Crain's Detroit Business articles from November 2003

Crain's Detroit Business archives from November 2003

SBA starts Web site that helps assess business risk overseas.(United States. Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey The U.S. Small Business Administration on Oct. 16 launched a Web site for small-business owners trying to tap into international markets. The SBA launched the site with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American...

City income tax an issue for Pontiac's downtown hopes.(Real Estate)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich As a Pontiac City Council member for 18 years, one of John Bueno's biggest concerns has been the city's scarlet letter of development: its city income tax. He knows the tax accounts for about $14 million of...

Jaffe finalizing move to Southfield; Law firm considers leaving downtown for American Center.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny, Jennette Smith Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C., Detroit's 10th-largest law firm, is nearing completion of a deal to move to the American Center building in Southfield. Jaffe's board is expected to meet this month...

Suppliers fighting parts counterfeiters; Fake parts cost industry $12b a year.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Sheri Begin Auto-parts counterfeiters are getting bolder and more pervasive, causing increasing problems for traditional suppliers of the components, such as Federal-Mogul Corp. in Southfield. Counterfeiting costs the global...

UnitedAuto investing more than $200M in auto malls.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely UnitedAuto Group Inc. is spending millions to buy and build auto malls in major metro markets because Chairman Roger Penske is convinced people prefer to compare models and prices. "They want a buying experience,...

This just in.(Bon Secours Health)(Obituary)
November 3, 2003... Bon Secours Cottage accounting draws scrutiny Inflated revenue and expense reports at Bon Secours Cottage Health Services in Grosse Pointe Farms prompted the hospital's parent company, Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System, to...

Edison move presents challenge to competitor.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane Nordic Marketing L.L.C. has grown by wooing electricity customers away from traditional utilities. But the company, an earnings engine for Ann Arbor-based Nordic Energy Group L.L.C., could be in for a squeeze. It...

Suppliers hope GM plans won't chill relations.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Auto suppliers could benefit from what they say are better relations with General Motors Corp., but the real test will be in the coming months. A GM plan is under way to require a number of its 3,700 component...

People.
November 3, 2003... architecture Kyle Verseman to associate, SmithGroup JJR, Ann Arbor, from landscape architect. construction David Moran to COO, Fountain Homes, Brownstown Township, from division construction manager, Centex Homes, Detroit. ...

Bankruptcies.(Budget Bathtub Liners L.L.C)(Mark 1 Special Machines L.L.C., )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Nicole Lanctot The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Oct. 24-30. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7...

Slow but sure; High-net-worth investors have had to relearn patience, change long-term plans as they recover from the bursting of the stock-market bubble.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Amy Mindell The vacation home may have to go. Ditto that second country-club membership. But for many of metro Detroit's richest, the biggest fiscal adjustment since the stock market stopped spinning gold has been relearning...

World travelers have found a home for selves and treasures.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Joann Amicangelo Our homeowners Who he is: Douglas Davis, 48. What he does: Managing director, EDS Corp., Detroit. Hobbies: Collecting antiques and special pieces for their home. Who she is: Sharon Davis, 45 ...

Discount brokerages gain popularity among home sellers.(Real Estate)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith Residential brokerages emphasizing lower commissions and more Internet marketing are negotiating more deals for local home buyers and sellers. Novi-based brokerage Home Quarters currently has more than 600...

Briefly.(Briefs)
November 3, 2003... UM proposes changes to employee health insurance The University of Michigan on Oct. 24 released a new employee insurance proposal. If adopted, it would take effect in 2005 and would avoid $20 million in cost increases on an anticipated...

Analysts ponder high price of Kmart stock.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Kmart Holding Corp. hasn't made a profit in the two quarters since it's been out of bankruptcy and isn't forecasting profits until next year. Yet Troy-based Kmart's (Nasdaq: KMRT) stock closed Friday at $28.99 a...

Airport authority to sell $875m in bonds.(Wayne County Airport Authority )
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong The Wayne County Airport Authority plans to sell $875 million in bonds to finance several projects around Detroit Metropolitan Airport, including a $200 million expansion of the recently built midfield terminal. ...

Effort is bad medicine.(Opinion, prescription drugs)(Detroit Investment Fund)
November 3, 2003... Prescription drug prices that Americans and their health plans pay are the highest in the world. No wonder the new auto contracts insist that prescription drugs ordered routinely be distributed by mail order. No wonder that hundreds of...

