Crain's Chicago Business articles from July 2007

Crain's Chicago Business archives from July 2007

ComEd spinoff in S'field mix; Wall Street wants Exelon to shed Chicago utility.(News)(Commonwealth Edison Co.)
July 2, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Exelon Corp. and state lawmakers agreed last week to pave the way for a spinoff of Chicago electric utility Commonwealth Edison Co. as a separate, publicly traded company. Negotiators hammering out a deal to cut...

French on Taylor Street, with a patio to boot; Sun-dappled Chez Joel pleases with bistro fare.(Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
July 2, 2007... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Chez Joel isn't located near the hubbub of the Loop, but that's what makes it a delicious escape during Chicago's all-too-short al fresco season. A modest French bistro in the heart of Taylor Street's Little...

Wheaton course sets its sights high; Lovely, difficult holes in Arrowhead upgrade.(Business of Life)
July 2, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Public golf has gone upscale around Chicago in the past 15 years, and municipalities have kept up to speed with surprising enthusiasm. A case in point is the Wheaton Park District's Arrowhead Golf Club, once a dreary...

Idea tracker.(Business of Life)(Roy A. Arnold president of Arlington Park race course )(Interview)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Laura Bianchi A Marine for 30 years, Roy A. Arnold, 52, has been president of Arlington Park race course in Arlington Heights since April 2006. Faced with an industry "stuck in the 1930s,'' he is fast-tracking technology and...

If you want to raise the roof, aim for next year.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Kevin Davis Convertibles may give off a carefree vibe, but you have to plan ahead to get one in time for summer. "Convertibles are always in limited supply. We sell every car we get in here in a very short period of time,''...

Andrew to be acquired in $2.6-bil. deal.(Briefs)(CommScope Inc. acquired Andrew Corp.)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... To expand its network business from wired to wireless, CommScope announced plans to buy Westchester-based cable maker Andrew in a $2.6-billion mostly cash deal-a significant increase from the $1.7-billion CommScope offer Andrew rejected last...

Destination: Washington, D.C.(Business of Life)(Editorial)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Sure, Washington, D.C., is sticky in July, but finding air-conditioned sights isn't hard. And there's plenty to see after sundown, like the Fourth of July fireworks that will bloom over the National Mall. ...

Moto vs. Apple Can Moto's new Q outrun the iPhone?(News)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Monee Fields-White That's the hope of Motorola Inc. executives touting the processing speed of the new smartphone, the Q 9h, due out in late summer. The Q 9h is the first update of the handheld Moto introduced last year to...

REAL ESTATE FEVER COOLS AS RATES CLIMB; A Conversation with Money Manager Reagan pratt.(Markets)(dialogue with Reagan Pratt)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Alby Gallun Reagan Pratt, 43, principal, portfolio manager and managing member, Transwestern Investment Co., Chicago. Experience: 17 years Assets under management: $250 million Crain's: Your portfolio includes shares...

For The Record.(Briefs)(federal lawsuit against RC2 Corp.)(Ridge Property Trust plans a warehouse park )
July 2, 2007... Federal lawsuits demand RC2 provide medical monitoring for kids who may have ingested lead paint from its toys. The Oak Brook toymaker recalled some of its Thomas & Friends products, but the toys were still on some retailers' shelves two weeks...

Crain's takes home 9 awards for editorial excellence.(Markets)(ChicagoBusiness.com)(awards)(Editorial)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Crain's Chicago Business won nine awards in the Alliance of Area Business Publications' 2007 Editorial Excellence Awards ceremony in Denver, the highest total for any publication in the contest. Crain's also collected the most first-place Gold...

They promoted who? Success can come as a shock to others; impressing the right people, or secret plots?(Business of Life)
July 2, 2007... Byline: SHIA KAPOS Craig Donohue was a behind-the-scenes, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of guy who didn't make waves with the boss-or seemingly with anyone else at Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. Thus the surprise when the...

Apple's eye on Clybourn; Maker of iPhone in talks for store at N. Side retail hot spot.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN Apple Inc. is looking to join the crowd in Chicago's Clybourn Corridor. The electronics maker is close to a deal to build a store on a bustling, triangular site bounded by North and Clybourn avenues and...

