St. Louis Business Journal articles from January 2001

St. Louis Business Journal archives from January 2001

Pulaski fires Deloitte after earnings cut.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Michael Donius, bank's COO, resigns unexpectedly A tax determination that forced Pulaski Financial Corp. to cut its earnings likely led to the firing of the bank's accounting firm and could have been a factor in the resignation of a top...

Esco raises bar after earnings soar 82 percent.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Following an 82 percent increase in operating earnings and its first double-digit operating profit margin, Dennis Moore has set the bar even higher for Esco Technologies Inc. Moore, chairman, president and chief executive at Esco, wants the...

Postage hike hits catalog retailers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Knight's Ltd. expects to pay $4 million more Postal rate hikes, set to kick in Jan. 7, will boost costs by $4 million this year for catalog retailer Knight's Ltd. "We got hit the worst," said Scott Garrett, production director at the...

City names new lineup to negotiate on Cardinals deal.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... After six months of discussions, Mayor Clarence Harmon has appointed a new set of negotiators to analyze the St. Louis Cardinals' proposed $370 million stadium deal. The appointments followed the Nov. 9 firing of the city's lead...

Healthy change.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... BJC HealthCare is projecting a $6.4 million increase in revenue this year, following Congressional approval of a measure designed to ease Medicare cuts mandated by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. In a Dec. 21 e-mail to BJC executives, President...

Inking a deal.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Montblanc is buying 15 Colorado Pen Co. stores, including the store at Plaza Frontenac. Manager Angela Liburd said the store will carry the entire Montblanc line, including pens, watches, agendas, briefcases and cufflinks.

Making money.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Emerson is cited as one of seven stocks that are "ready to run" in Fortune magazine's Dec. 18 issue. Fortune said Emerson's process control, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are in demand from companies hoping to build telecom...

Bumped.(Trans World Airlines)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Trans World Airlines bumped more passengers in the third quarter than any airline -- 4.03 passengers per 10,000, according to Department of Transportation statistics. That was after turning in the lowest bump rate among major airlines in the...

Top job.(Patricia Nooney)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Patricia Nooney is in line for the top job at the Institute of Real Estate Management. Nooney, president of Coldwell Banker Commercial American Spectrum, recently was elected secretary/treasurer of the national organization; she will be...

Designing woman.(Expressiva)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Elisa Minsk Hartstein has launched Expressiva, a line of clothing for nursing mothers who need a professional wardrobe. Hartstein, a former brand manager at Ralston Purina, came up with the idea after giving birth to her daughter in 1997. She...

Doing lunch.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Taking the hassle out of ordering a business lunch for a group is the thinking behind MenuPad. Developed by Barry Lee and Joseph Burgess at e-Merge Interactive, the computer program provides a database to store restaurant menus, then tracks how...

Joining forces.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dorothy Lockard, president of Telcon Associates of St. Louis, and Don Dietrich, head of Global Network Systems, have consolidated their companies. Lockard remains president and 85-percent owner of the newly renamed Dietrich Lockard Group. The...

SSE boosts government work with PureLogix buy.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Local software developer and consultant SSE has added 25 employees and jump-started its government business with the acquisition of PureLogix. A software developer much like SSE, PureLogix was founded in Missouri Research Park in 1990 as a...

Hazel Promotional Products becomes subsidiary of Cardinal Brands Inc.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Cardinal Brands Inc. is turnings its Hazel Promotional Products Division into an independent subsidiary. Hazel general manager Quentin Hatfield will be president of the subsidiary. The move, announced Dec. 22, follows the creation of...

Mark Morley takes top spot at Taylor-Morley Homes.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Ever since he was a kid, Mark Morley wanted to work in the construction industry. Today, he is president and chief operating officer of Taylor-Morley Homes, a position he assumed Jan. 1 after his father, Harry Morley, retired at age 70....

TRiSTAR pays estimated $6 million for First Financial's headquarters.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... TRiSTAR Business Communities is expanding into ownership and management of commercial real estate with the purchase of the First Financial Planners headquarters in Chesterfield. First Financial, which bought the building at 15455 Conway...

