Business First-Columbus articles from January 2001

Business First-Columbus archives from January 2001

CPA poll: Odds for recession in '01 rising.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... The experts who number-crunch business' books have become more cautious than usual about the economy in the upcoming year A new survey by the trade group for the state's certified public accountants finds 63 percent of its members think an...

Delaware scores with hot growth potential.(Delaware County, Ohio)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Skeptics may argue the Midwest has only a handful of markets poised for future growth, but they're wrong. Demographics Daily has identified 138 Midwestern counties - including one in Central Ohio with above-average growth potential, based...

MARKET MAKERS.(Ethnic grocers in Columbus, Ohio)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Ethnic retailers step forward, fill niches When Neeli Bendapudi arrived in Columbus in 1996 to teach marketing at Ohio State University, it surprised her that a city its size had so few Indian grocers. That's not the case nowadays....

Allied embraces Columbus.
January 5, 2001... Togo's, Dunkin' Donuts to expand The franchisor for Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin' Donuts and Togo's sandwich shops is targeting Central Ohio for an expansion of its three retail food operations. Massachusetts-based Allied Domecq Quick...

Blue Jackets give Landsharks unexpected pub.(Hockey team supports the Columbus professional lacrosse team)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Columbus' new entry into the National Lacrosse League enjoyed a few extra minutes in the spotlight New Year's Eve at Nationwide Arena. As the arena lights dimmed and the sell-out crowd stood in anticipation of the Blue Jackets' battle with...

Blue Chip to acquire Knowledge Development.
January 5, 2001... A Columbus-based computer training company is about to be acquired by Cincinnati investors and relocated to the Queen City. This is according to Jack Wyant, whose Blue Chip Venture Co. is about to invest $5 million in the deal. After...

FAILING GRADE.(Big 10's poorest graduation rate helps do in Ohio State's head football coach John Cooper)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Big 10's poorest graduation rate helps do in Ohio State's Cooper A changing academic climate at Ohio State University appears to have helped grease the skids for the firing of head football coach John Cooper. His team's dismal...

Advisers to the angels.(OhioAngeles.com)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Ohio Angels sees new panel helping make money connections OhioAngeles.com has marked completion of its development phase and the launch of its expansion with the unveiling of an advisory board of well-known angel investors and venture...

Insurance regulators put Proliance into rehabilitation.
January 5, 2001... Proliance Insurance Co., a small property and casualty firm based in Columbus, has been placed under rehabilitation by the Ohio Department of Insurance. Under rehabilitation means the Insurance Department runs the insurer while the...

National Church Residences receives $1.7 million grant.
January 5, 2001... National Church Residences, a nonprofit housing group based in Columbus, has been awarded $1.7 million in federal social service grants. The grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Will fund resident social service...

Ex-insurance agent indicted on theft, forgery allegations.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A former insurance agent was indicted last month on theft and forgery charges stemming from the cashing of $20,000 in consumer checks owed to three insurance companies. Larry C. Braun, of Marysville, who surrendered his Ohio license to...

CallTech Communications to open third call center.
January 5, 2001... Despite a shakeout in the dotcom industry, a Columbus-based provider of support to that sector has grown to 1,300 employees and will open its fourth call center Jan. 15. CallTech Communications LLC's Fort Myers, Fla., call center initially...

Interactive Ink reaches into Dallas for acquisition, bringing developers.(Columbus firm buys StepUp Software)
January 5, 2001... Interactive Ink Inc. has acquired database software developer based in Dallas, a move intended to help the Columbus company double its business and expand its market reach. Purchased was StepUp Software, an 11-year-old developer of database...

Hospital recharges under Lehman, moves forward.(Columbus Community Hospital CEO Gary Lehman)
January 5, 2001... South side businessman Jim Hildenbrand likes the style of new Columbus Community Hospital CEO Gary Lehman. "He has brought leadership and enthusiasm to the hospital and community," said the long-time owner of Jim Hildenbrand Realty and...

Health insurance cost rise looming for OSU staffers.(Ohio State University)
January 5, 2001... Double-digit increases in health care costs may lead to higher copayments on office visits, prescription drugs and other services for the tens of thousands covered by Ohio. State University's self-funded health insurance plans. Such...

