The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from October 2000, page 3

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

Apache Junction targeted as site for new hospital.
October 20, 2000... A $50 million hospital is being planned in Apache Junction that is expected to generate 200 jobs. A limited liability corporation called SFII, which owns land at the southeast corner of Goldfield Road and U.S. 60, has submitted...

Firm organizes to aid ill travelers.
October 20, 2000... Two former Valley ambulance company presidents have joined to form a travel assistance firm. Bob Ramsey, who merged his Southwest Ambulance with Scottsdale-based Rural/Metro Corp. in 1997, and Dave Samuels, who left Samaritan AirEvac...

Bank of America SBA loans drop drastically.
October 20, 2000... Bank of America's new state president and Southwest small-business banking executive, Benito Almanza, has his work cut out for him. Bank of America's SBA lending activity dropped drastically this year, from more than $11 million in 1999...

China trade still poses glitches for Arizona firms.
October 20, 2000... Arizona companies hoping for streamlined trade with China won't find the answer in trade legislation, at least not right away. Companies exporting to China will continue to face high tariffs, import quotas and a slew of other...

Gretzky's name already boosting Coyotes image.
October 20, 2000... Phoenix Coyotes marketing gurus are cashing in on celebrity Wayne Gretzky's image to promote the team even before the former hockey player officially becomes an owner. It's an opportunity too good to pass up. Gretzky's signature...

Westcor yet to commit to Internet wiring for malls.
October 20, 2000... A report that Westcor may be adding high-speed Internet access to all of its properties before the end of this year turns out to be misinformation, but officials at the mall development company say they like the idea. According to the...

Conference organizers hope event will put Arizona on economic map.
October 20, 2000... Several key business organizations have joined forces to present a four-day trade and investment summit they hope will push Arizona to the forefront of the global economy. "The United States & The New Economy: Global Arizona" conference,...

State economy returns to 5-star status.
October 20, 2000... Arizona is back among the economic elite. The state returned to five-s tar status in Demographics Daily's economic ratings for October. They joined three holdovers from September's top group, Colorado, Georgia and Nevada. ...

Phoenix ranks near bottom in Internet use.
October 20, 2000... Phoenix was ranked as the nation's 27th largest market for Internet use in September, according to the Internet ratings report from Nielsen//NetRatings: The September ratings show that Internet use has reached "critical mass" of more...

Wells braces for toughest merger yet: Its computers.
October 20, 2000... The success or failure of Wells Fargo and Norwest's 23-month union may hinge on an unreadable ATM card. That's a seemingly tiny matter in the grand scheme of the banking industry and the nation's sixth-largest bank. But it's the sort of...

America West profits lose altitude from 1999.
October 20, 2000... America West Holdings Corp., the Tempe-based parent company of America West Airlines Inc. and The Leisure Co., reported third-quarter net income of $1.3 million, down from 1999's record $22.2 million third quarter. Company officials...

Phelps Dodge shows profit.
October 20, 2000... Phoenix-based copper mining giant Phelps Dodge Corp. showed increased green in its bottom line: Consolidated earnings for the third quarter were $41.5 million, or 53 cents per share, before nonrecurring charges. Earnings for the same period...

Tucson growing fast.
October 20, 2000... The "Old Pueblo" is doing very well at new growth. The September issue of Bank One Economic Blue Chip Economic Forecast showed that Tucson is the key to Arizona's manufacturing growth this year. The Forecast found that during the first six...

Del Webb expectations up.
October 20, 2000... Phoenix-based planned-community developer Del Webb Corp. said it expects its fiscal first-quarter earnings to surpass Wall Street estimates by about 7 cents per share. The company predicted earnings for the quarter, ended Sept. 30, of 83...

Bank One profits dip.
October 20, 2000... Bank One Corp., Arizona's largest bank and the country's fourth-largest overall, said third-quarter profits were down 37 percent, in line with forecasts. The Chicago-based bank earned $581 million in the quarter, or 50 cents per share,...

Wells Fargo posts big gain.
October 20, 2000... Third-quarter profits for Wells Fargo and Co., Arizona's third-largest bank, rose 11 percent due to record gains in investments and loan growth. The San Francisco-based bank earned $1.07 billion in the third quarter this year, or 64...