Detroit police chief resigns.(Review)
November 3, 2003... Detroit Police Chief Jerry Oliver resigned late Friday saying that the controversy over federal authorities finding a loaded handgun in his luggage on Oct. 18 had become too much of a "media sideshow'' for him to continue serving effectively....

Meeting new people means doing something different.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx You've heard the adage that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. But when it comes to looking for our matches, it seems as if a lot of us operate on that...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
November 3, 2003... Spousal violence is not a joke Editor: Twice within the past hour now I have been appalled by media coverage of the alleged domestic violence incident against David Gest by Liza Minnelli. Mitch Albom on WJR and Bob Allen's Crains...

Detroit Mercy legal aid a turn-the-key operation.(Rumblings)
November 3, 2003... Law students, faculty and attorney volunteers will get rolling Tuesday in a donated RV, dispensing legal advice to Detroit's disadvantaged residents in the University of Detroit Mercy Joseph and Lucille Conklin Mobile Law Office. The...

Wyandotte seeks advice for next step downtown.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Wyandotte's downtown, which went through a revival in the late 1980s and 1990s, is looking for another round of improvements. The city has hired Austin, Texas-based RoberThomas Associates to study the district's...

Mario's, Andiamo ready to feast.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Micheal Strong One Italian favorite is ready to show off its new look, and another its newest location. Both Mario's Italian Restaurant in Detroit and Andiamo Dearborn are expected to roll out the welcome mat Tuesday. ...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
November 3, 2003... * An article that ran on Page 3 of the Oct. 13 issue incorrectly stated the size of CBS Boring & Machine Co. Inc.'s plant in upstate New York. The correct size is 30,000 square feet. * Due to production errors, the issue numbers for Crain's...

Support Torch Drive.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Nick Scheele Two months ago, a large part of the East Coast and the Midwest, including many Ford Motor Co. facilities, experienced the largest power outage in U.S. history. The blackout reminded all of us how much we depend...

It's time for Detroit to try business district.(News)(business improvement districts)
November 3, 2003... Everybody wants a better downtown: a place alive with workers, visitors, residents, customers and a wide range of businesses. We want to feel safe, and we want it to be attractive and clean. Business owners across America have found a...

New grant rules alter biotech playing field.(Calendar)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey New enforcement of federal grant requirements is creating new winners and losers in the race for funding for life-science startup companies. Losers are companies that are not majority-owned by individuals. That...

Going residential; Detroit Investment Fund favors real estate over manufacturing.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny The Detroit Investment Fund, created in 1995 as a source of private-sector financing for a wide variety of businesses and startups in the city, is refocusing its attention on real estate ventures, especially...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 3, 2003... Tuesday Nov. 4 Plugging into the Power of the Network: How to Grow Your Network and Your Business. Meeting of Commercial Real Estate Women-Detroit. 11 a.m. Speakers: Karin Schultz and Victoria Joly, CREW Network directors. The Skyline...

Taubman Centers' stock price stays up as takeover battle ends.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely The hostile takeover battle to acquire Taubman Centers Inc. is officially over, and the Bloomfield Hills-based company not only survived, but emerged with a higher stock price that gives shareholders an additional...

We'd better get used to constant change.(Column)(Column)
November 3, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Last week, some of our folks at Crain Communications got talking about what's been going on in the past 20 years or so. Even though most of these folks are in their 30s, they could recall some of what we were talking...

Main Street smarts; Communities tap wide array of incentives, funding to rejuvenate, create downtown districts.(Real Estate)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith On Main Street Main Street Mania is the theme of this year's University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum. The Nov 5-6 event includes a bus tour of Oakland County cities on the first day and a...

Entrepreneurs' spouses live with uncertainty.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey Missed Christmas Eve dinners. 24-7 work schedule. Little or no vacation. Unsteady income. It's not easy being the spouse of an entrepreneur, but despite the sacrifices required from the so-called "silent...

A big purse; Homeowners near Ryder Cup course look to cash in.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich When Tom Gotshall bought a Bloomfield Township house four years ago, the 2004 Ryder Cup was in the back of his mind. He thought his location near Oakland Hills Country Club could attract a fairly substantial...

Sales-centric Doner shows it can handle bigger game.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Kate MacArthur Southfield-based W.B. Doner & Co. has arrived as a legitimate contender for large global accounts now that it has beaten creative powerhouses for a $100 million account for Six Flags Theme Parks. "A lot of our...

