Denver Business Journal articles from May 2001

Denver Business Journal archives from May 2001

Energy making a comeback.(Colorado)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Earnings show significant improvement to Colorado's once-moribund industry Despite rising prices, Colorado's oil and gas industry remains a shadow of its 1980s self but quarterly reports from local energy companies and the Bush...

Corridor project causes concerns.(Denver, Colorado)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Pearl Street business owners fear work on highway will steer customers away Business owners along the 1200 block of South Pearl Street are generally supportive of the $1.67 billion Southeast Corridor project that will hover just yards from...

Some are pulling up stakes.(Colorado seeks land for road construction)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Time is ticking away for businesses too close to the Interstate 25 and I-225 highway and light rail construction project. The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation District, which teamed tip to build the...

Colo. banks escape flood of bad loans.
May 4, 2001... Because of a weakening national economy, most publicly traded banks reported an increase in bad loans in their first quarter of 2001. But Colorado bankers say that, as with other aspects of the economic slowdown, the prob1cm didn't hit here...

AT&T slows down on cable work.(Colorado)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... AT&T Broadband is about halfway done with $200 million in promised system upgrades in the metro area, but the company has slowed down construction in the last month, according to Denver officials. When Denver voters approved AT&T...

Doughnuts are good, but $8,000?(Krispy Kreme auction winner)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Wow! These Krispy Kreme doughnuts arc more popular than we thought. A Krispy Kreme auction item at the Make-A-Wish Foundation ball April 28 fetched a whopping $8,000. The successful bidder was none other than Suzanne Phillips, mother of...

Economy remains strong.(Denver)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Think the economy's getting soft in Denver? Better look again. The U.S. Department of Labor and Employment reports that approximately 35,000 jobs were "open for hire" in the Denver area between Nov. 15, 2000, and Jan. 31, 2001, almost...

We know it when we see it.(Colorado's quality of life)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Predictably, "quality of life" came up in the 45-minute conversation with two visiting Ernst & Young consultants helping the Boeing Co. with its headquarters move and Denver staffing consultant Phil Heinschel. The consultants asked Heinschel to...

KNUS lives up to its name.(radio station to report on afternoon traffic congestion)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Here's one upside to the start of the Southeast Corridor Project construction. Radio station KNUS (710 AM) is adding a fulltime news program for its afternoon drive-time slot, 4-7 p.m. weekdays. KNUS program director Gregg Cassidy said "with...

Good advice not taken.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Do you hear something? Sunday's Rocky Mountain News editorial (inside the Sunday Denver Post) excoriated Mayor Wellington Webb for rejecting the advice of his blue-ribbon panel on Winter Park. Said the Rocky, "why not put [Winter Park] up...

Entrepreneur speaks his own language.(Entrepreneur developes new computer language)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... A local entrepreneur is launching a new computer language created to help business executives understand the structure of their companies and better communicate project needs to their IT departments. "There's a gap between business and IT...

Cartier opens in Cherry Creek.(jewerly store opens in new shopping center)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Famed international jeweler Cartier is betting that customers will take a shine to its newly opened Cherry Creek shopping center location. Located on the lower level next to Saks Fifth Avenue, the nearly 2,000-square-foot store will feature...

Molly's hits the big 2-Oh.(Molly's of Denver clothing store)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Coco Chanel once said "Fashion fades. Only style remains." Not only does that quote appear prominently inside women's clothing retailer Molly's of Denver, but it also serves as a fitting mantra for the 20-year-old store that got its start...

Corrections and amplifications.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... * In the April 20-26 list of Fastest Growing Small Colorado Private Companies, the Web address for Telsoft Corp. was incorrect. The firm's correct Web address is www.telsoftcorp.com. In an article about Telsoft, the name of the firm's European...

470 link to be funded with $375M in bonds.(highway construction funded by consturction bonds)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The board of the Northwest Parkway Public Highway Authority has given its blessing to issuing $375 million in construction bonds in June. The board gave its approval even though final approvals from the Colorado Department of...

Newmont will cut staff.(gold mining company plans layoffs)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp. will cut 5 percent of its staff. The reductions, which will be made through a voluntary early retirement program and attrition, is expected to cut the company's work force to about 3,000. A gold mining...

Northglenn hotel sued.(Holiday Inn Northglenn)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court against John Q. Hammons Hotels which operates the Holiday Inn Northglenn. The EEOC alleges the hotel refused to hire a deaf applicant for a...

