Business First-Columbus articles from February 2000

Business First-Columbus archives from February 2000

SubmitOrder clicks on Delaware.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... E-tailer fulfillment star expanding customer center; considers Dublin HQ project A Dublin-based provider of logistics and customer services to e-commerce companies plans to move and expand its Delaware County customer response center...

Franchiser fires up effort to expand Steak Escape.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Columbus-based Escape Enterprises Ltd. is continuing an aggressive expansion program for its Steak Escape chain and plans to franchise 45 new restaurants this year. A development agreement has been reached that will take 10 of the...

Cathey's hiring firms Qwest's role in region.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... It took Hugh Cathey just three years to build Nextlink Ohio into one of the area's top competitors for local and long-distance telephone service. It took him just three months to rethink his retirement from the telecommunications upstart...

New year drags in an old issue: lack of workers.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Regardless of how the nation's economy performs this year, job growth in the Columbus area will remain stifled by the tightest labor market in the state, the latest Franklin Forecast says. Central Ohio's restricted supply of workers coupled...

SHOP TALK.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Contributors: Doug Buchanan and Kathy Showalter Have we got an interest-bearing proposition for you Have you ever wanted to make thousands, even millions of dollars from the privacy of your own home? Think it's impossible? Not...

With takeovers cooling, Big Bear parent digs 'its way out'.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... A mid-December decision that the Federal Trade Commission will take a dimmer view of big supermarket chains buying smaller or less-profitable chains in new markets may have played a role in the retirement of Gary Hirsch as chairman of the...

Love takes a place helping sell complex gear on Web.(CEO's Gahanna firm sees e-commerce bonanza with industrial customers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... CEO's Gahanna firm sees e-commerce bonanza with industrial customers Peddling books or groceries over the Internet is becoming increasingly common, but selling something as elaborate as an industrial lighting system through e-commerce...

State slips collar on Total's Medicaid enrollment plans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Total Health Care Plan Inc., the Medicaid HMO trying to turn around its troubled operation, has been hit with more setbacks. The Ohio Department of Human Services, which administers the state's Medicaid program, won't allow Total to accept...

Sterling plans to sell XcelleNet to IT equity firm.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Sterling Commerce Inc. has entered an agreement to sell its XcelleNet business to Francisco Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on the information technology industry. The sale price is expected to be about $50 million, and...

Ohio set back in fight over how it certifies counselors.(Judge says state rules leave no legal recourse to overturn denials)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Judge says state rules leave no legal recourse to overturn denials James Coleman was working with drug and alcohol abusers at the Mary-haven rehab center when Ohio told him his counselor's certification didn't cut it in the state. It...

Fourthchannel names president and CFO.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Columbus-based Fourthchannel Inc. has made two key executive appointments. The Internet commerce application software and service provider has named Alexander "Lex" Crosett III president and William Tanner chief financial officer. ...

Sterling Realty brings on veep to stir its condo sales initiative.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Condo property manager Sterling Realty Associates has expanded into condominium sales with residential real estate veteran Myrna Kobre heading the effort. Kobre joined Sterling Realty in mid-November as vice president - sales division...

New tax credit rules may redirect 'affordable' housing from suburbs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Affordable housing may become tougher to build in some Ohio communities under new state guidelines for federal low-income tax credits. Projects that include resolutions and financial support from local governments now win competitive...

Blowup prompts Congress' assault on OSHA authority.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... It's a manager's worst nightmare: Your subordinates make a controversial decision without checking with you first, your boss quickly overrides that decision, internal e-mails contradict what you say about the decision, and a member of...

Tax credits for uninsured praised as a good first step.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has enjoyed plenty of medical achievements. As a surgeon, he performed 250 heart and lung transplants. He also established the transplant program at Vanderbilt University. But five years ago he traded his surgical...

Value City chain hopes to carry Filene's Basement out of cellar.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Value City Department Stores Inc. has purchased legendary retailer Filene's Basement, a Massachusetts-based discounter that specializes in selling brand-name men's and women's apparel and home goods. Value City said Feb. 3 it would buy...

