San Francisco Business Times articles from March 2001

San Francisco Business Times archives from March 2001

Nonprofits come in from cold.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Squeezed S.F. finds landlords easing up on space - but not Oakland When the Black Coalition on AIDS started looking for new office space in San Francisco early last year, Executive Director Duane Toe couldn't get his calls returned by real...

BofA selling historic home.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Developer Wilson Meany to turn A. P. Giannini's HQ into offices, stores Bank of America will sell its historic former headquarters at Powell and Market streets - a building it has owned for eight decades - to developer Wilson Meany, which...

Excite cans move, Peninsula space pours into market.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... ExciteAtHome has scrapped plans to move into new offices on the Peninsula, puffing 250,000 square feet - by far the largest single block of sublease space in the Bay Area - onto the market. The Redwood City-based Internet portal and...

Real estate brokers get urge to merge.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Cornish & Carey, CB Richard Ellis look at joining their regional forces Brokerage firms Cornish & Carey and CB Richard Ellis Inc. are in talks to merge their operations, according to several local real estate professionals familiar with...

Biotech to boost bulk in South S.F.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... South San Francisco-based biotech firm Tularik is on the hunt for nearly a quarter of a million square feet of research space, as company sources confirmed that it is looking to scale up its operations. "We are planning to have over 300...

Giants striking out in Spanish.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Team making its pitch, but will sponsors speak their language? Spanish-language radio broadcasts of San Francisco Giants games may miss opening day -- and may be benched for the season -- unless the team signs a roster of sponsors. The...

Giants owner is strictly a benchwarmer in court.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... To everyone who's had to wait for his number to be called for jury duty -- take heart. Even the well-to-do and well-known must take their civic at-bats. Take Peter Magowan, president and managing general partner of the San Francisco...

LOWERING THEIR STANDARDS.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Last week, the cost-cutting Industry Standard gave another flock of its journalists the heave-ho. Meanwhile, the magazine has been combating a steady stream of reports about its decline. These two facts may be coincidental. Or, they...

LA BELLA OAKLAND.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Just call Lake Merritt New Venice. As part of Oakland's progress toward a Renaissance within city limits, one company is bringing Italy to the downtown recreation area through a private, one-hour gondola tour. Couples can get...

Rise & Fall.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... A barometer of the region's movers, shakers and takers [up arrow] Ned Spieker Spieker will be remembered as the man who more or less built the Peninsula, but he's capped his lengthy career by constructed something else: A merger with...

$22M considered low bid for 200 Brannan sale.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... A partnership of LNR Property Corp. and parent Lennar Corp. has put a two-acre site at 200 Brannan St. and 1 Federal St. in San Francisco on the market for at least $22 million. The site is fully entitled for 187 market-rate residential...

Virtual becomes reality with Wells, Fleet Bank customers.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Alameda-based Virtual Purchase Connection -- an application service provider startup that recently scored $20 million in venture capital funds -- emerges from stealth mode next week with 3 million Wells Fargo and Fleet Bank corporate customers...

Record restaurant deal could still be cooking.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... A simmering labor dispute has halted at least for now the record-setting $6 million sale of a Fisherman's Wharf restaurant and could boil over into San Francisco court, owners of the establishment said. The sale of Castagnola's stalled...

Oakland base turns to port to convince Army.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The Oakland Base Reuse Authority recently acknowledged its limited powers of persuasion and agreed to rely on the Port of Oakland to help get the Department of Army to quickly give up the city's 189-acre portion of the base. Port...

Blue Shield renews vows with IT provider EDS.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... San Francisco-based Blue Shield of California has, extended its 30-year-old information technology relationship with Plano, Texas-based EDS for another 10 years. Blue Shield gave EDS $46 million last year to receive IT for its network,...

Acordia gobbles up Calco on way to billion in revenues.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Acordia Inc. will buy San Mateo-based Calco Insurance Brokers & Agents Inc. -- which sells insurance coverage to about one-third of California's private colleges -- for an undisclosed amount, according to the companies. Calco parent...

Bay Area bag men weave plans for retail push.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... San Francisco handbag company The Sak has changed its name to The Sak Elliott Lucca in a brand overhaul that the company hopes will help double the company's revenues in two years. The company, which made a splash five years ago with its...

