Washington Business Journal articles from December 1999

Washington Business Journal archives from December 1999

MARIO MORINO.(named Washington Business Journal's 1999 Businessperson of the Year)
December 31, 1999... Take a walk through the many lives of Mario Morino, and you might find yourself surrounded by a passel of children in a Columbia Heights community center, where youths of many races and languages take their first steps onto the Internet. ...

What a difference a 'W' makes.(rumors that Washington Redskins' head coach Turner would resign to turn out to be true)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... If sportswriters Rick Snider and Mark Maske both have it right, Washington Redskins Coach Norv Turner had more ups and downs than a day trader last week. Snider, who covers the Redskins for The Washington Times, went deep in a Dec. 21...

'Captain Ergo' to the rescue?(Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed rules on ergonomics standards)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Assuming we make it through Y2K, another government-induced phobia is waiting in the wings. Ergonomics. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set a Feb. 1 deadline for comments on its new Ergonomics Program...

Beetle can't exterminate vw.net.(Volkswagen domain name cases against Virtual Works)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Virtual Works, a tiny Internet service provider in Reston, has won a stay of Net-execution in its battle with Volkswagen. The German automaker (www.vw.com) suffered a setback earlier this month in its ongoing attempt to squash Virtual...

Corrections.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
December 31, 1999... The names of Kym Norris and Michele K. Parker were misspelled in the Dec. 17 - 23 issue. Norris is senior graphic designer at Frost Miller Group; Parker is a senior VP at Virginia Commerce Bank. A photo of the wrong Anne Armstrong...

Millennium moneymaker.(Event*Tech event support services)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Eric Maynard never imagined his name would be in lights. But he did dream of a day when he'd highlight other performers under his lamps. The Pasadena, Md., native has come a long way since his high school days, when he set up lights for...

Fast growth propels Greater Washington through 1999.
December 31, 1999... The century's final year afforded a snapshot of the Washington region's future, even if it didn't brings closure to the area's most persistent problems. Two powerful trends -- explosive growth in the high-tech sector and worsening...

Pr. William ponders business incentives.(Prince William County, Virginia)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Sean Connaughton wants to make sure Prince. William County does not become a county of haves and have-nots. Connaughton, the new chairman of the Prince William Board of Supervisors, wants some formal mechanisms in place to help...

Dinner Club backs fourth and final company of year.(business venture investment club)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... When they put the tube full of red liquid under ultraviolet light, the color disappeared. When they removed it and shook the tube, it changed back to red. The disheveled founder of BioFX stood in front of the dinner table of angel...

NSI could make history.(Network Solutions Inc. stock offering)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Network Solutions, the master of Web domains, is about to make another big splash in the stock market after a year in which its stock reached dizzying heights. Company officials and industry analysts say that an upcoming stock offering...

Nonprofit joins stars in Third World Fund-raise.(EnterpriseWorks helps small commodity producers find capital)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... EnterpriseWorks, a Washington-based organization that fights Third World poverty by helping small commodity producers grow their businesses, raised more than $200,000 through a fund-raiser that featured two Hollywood stars. Actor William...

New law will give REITs more opportunities in 2001.(real estate investment trusts to be allowed greater ownership of taxable subsidiaries)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Real estate investment trusts would just as soon skip the year 2000 and get to the new millennium's official start. That's because 2001 is the year when publicly owned REITs will get more lee-way to own and operate private subsidiaries....

Hotel developer ponders TIF.(Urban Development Group watches Washington, DC, tax-increment financing)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... A Bethesda developer has halted plans for a 472-room hotel so that he can see how the District bandies tax-increment financing applications from two other hotels. Urban Development Group received zoning approval for its hotel project at...

Southwest Virginia gets Christmas wish from eToys.(EToys to build distribution center in Pittsylvania, County)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... EToys is going to have a much bigger impact on the struggling southwest Virginia economy than originally expected. The high-flying online retailer announced in May it would open a $14 million distribution center in struggling Pittsylvania...

SBA to launch Web-based program for export loans.(Small Business Administration)
December 31, 1999... From a converted chicken barn in the mountains of western Maine, Rachel W. Carignan exports gaskets for snowmobiles, dirt bikes and other small-engine vehicles to more than 40 countries. Exports account for about 45 percent of the revenue...

