Baltimore Business Journal articles from May 2000

Baltimore Business Journal archives from May 2000

Massive tech site planned.(CB Richard Ellis marketing commercial site in Beltsville)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... CB Richard Ellis to market PG. property FedEx Corp. is abandoning plans to occupy its huge new Beltsville distribution center, allowing a Baltimore company to lure technology companies there. CB Richard Ellis; a Baltimore commercial...

Ferris loses heavy hitter to Salomon.(Marry Zolet moves from Ferris, Baker Watts Inc. to Salomon Smith Barney)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Ferris, Baker Watts Inc. lost one of its most powerful and highest-producing brokers to Salomon Smith Barney last week. Marry Zolet, one of four partners in the Westheimer group at Ferris, Baker Watts (www.fbw.com), left the firm on April...

Perking up.(employee benefits)
May 5, 2000... Creating loyalty with cash and fun Editor's Note: During the, past two weeks, the Business Journal has explored the problems facing employers in a tight labor market. This week, we look at innovative methods local businesses use to retain...

Final vote favors bank management.(rejection of shareholder proposal to sell Provident Bankshares)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Provident Bankshares has officially warded off a shareholder proposal to sell the bank. The bank holding company announced that a proposal by Mid-Atlantic Investors, a Columbia, S.C. investment partnership, to sell the bank received support...

Millennium opens research center.(Millennium Inorganic Chemicals)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Millennium Inorganic Chemicals celebrated the opening of its $20 million, 120,000 square-foot research facility earlier this week The Baymeadow Industrial Park facility; which was completed in June 1999, houses 125 employees and 28...

City tries to revitalize "Main Street".(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Fifteen of Baltimore's neighborhood commercial districts will get a financial boost over the next three years under a national Main Street program. The revitalization initiative will follow the National Trust for Historic Preservation model,...

Apex ups offer to buy Crown.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... In the continuing bidding war for control of Crown Central Petroleum, Apex Oil Co. of St. Louis increased is bid to $10 a share. Crown had previously entered into a merger agreement in which Rosemore Inc., a corporation controlled by...

Gray Kirk on the prowl.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... With its lease nearing expiration, Gray, Kirk/Van Sant, one of the area's largest ad firms, is on the hunt for new digs. Gray Kirk currently occupies 20,000 feet in the World Trade Center in downtown Baltimore. But the ad agency's...

Hot dog pitcher.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... You've all heard the ditty. The one about fat kids, skinny kids -- even kids with chicken pox. Yes, the Armour hotdog jingle. Well, now you'll get to hear Mike Mussina sing it. The Orioles pitcher is one of eight All-Star major...

Missing in action.(Lieutenant Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Maryland's Lieutenant Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was a no-show earlier this week at a news conference unveiling Baltimore's Main Street initiative. She was supposed to address the throng of Baltimore officials and reporters. ...

Gainers & Losers.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Market drops or no market drops, Aether Systems keeps on plugging away with investor-pleasing news. Robert N. Wildrick, Jos. A. Bank's dapper new CEO gets high points for confidence this week. The company is projecting a 100 percent...

IHS battles to emerge from bankruptcy.(Integrated Health Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Integrated Health Services Inc., in bankruptcy for the past three months, is facing tougher scrutiny from federal and state regulatory officials who fear its financial problems could harm the quality of patient care in its nursing homes and...

Amtrak planning Penn Station hotel.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Amtrak is chugging along with plans to put a 70-room hotel in Penn Station, a company official said this week. The move would make the 1911 Charles Street building the first Amtrak station in the country to house a hotel, said LesTown,...

Congress stalls on medical record regulations.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Hospitals, insurers and employers say proposed medical records privacy regulations will be difficult to administer, resulting in increased health care costs. Biotechnology companies fear that confidentiality requirements will make health...

Biotech firm seeks funding for research.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... A local biotechnology company is shedding new light on an old concept. But in order to keep its research in high gear, Cyto Pulse Sciences Inc. needs an angel group or two with a few million dollars to invest in ground-breaking biotechnology to...

Tax incentive program gets final approval.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Governor Parris N. Glendening has signed legislation that will give Baltimore City a new tool in its efforts to boost economic development: tax increment financing. Baltimore Development Corp. President M.J. "Jay" Brodie successfully...

