Dallas Business Journal articles from November 1999

Dallas Business Journal archives from November 1999

A Letter from Mel...
November 5, 1999... Of all the products that can be purchased, there are only two that offer total security for the family or for the business, and that is life insurance and disability insurance. Families and businesses have been devastated due to the untimely...

Albertson's in drugstore push.(Twenty Sav-On Drugs to open in Dallas area.)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Retail war to intensify next year with 20 new Sav-On Drugs in Dallas area GREATER METROPLEX -- The already-hot competition among drugstores in the Dallas-Fort Worth market is about to get even hotter. As part of an aggressive national...

Banks, study spur revitalization.(Six Dallas banks are form coalition to support entrepreneurs.)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Banks to provide `microloans' to entrepreneurs in South Dallas DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Six independent Dallas banks are forming a coalition to lend working capital primarily to low- and moderate-income residents of South Dallas who want to...

Banks, study spur revitalization.(Land use plan for Mitchell Boulevard neighborhood.)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Plan aims to jump-start neighborhood in Fort Worth FORT WORTH -- Southeast Fort Worth is getting a new tool to help revitalize its Mitchell Boulevard neighborhood. A professor and a graduate student from The University of Texas at...

FDA move could mean millions for Cytoclonal.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... MEDICAL CENTER -- An Oct. 27 decision by the Food and Drug Administration to approve Taxol for the treatment of some types of early-stage breast cancer could mean millions of dollars a year in additional revenue for the drug's developer,...

More ice cream, please.
November 5, 1999... FORT WORTH -- Jerry Van Dyke's Soda Shoppe has exchanged its old digs for some older-looking digs. In early October, the old-fashioned style soda shop and guest house closed at 1000 W. Magnolia in historic South Fort Worth. A couple of...

Wild, wild Walgreens.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... FORT WORTH -- Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) plans to open a new drugstore in the Fort Worth Stockyards, but won't be cowed into the standard store design. Instead, the new Walgreens will be designed to fit the look and feel of the Stockyards, a...

Movin' on up.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... IRVING -- Ken Luce has taken on some new chores at BSMG Worldwide/Southwest Luce, who was named general manager of the Southwest office in Dallas bout a year ago, is now chief operating officer. He's also a new partner in BSMG Worldwide....

From El Paso to Dallas.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... NORTH DALLAS -- Medical City Dallas Hospital has hired Tony Villareal as chief operating officer, the hospital announced this week. Villareal, COO of Columbia Medical Center-East in El Paso, will begin work Dec. 6. He replaces Rick...

Prime hotels.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... PLANO - Three area HomeGate Studios & Suites are sporting new names following a merger of the chain with Wellesley Inns. Hotels in Irving, the Park Central area of Dallas and West Plano will be reintroduced to the public as a result. The...

Zale Lipshy multiinillion-dollar expansion put on hold.
November 5, 1999... Officials fear the impact of federal legislation will make building too costly MEDICAL CENTER -- Zale Lipshy University Hospital officials have confirmed that plans for a $15 million to $20 million expansion of its operating rooms and...

Orthofix scouts surrounding cities for a new local headquarters site.
November 5, 1999... RICHARDSON -- Orthofix Inc., a manufacturer of orthopedic devices, is looking for, sites for 70,000 square-foot build to suit for the company's local headquarters, according to several developers and teasing agents familiar with the deal. ...

Decker Food closing plant, laying off 250 employees.
November 5, 1999... Processed meat maker to maximize resources at its other U.S. facilities GARLAND -- Foodmaker Decker Food Co. is closing its sole U.S. production plant here and moving those functions elsewhere, laying off 250 employees and relocating its...

City to reap retail from rezoning.
November 5, 1999... RICHARDSON -- A new development aims to add retail to the "panhandle" area in northeast Richardson. Developers are working to rezone some land within the Moroney Farm property to allow for small neighborhood shopping centers. The strip...

FBI to leave the West End for a new Dallas location.
November 5, 1999... Officials: stricter security needs make the move necessary WEST END -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation plans to vacate its West End offices in favor of a 175,000- to 190,000-square-foot build-to-suit facility in order to meet new...

HUD offices vacate T&P building.
November 5, 1999... FORT WORTH -- All of he Texas divisions of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are in the process of moving from the T&P building in Fort Worth to several locations around the Metroplex. Owners of the building plan to...

