Business First-Columbus articles from March 2001

Business First-Columbus archives from March 2001

2 title agencies accused of funds misuse.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... "Seller beware" could be the new message for anyone selling or refinancing a house, following the forced closure of two Central Ohio title agencies accused of misappropriating millions of dollars of clients' money. Title insurance...

Judge seeks mediation to resolve Seneca ills.
March 30, 2001... A former Franklin County judge will attempt in May to get the co-owners of the Seneca Hotel downtown to settle a 1997 lawsuit over control of the landmark building and other investment properties in Columbus. Michael L. Close, a former...

State questions process, postpones tech grants.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Approvals for 16 state Technology Action Fund grants valued at more than $14 million have been postponed and the Ohio Department of Development will take on a review of how the grant recipients were chosen. The state Controlling Board...

Cap spending slowing down.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Economic downturn not having huge impact on all George Babyak has heard about businesses scaling back in response to a slowing economy, but the technology company president refuses to believe others' spending cuts will come back of hurt...

Be afraid -- be very afraid; but that's good.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... "Greed is good" was the line that came to characterize the go-go 1980s. Now, for the first decade of the 21st century, perhaps we have a variation: "Fear is good." That piece of advice for our times is courtesy of Ed Kerschner,...

Kaiser leaving top job at Columbus Ad Federation.(Karen Kaiser resigns Advertising Federation of Columbus)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... After more than 10 years, the Advertising Federation of Columbus is looking for a new chief. Karen Kaiser will leave as executive director of the Columbus professional association April 6. A search committee headed by federation...

Rite Rug shags carpet vet to direct its future.(Don Penrod)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... After spending 30 years in the carpet business and 12 years as a regional vice president with giant Mohawk Industries Inc., Don Penrod got tired of traveling. "I have a 10-year-old at home," said Penrod, who oversaw $500 million in...

Kass targets retail.(David Kass, Continental Retail Development)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... 400,000 s.f. Grove City center mulled A Continental Real Estate Cos.-led partnership has plans for a major retail development off Stringtown Road in Grove City as part of a broader plan that calls for other developers to build up to 384...

Drew ending shoe making at its Lancaster factory.(Drew Shoe Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Drew Shoe Corp. plans to shutter its Lancaster factory this year. "The closing of manufacturing facilities is a problem throughout the American shoe industry, and we fought it off as long as we could," said Dennis Tishkoff, chairman and...

Godman Guild to break ground on new wing.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The Godman Guild plans to break ground next month on its youth wing, the Battelle Learning Center, at 303 E. Sixth Ave. The nonprofit serving center-city residents says it still needs to raise $800,000 of the $2.1 million project, which...

Axis Group draws ad rival to senior veep position.(Tom Heiby appointment)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The Axis Group, which has purchased two Columbus ad agencies since late December, is gaining another local advertising veteran. Tom Heiby, long-time senior vice president and managing director of Dayton-based Flynn Sabatino & Day's local...

Four Seasons Golf plans threesome of area centers.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... A suburban Detroit golf facilities management company is invading Greater Columbus, planning to build two golf centers and sinking at least $8.2 million into the area economy as a result. Birmingham, Mich.-based Four Seasons Golf Centers...

GBQ brings in Kovacs with eye on auto practice.(GBQ Partners Inc. makes F. Jeffrey Kovacs partner)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... GBQ Partners Inc., perhaps the area's most aggressive regional accounting firm in pursuing growth, has hired a high-profile certified public accountant with strong contacts to launch its automotive practice. F. Jeffrey Kovacs, 38, who...

State, nursing home lobby at odds over funding levels.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Ohio Medicaid Director Barbara Edwards said the state is issuing a "gentle challenge" to nursing home operators to change the way they look at their businesses. They should countless on state subsidies for excess nursing-bed capacity and...

OhioHealth drops coverage on United's Medicare HMO.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... United HealthCare of Ohio and OhioHealth's area hospitals are parting ways on the insurer's Medicare+Choice health maintenance organization. That means Riverside Methodist, Grant and Doctors hospitals, plus OhioHealth's outpatient...

Honda retools motorcycle assembly to add flexibility.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... In the span of four months, Honda's Marysville Motorcycle Plant has begun production of the first-generation VTX 1800 V-Twin Cruiser and a new version of its venerable Gold Wing. While the launch of two high-profile motorcycles in such a...

