Fairfield County Business Journal articles from March 2001

Fairfield County Business Journal archives from March 2001

A taste from the state's wine trail.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... What would you say if you were invited to discover some of Connecticut's and agricultural bounty: its beautiful vineyards fine wines? Eight of the state's winemakers did just that at a Connoisseur Weekend held last month at the Greenwich...

British banking group seeks state license.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Abbey National Treasury Services plc, an affiliate of The Abbey National Group of Great Britain, has applied to the state Banking Department to open a branch in Stamford next year. Ciaran Baker, a spokesman for the British financial...

HMO suits may affect premiums.
March 5, 2001... Business leaders are concerned about the possibility of increased medical insurance costs if actions by the Connecticut State Medical Society and state Attorney General Richard Bluementhal force insurers to raise premiums. Keith Stover,...

Dot-com refugees form high-tech recruiting firm.
March 5, 2001... rogue (rog) n. 1. An unpricipled person: scoundrel. 2. A playfully mischievous person: scamp. When three dot-com refugees came together recently to build a recruiting firm for this fickle New Economy, they named it Rogue Recruiting L.L.C....

Recession-proofing employee motivation.
March 5, 2001... As we hear more about a weakening economy, managers around the country are asking a couple of key questions: Are we prepared for a recession reminiscent of the early 1990s? Did we learn enough from experiences nearly a decade ago to improve how...

Change is a constant for any vibrant business.
March 5, 2001... IN HIS OWN WORDS ROY BOE "The more things change, the more things stay the same." That old adage may be true in daily life. In the world of business, however, the more things change, the more things... change. Succeeding in business...

Cocktails and the business lunch.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... For decades, the three-martini lunch was a mainstay of American business. Traditionally advertising executives and power brokers closed big deals during well-lubricated meals at great restaurants around The country...and there's actually some...

Stamford's Mayor Malloy tauts small business.(Stamford, CT Mayor Dannel P. Malloy)(Interview)
March 5, 2001... A few years ago when the Women's Business Development Center was in its infancy, Stamford Mayor. Dannel P. Malloy was approached to ask for his guidance in launching the organization. Mayor Malloy was quick to respond by making introductions to...

Industry outlook is stable despite economic gyrations.
March 5, 2001... David Thomann, operations director at ReloAction in Pleasanton, Calif., which has an office in Shelton, Conn., has seen a slowdown in business relocation so far this year. "We have noticed a slight downturn that could be just the normal...

Pepsi stays in New York.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Securing $5.58 million in economic incentives, The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) has dropped the idea of moving its headquarters in Somers to Connecticut. Company spokeswoman Kelly McAndrew said the soft-drink bottler has renewed its lease...

Why relocate here?(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2001... In both Fairfield County and New York's Westchester County, unemployment rates hover around 2 percent, housing costs too much, traffic moves at a snail's pace and office space is in short supply. Still, major corporations flock into the...

Mastering the art of the relocation.
March 5, 2001... Relocation of a small- to midsized business can be a very exciting time for a company. But without the proper planning, what was to be a milestone event, could evolve into a major headache. Moving to a new office site requires a great deal...

Demand for workers is beginning to slow.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2001... Along-awaited decline in new hiring activity among the nation's employers looms ahead for the second quarter, according to Employment Outlook Survey, a quarterly report from Manpower Inc., an employment services firm. The report, which...

Home marketing.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Studies show that the cost to move the average corporate transferee is approximately $50,000 and can go much higher for senior management, international transferees, or moves involving high-cost areas. In the past, buying the homes of...

Empowered employees.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... In this age of the empowered consumer, relocation is no different. More corporations are moving toward programs that allow their transferees some choice and greater control in their relocation benefits and decision-making, provided that cost...

Facing family issues.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... With two-career families, aging parents, divorce situations, and other 'human' factors affecting the ability to relocate, greater attention is being paid to providing relocation benefits that allow families, to make moves when these situations...

Alternative energy: microturbine, solar power, fuel cells.
March 5, 2001... What's the size of a refrigerator, is friendly to the environment and generates up to 60 kilowatts of electricity -- enough to power a small business? The answer is a new power generation system known as a microturbine. "It's pretty...

