Crain's Chicago Business articles from September 2005

Crain's Chicago Business archives from September 2005

Who's Who in Chicago Business.
September 5, 2005... It's rare that a week goes by without someone asking us the question: How do we decide Who's Who in Chicago business? It's a tough question to answer. We don't use a computer program or apply a strict set of criteria to tell us Who's Who....

Architecture & Engineering.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Carol Ross Barney Principal Ross Barney & Jankowski Inc. Chicago Age: 56 Business: Architecture firm Revenues (millions): $3 Professional: Economic Club; American Institute of Architects; Chicago Women in...

Banking.(William F. Aldinger III, HSBC North America Inc.; Anne L. Arvia, ShoreBank; Edward M. Bakwin, MB Financial Inc.)
September 5, 2005... William F. Aldinger III Former chairman, CEO HSBC North America Holdings Inc. Prospect Heights Age: 58 Business: Banking Assets (millions): Not applicable Professional: MasterCard International Inc.; Illinois...

Business Organizations.(Gregory W. Baise, Illinois Manufacturers' Assn.; Grace Barry, Economic Club of Chicago; Marshall M. Bouton, Chicago Council on Foreign Relations)
September 5, 2005... Gregory W. Baise President, CEO Illinois Manufacturers' Assn. Oak Brook Age: 53 Business: Non-profit Revenues (millions): $3.4 Professional: Economic Club; Executives' Club Grace Barry President ...

Business Services.(Focus: Who's Who)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Gary D. Ahlquist Senior vice-president, managing partner Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Chicago Age: 52 Business: Management consulting Revenues (millions): $3,300 (worldwide) Professional: Economic Club Civic:...

Chemicals & Agribusiness.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... G. Allen Andreas Chairman, CEO Archer Daniels Midland Co. Decatur Age: 62 Business: Agribusiness Revenues (millions): $36,200 Professional: A. C. Toepfer International Group; Gruma S.A.; Agricore United;...

Construction Services.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Jeffrey L. Arfsten Executive vice-president, director of operations Bovis Lend Lease Inc. Chicago Age: 51 Business: Construction Revenues (millions): $431.8 (Chicago area) Civic: Boy Scouts of America; Chicago...

Consumer Products.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Brenda C. Barnes President, CEO Sara Lee Corp. Chicago Age: 51 Business: Consumer packaged goods Revenues (millions): $19,600 Professional: New York Times Co.; LucasFilm Ltd.; Staples Inc. Civic: Augustana...

Cultural Institutions.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Ted A. Beattie President, CEO John G. Shedd Aquarium Chicago Age: 60 Business: Aquarium Revenues (millions): $44.7 Professional: Economic Club Civic: Commercial Club; Chicago Club; Ohio State...

Education.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Henry S. Bienen President Northwestern University Evanston Age: 66 Business: Higher education Budget (millions): $1,115 Professional: Bear Stearns Cos., Deltak Edu Inc. Civic: Council on Foreign Relations;...

Financial Services.(John C. Adams, Lazard Freres & Company L.L.C.; Charles K. Bobrinskoy, Ariel Capital Management Inc.; William J. Brodsky, Chicago Board Options Exchange Inc.)
September 5, 2005... John C. Adams Managing director, head of Chicago office Lazard Freres & Co. LLC Chicago Age: 42 Business: Investment banking Revenues (millions): $1,328.2 Civic: Barrington United Methodist Church Carl...

Food.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Rick Bayless Chef, owner Frontera Grill, Topolobampo Partner Frontera Foods, Frontera Media Productions Chicago Age: 51 Business: Restaurants, prepared foods, television production, cookbooks Revenues...

Government.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Rod R. Blagojevich Governor State of Illinois Age: 48 Business: State government Budget (millions): $43,600 Carole L. Brown Chairman Chicago Transit Authority Chicago Age: 41 Business: Urban...

Health Care.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Julius G. Alberico CEO Humana Inc. Chicago Age: 56 Business: Health care Revenues (millions): $1,100 Professional: Mercantile Exchange Club; Union League Club; Illinois Chamber of Commerce Civic: Mercy Home...

