Business First-Columbus articles from October 2000

Business First-Columbus archives from October 2000

Issue 1 funding falls under scrutiny.
October 27, 2000... Though State Issue 1 has racked up nearly 200 endorsements from a steady stream of elected officials and business, labor and conservation groups, it has also garnered organized opposition from such environmental groups as the Sierra Club. ...

WHAT'S WITH MLS?
October 27, 2000... With attendance, TV ratings off league and Crew look to regroup Despite a recent spate of indicators seemingly to the contrary, a demise of Major League Soccer and the Columbus Crew are wildly exaggerated, officials say. But there is...

Capitol idea: apartments.
October 27, 2000... Brewery District complex proposed The former Capitol Manufacturing Co. complex in the city's Brewery District could fall next year to make way for a complex of 310 luxury apartments. That is if a proposal before the Brewery District...

MindLeaders puts IPO plans on hold.
October 27, 2000... Columbus-based MindLeaders Inc. has postponed its planned $57.5 million initial public stock offering in the face of turbulent equities markets. "We still fully intend to IPO when the market is in better shape," said Angus Carroll, chief...

It's a bank, OK? What on Earth did you expect?
October 27, 2000... Contributors: KATHY HOKE and LAURA NEWPOFF. Bank One Corp. has come up with a novel approach to rising health-care costs: a tiered premium system to soften the impact of rising co-payments for tellers and call center employees. Top...

Notable birthdays of Central Ohio executives.
October 27, 2000... Contributors: KATHY HOKE and LAURA NEWPOFF. Some upcoming birthdays: * John Kozlowski, general counsel, Ohio Credit Union League: Oct. 28 * John R. Thomas, partner, Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter LPA: Oct. 28 * Becky...

Mr. 'Big Time' visits Worthington Industries.
October 27, 2000... Contributors KATHY HOKE and LAURA NEWPOFF. Cathy Mayne Lyttle spent much of this week in what she calls "we gotta get this place ready mode." The vice president of corporate communications for steel processor Worthington Industries...

Heart center detailed.
October 27, 2000... Riverside aims to open $67M complex by 2003 Dr. Mike Hindman couldn't suppress a smile as he looked at sketches of a $67 million Heart/Emergency Pavilion to be built at Riverside Methodist Hospital by 2003. "I'm really excited about...

Robots in health care drawing rave reviews at area hospitals.
October 27, 2000... Robbie should be a top candidate for employee of the month at Mount Carmel East Hospital. He neither takes a sick day, nor a vacation. He is always on time for work, doesn't argue with coworkers and never asks for overtime even though he...

Consulting prompts Bostic to leave Buckeye.
October 27, 2000... For 40 years, Les Bostic and the Buckeye Ranch were synonymous. On Oct. 30, however, Bostic will leave the Grove City organization that helps troubled children and their families. Bostic, 66, plans to retire as head of the Buckeye...

Contractors sue Planet Hollywood over payments.
October 27, 2000... Planet Hollywood International Inc. emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year but two firms say the theme restaurant still owes them money for work at its Easton Town Center operation. Julian Speer Co. and Mid-City...

Urban homes festival features six builders.
October 27, 2000... Regional builders will showcase their houses at Columbus' first Urban Festival of Homes on Oct. 27-29. DiYanni, Dominion, Joshua, M/I, Rockford and Sovereign Homes will open their houses at Hegemon Crest off Mock Road. The event...

Cleveland Clinic mulling Wendt-Bristol relationship.
October 27, 2000... The famed Cleveland Clinic may enter the crowded Columbus health-care market through a strategic alliance with Wendt-Bristol Health Services Corp. Executives from the clinic and Columbus-based Wendt-Bristol confirmed they are discussing...

CLARIFICATION.
October 27, 2000... Tim Jochim, of the Columbus law firm Ellis Venable & Busam LLP, advised Dave Fox Contracting on the structure of an outside board of directors. An article in the Entrepreneur section Oct. 20 implied that John Beavers, of Bricker & Eckler LLP,...

Photonic buys west side Emco Maier facility for $3M.
October 27, 2000... Photonic Integration Research Inc. has added another property to its growing west side headquarters. The company has purchased a 62,000-square-foot facility at 2757 Scioto Parkway for $3 million from Emco Maier Corp., a machine tool...

Glavan taps Feher, firm shifts name.
October 27, 2000... Columbus architect Jeff Glavan will formally add a partner Nov. 1 as his firm continues to expand its client base. J. Edward Feher becomes a principal after five years with Glavan. The firm will be renamed Glavan Feher Architects Inc. ...

