Crain's Chicago Business articles from June 2007

Crain's Chicago Business archives from June 2007

Trib deal could cost Zell $100 mil. more.(This Week)(Sam Zell has agreed to invest in Tribune Co.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Gregory Meyer Sam Zell has agreed to invest up to $100 million more in Tribune Co. next year if the company's plan to go private veers off course. A loan agreement filed last month shows Mr. Zell would supply $100 million in equity...

OFF THE BOOKS; Freelance laborers cost Illinois taxpayers more than $350 mil.(News)
June 4, 2007... Byline: BOB TITA A year ago, Mike Volpentesta threw in the towel on his 15-year-old masonry contracting business. Despite a booming construction market in Chicago, Mr. Volpentesta, a career mason, was getting consistently underbid-by wide...

Moto's stumbles mask two steps in right direction; Our view.(Opinion)
June 4, 2007... Motorola Inc.'s announcement of 4,000 more layoffs last week obscured a bit of hopeful news from the stumbling telecommunications equipment maker. Motorola, based in Schaumburg, also disclosed last week that shareholders voting at last...

Fast Fifty: The Methodology.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Interview)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... How did we find them? For starters, they found us. Crain's began seeking applications for the Fast Fifty in October. We also scoured our Crain's annual lists of public and private companies-some 500 area firms-for likely candidates. ...

Tough deadlines for Sun-Times; As losses mount, execs face a long summer of union negotiations.(News)(Sun-Times Co. )
June 4, 2007... Byline: GREGORY MEYER The chief executive of Sun-Times Media Group Inc. predicts this will be an "ugly year''-and it could get uglier as the newspaper company's labor contracts expire. Already trying to patch gaping losses, CEO Cyrus...

SPOTLIGHT JOHN ANDERSON; IIT goal: Double $300-million endowment.(People)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: President, Illinois Institute of Technology, starting Aug. 1. Vitals: 61 years old; bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, University of Delaware, 1967; master's and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering,...

Sluggish car sales leave Navteq in idle.(News)(Navteq Corp., revenue climbed )(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sandra Swanson Sluggish car sales created rough terrain last year for digital-map provider Navteq Corp., but the Chicago company hopes to offset those fluctuations with portable devices and Internet mapping services. Since...

Frankfort nears lifestyle change; $200-mil. development to include mall, condos.(News)(HSA Commercial Real Estate planse for a lifestyle shopping center)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After years of delay, retail development is poised to kick off at U.S. Routes 45 and 30 in southwest suburban Frankfort. Chicago-based HSA Commercial Inc. has acquired an empty 140-acre parcel at the northeast...

Smurfit hopes cuts bring it back to black.(News)
June 4, 2007... Byline: H. Lee Murphy Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. continues to chop overhead. The biggest U.S. maker of containerboard, the main ingredient in cardboard boxes, Chicago-based Smurfit has closed 17 plants and two mills in the past two...

NO. 41 LANDSCAPE CONCEPTS CONSTRUCTION inc. Richmond; Planting the trees, while seeing the forest.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Landscape Concepts Construction Inc. has increased revenue)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis NO. 41 LANDSCAPE CONCEPTS CONSTRUCTION inc. Richmond In 1986, Peter DeVore was 23 and working 14-hour days as a landscaper for Libertyville Superior Maintenance & Landscaping. He and 35 other workers had...

No. 46 DB aviation INC. waukegan; The wingman.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(David Brittsan joined DB Aviation Inc.)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis No. 46 DB aviation INC. waukegan David Brittsan knew nothing about planes when he joined DB Aviation Inc. as chief financial officer in 1999. But flying experience wasn't what brought him to the luxury...

No. 11 O'Brien RecyCLing Corp. franklin park; Heavy metal mover.(Focus: Fast Fifty)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis No. 11 O'Brien RecyCLing Corp. franklin park Over the past five years, O'Brien Recycling has produced 945% revenue growth for one big reason: increased demand from construction overseas. The demand for...

The Gage ramps up scene near Millennium Park; Tasty fare draws crowds to festive gastropub.(The Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
June 4, 2007... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA The Gage, a gastropub with a congenial, gracious ambiance and imaginative menu, is an overdue and impressive addition to the sparse dining scene on the stretch of South Michigan Avenue near Millennium Park. ...

Wedding flowers get snipped; Seen & noted.(The Business of Life)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Laura Bianchi Where have all the wedding flowers gone? Avant-garde brides and grooms are minimizing them in favor of organic decor mixed with bling, some local florists say. Branches, river rocks and candles, strings of...

