Denver Business Journal articles from November 2000

Denver Business Journal archives from November 2000

Postal problems plague area.
November 3, 2000... The U.S. Postal Service in metro Denver is plagued by the same problems as other local businesses because of this area's explosive growth, and those difficulties have hurt its ability to deliver the mail. The local branch of the Postal...

Denver firm enters global game.
November 3, 2000... Company works on carbon credits A Denver environmental consulting company is looking for a piece of the action in what many believe will become a global game to balance industrial development against agricultural practices to minimize...

Travelers dial up expenses at hotels.
November 3, 2000... After staying at a Baton Rouge hotel for a week, Denver marketing consultant Wendy Aiello was shocked when her hotel phone bill exceeded the weekly cost of her room. "It was outrageous," Aiello said. "I chose to stay there because they had...

Campaigns get down to the wire.
November 3, 2000... Amendment supporters, foes post last-ditch appeals The campaigns for and against Amendments 21 and 24 are expending the last of their resources and energy to convince people how to vote on the controversial measures -- and an increasingly...

Campaigns get down to the wire.
November 3, 2000... The business of political polling Political polling during the 2000 election cycle has reached record volumes. Floyd Ciruli, of the local research and consulting firm Ciruli Associates, believes that the high number of polls --...

Really good friends.
November 3, 2000... Partners establish Denver 'dine-esty' In 1979, "Three's Company" was a hit TV show and a more than apt description of Denver restaurateurs Lee Goodfriend, David Racine and Dixon Staples. The sitcom is long gone, but the three business...

Survey: U.S. banks in a slump.
November 3, 2000... Colorado independents outperforming peers American banks' robust performance of recent years has apparently peaked and is softening along with the economy, but some independent banks in Colorado are holding their own. Overall, the U.S....

An offer you can't refuse?
November 3, 2000... A Northglenn neighbor was raking leaves during an overcast Saturday afternoon when he was approached by an 11-year-old boy selling "Halloween insurance." When pressed for specifics, the boy said he would provide protection against smashed...

Book 'em, Dunning.
November 3, 2000... The publicity machine is gearing up for the latest from Denver author John Dunning. Dunning is best known for his years as a bookseller and his love of old radio programs, as well as for two best-selling novels, "Booked to Die" and "The...

Contractor drops out of SE Corridor bidding.
November 3, 2000... Company says labor shortage is to blame As the Southeast Corridor oversight group prepared to release its final Request for Proposals on the $1.6 billion project last week, one of the three design-build teams vying for the project dropped...

Corrections and amplifications.
November 3, 2000... * In two recent stories that mentioned Manville Corp. chairman and CEO Jerry Henry, his status with the company was stated incorrectly. Manville is in the midst of a $3 billion merger with an investor group led by affiliates of private...

Invention makes digging trenches faster and safer.
November 3, 2000... Digging trenches for utility and gas lines could be faster and cheaper -- and much safer for workers -- if contracting companies latch onto Ron Haagenstad's invention. The Golden man, who boasts more than three decades in the utility...

Wild Oats to close stores.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 26 -- Boulder-based natural foods retailer Wild Oats Market Inc. will close at least eight stores as it attempts to reposition the company. Wild Oats is slowing the opening of new stores as well, and focusing efforts instead on making...

Coors, Molson plan venture.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 26 -- Two of North America's big brewers are getting together. Golden-based Adolph Coors Co., the third-largest brewer in the United States, will pay $65 million to Canada's Molson Inc. for a 49.9 percent stake in a joint venture to...

Frontier adds flights.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 27 -- Frontier Airlines announced that beginning Dec. 14 the airliner will offer additional daily flights to San Diego and Orlando from DIA. The airline already offers two daily non-stop flights to San Diego International Airport out...

Qwest, union reach accord.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 30 -- Qwest Communications International Inc. has reached a contract agreement with the Communications Workers of America. The contract with the Denver-based phone company begins in August. The agreement will extend the contract for...

Basin lands a buyer.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 30 -- Denver-based Basin Exploration Inc. will be acquired by Stone Energy Corp., an independent oil and gas company based in Lafayette, La. The deal is worth $458 million, including the assumption of $48 million of Basin's debt. It...

