Crain's Detroit Business articles from August 2003

Crain's Detroit Business archives from August 2003

St. John plans federally funded health center for NorthEast site; Medical office building also planned near Riverview.(News)(Catholic-sponsored health system will add medical office building)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx St. John Health plans to use the closing of its St. John NorthEast Community Hospital to shore up primary care in Detroit by adding a federally qualified health center and a new medical office building. President and...

This just in.(Kojaian Cos. plans to buy former Compuware Corp. headquarters)
August 4, 2003... Kojaian to purchase former Compuware HQ The Bloomfield Hills-based Kojaian Cos. plans to purchase the former Compuware Corp. headquarters in Farmington Hills and has retained a leasing agent to market it. David Friedman, president of...

Corrections.(Correction)(Southern Fires restaurant loan)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
August 4, 2003... * A story on Page 3 of the July 28 issue should have said that Southern Fires restaurant received a loan of $1.19 million. The state amount was incorrect. * An item on Page 26 of the July 28 edition included the wrong dates for the...

Taubman to lose 4 Lord & Taylors.(News)(Taubman Centers Inc. reports Lord & Taylor stores will close)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Four out-of-state malls owned by Bloomfield Hills-based Taubman Centers Inc. will lose Lord & Taylor stores in the wake of the department-store chain's decision to close 32 of its 86 stores. Three of the four...

A great combination of past and future.(Column)(downtown urban development)
August 4, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN If there is one thing that Detroit has plenty of, it's neglected buildings looking for tender loving care. The announcement a couple of weeks ago about reviving the Book Cadillac hotel as the Renaissance Book...

For Sale.(News)(DTE Energy Co. selling several properties)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... DTE Energy Co. expects to close on the sale of these properties during 2003 with the exception of the property near its headquarters: * Guardian Building, Detroit. Original asking price of $13.5 million. * One-third ownership in...

DTE Energy finds buyer for Guardian; Part of larger plan to divest real estate.(firm divesting unneeded property)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane, Robert Ankeny, Jennette Smith DTE Energy Co. has found a buyer for the Guardian Building, the second major Detroit development that the company is negotiating to sell as part of a strategy to divest unneeded property. ...

Y&R hiring 120 after Ford move; Lincoln Mercury return prompts agency to expand Detroit presence.(News)(Young & Rubicam adds 120 local employees for Lincoln Mercury ad account)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith The Dearborn office of Young & Rubicam is hiring about 120 local employees to service the Lincoln Mercury advertising account. With the client moving back to Dearborn from Irvine, Calif., the advertising agency...

Space crunch; As businesses consolidate and shrink offices, designers come up with ways to do more with less.(News)(efficient and functional consolidation office designs)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Brian Charlton In a market once dominated by the need to expand, office design has switched gears in a slow economy to find ways to develop techniques to do more with less. In some cases, companies have needed to cut costs...

Week in review.(News)(Northville Psychiatric Hospital site for sale)
August 4, 2003... State rebuffs protest of Northville land pick The state has denied a protest by an unsuccessful bidder for the Northville Psychiatric Hospital site. In a letter sent Wednesday, Michigan Department of Management and Budget Director Mitch...

Honigman extends First National lease.(News)(Detroit law firm signs new lease)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn L.L.P., anchor tenant in the First National Building, has extended its lease 10 years to 2016, Chairman and CEO Alan Schwartz said. Honigman has been in the First National...

Tiger Stadium site not a fit for Wal-Mart.(Rumblings)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. chooses new sites)
August 4, 2003... Tiger Stadium preservationists can relax: Although the stadium was among the five sites that Detroit officials presented to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in May at a retail convention in Las Vegas, it is too small. The stadium is on a 15-acre site,...

Police woes an issue of safety, and business.(Column)(Detroit's government employees)
August 4, 2003... Any time you think you have a tough job, think of Jerry Oliver. The Detroit police chief runs a 4,000-employee department without a key management tool: He can't fire employees for poor performance. Not that wholesale firings are good...

