Crain's Chicago Business articles from September 2003

Crain's Chicago Business archives from September 2003

SCRAMBLING FOR OPEN SPACE: Land rush; Non-profits are shedding surplus acreage at an unpredecented clip.(Real Estate)(charitable groups selling surplus real estate quickly)
September 1, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When the Moose International fraternal organization built Mooseheart, a home for troubled youths, nearly a century ago in west suburban Batavia, plenty of land was set aside for a working farm to train the children...

Death of a sales pitch; The corny, down-home jingles of local auto dealers broke through the clutter and moved the metal.(News)(independently produced dealer commercials on the way out)
September 1, 2003... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson are fighting a bad case of the giggles. Outside their Chevy dealership in Elmhurst, they try to keep straight faces for the taping of one of their infamous television commercials....

No boondoggle to tie foreign aid to recipients' core values.(Opinion)(Pres. Bush's Millennium Challenge Account plan)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Marc J. Lane Official corruption, it's plain to see, stifles entrepreneurship, innovation and investment in the poorest of nations. That's one important reason the Bush administration's visionary Millennium Challenge Account plan...

Cereal guy sent to add snap, crackle, pop to Keebler unit.(People)(new president of cookie and cracker snacks division)
September 1, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Kellogg Co. has tapped a cereal man to whip the Keebler elves into shape. Kellogg recently dispatched Bradford Davidson to Elmhurst from corporate headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich., as president of the struggling...

For a lesson in fair taxation, go back to kindergarten.(Opinion)(Illinois' reliance on property taxes worries schools)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Laurence Msall As the "United We Stand'' slogans of the Illinois State Fair are replaced by back-to-school rallies, our school administrators are faced with financial challenges that are enough to make the fair's legendary butter...

Real Estate Review: Loop office towers a hot property despite lease slump.(Real Estate)(demand for downtown office buildings)
September 1, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The lousy leasing market failed to dampen investor demand for downtown office buildings in the first seven months of 2003. Nine major downtown office properties accounting for 6.3 million square feet of space...

Profile: Broker's team outpaces the field in retail race.(Real Estate)(shopping center in Skokie sold for $81 mn)
September 1, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When Hamilton Partners Inc. first considered unloading the Village Crossing shopping center in Skokie two years ago, it interviewed a dozen or more brokers who were all eager to prove the property could be sold in...

Executive Moves.(People)(vice-president appoinments)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... HEALTH CARE Debra Gold, 46, to executive vice-president of health and productivity solutions at CorSolutions Inc. in Rosemont, from principal in the health care and group benefits practice at Mercer Human Resource Consulting Inc. ...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Those old ads, while somewhat annoying, can be great for brand awareness. Ad executive Mike DiMaio, on commercials produced by local auto dealers PAGE 1

Beating up on Boeing; Taking its lumps in tanker deal, shuttle inquiry.(News)(shuttle investigation focus turns to Boeing )
September 1, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION Last week's string of bad news for Boeing Co. could look like mild turbulence compared with the air pocket awaiting the Chicago-based aerospace giant this week. Still reeling from recent U.S. Air Force findings...

Mixing media at Lillstreet; Art studio and education center moving beyond pottery in new Ravenswood home.(News)(Lill Street Gallery expanding focus)
September 1, 2003... Byline: BRIAN McCORMICK After nearly three decades as a potter's paradise in Lincoln Park, Lill Street Gallery is expanding its artistic scope as it nearly doubles its space with a move to less-tony Ravenswood. The newly renamed...

Sample new eateries during Coyote fest.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(annual Around the Coyote Arts Festival)(Restaurant Review)
September 1, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN The annual autumn Around the Coyote Arts Festival this weekend provides a perfect opportunity to check out new restaurants in Wicker Park/Bucktown. A couple worth trying are Glory, one of the city's few outposts for...

Light under a heat lamp; Can ex-consultant make McDonald's hip?(News)(McDonald's Corp. hopes to reach with its most important new advertising campaign)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER At first glance, Larry Light seems an unlikely choice for the task of boosting Ronald McDonald's street cred. Bespectacled, balding and slightly paunchy, the 62-year-old former consultant evinces no obvious...

