Baltimore Business Journal articles from January 2001

Baltimore Business Journal archives from January 2001

Hotels set for Mills complex.(Skye Hospitality plans Baltimore area hotels)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A developer plans to erect two hotels next to the new Arundel Mills -- a telltale sign of the development expected to envelop the Anne Arundel County megamall. Skye Hospitality LLC sealed a deal on Dec. 28 with the Mills Corp., the owner...

Helping hand.(fund raising for Baltimore area hospitals)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Fund raising crucial to hospital health Lisa Hillman and Hillard Donner are constantly in search of cash. But they aren't big-time players in the dot-com economy or looking for venture capital. Hillman and Donner are in the...

Experts: Retailers to covet Wards spaces.(vacated Montgomery Ward buildings in Baltimore area)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The closing of 13 Montgomery Ward stores in the Baltimore-Washington area could spark a bidding war among retailers who want to move into the failed chain's prime locations, local real estate experts say. Though the demise of the...

Chapman e-venture takes hit.(eChapman.com Inc. stocks drop)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Online brokerage eChapman.com Inc. appears to be the latest victim of Wall Street's technology meltdown. Last month, the firm's shares endured a major one day sell-off, sparking concern that the firm's major investors were abandoning the...

Advertising.com announces layoffs.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Advertising.com, the Baltimore internet company, is laying off 72 people, about 25 percent of its total work force. The ax fell Jan. 4 in a move to cut costs and bring the company to profitability quicker, said CEO Scott Ferber. He said the...

Men's clothier reports record month.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. broke a company record for one-month sales in December. The once-struggling retailer which has been on a rebound since CEO Robert N. Wildrick took over the company early last year, had sales of $33.9 million last...

Caliber predicts profitability in 2001.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Baltimore-based Caliber Learning Network expects to lose $28 million to $30 million on revenues of nearly $40 million for the five quarters ending on Dec. 31, 2001. The company said it expects to reach profitability in the first half of 2002.

Decker steps down from B&D board.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Alonzo G. Decker Jr. is retiring as a director of Black & Decker Corp. after 60 years on the board. Decker, who will be 93 this month, began working at age 14 for the corporation founded by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker Sr. To replace...

Correction.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... * In the list of largest depository institutions in the Baltimore area [Book of Lists 2001, Vol. 18, Dec. 22, Page 16] the CEO of Westview Savings Bank in Baltimore was incorrectly named. The bank's current CEO is Susan B. Katzenberg. *...

Casey leaving Capital.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The long-time executive editor of Annapolis' daily paper, The Capital, is retiring. Edward D. Casey, 69, will be walking away from his post as head of the editorial department of the hometown paper of the state's capital. Casey, who told...

Bill's humble beginnings.(Bill Gates' visit to Alex. Brown)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... For Bill Gates, the often-celebrated and often-villified chairman of Microsoft Corp., the road to fame and fortune came through Baltimore. The book "200 Years of Innovation in Business: The Legacy of Alex. Brown" a self-published historical...

Restaurant growth slows.(forecast for 2001)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The National Restaurant Association released its forecast for the restaurant industry in 2001. Among other highlights, the report predicts slowed sales growth industrywide of 2.7 percent, down from 3.2 percent in 2000. Still, that isn't...

O'Malley courting P.G.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and the city's state delegates and senators hosted the Prince George's County delegation and County Executive Wayne Curry this week to discuss "common concerns" that may come up in this year's Maryland General...

Gainers & Losers.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... If you were wearing a mood ring this week, it would be black. Wards customers Returning that too-large sweater might not be so easy now that Wards is going bust. Maybe you can regift next year. Alonzo G. Decker The Black & Decker Corp....

EEOC joins lawsuit against Eagle Global.(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The federal government is raising the stakes in a discrimination complaint against Eagle Global Logistics Inc., a Texas airfreight company with operations near Baltimore/Washington International Airport. On Dec. 29 the federal Equal...

AAA hunts for new financial service provider.(AAA Mid-Atlantic ends contract with PNC Bank)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... AAA Mid-Atlantic is searching for a new financial services provider. The automobile association, which has offices in Towson, has dropped PNC Bank as its financial services carrier and is now in the process of trying to get a new deal. AAA...

