Business Journal-Portland articles from August 1996

Business Journal-Portland archives from August 1996

PacifiCorp to offer cleanup plan for Wash. power plant.
August 30, 1996... PacifiCorp says it will unveil a dramatic air pollution-control plan next month for its coal-fired power plant near Centralia, Wash., which is blamed for obscuring Mount Rainier's skyline. The proposal will pleasantly surprise critics and...

Booming Extensis eyes public offering.
August 30, 1996... Portland software maker Extensis Corp. expects to double its business this year, thanks in part to a $3.25 million venture capital investment this spring by Hambrecht & Quist's Adobe Ventures fund. If the success continues, it could lead the...

Imagina tunes up the Mac as Internet vehicle. (Imagina Inc.'s Newstand software)
August 30, 1996... Portland's Imagina Inc. has built a better mousetrap for handling an arcane problem on the nearly 12 million Macintosh computers capable of being used as Internet servers. And Apple Computer Inc. is impressed enough with the results to take a...

'Cut-and-cap' takes up where Measure 5 left off. (Oregon's Measure 47 property tax limitation)
August 30, 1996... For better or worse, the "cut-and-cap" tax reduction on Oregon's November ballot could have a far deeper effect than the state's 1990 property tax limitation. The rekindled tax revolt comes as many local governments and schools are reeling...

Beefing up Wholesome & Hearty: CEO Hubbard brings savvy marketers from Quaker Oats. (Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.; Lyle Hubbard)
August 30, 1996... Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc. plans to take a bigger bite of shelf space in grocery stores with the help of its new top executive, Lyle Hubbard, and his entourage of former Quaker Oats Co. executives. Portland-based Wholesome & Hearty says...

Hotel deals may hamper plans still on the drawing board. (Portland, Oregon hotel development)
August 30, 1996... Hotel proposals announced this week for Portland may hinder competitors' efforts, but won't necessarily stop them, developers and industry experts said. Attempts by the Schlesinger family and by parking magnate Doug Goodman to attract hotel...

Thomason pulls ad account, starts own agency: departure is huge loss for JohnsonSheen Advertising. (Scott Thomason of Thomason Auto Group)
August 30, 1996... Scott Thomason has dismissed JohnsonSheen Advertising from further work on Thomason Auto Group's advertising account and plans to open his own advertising agency. The announcement caps a series of lane changes between Aug. 22 and Aug. 26...

AOI legislative goals include truckers' highway tax freeze. (Associated Oregon Industries)
August 30, 1996... Associated Oregon Industries has proposed a freeze on truckers' highway taxes as a way to end years of gridlock over state gas-tax hikes. The statewide business lobby, in its recently released agenda for 1997 legislative action, suggested a...

Wickes seeks dominance in Northwest furniture market. (Wickes Furniture Company Inc.)
August 30, 1996... Seizing the chance to become the dominant furniture retailer in the Northwest, Wickes Furniture Co. Inc. says its new Portland area stores are just the start of its expansion plans for Oregon and Washington. "This is the first opportunity in...

Federal banking regulatory agencies may be consolidated. (Federal Reserve Board; Office of Thrift Supervision; Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.; Office of the Comptroller of Currency)
August 30, 1996... WASHINGTON, D.C. - The country's biggest and oldest financial regulatory agencies could become the latest victims of federal downsizing. As private and public enterprises target waste and expenses, the country's array of bank regulators are...

Telecommunications may get state's 'key industry' status.
August 30, 1996... The Oregon Economic Development Department is studying the idea of making telecommunications a "key industry," which could make state funding available to bolster the local telecom scene. Industry leaders are working with Jeff Ritter, OEDD...

SBA deputy seeks ongoing research investment. (Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Ginger Ehn Lew)(Interview)
August 30, 1996... Ginger Ehn Lew, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is the chief operating officer of the 3,000-person agency. She also has served as general counsel in the U.S. Department of Commerce and was a top adviser to former...

Business coaches craft winning game plans: coaches help companies build business savvy.
August 30, 1996... Interior designer Paul Scardina had been helping others match their company missions and appearances for years, but hit a wall trying to develop his own company's strategy. Anne Kelly Feeney had 16 years of management experience under her...

Tailor selling strategies to specific market segments.
August 30, 1996... The failure rate for new small businesses is worse than the divorce rate, so is it really worth the effort? Yes, because if you do it right, you can beat the odds. One common oversight of fledgling entrepreneurs is lack of early attention to...