Hypercom debuts product.
October 20, 2000... Hypercom Corp., a Phoenix provider of electronic payment products, debuted its new ePic ICE 7000 CE, a highperformance, open platform, Internet-enabled payment terminal. The ePic ICE 7000CE is specifically geared to health care,...

New air service planned.
October 20, 2000... SkyWest Airlines will offer passenger service between Salt Lake City and Phoenix beginning Dec. 1. SkyWest will start with one daily round trip, leaving Salt Lake City at 9:15 a.m. with the Phoenix-Salt Lake City return trip beginning at...

BofA profits drop.
October 20, 2000... Bank of America Corp., Arizona's second-largest bank, said its third-quarter profits fell 15 percent, after a large restructuring charge to cut costs, and a drop in the value of auto leases. Net income for the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank...

Intel report shows profit.
October 20, 2000... Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel Corp., which has extensive computer chip making facilities in the Valley, met analysts' expectations with third-quarter revenue of $8.7 billion, up 19 percent from the third quarter of 1999 and up 5 percent...

Action looks to 2001.
October 20, 2000... Officials of Action Performance Cos. Inc., a Phoenix-based manufacturer and marketer of die-cast NASCAR collectibles, said they do not expect the company to return to profitability until fiscal year 2001. The company is restructuring and...

Titan loan extended.
October 20, 2000... Titan Motorcycle Co. of America and Wells Fargo Credit Inc. have agreed to a six-month extension of the company's credit facility, Titan officials said. The Phoenix-based motorcycle manufacturer will use the money to fund operations through...

FutureOne sells division.
October 20, 2000... FutureOne Inc., a Scottsdale-based telecommunications and broadband infrastructure installation specialist, completed the sale of its Rocket Science Creative division to one of its previous owners for cash and debt assumption. FutureOne...

New face in check cashing.
October 20, 2000... InnoVentry Corp., a developer of feebased financial services and information access machines, said it will deploy its RPM check-cashing terminals in 22 Albertson's supermarkets and three Osco Drug stores in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas....

Stock given buy rating.
October 20, 2000... Chicago-based financial services firm William Blair & Co. LLC gave University of Phoenix Online stock a long-term buy rating. According to the company, analyst Matthew Litfin estimated that University of Phoenix Online, the Internet-based...

Rural/Metro nabs contract.
October 20, 2000... Rural/Metro Corp., a Scottsdale-based provider of mobile health care services, has won an exclusive contract to provide 911 ambulance services to south Fulton County, Ga. The five-year contract is valued at about $5 million annually. ...

New Economy group lacks urgency, member says.
October 20, 2000... Last week the Arizona Partnership for the New Economy held its monthly general meeting to outline a technology industry report it will deliver to Gov. Jane Hull in January. It seems some feel the group isn't exactly moving in tandem with...

Big partner.
October 20, 2000... Microsoft Corp. has signed on to help Scottsdale-based Cleanwave LLC, an overnight laundry delivery service, develop a Web site for accepting orders. Cleanwave's site will be used to process orders for laundry pick up and delivery at...

New president.
October 20, 2000... Advativ Inc., a Phoenix-based provider of e-business solutions for work-flow management, has a new president and chief executive officer. James Robb, who joined the company in June as a vice president, succeeds Dan Miller. Miller will...

Hard Dollar joins alliance.
October 20, 2000... Tempe-based Hard Dollar Corp. joined the International Alliance for Interoperability, a global standards organization for the exchange of construction project information. Hard Dollar, a provider of software systems and infrastructure for...

Now reselling...
October 20, 2000... E Products Consulting in Phoenix was selected by USA.NET, an e-mail messaging service, to resell its service to businesses in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. USA.NET, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., offers outsourced e-mail solutions...

An overview.
October 20, 2000... The Arizona District Export Council and the U.S. Department of Commerce will sponsor a half-day seminar on e-commerce and broadband from 8:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 24 at the Double-tree La Posada Resort, Scottsdale. The morning begins with...

Child care conference targets business community.
October 20, 2000... "Doing a Good Job For Our Children -- Everyone's Bottom Line" is the name of a conference on child care scheduled Nov. 2 at Phoenix Country Club. Geared to the business community, the conference is intended to inform on the need for...

