Business First-Columbus articles from October 1997

Business First-Columbus archives from October 1997

Local insurance exec to run Tiger Woods Foundation. (Joseph S. Grant Jr.)
October 3, 1997... Joseph S. Grant Jr., a Columbus insurance executive and Vietnam War buddy of Earl Woods, has been tapped to oversee the charitable foundation named after one of the most famous athletes in the world: Earl's son, Tiger. Earl Woods chose Grant,...

Penn Traffic says no funds available to honor gifts. (Penn Traffic Co.)
October 3, 1997... Columbus, it wasn't personal. That's the word from Syracuse- based Penn Traffic Co., which has notified Children's Hospital and the Franklin County United Way that its Big Bear division will not honor $250,000 in combined corporate pledges to...

Glory makes frozen foods. (Glory Foods Inc,)
October 3, 1997... Line rolls out with help from General Mills Glory Foods Inc. plans to continue its rapid growth with the launch of a frozen line of its soul food products early next year. The Southern-style family meals will be processed in north...

TV tower rule proposal could signal end to local control.
October 3, 1997... Local governments, developers and real estate analysts may want to tune it out, but a proposed federal rule to revoke local control of where massive new digital TV towers are built is "a done deal," a local broadcaster says. And a national...

LTV plant could spur Marion industrial park near rail lines. (LTV Corp.; Ohio)
October 3, 1997... MARION - The city expects a $66 million manufacturing project to jump-start the city's new 330-acre industrial park. Cleveland-based LTV Corp. plans to create nearly 150 jobs in the $14 million, 265,000-square-foot facility for its LTV Steel...

Long Vasbinder prepares for Polaris office campus. (Long Vasbinder & Johnson Ltd.; Polaris Centers of Commerce)
October 3, 1997... Developers plan to begin construction late this year on a 23-acre office campus within Polaris Centers of Commerce. Long Vasbinder & Johnson Ltd. will join with Polaris developer NP Ltd. in the project. When completed in two years, the campus...

Coopers, Price Waterhouse merger creates local force. (Coopers & Lybrand LLP; Price Waterhouse LLP)
October 3, 1997... Worldwide merger of the smallest two of the Big Six accounting firms will alter the balance of power in Columbus, possibly putting the combined firm at the very top. Coopers & Lybrand LLP and Price Waterhouse LLP, the fifth and sixth largest...

Tuition trust authority pleased with performance. (Ohio Tuition Trust Authority)
October 3, 1997... After reaching its eighth birthday, the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority has become a large youngster, with assets of more than $280 million. But at that size, it's still a tiny tot compared to its investment adviser, the Public Employees...

Greenwood lends steady hand to Big Bear campaign. (former 78 Big Bear and Big Bear Plus stores corporate director of advertising Bob Greenwood)
October 3, 1997... Penn Traffic Co. ad man Bob Greenwood has two offices and two staffs, one in Columbus and one in Syracuse. The two offices communicate through teleconferencing and are linked by computers. Ads are produced electronically. Some items are sold at...

Banks see new worldly opportunities for ATMs. (automated teller machines)
October 3, 1997... The nation's largest ATM switching network, owned by three Ohio-based banks and two in Pennsylvania, wants to go worldwide. Electronic Payment Services Inc. has applied for regulatory approval to engage in ATM and point-of-sale activities...

ONN lands new cable outlets, increases potential audience. (Ohio News Network)
October 3, 1997... Ohio News Network, launched in May to become a CNN-like news service for Ohio, has signed an agreement with a TCI affiliate that could launch it statewide. Skip Waldman, vice president/strategic alliances for the Dispatch Broadcast Group and...

OSU Med Center snares high-quality appointment. (Ohio State University Medical Center)
October 3, 1997... Ohio State University Medical Center is one of four institutions in the nation selected to help develop a national curriculum on health-care quality evaluation and quality management. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare...

Ohio State looks to make mark in executive education. (Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business)
October 3, 1997... Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business is gearing up for an initiative that it hopes will make it a national force in executive education. To achieve the goal. the school has hired a new executive director and charged her with the...

Survey: small businesses find alternate financing.
October 3, 1997... WASHINGTON - Nearly one in four small businesses still don't have computers and bank loans are becoming increasingly unpopular among the nation's smaller firms, according to a new national survey. Little more than a third of the small...

