Houston Business Journal articles from October 1999

Houston Business Journal archives from October 1999

Fogarty Klein firm returns to founders.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Lois/USA selling for $18.8 million Nearly two years ago, local ad men Bill Fogarty and Rich Klein sold their Houston shop to an out-of-state holding company. Now they're reversing course. Klein and Fogarty are heading a management...

Seekers move invites healthy competition.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Whole Foods gobbles up choice sites The lease dispute and bankruptcy of Houston natural foods pioneer Ye Seekers Horizons Inc. cleared the way for some national tofu titans to fight over some of the remaining scrap's of the 31-year-old...

A freeway land play.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Levcor proposes major retail center on 40-acre tract north of interstate Houston retail developer Larry Levine has wrapped up a major land deal on the Katy Freeway that's been five years in the making. The assembled land totals 40...

American Rice cooking again with fresh game plan.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Ex-chairman still in Chapter 7, faces claims of creditors Houston-based American Rice Inc. has emerged from bankruptcy with a new slate of corporate leaders and a new game plan. But the company's former chairman remains a target in...

Inc. ratings show oil still gushes in Houston.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... According to the city's new party line, Houston has diversified away from oil and gas, led by information technology. The Internet is what's really growing. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But someone forgot to tell ATP Oil & Gas the drill. Over the...

No Silver lining for center developer.
October 29, 1999... Dallas-based. Cencor Realty decided to build a shopping center anchored by a Kroger Signature Store at the northeast corner of FM 518 and Cullen Boulevard in Pearland. The name of the proposed project was Silverlake Village. But it's a...

The fickle finger of football fate.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Earlier this month, local organizers of a motivational speaking event slated for next year were touting planned keynote speaker and New Orleans Saints Coach Mike Ditka as "noted for his plain-spoken honesty." Based on recent events, they...

Isle rivals wage war of the spas.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Restaurateur and hotelier Tilman Fertitta hopes to rub his competition the wrong way by constructing a $2 million spa at The San Luis Resort & Conference Center in Galveston. Fertitta, who also owns Landry's Seafood Restaurants and...

Pooped pilots want to give it a rest.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Pilots for Continental Express Airlines who find if they snooze they lose are struggling to get more shuteye these days. Preliminary contract agreements between the Independent Association of Continental Pilots (IACP) and Continental...

Rich minorities lose `disadvantaged' status.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Minority entrepreneurs with a net worth of more than $750,000 no longer are eligible for small disadvantaged business status. This wealth limitation, effective Oct. 1, has "sent a shock wave" through the world of government contracting,...

News from the food and drink front.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The Kolache Factory is churning out more locations. The Houston-based chain of restaurants known for its meat or fruit stuffed pastries will launch four new stores in the area by February 2000. The first store, which will open by early...

Lantern Inn.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... * The Lantern Inn has left the light on for 35 years. Few restaurants survive that long in Houston, especially where the torch has been passed from owner to owner. Founded by Donald Hahn, a chef from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York...

Maxus Energy drops Dallas for new Houston HQ.
October 29, 1999... Oil company becomes the latest to consolidate its operations here After slashing its staff in half, Dallas-based Maxus Energy Corp. will move its headquarters to Houston, vacating the tower in downtown Dallas that bears its name. ...

Compaq outsources hard drive distribution to Wisconsin firm.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Menasha, Wis.-based Banta Corp. a printing and digital imaging company has signed a five-year deal worth between $600 million and $800 million with Compaq Computer Corp. to configure and distribute computer hard drives and other storage...

El Paso Energy axes more than 600 jobs after acquiring Sonat.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Houston-based El Paso Energy Corp. terminated 607 employees company-wide this week as part of a restructuring following its $6 billion acquisition of Sonat Inc. The company said layoffs took place in all locations and at all levels, affecting...

Dallas agency picks up plum Jiffy Lube advertising account.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The Richards Group beats 58-firm pack to win $50 million campaign After an intensive search, Houston-based Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. has hired The Richards Group of Dallas as advertising agency of record for the company's Jiffy Lube...

