Business Journal-Portland articles from November 2001

Business Journal-Portland archives from November 2001

Big hurdles lurk in small buildings.(renovating buildings to Americans with Disabilities Acts and new building code standards can be more expense than it is worth)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... It just doesn't pencil out. The building needs seismic upgrades, improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, additional restrooms, a refinished facade and a new heating, air conditioning and ventilation system. It...

Local retailers reporting fair to poor performance.(holiday season forecasts and figures)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... Local retailers are reporting initial holiday sales ranging from modest gains compared with last year to frustrating declines. All in all, the season seems off to a better start than many anticipated, given the triple threat of war,...

SnapNames still happy with domain business.
November 30, 2001... SnapNames Inc. executives want to make something very clear. There's nothing wrong with the domain name business and definitely nothing wrong with SnapNames, which runs an automated service that lets clients know when domain names are about...

Tough economic times bit local hospitality purveyors.
November 30, 2001... When Rick Walker rolled the dice this winter, he got snake eyes. Walker runs Wild Bill's, a mobile casino business that adds Las Vegas-type flair to corporate events, fund-raisers and other large parties. Because of a sour economy...

Understanding differences using a touch of creativity.
November 30, 2001... Sometimes an old dog can teach the rest of us some new tricks. PGE, that stalwart of the energy industry, was chosen by the Business Committee for the Arts Inc. and Forbes magazine to receive this year's Innovation Award in the 24th...

TechTracker gets VC funding for newest product.
November 30, 2001... TechTracker Inc., which makes software for tracking versions and updates of software packages on standalone computers and networks, has just closed a $1.7 million funding round. The Series C round, co-led by SmartForest Ventures and...

PacifiCare NW releases latest quality ratings.
November 30, 2001... PacifiCare Health Systems' Northwest Region has released the results of its third semi-annual Quality Index profile. The latest edition of the Systems' "report card," compiled for members of PacifiCare and Secure Horizons, rates medical...

Are IPOs coming back? Microhelix thinks so. (Week in review - Friday, Nov. 23).
November 30, 2001... * Microhelix (NasdaqSM:MHLXU), based in Portland, which makes tiny electrical connections used in a variety of medical devices, raised gross proceeds of $12 million when it conducted the IPO on Nov. 19. The 2 million equity units, temporarily...

S. Brooks and associates inc. (Week in review - Tuesday, Nov. 27).
November 30, 2001... The Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce awarded its William S. Naito Outstanding Service Award to Sam Brooks. Brooks runs his own business, S. Brooks and Associates Inc., and is the founder, president and chairman of the Oregon...

JohnsonSheen advertising. (Week in review - Monday, Nov. 26).
November 30, 2001... JohnsonSheen Advertising became a new parent this month when the Portland-based company adopted the North Park Blocks through Portland Parks & Recreation's Adopt a Park program. The ad agency is among the first businesses to participate in...

Carolee designs. (Week in review - Friday, Nov. 23).
November 30, 2001... Two out-of-town retailers chose Portland for new locations recently Antiques & Oddities, a 10-year-old retailer from the Columbia Gorge, took 5,000 square feet in the Northwest Portland industrial district. The company imports antique...

OHSU. (Week in review - Wednesday, Nov. 28).
November 30, 2001... Earlier this week, 1,500 OHSU nurses voted on the university's final contract offer in the ongoing struggle over wages and benefits. The parties were far apart by the time of the vote; the nurses may decide to strike if the gap isn't closed....

Corrections.
November 30, 2001... Last week's page three story entitled "KVO shutters offices as part of downsizing move" misstated the status of KVO Public Relations' Seattle operations. KVO's Seattle employees were relocated to office space at the offices of Greer Margolis,...

The numbers game: Oregon university system headcount enrollment; Fall 2001-2002, fourth week totals.
November 30, 2001... The numbers game: Oregon university system headcount enrollment: Fall 2001-2002, fourth week totals Fall 2001 Fall 2000 Difference EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY 2,978 2,784 194...

FAA agent tells shippers to get used to changes.
November 30, 2001... Businesses dependent upon air transport are still attempting to understand regulations imposed, almost overnight, by federal aviation officials after terrorist attacks in September. Rules created in response to the attacks, in which airliners...

Gamma knife center exceeds initial projections.
November 30, 2001... The Gamma Knife center or Oregon at Providence Portland Medical Center has announced the successful completion of more than 100 cases in its first eight months of operation. The center, which provides state-of-the-art, non-invasive treatment...