Taking Names.(Business of Life)(Editorial)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos `Purple' tickets hit the discount circuit Is Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple'' losing its luster? Tickets for the touring show popped up regularly in recent weeks on HotTix, which sells half-price theater...

Hitting Pay Dirt; Ethanol, not developers, fuels farmland values, attracting new breed of non-farm investors.(News)(Statistical data)
July 2, 2007... Byline: BOB TITA Ethanol mania has made Illinois farmland such a hot property that even the world's richest man is snapping it up. Microsoft founder Bill Gates spent $14 million on Illinois farmland since 2006, joining a growing crowd...

HEALTH FIX: FEW TAKERS; Consumer-driven benefits, seen as savior, hit a snag: Workers don't want them.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Hoping to tame annual double-digit increases in its health care costs, Tallgrass Restoration LLC offered its workers an en vogue option last year: a low-premium, high-deductible insurance plan giving them more say over...

Olympic mystery: Who's the insurer? City's secrecy raises doubts about policy.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: GREG HINZ Two months after city officials unveiled a surprise $500-million private insurance plan to help lure the 2016 Olympics here, a stadium full of questions remain about how substantial the offer is and whether it would...

Mixed signals; With expansion efforts slowing, U.S. Cellular faces growth questions.(Markets)
July 2, 2007... Byline: MEGHAN STREIT John Rooney, CEO of U.S. Cellular Corp., says he's done enough roaming for now. The Chicago-based company has grown into the nation's sixth-largest wireless phone service provider, partly by expanding into rural...

AirCell takes flying lessons; It taps AKQA to mold in-flight Internet service.(Markets)
July 2, 2007... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Crain News Service E-mail and instant messaging-coming soon to a plane near you. On the top floor of a low-slung office building in suburban Chicago, just a few miles from O'Hare International Airport, a group of...

New product boosts BioSante; Licensing fees pour in for hormone therapy.(Annual Meetings)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY In the week before its June 14 annual meeting, BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. began marketing its first commercial product after a decade of research and tests. As it happened, BioSante's timing couldn't have been...

CME says it can't go higher on CBOT bid; Without sweetener, vote called 'very, very close'.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: ANN SAPHIR With time running out on their campaign to acquire the Chicago Board of Trade, the only thing standing between Chicago Mercantile Exchange executives and an easy victory may be their own shareholders. At least that's...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Elements Inc. relocates)(Loop office vacancies hit four-year low)(J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. appointed Amy Fahey )
July 2, 2007... Daley and Ryan bound for Rio A city delegation headed by Mayor Daley is scheduled to head to Rio de Janeiro next week to check out the opening days of the Pan American Games being held there. Some observers consider Rio to be Chicago's...

Cash flows to Nuveen execs; M-D buyout to bring Schwertfeger $181 mil., Amboian $121 mil.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Nuveen Investments Inc.'s top two executives are in line for whopping paydays in the money manager's pending $5.7-billion buyout by private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners LLC. Chairman and CEO Timothy...

Allscripts relying on freebies.(Annual Meetings)( Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
July 2, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When Glen E. Tullman joined Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. as CEO a decade ago, he relaunched the packager of cheap generic drugs as an Internet-based provider of automated prescriptions written by doctors and...

Cement weighs down Continental Materials; @@Byline: H. LEE MURPHY.(Annual Meetings)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The slowing pace of homebuilding hasn't yet significantly cut the price of one commodity: cement. Chicago-based Continental Materials Corp. continues to suffer as a result. Continental, a microcap company with...

CTA, unions did their part, now it's Springfield's turn.(Chicago Transit Authority )(Viewpoint essay)
July 2, 2007... It's Springfield's move on transit. Leaders of the Chicago Transit Authority and the city's transit union took a big step last week toward averting a CTA meltdown in September. A deal they cut on pension and health care benefits goes a...

On the Move.(People)(briefs)
July 2, 2007... Architecture/Engineering Apex Cos. LLC, Rockville, Md.: David W. Fell, 44, to vice-president and general counsel, in Arlington Heights, from vice-president and associate general counsel at Equity LifeStyle Properties Inc. ...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
July 2, 2007... FIREWORKS City of Chicago Independence Day Celebration 500 S. Columbus Drive (312) 744-3315 www.cityofchicago.org Concert, 8 p.m.; fireworks, 9:30 p.m. Tuesday Free Monroe Harbor lights up several times this week...

