Dallas Business Journal articles from May 2000

Dallas Business Journal archives from May 2000

Maharishi eyes Colony project.
May 5, 2000... New York investment fund controlled by Beatles guru planning mixed-use development THE COLONY - An investment group established by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, meditation guru who once inspired the Beatles, is apparently hoping that a mixed-use...

TL, Austin Ventures uncork VC offices in Dallas-Fort Worth.
May 5, 2000... WEST END - Two prominent venture-capital firms are staking claims to Dallas-Fort Worth's nearly $500 million VC market by opening local offices. Austin-based Austin Ventures L.P., the largest VC firm in Texas, has signed a commercial lease...

Redbird, Meacham airports to apply for foreign trade zone status.
May 5, 2000... D/FW INTERNATIONAL - Two city-owned airports in the Metroplex -- both of which have struggled to attract commercial development -- will apply in June to become foreign trade zones in hopes of adding an amenity that businesses find increasingly...

Atlanta firm in 'pioneering' Cedar Hill project.
May 5, 2000... CEDAR HILL - A major industrial developer from Atlanta is putting up one of the first large-scale warehouse and distribution projects in southern Dallas County in a decade. Privately held Robert Patillo Properties Inc. plans to build 2...

Patent of the week.
May 5, 2000... KITS AND METHODS FOR THE SPECIFIC COAGULATION OF VASCULATURE Philip E. Thorpe and Thomas S. Edgington of Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, have obtained U.S. Patent No. 6,036,955 for Kits and Methods for the Specific...

Green Oaks Hotel gets a face-lift.
May 5, 2000... 35-year-old facility is undergoing a $4 million renovation FORT WORTH -- Looking at the Green Oaks Hotel today, one couldn't tell these once were the accommodations for Elvis and other celebrities in the 1970s. While the hotel's...

No pay, no play.
May 5, 2000... IRVING -- Columbia/HCA North Texas Division says it will terminate its contract with Cigna Health Care of Texas Inc., effective June 1, because the insurer is unwilling to pay for necessary medical services that other health plans now pay. ...

Stay tuned [ldots].
May 5, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Trinity e-Ventures Inc., the new technology arm of Dallas-based heavy industry conglomerate Trinity Industries Inc., has found a home. The company was set to move this week into 10,000 square-feet of space in the West...

More layoffs in store ?
May 5, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- Things continue to look bleak for Texas Health Choice L.C. Another 48 employees in the managed-care company's administrative, physical therapy and prior authorization departments have received layoff notices dated June 16....

Goose waddles north.
May 5, 2000... PLANO -- The popular Blue Goose Cantina restaurant concept has expanded northward. A new Blue Goose, which specializes in made-from-scratch Mexican food, has opened in a 6,200-square-foot space in Berkeley Square, a shopping center near...

Moody's Investors rates THR a higher credit risk.
May 5, 2000... Analyst: Downgrade a concern, but hospital chain now focusing on core operations after failed merger, Harris sale LAS COLINAS -- Already falling $23.9 million short of its operating profits budgeted for fiscal 1999 and continuing to operate...

DigitalConvergence set to make stock offering.
May 5, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- DigitalConvergence.:Com Inc., which is developing technology for linking broadcast shows and printed material to the Internet, plans to raise $100 million in a public stock offering. Merrill Lynch & Co. and ING Barings are...

New Web site features large real estate portfolios.
May 5, 2000... DALLAS -- The Staubach Co, has launched a new Web site featuring commercial real estate portfolios and individual buildings for sale or lease. The site, at www.staubachdispositions.com, posts detailed information including property...

Metroplex residents get fewer federal dollars.
May 5, 2000... Decline in defense spending looms large, particularly in Tarrant GREATER METROPLEX -- Residents of Dallas-Fort Worth are getting far less bang for their federal buck than are other Texans, according to a Dallas Business Journal analysis of...

Banco Popular to enter Metroplex market.
May 5, 2000... Puerto Rico-based bank to open commercial lending division in Arlington ARLINGTON -- One of Puerto Rico's largest banks is entering the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by opening a commercial lending division in Arlington. Banco Popular...

