Houston Business Journal articles from December 1999

Houston Business Journal archives from December 1999

Dwindling Butler & Binion bows out.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Mass defections, shrinking numbers force 58-year-old law firm to dissolve After a spate of damaging defections and years of diminishing numbers, Houston-based Butler & Binion is calling it quits. The 58 year-old local law firm will...

Federal Reserve bids to buy hospital site.(Jefferson Davis Hospital site in Houston, TX)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Prime Allen Parkway tract under contract The Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank is making plans to move from the downtown offices it has occupied for the past 41 years. The financial institution is under contract to purchase a...

Al in the family.(Al's Formal Wear of Houston Inc. to reunify with Al's Formal Wear Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Formal clothing company reties knot after long split Stuart Gaylor has never had a better reason to rent a tux. The president of the 42-year-old Al's Formal Wear of Houston Inc. is about to witness the marriage of two companies he...

Public council member joins private law firm.(Houston City Council member Chris Bell has joined Beirne, Maynard & Parsons)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Houston City Council member. Chris Bell has joined Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, the largest law firm in Texas specializing entirely in civil litigation. Bell is a civil litigator with trial experience in securities arbitration, contract...

Energy software firm scores cemetery coup.(Data-Track contract with the US Dept. of Veteran Affairs National Cemetary Administration)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Houston-based Data-Trak has a large base of energy-related clients. But the company's newest customer is definitely not high energy. The firm, which designs software to help companies keep up with equipment maintenance, has landed a...

Small businesses big on giving gifts.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Small-business owners are in a giftgiving mood this year. New York-based American Express Co. estimates that small business owners will spend more than $5 billion on holiday gifts to their clients, employees and vendors. Some 38...

News from the food and drink front.(Crapitto's Cucina Italiana reopens after fire damage)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... John Crapitto has reopened his Crapitto's Cucina Italiana after a fire damaged the restaurant 10 months ago. What took so long? "Contractors are so busy, I had a tough time finding them," says Crapitto. He says he also took...

TBS Super-station.(Dinner & A Movie series to feature restaurateur Alberto Baffoni)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Alberto Baffoni, owner and executive chef of Simposio Ristorante Italiano, is coming out of behind the stove and into the spot-light when he co-hosts a segment of TBS Super-station's food-meets-film Friday night series, "Dinner & A Movie." ...

Azurix makes waves in Florida water fight.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Houston firm draws political heat with $3 billion proposal to restore Everglades Azurix Corp. is creating a political stir in Florida with a proposal to pay for part of a massive Everglades restoration project in exchange for the water...

Practices of 'rogue trader' at Plains quickly lead to litigation.(Plains All American Pipeline reports losses due to unauthorized trading practices)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Ex-employee blamed for $160 million loss at pipeline company Law firms that specialize in class-action Litigation against public companies lost no time in filing claims against Plains All American Pipeline in Houston this week after the...

Minute Maid mixes with Hi-C to create marketing alliance.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Minute Maid Co. and J&J Snack Foods Corp. have formed an alliance to market Minute Maid and Hi-C brand products to retailers and food service customers in the frozen juice novelty category. "Through this strategic alliance, we plan to...

Shall we gather in the CBD?(Randalls Food Markets founder Robert Onstead buys San Jacinto Savings Building with plans to build a Church of Christ there)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Onstead buys downtown building for new church Randalls Food Markets founder Robert Onstead has bagged the San Jacinto Savings Building on Main Street with plans to build a 350- seat church on the site. Onstead, founder of Randalls Food...

Chairman Jordan exits Reliant after 23 years at the top.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... After nearly a year of rumors, it's official: Don Jordan is retiring as chairman of Reliant Energy and will be succeeded by Steve Letbetter, who has served as president and CEO of the company since June. Jordan, 67, has run Reliant Energy...

Many happy returns: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmases past.(popular toys this season usually have ties to popular toys of the past)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Call it "Toy Story 2". With the exception of a few new items, a number of hot toy sellers this holiday season are familiar brands with a fresh twist. Some have even returned to the shelves with attitude, as in Rock & Roll Elmo and Ernie...

Retail rumbling.(Bodyflash.com to sell jewelry online)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Another Houston-based company is going online to sell jewelry. Texas entrepreneurs Willard Jackson and Karen Post are co-founders of Bodyflash.com. "The jewelry industry is booming today, and industry analysts report that online jewelry...