Weber Fulton & Felman gains new name with deal.
October 27, 2000... With four names in two years for their investment management firm, John Bevilacqua and David Will have made frequent trips to the printer and post office. Now, they hope their firm's newest name, Weber Fulton & Felman Investment Counsel...

Country club plans to gain $225,000 for golf course via unsecured bonds.
October 27, 2000... Riviera Country Club hopes its most loyal members will buy unsecured bonds to pay for improvements to its golf course this year. The American Italian Golf Association, which owns the private club on Avery Road in Dublin, has asked the...

Downtown buildings snag new investors and tenants.
October 27, 2000... Downtown is enjoying a spurt of interest for property investors and tenants. Epic Properties Ltd., a partnership that includes campus-area property manager George Bavelis of Pella Co., has purchased the home of the Columbus Convention...

Plaza Properties' Ruben adds to his property holdings.
October 27, 2000... A belated note on the former Daily Reporter building at 329 S. Front St. Plaza Properties President Larry Ruben bought that 7,000-square-foot office Sept. 9 for $1.19 million. Patrick Windlley of Grubb & Ellis/Adena Realty Advisors...

Executive returns to native state as head of Gilbane's Ohio operation.
October 27, 2000... Gilbane Building Co. has named a 20year veteran of the Providence, R.I.-based construction manager to lead its Columbus operation. Walter McKelvey has moved here to serve as senior vice president and regional manager for Gilbane's Ohio...

Massa Realty catches GE for 70/270 Industrial Park.
October 27, 2000... Massa Realty and Development has secured General Electric Supply for a 30,000-square-foot, build-to-suit warehouse at the 70/270 Industrial Park off Wilson Road. The warehouse for GE'S electrical products division marks the second...

The Mid-Ohio Development Exchange.
October 27, 2000... * The Mid-Ohio Development Exchange, a regional association of economic development officials and private-sector developers, recognized Noble Properties and Don M. Casto Organization as Economic Developers of the Year for their mixed-used...

Hampstead Village Center.
October 27, 2000... * HER Realtors relocated its New Albany offices to 5207 Hampstead Village Center Way in late September

SupplyOne Co.
October 27, 2000... * National Paper & Packaging, a division of Cleveland-based SupplyOne Co., has moved from 1003 Distribution Drive to about 53,000 square feet at 5339 Fisher Road. R. Jason Taggart of Taggart Management & Real Estate Services LLC represented...

Paul Krimm.
October 27, 2000... * NAI Welsh Cos. named Paul Krimm a senior property manager for the firm's 4.8 million-square-foot Columbus portfolio. Krimm comes to Welsh from Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. He also worked for Cleveland-based Jacobs Group.

Arshot Investment Corp.
October 27, 2000... * Arshot Investment Corp. principal Bill Schottenstein will speak at the Nov. 7 meeting of the Columbus Commercial Real Estate Women at the developer's Brewers Yard project. For information, contact program chair Leslie Biskner at...

Multicultural Real Estate Career.
October 27, 2000... * The Columbus Board of Realtors has set its annual Multicultural Real Estate Career Night for Nov. 9. The program and job fair is free, but seating is limited.

Potential, profit generate Neoprobe analyst interest.
October 27, 2000... Less than three months after it posted only the second profitable quarter in its 17-year existence, Dublin-based Neoprobe Corp. has attracted research coverage that projects a 150 percent rise in its share price. The Columbus-based...

OSU researcher wins grant for infections study.
October 27, 2000... Ohio State University microbiologist Paula Sundstrom has received a five-year, $425,000 award to further her research on a yeast that causes potentially serious infections in humans. Sundstrom, an associate professor of molecular...

Slane Co. likely to bring Big Bear to new complex.
October 27, 2000... A developer that builds and leases back Big Bear supermarket space to Syracuse, N.Y-based Penn Traffic Co. is planning a commercial and residential project for Southwest Franklin County that could include a Big Bear store. Dan Slane,...

Pro-Cuts parent firm combing region for franchise candidates.
October 27, 2000... Texas-based Pro-Cuts Franchise Corp. is looking for franchisees to open barbershop-type stores or assume territories in Columbus. The company operatesa store in Hilliard, maintains a corporate office in Dayton and runs seven other shops,...

MaggieMoo's franchise expands into Polaris, Clintonville.
October 27, 2000... MaggieMoos Ice Cream & Treatery, the Maryland-based ice cream company operating at Easton Town Center through a franchise, is expanding. A store at Polaris Towne Center recently opened and a third shop, at 2899 N. High St. in...