Employers to raise guard in hiring; More background checks expected after shootings.(News)(Background checks used to identify violent criminal histories)
September 1, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Chicago-area employers will be less open to hiring ex-convicts and people with arrest records after a disgruntled former employee killed six at a South Side auto parts business last week. Job-placement firms dedicated...

MOTOROLA GAINS IN FIBER RACE; Billions at stake in Bell trio bid to thwart cable threat.(News)(massive telecommunications project)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Motorola Inc. has emerged as one of three finalists in the fierce bidding for what's potentially one of the largest telecommunications projects ever: an ambitious scheme by three of the nation's four Baby Bells to...

CEOs in the pink despite red ink; Hospital bosses pocket fat salaries.(News)(Gary Mecklenburg's pay level)
September 1, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN While a corporate CEO's compensation often rises and falls with profits, pay and financial performance tend to part ways at the largest local hospitals. Gary Mecklenburg of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMH)...

CTA deficit woes disputed; Projections may not justify Kruesi's 50-cent rate hike.(News)(Chicago Transit Authority fare hike)
September 1, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ Even as it tries to quell a credibility crisis over a sweetened executive pension plan, the Chicago Transit Authority appears to be exaggerating the case for hitting riders with a fare hike of as much as 50 cents. ...

Egos deconstruct architects' union; Messy divorce could follow aborted marriage of DeStefano and Keating.(News)(Skidmore Owings & Merrill partners break apart)
September 1, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The union of architects James DeStefano and Richard Keating lasted about as long as a Hollywood marriage. The pair of former Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) partners seemed like a perfect match in January, when Mr....

Late News.(German investment fund may acquire Bank One Corporate Center)
September 1, 2003... GERMANS CIRCLING LOOP TROPHY TOWER A German investment fund is raising money from investors to buy Bank One Corporate Center, a new 1.5-million-square-foot Loop office tower owned by Chicago-based Prime Group Realty Trust, according to...

A familiar pain at CNA; Still paying for past mistakes, insurer again boosts reserves.(News)(unexpected $474 mn pretax charge)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS For CNA Financial Corp., the sins of the past never seem to be absolved. More than two years into one of the strongest insurance markets in recent memory, Chicago-based CNA keeps paying the price for having been...

Setting up urban outpost bodes well for Motorola.(Opinion)(problem of downtown parking capacity)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The problem of downtown parking capacity notwithstanding, it's encouraging that Motorola Inc. is moving to establish a downtown presence in order to attract young creative types who otherwise would be reluctant to commute two hours a day or...

United: $1.8 bil. on the horizon.(Briefs)(United Airlines seeks $1.8-billion loan guarantee)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Elk Grove Township-based United Airlines is confident it will receive a $1.8-billion loan guarantee under a federal airline aid program, as part of its efforts to emerge from bankruptcy protection, says Chairman, President and CEO Glenn F....

Key questions dog Hollinger; Black, CanWest differ on details of non-compete pact.(News)(Hollinger International Inc. annual meeting)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN At the Hollinger International Inc. annual meeting in May, insurgent shareholders asked Chairman and CEO Conrad Black whose idea it was to pay him and his executives-and not the public company they work for-$50...

Parking can't be curbed if transit isn't upgraded.(Opinion)(revision of 46-year-old zoning code may bring higher fees)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The city is pushing for parking limits as part of a revision of the 46-year-old zoning code, setting up a standoff with developers who warn of higher fees and fleeing companies. Both are right and both will have to make some concessions. The...

Government.(Crain's Extra: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2003)
September 1, 2003... Federal Richard Durbin U.S. senator (312) 353-4952 Peter Fitzgerald U.S. senator (312) 886-3506 Judith Roussel District director Small Business Administration (312) 353-4508 State Pat...

Foundations.(Crain's Extra: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2003)
September 1, 2003... Glenn Warren President Clara Abbott Foundation (847) 937-1090 Donald M. Stewart President, CEO Chicago Community Trust (312) 616-8000 Handy L. Lindsey Jr. President Field Foundation of Illinois ...

Business Organizations.(Crain's Extra: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2003)
September 1, 2003... Omar Shareef President African-American Contractors Assn. (312) 915-5960 Susan P. Kezios President Women in Franchising Inc. American Franchisee Assn. (312) 431-1467 Christine Takada Executive...

