Business First-Columbus articles from September 2000

Business First-Columbus archives from September 2000

Credit unions fashioning network.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... If an experiment this fall among several credit unions in Central Ohio goes well, members may soon be able to conduct their financial transactions at credit unions around the state and nation. The credit unions are banding together to open...

Indoor lacrosse team heads for city, arena.(Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... There'll be grass covering Nationwide Arena's ice sheet this winter. The indoor National Lacrosse League will become the second major sports tenant for Nationwide Arena, behind the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, Business First has learned....

Offices for Berry Bolt Works.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Partnership renovating industrial building in I-670 corridor A leader in the redevelopment of the Smith Brothers Hardware building downtown will next tackle repositioning of a smaller industrial property near the former Jeffrey Mining...

Rhode Island airport chief lands at Port Columbus.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Members of the Columbus Municipal Airport Authority board were expected to name a 17-year aviation industry veteran as executive director at a special board meeting Aug. 31. Elaine Roberts, 48, executive director of the six-airport Rhode...

Schwarzenegger ready for his Easton close-up.(Easton retail complex)
September 1, 2000... Arnold Schwarzenegger and Yaromir Steiner (yes, that Yaromir Steiner), both principals at the growing Easton retail complex, have more in common than real estate. Both are European natives -- Schwarzenegger from Austria and Steiner from...

Birthdays.
September 1, 2000... Some notable upcoming birthdays: * John Gall, partner, litigation practice group, Squire Sanders & Dempsey: Sept. 2 * Pat Cramer, director of sales, Mills/James Productions: Sept. 3 * Richard A. Frye, partner, Chester Wilcox &...

Crystal ball 101.(Chicago Urban League's 39th annual Golden Fellowship Dinner )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... For those trying to read the tea leaves to find the civic direction of the Chicago-based Bank One Corp., here's a big leaf. Jamie Dimon, the new chief executive of the once-Columbus-based financial services giant, has agreed to chair the...

Casting a long shadow.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Since late July, a billboard declaring free checking at Fifth Third Bank has been literally casting a shadow on the parking lot of tiny Prospect Bank on Bethel Road. And both Fifth Third and baby bank Prospect say they are getting new business...

What's more important.
September 1, 2000... Any doubts about how busy Columbus Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean is as time winds down to the team's NHL season debut Oct. 7 were erased this week when MacLean unilaterally canceled a media interview without notice. Jackets' spokesman Todd...

Corrections & Amplifications.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Tom Price is an advisory council member to Ohio State University's Swank Program of Rural-Urban Policy. The farm he grew up on was on Home Road. An Aug. 25 article misidentified him as an adviser to the state Office of Farmland Preservation and...

Shaklee consolidation puts shipping hub in Groveport.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Cosmetics and nutritional products distributor Shaklee Corp. will become the anchor tenant of a 270,000-square-foot distribution center in Groveport's Greenpointe Business Park. The Pleasanton, Calif.-based multilevel marketer plans to...

Airborne to create 335 jobs through new Pizzuti leases.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Airborne Express Inc.'s expanding relationship with developer Pizzuti Cos. will yield 335 new jobs through two new distribution leases in the Ricken-backer/Alum Creek industrial corridor. ABX Air Inc., the third-party logistics services...

Panera plans two new stores as area expansion continues.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Columbus operator also looking at new locations in Cincy-Dayton area Its expansion plans on the rise, Breads of the World LLC will begin constructing two more Panera Bread stores in Central Ohio this winter. In January, the franchising...

AES opens Columbus office for electricity market entry.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A subsidiary of Arlington, Va-based AES Corp. has opened an office in Columbus, marking its foray into Ohio's deregulated electricity market. NewEnergy Midwest Ohio LLC falls under AES's NewEnergy division umbrella, one of the nation's...

Backers introduce dot.com to capture scheduling niche.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... David Stagner and Gary Rapp don't feel like traditional dot.com entrepreneurs. Not only are they years past any possible inclusion in the Digital Generation, both have held conventional jobs in proven industries for years. But in...

Pathlore picked for role in Navy training initiative.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Columbus-based Pathlore, an e-learning management system provider, has been picked by Lockheed Martin Federal Systems to help the defense contractor get a major military online training and education initiative going. The Navy program,...