Getting Marsh `back out on the street'.(People)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Brandon Glenn Job: Managing director of Chicago office, insurance broker and risk management company Marsh Inc. since Jan. 1. Vitals: 42 years old; bachelor's degree in arts, University of Richmond, 1987; underwriter, Chubb...

Richie's cue; IT'S TIME FOR THE MAYOR TO ENTER THE FRAY IN SPRINGFIELD, A PLACE HE TENDS TO AVOID.(News)(Sen. Richard M. Daley)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Greg Hinz Ex-state Sen. Richard M. Daley, D-Chicago, never did care much for Springfield when he spent a bit of time there three decades ago. Today's absolute master of City Hall probably likes dealing with Capitol machinations...

Healthy chain on the move; Salad Spinners adding site, ready to franchise.(News)
July 2, 2007... Byline: VIRGINIA GROARK Salad Spinners Corp. founder Rich Levy is preparing to franchise his healthy fast-food restaurant business. Mr. Levy recently opened his fourth Salad Spinners in the Loop, at 300 S. Wacker Drive. He aims to start...

Memo to the boss: I gotta run, but keep my job open.(Viewpoint essay)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Gerald D. Skoning Gerald D. Skoning is a lawyer with Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago who specializes in labor and employment law. It's an American tradition as old as our republic. Hold one office while you campaign full time for...

THIS WEEK: North Side tower fetches $212 million.(Late News)(Ohio State Teachers Retirement System)(Brief article)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Alby Gallun The Streeter, a recently built 50-story high-rise at 345 E. Ohio, is changing hands in one of the largest and priciest recent downtown apartment sales. Sources say the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System has agreed to...

Market Facts 2007.(Focus: Market Facts)(Editorial)
July 2, 2007... CHICAGOBUSINESS.COM/MARKETFACTS * Crain's takes the graphic maps from the Market Facts section and makes them interactive. Search the six-county area and get the individual data for all 1,800 census tracts. It's a detailed look at the...

Market Facts 2007.(Focus: Market Facts)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Chicago: It's been called variously the "second" "windy" "city of big shoulders" "in a garden" "that works." It's a lot of things, but one thing it's not is average. Given the nature of the area, finding the...

Who Knew?(Focus: Market Facts)
July 2, 2007... 9,035,232 The six-county area's estimated population in 2012, up 0.9% from 2007 63% of residents in the six-county area were born in Illinois 1,837 Number of census tracts in the six-county area 85 Number of unmarried men...

OPENING.(Business of Life)
July 2, 2007... "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" 1531 N. Wells St. (866) 468-3401 www.lacostatheater.com/box_office.html 7:30 p.m. Thursday Tickets: $100 adults, $50 children The 1967 classic returns, courtesy of La Costa Theatre...

Taking Names.(Business of Life)
July 2, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos ***** Correction: A quote in the Taking Names column (" `Purple' tickets hit discount circuit,'' July 2) was incorrectly attributed to Roche Schulfer, executive director of the Goodman Theatre. The source was...

88 keys, 2,000 pounds.(Focus: Small Business)(Storage and moving industry)(Company overview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: STEVE HENDERSHOT There are just two pieces of furniture left in Ben LeClair's Ukrainian Village apartment: a small accent mirror and his 700-pound baby grand piano. He can handle one himself but needs help with the other. That's...

Natural Wonders.(Business of Life)(Henry Henderson of Natural Resources Defense Council)(Interview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Christina Le Beau One-time Chicago Environmental Commissioner Henry Henderson, 55, now directs the Midwest office of the Natural Resources Defense Council, which opened in January. His list: Reads the New Yorker and New York...

On the Move.(People)(appointment of Christopher C. Multhauf at National-Louis University)(appointments of Vincent Pappalardo, Paul Hoffman and Keith Koeneman at Dresner Partners)(appointments of Mary Kay Sullivan, Jeffrey Wescott and Kristina Van Liew at Merrill Lynch and Company Inc.)
July 9, 2007... EDUCATION National-Louis University, Chicago: Christopher C. Multhauf, 52, to executive dean of the College of Management and Business, from president and CEO at the Alliance for Illinois Manufacturing. FINANCIAL SERVICES Dresner...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Cook County Board President Todd Stroger diagnosed with prostate cancer)(Sen. Barack Obama raised $32.5 million)(United Air Lines Inc. improved on-time performance )
July 9, 2007... Cook County Board President Todd Stroger conceded that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer months earlier than his staff had previously announced, but said he hid the matter until very recently because of concern for his mother. Mr. Stroger,...

