Denver Business Journal articles from February 1997

Denver Business Journal archives from February 1997

Suburbs squelch growth plan vote. (Denver Regional Council of Government's Metro Vision 2020 plan)
February 28, 1997... The Denver Regional Council of Government has shelved a decision on its Metro Vision 2020 plan after failing to win a consensus. Unexpected opposition from Boulder and Arvada, combined with confusion around several last-minute changes drafted...

The bottom line on summitry. (G-7 Summit to be held at the Denver Museum of Natural History on June 20-22, 1997)
February 28, 1997... If the Clinton administration is willing to seize the opportunity, the upcoming G-7 Summit could become a perfect model for efficiently run, cost-effective meetings between heads of state. Unfortunately, early signs suggest that the Clinton...

TCI faces key test in space: cable giant pins future on satellite. (TCI Satellite Entertainment)
February 28, 1997... The upcoming launch of TCI Satellite Entertainment Inc.'s high-powered satellite acquired a new sense of urgency on Feb. 24 when EchoStar Communications Corp. announced an alliance with News Corp.'s American Sky Broadcasting and raised the...

Colorado banks vie to sell insurance. (House bill 1175 allows for easier bank insurance selling)
February 28, 1997... Need insurance? Try your local bank. House bill 1175 would make it much easier for state-chartered banks, industrial banks, savings and loans and trust companies to sell scads of insurance, provided they use a licensed agent. The bill,...

Cultural sites wooing global tourist dollars: event in Denver key to growth plan. (Mountain Plains Forum to be held on April 13-15, 1997 in Denver, Colorado)
February 28, 1997... Denver will host a 10-state regional public-private forum in April aimed at creating a marriage between the travel industry and cultural facilities in what may eventually become a national promotional effort. The Mountain Plains Forum, which...

Fast track for CU's Fitz move: officials plan March 1 lease. (University of Colorado Health Sciences Center to take over the old Fitzsimons Army Medical Center)
February 28, 1997... The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center plans to sign a lease March 1 to take over the main hospital at the old Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, despite a last-minute plea by Denver Mayor Wellington Webb for Gov. Roy Romer to...

April looms as mega month for PSCo. (1997; Public Service Company of Colorado)
February 28, 1997... April could be a frantic month for Public Service Company of Colorado. The utility's joint venture acquisition of Britain's Yorkshire Electricity Group Plc is expected to close sometime in April, about the time Public Service's long-awaited...

Hilton looks at Westin: top downtown hotel could fetch $63M. (Hilton Hotels Corp.; Weston Tabor Center)
February 28, 1997... Hilton Hotels Corp. of Beverly Hills, Calif., purportedly is leading the pack in the race to buy one of Denver's premier hotels, the 420-room Westin Tabor Center. The California hotel giant - a hungry raider of other hotel companies that...

'Year of the deal' breaks all records. (US and Colorado business deals)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... M&A activity last year 37 percent above '95; small deals grow faster Unless this year beats it, and there is a good chance it might, 1996 will go down as the "Year of the Deal" for both the United States and Colorado. Slow and stable...

The sharks are circling Colorado companies. (investment firms eyeing Colorado companies)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Now is the time to get out your shark repellent. Or if you are truly a daring soul, now is the time to gingerly dangle some shark bait in the direction of Wall Street. If nothing else, The Denver Business Journal's annual Dealmakers...

Museum weighs cost of history. (Denver Museum of Natural History to host the Group of Seven summit on June 20-22, 1997)
February 28, 1997... The Denver Museum of Natural History, long accustomed to welcoming deceased historic luminaries, will host one of the largest collections of living leaders during the upcoming Group of Seven summit. The museum, with its expansive views of the...

Corporate Express turns 100: dealmaking flurry makes Boulder office supplier nation's largest.(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Corporate Express Inc. has made billions of dollars since its inception in 1986 by providing office products and services to large corporations. Sales should hit $4 billion in 1997, largely due to the 100 acquisitions the company completed...