Relationships help Unova win business with Hyundai.(News)(machine-tool manufacturers)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Unova Industrial Automation Systems Inc. has broken into a market normally closed to U.S. machine-tool manufacturers. Its $50 million contract to supply a complete engine machining and assembly system for...

Opinion.(public health authority needed)
August 4, 2003... Job 1: Fix primary care Now comes the hard part. State and regional health leaders support creating a public health authority to manage care for the uninsured, largely in Detroit and Wayne County. But would such an authority own a...

State employee unions balk at unpaid days to cut costs.(News)($230 mn in payroll cuts expected)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane The Granholm administration and state employee unions are at odds over about $230 million in payroll cuts, even before negotiations begin. The administration's favored idea of having employees work unpaid days in...

Taking a toll; Owner promises to fight Grosse Ile attempt to acquire bridge through eminent domain.(News)(Grosse Ile Toll Bridge may sell property)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong The family that has owned and operated the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge for more than 90 years may not be doing so much longer. The Grosse Ile Township board voted last month to invoke eminent domain on the bridge,...

Bankruptcies.(News)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of July 25-Aug. 1. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

Medical offices planned in Novi.(News)(new $20 mn medical office building)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith A Bloomfield Hills development company plans to build a $20 million medical office building in Novi. The project, tentatively called the Fountain Professional Center, is on the south side of 12 Mile between Taft...

Price pressure woes.(News)(Asian manufacturers offer cheap, quality furniture)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Art Van Furniture Inc. Cause: Asian manufacturers making higher-quality furniture for lower prices. Effect: Is buying higher-quality furniture and selling it at lower prices in an attempt to maintain annual sales and margins. ...

Letters.(local real estate industry)
August 4, 2003... Rebirth can happen in Detroit Editor: Read Keith Crain's column in the July 21 edition: "Boy, was I ever wrong - and I'm glad.'' Good for you - on two counts. One, you're a big enough guy to admit it when you're wrong; and two,...

Dream opportunity; Cruise to drum up $800K for charities.(News)(Dream Cruise will raise $100 mn for local economy)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Brian Charlton Parties and merchandise sales at the Woodward Dream Cruise this month will generate at least $800,000 for local charities as corporations and individuals take advantage of the event to help nonprofits. The...

BorgWarner competition about more than 60 jobs.(BorgWarner Inc. headquarters move)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Bragging rights are worth more than you think. Michigan and Illinois are rolling out the incentives for the BorgWarner Inc. headquarters. Only 60 jobs are involved, but corporate headquarters are a gauge of a...

Grant Thornton looks to take bite out of Big Four firms.(News)(accounting firm will increase Detroit area staff by 20%)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Grant Thornton L.L.P. plans to increase its Detroit area staff by 20 percent and recruit more high-profile clients from the Big Four accounting firms in the next year by installing a new home-grown managing partner and...

State to redo Medicaid bid system.(News)(Medicaid managed-care contract management)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx The state intends to overhaul the way it awards Medicaid managed-care contracts with a plan that could coax new players into the game, but it's going to require a cash infusion, health care executives said. State...

Price-tag blues; Local retailers try discounts, better merchandise to deal with falling prices.(Michigan's largest furniture retailer)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Art Van Furniture Inc., Michigan's largest furniture retailer, says a nationwide decline in prices gives the company an opportunity to buy higher-quality furniture and sell it at lower prices. By adjusting its...

Week in Review.(Review)(briefs)
August 11, 2003... Dana boss says ArvinMeritor's savings are small potatoes The savings outlined by ArvinMeritor Inc. in its bid for Dana Corp. aren't enough to make a compelling case for a merger, Dana's CEO said. Troy-based ArvinMeritor said a merger would...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7, 11 or 13 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Aug. 1-8. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

Rumblings.(briefs)
August 11, 2003... Unions to celebrate unveiling of Hart Plaza landmark Downtown Detroit's six-story steel arch at Hart Plaza, part of the labor landmark called "Transcending,'' gets its formal dedication Aug. 20 in a ceremony scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m....

