St. Louis Business Journal articles from March 2000

St. Louis Business Journal archives from March 2000

St. Louis Stocks.(stock price changes in local companies between 3/15/00 and 3/22/00)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... St. Louis Stocks Close Close Percentage Company Symbol Exchange 3/15/00 3/22/00 change Agribrands International AGX N ...

Furniture Brands International.(Wachovia Securities issues 'buy' recommendation)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Feb. 17, $15.25 Wachovia Securities Inc. Buy. Furniture Brands is an example of a company that represents value but this sector has been penalized for its non-glamorous appearance to the Street. Management has taken a company with a...

Charter Communications.(Bear Stearns analyst issues 'buy' recommendation)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Feb. 18, $19.63 Bear Stearns Buy. We believe Charter's 1999 results show strong evidence of demand for new products, as well as the company's ability to execute. Same-store subscriber growth came in at 3.1 percent, slightly above...

Source Information Management.(Stifel, Nicolaus & Company analyst issues 'strong buy' recommendation)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... March 1, $20.88 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. Strong Buy. We believe Source is on the verge of accelerated revenue and earnings growth due to new information services it is offering. The stock is valued at only 20.9 times our...

Legislature should play ball with the Cardinals.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... As spring blossoms, the promise of a new season looms large. In St. Louis, when the talk turns to bird-watching, it's Cardinals we covet as downtown paints itself red. It's easy to wax nostalgic about Baseball Like it Oughta Be. Far...

Mysteries of the Universe.
March 27, 2000... So, I was daydreaming that if I was magically transported back 500 years, to that fine year of 1500 A.D., then the people of that age would think I was one very smart fellow. Somehow, I'd be able to communicate my superior knowledge and...

Small manufacturers welcome trade with China.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... As an American small manufacturer I'm often asked why I care about being able to sell in a place as far away as China -- or to supply my product to a customer that does business there. The answer is obvious -- one-fourth of the world's...

FINANCIAL RESOURCES DIRECTORY.(directory of financial services firms in the St. Louis area)(Directory)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Banks Commerce Bank 8000 Forsyth St. Louis, MO 63105 (314) 726-2255 Fax: (314) 746-3650 E-mail: mymoney@commercebank.com Local Commercial Banking Executive: Paul D. Kalsbeek, Executive Vice President Type...

Answer the answer but answer with substance.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Media trainers teach clients to "answer the answer" when being interviewed by reporters. This means weaving key messages into responses and not just replying to what is being asked. Yet too many people in my field who help executives,...

Corrections.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Save On Mail Inc. Save On Mail Inc.'s correct phone number is (636) 332-8823. Incorrect information appeared in the Largest Mail Pre-Sort Bureaus list in the March 13-19 issue. Jeff Evenson St. Louis Golf Online President Jeff...

Merisant to keep some execs here.(core group of executives to stay in St. Louis)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The newly formed Merisant Co., much of what had been Monsanto Co.'s NutraSweet unit, plans to keep a core group of executives in St. Louis, and potentially could expand here. "It's not out of the question, if we're able to make some...

Gas prices pump up Clark.(plans of oil refiner Clark USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Gas prices are putting the squeeze on consumers, but they're a welcome relief for refiners here and nationwide. St. Louis-based refiner Clark USA Inc. lost $37 million last year when an oversupply of gasoline created low prices at the...

After years of delay, Mills rolls out Boulder Springs.(Mills Properties' new St. Louis apartment complex)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Mills Properties Inc. recently broke ground on a $17 million apartment complex on the southwest corner of Page Avenue and Interstate 270 in Maryland Heights. Bruce Mills, the company's chief executive and chairman of the board, and his...

King, Johnson to build high-end condos, town homes in city's CWE.(developers Jerry King and Joe Johnson build in St. Louis' Central West End district)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Having found a ready market for their West Pine Court town homes in the Central West End, developer Jerry King and partner Joe Johnson are moving forward with two more residential projects in that area. * 110 North Condominium--12 luxury...

Owner rethinks Marquette development.(Tahl-Propp Equities considering plan to convert Marquette Building into rental apartments)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The New York owner of downtown's Marquette Building is rethinking his plan to convert the near-vacant building into 140 rental apartments. Sources said Tahl-Propp is planning to put the building back on the market for roughly $12 million...

