The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from April 2000

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from April 2000

Corella lands $300 million deal.(Corella Electric)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Arizona's largest minority-owned business is about to get bigger. Corella Electric Wire & Cable of Phoenix is forming an alliance with Belden Communications Division for a l0-year contract valued at $300 million, owner John Corella said....

Investors, White charm Rattlers.(Danny White)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... An investment group that includes former NFL quarterback and current Arizona Rattlers coach Danny White is close to pulling off a $9.6 million deal to buy the financially successful Arena Football League franchise, officials revealed. ...

Valley Vipers vie for baseball fans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... More "snakes" are slithering onto the Valley sports scene. A new minor league baseball team, the Valley Vipers, has joined the Arizona Diamondbacks in the field of those competing for fans in the local market. The Vipers are an...

Microsoft business connections touch many in Phoenix.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... It's no wonder that news of a federal judge's antitrust ruling against Microsoft Corp. was on the lips of so many Valley business leaders this week. The Redmond, Wash., software firm's digital arms are as countless as they are long,...

Air time.(fractional jet ownership)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... High-flying execs share plane use Barbara and, Craig Barrett spend weekends together in the Valley but have commuted to their jobs for years -- one now at Harvard University in Boston and the, other running Intel Corp. in San Jose. ...

Not your garden variety yard sale.(Garden Silhouettes)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... For two Valley women, there is life after corporate America, and it involves computers with green thumbs. Well, in a manner of speaking. Shelley Faigle and Carolyn Irby, once executives at a Utah electric utility, have created Garden...

Volunteers work to enrich Valley quality of life.
April 7, 2000... The power of the volunteer spirit can yield fantastic results. Like last weekend. Some 4,000 business people planted gardens, painted murals, renovated homes and shelters and built a school library in their quest to improve the Valley's...

Honors for Cardenas.
April 7, 2000... The Mexican government is recognizing Jos[acute{e}] C[acute{a}]rdenas, managing partner of Lewis and Roca law firm in Phoenix, for his work to promote the culture and heritage of Mexico. He's the 19th person to receive the OHTLI award and...

Cards show staying power.(Arizona Cardinals want new stadium)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The Cardinals are facing tough odds in their quest for a new stadium, but they show no signs of calling in the moving vans any time soon. Not only did the team kick in more money this week to help the stadium funding bill, but Michael...

Leading by example.
April 7, 2000... Medicis Pharmaceutical chief Jonah Shacknai upped the stakes at the Southwest Autism Research Center's fund-raiser this week. He promised to kick in $5,000 for anyone who pledged $25,000, payable over the next five years. "I think...

Great expectations.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Sorry, but there are times when it's simply impossible to satisfy everyone in the fast lane of the New Economy. Take this e-mail I received as an example. "I'm a student in India. I'm doing a project on how computerization has effected...

MEDICAL CONFIDENCE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... MEDICAL CONFIDENCE Public confidence in traditional and alternative medicine compared with five years...

OpNIX bringing all roads of Internet to one service.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... One of the toughest decisions for businesses with high-bandwidth communication needs is choosing a carrier that will serve those needs reliably, quickly and inexpensively. But what if they could choose all the major carriers for the price...

Bitter-End brings sweet rewards to local web development firm.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Cobalt Creative of Scottsdale is fueling its growth with an undisclosed amount of capital received earlier this month from Bitter-End Investments of Phoenix. The support is Cobalt's first round of financing since partners Candace Wade and...

E-tailers take to cable TV as means to hawk wares.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Call it role reversal. Whereas retailers have launched web sites or run "infomercials" on TV to sell products, e-tailers now have an exclusive cable channel where they can promote their goods. Sandy Goldman, who developed skymall.com for...

JCPenney's store reduction plan cuts anchor at Desert Sky Mall.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... An announcement that JCPenney will close more than 300 stores nationwide this year has hit home. Desert Sky Mall, a Westcor Partners property, will lose its 150,000-square-foot anchor. "It really, took us by surprise," said Bill...