Employers take a hard look at phased retirement option.
December 3, 1999... The nature of retirement is changing. Confronted with a tight labor market and a booming economy, some companies are looking into phased retirement programs that allow their older workers to ease their way into retirement gradually, rather...

Use cultural tools to build strong business operations.
December 3, 1999... Today, companies are interested, in improving their competitiveness through a committed and productive workforce. In manufacturing, achieving operational excellence and being viewed as an employer-of-choice are complementing strategies. To...

An employment offer letter modifies employment at will.
December 3, 1999... In today's tight job market, employers have found themselves greatly increasing the annual salary on their offer letters so as to attract the market's best and brightest. If the offer letter is not carefully worded, however, the unwary employer...

Temporary staffing becomes a more permanent solution.
December 3, 1999... At every turn there are reports of the difficulty of hiring employees in the tightest labor market in decades. Just finding skilled and semi-skilled talent is close to impossible and everyone wants the best candidates available. And that's the...

Structured interview approach makes it easier to hire.
December 3, 1999... As most everybody knows, the job interview is a critical component of hiring employees. And there are literally hundreds of questions an employer can ask applicants that will elicit the kind of information needed to make a hiring decision. ...

Recruitment field is ripe for harvesting networks.
December 3, 1999... Faced with corporate downsizing or a desire for greater job satisfaction, seasoned professionals may find it worthwhile to explore a new career opportunity -- becoming an executive recruiter. The search and placement industry is exploding....

More companies are hiring top executives on contract.
December 3, 1999... More companies are hiring top executives on a flexible basis, according to a report of its placements by Stamford, Conn.-based IMCOR. IMCOR officials suggest this is because of mergers, acquisitions and initial public offerings that require...

LARGEST AREA TEMPORARY PLACEMENT FIRMS.
December 3, 1999... LARGEST AREA TEMPORARY PLACEMENT FIRMS (Ranked by Number of W2s Issued for Houston in 1998) No. of W2s No. of Last Name ...

Remember employees during Y2K Weekend.
December 3, 1999... Employers may need to take steps to motivate and reward the people who will be on duty to deal with problems during Y2K Weekend -- from Friday, Dec. 31, through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, according to New York-based William M Mercer Inc. The...

Cheesecake Factory gets management award.
December 3, 1999... The Cheesecake Factory Inc., with 32 restaurants nationwide, including one in Houston, was recently honored by People Report for its restaurant management retention record and hiring practices. The restaurant chain received the 1999 Best...

Take steps to prevent industrial spying.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The key to preventing industrial spying, from within or outside, is making it clear that a company is not a "soft target," says Kevin C. Swailes, president and CEO of Swailes, Sheridan, Slade & Associates, an investigative and security...

Resource helps identify services for dependents.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Initiatives for Children Inc.'s Family Care Resource and Referral Service is offered as an employee benefit, according to Charlotte Chung, community relations liaison. The service is effective in decreasing absenteeism due to dependent...

Internet allows access to benefits information.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... MARSH Inc., which provides insurance and risk management solutions, has introduced new Internet-based information sites for human resource executives (www.benefitsmart.com) and their employees (www.benefitsite.com) served by the company. ...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... ACCOUNTING Reed Tinsley has been promoted to director of physician services for Horne CPA Group. Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp PC has appointed Robert "Bob" Gray to principal of the litigation support group, Lisa Cleveland to manager of...

Awards & Grants.
December 3, 1999... The Marks Family Dealerships Inc. has been awarded the eighth annual 1999 Houston Award for Excellence. Presented by the Houston Better Business Bureau Education Foundation, the University of Houston College of Business Administration, and the...

Senior class: Developer upgrades elder care with The Concierge.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Robert Russell is breaking the extended-care formula with The Concierge. The project is the first senior facility constructed in Houston by Russell's company Concierge Care Nursing Centers. Fueled by what he found when searching for an...

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has broken ground on a 30-story office tower in The Woodlands that will serve as the company's new world headquarters when it opened in the spring of 2002. Anadarko Chairman and CEO Robert J. Allison Jr. says the...

InterCapital Partners Ltd.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... InterCapital Partners Ltd. has acquired the 302-unit Rubicon Apartments at 7302 Corporate Drive, just south of Bellaire Boulevard in southwest Houston. Jim Hurd of Houston Income Properties Inc. and Tom Wilkinson of KET Enterprises Inc....

