Crain's Chicago Business articles from July 2003

Crain's Chicago Business archives from July 2003

Late News.(state's operating fund revenues drop)
July 7, 2003... STATE'S REVENUES CONTINUE TO FALL For the second year in a row, revenues in the state's operating fund dropped in the fiscal year ended June 30, according to Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes' office. General fund revenues were off $329...

Bracing for fallout from porch tragedy; More inspections, tougher standards to hike costs.(News)(Lincoln Park porch disaster brings more regulation)
July 7, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Chicago-area apartment landlords face the prospect of higher costs amid tighter scrutiny from city officials and insurance companies after the recent collapse of a Lincoln Park porch that killed 13 partygoers. ...

Bidders shopping White Hen; Bankrupt parent aims to sell mini-mart chain.(News)(Chicago's largest convenience store chain)
July 7, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES When Clark Retail Group Inc. bought White Hen Pantry Inc. three years ago, Chicago's largest convenience store chain was primed for expansion. Instead, White Hen got stuck in the oil slick of the Oak Brook-based...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 7 July 7-12: American Medical Technologists, Fairmont Hotel, estimated attendance 400. July 7-11: Federally Employed Women, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, estimated attendance 3,500. July 8-13: American Academy of...

'Keeping It in My Backyard' stymies necessary reforms.(Opinion)(Chicago Police Department policy)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Norb Tatro The Chicago Police Department and Mayor Richard Daley copped out. The mayor last month announced a plan to quickly move a limited number of police officers to the hottest crime spots. That may help, but the mayor...

Alliances with arts groups can be good for business.(Opinion)(marketing partnerships in tough times)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Marj Halperin I think I actually see a positive spark amid this soggy economy. It seems to start with companies struggling to get the bang of a powerful marketing partnership when they don't have the bucks to back the Bears or...

An old industrial city forges a new identity.(Real Estate)(city of Joliet is expanding)
July 7, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Getting bigger wasn't just an option for Joliet, it was a matter of life or death. By the early 1980s, the city had become a prime example of the decline of America's Rust Belt cities. Unemployment reached nearly...

Peotone is pursuing plane plant; Proposed 3rd airport site touted for Boeing 7E7.(News)(leading contenders are Texas, California and Washington)
July 7, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION Add the Chicago area to the long list of locales vying to build a new airplane for Boeing Co. A last-minute bid from Will County and proponents of a third regional airport in far south suburban Peotone put the area...

Will's growing power, pains; Rooftops are sprouting in Will County, one of the fastest-growing in the U.S. But jobs and wealth haven't followed.(Real Estate)(construction of new housing debated)
July 7, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ and BOB TITA For more than three hours on a recent spring evening, the Lockport City Council pondered heresy. On the agenda of the special meeting was a proposal from Alderman Denise Clements to halt construction of...

Kraft to scale back portions.(Briefs)(Kraft Foods Inc. worried over potential lawsuits)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Kraft Foods Inc. said it will cut the portion sizes of its single-serve packages to help curb concerns-and perhaps lawsuits-about rising obesity rates. The Northfield-based food company plans to improve the nutritional content of some of its...

Guv shouldn't meddle in biz of fund managers.(Opinion)(underfunded employee retirement systems used for budget)
July 7, 2003... Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his advisers are trying to stick a future administration with the risk of their pension funding gamble. Mr. Blagojevich made a big bet on future investment returns when he borrowed $10 billion for the state's...

Terraces elevate lunch above the fray.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(top restaurants at luxury hotels)(Restaurant Review)
July 7, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Fans of outdoor dining debate the relative merits of sidewalk cafes and enclosed gardens, but I've come to believe that terraces trump both. Elevated above the fray of traffic and some pernicious insects, they offer...

Kraft has chance to help advance healthier eating.(Opinion)(to reformulate products for health)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Kraft Foods Inc.'s initiative to reformulate many of its products, end its in-school marketing programs and disseminate more nutritional information is a wise move. One hopes the Northfield-based food giant will make the most of this...

SBC's rate-hike end run backfires; Hopes now rest with Appeals Court.(News)(SBC Communications Inc. seeks to raise wholesale rates)
July 7, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON SBC Communications Inc. has maneuvered itself into a legal jam as it asks a federal Appeals Court to allow it to boost the wholesale rates it charges competitors to access its telephone network in Illinois. The...

