The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from April 1999

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from April 1999

Intergroup sneezes at Claritin.(Intergroup Arizona Inc.'s replacement of the allergy prescription with two competing drugs)
April 30, 1999... As drug makers spend more than $1 billion to get patients to ask for specific brands, an Arizona HMO has axed the nation's most highly promoted product. Intergroup of Arizona Inc. has stopped paying for Claritin and replaced the allergy...

SBA loans dip despite vow to boost cash.(Small Business Administration)
April 30, 1999... Robert Blaney doesn't see the inside of his home much these days. Blaney, Arizona district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, spends his evenings and weekends scouring the Arizona countryside for SBA loan candidates -...

Old standbys on Mill avenue face hard times.(retailers in Tempe, AZ)
April 30, 1999... Mill Avenue's menu is changing as Spaghetti Co. calls it quits, Changing Hands Bookstore prepares to trim its space and Valley Art Theatre gets a new operator and a new look. Spaghetti Co.'s demise comes after 25 years of business at 414...

20% of state's private jobs are supported by tourism.(Arizona)
April 30, 1999... Frustrated with studies they claim chronically underestimate the value of tourism jobs, industry leaders have released their own figures that claim tourism supports 20 percent of Arizona's private sector employees. The study compares...

Coming millennium spins sales for some retailers.
April 30, 1999... As 2000 approaches, causing some people to worry about computer meltdowns and others to wonder if the end of the world is near, some retailers are doing anything but fretting. For them, the uncertainties swirling around Y2K have brought...

Newer Arizona banks post fourth-quarter net losses.
April 30, 1999... Both nationally and in Arizona, more banks lost money in fourth-quarter 1998 than in any year since 1992 when 121 U.S. financial institutions failed in fallout from the savings-and-loan crisis. But while the national trend shows...

Future state revenue drives tax cuts for businesses.(Arizona)
April 30, 1999... While the approved state budget includes some significant tax breaks, Valley employers aren't guaranteed to see the benefits. That's because most cuts are contingent on state revenue exceeding projections during the next two years. If...

Small town touch: Deloitte & Touch manager has high aims.(Profile)(Rick Rayson)
April 30, 1999... Deloitte & Touche manager has high aims Rick Rayson got his taste for the Valley of the Sun the hard way - in the summertime. For 16 consecutive years, he hopped aboard an airplane to make the trip from Tulsa, Okla., to sweltering...

Bolton has big plans for future of CB Richard Ellis.(Real Estate Trends)(Pete Bolton)
April 30, 1999... Real estate veteran Pete Bolton, in his new post as senior managing director of the CB Richard Ellis office in Phoenix, is keeping the Camelback Corridor in the company's cross hairs. "Anything that doesn't have our sign on it is part of...

Hostile bid for Rental Service threatens jobs.(United Rentals Inc. bid for Rental Service Corp.)
April 23, 1999... In north Scottsdale's quiet Kierland Office Park, past the rust-colored brick facade, down the slate-tiled halls and behind the opaque, glass paneling of brightly lighted conference rooms, a war is being waged. The combatants say any...

Getting involved brings rewards.(Jon Campbell, CEO of Norwest Bank Arizona)
April 23, 1999... Working in community makes it home A lot of people in Phoenix, one of the country's fastest-growing cities, know how it feels to be a newcomer. Jon Campbell, president and chief executive officer of Norwest Bank Arizona, has been in...

The 'square peg' makes his way.(W. Thomas Castleberry, founder of REZSolutions Inc.)
April 23, 1999... Castleberry takes helm for the third time W. Thomas Castleberry likes to play the part of the crotchety old man, frequently reminding others of his age (just 61), waning energy and how reluctant he is to smile, especially for the camera....

Managed Care Solutions adds elder-care company.(AdviNet Inc.)
April 23, 1999... Managed Care Solutions Inc., Phoenix, has acquired an elder-care company from a national nursing-home chain in preparation for increased business with Medicaid. Beverly Enterprises Inc., which invested $1 million in MCS last year, has...

Banker's easy style pays dividends.(Ron Estervig, CEO of Johnson Bank)
April 23, 1999... Retention of employees made priority Ron Estervig's wife, Ginny, is known for her cookies. They used to have a house on the 15th tee of a golf course and she would always leave cookies on the table behind their house for golfers. ...

Rules spark restart of electricity deregulation.(includes related article on stranded options)(Arizona)
April 23, 1999... The Arizona Corporation Commission has moved a step closer to opening the state's electric power market with controversial new rules governing the transition to a deregulated marketplace. While utilities have offered tepid support,...

Hospital CEO peddles humor, trust.(Don A. Evans, CEO of Lutheran Healthcare Network)
April 23, 1999... Hard-working administrator puts his family first When Don Evans turned 50 in June, he hopped on his bike and rode 50 miles just to prove to himself that he could do it. That birthday feat by the president and CEO of Lutheran...

Developer helps build reading skills.(James Flynn, executive VP of MCO Properties Inc.)
April 23, 1999... Flynn continues to shape Fountain Hills James Flynn, one of the corporate captains in the design of Fountain Hills, is moving to a higher level of construction. Flynn has left his mark on the community since the early 1970s. He has...

Husband-and-wife team builds reputation.(Pegasi Unlimited Inc.)(Company Profile)
April 23, 1999... When it comes to their business, Tony and Deborah Hernandez are picky. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The husband-and-wife team simply wants their company to produce top-notch products. "If Tony and I aren't happy...

Mesa plumbing company part of $320M Houston deal.(Keight Riggs Plumbing bought by American Plumbing and Mechanical Inc.)
April 23, 1999... Consolidation in the plumbing industry is underway in Houston as American Plumbing and Mechanical Inc. buys up nine plumbing and mechanical contractors, including Keith Riggs Plumbing Inc. of Mesa. Combined, the companies have more than...

