Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) articles from February 2008

Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) archives from February 2008

$125M in new projects scheduled to begin this year in Colorado Springs, Fort Carson.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley The Colorado Springs multifamily community is about to add three new members, two upscale projects on the north end of town and one unique for-rent housing concept near Fort Carson. The first out of the ground will...

Cost of motor crashes in U.S. estimated at more than $230B annually.
February 1, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Automobile crashes in the United States cause nearly half a million deaths every decade, leave 2 million people permanently disabled and cost about $2.3 trillion. During 2006, 43,300 people were killed in motor...

Misconceptions about the Fed rate cuts.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn The Federal Open Market Committee lowered its target for the federal funds rate by 75 basis points Jan. 22 and another 50 points Wednesday. The interest rate that banks now charge to lend money amongst themselves...

Commentary: How is it we all missed it when Greenspan shrugged?
February 1, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Here's an infallible rule of modern politics: it's nobody's fault. If bad things happen, the passive voice rules. Mistakes were made. Past statements are now inoperative. There might have been irrational exuberance....

Unified front: Technology brings systems together.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson If you look at the history of telecommunications, phones and phone systems have come a long way since the days of switchboards. Computer software and high-speed Internet connections have given birth to services such as...

Interview with Jeff Schneider: President of EFA Services Inc.
February 1, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff No matter what jobs Jeff Schneider has held, he's always gravitated toward numbers. It's that inclination that landed him a variety of positions in public accounting and banking, and his experience working with large...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn The dreaded R-word is being bandied about these days by pundits, consumers and business owners, but is it really all that bad? Yes, and no. "People are terrified of recessions, but recessions aren't what they used to...

Future of health care in Colorado now in the hands of legislators.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine The Governor's Commission on Health Care Reform performed its final task yesterday -- presenting the findings it gathered during 2007 to the General Assembly. Health care analysts say the legislature will consider a...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Last year might have been tough on home builders, but multifamily landlords and owners saw a glimmer of economic hope. The Apartment Insights Fourth Quarter and 2007 year-end report compiled by Doug Carter of Sperry...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Theresa Preston, co-owner of three Plato's Closet stores in Colorado, finished the year with a 51 percent increase in sales compared to last year at her Colorado Springs store. The increase was the highest of any of...

Colorado Springs Business Briefs: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Miracle Method places among top 500 Miracle Method Surface Restoration was ranked No. 188 on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list. The company was ranked first in the surface restoration category and No. 41 among...

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation holds cocktail party in Colorado Springs.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Diane Wengler Since his daughter Margo was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes nine years ago, Dr. Michael Barber said he has felt like Don Quixote with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as his "windmill." Barber spoke to...

No consensus for how to make roads safer in U.S., Colorado.
February 1, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Despite the fact that 43,300 people were killed and 2.5 million others were injured during motor vehicle accidents in the United States during 2006, there has been no concerted effort to bring fatality rates down....

Commentary: Bruce needs to remember whom he represents in Denver.
February 1, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Reflecting on the sorry saga that culminated in the Colorado House of Representatives' near-unanimous censure of Colorado Springs Rep. Douglas Bruce last week, we were struck by several things. Mr. Bruce's censure was...

Commentary: Why doesn't the Springs think big ... or even bigger?
February 1, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk Last week's CSBJ opinion piece titled "Are we going to start breeding success or wallow in apathy?" really struck home for me. Why is Denver able to create relationships between private and public organizations to...

Pikes Peak Family Connections Inc. needs volunteers.
February 1, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Pikes Peak Family Connections Inc. needs volunteers to work with at-risk children. The organization's Nurturing Parenting Program Classes, offered on weeknights, need children's co-facilitators and childcare volunteers...

Tough real estate market inspires creativity in Colorado Springs.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley They may be down, but they're definitely not out. Colorado Springs residential builders and developers are a hardy bunch. Local companies like Keller Homes, Vantage Homes, Nor'wood Development, Classic Homes and...

Are any jobs recession proof?
February 8, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Fears of a recession usually equal one thing for most people: fear of losing their jobs. And while there is no job that is absolutely recession proof, economists believe that there are some industries that are...

City of Colorado Springs mulls washing hands of Memorial.
February 8, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst The City of Colorado Springs is considering changes to Memorial Health System's ownership structure, including turning the hospital over to a non-municipal nonprofit corporation. Memorial's governance, financial...

