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

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

Mall-war site targeted for power center. (Opus Southwest Corp. to develop giant retail center in Chandler, AZ)
November 1, 1996... Opus Southwest wants to pick up where the Mills Corp. left off in Chandler, developing a parcel at Interstate 10 and Ray Road with a giant retail center, restaurants and a hotel. The Chandler retail site was left vacant after Mills Corp. and...

Jobs under knife at Mercy. (Mercy Healthcare Arizona)
November 1, 1996... Layoffs coincide with merger talks; Mercy says no connection Mercy Healthcare Arizona, in merger negotiations with the state's largest health system, is eliminating 87 positions this week. While officials said the layoffs have nothing to do...

Printer writes off Valley work force. (New England Business Service Inc.)
November 1, 1996... Printing giant New England Business Services Inc. is closing the book on its 2-year-old Valley presence, leaving most of its 103 local employees printing resumes in search of new jobs. The Groton, Mass., company, known in the industry at NEBS,...

Spectrum Astro blast-off may push firm away from Gilbert.
November 1, 1996... Gilbert satellite manufacturer Spectrum Astro Inc. is expecting to blast off into the telecommunications arena soon, and may be landing in another city in the process. The company is searching for a 50- to 100-acre site to house a planned...

Japanese contract takes Go-Video out of reruns.
November 1, 1996... Officials at Go-Video Inc. - the Scottsdale inventor of the modestly successful dual VCR player - say the company is ready to fast-forward from its controversial past with a deal that will allow it to enter the Japanese market six months ahead of...

Kentucky pizza chain wants slice of Valley pie.
November 1, 1996... The Valley's already competitive take-out and delivery pizza market will get tossed a shot of competition as a Kentucky-based chain prepares to make the Valley a mini-hub for its western expansion. Louisville-based Papa John's International...

Emily's Market stirs up recipe to go public.
November 1, 1996... Westcor, Suns investor Lynch says concept could expand to 250 stores Eddie Lynch can come close to judging the local economy by the number of prospective deals that walk through his door. "I've got to believe there are at least 50...

Omega is last word in software for law firms. (Omega Legal Systems)(Company Profile)
November 1, 1996... Don Gall doesn't put much stock in the idea that a good product will sell itself. "The old saying goes, 'If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.' Well that's pure nonsense," he said. "You have to have a good...

Phoenix infuriates phone firms. (Phoenix, AZ's telecommunication regulations)
November 15, 1996... Officials at telecommunications companies wanting to enter the local phone market are furious about proposed city of Phoenix guidelines they say abrogate a federal order to open competition. The city's proposal is an attempt to prepare for...

Mercy emerges winner. (Mercy Healthcare Arizona)
November 15, 1996... Hospital conglomerates prep to stitch up merger deal Samaritan Health System is a whisker away from scratching out a merger deal with Catholic Healthcare West that would save about $40 million in costs and retain Samaritan's not-for-profit...

Banks branch out to lure VIPs.
November 15, 1996... In the age of merger mania, big banks are making an effort not to appear too big for some branch customers. Wells Fargo's Premier Banking, a customer retention program, was launched in Arizona following its acquisition of First Interstate Bank....

Republic/Gazette parent circulates TV show plan. (Phoenix Newspapers Inc.)
November 15, 1996... Phoenix Newspapers Inc. is joining a handful of other newspaper companies in the country exploring the possibility of getting into the broadcast industry. Officials at PNI, which publishes The Arizona Republic and The Phoenix Gazette, have...

Former ad pro named to direct lottery sales. (advertising executive Craig McKenzie White)
November 15, 1996... The irony is so strong you can almost smell it. Phoenix ad agency E.B. Lane & Associates, which holds the coveted $10 million Arizona Lottery advertising account, will now see its biggest piece of business placed in the hands of a man - Craig...

Bowlin travels down IPO road. (initial public offering of Bowlin Outdoor Advertising & Travel Centers Inc.)
November 15, 1996... The owner of "The Thing," a hard-to-miss oddity along the highway in southeastern Arizona, is hoping investors have as much interest in its stock as tourists have in its roadside attractions. Albuquerque-based Bowlin Outdoor Advertising &...

Custom-home community moving into East Valley. (Arizona)
November 15, 1996... One of the last parcels of foothill land west of the Superstition Mountains has been acquired by a partnership led by former real estate broker Charles Cross and will be developed with a custom-home community called Vista del Corazon, which means...

New ice rink could skate into N. Phoenix. (Arizona)
November 15, 1996... Opposition has so far thawed plans for two ice rinks in the Valley - one in Scottsdale and another at Papago Park in Phoenix - but an alternative proposal has cropped up at Seventh Avenue and Bell Road, Phoenix. Joe Ryan of Minneapolis-based...

