Crain's Chicago Business articles from November 2006

Crain's Chicago Business archives from November 2006

Zell's apartment hunt; His Equity Residential gets deeper into rental development business.(News)(Sam Zell-Equity Residential)
November 6, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Sam Zell, who once likened real estate developers to cocaine addicts, is having a tough time saying "no'' nowadays-at least when it comes to apartments. Equity Residential, the billionaire financier's apartment real...

WANTED: PRESS BARON; With sale talk swirling around Sun-Times and Tribune, Chicago's civic and biz leaders remain strangely silent.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: GREGORY MEYER AND STEVEN R. STRAHLER Jack Welch wants to buy the Boston Globe. David Geffen and two other billionaire Angelenos say they're interested in the Los Angeles Times. Locals in Baltimore; Hartford, Conn., and Long Island,...

Boeing's power has two edges; With archrival Airbus down, complacency becomes the new foe.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: PAUL MERRION Boeing Co. is flying high, outselling European rival Airbus SAS by more than three to one so far this year, the kind of lopsided advantage the Chicago aerospace giant hasn't enjoyed since 1993. With Airbus...

I might be odd, but I'm healthy.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Darci Smith To her co-workers' dismay, Stacy Aulner begins each workday by stinking up the break room by microwaving an egg white and tomato omelet. "It really does smell in there when I make those types of foods,'' says Ms....

Need to Know.(Focus: Law)
November 6, 2006... 53,209: Number of lawyers in Illinois. 39%: Percentage of solo practitioners. 1.1 million: Number of lawyers in the United States. 36%: Percentage who are solos.*

Balance seeker.(Business of Life)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Christina Le Beau Richard A. Chaifetz, 53, is CEO of ComPsych Corp., which provides employee-assistance and work-life programs. He's also a longtime investor who watches CNBC's "Squawk Box'' all day on the plasma TV in his office....

Salaries to inch up-again-in '07; Survey says Chicago employers plan 3.7% pay increases.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Anthony Spier, CEO of Wells-Gardner Electronics Corp., hasn't given his employees a raise since 2004. Beset by foreign competition in the video display business, he's focused on cutting costs and moving production...

Best Buy eyes Mag Mile mall; Big-box retailer signals a shifting landscape along Michigan Ave.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN Best Buy Co. is close to striking a deal to open a flagship store on the Magnificent Mile to showcase high-definition TVs and big-ticket home theater systems on the city's premiere shopping strip. Known for...

Deal threatens to undo Colonel's handiwork; An asset sale could compel a breakup of WGN-Trib combo.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: GREGORY MEYER The sale of Tribune Co. assets could force the breakup of a historic local combination: the Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV/Channel 9 and WGN-AM, a triumvirate formed by the late Tribune kingpin Col. Robert R. McCormick...

Firing line; BUSINESS OWNERS CAN WORKERS WHO SCREW UP. VOTERS SHOULD DO THE SAME ON TUESDAY.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: greg hinz Anyone who lives in the business world, which is most of us, knows that performance counts. Mess up or otherwise fail to deliver in any serious way and the boss quite possibly will point you toward the door. The same...

Topolobampo: Tops for regional Mexican; Buzzy but elegant, it still sets standard for cuisine.(Business of Life)
November 6, 2006... Byline: ANNE MOORE Regional Mexican cuisine, exquisitely prepared and served, is the chief reason to visit Topolobampo, the formal side of Frontera Grill, the restaurant that made chef and owner Rick Bayless a star. Other kitchens try, but...

On the Move.(People)(Matthew Sloan joins American Chartered Bank)(Cindy Murray joins LaSalle Bank Corp)(Luis Fontanez joins Melvin Securities LLC)
November 6, 2006... FINANCIAL SERVICES American Chartered Bank, Schaumburg: Matthew Sloan, 29, to vice-president of commercial lending, from vice-president of commercial banking at LaSalle Bank N.A. LaSalle Bank Corp., Chicago: Cindy Murray, 51, to...

U.S. Robotics has eye on business customers.(people)(Steven D. Dalrymple)(Thumbnail biography)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Brandon Glenn Job: Chief executive, U.S. Robotics Inc., a Schaumburg-based hardware and networking components maker, since October. Vitals: 55 years old; bachelor's degree in business, 1983, Columbia College of Missouri; CEO of...

