The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from October 1998

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from October 1998

Tougher times test AZ firms. (economic status stock performances of companies based in Arizona)
October 9, 1998... The last time Arizona suffered an extended market slump, a Republican sat in the White House, Democrats controlled Congress, and Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show. That's how long it's been since business leaders faced a prolonged...

America West hopes suit solves hang-up. (lawsuit filed by America West Airlines against MCI Communications Corp. over faulty in-flight telephone system)
October 9, 1998... E.T. could never phone home if he were flying on America West. And the airline is not happy about it. The Phoenix-based airline is suing MCI Communications, now MCI WorldCom, over installation of an allegedly faulty in-flight passenger...

Firm has slick plans for oil technology. (oil filtration technology acquired by Atlanta and Pacific Holdings Corp., headed by Glenn Premru)
October 9, 1998... Glenn Premru isn't a doctor, but he wants to give your car a kidney transplant. The four-year Arizona resident and longtime martial arts enthusiast says he owns the rights to an oil filtration technology that promises to eliminate up to 90...

Phoenix's Collier Center on target for December. (start of construction for the commercial building in Arizona on December 1, 1998)
October 9, 1998... Work on the $500 million Collier Center, a mixed-use office tower and hotel project in downtown Phoenix, will start about Dec. 1. A groundbreaking for the 23-story office building in the square-block development, planned jointly by Opus West...

Rural Arizona seniors lose Medicare coverage. (senior citizens covered by health maintenance organizations)
October 9, 1998... Score one for Arizona's rural doctors. The health maintenance organizations lose. But so do nearly 7,000 seniors in rural Arizona. PacifiCare of Arizona and HealthPartners Health Plans are pulling their Medicare health plans out of...

Season gets mixed reaction from vendors. (economic impact of the Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona)
October 9, 1998... Dave Sherman's hat store near Bank One Ballpark wasn't the home run he had expected, but he's still happy with the final score. "When you open something like this, it's like testing spaghetti, you throw enough strings on the wall and see what...

Rich Dozer. (interview with the Arizona Diamondbacks president)(Interview)
October 9, 1998... On the field, the Arizona Diamondbacks had a predictable inaugural season, but off the field, the ballclub is learning from its first-season mistakes and has some tweaking to do, according to Rich Dozer, team president. Dozer spoke with The...

Developer chases Valley growth. (executive profile of Mark Voigt, president of Communities Southwest's Arizona division)
October 9, 1998... Conquering executive stress in high style Mark Voigt loves what he calls exotic hikes. Others would say his international trekking borders on the extreme. As in extreme cold or altitude. In September, Voigt flew to Iceland where his 50-mile...

Firm sees millions in military bid. (Levy/Latham Global LLC)
October 16, 1998... Fifty-four boats, including a whaling boat, and 138 buoys will be the first items on the auction block as a Scottsdale company gets ready to make history and make millions selling more than $8 billion worth of military equipment. Levy/Latham...

Radio craze. (acquisitions in the radio broadcasting industry in Phoenix, Arizona)
October 16, 1998... Changing ownership gives control to a few big players The airwaves over greater Phoenix have been anything but static lately, as large ,broadcasting corporations nibble away at market share by buying up stations. Due to rapid ownership...

TesseracT plans 3 new schools. (TesseracT Group Inc)
October 16, 1998... TesseracT Group Inc., a publicly traded educational company based in Minneapolis, has big plans in the Phoenix area. The company, which has built two private schools in the Valley - one in Scottsdale and the other in the Ahwatukee area of...

Jittery stock market breaks Orthophedic IPO. (Orthopedic Biosystems Inc's initial public offering)
October 16, 1998... Orthopedic Biosystems Inc.'s products help mend injured bodies, but with no recovery for the wounded stock market in sight, the Scottsdale company has withdrawn its initial public offering. "Market conditions at this point are not conducive for...

Wells, Norwest sell-off opens up competition. (Wells Fargo-Norwest)
October 16, 1998... The Wells Fargo-Norwest merger in Arizona may bring a bonanza for another banking company to buy its way into the state's top 10. The banks will sell about $457 million in deposits and 14 branches in Arizona. If the sale goes to a single buyer,...

