The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from October 2000, page 4

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

Ritz may see 350-room competitor on Camelback.
October 20, 2000... The Ritz-Canton Phoenix hotel soon could be facing competition in the Camelback Corridor. And right across the street. A 350-room first-class hotel is proposed for the vacant land south of Hines' new office building at the southwest...

A portrait of Valley visionaries.
October 20, 2000... We have a new twist on this, our annual section on the Valley's Most Influential movers and shakers. This is a year of big issues. Just look at the number of propositions that voters will decide on in November. We truly are at a...

Corporate changes can open doors to diversity.
October 20, 2000... Mergers. Buy outs. Chapter 11s. Private industry has been turbulent throughout the past decade. But it seems that just recently metropolitan Phoenix has been buffeted by the hurricane of corporate chaos. More than a dozen top CEOs and...

Club variety can spice up those bunker shots.
October 20, 2000... What ever happened to the general office fix-it person? You know, that guy with: a thousand keys on his belt and the inherent knack to repair anything a business needed to function. Technology, that's what. From computer maintenance to...

Suns in good position, but so are others.
October 20, 2000... As the Suns prepare to resume their lifelong quest for the pro basketball version of the Holy Grail, there is good news and bad news. To put both sides of that news coin in one nutshell, the good news is the Suns figure to be better this...

Report shows $244 million as a fair request for taxpayers to build stadium.
October 20, 2000... Bank One Corp. recently told the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority that spending $244 million, plus interest, of taxpayer money on a new football stadium for the Cardinals was fair based on the examples of 13 other cities that built or...

Sports radio conference set in Scottsdale.
October 20, 2000... The pieces are falling into place for the sixth annual Sports Radio Conference to be held March 14 through 16 in Scottsdale. Created by consultant Rick Scott, the conference will be held at Paradise Valley Resort. ESPN's Rich Eisen will...

Volvo V70 long on safety, but short on a few counts.
October 20, 2000... Lu: First, you should know Volvo's V70 has been my top choice in station wagons since its debut three years ago. The personable wagon, along with the curvaceous C70 coupe and convertible, gave notice that Volvo was serious about shedding...

City commission names Bank One employer of year.
October 20, 2000... The annual Ability Counts Community and Student Awards were handed out at an Oct. 10 luncheon, as part of the city of Phoenix's Disability Awareness Month activities. The Phoenix Mayor's Commission on Disability Issues and the city's...

FTC urged to be vigilant as B2B exchanges boom.
October 20, 2000... By 2004, $3 trillion in business-to-business transactions will be conducted through electronic marketplaces, AMR Research estimates. The rapid rise of these B2B exchanges is good news for companies of all sizes -- buyers and sellers alike...

Study questions government e-commerce ventures.
October 20, 2000... More than 10,000 customers nave signed up for a free six-month trial of eBillPay, an Internet service that allows people to pay all of their bills online. No big news there -- more than 3.5 million subscribers use the electronic billing...

Trade agreements push agencies' focus to exports.
October 20, 2000... President Clinton is creating an interagency task force to help small businesses take advantage of export opportunities created by recent trade agreements with China and countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the Small...

B2B partnership Web site.
October 20, 2000... The Business Roundtable, an association of big-business CEOs, launched a new Web site that will help develop mentoring relationships between large companies and minority-owned small businesses. The site, www.business-linc.oxg, provides...

SBA centers to offer help.
October 20, 2000... The House passed legislation to create a regulatory assistance pilot program at 20 Small Business Development Centers around the country. The centers would offer free advice to small businesses about how to comply with federal...

Estate tax compromise.
October 20, 2000... Another small-business group has abandoned the "all or nothing" approach to estate tax relief. The Small Business Legislative Council, a coalition of nearly 80 trade and professional associations, says new legislation introduced by Rep....

Bird's Nest lines up national acts.
October 20, 2000... The 2001 Bird's Nest Music Fest, the annual party that accompanies Phoenix Open festivities, this year is bringing in national bands to entertain guests. Main acts include former Eagles performer Glenn Frey, Huey Lewis & The News and...