After major illness: side effects on job; A shift in identity at the office: being coddled, ignored or even deciding to chuck the whole business altogether.(business of life)
November 6, 2006... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Returning to work after a life-threatening illness is hardly business as usual. Executives may return to the same company, sit at the same desk and work with the same colleagues-but little else about their...

Kraft banks on its famous brands; Kraft foods inc. Friday close: $33.96.(Markets)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine The pick: Kenilworth owns 50,000 shares of Northfield-based Kraft. Mr. Acri started buying in October 2005 and has paid an average of $28 for his shares. He will buy more if the price drops to around $32. He says...

Having 2nd thoughts about flying solo? A consultant says it's easier than you think.(Focus: Law)(interview with Walter Roth from Professional Investment Consulting)(Interview)
November 6, 2006... Byline: STEVE HENDERSHOT Walter Roth purposely gave his company an ambiguous name: Professional Investment Consulting. That's so he wouldn't tip off receptionists at big firms whose lawyers were using his services to plan their escape. For...

Feeling lonely? That's not an option.(Focus: Law)(interview with Sara Parikh from Leo J. Shapiro and Associates)(Interview)
November 6, 2006... Byline: STEVE HENDERSHOT Our city has long been a petri dish for the study of sole practitioners: Jerome Carlin's 1962 book, "Lawyers on Their Own: A Study of Individual Practitioners in Chicago,'' is the seminal American treatment of the...

Chicago's golden girl.(Focus: Law)(Allison Hartman)(Brief article)(Column)
November 6, 2006... Practicing law independently scares me to death. Law schools don't really tell you how to do it. I helped a friend of mine in court this year. Neither one of us had a clue what we were doing. It started out as an eviction case, but the other...

Going it alone; When is the right time to lose your partners and fly solo?(Focus: Law)
November 6, 2006... Byline: STEVE HENDERSHOT There are 21 lines on the switchboard at Elizabeth Diaz's desk, and three of them are blinking. The phone rings constantly, and she seldom answers the same way twice: "Good morning, Robert Grossman's office,'' she...

R. R. Donnelley buying rival.(Briefs)(Banta )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... R. R. Donnelley said it will buy Wisconsin-based rival Banta for $1.3 billion-a move that likely will put the commercial printing giant out of reach for a leveraged buyout but strengthens its hand for rolling up smaller companies. Chicago-based...

The gofer goes it alone.(Focus: Law)(Daniel Austin)(Brief article)(Column)
November 6, 2006... I needed a job to pay for school while I was studying economics at Loyola University and I heard about a group of solo practitioners who needed a gofer. When I started working there, they said, "Dan, we're going to teach you law the...

Of droughts and rain.(Focus: Law)(Bart Beals)(Column)
November 6, 2006... I worked seven years in sales after college before I went to law school. That helped me in my practice as a litigator, because I was shy. After you sell insurance door to door, shyness goes out the window. Addressing a jury is child's play. ...

Tupperware and dogs.(Focus: Law)(Karen Covy)(Column)
November 6, 2006... When I started 11 years ago I sent a letter to everyone I knew saying, "Hi, I just started my own business. If you have anything or need anything, call me.'' And I got all kinds of crazy cases. I said there were two things I would never...

For the Record.(Briefs)(Motorola Inc.)(Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.)(Sara Lee Corp.)(Northwestern University Medical School)
November 6, 2006... A Chicago delegation headed by former Aon CEO Patrick Ryan will meet with U.S. Olympic Committee officials in Irvine, Calif., next week to review Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Mayor Daley will not attend. A court in India...

Middle Kingdom man.(Focus: Law)(Wallace Moy)(Column)
November 6, 2006... The people who settle in Chinatown are from Toisan in southern China, just like me. Time is not important to them. So I train my clients. If they're 15 minutes late for our 10 o'clock appointment, I have my assistant tell them I'm busy. And...

Obama's star power dims in Rezko's orbit.(Opinion)(Barack Obama)(Antoin "Tony'' Rezko)(Viewpoint essay)
November 6, 2006... Barack Obama's seemingly preordained ascent to the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination veered off course last week. The Chicago Tribune reported the junior U.S. senator from Illinois entered into a curious land deal last year involving...

New arena confirms it: Daley messed up Soldier Field redo.(Opinion)(Mayor Richard M. Daley )(Viewpoint essay)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Lester Munson Lester Munson is a locally based writer and commentator. As new pro sports stadiums proliferate across the nation, the damage that Mayor Richard M. Daley inflicted upon his beloved city and its lakefront when he...