Union puts squeeze on Wal-Mart; Illinois is the new front line as labor group turns up heat in Joliet.(News)(United Food and Commercial Workers launches drive)
July 7, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Illinois has become a flash point in a long-running war between the nation's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and the nation's largest retail workers union. The United Food and Commercial Workers...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Service Corps of Retired Executives seminar)
July 7, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 7 JULY 8: Women's Business Development Center presents Take the Mystery Out of Obtaining Financing for Your Business: Debt/Loans and Equity Financing. Noon to 2 p.m. Women's Business Development Center, 8 S. Michigan Ave.,...

Executive Moves.(People)(new vice-president of sales at Humana Inc.)
July 7, 2003... FINANCIAL SERVICES Robert Brooks, 45, and Jeff Petro, 40, to vice-president at Meeker-Magner Co. in Des Plaines, from assistant vice-president. Lawrence Olewinski, 47, to senior vice-president of sales at GreatBanc Trust Co. in Oak...

Autonomy key to turnaround at Dominick's.(News)(Dominick's Finer Foods seeks more market share)
July 7, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Supervalu Inc. is expected to give Dominick's Finer Foods the latitude it needs to reconnect with Chicago customers it's lost after five years of centralized control from California-based Safeway Inc. What is less...

Airlines, city reach O'Hare finance deal.(News)(O'Hare International Airport expansion)
July 7, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ The city of Chicago and airlines that operate at O'Hare International Airport have reached agreement on a multibillion-dollar scheme to finance the first major phase of the city's ambitious runway expansion plan. ...

Hollinger is seeking a new lifeline; Sun-Times owner, Blackstone in talks.(News)(Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Telegraph may be sold)
July 7, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Beleaguered press lord Conrad Black, grasping for cash he needs to maintain control of the company that publishes the Chicago Sun-Times and London's Daily Telegraph, has entered talks with several buyout firms,...

Gas firms start to hedge; Moves come as price spike looms, ICC mulls rule.(News)(Peoples Energy Corp. negotiates long-term contracts)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Chicago-area natural gas utilities, facing regulatory pressure and still stinging from public outrage over stratospheric gas prices two years ago, are stepping up programs to blunt price spikes expected this winter....

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
July 7, 2003... I think you're going to have a lot of landlords who are freaking out, and rightfully so. Apartment broker Robert Laczi, on repercussions from the Lincoln Park porch tragedy PAGE 3

2003 MARKET FACTS.(elementary school spending)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
July 7, 2003... ***** Correction: A chart on elementary school spending in the July 7 Market Facts section had several errors: Northbrook School District 27 ranks fourth among highest-spending school districts at $12,394 per pupil, based on operating...

Marketers, not merchants, join Sears.(News)(Sears, Roebuck and Co. seeks strong identity)
July 14, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES Sears, Roebuck and Co. is making a big bet that executives who can sell soft drinks and tacos will know how to attract shoppers to the Big Store's lawn mowers and lingerie. Lost in the featureless shopping...

Dressed up, getting shopped; Gingiss Group seeks merger or recapitalization.(News)(tuxedo rental/sales firm seeks merger)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Gingiss Group, one of the largest players in the rental and selling of tuxedos, is seeking a merger partner or capital infusion as it grapples with a debt load, increased competition and a sluggish economy that...

Marketing for two stretches resources; Cross-promotions get good returns if partners click.(Small Business)(Lori's Designer Shoes issues newsletter twice a year)
July 14, 2003... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Lori Andre, owner of Lori's Designer Shoes, and Esther Fishman, owner of a clothing boutique called Art Effect, mail their customers a newsletter twice a year. Called Tried & True, it contains a top 10 list of...

Repos in overdrive; As the economy grinds its gears, the vehicle repossession rate is hitting a torrid pace, keeping tow trucks busy.(News)(repossession agents keeping busy)
July 14, 2003... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Inside a locked parking garage on the Far North Side, hundreds of cars wait to be claimed or sold at auction, a grim reflection of bad economic times, and sometimes, just plain bad luck. Throughout the day and into...

A business writer as TV programmer? Get real.(Commentary)(parodies of reality shows)
July 14, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Nobody said the television networks own the patent on creative programming. This column intends to prove that a humble business journalist can develop exciting and commercially attractive programs for TV. Since the...

