Denver Business Journal articles from October 1999

Denver Business Journal archives from October 1999

HMO prospers on W. Slope, part 1.(Rocky Mountain HMO Inc.; Colorado's Western Slope)
October 1, 1999... GRAND JUNCTION - Anchored in the fertile farmland of Colorado's Western Slope and insulated by rocky mesas that turn rose with the setting sun, Mesa County might as well be Utah as far as Denverites are concerned. But when it comes to...

The big switch: ex-cable exec takes chance with HSA Net.(High Speed Access Net founder and Pres. Ron Pitcock)
October 1, 1999... Ex-cable exec takes chance with HSA Net Ron Pitcock had a good job atop a large corporation, a beautiful home nestled in the foothills, a sports car and four kids out on their own. Not a bad stepping stone into tile golden years. That...

What's driving construction?: Real estate boom built by economy and transportation.
October 1, 1999... Real estate boom built by economy and transportation A decade ago, Denver International Airport's vast runways and white, teepeed terminal were rising up from the plains on the Denver area's northeastern fringe. The new airport was a...

Don Hall takes over as health plan's CEO.(Colorado Access)
October 1, 1999... When Don Hall inconspicuously arrived in Denver two months ago as the new CEO of Colorado Access, he joined the exclusive company of only a handful of health plan executives that can claim their HMOs are making money. But, beyond his Texas...

Hotels still have rooms for New Year's Eve: reservations pick up after cold-weather reminder that winter's soon here.(hotels in Denver, CO)
October 1, 1999... Reservations pick up after cold-weather reminder that winter's soon here Denver's hotels are discovering a different kind of Year 2000 Problem. Local hotels have laid out the red carpet to usher in the millennium and, despite a flurry...

Deal with Wild Oats prompts execs to flee.(Nature's Northest executive VP Brian Rohter and other officials resign after the company was acquired by Wild Oats Market Inc.)
October 1, 1999... In late May, when Boulder's Wild Oats Market Inc. bought the seven-store Nature's Northwest grocery chain for $57 million from General Nutrition Cos., the deal was hailed as a natural fit. At the same time, however, Nature's executive vice...

Small biz fighting wage war: budgets pinched by higher salaries.
October 1, 1999... Budgets pinched by higher salaries Colorado's small businesses are in the midst of a raging wage war. Yes, corporate America, your presence is widely felt. The fuel of the corporate fire is an increasingly tight labor market and a...

Business keeps brewer hopping.(Twisted Pine Co. owner Bob Baile)
October 8, 1999... Bob Baile uses three questions to recruit new employees. "What does your kitchen look like right now? Do you work on your own car or bike, and what kind of music do you listen to?" says the owner of the Twisted Pine microbrewery. The...

McNichols ready for wrecking ball.(demolition of Denver, CO's McNichols Sports Arena)
October 8, 1999... Athletes who competed at Denver's McNichols Sports Arena lately, particularly the hockey players who detested its bad ice, won't miss the venue when it's demolished next year. Fans who got stuck seated behind a concrete support pillar or lost...

Home health crucial part of rural Colo.; but government cutbacks prompt industry shakeout.
October 8, 1999... GRAND JUNCTION - The last place most people want to end up is in the hospital. There's usually not much of a view and the comforts of home are replaced by unappetizing food, cold steel, drab walls and strange smells. Waiting in a doctor's...

Banks play role in fraud; security measures needed to halt scams.(Colorado)
October 8, 1999... Ronald "Hollywood" Johnson, the convicted leader of one of the state's most famous identity fraud rings, had a grandiose view of himself as a banker. Johnson, according to Denver prosecutor Phil Parrott, would point to a bank and tell his...

Scare tactics that work; Halloween lasts all year for some Denver business.
October 8, 1999... What could be scarier than having your business's entire fiscal year rest on the sales of just one month? For the businesses that specialize in the spooky, Halloween isn't just a night, it's a way of life. All Hallow's Eve has emerged as a...

Sprint PCS sued by two customers; pair says taxes wrongly added to bills.
October 8, 1999... A pair of Arapahoe County mobile phone users have filed a complaint against Sprint PCS, charging that the company has been unjustly attaching taxes to their monthly bills. Eric Darts and Lane Callow claim that Sprint PCS charged them sales...

