Dallas Business Journal articles from November 2000

Dallas Business Journal archives from November 2000

'Tower' planned in Rockwall.(office building)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Spec office building would be tallest in city experiencing explosive growth ROCKWALL -- A group of investors led by David Hairston is proposing to put up a $21 million, 140,000-square-foot building called Rockwall Tower, the first Class...

Money for nothing.(what services web companies will begin charging for)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... More Web firms are starting to charge for goods and services they once provided free STEMMONS CORRIDOR -- A year ago last August, Service911 joined the land of the free. That's when the Dallas supplier of on-demand computer help...

Developer prepare as Denton considers annexing land.(Denton, Texas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... DENTON -- The city of Denton will consider annexing 2,265 acres of land on Nov. 28, a move that's likely to bring further growth to an already developing area. The city's planning and zoning commission has already recommended the...

Lawsuit rips Triad-Quorum deal as unfair to shareholders.(Triad Hospital)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FAR NORTH DALLAS -- Triad Hospital's planned $2.4 billion purchase of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health Group is so unfair to Quorum shareholders, the Tennessee company should reopen the bidding process, a lawsuit contends. ...

Some wager on Mercado genesis.(using government loans to redevelop San Antonio)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FORT WORTH -- Emma Cordova wishes her father was still alive. If he was, he could see how she took his old barber shop building, invested $200,000 to renovate it and will be the first to lease out space for Mexican import stores at the...

Changing environment.(Ecology and Environment Inc. loses contract)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- The Southwest regional headquarters of Ecology and Environment Inc. lost its five-year contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Roy F. Weston of Pennsylvania. As a result, the Dallas office will have to...

Big bucks for the Bass.(fund raising for new performing arts center)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FORT WORTH -- Performing Arts Fort Worth said its $5.8 million fund-raising campaign to complete the Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass performance Hall's rehearsal facilities came to a stunning conclusion: $7.36. million raised. A $1.5 million...

Investors buy Cowtown companies.(GST Manufacturing Corp. L.L.C. acquires metal fabricators)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FORT WORTH -- Two family owned sheet metal fabrication companies in Fort Worth have been sold to a handful of investors from Northern California for an undisclosed amount. GST Manufacturing Corp. L.L.C. has purchased the assets, but not...

7-Eleven buys Mobil stations.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... EAST DALLAS -- Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. has purchased nine area gasoline and convenience stores currently operating under the Mobil brand. The convenience store giant plans to add staff and lengthen operating hours as it converts the...

A new floor with a view.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... UPTOWN -- Dallas-based law firm Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr has signed on for an additional 15,254 square feet on the 47th floor of Fountain Place at 1445 Ross Ave. in Dallas. The firm said it needed extra space to accommodate the 28 lateral...

Rainbow taps Metroplex.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- Rainbow Apparel Cos. is boosting its Metroplex presence, planning a half-dozen new stores. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based retailer operates more than 650 stores featuring moderately priced women's and children's apparel....

Corrections.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... A Nov. 17-23 story about Pier 1's consideration of proposals for a 200,000-square-foot corporate campus ("Pier 1 leaving City Center?"), incorrectly stated, that Trammell Crow broker Frank Bullock showed Beech-wood Co. land to Pier 1. Bullock...

Lone Star matures with expansion.(Lone Star Circuits plans new facility)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Year's growth came in threes for Rockwall circuit-board maker WYLIE -- A Rockwall maker of printed-circuit boards has broken ground on its third expansion this year, a planned 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Wylie. Lone...

Building boom, labor shortage will continue.(construction industry)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- Area construction companies expect the current building boom to continue for at least two more years, but they're concerned about finding enough skilled labor to help them meet demand. In the ninth annual survey...

Metroplex rides flex space popularity wave.(Dallas area flex space)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Growth options, cost effective lease rates attract tenants GREATER METROPLEX -- A whopping 16 million square feet of flex office/warehouse space is under construction in the: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton county region, and another...

Pest rivals tangle over company secrets.(Dallas Pest and Termite Service, Enhanced Safety Systems)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Dallas Pest alleges competitor gained insider information with top hire DALLAS -- Two companies will soon be spraying each other with accusations in federal court. Dallas Pest and Termite Service Co., a subsidiary of TruGreen...