Cooker heats up dispute with IRS over option deductions. (Cooker Restaurant Corp.; Internal Revenue Service)
October 3, 1997... WASHINGTON - Whether Cooker Restaurant Corp. can deduct stock options as an expense has locked the company in another battle with the Internal Revenue Service. The company, which moved headquarters from Columbus to West Palm Beach, Fla., a...

On the FasTrac: tech center helps veteran entrepreneurs upgrade skills. (Ohio Foundation for Entrepreneurial Education; Premier FasTrac training program)
October 3, 1997... The Ohio Foundation for Entrepreneurial Education is helping current and hopeful entrepreneurs get on the business development fast track by offering an innovative training program. OFEE is a not-for-profit corporation developed through the...

Co-branders gain mixed-product synergy.
October 3, 1997... When opening a new franchised business the old axiom "location, location, location" couldn't be more applicable because increased competition in today's marketplace is forcing franchisers to find creative ways to develop their companies....

Singing city center praises. (Mount Vernon, Ohio; federal grants)
October 3, 1997... Mount Vernon seeks $2.5M for opry rehab MOUNT VERNON - A $400,000 federal grant for improvements to the city's downtown business district is drawing to a dose, but project director Pat Crow says the funding is just the beginning for additional...

Delaware under gun for grant plan. (Ohio)
October 3, 1997... City rushes historic district ordinance to get $400,000 DELAWARE - The Delaware City Council met under the gun Sept. 29 to approve a revised historic overlay zoning ordinance needed to get $400,000 in state funds. The ordinance is a...

Fiber Net offers low, low, low fees. (Fiber Network Solutions)
October 3, 1997... T-1 provider sells port access below 50% Some companies find they've priced their product or service too high to be successful, but Dave Koch and Kyle Bacon discovered the opposite to be true as well: Charge too little and people don't believe...

Gamblers discover it's time to bet on the Net. (cyberbetting)
October 3, 1997... Cyberbetting is here. Gambling on the Internet is a new and growing phenomenon, and anti-gambling advocates decry its unprecedented accessibility while scratching their heads at what, if anything, can be done about it. Ohio Attorney General...

Ameritech slow to vie with Warner. (Time Warner Communications)
October 3, 1997... The race between Time Warner Communications and Ameritech to offer high-speed Internet access to large-volume business users in Greater Columbus is still in the starting blocks. Such service is not expected until sometime next year at the...

Extranets add 'ooomph' to electronic commerce.
October 3, 1997... It sometimes seems as if corporate America has an endless fascination with the newest and latest technological wizardry zipping onto the market. Electronic commerce is one such phenomenon that has gained momentum over the last decade. It is a...

Who's liable? (online services)
October 3, 1997... Online services seem to have escaped responsibility for content The Internet has long had a reputation as a wild and wooly frontier, but a number of recent lawsuits are showing it's anything but. The same laws that apply in the real world,...

Delaware in top 10 in 'hot growth' study; Central Ohio counties excel in national survey.
October 10, 1997... Central Ohio counties excel in national survey In 1970, about 500 students graduated from Doug Garver's Boardman High School class in suburban Youngstown. Today, more of his ex-classmates live in Central Ohio than in their native Youngstown...

Ricart eyes Morse outlet for possible ninth franchise. (Ricart Automotive Group)
October 10, 1997... Ricart Automotive Group is hunting for another franchise, which it will likely put on Morse Road. Fred Ricart, who with brother Rhett owns eight franchises under the Ricart umbrella, said the company has expanded Ricart Used Car Factory North...

Buckeye Printing plans spec building. (Buckeye Printing and Mailing Service Inc.)
October 10, 1997... The principal owners of Buckeye Printing and Mailing Service Inc. plan a $4 million speculative office building at Spring Street and Grant Avenue in the Discovery District. Jeff Realty Co., a partnership of Buckeye owners Fritz and John...

Trucking company leads list of Fast 50. (Michael Burton Enterprises leads Business First Fast 50)
October 10, 1997... Specialty transportation company Michael Burton Enterprises, sold late last month to a Houston company, leads this year's Business First Fast 50. The second-annual program, which culminated with an Oct. 8 luncheon at the Hyatt Regency...

Fisher College at OSU to introduce family business center. (Fisher College of Business; Ohio State University)
October 10, 1997... Ohio State University is making family business its business. The school's Fisher College of Business plans to open the Family and Owner Managed Business Forum next spring. The forum will link family-owned businesses with one another, local...

