St. Louis Business Journal articles from July 2000

St. Louis Business Journal archives from July 2000

Union Financial hires Stifel to look for capital, buyer.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Union Financial Group Ltd. has hired Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. to help find capital, a move that could lead to a sale of the Swansea, III.-based firm. Union Financial Group is the parent company of Union Bank of Illinois and The State Bank of...

C. Rallo gets BIG contract.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... $500 million data center deal hinges on BIG's financing. C. Rallo Contracting Co. Inc. has won a $500 million contract to build 50 data centers nationwide for St. Louis-based Broadband Investment Group Corp. The local general...

A conviction to work.(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Rising number of ex-prisoners enters local work force April Nash was a little skeptical when Arlanda Cook showed up this spring looking for a job. After all, Cook had spent more than two years in a Missouri prison for stealing. But...

Did Pulitzer pay too much for papers?(Suburban Newspapers of Greater St. Louis,)(acquisitions)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... $165 million for Suburbans higher than industry average The comfort of owning the most-widely circulated newspapers in St. Louis is priceless. That's why one publishing industry expert said, Pulitzer Inc. paid too much when it agreed...

About face.(Tony's Restaurant Group, recruitment)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Vincent Bommarito, owner of Tony's Restaurant, has changed his mind about resigning from Downtown St. Louis Inc. Bommarito said he was persuaded to stay on after a meeting June 26 with boar chairman Dorothy White-Coleman and board members Jack...

Tall order.
July 3, 2000... The newest shareholder of Planet Hollywood International -- Los Angeles Lakers and NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal -- stops in July 8 to check out the local Planet Hollywood. O'Neal will be in St. Louis for the Joe Torry Celebrity Basketball Challenge...

Mall action.(St. Louis Centre)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... St. Louis Centre will get a fresh look this summer with a half-dozen new stores. Mall Manager Gail Kellermann said Suzy's Wigs was to open the week of July 3 and A Back Rub Co. and West Side Jeans open Aug. 1. Wireless Accessories will have two...

At your service.
July 3, 2000... There's a change at the top of the St. Louis office of professional services firm Deloitte & Touche. Managing Partner Frank Friedman is leaving to head the company's national e-business efforts. Michael Zychinski has been named the new top exec...

Buy out.(acquisitions)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... The 300 workers who make sound- and vibration dampening equipment at the former Lear Corp. plant in midtown St. Louis now work for new owners. Enterprise Merchant Banc, a division of Clayton-based Enterbank Holdings, teamed up with management...

Riding the rails.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Bi-State Development Agency captured first place in the Rail Rodeo, a national competition held June 10 in St. Louis during the America Public Transportation Association's Rail Transit Conference. MetroLink operators Jeanette Storey-Nicholson...

Full plate.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Former Portabella server Dana Ruben raised $100,000 to open Park Avenue Bistro. The restaurant featuring New American cuisine opened June 20 at 19 17 Park Ave. in Lafayette Square. She snared former Cardwell's saute master Erick Brown as her...

Crystal ball.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Look for an end to deep discounting in the laser vision correction industry. A June 26 report from A.G. Edwards says the decision by Vancouver-based Lasik Vision to oust its management team has positive implications for locally based Laser...

Capco tax credits face possible Carnahan veto.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Program has backed start-ups from Haystack Toys to Stereotaxis A Missouri tax credit program that helped provide funding for start-up businesses such as PaylinX and Birch Telecom is in danger of being vetoed by the governor to balance the...

Gaming Commission plans inauiry into Lazaroff bonus.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... The Missouri Gaming Commission has scheduled an Aug. 30 fact-finding inquiry, in part to probe the $500,000 in bonus payments Station Casinos Inc. made to Michael Lazaroff. It is only the second time the commission has called such a...

Corrections.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Phoenix Networks Andrew Gladney, chief executive of Savvis Communications in 1997, said Savvis did not miss payroll in 1997 or the years leading up to Its sale in 1999. Incorrect information was included in a story in the June 26 issue....

