Business First-Columbus articles from June 1992

Business First-Columbus archives from June 1992

Doctor's profit motive, patient interests clash. (physicians referring patients to health care centers they have stake in) (Healing & Dealing: Physicians as Entrepreneurs)
June 29, 1992... It was 17-mile auto trip that aroused her suspicion Therese M. Burbank woke up two weeks after a May 1989 car accident full of muscle spasms and pain. She didn't know she'd soon face a completely different sort of pain, arising from her...

Executive Jet wings way to Russia. (Executive Jet Aviation Inc.)
June 29, 1992... Another Columbus-based aviation company is trying to spread its wings in Russia. Executive Jet Aviation Inc., with 1991 revenues of $100 million, has signed letters of agreement with two Moscow-based airlines to help provide charter flights...

Big production: Lyon buys Com III's video operation. (Lyon Video Inc.; Communications III Inc.)
June 29, 1992... The tale of the tape is changing for two of the area's largest video production companies. Faced with the prospect of losing market share, Communications III Inc. is splicing its production and post-production units into Columbus-based Lyon...

Airport panel asks for ruling. (Columbus Municipal Airport Authority helps America West Airlines Inc. with operations at Port Columbus International Airport)
June 29, 1992... As many as seven of nine members of the Columbus Municipal Airport Authority may play a direct or indirect role in helping America West Airlines expand its operations at Port Columbus International Airport. Because they are concerned about...

Steak Escape runs ahead with Philly concept. (restaurant company Escape Enterprises Inc. brings Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich to Columbus, Ohio) (Company Profile)
June 29, 1992... One day about 10 years ago, curiosity got the best of Ken Smith, co-founder of Escape Enterprises Inc., a restaurant company based in Columbus. Both Smith and his partner, Mark Turner, grew up near Philadelphia, and they could not find a...

From street to job: program offers hope to unemployed, workers for OSU hospitals. (training program for hospital housekeepers at the Ohio State University hospitals)
June 29, 1992... A unique training program for hospital housekeepers turned Randine Ferguson's world from night to day. When she moved to Columbus from Youngstown last year with her husband and four children, she was jobless and homeless. Now, thanks to the...

Grand Salon concept rubs folks right way. (hair salon chain Charles Penzone Hair Designers) (Inside Report: Health Care & Fitness) (Company Profile)
June 29, 1992... Charles Penzone wants to change the way you think about hair salons. Twenty-three years ago he built a successful chain of hair salons in Central Ohio. Now he's betting his reputation and five of his salons on what he feels will be the next...

Weight loss is gain for hospital centers. (diet-clinic market) (Inside Report: Health Care & Fitness) (Industry Overview)
June 29, 1992... Local hospitals are weighing into the diet-clinic market in a big way. Mount Carmel Health opened its two HealthStyles Centers five years ago. One center is at Mount Carmel Medical Center, 854 W. Town St., and the other is at Mount Carmel...

Tax scrutiny centers on hospitals' services. (tax-exempt status of non-profit hospitals) (Inside Report: Health Care & Fitness)
June 29, 1992... The tax man and Uncle Sam are taking a close look at the tax-exempt status of non-profit hospitals across the country. And Ohio's hospitals are paying close attention. According to the Ohio Hospital Association, 184 of the state's 187 general...

Hospitals help kids feel better about stay. (includes related article) (Inside Report: Health Care & Fitness)
June 29, 1992... The boy's eyes light up with excitement as the stocky man in a white uniform reviews a menu of tasty flavors. "We have cherry, blueberry, grape, strawberry, banana, watermelon and bubble gum," the man says, stopping for a breath before...

Medicaid mess: nursing homes not to blame. (Inside Report: Health Care & Fitness)
June 29, 1992... With talk of budget cuts and possible tax hikes in the Ohio Legislature, state lawmakers are focusing more and more attention on the state's growing Medicaid program. It's little wonder. Medicaid, created in the '60s to provide health care...

Beware! How you hire, fire is about to change forever. (includes related article) (Americans with Disabilities Act)
June 29, 1992... The best way to think of the Americans With Disabilities Act employment provisions is that of a double-edged sword: what you can't do anymore (such as administering pre-employment physicals) and what you must do now (such as taking affirmative...

State law applies when protection is stronger. (Ohio law protects handicapped's employment rights) (Americans with Disabilities Act )
June 29, 1992... When President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, it was hailed as a sweeping new guarantee of workplace rights for individuals with disabilities. Ohio law, however, has long acted to protect employment rights of individuals with...

ADA casts a wide net on accommodations. (provision on removal of physical barriers to the handicapped of public accomodations)(includes related article) (Americans with Disabilities Act)
June 29, 1992... If you own or operate virtually any facility open to the public or run a business that isn't open to the public but affects commerce, you have just been captured by the wide net of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Title III of the act,...

