Baltimore Business Journal articles from January 1997

Baltimore Business Journal archives from January 1997

Blues dealing for HMO. (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland Inc.; Total Health Care Inc.)
January 31, 1997... Health Care, hospitals would be part of new group Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland is negotiating to purchase a prominent inner-city HMO, one element in a plan to create a large managed care organization to serve Medicaid recipients....

Telecom tax change aims to shift load.
January 31, 1997... Maryland risks forfeiting thousands of new high-technology jobs to other states if it doesn't change the way it taxes the telecommunications industry. That's the opinion of a growing list of business leaders and legislators, who are...

Brodie does rehab job. (M.J. Brodie of the Baltimore Development Corp.)
January 31, 1997... New chief turns around economic agency If it's true that, like glass and china, a reputation cannot be mended once it has cracked, then M.J. "Jay" Brodie has been Crazy Glue for the Baltimore Development Corp. Just over a year ago, Brodie...

Bill aims to soothe loan fears.
January 31, 1997... Cities, counties reluctant to guarantee loans in case they get stuck Two underused business incentive programs could get a kick-start from state lawmakers who hope to make industrial loans more attractive to Maryland's cities and counties....

HMOs: patients will feel brunt of Taylor tax plant. (Maryland House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr.)
January 31, 1997... Jeff Emerson offers two reactions to the proposal by Maryland House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. to raise $22.5 million from health maintenance organizations by imposing a new tax. "The most charitable interpretation I can put on that is that...

Travel agency looks to acquire rivals. (Travel Guide)
January 31, 1997... A Baltimore travel agency is preparing for takeoff this year as it snatches up its smaller competitors. Looking to remain the region's dominant corporate travel agency, company officials say they're negotiating with possible acquisition...

Bank reports' only dark spot: consumer loans.
January 31, 1997... Bank analysts are generally dismissing the significance of a rise in consumer loan delinquencies, one of the few smudges on a generally bright and shiny set of recently released earnings reports. Nationwide, delinquency rates on personal...

New SBDC leader maps out strategy. (James N. Graham of Maryland's Small Business Development Center Network)
January 31, 1997... James N. Graham is not a newcomer to Maryland, but as the new director of the state's Small Business Development Center Network, he returns as a statewide champion for the little guy. "This is an exciting opportunity for me," Graham said....

Trigen - Baltimore Energy Corp. (proxy report excerpts)
January 31, 1997... Corporate profile Cutting costs has translated into rising revenues over the past several years for the environmentally friendly utilities company that aims to turn thin air into profits. The New York-based company, which has a facility in...

Cooking up a new menu. (restaurants)
January 31, 1997... Local entrepreneurs breathe new life into old restaurants When Tabrizi's opened in Baltimore six years ago, owner Susan Daniel couldn't believe her good luck. The only Mediterranean restaurant in the area, Tabrizi's became one of the city's...

Selling Baltimore's charms to conventioneers. (includes related article on two meeting planners groups' holding of their annual conventions in Baltimore, MD)
January 31, 1997... Past visitors give city mostly high marks With the Baltimore convention center's renovation and expansion scheduled to be completed in April, city officials are trying to lure more and bigger conventions. Some meeting organizers are...

Meeting planners cope with hotel bull market.
January 31, 1997... Perks are becoming few and far between for planners used to getting special deals In early '90s, meeting planners could almost write their own hotel room rates and get a variety of free "perks" for their clients in the process when...

D.C. hotels add rooms, expand meeting space. (Washington, D.C.)
January 31, 1997... Washington, D.C.-area hotels are in the midst of a new wave of renovations and expansions. Hotels of all sizes are refurbishing rooms, expanding their meeting space, and updating decors for a variety of reasons, ranging from fire damage to...

Property tax change called 'crucial' to growth.
January 31, 1997... The second major part of House Speaker Casper R. Taylor's proposal to change the telecommunications tax structure isn't likely to generate much opposition. But Bell Atlantic and AT&T say it's a crucial - perhaps the most crucial - part of...

Late-night bar hours conflict with strategy. (promotion of Baltimore, MD, as a convention city)(Editorial)
January 31, 1997... It's a Monday night and you're out of town at a convention. Along with some colleagues, you decide to stop for a drink and perhaps get a taste of the local night life. Knowing that you've got to be in your seat tomorrow at 8 a.m. for the...

In search of the politically correct tax cut.
January 31, 1997... No man's life, liberty or property is safe when the General Assembly is in session. - New York probate judge Tax relief in Maryland is a matter of nuance. So for the next nine weeks, voters will be bombarded with stem, Dutch-uncle...

Anecdotes don't add up to problem for Md. (personal income tax in Maryland)
January 31, 1997... The bandwagon in favor of a cut in the personal income tax is getting crowded. Proponents point to the "perception" that Maryland is a high tax state. They suggest that only by reducing the personal income tax can we create the kind of climate...

Next: fun city? New state bill pushes late-night plan ahead. (proposed downtown entertainment district in Baltimore, MD)
January 24, 1997... In a move aimed at boosting convention center bookings and giving Baltimore a reputation as a fun city, a state legislator will propose creating a downtown entertainment district where bars could stay open until 4 a.m. City officials are...

Doctor HMO regroups to win support. (Renaissance Health Care)
January 24, 1997... Two physicians who are trying to raise $10 million to start Maryland's first doctor-owned health maintenance organization are making major revisions in an attempt to get more support for the venture. Changes include reducing the membership...

