The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from September 1997

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from September 1997

Todd taking helm at new Silicon Bank. (Stephen D. Todd; Silicon Valley Bank's new regional headquarters in Phoenix, AZ)
September 5, 1997... Silicon Valley Bank has tapped Stephen D. Todd, who headed First National Bank of Arizona for the past six years, to open a regional headquarters office in Phoenix. The latest move of the Santa Clara, Calif.-based bank, which focuses on...

EPA list targets 23 firms. (businesses with emissions of more than 50 tons annually of ozone-producing substances)
September 5, 1997... The depleting ozone layer may create somewhat of an abstract image, but the phrase "more federal regulation" paints a clear picture. That picture is coming into focus for at least 23 companies, which have found themselves on a new list created...

Ozone rating irks Valley businesses. (includes EPA letter to Gov. Fife Symington on the Phoenix metropolitan areas as a serious ozone polluter)
September 5, 1997... Valley business leaders are angry with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reclassify the area's ozone pollution from "moderate" to "serious." They say the reclassification came despite good-faith legislative and...

Columbia coughs up syndication money. (Columbia Medical Center Phoenix)
September 5, 1997... Columbia Medical Center Phoenix will be giving money back to doctors who invested in the hospital, in the wake of investigations into business practices of its parent, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. Columbia/HCA is being investigated by federal...

SEC questions Rauscher Pierce on state bonds. (Rauscher Pierce Refsnes)
September 5, 1997... The Phoenix office of Rauscher Pierce Refsnes and a former employee are under regulatory scrutiny in connection with a $130 million bond-refunding issue the firm executed for the state of Arizona. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been...

Esplanade neighbors seeking restitution.
September 5, 1997... The pent-up frustrations of a beleaguered Phoenix neighborhood are coming home to roost in two projects targeted for the city's premier intersection at 24th Street and Camelback Road. Neighbors surrounding both the Camelback Esplanade at the...

New business group targets successful family-run firms.
September 5, 1997... There's an old saying that the families who play together, stay together. Whether families who work together stay together is another matter, and one of several legitimate concerns for family-owned businesses. The Family Enterprise...

Third downtown hotel faces Sept. 19 deadline.
September 5, 1997... The future of a long-awaited third convention hotel in downtown Phoenix is clouded by uncertainty as the clock ticks closer to a looming deadline. Months ago, officials euphorically announced that a team comprised of The Rouse Co. - developer...

MCI dials up application for dueling ISDN service. (MCIMetro; integrated services digital network)
September 5, 1997... A new player in Phoenix's high-speed telecommunications market will add to the mix in an industry already remaking itself in the face of outside competition. MCIMetro, a division of the long-distance giant focused on local phone markets, has...

Customers hang up on long-distance giants. (market share for largest long-distance telephone service providers)
September 5, 1997... With more than $60 billion in revenue at stake, the nation's largest long-distance telephone service providers are losing customers to hundreds of smaller upstarts. Over the past decade, the smaller carriers' share of toll revenue has shot up...

Doctors Corp. checks into Scottsdale HQ. (Doctors Corp. of America)
September 5, 1997... Doctors Corp. of America has moved its corporate headquarters to Scottsdale and is quietly beefing up key executive positions for future growth. The 6-year-old physician-hospital management company has 10 employees in its Scottsdale office....

Norwest banks on Lavidge Hiegel for PR. (Norwest Bank Arizona; Lavidge Hiegel Baumays Public Relations)
September 5, 1997... Norwest Bank Arizona has deposited its public relations account with Lavidge Hiegel Baumayr Public Relations. The bank reviewed four Valley public relations agencies Aug. 29 and selected the recently-launched PR firm to handle an account that...

Watchful eye focuses on Asarco land. (Asarco Inc. Mining Co.)(Environment Trends)
September 5, 1997... A proposal to turn 11,000 acres of public land over to copper mining is being watched by outdoor recreationists. Asarco Inc. Mining Co. wants to acquire land near the Tonto National Forest to expand its Ray mining complex about 60 miles...