Limo business accelerates with pace of the economy.(Denver, CO's limousine services industry)
October 8, 1999... Denver's limousine industry is riding in the fast lane. A strong economy has more people turning to limousines than ever before, including business people who once shunned the service as a wasteful expense. Corporate customers now...

Sevo Miller plans HQ at Lowry office park.(Lowry Redevelopment Authority's PowerHouse Plaza business park)
October 8, 1999... The Lowry Redevelopment Authority has been pitching its new PowerHouse Plaza business park hard to commercial real estate brokerages to attract their clients. But one of those brokerages has done the authority one better by signing on as an...

Tiny device takes the mess out of blood work.(Medical Safety Products Inc.'s Hemotype)
October 8, 1999... A tiny blue plastic cylinder called the Hemotype is taking hospital emergency departments and blood banks by storm. Katie Griffith, general manager of Medical Safety Products Inc., the Englewood company that created and now manufacturers...

'Frankenfoods' fuss may nibble at Colo.'s corn.(genetically modified plants)
October 8, 1999... You'd think they had fangs or electrodes sticking out of them judging from the way people around the world have reacted to genetically altered plants. Referred to as "Frankenfoods," products such as corn, potatoes and soybeans that have...

Vendors compete for Mile High.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Stadium district to pick concessionaire The race for the new Mile High Stadium's hotly contested, extremely lucrative food and beverage business is heading toward the finish line. What's more, that process has become a game of musical...

RTC's ghost lives on.(remains of the S&L crisis)
October 15, 1999... Parts of S&Ls still must be resolved Business Journal Estate Editor The good national economy of the 1990s has helped the federal government sell most of the thrifts' real estate and loans, and recoup some on their vast losses. Signet...

Literary lions invade Denver.(three conventions at the Adam's Mark Hotel)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... The click-clack-click of fingers pecking at keyboards will become a familiar sound at the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Denver. The hotel -- Denver's largest -- will be the site next year of the World Horror Convention, a gathering of...

Murder, he wrote.(novelist Stephen White)
October 15, 1999... Enid Schantz remembers when she first heard that Stephen White was writing a book. "He told us he was working on a mystery novel," says Schantz, co-owner with her husband Tom of the Rue Morgue mystery book store in Boulder. "We hear that...

Wave of change sweeps PacifiCare.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Effects on Colorado operations uncertain Changes could be brewing at PacifiCare of Colorado as the health plan's Santa Ana, Calif.-based parent, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. completes a company-wide restructuring that includes...

Kid expert tells parents what to do.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Calling all parents. Concerned about your teen-ager's behavior? Feeling left in the dark about what your child is thinking or feeling? Well, the solution is at your fingertips. Colorado Parent magazine, Ralph Schomp Automotive, The...

High Security High.(security at Douglas County schools)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... The tragedy at Columbine has sparked a proposal to upgrade security at all Douglas County schools. The Safety and Security Task Force, made up of school district officials and representatives from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, is...

Pilot program takes off.(faculty and business students apply their business acumen)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Metro State College's U S West Center for Business Success opened its doors Oct. 12. Started with a $1 million grant from the U S West Foundation, the center gives faculty and business students the opportunity to apply their business acumen to...

Airfares soar.(three major airlines plan to lower commission to agents on ticket purchases)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Travel agents across the state are up-in-arms over the decision by three major airlines to lower the commission they pay agents on ticket purchases by a collective 37 percent. United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta also joined the rest of...

Tenants sign on for holidays.(seasonal retailers)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Kiosks ring bells for retail centers The day after Thanks-giving used to signal the beginning of the holiday season fox Denver's shopping centers. But these days, leasing agents at the malls might argue that the season begins the day after...

Bank makes a smooth transition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... FirstBank Holding Company of Colorado could offer Pakistan a few tips on peaceful transitions of power. In a move that it makes every seven to 10 years, the state's largest independent banking group will rotate its top leadership as it...

Restaurants luring workers with perks.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... With a labor market as tight as Denver's restaurant business has ever seen, finding a quality staff has become a major obstacle for new restaurants entering the market and the city's mainstays alike. "It's a big problem right now' said Pete...

Corrections and amplifications.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
October 15, 1999... * In the Oct. 1-7 issue's story about Denver-area municipalities' efforts to educate their citizens about how to be prepared for possible Year 2000 problems, information about Cassandra Project founder Paloma O'Riley's resignation from that...