Bar belles.
October 20, 2000... The results are in from the July 2000 Arizona bar examination held July 25 and 26 in Tucson. Of the 556 applicants, 415 achieved passing scores -- an overall pass rate of 74.6 percent. Placing first was Ann Beth Cling of Sanford, N.C., a...

Court candidates.
October 20, 2000... The 12 candidates for two vacancies on the Maricopa County Superior Court judicial bench will be interviewed Oct. 25. They are: John Ditsworth, Larry Grant, Carl Harrison, Leah Pallin-Hill, Michael Palumbo, Severiano Rodarte, Teresa...

Valley adds residential.
October 20, 2000... Valley Bank of Arizona has created a new residential lending division that is being housed at the company's offices at 105th Street and McDowell Mountain Ranch Road in Scottsdale. William Michael Thomas has been named vice president of...

Better hand holding.
October 20, 2000... Fennemore Craig has come up with a program to subsidize half of the amount for its attorneys who purchase Palm Pilots. The law firm made the offer because the handheld devices provide "a more seamless system" for servicing clients in...

Legal purchases.
October 20, 2000... Beginning in December, attorneys and other legal professionals can shop for anything from legal insurance to gifts for their clients online at the www.lexisone.com web site. Lexis-Nexis has partnered with e-commerce company Metiom,...

Financial planning.
October 20, 2000... One Source Financial Advisors, 2398 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, is a new financial planning firm focusing on higher net-worth families and individuals. Principals are Chad Ragland and George Collett, CFP, both of whom formerly with...

Accounting certification.
October 20, 2000... Arizona State University West is holding two informational meetings on its post-baccalaureate certificate program in accounting from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2, and 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 4. The meetings will be at the Sands Classroom Building on...

State retirement system contracts with ScriptSave.
October 20, 2000... ScriptSave, a Tucson company that offers a national prescription discount card, has been awarded a contract by the Arizona State Retirement System for 60,000 retirees. This is the first public entity to sign on to the 5-year-old...

Blue Cross awarded.
October 20, 2000... Healthy Women for a Lifetime, an Arizona coalition of women's health and professional organizations dedicated to improving the health of post menopausal women, has honored Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona with its annual Keeping Women...

Lifemark joins EverCare.
October 20, 2000... Lifemark Corp. of Phoenix is merging with EverCare, a subsidiary of United-Health Group, to provide care to elderly citizens. The combined company will operate as EverCare. Marcia Smith, chief executive of EverCare, will serve as CEO of...

Homeopathic study.
October 20, 2000... The Society for the Establishment of Research in Classical Homeopathy in Phoenix has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study fibromyalgia, a chronic systemic pain condition. The two-year study will...

Foster care.
October 20, 2000... The Department of Economic Security's Administration for Children, Youth and Family is opening access to health care for young adults. In the past, children in the foster program under state care lost their health care coverage when they...

CEO forum.
October 20, 2000... Healthcare Administrators' Forum is featuring three prominent hospital chief executives at its Oct. 27 luncheon at Phoenix Country Club. Leland Peterson of Sun Health, Max Poll of Scottsdale Healthcare and Dan Coleman of John C. Lincoln...

Kudos to state Medicare.
October 20, 2000... Arizona received high marks for quality of care in Medicare services, according to a study reported in the Oct. 4 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association. Arizona ranks above the median in 11 of the 22 measures of care...

Off Madison Ave relocates to offbeat Tempe office.
October 20, 2000... Off Madison Ave likes its space a bit offbeat -- the agency has moved into new 3,700-square-foot digs at 51 W. Third Street in downtown Tempe. Described by the agency as "a strikingly unconventional workplace," the site opens onto the...

Three heads are better...
October 20, 2000... The Universal Technical Institute of Phoenix has appointed three co-leaders to head up its marketing division -- following a new model based on recent corporate studies that places two or more people in one strategic position. UTI, an....

Wall Street account.
October 20, 2000... Assadi Associates has landed a Wall Street client -- Securities Class Action Services LLC, a class-action research and consulting service -- to handle a national media campaign. New York-based Securities Class Action, provides litigation...

