St. Louis Business Journal articles from November 2000

St. Louis Business Journal archives from November 2000

SBC employees given 'high five' to exit early.
November 6, 2000... Wilkinson, Grant, Berkman, Hollie, Patterson add five years of service, five years to age Thad Hollie Jr. has, in essence, aged five years and put in the equivalent of five years work since September. But you won't hear, a complaint from...

Venture capitalists to high-tech: Make dollars last.
November 6, 2000... The downturn in the once-hot technology, field has local venture capital firms pushing their portfolio companies to become profitable quicker. Venture firms also are shortening the time frame to exit from such investments. "You are not...

Karakas, Balella stock up after Centennial sale.
November 6, 2000... Tony Karakas, the largest shareholder in Breckenridge Bancshares Co., will get $2 million in Commerce Bancshares Inc. stock under terms of the deal to sell Breckenridge's Centennial Bank to Commerce Bank. That would put Karakas, who...

Small firms wrestle with soaring cost of health care.
November 6, 2000... Hautly Cheese covers the full cost of health-care coverage for its 17 employees, but owner Alan Hautly said he's recently had to shoulder some of the risk him self to keep it up with rising premiums. Hautly Cheese's health insurance...

Tapping the keg.
November 6, 2000... August Busch III came out some $10 million ahead after a complex stock transaction. First Call/Thompson Financial reported that Busch, the chairman and president of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., paid $2.6 million Sept. 25 to buy 206,660 shares of...

Crystal hail.
November 6, 2000... The battle against inflation is never completely won, according to William Poole, president of Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis. A profile in the Oct. 27 issue of USA Today described Poole as "a hawk among hawks, one of the most avid inflation...

New clothes.
November 6, 2000... St. Louis-based Glik's has a toe-hold in the Buckeye state. The regional, family owned chain with 55 stores has opened a location in Bryan, Ohio, and anticipates nailing down three or four more stores by year's end. Ohio is the fifth state...

Fine dining.
November 6, 2000... Tony's was the only Missouri restaurant to make the list of "America's Best Restaurants 2000" published in the October issue of Gourmet. The magazine said its critics traveled the country to find the most provocative, unusual and delicious food...

Tune in.
November 6, 2000... Thompson Coburn Attorney Larry Katzenstein becomes an orchestra conductor for a night when he leads the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in a performance Nov. 14 at Powell Symphony Hall. It's the eighth year Katzenstein has gotten a chance to...

Helping hand.
November 6, 2000... Our Little Haven will receive a $10,000 check from the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation Nov. 4. The foundation, sponsored by the National Football League, designates one child-focused agency in each NFL city to become a member of the Courage...

Downtown oasis.
November 6, 2000... A $50,000 effort by Centenary United Methodist Church is to be unveiled Nov. 5, when the church dedicates its outdoor labyrinth and garden at 16th and Olive streets. The 24-foot, octagonal labyrinth named for retiring minister Rev. Michael...

Firstar ousts Blixen in dispute with First Banks.
November 6, 2000... John Blixen, former president of Mississippi Valley Advisors, was fired Oct. 25, in fallout from a dispute between Firstar Corp. and First Banks Inc. Blixen's firing came one day after he gave a deposition in a lawsuit Firstar brought...

Fast Forward wins two awards.
November 6, 2000... Fast Forward, a monthly magazine that is a sister publication of the St. Louis Business Journal, recently won two awards in the American City Business Journals News Awards contest. American City Business Journals is the publisher of both...

Solutia glass could boost price of car $300 to $500.
November 6, 2000... Solutia Inc., which already has turned its safety glass into more than a half billion dollar business, has introduced a new version of the product, one that it estimates would take a normal auto thief roughly one minute to break through. ...

Corrections.
November 6, 2000... Crown Packaging Crown Packaging's headquarters is at 8514 Eager Road. The address was incorrect in the Real Estate section in the Oct. 30 issue. John Langa John Langa is an associate at CB Richard Ellis. His name was incorrect in...

O'Charley's plans to open restaurant in O'Fallon, Mo.
November 6, 2000... O'Charley's Inc., a casual, full-service restaurant chain, is entering the St. Louis market with a restaurant at the new Laurel Hill shopping center in O'Fallon, Mo. The restaurant at 2204 Highway K is slated to open Nov. 21, marking the...