Miller gets help with fund.(Nancy Dennin joins Legg Mason Value Trust)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Bill Miller will have an extra hand to help him manage Legg Mason's flagship mutual fund, Legg Mason Value Trust (www.leggmason.com). The Baltimore-based firm's fund management arm announced that seasoned stock-picker Nancy Dennin will...

Ark Funds launch ad blitz.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Ark Funds (www.arkfunds.com), a family of mutual funds sold through Allfirst Bank, has started the second phase of an outdoor billboard campaign designed to generate sales of its funds. The new campaign, which will be used in Baltimore...

Farmers & Mechanics National Bank.(applies to Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Farmers & Mechanics National Bank (www.fmbancorp.com) of Frederick has applied to the state Commissioner of Financial Regulation to become a state-chartered bank. The bank said that banking deregulation has made it worthwhile to be a...

The Bank of Glen Burnie.(Pamela Thompson)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Bank of Glen Burnie (www.thebankofglenburnie.com) has named Pamela Thompson assistant controller and assistant treasurer. Thompson will be responsible for providing month-end financial reports to the board of directors as well as...

Flexible accounts bolster laser surgery boom.(in January and February in the Greater Baltimore area)
January 5, 2001... January and February could be the two busiest months for Greater Baltimore's laser vision correction centers since the popular procedure burst on the scene about five years ago, according to many area industry leaders. Most area centers...

Novavax lands financing.(King Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Columbia-based Novavax Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical drug delivery firm, will receive $25 million from King Pharmaceuticals Inc. in the form of a convertible debenture investment, or debt payment. Novavax (www.novavax.com)...

Arundel hospital update.(Anne Arundel Medical Center )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Wondering how far along Anne Arundel Medical Center is with its new campus in Annapolis? Look no further than the health system's Web site (www.aahs.org), which frequently is updated to chronicle the sprawling campus' development. ...

Atlanta firm buys InfoSoft.(PracticeWorks to acquire InfoSoft International Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Hunt Valley-based InfoSoft, a developer of software for dental practice management, is being acquired by PracticeWorks, the dental division of Atlanta-based InfoCure Corp. The acquisition, which is expected to be completed during the first...

Local media hurt by Wards' surprise end.(Montgomery Ward and Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The recent chapter 11 filing by mega retailer Montgomery Ward (www.wards.com) means a hit on advertising revenues for several local media outlets. The Chicago-based chain of department stores that is set to close all 250 of its stores...

Brann Worldwide.(B. Digital Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Baltimore-based U.S. division of Brann Worldwide was tapped as the stateside agency of record for wireless reseller B Digital Ltd. Brann Baltimore (www.brann.com) handle marketing and advertising duties for B Digital. Billings were not...

Maryland Public Television.(to televise Senate meetings)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The state Senate announced plans to televise some of its meetings during the 2001 legislative session, which starts next month. Beginning in February, two-hour videotaped sessions of Senate (www.state.md.us) committee hearings and Senate...

WBAL-TV.(media sponsor for Artscape)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... WBAL-TV (www.wbaltv.com) signed on as the lead media sponsor for Artscape (www.artscape.org) for the next six years. The annual event put on by the Mayor's Advisory Committee for Arts and Culture will take place July 13-15.

Ark Mutual Funds Inc.(billboard advertisements by Marriner Marketing Communications)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Ark Mutual Funds Inc. (www.arkfunds.com), a Baltimore company, is launching a series of billboard advertisements designed by Marriner Marketing Communications (www.marriner.com) in Columbia. The billboards will appear in Maryland along the...

Business groups sue to overturn contract rule.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Five business groups -- including two building contractor organizations -- filed a lawsuit challenging a recent Clinton Administration regulation that directs federal purchasing officers to deny contracts to businesses that do not have a...

KLNB Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... KLNB Inc., a Towson-based commercial real estate firm, reported sales of $878 million on 868 real estate transactions in 2000. The company (www.klnb.com) leased or sold more than 12 million square feet of industrial, office and retail space....