Educational Institutions.(Crain's Extra: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2003)
September 1, 2003... Elnora D. Daniel President Chicago State University (773) 995-2400 Susan B. Thistlethwaite President Chicago Theological Seminary (773) 752-5757 Warrick L. Carter President Columbia College ...

Cultural Institutions.(Crain's Extra: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2003)
September 1, 2003... Paul Knappenberger President Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum (312) 922-7827 James N. Wood Director, president Art Institute of Chicago (312) 443-3600 Richard B. Regan General manager ...

Familiar ring: SBC saga connects with readers.(Commentary)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo I have written about my troubles in getting telephone and cable television service switched to my new address. Problems with SBC and Comcast apparently are not unusual. Here are excerpts from a few of many letters...

Chicago Observer: Size, influence of Chicago office on downswing at Mother Merrill.(Briefs)(Merrill Lynch & Co.)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler Market Conditions have forced most big investment banks to retrench on LaSalle Street. At Merrill Lynch & Co., there's that-and a whole lot more-working to shrivel the office. According to one former Merrill...

Course Mulligans; Local links are undergoing multimillion-dollar face-lifts in efforts to attract the upscale golfer.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The historic Donald Ross-designed golf course at Ravisloe Country Club in south suburban Homewood has been giving members bogey-filled nightmares since 1901. Lately, though, the private facility has looked like one...

Vegas no fan of Cubs-Sox World Series; Casinos play the spoilsport, but take comfort in history.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Chicago's dream of a Windy City World Series is Las Vegas' nightmare. As the prospect of a World Series pitting the Cubs against the White Sox edges deeper into the realm of possibility, Vegas bookmakers are...

Micro-caps heat up in Aug. market.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Small stocks posted big gains in August. In a month when the stock market registered its sixth consecutive monthly advance, the list of top 10 Chicago-area winners was led by micro-cap companies in industries...

It's all about jobs, stupid, or is it corporate profits? Bah, humbug.(Opinion)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Paul Merrion It's only a week after Labor Day, too early for a Christmas grump, but all the recent political chin-flapping about jobs and the economy has me feeling like Scrooge. Bah, humbug! When polls consistently say that...

CTA right to backtrack; more disclosure needed.(Opinion)(Chicago Transit Authority)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... The Chicago Transit Authority has done the right thing by shelving its controversial plan to sweeten the pensions of senior agency executives, at least four board members and President Frank Kruesi. The plan was adopted in secret a month...

Innovation generating cash; Grants act as seed money for firms with new products.(Small Business)(Small Business Innovation Research grants)
September 8, 2003... Byline: BRIAN LEAF At Advanced Life Sciences Inc. in Woodridge, government grants have made $21 million grow from trees. Without the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) seed money, Advanced probably wouldn't have pursued...

Outsourcing is in with owners; Tough economy has entrepreneurs seeking outside help.(Small Business)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ED McKINLEY Outsourcing is making inroads into small businesses like Method Engine LLC in Chicago. The developer of business-to-business Web-based applications employs only two full-timers-partners John Zoppi and David...

Road warriors are back; Sales calls await, but tight budgets define post-9/11 life.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Almost nothing keeps Michael Silverstein off the road these days. He rarely logs less than 20,000 miles a month. In recent weeks, he's traveled to business meetings in Tokyo, London, Stockholm, Atlanta and Boston. The...

CTA boss sorry for pension flub.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... With an apology, the Chicago Transit Authority formally nullified a series of pension revisions that would benefit President Frank Kruesi and 23 agency executives. As first disclosed by Crain's on Aug. 18, the pension revisions-quietly approved...

Staying afloat; Chicago boatyard owners, pinched by a surge in riverfront development, sail into profitability by diversifying their offerings.(Small Business)(Interview)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JIM SONNENBERG In 1987, Michael Heltzer left a career in corporate law to pursue a dream of designing high-end commercial and residential furniture. His designs have won awards and acclaim and his North Side firm, Heltzer Inc., has...

Two years after Sept. 11: big changes, old routines.(Opinion)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 8, 2003... It's been two years since the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Life has changed dramatically in some ways. But in other ways, hardly at all. Although the catastrophic loss of life evoked Pearl Harbor, the subsequent mobilization...