Environmentalists appear to be wind's biggest enemy.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Wind energy is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation, but it is facing sharp criticism from an unlikely source: environmental groups. Colorado ranked second nationwide for completing wind farm projects...

Commentary: Hope George won't mind me taking page from his book.
February 8, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst "I am a bachelor but I prefer to live in my own home. My enthusiasms include golf, travel, horse-racing and the spoken drama. My antipathies are social show-offs, bigots on religion, fanatics on total abstinence and...

Pikes Peak RTA plans for 2008 include overpass, Woodmen widening.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson 2008 will be a big year for three of the Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority's biggest projects. Overpass construction for the Austin Bluffs Parkway and Union Boulevard interchange project is scheduled to...

Q&A with Sumer Liebold, owner of Rocky Mountain Premier Corporate Housing.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Sumer Liebold is a young woman in a hurry. A little more than a year ago, Liebold and her brother identified a market niche between extended-stay hotels and upscale corporate housing. The...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 8, 2008.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Rob Slee was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Private Capital Markets Conference held Tuesday at Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Slee is managing director of Robertson and Foley, and an adjunct faculty member at Loyola...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 8, 2008.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Representatives from the Colorado BioScience Association and six of the state's economic development entities marketed Colorado as a desirable medical device manufacturing hub during the 24th annual Medical Device &...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 8, 2008.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley The Rice Shopping Center at 406-410 S. 8th St. has been purchased by the JAJA Family Limited Partnership of Castle Rock for $1.3 million. The 16,262-square-foot retail center is 70 percent leased and includes a Captain...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: Februar 8, 2008.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Hunter-Wolff Gallery will relocate March 1 to a larger space at 2510 W. Colorado Ave. The gallery is one block east of its current location, which opened during October 2005. More than double the size of the previous...

Advertising basics, guerilla marketing prove effective in Colorado Springs.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Considering the millions of dollars spent annually in the Pikes Peak region for homebuilder advertising in print, electronic and Web media, sometimes sticking to the basics works just as well as pricier programs....

Colorado Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society selects board.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Michael W. King, a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck P.C., has been elected chairman of the board of trustees of the Colorado Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society....

Commentary: There appears to be a shift among the forward-thinking.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff For decades, California has been the nation's bellwether state. It has been a place of social and intellectual ferment, where new industries have grown and flourished, where innovation has...

Commentary: Recognition nets hundreds of hours of lost productivity.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk I figure I lost at least an hour of productive time last week. Between the chamber's State of the Region luncheon on Wednesday and the Economic Development Corp.'s luncheon on Thursday, I sat through 30-45 minutes of...

Cheyenne Mountain Resort earns 2008 Paragon Award.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Cheyenne Mountain Resort has earned the 2008 Paragon Award from Corporate Meetings & Incentives, marking the 17th time the resort has been recognized by the magazine. The magazine's readers...

Pikes Peak Workforce Center opens satellite office in Woodland Park.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Pikes Peak Workforce Center has opened a satellite office in the Woodland Park Library at 218 E. Midland Road. The office, the second in Teller County, will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m....

Export nominees sought for Colorado governor's award.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Applications are being accepted from Colorado companies for the Governor's Award for Excellence in Exporting. The wards recognize companies that demonstrate a commitment to international...

Rocky Mountain Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors presents awards.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff White Construction Group and Tom Tarver of Greiner Electric have received the Dick Goodman Community Service Award from the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors....

Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado recognizes two.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado recognized two Colorado Springs landscapes during its annual Excellence in Landscape Awards banquet. Nature's Way Waterscapes Inc. won an Award...

U.S. Small Business Adminstration's Colorado District Office launches initiative.
February 8, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration's Colorado District Office has launched an initiative aimed at fostering economic development throughout the state by making it easier for small...

Surge of 'accidental' landlords in Colorado Springs, nationwide.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Robert and Lisa Tobin purchased a home during August 2006 because their family was growing. The plan was to move into their new house, then refurbish and sell their old residence. "We thought it would be better to move...

Colorado snowpack at record levels.
February 15, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst What a difference a year makes -- at least, in mountain snowpack throughout the West. Last year, snowpack levels were below normal in every Colorado drainage basin and in every Western state. Warm winter days played...

El Paso County might be in for retail overdose.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley El Paso County residents who live west of Interstate 25 and south of Platte Avenue will soon have options to the 40-minute commute to North Powers Boulevard big-box and mid-box retail, restaurant and entertainment...

