The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun articles from September 2001

The Business Journal - Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun archives from September 2001

Filling the gap.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Reservists called, businesses left with challenge As Arizona reservists and National Guard members gear up for the war on terrorism, Valley employers are trying to figure out how to fill the gaps while they're gone. The impact on...

E-philanthropy turned corner after Sept. 11.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The sentiment that nothing is the same since the terrorist attacks certainly applies to charitable giving. For the first time, the Internet broke through as the ideal fund-raising vehicle for nonprofits, which collected hundreds of...

Travel agencies tough out hard times.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... For many travel agents in town, the weakened economy already was pushing profits down -- then there was Sept. 11 And while the aftermath of the terrorist attack brought the travel industry to a virtual standstill, most have little hope...

Airport shops, restaurants assessing fallout.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Airport retailers are watching sales rejuvenate after air travel was halted Sept. 11, but recovery is a slow process. Travel, which already was suffering due to a soft economy, is improving a little every day, said Paul Blue, deputy...

Local firms expect surge in Valley bankruptcy filings.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The double whammy of a weak economy and the attack on America likely will mean a big spike in bankruptcy filings in the Valley in coming months, local experts predict. Although Arizona's economy may not be suffering as great an impact as...

$20M in venture funding waiting for Arizona firms.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Roughly $20 million of uninvested venture capital is waiting for Arizona businesses at Solstice Capital LLC in Tucson. The investment firm, with offices in. Tucson and Boston, announced it raised a $62 million fund for seed- and...

CORRECTION.
September 28, 2001... A Sept. 14 article about SquareRadius, formerly Cobalt Creative, should have said the company will hire technical and creative staff in the United States and programmers in India.

Printers take action as companies rally around the flag.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The patriotism that rose from the Sept. 11 tragedy has spawned a business of selling the American spirit -- though merchants say they are not looking to profit. Printers and makers of banners; signage and decals say more consumers have...

News coverage dries broadcasters' revenue streams.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Phoenix broadcasters have lost millions in ad revenue, but they have no regrets about their wall-to-wall news coverage following the Sept. 11 tragedy in New York. Some are, devising plans to recoup losses, while others simply are moving...

Prices set as agency puts anti-tobacco campaign out for second bid.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Agencies vying for the state's multimillion dollar, anti-tobacco campaign say a vital part of the rebidding process has been eliminated with pricing fixed at l7 percent. Agency compensation for the five-year account was fixed based on...

Valley home builders preparing for drop in sales.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Within hours after two hijacked airliners smashed into the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept: 11, Phoenix-area home builders were struggling to predict potential damage, to their industry. Since the attack in New York City,...

Economic panel discussion slated.
September 28, 2001... A panel of Valley executives will discuss "Surviving the Turbulent Times: Practical Strategies for Business During a Down Economy" at a free event designed to provide local businesses with information about how to make sure their companies...

More health plans pull out of Medicare+Choice.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... At least four national managed-care companies on Sept. 21 announced their intention to pull out of the senior-care business in unprofitable markets, leaving thousands of Arizona seniors without coverage next year. * Aetna is dumping 48...

Banner to sell, transfer leases.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Banner Health System has announced its intention to sell or transfer the leases of 11 hospitals and 19 long-term care facilities in rural areas of eight states. About 80 percent of the Phoenix company's health care services are in...

Baseball slugger to pitch product for Mesa firm.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Canyon Mountain Entertainment Group will begin filming television spots next month at its Mesa facilities, and the ads will feature baseball star Jose Canseco of the Chicago White Sox pitching a product produced by a firm Canyon Mountain has...

Heather Farr Foundation continues as part of Banner Health Foundation.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Heather Farr Foundation, on the verge of dissolving in August, is getting a second chance and becoming. part of a larger nonprofit. The Farr Foundation assets will become a restricted fund under the auspices of Banner Health...

Speaker to address entrepreneurs gathering.(Doug Hall of Eureka! Ranch)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Doug Hall, founder and president of Eureka! Ranch, will be the speaker at the Oct. 2. Arizona Small Business Association's Entrepreneur's Round Table. The meeting, beginning at 7:30 a.m., will take place at the ASBA's offices at 1500 E....

