Denver Business Journal articles from December 1999

Denver Business Journal archives from December 1999

Area lacks people for job openings.
December 3, 1999... There are more job vacancies in the Denver metro area than there are people to fill them. A survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Labor found nearly 47,000 job vacancies in the six-county metro area as of Sept. 24. That means...

Authors of children's stories place bets on self-publishing.
December 3, 1999... Adrian Clark wants to tell your children a story. Six stories, actually. Clark is principal of a new Littleton company, cabbages, Carrot Juice & Cake Inc. The name refers to a series of children's stories Clark wrote and recorded on a set of...

Imagi Nation key to success.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Larry Baird is a simple man with a simple dream. He wants to see the flag of his fictional Nation of Imagi flying at the United Nations. "I told you he thinks big," said Tom Van Steenhoven, Baird's business partner in The Nation of...

Pearl St. retailers fight back.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Merchants collect funds for marketing Bracing itself for mall madness, the merchants of downtown. Boulder recently approved a business improvement district that will arm the Pearl Street Mall with an annual budget of more than $600,000. ...

Region sees boom times.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Construction activity in the Rocky Mountain region should be sky-high again next year, while it levels off in the rest of the country, according to a recent report by a provider of financing for construction equipment. The publicly traded...

Y2K speeds up real estate deals.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Some transactions closing before 2000 As the Year 2000 bug buzzes around year-end real estate deals, some participants are extra cautious about not getting bitten, but most aren't. Institutional investors and capital sources such as...

An offer customers can't ignore.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... US West continues to make good friends in the Denver market. The company has started sending its voice-mail customers numerous messages during the week that are basically advertisements for the company and its various services. The catch? You...

'Boys' right a wrong.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Musical sensation The Backstreet Boys forced their Denver Halloween concert promoter to donate $75,000 to the Columbine College Scholarship Fund after they found out the company gave 1,200 tickets to scalpers who were selling the $38.50 tickets...

IMAX lives large.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Patrons of the Phipps IMAX Theater at the Denver Museum of Natural History will be glad to hear that it is getting a face-lift. The theater will be closed Dec. 6 to Dec. 20 for installation of a new screen and sound system and will reopen...

Web site bashes arena.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Somebody out there isn't happy with the Pepsi Center. A Web site called www.pepsicentersucks.com claims it will soon reveal the truth about the new arena. Although no articles were posted to the site as of yet, it promised it would "separate...

Hamming it up.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Coloradan Vincent Hamm announced he will be on the New Hampshire Primary Ballot in 2000. Hamm is running on the Democratic ticket on a platform based on the decriminalization of drugs. "The main reason why drugs are such big business is...

Elway caught in mid-swig.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Spotted: John Elway drinking Coors Light in a luxury box seat during the fourth quarter of the Broncos/Raiders game Nov. 28. ABC'S Boomer Esiason was quoted as saying: "At least we got him with the right product." You can bet the...

Where the buffalo roam.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Bison byproducts used to create novelty items -- and that's no bull The American bison is no longer endangered, thanks to efforts by private industry during the past 20 years to promote bison meat as a healthy alternative to beef. The...

Designer discovers new dimensions.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... MS-stricken artist finds niche in three-dimensional world of sculptures When she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Carol Jeanotilla thought the condition would end her career as an artist. Instead it did just the opposite -- opening...

The microscopes are in the mail.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Univera tries unique marketing plan When executives at the world's top pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies peer through the lens of a small micro scope Dec. 3, researchers at Broomfield-based Univera Pharmaceuticals hope the health...

Volan Design keeps pace with tech firms.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Volan Design LLC is celebrating its 20th year in the product and brand development business -- in theory. A busy schedule has left the Boulder-based design company with little time to commemorate its success over the past two decades. ...

Escaping the horde of timeshare sellers.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The most aggressive vacation-home hucksters in this country -- even the ones who phone at supper time -- have nothing on the timeshare salespeople in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. While friend and I were there a few weeks ago, we...