Turf Paradise places bets on off-track wagering sites.
October 20, 2000... When Jerry Simms bought Turf Paradise in June, he set a goal to open 10 new off-track betting sites this season. Dave Johnson, the racetrack's vice president and assistant general manager of operations, said he almost fell out of his...

Oyster offers to shell out $7.35M for restaurants.
October 20, 2000... Commercial real estate developer and restaurateur Stephen "Duffy" Oyster has bid $7.35 million in cash to acquire Fort Worth, Texas-based Pancho's Mexican Buffet Inc. Pancho's, which trades on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, operates 48...

Dot-coms scramble for patents in record numbers.
October 20, 2000... Pioneers of new business models on the Internet are racing to stake patent claims. Internet entrepreneurs have found that owning a patent helps in stages of funding, helps solidify their market position and could become a source of royalty...

Goals must be set for 8(a) minority firms.
October 20, 2000... President Clinton issued an executive order that requires federal agencies to set goals for awarding contracts to minority-owned businesses in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The 8(a) program, which also offers business...

COMPANY OF THE WEEK.
October 20, 2000... Cerprobe Corp. Employees: 787 Nasdaq: CRPB Revenue for quarter ended June '00: $31 million Revenue for quarter ended March '00: $26.8 million Net income for quarter ended June '00: $2.3 million Net...

Goodwill 'spooktacular' to open Chandler store.
October 20, 2000... Goodwill of Central Arizona opens its largest Valley store and donation center Oct.27 in Chandler with a host of prizes. The first 100 people who enter the store at 930 N. Alma School Road at the southwest corner of Alma School and Ray...

Coldwell Banker Success Realty.
October 20, 2000... Coldwell Banker Success Realty's relocation division, Scottsdale, was honored with several awards from its peers at the Cendant Mobility Network's annual regional seminar. They include a sales lead award, destination services above and...

Impact Media Labs Inc.
October 20, 2000... Impact Media Labs Inc., Phoenix, was selected as the Best of CC Web Site winner by eNIC, the registrar for domain names ending in cc instead of com. The award was given for superior programming.

Arizona State University.
October 20, 2000... Arizona State University's bachelor of interdisciplinary studies corporate program was recognized by the University Continuing. Education Association for its program to raise the level of corporations' percentages of employees holding a...

U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers.
October 20, 2000... The U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers in Phoenix and Tucson were awarded the ISO-9002 certificate of registration.

Rio Salado College.
October 20, 2000... Rio Salado College, Tempe, received 12 awards from the National Council for Marketing and. Public Relations, a professional organization for individuals involved in marketing communications and public relations at two-year colleges.

Re-Bath Corp.
October 20, 2000... Re-Bath Corp., Mesa, signed its 100th dealer-franchisee. The company custom manufactures acrylic bathtub liners, wall-surround systems and showerbase liners for one-day bathroom remodeling.

The Maricopa County Sports Commission.
October 20, 2000... The Maricopa County Sports Commission added seven corporate partners to its nonprofit roster: Aramark Corp., Carver's/Hunter Steakhouses, Cruise America RV Rental & Sales, ding world media, Carquest Auto Parts, Contemporary Services and...

Arizona Community Foundation.
October 20, 2000... The Arizona Community Foundation in Phoenix redesigned its Web site, www.azfoundation.org. The site offers information on community initiatives, grant cycles, latest publications and an online donation capability.

A 'no' on 202 keeps us on track.
October 20, 2000... Let's cut to the chase -- past inflammatory TV spots, emotional pleas and exaggeration. We need to be very serious about planning for our future as explosive growth continues in the Valley. But doing so at the ballot box through the...

Prop. 100 is smart move.
October 20, 2000... It's hard to imagine anyone voting against a proposition that would allow the state to preserve some of our most beautiful desert-mountain vistas. Proposition 100 would change the state constitution to allow preservation of up to 3...

