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

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

IPhysicianNet gains $43M in 2000.
December 29, 2000... IPhysicianNet, a Scottsdale company that provides Internet-ready computers for physicians, received $7 million in additional venture capital last week, making its total 2000 award $43 million -- the largest reported in Arizona this year. ...

Firm has way with words.
December 29, 2000... A Scottsdale company that began with three people in a tiny office has grown to 105 employees in two years by tackling an age-old dilemma -- the language barrier. Now Internet Crossing is attracting corporate giants such as Compaq...

West-side blues.
December 29, 2000... It's fourth and 'Long' for the stadium issue In the spirited competition for a $331 million football stadium, West Valley leaders see their ranking as similar to the Arizona Cardinals' place in the standings. Right at the bottom. ...

Dog day (spa) afternoon.
December 29, 2000... Man's best friend always will enjoy hunting and fishing trips. But don't pigeonhole the entire canine species. There may be dogs out there, like people, who aren't into roughing it. They may want a day at the spa instead. Say no...

Here's a shopping list for another great year in the Valley.
December 29, 2000... If I were in charge of the next 12 months in the Valley, I would: * Build the Cardinals their stadium in the best location and then call for a fair catch, which means the team gets the ball right on that spot but must immediately start...

PAY VARIATIONS.
December 29, 2000... PAY VARIATIONS Job: Call center team/group supervisor Type of call center Cash compensation [*] Inbound with selling $45,600 Credit/collections ...

Swim center's ownership future not yet determined.
December 29, 2000... The Phoenix Swim Club is treading in choppy waters that show no signs of calming before the year's end. The facility -- for sale because of financial instability -- currently is considering a number of offers, according to spokesman Jay...

Robson Communities says talks with Del Webb have halted.
December 29, 2000... Robson Communities founder and chairman Ed Robson said he has decided against any new project involving his company and Del Webb Corp. "It's not going to work," Robson said. A month ago, Robson confirmed a report that he was reviewing...

Pilot program will try to make telecommuting fly.
December 29, 2000... It could be one solution to Valley congestion. The Regional Public Transportation Authority, RPTA, has been gearing up to start a telework pilot project this spring with a group of 10 local employers. Organizations such as Cigna...

CORRECTIONS.
December 29, 2000... * An article about SunnComm Inc. in the Dec. 15 edition incorrectly reported that the company had a Form 10-SB on file with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. * A photo that ran in an item about On Semiconductor in the Dec. 22...

Bankers find silver lining in high-tech slowdown.
December 29, 2000... While slowing revenue and profits may make many local high-tech companies unhappy, their bankers don't see it as necessarily bad. Such circumstances may make for an opportune time to get back to basics, rein in expenses and shore up that...

St. Louis-based Southwest Bank makes debut in Phoenix market.
December 29, 2000... Southwest Bank finally is in the Southwest. The new bank, Southwest Bank of Phoenix, opened Dec. 27 at 2222 E. Camelback Road. The bank will emphasize commercial loans in the $2 million to $10 million range for owner-operated,...

Sun Community Bancorp adds Yuma bank to roster.
December 29, 2000... Sun Community Bancorp has added another member to its family of Arizona-based community banks with the opening of Yuma Community Bank earlier this month. The bank has an initial capitalization of $4.2 million from Sun Community Bancorp...

Ernst & Young gives employees a chance to 'see' family at holidays.
December 29, 2000... For the next two weeks Ernst & Young employees in Phoenix who couldn't make it home for the holidays still have a chance to see their distant loved ones without ever leaving the office. This will be the fourth year the company is having...

Executives' kids find ways to spread holiday cheer.
December 29, 2000... Cheryl Walsh bought a garden for charity in her children's names and will help them cultivate it in the coming months. Don Smith has been reading "Precious Moments" Christmas stories to his daughter. Jim Younger and his kids adopted...

Quepasa.com board OKs liquidation, sale of assets.
December 29, 2000... The board of directors of Phoenix-based quepasa.com, a Web site targeting the Hispanic market, has approved liquidating and selling the company's assets, with the proceeds to be distributed to shareholders. According to a quepasa.com...

