St. Charles County Business Record, MO articles from April 2003

St. Charles County Business Record, MO archives from April 2003

O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce hosts legislator luncheon.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady Watch, wait and see was the theme of a legislative lunch meeting last week at Holiday Inn Select-St. Peters. The O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce played host to three state legislators at its general membership meeting...

Chamber federation hears update on workers' comp reform.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady With friendly Republican majorities in the both the Missouri House and Senate, local businesses wait with bated breath to see what type of change, if any, takes place with workers' compensation law. Chambers of...

Commentary: St. Charles Events April 1, 2003.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Kevin Kipp "Getting shot at's not so bad; it's getting shot that sucks." -- Staff Sgt. Jamie Villafane, the guy who captured four Iraqis even after his hand was nearly blown off in an ambush. OLD NEWS. At the Dee & Roland...

O'Fallon Board of Aldermen chooses development team.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour The O'Fallon Board of Aldermen selected Main Street Ventures L.L.C. as its preferred developer for a revitalization plan for downtown O'Fallon last week. The city and the developer will now begin to negotiate an...

St. Charles' Frenchtown may be close to resurgence.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour France and things French may be out of favor now (e.g., French fries are now freedom fries in some places), but St. Charles' Frenchtown district may be on the verge of a resurgence. The old section, located near the...

GM, other St. Charles companies get training funds.
April 3, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Several companies headquartered or having significant operations in St. Charles County have received financial assistance from the state to provide classroom training to their employees. Of all the companies in the...

Augusta Winery product selected as top U.S. wine.
April 3, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Germans have enjoyed fine wines from their Rhine and Mosel growing regions for centuries. Now they also have an opportunity to try award-winning wines from St. Charles County. In September 2002, a shipment of 615...

Commentary: Consumer boycotts might feel good, but fail as economic plans.
April 4, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon It was 1904 when brothers George and Francis French introduced the global community to their family's new yellow cream salad mustard at the World's Fair in St. Louis. Who would have thought nearly a century later their...

First Bank bowls for kids, raises more than $2,600.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release The employees of First Bank located in St Charles County recently polished their bowling balls to gear up for the 19th annual Bowl for Kids' Sake to benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. Six teams,...

Midwest BankCentre hires regional president-commercial banking.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release Ronald T. Barnes, a highly respected banker who worked 22 of his 27 years in St. Louis banking, is returning to St. Louis as regional president-commercial banking for locally owned community bank Midwest BankCentre....

U of Houston College of Optometry 50th anniversary symposium planned.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release Dr. Jay S. Pepose's lecture, "Studies On Scleral Expansion and Other Surgical Approaches to Treat Presbyopia" was presented at the University of Houston College of Optometry 50th anniversary symposium Saturday, March...

Scarab Printing Arts wins nine awards in the Gallery of Printing Excellence 2003.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release Three awards for first place include an envelope/folder combination piece for Anheuser-Busch and a Scarab self-promotion set. Others awards include pieces for clients Leonard Haertter Travel and API Foil. Scarab's...

Coldwell Banker Gundaker-Mid Rivers recognized.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release The Coldwell Banker Gundaker office at Mid Rivers Mall Drive and Highway 94 was recognized at its March 25 sales rally as the No. 3 ranked office for the entire company in the month of February. Salma St. John was...

Ameristar Casinos names vice president of human resources.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release Ameristar Casinos Inc. announced that Barbara Falvey has been appointed to vice president of human resources. In this role, she will lead the human resources function, including training and development, compensation,...

SCORE Assn. offers 10 tips to start a business.
April 4, 2003... Byline: press release The SCORE Association "Counselors to America's Small Business" provides 10 tips to starting a business to those people who are thinking of starting a business now that corporate layoffs are at the highest levels in...

Commentary: Legislation on broadband encourages investment.
April 4, 2003... Byline: Reader Submission Many Missourians are currently stuck in the slow lane of the high-speed Internet highway. A recent report issued by the Missouri Department of Economic Development asserts that Missouri "lags the nation in...

