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

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

Quorum seeking Chapter 11 safety. (Quorum International Ltd.)
September 6, 1996... Quorum International Ltd., once touted in Fortune magazine's "News/Trends," filed for Chapter 11 reorganization last week as it appeals a $1.7 million court judgment. The Phoenix company, known for handheld security devices that emit a loud...

Women surpass men in business battle of sexes. (entrepreneurship)
September 6, 1996... Women entrepreneurs take sales lead Median sales for small businesses owned by women and men WOMEN 1996 $543,931 1995 575,581 1994 431,249 1993 ...

Medicare status at risk.
September 6, 1996... Medicare is threatening to strip some Valley hospitals of certification as part of a fight over who should pay for surgical assistants and others who help doctors in the operating room. The controversy began with a Denver company that provides...

Four propose 3rd downtown Phoenix hotel. (hotel developers)
September 6, 1996... It's taken more than 17 years to get this close to a third major hotel downtown, but this week four hotel developers presented the city of Phoenix with proposals to build a 600- to 700-room hotel. None, however, was a surprise to development...

FAA wavers on radios to the tune of $20M. (Federal Aviation Administration)
September 6, 1996... A proposed $20 million boost to the federal transportation budget to buy Motorola radios - reportedly spearheaded by Arizona's GOP House delegates - is receiving some static from the Federal Aviation Administration. The air-to-ground radio...

Businesses get new weapon in tax battle. (Taxpayer's Bill of Rights)
September 6, 1996... Small-business owners have a new weapon in their battle to slash through the sales-tax maze that takes a different direction whenever they cross city lines in Arizona. The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights will give them an advocate who can stall the...

Coyotes spur race to build new ice rinks. (Phoenix Coyotes)
September 6, 1996... By this time next year, the number of public ice skating facilities in the Phoenix area will grow from two to five, and the number of actual ice skating rinks will triple as the Phoenix Coyotes give a new spin to skating in the Valley. The...

'The Southwest Gardener' TV show ready to bloom.
September 6, 1996... Two Valley production companies are hoping the frustrations of gardening in the Arizona heat will turn into big bucks. Red Mountain Productions and Great Scott Productions have pooled resources to begin filming The Southwest Gardner, a how-to...

Database to access capital nears reality. (Arizona Capital Network)
September 6, 1996... Supporters of a plan to create a database linking investors with emerging growth companies in Arizona say the project could be up and running by year end. Ideas for the database, dubbed Arizona Capital Network, have been tossed around since...

Directory sorts through details of managed care.
September 6, 1996... Healthcare Computer Corp. of America is debuting an Arizona managed-care directory designed to sort out the details and connect all the players in this rapidly growing field. Dr. Don Schaller, a local consultant who is working with companies to...

Phoenix moving up the income ladder. (Phoenix, Arizona)
September 6, 1996... Income for workers in the Phoenix metro area will continue to climb - certainly because of the recent hike in the minimum wage - but mostly because it's a young city with a healthy momentum for growth. Economists at the Arizona Department of...

Hand-in-glove duo fits health firm. (Elaine Ralls and Laurel Stoimenoff, regional vice-presidents of NovaCare Inc.)
September 6, 1996... Elaine Ralls and Laurel Stoimenoff are like two peas in a pod, complementing one another, yet as different as a peacock and a wren. Or, as they put it, an elephant leading a parade and a street cleaner following right behind with a...

EPA plays catch-up on collections; environmental fines off 60% from 1995 status.
September 6, 1996... WASHINGTON - The federal shutdown last winter may have given a reprieve to companies that violate environmental laws, but not anymore, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Civil and criminal investigations were expected to go up...

Environmental Excellence Awards: finalists chosen for annual Valley Forward honors.(Focus on Environment)
September 6, 1996... Ladybugs as pesticides and a composting program are two of Goodyear-based Duncan's Sunfresh Farms' environmental projects honored by Valley Forward's 16th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards recognize local companies,...

APS incentives cool down monthly bills. (Arizona Public Service Co.'s Commercial Climate Systems program)(Focus on Environment)
September 6, 1996... Arizona Public Service Co. wants commercial users to spend money in order for them to make money. And use less energy. Commercial Climate Systems is a new program from APS that provides commercial and industrial customers with incentives to...

