Crain's Chicago Business articles from January 2008

Crain's Chicago Business archives from January 2008

Active mind.(Business of Life)(Stadium Capital Financing Group LLC)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau Lou Weisbach, 59, is so connected in politics and sports that he uses media as a backup to firsthand news from friends. The Democratic power fundraiser and Chicago entrepreneur, now CEO of sports financier Stadium...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
January 7, 2008... In a Dec. 17 On the Move item, an incorrect job title was given for Terri Gillespie's previous position. She was an account executive at WGN-AM. In the Dec. 31 Book of Lists, revenue for MacLean-Fogg Co. was misstated in the list of...

For The Record.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... Boeing reported an industry record of 1,413 firm commercial plane orders for 2007 and delivered 441 planes last year, its best delivery showing in six years. The single-aisle 737 remains its bestseller, followed by the new long-haul 787...

The problem with transport.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)
January 7, 2008... Chicago's problems with transportation go beyond the inconveniences of discontinued bus routes and slow zones on the el. By not maintaining its railways, roads, airports, buses and subways, Chicago risks losing industry, jobs and its foothold...

How to get moving; ask the expert.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)(Interview)
January 7, 2008... Yes, it's bad on those planes and trains and in those automobiles. But lots of smart people are thinking about these problems, including Adele Simmons. Crain's asked Ms. Simmons, vice-chairman of Chicago Metropolis 2020 and co-chairman of the...

Brains, bodies and beauty.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)
January 7, 2008... Human capital-a buzzword among economists-simply means people. Think of it as raw material made up of bankers, traders, consultants, advertisers, engineers, artists and others who, through brainpower and creativity, turn ideas into money. ...

Building a better workforce; ask the expert.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)(Interview)
January 7, 2008... Chicago has no shortage of human capital-the skilled professionals who make up and run a global city. It also has the kinds of things those people like to do: eat, drink, laugh and learn. But Chicago has serious problems in the people...

What the world thinks of us; The brand called Chicago.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)(Simon Anholt)(Interview)
January 7, 2008... For better or worse, cities have brands-those little notions that pop into your head when you think of a place. Paris is romance. Milan is style. Tokyo is modernity. In the global competition for people, investment and ideas, these mental...

Spa scene is about to get crowded; Trump leads invasion at high end; diamonds or rubies for your massage?(Business of Life)
January 7, 2008... Byline: SHIA KAPOS If pampering is on your agenda for the new year, pay attention as Chicago's small spa world gets rattled out of its serenity. For years, spas at the Peninsula and Four Seasons hotels have stood alone in offering the...

McCain dogging Boeing; Latest allegations cast shadow over future contract bids.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION Just as Boeing Co. appears poised to win a string of major defense contracts, an old nemesis is threatening to play spoiler again. Last month, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called for an investigation into...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak DANCE Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Chicago Symphony Orchestra 220 S. Michigan Ave. (312) 294-3000 www.cso.org 8 p.m. Friday Tickets: $40-$199 Five years of creative collaboration...

Destination: Park City, Utah.(Business of Life)(City overview)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Once a year Park City, Utah, becomes the movie capital of the world, as filmmakers and film buffs descend on this resort town for the Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 17-27). Even if you arrive without a $400-$2,500...

Brach's site to get new life; Developer to convert ex-candy factory into big distribution hub.(News)(Brach's Confections Inc.)
January 7, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB An industrial developer has bought the shuttered Brach's Confections Inc. factory on the West Side and plans to build a massive warehouse on the 30-acre site. ML Realty Partners LLC of Itasca recently closed on the...

Last frontier for fries: new flavors, even a dessert.(Business of Life)(Bank Lane Bistro)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Olvera Culinary experimentation is one thing, but turning fries into a dessert item? What took them so long? "It started as a joke,'' says John Des Rosiers, executive chef of Lake Forest's Bank Lane Bistro. "A...

Wrigley's 5 gum off to fast start; New line grabs share, but doesn't slow rival's Stride.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.'s new 5 gum is connecting with young chewers but isn't plugging a marketshare leak in the United States. The brand has captured more than 6% of the national sugarless gum market since it was...

