St. Louis Business Journal articles from December 2000

St. Louis Business Journal archives from December 2000

City developer's projects teeter.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Steffen seeks outside investors for Arcade, Syndicate Trust John Steffen, who assembled close to 1.8 million square feet of downtown building space over the past year for redevelopment, is scrambling to hold his real estate deals -- and...

Matthews launches latest venture: PrimaryClick.com.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Brian Matthews' latest brainchild, PrimaryClick.com, is up and running with an initial cash investment of $100,000. Matthews said he expects the new Internet ad agency to seek another $250,000 to $500,000 from investors at the end of the...

Decking the halls.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Holiday demand boosts bottom line for local designers and decorators Holiday decorating is big business, with corporate contracts ranging to six figures and wealthy private clients spending up to $10,000 to festoon their homes. Like...

Wright cashes in on sale of TLC cellular chain's Missouri stores.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Faced with shrinking profit margins, Leroy Wright has sold his TLC Next Generation chain of cellular retail stores in Missouri to Southwestern Bell Wireless. Wright plans to use some of the proceeds from the sale of the 12 stores...

Dailey dose.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... KTRS radio personality Terry Dailey, long-time partner and sidekick to Frank O. Pinion, has released a CD of some of his best comedy songs. For more than a decade, Dailey has written a new song every week, parodying local and national news,...

Lofty ideas.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Blue Devil Ventures, a Durham, N.C.-based developer, is planning to launch a St. Louis loft project in 2001, said Tom Niemann, the managing partner. Niemann, son of million-dollar real estate agent Tina Niemann, formed BDV in 1995 with partners...

Growing west.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Mississippi Valley Bancshares has opened an office in Phoenix. Jack Barry, formerly a senior vice president here, has been named president of the Phoenix operation, Southwest Bank. It has been operating as a commercial lender in Phoenix since...

Developing design.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Christopher Cedergreen has been named president and managing principal of Forum Studio, an architectural firm formed last year to serve Clayco. Construction Co., its clients and outside developers. Cedergreen, a graduate of Washington State...

Success story.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Donna Vandiver and the public relations firm she launched in 1993, The Vandiver Group, was featured in the Nov. 20 issue of PR Week. The profile focuses, on the creation and the success of Vandiver Group, recently named one of the...

Up, up and away.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Centric Group, formerly Enterprise Capital Group, and World Internet Now are getting ready to launch SendaBalloon.com, a Web site that allows users to send balloons electronically. The balloons will "inflate" on the screen, present an image to...

Restaurant renaissance.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The Renaissance St. Louis Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, has redesigned its Faraday's restaurant as an upscale Italian steakhouse. Chef Mike Leach, who moved from the Renaissance in Denver, will offer Italian-seasoned steaks and contemporary...

Hair raising.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Tim Pfeiffer is taking over as owner and president of Hans Wiemann Hair Replacement. Hans Wiemann, who founded the business more than 40 years ago, will remain active in the company and continue to act as spokesman. Pfeiffer, a client in 1989,...

Hasse to leave sales manager post at KMOX.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Clint Hasse, the general sales manager of KMOX Radio, is stepping down from that position to return to full-time sales. His surprise move came Nov. 29 and is effective Dec. 26, the day after KMOX's 75th anniversary. His current position...

Amateur tour gets an ace, signs Golf Headquarters as first sponsor.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The Amateur Players Tour of St Louis, a for-profit golf league, has signed its first corporate sponsor -- Golf Headquarters of St. Louis. The local Amateur Players Tour has more than 150 golfers who compete for gift certificates and...

Doellefeld-Clancy to head local association for philanthropy.(Kathleen Doellefeld-Clancy named president of the Metropolitan Association of Philanthropy)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Kathleen Doellefeld-Clancy, 46, has been named president of the Metropolitan Association of Philanthropy, effective Dec. 11. Doellefeld-Clancy previously was foundation executive for the Joseph H. & Florence A. Roblee Foundation in Clayton....

Timberlake Center on market for $64 million.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Just a year after the final building in Timberlake Corporate Center was ready for tenants, the development is on the market. The three-building office park north of Highway 40 at Timberlake Parkway in west St. Louis County is expected to...