UAG's auto mall projects.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... UAG's auto mall projects * Scottsdale, Ariz.: Chauncey Ranch Opened: Nov. 13, 2002. Franchises: 11 on 41 acres. Annual sales: $500 million. Service bays: 253. History: Penske moved several franchises and opened...

Delphi sets expansion course for rural interior of China.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Lindsay Chappell With a decade of business in China under its belt, Delphi Corp. plans to begin moving deeper into the country's interior in search of new customers and greater cost savings. The company has not disclosed...

Business Diary.(Business)
November 3, 2003... contracts Sports Management Network Inc., Bloomfield Hills, announced that IRL Series Champion race-car driver Sam Hornish Jr. has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Marlboro Team Penske beginning in 2004. Bloom General...

Consumers Energy squares off with contractors.(News)
November 3, 2003... Heating and cooling companies are battling a Consumers Energy Co. push to breathe new life into its appliance-repair program. Consumers is trying to avert a Dec. 31 state deadline to spin off or shut down its 15-year-old service-contract...

Nemes Allen merges with Wisconsin firm; Accountants to pursue middle-market clients.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Accounting firm Nemes Allen & Co. in Bingham Farms expects to merge today with Madison, Wis.-based Virchow Krause & Co. L.L.P. With its larger size, the firm plans to go after local clients that have been easy...

Marketing in the portable age.(Special Report)(wireless providers seek new customers)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... What will wireless providers do to keep or woo new customers once wireless changes go into effect? * Cingular Wireless is keeping an eye on contracts that are ending. Through direct mail, e-mail and telephone sales it has promoted...

Volunteer Impact.(News)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Headquarters: Southfield. What it does: Matches people who want to volunteer with about 350 metro Detroit nonprofits.

Company profile.(News)(Altair Engineering Inc. )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Name: Altair Engineering Inc. Locations: Based in Troy; offices in 11 countries. Employees: 700. Customers: 1,800. Revenue: $69 million in 2002; $75 million estimate for 2003. Purpose: Founded as an engineering-consulting...

The problem.(News)(economic development)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Some officials worry that approving video-lottery terminals at racetracks would violate an exclusivity agreement with American Indian casino operators. * The casinos would then not have to pay 8 percent of their revenue to the state. ...

Auto suppliers.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Larger companies with business from "new domestic'' automakers will have a good year. * The pace of mergers and acquisitions will pick up. * Suppliers will see a more predictable production environment from automakers with better...

Real estate.(Special Report)(Tenants have upper hand in lease negotiations)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Tenants will continue to have the upper hand in lease negotiations because of high vacancies. * Investment sales are expected to focus on single-tenant buildings with long-term leases or high-profile properties. * Developers are...

City of Detroit.(Special Report)(Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's economic forecasts 2004)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick forecasts 2004 as a big growth year for developments in Detroit. * Detroit must address its "education dilemma'' in 2004, Kilpatrick said, by continuing curriculum, security and administration improvements while...

Grocery retailers.(Special Report)(expansion by Wal-Mart)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Construction of new stores and store renovations will continue. * Grocery prices will stay low or go lower as retailers do what they can to maintain their market share. * The expansion by Wal-Mart of its super center format in other...

UnitedAuto dealerships sued.(News)(auto dealerships face lawsuit over pay issue)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely A group of auto dealerships in Arkansas owned by Bloomfield Hills-based UnitedAuto Group Inc. (NYSE: UAG) was named in a lawsuit that alleges a failure to properly pay sales employees. Cauley Geller Bowman &...

Give the BID plan a break.(Opinion)(downtown business improvement district)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Detroit City Council's 7-1 vote against creating a downtown business improvement district last Friday should not be the final word. (See Rumblings, Page 46.) Business and civic leaders in Detroit had worked for more than two years to...

Collins & Aikman faces risk with Futura.(News)(Chrysler seeks bids from other companies on $1 bn of supplier's business)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, Amy Wilson Word that Collins & Aikman Corp. will supply much of the interior for the 2006 Ford Futura sedan could not have come at a better time for CEO David Stockman. Anxiety about Collins & Aikman's future...

Financial industry expects growth amid radical changes.(Special Report)(financial executives wait for improved economy)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Local financial executives are looking forward to an improving economy but bracing for another year of radical changes in 2004. Many banks in Southeast Michigan are projecting increases across the board in their...