Integra eager to push its fiscal fitness message.
November 30, 2001... At a time when the telecom industry is still collectively struggling to get back on its feet, Integra Telecom is making sure that everyone knows it is doing well. The privately held telecommunications company has been a little more...

Farrell remembers the home of the pig trough.
November 30, 2001... When The Original Portland Ice Cream Parlour on Northeast 16th and Weidler recently closed, it didn't just shut its doors on a crowd of loyal customers. It dropped the curtain on the blue smoke and mirrors show, which, since the 1960s, made...

Parlour makes way for NE condo development.
November 30, 2001... One of the last Farrell's ice cream parlors has dosed its doors. Chuck and Laurie Tardiff, owners of what for the last 15 years has been known as The Original Portland Ice Cream Parlour, recently sold the inner Northeast Portland site to...

Miller Nash agrees to stay put at big pink.
November 30, 2001... Heidi J. Stout Just in time for the holidays, Miller Nash LLP renewed Its lease at its U.S. Bancorp Tower home. The law firm signed the lease agreement Nov. 20 and landlord Unico Properties Inc. signed Nov. 21. Most terms of the...

FLIR shows why buyers were betting on stock.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... It seems investors were on to something when they began to bid up FUR Systems Inc. shares after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In recent days the company has disclosed some major new contracts. After investors recovered from the first...

Executive profile: Bob Scanlan.(ScanlanKemperBard Cos.)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: Bob Scanlan Organization: ScanlanKemperBard Companies Title: Chairman, president, principal What we do: ScanlanKemperBard Cos. is a real estate merchant banking company whose mission is the...

The stagecoach goes online: Banking over the internet is boosting Wells Fargo's fortunes. (Corporate strategies).(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... Given Wells Fargo & Co. online customer numbers, you might excuse the envious glances from other financial institutions that didn't leap to the internet sooner. After all, 3.6 million online customers is nothing to scoff at--even if...

PUC offers its sympathy but sticks with rate hike. (Environment).
November 30, 2001... Though conceding it was a tough decision, the Oregon Public Utility Commission delivered a Thanksgiving Eve turkey to businesses and consumer groups asking for reconsideration of Portland General Electric's steep Oct. 1 rate increases. The...

And then there's texas. (Environment).
November 30, 2001... Well, that kills off at least one of the subplots in PGE's fall season of drama. Anxious viewers still have the NW Natural acquisition to look forward to. But over in the boardrooms at Texas-based Enron Corp. (which still owns PGE in the...

The next big thing? (Environment).
November 30, 2001... Oregon's success at welcoming a dynamic semiconductor industry to the Portland area helped boost the city to international prominence. High-tech spin-offs characterized much of the late 1990s. Then the city sparked a "creative services"...

PGT building deal put real estate firm to test. (Real estate).
November 30, 2001... You've read about Schnitzer Investment Corp.'s purchase of the PGT Building, no doubt--the $19 million transaction was announced Nov. 14, along with the announcement that two-thirds of the building will be leased to David Evans and Associates...

Reasons to celebrate. (Real estate).
November 30, 2001... Real estate folks are finding more reasons than just the holiday season for celebration. Hennebery Eddy Architects Inc. is celebrating a new contract this month for architectural and engineering services for Fire Station No. 28. The...

Deals of the week. (Real estate).
November 30, 2001... There were lots of deals flooding in this week as dozens of lessees and buyers signed on the dotted line. Marcus & Millichap's Portland office announced three multimillion-dollar deals. The 10030 SWAB Corp. sold the Chrysler Building at...

Jade Corner closing so owner can make a shift. (Retail).(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... After 24 years, downtown Portland jewelry and gift store Jade Corner is conducting a going-out-of-business sale. The store, currently in its third location, offers plenty of jade jewelry, plus a variety of other stones. The inventory...

Shoes galore. (Retail).(Famous Footwear adding stores in Oregon)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... Discount shoe retailer Famous Footwear is in the process of adding two stores to its Portland-area locations. On Oct. 25 the Madison, Wis., company opened a 16,000-square-foot store in Tanasbourne Town Center in Beaverton. On Dec. 7 it...

Bingen Oddity. (Retail).(Antiques and Oddities opens first Portland store)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... Antiques & Oddities, a 10-year-old retailer from the Columbia Gorge, has opened its first Portland store. The company occupies 5,000 square feet in the Northwest Portland industrial district, at Northwest Everett Street and 16th Avenue....

Regional needs. (Retail).(some retail sectors in Oregon need workers)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... According to the Oregon Employment News, a weekly publication from the Oregon Employment Department, some people with specific retail trade skills could easily find jobs. Assuming the applicants are Willing to move. Coos Bay for instance,...