TheCountyCalendar.com changes its name.
April 4, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour Are you planning a fund raiser, but you don't want it to conflict with another event? Are you looking for something for the kids to do? Or maybe you want to check out some business events in the area? ...

ABA continues to oppose SEC `noisy withdrawal' proposals.
April 5, 2003... Byline: press release The American Bar Association continues to oppose a proposed Securities and Exchange Commission rule requiring either corporate lawyers or the companies they represent to report company activities to the SEC in a...

St. Charles considers tree-preservation measure.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask A proposal to preserve trees on sites slated for development should not prevent construction from taking place, says a St. Charles planning official. A bill now under consideration by the City Council would prevent a...

Fewer St. Charles residents unemployed in February.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask St. Charles and other counties in the St. Louis metropolitan area all experienced higher employment in February, according to figures released Friday by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The jobless...

Commentary: Prevention key to fighting West Nile virus, Lyme disease.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Jason Mitchell As the weather warms, and winter's frozen waters begin to flow along with the new rush of puddles and pools formed by spring rains, mosquitoes find themselves breeding rapidly in their favorite damp conditions. What...

Certification helps DeSain & Associates to grow.
April 8, 2003... Byline: James Monahan In the mid 1990s, Karen and Kevin DeSain were working hard in St. Charles County for someone else. She was a computer programmer analyst in a school district, he a survey coordinator at an engineering company. In...

Broadband bill may do more than reinforce FCC rule.
April 9, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady While businesses wait on what is believed to be a 400-page document from the Federal Communications Commission on its triennial review of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the issue of regulating broadband Internet...

O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce CEO resigns.
April 9, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Rose Mack has tendered her resignation as president and chief executive officer of the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce. Mack said her resignation is effective April 30. Mack, 65, is the second chamber leader in St....

Renaissance Plastic Surgery first to offer new skin-care equipment.
April 10, 2003... Byline: Joan Elliot From the time of Cleopatra, women have aspired to obtain smooth, beautiful skin. Today, advances in technology, combined with the commitment of skilled professionals, has made a flawless complexion easier to achieve...

Kelly Heating and Air Conditioning garners two awards.
April 10, 2003... Byline: James Monahan When Jerry Kelly Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. received The Trane Co.'s Top 10 Award for Excellence in 2002, it was a repeat performance. The St. Charles company won the same award in 2001. Moreover, this year...

Home Builders Assn. names New Home Salesperson of the Year.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff The Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis honored Linda Boehmer of T.R. Hughes Inc. with the New Home Salesperson of the Year Award. The honor was presented at the HBA Sales & Marketing Awards dinner at the Ritz...

U.S. Bank receives an 'A' for financial success.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff U.S. Bancorp earned an "A," the highest grade possible, in five of the eight key criteria of financial success to net a ranking of 26th among companies evaluated in the seventh annual BusinessWeek 50 listing of top performers...

Coldwell Banker Gundaker realtor recognized.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff Susan Brewer of the Coldwell Banker Gundaker Highway 94 at Mid Rivers Office was recognized as the No. 1 sales associate for the entire company out of more than 3,300 agents for the month of November 2002.

Innovative Business Technology to open offices in two biz incubators.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour When Innovative Business Technology, a computer integration and design company, started seven years ago off Old Highway 94 in St. Charles, reaching clients quickly wasn't a problem. "We could get to most of our...

Ameristar Casino still leads in generating revenue.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Ameristar Casino St. Charles continues to generate more revenue than its competitors, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission's latest figures. The commission on Thursday released the March data on Missouri's 11...

St. Charles Chamber of Commerce welcomes new members.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff The following are new members to the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce: America's Funding Resources, Rhonda Jarosz; Artistic Threads, Cindy Mallinckrodt; Atwell's American Grill, Jeff Fairless; Bourgeois & Associates L.L.C.,...

Senator thanks Boeing workers in St. Charles.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., visited the Boeing plant in St. Charles April 4 to thank the workers for their hard work and contribution to the war effort. "The success of our troops overseas in Iraq is made possible...

