Houston Business Journal articles from February 1995

Houston Business Journal archives from February 1995

Radioactive steel slips through port. (Port of Houston)
February 3, 1995... State regulators track Bulgarian shipment State authorities are trying to track down the whereabouts of steel plates contaminated with radiation and inadvertently shipped through the Port of Houston by Ferrostaal Metals Corp. The...

Fast growing EqualNet files for public offering.
February 3, 1995... In 1993, their firm was Houston's fastest-growing company. In 1994, they were the Small Business Administration's Entrepreneurs of the Year. This year, the 30-year-old founders of EqualNet Corp. are planning to take their company public....

A first for Houston: midwives, doctors give birth to new relationship. (private practice obstetricians/gynecologists and nurse/midwives team up to form Women's Specialists of Houston)
February 3, 1995... Houston's medical community has given birth to another "first." In an unlikely pairing, four private practice obstetricians/gynecologists have teamed up with two certified nurse-midwives to co-manage prenatal care and delivery. The group,...

Here comes Kia: five dealerships rolling out Korean car in Houston. (Kia Motors America Inc. to open new dealerships)
February 3, 1995... Kia Motors America Inc., the U.S. sales arm of Korea's second-largest automaker, will open five new dealerships in Houston this month. Greg Warner, Kia's executive vice president and chief operating officer, says Kia sedans and sport-utility...

Partnership chairman sees improved business climate. (Greater Houston Partnership Chairman Kenneth L. Lay)
February 3, 1995... During 1994, the Greater Houston Partnership successfully addressed four major areas that are important to maintaining a positive business climate in Houston. These areas include education, environmental regulation, transportation and tort...

Creative lending program helps businesses access export capital. (Export Working Capital Program)
February 3, 1995... Local financial institutions slow to embrace SBA, Ex-Im Bank joint arrangement The Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Small Business Administration have joined forces to make accessing capital easier for businesses looking to get...

New power player will rival HL&P. (Houston Lighting and Power Co.)
February 10, 1995... Big users back plan to create own utility Big business is going head-to-head with Houston Lighting and Power Co. A new company backed by major Gulf Coast industrial power users is filing next week to become a transmission utility that will...

City Streets alive with six nightclubs in one. (Houston, Texas)
February 10, 1995... A new mega-nightclub has opened on Richmond Avenue, offering six different entertainment themes designed to attract Galleria-area office workers and other upscale patrons. City Streets, the 30,000-square-foot super-club developed by Houston...

Kent planning major move to Sugar Land. (Kent Electronics Corp.; Sugar Land Business Park)
February 10, 1995... Hot electronics company will join Fort Bend Houston-based Kent Electronics Corp. is expected to announce a major relocation plan later this month that will move approximately 400 manufacturing and sales jobs from southwest Houston to Fort Bend...

Veteran Houston restaurateur plans to launch a Pepper Mill. (Don Christopher of CMC Holdings)
February 10, 1995... CMC Holdings also has Cliff's and Otto's combination in the works Longtime restaurateur Don Christopher realizes that starting a new chain is a "near impossible" task. Despite the odds, Christopher and his business partners are moving...

Enron power player makes mark all over map. (Enron Development CEO Rebecca Mark)
February 10, 1995... International dealmaker Rebecca Mark travels the globe to develop giant projects Rebecca Mark, a high-powered executive in the power business, spends most of her time abroad. From China to India and from Turkey to Colombia, she traverses the...

Companies go to court over chemical plant. (Sterling Chemicals Inc.; Huntsman Chemical Corp.)
February 24, 1995... Sterling Chemicals Inc. is taking a Salt Lake City-based company to court over use of Sterling's chemical plant in Texas City. The Houston-based petrochemical company has filed suit against Huntsman Chemical Corp. in a dispute involving...

State renews effort to sell prime land in Fort Bend. (Texas)
February 24, 1995... After an unsuccessful attempt several years ago to sell more than 6,000 acres of prime Fort Bend County land, the state is ready to try again. The Texas Department of Transportation has contracted Houston engineers Rust Lichliter/Jameson to...

Ex-Rockets player loses round to IRS. (Houston Rockets player Allen Leavell)
February 24, 1995... On the basketball court, Allen Leavell's tactics made him a star with the Houston Rockets. In the tax court they got him zilch. But the long-running contest between Leavell and the federal tax collector could go into overtime, and the former...

Food fight: grocery chains flock to supermarket hot spot. (Houston, Texas)
February 24, 1995... When the Kroger Signature Store opened its doors last October at the southeast corner of San Felipe and Voss, managers at the nearby Randalls Flagship began to scheme. In a maneuver aimed at taking the "grand" out of Kroger's opening, Randalls...

U.S. Delivery breaks new ground in purchasing Michigan company. (U.S. Delivery Systems Inc. buys American Distribution System Inc.)
February 24, 1995... U.S. Delivery Systems Inc. has taken the next step in its bid to become the national mainstay of the local same-day delivery industry. The Houston delivery company, which has offices in 34 U.S. markets, has agreed to purchase Michigan-based...

Total banking deposits continue to show decline in Houston area. (Texas)
February 24, 1995... Climbing interest rates haven't provided a boost to local bank deposits - at least not yet. According to data collected by the Federal Reserve Bank last summer, Houston-area financial institutions continue to show declines in the amount of...

The essence of entrepreneurs in the '90s. (Houston, Texas)
February 24, 1995... One of the most enduring legends of Houston business folklore is the saga of the city as an entrepreneurial mecca. Houston has been a hotbed for entrepreneurs ever since the 1800s, when the Allen brothers made a fortune selling Bayou City...

The HL&P rate settlement: what really happened? (Houston Lighting and Power Co.)
February 24, 1995... We are writing in response to the Feb. 10 Letter from Katherine D. Moseley, deputy assistant director for the City of Houston Finance and Administration Department, addressing the Jan. 27 article "Actual HL&P rate settlement $62.2 million, not...

Production Works: 'affordable' TV talent is her secret to success. (ProductionWorks Inc. owner Colleen Sweeney)(Company Profile)
February 24, 1995... Company: Production Works. Business: Film production. Founded: 1991. Employees: 5. Sales: $3 million. Background: Colleen Sweeney has watched the high points of her career on television but she is no actress. Sweeney heads up...

Selling a business: consider the end from the beginning.
February 24, 1995... Many small-business owners may not realize it, but the process of selling a private business starts even before the company rings up its first sale. Owners usually have much more on their minds than the faraway idea of selling the business...

Former millionaire has yards of memories. (George Ballas)(includes related article)
February 24, 1995... George Ballas made a fast fortune inventing the Weed Eater. Today, he just hopes to be rich again. As George Ballas drives past his gigantic former home in the upscale Rivercrest neighborhood, he stares pensively at the strange, 10-foot metal...

Convention & Visitors Bureau makes progress promoting city.
February 24, 1995... Houston's image is not one of a destination market for tourism. It's not really one of those obvious places that tourists clamor to experience Disneyland or jostle in line to see the crack in the Liberty Bell. Houston is better associated with...

Close more sales by opening opportunities for customers.
February 24, 1995... Today's sales professionals are looking for more and better ways to increase their sales effectiveness. The most frequently asked topic for my presentations at sales meetings is: "How can I close more sales?" The key to closing more sales is...