MACTEC prepares to buy competitors.(MACTEC Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Environmental company lines up $75M Golden-based MACTEC Inc. has cash in hand to do a major clean up of the environmental services business. Colorado's second largest environmental remediation company has recapitalized and lined up $75...

Governor might want to do what the feds do.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Selling and then leasing back this state's huge portfolio of office space is one viable way Gov. Bill Owens could generate much-needed funds for improving Colorado's roads and schools. But the state also might consider a tack that's being...

Oil and gas basin makes comeback.(Wattenberg field)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Technology pumps new life into northeast Colo. Rebounding petroleum prices. changing regulations and the advent of new drilling technology have pumped new life into the state's most prolific oil and gas basin, the Denver-Julesburg, in the...

Remembering the '29 stock market debacle.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... October strikes fear in the hearts of veteran stock investors for good cause. The spirits of market crashes and panics past haunt this month as no other. Many readers probably remember the crash of Oct. 19, 1987. But that proved less...

Spies, radio, WWII focus of latest book.(2 o'clock Eastern War Time)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Denver author John Dunning, whose last book was the exhaustive "The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio" in 1998, is back with a work of fiction. Dunning's last two novels -- "Booked to Die" and "The Bookman's Wake" -- have featured the...

Goodstein readies Vol. 2.(Denver in Our Time)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Phil Goodstein is slowly writing the history of Denver. Goodstein, whose doctorate is actually in modern European history, has proved himself adept at Denver history as well. His latest book, coming on the heels of "The Ghosts of Denver,"...

Beam's book catches on.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Denver lawyer Jack Beam has a bestseller on his hands. His debut novel, "Go Blue," is a local best-seller in Denver and in northwest Michigan. Beam, a graduate of the University of Michigan, tells the story of a scheme to drain the...

A TV show resurfaces.(The Starlost)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... What goes around, comes around. That's how it appears in the case of Denver author Edward Bryant. In the early '70s, a short-lived science fiction series called "The Starlost" made it on the air. It took place in the year 2790, and...

Don't quit your day job.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Stephen King can't sing. But he tries. Best known for his horror novels, King is one of the featured performers on a new CD, "Stranger Than Fiction" and warbles the best he can on "Bo Diddley" and "Stand by Me." The two-disc...

Broadband expands concept to Denver.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Members of the national real estate consortium that just launched its own telecommunications company, Broadband Office Inc., think the Denver area is especially ripe for the new service because of its many technologically oriented and smallish...

Denver Water's litigation over broken pipe slogs on.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Denver Water has been bogged down in litigation with Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell for nearly two years attempting to recoup some of the $20 million in damages it incurred in 1997 when a 66-inch water main it purchased from a Zell-owned...

Survey finds execs gloomy in the Rockies.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... U.S. business executives spewed optimism regarding fourth-quarter prospects in every region except the Rocky Mountains. Dun & Bradstreet surveyed more than 3,000 business executives, as it does every quarter, to get their outlook for the...

Colo. finds few takers for its uninsurable health plan.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The pain and uncertainty of living with a long-term illness is traumatic and often emotionally draining. Add to that the gut-wrenching feeling that can come from reading a rejection letter from an insurance company -- maybe the third one in a...

Foothills residents fight controversial quarry.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Neighborhood groups are resisting a proposed sand and gravel pit along Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder. The quarry, situated between Eldorado State Park and surrounding open space, comes within 2,600 feet of the Crescent Park...

Quizno's making major push in Milwaukee.(Quizno's Classic Subs)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Quizno's Classic Subs, one of the fastest-growing restaurant franchises in the nation, plans to open 50 more sandwich shops in southeastern Wisconsin over the next three years. Darin and Eric Tweten, two brothers from Minnesota, have formed...

Pizza place to take over Sfuzzi site.(California Pizza Kitchen)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... California Pizza Kitchen likely will become the second new restaurant flanking the valet stand at the Cherry Creek shopping center. Although the company has yet to sign a lease, its Web site is touting a December opening for Cherry Creek...

Hike in minimum wage worries some.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... As vice president of new concepts development, Darrell Woods helped San Antonio-based Luby's develop a smaller prototype restaurant that can be staffed with only 35 full-time employees, compared with 70 in the low-price chain's full-size...