Closeout division leads Consolidated sales gain.(Consolidated Stores)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Consolidated Stores Corp. said retail sales for the five weeks ended Jan. 29 rose 16.4 percent from a year earlier to $301.5 million. For the year ended Jan. 29, the Columbus-based operator of 1,230 Big Lots, Odd Lots, Mac Frugal's Bargain...

A pioneering CSC still leads pack in 2-year sports degree.
February 4, 2000... David Stotlar, program review coordinator for the North American Society for Sports Management, has never heard of Columbus State Community College's Sports & Fitness Management program. "He wouldn't have heard of us," the school's sports...

Business gets specific in bid to win congressional races.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Money may be the mother's milk of politics, but business groups learned from organized labor's success in the 1998 congressional elections that cash alone can't buy happiness on Capitol Hill. Business outspent labor 11-1 in the '98...

HMS takes home most ADDYs in 2000 competition.
February 4, 2000... Last fall's broadcast campaign to introduce TV and cable station viewers to the new Center of Science and Industry brought creator Fahlgren Inc. "Best of Show" accolades at the 2000 Columbus American Advertising Awards. The top award,...

Pair takes entrepreneurial detour to assist Resource.(Resource Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... When the creative team of Mark Hillman and Brad Webb left Zero Base Advertising in July, they intended to start an ad agency, gain more control over what they produced and work with bigger brands. But the two have put plans for Hillman/Webb...

'Strategic' Pen West parcel costs Nationwide $2.2M.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. has purchased more land in the Pen West District downtown as it seeks to secure a role in development of the former manufacturing neighborhood west of the Arena District. A Nationwide Realty affiliate...

Leasing law firms.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Two law firms have made moves downtown. Littler Mendelson PC, the nation's largest employment and labor law firm, signed a five-year lease for nearly 7,000 square feet at Arshot Investment's Fifth Third Center, 21 E. State St. The...

Peters gets promotion.(Jane Peters, Karlsberger Cos.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Jane Peters, a senior architectural designer for Karlsberger Cos., has been named vice president after working 11 years with the Columbus firm. Peters, who holds a master's of architecture degree from Harvard University's Graduate School...

Changes at CB.(CB Richard Ellis)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... CB Richard Ellis has promoted downtown office specialist Greg Thomas to first vice president. Thomas, who joined CB in 1998 as part of the Mathews Click & Associates merger, has been a top producer for both firms. He sold or leased a...

CCIIR members, officers.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Columbus Commercial and Industrial Investment Realtors has named new members and its slate of officers for 2000. Joining as full members: Ronald P. Davis, Davis Real Estate and Appraisals; Thomas Irelan, DBS Development Co.; Ronni B....

Cincy holding onto Delta; carrier to build call center.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The state and the city of Cincinnati will pony up $3.6 million in incentives to keep Delta Air Lines' 1,000-employee reservations center downtown. In exchange for the help, Delta agreed to put up a six-story office building when its lease...

In face of price chopping, Ikeda shuttering factory.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Honda supplier Ikeda Interior Systems will shut its plant in Sidney by midsummer, leaving nearly 325 people without jobs. The 100,000-square-foot factory was started 12 years ago to supply Honda of America and other automakers with trim...

Troubled Akron mall finds a new owner.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Akron's Rolling Acres Mall, considered a cutting-edge shopping center when it was built 25 years ago, has been sold by Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland for $33.5 million. Detroit-based Schostak Brothers & Co., known for turning around...

Lottery Channel picks merger winner in MDI.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Cincinnati is getting its first public Internet company. Lottery Channel Inc. has been merged into MDI Entertainment of Connecticut and the combined company will be renamed Lottery.com Inc. if shareholders approve the transaction. Lottery...

DPR preparing office, retail complex in Butler.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A Harrison developer is planning a major project in Butler County that could deliver as much as 500,000 square feet of office and retail space. The Commons of Indian Springs would be built by DPR Properties on 62 acres off Route 4 near...

Meridian says it's trolling for acquisition candidates.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Meridian Diagnostics Inc. is in talks to acquire two companies. Jack Kraeutler, president of the Newtown-based maker of diagnostic medical kits, won't identify the candidates, but said each would be a $5 million to $10 million acquisition...