Sub/pasta chain targets Valley for expansion. (Mr. Goodcents Franchise Systems Inc.)
November 15, 1996... A Kansas-based fast-food chain with a small Valley presence is looking to turn up the heat on Arizona franchise development, and at the same time make Phoenix a regional hub. Mr. Goodcents, a fast-food chain that has carved a niche serving both...

Scientist gives heart, soul to cause. (Sun Health Research Institute Pres. Joseph Rogers)
November 15, 1996... Joseph Rogers quit his career as a newspaper reporter so he could find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. As president of the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Rogers, 51, is breaking ground every day in search of a cure for the...

Merger means mega health-care network. (Samaritan Health System and Catholic Healthcare West)
November 15, 1996... The merger between Samaritan Health System and Catholic Healthcare West would create a formidable health system with seven hospitals in Arizona totaling 2,358 beds. Phoenix-based Samaritan would have access to the world renowned Barrow...

Valley nurses cope with health-care changes.
November 15, 1996... About 20 years ago, Monica Wawrzyniak worked as a registered nurse in a rural hospital in Northern Michigan. The hospital didn't have the specialized staff as did larger metropolitan hospitals, so on her own she began a program of medical...

Hospital walls brighten with fantasy art.
November 15, 1996... Imagine fuzzy giraffes peeking around an X-ray machine, or the sun, moon and stars brightening the ceiling of a hallway. Those scenes no longer are a figment of a child's imagination - they are paintings created by Valley artists for children...

State trying to snuff out illegal cigarette sales.
November 15, 1996... State officials have no idea how many cigarettes are sold illegally in Arizona, but last year officials confiscated 86,000 packs - amounting to nearly $50,000 in lost taxes. "The total extent of the problem, we don't know for sure," said Dan...

Home-care industry facing shortage of aides.
November 15, 1996... As the senior population continues to grow, the country appears to be facing a shortage of home-care workers. In Arizona, more and more companies are beginning to employ home-care aides. These are not registered nurses who need medical training...

Persistence nets profits for Tempe promoter. (Tempe, AZ-based Continental Promotions Group Inc.)
November 15, 1996... You know those offers you see - send in three proofs of purchases and get a free stuffed Energizer bunny? Well, somebody has to process and verify all those responses, and send you that bunny, rebate or whatever the reward may be. Handling...

Arrow chief aims for $3M. (Arrow Stage Lines' Chmn. and CEO Charles Busskohl's earnings from the sale of the company)
November 22, 1996... It looks like Valley businessman Charles Busskohl will be having a green Christmas, as he sees his first seven-figure return from the sale of family business Arrow Stage Lines earlier this year. Busskohl is planning to cash in about $3 million...

Envision builds Valley presence with Iridium. (Envision Inc.'s new office in Mesa, AZ)
November 22, 1996... A St. Louis-based software company that will help Motorola Inc. control its massive Iridium satellite communications system is getting clear signals for success as it prepares to double its Valley work force. Envision Inc., which recently...

Tucson firm receives an $8 million windfall. (Vaguard Automation Inc.)
November 22, 1996... A Tucson company specializing in custom manufacturing systems for semiconductor producers has received an $8 million boost officials say will allow it to focus on a standard product line. Officials at Vanguard Automation Inc., which produces...

Fisher Investments expands to Arizona. (new office in Phoenix)
November 22, 1996... Fisher Investments Inc., a California-based money-management firm, is expanding its private-client group into Arizona and has opened an office in Phoenix. Fisher Investments manages about $1.3 billion for Fortune 500 companies, foundations,...

Couple coach firm to staffing success. (Priority Staffing Inc. owners Rick and Jessica Schulte)
November 22, 1996... The muscle behind Priority Staffing Inc. is playing-field aggression coiffed in a three-piece suit and a businessman's lingo. Tempe-based Priority Staffing Inc., owned by Rick and Jessica Schulte, is a temporary- and permanent-placement...

Saving Dial took more than dollars. (Dial Corp.)
November 29, 1996... When Dial Corp chief executive officer Malcom Jozoff arrived in the Valley this summer, he and his wife rented a home in Paradise Valley. Shortly afterward, the house was burglarized and badly vandalized. On Halloween, someone stole a pumpkin...

Viad vacancy: 8 floors open. (Viad Tower)
November 29, 1996... The Viad Tower, formerly the Dial Tower, soon will have eight vacant floors and more than 150,000 square feet of empty space available for rent. Dial Corp has decided to move from the tower, where it was paying a rate of about $15 a square...

