Crain's Chicago Business articles from March 2005

Crain's Chicago Business archives from March 2005

DiamondCluster CEO sets sign-off date.(Markets)(DiamondCluster International Inc.)(Melvyn Bergstein is going to resign)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Melvyn Bergstein is stepping down as CEO of DiamondCluster International Inc., the information technology consulting firm he founded 11 years ago. Mr. Bergstein, 62, says he'll hand off the job in March 2006....

Costs rising at McCormick; Addition price nears $880 mil., $78 mil. over first estimate.(News)(McCormick Place)
March 7, 2005... Byline: KRISTINA BUCHTHAL The tab for the McCormick Place expansion is rising as the convention center adds bells and whistles-and does some work for City Hall. Originally estimated at $800 million, the projected price tag for the...

View shaper.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Dan Weissmann Adrian Smith, 60, a consulting partner at Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP, served as master planner for Millennium Park. He's also the architect for Donald Trump's tower on the Chicago River. But his media sources...

Fast sellers vs slow: Suburbs.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... These homes sit less than three miles apart in Barrington Hills. One sold in two days, while the other has been on the market more than two years. 74 Brinker Road Bedrooms: 4 Total rooms: 17 Lot size: 5 acres Asking...

Meat exec builds a prime kitchen.(The Business of Life)(Jamie Calvetti the president of James C. Calvetti Meats Inc.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Laura Bianchi Jamie Calvetti, president of James C. Calvetti Meats Inc., often takes work home with him and cooks it up at his stylish condo in Metropolitan Place near Union Station. At company headquarters in Chicago's old...

Retail chains seek Roosevelt roost; Southgate Market is latest project on Near S. Side.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ALBY GALLUN A Chicago developer plans to break ground this month on a 320,000-square-foot shopping center in the South Loop, the biggest retail project yet along the emerging Roosevelt Road shopping strip. JPS Interests is in...

U.K. consultant expands here.(News)(United Kingdom consultant PIPC Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH London-based consultancy PIPC Inc. will set up shop in Chicago next month to expand its business in the U.S. The 13-year-old firm, which now employs more than 120 consultants in Sydney, Australia; Wellington,...

3G tech key to Andrew's revival; New networks could drive major growth.(News)(growth and company forecasts of Andrew Corp.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After some decidedly lean years in the telecommunications marketplace, component suppliers such as Andrew Corp. can look forward to significant growth over the next three years as new technology rolls out around the...

Spotlight: Transit expert merges truck, rail issues.(People)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Merrion Job: Director of public and intermodal transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation. Vitals: 34 years old; bachelor's degree in political science and economics, University of Rochester, New York, 1993;...

Kraft CEO pledges a faster culture; Controller appointed to new exec post leads simplification effort.(News)(Appointment of David Brearton)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Crain News Service True to type, Kraft Foods Inc. has found a way to make speeding up and simplifying its business sound slow and complicated. Acknowledging its unwieldy, bureaucratic ways, Kraft CEO Roger...

Fast sellers vs slow: Chicago.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Broker Timothy K. O'Neil sold two houses a block apart in Lakeview in the past two years. One sold in 28 days; the other took 11 months. 3449 N. Janssen Ave. Bedrooms: 5 Total rooms: 14 Lot size: 11/2 Chicago lots Asking...

Late News.
March 7, 2005... Buffett plans biz jet service at Midway Investor Warren Buffett plans to launch a scheduled business jet service from Midway Airport to the New York area with 30 round trips a week. Cincinnati-based Executive Jet Management, a unit of...

About to hit $1 million? What factors put area in position to 'pop'- and which may be next.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DAN RAFTER The $1-million mark is the unofficial sign that a neighborhood has arrived. The challenge to buyers is to find that next million-dollar neighborhood-first. Savvy real estate agents and property managers agree that...

Condo flippers keep busy; Downtown sales surge revitalizes speculators.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Ronald M. Fajerstein worried about an overbuilt downtown condominium market, but the temptation to buy and flip a condo was too strong to resist. So he signed a contract in 2002 to pay about $1.1 million for two...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
March 7, 2005... THIS Week MARCH 7: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Resume Preparation and Presentation. 10:15 a.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Center, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Fee: $40. (847) 295-5626. MARCH 7:...

