Business First-Columbus articles from October 1994

Business First-Columbus archives from October 1994

GE hires big names for price-fixing defense. (General Electric Co. GE Superabrasives)
October 31, 1994... Key dispute: Call it conspiracy or competition? General Electric is paying big bucks to defend itself in the GE Superabrasives price-fixing case that began last week. Local attorneys estimate that the trial itself might cost GE $1 million in...

LCI bets flat-rate fees will connect with customers. (LCI International Inc.)
October 31, 1994... LCI International has had a face lift. The telecommunications provider, whose operations subsidiary is located in Dublin, hasn't been the same since H. Brian Thompson joined the company in 1991. In less than three years, the chief...

State to require more health insurance disclosure. (Ohio)
October 31, 1994... Ohioans covered by PHP Benefit System's non-HMO plans will be paying lower co-payments next year, thanks to a change in the way the company calculates those payments. The state Department of Insurance likes the new policy as much as consumers...

Cybersurfers target market of the future. (interactive television and print advertising) (Inside Report: Corporate Communications: Advertising & Public Relations)
October 31, 1994... You've already seen the future of advertising. When you go to a Big Bear supermarket and touch the video screen at the checkout stands to get a recipe or a coupon, you're taking part in interactive marketing. When you call up an online...

Color printing finds in-house applications. (Computer File) (Column)
October 31, 1994... A few years ago, when all we had at home was a black-and-white laser printer, I convinced my children that they didn't need color. "Just use your crayons and colored pencils," I suggested. I actually got away with it until they graduated from...

Trade shows: valuable marketing and sales vehicles. (Columbus Expo's Fall '94)
October 31, 1994... Does your staff practice boothpersonship? True or false: * Snow skiing and water skiing are practically the same. * Trade show selling and direct selling are practically the same. If you answered "false" to both questions, you win....

Wexner community threatens to secede; New Albany merger would hurt values. (billionaire Les Wexner; New Albany Co.)
October 24, 1994... The New Albany Co. is laying plans to detach its 4,000-acre community from the village of New Albany and form its own township. Officials of billionaire Les Wexner's dream community fear that its future could be put in jeopardy Nov. 8. That...

FOB for hire may tout city. (Friend of Bill's; lawyer and management consultant Jerry M. Hultin)
October 24, 1994... A Friend of Bill's who is trying to get federal money for Columbus's U.N. trade summit might get a bigger role for the city. Jerry M. Hultin, a local attorney and management consultant who attended law school with President Clinton, could...

Businesses give heavily to summit. (World Summit on Trade Efficiency)
October 24, 1994... Even after the World Summit on Trade Efficiency leaves town, Mayor Greg Lashutka said he will be seeking business contributions to cover a budget shortfall. "We brought a superior event to Columbus and there is a bit of a shortfall,"...

Gift shop owners caught in squeeze. (Industry Overview)
October 24, 1994... When Paula Susi opened P.S. Collection in City Center two years ago, she expected a profit margin of between 10 percent and 15 percent. Her other gift shop, Handtiques in the Continent's French Market, did that well in 1991 and 1992. But...

African delegates scout summit for leads at home. (World Trade Summit on Trade and Efficiency)
October 24, 1994... Representatives from nine African nations have come to Columbus to try to develop international trade with each other -- thousands of miles from the continent they call home. They are here as delegates to the World Summit on Trade Efficiency,...

Plaskolite abatement to come under new law. (Plaskolite Inc.)
October 24, 1994... The $7 million Plaskolite expansion now under way looks likely to become the first business project to receive a tax abatement under a state law signed earlier this year. But this abatement hasn't been affected much by the new law. The law...

Stinziano wants public hearing on home for ex-convicts at motel. (Rep. Mike Stinziano; Olentangy Inn)
October 24, 1994... A proposal to transform the Olentangy Inn into a transitional home for non-violent former inmates has prompted state Rep. Mike Stinziano to call for a public hearing. The central Ohio division of Volunteers of America plans to develop the hotel...

HMOs eye expansion into Medicaid market. (health maintenance organizations)
October 24, 1994... Some Greater Columbus health maintenance organizations are getting ready for a potential windfall: the public sector. OhioCare, a state Medicaid reform proposal awaiting approval from Washington, would require all Ohio Medicaid recipients --...

