Dallas Business Journal articles from July 2000

Dallas Business Journal archives from July 2000

Software firm to hire 600.(Software Spectrum Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Software Spectrum leasing space at Richland Pointe for call center with $12M payroll NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - Garland-based Software Spectrum Inc., which in May announced office closures and job cuts, will become the first major business...

'Old economy,' new problems.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Michael Savoie has seen what happens when the "old economy" meets the new one, and it often isn't pretty. Savoie, director of the University of Dallas' Center for Applied Information Technology, had a Chicago client...

Feed-store silos coming down, Sam's Club going up in east Plano.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... PLANO -- The silos that surrounded Wells Feed Store and Grain Co. just east of North Central Expressway at Spring Creek Parkway and Avenue K are being razed to make way for a new Sam's Club store. The 16-acre site was purchased from the...

GlobeRanger, Critical nab funds for tracking gear.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... RICHARDSON -- Two local firms have snagged hefty financial backing for technology that could dramatically improve the chore of tracking and monitoring companies' assets. GlobeRanger Corp. received a $10.9 million infusion from four...

Creating a new financial firm.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Bell Financial Group plans rapid expansion NORTH DALLAS -- Three Metroplex firms have merged to make Bell Financial Group, a full-service financial company worth an estimated $12 million. Last week, the accounting firm of Hart &...

Vigorous plans ahead.(Vigor Properties)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... PLANO -- A partnership led by Howard Kollinger of Vigor Properties has acquired about 1 acre of land on Piano Parkway just west of Preston Road and plans to build a new 15,000-square-foot office building on the site. Vigor will retain 3,500...

More shop spots.(Twin Creek Village)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... ALLEN -- With construction completed on Phase 1, developers of Twin Creek Village are moving ahead on a 64,000-square-foot retail space addition. That will push the development, located at the northwest corner of U.s. 75 and McDermott...

Just in time.(Monarch Dental Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- Monarch Dental Corp. received a credit extension on a $10 million short-term note due on June 30. The loan, which is connected to another credit facility of $75 million, now is due December 15. The Dallas-based practice...

Never mind.(Northrop Grumman Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... GRAND PRAIRIE -- Northrop Grumman Corp. says now that it will keep the 200 employees of its Integrated Systems and Aerostructures sector headquarters in the Metroplex. The Los Angeles-based defense contractor had said in mid-June that the...

New name.(Baylor Center for Restorative Care renamed the Baylor Specialty Hospital)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- The 80-bed Baylor Center for Restorative Care has been given a new name: Baylor Specialty Hospital. "Our services haven't changed, but our new name better reflects the care we provide," said Gerry Brueckner, the newly...

Haynes and Boone to offer investment fund.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Joining the rush to take advantage of high-tech opportunities, Dallas law firm Haynes and Boone L.L.P. this week approved creating its first investment fund, which would put $25,000 to $50,000 in roughly 24 to 36 deals each...

Affiliated Computer sells business units.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Sale of ATM business adds $180 million to the company's coffers UPTOWN -- Affiliated Computer Services (NYSE: ACS) is cleaning house and its ATM business is the first to go. The company announced that it sold its automated teller...

Daewoo has two more locations in the works.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... HURST -- Daewoo Motor America Inc. is driving forward with its Metroplex expansion, although the future ownership of South Korea's No. 2 auto manufacturer remains in doubt. Daewoo Motor America, a subsidiary of Daewoo Motor Co. Ltd. in...

Mad Mac's Funporium eyes Metroplex.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Developers scouting for devalued shopping centers for new sites GREATER METROPLEX -- Ronald L. McDonald, who knows a thing or two about fast food, is also a real estate developer. Now the Florida businessman is launching a new venture that...

UTSW, Baylor take part in drug trials.(University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Baylor Health Care System and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas were among 104 centers in the United States and Europe participating in a clinical trial of, two leading chemotherapy drugs used to...

Baylor earns kudos in study.(Baylor Health Care System, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project honored Baylor Health Care System for producing the sixth-largest enrollment in a research study of two cancer drugs: tamoxifen and raloxifene. As their combined enrollment...