Micrografx founder launches second venture.
November 5, 1999... Alibre Inc. to sell its 3-D software on the Net RICHARDSON -- An early investor in Microsoft Corp. and the chairman of Compaq Computer are among backers of a Richardson startup that aims to change the way companies buy mechanical-design...

Ball Corp. to build new Fort Worth warehouse.
November 5, 1999... Aluminum cans maker will use the site for storage SOUTH FORT WORTH -- Ball Corp., the nation's. largest manufacturer of aluminum beverage cans, plans to build a 164,000-square-foot warehouse at its Fort Worth plant, company officials said....

Deteriorating road to be upgraded.
November 5, 1999... SOUTH FORT WORTH -- Each day, Glenn Jost, plant manager at Ball Corp., dodges potholes on Will Rogers Boulevard in the Carter Industrial Park. "It is like a minefield," he said. "They have done some patching here and there." Hundreds...

Averitt to expand trucking operations, hire more staff.
November 5, 1999... GRAND PRAIRIE - Tennessee-based trucking company Averitt Express plans to more than double its dock doors in the Metroplex and is launching an aggressive expansion throughout Texas, then westward into Southern California. The privately...

Pace to create manufactured housing communities.
November 5, 1999... First project is a 300-acre, gated community near Lake Granbury FAR NORTH DALLAS -- Dallas-based developer Jackson-Shaw Co., known for its industrial, commercial and hotel construction, is branching out into residential real estate. ...

FTC steps up attack on Net `cramming'.
November 5, 1999... The Federal Trade Commission used a Senate hearing on "cramming" -- the placement of unauthorized charges on a customer's telephone bill -- to announce its largest enforcement action yet against an alleged crammer of Internet services. To...

Campbell Health responds to Parker County growth.
November 5, 1999... Health system plans several additions to meet population surge WEATHERFORD -- Campbell Health System has broken ground on its new surgical wing addition this week at Campbell Hospital in Weatherford, and is already looking ahead to other...

Qualities that determine success.
November 5, 1999... FORT WORTH -- The nation's business incubator managers have identified eight characteristics that are essential for entrepreneurial success. Warren Webb, president of the Fort Worth MedTech Center says the results of the National Business...

Wilson Integrated opts for larger warehouse.
November 5, 1999... Logistics company will more than triple its space at new location COPPELL -- After landing a $2 million to $3 million account with a national printer, local start-up Wilson Integrated Logistics Inc. will more than triple its warehouse space...

IWantToPlay.com seeks share of toy market.
November 5, 1999... Family duo working to make site appealing to mothers, children alike NORTH DALLAS -- A father and son are launching a Dallas company that sells toys over the Internet. IWantToPlay.com says it has 1,000 items in stock, including brands...

Stag-Parkway to move RV operations to bigger space.
November 5, 1999... ARLINGTON -- Stag-Parkway Inc., an Atlanta-based wholesale distributor of recreational vehicle parts and accessories, will expand its presence in the Metroplex, a company official says. Stag-Parkway, located in the Great Southwest...

Christus spares some change in goodwill gesture.
November 5, 1999... Irving-based company antes up $2 million to buy medical facility LAS COLINAS -- Christus Health Inc. is loaning an Arkansas hospital foundation more than $2 million to purchase a 122-bed medical facility there from Dallas-based Triad...

KPMG looks room to expand in the Metroplex.
November 5, 1999... GREATER METROPLEX -- Accounting giant KPMG Peat Marwick L.L.P. is in the market for about 125,000 square feet of expansion space. "We are re-evaluating where we on office space," said managing partner Jack Taylor. "We are looking for space...

Tower Group plans McKinney subdivision.
November 5, 1999... MCKINNEY -- Dallas-based developer Tower Group Inc. will unveil plans for a 229-acre residential. subdivision valued at $11.5 million on Nov. 10. Winding Creek will contain six to seven different villages in McKinney, with home prices...

City Council member's husband blasts RDC.
November 5, 1999... REDBIRD AIRPORT -- Dwaine Caraway, husband of a Dallas city councilwoman and vice president of the city's Park and Recreation Board, says he played no role in having Redbird Development Corp. ousted as master leaseholder at city-owned Redbird...

First outpatient cancer center planned for Denton.
November 5, 1999... DENTON -- Plans are under way for the first outpatient cancer treatment center in Denton. The proposed center, to be owned and operated by US Oncology, is expected to be built at the corner of Interstate 35E and State School Road. The...