Two real estate execs move to new agencies.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... One former top executive at a major, Denver-area commercial real estate company has returned to this market, and another is making a major change here. Ray Pittman, who headed CB Richard Ellis Inc.'s local operation until he took higher...

Bank of Cherry Creek really wants your trust.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... An estimated $11 trillion of wealth is expected to switch hands between the baby boomers and their parents in the next 20 years. For banks and other financial service providers, trust services are one way to get a piece of that action. ...

Longtime lawyer receives national honor.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... DENVER -- Attorney Brooke Wunnicke, of counsel to the law firm Hall & Evans, has been singled out by the Defense Research Institute to receive its second annual Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award. Potter was first...

Gray Design expands.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... COLORADO SPRINGS - Gray Design Group continues to expand beyond its Lakewood headquarters, having opened an office here. The company, an architecture and interior design firm, has moved into space at 102 S. Tejon St., Suite 1100. Gray...

Barrett remains on Fed.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... VAIL -- Dennis Barrett, co-chairman of FirstBank of Vail and vice chairman of FirstBank Holding Company of Colorado, has been re-elected to a seat on the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's board of directors. Barrett's next three-year...

EMS winners named.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... DENVER -- The Prehospital Care Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recognized five individuals or agencies for "outstanding delivery of emergency medical services." The winners are: * Jim Ulrich,...

Colorado First wins bid.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... GLENWOOD SPRINGS -- Colorado First Construction Co. of Silverthorne has been selected by the city to build the new Glenwood Springs Community Center. Construction of the center should begin in the spring of 2000, and include such features...

Norwest awards $201,500.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Norwest Bank Colorado has awarded $201,500 in grants to small nonprofit organizations in each of the 54 communities the bank serves. The grants were made through the Norwest Neighborhood Assistance Fund, which was established in 1993. The...

Gas assets to be sold.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... NORTHEAST COLORADO -- Houston-based Kinder Morgan Inc. will sell its natural gas assets in the Wattenberg field area of the Denver-Julesberg Basin here. The company has reached a definitive agreement with HS Resources Inc., the largest...

Company picks a CFO.(Anything Internet Corp.; Donald Prosser)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Anything Internet Corp. has named Donald Prosser as its new chief financial officer.

Science-fiction guide may become a reality.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... From fiction to reality and back to fiction again, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is cutting a circular path through popular culture. Adams went on to turn HGTG into a book, and then another four books -- "Restaurant at the End of the...

Amazon.com suffers from too many ideas.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Perhaps no company better symbolizes the Internet dreamworld than Amazon.com Inc. It was one of the first e-commerce companies that actually had a good idea for leveraging the power of the Web -- selling the hard-to-find books that...

Cross-country skiers get a break.(Grand Pass allows unlimited season cross-country skiing at participating resorts)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Resorts now offering new discount passes Colorado resorts that focus on cross-country skiing have taken a cue from their downhill cousins. They've created a discounted multiple-resort season pass for $250. The Grand Pass allows...

S&P to drop AMR parent from its list.(Standard and Poor's 500 index drops Laidlaw Inc. and subsidiary American Medical Response)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Laidlaw Inc., the Canadian-based parent of American Medical Response, will be dropped from Standard & Poor's 500 Index after financial markets close on Dec. 7. Laidlaw operates school bus and commercial bus services in addition to its ambulance...

Office buildings decked out for holidays.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Planning began months ago for decorations that sprouted last week It wasn't exactly Christmas in July, more like late August when Denver's office buildings begin mapping out their holiday decorations, which were unveiled across town this...

Delivery services get Y2K-proof software.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Spotted Horse product answers demand Small delivery services all over Colorado may soon be using horse sense to get their records in order. Spotted Horse Software in north Denver recently released a delivery and billing software...

Colo. farmers decry ag import policies.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Regulations looser for foreign producers Three Colorado farmers and a representative of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union attended the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle this past week to voice concerns over agricultural imports. ...