Huntington snags Fla. deal, shopping agencies in Ohio.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The shopping trip for insurance agencies isn't over yet at Huntington Bancshares Inc. Days after Huntington's Aug. 24 disclosure of the purchase of its third insurance agency, a bank insurance executive says there's more to come. "We...

Bank One division to target higher net worth customers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Bank One Corp. has created a unit to coordinate, services to affluent customers. The company's Private Client Services will seek to align business units that work with high-net-worth clients to offer increased financial expertise and...

Crowne Plaza Hotel scores with Blue Jackets, NHL team deals.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... When the Columbus Blue Jackets report to their inaugural training camp in early September, the Crowne Plaza Hotel will serve as a home away from home for the National Hockey League players and the coaching staff. Charles Largarce, Crowne...

Tomczak, Lachey race to find lead NASCAR team sponsor.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Three-quarters of the way through its inaugural NASCAR season, the Ohio State University-affiliated Alumni Motorsports LLC racing team is at a crossroads. The team, led by former OSU football standouts Jim Lachey and Mike Tomczak, has...

OSU/Harding doctors create private practice.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Four psychiatrists have left Ohio State University/Harding Behavioral Healthcare and Medicine to form a private psychiatric practice. Pinnacle Behavioral Health opened Aug. 1, started by Drs. Michael Kassur, Danyl Brush, Steven Schneir and...

Clerks, lenders fretting over fallout from repo title case.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Waking up to find your car gone from the driveway isn't how Ohioans should find out banks have given up on getting repaid for car loans, a federal judge ruled earlier this year. The ruling sent shivers through lenders and court clerks, who...

Harrington, Centra sold to Minnesota-based Trewit Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... HealthPlan Services Corp. will sell Harrington Benefit Services and Centra HealthPlan of Columbus to Minnesota-based Trewit Inc. as part of a $19.5 million cash transaction. HealthPlan Services, based in Tampa, Fla, has a definitive...

Panattoni secures Lucent, Ryder for warehouse space.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Lucent Technologies Inc. has expanded its distribution center profile in the Rickenbacker industrial market. Lucent, through third-party warehouse operator Ryder Integrated Logistics, has taken 200,000 square feet at Greenpointe II in...

Local firms get school job.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The Aug. 25 unveiling of $93 million worth of construction projects in Marion made a lot of people in Columbus happy. Ruscilli Construction Co. leads a joint venture in charge of building a high school and three elementary schools. In...

More on rankings.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... This column missed a few local firms in its Aug. 18 item on Moody/Nolan Ltd. making Building Design & Construction magazine's list of top 50 architecture firms. Executives at Moody/Nolan, 48th on the list, graciously pointed out NBBJ's No....

DecisionOne.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... DecisionOne, a computer repair outfit at SouthPark in Grove City, has expanded its Columbus presence with 48,000 square feet in ProLogis Trust's Foreign Trade Center I at 6967 Alum creek Drive. It moved Aug. 1 into Rickenbacker Air Industrial...

David Benjamin Meleca.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The David Benjamin Meleca architecture and urban planning firm has jumped onto the Internet with the help of another Columbus architect, Michael George Hasara, and his Netstruxures venture. The melecaarchitecture.com site promotes "the creative...

Lee Middleton Original Dolls.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Lee Middleton Original Dolls, of Belpre, which moved its distribution operation to Rickenbacker this summer, plans to move its corporate headquarters to Westerville. It will take nearly 19,000 square feet on the first floor of Daimler Group's...

Corna/Kokosing Construction Co.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Corna/Kokosing Construction Co. is leading construction of the non-anchor space in the Fashion District section of Easton Town Center. The specialty retail, office and entertainment projects involve 416,700 square feet of space in the...

Ford dealers using tire recall as marketing opportunity.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The nationwide recall of certain Firestone tires used on Ford Explorers is providing Central Ohio Ford dealerships a chance to expose their service departments to potential new customers. And all dealers are trying to take advantage, even...

Meijer begins to prep Waggoner Road site.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Michigan-based retailer Meijer Inc. has started site preparation at Waggoner Road and East Broad Street in Columbus for its 11th area store. Jack Tzagournis, Continental Realty vice president of retail development, confirmed that 34 acres...