Retirement plans hurt.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... A new report by a Denver-based trade group shows that the stock market's recent travails have hurt this country's equity-dependent retirement plans. Investments in 401(k) plans stayed fairly level from 1999 to 2000, increasing a relatively...

Denver homes hold value.(housing cost study in Devener)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Denver is a good place to own a home. That's according to a new study by the management consulting firm Runzheimer International. Runzheimer found that the value of a home in Denver has moved up by 50.8 percent during the past six years....

Future bright at DIA.(Denver International Airport approved by Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Denver International Airport shouldn't have any problems over the next decade, according to a new report by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA found that DIA has sufficient capacity to handle flights in good weather and bad, and...

Barrett rejects offer.(Barrett Resources Corp. has rejected acquisition bid)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Denver-based oil and gas company Barrett Resources Corp. has rejected the latest offer from Shell Oil Co. Shell, which last month offered $50 a share for Barrett's stock, last week upped the ante to $60 a share.

Circulations down.(The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... The circulations of both The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News are down. A new report by the Audit Bureau of Circulations says circulation of the News is down 17.9 percent, to 336,467 average weekday readers. The Post, meanwhile, saw its...

Localbusiness.com quits.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Localbusiness.com, an Internet business news company based in Fort Lauderdale, shut down on May 1. The site carried news about small and mid-sized companies in about 25 cities, including Denver. Former localbusinesses.com Managing Editor...

Brockovich to speak.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Erin Brockovich, whose story was told in the hit movie "Erin Brockovich" starring Julia Roberts, will deliver the commencement address to graduates of Denver-based Jones International University. The university, an online learning center,...

Qwest to pay fine.(Qwest Communications International Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Qwest Communications International Inc. will pay a $350,000 fine to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection as a result of accusations that it used deceptive advertising and slamming practices. Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike...

On Command gets new CEO.(Carl E. Vogel )(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... On Command Corp. has a new CEO along with a number of changes in its senior management team. Carl E. Vogel was named CEO for the Denver-based company while his predecessor, Jerome H. Kern, will remain chairman of the board. On Command...

Apartment vacancy rate falls during first quarter.(Denver area)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Average monthly rent climbs a bit to $796.86 Vacancy rates for apartments in the metro area decreased 4.5 percent during the first quarter of 200l, down from an overall rate of 4.7 percent for the fourth quarter of 2000. A year ago, the...

REI store gets award.(Named one of the top ten green projects by the American Institute of Architects)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The American Institute of Architects recently named the Recreational Equipment Inc. -- known better in these parts as REI -- store in the Central Platte Valley one of the "Top Ten Green Projects" for 2001. The 94,000-square-foot flagship store...

Bank builds headquarters.(Young Americans Bank)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Young Americans Education Foundation broke ground on its new headquarters building at First Avenue and Monroe Street in Cherry Creek. The headquarters will be home to Young Americans Bank, Young AmeriTowne, International Town and other...

Former U S West execs are down on their luck.(Track records of some former U S West executives are not good)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Some are watching new firms crumble Some of us have the Midas touch and some of us don't. That touch appears to have eluded a few former U S West communications executives who ventured to other telecommunications companies only to have...

Broadband bill battle.(Small telecom companies oppose House Bill 1542)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Small telecom companies waged war against an Internet and broadband bill in Washington during the last week of April. The companies argued that House Bill 1542, co-sponsored by Reps. Billy Tauzin, R-La. and John Dingell, D-Mich., would...

GlobeImmune hits road to raise venture capital.(Biotechnology company has developed a technology for vaccines to reat HIV and cancer)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... As reported in the latest issue of Nature Medicine, the founders of Denver-based Globelmmune Inc. have developed a technology that could help create inexpensive vaccines for preventing and treating HIV; cancer and other diseases. The...

Children's plans divestiture.(Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado ends homecare operations)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Citing financial losses, The Children's Hospital in Denver announced last month that it is seeking to transition its homecare operations to another provider. Children's Home Care employs 80 people and serves about 1,000 patients, most of...

Aetna, Centura reach pact.(entura Health hospitas in the Denver area will provide services to Aetna members)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Aetna and Centura Health announced April 30 that they have entered into an agreement for St. Anthony Central and St. Anthony North Hospitals to provide covered medical services to members of Aetna U.S. Healthcare, effective May 1. Aetna...

