Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) articles from August 2007

Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) archives from August 2007

Colorado Springs woman leaving accounting firm after 36 years to lead First Presbyterian staff.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell After 36 years as an accountant, Brenda Smith is retiring from BKD LLP and embarking on a second career as the leader of staff at First Presbyterian Church. "I had no intention of leaving BKD," the 55-year-old...

Aging doctors could lead to shortage in Colorado.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Colorado will need 50 new general medicine doctors and 20 new obstetricians each year for the next decade to keep up with health care demands and an aging physician population. Overall, the state's need for family...

Commentary: Do whatever it takes for our arts superstar.
August 3, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst So here it is at last, the grand opening of the resplendent new addition to the Fine Arts Center. It's a triumph for and a tribute to our community. We all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the foundations,...

For Colorado investors, films offer ultimate high risk, high reward.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The bright lights of Hollywood can be dazzling, but investors seeking to play the role of movie producers should be aware that it's a high-risk business. Independent filmmakers seek private investment on a regular...

Commentary: Love and marriage ... and some financial tips.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell My little brother married his college sweetheart this past weekend, and instead of getting him a set of knives or towels, I decided to give him something he could really use to help his life and his marriage -- tools...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: August 3, 2007.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Peak Vista Community Health Centers is hosting a meeting with the Senate Bill 208 commissioners about health care reform. Scheduled for 4 p.m. August 8 at the First Presbyterian Church, 219 E. Bijou Street, the...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: August 3, 2007.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Sovereign Eagle H LLC has purchased the 80,000-square-foot Eagle Electronics/Photostencil building at 4725-4755 Centennial Blvd. for $11 million. The private investment fund created by California-based Sovereign...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 3, 2007.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Radio frequency identification (RFID) has become a $4.96 billion business, according to IDTechEx, a knowledge-based company specializing in printed electronics, RFID and smart packaging. IDTechEx predicts that by 2017,...

Online sales growth slowing, but still double digits.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson It's all in the touch, or the click of a mouse and the anticipation of the touch. According to Shop.org's The State of Retailing Online 2007 survey conducted by Forrest Research, eCommerce growth was higher than...

Arizona fitness group to open two Colorado Springs facilities.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley While Colorado Springs has been a consistent member among the "most fit" cities since the mid-1990s, its health club operations have been less predictable. A number of facilities have come and gone, downsized or...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: August 10, 2007.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Colorado Springs commercial real estate activity continues at a healthy pace, although trend watchers like Sierra Commercial Real Estate Director of Market Research Ben Lowe see some shifts through second quarter 2007....

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 10, 2007.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Wal-Mart has signed a deal with India's Bharti Enterprises to supply infrastructure -- not merchandise. Single-brand retailers may enter India, but only by forging a joint venture with a local partner, of which the...

Going virtual at the office starting to gain traction.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Virtual assistants are gaining popularity, but they aren't the solutions for every entrepreneur or every industry. V.A.s provide administrative, creative, marketing and/or sales support. They work from home and don't...

Pleasing 'palette' needed for Arts Commission of the Pikes Peak Region.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff A volunteer resident and a practicing artist are needed to fill openings on the Art Commission of the Pikes Peak Region. Applicants should have an interest in public art and an awareness of...

Commentary: Time to reconsider ideology.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Our U.S. congressman, Doug Lamborn, spent 12 years in the Colorado legislature prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 2006. While in the legislature, Lamborn often took...

Commentary: Sometimes a jewelry box is really just another box.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd If your office is anything like mine, deliveries that don't appear to be of the usual day-in-and-day-out variety pique an inordinate amount of curiosity. On Monday, our classified manager walked into my office with a...

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Colorado Springs earns 'rookie' recognition.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Colorado Springs has received the National Rookie of the Year award from DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen. The award recognizes customer satisfaction and overall business...

City of Colorado Springs receives $3 million stormwater grant.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The City of Colorado Springs has received final approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a $3 million FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant for a stormwater capital improvement...