Regional arts group to stay in Grand Center.
November 6, 2000... The Regional Arts Commission will stay in Grand Center after all, thanks to an 11th hour bid from KETC/Channel 9 and Grand Center. The proposal offers the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) a three-year lease for 5,000 square feet on the second...

Omniplex purchases Marz, branches into ISP industry.
November 6, 2000... Telecom start-up Omniplex Communications Group has ventured into the Internet service business with the acquisition of Marz Inc. The price was not disclosed. But based on Marz's customer base, its listed prices and industry watchers...

Gateway doubles its investment in sale of Cutting Edte Optronics to TRW Inc.
November 6, 2000... Buyers plan on investing more capital in operations; not certain on new jobs Three years after investing $1 million in Cutting Edge Optronics Inc., Gateway Associates doubled its money after the company sold. "We had a lot of other...

Federal Reserve issues latest edition of "Beige Book".
November 6, 2000... The Federal Reserve Bank has issued its latest edition of the "Beige Book," described as a collection of anecdotal information that together describes how the overall economy is faring. Information is gathered from various business and...

Peabody Group earnings decline in face of fuel costs.
November 6, 2000... Peabody Group, the giant coal company based here, saw its earnings decline for both the quarter that end Sept. 30 and the last six months, according to the company. "We did not anticipate the growing magnitude of higher fuel costs and...

BJC changes its name; Ralston ups pet food prices.
November 6, 2000... BJC Health System has been renamed BJC HealthCare. In a press release, the system said the name change is designed to "more accurately reflect the caring medical services provided by employees" at BJC sites throughout Missouri and southern...

Sabreliner Corp.
November 6, 2000... Sabreliner Corp. was awarded a U.S. Navy contract with. a potential value of $39 million over five years. Sabreliner, a St. Louis-based aviation service, said the contract calls for it to provide heavy maintenance, modification and...

Ralston Purina Co.
November 6, 2000... Ralston Purina Co. said it will raise prices about 5 percent for domestic dog and cat food products. The price hike is effective Jan. 8. The company said it hasn't had a similar price adjustment for four years. Ralston Purina makes Dog...

Monsanto Co.
November 6, 2000... Monsanto Co. reported a net loss of $17 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, excluding special charges. Monsanto, which recently undertook an initial public offering of its stock, said the special charges included a pretax charge...

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.
November 6, 2000... August Busch III, chairman, president and chief executive of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. ,defended the company's actions in a civil court suit in Florida: He took the stand as a defense witness in a suit filed by Maris Distributing, the former...

Jefferson Memorial Hospital.
November 6, 2000... Jefferson Memorial Hospital said it expects to continue receiving payments from Medicare, after an survey of the hospital's clinical operations. Surveyors under contract with the Health Care Financial Administration (HCFA) found Jefferson...

Energizer Holdings Inc.
November 6, 2000... Energizer Holdings Inc. said it expects lower sales of batteries for the October through December period, compared to the same time a year ago. Chief executive J. Patrick Mulcahy said battery sales were unusually high in the last three months...

Lear to add 80 workers to finish GM luxury vans.
November 6, 2000... Lear Corp. will add about 80 new jobs to the St. Louis region in January when it opens a new manufacturing plant in O'Fallon. The company will do all the interior work on the new full-sized, luxury vans General Motors is manufacturing at...

Eagle OPG losing minority status in merger with Adams Business Forms of Kansas.
November 6, 2000... A large minority-owned manufacturer of office products is adding a partner - but losing its minority-owned status. Eagle OPG Inc., 12312 Olive, is merging with Adams Business Forms Inc. of Topeka, Kan. The deal is expected to close by the...

A-B agrees to NBC "No Brakes" ads.
November 6, 2000... NBC plans to do a little experimenting on its broadcast of the Pennzoil 400 Winston Cup race Nov. 12 in preparation for its inaugural season of NASCAR coverage next year. In addition. to testing new production equipment, the network will...

Richmond Terrace Retirement Center sold with no restrictions.
November 6, 2000... MMG Healthcare Systems says it does not intend to change the facility The 2-year-old Richmond Terrace Retirement Center sold for $3.375 million at a foreclosure sale Oct. 2 after developer Geri Care Inc. defaulted on a HUD-insured loan....