Market at Mill Run shuffles in new tenants.
October 27, 2000... The 236,000-square-foot Market at Mill Run has updated its merchant mix. R. Jason Taggart, director of marketing for center owner Taggart Management & Real Estate Services LLC, says Starbucks has signed a 10-year lease at the Market at...

Johnny Scales.
October 27, 2000... * It's official: Johnny Scales, former general manager at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing, is now GM at Easton Town Center He is joined by a new director of marketing, Brigid Butler, formerly marketing director at Columbus City Center Mike...

Fox Sports Network.
October 27, 2000... * The 2000 New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix, held Sept 24 at the New Albany home of Les and Abigail Wexner, is scheduled to air at 11 a.m. Nov. 10 on Fox Sports Network. The annual event was a fund-raiser for the Columbus...

Regents prepare to elevate higher ed levels in Ohio.
October 27, 2000... Roderick Chu has a reputation for helping institutions transform themselves in what he likes to call "big, hairy, audacious" ways. He led such change as commissioner of taxation and finance for New York state. Then he told government...

City wins sign case appeal against Suburban Lodges.
October 27, 2000... Columbus has an obvious interest in keeping motorists from spending too much time reading signs along city highways. So it's with some relief that a constitutional challenge to the city's attempts to control signs has been beaten back. ...

Study reveals Ohio unfriendly to its small businesses, taxes blamed in part.
October 27, 2000... Ohio hamstrings its entrepreneurs, according to a new study that ranks the Buckeye State 46th in its friendliness to small business. The Small Business Survival Committee, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.,...

Lifeline launches edgy ads to garner student support.
October 27, 2000... Columbus-based Lifeline of Ohio Inc. hopes to create lifelong-advocates for organ donation among university students through an edgy 30-day advertising campaign developed by Zero Base Advertising Inc. The campaign, dubbed "Toe Tag,"...

Local lawsuit against EPA prompted Columbus' sewage treatment efforts.
October 27, 2000... For the impetus behind Columbus' effort to update its plan for regional sewage treatment -- and similar efforts across the state -- look no further than Reynoldsburg. Since last August, Columbus has been reworking its Metropolitan...

Relizon chooses to keep headquarters in Dayton.
October 27, 2000... Dayton-Montgomery County Port Authority scored its first financing project when Relizon Co. said it would move its headquarters and 500 jobs to downtown Dayton. Relizon, once a division of Reynolds and Reynolds Inc., will knock down an...

Lincoln Electric, Charter won't dose their merger.
October 27, 2000... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. won't pull the trigger on its planned $570 million acquisition of Charter Plc of London. The deal would have doubled Cleveland-based Lincoln's sales to about $2.5 billion. Lincoln makes arc-welding and...

Calpine steps in to finish job building Ohio generating plant.
October 27, 2000... Calpine Corp. plans to spend $510 million on a power plant on the Ohio River that would service Southern Ohio and nearby areas, including Ontario, Canada. Calpine, based in San Jose, Calif., will take over construction of the Lawrence...

Falling demand for big trucks kills Sypris interest in factory.
October 27, 2000... Sinking demand for heavy. trucks has prompted Sypris Solutions Inc. to scratch its plans to buy a part plant in Marion from Toledo-based Dana Corp. Sypris, based in Louisville, Ky., agreed this past summer to purchase the plant, which...

Dayton may become home to arenafootball2 franchise.
October 27, 2000... Arenafootball2, the minor league system of the Arena Football League, has acquired the Indoor Football League and could have as many as 36 teams next season, including one in Dayton. The deal gives arenafootball2 "the ability to grow and...

Consolidated Fruit Corp. Ltd.
October 27, 2000... * Consolidated Fruit Corp. Ltd. increased its stake in Chiquita Brands International Inc. to 9.2 percent of the Cincinnati-based banana grower's shares from 8 percent. Samuel Navarro, who controls Panama City-based Consolidated; is now the...

Owens-Illinois Inc.
October 27, 2000... * Owens-Illinois Inc. will shutter glass container factories in Lakeland, Fla., arid Brockway, Pa,, dismissing 570 workers, or 1.5 percent of the Toledo-based manufacturer's 38,000-member work force. The cuts are being made to trim costs in...

A. Schulman Inc.
October 27, 2000... * A. Schulman Inc. plans to cease production at one of its Akron plants where 129 workers are employed. Demand for the factory's products, which are used in film and packaging, has declined, the company said in a release.