Missouri Chamber of Commerce wins national award.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff The support of the 3,000 Missouri employers who make up the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently enabled the organization to secure four nationwide membership awards from the Association Marketing and Membership...

Presto-X-Co. recognized at technical conference.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Staff Associates of Presto-X-Co., who reside in St. Charles, were honored at this year's annual technical conference, which was held in Omaha, Neb. The Seven-Year Safe Driving Award was presented to Andrew M. Wager, branch manager,...

Casinos ask business owners to oppose tax proposals.
April 11, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Missouri's gambling operators, fearful that Gov. Bob Holden's casino tax proposals could be approved by state legislators this year, are enlisting the help of business owners in opposing such legislation. More than...

Commentary: Don't let stress levels beat your body down.
April 14, 2003... Byline: David Wallace Stress levels today are at an all-time high. With the war in Iraq, the struggling economy and the threat of terrorist attacks in the United States, stress levels are challenging the resiliency of the minds and bodies...

St. Charles County exec. delivers State of the County address.
April 14, 2003... Byline: Dan Turpin St. Charles county executive Joe Ortwerth gave a State of the County address to the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, April 8. His opening remarks were centered on the conflict in Iraq and the nation's economic...

Hollingsworth to broker Chamber Care plan to businesses.
April 14, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady Jerry Hollingsworth has been endorsed by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry to broker the chamber's health insurance plan to small businesses in St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike and Warren counties. ...

Equal Pay Day brings attention to pay inequity for third year.
April 15, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Working women will commemorate Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, April 15. This marks the third year of an observance established by the National Committee on Pay Equity to raise awareness about unfair pay in America. ...

Ongoing war with Iraq has little economic effect in St. Charles.
April 15, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Numerous stories on the Iraq war's impact on the national economy have been reported since the conflict began almost four weeks ago, but since that time there appears to be little change in economic activity in St....

Commentary: NY Times columnist prints opinions about war in Iraq.
April 15, 2003... Byline: Kevin Kipp "I can't think of a better answer to bin Ladenism than for America to partner with the Iraqi people to build a democratic society." -- New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, 9 April, the day Baghdad fell. LET...

New Wentzville restaurant to serve as dining oasis.
April 16, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour Hoping to fill a specific need in the Wentzville area, a St. Paul husband and wife are opening their first family restaurant. Wentzville needs more sit-down restaurants, according to Karen Stephens, co-owner of Ocean...

South Africans exchange information through Rotary program.
April 16, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady South Africa's KwaZulu Natal region means home of the Zulu. It is a place of beautiful mountain ranges, exotic wildlife and plant life, multiple sea ports and diverse cultures. It is also the place from which four...

MEMC Electronics to sell up to 25 million shares.
April 16, 2003... Byline: Staff MEMC Electronics Materials Inc. this week filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell up to 25 million shares of stock. The O'Fallon, Mo.-based company said the shares include 12 million newly issued shares...

O'Fallon adds dressbarn to number of new businesses.
April 17, 2003... Byline: Joan Elliot Anyone who thinks barns are systematically disappearing from St. Charles County hasn't checked 2128 Highway K in O'Fallon recently. A new "barn" opened up at that location just last month. It is a dressbarn, a national...

State, local chambers declare state of emergency over job loss.
April 17, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Armed with recent statistics about staggering job losses in Missouri, local chamber of commerce officials journeyed to Jefferson City Tuesday to help lobby lawmakers on tort reform and revising the state's workers'...

Rotary clubs distribute auction proceeds.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Staff Representatives of four Rotary clubs in St. Charles County distributed the proceeds of their annual Rotary auction on Monday, April 7, at New Frontier Bank, 1771 Zumbehl Road in St. Charles. They presented a total of $40,000...

Scholarships offered by St. Peters Rotary Club.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Staff The St. Peters Rotary Club is accepting applications for a $250 scholarship that will be given to a high school senior entering St. Charles Community College in the fall. Another $250 scholarship will be awarded to an...

St. Peters receives Govt. Finance Officers Assn. distinguished budget award.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Staff The city of St. Peters is proud to receive the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for a fourth consecutive year. The award reflects the commitment the city of St. Peters...