Missouri State to open Ellisville, Arnold branches.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Missouri State Bank and Trust Co. will spend $3 million to open two branches in offices it purchased from Firstar Corp. in Arnold and. Ellisyille. Former Mercantile execs Pogue, Hummell named presidents of branches The bank also plans...

Customers warned about Windell Morrow Construction.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning customers to be wary of using the services of Windell Morrow Construction Co., 6607 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, a general contractor. The Missouri Secretary of State's office lists Stanley Morrow-...

Bonneville to ditch gaming, lottery ads on local radio.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Mormon-controlled broadcast group trades stations with Emmis Casino and lottery advertising soon will be taboo on country music stations WIL-FM and WKKX-FM. That type of advertising is also out at rock station WVRV-FM and nostalgia format...

Upgraded apartments aim to attract Gen-X market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Will include conference room with Internet access Village Green Cos. and AEW Partners has paid $11.5 million for the Village Park Apartments in Manchester. Village Green plans to spend about $3 million more to reposition the property,...

Eckert's expands beyond Belleville orchard business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Eckert's Orchard in Belleville plans to spend about $3.5 million to build a garden center, miniature golf course, bigger country store and corporate picnic and banquet facilities. Co-owner Larry Eckert said the project will be financed and...

Firm gets $10 million for online trading with China.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... A group of local entrepreneurs has started an online marketplace for trade with China, with backing from China's State Administration of Light Industry and financing from a Swiss bank. James Xu, Wen Liu, Bruce Hong and Evans Liu founded...

Fru-Con Construction shakes up top management.
July 3, 2000... Fru-Con Construction Corp. has made major management changes, naming a new chief executive and a new chief financial officer. Peter Sanderson has replaced Bruce Frost as president and chief executive. Matti Jaekel replaces Paul Sauer as...

BSW Financial merges with Barvan Group.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... BSW Financial Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Brown Smith Wallace LLC, is merging with Barvan Group Inc., an accounting services and small business consulting firm in south St. Louis County. The combined company will be known as BSW...

Mallinckrodt bought by Tyco for $4.2 billion.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Mallinckrodt Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Tyco International Ltd. in a stock deal valued at. about $4.2 billion. Mallinckrodt stockholders stand to receive stock valued at $47.50ashare, representing a 50 percent premium over the stocks...

First Banks America Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... First Banks America Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Commercial Bank of San Francisco. Commercial Bank had total assets of $177 million as of March 31. First Banks has three other banking locations in San Francisco, as well as nine in...

Laser Vision Centers Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Laser Vision Centers Inc. said it acquired closely held Southeast Medical Inc. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Southeast Medical, based in Mandeville, La., is a mobile cataract-services company that operates in Louisiana and Mississippi. The...

Tripos Inc.
July 3, 2000... Tripos Inc. signed a one-year, multimillion-dollar discovery research agreement with Lipha S.A. in Lyon, France. Lipha, a pharmaceutical subsidiary of Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany, agreed-to use Tripos' technologies for the discovery of...

Bunge Corp.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Bunge Corp., a St. Louis-based soybean processor, shutdown its Vicksburg, Miss. operation. Company officials said a poor international market for soybeans forced the shutdown. The closing comes four months after Bunge announced layoffs for 72...

PrivateBancorp Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... PrivateBancorp Inc. received final approval from the Office of Thrift Supervision to open a federal savings bank in St. Louis. The PrivateBank will be a wholly owned subsidiary of PrivateBancorp, a Chicago-based bank holding company with $657...

Unigraphics Solutions Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... John Mazzola, president and chief executive of software and consulting company Unigraphics Solutions Inc., will retire on March 31, 2001. Mazzola will continue to be employed by Unigraphics Solutions in an advisory capacity after that date. A...

Firstar Corp.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Missouri Treasurer Bob Holden awarded the state's contract for electronic banking and securities clearing to Firstar Corp. The contract to handle an estimated 1.2 million electronic transactions annually will begin Oct. 1 and run for four...