Profile: A back-to-basics resolution returns Hubbard One's focus to law firm clients.(Technology)(software company, Web developer for legal industry)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON While most people make their New Year's resolutions about five minutes before the giant ball drops, John Fish, CEO of Hubbard One, spends the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve contemplating his life, his...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Service Corps of Retired Executives seminar)
July 14, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 14 JULY 14: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Resume Preparation and Presentation. 10:15 a.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Free. (847) 295-5626. JULY 15:...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Chamber of Commerce CEO Gerald Roper)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... I'm concerned that the board does not permit one of our economic crown jewels (to) fall into disarray. Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce CEO Gerald Roper, on turmoil at McPier PAGE 1

Bank ending rival deposits at ATMs.(Briefs)(Bank One Corp. disallows deposits at other bank's automated teller machines)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... As of Aug. 1, Bank One Corp. will no longer allow its customers to make deposits at another bank's automated teller machines, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Chicago-based banking company also will no longer accept deposits at its ATMs from...

Tapas sampling on Superior Street.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Spanish restaurant)(Restaurant Review)
July 14, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN The daily fixed-price lunch menu posted on a little blackboard outside 1492 Tapas Bar transports me to Spain. Not only is the practice commonplace from Barcelona to Valencia (and beyond), the specials are chalked in...

SEC chairman should buy into decimal pricing payoff.(Opinion)(new chairman of Securities and Exchange Commission, William Donaldson)
July 14, 2003... Byline: Marc J. Lane The new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission claims he's committed to restoring confidence in the stock markets, but William Donaldson's recent criticism of decimal pricing suggests he may be bowing to...

Pay change to make work.(Small Business)(proposed changes to 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA Owners, workers bracing for new overtime criteria Jennifer Schippers and Harrelyn Woodfaulk work at opposite ends of the pay scale in very different jobs, but they have something in common. Ms. Schippers, 18,...

Firms offer support systems for seniors; Staffing problems, stress complicate home care services.(Small Business)(geriatric care management)
July 14, 2003... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Debra Muffoletto's job in geriatric care management isn't too different from being a wedding planner, she says. But instead of holding nervous brides' hands, she's helping anxious families arrange care for...

Chicago Observer: Another Andersen-trained exec attracts attention of government.(Briefs)(Internal Revenue Service tax shelter investigation)
July 14, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler A Chicago attorney who used to be a partner at Arthur Andersen & Co. is at the heart of an Internal Revenue Service effort to get his law firm to cough up names of clients it advised on tax shelters. The summons...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 14 July 15-20: American Osteopathic Assn., Fairmont Hotel, estimated attendance 600. July 16: Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities, Navy Pier, public. July 16-19: Brain Store, Wyndham Northwest Chicago,...

For The Record.(Briefs)(United Airlines seeking Bankruptcy Court approval for $9.5 mn in bonuses)
July 14, 2003... Byline: SARA D. WHITE, Compiled from ChicagoBusiness.com, Bloomberg News reports and other sources. UAL CORP. The Elk Grove Township-based parent of United Airlines is seeking Bankruptcy Court approval to pay up to $9.5 million in...

Credit unions are new SBA channel; Entrepreneurs gaining another financing option.(Small Business)(U.S. Small Business Administration allows credit unions in its 7(a) guaranteed loan program)
July 14, 2003... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Credit unions have traditionally offered a limited menu of mainly checking, savings and consumer loan services, forcing members who wanted small business loans to go elsewhere. That's about to change. The U.S....

Late News.(126-unit luxury condo project planned)
July 14, 2003... CONDOS PROPOSED FOR COLLEGE SITE A Chicago-based residential developer has submitted plans to the city to build a 126-unit luxury condo project at the former Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine on the Near North Side....

Old Town quarrel: How high to rise? Dispute over downzoning heating up.(News)(expansion of Gold Coast)
July 14, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The westward expansion of the Gold Coast has hit a fault line on Wells Street. As developers eye the stretch of Wells between North Avenue and Division Street for new condominium projects, a feud has erupted between...

Executive Moves.(People)
July 14, 2003... CONSUMER SERVICES Jodi Fyfe, 33, to president at Blue Plate, from director of business development. FINANCIAL SERVICES JoAnn T. Camp, 44, and H. Paul Sori, 29, to vice-president of commercial real estate lending at Banco Popular...