Corrections.
December 4, 2000... Michael Roberts Michael Roberts, of Roberts & Roberts, is among those in Governor-elect Bob Holden's circle of trusted St. Louis business leaders. His first name was incorrect in the Nov. 27 issue. A line also was dropped from Roberts'...

Truman Bancorp raises $500,000 to expand lending.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Truman Bancorp Inc., one of the region's smallest banks, has raised $500,000 so it can expand its lending. The new capital, raised during the last two weeks of November, comes at a time very few banks have pushed any new equity "because...

Stacked board at Crown may nix Apex offer.(Crown Central Petroleum Corp. moves to replace indepent board members with company insiders apparently to prevent takeover by Apex Oil)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... A move to stack the board at Crown Central Petroleum Corp. could kill Tony Novelly's bid worth $105 million for the Baltimore company, according to a shareholder watchdog group. Crown outlined its plan to replace four independent directors...

Sweeney leaves firm he started to ioin DESCO Commercial.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Floyd Sweeney is leaving the company he founded 22 years ago to join newly formed DESCO Commercial Group. Sweeney started F.L. Sweeney Corp. in 1978. In 1981, he joined forces with Jim Finn to form Sweeney-Finn. Four years ago, Sweeney sold...

Kohner Properties opens two Neighborhood Network computer learning centers.(at Murphy Blair Gardens and Jackson Park Place Apartments)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Kohner Properties Inc. has opened two Neighborhood Network computer centers at Murphy Blair Gardens and Jackson Park Place Apartments. Neighborhood Networks is a community-based HUD initiative that encourages the development of computer...

Noah's Ark site favored for convention center, hotel.(site of former Noah's Ark restaurant in St. Charles County)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... After eight years of searching for a convention center-hotel proposal to support, the St. Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority is pursuing a plan submitted by Shockley Construction and J.S. Alberici Construction Co. ...

WingHaven location rises to top in bid to attract NAIA headquarters.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... St. Charles County's bid for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics headquarters is changing venues from the Family Arena to WingHaven. The proposal for a convention center and NAIA headquarters at the Family Arena has...

Pulitzers sell 1.3 million shares of company stock.(Michael Pulitzer, Emily Pulitzer and David Moore of stock in Pulitzer Inc. and Hearst Argyle Television Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Pulitzer Inc.'s major shareholders, Michael Pulitzer, Emily Pulitzer and David Moore, have sold more than 1.3 million shares in the company -- worth more than $52.6 million -- over the past 12 months to diversify their estate plans. The...

Tarlton Corp. to build for U.S. Postal Service.(postal branch renovation and letter carrier annex projects)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Tarlton Corp. has begun work on two projects for the U.S. Postal Service. The first is a $775,000 branch renovation to the Post Office just west of Highway 141 on Manchester in Ballwin. The two-phase, 9,000-square-foot project includes a...

PeopleSupport gets support.(to increase staff in St. Louis and Manila, reduce staff in Los Angeles)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 29 -- PeopleSupport Inc. plans to increase its staff at it St. Louis office, which opened in May The company said the restructuring will result in "significant" cost savings. The company said it plans to add to its staff in St. Louis...

St. Louis Rams.(player Marshall Faulk to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 29 -- The St. Louis Rams Marshall Faulk graces the cover of ESPN The Magazines Dec. 11 issue. The issue, which highlights the NFL's elite players, hit newsstands last week. ESPN The Magazine is a biweekly sports publication.

RightCHOICE Managed Care's.(shareholders approve of merger with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 28 -- RightCHOICE Managed Care's shareholders have approved the merger with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri. The merger is a reorganization in order to conclude a legal settlement agreement with the state of Missouri. The...

Panera Bread.(expanding nationally)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 28 -- Panera Bread will be in the Northeast and Florida by the end of next year. The company announced two new franchisees who plan to open 52 more Panera Bread restaurants. Donald Strang III plans to open 48 restaurants in...

