Fairfield County Business Journal articles from June 2001

Fairfield County Business Journal archives from June 2001

Duchess: made to survive and thrive.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... ANDY HUTCHISON Duchess' "made to order" motto is a big reason why the family-owned Connecticut restaurant group has proven it's actually made to survive -- and thrive -- despite the influx of national fast-food competitors. In fact,...

AmBase prevails over IRS in tax court.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... For AmBase Corp. of Greenwich, a U.S. Tax Court ruling has provided an almost $21 million windfall to the company's bottom line. It didn't come easy, however. The company had been battling Internal Revenue Service demand for 1979-85...

Venture funding still flows.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Venture-backed companies in Connecticut are finding it more difficult to attract investors for initial or additional rounds of funding, although the money tap is still open, analysts say. "There's still plenty of capital available for...

Greenwich Sidewalk Sale backers pitch local retailers.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... First it's on, then it's off, and now it's on again. "It" is Greenwich's annual summer Sidewalk Sale, and it is set to occur July 19 through 21. A Greenwich fixture for a number of years, the sale for this summer had been canceled in...

Expo showcases area business.(Business Showcase )(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... More than 200 local area businesses took part in the eighth annual Business Showcase sponsored by community chambers of commerce and local businesses. The event was held on May 16 at Sacred Heart University's William H. Pitt Health &...

Scrambling to find business amid the turmoil.(Electric Contract Assembly Inc. )(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Vishnu Sahay has a problem. His clients began reporting that orders from their customers were slowing because of uncertainty in the electronics industry, which meant that orders for Sahay's products began drying up as well. "Two-thirds of...

Opportunities for U.S. trade with China.
June 4, 2001... From Feb. 23 through March 4, I had the privilege, as chairman of the board of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, of participating in the Greater New York Area Chamber of Commerce Trade Mission to four cities in China: Beijing, Dalian, Chengdu...

Basically, they flunked.(job applicants testing)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... More than one-third of job applicants tested last year for basic workplace skills flunked, according to the American Management Association. In a survey of 1,627 firms, 34.1 percent of those tested were found to have deficiencies in basic...

Antiques, furnishings businesses merge into stylish new venture.(Papago Antiques and Interiors)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... It pays for business owners to become friendly with neighbors. Nowhere is this more true than in the story of home furnishing guru, Donna Vita. Vita moved her successful furniture importing and manufacturing operation, Papago Home...

The List.(Directory)
June 4, 2001... Commercial Banks Ranked by total assets Fairfield County Rank Name, address and phone number Total assets Area code: 203 ($ millions) (unless otherwise noted) 1. Hudson United Bank [*] ...

Small agency offers high-tech media services.(Snyder Group)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Norwalk's Snyder Group, formed by David Snyder six years ago, specializes in advertising, marketing and public relations, utilizing the latest graphics technology. "We have four full-time employees and a host of contractors," said Snyder,...

Making it work.(business networking)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Networking, key ingredient to business success The key to successfully developing a small business in the Fairfield County market is tied to several factors. Certainly the first has to do with the product or service you provide. After that...

How to formulate a vigorous marketing plan.
June 4, 2001... One of the best ways to prepare for developing a dynamite marketing plan is to first create a vision statement. This pinpoints your long-range goals and objectives. Next comes your mission statement. It needn't be long. In 20 to 40 words...

Business development: What's your strategy?(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Business development? Competitive strategy? What does this have to do with my small business, anyway? I'm doing just fine, plenty of customers, fairly good profit margin, making a good living. Do I need to mess with success? Good...

Bricks-and-clicks most likely to succeed.(customer service )(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... The importance of customer service to a company's overall business strategy is crucial, and those e-tail sites associated with brick and-mortar stores are delivering the best over all customer satisfaction, according to the results of a survey...

Faces and Places.
June 4, 2001... 1. Dunlap-Hibbs Real Estate professionals, pictured with Walter Hibbs, president, were honored for their outstanding achievements. They are (from left): Margaret Nipar-Upton, Diane Metsopoulos Connelly, Kathy Marcinowski, Bunny Jacoby and...

WBDC Interview.(Catherine Candland on human resources management)(Interview)
June 4, 2001... WBDC programs on human resources are some of the most enlightening classes we teach. Participants often remark, "Wow, I didn't know that I had to do that for an employee," or "What a great idea to keep my payroll on budget." The fact is "human"...