WideOpenWest networking.
November 3, 2000... OCT.30 -- WideOpenWest LLC has struck a deal with Drake Contractors to build a fiber-optic network along Colorado's Front Range. Drake, which calls Wheat Ridge home, will begin work on the project this month. The schedule calls for building...

Merger recommended.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 31 -- Denver-based RMI.NET Inc. has sent proxy statements to shareholders regarding its pending merger with Greenwood Village-based Internet Communications Corp. The proxy statements, sent to shareholders on Oct. 26, contain...

Samsonite goes to SmailCap.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 31 -- Nasdaq will transfer the listing of Denver-based Samsonite Corp.'s stock from the Nasdaq National Market to the Nasdaq SmallCap Market on Nov. 1. The listing is being transferred because the luggage company's current common...

Naming rights on hold.
November 3, 2000... OCT. 31 -- The Metropolitan Football Stadium District suspended negotiations for the naming rights to the new Broncos stadium and one district official lashed out at "political grandstanding" by Mayor Wellington Webb. He has been rallying...

Genex opens Denver office.
November 3, 2000... NOV. 1 -- Internet development firm Genex is jumping into Denver's fast-growing technology fray. The Atlanta-based company announced it has opened an office here and plans to hire as many as 100 people.

Japanese to buy JM unit.
November 3, 2000... NOV. 1 -- Teijin Ltd. of Japan has agreed to buy Johns Manville Corp.'s monofilament business. The combined operations of the Japanese polyester manufacturer and the Denver-based company will represent nearly a quarter of the world's...

Technology plays role in real estate industry.
November 3, 2000... Denver's healthy real estate market is forcing businesses and individuals to become more savvy when leasing, building, buying, selling or financing real estate. The amount of research put into the decision of where to locate or how much to lend...

HMOs making room for alternative healing.
November 3, 2000... Massage therapy is not brain surgery, but Colorado insurers are using outside companies to make sure alternative-care providers have the right touch. Outsourcing is new for HMOs, which do most of their own credentialing, but health plans...

NCCI holds on loss cost.
November 3, 2000... The National Council on Compensation Insurance, an advisory organization, is not going to change workers' compensation loss costs, which would have affected insurance rates for Colorado employers. The Colorado Division of Insurance, which...

Global signs 50 hospitals.
November 3, 2000... Global Health Care Exchange LLC, now with headquarters in Westminster, has signed up 50 hospitals for its medical supply purchasing network. The exchange was launched in March by Johnson & Johnson, GE Medical Systems, Baxter International...

Donated cell phones get new lease on life.
November 3, 2000... In the ever-changing world of cellular, where a year-old wireless phone is considered ancient technology, it's hard to resist the temptation of a sleek, new model. But, what happens to old phones when they become passe, out-of-date, and...

RTD helping smaller firms.
November 3, 2000... A pilot program by the Regional Transportation District aims to help small construction companies get the capital they need to make a successful project bid, regardless of whether a white man, woman or minority is at the helm. The mass...

StorageTek aids charities.
November 3, 2000... Colorado's tape storage behemoth furthered its commitment to the community this fall, pouring both money and time into the coffers of local charities. Storage Technology Corp. (NYSE:STK) broke its own record of giving during the company's...

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK.
November 3, 2000... Record retailer returns after two dormant decades With a heavy focus on urban music, the Colorado Springs-based Independent Records is staking a high-profile retail claim on Denver's East Colfax Avenue. Featuring attention-grabbing...

VC HORROR STORIES.
November 3, 2000... The quest for venture capital can take some scary turns In mid-1998, Jon Nordmark worked 'round the clock with no pay at his online bag and accessory startup company, eBags.com. To finance the venture, Nordmark and co-founders Peter...

Premier Bank tops list of SBA lenders.
November 3, 2000... In the three years since he took over as president and CEO, Jeffrey Lee has taken Premier Bank from No. 19 to No. 1 in terms of small-business loans. Premier ranks on the top of the Small Business Administration's list of lenders for 2000....