Monsanto Co.(to pay $15 million to Rosetta Inpharmatics Inc. in a collaboration agreement to develop better crops)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 28 -- Monsanto Co. will pay $15 million to Rosetta Inpharmatics Inc. in a collaboration agreement to develop better crops. Monsanto and Rosetta will collaborate for three years using Rosetta's technologies in crop development, the...

Missouri's unemployment.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 28 -- Missouri's unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a point in October, bringing it to 3.1 percent. For the St. Louis metropolitan area, the unemployment rate dropped from 3.5 percent in September to 3.3 percent in October. Statewide,...

The May Department Stores Co.(reports a 6.7 percent increase in sales for the four-week period ended Nov. 25)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 27 -- The May Department Stores Co. reported a 6.7 percent increase in sales for the four-week period ended Nov. 25. Sales for this period were billion, up 6.7 percent from $1.27 billion over the same period last year. Sales for the...

Solutia Inc.(opens acrylonitrile plant in Alvin, Texas)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 27 -- Solutia Inc. has opened its acrylonitrile (AN) plant in Alvin, Texas. The new plant has a capacity to produce one billion pounds of the material, the company said in a press release. The material will be used in Solutia's carpet...

Kellwood Co.(to acquire Group B. Clothing Co.)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 27 -- Kellwood Co. has announced plans to acquire Group B. Clothing Co Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. Kellwood said it would pay cash For Group B and expects to complete the acquisition in December. Group B is best known for...

PEOPLE.(executive appointments)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Architecture/engineering Todd Brauer has joined the St. Louis office of HNTB Architects Engineers Planners as a transportation planner. Jay Honse has been named senior group leader of engineering for Peabody Group. Cannon Design...

BJC puts another medical office building on the block.(BJC HealthCare to sell building on South Kingshighway Blvd.)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... BJC HealthCare has put a for sale sign on a building on South Kingshighway Boulevard -- at least the seventh BJC real estate asset to go on the block this year. BJC spokeswoman Kim Kitson said the asking price for the 26,000-squarefoot...

Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Inc.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. of Belleville, has received a two-year accreditation from the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.

Christian Hospital Ultrasound Department in Radiology.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The Christian Hospital Ultrasound Department in Radiology was granted a three-year re-accreditation from the American College of Radiology.

St. Anthony's Medical Center.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The medical laboratory at St. Anthony's Medical Center received accreditation from the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.

West County MRI at St. John's Mercy Medical Center.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... West County MRI at St. John's Mercy Medical Center received a three-year accreditation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging from the American College of Radiology.

SLUCare.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... SLUCare, the physician practice of Saint Louis University School of Medicine, received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc.

SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital Laboratory.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital Laboratory was awarded accreditation with distinction by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.

Grants and awards.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine received the following grants: Lacy Kolo, pre-doctoral student, pharmacological and physiological science, received a two-year, $36,000 fellowship from the American Heart....

On the front burner.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Kolker's bet on high-end appliances pays off for Cohen's Business activity: Doug Kolker decided after five years of working as an accountant that it was not something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He did know he wanted to...

When was the last time you revamped your company's logo or corporate letterhead?(Health & Fitness)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... We are in the midst of re-designing the logo that we've used since 1986. We plan to launch a new ad campaign next year, so we concluded it was a good time to update our corporate look. June Roesslein President June Roesslein...

Network Specialists stands on own as MMMM continues rapid growth.(Mitch Murch's Maintenance Management)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 4, 2000... When Brad Winslade came to MMMM -- Mitch Murch's Maintenance Management -- his job was to update the voice and data infrastructure for the building maintenance company. MMMM was growing and had been outsourcing its payroll to ADP. Winslade...

Making enemies out of friends by the way we talk.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... We are going to continue the subject of supervision. We want to answer some questions which always arise when the subject is even remotely discussed. Can we answer the most frequently asked. questions, such as: "Is there a way to be...

Hot boutique.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Lusso in Clayton was chosen as the first St. Louis boutique to carry the renowned French bath line L'Occitane. These luxury products are all the rage in New York, Beverly Hills and Europe. Lusso, which also carries silk shawls from Hong...