Law firms seal merger deal.
November 5, 1999... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- Chicago-based Rudnick & Wolfe has finalized its merger with Baltimore-based Piper & Marbury L.L.P in what is being touted as one of the largest law firm mergers ever. Effective immediately, the two firms will be known as...

Merrill Lynch to relocate its district headquarters.
November 5, 1999... New Hulen Street office aimed at keeping pace with growth in the area FORT WORTH -- Merrill Lynch Co. Inc. plans to relocate its North Texas district headquarters to a new office in an upscale section of southwest Fort Worth. Ground...

Campbell Critical Care bought by Missouri-based medical firm.
November 5, 1999... NORTH DALLAS -- Campbell Critical Care Inc., already embroiled in a lawsuit with a former employee and a competitor, has been purchased by Midwest Medical Supply. The purchase price for the Dallas based distributor of specialty medical...

Planned Offices @ Grapevine signs up tenant.
November 5, 1999... Risk Management to merge offices there, employ 250 people GRAPEVINE -- Fort Worth-based Poynter Scifres will develop a two-phased office complex in Grapevine where its first tenant, Risk Management Alternatives Inc., plans to employ 250...

Boyd Gallery owners forge a unique niche.
November 5, 1999... Works of commercial artists, photographers make the fine-art scene DEEP ELLUM -- Legendary blues guitarist Blind Lemon Jefferson slept here. So did another blues icon, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, as well as public enemies Bonnie Parker...

Wards brings new attitude to store at Northeast Mall.
November 5, 1999... Department store shortens name, adds new updated styles HURST -- Montgomery Wards is pumping up its image and is starting its North Texas campaign at Northeast Mall in Hurst. Chicago-based Montgomery Wards Holding Co. has undergone some...

Food, ag technology focus of VC conference.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... At first blush, agriculture and technology might not seem to go together. But they will at a venture-capital conference in Fort Worth next week. Some 21 firms that supply various types of technology to farmers and food makers will be...

Securefresh.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... * Securefresh makes equipment and supplies technology that it says extends the shelf life of packaged meat. Using a vacuum system, the Dallas company's gear lets retailers tightly control how much oxygen is in the package, and thus the timing...

Freshloc Sensor Systems Inc.
November 5, 1999... * Freshloc Sensor Systems Inc. sells sensors and related systems used primarily in monitoring and controlling temperatures in areas where food is stored. The devices, about the size of a quarter, provide a wireless, Internet-based way of...

Wireless opps.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... The technology incubator Startech has launched an initiative to tell entrepreneurs about opportunities in wireless voice and data. The for-profit, Richardson-based organization will ask 11 of its technology stakeholder companies what...

MyHomeSource.com.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... * MyHomeSource.com has launched a self-titled Web site that gives homeowners information about maintaining, fixing and sprucing up their pads. The 8-month-old Grapevine concern offers chats with experts, along with electronic commerce, sales...

GolfEssentials.com.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... * If that's not enough new e-commerce initiatives for you, then check out Dallas-based GolfEssentials.com's site, which sells golf clubs and accessories. The company will launch a similar site aimed at children, Kidsgolf.com, in the next few...

R. Jean Johnson.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... * The father-and-son team of R. Jean Johnson and Kris Johnson have launched an Internet-service provider called World Logon (www.worldlogon.com). The month-old outfit kicked off its $7.95-pe-rmonth service in Dallas, and has expanded dial-up...

PR survey: Latin American media is worth targeting.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... U.S.-style public-relations efforts can pay off in Latin American countries, according to a recent survey of newspaper editors there. The survey was sponsored by The Worldcom Public Relations Group, an international network of more than 100...

Changing editors.(D Magazine's executive editor and managing editor resign.)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... D magazine has taken a one-two hit. First, Managing Editor Warner McGowin resigned to take a new gig at American Way magazine. Then last week, Executive Editor Mary Brown Malouf tendered her resignation, citing personal reasons. She...

Earning top honors.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Two Dallas companies brought home big marketing awards from the International Council of Shopping Centers' Fall Management & Marketing Conference held in Denver. The international marketing competition recognizes excellence in...

People and places.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... * Lori Fairchild has joined WE-Women's Enterprise as editor. Fairchild has 20 years editing and writing experience and runs her own Allen-based business. Women's Enterprise was launched in 1992 by Dallas-based Diversity Publishing Group. *...