Jacobs keeps options open on mall site. (Richard E. Jacobs Group; Dublin Place Mall in Columbus, Ohio)
October 17, 1994... Some people may be counting the Dublin Place mall project dead, but its developer, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, is not. The Jacobs Group recently made a payment to retain its option on the proposed mall site, according to Scott Chaikin, a...

Football isn't clear winner for TV 28. (advertising guidelines for Fox Television's National Football League broadcasts)
October 17, 1994... Fox 28's John Quigley is happy to have National Football League games on his television station. But the broadcasts haven't yet brought the advertising revenue he hopes they will. "I'm not sure whether we'll make money on it or as much money...

Park Medical plans upgrade worth millions. (Park Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio)
October 17, 1994... Park Medical Center, which last week failed to delay a $79.6 million project by rival Mount Carmel Medical Center, is celebrating rather than sulking. Park's CEO Neil Serle said the outcome paves the way for his hospital to forge ahead with...

New clippers pick Columbus. (Great Clips Inc.; Ohio) (Shop Talk) (Column)
October 17, 1994... Great Clips wants to cut into the Columbus hair care market. The Minneapolis-based franchisor of discount-priced hair salons is planning to open up to 10 stores here over the next year. Company officials say they are negotiating for sites...

Cleveland-area REIT buys 256 units in Reynoldsburg. (real estate investment trust; Associated Estates Realty Corp.)
October 17, 1994... Associated Estates Realty Corp. has moved ahead in its plan to expand into the Columbus area. The real estate investment trust, based in the Cleveland suburb of Richmond Heights, recently bought the Bentley Station East and the Pendleton...

Largest Damon franchisee buys Pittsburgh restaurant, plans more. (Damon's BBQ Development)
October 17, 1994... Damon's BBQ Development, the largest franchisee of Damon's the Place for Ribs, has irons in the fire for the Iron City. The Columbus-based franchisee has just acquired the only Damon's restaurant in Pittsburgh and is planning to develop at...

Sign makers fear plan to alter graphics code. (possible revision of the Columbus Graphics Code)
October 17, 1994... Advertisements on signs will shrink if a new graphics code is approved by Columbus City Council later this year. The Central Ohio Sign Association believes the proposed revisions are too restrictive and will inhibit business owners from...

Solove lands main tenants at WestPointe. (R.J. Solove and Associates)
October 10, 1994... R.J. Solove & Associates has secured tenants for its largest development to date, a $50 million, 500,000-square-foot retail center on Hilliard-Rome Road. WestPointe Plaza will be built on 65 acres across from a Meijer store. Construction is...

Plaza Properties planning REIT. (real estate invetsment trust)
October 10, 1994... Developer to make $150-175 million offering Plaza Properties is preparing to become the second Columbus company to become a real estate investment trust. The company expects to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission within two to...

PaperMint parent files Chapter 11. (Metro Media Marketing Inc. declares bankruptcy)
October 10, 1994... An unfavorable court judgment has prompted the publisher of PaperMint quarterly coupon magazine to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Metro Media Marketing Inc., 5215 Cleveland Ave., is seeking protection from creditors while it...

Farmers draw crowds with big pumpkin crop. (Ohio)
October 10, 1994... Pumpkins are gaining ground on Ohio farms, where 4,000 to 5,000 acres are now planted each year, twice that of a decade ago. The value of pumpkins varies depending on the year, but this year they were more profitable per acre than soybeans...

Bob Evans. (Bob Evans Farms Inc.)(proxy report excerpts) (Company Profile)
October 10, 1994... NASDAQ-NMS BOBE Bob Evans Farms owns and operates 292 restaurants in 19 states, including Bob Evans Restaurants (and General Stores), Owens Family restaurants, and Cantina Del Rio. The company also produces sausage products and deli-style...

Grove City - open for business. (Ohio) (Commercial Real Estate Quarterly)
October 10, 1994... Grove City has the best of two worlds. As a rural community of 20,000, residents enjoy its more relaxed lifestyle. But its proximity to Columbus and immediate access to two major freeways make it an ideal location for businesses. Pizzuti...