Finova deal signed.
December 29, 2000... The Finova Group Inc., a Scottsdale-based specialty lender, and Leucadia National Corp., a New York holding company, signed an agreement under which Leucadia will invest up to $350 million in Finova. In a written release, Finova said both...

KSL buys Biltmore.
December 29, 2000... La Quinta, Calif.-based KSL Recreation Corp., which owns and operates the La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West. in La Quinta and the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on the Hawaiian island of Maui, purchased the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa...

Holiday sales surge.
December 29, 2000... A pre-Christmas surge in spending boosted nationwide same-store retail sales for the holiday shopping period to a figure 3.1 percent higher than the same period last year, according to TeleCheck Services of Houston, a check acceptance...

Slower growth predicted.
December 29, 2000... The outlook for Arizona's economy is for continued, but slower, growth in 2001, according to the December issue of the Bank One Arizona Blue Chip Economic Forecast. According to the publication, which is produced in conjunction with...

Qwest aims for forecasts.
December 29, 2000... Denver-based Qwest Communications International Inc., Arizona's largest local telephone and Internet service provider, said its fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2000 earnings will meet or beat Wall Street forecasts. Qwest officials based...

Qwest given rural job.
December 29, 2000... The Arizona Department of Economic. Security has selected Qwest to provide increased telecommunications and bandwidth in rural parts of the state. Announced by Gov. Jane Hull's office, the Qwest agreement is part of a statewide project...

Amtech earnings jump.
December 29, 2000... Tempe-based Amtech Systems Inc. reported net income of $1.3 million for fiscal year 2000, an increase of 266 percent over 1999 earnings of $362,000. The fiscal year ended Sept. 30 for the company, which makes capital equipment and other...

Stadium site backed.
December 29, 2000... The Tempe Chamber of Commerce board of directors is supporting the proposed Tempe site for the new Arizona Cardinals stadium. The site, at the southeast corner of Priest Drive and Washington Street, is one of two sites under consideration...

MicroAge subsidiary sold.
December 29, 2000... Tempe-based MicroAge Inc. will sell the assets of its subsidiary MicroAge Technology Services LLC to CompuCom Systems Inc., a digital infrastructure products and services provider, for $85 million after fees and other costs. According to...

Collier Center, lures firm.
December 29, 2000... Phoenix law firm Jennings, Strauss & Salmon will relocate from One Renaissance Square to the 10th, 11th and 12th floors of the new Collier Center downtown; a $500 million development of Opus West. The law firm will, occupy 75,000 square...

Shareholders OK merger.
December 29, 2000... Chandler-based Rocky Mountain Bank received approval from its shareholders regarding its merger with First National Bank of Nevada. Holding Co. Under the terms of the agreement, a subsidiary of First National Bank of Nevada Holding Co....

Heart Ball beats record, raises $1.2M for American Heart Association.
December 29, 2000... The 41st annual Heart Ball 2000 and Beyond held at The Phoenician in November raised a record-breaking $1.2 million for the American Heart Association. The 900 attendees enjoyed decorations by Accent With Flowers, food prepared by the...

Burch & Cracchiola PA.
December 29, 2000... Paralegals at Burch & Cracchiola PA, Phoenix, collected toys, food, clothing and supplies to benefit the Thomas J. Pappas School, Phoenix.

Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona Inc.
December 29, 2000... Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona Inc., Phoenix, received $1 million from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. The funds will be used to construct an education facility for the Crittenton Youth Academy.

City of Tempe.
December 29, 2000... City of Tempe employees donated about $4,000 to. buy T-shirts, gift wrapping and candy for students at Scales Professional Development School, Tempe. The principal, Jane Adams Hewitt, hoped the T-shirts would promote school spirit.

Arizona Highway Patrol Association.
December 29, 2000... The Arizona Highway Patrol Association gave 500 teddy bears away to children in hospitals across the state in December.

Arizona Business Alliance.
December 29, 2000... The Arizona Business Alliance's annual golf event raised $1,000 to benefit Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona, Inc., a Phoenix nonprofit that helps troubled and at-risk young women.

