Crain's Chicago Business articles from May 2004

Crain's Chicago Business archives from May 2004

Turning off the gas is nothing to rush into.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Peoples Energy Corp., the company that supplies heating gas to Chicago homes and businesses, wants to get tough with people who don't pay their gas bills. As Steve Daniels wrote in last week's issue, Peoples is asking state utility regulators...

Solution to energy woes lies here in North America.(Opinion)
May 3, 2004... Byline: Terrence Barnich Quick! Name the country that is the No. 1 source of imported oil and natural gas in Illinois. Wrong. It's Canada, our biggest energy trading partner. In 2002, Canadian sources accounted for roughly 20% of...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
May 3, 2004... WEEK OF MAY 3 May 3-5: Direct Marketing Assn., Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, estimated attendance 4,000. May 3-8: Sans Institute, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 400. May 4-6: Consumer Specialty Products Assn., Chicago...

Late News.(news briefs)
May 3, 2004... FOUR BIDDERS SHOW FOR SUN-TIMES Hollinger International Inc.'s Chicago managers and Lazard LLC concluded a series of financial presentations to bidders for the Chicago Sun-Times and Hollinger's 100 other Chicago-area publications early...

Drug felon recruited bus drivers for CTA.(News)(Chicago Transit Authority )
May 3, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ The senior recruiter of bus drivers for the Chicago Transit Authority has a record of drug felony convictions, and is being fired for lying about that record on his job application, agency officials say. The same...

Just a quiet night at home; Some Streeterville residents say Navy Pier has it all: noise, traffic and 9 mil. temporary neighbors.(Real Estate)(recreational park)
May 3, 2004... Byline: DAVID BERNSTEIN Nearly 10 years after Navy Pier was transformed into the state's most popular tourist destination from a neglected shell of a complex, the pier's Streeterville neighbors have learned that living next to a tourist...

Bally rehires CFO amid probe.(Briefs)(Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. revenue restatement investigation)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. said the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating its recent revenue restatement. Chief Financial Officer John Dwyer, 51, resigned from his job and, a day later, became a consultant to the...

Tough medicine is Advocate's Rx; Profits, conflict at hospital network.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Judging by the headlines, Advocate Health Care has had its share of trouble lately: clashes with insurers, a federal antitrust probe and a scrap with a union trying to organize its workers. But behind that noise...

Here's to success, even if it's too flashy for Chicago.(Opinion)(Navteq Corp.)(Donald Trump)(John E. Johnson II)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Call it Midwestern values, modesty or whatever you like, Chicagoans seem suspicious of anything too loud, flashy or ostentatious. And for the most part, as the kids would say, we're down with that. But this week's Crain's is nearly bursting...

Gurnee's wild ride: Great American growth.(Real Estate)(Gurnee)
May 3, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY As home to the two biggest tourist destinations in Lake County, Gurnee has reaped economic benefits. Now, it's concentrating on commercial development as space for residential subdivisions grows scarce. Six Flags...

Not a tourist mecca yet, but . . . New attractions spring up as South Side areas rebuild.(Real Estate)
May 3, 2004... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Aside from the Museum of Science and Industry, the DuSable Museum of African American History and U.S. Cellular Field, the list of well-known tourist attractions on the South Side is fairly short. But a handful of...

Greektown eateries add some 'opah' to lunch.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Greek Islands, Santorini, Costa's, Pegasus)(Restaurant Review)
May 3, 2004... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN People joke that all the restaurants in Greektown are the same. It's not true, of course. While they share festive white-tablecloth settings and similar extensive menus, subtle differences have earned a loyal...

TRUMP DRAWS HIGH CARD; With 70% of tower sold, clears key financing hurdle.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The Donald's doubters said he couldn't pull it off, but the flashy developer's planned high-rise along the Chicago River may soon be the place where hype meets reality. Seven months after opening a sales office for...

Sears spends big on ads-but why? Digging deep to compete against 'category killers'.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES The Big Store has a Big Addiction. Sears, Roebuck and Co. spends almost as much on advertising each year as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp.-retailers that are bigger and more profitable-combined. In...