Volunteers needed for Colorado Springs transportation board.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Volunteers are needed for the city's Citizens' Transportation Advisory Board. Members meet once a month and advice City Council and the city manager about transportation-related concerns, such...

SBA Colorado district office receives award.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Small Business Administration's Colorado District office has received the Best Practices in Partnering with Small Business Lenders in Region Eight award from the American Western Lenders...

Colorado Springs firefighters receive award for valor.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Springs Fire Department's Truck Eight C-shift will receive the International Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor for its rescue efforts at the seven-alarm Castle West...

Colorado Springs Diversity Forum seeking volunteers.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Springs Diversity Forum is seeking volunteers for its inaugural "Everybody Welcome: A Celebration of Culture and Diversity." The event, which will celebrate the contributions of...

Colorado Springs developer Jannie Richardson sets sights on Denver skyline.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Colorado Springs developer Jannie Richardson has purchased a 1.83 acre parcel adjacent to the Union Station complex in Denver for $16 million and plans to build a 14-story $175 million 632,000-square-foot commercial...

Battle between banks, credit unions rages on.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Nationally, credit unions account for 6 percent of a community's financial deposits; but officials at Colorado Springs-based Ent Federal Credit Union estimate its membership encompasses more than 40 percent of the...

Commentary: Gov. Ritter talks water, land and health care.
August 10, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Last week, I spent half an hour with Gov. Bill Ritter talking about issues that are important to the Colorado Springs business community. It was a frank, far-reaching discussion, held in the governor's spacious...

Integrating alternatives into Western medicine.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Alternative medicine isn't really "alternative" any more -- in fact, the medical community isn't even using that term. Now it's "integrated" medicine, and after years of being considered a fringe practice, treatments...

Niki Moore extends Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers reach, services.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Colorado Springs native Niki Moore recently became the executive director of Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers. She has more than 10 years of experience in the criminal justice field and said the...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: August 10, 2007.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Wells Fargo is cutting about 76 jobs in Colorado Springs as it transfers its home equity loan operation to similar facilities in Phoenix and Des Moines, Iowa. "The home equity environment that we are currently...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: August 10, 2007.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center has received national recognition for a study focusing on blood sugar control during hospitalization. The center was one of five Colorado hospitals that participated in the RALS Study...

Food safety victim of El Paso County budget cuts.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine A decline in El Paso County restaurant inspections could leave Pikes Peak region residents feeling a little queasy. With more than 2,400 restaurants to check -- and a strained budget -- the county health department...

Phishing scams eroding credibility of businesses.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson As spammers' tactics increase and evolve, businesses credibility may go the way of junk mail. Phishing is being used in conjunction with well-known business names to solicit personal information. The Federal Trade...

Commentary: The cost of free lunches sure adds up.
August 17, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Made yet another pilgrimage up the pass to Cripple Creek a couple of weekends ago accompanied by a friend who, like me, enjoys playing the quarter slots. After several hours of hopeful play, we were down a few bucks...

Cheyenne Mountain Resort 'best' in Colorado.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Cheyenne Mountain Resort has been honored by the National Restaurant Association with the 2007 Restaurant Neighbor Award for the state of Colorado. The award recognizes companies that have...

Commentary: Politicos should stop playing politics with Pinon Canyon.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Since it was first initiated, we have paid careful attention to the Army's proposal to increase the size of the Pinon Canyon maneuver site from 235,000 acres to more than 600,000 acres. Those...

Muscular Dystrophy Assn. honors ERA franchises.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Muscular Dystrophy Association has honored members of ERA Franchise Systems for their 2006 fundraising efforts. ERA Shields in Colorado Springs was a finalist for the Ed Bilinkas Award,...

SBA increases access to bonds for small businesses.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration has made it easier for small business to obtain bonds as part of its Surety Bond Guarantee Program. New rules establish a more flexible pricing...

