St. Louis Business Journal articles from November 2000

St. Louis Business Journal archives from November 2000

GM buys major stake in Behlmann.
November 27, 2000... General Motors Corp. has acquired a majority stake in Behlmann Pontiac-GMC Truck Inc., one of the largest automobile dealerships in the metropolitan area. Motors Holding, a General Motors unit, is financing the more than $10 million...

Holden turns to Irwin, Kling, Stogel, Roberts for advice.
November 27, 2000... Bob Holden often calls on a trusted circle of St. Louis business, political and government leaders when making executive decisions, according to people close to the governor-elect. Among them is Thomas Irwin, executive director of...

St. Louis high priority for new governor.
November 27, 2000... Economic development in the St. Louis area is expected to be among the top priorities of Gov.-elect Bob Holden. Leading the list of efforts he will focus on is growth in the life sciences industry. Holden said the industry, with its...

SportsHuddle looks for buyer, investor.
November 27, 2000... Dot-com missed payroll, workers search for jobs It's been a tough year for Lysa Sayad. First, PaylinX Corp. laid her off in January when management decided to move to Reston, Va. Then, she got a job at SportsHuddle.com, signing up...

On ice.
November 27, 2000... St. Louis Blues Captain Chris Pronger has agreed to be spokesman for McLeodUSA Inc. The Cedar Rapids, lowa-based telecommunications firm said Pronger will appear at community and employee events. Pronger said he signed the deal because he...

Rams recipes.
November 27, 2000... The Rams Family Cookbook, featuring recipe favorites and photos of the St. Louis Rams players, staff and their families, has hit the shelves of Schnucks stores. Jana Timmerman, wife of guard Adam Timmerman, and Julie Green, wife of...

Tax bills.
November 27, 2000... Barry Baker, one-time owner of River City Broadcasting, insists he's a good taxpayer, despite owing more than a quarter million dollars in taxes to the state of California The Nov. 27 issue of Forbes reports that Baker paid $42 million in...

Summa cum lavish.
November 27, 2000... Student life amenities propelled Washington University to the Wall Street Journal's list of schools offering "luxury learning." In the Nov. 10 issue, the newspaper singled out a new dorm with a hair salon, food court and cell-phone Store as...

He should know.
November 27, 2000... Former Trans World Airlines owner Carl Icahn had choice words about the airline business, according to Internet travel industry magazine TWcrossroads. Icahn, who owned TWA from 1985 to 1993, told an online travel conference Nov. 16 in Phoenix...

Word of mouth.
November 27, 2000... Joseph Hopkins, chief executive of Delta Dental, is getting ready to step down. Hopkins, 70, told the board of Missouri's largest dental managed care firm in the spring he wanted to retire, but the board asked him to. stay until a replacement...

Flying high.
November 27, 2000... U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater tabbed Linda Moore, assistant director for community programs at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, to serve on the Airline On-Time Reporting National Advisory Committee. The panel will...

If the shoe fits.
November 27, 2000... Brown Shoe previewed footwear it will promote in New York, during a recent local shoe show for the firm's national sales force. The revamped Nat uralizer brand features tailored dress shoes in novelty materials, such as antiqued leather and...

Carpet One buys largest rival, adds 370 locations.
November 27, 2000... Floor-covering giant Carpet Co-Op of America is adding 370 stores with the purchase of its largest competitor, Flooring America. Earth City-based Carpet Co-Op paid $13.25 million for the assets of Flooring America, a Georgia business that...

Belden rebounds from Asian business setback.
November 27, 2000... Thanks to a string of acquisitions in Europe and the United States, Belden Inc. has bounced back from the collapse of its Asian business to post a 47 percent jump in revenue this year. After spending about $200 million in 1999 and about...

Corrections.
November 27, 2000... RightCHOICE RightCHOICE Managed Care trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The exchange was incorrect on the 50 Most Valuable Public Companies List: The company has also changed its Web site address to www.AllianceBlue.com. ...

Dobbs takes tire service to corporate customers.
November 27, 2000... Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers is bringing tire service to the workplace through its Dobbs Tires 2 U program. The company launched the service earlier this year with a specially outfitted truck that allows Dobbs workers to mount, balance and...