Squeezing the golden goose; THE ROLE OF business.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)(Interview)
January 7, 2008... Business is central to Chicago's position as a global city. Local companies are finding new markets and customers, fending off global competitors and, above all, creating the jobs that keep the economy growing. To find out what Chicago has to...

Lyric cookie switch brings tragic cries.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Lyric Opera of Chicago is stirring things up this season-and it has little to do with the powerful "Dr. Atomic.'' After 20 years with Athena's Silverland Desserts of Forest Park, Lyric's administrative staff conducted a taste test earlier...

INVESTING IN CONSUMER STAPLES NO GAMBLE AS NEW YEAR DAWNS; A Conversation with Money Manager Ryan Linenger.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: John Pletz Ryan C. Linenger, 28, wealth manager, Balasa Dinverno & Foltz LLC, Itasca. Experience: Seven years Assets under management: $1.5 billion Crain's: How does the U.S. economy look as we start the year? Mr....

Opening & Closing.(Business of Life)
January 7, 2008... Opening "Saint Joan" 600 E. Grand Ave. (312) 595-5600 www.chicagoshakes.com 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 1 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $54-$70 As part of...

Obama wins Iowa caucuses.(Briefs)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has taken a big step toward achieving a status that was a distant hope a few months ago: becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. With his success last week in Iowa behind him, Mr. Obama faces a challenge in...

Reel of Fortune; Sagging dollar gives boost to local film business.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Last year, as Sony Television Pictures readied "The Beast,'' studio executives suggested shooting the television pilot in Toronto. Steven Pearl, executive producer of the show and a Glencoe native, pushed for Chicago....

Obama's edge; CHICAGO'S FAVORITE SON TAPS VOTERS' HOPES; CLINTON CAN'T CONNECT.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz DES MOINES-He's on his way to the White House . . . or is he? That's the topic of debate among political pros as U.S. Sen. Barack Obama travels the roads of New Hampshire, seeking to lock in his pending status as...

Alter's grand hotel plan; 1,500-room complex at McCormick Place could include casino.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB AND ALBY GALLUN Alter Group Ltd. is making plans for a huge new hotel-possibly including a casino-adjacent to McCormick Place. The Skokie-based developer agreed last month to pay about $70 million for a 3.7-acre...

WINTRUST TIGHTENS ITS BELT; Local lender, banker to well-heeled suburbanites, must shore up eroding earnings and boost reserves for bad loans or risk becoming takeover bait.(Markets)
January 7, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Once a Wall Street darling, Wintrust Financial Corp. has lost much of its shine as mortgage woes batter the banking industry. Shares of the Lake Forest-based bank holding company dropped 31% last year, and further...

Clean gov't needs Daley's full attention.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
January 7, 2008... The end of 2007 brought fresh doubts about Mayor Richard M. Daley's commitment to cleaning up City Hall. Noelle Brennan, appointed by a federal judge to monitor the city's compliance with restrictions on patronage hiring, reported last...

Moving beyond City Hall.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)(Simon O'Rourke)(Interview)
January 7, 2008... So what can government do to help? To attract more global trade and investment, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs recommends increasing the $2-million annual budget of the economic development agency World Business Chicago. It also calls...

SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007?(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Samantha Stainburn PROGRESS: 5 stars: A leap toward a better Chicago One star: A step back SMALL BUSINESS 3 stars Our suggestion: City Hall should adopt SourceLink, a phone number and Web site entrepreneurs...

Hospital arms race; Northwestern vies to run nuclear center that could roil cancer-care market.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS In a deal that could shake up the competitive landscape for cancer care in Chicago, two renowned hospitals are vying to partner with Northern Illinois University on a massive new radiation treatment center. Doctors...

Chicago's Place In The World.(Focus: Agenda for Chicago)
January 7, 2008... Thirty years ago, a city could thrive as a mere manufacturer of goods. You made your widgets and rooted for your local football team. But as Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis and other struggling cities have learned, that's no longer enough. ...