Hebron cleaning company plans $34.3 million IPO. (MPW Industrial Services Group Inc. initial public offering)
October 10, 1997... A Licking County industrial cleaning firm plans to raise about $34.3 million through an initial public offering in November. MPW Industrial Services Group Inc. filed a registration statement Oct. 1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission....

Burton's formula worked so well he sold the company. (Michael Burton Enterprises Inc.)(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... number 1 The phenomenal growth of Michael Burton Enterprises Inc. has owner Michael Burton realizing his version of the American dream. The transportation logistics firm, at the top of Business First's Fast 50 honoree list for 1997, has been...

Limited to spend $200M to brand several division. (Limited Inc.)
October 10, 1997... Limited Inc. will use a branding strategy honed with the turnaround of Victoria's Secret on its other retail chains and spend $200 million to do so, a major trade magazine has reported. Advertising Age reported Sept. 29 that the campaign will...

Shift to management can be challenge for entrepreneurs.(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... Many free-spirited entrepreneurs who have managed to start a business "by the seat of their pants" eventually face the sobering reality that a more disciplined approach is needed when they want to grow their companies. In fact, the gutsy...

Karrington turns to veteran execs to assist growth efforts. (Karrington Health Inc.)
October 10, 1997... In an effort to reach profitability by late 1998 and manage its ambitions growth plans, Columbus-based Karrington Health Inc. has hired two new executives with public company experience. The August hires of Pete A. Klisares, 62, as president,...

Choosing professional team takes logic - and emotion.(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... Three of the best friends a small-business owner can have are a good banker, a good lawyer and a good accountant. Sooner or later, most entrepreneurs need the services of one or more of these professionals to start or grow a company. And since...

CyberMark continues addition of smart-card customers. (CyberMark Inc.)
October 10, 1997... CyberMark, the Columbus-based developer of "smart cards," has signed up three more university clients, bringing to 125,000 the number of students who use its cards. Students at Villanova University, Guilford College and the University of...

The list. (1997 Greater Columbus, Ohio fast-growing fifty companies) (tabular data only)(Business First Fast Fifty)(Directory)
October 10, 1997... 1. Michael Burton Enterprises Inc. 2270 Port Road Columbus 43217 497-6623 CEO: Michael Burton Founded: 1987 Trucking and specialized delivery services and setup company. Growth range: 250 percent and higher 2. ADC Information...

Martha Vance & Associates finds success in placement industry.(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... number 11 After a successful 11-year career with a personnel agency, Martha Southard struck out on her own. In 1978, she and a partner formed another agency. Then the unexpected happened. Her partner fired her. Southard called the...

Chicago real estate trust pays $26.6M for buildings at Metro. (Metro Center buildings)
October 10, 1997... A Chicago-based REIT has expanded its Dublin office presence with its $26.6 million purchase of two Metro Center buildings. Great Lakes REIT Inc. on Oct. 1 purchased the Metro IV and Metro V buildings - totaling 320,000 square feet for just...

Cam Taylor sells real estate agency to longtime partner. (Cam Taylor Co. Realtors)
October 10, 1997... Cam Taylor Co. Realtors expects to remain an independent residential player after its sale to a longtime partner. Phil Giessler, who has worked with Campbell "Cam" Taylor for 29 years, bought out the namesake's majority interest in the firm in...

John James Estes nails down growth through perseverance. (John James Estes and Associates)(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... number 6 A five-year plan that turned into a 10-year plan equaled success for Johnny Estes. Estes, president and CEO of John James Estes & Associates took his company from a vision in 1976 to reality in 1986. By last year, the construction...

ADC handles rapid growth in rapid-change tech field. (ADC Information Technologies Inc.)(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... ADC, Information Technologies Inc.'s sales have risen from $5 million last year to about $6.5 million this year. But it's not time to rest yet. "We expect to grow four times in the next five years," says Chip Chapman, vice president of...

Expect pay phone rates to jump around city, state. (Cleveland, Ohio)
October 10, 1997... The cost of some pay telephone calls is going up, as regulations keeping the cost at 25 cents for the last 15 years have been lifted. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio removed the cap as of Oct 7 and already a pay phone provider in...