Bill Luther.(Gemcraft Homes)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Bill Luther, president of homebuilder Gemcraft Homes, was recognized by the Homebuilders Association of Maryland with the 2000 Spike Award at the association's annual banquet Gemcraft ranked fourth on the Business Journal's 2000 List of largest...

Riemer Muegge & Assoc. Inc.(merges with Patton Harris Rust and Associates PC)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Riemer Muegge & Assoc. Inc. has merged with Patton Harris Rust & Assoc. PC. The new firm, with offices in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, will offer engineering, surveying, planning, landscape architecture and environmental services. In...

SK Constructors.(gets office and warehouse building contract)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Columbia-based SK Constructors has been awarded a general contract to build a 15,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility in Glendale for Concrete Technology Services Inc.

Biotech stole show in 2000.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... You get one guess as to what the biggest biotech event of 2000 was. That's right the mapping of the human genome by Rockville-based Celera Genomics (www.celera.com). A myriad of specialty bioscience fields -- including proteomics,...

Images of a profitable future.(Surgi-Vision Inc. improves magnetic resonance imaging devices)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Columbia company hopes to score with new MRI technology The days when magnetic resonance imaging procedures are done with a large, cumbersome chamber wrapped around a patient's body appear numbered. A Columbia medical device company is...

Aether Systems.(and Sylvan Ventures fund joint venture MindSurf)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... MindSurf, a privately held joint venture between Baltimore companies Aether Systems and Sylvan Ventures, has drawn the first $10 million of a promised $70 million from its founders.

Grotech Capital Group.(invests in Homebytes.com)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Grotech Capital Group of Baltimore participated in an investment in Homebytes.com, a nationally licensed residential real estate firm which has closed $12 million in second round funding.

Sylvan Ventures.(invests in ILearning Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Sylvan Ventures, the e-learning investment arm of Sylvan Learning Systems Inc., invested $7.5 million in iLearning Inc., a provider of Web-based training and educational services to businesses.

BulkRegister.com.(closes on a $1.5 million round of funding)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Baltimore's BulkRegister.com closed on a $1.5 million round of funding following its original January seed capital infusion of $1 million. The wholesale domain name registrar will use the cash to continue to sustain growth.

Turning a page.(Variety of options are available to businesses planning a Web presence)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Variety of options are available to businesses planning a Web presence A business that wants to get on the Web could get tangled up in all the options available these days. You can purchase software packages, such as Macromedia...

Largest wireless retailers serving the Baltimore area.(Directory)
January 5, 2001... Largest wireless retailers serving the Baltimore area (Ranked by number of mobile systems sold in 2000) Name Number of Rank Address ...

Patents offer methods of limiting competition.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The past two years have seen a rush of nontraditional inventors racing to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to lay claim to widely diverse business models, including billing and medical record management systems, insurance claims processing...

Barry Bogage.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Maryland/Israel Development Center Bringing two businesses -- especially businesses from different countries -- together in a joint venture is almost always a little dicey. For Barry Bogage that task is particularly challenging. As...

Largest software development firms in the Baltimore area.(Directory)
January 5, 2001... Largest software development firms in the Baltimore area (Ranked by 2000 software development revenues) Rank/ Name 2000 software last Address ...

Taking Stock.(Baltimore Business Journal index of local stock price movements)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... The BBJ Index [*] of 87 stocks closed at 1137.28 on Jan. 3, 2001. Weekly Gainers & Losers Price Corporation 1/03/01 % Change 1....

Corvis Corp.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 5, 2001... Corporate Profile The year 2000 was a busy one for Corvis Corp. Corvis, started by Ciena Corp. founder David Huber, manufactures optical switching devices and related fiber-optic technology. Corvis filed its IPO in May, much to the delight...

Violence in workplace soaring, new study says.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Incidents of workplace violence have increased more than 750 percent in the last three years, according to a new report. And for businesses, these incidents are expensive, costing billions of dollars a year. In fact, the cost to businesses...

Small business unfazed by Bush appointees.
January 5, 2001... Small business lobbyists do not appear to be concerned that President-elect George W. Bush is tapping big business executives, not small-business owners or advocates, for Cabinet positions. "We do feel like small business has a seat at the...

Independent filmmakers can tap unto SBA loans.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Small Business Administration has gone Hollywood. Independent filmmakers are now eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans for their projects, as long as the films are produced in the United States and part of the distribution rights are...