Watson's enters local retail market.
November 27, 2000... Watson's, a big box retailer specializing in home and leisure products, is entering the St. Louis market with a store in Cave Springs. The privately held company, based in Cincinnati, has bought 9.6 acres at New Muegge and Old Muegge...

St. Louis cellular phone rates dip to average $42.
November 27, 2000... St. Louis cell phone rates, the nation's highest in August, dropped to No. 9 in September. The average monthly bill here was $42 a month in September, compared with $44.90 in August, based on research from Econ One, a Sacramento,...

Michigan company buys division of Computer Sales Int'l.
November 27, 2000... A Michigan re-seller of Hewlett-Packard computers has a toehold in St. Louis after the acquisition of a small division of locally based Computer Sales International. Eric Johnson, vice president for professional services at Bloomfield...

TRiSTAR plans $65 million Riverport office complex.
November 27, 2000... TRiSTAR Business Communities is building on the success of its Corporate Woods office development with a similar, $65 million project at Riverport. The company recently closed on 9.5 acres at the north entrance to Riverport and has an...

Budnick planning $7.5 million business park near Columbia, III.
November 27, 2000... Rapid growth has pushed Budnick Converting Inc. to develop a $7.5 million business park near Interstate 255 just north of Columbia, Ill. The distributor of adhesive coating products has 140 acres under contract. It wants to build a...

Mississippi Valley gains $717,000 from stock sale.
November 27, 2000... Mississippi Valley Bancshares saw a gamble pay off when it sold stock warrants it had held in connection with a loan made several years ago. Mississippi Valley, parent company of Southwest Bank, gained $717,000 from the stock sale in the...

Flo Valley manufacturing center aimed at combating labor shortage.
November 27, 2000... St. Louis Community College plans to establish a $4.8 million advanced manufacturing center at its Florissant Valley campus in Ferguson as part of a plan to modernize. "There will be no facility like it in the region," said Ashok...

Average American to spend $830 on holiday shopping.
November 27, 2000... Nov.21 -- A poll conducted by Maritz Marketing Research Inc. showed the average American will spend $830 on holiday gifts this year, about the same as they did last year. Most shoppers will be spending their holiday dollars at mall stores...

Council for Urban Economic Development's.
November 27, 2000... Nov. 21 -- Dennis Coleman has been named vice chair of the Council for Urban Economic Development's 2001 board of directors. Coleman is president and chief executive of the St. Louis County Economic Council. Coleman will also serve as chair...

Mary Engelbreit.
November 27, 2000... Nov. 20 -- St. Louis artist Mary Engelbreit has partnered with Waldenbooks to provide the bookstores with a holiday-themed illustration. Engelbreit's illustration will be seen in Waldenbooks' 900 stores on in-store signs, newsletter and gift...

Influence LLC.
November 27, 2000... Nov. 20 -- Influence LLC has been chosen by architectural firm HOK and two other companies to boost their e-business initiatives. Influence will provide strategic consulting, site development and marketing and communications to HOK, the...

Unity Health.
November 27, 2000... Nov. 20 -- Unity Health announced a major restructuring of its operations as well as in its leadership. Effective March 31, 2001, Unity Health will be known as St. Johns Mercy Health Care. The new organization will include St. Johns Mercy...

A.G. Edwards Inc.
November 27, 2000... Nov. 17 -- Benjamin Edwards III will step down as chairman, chief executive and president of A.G. Edwards Inc. as of March 1, the company announced. Robert Bagby, currently vice chairman and director of branches, will serve as chairman and...

PEOPLE.
November 27, 2000... Accounting Bender, Weltman, Thomas, Perry & Co., formerly known as Bender, Weltman, Thomas & Co., has added William Perry as a partner. Angela Handshy has been appointed marketing director and Cindy Smith has rejoined the firm as a...

Codd, Knight locate first heart practice in St. Charles.
November 27, 2000... With open heart surgeries growing at 10 percent to 15 percent annually in the St. Charles area, St. Louis Heart Institute Cardiothoracic Surgeons Inc. has decided to get closer to the pulse of the community. The physician group practice...