Small-biz PAC raises big money.
November 3, 2000... The National Federation of Independent Business's political action committee raised $8 million for the 2000 election -- a small sum compared with the $3 billion that observers estimate will be spent by all the players in this year's political...

NFIB opposes 21.
November 3, 2000... The National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy group that rarely opposes tax cuts of any kind, has taken a strong position against Amendment 21, the tax-cutting proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot. The amendment would cut each tax...

Senator accuses SBA of election-eve antics.
November 3, 2000... The chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee accused the Small Business Administration of promoting Vice President Al Gore's candidacy for president by conducting a "national public relations blitz" just before the election. The SBA...

Builders criticize poll.
November 3, 2000... The real estate industry is fighting back in the public-relations war over sprawl. The National Association of Home Builders says a recent poll released by Smart Growth America is "seriously flawed" because it relied on "leading questions"...

Mayors oppose tax plan.
November 3, 2000... The nation's mayors have thrown a wrench into the efforts of states to streamline their sales tax systems so they can begin to collect taxes on goods sold over the Internet. The U.S. Conference of Mayors says it opposes a proposal to...

BBB code for e-business.
November 3, 2000... The Better Business Bureau released the BBB Code of Online Business Practices, a self-regulatory tool for Internet retailers that is designed to build consumer confidence in e-commerce. The code calls for online merchants to post privacy...

File your patents online.
November 3, 2000... Anyone can now file patent applications over the Internet. The Patent and Trademark Office opened its electronic patent application filing system to all inventors Oct. 27. Previously the agency had offered electronic filing to a select...

Protect your business with risk coverage.
November 3, 2000... By now, most of us agree the Internet is not just a passing fancy. It has opened up the world to infinite information and new opportunities for millions of entrepreneurs and large corporations alike. But as the Internet's rapid expansion...

Make the most of your business's Web site.
November 3, 2000... How many times have you visited a company's site, only to leave not knowing what the company does? Or perhaps you know the company's name, but not its Web site address. You've searched several search engines and still can't find it. Here are...

Adopt a family for the holidays.
November 3, 2000... Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers from Advocates for Children are seeking corporations, businesses, families and churches to participate in their Adopt A Family Holiday Project. Those who offer to help are asked to provide...

Small-Business Summit set for Vail in November.
November 3, 2000... The National Federation of Independent Business will host the Colorado Small-Business Summit Nov. 16-17 in Vail at the Marriott Mountain Resort: Held only a couple of weeks after Election Day, the summit will give small-business owners a...

Griff Advertising & Public Relations Inc.
November 3, 2000... Boulder-based Griff Advertising & Public Relations Inc. celebrated its 25th anniversary in October with a "Reunion Celebration" of all former and current employees.

Awards.
November 3, 2000... Barbara Mowry, chairman and CEO of Requisite Technology in Westminster, received a Luminary Award from the Committee of 200, a Chicago-based network of top women executives. She was one of only four businesswomen in the nation to receive the...

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care.
November 3, 2000... The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care is marking its 30th anniversary. Located at 2851 S. Parker Road in Aurora, the nonprofit foundation is Colorado's medical Quality Improvement Organization, established by the Colorado Medical Society to...

Keep low profile abroad; what to do in Philly.
November 3, 2000... Recent unrest around the world should remind international business travelers to be alert to their surroundings and be vigilant about their personal safety. Even if you are traveling in a country not known for violence or terrorism, it is...

Tip of the week.
November 3, 2000... Anyone who does a decent amount of traveling knows one of the most stressful things about it is packing. Take much of the hassle out of it by creating checklists for items in your checked luggage and your carry-ons. Make a copy of each list,...

A day in: Philadelphia.
November 3, 2000... The city of "brotherly love" is as famous for its hoagies and cheese steaks as it is for the Liberty Bell. Start your day off early to avoid crowds if you want to visit the essential tourist sites: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Pavilion,...

Online services offer alternative to IT staffing.
November 3, 2000... What you get -- training, repairs, support -- varies widely among providers You know how important it is to have the technology in your being office running smoothly, but able to fit the cost of a full-fledged IT staff into your budget may...