AT&T loans out top networking expert to get ExciteAtHome's cable network back on track.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... AT&T Corp. is lending broadband company ExciteAtHome one of its foremost networking and technical experts to improve Excite's cable network and help it expand its capabilities. Hossein Eslambolchi, who joined ExciteAtHome in mid-February,...

ExecutiveProfile: RICK HOLLIDAY.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... RESUME Name: Rick Holliday. Title: President. Company: Holliday Development LLC, in Emeryville, which incorporated in 1987 and has averaged $50 million in annual billings for the past five years. Education: Bachelor of arts...

Bayview attracts big S.F. project.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... A local investment group is planning to build a $30 million telecommunications and office building at 3433 Third St., in the heart of Bayview/Hunters Point. Group I Inc. of San Francisco went before the city planning commission March 1...

Equity Office dances into Bay Area on Spieker's arm.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The knockout mega-merger of Equity Office Properties Trust and Spieker Properties created a $28 billion real estate heavyweight with a shaky left hook: The Bay Area real estate market. EOP already owns and operates more office space than...

Players squabble over Oakland base development.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Oakland's Base Reuse Authority has sent five development suggestions for the city's massive former U.S. Army Base out for public comment, mindful of a July 13 deadline for moving forward with plans for the 189 acres. That includes a 2.5...

Lease negotiations delay Lucas' Presidio project.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Site work began at the end of February preparing for the demolition of the Presidio's 10-story Letterman hospital, which will make way for George Lucas' 900,000-square-foot campus. But dates for bringing the old building down and breaking...

STILL IN THE LOOP.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Despite the dot-com doldrums, real estate listing service LoopNet Inc. says it will announce a fourth round of financing soon. In the meantime it's reducing some costs. LoopNet recently eliminated about 10 people in the marketing and sales...

LIVE-WORK LIVES ON.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The Hernon Group's best-known Oakland endeavor at 1640 Broadway may have slowed down after a few quick laps, but another live-work project under the same firm has sprung from the starting gate at 14th and Harrison streets. Urban...

JABER JOINS PM REALTY.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Property management company PM Realty Group of Houston has hired a Shorenstein Co. veteran to run its San Francisco and Silicon Valley operations. David Jaber, who formerly managed 425 Market and Hills Plaza for Shorenstein, will oversee...

Providian gets smart, drops old Internet strategy.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Aiming to eliminate overlapping brands, Providian Financial Corp. will phase out its Internet credit card Aria and consolidate its online financial services under its expanding GetSmart.com site. The goal is to boost cross-selling and...

Merrill Lynch expands in S.F.(San Francisco)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Merrill Lynch will expand its main San Francisco office by 65,000 square feet as its investment, private and international banking operations soar. Starting in July and continuing over the next two years, the Princeton; N.J.-based...

Inside Traders.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Inside Traders A look at selling of shares by Bay Area executives Larry Ellison CEO Oracle Corp. Shares sold: 29,084,576 Were shares sold options? Yes Options...

Credit card giants take more swipes at each other.(Visa, American Express)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... With each swipe of the credit card, it seems, the contentious battle between San Francisco-based Visa U.S.A. and American Express Co. continues to grow. The latest salvo in the credit-card powerhouses' war: Visa memos last month calling...

WELLS FARGO INVADES CANADA.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will refer its small-business loan rejects to Wells Fargo & Co. under an alliance forged by the two companies. The agreement, in which Toronto-based CIBC will hand off to Wells applicants who failed to...

WORLD SAVINGS, WAMU SQUARE OFF.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Oakland-based World Savings -- the nation's No. 2 savings and loan -- is taking on top-ranked Washington Mutual. World Savings fired off a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Board opposing a petition by the Dallas Federal Home Loan Bank...

Black Rocket ad deal blasts off.(Euro RSCG acquires major portion of Black Rocket)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The surprise marriage between Euro RSCG and local creative shop Black Rocket is just the latest in a spate of acquisitions; consolidation and general shrinkage in the San Francisco advertising world. Other recent acquisitions include...

WHEELIN' AND DEALIN'.(Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos acquires SF Interactive)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... In other deals last week, Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos purchased digital marketing firm SF Interactive for an undisclosed sum. The deal, originally reported in this column over a month ago, will bring in new clients and give the...

AD SHOPS LOOK FOR BARGAINS.(Landor Associates looks for acquisitions)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... With the economic slump putting a crimp in advertising budgets and thus pressure on agencies, expect even more big firms on the acquisition hunt in coming months. Word is San Francisco branding institution Landor Associates is on the prowl...

