Baltimore Business Journal articles from June 2000

Baltimore Business Journal archives from June 2000

Contractor suing Creditrust.
June 2, 2000... $1.3M suit latest hit to ailing finance co. A Baltimore County construction company is suing Creditrust Corp. for $1.3 million, claiming that the company failed to pay for renovation work on its Cockeysville operations center. ...

Space odyssey.
June 2, 2000... Tech companies find leasing impossible No credit. No profits. No office space. These words are becoming as familiar to start-up companies as "No shirt, No shoes, No service" are to improperly dad fast food customers. Fledgling...

Hospitals preparing for losses.
June 2, 2000... Like punch-drunk prize fighters, Maryland's hospitals have withstood one body blow after another -- from the well-documented nursing shortage to a reimbursement rate rollback -- in fiscal year 2000. But with little tangible relief in sight...

Paychecks hefty for execs.
June 2, 2000... There's a newcomer among the ranks of Baltimore's elite corporate earners. Legg Mason's James Brinkley joined perennial big breadwinners Mayo Shattuck III, co-CEO of DB Alex. Brown; Raymond A. "Chip" Mason, CEO and chairman of Legg Mason...

Prime Retail Inc. executive resigns.
June 2, 2000... Robert P. Mulreaney has resigned as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer of Prime Retail Inc., a Baltimore-based owner and operator of outlet shopping centers. He will leave the company at the end of June. The resignation is the latest...

RTKL secures Poland contract.
June 2, 2000... Baltimore architecture firm RTKL was awarded the design contract for a 54-acre mixed-use development in Warsaw, Poland. The project includes more than one million square feet of retail, entertainment, office and residential space.

Guilford acquires Cleveland company.
June 2, 2000... Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has agreed to merge with Gliatech Inc. of Cleveland. Guilford will exchange shares worth $203 million to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Gliatech. The combined company will...

Leases approved for 7 E. Redwood St.
June 2, 2000... The Board of Estimates approved two leases, bringing two Internet companies to 7 E. Redwood St., a city-owned building. Alabanza Corp., a Baltimore-based Web-hosting automation technologies provider, signed a three-year lease for 23,010 square...

Correction.
June 2, 2000... Beechtree Golf Club's per-round fee [May 2000 Golf Guide, Page 21] was listed incorrectly. Beechtree's per-round fee is $85. Due to a printer error in the May 2000 edition of the Golf Guide, some listings on page 28 were not complete. A...

Schaefer the spinmaster.
June 2, 2000... The antics of the former mayor, former governor and current state comptroller have always made for great copy and TV footage (i.e., the infamous leap into the National Aquarium's seal pool) William Donald Schaefer has always had a love-hate...

We'll drink to that.
June 2, 2000... Good behavior does have its privileges. At least that's the message the Orioles are relaying to their fans. As part of the fallout from last month's LA Dodgers-Chicago Cubs fiasco -- in -- which several Dodgers got in a fight with a handful...

Music sweet music.
June 2, 2000... Musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (www.baltimoresymphony.org) could' be getting a pay raise come September. The BSO's board of directors and musicians recently announced that they had reached an agreement over a new five-year...

Gainers & Losers.
June 2, 2000... The sun is finally shining after a dreary Memorial Day weekend. But the clouds won't dissipate anytime soon over at Creditrust's headquarters. Creditrust Talk about irony. Will Creditrust have to collect its own delinquent debts? Mayo...

Fells Point firm nails $3.5M in VC money.(Venture Capital)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Network Technologies Group, looking to continue its growth, secured $3.5 million in venture capital from Baltimore-based Spring Capital Partners LC. The deal, which was finalized last month, is expected to fund the company's expansion in...

Investors force Annapolis firm's bankruptcy.(RiskWatch Inc.)(www.riskwatch.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... An Annapolis-based software developer is being forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by a group of disgruntled investors who claim they are owed more than $100,000. According to an involuntary bankruptcy protection petition filed...