McCormack Baron to build $8.7 million, 89-unit assisted living center in city.
November 6, 2000... The center will make a nice entry" into the Forest Park Southeast development plan McCormack Baron & Associates Inc. will select a contractor within the next month to build an $8.7 million assisted living center at Kingshighway and...

Kwame lands diversity development award.
November 6, 2000... Kwame Building Group Inc. has received the Diversity Development Award for hiring and promoting minorities and women. Kwame is a St. Louis-based, minority-owned construction management company. Minorities make up two-thirds of the company's...

Doctors group creates loss at SLU.
November 6, 2000... But investments, contributions boost school's bottom line A $12.6 million loss at SLUCare, the group practice made up of physicians who teach at Saint Louis University, caused the university to post its first operating loss in at least 13...

Anderson adds 2 operating rooms.
November 6, 2000... A 49 percent jump in surgical volume in five years at Anderson Memorial Hospital has prompted the Maryville, Ill., facility to add two operating rooms. The new rooms, under construction now, are expected to come on line by year end, said...

Medical People.
November 6, 2000... Michael Delaney was appointed senior vice president-general manager of Healthcare Services Group. Wanda Barton was named manager, surgery products and services, for Unibased Systems Architecture Inc. Jerrold Pass and Constantine...

Mercy offers small firms quotes online.
November 6, 2000... Mercy Health Plans Inc. is offering online quotes to small businesses. Mercy, a managed care company owned by Sisters of Mercy Health System--St. Louis, has given out 216 price quotes since launching the service Oct. 16, said Carl Schultz,...

Battling for business.
November 6, 2000... Chuck Poetter's determination and passion lead Poettker Construction to $30 million in revenue Business activity: An experience he had while in the Army in Vietnam left an indelible impression on Chuck Poettker. He lay trapped, praying...

What kind of a price hike does your company expect on health-care premiums next year?
November 6, 2000... Because we had a significant increase this year, we are hoping that next year the percentage increase will be less. Each year it seems to be a 3-5 percent increase on the average. Last year, however, it was 10-15 percent. Jay Rowan ...

Women business owners look to make mark in polls.
November 6, 2000... On the eve of the General Election, Tuesday, Nov. 7, women business owners are making it clear they plan to vote on the issues, rather than along party lines. While a survey by Fortune Small Business Magazineshowed more women business...

Harinder Singh.
November 6, 2000... Harinder Singh, owner of India's Rasoi and Curry in a Hurry restaurants in St. Louis and Columbia, Mo., will open a Curry in a Hurry in the Chesterfield Mall. Grand opening is set for Nov. 15. The mall is managed by the Jacobs Group, based...

Union Planters Bank, CIT Small Business Lending Corp. and Class Bank.
November 6, 2000... Union Planters Bank, CIT Small Business Lending Corp. and Class Bank were honored during St. Louis' SBA Day, Wednesday, Oct.25. The purpose of the program is to raise public awareness the Small Business Administration and the impact its...

Crack the code to keep your e-mail messages private.
November 6, 2000... * It's hard to imagine what life was like before e-mail. It's fast, can cut down on idle chitchat and keeps the phone bills way down. It's also not terribly secure. E-mails are vulnerable to being picked up by the most elementary hackers....

Preparation is vital for college entrance testing success.
November 6, 2000... Although standardized testing feels like an arcane torture method to students, there is value to the tests administered to 10th and 11th graders. The tests are helpful in identifying academic strengths and weaknesses, and can inform preparation...

Successful job sharing requires extra arrangements.
November 6, 2000... Many time-pressed professionals and executives would gladly give up some compensation to gain the personal flexibility of part-time work. But relatively few employers have been willing to consider such arrangements for high level jobs. ...

Take care when offering criticism to fellow workers.
November 6, 2000... We want to continue what we have learned from those who supervise, advise or " boss" certain other people. In the first place, we have touched upon the subject of criticism, because it was found to be one of the most important tools in the...

PEOPLE.
November 6, 2000... Accounting At Kerber Eck & Braeckel, Jamie Hadjan has joined as benefits manager, Regina Jones has joined in accounting services and technical support and Alice Hickey has joined as an accountant. Brown Smith Wallace LLC Advisors and...

