Houston Business Journal articles from September 2001

Houston Business Journal archives from September 2001

Compaq to Houston, over and out.(Hewlett-Packard Co. merger w/ Compaq may face antitrust)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Massive merger faces integration, antitrust hurdles Compaq Computer Corp. -- the pioneering company that put the city on the international technology map -- is logging off in Houston. Now faced with the daunting task of integrating an...

[0] Compaq to Houston, over and out.(Compaq Computer Corp.'s departure from Houston, Texas)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Exodus could put brakes on retail, residential boom As the once-largest employer in Harris County, Compaq Computer Corp. played a significant role in fueling years of conspicuous real estate growth just northwest of Houston. But now...

AIM postpones plans for office tower.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Plans to develop a 33-story office tower in Greenway Plaza for mutual fund giant AIM Management Group have been put on indefinite hold. Citing a weak stock market, AIM spokesman Ivy McLemore says the Houston-based growth fund group has...

Scientists probe secrets of 'million-mile' truck.(Run on Pennzoil motor oil)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Scientists at Pennzoil's research laboratories in The Woodlands are eagerly waiting to examine a 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck that ran a million miles on the company's motor oil. The "million-mile truck," a three-quarter ton Chevy 2500, was...

Landmark snafu leaves UH prof down in dumps.(Landfill named historic site)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A University of Houston professor landed in the middle of a landfill controversy last week following his successful nomination of a former city dump and current Superfund site to national historic landmark status. The Fresno Municipal...

Number of PACs declines, but soft money still flows.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The weakening economy maybe taking its toll on political action committees. The number of federally registered PACs dropped from 3,907 on Jan. 1 to 3,877 by July 1, according to the Federal Election Commission. PACs sponsored by...

Believe it or not: Rock car rolls to Middle East.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A local high school art project inspired by rock 'n' roll is heading on tour to the Middle East. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! has purchased the 2001 Houston Art Car Parade winner, and plans to put the vehicle on display at a new museum in...

Real dogs make best-dressed list at canine fashion show.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Tootsies went to the dogs for a day with an upscale fashion show featuring canine models. Attire ranging from Chanel suits and tuxedos to cocktail dresses and St. John knit sweaters were modeled by the mutts. The Celebrity Paws Gala...

Texaco gears down prices to raise gate at car race.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Organizers of the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Houston hope lower ticket prices, a free concert and a new, kid-friendly mascot will help drive more spectators to this year's CART race in downtown Houston. The changes are a result of focus...

News from the food and drink front.(Ouisie'sTable new logo)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Ouisie's Table's mascot is sporting a new look. The restaurant's signature logo, a pear adopted seven years ago by Elouise Jones, is going formal as the social season starts. Since its inception, the fruit has taken on many appearances. The...

Consumer groups urge PUC to make ERCOT more public.(Electric Reliability Council of Texas)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A coalition of consumer advocacy organizations has asked the Public Utility Commission to require more financial accountability from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERGOT), the independent system operator for the state's deregulated...

Oil field firm adds cuffing-edge research lab to Houston plant.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Kvaerner Oilfield Products is building a 10,000-square-foot research and development laboratory at the company's manufacturing plant on North Post Oak Road. Billed as a state-of-the-art facility, the $1 million laboratory is expected to be...

Real estate vet leaves seafood chain, sails into apartment development.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... After seven years of helping Tilman Fertitta grow, an empire of seafood eateries for Landry's Restaurants Inc., 18-year real estate veteran Matthew Dilick is switching gears. Dilick has resigned as director of real estate for the...

CEOs stress added strength in merger of drilling companies.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Chief executives of Global Marine and Santa Fe International say a merger of the major drilling companies will put them in a stronger position to weather the ups and downs of the oil industry. This strategy is likely to be tested sooner...

Let the virtual reality games begin: Production facility opens in Spring.(Jarvis Entertainment Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Houston-based Jarvis Entertainment Group Inc. is opening a 15,000-square-foot production facility in Spring next week to manufacture virtual reality games for commercial entertainment facilities and use in private homes. John Jarvis,...

All aboard: Funds approved for airport shuttle extension.(Houston airpport)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The Houston Airport System has received clearance from City Council to spend $46 million on the next phase of the shuttle system at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Under a contract approved by City Council on Aug. 15, the airport...

Boston group acquires apartment buildings in River Oaks.(Metropolitan Properties of America acquires upscale apartment building in Houston, Texas)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A Boston-based investment group is taking advantage of low interest rates and a slowing economy by making some aggressive investments in Houston real estate. Metropolitan Properties of America has acquired its second upscale apartment...