Clean Air Challenge sets sights on 500 businesses. (air pollution control program)(Focus on Environment)
September 6, 1996... More than 100 Maricopa County businesses and 11 local chambers of commerce are urging commuters and companies alike to rise to the Clean Air Challenge and help cut pollution emissions in the Valley. Organizers also are looking to expand the...

The Antigua Group sews up the sports apparel market.(Company Profile)
September 6, 1996... Dress for success is a concept that wears well on The Antigua Group Inc., a Scottsdale-based sports apparel manufacturer and distributor. After 20 years, Antigua has done more than emerge as Arizona's 89th largest privately held company. It...

Career goals should be worked constantly.(The Human Side)(Column)
September 6, 1996... It's a sad reality that many employees consider their career goals only when it's time for performance reviews. In fact, many employees spend far more time selecting a vacation destination or new household appliance than they do planning their...

Samaritan deal done in 45 days. (Samaritan Health System)
September 13, 1996... Samaritan Health System officials could decide by October to reorganize into an entity half owned by either Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., OrNda Healthcorp., or Catholic Healthcare West. In an interview this week, Samaritan CEO Jim Crews...

Motorola to close new plant. (Motorola Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Less than a year after opening the $325 million facility with fanfare, Motorola will be shutting down its Com 1 wafer manufacturing plant, the latest casualty of a longer-than-expected ebb in semiconductor demand. The company plans to begin a...

Esplanade raises plan to build 19-story condo. (Esplanade real estate project in Phoenix, AZ)
September 13, 1996... Developers met immediate resistance this week after unveiling a plan that would add a 15-story office building and a 19-story condominium tower to the Esplanade project at 24th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix. The Pivotal Group is...

Ethics of Quorum bankruptcy questioned. (Quorum International Ltd.)
September 13, 1996... Quorum International Ltd. dissolved its general partnership and restructured as a corporation just a month before filing for bankruptcy. One lawyer says the move was part of a strategy by Quorum to cheat its creditors out of the money they're...

Suspected groundwater polluters may pay less.
September 13, 1996... Businesses suspected of polluting the state's groundwater supplies could see their share of cleanup costs drop significantly, depending on the efforts of some lawmakers and industry leaders. The Liability Subcomittee of the state's Groundwater...

Retirement housing remains on fast track.
September 13, 1996... Developers are about to flood the Arizona market with multimillion-dollar retirement housing in an attempt to meet the needs of a growing senior population. But they just might be coming in at such a rapid rate that the market won't be able to...

Firm bets on check-writing on the Internet. (Net1 Inc.'s 'NetChex' Internet transactions system)
September 13, 1996... Pulling out that checkbook could become as simple as pointing and clicking a mouse, if a Phoenix company is successful in making bank accounts accessible over the Internet. Net1, an 11-year-old company with four employees, says it hopes to...

America West expects 3rd quarter to fly lower. (America West Airlines Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Bad decisions by America West Airline executives have prompted the carrier to predict lower-than-expected returns for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. Despite a strong summer and a record number of passengers in August, the Tempe-based...

Changes in store for 'new' Arizona Center.
September 13, 1996... Just as the image of downtown is changing, so, too, is Arizona Center. As the six-year-old commercial center at Van Buren and Third streets enters its second phase, its former retail slant is being redefined toward entertainment venues, most...

Home builders hype incentives.
September 13, 1996... Although the new-home industry in metropolitan Phoenix is headed for another big year, Valley builders simply aren't sitting back and resting on their good fortunes. Instead, they've turned up their competitive juices and marketing skills and...

Water recharge project aids in Surprise growth. (Surprise, AZ)
September 13, 1996... The city of Surprise is creating an oasis in the desert to attract new residents and businesses. City officials have undertaken a water recharge project that, when complete, will be the largest in the northwest Valley. Its purpose is to...

Impact-fee hike building among Valley Cities.
September 13, 1996... $4,700 tacked onto new Chandler homes Growth in the Valley is booming, and developmental impact fees are soaring right along with the population. The Chandler City Council recently approved a hefty increase in the fees it assesses...

Intel Corp.'s fab 12 fits Project XL mold.
September 13, 1996... Intel Corp. is one Valley company that has survived the trauma of government-inflicted environmental regulations. Intel's FAB 12 chip-production facility under construction in Chandler is part of Project XL - a program to give a limited number...

Brothers-in-law making 'cents' out of family mailing firm. (International Mail Processing Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Dan Sarceda and Rudy Garcia aren't nostalgic about the ol' postal service and the Pony Express - they've built their business on its future. Technology has allowed companies such as their International Mail Processing Inc. to encroach on the...

