New Orleans CityBusiness articles from February 2002

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from February 2002

Avondale shipyard goes high tech.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura With all the welding and hoisting that goes on at a shipyard, its sometimes hard to imagine the role that technology plays in making a massive floating hulk of steel. But among the cranes and plates of steel at...

Drug firm's booster shot for profits: good reps.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura You wont see any of the drugs marketed by Covington pharmaceutical company Pamlab LLC advertised during the evening news. But that shouldnt be seen as a comment on the companys strength.Chairman and Chief Executive...

Coffee industry smells perk-up in gourmet stuff.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura Coffee has long given an energy boost to the New Orleans economy, but some members of the New Orleans coffee industry question whether the citys brew is a little weak. They are looking closely at the marketing power of...

Mardi Gras fuels illegal home rental agreements.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Between Super Bowl XXXVI and Carnival season, a heap of visitors will be landing in New Orleans this month. While most will bed down in one of the metro areas 33,000 hotel rooms, some will answer classified ads,...

How far can city stretch its hotel tax?
February 4, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Next month, architects will complete preliminary designs for a $454 million, 600,000-square-foot expansion of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. By April, they will start drawing the construction plans for the...

McMoRan Exploration to sell three properties.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Staff McMoRan will sell properties to pay debtMcMoRan Exploration Co. of New Orleans has agreed to sell three properties, representing 40% of its oil and gas production, to raise money to pay off pressing debt.McMoRan will raise...

Basketball team will boost econ., biz leaders say.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty The bonanza of spending and publicity that touched down in New Orleans with the Super Bowl is perhaps the most graphic illustration of the economic benefits of major league sports for the city. Without a National...

Company's quest for EPA approval proceeds at a crawl.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Waste testing may not be the most fast-paced line of work, but two local inventors had no idea it would be this slow.Their efforts to win U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval for their patented technology...

Photo shops get the picture: Digital is wave of the future.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Clerks at Bennetts Camera & Video in Metairie dont have to check the stores e-mail account every hour for on-line orders for digital picture prints.The store gets only about six a day. But that hasnt stopped store...

Market forces continue to shrink staff at clinic.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura Browne-McHardy Clinic once was among the metropolitan areas largest group physician practices, with more than 40 full-time doctors from a variety of specialties on staff.But after 16 physicians left at the end of the...

Manhattan Boulevard is West Bank shopping corridor.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Property values have soared on Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey, as three years of major retail development have created some of the West Banks priciest real estate.Manhattans central location off the West Bank...

Louisiana residents use more energy, pay less than average.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Louisiana residents have the second highest monthly energy usage in the nation, according to a recently released study by the Energy Information Administration. Louisiana residents also have the second highest monthly...

110-year old org. focuses of protecting children.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Its with unhappy irony that Ronald McClain explains the origins of the childrens social service organization he leads as executive director. The Childrens Bureau of New Orleans was formed in 1892 as the Society for the...

It's your body, make sure docs don't cut the wrong piece.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Megan Kamerick Next time you go in for surgery, you may want to bring a permanent marker. It could help avoid surgery on the wrong limb, organ or side of the body.This is the recommendation of the Joint Commission on Accreditation...

Briefs: Venture capital forum seeks biz plans+.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Staff Wanted: business plansOrganizers of a local venture capital forum are looking for a few good business plans to showcase to local investors. Tulanes A.B. Freeman School of Business and law firm Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP plan to...

State Farm tries to break into banking industry.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Regulatory changes in the financial services industry have made it easier for a single company to finance and insure homes, vehicles and other large purchases. Banks have pursued this opportunity with aplomb recently,...

Restaurant magnate starts building spice factory.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Restaurant magnate Al Copelands Diversified Food & Seasonings Inc. is set to begin construction on its $22 million spice-making plant this month.Crews have already begun site preparation and fill work on the 50-acre...

Neighbors put long-closed movie theater's rebirth on hold.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Neighbors have blocked developers plans to renovate the defunct Robert E. Lee movie theater near the Lakefront into a restaurant, bar and reception hall with late-night live music. City Council member Scott Shea, who...

Local entrepreneurs group nurtures tech start-ups.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Staff More than three years ago, Tim Williamson moved back to New Orleans to establish InsideNewOrleans.com, a local Web portal owned by a division of Cox Communications Inc. Williamson, who grew up here, spent almost six years...

Commentary: Mayoral race may be test for patronage politics.
February 4, 2002... Byline: D. Singletary The winners from Saturdays mayoral primary were, obviously, the top two vote-getters from the 15-person field. Since this was written earlier in the week, I dont know who they are.But I have a hunch as to who they...

