Crain's Detroit Business articles from September 2004

Crain's Detroit Business archives from September 2004

Feathering a new nest; People over age 55 are shaking up the housing industry with requests for bigger homes.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo When the last of Dick and Louise Doyle's three children left home in the late 1980s, they figured they'd spend the rest of their days in their two-story, 3,000-square-foot colonial in Troy where they'd lived for 33...

Scoring points at the table; When business is done over dinner, young professionals can make, break careers.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Dirk VanderHart When Herman Moore retired from the National Football League in 2002 and started his own company, he had things to learn about business etiquette. The former Detroit Lions wide receiver-turned-restaurant owner...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
September 6, 2004... Outsourcing a money matter Editor: I read Amy Lane's Aug. 30 article, "Surveys: Cost savings drive outsourcing,'' with interest. The survey results correctly state what has been known for many years: Outsourcing is not about quality...

Rumblings.
September 6, 2004... Edison workers head to Florida for Frances Nearly 200 Detroit Edison Co. employees, from linemen to contract workers, traveled to Florida on Friday morning to help the state recover from damage anticipated by Hurricane Frances. Frances...

Royal Park Hotel chef aims for four-star rating.(Special Report)(Gerald Gramzay)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong Gerald Gramzay has never had such control before. An executive chef with an impressive resume, taking the top job at newly opened Royal Park Hotel in Rochester gave him almost carte blanche to develop the...

Mind your manners, use your head - and have fun; Common sense and basic etiquette apply to business as well as social situations.(Special Report)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Kath Usitalo Three ad agency jobs and many company parties ago, Pat Robbins watched as a co-worker made a lasting impression on fellow employees at a social gathering. Unfortunately, according to Robbins, the colleague's...

Developers plan $90M tower in Troy; 3 firms team up on 22-story condo project.
September 6, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich An Illinois developer plans a development in Troy that could be worth $90 million and include a 22-story tower with $1.2 million penthouses on the top floors. Joseph Freed & Associates L.L.C. is leading the...

Business Diary.(Briefs)
September 6, 2004... CONTRACTS L. Mason Capitani Inc., Troy, has been retained as exclusive agent to market phase two of the Wilson Office Campus. The 30,760-square-foot building is under construction at 2150 Butterfield Drive in Troy. Phoenix...

Calendar.(Calendar)
September 6, 2004... Wednesday Sept. 8 Ideas Before Dawn: Breakfast with the Chief. 8-9:30 a.m. Sponsored by Detroit Downtown Inc., Crain's Detroit Business, Checker Cab & Sedan, Standard Federal Bank and HumanCapital. Speaker: Detroit Police Chief Ella...

O/E Systems leaves leasing; Joins forces with spinoff from Plante & Moran.(News)(O/E Systems Inc.)(PMV Technologies L.L.C.)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Troy-based O/E Systems Inc. plans to close two of its three remaining divisions and use the third to launch a new office-technology management business with a practice spun off by Plante & Moran P.L.L.C. in...

Bankruptcies.(BBC Building Co.)(Boxley Painting Inc.)(Melton Consulting Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

Have a grape time; You won't quite stomp your own, but vineyard, winemaking store bring the cask close to home.(Special Report)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Laura Bailey In Michigan, the grape-harvesting season begins at the end of August, and that's good news to people for whom buying wine is about more than just pulling a bottle from the rack in a party store. While most of...

Budget deal could limit access to homeland-security grants.(News)(Polytorx L.L.C)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane To fledgling companies such as technology firm Polytorx L.L.C., winning $500,000 from the state means a lot. The funds, part of about $2.3 million the state awarded this year to companies involved in homeland security,...

The mouse that roars.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. Chamber survey: As part of the Michigan Chamber Foundation Future Forum on Sept. 16-17 in Ann Arbor, Crain's Detroit Business is conducting a series of online...

Archer Foundation expects to raise $100,000 at Sept. 13 event.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Joanne Scharich The Dennis W. Archer Foundation expects to raise at least $100,000 at its 2004 Archer Scholars Scholarship Reception on Sept. 13 to pay for college scholarships for 20 Detroit area students. The foundation will...

Week in Review.(Briefs)(Boji Group L.L.C.)
September 6, 2004... Kilpatrick, Patterson to meet on Cobo plan Efforts are under way to ensure that Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson returns to regional talks for plans to expand Cobo Center, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's press secretary Howard Hughey...

