San Francisco Business Times articles from November 1997

San Francisco Business Times archives from November 1997

Real estate power emerges: famed money manager's son snaps up properties. (Douglas Rosenberg)
November 14, 1997... In a brash acquisition strategy aimed at making his presence felt on the San Francisco real estate landscape, local developer Douglas Rosenberg has tied up several South of Market properties. Total purchase price of the five buildings under...

Nature calls: Natural Wonders CEO answers with retail energy. (Natural Wonders Inc.; Kathie Chatfield)
November 14, 1997... Natural Wonders CEO answers with new retail energy Wall Street bargain hunters have been stocking up on Fremont's Natural Wonders Inc. for the past three months, and the retailer is confident that holiday shoppers will soon do the same....

Are Columbia's Bay hospitals up for grabs? (Columbia Good Samaritan Health System; San Francisco Bay Area, CA)
November 14, 1997... Rumors about the sale of Columbia Good Samaritan Health System are swirling around the four-hospital South Bay system, which is now part of scandal-plagued Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. Sources say Sacramento-based Sutter Health and Santa...

Courtyard checks into S.F.: Marriott jockeys to build 400-room hotel. (San Francisco, CA; Marriott Corp.)
November 14, 1997... Marriott jockeys to build 400-room hotel Marriott is moving ahead with plans to develop a 400-room Courtyard hotel in downtown San Francisco, making it the latest in a spate of hoteliers anxious to put out the welcome mat for the city's...

DFS expands retail presence in San Francisco: Saks veteran tapped to launch cosmetic chain. (DFS Gorup Ltd. to launch LVMH-Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton's chain of cosmetic stores)
November 14, 1997... Saks veteran tapped to launch cosmetic chain San Francisco-based retailer DFS Group has been tapped to launch a global chain of cosmetic superstores. Paris-based LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which purchased DFS last December, has named...

Panamax plugs in: surge protector firm picks up on cell phone biz. (Panamax Corp.)
November 14, 1997... Surge protector firm picks up on cell phone biz Sales are surging for the nation's largest maker of computer protectors as it connects to the field of cellular phones. San Rafael-based Panamax Corp. is now selling nearly 1 million surge...

Oakland voters to decide fate of airport rail link. (Oakland International Airport in California)
November 14, 1997... Oakland International Airport is counting on voters to get it out of a jam. Airport officials say traffic has gotten so bad that the three-mile shuttle from BART takes an average of 23 minutes and can take an hour when there's an event at the...

Cause marketing puts spirit of giving into buying. (Visa U.S.A. Inc.'s 'Read Me a Story' marketing campaign)
November 14, 1997... Last week Visa U.S.A. Inc. kicked off a high-profile marketing campaign aimed at driving holiday sales. Dubbed "Read Me a Story," it urges consumers to mitigate America's reading crisis by charging up a storm. Based on Visa card sales between...

World Cup hoopla kicks off early for licensing group. (Sony Signatures)
November 14, 1997... The United States National Soccer Team just qualified to enter 1998's World Cup tournament in France, but for San Francisco's Sony Signatures the event is already reaching the final round. Mark Coopersmith, Signatures' executive vice president,...

Physicians hit by latest in string of Blue Cross fee cuts. (Blue Cross of California)
November 14, 1997... As many as 16,000 Northern California physicians will see their revenues drop next month, due to the latest in a series of reimbursement reductions by giant Blue Cross of California. Beginning Dec. 22, Blue Cross will reduce by an average of 3...

Executive profile. (F. Van Kasper)
November 14, 1997... Name: F. Van Kasper. Title: President and CEO. Company: Van Kasper & Co., the San Francisco-based investment banking and brokerage firm. Education: B.S. degree in business administration from California State University. Residence: San...

Innovators almost always attract imitators. (Beauty Store)
November 14, 1997... That old saw about building a better mousetrap doesn't mention the possibility that competitors, as well as customers, will beat a path to your door. Truth is, innovators often attract imitators. Just ask Elana Laub and John Dellar, founders of...