Brown takes marketing message to OSU football games.(Ohio State University;)(Brown North America)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The beginning of Ohio State University's football season Sept 2 brings with it a new season of promotional opportunities for area businesses at the games. Brown North America of Columbus is parking a 53-foot-long trailer on the east side...

Maxton expands.(Jack Maxton Used Cars)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Chevrolet dealer Jack Maxton, who operates a new-car dealership on Route 161 east of Worthington, has opened a used-car shop at 8625 N. High St. in Columbus. It is Maxton's fourth used-car showroom situated apart from Jack Maxton...

Collision course.(Three C Auto Body Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... After aggressively marketing his company for years on Central Ohio radio, Bob Juniper, president of Columbus-based Three C Auto Body Inc., says his company's growth slowed because he could not find the employees to fix all the wrecked cars...

Lowe's Cos. Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... North-Carolina based Lowe's Cos. Inc. will build a 115,000-square-foot Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse in Heath. The $15 million store will replace a smaller unit at 230 Airport Parkway in Richmond. The store is scheduled to open next spring....

Sundae Best Ice Cream.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Ted and Sue Kuhn, who operated a 3asldn-Robbins store in Dublin for six rears before dosing it in September, are now operating fall-service ice cream store named Sundae Best Ice Cream at 9346 Dublin Road, Powell. The shop features the ice cream...

Famous Footwear.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Minneapolis-based Famous Footwear is doing business in three former Just for Feet stores located at Easton Market, Lennox Town Center and North-Pointe Plaza. The company already operates seven Famous Footwear and two Factory Brand Shoes stores...

Kohl's Department Store.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kohl's Department Store on Sawmill Road is expanding into space formerly leased by Linens 'N Things, which vacated the property in March. Linen 'N Things continues to operate stores at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing and Polaris Town Center.

Questions prompt Guilford to end Gliatech purchase.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc. has pulled its plan to acquire Gliatech Inc. for $246 million after regulators raised questions over data from clinical trials undertaken by the Cleveland company. The Food and Drug Administration said it had...

NCR hoping to cash in with ATM deal for U.K.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Dayton-based NCR Corp. has signed a deal that will deliver at least 1,500 automatic-teller machines to the United Kingdom. Under the agreement, services provider TRM Corp. will deploy NCR's ATMs to expand into new markets. The...

Jager walked from Procter with $18M after shake-up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Procter & Gamble Co.'s former chairman and chief executive was paid $9.5 million to retire in the wake of the Cincinnati company's earnings slump, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The annual proxy...

TRW sees potential for seat belts in Russia.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Cleveland-based TRW Inc. has formed a partnership with Moscow-based Savva Group to provide seat belt technology for Russian vehicles. "It's a new market for our occupant safety systems business and it allows TRW to have the potential to...

Lazarus parent is honing in on kids with new private label.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Federated Department Stores Inc., the parent of Lazarus stores, hopes its new Greendog clothing will capture the imagination of children, providing the retailer with a bigger chunk of the competitive children's wear market. Greendog is...

Neyer envisions office, R&D park in fast-growing Mason.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... One of southwest Ohio's largest developers plans to build a $40 million office and research park in fast-growing Mason. Dan Neyer, president of Neyer Properties Inc., said he's set to dose on a 40-acre tract that he will market as the...

Procter & Gamble Co.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A federal appeals court says Procter & Gamble Co. can pursue its business-defamation lawsuit against independent distributors of Amway Corp. products who are accused of spreading a rumor linking P&G products to Satanism. Several Amway...

Crown Vantage Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Crown Vantage Inc. will shut a Parchment, Mich., plant and dismiss 249 employees to cut costs while reorganizing its operations. The Cincinnati printer is operating under Chapter 11 protection after posting losses in 16 consecutive quarters.

Dana Corp.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dana Corp. of Toledo will shut down its 75-year-old auto parts factory in Reading, Pa., where 680 workers will be laid off. Executives said Dana wants its factories to operate closer to its customers, a strategy that prompted the planned...

Omnova Solutions Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Fairlawn-based Omnova Solutions Inc., facing soaring prices for raw materials used to make commercial wall covering, will streamline operations by laying off nearly 9 percent of its 575-person work force in Columbus, Miss. One analyst said...

