Crain's Chicago Business articles from January 2004

Crain's Chicago Business archives from January 2004

Real Estate Review: Fire up the 'no vacancy' sign: Hotel biz sees uptick.(Real Estate)
January 5, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN As the economy rebounds, Chicago-area hotel operators are slowly pulling out of a two-year slump. The average occupancy rate for the metropolitan area rose to 62.3% in the first 10 months of 2003, up 2.6% from a...

Rink-side grill adds appeal to the park.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
January 5, 2004... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Park Grill aspires to be Chicago's version of New York's Tavern on the Green in Central Park with a dash of the Rockefeller Center ice rink thrown in. Though the new restaurant in Millennium Park is a far cry...

Court orders new tune for retailer; Biasco restrained from running deceptive ads.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES A DuPage Circuit Court has ruled that Biasco Piano Co. must stop advertising practices that the judge called deceptive. The Downers Grove-based piano retailer was sued in June by a group of five Chicago-area rivals...

Non-profits brace for funding cuts; Organizations say they'll have to reduce service and staff or even close their doors if the state gives them less.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Illinois non-profit organizations are bracing for cuts in state funding that, they fear, will result in service cutbacks and some outright program closures. Some 31% of Illinois non-profits reported decreases in...

Executive Moves.(People)
January 5, 2004... CONSUMER SERVICES Bob O'Connor, 41, to director of sales at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, from senior account executive at Marriott International Inc. FINANCIAL SERVICES H. Jack Bouroudjian, 42, to president of sales and...

Crain's columnist returns to full-time reporting.(News)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... After seven years of writing the Chicago Observer column, Steven R. Strahler, a 21-year veteran of Crain's Chicago Business, is opting to move full time to reporting articles. A senior reporter, Mr. Strahler covers Chicago's futures exchanges,...

Business experience helps new alderman learn ropes.(Opinion)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Thomas Tunney Looking back on my first year as a Chicago alderman, I see that my years building a business prepared me well-but not entirely-to serve on the City Council. The most enjoyable part of my job is meeting with and...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... I think Fannie May is good but not really gourmet. (It's) more stuff you get your teacher. Chocolate fan Jenna Kim PAGE 22

Late News.
January 5, 2004... HARDWARE SCRAP HEADS TO COURT A dispute between the former co-sponsors of one of Chicago's largest trade shows landed in court last week when the Schaumburg-based American Hardware Manufacturers Assn. sued Reed Elsevier Inc. in U.S....

New executive's task: Consolidate two firms.(Real Estate)
January 5, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY John "Jack'' Durburg was hardly the most senior executive at the Chicago office of CB Richard Ellis Inc. when he landed there two years ago. But, in the wake of CB's merger with Insignia Financial Group in July, the...

Chocoholics go for gourmet, not Fannie May; Add image problem to Archibald's woes.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Facing a table full of chocolates, Jill Levinson reaches without hesitation for a heart-shaped Godiva praline, bypassing boxes of Frango, Long Grove Confectionery, Russell Stover and Fannie May. "You can...

Hospitals head southwest; Four new facilities proposed for Will, SW Cook.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Hospitals are rushing to stake out new territory in the fast-growing southwest suburbs. In what's shaping up as the most ambitious hospital expansion effort in decades, four new hospitals have been proposed for Will...

WILL SEARS MAKE THE REIT MOVE? IRS ruling allows tax-free spinoffs.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES As chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Co., Alan Lacy has focused much of his energy converting assets into cash for shareholders. A finance guy by trade, Mr. Lacy has kept investors happy by raising billions of...

Hospital heists; Expensive high-tech medical equipment is attracting a more sophisticated breed of thief to local hospitals.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The theft of high-tech equipment from three Chicago-area hospitals last month has local law enforcement authorities wondering if the same criminal rings that have targeted hospitals in Florida and Texas have moved to...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 5, 2004... WEEK OF JAN. 5 Jan. 7-11: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Inc., Lakeside Center, estimated attendance 4,000. Jan. 8-9: Chicago Shoe Expo, Embassy Suites Chicago, estimated attendance 800. Jan. 8-12: TransWorld Jewelry,...

Businesses shouldn't pay the price for budget woes.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Facing another big hole in the state's budget, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is mulling a replay of the financial two-step he pulled off last year: more fees on business and budgetary maneuvers that book tomorrow's dollars today and push today's debts...

Exec-led team buys shelving maker; Sets growth strategy for Aurora firm.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY A local management team has spearheaded the leveraged buyout of a century-old Aurora manufacturer from its British parent. Richards-Wilcox Inc., a maker of metal filing cabinets and shelving for offices and...