Right place, right time, right on.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(convergint technologies llc )(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis No. 1 convergint technologies llc schaumburg For a company that grew 16,502% in five years, there has to be a good explanation. In the case of Convergint Technologies, it was a single date: Sept. 11, 2001....

Would you like Boston Market with that?(Markets)
June 4, 2007... Byline: DAVID STERRETT McDonald's Corp. sells an abundance of chicken at its burger restaurants. If only it could find someone with an appetite for its chicken chain, Boston Market. In January, Oak Brook-based McDonald's said it was...

Crain's picks.(The Business of Life)
June 4, 2007... MUSIC Poi Dog Pondering 220 S. Michigan Ave. (312) 236-3681, ext. 2 www.chicagosinfonietta.org 7:30 p.m. Monday 7900 W. Division St., River Forest 2:30 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $25-$90 The Chicago rockers...

Rush the season.(The Business of Life)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Margaret Littman Football in June? It's prime time for the Chicago Rush, the city's Arena Football League (AFL) team. The Rush, which racked up an eight-game winning streak this spring, has two regular season games remaining,...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 4, 2007... A photo caption in the Business of Life on May 28 incorrectly identified actors in "The Color Purple.'' They were Felicia P. Fields as Sofia and Stephanie St. James as Squeak.

Hospital's short a pint; Cook health bureau falls 10% shy of revenue goal, renewing fears of layoffs.(News)(Cook County Bureau of Health Services)
June 4, 2007... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Revenue at the Cook County Bureau of Health Services is 10% shy of projections already this year, a sign that administrators face an uphill battle in fixing financial problems at the beleaguered hospital system. The...

Buyout will force CDW to power up; Madison Dearborn, while piling on debt, demands big returns.(News)(CDW Corp. acquires Madison Dearborn Partners LLC)
June 4, 2007... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE CDW Corp. chief John Edwardson can't wait to escape the watchful eye of Wall Street. "They are looking at us on a very short-term basis, and it is sometimes difficult to do some of the things you need to...

Info junkie; Style.(The Business of Life)(lifestyles)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Laura Bianchi Scott Baskin, 56, president of Al Baskin Co., directs eight Mark Shale stores, four of which are in Chicago. On his sleeves, gold cufflinks. On his radar: Local political and business news from the Chicago...

Destination: nashville; Crain's picks.(The Business of Life)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford Get away: Nashville, Tenn., makes it easy for music fans to get their money's worth in just one weekend. Before you dismiss the city's sound as too twangy, check out the phenomenal "I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles...

For 2016 games, boosters should take lesson from 1893; Your view.(Opinion)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Costas Spirou Costas Spirou is a professor of social sciences at National-Louis University in Chicago. Chicago's successful bid to represent the country in the competition to host the 2016 Olympic Games is an opportunity to...

New S. Loop hotel on tap; Developers eye site next to McCormick for high-rise complex.(Pam Gleichman and Karl Norberg)
June 4, 2007... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Aiming to capitalize on the $850-million addition to McCormick Place set to open this summer, a Maine-based development group is drawing up plans for a large hotel and condominium complex across the street. Pam...

No. 15 starcon international inc. manhattan; On wielding the wrench of power.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(starcon international inc. acquires other companies employees)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah A. Klein No. 15 starcon international inc. manhattan Michael Uremovich doesn't believe in acquiring other companies. He believes in acquiring other companies' employees. In doing so, he's raised revenue at Starcon...

NO. 23 MARKETING WERKS inc. chicago; Driving the Kissmobile.(Focus: Fast Fifty)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah A. Klein NO. 23 MARKETING WERKS inc. chicago How do you market soap? You create the world's biggest shower, of course. That was the strategy, anyway, at Chicago-based Marketing Werks Inc. In 2000, it created a...

No. 5 @PROPERTIES chicago; Real estate boomers.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah A. Klein No. 5 @PROPERTIES chicago Last year, Chicago residential real estate brokerage @properties Inc. dropped $65,000 to rent Wrigley Field for a few hours so its brokers could swing bats and run bases in the firm's...

NO. 40 rc2 corp. oak brook; The real transformers.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah A. Klein NO. 40 rc2 corp. oak brook The toy business is a fickle one. Tastes change quickly and competition is intense. The businesses that succeed are nimble in adapting to kids' interests and able to transform...

