Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) articles from July 2007

Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) archives from July 2007

iTunes takes over No. 3 ranking for online sales.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson iTunes, the digital download service, has moved up on the charts and passed online retailer Amazon.com. According to a study from market research firm NPD Group, Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store has 9.8 percent of overall...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson iTunes, the digital download service, has moved up on the charts and passed online retailer Amazon.com. According to a study from market research firm NPD Group, Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store has 9.8 percent of overall...

Colorado Springs Hospitality Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Breakfast opportunity Away-from-home breakfast sales are growing, but remain a major underdeveloped opportunity for restaurant operators, according to research by Technomic. Even though the majority of consumers still...

Colorado Springs Marketing Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Ad spending increases Last year, the top 100 U.S. advertisers increased ad spending by a modest 3.1 percent, to a record $104.8 billion. But most of that growth came from "unmeasured" disciplines. In a troubling sign...

Home builder franchising comes to Colorado.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley As if declining prices and increasing inventory weren't enough of a challenge for home builders, there's a new competitor on the housing industry building block: home building franchises. G.J. Gardner Homes, an...

Banks in Colorado barely covering 'the spread'.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Stagnant interest rates, a flat yield curve, and a highly competitive market have caused net interest margins, or "the spread," to diminish across the banking industry. Net interest margins are the difference between...

Malpractice prescription: A healthy dose of health courts.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Some doctors could be trading in their white coats and stethoscopes for black robes and gavels as part of program that would have physicians serve as administrative health judges. The idea for health courts -- or...

Commentary: Long fall from our lofty political perch.
July 6, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Remember the old Roadrunner cartoons that entertained generations of kids before video games and the Internet? Remember when the Coyote would suddenly arrive at the edge of a precipice? He wouldn't stop. He'd just...

India retail market is hot! Miss it and you'll be sari.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson No longer simply the whipping post for outsourcing and manufacturing concerns, India is flexing its muscles as an up-and-coming global economic player, and businesses that ignore the market might be doing so at their...

Tilley is the 'voice' for the arts in Colorado Springs.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff A writer, director and artist, Eve Tilley works tirelessly to promote the arts in Colorado Springs. As president of the Pikes Peak Arts Council, Tilley isn't paid for her work -- but she is passionate about creating and...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell BauerFinancial Inc., a company which analyzes and reports about the financial condition of the nation's banks and credit unions, has a report about financial institutions in Colorado. Here are highlights of banks in...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine AARP, the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees Industry Union, which together represent more than 50 million people, are endorsing legislation that would transition the paper-based health care system to...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Most companies celebrate major anniversaries, but the employees at G.E. Johnson Construction Co. decided to immortalize the people and projects that put them on the map through a series of murals. With Jim Johnson's...

Colorado Springs Non-profit Briefs: July 6, 2007.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff PPWFC seeking volunteers in Monument The Pikes Peak Workforce Center is seeking volunteers to work in the resource room at its northern satellite office at 235 Jefferson in Monument. Volunteers must be comfortable...

The impact of the yield curve on investment advice.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Stagnant interest rates and a flat yield curve are affecting the advice that local financial consultants give to clients who are interested in the bond and certificate of deposit markets. The Federal Reserve announced...

Commentary: Colorado Springs owes huge debt of gratitude to Kramer.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff When Lorne Kramer was appointed city manager in 2002, he came to an office in turmoil. Since longtime City Manager George Fellows had retired 17 years before, no less than five managers had come and gone. The three...

PC Magazine seeking nominees for SMB Awards.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff PC Magazine is seeking nominees for its second annual SMB Awards, which honor companies that have fewer than 300 employees, have been in business for year or more and have implemented technology to successfully grow...

Alternatives gaining, but coal in U.S. still reigns atop the mountain.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The alternative energy industry is growing rapidly worldwide, but coal is still king in the United States. Solar and wind power are growing at rate of about 30 percent each year. Traditional "big oil" companies, such...

Commentary: Research, accountability, vision ... what a concept.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Lon Matejczyk Do you think we have any issues here in El Paso County? How about our health care systems, infrastructure needs or the county's severe budget cuts? Do you think we have a group of good people doing good things, yet...

Colorado ranks in top 20 suspicious activity reports from financial institutions.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Bogus cashier's and business checks are becoming big business for counterfeiters. From July 2 to 5, more than 25 financial institutions contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to report that counterfeit...

Commentary: Hillary, stormwater fees in Colorado Springs quite curious.
July 13, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Remember the deservedly famous Sherlock Holmes story, "Silver Blaze"? The eponymous racehorse was stolen from his stable on the eve of a major race and his trainer was apparently murdered by the perpetrators. Holmes...

Interview with Jessica Turnwald: Catalyst behind FAC's capital campaign.
July 13, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Jessica Turnwald, who has directed the $30.5 million campaign to finance the Fine Arts Center's dramatic addition, remembers interviewing for the job with President Michael De Marsche in early 2005. "Mike asked me about...