New zoning code can help city find its retail balance.(Opinion)
May 3, 2004... Byline: Peter Skosey Much of the recent controversy surrounding the development of two Wal-Mart stores in Chicago has focused on unions and jobs-critical issues, to be sure. But change the name of the store and we would still have a need...

Amli, union at odds over organizing push; But REIT sees its market reviving.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Union organizers have Amli Residential Properties Trust in their sights. After enduring a three-year slump in the apartment market, the Chicago-based real estate investment trust (REIT) now is fighting a campaign...

Winstar hanging up on customers here; Phone company dropping service in 47 states.(News)(Winstar Communications L.L.C)
May 3, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Winstar Communications LLC is cutting off its Chicago-area customers next month, as the telephone company exits nearly all its markets nationwide amid continuing losses. The company notified the Federal Communications...

Northern brakes branch expansion.(News)(Northern Trust Corp.)
May 3, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Northern Trust Corp. is scaling back expansion plans as it clamps down on costs. After years of growth, Northern's nationwide network of offices catering to rich clients shrank last year, and the Loop-based...

CIVIC GROUP BLASTS BLAGOJEVICH; Tax watchdog reverses support for fiscal moves.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ A Chicago tax policy group that had praised Gov. Rod Blagojevich now is criticizing his fiscal policies. Stepping into a brawl between Mr. Blagojevich and his legislative critics, the Civic Federation of Chicago says...

Is Hef a turn-off to young readers? Laddie, come home: Playboy wants a younger image. With a septuagenarian as its public face, it's going to take some airbrushing.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: MARK SCHEFFLER In September 2002, Playboy Enterprises Inc. brought in former Maxim Editor James Kaminsky to give Playboy magazine a more youthful bent, the better to compete with "laddie titles,'' the snappy, sarcastically written...

Kochman aims at top spot in market for UBS.(People)
May 3, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Swiss banking giant UBS AG aims to build the city's dominant investment banking office, it says, after hiring Cary Kochman last month from rival Credit Suisse First Boston to co-manage its U.S. mergers and...

Seeing gold on the silver screen; Local investors snap up Cinemark.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Movie attendance fell last year. Six of the 10 biggest theater operators have been through bankruptcy. And studios are rushing first-run flicks faster than ever to home video. So, why is Madison Dearborn...

Terror war lifts local company; Covenant aims to land more airport contracts.(News)(Covenant Services Worldwide LLC)(Transportation Security Administration)
May 3, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION Making people take off their shoes and hold their arms in the air has become a fast-growing business for Covenant Services Worldwide LLC. As one of four private companies still screening airline passengers and...

Hair care scion's a hip-hop hustler; Mr. Monopoly brings music videos back to Chicago.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Chicago native John Monopoly struck music gold two years ago when he inked a deal to manage rapper Kanye West, one of hip-hop's best-selling young stars. Now, the 28-year-old Mr. Monopoly-who doubles as a talent...

Staff Additions.(News)(Crain's Chicago Business)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Shruti Date Singh, formerly a reporter with the suburban Daily Herald, has joined Crain's Chicago Business to cover local and state government. Ms. Singh, 27, born in Poona, India, grew up in the western suburbs and graduated from George...

Millennium Park: Picture it (almost) finished.(Real Estate)(Chronology)
May 3, 2004... The transformation of a rail yard into Millennium Park was documented by Chicago-based photographer Lawrence Okrent. The photographs were taken over the past five years from the top of 310 S. Michigan Ave. The city of Chicago hopes that despite...

Unexpected gains push Fortune ahead of goals.(Annual Meetings)
May 3, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Fortune Brands Inc. aims for long-term sales growth of 5% to 6% from its collection of businesses in hardware, golf, spirits and wine and office products. Surprisingly robust first-quarter results have altered that...