FedEx delivers jobs to Tolleson. (Federal Express)
September 20, 1996... Federal Express, the package carrier that delivers "The World on Time," will build a 250,000-square-foot "sorting" facility in Tolleson valued at an estimated $20 million. The service center, which will create a variety of new jobs, will be...

Software firms take on world. (overseas expansion)
September 20, 1996... English may be considered the international language of commerce, but when it comes to selling software, Arizona companies are beginning to see la difference between domestic and overseas markets. Businesses in other parts of the world are...

SBA loans hit $200M mark. (Small Business Administration)
September 20, 1996... As the U.S. Small Business Administration prepares to close out its fiscal year Sept. 30. Arizona is on track to strongly buck a national trend of decreasing loans, hurdling well over the $200 million mark for the first time. About 814 SBA...

Valley doctor cuts cord to managed-care market. (gynecologist Lisa Underwood)
September 20, 1996... Frustrated with a system that forces too many patients through her doors, a Phoenix gynecologist has become one of the first to cut the cord tying her business to managed-care companies. "That's it, I'm not doing HMOs anymore," Dr. Lisa...

Norwest Bank consolidates. (Norwest Bank of Arizona N.A.)
September 20, 1996... Norwest Bank of Arizona will consolidate administrative functions from four of its regions to Phoenix over the next 18 months, creating upward of 150 jobs. "Throughout Norwest, there's been a consolidation of back-room operation centers, and...

APS beefs up severance to slice employee ranks. (Arizona Public Service Co.)
September 20, 1996... Arizona Public Service Co. is offering a voluntary severance package in an attempt to reduce its work force of 6,285 employees. At press time Wednesday, board members for APS corporate parent, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., were meeting to decide...

Union High site still may land in city's hands. (Phoenix Union High School)
September 20, 1996... The former Phoenix Union High School site could yet wind up in the city's hands, under a new proposal being pushed by the property's owner. In a new twist to an old issue, landowner Jim Kaufman is asking the Phoenix Civic Plaza board to get...

Small businesses battle IRS over benefits. (Internal Revenue Service; tax deductions for employee 'welfare' benefits)
September 20, 1996... Four local cases will be tried in U.S. Tax Court as "test cases" for a larger debate between the IRS and employee benefit trust companies. The test cases, involving four small businesses that have claimed tax deductions for employee "welfare"...

Aircraft orders stabilize market in Valley.
September 20, 1996... Local electronics manufacturers are euphoric about an apparent turnaround in the commercial airline industry, an upswing they say will mean job stability for hundreds of Valley workers for the next three years or longer. This month's air show...

Convenience marts tout gourmet food, car wash. (Southwest Auto Care LLC's 'Cobblestone Auto Spa and Gourmet Markets')
September 20, 1996... Move over, Circle K, pay attention 7-Eleven and wake up AM/PM. A group of entrepreneurs is launching a new cornerstore concept that includes a lube shop, car wash, upscale convenience store and Chevron gasoline station. Southwest Auto Care...

Truth in Employment Act close to getting fired.
September 20, 1996... WASHINGTON - The last-minute dash by Congress to finish up long overdue budget work has put a very important small business issue-related bill on the back burner. The Truth in Employment Act, which in recent weeks was generating enough...

Meise moves Microtest with mind. (Microtest Inc. Pres/CEO Dick Meise)
September 20, 1996... "You're better off making the decision and getting it done with than taking a lot of time negotiating with yourself." You won't hear Dick Meise using phrases such as "Better safe than sorry" or "Look before you leap" very often when it comes...

Nonprofits cashing in on bank loan options.
September 20, 1996... Phoenix charities find bankers more willing to open their vaults It used to be, one of the quickest ways to get turned down for a bank loan was to mention that you were from a nonprofit organization. Groups that relied on grants and donations...

Courts could force credit unions to divest customers.
September 20, 1996... A recent ruling by a Washington D.C. appellate court has some local credit unions warily eyeing prospective changes in rules governing credit unions' field of membership. The three-member panel of judges handed down the decision July 30,...

Brokers investing in high-tech stock-selling.
September 20, 1996... The stampede toward stocks in the past couple of years has expanded the market for innovative stock-selling methods. Here enters the personal computer in the investment arena, with brokers going on line to woo customers. Some 800,000 accounts...