Logicalis acquires IT firm.(News)(Solution Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Bloomfield Hills-based Logicalis U.S. has acquired Indianapolis-based Solution Technology Inc. for an undisclosed price. Logicalis U.S. is the North American headquarters of United Kingdom-based Logicalis...

Immigrant entrepreneurs lead new wave.(News)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Mary Kramer C.K. Prahalad is on to something. Reporter Katie Merx interviewed Prahalad about his new book in our Aug. 30 edition. In The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, the influential University of Michigan business...

10 years of trade pact have been a mixed bag.(Opinion)(North American Free Trade Agreement)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... As a presidential candidate a decade ago, H. Ross Perot warned of a "giant sucking sound'' as the newly crafted North American Free Trade Agreement would send U.S. jobs south to Mexico. Crain's Terry Kosdrosky reports this week that the...

This Just In.
September 6, 2004... Beanstalk gets new owner; name to change to Evigna The Beanstalk Group, a Troy-based licensing and promotional products business, will become known as Evigna Inc. this week to reflect leadership changes at the company since it was bought by...

Strong local 2Q earnings may be economic peak for year, some say; Total net income doubles, but companies lower expectations.(News)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Metro Detroit companies turned in strong second-quarter earnings, with a large percentage of businesses beating expectations. Unfortunately, analysts and economists said, the especially robust second quarter may have...

Federal-Mogul may put T&N assets on the block.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Bankrupt auto supplier Federal-Mogul Corp. may put its T&N plc assets in the United Kingdom up for sale, at least to see what price they would fetch. The move came last week after the T&N pension trustee...

Don't ever forget who the customer is.(Columnkers)(international auto show at Cobo)
September 6, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN I was a bit amused last week with L. Brooks Patterson's ranting and raving about not being able to get the financials before he becomes a party to any expansion of Cobo Center. I cannot imagine someone owing tens of...

Dollar Castle owner to open wholesale site for dollar stores.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Dollar Castle Inc. owner Eddie Denha is planning to open what amounts to a dollar store for dollar-store owners by October. Denha, CEO and president of Hazel Park-based Dollar Castle, is leasing the...

A rocky path for county road map; Washtenaw puts finishing touches on a master plan to manage rapid growth, but residents might have other ideas.(Special Report)(Northfield Township board and planning commission)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison When a developer proposed building condominiums on 213 acres on Whitmore Lake Road near U.S. 23, the Northfield Township board and planning commission felt it was a good way to broaden the township's tax base. ...

A mixed result; Free-trade pact created gains for some; others still wrestle with effects.(North American Free Trade Agreement)(James Group International Inc.)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Jhn James has seen the good and the bad created by the North American Free Trade Agreement. On one hand, the chairman of Detroit-based James Group International Inc. lost a foreign trade-zone operation that...

Breaking up is hard to do, but it's no excuse to use e-mail.(Special Report)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Breaking up is hard no matter what side of it you're on. So when my friends and I have suffered the woes of breakups in the past couple of years, I've wimped out and neglected to tell you much about it. It led to a...

Conference looks at data security.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Improving security and communication between security professionals and technology leaders will the some of the main topics at the Detroit SecureWorld Expo on Sept. 14-15 at the Ford Conference & Event Center in...

Lightening up; Couple transforms 6,800-square-foot ranch from a dark, dated contemporary into a warm, light-filled space.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo Paul Goldman, 48, says the Internal Revenue Service doesn't mess with him. As a certified public accountant who has specialized in taxes for more than 20 years, Goldman said he's built a solid reputation for...

Thinking outside of the big box; Downtown Brighton merchants get creative to compete with national chains.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison When Todd and Jane Gyulveszi bought the Little Professor bookstore in downtown Brighton nine years ago, crowds of people walked up and down the street. Their business on Main Street took a hit when the economy...

Compuware's $1M bash signals shift in marketing.
September 6, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Detroit-based Compuware Corp. plans to spend more than $1 million on a party that's part of a shift in how, and to whom, it markets products. OJX, short for OptimalJ Experience, is planned for Sept. 23 at the...

Granholm to go to Legislature to clear way for Toyota land sale; Spurned bidder may contest state decision.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Toyota Motor Corp. could spend $195 million on a technical-center expansion bearing more than 500 Southeast Michigan jobs, and it's an offer that Gov. Jennifer Granholm hopes lawmakers can't refuse. She's asking...