UPS Stores test Wi-Fi delivery.(News)(United Parcel Service)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES United Parcel Service of America Inc. is testing the 21st-century version of the pay phone at its Chicago-area stores. The Atlanta-based shipping company, which operates 3,100 UPS Stores nationwide, is testing a...

Burdensome testing says teachers don't know score.(Opinion)
January 5, 2004... Imposing an increasingly burdensome regimen of standardized testing on public school principals and teachers has sent them this message: We don't trust you. The message may have been unintentional, but it's unmistakable. Many parents and...

A veteran of budget battles makes case for compromise.(Opinion)
January 5, 2004... Byline: John H. Stroger Jr. In 1994, I ran for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners on a platform of reducing the reliance on property taxes as a mechanism to fund the operations of this government. In 1995, property...

City out to protect industry on S. Side.(News)(South Side)
January 5, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION Hoping to spark an industrial revival, Chicago is putting a vast swath of Far South Side land off-limits to commercial or residential development. The city's largest protected industrial zone by far, a roughly...

Cross-selling to be part of PTI's Lexecon; Consultancy has new owner, same issues.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER From its founding in 1977, Lexecon Inc. carved out a lucrative niche as a legal and economic consultant, enjoying particular demand for its academic expertise from corporate defendants embroiled in class-action...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 5, 2004... WEEK OF JAN. 5 JAN. 7: Women's Business Development Center presents Wine and Cheese Introduction. 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Women's Business Development Center, 8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 400. Free. (312) 853-3477. JAN. 7: Midwest Society of...

State still strapped; Budget gap means it'll be a tough year.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ New year, same story. That's the bottom line facing Illinois taxpayers as state financial officials struggle to fill a substantial-to-huge hole in the proposed $53-billion fiscal 2005 budget that Gov. Rod Blagojevich...

Litter biz not the cat's meow for Oil-Dri; New products are outside the box.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Even with 500 million tons of special clays used in cat-box litter worth an estimated $165 million, Oil-Dri Corp. of America can't expand its turf in the business. After spending millions of dollars on marketing...

Court rejects casino ruling.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Illinois Appellate Court ruled that a 1999 state law did not give the Illinois Gaming Board authority to reject Chicago-based casino developer Emerald Casino Inc.'s application to move its license to northwest suburban Rosemont. The...

Bank branches take a whack from unhappy municipalities; Suburbs are restricting uses that don't generate sales tax.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS New bank branches are unwelcome across a widening swath of Chicago's suburbs, as towns seek to limit key retail districts to tenants that generate sales tax. The zoning and other restrictions come amid a bank...

GAY COMMUNITY CENTER PLANNED.(News)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Kevin Davis Construction is set to begin this summer on a $20-million gay and lesbian community center on the city's North Side-the first facility of its kind in the state. The three-story, 90,000-square-foot building at 3640...

Shore restore; For decades, downtown Waukegan `had its back to the lake.' Now, there's a $1.2-billion plan to put a better face forward.(Real Estate)
January 5, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Built in the 1970s to ease traffic on Waukegan's streets, the Amstutz Expressway is known to locals by another name: the road that leads to nowhere. A 2.9-mile, four-lane swath of concrete that skirts the city's...

Repair shops see grim future; Cheap electronics lead consumers to choose new gear.(Small Business)
January 12, 2004... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Mitch Lewczuk is a holdout. From a cramped North Side storefront, he runs a television and stereo repair shop, one of the last in a once-thriving trade now perilously close to extinction. His shop looks like an...

Altheimer's gray area: shorted pay; Case of missing $1.4 million vexes partners.(News)(Altheimer and Gray)
January 12, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ A new twist in the collapse of Chicago law firm Altheimer & Gray: Some former partners say they were shorted $1.4 million in compensation that the firm put to its own use. At issue is what happened to money withheld...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Gerald Shields)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Even if business continues to increase, we can get more out of the equipment and workers we already have. Graymills Corp. CEO Gerald Shields, on the less-than robust recovery in manufacturing PAGE 3

Late News.
January 12, 2004... MADIGAN, OTHER A.G.'S MULL OCC CHALLENGE State attorneys general from around the country, including Illinois' Lisa Madigan, are considering joint legal action to block new federal rules that would cut them out of any role in regulating...

Asbestos plaintiffs shift focus; Targets: vehicle, parts makers.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Asbestos plaintiffs are bearing down on vehicle manufacturers and auto parts makers. Navistar International Corp. last month disclosed that asbestos claims against the truck manufacturer have been rising in...