Smoldering over Exelon's layoffs; ComEd parent betting that lights won't dim.(News)(Commonwealth Edison Co.)
September 8, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Exelon Corp.'s dramatic cost-cutting program is coming under increasing pressure from state officials reviewing the condition of Illinois' electricity grid following the massive blackout that hit much of the East...

And starring as Chicago: Toronto; Flix flight hurts local firms that cater to movie industry.(Small Business)
September 8, 2003... Byline: LISA HOLTON You won't see the names of Wayne Kubacki and Tom Busch on the marquee at your local gigaplex, but they have leading roles defending the eroding Chicago film industry. "When you're talking about the film industry...

Walgreen doctoring stores; Looking for new upfront formula.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES Walgreen Co. is seeking a prescription for its general merchandise, which despite a recent monthly sales rebound, suffers from outdated displays, a fickle economy and powerful competitors Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and...

OLD FOE CIRCLING UAL AGAIN; Dubinsky ready to mix it up over pension benefits.(News)(United Airlines, former pilots union leader Frederick Dubinsky)
September 8, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION If the United Airlines bankruptcy proceedings weren't contentious enough, negotiators soon could face a mad dog across the table. Now retired, but far from retiring, former pilots union leader Frederick...

Offbeat meets traditional for raw appeal.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN A newspaper ad drew me to Sushi Para in Palatine. "Fusion-style sushi,'' it promised, bolstering the claim with a photo of beautifully arranged raw fish and garnishes. What I find when I get to the Dundee Road...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
September 8, 2003... WEEK OF SEPT. 8 Sept. 8-11: National Task Force on Continuing Medical Education Provider/Industry Collaboration, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 500. Sept. 8-11: National Court Appointed Special Advocates, Hotel...

Smaller firms urged to embrace Six Sigma; But few take time or spend money to implement program.(Small Business)
September 8, 2003... Byline: BRIAN LEAF At Tella Tool & Manufacturing Co., Six Sigma has been a way of business life for more than a decade. There wasn't much choice for the Lombard company, which employs 100 people. Automotive customers demanded it. ...

Futures shock: terror trades; Web-preneur sees market for everything from J. Lo's wedding to Al Qaeda's next strike.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON There is a market for everything-even those much- maligned terrorism futures that recently cost retired Rear Adm. John Poindexter his job as a Pentagon adviser. Chicago entrepreneur Richard Buchanan is launching...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
September 8, 2003... The Cubs and White Sox each in the playoffs? That's like betting on a meteorite hitting the Earth. Chicago sports radio talk show host Mike North of WSCR, on the pennant race PAGE 1

Late News.(briefs)
September 8, 2003... NEW LA RAZA OWNER MAPS EXPANSION The publisher of La Raza, Chicago's largest Spanish-language publication, sold a controlling interest to Hispania Capital Partners. The Chicago-based buyout group, which manages about $90 million, paid...

Hospitals in standoff; Advocate, Provena to shut out UnitedHealthcare patients.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN A growing number of local hospitals are slamming the door on UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., the area's third-largest health plan, as the insurer flexes its muscles at the bargaining table in an effort to slash...

NEW STRANDS IN THE WEB: Going Wi-Fi; Emerging wireless network raises pay vs. free debate.(Technology)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON That giant Picasso horse head in Chicago's Daley Plaza is a beacon to Web-addicted office workers and tourists. Literally. The iconic sculpture marks the best place to pick up high-speed Internet connections...

Profile: Radar and drug therapy give epileptic children new hope to 'clear the fog'.(Technology)
September 8, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN It's hardly an exaggeration to say that Kurt E. Hecox's job sounds a bit like Dr. Frankenstein's. The University of Chicago Hospitals pediatric neurologist and his team remove brain tissue from children with...

Executive Moves.(People)(announces various executive appointments)
September 8, 2003... ARTS Jennifer Bielstein, 34, to managing director at Writers' Theatre, from director of marketing and communications at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. EDUCATION Patricia Mell, 49, to dean at John Marshall Law School, from professor...