Clinic gets new director.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The board of directors for La Clinica Tepeyac has named Johanna Leyba as the north Denver health clinic's new executive director. Leyba succeeds Susan Gallo. Leyba was previously with Jeanine Vanderburg Associates, a grant-writing and...

Community college runs its own travel agency.(Arapahoe Community College, ACC Travel)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Tuesdays and Wednesdays are busy days for Natalie Walter, a senior majoring in travel management at Arapahoe Community College (ACC). Those are the two days she works as a travel agent from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at ACC Travel. And if the letters...

Tourism's big show: Pow Wow in Orlando.(travel industry conference)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... All the industry s bigwigs are in Central Fla. Despite all its grandeur and importance, International Pow Wow 2001, which will be in Orlando, got off to a rather humble start: The beginnings are tied to a small table in a hotel lobby. ...

Pack like a road warrior; Portland's got roses.(packing for business travel, techniques)(Brief Article)(Column)
May 4, 2001... Planning a business trip is stressful enough without the added hassle of figuring out what to pack and how to keep it looking good. Being a road-warrior myself, I've got packing down to an art. Here are a few of my tried-and-true tips to...

Philadelphia tourism targets ethnic groups.(Multicultural Affairs Congress)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Effort aimed at minority meeting planners Not every visitor to Philadelphia runs straight for the Liberty Bell. Some head first to The African American Museum in Philadelphia, others to he African Zoar Episcopal Church and still others...

Trade shows require planning, follow-up.(information for exhibitors)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Consultants say they're surprised by how many companies sign up for trade shows and fail to make any plans about what to do once they get there. "It's always amazing how many exhibitors just leap into their show schedule without any game...

D.C.-area travel execs optimistic about summer.(Washington D. C. travel industry executives)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Fuel prices are up. Wall Street is down. And no one seems sure which way the economy is going. Officials at visitors' bureaus around the region nonetheless have high expectations for the spring and summer tourist months. Even if lean times...

Florida in the summer? Sweat and save money.(hotels offer promotions after summer to keep up reservations)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Just when things get cranking at South Florida attractions, the season ends and tourists -- and the money they spend -- vaporize. Still, business goes on. Bills have to be paid. Hotel rooms need to be filled. And residents must be kept...

Largest Denver-Area Hotels.(ranked by number of rooms)(Directory)(Illustration)
May 4, 2001... Largest Denver-Area Hotels (Ranked by number of rooms) Rank - Last No. of year's Business name, address Phone/ ...

Minneapolis' shadow not cast upon St. Paul.(trade shows and conventions scheduled growing)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Clerks and collies, scientists and square dancers, everyone is coming to St. Paul. As a result of its recent and ongoing renaissance, the capital city has become a target site for a number of organizations and associations planning their...

Denver girds for nursing shortage.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Hiring registered nurses is already a chief concern for Denver-area hospitals, and with plans for three more facilities, the problem is expected to get worse. By 2003, Centura Health, HealthOne and University Hospital each plan to open new...

Union hospital activity a bit slower this year.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Unionized workers at Exempla Healthcare may be a little jealous of Kaiser Permanente employees, who, more than a year after a high-profile strike, are back to business as usual. Nine months after unionizing, emergency staff members at...

Keeping workers fit firms up bottom line.(wellness program management, analysis and evaluation)(Brief Article)(Column)
May 4, 2001... According to last year's survey by thc Society for Human Resource Management, nearly 50 percent of responding companies offered some form of fitness or wellness benefit, including health screenings, nutrition education, exercise education,...

Cut chance of getting sick by keeping clean at work.
May 4, 2001... Does your workplace make you sick? Do you still catch every bug that goes around, even though you try to steer clear of your co-workers who insist on coming to work even though they are coughing and sneezing everywhere? If you answered...

Antibacterial soaps present new problems.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Frequent use of antibacterial soaps has become the norm in both businesses and homes. It's a $400 million industry, with more than 700 products on the market labeled "antibacterial." The belief is that these germ-fighting products protect...

Medical Savings Accounts finding very few takers.(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Health insurance option 'confusing' to consumers Medical Savings Accounts, one of the ideas for providing small businesses with more health insurance options, have generated a lot of political interest over the past few years. But, it...