Board success eludes Big Jim; Thompson defends Hollinger work.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER A law firm partnership is often a soft landing for politicians easing into retirement, but not for former Gov. James R. Thompson: Leading Chicago's Winston & Strawn over the past decade as chairman, Mr. Thompson...

Mothers of invention pioneer practical side of technology.(Opinion, technological products)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Amy Millman In 2004, people will factor into the economic equation once again. Demand is about to catch up with supply. And the demand unit to watch is women. They make up more than 50% of the population, own 46% of all businesses...

Orders up, hiring flat at factories; Manufacturers have no plans to add workers.(News)(General American Door Co.)(Graymills Corp.)
January 12, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY An uptick in sales and orders is lifting the spirits of local manufacturers, but most have plenty of excess capacity in their factories and won't be posting help wanted signs any time soon. Amid conflicting data...

King enters local ring; Promoter of Ali, Tyson has plans for energizing boxing scene here.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN In a move that could boost Chicago's once-vibrant boxing scene, Don King has inked a deal to promote fights here for the first time since 1987. Mr. King is partnering with local promoter Bobby Hitz on a series...

Greyhound woes dog Laidlaw; Bumpy ride as parent drives out of bankruptcy.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Laidlaw International Inc. is fresh out of bankruptcy protection, and its creditors have laid down the law: Stop throwing good money after bad at the Greyhound bus lines division. Creditors, wary of the prospects for...

Power glut pulls prices downward; End of freeze in '07 could bring rate relief.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Chicago could enjoy a big cut in electricity bills when the state-mandated rate freeze expires in 2007. If the power glut that has cut prices in Illinois' unregulated wholesale market persists-and experts believe...

Motorola chief on treasure hunt; Review of business units may yield surprising nuggets.(News)(Edward Zander)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON The next few months will be illuminating for new Motorola Inc. CEO Edward Zander as he delves into the electronics giant's disparate businesses before creating a new strategy for the company. He may be surprised...

Joseph Cahill named managing editor at Crain's Chicago Business.(News)(Joseph B. Cahill )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Joseph B. Cahill, a veteran newsman, was named managing editor of Crain's Chicago Business. Mr. Cahill, 44, had been an assistant managing editor, overseeing much of the publication's news operation. A former corporate lawyer and a...

Resolutions for ourselves and for our leaders.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Belatedly, hoping to let the fog of New Year's celebrations lift, we've been working on some resolutions-for ourselves and some we'd ask of others. For Rod Blagojevich, our governor: Please resolve to balance the 2004 and future budgets by...

Trust the market to set fair electricity prices.(Opinion )(Free markets can produce lower electricity prices )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Free markets can produce lower prices. That's the simple and heartening lesson from recent developments in the electric power marketplace. A glut of power plants has pushed prices down in the unregulated wholesale electricity market. ...

Boeing loses delivery lead.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Boeing Co. lost its position as the world's biggest aircraft maker to European rival Airbus after its commercial airplane deliveries last year plunged 26%. Boeing delivered 281 jets in 2003, compared with at least 300 for France's Airbus....

For boards of family firms, accountability's top priority.(Opinion)(guidelines for family firms)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Andrew D. Keyt Ever since the meltdown of Enron, Global Crossing, Adelphia, WorldCom and Arthur Andersen, the media have focused on the need to improve corporate governance worldwide. Sarbanes-Oxley and proposed recommendations...

Back to school; Guts and instinct were once a trader's best tools. Now, traders are retrofitting their skills to survive in the computer age.(Technology)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Trading is brisk in the soybean meal options pit of the Chicago Board of Trade, where Matt Schuering yells, screams and battles daily with 11 other traders for "the edge.'' That's market slang for the spread...

SBC putting wholesale rate hike effort on redial; Pols overturned, issue back in ICC's court.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON SBC Communications Inc. is resuming its quest to more than double wholesale telephone rates-again-after a federal Appeals Court last fall blocked a controversial new Illinois law that mandated a similar boost. ...

Lean firms look to ride recovery; Productivity gains fuel enthusiasm.(Small Business)(Estee Bedding Co.)
January 12, 2004... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA When Estee Bedding Co. saw business soften in 2000, company president Timothy Enright was forced to lay off half his workers. He had no choice but to boost the productivity of his Chicago-based firm, which makes...

Indian eateries spice up the buffet table downtown.(Indian Dining/Restaurant Review)(India House, Indian Garden, Gaylord India)
January 12, 2004... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Devon Avenue may be the top destination for Indian food, but if you're downtown, a handful of attractive, upscale Indian restaurants in River North and Streeterville are good options. The main lunchtime...

