Puget Sound Business Journal articles from September 2000

Puget Sound Business Journal archives from September 2000

Oil and water.(marine shipping industry)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Shippers here bet on Alaska energy projects Like wolves eyeing a piece of steak, marine transportation companies here are salivating over prospects that new energy projects in Alaska will fuel a huge expansion in their business. ...

Tech firms need room for growth.(Seattle, Washington)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Office space in demand Seattle's high-tech companies could gobble up another 10 million square feet of office space by 2005, more than doubling the industry's presence in Seattle, according to a package of studies commissioned by the...

Lots of static in Microsoft interactive TV bid.(interactive television products)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Analysts who previously bullish on Microsoft Corp.'s interactive television efforts are anxiously trying to determine how much longer the company's technology will be delayed. Their latest cause for concern was last week's announcement...

New course for higher ed?(college funding information)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Consortium lacks funds as Bothell campus opens Two new higher-learning institutions that opened for classes this week could hardly be more different. One is a costly traditional campus that's already near capacity, the other is a meagerly...

Home is where the heart defibrillator is.(Heartstream Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 29, 2000... In the mid-'90s two local companies, Heartstream Inc. and Physio-Control International Corp., pioneered the automatic external defibrillator, a portable, shock-administering device that can diagnose whether someone is suffering cardiac arrest...

Gotta ski it to believe it.(Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Matt Nichols, president of Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders Inc., hopes to help break a world record next month by towing more than 100 water-skiers behind a single boat. The Klondike Express, one of the Nichols Brothers' popular line of...

Forties flashback.(Ruby's Diner expansion)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... First it was old-fashioned Krispy Kreme doughnut shops invading Puget Sound. Next up is the 1940s-style chain Ruby's Diner, which has most of its units in Southern California. Former Restaurants Unlimited and Cinnabon executive Dennis...

Fast fruit.(Washington fruit transportation)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... A first test shipment of fresh Washington apples and pears -- loaded into a refrigerated car hooked onto the back of an Amtrak passenger train -- rolled out of Brewster, Wash., on Sept. 20 and arrived in Massachusetts four days later. ...

Feel the pain.(Wizard of the Coast Inc)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Renton-based Wizards of the Coast Inc. is about to unleash an unruly beast on movie audiences across the country. The company next month will debut its fist-ever cinema advertisement, a 30-second spot for its Magic: The Gathering trading...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction Notice)
September 29, 2000... Small Business Awards One of the past winners of the Mayor's Small Business Awards was misidentified in the Sept. 22 Small Business Weekly section. The company's correct name is Kathy Casey Food Studios. CPA list The Sept. 15...

Antitrust case to Appeals Court.(Microsoft Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case directly, instead ordering that the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia take up the government's bid to break up the software giant. The move was...

Eden IPO blooms on its first day.(Eden Bio-science Corp)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 29, 2000... Shares of Eden Bio-science Corp. doubled on their stock-market debut, rising 100 percent from the initial public offering price of $15. The agricultural biotechnology company sold its 5.8 million shares above the expected range of $12 to $14,...

$170M price tag for Nordstrom buy.(purchases Facconable SA)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 29, 2000... Nordstrom Inc. said it will acquire French designer Faconnable S.A. for $170 million in cash and stock. The Seattle-based retailer said the acquisition will reduce its earnings per share through 2002 because of the 5 million shares to be...

Selig building in lawsuit crossfire.
September 29, 2000... Developer and longtime contractor sue each other A salvo of lawsuits may signal the end of the longstanding collaboration between developer Martin Selig and Howard S. Wright Construction Co., who together built some of downtown Seattle's...

VC fund aims to be 'small' at $75M.(SeaPoint)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 29, 2000... SeaPoint targets wireless and telecom Size really does matter, according to Tom Huseby. This week Huseby, managing director at Bellevue-based SeaPoint Ventures, began raising the firm's second fund. But don't look for one of the...

Amazon needs strong rally in fourth quarter.
September 29, 2000... As the fourth quarter gets under way, stock analysts across the country are expecting Amazon.com Inc. to do big business this Christmas season -- in the neighborhood of $900 million to $1 billion in sales. Or else. "I think investors...