Why big cuts are looming at Aon; Settlement creates urgency to jump-start subpar margins.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEVE DANIELS There may be only one thing more painful than Aon Corp.'s $190-million settlement last week with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer: the bloody cost-cutting that inevitably will follow. Leaving out the...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
March 7, 2005... THIS WEEK MARCH 7-10: National Manufacturing Week, McCormick Place South, estimated attendance 27,000. MARCH 8-10: Pulse Urban Apparel Show, Merchandise Mart, estimated attendance 1,000. MARCH 8-13: Illinois Education Assn., Hyatt...

Few 'bubble' fears in Chicago market; What, us worry? Not with strong home sales, steady price increases.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DAN RAFTER While experts across the nation debate whether a real estate "bubble'' exists-in other words, whether homeowners are due for a nasty shock when their homes suddenly stop appreciating at the sky-high rates to which...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
March 7, 2005... * Crain's list of Illinois' Largest Verdicts and Settlements in 2004 (Feb. 28) incorrectly stated a 4-year-old son had died in the Yoder v. Ferguson case. The child was a girl. * Jay Paul Deratany was the lead plaintiffs attorney in Jones...

Meatless address.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... River North is home to one of downtown's few vegan restaurants, Karyn's Cooked, 738 N. Wells St., (312) 587-1050. Vegans eat no animal products, including dairy, eggs and honey. A steak sandwich ($8.50) here is made from tofu; pizza ($9.50) is...

Amid the condos: old-world flavor; Club-style Italian thrives amid new-housing boom.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ANNE MOORE In River North, newly constructed glass-walled condos and limestone-clad single-family homes are the latest ingredient in a neighborhood whose residents converted factories and warehouses into loft homes during the...

Frank Lloyd Write House: Why It Sold Twice.(Crain's List)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Mark Scheffler The long history of the Peter A. Beachy house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, grew more intriguing last year when it was bought and sold twice in four months. The house, listed at $2.1 million, inspired a secretive...

Businesses - and students - need a tax break.(Opinion)
March 7, 2005... It's time to fix our property tax and school funding systems, which overcharge businesses and shortchange kids in low-income school districts. Illinois relies on local property taxes to fund schools. Wealthy communities with higher...

Clubs longing for youth; Exclusivity, formality no longer a draw.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MARK SCHEFFLER Though the private social club has outlasted the three-martini lunch and the Model T Ford, many of them have struggled to shake the hoary images that make it difficult to attract young members. Chicago's...

Changing spaces; Moving can be a curse or a blessing for a club.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The Cliff Dwellers spent nearly 90 years perched atop Orchestra Hall before getting evicted in 1996. At the time, the eviction notice seemed like a death sentence for the arts and literary club, whose members...

For rent: a luxury lifestyle; Retiring, newly alone, testing out downtown; many reasons not to buy.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI With the money they're sinking into their Near North Side apartments, high-end renters could afford equally posh homes, particularly with mortgage rates at about 5.5%. Seems crazy to do what's commonly called...

Lunch at the club; We drop in to dine at some of downtown Chicago's plushest members-only dining rooms.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Union League Club of Chicago First impressions: A grand ballroom; soaring, airy, elegant space with 28-foot-high ceilings and walls adorned with a museum-like collection of paintings. Like dining in a wing of the...

Latest amenity: your own cubicle; Club members get use of well-equipped space.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STUART LUMAN Steven Infante, a Cisco Systems Inc. sales manager who lives in Plainfield, is a member of the 410 Club, a private dining club on the first floor of the Wrigley Building. Since joining the club less than a year ago,...

Cut in Nicor hike proposed; ICC staff recommends two-thirds reduction of price increase request.(News)(Illinois Commerce Commission)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Staff of the Illinois Commerce Commission last week proposed shrinking by two thirds Nicor Inc.'s requested 16% price hike for natural gas delivery. But the staff's recommendation for the smaller increase-$28...