Consolidated Stores Corp. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
June 29, 1992... NYSE Consolidated Stores Corp. is the nation's largest retailer specializing in close-out merchandise. The company operates 398 stores in 15 Midwestern and Southern states, including 358 Odd Lots and Big Lots stores and 40 All For One...

AmeriFlora builders want cash; one goes under waiting for payment. (Exco Co.)
June 22, 1992... Color abounds at AmeriFlora '92, yet one color Robert E. Roach says he wants to see more of is green -- about $300,000 worth. Roach, president of Columbus-based Exco Co., and several other subcontractors who worked to make the six-month, $93...

Family farm survives - on part-time basis.
June 22, 1992... To call Jeff Mitchell a part-time farmer is a bit of a misnomer. The 42-year-old father of two teenagers works days as a program assistant at the U.S. Agricultural, Stabilization and Conservation Service's Licking County office. Nights and...

City socks ex-champ for $460,000. (boxer James "Buster" Douglas' tax evasion case in Columbus, Ohio)
June 22, 1992... The city of Columbus says James "Buster" Douglas has skipped town, leaving behind an unpaid 1990 tax bill for nearly half a million dollars. The city is suing the former world heavyweight boxing champion to collect $459,538 in back income...

Bad loans prompt Huntington to trim jobs. (Huntington National Bank)
June 22, 1992... Blaming "recent events and business conditions," Huntington National Bank has restructured its commercial real estate division, including cutting jobs. W. Lee Hoskins, Huntington's president, chairman and CEO, sent a memo to all Huntington...

Confitest does drug tests for your eyes only. (includes related article) (Company Profile)
June 22, 1992... Have you smoked a little marijuana or been a little too promiscuous lately? Has your employer announced mandatory drug testing and you're slightly paranoid? Or would you like to know, for your own sake, if you've contracted any sexually...

Small businesses hit hardest on utility rates.
June 22, 1992... Small business advocates across the state are lashing out at a utility system they say has burdened small companies for years with more than their share of utility costs. Spearheading the fight locally are Sherri and Stan Loscko, president...

Blue's state contract may hurt 4 local hospitals. (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northern Ohio) (Company Profile)
June 22, 1992... Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Northern Ohio's new state contract will quickly make it one of the largest preferred provider organizations in Central Ohio, with the power to steer state employees away from four local hospitals. The...

Society outbids rivals for state fair contract. (Society National Bank; Ohio State Fair)
June 22, 1992... Society National Bank beat out three local rivals to win the state's contract to process credit card purchases at the Ohio State Fair. This is the first time the fair has permitted purchases using Visa and MasterCard. The cards can be used...

Casto pushes ahead with Kohl's on Sawmill. (Don M. Casto III, real estate developer, plans shopping center along Sawmill Road; Kohl's Department Store)
June 22, 1992... Don M. Casto III is planning to build a shopping center along the Sawmill Road corridor that would include an 82,000-square-foot Kohl's Department Store and several smaller retailers. Casto says he's moving forward with his plans despite...

Pedal pusher: this summer job lets you meet girls, stay in shape and get a great tan. (Ohio Pedicab Co.) (Company Profile)
June 22, 1992... Forgive him if Michael Elmer is a little temperamental about his bicycles. They cost him $4,000 apiece. These bikes aren't your ordinary, two-wheeled, 3-speed, banana seat bikes. These are pedicabs, with three wheels, five speeds, shocks in...

Border wars capture attention of counties. (commercial development disputes between Franklin County, Ohio and outer areas)(includes related article) (Inside Report)
June 22, 1992... Until fairly recently, most of the spillover development from Franklin County into its contiguous counties was residential in nature. But that changed dramatically a couple of years ago, when work began on the Polaris Centers of Commerce. And...

Outlying businesses compete on own terms. (how local businesses lure customers) (Inside Report)
June 22, 1992... What do businesses in the contiguous counties do to lure Franklin Countians to their premises? Not much, in many cases. While a few companies advertise heavily in Columbus, others are more concerned with keeping residents of their own area...

Downtown renewal a priority of counties. (Columbus, Ohio) (Inside Report)
June 22, 1992... Downtowns have traditionally served as the commercial and cultural hubs of cities. In Central Ohio, the most visible example is downtown Columbus, with its skyscrapers, theaters and street-level hustle and bustle. The same sort of activity...

Liqui-Box Corp. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
June 22, 1992... NASDAQ-NMS LIQB Liqui-Box manufacturers dispensing packages and filling equipment for the beverage, processed foods, dairy, wine, bottled water and specialty chemicals markets. It operates 12 manufacturing plants across the United States and...