Improved Merc bid for CBOT.(Briefs)(acquisition of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago and Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Several of the most vocal opponents of the Chicago Board of Trade's takeover by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have switched sides in the wake of an improved Merc bid and public endorsement by the CBOT's biggest shareholder. Support for the...

This Week: New biz-class link to London?(Late News)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Paul Merrion The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a start-up British carrier's plans for the first low-fare, all-business-class air service between Chicago and London. Silverjet, which launched similar service from...

$2 billion flowing toward Illinois rivers; Lock repair would speed shipping times.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: BOB TITA Congress appears close to approving $2 billion in spending to replace seven locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Engineers and shippers say the new locks could vastly improve transport times for...

Destination: Napa Valley, Calif.(Business of Life)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Though Napa lies only an hour's drive from San Francisco, its summers are free of the chilly fog that plagues the city even in the hottest months. The valley's Mediterranean climate pleases not just visitors,...

Afterparties give gala scene spice.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli After the charity ball is over, does Cinderella go home? Not these days. She and her crew will hit the afterparty. Charities from the local chapter of the American Cancer Society to Common Threads hosted such...

(Hoping it sinks); Short-sellers are piling into mid-sized banks, waiting for just the right time to bail.(Markets)
July 9, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Short-sellers are betting the bank against some Chicago-area lenders. Short interest surged this year in shares of local mid-sized banks, including First Midwest Bancorp Inc. and MB Financial Inc., as some...

Time to shake up the power structure in this sausage factory.(Viewpoint essay)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Cynthia Canary Cynthia Canary is director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform in Chicago. "If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.'' That warning, made by German Chancellor...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Doubletree Chicago O'Hare Airport)(briefs)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Power-rate talks in final stages? Negotiators for state lawmakers and electric utilities were trying Friday to wrap up a $1-billion-plus electric-rate relief package with hopes of bringing legislation to the House and Senate floors as soon...

Canning's big swing; Private-equity mogul plays long ball even as credit for deals tightens.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: ANN SAPHIR John Canning is swinging for the fences. The CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners LLC is cutting his biggest deals and aiming to raise his largest fund ever, $10.5 billion. Last week, he took a piece of the biggest...

INNOVATORS WILL DRIVE MARKET IN SECOND HALF; A Conversation with Money Manager Andrew S. Cupps.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Andrew S. Cupps, 37, president and CEO, Cupps Capital Management LLC, Chicago Experience: 16 years Assets under management: $115 million Crain's: Halfway through 2007, what's your assessment of the...

The business of speed; Racing against e-mail and fax machines.(Focus: Small Business)
July 9, 2007... Byline: STEVE HENDERSHOT Josh Korby pedals through Chicago at 20 mph, according to the speedometer on his bicycle. He doesn't slow for rain or cold, and certainly not for traffic. As a bike messenger for and co-ower of Chicago's 4 Star...

Show us policy for Olympics cost overruns.(Viewpoint essay)
July 9, 2007... It's time for Mayor Richard M. Daley and Patrick Ryan to come clean with the people of Chicago on the insurance policy the two men claim to have secured against cost overruns arising from the 2016 Olympics. As part of the sales pitch to...

Asia blues hit United; Sputtering Pacific routes jeopardize turnaround strategy.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: PAUL MERRION United Airlines is leveling off in Asia, a lucrative market essential to the carrier's recovery plan. After two years of double-digit gains, United's passenger traffic on Pacific routes rose just 1.3% in 2006, and...

Her fortune's tied to cookies; Kraft CEO makes bet on $7.2-billion takeover in Europe.(News)(Irene Rosenfeld )(Interview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Irene Rosenfeld is adding a riskier ingredient to the plain-vanilla recipe she's touted for turning around Kraft Foods Inc. Last week's $7.2-billion offer for Group Danone's cookie business gives Kraft a chance...