Infra-Med pulls out of Bonham.
May 5, 2000... BONHAM -- Controversial Dallas-based startup Infra-Med Technologies Inc. is bailing on a deal to buy a long-vacant industrial building for $1.5 million in Bonham. Infra-Med, which hopes to eventually manufacture a medical device it calls...

Health plan receives low mark on finances.
May 5, 2000... Ailing HMO is now part of PacifiCare of Texas NORTH DALLAS -- Harris Methodist Health Plan, now part of PacifiCare of Texas, recently received a near failing rating by a nationally known independent financial rating company. For-profit...

TICOR has new name, location.
May 5, 2000... UPTOWN -- TICOR Land Title Co. has changed its name to Allegiance Title Co. and has moved its corporate headquarters to the recently opened Trammell Crow office building at 2100 Mckinney in Dallas. The name change is intended to better...

Intertrade Industries taps Fort Worth site.
May 5, 2000... Company to consolidate Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and Tyler operations FORT WORTH -- Intertrade Industries, a private label and contract manufacturer that specializes in goods produced in southeast Asia, is consolidating its local...

Dallas brokerage to acquire Atlanta firm.
May 5, 2000... Company gains foothold in key market from stock transaction PARK CITIES -- Dallas-based brokerage house Institutional Equity Holdings Inc. has agreed to acquire First Atlanta Securities L.L.C., a diversified financial-services company in...

Children's Choice scouts for new sites in Dallas.
May 5, 2000... GREATER DALLAS -- Dallas-based Children's Choice Learning Centers, a 3-year old company providing 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, nontraditional child care, is looking for sites in Dallas. "We were formed to just do nontraditional child...

Distrust sparks calls for online privacy laws.
May 5, 2000... WASHINGTON D.C.--As of April 21, Web, sites must obtain parental consent before they collect, use or disclose personal information about children -- requirements signed into law last year. Privacy advocates now want Congress to make sure...

Skies not so friendly in battle for customers.
May 5, 2000... American, Legend offer lavish amenities, step up competition to draw their share of travelers LOVE FIELD -- Who will win the battle for passengers at Dallas Love Field between Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc. and startup,...

UniFocus adds services for hospitality clients.
May 5, 2000... Recent acquisitions help young company expand, grow 30% annually IRVING -- With today's competitive hospitality market, companies in that niche want to know how they're doing, both with their workers and their customers. Irving-based...

Duo to promote new Doubletree at Legacy.
May 5, 2000... PLANO -- A pair of local hotel industry veterans have signed on to build business at the 404-room Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center at Legacy Town Center. The $53 million hotel is the first in Legacy Park, the massive mixed-use...

Transportation Club membership swells.
May 5, 2000... Anyone who knows Michael Frame knows that the vice president of sales and marketing at Southwest International Freight can't say enough good things about The Transportation Club of Dallas Inc. But maybe what's not known is why Frame is so...

Survey: Older doctors eve early retirement.
May 5, 2000... Nearly 80% of doctors 50 years old or older plan to change their practice patterns or retire in the next three years, according to a soon-to-be-released staffing survey by Irving-based Merritt, Hawkins & Associates. "For years we have seen...

Rolling on.
May 5, 2000... Just days before announcing plans to stop providing HMO coverage to seniors in several cities because it is no longer profitable, Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna U.s. Healthcare rolled into Texas Stadium's parking lot last week with its...

Pharmacy stop.
May 5, 2000... The Texas Tech School of Pharmacy celebrated the opening of its regional campus in Dallas with a dinner May 2 at Baylor Medical Center. The regional site is located at 3707 Gaston Ave. in Dallas. Fourteen Texas Tech students are concluding...

Historic InterUrban Station renovations planned.
May 5, 2000... InterUrban Station, an 84-year-old electric rail and bus station, has a new lease on life. The Courtland Group has plans to convert the eight-story, historic building at 1500 Jackson St. in downtown Dallas into a 122,000-square-foot mixed-use...

Team effort.
May 5, 2000... North American Properties, a privately held real estate development company based in Cincinnati, has formed a new team o lead its expansion efforts into the Southwest. Charles Keller, a Dallas real estate veteran, will lead North American's...

Internet on elevators.
May 5, 2000... Crescent Real Estate Equities Co. (NYSE: CEI) has found a way to keep elevator riders at its Class A office buildings entertained. A new service, supplied by Captivate Network Inc., provides the Internet in the elevator. An average 45second...