Jerry tops list. (Most Influential Business Leaders; Arizona; Phoenix Suns CEO Jerry Colangelo)
November 29, 1996... Colangelo voted Valley's most influential - again No change at the top; Jerry Colangelo is still No. 1 The Phoenix Suns may not be winning this year, but the sports mogul still slam-dunks the competition when it comes to spheres of influence....

Fry's buying into child care. (Fry's Food and Drug Stores)
November 29, 1996... Fry's Food & Drug Stores is upping the ante for a coveted grocery industry target - families with children - launching a new high-cost, but potentially high-return experiment. In its newest store, Fry's is creating a 300-square-foot, high-tech...

Sandsharks sink teeth into Valley. (Arizona Sandsharks soccer team)
November 29, 1996... The Arizona Cardinals want a new domed stadium, and the Phoenix Coyotes are straggling to find a site on which to build an ice rink of their own. Well, don't forget the Arizona Sandsharks. Now under new ownership, Arizona's professional soccer...

Digital Concepts hopes to tame the wild Web.
November 29, 1996... A Phoenix-based marketer of high-speed satellite Internet access is looking for a $2.5 million boost to help it tame the World Wide Web and launch a national information service for businesses. Digital Concepts, which sets up Interact services...

OmniMedia eyes expansion, employees. (OmniMedia UK)
November 29, 1996... CD-ROM developer OmniMedia UK has been in Phoenix for less than four months and the local office already is jumping out of the nest of its parent company in England with plans for a Canadian expansion, additional employees and locally produced...

Venture capital backs P.F. Chang's expansion. (P.F. Chang's China Bistro)
November 29, 1996... P.F. Chang's China Bistro, which opened its first restaurant at Scottsdale Fashion Square in 1993, is planning to almost double its current restaurant count in 1997, thanks to a boost from an unusual source of funding earlier this year. The...

In-store is way to grow for Wells Fargo. (Wells Fargo Bank of Arizona)
November 29, 1996... Wells Fargo Bank of Arizona in-store branches are mushrooming in the state. In the past two months, the bank has opened 50 new in-store offices at Albertson's, Bashas' and Smith's Food and Drug stores. Added to the 18 in-store branches...

Funding of for-profit hospices questioned.
November 29, 1996... Susan Goldwater, executive director of the nonprofit Hospice of the Valley, has contacted the state attorney general's office over concerns that for-profit hospice companies are soliciting funds from the public to support their for-profit...

ADOT deputy is on road to success. (Arizona Dept. of Transportation Deputy Dir. Mary Elizabeth Peters)
November 29, 1996... "The glass ceiling is there, but it is penetrable." Mary Peters has traveled down a long road to reach the level of success she has achieved. And as deputy director for the Arizona Department of Transportation, Peters is right on track....

Employee stock ownership is popular perk.
November 29, 1996... The robust economy has translated to strong activity in Employee Stock Ownership Plan filings, the National Center for Employee Ownership reported. As of the end of 1995, about 9,500 companies had ESOPs, the NCEO said. "There have been a...

Former banker flips to other side of investor coin. (James Corzine)
November 29, 1996... Former Phoenix new-venture banker James Corzine has seen both sides, and is hoping the young company he's now trying to help get to the big time will be better off for it. For nearly three years, the 29-year-old American Graduate School of...

Tempe businessman needs cool cash for expansion. (Albers Air Conditioning Corp. Pres. Walter Albers)
November 29, 1996... Phoenix heat in the summer is legendary. As the temperature rises past 100 degrees, Valley residents turn off their evaporative coolers and turn on their air conditioners. Evaporative coolers - which are effective most of the year - can't...

HUD auditors scrutinize lending program. (Dept. Housing and Urban Development)
November 29, 1996... WASHINGTON - Federal authorities have started imposing civil penalties and sanctions on lenders, investors and non-profits that abused the Housing and Urban Development's 203(k) program. Auditors at the inspector general's office of HUD...

Philosophy, dreams drive entrepreneur. (Terri's Consign and Design Furnishings owner Terri L. Bowersock)
November 29, 1996... "This must be a sign of success," said Terri Bowersock, responding to a reporter's request for an interview. "It used to be I went to the press; now the media is coming to me." Bowersock, the award-winning entrepreneur behind Terri's Consign &...

Networking builds sales and relationships.(Sales Moves)(Column)
November 29, 1996... How long does it take to establish a networking relationship? There is no set answer. It takes time. How much time does it take to show a prospect you are credible, honorable, have a good company and can deliver consistently? It takes time....

Taking a snapshot at Phoenix leadership. (business)
November 29, 1996... The Business Journal unveils today its list of most influential business people. It is the fourth time the paper has published such a list and, like years past, it's certain to cause at least some controversy. There are bound to be people who...