Oates' 3 senior associates now own 40 percent of firm.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... David Oates, president of Oates Associates, has sold about a third of his engineering firm's stock to senior associates Alan Goepfert, Bruce Schopp and Joe Hagerty. The three now own about. 40 percent of the Collinsville-based firm. Oates,...

VisionComm, cable TV operator, bought by California company.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... VisionComm Inc., a St. Louis-based cable television operator, has been acquired by Chequemate International Inc., a California-based 3-D television network and Internet media company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. VisionComm is...

Office Depot to close store at St. Louis Centre.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Office Depot at St. Louis Centre will close by the end of the first quarter. Lauren Garvey, spokesperson for Office Depot, confirmed that the store was one of 70 stores nationwide scheduled to close in a company restructuring and said...

Corporate donors, Ford boost giving to Black Rep.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, whose finances have rarely kept pace with its artistic achievements, heads into its 24th season in good fiscal shape with national funding in place to grow operations. It has attracted corporate...

Marketing Mix acquired by J.C. Dolan & Associates.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Two medium-size local companies specializing in event marketing are joining forces to create an agency with about $11 million in annual billings and a roster of national clients. Marketing Mix, whose clients include Gatorade, Popular...

Nominate your favorite Web sites for the 2001 e-Business Awards.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The St. Louis Business Journal is searching for the hottest Web sites in the St. Louis area to honor with our 2001 e-Business Awards. This year's categories are: * Business-to-business * Business-to-consumer * Ease of navigation...

Unigraphics Solutions Inc. sells software to China.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec.28, 2000--UnigraphicsSolutions Inc. has sold more than $1 million of its Unigraphics software to a Chinese aerospace supplier. The Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Group Corp. will use the Unigraphics software in its information technology...

Centene Corp.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 28, 2000 -- Centene Corp. expects to provide service for an additional 70,000 people in Texas and Wisconsin, under an agreement with Humana Inc. The agreement calls for Humana to transfer its Medicaid business in Wisconsin to Managed...

Bunge Foods.(contract information)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 28, 2000 -- Bunge Foods has called off the sale of its foodservice syrups and toppings division to Stearns & Lehman Inc. The companies said in a press release that they mutually agreed to terminate the sale. A portion of the purchase...

Ralcorp Holdings.(will not acquire Genesee Corp)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 28, 2000 -- Ralcorp Holdings won't be buying Genesee Corp.'s foods division. The companies said they were unable to reach agreement on the terms of the sale. St. Louis-based Ralcorp Holdings manufactures private-label foods....

Datacomm Research Co.(new products)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 5, 2001... Jan. 2, 2001 -- Telecom carriers will have to make their spin-offs just as important as mergers, alliances and ventures. The findings are according to a study released by Datacomm Research Co., entitled Firms in Flux: Creating Successful...

Business Response Inc.(acquisition information)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Jan. 2, 2001 SR. Teleperformance has acquired 80 percent of Business Response Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. Donald Kornblet, president of the company, will keep the remaining 20 percent. Business Response Inc., founded in...

PEOPLE.(brief company personnel information)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Accounting Howard Rosen has joined Schmersahl Treloar & Co. as a tax partner. Chad Burns, Jaime Cohen and Judith Nesbit have joined Baird Kurtz & Dobson as staff accountants. Donna Larson has joined as a manager specializing in tax...

Gambro, Wash U. to open two more dialysis facilities.(facilities information)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Gambro Healthcare and Washington University School of Medicine plan to spend nearly $4.3 million to open two outpatient kidney dialysis facilities in the Central West End and Creve Coeur. If state regulators approve, Gambro would have seven...

Bortz signs contract to manage diabetes services for carpenters union.(with Bortz Diabetes Control Center)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dr. Jonathan Bortz has signed a contract to offer disease management services for hundreds of diabetics among the area's union carpenters. Becky Perez, health services coordinator for the Carpenters District Council, said the contract with...

Moderating panel requires following unspoken rules.(management development)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Being asked to moderate a panel discussion is a compliment most public people or even minor celebrities cannot pass up. But the spotlight can get the host into big trouble if he or she doesn't understand the implied, and often unspoken,...

Solomon mines opportunities.(Solomon Akinduro)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Akinduro helps AFRAM become rock solid in construction management Business activity: When Solomon Akinduro came to the United States in 1984, his plan was to further his education and then return to his native Nigeria. After getting...