OSHA refuses to extend ergonomics rule deadline.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is sticking to its Feb. 1 deadline for public comment on its proposed ergonomics regulations, despite requests from business groups for more time to examine the new rule's 1,000-plus pages of...

AMA hits campaign trail for health plan reform.(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Presidential candidates are discovering the nation's doctors still make house calls, at least when it comes to the American Medical Association's political agenda. The AMA will drive its National House Call Winnebago to all of the major...

AFL-CIO plans database to track 'union busters'.(database)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The AFL-CIO plans to build a database of consultants hired by businesses to defeat organizing efforts. The database, which union organizers can access beginning Jan. 1 at a password-protected area on The AFL-CIO's Web site, also will...

Entrepreneurs to put family ahead of business growth.(survey of small business owners by American Express)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Many small business owners are making a New Year's resolution to find a better balance between work and family. When American Express asked a sample of 311 small business owners what they plan to devote the most time to next year, putting...

Robert Veschi.(founder of e-Net)
December 31, 1999... We've all probably talked to our computer before -- maybe even yelled a few choice words at the screen. But Robert Veschi is banking on the idea that people want to hear a voice on the other end when they talk to the computer. Veschi is...

Everyone Knows your name.
December 31, 1999... Legislators debate constitutionality of Internet anonymity A lawyer and software executive compares the Internet to such historic forms of communication as Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" in a controversial paper recently published by the...

Tech stock.(Orbital Sciences)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Twenty-two percent. That's how much shares of Orbital Sciences increased Dec. 28 after the company said it won a contract with NASA worth up to $ 1.5 billion. Dulles-based Orbital, which has struggled with heavy losses and a 59 percent...

Md. radio firm teams with a competitor.(USA Digital Radio and Digital Radio Express)
December 31, 1999... USA Digital Radio of Columbia and Digital Radio Express of Milpitas, Calif., have entered into a strategic alliance to assist in the firms' roll-out plans. Both companies will work on development of new digital radio technologies and the...

Lucent, University of Md. expand relationship.(Lucent Technologies)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Lucent Technologies and the University of Maryland at College Park are expanding their relationship. The agreement features three initiatives. First, Murray Hill, N.J.-based Lucent will design and equip a "digital residence hall" for...

Proxicom opens office in London.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Reston-based Proxicom, an Internet consulting and e-business development company, has opened a London office, Proxicom UK. The office will concentrate initially on expanding business within the company's financial services practice....

On-Site Sourcing to buy back stock.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Arlington-based On-Site Sourcing intends to repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its common stock. The shares will be bought on the open market or through negotiated transactions from time to time, subject to market and business condition....

Teligent extends services to N.C, Conn. cities.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Vienna-based Teligent has extended its SmartWave high-speed, high-band-with communications services for small and medium-sized business into two more U.S. markets: Raleigh, N.C., and Hartford, Conn. With these additions, the company now...

Executive search firm expands operations locally.(Heidrick & Struggles )(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The executive search firm of Heidrick & Struggles is expanding and streamlining its operations in the Washington area. The management of its offices in D.C. and Tysons Corner has been consolidated, and six consultants have been added to...

University of Md. takes marketing to Web.(with its company UMUC OnLine.com)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The University of Maryland University College created a new business to market its online degree programs. University officials said this is the first time a public university has embarked on such a venture. The private company, UMUC...

Ciena Corp. makes technology advance.(improving its telecommunications system)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Linthicum, Md.-based Ciena (Nasdaq: CIEN) has improved its advanced telecommunications system to send even more information over high-speed data lines. Company officials said this is the first time equipment has been able to carry as...

Shakeup continues at Montgomery County chamber.(involving former CEO Ed Trumbull)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Ed Trumbull's on-again, off-again tenure as CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber-Workforce Corp. is on again. Trumbull was fired Dec. 14 by the group's chairman, John Porter, and vice chairman, Don Campbell, after a scheduling snafu that...

Fairfax job count topples year-ago levels.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Loudoun County may have snagged America Online, PSINet and some other tech firms from neighboring Fairfax, but that doesn't seem to be hurting job growth in the area's largest private-sector economy. During October and November, 12...

Economic development group goes it alone.(Greater Rockville Partnership changes offices)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The Greater Rockville Partnership has moved to new offices. The economic development authority's new digs are at 932 Hungerford Drive a bit north on Route 355 from its old offices in downtown Rockville. The. Rockville partnership had shared...