CORRECTION.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... In the Feb. 25 article, "US West, Cox seek 2,000 hires," the contact information should have listed the Cox job line as 602-866-0072, Ext. 284, and US West's as 602-235-8888.

Competition heats up for KidsCare ad campaign.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Riester[tilde]Robb advertising agency president Tim Riester just received another extension on his KidsCare contract, making competitors even more zealous in their efforts to steal the account. The one-year contract expired in January, and...

Microsoft ruling draws mix of comments locally.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Here's what some of the Valley's business leaders had to say about the antitrust ruling against Microsoft this week: "I would say I'm generally not supportive of the government's action. The market is very effective at taking care of these...

Phoenix market nets big business for equity lender.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Since its late-January start in Phoenix, First Horizon Equity Lending, a division of First Tennessee Bank, has been setting company records. New loans have totaled more than $8 million,, making Phoenix the most successful western branch...

Forum 2000 to shed light on tech world.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... With the rapid convergence of data, voice and video-stream delivery into broadband technology, it's no wonder companies in industries across the board are scrambling to get a foothold. In-Stat, an entity dedicated to technology analysis and...

Investors foot bill for new HQ to house visitalk.com.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Visitalk.com is moving into its own building in Phoenix, paid for by investors affiliated with the Internet company. The 2-year-old company is leasing the building, phone system and office furniture so it can conserve its capital and...

Women law students surpass male counterparts in Arizona.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... It's been only about 15 years since Ann Timmer was in law school, but she still can see a difference in today's female law student population. "I do notice that the women's group at (Arizona State University) is much stronger and much more...

Stellcom moves to Valley, strokes into talent pool.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... A San Diego company that provides e-business services has opened in Phoenix, where it's finding the talent pool more robust than in Southern California. Stellcom, a 16-year-old business with 300 employees, expanded to the valley to...

Viva Ia Internet.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Phoenix is one of the first cities selected for a launch by California-based www.viva.com -- a site where users view rental properties and sign leases online. Viva.com has been testing the site in Phoenix since March 8 and boasts an...

Online status.
April 7, 2000... According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, companies that use the Internet have higher revenues, averaging $3.8 million for 1998, compared to $2.7 million for all small businesses. However, less than 1.5 percent of those 4.5...

Two winners.
April 7, 2000... Internet systems integrators DataSoft Corp., Tempe, found a winner in its contest to find a new logo. Phoenix designer and sculptor Leonardo Ramirez earned $1,000 for his idea inspired by the word "ascend." DataSoft emphasizes three...

Testing virtual waters.
April 7, 2000... RB Balch & Associates, Phoenix, began a new service called Websitedemos.com -- an interactive site that lets businesses preview what their own web pages could look like. The free service was created with small companies in mind so they can...

Anti-spam awards.
April 7, 2000... Whitehat.com, an online marketing company that is campaigning for the ethical use of e-mail, has begun an awards program to recognize those who don't spam and honor recipient requests to be taken off marketing lists. Company chairman...

Fifth Third mortgage loan covers down payment.
April 7, 2000... Fifth Third Bank has introduced, a 103 percent loan for people who have the money for a monthly mortgage payment, but don't have immediate financing for a down payment and closing costs. The loan is available for the purchase of a...

D.H. Blair restitution.
April 7, 2000... D.H. Blair investors across the country could be entitled to a portion of the $2.25 million the New York-based brokerage firm was fined in 1997. The restitution fund applies to trades executed between Jan. 1, 1996, and June 30, 1998. D.H....

Stock exchange.
April 7, 2000... Phoenix-based Capital Title Group Inc. and Newport Beach, Calif.-based 9keys.com recently announced that the companies have entered into an agreement to complete an equity exchange and form an alliance to optimize the use of their respective...

$10.5M acquisition loan.
April 7, 2000... Finova Capital Corp., through its Resort Finance division, ha s provided a $10.5 million acquisition loan. to 18 Saguaro Forest LLC, a single-purpose entity owned primarily by Lyle Anderson. The loan is to finance an 18-lot subdivision within...