Mortgage firm suing ACORN.(www.acorn.org)(Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... American SkyCorp Inc., a Timonium-based mortgage lender, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The suit, which was filed on May 31, alleges...

Black history museum gaining momentum.(Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... The Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture is one step closer to breaking ground. The city recently approved a land disposition lease agreement with the Maryland African American Museum Corp. for the planned venture in the...

Favorite bid?(bid to host the 2012 Olympics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Baltimore and Washington D.C.'s combined bid to host the 2012 Olympics is among the American favorites, said Dan Knise, president and CEO of the Washington/Baltimore Regional 2012. Coalition. "The U.S. competition is 60/40 us," he said...

BACVA tries to attract foreign tourists to city.(Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association)(www.baltimore.org)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... BACVA is vying for publicity in the foreign press, with the hope of attracting European tourists to the city via Baltimore/Washington International Airport The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (www.baltimore.org) hired...

Mamma seeks some help.(www.mammailardos.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Mamma Ilardo is looking for partners in the pizza business and has developed a program to help get them started. The Baltimore pizza franchise is launching a program to help walk potential franchisees through the technicalities of opening...

Online tee times.(Baltimore County Revenue Authority's golf division)(www.baltimoregolfing.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Found some free time to head to the greens, but don't have a reservation? No, problem. Whip out your Palm V, get online, and head to Baltimore County. Baltimore County Revenue Authority's golf division launched a 24- hour online system for...

St. Joseph Medical to trim pediatric unit.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... St. Joseph Medical Center has adopted a proposal for scaling back but not eliminating -- its in-patient pediatric unit. The plan was approved by the hospital's board of directors May 25, said spokesperson Sharon Sopp. After debating...

Health info on site.(Web-On-Site Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Web-On-Site Inc., a Baltimore-based start-up tech company, is pushing its way into the crowded e-health market with hopes of convincing hospitals and physicians that its Internet initiative is more practical and less expensive than such medical...

Medstar ponders e-health.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... With last week's announcement that MedStar Health eliminated its Ask-A-Nurse 24-hour call service, the health system is looking to partner with an Internet medical information provider, said MedStar spokesman Pete Kerzel. Healtheon/WebMD...

CareFirst sets contract.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield was awarded the coverage contract for the recently formed Harford County Public Entities Health Care Consortium, said Jim Richardson, a Harford County representative. The Owings Mills-based health care...

Center Care Managed Care Plans.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Center Care Managed Care Plans of Bowling Green, Ky., signed a five-year- deal with Hunt Valley-based Innovative Outsourcing LLC. Innovative will provide Center Care with claims administration, repricing and Internet applications.

Web firm winning accolades.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Baltimore-based Advertising.com Inc. continues to win national attention for its rapid growth. The Internet advertising and marketing firm was named to Dun & Bradstreet's and Entrepreneur Magazine's list of fastest-growing companies....

What's in a name?(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... BulkRegister.com Inc., an Internet domain name registration firm based in Baltimore, recently registered 600,000 names in the first quarter. The company, which was founded in December of last year, works with Internet service providers,...

Espa[tilde{n}]ol on the Net.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Another local firm has made its move into the growing market for Spanish-speaking content on the Internet. Circle.com Inc., a Baltimore developer of Web sites and other Web-enabled technologies, created a new site that allows users to send...

Learning in Laurel.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The state's latest efforts in wiring the public education systems could mean massive improvements for the schools in Laurel. Known as Laurel On-line, the pilot project will serve as an experiment to see how effectively technology can be...

Olaf Cames.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Virtual Broadcasting Information Center LLC BBJ: Where did you get the idea for your business? Cames: I studied psychology, sociology and political science. It was clear that the way people are educated will change to a just-in-time...

Web Site of the Week: www.smalloffice.com.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... This site provides small business owners and out-of-the-gate entrepreneurs with resources to do just about every task -- from setting up the office computer network to finding local technical support. Users also will find links to experts in a...