Mixing it up.
December 29, 2000... Arizona Chamber president adds spice to new role Jim Apperson walks into his office after lunch and tries to hang his gray suit jacket behind the door when he realizes there isn't a hook. He had one in his old office, he says, slinging it...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
December 29, 2000... Advertising Amelia Gross was promoted to media planner/buyer at Lavidge & Baumayr Advertising and Public Relations in the company's media department, Scottsdale. Architecture Glenn Grubbs was hired as job captain at Langdon...

Growth, home prices boost bottom lines.
December 29, 2000... The Valley's nonstop growth -- along with rising home prices -- are good news for apartment owners. In the third quarter of this year, the average rent in metro Phoenix increased to $697, up 5.6 percent over the same period in 1999,...

Homes with a view.
December 29, 2000... The newest Valley community to watch is Dobbins Creek, a Kaufman and Broad development at 12th Street and Baseline Road. The 80-acre site's location a mile south of Baseline Road, on the slope of South Mountain, will give the homes views...

Partner architects.
December 29, 2000... Swaback Partners and Dwayne Lewis Architects are forging a relationship on projects that require their particular expertise. Lewis has changed his corporate name to Dwayne Lewis Associates and moved into offices next to Swaback Partners...

Continental Homes breaks ground with new division.
December 29, 2000... Although Continental Homes officials have kept quiet about their semicustom home division, word is getting around. Tom Davis, Phoenix division president, said the division -- on-the drawing boards for a couple years -- in recent weeks...

Metro Phoenix development projects run gamut.
December 29, 2000... Analysts say the national economy may be slowing down, but by the looks of development projects in and around metro Phoenix, the construction business is booming. More than half of the 1,200 homes planned for the first phase of northeast...

Viewer campaign spurs changes at KPHO-TV 5.
December 29, 2000... KPHO-TV 5 has plans for major changes after conducting its "TV5 Listens" campaign and tallying the results of viewer responses. The station will air a full 35-minute 10 p.m. newscast beginning Jan. 1, and will relocate "Seinfeld" to the...

Cooley adds contract.
December 29, 2000... Cooley Advertising & Public Relations landed a contract for the Anti-Lead Campaign, supported by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The pilot program, scheduled to launch in January, targets the Hispanic population in Yuma,...

Barclay lands 3 clients.
December 29, 2000... Barclay Communications has added three accounts to its client roster: Streets of New York restaurants, Uptown Brewery and Mesler Bailey Auctions LLC. Streets of New York hired the agency to handle its public relations, promotions and...

Bartholomeaux news.
December 29, 2000... Bartholomeaux/Public Relations Inc. has signed McCarthy Creative Services. Headquartered in New York, McCarthy is a creative service and multi-media company that works with authors, agents, publishers, media and Internet companies...

Film studio debuts.
December 29, 2000... Glyphic Film, a new arrival to the Valley's film and entertainment scene, celebrated its grand opening this month. Located in Phoenix, the studio also opened the Glyphic Film Academy, which provides an alternative educational environment...

New face at Brockman.
December 29, 2000... Brockman Production Services has named Bob Goldstein as director of creative services. Goldstein, who has previously worked for Great Scott Productions, Desert Production Center and KTVK-TV Channel 3, is a three-time Emmy and Telly Award...

Desert Schools gets credit for helping Valley youth.
December 29, 2000... Employees at Desert Schools Federal Credit Union recently donated Playschool Playhouses to social service agencies throughout the Valley. Among the United Way organizations receiving the playhouses are Upward Foundation, Glendale Family...

Refo named.
December 29, 2000... Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court William Reinquist has appointed Snell & Willmer attorney Patricia Lee Refo to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Evidence. The Judicial Conference is the national...

Shelley gets certification.
December 29, 2000... Gerald Shelley of the Phoenix law firm Quarles & Brady Streich Lang has received national certification in business bankruptcy law from the American Board of Certification. To receive certification, an applicant must pass a board...

Paymentech help ready.
December 29, 2000... Paymentech, one of the country's largest acquirers and processors of credit card transactions, just celebrated the opening of its new point-of-sale merchant help desk at its Tempe facility on South 52nd St. The help desk will assist...

