Pittsburgh Business Times articles from October 1998

Pittsburgh Business Times archives from October 1998

Trade zone stretching to Cleveland envisioned.
October 30, 1998... Pennsylvania and Ohio officials have opened formal discussions aimed at creating a giant trade zone between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The talks began last month at a private meeting in Beaver County, following years of informal efforts to...

Trib pushes North Hills daily inside. (transformation of the North Hills News Record daily into an insert of Tribune-Review)
October 30, 1998... After Oct. 31, News Record becomes an insert MARSHALL TOWNSHIP - The North Hills News Record is getting bumped inside. Oct. 31 is the last edition subscribers will receive with its banner front and center. After that date, the former...

Growth scorecard. (Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering initiative)
October 30, 1998... Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative receives high marks, but maturing organization faces challenges, including loss of its founder DOWNTOWN - One of the Pittsburgh area's boldest economic development initiatives is at a crossroads....

UPMC builds with Highmark alumni. (UPMC Health Plan's hiring of former Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield executives)
October 30, 1998... Industry vets fill slots with new health plan DOWNTOWN - UPMC Health Plan is filling its executive suites with alumni of arch rival Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Patricia Liebman, UPMC Health Plan's CEO, has come full circle in her new...

Steelers super for KDKA-TV: games, programming should produce revenue bonanza for local CBS affiliate.
October 30, 1998... KDKA-TV has broadcast professional football before - but not like this. Thanks to Steelermania that defies a national trend of falling ratings for National Football League games, the local CBS station stands to see Sunday afternoon revenue...

Pennsylvania Turnpike receipts will carry an 'ad-on' bonus in near future.
October 30, 1998... Deal with New England firm will not be cash cow for state HARRISBURG - Business travelers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike can expect a little something extra when they ask for a receipt come February. It might be a break on a hotel stay, or a...

Ultra-sound success: challenges do not needle the leader of Dymax Corp.
October 30, 1998... "We must have champagne," Irene Skolnick laughed, on learning that her firm, Dymax Corp., received ISO certification. The move will open new European markets for the company's medical products, ultrasound scanners that doctors use during...

FORE execs take concept into new firm. (FORE Systems Inc; CoManage Corp)
October 30, 1998... CoManage aims to coordinate telecom equipment systems WEXFORD - Telecommunications networks are a lot like people. They can get sick and break down. And because they consist of many pieces of hardware, generally produced by different...

Banking on Pittsburg: local high-tech industry attracts the attention of Silicon Valley Bank.
October 30, 1998... In the last decade, more than a few Pittsburgh-based technology startups have had to go to the Silicon Valley for money to finance their operations. Soon, the Silicon Valley may be coming to them. Silicon Valley Bank, a commercial lending...

Solutions Consulting launches plan for new Southpointe headquarters.
October 30, 1998... $10 million structure will serve as 'marketing tool' CECIL TOWNSHIP - One of Pittsburgh's fastest-growing high-tech companies has struck a deal to buy land for a new $10 million headquarters. Solutions Consulting Inc. expects to complete...

FreeMarkets Online sets its sights on One Oliver Plaza for expansion.
October 30, 1998... Online market-maker adds space in move to largely vacant building DOWNTOWN - FreeMarkets OnLine does its business in cyberspace. But it needs physical space to function. And by the end of this year, the online industrial market maker will...

Stock challenge leaders finally break into black: seven beat market volatility with portfolios that show profit. (Pittsburgh, PA, companies)
October 30, 1998... DOWNTOWN - Seven of the 400-plus participants in the annual Parker/Hunter-Pittsburgh Business Times Stock Portfolio Challenge are squarely - if barely - in the black again. Everyone started out with $100,000 in play money when the competition...

Unfulfilled promise?(impact of Carnegie Group Inc.'s sale to Logica Inc.)
October 23, 1998... After its sale to Logica, how will history recall the independent life of Carnegie Group? DOWNTOWN - In 1983, four computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University set out to start a software company. The odds were against them. ...