Restaurateur inks Subway deal for eastern Wayne Co.(News)(Nikolaos Moschouris' $1.5 million deal)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong Nikolaos Moschouris has signed a $1.5 million deal with Subway in October for the development rights to the eastern Wayne County territory of the sandwich chain. Moschouris, 24, plans to build at least 30 Subways...

Tax cuts unlikely, but groups push for relief for businesses.(Special Report)(Granholm administration's tax policy)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane It's not going to be the year for big tax cuts. But despite a budget squeeze, business officials still hope to eke out some tax relief, or at least prevent tax increases. And they are looking to lawmakers and the...

Big projects give some life to sluggish real estate sector.(Special Report)(commercial real estate industry is flat)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Jennette Smith The stalled commercial real estate industry isn't expected to recover next year, but some upcoming high-tech automotive projects at least provide some new fuel. Hyundai Motor America is planning a research and...

Rebuilding interest; Bank One brings in new credit chief to ease lending rules, win back middle-market business.(Sarah McClelland, new chief credit officer )
November 10, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Bank One Corp. brought Sarah McClelland to Detroit last month and issued a simple directive: Go forth and lend. To do that, McClelland, chief credit officer of Michigan's middle-market group, will need to rebuild...

Kilpatrick sets hopes high for development in 2004.(Special Report)(Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's report on economy)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is predicting 2004 will be Detroit's "biggest economic-development year in modern times.'' Leading the projects coming next year, he said, could be expansion or new building of Cobo Center....

Technology.(Special Report)(High-speed wireless networks)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... The need to upgrade aging wire and cable networks won't be the only tech spending next year. Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner Inc. said the following would attract attention from executives: * High-speed, secure wireless networks. *...

Outlook 2004 Ideas Before Dawn Breakfast is Nov. 20.(Special Report)(Crain's Outlook 2004 Ideas Before Dawn Breakfast)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Ben Lefebvre Members of the business community and Crain's Detroit Business staff will offer their forecasts on next year's business prospects at Crain's Outlook 2004 Ideas Before Dawn Breakfast. Speakers will be: * Craig...

Small business.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * New business entities jumped from 56,821 in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2002, to 65,253 in 2003. Most of those are small businesses. * Several factors, including the growing gross domestic product, tax relief and a rise in companies...

Down economy helps incubate small businesses; Recovery signs bode well for increased number of ventures created in recent years.(Special Report)(New business rise to 65,253 in 2003)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Laura Bailey Paul Hodges' company, Birmingham-based Codespear L.L.C., is one of 8,432 new business entities recorded this year by the state, an entrepreneurial surge that is likely to continue into 2004, experts say. New...

Utilities.(Special Report)(Michigan Public Service Commission)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * Michigan Public Service Commission reviews requests for higher rates, as cost increases in areas such as health care and pensions, service and distribution crunch utilities. * The legislatively imposed freeze on electricity rates starts...

Bankruptcies.(U.S. Bankruptcy Court)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... The following businesses filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 6. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 protection involves total...

Health insurance rates still rising as hospitals struggle.(Special Report)(health care in Southeast Michigan)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx The year ahead promises to be another trying one for health care in Southeast Michigan. The same crises that have loomed over the region for the past few years continue to pose challenges to medical providers and...

Companies team to help small law firms.(News)(administrative and human-resource services)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Robert Ankeny A metro Detroit legal-staffing firm and a professional employer organization have created Professional Human Capital L.L.C. to offer administrative and human-resource services to small law firms and solo...

Piling it on; Local sandwich chains face onslaught of competition from national companies.(News)(national restaurant chains expanding in area)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong Local sandwich chains are fighting an invasion of national restaurants by scoping out new territories for stores and concentrating on customer and franchise service. Tubby's Grilled Submarines in Clinton Township...

Electric, natural-gas bills are likely to rise, one way or another.(Special Report)(utility companies in Southeast Michigan)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane Businesses may pay more for energy in 2004, no matter if they use electricity, natural gas or steam. Major utility companies that serve Southeast Michigan customers are asking state regulators for permission to charge...

MSX International posts net loss of $24.9M in 3Q.(News)(16.3% drop in third-quarter sales)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Southfield-based MSX International Inc. reported a 16.3 percent third-quarter sales decline Thursday, partly because of cost cuts by customers. For the quarter that ended Sept. 28, MSX recorded a net loss of...

Bill requiring state copy of tax form on way to Granholm.(News)(Michigan Economic Growth Authority program approved)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane Business has been unable to beat back a bill that will require more tax filings, and the fast-moving measure is on its way to the governor. The House last week followed the Senate's lead and passed Senate Bill 770,...