Baxter is bracing for Street fight; Analysts expected to ask tough questions this week.(News)(Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. faces investors and analysts )
July 14, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. is in the hot seat-and the temperature is expected to go up a notch this week. After three major revisions to revenue estimates in four quarters, the chairman and CEO of medical...

Street snubs Gallagher; Broker's shares sag as costs rise.(News)(Gallagher writes off $59 mn in 2002 and 2003 on bad investments)
July 14, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Investors were slow to reward Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. as it grew from a small commercial insurance brokerage into a $1-billion company, but they've been quick to punish it for some recent missteps. Gallagher's...

Stocks see light after long winter; Upturn encouraging as investors abandon low-paying money funds.(News)(investors spurring economic turnaround)
July 14, 2003... Byline: ANNE MOORE Local stocks blossomed this spring as investors bet on an economic turnaround, bidding up small tech stocks and leisure issues and rewarding old-line manufacturers for their cost-cutting efforts. The momentum is...

Time for skittish CEOs to open the purse strings.(Opinion)(National Association for Business Economics survey)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Any glimpse of silver lining the dark economic clouds is a welcome sight. Over the past two years, business confidence has steadily taken on water, dragging down hopes of recovery, expansion and job creation. Last week, however, a...

Fallout in Will County shows tax reform need.(Opinion)(affordable single-family homes on rise)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... If any county in Illinois makes the case that massive reform is needed in the way public services are funded, it's Will County. This is where the fallout from unmitigated sprawl is becoming painfully clear-in the form of choking traffic...

Once a home run, baseball's All-Star Game is striking out.(Opinion)(Editorial)
July 14, 2003... Byline: Randy Minkoff Seventy years ago, sportswriter Arch Ward had the brilliant idea of having the stars of the American League square off against the National League's in an "all-star'' game. The game was, relatively speaking, an...

Telecom errors causing static; Firms find mistakes buried in bills.(Small Business)(overpayments for telephone services)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JUDITH NEMES Jim Phillip sells flowers, but his recent expense problems have been rooted in overpayments for telephone services, not tulips. Phillip's Flowers Inc., with 12 locations in Chicago's western suburbs, spends about...

HOLLINGER'S REVENGE? SUIT SAYS SO; Investment firm contends Sun-Times parent is retaliating for criticism.(News)(Hollinger International Inc.'s corporate governance practices)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Shareholders in press baron Conrad Black's Hollinger International Inc. have been publicly questioning his governance practices for months. Now, the CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times parent appears to be hitting back. ...

Pressure building at McPier; Fund gap, feuds bedevil agency as biz lags.(News)(Chicago's convention and tourism industry suffering slowdown)
July 14, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ A sour mix of budget holes, legal probes and internal feuds is roiling the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority at a time when Chicago's crucial convention and tourism industry is still reeling from recession and...

DEF JAM GOES DIGITAL: Hip-hop hardware; Motorola taps 'street' fashions to rewire its image.(Technology)(limited-edition Motorola cell phones)
July 14, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons dashes to a meeting in midtown Manhattan, a limited-edition Motorola cell phone glued to his ear. Why Motorola? "They're the coolest,'' says Mr. Simmons, with a hint of New...

Awaiting the next wave; Serial entrepreneurs are starting new businesses and creating jobs, but when the thrill is gone, they're ready for another ride.(Small Business)(business owners who start a string of successive companies)
July 14, 2003... Byline: MARGARET LITTMAN Todd Smart is one. Karen Lennon is another. Tricia Tamkin counts herself as a member of the club, as do David Weinstein and Michael DeLazzer. They're serial entrepreneurs, who describe themselves as idea people,...

Sears' new challenge: spinning retail gold; Credit card sale puts focus on Lacy's big-box plan.(News)(Sears, Roebuck and Co. sells credit card business to Citigroup Inc.)
July 21, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES When Sears, Roebuck and Co. wraps up the sale of its credit card business to Citigroup Inc. later this year, the shrinking company will be relying solely on its chain of stores for the first time in its 110-year...

BIG STORE'S BIG GAMBLE: Cutting the card; Once unthinkable, sale of credit unit ends an era at Sears.(Finance)(consumer credit programs)
July 21, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES When Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold its first product on credit in 1911-a cream separator for skimming the cream from milk-all it required from customers was a letter from their banker stating that they were "reliable.''...