Penguins' debt could reach $100 million.(Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team)
October 23, 1998... Court documents detail financial predicament DOWNTOWN - Things may be even worse than they appear for the embattled Pittsburgh Penguins, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection two weeks ago. Bankruptcy court documents reveal...

Moderation: a health plan that works?(Valley Health System)
October 23, 1998... Controlled growth pays off for Valley Health in credit rating hike BEAVER - In an era marked by hospitals merging to form conglomerates or struggling to go it alone, Valley Health System walks a middle path: controlled expansion in its...

Leave the bookkeeping to us.(Bookminders Inc.'s accounting services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1998... Small bookkeeping tasks fuel a booming outsourcing industry both in the Pittsburgh area and nationwide In 1995, Tom Joseph persuaded Steve Breuner, owner of Supercuts, to farm out the accounting work for his eight-store Western...

New ad firm scouting the market?(survey of advertising agencies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, conducted by John Klein and Associates for an undisclosed client)
October 23, 1998... Survey raises questions among ad personnel DOWNTOWN - An out-of-town advertising agency may be testing the local waters. The questions are: Who commissioned the survey? And, why did they do so? Marketing directors at several...

Turnaround man.(profile of Michael Wolf, CEO of MotivePower Industries Inc.)
October 23, 1998... Motivation is not a problem for MotivePower Industries CEO Michael Wolf Michael Wolf first imagined himself at a company's helm while working for General Motors in Dayton during college "It didn't take a mental giant to see it's...

Industrial space is in short supply.(industrial real estate development of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1998... New jobs and tax base take the hit as developers look elsewhere Late last month, an Ohio-based manufacturer was considering expanding into the Pittsburgh market. The company needed 200,000 square feet of space to open a new...

Restructuring structure.(office building project for the Penn Center West in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1998... An office building project at Penn Center West is just one of a new wave of innovative designs in the region As developers of a new office building at Penn Center West see it, their $11 million creation is much more than just glass and...

Max & Erma's adds Monroeville store as part of wider expansion plan.(outlet to be opened by Max and Erma's Restaurants Inc. in Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1998... Ohio-based chain looks to step up company growth MONROEVILLE - A Columbus, Ohio-based restaurant chain has received zoning approval from city officials and is proceeding with its plans to open a new outlet here. Max & Erma's...

Westinghouse survivors shift from Energy Center West Tower to East.(transfer of Westinghouse Electric Co.'s workers to the Energy Center East Tower in Monroeville, Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1998... West Tower will be opened for commercial leasing plans MONROEVILLE - About 1,000 Westinghouse Electric Co. workers based at the company's energy systems headquarters have moved to new offices. But the relocation didn't span more than...

Heirs to MacNeil Laboratories Inc. legacy to pick up stake in retail chain.(stake of Claneil Enterprises Inc. in the Wawa Inc.'s chain of convenience stores)
October 23, 1998... Low-profile Philadelphia family buys into Wawa convenience stores Claneil Enterprises Inc. has picked up a substantial minority interest in Wawa Inc. in a quiet transaction big enough to require Federal Trade Commission approval. The...

Old standbys hold forth at the top of largest area shopping center list.(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)(Directory)
October 23, 1998... Construction activity boosts players in middle of the pack There is little change at the top of the latest Business Times List of the 25 Largest Pittsburgh-Area Shopping Malls and Centers. In fact, the top four spots are unchanged...

Bank by Web. (online banking systems of financial institutions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... Financial institutions are negotiating new terrain, the Internet, which they hope will cut costs and boost revenue DOWNTOWN - On May 11, National City Corp. finally introduced online banking. It was the last of the region's three largest...

Lord & Taylor arrives amid retail resurgence. (possible tenants of the Lord and Taylor department store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... Department store is fourth Downtown anchor DOWNTOWN - After 13 years in Pittsburgh's central business district, Joseph A. Bank Clothiers was considering a move to the suburbs. But now that a Lord & Taylor department store is planning to...

