Houston Business Journal articles from November 2000

Houston Business Journal archives from November 2000

Reliant plugs into downtown tower.(Reliant Energy leases new space)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Utility signs deal to become lead tenant in Century skyscraper, sources say Reliant Energy is signing up to become lead tenant in Houston's newest downtown skyscraper, real estate sources say. The utility conglomerate reportedly has...

Banking on the suburbs.(Bank of Tanglewood opens new branch)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Team clones community concept with third branch A group of veteran Houston bankers bucking the mega-bank trend have received regulatory approval to open their third community branch in four years. The Bank of Memorial, expected to open...

EOG cooking with gas after split with Enron.(EOG Resources becomes independent of Enron Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... When natural gas was selling at moderate prices in the summer of 1999, Mark Papa and his team at Enron Oil & Gas Co. were bullish on the outlook for the commodity. They were so optimistic that they wanted to buy out giant Enron Corp.'s...

Bunches of beignets go on big roll.(Crescent City Beignets expands outside of Texas)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Crescent City Beignets will roll out its beignet and coffee-fueled concept beyond Texas for the first time by entering seven states with at least 31 locations. Chicago and Las Vegas represent two key markets for the Houston-based...

Cigna signing sends alternative signal.(Cigna signs agreements for health services discounts)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Cigna HealthCare of Texas has signed a non-traditional agreement that will offer members access to alternative medicine at discounted prices. As of Nov. 1, Cigna members in Texas will be given up to a 25 percent discount on services from...

Texans huddle up for female fans.(Houston Texans promote sport to women)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Houston Texans are, holding a football workshop for women on Nov. 4 in hopes of creating a larger female fan base before the team begins playing in 2002. For women who may be more familiar with a different set of Xs and Os than the...

Austin airheads rail against Houston.(debate over addition of light rail system)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Houston's role in the future of light rail is a hot issue during this election season -- among Austin voters. Austinites pushing for light rail in the Texas capital are playing the smog card on placards posted around Austin. "Austin or...

Seven lawyers switch venue to join rival firm.(Jackson Waller hires 7 Broocks, Baker and Lange attorneys)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Houston office of Texas law firm Jackson Walker has snared seven attorneys from the firm of Broocks, Baker and Lange, including two of the Houston firm's named partners, Ben Broocks and B. John Lange. The seven attorneys will join...

News from the food and drink front.(Fox Diner relocates)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Fox Diner, the stylish Montrose eatery that specializes in "low country cooking," is planning to relocate to the vacant Monarch Cleaners building at South Shepherd and Kipling. "We've outgrown our space," says owner Tom Williams, who also...

Houstonian Hotel.(Olivette restaurant wins Best Ceasar Salad award)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... * The Olivette restaurant at the Houstonian Hotel was the big winner in this year's Consumers Choice for the Best Caesar Salad competition in Houston held two weeks ago at the St. Regis Hotel. Olivette Chef Jim Mills beat out 16 other...

Tenzer targets mature market with The Mews in Kingwood.(Tenzer Communities plans housing development in Texas)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Kingwood, the north Houston master-planned community with a penchant for swimming pools, greenbelts and elementary schools, will be the site of a new residential development targeting a more mature demographic. Los Angeles-based Tenzer...

Dallas-area PPO buys Humana's Alliance Health.(USC Health Services acquires Alliance Health Providers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Alliance Health Providers, one of Houston's top preferred provider organizations, has been acquired by USC Health Services a Richardson-based PPO making its first venture into the, local market. Owned by Humana Inc., Alliance is Houston's...

Enron floats plan to buy out foundering water subsidiary.(Enron Corp.'s buyout of Azurix would take company private)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Proposal would take public Azurix private for a premium price of $7 per share Enron Corp. has proposed to buy out its struggling water services affiliate, Azurix Corp., for $7 a share. This price would represent a 97 percent premium over...

Deepwater deal: French company buying Aker Maritime division for $625 million.(Coflexip Stena Offshore)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Coflexip Stena Offshore, a French oil services firm, is offering to buy the Houston-based. deepwater division of Aker Maritime, a Norwegian oilfield services company, for a total purchase price of about $625 million. Aker Maritime's...

