Austin Business Journal articles from August 1992

Austin Business Journal archives from August 1992

Septic tank system issue raises a stink. (Texas environmental issues)
August 3, 1992... Septic tank systems are taking a bad rap in the debate over the Save Our Springs initiative, area environmental health officials say. While septic tanks are not perfect in safely disposing of human wastes, neither are they the environmental...

NationsBank gets serious about loans. (NationsBank Corp.)
August 3, 1992... The success or failure of NationsBank's ambitious 10-year program to spread $10 billion around low- to moderate-income neighborhoods will be proven in black and white. In a departure from big bank policy, NationsBank has announced it will...

Property owners split over downtown plan. (downtown Austin revitalization plan)
August 3, 1992... A group of property owners officially has parted ways with the Downtown Management Organization (DMO) in opposition to a proposed method of funding the revitalization of downtown Austin. At least 40 owners of small-to-medium properties met in...

Wooley says lawsuit stems from bailout. (John Wooley, Schlotzsky's Restaurants Inc. managing partner)
August 3, 1992... Schlotzsky's Restaurants Inc.'s managing partner says a decision to protect the integrity of the franchise's name by bailing out several troubled San Antonio and Houston stores angered three investors in the franchising company, leading them to...

Putting meter readers out of work. (computerized meter reading for utilities)
August 3, 1992... New invention A small Austin company thinks it can revolutionize households across the United States. American Innovations Inc. has come up with a computer board less than 4 inches long that could change forever how utility companies charge...

Long-term-care policy a prudent plan. (Focus: Retirement)
August 3, 1992... Lena and Buford Lankford can be found in the garden most afternoons, watching the birds and looking at flowers. And on Fridays, the couple stirs it up at "Happy Hour." "We walk and we joke and we dance," said the 77-year-old gentleman....

Belisle back into cable TV. (J. Merritt Belisle forms Ponca/Universal Holdings Inc.)
August 10, 1992... An Austin-based company has completed the acquisition of all outstanding stock in 72 cable television systems across the Midwest and Texas. Ponca/Universal Holdings Inc., a company formed by Austinite J. Merritt Belisle, Austin Ventures and BT...

What mommy didn't tell you. (Essentials in Development Inc. trains employees in proper customer service) (Company Profile)
August 10, 1992... Mr. and Mrs. Manners work in Austin. But Jim and LisaBeth Schwenk don't write an esoteric column. Instead, they show both businesses and employees how improvement in employees' manners and social skills can bring profits for everyone. Under...

Health insurance studied for small business plans.
August 10, 1992... If small businesses will learn how to "play," they won't have to "pay" when it comes to providing health insurance, according to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) study. The study found 27 programs across the nation that were...

Beats 'Simon says.' (Partnerwerks Inc. conducts seminars on employee commitment)(includes related article) (Company Profile)
August 10, 1992... This may be hard for management to swallow, but top-notch employees are not the products of their bosses. "High performance is always voluntary," said Debra France, who, along with partners Christopher Avery and Larry Browning, specializes in...

Numbers add up to success for Breyfogle. (Statistical consultant Forrest Breyfogle III)
August 17, 1992... Statistical analysis can improve most any business in almost any industry, said Forrest Breyfogle III of Austin. Currently enjoying a personal winning streak, the numbers wizard has written a book that shows managers how to win in their field....

Austin to San Jose: it was a bumpy flight. (negotiations for new air route)
August 17, 1992... How about Austin to San Jose via Salt Lake City? As odd as the route sounds, the recently acquired and much applauded nonstop flight from the Silicon Hills to the Silicon Valley almost wasn't taken on by airline giant American Airlines. In...

Where does the money go? (banking in Austin, Texas) (Focus: Banking) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... Austin's as well known for what divides it as what joins it into a city. The Colorado River, I-35 and even the Balcones Fault are partitions that speak the city's name to many people. Some of those divisions also dictate where the city's...

Craven rides the flood to the top. (Austin entrepreneur Donald Craven)
August 17, 1992... Donald Craven is just about out of a job -- and worked awfully hard to get there. "I'm fairly removed from the business now," said the 28-year-old founder of Flood Data Services. "That frees me to do what I do best, be the visionary. In the...

New information sheds more light. (analysis of Austin, Texas banks) (Focus: Banking) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... This issue marks a significant expansion of information included in the Austin Business Journal's Focus on Banking, a regular quarterly feature. Two significant elements were added that distinguishes this from our previous examinations of the...