Graham Field Health Products Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... A bankruptcy court judge has approved a plan by Graham Field Health Products Inc. to close the Everest & Jennings wheelchair production plant in Earth City by June 30. The manufacturing and distribution operations are being shifted to the...

Schnuck Markets Inc.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Schnuck Markets Inc. said it would begin advertising for checkers and clerks to work as temporary employees in 60 St. Louis area stores in case of a strike by employees belonging to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655. Schnucks'...

Express Scripts unfazed by PlanetRx.com write-off.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Express Scripts Inc. is expected to remain financially healthy, despite losing a $14.6 million annual cash, payment from online drugstore PlanetRx.com Inc. The payment was discontinued, and Express Scripts said it would take a $90 million...

De Schutter, Needleman sell Pharmacia shares worth $4.7 million.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Just months before he is due to retire, Richard De Schutter, a senior executive vice president at Pharmacia Corp., sold $3.15 million in the company's stock. Separately, senior executive vice president Philip Needleman came out at least...

Dr. Dwight Look.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Dr. Dwight Look, assistant professor of medicine, received a one-year, $64,800 grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Dr. David Russell.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Dr. David Russell, professor of molecular microbiology, received a one-year, $321,360 subcontract from the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. William Powderly.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Dr. William Powderly, professor of medicine, received a one-year, $30,000 subcontract from the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Ronald DeMattos.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Dr. Ronald DeMattos, research associate of neurology, received a one year $30,000 subcontract from the University of Missouri.

Dr. Jennifer Kwon.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Dr. Jennifer Kwon, instructor in neurology and neurological surgery, received a one-year, $30,000 subcontract from the University of Missouri for research related to genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease.

Kenneth Schechtman.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Kenneth Schechtman, associate professor of medicine, received a one-year, $36,454 subcontract from. Saint Louis University.

Dr. Kyongtai Bae.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Dr. Kyongtai Bae, assistant professor of radiology, received a one-year, $13,000 subcontract from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Dr. Jay Heinecke.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Dr. Jay Heinecke, associate professor of medicine, has received a one-year, $42,792 subcontract from Columbia University.

Medical people.(Achievements an)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Kathleen Simpson, clinical specialist in labor and delivery at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, was selected for Fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing. Three members of the public relations department at St. Anthony's Medical...

Chesterfield getting 55 homes, nursing home addition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Larus Corp. wants to add 60 beds to Garden View Care Center Larus Corp. plans to add 60 beds to the 120-bed Garden View Care Center in Chesterfield. Larus will build the nursing home addition on 10 acres it plans to buy from...

Chesterfield getting 55 homes, nursing home addition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Greater Missouri Builders plans $17 million residential development Greater Missouri Builders is planning a $17 million residential development, featuring villa-style homes on 17 acres in Chesterfield. The construction firm has...

Buffen fills niche in underserved health, beauty markets.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Distributer of supplies to drug, grocery stores on way to $21 million Business activity: While local competitors focused on a narrow market, often dominated by one customer, N.A. Buffen assembled a variety of customers by going into areas...

Do you have a policy concerning pets in the workplace?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... We don't have a formal policy, but when I started working late had to take my lunch hour at 3 in the afternoon to go home and let my dog out. So, I started bringing Maya, my 9-pound Shih Tzu, to the office. She doesn't bark and has-been adopted...

Displaced businesses look for new sites in Brentwood.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... With all the talk about development along Brentwood Boulevard and Eager Road, almost lost in the shuffle is what will happen to the merchants being uprooted to make room for the new projects. Included in this group are tenants in Brentwood...

Use a firewall to prevent network from being burned.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Always connected to the Internet? While a dedicated high-speed connection is certainly convenient, without a firewall protecting you, it also leaves you vulnerable to hackers finding their way into your computer system. Think of a firewall...