Executive plaything. (Retail).
November 30, 2001... Pendleton Woolen Mills is reintroducing a historic jacquard blanket design first produced around 1920. The 150 limited-edition, signed and numbered blankets will be on sale for $195 exclusively at the Oregon Historical Society's museum store...

Things could be worse. (Focus on real estate).(Portland's office real estate market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... A recent report on the U.S. real estate market showed that Portland didn't make the top five--and folks around here think that's something to smile about. According to research by CB Richard Ellis, the Portland metropolitan area is not...

This 'recession' doesn't hold a candle to others. (Real estate).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... It could be worse--it could be 1982 or 1990. The cloudy recession of 2001 has a silver lining, say folks in the real estate industry. The mix of economic conditions that led to two previous recessions were far worse than conditions...

Apartment industry hit hard during downturn. (Real estate).(in Portland, Oregon)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... Throw out Marcus & Millichap's last apartment industry report. When it was published in July, it reflected rental activity in the first half of 2001, when landlords were still smiling. "Some of the facts have definitely changed since...

Out with opulence: Designer Karen Niemi stays on top of the trends. (Real estate).(office designer aims for functionality)
November 30, 2001... The opulent office is going out of style. Rich wood, marble and leather used to communicate power and prestige to clients and visitors. A well-appointed office was the ultimate home-court advantage. But as firms such as Miller Nash...

The list: Top commercial property firms Ranked by total square footage managed.(Directory)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 30, 2001... The list: Top commercial property firms Ranked by total square footage managed. Rank Phone last fax Rank year Company ...

Pints and grub at affordable prices. (Small business).(Alameda Brewhouse continues to boost sales)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
November 30, 2001... As businesses reduce hours, raise prices and worry about the impending recession, the Alameda Brewhouse continues to pour beers, serve food and bring in the customers. "Actually, sales are up," manager Matt Schumacher replied when asked...

People on the move.(employee changes, various companies)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... CONSULTING Aldrich Kilbride & Tatone added Linda Spongberg as financial and advisory services consultant. EDUCATION Marylhurst University appointed Bert Desmond chair of the graduate business and management degree program. ...

The definition isn't meaning. (Editorial).
November 30, 2001... The Experts have declared that we are officially in a recession. That means the pressure is finally off. Now we can start to look for the signs of the next recovery, a much more pleasant pastime than worrying about when the bubble is...

Three colors aren't enough. (Publisher's notebook).(red white and blue Christmas decorations miss the point of peace on earth)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
November 30, 2001... The lighting of the Christmas tree in Pioneer Square last Friday was really fun. Granted, the sound system was horrible, which may have been a blessing given the ponderous speeches, but it was still really fun. Downtown was jammed with...

Children's education needs our voice, our vote. (Guest opinion).(Brief Article)(Column)
November 30, 2001... The weeks since Sept. 11 have been a time of national reflection. I've found myself thinking about our children--about how critical it is that the next generation not only understands the complexity of the world we live in, but that they be...

A look at the regions: Winners & Losers.(glimpse of award winning law firm, Portland television stations and Glen Boyd)(Brief Article)(Column)
November 30, 2001... Garvey, Schubert & Barer The Seattle-based law firm and Portland office partner Richard Baroway (photo) were recognized by Cascade AIDS Project and Portland Mayor Vera Katz for a decade of volunteerism. GS&B has represented CAP on many...

Slapshots: Not their finest hour.(Bobby and Peter Farrelly's 'Shallow Hal' motion picture, opinion)(Brief Article)
November 30, 2001... Fans of the Farrelly Brothers' out-there humor could be disappointed by "Shallow Hal." Lacking the madcap pace and over-the-top slapstick of "There's Something About Mary," the movie's lesson-that beauty is truly in the eye of the...

Learning for life blends school subjects life lessons. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Fourteen eager third graders at Beach Elementary School are settling into a carpeted corner of the classroom, eyeing their Learning for Life teacher's "magic bag." It looks like an ordinary green plastic shopping bag, but Caryl Waters, a...

2001 High-technology awards selection process for the cascade pacific council exploring and learning for life programs. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... The selection process for the 2001 Boy Scout Technology Awards involved two committees. The first committee (selection committee), chaired by Sheryl Manning, was composed of 20 professionals from high-tech and service companies. The...

Marriage with potential: Cooperation between OHSU and OGI medical researchers, computer scientists and engineers may turn Portland into a biotech mecca. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... When tennis couple Andre Agassi arid Steffi Graf announced they were expecting a child, bookies in Las Vegas immediately staffed putting odds on the likelihood their kid will win Wimbledon 20 years from now. In Portland, observers also are...