Heading in the right direction.(Couple building growing business on hair loss problems)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Couple building growing business On hair loss problems Captain Picard, Sinead O'Connor and Michael Jordan notwithstanding, most people prefer not to be bald. That desire has kept the hair replacement industry -- estimated at $1 billion...

Shop Talk: How do you create name recognition?(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Ann S. Lovelace General Manager, Flite 3 Studios / Baltimore "Flite 3 Studios' 41-year history is a tremendous name recognition asset that we build upon in a variety of ways, such as an ongoing marketing communications program....

Keep your staff intact.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Are you trying to hang on to your best employees? Who isn't? It's so difficult to find new employees that smart companies are doing what they can to keep the ones they have. Many companies use exit interviews to query departing employees in...

Falling prey to 'snow gods'.
January 5, 2001... We Balti-morons are miserable excuses for rational beings. We're as frightened of the signs of nature as our primitive ancestors. We cower in our homes whenever the high priests of meteorology conjure up visions of the revenge of the snow gods....

Happy Festivus.
January 5, 2001... A winning football team means much more to Baltimore than something to root for on a Sunday. It's a much-needed boost to an ego that has sagged for far too long. Just ask Colts fans from the late 1950s how important sports teams are to the...

Big dreams fuel area's economic revitalization.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Baltimore region's economy has a great year ahead. Despite the slowdown nationwide and the comeup-pance of the dot-coms, this region is thriving economically and is starting to take off. To see this, you have to look at the micro-trends...

LINC.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... LEARNING INDEPENDENCE THROUGH COMPUTERS (LINC), a model program for the nation, provides a variety of opportunities for people with disabilities to learn how to use special computer technology. This technology enables children and adults to...

TechWorks: LINC's job and training program.(Learning Independence Through Computers)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Lorenzo Moore is lightning with a scanner. As he puts dozens of critical legal files in their proper places, 22-year-old Lorenzo ensures that the wheels of justice keep on turning at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in downtown Baltimore. A...

Aquarium hires LINC to make website accessible.(Learning Independence Through Computers)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... With 1.7 million visitors last year, the National Aquarium of Baltimore is easily the most visited attraction in Charm City. That popularity has been matched on the Internet. Approximately 1 million people each year peruse the colorful pictures...

10th anniversary concert features Wynton Marsalis.(Learning Independence Through Computers, benefit concert)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... LINC will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a benefit concert featuring Wynton Marsalis, one of the mast popular and acclaimed contemporary jazz musicians and composers. The concert will take place on Sunday, January 21, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. at...

Bridging the digital divide.(Learning Independence Through Computers)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... We all know how technology has revolutionized the mainstream workplace and the marketplace, the way we send and receive information, even the way we talk to one another. However, the reality of recent developments of the Information Age is...

Verizon is committed to universal Design.(Verizon Communications Inc. committed to enhancing, accessibility and new products and services)
January 5, 2001... There are 43 million Americans with disabilities, and as the United States population continues to age, this number will increase. As with other market segments, there is tremendous variation within this market. In recognizing the growing...

Verizon Foundation.(Verizon Communications Inc. awards Learning Independence Through Computers)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... In addition to being the lead sponsor of LINC's 10th Anniversary Celebration, Verizon Foundation earlier this year awarded a $5,000 corporate contribution to LINC for support of a technology training, program for special education students at...

Disabilities Issues Awareness Leaders of Verizon.(Verizon Communications Inc. employee organization)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... It is Verizon's policy to foster an environment, which enables every employee to contribute to the success of the Company and to strive for his/her full potential. Verizon recognizes that employee resource groups can bring value to their...

Chesapeake Systems Solutions.(software products)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... In 1993, Peter Vogelberger was working for DISC, Inc., a leading provider of reconciliation and cash management software. "And like all entrepreneurial if people," says Peter, "we thought we had a better idea." With fellow DISC employees...

Marsalis Concert Sponsors.(Learning Independence Through Computers benefit concert featuring Ellis Jr. and Wynton Marsalis)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Verizon Communications, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, P.W. Feats Inc., and DesignConcept are the leading corporate sponsors of the 10th anniversary Wynton Marsalis concert. Their generous commitment to LING comes from a commonality of...