Medical records.
November 27, 2000... Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine received the following grants and awards: Dr. William Banks, professor of internal medicine in the division of geriatric medicine, received a five year, $1.4 million grant from the...

Wired for Success.
November 27, 2000... Lockette's DataFirst soars to $3.6 million in less than two years Business activity: Randall Lockette had a good job at Maritz Inc. He had been there 19 years, advancing up the corporate ladder, traveling around the world to places such...

Chambers plan to flex collective muscle again.
November 27, 2000... Riding their successful effort to defeat Proposition B in the Nov. 7 election, chambers of commerce in Missouri are planning to use their coalition's muscle to affect future statewide issues. "We're overjoyed about the defeat of Prop B by...

Low-cost measures can prevent high-cost online traua.
November 27, 2000... Have high hopes for your Internet Storefront this holiday shopping rush? Be aware that the number of online shoppers is not the only thing expected to skyrocket this season online credit card fraud is expected to rise as well, costing...

Staying Sharp.
November 27, 2000... Image consultants polish look for business people When Susan Broyles decided to reenter the work force this year, she knew she couldn't just take up where she'd left off 10 years ago. In the decade since she'd left her job as a...

Manufacturing MBA helps niche companies compete.
November 27, 2000... Bill Goodspeed had a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Illinois, but he knew he needed training in world-class manufacturing techniques for his family owned company to remain at the top of its game. ...

Boom in interior design boosts Patricia Stevens.
November 27, 2000... Upholstery and carpet samples fill the third floor on the north end of the Mansion House Center downtown. An array of floor coverings and cabinet finishes hang on the wall. If not for a collection of desks and drafting tables, the room could...

Demand fuels drop-out trend for court reporters.
November 27, 2000... Don Sether has been in the court reporting business 30 years, first as a court reporter certified in three different states, then for the past two decades as a teacher at St. Louis Community College's Meramec campus. The demand for...

Tech colleges offer on-site, customized training to firms.
November 27, 2000... St. Louis companies are using on-site, customized training provided by local technical colleges to beat the pressures of a tight labor market. With employment at record levels, local businesses, especially manufacturers, often are forced...

Minorities get leg up with graduate study program.
November 27, 2000... Grad schools partner with businesses to produce managers For a growing number of minority students nationwide, the first step up the corporate ladder is found in St. Louis at the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. The...

Colleges' library link offers students 9 million volumes.
November 27, 2000... Last month, the library at St. Charles County Community College went from 70,000 volumes to 9 million. That's because it joined a statewide system of college libraries called Mobius. That means the 5,617 students enrolled at SCCCC...

Sheltered workshop offers competitive edge to Select.
November 27, 2000... Select Publications is on the verge of posting $4 million in revenue, a figure that has grown more than tenfold in four years, said Lee Rodgers, the president of the Richmond Heights business. Without owning a factory and having a payroll...

A Closer look.
November 27, 2000... THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS LEADS When Business Journal Editor Trish Miller talks about deciding what stories make the front page, she explains how she "balances the page," looking for articles in a range of industries. She...

Stock Transactions.
November 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.
November 27, 2000... How Missouri and Illinois measure up against other states Nationwide, states such as Missouri and Illinois are experiencing an increase in cremations. This can be attributed to the aging baby boomer (people between 36 years old and 54...

In board.
November 27, 2000... Money and management at nonprofit organizations Sheldon Arts Foundation Paul Reuter Executive director The Sheldon Arts Foundation operates the historic 70-seat Sheldon Concert Hall designed by 1904 World's Fair architect Louis...

For what it's worth.
November 27, 2000... Highlighting some of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 100 S. Kirkwood, 116 E. Monroe, Kirkwood DATE SOLD: Oct. 10, 2000 NEW OWNER: SM Properties Kirkwood LLC AGENT: Joe...

EXPRESS SCRIPTS INC.
November 27, 2000... Barrett A. Toan President and chief executive officer Express Scripts Inc. is a full-service pharmacy benefit management company. The company reported a prof forma profit of $67.3 million, or $1.77 per share, on sales of $4.3 billion for...