Denver-based American National Bank expanding its footprint.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell American National Bank has broken ground for its newest facility near the intersection of Powers and Union boulevards at 4194 Royal Pine Drive. The two-story banking center will become American National Bank's sixth...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: July 13, 2007.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine A regulation that limits reimbursements for prescription medicine could save states and the federal government $8.4 billion during the next five years. The regulation allows Medicaid to pay "more appropriately" for...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: July 13, 2007.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Corporate Office Properties Trust has purchased the 119-acre Interquest Parkway office park parcel, buying out partner, Nor'Wood Development's David Jenkins, according to the El Paso County assessor's records. The...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: July 12, 2007.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson The popularity of social marketing online is growing, but according to a report by JupiterResearch, budgets aren't supporting it. Jupiter's "Social marketing scorecard: Benchmarking social marketing initiatives" shows...

National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden: Breaking bonds with oil won't be easy or quick.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine U.S. energy consumption is based on oil -- a multi-billion dollar industry -- and changing that is going to take investments in technology, as well as a change in consumers' attitudes. The National Renewable Energy...

Airport center developer buys apartment complexes in Colorado Springs.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley A joint venture between Lowe Enterprises Investors and Blue Vista Capital Management has acquired the Tanager Meadows and Lark Haven Apartments, two 264-unit apartment complexes near Fountain and South Academy...

Colorado Springs Non-profit Briefs: July 12, 2007.
July 13, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff LPP offering development program for young adults Leadership Pikes Peak in partnership with the Chamber Rising Professionals program is accepting applications for its Leadership Now! 2007-08 class. The program's goal is...

Commentary: Sometimes it's tough to even get what you pay for.
July 13, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd I don't cook, which means a lot of my mealtime is spent in restaurants. Nearly all of the eating establishments that I frequent display good service and good food. Which is why an experience I had last week at a downtown...

'Big 3' not what they used to be: American auto manufacturers sales shrinking.
July 20, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Many years ago, the cover of Fortune magazine bore a haunting photograph of a brilliantly lit, deserted automobile showroom, taken late at night. On the showroom floor was a small, inventively styled foreign car...

Are you saving enough for retirement?
July 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell The overwhelming majority of workers know they need to save for retirement, but they aren't doing it and they're really not even sure how to if they were so inclined. Eight of 10 people have thought about how they...

Monitoring word of mouth, a powerful medium.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson "Can you hear me now?" is the catchphrase of a popular cell phone advertisement based on a common complaint -- dropped calls. But being able to "hear" what customers think and say about products once they leave the...

Commentary: Sorry Hank, but I've problems of my own.
July 20, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Remember Pogo Possum, the swamp-dwelling protagonist of the eponymous comic strip? I never paid much attention to the strip, even as a comics-loving kid. But I do remember Pogo's famous remark: "We have met the...

Real estate appraisers face mounting pressure.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley The last few years have been tough on real estate appraisers. In a recent survey conducted by October Research and underwritten by the country's largest appraisal company, Forsythe Appraisal LLC, more than 900...

Walker, Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region focusing on empowerment.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Although he says he could think of better ways to have fun, fundraising is a big part of Michael Walker's job. As CEO of The Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region, Walker finds ways to keep the longstanding...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: July 20, 2007.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell Ever wonder what it really takes to be a millionaire? I was talking to a friend the other day about the story in this week's paper about whether American's are saving enough for retirement when he started bragging...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: July 20, 2007.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Construction under way at NorthCare St. Francis Construction has begun at NorthCare at St. Francis, an 85,250-square-foot medical building that will be linked to St. Francis Medical Center via a sky-bridge. Both...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: July 20, 2007.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley McClelland Construction set to move to Colorado Springs Bryant McClelland, the owner of McClelland Construction, located 50 miles north of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was in town this week to find a new location for his...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: July 20, 2007.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Growing eastside wins iT'Z entertainment hub iT'Z the third one in the nation, the first in Colorado and iT'Z almost here. A new family, food and fun entertainment destination, iT'Z recently broke ground at 3035 New...

Garden of the Gods to include new membership tiers, housing options.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley It's the stuff dreams - and dream homes - are made of: view lots overlooking the Garden of the Gods and Colorado Springs, set against a backdrop of Pikes Peak and the hazy, blue foothills of the Front Range. Add to...

Holland & Hart Foundation wins InnovAction Award.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The Holland & Hart Foundation has received the one of four College of Law Practice Management InnovAction Awards for innovative efforts in legal services. The foundation was formed nearly 10 years ago. Its goal is to...

Commentary: EPA's 'green' idea might need to be reconsidered.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Editorial The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as we noted in a recent daily e-mail to our subscribers, has announced that it has adopted a new set of criteria when selecting hotels and conference centers. The agency...