Derivatives making a comeback; Governments playing with financial fire.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ With a weak economy still sapping tax receipts, area governments have begun turning to a sometimes-lucrative but notoriously risky financial device to raise funds: derivatives trading. In recent months, the Cook...

Think small: Northwestern should look to Division III.(Opinion)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Lester Munson Point shaving in basketball. Point shaving in football. Student bookmaking. Death of a player in a football practice. Futile attempt to cover up evidence on the player's death. That's a listing...

Medium rare; Tender, toothsome and tony, Kobe beef is a deluxe delicacy that's making its way onto Chicago menus in a variety of forms.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Long known as exotic and expensive, Kobe beef-the Mercedes of meat-is turning up on menus all over town. A few top restaurants have served it for years, but in the last few months, new hot spots, old steak houses...

For The Record.(Briefs)(assorted Chicago-area business news)
September 8, 2003... Byline: SARA D. WHITE, Compiled from ChicagoBusiness.com, Bloomberg News reports and other sources. KRAFT FOODS INC. The Northfield-based food company said it expects to earn 45 cents to 47 cents a share in the third quarter, lower...

Put affirmative action aside, focus on classroom.(Opinion)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Lee H. Walker If you disagree with the present concept of affirmative action, as I do, you need friends who will support you-particularly if you are black. Controversy over affirmative action has been rekindled since the U.S....

$917-mil. bet on Horseshoe.(Briefs)(Harrah's Entertainment Inc. bids for Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Harrah's Entertainment Inc. said it will pay $917 million in cash to buy Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp., the Tinley Park-based company owned and operated by casino kingpin Jack B. Binion. The Las Vegas-based gaming giant will assume $533...

Technically, seeing upswing in market.(Finance)(Carl M. Birkelbach)(Interview)
September 15, 2003... Byline: H. Lee Murphy In the early 1980s, when the stock market was still mired in a lull that had persisted since the late '60s, Carl M. Birkelbach loudly predicted an upturn. He earned the nickname "Lone Bull'' and, when equities...

Butera bounces back in store shopping spree.(News)(Butera Finer Foods Inc. to buy stores from Eagle Food Centers Inc.)
September 15, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After shrinking his grocery chain to five stores from 27 over the past two decades, Paul Butera is expanding again. The 60-year-old chairman and CEO of family-owned Butera Finer Foods Inc. expected late last week...

CNA pulling back on long-term care; Big player exits individual-policy biz, hikes rates.(News)(CNA Financial Corp.)
September 15, 2003... Byline: RICK MILLER Crain News Service In a sign of continuing upheaval in the long-term care insurance business, CNA Financial Corp. told agents last week that it is exiting the individual-policy business to focus on group policies. ...

New McDonald's campaign: I'm just totally loathin' it.(Opinion)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Bob Garfield If 50 Cent were kidnapped by the New Christy Minstrels, and forced to record a video soundtrack commissioned by Mentos, you'd have the introduction to the new McDonald's campaign. What a bizarre agglomeration of...

Could a WRMD be far behind? Or a WCCB?(Commentary)(radio stations)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Chicago's history is being eviscerated big time by radio conglomerators. Along with massive changes in station ownership, formats and dial positions in recent years, the trend is also causing a lot of our old radio...

At Calamos, a conversion; As assets soar, fund firm eyes HQ.(News)(Calamos Investments)
September 15, 2003... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER As an Air Force B-52 co-pilot in the late '60s, John Calamos had time on his hands in Minot, N.D., he says, while "sitting on alert, waiting for World War III.'' But instead of watching soap operas or reading...

Onetime ER nurse takes on ailing Sinai Health System.(People)(Larry Volkmar)
September 15, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Larry Volkmar long ago swapped his scrubs for executive garb, but as the new president of Sinai Health System's hospital division, the former emergency room nurse is taking over the financial equivalent of a trauma...

Pancake options stacking up at Loop eatery.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Room 12)(Restaurant Review)
September 15, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN The owners of Wicker Park's popular Bongo Room have brought their breakfast/lunch concept to the burgeoning South Loop. John Latino and Derrick Robles opened Room 12 a couple of months ago in the rehabbed...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
September 15, 2003... WEEK OF SEPT. 15 Sept. 16: Chicago Residential Fall Focus, Merchandise Mart, estimated attendance 1,000. Sept. 16-17: Promotional Products Assn. International, McCormick Place North, estimated attendance 2,000. Sept. 16-18:...