What Portland execs are really wearing: individuality playing big role in setting Rose City style.(Focus on Executive Fashion & Style)
August 30, 1996... What do some of the best dressers in Portland's business community really wear, and why do they wear it? We asked that question of a collection of business leaders in finance, architecture, health care, sales, media and the arts, and their...

Corporate America's newest fashion wrinkle: Gates' rumpled look signals seismic shift in CEO style. (Bill Gates)(Focus on Executive Fashion & Style)
August 30, 1996... Feb. 3, 1995, was probably the Black Friday for formal office attire afficionados. That's the day IBM Chairman Louis Gerstner Jr. relaxed the dress code for 800 workers at his main office. A symbol crashed, like the statue of Lenin in St....

Banks unfazed by card debt burden. (Northwest banks have highest credit card payment rates)
August 23, 1996... Benefitting from years of a strong economy, Northwest banks are experiencing late payments on credit cards at only haft of the national rate. At the end of the first quarter, the seasonally adjusted rate for bank card accounts nationwide...

Macheezmo's new president aims to grow out of crisis. (profile of David Bennett of Macheezmo Mouse Restaurants Inc.)
August 23, 1996... David Bennett, the new top executive of Macheezmo Mouse Restaurants Inc., says he wants to get the mouse ready to travel. Declining same-store sales at the 19-store Macheezmo Mouse restaurant chain have eaten profits and earnings for six...

Legacy doubles its net income: expansion, cost reductions pay off big. (Legacy Health System)(Company Profile)
August 23, 1996... Legacy Health System tallied nearly $40 million in net income during its fiscal year 1996, doubling its 1995 results and chalking up its strongest financial results ever. "This organization is clearly stronger financially," said John King,...

McMinnville just says no to growth. (Oregon cities demand initiatives against homebuilding)
August 23, 1996... Fed-up residents put brakes on rampant growth, but how will other neighbor cities respond? You'd think Marilyn Dell would be ecstatic about the sizzling economy in her hometown of McMinnville. After all, Dell sells real estate for a...

PacifiCorp on the prowl for natural gas. (PacifiCorp plans to expand product line-up)
August 23, 1996... PacifiCorp will follow PGE's lead and seek to provide natural gas to its customers, perhaps by acquiring an existing gas company. PacifiCorp has concluded it needs to become a "multi-fuel" energy provider, said Dennis Steinberg, senior vice...

Is U S West looking to sell part of its 14-state territory? (Pacific Bell/SBC Communications Inc. might acquire U S West Communications networks in the Northwest)
August 23, 1996... Analysts say Northwest may go to Pacific Bell/SBC Flanked by giant Ameritech Corp. and two merging Baby Bells, the U S West Communications network in states such as Oregon, Arizona, Minnesota and Colorado could be acquisition bait. That's...

Fairview welcoming growth with open arms. (economic development in Fairview, Oregon)
August 23, 1996... Community near Gresham embraces growth, but seeks to maintain its small-town identity in the process A stroll through the small town of Fairview is a flashback to Mayberry from the old "Andy Griffith Show." Its streets are quiet; issues are...

Naito real estate holdings stay put for now, says Sam. (Sam Naito takes over as president of H. Naito Corp.)
August 23, 1996... No big changes planned despite death of Bill in May The Portland real estate empire built by brothers Bill and Sam Naito remains intact and will stay that way for years to come, despite Bill's death in May, says Sam Naito. Dominated by a...

MAX attracts flocks of developers to Goose Hollow. (light rail construction increases real estate development plans in Oregon town)
August 23, 1996... By the time light rail starts rumbling through next year, the area will likely be transformed by new construction Until recently, Goose Hollow, one of Portland's oldest close-in neighborhoods, might have been called "Sleepy Hollow." While...

High-tech industry is biggest contributor to building boom.
August 23, 1996... Portland is experiencing an unparalleled construction boom. In 1995, construction employment reached an all-time high, with 6,800 construction workers employed on the area's many building projects. With a similar level of construction expected...

From the starship 'Interprise': U S West turns to a data expert to bolster its phone business. (profile of Catherine Hapka, executive vice president of U S West Communications Group Inc.)
August 23, 1996... DENVER - Catherine Hapka, upstart executive at U S West Communications Group Inc., takes a contrarian view of the phone business. "The real battleground's going to be around data," says the Baby Bell's executive vice president of markets....

Going green can help the bottom line: Colonial Pacific wins EPA award for conservation efforts. (Colonial Pacific Leasing Corp. wins 1996 Small Business Partner of the Year award from Environmental Protection Agency's Green Lights program)
August 23, 1996... Remember the days when your dad was always after you to turn the lights off and you thought he was making a big fuss over a few measly pennies? Well, in today's savings-conscious business world, office services manager Sam Norbeck knows that...