Chemical industry vet aims to turn on sales tap at Nalco.(People)
January 12, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The new owners of Nalco Co. figure the man who revived Union Carbide Corp. can do the same for the water-treatment specialist. Chemical industry veteran William H. Joyce has the turnarounds of both Union Carbide...

LOCAL STOCKS RISE ON HIGH HOPES; Sales must climb to sustain '03 gains.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Cost-cutting and signs of a pickup in the long-depressed office products market were enough to send General Binding Corp.'s stock soaring last year. Sales are still flat at the Northbrook-based manufacturer of...

Low-carb diets toasting bakers; Independents try soy-based breads, high-end loaves.(Small Business)
January 12, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Nutritionists warn dieters the current mania for low-carbohydrate, high protein foods-fueled by the Atkins and South Beach diets-is unhealthy and possibly dangerous. Independent bakers in the Chicago region can...

Neighborhood draws female entrepreneurs; In Wicker Park/Bucktown area, women dominate.(Small Business)
January 12, 2004... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Wicker Park/Bucktown fairly aches with chic. Its residents are young, hip and pierced. On weekends, tourists and locals flock to the Near Northwest Side neighborhood's trendy restaurants and smart boutiques, making...

Profile: Sports media shop sets a new goal line: sponsorships.(Technology)
January 12, 2004... Byline: MARGARET LITTMAN The company that brought the virtual yellow line to pro football broadcasts is stepping onto a new playing field. Sportvision Inc. built its business creating on-screen graphics designed to make sports events...

For most U.S. industries, trust is rare commodity.(Commentary)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Joe Cappo So far, the 21st century has been pretty much a bummer for a lot of the residents of corporate suites. We have witnessed highly publicized instances of massive accounting irregularities, insider trading, outrageous...

What's up front pays off for some homeowners.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN John Coons will claim $247,500 in income tax deductions over the next few years for donating something dear to him: the facade of his 1886 graystone in Lakeview. It's an idea that's catching on among owners of...

Immigrant journeys; Entrepreneurs find a ready market for low-cost tours aimed at area residents for whom English is a second language.(Small Business)
January 12, 2004... Byline: DAN WEISSMANN Around 9:30 on a Friday evening, a few dozen people-all Latino-stood in front of a CD shop called Espectaculares on North Lincoln Avenue just south of Montrose. Their luggage was stacked on the curb, along with cases...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... WEEK OF JAN. 12 Jan. 12-14: Quest J. D. Edwards Users Group, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, estimated attendance 700. Jan. 12-15: General Motors Corp., Chicago Marriott Downtown, estimated attendance 500. Jan. 14-16: Mid-America...

Riches alone can't win political office.(News)
January 12, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION Some buy professional football teams. Some try to fly around the world in a balloon. And some among the super-rich take a flier on politics, reaching for the sky: a seat in the U.S. Senate, a governorship or even...

Thank the Boss for nation's quirky system of primaries.(Opinion)
January 19, 2004... Byline: F. Richard Ciccone If Howard Dean holds up as the Democratic front-runner after Iowa and New Hampshire, he will owe a good part of his success to Richard J. Daley. As did George McGovern, Jimmy Carter and even Bill Clinton,...

After Andersen; Long after the Chicago-based accounting giant's demise, many Andersen alumni still identify strongly with their old employer.(Finance)
January 19, 2004... Byline: ANNE MOORE Fresher scandals have pushed onetime accounting giant Andersen from the public's scornful attention. But Andersenites, as many former employees still think of themselves, don't seem ready to let go of the employer that...

Military lifts AAR; War-related orders help fill gap left by airlines.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA The war in Iraq has liberated AAR Corp. from the woes of the commercial airline industry. Surging orders from the U.S. military have stopped the flow of red ink at the supplier of aircraft parts and services. After...

Rewards of consolidation hard-won at United Way.(Opinion)
January 19, 2004... Byline: Janet Froetscher Since 1965, 54 entities-United Way in Chicago, United Way of Suburban Chi-cago and 52 member United Ways-talked about consolidating. As the largest non-governmental health and human services partner in the Chicago...

Profile: New parent, rules ad up for auditor.(Finance)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY At the time of Andersen's demise in 2002, there was talk that one of the Big Four rival accounting firms would snap up Andersen's 700-employee internal audit and risk management unit, spread out among two dozen U.S....

Economy's rising tide doesn't lift trust level.(Commentary)
January 19, 2004... Byline: Joe Cappo (The second of two parts) Conventional wisdom indicates that consumer trust in business tends to increase as economic trends improve, and decrease as the economy worsens. Unfortunately for American business,...

Late News.
January 19, 2004... UIC EYES REPLACING WEST SIDE HOSPITAL Officials at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago are considering building a new hospital to replace the existing 507-bed facility on the Near West Side. Charles L. Rice, vice-chancellor...