Asterion.com cuts its work force by one-third.
September 29, 2000... Asterion.com of Renton has laid off nearly one third of its staff and named its third chief executive in a year, but company officials insist the changes do not reflect financial problems. Asterion, which provides online services to...

Tacoma approves plan to rehab historic Luzon building.
September 29, 2000... The rehabilitation of the historic -- and decrepit -- Luzon Building in downtown Tacoma has the blessing of the Tacoma City Council, enabling developers to get the low-interest financing they need to fix up the 110-year-old properly. ...

AEI Music joining L.A. firm in $250M merger.
September 29, 2000... For two decades, Mike Malone's AEI Music Network Inc. has pumped customized music into Eddie Bauer and Banana Republic stores, Rainforest Cafe and TGI Friday's restaurants, and thousands of other business locations. The Seattle company has...

Widevine offers security for streaming media.
September 29, 2000... Widevine Technologies Inc. came out of stealth mode this week, unveiling an Internet security system for streaming media and announcing $11.5 million in venture backing. The Bellevue company has created a product that runs on any type of...

Seattle warehouse converting to data center.
September 29, 2000... A New York real estate firm is proceeding with plans to turn the former Odom Corp. beverage distribution warehouse south of downtown Seattle into a 123,000-square-foot data center and office building. Argent Ventures has applied for a...

Tochterman in Snoqualmie.
September 29, 2000... Tochterman Management Group has paid $10.45 million for a 57,300-square-foot building in Quadrant Corp.'s Snoqualmie Ridge Business Park, King County property records show. The building, on the western side of the development, is known as...

Top spot for Mulvanny.G2.
September 29, 2000... An industry trade publication has ranked Mulvanny.G2 Architects of Bellevue the nation's fastest-growing architectural firm and the fifth-fastest among a broader group that also included engineering, professional and environmental consulting...

Nearly fully leased.
September 29, 2000... Vulcan Northwest's 11-story, 292,000-square-foot 505 Union Station development was 96 percent leased as of earlier this week, and negotiations were under way to lease the remaining 12,000 square feet. Tenants include Vulcan Northwest, which...

Angels fund seeks another kind of green.
September 29, 2000... Seattle-based Angels with Attitude has closed on $2 million of a planned $5 million fund that will help launch socially and environmentally friendly businesses. The new fund acts more like an investment club than a pure venture capital...

Digital.Forest adds financing.
September 29, 2000... Bothell-based Digital.Forest, a database and application hosting company, has landed nearly $900,000 in angel financing. The company was founded in 1994 by Chris Kilbourn, a former computer science professor at the University of...

Albertson's may claim top of the grocery list.
September 29, 2000... Last-mile delivery services Webvan Group Inc., HomeGrocer.com and Kozmo.com Inc. have captured lots of ink. But in the local market, the dominant force right now just might be Albertsons.com. And it might be the one left standing when the...

Business climate is deteriorating, warns Campbell.
September 29, 2000... Washington's overall economy is strong and jobs are generally plentiful, but clouds are gathering over the state's business climate, says Phyllis Campbell, state president of U.S. Bank and chair of a group of top Washington CEOs. ...

Cell Therapeutics cancer drug wins FDA approval.
September 29, 2000... Cell Therapeutics Inc. of Seattle said its Trisenox drug has received Food and Drug Administration approval for treating a severe form of leukemia that affects approximately 1,000 to 1,500 Americans annually. The biotechnology company, which...

Airborne adds 1 percent surcharge.
September 29, 2000... Airborne Express of Seattle said it will add another 1 percent fuel surcharge to the existing 3 percent surcharge on U.S. and international shipments. The additional surcharge goes into effect Oct. 16. "Unfortunately, the price of fuel still...

Apex Learning will run virtual school for Houston.
September 29, 2000... Apex Learning Inc. of Bellevue will partner with the Houston Independent School District to provide the technology, training, online courses and support for creating a Houston Virtual School at nine high schools in the nation's fourth largest...

