Crain's Chicago Business articles from May 2008

Crain's Chicago Business archives from May 2008

City plans downtown congestion fees.(Briefs)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Armed with a $153-million federal grant, Chicago officials unveiled a plan to unclog Loop streets by penalizing downtown drivers and rewarding public-transit users. The money would establish a pilot network of express bus routes and set up a...

LEASING MIDWAY; Look for higher parking fees, more retail under private airport operator.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION A few years from now, walking into Midway Airport might seem more like entering an upscale shopping mall. Need a massage or a manicure while you wait for your plane? No problem. You'll probably have the option...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)(Directory)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak THEATER "Durango'' 77 W. Washington St. (866) 811-4111 www.srtp.org 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $28-$32 A road trip to Durango,...

He's back; EXILED EX-CTA BOSS KRUESI RETURNS TO THE MAYOR'S INNER CIRCLE.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz It's easy to understand why, after 19 years as mayor, Richard M. Daley would want to see a familiar face when he shows up at the office in the morning. Mr. Daley's management style is one of creative tension on...

Brenda Barnes; CHAIRMAN AND CEO, SARA LEE CORP.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: David Sterrett After two years of slimming down Sara Lee Corp., Brenda Barnes must now show Wall Street she can do the one thing that will keep the company viable: bulk up profits. Since taking over in February 2005, Ms....

Irene Rosenfeld; Chairman and CEO, Kraft Foods Inc.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: David Sterrett Everyone's been watching Irene Rosenfeld since she took over as CEO of Kraft Foods Inc. two years ago. But the scrutiny is intensifying as she enters the second year of a three-year plan to boost sales of well-known...

Wendy Turner; VICE-PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, VOCALO.ORG.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough In a production studio at Chicago Public Radio's Navy Pier headquarters, Wendy Turner wraps up a meeting with the staff of Vocalo.org, a crew of mostly twentysomethings dressed in hooded sweatshirts and rumpled...

Ditka's steakhouse always plays big; Simple dishes stack up strong; QB-sized meals.(Business of Life)
May 5, 2008... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Ditka's calling cards are unpretentious food and big portions, as well as the presence of da coach himself, of course. There's plenty of Bears and football memorabilia to span the dining room, tavern area and...

The Oracle's endgame; Wrigley investment isn't what many call a classic Buffett play.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR In some ways, Warren Buffett's deal with Mars Inc. to buy Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. resembles some of the Oracle of Omaha's most successful investments: a strong brand name in consumer products. Think Coca-Cola Co. But...

Rachel Bronson; Vice-president of programs and studies, Chicago Council on Global Affairs.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Samantha Stainburn You know you're worth watching when you've appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.'' In April 2005, "Daily Show'' correspondent Ed Helms visited Rachel Bronson, then director of Middle East Studies at the...

Bad-loan bug bites mid-tier banks; More pain, tighter lending standards ahead, CEOs say.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The credit maelstrom that engulfed the nation's largest banks and brokerages is barreling into the mid-sized commercial banks that form the bedrock of Chicago's financial-services industry. The fallout is pinching...

PAIN AHEAD AS PROFIT PRESSURE INCREASES; A Conversation with Money Manager David Klaskin.(Markets)(Interview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine David Klaskin, 47, chairman and chief investment officer, Oak Ridge Investments LLC, Chicago Experience: 26 years Assets under management: $3.9 billion CRAIN'S: What's your outlook for the economy...

GOLDEN YEARS, INTERRUPTED; Brookdale's shares tumble as housing slump forestalls seniors' retirement plans.(Markets)(Brookdale Senior Living Inc.)
May 5, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Investors are applying a senior citizens' discount to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. Shares of Chicago-based Brookdale have sunk 40% over the past 12 months as the housing slump stoked concern over the company's...

Zell pitches an August sale of Cubs; A late-season pennant run would boost the team's price.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS AND ANN SAPHIR Sam Zell has set a fresh deadline of late August to sell the Chicago Cubs-a time frame that could strengthen his hand if the North Siders emerge as late-season playoff contenders. The Tribune CEO told...