MIE to build business park.(MIE Properties Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... MIE Properties Inc., one of the largest developers of industrial and flex/office space in the Baltimore area, has purchased 45 acres of land in Frederick for its second business park there. The new complex, which will consist of six...

Manekin joins network.(Corporate Facility Advisors (CORFAC International))(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Manekin Corp. has become the first Maryland company to join Corporate. Facility Advisors (CORFAC International), a worldwide network of independent real estate firms and afffilates. As part of its membership, Manekin (www.manekin.com) can...

Housing Authority of Baltimore City.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Howard County is loaning Baltimore City its executive director of the County Housing Commission. Leonard Vaughan will fill in for Eric Brown, who is resigning from the No. 2 spot at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. Vaughan will...

The Rouse Co.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... A property management and leasing arm of The Rouse Co. has merged two divisions and relocated to a single office space. Columbia Management Inc.'s commercial and retail property divisions are now located at 10 Corporate Center in downtown...

CB Richard Ellis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... CB Richard Ellis was appointed the exclusive leasing agent for Gateway Crossing 95, a four-building, 230,000square-foot project in Columbia Gateway Corporate Park.

Annapolis National to build headquarters.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Annapolis National Bank, which experienced some negative publicity last year, is hoping a new headquarters will help restore its somewhat tarnished image. The bank broke ground on a new headquarters in April near the intersection of...

Ferris to sell ARK funds.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The ARK family of mutual funds, the proprietary funds of Allfirst Bank, are now going to be sold through Ferris, Baker Watts Inc. Allfirst recently signed FBW as a "strategic partner" in the distribution of its mutual funds, a first for the...

FCNB gets Web kudos.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... FCNB Banks Web site is being called one of the best in the business. Last month RSM McGladrey Inc. (www.rsmmcgladrey.com), a St Paul, Minn. consulting firm, named FCNB Banks Web site (www.fcnbbank.com) one of the top 20 community bank...

Firm settles with state.(Equinox International)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Equinox International Corp., a Las Vegas-based distributor of environmentally-friendly products, has reached a financial settlement with Mar land and seven other states. The states and the Federal Trade Commission had alleged that Equinox was...

Leeds Federal Savings Bank.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Leeds Federal Savings Bank (www.leedsfsb.com) opened its second branch bank on Apr11 28 in Elkridge. The one-story, 3,250-square-foot building, was designed by George Vaeth Associates, a Columbia architecture firm.

Area hospital officials question MIA fines.(Maryland Insurance Administration)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... The Maryland Insurance Administration (www.mia.state.md.us) has taken a step toward reforming Maryland health maintenance organizations' practices, but some state hospital officials wonder if the HMOs will treat the significant fines as...

Extended stay.(Johns Hopkins to open extended care unit in Fall 2000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Johns Hopkins Hospital (www. acenet/jhmi.edu/emerg) hopes to solve overcrowding in its emergency room with a plan to open a 14-bed extended-care unit this fall, according to emergency department officials. The extended care unit will allow...

Union Memorial Hospital.
May 5, 2000... Union Memorial Hospital signed a deal with Villa Julie College to provide $80,000 in funding for the school's nursing program. The four-year deal includes an additional $50,000 to fund a nursing faculty position at Villa Julie, a Northwest...

Nutramax Laboratories Inc.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Nutramax Laboratories Inc., a manufacturer of nutritional supplements, has found a new home. The Harford County company will open its new headquarters in Edgewood later this month

University of Maryland School of Medicine.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The National Cancer Institute gave the University of Maryland School of Medicine a $1.8 million grant to find ways to reduce the cancer rate among African Americans in Baltimore and people living in rural areas throughout the state.

Computer chain moves into failed store's site.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... A division of Alexandria, Va.-based computer retailer Uptime Computer Services Inc. has quietly entered the market, taking over a location left vacant by a defunct Towson computer store. MacHome and Office opened April 24 at 1001 Cromwell...

Mall repositioning itself.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Wards in Security Square Mall -- remodeled to the tune of $3 million -- could give the mall a much-needed boost in its effort to shed its image as a shopping center that is past its prime, the mall's manager said this week. The new...