Doctors, insurer Ulticare joust over payments.(News)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Wayne County Health Choice was intended to keep small businesses in Wayne County by subsidizing health insurance for low-wage, uninsured workplaces. But area doctors say one of the program's two insurance vendors has...

Vacant Farmer Jack stores.(News)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Leases controlled by Farmer Jack Farmer Jack told Crain's it controls leases for 13 vacant stores in metro Detroit but declined to identify them. Crain's identified the following 10. * 35170 Dodge Park at 15 Mile Road, Sterling...

People.(appointments, various companies)
August 11, 2003... construction Mark Cullen to vice president of business development, Clayco Construction Co., Livonia, from director of marketing. Rodney Elgie to vice president-construction operations, White Construction, Detroit, from project...

letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 11, 2003... Don't neglect the SBA's role Editor: I want to commend you for your article on Southern Fires in the July 28 issue ("A long simmer: Restaurateur packs in customers after long effort to renovate Detroit warehouse''). However, your...

From coda to reprise; One year after closing all but two stores, Harmony House hopes to stay in business.(News)(Harmony House Records and Tapes Inc. in recovery)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Bill Thom's outlook for Harmony House Records & Tapes Inc. is far more optimistic today than it was a year ago when he announced a companywide going-out-of-business sale. But from the beginning, Thom clung to the...

Loose ends; Clover's end leaves multiple woes, district says.(News)(Clover Technologies Inc. files for bankruptcy)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich The demise of Clover Technologies Inc. has left 20 electrical subcontractors unpaid for about $10 million in work they did as part of a $24 million contract to rewire 135 buildings for the Detroit Public Schools,...

Northwest cargo business flies high amid doldrums.(News)(Northwest Airlines Corp. losing money)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong Northwest Airlines Corp. continues to watch its passenger revenue drop but has found it can make money in one area: cargo. The airline sends 40 percent of its cargo shipments on its passenger flights. The airline...

Golf course to become 256 homes; $90m project would convert R. Hills club.(new neighborhood with luxury single-family homes)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich A development company plans to convert the 118-acre Rochester Hills Golf and Country Club into a neighborhood with 256 single-family homes worth at least $90 million. Bloomfield Hills-based East Course L.P....

Delphi hopes collaboration can get its suppliers off price-cut treadmill.(News)(automakers and their suppliers in battle)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Every year in recent memory, suppliers at the Management Briefing Seminars have complained about the way automaker customers treat them - annual price-cut demands, broken contracts and last-minute changes. Then...

An array of problems.(News)(Clover Technologies Inc.'s bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... The fallout from Clover Technologies Inc.'s bankruptcy. * Former employees and vendors have filed claims worth nearly $11 million, according to the claims register report for the case. The last date to file claims is Aug. 14. * A judge...

Some of the cuts.(News)(Granholm administration cuts state government's budget)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... The Granholm administration has cut costs throughout state government. Items include: * Cutting contract expenditures by $88 million so far, toward a $100 million goal by Oct. 1. * Reducing the state's vehicle fleet by an initial...

Eastern Market offers a golden opportunity.(opinion)(Detroit's Eastern Market, downtown farmer's market and retail center )
August 11, 2003... It's time to make Detroit's Eastern Market into the gem it always has had the potential to be. But while the city needs to take the lead in organizing and facilitating the revival, property owners should be willing to invest in the district's...

Busy weeks of summer cruise into town.(Column)(Woodward Dream Cruise)
August 11, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Although they tell me that the Woodward Dream Cruise is only on this Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., don't you believe it. I'll bet people will be setting up lawn chairs as early as today. This has become a very...