Grace Puma; Senior vice-presidents of strategic sourcing, United Airlines.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: John Rosenthal Grace Puma isn't kidding when she says she loves her job: "I couldn't live without working.'' That's even more surprising when you realize her job is procurement, the far-from-exotic task of purchasing all of a...

Ann Alexander; SENIOR ATTORNEY, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Emily Stone Eleven years ago, Ann Alexander was kayaking in Alaska in a bay that didn't exist 40 years before. Rapidly retreating glaciers opened up the waters below, leaving behind a sculpture garden of icebergs lit by the...

Diana Sands; VICE-PRESIDENT OF INVESTOR RELATIONS, BOEING CO.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: John Rosenthal When Diana Sands took over as Boeing's vice-president of investor relations in January, she figured she was being groomed for higher office. Her job, explaining the company's performance to institutional investors...

Bumpy ride ahead for United; With no merger on radar, can Tilton steer clear of turbulence?(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ United Airlines' best hope for the future flew out the window last week when Continental Airlines Inc. walked away from merger talks. Now the choices facing United CEO Glenn Tilton boil down to hashing out a...

Anita Alvarez; DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz Yes, she's a self-declared "hockey mom'' who's-yawn-struggling to balance family and career and has taken to wearing a lot of red power suits lately. She's also a political novice who made history Feb. 5 by beating...

Info Junkie.(TicketsNow Inc)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi On her elliptical machine at home in Arlington Heights, Cheryl Rosner fires up the iPod with the Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Panic at the Disco. The president and CEO of TicketsNow Inc., Ms. Rosner recently...

Sophia Siskel; CEO, CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau Barbara Whitney Carr and Sophia Siskel tell slightly different stories about their first meeting in June 2005. But they agree that at some point, Ms. Siskel told Ms. Carr, then CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden,...

For Hartmarx, a retail redux; Newly upscale clothier plans Hickey Freeman, Hart Schaffner locations.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After closing the last of its stores in the mid-1990s, Hartmarx Corp. is now testing the retail waters again. The clothing maker has opened three upscale Hickey Freeman stores in New York and one in San Francisco,...

Centrue sets down new roots in St. Louis; Bank looks to expand in exurbs of Chicago.(News)(Centrue Financial Corp.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY In search of higher-growth markets, Centrue Financial Corp. has moved its headquarters from Ottawa to suburban St. Louis. Thomas A. Daiber, president and CEO of Centrue, pieced the company together in late 2006...

Anne Pramaggiore; EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER OPERATIONS AND REGULATORY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Steve Daniels As a high schooler in Dayton, Ohio, Anne Pramaggiore specialized in an obscure track and field event: race walking. She endured plenty of teasing from her classmates for the arm-swinging, jerky hip motion that had...

Juicy Feud; Deal caps years of rancor in Wrigley gum dynasty.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT The proposed sale of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. would end 117 years of independence for the Chicago-based gum maker but could liberate the fractious Wrigley clan from intra-family tensions that have simmered for nearly a...

Patricia Hemingway Hall; PRESIDENT, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, HEALTH CARE SERVICE CORP.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Mike Colias While working for Blue Cross in Texas in the mid-'90s, Patricia Hemingway Hall would drive 60 miles from her Dallas office to meet in a motel conference room to haggle over reimbursement rates with an executive from a...

Vicki Avril; SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF TUBULAR DIVISION, IPSCO INC.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Miriam Gottfried As a high school sophomore, Vicki Avril showed up at golf team practice. It wasn't to watch. "I'm here to try out,'' she told the coach. He said it was a boys' team and refused to let her take a swing. ...

Wrigley's a rich meal for Mars; Keys to avoiding a case of indigestion: better distribution, innovation.(News)
May 5, 2008... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER The selling price of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. far exceeds the industry norm, putting buyer Mars Inc. in a sticky situation as it tries to make the deal pay off. Mars last week offered $23 billion, or $80 per...