Walgreens, Friday's to redevelop site.(Sansone Group to redevelop Walgreens store and add T.G.I. Friday's restaurant)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Walgreens is teaming up with the T.G.I. Friday's restaurant chain on a $7 million redevelopment at Litzinger Road and Brentwood Boulevard in Brentwood. Sansone Group is the developer. Walgreens plans to tear down its existing store...

Gabriel, Solutech team on Web software.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Robert Brooks' telecom start-up, Gabriel Communications, is getting into the software business via a joint venture with Solutech. The joint venture will use the Internet to rent programs developed by St. Charles-based Solutech that handle...

Earthgrains, Ralston, Energizer study Internet group.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Three St. Louis companies are among 50 of the largest food, beverage and consumer products manufacturers exploring the creation of an Internet-style market to supply supermarkets and other consumer outlets. The local companies,...

American Freightways center construction in second phase.(American Freightways Customer Center in St. Charles, MO)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... St. Louis-based building contractor McCarthy began the second phase of construction on the American Freightways Customer Center in St. Charles. The first phase was completed earlier this year and the project is scheduled to be completed...

Fleishman-Hillard.(is the largest public relations firm in the US)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The Council of Public Relations Firms said Fleishman-Hillard is the largest, public relations firm in the United States, with 1999 revenue of more than $181 million. The St. Louis-based firm beat out Burson-Marsteller, headquartered in New...

UMB Financial Corp.(management restructuring)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... UMB Financial Corp. revamped its top management, giving broader roles to executives at UMB Bank of St. Louis. R. Crosby Kemper III, president of the St. Louis bank, was elected chairman and chief executive of UMB Bank N.A., the company's lead...

Bridge Information Systems.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Bridge Information Systems sold 6.25 million shares of Savvis stock to Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe, a New York-based private investment firm, for $24 per share. Welsh Carson's purchase brings its ownership in Savvis from 10 percent to...

Engineered Support Systems Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Engineered Support Systems Inc. has received orders from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force for up to $21.4 million. The St. Louis-based defense contractor received an order from the Army valued at up to $10.8 million for 120 Heavy Expanded...

Legal foundation goes to court for small business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... The National Federation of Independent Business has launched its own Legal foundation to make sure federal agencies consider the impact of regulations on small businesses. Thomas Sullivan, executive director of the NFIB Legal Foundation,...

Lipstein sees fewer physicians on BJC's payroll.(BJC Health System)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... BJC Health System, the largest health system in the area and one of the largest in the United States, Will become a slimmer, more focused organization as it works to turn around a $24.5 million operating loss and a $4.2 million net loss for...

BJC, Washington U. seek buyer for Health Partners.(BJC Health System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... BJC Health System and Washington University are looking for a buyer for their money-losing managed care plan, Health Partners of the Midwest, according to industry sources. Three sources familiar with the company's operations said Health...

Pepose one of six to test vision-correction surgery.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... 20 million could throw away reading glasses it procedure is successful Dr. Jay Pepose, a pioneer in excimer laser eye surgery, is the only St. Louis doctor and one of six nationwide chosen to test a new procedure that will allow,...

Family Care Health Centers building $2.5 million primary care clinic in south St. Louis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Family Care Health Centers is building a 30,000-square-foot primary care clinic adjacent to its current site in south St. Louis. The new clinic, funded through a $1.25 million federal grant and a $1.25 million capital campaign, will...

Zimmerman sews up a turnaround.(St. Louis Embroidery's Jim Zimmerman)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Patches up St. Louis Embroidery Business activity: A 113-year-old St. Louis-based company is alive today because one man decided to take a chance. When Cintas Corp., a $1.6 billion uniform company based in Cincinnati, bought Unitog...

Practical solutions.
March 27, 2000... What can be done if a marketing plan is flatering? Gary Singer When things are broken, taking an immediate and utterly objective top-to-bottom look at your entire operation is the first step. Frequently this involves taking a look at...

Women President's group kicks off local chapter.
March 27, 2000... Although the group got off to a slow start when its first meeting was canceled, the St. Louis chapter of the Women President's Organization is providing a new forum for business women to discuss pressing matters with their peers. The...