Two investors join growing litigation against Heritage.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Two investors are suing their broker and a national investment firm, alleging they failed to inform them of risks with viatical investments from Heritage Financial Network Inc., a Westerville firm under involuntary bankruptcy. In a...

OSU law school dean to head CUNY college.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Gregory Williams, dean of Ohio State University's College of Law since 1993, will become president of City College of the City University of New York, starting Aug. 1. Nearly 200,000 degree-credit students and 155,000 adult and...

Greater Columbus outpatient surgery centers.(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Greater Columbus outpatient surgery centers RANKED BY NUMBER OF OUTPATIENT SURGERIES IN 2000 ...

Loss prompts Metatec to refocus on supply-chain services.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Metatec International Inc.'s Jeffrey Wilkins isn't willing to say his company's 1998 acquisition of Imation Corp.'s CD-ROM business was a mistake. But the chief executive officer will say the company that Imation was folded into needs to...

Former Dublin employee lands job with Grove City.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Mary Bearden, once Dublin's economic development manager, has returned to Greater Columbus for similar work in Grove City. Bearden began her new job March 26 as the city's council prepares to formally approve her job description. She will...

State agency taking bids for BWC's proposed garage.(downtown parking garage, Bureau of Workers' Compensation)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... The Ohio Department of Administrative Services is seeking construction bids for a downtown parking garage to serve the state Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC). Advertising for the project will continue through April 4, says BWC...

CB Richard Ellis recognizes top commercial producers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... CB Richard Ellis Inc. has recognized downtown office specialist Greg Thomas as the top producer from its Columbus regional office. Thomas, a first vice president, had a long list of deals in 2000. They included the Roetzel & Andress law...

Moody/Nolan Ltd. gets nod on work for Sooners.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Columbus-based Moody/Nolan Ltd. will serve as design architect for an indoor training facility for the national champion University of Oklahoma Sooners football program in Norman. The $12 million facility may also serve the practice needs...

George Arnold joins H.R. Gray in business development operation.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Former Columbus development director George Arnold has landed at H.R. Gray & Associates Inc., a construction and development services provider. Arnold is serving-in the business development department for the firm. Arnold was the...

Chicago developer enters Columbus retirement market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Chicago-based Brookdale Living Communities expects to complete its first retirement community in Columbus next spring. The developer has Brookdale Trillium Place under construction on 6.1 acres off Sawmill Road north of Route 161. The...

Groups press OhioHealth to maintain Doctors North.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The Rev. Grayson Atha is not ready to concede that Doctors North Hospital's days as a full-service, acute-care facility are numbered. He made that clear when asked what his second choice would be for Doctors North if it loses its...

Greater Columbus emergency departments.(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Greater Columbus emergency departments RANKED BY NUMBER OF VISITS IN 2000 PATIENTS PATIENTS URGENT HOSPITAL NAME TREATED...

Group labors to help young professionals find balance between work, life.(Circle of Business)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... They're not slackers, but young professionals often make it clear they don't want to work 80 hours a week to build a career. As they search for the job that gives their life balance, their baby-boomer employers are starting to take...

New neighbor in higher ed.(Ohio University, Pickerington Center)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Pickerington center gives OU 'portal' to Columbus Ohio University is quietly raising its profile in Greater Columbus. The school's fledgling Pickerington Center, which opened last fall with evening and weekend courses, launched it...

Satellites let CSCC reach into suburbs.(Columbus State Community College)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Nursing student Ann Barth can draw on personal experience to explain why her classmates at Columbus State Community College will welcome the school's new plan to offer associate degree programs at its satellite centers in Dublin and...

Labor claims ergonomics rule's repeal part of 'corporate power' tilt.(AFL-CIO upset with result of ergonomics regulation)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... President Bush ended the business community's long battle to stop the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ergonomics regulation by signing legislation that repeals the rule, which would have required employers to establish...

Sidney awaits another use for old Genesis HQ campus.(Genesis Worldwide Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... A 13-acre campus in Sidney will hit the auction block April 21, bringing promise to a city center and a financially strapped company. Dayton-based Genesis Worldwide is putting its former headquarters facility up for sale three years after...