Huntington deal may move state jobs to Dayton; loss of up to 600 jobs does not rile chamber. (Huntington National Bank's lobbying for purchase of building by Ohio state)(Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce)
June 15, 1992... For fear it will be left with a $31.5 million mortgage on a mostly vacant office building, Huntington National Bank is pressing the state of Ohio to move as many as 600 jobs to Dayton. Huntington wants this deal to go through so badly that it...

No dealin': these auto sticker prices stick. (dealers' fixed prices for automobiles) (Industry Overview)
June 15, 1992... A budding national trend in the automotive industry has taken root at a local dealership. Chrysler Plymouth East on South Hamilton Road has converted to a one-price, no-haggle style of selling its new cars. So far, no other traditional...

Mac Tool dealers say they got hammered. (cases against Mac Tools Inc. by distributors)
June 15, 1992... Nine former distributors for Mac Tools Inc. are suing the Washington Court House manufacturer, charging its dealership program is a fraud. "They're in the business to sell distributorships more than to sell tools," said John McCarthy of...

Dispatch buys last piece for shopping center. (Dispatch Printing Co.'s purchase of building for planned retail complex)
June 15, 1992... The Dispatch Printing Co. has bought the last piece of property needed for its planned commercial center near the Brewery District. The Dispatch, through affiliate Capitol Square Corp., paid $800,000 for the historic Capitol Brewery building,...

This fashion firm posts really big numbers. (more contracts for sports clothes manufacturer Betlin Manufacturing Co.) (Company Profile)
June 15, 1992... If not for the Mathew and Linda Levys of the world, athletic supporters might be watching their favorite athletes bat, pass and dribble in their jock straps. Absurd? Maybe. But if you ask the Levys, the uniform makes the athlete. At least...

Successful moves involve employees. (need for businesses to consult workers about relocation plans) (Inside Report: Guide to Moving Your Business)
June 15, 1992... Most corporate relocations are local in nature: across town or just across the street. "It's relatively rare for a firm to pick up and move from one city to another," says Charles Elliott, vice president of Moran, Stahl & Boyer Inc., a New...

Words from the wise: expect the unexpected. (Pro Forma Communications' business relocation management) (Inside Report: Guide to Moving Your Business)
June 15, 1992... Robin Hepler and her associates began planning for their company's move about 11 months before the actual transition took place. They tried to be very organized. All bases were covered, no stone left unturned -- or so they thought. "Quite...

Space planning isn't a 'way out' concept. (need for services of office design firms when relocating business) (Inside Report: Guide to Moving Your Business)
June 15, 1992... OK, so you've decided to move your business and have selected the new space to occupy. The next major step involves "building out" that space to fit your firm's specific needs. That process basically involves creating an overall floor plan...

Color them earthy: decor gets ecological. (environmental consciousness for office interior decorators) (Inside Report: Guide to Moving Your Business)
June 15, 1992... Environmental awareness is starting to color business decor. Firms planning a new look to go with their new location are turning more and more to earth- or ocean-inspired colors. "The environment is something we need to be respectful of, and...

Borden Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
June 15, 1992... NYSE BN Borden Inc. produces foods, non-food consumer products, and packaging and industrial products worldwide. It is a world leader in pasta, wallcoverings, forest product adhesives and vinyl foodwrap films. It leads the United States in...

Profits in store through showcase? (marketing services for inventors) (Discovery '92: Celebrating Central Ohio Innovation)
June 15, 1992... A body fat counter and a coffee machine burner protector are among the objects that local inventors hope Charles Broska can move from his desk to department store shelves. Broska runs the Ohio office of Inventors New Product Showcase, a...

Inventors fear losing patent race if first-to-file rule becomes law. (Discovery '92: Celebrating Central Ohio Innovation)
June 15, 1992... Thomas Edison, as the legend goes, rushed to file his patent application the day after he felt the light bulb was a feasible project. Joseph Swan, a British inventor, filed for the same patent immediately after Edison, causing a dispute over...

Online journal to put zip in research spread. (electronic publishing of medical research journal) (Discovery '92: Celebrating Central Ohio Innovation)
June 15, 1992... A conversation three years ago launched a process that next month will give lift to a new era in publishing. K. Wayne Smith, president of Online Computer Library Center, and Richard Atkinson, former president of the American Association for...

Parts suppliers to Japan say the wait is worth it. (Nippert Co.) (Discovery '92: Exploring Global Business Opportunity)
June 15, 1992... Patience. That's what Paul Biersack, vice president in charge of sales and marketing for Nippert Co., says it takes for a U.S. parts manufacturer to break into the Japanese auto market. Nippert, a Delaware company that manufacturers...

South America is big 'shoe' for Global Linx; consulting firm aids companies marketing there. (international trade services) (Discovery '92: Exploring Global Business Opportunity)
June 15, 1992... When Asahi Inc. in Atlanta wanted to expand its markets into South America and Europe, Executive Vice President Dick Conforti went for advice to Hugo A. Flores, with whom he had worked at Converse five years earlier. "We sell tennis shoes,"...