Bridging the gap: Bills passed in the last Legislature should move more promising ideas from campuses into the business arena. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... When an OHSU research team makes a breakthrough--even after years of work--it's only the first step in a long struggle to protect and commercialize that intellectual property. For Todd Sherer, OHSU's director of technology and research...

Winner, technology executive of the year: Steven Sharp. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... David Raths When TriQuint Semiconductor CEO Steven Sharp announced this fall that he wants to gradually reduce his role in running the company, there may have been some in the high-tech community who didn't quite believe him. After all,...

Winner, company of the year larger than $60 million in revenue: Planar Systems. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Even before he took the position as CEO of Planar Systems in 1999, Balaji Krishnamurthy and the company's board of directors had agreed that the maker of flat-panel displays needed some big changes. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to see...

Finalist, company larger than $60 million in revenue: FEI company. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... FEI Company has made its mark in the worlds of high-tech manufacturing and research with its "structural process management" systems-that is, the charged ion beam systems that the company designs, manufactures and markets to a range of...

Finalist, company larger than $60 million in revenue: Vesta Corp. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... You want impressive revenue growth? How about 6,575 percent over five years. That's what Portland-based Vesta Corp. did, going from just over $1 million to more than $73 million last year, earning it the No. 22 spot on the Inc. 500 list, one...

Winner, company of the year less than $60 million in revenue; Clarity Visual Systems. (Technology yearbook).(ranked 15th in Inc. magazine's 500 list)
November 30, 2001... Clarity Visual Systems sits in a fairly nondescript office building just off of I-5 in Wilsonville. But its exterior is deceptive, because working inside that building are a group of very well motivated employees who share in their CEO's...

Finalist, company less than $60 million in revenue: Chrome systems corp. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... When any of General Motors' 8,400 dealers in the United States and Canada order inventory from GM, they now use Chrome Systems Corp.'s vehicle information and tools. GM has also standardized on Chrome's software for all of its consumer Web...

Finalist, company less than $60 million in revenue: Inspiration software inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Being nominated for awards is starting to become old hat for Inspiration Software Inc. It was named to the 2001 Softletter 100 List of top U.S. software companies. This fall its 121 percent revenue growth over the past three years earned it...

Winner, service company of the year: Marsh technology practice. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... How do you build your own identity when you're a part of a $10 billion international financial services and consulting empire? Well, you might try doing what Marsh Inc.'s Portland office has done: Find a specialty niche, work really hard at...

Finalist, service company of the year: ProDX. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Founded in 1994 by CEO Peter Stroeve, PRoDX provides project services and staffing solutions to clients that run the gamut from dot-corn startups to Fortune 500 corporations. Its professionals are highly skilled and experienced as project and...

Finalist, service company of the year: Babcock & Jenkins inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... "When we started our company eight years ago, our goal was to build an agency with deep capabilities in both the creative and technical aspects of direct marketing. We've grown rapidly as a result--about 100 percent each year for the last...

Winner, internet company of the year: SnapNames. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... If any Portland-area businessperson defines the term serial entrepreneur, it would be Ron Wiener. He's sold everything from aviation equipment and printing services in catalogs and online and now he's helping clients secure internet domain...

Finalist, internet company of the year: WellMed inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... In a year when companies are slashing employee benefits, WellMed's phone is still ringing. The Old Town Portland-based company offers personal health information, management and tracking services online. Companies pay WellMed for the...

Finalist, internet company of the year: TechTracker. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... When it comes to the three Ps of a successful new company, TechTracker, a 2-year-old maker of software which helps computer systems run with fewer glitches, appears to have them all pretty well nailed down. The Ps, of course, are...

Winner, product of the year: Pixelworks inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Most people will never buy a Pixelworks Inc. product. Instead, consumers will buy a computer monitor or other display device and wonder why the images on the new screen look so much better than the images displayed on their old screens. ...

Finalist, product of the year: etrieve Inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Keeping in touch these days has an entirely different meaning than it did 30 years ago when the Bell Telephone folks starting gently encouraging us to do so with their cutting-edge equipment With the latest technology from a small group of...

Finalist, product of the year: Tripwire inc. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... Portland-based Tripwire makes software that protects internet servers from outside attacks. Demand for such a product really shot up in 2000, when a flurry of security breaches involving credit card numbers stolen via the internet occurred....

Past winners 1984 - 2000. (Technology yearbook).
November 30, 2001... The history of the Silicon Forest can be traced through the names of those honored as technology executive of the year. Back 1984, the winner was the legendary Doug Strain, founder of Electro Scientific Industries Inc., one of Portland's...