Insurance scams grow; Unlicensed firms with little ability to pay off claims are targeting entrepreneurs.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MARK HENRICKS Entrepreneurs are being hit hard by health insurance scams. Margaret Currie learned her 5-month-old son had liver cancer in August 2001. Three months and more than $300,000 in medical bills later, the...

Steel rally has Ryerson laying expansion plans.(Annual Meetings)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Surging steel prices and demand have Ryerson Tull Inc. expanding again after four years of cutting jobs and closing plants. Chicago-based Ryerson last year established a joint venture in Matamoros, Mexico, with G....

Middleby warmed by sector's glow; But interest rate fears pressure General Growth.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After nearly quadrupling last year to more than $40, Middleby Corp.'s shares looked primed for a fall, or at least a plateau. Then, in April, the stock jumped 11%, topping $50 and earning a slot on Crain's list of...

Wells-Gardner turning to Asia plant for cost edge.(Annual Meetings)
May 10, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Wells-Gardner has shifted more of its production of color video displays for casinos and amusement game arcades offshore in a bid to compete on price with Asia-based rivals. The result has been shrinking employment at...

Economy's rising tide is lifting Brunswick's boats.(Annual Meetings)(Brunswick Corp.)
May 10, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When consumers are feeling good about the economy, they begin buying pleasure boats again. When they're feeling really good, they're ready to invest a million dollars or more in a yacht. The recovery has moved to...

Buying a failed firm can be risky; One-time creditor bucking odds with Internet offering.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: DAVID BERNSTEIN Two years ago, Timothy Fisher took the helm of a failed technology venture he was a lender to. "The value of the company was not even a nickel on the dollar,'' he recalls. Despite the mess, Mr. Fisher...

Got a problem? A temp CEO can help you fix it; Troubled firms can find experienced management pros.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Temporary reinforcements are turning up in the executive suite. Faced with issues like a financial crisis, a growth opportunity or a senior manager's abrupt departure, small business owners often feel they...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
May 10, 2004... Telling a positive story sometimes isn't effective. Reese Marcusson, WTTW-TV/Channel 11's chief financial officer, on the station's recent fund-raising letter PAGE 1

Tired of the business lunch rut? After-hours drinks an option.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(W. Randolph St)(N. Dearborn Ave)
May 10, 2004... Byline: ANNE MOORE If you're like me and need or prefer to breakfast at home, and think a long lunch interrupts the workday flow, meeting a client or business associate for early-evening drinks can be a pleasant way to accomplish a lot in...

Why business should speak out on immigrant workers.(Opinion)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Joshua Hoyt President George W. Bush in January announced his principles for a temporary worker program and regularization of the status of some of the nation's 7 million to 11 million undocumented immigrants. Democrats responded...

Springfield's question: What does Mike want?(News)(Michael Madigan, speaker of Illinois legislature)
May 10, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ SPRINGFIELD-The speaker wants respect. The governor wants reform glory. Can either get what he wants without badly damaging the other? That's the question without an answer yet here as the escalating feud between...

Harrah's placing its big bets in Indiana now; Illinois' hefty casino tax shifts odds against Joliet.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: KRISTINA BUCHTHAL One of the biggest players in the Chicago casino market is stacking more of its chips on the other side of the state line. Harrah's Entertainment Inc. last month won approval from Indiana regulators to acquire...

Not buying IT; Despite a recent uptick in tech spending, there are some holdouts making do quite nicely, thank you, with what they've got.(Technology)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MARK HENRICKS The personal computer on Tim Delawder's desktop is 3 years old. The customized software that runs the production line at SWD Inc., a 130-person Addison metal finisher where he is vice-president of operations, dates...

Stepan looks to overseas markets to bolster sales.(Annual Meetings)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Stepan Co. is looking abroad for new revenue streams to help offset the high energy costs that are squeezing profits in the chemical industry. Last year, Northfield-based Stepan's revenues advanced 5% to $784.9...

Bank One cuts jobs in Chicago.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Bank One Corp. said it told 200 employees in the debt capital markets and commercial banking units that their jobs will be cut as part of a planned $57-billion merger with New York's J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. Most of the workers are in Chicago,...