CONCERT GROUP LOGISTICS, optionsxpress holdings inc., ADVANCED EQUITIES FINANCIAL CORP. CHICAGO.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(briefs)
June 4, 2007... 2. CONCERT GROUP LOGISTICS LLC DOWNERS GROVE Five-year growth: 10,545.8% 2006 revenue: $36.7 million What it does: Transports anything that weighs more than 100 pounds, such as engines or computer mainframes, for mid-sized...

TICKETSNOW INC. crystal lake, acquity group llc CHICAGO.(Acquity Group LLC.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... 6. TICKETSNOW INC. crystal lake Five-year growth: 1,157.2% 2006 revenue: $202.0 million What it does: Resells tickets to sold-out entertainment and sports events such as "Wicked'' and Chicago Cubs games. Why it grew: The...

promoworks llc schaumburg, brookdale senior living inc. CHICAGO, calamos asset mgmt. INC. naperville, addison search llc chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)
June 4, 2007... 9. promoworks llc schaumburg Five-year growth: 1,015.8% 2006 revenue: $172.5 million What it does: Distributes consumer products samples such as Pop-Tarts and Velveeta in grocery stores for clients like Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods...

MTC Performance Schaumburg, FREIGHTCAR AMERICA INC. CHICAGO, compass environmental inc. CHICAGO, guaranteed rate inc. CHICAGO, chicago granite & Marble inc. naperville, column technologies inc. DOWNERS GROVE.(Focus: Fast Fifty)
June 4, 2007... 14. MTC Performance Schaumburg Five-year growth: 724.9% 2006 revenue: $52.0 million What it does: Software company that manages employee incentive programs for retailers. Manufacturers offer incentives such as travel packages and...

Boeing gears up for dogfight in D.C. On Capitol Hill, key defense deals take flak; big spending cuts loom.(News)
June 4, 2007... Byline: PAUL MERRION WASHINGTON-Boeing Co. is facing the prospect of big cuts in key defense contracts next year. Besides the annual fight to keep Boeing's production of C-17 cargo planes alive, the House and Senate are at odds over...

Datebook.(Calendar)
June 4, 2007... THIS WEEK JUNE 4: 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. Fee: $40. (847) 295-5626. JUNE 5:...

No. 8 potbelly sandwich works LLC chicago; Setting the mood for food.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Potbelly Sandwich Works Inc.)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis No. 8 potbelly sandwich works LLC chicago On a July night in 1997, Bryant Keil was washing windows and sweeping floors to prepare for the opening of Potbelly Sandwich Works' second store. For the 20 years...

Center on Halsted opens new doors.(The Business of Life)(Patrick Sheahan speaks about the opening of the new centre)(Interview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Center on Halsted celebrates the completion of its five-year effort to build the nation's most comprehensive center for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community with an opening gala this...

Center on Halsted "Out & Open'' gala.(The Business of Life)
June 4, 2007... When: 5:30 p.m. Friday Where: Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. How much: $500 and up Who'll be there: About 1,000 guests, including politicians, Chicago's philanthropic community and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and...

BROKEN PROMISE; A financier with a deep Rolodex and lots of potential fights to save his career.(News)(Shawn Baldwin leads CMG Institutional Trading LLC)(Occupation overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER "I don't cotton to anybody who tells me they're going to shut me down . . . i've done nothing wrong.'' [Shawn Baldwin, president and CEO, CMG Institutional Trading LLC] Shawn Baldwin, handsome, 6-foot-3 and...

Doubling the tension; Worse than dating? Socializing with other couples; Ms. Formal and Mr. Casual look for new friends.(The Business of Life)
June 4, 2007... Byline: rita pyrillis Kathy and Adrian Benn love to socialize, but finding couples they both click with can be a challenge. Kathy, 50, has an MBA and moves in older, relatively reserved circles. She loves to entertain often, and in...

Finance authority ex-chief indicted.(Top Story)
June 4, 2007... Ali D. Ata was indicted on federal charges of producing a bogus document to assist Blagojevich campaign contributor Antoin Rezko in a $10-million fraud scheme. Mr. Ata, 55, of Lemont, resigned in February as chairman of the Illinois Finance...

For the record, week ended 6.1.07.(FTR)(Motorola Inc., Google Inc., Heidrick & Struggles Inc.)
June 4, 2007... Chicago's first chief emergency officer, Cortez Trotter, 53, resigned after little more than a year in the job. He'll join consulting firm James Lee Witt Associates as vice-president and director of its Midwest group. A judge upheld a...

no. 30 Morningstar CHIcago; Find niche, meet demand.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Morningstar Inc.)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah A. Klein no. 30 Morningstar CHIcago Morningstar Inc. CEO Joe Mansueto finds growth by creating products he wants to buy. Among the first was Morningstar Mutual Funds, a newsletter giving investors comprehensive...