375-lot subdivision planned in Krum.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Small Denton County town braces for influx of new residents KRUM -- Just a crumb on the map, the city of Krum is about to become a sizable morsel with its first major development. Doyle Fletcher, Krum's mayor pro tem, has lived nearly...

Sublease market active.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- As companies continue to merge, "right-size" and consolidate their local operations, the sublease market in D/FW continues to be strong. According to the latest figures from CoStar Group, more than 3 million square feet of...

B2B exchanges expected to show growth.(business to business electronic commerce)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Exchanges will have to address customer concerns to thrive WASHINGTON, D.C. -- By 2004, electronic marketplaces will conduct $3 trillion in business-to-business transactions, according to AMR Research. But if that boom is to continue, some...

Airlines' growth fueling BLR Group business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... The five-year-old BLR Group of America Inc. in Fort Worth is a small cadre of aviation experts in a unique niche, but the company is rapidly growing. BLR's expertise -- making improvements in airline flight operations -- is increasingly in...

Mohr Partners' Bob Mohr: the $6 billion man.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Bob Mohr, CEO of Mohr Partners Inc., reports that his real estate services firm has signed up six new billion-dollar clients over the last few months. The new client-companies, each of which generated more than $1 billion in revenue last...

New home for NetRake.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Newly launched NetRake Corp., a developer of hardware and software for intruder detection, is setting up shop in PIano. The startup has leased 20,000 square feet from ACS Dataline at 3000 Technology Drive. Greg Langston, principal of Dillon...

And the winner is...(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... City Homebuilders Inc. is getting national recognition for its urban residential developments. The company received the Best For-Sale Housing and the Best Townhomes awards in an annual competition sponsored by the National Association of Home...

Latus Lightworks Inc.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Latus Lightworks Inc. has leased 67,900 square feet at The Courtyard at Arapaho in Richardson. Rosanne Meier of Office Finders represented the tenant in negotiations with. John Hoctor of Triad Properties.

Sunriver Properties Inc.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Jack Graham has sold 44 acres of land to Sunriver Properties Inc. and Metro DFW No. 4. The property is located in Grand Prairie, east of Highway 360 in the Great Southwest Industrial District. San McClure of Baker Commercial Realty arranged the...

The Adea Group Inc.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The Adea Group Inc., a national provider of IT consulting services, has renewed and expanded its lease for 16,700 square feet in Heritage Square I at 4835 LBJ Freeway. Lease negotiations were handled by Matt Burton and Terry Quinn of Dillon...

Digital Commerce Corp.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Digital Commerce Corp., which provides business-to-government e-commerce solutions for the procurement of products and service, has leased 5,400 square feet in Providence Towers at 5001 Spring Valley Road. Matt Burton and Greg Langston of...

Sevin Rosen Funds.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The venture capital firm Sevin Rosen Funds has renewed and expanded its lease at Galleria II to encompass the entire 16th floor, for a total of 22,000 square feet. Lease negotiations were handled by Mike Toon of Trizec Hahn and Greg Langston...

The Staubach Co.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Lamps Plus has leased 14,300 square feet at 3313 Knox St. Brian Murphy, vice president of The Staubach Co.'s retail services office, represented the lighting superstore in the lease.

Centex mortgage pool marks accounting switch.(Centex Home Equity Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Dallas-based specialty lender Centex Home Equity Corp. securitized $350 million of sub-prime mortgage loans last week -- its first pool since it switched from the controversial gain-on-sale accounting to the portfolio method the last week of...

Wells Fargo.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Wells Fargo is making some changes in Arlington. The bank has decided to collapse three of its branches into one location near the Ball Park there. James Prunty, community bank president in charge of the Metroplex region, said that after the...

AMFM Inc.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Riding the trend of big names advising dot-coms, two Dallas business fixtures, Steve Hicks and Joel Fontenot, have taken their places online. Hicks, vice chairman of Dallas-based AMFM Inc., has joined Austin-based Mall.com as chairman of the...

Fort Worth National Bank.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... After only 14 months of operation, Fort Worth National Bank is opening its second branch. The new Arlington location, in a shopping center at Park Row and Bowen, is set to open July 5 with a staff of seven. Bruce Davis, president and chief...