Southwest: No magic or voodoo to city pair choice.(Southwest Airlines)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Ever wonder how Southwest Airlines Co., the king of low airfares, picks its next route? Most observers think the decision is based on a highly complicated, top-secret equation that only a few of the wizards at the Dallas-based airline can...

Insignia/ESG aims to increase tenant-rep work.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Insignia/ESG, a subsidiary of New York-based Insignia Financial Group Inc., is looking to buy a local company to help get a greater part of the tenant-representation pie. "A lot of people know we are looking," said Michael J. O'Hanlon, the...

Final round.(LaCerte Software Inc new offices)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Dallas-based LaCerte Software Inc. has narrowed the list further for developers to build the company's new offices. The competition is now between the team of Prentiss Properties Trust and HaldemanPowell+Partners and the team of Koll...

Narrowing the search.(Fannie Mae seeks building site)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE), formerly Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., is trying to choose between four sites for an 80,000-square-foot build-to-suit, local brokers say. The company will choose one of two developers: Lincoln Property Co. or...

Construction start.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Second Century Investments has begun construction on a two-story, 25,000-square-foot office and retail project in Allen. The project, to be called Bethany Crossing, is on the northeast corner of U.s. 75 and Bethany Drive. Tenants who have...

Reconfiguring space.(Citizens Communications)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Citizens Communications is no longer in the market for 100,000 square feet of temporary space along the Dallas North Tollway, said Mert Bernabi, vice president of business support services for Citizens. "We were in the market, but we've...

Apartments for sale.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Weekly newsletter, Hoboken, N.J.-based Real Estate Alert, notes that many local apartment owners are selling their complexes. Among the offerings are JPI properties Jefferson Hill in Irving, Jefferson at Gaston Yards in Dallas and Jefferson...

EDS selects broker.
November 5, 1999... After an extensive evaluation of several brokerage firms, Electronic Data Systems Corp. has selected Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. for its tenant representation, leasing and lease administrative services in the United States and Latin...

Diagnostic Health's chief executive resigns.(Brad Hummel; includes two)(articles)
November 5, 1999... Brad Hummel, president and CEO of financially troubled Diagnostic Health Services Inc., has resigned in a move described as "significantly reducing overhead expenses" and "narrowing the span of control." Christopher L. Turner, 38, has been...

New acquisition.(Horizon Pharmacies acquires Jones Low Priced Drugs)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Horizon Pharmacies Inc. has acquired Jones Low Priced Drugs Inc., an independent chain of two retail pharmacies with home-medical equipment operations in Spokane and Deer Park, Wash. Terms of the deal weren't t disclosed, but Jones recorded...

Dallas Association "Dare to Care" Annual Golf Tournament.
November 5, 1999... The Dallas Association of Life Underwriters (DALU) will stage the millennium edition of "Dare to Care," its charity golf tournament, on Tuesday, June 13th at Woodbridge Golf Club. In just one year, the Lee Singletary design has become the host...

Allocation, Averaging Spell Investment Success.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... with all due apologies to Noah Webster, recent financial market developments have shown that you can't spell investment without "R-I-S-K." But experience suggests that simply by concentrating on two A's--Allocation and...

You Don't Want the Lowest Bid on Your Parachute, Do You?(insurance policy evaluation should consider more than cost)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... In recent years the emphasis in buying insurance has been placed on price. We search for the lowest cost in term life insurance, health insurance, auto and homeowners insurance. Insurance companies and agents are mostly to blame. Our...

The In's and Out's of Split Dollar Planning.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... In recent years, split dollar agreements have become a popular way to purchase life insurance. This planning strategy usually allows individuals to acquire more life insurance protection than they might be able to purchase on their own. Whether...

Long-Term Care Insurance...(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... A Hedqe for Retirees' Financial Stability Many Americans with an eye on retirement are jeopardizing their financial health. While most people realize that long-term health care can be extremely costly if the appropriate planning isn't done,...

Know Your Retirement Income.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... You may not know how to retire, but that's not surprising. You've never done it before. Although many things change in your lifestyle when you retire, one thing remains constant -- you still need income. Where will the money come from? ...

Health Insurance Crisis: Chapter II.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Remember the early 90's, when Health Insurance Crisis: Chapter I was published? It detailed with marvelously dramatic statistics the failures of the private health insurance system to adequately provide health insurance for 39 million...