Job change.
May 5, 2000... David Evemy, former president of Jamison Research before it was bought by CoStar Group, has joined Dallas-based Sarofim Realty Advisors as senior vice president of strategic planning and research. Evemy will be a member of the management and...

Consolidated.
May 5, 2000... CSM Mailing Services started in a garage 20 years ago. Now the direct-mail service provider has completed construction on a new 30,000-square-foot headquarters and production facility at 1700 10th St. in Piano, according to Kristi White,...

Conference to focus on venture money, offerings.
May 5, 2000... Don't know your seed funding from your exit strategy? Then consider attending the annual Metroplex Growth Capital Conference, which is sponsored by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. This year's conference is set for May 18 at the Wyndham...

Clearview TelePlace L.L.C.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based private-equity fund Clearview TelePlace L.L.C. is leading a $100 million investment in TelePlace, an Internet startup in Delray Beach, Fla. Through its Web site, www.teleplace.com, TelePlace plans to serve companies in the...

HouseHold Direct.com.
May 5, 2000... New York-based HouseHold Direct.com (OTCBB: BYITE) hired Dallas accounting firm WallaceSanders & Co. to complete a compliance audit with federal regulators. The audit regards HouseHold's recent merger with Cross Check Corp.

Bank One Corp.
May 5, 2000... Bank One Corp. says that sales of investment products jumped 32% during the first quarter among its 196 Texas banking centers. Sales of mutual funds, fixed annuities and variable annuities brought in $171 million in revenue. Texas operations...

PopMail.com Inc.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based PopMail.com Inc. signed a two-year deal to make New York-based Sands Brothers & Co. its investment banker. Sands Brothers will advise the e-mail marketing company on strategies for making acquisitions and for raising capital.

Capstead Mortgage Corp.
May 5, 2000... REIT Capstead Mortgage Corp. (NYSE: CMO) of Dallas enacted a 1 for-2 stock split to shore up its sagging share price. The move cuts the number of outstanding shares to 22.5 million.

JenaNet.Com Inc.
May 5, 2000... Fort Worth-based JenaNet.Com Inc. hired Dallas-based MG Securities Group Inc. to help raise up to $3 million in new capital. The company analyzes the performance of jet engines via the Internet.

Halliburton Co.
May 5, 2000... Oil-services giant Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) of Dallas announced plans to buy back up to 44 million shares of common stock, about 10% of all outstanding shares. Wall Street analysts generally consider Halliburton to be severely undervalued at...

Aspen Group Resources Corp.
May 5, 2000... Allegiance Capital/Northstar International of Dallas signed on as financial consultant to Aspen Group Resources Corp. (OTCBB: ASRG), an oil-and-gas company in Oklahoma City. Allegiance will help Aspen assess potential mergers or acquisitions,...

Crescent Operating Inc.
May 5, 2000... Nasdaq moved the stock for Fort Worth-based Crescent Operating Inc. off its small-cap market and onto its OTC Bulletin Board, where Crescent will trade under the ticker COPI.

Texas Pacific Group.
May 5, 2000... Fort Worth-based private-equity firm Texas Pacific Group led a group of investors who put $60 million into Yazam, a New York-based incubator that provides seed capital to emerging companies in the technology and Internet sectors. Other...

Quantum First Capital.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based commercial mortgage company Quantum First Capital arranged a $3.9 million first mortgage for a 62,329-square-foot Hobby Lobby retail store in North Richland Hills.

Whatever happened to Silicon Display?
May 5, 2000... Readers with long memories of the contents of these pages may have had a question when combing through last week's story on Cyrix founder Jerry Rogers' new venture, ChipData: What about Silicon Display? In late 1998 we ran a story...

SureQuest Systems Inc.
May 5, 2000... SureQuest Systems Inc. (OTC BB: DIET) received a $1 million equity investment. The Dallas company, which supplies software for dietary management to the food-service industry, is using the cash to help build a Web site that will let its...

Micro-ASI.
May 5, 2000... Micro-ASI, a Dallas developer of new technology for packaging computer chips, raised $8 million from a group of institutional investors, including the lead investor, Eaglestone Investment Partners I. Other backers include the John Hancock...