And the winner is? Environmental excellence finalists selected.(Environment Trends)
September 5, 1997... Thirty-five finalists in categories ranging from baseball facilities and industrial buildings to historic preservation and technology, have been chosen as finalists in the 17th annual Valley Forward Environmental Excellence awards. Winners of...

World traveler is strong bargainer. (travel agent Mary Louise Seifert)
September 5, 1997... MARY LOUISE SEIFERT TITLE director, Area 16, American Society of Travel Agents TITLE owner, Welcome Aboard Vacation Centers Inc. AGE 45 HOME Scottsdale EDUCATION College of Saint Benedict; Arizona State University...

Day-at-a-time persistence wins. (Hi-Health Corp.)
September 5, 1997... HI-HEALTH CORP. ADDRESS 7428 E. Karen Drive, Scottsdale 85260 PHONE 951-9000 FAX 951-0991 EMPLOYEES 2 in 1971; 340 in 1996 400 in 1997 SALES $70,000 in 1971; $21 million in 1996; $25 million projected for 1997 CHIEF...

August stocks mixed, Sunquest is Arizona's big winner. (1997; Sunquest Information Systems Inc.)
September 5, 1997... Stocks in Arizona-based companies were mixed during August, with about half showing gains. A big winner was Tucson-based Sunquest Information Systems Inc. Shares in the software systems integrator climbed to a $15 close Aug. 29, up from a...

UA big winner in land auction. (University of Arizona)
September 12, 1997... A group of investors led by David Eaton and Mel Shultz has left the Valley's real estate community in "shock" by bidding more than $8 million over the second-highest bid to acquire 281 acres at the southwest comer of 48th Street and Broadway Road...

Investors leap at tech startup. (Abpac Inc.)
September 12, 1997... Phoenix-based integrated circuit packager Abpac Inc. may be months away from shipping its first product, but the startup is attracting more than its share of investor interest, netting $19.4 million in second-round financing. The company has...

Baptist wins first round in rural race. (Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems Inc.'s contract with Parker Community Hospital)
September 12, 1997... Score one for Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems Inc. This time, Community Health System Inc. loses. In what appears to be a race to gobble up rural hospitals, Baptist won a round when 39-bed Parker Community Hospital chose not-for-profit...

Valley alternative rock station rolls dice with music festival. (KEDJ-FM)
September 12, 1997... This is me last damn rock festival of the summer. Radio station KEDJ-FM 106.3, under new management, has taken over production of its second annual day-long music festival, lovingly dubbed "That Damn Show." By taking on the show itself...

Bank customers caught in fraud protection flop. (Bank One)
September 12, 1997... New in town? Better make sure your banking past is in order before you open a new checking account. Two Valley newcomers were unexpectedly booted out of Bank One - setting off a string of bad checks and the accompanying fees - due to a...

Ad confusion costly for Premier HMO. (Premier Healthcare Arizona; health maintenance organization)
September 12, 1997... Buy an ad, get a story. But beware, you also may get a fine. That's if you're an insurance company advertising in the Arizona Business Gazette. Premier Healthcare Arizona, a Phoenix health maintenance organization, is the second HMO this...

Camel Country pulls ads as radio battle heats up. (KMLE-FM's TV commercial)
September 12, 1997... Facing potential legal action for "false advertising," "Camel Country 108" has pulled its new TV commercial that has "Wild Country 103.5" radio personalities Tim Hattrick and Willy D. Loon seemingly endorsing their former station. KWCY-FM...

Motorola exiting PC biz?
September 12, 1997... Motorola Inc., a longtime ally of the struggling Macintosh platform, is showing signs of growing uneasiness with Apple Computer in moves that could have particular significance to the Valley's manufacturing scene. The reluctance of Apple...

Biotech cluster moves to top of to-do list.
September 12, 1997... Economic development officials hope to bolster the state's nascent biotechnology industry with a Six Million Dollar Man punch. Leaders are heavily promoting a new biotech cluster under the Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic...

Glendale garners plant to employ 50-70 people. (Hartson-Kennedy's plan to build facility in Glendale, AZ)
September 12, 1997... Hartson-Kennedy, a countertop manufacturer based in Marion, Ind., is moving on a fast-track basis to build a 75,000-square-foot facility in Glendale that initially will employ 50 to 70 people. The plant could support as many as 125 employees...