Russel Toyota.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Russel Toyota cut the ribbon on its newly renovated, 42,000-square-foot showroom and service facility. The expanded space allows for 10 vehicles on the showroom floor, 37 service bays and a new service waiting area. Russell is also offering a...

Home Depot.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Home Depot is moving forward with plans to open eight new stores in the region. New Home Depots will open in Columbia, Ellicott City, Hagerstown, Hyattsville, York, Pa., and Fairfax and Annandale, Va. by September. Locally, the Glen...

Keeping up.(Architecture industry)
May 5, 2000... Architecture industry moves toward faster pace with technology George Vaeth is feeling the pressure. His Columbia-based architectural firm gets half its business from educational institutions. A strong economy has landed a tax windfall...

Ensuring your project meets expectations.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Given the personal and detailed nature of a renovation or new construction project, you will want to work with professionals who not only bring their expertise and reputation to the table, but their creativity and flexibility as well. In order...

Market Facts.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Taking a look at several stocks in the local real estate industry, it's easy to see the ups and downs that firms are facing right now. Even two real estate heavy hitters, Trammell Crow and CB Richard Ellis, are seeing a decline in stock value...

Silver Spring seeks foot traffic on streets.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Silver Spring wants new businesses, shoppers and diners and the tax dollars all of them bring. Because county officials see streetscape and urban redesign as a cornerstone of the revitalization of the city's downtown, they have allocated $30...

Jim Camp.(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 5, 2000... Gensler As senior associate and co-director of Gensler's Baltimore office, Jim Camp remembers the day in March 1995 when he joined Gensler, first working in the architecture firm's Washington, D.C. office. Last spring, when Camp became...

Largest travel agencies in the Baltimore area.(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Largest travel agencies in the Baltimore area (Ranked by total gross sales from Baltimore-area offices in 1999) Rank/ Name ...

Spanish portal launched.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... A Baltimore-based online training firm is taking its expertise into Latin America with the launch of a Spanish language training portal. TrainingServer Inc., a subsidiary of Syscom Inc., partnered with a Mexico-based technology firm to...

IMS gets global investors.(Integrated Marketing Solutions)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Integrated Marketing Solutions, a Baltimore Internet marketing company that was founded by a former professional tennis player, is in the process of finalizing its first round of capital investment with three foreign "angels." Investors in...

Product lands firm big clients.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Systems Alliance's Site Executive scores high marks Creating a Web development product that allows folks with limited technical skills to design and manage content has landed a Hunt Valley firm some high-profile clients. Officials with...

Website of the Week www.ipoexpress.com.(allows users to download Securities and Exchange Commission initial public offerings information)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... This site is great for someone who wants to keep abreast of the initial public offering market all in one place. It's run by EDGAR Online Inc. (www.freeedgar.com), a public company traded on the Nasdaq that runs a Web site that allows...

Gregory R. Long.(of information technology training firm Mentor Technologies)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Mentor Technologies BBJ: Where did you get the idea for your business? Greg Long: It's well known that there is a huge unmet need for information technology (IT) professionals. Lots of people have tried to close this gap with...

Alex. Brown celebrates 200 years.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... When talking about long term growth, Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown can use itself as a measuring stick. With an uncanny knack for appearing at Baltimore's monumental moments, the history of the venerable. Alex. Brown investment firm, acquired...

Southwest Airlines Co.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
May 5, 2000... P.O. Box 36611 / Dallas, TX 752351 / (214) 792-4000 / www.southwest.com Corporate profile In 1999, Southwest Airlines Co., touted as the "short-haul; low-fare" carrier, surpassed competing airline US Airways as the largest-carrier at...

BBJ Index [*].(Baltimore Business Journal index of local stocks)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... BBJ Index [*] Weekly Gainers & Losers Price Corporation 5/3/00 % Change 1. Aether Systems (AETH) $144.25...

Preparing for future lean time.(business planning)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Dear Business Doctor: Over the past few years, business has been so good that, frankly I'm waiting for the bubble to burst. How do I plan ahead to ensure my business survives through a downturn? AV. Dear A.V.: Certain parts of a business...