Art evokes sense of place for office parks.(Hall Financial Group adds art to office park)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... From Frisco to Austin, sculptures of glass, steel and bronze are changing the work place FRISCO -- When all is said and done, Craig Hall figures he will spend about $10 million on the corporate art collection in Hall Office Park, his...

Race and gender: still ground to gain in Dallas.(women and minority attorneys)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... DALLAS -- Women and minorities have come a long way... but many say not far enough. According to a recent study, minorities account for 2.91% of the partners in Dallas' 34 largest law firms, and women account for 16.39%. The...

D/FW to add parking for American Airlines.(Dallas-Fort Worth Airport)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Off-airport lots report plenty of room to park to the southern end D/FW INTERNATIONAL -- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in January will convert an existing parking lot open to all passengers to one that caters specifically to...

Frisco is ripe for new restaurant flavors.(Brinker International Inc. to open new restaurants)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FRISCO -- Brinker International Inc. is bullish on the Frisco market and is planing to cluster a handful of its restaurant concepts near the bustling Preston Road/State Highway 121 intersection. Already the company operates an On the...

Tech consulting firm cuts staff.(marchFIRST Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- MarchFirst, a Chicago technology-consulting concern, is trimming staff at four of its Texas offices as part of a larger staff reduction. MarchFirst plans to cut 46 workers in Texas, including 12 at two Dallas offices,...

Lewisville moves to bolster Old Town.(Lewisville, Texas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Other incentives aimed at attracting high-end residential projects LEWISVILLE -- The Lewisville City Council voted unanimously Nov. 20 to revise its incentive policy, adding special incentives for the development of the city's Old Town...

Layoffs planned.(Danka Office Imaging Co.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... IRVING -- Danka Office Imaging Co., a distributor of photocopiers, and related equipment and supplies, is consolidating an Irving call center into other operations and laying off 160 people. In a letter to state regulators, Randy Bailey,...

Marty Rose.(partner of Rose Walker L.L.P.)(Brief Article)(Interview)
November 24, 2000... Rose, 51, is managing partner of Rose Walker, a Dallas-based law firm specializing in transportation disaster, commercial litigation and high-technology cases. * Family: I'm engaged to Joan Hann and have four adult children and three...

D-FW ready-mix company sold to Hanson.(Tufco Ready Mix Inc. and Hanson Building Materials America)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Purchase expands company's presence in its largest market WAXAHACHIE -- With Texas receiving a record amount of federal highway funding over the next few years, New Jersey-based Hanson Building Materials America is beefing up its presence...

Three named winners in FW.(Milan Gallery, Richard D. Minker Co., and Woodrose Co. of Fort Worth, Texas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... FORTWORTH -- Three Fort Worth companies were among 200 small businesses nationwide to receive the Blue Chip Enterprise Award for excellence and achievement. Milan Gallery, which sells fine art and sculpture; Richard D. Minker Co., a...

Fast 'free space optics' said to take off by 2005.(Strategis Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Here's another buzzword for your vocabulary: "free space optics." As the name indicates, free space optics -- or FSO for short -- is used to transmit high-speed voice and data communications sans wires. Unlike similar technologies, such...

Optioning out.(employee poll shows stock options drop in populartiy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 24, 2000... Here's a switch: Stock options apparently are no longer the No. 1 thing on job candidates' minds. In a nationwide survey of 1,400 chief information officers by RHI Consulting, a Menlo Park, Calif. Technical-staffing outfit, 39% of...

Looking forward.
November 24, 2000... The North Dallas Chamber of Commerce is hosting a December conference that will examine a number of issues facing the telecom industry. On the agenda are panel discussions about new technologies, employment matters and investing in...

Yipes Communications.(new service in Dallas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Yipes Communications of San Francisco says it has expanded its national high-speed telecom network into Dallas, its 18th market. The company will sell its "bandwidth on demand" to corporate customers. Yipes says the local network will extend...

ReView Video Services.(Dallas office)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... ReView Video Services has opened a Dallas office. Based in Chicago, the company resells equipment for videoconferencing and audioconferencing.

VertaPort Inc.(financing)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... VertaPort Inc., a Dallas developer of software for building community and commerce Web sites, recently raised $5.68 million from 33 investors for working capital.