Former competitors merge to meld strengths for profit. (Corella-Trujillo Group LLC)
October 16, 1998... Six years ago, John Corella and Gary Trujillo were competing against each other for a $100 million contract with AT&T. Both knew they couldn't snag the contract on their own, and each was looking for a partner. Corella, president and chief...

Dream homes: Valley builder uses history to unearth jewels in the desert. (Saddleback Handcrafted Homes)
October 16, 1998... Like a mirage from another time, a small development of elegant homes with Tuscan and California Mission styles is appearing in the high desert in north Scottsdale. In fact, photographs of 70-year-old homes near La Jolla, Calif., were studied...

Construction company building new image. (Huber, Hunt and Nichols Inc)
October 16, 1998... If Robert G. Hunt's company had a trophy case, the top spots would include two of the largest construction awards in the Valley. His company's supervision of the construction of America West Arena and Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix are seen as...

Arizona's export jitters: world hot spots stir concerns.
October 30, 1998... Over the past three decades, Robert Vandevoort has seen plenty of turmoil in Asia: economic recessions, political upheaval and even a war. But the Vietnam war veteran, who now manages international projects for Phoenix computer networking...

Heart device recalled by FDA. (heart stent)
October 30, 1998... In a world of high-tech medicine, being first is important - but it also carries its risks. Dr. Ted Diethrich, medical director of the Arizona Heart Hospital, prides himself on being on the cutting edge. He has a long list of "firsts" in...

Canadian builder plans unique Mesa destination. (Triple Five Development Corp.)
October 30, 1998... A $200 million fashionable urban village is proposed for east Mesa by the Canadian company that built the two largest mails in North America. Village square at Dana Ranch, with about 1.1 million square feet, has a mix of retail space,...

Scottsdale publisher reaches many for free. (Timed Resources Inc. publisher Larry Bloom)
October 30, 1998... Larry Bloom, publisher of Timed Resources Inc. in Scottsdale, has a heart too big for his own good. He just can't bring himself to charge for guidebooks, all of which were designed to help people. Instead, he subsidizes the guides by sending...

Former UA player sues paper, university. (basketball player Miles Simon sues Kansas City Star and the University of Arizona)
October 30, 1998... Miles Simon had a difficult time at the University of Arizona. Although he was a campus hero on the basketball court and led the Wildcats to the NCAA championship in March 1997, he struggled in the classroom, missing 11 games because of problems...

Friendly, personal service keeps strong niche for music store. (Stinkweeds)
October 30, 1998... Don't bother asking Kimber Lanning if she wants to franchise her independent music store, Stinkweeds. She doesn't. She's had franchise offers and she's turned them down. "It wouldn't work," said the 31-year-old as she stood behind the...

REZsolutions books No. 1 spot on '98 AzTech 50 list.(AZ Tech 50)
October 30, 1998... Tom Castleberry is the classic entrepreneur, founding a highly successful company on little more than $500 and a dream. Today, REZsolutions Inc., a technology company whose niche market is the hospitality industry, employs 2,000 people and has...

Direct Optical sees future in better product. (Direct Optical Research Co.)(AZ Tech 50)
October 30, 1998... Direct Optical Research Co., a privately held company, made its premiere appearance at No. 32 on the AzTech 50 list because it improved an already existing product. But instead of building a better mousetrap, company founder and president...

Health care software firm sinks teeth into dentistry. (Quality Care Solutions Inc.)(AZ Tech 50)(Company Profile)
October 30, 1998... For Quality Care Solutions Inc., 1998 is a big year. The Phoenix health care software company made its debut on the top 50 list of fastest-growing software companies. It ranked No. 18. At the same time, it was recognized nationally by the...

Changes boost sales for memory maker. (White Microelectronics)(AZ Tech 50)
October 30, 1998... White Microelectronics, a newcomer to the Aztech 50 list at No. 36, is looking to take growth up another notch through the merger of its parent company with Electronic Designs Inc. of Westborough, Mass. Both companies make semiconductor memory...

Advanced Digital unveils 3 new wireless systems. (Advanced Digital Systems)(AZ Tech 50)
October 30, 1998... Advanced Digital Systems is putting itself on the map with its wireless communications systems. The Tucson company debuted at No. 33 oh the AzTech 50 list of Arizona's fastest growing, high-tech companies. The company specializes in wireless...