CDC issues warnings on excessive antibiotic use.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Increasingly concerned about the health threats from excessive antibiotic use, the Center for Disease Control convened a panel of national health experts to develop best-treatment guidelines for adults with colds and acute upper respiratory...

Largest Denver-Area Hospitals.(ranked by number of licensed beds)(Directory)(Illustration)
May 4, 2001... Largest Denver-Area Hospitals (Ranked by number of licensed beds) Rank -- Last No. of year's Business name, address Phone/ ...

$PRING CLEANING.(financial management information)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Tips for getting your fiscal house in order The personal income tax deadline has passed, except for those who got extensions. Private as well as public companies have a full quarter, and then some, under their belts. This year's budgets...

Grads face slowing economy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Job prospects dimmer for the class of 200l In a quickly changing job market, opportunities don't seem as bright for 2001 college graduates as they were for last year's graduates. Colorado's unemployment rate went up from 2.8 in...

Pressure builds for new ergonomics rule.(Senators push for legislation ordering the Labor Department to issue new ergonomics rules)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Senate moderates who provided the key votes to kill the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ergonomics regulation are frustrated by Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's refusal to commit to a deadline for coming up with a new policy to...

Author: Let employees be free to do their best.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Work[place] 2010, an organization dedicated to cutting-edge workplace designs and processes, is presenting a program called "Work Naked: Eight Essential Principles for Peak Performance in the Virtual Workplace" -- why and how corporate leaders...

Hospitality group to meet.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association is gearing up for its annual summer meeting, June 7-9 at Keystone Resort. The featured speaker will be John Russell, chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Russell has more than 20...

Auditor starts youth awards.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Denver Auditor Don Mares has established the Auditor's Youth Awards, which will recognize two Denver Public High School students who have excelled in business-related courses while also being engaged in other school and community projects and...

Awards.
May 4, 2001... David D. Wolf, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of the Denver-based exploration and production company Westport Resources Corp., was named the 2001 Wildcatter of the Year by the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States....

Name change.(Lower Downtown District Inc. changes name to LoDo District Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Lower Downtown District Inc. (LDDI), a nonprofit organization established in 1988, changed its name to LoDo District Inc. The group also relaunched its Web site at www.LoDo.org, which includes a map of where to park in LoDo and an events...

Openings.(Realty Oasis opens for business)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Realty Oasis was formed by Mark Eibner, Scott Thompson and Jerry Grasmick as a technology-based real estate office. It will be located in the Meridian Business Park. Eibner was formerly a broker/owner with Metro Brokers Acemark Homes. Thompson...

Hundreds expected for pledge walk May 19.
May 4, 2001... On the morning of May 19, hundreds of adults and children will gather for a walk through downtown Boulder to help end domestic violence in the fifth annual March for a New Day 5K Pledge Walk and Entertainment Extravaganza. The event will...

Open Fairways benefit set.
May 4, 2001... Open Fairways, a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving at-risk and underprivileged kids the opportunity to learn the game of golf, will host its second annual charity golf tournament June 6-7 at Eagle Bend Golf and Country Club. The...

Ride with midnight tour.
May 4, 2001... The ninth annual U.S. Bank Moonlight Classic Midnight City Bike Tour will be held this summer on Aug. 18 as a fundraiser for the largest nonprofit organization in Colorado that serves older adults, Seniors! Inc. The O'Douls After Hours...

2,000 expected for walk.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Boulder County AIDS Project will hold its third annual Midsummer Night's Walk on June 16, beginning and ending in Boulder's Central Park. Last year, more than 1,200 walkers registered for the event. Organizers are expecting nearly...

Links for Legacy.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Links for the Legacy golf tournament, sponsored by the Lakewood Legacy Foundation, is set for May 19 at 7:30 a.m. The foundation is a community trust of funds received from various sources that are used to benefit the residents of Lakewood...

Bush seeks private competition for federal jobs.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Bush administration wants to allow businesses to compete for a variety of services now provided by more than 400,000 federal employees. "We're serious about it," says Mitch Daniels, director of the Office of Management and Budget. ...

Junk e-mail targeted.(Federal Trade Commission legislation)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The Federal Trade Commission endorsed legislation to allow consumers to opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial e-mail and impose penalties on businesses that ignore their wishes. Under a bill introduced by Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.,...