CSC ends steel bar operations; threat of auction looming.(CSC Ltd. (Warren, Ohio))(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Bankrupt steelmaker CSC Ltd. of Warren has shut production and has until mid-April to find a buyer or be auctioned off, a union leader said. John Kubilis, president of Local 2243 of the United Steelworkers of America, said the union...

Cincinnati region examined for paper maker's expansion.(International Paper Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... The world's largest paper maker is considering sites around Cincinnati for a $13 million expansion that could deliver as man as 360 jobs. "We're working with (Ohio and Kentucky) on different incentive programs. I don't know where we're...

Overseas bank paying $490M for money management business.(Robeco Groep acquires division of Owens-Illinois Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Owens-Illinois Inc. plans to sell its Harbor Capital Advisors money-management business to Robeco Groep of the Netherlands for $490 million. The Toledo company will use the proceeds to reduce debt while preparing to pay asbestos claims. ...

Department store revival planned by Peebles Inc.(acquires southern Ohio stores from Stage Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Peebles Inc., a department store retailer from southern Ohio, is planning to take over, remodel and reopen Stage department stores in several Ohio cities. Peebles outbid Dunlap Co. in a Bankruptcy Court in Texas for the right to some...

Park-Security Banc seal merger; Millennium shutting Cincy office.(Security Banc Corp. merges, Millennium Chemicals Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... * Newark-based Park National Corp. has completed its merger with Springfield-based Security Banc Corp. in a stock deal valued at about $275 million. Security Banc and its subsidiaries became affiliates of Park National but retain separate...

Economy provides an alibi for firms resetting the bar.(financial management)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Every day now as we pick up the paper or turn on the news, all we hear about the economic condition of America's best companies is gloom and doom. It is almost as if someone waved a wand and in a matter of days or weeks sent every major...

SBA program to increase contracts for women firms.(Small Business Administration )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Women own nearly 40 percent of America's businesses, but they received 2.5 percent of the federal government's contract dollars in fiscal 1999 -- half the 5 percent goal established by Congress in 1994. This disparity frustrates women's...

FROM SCRATCH.(Mary Ellen Thompson's restaurant success)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Dreams of opening your very own restaurant eventually meet with reality When Mary Ellen Thompson decided to open her first restaurant at the age of 52, she didn't apply for a bank loan or line up a host of financial backers to get the...

Staff morale doesn't have to suffer during layoffs.(general corporate suggestions)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Imagine this scenario: You work in the local office of a large company that has been bought by an even bigger national concern. The top brass, who work hundreds or thousands of miles away, decide to reorganize the company, which could mean...

Rosement Center Inc.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Rosement Center Inc. moved its foster care department to an off-campus location, at 4807 Evanswood Drive. It can be reached at 614-416-8751. The organization also has adopted a new logo and color scheme. The logo features a path, denoting the...

Ohio State University.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Ohio State University introduced a bachelor's degree program in athletic training. The program, a division of the School of Allied Medical Professions, will accept up to 25 students each year with more being added as the program grows. So...

World Language Studies.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... World Language Studies begins its spring session classes April 2. Classes, taught by native speakers and held in central locations, are offered in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Japanese and last eight weeks.

TLC Laser Eye Centers.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Dr. Charles Davis of TLC Laser Eye Centers performed his 10,000th laser vision correction procedure March 15.

Borden Chemical Inc.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Borden Chemical Inc. selected Exel to manage packaging and warehousing services for its industrial resins operation in Louisville, Ky. Borden will also use Exel's global freight management group to manage transportation services from the...

Collateral Mortgage Ltd.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Collateral Mortgage Ltd. provided funding totaling $17.5 million for recent multifamily housing projects. Among those are Aspen Bluff Apartments in Peoria, Ill., which is owned by a limited partnership sponsored by Columbus-based MAS Cos.,...

Preferred Technology Solutions Inc.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Preferred Technology Solutions Inc., with headquarters in Columbus, opened a new sales office in Phoenix, Ariz.

Develop a personal philosophy then put it to the test.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The root of your sales success lies in your sales philosophy. How did you develop yours? Mine came from a combination of home environment, books, education, mentors, personal development programs, personal experience and observations....

Filling IT chairs with proven talent still a challenge.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Local firms in need of contract information technology specialists find it can take up to 90 days to find the right candidate, with most of the time spent waiting to begin the interview process. Results of the quarterly Peoplemarket.com...