Associates First Capital.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Dallas specialty mortgage lender Associates First Capital has added a program that rewards borrowers for on-time payments. Not uncommon among home-equity and subprime lenders, these kinds of programs reward on-time payments with a series of...

Range Resources Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Range Resources Corp., an independent oil and gas company in Fort Worth, announced that its bank group approved a new parent-company borrowing base, set at $125 million. The company also said that it expects outstandings under its bank facility...

Santa Fe International Corporation.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Dallas-based Santa Fe International Corporation announced Monday the closing of the public offering of 30 million shares by its principal shareholder, SFIC Holdings (Cayman) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Santa...

Wheels America bolsters its rolling billboard fleet.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Along with more cars than ever, a few vehicles of a new type are tooling around Metroplex streets. Wheels America Advertising of Texas has just put its second mobile billboard advertising vehicle on the road, planning for a fleet of three...

Big Apple opening.(Byrne Johnson Agency)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Advertising and public relations agency Byrne Johnson has opened a New York office. The 11-year-old Dallas company, founded by CEO Richard J. Johnson and President Kathleen Byrne, has also landed two new clients. One is Intellifact...

Handing out honors.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the American Marketing Association recognized several businesses during its fourth annual Pinnacle awards ceremony May 24 at the Texas Stadium Club. Pinnacle winners included: for the business-to-business...

Survey: Tell patients about mistakes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Most health care risk managers whose hospitals are typically assigned to investigate mistakes and handle medical-malpractice lawsuits believe patients and families should be told of those mistakes, according to a national survey released last...

Changing course.(American Home Services Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... You can't beat the government. That's the conclusion of John Steen, president of American Home Services, who has transformed his strictly private-pay, home health care agency in South-lake to an "assisted-living-like" company that provides...

Honored doc.(Dr. Deepak Srivastava)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Dr. Deepak Srivastava, associate professor of pediatrics and molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, has been named the first holder of the Dr. Joel B. Steinberg Chair in Pediatrics. The...

Ground broken.(Baylor Health Center )
July 7, 2000... Baylor Healthcare System has broken ground on the $2 million Baylor Health Center at Terrell. The 17,000-square-foot facility, housing primary-care physicians and an in-house imaging suite, is expected to be finished by January.

RocketLogix readies improved server system.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... RocketLogix is getting ready for liftoff, planning to unveil its suite of servers for small- and medium-sized companies at the NetWorld + Interop show in Atlanta in September. The launch is slated for the Comdex show in November. The...

D-data.(D-TECH Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... D-Tech Corp. has opened a 6,300-square-foot data center that lets companies test how well off-the-shelf hardware and software work together. Bill Mozek, who runs sales and marketing for the Dallas company, says the center permits new...

Computer Services Inc.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Computer Services Inc. recently opened a data center in Dallas. The Paducah, Ky., concern provides data-processing services for banks.

Bravanta.com.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Bravanta.com has opened a Dallas sales office. Based in San Francisco, Bravanta helps companies find gifts for employees, customers and all that.

Allegiance Telecom.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Allegiance Telecom of Dallas has launched service in the Miami market. Allegiance, which provides local phone and data service, operates in 24 markets and aims to be in a total of 36.

BroadbandNOW Inc.(contracts, USOL Holdings Inc.)
July 7, 2000... BroadbandNOW Inc., which supplies high-speed voice and data services in multi-tenant dwellings, has inked a partnership deal with Austin-based USOL Holdings Inc. Irving-based BroadbandNOW (which has filed for an initial public offering) will...

Matera Networks.(investment)
July 7, 2000... Matera Networks, a Richardson developer of telecom gear, recently finalized a $23.9 million investment from four venture-capital firms. The backers are the Mayfield Fund; Dallas-based Sevin Rosen Funds; Weiss Peck & Greer Venture Partners; and...

E-pinion.(gets funds)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... E-pinion, a Dallas maker of software for measuring public opinion, received a $600,000 first-round infusion led by Dallas-based 2M Technology Ventures. The cash will be used for sales and marketing and working capital.