Big banks, IBM launch venture to speed shift to check imaging.(Bank of America, Chase Manhattan and IBM form Viewpointe)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Houston-based firm, Viewpointe, targets reductions in cost Bank of America, Chase Manhattan Bank and IBM have created a new Houston-based company to speed up the banking industry's conversion to check imaging. Archive Services will...

Waste Management sells power plants to Duke in bid to pay down heavy debt.(Wheelabrator Environmental Systems sells to DukeSolutions)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Wheelabrator Environmental Systems, a subsidiary of Houston-based Waste Management Inc., will sell eight independent power plants in the United States to DukeSolutions, a subsidiary of Duke Energy. The purchase price is about $81 million...

Funding round nets $2 million for growing telecom company.(CCC GlobalCom Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Houston-based CCC GlobalCom Corp. completed a private placement last week that raised $2 million, which is certain to help the local telecommunications company expand operations. CCC GlobalCom also announced last week a definitive agreement...

Barbara Bush.(Advisor to Questia Media Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Former first lady Barbara Bush is among a distinguished group recruited by Houston-based Questia Media Inc. for its newly-formed advisory council. Also joining the panel are Dr. Sidney Verba, director of the Harvard University Library; Dr....

Marsh & McLennan Cos.(Internet preformance bond)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 3, 2000... * A leading risk and insurance firm is rolling out what it calls the first comprehensive program to guarantee c-commerce transactions on a worldwide basis. Marsh, a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos., has developed a performance bond program...

Moody Gardens.(Entrepreneur conference)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... * Entrepreneurs will get a chance to pitch their business ideas to a group of venture capitalists this December in Galveston during a conference focusing on health care, biotechnology and life sciences. The goal of the first-time event, to...

A year away from deregulation, some players mull re-regulation.(electricity deregulation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... In a little more than a year, electricity in Texas will be deregulated, becoming just another commodity in the, competitive marketplace. Deregulation of electricity in the U.S. has been long and eagerly anticipated but excruciatingly slow in...

Coral Energy.(New pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Coral Energy, a Houston-based subsidiary of Shell Oil, last week inaugurated its 104-mile natural gas pipeline that crosses the U.S.-Mexican border at Reynosa near McAllen. The $50 million bi-directional pipeline will carry gas in both...

Duke Energy Gas Transmission.(pipeline expansion)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... * Duke Energy Gas Transmission, a Houston-based division of Duke Energy, has announced a $215 million, 95-mile expansion of its East Tennessee Patriot natural gas pipeline from Virginia into North Carolina. The company also plans a mainline...

Don't touch that dial: Sale of five radio stations to El Dorado on hold.(El Dorado Communications and Clear Channel Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... El Dorado Communications Inc. has put its plans on hold to increase radio market share in Houston. In March, San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc. announced that it was selling five stations to locally based El Dorado, but...

Cox Radio.(Clear Channel Communications Inc. move)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The game of musical chairs is almost over among other local radio stations. In the wake of recent radio acquisitions, Cox Radio and Clear Channel Communications have shuffled their station locations around town. After some upgrades and new...

The Thompson Agency.(Houston office)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... * The Thompson Agency of Austin has set up shop in Houston. Kim Padgett is launching the local office as vice president and general manager. Padgett has extensive experience in high-tech communications, including work with BSG and...

High-tech food for thought: How Sysco stacks up against Cisco.(SYSCO Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Cisco vs. Sysco. At first glance, it seems crazy to compare Cisco Systems Inc., the dominant tech, and Internet name, with Sysco Corp., the largest player in the stodgy business of food service distribution. After all, Cisco is widely...

Office market panel emphasizes energy, environment, downtown.(The Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals meeting)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals conducted its second Year 2000 panel discussion on the local office market last week, and talks focused on Houston's energy reliance, rental rates, transportation and the environment. ...

Real estate roundup.(GSL Constructors Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... GSL constructors Ltd. of Houston, has signed agreements to build three projects representing more than 78,000-square-feet of concrete, tiltwall industrial space. In joint ventures with GLS Investments Inc., the firm plans to construct the...

Small business group raises contributions in clear-cut election.(The National Federation of Independent Business)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The National Federation of Independent Business political action committee raised $8 million for the 2000 election -- a small sum compared with the $3 billion that observers estimate will be spent by all the players in this year's political...