Ruby Harriman, Marianne Przetak and Katherine Anderson.
March 27, 2000... Ruby Harriman, Marianne Przetak and Katherine Anderson were honored by the Greater St Louis chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners at the 12th annual Distinguished Woman Business Owners dinner. Harriman is founder,...

One-Stop Capital Shop.
March 27, 2000... The Small Business Administration's One-Stop Capital Shop is presenting four one-hour information seminars. The "Foundations for Fast Companies" will be presented on Wednesdays in April and May. "Need money to start your own...

National Federation of Independent Business.(report on small business)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... With the deadline for filing taxes less than three weeks away, the National Federation of Independent Business has listed some eye-popping facts about small businesses and their taxes. Each year, small business owners: Fill out more than...

Free yourself from the wait with taster internet access.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... "Surfing the Internet" can be a real misnomer if you are using a modem - more like strolling, in my mind. And while strolling is fine outdoors in the sun, it can be downright frustrating when you're at a computer. The good news is that there...

Apex Oil Co.(extends offer to Crown Central Petroleum)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Apex Oil Co. has extended its $92 million offer to acquire Baltimore-based oil refiner Crown Central Petroleum Corp. St. Louis-based Apex, whose chairman Paul Novelly holds 15.4 percent of Crown's class A shares; said the offer was set to...

Thinktank to kick off 10-city youth Street Soccer tourney.(Thinktank Communications creates Street Soccer Cup USA)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... A local company is organizing Street Soccer Cup USA, a youth tournament that will take place this summer in St. Louis and nine other cities. Team finalists will compete in the Street Soccer Cup USA National Championship here Sept. 2-3....

Brand Services climbs into films with Kwikrig purchase.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... St. Louis-based Brand Services Inc., a company that rents scaffolding equipment, is getting into the movie business with a recent acquisition. Brand Services, formerly Brand Scaffold Services, bought Los Angeles-based Kwikrig Inc., the...

Adam's Mark to pay $8 million to settle race suit.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... St. Louis-based Adam's Mark agreed to pay $8 million, revise its policies and seek minority customers in settlements of race discrimination lawsuits by the Justice Department, the state of Florida and a group of black guests. Under the...

Ralston Purina Co.(Energizer Holdings Inc.)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Pet food maker Ralston Purina Co. gave final approval for the company's proposed tax-free spinoff April 1 of its Energizer Holdings Inc. unit. Ralston said it expects the spinoff registration statement to be effective by March 27. Ralston...

The Earthgrains Co.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The Justice Department approved the $625 million merger of St. Louis-based The Earthgrains Co. and Sioux City, Iowa-based Metz Holdings Inc. after they agreed to sell two brands of white sandwich bread, Earthgrains' Colonial brand and Metz's...

What is teamwork?
March 27, 2000... What is this thing called "team-work"? The term is familiar. And is frequently used and very frequently heard. We hear it in group operations, in business organizations, in corporations, in civic organizations, in sports and,...

Ron Kruszewski reviews Sen Thai Cuisine.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... What the interior of Sen Thai Cuisine lacks in ambience, it makes up for with the tastiness of its food, said Ron Kruszewski, the chief executive and president of Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.inc., who recently ate lunch therefor the first time with...

LARGEST MBA PROGRAMS.(Master of business administration degrees)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... LARGEST MBA PROGRAMS (RANKED BY TOTAL ENROLLMENT) Program (rank last year) address Web site...

PEOPLE.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Advertising Mike Dillon has joined Schupp Co. as vice president, creative director. Obie Media Corp. has hired Tanya Bricker as a district sales manager. Accounting At Stone Carlie Co. LLC, Thomas Valenti has been promoted...

150 LARGEST PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES.(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... 1 Enterprise Rent-A--Car Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest rental car company in the United States. Its fleet topped the 500,000 mark for the first time in 1999 and revenue hit $4.7 billion, up 13 percent from 1998. ...

Stock Transactions.(Brief Article)
March 27, 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.(Funding for schools in Missouri and Illinois)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... How Missouri and Illinois measure up against other states Funding for public education in Missouri has increased significantly in recent years, and it's obvious where most of that money is going. School districts are hiring more teachers,...

A closer look.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS LEADS When the St. Louis Business Journal began publishing 20 years ago, people said we wouldn't make it because there simply wasn't enough business news to fill a newspaper 52 weeks a year! ...