Passengers may help pay for airport security boost.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Now that Congress has kicked in $15 billion to stabilize the nation's airlines, it is preparing to spend billions more to restore public confidence in air-travel safety. Bipartisan support is building for legislation that would replace...

Arizona's trade in volatile Middle East minimal.(business techniques and information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... With President Bush having declared war on, terrorism, and the potential for military action in parts of the Middle East, what should local firms doing business with countries in that region expect? Arizona exports to Middle Eastern...

JDA Software Group Inc.(local industry news)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... * SEPTEMBER 20 * JDA Software Group Inc. officials announced that discount variety store chain Dollar Tree Stores Inc. is using several JDA applications. * Viad Corp subsidiary GES Exposition Services Inc. and the American Dental...

Giant Industries Inc.(brief industry information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... * SEPTEMBER 21 * Congress passed a $15 billion relief plan for the airline industry, hit hard by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. * Giant Industries Inc. elected George Rapport to the board of...

Oakley Inc.(local business information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... SEPTEMBER 24 * Oakley Inc. entered into an agreement to acquire Iacon Inc., a sunglass retailing chain with headquarters in Scottsdale. * Air Jamaica officials said that the airline will suspend service from Phoenix Sky Harbor...

Hypercom Corp.(brief local business information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... SEPTEMBER 25 * Hypercom Corp. president and chief executive Chris Alexander said the company has shipped more than 300,000 of its touch screen point-of-sale terminals since the firm began volume production two years ago. * Viad...

Ducommum Inc.(contract with Raytheon Aircraft Co)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... SEPTEMBER 26 * Ducommun Inc. subsidiary, MechTronics of Arizona Corp., was awarded $14 million in two-year follow-on contracts by Raytheon's Air Combat and Strike Group for radar systems for F-15 and F/A-18 fighters. * Alltell...

Morrison & Hecker moves to new Viad Center offices.
September 28, 2001... The law firm of Morrison & Hecker LLP is relocating its Phoenix offices from 2800 N. Central Ave. to the Viad Corporate Center at 1850 N. Central Ave., effective Sept. 24. Attorneys and personnel will occupy almost 40,0000 square feet on...

State Bar holds seminar.(legal services conference)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The State Bar of Arizona is holding the second part of its seminar, "When Business Partners Part Company," on Oct. 11-12 at the Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona. The seminar will explore changes in proposed State Bar ethics opinions and how they...

Finalists named for Mesa job.(District Attorney position)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Five finalists have been selected to interview for the position of Mesa city attorney. They are Catherine shovlin Bowman, deputy city attorney, city of Mesa; Harold Gilbert Jr., executive director, Mesa Community Action Network; Joseph...

IRS answers questions.(online tax service)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Internal Revenue Service has activated an electronic mailbox at corp disaster.relief@irs.gov to answer questions for business taxpayers affected by the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. The address was established to explain extensions and...

Navajos provide scholarships.(to Arzona State University College of Law)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Navajo Nation is providing scholarship funds of $7,500 for up to 15 Navajo students at the Arzona State University College of Law. The commitment is for every year until 2005. "Among the Navajo people, education has always been a...

Westland title agency opens.(facility in Phoenix)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Westland Title Agency, a subsidiary of the Nevada Title Co., has opened an office at 7720 N. 16th St., Ste. 300, Phoenix. The president of Westland is Tom Davis who had been president of the Grand Canyon Title Agency in Phoenix. Westland...

Payroll changes addressed.(by the Arizona State American Payroll Association)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Arizona State American Payroll Association will be taking a look at how federal and state laws governing employers' payroll processing are changing at its state conference Oct. 11-12. It will cover such topics as wage and hour, fringe...

A.G. Edwards earnings down.(financial earnings statistics and information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Financial services company. A.G. Edwards Inc. reported that net earnings for the second quarter, ended Aug. 31, were $41 million on net revenue of $597 million. For the same quarter last year, net earnings were $77 million on net revenue...

Fraud schemes on rise.(using Sept 11 solicitations)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The U.S. Department of Justice is warning about an increase in possible fraud schemes involving solicitations of donations following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. People are receiving unsolicited e-mail messages, urging them to donate...