Chairman makes abrupt departure in management shakeup at Metals USA.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The chairman of Metals USA Inc. has resigned and retired from the company, effective this week. The Houston-based consolidator in the metals processing and distribution industry announced the departure of Arthur French, 59, one day...

Two firms launch online energy trading systems.
October 29, 1999... Altra Energy, Enron make new inroads on the Internet Two Houston companies unveiled plans this week for major forays into the new frontier of the Internet-based energy market place. Houston-based Altra Energy Technologies Inc., along...

Small businesses seek investor 'angels' on secure Web site.
October 29, 1999... Thousands of small businesses that need equity financing -- whether for a startup, capital improvements, product research or business expansion -- are looking to angels for help. An Internet program designed by the U.S. Small Business...

MacGregor's San Antonio division spins off from Houston operations.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... After a two-year search for a capital partner, MacGregor Medical Association in San Antonio has agreed in principle to form an alliance with Baptist Health System, ending a 5-year relationship with the Houston-based MacGregor Medical...

Bye bye, BFI: Trash firm bails from Energy Corridor after sale.
October 29, 1999... The West Houston Energy Corridor is losing another long-time tenant. Last March, Browning & Ferris Industries Inc. was acquired by Arizona-based Allied Waste Industries -- a company one-third it's size -- after a full year of industry...

Waste Management stock slide takes mutual fund to the dumps.
October 29, 1999... Longleaf Partners is one of a select few mutual funds to outperform the Standard & Poor's 500 index over the past 12 years. So it was all the more shocking when this top-performing value fund declined 15 percent for the third quarter. ...

Taking Methodist into a new millennium.
October 29, 1999... Medicare cutbacks are forcing Peter Butler to cope with an unusual medical crisis -- more patients and less revenue Peter Butler is facing the biggest challenge of his 20-year career as president and CEO of the Methodist Health Care...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Houston -- already.
October 29, 1999... Anyone who's ever grumbled about Christmas getting too commercial and all the Yuletide hoopla arriving earlier each year is apt to go Grinch over the latest retail trend. For the first time this year, hundreds of retailers will decorate...

Houston lags behind rest of Texas in expansion of service sector jobs.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... The service sector, which includes everything from advertising agencies to auto repair shops and dance studios to dental clinics, is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. economy. But in Texas, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas all surpass...

New postal regulations no 'suite' deal for small businesses.
October 29, 1999... You wouldn't know Taylor works out of her home by looking at her business address; it includes a suite number at a street address in Richardson. The word "box" isn't used. For the past 12 years, self-employed executive recruiter Sandi...

House votes to extend SBLR program 7 years.
October 29, 1999... The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend the Small Business Innovation Research program for seven years. The SBIR program requires federal agencies with research and development budgets of more than $100 million to spend at...

Y2K suits, Net taxes top concerns of CIOs.
October 29, 1999... Internet taxation was the No. 2 legislative concern of chief information officers recently surveyed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Sixty-six percent of the 180 CIOs that responded to the chamber's survey listed Internet taxes as a "very...

Senator asks agencies for help on 'slotting'.
October 29, 1999... Sen. Christopher S. Bond, chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, has asked the General Accounting Office to study the retail industry's use of "slotting" fees that money manufacturers must pay to get their products sold in stores....

'Contractor responsibility' rule prompts flood of mail.
October 29, 1999... With the Nov. 8 deadline for public comment looming, more than 600 small businesses have filed objections to a new regulation that calls for federal contract officers to evaluate a company's compliance with employment, tax and environmental...

Chamber, tech investor team up on Internet portal.
October 29, 1999... With three million members, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce decided it was in an ideal position to create an Internet portal for the small business community. The chamber pitched the idea to Raj Singh, a high-tech entrepreneur in Northern...

Port of Houston cannot stand still.
October 29, 1999... Bond issues floated by the Port of Houston Authority have historically encountered smooth sailing at the polls. In most cases, voters have routinely approved past port funding proposals by wide margins. But this time around the port has...

Arena debate same song, different verse.
October 29, 1999... Once again, it's time to stand up and be counted. One more moment of truth has arrived for Houston voters, who must make the final choice this week on whether to add another sports stadium to the city skyline. City Council members may be...