Deregulation: A balancing act.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... While California's deregulation experiment brought rolling blackouts and utilities to the verge of bankruptcy, Connecticut officials say their restructured market is in a much more stable position. "California is the delinquent teenager...

Connecticut foresees no power crisis like California.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... It's highly unlikely that Connecticut will ever face a power crisis as grave as the one that's rocked California. "There is no real comparison between Connecticut and California," said Beryl Lyons, a spokeswoman for the state Department of...

Businesses fear no major power disruptions.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... To Robert Warner, president and chief executive officer of Lacey Manufacturing Co. in Bridgeport, power disruptions are nothing new. In recent years, the manufacturer has experienced periodic power outages during the summer as demand for...

Preem Petroleum taps Triple Point trading software.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Westport software maker Tnple Point Technology Inc. (www.tpt.com) said it has signed a contract to provide its TEMPEST 2000 energy trading and risk management system to Preem Petroleum AB, the largest Swedish oil company active in refining,...

Should California's energy crisis concern Connecticut business?(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... In the late 1990's, the hot topic among businesses throughout the country was electric deregulation. Deregulation of the nation's electric utilities was viewed as the shot in the arm businesses needed; competition was going to lead to...

Comparison of prices between New York Utilities and large utilities.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2001... Comparison of prices between New York Utilities and large utilities in neighboring states, 1999 NAME Residential Commercial Industrial All...

Conservation key to avoid potential power shortage.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Michael Gilbert, Pitney Bowes Inc.'s energy manager, thinks an aggressive conservation program by commercial, industrial and residential customers will help Connecticut avoid an energy crisis. In fact, Pitney has been practicing what...

AES NewEnergy receives license.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... AES NewEnergy of Boston, Mass, has been granted an electric supplier license from the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC). As part of the DPUC's decision, AES NewEnergy was recognized as having the technical, financial...

Billserv to develop electronic billing options for gas distributors.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Billserv Inc., a provider of electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) services based in San Antonio, Texas, signed a multi-year agreement to provide web-based billing services to The Southern Connecticut Gas Co. and Connecticut Natural...

Sure Power technology helps safeguard data centers, Web hotels.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Sure Power Corp (www.hi-availability.com) of Danbury said it has applied RAID technology to the creation of electrical power for large-scale data centers and web hotels, providing the non-stop electricity technology companies require for...

Iroquois' Eastchester extension fully subscribed.(Iroquois Gas Transmission System L.P. )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2001... Iroquois Gas Transmission System L.P. of Shelton said that its Eastchester extension project has been fully subscribed. The Eastchester project will provide 230,000 dekatherms per day (dth/d) of natural gas to power electric generation and...

Guide covers distributed enemy funds and incentives.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... EFI of Boston, Mass., has produced a "Guidebook of Funds and Incentives for Distributed Energy Resources" for business owners to protect themselves from strained or expensive power supplies. The $675 book provides listings and descriptions...

Home Builders.(Directory)
March 5, 2001... Home Builders Ranked by total 2000 revenue; alphabetically in event of tie Fairfield County and Westchester County, N.Y. Rank Name, address,...

ArchivesONE.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Anita Castora of Milford, records manager at Time Warner Cable, Stamford, was named the grand-prize winner in the 2000 Excellence in Records Management Award contest of ArchivesONE, Watertown, a storage and records management company. The award...

Advanced Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Dr. Boris E. Goldman of Bethel, a plastic surgeon at Advanced Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery, Danbury was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Ill., a scientific and educational organization of surgeons.

RJS Associates.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... RJS Associates, a technical recruitment firm with offices in Hartford and Stamford, presented Client Development Awards to the following employees in its Stamford office for their work with the firm in 2000: Paul Smith of Stamford, manager of...

Dakota Group Inc.(awards)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Dakota Group Inc., Wilton, a design and marketing firm, won two 2000 American Graphic Design Awards in a competition sponsored by Graphic Design: USA, New York City, a trade publication. The Dakota Group was honored for its design work on the...

Fairfield County Foundation.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... The Fairfield County Foundation, Wilton, a community foundation, awarded 20 grants totaling $337,000 for school readiness programs. This included $25,000 grants to Parents as Teachers, Westport; Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut, Danbury;...