Oregon aims for Hanford contracts from Fluor Daniel. (Oregon firms; Hanford Nuclear Reservation cleanup contract; Fluor Daniel Inc.)
August 16, 1996... Small Northwest environmental companies are poised to get some of the $4.9 billion, five-year Hanford Nuclear Reservation cleanup contract awarded to Fluor Daniel Inc. Industry sources estimate Oregon firms, including environmental and other...

Bank of Cal branches out: wholesale bank eyes retail market. (Bank of California merges with Union Bank to form Union Bank of California, which will soon engage in retail banking in Oregon and Washington)
August 16, 1996... After years of sticking to staid trust and corporate banking, the Northwest offices of The Bank of California are devising a plunge into the region's tumultuous retail banking market. San Francisco-based BankCal merged in April with Los...

Saxer breaking tradition with light microbrew. (Saxer Brewing Co. introduces low-cal beer)
August 16, 1996... Saxer Brewing Co. has decided to produce a light beer in the dark heart of the Northwest's microbrewing business. While rich, heady brews are king with many microbrew lovers, Saxer Brewing is hopping on the light beer wagon. The Lake Oswego...

Groups seek more deposit, more return. (Oregon's beverage industry, grocers and environmentalists may seek to increase Oregon's 5-cent container deposit when the expanded bottle bill, Ballot Measure 37, is approved)
August 16, 1996... Measure 37 may spur hike in bottle-bill fee The panhandler mantra of "spare change?" may become a Salem battle cry if Oregon voters OK an expanded bottle bill in November. Oregon's beverage industry, grocers and environmentalists all may...

Downtown slips in affordable housing effort. (downtown Portland, Oregon)
August 16, 1996... The city of Portland is losing the battle to retain affordable housing downtown. A new study by Northwest Pilot Project shows that downtown Portland's affordable housing stock has slipped 5 percent in the last two years, despite myriad...

Digital VoiceStream duels with analog cellular companies. (VoiceStream Wireless)
August 16, 1996... Portland welcomed yet another telecommunications service provider this week. The latest is VoiceStream Wireless, a provider of digital cellular service with a plethora of bonus features from voice mail to alpha-numeric paging to fax capability....

Polished professional, father confessor: whether building a musical instrument or an industry coalition, Pope creates harmony. (Morgan Pope)
August 16, 1996... Who Morgan Pope is depends on when you catch him. By the way, you better move fast. With nearly 30 years under his belt as a scientist and product manager of Tektronix Inc., Pope now divides his professional energies between work force...

Don't judge this bookstore by its cover. (Catalyst Books)
August 16, 1996... Refocusing on core customers keeps Catalyst on growth path Catalyst Books on Northwest 23rd Avenue was growing, says Barbara Swanson, who founded the business in 1988. Nevertheless, she could feel the pressure rising from huge book...

World Games to bid $15 million in subcontracts. (1998 Nike World Masters Games)
August 9, 1996... Businesses may take home the gold from the 1998 Nike World Masters Games. A study done by Portland State University's economics department concludes the World Masters Games, an athletic competition for people 30 years of age and older, will...

Transplanting Lilly/Miller. (acquisition of The Chas. H. Lilly Co. by Ringer Corp.)
August 9, 1996... Minnesota company buying century-old garden supply firm A Portland company that makes the popular Lilly/Miller brand of Northwest garden products may soon be sold to a Minnesota company that wants to take its product line to markets...

City planners push development fee. (increase in development tax by Portland, Oregon city council)
August 9, 1996... In a move that would tack on $1,000 to the price of a new Portland home, city officials are concocting an innovative fee on development to pay for road, transit and sidewalk improvements. Transportation planners say Portland faces growing...

Merchant banking firm to target smallest start-ups. (Glen Eden Corp.)
August 9, 1996... Banker Ty Pettit, high-tech exec John Calhoun form Glen Eden A pair of executives with strong knowledge of start-up companies and of those who can finance them are forming a new Portland merchant banking firm. Banking executive Ty Pettit...

Continental Mortgage opens commercial office. (Continental Mortgage Co.)
August 9, 1996... Seattle-based firm enters competitive local market Known locally as a residential lender, Seattle-based Continental Mortgage Co. is opening a commercial lending office on Portland's westside. Continental will offer mortgage loans of $1...