BP adds to Olympic Pipeline stake.
September 29, 2000... BP Pipelines has acquired the 25 percent stake in Olympic Pipeline Co. previously owned by GATX. The deal brings BP's ownership in the troubled 400-mile pipeline to 62.5 percent. BP began operating the pipeline in July and announced at that...

Metawave completes Adaptive Telecom buy.
September 29, 2000... Metawave Communications Corp. of Redmond completed its acquisition of Adaptive Telecom Inc. Adaptive Telecom shareholders will receive. 5.5 million shares of Metawave stock, valued at approximately $130 million. Metawave, which produces...

PathoGenesis-Chiron deal finalized.
September 29, 2000... Chiron Corp. finalized its acquisition of PathoGenesis Corp., following the completion on Sept 18 of its $38.50 per share cash tender offer. Chiron, based in Emeryville, Calif., paid approximately $639 million for the Seattle biotechnology...

Micronics, Honeywell get $4M contract.
September 29, 2000... Micronics Inc. of Redmond said it will work with Honeywell to develop a micro-miniaturized, "lab-on-a-chip" blood cell monitoring device under a $4.4 million contract from the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The instrument...

Starbucks to sell Fair Trade coffee.
September 29, 2000... Starbucks Coffee Co. said it will begin offering Fair Trade Certified coffee through its extensive network of more than 2,300 company-owned retail stores in the United States on Oct. 4. Fair Trade links farmers directly to markets and helps...

Saflink makes $18M acquisition.
September 29, 2000... Saflink Corp. of Redmond has agreed to acquire Jotter Technologies Inc. for 10.6 million shares of stock, worth $18.75 million at Tuesday's closing price. Saflink, which markets biometric security software; also said two major holders of its...

X10 sets IPO range at $14 to $16.
September 29, 2000... X10 Wireless Technology Inc. plans to sell 5 million shares at $14 to $16 apiece, it said in an updated filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Seattle based marketer of networking products for homes and small businesses said...

Web site offers insurance info for small biz.
September 29, 2000... A Web site produced by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner's office has a new section aimed at helping small business owners address insurance-related questions. The Web site includes practical advice on the insurance needs for...

Flu-fighting advice online.
September 29, 2000... It's about to be that time of year -- when millions of dollars in work time will be lost due to influenza and colds. Employers can reduce this loss by following a few simple steps outlined in a poster from the Employers of America, a national...

LEARNING TO BE LEAN.
September 29, 2000... Washington Manufacturing Services helps small companies take advantage of lean manufacturing techniques to cut costs Lean manufacturing, one of the keys to The Boeing Co.'s recent rise to record stock prices, is now also available to...

No firewall protection opens the door for hackers.
September 29, 2000... Always connected to the Internet? While a dedicated high-speed connection is certainly convenient, without a firewall protecting you, it also leaves you vulnerable to hackers finding their way into your computer system. Think of a...

Atlas VC fund lands Microsoft exec.
September 29, 2000... Atlas Venture Inc., a European venture fund with $1.6 billion under management and U.S. offices in Boston and Silicon Valley, recruited former Microsoft executive Laura Jennings to establish a Seattle presence. Jennings spent 12 years at...

Lack of capital hurts minorities, economy.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... A new study concludes that America's future economic growth could be stifled unless minority-owned businesses gain access to more capital. The number of minority-owned businesses grew 17 percent a year over the past decade -- six times...

THE AMERICAN DREAM.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... First Immigrant's Savings Bank is often the only hope that immigrants have to become homeowners When Daniel C. Cote launched a mortgage company five years ago to help immigrants buy homes, it was but one step to his ultimate business...

Firms vie for slice of wealth management market.
September 29, 2000... All of David Fontana's clients are, well, wealthy, or at least extremely well-off. Otherwise, they wouldn't seek his services. Fontana's Seattle firm, David Fontana & Associates Inc., is in the business of wealth management -- a rapidly...

