Business First-Columbus articles from March 2000

Business First-Columbus archives from March 2000

Big plans for Allied center.
March 31, 2000... Debt collection servicer chooses to expand N. Columbus operation with 300 jobs A new international debt collection service plans to quadruple its work force by fall, adding 300 decent-paying full-time jobs at its North Columbus call...

Doctors readies its comeback operation.
March 31, 2000... Administrators at Doctors Hospitals expect another year of financial losses, but a plan that draws heavily on recruiting back osteopathic physicians is in the works to return the hospital system to profitability within the next two years. ...

Central Ohio's efforts attract 4 40% of special state funds for technology.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Four Central Ohio organizations and one company will receive about 40 percent of the $14.15 million in grants the state is making to raise the profile of Ohio's high-tech sector and attract venture capitalists. The money is coming from...

HMS shops for skills at Pittsburgh agency.
March 31, 2000... Columbus-based HMS Partners is negotiating to buy the second-largest advertising agency in Pittsburgh. Rick Milenthal, chief executive of HMS Partners Inc., confirmed that he is talking with the owners of Hallmark/Tassone Inc., a...

There's no free lunch, but there's, like, free checking, dude.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... When is a "Totally Free Checking" account not totally free? When you're a bank compliance officer, apparently. Fifth Third Bank of Central Ohio last week began a promotional campaign for its latest product, dubbed Totally Free...

HMO, interrupted.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Aetna U.S. Healthcare Inc. has suspended its open enrollment for the company's Medicare HMO until year-end. Aetna has problems in northeast Ohio with the University Hospital and Elyria Medical Hospital System pulling out of its provider...

Individual's retirement account.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Dublin's development director, Rick Heiwig, retires March 31. On April 17, he goes back to work. Heiwig, who also served as Dublin's assistant city manager since April 1997, announced his retirement in late January. He recently accepted...

Corrections & Amplifications.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Baker & Hostetler LLP has 23 lawyers in its litigation practice group in Central Ohio and 193 in the entire firm. Thomas L. Long is partner of the local litigation practice group, which focuses on business, commercial and other areas of...

Red Roof Inns' HQ campus in sights of Calif. acquirer.
March 31, 2000... A Southern California real estate investment group has the Red Roof Inns Inc. headquarters campus in Hilliard in a purchase contract in hopes of redeveloping and expanding the property. Sundar Corp., based in Dana Point, hopes to attract...

Expanded reservations center, new offices for Red Roof staying in city.(Red Roof Inns Inc.)
March 31, 2000... The Red Roof Inns Inc. lodging chain plans to maintain significant operations in Columbus, even as the division of Accor Economy Lodging prepares to leave its Hilliard home of 22 years. Red Roof Inns has agreed to lease about 10,000...

CSO pops, audience attract underwriter in One Group.
March 31, 2000... In the largest sponsorship for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, an investment arm of Bank One has promised to underwrite the symphony's pops series to the tune of $200,000 a year. The three-year agreement with One Group Mutual Funds...

Staff, the Street take notice of Bank One's newest chief.(Bank One Corp.; Jamie Dimon)
March 31, 2000... Hiring a New York native to run Bank One Corp. seems to be the best first step toward getting the beleaguered bank back on its feet. Jamie Dimon brings a track record, Wall Street credibility and maybe the one thing that's needed to stop...

United pondering a return to Medicaid HMO for area.(United HealthCare of Ohio Inc.)
March 31, 2000... Others mull similar plans after state boosts level for reimbursements As Medicaid HMOs across the state struggle for survival, United HealthCare of Ohio Inc. may jump back into that business in three urban counties. United has...

AirTouch building fetches $14.8M in Lend Lease sale.(AirTouch Cellular; Lend Lease Real Estate Investments Inc.)
March 31, 2000... The two AirTouch Cellular office buildings in Dublin have a common owner now that Lend Lease Real Estate Investments Inc. has sold its property for $14.8 million. Dublin United LLC, a Boca Raton, Fla., investment partnership, closed on...

Ricart steps up as sponsor after Ford spurns race series.(American Speed Association Inc.; Fred Ricart)
March 31, 2000... Fred Ricart was poised to drop $6,000 at a sunny Florida speedway March 26, but the three Ford Taurus race cars he was counting on to win did not so much as place. Does that indicate the wheelin' dealin' guitar strummin' motor...