Phoenix names winners of Minority Enterprise Awards.
September 12, 1997... The city of Phoenix has named the winners of its fourth annual Minority Enterprise Development Awards, choosing from the largest pool of nominations ever received. Eight winners were selected from more than 60 nominations to fill six...

Rating ails as HealthPartners ends year one. (HealthPartners Health Plans)
September 12, 1997... Weeks after celebrating its first anniversary, HealthPartners Health Plans has been downgraded to a "D" rating by Weiss Ratings Inc., a national insurance ratings firm and analyst. To put the icing on its anniversary cake, Weiss Ratings named...

Stuffy prospectuses taking on MTV flavor. (Miner Communications Inc. Prospectus One Div.'s financial CD-ROM presentations)
September 12, 1997... Most investors Know all too well that the only thing more tedious than learning the intricacies of the stock market is wading through the mounds of stuffy prospectuses that come with it. A Phoenix marketing and production company hopes to...

Home-field advantage: Continental Homes builds its future on growing housing markets. (Continental Homes Holding Corp.)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Hoping to catch the eye of the nation's investors, Continental Homes Holding Corp. has been touting its strengths to Wall Street analysts with fairly dramatic results: Stock prices are climbing and investors and analysts are clearly intrigued....

New life breathed into Phoenix Union parcel; career school leases historic site. (Phoenix Union High School; American Institute of Professional Careers Inc.)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... It isn't a Motel 6, but a Valley-based owner and rehabilitator of historic proper ties has turned the lights on at the old Phoenix Union High School campus at the northwest corner of Seventh and Van Buren streets. "It's been dark for a long...

Luxury resort financing slow in coming.(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Considering all the talk about new luxury resorts soon to be popping up around the Valley, there's been very little action. Now, word has it, chances are quite good the Valley soon will see some new resort activity, but not nearly the amount...

New courthouse brings form to function. (federal courthouse in Phoenix, AZ)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Federal construction projects, driven by no-frills budgets and sober-minded aesthetic sensibilities, aren't known for their contribution to the architectural culture of most cities. But the designers of a new federal courthouse in Phoenix ate...

Valley law firms hunt real estate pros.(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Law firms in the Valley may be experiencing labor shortages in their real estate departments. Real estate activity in Phoenix has risen with the improving economy, and demand is rising for attorneys with experience in this area. "During the...

Phoenix luxury homes selling at higher rate.(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... So far in the 1990s, the value of high-end homes in the nation's major metropolitan areas has appreciated at a higher rate than the test of the housing market, according to a recent report by Experian, an Anaheim, Calif.-based information...

N.Y. executive suite firm acquires Phoenix company. (New York-based Alliance National Inc.; Executive Group Offices)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Alliance National Inc., a New York-based executive-suite company, has made its debut in the Phoenix market with the acquisition of Executive Group Offices. Executive Group Offices has two Valley centers totaling 30,000 square feet at 2390 E....

New car wash design makes splash in Mesa. (Dolphin Car Wash's facility in Mesa, AZ)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Melding form, function and identity, Architekton, a Tempe-based architectural and planning firm, has designed a flagship facility in Mesa for Dolphin Car Wash. The 9,950-square-foot project is at the southeast comer of Power and Baseline...

SHG/SW Inc. to merge with San Francisco firm. (San Francisco, CA-based Stone Marraccini Patterson Architects)(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... Deal expected to open California markets A merger is being designed between the Phoenix operations of SHG/SW Inc., and Stone Marraccini Patterson Architects, of San Francisco. A letter of intent has been signed and the deal will be effective...

Valley recycling plants eyeing expansion.(Real Estate & Development Trends)
September 12, 1997... The Arizona Department of Commerce announced five recycling business expansions for the six months ended June 30 despite more than a year of unstable markets within the industry. Abco Recycling, National Environmental Waste and Young Poong ate...

Cosmetics firm packages success. (Phoenix, AZ-based Philosophy)(Keys to Emerging Businesses)(Company Profile)
September 12, 1997... "Don't second-guess yourself.... Never release some of the creative control." A Phoenix cosmetics company is making a splash in the competitive world of retail cosmetics. Since its launch 18 months ago, Philosophy is taking over the counter...