DCM Solutions Inc.
May 5, 2000... DCM Solutions Inc. of Irving got $9.2 million from its corporate parent, NEC Corp. (Nasdaq: NIPNY). DCM makes software and systems for retailers, trade exchanges and other industries.

vLicense.com.
May 5, 2000... Members of the Dallas Angels have invested $275,000 in vLicense.com, which is developing technology that it says will allow any software program to be leased over the Internet, without changes to its source code or a continuous link to the Net....

FreshLoc Technologies.
May 5, 2000... FreshLoc Technologies raised $1.5 million from Dallas-based Mercury Ventures and individuals. FreshLoc, which makes an Internet-based monitoring system for keeping track of temperatures in the food and grocery industries, is working on another...

Televant Inc.
May 5, 2000... A Dallas Internet startup called Televant Inc. is raising $4.28 million via a sale of preferred and common stock, according to the newsletter Private Equity Week. The company plans to use the money for salary and fee payments, among other...

Square One Advertising tops Adweek list.
May 5, 2000... Local agency Square One Advertising has come out of nowhere to land the top grade for all advertising agencies in the Southwest. The annual rankings cover a hefty 44-page spread in the April 24 issue of Adweek magazine. Square One, based...

Leading Spirit.
May 5, 2000... Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine has a new pilot. Don Nichols was recently named executive editor of the publication, charged with overseeing a redesign of the magazine scheduled to occur in the next year. That will include beefed-up...

Future marketers.
May 5, 2000... The DFW Chapter of the American Marketing Association wrapped up its fourth annual education campaign, called. "What's Your Favorite Ad and Why?" The campaign asks that question of all fifth graders in the Dallas Public Schools system,...

Harvey Communications.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based marketing and communications company Harvey Communications has launched a Web site covering Metroplex nightlife. DallasBest Night.com is designed to help consumers discover specific local entertainment establishments. Categories...

Rainmaker Advertising.
May 5, 2000... Design firm Rainmaker Advertising has designed a new logo and corporate identity package for the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation. Although nonprofit organizations often approach agencies seeking reduced-fee services, Rainmaker Advertising...

Balance of trade.
May 5, 2000... The nation's international deficit in goods and services increased to $29.2 billion in February, from $27.4. billion (revised) in January, as exports decreased and imports increased. Goods and services * Exports decreased to $84.2...

Stop thief!
May 5, 2000... Tech manufacturers, retailers out to stem cargo theft NORTH DALLAS -- Confronted with increasing losses in the distribution pipeline, the Technology Asset Protection Association is devising a certification program for cargo carriers a sort...

Trucking industry struggles with fuel costs.
May 5, 2000... `Achilles heel' of industry try can topple truckers GREATER DALLAS -- For the last couple of months, unruly gas prices have demolished any remaining doubt about the importance of U.S. energy policy. It has become obvious, once again, that...

Web site aids in trading with U.K. concerns.
May 5, 2000... The British Department of Trade and Industry's Web site, TradeUK at tradeuk.com, is connecting businesses with United Kingdom exporters. To date, more than 60,000 U.K. exporters from England, Wales, Scotland arid Northern Ireland are...

LARGEST INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FREIGHT FORWARDERS.
May 5, 2000... LARGEST INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FREIGHT FORWARDERS RANKED BY LOCAL EMPLOYEES Rank/ Local 1999/ last ...

People on the move.
May 5, 2000... ADVERTISING Stuart Bacon named Julie Everitt account executive. Megan Blaser was hired as media buyer for Ward Communications Inc. ARCHITECTURE Gresham, Smith and Partners named James Bruce Jr. partner and promoted Rob Herring...

Don Horton.
May 5, 2000... Horton, 50, is chairman of D.R. Horton Inc., and Arlington-based homebuilder with a presence in 40 markets in 23 states. * Family: My wife of 29 years and I have two sons: Ryan, 27, and Reagan, 25. * Education: I attended the...

FreshLoc system ready.
May 5, 2000... Plano-based FreshLoc Technologies Inc. has launched its FreshLoc food safety system. The patented, wireless, Internet-based data collection system automatically monitors the temperature and humidity along the fresh-food chain. The...