MARKET FACTS.
October 20, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

The List: EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS.
October 20, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

THE OLD COLLEGE TRY.
October 20, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Stocks.
October 20, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Marketplace.
October 20, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

WHO'S WHO.
October 20, 2000... Name: Ron French Title: President, Phoenix division of Richmond American Homes Age: 55 Years with company: 28 Company's current major projects: The Park at Alta Vista, Ventana at Augusta Ranch, Quinterra and Sonata II at...

TIP OF THE WEEK.
October 20, 2000... To maintain business relationships and foster repeat business, visit clients whenever you can, If you're traveling in their area, try to arrange a breakfast, lunch or dinner -- or just drop by their office for a visit. Source: Consultant...

Arizona reaching for the stars.
October 13, 2000... Arizona officials are embarking on a mission to go where no state has gone before -- being among the first to transport CEOs through space or create a way for companies to send products across the world in an hour. Sounds like science...

On the rise.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Women advancing in accounting firms Arthur Andersen's Phoenix office is trying to send a loud and clear message to its employees: Women are wanted at the top. This month it kicks off the first phase of its Growth and Retention of...

SBC Telecom ready to enter Valley, add to competition.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... One of the nation's telecommunications giants is about to enter the battle for customers in the Valley. SBC Telecom has a goal of obtaining a 3 percent share of the Valley residential and business market within its first year of...

Two developers vie for ASU's Town Lake project.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Two major developers are competing to build Arizona State University's dream at Tempe Town Lake -- one that quietly is taking shape. SunCor Development Co. in Phoenix and LCOR Inc. of Berwyn, Pa., have filed separate proposals for a...

Fallen officers remembered.
October 13, 2000... A Valley radio personality's police memoria1 project is attracting attention from police departments across the country. W. Steven Martin, who for 25 years was a major player in the programming mix at radio station KNIX-FM 102.5,...

Recovering from silicon sickness not easy to do.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... I'm having a case of silicon withdrawal. Since returning from a San Jose summer I now realize some mental tweaking is in order. Last week, we ran the story of a company here (Cyclone Commerce) that just secured $30 million in venture...

Raven Center project may bring Baseline boom.(Baseline Road Corridor, Phoenix, Arizona)(Raven Corporate Center)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The first corporate office development in the Baseline Road Corridor of Phoenix soon will start taking shape. Work is planned on the Raven Corporate Center on nearly 10 acres at the northwest corner of Baseline and 36th Street. The...

Quinn Williams named chairman of Greater Phoenix Economic Council.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Quinn Williams, a technology attorney and highly regarded counsel for start-up companies, will serve as the next chairman for The Greater Phoenix Economic Council. The public-private partnership group announced 10 new members to the...

CORRECTIONS.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... * The Oct. 6 Marketing and Media column reported that Robert Rossi of Forma Media had signed a deal to work with Barmouche in promoting the restaurant's "B-Culture" monthly series. At the time of publication, Rossi was in talks with Mark...

Valley Taco Cabana shops acquired by Carrols Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 13, 2000... Taco Cabana Inc., a San Antonio-based fast-food chain expanding into the Valley, announced last week it will be acquired by Carrols Corp. of Syracuse, N.Y. Carrols, Burger King's largest U.S. franchisee, has offered to purchase for cash...

Ford donates $3.2M to ASU colleges.(Arizona State University)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Ford Motor Co. is donating $3.2 million to Arizona State University's colleges of business and engineering. This chunk of money is the first of what will become annual contributions from Ford, now that the company has named ASU as one of...

Proposition 103 quiet on campaign noise meter.(Arizona)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The components of Proposition 103 seem relatively simple: To increase the number of Arizona Corporation Commission members from three to five and change the terms of office from a six-year term to a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms....

Feds issue loan warning to banks.(United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Federal banking regulators are telling banks to tighten the standards they use to make commercial loans. In recent months, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office, of the Comptroller of the Currency have issued warnings that...