E.W. Scripps Co.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kenneth Lowe, 50, president of E.W. Scripps Co. since January, was elected chief executive of the media company, effective Oct. 1. He will succeed William R. Burleigh, who will continue as chairman after Sept. 30.

Board of Regents hits road to jump college enrollment.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The Ohio Board of Regents will visit 100 Ohio high school campuses this fall as part of a $500,000 marketing effort to persuade more 15- and 16-year-olds to head for college after they graduate from high school. Michael M. Brown, board...

OSHA named finalist for innovations award.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is one of 25 finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award, a program sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. ...

Estate tax demonstration fails to impress White House.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Montana rancher Lynn Cornwell traveled by tractor from the Capitol to the White House to deliver legislation to phase out the estate tax over the next 10 years. "Mr. President, don't veto this bill!" said 97-year-old Sen. Strom Thurmond,...

New study: ergonomics rule to cost $91 billion a year.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A new study by the Employment Policy Foundation estimates OSHA's proposed ergonomics standard will cost American businesses $91 billion a year over the next 10 years, not the $4.2 billion that the agency predicts. The foundation based its...

Ads escalate baffle over HMO reform bill.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The battle over managed care reform was waged in the heartland during Congress' August recess. During the week before Labor Day, the American Medical Association stepped up its grass roots "National House Call" public relations and...

Patent office raises fees after two years of cuts.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will raise patent fees Oct 1 by 2.68 percent, the current rate of inflation. The increase is the first for the patent office since 1997. It reduced fees in 1998 and 1999 to better reflect the cost of...

Delivering sound decisions demands organized approach.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The best decision-makers are the most experienced decision-makers. Many "change" project teams are staffed with up-and-coming, though relatively inexperienced, employees. The change leader should study decision making theory in order to...

Duchess of York planned to appear at charity gala.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... So, you think you've been to all the major fund-raising events in Columbus? Now there's one more, this one with a touch of royalty. Chances for Children, a New York charity established in 1994, is hosting a gala Oct 19 benefiting...

PEOPLE.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... On the move ACCOUNTING Schneider Downs & Co. Inc. promoted Lara E. Fuller to manager in the accounting, assurance and advisory services department. ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS Conrad Phillips & Vutech hired...

Sue Vanwassenhove.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Age: 53 Resides: Westerville Personal: Married for 33 years, five children from ages 20 to 29, one granddaughter. Education: University of Cincinnati, fine arts degree, 1971 Title: Special events manager Company: Big...

Children Writing for Children offers words of inspiration.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... As a child, Susan Schmidt was fascinated by the adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Peter Pan and other storybook characters. As an adult, however, she realized none of those stories, great as they were to read, prompted her to write a book of her...

CHECKS AND BALANCES.
September 1, 2000... Passing a bad check may be getting harder at Kroger Co. stores in Central Ohio. A few preventative measures can keep businesses from becoming victims of check fraud Since January, a detective from the Columbus Division of Police who...

Due diligence advised in picking biz incubator.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The rapid expansion in the number of incubators designed to help emerging companies grow has spurred the National Business Incubation Association to release guidelines to assist entrepreneurs m selecting the right business incubation program...

Facilitation strategies add value to meetings.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Face it. Regardless of technological enhancements, process innovations, e-solutions or systemic restructurings that occur in business today, you are still going to be asked to attend meetings. Recent business surveys indicate we now attend...

Effective communication is Like a house -- built one block at a time.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Editor's note: Second of two parts. To lead a company, department or team requires strong communication skills. Why is communication so challenging? More importantly, how do we "build" ourselves to become effective? There are three...

Build relationships in sales, and the numbers will follow.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Here are a few of the answers to questions I get in the mail (as well as by fax and e-mail). The purpose of this column is two-fold: To give you a sampling of what people ask and to assure you that you're not alone in experiencing the...

Finding the perfect host.(web-hosting)
September 1, 2000... Don't just focus on the creative look and content of your Web site, local experts warn; be just as careful about who is hosting your site. Hosting -- often offered by firms who have the servers to house and operate the Web page and...

10 biggest e-comm blunders noted in study by local firm.(electronic commerce)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Even the nation's largest retailers are making glaring blunders with their e-commerce operations, reports a study just completed by Columbus-based Resource Marketing Inc., an Internet strategy and marketing firm. The 10 biggest bombs this...