Huntington HQ to go up despite accident. (Huntington Mortgage Co.)(includes related article on OSHA's investigations)
June 8, 1992... The Huntington Mortgage Co. plans to move ahead with its new 134,000-square-foot headquarters building in the Crosswoods Center corporate park despite last week's construction accident that killed one ironworker and injured another. John T....

Workers' collars fade from blue to white. (decrease in manufacturing jobs)
June 8, 1992... Franklin County, historically a white collar community, has become even more white collar over the past decade with the loss of more than 9,000 manufacturing jobs, a 17 percent decrease from 1980 to 1990. According to recently released U.S....

In new niche, he copies, staples, franchises. (Charles E. Young of Temptco A-1 Wholesale Copy Service and Supply) (Company Profile)
June 8, 1992... The high-speed, high-volume duplicating business was multiplying faster than Charles E. Young could collate. With over 500 commercial printing customers, Temptco A-1 Wholesale Copy Service & Supply, headquartered in Columbus, couldn't keep a...

National Premier: money out brings money in. (National Premier Financial Services)
June 8, 1992... A Central Ohio company that helps hospitals and other medical providers improve cash flow is itself reaping financial rewards. National Premier Financial Services lends money to cash-strapped providers, using their accounts receivable as...

Branch offices plant firm roots in the area. (Columbus, Ohio) (Inside Report: Construction, Architecture & Engineering )
June 8, 1992... In late 1981, Charles A. Rodenfels came to Columbus to open an office for Dalton Dalton Newport, a Cleveland-based architectural/engineering/planning firm. At first, Rodenfels and two co-workers occupied an 800-square-foot office at 175 S....

Miles-McClellan quietly builds reputation. (Miles-McClellan Construction Company Inc.) (Inside Report: Construction, Architecture & Engineering) (Company Profile)
June 8, 1992... Lonnie L. Miles, Terry L. McClellan and Rick Lantz are conservative in their approach to business. The principals of Miles-McClellan Construction Co. Inc. believe that approach has kept their 4-year-old firm in business while some...

Danninger Medical Technology Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
June 8, 1992... Nasdaq-S DANN Danninger Medical Technology Inc. designs, manufactures and sells medical products that assist orthopedic patients recovering from surgery or trauma. It is a leader in continuous passive motion devices for the knee, hip and...

Children's ponders hotel: patients' families could be market. (Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio)
June 1, 1992... Architectural planners have proposed that Children's Hospital could build a hotel, offices or retail development on vacant land south of its campus. A preliminary study by Karlsberger Planning Associates for the hospital suggested those...

Big banks woo small businesses. (Industry Overview)
June 1, 1992... After 25 years of bank loyalty, floral shop owner Betty Dominey got the runaround when she asked her bank for a loan to buy her former husband out of her business. The west side Columbus company has about $250,000 in annual revenues, and...

AmWest's HQ winging here? (America West Airlines's headquarters to relocate to Columbus, Ohio)
June 1, 1992... Columbus may be more than a place for America West Airlines to stretch its wings. It might become home, if Columbus business people have their way. Local business people are trying to persuade America West to move its corporate headquarters...

Sign painters beware: vinyl's taking business. (vinyl lettering service by Next Day Signs)
June 1, 1992... Hand-painting signs is rapidly becoming a lost craft. Infiltrating the industry are same-day service shops that specialize in computerized vinyl lettering. A local company, Next Day Signs, is developing business from this technology....

In the think of things: storyboarding is no 'Mickey Mouse' idea. (training technique by Advanced Leadership Services) (Inside Report: Small Business Survival)
June 1, 1992... Pete Clifford is a firm believer in brainpower. He is building a business out of helping organizations use it more effectively. "Your competition might be able to out-spend you, but you can use what's available to you free -- your brain --...

State-agency libraries take care of business. (Inside Report: Small Business Survival)
June 1, 1992... A wealth of highly specialized information awaits business people in state libraries and resource centers around Central Ohio. Some of the libraries are sprawled over entire floors. They're well-staffed with professional librarians and open...

Firms join the club, get wholesale prices. (Warehouse Club Inc.) (Inside Report: Small Business Survival)
June 1, 1992... Nancy Baker is a bar owner. Dick Masheter owns an automobile dealership. About the only thing the two businesses have in common is a supply room that isn't a supply room at all. Baker and Masheter, like a growing number of small-business...

American City Business Journals Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
June 1, 1992... Nasdaq-NMS AMBJ American City Business Journals Inc. publishes 26 weekly business newspapers with a combined paid circulation of 271,000, a legal newspaper and a lifestyle magazine. It is the nation's largest publisher of local weekly...