Program adds diversity to accounting field.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... From her desk on the 19th floor of Seattle's Safeco Building, controller Roz Williams enjoys a sweeping city view. It might not be the top of the world, but it's a lot more picturesque than the view she had growing up in Tacoma's Hilltop...

Low-key bank plays big role behind the scenes.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Its senior vice president calls it "one of the biggest financial institutions you've never heard of." Norm Rice certainly hadn't. When a headhunter approached the former Emerald City mayor about becoming president of the Federal Home...

Wamu's new approach emphasizes comfort, service.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Washington Mutual's new branches in Las Vegas contain play areas and books Seattle-based Washington Mutual Inc.'s new-fangled branches in Las Vegas do more than remake the savings bank's image. Company officials say the new approach...

Oak Harbor bank changes name, relocates.(InterWest Bancorp Inc.)(Pacific Northwest Bank)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... InterWest Bancorp's previously announced consolidation of its subsidiary banks and thrifts will take place under the name of Pacific Northwest Bank. InterWest, now based in Oak Harbor, will also move its headquarters to Seattle, taking...

Internet transactions create convenience for customers.(banking online)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... If there were a tool available today that would enable you to save time, use resources more wisely, run your business more efficiently, and enhance profitability, would you be interested? The fact is, online banking can help you achieve...

Help investors decipher Web's info overload.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... The Internet is changing just about every aspect of corporate communications, including the nature of the annual report. Pre-Internet, the annual report was a time-sensitive document for management to brief shareholders on key financial...

New ventures will require intense study, deliberation.
September 29, 2000... In today's hot economy almost everyone has an idea for a new business. But not everyone with a great idea knows how to turn it into a business opportunity -- let alone finance it. Whether you have found a way to enhance a product or...

Trusts remain more popular and practical than ever.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Trusts, in some form, have been around for centuries. Over the years, they evolved into many different permutations. The fundamental concept, however, is still the same. A trust is a vehicle by which the creator of the trust (the trustor)...

Another international gathering slated here.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... It won't rival the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit of 1993 or last year's World Trade Organization ministerial gathering, but next year Seattle will host a gathering of mayors from leading cities around the Pacific Rim. The May...

Another big cruise year.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Contractors are busy at the Port of Seattle's Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal, getting ready for a busier cruise season next year. The port is expecting 50 cruise ship calls during the 2001 season, up from 36 this year. Most of the...

Trade consultant moves into World Vision work.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Scott Jackson, who 12 years ago founded Tradec, which became one of the region's most prominent trade consulting firms, has jumped to the nonprofit arena. Jackson now is senior vice president for regional ministries and resource...

Japan-America Society will host meeting.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Washington's Japan-America Society, one of the oldest such organizations in the United States, has been chosen the U.S. secretariat for the Japan - We stern Americas Association. As a result, Seattle next March will host a meeting of top...

Software industry watching Microsoft tax case.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Microsoft Corp. will appeal a U.S. Tax Court ruling that upheld the Internal Revenue Service's refusal to allow the Redmond software giant's tax deductions for foreign sales commissions on the export of software master disks....

Multiple Zones International Inc.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Multiple Zones International is a direct marketer of more than 100,000 computer products and services to businesses and consumers. The company began operations in 1988 through advertising in national trade publications. In 1999, the company...

Index funds can keep costs down, returns up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 29, 2000... During the unprecedented four years ending in 1998, the S&P 500 produced an amazingly high average annual return of 30.5 percent, compared to its long-term, 73-year average of 11.2 percent. The spectacular surge in large-cap domestic stocks...

BRIEFCASE.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... * ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS * APPAREL Jennifer Romano has joined Publicis Dialog in Seattle as account coordinator. Bill Nuttall has been promoted to president of Diadora America in Kent. * CONSTRUCTION...

Online banking firm hit by SEC.(Your BankOnline.com)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Mountlake Terrace-based Your BankOnline.com and its officers of fraud for allegedly overvaluing the company's software in press releases and SEC filings. The charges involve a March 1999...

'Full disclosure' for tax impacts.(by ballot-measure sponsors in Washington state)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Ballot measures must be dear As property valuations in this area continue to climb, along with the property taxes that accompany the increased valuations, a new accountability needs to be demonstrated by sponsors of vital bond and levy...