Forbes to be interviewed.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Steve Forbes, former presidential candidate and chief executive of Forbes magazine, will be interviewed on the "Cover Your Assets" show on Sept. 29 on KFNN-AM 1510. The show, co-hosted by Sun City attorney Richard Morris and Scottsdale...

Wells Fargo tops survey.(Wells Fargo Bank named best bank in the US by Euromoney magazine)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Euromoney magazine has named Wells Fargo Bank "the best bank in the United States." in its annual survey. It reported that Wells Fargo keeps shareholders happy by successfully integrating its acquisitions and delivering on its promises. ...

Intrinsic to buy scientific instruments from Germany.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., a Tempe biotechnology company, has signed an agreement to buy scientific instruments from Bruker Daltonics Inc. of Germany. "We have chosen their instrumentation to integrate into our high-performance protein...

AmeriMed gets network nod.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... AmeriMed Hospitals Inc., a Phoenix-based network of American hospitals in resort cities of Mexico, has been named a provider for sickkid.net, an online 24-hour children's health care resource network based in Scottsdale. AmeriMed...

Smokers get help.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Health Coach Wellness and Vitality Centre, along with the Maricopa Integrated Health System's South Central Phoenix Tobacco Use Prevention Program, will offer smoking cessation classes. An introduction to the program will be Oct. 9 at...

Lutheran tapped by Blues.(Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has added Lutheran Heart Hospital to its network of providers. That means BCBS enrollees can receive services at Lutheran Heart Hospital at lower out-of-pocket costs now that it's an in-network facility,...

CHW nurses join union.(Catholic Healthcare West)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... While registered nurses at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix prepare to vote next month on whether they want to join the California Nurses Association, nurses at a sister hospital in California have joined another union. ...

Special needs kit unveiled.(Life Planning Services)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Life Planning Services of Phoenix is preparing to release a special needs planning kit for families who have a loved one with a developmental disability. Since 1993 Bart Stevens, founder of Life Planning Services, has been assisting...

Coping with illness.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Dr. Carl A. Hammerschlag has released an audio compact disc to help patients and families cope with life-threatening illnesses. "One of the unfortunate consequences of today's health care environment is that clinicians spend less and less...

Two heads come together to form communications firm.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Barry Kluger, managing partner at Scottsdale-based Kluger Media Group, has teamed with Larry Goldman, managing partner of Adventure Studios Communications Group of Los Angeles, to form a new venture, KMG/ACG Communications. Adventure...

Emmis raising cash.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Emmis Communications has been raising money in Phoenix and its other markets nationwide to help victims of the Sept. 11 attack on the United States, according to Mary Nyren, general manager of the company's Valley stations. The...

Valley workers head out.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Two local residents have left for New York City and Washington, D.C., to handle public affairs on behalf of the American Red Cross in both cities. Jennifer Lewis, spokeswoman for the Grand Canyon Chapter of the organization in Phoenix,...

Pinnacle West picks agency.(Pinnacle West Capital Corp. names DDB Worldwide as ad agency)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Pinnacle West Capital Corp. of Phoenix has selected Los Angeles-based DDB Worldwide as its new agency of record. The decision comes following a three month search that started with 60 agencies and was whittled down to 12 after initial...

Magazine debuts.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... A new quarterly Phoenix magazine, Inspiration Journal, has debuted this month. The journal, a free publication, includes short stories of courage, faith, and other forms of inspiration, according to spokeswoman Sherry Butler. ...

Harper joins KNXV-TV 15.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Former Valley news anchor Cameron Harper has joined the KNXV-TV 15 news team. Valley viewers may recall the anchor from his years with KTVK-TV 3, where he served as its main anchor from 1986 to 1995. Most recently, Harper was the main...

British Airways closes Phoenix sales office as planned.
September 28, 2001... British Airways is closing its Phoenix sales office. The irony is the timing, Plans to close the local sales office, which employs five, have been in place for nearly a year, said director of sales Ken Melidoni. That tourism is...

Coyotes drop the curtain.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Phoenix Coyotes president Shawn Hunter has decided to partition off about 1,000 seats at America West Arena's north end to make the arena more cozy for hockey games. The partition reduces the total capacity from 16,210 to 15,330. It will...