Virginia Power continues efforts to promote region.(issuing a report about the city of Alexandria)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) and Virginia Power have put together a new report to help market and promote the city to prospective companies. The report lists data about Alexandria including: * Tax rates; *...

Predicted slowdown fails to show its colors.
December 31, 1999... The economic boom that fueled much of the D.C. area retail development in 1999 will march right along in 2000. "I expected a slowdown 12 months ago," said Dave Ward, a vice president with H&R Retail in Chevy Chase. "So far with our...

Looking ahead: Panel forecasts health care.
December 31, 1999... Once doctors, hospitals and insurance companies breathe a sigh of relief that Y2K didn't cause all systems to implode, there are still more millennium-based issues to face. Namely, what will health care look like in 2000 and beyond? What...

Media industry on brink of big new year changes.
December 31, 1999... The more things change, the more they stay the same. Smiles at The Post, frowns at The Times. Government clients for local ad agencies, no national Addys for local ad agencies. More subscribers for Net-based B-to-B e-zines, fewer...

No vacancy: Sign of times for 1999 real estate market.
December 31, 1999... Two words best summarize the year that was: No Vacancy. Spurred mostly by the area's high-tech boom, available office space was taken off the market almost as soon as it came online. That's why Network Access Solutions took just three...

Marketing merger tops tourism events in 1999.
December 31, 1999... Some people hate change. Others welcome it with open arms. That's what Washington did in 1999. From Starwood announcing plans to bring the Sheraton back to the District to the Smithsonian snapping up the last available spot on the Mall...

Larry Wilson Jr.: Chief executive can't shake the hospital that's in his blood.
December 31, 1999... Larry Wilson Jr. had just left the Washington area early this year to be closer to his hometown of Durham, N.C., when he got a pivotal call from some board members of Columbia Hospital for Women. The gist of the impassioned call: Would...

Ask the experts.
December 31, 1999... CEOs, understaffed, financially secure, ISO tech talent In the incredibly shrinking labor market, Cyveillance, an Arlington-based Internet services company that gathers intelligence for e-commerce and monitors intellectual property, has...

The 10 commandments of marketing for the new year.
December 31, 1999... Predicting the marketing landscape for 2000 and beyond is as slippery a process as picking up quicksilver. Too much change is happening too fast to make any sense of it. But you can count on one thing: the Internet will a major determinants...

People On The Move.
December 31, 1999... Accounting, Finacial Services & Insurance Judy Roberson joined Association Retirement and Insurance Specialists in Bethesda as a property and casualty assistant. Terri Kuster joined as a customer service assistant. Jeff Lebowitz was...

Mix 107.3 & Smooth Jazz 105.9/ABC Radio.
December 31, 1999... The National Capital Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society recognized the contributions of local firms and individuals at its recent annual meeting. It presented its Media Award to Mix 107.3 & Smooth Jazz 105.9/ABC Radio; its Hope Award...

National Geographic Television.
December 31, 1999... Tim Kelley, president of National Geographic Television in D.C., will receive the Leadership Award from the Council on International Non-theatrical Events (CINE) during its Golden Eagle Awards event on February 18.

Davis Memorial Goodwill Industries.
December 31, 1999... Davis Memorial Goodwill Industries in Washington presented Raymond G. Bender Jr. of Dow, Lohnes & Alberson with a plaque for his long service to Goodwill. He has been associated with Goodwill for nearly 20 years and chaired DMGI's board of...

Harkin Builders.
December 31, 1999... Harkin Builders in Silver Spring received an award of excellence from the Baltimore Metro chapter of Associated Buildings and Contractors for its rehabilitation of the Marlborough House apartments in Baltimore.

Care for Kids.
December 31, 1999... Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic States, in Rockville honored five children's health care programs for providing care to thousands of uninsured children in the region: Care for Kids in Montgomery County, Kaiser Kids in D.C., Medical Care for...

Herndon-based Network Solutions.
December 31, 1999... Michael A. Daniels, chairman of the board of Herndon-based Network Solutions, received the "1999 Torchbearers: Business Leaders of the New Millennium" award in a tribute sponsored by Virginia Business magazine and the Virginia Chamber of...

Susan Sonley McNally.
December 31, 1999... The national realty firm of Grubb & Ellis named Susan Sonley McNally of its Vienna office as office rookie of the year for the nation.