Merging law firms to use Columbus as a 'pivot point'.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Two law firms at opposite ends of Ohio will use Columbus as a "pivot point" as they merge into a statewide firm. Cincinnati-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister, where Ohio Gov. Bob Taft once worked, has merged with Cleveland-based Kelley...

5/3 banking on Web plan in move of biz products.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Fifth Third Bancorp will spend more than $10 million in a push to move commercial products onto the Web. The investment is part of a wide-ranging strategy to convince Fifth Third's 119,000 commercial customers to do their banking on the...

Submit Order produces healthy growth in 2000.(SubmitOrder makes sure dot com orders are correctly filled and timely shipped.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dennis Spina, chief executive of Columbus-based SubmitOrder, thinks the growth e-commerce saw in 2000 is sustainable, manageable and healthy. "E-commerce is moving along at a rapid click, but not at the bubble proportions it was," Spina...

E-sales delivered crystal retailer 30 percent growth last year.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... The mall-based retailer that sells Waterford, Orresfors, Baccarat, Kosta Boda and Swarovski crystal from three shops in Columbus saw its same-store sales decrease between 3 percent and 8 percent for 2000. But because of 3 million visitors...

Tuttle mall reintroduces kids' Tuesday programs.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Tuttle Tuesdays at 10, a weekly children's program, resumes at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing at 10 am. Jan. 16. The kids' entertainment program took a hiatus in November to provide room for Santa Claus. Families with small children are one...

Chocolate Works, Gerald Stevens have their eyes on Valentine's Day.(Chclatier and national flower retailer work together)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Pickerington-based Chocolate Works is growing its, sweet relationship with national flower retailer Gerald Stevens Inc. Using an exclusive dark chocolate recipe, the Ohio confections company has been making chocolate bars bearing the Gerald...

Easton Town Center selects LS&Y for ad work.(Lord Sullivan and Yoder Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Columbus-based Lord Sullivan & Yoder Inc. was named ad agency of record for the growing Easton Town Center. The duration and value of the contract was not disclosed. LS&Y spokeswoman Jill Clark says the agency will provide Easton Town...

Challenge for 2001: take 10 floors in bank high-rise.(Bank One Corp. has contacted the Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. leasing representative to fill 10 floors of its office tower at 100 E. Broad St. in Columbus)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Call it a challenge. Call it an opportunity. Either way, Ryan Repp just hopes to get lots of calls. Bank One Corp. has contacted the Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. leasing representative to fill 10 floors, or 125,000 square feet, of its office...

Triad Architects project gets design recognition.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Triad Architects Inc. has received industry recognition for its design of a campus for the Cambridge (Ohio) City School District. American School and University magazine recognized Gahanna-based Triad in the publication's 2000 Architectural...

Russian architects seeking hosts for visit.(Hosted by Rotary of Dublin, OH)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Dublin A.M. Rotary Club will host a team of 13 Russian architects for three weeks this spring as part of a U.S. State Department exchange program. The community service club said it needs area residents to provide a home-away-from-home...

Paradigm grabs management of Crosswoods III offices.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Paradigm Properties has taken over the management of Crosswoods III, a 115,238-square-foot multitenant office building at 200 E. Campus View Blvd. The assignment took effect Jan. 1. The move marks an extension of Paradigm's multimarket...

NAIOP hosts Fantus exec for its Forecast 2001.(National Association of Industrial and Office Properties)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The regional chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Fisher College of Business at OSU will host a Forecast 2001: State of the Market breakfast and seminar Jan. 18 at Ohio State's Fawcett Center. ...

Columbus architects schedule meeting.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Speaking of meetings, members of the Columbus chapter of the American Institute of Architects are due to gather for a chapter meeting Jan. 16 at the Fawcett Center. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. with a presentation on employee motivation by...

Greater Columbus SBA lenders.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Greater Columbus SBA lenders RANKED BY AMOUNT LOANED IN GREATER COLUMBUS TOTAL 7(A) 504 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AMOUNT LOANS [2]: PROJECTS [2]: ADDRESS ...

Nonprofit to lead Morse Road upgrade.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A new nonprofit, group plans to finance and direct revitalization efforts in the Morse Road area west of tony Easton. The first job of Northland Inc. has been to contract with Main Street Connections LLC, a Worthington consulting firm, to...