Barrett-Jackson burns rubber.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Car consignments for the 2002 Barrett Jackson Classic Car Auction are ahead of last year's record pace leading up to the 2001 event. A total of 209 cars have been accepted for the auction so far. Last year at this time, there were 166...

Scottsdale creates position.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The city of Scottsdale has named Sahler Hornbeck as downtown liaison. Hornbeck, a city employee for 29 years, will be responsible for communication between the residents and businesses within Scottsdale's 8-mile downtown area and the...

Intrawest snags Shark's Tooth.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Scottsdale-based Intrawest Golf, a course development and management company, will be developing the Shark's Tooth Golf Club in Bay County, Fla. Intrawest Golf's parent company, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Intrawest Corp., will be...

Aftermath goes on.
September 28, 2001... It may be too early to assess overall damages done to the tourism industry after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But there is hardly a single hotel, restaurant, or attraction that has not been affected. Here are several more accounts: ...

Scan man.
September 28, 2001... Biometrics -- such as facial, fingerprint or retinal scanning for identification purposes -- long, has been used in limited applications, but it could be implemented on a much larger scale in the wake of the Sept 11 tragedies. Such...

Study shows few calculate tech investment returns.
September 28, 2001... A report from Jupiter Media Metrix supports what tech consultants have long lamented -- too few businesses calculate their e-business return on investment, or ROI, before spending, money on the technology. A whopping 92 percent of...

Venture Capital Conference draws big name speakers.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... This year's Arizona Venture Capital Conference will feature presentations from Craig Barrett of Intel Corp., Jason Pontin of Red Herring Communications and Pat Sullivan of Interact Commerce Corp., which now is part of The Sage Group. ...

ASU tackles training online.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Arizona State University has chosen KnowledgeNet.com. Inc. to provide Internet-based training for Valley information technology professionals. And because of the Arizona Department of Commerce's Information. Technology Tax Credits Program,...

Donated 'presence'.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Tempe firms Sitewire Marketspace Solutions LLC and Fifth Phase are donating services to help The Children's Center for Neurodevelopmental Studies create custom ad campaigns boosting awareness for its services. Based in Glendale, The...

Donate on the Web.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... In just a few weeks, nearly $83 million has been raised through, the Internet industry's online initiative, The American Liberty Partnership. The partnership is a Web site for those donating to disaster relief efforts following the Sept. 11...

New domains up soon.
September 28, 2001... Registrars of new top-level domains .biz, .info and .name modified registration schedules because of the terrorist attacks earlier this month. Afilias, which is accepting info domains, and Netsearches, which is accepting .biz, .info and...

E-learning group starts Work.
September 28, 2001... Oct. 5 is the official launch of GAZEL -- the Global Arizona E-Learning economic cluster -- Arizona's newest high-tech industry group. The nonprofit association is promoting development of the e-learning in dusty statewide and globally. ...

Radyne ComStream increases business with India.
September 28, 2001... Phoenix-based Radyne ComStream has closed a $1.4 million deal with India Telephone Industries Ltd., which brings the total value of its business in India to more than $12 million. Radyne ComStream makes satellite Internet infrastructure...

Downturn hits SpeedFam.
September 28, 2001... SpeedFam-IPEC Inc., a global supplier of equipment used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, continues to feel the impact of the economic downturn that has hit its industry over the past year. With computer and electronics sales...

DeVry hosts 'Her World'.
September 28, 2001... More than 140 girls from Valley high schools recently participated in an event designed to introduce them to careers in technology. Called "Her World," the half-day event was sponsored by DeVry Institute of Technology. According to...

Helping out.
September 28, 2001... International FiberCom Inc.'s New Jersey-based Wireless Technologies Division has been working with major telecommunications providers since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York City to restore telephone and radio coverage to lower...

Inter-Tel donates systems.
September 28, 2001... Inter-Tel Inc. has pledged up to $4 million in financial relief to businesses affected by the destruction of the World Trade Center. Phoenix-based Inter-Tel will offer on a first-come, first-serve basis, to businesses affected by the...