Branching out.(State Employees Credit Union of Maryland Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... State Employees Credit Union enjoys steady growth, extends reach In the age-old debate, Theresa Halleck sides with the tortoise and doesn't take risks. She -- and the credit union she commands -- is taking a slow and steady approach in the...

Market Facts.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... In 1970, the average personal income in Maryland was $15,327, as compared to today's average of $28,457.According to Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (www.dllr.state.md.us), the average per capita (per person) income in...

100 highest-paid executives [1] in the Baltimore area.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... 100 highest-paid executives [1] in the Baltimore area (Ranked by cash compensation (salary and bonus) for FY 1999) Rank/ Name last Title...

Investors: Hang on to your technology stock.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The year 2000 has not been a good year so far for those high-flying technology mutual funds that did so well in 1999. Remember 1999? That was the year that several Baltimore-based mutual funds had returns over 100 percent. And that success...

Michael L. Oster.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... BB&T Central Maryland Region Michael L. Oster rose through the ranks. He joined Carroll County Bank and Trust Co. in 1986 as a senior vice president and chief lending officer. He made chief operating officer in 1996 and a year later become...

Giving your retirement account a second life.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The main purpose of your individual retirement account is to provide you with retirement benefits during your lifetime. The IRS encourages the establishment of an IRA through favorable regulations that are structured to help your IRA grow...

Va. firm reinvents the stock market return.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Steve Wallman is a man on a mission. A soft-spoken former commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission, he wants to do no less than fundamentally tear apart traditional investing practices. Wallman's company, folio [fn] -- the...

Charm City and the silver screen.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Sharon Stone, still looking like quite the movie star despite the red wig and sunglasses, strolled into Flowers by Chris in search of Casablanca lilies. Chris Psoras, the owner of the Baltimore flower shop, had to break the news that she...

Annapolis National buying back its stock.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Annapolis National Bancorp Inc. has started a stock repurchase program in hopes of boosting the bank holding company's earnings and book value. Annapolis National Bancorp is the holding company of Annapolis National Bank, which is...

New partnership unveiled.(Maryland Comptroller and the Attorney General's office)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The Maryland Comptroller (www.marylandtaxes.com) has once again forged a partnership with a state agency to offer new services to the public. On May 23, the comptroller's office announced that representatives in its 20 field offices would...

T. Rowe forms holding co.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... T. Rowe Price Associates Inc. (www.troweprice.com) has formed a holding company and is asking shareholders to approve a stock swap with the new company in June. In a May 24 letter, T. Rowe Price Chairman George A. Roche informed...

BCSB Bankcorp Inc.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... BCSB Bankcorp Inc., the holding company for Baltimore County Savings Bank (www.baltcosavings.com), has finished its stock repurchase program. On May 23, the company announced that it had completed the purchase of 320,124 shares of common stock,...

Legg Mason Inc.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Legg Mason Inc. (www.leggmason.com) has completed its acquisition of Canadian money manager Perigee Inc. Shareholders approved the plan on May 18. Perigee is Canada's seventh largest pension fund manager with $14.9 billion in assets under...

Harford County.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Harford County's bond rating has improved, and county officials said it will save the county hundreds of thousands in interest payments annually. County Executive James M. Harkins said on May 25 that Fitch IBCA, a New York bond-rating...

Handling disclosure in today's marketplace.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... In today's market, public companies walk a tightrope, attempting to balance the often competing interests of regulatory disclosure requirements, the market's insatiable demand for information and the corporation's desire for coverage by...

Almost family.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Sometimes the best successor isn't a blood relative Growing up, Craig Beckley always had it in the back of his mind that he would take over his dad's business some day. Turns out he was wrong, and while it hurt for a while, today he says it...

How do you hire good salespeople?(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Bernie Caplan President, Quest Fitness / Ellicott City "Hiring good salespeople begins prior to the interview process or even placing a help wanted ad. Employers should examine their compensation plan to ensure they offer an above...

People.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... * Accounting Financial Management Solutions, a Pasadena firm that offers accounting services to the retail food industry, hired David Goggin as director of the accounting division. He formerly was controller at Super Fresh Food Markets and...