Fifth Third's 101st.
December 29, 2000... The board of directors of Fifth Third Bank has declared a dividend of 18 cents per share on its common stock, representing a 13 percent increase over 1999's fourth-quarter dividend. The company, a diversified financial services company...

Metris donation.
December 29, 2000... Metris Cos. Inc., an information-based direct marketer of consumer credit products, has donated $10,000 top the Scottsdale Vista del Camino Center. This is part of the company's $110,000 national effort to raise awareness of the...

Credit center opens.
December 29, 2000... Arizona State Savings & Credit Union has opened its 21st office and expanded back-office support center in a 13,000-square-foot facility in Glendale. The new center, at 5859 W. Talavi Blvd., Ste. 100, in the Talavi Business Park, will...

Women honored for community service.
December 29, 2000... Scottsdale Healthcare has named the Spirit of Women award winners for making a difference in their communities and the lives of others. Frances Mills-Yerger, a Scottsdale resident who offers leadership workshops, received the award for...

Barrow study: Cell phones don't cause brain tumors.
December 29, 2000... Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center was the chief contributor to a medical study involving cell phone use and brain tumors. BNI's William Shapiro, M.D., was the study's chief researcher. Between 1994...

InteGreat signs deal.
December 29, 2000... Olmested Medical Center in Rochester, Minn., has agreed to implement InteGreat Inc.'s virtual medical record system. "Our decision to implement InteGreat's IC-Chart solution was driven by the need to enhance access to timely clinical...

Risk Resource expands.
December 29, 2000... Risk Resource LLC, a Phoenix company that negotiates modified risk life insurance, has expanded to 14 states across the country. Owner Nate Sachs said his goal is to be nationwide within the next three years. Modified risk life...

Alternative medicine.
December 29, 2000... Konrad Kail, a naturopathic physician and founding member of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, testified in front of the White House Commission on complementary and alternative medicine. He was asked to speak on the...

Health care ethics.
December 29, 2000... Daniel Callahan, a renowned medical ethicist, will speak at Arizona State University Weston Feb. 12. His visit kicks off ASU West's inaugural John M. and Hellen S. Jacobs Visiting Professor of Ethics program, said Elaine Maimon, provost....

Weight loss aids.
December 29, 2000... This is the time when people start thinking about New Year's resolutions, especially when it comes to weight loss. The American Heart Association's One of a Kind personalized health management program is a free service to give you the...

Giving back.
December 29, 2000... AZTechCares makes a connection with the community When a group of high-tech professionals met for lunch three months ago, they picked up more than the tab. They decided to take on a few community service projects, the biggest of...

Voice-over technology firms find niche.
December 29, 2000... Two local companies providing voice-over-IP technology are finding success ma field some of their competitors are exiting. Tempe-based Cirilium Corp. and Scottsdale-based IPVoice.com both reached milestones this month while one of their...

Washington firm to provide wireless service in Arizona.
December 29, 2000... Advanced Radio Telecom Corp. announced a deal with Crescent Real Estate Equities Co. to provide wireless services in Arizona. The agreement allows Advanced Radio Telecom, or ART, based in Bellevue, Wash., to deliver broad-band Internet...

'Truce' generates plenty of inquiries in affected areas.
December 29, 2000... The Washington. D.C.-based Business Software Alliance received 1,100 calls to its hotline and about 18,000 hits on its Web site during the group's November Software Piracy Truce. But organization officials say they cannot determine how...

RNI signs partners.
December 29, 2000... A Tempe-based broadband wireless provider that launched service in the Scottsdale Airpark last month has changed its name from Renaissance Networking Inc. to Renaissance Networks Inc. The bootstrap startup also has signed three partners...

Redhawk groundbreaking.
December 29, 2000... Pinnacle West Energy began construction on its Redhawk Power Plant near the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station last week. The 2,120-megawatt facility, located 55 miles west of Phoenix, will be the first project to break ground in the...

Services rendered.
December 29, 2000... Tempe-based Ensynch LLC, a technology solution provider, will supply Auto-logistics.com with its back office information technology services. Auto-logisitics.com provides vehicle transportation services for concept and clay car...