Sitting fallow; Empty Farmer Jacks dot metro Detroit, and communities work to fight blight that can accompany them.(strip mall in decline)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich, Brent Snavely Laurie Marrs, director of the Northville Chamber of Commerce, cringes every time she drives by Northville Plaza. Once a vibrant shopping center in Northville Township, the strip mall has been on...

City sets sights on Eastern Mkt. New team in charge of planning for redevelopment.(News)(Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick eyes Eastern Market)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny Eastern Market, whose businesses and boosters often say their locale has taken second place behind more vigorously promoted projects such as stadiums and casinos, is getting new attention from Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's...

Business Diary.(Business)(Doan Cos. buys Consumers Concrete Chelsea plant)
August 11, 2003... acquisitions Doan Cos., a Ypsilanti-based ready-mix-concrete company, has announced the acquisition of the Consumers Concrete Chelsea plant. call for entries Global Business Solutions L.L.C., a business- and economic-development...

The burdens of proof; After a year of Sarbanes-Oxley, costs and worries start to pile on for publicly traded companies.(Finance)(corporate governance law)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx In the year since the federal government enacted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, it has added a great deal to corporate governance- a great deal of time, cost and anxiety. "They're using a cannon to kill a flea,'' said...

Winning Northville bidder begins due diligence on site.(News)(sale of Northville Psychiatric Hospital site)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith, Amy Lane The sale of the 400-acre Northville Psychiatric Hospital site has cleared a potential legal hurdle and is proceeding after a judge last week denied an unsuccessful bidder's request to hold up the sale. ...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
August 11, 2003... * On the list of largest office-furniture dealers, on Page 12 of the Aug. 4 issue, the name of Cunningham Limp, a client of Space Care Interiors, was misspelled. * On the list of largest advertising agencies, on Page 14 of the July 7...

Land-use report done; action to wait.(News)(new report on Michigan land use)
August 11, 2003... It was no small feat to produce a broad-reaching new report on Michigan land use. But turning recommendations into legislative reality may not happen fast. "We're going to have to take a long look at this first before we put any kind of...

This Just in.(unemployment benefits legislation)
August 11, 2003... State to take action on unemployment benefits About $206 million in additional state and federal unemployment benefits is set for fast final action when the Legislature returns this week for a brief session. House Bill 4945 would make...

Freudenberg-NOK pushes into new line of business.(News)(Freudenberg-NOK G.P. hires Mohsen Sohi)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky A supplier known for its automotive seals business is making a push into the brake-hose and noise-vibration-filter businesses under its new CEO. Mohsen Sohi, CEO of Plymouth-based Freudenberg-NOK G.P., said the...

Monument a reminder of labor's legacy.(Column)(Labor Legacy Landmark)
August 11, 2003... Detroit's past, its future and its very skyline have been built upon the work of labor. The auto industry, America's last manufacturing giant, gainfully employs thousands due to the standards set by the United Auto Workers union. Schools,...

EDF Ventures helps fund security software company.(Finance)(venture capital companies fund Arxan Technologies)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Ann Arbor-based EDF Ventures was among the venture-capital companies that led an $8.3 million second round of financing for San Francisco-based Arxan Technologies. EDF is a venture-capital firm with $120...

Businesses help state cut $88M from contracts.(Granholm administration seeks savings from out-of-state contractors)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane The Granholm administration has pressed $88 million in savings out of state contractors, with more coming in the next few months. It's been at the expense of businesses large and small, from technology giants to...

Porter: DMC can weather executive resignations.(News)(Detroit Medical Center president and CEO Arthur Porter to retire)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Outgoing Detroit Medical Center President and CEO Arthur Porter has had a succession plan sitting in his top drawer since he took charge of the academic medical center in 1999. So he doesn't expect that his planned...

Power worked into Detroit neighborhoods with water plants.(News)(DTE Energy Co. loses power)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky DTE Energy Co.'s efforts to get power to critical areas was a reason that some portions of Detroit and the suburbs had power and others didn't. Especially in Detroit, some neighborhoods had power because DTE...