Colorado's innovation, creativity honored.
November 3, 2000... For seven years, it's always been amazing to witness the creativity exhibited by Coloradans when it comes to the entries received for The Denver Business Journal's Most Innovative New Products special section and breakfast awards event. ...

X-ray machine can see problems.
November 3, 2000... Quality control at Coors -- now there's a job you can really sink your taste buds into. But quality control at, say, IBM -- that's a little less glamorous and much more sobering. Glamorous or not, quality control for high-tech manufacturers...

Examine body fat, digitally.
November 3, 2000... It's now easier than ever for people to measure their body fat. Englewood-based AccuFitness has developed the FatTrack Digital Body Fat Caliper, which lets people obtain an assessment of their body fat electronically. The FatTrack...

Longmont firm tries to simplify direct mailing.
November 3, 2000... Direct mail has always been music to Keith Goodman's ears. Goodman learned direct mail's power in high school when he grossed $60,000 putting on his own rock 'n' roll prom. He knew musicians from his time as a roadie for the opening act of...

Just add tequila: A party with Margaritas On Tap.
November 3, 2000... The Boulder Beverage Co. has made getting to Margaritaville a lot easier and a lot less messier than Jimmy Buffet could have ever imagined. Born from an idea by Boulder Beverage Co. co-founder Darrin Pyle, Margaritas On Tap is a box...

Qubit's Web Tablet the next home appliance?
November 3, 2000... Qubit Technology's invention, the Q, aspires to make its customers wonder how they ever got along without it. Similar to conveniences such as microwaves, VCR's and home computers, Qubit's new, always-on, Internet appliance hopes to integrate...

Kaiser freezes Medicare HMO enrollment.
November 3, 2000... Citing a shortage of specialists and staffed hospital beds, Kaiser Permanente plans to freeze new enrollment in its Medicare HMO effective Dec. 1. The freeze does not affect current members or commercial members who will be turning 65...

Teaching selling skills to the financial world.
November 3, 2000... Englewood-based Schneider Sales Management is trying to make sure that the financial services industry doesn't lag behind other industries in terms of sales effectiveness. The company, together with Community First Bankshares Inc., created and...

Web designers' tasks now easier with PhotoWebber.
November 3, 2000... Media Lab in Longmont is making it easier to convert images from Adobe PhotoShop and onto a Web page. Chris Perkins, CEO of Media Lab, said the PhotoWebber software came about after Media Lab tried to build a few Web sites and found out how...

College students, vendors meet at Memolink's site.
November 3, 2000... Keeping up with the fickle tastes of college students isn't an easy thing to do. What's cool this season can become tired the next. Just as last year's mountain bike has given way to this year's scooter craze, times and tastes undoubtedly...

AuraServe's voice mail lets small firms look big.
November 3, 2000... AuraServ Communications, an Englewood-based company, is giving its customers a point-and-click solution to dealing with their phone calls. Introduced in March, AuraServ's service called Aura Voice integrates voice mail and email into one...

Change in flight plans? Trip.com can be a help.
November 3, 2000... Imagine having the ability to become your own travel agent with only a cell phone and Internet access. Trip.com, an interactive Web site, aspires to give its customers unprecedented travel information via a wireless connection. "Trip.com...

NEWSMAKERS.
November 3, 2000... Accounting Ryan, Gunsauls & O'Donnell hired Elizabeth B. Rayburn, CPA, as tax, manager. She previously worked in Winchester, Va., and has seven years of experience. She is completing her master's in taxation at the University of Denver....

10-hour 'Tantalus' tantalizes crowds.
November 3, 2000... $8M production worth the cost It's difficult to say too much about "Tantalus," the extraordinary 10 1/2-hour post-modern Greek tragedy by the Denver Center Theatre Company That's partly because the nine-play cycle tries to say so much...

Mercedez-Benz unveils C-Class sedans for 2001.
November 3, 2000... When you think of an auto manufacturer's "entry-level" model, you normally don't think of a popular luxury sedan. We're not talking the Ford Focus or Chevy Metro here. Mercedes-Benz has a pair of tough new choices for 2001, and you...