Personal chefs can dish up dinner with time to spare.
November 6, 2000... Chef Paul Azkoul makes life easier for Karen and Marshall Bono. Azkoul, who recently started The Generous Table personal chef service, cooks enough meals in one day for the Bonos to eat all week. "Time has become a very precious...

SauceCafe.com provides food for thought on Web.
November 6, 2000... Against the hype and buzz of the Internet, SauceCafe.com wants to be a source of insight for St. Louis' fine dining community. The Web site, part magazine and part restaurant guide, is the brainchild of Catherine Neville and Allyson Mace...

Hyatt turns to Bosnian immigrants to fill jobs.
November 6, 2000... Five years ago, Senad Dzankovic was fighting in the Bosnian army in Sarajevo. In July. 1995, after he had been shot for the third time, he decided it was time for his family to leave. Sending his wife and two children first, Dzankovic...

Wine classes: some sip, some soak up knowledge.
November 6, 2000... Glenn Bardgett has stories for everyone, from wine "virgins" to connoisseurs. Bardgett, wine adviser at Brown Derby Wine Cellar, teaches classes on wine appreciation through St. Louis Community College at Meramec, the Missouri Botanical...

REINVEST LOUISAWARDS.
November 6, 2000... Meet Twelve Extraordinary Leaders Enhancing our community requires unique leadership from many individuals and companies. Plaza Financial Advisors, Inc. and the St. Louis Business Journal are pleased to recognize twelve extraordinary...

Box lunches go upscale, healthy for office meetings.
November 6, 2000... A few years ago, when employers: said they were bringing in box lunches for meetings, most workers groaned. Another limp sandwich, greasy chips, stale cookie and mushy apple served in a brown bag. Local catering companies must have heard...

Mystery, murder, mayhem are Upstage's specialities.
November 6, 2000... First he's a gangster. When the gangster gets rubbed out, he reappears as a doctor in a Groucho Marx grease-pencil mustache. Then he's a bumbling detective with a thick French accent. After that, he puts on a beanie and plays a little boy. ...

Lodge works on attracting meetings and conferences.
November 6, 2000... Pere Marquette near Grafton already fills on weekends Larry Kulp is not looking for any more weekend visitors. The general manager of the Pere Marquette Lodge already has 100 percent occupancy at the getaway on those nights. "There...

A closer look.
November 6, 2000... THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS LEADS If you read only last week's issue of the St. Louis Business Journal, you would see the CITY of St. Louis through a different lens. Story after story detailed prospective development and...

Stock Transactions.
November 6, 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 6, 2000... How Missouri and Illinois measure up against other states The St. Louis region has a very favorable business climate for companies of all sizes. A. major national business center, the region is home to 11 Fortune 500 companies (ranked 4th...

On board.
November 6, 2000... Money and management at nonprofit organizations Forest Park Forever Jim Mann Executive director Founded in 1986,. Forest Park Forever Inc. isa private, not-for-profit organization working in partnership with the city of St....

For what it's worth.
November 6, 2000... Highlighting some of the most recent commercial real estate transactions in the St. Louis area. LOCATION: 13550 Big Bend Road, Kirkwood DATE SOLD: Sept 29, 2000 NEW OWNER: NWN-CW LP AGENT: Not available FORMER OWNER:...

LASER VISION CENTERS INC.
November 6, 2000... Chairman and chief executive Laser Vision Centers provides excimer lasers and other equipment to eye surgeons for the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness astigmatism and cataracts and related support services. The company had a...

Kellwood Co.
November 6, 2000... Oct. 2, $18.25 Bear Stearns Attractive. Kellwood continues to supplement internal topline growth through a variety of acquisitions designed to provide entries into mar kets in which it lacks a strong presence. Year to date, Kellwood...

Furniture Brands International Inc.
November 6, 2000... Oct. 4, $16.19 Merrill Lynch Buy. The company announced that third quarter earnings per share would be in a range of 46-48 cents. We had lowered our estimate from 58 cents to 50 cents. Order activity for the past 7-8 weeks (excluding...

May Department Stores.
November 6, 2000... Oct. 6, $20 Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Outperform. Sales were below our expectations, increasing by 0.7 percent. Importantly, women's apparel is showing signs of improvement, which has most likely been driven by improved fashion...