Books.(The Anatomy of Buzz)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing Emanuel Rosen In The Anatomy of Buzz, former marketing vice president Emanuel Rosen pinpoints the products and services that benefit the most from buzz -- word of mouth...

Profits on paperless.(Bridgeway Software)
November 3, 2000... Bridgeway Software targets law firms with efficiency in mind Pat O'Donnell started Bridgeway Software Inc. as a bootstrap operation 11 years ago initially to serve as the software arm of an oil and gas company. But the venture took a new...

Draft your privacy policy before monitoring employee activities.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The phenomenal growth and influence of the Internet have created new issues and concerns for Texas employers. Employers desire to take advantage of the convenience and connectivity offered by the Internet, but along with these advantages come a...

Small biz races to cyber-rescue.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... This has been a year for slaughtering Internet stocks, those flaky New Economy pretenders that once gloried in billion-dollar valuations without benefit of a single sale to a real customer. The hype was, that the Internet was changing the...

Giving it the old Electoral College try.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Next week, if you value your freedoms as an American, you'll head to the polls, enter the voting booth and exercise your basic Constitutional right to cast a presidential ballot for -- a slate of electors. Then, at some point in the future, we...

Business tax burden stymies industrial growth.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Historically, Texas has been the "go-to" state for industry -- an international benchmark for doing business in the world's ever-changing economic landscape. Many firms looking to expand or relocate have found in Texas the right mix of...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... A critical vote This month, the American people will elect a new president and a new Congress. Will it be a Congress that protects our prosperity by voting for free trade, lower taxes, meaningful managed care reform, fewer regulations and...

Reliant Park.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Reliant Energy will pay $300 million over a 32-year period to stamp its name on Houston's new football stadium, the Astrodome and three other facilities in what used to be known as the Astrodomain Complex. Reliant Park, as it has been renamed,...

Texas assets.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... El Paso Energy Corp. has acquired certain Texas assets from PG&E Corp. As part of the normal review process, the consent agreement is subject to the approval of the Federal Trade Commission. The company also announced it is finalizing a similar...

Super Bowl pick.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The National Football League made it official this week and awarded the 2004 Super Bowl to Houston. Super Bowl. XXXVIII will be played in the 69,500-seat Reliant Stadium, future home to the Houston Texans, on Feb. 1, 2004. If this year's Super...

Stock acquisition.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Nationa1-Oil well Inc. has acquired the stock of Maritime Hydraulics Canada Ltd. for $16.5 million. The transaction, which also includes the assumption of certain debt obligations, is expected to close in January 2001. Maritime Hydraulics...

Public offering.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 3, 2000... R&B Falcon Corp. will make a public offering of 16.3 million common shares to fund an offer to repurchase its 13.88 per cent senior cumulative redeemable preferred stock. The company's stock will be offered through Goldman Sachs & Co. at...

Offshore interest.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Malaysia's national oil company, Petronas, has given Conoco approval to acquire one-half of the 80 percent interest held by two Royal Dutch/Shell subsidiaries in two exploration and production blocks offshore Malaysia With the approval and as...

License agreement.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Gateway Energy Corp. says it has secured and expanded license agreement with Advanced Extraction Technologies Inc. The deal is expected to expand the scope of the license that Gate way has to use technology developed by AET to remove nitrogen...

Equity partner.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... PetroCosm Corp. says that National-Oilwell has joined the company as an equity partner of its corporation. The agreement calls for National-Oil well to hold an equity position, and to use the oil and gas business-to business marketplace as a...

Companies tap new services along Internet supply chain.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
November 3, 2000... The years leading up to the new millennium will forever be remembered as the era the Industrial Age was left behind and the Information Age was embraced. Information has been called the ultimate weapon in today's competitive environment and is...

Software creates special effects for production of commercials.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... When television became the entertainment sensation of the 1950s, programs ran in black and white and commercials usually featured a pitchman extolling the product. Just the basics. Decades rolled along: color was introduced, and commercials...

Networking groups explode as techies leave terminals.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Think techies aren't social animals? Wrong. It's hip to be tech these days. Not only has the growth of the Internet built a new technology marketplace and allowed information access and communication opportunities around the clock, it's also...

E-business means more than simple one-point connection.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Most businesses now recognize that the Internet is the essential source to tap new markets, streamline supply chains, procure business supplier needs and increase revenue. While e-commerce has proven itself as the future of business strategy,...

