Business First-Columbus articles from January 1999

Business First-Columbus archives from January 1999

USF Holland expanding: $4 million shipping complex at Westbelt West will add 65 jobs to payroll of 218.
January 1, 1999... A regional division of U.S. Freightways Corp. plans to double the size of its Columbus operations in early 1999 at the Westbelt West Business Park. Pending approval of a tax abatement request, USF Holland Inc. plans to build a $4 milton...

Retailers' unhappy holiday: late-arriving shoppers didn't deliver as expected, leaving stores with another season of lackluster sales.
January 1, 1999... Retailers are hoping this weekend's shopping finale will help them salvage a holiday shopping season that failed to deliver on forecasters' promises. "To this point sales are up, but they're below expectations," said Pamela Rucker, vice...

Marion hospital conversion spurs $19M in work.(Marion General's MedCenter Hospital)
January 1, 1999... Consolidation of the Marion County hospital system will lead to nearly $19 million in renovations and construction at Marion General I Hospital through early 2001. Marion General, a division of Columbus-based Ohio-Health, plans to convert...

New worry arises for economy.(includes related article on economic analysts' economic forecast for Ohio in 1999)(Ohio)
January 1, 1999... Confidence - or lack of it - will drive much of what the nation sees in economic performance in 1999, according to Columbus economists, and Central Ohio appears to share the country's concerns. Consumers and corporations for the past few...

Sonic marks first expansion in area with repair center.(Sonic Automotive Inc.)
January 1, 1999... Sonic Automotive Inc., which became a major player in Columbus' automobile dealer market when it bought Hatfield Automotive Group's six dealerships in March, plans to build a $2.5 million, 40,000-square-foot collision shop at Hatfield Automall....

Kridler hopes CVB can bloom from his roots as arts leader.(Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau Chmn.-elect Douglas A. Kridler)
January 1, 1999... Cultural tourism may get a boost next year when the leader of a Columbus arts organization becomes chairman of the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau. Douglas A. Kridler, president and executive director of the Columbus...

It's a year away, but the millennium party rush is on.
January 1, 1999... The party's over for New Year's Eve 1998, but business in Central Ohio is already hot for next year's bash. At the Hyatt Regency hotel, promoters expect to sell out guest packages and party-only tickets by mid-summer for the evening that...

Shelved ABL couldn't beat lack of capital, TV coverage.(American Basketball League)
January 1, 1999... Goliath slew David. To the dismay of many in the sports world, the American Basketball League conceded defeat in its bitter battle with the NBA-owned Women's National Basketball Association. The ABL, once a brash pioneer in women's...

LCI's Thompson looks for new challenge.(LCI International Inc.'s CEO H. Brian Thompson)
January 1, 1999... When LCI International Inc. built its new headquarters in Ballston, Va., in 1996, chief executive H. Brian Thompson was involved in some of the tiniest details. He personally helped the architects design the angled window and the winding...

Driven by design: auto dealership has European approach.(Commercial Real Estate)(Midwestern Auto Group)
January 1, 1999... Anyone who thinks that buying a car is about as unpleasant as a root canal obviously hasn't been shopping lately. With a trend toward "customer friendly" showrooms, a growing number of dealerships are offering a shopping experience that's...

Duke digging into Dublin.(Duke Realty Investments Inc. to buy office development sites in Ohio)
January 8, 1999... Developer pre-empts rivals with land purchase at Blazer Duke Realty investments Inc. is expected to buy about 64 acres of land for office development off Frantz Road and Blazer Memorial Parkway, strengthening its grip on the important...

Goodwin returns to 'love affair' at Children's Hospital Columbus.(hospital COO Keith Goodwin)
January 8, 1999... Hospital's new COO rose from housekeeper, but keeps his eye on CEO prize When Keith Goodwin started working at Children's Hospital as a housekeeper in 1977, he never expected he'd still be there two decades later - much less its chief...

Rich Products expands in Hillard.(frozen food firm; Ohio)
January 8, 1999... Doughnut work shift adds 100 workers Central Ohio this year will become a major supplier of frozen doughnuts to supermarket and convenience store bakeries and food-service companies. Buffalo-based Rich Products Corp. said it will...

Snowstorm put company attendance policies to test.(Central Ohio companies)
January 8, 1999... Coming out of a winter holiday to face winter, Central Ohio companies carried on as usual. Usual, except that virtually every business closed Jan. 2 after a morning of snow and before an afternoon and evening of ram, sleet and more snow....

Specialty surgical center gets under way.(Long Vasbinder and Johnson Ltd. wins contract to build outpatient surgical center in Columbus, Ohio)
January 8, 1999... Real estate developer Long Vasbinder & Johnson Ltd. has cut a deal with a Columbus urologist to build a $3.9 million outpatient surgical and diagnostic center off Olentangy River Road between Bethel and Henderson roads. Knightsbridge...