Opus joins real estate competition. (Opus North) (Commercial Real Estate Quarterly)
October 10, 1994... Chicago-based developer touts integrated services A new player has made a move into the competitive game of real estate development in Columbus. Opus North has opened an office at 10 W. Broad St., the third Midwest office for the...

Incredible Universe tries to make retail fun. (consumer electronics store)
October 10, 1994... Consumer electronics meets Walt Disney meets Nashville meets Hollywood meets B.T. Barnum. That's one description of Incredible Universe, a giant consumer electronics retail concept about to plug into Columbus. Incredible Universe is brought...

Polaris nears agreement on huge discount mall. (Polaris Centers of Commerce; Mills Corp.)
October 3, 1994... Like all good window shoppers, the Mills Corp. considers its purchases before making them. After a year of looking, it appears as if the discount mall developer plans to buy into Columbus. Washington, D.C.-based Mills, known for its giant...

FoneNet says it has right number. (FoneNet/Ohio)
October 3, 1994... A new telecommunications provider is trying to connect with area businesses. FoneNet/Ohio, a division of Chicago-based U.S. Network Corp., is setting up an office in the One Columbus building at 10 W. Broad St. The company's goal is to...

Import tax on roses may stick area florists.
October 3, 1994... Local flower retailers are watching prices closely as they try to absorb new import duties of up to 50 percent on roses imported from Ecuador and Colombia. But retailers disagree about how these new duties, designed to protect domestic...

Borden execs may win big in KKR buyout. (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co.)
October 3, 1994... Top Borden executives stand to walk away with millions if they lose their jobs as a result of the takeover by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) According to Borden's 1993 proxy, the executives could receive up to three years of their base...

Pru to debut new HMO, build physician centers. (PruCare of Central Ohio)
October 3, 1994... Prudential is expanding its hold on Greater Columbus health care. PruCare of Central Ohio, the local health insurance umbrella, is preparing to offer another managed care insurance product to area employers. Up to eight satellite health care...

St. Ann's reorganizes two patient care areas. (St. Ann's Hospital, Westerville, Ohio)
October 3, 1994... About 95 percent of St. Ann's employees, excluding doctors, can expect a change in their duties over the next two years. St. Ann's Hospital in Westerville is moving forward with a sweeping restructuring designed to improve patient care and...

Huntington launches self-service branches. (Huntington National Bank)
October 3, 1994... The bank intends to move people out of operations functions and into front-line customer service positions. Huntington National Bank will open its first 24-hour automated branch next week at Nationwide Plaza downtown. The new type of...

Barefoot Grass Lawn Service. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
October 3, 1994... NASDAQ BARE Barefoot Inc. is the nation's second largest professional lawn care company. The company's services are provided to customers in 83 metropolitan markets, primarily in the central and eastern United States. Of those markets, 43...

Ford takes driver's seat on fleet sales: new regs crimp dealer sale policies. (Ford Motor Co.) (Automotive Trends)
October 3, 1994... The local auto leasing industry is up in arms about Ford Motor Co.'s tough new policies designed to make sure retail customers do not receive fleet discount prices on Ford's products. With the 1995 model year, Ford began requiring leasing...

Luxury creampuffs sweet wheel deal. (purchasing luxury cars) (Automotive Trends)
October 3, 1994... Psst, want a deal on a BMW convertible? Autumn is the time to buy. Want an even better deal? Buy a '92. Larry Frey, manager of sales and leasing at MB Classic Cars Inc., said just about any 2-year-old luxury car would make a good deal for a...

2-way radio: cellular's cheap cousin. (Automotive Trends)
October 3, 1994... Choosing the appropriate telecommunications tools is important in any business, but especially so in companies that operate delivery or service fleets. Ed Schleppi, owner of Comtech Inc. has been installing mobile communication systems in...

Fleet sales: gone is the bare bones econo-box. (Automotive Trends)
October 3, 1994... Perk-oriented execs get more models, accessories Just a few years ago, buying or leasing a fleet for your company meant selecting a string of basic cars, usually in white, for your sales or service staff. Little or no selection was...

Freenet offers leads, data for commerce. (Columbus Freenet online information network)
October 3, 1994... Info highway connector an on-ramp to customers The Columbus Freenet links Greater Columbus's small businesses to a mother lode of information -- including searchable databases, texts on every subject imaginable, information services, news...