Critics caution Congress: Slow down on the Internet.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Congress had a busy Internet year 1999. Some critics say too busy. While many of its actions have been applauded, some question whether Congress is really being as "cautious" on the Internet front as it has promised to be. But U.S....

Test drive: Inside the new Volkswagen Cabrio.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Tom: I've said it before: There are two kinds of people -- convertible owners and everybody else. And convertible owners will find a lot to like about the Volkswagen Cabrio. VW's entry into the ragtop division is based on the floorpan of...

Ask Jeeves Inc. sends its 'angels' to heaven.(its investors do well)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... In June 1998, with little cash and no interest from venture capitalists, Internet startup Ask Jeeves Inc. put its survival in the hands of angels. Today -- as its stock skyrockets -- angel investors who laid out a mere $2.5 million are sitting...

Startup Net firm culls unique museum items.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... ARLINGTON, Mass. -- Rebecca Reynolds Moore wasn't too keen on becoming a starving artist. So the Andover native did the next best thing: She funneled her passion for art into the more lucrative world of "e-tailing," setting up an online museum...

Small businesses delay fixing Y2K problem.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... As many as 1.5 million small-business owners won't take any steps to address the Year 2000 computer problem before Jan. 1, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The new estimate is based on an October Gallup...

What's Elway doing? Golf plays a big part.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Online golf retailer chipshot.com has launched its first-ever television campaign with ads that feature John Elway practicing his golf swing. The ads, which broke in early November but will pick up in frequency during the holidays, pitch...

InDesign takes on Quark.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The release of a new desktop publishing software that is being hailed by its maker is receiving mixed reviews among industry professionals. Adobe Systems Inc., which is credited with starting a desktop publishing revolution in 1982 when it...

Largest Denver-Area Executive Suites.
December 3, 1999... Largest Denver-Area Executive Suites (Ranked by total square feet under management) Rank/ last Total square year's ...

So you want to start a franchise?(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Taking your small business to the next level can be expensive, risky When a small business becomes a success, many owners feel they've climbed the ultimate mountain. Others view the success as just a stepping stone to begin growing and...

It's Christmas bonus time; let's party.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... If you can't afford cash rewards, consider other options Can you believe this? A nationwide survey of employees, conducted this fall by American Express Incentive Services, found that 59 percent aren't expecting a holiday bonus or reward of...

There's still time to cut your 1999 tax bill.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Although less than a month remains in the year, there still are several actions you might want to consider to reduce your tax bill for 1999. The basic rule of tax planning is to accelerate expenses and defer revenue. Unless you find...

Small Business Strategies.
December 3, 1999... Accounting Ernst & Young LLP promoted Ronald Baalman, Rachel Hall and Don Robinson to senior managers in its Denver consulting practice. Baalman specializes in enterprise resource planning implementation, financial advisory services and...

Kiosks keep travelers connected.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Get2Net provides a way for people on layover flights to get Internet access Keeping travelers connected to the Internet was Denver International Airport's number one consumer issue, and now a Denver-based company Get2Net, has created a...

IT makes mark as state's top employer.(Information Technoloy is the top employee sector in Colorado)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Survey shows Colo. ranks third in jobs As the clock winds down on 1999, technology is emerging as the impetus that will blast Colorado into the next century. Since the mid-80s, information technology employers have edged out the...

Home entertainment rapidly going digital.
December 3, 1999... DVDs become centerpiece of audio-video Shoppers may find a gadget-lover's utopia this Christmas, but it may come at the cost of adding an annex to the home entertainment center. Gone are the days of choosing between 19 or a 21 inch...

Digital products revolutionize sales.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... New generation of mobile electronic devices will have a profound effect on how business is done A sales representative enters your place of business and begins showing off his or her company's latest product. Impressed, you order 1,000...

Online Office Inc. blazes ASP trail.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Company makes software available on the 'Net Point and click. This dynamic has revolutionized the way business is conducted. Companies with the budget to finance the latest and greatest in technological advances are making great strides in...