Bay Area ballclubs score with MLB.com.(San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Whether the Oakland A's knock off the New York Yankees this year remains to be seen, but one thing the A's and San Francisco Giants can already claim is part of the World Series champs' revenues. Major League Baseball last month officially...

SCHWAB SPONSORSHIPS FROZEN.(Charles Schwab Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... An item in last week's column regarding Charles Schwab Corp.'s sports marketing work should have made it clear that its extensive program of event sponsorships has not entirely escaped the cost-cutting ax now swinging through the discount...

Foote Cone Belding.(ad contract for Major League Baseball)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... * San Francisco's Foote Cone Belding is working on Major League Baseball's new advertising campaign -- combining the work of a handful of agencies into one single-minded approach to consumer products, public service ads and the web. ...

Golden State Warriors.(Danny Glover to host fundraiser)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... * Actor -- and purported Golden State Warriors fan -- Danny Glover will host the "Green Tie & Tennies Gala" on March 17 for the Golden State Warriors Foundation. The event, organized by Angela Cohan, wife of Warriors owner Chris Cohan, is aimed...

Blue Cross helps employees have it their way.(defined contribution plans for health benefits)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Defined contribution has been touted as a magic way for employers to relieve themselves of the burden of absorbing health cost increases and reducing responsibility. Blue Cross of California will begin offering a version of it to small...

KAISER ADDS CONCIERGE IN MACARTHUR.(Oakland Medical Center)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Giving new definition to full-service medical, nearly 3,000 employees from janitor to brain surgeon at Kaiser's flagship Oakland Medical Center will have access to that necessity of hotels -- a concierge. Now, floor moppers and...

Sun hopes to lead students into light.(Sun Microsystems provides computers to business schools)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Sun Microsystems is going after business customers early. Really early. In a strategy strangely reminiscent of Steve Jobs' freebie computer program to grammar schools during the '80s, Sun is providing equipment now to business school...

Taking a crack at the bigger picture.(business to business web sites)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Collaborative commerce software vendors aim to streamline the many parts of purchasing Until recently, most business-to-business software vendors have, focused on simplifying a relatively narrow task: the buying of everyday office items...

S.F. portal firm scoops up web applications company.(Epicentric acquires Application Park)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... San Francisco-based business portal company Epicentric has extended its range of offerings through the acquisition of San Francisco-based Application Park, set to be announced March 2. The acquisition will allow Epicentric -- which provides...

Scient founder bullish on new venture.(Eric Greenberg)(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 2, 2001... Eric Greenberg is one of the Bay Area s most successful Internet entrepreneurs having most recently founded 12 Entrepreneuring Inc. in San Francisco. He also founded consulting firms Scient and Viant. Prior to Viant, Greenberg was with the...

Pacific Bell, competitors wrangle over wording.(Telecommunications Act of 1996 rules on local competition)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... With Pacific Bell's application to enter the long-distance market moving toward a vote at the Public Utilities Commission, would-be competitors eyeing California's local telephone market are now getting worried over a word: must. Before...

TURBOCHARGING AHEAD.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... TurboLinux and Linuxcare nave mane it official. As reported in the San Francisco Business Times, the two companies were in merger talks and have now signed a definitive agreement to become one. The deal marries TurboLinux's strong product...

LEAN AND CLEAN.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... There's no shortage of Internet ventures that have taken people to the cleaners, but now one wants to bring the cleaning to you. Redwood City-based AmeriCleaners.com has rolled out its service to Southern California, part of plans to...

FLEE-COMMERCE.(Ironside Technologies Inc. scraps IPO)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Ironside Technologies Inc., a Pleasanton provider of e-commerce software, said it scrapped its $75 million IPO because of the unwelcoming stock market. "The market conditions right now are not favorable for IPOs," said Dave Dalton, vice...

Companies brace for power struggle.(Guru International Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Bay Area businesses find new ways to protect high-tech systems and cut power consumption Faced with ever-looming blackouts and soaring energy costs, San Francisco-based Guru Inc. did what any prudent homeowner with a flashlight would do -...

Wireless workers cut their high-tech tethers.(Horn Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Armed with Ricochet modem laptops, cell phones and PDAs, cubicle dwellers around the world launched a wireless revolution in 2000, creating virtual offices with every flick of the "on" switch. Now Bay Area businesses are jumping on board....