Hastily enacted regulation will not cure economic crisis.(Opinion)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Stephen P. D'Arcy The United States is experiencing the greatest financial crisis of a generation. Home foreclosures are skyrocketing, credit is restricted, financial institutions cannot value some investments and the dollar is...

Michelle Obama; Potential First Lady, Vice-president for community and external affairs, University of Chicago Hospitals (on leave).(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Sarah A. Klein If Barack Obama wins the presidential election in November, his wife, Michelle, will gain a soapbox the size of which is hard to fathom. The mystery is what the South Side native will do with it. If her past is...

PDAs are great - as long as you can find them.(Business of Life)(Personal digital assistants)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Olvera It's enough of a hassle to lose a cell phone or BlackBerry loaded with contacts just once. But some tech users make a habit of bobbling their devices. Allan Platt, 42, a partner at West Loop-based innovations...

Julie Holzrichter; MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CME GROUP INC.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Ann Saphir In December, Julie Holzrichter stood on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade as burly Treasury futures traders jostled for spots in a brand-new trading pit. CME Group Inc., which bought the CBOT in July, had...

Sandi Jackson; ALDERMAN, 7TH WARD, CITY OF CHICAGO.(Focus: Women to Watch)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Sarah A. Klein When Sandi Jackson arrived at the Cook County Building to declare her candidacy for alderman in December 2006, she and her husband, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Chicago, were met by a horde of reporters. Ms....

Destination: Door County, Wis.(Business of Life)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: In Door County, Wis., cherry trees conveniently blossom around Mother's Day, making a beautiful backdrop for a nature getaway. The blooms generally show up in the south first and work their way north at the rate...

Opening & On Sale.(Business of Life)
May 5, 2008... Opening "Smart Home: Green and Wired" 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive (773) 684-1414 www.msichicago.org 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $10 plus admission of $13 Tour the...

Building Alexian Brothers' clinical reputation.(People)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Mike Colias Job: CEO, Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, since March 17. Vitals: 54 years old; bachelor of science degree in medical technology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, 1975; MBA, Northern...

Spa owner loses home in Harbor Country fire.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... A raging grass fire recently engulfed the Grand Beach, Mich., vacation home of Tiffani Kim and husband Brad Griffith, vice-chairman of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, destroying furniture, clothing and personal items. The couple was in...

LETTERS: Don't recall governor; give voters better choice.(Opinion)
May 5, 2008... Greg Hinz is absolutely right in his evaluation of the recall bill pending in the state Legislature ("Recall a bad idea for a bad guv,'' ChicagoBusiness.com, April 16). I would just add two more points. First, there are times when a recall...

On the Move.(People)(ADVENTIST HINSDALE HOSPITAL)
May 5, 2008... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING MAGNUSSON KLEMENCIC ASSOCIATES INC., Seattle: David E. Eckmann, 45, to senior vice-president, in Chicago, from vice-president and principal. FINANCIAL SERVICES AON CONSULTING, Chicago: Katie Bikulcius, 36,...

For The Record.(Cook County Administration Building )
May 5, 2008... The Chicago Children's Museum submitted a new design for its desired home in Grant Park in the latest attempt to satisfy opponents of the move. The plans reportedly further sinks the atrium entryway and place nearly the entire two-story,...

Daley's efforts to ease traffic woes fall short.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Mayor Daley's plan to reduce traffic congestion is well-intentioned, but we all know where good intentions can lead. We're all for faster commutes, fewer traffic jams and less pollution. But we're skeptical that the mayor's plan, as...

Joffrey tiptoes into the future.(Business of Life)(Interview)
May 5, 2008... The Joffrey Ballet was founded by Gerald Arpino and the late Robert Joffrey in New York in 1956; the company relocated to Chicago in 1995. Its annual budget is about $13 million. New artistic director Ashley Weater (who danced with the Joffrey...

Bringing a personal crusade to the office; Colleagues often tapped for support, but causes can be prickly; what if boss is asking?
May 5, 2008... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI When Andy Margolis wanted to raise money for Imerman Angels, a non-profit that supports cancer patients, he turned to a captive audience: his co-workers. "I would walk up to anybody and give them the elevator...

