New Orleans CityBusiness articles from March 2005

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from March 2005

Hornets have to be prepared when major superstars are traded.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Chris Price The New Orleans Hornets have been shaken up by serious injuries and major trades all season long. As a result, the Hornets have had to revamp their marketing and merchandising campaigns, too. "Trades happen to...

New Orleans firefighters' pension plan risks $6M on golf course.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts The New Orleans Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund is hoping a $6 million investment in an Algiers golf course doesn't go up in flames. In 2003, the pension fund bought the private Algiers Country Club, which...

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival partners with LA event producer AEG Live.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival drew record crowds in 2001 with more than 664,000 people coming to see artists such as the Dave Matthews Band and hometown rapper Mystikal. But last year, attendance...

Executive Chef John Besh buys Restaurant August in New Orleans for about $2 million.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Executive Chef John Besh was expected to close a deal Friday to purchase Restaurant August from August "Duke" Robin for close to $2 million. "By me taking it over and being 100 percent mine adds a little more personality...

New Orleans City Council approves demolition to make way for construction of biotech center.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff The New Orleans BioInnovation Center took a step forward Thursday when the New Orleans City Council approved demolition of the Wirth building at 1441 Canal St. The three-story building built in the 1950s will make way for...

St. Bernard Parish paraders to pelt 340,000 pounds of produce.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff St. Bernard Parish will once again resound with the chant "Pickle Nickel" March 13 as the parish stages its annual St. Bernard Irish-Italian-Islenos Parade. Parade organizer state Sen. Walter Boasso, R-Chalmette, will...

Survey: Radio beats TV in hurricane ratings race.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff According to a 45-page study released last week by New York-based Arbitron ratings service, most people listen to the radio instead of watching television when the power fails during a hurricane. Arbitron surveyed 570...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Public school takeovers could be a solution to LEAP failures.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary How does symmetry differ from equivalence? For that matter, what are the differences among equivalence, equitability and equality? Answers to these questions are in the dictionary; I don't have time for it today....

New Orleans mayor's plan for cruise tax raises concern of Port CEO.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Looking for ways to bolster a tight budget without adding new taxes, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin wants to tap one of the city's fastest-growing industries. But he risks a feud with Port of New Orleans President...

CEO of Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards addresses Assn. for Corporate Growth in New Orleans.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky When a company makes an acquisition, it gains equipment, assets and new employees. That can be a benefit or a curse. Donald "Boysie" Bollinger, chairman and CEO of Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards, built...

Commentary: Zephyrs water park victimized by predatory New Orleans politicking.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor The New Orleans Zephyrs deserve credit as the only hometown sports franchise that doesn't demand hefty taxpayer subsidies. The Zephyrs, however, are losing the battle for customers with the New Orleans Saints of...

Report: Universities receive more donations from non-alumni givers.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts In 2003, Ray Charles donated $1 million for Dillard University to create a program studying African-American culture. The donation from the blind, superstar musician-composer who died last June, was huge news for...

School options limited, costly for autistic children in New Orleans.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Jane Place stood outside the former St. Elizabeth's Orphanage on Napoleon Avenue five years ago and watched the bartenders and waiters file inside to work a catered autism benefit being put on by author Anne...

New Orleans mayor wants to clear way for riverfront development.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Mayor C. Ray Nagin says finalizing an agreement with the Port of New Orleans is a top priority to clear the way for more riverfront development. "I think it would tremendously change this city if we could start to do...

New Orleans Saints running back sues night club where bouncers allegedly manhandled him.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister is suing the Razzoo night club a year after an altercation where he said bouncers manhandled him. "As a member of the New Orleans community, I have become increasingly...

Prime-time TV drama to begin filming in New Orleans.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Regency Television and 20th Century Fox announced the hour-long drama "Thief" will begin shooting in New Orleans in August. Dama Chasle, vice president of tax with 20th Century Fox, said this will be the first prime-time...

Orleans Capital Management ranks high among nation's investment houses.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Orleans Capital Management was the only Louisiana company among the 180 listed in the 2004 Mobius report on members of the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute. The firm ranked No. 12 in the nation among its CFA Institute...

Urban League of Greater New Orleans project to chronicle civil rights.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff The Urban League of Greater New Orleans is working on a project to chronicle the civil rights movement in New Orleans. The Oral History Project will consist of video recordings of stories of New Orleanians who shaped...

Industry Insider: Liquified natural gas advocates rebut concerns new terminals will harm Gulf fish.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky As Louisiana races to jump on the liquefied natural gas bandwagon, environmentalists claim construction of facilities using open-rack vaporizers -systems used to warm LNG back to a gas - threaten redfish in the Gulf...

Interview with Rick Haase, general manager of Prudential Garner Realtors.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Rick Hasse, general manager of Prudential Garner Realtors since 2001, has been in the real estate business 28 years. Company revenues increased to roughly $38 million from $36 million in 2003. The company updated its...

Louisiana's education chief thinks reform of New Orleans' school finances will take 2 years.
March 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard said it could take at least two years for a state-appointed committee to reform the muddled finances of the New Orleans Public Schools. Picard...

New Orleans Saints owner lifts deadline with state.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff New Orleans Saints Owner Tom Benson lifted all deadlines in negotiations with the state for a new lease agreement. Benson said he hopes to reach an agreement before the legislative session begins April 25 and pledged to...

Mayor Nagin creates Hollywood South Board to promote area film industry.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Mayor C. Ray Nagin announced the Hollywood South Board has been created to promote the film industry in the New Orleans area. Bill Hines, chairman of the board of directors of Greater New Orleans Inc., and Harold Sylvester, a...

New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board to renegotiate contract for fiber optic network downtown.
March 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board plans to renegotiate a contract with Renaissance Integrated Solutions New Orleans to build a network of underground fiber optics downtown. The Board said the...

Murphree Venture Partners of Houston is founding sponsor of Capital Village.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Staff Murphree Venture Partners of Houston is the founding sponsor of Capital Village, an offshoot of business incubator Idea Village and Greater New Orleans Inc. The goal is to establish a multistate pool of investors for...

Mortgage rates going up nationwide.
March 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Mortgage Bankers Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C., reported the national average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased last week to 5.74 percent from 5.67 percent the week...

New Orleans bank expanding locations.
March 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Liberty Bank of New Orleans is expanding to St. John Parish. Its mortgage division has opened an office in Garyville offering mortgage products and new construction loans. Hope Blanco will serve...

Hammond-based North Oaks Health Systems signs with Humana.
March 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff North Oaks Health Systems of Hammond signed a participating provider agreement with Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana Inc. Members of Humana's commercial insurance plans now insured through...

CEO of Pan-American Life wants to expand into all Latin American companies except Cuba.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Greg LaRose Jose Suquet has been president and CEO of Pan-American Life for just five months but he already sees New Orleans re-establishing itself as a vital link to the global business community. For inspiration, he looks...

Capital One Financial Corp.'s intention to acquire Hibernia confounds experts.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Greg LaRose Capital One Financial Corp. announced intentions to acquire Hibernia Corp. in a $5.4-billion deal a week ago. Surprised analysts are now looking for details on what the transaction means in the long term. "People in...

Downtown New Orleans' lower-tier office building space vanishes.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Downtown New Orleans has been a hotbed for new hotels, condominiums and other residential projects for the past 10 years. Meanwhile, the city's lower-tier office building stock has shrunk. Since 1998 the city...

$12M E-Z Park project opens in New Orleans.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff When developer Henry Lambert and his business partners purchased a 120-space gravel parking lot at 300 Carondelet St., they decided something better could be done with the property. "A gravel and asphalt lot in the center...

Xavier University student team among five finalists in entrepreneur competition.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Earvin "Magic" Johnson will decide if a team of Xavier University students win an entrepreneurial business plan competition between Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationwide. A four-student team of Xavier...

Movie magazine ranks New Orleans fourth for independent filming.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff The 2-year-old film tax incentives have taken New Orleans from obscurity in the film world to the top echelon. New York-based MovieMaker magazine named New Orleans the fourth-best city for independent filmmakers to live...

College students spend spring break in New Orleans volunteering in after-school program.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Eleven University of Florida students were in New Orleans for spring break this month but they didn't come here to booze it up on Bourbon Street. They spent vacation volunteering in an after-school homework assistance...

Commentary: Sunshine laws are needed now more than ever for protection.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor The government knows better than we do how to spend our money. It knows better than we do who we want to have access to our personal records. It knows better than we do who should know the details about...

Commentary: Editor's Notes: La.'s ailing state health care system given possible cures this week.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's much-ballyhooed trade visit to Cuba last week can't compare with the watershed importance of her receiving the agenda for reforming health care this Thursday. Louisiana was...

Usenet file sharing thrives despite AOL dropping access to it.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky When Internet behemoth America Online told 24-million-plus subscribers last month it was dropping access to Usenet in mid-March, the response was nearly universal. "What's Usenet?" people asked. According...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Capital One bank powerhouse presents enhanced N.O. opportunities.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary How does the Capital One Superdome grab you? Sounds pretty good to me. As I try to digest all the economic, social, political and esoteric implications from last week's announcement about the acquisition of...

Sponsors still loyal to New Orleans teams in the wake of weak records.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Losing performances by the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Hornets, especially at home, resulted in fewer fans in the stands and in front of the tube. Advertisers and sponsors say dismal team records and...

New Orleans Home & Garden Show in the Superdome attracts affluent visitors.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Metairie businessman Michael Siu, owner of Off the Wall Audio and Video, installs home control systems that make the Jetsons look Stone Age. Siu's Internet-controlled home-automation system is among more than 600...

Royalty relief for oil and gas industry in jeopardy as debate begins on energy bill in U.S. House.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Deepwater and shallow-water deep-gas drilling continues to drive oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. However the royalty relief incentives credited with driving that exploration may be in jeopardy. ...

CEO of Energy Partners Ltd. settles lawsuit over JRL Enterprises takeover claim for $3.57M.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Greg LaRose Four years of courtroom wrangling between two New Orleans executives came to an end last week when they reached a settlement in a suit that alleged one conspired to take over the other's company. Richard Bachmann,...

Report: U.S. productivity now vulnerable to EU nations.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Technological advances have kept U.S. productivity in retail and wholesale trade sectors about 50 percent higher than in Europe for the past decade. But the European Union is dulling America's productivity edge,...

Employees face job losses following New Orleans-based Bywater Hospital's ER closure.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Bywater Hospital last Wednesday announced the closing of its emergency room and the impending closure of its medical surgical unit. In a prepared statement, hospital administrators said they based the decision on a...

New Orleans Regional Business Park board considers charter school.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Regional Business Park board will meet Tuesday to decide whether to issue a resolution supporting a proposed charter school in eastern New Orleans. Organizers of the Einstein Charter School, a math- and...

Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment up despite payroll increases.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Though the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the biggest national payroll increase since last October, economists say the figures still are not enough to offset the unemployment rate and slack left over from the jobless...

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport continues passenger growth in 2005.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff A jump in the number of passengers taking off from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in January bodes well for the airport's goal of setting a record for passenger traffic in 2005, an airport official said....

La. Shrimpers Assn. seeks federal assistance rule change to allow more to qualify for help.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Although the federal government agreed in January to offer financial assistance to Louisiana shrimpers in the wake of illegal imports from China and Vietnam and low prices, many of the state's 4,500 shrimpers don't qualify...

Diabetic amputations common problem among the homeless in Louisiana.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Thomas Sias, a 64-year old New Orleans native, is homeless. He can often be seen with his friends, gathered around a bench in Jackson Square, drinking beer and searching for handouts. Last year was a hard one...

Cellular Telephone and Internet Assn. Wireless 2005 convention offers glimpse of home of the future.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky The Cellular Telephone and Internet Association Wireless 2005 convention this week in New Orleans could be described as a funeral for the telephone pole. Thanks to fixed mobile convergence, the familiar roadside...

Interview with director of aviation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Roy Williams, director of aviation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, says the airline industry is emerging from the depression brought on by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Passenger numbers...

Marvalene Hughes is first woman president of New Orleans Dillard University.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Marvalene Hughes, the ninth president of Dillard University, is the first woman to lead the New Orleans liberal arts school. Hughes' appointment was made about eight months after the June 1, 2004, resignation of Michael...

La. Comm. of Higher Ed wants colleges to be able to increase tuition without legislative approval.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie said boards governing colleges and universities should be able to increase tuition in the future without approval of two-thirds of the state Legislature. Savoie wants...

Energy Partners Ltd. increase ownership in South Timbalier 26 field inGulf of Mexico.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Energy Partners Ltd. spent $21.7 million to increase ownership in the South Timbalier 26 field in the Gulf of Mexico held by Houston-based Apache Corp. The acquisition brings EPL's ownership in the field to 100 percent,...

Four oil companies bid for refining network of Houston-based Citgo.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Four oil companies have made offers for the refining network of Houston-based Citgo, the U.S. unit of Venezuela's national oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, according to a report in the Caracas, Venezuela, daily...

La. sport fishermen call for Shell Oil boycott to protest proposed terminal in Gulf of Mexico.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Louisiana sport fishermen called for a boycott last week of Shell Oil Co. to protest a proposed terminal in the Gulf of Mexico for liquefied natural gas, which they say would devastate fisheries. Last month, federal...

Atlanta-based Cox Communications may sell four cable operations to reduce debt.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Atlanta-based Cox Communications Inc. may sell four cable operations serving approximately 900,000 subscribers. Selling is one of a number of options being considered to reduce debt and spur growth. Operations in play are...

Mortgage rates in New Orleans continue to rise.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Mortgage rates in New Orleans continued to rise, climbing to 5.8 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from 5.71 percent March 2, according to North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Bankrate.com. Rates are still below the national...

Federal judge rules La. laws requiring florists to pass licensing test are valid.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Louisiana laws requiring florists to pass a test to be licensed are valid, a federal judge ruled last week. State legislators, not federal judges, should decide how businesses should be licensed, U.S. District Judge Frank...

New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course increases purses 12% for final 12 days of season.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff The Fair Grounds Race Course increased purses 12 percent for the final 12 days of the Fair Grounds' 133rd season because of strong betting, according to Fair Grounds officials. The increase does not include stakes races and...

Chicago-based Crais Management Group to open office in Madisonville, La.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Staff Crais Management Group, a Chicago-based business development firm, will open an office in Madisonville this summer, said President David Crais. The firm specializes in growth, start-up and businesses launching new...

Most of New Orleans' top 100 private companies increased revenues in 2004.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor The business year in 2004 featured a robust 7.5 percent revenue gain in the New Orleans private sector. A full three-quarters of the top 100 private companies increased revenues. A record total of 18 companies...

Ponchatoula-based Elmer Candy CEO not sugarcoating temp job needs.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Easter Sunday means shoppers filling grocery carts with holiday treats. People in Louisiana traditionally buy Gold Brick, Heavenly Hash and Pecan Eggs - products made by Elmer Candy Corp. in Ponchatoula. But labor...

2010 Super Bowl will likely miss New Orleans.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A proposed $1.7 billion New York Jets stadium in Manhattan was expected to be conditionally named the site of the 2010 Super Bowl last weekend at the National Football League's annual meeting in Maui,...

New Orleans production group bets on 'Hip Hop Hold'em'.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Heritage Media Group, which recently announced it was relocating its production headquarters to New Orleans from New York, plans to infuse a hip-hop musical style into the world of televised...

Hibernia manager, teller sentenced for stealing.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Jail time looms for a Hibernia Bank manager and a teller who confessed to stealing from their employer. Meredith Bernard Negueloua, who managed Hibernia locations in Covington and Slidell, will...