Commentary: GM's outlook depends on the source of your information.
February 15, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst The news is the news, right? Something as significant as, say, the earnings of one of the world's largest industrial corporations, should be fairly uniformly reported in every credible news source, shouldn't it?...

Entrepreneurs with disabilities encounter additional challenges.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn The failure rate for starting a new business is 50 percent -- enough to prevent many people from attempting it. Add to that the challenge of a disability, and only the brave need apply. "Start-up issues are magnified,"...

Q&A with Brad Kreikemeier, VP of Bank of Colorado.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Don't be fooled by the suit and tie. Brad Kreikemeier earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wyoming on a rodeo scholarship. For 17 years, he has competed in steer...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 15, 2008.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Investors want to know what to do when the stock market loses its upward momentum -- especially when downward movement is as sharp and volatile as it has been recently. "The proliferation of information has hurt more...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 15, 2008.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Insurance premiums in Colorado will rise by double digits for the seventh year in a row during 2008. The Lockton Co. of Colorado reports that the average increase is 12.9 percent, higher than national levels. More...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 15, 2008.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley It's a sign of the times. Bank-owned properties abound and, as a result, real estate brokers like Wil Szilagyi of Williams Homesellers, a division of Keller Williams Real Estate, are developing new ways to get them...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 15, 2008.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Software piracy affects the Colorado economy, eliminates local jobs and damages local industries. During 2003, piracy cost the Colorado economy more than 2,100 jobs, more than $122 million in wages and salaries, more...

Environmental impact study likely to remove some, but not all, Southern Delivery System obstacles.
February 15, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Within the next two weeks, the Bureau of Reclamation will release the draft environmental impact study for the Southern Delivery System. The bureau has released most of the technical documents that the EIS will be...

Colorado lawmakers not proposing major health care reform bills.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Predictions of a flurry of legislation in the wake of the 208 Commission's health care reform report have proven false, with fewer health care bills being filed so far this session of the General Assembly compared to...

Colorado State Fair listed as 38th most-attended fair.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Carnival Warehouse has listed the Colorado State Fair as the 38th most-attended fair in North America. The "Top 50 North American Fairs" drew nearly 41.5 million guests during 2007; the...

Muscle, versatility, mpg, top 2008, 2009 models in Colorado.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson New and redesigned 2008 and 2009 auto models are hitting the sales lots, offering buyers fuel efficiency, sporty versatility and muscle. A number of auto makers have redesigned their best-selling passenger sedans and...

Record snow should benefit Colorado resorts both this year and next.
February 15, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst This year's snowfall has benefited every ski area in Colorado. Kelly Ladyga, a spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, which owns the Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckinridge and Keystone ski areas, declined to discuss skier visits...

Commentary: Leadership institute class of 2008.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk Who can make the most impact on our community in the shortest amount of time? This is the mantra for selection into the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute. Unlike some of the leadership programs in our community,...

Commentary: Benson's business background bodes well for Springs, UCCS.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Regents of the University of Colorado recently selected Bruce Benson, a Denver businessman, philanthropist and political activist, as sole finalist for the position of university...

DLR Group, with offices in Colorado, ranked No. 1.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff DLR Group's design practices for justice and education have been ranked No. 1 in the world by BD World Architecture magazine. The ranking is based on annual income for specific practice areas....

Colorado Springs' Union Boulevard project wins award.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association has awarded the City of Colorado Springs the 2007 Engineering and Construction Management (Large Community) Award for its Union...

Exporting nominations.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Applications are being accepted for the Governor's Award for Excellence in Exporting. Export businesses of any size or industry may apply. Winners will be recognized at World Trade Day on May...

Colorado Springs' DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen wins award.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen has received a regional Contractor of the Year award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for a residential kitchen priced between $30,000 and...

Grants available for 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants Program projects in Colorado.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has $1 million available for 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants Program projects in Colorado. Applicants can receive...

Grazing fee unchanged.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The federal grazing fee for Western public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service is $1.35 per animal unit month for 2008, the same level as last year. The fee...

Southern Colorado Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals selects board officers.
February 15, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Southern Colorado Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has selected its board officers for 2008. Steve Elder will serve as president. Christi-Marie Butler is...

Gold casting its investment allure.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Gold is at an all-time nominal high. This week the spot price was more than $947 per troy ounce. That has people scurrying to buy and sell gold, in the form of coins or futures and Exchange Traded Funds. Buying...