At deadline.(Kraft Foods Inc., Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Kraft inks deal for distribution hub In what's likely to be one of the largest industrial leases of the year, Kraft Foods has leased an 806,400-square-foot distribution facility in Morris, according to Cushman & Wakefield, which...

Tandem Professional Employer Services Inc. Oak Brook, Navteq Corp. Chicago, United Scrap Metal Inc. Cicero, Ipsco Inc. Lisle, ipcs inc. schaumburg, middleby Corp. Elgin, MicroTek Downers Grove.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(briefs )
June 4, 2007... 21. Tandem Professional Employer Services Inc. Oak Brook Five-year growth: 452.4% 2006 revenue: $101.6 million What it does: Handles human resource functions like health insurance, 401(k)s and payroll for 112 small and mid-sized...

Hub International Ltd. Chicago, Vasco Data Security International Inc. Oakbrook Terrace, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. Chicago, TravelClick Inc. Schaumburg, Initiate Systems Inc. Chicago, LKQ Corp. Chicago, Little Lady Foods Inc. Elk Grove Village.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(briefs)
June 4, 2007... 29. Hub International Ltd. Chicago Five-year growth: 253.2% 2006 revenue: $543.9 MILLION What it does: Sells property, casualty, life and health insurance, mainly to commercial institutions in North America. Why it grew: Hub...

Option Care Inc. Buffalo Grove, Skender Construction Co. Palos Hills, Navigant Consulting inc. Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(briefs)
June 4, 2007... 37. Option Care Inc. Buffalo Grove Five-year growth: 203.7% 2006 revenue: $659.4 million What it does: Provides infusions such as chemotherapy at patients' homes, outpatient centers and doctors' offices. It also distributes the...

eCollege.com Chicago, Universal Scrap Metals Inc. Chicago, Interior Investments LLC Lincolnshire, Parksite Group Batavia.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(briefs)
June 4, 2007... 42. eCollege.com Chicago Five-year growth: 162.4% 2006 revenue: $52.1 million What it does: Makes Web-based software that colleges and universities such as DeVry University and the University of Colorado use to build online...

Phoenix International Freight Services Ltd. Wood Dale, Print Management Partners Inc. Des Plaines, Novak Construction Co. Chicago, Andrew Corp. Westchester.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... 47. Phoenix International Freight Services Ltd. Wood Dale Five-year growth: 140.2% 2006 revenue: $611.0 million What it does: Ships products for U.S. companies, such as Eveready Battery Co. and Bass Pro Inc., from manufacturing...

HIGH-FLYING STOCKS MAY LOSE SOME ALTITUDE; A Conversation with Money Manager Mark C. Soehn.(Markets)(Interview)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Mark C. Soehn, 36, principal and managing director, Financial Solutions Advisory Group Inc., Chicago Experience: 11 years Assets under management: $120 million CRAIN'S: Where do you think U.S. stocks...

Rising prices aid maker of sweetener.(News)
June 4, 2007... Byline: H. Lee Murphy Corn Products International Inc., the Westchester-based maker of high-fructose corn syrup, is on a growth track, despite a rise in prices for its namesake commodity. First-quarter net income more than doubled to...

On the move.(People)
June 4, 2007... ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT Morton Arboretum, Lisle: Monica Salomon, 35, to director of development operations, from director of development operations and research at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. FINANCIAL SERVICES Grigsby & Associates...

Fast Fifty.(Focus: Fast Fifty )(Deloitte & Touche L.L.P. growth)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christina Galoozis and Sarah A. Klein with assistance from Deloitte & Touche If business is about growth, these Chicago-area companies know business. They averaged a five-year growth rate of 1,207% and employ 85,300. Together,...

Coming attraction: Music Box Films; Theater owner entering movie distribution field.
June 11, 2007... Byline: PATRICK Z. MCGAVIN The owner of the Music Box Theatre, the independent movie theater on the city's North Side, is getting into the film distribution business. Less than four years after taking control of the Music Box, William...

Real estate info with a twist; Blockshopper.com posts stories, photos of those buying, selling homes.(service introduction of web sites)
June 11, 2007... Byline: VIRGINIA GROARK A former political operative has launched a Web site offering information that used to be shared over backyard fences-namely, who is buying and selling homes. Brian Timpone, a media consultant and onetime press...