Women take spotlight at Urban League gala.(Business of Life)(interview with Carrie Hightman of Chicago Urban League )(Interview)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Chicago Urban League was founded in 1916 to help African-Americans migrating from the rural South adjust to life in the urban North. Its mission is to eliminate racial discrimination and to work for equal...

Do you really need a flu shot?(Business of Life)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Darci Smith Yes, and the sooner the better, even if you're healthy and have been turned away because of vaccine shortages in the past, says Daniel Evans, a doctor with the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. Flu season usually...

HARSH WITHDRAWAL; Banks allow ATM overdrafts without warning-for a fee.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Marian Hobbs always assumed that when she got money from a cash machine, it meant she had enough in her account to cover the withdrawal. But about a year ago, she opened her monthly statement from Harris Bank to learn...

Specialists needed-stat; Lack of brain docs leaves city's ERs overburdened.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Richard Byrne is overwhelmed. The acting chairman of neurosurgery at Rush University Medical Center has seen a surge in patients in recent years. The reason: Community hospitals in Chicago and the suburbs...

Luring parents with less sugar; Kraft touts reformulated cereals amid a slump in sales of kids' brands.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: JULIE JARGON Parents are saying "no'' to sugary kids' cereal like Fruity Pebbles while stocking up on healthy brands for themselves. Just as Kraft Foods Inc. is seeing a rise in demand from adults for Honey Bunches of Oats and...

Adoption doc.(Business of Life)(Personal account)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Kevin Davis John C. Kim, 38, pediatric physician, International Adoption Clinic at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital Duties: Works with couples seeking to adopt children abroad, helping to assess possible...

At Deadline.(Late News)(WPS Resources Corp.)(Cushman & Wakefield Inc.)(Arts Club of Chicago )
November 6, 2006... Peoples buyer: We'll pay for peek at pipes WPS Resources, which is buying Peoples Energy, agreed to state utility regulators' demand to pay for the first comprehensive review in at least a decade of the physical state of the underground...

A footnote no longer; Accounting changes slash companies' book value.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: PAUL MERRION A new accounting rule on retirement benefit liabilities is sort of like a neutron bomb, blasting billions of dollars off corporate balance sheets without changing how business fundamentals are viewed. Boeing Co....

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
November 6, 2006... THIS WEEK NOV. 6: 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. NOV. 6: Lansky...

What's the attraction?(Markets)(McDonald's Corp.-Stock prices)
November 6, 2006... Byline: JULIE JARGON Short-sellers are piling into McDonald's, betting the fast-food giant's hefty stock price is going to lose weight. Sixty million shares, or 5% of McDonald's Corp.'s stock not held by insiders, were sold short as of...

On Your Own.(Focus: Law)
November 6, 2006... Byline: MEREDITH LANDRY For attorneys wanting to go it alone, here's a list of resources to help. BOOKS "How to Start & Build a Law Practice'' By Jay G. Foonberg American Bar Assn., $69.95 Always an ABA best-seller,...

Caveat charity: strings attached; Chicago Trust finding donors increasingly want say in where money goes.(News)(Chicago Community Trust )
November 6, 2006... Byline: GREGORY MEYER The Chicago Community Trust is grappling with a problem that, in some ways, is a nice one to have. New gifts have poured into the $1.5-billion community foundation in recent years. But the percentage given with...

This Week: Is Strategic checking out of the Big Easy?(Late News)(Strategic Hotels & Resorts)(Hyatt Regency New Orleans)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Alby Gallun Strategic Hotels & Resorts is believed to be mulling a sale of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, a 1,184-room hotel that has been shuttered since sustaining damage in Hurricane Katrina last year. Laurence S. Geller, CEO of...

Chicago firms target N.Y. Lawyers look to enhance presence in financial hub.(News)
November 6, 2006... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Under attack on their home turf, Chicago's largest law firms are renewing their assault on New York. But they are finding it slow going. "The marketplace is pretty well picked over in terms of quality...

Merger to bring higher fees? Some in the industry expect CME Group to cash in on its clout.(News)(Board of Trade Clearing Corp.)
November 6, 2006... Byline: ARUNDHATI PARMAR Crain News Service Ka-ching. That's the sweet sound shareholders of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade heard when the two titans of the futures world announced plans to merge last month....

The next small thing; Big-time retail developers circling tiny Sugar Grove.(News)(Forest City Enterprises Inc.)
November 6, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Sugar Grove, a far west suburb of 8,000 people that's expected to hit 60,000 by 2030, is catching the eye of big mall builders. Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises Inc. has acquired 200 acres at State Route 47...