SMI receives award.
September 28, 2001... Phoenix-based Scientific Monitoring Inc., a provider of turbine engine monitoring and control technologies, will be presented with the 2001 Tibbetts Award next month in Washington, D.C. The national award is presented to small businesses...

Consultants target companies teetering on the brink.
September 28, 2001... Consultants Marilyn Teplitz, MGT Associates, and Murray Goodman, Professional Sales Management, are offering their own form of disaster relief to companies struggling with the latest economic changes. "Marilyn and I were talking about all...

Telecom directory offers public free, online database.
September 28, 2001... After months of information gathering, committee meetings and painstaking planning, the Arizona Telecom Directory is available to the public. The directory is an online database of about 150 providers, of everything from telephone and...

Video production house covers concept to completion.
September 28, 2001... TECH PROFILE: BAY 6 PRODUCTIONS Type of business: Video editing Co-founders: Shane LaPan, Rick Servatius City: Scottsdale Web site: www.bay6inc.com Employees: 4 Year founded: 1998 2000 revenue: WND Chat...

Demand for tech skills boosts education, certification.
September 28, 2001... MILWAUKEE -- Consumer demand for information technology skills is helping Brookfield, Wis.-based TechSkills more than double its annual revenue and fuel expansion nationally. Even with the slow economy and a particularly sluggish IT...

Small companies benefit.
September 28, 2001... ATLANTA -- Investing in smaller communications technology companies has been good to Scientific-Atlanta Inc. In the past three years, the Norcross, Ga.-based cable TV gear-maker has chalked up gains of more than $150 million from...

British firm picks S.C.
September 28, 2001... RALEIGH; N.C.-- A British company that dresses phones, computer accessories and other electronics in colorful, interchangeable skins has picked Gary, S.C., as the site for its U.S. operations. Officials with e-comeleon say plans call for...

Net listings expand.
September 28, 2001... SEATTLE -- A Seattle company that was one of the first to put commercial real estate listings on the Internet is growing steadily in a business climate that has caused many of its competitors to disappear. Officespace.com, which launched...

Peak 10 reacts to slowdown.
September 28, 2001... CHARLOTTE, N.C., -- Charlotte-based Peak 10 Inc. is changing the way it does business, at least partially, in response to the economic slowdown. Among those changes, the year-old data center and managed. Internet services provider is...

Korean firm scouts Austin.
September 28, 2001... AUSTIN; Texas -- A Korean manufacturer of semiconductor equipment is looking for 20 acres near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to build about 50,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space as part of its U.S. expansion. ...

Hard hit travel-related Web sites should rebound from terrorist attacks.
September 28, 2001... SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Travel-related Web sites have been hard hit by the downturn in airline business in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. But because such sites are among the few successful dot-corn business models,...

SmartForce on the move.
September 28, 2001... SAN FRANCISCO -- SmartForce is expanding its foothold in the e-learning market by acquiring a Canadian skills assessment firm, warming up an already hot battle for the growing sector. The Redwood City, Calif., company, which did $168...

Cities roll out fiber.
September 28, 2001... EAST BAY -- While most of the telecom and Internet sector is in a funk, local governments in California's East Bay area are taking the lead to roll out optical fiber systems that could provide cable, telecommunications and Internet services...

Keller offering entrepreneur classes this fall.
September 28, 2001... The Keller Graduate School of Management's Scottsdale center will begin offering a graduate certificate program in entrepreneurship this fall. Arizona is one of eight states that will be offering the curriculum at its Keller centers,...

Avnet project completed.
September 28, 2001... U.S. Business Interiors, a provider-of interior solutions, has just completed a project for Avnet Inc. that included a conference center, work stations, an executive boardroom and executive-offices. The project took place at Avnet's new...

Aorist comes to Phoenix.
September 28, 2001... Aorist Enterprises Inc., a technical staffing services firm providing engineers, designers, CAD drafters and technicians, has opened a Phoenix office at 2600 N 44th St. The company also has offices in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo....

Bebbling honored.
September 28, 2001... John Bebbling; owner of a chain of paint and decorating stores in Phoenix and Tucson, has won the 2001 Arizona Business Leadership Award from the Arizona State. University College of Business Alumni Association. The award is given to...