Ophthalmologist recognized in Who's Who in America publication.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Staff Dr. Mujtaba A. Qazi, director of clinical studies at Pepose Vision Institute, is recognized in the 58th edition of Marquis' 2004 Who's Who in America, a publication featuring the credentials of the country's most accomplished...

Habitat for Humanity ground breaking set Sunday.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Staff Ground was broken Sunday afternoon, April 6, for another new home being built by Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County. The home is at 119 Harvest Drive in the county for Tashia Butler and her three children. This will...

Nexstar Financial picks Research Park for operations center.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Nexstar Financial Corp. has started work on opening its second national operations center in an 80,000-square-foot building in the Missouri Research Park in St. Charles County. Nexstar is subleasing the facility from...

New Comfort Inn & Suites hotel to open in O'Fallon.
April 18, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour O'Fallon will soon be the home to a new Comfort Inn & Suites hotel that will be catering to both business and traveling clients. Located on the southwest corner of Bellevue Creek Road and Interstate 70 at the T.R....

O'Fallon chamber recognizes businesses, individuals.
April 21, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady If anyone believes that McEagle Development and the O'Fallon Brewery have not received enough attention lately, the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce is about to rectify that. On Tuesday, McEagle and the brewery will...

Administrative Professionals Week events begin this week.
April 21, 2003... Byline: James Monahan The St. Charles Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Personnel will host a networking breakfast Tuesday, April 22, in observance of Administrative Professionals Week April 20-26. The event will...

Positive Impact uses magic to teach chamber members.
April 22, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady To effect positive change in the workplace, sometimes a little magic can help. That was the theme of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce's membership luncheon on Wednesday, April 16. Nancy Wegge, guest speaker...

St. Charles County Job Fair 2003 brings together job seekers, businesses.
April 22, 2003... Byline: Joan Elliot St. Charles County had the area's lowest unemployment rate in February -- 3.6 percent, according to recently released figures by state government. Although that bodes well when compared with Missouri's 5.1 percent and...

State to assist laid-off Boeing workers.
April 23, 2003... Byline: Staff Missouri's Rapid Response Team will assist those employees at Boeing Co.'s St. Louis plant who are slated to lose their jobs on June 20. The aerospace giant will lay off about 260 workers at the plant in an effort to...

Housing proposal causes controversy in Wentzville.
April 23, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour Wentzville's Board of Aldermen may vote tonight to determine whether a controversial housing development will break ground this year. At a board of aldermen meeting earlier this month, a number of residents who live in...

Realtors work to find cheaper housing.
April 23, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour The cost of purchasing a home has increased significantly in the past couple of years, making it more difficult for the average worker to afford a home. According to 2000 census figures, the median value of a home in...

SSM St. Joseph Hospital West opens up Special Care Nursery.
April 24, 2003... Byline: Staff Women in St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and Pike counties now have a new option for high-risk pregnancy care and delivery close to home -- the Special Care Nursery sponsored by SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital at SSM...

Financial Asset Mgmt. Services to move Hazelwood office to St. Charles.
April 24, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Financial Asset Management Systems will relocate its Hazelwood office to 370 Corporate Center, one of several business parks located along Highway 370 in northern St. Charles. FAMS said the move will take place May 5....

Small Business Week honors St. Charles small business.
April 24, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Each year for the past 39 years the president of the United States has honored the achievements of small business owners through the celebration of Small Business Week. This year Small Business Week will be celebrated...

Commentary: Celebrity activists, public receive lesson in free speech.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Not since activist actress Jane Fonda earned the dubious nickname "Hanoi Jane" -- for her behavior and comments in North Vietnam during a 1972 visit that she admitted in 1988 was the most disgraceful thing she has ever...

Ascent Corp. hires new systems engineer.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff St. Charles resident Mike Elliot has joined Ascent Corp. as systems engineer. As part of Ascent's information technology group, Elliott will help manage client networks and infrastructure and will provide both internal and...

