Denver Business Journal articles from September 1996

Denver Business Journal archives from September 1996

Neoplan faces safety woes. (Neoplan USA Corp.)
September 27, 1996... Lamar-based bus maker Neoplan USA Corp. is riding on a rough patch of road. In late August, one of its natural gas-powered buses exploded during refueling in California. No one was injured, but the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation...

GAO: Colorado left $6 million on transport projects unspent. (General Accounting Office)
September 27, 1996... Although states complain constantly about sparse federal dollars, they left more than $700 million of transportation funds unclaimed, according to the General Accounting Office. The investigative arm of Congress reported that 49 states,...

Microsoft's Windows 97 will be worth the wait.
September 27, 1996... It's not just hype. Updated version is good A few months ago, I told you that I'd heard a few rumblings that Microsoft Corp. was preparing a Windows 96 as a successor to Windows 95. Those rumblings were premature: It's likely to be a Windows...

Indians join confab parade to Denver. (Colorado Indian Chamber of Commerce)
September 27, 1996... The Colorado Indian Chamber of Commerce has hooked a major American Indian business conference for Denver, further cementing the Mile High City's stature as a hub of Indian culture and business. The Reservation Economic Summit and American...

These retailers possess burning desire for sales. (firewood vendors)(Industry Overview)
September 27, 1996... As Coloradans get ready for dropping temperatures, firewood venders are preparing for a rush of customers. Jim Congleton, manager of Golden Autumn Firewood in Castle Rock, said business picks up dramatically when the weather changes....

Congress takes notice of small biz. (small business)
September 27, 1996... WASHINGTON, D.C. - For better or worse, the 104th Congress will have an impact on small businesses for years to come. After opening the doors to at least 18 bills that directly affect small businesses, Congress and President Clinton already...

CU space program takes off; graduates find plenty of jobs. (University of Colorado)
September 27, 1996... Rolf Miller, a University of Colorado aerospace grad student, isn't looking for work. But that hasn't stopped the job offers from beckoning him to a field that many were eulogizing just a few years ago. "In fact, I haven't spent any time...

McCormick advocates telecom dereg abroad. (U S West Inc. Chmn. Richard McCormick)
September 27, 1996... Baby Bell aggressive outside core region For months, U S West Communications has quarreled with companies that want to jump into the local phone business. But outside its core 14-state region, U S West Inc. Chairman Richard McCormick sits...

Colo. grain, cattle biz expecting better year; 1995 drought a distant memory.(Industry Overview)
September 27, 1996... Colorado's grain and cattle industries are slowly rebounding from last year's devastating drought on the southeastern and east central plains. The drought killed 18 million bushels of winter wheat, worth $108 million, and put the cattle...

HMOs opening doors to chiropractic care; competitors Kaiser, FHP follow same path to alternative medicine. (health maintenance organization; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.; FHP of Colorado)
September 27, 1996... Colorado's two largest health-maintenance organizations will begin offering chiropractic coverage early next year. Kaiser Permanente and FHP of Colorado recently signed agreements with separate groups of chiropractors to provide the added...

U S West Communications slams into a ROC. (Regional Oversight Committee conference on telecom rules)
September 27, 1996... Regulators from 14 states are gathering in Minneapolis to enjoy a brief respite from the storm swirling around U S West Communications. The Regional Oversight Committee convenes Sept. 30. U S West executives, their counterparts at competing...

Software program provides info stream; freebie available on Web soon. (Dvorak Development's software)
September 27, 1996... The scrolling news and weather updates popularized by television could soon grace the bottoms of personal computer screens everywhere. Louisville-based Dvorak Development Inc. has a new software program that reduces repetitive cyber searches...

Congress may clamp lid on apartment dwellers.
September 27, 1996... WASHINGTON, D.C. - Apartment owners and managers may soon have the legal right to set occupancy standards on rental properties if Congress amends the Fair Housing Act which has protected tenants against discrimination. Congress is...

Metro takes on inmate education; Lookout Mountain school gives youths a second chance. (Metropolitan State College of Denver)
September 27, 1996... Juveniles serving jail time at Colorado's only maximum-security facility for youthful offenders are learning that there is more to life than violence, gangs and graffiti - there's also business. Under the direction of Metropolitan State...