Efficiency, rate hikes improve HMOs' results.(News)(Health Maintenance Organizations)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Southeast Michigan's health maintenance organizations continue to reap benefits from the operational and rate changes they've made in the last few years, with Southfield-based Blue Care Network leading the way. With...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 6, 2004... * A Page 13 story in the Aug. 30 edition included the wrong spelling for University of Michigan lecturer Kristine Synnes' name.

Culture Zone keeps kids busy and their parents at the office.(Special Report)(Culturezone.org)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison A new Web site uses the Ann Arbor arts community to bolster the productivity of workers in the business community by providing a listing of cultural activities for their children. The site, Culturezone.org, was...

Officials: Ohio tax ruling won't affect Michigan.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane, Robert Ankeny Michigan's single-business-tax incentive program isn't likely to be affected by a U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Sept. 2 that an Ohio tax incentive plan is unconstitutional, said a state official...

Briefly.(Briefs)
September 6, 2004... Medical costs boost amount spent on workers' comp High medical spending contributed to higher workers' compensation payments in Michigan in 2002, according to a report by the National Academy of Social Insurance in Washington. In...

Economic-development programs spared cuts.(News)(Michigan economic-development programs )
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Key Michigan economic-development programs have been spared the budget knife, under a 2005 state spending agreement reached last week by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican legislative leaders. It appears the budget...

People.
September 6, 2004... ARCHITECTURE David Nelson to vice president, JGA Inc., Southfield, from director of business development, Sundberg-Ferar Inc., Walled Lake. Howard English to manager of account development, Ford & Earl Associates Inc., Troy, from...

Labor Day praises.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... We'd like to break with traditional Labor Day observances to offer thanks to the unsung heroes of the working world - those called to the always underappreciated and sometimes maligned field of "human resources.'' In that spirit, we refer...

Find local data.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... How will population changes in Southeast Michigan affect your business? You can find charts and numbers on key ethnic and racial population changes, consumer spending habits and housing patterns from 1990 to 2000 under "Resources" at...

Bigger money for the Big House; Standard Federal deal signals UM's desire for fewer, bigger sponsors.(News)(University of Michigan's)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong The University of Michigan's announcement last week of a three-year, $2.4 million athletic program sponsorship with Standard Federal Bank N.A. signaled a change in how it plans to deal with corporate sponsors. ...

Wayne County joins Automation Alley.(News)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Wayne County was named the newest member of Automation Alley at its annual awards gala Friday. With Wayne County, Automation Alley continues to expand its geographic reach. The city of Detroit joined in June....

Preh opens in A. Hills.(News)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong An 85-year-old German supplier has opened a North American sales office in Auburn Hills. Preh Automotive, a division of Preh GmbH, is entering the market with four employees for its 8,000-square-foot office. The...

United Way seeks $3.4M for new hotline project.(News)(United Way Community Services)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin United Way Community Services plans to ask its donors to help support a 2-1-1 crisis hotline coming to Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties late in 2005. The organization projects startup and first-year operation...

Insurance rates dropping for some local companies.(Special Report)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Local companies are seeing relief in business insurance premiums. For example, Meadowbrook Insurance Group in Southfield says its business insurance rates have gone down as much as 25 percent, while Marsh USA...

Catuity scrambles to rescue business after smart-card deal ends.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Faced with a potential Nasdaq delisting, the loss of its biggest customer and a 80 percent decrease in revenue, Detroit-based Catuity Inc. is down. Even so, the software company says not to count it out. ...

Meet the Heroes.(News)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Join us as we celebrate the Health Care Heroes honored in Crain's Aug. 30 issue. The Sept. 23 luncheon is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Detroit Athletic Club. Tickets are $35. Meet the winners and hear from one of the health care industry's...

New steakhouse to open.(News)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong Cameron's Steakhouse is scheduled to open Saturday in Birmingham, complementing another Cameron Mitchell restaurant, Mitchell's Fish Market. Both restaurants are at The Willits, a condominium development. The...

$12M Birmingham housing project nears completion.(News)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Construction is nearing completion on a $12 million residential development in Birmingham known as Waterfall Hill at Quarton Lake. Bingham Farms-based developer Hughes Properties Inc. is building six houses...

Beydoun leaving top job at American Arab Chamber.(News)(Nasser Beydoun)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong After more than 18 months of recruiting, Sam Sheikh, chairman of Project Control Systems Inc., got his man: Nasser Beydoun. Beydoun accepted the job of president of the Livonia-based construction-management...