Virtual goes worldwide.
October 20, 2000... Virtual Pictures Company, which specializes in visual marketing solutions, has added U.K.-based companies British Telecom and Equant to its client list. The company provides multimedia, video and 3D animation for various CD/Web presentations...

Specialty ad firm debuts.
October 20, 2000... Cactus Promotions, which provides specialty advertising, promotional products and incentives to Valley businesses, has recently debuted in Phoenix. Founder John M. Krause, a former computer and sales executive, said the company plans to...

Luce Online lowers rates.
October 20, 2000... Luce Online, an electronic news tracking service in Scottsdale, has lowered its cyber-clipping rates this month. The service, which monitors news on the Internet using key words and phrases known as "search terms" then delivers the...

Arizona businesses make magazine's top 500 list.
October 20, 2000... Four of five Arizona businesses recognized on the Inc. 500 list, published in the Oct. 17 issue of Inc. magazine, are technology companies. Those receiving the honor are Calence (69th), Riester-Robb (275th), Excell Global Services...

Electronics show grows.
October 20, 2000... More than 330 vendors, up from 120 last year, are expected to participate in the Greater Phoenix Electronics Show, set for Oct. 25 and 26 at Phoenix Civic Plaza. In addition to vendors displaying everything from wafer fabrication...

CompuCom comes to town.
October 20, 2000... Valley newcomer CompuCom Systems Inc., an infrastructure solutions provider that optimizes e-business and enterprise applications, has ramped up its staff to about 75 and gained a solid local client base. Richard Bowman, director of the...

APS donates home.
October 20, 2000... Arizona Public Service Co. has donated its Environmental Showcase Home to Arizona State University and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. The home, which was completed in 1994 in northeast Phoenix, displays some of the...

Canadian Lumic opens.
October 20, 2000... Ottawa-based Lumic Electronics Inc., a 1-year-old fabless semiconductor company with 30 employees, has established U.S. operations through a Tempe office. Lumic develops multimedia processors that enable low-power, high-resolution video...

Herberger to host U.S. premier of Vivaldi opera.
October 20, 2000... The Arizona Vivaldi Festival opens its second year at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix next week with the American premier of Antonio Vivaldi's opera La Fida Ninfa -- or The Faithful Nymph. Those putting on the festival say that...

Publicity for AZ.
October 20, 2000... The Arizona Office of Tourism recently hosted a group of six freelance writers, taking them on a tour to show off Arizona's astronomy and movie sites. One story already in the works as a result is by writer Pam Grout that will appear in...

24th Street complete.
October 20, 2000... The realignment of 24th Street from Air Lane to Interstate 10 in Phoenix was completed last week. The detoured street allows for extension of Sky Harbor's north runway and other airport expansion projects. It was complex -- the railroad...

Concierge conference.
October 20, 2000... The National Concierge Association Arizona Chapter will host the organization's worldwide annual convention next September. The conference will be held at Marriott Mountain Shadows in Paradise Valley and should attract about 200 members,...

MPI new Web site.
October 20, 2000... The Arizona Sunbelt chapter of Meeting Professionals International has a new Web site at www.AZMPi.org. It lists upcoming monthly activities and events, profiles of current board members and a job bank. Meeting Professionals International...

Up and comers.
October 20, 2000... David Friederich has joined The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park as director of food and beverage. He will oversee day-to-day operations in the culinary, banquet and room-service departments and the resort's three restaurants. Michael...

Promoting U.S. abroad.
October 20, 2000... The Travel Industry Association of America is organizing to create a national tourism marketing program. Called SeeAmerica, the program will open offices overseas, advertise in major newspapers and create a new Web site for foreigners...

Travel stats.
October 20, 2000... * Nearly six in 10 adults say they are interested in taking a cruise during the next two years, according to a report by hospitality research firm Yesawich Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Partners. Three in 10 already have taken cruises. ...

A 'pilgrim's' journey.
October 20, 2000... Parents instilled lifetime path to exellence If pressed, Cathy Clardy Patterson could tell stories of racism so blatant it could make one's skin crawl. She could describe her family's integration of Burnsville, Minn., in the 1950s...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
October 20, 2000... Accounting Gary Smith was promoted to senior manager and Teresa Kevane, Cati Piorkowski and Lisa Young were promoted to managers at McGladrey & Pullen LLP, Phoenix. Advertising Megan Neher was promoted to senior account...