PG&E power grab locks up office buildings; energy giant inks deal with building association for cut rates. (PG&E Energy Services; Building Owners and Managers Association)
November 21, 1997... PG&E's retail spinoff has zapped its electricity competitors out of the Bay Area commercial real estate market. PG&E Energy Services, led by CEO Scott Gebhardt, has signed a contract to supply electricity at a discount to members of the...

$200M patent runs out: UCSF and Stanford scramble to replenish looming loss of income. (University of California San Francisco and Stanford University)
November 21, 1997... On Dec. 2, a revenue river that has poured nearly $200 million over the last 17 years into the coffers of the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University will suddenly slow to a trickle. That day, three patents covering...

Oakland port to sell land? Deficit puts portfolio in limbo.
November 21, 1997... The Port of Oakland is considering selling or restructuring its massive real estate portfolio in the face of an $8.5 million real estate deficit and a drop in revenue from its maritime operations. A task force will be created in the next few...

Oracle shifts top ranks; database chief calls it quits. (Jerry Held)
November 21, 1997... Oracle has lost the top executive from its $4 billion core server and database business. Jerry Held has quit after four years at the Redwood Shores technology company to seek a CEO position elsewhere. In a quiet reorganization, Oracle chief...

Wilson makes big downtown property buy. (William Wilson & Associates)
November 21, 1997... In a move demonstrating the vitality of San Francisco's downtown office market, William Wilson & Associates is purchasing the Equitable Life building for more than $70 million. Wilson, a property investment and development firm based in San...

Stock contest: can anyone beat the ape? (stock market contest)
November 21, 1997... Starting a stock market contest in the often volatile month of October is sort of like jumping on in the middle of a roller-coaster ride. Nevertheless, Piper Jaffray Inc. and the San Francisco Business Times officially launched the competition...

Business gifts: thinking inside the box.
November 21, 1997... When the season to be jolly rolls around, no company wants to be cast as a Scrooge. Yet. knowing just what kind of gift to give, and to whom, presents a special challenge in the business world. "It's always a dilemma," said Jody Murdoch, a San...

How sweet it is: Knudsen bellies up to own chocolate bar. (Knudsen's Candy)
November 21, 1997... Knudsen's Candy, after 24 years of making chocolates for other companies, has found a new identity on the streets of San Francisco. The Hayward-based manufacturer has started selling candy under its own brand name, Powell & Hyde Sts. "Brand...

Hungry Spieker set to devour huge portfolio. (Spieker Properties Inc.)
November 21, 1997... Spieker Properties Inc., one of the nation's most acquisition-hungry REITs, is negotiating to buy the bulk of Transpacific Development Co.'s portfolio of office buildings, sources familiar with the transaction said. Estimated cost of the deal:...

Bad-tempered bosses can breed dysfunctional offices.(Work Force 2000)
November 21, 1997... Like a family reunion gone bad, the workplace can sometimes turn dysfunctional. Abusive bosses, meddling managers, and disgruntled co-workers can take a significant bite out of a company's bottom line. The most critical situations lead to...

Campus crowds gather to hear CEOs' tales of triumph.(Work Force 2000: Education)
November 21, 1997... Top executives often find themselves returning to college campuses these days, but this time round they've got bragging rights. "It brings them their 15 minutes of fame," said Stephanie Tibbetts, who has coordinated the UC Berkeley...

Malcolm hopes 'Cache' can make Web flow. (CacheFlow Inc. owner Michael Malcolm)
November 21, 1997... Michael Malcolm thinks the Internet is too slow and he's investing part of his fortune to speed things up. Malcolm's Palo Alto-based CacheFlow Inc. is based on technology that solves the problem of web crawl, or slow downloads of Internet text...

Women managers score high but still struggle to the top.(Work Force 2000: Career Management)
November 21, 1997... A recent study of women in executive positions found that although women get higher ratings than men on management style, the very characteristics and strategies that earn them praise prevent them from reaching the top. The study, conducted by...

Workers' personal crises no longer confined to home.(Work Force 2000: Workplace Issues)
November 21, 1997... More companies are trying to help employees resolve their personal problems to make for a happier work force and boost corporate performance. Employee assistance programs, which allow employees to discuss issues such as rocky relationships or...