Senator loses bid to block OSHA's ergonomics rule.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration beat back the latest effort on Capitol Hill to prevent it from requiring businesses to establish ergonomics programs. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., tried to attach an amendment Oct. 7...

Aspen Skiing honored for arts support.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... ASPEN -- Aspen Skiing Co. has been presented with the prestigious Business in the Arts award for its long commitment to supporting the arts. Business Committee for the Arts Inc. and Forbes magazine presented the award during a black-tie...

Springs firm in ads.(Network Communications Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... COLORADO SPRINGS -- A new ad campaign for Microsoft features a business here, Network Communications Group Inc. Print ads showcasing the company appear in the October and November issues of Computer Reseller News and other industry...

Unemployment rate falls.(Colorado)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... Colorado's unemployment rate dropped to 2.8 percent during August, according to new figures from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The drop was slight -- just two-tenths of 1 percentage point -- but helped push the jobless...

Casino income climbs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... BLACK HAWK -- Black Hawk Gaming & Development Co., which owns the Gaming Hotel Casino here, saw net income for the six months ended June 30 climb by 121 percent. Income reached $1.9 million from $854,000 a year earlier. The company...

Miner to aid museum.(AngloGold North America)(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... VICTOR -- AngloGold North America, a Golden-based gold miner, has donated $50,000 to help expand the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum here. The museum is named after the broadcaster who started in journalism in Victor. The current museum...

Chamber offers Web deal.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 15, 1999... GLENWOODS SPRINGS -- The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association has gone into the Internet business. The association is offering to host Web sites on its server for $250 a year, which includes free e-mail for employees of a company...

Purchase in the works.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... COLORADO SPRINGS -- A subsidiary of Kinetiks.com Inc. has acquired Denver-based Imagenuity Inc., an Internet consulting company. The deal is scheduled to close before Nov. 1 and hinges on a $1 million private placement.

KJCT-TV gets fancy.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... GRAND JUNCTION -- ABC affiliate KJCT-TV has turned to technology developed by a California company to produce splashy promos celebrating the station's 20th anniversary. Pinnacle Systems Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., developed the...

Facility will reopen.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... OLATHE -- Louisiana-Pacific Corp. will reopen its structural panels facility here, a week after it was damaged by a fire. The company won't resume manufacturing, though, until the cause of the fire can be determined.

Colfax's golden era.
October 15, 1999... Director looks back at maligned avenue Everyone knows about the seedy, impoverished reputation of Colfax Avenue. The 26-mile corridor is a melting pot of cultures and permeates with the scent of a tumultuous history. What everyone may...

Reforms could help small business.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Measures would limit how much victims can collect in lawsuits It's easy to find small businesses that have been victimized by frivolous lawsuits. Roger R. Geiger, executive director of the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of...

Colfax restraurateur re-opens Sammy's doors.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... If there is one business owner who bonds Colfax Avenue's past, present and future, it is Sammy Toole. For 38 years, Toole owned and managed the nationally renowned Taylor's Supper Club at 7000 W. Colfax Ave. Presently, Toole operates the Ramada...

NEWSMAKERS.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Accounting Scott I. Raberge is the new director of sales with Asset Management Outsourcing Inc. Raberge brings more than 15 years experience in the accounts receivable industry. Prior to joining Asset Management Outsourcing, Raberge was...

SBA seeks nominations for Year 2000 awards.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Nominations for Colorado's Year 2000 Small Business Person of the Year award, Small Business Advocate awards, and other special category awards are now being accepted by the Small Business Administration. The SBA's Colorado District Office...

Women's workshop.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Susan Van Vleet Consultants Inc. will host a dinner at the Hilton Gardens Hotel, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "Women Moving Forward" workshop. Susan Van Vleet will speak on "The Future of Women: Preparation for the...

Executives' conference.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Colorado Chamber of Commerce Executives is holding its annual 1999 fall conference Nov. 3-5 in Vail. The Congress of Chambers will convene at the conference to discuss important topics relevant to chambers across the state and to...

Polk American Express Travel.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Polk American Express Travel, a major business, and leisure travel agency in the Denver Tech Center, has expanded its business with the acquisition of Mark II Travel, a South Denver agency that has been in business 16 years.