In Seattle, the line forms nowhere.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Although I'm sitting at my desk typing, I'm pretty sure I'm in line for something, possibly in the next block. So don't cut in. I may look harmless, but I get surly when I lose my place in the queue. Trouble is, I can't always tell...

Nordstrom is more than name, it's a culture.(the selection of Blake Nordstrom as Nordstrom CEO)
September 29, 2000... What is the impact of the founding family on the culture of a public company? That question came into sharp focus when Nordstrom Inc., on the heels of continuing underperforming financial results, I replaced John Whitacre, the only...

TRAVEL AGENCIES.
September 29, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

THRIFTS.
September 29, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

BANKS.
September 29, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

REGIONAL STOCKS.(stock price highs and lows)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... New 52-week highs Boeing ($64.31), Cell Therapeutics ($56.87), EverTrust ($13.00), PathoGenesis ($39.00), Washington Mutual ($37.81) New 52-week lows Ackerley Group ($9.68), Advanced Radio Telecom ($7.50), Airborne Freight...

Remo Borracchini.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Remo Borracchini, owner Borracchini's Bakery in Seattle, received the Gill Centioli Memorial Award from Festa Italiana, the Italian-American community organization, in recognition of success, achievement and continual support of the Italian...

Historic Seattle.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Historic Seattle received a $25,000 grant from The Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation for its Save the Buildings Fund.

Institute of Museum and Library Services.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $269,808 in operational support grants to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle, and the Makah Cultural & Research Center in Neah Bay, and an assessment...

KIRO-TV and Qwest.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... KIRO-TV and Qwest awarded $25,000 in grants to public and private Washington state schools as part of the Tools for Schools program.

PCC Natural Markets.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... PCC Natural Markets in Seattle received a Food Marketing Institute Neighborhood Partnership Award and $3,000 donation for its Farmland Fund, which is used to secure threatened farmland in Washington state for organic production.

Refugee Women's Alliance.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Refugee Women's Alliance in Seattle received a $75,000 grant from The Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation towards its capital campaign for new facility in Rainier Valley.

Seattle Project Impact programs.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Seattle Project Impact programs, Home Retrofit Program and the School Retrofit Program, received awards of excellence from the Western States Seismic Policy Council.

Seattle Symphony.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Seattle Symphony received a $2.25 million grant from The Kreleisheimer Foundation toward the construction and endowment of the symphony's future learning center in Benaroya Hall in Seattle and annual support for special artistic initiatives...

Washington State Office of Financial Management.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2000... Washington State Office of Financial Management received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

Times preps for strike.(Seattle Times Co., Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2000... Talks tense, but both sides hope to avoid walkout Top executives at The Seattle Times are forming a plan to publish the newspaper in the event of a strike by newsroom employees, underscoring the contentious tone of contract negotiations...

Aluminum foiled.(Washington's aluminum smelting industry hampered by electricity prices)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2000... Increased energy costs threaten to cripple smelting industry in NW Kaiser Aluminum's two-year strike may be over, but only 44 of nearly 300 striking Tacoma workers will return in coming weeks. The rest will have to wait for the plant, now...

One Name aims high.(One Name Corp. to offer personal information security software)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2000... New Web privacy system A new approach to online privacy will be launched next week by Seattle-based One Name Corp., which aims to revolutionize Internet transactions with a system of "Web agents" that will monitor the exchange of...

Jobs that go begging.(nonprofits in Washington have trouble filling positions)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2000... Nonprofits struggle to fill important positions When Elizabeth Huttman went looking for a development officer nearly two years ago, she got 60 resumes. When she tried to fill the same post again this summer, the associate director of the...

It takes a lot of bull to get into this league.(Major League Bull Riding Inc. offers franchises)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2000... Microsoft moguls have already snapped up ownership stakes in the Seattle Mariners, the Seahawks and the Professional Bowlers Association. Is the next high-tech honcho who aspires to own a sports franchise left on the horns of a dilemma?...