This Week: City seeks new bids for Midway manager.(Late News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Paul Merrion Chicago is rebidding a comprehensive Midway Airport management contract that expires at yearend. The original four-year contract with Facility Services Professionals of Chicago, which has cost about $54 million since...

O'Hare stuck in downdraft; Passenger traffic hit 4-year low last year, and it's still sinking.(News)
June 11, 2007... Byline: PAUL MERRION The world's second-busiest airport may not seem any less crowded these days, but it is. About 300,000 fewer passengers boarded planes or connected through O'Hare International Airport last year, the first decline...

Destination: The Hamptons.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis spent much of her girlhood on Long Island's east end, and the summer-home capital's reputation for opulence has only grown since. From Manhattan, the area is a 50-minute chartered Air...

WATCHING YOUR WEIGHT: HEALTHY INVESTOR NEEDS TO DIVERSIFY; My Take: A conversation with money manager Jim Mosteller.(Markets)(Interview)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Bruce Blythe Jim Mosteller, 38, president, Liberty Asset Management Inc., Willowbrook Experience: 15 years Assets under management: $30 million Crain's: Your firm does estate planning and investing for clients nearing...

Crain's Web site wins award.(News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... ChicagoBusiness.com, the Web site of Crain's Chicago Business, won a 2007 Eppy Award for best business site in its category: fewer than 1 million unique visitors per month. The honor, one of 33 awards recognizing excellence in design and...

Death and business; FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF INEVITABILITY.(economic aspects and management of funeral industry)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Thomas Mucha Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for, thou are not so. Whatever you think of these immortal words by 17th-century English poet John Donne, it's hard to argue with death's...

Train Wreck; POLITICAL AND BUSINESS LEADERS STAND BY AS MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM HEADS FOR MELTDOWN.(management and finance of local transit)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Greg Hinz They declared a crisis. The world yawned. That's the sorry situation in which Chicago Transit Authority officials-and hundreds of thousands of commuters-find themselves as powerbrokers all but ignore the CTA's threats...

Will CBOT deal melt ICE stock? Past price dips suggest Merc rival's offer may not be as rich as it seems.(influence of merger on stocks of IntercontinentalExchange Inc.)
June 11, 2007... Byline: ANN SAPHIR At current prices, the IntercontinentalExchange Inc.'s all-stock offer for the Chicago Board of Trade is 7% higher than a competing bid by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. But Intercontinental's bid may not be as...

Union Station tower takes step forward; Developer seeking city subsidy for an 18-story addition.
June 11, 2007... Byline: ALBY GALLUN A plan to build an 18-story tower atop Union Station in the West Loop is poised to clear a major hurdle Tuesday, when a city panel considers providing a multimillion-dollar subsidy to help finance the long-awaited...

Outsourcing embalming; How regulation is changing one aspect of the industry.
June 11, 2007... Byline: EMILY STONE As a child, Melissa Johnson knew it was unusual that she lived above her parents' embalming business, where dead bodies often lay awaiting funerals. Her father, Edward, would often leave their North Side home...

At Deadline.(Briefs)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Playboy stakes out space on Second Life Playboy cuts the ribbon Tuesday on a rabbit head-shaped virtual island inside Second Life, the 3-D online community. Visitors will be able to lounge on the beach, buy imaginary stuff for their online...

Potbelly teams with Starbucks; Sandwich maker tests breakfast expansion.(News)
June 11, 2007... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Potbelly Sandwich Works will begin selling Starbucks coffee and adding breakfast at additional stores on Monday as it expands in one of the most competitive areas of the restaurant industry. "Certainly one reason...

On the Move.(People)(appointments)
June 11, 2007... CONSUMER SERVICES Chicago Chocolate Co., Chicago: Todd Moore, 40, to chief operating officer, from vice-president. Classic Residence by Hyatt, Chicago: Diane Cook, 48, to vice-president of human resources, from regional director. ...

2nd-home debate: when to be where; Country calls, but city social events do, too; escapees become expert at mollifying spouses, friends and charity boards.
June 11, 2007... Byline: SHIA KAPOS It's the season to mend fences for summer homeowners whose friends and family disagree about how much time should be spent away from the city. Couples who trek to Michigan and Wisconsin for long country weekends may...

Trying to keep the living easy.(expenses incurred on home furnishings)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli Some second-home owners decorate their getaways to the hilt. Others, seeking a holiday from housework, merely furnish the place and leave it at that. Robin Lin Duvall spent less than a week and about $3,000...