System Source.(supports Learning Independence Through Computers)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... System Source supports LINC year-round by loaning presentation equipment and computers for LINC's many workshops. Last summer and again this winter, System Source lent several Windows 98 computers for use in the JAWS Training Workshops for...

Accessing great feats.
January 5, 2001... What do folks with special needs expect from events? Pretty much the same things the rest of the general public expects: excitement, inclusion, comfort, a sense of. being a guest and a part of something special, along with attention to the...

Software executive praises LINC.(Peter Vogelberger, Learning Independence Through Computers)
January 5, 2001... For many business executives and corporate leaders, the search for a worthy charity to devote both corporate and personal resources is often difficult. With so many valuable organizations in desperate need of equipment, talent and support, how...

Assistive technology changes people's lives.(aids the disabled)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 5, 2001... When Tamara Salkever was attending Mount Washington Elementary School in the 1970s, the Baltimore City public schools offered few resources for the mostly-blind young student who also had cerebral palsy. A handful of large-type books from the...

Paving the way for workers with disabilities.(Ticket to Work / Work Incentives Improvement Act)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Ticket to Work / Work Incentives Improvement Act Approximately 8 million Americans with disabilities are of working age and receive more than $50 billion a year in Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)....

Stock Snapshot: Aether Systems Inc.(wireless data services)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... NASDAQ:AETH Like other technology companies, Owings Mills-based Aether Systems Inc. has taken a substantial beating on Wall Street in recent months. The provider of wireless data services, systems and software hit a 52-week high of...

BBJ Tech 25: A glance at Greater Baltimore's leading technology companies.(recent stock prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... BBJ Tech 25: A glance at Greater Baltimore's leading technology companies This Last Week's Week's Net Percent PE...

CompuDyne Corp.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... NASDAQ: CDCY By working in a variety of industries, Hanover-based CompuDyne Corp. has watched its stock price stay moderately stable in the past year. The company does everything from designing prison security systems to making...

BBJ Tech 25.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... BBJ Tech 25: A glance at Greater Baltimore's leading technology companies This Last Week's Week's Net...

PolyServe.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... * PolyServe, a leading provider of systems software for the Internet data center, raised $22 million in its series B round of financing, bringing the total raised since the company's incorporation in May 1999 to more than $24 million. The...

SymRx.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... * Rockville-based SymRx, a provider of technology products for pharmacies, received $3.5 million in a Series A round from Pacific Venture Group, Oxford Bioscience and GIMV.

Usinternetworking Inc.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... * Usinternetworking Inc., an Annapolis application services provider, received the first $37 million slice of its recently announced financing commitments. Earlier this year, USi secured more than $175 million. Credit Suisse First Boston's...

A piece of the past.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Despite extra hurdles, historic properties pay off for local developers Yes, there are more hoops to jump through. But by golly it's worth it. That is Russell Rosenberger's nutshell view of development work in designated "historic"...

Largest architecture firms in the Baltimore area.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Largest architecture firms in the Baltimore area (Ranked by architectural billings originated from Baltimore-area offices) Rank/ Name last Address 2000 billings year Phone/Fax/Internet...

Market Facts.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Comparing 20 major metropolitan areas in the United States, Baltimore comes out as a low-cost area with strengths in transportation, real estate, work force and health care. The weaknesses are the area's high crime rate and lagging employment...

Randall M. Griffin.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Corporate Office Properties Trust Randall M. Griffin, president and chief operating officer of COPT, is expecting another strong year for the Columbia-based real estate investment trust. Although the public company's year-end numbers are...

Biotech eyeing space in old Wards property.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Some biomedical companies are eyeing Montgomery Park, the former Montgomery Ward & Co. warehouse that is being converted into offices. The 1.3 million-square-foot complex off Monroe Street is being marketed especially to telecom users and...

Industrial market picks up.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... The Baltimore metropolitan area industrial market improved its performance from a year ago, according to a recent report from Colliers Pinkard, the Baltimore-based commercial real estate firm. The double-digit vacancy rate from 1999 fell in...