HMO chief is bright young star. (health maintenance organization; United HealthCare of Arizona CEO Jack Towsley)(Profile)
September 12, 1997... "I'm getting paid to do something that I really love." Jack Towsley is a rising star. Just 30 years old, he's already chief executive of United HealthCare of Arizona and was elected by his peers as president of the Arizona Association of...

Liquidating bankruptcy abuse: feds looking to ease burden on bankruptcy court.
September 19, 1997... Jeffrey Sternklar walked up the steps of a Massachusetts bankruptcy court recently, and all he could see were scores of people: couples with children, individuals and attorneys hovering around each other making last-minute changes to their...

Symington is day late, dollar short for new proposal. (former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington; proposed extension of property exemptions in bankruptcy filings)
September 19, 1997... A plan being put forward in Congress might have saved former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington's possessions from a bankruptcy auction. As the last of the physical assets in the Symington estate go up for bid in a liquidation sale Sunday, a proposal...

Credit-card debt leads Phoenix filings.
September 19, 1997... Bankruptcies in Arizona are up, and all of the growth is in consumer filings. The number of cases filed under Chapter 13 grew by 38 percent, and Chapter 7 cases rose by 30 percent in the year ended June 30. Filings under Chapter 11 were...

Developers launch Waterfront consolidation. (Scottsdale, AZ)
September 19, 1997... Now that developers have staked claim to all four comers surrounding Scottsdale and Camelback roads, efforts are under way to consolidate all the developments into one unified project known as Scottsdale Waterfront. "It would instantly become...

Ernst & Young catches heat for HMO audit. (health maintenance organization Regional Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Health Plan)
September 19, 1997... Ernst & Young LLP has become the latest target in a blame game over financial difficulties at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center. The state Medicaid system, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, is pointing its finger at...

Church loses tax exempt status. (Don Stewart Association)
September 19, 1997... The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax exemption of the Phoenix-based Don Stewart Association, which operates a network of churches and conducts religious revivals worldwide. The organization m which says it conducts worship and...

Bank One goes for private banking niche. (Banc One Corp.)
September 19, 1997... Arizona's biggest bank is positioning itself to expand its share of the megabucks market of private banking. Coinciding with a reorganization of Banc One Corp's private banking operations, a new private banking group has opened for business...

Banking changes cater to wealthy customers.
September 19, 1997... Private banking has recently seen changes at Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America in Arizona. Both banks now require officers in their private banking departments to become registered securities representatives, and executives are expanding...

Hull echoes Symington's basic economic agenda. (Gov. Jane Hull; former Gov. Fife Symington)
September 19, 1997... Gov. Jane Hull will continue to follow the economic agenda of former Gov. Fife Symington - if she runs, and if she's elected, in 1998. "First of all, I haven't announced for next election," Hull said. "But absolutely" she would follow the lead...

Online service links to criminal records.
September 19, 1997... Those skeletons in your neighbor's past will become a little easier to dig up with a service set to launch next month that will make criminal records accessible by computer. Arizona-On-Line Criminal Records Inc., a startup headed by two...

Bill & Lute's bank ads face an uncertain future. (Banc One Corp.'s Bill Frieder and Lute Olson series)
September 19, 1997... Even if Bank One decides to bench the latest commercials in the popular Bill Frieder and Lute Olson series, the bank's overall advertising strategy will not take a huge hit, according to local bank officials. Steve Roman, Bank One Arizona...

PHX lab rings in future with Dolby technology. (PHX Sound Labs Inc.)
September 19, 1997... PHX Sound Labs Inc. is leading the charge to bring Arizona's sound studios into the future. The production facility, at 2702 N. Third St., Suite 1014, in Phoenix bills itself as Arizona's first authorized Dolby ProLogic Surround studio in...

Making the grade: economy looks bright for Arizona-based manufacturers.(Manufacturing Trends)
September 19, 1997... The toughest part about describing the condition of Arizona's manufacturing sector, apparently, is finding enough synonyms for the word "great." Extending the state's fourth consecutive year of almost Utopian growth, manufacturing upheld its...