Towson University.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Towson University's study abroad office was awarded $3,500 in scholarships from The Council of International Education Exchange ($1,000) and Butler University's Institute of Study Abroad ($2,500) in recognition of the program's increase in...

Physicians Practice Inc.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Physicians Practice Inc., publisher of Physicians Practice Digest, placed 19th in FolioMagazine 40 fastest growing publishing companies. Physicians Practice's revenues have increased 40 percent and circulation has risen 135,000 since 1997.

Dr. Mark J. Brenner.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Dr. Mark J. Brenner, chief of the radiation oncology department at Sinai Hospital, has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Radiology.

Dr. Bert M. Glaser and Dr. Robert P. Murphy.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Dr. Bert M. Glaser and Dr. Robert P. Murphy of The Glaser Murphy Retina Treatment Center have established a practice at Mercy Medical Center for diagnosing and treating patients with assorted retina problems. They will see patients every Monday...

Baltimore City College.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Baltimore City College has been designated a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. City College is one of 198 schools nationwide to earn the award.

Mahan Rykiel Associates Inc.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Mahan Rykiel Associates Inc., a landscape architectural firm in Mount Washington, is the recipient of a merit award from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mahan Rykiel Associates, in conjunction with the Maryland State Highway...

Sinai Hospital.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Sinai Hospital has been awarded a three-year accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 2, 2000... Corporate profile The board of directors of Hsmpstead-based clothing retailer and manufacturer Jos.A. Bank Clothiers Inc. put a new man at the helm of the company last year. And at this point, the appointment of retail industry veteran...

Taking Stock.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 2, 2000... The BBJ Index [*] of 76 stocks closed at 1295.77 on 5/31/00 Weekly Gainers & Losers Price Corporation 05/31/00 % Change l.Chapman...

City clubs need later hours.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Baltimore City has never been much of a nightclub town. Unlike its neighbors to the north and south -- Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. -- Charm City traditionally has not had that much of a selection of places in which to dance and drink. ...

Heralding a pioneer.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Johns Hopkins is the most recognizable, most respected name in medical care and research in the world. That's not an opinion; it's a fact. In Baltimore, a place where industries and companies have come and gone like runaway freight...

Watch out U.S. tech firms, the world might catch up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Let's take a moment to enjoy America's dominance of the world market for information technology and the Internet. But just for a moment, because the rest of the world is coming after us. Our free markets, innovative technology, huge capital...

Creditrust sues fired executive.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... Company accuses man of 'evil' theft Embattled Creditrust Corp. is alleging that the former head of its legal recovery unit stole tens of thousands of dollars from the company while he was employed there, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S....

Lawyers tap into funky Tide Point.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... It appears that the Digital Harbor is not just for the hip dot-com crowd anymore. It may actually have some appeal to the stiff bow-tie crowd looking to loosen up a bit. Brown, Diffenderffer & Kearney LLP, a small commercial law firm...

USi heads list of fast movers.(USinternetworking)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... Just ask Christopher R. McCleary if it's a good time to be in technology. McCleary and his Annapolis company, USinternetworking, topped two Baltimore Business Journal Lists this week. USi, a two-year-old application service provider,...

Boxer will market tower to tech firms.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... Boxer Property has a contract to buy the century-old Equitable building on Calvert Street and has already begun to market the 100,000 square feet of vacant space there to technology companies craving affordability. Andrew Segal, president...

Northrop, Daimler sign pact.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany and Northrop Grumman Corp. have agreed to collaborate on weather and navigation radar for Airbus's A400M military transport plane. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding regarding production and...

iSky to open call center in Oregon.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... iSky, a Columbia company that uses interactive technology to manage customer-care for Fortune 1000 companies, announced that it is opening a call center in Bend, Ore. Richard Hebert, president and CEO of iSky, said the 42,000-square-foot...