Slosburg Co.(232-unit Plantation Apartments complex sold)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Omaha, Neb.-based Slosburg Co. has purchased the 232-unit Plantation Apartments complex at 2425 Sage between Westheimer and San Felipe. Sources familiar with the deal say the 36-year-old multifamily complex could in a few years be torn...

L.J. Melody & Co.(chief executive title goes to Brian Stoffers, Tom Melody, and Mike Melody)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A new team is taking over the helm at L.J. Melody & Co. After 41 years in the mortgage banking business, Larry Melody has retired as president and CEO of the Houston firm. Melody will retain the position of chairman. The CEO title will...

Greenberg & Co.(Shopping center developer)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Local developer Greenberg & Co. is moving forward on two Houston-area retail projects. David Greenberg says ground has broken on a 14,750-square-foot center at 134 Sugar Creek Blvd. in Sugar Land. A former insurance claims office sat on...

Houston becoming affordable haven for high-tech pros, study shows.(Survey of salary and cost of living in high-tech sector)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... Houston seems like "the place to be" for high-tech Professionals, according to a recent study in Information Week. Silicon Valley and other high-tech hubs are "losing some cachet with tech workers" because of the high cost of living,...

Lexicon Genetics Inc.(licenses technology to GlaxoSmithKline and Merck & Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The Woodlands-based Lexicon Genetics Inc. has added a couple of heavy-hitters to the company's growing list of licensees. Pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline, which is based in the United Kingdom and has a market capitalization of $164. 8...

Dr. Arthur Sands.(president of Lexicon claims licenses show success of business)
September 7, 2001... Dr. Arthur Sands, president and CEO of Lexicon, says the licenses further affirm that the company's technology is an integral resource to validate targets for drug discovery. A total of 16 companies have licensed Lexicon's gene targeting...

University of Houston.(C.T. Bauer's $40 million gift )(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... One hundred students at the University of Houston received free laptop computers this week as part of a scholarship program funded through C.T. Bauer's $40 million gift to the school. The laptop recipients -- 50 juniors and 50 seniors --...

Compaq Computer Corp.(Compaq Referral Program )(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Houston-based Compaq Computer Corp. is attempting to simplify its referral program for sales of products and services in the United States. The company last week announced the new Compaq Referral Program would replace its Compaq Agent...

Busy Western lifestyle network wins Canadian football games.(Acquires broadcast and cable rights)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A local media holding company with an unlikely name has scored points in a game plan for growth. Houston-based U.S. Farm & Ranch Supply Co. Inc., owner of a TV and radio network and two magazines focused on "Western lifestyle," has...

DDD Marketing Communications.(Public relations and marketing communications contract)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... DDD Marketing Communications has been selected to handle public relations and marketing communications for Horizons by Marriott, a vacation concept that's part of Marriott Vacation Club International. The account is familiar territory....

Tania Oshman Public Relations.(public relations firms handling Riverstone and Fall Creek communities)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... Tania Oshman Public Relations is handling public relations for two new master-planned communities: Riverstone, a 2,800-acre project in Fort Bend County, and Fall Creek, a 1,260-acre plan in northeast Houston. The Boswell Group has been...

VT/TV Graphics and Post Inc.(completes video for Compaq Computer Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... VT/TV Graphics and Post Inc. has completed work with Compaq Computer Corp. The project consisted of a threeminute video for the company's accessibility program aimed at informing the public and employees about efforts to make products and...

Kinder Morgan expands liquid terminals to meet rising demand.(Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals plans facilities expansions)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, is planning a $16.3 million expansion of its Pasadena and Galena Park liquids terminals facility. The upgrade is being driven by steadily increasing demand for...

Pegasus International.(completes project for consultant client Chevron U.S.A. Production Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... Houston-based Pegasus International, an engineering and construction consulting company serving the oil and gas industry, recently completed an innovative project for Chevron U.S.A. Production Co. that helped Chevron save cost and down-time....

Enron Corp.(Global Change Associates publishes report on operations of Enron)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Phenomenally successful Enron Corp. - dubbed by some in the industry as "The Evil Empire" has been a continuing source of mystery and speculation in the industry. What really goes on inside that glass monolith on Houston's Energy Alley?...

Compaq value still guessing game despite blockbuster buyout offer.(value of Compaq in Hewlett-Packard acquisition)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... How low is low? How cheap is cheap? Apparently, nobody this side of Hewlett-Packard Co. knew when it came to shares of Compaq Computer Corp. Experts on the inside and outside Compaq -- which is being acquired by Hewlett-Packard -- have...