Insurance.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Gregory C. Case President, CEO Aon Corp. Chicago Age: 42 Business: Risk and insurance brokerage Revenues (millions): $10,135 Professional: Executives' Club; International Insurance Society J. Patrick...

Law.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Laurel G. Bellows Principal Bellows & Bellows P.C. Chicago Age: 57 Business: Law firm Revenues (millions): Not available Professional: American Bar Assn.; National Conference of Bar Presidents; Executives' Club;...

Manufacturing.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Ralph C. ALexander CEO Innovene USA LLC Chicago Age: 50 Business: Plastics and petrochemicals manufacturing Revenues (millions): $17,000 Professional: Executives' Club; Anglo American plc; Liquid Engines...

Marketing & Media.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Joseph J. Ahern President, general manager WBBM-TV/Channel 2 Chicago Age: 60 Business: Television Revenues (millions): Not available Professional: Economic Club; Executives' Club; Chicagoland Chamber of...

Non-Profits.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Ellen S. Alberding President Joyce Foundation Chicago Age: 47 Business: Charitable foundation Assets (millions): $800 Professional: Economic Club Civic: Commercial Club; National Panel on the Nonprofit...

Real Estate.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Michael J. Alter President Alter Group Skokie Age: 44 Business: Real estate development Revenues (millions): $702 Professional: Urban Land Institute; Young Presidents' Organization; Economic Club Civic:...

Retail.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Brandon K. Barnholt President, CEO White Hen Pantry Inc. Oak Brook Age: 47 Business: Convenience stores Revenues (millions): $220 Professional: National Assn. of Convenience Stores; International...

Technology & Telecom.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Michael J. Birck Chairman Tellabs Inc. Naperville Age: 67 Business: Telecommunications equipment provider Revenues (millions): $1,232 Professional: Economic Club; Illinois Tool Works Inc.; Molex Inc. Civic:...

Transportation.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Kevin E. Benson President, CEO Laidlaw International Inc. Naperville Age: 58 Business: Transportation services Revenues (millions): $4.6 Professional: Manulife Financial; TransCanada Corp. Edward Brennan ...

Utilities & Energy.(Focus: Who's Who)
September 5, 2005... Frank M. Clark President Commonwealth Edison Executive vice-president, chief of staff Exelon Corp. Chicago Age: 60 Business: Electric utility Revenues (millions): $14,515 Professional: Economic Club;...

Parent pacifier.(The Business of Life)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Kevin Davis Joy Lichterman, 30, president, Chicago Nannies Inc. Years in the industry: 10 Salary: $75,000 and up, depending on volume of business Duties: Matches nannies with parents; conducts criminal background...

Business and interest; How three Chicagoans really did find opportunity in their hobbies.(Dwight Cleveland, Tom Flickinger, Doug Meyer )
September 5, 2005... Byline: ANNE MOORE Many executives think they have a business burning inside them, based on a personal passion: designing and building sailboats, perhaps, or becoming a brewer of specialty beers. But it's the rare executive who can...

On the Move.(W. Sun Yoo promoted at DeStefano and Partners Ltd., Scott E. Schubert promoted at Trans Union L.L.C., Daniel G. Queenan promoted at Opus North Corp.)
September 5, 2005... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Gonzalez Partners, Chicago: W. Sun Yoo, 35, to managing principal, from project architect at DeStefano & Partners Ltd. business services Trans Union LLC, Chicago: Scott E. Schubert, 52, to chief financial...

Waiter, bring me your best bottle of...(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Olvera Bottle service has become a major player at local bars and clubs, mainly among the see-and-be-seen set who want to settle into posh, private seating in exchange for purchasing a premium bottle for their party. Who...

Conventions.
September 5, 2005... THIS WEEK SEPT. 6-10: National Mother/Baby Nurses Conference, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 400. SEPT. 7-10: Academy of Neonatal Nursing, Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 1,800. SEPT. 7-15: College of American...

Lifetime Laborer.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Dan Weissmann In 1961, Ronald E. Powell, now 70, had just started a job at Jewel Food Stores when the Union of Food and Commercial Workers Local 881 came to organize a new store in DeKalb. Mr. Powell went to work for the local and...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
September 5, 2005... this Week SEPT. 6: Score presents Basics of Going Into Business. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Score, Citicorp Center, 500 W. Madison St., Suite 1250. Fee: $60. (312) 353-7724. SEPT. 7: Lincoln Park Business Development Institute presents Smart...