Garden Ridge replants account from Fogarty Klein to Publicis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... The Dallas office of Publicis Advertising has been named agency of record for home-decor retailer Gar den Ridge Corp., replacing 10-year incumbent Fogarty Klein. The Houston-based merchant of candles, baskets and silk flowers mad its...

Metro mulls moving ad work to in-house shop.(Houston Metro Transit Authority's contract with Fogarty Klein)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Houston Metro Transit Authority, another Fogarty Klein client, is in the late stages of an agency review for its $2 million advertising account. Metro spokeswomen Julie Gilbert says Sykes Communications, Lopez Negrete Communications...

Haynes Media & Marketing.(gets advertising account of Truflex Golf Clubs)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Local shop Haynes Media & Marketing beat out five agencies for the national rollout account of the Houston-based golf club manufacturer Truflex Golf Clubs. Of the five agencies under review, two were from Texas and three were from Florida. One...

Landry's Seafood Restaurants Inc.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Somebody made a pretty expensive typo on a local billboard advertising seafood at Willie G's restaurant. The billboard with an unnecessary apostrophe, located off Highway 59 South near downtown, reads "Seafood at it's finest." A spokeswoman for...

The banking buzz: It's open season on independent targets.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... The local ban rumor mill continues to churn as industry analysts and Houston investors chew on a full plate of takeover speculation. Acquisition chatter intensified in local circles after New Orleans-based Whitney Holding Corp. recently...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.(applies for thrift charter)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Community banks in Houston and nationwide are breathing a sigh of relief. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest retailer in the world, has emerged as a loser amid all the winners under financial reform. The financial overhaul allows banks,...

Frost National Bank.(opens Frost Bank-FM 1960 in Houston, TX)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Frost National Bank has hit 21. The San Antonio-based institution in November opened Frost Bank-FM 1960, its 21st Houston-area location. Customers of the unremarkable branch in northwest Houston might not realize the history behind what...

Driving force.(Group 1 Automotive Inc.)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Ben Hollingsworth's wheeling and dealing have put Group 1 Automotive in the fast lane on Wall Street Stop next to the Houston headquarters of Group 1 Automotive Inc. and grab a Big Mac or fill up at a Chevron station. This suburban patch...

Amazon.com acquires $10 million equity position in Ashford.com.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Houston-based Ashford.com hit the Internet jackpot this week by inking a deal with industry leader Amazon.com, a fellow online retailer. Amazon announced this week it will pay $10 million to acquire 707,000 shares of Ashford's outstanding...

ISOTAG Technology Inc.(purchases Eastman Chemical Co.'s ClirCode invisible marking business)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Houston-based ISOTAG Technology Inc. has agreed to purchase the invisible marking business of Eastman Chemical Co. for an undisclosed amount. The transaction will give Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman an equity position in ISOTAG. ISOTAG...

Marc Ostrofsky.(sells Business.com to eCompanies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Marc Ostrofsky sold the domain name, Business.com, to a California company this week for a record-setting $7.5 million. The amount is almost double the last largest price paid for a domain name, which occurred when Compaq Computer Corp....

The University of Houston.(opens Texas Learning and Computation Center)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The University of Houston has secured $4 million in finding to create a new Texas Learning and Computation Center. The funding was part of a recent NASA appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Congress. The technology center will be a...

Comfort Systems USA Inc.
December 3, 1999... Houston-based Comfort Systems USA Inc. is bringing its business to the Internet through its recent acquisition of Outbound Services from Tanknology NDE International Inc. Comfort Systems is not disclosing how much it paid for the...

Who's afraid of Y2K? Not 1.5 million small business owners.(year 2000 computer date transition)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Up to 1.5 million small business owners won't take any steps to address the Year 2000 computer problem before Jan. 1, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The new estimate is based on an October Gallup Organization...

Entrepreneurs form own commission.(National Commission on Entrepreneurship)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Nearly half of all Americans have the wrong idea about who is responsible for the nation's economic growth, reports the National Commission on Entrepreneurship. A poll commissioned by the new organization found that 45 percent of the...

Independent inventors continue patent fight.
December 3, 1999... Independent inventors who oppose changes in the U.S. patent system say they will continue their fight even though patent legislation was tacked on to the budget bill passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. Steven Michael Shore,...

Minority businesses get paperwork break.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Minority-owned government contractors can now pursue federally funded state and local transportation projects without going through an additional round of extensive paperwork and examination. The Small Business Administration and the U.S....