Practical solutions.
January 5, 2001... What qualities do you most appreciate in a co-worker? Over the years I've come to appreciate their attitude in being very positive about being at work and enjoying what they do. It rubs off on people. Next, a strong commitment to achieve...

Looking forward to another year of success in business.(St. Louis business and industry)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Looking back on the year just passed can be scary -- it's usually easier to glance ahead to a new year filled with promises and hopes. However, buoyed by a strong economy, 2000 was a great year for most businesses, especially small companies....

Missouri Chamber Day.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... With all the changes in the Missouri state legislature after the November election, the 10th annual Missouri Chamber Day at the Capitol will be an excellent opportunity for business owners to see what new ideas and issues will be on the minds...

Dun & Bradstreet.(survey shows small businesses need help)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... According to a recent Dun & Bradstreet survey, 90 percent of all small business failures can be traced to poor management that comes from a lack of knowledge. There is a new Internet site titled, "The Small Business Knowledge Base,"...

Missouri Outreach and Extension.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A new job preparation program, Construction Trades Academy, will begin this month aimed at helping men and women 18 or older explore construction job options and giving them handson experience with various trades. The program is sponsored...

Postage meter can tip the scales to your advantage.(postal regulation changes )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Does your mouth go dry at the thought of sending put a large mailing? Of course not -- if you regularly send out substantial amounts of mail, you probably long ago gave up licking stamps and have already invested in a postage meter. If you...

LARGEST OFFICE BUILDINGS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... LARGEST OFFICE BUILDINGS (RANKED BY NET SQUARE FEET) Building Net square- Available address feet 2000 tax bill square...

Think about how others hear the words you say.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... We have said a number of times in these columns, that one of the basic differences between what we say and what we mean are not always the same... or what we really mean. Or at least what the other person thinks we mean. That doesn't make...

Meet 40 super achievers.
January 5, 2001... It was tough this year, whittling down an impressive list of more than 150 nominees to the final 40 winners. The people profiled in this special section were picked for their accomplishments -- and they had to be age 39 or younger. Each of...

LARGEST 2001 CONVENTIONS & GROUP MEETINGS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... LARGEST 2001 CONVENTIONS & GROUP MEETINGS (RANKED BY PROJECTED TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS) Organization address Projected total Projected phone/fax ...

Stock Transactions.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by officers, directors and owners of more...

Where we stand.(comparison of St. Louis to other cites)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... How St. Lauis. measures up against other cities Clarence Harmon Mayor City of St. Louis During the past few years, we have sharply reduced the 50-year exodus of citizens from the city of St. Louis. Compared to the rest of the...

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Steven Woolf Artistic director The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, a professional theatrical organization, is performing its 34th season at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. Subscriptions for The Rep's...

For what it's worth.(recent commercial real estate transactions )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Highlighting some of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 5753 Campus Parkway Drive and 975 Anglum, Hazelwood DATE SOLD: Oct. 27, 2000 NEW OWNER: Rex-Temple Inc. AGENT: Not...

LASER VISION CENTERS INC.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... John J. Klobnak Chairman-and chief executive Laser Vision Centers Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of excimer lasers, related equipment and support services for the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness and...

St. Louis Stocks.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... St. Louis Stocks Close Close Percentage Company Symbol Exchange 12/27/00 1/3/01 chage A.G. Edwards AGE N ...

Energizer Holdings Inc.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 21, $17.37 Friedman Billings Ramsey Accumulate. With a leading brand name in the dry cell battery market, combined with an already established global distribution, network, Energizer is well positioned to benefit from the rapid...

Emerson.(Emerson Electric Co. may continue securities earnings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 20, $74.63 First Union Securities Market Perform. Emerson is moving into a period of higher earnings-per-share growth. The company is moving into higher-growth businesses such as electronics and telecommunications. We project...

Charter Communications Inc.(receives buy rating from Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dec. 20, $21 Salomon Smith Barney Buy. We believe Charter represents one of the best risk/reward propositions in the cable industry. Its margins are among the highest in its group. We believe Charter's growth prospects are excellent...