2008 FORECAST: FROSTY; Local businesses battle rising costs as slumping demand puts hiring plans on ice.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE Like many local executives, Mike Schmitt of Alcan Packaging Food Americas expects another slow year. Rising costs for plastics, resin and other commodities are weighing down the bottom line at the maker of...

Blue Water Grill adds playful spark; Chefs ramp up the fun; cook your own meat, dig into 'Cracker Jack'.(Business of Life)
January 7, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI New York-based B. R. Guest Restaurant Group raided the kitchens of Chicago's famed Tru earlier this year, snagging two catches for Chicago's Blue Water Grill. Executive chef Joel Dennis, formerly Tru's chef de...

Bespoke bags buck label fad; Custom-made purses get personal; 1 ardent buyer orders hers by name.(Business of Life)
January 7, 2008... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Gigi Mitrovic has owned dozens of designer handbags-from Versace to Chanel-but her favorites are custom-made by a Chicago designer with a growing following. "I've had them all,'' says Ms. Mitrovic, who with her...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Union role in preventing job losses is overlooked.(Opinion)(Letter to the editor)
January 7, 2008... In "Shifting fortunes'' (Dec. 17), Greg Hinz writes about many ideas for stemming the erosion of middle-class jobs, but he misses perhaps the most important tool of all: unions. The Chicago area's manufacturing jobs he laments losing...

New law endangers stereotypes but won't snuff out bar business.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Bill Savage Bill Savage, a senior lecturer in the English department at Northwestern University, tends bar one night a week in Rogers Park. So here we are, one week into the statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. On...

Strategy finder.(Business of Life)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Peter Krivkovich, 60, CEO of Chicago-based advertising and public relations firm Cramer-Krasselt, plays strategic war games to feed an interest in learning how battles really are won. "It's not just a question of...

Destination: Memphis, Tenn.(Business of Life)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Love Memphis, but can't take another Graceland tour? Visit Jan. 31-Feb. 2 for what's expected to be the biggest International Blues Challenge competition yet, with 160 acts from eight countries competing in...

Eco-friendly clothes go pro; Dressier styles bring them into the office.(Business of Life)
January 14, 2008... Byline: JENNIFER OLVERA John Bucksbaum, CEO of Chicago-based mall owner General Growth Properties Inc., dons suits made of supple, luxurious fabrics five days a week. But he also drives a Lexus 400h hybrid, habitually recycles and is...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
January 14, 2008... THIS WEEK JAN. 14: Jewish Vocational Service presents Leveraging the Internet to Bolster Your Networking Capabilities. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, 30 S. Wells St., Room 6112. Free. (312) 673-3437. JAN....

Tax hike may resolve transit crisis.(Briefs)(Chicago, Illinois. Transit Authority)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... The Senate and House approved legislation authorizing a quarter-percent sales tax hike in the six-county Chicago region and an increase in the real estate transfer tax in Chicago to resolve the public transit crisis. The plan would raise nearly...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Department of Transportation investigates air traffic controllers)(General Growth Properties Inc. refinances in short term debts)(Donald Trump's hotel to open on Jan. 30)
January 14, 2008... A proposed Grossinger auto mall near the North-Clybourn intersection was approved for $8.5 million in tax-increment financing by the city's Community Development Commission. The TIF agreement for the development, which is expected to cost about...

MORTGAGE MESS HAS RECESSION AT DOORSTEP; A Conversation with Money Manager Peter Goldman.(Markets)(Chicago Asset Management Co.)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Peter Goldman, 45, managing director, Chicago Asset Management Co. LLC, Chicago Experience: 23 years Assets under management: $500 million Crain's: What's the upshot of the housing slump and...

South Loop fills to brim with new liquor stores.(Business of Life)(Greater South Loop Association)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Kevin Davis A South Loop booze boom has brought in mega-stores like Binny's Beverage Depot and Sam's Wine & Spirits to compete with boutique wine shops. And with Jewel, Dominick's and Target also carrying alcoholic beverages, it's...