Retailer category crucial this holiday.(Brief Article)
November 23, 2001... Judging by recent sales figures, one can forecast how the crucial holiday season will turn out for retailers just by categorizing the players. Luxury department stores are seriously hurting, mainstream department stores are merely...

Bonneville puts energy behind wind generation.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 23, 2001... Often recognized solely for its network of dams plugging the Columbia River, the Bonneville Power Administration's interest in clean, renewable wind power appears to be gusting forward. Last week, BPA announced a 20-year deal to purchase...

New school lets students pay through internships.(De La Salle North Catholic High School)
November 23, 2001... Ashley Rollins sits behind the receptionist's desk in front of an active switchboard of flashing lights and ringing lines, calmly directing phone calls and visitors to the employees of Schwabe Williamson and Wyatt. At 14 years old, she is one...

Norris Beggs lays its claim to biggest deal of the year.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 23, 2001... Norris Beggs & Simpson landed the biggest fish of the year Tuesday when it closed an $87.5 million sale of the Cornell Oaks Corporate Center. In a time when landlords are scrambling for tenants and the Sunset Corridor is the least...

Carlton inemakers mix vintage blend of old, new.(Brief Article)
November 23, 2001... So what if it's not a chateau? The newest addition to Oregon's wine country will be the Canton Winemakers' Studio, a sustainable building project that blends a new small business concept with old-world wine-making techniques. It...

Principlex of interest gvowth for kiddie set.(Brief Article)
November 23, 2001... John Wrenn has a keen appreciation for the wonder of compound interest. The basis of wealth accumulation, he says, is the way in which a regular savings plan, started early and adhered to over the years, makes money compound. "And...

KVO shutters offices as part of downsizing move.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 23, 2001... Eighteen months after being acquired by public relations giant Fleishman-Hillard, KVO has reduced staff and closed offices. KVO co-founder, President and CEO Sharon VanSickle said' the company is leveraging resources brought by its new parent...

Lithia Motors finalizes purchase of dealerships. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Medford-based Lithia Motors Inc. (NYSE:LAD) completed the acquisition of dealerships in Bellevue and Issaquah, Wash. The stores have combined sales of $150 million. Both acquisitions were paid for with cash. Lithia CEO Sid DeBoer said the two...

U.S. bank. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Young Audiences of Oregon and SW Washington, the oldest and largest arts in education organization in the Northwest, has received more than $354,000 to fund the expansion of its Art for Learning program throughout its service region; The new...

Nike Inc. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) named Jeanne Jackson, CEO of Walmart.com and a member of McDonald's Corp.'s board of directors, to Nike's 12-member board. Jackson joined Walmart.com in March of 2000, following her term as president and CEO of Banana...

Southwest Washington Medical Center. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash., has selected Hoffman Construction Co. of Portland as its main contractor for a hospital expansion project. The Portland company will provide construction services for the medical...

Worksystems Inc. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Portland-based Worksystems Inc., a nonprofit work force development organization, presented Mt. Hood Community College with a $20,068 grant last week to help launch MHCC's Operation Workforce Recovery program. The program offers classes for...

Oregon State University's Austin Family Business Program. (WEEK IN REVIEW).
November 23, 2001... Oregon State University's Austin Family Business Program honored seven family-owned businesses at the Oregon Family Business of the Year Awards. Henningsen Cold Storage in Hillsboro won the Old Family Business of the Year award, which honors...

Corrections.
November 23, 2001... A Nov. 9 article entitled "Providence center broadens patient horizons" gave the incorrect location for the newly launched Providence Health System's Pacific Northwest Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center, a regional resource For MS patients....

Panel discusses strategies for rising health costs.
November 23, 2001... Delegates to the 2001 Industrial Relations Research Association conference, held in Portland on Nov. 14, turned to the employers, unions, neutrals and academics for answers to key questions: Why are health costs continuing to rise? Why are...

Paulson trading ceases until changes are made.
November 23, 2001... Paulson Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:PLCC) said Monday that Nasdaq's Nov. 16 decision to suspend trading in its common stock stemmed from a mandate imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring the company to change certain accounting...

InFocus goes back for the old as it shuffles the CFO deck.
November 23, 2001... As Michael Yonker returned to his previous job as chief financial officer of InFocus Corp. (Nasdaq: INFS), Scott Hildebrandt, CFO of Wilsonville-based InFocus since July 1999, has moved over to software company Merant PLC (Nasdaq: MRNT) in...