CRA wish lists in the works.(News)(Community Reinvestment Act )(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ Officials from Bank One Corp. and J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. are promising to expand the merged bank's involvement in inner-city areas, but low-income advocacy groups are taking nothing for granted. They're gearing up for...

Charities hope for the best.(News)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ The merged J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Bank One Corp. is likely to remain a big charitable force here, as its officials promise. Bank One's foundation donated $28.8 million in 2001 and $32.8 in 2002, according to...

J. P. Morgan's a great catch-but for whom?(Opinion)
January 19, 2004... It's certainly a great deal for Jamie Dimon. The acquisition of Bank One Corp., for $57 billion in stock by J. P. Morgan Chase & Co., would, after a two-year apprenticeship, put the 47-year-old Mr. Dimon atop the nation's second-largest...

Chicago cashes in on China trade; Asian goods must pass through local warehouses.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES Chicago's century-old dominance as a railroad hub, and some wise recent investments, have positioned the region to benefit from the boom in cheap exports from China and the Pacific Rim. At first blush, it would...

Blemishes tarnish Solo's Sweetheart; Marriage faces pricing pressure.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY With its deal to acquire Sweetheart Cup Co., Solo Cup Co. is expanding its turf in a business plagued by slow growth, falling prices and shrinking profit margins. The combined company, with $2.2 billion in sales,...

Fannie fans stocking up; Talk about a sugar rush: Chocoholics hoard treats.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: ANNE MOORE Worried that they've seen the last of Fannie May, candy lovers went on a buying spree last week, leaving the candy maker's stores bare. No more fudge. No more Pixies. Just a few truffles. In the Loop, the tiny store...

Kraft's pizza unit faces freezer burn; Food maker needs new products to fire up former growth business.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Kraft Foods Inc. needs to reheat its frozen pizza business. A rare source of growth for the world's No. 2 food maker, rising steadily for the past decade, frozen pizza sales turned downward at Kraft in the...

Reaping big returns from small-caps.(Finance)(Interview)
January 19, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY As director of equity investments at Loop-based Lotsoff Capital Management, Joseph Pappo oversees three portfolios for institutions and high-net-worth individuals with an aggregate value of $1 billion. The biggest...

Rivals wait for slip-ups.(News)(J. P. Morgan and Bank)
January 19, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES It's a risky time to attempt a big bank merger. Irritate your customers, and they're more likely than ever to walk across the street to a new rival. The margin for mistakes is particularly slim in Chicago, one of...

Executive Moves.(People)
January 19, 2004... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Carlos M. Mart nez, 44, to principal and regional design director at Gensler, from senior associate. FINANCIAL SERVICES Lamont Change, 51, to senior vice-president and senior banker in the wealth...

Stockrooms, not stockyards, but we're not complaining.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... First Fannie May, then Bank One. Weeks like the last one are enough to squelch your faith in Chicago's future as an industrial and financial center. But take heart, Chicagoans. We may be losing factory and finance jobs, but we're gaining them...

Money left on table; Dimon's career vs. Bank One's best price?(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Boston's biggest bank sold late last year at a 42% premium to its stock price. Chicago's biggest bank is getting no such favors. Garnering a relatively meager 15% premium, Bank One Corp.'s $57-billion acquisition...

Seven CEOs; Too many stumbles.(News)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Gaylord Freeman (1969-75) In charge when the bank was still top-tier nationally. Opened its Loop tower. Set up divisive succession race. A. Robert Abboud (1975-80) Contentious chief who pushed international expansion...

No dimmer switch on night lights.(News)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Byline: BRIAN McCORMICK A spearmint-green Wrigley Building, a blue Merchandise Mart, a Marshall Field's store bathed in green and white light: Some of the city's most distinctive buildings are awash in color at night. "Can these be...

Getting the msg across; Wireless wordsmiths try to get older cell phone users into text messaging. Paging Paris Hilton?(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON In a cramped office in Evanston, Jack Philbin is trying to turn cell phone-toting 35-year-olds into text-messaging teenagers. Mr. Philbin, 28, and nine other employees of Vibes Media, an advertising agency he...

Weigel scores top Milwaukee cable slots.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Using local sports programming as leverage, Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Co. scooped up prime slots on Milwaukee's largest cable television system. Time Warner Cable agreed late last month to carry two more...

BARAT'S FUTURE IN DOUBT; DePaul reviewing options for Lake Forest college.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION DePaul University is giving Lake Forest's Barat College a pop quiz that may be its final exam. Only three years after the nation's largest Catholic university acquired the small, struggling liberal arts college,...