Gail Lissner; Vice-president, Appraisal Research Counselors.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Phuong Ly Gail Lissner's first real estate job was a disaster. In three months at a Chicago agency, she didn't make a single sale. It got so bad her supervisor insisted she keep her next client in the office until he signed a...

Mona Clayton; PARTNER, INVESTIGATIONS AND FORENSIC SERVICES PRACTICE, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLC.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Phuong Ly Much like the characters on "CSI,'' Mona Clayton has pulled information out of reluctant witnesses, tracked down missing documents and been the subject of surveillance herself. When she and her team of auditors were...

Young-Kee Kim; Deputy director, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Phuong Ly As a child, Young-Kee Kim was shooed away from housework, even though her parents needed plenty of help on their apple farm in rural South Korea. Her mother, who had only an elementary school education, worried if Ms. Kim...

Karen Case; PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LENDING, PRIVATEBANCORP INC.(Focus: Women to Watch)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dee Gill After Bank of America Corp. announced plans to acquire LaSalle Bank last April, the phones in LaSalle's commercial real estate department started ringing. Karen Case, an executive vice-president in the department,...

Janet Froetscher; CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Emily Stone Five years ago, Janet Froetscher spent her first weeks as CEO of Chicago's United Way asking staff, board members and donors what the non-profit's biggest needs were. They all said the same thing: merge the Chicago...

McD's coffee perks slowly; Sales of lattes, mochas are lukewarm in two early test markets.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Early sales figures for McDonald's Corp.'s new specialty coffees underscore the challenge the burger chain faces as it tries to compete with Starbucks. Sales remain tepid in two initial test markets-Michigan and...

Downtown dead zone; Condo sales plummet to just 201 in 1st quarter, an 83% drop from '07.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Downtown condominium developers suffered their worst first quarter in at least a decade, selling just 201 units-an unwelcome trend as unsold condos start piling up. The total represents an 83% drop from...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Tony Rezko is charged for bribery)(Pepper Construction filed a foreclosure lawsuit against the Museum of Broadcast Communications)(Navistar division received a three-year U.S. Army contract )
May 12, 2008... Defense attorneys in political fundraiser Antoin "Tony'' Rezko's fraud trial rested their case without calling witnesses. Closing arguments were set for Monday. Mr. Rezko, 52, is charged with scheming with attorney Stuart P. Levine to split a...

Walgreen's dealmaker; Ex-investment banker leads push in growing biz.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE Shortly after buying Medmark Inc. in August 2006, Walgreen Co. executives were pondering their next move when Stanley Blaylock-Medmark's former CEO and the new head of Walgreen's specialty pharmacy...

Big-box gap on Mag Mile; Linens, CompUSA exits push vacancies to record.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB There are more vacant storefronts around the Magnificent Mile than at any time in the past 16 years, a sign that even Chicago's premier shopping strip isn't immune to the forces buffeting the broader retail industry. ...

Billionaire bash-but what's the occasion?(Business of Life)(Neil Bluhm)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos Chicago's glitterati are buzzing about an exclusive private party coming this weekend. Commercial real estate tycoon Neil Bluhm-he's the B in JMB Realty-has invited a few hundred friends to a celebration at the...

WIENER WARS; Sara Lee, Kraft fight for hot dog fans as grilling season opens.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT As the unofficial start of the barbecue season approaches, Kraft Foods Inc. and Sara Lee Corp. are beefing up for a hot dog battle. Kraft's Oscar Mayer and Sara Lee's Ball Park are the top-selling brands in the...

Now achieving grand-prize status: the gas card.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Kevin Davis It may not sound like a glamorous grand prize, but free gasoline has become a hot currency. With fuel prices hitting all-time highs, companies are using gas gift cards to reward employees, attract customers and...

Federal Signal goes high-tech; Manufacturer acquires software firms; looks to unload firetruck unit.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Federal Signal Corp., a century-old manufacturer of firetrucks, street sweepers and other products, is remaking itself, shifting from heavy metal to software. In the first quarter, Oak Brook-based Federal Signal...