What's the best way to check up on a charity you'd like to donate to?(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Darci Smith Track the dollars, says Daniel Borochoff, president of Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, which analyzes financial reporting by non-profits in its Charity Rating Guide ($3, www.charitywatch.org). Three...

Hotel near Old Orchard for sale; Possible bidders mull residential-retail combo, but site zoned biz-only.(North Shore Skokie Hotel to be sold, Pyramid Advisors LLC is the current owner )
September 5, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The North Shore Skokie Hotel, an aging facility in a prime location across from the Westfield Old Orchard shopping center, is up for sale, with developers considering a conversion to condominiums, senior citizen...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
September 5, 2005... Kemper Lakes Golf Club hosted the PGA Championship in 1989. The year was incorrect in the Aug. 29 Course Critic. Triple Net Properties LLC's pending acquisition of 123 N. Wacker Drive would not break the record price for a downtown office...

Bread with a Twist.(Bretzel bread)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Bretzel bread is pretzel-shaped, crisp on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Salt studs the top. It's a staple in German bakeries and grocery stores. Germans typically eat it plain, as a snack or smeared with butter or cheese for a...

New places to get a good sandwich; Two thrill, one frustrates; best ham since Parma.
September 5, 2005... Byline: ANNE MOORE Whatever happened to the lunch hour? Twenty minutes is more like it. We stopped in at three new spots in or near the Loop that offer sandwiches, a quick and satisfying option for a midday meal. Hannah's Bretzel ...

Be careful to learn the right lessons from Disney case.
September 5, 2005... Byline: Michael S. Melbinger In a widely reported decision last month, the Delaware Chancery Court absolved Disney's board of directors from potential personal liability for their decision to pay Michael Ovitz $140 million in severance...

Whisper Creek worth shouting about; Course at Del Webb charms with challenging golf, top-notch service.
September 5, 2005... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Around the neatly kept grounds of Whisper Creek Golf Club in Huntley, one is struck by the chattering tones of familiarity. Everybody seems to know everybody else, odd for a public course where foursomes might be...

Whisper Creek Golf Club.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... 12840 Del Webb Blvd., Huntley (48 miles northwest of the Loop) (847) 515-7680 www.whispercreekgolf.com Director of golf: Jim Wyffels Green fee: $89 weekends, $75 weekdays Tee times: Accepted 30 days in advance Rating:...

Police vet now in charge of access at airports.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Gregory Meyer Job: Managing deputy commissioner of security and public safety, Chicago Department of Aviation, since Aug. 15. Vitals: 58 years old; joined Chicago Police Department as a cadet at 17 and retired as chief of...

Abbott cancer drug vying for FDA approval; Some doubt whether prostate cancer remedy will be a huge seller.(Markets)
September 5, 2005... Byline: BRETT CHASE Shares of Abbott Laboratories may get a much-needed boost next week if the drugmaker wins over a panel of doctors on what Abbott believes could be a breakthrough treatment for prostate cancer. The new treatment, a pill...

A JAW-DROPPING BURGER GAP IN CHICAGO; How McDonald's, hot dogs have kept top takeout burgers out of the city.
September 5, 2005... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN When Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker thinks of his native California, it's not the weather he longs for, it's the hamburgers. Since arriving in Chicago two years ago, Mr. Baker has found little to satisfy his...

Downtown tax for park costs unfair to owners.(city officials are levying tax on building owners for millenium park construction)(Column)
September 5, 2005... City Hall wants the downtown business community to foot the bill for poor planning at Millennium Park. As first reported by Alby Gallun in Crain's last week, city officials are cooking up a special service area tax on downtown property...

Rivals' weakness is United's edge; Northwest, Delta face Ch. 11 as fuel costs rise.(Hurricane Katrina, 2005: airlines to face problem due to high fuel price)
September 5, 2005... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON United Airlines will feel the pain as jet fuel prices rise in Hurricane Katrina's wake, but not as acutely as some of its rivals. With a large section of the Gulf Coast in ruins, disruptions to oil production and...

