-car market this year. ``Our auto orders so far in January are flat compared with last year at this time,'' reports Peter Cherry, chairman and CEO...

Accountants jockey in post-Andersen world; Big Four survivors shuffle client deck. (News).(Andersen rivals able to increase client base and billings)(Industry Overview)
January 20, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The disappearance of Andersen, once the biggest local accounting firm, has enlarged the client base and billings of its competitors and created new opportunities for small and mid-sized firms. Less than five...

Despite static, WGN isn't fine-tuning; Staying the course as ratings dip. (News).(WGN Radio to keep format)(Company Profile)
January 20, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN The fall ratings period was the worst in WGN Radio's 78-year history. And the station's executives say they know exactly what they're going to do about it: absolutely nothing. While WGN's long-standing dominance...

Late News.(Lend Lease Real Estate Investments seeks to sell Chicago property, Amtrak reservation center could clode, AIM Funds Management acquires stake in Molex Inc)
January 20, 2003... DOWNTOWN TOWERS ON SALE BLOCK Two large downtown office towers are up for sale amid a robust investment market for office properties. Lend Lease Real Estate Investments Inc. has hired New York-based Cushman & Wakefield Inc. to sell the...

UAL's next dogfight: lease relief; Airline telling plane owners to take it or leave it. (News).(UAL Corp seeks to cut airplane lease costs )
January 20, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION Six weeks into its bankruptcy, United Airlines has successfully put the squeeze on its unions to win millions of dollars in wage concessions. Now, it's seeking to cut aircraft leasing costs by hundreds of millions of...