Chamber outspends others.(U.S. Chamber of Commerce )(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $9.66 million lobbying the federal government during the first six months of 2000, beating out the American Medical Association for the No. 1 ranking on Political Money Line's list of big-spending lobbying...

Don't get discouraged about going online.(electronic commerce)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Despite the sometimes-dismal headlines, e-commerce is expected to balloon to $1.3 trillion by 2003, according to the Small Business Administration. So if you've been shying away from setting up 'an online storefront because of the shaky...

Patience, tact needed in dealing with China.(David Everhart of Ionis International Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Having recently witnessed the strained negotiations between the United States and China for crew, we the return of the spy plane crew, we wondered what it takes for U.S. business to perform this delicate East-West dance. China specialist...

Sensitivity a must when laying off employees.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Now that the economy is heading south, companies are tightening their belts faster than you can say Alan Greenspan. It's been a booming 10 years. The downturn of the early 1990s seems like a familiar but foggy memory after a wild tequila party....

NEWSMAKERS.(executive appointments)
May 4, 2001... Accounting Gelfond Hochstatdt Pangburn PC promoted Claire McAuliffe, James F. Harvey and Douglas A. Holbrook. McAuliffe, a member of the firm's audit department since 1995, was promoted to senior manager. Harvey was promoted to senior in...

Mom's Day ranks No. 1 for eating out.(Denver restaurants)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... If you don't yet have your restaurant reservations for Mother's Day on May 13, better make that today's top priority. Many Denver restaurateurs and foodservice insiders concur that Mother's Day is casily their busiest day of the year. Cindy...

Stallone's new movie is 'Rocky' on wheels.(Sylvester Stallone in 'Driven')(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... With the right collaborators, Sylvester Stallone can be a competent entertaining actor, especially in action movies. He showed that in three movies from the mid-1990s: director Renny Harlin's "Cliffhanger," co-starring John Lithgow; "The...

'Thousand Clowns' gets a frown.(review of theatre production)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... Everyone has to grow up someday, don't they? That's the question asked by "A Thousand Clowns," a 1962 Tony-nominated play by Herb Gardner now in production by the Avenue Theater. "Clowns" features an irreverent New York City writer, Murray...

DBJ STOCK REPORT.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... DBJ STOCK REPORT DBJ Index 3.9% 1764.01 NASDAQ 4.0% 2075.68 S&P 500 0.81% 1253.05 Dow Jones Industrial 2.18% 10810.05 Top 10 Weekly...

DBJ FUNDWATCH.(Denver-managed mutual fund prices, includes April 26, 2001 prices)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Our exclusive weekly report ranks the top Denver-managed mutual funds, ranked by year-to-date total return. The information is derived from a database of more then 2,000 mutual funds. Data provided by Lipper Analytical Services Inc. For week...

Design-build idea cuts time from corridor project.(Southeast corridor project, Colorado)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Time and cost virtually dictated that the $1.67 billion Southeast Corridor project would be built using the design-build concept. The idea is for owners, like the Colorado Department of Transportation on the highway side and the Regional...

Anschutz expands sports empire.(Philip F. Anschutz increases stake of Los Angeles Lakers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 4, 2001... Denver entrepreneur Phil Anschutz is now the second-largest owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team, according to Street & Smith's Sports Business Daily. Anschutz also owns pieces of L.A.'s other pro teams, including the...

Change archaic rules for city public notices.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
May 4, 2001... If Denver still Pact two fiercely competitive newspapers, we'd be more sympathetic toward opponents of a proposed charter amendment changing the public notice requirements for city agencies. That's why we urge a "yes" vote on proposed...

Housing is moral, economic issue.(affordable housing needs to be given attention)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2001... More than 5 million Americans, including thousands of Coloradans, face "worst-case housing needs," meaning that they live in substandard housing or spend more than 50 percent of their household income on rent. In the 1990s, Colorado's rental...

LETTERS.
May 4, 2001... Former DIA official offers a rebuttal I wouldn't respond to a letter to the editor unless an error of incredible magnitude had been printed. Bruce Baurngartner, manager of aviation for DIA, writes that in 1999, "Colorado exported 150...

16 companies compete for tech awards.
May 4, 2001... Sixteen local companies will vie for top billing in six categories at the Colorado Software and Internet Association's (CSIA) upcoming 2001 APEX awards ceremony. The trade group, which represents the interests of more than 340 information...