Gates, Arthur Andersen to start cross-selling services to clients.
January 8, 1999... Gates McDonald and Arthur Andersen have formed an uncommon alliance to strengthen their position in the unemployment insurance and cost management niche of employee benefits. What the two companies are after is access to each other's...

Bisys catches overseas wave to keep business at high tide.(Bisys Fund Services)
January 8, 1999... Bisys Fund Services is predicting another year of double-digit growth as the mutual fund administrator rides the outsourcing trend and the results of an overseas expansion. "Our sales pipeline is as full as it's ever been," said Bisys...

Easton books third hotel.(Residence Inn; Easton Center area, Columbus, Ohio)
January 15, 1999... Developers of Easton Town Center will break ground in February for a 120-room Residence Inn by Marriott. Mall Properties Inc., developer and operator of the 310-room Columbus Hilton and Towers at Easton now under construction, will develop...

Center gives Blue Jackets buzz.(Nationwide Arena, new home of the Columbus Blue Jackets)
January 15, 1999... The National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and Nationwide Insurance Enterprise have unveiled a cutting-edge arena marketing center designed to lure potential fans, ranging from single-season ticket holders to the most well-heeled...

Crew signs Pepsi in key sponsorship.(Columbus Crew, professional soccer team)
January 15, 1999... In the first major sponsorship deal for the Columbus Crew's new $25 million stadium, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co, of Columbus has secured exclusive pouring rights at the 22,500-seat complex set to open May 15 at the Ohio Expo Center. The...

GM plugs into Duke Park for massive ACDelco center.(General Motors Corp.)
January 15, 1999... General Motors Corp. has selected Groveport Commerce Center for a 504,000-square-foot distribution center, one of three new AC Delco replacement auto parts facilities announced Jan. 14. Construction on the build-to-suit facility on 27.5...

BWC seeks info, partner for garage.(Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation)
January 15, 1999... The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation wants to build a parking garage along North Front Street downtown but needs a developer to help it out. So the agency plans to issue a formal request for information as soon as Jan. 15 to gauge...

Golf Galaxy puts Columbus in orbit with Tuttle outlet.(Company Profile)
January 15, 1999... Two Minnesota executives who honed their retailing skills at Best Buy Co. are planning to build a superstore for golf enthusiasts in the Tuttle Crossing area. The Golf Galaxy superstore aimed at Northwest Columbus would become the Eden...

California property broker making a foray into Ohio.(Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Co.)
January 15, 1999... Welsh Cos. veteran picked to help establish local office for Marcus & Millichap A California-based real estate investment brokerage has hired a Columbus commercial real estate veteran as its opening move to set up an Ohio office of at...

Antique Networking draws investors to promote site.
January 15, 1999... A Columbus-based online antiques store has raised $500,000 in a private stock offering as part of its effort to become "the antiques portal" on the Internet. Antique Networking Inc., an online go-between for antiques dealers and buyers,...

Small banks' troubles mean profit struggle at Banc Stock.
January 15, 1999... Wall Street's recent love-hate relationship with bank stocks has taken its toll on Banc Stock Group Inc., a community bank investment company that has reported a second straight quarter of losses. Columbus-based Banc Stock Group invests in...

Cleveland thrift deposits three loan offices in Columbus area.(Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland)
January 15, 1999... A back-to-basics Cleveland thrift is coming to Central Ohio to enter the market for residential mortgages and lines of credit. Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland, a mutual thrift with $5.8 billion in assets, will open...

State, care providers locked in fight over Medicaid HMOs.(health maintenance organizations)
January 15, 1999... Ohio's Medicaid HMO program has found itself on the defensive as commercial Medicaid health maintenance organizations and providers demand changes in a program that has resulted in huge financial losses for the health-care industry. ...

Cardinal eyes Dublin land; health-care giant seeks OK for site south of I-270.(Cardinal Health Inc.)
January 22, 1999... Office buildings for Cardinal Health Inc. may become the dominant feature along 1270 in Dublin during the next several years as the colossus health-care services company contemplates expanding its office complex to the south side of the...

Partner benefits move to forefront.(offer of domestic partnership benefits to employees by employers)
January 22, 1999... That Mary Jo Hudson's employer, law firm Arter & Hadden LLP in Columbus, offers domestic partnership benefits is a point that makes her gush. "It means that they value me as an individual and an important employee, and that they are...

Bankers raise a 'militia' to counter Ohio credit unions' legislative agenda.
January 22, 1999... Ohio's credit unions want to update the state's Credit Union Act this General Assembly session, but they will face a more militant banking industry if they propose anything controversial. To prepare for the new legislative session, the Ohio...

Ohio paralegals keep watch on N.J. regulation movement.(New Jersey)
January 22, 1999... An unprecedented movement to regulate and license paralegals is dividing the legal assistant profession, which has operated quietly behind the scenes for the past quarter century. New Jersey would become the first state in the country to...