Surveys find growing number of unhappy workers.(surveys by CareerBuilder and Peter D. Hart Research)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... The economic downturn has taken its toll on worker attitudes toward their employers, according to two recent surveys. A national survey of 1,792 adults conducted by Peter D. Hart Research found that 63 percent trust employers "just some" or...

Study quantifies cost of workplace requlations.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... Workplace regulations cost $91 bib lion a year, according to a new study by Joseph Johnson, a research fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center in Arlington, Va. Johnson's estimate was based on 25 major statutes and executive...

Chamber: Minimum wage hike bad move during downturn.(Senate to vote on proposed minimum wage hike)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... No timeis a good time to raise the minimum wage, business lobbyists argue, but now is a particularly bad time for an $1.50-an-hour increase, they say. The last time the minimum wage was increased (1997), the unemployment rate for unskilled...

OSHA hopes to double voluntary safety program.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration )(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration hopes to double the number of small businesses that participate in its Voluntary Protection Program over the next three years. Businesses in the program work with OSHA to establish safety...

Red Zone Management: Changing the Rules for Pivotal times.(new book by Dutch Holland)(Brief Article)(Review)
September 7, 2001... Dutch Holland In football, the red zone is the last 20 yards on the way to a touchdown - a make it or break it time for a team. In business, red zones are the critical times when companies face opportunities for great gain or great loss....

Music to the ears.(DJ'S UNLIMITED business ethics and success)(Statistical Data Included)
September 7, 2001... DJ's Unlimited has made beautiful music by spinning the tunes at some of the city's most high-profile venues After spotting a yellow pages ad for a mobile disc jockey service, Jeff Raines called the phone number to see what the company had...

Avoid sales brush-offs by treating life like a big bowl of jelly beans.
September 7, 2001... This e-mail arrived the other day: Jeffrey, I follow-up all my 'cold calls' -- even the brush-offs -- with a small box of jellybeans and my business card attached. They may not remember me, but they never forget the jelly beans. And I...

Higher fuel economy standards threaten drivers, small business.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... "You can't regulate consumer behavior." That bit of common sense, uttered by Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, at a Senate hearing this week, has become lost in the race in Congress to impose higher average fuel economy standards on light...

Electric power surged after sputtering start in Houston.(history of Houston Lighting & Power Company)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... On Dec. 17, 1882, Houstonians were introduced to a wondrous new invention - artificial illumination. Although these lights sputtered and were unreliable, they were the first steps toward electrifying the city - a process that continued to...

Houstonians gradually log on to online banking.
September 7, 2001... Pay bills without writing a check. Deposit receivables without ever leaving the office. Buy stocks or transfer money from one account to another when miles from a local bank. These are just some of the conveniences that have lured retail and...

LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.(list of companies and contact information)
September 7, 2001... LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (Ranked by Total Local Deposits as of June 30, 2000) Name of Institution Total Local Last Address Deposits ...

Selection of accounting software shouldn't focus on bells, whistles.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The more choices, the better. But, too many choices can also be overwhelming, as with choosing accounting software No less than several hundred bona fide accounting software solutions trumpet their features in today's market. But one size...

Investors must master asset allocation to reduce investment risks.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The market meltdown of April 2000 and the widespread financial pain that followed drove home a sad truth plaguing even serious investors for decades. People still chase hot stocks and sizzling market sectors because of media hype or "tips"...

LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA TITLE COMPANIES.(list of companies and contact information)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... LARGEST HOUSTON-AREA TITLE COMPANIES (Ranked by Number of 2000 Closings) Name of Company Address Telephone Rank Last Year's Rank Web Site 1 1 ...

New privacy regulations require communication with customers.
September 7, 2001... The deadline for financial institutions to comply with new privacy regulations under Title V of the GrammLeach-Bliley Act was July 1, 2001. In preparation for these new requirements, financial services professionals spent dozens - if not...

Businesses can foil fraud attempts with check tracking technology.
September 7, 2001... Check fraud costs U.S. businesses more than $18.7 billion a year, according to FBI estimates. And the problem is growing. According to a 2000 survey by the American Bankers Association, attempted check fraud against financial institutions...

Kam's Fine Chinese Cuisine: Cantonese cooks in cozy cafe.
September 7, 2001... The first time I visited Kam's Fine Chinese Cuisine, I was taken there, and I didn't order anything off the menu. A friend wanted me to meet her boss, a big-firm downtown lawyer, and his wife. My hosts ate at Kam's a lot and when making the...