Commentary: CSBJ Blog makes debut.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Lon Matejczyk On Monday, we launched the CSBJ Blog. In this fast-paced environment in which we now live, people expect instant feedback with others and the media is no different. Within a few short minutes there was a comment on my...

Leadership Pikes Peak offering development program for young adults.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Leadership Pikes Peak in partnership with the Chamber Rising Professionals program is accepting applications for its Leadership Now! 2007-08 class. The programs goal is to engage, support, nurture and mobilize young...

Court Appointed Special Advocates hosting open house for volunteers.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Court Appointed Special Advocates is hosting an open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at 701 S. Cascade Ave. Information will be available about how to become "a child's voice in court" by becoming a CASA volunteer....

PC Magazine seeking nominees for SMB Awards.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff PC Magazine is seeking nominees for its second annual SMB Awards, which honor companies that have fewer than 300 employees, have been in business for year or more and have implemented technology to successfully grow...

Pikes Peak Workforce Center seeking volunteers in Monument.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The Pikes Peak Workforce Center is seeking volunteers to work in the resource room at its northern satellite office at 235 Jefferson in Monument. Volunteers must be comfortable working with the public, while maintaining...

Colorado casinos pay record amount in gaming taxes.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Colorado casinos paid a record $112 million in gaming taxes during fiscal year 2007, which ended June 30. The taxes were paid on a fiscal year record $798.9 million in adjusted gross proceeds earned by gaming...

2007 Colorado Springs Press Assn. Media Guide available.
July 20, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The 2007 Colorado Springs Press Association Media Guide is now available. The guide provides listings of newspapers, radio and television stations, reporters and other outlet contacts for El Paso and Teller counties. The...

A problem in El Paso County that isn't going away.
July 27, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst El Paso County's budget is full of strange abbreviations such as "2008 one-time MAFR," figures that don't seem to quite add up, multiple sources of funding, mandated and discretionary expenditures and bewildering...

Subprime fallout cutting wide swath with huge impact to mortgage brokers in Colorado Springs.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell The fallout from subprime mortgage loans, those made to people with below prime credit scores, is making things more difficult for mortgage brokers and consumers alike. Delinquency rates for subprime adjustable rate...

Commentary: Parking lots stark reminder of lost history.
July 27, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst If you want an easy visual lesson about the economic impact of historic preservation, I'd suggest three Saturday afternoon strolls. Stroll No. 1: Start at Bancroft Park, in historic Old Colorado City. Walk west on...

Interview with Georgia Kostas: Georgia Kostas Nutrition Associates Inc.
July 27, 2007... A newcomer to the Pikes Peak region, Georgia Kostas MPH, R.D., L.D., has embraced Colorado's sunny climate and scenic beauty since moving from Dallas to Colorado Springs three years ago. It was in Dallas in 1979 that Kostas was asked by Kenneth...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: July 27, 2007.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Sarah Colwell The Internal Revenue Service is simplifying the signature process for electronically filed individual income tax returns submitted by tax practitioners. The simplification eliminates the need for a paper signature...

Commentary: Marketing to C-suite executives.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Lon Matejczyk B2B Magazine, the magazine for marketing strategists, had an interesting article recently titled "Reaching the Elusive CXO." According to the report, C-level decision makers are responsible for more than $1.2 trillion...

Commentary: So much for progressive insurance companies.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd Progressive Direct issued a news release earlier this month touting the fact that it was lowering auto insurance rates in Colorado for the seventh time since 2003. Of course not every Colorado driver will see a decrease...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: July 27, 2007.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Dr. John Mehall, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, has joined Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and will be performing robotic-assisted heart operations. Mehall is the director of robotic and minimally...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: July 27, 2007.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Colorado Industrial Packaging has leased 12,000 square feet of warehouse space in the Airport Business Center at 2520 Aviation Way. The new Class A industrial facility will accommodate product stacking up to 20 feet...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: July 27, 2007.
July 27, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Back-to-school shopping is more than a quick Labor Day weekend rush for necessities like paper and pencils. The U.S. Department of Education estimates almost 18 million students will enroll in American colleges and...

Colorado Springs Non-profit Briefs: July 27, 2007.
July 27, 2007... Businesses receive community servant awards Old Town Learning Center and the Antlers Hilton Hotel have received Community Servant Leader Awards as part of Building the Dream, the second annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day. The...

PC Magazine seeking nominees for SMB Awards.
July 27, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff PC Magazine is seeking nominees for its second annual SMB Awards, which honor companies that have fewer than 300 employees, have been in business for year or more and have implemented technology to successfully grow...

2007 Colorado Springs Press Association Media Guide available.
July 27, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The 2007 Colorado Springs Press Association Media Guide is now available. The guide provides listings of newspapers, radio and television stations, reporters and other outlet contacts for El Paso and Teller counties. The...