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital.
December 31, 1999... Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital were listed among the top 100 U.S. hospitals in Modem Healthcare magazine.

Ted Zeigler.
December 31, 1999... Ted Zeigler, founder of Nomadic Display in Springfield, received the 1999 Hazel Hays award for his invention of a pop-up display system. The award is the highest honor given by the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association.

Prospect Associates.
December 31, 1999... Prospect Associates, a professional services and health communications firms with offices in Silver Spring, Frederick and Atlanta, received the Crystal Award of Excellence in the 1999 Communicator Awards Audio competition.

Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission.
December 31, 1999... The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission received eight awards at the annual awards ceremony of the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association. Topping the list were outstanding awards for its...

Roger Parks.
December 31, 1999... The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce presented the following awards at its annual meeting: Chairman's Award to Roger Parks of American Advertising Distributors of Northern Virginia; Board Member of the Year to Duncan Blair of Land, Clark,...

Nextel donates wireless phones to D.C. Central Kitchen.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Day in and day out, the trucks of D.C. Central Kitchen make the rounds to 30 food donors across the Washington metropolitan area. The food they collect comes back to the Kitchen, where it is used to prepare 3,000 meals a day to be delivered...

Corporate Donations.(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... Employees of Engineering Design Group in D.C. partnered with three local charities during the holiday season. They donated 75 pounds of groceries to Food & Friends for delivery to AIDS and HIV patients and their families; contributed toys to...

Nonprofit News.(D.C. Chamber of Commerce gives college grants.)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... The D.C. Chamber of Commerce presented college scholarship grants to Anacostia High School, H.D. Woodson High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School. The schools will make the awards 10 students within existing tuition award programs.

Volunteerism.(Love of Children wants volunteers.)(Brief Article)
December 31, 1999... For Love of Children in D.C. seeks volunteers for one-on-one tutoring of elementary and junior high school students in a structured reading and arithmetic program using games, songs and exercises. Training is provided. Tutors are needed on...

Online retailer sues Cyveillance.(Offtherunway.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... Five months after the launch of her online business, Nicole Tzougrakis was facing its demise. The 1998 holiday season was approaching, and Tzougrakis' Web site, Offtherunway.com, was stocked up for it. The site sells designer goods at 60...

Urn-ing respect online.(Russ Harman recruited as president of Plan4ever.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... The business of death has been good to Russ Harman. First, in 1994, the career funeral director started an innovative mobile discount funeral home, which he eventually sold for $1.8 million to one of the industry's giants. Then last...

Area to get telecommuting incentives.(Washington metro area)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... Businesses in the Washington region soon will get a financial reward for encouraging employees to telecommute under a new federal incentive plan being developed. Washington is one of five U.S. metro areas that will be able to participate...

Breaking through in China.(Bart Fisher's business dealings in China)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... D.C.-area consultant helps broker $150M deal The Chinese have a saying: first we become friends, then we do business -- a concept most Americans don't understand. For a U.S. company to break in to the $1.3 billion consumer market, in...

Washington skyline shifts north.(Linda Cropp's Christmas cards depict New York, not Washington D.C.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... D.C. Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp must be in a New York state of mind. When Cropp ordered Christmas cards, she picked out a cheery winter scene of a city's skyline, partially obscured by snow flurries. But when the cards arrived, the...

D.C. firms wired for millennium.(Atlantic Video to produce millennium program)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... Twenty-four time zones, 58 countries, 2000 cameras, millions of potential viewers. Atlantic Video has landed its biggest job yet as it scrambles to produce public television's "Millennium 2000" show. From a remote Pacific island that...

Pay phone pays off in $10M deal.(Newsletters.com signs contract with eCompanies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... While College Park-based Newsletters.com was finalizing its $10 million-plus venture capital deal with eCompanies (see story, page 3), angel investor Jeff Osborn was sailing into the sunset. Osborn, the last Newsletters board member to...

Not just hokey, but flaky, too.(Hokie Toasties cereal)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... Second-ranked Virginia Tech is enjoying its 15 minutes of fame, heading into its national championship showdown with Florida State in the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl. Unfortunately, the game with the No. 1-ranked Seminoles will last 48 minutes....

Arlington approves $170 million Gateway.(JBG Cos. to develop)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... It's not a back door, it's just another front door. That's how Brian Coulter views the recently approved Arlington Gateway, a mixed-use development slated to break ground next summer in Ballston. Coulter's development firm,...