Nortel grabs Canadian company.(Nortel Networks, Architel Systems Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Nortel Networks acquired Architel Systems Corp., a software systems service provider, based in Toronto. The purchase price was valued at approximately $466 million in stock, said Jeff Ferry, Nortel spokesman. The acquisition will allow service...

CompuCom opens in Arizona.(CompuCom Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... CompuCom Systems Inc. of Dallas opened a 32,000-square-foot help desk facility in Tempe, Ariz. The company also owns similar call centers in Dallas and in Paulsboro, N.J. The sites handle about 60,000 calls each month for CompuCom's list of...

Sports Supply signs deal.(Sports Supply Group Inc.'s contract with Antigua Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Dallas-based Sports Supply Group Inc. signed on to become the exclusive distributor to institutional buyers of sporting goods made by Antigua Group Inc. Antigua makes golf apparel worn by players on the LPGA and PGA tours and is the official...

Allied Riser completes offering.(Allied Riser Communications Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Allied Riser Communications Corp. of Dallas completed an offering of $150 million in convertible bonds due in 2007. The notes are convertible into Allied Riser common stock at $15.37. The company did not say who bought the notes. Allied Riser...

Wyndham sells 14 hotels.(Wyndham International)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Wyndham International of Dallas sold a portfolio of eight Clubhouse Inn hotels and six Wyndham Garden Hotels to Milestone Hotel Investments Inc. and Regency Hotel Management Inc., both of Minn[acute{e}]apolis. Terms were not revealed. The...

Amtech gets $20.5M funding.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Buyout fund American Capital Strategies Ltd. of Bethesda, Md., invested $20.5 million to back the acquisition of Amtech Inc., a wireless data technology company in Dallas. Amtech is being purchased by one of American Capital's portfolio...

Allied Riser, AT&T form venture.(Allied Riser Communications Corp., AT&T Canada Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Dallas-based telecom company Allied Riser Communications Corp. agreed to form a venture with AT&T Canada Inc. that will sell high-speed broadband services to Canadian businesses. The new company, ARC Canada, will provide full-time Internet...

Southwest places $4.5 billion order.(Southwest Airlines' contract with Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Southwest Airlines of Dallas placed a $4.5 billion order for up to 290 Next-Generation 737s from Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. The order includes a firm commitment to buy 94 Boeing 737-700s. It also includes 25 options and up to 171...

AmeriServe to sell division.(AmeriServe Food Distribution)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... AmeriServe Food Distribution of Addison will sell its equipment division at an auction in late July, pending approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. AmeriServe, a distributor specializing in chain restaurants, announced in April it would...

F.Y.I. acquires LexiCode.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... F.Y.I. Inc. of Dallas, a provider of information outsourcing solutions, acquired LexiCode Corp. for an undisclosed amount. LexiCode, with headquarters in Columbia, S.C., is a provider of outsourced medical-records coding and consulting services...

Harris to build 800 homes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Fort Worth developer James R. Harris Associates plans to build 800 homes along U.S. 380 on a 249-acre site east of Denton. The housing development is expected to contain homes that sell for $100,000 to $200,000 on lots of 5,500 to 8,400 square...

Road work could attract $1 billion.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... Improvements to Litsey Road between State Highway 114 and Interstate 35W in Denton County could bring $1 billion in commercial development to land bordering the two-mile stretch, Denton County officials said. The Roanoke City Council and other...

PacifiCare drops Medicare offerings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. announced today that it will discontinue its Secure Horizons Medicare offerings in Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Kaufman, Palo Pinto and Wise counties in 2001. The company blamed inadequate payments in the federally funded...

UNT health center sets up dialysis unit.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is collaborating with a national renal management group to establish a chronic care outpatient dialysis facility at the center's cultural district campus. The facility will be...

AA Cargo hikes surcharge.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... American Airlines Cargo announced a change to its fuel surcharge, effective Aug. 3, to offset higher fuel prices. The surcharge will increase by 5 cents per kilogram from origin points in the United States to all international destinations...