Jewell puts polish in Excel with dedication, diligence. (Excel Management Systems Inc.)(Business First Fast Fifty)
October 10, 1997... number 20 In eight years, Curtis Jewell has gone from working out of his bedroom to running a company that racked up $11.5 million in sales last year. But he's not content to rest now. Whether considering taking his Excel Management...

Building boom brings planning challenges, strain. (Delaware County, OH)
October 10, 1997... Delaware County is, quite literally, a case study of one of a select group of U.S. communities that has transformed itself overnight from cow pastures to white-collar boom towns. A Business First study of all 841 metropolitan counties coast to...

Garek: opportunities sought outside Columbus. (Robert Garek, owner of R.S Garek Associates)(Small Business Strategies)
October 10, 1997... Well into his fourth decade in the commercial real estate industry, Robert Garek figures he has just hit his stride. "I'm having so much fun, I don't have any plans to retire," he said. Garek and Donald T. Feibel in August ended their...

Feibel: we want to be small and responsive. (Donald T. Feibel, owner of Feibel Realty Co.)(Small Business Strategy)
October 10, 1997... For Donald T. Feibel, establishing Feibel Realty Co. is a story of the future reaffirming the past even as his company takes on a new dimension. With the August dissolution of Feibel-Garek Realtors, the elder partner plans to forge ahead out...

Montessori Center nurtures 'whole child.' (Columbus Montessori Education Center)(Corporate Caring)
October 10, 1997... Linda Neugebauer and Mary M. Lee - best friends since junior high - teamed up with Peggy Fein in 1984 to create a comprehensive early childhood Montessori program that would offer more than what was available through other local pre-schools at...

Genesis rearranges services at two Zanesville hospitals. (Bethesda Hospital; Good Samaritan Medical Center)
October 10, 1997... ZANESVILLE - Two hospitals that have competed for health services for over 30 years are now trying together to determine how those services can best work for the community, Bethesda Hospital and Good Samaritan Medical Center are less than two...

So much fun nobody's counting. (Fairfield County Fair)
October 10, 1997... LANCASTER - The organizers of the Fairfield County Fair have been way too busy planning mule races and the "Powder Puff Demolition Derby" to even think about doing an economic impact study. In fact, a statistical endeavor like that would almost...

Development issues confront Ashley, Powell, Troy. (Delaware County towns)
October 10, 1997... DELAWARE COUNTY - Township and village officials in three Delaware County towns are dealing with zoning issues resulting from rapid growth. The village council of Ashley is in the process of adopting a master plan and appointing a five-member...

'Risk, time, expense' turn civil cases into settlements. (Franklin County, Columbus Bar Association)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... Traditional and new pressures to settle civil lawsuits have combined to keep cases that actually go to trial to a minuscule 1 percent in Franklin County, Columbus Bar Association officials say. The traditional pressures - for both plaintiffs...

May, Berliner take key insurance posts. (William May; Alan Berliner)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... One is a former Marietta City Council member, the son of a small-town banker and stepson of an insurance agent. The other is the former managing attorney of a Columbus law firm with 21 years of experience in litigation and regulation. Both...

Mental health caps may face high court ruling. (Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... Caps on mental illness long-term disability benefits are nothing new to insurance policies. However, the Supreme Court might eventually have to decide if those caps are discriminatory under the Americans with Disabilities Act The issue of...

Health insurance gets legs. (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... It's October, do you know where your health insurance is? Portability in health insurance went into effect June 1, with companies renewing insurance policies after that date required to be certified as compliant with HIPPA. HIPPA, short for...

Assurex offers brokerages local focus, national clout. (Assurex International Corp.)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... It may not be a household name for business people shopping for insurance, but Assurex International Corp. is well known in the industry. For four decades, the Columbus-based company has been linking large independent insurance brokers across...

Federal no-fault proposal no help for Ohio drivers. (Auto Choice Reform Act)(Inside Report: Insurance Quarterly)
October 10, 1997... A plan to slash auto insurance rates nationwide may not have too great an impact for Ohio drivers. The Auto Choice Reform Act, introduced in Congress last summer, would give drivers nationwide the choice of participating in traditional auto...

Making Columbus major league: John H. McConnell takes hockey, sports business, community pride. (majority owner John H. McConnell of the National Hockey League team)(Interview)
October 17, 1997... It's in the first half of the alphabet. Beyond confirming the placement of the first letter of the name of Columbus' new National Hockey League team, majority owner John H. McConnell wouldn't reveal the best-kept secret in town that he now...