Dividend declared.
April 7, 2000... The board of directors of Washington Federal Inc., parent-company of Washington Federal Savings, declared a quarterly cash dividend of 24 cents per share payable April 28 to common stockholders of record on April 7. Washington Federal has...

Staff changes.
April 7, 2000... Arizona State University's College of Law will have a few new faces in its hallways. George Schatzki, a professor and former dean of the University of Connecticut School of Law and the University of Washington College of Law, is joining...

Ultrasound vein removal technique comes to Valley.
April 7, 2000... The Laser Skin and Vein Center is one of the first Valley facilities to offer ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for vein removal. This technology uses ultrasound machines to provide a visual window to structures beneath the skin. An estimated...

Online recruitment.
April 7, 2000... Healthcare Recruitment On Line is offering a program that allows hospitals to post an unlimited number of job openings for 90-day, 6-month - and 1-year time slots. Also, hospitals are featured on specialized company web, sites, such as...

RNs to the rescue.
April 7, 2000... DNR Medical-Legal Consultants is doing business in Scottsdale to help health care providers during what it calls the industry's "state of crisis." The company was founded by two registered nurses, Rose Sparks and Denise Casaubon, who also is a...

Medical space.
April 7, 2000... The Plaza Cos. will celebrate the start of construction April 4 on its fourth medical office building to be developed on the Plaza del Rio Campus in Peoria. The 33,700-square-foot building is scheduled to open at 94th Drive and Thunderbird...

More medical space.
April 7, 2000... Vision Properties Partnership is developing a 26,000-square-foot medical office building on Earll Drive, just east of Scottsdale Road. It will be completed this summer. Jo Schwan of LevRose Real Estate has been tapped to handle leasing....

New software.
April 7, 2000... MARS Medical Systems Inc. of Phoenix has unveiled its flagship product called NetPractice. The Windows-NT based practice-management system provides a point and click, Internet browser style operation. The company made a huge impression at...

No more babies.
April 7, 2000... The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to discontinue childbirth services on. July 1 at Kino Community Hospital, a move expected to save $3 million a year. About 600 babies were born there last year. The facility lost $12 million in...

Tuition hike.
April 7, 2000... The University of Arizona College of Medicine is proposing a 5.1 percent tuition increase for 2000-2001. The Arizona Board of Regents was scheduled to address the proposal at its April 6 to 7 meeting in Flagstaff. Angela Gonzales,...

$50 million raised.
April 7, 2000... Ventana Medical Systems Inc. in Tucson completed the private placement of 1.25 million shares of its common stock, raising $50 million. The company will use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including the financing of product...

Kick Butts Day 2000.
April 7, 2000... Sue Sisley, a resident physician at Good Samaritan Regional Medal Center, produced a teen musical that premiered at Castles N' Coasters near Metrocenter mall this week. Called Tobacco: The Musical, the April 5 performance by Ensuring...

Cramer-Krasselt hires Barry as creative director.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Cramer-Krasselt's latest creative director was lured from another market. The new guy in town is Ian Barry, previously associate creative director of McClain Finlon in Denver. Barry, 38, recently left that agency, and has freelanced for...

iBiz, CTS hook up.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... iBiz Technology Corp., a Phoenix manufacturer of computer systems and peripherals, has named CTS Advertising as its advertising and public relations agency of record. This month, CTS is launching an advertising campaign for iBiz that...

Agency pegs small biz.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... A new PR and marketing agency is focusing on small to mid- size businesses as clients. James Holbert Associates, Phoenix, offers services ranging from proposal writing and collateral creation to grand opening and special events...

Great Scott pulls stunts.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Great Scott Productions, a full-service film, audio and video production company in Phoenix, recently hosted production of a 30-minute pilot television show, Hollywood Stunts. The program, hosted by Lee Majors and Spanky Spangler, offers a...

Dot-com marketing.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... How to market dot-com companies is the topic of the next Phoenix Advertising Club luncheon. The speaker will be Martin Katz, who oversees marketing efforts for Leisure-view, an e-commerce startup that specializes in leisure products and...