Winston & Strawn halts lobbying; Headed by ex-Gov. Thompson, firm's growth led to conflicts.(Timothy Dart and John Nicolay)
September 5, 2005... Byline: GREG HINZ The law firm that former Gov. James Thompson built into a lobbying powerhouse in Springfield has quietly gone out of that line of work, a casualty of changing ethics laws and its own growth as a worldwide corporate...

Family ties; Daley brothers, often competitors, draw closer as heat on mayor rises.(Mayor Richard M. Daley and his family)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Greg Hinz Anyone with a family knows the highs and the lows of the beast. We all have tales. Who threw a drumstick at whom at Thanksgiving. What's going on with that cousin who skipped the latest gathering. Families,...

Local companies feel storm's force; Sears, Tribune, ADM among those affected.(Sears Holdings Corp., Tribune Co., Archer Daniels Midland Co. and many other companies effected by Hurricane Katrina)
September 5, 2005... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Hurricane Katrina's 200-mile path of destruction sliced through the Gulf Coast operations of Chicago-area companies ranging from McDonald's Corp. to Tribune Co. to USG Corp. Retailers like Hoffman Estates-based...

Wrigley hopes to Goose innovation; Can $84-million gum laboratory help fend off archrival Cadbury?(Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: JULIE JARGON Next week, William Wrigley Jr. Co. will unveil its massive new gum laboratory on Goose Island, a setting that could prove critical as the company hustles to fend off a more innovative rival. Since 2003, when...

MORE FOR VON MAUR; A quiet, old-fashioned department store chain wants to make a 'big splash' in Chicago.
September 5, 2005... Byline: SANDRA JONES Von Maur Inc., the stealth department store chain from Iowa that has operated virtually unnoticed in the Chicago area for more than a decade, is preparing to step into the limelight. A throwback to the way...

Record price in Buck deal; New office tower at 111 S. Wacker shows market's hot.(German investor to buy John Buck's downtown office buildings)
September 5, 2005... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Developer John Buck is close to selling a recently built Wacker Drive high-rise for more than $400 a square foot, which would set a new price record for downtown office buildings. An unidentified German investor has...

At Deadline.(Hotel InterContinental to be demolished for new construction)(Chicago Public Schools disaster relief aid)(First Industrial Realty to buy asserts of Duke Realty Corp)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... InterContinental's owner eyes condos Five months after buying the 807-room Hotel InterContinental on North Michigan Avenue, Strategic Hotel Capital may demolish the 26-story north tower and build a new one in its place, possibly with...

For The Record.(Morningstar headquarters to be shifted)(attorney files suit on electricity price hike)(McDonald's appoints Mary Dillon as Chief marketing officer)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Morningstar plans to move its headquarters to Block 37, marking a big step forward for the long- delayed mixed-use Loop project. The Illinois attorney general filed suit to bar the ICC from permitting proposed electric rate increases by...

Boeing workers on strike.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Boeing Co., the nation's largest plane maker, halted production after its machinists went on strike early Friday for the first time in 10 years, voting to reject the Chicago-based company's latest contract offer. Shares of Boeing, whose...

Stock Report: Bond waiver deal pumps up Bally.(Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp and bondholders agreements)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Jeremy Mullman Shares of Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. rose 17% last week after the company reached an agreement with bondholders to avoid a technical default that could have rendered $700 million in debt immediately due and...

This Week: Rowe: Rate dispute may trigger ComEd sale.(Commonwealth Edison Co. )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Steve Daniels Exelon CEO John W. Rowe told Wall Street analysts last month he'll sell Exelon's Commonwealth Edison Co. unit if Illinois reverts to the type of rate regulation used before electricity prices were locked in under a...

NEED TO KNOW.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... 15% The percentage of U.S. companies owned by minorities. 30% The percentage of U.S. minority-owned firms in low-growth business sectors like personal services, food stores and restaurants, compared with 17% of non-minority-owned...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
September 12, 2005... THIS WEEK SEPT. 12-14: Promo Expo, Navy Pier, estimated attendance 3,500. SEPT. 13-14: Edelman, Swissotel Chicago, estimated attendance 300. SEPT. 13-17: American Zoo and Aquarium Assn., Hilton Chicago, estimated attendance 2,000....