Companies assess blackout losses.(News)(insured losses will be moderate)
August 18, 2003... Policyholders and insurers are checking contract language and awaiting word about the cause of the massive blackout that darkened large portions of the United States and Canada, as they determine whether there is coverage for business...

Attorney General Cox sends staffers to spot price-gouging.(News)(Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox launches investigation)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich On Friday and Saturday, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox sent investigators and lawyers from his office in search of price-gouging on essential items such as gasoline, ice and water. The move departs from...

Detroit papers not alone in wanting to cut health benefits.(News)(newspapers want to reduce health care and benefit costs)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Lou Mleczko remembers being ecstatic in 1980 when the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions negotiated full health care coverage for employees of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News and can't believe...

Hospitals cancel electives, run on backup power.(News)(hospitals in Southeast Michigan operate on emergency power)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker , Mary Chris Jaklevic Some hospitals in Southeast Michigan canceled elective surgeries and prepared to operate on emergency power through the weekend. With municipal pumps inoperable, water was being trucked in to...

Blackout causes surge in demand for generators.(News)(businesses require emergency power supplies)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Within a few hours of Thursday's power outage, more than 60 generators that Michigan CAT had on hand had been rented by businesses needing emergency power. "By (4:45 p.m.) we had restaurant owners walking in our...

Auto suppliers shut HQs, plants hit by blackout.(News)(Detroit area parts suppliers lose power)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Julie Armstrong Most Detroit area parts suppliers closed their offices Friday, following the lead of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group, which closed their respective world headquarters in Detroit. The...

Consumers' systems worked to help halt blackout.(Consumers Energy Co. loses power)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky, Jennette Smith While most utilities are trying to figure out what went wrong last week, Consumers Energy Co. will spend just as much time figuring out what went right. Only about 100,000 of Consumers Energy's...

Blackout briefs.(briefs)(Power failures hit Michigan)
August 18, 2003... Corktown pops with power There was a preferred sort of beer at Nemo's Bar in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood on Friday: cold. Co-owner Tim Springstead said word appeared to spread about the bar's having electricity, so Friday brought a...

Gale, ProQuest hope to find new money in old documents.(News)(Gale Group launches new Eighteenth Century Collections Online)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith Two local information companies are looking to boost revenue by offering researchers digitized books, documents and articles published more than two centuries ago. The Farmington Hills-based Gale Group is rolling...

Making a presentation.(News)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... * Tailor your presentation to stress the long-term value of your proposal compared with less costly proposals. * Use industry data to substantiate its value. * Target customers that can afford to consider long-term value. * Present...

Small tech, big challenge; Sensicore prepares to clear hurdle of bringing product to market.(Technology)(Sensicore gets $6.5 mn in second round of financing)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Faced with a lackluster economy, the challenge of being viewed as an "environmental'' company and the frequent stigma of being involved in small- or nanotech product development, the odds haven't favored Malcolm...

Dykema adds to product-liability team; Move adds 14 lawyers, California location.(News)(Dykema Gossett acquires Feeney Kellett Wienner & Bush )
August 18, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny Dykema Gossett P.L.L.C. has acquired a 14-attorney litigation practice in Bloomfield Hills led by the man who defended Time-Warner Inc. in the highly publicized "Jenny Jones'' trial. Feeney Kellett Wienner & Bush...

U.S.-Arab forum can be long-term catalyst.(Column)(India's IT sector)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Mary Kramer When Pakistan and India were on the brink of war, CEOs of technology companies powering the Indian economy argued persuasively that such a war would be disastrous to India's IT sector, which relied heavily on outsourced...

Don't make price concessions just because you're small.(News)(Innovision Technologies Inc.'s Nikki Olyai)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey Nikki Olyai, president and CEO of Novi-based Innovision Technologies Inc., knows what it's like to be expected to make price concessions, because she owns a small business. But Olyai said the company tailors...