Distance learning creates options, sparks debate; Western governors plan virtual university. (Western states)
September 27, 1996... Technology-driven changes in educational delivery are creating an expanded menu of options for degree-seeking students of all ages, while delivering quite a jolt to time-honored academic practices. Once-staid institutions of higher learning,...

Computer-based training a cost-effective solution.
September 27, 1996... Managers constantly have to show that their decisions are cost effective. This is particularly true in the area of training. Few people debate the need for training, but finding dollars in the budget for a new training program can be difficult....

PERA pushes for plumper pensions. (Public Employees Retirement Association)
September 20, 1996... Colorado's largest pension fund will ask the Legislature for permission to sweeten the retirement nest eggs for tens of thousands of state workers and public school employees. The Public Employees Retirement Association wants to increase the...

Two sites courting Sun plant. (Interlocken business park; Meridian International Business Center; Sun Microsystems Inc.)
September 20, 1996... The Interlocken business park near Broomfield hopes Sun Microsystems Inc. will shine over a hefty chunk of its 963 acres. But as the Boulder County office park tries to score a big win with Sun, its Interlocken Conference Resort lags far...

Let's make a KN deal. (KN Energy Inc.)
September 20, 1996... Hall remakes staid energy firm While some regional pipeline companies are still figuring out how they fit into a new era of competition, Larry Hall has reorganized K N Energy Inc. around deregulated businesses. The chairman, president and...

Retirement plan targets small business. (Savings Incentive Match for Employees)(Health Care & Employee Benefits)
September 20, 1996... Low set-aside cap a deterrent for company owners The federal government has unveiled a new retirement plan that promises to make life easier for small business, but not everyone may bite. President Clinton signed the Savings Incentive...

Military construction in high gear.
September 20, 1996... Buckley, Colorado Springs bases cash in on satellite expansion plan Even as military bases fall under the federal ax and the Pentagon pares down overall, the federal government will continue to pump significant funds into military...

Flats cuts starting to hurt. (unemployment)
September 20, 1996... Report details ripple effect Spillover from the 3,000 job cuts at Rocky Flats the last 33 months has cost the metro economy 2,300 additional non-Flats jobs, not to mention $200 million in lost wages. Until recently, a fast-moving metro...

State purchasing cooperative in works.(Health Care & Employee Benefits)
September 20, 1996... Combination of public employees, retirees could weigh in at 100,000 What does an 800-lb. gorilla pay for health insurance? The answer is not "whatever it wants," as the old saying goes. But a 1,600-lb. gorilla . . . that's another story....

Gold Systems develops Internet phone software.
September 20, 1996... A Boulder company has developed software that lands it squarely in an emerging industry: Internet phone service. Gold Systems' "Click-N-Call" product is designed for retailers, insurance and other companies that have World Wide Web pages. At...

FCC spikes covenants barring satellite dishes.
September 20, 1996... Neighborhood community associations lose power to ban antennae Neighborhood homeowner associations won't be allowed to ban most types of modern satellite dishes under new rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission. That change...

War drops newspaper price to 8 cents. (Denver Post; Rocky Mountain News)
September 20, 1996... Rocky, Post make weekend pitch The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News are waging a price war over Sunday home delivery "packages" that give readers a shot at getting 240 editions of each newspaper for a full year for about 8 cents a...

Kaiser plots growth through acquisitions. (Kaiser Permanente)
September 20, 1996... HMO shifts strategy after recording dip in membership, net income Kaiser Permanente, already on its strongest national growth spurt in five years, is pursuing acquisitions that could add 212,000 new members in the Washington, D.C., and Kansas...

Water grab reaches across West. (Western States Water & Power's Frank Hawkins and Jim Pike raise funds for a reservoir project in western Colorado's Gunnison River)
September 13, 1996... Aurora duo: Big aim, few assets Operating from a modest residence in Aurora, two businessmen with big dreams and bold talk but few visible assets are causing some big ripples betting on the burgeoning West's thirst for water. Frank...