Go digital, leave the film home.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Getting the most out of your digital camera takes more talent than just having your subject smile. If you're ready to jump into the great digital image divide, or even if you've already made the plunge, here's what you need to know to shoot...

Q & A.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Does your company have a logo? OLD VILLAGE FLOWERS Ina Ryan Owner "No, we don't. We're a small company, and we don't feel that's necessary for our business." OLYMPUS HOMES Joan Witlow Administrative assistant...

WEB inSITE.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... URL: members.core.com/[sim]ddrennan/home.htm Company: Don Drennan Productions Contact: Don Drennan, freelance 3D animator, dondrennan@core.com Site design: Don Drennan Launch date: 1998 Features: A good portfolio sample...

Team Mucho strikes alliance on marketing software.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Team Mucho Inc. has launched a strategic alliance with Roving Software Inc. that will provide software from the Needham, Mass.-based e-marketing services company to Team Mucho's small-business customers. Under the agreement, Team Mucho...

Pinnacle selects Qwest exec to join board of directors.(Qwest Communications, Pinnacle Data Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Hugh C. Cathey, Qwest Communications central states president for local broadband services, has joined the board of directors of Pinnacle Data Systems Inc. PDSI provides application-specific, high-density hardware and support for original...

Bush boosts defense, tech R&D, reduces other areas.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Some members of Congress had to be taught how to use handheld computers, but the House Armed Services Committee got a firsthand look recently at how new software developed through a Small Business Innovation Research grant could help American...

PROFILE.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Name: Carl Gonzalez Title: Business development manager Company: Centerprise Information Solutions, Columbus Time in current position? Two years Where did you begin your tech career? In 1980, I worked for 3M Co.selling...

Avoid identity theft risk with preventative steps.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... While cases of identity theft involving the rich and famous make headlines, thousands of other individuals regardless of wealth or status -- have their identities stolen every day. Often, a criminal needs only a Social Security number and...

New general manager picked for Northland Mall.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Lewis Taulbee has been named general manager of Northland Mall in Columbus, nearly two months after the retail center was sold by the Richard E. Jacobs Group. Taulbee is scheduled to take the job April 1. Jones Lang LaSalle became manager of...

Lancaster Colony acquires maker of Mamma Bella frozen breads.(Ausmac Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Columbus-based Lancaster Colony has bought Ausmac Inc., the producer of the Mamma Bella brand specialty frozen breads, for $15 million. The cash purchase price is equal roughly to the amount in annual sales generated by Ausmac, a 17-year-old...

Airport authority approves budget for terminal expansion project.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... The Columbus Airport Authority is set to spend nearly $20 million to expand its C terminal at port Columbus International Airport. The authority's board of directors passed a resolution March 27 to establish the $19.1 million budget to add...

State tourism campaign kicks off with new slogan.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The state has kicked off the spring and summer travel season with the official launch of the its new campaign and slogan, "Ohio... So Much to Discover!" The slogan replaces "Ohio, The Heart of it All," which was created in 1983. The new...

State Auto Financial Corp.(Michael F. Dodd sells stocks)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Michael F. Dodd, senior vice president of State Auto Financial Corp., indirectly sold 38,400 shares on Feb.23 at between $16.00 and $16.25. He now has 1,200 indirect shares.

Rocky Shoes & Boots Inc.(James L. Stewart purchases stocks)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... James L. Stewart, director of Rocky Shoes & Boots Inc., bought 1,000 shares on April 5 at $5.50 per share. At the time, he had 4,000 shares. He later purchased 2,000 shares on Dec. 8 at $4.25 per share. At the time, he had 6,000 shares.

GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS.(includes 52 week high prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... GREATER COLUMBUS STOCKS FROM PRICE PREVIOUS 52-WEEK COMPANY SYMBOL 3/28 WEEK ...

Sara Lee should get a new recipe for management.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Dear Mr. Berko: What is your best opinion of Sara Lee, Syncor and Excite@Home? I bought 500 shares of Sara Lee in 1999 at $28 and it's done nothing but go down since, but I'm thinking of buying more at $20. I bought Syncor last year at $45...

BANK RATES.(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... Money market INVESTMENT ACCOUNT UP TO OVER FINANCIAL INSTITUTION 25,000 [7] 25,000 [7] Arlington Bank...