Bush, Bradley campaigns prove politics and pro sports naturally mix.(presidential candidates George W. Bush and Bill Bradley)
December 3, 1999... If current polls are an indication, the last presidential election of the 20th century may be contested between two men who first entered politics off their successes in professional sports. The Democrat is a former player. The Republican is a...

Straight from the CEO: The World's Top Business Leaders Reveal Ideas That Every Manager Can Use.
December 3, 1999... by G. William Dauphinais, Colin Price, editors The book makes a contribution toward understanding today's corporate leadership across the globe -- from big companies to smal1 and from the countries in the Organization for Economic...

Alternative channels.(BEST-STAFF Services Inc.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 3, 1999... A minority approach has provided consistent growth for David Harris' BESTSTAFF Services Before David Harris founded BEST-STAFF Services Inc. and landed Lockheed Martin as its first major client, his plan was simple: tap staffing resources...

Goldberg's challenge: Can neighborhood deli make it as bagel biggie?(Goldberg's Bagel Co.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 3, 1999... It's a common enough occurrence, the opening of an independent, neighborhood restaurant, snack bar or deli. But, as common as it is, it's a tough enterprise. According to statistics, surviving in the restaurant business is one of the most...

From Santa Claus to Wild West, Houstonians love to have parades.
December 3, 1999... Most people enjoy a parade. Houstonians are no exception. Over the years the city has been the setting for festive gatherings honoring historic events, ethnic celebrations, famous dignitaries and holidays of all kinds. Just plan a parade and...

Mesa Southwest Construction of Houston.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Mesa Southwest Construction of Houston has been awarded a contract by Timberlake Baptist Church to be the general contractor for a 1 3,000-square-foot remodel and new multi-purpose building for the church. Construction is currently under way...

LYONDELL CHEMICAL Co.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... NYSE LYO Lyondell Chemical Co. is one of the world's largest chemical companies, comprising wholly owned businesses operating under the Lyondell name and major ownership positions in Equitstar Chemicals LP, LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP and...

An ounce of preparation: With e-mail, anti-virus software is a must.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... If you're like me, you use e-mail or download files from the Internet pretty regularly. You're therefore at risk of letting a virus into your computer, as I recently did when I opened a message from a colleague and unbeknownst to me, infected...

Saab 9-5: A sleek wagon with all the requisite idiosyncrasies.
December 3, 1999... Two on the Road Saab 9-5 wagon Mid-size station waghon Base price: $31,850 Mpg: 22/29 4-cylinder, 19/25 V6 automatic Lu: The Europeans have brought class back to a fading American standard -- the station wagon, and Saab...

Backstreet Cafe: Classy oasis with neighborhood ambiance.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Backstreet Cafe began improving itself long before its neighborhood between Montrose and River-Oaks started getting swankier. A two-story house on the South Shepherd curve between West Gray and West Dallas, Backstreet Cafe opened in 1983,...

Financial freedom in banking arena.
December 3, 1999... The most significant piece of business legislation to come out of the U.S. Congress this year might prove to be the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, which President Clinton signed into law on Nov. 12. The new law repeals the antiquated...

Have yourself a merry online Christmas.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Ah, the signs of Christmas are already all around us. Decorations are going up on every block, a chill -- though slight -- is in the Texas air, and every ad on television or radio is sporting some sort of dot-corn suffix. Yes, this year...

Electronic millennium will exceed wildest imagination.
December 3, 1999... Information technology (IT to industry folks) has created and fueled the growth of the global economy. The personal computer revolution of the 1980s and the explosion of the Internet in the 1990s set the stage for today's emerging "electronic...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
December 3, 1999... The name game Recently, a media hubbub was made over Governor George W. Bush, when being spontaneously asked, he was unable to name the presidents of four foreign countries. Is this a big deal or what? From the best I can tell, it...

System swap.
December 3, 1999... BP Amoco and Enogex Inc. have agreed to an exchange of natural gas gathering systems in the Arkoma Basin of Oklahoma. BP Amoco received Enogex's Red Oak gas gathering system in Latimer County in exchange for its Kinta and South Bokoshe gas...

Properties acquisition.
December 3, 1999... Apache Corp. has completed its acquisition of producing properties and other assets in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, Canada, with proved reserves of 87.5 million barrels of oil equivalent from Shell Canada Limited...

Transformer manufacturer.
December 3, 1999... Cooper Industries Inc. has acquired Electromanufacturas SA de C.V., a privately held manufacturer of polemounted transformers located in Santa Cruz de las Flores, Mexico. Electromanufacturas, which has annual sales of approximately $16 million...