Orbitz sues ex-tech executive; Complaint centering on rival travel system.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: KRISTINA BUCHTHAL Orbitz LLC is suing its former technology strategist over his computerized ticketing system for large travel agents, a segment of the airline reservations business into which the Chicago-based travel site wants to...

Ronald McDonald houses, charity unite; Officials expect merger will cut costs 13%, place organization for growth.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN The four Chicago-area Ronald McDonald House Charities organizations have merged in an attempt to eliminate redundant costs and boost their profile. Previously, the area's three Ronald McDonald Houses-which serve...

Curator on condos: Taking a historic view.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Mark Scheffler To get a snapshot of the multifamily residential housing scene in Chicago, Martha Thorne, associate curator of architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago, has spent the last several years collecting sales brochures...

Gatekeepers; Nobody knows Chicago's private clubs better than their doormen.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SANDRA SWANSON Marvin Sims University Club of Chicago Marvin Sims remembers a time when a cloud of cigar smoke conveyed prestige. "When you walked in the door, you could really smell it,'' says Mr. Sims. "You knew you were...

Extra, extra: Trib eyes tab version; Sizing up appeal to younger readers.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN The Chicago Tribune is considering a tabloid version of its main edition, according to two Tribune employees who have seen working prototypes of the project. Pondering a tabloid version of the 157-year-old...

May-Federated merger could add to overstock of space; Expected to shut 75-100 stores even as other retailers jettison sites.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SANDRA JONES The pending sale of Marshall Field's parent will unleash another wave of department store space on a market that's getting set to absorb the castoffs of Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Holding Corp. and still sopping...

Aon settles for $190 million.(Briefs)(Aon Corp)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Aon will pay policyholders $190 million over 21/2 years as part of its settlement with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and his counterparts in Illinois and Connecticut. Aon clients who began or renewed policies between Jan. 1, 2001, and...

A-List Amenities.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... What makes a rental worth $3,000 or more a month? Hotel-like service sets apart the most luxurious properties. This may include valet dry cleaning and parking; morning wake-up calls with personal reminders about the day's appointments, or free...

Charities ask much of a few; Children's next to tap busy A-list fund-raisers.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN To see just how busy the big names of Chicago philanthropy are these days, look at the star-studded group Children's Memorial Hospital has enlisted to help raise $400 million for a new building. Co-chairing the...

Staffing firm on the upswing; General Employment appears to be done with office closings.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After four years spent closing branch offices and reducing its workforce, a shrunken General Employment Enterprises Inc. is making money again amid an improving economy. A supplier of both temporary and permanent...

Ceiling setter.(The Business of Life)(Rick Hiton & Associates)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Matt Carmichael Rick Hiton, 49, president of Rick Hiton & Associates real estate appraisers Salary: $250,000 to $350,000 Years on the job: 24 Duties: Managing 14-person staff, which has done 70,000 appraisals, and...

Seeking cleaner coal plants; Ill. firm is working with DOE on method to remove pollutants.(News)(Jupiter Oxygen Corp.)(Greenhouse Gas Separation Systems Inc.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: TRACY HAYHURST Crain News Service Coal-fired power plants, the largest source of mercury emissions in the U.S., may have a practical way to capture mercury and carbon dioxide using the combination of a patented combustion technology...

What $1 million buys; Two bedrooms or five? Balcony or outdoor kitchen? Profiles of six very different properties.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: GRETCHEN WAHL What does $1 million add up to in the Chicago-area residential real estate market? Recent listings from three Chicago neighborhoods and three suburbs range from a jewel-box balcony in the sky to a ranch house that...

On the Move.(People)
March 7, 2005... ARTS Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago: Sharon M. Flanagan, 39, to director and continuing as principal at McKinsey & Co. Also, Nicholas A. Long, 31, to director and continuing as associate at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Ahnal...