Net tech companies woo venture capitalists. (companies offering products to complement Internet usage)(Tech Talk: Telecom, Computers)
February 28, 1997... If the trends needed any verification, look no further than last week's Venture Capital in the Rockies conference. The Internet dominated the dreams and business plans of the young companies, which cast out ideas to improve the mother of all...

Wall St. flexes muscle in Vail deal. (Vail Resorts Inc.'s purchase of Ralcorp Holdings Inc. ski resorts in Colorado)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... In Vail Resorts Inc.'s $331 million purchase of Ralcorp Holdings Inc.'s Colorado ski resorts, it was the slick Wall Street denizens against the corn-fed Midwesterners. Vail Resorts, owner of the Vail and Beaver Creek ski areas in Colorado,...

Romer asks for funds to help build housing. (Colorado Gov. Roy Romer)(Legislature: The General Assembly)(Column)
February 28, 1997... For welfare reform to work, two key pieces are needed - jobs and affordable housing. "Affordable" usually is defined as housing costs at about one-third of income, which for years wasn't as difficult a goal to hit in Denver's formerly...

Going for the gold: Boulder business signs top athletes. (Gold Medal Management)(Small Business Strategies)
February 28, 1997... Half a year has passed since swimmer Amy Van Dyken became the first female in history to win four gold medals in one Olympics; since Michael Johnson became the first man in history to win both the 200 and 400 meters; and since Dan O'Brien won...

Aussies turn software biz upside down: Melbourne-based ISYS builds base from Englewood. (ISYS Odyssey Development Inc.)(Small Business Strategies)
February 28, 1997... An Australian software company is making a mark on the Northern Hemisphere through its wholly owned Englewood subsidiary. ISYS Odyssey Development Inc. employs only about 18 people worldwide between its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia,...

Sun shines on Interlocken: facility could bring 4,000 jobs with $72,000 average salary.(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Now that Sun Microsystems Inc. has shined its light on Interlocken as the location for a huge new campus, the whole state may bathe in the afterglow for a long time. "This is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, economic...

Gateway leads pack at DIA: Pauls, Powers team sets standard for airport-area development. (Gateway Park real estate development; Denver International Airport)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Rambling over 1,300 acres at Pena Boulevard and Interstate 70, Gateway Park isn't just one of the Denver International Airport area's real estate developments, according to real estate sources. It's the DIA development right now because of...

U S West buys into cable: Continental Cable acquisition fourth-largest media deal ever. (Continental Cablevision Corp.)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... US West Inc. didn't waste any time after Congress unleashed communications companies with the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996. Within a month, U S West Media Group announced it would acquire Continental Cablevision Corp. in a $10.8...

JonBenet mystery fuels circulation war: TV expected to be the big winner. (news coverage of JonBenet Ramsey murder)
February 28, 1997... The news coverage of the JonBenet Ramsey murder in Boulder probably won't affect circulation figures for Denver-area newspapers, but it might swell the ratings for television stations. Both of Denver's warring newspapers, The Denver Post and...

HSI deal creates health giant: fourth-largest HMO formed through Foundation Health merger. (merging of Health Systems International Inc. with Foundation Health Corp.; health maintenance organization)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Pueblo's own "Doctor Deal," whose real name is Dr. Malik Hasan, was involved in one of the biggest mergers in the health-care industry nationally in 1996 - a "merger of equals" bringing Hasan's Health Systems International together with...

Storage Technology ices IBM agreement: 'sleeping with the enemy' pays off big.(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... Storage Technology Corp. handed its keystone product line over to the enemy in 1996. The shocking agreement to have International Business Machines Corp. - a longtime rival become the sole distributor of StorageTek's disc array storage...

Nordstrom takes Denver by storm: Seattle department store puts Mile High retail on map.(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... It may have taken 10 years, but when Denver finally landed the region's first Nordstrom, the city entered a new era of retail. "Nordstrom is the most sought-after department store retailer in the country," said Mary Beth Jenkins, president of...

Retail center expands horizons: Video Visions leverages space shortage into real estate venture.(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... The shelves of their Washington Park video store teaming with movie-cassette boxes two years ago, Rich and Jill Berlinger were ready to move Video Visions to a larger space. But rather than rent a bigger storefront, they took the opportunity...

