Business First-Columbus articles from April 1995

Business First-Columbus archives from April 1995

Some CEOs get hefty raises.
April 24, 1995... Banc One's McCoy sees cut in bonus 1994 was a good year for many chief executive officers in town - as their companies' income rose, so did their compensation. Limited, Wendy's and Worthington Industries all reported double-digit gains in...

Nuns vow to kick old poverty habit.
April 24, 1995... Like their sisters all over the country, Columbus nuns are in financial trouble. The Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs, one of three religious orders headquartered in Columbus, found themselves about $7 million short last year...

Wolinetz leaves Luper law firm. (Barry H. Wolinetz; Luper Sheriff & Neidenthal)
April 24, 1995... One of the city's larger law firms and a name partner have split company over "philosophical differences." A second partner and an associate have left because of that split. Barry H. Wolinetz left the former Luper Wolinetz Sheriff &...

Female business owner says Zande sought 'front.' (Kathleen Murchison; R.D. Zande and Associates)
April 24, 1995... A female business owner has accused R.D. Zande and Associates of trying to use her company as a front. Speaking before Columbus City Council April 17, Kathleen Murchison said R.D. Zande had agreed to subcontract with her company for clerical...

Arbor Health steps up plans to open nursing care centers. (Arbor Health Care Co.)
April 24, 1995... Arbor Health Care Co., a Lima, Ohio-based operator of nursing homes and subacute care facilities, is stepping up its expansion plans over the next few years, and it sees no downturn in sight. Starting next year, the company plans to spend $20...

Private sector finds hidden beauty in trash plant. (Columbus, Ohio)
April 24, 1995... A look at the latest struggles of Columbus's trash-burning power plant makes one wonder why a company would want anything to do with the facility. The 12-year-old incinerator, closed since December because it was losing money, has been...

Holophane basks in glow of outstanding '94 results. (Holophane Corp.)
April 24, 1995... As a manufacturer of lighting fixtures, Newark-based Holophane Corp. must constantly come up with bright ideas. In the fourth quarter last year, Holophane came up with at least two. First, it acquired antique Street Lamps Inc., a manufacturer...

Strange numbers game steers state highway money. (Ohio highway projects)
April 24, 1995... In general, local officials are pretty satisfied with the Ohio Department of Transportation's new system for ranking highway projects - after all, the three big Columbus projects are all scheduled for funding. Although each was either...

Liqui-Box Corp. (proxy report excerpts)(Company Profile)
April 24, 1995... Liqui-Box Corp. is the leading manufacturer of bag-in-box flexible packaging, blow-molded containers, filling equipment and bulk liquid dispensing systems. The company's products are primarily used by the beverage, wine, dairy, processed foods,...

Riverfront group urges city to buy land. (Riverfront Commons Corp.)
April 17, 1995... Whittier Peninsula would be park land The group coordinating development along the Scioto and Olentangy rivers has silently made its first move. In February, it unanimously suggested the city acquire 16.4 acres on the Whittier Street...

Pizzuti park snares rugged boot maker. (Pizzuti Development Inc.'s SouthPark Industrial park; Timberland Co.)
April 17, 1995... A New Hampshire company, best known for its rugged footwear, is preparing to locate a 242,000-square-foot distribution facility for its apparel lines in Grove City, pending state approval of a tax credit. Timberland Co. will take most of a...

Bolton control tower may close. (Bolton Field Airport, Columbus, Ohio)
April 17, 1995... Port authority looks to cut facility's losses The Columbus Municipal Airport Authority is considering closing the control tower at Bolton Field Airport to cut losses. Bolton is a general aviation airport on the southwest side of Columbus...

Cleveland pizza chain sells rights to open units here. (Longo's)
April 17, 1995... Fans of Longo's pizza in Cleveland will be glad to know that the family-owned chain is expanding southward. Two Longo's restaurants are scheduled to open in Columbus by fall. Edward and Kathy Hancock recently bought the rights to develop...

Hospitals may face licensing if CON bites dust. (Certificate of Need)
April 17, 1995... Ohio's long-disputed health care spending regulation, Certificate of Need, appears to be - finally - on its way out. But some in the hospital industry are wary of the new quality standards that would replace it. The Ohio House of...

Building owners sue over fuel tank leak. (Greater Columbus Investment Co.)
April 17, 1995... Three Columbus attorneys have filed a $3 million lawsuit against the Certified Oil Co. and its landlord to keep the property value of their office building from going into the tank. Greater Columbus Investment Co., a partnership controlled by...

Even unused coupons spur sales: study.
April 17, 1995... A new study suggests that coupons, even when they aren't redeemed, may spur product sales. Robert Leone, professor of marketing at Ohio State University, conducted the study with Frank Mulhern of Pennsylvania State University and Srini...

Subcontractor wins first 'prompt pay' verdict. (U.S. Roofing)
April 17, 1995... For what is believed to be the first time, Ohio's so-called "Prompt Pay Act" has resulted in a verdict against a general contractor. On April 4, a Franklin County jury awarded subcontractor U.S. Roofing a $48,613 judgment against...