PEOPLE.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Accounting Daniel Wetzel has been promoted to partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Jaime Buescher has joined Humes & Barrington P.C. as an auditor. Advertising Adamson has named Angelina Berardino project manager in its...

More troublesome words.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... In previous articles I quoted words which, when used, they disturbed most people, and sometimes do so for a long time. They are words of common use and almost all of us have used them one way or the other. It usually all depends upon the...

Diverse dining provides draw for out-of-towners.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... New ad campaign touts "City of 1,000 Restaurants" St. Louis residents are well aware of the city's reputation for good food. But most out-of-towners only know St. Louis for its Arch. To better market the area as a prime destination, the...

GERALD HOWE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant for a working lunch? Howe looks for a quiet restaurant close to his office in Chesterfield with room to spread work out. What is your favorite restaurant for a working lunch and why? "I...

Variety of ethnic cuisines tempt venturesome diners.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Authenticity and ethnicity--the two can be hard to come by when eating out. But St. Louisans who want to venture into foods unknown can choose from a variety of ethnic cuisines, including Ethiopian, Vietnamese and Russian. Behshid...

Restaurants, patrons love outdoor dining experience.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Long walk to kitchen offset by higher revenue Patrons linger long, table turnover is slow, staff scheduling becomes trickier and waiters, don't like the extra walking from the kitchen. But area restaurant owners love their outdoor...

TRACY HART.
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant for personal dining? "The distance from my home in Kirkwood to the restaurant and whether it's kid-friendly." What are the three key elements of a good dining experience? "Service,...

Dining lists help introduce new employees to St. Louis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Bank of America workers new to St. Louis have Maggie Vogelweid to thank for their introduction to local dining. Vogelweid, an administrative assistant in the Private Bank, has compiled a list of about 75 area restaurants, bakeries and...

JUANITA HINSHAW.
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant for taking a client to lunch? Hinshaw considers the reputation of both the restaurant and the chef, the location--it needs to be convenient -- the type of cuisine, and, of course, the...

NEIL HUBER.
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant for a working lunch? "You need a table, where you can put your papers -- and you have to be far enough way that the guy next to you isn't reading your papers. From a lawyer's standpoint, so much...

WILLIAM RUSNACK.
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant for a client lunch? "Convenience,, service, appearance, quality of food and ability to have a conversation go into my selection of a restaurant for impressing a client." What are the three...

ALLEN WALZ.
July 3, 2000... What goes into your selection of a restaurant, for a client lunch? "Basically, we try to look at what our clients would enjoy. We go to any of their favorite restaurants. Some people like Italian food, while others prefer steak." What...

Stock Transactions.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by officers, directors and owners of more...

Where we stand.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... How St. Louis measures up against other cities Les Sterman Executive director East-West Gateway Coordinating Council Increases in population signal the real economic health of a region. As we might expect, the rate of...

American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Susan Glassman Executive director American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri (ALAEM) fights lung disease and promotes lung health through public health education, community service projects, advocacy and research. American Lung...

For what it's worth.(real estate transactions in St. Louis, Missouri)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... Highlighting same of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 9639, 9640 Diamond Drive DATE SOLD: May 8, 2000 NEW OWNER: John L. Bailey AGENT: Not available FORMER OWNER:...

A closer look.(at the web site of the St. Louis Business Journal)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS LEADS The only word I understood in the window of the small storefront in Barcelona was "Internet." The proprietor didn't speak English and I don't know Catalan. Through a series of exaggerated hand...

EARTHGRAINS CO.(financial information)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Barry H. Beracha Chairman of the board and chief executive Earthgrains Co. is an international manufacturer, distributor and marketer of packaged fresh bread, baked goods and refrigerated dough products. The company had a profit of $55...

Emerson Electric.(stock recommendation)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... June 6, $60.06 A.G. Edwards Buy. We recently raised our investment rating on Emerson from accumulate to buy for conservative investors. A key reason for the upgrade rests with our belief that the company's efforts to reposition itself...