Credit unions learn to live together. (Focus: Banking) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... Anne Boatright, president of the Capitol Credit Union, recently found herself in a tight spot -- literally. Her members kept telling her they'd like the convenience of a drive-through window. But her facility at 1718 Lavaca St. was landlocked...

Bankers suffer from regulation shock. (Focus: Banking) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... Texas members of the U.S. Congress need to get new jobs, according to bankers. Just how long those jobs last depends on the legislator. Some need only to relocate for a day, while some might just consider a permanent new track if the bankers...

Where Austin puts its money: Deposits by branch location 6-30-91. (Tabular data only) (Focus: Banking) (Directory)
August 17, 1992... Northwest Total Deposits $2.5 billion Zip codes included: 78703, 78705, 78717, 78726, 78727, 78728, 78731, 78750, 78751, 78752, 78753, 78756, 78757, 78758, 78759, 78766 Northeast Total Deposits $178 million Zip codes included: 78702,...

Private planes: more than ego trips. (Focus: Business Travel) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... Dr. John Barnett considers himself a modern-day circuit rider, traveling to less populated areas to treat patients. But instead of using a horse and buggy, he uses his airplane. "People in Central Texas were driving to San Antonio or all the...

Business travel soars despite high prices. (Focus: Business Travel) (Industry Overview)
August 17, 1992... Despite fluctuating airline ticket prices and downsizing business trends, business travel is on the rise. At Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. Inc. Austin Division, travel is up about 10 percent in general, said Marty Guys, team leader for the...

First City blues: banking on a survival plan. (First City Bancorporation of Texas Inc.)
August 24, 1992... Banking observers say First City, Texas' last gasp for breath isn't only strong, but timely. The troubled Texas banking company recently released specifics of a survival plan that includes the sale of 13 strong institutions, a division of...

Loan figures fall along economic, racial lines. (results of home loan surveys)
August 24, 1992... Your odds of getting a Federal Home Administration (FHA) home loan in Austin are much better if you're an Anglo than if you're an African American or Hispanic, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) statistics....

Six women prove life savers for thrift. (Life Savings Association) (Company Profile)
August 24, 1992... Surviving as a savings and loan association today requires adequate capitalization, managerial expertise and a sound business plan. Not to mention strict adherence to the changing rules in a heavily regulated industry. While survival skills...

Woodbury an expert at motivation. (Linda Woodbury, owner of Communications Adaptations)
August 24, 1992... In the highly competitive world of motivational speakers -- some with an established performance record and routines that rival an MTV production -- there aren't too many new entries. Just the thought of joining the field could be overwhelming to...

Small printers cater to the right type. (Focus: Printing and Copying) (Industry Overview)
August 24, 1992... Small printing companies are scratching to find a niche these days and are seeing positive results. Miles Muller, owner of Hyde Park Labels, and Nick Denner, vice president of Morgan Publishing, said their businesses stay healthy by...

Publishing revolutionized by computers. (Focus: Printing and Copying) (Industry Overview)
August 24, 1992... Computers and related technology have had a tremendous impact on the printing industry, increasing both customer expectations and efficiency. David Hart, president of Hart Graphics, said the transition from mechanical presses and prepress...

Dell does well in PC wars. (sales for Dell Computer Corp.'s personal computers)(includes graphs of revenues and shipments of firms)
August 31, 1992... With all the battering, bloodshed and hype, it seems Howard Cosell would be an ideal pick to analyze price wars in the personal computer industry and predict survivors. For all its high-tech glory, there is nothing genteel about a cost-cutting...

A license to design. (requirements for aspiring interior decorators)
August 31, 1992... Interior designers who have designs on becoming licensed have until 5 p.m. today (Aug. 31) to submit their applications to the state. After today's grandfathering deadline, applicants will be required to take a rigorous test to gain the right...

Packing more stuff into less space. (interior decoration services for retail stores)
August 31, 1992... More into less. For retail store designers such as Bill Morgan, that's the challenge of the '90s. Shoppers want more entertainment and retailers strive for more efficient displays packed into less area, said Morgan, owner of DCM Inc., an...

IBM could alter the course of PC wars. (need for new marketing strategy for personal computers)
August 31, 1992... Like an aging prizefighter, IBM is struggling to defend its title in the PC industry. If it succeeds it may well upset the growth plans of Austin-based computermakers Dell Computer Corp., CompuAdd Computer Corp. and Austin Computer Systems....