Scrambling to land big O'Hare contract.(News)(expansion of O'Hare International Airport)
July 21, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ Five teams of top construction managers-all with strong political ties to the Daley administration-are battling it out for a lucrative pact to oversee the pending $6.6-billion expansion of O'Hare International Airport....

Entrepreneur gets on with life after painful diagnosis.(Opinion)(Lou Gehrig's disease)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Robert Basten Watching Tom Watson and his longtime caddy, Bruce Edwards, tackle the demanding Olympia Fields Country Club golf course during the U.S. Open recently had special meaning for me. Mr. Edwards, diagnosed with deadly...

Rare Moroccan fare, and kosher no less.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(ethnic restaurants)(Restaurant Review)
July 21, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN I'm very fond of unusual ethnic restaurants, so when I saw Marrakesh in a Skokie strip mall, I got excited. The Chicago area has only a few Moroccan outposts and, as far as I know, this newcomer is the only one...

Fed probe, job cuts at Baxter.(Briefs)(Baxter International Inc.'s earnings forecasts )(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Baxter International Inc. said it's cooperating with federal regulators who want to know why the company has lowered its earnings forecasts so many times over the last few months. The Deerfield-based maker of medical supplies said it recorded a...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... They've just thrown the engine out of the ship because it weighs too much. Now, they have nothing to drive with. University of Chicago business professor James Schrager, on Sears' sale of its credit card business PAGE 11

Late News.(Near North Brokerage Inc., Frontenac Co. merger may collapse)
July 21, 2003... DEFECTIONS SCUTTLE NEAR NORTH BUYOUT The pending sale of Near North Brokerage Inc. to Frontenac Co. LLC is unraveling, with an announcement that the deal is dead likely within a few days, industry sources say. Sources blamed the apparent...

Joliet Speedway on the fast track; Red-hot Nascar fueling expansion.(News)(100,000 attend Chicagoland Speedway for Nascar Tropicana 400)
July 21, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN When big-time auto racing came to Chicago in 2001, there were doubts whether a sophisticated, Northern, stick-and-ball city would embrace a motor sports phenomenon with rural Southern roots. But on July 13, more...

McD's dresses up its chicken coop; Wine and china plates at upstart Rotisserie Grill.(News)(McDonald's "fast-casual'' category)
July 21, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Chicken is moving upmarket for McDonald's Corp., which is testing a new-format version of its Boston Market stores. In its most significant initiative since the Oak Brook-based fast-food giant acquired the Boston...

BorgWarner eyes moving HQ to Detroit; City, state fight to keep Loop-based manufacturer.(News)(transmission parts manufacturer may move)
July 21, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER and ALBY GALLUN BorgWarner Inc. is considering relocating its corporate headquarters to suburban Detroit and abandoning the 200 S. Michigan Ave. site it has occupied since 1957, a move that would make it the...

Raising cash and curtain to tell extraordinary tale.(Commentary)(Homeless and Abused Children of Chicago)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Short of writing an opera about it, the only way to describe Susan Carey's remarkable life is with shorthand notes: Born in England during World War II . . . father killed in the war . . . she lived "in the projects''...

Guv needs to raise state's profile in nation's capital.(Opinion)(Gov. Rod Blagojevich)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Paul Merrion For a former congressman, Gov. Rod Blagojevich seems pretty clueless about how Washington works. While getting more federal dollars for the state was a centerpiece of his campaign, he hasn't come close to making it...

Executive Moves.(People)(assistant commissioner for central library services)
July 21, 2003... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Leo Razdolsky, 65, to chief structural engineer at Soodan & Associates Inc., from chief structural examiner at the Chicago Department of Buildings. CONSUMER SERVICES Greta Bever, 40, to assistant...

McPier infighting hurts city's economic mission.(Opinion)(convention and tourism business suffering)
July 21, 2003... With the city's convention and tourism business struggling for a comeback, the government agency in charge of promoting these crucial commercial interests should have its act together. Unfortunately, the leadership of the Metropolitan Pier and...

Profile: Workout biz is turnaround for ex-banker.(Finance)(Nick Preda, turnaround consultant)
July 21, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES The economic downturn couldn't have come at a better time for Nick Preda. In January 2001, when the economy was heading into a recession, the former Bank One Corp. executive left a lifelong banking career for the...