The kiddie dollar; DADDY, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, CAN I HAVE THAT?(Focus: Small Business)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Thomas Mucha Some things are so true-and, upon brief reflection, so obvious-that, of course, they make a great business opportunity. Take the indisputable fact that parents love their children. As a result, they are...

Now more than ever, know what audience wants.(Viewpoint essay)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Rance Crain Rance Crain is president and editorial director of Crain Communications Inc. Jack Griffin, president of Meredith Publishing Group, kicked up a ruckus when he told attendees at a Folio magazine publishing industry...

WOERTZ'S WORRY; Ethanol's sudden fall from grace puts CEO's growth strategy at risk.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION AND BOB TITA Skyrocketing food prices are threatening Patricia Woertz's plan to recast grain processor Archer Daniels Midland Co. as the eco-friendly giant of green energy. ADM's CEO tied her growth strategy to...

Fee splitting; WINSTON, GUV'S CAMPAIGN FUND MAY PART OVER UNPAID BILLS.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz It'll be at least a few days yet before the jury gets the case in the federal corruption trial of gubernatorial fundraiser Antoin "Tony'' Rezko. After some time off, all parties were due back in court Monday morning...

On the Move.(People)(Larry J. Kallembach promoted to chief information officer in MB Financial Inc.)(Karl Frey and Eric Siegel joins Mesirow Financial Inc.)
May 12, 2008... EDUCATION CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Chicago: Alice Hunt, 49, to president, from associate dean of the divinity school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. FINANCIAL SERVICES MB FINANCIAL BANK, Rosemont: Larry J....

Destination: Denali National Park, Alaska.(Business of Life)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli GET AWAY: If you've already cruised Alaska's Inside Passage, return to see the state's magnificent interior. Denali National Park, 140 miles north of Anchorage, is home to Mount McKinley (also called Denali)-at...

Lincoln library event brings big-name cast.(Business of Life)(Conference news)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that supports the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It encourages study of the 16th president by gathering...

MB Financial loan losses disappoint; Acquisition grows firm's wealth management.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY With its commercial loan portfolio suddenly suffering, MB Financial Inc. is expanding into wealth management. On April 18, Chicago-based MB acquired an 80% stake in Loop money manager Cedar Hill Associates LLC, a...

Runners pound on; Refusing to give it up, even if their knees do; hooked on the mental, physical rush.(Business of Life)(Arieh Shalhav)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CRYSTAL YEDNAK Arieh Shalhav knows that some people use the term "nut'' when they see him hit the pavement to run after recovering from injuries he suffered in two accidents. A dirt bike crash tore up his knee, requiring major...

Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(John DeNardo)(University of Illinois Medical Center)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau John DeNardo, 59, is CEO of the University of Illinois Medical Center. How he stays in the know: Industry alerts on his BlackBerry. "The ability to see things encapsulated is a huge benefit. If I need to know...

GAINING ALTITUDE; As plane maker's shares recover from recent slump, investors hope next 787 deadline doesn't interrupt flight path.(Markets)(Boeing Co.)
May 12, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Boeing Co., fresh off a recent upward thrust, has more climbing to do to reach cruising altitude. Shares of the Chicago-based aircraft maker are up 16% from a 25-month low of $72.45 on March 12, spurred partly by...

Sears needs leader who knows retail.(Opinion)
May 12, 2008... It's time for Sears Holdings Corp. Chairman Edward Lampert to face an uncomfortable fact: He needs help. The hedge fund manager who has been running Sears since he merged it with Kmart Corp. three years ago needs an experienced retail...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "Manifest Destiny/Manifest Responsibility" 820 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 915-7600 www.luc.edu/luma/ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday Admission: $6 This exhibition on...

The kids industry: Fun, fast and fickle; What's driving growth in a booming sector for local, and national, entrepreneurship?(Focus: Small Business)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON While it may be a great time to be raising children in Chicago, it's an even better time to be selling to these mini-consumers and, of course, their parents. Want your kid to speak Italian, recognize Van Gogh at...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Source: Child Trends DataBank 73.7 million Number of U.S. residents under the age of 18. 47.3 million Number in 1950. 85.7 million Projected number in 2030. 25% Percentage of U.S. population under...