Eclectic Galaxy Cafe plans 2nd restaurant in Grandview. (Ohio)
April 17, 1995... The Galaxy Cafe is expanding its horizons. The eclectic cafe in Powell is planning to open a second location, this one in Grandview. Owner Ricky Barnes said he is negotiating a lease with the Wagenbrenner Co. for a space in a strip center on...

Kinko's opens legal center with graphics, video services.
April 17, 1995... Earlier this month Kinko's opened a Legal Center in downtown Columbus which is expected to be the prototype for more such centers across the country. The 2,200-square-foot Legal Center occupies the space at 147 N. High St. where Kinko's Copy...

Proposal on insurance sales draws fire from agents, banks. (Ohio Department of Insurance)
April 17, 1995... Much is confusing and technical about the Department of Insurance's proposed rule that describes the conditions under which banks, auto dealers and financial institutions may create affiliates to sell insurance. But one thing was made clear at...

New generation takes wheel at Kelly Motors. (new owner Patrick Kelly Marsh)
April 17, 1995... Patrick Kelly Marsh was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1957. But the luck of the Irish has had little to do with his success. Marsh, 38, is the owner of Patrick Motors Mazda dealership in Dublin. He also is the new owner of Kelly Motors,...

Harding explores OSU relationship. (Franklin County, Ohio hospital; Ohio State Univesity Hospitals)
April 10, 1995... Declining bed use burdens mental hospital Count Harding as the latest Franklin County hospital actively seeking to affiliate with a larger health care system. If its current relationships are any indication, Harding's new partner may well be...

Banks cut home loan staffs as demand dwindles. (Columbus, Ohio)
April 10, 1995... Columbus banks are downsizing or restructuring their residential mortgage departments as home loan volume drops. Banc One Corp. has restructured some of its mortgage activities, consolidating 22 mortgage processing centers into five....

Minority contractor disputes award. (Brothers Construction Co.)
April 10, 1995... Brothers sues ODOT, says its bid was best Brothers Construction Co. of Columbus is attempting to block the awarding of a state contract to a competitor. Brothers, a minority owned firm, has filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of...

Best Buy, Wal-Mart targeting Tuttle for new area superstores. (Best Buy Superstores Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; Tuttle Crossing shopping center)
April 10, 1995... Best Buy and Wal-Mart have targeted Tuttle Crossing for their newest area stores. The two "big box" retailers will constitute the first phase of a 375,000-square-foot Duke Realty Investments power center at I-270 and Tuttle Crossing in...

Manufacturer spends $8M to clean up air emissions. (Columbus Coated Fabrics)
April 10, 1995... Columbus Coated Fabrics is spending $8.1 million on an exhaust system to reduce environmental air emissions from its plant by 90 percent. Jim Weaver, director of manufacturing for CCF, said the system was financed internally and from loans....

City plans small business center. (Columbus, Ohio)
April 10, 1995... The City of Columbus is planning to open a business enterprise center for small businesses. Possibly this month, economic development officials will approach Columbus City Council about funding the center, which would help small companies...

Continental venture plans luxury apartments in Dublin. (Continental Real Estate Co.; Ohio)
April 10, 1995... Continental Real Estate Cos. has broken ground on a new apartment complex in Dublin. Continental is the general partner in Tuller One, a limited partnership that has raised $2.5 million to build the 270-unit luxury apartment complex called...

Headstone maker gets state loan to buy, remodel Delaware building. (Fuller Monument Works; Ohio)
April 10, 1995... A small, Delaware County gravestone engraver is one of 15 Ohio companies recently approved by the Ohio Department of Development to receive a low-interest loan. Fuller Monument Works, located in downtown Delaware at 6 Spring St., will...

As dollar drops, flexibility keeps Honda on track. (Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.)
April 10, 1995... Everywhere you look, stories abound about the dollar's dramatic decline against Japan's yen. Ten years ago, it was a similar situation, but in reverse. Then, the soaring dollar made headlines. So just how does an Ohio-based manufacturer,...

Inventor hits Honda with $100M patent lawsuit. (Franz Semmler; American Honda Motor Company Inc.)
April 10, 1995... A German inventor has hit American Honda Motor Co. and its parent with a $100 million patent infringement lawsuit. Plaintiff Franz Semmler accuses American Honda and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. of manufacturing or importing automobiles that embody a...

Crown's RTC roller coaster nears end of line. (Crown NorthCorp.; Resolution Trust Corp.)
April 10, 1995... By Jan. 1, Crown NorthCorp's largest customer will be out of business. But unlike most companies that find themselves in this predicament, Crown had the advantage of knowing well ahead of time that the client would close its doors. That's...

KeyCorp plots strategy for new bank rules. (KeyCorp Inc.)
April 10, 1995... KeyCorp is betting that the firewalls dividing its traditional banking services from its investment products are getting ready to fall. The holding company has a three-year plan to merge information about customers' investments with...

Relocation is latest bid to cut fat at Columbus Life. (Columbus Life Insurance Co.)
April 10, 1995... When Paul Amato, president and CEO of the Columbus Life Insurance Co., contemplates the future of his industry, he sees an imminent wave of corporate consolidation and streamlining, especially in financial services technology. Amato has made...