Nortel billings spark lawsuit: U S West claims big losses. (U S West Communications sues Northern Telecom Inc.)
September 13, 1996... U S West Communications Inc. is suing Northern Telecom Inc., alleging the equipment maker overcharged the Baby Bell millions of dollars during the past 16 years. Jeff Garrett, a U S West spokesman, declined to state the amount of the...

Hispanics leading in business growth.(Special Report: Hispanic Businesses in Colorado)
September 13, 1996... Numbers outpace all U.S. firms September 2010 - Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, numbering 42 million. Their purchasing power is staggering. Meanwhile, revenue of more than 2 million Hispanic-owned businesses...

Testing for oil: Atoka soil samples help find black gold.
September 13, 1996... Atoka GeoChemical Services Corp. is keeping Federal Express in business - mailing itself truckloads of soil samples from all over the world. The Englewood-based company looks for petroleum by testing soil samples for significant traces of...

SBA moves to protect small firms: affirmative action uncertainty looms. (U.S. Small Business Administration)
September 13, 1996... WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration will embark on a new plan to ensure small businesses continue to receive government contracts. Following a Colorado contractor's suit putting government race- and gender-preference programs...

Royalty claims plague energy firms: leaseholders take Patina to court. (Patina Oil & Gas Corp.)
September 13, 1996... Legal problems stemming from the deregulation of the natural gas business are creating a slew of royalty payment headaches for Colorado energy companies. Consider the case of Denver-based Patina Oil & Gas Corp. The company is being sued by...

Lucent pinning hopes on Westminster plant. (Lucent Technologies Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Spinoff looks to Definity' sales Lucent Technologies Inc. will need a clear view of the future. On Sept. 30, the mammoth AT&T Corp. formally spins off its equipment manufacturing arm as a free-standing company. The divestiture affects...

Unidata founder files suit. (Ming Yue sues Unida Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Yue claims rights to Asia The founder and ex-president of Unidata Inc., a fast-growing Denver software developer, is suing his former operation and its current president for illegally invading the turf of his new company, Unidata Pacific...

CDOT hears cries to stop traffic noise: requests for sound barriers filed. (Colorado Department of Transportation)
September 13, 1996... People living below flight patterns of Denver International Airport aren't the only ones struggling with noise. The Colorado Department of Transportation has more than 80 requests for noise barriers along major roads and highways in the metro...

Red Robin flies corporate HQ into Denver. (Red Robin International Inc.)
September 13, 1996... Red Robin International Inc., owner of the family-style restaurant chain of the same name, is building a new nest in metropolitan Denver. The private company will move its corporate headquarters from Irvine, Calif., to Englewood, having...

Baby Bell hangs up on another key exec. (U S West Marketing Resources lays off general manager for New Media William Runninghorse Swegles)
September 13, 1996... Swegles caught in latest layoffs The highest-ranking American Indian in the Baby Bell telephone system recently succumbed to U S West Inc.'s massive downsizing. William Runninghorse Swegles, a Cherokee who acted as vice president and...

Modern shop class explores robot, rockets. (Euclid Middle School in Littleton, CO creates innovative technology lab for shop class)
September 13, 1996... Students at Euclid Middle School in Littleton are learning that there is more to "shop" class than buzz saws and blow torches. Sixth through eighth-graders at the school are being exposed to a number of new technologies - from building model...

Colorado embraces craft brewing industry: state to see 81st spot open soon.
September 13, 1996... The craft brewing industry in Colorado, already the most vibrant in the country, continues to grow with the explosiveness of yeast and an enviable success rate for startup companies. Colorado has been the No. 1 state in the United States for...

Spanish-language TV station makes mark. (Denver's KCEC)
September 13, 1996... Spanish-language television has come into its own in recent years, dropping dubbed Hollywood programming in favor of shows specifically tailored to a non-English-speaking audience. For Denver's Spanish-language television station KCEC, the...

Sports teams savor subsidized stadiums.
September 13, 1996... WASHINGTON, D.C. - Despite a persistent push to cut federal costs by eliminating social and economic programs, federal subsidies are alive and well in at least one industry - professional sports. A recent report published by the Library of...