Smart employers can win over in-demand technology talent.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Imagine a job where workers are given perks such as telecommuting, casual dress every day, live music after 5 p.m., every other Friday off, gourmet meals prepared by award-winning chefs and fully vested, stock options within six months of hire....

Small towns harness high tech to compete with major metros.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Many small towns and edge cities are realizing that it is essential to include "infostructure" as well as infrastructure in their arsenal of offerings to business and industry. Infostructure is the framework of a telecommunications network that...

E-commerce adds a twist to strings on the Internet.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... As a keen observer of this phenomenon we now call the Internet since its inception as a project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, I think the time has come to more clearly define the role it plays in our lives. What started out as...

Denver-based firm opens data center in Houston.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... FirstWorld Communications (www.firstworld.com), a Denver-based provider of outsourced data center, Web and application hosting solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, has opened a 27,000-square-foot Internet data center in the...

BMC acquires Canadian database management firm.(BMC Software Inc., Sylvain Faust Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... BMC Software Inc. (www.bmc.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Sylvain Faust Inc. www.sfi-software.com), a Quebec-based developer of database solutions. The transaction was expected to close by the end of...

DataCert.com forms security agreement.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Locally based DataCert.com and Los Angeles-based Mitratech (www.mitratech.com) have entered into an agreement to form a partnership that provides clients with secure transfers of documents and files or routine feeds of monthly data from any...

Online reservation firm expanding outside Houston.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... ReservationSource Inc. (www.reservationsource.com) has signed four additional distributor agreements. The Houston-based company develops operations management software and online reservation systems for restaurants and golf courses. The...

Sonet Communications signs up for Dynarc's networks.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Houston-based Sonet Communications Inc. (www.sonetworld.net) has selected the auto-provisioning routers of Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Dynarc for its network rollout across 10 cities. The purchase is worth $1.2 million over the next 12 months,...

Compaq and Nokia link up for product.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Compaq Computer Corp. (www.compaq.com) and Mountain View, Calif.-based Nokia will jointly develop and market an end-to-end mobile Internet and intranet product to businesses. They will integrate the Nokia WAP server software and the Compaq...

Legal documents available online.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Plan Three Solutions (www.planthree.com) and Courthouse Specialists have joined forces to provide Internet access to public records through a new site called CourthouseDirect.com. The site allows users to search and download legal documents...

CommonVision opens third office in Seattle.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... CommonVision (www.commonvision.com), a locally based Web and technical consulting firm, has opened an office in Seattle. The firm plans to open two additional offices by the second quarter of next year, according to company officials. The...

Voice activated e-mail now available to ISPs.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Vocalis Inc. (www.vocalisinc.com), a Houston-based builder of voice activated telephony products, has struck a deal with several Internet service providers for its SpeechMail product. Those new ISPs that will be adding the product to their...

Flash VOS releases multiple operating systems product.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 3, 2000... Houston-based Flash VOS Inc. (www.FlashVOS.com) has unveiled its SOS product, or. "Super Operating System." The product allows users to run any number of applications by supporting many operating systems on a single computer. SOS also manages...

Unlimited long distance plan available to Houston phones.(North Voice Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Seattle-based North Voice Communications Inc. (www.northvoice.com) is now offering long distance in Houston. The long-distance and network communications company offers a program that offers unlimited long distance at a set fee and a...

Sluggish computers often easy to fix.(report from Atiwa Computing Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... In the past two weeks, two out of every three business computer users have found themselves fighting a slow computer or sluggish processing, according to officials at Houston-based Atiwa Computing Inc. (www.atiwa.com). The company's recently...

Trade-friendly Houston fostered rise of local 'merchant princes'.(history)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... From its very inception Houston was intended to be a trade center. Commerce ruled and, as a result, mercantile establishments flourished. While the new town may have provided few amenities for its residents in daily living, it never lacked for...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(brief company information)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... ACCOUNTING Jefferson Wells International has added Hugh Menown, Mindy Kay, Marie Herridge, Susan Carthan, Leopold Austin, David Harris and Florence Fitzpatrick as professional consultants; Ron Worley and Mike Buckner as forensic...