Miles 2001.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... St. Louis' Jazz at the Bistro is collaborating with more than 30 regional arts and civic organizations -- the Missouri History Museum, Washington University, the Sheldon; East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and SIUE to name a few -- on a huge...

Who needs COWS?(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... St. Louis' version of the Chicago cow exhibit -- the People Project--co-sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission and Focus St. Louis--has really taken off. Anheuser-Busch and Emerson Electric have each adopted a dozen people, Firstar has...

Stepping up.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... These "heavy hitters" are helping some of our community's most important institutions: Millstone Foundation -- in memory of David Millstone -- $100,000 to the Forum-for Contemporary Art's capital campaign. William Randolph Hearst...

Must read.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Faith Popcorn's "EVEolution" will get you in touch with your feminine side. Popcorn says women make 80 percent of all purchasing decisions. Saint Louis Symphony Music School's Susan Werremeyer is using Popcorn's prose to plan a parents group...

Couture cuisine.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Neiman-Marcus Zodiac Room has always been a "hot spot" for St. Louis' ladies who lunch. The popovers, chicken salad, orange souffle ring and broth are mainstays in many an "In Circle" diet. But times do change, and the Zodiac has recently...

Sargent picked to implant device for clearer hearing.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Hearing aids can be a mixed blessing: The amplified sounds are better than being deaf, but wearers also must deal with background noise, discomfort and other irritants often associated with external devices. A new device, the Vibrant...

Web, books offer help in planning retirement needs.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... As a supplement to the typical retirement planning team of financial advisers, attorneys and accountants, St. Louis area residents can find a huge repository of reference material at their disposal in bookstores, libraries and online. ...

Home care service sprang from Bain's experiences.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Michelle Bain was frustrated. Five years ago, she was searching for someone to help her care for her grandparents in their Peoria, Ill., home, but she couldn't find anyone she felt could do the job. "We had thought about moving them here...

Thompson targets older adults' real estate needs.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... While negotiating to buy some investment property for her son, Helen Vaden, 78, didn't find out until closing that she hadn't been given a good faith estimate. "At closing, there were some misunderstandings," Vaden said. "I did not want to...

Stock Transactions.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The following purchases or sales of stock in St. Louis-based companies or in companies with St. Louis-based subsidiaries or divisions have been reported to the US Securities and Exchange Commission by officers, directors and owners of more than...

Where we stand.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... How St. Louis measures up against other cities For a region of our size, St. Louis has a relatively small working age population. The St. Louis region can effectively overcome this problem with three strategies. First, we need to make...

On board.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Money and management at nonprofit organizations St. Elizabeth Medical Center Ted Eilerman President St. Elizabeth Medical Center is a Catholic hospital devoted to serving the health-care needs of Granite City, and the...

For what it's worth.(Commercial real estate transactions)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Highlighting some of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 12006 Manchester Road, Des Peres DATE SOLD: Oct. 16, 2000 NEW OWNER: Walgreen Co. AGENT: None FORMER OWNER:...

A Closer look.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS LEADS In his most recent book, Differentiate or Die, marketing guru Jack Trout makes a logical argument for...well, for a logical argument: "A trip to a dictionary," he advises, "will define a...

ANGELICA CORP.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Don W. Hubble Chairman, president and chief executive Angelica Corp. provides textile rental and laundry services; manufactures and markets image and business career apparel; and operates specialty retail stores primarily for nurses...

Monsanto.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 13, $23.25 Salomon Smith Barney Buy. Our investment recommendation on Monsanto is based on the belief that the company possesses one of the few vehicles for growth in crop chemicals -- Roundup. The company also has an extensive...

Viasystems Group.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Oct. 25, $15.50 Bear Stearns Buy. We believe that bare printed circuit board capacity is sold out, with no signs of slowdown in demand. Viasystems is changing its business mix, going from a product-based bare printed circuit board...

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Nov. 6, $44.25 A.G. Edwards Accumulate. We expect solid earnings performance in 2000 and 2001 and view the multiple of 23 times our 2001 earnings per share estimate as reasonable, given the company's dominant position in the brewing...