Pikes Peak region's commercial real estate crystal ball clouded.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley The Pikes Peak region commercial real estate crystal ball is starting to haze over. While deal-making euphoria reigned between 2005 and 2007, the mood in the local brokerage community is shifting to guarded optimism,...

Commentary: It's about time we actually started teaching the children well.
February 22, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst In a mostly sensible column in the New York Times a few days ago, David Brooks talked about education: "If there is one thing we have learned over the bitter experience of the past 30 years, it is that per-pupil...

Colorado Springs entrepreneurs looking for angel money.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson A lack of venture capital funding in Colorado Springs is prompting many startup companies to look to angel investors. Venture capital firms generally are private partnerships or closely held corporations, that invest...

Q&A with Eric Cefus, director of Catamount Institute.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff As director of the Catamount Institute, Eric Cefus is responsible for its teaching and conservation programs. The organization has a number of programs designed to reach students and teachers,...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 22, 2008.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Nearly half of all small-business owners surveyed by KeyBank will delay retirement. Shawn Cole, district retail leader for Colorado, said a poll of 976 small-business owners showed contradictions between finances and...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 22, 2008.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Trauma care providers say a report released by Gov. Bill Ritter's Office of Policy and Initiatives verifies what they have been saying for four years: the switch from a no-fault auto insurance system to a tort system...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 22, 2008.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Tim Leigh of Hoff & Leigh Real Estate and builder Mike Reeg, both principals in Canon Builders LLC, have found a niche in one of commercial real estate's newest submarkets. The partners recently completed the first...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 22, 2008.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Colorado Springs-based ANNA'S Preemie, a manufacturer and distributor of premature infant garments and accessories, has placed in the Top 500 Emerging Businesses in the United States for 2007, according to Diversity...

Business.gov expands services.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Small business access to government information has taken a leap forward with the addition of new state and local search capabilities on Business.gov, the official business link to the U.S....

Nolte Associates receives revitalization project honor for Manitou Springs project.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Nolte Associates Inc. has received the Partnership for Community Design Award for its work on the Manitou Avenue Revitalization Project in Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs catered to the spa...

Volunteers needed for Pikes Peak Family Connections programs.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Pikes Peak Family Connections Inc. needs volunteers for all its programs. The organization's goal is to help prevent and treat child abuse and neglect. Volunteers are needed to work with...

PPFC needs volunteers.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Pikes Peak Family Connections Inc. needs volunteers to work with at-risk children. The organization's Nurturing Parenting Program Classes, offered on weeknights, need children's...

$1 million available for 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants Program projects in Colorado.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has $1 million available for 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants Program projects in Colorado. Applicants can receive...

Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment accepting grant applications.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is accepting grant applications for waste diversion and recycling projects. The department has $1.2 million available for 2008....

Pikes Peak region's Child Nursery Centers selects board.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Child Nursery Centers has elected its board officers for 2008. Sandi Yukman will serve as chairwoman. John Whitten is vice chairman. Christine Carroll will serve as secretary and Brian...

SBA, Minority Business Round Table form partnership.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration has broadened its outreach to minority entrepreneurs by signing a partnership with the Minority Business Round Table. The alliance is part of an effort...

Bureau of Land Management of Colorado State Office oil, gas leases net $3.9 million.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office sold all 35 parcels offered during its quarterly oil and gas lease sale for a total of $3.9 million. The high bid, for a 45-acre parcel in...

Colorado man's invention twirls its way into the Air Force.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine When Kevin Maher came up with a device to make his daughter's physical therapy sessions easier, he had no idea his invention would have military applications. A semiconductor consultant, Maher created what's now...

Commentary: Robocall support makes for strange bipartisan bedfellows.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff It's not often that you see two liberal Democrats join two conservative Republicans to kill a substantive piece of legislation in a state Senate committee. And even stranger, the bill that...

Commentary: 999,999 more acrylic pigs and I'll be able to retire.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Mike Boyd It's been a while since I tweaked my cousins in the public relations profession, and I had hoped the reason was that they had passed around some of my previous columns, actually read them and finally decided to follow my...

Commentary: Just post employees' compensation in the break room.
February 22, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk Luckily, I have my staff and the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Legislative Watch Council to help keep me up on issues I would probably miss with the many other things going on in our business community. Here is...

Air Force's request for more money at center of debate over country's needs.
February 29, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst With the release of the proposed 2009 defense budget, the three branches of the armed services are already clamoring for more money. But of the three, the Air Force's list is particularly long -- and particularly...