Debate over computer radiation still simmers.(computer monitors)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 2, 2001... Although the debate over possible harmful effects of long exposure to low-level radiation has shifted from computer monitors to cell phones, some experts still consider monitors a threat. Worries about such devices causing a range of...

Tech spaces: All dressed up, where will they go?(office space)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Faltering New Economy companies have abandoned so much office space that fully furnished sublets are proliferating, even at some of the city's choicest addresses. Accouterments that cost millions to install just 18 months ago are now going...

Labor secretary leaves ergonomics door ajar.(Elaine Chao )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao achieved her main goal at her recent Senate confirmation hearing: She avoided saying anything controversial that could derail her bid to become the first Asian-American woman to serve in a president's cabinet. ...

Largest Office Furniture Dealers.(Brief Article)(Directory)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 2, 2001... This year's group of largest furniture dealers won't do your work for you but their products might encourage you to do more work on your own. After all, wouldn't anyone be a little more enthusiastic at work while rocking in a savvy ergonomic...

Bush selects small business owner for top SBA position.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Seven months before President Bush selected him to head the Small Business Administration, Bush's campaign picked Hector Barreto to represent small business in a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention. Barreto, president...

California firms weigh in on power.(survey of 523 small business owners )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 2, 2001... A survey of 523 small business owners in California found that 44 percent believe that electricity deregulation was a bad idea that shouldn't have been tried. Another 33 percent say it was a good idea that was poorly implemented, and 18 percent...

Pushing the limit.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Interactive marketing maven offers clients what she values most -- independence Paula George Tompkins may not have broken the sound barrier, but she has a few things in common with the man who did. Photos of Tompkins, founder and CEO...

SHIRLEY COHEN.(profile of HSHC Inc.'s executive director)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... RESUME Name: Shirley Cohen. Title: Founder, executive director. Company: HSHC Inc., (Home Sweet Home Care) in San Francisco. 2000 revenue: $2.8 million Number of employees: 110. Year founded: 1990. Source of...

Bay Area People.(Craig Zodikoff joined the San Francisco office of Equis Corp. as vice president)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... ACCOUNTING/CONSULTING Ernst & Young LLP promoted John Nicolai to director of tax services for the Asia Pacific region. Nicolai, a senior partner, was managing partner of the firm's San Francisco office for six years. BANKING/FINANCE...

East Bay ready to swelter before energy help arrives.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... A mix of new power facilities and alternative energy sites could help avert rolling blackouts in future years, but they won't help the East Bay until late this summer at the earliest. The region's and the state's energy fate this year...

City can't repeal the law of supply and demand.(real estate)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... When nonprofit organizations in San Francisco collided last year with very for-profit ones - real estate developers - it wasn't much of a contest. Dozens of nonprofits were thrown out of office buildings so eager developers could release their...

300 Gap jobs go the way of the buffalo.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The Gap is shipping 300 jobs to Albuquerque in the heart of the Land of Enchantment. No matter that wags there call it the Land of Entrapment, a jab at prevailing wages that prevent inhabitants from scraping together the cash to catch a...

Keep Presidio a National Park, not just office park.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... The Presidio Trust, a government corporation responsible for managing the properties in the National Park, is at a critical stage in developing its plan for the Presidio. At stake: * Whether demolition will be 2 or 3 million square...

Housing our work force demands new financing options.(San Francisco, California)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... When asked to name the top issue facing San Francisco, 38 percent of city voters say it's the lack of affordable housing and high rents, and another 12 percent point to homelessness. The two are, of course, not unrelated. But the numbers...

Letters To The Editor.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Behind the plate: PR professionals vow to put a new spin on their pitches Thank you for the Editor's Notebook, "Learning to hit the trickiest PR pitch," in the Feb. 16-22 edition of the San Francisco Business Times. It's an important...

EQUITY OFFICE TO BUY SPIEKER.(Equity Properties Trust, Spieker Properties)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Chicago-based Equity Properties Trust agreed to buy Menlo Park-based Spieker Properties in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $7.2 billion. The deal would greatly boost Equity's property holdings in the Bay Area. The company is already the...

3COM SLICES 1,200 JOBS.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... 3Com Corp., the Santa Clara-based data networking firm, said it will lay off 1,200 employees, or 10 percent of its work force.