To become a Goliath, Sky needs local TV. (satellite TV broadcast company)
February 28, 1997... Suddenly, David has become Goliath. After playing the role of upstart in the satellite broadcast business, Englewood-based EchoStar Communications Corp. has landed tough-minded Rupert Murdoch as a 50 percent partner. The $1 billion deal...

City moves forward on Commons Park. (development of Commons Park, Denver, Colorado)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... The long-anticipated development of Denver's Commons Park in a 30-acre area plot along the South Platte River continues to gain momentum as design proposals begin to emerge. Recently a steering committee and a design board began reviewing...

TransMontaigne backs into public arena. (TransMontaigne Oil Co.)(Dealmakers '97: The Biggest, The Smartest, The Most Important Business Deals of 1996)
February 28, 1997... TransMontaigne Oil Co.'s reverse merger into Sheffield Exploration Co. last June transformed the company into a publicly traded powerhouse. The Denver-based company, specializing in downstream oil and gas businesses, nearly doubled in size...

MetroNorth rebels on growth plan. (Denver, CO)
February 14, 1997... Some of Denver's biggest northern suburbs are threatening to vote against the Metro Vision 2020 plan designed to steer growth in the Denver region for the next 25 years. The Denver Regional Council of Governments, which includes 50...

'I:drive' headed for homes. (new remote storage product from Storage Technology Corp.)
February 14, 1997... StorageTek taps consumer market Storage Technology Corp. is preparing to launch its first salvo into the consumer market with a new remote storage product. The Louisville company that rose to prominence developing gigantic storage silos...

Animal lovers think deep. (Colorado's aquarium project)
February 14, 1997... Flemings' ocean dream coming true The original plans for Colorado's $93 million aquarium project were sketched out on a napkin in a restaurant somewhere in Japan. The founders of Colorado's Ocean Journey, Bill Fleming and Judy...

Bill Coors finds new role as statesman. (president and chairman of Coors Brewing Co. and ACX Technologies)(Column)
February 14, 1997... The basement of Denver's City and County building is not the sort of place you'd expect to find Bill Coors. Most of the time, the dimly lit corridors belong to policemen, prosecutors, public defenders and perpetrators. They slink their way...

MCI local service to debut in March. (MCI Communications Corp.)
February 14, 1997... MCI Communications Corp. is wading into Denver's local telephone market. The No. 2 long-distance carrier has the necessary approvals from the Public Utilities Commission and began testing its switches and network three weeks ago. It's...

Crescent reaches into Cherry Creek. (Crescent Real Estate Equities Inc.)
February 14, 1997... Two buildings sold for $40M Fort Worth-based Crescent Real Estate Equities Inc. will be the biggest owner of office space in upscale Cherry Creek, as part of a $40 million purchase. The ravenously acquisitive Texas real estate investment...

Charles Schwab doubling call center. (Charles Schwab & Company Inc.)
February 14, 1997... Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., metropolitan Denver's largest stock brokerage, is putting stock in its future here by almost doubling the size of its 900-employee Cherry Creek call center. With the Denver central business district, the upscale...

Coyote fans protest mysterious hunt. (animal rights activism)
February 14, 1997... Coyote lovers everywhere are howling mad about a mysterious coyote-shooting contest held on the Western Slope in November. Wildlife officials have been inundated with e-mail messages and letters from all over the world protesting the contest....

Mesa Air threatens to yank DIA flights. (Mesa Air Group Inc.; Denver International Airport)
February 14, 1997... Mesa Air Group Inc. has sent a clear warning that it could pull flights out of Denver International Airport if it fails to get its costs under control. The new airport's higher expenses, combined with compliance costs for stricter federal...

HMB Partners offers portfolio for $100 mil. (HMB Partners Inc.)
February 14, 1997... Proceeds to fund new purchases Real estate investors Tom Morrill and Don Beauregard of Englewood are about to cash out of their Denver-area office holdings, in this region's biggest portfolio sale in several years. HMB Partners Inc., the...