Brothers Tom and Gary Watson take over Watson Coatings.
November 6, 2000... Brothers Tom and Gary Watson took over Watson Coatings Inc. when their father, Gordon Watson, retired recently. Tom Watson has been named president and chief operating officer of manufacturing, and Gary Watson has become president and chief...

Condaire wins award for Boeing facility.
November 6, 2000... The Associated General Contractors of St. Louis has awarded mechanical contractor Condaire Inc. a Construction Keystone award for its work in upgrading a jet fighter assembly building for Boeing Co. Condaire also won "Project of the Year"...

Freedom completes deal to buy Telegraph in Alton.
November 6, 2000... Freedom Communications Inc. of Irvine, Calif. has closed the deal to purchase the The Telegraph, a daily paper with a circulation of 28,000 in Alton. The sale of The Telegraph completes the Journal Register's divestiture of its St. Louis...

Your right to choose.
November 6, 2000... Writing this editorial is a privilege. Disagreeingwith it is your right. This newspaper does not endorse political candidates. We do take positions on ballot issues. In general, newspaper editorials offer more heat than light. Readers...

Sitting in a Starbucks!
November 6, 2000... A-friend of mine has a "tornado" theory, that there is the omnipresent danger that randomly visits itself upon some of us -- always, at the least expected of times. Sometimes it lets us down easy -- other times, not. Here is how the notice...

Construction outlook bright through 2007.
November 6, 2000... Following are excerpts from a presentation at the St. Louis Economic Forecast breakfast Sept. 22. The topic of real estate can take on many avenues. I will in these remarks cover three topics: the office & industrial market, the new home...

LARGEST EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FIRMS.
November 6, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

St. Louis Stocks.
November 6, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Bridge stops construction.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... McCarthy: 'We are waiting for Bridge to tell us what to do next' Bridge Information Systems Inc. has put its $50 million Creve Coeur campus expansion on hold. The halt comes as the financial news and information provider seeks...

WorkNet sends 65 out into cold in latest layoffs.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... WorkNet Communications Inc. became the latest victim of the sudden autumn chill in the Internet sector when it laid off employees in early November. The local telecommunications start-up recently called a meeting, to tell some St. Louis...

Hot for the holidays.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Famous-Barr plots Xmas strategy around snazzy scooters, leather goods, electronics Lackluster October sales may be a gloomy portent of holiday spending for many of the nation's retailers. But Ira Pickell, Famous-Barr's new president...

St. Luke's, Unity revamp deal.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Five months after St. Anthony's Medical Center split from Unity Health, St. Luke's Hospital officials are talking with Unity about that hospital's future relationship with the health-care system. "We're going to try to figure out what our...

Healthy glow.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... The chairwoman of Sisters of Mercy Health System-St. Louis, Sister Mary Roch Rocklage, graces the cover of the October issue of Hospitals & Health Network. "Sister Roch" -- chair-elect of the American Hospital Association --talks about her...

Eye opener.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Crown Optical's Matt Matthews is projecting $15 million in revenue for 2001, a 15 percent jump, after signing a deal with HealthLink. Members of the managed care company can get discounts on glasses and contact lenses while HealthLink's...

Targeting teens.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Sharon Reus has launched Louie magazine, aimed at St. Louis teenagers. Reus, a communications veteran, said she wanted to tap into teens' incredible purchasing power. The magazine, available at some schools and retail outlets, is free for now....

Before the bench.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Attorneys Jim O'Brien and Roy Dripps are preparing for their first appearances Nov. 29 before the U.S. Supreme Court O'Brien, a partner at Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, will defend harbor service operator Lewis & Clark Marine Inc.; Dripps of the...

Flying high.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Trans World Airlines' name was in lights on the Dome during the nationally televised Rams game Nov. 5. The airline installed a system of 32 floodlights, designed by Aschinger Electric, after an earlier system that outlined the logo didn't hold...

Big screen.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Hometown filmmaker Josh Aronson's documentary "Sound and Fury" won rave reviews from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice and others. The film, which takes viewers inside the world of deaf culture, was scheduled for a...

Grape vine.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2000... Stone Hill Winery will be featured on, the Travel Channel. Stone Hill's Patty Held said a film crew from The Learning Network spent two days at the Hermann, Mo., winery filming a segment that will air later this year. Stone Hill is among three...