MCKESSON SCUTTLES ONLINE UNIT.(McKesson HBOC Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... San Francisco health-care giant McKesson HBOC Inc. said it shutting down its online operation. Co-CEO David Mahoney, who headed the operation, will leave the company April 1. John Hammergren will take control as the company's only CEO.

S.F. PLOWS SERVER FARMS.(San Francisco server farms under attack)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... San Francisco may face tougher regulations governing server farms, the technological guts that handle Internet traffic. At a hearing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Public Health and Environment Committee, city officials and...

INTEL CEO INVESTS IN FUTURE.(Craig Barrett)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Intel CEO Craig Barrett refuted rumors that the Santa Clara-based computer chipmaker planned to cut its capital-spending budget. He said the company will follow through with plans to spend $7.5 billion this years. Later in the week, Barrett...

BLUM COMPLETES CB DEAL.(Blum Capital Partners acquires CB Richard Ellis)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Los Angeles-based CB Richard Ellis agreed to be acquired by San Francisco-based Blum Capital Partners, headed by Richard Blum, for about $750 million in cash and assumed debt. The sum represented a $10 million premium over the price offered in...

BART BRAKES ON NAMING RIGHTS.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... BART's board of directors voted to reject plans to sell naming rights for its transit stations. Board member said they were concerned about over-commercialization.

HILL, HOLLIDAY BUYS SF INTERACTIVE.(Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Boston advertising firm Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos acquired SF Interactive, a San Francisco-based online marketing shop, for an undisclosed price. SF Interactive employs 92 people.

SIGMA NETWORK BAGS $435M.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Ten investors pumped $435 million in venture capital funding into San Jose startup Sigma Network, led in part by entrepreneur Marc Andreesen. The investment in the telecom firm represents the third-largest VC injection ever in a startup. Reed...

ABGENIX TO PAY CASH FOR BUY.(ImmGenics Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Fremont-based Abgenix Inc. said it will pay for its November 2000 acquisition of Vancouver-based ImmGenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. with about $77 million in cash, rather than with Abgenix common stock.

CALIFORNIA BIDS FOR GRID.(Southern California Edison's portion of power grid)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... California is close to buying Southern California Edison's share of the state power grid at a price roughly 2.3 times its book value, Gov. Gray Davis said. That would put the price tag for Edison's portion at $4.37 billion, based on figures...

JOBLESS RATE HITS 30-YEAR LOW.(in California)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 2, 2001... California's unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in January, the lowest percentage since President Nixon was celebrating his first Christmas in the White House -- December 1969 -- when it was 4.4 percent. Silicon Valley has the lowest jobless...

HOME SALES SLIP, PRICES RISE.(San Francisco Bay Area)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Home sales in the Bay Area dipped slightly last month on a year-to-year basis, according DataQuick. A total of 4,153 resale houses were sold in the nine-county region in January, down 24.4 percent from 5,490 for December, and down 3.8 percent...

INTEL BUYS FREMONT FIRM FOR $550M.(VxTel Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Intel Corp. said it will acquire VxTel Inc., a Fremont-based startup that designs technology to send voice calls over data networks, in a cash deal worth $550 million. The Santa Clara-based chipmaker said VxTel's processor technology and...

HEALTHCENTRAL CEO STEPS DOWN.(Albert Greene)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Troubled Emeryville-based HealthCentral said that CEO Albert Greene stepped down, but will remain as chairman of the company's board. C. Fred Toney was promoted to CEO and continues as president of the company. "On a day-to-day basis, I expect...

SCHWAB CONSOLIDATES MEDIA.(Charles Schwab and Co. consolidates media planning and buying)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. will consolidate media planning and buying with BBDO/New York, Creative Media/San Francisco and Rubin Postaer & Associates/Santa Monica. Creative Media and Rubin Postaer & Associates will increase their roles and work...

DRIVEWAY DROPS JOBS AT CURB.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Driveway, a San Francisco provider of online file management services, is dropping its free, consumer storage service and laying off an undisclosed number of employees "associated with the former business model," according to VentureWire.

H-P CHIEF FACES SHAREHOLDERS.(Carly Fiorina of Hewlett-Packard)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2001... Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina faced shareholders at the technology giant's annual meeting in Cupertino. Fiorina fielded questions about a perceived shift in business culture and the company's stock slide. Shares are trading at 70 percent of...