Mercy College.(grants honorary doctor of laws degree to William R. Berkley)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... William R. Berkley of Greenwich, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of W.R. Berkley Corp., Greenwich, an insurance holding company, received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., in recognition of...

Assessment Systems International,.(president of Corporate Learning and Development Inc. addresses meeting)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Louise A. Korver of Norwalk, president of Corporate Learning & Development Inc., Stamford, a consulting firm specializing in motivational meeting management and employee satisfaction studies, addressed the professional user's meeting of...

Electro Energy Inc.(winner of the 2001 Connecticut Innovation Prize )(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Electro Energy Inc., Danbury, was named a platinum winner of the 2001 Connecticut Innovation Prize by the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Stamford, a group that promotes performance excellence in Connecticut organizations....

"Store of the Year".(Richards of Greenwich)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... Richards of Greenwich, Greenwich, a designer apparel store, was named "Store of the Year" in the Retail Design Awards competition of the National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers, Hollywood, Fla.

The Fairfield University Media Center,.(receives award for video)
June 4, 2001... The Fairfield University Media Center, Fairfield, received a bronze award in the 2001 Telly Awards com petition for its video production of "Aloysius Kelley, S.J. - 50 Years Priest, 20 Years President." Father Kelley is president of Fairfield...

Newsmakers.(appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2001... John Lyons of Pawling, N.Y., was promoted to president and chief executive officer of MetroPool Inc., Stamford, a nonprofit commuter transportation management company serving southwestern Connecticut and New York's lower Hudson Valley. Lyons...

Flower power: love of gardening grows a business.(TLC Lawn and Landscaping Service)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
June 11, 2001... Businesses opportunity tends to pop up in the strangest places. Just ask Sean Keating. His TLC Lawn & Landscaping Service has been in business for 16 years, but it started when he stepped behind a 20-inch lawnmower. "I was a life guard...

Newtown pays $3.9 million for Fairfield Hills.(own acquires psychiatric hospital)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Sensing the consequences of an opportunity lost and facing a deadline for voter approval, Newtown officials finally came to terms with the state on a deal to purchase the former Fairfield Hills mental hospital for $3.9 million. The...

Bank sues over errant wire transfer.(National Bank of Pakistan sues Interactive Brokers Group L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... In April, the National Bank of Pakistan's branch in Frankfurt, Germany, made an electronic transfer of $1.1 million to Deutsche Bank of Trutzschler GmbH & Co. at a customer's request. But the funds ended up in Andy White's account with...

High-tech sector creates half of all new jobs.(employment in Connecticut)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 11, 2001... In a long-term employment projection, the state Department of Labor said three years ago that Connecticut would add 17,156 jobs annually on average through 2008. The projection did not break out how many positions would be created by...

Four partners build business from the floor up.(Phoenix Hardwood Flooring Co.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
June 11, 2001... Kenneth Myatt, Jeffery Samonick, Stanley Hill and Edward Meyers had one thing in mind when they met in the dining room of Meyers' house. It was 1989 and the country was in the middle of a deep economic recession. They wanted to know how were...

Leadership as an emotional process.
June 11, 2001... My own understanding that leadership is essentially an emotional process rather than a cognitive phenomenon initially came to me in working with couples. If they hung in long enough and stayed with the work at hand, they would invariably...

Bank of America to open office in Greenwich.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Bank of America N.A. plans to open a private banking branch at 2 Soundview Drive in Greenwich. The Charlotte, N.C., financial services company has asked state banking regulators for permission to engage in "trust and fiduciary activities."...

Stealing a look.(Americans fake illness to watch baseball)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Baseball fever is a workplace problem. A survey shows that more than 12 percent of Americans who follow baseball have faked an illness with their employers to spend a day at the ballpark. A nationwide poll of 1,400 randomly selected adults...

Public laws are not always owned by the public.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Who owns the law? Not the public, at least in the latest court battle over copyright infringement on the Internet. Turns out, the text of the public laws in question belongs to a private, but influential, organization. That's what a federal...

Bank of New Canaan founders still searching for startup funds.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 11, 2001... Two years ago, two area bankers joined forces to create a new bank in New Canaan and set in motion a process to raise $7 million in startup capital. Robert J. Herbert and Donna Wilson, both former executives of the now-defunct New Canaan...