Suit dismissal is a Band-Aid for Mills, but not a cure-all. (Mills-Peninsula Health Services)
November 21, 1997... A lawsuit that threatened to unravel the 1985 merger of Mills and Peninsula hospitals was thrown out of court Nov. 13, but that isn't the end of the Mills-Peninsula hospital system's trauma. Judge Linda Gemello of the San Mateo County Superior...

With profits up, companies contemplate the finer things. (corporate culture)(Work Force 2000: Corporate Culture)
November 21, 1997... As a company's bottom line improves, so does its eye for art. Fueled by IPO prosperity and the need to fill a lot of new building space, corporations are some of the Bay Area's most active art collectors. "It's a wonderful perk an employer can...

With orders climbing, North Face reaches for Summit. (Summit Shops)
November 21, 1997... The North Face Inc. is aggressively expanding its "store-in-store" Summit Shops in response to success of the concept in thickening its order book. The San Leandro-based apparel and equipment manufacturer had originally planned to open about...

The new resume: jobs, schools, genetic makeup?(Work Force 2000)(Cover Story)
November 21, 1997... Screening for heart disease, cancer, sickle cell anemia and a myriad of other maladies at work could save lives by identifying individuals most at risk from these illnesses. On the other hand, there are fears it would also be used to fire or deny...

Boss to trainee: make those long hours billable.(Work Force 2000)
November 21, 1997... Top professional firms and investment banks lure recruits from the best law and business schools with fabulous salaries, perks and promises of advancement. But once aboard, these golden grads often endure apprenticeships that make them wish they...

Marta Weinstein. (Logistix co-founder and executive VP)
November 21, 1997... Name: Marta Wainstein. Title: Co-founder and executive vice president. Company: Logistix, based in Fremont. The $300 million company provides manufacturing, assembly and packaging for high-tech clients. Background: Wainstein and her...

Retirement not necessarily a time of rest.(Work Force 2000)
November 21, 1997... "The average age of the population and work force will continue to increase until close to 2020." That's the unequivocal opinion advanced in Workforce 2020, the Hudson Institute's definitive book about America's future labor market. The...

Boom economy sends firms into arms of headhunters. (executive search firms)(Work Force 2000)
November 21, 1997... The rivalry among the Bay Area's technology and research companies is nothing compared to the competition among the firms that supply the talent. The explosive growth in the region is creating a boom for executive search firms. The Bay Area's...

PG&E legal eagle hired to build law firm's energy group.
November 21, 1997... The San Francisco office of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has named Lindsey How-Downing as its first female partner. How-Downing, formerly an in-house counsel for San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co., will focus her practice...

Staking a claim on Wall Street of the West. (DM Stone Personnel Services)(Small Business Growth Strategies)
November 21, 1997... Wall Street is undeniably the nerve center of the financial services industry. But DM Stone Personnel Services, a $6 million San Francisco employment agency specializing in financial services, has successfully staked its claim 3,000 miles from...

Chevron plays ball with Giants; $20 million marketing deal could put tickets at the pump. (San Francisco Giants)
November 28, 1997... $20 million marketing deal could put tickets at the pump San Francisco Giants fans may be able to purchase tickets while they fill up on gas under a new multimillion dollar marketing agreement inked with Chevron Corp. Signed Nov. 24, the...

Universities get inventive; UCSF, Stanford get down to business as patent cash runs low. (part 2)(University of California San Francisco; Stanford University)
November 28, 1997... UCSF, Stanford get down to business as patent cash runs low As a river of revenue generated by early 1970s genetic-engineering research slows to a trickle, Stanford University and the University of California San Francisco are scrambling to...

Kaiser pumps up technology; HMO begins with techie hiring image. (Kaiser Permanente; health maintenance organization)
November 28, 1997... HMO begins with techie hiring binge Kaiser Permanente is looking for 60 good techies now, and up to 600 later, to create an electronic system linking all hospitals and clinics in the giant HMO's sprawling national network. Two years ago,...

MCI's switch gives home-based businesses a hangup. (complaints on home phone service plan)
November 28, 1997... MCI has pulled the jack on 20,000 California customers, most of them home-based businesses, who were saving money with its popular home phone service plan. The new plan is not so popular. The Public Utilities Commission and to MCI are both...