Feathers, multiple trees hot this year.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 4, 2000... Forget icicle lights and wire reindeer. Feathers and fancy botanicals are tops in home decorating this holiday season. Spiral topiary evergreen trees are popular for doorway urns or entrances, said Linda Beck, owner of Flora Diva in Clayton...

City needs a game plan for Cardinals.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... Mayor John Street of Philadelphia has presented a $1.01 billion stadium plan that would create a new ballpark for the Philadelphia Phillies and a new football stadium for the Philadelphia Eagles. The plans call for the Eagles to pay $310...

Things change.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... When Franklin Roosevelt sat amongst his class at Groton in 1900, he would not have been picked out for any reason... His athletics were quite modest, if at all; his grades were mediocre, and he had not been elected to any class office...

What would happen if Cards left downtown?(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... The staff of the St. Louis Business Journal asked executives on both sides of the Mississippi the following question: If the St. Louis Cardinals were to move to Southwestern Illinois, how would you or your business be affected? Jack...

LARGEST RETAINED EXCUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

LARGEST BANQUET & MEETING FACILITIES.
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

St. Louis Stocks.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Letter to the editor.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2000... United Way thanks you Editor: For thousands of people in the St. Louis area, this is a brighter holiday, season because of the success of the United Way of Greater St. Louis' 2000 fund-raising campaign. Thanks to your generosity, we...

Sweet deal for Stiritz: $36 million.
December 11, 2000... Stiritz could cash out in Cargill's offer to purchase Agribrands William Stiritz will walk away with nearly $36.5 million in cash after the planned sale of Agribrands International Inc. to Cargill Inc. Stiritz' take could go even...

Right of way could cost MetroLink extra $2 million.
December 11, 2000... A critical 6.2 miles of right of way -- purchased for $15 nearly a decade ago -- now could cost an unbudgeted $2 million for MetroLink's expansion into St. Louis County. For years, transportation planners believed Citizens for Modern...

Chapman leads Barry-Wehmiller on buying spree.
December 11, 2000... Barry-Wehmiller Cos. Inc. has been snapping up companies in the fragmented packaging machinery industry since the late 1980s, and Chief Executive Robert Chapman shows no signs of letting up. His latest move: the $.4.6 million acquisition of...

Rich ZIPs.
December 11, 2000... Wealthy move out; Webster, U. City drop off list Wealth in St. Louis is moving to the frontiers. Communities such as Arnold, Hillsboro and Columbia, III., moved up the St. Louis Business Journal's Top 50 Wealthiest ZIP Codes List, while...

Settling in.
December 11, 2000... Former Summit Marketing president Rahul Gupta will run the online startup of banking powerhouses Citibank and Wells Fargo St. Louis-based FinancialSettlementMatrix.com will handle. payments for business-to-business transactions on the Internet....

Field of dreams.
December 11, 2000... Don Marquess, owner, of Marquess Gallery in Union Station, is producing the official photographs to commemorate Minor League Baseball's 100th anniversary. The deal could be worth up to $2 million, Marquess said. The photos will be sold at Minor...

Souvenirs.
December 11, 2000... Terry Hinkle, owner of Hinkle Entertainment, is laughing all the way to the voting booth. Hinkle and Max Burton of Madco Printing & Advertising launched voterchad2000.com on Nov. 29. For $5.95 plus shipping and handling, disenfranchised voters...

Switch partners.
December 11, 2000... Attorney Donald Mueller Jr. has joined Bryan Cave as a partner and member of the health-care and public finance client service groups. Mueller, who left Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, has represented doctors and physician groups, managed care...

Fined.
December 11, 2000... Edward Jones faces a $200,000 fine and a censure, after the New York Stock Exchange determined the brokerage failed to reasonably supervise the sale of certain certificate of deposits. It did not admit or deny guilt, but agreed on Oct. 31 to...

Tee time.
December 11, 2000... First Banks Inc. is financing $9 million of the $12 million Dallas Cowboys Golf Course under construction near Dallas. Joe Ambrose, executive vice president at the bank, said the project is a joint venture between his long-time client,...