Editor's quest: great journalism. (The Arizona Republic executive editor/VP for news Pam Johnson)
September 19, 1997... Pam Johnson works long hours at The Arizona Republic, but when she goes home, she has no problem relaxing. "When I vegetate, I vegetate," said the 50-year-old executive editor and vice president for news. Watching Cary Grant movies is just...

Rebounding from a stock dive. (OrthoLogic Corp.)(Smart Side: A Guide to Small Business)
September 19, 1997... Looking back over 10 years of building OrthoLogic Corp., founder Allan Weinstein would rather forget how the company's stock soared to $26.50 a share at its peak in May 1996, then dipped to $4.50 a year later. "I don't like to think about it,"...

Arizona Works pilot program gets under way.
September 19, 1997... The governor's office has formed a committee to be charged with selecting the organization to run Arizona Works, the state's privatized welfare pilot program. The Arizona Works Procurement Board, with members appointed by the governor, is...

Bankers blast commission's proposals. (National Bankruptcy Review Commission)
September 19, 1997... Banks and credit-card companies perhaps had the most to gain from changes in the bankruptcy code that made it tougher for consumers to write off their debt. But three years later. these financial institutions say they would have been better...

Congress charts own course on reform; banks, credit card companies throw support to House bill.
September 19, 1997... Banks and credit lending institutions scored a major lobbying victory Sept. 17 when a bill to curb bankruptcy abuses was introduced in Congress. Reps. Bill McCollum, R-Fla., and Rick Boucher, D-Va, introduced the Responsible Borrower...

Proposals on table to halt Chapter 11 abuse. (bankruptcy abuses)
September 19, 1997... Consider. After three years of toiling hard to make the company work, an entrepreneur falls behind on taxes, bank payments, paying his suppliers, and keeping his employee workers' compensation and pension fund payments current. Clinging to his...

Exemptions turn office into home sweet home.
September 19, 1997... In the mid-1980s, hundreds of real estate developers around the nation found themselves in serious financial trouble; some were forced to go out of business or file for bankruptcy. But bad luck was not going to deter Melvin Lane Powers, a...

Commission winding up two-year task. (National Bankruptcy Review Commission)
September 19, 1997... MADISON, Wis. - Brady Williamson has been a practicing lawyer for two decades, but for the past 18 months his primary occupation has been a volunteer. "I have spent hundreds of hours volunteering my time to the U.S. Congress and the people of...

State hunted by Feds. (US Dept. of Health and Human Services investigating Medicaid and Medicare fraud in Arizona)
September 26, 1997... Health providers target of Medicare, Medicaid fraud probe Federal regulators are pulling out their big guns on Arizona health care companies, aiming at Medicare and Medicaid fraud. The Department of Health and Human Services formed a fraud...

Electronics firm plugs 80 into site. (Amkor Electronics Inc. transfers 80 employees to its new facility in Chandler, AZ)
September 26, 1997... Amkor Electronics Inc. is transferring 80 employees to its Chandler center next month as it gears up to open a 100,000-square-foot packaging plant that ultimately will employ up to 350. The $12 million facility will mark Amkor's first...

Computer science program under fire. (Arizona universities criticized for offering outmoded computer science curriculum)
September 26, 1997... Arizona may take pride in its unofficial moniker as the Silicon Desert, but when it comes to developing future software makers, some say the state's universities are still in the Dark Ages. In an industry marked by rapid change and an acute...

Courts broaden employee right to sue boss.
September 26, 1997... State and federal courts, which for years have been pushing employers to use alternative dispute resolution methods to settle discrimination and harassment claims, have done a 180-degree turn. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which...

Underwriter takes heat at Interactive Flight. (D.H. Blair and Co. agrees to return money of investors of Interactive Flight Technologies who paid excessive markups)
September 26, 1997... IFT Interactive Flight Technologies, Inc. 9-mos. ended 7/31 1996 1995 Revenue $4.1 million $3 million $15,000 Earnings (loss) ($33.9) ($19.3m)...