Tandycrafts completes sale of Sav-On.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Tandycrafts Inc. has completed the sale of its Sav-On Office Supplies chain to Dallas-based Phoenix Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Fort Worth-based consumer products maker and marketer said the sale marks the...

Keller approves Newton plats.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... The Keller City Council has approved preliminary plats for Newton Homeplace, a 140-lot residential subdivision on 41 acres south of Johnson Road and between Keller-Smithfield and Chandler roads. Developer Reilly Brothers Property Co. plans lots...

Travelocity hooks up with AT&T.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Travelocity.com, a leading travel Web site, has announced an agreement with AT&T Wireless Services in which AT&T Digital PocketNet service subscribers can access real-time travel information and services from Travelocity.com through...

RCA at RadioShack wins award.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The RCA Digital Entertainment Center received the 2000 Outstanding Merchandising Achievement Award from the Point-of-Purchase Advertising Institute. The RCA Digital Entertainment Center at RadioShack, a store-within-a-store, is a joint effort...

Six Flags gets name change.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Premier Parks, the country's largest regional theme-parks company with 37 facilities, has changed its name to Six Flags Inc. The change comes as the company prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Six Flags brand, which began with the...

FACE TIME.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... A look at movers and shakers of the Metroplex -- and what makes them tick. Spiegelman, 42, is president of The Beryl Cos., a Bedford-based provider of outsourced customer service Solutions for the health care industry. * Family: My...

Technology and r[acute{e}]sum[acute{e}]s.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Most HR professionals now prefer to receive r[acute{e}]sum[acute{e}]s via e-mail and some are using technology to scan and screen r[acute{e}]sum[acute{e}]s according to a recent survey on cover letters and r[acute{e}]sum[acute{e}]s by the...

Bringing out the best in a workplace that spans generations.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... UNIVERSITY PARK -- Phyllis Walker owns two women's clothing stores, and although her work force of 12 is small, there exists a wide generational gap -- ranging from a junior in college to a former owner approaching 80 years old. Her...

How clutter affects productivity at work.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... ADDISON -- You may remember the constant battle between Oscar Madison and his friend Felix Unger over the issue of cleanliness versus clutter from "The Odd Couple." In the end, Felix learned to accept Oscar, clutter and all. Perhaps you've...

Temp agencies show growth in hot economy.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Amy Stumpfl, who writes for the Nashville Business Journal, contributed to this report. RICHARDSON -- With highly skilled tech employees in such strong demand lately, many college graduates are using temporary staffing agencies to take a...

Tips for getting the best PEO performance.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Smaller companies can enjoy large-scale benefits at wholesale prices GREATER METROPLEX -- Times and work force shortages being what they are, a company mulling the virtues of professional employer organizations almost could be excused for...

Latest in office design and furniture choices.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- As technology changes the workplace, flexible, futuristic office furniture is both a practical and image-building necessity. "I think what we are seeing now in our business is furniture accommodating the fluidity and...

How to make an office ergonomically correct.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... The Occupational Health and Safety Administration caused an uproar in the business community when it proposed new ergonomic standards for the work place recently. OSHA's standards would require employers to establish programs to safeguard...

Fueling change in gas technology.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2000... Bill Pollock and Eric Long came up with a way to monitor gas compression systems from a remote location. Then they had to convince a very set-in-its-ways industry to try something new NORTH DALLAS -- Entrepreneurs often face daunting...

My WORST business decision....
July 7, 2000... "The worst business decision I ever made was to hire a president and step out of that role to spend more time in technical development and overall strategic direction. "It was one of the suggestions I got from my strategic advisory...

Uptown Realty rides market explosion.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... UPTOWN -- Michael Grossman, co-founder of Uptown Realty, has seen explosive growth in the Uptown market since his company was last profiled in a Growth Strategies story in December 1998. "There are hundreds of new condos and townhouses," he...

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... A NEW SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STUDY REPORTS THAT MORE THAN HALF THE HUMAN RESOURCE professionals surveyed at businesses with 1,000 or more employees said that turnover has increased over the past three years, compared with 39% at...

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 7, 2000... ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR about 750,000 new small businesses are created nation wide every year. About 10% of them fail. Source: The New York Times Almanac