Sara Lee shipped suspect bread; Company defends decision to use honey under FDA inspection.(News)(Hoyts' honey tests positive for chloramphenicol)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Sara Lee Corp. shipped loaves of honey-enriched Earthgrains breads in August 2002 despite a warning that federal food safety regulators were testing its honey supplier's stocks for an antibiotic banned for use in...

Exelon can't afford risk of future power outages.(Opinion)(electric power transmission lines)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Exelon Corp. CEO John W. Rowe is confident that the utility's electric power transmission lines are in great shape. Otherwise, he wouldn't be assuring Illinois regulators that a pending cost-cutting move to eliminate 1,900 jobs over three years...

STOCKS STUCK IN LIMBO: Invisible Inc. Small-cap firms fight for Wall Street's attention.(Finance)
September 15, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When Quotesmith.com Inc. went public in 1999 at $33, it had five brokerage house analysts shouting "buy'' in unison. Darien-based Quotesmith wasn't making any money then, but it expects to break into the black...

After stumbles, Grubb refocuses; Strategy: Ignore market 'noise,' find new CEO.(News)(Grubb and Ellis Co.)
September 15, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN After a couple of tumultuous years capped by an aborted merger, Grubb & Ellis Co. is trying to pick up the pieces-and do it without a CEO. Rocked by broker defections, the delisting of its stock in 2002 and a 24%...

Hotel rescue, renewal spur St. Charles.(News)(Hotel Baker)
September 15, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY West suburban St. Charles' historic Hotel Baker-shuttered for nearly two years-has found a rescuer just as city officials are launching a wide-ranging urban renewal project nearby. The new owner of the Baker, a...

Late News.
September 15, 2003... SENATE RACE DRAWS RAUSCHENBERGER Another major candidate has decided to enter the crowded field of Republicans seeking to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill. Sources close to state Sen. Steven Rauschenberger say the Elgin...

Profile: Marsh madness: Insurance broker scores points in Chicago.(Finance)(Timothy J. Mahoney Jr.)(Biography)
September 15, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Timothy J. Mahoney Jr. has Marsh Inc. in his blood. The managing director in charge of sales at the New York-based insurance brokerage giant's Chicago office is the son of former Marsh Vice-chairman Timothy J....

WHEEL EXPENSIVE.(News)(Bentley)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Origin: Bentley's history stretches back to the 1920s; the cars are still produced at the original factory in Crewe, England Price tag: $150,000 to more than $360,000 Annual production: Only 400 of the mostly handmade vehicles are...

Chicago Observer: Stock motto: Bears, bulls make money, and pigs get slaughtered.(Briefs)(business news)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler New York Stock Exchange Chairman and CEO Richard Grasso, centerpiece of the latest corporate governance uproar, last May waded into an Executives' Club of Chicago luncheon audience to embrace an attendee whom he...

Bears den insulates rich from the rest.(News)(Chicago Bears stadium)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN When the Chicago Bears open their refurbished stadium Sept. 29 against the hated Green Bay Packers, another age-old rivalry will be playing out in the stands-the bourgeoisie vs. the proletariat. Unlike most...

The party's over; Meeting planners don't have much to celebrate, what with tight budgets and pressure to avoid excess. But they still have to entice people to attend.(Special Report: Business of Meetings)
September 15, 2003... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK The limousines that usually pick up speakers at the airport haven't been ordered. Portions of surf and turf have shrunk. And the table centerpiece is so small, it doesn't even hide the salt and pepper shakers....

Conference centers go big, bold; Chicago and the suburbs step on each other's toes.(Special Report: Business of Meetings)
September 15, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Hotel rooms are empty and conference rooms have gone dark, but plans are still under way to expand meeting space around metro Chicago. The bet is that when the economy improves, so will the corporate event and travel...

Other cities seek convention cash; Rivals tout lower costs as they battle for shows.(Special Report: Business of Meetings)
September 15, 2003... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA The Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting has deep ties to Chicago, but they're not unbreakable. The group started on a small scale in 1915, with 62 physicians meeting at the Hotel Sherman in...