Corporate players debate Prop. 108.(Arizonans for Consumer Choice and Fair Competition)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Election day is drawing near and uncertainty about how Proposition 108 will impact businesses and consumers has some of the Valley's corporate players lined up on opposite sides. The proposition, known as Arizonans for Consumer Choice and...

HMO association folds, leaves lobbying to firms.(Health maintenance organizations of Arizona)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Amidst growing anti-HMO backlash, the Arizona Association of Health Maintenance Organizations is disbanding. A few health plans already had been considering leaving the association, which provides lobbying efforts on behalf of its HMO...

Valley doctor at center of findings for non-drug arthritis treatment.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Valley physician Sanford Roth is optimistic about a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis -- an often life-threatening and crippling disease. "Everything has changed," he said. "As of last year, we suddenly have new, FDA-approved...

Compass buys 3 branches from Wells Fargo for $6.45M.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Compass Bank has purchased three former Wells Fargo Bank locations, which will bring its total number of branches in the metropolitan Phoenix area to 30 and to 60 statewide. The transaction, negotiated by CB Richard Ellis, is valued at $6.45...

Campbell to keynote women's forum.(Arizona Women's Leadership Forum)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Kim Campbell, Canada's first female prime minister, is the scheduled keynote luncheon speaker Oct. 25 for the Arizona Women's Leadership Forum at The Phoenician resort in Phoenix. She serves as chair of the Council of Women World Leaders,...

News tracking service takes pulse of Valley media.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... A new player in broadcast news monitoring has debuted in the Valley -- giving local marketing businesses another option in what some say has been an underserved niche. Media Pulse Inc., a St. Louis-based company, has opened a Phoenix...

Fry's stores debut new private label.(Fry's Food Stores of Arizona Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Fry's Food & Drug Stores has introduced its Private Selection label, a new name brand of 300 foods offered exclusively at Fry's Food and Drug Stores and Fry's Marketplace Stores in Arizona. Michael Donnelly, president of Fry's, said all...

Online car auction site gives expansion green light.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... A Texas e-commerce startup is targeting a handful of cities, including Phoenix and Scottsdale, to drive home its plans for auctioning cars online. Behind the wheel of USAtradein.com Inc. are tow founders of Classic Automotive Group and...

Chamber seeking Web-savvy members.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The Chandler Chamber of Commerce is recruiting its members to participate on its Web Site Development Committee. This committee is comprised of several task forces including: * Technology introduction -- Helping members realize the...

Action bottom line hit by NASCAR sales decline.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... When the company that handles about half of your licensed merchandise has a problem, it's your problem. The same goes for when a Fortune 500 company wants to dump a retail chain that has your name on it. The well-documented woes of...

Multipurpose sports site hits Web.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The Maricopa County Sports Commission has rolled out a comprehensive Web site it hopes will become the one stop-shop for surfers in need of local sports information. The site, www.azsportsfan.com launched last week. The idea is to give...

Homestore.com opens Scottsdale HQ, call center.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Homestore.com Inc., the California-based leader for real estate Web sites, has opened a 500-person call center in Scottsdale. The 90,000-square-foot facility, which opened last week, is just south of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard at 7499...

Newspaper makes debut at Sky Harbor.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... A new publication covering Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and its surrounding community recently landed in the Valley. The Sky Harbor News, started by retired Northwest Airlines captain and publisher Arv Schultz, has reached a...

Honeywell signs deals for business-jet avionics.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Honeywell International's Phoenix-based aerospace division announced a pair of 10-year contracts worth $1 billion each. In one deal, Honeywell will supply the main engines and avionics for Raytheon Aircraft's new Hawker 450 mid-sized...

Motorola reports profit.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Motorola Inc., which has five divisions in the Valley, reported third-quarter earnings that met Wall Street expectations. The company, one of the "Big 3" cellular phone manufacturers as well as a semiconductor and network systems...

ILX acquires Sedona site.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... ILX Resorts Inc., which markets, develops and operates timeshare resorts, acquired a leasehold interest in a Sedona property in close proximity to the Los Abrigados Resort & Spa. "This site, currently known as the Canyon Portal Motel,...