Clothes for tiny hipsters; $42 shirts, $230 coats make stylish toddlers stand out in a crowd.(Focus: Small Business)(Michelle Alegria Naccarato)(Occupation overview)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Two years ago, Michelle Alegria Naccarato was a fashionista with a major frustration: She wanted to dress her toddler in casual, hip designer duds, but she couldn't find the right stuff in Chicago. On a family...

Party time for young and old; Birthday bashes help bail out a struggling children's academy.(Focus: Small Business)(Gregoire Johnson)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Gregoire Johnson never expected birthday parties to become a major cash stream for Bubbles Academy, the early childhood education center he opened in 2003 with his wife, Kristine, a former preschool teacher. But...

Just say no to chicken tenders; Teaching Chicago's tots to prepare, and enjoy, grown-up food.(Focus: Small Business)(Occupation overview)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Eight years ago, when Elena Marre started preparing organic baby food, she saw it as a way to introduce her infant son to robust flavors and healthy eating-not as a hobby or an idea for a new business. But by...

Wooing the young at art; Parents, kids and how to recognize Picasso's 'Nude Under a Pine Tree'.(Focus: Small Business)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Valerie Bertenshaw enrolled her daughter, Christina, in art classes at the Paintbrush so the 4-year-old could paint, draw and glue without making a mess at home. What Ms. Bertenshaw didn't expect was for...

Sing, dance, clap and wiggle; Music-and-movement classes gain adherents.(Focus: Small Business)(Diane Naftzger)(Occupation overview)
May 12, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON When Diane Naftzger enrolled in a Kindermusik music class in Highland Park, she wanted to introduce her 2-year-old to song and dance, plus enjoy some bonding time. Thirteen years later, Ms. Naftzger is still...

As heat bills soar, so do gas cutoffs; Peoples, Nicor shut off more customers; signs of worse on horizon.(News)
May 12, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The sour economy has more Chicago-area residents behind on their utility bills and facing the prospect of losing their natural-gas service-and there are signs that the situation could be even worse in the next heating...

GOODBYE, MOTO? PHONE MAKER MAY BE BUYOUT TARGET; A Conversation with Money Manager Boyd Klingler.(Markets)(Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett Inc.)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Boyd Klingler, 50, vice-president, Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett Inc., Chicago Experience: 23 years Assets under management: $2.7 billion CRAIN'S: You invest primarily in Midwest companies. How has...

Possible purchase of Purple Hotel.(Briefs)(Inland Real Estate Group)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... A joint venture that includes a subsidiary of Inland Real Estate Group has a contract to buy the Purple Hotel. The Lincolnwood hotel will likely be demolished for a project that could include housing and retail, said Timothy Clarke, the town's...

Overhauling credit culture at ShoreBank.(People)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Steve Daniels Job: Chief credit officer, Chicago-based ShoreBank, since January. Vitals: 54 years old; B.A. in economics, Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla.; MBA, DePaul University, 1984; bank examiner, Office of the...

Nalco rides boom in oil, gas sectors; But higher costs take a bite out of margins.(News)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The energy sector is propping up results at Nalco Holding Co., the water-treatment specialist based in Naperville. In the first quarter, the energy services division, which provides treated water to aid in oil and...

LETTERS: Fuel tax holiday would provide relief for truckers.(Viewpoint essay)
May 12, 2008... With local gasoline prices near or above $4 per gallon and diesel nearing $4.50, lawmakers have a real opportunity to help consumers who are feeling the financial pinch. I'm not just talking about the typical family used as an example, but the...

At McD's, a slippery oil deadline; Trans fats out by end of '08, burger giant says.(News)
May 19, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT McDonald's Corp. says it will complete a national rollout of cooking oil free of artery-clogging trans fats by the end of 2008-a deadline later than some industry experts and health advocates expected. The...