Future looks fundamentally sound for oil prices.
October 29, 1999... As anyone who has followed the commodities markets in recent years can tell you, investing in oil is not for the faint of heart. In this year alone, the price per barrel of oil has been on a roller-coaster ride of Texas-sized proportions,...

Energy database.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... IIR Energy, an energy-related information provider, has begun a new service to track and report new power plant generating unit construction. The new service will provide energy company owners, operators, developers and traders with important...

Drilling plans.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The American Energy Group Ltd.'s plans to drill an exploratory well early next year on its Jacobabad oil and gas concession in central Pakistan remain unchanged despite the October 12 change in governmental control. The company has been...

Pharmaceutical acquisition.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Nutrition For Life International Inc. has agreed to acquire Advanced Nutraceuticals Inc. and ASH Corp. ANI was formed to pursue a consolidation and integration program that addresses the dynamics of the nutrition industry. ASH, a manufacturer...

Deepwater pipelay.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Global Industries Ltd. used horizontal-reel pipelay technology from its reel barge Chickasaw to install about 8.5 miles of pipe for BP Amoco Pipeline Co., operator of the Main Pass Oil Gathering system in the Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline was...

Cogeneration plant.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... San Jose, Calif.-based power company Calpine Corp. has obtained exclusive rights to negotiate with Lyondell-Citgo Refining LP to build, own and operate a $250 million, natural gas-fired cogeneration power plant at Lyondell-Citgo's refinery in...

Strategic alliance.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Vector Energy Corp. has entered into a strategic alliance with Netwerx, a Houston Internet service provider. Under the agreement Netwerx will provide all services and equipment to fulfill Vector's ISP needs in the Houston area in conjunction...

Environmental award.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Synagro Technologies Inc., a national organic residuals management company, for outstanding beneficial use of biosolids at the Water Environment Federation's Annual Conference in New...

New division.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Bobcat of Houston, the dealer for the Melroe brand of skid-skeeter loaders and mini-excavators, has been purchased and has also become a new division of the Wichita, Kan.-based Berry Companies. Berry Companies, a construction and industrial...

Offshore discovery.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Conoco Indonesia Inc., the Indonesian oil and natural gas exploration and production subsidiary of Conoco Inc., has made a significant oil and natural gas discovery in Block B of the South Natuna Sea, offshore Indonesia. The North Belut No. 3...

Media Ink's media maven.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Publisher Lisa Johnson works to put CityLife into magazine group Five years after Lisa Johnson acquired six regional city, magazines,the changes she's put in place are obvious. Johnson, now publisher of the group of magazines under...

Interview success demands research, practice, preparation.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... As the saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Nowhere is this more true than in a job, interview. Recently, Office Team managers were asked about the most unusual thing they had heard of happening in a job...

Cruising comes full circle as popular pastime in Houston.
October 29, 1999... Houston is fast becoming an embarkation point for cruises to distant ports. While this may seem to be a new development in the city's travel offerings, it is actually a replay of a popular 19th century pastime. Cruising Buffalo Bayou -...

Local real estate players evaluate Houston's New Urbanism potential.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Simply put, New Urbanism is a return to the way things used to be. Before World War II, communities took the shape of compact, walkable mixed-use neighborhoods. But modern architecture and the advent of the automobile changed much of...

How do you see New Urbanism taking shape in Houston?(Editorial)
October 29, 1999... City should take cues from other government initatives Minnette Boesel Minnette Boesel Properties Inc. "Too many people equate economic growth with sprawl. We must change land use patterns in this country if we are to have any...

LARGEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... LARGEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS (Ranked by Total Square Footage Managed in Houston) Total Square Last Firm ...

Parking is a major concern of developers all over town.
October 29, 1999... Houston's commercial business districts regularly lose opportunities for economic growth as businesses and residents turn away from downtown areas in favor of the suburbs. One of the biggest reasons for this shift is the lack of available...

Technology firms creating 'Techway' in west Houston.
October 29, 1999... The Silicon Valley in California is known around the world as a mecca for the technology industry. In Texas, the Austin area's focus on technology has earned it the nickname, the "Silicon Hills." While Houston is synonymous with energy, it...