Codestream Holdings Inc.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Codestream Holdings Inc. (OTC BB: COHO.OB) netted $1 million from 18 investors. Dallas-based Codestream is developing an improved system for using light to move data in fiber networks in large metropolitan areas.

NexTrend Inc.(raising $10 million)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... NexTrend Inc. is raising $10 million, of which it had collared $2.2 million at the time it filed federal documents describing the transaction. NexTrend, based in Richardson, makes online-trading software.

Infinite Technology Corp.(raising funds)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Also in Richardson, Infinite Technology Corp. is raising $2.5 million. The company's technology is geared toward chips called digital signal processors.

Aurion Technologies.(raises funds)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Aurion Technologies has raised a total of $2.6 million in the last few months. About $1.5 million of that came from Ironman Energy Capital, a Houston investment concern. Dallas-based Aurion's monitoring technology helps independent oil and...

GoFreight.com is snapping up LoadsOnline.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The Internet's growing importance within the transportation industry was obvious this past week, when much of the news was connected in some way to cyberspace. For example: Transportation industry real-time software provider...

CN joins FreightWise.(Canadian National Railway Co.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Canadian National Railway Co. (NYSE: CNI) has signed on as a strategic investor in the Internet transportation marketplace FreightWise Inc., is based in Fort Worth. CN marks the third investor in the Web service, which was developed by...

Cone Mills Corp.(ecommerce services from i2 Technologies Inc)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Cone Mills Corp. (NYSE: COE) of Greensboro, N.C., has chosen business-to-business supply-chain software created by Dallas-based i2 Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: ITWO) to power its private e-marketplace for suppliers and customers. Cone Mills is...

American Lighting Association.(partnership with JobOptions.com)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Dallas-based American Lighting Association -- a trade association for lighting manufacturers, sales representatives and retail lighting showrooms -- has announced a network partnership with Cleveland-based JobOptions.com. JobOptions is a...

The Federal Aviation Administration.(introduces safety information on Website)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The Federal Aviation Administration is expanding its Web site to include aviation safety information about all airlines -- domestic and foreign. The agency said in a news release that the new service is part of the agency's effort to better...

Holt's new division follows founder's ideas.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The Holt Cos. has lured Reid Caldwell away from Insignia/ESG Inc. to help launch the company's new office division. Most of the 20 million square feet of space Halt has under development or management is comprised of industrial or...

Dispersed city.(report on office space)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... A new report put out by The Brookings Institution, based in Washington, D.C., compares the amount of office space in a metropolitan area's primary downtown with the amount found in "edgeless cities," defined as a highly dispersed, office...

Jocks wanted.
November 24, 2000... Susan Arledge, principal of Arledge/Power Real Estate Group, is looking for a few good sports. Arledge is chairman of the 2001 Battle of the Real Estate Superstars, which will be held April 28 at the Cooper Aerobic Center. The event,...

Up the ladder.(Vice president promoted to CEO at Amresco)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 24, 2000... Stephen Smith has been promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer of Amresco Inc., a Dallas-based lending company. Smith previously was treasurer of the company. He replaces Jon Pettee, who resigned to pursue other...

Done deals.(Davidson Conine Realty will sell Parkside Corporate Center)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... * Davidson Conine Realty Advisors Inc. has been tapped to sell Parkside Corporate Center, a 97,200-squarefoot building at 16301 Quorum Drive in Addison. The building's owner is Quorum Office Investors L.P. II.

'Thrill of the hunt' lures outlet shoppers.(new Allen Premium Outlet in Collin County, Texas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Collin County residents are checking out the new Allen Premium Outlet. But travelers to the Metroplex are also expected to drop a chunk of change at the property. That's because, increasingly, people are building shopping destinations...

Stepping up.(Accor to combine several of its North American division)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Accor S.A., the third-largest hotel company in the world, has combined several of its divisions, and Georges Le Mener has new responsibilities as a result. Accor Economy Lodging, which operates the Motel 6, Studio 6 and Red Roof Inn...

West End welcome.(new dance club called BAR in Dallas)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... That noise you hear at 2020 N. Lamar St. is a new dance club called BAR. Operators, who describe the club as a "non-stop party," say it has "No theme. No attitude. Just BAR." The joint, next to the Have A Nice Day Cafe, joins other...