Dull meetings are a laugh for Valley firm. (Funny Business Inc.; management consulting services with a touch of humor)
September 20, 1996... Although funny business usually is the last thing on a banker's mind while attending a company meeting, a Scottsdale firm is using comedy to spice up corporate messages and battle those boardroom boredom blues. For the past five years,...

Investment clubs make 'cents' for first-timers. (stock investments; National Association of Investment Clubs)
September 20, 1996... Research is key for stock investors The stereotype of the dashing, speculative stock trader is one who buys huge blocks of stock when the prices are low and sells them when he or she thinks the prices have peaked in order to maximize profits....

'Chairman' in second career. (Charley Hull's post-retirement job)
September 20, 1996... While many retirees look forward to fishing, golf or leisurely days spent in contemplation, Charley Hull is well into his second career as "chairman of the board" at Heritage Bank. "I am chairman of the board, because I have the most gray...

Retailer unlocks closet full of profits. (second-hand clothing store, My Sister's Closet)
September 20, 1996... For Ann Siner, her sister's closet has become more than a convenient picking ground for hand-me-downs. It's become a gold mine. The owner of My Sister's Closet, a designer resale boutique located in the Camelback Corridor, literally collected...

Training is waning, employees need support.(Column)
September 20, 1996... Every organization has the potential to run for greatness, but many agree to punt. Greatness, in the most basic element, comes from your commitment to developing your group to be the best at what they do. Some organization in your industry is...

Long trek to court for 1,500 workers. (federal employees in Phoenix, Arizona; courthouse construction)
September 27, 1996... No fewer than 1,500 federal employees could be cursing each morning as they try to find a parking space before heading to work at the new federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix. That's because the $120 million project. slated to be built...

Poore Bros. seeks IPO riches. (Poore Brothers Inc.; initial public offering)
September 27, 1996... Valley potato chip maker Poore Brothers Inc. is preparing to dip into the public's pockets to raise about $5 million in an initial public offering to help fund expansion. The company, gearing up to almost double production in the next year,...

S&L grows 15 branches. (Washington Federal Savings; Phoenix, Arizona)
September 27, 1996... A big new savings-and-loan quietly has hung its shingle in Phoenix, but expects to make a lot of noise soon. Seattle-based Washington Federal Savings already had seven Tucson branches, and now has added two in the Valley - at Sun City and near...

Columbia offers stock to local doctors. (Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.; Phoenix, Arizona)
September 27, 1996... Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., the health-care giant negotiating to merge with Samaritan Health System, is offering local physicians private shares of stock. Officials from Nashville. Tenn.-based Columbia would neither confirm nor deny that...

Phoenix-London cargo run gaining speed. (British Airways PLC)
September 27, 1996... The cargo amount has been about 30 percent less than what was expected. How do you get a head of lettuce from Yuma to London, England, in 30 hours or less? Ship it in the cargo hold of the British Airways DC-10 that departs nightly from...

Doctors negotiate with HMOs. (health maintenance organizations)
September 27, 1996... A group of doctors in the East Valley are quietly doing what everybody else in the health-care industry is talking about. Called Vista Del Sol Health Care Group, a group of 40 independent primary-care physicians is contracting directly with...

Heart Ball staff means business raising funds. (American Heart Association's Heart Ball)
September 27, 1996... Organizers of the American Heart Association's Heart Ball know that a successful fund-raising drive must be run like a business. In 1995, the Heart Ball in Phoenix raised more than $900,000 with 1,000 movers and shakers from the Valley...

Virtual office systems no longer futuristic.
September 27, 1996... For years now, technologists have been talking about the office of the future. This will not really be an office at all; rather it will be an intricately designed communications and information system. It will allow people in different parts of...

Suns lawyer is sixth man off the court. (Phoenix Suns legal counsel Jay Ruffner)
September 27, 1996... Jay Ruffner is as integral to the Phoenix Suns as Danny Manning or Cotton Fitzsimmons and he's been around as long as Kevin Johnson - but you won't catch him shooting hoops or walking the sidelines. Ruffner, an attorney with Fennemore Craig PC,...

Business grows by evolving with technology. (McKenzie Telecommunications Group Pres. Rhonda McKenzie)
September 27, 1996... It's no surprise that as president of one of the Valley's fastest growing telecommunications consulting agencies, Rhonda McKenzie knows the value of staying connected. It's a concept that has become a windfall for her 3-year-old company,...