Asians say work down since city change; Contractors confused about whether Asians still qualify as MBE.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: BRIAN MCCORMICK Ernest Wong, one of the city's most prolific landscape designers, doesn't hesitate to credit affirmative action for a good part of his success. So last summer, when the city of Chicago responded to a...

Market Researcher.(The Business of Life)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Dan Weissmann Before Yuval Degani, 36, got into real estate, he co-owned lakefront bicycle rental company Bike Chicago. In 1998, Mr. Degani got a real estate license to act as his own agent in buying a West Loop building. He went...

What to do, where to be, who to see; Tales from the trenches and other potentially helpful start-up guides.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: MARK HENRICKS For years, minority entrepreneurs have been starting businesses as fast or faster than non-minorities. Finally, the resources are starting to catch up. Here's a sampling of the books, seminars, events and Web sites...

Networking in the new world; Today's scene now has 'people of all colors and stripes'.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The coach: Quintin Primo III, 50, CEO of Capri Capital Advisors LLC, a Chicago investment advisory firm specializing in real estate. Mr. Primo and his partner, Daryl J. Carter, founded the firm in 1992 by managing a...

A formula for franchising; First, keep records of income, expenses and where the margins are.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The coach: Sue Ling Gin, CEO of Flying Food Group Inc., a Chicago company that provides in-flight catering to 80 airlines and manufactures prepared foods for retailers. Its revenue was $170 million last year. Ms....

Business Mixer.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Laura Bianchi Greg "Brandy'' Brandt, 59, bartender at Rivers, lobby level of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Years on the job: Five Wage: $8 an hour, plus two to three times that in tips Duties: In warm weather, tends bar...

Keeping the (direct) mail from piling up; Need employees who share your vision, think like you? Steal them.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK The coaches: Pethinaidu Veluchamy, 59, CEO of Veluchamy Enterprises, a Downers Grove-based direct-marketing conglomerate, and his son, Arun Veluchamy, 28, vice-president of the direct-mailing division. Founded in...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
September 12, 2005... this Week SEPT. 12: Jewish Vocational Service presents Preparing for the Interview: How Thinking Like an Employer Will Get You Hired. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. JVS, 1 S. Franklin St. Free. (312) 673-3437. SEPT. 12-13: Chicago Bar Assn....

New cafes give coffee a break; Three spots to take five with cup of hot chocolate.(The Business of Life)
September 12, 2005... Byline: VIRGINIA GERST Bored with lattes at Starbucks? Chocolate cafes are a lively alternative to the coffee shop grind. We take a look at three new spots to indulge in a cup of hot chocolate or bond with colleagues over bonbons. ...

A woman's journey to $4.5m; Female entrepreneurs still way behind men in venture capital quest.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: LAUREL JORGENSEN Trish Lindsay has already raised $4.5 million for Star Farm Productions LLC, a Chicago-based children's multimedia company she started three years ago. She even worked her way up from $100,000 investments to a...

The knack of selling snacks; In business, are three people better than one?(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SANDRA SWANSON The Coach: Alejandro Silva, 57, chairman of Evans Food Group Ltd., one of the largest pork-rind manufacturers in the world. Evans was founded in Chicago in the 1940s. Mr. Silva, one of his brothers and a friend...

Troubleshooting tech; To outsource or not to outsource, and what about offshoring jobs to India?(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SANDRA SWANSON The Coach: Robert Blackwell, 68, worked at IBM Corp. for 26 years before founding his own technology company, Blackwell Consulting Services Inc., in 1992. Mr. Blackwell started with four employees and now has...

ALTERED PLANS; State sides with alderman in feud over Alter Group's rights to state-owned property.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Alby gallun Northwest Side Alderman Thomas R. Allen appears to have the upper hand in his long-running feud with Skokie real estate developer Alter Group Ltd. over plans to redevelop the former site of Chicago Read Mental Health...

It's time to move the United Nations -bring it to Chicago.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Terrence Barnich Mark Twain wrote, "There is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.'' We're now testing the narrowness of that quip. Political corruption abounds well beyond Washington. At City Hall, procurement...