Compaq Computer Corp.(another Houston-based company acquired; headquarters to shut)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Another one bit the dust as Hewlett-Packard Co. announced plans to acquire Compaq Computer Corp. this week. The pending exit of Houston's most prestigious and prodigious tech company follows the exodus of two other familiar business fixtures...

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.(proposed building a rail line near a Houston city park)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, which spilled gallons of toxic chemicals in Montgomery County in early August, is proposing a rail line that would run within a quarter-mile of a new city park project in the Clear Lake area. The proposed...

Jones Hall.(concert hall reopens after storm damage)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The curtain rose at Jones Hall last week in time to kick off the opening of the Houston Symphony's 2001-2002 season. Shuttered for nearly three months due to damages by Tropical Storm Allison, the season got off to a bang with the Symphony's...

Vitamin E deficiency forces firm to shut plant.(Eisai U.S.A. Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Eisai U.S.A. Inc. has closed its synthetic vitamin E manufacturing plant in Pasadena in a move that will affect 42 employees. Eisai U.S.A. spokesman Ric Heien says 25 people were immediately let go when the plant closed Aug. 28, and the...

George Mitchell reflects on 56 years in energy business.
September 7, 2001... Last month's sale of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. to Devon Energy Corp. put a finishing touch on the long, colorful career of George Mitchell. The $3.5 billion buyout by an Oklahoma energy conglomerate removed a familiar fixture on...

A 'HOTg' item: Space for rent on computer grid.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Randy Premont is creating a local network of Linux computer servers to meet what he sees as pent-up demand in Houston's oil and gas industry. Energy companies hire firms on a contract basis to process seismic data. Qualified contractors...

CalPERS takes partnership stake in Galleria.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) announced on Aug. 30 that it has committed to an estimated $65 million investment in the Houston Galleria shopping center. The property is being purchased through a newly formed joint...

Randalls breaks ground.(Randalls Food Markets new grocery store in Houston)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... More than a year after it purchased land in Midtown, Randalls Food Markets has broken ground on a new grocery store to serve Houston's growing downtown residential population. Located on a block bounded by Louisiana, Milam, Hadley and Webster,...

Rail consortium to build line.(San Jacinto Rail Ltd. and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Rail Co. line in Houston, Texas)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... San Jacinto Rail Ltd. and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Rail Co. flied a petition with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to build and operate a 13-mile rail line into Houston's Bayport Industrial District. The proposed line would be...

Vector buys out Broadreach.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Vector ESP, a Houston-based integrator of Web computing solutions, announced it has acquired, through a subsidiary, certain assets and hired substantially all employees of Broadreach Consulting Inc. Broadreach is a Web integration services...

Varco acquires Elmar.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Varco International has acquired, through a subsidiary the capital stock of Elmar Services Limited. Elmar, based in Aberdeen, Scotland is a designer and manufacturer of wireline pressure control equipment for servicing oil and gas wells, and a...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Houston executive news briefs)
September 7, 2001... ACCOUNTING Dan Ramey has been named national practice director, accounting services of Jefferson Wells International. Weinstein Spira & Company announce Sid Shaver rejoins the company as partner and director of the firm's Merger &...

University of Houstons C.T. Bauer College of Business' Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
September 7, 2001... The University of Houstons C.T. Bauer College of Business' Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has awarded Enerva Technologies, Texas Biotech Technology Corp. and Consultants' Choice Inc. Golden Eagle awards for demonstrating tremendous...

Gulf Coast Community Services Association.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Gulf Coast Community Services Association of Houston has received $5,460 and a Community Service Block Grant Performance Award by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The award is in recognition of assisting individuals to...

Texas Builders and Contractors Inc.(contracts for commercial construction in Houston)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Texas Builders and Contractors Inc. of Houston has won the following contracts: The $364,000 contract for commercial construction at 3403 River Edge Drive; the $400,500 contract for commercial Construction at 8678 Louetta in Spring; and the...

Stronger medicine.(Texas immunization rates for children)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... A recently released report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta ranks Texas last among the 50 states when it comes to immunization rates for children. The CDC survey was based on data from late 1997, 1998 and...

Small optimism in slump.(economic slowdown in the US)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... There's no question that we're experiencing an economic slump. Profit security - and hence job security - take a back seat to economic uncertainty. The media feeds. The paranoia spreads. But let's take a step back. People over 30...

Compaq stands out on corporate casualty list.(attrition rate among longtime, home-grown business in Houston)(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Houston, we have a problem. The attrition rate among longtime, home-grown business fixtures continues at an alarming pace this year. American General Corp., once a national insurance giant, has been absorbed by the New York outfit of...

