The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from March 1996

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from March 1996

Buzz words: 'spec space' for rent. (Buzz Oats Enterprises II's plans for its 800,000 square feet of speculative industrial space)
March 1, 1996... Buzz Oats Enterprises, a well-known industrial builder in California with more than 500 million feet of space to its credit, has quietly entered the Phoenix market with an ambitious agenda that starts with plans for 800,000 square feet of...

Paper mill recycling Tucson site. (Evergreen Paper Co.; Tucson, Arizona)
March 1, 1996... A Maryland-based paper manufacturer has plans to pick up where Fletcher Challenge left off - building a $400 million paper mill at Red Rock near Tucson or at a site near Long Beach, Calif. Evergreen Paper Co. is moving forward with plans to...

Canadian financier moves to Scottsdale. (Peter Thomas; Scottsdale, Arizona)
March 1, 1996... A Canadian real estate investor has moved himself and a chunk of his multimillion-dollar public company to the Valley with hopes of increasing his growing Arizona portfolio. In fact, the company is looking for an Arizona hotel property to...

Travel firm merger opens door to expansion. (Morris Travel Corp.-Beehive/Carlson Business and Leisure Travel merger)
March 1, 1996... A merger between Salt Lake City-based Morris Travel and Beehive Travel likely will mean expansion opportunities in Arizona for the newly formed agency, according to an attorney representing Morris in the deal. Morris Travel is considering...

CEO stays on top by helping others. (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona Inc. President and CEO Robert Bulla)
March 1, 1996... Robert Bulla, son of professional golfer Johnny Bulla, knows what it takes to win. As much as he likes to be on top, Bulla also thrives on helping other people win, grow and prosper. "Helping people - that's what makes me tick," said Bulla,...

Tempe firm keeps pace with computer chip. (Medtronic Inc.; Tempe, Arizona)
March 1, 1996... The fight for supremacy in the pacemaker industry will make one Tempe manufacturer's job a lot easier. Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc., the inventor of the pacemaker, is trying to cut costs by standardizing the computer chips used in its...

Focus, drive compute for firm's success. (MicroAge Advanced Systems Consultants)
March 1, 1996... After years of selling computers and making money for others, Judy Flynn struck out on her own in 1991 to blend her selling savvy, a little bit of cash, some good luck and an energetic staff. Five years later the result is Scottsdale-based...

Dial Corp chases new niche.
March 8, 1996... The Dial Corp's consumer products division has formed a new health and beauty care unit that company officials and analysts predict will be a winner. The new venture is expected to bring Dial $25 million in sales in 1996 and $50 million in...

Valley ad firm stands to clean up. (Sun Valley, Arizona; Lavidge/Hiegel)
March 8, 1996... A Valley ad agency has broken into The Dial Corp's multi-million-dollar retail advertising club. Lavidge Hiegel Communications Inc. is the first local firm to be named an agency of record for the Phoenix-based corporate giant's commercial...

China firm ties fortune to Phoenix. (BNU Corp.; Arizona)
March 8, 1996... A mainland China company has invested in U.S. real estate in Phoenix with plans to build a Chinese-oriented development on approximately 20 acres in east Phoenix. BNU Corp. recently closed on the land purchase - the former site of the failed...

Low-income loans rising. (Phoenix, Arizona banks)
March 8, 1996... Two of Phoenix's largest banks get high marks in helping low- and moderate-income families buy homes, but community watchdogs say two others have something to learn from their colleagues. Borrowers aren't the only ones reaping the benefits as...

HealthPartners acquires Samaritan system. (Health Partners; Samaritan Health System)
March 8, 1996... The merger of HealthPartners of Southern Arizona and Phoenix-based Samaritan Health System, the state's largest health provider, will result in the acquisition of most of Samaritan s $1 billion in assets by the smaller Tucson company. To...

Valley manufacturing jobs are on the upswing. (Sun Valley, Arizona)
March 8, 1996... [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] The Valley ranks as the nation's 12th fastest growing manufacturing area, but the industry produces only 12.93 percent of total jobs, falling short of the national average of 15.6 percent. Manufacturing employment in...

Ambulance company faces shutdown by DHS. (Professional Medical Transport Inc.; Arizona Department of Health Services)
March 8, 1996... A large Phoenix-based Valley ambulance provider may be put out of business by the state Department of Health Services after a string of alleged violations. State officials said Professional Medical Transport Inc., is in danger of having its...

Young bank leader covers all bases. (Heritage Bank Senior VP and Cashier Kathleen Harris)(Company Profile)
March 8, 1996... For the most part, Kathleen Harris is not unusual among bankers. She probably is as efficient as most, plunging through a 10-hour pile of work in an 8-hour day. Her Heritage Bank office certainly is less grand than some bankers enjoy, and her...

Helping execs move builds firm's growth. (Chamness Relocation Services)(Company Profile)
March 8, 1996... What started out as a tip Darla Rydman got while working as a temp has turned into a $7 million Phoenix business with eight offices around the country and projected sales of $12 million in 1996. Rydman runs Chandler-based Chamness Relocation...