Ohio among top 10 with most clout.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Maps are great for finding the quickest route from point A to point B. Or for dramatizing the size of something, like the enormity of Asia. But they can't show intangible qualities. Montana is a giant in square mileage, while New York is...

California NFIB members see electric regulation in new light.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Regulation usually is a dirty word for members of the National Federation of Independent Business, Washington's most powerful small-business lobbying organization. But rolling power blackouts have made NFIB members in California wistful...

Notable upcoming birthdays of Central Ohio executives.
March 30, 2001... * Russ Latimer, secretary and treasurer, MediSource Inc.: March 30 * John Biteman, associate, Columbus Financial Group: March 31 * David Brown, executive director, Ohio State Chiropractic Association: March 31 * Terry O'Connell,...

Ohio State to get the silent treatment.(Marcel Marceau to teach mime at Ohio State University)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Shhh. Marcel Marceau is coming to Ohio State University. Widely known as the world's greatest mime, Marceau will teach classes, lead discussions and present three public performances at OSU from April 6-8. He will work closely with...

Bill allows tax credit to workers without company health insurance.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Supporters of refundable tax credits for the purchase of health insurance say the legislation could reduce the number of uninsured Americans by up to 17 million. Under the bill, individuals and families who don't have access to health...

Phone-impaired driving deserves to be punished.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Seldom has an invention become so ubiquitous in so short a time as has the cell phone. Seems as if one minute it wasn't here, and the next it was everywhere imaginable. Including, with startling regularity, in the hands of the bozo behind the...

Expanding Business First on the Web.(Business First-Columbus)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... One of my favorite movies is "Wall Street." It may have glamorized the corporate greed that marked the go-go '80s, yet some of its messages remain apropos in what is opening as the no-go new millennium. Granted, the film's appeal for me...

Give a boost to economy with lower taxes, interest.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 30, 2001... America's manufacturers are facing some serious problems. Ohio's manufacturers -- nearly 18,000 companies that employ nearly 1 million men and women - have reason to be concerned. While structural productivity remains sound, our economy...

COSI hoping to boost visits with creative give and take.(Center of Science and Industry)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... COSI is getting into the import/export business for design services in a big way this year. The museum will continue to hire out its design expertise to paying clients and, this summer, will bring in a highly anticipated dinosaur exhibit. ...

NBBJ setting up Instanbul hub for further expansion.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Grabbing the brass ring of a multi-use mega-development in Istanbul, Turkey, is contributing to architecture design firm NBBJ's decision to open a new office in the Middle Eastern commerce hub this spring. NBBJ Chairman Friedl Bohm says...

School finds form to fit its function.(Ohio State University's Knowlton School of Architecture)
March 30, 2001... OSU Knowlton School of Architecture to be 'study in complexity' There was a pause and then a chuckle at the other end of the telephone line after architect Mack Scogin was told about a colleague's colorful summation of Scogin's design...

Lodge space transformed to event planning studio.(Details and Florabunda Designs Inc. acquires building)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... The location was old, somewhat antiquated in terms of building codes and not designed for commercial use, but the former Knights of Columbus lodge on Columbus' west side still turned out to be a good acquisition and new headquarters for a...

Delaware Co. spreads costs with new insurance plan.(drainage insurance)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... New residents fueling Delaware County's rapid population growth are among the first in Central Ohio to pay for a new type of insurance that goes with home ownership north of the Franklin County line. Residents of subdivisions created in...

Miles-McClellan making a move into management.(new contracts for Miles-McClellan Construction Co.)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... A Columbus-based construction company has started making moves into larger construction management projects after more than two decades in the smaller, general contracting and design-build arena. Miles-McClellan Construction Co. has...

Use production costs to compare repairs, replacement.(of equipment)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... Contractors invest significant capital in maintaining or replacing your equipment. Some contractors eyeball this important investment, guessing at how much they need to spend. This technique may work with minor details on the job site, but...

Law firm settles into style of historic mansion offices.(Decker Vonau Sybert Lackey and Vietz)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2001... If you must make the transition from suburban to downtown, doing it in style is the only way to go, says Jim Vonau, partner with the Columbus law firm Decker Vonau Sybert Lackey & Vietz Co. LPA. And that means keeping to the style of an...