Is tide about to turn for leaky global economy?(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Of late, discussions concerning the global economy seem to be revolving around which countries will hit economic bottom first and how fast will they sink. While there is certainly an economic slowdown around the world, most major countries...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2001... Life before Felix Felix Mexican Restaurant may have been cooking for 72 years, but not at that location, as stated in the Aug. 10 restaurant review, "Felix Mexican Restaurant: Icon keeps on cooking after 72 years." I know, because I...

In Houston, apprehension.(Houston, Texas businesses impacted by World Trade Center terrorist attacks)
September 14, 2001... Buildings evacuated, security high on infamous day of terrorism The impact of unprecedented terrorist attacks in New York and Washington was felt across Houston. The hijacked commercial jets that crashed into the World Trade Center and the...

UPS & DOWNS.(news briefs on NYSE, oil prices, and Texas roadways and construction)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... * So far, the two-day shutdown on the New York Stock Exchange, the nation's oldest exchange, is the longest since a two-day closing at the end of World War II. The exchange was brought to a standstill following Tuesday's terrorist attacks on...

Comerica banks on ground-up growth.(Comercia Bank expands in Houston, Texas)
September 14, 2001... Recognizing that small-business customers deliver big business, Comerica Bank is bringing its commercial and industrial focus to the epicenter of one of Houston's hottest markets for owner-managed companies. Detroit-based Comerica has 14...

Reliant launching Web-based energy management program.(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... In spite of problems getting Texas' electricity deregulation program off the ground and doubts about savings for residential customers, there is no question that large commercial power customers in Texas stand to save big bucks under...

Once high-flying JBSi forced to file for Chapter 11.(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... EBIZ Enterprises Inc. and its subsidiary, Jones Business Systems Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. Stafford-based Jones Business Systems was ranked No. 1 on the Houston 100 list of. fastest-growing private...

TEPPCO to acquire gas gathering system in $360 million deal.(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Co. LLC has signed a $360 million agreement that calls for TEPPCO to acquire Jonah Gas Gathering Co., a unit of Alberta Energy Co., in Green River Basin, Wyo. Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Co. LLC is the...

Wells REIT acquires Greenspoint property.(Houston office building)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Wells Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. has acquired a 157,792-square-foot office property in Houston's Greater Greenspoint District in a $20.75 million deal. The two-building complex, 100 percent leased to IKON Office Solutions through...

Plains Resources sells additional stake.(sells additional 2 percent stake in Plains All American Pipeline)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Plains Resources Inc. sold an additional 2 percent stake in the general partnership of Plains All American Pipeline L.P. to the company's management. The sale was part of the restructuring of Plains All American, which was announced on...

Encompass nets $45M contract.(n-site maintenance at Dow Chemical manufacturing site in Texas)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Encompass Services Corp. has been awarded a three-year, $45 million contract to provide on-site maintenance at a Dow Chemical Co. manufacturing site near Seadrift. Under the terms of the agreement, more than 300 Encompass employees will...

Reliant to build plant.(Reliant Energy Wholesale Group to build plant in Arizona)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Reliant Energy Wholesale Group plans to build a 580-megawatt combined cycle power plant in Arizona that is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2004. The company, a unit of Reliant Resources Inc., said the project, named Signal Peak,...

MetroCorp CFO resigns.(MetroCorp Bancshares Inc. chief financial officer, Ruth Ransom)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... Ruth Ransom, chief financial officer of Houston-based MetroCorp Bancshares Inc., is stepping down. Ransom, who has agreed to serve in a .consulting role through the end of 2001, will remain employed by the company as CFO officer through...

Compaq merger collides with marathon kickoff.(Compaq Computer Corp. to maintain marathon sponsorship despite merger with Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 14, 2001... It had to be a public relations person's worst nightmare. The Compaq Houston Marathon held a media kick-off luncheon on Sept. 7, just three days after Hewlett-Packard Co. announced it was acquiring Houston-based Compaq Computer Corp. The...

Don't judge pubs by their covers.(announcement of Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling, comes too late for two magazine cover stories)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2001... It's Sept. 9 and two national business magazines are standing side-by-side at a Houston outpost of one of the big bookstore chains. Enron Corp. is highlighted on the cover of each publication. A slight hitch: Jeffrey Skilling, who...

Pop diva dolls have date with Destiny.(Hasbro Inc. to launch dolls based on music group Destiny's Child)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 14, 2001... Apparently winning four Grammys, an MTV video award and selling more than 21 million albums aren't enough for local girl group Destiny's Child. Just in time for the holiday marketing season, the pop trio of Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams...