Dallas Business Journal articles from April 2000

Dallas Business Journal archives from April 2000

Akin Gump starting VC fund.(Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Dallas law firm said to be first based in Texas to pursue venture investments DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- International law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P. is set to close on a pioneering, multimillion-dollar fund that will accept money...

Regulatory efforts to aim at e-commerce.
April 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- The freewheeling world of electronic commerce may soon face additional red tape, tangling up more Texas companies. Attorneys, lobbyists and industry experts say that within 18 months, and possibly sooner, federal and...

Southeast Fort Worth plan sees growth opportunities.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... FORT WORTH -- Southeast Fort Worth could gain 8,000 new jobs and sustain $150 million in business investment in the next 10 years, if a new economic development plan for the area succeeds. Those are lofty goals for an area that has seen...

Acreage mushrooms at swanky Frisco project.(Griffin Parc)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... FRISCO -- A European-style "village" complete with exclusive retailers and a restaurant aboard a ship anchored in a 30-acre lake will be the centerpieces of an 800-acre mixed-use development in Frisco. The upscale project, called Griffin...

Freeport North VI project launched.(by Duke-Weeks Realty)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Distribution center to be completed by Sept. 1 is already 70% leased COPPELL -- Duke-Weeks Realty Corp. has started construction on Freeport North VI, a 230,000-square-foot distribution center in Freeport North Industrial Park. The...

The Bristol Stomp.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... ADDISON -- The Metroplex will lose as many as 250 jobs following the completion this week of a merger between locally based Bristol Hotels & Resorts Inc. and Bass P.L.C. (NYSE: BAS) of London, the parent company of Bass Hotels & Resorts. ...

Blondes, Beetles and buses.(Metro Volkswagen Inc. advertising)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... IRVING -- Move over cell phones; here come the DART buses. Metroplex motorists should take care next time they see one of the yellow buses. The mass-transit vehicle may be causing wrecks if it's sporting the "Blondes and Beetles" campaign now...

Anatole for sale?(Wyndham Anatole Hotel)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... STEMMONS CORRIDOR -- The buzz in the hotel industry this week was that the massive Wyndham Anatole may be up for sale. Not necessarily so, according to Crow Holdings, which owns the 1,620-room hotel that always bustles with convention...

Steaking its claim.(Smith and Wollensky plans Dallas location)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- New York City-based steakhouse chain Smith & Wollensky has searched for about two years for the perfect Dallas site for a restaurant. And, though it hasn't yet locked one in, the company is committed to opening a local...

On the fast track.(Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... OAK LAWN -- The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is on the push to double its membership and attract new businesses to its incubators in Oak Lawn and Oak Cliff. In an effort to better serve the rising economic demands of the...

Correction.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The Business Lunch review on Salve! in the March 31-April 6 issue should have listed the phone number as (214) 220-0070.

ObjectSpace to raise up to $115 million in IPO.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- ObjectSpace Inc., which links up companies' different software packages to allow business to be done online in real time, plans to raise a maximum of $115 million in an initial public offering. The Dallas company has lined...

DBJ receives honorable mention for spot news story.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Dallas Business Journal has received an honorable mention in the spot news category among business weeklies in the sixth annual Best in Business contest, which recognizes deadline reporting and the best overall publications...

Med CareNow to open three new clinic sites.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... FORTWORTH -- Med CareNow of Bedford is scheduled to open three more clinics in the Metroplex by the end of this year, beginning with a new prototype in Fort Worth at 7400 McCart Ave. BTB of Dallas is developing the family and occupational...

Two local companies raise millions.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... PLANO -- Two local companies have found gold on the fund-raising trail. Navarro Networks of Plano has raised $17.5 million from Cisco Systems, Dallas-based Sevin Rosen Funds and one of Sevin Rosen's former employees, Dennis Gorman. ...

Juliette Fowler Homes begins expansion project.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... EAST DALLAS -- Juliette Fowler Homes Inc. has begun construction on a complex of 64 apartments worth at least $10 million in the center of its 16-acre campus. Juliette Fowler Homes, a nonprofit facility for children and the elderly, is...

Affordable seniors housing planned in Grapevine.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... GRAPEVINE -- Affordable housing for seniors is about to see the light of day in Grapevine. Texas Longevity Housing of Aledo and Anderton. Development Group Inc. of Trophy Club are co-developing Glade Corners Retirement Community at the...

Medical incubator could aid biotech efforts.(Startech)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Startech plans for-profit branch in conjunction with UT Southwestern MEDICAL CENTER -- Startech, the Richardson-based technology incubator, has plans to establish a for-profit medical branch which may help boost the Metroplex's still...

Leasing moves swiftly at Waters Ridge park.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Panattoni-Hillwood signs three new tenants, including Hughes Supply, which plans 60 new jobs LEWISVILLE -- Space is filling up fast in Waters Ridge Business Park, just east of Interstate 35E and divided by Corporate Drive in Lewisville....

Jewish Federation to kick off $50 million capital campaign.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- The Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas is launching their Greater Dallas Jewish Community Capital Campaign for The 21st Century on April 12 with hopes of raising $50 million. The three-year campaign, which aims to raise...

i2 Technologies leads the way in M&A activity.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- Irving-based i2 Technologies Inc. dominated the local market for mergers and acquisitions during March, acquiring two key rivals in stock swaps totaling nearly $7 billion. In all, i2's deals represented 83% of the total...

IAAM to move into new headquarters building.(International Association of Assembly Managers)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... COPPELL -- The International Association of Assembly Managers Inc. will move into its new world headquarters this weekend. The group will occupy about 15,000 square feet of a 40,000-squarefoot building off Interstate 635, between Freeport...

Trinity dot-com venture draws mixed response.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... STEMMONS CORRIDOR -- With Wall Street's money flowing into technology and away from most everything else, many "old economy" companies are launching e-commerce business units to throw some sizzle into their staid stocks. But as...

UT Southwestern receives $1 million endowment.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... MEDICAL CENTER -- A $1 million endowment from the Cain Foundation of Austin has established a fund at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas to train, recruit and support scientists working in the area of angiogenesis....

Office-supply fraud profits outweigh the penalties.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Scams cost small business $200 million WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Trade Commission recently slapped a $500,000 fine on Ultra Ribbons, whose 700 telemarketers sold computer ribbons, printer cartridges and other office supplies from a...

Wing-stop chicken wing eateries take off.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... GARLAND -- Afternoons at 4 p.m., customers. begin stopping in for their "fix" of chicken wings at the original Wing-stop restaurant on Northwest Highway in Garland. The tiny restaurant has built a loyal following in the six years since it...

Hearing to determine A.C. Molding's future.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Company wants to be welcome by neighbors, awaits permit decision OAK CLIFF -- Moshe Nitzan, president of A.C. Molding Compounds Inc., is remarkably calm, considering a public hearing April 14 could radically alter his Oak Cliff...

Parkland finalizes two-year cost-cutting plan.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Financially troubled Parkland Health & Hospital System has begun instituting $47.2 million in cuts, cost savings and revenue-generating programs in the next two years in an attempt to combat medical reimbursement losses expected from the...

Baylor University Medical Center.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Baylor University Medical Center has converted two operating rooms into endosuites for endoscopic, laproscopic and other video-assisted surgical procedures. Baylor is focusing more on minimally invasive procedures that allow smaller...

Methodist Medical Center.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Methodist Medical Center has been chosen as the only Metroplex facility to be toured by members of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society during its annual conference April 9-13 here. The group, which will tour April 10...

American takes aim against Legend on airfield.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this week ended the suspense of whether start-up Legend Airlines would ever be certificated to take off and fly. At a press conference on Monday, officials with the federal agency presented the last...

Air Relief Technologies.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Arlington-based Air Relief Technologies has purchased AA Tex-Air Manufacturing Co. The 25-year-old Tex-Air makes filters primarily for heating and air-conditioning units. Air Relief is best known for its Allergy, Air & More stores in Fort...

Cushman sells database to RealtyIQ.com.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Cushman & Wakefield has sold its SiteSolutions database to RealtyIQ.com, an Internet portal for the commercial real estate industry. The transaction includes the purchase of data collected at seven information centers located throughout...

Golf community.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Isleworth Partners Ltd. has purchased 37.5 acres in McKinney with plans to develop a new luxury golf course community, called Isleworth, within Stonebridge Ranch. The land is an "island" surrounded by golf -- Stonebridge Country Club's...

Hall keeps building.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Hall Financial Group has begun construction on its fourth office building at Hall Office Park in Frisco. The new 150,000-square-foot office building, named 2601 Network Blvd., will have six floors and be wired for high-tech use. A...

Sold.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... A local group of investors has purchased the Eagle's Landing Apartments in Garland for $6.3 million. Built in 1981, the 200-unit complex is more than 96% occupied. Bill Nelson and Greg Vinex of the Wyndam Group represented the seller, New West...

Granite Properties.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Granite Properties has been named 1999 Developer of the Year by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. To be eligible for the award, companies had to develop 200,000 or more square feet and meet high standards of...

Tenet Health System.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * The West Tower, located on the campus at Tenet Health System's Doctors Hospital of Dallas, was named Medical Office Building of the Year at the annual Building Owners and Managers Association of Dallas TOBY awards recently. The five...

Bigger refund checks could boost Ace's revenue.(Ace Cash Express Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Ace Cash Express Inc., the check-cashing empire out of Irving, will get a solid boost in revenue this quarter from a national trend: The average tax-refund check will jump 6% this year. That's what Dallas brokerage Southwest Securities is...

Summit Global Partners Inc.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Dallas-based insurance brokerage Summit Global Partners Inc. created a strategic alliance with First Internet Bank to offer its products on the Web. Summit Global will market insurance services, bonding services, group life insurance, group...

NetVoice Technologies Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * NetVoice Technologies Inc. (Pink Sheets: NTVT) landed $5.1 million in private funding by selling restricted stock to a group of unidentified investors. NetVoice deals in Internet telephony services.

The Culmen Group.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * Fort Worth-based The Culmen Group led a $40 million investment in Arinco Computer Systems (OTCBB: ARCU), a hardware manufacturer in Albuquerque, N.M. The investors took 4 million shares of preferred stock, which can be converted into 160...

uniView Technologies Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * Dallas-based uniView Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: UVEW) placed 550,000 shares, worth about $2.5 million, with an affiliate of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in New York.

Microwave Transmission Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Microwave Transmission Systems Inc., a Dallas-based construction firm, began trading its stock on the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol MWVT. The company builds and maintains facilities that transmit and receive communications, either wireless...

Vortex Partners.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * Vortex Partners, a private-equity firm in Dallas, took part in a $20 million investment in BuildPoint Corp., an Internet company in Redwood City, Calif. BuildPoint is constructing a Web marketplace for the construction industry. Joining...

Pizza Inn Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * Dallas-based Pizza Inn Inc. is appealing Nasdaq's decision to remove its common stock from the national market system: Nasdaq says Pizza Inn (Nasdaq: PZZI) fails to meet its standards for net tangible assets. The appeals process could take up...

Sabre Holdings Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... * Fort Worth-based Sabre Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TSG) plans to buy back up to $100 million shares of its common stock over the next two years. Sabre, which uses information technology to serve the travel and transportation industries, is trading...

TV series creator launches another venture.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... David Michel isn't your typical entrepreneur. First, there's his last name, which, despite the spelling, is pronounced "Mitchell." Then there's his claim to fame: Creator of "Jay-Jay the Jet Plane," a television series for preschoolers...

Getting on their Diamondback.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Diamondback International Inc. has been netting some hefty contracts lately and is growing fast. But Chairman and chief executive Ken Weseman isn't ready to board the IPO express yet. "We're going to try to remain private for as long as we...

Piranha Inc.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Piranha Inc. (OTCBB: BYTE), a Dallas maker of data-compression technology, recently received a $3 million equity investment from a Sydney, Australia, financial-services firm, HIH Insurance Ltd. Piranha says it plans to seek a listing on...

Intelecon Services Inc.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Intelecon Services Inc. has been acquired by a San Diego company, New Visual Entertainment Inc. (OTCBB: NVXE). Dallas-based Intelecon supplies various technologies for entertainment and business communications, including 2-D and 3-D...

CBS Corp.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Irving's jobs.com is looking for real estate for new offices. Having raised upwards of $90 million from the likes of CBS Corp. and IdeaLab Capital Partners, the online job-posting service is running out of room for its 200 employees.

Local Ogilvy PR office taps into tech business.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Nationally, the growth at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide has pushed the company into the top-10 ranking for PR firms -- in the United States and around the globe. And it's the fastest-growing PR firm among the top 20 agencies, according to...

KHYI-FM.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * KHYI-FM (95.3) has named Brad Stribling sports director. He'll join program director Bruce Kidder on his drive-time morning radio program and develop other sports-related programming for KHYI. The radio station, known as "The Range"...

Trance Production Group.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Trance Production Group of Carrollton is the agency-of-record for the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas/Fort Worth. A new. image campaign, called "We Build You Up," features a signature music piece written by Trace. It's the YMCA's first radio...

Design-build method moves into mainstream.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... ADDISON -- The design-build approach, once a seldom employed alternative, was used during the construction of 35% of the buildings nationwide in the last year. Those who choose this increasingly popular method rely on its pairing of the...

Interprise gets down to business at Legend.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Architectural firm puts its stamp on terminal project FAR NORTH DALLAS -- When Legend Airlines embarked on designing its new $14 million terminal at Dallas Love Field, it was looking for an interior architecture firm that could translate...

Hot economy keeps construction humming.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Shortage of workers among top concerns GREATER DALLAS -- North Texas' construction market remains strong as it grapples with the limited number of workers at hand. The Dallas chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America...

How space planning can affect core business.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... In the past, when it came to calculating the amount of space needed prior to signing a lease or breaking ground on a build-to-suit, a company's management typically relied on a simple formula: Count the current number of employees, then add...

Choosing the right contractor for your project.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... It is time to move out of a cramped office and build your own space. The land is bought and architects selected. It may be time to hire your general contractor. Just like you were hiring an employee for a job, you want to establish a...

Porsche dealer out to raise bar for auto stores.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Entrepreneur Scott Ginsburg focuses on upscale feel PLANO -- With a glass front and 60-foot rotunda, it could pass for the home of a dot-com company or maybe an extravagant new restaurant. Inside the new building the Dallas North...

LARGEST METROPLEX COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS.(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... LARGEST METROPLEX COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS RANKED BY SQUARE FEET OF LOCAL COMMERCIAL SPACE DEVELOPED IN 1999 1999/ ...

Need an engineer? How to negotiate for the best.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Selecting engineers to handle the basics of your company's next construction or renovation project needn't be a daunting task even for the novice who has never hired anyone to build anything before. But, doing it right takes time and some...

Dakota Quad Cab: Dodge's home run.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... In the pickup world, its size falls somewhere between a Randy John son and a Twig Little. Underneath the hood, however it's pure Rafael Palmeiro. That's the 2000 Dakota Quad Cab, a new midsize truck from Dodge that's tailor-made for...

Attachments made easy.
April 7, 2000... Busy people don't have much time to spend in the kitchen. The multitalented Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine makes short work of tedious preparation tasks. Not only does it slice and dice, it blends, mixes, chops, grates, squeezes and grinds,...

'Hidden' works of art.
April 7, 2000... Good art always has a good story behind it. In the case of art for sale at Cistercian Preparatory School, some of the sculptures, drawings and paintings by the school's founder have only been seen by monks who reside there. Now the late Father...

Visuals.
April 7, 2000... The Dallas Society of Visual Communications will preview its upcoming Dallas show. Included in the festivities will be dinner and an exhibit, followed by the show featuring award-winning work by the region's leading graphic designers,...

Real live racing.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Racing addicts can get a fix April 13 when Lone Star Park kicks off its Thoroughbred, racing season. Everyone attending opening night will receive a silver-plated money clip or key chain, which will contain a $2 mutuel ticket. One of those...

A week to remember.(Bernard Muller)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... While I've been cooking professionally for more than 20 years, and have been at the Four Seasons for 13 years, this is the week I look forward to all year long. I'm headed to the Masters golf tournament for the fifth year to cook for a company...

Ciudad: Flavors of Mexico satisfy.(Ciudad)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Diners looking for real Mexican food instead of Tex-Mex may rejoice now that Ciudad is open in Oak Lawn. A long vacant corner of Turtle Creek Shopping Center -- home for years to Mario's and recently Zeitgeist for about a minute --...

Kangaroo golf.
April 7, 2000... The upcoming Outback Steakhouse/Texas Rangers Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrity Golf Classic will include celebrity guests, hole-in-one contests and prizes. The six-person scramble begins at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start. Each team will have at...

Egg-stravaganza.
April 7, 2000... The Ultimate Hunt is an Easter egg hunt for grownups, preferably those who want to spend a lot of money to help a good cause: Easter Seals of Greater Dallas. Billed as an "elegant evening of hors d'oeuvres and cocktails," the evening includes a...

Musical wildflowers.
April 7, 2000... Richardson Wildflower Nights! Concert Series and Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival will bring some hot musical acts to town in late April. Among the talent will be Joe Walsh, Kansas, Don McClean, Isaac Hayes, Neal McCoy, Cheap Trick, War, Bruce...

People on the move.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... ACCOUNTING Thomas Bruff was hired as managing director in the golf industry practice for KPMG L.L.P. ADVERTISING Flowers & Fedele Inc. hired the following: Montrell Clinton, account executive; Adam Trahan, junior art director; and...

Exec joins LaserComm.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Plano-based LaserComm Inc., a developer of photonic components for fiber-optic networks, announced Eric Georgatos has joined the company as chief financial officer. Georgatos was formerly senior vice president and general counsel for Ciena...

Lennox's sales are up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Richardson-based Lennox International Inc. showed sales for 1999 increasing 30% over 1998, from $1.82 billion to $2.36 billion. In a 23% gain, earnings per share were $1.81 in 1999, compared to $1.47 in 1998.

Alcatel plans acquisition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Plano-based Alcatel has entered into an agreement to acquire New-bridge Networks Corp. to "make it one of the top players in the next-generation networking market." Following their approval, Newbridge shareholders will split about $7.1 billion...

Dallas Job Connection.
April 7, 2000... Richardson-based Dallas Job Connection will launch the first of its employment newspapers April 15, with the North edition serving Collin County and North Dallas areas. The newspaper will be distributed in racks and also be sent directly to...

DotComGuy deals.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... An exclusive representation agreement has been entered between Dallas-based DotComGuy Inc. and Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency. CAA will develop strategic media alliances to expand the successful 24-hour DotComGuy brand network, and...

Exxon to sell MEGAS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Irving-based ExxonMobil Corp. has reached an agreement to sell 100% of the Mobil holdings in Mobil Europe Gas Inc., MEGAS, to Duke Energy International. MEGAS is an independent natural-gas marketer operating in The Netherlands. The agreement is...

COREintellect nabs cash.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Dallas-based COREintellect Inc., a privately held developer of application services geared to the business-to-business market, netted $11.3 million during its first round of equity financing. Billing Concepts of San Antonio will be the lead...

TXU moves unit.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Dallas-based TXU, the nation's third-largest electric utility, said it will relocate its U.S. energy trading business from Houston to Dallas, the site of its corporate headquarters. The move will place the TXU generation, transmission,...

Networks affiliate.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Dallas-based North Texas Healthcare Network and Southwest Preferred Network have entered into an affiliation and joint marketing agreement. The agreement provides that NTHN group customers will have the option of purchasing SPN's network for...

Campus plan unveiled.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The masterplan for Silveron was unveiled at a town of Flower Mound zoning meeting, showing schemes for a circular lake surrounded by 6 million square feet of high-tech office space and a conference hotel. The 36l-acre project, north of FM....