Business Clubs and Organizations; In downtown Chicago, you can't swing your briefcase without hitting some kind of private club or business group. And while it would be impossible to list every such organization in the city, here's a sampling of the most prominent and interesting.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)(Directory)
March 7, 2005... *Dues are monthly unless otherwise noted Commercial Club of Chicago 21 S. Clark St. (312) 853-1200 www.commercialclubchicago.org Founded: 1877 Members: 480 Amenities: None (meets at Chicago Club) Must...

Wooing tourists to Loop; State Street group works with New York firm to attract more shoppers.(News)(Greater State Street Council works with sLab Architecture LLC )
March 7, 2005... Byline: SANDRA JONES Leave it to two guys from New York to come up with outlandish ways to dress up the Loop. The Greater State Street Council is working with New York-based urban design firm sLab Architecture LLC to "brand'' the Loop...

For the Record.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Marshall Field's is set to change hands again, as parent May Department Stores agreed to be acquired by Federated Department Stores for $11 billion in cash and stock. United Airlines' discount carrier Ted plans to expand its fleet by 20%...

ILLINI HOOPS GLORY FAILS TO UPLIFT CAMPUS; Applications decline, budget cuts dampen attention-getting season; an office in turmoil.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER The University of Illinois basketball team has made being No. 1 look easy. If only it were so for the university's other ambitious goal: becoming the nation's top-ranked public university. In fact, while the...

AAR lands United's 737 outsourcing; Pact boosts firm in jet maintenance market.(Markets)(AAR Corp.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON AAR Corp. has landed a plum customer for its hulking jet maintenance hangars in Indianapolis: United Airlines, the facility's former owner. The deal vaults Wood Dale-based AAR into the top ranks of aircraft...

Keep the research pipeline filled, or development will lag.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Hermann A. Grunder Research and development is the engine that drives economic growth. But what's often overlooked is that most R&D funding supports development. And in the long run, there can be no "D'' without "R.'' ...

Stock Report: Air Force nod boosts Boeing.(Markets)(United States. Air Force)(Boeing Co.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Julie Johnsson Boeing Co. shares rocketed to $58.38 last week, the highest level in four years, on news that the U.S. Air Force would again allow the aerospace giant to launch government satellites-clearing one of the ethical...

I've been in my house awhile; what's the most important update to keep it competitive?(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Darci Smith "After 10 years you probably are looking at rehabbing the kitchen and bath,'' says Darlene Little, president of the Chicago Assn. of Realtors. "Do they absolutely have to be the latest thing out? No, -but if they are,...

BUILDER FACES RE-FI, AGAIN; Developer Carley aims for more time to pay off loans on Pinnacle project.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ALBY GALLUN While the downtown condo market booms all around him, luxury condo developer Christopher T. Carley is working to save his third troubled project. Mr. Carley already has obtained three loan extensions on one of his...

Train wreck; Political diddling, COMPETING AGENDAS UNDERMINE progress on TRANSIT FUNDING.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Greg Hinz The Chicago Transit Authority is threatening to chop service by 40%, leaving tens of thousands of commuters stuck. At least it has a chairman, something the Regional Transportation Authority has lacked for eight months....

Kraft meat biz looking like sale candidate; Would Sara Lee make a play for crosstown rival's Oscar Mayer?(Markets)(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Sara Lee Corp.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JULIE JARGON Oscar Mayer looks like an odd man out at Kraft Foods Inc., but it could fit in at Sara Lee Corp. Kraft CEO Roger Deromedi left meat off the list of businesses the Northfield-based company will focus on as it tries...

NEED TO KNOW.(Focus: Downtown Clubs)(Chicago clubs)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... May 1, 1869: Founding of the Chicago Club, the city's oldest private club. 1987: Chicago passes a city ordinance banning sex discrimination at private clubs (Union League Club of Chicago and Tavern Club were last to comply). 1989:...

ONLINE POLL: Why would you join a private club?(Focus: Downtown Clubs)
March 7, 2005... A To impress clients B Workout facilities C Workstations D Social events E To escape from the riffraff Go to ChicagoBusiness.com/poll to add your input.