National Speakers Association of North Texas.(gives awards to Betty Garett)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The National Speakers Association of North Texas gave its meeting partner of the year award for 2000-2001 to Betty Garrett, owner of Garrett Speakers International Inc. of Irving. Garrett is president-elect of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of...

Pier 1 Imports.(redesigns Web site)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports has unveiled a redesigned Web site in time for holiday shopping. The navigation feature has been improved on the site, www.pier1.com.

GameCom Inc.(interactive online computer games to be placed in Cinemark theaters)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Arlington-based GameCom Inc. will place its interactive online computer game systems in theaters operated by Cinemark USA Inc.

Rockfish Seafood Grill.(opens new restaurants)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Rockfish Seafood Grill has opened its sixth Metroplex location, this one in North Richland Hills. The Dallas-based company has hired Debbie Norman Beard as director of new-store development. It will open two more restaurants in months to come...

The Kent Shop.(invites Brandon Slay to speak)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Menswear store The Kent Shop has invited customer Brandon Slay to speak on his experience at the Sydney Olympics. Slay, who won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling, will appear from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the store at 5342 Belt...

Half Price Books.(opens new store in Frisco, TX)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Half Price Books has opened a new store in Frisco. Brecah Walsh is store manager. The Dallas-based company was founded 28 years ago and now operates 64 stores.

Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange Inc.(to open two new stores in South Carolina)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange Inc. has opened new stores in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and Charleston, S.C. Both stores will buy and sell diamonds, watches and jewelry. The larger Mt. Pleasant store is modeled after the company's Dallas superstore,...

Parkland adds 900 s.f. for neonatal beds.(Parkland Health & Hospital System expansion)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... After weathering financial woes that had threatened to halt all or some of its construction projects, Parkland Health & Hospital System has expanded its neonatal intensive care unit to include a new six-bed area for low-birth-weight babies...

New president.(Donald R. Smithburg to lead Zale Lipshy University Hospital and University Medical Center Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Donald R. Smithburg is the new president of Zale Lipshy University Hospital and president and CEO of University Medical Center Inc., Zale Lipshy's holding company. Zale Lipshy is the private, adult referral hospital for The University of...

New owner.(Triad Hospitals Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Dallas-based Triad Hospitals Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIH) has acquired Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Lewisburg, W.Va. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But in a quarterly report released last month prior to the sale's close, Triad stated it...

Uncommon Care.(opens Alzheimer's facility)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Fort Worth will get another site for Alzheimer's patients when Austin-based Uncommon Care opens a 20-bed Barton House on Nov. 29 at 6931 River Park Circle. An open house will be held that day from 3 to 7 p.m. The city's first Barton...

MedicalControl Inc.(subsidiary gets case-management contract from The Initial Group)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... MedicalControl Inc.'s subsidiary ValueCheck has signed an agreement to provide case-management services to The Initial Group, a Tennessee PPO.

Expert still banking on market's climb.(Kevin Hassett believes the stock market will continue climbing in the long run)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Kevin Hassett, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, spoke at a Bank of America investment client dinner last week. Hassett co-authored "Dow 36,000" last year, a book predicting a...

Don W. Hodges.(First Dallas Securities Inc. chairman says tulmultuous stock market makes it hard for stockbrokers)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... However, Don W. Hodges, founder and chairman of First Dallas Securities Inc., said his business has not been unaffected by the market tumult in recent weeks. "It's about as difficult a market as I've ever been through in 40 years in the...

Maynard Oil Co.(sales reporting information)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Maynard Oil Co. of Dallas reported third-quarter earnings of $4.6 million, or 95 cents per share, on revenue of $15 million. This compares to a net income of $1.4 million, or 29 dents per share, on revenue of $6.6 million in the same period...

Panda Energy International Inc.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Dallas-based Panda Energy International Inc. said it has formed a 50-50 joint venture with TECO Power Services of Tampa, Fla., to build, own and operate two merchant power plants at a capital cost of $2.3 billion. The plants, with a combined...

Red Capital Group.(financial information)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Columbus-based Red Capital Group said that it provided financing as the Fannie Mae lender and the tax credit equity syndicator for a 208-unit affordable housing complex in Mesquite. The complex will be comprised of 156 low-income-housing tax...

Staking claim.(Frisco Economic Development Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Banks line up to grab early share of Frisco business FRISCO - It stands to reason that banks go where the money is, and the money, these days at least, is in Frisco. "I think banks recognize tremendous growth in Frisco and it's...