Survey: Hotels stay healthy despite wave of new rooms.(an Integra Lorms & Belfrage Inc. survey of the Central Ohio hotel industry)
March 31, 2000... Strong growth in the demand for hotel rooms and fewer lenders chasing construction deals have cut the effects of burgeoning hotel development on the Columbus area's lodging industry. But an Integra Lorms & Belfrage Inc. survey of the...

End of line for Accel Int'l this fall when shakeout shuts Dublin office.(Accel International Corp.)
March 31, 2000... Accel International Corp. will become part of Central Ohio's corporate history this fall when the final local operations tied to the insurer dose. The move means dismissals for 60 employees, mostly back-office support staff for...

Hospital systems trim costs by closing outpatient units.(Mount Carmel, OhioHealth and Ohio State University Medical Center)
March 31, 2000... Mount Carmel, OhioHealth and Ohio State University Medical Center all have plans to close some outpatient service centers over the next two months as cost- cutting measures. Mount Carmel plans to shut June 2 its Health and Wellness Center...

Blue Jackets' charitable foundation set to raise $250,000 in first year.(National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets)
March 31, 2000... The National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets have launched a nonprofit charitable foundation to distribute quarterly grants of up to $10,000 to benefit causes and youth hockey programs. Officials said the first-year goal of the...

Turbulence at Bank One has realty firms thinking.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... While the region wonders how Bank One Corp.'s recent cutback plans may affect the company's work force in Greater Columbus, brokers at Continental Realty have started to prepare for the worst should the Chicago-based bank reduce its area real...

Publisher buys Watermark.(Highlights for Children)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Highlights for Children has purchased the former Ohio Environmental Protection Agency offices at 1800 Watermark Drive for $8.4 million. The publisher exercised its purchase option March 19. It had leased the 93,400-square-foot building...

Dvorak's stockbroker deals.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Michael T. Dvorak has scored leases for the Edward Jones & Co. stock brokerage in Dublin and Upper Arlington, giving him close to 50 deals throughout much of Ohio for the St. Louis-based company in the last two years. The office and...

Centex recognized.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... The fifth-largest homebuilder in Greater Columbus ranks No. 1 with Fortune magazine. The business publication in February named Dallas-based Centex Corp. "most admired" among engineering and construction companies. Overall, Fortune...

BIA sets marketing session.(Building Industry Association of Central Ohio)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... The Building Industry Association of Central Ohio will host a seminar on marketing new houses May 5-6 at its 5898 Cleveland Ave. headquarters. The National Association of Home Builders and the BIA's Sales and Marketing Council will present...

Paradigm picks Merkle.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... A 15-year veteran of the Columbus commercial real estate scene has signed on as vice president and regional manager at Paradigm Properties. Sam Merkle joined Paradigm in February after a stint with Trammell Crow Corporate Services,...

Metatec sees e-commerce program as business draw.(Metatec International Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... After losing $2.84 million in fiscal 1999, Metatec International Inc. is turning to the Internet to rev up its red-splashed bottom line. Jeffrey Wilkins, the company's chairman and chief executive, says the Dublin-based company will...

Easy money, fewer start-ups will alter face of small firms.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Study projects women, minorities will make most inroads in future Anthony Girellini needed a loan to buy office equipment and computers for his expanding Staten Island, N.Y., stock brokerage, but he was too busy to go to a bank. Then...

SBC Advertising lands exec to handle public relations.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Beth Kowalski, director of marketing, communications and public affairs for five years at United HealthCare, began a new job March 27 at Westerville-based SBC Advertising Inc. As PR management supervisor, Kowalski will lead SBC's public...

Natural succession.(Lord Sullivan and Yoder)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Lord Sullivan & Yoder's Pat Smith and Mark Placenti have each been promoted to vice president-director of client services, a job once held by Nancy Barr, who's now president and chief operating officer of LSY Marketing Communications. ...

Wharton memorials.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 31, 2000... Costello Nardecchia Advertising is encouraging those who knew the late Lee Wharton to consider a memorial gift to a scholarship fund for Wharton's 11-year-old-son, T.J. Wharton, 31, was killed March 25 in a single-car accident on...

About Out of the Box.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Columbus-based Out of the Box Integrated Advertising, a 9-year-old firm in German Village, will launch San Francisco-based Paperloop.com, an electronic business portal for paper suppliers and buyers. Agency Vice President Jon Wink...