Time to reinstate county use tax.(St. Louis County could use new tax to fund Community Comeback Trust)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Editorial)
January 5, 2001... Behind the glossy brochures of new home sites and artists' renderings of steel and glass edifices hide victims of urban sprawl. They're the aging neighborhoods in the inner suburbs where vacant lots lie fallow next to boarded-up houses. They're...

Cigars, bourbon and Truman.(Brief Article)(Column)
January 5, 2001... "How would like to sit down here with me for a few minutes and have a drink together?" President Harry S. Truman asked one of his staff members while he was staying, for a spell, at his Winter White House in Key West. "Oh, no, sir. I'm on...

FEEDBACK.
January 5, 2001... A look inside the convention hotel deal Editor: Your December 25-28 article on "Inside the Hotel Deal" was appreciated and was inclusive and accurate, but the photos over-pictorialized our roles. The Journal's editorial correctly...

Choosing a new Missouri social services director.(Bob Holden to appoint Missouri Department of Social Services director)(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Harder economic times may face the new administration of Gov.-elect Bob Holden. Whom he chooses to lead the state's primary anti-poverty agency, the Department of Social Services, will determine how much misery dogs Missouri's poorer families...

Southside buying out dissident directors.(Southside Bancshares Inc., stock buyback)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... Half the board of directors at Southside Bancshares Inc. were ready to quit before the bank announced a stock buyback that could prove lucrative to them and other shareholders. The board was at odds about the bank's future, with some...

Local turbulence.(TWA bankruptcy will leave empty office space in St. Louis)
January 12, 2001... TWA sale could sting D'Arcy, landlords Downtown landlords could be scrambling to fill thousands of square feet of office space. D'Arcy and other professional service firms are bracing for the loss of major accounts. The Saint...

Mapp names Gipson, Rauzon to key positions at Hussmann.(Hussmann International, Gordon Mapp names Denny Gipson and Larry Rauzon)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Five months after arriving in St. Louis, Ingersoll-Rand's Gordon Mapp has, put his new management team in place at the former Hussmann International. He named St. Louis native Denny Gipson as president of Hussmann North America and Larry...

Engineered Support stock soars with new contracts.(Engineered Support Systems)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... With most of the stock market crashing and burning around it, local defense supplier Engineered Support Systems has seen its share price double during the past nine months. Fueled by a steady stream of new contracts, its NASDAQ-traded stock...

Greener pastures.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Marc Kutten, one of the area's most prolific real estate agents, has left Coldwell Banker Premier to start a real estate operations division at Dublin Realty. Kutten takes with him John Kelly, broker price opinion director, and Adrian Stevens,...

Back to the future.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... At least two area Ford dealers have waiting lists for the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Dave Sinclair said Sinclair Ford has taken deposits from 14 potential buyers. The dealership expects the first two of its 29 Thunderbirds in November. Ed Pundman...

Bank on it.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Veteran banker Robert Borchert has joined Midwest BankCentre as vice chairman of the board. Borchert had headed commercial banking for Firstar/Mercantile Bank's Missouri division. Now he will help Midwest (formerly Lemay Bank) grow in new...

Greens fees.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... A St. Charles non-profit organization has come up with a new twist on the charity golf scramble. Boone Center Inc., a sheltered workshop for adults with disabilities, is hoping to premier the St. Louis Charity Cup Challenge next fall. The...

Spotlight.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Robert Powell, founder and chief executive of Portfolio Inc., will be honored with the Keeper of the Culture Award from Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color. Powell, a sculptor, launched the Portfolio Gallery and Education Center,...

Watchful eyes.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Stifel Nicolaus & Co. recently launched a St. Louis Millennium Stock index, created to track the performance of the 50 largest publicly traded firms that are based in the area. The index was up 22 percent for 2000, compared with a nearly 40...

Bye, bye birdie.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... The lights go out Jan. 27 on the landmark dove at Westfield Shoppingtown West County. Spokesman Sean Phillips said the pole holding the dove will come down to make room for a parking garage at the remodeled mall. But he said a dove sign likely...

Best value.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Express Scripts Inc. is the only St. Louis-based company to make the Better Values List, released Jan. 9 by William Blair & Co. The Chicago-based investment banking firm cited 10 companies that will show superior investment performance over the...