United Auto Group Inc.
October 27, 2000... * Detroit-based United Auto Group Inc. has acquired a Honda dealership in Mentor as part of an acquisition of four Midwest auto dealers. Gene Norris Honda was renamed Honda of Mentor and is expected to add $55 million in annual revenue.

Builders like HUD budget but want regulatory relief.
October 27, 2000... The real estate industry applauded the 16 percent budget hike Congress granted the Department of Housing and Urban Development, saying the increased funding for community development block grants and housing assistance vouchers will help more...

Even suburbanites favor investing in cities, transit.
October 27, 2000... Two-thirds of the nation's suburban residents see rebuilding cities and investing in public transportation, as the best ways to light traffic congestion and sprawl, according to a poll commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The...

Women-owned businesses face sizable credit gap.
October 27, 2000... Women own 38 percent of all of the small businesses in the nation but receive just 12 percent of all the credit provided to small companies, reports a new study conducted by the Milken Institute for the National Women's Business Council. ...

OPIC commits $1 million to African small businesses.
October 27, 2000... The Overseas Private Investment Corp. will provide $1 million to the Peoples Investment Fund for Africa, a microfinancing program for African small businesses that will match OPIC's money with loans from individual Americans. OPIC is a...

Tech association, federal agency to team on work force needs.
October 27, 2000... The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) will be the Department of Labor's partner in helping employers find workers for high-tech jobs. The partnership "brings an unprecedented channel for communication between...

CONNECEIONS.
October 27, 2000... Michele Barregarye Director, Columbus office Employers Resource Association 614-538-9410 E-mail:info@hrxperts.org How long have you been in this business or position? Director of the Columbus office for three years, with...

PRACTICAL MARKETING.
October 27, 2000... The practical marketer knows first physical impressions are lasting impressions and customers will form strongly held opinions about the business based on these initial impressions. What can the small business owner do about this element of...

SNOOPING AROUND.
October 27, 2000... Employers have technical -- and legal -- ability to check up on what their workers do online Did you ever wonder just what the heck Bob in the back cubicle does all day? Do you suspect he's not getting much done because he's online...

Small 401(k) fee can make a hefty dent in a nest egg.
October 27, 2000... Did you know a 1 percent difference in 401(k) plan fees and expenses could reduce your employees' retirement earnings by 28 percent? Take a recent example from the Department of Labor. An employee with 35 years left until he retires has...

Stuffy room just one way to kill a meeting.
October 27, 2000... You would think that as a professional facilitator, I would know how to avoid attending meetings as a participant. Well, no such luck. The first comment I hear from the person seated next to me is "You're running this meeting, aren't...

Seven secrets to negotiating food distribution contracts.
October 27, 2000... Selecting a food distributor that best fits your needs is critical to the success of your business. Even more important is establishing how to handle your relationship with the food distributor. Handshake agreements with a pleasant sales...

Battelle subsidiary partners with medical products firm.
October 27, 2000... Battelle Pulmonary Therapeutics Inc. and SensorMedics Corporation, part of Thermo Electron Corp. of Waltham, Mass., have agreed to jointly develop a new line of delivery devices for inhaled drugs. The devices are based on Battelle's...

Grove City company joins online freight network.
October 27, 2000... Accurate Logistics, a warehousing, distribution, fulfillment and packaging service with offices and a warehouse in Grove City and another warehouse facility in Columbus, is the newest agent for freightPro.com. As an agent, Accurate will...

BLANKET CONTRACTS.
October 27, 2000... ASCI secures long-term tech deals A fast-growing Dublin-based technology firm as secured a second long-term service contract with the federal government, adding to an already successful year that saw the company open new corporate...

Q & A.
October 27, 2000... Is your company's business based on a PC or Macintosh network? LEASENET INC. Ken Gruss Information technology manager PCs, because most of the employees are familiar with them, and most of our customers use PCs. SANDEL...

WEB inSITE.
October 27, 2000... URL: www.columbusmarathon.com Group: Columbus Marathon 2000 Contact: Michael Collins, executive director, 614-794-1566 or columbusinfo@aol.com Site designer: Artwork by the Axis Group, Columbus; site design by Promotions One,...

COOL TOOLS.
October 27, 2000... COMPANYSLEUTH.COM Know what your competitors -- or your favorite investment -- are up to at all times. The site allows you to register 10 public companies and will start delivering daily email briefings to you on patents, SEC filing,...