Got to know on the go.(blending business with vacation time)(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
June 11, 2001... Vacationing Americans don't want to let go all the way, according to Infogate. A survey of 1,016 adults by the information delivery service found that, even on vacation, 75 percent want weather reports and that 66 percent need to know...

MJB Real Estate Services chosen as managing and leasing agent for Wethersfield, Connecticut.(MJB Real Estate Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Westport, Connecticut. -- Mark Brockwell, President of MJB Real Estate Services Corp., is pleased to announce the management of a five-building complex in Wethersfield, Connecticut. 1151, 1155, 1177-1185, 1199 & 1221 Silas Deane Highway are...

Fairfield Hills commercial development not a priority.(Connecticut)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Newtown officials may have come to terms with the state on an agreement to purchase Fairfield Hills, but their progress has done little to clarify a hazy development picture for the property. "Commercial development is on the back burner...

Employers can reduce teen injuries.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... As the school year comes to an end and temperatures begin to rise, so too will the number of workplace-related accidents and deaths involving teenage workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 2 million teenagers...

Cutting edge.(American Diagnostica obtains cancer research award)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... American Diagnostica receives major cancer research award American Diagnostica Inc. (ADI) is a research-based, discoverer, developer, manufacturer and direct marketer of medical diagnostic products related to the diagnosis and research of...

CIGNA fires new salvo at battle with physicians.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... The protracted battle between health insurers and physicians is healing up again. CIGNA insurance company recently fired a broadside by reimbursing local physicians using a "blended" rate for evaluation and management (E&M) and other current...

Financial results highlight Oxford Health's recovery.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 11, 2001... In November 1997, Oxford Health Plans (NYSE: OHP) launched a reorganization plan following some serious losses and a sharp drop in the company's stock price. After a top-to-bottom reorganization, there have been many changes with the...

Hotels and Conference Centers.(Fairfield County, Connecticut)(Directory)
June 11, 2001... Hotels and Conference Centers Ranked by number of guest rooms/suites; alphabetically in event of tie Rank Name, address, phone number and website Area code: 203 1 Stamford Marriott Hotel 2 Stamford Fourm, Stamford...

TELECOMMUTE Connecticut.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... www.telecommuteCT.com Throughout Connecticut, business councils and chambers of commerce are working with Telecommute Connecticut to generate awareness about the bottom-line benefits of telecommuting. "A network of chambers of commerce and...

Training Funds for IT Employees.(information technology)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... SACIA, The Business Council, continues to offer information and assistance to Fairfield County-based companies interested in providing training for their employees funded under the federal H-1B Technical Skill Training Grant Program. The...

e-biz ...e-bust or e-ventually?(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... E-ventually, at least from the business practice side, seems to be the answer. On May 23 business executives representing professional services firms throughout Fairfield County, addressed the impact of e-business on their business. ...

Newsmakers.(appointments, hiring)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... AimNet Solutions, Norwalk, a provider of network professional services and managed network services, announced the following appointments. Robert J. Boles of Palm Harbor, Fla., was promoted to president. Boles continues as chief marketing...

Elizabeth Arden Inc.(office space)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Elizabeth Arden Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of fragrances and cosmetic products, renewed its lease of 62,162 square feet of space at 200 First Stamford Place, Stamford. Cushman & Wakefield of Connecticut Inc., Stamford, represented the...

Insignia/ESG Inc.(office space leasing)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Insignia/ESG Inc., Stamford, was named the leasing agent for Sawmill Farms, 33 Turner Road, Danbury. Constructed in 1986, the building has 92,000 square feet of available space.

Japan Racing Association.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Japan Racing Association, a promoter of thoroughbred horse racing in Japan, eased 2,238 square feet of office space at 1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford. The association is relocating to the site from Greenwich. Albert B. Ashforth Inc.-Corporate...

Dr. Joseph Worthington.(dental office leasing)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Dr. Joseph Worthington, a dentist specializing in cosmetic and implant dentistry, leased 1,500 square feet of space for a new office at 1305 Post Road, Fairfield. Worthington maintains an office in New York City.

Cooper Surgical.(leasing)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Cooper Surgical, a manufacturer and distributor of surgical devices and equipment, leased 91,900 square feet of space at 115 Corporate Drive, Trumbull. Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, Norwalk, represented the tenant.

The Story of Merritt 7.(Merritt 7 Corporate Park)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Before a dream can become a reality, someone must first have a vision. The year is 1972. A man walks along a narrow road adjacent to an abandoned tire factory on 46 acres of mostly forgotten land. He has a vision. He sees ultra-modem office...