Breckenridge finds many uses for brew. (Breckenridge Brewery)
September 13, 1996... Dinner dishes feature pub's ales Breckenridge Brewery recently celebrated the launch of its new seasonal beer, Autumn Ale, by hosting a dinner at its brewery and pub at 22nd and Blake streets in lower downtown. The four-course meal,...

Supply squeeze hits CD biz. (includes related article on recordable compact discs)(Industry Overview)
September 6, 1996... Suddenly, recordable compact discs are a hot item. How hot? With recording devices and blank CDs selling dirt-cheap, software developers are gobbling up the discs as fast as they hit the shelves. The ability to produce content cheaply on...

Colorado's sharp minds: inventors racking up new patents.
September 6, 1996... Thomas Crowley invented a device that may save lives. But to test it he had to have himself buried alive. "It was an extraordinarily unpleasant experience," recalled Crowley. He survived 40 minutes beneath a snowbank, breathing air supplied...

Falcon has role in Iraq. (Falcon Air Force Base)
September 6, 1996... Springs base guides missiles The newest generation of sea-launched missiles fired at Iraq this week is armed with accuracy improvements, thanks in large part to a fleet of satellites controlled out of Falcon Air Force Base east of Colorado...

Indian publishing turns a new page. (need for American Indian-operated publisher of children's books)
September 6, 1996... Entrepreneurs want culture-rich books The Lesson Problem: A lack of children's books that accurately reflect the rich variety and tradition of American Indian cultures. Solution: Build a viable business around the publishing of such...

Health law threatens data privacy. (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
September 6, 1996... Electronic access is wave of the future WASHINGTON, DC. - The passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act promises flexibility and portability for all workers. But in the process, the confidentiality of some medical...

Battle on for tape-storage market.
September 6, 1996... Exabyte slashes price soon after entering competition for customers The endless search for more computer storage has sparked a race among Colorado companies to capture the emerging tape-storage market for PC users. Long a favorite of large...

Colo. growth industry nothing to wine about. (wine industry)(Industry Overview)
September 6, 1996... The Napa and Rhine Valleys are in for some Colorado competition - at least when it comes to fine wine. How big a splash is Colorado making in the wine industry? Consider these facts: * The state started growing wine grapes in 1984,...

Boulder workshop for disabled closes. (Boulder County Enterprises Inc.)
September 6, 1996... Nonprofit group realized goal of placing workers in corporations Most businesses don't look forward to closing down the last facility for their employees, but Boulder County Enterprises Inc. was so pleased to do just that, it staged a big...

Hotel manager pushes for OK to sell booze. (Signature Hospitality Corp.)
September 6, 1996... Denver hospitality company faces opposition at Heritage USA site FORT MILL, S.C. - Radisson Grand Resort's plan to sell liquor and beer at the former Heritage USA Christian resort here has been blocked by two residents of the development and...

Texas dealer's star rises in Denver. (automobile dealer Mike Shaw)
September 6, 1996... Mike Shaw revives inner-city sales, boosts auto show Auto dealer Mike Shaw has roared through Colorado's business community like a Texas dust devil on a hot summer day. In a short two years, the Houston transplant has managed to move his...

Truck popularity drives industry changes. (sport-utility vehicles)
September 6, 1996... The American love affair with the automobile is taking on a new look - specifically, it looks more and more like a truck. Whether it's a mini-van carrying kids to the swimming pool, a four-wheel-drive sports-utility vehicle raising dust in...

Changing landscape.(Commercial Real Estate Update)(Industry Overview)
September 6, 1996... The following are excerpts from Julin's State of the Industry Address given at BOMA International's 89th Annual Convention on June 24, 1996, in Boston. Commercial real estate has seen incredible change from its infancy at the turn of the...

The Internet in business: log on or lose out.(Commercial Real Estate Update)
September 6, 1996... When was the last time you turned on the TV or radio, picked up a magazine or newspaper or had a conversation about advertising or marketing without at least once seeing, hearing or reading the phrase "dot com?" If you know what dot com even...

Deregulation means new opportunities for Colorado building owners and managers. (electric power deregulation)(Commercial Real Estate Update)
September 6, 1996... The Colorado Legislature has adjourned until next session without passing the power deregulation and property rights bills. The trend at the federal level, however, is toward opening the communications and power utility markets and letting...