Stanley Steemer thwarts efforts to claim its name.(domain names)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dublin-based Stanley Steemer International Inc. has been granted a partial summary judgment under the Anticyber-squatting Consumer Protection Act against a former associate who attempted to sell the company rights to the domain name...

Digital Cocktail meetings set monthly in Columbus.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... OnVentures, a Columbus-based Internet-focused incubator, will join Oracle Corp., Silicon Valley Bank, Thompson Hine & Flory and MarchFirst to launch a new networking program in Columbus called Digital Cocktail. The program will bring...

Back-to-school electronic gizmos ready to meet any need.(hand held computer devices)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Another summer is winding down. You're starting to shop for pencils, notebooks, shoes and backpacks. And if you're a technologically savvy student or parent, you're also looking for computer gadgets to enhance your learning experience. With...

E-business soon will be replaced by interconnected-biz.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... These days, everyone is adding e-business to current operations. Examples abound where businesses are tacking on electronic commerce capabilities to existing business models -- for example, selling retail goods with a Web site shopping cart...

Key Beerman's shareholder wary.(Elder-Beerman Stores Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... But future looks brighter as retailer makes moves to improve stock price It was a year ago that a West Coast investor issued a challenge to Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. to shape up. Over several months, David Nierenberg had acquired...

Mershad hasn't met shareholders' hopes for turnaround.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... When Fred Mershad was introduced, to the Dayton community in 1997, he was cast as the leader of a new, forward-looking Elder-Beerman. He was handpicked by Max Gutmann, the former Elder-Beerman executive who came out of retirement in 1995 to...

Knox program helps workers reach PEAC of potential.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... MOUNT VERNON -- Taking the welfare-to-work concept a step further, Knox County officials have launched a new program aimed at helping entry-level employees climb the career ladder. PEAC, short for Post Employment Adult Career Services...

As Social Security nears age 65, it should follow public's lead and retire.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... This month marks the 65th birthday of the Social Secmity Act. Most people retire at 65, after accumulating wealth through decades of hard work and saving. It's high time that America retires Social Security itself -- cease its operation....

Companies' marketers often send an unflattering image to the press.(Brief Article)(Column)
September 1, 2000... I got into business journalism by accident. I've stayed for job security. When I started out, the business desk was (a) a place bad reporters went to die, or (b) a place good reporters could get their foot in the door and prove...

Radio megamergers bring same old results.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Is it wrong to expect variety, or is that concept as passe as the pastel-blue sports jacket I keep waiting to come back into fashion? Music is a very large part of my life. Even during those eight to 10 hours a day that I am dotting the i's...

Pedestrian lifestyle.(Continental Communities Ltd.;)(Easton Commons)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... First luxury residential development opens at Easton Continental Communities President Gus Cook only has to look about a hundred yards to the north when explaining what separates Easton Commons from the rest of the pack. The new luxury...

Downtown hotel opening just as owner had dreamed.(Hampton Inn and Suites;)(David Patel)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... As a teen-ager growing up near Bombay, India, David Patel dreamed of owning his own downtown hotel in America. Thirty years later, his dream is coming true. Late this month, Patel, 47, and two partners plan to open doors for the...

Bishoff plans telecomm upgrades for downtown.(David Bishoff, president of E.V. Bishoff Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The phrase "If you build it, they will come" may be one of the most common cliches of modem times, but it seems to be ringing true for telecommunication upgrades in older buildings. At least that is the experience of David Bishoff,...

E-leads provides a weapon in search for new contracts.(McGraw-Hill's new Web site: construction.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Publishing giant McGraw-Hill has launched a new service under its construction.com Web site that allows contractors to identify projects matching their skills, capabilities and geographic preferences. E-leads, which is targeted at small and...

New trade zones build jobs for areas, shipping for Port.(Rickenbacker Port Authority)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The acronym FTZ has a nice ring to economic development specialists trying to land new businesses for their communities, and some are turning to the Rickenbacker Port Authority to help them sing that tune. Five counties have either applied...

Urban home show designed to be neighborhood leader.(Hegemon Crest)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... "Hegemon" is a Greek word that indicates leadership, and Adam Troy frmly believes it is exactly the right name for a new subdivision off Mock Road in northeast Columbus. "We see this project as being a leader in the area of neighborhood...