Elsewhere in Ohio.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. has closed the sale of its 50-store Bee-Gee Shoes subsidiary to a group that includes the retailer's managers. Shoebilee Inc., which will keep its headquarters in Dayton, was purchased by merchant bank Albertine...

Investors, regulators demand more independence on boards.(Column)
February 4, 2000... Expectations for members of governing boards and executive officers are increasing dramatically. Governance, compensation and compliance considerations are just some of the areas in which boards and executives have to determine what is expected...

House tax chief seeking relief for seller financing.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The effort to undo a tax law change that makes it harder for small-business owners to sell their enterprises has found a powerful ally in Congress. Rep. Bill Archer, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has asked President...

Clinton proposes tax credit for small biz pension plans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... President Clinton wants to give small companies a tax credit worth 50 percent of the qualified contributions they make to retirement plans of rank-and-file employees. Businesses with 100 or fewer workers would be eligible for the credit....

SBA expands answer desk service to Internet users.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Small Business Administration has expanded its answer desk to the Internet. Small-business owners and prospective entrepreneurs can e-mail their questions to www.sba.gov. The answer desk staff also will continue to be available 9 a.m....

Magazine publishers plan $10M fight vs. postal hike.(Newspaper Association of America and Magazine Publishers of America)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... The Magazine Publishers of America plans a $10 million campaign to fight the Postal Service's proposed 15 percent postage increase for periodicals. The industry association, which will lobby for overall postal reform, said the increase...

Mayors, SBA team to offer agency resources to cities.(U.S. Conference of Mayors, Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The U.S. Conference of Mayors has formed a partnership with the Small Business Administration to explore ways cities can work with federal agencies to help small companies. The organizations also agreed to share SBA's Pro-Net database of...

'Mole whacking' is symptom of deeper-rooted problems.(seminar on business problems)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Dr. Genichi Taguchi was in Columbus recently to conduct a seminar. He talked about how things really work, and why things don't work. For more than 40 years, Dr. Taguchi has looked at highly complex, yet common, problems in the business...

City of Peace reaches teens through theater, job training.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Last February, William T. Specht gave up on a 23-year dream. Two decades of futility in drumming up support for a program to help at-risk teens had taken its toll. The former high school teacher and mental health therapist finally concluded...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
February 4, 2000... ACCOUNTING Angie R. Masbruch has joined the Columbus office of Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co. as an in-charge. ADVERTISING & MARKETING Gerbig Snell/Weisheimer & Associates Inc. promoted Julie Bolkavac to account executive, Amy Glaze...

Extra credit.(using debit cards)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Businesses are taking advantage of debit transactions and other new options for customer payment The choice used to be "paper or plastic." Now, however, it's between two kinds of plastic: Credit or debit. But before the question can be...

CD-ROM launched for entrepreneurs in startup phase.(Cinema Works' product)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... A Yorkville, Ohio-based firm has launched a software kit designed to help prospective business owners through the start-up phase. "Ohio Small Business Kit," produced by Cinema Works, is a Windows 95/98-compatible CDROM that offers potential...

Skies would be friendlier to fly with better customer service.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Fly the friendly skies of... almost no one. Airline service. If you're looking for the oxymoron to exit the 20th century, that would top the list. Passengers have been so upset with unfair service and airline business practices they...

Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association has released its newest wall saw safety video. The 19-minute video offers an in-depth look at all aspects of wall sawing. It is available for sale to members for $100 or nonmembers for $200, plus...

Medical Benefits Cos.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Medical Benefits Cos. has introduced in-house Cobra and Section 125 administration to its list of group health administrative services as the initial offerings of its new specialty services unit.

Crane Products Ltd.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Crane Products Ltd. has introduced its PermaChoice wood composite siding corner post product line. The posts are made from a polymer-based wood composite that absorbs very little moisture, preventing rotting, warping and decay. Also new is the...

Feds strengthen standards protecting domain names.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Enter the name of your organization, services or products into an Internet browser, add .com, .org or .net, and you may receive a rude awakening to the realities of the domain name gold rush when you discover the name is being used as an...

Greater Columbus home builders.
February 4, 2000... Greater Columbus home builders Ranked by 1999 gross sales of owner-occupied units GROSS SALES 1999 COMPANY NAME OF OWNER-...