Owner of kids clothing store hopes to franchise concept. (Kid's Trade owner Steve Marx)
April 10, 1995... A Columbus entrepreneur hopes to grow his children's clothing resale store as fast as the tots themselves. Steve Marx, 50, opened the first Kid's Trade Corp. last month in Northwest Plaza on West Broad Street. He says it is possible another...

City kicks in $3,000 credit to spur single family homes. (Columbus, Ohio)
April 10, 1995... Warren Tyler, a vice president of State Savings Bank, has finally won his battle to bring affordable single-family homes within the city limits of Columbus. After four years of trying, Tyler's project, 400 single family home lots within the...

Huntington. (Huntington Bancshares Inc.)(Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile)
April 10, 1995... HBAN Nasdaq Huntington Bancshares is an $18 billion regional bank holding company that operates 344 offices in Ohio, Florida. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In 1994, the company achieved record...

COTA wants bus plazas to circle city. (Central Ohio Transit Authority)(Commercial Real Estate Quarterly)
April 10, 1995... Now that light rail is dead, will COTA's bus "transit centers" encourage as much peripheral development? Central Ohio Transit Authority's board of directors voted last month to end its quest for a light rail line running north from downtown...

Dallas titan may run soccer team; Lamar Hunt visited Columbus several times.
April 3, 1995... Columbus has made Lamar Hunt's short list for Major League Soccer. Hunt, a sports titan who owns football's Kansas City Chiefs and coined the name "Super Bowl," announced last year that he planned to invest in and operate a Major League...

Nurses say hospitals cutting staff too much.
April 3, 1995... On March 31, nurses from around the country were to march on Washington, D.C., to protest what they assert are dangerous cuts in hospitals' nursing staffs. Some 120 Columbus nurses - three busloads - were to march with them. Like their...

Wexner may win big with Limited plan. (Limited Inc. Chairman and CEO Leslie H. Wexner)
April 3, 1995... Limited Inc.'s announcement last week that it is considering restructuring its divisions is intended to "enhance shareholder value" - read, "boost the stock price." So far the plan is working. Investors are snatching up shares in...

Channel 4's owner weighs mergers or acquisitions. (Outlet Communications Inc.)
April 3, 1995... The owner of "the News Channel" is making some news of its own. Outlet Communications Inc., which owns and operates WCMH-TV Channel 4 and two other television stations, has retained the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs & Co. to explore...

Essroc sells Delaware plant to Houston firm for $3.2M. (Essroc Materials Inc.; Hydro Conduit Corp.)
April 3, 1995... Hydro Conduit Corp., a Houston-based concrete products company, recently finalized a deal to buy the Essroc Materials Inc. concrete plant in Delaware. Hydro Conduit paid $3.2 million for the 16,200-square-foot facility located at 620 Liberty...

Kentucky Fried Chicken to land at Port Columbus. (Port Columbus International Airport)
April 3, 1995... Kentucky Fried Chicken is landing at Port Columbus. Host Marriott will open a KFC Express unit on April 5 in its 3,000-square-foot Skyview Cafe on the second level of the airport's main terminal. Food can be eaten in the cafe or taken to go....

CBS Personnel to open 5 offices here. (Robert Lee Brown Inc. to open in Columbus, Ohio)
April 3, 1995... One of Cincinnati's fastest-growing companies is expanding into Columbus. CBS Personnel Services, selected seven years in a row as one of the most rapidly growing private companies in its home city by the Cincinnati Business Courier and...

James Hospital spends hefty $1.7M for marketing. (Ohio State University's Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute)
April 3, 1995... Ohio State University's Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, a 160-bed facility, has budgeted $1.76 million this fiscal year for marketing and advertising. That's more than five times the average marketing budget for...

Arrow Air lays off hundreds; Columbus not affected.
April 3, 1995... Arrow Air has clipped its wings, forcing the air cargo company to lay off hundreds of employees. The company has operations in Columbus, but said none of its employees here will be affected. The Miami-based air cargo company voluntarily...

TV antennae are turn-off for Grove City officials. (temporary restraining order against American Telecasting of Columbus Inc.)
April 3, 1995... Grove City has sent a strong signal to American Telecasting of Columbus Inc.: Comply with the city code or take your business elsewhere. The city has been awarded a temporary restraining order to prevent the wireless cable company from...

USAir cuts 5 flights here. (Columbus, Ohio)
April 3, 1995... USAir is cutting back its Columbus operations, cancelling five daily non-stop flights. As a result, the airline will lay off or displace 10 to 15 employees. Because of the Columbus employees' seniority, they will be offered the choice of...

Dresser Industries Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile)
April 3, 1995... DI NYSE Dresser Industries Inc. has served the oil and natural gas industry since 1880. Today, the company is a leading supplier of products and services that meet the exploration, production, transmission and processing needs of its...

Tort plan cuts boss's liability; injured workers would have to prove intent.
April 3, 1995... Five years after part of her right arm was torn from her body by a polar bear, Laurie Stober is a center of debate among state lawmakers considering limits on lawsuits filed by workers against their employers. Stober, a Cincinnati zoo worker...