Newsmakers.(promotions, appointments)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Paul Audley of Weston was appointed president of The Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, an arts and science museum. Most recently, Audley was president of iMemberLink, Wilton, an online services company. Prior to that, he was managing director at...

Help wanted: bad hair need not apply.(hairstyles and employee selection)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Ever have a "bad hair day?" You may want to avoid an important job interview on one of those days. A recent study indicates that different hairstyles are linked to those all-important first impressions. Within three seconds of meeting you,...

Mall faces unusual challenge.(Danbury Fair Mall)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Slow population growth an issue for Danbury Fair Danbury Fair Mall has performed strongly since opening in 1986, but the popular shopping destination faces an unusual challenge in the years ahead -- slow population growth. A report...

Spencer's restaurant chain regains some momentum.(Spencer's Restaurants Inc. )
March 12, 2001... Spencer's Restaurants Inc. of Danbury says it has turned the corner on profitability at the unit level, and is moving along with its plans to build the company into a regional, then national chain of Spencer's Steak & Shrimp restaurants. ...

Swiss company acquires Stratford's FSG.(PrivatAir, Flight Services Group)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... PrivatAir of Geneva, Switzerland, said it has acquired F1ight Services Group (FSG) of Stratford; and Transair's fixed base operation at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France, both former units of Ogden Corp. The combination, with current...

The problem with cutting staff in lean times.
March 12, 2001... Opinion They are some of the biggest names in business: Gateway, Motorola, Lucent, Sara Lee, DaimlerChrysler, Dell, Amazon.com, Verizon and Goodyear. And they have a common denominator: Each has announced that it plans to lay off...

Under pressure, CIOs prepare tech-laden business strategies.(chief information officers)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Chief information officers are coming to the front line to defend their operations and point technology resources to profitability against a slowing economy, according to a report from Stamford's Gartner Inc. A global survey of 1,500 CIOs...

Insurance Agencies.
March 12, 2001... Insurance Agencies Ranked by number brokers in county: alphabetically in event of tie Name, address, phone ...

Globalization, Internet create need for translation services.
March 12, 2001... The combination of a global economy and the Internet has helped Lauren Rosato make a success of Lexpress International Inc., a translation service she founded in her home in 1990. A graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, she...

GEARing UP.(Cablevision Systems Corp. donates $1000 shopping spree to GEAR UP project in Bridgeport)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Norwalk-based Cablevision Systems Corp. recently donated a $1,000 shopping spree at The WIZ electronics store in Norwalk to the Bridgeport branch of the state's GEAR UP project. The program, which is a partnership between the Connecticut...

Workplace coordinates financial aid for training.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... UBS Warburg and Chase Manhattan Foundation make major contributions The Workplace Inc., southwestern Connecticut's regional workforce development board, recently announced two programs that may remove financial hurdles for low-income...

Interns available to ease tight labor market.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Connecticut's tight labor market makes it difficult for smaller businesses to hire enough help to meet customer demand -- but the University of Connecticut's School of Business Entrepreneur Internship Program is offering help. The...

Cyber-college a popular alternative for workers.
March 12, 2001... Today's tight job market has many employers wondering not only how to recruit the best employees, but how to retain them. On the flip side, working Americans are trying to make themselves as attractive as ever for the ultimate job offer....

Computer training choices: Instructor-led versus computer-based.
March 12, 2001... You sit down at your desk and among the piles of papers you see two neatly folded brochures staring at you. As department manager it is time to make decisions about your company's computer training. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Wrong. ...

College students more inclined to shop online, survey finds.(StudentWatch Campus Market Research survey)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Three new studies may offer retailers a glimpse of what customers really want in the future. The latest installments in the StudentWatch[TM] Campus Market Research series provide a detailed look at where students shop, what they buy, how...

Silicon Sound weathers the dot-com storm.
March 12, 2001... Until recently, when people talked about information technology businesses clustered in and around Stamford, they talked about the "Silicon Parkway." Not any more. Now, they talk about "Silicon Sound." The name change isn't an effort...

Website lists available office space.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Businesses looking for office space in Stamford can now log on to www.MrOfficeSpace.com to compile a list of the city's available sites. As part of a program to help businesses, Stamford has made an arrangement with a New York City real...