Free 'Net options require patient ad message reading.
October 27, 2000... The Internet has become almost synonymous with the word "free." Certainly, there's no shortage of free information, but you'll also find free e-mail addresses, free space for your Web site, free domain name services and even free Internet...

PROFILE.
October 27, 2000... Name: Mark Boggs Title: Senior director of consulting services Company: Quick Solutions Technology Consulting Time in current position: Six months Where did you begin your technology career? At a company by the name of...

More wireless services add to quick connections.
October 27, 2000... Sprint PCS has launched three new services that put wireless users in contact through instant messaging. wireless chats and text messaging. AOL Instant Messenger is now available on the Sprint PCS Wireless Web. With AIM on a Sprint PCS...

Liqui-Box makes management changes, creates subsidiary.
October 27, 2000... Liqui-Box Corp. announced several top level organizational changes Oct. 25. Stewart M. Graves, currently vice president of Liqui-Box International, has been appointed president and chief operating officer. Samuel N. Davis, formerly executive...

Exel plc forms European alliance with UPS Logistics and Ford.
October 27, 2000... Exel plc of Columbus has formed an alliance with UPS Logistics Group Europe to improve supply chain support for Ford Motor Co. in Europe, Exel and UPS will review Ford's current inbound logistics system in Europe, then the trio will develop...

IntelliRisk Management buys Equifax division.
October 27, 2000... Columbus-based IntelliRisk Management Corp. has acquired Equifax Inc.'s international risk management division. IRMC has acquired Equifax Risk Management Services -- Canada, an accounts receivable management company, and continued its...

Cardinal Health subsidiary buys medical kit maker.
October 27, 2000... A Cardinal Health subsidiary is set to buy a Farmington, Mo.-based maker of sterile kits for medical procedures. Allegiance Healthcare Corp. has agreed to buy Oak Medical Industries LLC for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to...

Pinnacle Data Systems Inc.
October 27, 2000... Earnings were up more than 400 percent at Pinnacle Data Systems Inc. The company's net income rose 444 percent to $330,800 from $60,833 a year ago. Revenue for the period, which ended Sept. 30, jumped 117 percent to $6.2 million from $2.9...

Symix Systems Inc.
October 27, 2000... Symix Systems Inc. is reporting a loss and lower revenues for its first quarter. The Columbus-based software developer reported a net loss of $3.5 million, compared to net income of $895,000 last year. The net loss per share was $0.47 vs....

Cardinal Health Inc.
October 27, 2000... Cardinal Health Inc. is reporting record revenue and net income for its first quarter, and exceeded its goal of growing earnings by 20 percent. Earnings per diluted share in the first quarter, which ended Sept. 30, rose 23 percent to a record...

Nationwide Financial Services Inc.
October 27, 2000... Nationwide Financial Services Inc. reported record earnings and return on equity during its third quarter. Net operating income, which excludes after-tax net realized investment gains/losses, increased 19 percent to $118.6 million, or $0.92...

At BancFirst Ohio Corp.
October 27, 2000... At BancFirst Ohio Corp. in Zanesville, earnings jumped 22 percent during the third quarter to $3.8 million from $3.2 million. Earnings per diluted share for the period, which ended Sept. 30, rose 13 percent to $0.44 from $0.39 a year ago. The...

Exciting Yahoo poor long-term investment bet.
October 27, 2000... Dear Mr. Berko: I would like to buy 100 shares of Yahoo as a long-term (five to 10 years) investment. Please give me your opinion. -- T.N., Columbus Dear T.N.: Yahoo is going to make money, big money and, maybe within the next six to...

Service work strong across state in Sept.
October 27, 2000... Ohio unemployment remained unchanged at 4.2 percent in September, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The number of Ohioans without jobs last month slipped to 245,000, from 247,000 persons in August. ...

MORPC still best option for growth planning.
October 27, 2000... For the third time this year, the Franklin County Commission has been reversed on appeal of one of its annexation decisions. The latest involved 111 acres in Prairie Township to be annexed into Columbus. County Common Pleas Court...

Privacy law support smart, if not promising.
October 27, 2000... Something is clicking in the online strategies of technology companies, some of which are finally starting to realize they have been on the wrong side of the privacy debate. Companies such as America Online, Disney and Hewlett-Packard...

Dot.com holidays seeing second round.
October 27, 2000... I had to look twice to make sure my eyes waren't playing tricks on me. Strange things can happen in your brain when you crane your neck to look straight up. So I looked again. Sure enough, there they were. On the third floor of a department...