Specialists.(specialist employee recruiting firms)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Niche firms are the latest wave in the recruiting industry When Erich Spencer needed a couple of marketing people with expertise in Web-based sales strategies, he didn't go to a big national recruiting firm. He went to a small local shop...

Shop Talk Do you retain an attorney?(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... President, Positive Negatives Inc. / Columbia "I don't retain one particular attorney in part due to the industry I am associated with; the visual communications industry. An attorney specializing in collection needs probably will not be...

Gilbane Building Co.(names Matthew N. Weirich builder of the year)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Gilbane Building Co. awarded project manager Matthew N. Weirich the company's annual Iver Johnson Builder of the Year award for his management of the construction of the Frostburg State University Appalachian Laboratory.

FIBERplus Inc.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... FIBERplus Inc. of Jessup has been named a Belden Registered Contractor, the only such contractor in Maryland. FIBERplus is a computer network designer, installing both copper and fiber optic cable inside existing and new buildings.

Bel Air Athletic Club.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Bel Air Athletic Club was recognized as the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association award winner in the single club category.

American Society of Civil Engineers.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Maryland Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers selected Michael C. Hild as its recipient of the Meritorious Service to the Civil Engineering Profession Award. Hild is the chief engineer for the Maryland Port Administration.

Neighborhood Housing Services.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The board of directors of Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore Inc. presented Elizabeth M. Wright, executive vice president of Susquehanna Bank, with the Howard I. Scaggs Jr. Memorial Leadership Award.

People.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The People section publicizes management-level hirings and promotions of area businesspeople. We also publicize elections to nonprofit and charitable organizations. We do not run professional certifications or designations. Send announcements...

Largest caterers in the Baltimore area.(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Largest caterers in the Baltimore area (Ranked by total sales) Rank/ Name Total sales: Number of last Address ...

Struever leading revival.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... It seems as if every other day there's news about Struever Bros. Eccies & Rouse Inc. redeveloping another property near Baltimore's once industrial waterfront. In the past two weeks, Struever, led by CEO Carl W. "Bill" Struever, confirmed...

Encouraging e-commerce.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Maryland once again staked a significant claim as a true center of the Internet/e-commerce world. Baltimore law firm Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll LLP broke new ground last week when it successfully argued in U.S. District Court that...

Small business advocates are worthy of recognition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... When our publisher, Jim Breiner, approached me last year with the ever-dreaded "I volunteered you for something," I had no ideal would enjoy the task as much as I did. You see, hehad volunteered me to wade through hundreds of nominations...

Creating a `dynamic' workplace.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... In the past, high turnover has for many companies been associated with a cataclysmic event, such as a change in management, an explosive growth spurt, or a massive layoff But now, high turnover rates are often for a different reason: Supply and...

In the zone.(International Basketball League and Baltimore BayRunners survive first season)
May 12, 2000... Upstart hoops league survives first year George Blaney and his fellow founders of the International Basketball League are haying a good laugh over what skeptics once said about their, start-up organization. They just hope it's the last...

Pizzeria sues mail landlord.(Pizzeria Uno suing Towson Commons)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... Uno blames Towson Commons for losses Pizzeria Uno is suing its Towson Commons landlord, claiming an ongoing project to turn the once-popular shopping center into an office building is keeping customers away. The well-known Italian...

Law firm launches VC spinoff.(Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz PA launches Priority Venture Group LLC)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... The Towson law firm of Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz PA has launched a new company that will target Mid-Atlantic technology startups for millions in venture capital funding. The new joint venture, Priority Venture Group LLC, was formed this...

Harford nabs Clorox distribution center.(Clorox Co. to lease distribition center in Hartford County, MD)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... Clorox Co. has finalized a seven-year, multi-million dollar deal to lease 650,000 square feet of space for a Northeast regional distribution center in Aberdeen. The agreement will create between 200 and 300 new jobs in Harford County by...

Legg Mason reports rise in earnings.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... Legg Mason Inc. announced earnings of $48 million for its fourth fiscal quarter ended March 31, an increase of 94 percent over earnings of the same quarter in 1999. The increase in fourth quarter earnings allowed the firm to post earnings of...