Chamber organizing forum on China trade.(Stamford Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... In mid-January, Paul Edelberg, chairman of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, received an invitation to visit China as part of a 16-member delegation to promote trade with the United States. Edelberg's 10-day trip, which took him to Beijing,...

Stamford celebrates first year online.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy recently extolled the benefits of the digital age after the city's website -- www.cityofstamford.org -- completed its first year in operation. "The information which one may search for is thorough, detailed...

Credits, Clients and Awards.(Marquardt and Roche and Partners)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Marquardt & Roche and Partners, Stamford, a marketing communications agency, won two awards in the 2000 Pro-Comm creative awards competition of the Business Marketing Association, Chicago, Ill. Marquardt & Roche was honored for its work for...

Newsmakers.(Ted Atkinson of New Canaan was appointed executive vice president, marketing at Home-Link Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Ted Atkinson of New Canaan was appointed executive vice president, marketing at Home-Link Services Inc., Shelton, a company that licenses software and marketing programs to real estate brokers. Since 1993, Atkinson was president of Atkinson...

Real Estate Update.(Newmark and Company Real Estate Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Anna Thonnes of Old Greenwich joined the Old Greenwich office of William Pitt Real Estate as a residential sales specialist. Previously, Thonnes worked in the banking industry. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Am Krieler Dom in...

NCC unveils website design service.(Norwalk Community College)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Having a website is essential in today's cyber-economy, but for new and emerging businesses with limited startup funds, the cost can be out of sight. Norwalk Community College wants to change all that. The school announced this month...

Developer to expand Wilton park.(DIV Fifty, Wilton Corporate Park)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... Despite widening concern over the sputtering economy, one of Fairfield County's preeminent office developers has gone back to the drawing board with a plan to add 200,000 square feet of class A space in Wilton. After a lengthy public...

Con Ed and NU fight over failed merger.(Consolidated Edison of New York, Northeast Utilities)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... After their $3.8 billion merger short-circuited earlier this month, Northeast Utilities and the Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. are energetically seeking to settle the matter in court. Representatives of both utilities insisted...

HIPAA delay would be 'mistake'.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... The recently finalized Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) patient privacy regulation provides the foundation and security insurance necessary to transform the health-care industry into an e-health care industry,...

Snow-jobs and other exaggerations.(sensationalism in news coverage)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... American news coverage is drowning in a sea of hyperbole. Not since yellow journalism's halcyon days at the turn of the last century has so much hype been heaped on so little substance. Consider the blizzard of '01. No, not the hoary blows...

Market forces push Blues to go public or merge.(Blue Cross Blue Shield)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... The Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, which essentially created the market for private health insurance in the United States and cover roughly one in four Americans, are going to have to make some structural changes to survive, according to a new...

CVS acquires Grand Union site in Ridgefield.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... The soon-to-close Grand Union store in Ridgefield is among 10 of the bankrupt supermarket chain's sites nationwide that CVS Pharmacy has snapped up, in the latest phase of an aggressive expansion drive. CVS will reopen the Ridgefield store,...

Bristol partners with Parity Solutions.(Bristol Technology)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Bristol Technology Inc. of Danbury (www.bristol.com) has formed a partnership with Parity Solutions, a provider of e-business solutions and software services, to resell Bristol's eSleuth transaction analysis software in the Benelux region of...

Public Relations Agencies.(in Fairfield County, Connecticut)(Directory)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... Public Relations Agencies Ranked by 2000 gross revenue range Rank Name, address, phone number and website Area Code: 203 $5 million - Austin Lawrence Group Inc. $10...

Greenwich Hospital lures Westchester patients.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... At a time when many hospitals face crippling financial problems, Greenwich Hospital reports a strong increase in earnings from a year ago. For the four-month period ended Jan. 31, Greenwich Hospital earned $1.6 million, compared to the...

Critical care.(hospital finances in Connecticut)(Industry Overview)
March 19, 2001... Hospitals struggle to maintain their financial strength The financial health of hospitals is critical for continued patient care. More than one-third of Connecticut hospitals are experiencing moderate to significant financial distress due...