Leaders get what they give when it comes to building trust.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Imagine you're at the top of a cliff. You're staring down, beyond the tips of your new climbing shoes, beyond the jagged features of the cliffs face, to sweet terra firma far below. One of your coworkers stands next to you, electric with...

Fraud prevention systems safeguard customers, workers.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... In the age of businesses being held liable for the conduct and actions of their employees, most companies are creating and implementing effective compliance programs. These programs not only increase protection of the consumer but also aid in...

ITP Associates.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... ITP Associates is a recently-formed management and business consulting alliance offering advising to small and large business entities in areas such as finance and accounting, international business and finance, strategic planning and...

Mencken Communications Group Ltd.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Mencken Communications Group Ltd. has formed, with six operating divisions: Mencken Business Services, Mencken Online Communications, Mencken Technical Communications, Mencken Creative, Mencken Publishing and Writers Network.

It's another day, another mixed message from OSHA.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Not too long ago, OSHA defenders stormed Capitol Hill to defend the agency from slurs of Big Brotherism. With the snap of a finger and a new 1995 Republican Congress, the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration was born. In...

A plum of an argument, but nothing to stew about.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... When I heard they were trying to change the name of prunes I refused to just sit idly by. I resolved to analyze the situation and decide for myself whether the official name of a prune should be changed to dried plum. Dried plum? Yes,...

Knox taps former Mansfield mayor as planning director.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... MOUNT VERNON -- A seasoned planning director has been hired to help steer Knox County down a development path consistent with community concerns. Edward Meehan, a former Richland County planning director and one-time mayor of Mansfield,...

Greenfield neighbors launch campaign to get hospital project OK'd.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... CARROLL -- A group of Greenfield Township residents has kicked off a campaign to support a March ballot initiative that will decide if Mount Carmel's planned hospital project will be built. On Jan. 27, Neighbors For Choice in Health Care...

State unveils draft study on Route 33 bypass plan.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... LANCASTER -- The Ohio Department of Transportation has unveiled a draft environmental study on the planned Route 33 bypass. Fairfield County residents got their first look at the draft during a Jan. 12 public hearing at the Fairfield Career...

Heath: mecca for retail?(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... HEATH -- Who would have ever guessed Heath would turn into a retail boomlet? But this small city 30 miles east of Columbus seems to be on a roll. "We have a lot of traffic and businesses like traffic," said Mayor Dan Dupps. "A busy town is...

Trustees won't fight Kingman Hill decision.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Appeals court ruling gives go-ahead on development for southern Delaware Trustees of Delaware and Liberty townships have decided not to fight a recent appeals court decision that paves the way for development of Delaware's southern edge....

Byers' auto, real estate groups now employ fifth generation.
February 4, 2000... When entrepreneur George W. Byers, a renowned showman in Central Ohio and expert judge of horses, founded his Columbus-based business in 1897, he capitalized on what he knew best. Now, 103 years later, Byers' Blue Ribbon Stables has evolved...

Outside expertise can be key to family business survival.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Less than 30 percent of family-owned businesses are passed on to the second generation, say statistics from the national Federation of Independent Business. Less than 15 percent of these original businesses survive to be run by the third...

Greater Columbus family-owned businesses.(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Greater Columbus family-owned businesses Ranked by number of full-time employees GREATER TOTAL 1999 SALES COMPANY NAME COLUMBUS...

IRS checklist details regulations for gift tax disclosures.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Gifting, with property other than cash, is a popular method for taxpayers to leverage both the annual gift tax exclusion ($10,000 per recipient) and the lifetime exclusion (this year $675,000) allowed under the Internal Revenue Code before the...

Family farm options shrink in Ohio's leading industry.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... HEBRON - In his early 40s, Rick Black is a fifth-generation farmer. His family can trace its farm roots back to land grants issued by the federal government in 1812. Rick Black's 350-acre farm caresses the gently rolling hills of southern...

Free advice service evolved into $55m construction firm.(American Church Builders)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A growing congregation is a blessing to any pastor. But when church growth or other acts of God require a new building or renovation, the flock must pull together to get the job done -- especially when that job costs more than the church can...