Still struggling.(William Bonaparte minority entrepreneur of Bonaparte Corp)(Interview)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN The list of projects completed by William Bonaparte Jr.'s electrical contracting company reads like an affirmative-action success story. Since its founding 14 years ago, Chicago-based Bonaparte Corp. has cashed...

On the Move.(Karen May appointed as executive vice president of Kraft Foods Inc)(David Rodin appointed as director of Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management)(Chris Paoli appointed as vice president of Harris Bank N.A)
September 12, 2005... CONSUMER PRODUCTS & SERVICES Chicago Storm, Chicago: Brian Loftin, 33, to chief operating officer, from vice-president of business development for the Milwaukee Wave in Milwaukee. Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield: Karen May, 47, to...

Behind the stereotype.(Focus: Small Business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK AND SHRUTI DATE SINGH They've become sitcom cliches: the Vietnamese nail salon, the Korean dry cleaner, the Polish cleaning lady and the Indian-owned doughnut shop. But the truth is that immigrant groups often...

United flight plan a work in progress; Ch. 11 exit strategy raises big questions.(United Air Lines Inc)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON The long-awaited restructuring plan United Airlines has finally unveiled is essentially a 416-page rough draft, leaving key questions to be answered before the airline can exit bankruptcy. In Chapter 11...

Institutions pile into Sears; Value investor Miller among those buying what Lampert selling.(Sears Holdings Corp)(Bill Miller)(Edward S. Lampert)
September 12, 2005... Byline: SANDRA JONES Two large institutional investors poured money into Sears Holdings Corp. in the second quarter, part of a wave of institutional buying since Edward S. Lampert, the billionaire hedge fund manager, took control of the...

Note to self: Buy a (much) better pen; How to get your hands on the finest implements.(The Business of Life)
September 12, 2005... Byline: GRETCHEN WAHL Think that $95 Mont Blanc pen in your breast pocket sets you apart from the pencil-pushers? Think again. Stylish signatories now make their marks with pens carrying four-figure price tags. Consider the Michel...

Sears' Lacy to take salary cut.(Sears Holdings Corp)(Alan Lacy compensation )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Sears Holdings Corp. Vice-chairman Alan Lacy will have his salary cut 33%-to $1 million a year-when he relinquishes the post of CEO at the end of the month. But the remainder of his pay will remain unchanged: Mr. Lacy will continue to receive...

For The Record.(Whitehall Jewellers financial management)(Federal Emergency Management Agency call center at Chicago)(Boeing negotiation with aircraft industry )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Whitehall Jewellers' stock lost two-thirds of its value Thursday after the Chicago retailer said it was running out of cash and asked for extra time to pay its suppliers. Whitehall also said Beryl Raff, who was supposed to start as CEO within...

Katrina buffets Sara Lee, but impact still cloudy; Shipping may be bigger problem in long term.(News)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: JULIE JARGON Sara Lee Corp., like a lot of Chicago companies, got in the path of Hurricane Katrina. But the real economic hit may be yet to come. The company's coffee roasting facility in Harahan, La., 15 miles west of New...

Biz leaders stand by their mayor; City Hall probes don't shake support for Daley.
September 12, 2005... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER As Mayor Richard M. Daley fights for his political life, Chicago's business leaders are standing with the embattled mayor, betting he will survive the federal corruption probe at City Hall. "We would be...

Caps or no, Ill. adds to doc totals; But critics contend counting licenses is 'fooling yourself'.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: BRETT CHASE The number of doctors licensed in Illinois rose 9% in the last three years, despite assertions that physicians are fleeing to neighboring states with lower malpractice insurance rates. Cries from physicians and...

Supersized task ahead; New marketing honcho sets pace at McDonald's.(Mary Dillon appointed as chief marketing officer at Mary Dillon)
September 12, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Crain News Service You don't hear a lot about Mary Dillon, McDonald's new global chief marketing officer. That's because the 44-year-old president of Quaker Foods Co. is the stylistic opposite of the man she is...

Spotlight: Cingular GM seeks growth from extra services.(People)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Gregory Meyer Job: Vice-president and general manager for Illinois and Wisconsin, Cingular Wireless LLC, since June. Vitals: 47 years old; studied at Black Hawk College in Moline, 1975; manager, William Mosenfelder & Sons...