On the cheap.(Focus: Small Business)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau More marketing tips from Denise Dorman for getting the bang without the bucks: Keep your Web site updated and make sure it is meta-tagged properly to optimize search engine results. Post announcements...

Party-er, cinema-lovers hit Sundance.(Business of Life)(Sundance Film Festival)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos When the Sundance Film Festival opens on Thursday, most of the 50,000 visitors will be there to rate the movies. But many-including a large Chicago contingent-trek to Utah's snow-capped mountains to gauge the social...

On the Move.(People)(AT&T Inc. promotes Kevin Petersen)(Merrill Lynch & Company Inc. promotes Peter J. Soltesz)(Kaye Scholer L.L.P. promotes Michael D. Messersmith)
January 14, 2008... CONSUMER SERVICES AT&T Inc., San Antonio: Kevin Petersen, 38, to vice-president for business communications services at AT&T Midwest, in Chicago, from vice-president and general manager of AT&T Ohio in Columbus, Ohio. FINANCIAL...

Try something new! It's January. Time to think big. We asked 10 local entrepreneurs to share their resolutions for a more profitable and more productive new year.(Focus: Small Business)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau OPEN THE BOOKS Katrina Markoff, 34 Vosges Haut-Chocolat Chicago Chocolate maker Annual sales: $11.5 million "I plan to implement open-book management by sharing all financial details with...

Can you hear me now? Absolutely.(Focus: Small Business)(Steven Adelstein of Trillium Solutions Group Inc. vows to use technology to stay in touch with his company information technology)
January 14, 2008... Byline: As told to Christina Le Beau Steven Adelstein, 43 CEO, Trillium Solutions Group Inc., Highland Park Last year, Mr. Adelstein vowed to use technology to stay in touch with his company's 44 IT and business consultants, based...

When web design really works.(Focus: Small Business)(Juliie Duffy of Dinner by Design revises her company's website to better describe its services)
January 14, 2008... Byline: As told to Christina Le Beau Juliie Duffy, 39 Founder, Dinner by Design Grayslake In 2007, Ms. Duffy resolved to revise her company's Web site to better describe its services and the diversity of its products. The...

Managing by objectives.(Focus: Small Business)(Scott Silver of Printable Promotions)
January 14, 2008... Byline: As told to Christina Le Beau Scott Silver, 37, CEO Printable Promotions, Chicago Early last year, Mr. Silver and his brother Mitch laid out a plan for "employee empowerment'' at their marketing firm. They told staff they...

Burbs' office market steady; But economic concerns may dampen demand.(People)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The suburban office market held steady in the fourth quarter, but increasing talk of a recession could hamper demand for space. The suburban vacancy rate was 15% in the fourth quarter, compared with 14.9% in the...

'Yogurteur' bets on tart trend; Plans five Berry Chill locations by yearend.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ROBERT LOERZEL Tart frozen yogurt is hot in California, and Michael Farah hopes it will be in Chicago, too. On Jan. 25, Mr. Farah is opening the first Berry Chill "all-natural yogurt bar'' at 635 N. State St., with plans for...

TIF for North Side auto dealer is a boondoggle.(Opinion)(city officials plans to give Grossinger Auto Group $8.5 million in tax-increment financing )
January 14, 2008... TIF addiction in Chicago reached a new low last week. City officials endorsed a plan to give Grossinger Auto Group $8.5 million in tax-increment financing to build a dealership at the bustling intersection of North and Clybourn avenues on...

The story of marketing.(Focus: Small Business)(Denise Dorman )(Interview)
January 14, 2008... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU As a marketing consultant, Denise Dorman has a few ideas about what your goals should be for attracting more business in 2008. Ms. Dorman, 43, owner of Write Brain Media in Geneva, explains why that could involve...

Staff promotions, hiring at Crain's Chicago Business.(News)
January 14, 2008... Mike Colias has been promoted to senior reporter, covering local drug and medical products companies, hospitals, physicians and health insurers. His work has included several exclusive stories on Cook County's troubled health system. Mr....