RMD Advertising.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... New Albany-based RMD Advertising has been elected to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, a national trade association. Member candidates undergo an extensive examination, including looks into financial integrity, business ethics...

Kelley Communications Group.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Columbus-based Kelley Communications Group received four Silver Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communications during a Midwest competition. Recognized were projects for Kelley clients Sterling Commerce, Qwest...

Badertscher Communications.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Marion-based Badertscher Communications was recognized by the Chicago-based Business Marketing Association for a direct-mail program it developed and produced for Marion-based Todco PolarGuard insulated overhead truck doors. It received an...

Columbus State Community College.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Columbus State Community College gathered six awards for its marketing and communications from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges. It received three gold,...

CUC, Duke-Weeks join in $30M Milford complex.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Stadium-style seating at a Showcase Cinema, a half-dozen restaurants and nearly 400,000 square feet of retail space are headed to Clermont County at a planned $30 million regional center, River's Edge at Milford. Cincinnati United...

Plant getting refreshed with Cotton Club line.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Cotton Club still may be the ginger ale of choice in northeastern Ohio, but the soft drink soon will be bottled only in Columbus. American Bottling Co., which bought the Cuyahoga Heights-based Cotton Club Bottling Co. in 1998, will shut its...

SW Ohio's jobs effort spurned by 2 counties.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Butler and Warren counties have opted out of the Southwest Ohio Regional Workforce Policy Board, a fledgling effort aimed at creating a regional strategy to fight that area's labor shortage. The two counties decided to forge their own...

New Dayton ball club lures a 'Magic' owner.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Dayton's new minor league baseball team has a new owner with a reputation on the basketball court. Former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson has become part of the Dayton Dragons' ownership. He joins former Ohio State University football...

Winstar Communications Inc.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... New York-based Winstar Communications Inc., which provides telephone, Internet and data services to business, has won a federal contract valued as high as $100 million to provide telecom services in Cincinnati. Under the four-year contract,...

EGI Inc.(Ernie Green joins Breed Technologies board)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Ernie Green, chief of auto parts maker EGI Inc. of Dayton, has joined the chairman of Breed Technologies Inc. to buy the Lakeland, Fla.-based automobile air bag producer. Breed filed for Chapter 11 court protection from creditors last fall...

MenStar Hotels & Resorts Inc.(plans to acquire BridgeStreet Accommodations)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... MenStar Hotels & Resorts Inc., which runs 235 hotels, plans to buy BridgeStreet Accommodations Inc. of Cleveland, a provider of temporary housing for executives and business travelers, for about $34.3 million. BridgeStreet owns 3,700...

Elder-Beerman Stores Corp.(plans to renovate, and open new, locations)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Dayton retailer - Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. intends to spend $19 million this year attempting to improve its competitiveness, opening two department stores and renovating others. That plan has, however, failed to sway some critics, including...

BF Goodrich.(Les Vinney named president of Steris Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Former BF Goodrich executive Les Vinney, 51, has been named president and chief operating officer of Mentor-based Steris Corp., taking on day-today duties for the sterilization equipment maker's first and only chief executive - Bill Sanford....

Procter & Gamble Co.(looking to sell Oxydol line)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. wants to sell its Oxydol laundry detergent line because its sales have fallen compared-with other P&G brands, such as Tide and Cheer. Last fiscal year, Oxydol made up less than one-tenth of 1 percent of...

PEOPLE On the move.
March 31, 2000... ACCOUNTING Arthur Andersen has promoted Sandra Derthick and John Kenyon to seniors in the practice management/practice staff division. Plante & Moran LIP has named Carol S. Serrone tax associate, consulting to privately held clients...

Employment for Seniors helps companies meet staffing needs.
March 31, 2000... About 30 years ago, a local senior citizens' advocate, Julian Marcus, began interviewing retirement home residents in hopes of discovering people's true feelings about retirement. Because his study revealed most retirees missed having a...

Mailbox marketing.(use of direct marketing campaigns)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Direct advertising campaigns go straight to the source, helping create loyal customers If one of the 600 or so clients on Jeff Murray's mailing list doesn't receive a postcard this month, he'll probably get a phone call. That's because...