J.A. Croson, Cincinnati firm touched by merger wave.(Teepe River City Mechanical Contractors)
January 22, 1999... Consolidation in the construction trades has prompted commercial pluming and HVAC contractors in Columbus and Cincinnati to merge operations. A formal merger of J.A. Croson Co. of Columbus and Teepe River City Mechanical Contractors of...

Finance One makes moves to raise Internet commerce.(creation of eCommerce division)
January 22, 1999... E-commerce executive named to head new Bank One effort Bank One Corp.'s consumer finance subsidiary has created an electronic commerce division to increase its profile on the Internet and has brought in an e-commerce veteran from California...

Marion Bank parent pushes to raise cash for growth.(Ohio State Bancshares)
January 22, 1999... $1.1 M offering to help lender handle deposits wave Here's a problem some smaller banks would like to have: Ohio State Bancshares Inc. says it needs to sell more stock to keep up with its growth as customers roll in. Ohio State...

X Design marking its spot; Columbus art studio rides demand for 3-D displays, building revenue along the way.
January 22, 1999... If it seems like more store displays are jumping up, dropping down or coming out at consumers, you are probably right. A developing movement in retailing design calls for extensive three-dimensional displays, such as characters adorning...

Retailers in the sights of 2 Internet Web site operators.(Columbus Web Observer; Columbus Pages)
January 22, 1999... Hoping to lure local advertisers, two Columbus Web masters will co-market their Internet sites to Central Ohio companies. Under an agreement reached Jan. 13, the owner of Columbus Web Observer will sell advertising for the Web Observer and...

Extra credit.(Small Business Strategies)(Ohio's incentive program)
January 22, 1999... By creating jobs, start-ups and expanding firms can get tax breaks through a 6-year-old state incentive program It's not easy or cheap to get a business up and running, especially for manufacturers. First, they face a huge capital...

A&F shops New Albany for headquarters.(Abercrombie and Fitch Co.)
January 29, 1999... Abercrombie & Fitch Co. wants to relocate its world headquarters and distribution complex from Reynoldsburg to New Albany. The brash retailer of clothing to young adults, identified only as "Company X" to village and school officials,...

No fears here on economy, businesses say.(Greater Columbus, OH)
January 29, 1999... Others may worry about the state of the world economy, but not James Van Ostran. "I'm one of those optimistic guys. Personally, we're looking for probably one of the best years we've ever had," said Van Ostran, owner of Jobes Henderson &...

Bob Daniels, GM settle suit; Tobin begins selling Buicks.(Bob Daniels Buick; General Motors Corp.)
January 29, 1999... Bob Daniels Buick and General Motors Corp. have settled a lawsuit over the placement in Dublin of the area's fourth Buick dealership. The settlement of the suit, which had been appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, clears the way for Dan...

2 fund managers exit Ohio Co. to start area office for Davidson.(John Bevilacqua; David Will; Davidson Partners Investment Counsel)
January 29, 1999... Two executives at Fifth Third/The Ohio Co. have left the company to head a regional asset management firm's expansion into Columbus. John Bevilacqua and David Will, former mutual fund managers at Ohio Co., joined Davidson Partners...

City offers Brewery District acreage for development; officials hope move will spur more construction.(Columbus, OH)
January 29, 1999... Officials hope move will spur more construction Columbus hopes to jump-start development in the Brewery District just south of downtown by selling nine acres it owns in that area to developers. The city has sent invitations to 43...

Dublin insurance agency sees future in sale to Futura.(Risk Management Financial Solutions of Ohio Ltd.; Futura Banc Corp.)
January 29, 1999... A Champaign County-based bank has joined the business diversity push of its larger banking rivals, offering insurance by buying a stake in a Dublin insurance agency. Futura Banc Corp., the Urbana-based parent of Champaign National Bank and...

No Ohio ad agencies to bid for Bank One's top account.
January 29, 1999... Bank One Corp. needs an ad agency that can build awareness quickly for the newly enlarged company so it can launch products and capture business in an industry filled with new, big banks doing the same thing. Columbus advertising executives...

Collector's items.(Small Business Strategies)(Excel Business Systems' accounts receivable process)
January 29, 1999... To get clients to pay their bills small firm owners need perseverance and a little creativity The furniture industry is plagued with high overhead costs that eat away at bottom lines. But Mike Warren has found one way around that. The...

What's wrong with REITs, and will they get better?
January 29, 1999... And will they get better? Real estate investment trusts are due for a comeback in 1999 after a woe-filled 1998, according to some Columbus REIT and investment professionals. Compared to 1996 and 1997, when real estate investment trusts...

Labor shortage continues to frustrate small businesses.(Special Report: Storm Watch)
January 29, 1999... Finding and keeping good help is the biggest problem for American small-business owners and operators, but most are not taking specific steps to overcome the shortage. This is one of the key findings of a new national survey of 800...