Confidence Index shows decline for fourth quarter.(commercial and residential realtors, 1999)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Texas commercial and residential Realtors are less confident about the fourth quarter than they were about the third, according to the latest edition of the Texas Real Estate Confidence Index. The index reveals an overall confidence decline,...

Children's Choice to build 24-hour child-care centers.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Dallas-based Children's Choice Learning Centers Inc. is examining sites in Dallas, Houston and Austin for new 24-hour, 365-day-a-year child-care centers. The company's first non-traditional child-care center is in Kansas City, Mo. The...

Georgetown Transportation undergoes acquisition.(acquired by Trinity Industries Inc. for $2.6 million)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Trinity Industries Inc. has acquired Georgetown Transportation, an aggregate distribution facility in Harris County. At the same time, Trinity is forming Trinity Aggregate Distribution, a division of Transit Mix Concrete & Materials Co.,...

Intergroup arranges sale of Nassau, Bahamas hotel.(Holiday Inn Nassau at Junkanoo Beach)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Houston-based Intergroup Realty Inc., an international real estate services company active in hotel, tourism, hospitality and other projects since 1980, recently arranged the sale of the 117-room Holiday Inn Nassau - Junkanoo Beach in Nassau,...

Property managers take care not to discriminate.(observing the Fair Housing Act)(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The federal government enforces the Fair Housing Act by sending out "testers" to see how property managers treat potential tenants. A white tester posing as a possible tenant will ask about renting an apartment and record the treatment...

English-Spanish glossary tops real estate reading list.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... A glossary translating real estate terms from English into Spanish was the most-requested product from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University during its past fiscal year. The 10 most-popular items were: 1. English-Spanish Real...

Increase ease of relocation by empowering coordinator.
October 29, 1999... They just don't move 'em like they used to. The days of shutting down a business for a week to relocate are over. Companies must minimize business disruption as much as possible. Most firms need to keep their doors open on Friday until 5...

Doctors differ on the growing practice of hospitalists.
October 29, 1999... Four years ago Dr. Harold Selzman was running a thriving internal medicine practice. But while his patient roster was continually expanding, Selzman began feeling less and less like a doctor and more and more like a technician. ...

Brain injury patients finding hope and help at The Ranch.(The Ranch and Supported Living Programs)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... On a 26-acre campus in Conroe, the curriculum is learning techniques and strategies to perform daily activities. The students: patients with moderate to severe brain injuries. The goal: easing back into "everyday life." The place: The Ranch...

Patient privacy issues facing health care.
October 29, 1999... As the next millennium approaches, we find ourselves in a world rich in technology that allows the health care industry to achieve business goals at lightning speed. But as the pace quickens, the issue of patient privacy still lags behind....

HMO members can avoid problem of balance billing.
October 29, 1999... Some Texas HMO members receive unwelcome surprises in their mailboxes when they are billed for health care services they think their. HMOs have paid for. Each year the Texas Department of Insurance receives a number of complaints from...

Study: Brand image drives public's opinion of hospitals.
October 29, 1999... Brand image clearly drives consumer preference for health care systems and hospitals, according to a study of 400 Houston-area households. The study shows that Houstonians are strongly influenced by the marketing communications of area health...

LARGEST AREA INDEPENDENT HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... LARGEST AREA INDEPENDENT HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES (Ranked by Number of Home Visits per Month) No. of Last Agency ...

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic celebrating its 50th anniversary.
October 29, 1999... Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, which was recently purchased from MedPartners in a $150 million joint venture of Methodist and Saint Luke's, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a celebration for the clinic's physicians at the Main...

LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.(Directory)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES (Ranked by Number of Residents Accommodated [*]) Name Number of Address ...

Take the plunge and make water selection crystal clear.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Last month in Albany, N.Y., a 3-year-old girl died and 45 people were hospitalized due to an outbreak of E. coil bacteria. The disease was traced to a contaminated water supply. While such cases are rare, they do occur. The Centers for...