Business Group scorecards rate insurers' performance. (report released by Pittsburgh Business Group on Health regarding the performances and services of health maintenance organizations in Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... DOWNTOWN - Facing increasing scrutiny from employers and patients, the regions health care insurers were quick to respond to an industry scorecard that was released Oct. 16. The Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, which represents 36 of this...

Penguins' plight hurts small firms. (impact of the Chapter 11 protection filed by the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team)
October 16, 1998... Bankruptcy filing surprised team's suppliers DOWNTOWN - The Pittsburgh Penguins say they're swimming in red ink. But it isn't just bad news for Mario Lemieux, the team's largest creditor. Despite months of speculation, local entrepreneurs...

Tabletop masterpieces. (special designs for food utensil handles marketed by All U Can Handle based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... Teaspoons, ice cream scoops, pizza cutters and other utensils get a functional handle on art from Lawrenceville designers The market is hot for art that is colorful, fun and functional. The unique utensils All U Can Handle creates fit that...

Edgewater Steel will finance expansion through county-sponsored loan. (funding received by Edgewater Steel Ltd. from the Allegheny County Industrial Development Authority in Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... Company seeks to implement new technology for higher margins OAKMONT - With the help of Allegheny County officials, Edgewater Steel Ltd. has secured $2.5 million in financing to support an aggressive expansion plan. The Allegheny County...

Coming clean. (ISO 14001 certification awarded to USX Corp.'s U.S. Steel Group coke plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania)
October 16, 1998... ISO certification believed to be a first for smokestack industries. As public scrutiny of the coke industry intensifies, a local plant is winning accolades for its environmental efforts. Coke, a form of super-heated coal, has long been...

Bomb containment products evolve to meet chemical, biological threats. (products of NABCO Inc.)
October 16, 1998... Sensitive topics and clients create a marketing challenge DOWNTOWN - NABCO Inc., a subsidiary of Pittsburgh Annealing Box Co., is introducing improved products that can hold explosive devices - even those that may be connected to deadly...

Flying solo: Feds take a closer look at hub monopolies at airports like Pittsburgh International.
October 9, 1998... Since deregulation of the airline industry hit 20 years ago, the number of air passengers has doubled, and prices have fallen almost 40 percent nationally. Now, the bad news: The federal government says air passengers in hub cities such as...

ServiceWare backs off of IPO plan in the face of Wall Street uncertainties. (initial public offering)
October 9, 1998... OAKMONT - The waters on Wall Street are rough. And ServiceWare Inc. has decided not to test them until they've calmed. The company, which develops knowledge management software for the customer support industry, has indefinitely shelved its...

State launches site to boost businesses. (Pennsylvania)
October 9, 1998... New Web page has mission to be proponent of Pennsylvania products HERSHEY - Calling it a "virtual supermarket" Gov. Tom Ridge unveiled a state-run Web site Oct. 5 that is designed to help Pennsylvania companies sell more products over the...

Leafing through the Web: state officials are turning to high-tech promotions as part of a bid to attract fall season tourism trade. (Pennsylvania's tourist marketing)
October 9, 1998... Pennsylvania has taken to cyberspace in hopes of turning autumn's crimson and gold into more green tourism dollars. Last month, state tourism officials in Harrisburg activated six tiny digital cameras perched high above forest canopies...

City Paper buy adds to demo mix. (WPNT Inc's acquisition of 'Pittsburgh City Paper')
October 9, 1998... Radio stations further target 18-to-34 age group Weekly newspapers are the latest pawns in the game of building media fiefdoms. WPNT Inc., owner of Green Tree radio stations WLTJ-FM and WRRK-FM, has a signed agreement to acquire the...

CBS trims local law office presence, outsources work to Eckert Seamans.
October 9, 1998... Firm will handle work generated by former industrial holdings DOWNTOWN - As with much of the rest of the former Westinghouse empire, CBS' local in-house legal staff will continue to shrink, to the benefit of at least one local law firm....