CRAIN'S LIST: HIGH-END HOME SALES; Rankings include most expensive home and condo sales in the six-county area in 2004. Listings provided by Record Information Services, which gathers data from county deeds.(The Business of Life)(Public Notice)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Additional research by Katrina D. Fenrick * COOK COUNTY Homes that sold for more than $2 million in 2004; sales in the city of Chicago are listed separately, starting on Page 56. * Barrington $4,738,500 1089...

DESIGNER KITCHENS.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... When Ellen Miller remodeled her 100-year-old home in Lakeview, a designer kitchen was a top priority. "Since our kitchen is the focal point of the house, we wanted something that really stood out," she says. Her choice: the Snaidero Smeraldo,...

Wine cellars.(The Business of Life)(General Electric Co. build a wine vault as apart of it's Monogram)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Don Nolan's wine collection rests comfortably in a 1,200-bottle wine cellar in his Winnetka home. The room is well-insulated to ensure a consistent 57 degrees and humidity level of 55% to 60%. A custom cellar calls for cooling equipment, racks...

wood-fired ovens.(The Business of Life)
March 7, 2005... Green City Market President Abby Mandel is so enamored of the Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven she has at her winter home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., she's tempted to install one at her Chicago home, as well. "I hate doing without it during the...

outdoor kitchens.(The Business of Life)(home renovations)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... In a climate like Chicago's, enjoying the milder months is a priority-and bringing the comforts of home outside often begins with the kitchen. One-third of the $200 billion spent on residential remodeling and renovation in 2004 was for outdoor...

home automation systems.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Darci Smith Today's version of "smart home" technology is Mensa-worthy. With the touch of a screen, homeowners can open gates, operate security cameras, select music and control radiant heating, says Abe Abrahamian, custom...

Cheaper benefits are out there, experts say.(small business)(Interview)
March 14, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Alexandra Jung of Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Chicago has spent 10 years designing health programs for employers that want to reduce hospitalization costs by treating serious illnesses early, or by preventing diseases...

On-the-job training; Want employees to get healthy? Bribe them.(Chicago Consulting Actuaries LLC)
March 14, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Most small business owners think that an elaborate fitness program is a luxury only a large corporation can afford. But leave it to a group of actuaries to calculate that it's worth the risk. Chicago Consulting...

Smart and healthy; Health costs go up, and entrepreneurs rise to the occasion.(Focus: Small Business)
March 14, 2005... Byline: LAURA KOSS-FEDER Entrepreneurs who can't keep up with rising health insurance premiums have to get creative. Consider the case of Federal Screw Products Inc. In an effort to avoid a 35% increase in health care premiums,...

PBGC moves on United plan.(Briefs)(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The U.S. agency that backs corporate pensions said it was moving to take over United Airlines ground employees' pension plan, which was only 30% funded. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said it would guarantee payment of an estimated $2.1...

For the Record.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Sears shareholders were advised by corporate governance consultancy Institutional Shareholder Services to vote in favor of the proposed takeover by Kmart Holding. Comcast agreed to a $1-billion deal to buy TV set-top boxes from Motorola....

Local theater executive eyes Vietnam market; Deal would double movie screens there.(News)(Envoy Media Partners Ltd.)
March 14, 2005... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN A veteran Chicago movie theater executive has won approval to build the first American-style multiplexes in Vietnam. Richard A. Rosenfield sold his family's long-held business, the 100-screen M&R Theater chain,...

How petty can it get at United? Pilots, management clash over water rights.
March 14, 2005... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON As if massive layoffs, wage concessions and the prospect of losing billions of dollars in pension benefits were not quite enough, United Airlines is now reminding pilots to take it easy on the bottled water. A...

Is this justice? AVERAGE U.S. MURDER SENTENCE: 15 YEARS; What Feds seek for Segal: 30 Years.(Michael Segal)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Greg Hinz When former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow last year pleaded guilty to fraud charges-fraud that helped cause investors to lose billions of dollars-he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When one-time...

Doc insurer's payouts dip; Still no rate cut in sight even as CEO pulls down $900K.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Medical malpractice payouts have fallen 10% at the state's largest physician insurer, but executives don't appear ready to cut doctors' insurance premiums yet. ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co. paid out $150.4 million...

Retirees go uncovered; Even long-time employees get left out due to cost crunch.(Focus: Small Business)
March 14, 2005... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU It sounds like a great idea: Reward longtime workers by extending their health benefits into retirement. But when health insurance premiums can rise more than $100,000 in a given year, most small business owners...

Plans wobble for Block 37; City, developer still don't have deal; Mills seeks input from new architect.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: GREG HINZ AND ALBY GALLUN A batch of new woes is afflicting the latest plan to develop the Central Loop's long-vacant Block 37. Tension is rising among city bureaucrats and between the city and designated developer Mills Corp.,...

Toy shops' creative edge; Traditional play fills a wish from parents; activating little minds.(The Business of Life)
March 14, 2005... Byline: MARY KANE Picky parents may tolerate a smattering of Spider-Man action figures and Kelly dolls, but eventually they'll pursue a toy that's unique, safe, developmentally appropriate and maybe even able to help a child master a new...

Pasta Market.(The Business of Life)
March 14, 2005... There are two new ways to get fresh, handmade, organic pastas from Windy City Pasta Works, a favorite at farmers markets with offerings like butternut squash ravioli or Swiss chard tagliatelle ($10 to $20 per pound). Its market and cafe is...

How do you prevent paper cuts when handling piles of documents?(The Business of Life)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Dan Weissmann Align sheets as closely as possible. "It's the sheets sticking out that are going to get you,'' says Chris Burke, a partner and 35-year veteran at Chicago-based Salsedo Press Inc. He suggests pinching each side...

On the Move.(People)
March 14, 2005... CONSUMER SERVICES Bally total fitness Holding Corp., Chicago: David Reynolds, 51, to controller, from senior vice-president and controller at Comdisco Inc. DOUBLETREE HOTEL CHICAGO-Oak BROOK, Oak Brook: Andrew Aldrich, 41, to general...

Creative Toys.(toy stores)(Directory)
March 14, 2005... Toys Et Cetera www.toysetcetera.com 5211 S. Harper Ave. (773) 324-6039 2037 N. Clybourn Ave. (773) 348-1772 711 Main St., Evanston (847) 475-7172 Nancy Stanek, who opened her Hyde Park store in 1976, has watched toy...

Lincoln Park historic plan cheers landowners; But preservationists boo alderman's proposal, cite tainted process.(Alderman Vi Daley)
March 14, 2005... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Lincoln Park Alderman Vi Daley is drawing praise from property owners and criticism from preservationists for her recent decision to consider landmark status for just a few blocks of the affluent North Side...

Ex-Orix execs rebounding with multiple projects; After leaving last year, alums building in city, suburbs and beyond.
March 14, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Veteran Chicago real estate developer James Purinton is back in the market, a little more than a year after he and most of his top managers at Orix Real Estate Equities Inc. were sacked in a firm reorganization. ...

A Chicago jinx? Boeing's bad landing.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Mark Scheffler Maybe it's the strong wind. Maybe it's the icy weather. Maybe it's a hex. How else to explain why Boeing Co.'s best-laid plans since moving to Chicago have taken a nosedive? When the company moved its...

Five things you need; . . . to go it alone on insurance:.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Jarvis 50 employees Is your company large enough to spread the risk? Experts recommend companies that self-insure employ more than 50 workers. A third-party administrator The Self-Insurance Institute of America...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 14, 2005... THIS WEEK MARCH 14-17: American College of Healthcare Executives, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 4,500. MARCH 14-18: Integrated Management Solutions, Hotel InterContinental, estimated attendance 300. MARCH 15-19: Academy of...

Stock Report: Bust-up talk boosts OfficeMax stock.(Markets)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Sandra Jones OfficeMax Inc. shares climbed 5.2% this week to $34.16, the stock's highest level since October, spurred by a big investor's push to break up or sell the embattled office supplies retailer. K Capital Partners LLC...