The new you. Really; FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PROMISE-KEEPING.(Focus: Small Business)(people make resolutions for financial reasons)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Tomas Mucha It's two weeks into 2008 and we're betting your New Year's resolutions are already out the window. Admit it: You're eating ice cream again, you've downed too many martinis and that gym membership card is permanently...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
January 14, 2008... 45 Percentage of Americans who make New Year's resolutions. 8 Percentage of Americans who say they keep them. 34 Of those making resolutions, percentage vowing to lose weight. 31 Percentage aspiring to enter a...

Chicago style; THE DRAMA BEHIND DEBORAH MELL'S BID FOR STATE HOUSE SEAT COULD ONLY HAPPEN HERE.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz Hillary and Barack have been hogging the media spotlight lately with sundry sniffling, sparring and speechifying. Both are, or were, from Chicago, where any sensible pol knows that effective politics is a mix of high...

An image-maker that fits; Some great advisers, but also cookie-cutter looks, conflicting ideas-and even fraud.(Business of Life)(women hire consultants to help them manage their clothes and spend wisely)
January 14, 2008... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Just as women with money have portfolio consultants to help them track their wealth and invest wisely, women with wardrobes-serious wardrobes, on which they may spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year-hire...

It's showtime for Olympics bid; Chicago 2016 facing crucial step in process.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Chicago pulls back the veil on its Olympics bid this week. Along with six other cities, Chicago has submitted its formal questionnaire to the International Olympic Committee, providing details on what the city would...

OBAMANOMICS; Candidate of change follows party line on economic policy.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION With the economy stalling, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's chances of winning the White House depend more on convincing voters he can save their jobs than on promising to change Washington's ways. For all his rhetoric...

Salvaging profits; Its shares are racing, but used auto-parts dealer's dispute with Ford may dent finances.(Markets)
January 14, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA LKQ Corp., riding a boom in the used auto-parts business, is steering toward trouble. Shares of the Chicago-based company, the nation's largest provider of used transmissions, fenders and other components recovered...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
January 14, 2008... A Jan. 7 Business of Life story should have noted that the Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a full-service spa, the Spa at the Carlton Club.

Hefty tax bill looms for Sun-Times; Black-era liabilities add to publisher's woes.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR As if Sun-Times Media Group CEO Cyrus Freidheim didn't have enough on his hands, a troublesome legacy of the Conrad Black era looms: a tax bill for as much as $530 million. Mr. Freidheim will be hard-pressed to pay...

Business lending tightens; Credit crunch spreads to mid-sized commercial market; loans get pricier.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The credit crunch that has afflicted homebuyers and private-equity firms is now migrating to the privately owned, mid-sized companies that are the backbone of Chicago's economy. Mid-market companies are facing...

KRAFT SHAKES UP DAIRY MARKET; Food giant offers line of cheese free of controversial hormone.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Kraft Foods Inc. plans to offer cheese free of a controversial growth hormone, a strategic move that pressures competitors to follow. Northfield-based Kraft says it will start selling a line of cheese made with...

No apparent heir to Rowe at Exelon; Lack of internal successor is another reason to deal.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS John F. Young's exit clears Exelon Corp.'s executive suite of potential successors to CEO John W. Rowe, raising the odds that the Chicago-based utility company will seek a merger partner that would also supply a new...

Late for work? Blame freight and truck traffic.(Viewpoint essay)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Joseph DiJohn Joseph DiJohn is director of the Metropolitan Transportation Support Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Trucks and freight trains compete with commuters for space on our highways and railroads,...

In the housing downturn, an opportunity.(People)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: CEO, Elkay Manufacturing Co., maker of kitchen and bathroom fixtures, as of Dec. 1. Vitals: 48 years old; bachelor's degree in business, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1981; production supervisor, Kohler Co.,...

Reshaping south lakefront; Developer targets Lake Meadows for 7,000 residential units.(News)(Draper & Kramer Inc.)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Plans are in the works for one of the city's largest residential developments ever, a 70-acre project that promises to invigorate Chicago's southern lakefront. Chicago-based Draper & Kramer Inc. wants to clear most...