Making an impression.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... VIP, Scottsdale, is working to help clients promote themselves on the road. The company, whose initials stand for Visual Identification Programs, provides graphic images for use on vans and trucks. Recently, VIP worked with Copenhagen...

Moses Anshell award.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Moses Anshell, a marketing communications agency in Phoenix, recently was honored by Fortune Small Business Magazine. The publication named a Moses Anshell ad as one of the 10 best spots created for a small business in 1999. The ad for...

DataSoft picks logo.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Tempe-based DataSoft Corp.'s new logo was not created by in-house personnel nor by a local graphic design firm. It was-done by Leonardo Ramirez, a Phoenix designer and sculptor. His logo was one of 80 submitted to DataSoft's Logo design...

Odds 'n ends.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... * Juan Carlos Aviles has been named corporate news director of Telemundo's Arizona TV stations, KDRX-TV 64 in Phoenix and KHRRTV 40 in Tucson. Previously, Aviles was news director of Telemundo's Los Angeles TV station. * To celebrate...

AMSAFE to construct Mesa aircraft airbag factory.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The city of Mesa has given aircraft seatbelt maker AMSAFE Inc. the go-head to begin building a manufacturing facility for its latest product: seatbelt-mounted airbags for commercial airplanes. The proposed 30,000-square-foot factory will...

GRIDlock.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... GRID DATA, Chandler, has dismissed 64 employees and shut down operations in three of its four markets while the company converts its wireless fleet tracking system to an Internet model. The company, whose high-tech service tracks the...

Microchip sale.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Microchip Technology Inc., Chander, has made an additional public offering of 1.65 million shares of common stock. The public company, which trades on The Nasdaq Stock Exchange, produces programmable microcontrollers and specialty memory...

Positive attribute.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Phoenix software developer Hologix Inc. has introduced an online solution for companies that buy, sell or trade goods based on their attributes. The software, called Attricom Marketplace Commerce, allows businesses to quickly negotiate...

Movin' on up.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Arizona Public Service Co. customers can turn their electricity on and off via the Internet, now that the local utility has partnered with online moving service MakeTheMove.com. Customers moving to and from AFS service areas can start and...

Motorola buys CSTI.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Motorola Inc. has agreed to acquire a Scottsdale electronics company that makes switching products for the growing Internet-protocol telephony industry. Communications Systems Technology Inc., which also designs and builds equipment for...

Imag transforms.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Imag, a custom magnetic components maker based in Phoenix, has acquired Phoenix Transformer, also of Phoenix, for an undisclosed sum. Both companies manufacture custom transformer and magnetics products for a variety of high-tech industries...

New airport retailers get ready for summer opening.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Here's an interesting statistic: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport gift shops sell about $1.5 million worth of cacti and small cactus gardens each year, with the highest sales month being March. There will be a few more...

Hot restaurant report.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Despite an upward trend in sales, restaurant operators nationwide face a number of challenges, according to Scottsdale-based Franchise Finance Corp. of America in its 10th annual industry report, which was released last week. The report is...

Puttin' on the Ritz.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The most luxurious room at The Ritz Carlton, the 11th floor suite, got a makeover. The 2,000 square-foot suite was redesigned by Pamela Hughes, of Hughes Design Associates, in desert shades of greens, yellows and peaches. "We wanted...

Yesawich coming to town.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Travel marketing expert Peter Yesawich will be the featured speaker at the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitor Bureau's annual membership meeting at noon on June 23 at the Phoenix Civic Plaza convention center. Yesawich, president and...

Owens new GM.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Charlie Owens has been appointed general manager of Merv Griffin's Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch. Owens will oversee daily operations of the ranch, staff and financial operations. Owens has 23 years of experience in the hospitality...

Getting an early start.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Twenty-five fifth grade students from Hopi Elementary School are going to work at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. The kids are suiting up April 25 for the ninth annual Camp Hyatt Career Day being held at 51 Hyatt hotels around the country....