Developers make plans for new hotels to the north and south of the city. (Pittsburgh, PA)
October 9, 1998... South Strabane, McCandless to gain more than 170 rooms Two developers say they will present local officials with plans to build more than $20 million in new hotels and Class A office space within the next two months. Sewickley-based Sierra...

Independence deal held public appeal for Pittsburgh Brewing. (Independence Brewing Co)
October 9, 1998... Merger talks that, began in spring fail to ferment for Iron City maker LAWRENCEVILLE - In the wake of Pittsburgh Brewing Co.'s failed merger with Philadelphia-based Independence Brewing Co., the question remains: At what price public life?...

Taking the acquisition offensive: George Hackett looks to the past with pride, and to the future with intensity. (Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh president and CEO)
October 9, 1998... George Hackett is taking the offensive. In his latest set of deals, the president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh has doubled his residential real estate agency's sales and lifted its listings by 70 percent. So...

Creditors poised to pounce on AHERF here. (Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundation; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
October 2, 1998... DOWNTOWN - Despite this weeks auctioning of its Philadelphia assets, the Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundations legal battles have just begun. Many significant questions remain and their answers will determine the configuration...

X-ray visions: more powerful airport security scanners can damage film, but they are giving new life to an Oakmont company's 25-year-old product. (Sima Products Corp.'s FilmShield and Super FilmShield photographic film pouches)
October 2, 1998... Tighter security at airports nationwide and abroad may widen a niche market for a local company. Airports are using more powerful X-ray machines in an effort to uncover hidden weapons and explosives. But these heavy-duty scanners easily...

Vision Systems deals with loss of two top execs at key time for young firm.
October 2, 1998... First software product ready to hit the market OAKLAND - Two top executives have left Vision Systems Inc. at a time when the fledgling software firm would seem to most need senior leadership. Chairman and CEO Doug Goodall resigned last...

Big days at Black Rock: Andrew Damm looks for very large and very healthy companies with above-average earnings growth. (Black Rock Financial Management; Black Rock's managing director)
October 2, 1998... Andrew Damm looks for very large and very healthy companies with above-average earnings growth Andrew Damm takes a "top down" and "bottom up" approach to picking stocks. Mr. Damm, managing director of Black Rock Financial Management's Large...

New office in Brussels establishes European presence for FreeMarkets. (Belgium; FreeMarkets OnLine Inc.)
October 2, 1998... Foreign operation likely to boost activity, employment here DOWNTOWN - How far is FreeMarkets OnLine Inc. willing to go to prove it's a global company? Belgium. Earlier this week, the company opened the doors to its first European office...

Startup Enterprise Bank said 'in good shape' to open doors on Oct. 26. (1998)
October 2, 1998... Hiring under way; building renovation is complete ALLISON PARK - Enterprise Bank, the region's first bank startup in eight years, expects to officially open Oct. 26. "We're keeping our fingers crossed," said CEO Donald Whitehead, "but...

Carpet manufacturer Shaw seeks return to wholesale as venture fails. (Shaw Industries)
October 2, 1998... Eight Pittsburgh-area locations closed as company refocuses Two years ago, carpet manufacturer Shaw Industries opened 60 Shaw Carpet Showcase retail outlets across the country, including eight in the Pittsburgh area. That venture failed;...

Michael Baker pursues growth goals with purchase of Maryland-based firm. (GeoResearch Inc.)
October 2, 1998... Acquisition of GeoResearch Inc. pumps up geographic services arm CORAOPOLIS - Michael Baker Corp. has shifted strategy to meet its goal of $700 million in revenue by 2000. Baker, the region's largest engineering firm, acquired Bethesda,...

Tenet's $345 million bid approved. (Tenet Healthcare Corp.)
October 2, 1998... DOWNTOWN - The auction of the Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundation's eastern assets came not a moment too soon. Both bankruptcy Judge Bruce McCullough and David Heiman, an attorney for the creditors' committee, said during the...