Through the eyes of Kurds.
November 3, 2000... The only out-and-out falsity in "A Time for Drunken Horses" is the title. In the new Iranian film, smugglers get their mules, not horses, drunk so they'll carry heavy loads of contraband up a snowy mountainside in bitter winter cold. ...

Compromise needed on stadium name deal.
November 3, 2000... The ironic thing about the stadium naming rights flap is that both sides are right, a condition that ordinarily would create enough common ground for the various parties to strike a meaningful compromise. In the case of the new Broncos...

New ideas for old toys.
November 3, 2000... In these high-tech times, where business people need a police utility belt to haul around personal digital assistants, cellphones and laptop computers, it is nice to know one of the hottest toys this and every holiday season is the teddy bear....

Lessons from China and Japan.
November 3, 2000... Editor's note: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Dave Carter recently returned from a two-week Farmers Union trade mission to Japan and China. The paradox of modern China is no more apparent than at Tienamen Square in the heart of...

Some last thoughts on Amendment 24.
November 3, 2000... Thank you for your informative coverage on the banks' and lenders' reaction to Amendment 24 ("Lenders balking at Amendment 24," Oct. 27-Nov. 2). I, too, am in the lending business and see this amendment as a danger to the availability of...

Largest Airlines Serving Denver International Airport.
November 3, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

DBJ STOCK REPORT.
November 3, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

DBJ FUNDWATCH.
November 3, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Other 'Most Innovative' finalists.
November 3, 2000... Business-To-Business Internet 1. CatalogXpress -- Internet catalog for engineers -- IHS Group, Denver 2. RealLegal.com -- Online legal transcription and law brief management -- RealLegal.com, Denver 3. Employer Managr 2 -- Online...

Election sends ripples through state.(Amendment 23 will take money from transportation programs for schools)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 10, 2000... 23 slams brakes on transportation Corporate efforts to get commuting employees off Interstate 25 during rush hour may come to a screeching halt due to the passage of Amendment 23, the school funding initiative. The constitutional...

Election sends ripples through state.(Amendment 24 to control growth is defeated)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 10, 2000... After deft at of 24, growth still an issue The decisive defeat of Amendment 24 in Tuesday's election does not mean that opponents of the measure get to dust off their hands and go home. In fact, many who opposed the "Citizen Management of...

The two sides of Steve Knight.(car racing by a business turnaround specialist)
November 10, 2000... Steve Knight of Castle Rock is a business turnaround specialist who's doing something similar with his other career. He's shifting his professional car-racing enterprise into high gear and looking for the money to do it. "In racing, they...

Hey, big spender: E-470 costs add up.(last leg of highway E470)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Expansive soils, complicated building requirements and private land ownership are combining to make the last leg of E470 the most expensive segment in the toll road's history. Workers broke ground on the project in early September. This...

Doctors take a risk with surgery center.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Outpatient surgery centers have boomed across the country, but for doctors starting out on their own, the free-standing facilities can be a risky business. In today's health-care market, managed-care contracts mean money, and not getting...

Now at the mall: Holiday shopping and massages.(new attempts to lure shoppers to malls)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Shopping centers try new Christmas lures It's beginning to look a lot like the holiday season and that has Denver-area shopping malls gearing up for their busiest time of the year. Instead of just offering the usual holiday promotions...

SE suburbs move past downtown.(suburbs have more office space than downtown Denver)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 10, 2000... In terms of office space, Denver doesn't rank tops Commercial office development in southeast suburban Denver "officially" surpassed downtown's in 2000. According to Cushman & Wakefield of Colorado Inc., a commercial brokerage firm,...

Firms ponder purchase of life-saving device.(automated external defibrillators)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Although automated external defibrillators can save lives during cardiac arrest, some of Denver's largest employers say the machines are too expensive and cardiac arrest is too rare to justify the purchase. The portable machines, which...

Analysts questioning Qwest's wireless plans.(Qwest Communications International)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
November 10, 2000... Qwest says its wireless division is a priority for next year, but analysts on Wall Street say actions speak louder than words. Qwest Communications International, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol Q, argues that...