Push-back on privatization; House bill would trim $100 mil. off Midway deal.(News)(Midway International Airport)
July 9, 2007... Byline: PAUL MERRION Legislation pending in Congress could knock almost $100 million off Midway International Airport's privatization payoff for Chicago. Although it's not a deal-killer, the bill is another sign of congressional...

WALGREEN PROGNOSIS: A DROP-OFF IN GENERICS; Blockbuster knockoffs, a key revenue source, set to dwindle in 2008.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE The steady flow of blockbuster generic drugs that's boosted sales and profit at Walgreen Co. in the past two years is poised to slow. Generic versions of drugs like sleep aid Ambien and blood-pressure...

Barrier to success: one weak spot; So much potential, but a single character flaw can derail a career; always late, overly shy or arrogant.(Business of Life)
July 9, 2007... Byline: RITA PYRILLIS When self-made millionaire Chris Gardner was looking for smart and ambitious brokers to help launch his Chicago brokerage firm, Gardner Rich LLC, one candidate stood out from the others-a charismatic young man with a...

Nick's fish is fresh, but ambience shows age; Well-done cuisine best enjoyed in bright Grill.(Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
July 9, 2007... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Celebrating 30 years in the Loop this year, Nick's Fishmarket still manages to appeal to a wide-ranging crowd in an enviable location. The fresh, modern side of Nick's is the upstairs Grill. Decor, menu and...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
July 9, 2007... MUSIC Rush Hour Concert: China Huron Street and Wabash Avenue (312) 787-7360 www.rushhourconcerts.org Happy hour 5:15 p.m., concert 5:45 p.m. Tuesday Free Unwind at a post-work chamber music concert performed by...

Bargain course full of trees, steep hills; Short Villa Olivia still serves up challenges.(Business of Life)(Company overview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Villa Olivia, a golf course in the summer and ski facility in the winter, has been family-owned for 40 years and has changed little over time. But something is afoot now: The Corrado family has gone to court seeking...

Moving city up from No. 3 spot for big shows.(People)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Brandon Glenn Job: Managing director of convention sales, Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, since June 4. Vitals: 42 years old; bachelor's in business administration, University of San Diego, 1983; MBA, Loyola University...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
July 9, 2007... 5 Minutes it takes a bike messenger to get from the John Hancock Center to the Sears Tower. $60 Cost of a two-hour Segway tour of Chicago. 150,000 Commuters who use Chicago Water Taxi's service (right) each year. ...

NO SMALL PLANS FOR DESIGN DUO; How an obscure firm became the hottest name in Chicago architecture.(News)(architects Ronald Krueck, Mark Sexton)
July 9, 2007... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Millennium Park's Crown Fountain-an admixture of cascading water, black granite and gigantic faces projected onto glass block-has been a stepping stone for the architects who brought it to life. Ronald Krueck and...

Move it, Chicago; FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SPEED AND STRENGTH.(Focus: Small Business)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Thomas Mucha Chicago has always been a city on the move. Boats have been visiting our shores for centuries. Construction on the el began in the 1890s. By 1900 we were the nation's railroad center. Our first subway opened in...

Floating to the office.(Focus: Small Business)(Chicago Water Taxi)(Company overview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MEREDITH LANDRY It's 7 a.m. on the Chicago River. The water is calm and the sky clear blue as 30 people climb aboard a boat at the Madison Avenue dock. But this is no pleasure cruise. They're going to work. Since 1962,...

No manpower required; Heavy loads, long roads and a woman trucker.(Focus: Small Business)(Michelle Pietzke )(Interview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MEREDITH LANDRY It's before sunrise on a long stretch of empty highway somewhere on the way from Illinois to Kentucky. Michelle Pietzke keeps a steady 60-mph pace from her captain's seat above the passing cars. The last 300...

Dr. Heckle and Mr. Ride; It's not all fun and games while touring Chicago on a Segway.(Focus: Small Business)(City Segway Tours Inc.)(Company overview)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MEREDITH LANDRY It's rush hour on Michigan Avenue. Drivers sit in gridlock, honking. Ambulances scream around them, sirens wailing. And above the din, John Darey can hear someone yelling. "Hey, buddy! You've got two legs, you...

Correction.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
July 9, 2007... A quote in the Taking Names column (" `Purple' tickets hit discount circuit,'' July 2) was incorrectly attributed to Roche Schulfer, executive director of the Goodman Theatre. The source was another theater industry insider who asked not to be...