Correction.
June 9, 2000... In the list of "Largest SBA lenders in the Baltimore area," [April 28-May 4, Page 26], Maryland Permanent Bank & Trust was misidentified. The bank's address is 9612 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills 21117. The bank's contact for SBA lending is...

Firm gets stadium deal.(For Barton Malow Construction Co., the world of sports complex construction is its oyster. )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... For Barton Malow Construction Co., the world of sports complex construction is its oyster. The Southfield, Mich.-based company's Mid-Atlantic division --headquartered in the Camden Yards Warehouse -- was hired late last month to build the...

Mind the gap.
June 9, 2000... The earnings gap between men and women is narrowing, but even women who work in highly paid fields still make far less than their male counterparts, according to a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) report. Women's earnings...

Is he or isn't he?(Cal Ripken has yet to sign a deal to purchase the Baltimore BayRunners basketball team)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... Cal Ripken has yet to sign a deal to purchase the Baltimore BayRunners basketball team, and sources said the estimated $1 million pricetag maybe a sticking point But team officials and Ripken's lawyer insist ifs only a matter of time before the...

Gainers & Losers.
June 9, 2000... Is your resume classified if you've worked for NSA for 20 years? Christopher McCleary USinternetworking's CEO got the biggest raise and his company topped the List of the area's fastest-growing companies. Need we say more? Spy...

Cancer center delay is costly for Hopkins.
June 9, 2000... After several rounds of delays and scores of design modifications that have set the project back about a year, construction on the new Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Cancer Center is supposed to end June 9, and hospital officials hope to move...

Availability of Medicare HMOs may plummet.(Health maintenance organizations)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... News that Cigna Corp. and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are pulling out or halting enrollment in their Medicare HMO products could spur another round of activity to which Maryland's seniors will want to pay close attention, industry officials...

Fed contractors must hire more minorities.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... Government contractors will face increased pressure to hire more minorities and women under new affirmative action regulations proposed by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Contractors already have to submit affirmative...

AXA Financial builds up position in Legg.(Legg Mason Inc., securities)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... So, who owns the most Lea Mason Inc. stock? Well, it's not Legg Mason Chairman Raymond A. "Chip" Mason, as you might surmise. Actually, AXA Financial Inc. (www.axa-financial.com) of New York holds over 16 percent of Legg Mason...

Maryland Permanent Bank.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... Maryland Permanent Bank is using the work of a local artist to decorate its first-ever retail check card. The bank used the work of the late Martin Barry of Towson for its Visa check card. The illustrations are of Baltimore's Inner Harbor,...

Mercantile Bankshares Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... On June 2, Mercantile Bankshares Corp. announced that it had bought The Bank of Fruitland in a stock swap and would merge the bank into subsidiary Peninsula Bank, which has 24 branches on the Eastern Shore. The Bank of Fruitland, which is...

Nouveau to open new location in Canton.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 9, 2000... Nouveau, a modem home furnishing store in Mount Vernon, is expanding. The shop is opening a new location at The Can Company development in Canton, replacing The Card Shop. The new Nouveau, opening in a 3,400-square-foot space, will only...

In search of salespeople.(G3 Technology Group, recruiting)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... A linthicum dot-com is hiring an internal sales force to grow its new Web site and boost sponsorship revenue. G3 Technology Group (www.g3group.com) wants to hire five salespeople within a month to staff ShopBaltimoreNow.com, which it...

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Inc.
June 9, 2000... Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Inc. opened a new Goodwill Superstore location in Dundalk on June 7. The 18,000-square-foot store is located in the Merritt Park Shopping Center.

Architects group seeks plaza near Oriole Park.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... The Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects is trying to resurrect its old idea of converting a portion of land near Oriole Park at Camden Yards into an urban plaza. The local group's Urban Design Committee first suggested...

Barging in the ESPN Zone.(restaurant)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2000... The crane in front of the Power Plant on Pratt Street is attracting a lot of attention. The piece of equipment is being used to construct a barge for the ESPN Zone, the sports restaurant inside the Power Plant. The barge will be used...