Europe by the Bay: Alameda to turn art-deco landmark into open market.
November 28, 1997... Alameda to turn art-deco landmark into open market An East Bay real estate partnership is launching an upscale European-type open market in Alameda in what it hopes will be the first step toward a city center renaissance. Patterning its...

Power firms see greenbacks in green energy. (renewable energy)
November 28, 1997... Power companies heading into California's deregulated electricity market are aiming to cash in on one of the state's most lucrative and trendy niche markets: the environment. The largest and most recent entrant in that field is Houston-based...

Costco buys in bulk in South S.F. (Costco Cos. Inc.; San Francisco, CA)
November 28, 1997... Bulk retailer Costco Cos. Inc. has set its eyes on a 27-acre parcel in South San Francisco near the proposed BART station for a major retail development. The site at El Camino Real and Hickey Boulevard was recently purchased by Lincoln...

VCs are barely managing to give their money away. (venture capitalists)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... With money flowing into venture capital funds as never before and the talent pool of skilled executives nearly dry, recruiting top-quality management is becoming high priority for companies looking to tap into venture dough. "Without a doubt,...

Banks raise ceilings on home equity as fees hit the floor.(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... The competition for home equity lending among banks is heating up, and some banks are willing to sacrifice profit to attract customers. "It is basically a no-fee environment," said John Schrup, vice president and manager of the region for Sanwa...

VCs find more prophets than profits on the Internet. (venture capitalists)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... The promising Internet startups of two years ago are not exactly rolling in profits, something that hasn't gone unnoticed in the venture capital community. But does that mean that investors have given up on the 'Net as the next big thing?...

San Francisco hotel titan Kimpton going coast to coast. (Kimpton Group)
November 28, 1997... San Francisco's Kimpton Group is eying hotel projects in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., signs that for the first time it is focusing its development sights on a truly national scale. The boutique hotelier is close to a deal to develop a...

Visa puts future on a 21st-century card. (Visa USA)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... Visa is expanding its vision of the role it plays in the nation's payment industry. No longer content to see itself as just a credit-card issuer, the Foster City bank association is moving aggressively to develop chip-based cards that serve a...

Pinel wins round against Coldwell Banker, but fight goes on. (lawsuit against Alain Pinel Realtors)
November 28, 1997... Alain Pinel Realtors has won a battle in its all-out war in the East Bay with industry giant Coldwell Banker. Earlier this month, California Superior Court judge Barbara Zuniga declined to grant an injunction preventing a former Coldwell Banker...

New BofA exec aims to take customers to front of line. (Bank of America's head of retail operations H. Eugene Lockhart)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... Bank of America's new head of retail operations is undertaking nothing less than a cultural revolution to improve the bank's customer service. People from Main Street to Wall Street can attest to BofA's problematic customer service, a failing...

Executive profile: Lawrence Stupski. (vice chmn. of Charles Schwab Corp.)
November 28, 1997... Name: Lawrence Stupski. Title: Vice Chairman. Company: Charles Schwab Corp., the San Francisco-based stock brokerage and financial services company. (Stupski will retire from his post at the end of 1997. He will remain on the company's board...

Even fewer institutions seeing the benefits of thriftiness. (San Francisco Bay Area's savings and loan associations)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... The List of Largest Savings and Loans in the Bay Area is making its final appearance as the roster of thrifts headquartered in the region continues to decline. The ever-shrinking List, which numbered 14 institutions last year, includes only 11...

Merged security firms are laughing all the way to the banks.(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
November 28, 1997... The Bay Area's securities firms have enjoyed a dynamic year in which technology and mergers reshaped the landscape. The year ahead promises to be just as eventful as market observers wait to see what impact stock market swings will have on...

College skills prove to be profit protection. (Golden Bay Protective Services founder Jim Vretzos)(Small Business Growth Strategies)(Company Profile)
November 28, 1997... When Jim Vretzos launched Golden Bay Protective Services in 1995, he had modest aspirations for the Pinole firm, which provides private security officers for apartment complexes, shopping centers, office buildings and special events. "I was...