No wrenching changes needed from UAL union.(Opinion)(machinists at United Airlines change unions)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... The vote by machinists at United Airlines to leave their longtime union, the International Assn. of Machinists (IAM), and affiliate with the rival upstart Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. (AMFA) comes at a critical time as the carrier...

Trying to make a splash with Harvard water park; Critics wonder if developer's proposal isn't all wet.(News)(resort will have indoor water park)
July 21, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Converting Motorola Inc.'s shuttered cell phone plant in Harvard into the nation's largest indoor water park won't be an easy slide down the chute for a little-known McHenry County developer. Joseph Buralli wants to...

Investors losing taste for Kraft; CEO Holden's glow dims as sales growth slows.(News)(Kraft Foods Inc. falling short of financial goals )
July 21, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER After helping lead Kraft Foods Inc.'s initial public offering two years ago, Co-CEO Betsy Holden was golden. The company's stock price was robust amid a sinking stock market, and revenues rose at more than...

Signals fade for Boeing's satellite lines; Service offerings find few takers.(News)(air traffic control satellite system)
July 21, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Boeing Co. is finding it difficult to manufacture demand for a pair of satellite-based aviation services the company hoped would help smooth out the turbulence of its commercial aircraft business. Chicago-based...

Entrepreneur's bet is a link to futures; Software vendor can determine a market's reach.(News)(Trading Technologies to compete with Chicago Board of Trade )
July 21, 2003... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER With a new diploma from Mississippi State University in 1986, Harris Brumfield thought he'd try his version of graduate school and learn how to be a blackjack dealer in Lake Tahoe. He applied too late, however,...

Deals pick up, grow bigger in second qtr.(Finance)(local merger and acquisition market )
July 21, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY With the war in Iraq concluded and stock prices rising, the local merger and acquisition market is showing signs of revival. According to a survey by Los Angeles-based FactSet Mergerstat LLC, there were 124 M&A...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)
July 21, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 21 July 23-30: Chicago Gift and Home Market, Merchandise Mart, estimated attendance 25,000. July 25-26: PennWell Corp., Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 400. July 25-27: W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Doral Eaglewood...

Chicago Observer: Sailing the ocean Walgreen, he puts prescription dollars to work.(Briefs)(Charles R. Walgreen Jr., son of founder of the pharmacy chain)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler People the age of Charles R. Walgreen Jr. sometimes quip that they're not buying any green bananas. Mr. Walgreen is 97 and not in a mood to heed that advice. He and wife Jean, 96, just bought a new yacht that...

Executive Moves.(People)
July 28, 2003... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Thomas Powers, 42, to managing principal at IA Interior Architects, from principal. EDUCATION Gordon L. Patzer, 51, to dean of the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration at Roosevelt...

Nuke man takes it down to wires; ComEd layoffs seen as Kingsley powers cost cuts.(News)(electricity distribution operations cut backs)
July 28, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Oliver D. Kingsley Jr., the former Navy submarine officer who cut thousands of jobs in the course of a dramatic turnaround of Commonwealth Edison Co.'s nuclear fleet, is now setting his sights on the utility's...

Wake up, men: Women are better at running the show.(Opinion)(Mary Lou Quinlan, "Just Ask a Woman")
July 28, 2003... Byline: Rance Crain Here's a hot debate topic: Resolved, that U.S. corporations wouldn't be in the mess they're in if women were in charge. Women, I am arguing, are better listeners, more methodical in their decisions, less...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 28 JULY 29: Women's Business Development Center presents Talk to the Banker: A Workshop for Child Care Business Owners. 6 to 8 p.m. Women's Business Development Center, 8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 400. Fee: $35. (312) 853-3477,...

State Street rebirth for celebrity retreat.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Bijan's Bistro)(Restaurant Review)
July 28, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Bijan's Bistro has been reborn. The popular celebrity hangout and late-night oasis closed when its old building was torn down, but now it's back in the replacement-and spiffier than before. During the day, the...

Chicago Observer: Now you tell us, says Symphony: Borg's deliberation is a tad late.(Briefs)(Chicago Symphony Orchestra )
July 28, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler A decade ago, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was seeking to expand Orchestra Hall, neighbor BorgWarner Inc. couldn't be budged from its signature headquarters building on Michigan Avenue. Now-long after the...