Execs bet big bucks on Dial stock.
September 26, 1997... Executives of The Dial Corp. are getting behind the company's stock - after surpassing costcutting goals and setting a new target for sales. Since spinning off from the former Dial Corp, the consumer products company had a goal of cutting $40...

Utility suits may merge. (multiple suits filed by Arizona electric utilities against industry deregulation)
September 26, 1997... Multiple lawsuits filed by electric utility companies, claiming impending deregulation takes away rights and property of the utilities without compensation, may become one. This week Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Roger Kaufman...

$3.21M sought from city to transform downtown. (Columbus Realty Trust wants taxpayer subsidy to build new apartment complex in Phoenix, AZ)
September 26, 1997... A Dallas-based real estate investment company with a reputation for turning real estate into thriving residential neighborhoods wants $3.21 million from the city of Phoenix to make the same transformation occur in downtown Phoenix. In a...

Columbia's Valley hospitals see intake rise. (Columbia Medical Center Phoenix; Columbia Paradise Valley Hospital)
September 26, 1997... While Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.'s hospital admissions are declining nationwide, more people are being treated at Columbia's two Valley hospitals than were seen last year. Although final figures for August are not available, Columbia...

Wells Fargo opens center for businesses.
September 26, 1997... Wells Fargo & Co. has opened a banking center that operates exclusively for Valley businesses. This is the first business banking center San Francisco-based Wells Fargo is offering outside of California. The company operates about 20 similar...

'Shoppertainment' to dazzle in new mall. (Arizona Mills, Phoenix, AZ)
September 26, 1997... Two features will help distinguish Arizona Mills from other shopping venues across the Valley: A huge emphasis on entertainment and an energetic environment enhanced by dazzling designs, details, colors and patterns. As the Valley's newest...

PR division added to mix at Moses Anshell ad shop.
September 26, 1997... Phoenix-based advertising agency Moses Anshell is expanding its services with the creation of a dedicated in-house public relations division. "I felt we needed to be able to offer a total package of marketing and communications," said Jos...

AmWest ad account destination unknown. (America West Airlines Inc.)
September 26, 1997... Whether America West Airlines' $25 million advertising account again flies out-of-state is up in the air. "I'm sure there are agencies here that fit the profiles we've identified, but it's too soon to know who we will select as part of the...

Heart-smart eating. (Arizona Heart Institute & Foundation)(Health Trends)
September 26, 1997... Heart Institute focuses on teaching kids how to eat right The Arizona Heart Institute & Foundation is doing its best to teach children proper nutrition now so that the institute's founder and other heart surgeons won't later have to scrape...

Desert Samaritan opens East Valley pediatric ICU. (Desert Samaritan Hospital)(Health Trends)
September 26, 1997... Dave Spaur knows first hand the value of a pediatric intensive-care unit. Six years ago, his wife, Susan, had triplets in a hospital in Sacramento, Calif. Nothing went as planned. Spaur, now economic development director for the city of...

Sierra Health acquires Total Home Care. (Sierra Health Services Inc.)(Health Trends)
September 26, 1997... The recent merger of two Nevada-based companies adds a new player to Arizona's home-health care market. Sierra Health Services Inc. has purchased the assets of bankrupt Total Home Care Inc., which has three subsidiaries with operations in the...

Alternative medicine finds unlikely ally. (includes related article on types of alternative medicine)(Health Trends)
September 26, 1997... Not so long ago, card-carrying members of the American Medical Association wouldn't be caught dead endorsing the benefits of alternative medicine. But many forms of alternative medicine are now gaining credibility, forcing doctors to accept a...

Clerk files compassion with spirit. (Judith Allen, clerk of court at Maricopa County Superior Court)
September 26, 1997... If Harper Lee were to write a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, the book's character of 6-year-old Scout might develop into someone like Judith Allen. The two share similar traits and experiences both were raised by their fathers and developed...

Firm's growth path a 'smoothie.' (Frozen Fusion)(Company Profile)
September 26, 1997... Scottsdale-based Frozen Fusion is basking in the fruits of its labor. The 2-year-old fruit-smoothie operation is stirring an aggressive expansion plan into its mix and this week is bursting onto the national scene as a spin-off franchise of...