$17.5 million deal provides infusion for everbank.com.(American Skandia Inc., CustomerOne Financial Network)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... CustomerOne Financial Network, the St. Louis-based operator of everbank.com, is in line for a $17.5 million equity investment from American Skandia Inc. The deal gives American Skandia, a Shelton, Conn.-based distributor of mutual funds...

Waveshift among possible suitors for SportsHuddle.(Waveshift Inc., SportsHuddle.com)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Waveshift Inc., a California software maker, is one of several companies looking to buy financially troubled SportsHuddle.com. "Our recent discussions with SportsHuddle are very preliminary," said Kyle Smith, Waveshift's vice president....

Corrections.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
January 12, 2001... The Whitaker Foundation The Whitaker Foundation is a first-time sponsor of a St. Louis Black Repertory Co. Mainstage production this season. Its name was omitted in an article on the Black Rep in the Jan. 5 issue. LaSalle Group Inc....

Frank's Nursery & Crafts closing 30% of local stores.(three stores in St. Louis market)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Frank's Nursery & Crafts is closing three of its 10 stores in the St. Louis market at the end of February. Liquidation sales are under way at stores in Bridgeton, St. Charles and St. Peters. The closings are part of a plan announced in...

Rams rank No. 4 in NFL for licensed item sales.(National Football League, St. Louis Rams)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... The St. Louis Rams have done at least one thing better this Past season: The team's licensed products are selling better than last year, when the Rams won the Super Bowl. The Rams are fourth among the 31 NFL teams in selling licensed...

Missouri gaming revenue hit $1 billion last year.(better returns expected this year)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... President Casino expects up to 30 percent revenue increase at new Laclede's Landing site Missouri gaming revenue broke the $1 billion mark for the first time in 2000, and Wall Street and St. Louis casino managers predict even better...

PEOPLE.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Accounting Mary Ann Boughnou has joined Warmbrodt & Associates as manager of accounting and tax. Advertising Dan Vacca has joined Ad Creations as an account executive and Julie Pumphrey has joined as an administrative assistant....

Tenet, Deutsch both plan centers for older adult care.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Missouri health-care regulators will consider two plans for new facilities to serve older adults later this month. Tenet HealthSystem plans to build a $7.5 million skilled nursing facility in south St. Louis County, while Deutsch Family...

Medical people.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... The Catholic Health Association of the United States named Kathleen Quinn director of governance and special assistant to the president. Heather Earls was named community health specialist for SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph...

Decked out with Distinctions.
January 12, 2001... Lehtmans overcome trial by fire to rebuild apparel/jewelry store Business activity: A devastating electrical fire that wiped out a thriving business and ruined $200,000 in inventory might be enough for most people to give up or at least...

Practical solutions.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... What helps you the most in dealing with change? Basically, I would say having an optimistic attitude knowing things can change. Also, it's important to be flexible and stick to what you are doing. You also have to be able to change with the...

Noonan aims to reach music milestone in 2001.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... The musical career of Peter Noonan is about to reach a milestone. After working in the banking industry for 13. years, Noonan decided in 1995 to devote all his time to a career as -a corn poser. and solo pianist. Sometime this year,...

The Kay Group.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Locust Street Business District, which has been home to such businesses as the Tap Room microbrewery, has hired The Kay Group, an association management firm owned by Bill Kay, to conduct a census of businesses and residents in the district....

Inauguration bound.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Big Bush donors Sam and Marilyn Fox, Kathy and David Pratt and Kimmy and Steve Brauer are heading to D.C. Members of the family, including Bucky and Patty Bush, Bert and Carol Walker and Lindsay and Scott Bush will be there, as well as Beth and...

Inavaural dress for Laura.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Some people are still talking about Hillary's getup at the '93 inauguration -- that bad blue hat and those awkward hemlines -- we wouldn't want the next first lady to make the same mistakes, now would We? Although it's now a matter of public...

Enterprise raises $1 billion; A-B has record growth year.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Jan. 10 -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car has issued the largest debt placement deal in its history. The St. Louis-based company has issued $1 billion in 10-year notes at an 8 percent coupon. The notes, which were offered to institutional buyers,...