IRS encourages electronic filing.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... More than 29.3 million used new service The days of waiting in line at the post office on April 15 may be over. An initiative by the Internal Revenue Service to encourage taxpayers, both businesses and individuals, to file...

Certification matters for IT pros.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... For information technology (IT) professionals, technical certification enhances long-term job prospects, suggests a recent survey. An overwhelming 83 percent of IT consultants said that technical certification was a valuable tool for...

What to look for in a copy machine.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Consider lifespan of copier in purchase Finding an adequate copy machine once offered little challenge to businesses, but as technology takes enormous leaps, the task of finding the right copier has become much more complicated. Copier...

Things to consider in new equipment.(computers and operating systems)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Keep an eye on these technology factors One of the hardest things about planning to buy computers that will remain in service for more than a couple of years is guessing how they will be used. It's hard to know exactly where...

Finding the best deal on a cell phone.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Today's cell phones offer Web surfing, e-mail retrieval, and a bunch of other stuff that you probably never would have believed would fit in your hand. But what if all you really want to do is just go wireless -- without all the extras? ...

The Web is changing the training industry.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The phone rings. Jackie, a customer service representative, customer information in answers the phone and proceeds her computer data base. To a spectator, this appears to be business as usual; but taking a closer look, it turns out that...

Making online customers feel secure.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... Privacy statement, BBB membership and certification can instill confidence The holiday shopping season used to bring with it holiday hassles -- traffic jams, bargain hunting, long lines, sore feet, and achy heads. But thanks to the...

What is CTI and how does it work?(computer telephony integration)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Everything you need to know about one of the latest buzzwords in the computer world One of the current buzzwords in the computer world is computer telephony integration, or CTI, for short. Although all of us are familiar with automated...

Learn how to man manufacturing projects.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center will present a seminar entitled "How to Manage Projects in Manufacturing" Dec. 9 in Golden. The seminar will teach easy-to-implement tools, shortcuts and techniques to plan, manage, control and...

Overland Data Inc.(and Tecmar Technologies join to develop tape drives)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Overland Data Inc., a technology leader in data storage and backup products, and Longmont-based Tecmar Technologies, a leading provider of entry-level tape storage solutions for the network storage environment, entered into a joint development...

Arden Courts.(changes name to Alterra Clare Bridge)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Arden Courts, located at 3790 W Quincy, has been renamed Alterra Clare Bridge of Denver. Alterra Clare Bridge provides housing and assistance for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other memory impairments.

Golden tour to feature historic homes Dec. 12.(information about the Christmas Tour of Historic Homes)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The annual Christmas Tour of Historic Homes will take place in Golden on Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two highlights of the tour will be Gov. Vivian's home, which served as the governor's mansion during his time in office in the 1940s and the...

Business mentors needed.(for Service Corps of Retired Executives)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Denver SCORE Chapter 62, a Small Business Administration resource partner, is in need of minorities and women to become volunteer SCORE counselors. SCORE is a nonprofit association providing business counseling to small-business...

Starbucks' Giving Tree.(allows customers to help children and senor citizens in need)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... This holiday season, Starbucks Coffee Co. and the Salvation Army of Denver are teaming up to help local children and senior citizens in need through the Giving Tree program. The program will run until Dec. 24 at all Denver-area Starbucks...

Salvation Army seeks help.(volunteers needed for the holidays)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Salvation Army will provide holiday food for more than 2,500 families, new toys for 6,000 children and shoe certificates for 1,500 elementary school age youth this holiday season. Its Christmas Center is set up in the U.S. 24 Bypass...

Keeping your e-tail customers clicking.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... One of the keys to successful e-tailing -- even more than with conventional retailing -- may simply be overcoming inertia. It's easy for customers who don't already shop with you to continue not doing so. At least for me, one of the best...

Proper staff training is wise investment.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... Prepared workers more loyal, productive While many companies place a heavy emphasis on hiring only highly qualified employees, they often find that some may be slow starters. Often the reason is lack of proper and sufficient employee...