Talk about colliding: Feds throw wrench into Fermilab search.(Technology)(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory)
May 10, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION The U.S. Department of Energy plans to put the contract for managing Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Batavia up for bid, complicating a search for new leadership-and a new mission-that was well under way....

Time to ground state's unofficial airline.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Most business owners know it doesn't make sense to produce a part in their own plant if it can be purchased at lower cost in the open market. Illinois state officials haven't learned that yet. As Paul Merrion reports in this week's issue,...

People: Black MBA group's CEO focuses on mentoring.(People)(Barbara Thomas)
May 10, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Barbara Thomas figures she can boost membership in the National Black MBA Assn. by helping African-Americans climb the corporate ladder. The new president and CEO of the Chicago-based professional group aims to triple...

Investors send message; Boeing mulls response.(Annual Meetings)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON For the third year in a row, Boeing shareholders voted to require the company's entire board of directors to stand for re-election annually and to eliminate a requirement that a supermajority-75%-of shareholders...

Ryan crosses party's lines in Teamster pitch.(News)(Jack Ryan)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Which guy was the Republican? It might have been hard to tell after both of Illinois' U.S. Senate candidates dropped by to seek the endorsement of the Teamsters Joint Council 25, representing 22 union locals...

Trailer park double deal snags Zell; Two buyers sign separate deals for same properties.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN It's a trailer park tug-of-war, and Sam Zell is pulling hard. On one side is Mr. Zell's company, Manufactured Home Communities Inc. (MHC), which bought a majority interest in a $220-million portfolio of 28 mobile...

Play with their food; Two local chefs stick a fork in traditional flatware- it's done. `Interactive' cuisine requires diners to . . .(News)(Moto)(Trio)
May 10, 2004... Byline: ANDRA JONES A pair of young, avant-garde chefs are pioneering a new wave of dining in Chicago that embraces everything your mother told you not to do at the dinner table. Grant Achatz of five-star Trio in Evanston and Homaro...

DON'T-NEED-IT UPGRADES.(Technology)(Oak Enterprises)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: MARK HENRICKS Application suites Microsoft's latest Office 2003 applications suite boasts improvements such as Extensible Markup Language (XML)-designed to improve on HTML, the dominant language used to create Web...

Recent arrivals bring biz focus; Immigrants more entrepreneurial.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA There's a difference in the outlook between the immigrants arriving in the U.S. today and those who entered just a generation or two ago. No matter their geographic, racial or religious background, more of...

Sirva hits gas on moving biz consolidation; But roll-ups stall in other industries.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA The dreary old moving industry has a hot stock, Westmont-based Sirva Inc., which went public at $18.50 a share in November and has jumped about 33% since. What gives-did Sirva invent a way to transport couches and...

Boeing directors should heed shareholders.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Perhaps the third time is a charm for some corporate democracy at Boeing Co., the giant aircraft manufacturer. Last week, shareholders voted to do away with staggered terms for directors, asking that the entire board stand for re-election...

State planes flying over fiscal woes; Illinois shuttle duplicates ATA service.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION Despite the state's ongoing fiscal crisis, one cherished perk for Illinois legislators and other state officials is still flying high. Use of a state-run, heavily subsidized air shuttle between Springfield and...

Selling homes to minorities; Entrepreneurs tailor their deals for first-time buyers.(Small Business)(Bivens & Navarro LLC)
May 10, 2004... Byline: BRIAN LEAF Selling homes to Chicago's Latino and African-American communities takes more than ads and open houses. It takes market development. For business partners Marcello Navarro and Kenneth Bivens, developing the...

Late News.
May 10, 2004... AIR TRAFFIC STUDY SAYS AREA'S SKIES ARE SAFE WASHINGTON-Despite a sharp increase in delays and air traffic control errors in the Chicago area last year, a recent high-level review found "nothing systemic . . . that could negatively affect...