Listen to `Business Casual'.(radio programs)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... When you think about it, Bob Allen and WCSX 94.7 FM are a natural fit. One puts classic rock in your head. The other has rocks in his head. Starting today, Allen will deliver irreverent 60-second versions of his daily Crain's e-mail column...

Nurses near deal in strike.(News)(Mt. Clemens General Hospital )(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Nurses on strike at Mt. Clemens General Hospital since Aug. 9 were optimistic last week that an agreement would be reached Saturday. Representatives from the Office and Professional Employees International Union...

Survey: Many workers tuning out on the job; 2 of 3 feel disconnected; auto industry numbers even higher.
September 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Two out of three Southeast Michigan employees feel disconnected from or unhappy with their work, and the numbers are even higher in the auto industry, reports a first-of-its-kind survey by The Gallup Organization. ...

Briefly.(Briefs)(PowerSports Inc)(Macomb Powersports Inc)
September 13, 2004... DEGC names VP of marketing Cindy Ciura joined the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. as vice president of marketing and retail last Tuesday and will lead the quasi-public economic-development agency's effort to market Detroit to retailers. ...

Ann Arbor coffee company perks up with Kroger contract.(News)(Perk & Brew Corp)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison A regional distribution contract with The Kroger Co. in Cincinnati is helping Ann Arbor-based coffee-roasting company Perk & Brew Corp. work toward its goal of national distribution. The company expects revenue...

Letters.
September 13, 2004... Patterson is just a roadblock Editor: Your editorial of Aug. 30 stating that "Mass transit must become a priority'' is right on the mark. True enough, metro Detroit must find the business and political leadership to come up with a...

Hospitals need flexibility.(Opinion)(Mt. Clemens General Hospital)(nurse-to-patient ratios )(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... When more than 500 nurses at Mt. Clemens General Hospital went on strike in early August, the strikers said the issues weren't so much wages as working conditions. The union for the nurses, Local 40 of the Office and Professional Employees...

State warns LoanGiant about lending practices; Mortgage writer says state doesn't understand laws.(News)(Office of Financial and Insurance Services )
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong The state Office of Financial and Insurance Services last week ordered LoanGiant, a Southfield-based mortgage company, to stop fraudulent mortgage loan and documentation practices. OFIS said an eight-month...

Ryder Cup will be a success for entire region.(Column)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN The entire golfing world is going to have its eyes on Detroit this week as the Ryder Cup comes to Oakland Hills Country Club. A golf course that is already famous for some of the great championships will be ready...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Sept. 3-9. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. AHE Electrical Supply Co., 2600 22nd St., Detroit, voluntary Chapter 7. Assets: $0;...

Travel weary; Hurricane season drenches agents with questions.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin The succession of hurricanes hitting Florida and the Caribbean is keeping phones ringing at many metro Detroit travel agencies. Some agencies specializing in leisure trips to the islands and Florida are spending...

The rising cost of fat; Business is finding out that obesity drives up costs for more than just health insurance.(Special Report)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx If American businesses want to relieve the stress of obesity on the corporate bottom lines, they need to help their overweight workers slim their own bottom lines, corporate benefits directors and insurance industry...

PEOs fight plan to close state tax loophole.(News)(Professional employer organizations)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A group of employment-related companies is trying to beat back a potential $3 million to $4 million tax increase being considered as part of state budget talks. The Association of Michigan PEOs, an organization of...

The mouse that roars.(News)
September 13, 2004... Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. Among the stories expected next week: Wednesday: The state is scheduled to release the latest data about the labor force. Who does what? Who covers health...

Hungry for more; Sales increase for local pizza chains, but crowded field intensifies battle for market share.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong Like most national pizza chains, Domino's Pizza Inc., Little Caesars Inc. and Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs Inc. have been enjoying steadily increasing sales, but - again, like most national chains - keeping market...

People.
September 13, 2004... Architecture Steven Branstner to associate and manager, architecture studio, Ford & Earl Associates, Troy, from principal, JJSB Architects, Ferndale. Also, Juliet Jakobowski-Maes to associate, architecture studio, from principal, JJSB...

Calendar.(Calendar)
September 13, 2004... Tuesday Sept. 14 Creating Healthy Teams. Breakfast seminar sponsored by the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth. 7:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Dick Moore, manager of safety and training, Plastomer Corp. Livingston Educational...