Briefs: Children's center get new computer lab+.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty The NFL Youth Education Town, a childrens education and recreation center established by the National Football League in New Orleans, received a new computer lab thanks to donations coinciding with Super Bowl XXXVI....

Next mayor should strive to keep New Orleans clean.
February 4, 2002... Byline: Staff Its hard to keep the house clean when youve got thousands, or maybe even tens of thousands, of visitors traipsing through. Just ask New Orleans. The city swelled with great masses of extra people who piled into town recently...

Baton Rouge-based United Companies Financial Corp. officials settle suit for $20 million.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Two former top executives of the defunct United Companies Financial Corp. have agreed to pay $20.5 million to former stockholders to settle a class action lawsuit against them. The suit, which includes an...

Mardi Gras floats continue to grow in size, cost.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton The city of New Orleans caps the number of floats in each Carnival parade at 27. But it doesnt say much about the size of those floats. Exhibit A: the Leviathan, the main attraction of the Feb. 11 Krewe of Orpheus...

Wal-Mart takes market share from groceries.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Wal-Mart Stores Inc.s local expansion of its grocery-selling Super Centers has led to the early demise of a Sav-A-Center grocery in a prime West Bank location and cast a cloud of uncertainty over the...

Choppy ride has investors feeling queasy.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Some investors are having a hard time getting enthused about a bear market that looks as menacing as ever. Im seeing a battle fatigue mentality in a lot of clients, says Steven Rueb, vice president of downtown stock...

Valentine's Day gift ideas.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura Youve done it again. Valentines Day is Thursday and you still dont have a gift. Just because you procrastinated doesnt mean you have to reach for the old standbys - flowers, dinner reservations, chocolates.Local...

Business org. adds new members at quick pace.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty In the midst of national recession, a young business organization has been growing briskly in Jefferson Parish. Last year, membership in the five-year-old Jefferson Chamber rose 36% from 500 businesses to 680. I think...

AMC soon to become local area's biggest big-screen player.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Up until last month, movie theater operator AMC Entertainment Inc. was a small player in the New Orleans market, and the fate of the Kansas City-based companys only local theater, the Galleria 8 in Metairie, hung in...

Briefs: Biz groups to fight minimum wage hike+.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Staff New ammo in wage fightThough voters approved a proposal to increase the local minimum wage by $1, the hike faces strong opposition from business groups, which have vowed to fight it in the courts. Meanwhile, the Hospitality,...

Entertainment marketer says seed money will spark growth.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Next week, the states highest entertainment and music industry official will begin making a special pitch to Louisiana banks: Show me $1 million and Ill show you economic development. Lonny Kaufman, the newly...

Increased use of 'hospitalists' may help cut medical costs.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura New Orleans has been slow to catch on to a movement that many health care experts think can wring savings out of hospital stays. Ochsner Foundation Hospital is the only local private hospital that uses hospitalists,...

Commentary: Op Ed/Editorial: Managing the miracle of Mardi Gras.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Staff In George Washington Cables 1918 novel Lovers of Louisiana, his idealistic protagonist Philip Castleton condemns Carnival as that organized old puerility unworthy of the capital of Southern civilization. Ive no contempt for...

Commentary: First-year agenda for a new mayor.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Kathy Finn In less than three weeks, New Orleans will decide who its new mayor will be. A year from now, how will we know whether we got the right guy?Both Ray Nagin and Richard Pennington present themselves as did most of the...

Subsea wells allow oil cos. to get small deepwater hits.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Strong interest in developing smaller reserves in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico has quickened the expansion of subsea production, which industry experts say will account for half of future deepwater wells.Subsea...

Recession puts hurt on LA chemical companies.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Chemical manufacturers have gotten a break with the decline in natural gas prices from record heights 12 months ago. But the recession, both in the U.S. and other countries, and growing foreign competition continue...

Extinct drug-store chain merchandise is big seller.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Will New Orleans ever let K&B die?Rite-Aid Corp. bought the locally founded drug store chain with its ubiquitous purple signs, bags and merchandise almost four years ago, but some are still fiercely dedicated to...

Mardi Gras krewe captain discusses parade plans.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Staff Founder and captain of the Krewe of Endymion, which is one of Carnival seasons largest and most flamboyant parading groups; member of Jefferson Parish Council. Muniz, 62, is a graduate of Loyola University. He began his...

Alligators, wild boars, nutrias served up by your caterer.
February 11, 2002... Byline: Megan Kamerick Shocking a New Orleanian with food is difficult after all, eating crawfish, raw oysters, and maybe even alligator or nutria is second nature to many locals. This presents a challenge for the local caterer whose...

Commentary: Enron scandal will lead to heightened regulations.
February 11, 2002... Byline: D. Singletary Please allow me to wade in on the Enron business.As we know by now, Enron, the huge energy conglomerate from Houston, has declared bankruptcy and is struggling to survive and emerge from Chapter 11 as a thriving...