Where to turn for help.(Small Business)(Brief Article)(Directory)
May 10, 2004... U.S. Department of Labor www.dol.gov/ebsa (800) 444-3272 Illinois Department of Insurance www.ins.state.il.us (866) 445-5364 (312) 814-2427 Coalition Against Insurance Fraud www.insurancefraud.org (202)...

Marketing can ride along with racers; Minor league stock car circuit offers firms more affordable sponsorships.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Big money rules the world of Nascar racing, where mega-brands ranging from tobacco companies to telecommunications firms pay millions of dollars to put their names on racecars. Nonetheless, small and mid-sized companies can tap into the...

Crain's takes home Lisagors.(News)(Crain's Chicago Business)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Crain's Chicago Business won two Peter Lisagor awards for exemplary journalism in the annual contest sponsored by the Chicago Headline Club, the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Staff Photographer John Boehm won...

Exec transfers his skill to organic beef startup; Supply chain expert leaps from software to agriculture.(Small Business)
May 10, 2004... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Scott Lively is an unlikely player in the organic beef business. Not only does he have zero experience in agriculture or the food industry, but the closest he's come to farming is hunting pheasants in a cornfield in...

Pared, shored-up CNA surprises Wall Street.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS After selling insurance too cheaply for years, CNA Financial Corp. is pricing policies profitably again. The insurer, which just sold its life insurance business to focus exclusively on commercial property and...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
May 10, 2004... WEEK OF MAY 10 MAY 10: Illinois State Bar Assn. presents Anatomy of an Automobile Case. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Securities Training Corp., 205 W. Wacker Drive, Auditorium. Fee: $95 members, $195 non-members. (800) 252-8908. MAY 10-12: Graham...

Blagojevich knows image is worth as much as words.(Opinion)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Joel Weisman When some politicians speak, they say only words. But others present a "vision.'' Speaker and state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan speaks words, largely for his Democratic troops and the lobbying groups that...

WTTW cries wolf in fund-raising appeal; Letter falsely warns of budget gap.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Finances at WTTW-TV/Channel 11 aren't as bleak as the public television station's fund-raising materials would have prospective donors believe. In a solicitation letter dated April 26 and sent to 100,000 people,...

Kevin Flynn draws Michigan aces; Ex-casino owner eyes $5-mil. prize.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: KRISTINA BUCHTHAL Kevin Flynn, thwarted in his bid to open a casino in northwest suburban Rosemont, stands to hit a smaller yet tidy jackpot if Indian tribes are blocked from opening a pair of casinos in southwest Michigan. Mr....

Renters mad as Zell over lease penalties; Florida lawsuit targets financier's Equity Residential.(News)
May 17, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Emily Clough wasn't expecting a hassle when she turned in her apartment key at the end of her lease last summer. The recent technical-school graduate says she always paid the rent on time for the one-bedroom...

Executive Moves.(appointments)
May 17, 2004... CONSUMER SERVICES Julie Francis, 32, to vice-president and general manager of the Lakeshore division at Coca-Cola Enterprises Bottling Cos. in Niles, from area vice-president of the Lakeshore division. FINANCIAL SERVICES Laurie L....

Let competition curb payday lending excesses.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Payday lenders draw heavy fire from fair-lending activists and community groups. Critics say they gouge low-wage workers who sometimes run short of cash when unexpected expenses arise between paychecks. And there's no question that payday loan...

Medical liability reforms critical to Illinois' health.(Opinion)
May 17, 2004... Byline: Kenneth C. Robbins Imagine being in a car crash and suffering a severe head injury. You're rushed to your hometown hospital. But it has no neurosurgeons. Hours go by as the hospital struggles to find and send you to another...

Hot seats more than a mere 'challenge'.(Finance)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Byline: DEE GILL Any CEO worth his or her salt enjoys a good challenge. Pepping up slow sales, slashing out-of-control costs, winning over critical stock analysts and finicky customers: It's all part of the fun of running a...