Reinsurance Group of America.(stock recommendation)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... May 26, $31.44 A.G. Edwards Buy. Because RGA has a leading market share and strong relationships in the industry, we expect it to garner a fair share of the strong growth in life reinsurance. RGA also had emerging growth opportunities...

Arch Coal.(financial analysis)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... May 22, $7.88 Lehman Brothers Inc. Outperform. Arch recently announced plans to idle production from its Coal Creek. mine in the Powder River Basin. Though this mine contributed roughly 8.8 percent of expected 2000 volumes, it Was...

Stephens to head Crossroads Regional Hospital in Wentzville.(Kathy Stephens)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Doctors Hospital in Wentzville is getting a new name and a new chief executive. The hospital announced June 28 that Kathy Stephens, former chief operating officer for DePaul Health Center, will take over the top executive spot on July 17....

Amdocs makes Business Week magazine's IT 100 list.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Amdocs Ltd. ranked No. 12 on Business Week magazine's annual Information Technology 100 list of the world's best performing IT companies. Aradocs, which provides billing systems for telecom companies and Internet service providers, was the...

Money Store closing office in Westport Plaza, eight losing jobs.(Missouri)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... First Union will close the Money Store sales office in Westport Plaza by mid-August, and the eight employees are expected to lose their jobs. The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank said June 26 it would shut down its Money Store consumer finance...

Governor's veto would send wrong message.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2000... If you could invest $40 million and reap a tenfold return of more than $408 million in less than four years, how long would it take you to agree to the same investment a second time around? This is not a trick question, but rather the...

What would Ozzie do.(a new way of dealing with life's problems)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... LELAND, Mich. -- As the years have passed, life has, unquestionably been more complicated. Just the opposite of what I thought would happen. When you are young, problems seem as if they may overwhelm you. As one's responsibilities...

A peek at executives' summer reading lists.(St. Louis business)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... "A couple of books come to mind: one is 'Invest in Yourself.' Another is 'Die Broke.' This one talks about inheritance, and the fact that kids think their parents owe them something. The guy says forget about that, you don't owe them anything....

AD&PR.(St. Louis advertising and public relations agencies)
July 3, 2000... Advertising Information Services National System, Inc. 56 Worthington Drive Maryland Heights, MO 63043 (314) 205-1995 or (800) 231-8179 Fax: (314) 205-1996 E-Mail: info@nationalsystem.com President: Mark...

Holman wins with Mallinckrodt sale.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... Other top executives also to benefit from acquisition by Tyco International C. Ray Holman, chief executive of Mallinckrodt Inc., is expected to receive about $21.5 million in Tyco stock--and an estimated $14.4 million severance package --...

The cost of NOT building a stadium.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... Cardinals say city state tax revenue growth in jeopardy Much of the debate over a new St Louis Cardinals stadium has focused on what it would cost taxpayers to build. But a more important question might be what it will cost taxpayers if a...

Sports Authority to study stadium plan.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... The Greater St. Louis Sports Authority is preparing to hire a consultant to study the St. Louis Cardinals' proposal for a new stadium. The authority is putting finishing touches on a request for proposals and intends to hire a consultant...

Merger fallout: Jacobsen leads Civic Progress.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... Tom Jacobsen, chairman of Firstar Corp., has become the first head of a company based outside of St. Louis to take the reins at Civic Progress. On July 1, Jacobsen began a one-year term as president of the group of top executives at the...

Spreading out.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... New HMO contracts mean nationwide expansion for Arnold-based Express Medical Transporters. Bernie Squitieri, founder, president and chief executive of Express Medical, said an office to provide medical transportation to the elderly and disabled...

Park plans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... Stuart Symington Jr. is leading the charge to turn Jefferson Barracks County Park into a national tourist attraction by 2004. Symington, a lawyer at Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, has contacted local, state and federal officials and private sources...