New rule has impact on information transfer.(Securities and Exchange Commission's new law)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... SEC bid to halt 'unfair advantage' A new Securities and Exchange Commission regulation requires significant changes in the way companies communicate with securities analysts. SEC Regulation FD, which became effective October 23,...

Plastic pay-off is in the cards for everyone.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Electronic banking brings major savings GREATER METROPLEX -- Convenience has assured the popularity of plastic among shoppers, so it is no great surprise to learn that debit cards have overtaken checks as a means of payment. And for...

Urgent attention call on privacy provisions.(financial services regulation)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The federal financial modernization legislation enacted in November 1999, known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, made sweeping changes in the structure and activities of banking institutions. Title V of the Act, however, departed from this...

New push to solve debt-collection problems.(by Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... RICHARDSON -- A healthy cash flow is a major concern in maintaining a healthy business. For all companies, especially small businesses and recent startups, it is crucial to have a reliable revenue stream -- which makes collecting unpaid debt...

Under lock and key -- the options dilemma.(securities industry)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 24, 2000... "Don't count your chickens until they are hatched" is an Old Economy expression, but many are reflecting on it as lock-up periods on their options expire and they go to the market seeking liquidity. The lock-up agreement is a contract...

Take a holistic view of exercising options.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... "To Exercise or Not Exercise." That is the question. Is it wiser to exercise on he first day after the lock-up period expires or put it off until some later date. There is a complex mix of issues to consider in answering this question,...

Stradivarius strategies.(John and Arthur Beare Ltd.'s Dallas location)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... John and Arthur Beare Ltd. markets its elf by supporting the local arts scene TURTLE CREEK -- In music circles around the world, the name John & Arthur Beare Ltd. is widely known and held in the highest esteem. But some still don't...

My WORST business decision....(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... "It is easy to reflect on the past and think about some of the human capital decisions made, some of the great hires and some of the not-so-great hires. "We have all made accurate operating and procedural decisions, which have proved...

Flowers & Fedele hold the course.(advertising agency)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... KNOX-HENDERSON -- Advertising agency Flowers & Fedele Inc has always targeted clients whose vision and goals are bigger than their pocketbooks. When the company was pro filed in a Growth Strategies story in August 1998, partners Paul...

YOU SHOULD KNOW.(businesswomen, small business statistics)(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... * ABOUT 4.7 MILLION WOMEN will be self employed by 2005, up 77% from 1983, compared with a 6% increase in self-employed men. More than 60% of women-owned businesses were first operated in the home. Source: Small Business Administration...

ARTICLES.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... 'Swimming with Sharks' John Gorham "Tim Wallace wants to re-position Trinity Industries as a New Economy standard bearer. But Carl Icahn has other plans. The stock of Dallas-based Trinity Industries is at half its high of $56 two...

WEB SITES.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Let's Talk Business Network An excellent resource for entrepreneurs, including not only articles, but audio excerpts of interviews with small-business experts. The audio library is the outgrowth of the organization's weekly radio program...

BOOKS.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... 'Impact Hiring' Frederich W. Ball Barbara B. Ball Prentice Hall Press, $26 The authors have developed an interviewing and hiring model designed to guide you to hire the best candidates time and again. 'Attention' ...

Frisco Fire Department makes the grade.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... The city of Frisco has received a Public Protection Classification rating of 1 for its fire-protection services. PPC ratings are handed down from ISO, a New York-based advisory organization that serves the property and casualty insurance...

AutoCorp Equities finishes recapitalization.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... AutoCorp Equities Inc. has completed its recapitalization with AutoPrime Inc., its principal lender, and Pacific Financial Group. Under terms of the agreement, AutoPrime and Pacific Financial Group exchanged $23 million of debt and...

MindFlow Technologies earns honor.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Plano-based MindFlow Technologies, a provider of e-business applications for Strategic Sourcing Management, has been named one of the "Top 100 Emerging Companies to Watch in 2001" by Computerworld magazine. To qualify, companies had to be...

Baylor helps quench heart burn.(Brief Article)
November 24, 2000... Baylor University Medical Center is providing long-term relief for patients with chronic heartburn by using a new procedure, endo luminal gastroplication. Baylor physicians insert the tube-like device down patients' throats to prevent the...