On board.(Money and management at nonprofit organizations)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Money and management at nonprofit organizations Family Care Health Centers Dr. Robert Massie Chief executive Family Care Health Centers, established in 1969, is a multi-site primary health-care and social service...

For what it's worth.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Highlighting some of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 10877 Watson Road, in Southwest Executive Office Park DATE SOLD: Dec. 1, 1999 NEW OWNER: Watson Sherlock LLC AGENT:...

ANHEUSER-BUSCH COS. INC.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... August A. Busch III President and chairman Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is a brewer of beer that also participates in the production and acquisition of brewing raw materials, the manufacture and recycling of aluminum beverage containers and...

At home.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The owners of Bassett Furniture Direct in Fairview Heights will invest $18. million to open four stores across the St. Louis area. Tony Schneider, Tom Wunderlich, Phil Johnson, Mike Wilson and Scott Miller opened their first store in...

Enterprise, Clark, Graybar top private companies list.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Enterprise Rent-A-Car hit the highways -- and the information superhighway -- in 1999, locking up the top spot on the St. Louis Business Journal's list of the 150 largest privately held companies for the second consecutive year. ...

Telcobuy dials up to $100 million.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Seeks a quick public offering Just two months after taking in $27.5 million in venture capital, local e-commerce start-up Telcobuy.com is planning a public stock offering of up to $100 million. Telcobuy is pushing ahead with a quick...

Million dollar man.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... David Kemper's pay package topped the $1 million mark for the first time in 1999. The chairman, president and chief executive of Commerce Bancshares received $1.1 million in salary, bonus and other compensation last year, up 25 percent from...

Authority would own new stadium.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... A new entity, the St. Louis Area Sports Facilities Authority, would issue bonds to build a new stadium for the Cardinals, own it and collect rent from team owners, under legislation making its way through the state legislature. Missouri...

Brave new world.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Washington University's Olin School of Business has gone sci-fi. The school is touting its graduates-to-be by sending corporate recruiters postcards simulating the science-fiction magazines of the 1950 that tell "thrilling wonder" stories of...

In the 'Net.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Paul Cavallini, now an investment adviser with A.G. Edwards, is co-founder of foreverstorage.com, an Internet start up. The new business provides online data, storage of vital documents.

Going casual.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Hundreds of. attorneys here are hanging up their suits and ties. Bryan Cave has gone to a business casual dress code at all times, said spokesman Bob Buenger. Armstrong Teasdale is about to announce it will experiment with business casual...

We're seeking fastest-growing private firms.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... The St. Louis Business Journal is compiling its list of the 80 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies, to run in the May 8 issue. We're looking for private companies based in St. Louis, which have a three-year sales history, with an...

Liddy decides not to retire at 65 from MetLife Inc.(Richard Liddy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Richard Liddy has revised his retirement plans and will stay on with MetLife Inc. after his 65th birthday in August. A public filing March 9 named Liddy among 25 managers and directors who will lead MetLife when it converts to a public...

On board.
March 27, 2000... Pittsburgh entrepreneur 6. Watts Humphrey Jr. is up for a seat on the board of Mississippi Valley Bancshares. He controls 5.5 percent of the bank's stock, worth about $12 million-- second only to chairman and chief executive Drew Baur.

Bargain hunter's paradise.
March 27, 2000... Gift shops from the St. Louis Science Center, Butterfly House, Eugene Field House, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Zoo and City Museum will put their close-out and clearance items up for grabs at an April 1 garage sale. Doors are open...

Building trust.(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Northern Trust Corp.. will open its first St. Louis office in early April with three former Bank of America Private Client executives at the helm. Staffing the office at 7701 Forsyth will be Dan Watt, managing executive for trust; Julia...

Firstar sets up local board to give a St. Louis view.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Firstar Corp. has established a 19member St. Louis board of directors, designed to give top executives at Firstar's Milwaukee headquarters a bird's eye view of how the bank is doing in St. Louis. The board will meet for the first time...

Holiday Inn Select to be built in Chesterfield Valley.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 27, 2000... Developer THF Realty has signed a deal with a hotel management company to put a $10 million to $12 million Holiday Inn Select and Suites across from Chesterfield Commons in the Chesterfield Valley. The 128-room full-service Holiday Inn...