Rothberg, Tamburini & Windsor moves Colorado Springs office.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Rothberg, Tamburini & Windsor Inc. has moved its offices to 599 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 200. The engineering and consulting firm has had a local office in Colorado Springs since 1990.

Artisans help showcase, market Colorado Springs Parade of Homes.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley There will be 46 homes in the 2008 Parade of Homes, according to officials at the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, including 16 model homes priced at $1 million-plus. That means the average...

Q&A with chairman of Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Museum Committee.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Ron Brasch is one of those right brain/left brain types. He combines his creative passions for art and poetry with the business acumen required for his day job. In 1998, Brasch was persuaded...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: August 17, 2007.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Ent Federal Credit Union will celebrate the grand opening of its Jackson Creek Service Center, 16050 Old Forest Point, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 18. The 4,000 square-foot service center was designed by architects...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: August 17, 2007.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine A panel created by Gov. Bill Ritter will distribute $7.5 million in grants from UnitedHealth Group during the next six years. The Colorado Rural Health Care Grants Council is responsible for deciding how the money...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: August 17, 2007.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Shops at the Bluffs owner United Properties of Minneapolis has announced that an Office Depot retail store will open in its redeveloped center at Austin Bluffs Parkway and North Academy Boulevard. Leasing is being...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 17, 2007.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Facelogic, a day spa franchise which offers products and services exclusively for the face, is opening three additional Colorado Springs-area locations. Marion Swafford and Clara Mueller's franchise is scheduled to...

Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance seeks nominations for 2008 ethics awards.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance is accepting nominations for the 2008 CEBA Awards, which recognize and celebrate organizations and individuals who exemplify excellence in ethics,...

Leadership Pikes Peak selects board officers.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Leadership Pikes Peak has selected officers for its Board of Trustees for 2007-08. Jane Young, co-owner of Pinnacle Financial Concepts Inc., will serve as president. Sherrie L. Vogt, vice...

Regis University earns spot in U.S. News & World Report rankings.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff For the 13th consecutive year, Regis University has been ranked as a top school by U.S. News and World Report. The university was No. 26 in the West Region of Best Universities -- Master's...

Colorado Springs School District 11 seeking budget committee volunteers.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education is seeking volunteers to serve on the Budget Committee of the District Advisory Accountability Committee. Meetings typically are...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: August 24, 2007.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Premiums for the standard "Part D" coverage for Medicare will be nearly 40 percent lower next year than originally projected, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agency is expecting 2008...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: August 24, 2007.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley With more than 84,000 vehicles a day passing by, the remodeled Mission Trace Shopping Center at Hancock Expressway and South Academy Boulevard has attracted a number of new retail and restaurant tenants. Purchased by...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 24, 2007.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Spicy Pickle, a sandwich shop with headquarters in Denver, plans to open three locations in Colorado Springs. The chain opened in 1999 as a partnership between Kevin Morrison and Tony Walker, who were both chefs at the...

Gaming returns more than $106 million to state of Colorado.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Limited stakes gaming in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek generated more than $106.3 million during fiscal year 2007, which ended June 30, for historic preservation and local...

Pikes Peak Family Connections seeking volunteers.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Pikes Peak Family Connections Inc. needs volunteers to work in a variety of settings. The Nurturing Parenting Program Classes, which are offered on weeknights, needs children's co-facilitators...

Seven of 24 federal agencies meet SBA goals.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration has released its inaugural Small Business Procurement Scorecard. Federal agencies were measured for their achievements and progress in making contracting...

Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance aims to create businesses that focus on homeland security.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Colorado Springs has a new player in economic development and job creation: the Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance. The alliance joins the Colorado Springs Technology Incubator, the Rocky Mountain Technology...

Colorado Springs economy remains at mercy of the military.
August 24, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Colorado Springs is unique not only in the size of its military presence, but in its diversity. No other city in the nation hosts a major Army post (Fort Carson), two Air Force bases (Peterson and Schriever), a...