Pointe South Mtn. on top.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... The Pointe Hilton South Mountain Resort has received the highest award for customer service in Hilton Hotels Corp. The 634-suite property received the Hilton Pride Customer Satisfaction Award for Best Overall Achievement. For the...

Vital stats.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Mother's early death spurs quest for remedy Unlike most entrepreneurs, Sherrie Jackson already knows her new business venture won't make her dreams come true. Jackson's mother, Bobbie Lane, was a diabetic who suffered from unusual...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
April 7, 2000... Architecture Joining Phoenix architectural firm Leo A Daly Co., were Tom Dwyer as director of operations, Myron Hoefer as senior project manager, Neil Oas as senior architect, Paul Gordon as senior electrical engineer, Terry Ryan as...

February home resales slip from last year.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Valley home resales slipped to 3,330 in February, a substantial drop from the 4,300 recorded in January, according to the Arizona Real Estate Center at Arizona State University. R.L. Brown, publisher of The Phoenix Housing Market Letter,...

Northern Arizona work.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Westcor Partners is starting work on Prescott's first regional shopping center. The 566,111-square-foot Prescott Gateway Mall, designed by Ellerman & Schick of Phoenix, is at Highway 69 and Lee Boulevard. Anchor stores include Dillard's, Sears...

Risky work memories.
April 7, 2000... I was on the roof of a mid-rise building recently, where ironworkers were busy cutting and welding rebar. The work reminded me of a story about my late father. He was working on a dam in the Midwest, and I was about 18 months old. My...

Shea scoops land in SE Valley.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... A new master-planned community in the southeast Valley is both the first and among the last. Seville is Shea Homes' first master-planned golf community, and the 1,380-acre project also is among the last large developments of its kind in...

Hot Deals.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... COMMERCIAL $11.6 million Type: Boardwalk at Andersen Springs, a retail center Where: 1949-1989 W. Ray Road, Chandler Square feet: 92,503 Buyer: Alfred Boas Family Trust, Los Angeles Seller: Raydob LLC, Phoenix ...

WHO'S WHO.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Mark Mangianti Vice president of investments, Institutional services group Marcus & Millichap Years with company: 15 Current major projects: On March 23, closed the $40 million sale of Arcadia Crossing, the 446,433-square-foot shopping...

Real estate leaders speak.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Several Arizona real estate leaders are among the list of speakers at the homebuilding industry's upcoming annual show in California. The PCBC Western Building Show runs June 27-30 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. * Buddy...

Flock of builders keep new-housing action hot.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... More new homes in most price, ranges are popping, up across the Valley almost as fast as spring wildflowers. Top-of-the-line models are The Homes at Lookout Ridge at Desert Mountain in north Scottsdale. The duplex-style residences are...

Chamber helps members hunt workers online.
April 7, 2000... The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce is helping members post job notices online. The chamber recently added the services of NationJob Inc. to its web site, www.scottsdalechamber.com. Now, members can post openings on the site even if the...

Export numbers up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 97 percent of exporters are small businesses. And between 1987 and 1997, the number of exporters tripled to 209,000 companies. The fastest growth has been among businesses with fewer than...

Franchise review.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2000... Franchise Finance Corp. of America, Scottsdale, released its annual report, 2000 Chain Restaurant Industry Review & Outlook. The free report details issues affecting franchise restaurants such as increased competition and tight labor...

Focus: Auto market.
April 7, 2000... Christine Kane is helping Valley residents sell their cars privately. She runs a weekly auto "swap meet" where sellers pay a one-time fee of $23 to show their car. "There's none of this paying for an ad, returning messages, setting up...

At your service.(Waterin' Hole Centre)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2000... Waterin' Hole Centre offers variety of amenities SUCCESS STRATEGIES Waterin' Hole Centre: The Waterin' Hole Centre and its amenities, Chuckwagon 'n' Saloon and Racquet Club and Fitness Center, sit on 7 acres. An adobe home built...

TIP.
April 7, 2000... If you're a new boss, engage your employees in an open discussion. To signal that you value their opinions, solicit their views on how the team should move forward. Then sit down with each person and follow up. Source: Working Woman