Rouse beats expectations.(Rouse Co. financial results)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... Columbia developer The Rouse Co. reported better-than-expected first quarter results. Funds from operations were $62.9 million, compared to $58.4 million in 1999's first three-month period. Net earnings hovered around $31.3 million, compared to...

Penn-Camden project receives funds.(project to link Washington Union Station, Camden Yards and Penn Station )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... A project to link Washington Union Station, Camden Yards and Penn Station by an uninterrupted rail line will receive $1 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration. The Penn-Camden Connection project will provide a six-mile...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 12, 2000... The List of "Largest commercial printing companies in the Baltimore area" [Vol. 17, April 28-May 4, Page 23] incorrectly identified GraphTec Inc. as a separate company. In fact; GraphTec is owned by Consolidated Graphics Inc. The profile...

Web cam spies Charles.(University of Baltimore's Web cam to document bridge construction project)(includes information on MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services LLC and Maryland's Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Commission)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2000... Those so-called 'Web cams" -- short for World Wide Web cameras -- have gotten a bad rap over the past several years as hundreds of entrepreneurs have set up makeshift pornography studios in their living rooms. But more often than not,...

Gainers & Losers.
May 12, 2000... Spring fever? Not exactly. The weather has been even hotter than Legg Mason's earnings. * North Charles Street merchants The two-year closure of a bridge on this main thoroughfare may threaten the comeback of the Charles Theater and other...

Printer consolidation shrinks local market.
May 12, 2000... The phrase 'local printers' is now something of an oxymoron. A surge in buyouts by large printing companies in the late 1990s has depleted the ranks of independently-owned printing businesses in Baltimore. Now, some area printers are...

Heritage plans extended-stay hotel in Towson.
May 12, 2000... Heritage Properties Inc. has preliminary plans to erect an extended-stay hotel in the heart of Towson. David G. Rhodes, president of Heritage, said the development company has proposed the construction of a six-story hotel on top of its...

Web firm nets cash infusion.
May 12, 2000... A Baltimore Internet firm scored big this week with an infusion of cash from a Bethesda venture capital firm and the opening of a new office in the heart of Silicon Valley. Web-On-Site Inc. (www.webonsite.net), which installs public...

CPA firm agrees to sell Legg Mason products.
May 12, 2000... Ellin & Tucker Chartered, a Baltimore accounting firm, has struck an agreement with Legg Mason Inc. that allows it to sell mutual funds, insurance and other financial products through a Legg Mason subsidiary. The move is part of a...

UM, North Arundel inch closer to merger.
May 12, 2000... If everything goes according to plan, the University of Maryland Medical System and the North Arundel Health System could announce a partnership by the end of June, according to officials at both companies. UMMS (www.umm.edu) and North...

Hopkins ponders e-health.
May 12, 2000... About a month after ending its e-health affiliation with InteliHealth, Johns Hopkins (http://hopkins.med.jhu.edu) is aggressively looking for a new Internet health provider with which to partner, said Steve Libowitz, director of the office of...

Get the ball rolling.
May 12, 2000... The statewide commission established to investigate the nursing shortage isn't wasting any time. Of course, if you ask Donna Dorsey, one of the commission's nine vice chairmen and director of the state's board of nursing, the commission doesn't...

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.
May 12, 2000... Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital will open its Rosenberg Center for Pediatric Respiratory Medicine on May 7. The center, which is a collaborative effort between Mt. Washington and Johns Hopkins Children's Center, cost $2.2 million to complete....

The Johns Hopkins University.
May 12, 2000... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory signed a technology transfer and development agreement with FutureHealth Corp. of Timonium. The agreement allows for licensing APL's automated and knowledge-intensive systems to automate...

Union Memorial Hospital.
May 12, 2000... Union Memorial Hospital has assumed the former Church. Home and Hospital's renal dialysis center, the hospital announced. Former employees and patients of the Church site will transfer to the new center at Union Memorial.

Struever checking out police station property.
May 12, 2000... A Struever Bros. Eccies and Rouse project in Hampden? The big-time Baltimore development company recently attended a Baltimore Development Corp. meeting about redeveloping the Baltimore City Police station at 3355 Keswick Road in Hampden....