SIGN-A-RAMA.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... SIGN-A-RAMA, Denver's leading full-service, quick sign franchise center located at 6842 S. Yosemite St. has acquired Sign World of Colorado and Banner World. While all of Sign World's and Banner World's files and clients knowledge will remain...

on the move.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Hughes Associates Inc., a fire protection engineering/research and development firm, is expanding its Denver office to include services to the private industrial and commercial sector. As part of its expansion, the office relocated to new...

Housing foundation wins award.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Colorado Association of Realtors Housing Opportunity Foundation was awarded one of the Eagle Awards at the Colorado Housing NOW! Conference. CARHOF is a nonprofit foundation established by the Colorado Association of Realtors that...

Nonprofit names officers.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Health S.E.T., a nonprofit charitable organization, elected new officers to its board of trustees. Diana Whiting, assistant director of the Lupus Foundation, is the new chair of the board. Thomas J. Wegs, partner in the law firm of Casey, Klene...

Parliamentarians meet.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Colorado Association of Parliamentarians fall meeting is scheduled for Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Holiday Inn Denver Southeast, 3200 S. Parker Road The Colorado Association of Parliamentarians is a nonprofit, educational organization...

Competitiveness seminar.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Mid America Manufacturing Technology Center, a nonprofit organization designed to help small- and mid-sized manufacturers improve their competitiveness, will present a seminar entitled "The Manufacturers Guide to Designing Your Web...

Leadership awards.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Colorado Business Committee for the Arts announced it is accepting nominations for its 13th annual Business in the Arts awards and is launching its first-ever "Leadership Award." The Business in the Arts awards, which are sponsored by KMPG...

Home-business week worth celebrating.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Happy Home-based Business Week! Congratulations to those who have stepped out and accepted the risk of working on your own. Whether you started your business in a basement, a garage, or a two-room apartment you should celebrate your...

Emulators solve problem for Mac owners.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... With Apple rejuvenated, there's no longer any particular reason for current or potential Macintosh users to switch to Windows. Apple is turning out computers that are as powerful as they are colorful, and some developers, notably Microsoft,...

EAPs give troubled employees a helping hand.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... One of the most disturbing situations for a manager is seeing an employee's performance decline and feeling unable to stop it. The reasons for the decline may be out of your direct control. Often the employee is troubled because of alcohol or...

'Leenane' a real beauty.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... The Beauty Queen of Leenane," which is now in production by the Denver Center Theatre Company, is one of those dark and troubling plays about Ireland that make you glad you're not Irish. Plays about Ireland carry a distinctive taste of the...

Colorado Rockies continue to dominate.
October 15, 1999... Major League Baseball's magic number last year was 70, both on the field and at the box office. The highly publicized assault on Roger Maris' single-season record of 6l home runs -- won by Mark McGwire with 70 -- galvanized national...

Baseball spends big bucks for lobbyists.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Major League Baseball spent nearly $900,000 in the first half of the year lobbying Congress, the president and Cabinet members on issues ranging from trade with Cuba to public funding for stadiums to tax deductions for businesses that entertain...

Space Imaging launches spy-technology business.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Space Imaging Inc. unveiled a detailed photo of the nation's capital taken from space, trumpeting the successful launch of its Ikonos satellite and heralding a new way to view the world. The Thornton-based company is employing spy...

Forest unveils airport plan.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Forest City Enterprises Inc. unveiled specifics of its initial phase of the conversion of Stapleton International Airport to mainstream use last week. Cleveland-based Forest City, which did not yet have its long-delayed final agreement...

Buechner resigns from CU.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... John Buechner resigned his post as president of the University of Colorado Oct. 13. Buechner has served as president of the university since November 1995. Prior to that, he served as chancellor of the CU-Denver Campus. In a letter to...

IPVoice.com leaving town.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... IPVoice.com will relocate its headquarters from Littleton to Phoenix by the end of the month. The company already has an office in Phoenix with space to expand.

VeriBest Inc. cuts jobs.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Boulder-based VeriBest Inc. will cut 20 jobs as part of a companywide reorganization. The jobs represent 9 percent of the company's work force. The move is being made as VeriBest hopes to turn a profit in the coming months.

Encore Media expands.(Brief Article)
October 15, 1999... Englewood-based Encore Media Group intends to open five new regional sales offices. The company intends to hire at least 19 people to staff the offices. That will bring the number of field offices to 12, employing about 120 people.