Six decades of life and death; A. A. Rayner & Sons, a South Side survivor.(management of funeral industry)
June 11, 2007... Byline: EMILY STONE Few funerals have had as profound an effect on U.S. history as Emmett Till's. The black teenager from Chicago was beaten, shot and thrown in a river with a 75-pound cotton gin fan tied to his neck for allegedly...

Plan for the worst.(Louis Harrison is a lawyer working with Harrison & Held LLP)(Interview)
June 11, 2007... Byline: emily stone You will die. And, yes, you will need a lawyer. Enter Louis Harrison, an estate planner with Harrison & Held LLP, a boutique law firm in Chicago that handles clients with assets of $10 million or more. Mr. Harrison, 48,...

Easing grief with style; The art of a lasting impression.(services of Judy Paradee as an hairdresser for the dead)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Emily Stone Judy Paradee is a hairdresser. For the dead. She travels the Chicago area in her black Buick with a shoulder bag filled with combs, a curling iron, hair spray and nail polish. Going from funeral home to funeral...

Memories cast in stones; Des Plaines firm turns ashes into diamonds.(services of LifeGem)
June 11, 2007... Byline: EMILY STONE Barbara Deaver has a half-carat blue diamond necklace made from her husband's ashes. "It's just so comforting to grab it,'' she says. "It's him. He's with me always.'' Ms. Deaver's husband, John, died in July,...

The guiding hand of St. Benedict; Monks get their casket business off the ground.
June 11, 2007... Byline: EMILY STONE Catholic monks are required to financially support their monastic life, and those who don't work as teachers usually run farms or raise livestock. But that's not possible for the Benedictine monks at the Monastery...

Lawson Products weighs cost cuts.(Annual Meetings)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Byline: H. Lee Murphy The new CEO of Lawson Products Inc. hopes to bring a dose of modern technology to the old-school distributor of industrial products. Thomas Neri, 55, the company's former president and chief operating officer,...

PCA seeks buyout targets.(Annual Meetings)(Packaging Corp. of America)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Byline: John T. Slania Packaging Corp. of America had record profits each of the past three quarters. But the company's good fortune is due largely to factors outside of its control. So the paper container maker is taking...

Career Ed to add new campuses.(Annual Meetings)(Career Education Corp.)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Byline: H. Lee Murphy With a new CEO and a fresh start with government regulators, Career Education Corp. is poised to begin adding campuses again. In recent months, the U.S. Department of Education, Justice Department and Securities...

LKQ to raise pace of its acquisitions.(Annual Meetings)
June 11, 2007... Byline: H. Lee Murphy In the first quarter, LKQ Corp., a Chicago recycler of auto parts and owner of junkyards, made five acquisitions. CEO Joseph M. Holsten was a bit disappointed. "We're actually behind the pace we were at a year ago...

Renters keep their options open; They're loyal to favorite spot-but no rush to own.(discussions about Cathy Edwards family vacations)
June 11, 2007... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI For the last 57 years, Cathy Edwards' family has vacationed in the same two-bedroom beach house in Manistee, Mich., a lakeside city 175 miles north of Chicago. Ms. Edwards, 44, and any given combination of her...

Distant locales for exotic tastes; Wine country brings couple to Tuscany.(designs and construction of houses)
June 11, 2007... Wisconsin and Michigan aren't exotic enough for some second- or third-home buyers. A real vacation home for this crowd requires a passport, an airline ticket and possibly a second language. Clifford and Donna Weaver divide their time among...

Cubs ownership is in the hands of 'lords of baseball'.(economic activities of baseball clubs)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lester Munson Lester Munson is a locally based writer and commentator. My private-equity group is working on its offer to purchase the Chicago Cubs. We expect to blow away other would-be buyers when Tribune Co. and Sam Zell...

Need To Know.(Focus: Small Business)(briefs)(Statistical data)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Sources: Graveyards.com, U.S. Census Bureau, CNN, Anomalies-Unlimited.com 350 Acreage of Chicago's largest cemetery, Rosehill. 105,325 Number of people who died in Illinois in 2003. 100,000 Approximate number...

Waiting to exhale; Day of reckoning nears as biotech firm Advanced Life awaits trial results on new treatment for pneumonia.(Markets)(cethromycin)
June 11, 2007... Byline: MIKE COLIAS A local biotechnology company will either be breathing a lot easier in coming weeks, or it may be near its last gasp. Advanced Life Sciences Holdings Inc. is counting on favorable results later this month from a...