Disney offers institute to help smaller firms.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Disney is introducing a professional development program designed to help small and mid-sized firms heighten creativity and innovation. Held April 16-19, the program, "The Disney Approach to Managing for Creativity and Innovation," aims...

Study: HMOs and other plans similar in access to-care.(health maintenance organizations)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... A new study that compares HMOs to other insurance plans found HMO consumers are just as likely as those in other plans to be hospitalized, undergo surgery or visit emergency rooms. HMO consumers were, however, less likely to see a...

Marketing plans provide road map for firms' drive to sales success.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Easy questions deserve simple answers. Should a business have a marketing plan? Yes. Should a business have a direct marketing plan? Yes. The answer to each of these questions is yes, but a little more complex than a simple yes...

Greater Columbus industrial parks.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Greater Columbus industrial parks Ranked by total square footage of completed buildings COMPLETED: PLANNED: PARK NAME SQ. FT [1]/...

Prevention, intervention can eliminate meeting disruptions.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... The most frequent question I get asked when we are talking about effective meetings is: "What can I do about this one person who always seems to disrupt the meeting, no matter what I do?" Meeting leaders and participants alike are...

Dr. Philip F. Binkley.(receives research grant)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Dr. Philip F. Binkley has received a Mid-Career Scientist Award from the National Institutes of Health. The five-year, $500,000 grant will help fund Binkley's research at the Ohio State University Heart and Lung Institute, scheduled to open...

Otterbein College.(receives grant from the Harry C. Moores Foundation)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Otterbein College has received a $60,000 grant from the Harry C. Moores Foundation. The grant, supporting the college's Fit for the Future Campaign that is funding the construction of new recreation center, is designated toward the...

PR firms can provide answer for those with small ad budgets.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 31, 2000... As a retired ad agency practitioner, I've always maintained allegiance to the profession. The value of advertising as a marketing weapon will always remain evident. Even in these days of rampant online marketing activity, the dot.coms...

APPEARANCE VS. UPKEEP.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Ohio's fickle weather key in selecting home exteriors Consider the enormous temperature changes that have occurred over the last several weeks in Central Ohio. Huge inconsistencies in weather take place over a period of days and even...

Airwaves should be freed from government control.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... The Federal Communications Commission recently took a timid first step toward an idea that should be implemented fully -- private, unregulated ownership of the airwaves. The agency announced it has plans to allow some broadcast license...

Marijuana a grave concern for businesses.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... A recent Hamilton County Municipal Court decision lowered the fine for possessing small amounts of marijuana, making the penalty equivalent to those for 17 other "minor misdemeanor" violations. Under the guidelines, which became effective...

NEXT ON THE AGENDA: Ex-council members to open politically themed tavern.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Four former Delaware City Council members have traded in their council seats for bar stools. James Halter, Robert Hoffman, Donald Rankey Jr. and David Weiser plan to renovate a downtown building and turn it into a brew pub and...

Planned trail link boosts tourism hopes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... MOUNT VERNON - With an eye toward expanding tourism, Knox County officials are looking at adding a new link to the local recreational trail network. The proposed 16-mile path along an out-of-service Conrail track bed would run northeast...

Rickenbacker-area foreign trade zone may be extended.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... LANCASTER - Two Central Ohio counties and the village of Groveport would benefit from the planned extension of the Rickenbacker Air Industrial Park/Foreign Trade Zone No. 138. Fairfield and Madison counties as well as three others -...

ODOT nixes funding Greenfield connector.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... CARROLL - The Ohio Department of Transportation won't be funding a proposed connector road between Plum and Coonpath roads in Greenfield Township. The connector was initially included in the Route 33 bypass project because Carroll and...

New audit committee rules may have far-reaching impact.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... In December 1999, new rules were adopted and additional rules proposed that would require greater independence and competence among members of audit committees of organizations with publicly traded securities. The Securities Exchange...

Ad battle launched.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Directory takes aim at Yellow Pages with $6M local distribution One Source Phone Guide Vice President Greg Tillar seems to relish being David to Ameritech's Goliath in the baffle for local Yellow Pages advertising. "That's when life...

Digital phones expand markets targeting teens, seniors.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Cheaper phones, prepaid expenses key for firms seeking new customers Wireless phones break barriers of communication all the time, and digital phones that access the Internet and send e-mail are the hot new item. But the portable...