NHL's arrival has Chill scouting new locales; McConnell floats idea of downtown practice facility. (National Hockey League team majority owner John H. McConnell)
October 17, 1997... Say goodbye, Chill fans. With the certainty of a National Hockey League team beginning play in Columbus in 2000, the Chill minor league franchise will almost certainly be seeking new digs by then, says Chill President David Paitson. Paitson...

Banc One meets Mr. Payroll; bank partners with firm on check-cashing venture.
October 17, 1997... Bank partners with firm on check-cashing venture Banc One Corp. rolled out the nation's first ATM in 1970. Early next year, it may be the first bank to offer check-cashing machine services. The Columbus-based banking giant has signed a deal...

Buckeye Cafe investors read like OSU 'Who's Who.' (Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe; Ohio State University)
October 17, 1997... A host of Ohio State University's legendary athletes have joined the ownership team at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe. Columbus restaurateur Jon Self opened the 50,000-square-foot restaurant, banquet and entertainment complex Oct. 15 at the site...

Pizzuti expands into Ky. with $7M Louisville deal. (Pizzuti Development Inc.; Louisville, Kentucky)
October 17, 1997... Pizzuti Development Inc. has secured a build-to-suit industrial contract in Louisville that it hopes will lead to other development opportunities. Pizzuti has started construction on the 331,000-square-foot, $7 million distribution facility...

Easton Market adds indoor soccer complex to complement Chiller. (Chiller ice rink complex in Columbus, Ohio)
October 17, 1997... A private developer plans to complete a $1.4 million indoor soccer facility within the Easton development before Christmas. EJMR Construction Ltd. has started work on its Sports Barn, a 45,360-square-foot facility featuring twin 80-by-200-foot...

Experts predict HMO losses could spark premium hikes for employers. (health maintenance organization)
October 17, 1997... While enrollment in Ohio's HMOs continues to rise, profits have sunk. Last year, Ohio HMO profits plummeted 158 percent, suffering a collective net loss of $18.5 million compared with a profit of $31.7 million in 1995, according to a new...

Rieder brings new vision to Park Medical Center. (CEO James L. Rieder)
October 17, 1997... Park Medical Center has a new leader with a new vision for the Near East Side hospital. James L. Rieder, Park's chief executive officer since July, brought 25 years of hospital management experience with him to Park, most recently as president...

SBA streamlines lending process for loan applicants. (Small Business Administration)
October 17, 1997... Small Business Administration loans have gone express in Central Ohio. Columbus Countywide Development Corp. in August became one of seven small-business lenders across the country to participate in a pilot program to streamline the lending...

Meridian REIT shells out $31.2M on Prudential buys. (real estate investment trust Meridian Industrial Trust Inc.; Prudential Real Estate Investors)
October 17, 1997... A San Francisco-based REIT hungers for more regional industrial properties after its purchase of five Columbus distribution facilities. Meridian Industrial Trust Inc. in late September completed acquisitions totaling 954,000 square feet from...

ICG buys Netcom to add Net access to its services. (ICG Communications Inc; Netcom Online Communications)
October 17, 1997... Telecommunications startup ICG Communications Inc. appears to be emulating WorldCom's strategy - growth through acquisition. ICG announced Oct. 13 it would acquire Netcom Online Communications, one of the few remaining large, independent...

Buckeye Egg, workers await NLRB decision on union vote. (Buckeye Egg Farm; National Labor Relations Board)
October 17, 1997... In an issue watched closely by farm and labor groups, the National Labor Relations Board will decide whether workers at Buckeye Egg Farm's egg facility in Mount Victory can organize. At stake is the fate of a union vote Aug. 6 and 7 and the...

SBC name-change campaign gives Adecco recognition. (SBC Advertising Inc.; Adecco Employment Services)
October 17, 1997... Michael Linton, local divisional vice president and general manager for a global temporary employment services agency, had a "monster" of a communication problem. Adia Personnel Services, a Swiss-owned company with regional offices in Dublin,...

Port Columbus office park gets third spec building. (Port Columbus Executive Park)
October 17, 1997... Developers at Port Columbus Executive Park plan to move forward Nov. 1 on their third spec office project off Cassady Avenue. Park developers David Cheses and Robert Weiler Jr. have joined with National Real Estate Development Inc. to build the...