Powerhouse makes a strong start, but . . . Shaky service undercuts great look, location, food.(Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Powerhouse has the looks and location to be a winner with the business crowd-if its service shapes up. The spacious restaurant and bar dominate the first floor of the refurbished Chicago & North Western...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "Cadillac" 1105 W. Chicago Ave. (312) 633-0630 www.chicagodramatists.org 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday Tickets: $15-$28 On the heels of its critically acclaimed production of "A...

On ChicagoBusiness.com: Entrepreneurs in Action.(Focus: Small Business)
January 14, 2008... Our monthly video look at entrepreneurship in Chicago kicks off the year with a simple question: Can pingpong be sexy? After a quick look at KillerSpin-a leader in the global market for table tennis equipment-the answer is a resounding yes....

Need to Know.(Focus: Mergers & Acquisitions)
January 21, 2008... 1.4 million Number of retail customers Bank of America gained by buying Chicago's LaSalle Bank. 60% Percentage of Tribune owned by its employees under a deal with Sam Zell to take the company private. $15.63 Amount per...

Lockwood no legend at lunchtime for now; Classic dishes come up short at Palmer House.(Business of Life)(Lockwood Restaurant)
January 21, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Living up to the 136-year-old Palmer House name is a Chuck Norris-size task, and thus far, the new Lockwood Restaurant is only partly up to the challenge. Opened late last year just off the magnificent Beaux Arts...

No slowing down.(Focus: Mergers & Acquisitions)(Robert Brown)(Interview)
January 21, 2008... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN Dealmakers added lots of stamps to their passports in 2007, working out 78% more cross-border mergers and acquisitions than the year before. Companies announced $1.99 trillion worth of cross-border transactions,...

Cigar smokers puff together.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Kevin Davis Cigar smokers are drifting into the few remaining public areas where they can legally smoke after the state ban, including tobacco shops and private rooms in restaurants. "There are no other options,'' says cigar...

Rebound in sight?(Focus: Mergers & Acquisitions)(Interview)
January 21, 2008... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN 2007 was the biggest year for mergers and acquisitions on record. Proceeds from global transactions totaled $4.5 trillion, up 24% from the previous record-setting year, 2006, and U.S. transactions reached $1.6...

Deere reaps sales on eBay; Used equipment finds mass audience online.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA In the market for a used tractor? Deere & Co. dealers are hoping you'll shop for it on eBay. Green Country Ag & Lawn, a Deere dealer in Tulsa, Okla., sold $1.6 million of used equipment-ranging from hay balers to chain...

New parents? Not exactly . . . They have older kids, and now a baby-and the workday juggling act takes on a whole new meaning.(Business of Life)(Biography)
January 21, 2008... Byline: CRYSTAL YEDNAK Leslie Minier is on her second career. After briefly working as an engineer, she went back to school to become an attorney, and is now partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in Chicago. With a 17-year-old, a...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "Columbinus" 6157 N. Clark St. (773) 338-2177 www.raventheatre.com 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 7 pm. Sunday Tickets: $15-$25 Raven Theatre Company's latest production examines...

Destination: Miami.(Business of Life)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: A spate of new or renovated luxury hotels is making the Miami area one of the hottest destinations for 2008. Some, like the Eden Roc resort, won't open until later this year. But with January temperatures...

Stud earrings are on point; Trend is well-rounded for professional women.(Business of Life)
January 21, 2008... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Studs are in: stud earrings, that is. As the overall look for women becomes more tailored, with fitted, minimally adorned apparel and sleek haircuts such as actress Katie Holmes' much-photographed bob, hoops and...

On the Move.(People)
January 21, 2008... CONSUMER SERVICES Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc., Chicago: Geoff Alexander, 36, to managing partner, from associate partner. FINANCIAL SERVICES Captive Resources LLC, Schaumburg: Michael J. Kilbane, 51, to president, from...

Tilton's chips on the table; Will United Airlines' chief ante up his job to win a merger partner?(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ AND PAUL MERRION Glenn Tilton has the chance to make good on his oft-stated belief that the airline industry needs less competition. But the chief of United Airlines parent UAL Corp. may need to give up control to...