Radiation, CPAs snag attention of legislators. (certified public accountants)(Column)
February 14, 1997... Journalists are notorious for pushing deadlines, but legislators aren't much better. A slew of bills came in just under the wire. Senators introduced 53 bills Jan. 24, their official deadline, and the House introduced about 76 bills Jan. 30....

Dvorak joins the race for Internet ad dollars. (Dvorak Internet Development)(Column)
February 14, 1997... I used to cover advertising in Denver, and lately it feels like I never left the beat. The source of my dela vu is the fevered craze of tying Internet ventures to the mighty ad dollar. Everyone with a domain name and a frazzled accountant...

Musicals the right note for Town Hall's success. (the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center)(Column)
February 14, 1997... Just a few years ago, the future was very uncertain for the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center. The theater was $20,000 in debt, most of its board members had quit, the staff wasn't being paid and no one was coming to the shows. The city of...

Defense blasting away at prosecution's case. (the Oklahoma City, OK bombing case)(Column)
February 14, 1997... The defense teams in the Oklahoma City bombing case are ratcheting up the heat on prosecutors as Timothy McVeigh's trial looms closer. About a week ago, they broadly challenged the government's scientific evidence. Next, they intend to...

Angel network plays cupid for startups. (Colorado Capital Alliance Inc.)(Small Business Strategies)
February 14, 1997... Colorado Capital Alliance Inc. helps match investors, entrepreneurs For small businesses seeking capital, angel investors are like a gift from heaven, yet finding them can be hell. The Colorado Capital Alliance Inc. hopes to change that....

Preventing a lawsuit. (avoiding costly litigation)(Small Business Strategies)
February 14, 1997... How can avoid costly litigation The story has become all too familiar to businesses. The unhappy departure of an employee erupts into a full-blown civil lawsuit complete with harsh accusations of mistreatment, misconduct and general...

Lawsuits: a family threat.(Small Business Strategies)(Column)
February 14, 1997... Lawsuits, or threats of lawsuits, can literally tear families apart. Parents and children on the outs. Siblings suing siblings because of ill-conceived wills (or lack thereof) prepared by the parents. Siblings trying to resolve problems created...

Take sexual harassment charges seriously.(Small Business Strategies)
February 14, 1997... Civil claims can result in expensive court battles and unwanted publicity Sexual harassment is the buzzword that has employers quivering in their boots. Claims of sexual harassment can lead to big lawsuits and bad press. Few realize that...

New Microsoft Excel nonessential for most.(Small Business Strategies)(Column)
February 14, 1997... Gimmicks make software appealing The version of Microsoft Excel that comes with Office 97 has a few nice new gimmicks, but nothing truly essential unless you re a developer or have a good use for hyperlinks. Among the new features: *...

Enhanced 911 may increase cell phone costs.
February 14, 1997... Mobile phone users could find an additional 70-cents-a-month charge on their bills to pay for emergency assistance, if state lawmakers approve a bill extending 911 service fees to wireless carriers. The measure was expected to come up for a...

Feds accused of computer software piracy.
February 14, 1997... Pentagon may be worst offender, but Justice Dept. faces trial soon While the Clinton administration cracks down on software piracy overseas, illegal copying of software is rampant throughout the president's own government. Software piracy...

Convention center vital for city's future.(Editorial)
February 14, 1997... Doubling the size of the Colorado Convention Center is not going to be a slam dunk. But it is a project that deserves a high-priority ranking for anyone who's serious about Denver's future as a travel center and downtown's future as a...

7 wonders can be found in Colorado. (Seven Engineering Wonders of Colorado)(Column)
February 14, 1997... Quiz any school-age youngster about the Seven Wonders of the World and most will readily identify them as significant man-made masterpieces, engineering marvels. Trivial Pursuit aficionados can recite them and even put the notable works such as...

Passengers must take stand in battle between air carriers.(Column)
February 14, 1997... Since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, airline industry productivity and efficiency has risen dramatically. Deregulation broke the legalized oligopoly and cartel operated by the former Civil Aeronautics Board and freed airlines from the...