Wells Fargo deal OK'd.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The Federal Reserve approved the $3 billion takeover of Utah's largest bank, First Security Corp., by Wells Fargo & Co. The deal was first announced in April and received approval from the Justice Department last month. Wells Fargo will...

Avnet joins B2B firm.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Avnet Inc., a Phoenix-based semiconductor and computer products distributor, has agreed to contribute its Production Supplies and Test business unit as part of a four-way merger to form a new business-to-business e-commerce company, eChips...

FutureOne gets funding.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... FutureOne Inc., a Phoenix-based provider of telecommunications and broadband infrastructure, has received $250,000 interim equity funding from a private investor. According to FutureOne officials, the funding will be used to assist the...

Laundry put online.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Cleanwave LLC, a Scottsdale-based provider of overnight pickup and delivery laundry services, announced a joint effort with Microsoft Corp. to create the infrastructure for online order fulfillment of laundry services through its Web site,...

VCR maker plans layoffs.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Scottsdale's Sensory Science Corp., a manufacturer of electronic consumer products, will reorganize and lay off one-third of the company's 100 workers. The company said it expects to report a fiscal second-quarter net loss of $5.5...

Cardinals to pay rent.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The Arizona Cardinals agreed to pay rent for the use of a new stadium under a memorandum of understanding approved by the Sports and Tourism Authority. The NFL team, which also agreed to pay $85 million toward the construction of a new...

EverCare. Lifemark merge.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Phoenix-based Lifemark Corp. announced it will merge with EverCare, an operating unit of Ovations, which is a subsidiary of United Health Group. The combined company will operate as EverCare, and continue to serve the health needs of the...

BFGoodrich sells seats.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... BFGoodrich Aerospace, which purchased the ACES II ejection seat product line from Boeing last year, has signed three contracts with Lockheed-Martin and the U.S. Air Force to provide ejection seats for 346 F-16 jet fighters. BFGoodrich...

Apollo earnings climb.(Apollo Group Inc.'s financial results for fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 13, 2000... Phoenix-based adult education provider Apollo Group Inc. reported fiscal year 2000 financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended Aug. 31. Apollo Group is the parent company of the University of-Phoenix. According to-Apollo,...

Ugly Duckling offer made.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Ugly Duckling Corp., a Phoenix-based operator of used-car dealerships catering to the sub-prime market, confirmed that its chairman and largest shareholder, Ernest Garcia II, has made an offer to purchase all of the company's outstanding...

Economic figures mixed.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The Arizona Purchasing Managers' Index rose in August to 62.6, up from 59.7 the month before. The seasonally adjusted index measures delivery times, purchased material inventory, new orders, production and employment. According to...

A 'non-regular' guy.(Bob Picinich)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Cigna chief shows commitment in his caring If you're looking for Bob Picinich on the weekends, chances are you'll find him at Chucky Cheese with his two daughters or at a Boys and Girls Club with all his "other" kids. As general...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Accounting Nancy York was named an accountant at Abalos & Associates, Phoenix. Advertising Moses Anshell, Phoenix, hired Tom Garrett as director of interactive services. Architecture Joe Osborn was hired by Patrick...

FBI hunting down firms seeking computer security.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... The FBI is looking for businesses. They've already caught On Semiconductor and Evident Solutions. And they'd like to catch you, too. Don't be afraid. Local agents are looking for businesses with a "proactive" concern regarding...

Building more tools.(Homebid.com)(Internet Strategy Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Homebid.com Inc. has purchased the transaction management tools created by Internet Strategy Inc., San Diego, for its real estate sales software. Homebid.com will integrate the tools into a suite of applications that includes its Office...

New top gun.(Christopher Carrington)(Interlink Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2000... Interlink Group Inc., an e-business consulting firm, has a new president and chief executive -- Christopher Carrington. The Denver-based company, which has offices in Phoenix, sold a majority interest in the company earlier this year to...