Precision Castparts gears up for more purchases. (Precision Castparts Corp.)
August 9, 1996... Following a flurry of acquisition activity that pushes Precision Castparts Corp. into the billion-dollar revenue range, shareholders gave company President Bill McCormick a much longer leash. During a very brief annual shareholders meeting...

Small business hit hardest by regulations, taxes, report says. (report by Joint Economic Committee)
August 9, 1996... WASHINGTON, D.C. - The bulk of higher regulatory and tax burdens are falling squarely on small business, according to a new report. Small business pays an average of $5,545 per worker to comply with government regulations every year, almost...

Now one of energy's big guns. (Portland General Corp.'s chief executive officer Ken Harrison)(Interview)
August 9, 1996... After months of street talk that Portland General Corp. was ripe for a hostile takeover, chief executive officer Ken Harrison may get the last laugh. Harrison is the envy of his peers after last month's announcement that natural gas giant Enron...

Winery works to recover from tragic death. (Willamette Valley Vineyards)
August 9, 1996... Willamette Valley Vineyards loses Dean Cox, but moves on Last Oct. 28, a telephone call sent shock waves through Willamette Valley Vineyards. It was a Saturday morning when the wife of wine-maker Dean Cox called the winery with the news that...

Long-distance on the cheap. (price wars between long-distance providers)
August 9, 1996... Super-discounters tempt businesses with low rates Which long-distance provider is least expensive for businesses - AT&T, MCI or Sprint? The answer: none of the above. An upstart band of small long-distance resellers with names like...

Cell phones go international. (includes related article on flat rate price charges for cell phone calls)
August 9, 1996... Technical types have been chattering for several years about telephones - and telephone numbers - that travel with users wherever they go. Cellular phones can create that ideal within the borders of the United States, but are just excess...

Internet phone technology still underdeveloped.
August 9, 1996... "One ringy-dingy (snort-snort). Two ringy-dingies. This is the Internet calling - do we have a connection?" Well, yes and no, Ernestine. It's true that you can now use special software to designate the Internet as your phone company,...

Locating 9-1-1 calls from cell phones is Xypoint's aim. (Xypoint Corp.)
August 9, 1996... While many people have started to carry cellular phones for safety reasons, calling 9-1-1 from cell phones may not be the safest bet - at least not yet. Unlike traditional telephones, cellular phones generally don't provide emergency...

Fred Meyer eyes river district: innovative two-story store will be proposed.
August 2, 1996... Future residents of downtown's budding River District may be able to "find it at Freddy's." Fred Meyer Inc. hopes to wade back into the downtown Portland retail market with a new store near Union Station. The full-service store would cater...

Turbulence in the Daisy Kingdom.
August 2, 1996... Craft supplier slashes payroll; sale possible The harsh realities of business have intruded on the teddy bear and lace world of Daisy Kingdom Inc., a supplier of children's clothing, fabric and craft supplies. Daisy Kingdom owes $7.9...

Rural Link, Shaw Glasgow purchase OGI Telecomm. (Rural Link Communications)
August 2, 1996... A group of investors has acquired OGI Telecomm Ltd. as a foundation to provide telecommunications services to businesses and residents in the Portland area. Rural Link Communications and Shaw Glasgow & Co. are the lead investors in the...

IMS Capital launches no-load, contrarian fund.
August 2, 1996... A local money manager with a strong track record serving wealthy clients now offers his services to the common folk. Carl Marker, founder of IMS Capital Management in Clackamas, has launched his own no-load mutual fund. Marker is positioning...

Bruegger's, Bernie's to escalate Portland's bagel battle. (Bruegger's Corp.; Bernie's Bagels Inc.)
August 2, 1996... After filling holes in the Seattle market, Bernie's Bagels and Bruegger's Bagels have rolled into Portland. The bagel-shop boom began on the East Coast and has spread faster than cream cheese in July. Rivalry among the shops is intensifying,...

Business mushrooms from L-P siding case. (Siding Facts; Louisiana-Pacific)
August 2, 1996... When Ike Anttila discovered decaying composite siding made by Louisiana-Pacific on his Forest Heights home, he went into action. Following numerous talks with several of his similarly afflicted neighbors in the 17-home subdivision where he...

Immigrant retools electronics repair shop. (Vinh Tran's TV Clinic)
August 2, 1996... Vinh Tran remakes TV Clinic by broadening repair niche Vinh Tran dreamed of owning his own business and discovered that retooling an existing business offered a reliable path to success. Tran, a 47-year-old Vietnamese-American, bought the...