Out, out, damned spam: Lawsuits, filters aim to stop deluge of electronic junk mail. (includes related article on how companies can reduce or eliminate unwanted junk mail)(TechNow)
October 17, 1997... Spam, or unsolicited e-mail, is becoming the bane of businesses. The name "spam" came from a Monty Python skit, but no one is laughing at the time wasted or the expense involved in eliminating the unwanted online messages. "More and more,...

Pens, speech make mouse mere memory. (computer mouse)(TechNow)
October 17, 1997... The clicks and double clicks that pepper communication with your computer can be replaced with a simple touch or a voice command. The technology that brought to us the wide world of the computer mouse is expanding beyond, into programs that...

Cellphones come in four flavors of digital.(TechNow)
October 17, 1997... In the jargon-laden world of high technology, few things have become more confusing than sorting out the differences among competing digital cellular phone technologies. At least four major digital phone transmission standards are in use in...

Cashing in on alternative lifestyles: well-known gay and lesbian entertainers help boost Out On Main's business.(Small Business Strategies)
October 17, 1997... Providing a safe, fun, open and entertaining environment for gays, lesbians and their friends can be profitable. That's what the owners of Out On Main realized since they opened the gay theme memorabilia restaurant last year. Near the heart...

Black beauty salon profits in Bexley. (Uzuri Street Hair Design Studio)(Small Business Strategies)
October 17, 1997... Uzuri Street Hair Design Studio, an ethnic concept beauty salon that caters almost exclusively to female African-American women, is thriving in the heart of Bexley against all predictions to the contrary. Husband and wife owners Michael and...

Trendy Sunbury. (Indiana)
October 17, 1997... What's an up-and-coming old town turned suburb without a gift shop/cafe? SUNBURY - Business has been brisk since the recent opening of a new combination cafe and gift store in Sunbury. "We have been slammed every day!" said Linda Grubbs, owner...

Town asks voters to buy green space. (Granville and Granville Township)
October 17, 1997... GRANVILLE - A rare form of a tax levy will be on the ballots in Granville and Granville Township Nov. 4 to fund purchase of green space in central Licking County. The 1-mill additional tax levy will produce $175,000 annually to permit the...

'Mr. Happy' guilty; sentence tied to victim payback. (former Century 21 realtor Raymond L. Cramblit)
October 17, 1997... LANCASTER - He's known in Lancaster as "Mr. Happy," but after his day in court on Oct. 10, "Mr. Guilty" might be a more fitting nickname for the former Century 21 Realtor who scammed approximately $350,000 out of investors. Under a plea...

Quarterhorse profits: Columbus' most profitable gathering is also the nation's 3rd largest. (All American Quarter Horse Congress)(Hotels, Meetings & Travel)
October 17, 1997... Dan Evans doesn't remember how much he won for taking home a show trophy at the 1991 All American Quarter Horse Congress. But the chairman and CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc. keeps the saddle he used to win the event in his office. "People ask...

Internet puts hustle into agencies. (Hotels, Meetings & Travel)
October 17, 1997... Recently traditional travel agencies have gotten a technological wake-up call and those who continue to hit the snooze alarm will soon find themselves extinct, according to industry leaders. Direct consumer access to travel services via the...

Country lodges offer piney conference hideaways. (Licking and Knox counties in Ohio)(Hotels, Meetings & Travel)
October 17, 1997... Relaxing on a cushy sofa next to a fireplace in the elegant lobby of Cherry Valley Lodge, Becky Miller looks for the right words to describe the atmosphere of the resort and conference center. "We tell people it's like staying at your rich...

Will long-stay hotels be profitable for the long haul? (Greater Columbus, Ohio)(Hotels, Meetings & Travel)
October 17, 1997... More than 1,000 extended-stay hotel rooms are open or planned near Columbus' North Outerbelt, reflecting a hot nationwide industry trend that many analysts say will eventually backfire. Nationally, the rush to build extended-stay rooms reflects...

Crowne Plaza, Red Roof find value in rehabbing downtown buildings. (Crowne Plaza Hotel; Red Roof Inns Inc.)(Hotels, Meetings & Travel)
October 17, 1997... A good use for an old downtown building could be a hotel. That's what two local hotel companies have decided. Red Roof Inns Inc. has started renovating a 55,000 square-foot historic building at 111 Nationwide Blvd. - due to open under its flag...