Popular Bistro 110 misses some basics; 20-year-old spot coasts on reputation, location.(Business of Life)(Restaurant review)
November 13, 2006... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Just west of the Magnificent Mile, 20-year-old Bistro 110 continues to be a magnet for locals and tourists alike, attracting a full house even at a mid-week dinner and Monday lunch. I overheard one woman say it is...

What's Cooking; A MEMO FROM THE CHICAGO DEPT. OF DELICIOUS DIGESTION.(Focus: Small Business)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Thomas Mucha Want to stay alive? Then you must, of course, procure, chew, swallow and digest food. In the great City of Chicago, that simple biological process is about more than survival. It's high art. From Alinea, the...

Daily grinder.(Business of Life)(Tony Dreyfuss- Metropolis Coffee Co.)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Kevin Davis Tony Dreyfuss, 32, co-owner, Metropolis Coffee Co., Chicago Duties: Oversees retail coffee shop and coffee roasting business with his father, Jeff. Tastes coffee, buys beans from overseas. "We went to Peru last...

Clip collector.(Business of Life)(John McCarter- Field Museum)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Christina Le Beau John McCarter, 68, is CEO of the Field Museum, but once was a management consultant and state budget director. He's also a sketch artist who keeps visual journals of his travels. Inspirations: "The Creation:...

Crain's names senior reporters.(News)
November 13, 2006... Crain's Chicago Business has promoted two staff members to senior reporter. Steve Daniels, 42, covers banking, insurance and utilities. Since March 1999 he's delivered breaking news and analysis on subjects ranging from Illinois' pending...

Playing with food; One woman and a city full of, um, chefs.(Focus: Small Business)(Shelley Young - Chopping Block )(Company overview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL In a commercial but homey Lincoln Square kitchen, with a chef playing equal parts expert lecturer, party hostess and TV personality, a dozen people gather almost every night to learn how to make dinner like the masters....

Cobra shows its fangs; New product, acquisition rousing investors, analysts.(News)(Cobra Electronics Corp.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After joining Cobra Electronics Corp. in 1998 as CEO, James R. Bazet steered a conservative course, paying down debt and eschewing acquisitions. But in the past few months, he has put Cobra on a more aggressive path....

For The Record.(Briefs)
November 13, 2006... United Airlines parent UAL agreed to settle lawsuits accusing it of violating antitrust laws in connection with ticket prices. UAL also confirmed in a report filed with the SEC that United agreed to settle most of the more than 90 class-action...

System's broke, and there's no leader to fix it.(Viewpoint essay)
November 13, 2006... Illinois' incumbents are safely re-elected, and the possibility of political reform in our state never has seemed more remote. From Springfield to Cook County, last week's election winners got there the old-fashioned way. All owe their...

Service, celebrity and six decades of red meat; Chicago's Gene & Georgetti has it all figured out.(Focus: Small Business)(Company overview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL So little has changed at the Gene & Georgetti steakhouse in 65 years, it's hard to imagine it as a hot spot for rock stars or pop icons. The interior remains dark and old-fashioned despite an expansion and renovation in...

Putting a dent in profit; In a big year for steel sales, miscues hammer metals supplier Ryerson.(Markets)
November 13, 2006... Byline: BOB TITA As the steel industry begins to cool, Ryerson Inc. has already gone cold. In what should be a blockbuster year, with demand robust and steel prices high, the Chicago-based metal distributor's profit through the first...

LaSalle unit on the block; Home loan division, a major profit center, could fetch $2 billion.(News)(LaSalle Bank Corp.)(ABN AMRO Bank N.V.)(Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: STEVE DANIELS LaSalle Bank Corp. is seeking a buyer for its $224-billion mortgage business, a struggling operation that has lost marketshare as the bank proved slow to adjust to changes in the home lending landscape. ABN Amro...

At Deadline.(Late News)(LTV Corp.)(Aksys Ltd.)
November 13, 2006... Bill to freeze power rates slated for vote The state House Electric Utility Oversight Committee will vote Tuesday on legislation to freeze electric rates at current levels through 2009. Approval, which is expected, would make the bill...

Condo-hotels draw scrutiny; Sales practices probed for possible securities violations.(News)(Shangri-La Hotel)
November 13, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Marketing tactics at some downtown condominium-hotel projects have caught the eye of state regulators, who are investigating allegations that developers violated securities laws by touting the investment potential of...