Tech firm gets $1OM infusion of capital.(Newsletters.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 24, 1999... Every entrepreneur hopes to someday sit at the tech world's high-stakes poker table -- a table full of savvy venture capital firms, managers and other entrepreneurs. To get there it takes skill, luck and a lot of chips. Though it has...

A bug-free New Year's.(hotels prepare)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... D.C. hotels prepare for whatever may come The fun's never going to stop in Washington on New Year's. At least that's what hotels are promising guests as they gear up for the millennium celebration. But what you won't hear them...

Yet another huge deal.(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Lend Lease caps off 1999 with third major purchase Lend Lease Real Estate Investment is quickly becoming Washington's buyer of choice. With the purchase of Franklin Court, a 440,000-square-foot downtown D.C. property, Atlanta-based...

Va. groups open foreign offices in recovering areas.
December 24, 1999... Virginia officials want to make sure they don't miss out on burgeoning trade opportunities as Asian and Latin American economies bounce back from recent recessions. The state is opening two foreign offices aimed at bolstering economic and...

Revolutionary java concept unveiled in Herndon.
December 24, 1999... It had to happen. Ed Andrews and Steve Zarpas were bound to have a business venture together. They finish each other's sentences. They love scouring scrap yards for hidden treasures. They both owned and operated hip D.C. nightclubs....

D.C. project elementary for developers.(LCOR and Northwestern Mutual Life to rebuild school)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Demolition of the District's James F. Oyster School is under way in a joint venture between the city and two private developers who are rebuilding the school. In exchange, LCOR and Northwestern Mutual Life also get the right to build 211...

CAIS to get $200M.(CAIS Internet signs deal with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... CAIS Internet, a D.C.-based broadband Internet access company, signed a $200 million agreement with investment giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. KKR is perhaps best known for its role in the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco in 1989, but...

Toy store shuts doors.(Learningsmith)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Burlington, Mass.-based Learningsmith is going out of business, closing all of its 87 stores across the country, including five in the D.C. area. The educational toy retailer is closing stores in Tysons Corner, Fair Oaks mall, LakeForest...

Food tax cut.(Virginia lowers sales tax)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Virginia's retail sales tax on food will go from 4.5 percent to 4 percent beginning Jan. 1. This is the first step of a state tax cut passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. By April 2003, the sales tax will be down to 2.5...

Technology execs, GMU disappointed in Va. budget.
December 24, 1999... Overall, Northern Virginia business leaders and elected officials are pleased with Gov. Jim Gilmore's $48.1 billion 2000-2002 proposed budget. Gilmore's package includes plenty of money for high-tech research and development, tourism and...

Russell Medeiros.(and his plans for the .Com Group)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Like many of his former America Online comrades, Russell Medeiros left the Dulles-based media empire for another shot at a high tech start-up. On Nov. 30, Russell landed at Reston-based The .Com Group, which monitors the Web in a new way. ...

Wireless access on rise.(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Industry estimates put wireless Web use at 48M by 2002 All the hubbub surrounding Internet access tends to leave out the fact that wireless technology is likely to play a major role in the industry sooner rather than later. According...

Talk.com.(stock prices up on announcement of free domain name registration for long-distance service users)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Stock in Reston-based Talk.com was up more than 23 percent Dec. 21 on news that the company would offer free domain name registration. The hitch is that customers must also use Talk's long-distance service to get free registration. Talk's...

$900M Microsoft deal to put Winstar on map.(software packaging deal for data communications' accounts)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... Winstar may not be a household name in Internet and telecom circles yet, but Microsoft is about as household as Coke and Kleenex. So you can imagine Winstar executives' joy earlier this month when they announced a $900 million partnership...

Careful with that e-mail! Somebody may be watching.(x-Vault e-mail archiving software)(Brief Article)
December 24, 1999... They know when you've been surfing. They know when you've been e-mailing. They know when you've been bad or good. So be good, or you'll get nailed by the e-mail police. These days, poor judgment in Web surfing at work or a politically...

NVTC hopes to match kids with firms in robotics event.
December 24, 1999... The Northern Virginia Technology Council has teamed up with an Oklahoma company to sponsor a robotics competition in which area students build and program their own robots. NVTC is looking for local companies to make contributions to the...