Chamber pushes for drug bill: business group cites vacancies, other woes. (Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce)
January 24, 1997... The Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce wants to tear down a thriving industry. That may seem an odd role for a business group. But the city chamber's target is the illicit drug trade, which some business owners say is scaring away customers...

No fear: Internet firms do battle with Comcast. (Internet service providers)(Special Report: Technology)
January 24, 1997... Companies planning to shift customer base a bit As Comcast prepares to offer its high-speed Internet cable service to 400,000 residents in Baltimore and Howard counties, smaller providers are gearing up for a slight shift in their customer...

Brokers: who needs 'em? (emergence of do-it-yourself trading services)
January 17, 1997... Do-it-yourself traders jumping online to run with bull market This is not your father's brokerage house. That was the run-of-the-mill, full-service stock brokerage firm. Then came the limited-service, discount broker, followed by the...

Sinclair Broadcast Group. (Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile)
January 17, 1997... Corporate profile Sinclair Broadcasting is a second-generation, family-owned business that owns and/or provides programming services to 28 television stations and 33 radio stations nationwide. The television stations include ABC, CBS, Fox...

Aegon gets Ky. come-on. (Aegon USA executives meet with Kentucky state officials over the future of recently acquired subsidiary Providian Corp.)
January 10, 1997... Louisville may woo Md. insurer Civic leaders in Louisville, Ky., are hungrily eying one of Baltimore's last major corporate headquarters. Donald J. Shepard, the president and chief executive officer of Baltimore-based life insurer Aegon...

Outlook for slots still dim. (Maryland shuns slot-machine gambling)
January 10, 1997... Slot machine proponents have not decided yet whether to press their cause in Annapolis this session, but they say more and more Maryland dollars are flowing into the machines at racetracks in neighboring states. After a year of legalized...

Firms get chance to polish their acts. (Council for Economic and Business Opportunity, Baltimore, MD)
January 10, 1997... CEBO helps 11 inner-city companies grow Fresh out of a one-year training program, 11 small firms have moved into a new business incubator in Baltimore designed to help them grow. Established by the Council for Economic & Business...

Trusted Information Systems Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile)
January 10, 1997... Corporate profile For Trusted Information Systems Inc., 1996 was quite an eventful year. In June, the Howard County contract research and internet products company went public, generating about $40 million in the process. And toward the end...

Assembly faces taxing challenge: income tax cut expected to define '97 legislature.
January 3, 1997... It's now or never. That's what some political observers are saying about the proposed 10 percent reduction in Maryland's income tax rate - a three-year, phased-in cut that is hardly a sure thing. Gov. Parris N. Glendening has put a tax...

Builders threatened by governor's sprawl plans. (Home Builders Association of Maryland; Gov. Parris N. Glendening)
January 3, 1997... John Kortecamp refuses to let the word pass his lips. But whether or not the executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Maryland can say "sprawl," it will be one of the main topics of conversation in Annapolis when the...

Country club may head northwest. (Bonnie View Country Club, Baltimore County, MD)
January 3, 1997... The president of the Bonnie View Country Club in Baltimore County wants the club to do what many of its members have already done: Move from a neighborhood close to Baltimore City into one of the county's suburban outposts. William Kirk, the...

Md., city to appeal for more tourism dollars.
January 3, 1997... In their effort to keep Maryland competitive with surrounding states, tourism officials are putting one item at the top of their legislative wish list: More dollars. Industry officials want more money for Maryland tourism in general and want...

Privacy, HMO issues top health care agenda. (health maintenance organizations)
January 3, 1997... Question of state's right to collect medical data still a hot-button issue in Annapolis The battle over collecting medical information about Maryland's patients from their doctors promises to be among the hottest health care issues in this...

Lenders try to get Md. to pry lid off mortgage cap.
January 3, 1997... Del. Gerald J. Curran believes a plan to change some rules on residential loans could save jobs for Maryland. He's supporting a bill that, among other things, would remove a cap on how much lenders can charge for points on a second mortgage....

Retailers hope to squelch shoplifters, check kiters.
January 3, 1997... Worried about organized gangs of shoplifters and regular bad-check writers cutting into profits, leaders of the Maryland retail industry will try to press the 1997 General Assembly to take action. According to Thomas S. Saquella, president of...

Sun Life building on block.
January 3, 1997... Office structure to be auctioned off; creditor forcing sale The Sun Life building at 20 S. Charles St., an office building in the heart of the city's financial district, will be sold at foreclosure auction later this month. The auction had...

Growth of HMOs slows in Baltimore metro area. (health maintenance organizations)
January 3, 1997... The number of Baltimore-area residents enrolled in health maintenance organizations increased within the last year, but HMOs actually lost a bit in market penetration. Those are the findings of a new study by a company that specializes in...

Maryland's growth expected to speed up. (population growth)
January 3, 1997... State should climb two notches in rankings Maryland still won't be in California's league. But by the time year 2025 rolls around, Maryland will rank slightly higher in population than it does today, according to a Baltimore Business...

Environmental Elements Corp. (proxy report excerpts)
January 3, 1997... Corporate profile The last 18 months have been a tough period for Environmental Elements, the Baltimore company that supplies systems and services to the power generation, waste-to-energy, rock products, metals and petrochemical industries....