Elizabeth Nunan.(receives 2000 Peter Seaman Award)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Elizabeth Nunan of Stamford received the 2000 Peter Seaman Award from Houlihan/ Lawrence Inc., Bronxville, N.Y., a real estate company, for outstanding service. Based in Armonk, N.Y., Nunan is director of relocation and corporate services at...

Environics Communications Inc.(to provide public relations services for Band-X)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Environics Communications Inc., Stamford, a public relations firm, was selected by Band-X, New York City, an online marketplace for wholesale telecommunications services, as its agency of record for U.S. public relations activities.

PrimeLearning.com.(partnership with Docent)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... PrimeLearning.com, Stamford, a provider of corporate e-learning solutions, and Docent, Mountain View, Calif., a provider of e-learning infrastructure and services, formed a strategic content partnership. As a result, Docent customers will be...

Change Technology Partners Inc. (CTPI).(acquires Iguana Studios)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Change Technology Partners Inc. (CTPI), Greenwich, a company that acquires, integrates and manages Internet companies, announced the acquisition of Iguana Studios, New York City a provider of interactive solutions, for $8.8 million in cash and...

Salvey Office Systems Inc.(acquired by Global Imaging Systems)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Salvey Office Systems Inc., Fairfield, a dealer in office imaging products, was acquired by Global Imaging Systems Inc., Tampa, Fla., a provider of office imaging solutions. Salvey will operate as a satellite of Connecticut Business Systems,...

Acme United Corp.(financials)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... Acme United Corp. (ASE: ACU), Fairfield, reported income from continuing operations for the year 2000 of $1.1 million, or 30 cents a share, compared to a loss of $156,000 or a loss of Scents a share in 1999. Earnings per share from continuing...

American Bank of Connecticut.(quarterly dividend)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... American Bank of Connecticut (ASE: BKC) said its board of directors voted to increase the regular quarterly dividend from 25 cents to 26 cents a share, payable March 23 to stockholders of record March 9.

Cornerstone Bancorp Inc.(quarterly dividend)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Cornerstone Bancorp Inc. (ASE: CBN), Stamford, said its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents a share, payable on April 13 to stockholders of record March 30.

eLEC Communications Corp.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... eLEC Communications Corp. (NASDAO: ELEC), Norwalk, reported the results of operations for the fourth quarter and year ended Nov. 30, 2000. Revenues for fiscal 2000 totaled $13,876,965, an increase of 233 percent from reported revenues of...

Fuel-Tech N.V.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Fuel-Tech N.V. (NASDAQ: FTEK), Stamford, reported results for its fiscal 2000 fourth quarter and year-end period. For the quarter, net sales were $5.6 million compared to $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 1999. Net income for the quarter...

FuelCell Energy Inc.(financials)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL), Danbury reported revenues of $5.3 million for the first quarter ended Jan. 31,2001, compared to revenues of $3.6 million in the same quarter of 2000, an increase of 59 percent. Net loss for the period was...

Patriot National Bancorp Inc.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Patriot National Bancorp Inc., Stamford, parent of Patriot National Bank, reported record annual earnings as net income in 2000 rose to $767,000, or 33 cents diluted income per share, representing an increase of 120 percent from 1999 when...

SmartServ Online Inc.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... SmartServ Online Inc. (NASDAQ: SSOL), Stamford, reported revenues for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2000, of $1,218,948; an increase of 33.6 percent compared to revenues of $912,621 for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 1999. The company reported a net...

United Rentals Inc.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI), Greenwich, reported fourth-quarter revenues of $751 million, a 12.2 percent increase from the $669 million reported for the fourth quarter of 1999 Net income for the quarter was $36.4 million, an 18 percent...

Westchester and Fairfield offer solid office building investment opportunities.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 19, 2001... After waning for two consecutive quarters, the number of property sales in the Westchester/Fairfield county market increased during the fourth quarter. With 12 acquisitions recorded, the fourth quarter's investment market was strong, and...

EastRidge Properties Offers Class-A Office Space.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Since 1992, EastRidge Properties has been offering businesses Class-A office space in ideal Westchester locations. The 15 buildings in the portfolio are located in four suburban office parks, conveniently located on Westchester Avenue at the...