Starting over.(Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 27, 2000... Six months after taking over as chief executive at Baltimore-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., Robert Wildrick is winning rave reviews for his aggressive advertising and marketing strategies, according to the Baltimore Business Journal....

Havana bound.
March 27, 2000... Keith Alper is leading a group of 150 members of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization -- including seven St. Louisans -- on a trip to Cuba March 29 to April 2. "We'll be meeting with business people there and looking for opportunities," said...

BJC posts $24 million operating loss.
March 20, 2000... Red ink prompts Moody's to review bond rating BJC Health System -- hit hard by cuts in Medicare reimbursements, hikes in drug price and losses on insurance plans and doctors' practices -- posted an operating loss of $24.5 million and a...

Huttig building toward $2 billion.
March 20, 2000... Barry Kulpa, president and chief executive of Huttig Building Products, plans to nearly double his company's sales to $2 billion by 2002. Last year, the St. Louis-based window, door and building products distributor set up the framework...

Wave buyout nets Kousky $4 million.(Statistical Data Included)
March 20, 2000... Wave Technologies International Inc. founder Ken Kousky is in line for a $4.4 million payday. Wave, a locally based provider of corporate computer training, announced March 10 it had agreed to be purchased by Canadian publishing giant...

Dierbergs versus Costco.
March 20, 2000... Dierbergs Markets Inc. and Costco Cos. -- retail operators with very different plans -- are vying to fill the 17 acres east of the Promenade shopping center in Brentwood. City economic development officials are weighing whether to turn...

Play ball.(Brief Article)
March 20, 2000... A $750,000 project to build two new party rooms and one new suite will be completed at Busch Stadium by April 3-opening day. Clayco Sports is building the Coca-Cola Redbird Roost near the left-field bleachers and a fifth luxury suite....

Bonding.
March 20, 2000... Washington University moves forward this month with a $155 million bond issue, delayed last November because of concerns over Y2K. Treasurer Amy Kweskin said most of the money will go for three high-profile projects: an ambulatory care center...

Cutting ties.(Brief Article)
March 20, 2000... There's more evidence that a break is imminent between Unity Health and St. Anthony's Medical Center. Two members of the Sisters of Mercy, the religious order that sponsors the hospital, have left their jobs at St. Anthony's. Sister Mary...

Healthy hitter.
March 20, 2000... Mark McGwire has been spotted lately promoting the Maxxbar -- a high-protein, low-fat health bar -- by wearing a hat and T-shirt bearing the bar's logo. McGwire and three other partners own the rights to the Maxxbar name and recipe. C&B...

MAPing the future.
March 20, 2000... David Ashenhurst is out as president of the Metropolitan Association of Philanthropy (MAP), a membership group of local charitable foundations. Board chair Ann Sullins, vice president at Commerce Bank, said Ashenhurst resigned at the end of...

Pay for performance.
March 20, 2000... The next few weeks could be crunch time for Firstar/Mercantile Bank workers. A March 6 report from George K. Baum & Co. says Firstar recently implemented its incentive pay system at Mercantile: "This will probably result in increased employee...

Bar none.
March 20, 2000... Harry's Restaurant and Bar is among 10 establishments nationwide cited as "The Best Bars for Business" in the April issue of Frequent Flyer. The magazine cites the wide selection of wines, scotch and port at Harry's, 2144 Market St.

Land deal.
March 20, 2000... Downtown Now has snapped up 819 Locust for roughly $200,000. The 13,000-square-foot building is in a "strategic location," said Tom Reeves, executive director of Downtown Now. The group's plan to revitalize downtown indicates the block could...

Ka-ching.
March 20, 2000... The Casino Queen paid back 95 percent of the money gamblers pumped into its slot machines in 1999 -- and that gives it the highest payback percentage of any local casino, according to Casino Player magazine's April issue. Other payback...

Thrill seekers.
March 20, 2000... Doug and Cathy Goergens' Bonne Terre Mine is the only Missouri site to make National Geographic Adventure magazine's Adventure 100 list. The mine -- billed as the world's largest inland scuba diving facility -- comes in No. 10 on the list in...

Tourney could give SLU 20% boost in ticket sales.
March 20, 2000... Billikens basketball is likely to get a big bounce next season because the team appeared in this year's NCAA tournament. The tournament appearance could fuel a 20 percent jump in demand next year for general admission tickets, which sold...