Commentary: Let's admit we're licked on the water front.
August 24, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Watching the Broncos stumble haplessly around during last week's preseason game against the 'Boys was, unless you are a Cowboys fan, a painful experience. The Donksters, who just last week were anointed as Super...

Concerts up awareness, traffic near local retailers in Colorado Springs.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Musical entertainment blasts through the air from every corner of Colorado Springs. It sounds like everyone loves a free concert. Public relations professionals are raving about the concept and business owners can't...

Q&A with president of CB&T Wealth Management in Colorado Springs.
August 24, 2007... Steven Condon, president of CB&T Wealth Management, moved to Colorado Springs in 2001 to work for Ron Johnson at The Corundum Group. In 2006, Condon and Johnson merged The Corundum Group (and Corundum Trust Co.) with Classic Mortgage and...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: August 24, 2007.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff U.S. Bancorp is extending a kind, warm invitation to the many baby boomers who aren't financially ready for retirement. In June, the bank rolled out a prototype Retirement Planning Center in...

Free tickets available for Front Range Business Expo.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce is offering complimentary tickets for the Front Range Business Expo, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at the U.S. Air Force Academy Press...

State of Colorado ready to help with road improvements.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Colorado Department of Transportation officials are ready to work with landowners in eastern El Paso County to facilitate development -- as long as the property's developers will allocate necessary right of way and...

SBA, chamber working on disaster response.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are pooling their resources to more effectively respond to major disasters. The SBA will provide information about its...

Group picked to evaluate Colorado's health care reform proposals bought by United Health subsidiary.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Amy Guillentine The Lewin Group is charged with a hefty responsibility: evaluating the five health care reform proposals being considered by the 208 Commission, deciding how much each would cost and determining how each would close...

Americans making cosmetic surgery higher priority than necessary health care.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Amy Guillentine Botox and microdermabrasion beat out diabetes medication and treatment of chronic disease -- at least in the wallets of an increasing number of health care consumers. While many people go without necessary health...

Commentary: Fine Arts Center joins the growing list of vandals.
August 31, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Crass? Clueless? Just plain dumb? All of the above? Yup, all of 'em are good descriptors of the Fine Arts Center's midnight teardown of the historic Carpenter mansion last week. And why did they tear it down? For a...

Q&A with Gus Lee, chief operating officer of Memorial Health System.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Gus Lee's life has been quite a journey: from growing up as part of an impoverished immigrant family to being second-in-command at Memorial Health System. Lee graduated from West Point and...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: August 31, 2007.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff There appears to be no shortage of banks in Fountain. Within the city limits, there are nine banks, including freestanding and supermarket branches. And, just outside the city limits, there...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: August 31, 2007.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The cost of treating non-obstructive artery disease: $767,000. The cost of treating blocked arteries: $1 million. The cost of educating women to prevent heart disease: priceless. Treating a woman's mild artery...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: August 31, 2007.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Michael Underwood has purchased a 27,220-square-foot industrial building at 2150 Executive Circle for $1.87 million as part of a 1031 exchange transaction. The property is on 2.6 acres in the Harrison Business Park....

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 31, 2007.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson A company founded by local resident Christine Ferguson is reaching out to women who want to feel beautiful and confident in lingerie every day. "I've always loved lingerie and I use to dabble in selling it as a hobby,"...

Proposed lifestyle center reflects growing demand in El Paso County.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley The wide open prairies of eastern El Paso County along Highway 24 have remained virtually suspended in time, as if unaware of the exponential residential and commercial development going on around them. But signs of...

Meadowlake community anxious for development.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Contrary to the not-in-my-backyard attitudes of some residential neighborhoods, the Meadowlake community appears ready -- even anxious -- for new development to begin. Jack Dhooghe, president of the 200-member...

Commentary: Fantasy autos, football and unforeseen wisdom.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd I seem to be on a bit of a roll the last couple weeks as far as must-attend events are concerned. And while I'm about to shamelessly plug another one, I'd like to share one of those "thoughts of the week" experiences...