Luxury living moves to central Phoenix.
April 16, 1999... Look out suburbs - central Phoenix is becoming more appealing to a life of luxury. Luxury housing is planned for two long-vacant sites, the latest in a string of new housing projects that have sprouted on central Phoenix properties since...

Code red: changes signal phone worries.(new area codes for the Valley phone system)
April 16, 1999... Three little numbers, one collective headache. Valley businesses people who thought they were through with technology modifications after their Y2K efforts now are gearing up for another, equally critical, round of upgrades as the Valley...

Arizona's small businesses getting more from feds.(federal government contracts)
April 16, 1999... When it comes to getting contracts from the federal government, Arizona's small-business community is receiving more than the national average. Fewer federal contracts are going to small businesses across the United States, on average,...

SpeedChoice raises stakes for Internet market.
April 16, 1999... The race between the Valley's three major high-speed Internet access services could be taking a sharp turn thanks to two deals designed to boost wireless provider SpeedChoice. Sprint Corp. announced this week that it will buy SpeedChoice...

CIGNA nixes negotiations with East Valley doctors.(CIGNA HealthCare of Arizona Inc.)
April 16, 1999... CIGNA HealthCare of Arizona Inc. has called off four months of negotiations with an East Valley physician group to lower doctor fees by 7.5 percent. Desert Physician Association has about 300 doctors in its group, but only 64...

Lotteries question move toward code of conduct.
April 16, 1999... Although several lottery ads, including one from Arizona, have been criticized at meetings of a federal commission studying gambling, lottery and advertising officials question the need for an official code of conduct for lottery advertising....

Second commercial project on tap near Grand Canyon.
April 16, 1999... A second major commercial development is in the works for a tiny community outside the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. The new proposal, called Tusayan Village at the Grand Canyon, involves 31 acres of private land. It...

'Quiet professionals' new theme for AmWest ads.(America West Airlines)
April 16, 1999... Three weeks after coming to terms with flight attendants ready to strike, America West Airlines is rolling out an advertising campaign portraying its employees as "quiet professionals." The campaign will kick off Monday and has been under...

Bank values relationship with clients.(Valley Commerce Bank)
April 16, 1999... Bob Homco will do almost anything to keep his clients happy - he'll even dress up as Santa Claus for their children. It's a quality that Santa's 32 helpers at Valley Commerce Bank strive for when serving the independent bank's...

All Star Telecom sold in $21.5 million transaction.
April 16, 1999... Eight years ago, Bill Delgado left his job as financial analyst with Pacific Bell, took his severance package and started All Star Telecom Inc. in Sacramento, Calif. He now has sold the company for $21.5 million in a stock and cash...

Alice delivers 'million-dollar' baby.(Alice Cooper'stown's $1 million sales for first quarter)
April 9, 1999... Alice Cooper'stown has been hitting home runs since its December unveiling, with $1.2 million in first-quarter sales and plans to open-in three other major-league cities. Brian Weymouth, managing partner of the downtown Phoenix restaurant...

Munro stays active in Valley bank industry.(Kathy Munro's appointment as board member of Sun Community Bancorp Ltd.)
April 9, 1999... One of the Valley's most influential banking-industry superstars is headed for the Sun. Kathy Munro, a former chief executive officer for Bank of America's southwest region, today agreed to become a board member of Sun Community Bancorp...

Gila River resort selects Honolulu firm for design.(Gila River Indian Community; Honolulu, HI-based Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo)
April 9, 1999... A resort, two 18-hole golf courses and a lake to be included in $175 million, 2,000-acre development. Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo is a Honolulu architectural design firm known for creating The Palace Tower at Caesar's Palace in Las...

Market shifts force Phoenix-based Rodel to put new plant on hold.
April 9, 1999... Market declines and increased efficiency from other facilities made the new plant unnecessary. A worldwide semiconductor slump has claimed another Arizona casualty, this time one of the newest members of the Valley's high-tech community....

'Telework' concept promoted.(survey on Arizona businesses' telecommuting programs)
April 9, 1999... More than half of Arizona businesses do not allow employees to work from home and have no plans to implement telecommuting programs, according to a survey conducted for US West and Valley Forward. The two organizations are promoting what...

Sandella's Cafe plans 30 Arizona locations by 2002.
April 9, 1999... A quick-service restaurant concept has entered Arizona with a Tempe location, and plans to add 29 units within three years. Sandella's Cafe, West Redding, Conn., serves gourmet sandwich wraps, soups and salads. There are nine restaurants...

Some businesses may avoid paying for water cleanup.(bill on Arizona's groundwater regulations)
April 9, 1999... Despite earlier opposition from several state agencies, a measure that would allow businesses to get out of paying their total share of water cleanup costs - before those costs are fully known - appears to be on its way to becoming law. ...

Arizona has highest surcharges for noncustomer use of ATMs.(automatic teller machines)
April 9, 1999... Banks and credit unions are increasing their charges for noncustomers who use their automated teller machines - a situation that once again has prompted consumer groups to lobby Congress for legislation. Arizona was the highest of any of...

Jack of all trades: state poised on brink of tech's top tier.(Profile)(Arizona Software Association's Executive Director Ed Denison)
April 9, 1999... With circular glasses that frame a buoyant expression, Ed Denison looks like he could be any one of the baby-faced executives common in the software arena these days - and those who know him say he has the youthful enthusiasm to match. ...

Deliveries bring delicious profits.(Success Strategies)(Delicious Deliveries)
April 9, 1999... It took less than four years for a young entrepreneur to run his competition out of town and build a business that grossed $3 million in 1998. Now he consults others on how to do the same. B. Morgan Cislini, the 27-year-old president and...