Top Blagojevich aides head for exit; Tusk, Monk depart for greener pastures after guv sews up 2nd term.(News)(Gov. Rod Blagojevich)(Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk)(Lon Monk)
November 13, 2006... Byline: GREG HINZ With re-election in hand but other challenges looming, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is readying a series of personnel shifts at the top of his administration. The first comes Monday, when Robert Arya, who has worked as an...

Post-election chance to pull together regional rail support.(Viewpoint essay)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Howard A. Learner Howard A. Learner is the executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago. Nationally, while the public voted for change last week, Midwest voters re-elected four pragmatic governors in...

Mall owner benefits as demand rises for new space; General Growth Properties: Friday Close: $47.(Markets)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine The pick: Ms. Russell has been buying stock of the Chicago-based shopping mall owner and operator since April 2002. Hartline owns 73,000 shares bought at an average of $33.35. She says the stock, flat so far this...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
November 13, 2006... THIS WEEK NOV. 13-16: National Assn. of Workforce Development Professionals, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, estimated attendance 700. NOV. 14-17: Corp. for National Service North Central Cluster, Wyndham O'Hare, estimated...

Opportunity lost; WITHOUT HEAVYWEIGHT OPPOSITION, DALEY CAN DUCK TOUGH ISSUES IN NEXT YEAR'S RACE.(News)(Richard M. Daley)(Jesse Jackson Jr.)(Luis Gutierrez )
November 13, 2006... Byline: Greg Hinz I've got to start with a confession. For a political writer, the news that neither Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. nor Congressman Luis Gutierrez will be running for mayor is kind of like an announcement that Christmas...

What Rules Will Rule? As exchanges move toward merger, cultural differences come into focus.(News)(Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.)(Board of Trade Clearing Corp.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Randall Kowalski was fined $250 for carrying a bottle of water onto the Chicago Mercantile Exchange trading floor one day a few weeks ago. Then he was fined another $250 for talking back to the security guard who busted...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
November 13, 2006... 1,657: Number of people per bar in Chicago, the nation's lowest per capita rate. 8.6%: Percentage of Illinois employees working in restaurants. 21,762: Number of Illinois eating-and-drinking establishments as of 2005. $47 million:...

McDonald's fears cutting the fat; Healthier oil could leave fry fans with bad aftertaste.(News)(McDonald's Corp.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Crain News Service When McDonald's Corp. announced it would move to a trans fat-free oil, consumers flooded the restaurant chain with complaints that its fries didn't taste as good. But, in fact, the taste was the...

On the Move.(People)(MAN Roland Inc.- Vince Lapinski)(Jacobson Group- Daniel R. Gattis)(Hooters Management Corp.- Sal Melilli)
November 13, 2006... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Charles Vincent George Design Group Inc., Naperville: Jeff Lietz, 35, to vice-president of commercial architecture, from project manager. CTE, Chicago: Amar Rajpurkar, 39, to vice-president and Midwest...

Wear fur. Get sniffy. Bring your owner, too.(Business of Life)(Paula Fasseas-Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.)(Paws (Pets Are Worth Saving))(Interview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey Paws (Pets Are Worth Saving) Chicago, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1997 and is the largest no-kill shelter and humane organization in the Chicago area. In 1998, the group opened the Paws Lincoln Park...

First Boul Mich, now 5th Ave. Lord & Taylor weighs bolting for the burbs.(News)(NRDC Equity Partners LLC)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: ELISABETH BUTLER Crain News Service Weeks after announcing plans to shutter its local flagship store on Michigan Avenue, Lord & Taylor's new owner is considering abandoning the retailer's historic home, New York, and turning the...

This Week: Skadden inks deal for spot in Buck tower.(Late News)(Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom )(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Thomas A. Corfman Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has signed a letter of intent to be the first tenant in a skyscraper proposed by Chicago developer John Buck at 155 N. Wacker, sources say. The New York law firm has agreed to...

Panama vote ups the ante for Cat; Free-trade deal would open door to big sales.(News)(Caterpillar Inc.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: BOB TITA Panamanian voters' recent approval of expanding the Panama Canal has increased the stakes in Caterpillar Inc.'s push for a free-trade agreement between the United States and Panama. The $5.2-billion project would...