The Snap Group adds business development mgr.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff Jill Christman has joined The Snap Group, a St. Charles-based image marketing company, as business development manager. Her experience in graphic design, management and sales is a great asset to Snap. Please join us in...

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital recognizes employees.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital recognized its best and brightest on April 10 during the hospital's annual service awards banquet at Whitmoor Country Club in St. Charles. Special honorees included the Employee of the Year...

Westfield Shoppingtown Mid Rivers adds jewelry store.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff The ribbon has been cut, and Silverado is now open at Westfield Shoppingtown Mid Rivers. Silverado offers customers great buys on a variety of silver jewelry. The kiosk features all the hottest trends in silver accessories...

Govt. e-Management Solutions Inc. names new application mgr.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff St. Peters resident Jon Keyes has been named property application manager at Government e-Management Solutions Inc., a provider of financial, human resource and property management software to governments nationwide. As...

Closet Classics of St. Louis named exclusive elfa dealer.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff St. Peters-based Closet Classics of St. Louis announced that elfa(r) North America has awarded it exclusive dealer status for the state of Missouri. Closet Classics earned this award after undergoing extensive product and...

Gov. Holden appoints Wentzville man to MO Training, Employment Council.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Staff Holden nominated Jerald A. Pelker of Wentzville to the Missouri Training and Employment Council. Pelker serves as the director of training for the AGC-Eastern Missouri Laborers' Joint Training Fund. He serves on the...

Highway Watch helps protect Missourians from terrorist attacks.
April 25, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Missouri-based professional truck drivers may soon find themselves spending time seated in the classroom as well as behind the wheel in their cabs. The Missouri Motor Carriers Association, in conjunction with the...

Renovations indicate better times ahead for hotel industry.
April 25, 2003... Byline: Joan Elliot The Holiday Inn Select-St. Peters is sporting a new interior look these days. Upgrades to some rooms at the 20-year-old hotel are part of an ongoing, companywide refinishing process. According to Steve Dye, general...

Officials explore idea of consolidating chambers.
April 28, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask With vacancies in the top spots at two of the three largest chambers of commerce in St. Charles County, there is renewed interest in business and political circles in a proposal to form a countywide chamber. This is...

Landmark review board may be booted from some sign decisions.
April 28, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady In an effort to keep businesses in the city of St. Charles happy, the City Council is once again considering changing an ordinance that it has been trying to stabilize for more than five years -- its sign ordinance....

Commentary: Starting a business is not for the faint of heart.
April 28, 2003... Byline: Steven Stillman Starting a business may be your "American Dream," but it is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes the best decision about starting a new business is not to start one at all. Consider these sobering statistics....

St. Charles County's employment picture brightens slightly.
April 29, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask St. Charles County residents continue to fare better in finding and keeping jobs than people living elsewhere in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The county's jobless rate has been declining since the beginning of...

Relocating for job security increases in slow economy.
April 29, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour Since the first quarter of 2003, Missouri has maintained its status as No. 1 in job loss in the nation. And it's no surprise to find that the results of an online work force poll show that a large percentage of job...

Easy Returns WorldWide under DEA investigation.
April 30, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says its investigation of Easy Returns Worldwide Inc. should not result in the company's closure. In a statement posted on its Web site, Easy Returns said it is...

St. Charles County experiences `inflow' trend: County exception to statewide job loss.
April 30, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour In a 1996 study conducted by the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County, 70 percent of the work force that lived in St. Charles County worked outside the county. In a follow-up study four years later, that...

Wrongful death case could carry national influence.
April 30, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon An opinion written last week by the Missouri Supreme Court has not only provided opportunity for a putative father to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit as it relates to the death of an unborn child, but it could very well...

Area manufacturers look to Washington for help.
April 30, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask "We feel our industry is under attack." That is Mike Mittner's assessment of the state of manufacturing in the United States. Mittner is president of Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool, a company in Foristell with about 40...

Commentary: Enhancing life science research in Missouri.
April 30, 2003... Byline: Joe Smith For the past several years, Missouri has been on the forefront of life sciences research in the nation. Our state's universities and research centers put Missouri in the position to become a national leader in life...