Use subject line well to get your e-mail read by the boss.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... It shouldn't come as a huge shock: The stock of the company that makes PalmPilot skyrocketed at one point to $165 a share during its Nasdaq debut this month. After all, personal digital assistant technology comes in pretty handy as...

Pinnacle stock returns to OTC bulletin board.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Columbus-based Pinnacle Data Systems Inc. announced March 27 that the Securities and Exchange Commission has cleared its Form 10-SB registration statement, allowing the company's common stock to resume being quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board....

Students stretch beyond MBAs for telecom background.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Even with a broad-based grounding in subjects such as finance and marketing, MBA students can't get enough information about telecommunications. As an information systems auditor at Mellon Bank, Aaron Madden, 28, expects the joint...

MDs wary of using e-mail to chat with their patients.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Uneasiness. Time demands. Uncharted territory. You name it, doctors have the excuses for not investing in the latest computer and communications technology. Some doctors, however, are taking tentative steps into the Internet age....

Web-based technology promises even more changes still to come.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... As e-commerce flourishes, keeping up with rapid changes to Web-related technology can sometimes make or break a company's online business, says Walter Hamscher, keynote speaker at an E-Business Technology Forecast seminar, held recently in...

Training key to wading, surfing, not drowning on the Web.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Are employees sinking or swimming when navigating the Internet as part of their business workday? And just how do they determine information from misinformation? Many companies and their employees are still unaware of how to productively...

Greater Columbus long-distance carriers and resellers.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Greater Columbus long-distance carriers and resellers Ranked by number of Greater Columbus employees EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES COMPANY NAME IN ...

Two high-speed options available for area firms Internet connections.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Digital Subscriber Lines are making inroads in Central Ohio, giving businesses another choice in the search for low-cost, high-speed Internet connections. DSL joins cable modems as alternatives to expensive T1 lines or slow dial-ups. DSL...

Updated anti-virus software key to healthy tech systems.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Melissa. Happy. Michelangelo. Bubbleboy. Haiku. Verlor. Babylonia Chernobyl. Any systems administrator knows the ugly association with those names: They are computer viruses. Unfortunately, even most casual e-mail and Internet users are...

Web hosting fastest growing field for tech entrepreneurs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... The growth of the World Wide Web has created hundreds of opportunities for entrepreneurs. According to industry insiders, however, Web hosting - storing Web site data on fast computers with fast connections to the Internet - is the fastest...

New competitor enters Central Ohio market.(Choice One Communications)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Rochester, N Y-based Choice One Communications has announced plans to enter the Columbus, Akron and Dayton markets. The company is a facilities-based data telecommunications services provider to small- and medium-sized businesses. Among...

Partnership gives business users new DSL Options.(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Columbus-based iNet Extremes has announced an alliance with Rhythms Net Connections of Englewood, Colo., that will give Central Ohio business customers another provider of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) high-speed Internet access services. ...

GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS From Price previous 52-week Company Symbol 3/29 week ...

Penn Traffic Co.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Fourth-quarter revenues dipped for Penn Traffic Co., parent of Big Bear Stores. Sales hit $625.7 million, compared to $690 million for the same period the year before. The company lost $24.2 million, compared to a loss of $93.6 million the...

Pinnacle Data Systems Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Pinnacle Data Systems Inc. hit record highs in fourth-quarter and year-end revenues and earnings. For the quarter, revenues rose 57 percent to $4.2 million, compared to $2.7 million during the same period in 1998. Net income totaled $128,468,...

Maersk-Rail Van breaks ground on HQ.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 31, 2000... Maersk-Rail van is breaking ground on a new headquarters in Dublin. Construction officially began March 29 on the 106,981-square-foot, three-story buildings, located on 13 acres off Perimeter Drive. Part of Ruscilli Development Co.'s new...

AEP, 14 others form online buying consortium.(American Electric Power Co.)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... American Electric Power Co. is one of 15 electric and gas utilities from around the nation that plan to launch this year an Internet marketplace for the purchase of goods and services between the energy industry and its suppliers. The...

Cable Link strikes partnership with ISat.(Internet Satellite Platform Inc. )(Brief Article)
March 31, 2000... Cable Link, a Columbus-based supplier to the cable television industry, has signed a letter of intent with Internet Satellite Platform Inc. (ISat) to market and sell ISat's wireless broadband Internet access technologies. Under the agreement,...