Briefs: Harahan drug supply company sold+.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Staff Harahan drug supply company soldA health care giant that ranks 35th on the Fortune 500 list has purchased VitaRx, a Harahan company that sells injectable drugs to patients across the nation. McKesson Corp. of San Francisco is...

Neighborhoods series looks at Warehouse District.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Staff Our series on local neighborhoods continues this week with a look at one of New Orleans newest residential areas: the Warehouse District. In this feature we focus on some of the people and businesses that have chosen to call...

World's Fair boosted Warehouse Dist. redevelopment.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Most agree that the 1984 Worlds Fair put the Warehouse District on the map as a residential area. In the early 1980s, the area was run down, pocked with blighted, vacant buildings, and desolate after dark. We had a...

Warehouse District has trouble attracting retail.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon While the Warehouse District has had no trouble growing museums, restaurants and hotels, retail shops remain elusive.Residents have only one small grocery store in the neighborhood, the Diamond Street Market at 923 S....

Warehouse District attracts young professionals.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Allison Cartwright has issues with cars. The 37-year-old personnel professional hails from Houston, a sprawling city whose growth was defined by highways, suburbs and car traffic. Her husband owns a downtown company...

S&W Board savings overestimated, bidder says.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart OMI-Thames Water, which last week pulled out of the bidding to manage and operate New Orleans water and sewer systems, says its due diligence on the systems found that only 10% cost savings could be reasonably...

Small grocers take on super centers with niche touch.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Local grocers have recognized the increased competition from the rapid expansion of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.s grocery-selling super centers over the past three years.But they have not responded with a price war, which...

Entergy faces activists on war path over Indian Point plant.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Just before Mardi Gras, individuals in the local electric power industry started circulating an e-mail speculating that Entergy Corp. was in early merger talks with Minneapolis-based utility Xcel Energy.Power Finance...

Energy co. looks for debt relief in revenue bonds.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart McMoRan Exploration Co. in New Orleans will seek state approval this week for industrial development bonds to pay off $56 million in debt from its sulfur operations. The repayment will put the company one step closer...

Briefs: Local tour bus co. hired for Olympics+.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Staff Going for the goldEven though it had two of the biggest events of the year Superbowl and Mardi Gras in its backyard this month, Great American Coach Co. had to go across the country to land its biggest contract...

Local nonprofit works to protect the elderly.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Local law enforcement and advocacy groups have formed a coalition to help protect elderly New Orleans residents from abuse and neglect. Called Triad, the goal is to improve communication with the citys elderly community...

Nonprofits use endowments as magnets for new donations.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Staff at local nonprofit WRBH 88.3 FM Radio for the Blind thought they were embarking on a modest fund-raising campaign last year to start their first endowment. By means of a new challenge grant program, the group...

Minimum wage hike proponents: Don't count us out.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Local business groups are gearing up for the first of what may be many challenges to an ordinance New Orleans voters approved Feb. 2 to set the local minimum wage $1 over the federal level. The Small Business...

Briefs: Arts grants program deadline announced+.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty The Arts Council of New Orleans announced an April 1 deadline for its arts grants program. The program will distribute $600,000 this year in categories including project assistance, staff support and technical...

Mayoral campaign ads bring race into politics.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Peter Reichard It looks like Pennington campaign manager Bill Jefferson is trying to 86 Ray Nagin. But as Congressman Jefferson should have learned 16 years ago, that can cut both ways.In 1986, Ronald Reagan was president of the...

High price of land in New Orleans gives retrofitting more appeal.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Kaija Wilkinson Buried under the foundation of the Mid-City Business Park at 300 Jefferson Highway are the pieces of a circa-1920s cotton press, a casualty of the propertys renovation from abandoned cotton factory to industrial...

Commentary: New Orleans can benefit from focus on bioscience.
February 18, 2002... Byline: D. Singletary Whenever we personalize global issues, those issues become more important to us as individuals. Thats not a very profound statement, but sometimes it helps to state the obvious.As our economy re-emerges from the...

New Orleans' Warehouse District redevelopment is likely to slow.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Megan Kamerick Like many cities in the past five to 10 years, New Orleans has transformed much of its downtown. Historic buildings have been reborn as hotels, apartments and condominiums. The Warehouse District is now more SoHo...

Commentary: Mayor's race - What we see is what we'll get.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Staff It happens all too often in the world of politics, and it has begun to happen again in New Orleans: Voters are being cheated. With barely two weeks left before the election that will select the citys next mayor, the runoff...

Local attorney discusses community group involvement.
February 18, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura A partner in the Metairie law practice of Perlis & Reynolds, Perlis has practiced securities and banking law, real estate, foreclosures, commercial and international law. She is a lifelong resident of Uptown New...