Penney eyes divestiture.
May 5, 2000... Plano-based J. C. Penney Co. Inc. is considering the sale or joint venture of its Direct Marketing Services subsidiary. DMS markets insurance products including life, health, accident, supplemental hospital and credit-card insurance. Penney's...

GroceryWorks partner.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based online grocery delivery company GroceryWorks.com has formed a strategic partnership with Lincoln Property Co. Commercial Inc. GroceryWorks.com plans to expand nationally, and has partnered with Lincoln to locate and negotiate...

MigraTEC gets funding.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based MigraTEC Inc., developer of platform migration technology software, has completed the final round of private financing from Mercury Ventures Ltd. and Cardinal Investment Co. Inc. The $1.25 million funding is the third stage of a...

Tobacco funds distributed.
May 5, 2000... Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander is sending $100 million, this week from the Texas tobacco settlement to 288 Texas cities, counties and hospital districts to help offset costs of providing indigent health care. The funds are from the...

Exec joins agency.
May 5, 2000... Brierley & Partners, a direct and interactive marketing agency with offices in Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong, has hired Billy J. Payton as a senior vice president of Brierley & Partners and president of the...

Novation signs deals.
May 5, 2000... Irving-based Novation, the supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium, has signed new distribution agreements for pharmaceutical products, lowering distribution costs for VHA and UHC members. The new agreements,...

Portable information.
May 5, 2000... Irving-based Healthvision, a health care Internet company, has signed an agreement with Presideo Inc. (formerly Integrated Visions Inc.), an Internet infrastructure services company specializing in end-to-end digital identity management....

Piranha expands board.
May 5, 2000... Piranha Inc. plans to expand its board of directors to six members with the addition of Arthur Tauder. Tauder is the former vice chairman of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup.

Real estate firms unite.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based Trammell Crow has formed an alliance with CB Richard Ellis and Jones Lang LaSalle to pursue e-commerce initiatives. The commercial real estate companies, which last year had more than $31.4 billion in sales, will have equal...

RealEstate4Sale names CEO.
May 5, 2000... Officials for Dallas-based RealEstate 4Sale.com, an e-business commercial real estate company, has named George Thomas Bailey as CEO, president and director. Bailey will be responsible for the company's strategic direction, financial management...

ACS announces alliance.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based ACS, provider of commercial and government IT solutions, has signed a comprehensive and exclusive billing and customer-services alliance with Innofone Canada Inc. to support the Innofone value-added bundled telecommunications and...

Changes at Precision.
May 5, 2000... Dr. James Ashton will resign as chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Precision Partners to pursue other interests. Ashton will continue to serve as CEO until his successor is named. Company officials also announced that Ronald Miller and Mel...

Southwest acquires bank.
May 5, 2000... Dallas-based Southwest Securities Group Inc. closed on the acquisition of First Savings Bank of Arlington. Under terms of the agreement SWS will exchange 2.6 million shares of common stock for all the outstanding shares of ASBI Holdings Inc.,...

ChipData raises funds.
May 5, 2000... Richardson-based ChipData.com, a business-to-business design-chain management company for electronic design engineers, raised $10 million during its first round of venture funding. Investors include CenterPoint Ventures, InterWest Partners and...

U.S. Cast names CEO.
May 5, 2000... Fort Worth-based U.S. Cast Products Inc., a manufacturer of marble products for residential, multifamily and hotel construction markets, named Glen Johnson USCP president and CEO. Johnson is former owner of Vadco Marble Cos., sold to USCP in...

Beer now on tap.
May 5, 2000... Fans attending "Motorcycle Mania" at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track this weekend will be able to purchase beer during the event. It will be the first event held on speedway property where beer will be sold in the stands. Kenton Nelson,...

Reata to reopen.
May 5, 2000... Reata, the restaurant on the 35th floor of the Bank One Tower at 500 Throckmorton St. in downtown Fort Worth, will reopen on May 9, 43 days after being severely damaged by the March 28 tornado. Repairs to Reata are estimated at $500,000. The...

New stores at Ridgmar.
May 5, 2000... The Picture People, an entertaining portrait studio featuring a 10-foot talking camera and unusual photo props, is among the seven new stores opening in Ridgmar mall this month. Other, new shops include Ann Taylor, Pretzel Maker, Windsor...