Pulitzer Inc.
November 27, 2000... Oct. 13, $62 A.G. Edwards Buy. With roughly $205 million in cash and $306 in new debt, Pulitzer has one of the strongest balance sheets in the newspaper publishing industry. This will allow Pulitzer to continue acquisitions or...

Arch Coal.
November 27, 2000... Oct. 19, $10.25 Bear Stearns Buy. In our view, the current energy environment remains supportive for the coal industry and provides momentum for Arch Coal. During the quarter Arch continued to address our key concerns which included...

Express Scripts Inc.
November 27, 2000... Oct. 24, $79.63 Southwest Securities Buy. Another study released this week confirms prescription drug costs are expected to continue their double-digit rise in 2001. The newly released Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey projects...

Farmer's St. Louis experiences will help her in treasurer's job.
November 27, 2000... Nancy Farmer expects her St. Louis background to make a difference, as she moves into Missouri's top financial job. As treasurer-elect, Farmer is the first statewide office holder from the city since 1969. She also is the first woman to...

Gov. Holden: a voice for St. Louis.
November 27, 2000... The St Louis Region has a great deal for which to give thanks this holiday season. On the top of our civic appreciation list we should find Governor-elect Bob Holden. As a student of politics, Mr. Holden lived in St. Louis when working...

Kiplinger * 1963.
November 27, 2000... I'm sort of a saver, but this even surprised me. Last week, a hose to some humidifer in the basement broke. A small but uneventful flood occurred (I was out of town, which was the best part), and consequently, Carol went down to clean it...

FEEDBACK.
November 27, 2000... Remembering past pursuits, past friends Medical school applications Editor: I was just catching up on some past issues of the St. Louis Business Journal that I missed, and I was impressed with your article from 9/18/00 on...

Faith House gets $500,000 grant from Dana Brown Foundation.
November 27, 2000... On a number of initiatives, St. Louis is certainly moving in the right direction. From having the best fans in the best sports city in the nation to setting ourselves up as a nationally acclaimed biotechnology center, we are putting St. Louis...

Do you allow employees to decorate their office space with personal mementos?
November 27, 2000... Given the workload on today's employees, the more they can make themselves feel comfortable in their workplace the better. It's an excellent employee perk. Pete Wyatt Vice president, general manager St. Lous American Newspaper...

LARGEST DIAL-UP INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS.
November 27, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

LARGEST DEDICATED INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS.
November 27, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

LARGEST AIR CHARTER COMPANIES.
November 27, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

St. Louis Stocks.
November 27, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

McGuire hopes to attract game center.(McGuire Moving & Storage)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Dan McGuire has approached ESPN Zone and GameWorks Studio & Sega City about an entertainment center he hopes to create in one of his moving company's buildings downtown. "We are still getting our ducks in a row," said McGuire, president...

Biotech Bonanza.(venture capital companies)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Donald heads one of three funds seeking a total of $300 million Three new venture capital funds -- with plans to raise at least $300 million to back biotech and medical companies -- are planting roots in St. Louis. The funds, still...

Record giving.(United Way raises funds)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... African-Americans here lead nation in United Way donations Black St. Louis leaders pushed United Way like never before, spurring record African-American giving that surpassed some of the nation's largest cities. Retailer Lee Johnson...

Pyramid fails to meet date to buy buildings.(Pyramid Construction Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Developer John Steffen's plans to acquire two downtown buildings have been put on hold. Steffen did not close deals to acquire the Arcade and Syndicate Trust buildings on schedule and has received extensions on the contracts. ...

Big spenders.(Senate campaigns)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Sen. John Ashcroft spent $6.58 for each vote he received in a failed attempt to retain his Senate seat, while the successful campaign of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan spent $6.36 a vote. Both outspent the national average of $6.07 a vote for...

Get fit.(Spa One at Gatesworth)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... The Gatesworth is preparing to open its own spa in December. The 3,000-square-foot Spa One at the Gatesworth will be part of a completely renovated fitness center, including a full-service salon, at the senior living complex in University...