Neighbors tangle over lift to high life.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos When Harvey Camins listed his 26th-floor condo at 680 Tower Residence on Lake Shore Drive, he described the 360-degree views, De Giulio kitchen and "private elevator to own floor!'' But downstairs, on the 14th floor,...

Pooped parties; WITH DEMS DEADLOCKED, GOP COMATOSE, ILLINOIS NEEDS A REAL ALTERNATIVE.(News)(Column)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Greg Hinz I want another choice. After weeks of watching Springfield Democrats brawl away a historic opportunity to remake Illinois' spending priorities and Washington Republicans convincingly demonstrate that they truly care...

Marlboro Man rides into the sunset; For 1st time since 1955, Philip Morris ran no print ads for the brand.(News)(Statistical data)
July 9, 2007... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON Crain News Service So long, cowboy. In 2006, for the first time since tobacco giant Philip Morris and Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett created the Marlboro Man in 1955, no Marlboro ads ran in U.S. consumer...

Material Sciences looks overseas; Coated-metal maker wants to ease reliance on domestic automakers.(News)(contracts of Nissan Maxima, Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.)(Financial report)
July 9, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Both the auto and homebuilding industries have been in retreat this year, delivering a double whammy to Material Sciences Corp. A maker of coated metals, Elk Grove Village-based Material Sciences gets close to...

Landlocked in north Cook; Last of Divine Word site in Northbrook nears a sale, marking end of era.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY One of the last big suburban development sites left in northern Cook County is about to run out of land. The Society of the Divine Word, a Roman Catholic missionary order, once controlled 780 acres around its...

Summer associates live large again; Taste of firm life: $3,000 a week, chauffeured limos-and more work, too.(Business of Life)
July 16, 2007... Byline: SHIA KAPOS At top Chicago law firms, the high-flying extravagance of the 1980s is back for summer associates, most of whom were kindergartners the last time fledgling attorneys enjoyed such luxe treatment. And there's an even...

Cornhole craze finds sweet spot.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Darci Smith Cornhole. Baggo. Beanbags. Whatever you call it, the game is not to be taken lightly in the Chicago area these days. White Sox season ticket holder Paul Talaga began playing at tailgates, where the game flourishes,...

Report criticizes McPier; Document called 'key' in restoring city to top status.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: GREGORY MEYER Trade show clients of McCormick Place and Navy Pier complain of "poor customer service'' and a "rigid and inflexible'' bureaucracy that has hurt Chicago in the competition for convention business, according to a new...

FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS GO SILENT; 100% mortgages leave little profit potential for flippers; more bad news for housing.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: VIRGINIA GROARK On a late June afternoon, Laurence Kallen stepped to the podium in the Randolph Street office that serves as his cramped auction house. Mr. Kallen had 11 foreclosed Chicago properties to sell and 10 bidders in...

For The Record.(Briefs)
July 16, 2007... Pressure mounted on CEO Edward Zander as Motorola said it expects to post a second-quarter operating loss. The company lowered its quarterly sales outlook and said its cell phone unit won't turn a profit until at least 2008 as it struggles to...

Every bite a charm at River North bistro; Kiki's attention to detail gives it staying power.(Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
July 16, 2007... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Authentic French bistro food and atmosphere mingle in a delightful way at Kiki's Bistro, a 17-year-old bastion of first-rate cooking tucked away in River North. Rustic and charming, Kiki's is a quiet refuge from...

Depositing cash.(Focus: Finance)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Samantha Stainburn Where do you keep your money? For many small and mid-sized businesses, it's not always a bank. Often, it can be a credit union or brokerage account. The service: A place to park cash-it's the definition of a...

MARKET GASSES UTILITY CHIEF'S BUYOUT BINGE; Changing its tune, Integrys now says Peoples could hurt earnings through '08; stock sinks.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS By cobbling a patchwork of mainly rural electric and gas companies into one of the largest utilities in the Midwest, Larry Weyers has crafted a reputation on Wall Street as an empire builder. But in his last two...

Construction `conduit' for children's hospital.(People)(Interview)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: Chief of new hospital design and construction, Children's Memorial Hospital. Vitals: 58 years old; bachelor's degree in biology, University of Pittsburgh, 1970; master's degree in hospital administration, Duke...