Norwalk's diversity bodes well for the future.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... All a visitor has to do is drive down the Post Road to see how Norwalk's retail economy is doing. An AT&T store, Kinko's, Pier I Imports, and Costco recently opened their doors for business on Connecticut Avenue and Wal-Mart will soon take...

Gerarden has helped mold city's bright new image.(Norwalk, Connecticut businessman Sheldon R. Gerarden)
June 11, 2001... At first impression, Sheldon R. Gerarden seems to be a quiet, well-dressed, well-spoken businessman. He has a reassuring manner and exudes confidence. His office is calm and welcoming. The credenza behind his expansive desk is home to a Bible,...

Norden Park has 80 acres of room for growth.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... There have been many changes in the complexion of Norwalk in recent years, but one of the most dramatic will be the transformation of Norden Park's more than 80 acres. Plans for the future of one of Fairfield County's largest development...

Mayor Esposito enthused about city's prospects.(Norwalk, Connecticut)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... "This is a very exciting community and I am ecstatic over what has happened in the last 10 years, and we can all be proud," exclaims Mayor Frank Esposito, complimenting the cooperative efforts of the city council, the development departments...

Norwalk continues to grow, attracting major industries.(Norwalk, CT)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Statistics can't possibly tell the whole story of a community. For example, while Norwalk's population has not expanded significantly in the past few years, business expansion has grown dramatically, according to Susan Sweitzer, the city's...

MJB Real Estate Services chosen as leasing agent for 1136 Post Road.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Westport, Connecticut. -- Mark Brockwell, President of MJB Real Estate Services Corp., is pleased to announce the availability of 2,000 sq. ft. of office space on the Post Road in Fairfield. The highly visible location is located on the...

Education center added to famed waterfront aquarium.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... In addition to attracting industry, Norwalk continues to draw more than 500,000 visitors a year to the waterfront Maritime Aquarium which has been expanded into the old Hatch & Bailey Lumber Yard. "It was totally rehabbed at a cost of $9...

MJB Real Estate Services chosen as leasing agent for 1805 Post Road East.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2001... Westport, Connecticut. -- Mark Brockwell, President of MJB Real Estate Services Corp., is pleased to announce the availability of a 6,175 sq. ft. space on the Post Road in Westport, Connecticut. This ideal location in the heart of Westport...

Fairfield tries a new recipe for retail mix.(Fairfield County business information)
June 18, 2001... Business in downtown Fairfield over the past several years has been about as stable as the stock market. Several new stores have celebrated grand openings, while some small shops have gone out of business. Instead of up and down, this market...

Steel Point attracts two new plans.(for Bridgeport waterfront development)
June 18, 2001... As Bridgeport inches closer to selecting a new development team to reinvent its waterfront, a nagging question remains: Is a bigger plan automatically better? Two proposals -- variations on the same conference center, mixed-use theme --...

Court orders IBG to return errant funds.(Interactive Brokers Group L.L.C. )(Brief Article)
June 18, 2001... A state Superior Court has ordered Interactive Brokers Group L.L.C. to return $1.1 million to a Pakistani bank that claims the money was stolen by a client of the Greenwich broker-dealer. "Funds belonging to the bank have been wrongfully...

How will politics affect China-U.S. trade?
June 18, 2001... (Editor's note: This is the second of a series on doing business with China. The next article will discuss the due diligence efforts for American companies before doing business with Chinese companies.) Most Americans were taken aback by...

Letter to the Editor.
June 18, 2001... Bridgeport Hospital story inaccurate To the editor: Sony for the late notice, but I just wanted to bring to your attention that I was badly misquoted in the March 19 Fairfield County Business Journal story, "Critical care: Hospitals...

Internet law forum to cover controversial privacy issues.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2001... When ToySmart.com L.L.C. announced plans in May 2000 to cease operations and sell off its assets, the failed Internet retailer provoked federal regulators into action. "Even failing dot-coms must abide by their promise to protect the...

St. Vincent's begins work on expansion.(St. Vincent's Medical Center)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2001... St. Vincent's Medical Center of Bridgeport will begin a $40 million construction project this month that will expand the hospital building and enhance patient services. When completed, in early 2004, St. Vincent's will have added a...