Business Diary.(Briefs)
November 10, 2003... Acquisitions DPM Consulting Services Inc., Troy, bought the staff-augmentation unit of Anacon Inc., Brighton, on Sept. 5. Valenti Trobec Chandler Inc., Troy, acquired the Downey King Phipps Agency, Oxford. Terms were not disclosed. ...

Improvements, programs may help speed traffic over Ambassador Bridge.(Special Report)(Detroit International Bridge Co. building new truck inspection area)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong Detroit area companies looking to ship goods to and from Canada quickly are relying on more manpower to speed the process of crossing the Ambassador Bridge because a new border crossing still is several years away....

Briefly.(Briefs)(residential appraiser opens Detroit office)
November 10, 2003... Minnesota residential appraiser opens Detroit office Forsythe Appraisals L.L.C., a St. Paul, Minn.-based residential appraiser, has opened a Detroit office. Forsythe expects to hire 10-15 people in the next 12-18 months, said Jeff...

Federal-Mogul reaches Ch. 11 deal.(News)(Chapter 11 reorganization plan approved by creditors committee)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Auto supplier Federal-Mogul Corp. said it reached an agreement on its proposed Chapter 11 reorganization plan with the unsecured creditors committee, the asbestos claimants committees and its banks. The plan is...

Council to review tunnel partnership deal.(News)(Detroit River Tunnel Partnership )
November 10, 2003... Byline: Michael Strong The Detroit River Tunnel Partnership could get a coveted piece of city land after all. The Detroit City Council on Wednesday is expected to vote on a proposal to allow the DRTP to purchase a 12-year nonrefundable...

People.(SmithGroup Inc.'s new employees)
November 10, 2003... Architecture The following employees of SmithGroup Inc., Detroit, have been made associates: Scott Courtney, continuing as project architect, Health Studio; Jeff Gerwing, continuing as senior lighting designer; Sandra Knight-Pogue,...

Tech firms prepare as upgrade cycle set to drive growth.(Special Report)(computer networks and security sector)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Ken Farmer is licking his chops in anticipation of 2004, and for good reason. His company, Troy-based Data Management Inc., stands to gain as companies have no choice but to beef up aging computer network...

State's economy to join recovery by third quarter of next year.(Special Report)(Michigan's economy down 2.5% from 2002)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Economists expect national news to continue to frustrate Michigan residents in the first half of 2004, but there is some optimism and an expectation that the state will join the economic recovery by the second half of...

This Just In.(60 new loft condominiums in Ann Arbor)
November 10, 2003... Chicago developer says it will build Ann Arbor lofts A Chicago-based developer hopes to build 60 loft condominiums in Ann Arbor's only multistory warehouse-type structure, the Eaton Corp. building downtown. Morningside Group President...

Not worth the gamble.(Opinion)(video lottery machines option)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... We have never been fans of legalized gambling. It diverts discretionary spending from too many economic sectors and has long-term social consequences. But the state's cash crunch seems to be driving decisions to add more gambling options....

Number-portability change to increase wireless competition.(Special Report)(wireless-phone market in Southeast Michigan)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane Competition for wireless-phone customers is heating up as Southeast Michigan businesses and other wireless-phone users gain new freedom to switch carriers. Federal Communications Commission rules kicking in later this...

If you want business, answer your phone.(Column)(automated phone systems)
November 10, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Due to a technical problem, Keith Crain's scheduled column does not appear this week. This column was first published Oct. 13, 1997. Push 1 if you want to read this column. OK, we've all learned how to cope...

BorgWarner, Delphi get boost from growth of diesel engines in Europe.(News)(growth of passenger-car diesel engines in Europe)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky The swift growth of passenger-car diesel engines in Europe helped BorgWarner Inc. book $1.3 billion in net new business for 2004 through 2006. Engine products such as turbochargers, timing systems and variable...

Video terminals could cut off Indian casino money, officials say.(News)(racetrack gambling plans)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Amy Lane A drive to expand racetrack gambling may cost the state millions of economic-development dollars for projects ranging from downtown redevelopments to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Technology Tri-Corridor. In jeopardy could...

Wal-Mart expansion plans feed grocery competition.(Special Report)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s expansion plan)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brent Snavely Grocers of all sizes will continue to jockey for position next year with new stores and store expansions, but the long-term picture is clouded by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s expansion plans. The brisk pace of...