Variable Universal Life...(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... An Investment for Today's Economy People are more interested than ever in finding a flexible investment vehicle that will help them save on a tax-deferred basis for the important things in their lives--a college education for their...

Family Business Wisdom...(planning family business succession)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... What to Pass Along to the Next Generation There's an old American adage that goes, "Nine tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time." Nowhere is the meaning more serious than in planning Family business succession. The traditional...

Does My Family Need an Estate Plan?(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... "Nothing is certain but death and taxes," Ben Franklin observed two centuries ago. The number of people age 65 or older will double over the next several decades. Not only will this generation will be wealthier than its predecessors, its...

12 Questions to Ask A Financial Advisor.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Are all planners the same? No! Be wary of people who call themselves financial planners with the intent of pushing a particular financial product at the expense of your real needs. True financial planning professionals have an ethical...

Collin County.(EDS to repurchase shares; VideosDotCom Inc. opens new offices)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... EDS news: In September, Plano-based EDS Corp. announced its board of directors had authorized the repurchase of up to 27 million shares of its common stock. In other news, EDS will enter a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corp. to provide...

Dallas County.(business news)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Sold!: Marilyn Monroe memorabilia was snatched up last month at a New York City auction by, among others, Dallas-based Hollywood Casino Corp. Hollywood Casino successfully bid on movie scripts, production material and costumes worn by the...

Denton County.(Lakeview Ranch development groundbreaking)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Big lots: Denton city and county dignitaries officially broke ground last month on Lakeview Ranch, a 700-acre masterplanned community with 1- to 4-acre homesites in Denton, south of U.S. 380 and east of Loop 288. Developers Tommy Bain, Paul...

Tarrant County.(business news)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Moving on: Ralph Shelton, senior vice president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, is resigning to become president of a new venture, DalMac-Shelton Associates, which involves Shelton and DalMac-Centre Investments of Dallas. The new venture...

Family enterprise.
November 5, 1999... The Bolivar family keeps its namesake business on the winning track NORTH DALLAS -- Alfonso Bolivar wants clients to feel comfortable when they have their hair styled or makeup done at Bolivar Salon. For that reason, he strives to keep the...

`Retail Marketing Management'.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... This is a new text providing up-to-date coverage of key marketing applications to retail management. Retail marketing has been an area of a great deal of change and the book aims to reflect this. Full coverage is therefore given to new areas of...

'Selling to the Affluent: I Told You How To Find Them, Now Learn How to Sell Them'.
November 5, 1999... This book reveals the three most important things that can be done to land affluent prospects and encourage wealthy clients to make repeat buys. Stanley shows how to: create lists of affluent prospects, approach prospects at the moment when...

'Competitor Intelligence Strategy, Tools and Techniques for Competitive Advantage'.
November 5, 1999... As markets become more global and competition gets more intense, the need for competitor intelligence has never been greater. Gathering and analyzing information about competitors enables your business to achieve its ultimate objectives of...

'Sales Promotion Essentials'.
November 5, 1999... Don Schultz, William A. Robinson and Lisa A. Petrison This concise, easy-to-use handbook -- now revised for the 1990s -- tells how to profitably employ the 10 key sales promotion techniques: coupons, mail-in premiums, refunds and rebates,...

Weighing the importance of training for employees.
November 5, 1999... Leaders understand the importance of providing employees with opportunities to grow personally and professionally. It is critical that the type of training an employer provides meets the needs of the business and its employees. It is...

Proof that 'less is more'.
November 5, 1999... For most North Texans, city services fall into the "seldom-used". category -- marriage license, voter registration and the like -- or those vital, but decidedly less glamorous tasks like trash pickup or animal control. But the good...

Neel creates excitement.
November 5, 1999... Hang out the "under new management sign" at Tramontana in Preston Center. The place has always shown promise, but until recently delivered very little dining excitement. Chef/owner James Neel -- formerly Al Biernat's -- is now at the helm....

Rib tickler.
November 5, 1999... Be wined and dined, spend some money and have a good laugh at this fund-raiser to benefit Gilda's Club North Texas (named for the late comedienne Gilda Radner, illustrated above), a support organization for cancer patients, their families and...

Shakespeare's Job.
November 5, 1999... "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" is William Shakespeare's story of a spirited, but tormented prince... a man of great faith who loses everything, but to whom everything is restored. Sound familiar? Check out the biblical book of Job for a hint about...