Daley's play strengthens GOP's hand; Casino bid won't fly without Republicans' help.(News)(Grand Old Party )
May 17, 2004... Byline: GREG HINZ After a year out of Springfield's power loop, General Assembly Republicans-and business interests, too-have been dealt back into the game by Mayor Richard M. Daley's move to bring casino gambling to Chicago. The...

McD's management pickle: bench strength beyond Bell.(News)
May 17, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN As he recovers from cancer surgery, new McDonald's Corp. CEO Charlie Bell faces questions about the strength of his supporting cast. The group includes Michael J. Roberts, president of McDonald's USA; Claire H....

Freight uptick will fuel USF's fleet expansion.(Annual Meetings)(USF Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Rising freight volumes, reflecting an improving economy, are smoothing the way for Richard P. DiStasio, who took over as president and CEO of trucking specialist USF Corp. last September, succeeding Samuel K. Skinner. In the first quarter,...

Flush Illinois Tool eyes acquisitions, buyback.(Annual Meetings)(Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
May 17, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Illinois Tool Works Inc. is revving up its deal-making machinery after some relatively slow years on the acquisition front. Glenview-based ITW specializes in buying up small manufacturers, and spent $1 billion on...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)
May 17, 2004... WEEK OF MAY 17 May 17-19: Retail Systems Alert Group Inc. and Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Standards Assn., Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, estimated attendance 6,000. May 18-20: Distribution/Computer Expo, Hyatt Regency...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)
May 17, 2004... WEEK OF MAY 17 MAY 18: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Closing the Deal. 7 p.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Fee: $40. (847) 295-5626. MAY 18: Neal Gerber & Eisenberg...

Top firms see churn; Changing of the guard takes place at area's biggest companies.(Finance)(appointment of chief executive officers)
May 17, 2004... Byline: CARALEE ADAMS To some, it's a sign of hope; to others, a reflection of tough times. Eight of the Chicago area's 25 largest public companies-Boeing Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Motorola Inc., Caterpillar Inc., McDonald's Corp.,...

New day dawns for Morningstar; IPO tests fund rater's star power with institutional investors.(News)(Morningstar Inc.)(initial public offerings)
May 17, 2004... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Morningstar Inc. will put its own slogan-"Investors come first''-to the test in asking them to buy into a planned $100-million initial public offering. The rating firm, famous for its star-system ranking of...

O'Hare plan delay could be costly.(Briefs)(O'Hare International Airport)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Delays in federal approval for expansion plans at O'Hare International Airport could cost Chicago millions of dollars, city officials said. Chicago had been hoping to get approval for the $15-billion project by June, but now says the Federal...

Russian, E. European markets lure AptarGroup.(Annual Meetings)(AptarGroup Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... AptarGroup Inc. is following its customers into Eastern Europe and Russia. Crystal Lake-based AptarGroup, a maker of pumps and closures for the perfume, drug and food industries-it pioneered those upside-down Heinz ketchup bottles a couple...

State's new effort to slow revolving door at prisons.(Opinion)
May 17, 2004... Byline: Paula Wolff The New Yorker recently ran a cartoon of a banner hanging across a block of prison cells that reads, "Welcome Back Recidivists!'' Like all good humor, it's funny because it cuts so close to the bone. Illinois will send...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
May 17, 2004... If we don't show naked women and we're not pushing boundaries, there's not much point in doing it. Eric Nofsinger, vice-president of creative content at High Voltage Software Inc., which is readying a new version of its racy video game,...

Printers Row area serves up diverse lunch fare.(Dining/Restaurant Review)
May 17, 2004... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Michael Foley's pioneering restaurant Printer's Row closed Feb. 4, but there are plenty of diverse dining spots on and near South Dearborn Street, including pubs, a trattoria, a Thai joint and a deli, as well as the...

Orbitz flight path: bypass middleman; Direct deals with big airlines give ticketer an edge.(News)(Orbitz L.L.C.)
May 17, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Orbitz Inc. is elbowing in on the giant computer reservation systems that control ticketing in the $76-billion U.S. airline industry. The online travel service launched by a group of major airlines is placing...