Amerigraph, Value City tax deals head to city council.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Proposed tax deals for Value City Department Stores and specialty printer Amerigraph LLC will get a first look at the Jan. 8 Columbus City Council meeting. Council also is scheduled to decide whether to approve a tax incentive for...

PUCO: Ohio won't see California-style deregulation problems.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... It can't happen here, experts say. The brownouts and price spikes that came in the wake of California's recent deregulation of the electric industry won't be duplicated in the Buckeye State, according to the Public Utilities Commission of...

Chiquita executive lands spot in Bush's White House.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A public relations executive with Chiquita Brands International Inc., which has already flexed its political muscle in Washington, will be White House deputy chief of staff; arranging President-elect Bush's scheduling and travel. Joseph...

Sohio station operators secure settlement from charges lawsuit.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... About 1,300 former service-station operators who claimed Standard Oil of Ohio overcharged them for products will share a $12.1 million settlement. The lawsuit filed in 1981 by Kenneth Shaver of Bellevue alleged Sohio overcharged its...

Weather puts Kings Island visits on roller-coaster ride downward.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Attendance at Paramount's Kings Island dropped for the second year in a row despite nearly $40 million in new rides. Park officials attributed the drop to weather and say they are confident attendance will pick up. An estimated 3.2 million...

DPL explores selling some or all of Dayton-based utility.(Dayton Power and Light Co.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dayton Power and Light Co., which sends electricity to 500,000 customers in west-central Ohio, could be up for sale. Its parent, DPL Inc., has hired the Wall Street investment banker Morgan Stanley & Co. to explore that possibility. ...

Lordstown, workers craft pact to keep GM factory alive.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Union officers at General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown assembly plant have reached a tentative contract agreement that could make the factory part of the automaker's restructuring plan. Plant Manager Herman Maass told the Associated Press the...

Retailers, offices destined for old Cincy Milacron HQ site?(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The former Cincinnati Milacron headquarters site in suburban Oakley could be reborn as a discount retail center under a proposal given to the Cincinnati development planners. Vandacar Holdings Inc. is buying the site, off Interstate 71, to...

Myths can hinder attempt to create effective resume.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the debut of Job Hunt, a column that will appear regularly in Business First. Welcome to the arena of writer's block, disorganization, panic or worse, overconfidence. Welcome to the challenge of preparing your...

Alliances serve up plenty of options for parties involved.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... "If you think you can go it alone in today's global economy, you are highly mistaken." -- Jack Welch Strategic alliances can provide growth quickly at a fraction of the cost of tackling the market alone or buying growth via acquisition. In...

Adventures grants on-going wishes to sick kids.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... No doubt many are grateful for organizations such as Phoenix-based Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping suffering children live out a special dream. But what happens after the wish is granted?. What do the terminally...

EXPANSION MODE.(Doggie day care)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Business owners take on many roles -- contractor, lawyer, diplomat -- when expanding the business For roughly a year, the Animal Hospital of Worthington has offered day care for dogs, helping its canine-owning clients avoid coming home at...

CONNECTIONS.(Richard B. Bradford president and consultant of Jadwyn-Bradford Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Richard B. Bradford President and consultant Jadwyn-Bradford Ltd. 740-689-1648 E-mail: jadbrad@aol.com How long have you been in this business or position? I started my company consulting business in July 1999...

Riding the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A subject rarely addressed in the vast array of information available to entrepreneurs, is the often turbulent emotional roller coaster a novice owner rides, especially in the early years of business. For someone who has vacated the...

Voice your complaints the e-way.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Have you been the victim of incredibly bad service or somewhat shady business practices, or worse yet, have you been down right scammed? Instead of grumbling to your family and friends or writing a letter to the president of the company, hoping...

OUT WITH THE OLD.(Gadget cafe features computers to be taken apart for art work)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Tax write-offs may yield best return on your computer investment Unlike most people, Nathan Bellomy would rather have a 5- or 10-year-old computer than one right off the shelf. That's because Bellomy, the team coordinator for Gadget...

GRANTS.(To help homeless veterans)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Veterans Program presented $335,000 to Volunteers of America to underwrite the acquisition and renovation of the organization's new facility for its men's emergency and transitional housing...