Firm backs out of St. Thomas redevelopment audit.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Staff Firm backs out of St. Thomas auditAccounting firm KPMG LLP of Houston has declined the New Orleans City Councils offer to analyze the financial data of the complex $323 million redevelopment of the St. Thomas housing project...

Sewer, water systems vote raises legal questions.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart New Orleans voters will decide March 2 whether they want a future vote, possibly in the fall, on any private contract to run the citys water and sewer systems. But while this referendum would give voters an ultimate...

Shipper leave Baton Rouge; high pilot rates blamed.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura Critics of the states pilot groups say a shipping carriers decision to stop calling on the Port of Baton Rouge because of high pilot rates proves that the state needs to change the way it sets pilot rates. But even...

Mississippi follows La.'s lead in technological self-assessment.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura With the attraction of a major Nissan auto manufacturing plant, the state of Mississippi has shown itself to be a player in the economic development game. A new initiative in the state will focus on using technology as...

With a new game in town, sponsor attention is divided.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Ian McNulty Management for the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Saints havent bumped into each other yet in the elevators of downtown office buildings, but theres a distinct possibility that could happen in the next few weeks....

Children's Hospital angles to become magnet for research.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Chris Bonura Childrens Hospital has put about $20 million into a new research building on its campus that will be devoted to translating the work of researchers into new therapies and vaccines for patients.The hospitals decision to...

Developers of New Orleans' Grammy Expo & Hall of Fame to meet with investors.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Developers of an $82 million Grammy Exposition & Hall of Fame in New Orleans will head to the 44th annual Grammy Awards show Feb. 27 in Los Angeles to meet with investors. Traveling separately to the show will be 11...

Old movie house development plans draw opposition.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Stephen Stuart Neighborhood controversy over the proposed redevelopment of the defunct Robert E. Lee Theater in Lakeview has drawn both New Orleans City Council candidates for that district into the fray.District A incumbent Scott...

Rated one of nation's best jobs? What exactly IS a 'financial planner?'.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Megan Kamerick There was a time when the title financial planner branded someone as extraordinarily dull. But that time has apparently passed. Financial planner was ranked the nations best job in the 2000 Jobs Rated Almanac.But...

Casino general manager discusses local market, politics.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Bill Noble took the reins at Harrahs New Orleans Casino in May 2001 just two months after the casino got a massive tax break from state lawmakers. As general manager, his job was to turn the casino into a profitable...

Commentary: City must make Canal St. revitalization a priority.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Staff Canal Street isnt just a street. Its the Fifth Avenue, the Champs Elysees, the Main Street of old New Orleans. Its the first thing the world sees when it comes downtown. Its our face.Thats why its crucial that we take special...

Life insurance industry sees surge in sales.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Kaija Wilkinson An ailing stock market, terrorist attacks, the collapse of what was presumed to be a corporate stalwart they have driven home the point that nothing in this world is certain.Accordingly, more people are buying life...

Commentary: Campaign finance reforms will take place too late.
February 25, 2002... Byline: D. Singletary When Im in town on Sunday mornings and not playing golf, I try and watch as many of the network news shows as possible. It gives me some sense of hot, national political topics and generally keeps me abreast of...

Ad exec for Nike to return to job at local agency.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Jim Elms was at the top of his game in the advertising industry. At 39, he was global media director for Nike, one of the biggest brands in the world, and in charge of investing $200 million in media placement and...

Regulator's action could make e-commerce tougher in La.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon Louisiana Internet users who depend on PayPal to buy and sell goods on-line may have to find a new payment service soon. State regulators have threatened to shut down the on-line money transfer service unless it gets...

New mayor's challenge will be sewer, water systems.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Kathy Finn We dont know yet who the next mayor of New Orleans will be, but one of the biggest challenges he will face when he steps into office is becoming crystal clear. The citys sewer and water systems are in a state of serious...

New ordinance aims to clean up adult entertainment.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Brett Clanton Those looking for a massage parlor that offers something a little more (wink, wink) than a backrub may soon have to look somewhere besides Chef Menteur Highway. A new ordinance by District E City Councilmember Cynthia...

Briefs: Auditor wants oversight of tax assessors+.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Staff ***** CORRECTION: In the Feb. 25 issue, the CityBits (p.11) erroneously included the Greater New Orleans Hotel-Motel Association among a list of local tourism groups funding a new cleanup effort in the French Quarter....

New Orleans mayoral race enters final stretch.
February 25, 2002... Byline: Keith Brannon ***** CORRECTION: Last week's article "Into the Home Stretch" about the New Orleans mayor's race incorrectly listed the margin of error for a University of New Orleans poll. The margin of error for the poll was...