Computer virus nets jail for Metairie man.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Metairie resident David Jeansonne was sentenced to a six-month prison term for writing a computer virus that caused recipients' computers to dial 911. Jeansonne e-mailed users of Microsoft's WebTV...

Commentary: Landrieu's vote swap on ANWR could help save Louisiana coast.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor With apologies to William Shakespeare, the debate over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is much ado about nothing. A controversial 51-to-49 Senate vote was tipped to the right direction last...

Commentary: Frequent flyer finds familiarity with facilities better than passengers.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary I don't consider myself a road warrior but I do travel quite a bit. One of my neighbors asked me the other day just to let him know when I didn't want him to pick up my newspapers and mail. I either fly out of...

Two Corporate Realty deals in New Orleans strengthen Class A rates.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Last year, a handful of major office leases expired in the Central Business District. Oil companies that had already left New Orleans had been subleasing thousands of square feet of office space. Some...

N.O. tech sector advances gain applause from 'Eward' show.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Years ago, officials at Freeport-McMoRan's copper mine in Papua, Indonesia, were forced to fly to Australia just to make a telephone call. Today, officials at Freeport's New Orleans headquarters use computers...

Steel costs drive debate over higher car prices.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Chris Price New Orleans-area auto dealers are bracing customers for higher price tags on 2005 model year vehicles, but there's some dispute on what's driving up costs. Manufacturers blame high steel costs for increasing car and...

Unwitting bias infects health care decisions by patients, physicians.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Racial prejudice colors the way medicine is practiced in America, according to a study first published in 2002. "If you are an African-American, a native American or a Latino in this country, we know you will...

Meyers Warehouse expands into N.O. business park.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Meyers Warehouse Inc. plans to expand operations and consolidate all warehousing at the New Orleans Regional Business Park. Meyers stores packaging for companies such as Baltimore-based Domino Foods...

Lima, Pa.-based Pilot Air Freight nets $4.8M in New Orleans.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Pilot Air Freight, a Lima, Pa.-based transportation and logistics services provider, announced its New Orleans location increased revenue 45.6 percent in 2004. The New Orleans location handled...

New Orleans unemployment spikes to 6.2 percent.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The state work force has grown but unemployment is up in the New Orleans metropolitan statistical area. According to the latest Louisiana Department of Labor report, the state gained 10,700 from...

Minerals Management Service awards $354M in bids for Gulf tracts.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Oil companies spent about $354 million last week bidding at the U.S. Department of the Interior's main lease sale conducted by the Minerals Management Service. A total of 428 winning bids staked...

Unprepared business owners can lose cash in M&A flurry.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Tommy Santora Five years ago, Tommy Monahan was approached by a national corporation about selling his business, Monahan Printing and Direct Mail in New Orleans. The corporation, known for buying small independent printing...

Interview with Brian T. Landry, VP of marketing for Children's Hospital in New Orleans.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster The Bush administration's fiscal year 2006 budget proposes nearly $60 billion in cuts to Medicaid over a 10-year period. Brian Landry, vice president of marketing for Children's Hospital, says the cuts could...

Tulane University kicks off fund-raising project.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Tulane University kicked off a fund-raising campaign seeking to bring in $700 million in less than four years. "Promise and Distinction: The Campaign for Tulane" has been rounding up money since 1998....

Metairie-based construction firm gets convention center expansion contract.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Board plans to award Metairie construction firm Broadmoor LLC the $300 million job expanding the Convention Center following a March 16 state Supreme Court...

Houma-based Trico Marine Services emerges from bankruptcy.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Houma-based oil and gas services company Trico Marine Services Inc. successfully completed its Chapter 11 reorganization and emerged from bankruptcy. In the reorganization, the company eliminated...

Bollinger Shipyards orders boats from Lockport company.
March 21, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Bollinger Shipyards Inc. signed a deal with fellow Lockport business Bordelon Marine Inc. for two Mega Mini Supply Boats. Terms were not disclosed. The 163-foot-long vessels will have a cargo...