Telscape deal.
December 3, 1999... Telscape International Inc., an integrated communications company, has agreed to merge with Atlanta, Ga.-based Pointe Communications Corp. in an all-stock transaction. If the deal is completed, the merger is expected to increases Telscape's...

Acquisition complete.
December 3, 1999... CompX International Inc. has completed its acquisition of of Yinjoy Corp. and a certain number of its affiliates for $11.5 million in cash. Yinjoy produces the Dynaslide line of precision ball bearing drawer slides in two manufacturing plants...

Gas cargoes.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Coral Energy has agreed to purchase 11 cargoes of liquefied natural gas from Oman LNG LLC for shipment into the United States in 2000 and 2001. The cargoes will total about 29 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Terms of the agreements have not...

Strategic planning.(Southern Mineral Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Southern Mineral Corp. has retained FirstEnergy Capital Corp. of Calgary, Canada as independent advisors to assist in studying strategic alternatives for maximizing value of the company's Canadian subsidiary, Neutrino Resources Inc. Southern...

Fire sale.
December 3, 1999... Vallen Corp. has acquired substantially all the operating assets and assumed certain liabilities of County Fire Equip. Co. of Tampa, Fla. The company provides sales, inspection and maintenance services for portable fire extinguisher lines and...

Underground storage facility.
December 3, 1999... Blue Dolphin Energy Co. has inked a deal through a jointly-owned venture, Blue Dolphin Gas Storage LLC, to acquire the Avoca Natural Gas Storage Project from Northeastern Gas Caverns LLC. Blue Dolphin Gas Storage is a Texas limited liability...

Brazil nonstop.
December 3, 1999... Continental Airlines Inc. has kicked off nonstop service between Houston and Sao Paulo, Brazil, marking the longest nonstop flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport into deep South America. Continental will operate a DC1O-30 aircraft on...

Power Center turns high-tech hub.
December 10, 1999... Fiber networks lure flock of telecom firms to strategic Greenspoint site Houston's first retail power center is being transformed a high-tech telecommunications hub. Fiber networks and Internet switching stations now occupy the...

First Sierra going global in tiny town.(Quanah, Texas)(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Financial firm bids to buy Quanah bank as base to launch new Internet operation First Sierra Financial Inc. is taking an unusual path to form a Houston-based Internet bank. The local institution has agreed to buy a bricks-and-mortar bank...

NFL goes in motion to sack 'Texans' Web site.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... A Web site promoting "Houston Texans" as the name for the city's new gridiron team has the National Football League on the offensive. The site, located at www.texansfootball.com, has sported a colorful Houston Texans logo and encouraged...

Old building converts to ritzy condos.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... The owners of Downtown's Commerce Building have unveiled definitive plans to revamp the historical structure as a high-rise luxury condominium for the well-heeled. New York-based investment group Premier Towers -- led by Morris Friedman in...

Cybergrinches plan virtual celebration.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Ready the virtual confetti. Chill the cyberchampagne. And tell Dick Clark he's been dethroned as Times Square master of ceremonies for the national New Year's Eve bash. Just in time for the new millennium, the eternally youthful Clark is...

Take it out for a test spin, Timmy.(Park Place Motorcars)(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... They may not be able to drive yet, but young tykes are a target consumer market for Park Place Motorcars this holiday season. "Indulge Your Child. This Season With A First Mercedes" is a tag line used by Park Place, which operates a large...

The Woodlands goes Downtown.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 10, 1999... Downtown's magnetism appears so attractive that even The Woodlands can't stay away. The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center is opening a Downtown sales office at The Park Shops at 1200 McKinney. The space will double as the" place...

Houston a hotbed of merger mania.
December 10, 1999... Mergers and acquisitions are flowing this way. "Houston-based companies, have been the second most sought-after companies in the U.S. in 1999," according to Mergerstat, a newsletter that tracks M&A activity. During the first 10 months...

Shell makes chemical fashion statement.
December 10, 1999... Houston-based Shell Chemicals has stretched into the fashion business, and if all goes well Spandex manufacturers may have reason to sweat. Japanese company Asahi Chemical Industry Co. has developed clothing using special fibers from Shell...

News from the food and drink front.
December 10, 1999... The property once occupied by Pignetti's restaurant once again has a pulse. Faisel Hussein is taking over the 414 W. Gray spot to open his second Capriccio Italian Restaurant and Bar. Hussein is a busy guy. Earlier this year, he sold...