Nation's oldest stone firm guided by fifth generation.(Lang Stone Co.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Like the carefully crafted stone it produces, Lang Stone has an enduring quality to it. Since 1856, the Lang family has been supplying stone for projects as massive as the Ohio Statehouse or as small as a kitchen counter top. It is the...

Pre-planning, neutral party key to successful succession.(for Solulions Staffing)
February 4, 2000... When it comes to succession planning, the sweet smell of success can quickly turn to sour grapes when there is discord among family members. And when there are two families involved, the succession process can be even trickier - unless...

Family element big selling point for firms.(family-owned businesses)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... In today's world of mega-business -- conglomerates with divisions, subsidiaries and chains, fast-paced mergers and acquisitions -- sometimes it's nice to know there are still a few industries that do well because they are family-owned. ...

National Association of the Remodeling Industry.(Contractor of the Year awards)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Central Ohio chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry presented its annual Contractor of the Year awards Dec. 10. Dave Fox Remodeling received Residential Addition Under $100,000, Residential Interior and Residential...

Steve Banks.(received a Certificate of Special Appreciation from the Ohio chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Columbus Division of Police freeway officer Steve Banks received a Certificate of Special Appreciation from the Ohio chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. From March 1999 through the end of the year, Banks arrested 84 impaired drivers,...

Wendy Pugh.(management training programs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Wendy Pugh, Sara Carter and Laura Rissmeyer completed a training program in Sylvan Center Management, focusing on methods of management, education theories and customer service skills. Pugh is director of education in the Hilliard Sylvan...

Richard A. Frye.(designated a member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, Ohio)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Richard A. Frye, partner in Chester willcox & Saxbe LLP, has been designated a life member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference. Only 13 other Columbus lawyers are life members.

Joshua Shy.(Associated Builders and Contractors Carpentry Apprentice Program)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Joshua Shy, Davey Jones, Robert McClaskey Jr. and Jay Caroon of Renovators Inc. are participating in the Associated Builders and Contractors Carpentry Apprentice Program. This program, taught by Daniel Hughes of Reconstruction Inc., gives...

Sen. Grace Drake.(honored for her work in Ohio farm land preservation)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts honored state Sen. Grace Drake for her work with farmland preservation.

GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 4, 2000... GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS From Price previous 52-week Company ...

LOCAL STOCKS.(Columbus, Ohio)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 4, 2000... Close 1399.71 From previous week +8.44 DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS Close 11003.20 From previous week -29.79 S&P 500 Close 1409.12 From previous week +5.03 NASDAQ Close ...

Heartland BancCorp.(29% increase in net income in 1999)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Heartland BancCorp reports 1999 net income jumped 29 percent from a year ago to $2.32 million. The Gahanna-based parent of Heartland Bank said revenue rose to $21.1 million from $19.9 million in 1998. Net interest income climbed 22 percent....

Intimate Brands Inc.(net sales increase of 20.4%)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The parent of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works said net sales in the four weeks ending Jan. 29 were up 20.4 percent from a year ago to $335.4 million. Overall, Intimate Brands Inc. said sales for the full fiscal year reached $4.5...

Lancaster Colony Corp.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Lancaster Colony Corp. reported record second-quarter net income of $33.1 million, up from $25.2 million in the same quarter a year ago. The company said sales were a record $324 million in the quarter, up from $301 million a year ago....

Liqui-Box Corp.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Columbus-based liquid packaging systems manufacturer Liqui-Box Corp. reported a record year. Net income rose to $19.1 million from $17 million the previous year. Sales climbed to $165.2 million from $154.7 million in 1998. The company said its...

Nationwide Financial Services Inc.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Nationwide Financial Services Inc. said 1999 sales, including life and annuity premiums, sales of mutual funds and deposits in administered asset products, reached $16.4 billion, up 24 percent from 1998. Net income was $381.3 million, up from...

Scotts Co.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Scotts Co. said first-quarter net sales were $191.5 million compared to last year's first quarter performance of $184.4 million. The company reported a net loss of $29.6 million compared to a net loss of $10 million in the same quarter a year...