The profitable draw of raw; Sure, Sushi Wabi is trendy, but don't say that to its owners.(Focus: Small Business)(Sushi Wabi - Angela Hepler, Susan Thompson)(Company overview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL In the eyes of any restaurant owner, Sushi Wabi on Chicago's Randolph Street might be as close to nirvana as the business gets. The food, especially the roe-covered rolls fanned out against artful sauces, gets great...

Too many cooks? Need outside cash? Then read this first.(Focus: Small Business)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL With his Emmett's Taverns running smoothly in West Dundee and Downers Grove, Andy Burns anticipated that a third restaurant, in Palatine, would follow the same well- established formula for serving up food and brew. ...

Death by dining? 5 things to know before opening your own place.(Focus: Small Business)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL "It's like you're hosting a dinner party for 200 every night,'' Prescott Carlson says of owning a restaurant. "That part is amazing.'' It's the rest of the business that will kill you, something Mr. Carlson learned...

The bug plug.(Focus: Small Business)(Brian Sullivan- Chicagoland Safety LLC)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Dee Gill Anyone who has closed down a bar after hours has gone through the decidedly low-tech ritual of prepping the beer taps to keep out fruit flies. It's messy-bartenders usually wrap the taps with cellophane or stuff napkins up...

Father Goose; Meet the man behind Chicago's top brewery.(Focus: Small Business)(Goose Island Beer Co. - John Hall )(Company overview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: DEE GILL In 1986, before John Hall opened his first Goose Island brew pub, he was a career executive at a packaging company pining for his own business. If not for a magazine article about boutique beers, the Goose Island Beer Co....

Local M&A activity picks up the pace; Size of deals shrinks, though, and some see a slowdown ahead.(News)(Statistical data)
November 13, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Tom Sosnoff, CEO of online Loop stock brokerage Thinkorswim Inc., had seen his company double in size each year since he founded it in 1999. But growth still wasn't coming fast enough to suit him, so Mr. Sosnoff sold...

New CW may boost Trib; Ratings bolster N.Y., L.A., Chicago stations.(News)
November 13, 2006... Byline: GREGORY MEYER Can Tyra Banks help sell Tribune Co.'s big TV stations? The success of "America's Next Top Model,'' hosted by Ms. Banks, and other popular TV series on the new CW Television Network has boosted ratings at Tribune...

On the ice: power plays; Networking thrives at hockey games; bonding over bruises, broken noses.(Business of Life)
November 13, 2006... Byline: SHIA KAPOS Forget business cards, chamber meetings and country club soirees. Power networking gets a lot rougher for Chicago-area businesspeople who play in adult amateur hockey leagues or pickup games. Despite its...

HOSPITAL AIMS DAGGER AT RIVALS' HEART; Advocate Christ Medical takes on Chicago centers with proposed transplant program.(News)(Company overview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Heart surgeon Mark Slaughter hopes he's sent his last patient up the Dan Ryan Expressway to the big downtown hospitals. His employer, Advocate Christ Medical Center in south suburban Oak Lawn, is seeking the state's...

Greetings from . . . the Johnsons; Publishing co. putting Ebony brand on cards.(News)
November 13, 2006... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA Chicago's Johnson Publishing Co. is angling for a piece of the $7.5-billion greeting card market with a line of cards bearing the Ebony magazine brand. Johnson Publishing is licensing the name of its flagship...

Aon treasurer also its first chief risk officer.(People)(Aon Corp.-Ms. Aigotti )(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Brandon Glenn Job: Chief risk officer and treasurer, Aon Corp., an insurance brokerage, since October. As Aon's first CRO, Ms. Aigotti must develop a list of potential risks to the company-from exchange-rate fluctuations to...

Dems in D.C.? Get a new go-to guy; Lobbying cash crosses the aisle as power shifts.(News)(Democratic)(Democratic Congress)(Marty Russo )
November 13, 2006... Byline: PAUL MERRION WASHINGTON-Along with the shift of power, the flow of money in the capital is also changing course. Local businesses that invested heavily in their Republican connections for more than a decade are now scrambling to...

U.S. reps clear the field for Daley.(Richard M. Daley )(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Congressmen Luis Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson Jr., who could have mounted formidable challenges to Mayor Daley, said they would not run for mayor of Chicago next year. Both cited new and expanding duties in Congress since the Democrats won...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
November 13, 2006... THIS WEEK NOV. 13: Lansky Career Consultants presents Over 45 and Looking for Work? 7 to 9 p.m. Lansky Career Consultants, 500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1940. Fee: $49. (312) 494-0022. NOV. 14: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Job...