Gallery to give Big Apple artists chance to shine.
October 20, 2000... Martin Blinder and Allen Baron are hoping to diversify the selection of fine art in Old Town Scottsdale. On Oct. 27, they will open AZINY Gallery, where works will be shown by contemporary New York artists. The gallery is at 7373...

NEMEON logo honored.
October 20, 2000... NEMEON Inc., a Tempe-based purchasing cooperative for roofing contractors, recently earned honors for its graphic identity. The company's logo was accepted into American Corporate Identity/16 -- a nationwide compilation of award-winning...

Focus: Ample Amy's.
October 20, 2000... A Cave Creek retailer has launched a Web site for plus-size women s wear. The new site for Ample Amy's Plus-Size Fashions is www.ampleamy.com, which offers e-commerce capabilities and an interactive size chart so customers can fill in their...

Legacy in the making.
October 20, 2000... Scottsdale firm's customers like its custom work Legacy Custom Building, Remodeling & Repairs is a premier residential contractor, headquartered in Scottsdale. The company manages projects throughout the Valley, which include building...

READERS RESPOND.
October 20, 2000... At what point did you know you had "made it?" Name: Cathy Weeden Title: Vice president and general manager Company: Fox Sports Net Arizona "I was excited to be asked by my alma mater (University of Central Florida) to guest...

Appraisals aid in estate planning.
October 20, 2000... How can I put a price tag on my business? As your business grows, knowing what it is worth can be part of a smart and proactive process. A good valuation considers many factors, including the overall health of the business. Overall...

Small firms increase technology usage.
October 20, 2000... Small businesses have decreased their staffs but have increased productivity due to greater use of technology in the workplace, according to a new study by American City Business Journals and The NETWORK of City Business Journals. In...

Art to sculpt Web site's appeal.
October 20, 2000... With degrees in fine art, art administration and art history under her belt, Corinne Cain has an eye and the know-how for collecting high-quality aesthetic treasures. She has been curator of collections for the Snell & Wilmer law firm...

When your sales rep is an angel, you're in heaven.
October 20, 2000... When you are the buyer, sales reps an be your lifeline. They can be your cheerleaders, your information suppliers, your heroes in realizing the impossible. The flip side of this equation is that sales reps also can be whiners, blamers...

Business restructuring can cure many firm's ills.
October 20, 2000... Call it what you will, restructure, reengineer or reorganize -- when properly planned and executed, it is one of the best ways to cure a variety of ills in a company. However, it's not surprising some companies fail to plan adequately...

A SEP-IRA plan can help small firms keep workers.
October 20, 2000... As unemployment in this competitive job market remains at a record low, potential employees are looking for benefits such as retirement plans. Unfortunately, the mandatory annual employer contributions of most pension plans can be...

SunCor may add second building in Palm Valley.
October 20, 2000... SunCor Development Co. is considering adding a second building to its Palm Valley Office Park at Litchfield and McDowell roads. The first two-story building, opened less than a year ago, is said to be the first Glass A office building in...

Retail construction.
October 20, 2000... Opus West is busy adding an 85,000-square-foot expansion of Chandler Pavilions at the southeast corner of Ray Road and Interstate 10. Major pre-lease commitments have been made by Cost Plus World Market and Ultimate Electronics. Mike...

Edmunds homes.
October 20, 2000... In northeast Scottsdale, Geoffrey H. Edmunds is opening a new neighborhood in McDowell Mountain Ranch. The Villas at Cimarron Ridge has six designs in Santa Barbara, Sonoran or contemporary styles. Prices start in the mid-$300,000s. Mike...

Black Canyon City site for new upscale homes.
October 20, 2000... A new homebuilder plans to start a 106-acre subdivision of upscale houses in Black Canyon City, about five miles north of Del Webb's Anthem community. The company, Shangri-La BC Development Co., will be marketing its 160 houses (priced...

Hot Deals.
October 20, 2000... COMMERCIAL $29.1 million Project: Tempe Commerce Park Phases I and II Address: 7343 S. Hardy Drive, Tempe Buyer: The RREEF Funds, Chicago Seller: First Industrial Development Services, Phoenix Buyer's and seller's...