Tri-band phones.
December 29, 2000... Thanks to tri-band cellular technology from Motorola Inc., travelers can use their mobile phones in the United States, Europe and Asia. The tri-band phones feature three frequencies to provide cellular access between all three continents...

Survey says.
December 29, 2000... A survey conducted by human resources consulting firm William H. Mercer Inc., reveals that the median total cash compensation for top executives in telecommunications firms is $450,000, including base pay and incentives. The 2000...

Alliance partners.
December 29, 2000... Vigil Technologies Inc. has joined Phoenix-based InfoImage's Federated Alliance Partner program. The alliance program was designed to develop partnerships with companies that provide technology to enhance InfoImage's decision portal...

Electric Avenue.
December 29, 2000... Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. will show a 1915 Detroit Electric car with unique tiller steering at the 32nd annual Carquest World of Wheels Jan. 5-7 at Phoenix Civic Plaza. The Phoenix company manufacturers the SuperCharge...

Titan Power.
December 29, 2000... Type of business: Power supplies President: Andrew Berney City: Tempe E-mail: aberney@titanpower.com Web site: www.titanpower.com Employees: 14 Year started: 1986 2000 revenue: $4 million Projected 2001...

Online holiday shopping sites get mixed reviews.
December 29, 2000... SAN JOSE -- As the numbers start to roll in following the holiday shopping season, one of the first report cards indicates how well online shoppers fared, and it's not one to make the honor roll. San Mateo, Calif.-based Keynote Inc.,...

Compaq stock slides, hits '97 low.
December 29, 2000... HOUSTON -- Shares of Compaq Computer Corp. last week skidded to their lowest point since April 1997. The value of the Houston-based computer maker's stock fell 5 percent to below $16.50 on heavy volume. Compaq has been chopped in half...

Acquisition planned.
December 29, 2000... ORLANDO; Fla. -- Publicly traded California Cyber Design has signed a letter of intent to purchase Orlando, Fla.'s Liquid Golf Corp., an Internet marketing venture focusing on golf-related goods and services. The fledgling company has...

Amazon, agency split.
December 29, 2000... SAN JOSE, Calif. - Amazon.com is having a bad holiday season in more ways than one. A spat with the Bay Area ad agency that created Amazon's quirky, award-winning "Sweatermen" TV commercials was the latest lump of coal in the No. 1...

Council to lure tech firms.
December 29, 2000... KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Area Development Council introduced a New Economy Council to provide more clout in the hunt for technology-related businesses. Steve Johnson, who will lead the council, called it "a mirror image of the...

Wells Fargo's Web site offers insurance plans.
December 29, 2000... Wells Fargo & Co., through its insurance subsidiary Wells Fargo Insurance, is delivering small-business insurance on the Internet through its small-business Web portal www.wellsfargo.com/biz. Through its relationship with InsureZone,...

New president for Orion.
December 29, 2000... Dennis Reichert has been named president of The Orion Institute for Organizational Excellence, a Mesa-based organizational development company. Founder and chief Debra Davenport is now chair and chief advisor. The institute offers...

No sleeper.
December 29, 2000... Baywood International Inc. of Scottsdale has expanded the distribution of its anti-snore product, Dr. Harris' Original Snore Formula, into 100 Cub Foods stores, which are owned and operated by Supervalu Inc. Baywood president and CEO...

Truly motivated.
December 29, 2000... Motivational Systems, which provides graphics and interior design services, sign systems and custom interior displays and furnishings, has moved in a new 7,500-square-foot facility at 3128 W. Thomas Road, Suite 202, Phoenix.

ACA Web win.
December 29, 2000... The Arizona Contractors Association won the AzSAE (Arizona Society of Association Executives) 2000 Award of Excellence in Association Management in the communications category for its Web site www.azca.com.

Classy furnishings.
December 29, 2000... Schoolcraft supplies equipment for state's schools Schoolcraft is a school, office and library furniture and equipment company. Its primary customers are school districts throughout Arizona. Among the products they manufacture or...

TIP.
December 29, 2000... The commitment to formulating a company mission can be critical to your company's success. It helps keep management focused on preserving or strengthening the firm's unique niche. It can also prevent panic and unwise marketing or spending...