Executives say employee habits a big hurdle for health costs; More adopt wellness programs.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Amid growing employer interest in wellness programs, a new survey finds that Southeast Michigan corporate leaders peg workers' personal health habits as one of their greatest challenges in managing health care costs. ...

This Just In.(business briefings)
September 13, 2004... Pontiac council nears OK for $123M for Bloomfield Park Pontiac City Council tentatively agreed to $123 million in incentives and interest Thursday to pay for infrastructure for the planned $1 billion Bloomfield Park project in Pontiac. ...

Fountain Walk partnership files Ch. 11.(cases for bankruptcy protection)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely The partnership that owns Fountain Walk, a shopping center in Novi, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 23. PLC Novi West Development L.L.C. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy...

Execs: private firms best for job training.(executives)(poll conducted to meet workforce needs in Michigan)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Southeast Michigan employers place high importance on Michigan's educational system to meet workforce needs. But when it comes to state workforce-development efforts, employers rank those initiatives as only average....

Prahalad to deliver U-M lecture.(C.K. Prahalad-University of Michigan Professor)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: DeAnna Belger University of Michigan Professor C.K. Prahalad on Tuesday is scheduled to deliver the UM Business School's 38th annual William K. McInally Memorial Lecture. In his new book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the...

Rumblings.
September 13, 2004... State uses Ryder Cup to drum up business... It won't be just golf that commands the attention of state officials at this week's Ryder Cup Matches. Michigan Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Don Jakeway and others are using...

Local ad exec unites firm's GM brain trust; McCann Erickson's Neel heads up $305M account.
September 13, 2004... Byline: Jean Halliday Garry Neel says he was shocked to discover that key executives of the McCann Erickson advertising agency who handle General Motors accounts worldwide had never gathered to share ideas. Neel, 49, who became...

Rung up; Local bars hit by lawsuits alleging they illegally showed fights.
September 13, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Moises Bermudez didn't think it was a big deal when he showed a pay-per-view boxing match at his small southwest Detroit bar in May 2003, but it could cost him $160,000. Bermudez has been sued by Campbell,...

Gas-station partner asks court to put venture into receivership.(Fast Track Ventures L.L.C.)(Kojaian Petroleum L.L.C. and FTV Acquisition L.L.C)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich A lawsuit between partners of a joint venture that bought 52 former Clark gas stations for $30 million last year is nearing the end of discovery, with one party asking for court-ordered receivership. The 50/50...

Eternal optimist; Strather beat odds to put his stamp on Detroit.(Herb Strather)(Biography)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny A yen for a Cadillac convertible as a teenager launched Herb Strather into a real estate career. That was 35 years and $1 billion in projects ago. Along the way, Strather has also become a community volunteer, a...

Correction.
September 13, 2004... * A This Just In item on Page 1 of the Sept. 6 issue should have said the CI Technology Group bought the Troy-based promotional product business of The Beanstalk Group L.L.C. and changed the name to Evigna Inc. Beanstalk's licensing business...

Cash infusion helps company recycle Rich Coast remnants.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Cash from a venture-capital firm has helped turn the remnants of what once was Dearborn-based Rich Coast Inc. into a nearly profitable company called Comprehensive Environmental Solutions Inc. The secured...

Flying high with beer and wings; Locations, menu spur growth for Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong After stints selling stock and managing construction projects, Mike Ansley found a business that called to him: Buffalo Wild Wings. After he rounded up two investors and a partner, Ansley bought the first...

Business Diary.(Briefs)(VulcanWorks Inc)(Jarratt Architecture)
September 13, 2004... Acquisitions VulcanWorks Inc., an Ann Arbor-based automotive engineering software company, has been acquired by Austin, Texas-based Trilogy Software Inc., a privately held software and services company. Terms were not disclosed. ...

Week in Review.(Briefs)
September 13, 2004... Frank's sites a big draw for potential buyers Real estate professionals and retailers are eager to purchase many of the 169 stores owned or leased by Troy-based Frank's Nursery & Crafts Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection...

TRW stock nosedives after IPO; Big Three pressures hurt profits.(News)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin TRW Automotive Inc.'s stock price is down nearly 30 percent since its initial public offering in February. Demand is growing for the type of occupant-safety products that TRW (NYSE: TRW) produces, but the...