Boom or bust.(real estate industry)
June 18, 2001... Savvy Realtors chart steady course no matter the economic climate When the economy heads south, real estate professionals return to the and basics, cultivating existing clients developing new ones as a way to survive hard times. But a...

H T Hampe changes name to HK Group.
June 18, 2001... H T Hampe Associates of Westport, a commercial real estate firm, changed its name to HK Group. According to founder and chairman Ted Hampe, the name change recognizes the combination of a new ownership group as well as signaling expanded...

New York exodus crucial to backfilling office space.
June 18, 2001... In the Fairfield County and Westchester County, N.Y., office market, we have witnessed a market influx of available new space for the first quarter of the year totaling more than 900,000 square feet. Currently, the market is comprised of...

Developers like Norwalk so much, they move there.
June 18, 2001... The city of Norwalk is undergoing a commercial real estate renaissance. When property developers themselves start moving into the area from out of town or opening new offices, you have to figure they know a good thing when they see it. ...

Reel loss: theater's closing hurts neighbors.
June 18, 2001... Eva Hlacs, owner of the Pearl of Budapest Hungarian restaurant on Unquowa Road in downtown Fairfield, points out that her quaint building is tucked away and hardly visible from the Post Road -- a main strip in town. Much of her business relied...

Developer's housing projects help lure commercial tenants.(Robert D. Scinto )(Brief Article)
June 18, 2001... Robert D. Scinto normally builds office buildings, but next October he plans to start developing 55 houses on a 37-acre parcel in Shelton. "I build residential projects so that I don't have good people going away," said Scinto, who owns...

Architectural Firms.
June 18, 2001... Architectural Firms Ranked by number of licensed architects within county; alphabetically in event of tie Fairfield County Rank Name, address, phone Licensed Total number and website architects...

Credits, Clients and Awards.
June 18, 2001... Kevin J. Kelleher of Brookfield, president and chief executive officer of Cendant Mobility, Danbury, a relocation management company, and Lidna Kelly of Fairfield, director of international sales at Cendant Mobility, were named by the Employee...

Newsmakers.
June 18, 2001... Edward T. Reilly of Westport was appointed president and chief executive officer of the American Management Association, New York City, a not-for-profit membership-based management development organization. Most recently, Reilly was president....

Rudy's Limo fights for dual livery license.
June 25, 2001... Roy D. Spezzano has been in the limousine business for more than 30 years; but says the ration ale behind Connecticut's livery laws have always eluded him. "It's an embarrassment and a slap in the face," said Spezzano of a recent state...

Danbury rink sale collapses.
June 25, 2001... Just when Danbury officials thought they had a grip on the city's long-delayed downtown ice rink, structural questions drove the latest buyer to the exits. Triarc Companies Inc. of New York City, a publicly traded holding company in the...

Taxi cab drivers win union fight.
June 25, 2001... The first union contract for taxi cab drivers in Connecticut was settled in Stamford last month when drivers working for the Yellow Cab and EverReady cab companies ratified a three-year agreement. "This agreement breaks new ground for...

Employment surveys send mixed messages.
June 25, 2001... More than one in 10 working Americans were laid off or changed jobs in the first three months of 2001, while at the same time America's biggest companies struggled to fill some 600,000 information technology positions. The picture of a job...

Tax cuts may prove to be a slippery lot.
June 25, 2001... I don't know about you, but I'm having trouble getting my arms around this new tax law. I can't even say I understand the name: the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001. At $1.35 trillion and 291 pages of official text, it's...

Entertainers oppose media accountability bill.
June 25, 2001... More than 50 members of the arts and entertainment community -- including Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, William Baldwin and Jane Alexander -have urged Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and...

House, Senate bills could restructure telecom industry.
June 25, 2001... While the House of Representatives and the Senate examine legislation this month to increase competition in the telecommunications industry, analysts with Dataquest Inc., a unit of Stamford's Gartner Inc., said additional regulation is not the...

Managing the pain of necessary work force reduction.
June 25, 2001... Looking toward the summer and yearend, more area companies are facing the same economic realities that have already led to daily reports of layoffs and shrinking staffs. When a company is forced to make this decision, urgent financial...

Estate of sculptor Dan Flavin battles IRS.
June 25, 2001... For fluorescent art sculptor Daniel N. Flavin Jr.'s estate, the Internal Revenue Service's $1.65 million tax demand came out of the dark. The estate filed a petition asking the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, D.C., to overturn the IRS...