Citizen's Environmental Coalition.(BP Amoco awarded environmental award)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Citizen's Environmental Coalition has announced the winners of its annual Synergy. Awards, which honor progress, achievement; hard work and resourceful stewardship in many environmental endeavors in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. BP Amoco...

Houston Society of Association.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... The Houston Society of Association Executives has presented the 2000 Community Service Award to the Houston Automobile Dealers Association recognizing its Earning by Learning program for HISD students. This award is given annually to. an...

Lawn Management Company Inc.(gets Loomis-Fargo contract)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Lawn Management Company Inc. has been awarded the landscape management contract for Loomis-Fargo & Company.

Tellepsen Builders L.P.(partners with Occupational Health and Safety Administration)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Tellepsen Builders L.P. has entered into voluntary, partnering agreement with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to encourage and assist Tellepsen's efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of worker safety...

Enron Capital LLC.(preferred shares )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Enron Capital LLC has declared its monthly dividend of 16.7 cents on its 8 percent Cumulative Guaranteed Monthly Income preferred shares for October, payable on Oct. 31 to shareholders of record on Oct. 30. In addition, Enron Capital Resources...

EOTT Energy Partners L.P.(issues securities)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... EOTT Energy Partners L.P. has declared a distribution of 47.5 cents per common unit, payable on Nov. 14 to unit, holders of record on Oct. 31.

A small 401(k) fee can make a big difference in your nest egg.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Did you know a 1 percent difference in 401(k) plan fees and expenses could reduce your employees' retirement earnings by 28 percent? Take a recent example from the Department of Labor. An employee with 35 years left until he retires has a...

Lexus IS300: Autobahn performance despite the drab moniker.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Two on the Road Lexus IS300 Compact sports sedan Base price: $30,500 Mpg: 18/23 Competitors: BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 Lu: I knew, the moment I walked up to the new Lexus IS300, it was going to be a blast. Oddly,...

Publisher's Letter.(Family-owned business enterprises)(Editorial)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 3, 2000... Family-owned businesses comprise a large part of Houston's economic base. This year's Top 50 Houston-Area Family-Owned Businesses together employ over 9,000 people. Yet, these businesses face some unique challenges, such as succession...

Words of Advice.(Family-owned business enterprises)
November 3, 2000... Establishing a family-owned business is as risky as any startup, but with some additional challenges in the mix. Here are some thoughts and advice from family business owners on not just how to run a successful business, but how to juggle the...

Planning Ahead.(Family-owned business enterprises)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Family-owned businesses have the special concern of succession planning, ensuring the future of the business. It is a responsibility that should never be left to the next generation. Here's some explanations of why. #17 BCI/Recon ...

Family Ties.(Family-owned business enterprises)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Although mixing together family and business can present some special obstacles, many wouldn't be in business any other way. Here are comments about the rewarding aspects of a family-owned business - the trust, camaraderie and built-in ties...

Pleasing Everyone.(Family-owned business enterprises)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... It can be a delicate situation when involving both family and other employees in the same business. Many local family-owned businesses have developed techniques that ensure a company continues to operate smoothly and that everyone is happy. ...

Challenging Office Dynamics.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Aside from the daily challenges of financing, running and growing a business, working with families creates a different dynamic than other companies. Some of this year's winners respond frankly about some of the obstacles in their industries...

Milestones Network.com.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... "Shop the Web and Share the Smile!" The MilestonesNetwork.com logo says it all. With a 'click' and a smile you can celebrate the important milestones in your life and support a worthy charity at the same time. The philanthropic website...

Working With Cooper Cameron To Reassure Stockholders In Uncertain Times.
November 3, 2000... Manlove Advertising's task was to support Cooper Cameron's primary message, that this worldwide energy market leader was well-positioned, both to manage costs in a downturn and to capitalize on opportunities when the inevitable recovery...

Shellegram Supercharged.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Manlove Advertising improves image for 67-year-old publication. Showcasing the accomplishments and innovations of Shell Deer Park's employees, the Shellegram monthly newsletter, now in its 67th continuous year of publication, has been a...

Alpine Mud Products' Slick New Image.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2000... Manlove Advertising does a marketing makeover on one of America's leading drilling mud additives companies. These are rough times for creating marketplace differentiation. Forced by a highly-competitive market to recreate the company,...