Program lets low-income seniors combine benefits.(News)(pilot program at American House Senior Living Residences)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith A pilot program that American House Senior Living Residences helped pioneer allows low-income seniors to combine two government benefits to pay monthly rent and service fees. The program, called Affordable...

This just in.(Late News)(Boeing Co.'s new jet plant location)
August 18, 2003... Ad seeks bids for Boeing project in Wayne County At least 11 states are lobbying hard to persuade Chicago-based Boeing Co. to locate a new jet plant in Michigan. Could Southeast Michigan have the edge? Boeing refuses to confirm the...

Earley gets high marks for media presence.(News)(media coverage of power blackout)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith DTE Energy Co. CEO Anthony Earley Jr. quickly emerged as a national media figure in coverage of the power blackout. Besides the company's regular schedule of news conferences, Earley was interviewed by an array...

Developers support Ann Arbor plan.(News)(Ann Arbor's greenbelt initiative)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey A group of supporters that includes big developers and real estate names in Ann Arbor are behind the city's greenbelt initiative, which would use city tax dollars to help buy development rights to property in the...

* Contingency plans: Preparations get put to a real test.(disaster plans during blackout)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Most people remember where they were when the lights went out at 4:14 p.m. Aug. 14 and another light went on in their heads - what now? Since Sept. 11, 2001, the answer to "What now?'' had been hypothetical,...

Commentary; Disaster plans may have failed, but people didn't.(News)(East Coast blackout)
August 18, 2003... Our Fridays typically involve finishing production on a dozen or so pages, putting final touches on a few stories and anticipating the occasional late-breaking development. In the back of our minds we keep that plan for the unexpected, the plan...

* Meijer: Chain stays open, ships in products.(News)(Meijer Inc. stores open during blackout)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Emergency generators and clearance from the governor to ship gas from stores in western Michigan to Southeast Michigan helped keep Meijer Inc. stores open during the blackout. Meijer's top competitors, meanwhile,...

We can't afford to have this happen again.(Column)
August 18, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN We did it to ourselves. Much of the United States is without power, and it appears we have no one to blame but us, as Pogo said many years ago. It looks as if we are almost too complicated for our own good. We have...

New chief of Collins & Aikman plans to cut 750 white-collar jobs.(News)(Collins & Aikman Corp. meets financial targets for second quarter)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky As the northeastern part of the country tried to re-energize last week, David Stockman found himself doing much the same thing with a troubled auto supplier. That Collins & Aikman Corp. (NYSE: CKC) hit its...

Week in Review.(Review)(Masco Corp. to sell units to Black & Decker Corp. )
August 18, 2003... Masco gets OK to sell business units Masco Corp. said the Federal Trade Commission has granted an early termination of the waiting period for the sale of two of Masco's companies to Black & Decker Corp. The mandatory waiting period is part...

Rumblings.(commemorative seminar on Sept. 11)
August 18, 2003... Red Cross seminar on emergencies at work - how timely Timing is everything. Just ask the folks at the Southeast Michigan chapter of the American Red Cross. The chapter has planned a commemorative seminar Sept. 11 on planning for...

Letters.(new police headquarters)
August 18, 2003... Police HQ would waste grandeur Editor: Keith Crain's Aug. 4 column, "A Great Combination of Past and Future,'' about the proposed Michigan Central Depot transformation into police headquarters; and the Rumblings column with its...

Upstart startup; After years of walking the walk, Sloan brothers look to become the Martha Stewarts of entrepreneurship.(News)(new multimedia content company, StartupNation L.L.C.)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey Jeff and Richard Sloan have done fine as solo acts, but the "Sloan brothers'' - well, that has some real stick-to-your-ribs staying power. The familial moniker is a key component in a hard-charging marketing and...

American House plans 4 more projects for seniors.(News)(American House Senior Living Residences to add 4 more communities)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith American House Senior Living Residences plans to open four more communities within the next three years and expects an increasing share of its residents to require affordable housing. The projects planned in...