WEB inSITE.(Columbus Landsharks, lacrosse)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... URL: www.columbuslandsharks.com Company: The Columbus Landsharks, expansion team of the National Lacrosse League. Contact: Landsharks team office, 614-246-JAWS. Site design: Sports Vue Internet Inc., Atlantic, Va. Launch Date:...

FAVORITE COMPUTER ERRORS.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Errorl. Smash forehead on keyboard to continue. Error2. Enter any 11-digit prime number to continue. Error3. Press any key to continue or any other key to quit. Error4. Press any key except...no, no, no, not that one! Error5....

Team America closes merger with Web-based Mucho.com.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Team America Corp. has completed its merger with Lafayette, Calif.-based Mucho.com, an Internet-based destination site for small business. Team America has changed its name to Team Mucho Inc. and now trades under the Nasdaq symbol TMOS. ...

Metatec marketing discs in larger data capacity sizes.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The shaped CD -- a business card-sized CD-ROM popular with marketers, promoters and retailers -- is now available in larger data capacity sizes from Dublin-based Metatec International. Metatec markets its shaped CD under the DataCard product...

WDA&E launches new Expesite.com version 2.0.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... WDA&E, a Columbus architectural and engineering firm, has launched version 2.0 of its Internet-based project management system, Expesite.com, which provides Web-based project management solutions for multiunit restaurant, retail, petroleum and...

Office Depot to close all Central Ohio stores.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... All six Central Ohio stores of Office Depot will be among 70 the Delray Beach, Fla.-based chain plans to shutter in North America this year. The nation's largest office supplies retailer also said Jan. 3 that it will leave the Cleveland,...

Limited Too expects rise in fourth-quarter EPS.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Despite slower holiday sales, Too Inc. plans earnings per share to exceed expectations. Based on sales for the nine-week holiday period ended Dec. 30, the Limited Inc. spinoff plans to report a decrease in fourth-quarter comparable store sales...

Battelle forecast: R&D spending to rise.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Total R&D expenditures in the nation are expected to increase about 5 percent to $277 billion in 2001, according to the annual research and development forecast issued by Columbus-based Battelle and R&D Magazine. Industrial support is the...

GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Local stocks Close 1,613.77 From previous week -43.62 Dow Jones INDUSTRIALS Close 10,946.75 From previous week +142.59 S&P 500 Close 1,347.56 From previous week +18.64 ...

Breaking up IBM could re-enliven limp stock value.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Dear Mr. Berko: Against my broker's strong objections last year, I decided to buy 100 shares of IBM and paid $136. It hasn't been back to that price since. What's wrong with this company? My broker believes IBM has lost its competitive edge and...

BANK RATES.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... BANK RATES Mortgage rates 30-YR FIXED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION % RATE POINTS American Mortgage 7.00 0 Arlington Bank ...

Want ads drop in Columbus, around nation.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The number of want ads finding their way into newspapers in major U.S. employment markets is on the decline, according to figures recently released by the Conference Board. Specifically, seven of the nine regions measured by the Conference...

Success in 2001 means keeping up momentum.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Congratulations. We made it through another year. Last year at this time, we weren't entirely sure we would. Columbus -- like the rest of the country -- was fretting about Y2K, uncertain about whether this dastardly millennium bug would...

Missing expectations just sign of time.(To earn an A)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... I called a friend last week to catch up' on her life and pass on some news about the coming year. I asked how her past semester at school went. She said that she made an A in all her classes except one. In it she graded out at a B-plus....

Debate pits Columbus vs. suburbs.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Habig: Area must reach 'sustainability' Bill Habig has been executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) since 1971. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Detroit and a...

Growth, higher values set for Italian Village houses.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Three new houses, with prices averaging about $200,000, are Italian Village's first steps toward higher-priced, single-family houses and condominiums. This fall, Joe Armeni, owner and broker for Re/Max City Center Realtors and owner of the...

Big empty boxes piling up as new buildings sprout.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... You can't take them apart -- and it may not be feasible either to link them like Lego's -- but empty big box retail locations are stacking up around Columbus. What is happening, however, is that many are staying empty, and some, according...

Building managers work toward 24/7 office access.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... You know the routine Your spouse wants to meet for lunch, you don't want to miss your son's baseball game after school, and your business clients need to talk to you - no matter what time of day it is. The priorities of Columbus area...