'PPO' for telecom equipment puts dent in hospital bills.
October 29, 1999... Telephones are the lifeblood of HealthSouth Houston Rehabilitation Institute. They are used to call ambulances, arrange for patient care and to order supplies. As the dependency of telecommunications equipment continues to grow in...

Design software provides test drive for health care facilities.
October 29, 1999... Architects don't just design buildings. Increasingly, they are called upon to be change-agents for their clients. When dealing with the life-and-death operational issues of health care facilities, architects must deliver solutions which make...

Internet technology helps cure doctors' office paperwork overload.
October 29, 1999... A year ago Blanca Avalos found her job as a billings processor at Hempstead Medical Clinic a tedious and time-consuming task. Verifying the insurance eligibility of the clinic's patients was a clumsy process. But now the office's...

Managed care fuels debate over physician control issue.
October 29, 1999... In the years just ahead, a great war will be fought within the health care industry over economics, patient care and the way medical services are administered. The issues will boil down to a debate that would have seemed ludicrous 25...

Health care-focused MBA may be a ticket to success.
October 29, 1999... After years of hands-on clinical experience, most health care professionals find that in order to advance into management, they need to further their education with a graduate degree. It is no longer sufficient for health care workers to...

New equipment opens doors to radiation brain surgery.
October 29, 1999... A millimeter can mean the difference between destroying a tumor and destroying a patient's eyesight, in the ultra-precise field of brain surgery. New radiation surgery equipment used at Christus St. Joseph Hospital provides doctors with...

United Healthcare wins WWW Health Award.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... United Healthcare of Texas Inc.'s interactive Web site (www.myuhc.com) for members has received a gold 1999 World Wide Web Health Award, sponsored by the Health Information Resource Center. The awards recognize Web sites that offer...

Employer fair targets people with disabilities.
October 29, 1999... An Employer Information Fair and Rehabilitation Technology Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Pasadena Convention Center. The event will include hands-on demonstrations of options available to enhance the work lives...

Galveston ophthalmologist named Person of Vision.
October 29, 1999... Bernard A. Milstein, M.D., a Galveston County ophthalmologist, was named 1999 Person of Vision by the Prevent Blindness Texas--Gulf Coast Branch at a fundraiser for the organization Oct. 13 at Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston. Some 450...

M.D. Anderson gets grant for ovarian cancer research.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has received a five-year, $10 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence grant for ovarian cancer research from the National Cancer Institute -- one of four institutions nationwide...

Texas Children's Health. Center opens in northwest Houston.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... A new Texas Children's Health Center, providing specialized pediatric health care, has been opened at 8101 Cypresswood in northwest Houston by Texas Children's Hospital. The center is the largest of Texas Children's three health centers...

Free prescription service debuts on the Internet.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... 3A new, free Internet-based prescription service, Freescrip.com, developed by Houston-based AIRbots Inc. and hosted on the company's high-security Web site (www.freescrip.com), enables physicians to generate, print, transmit, record, track...

Large renal dialysis facility is under construction.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... An unusually large renal dialysis facility that will be leased to Total Renal Care Inc. is under construction at 5610 Almeda Rd. and scheduled for completion in the winter of 2000. Alter+Care, the health care real estate services...

Echocardiography lab draws on NASA model.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... The Heart Center at Texas Children's Hospital and NASA have teamed up to design a new echocardiography reading room. Often called "mission control" by its staff, the Texas Children's Heart Center reading room has walls lined with...

Travel medicine nurse gives tips for wanderers.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... International travelers heading to developing countries should plan two months in advance for vaccinations, according to Debbie Amos, R.N., a travel medicine nurse at Methodist Health Care System's Institute for Preventive medicine. This...

Health care consolidations require skillful handling.
October 29, 1999... Until very recently, health care organizations were practically running down the aisle to say "I do." One of the biggest local transactions involved the $150 million joint venture of Methodist and saint Luke's to purchase Kelsey-Seybold...

LARGEST AREA HOSPITAL-AFFILIATED HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCIES.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... LARGEST AREA HOSPITAL-AFFILIATED HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCIES (Ranked by Number of Home Visits per Month) No. of ...