Moving up.(Art Holiday)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... KSDK-TV morning anchor Art Holliday was named managing editor of "Today in St. Louis," while Bill Sanderfur was promoted to executive producer of KSDK's morning and weekend newscasts. Holliday, a 20-year-plus veteran of Channel 5, is the...

The big screen.(Cedric the Entertainer, Eric Rhone)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Comedian Cedric the Entertainer and manager Eric Rhone are a step closer to making their first movie. The native St. Louisans report that Universal Pictures has put up "six figures" for a comedy Cedric is writing about four quirky preachers...

Web weaver.(Leslie Zacks)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Leslie Zacks was named vice president, brand building at the St. Louis office of marchFirst, a Chicago-based Internet professional services firm. Zacks, formerly with Zipatoni, said the local marchFrist office escaped the 10 percent cut in...

Get the word out.(St. Louis Science Center, Kochan and Co. Advertising and Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... After seven years with Adamson Advertising, the St. Louis Science Center switches to Kochan & Co. Advertising & Marketing in December -- just in time to gear up for the June 22 reopening of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, undergoing a $13...

Up on the roof.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Artist Bob Cassilly is reconstructing the former Planetarium dome on the roof of his City Museum. The three-story, rooftop venue could include an auditorium for entertainment events. There's already a hot tub atop the dome.

Rubbing Shoulders.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, president of Saint Louis University, shares the spotligh with actor Martin Sheen Nov. 19 in Fort Benning, Ga. They will address 15,000 people protesting the role the U.S. Army's School of the Americas has played in...

Harrah's to put Antonio's in casino in Riverport.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Missouri's largest casino is spending $2.5 million to bring an upscale Italian restaurant to its customers. Harrah's St. Louis Casino & Hotel will open Antonio's Ristorante late in January, replacing the Island Terrace restaurant. ...

Business Journal seeks nominations for 40 Under 40.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... The St. Louis Business Journal, is seeking nominations for its seventh annual 40 Under 40 special section. Nominees must be age 39 or younger on Jan. 8, the. publication date. We are looking for persons with strong business...

Enterprise Rent-A-Car creates venture capital arm.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Clayton Venture Group headed by Sandy Rogers Enterprise Rent-A-Car's new venture capital arm, Clayton Venture Group, is among second-round investors in Autodaq Corp., which sells cars via the Internet. M.W. "Sandy" Rogers, president...

St. Louis County Library rated fifth best by library association.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... St. Louis County Library was rated the fifth best in the nation among public libraries serving more than 500,000 people by Hennen's American. Public Library Ratings. The ratings; published by the American Library Association? placed St....

Corrections.(Pulitzer Inc. acquisition)(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Pulitzer Inc., the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, completed its deal to purchase the Journal Register's Suburban Newspapers of Greater St. Louis. Incorrect information appeared in the Nov. 6 issue. Pulitzer Inc.

Murphy sells family's Crest to Payne Electric.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... When Crest Electric President Patrick Murphy learned that his son Ben wouldn't be joining, the family business after graduating from college, he started thinking about selling the company. "Succession issues came to the forefront, so I....

Alvin Vitt, Opus partner on Chesterfield project.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... St. Louis developer Alvin D. Vitt & Co. and Opus Northwest together will develop the offices of One Chesterfield Place, a $40-million mixed-use project at Highway 40 and Conway Road in Chesterfield. Opus targeted Chesterfield for its...

Attorney Levison jumps to Doepken Keevican & Weiss.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Attorney Mark Levison, known for his Democratic Party work, has joined the Doepken Keevican & Weiss law firm here, managed by Republican Party supporter Charles Polk. "He's an old friend, and we've just gone about politics in a different...

Premcor bucks oil trends by focusing on refining.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Premcor USA Inc.'s $715 million upgrade of its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery may pay off big when the facility becomes fully operational next year. Going against the tide of oil companies retreating from refining, Premcor made its largest...

Venture capital funding slows in third quarter.(Brief Article)
November 20, 2000... Only Mass Sensors, Bates pick up cash The hot telecommunications market that fueled much of St. Louis' venture capital growth during the last year almost ran out of gas in June, July and August. Only two local firms reported...