Retail development experienced a slowdown in 2000.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... As 2000 ends, real estate brokers have had to face the reality that the heyday of the 1990s - when major retailers rolled out hundreds of stores a year - is slowing. Real estate players said deals dragged on at least twice as long as usual and...

5 TO KNOW.(Real estate property management)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... SHERRI LANDRUM Property manager Villas at Little Turtle Apartment Investment Management Co. 614-899-0011 Communities in Central Ohio: 15 Units in Central Ohio: 3,300 Most notable community: Villas at Little Turtle, built in...

Chambers discuss Cincy-Dayton growth.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Cincinnati and Dayton seem to be growing together, and a coalition of chambers of commerce along Interstate 75 want to help it along. In December, chamber members from Sidney to Cincinnati met for the first of what will be many gatherings...

Tweaking economic incentive deals saves firms money.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Most executives know economic development incentives can reduce significantly their companies' taxes and perhaps reduce significantly their companies' expenditures in connection with the construction, expansion or relocation of a facility. Few...

Unseen office elements create productivity problems.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... To borrow a phrase from an old cigarette ad, office buildings have come a long way, baby. Design elements in past decades might have concentrated as much on where to put ashtrays as they do now on the proper height of keyboards. Floor...

Gregg Burgess.(Modern Copy Systems)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Age: 27 Resides: Mount Vernon Personal: Married, one child Education: Bachelor of arts, Ashland University, 1995 Title: Marketing assistant Company: Modern Copy Systems Overview: Burgess assists with marketing ideas...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... BOARDS Columbus college of Art & Design named to its board of trustees Frederick L. Ransier Ill, Ransier & Ransier LLP; Charles M. Berger, Scotts Co; and Michael Edwards, Michael Edwards Building and Design Inc. Named as officers were...

Tom and Mary DeVries of FastSign Inc.(Named outstanding business people)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Tom and Mary DeVries of FastSign Inc. were named the 2000 outstanding business people of the year by Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mike Dexter.(Award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Mike Dexter of IDC Design Group Inc. was the winner in the NASCAR RotoZip Tool Corp. Ultimate Paint Scheme Contest. Dexter's design was chosen from more than 700 entries.

Carol Hutchison.(Award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Carol Hutchison of Licking Memorial Health Systems received the Volunteer Involvement Project Award for 1999-2000 from the American Cancer Society, Ohio division. The award recognizes Hutchison's work to develop a cancer resource center, which...

Small price of an advisory board yields wealth of knowledge for EXCEL Management Systems.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... For Curtis Jewell, president and CEO of EXCEL Management Systems, Inc., the reasonable investment he has made in his advisory board has resulted in an abundance of valuable insights into his company's plans for the future. Being surrounded...

INSIDER TRADING.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Seth R. Johnson, chief operating officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., sold 25,000 shares Nov. 14-l5 at between $26.81 and $27.44 a share. He now has 69,150 shares. Mark J. Schneider, director of Borden Chemical and Plastics LP, bought...

Buckeye Ranch.(Award for prevention program for youth violence)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Buckeye Ranch received three national awards for its video created to raise awareness of alternatives to and prevention programs for youth violence, which premiered at the inaugural Buckeye Film Festival. The awards were a Silver Axiem award, a...

Plastic Suppliers of Columbus.(Safety and health award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Plastic Suppliers of Columbus received the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program award from the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Mark List and Luther Tweeten.(Awaaards)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation presented awards to the following Central Ohio residents: Distinguished Service Award to Mark List and Luther Tweeten, Agricultural Educator Award to Chuck Miller and the Agricultural Communicator Award to Tim...

David Schimer.(Award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... David Schimer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Greater Columbus received the 2001 Champion of Children Award. The award will be presented Feb. 7.

Joanne Whiteman.(Award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Joanne Whiteman of Newark Healthcare Centre was named Administrator of the Year for the western district of Vencor Inc.

Gail M. Heller.(Award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Gail M. Heller of Choices received the Joseph A. Janesz Correctional Achievement Award from the Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association, for outstanding contribution to the field of corrections and court services.

DINING ARENA STYLE.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Blue Jackets Bistro-Bar, Black & Blue eateries go for West Coast flair The restaurant business is show business. That's the philosophy of Scott Kearns, Columbus' newest restaurateur, who has taken a 17,000-square-foot chunk of...