You can't remake Rodgers & Hammerstein.(Review)
December 3, 1999... While music is grand in 'Grand Night for Singing,' songs feel out of context Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were, without a doubt, the most creative team American musical theater has ever produced. Starting with "Oklahoma" in...

Colo. needs growth idea with substance.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Gov. Bill Owens' "smart growth" proposal is a mixed bag, consisting of familiar rhetoric, little substance and some good -- if sketchy -- ideas. As the third governor to tackle Colorado's growth, Owens borrowed predecessor Roy Romer's...

Keep City Hall out of free market debate.(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... A debate is on the verge of erupting in Boulder that bears close watching by the business community. A proposal is on the table there to give small, independent "mom and pop" businesses an edge over the big national chains. The idea is to...

Time for us to catch a train.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... I began to write this sitting comfortably on board a train called The Karl Friedrich Schinkel hurtling quietly at almost 240km/hr (over '50 mph) west of Berlin on its way to Wolfsburg. The gently flat Prussian landscape rests in late autumnal...

Attack of the overzealous Pokemom.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 3, 1999... My transformation into Pokemom started innocently enough. During my vacation this summer, I found a starter deck of Pokemon trading cards and decided to buy them for my sons, ages 8 and 6. For those of you who just emerged from a Rip Van...

Time to break up Microsoft, and my PC.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Over the weekend, I bought a new computer. I struggled over whether to buy a Macintosh or a PC. Though everyone in our newsroom uses Macs, I ultimately chose a PC, figuring I might as well have at least one computer that can easily...

DBJ STOCK REPORT.(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... DBJ STOCK REPORT DBJ Index 0.10% 2127.72 NASDAQ 1.52% 3420.49 S&P 500 -0.35% 1417.08 Dow Jones Industrial 0.04% 11008.17 Top 10 Weekly...

DBJ FUNDWATCH.(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... DBJ FUNDWATCH General equity funds 1 Wk. 4 Wk. YTD 3 yrs. Fund Name 11/24/99 10/28/99 12/31/98 11/27/96 Berger New Generaton Fd...

Air Force will take over.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The U.S. Air Force has long had a top-secret operation at the Buckley Air National Guard Base in Aurora, and now the facility is coming under its aegis. The Air Force's Space Command, which runs a major reconnaissance and surveillance...

The effective annual yields.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Listed are the effective annual yields, after compounding, on a variety of savings instruments offered in the Denver area. Yields are fixed rate for all certificates of deposit (CD). Rates paid are for deposits of $2,500, except jumbo CDs,...

National Interest Rate Index.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... National Interest Rate Index Current rate Previous Net change SHORT-TERM INTEREST RATES (%) week (%) (+ or -) Prime rate 8.50 8.50 ...

Borrowing Rates.(of commercial banks)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Borrowing Rates Auto terms: $10,000 loan, 48-month ...

Current Tax-exempt Bond Offerings.(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Current Tax-exempt Bond Offerings Issue Coupon rate Maturity Yield Aspen Co Rev Music As 4.40 11-01-02 4.35 Denver Co City & Cnty Arpt R Ser C 5.00 11-15-04...

Cutting edge companies in trouble?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... The United States may be losing that entrepreneurial edge that helped this country grow, according to a recent poll. "The United States leads the world in entrepreneurship -- for now," said Doug Mellinger, chairman of the newly formed...

Social work seminar.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Heritage Professional Education is presenting a seminar titled "Personality Disorders in Social Work Practice" Dec. 16 at the Four Points Hotel Central in Denver. The seminar is recommended for practitioners, supervisors, case managers,...

AMFM wins awards.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Honored with 10 awards, AMFM Inc. was the top winner at the March of Dimes A.I.R. Awards dinner. Created to celebrate the talents of local radio broadcasters, the A.I.R. Awards honors excellence in all facets of local radio. AMFM Inc....