Austin Business Journal articles from January 2001

Austin Business Journal archives from January 2001

Firm's stock takes a tumble.(Aperian Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Aperian's stock drops below $1, but top executive says valuation doesn't reflect performance The stock of another Austin company dipped below $1 a share last month, leaving shareholders to worry a warning of delisting by the Nasdaq stock...

Is VC foundation solid?(venture capital outlook)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Venture capital that has fueled Austin's red-hot economy could be flowing less freely in 2001 Technology consultant Robin Curie harks back to a bumper sticker popular during Austin's mid-1980s real estate bust that read something like:...

Active Power adds power.(increasing manufacturing capacity)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Company boosts manufacturing capabilities with addition of more than 150,000 s.f.in Austin Active Power Inc. will power up its Austin manufacturing capabilities with the addition of more than 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and...

Swinging into a new space.(Journee Software moves into new location)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... When Austin startup Journee Software Inc. moved into its new 16,000-square-foot space Dec. 22, some of the builders scratched their heads and asked: "Is this a day care center?" With so much extra space -- a full 11,000 square feet larger...

Of course, Kite is flying high.(Tom Kite helps design new golf course)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Senior PGA Tour competitor and Austin native Tom Kite is one of the designing forces behind the Hill Country's latest golf course. The 18-hole course, built on a horse ranch called Comanche Trace Ranch, opened in mid-December. Kite teamed...

Taking off.(Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... For 2000, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport hit the 7 million-passenger mark in November. And the airport hasn't even finished calculating the figures for December. The airport typically sees a 20 percent rise in traffic during...

Manny awards.(Harvard Technologies president Manny Chavez)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... 2000 was a banner year for Harvard Technologies President and CEO Manny Chavez. In December, he received the Minority Business Enterprise of the Year award from the Central and South Texas Minority Business Council. The council bases...

Into Africa.(filmmaker Deepa Donde heading to Uganda)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... When Deepa Donde isn't on the front line making phone calls and writing news releases for her husband's startup, Convio Inc., she sets her sights elsewhere. And she has fixed her gaze on a place much more exotic than Austin. She's planning...

In-town innovator.(Vignette Corps. makes top 100 list for innovation)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Two organizations think Austin's Vignette Corp. is one of the Thomas Edisons of the tech world. Information Week magazine and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young recently placed the software company at No. 47 on their "Innovation 100" list. Vignette...

Simply the best.(Simplified wins award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Austin's Simplified is simply ecstatic. Simplified, a software infrastructure company, received the product of the year award from Internet Telephony magazine for its Simplified OpenCable product, which debuted in October. The award was in...

TXU Energy's Canadian unit will move to Dallas.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... DALLAS -- TXU Corp. is continuing the Dallas-bound consolidation of its energy trading group, with plans to move its Calgary, Alberta, operations here by the end of March. Though the entire unit will not be "invited" to relocate, Jeff...

Spurs unveil a new marketing office for arena.(San Antonio Spurs)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- The separation has begun. The San Antonio Spurs have taken their first step toward permanently departing the Alamodome. Eighteen months ago, the Spurs outlasted their playoff opponents in record fashion and won their first...

Legend terminal could be next battlefield at Love.(Legend Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... DALLAS -- If Legend Airlines Inc. doesn't find its way out of bankruptcy court and resume flying, the startup airline's private terminal at Dallas Love Field will become the next aviation battlefield, one local industry insider predicts. ...

Tech firm brings HQ back to city.(Iconixx)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... HOUSTON -- A fast-growing Houston company whose headquarters moved to Vienna, Va., when it was acquired this year is now moving its home office back to the Bayou City. EnterpriseWorks, a local Internet consulting company, started operating...

Texans sweeter on suites.(Houston Texans football team)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans are planning to add 66 additional luxury suites in order to profit from an expected increased demand after the team's $400 million stadium opens in 2002. Initial plans for the team's 69,500-seat Reliant Stadium...

CMC to start spec building in Carrollton.(CMC Commercial Realty Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... DALLAS -- CMC Commercial Realty Group is kicking off the New Year with a 118,000-square-foot speculative development at International Parkway and Park Boulevard in Carrollton. The company closed two weeks ago on a 10-acre site for the...

Developers have major plans for 240-acre site near Schertz.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- Terrance Casey, owner of Dallas-based Casey International Inc. and the major partner behind the recent purchase of the Milam Building, and his fellow investor in the Milam Building, John H. Roberts, have joined forces through...

Therapy for growth.(Airtech International acquires Southern Therapy)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Medical equipment co. readies for acquisition, growth and cash infusion A local provider of home medical equipment and its spin-off are preparing to be acquired and to expand into new offices by February. The spin-off also expects to...

Apartment market tight.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Despite a great number of new units coming online, occupancy rates in Austin's multifamily market remain tight and rental rates continue to be the highest in Texas. According to a year-end market study by Austin-based Capitol Market...

Office set for East Austin.
January 5, 2001... A new project plans to turn a warehouse into offices in East Austin, where offices are so scarce market analysts don't historically compile market statistics. The project -- under development by Richard Kooris, Barry Gillingwater, Bob...

Dell may choose new site.(Dell Computer to Fort Worth, Texas)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Fort Worth finishing up tax proposal to draw computer maker's next campus FORT WORTH -- Fort Worth city officials hope the holiday season concludes with a gift exchange with Dell Computer Corp. Fort Worth may give Dell a lucrative...

TAKING STOCK OF AUSTIN.(stock prices of Austin, TX-based companies)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... TAKING STOCK OF AUSTIN Name Ticker Location Active Power ACPW Austin American Physicians Service Group AMPH Austin Arrhythmia...

Austin.(Hoover's Inc. partnership with LoansDirect Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Austin-based Hoover's Inc. has formed a partnership with Huntington Beach, Calif.-based LoansDirect Inc. Under the agreement, LoansDirect mortgage products and services will be made available through the Hoover's Online business portal....

San Jose.(effect of new ergonomic standards on software industry)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... With a shaky stock market and uncertain tech spending looming, new federal workplace regulations threaten to further complicate this year's outlook for Silicon Valley software makers. Some observers say the software industry, with its...

Birmingham, Ala.(Hare Wynn Newell & Newton LLP class action suit against Network Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A Birmingham, Ala., law firm is inviting angry wanna-be domain name owners to join in a class-action lawsuit against Network Solutions Inc., the premier Internet domain registration Web site. Scott Powell and Don McKenna of Hare Wynn Newell...

Raleigh/Durham.(Cree Inc. purchases division of Spectrian Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Cree Inc. in Durham, N.C., has purchased a division of Spectrian Corp., a Silicon Valley company that designs and manufactures ultra-linear power amplifiers for the wireless infrastructure market. Cree acquired Spectrian's UltraRF...

Washington, D.C.(Continental Computer Corp. buys WebObits)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... A Washington, D.C.-based online obituary board called WebObits has been sold in a stock deal to the Web arm of Continental Computer Corp., which makes database software used by 43 percent of the funeral homes that use computers. "This is a...

Sales are priority in economic slide.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Companies should focus on three areas that typically need attention when there's a downturn in the economy, according to a management consulting firm. "In any time of concern or instability, businesses need to look at the basics of their...

Finding her own space.(Hope Lafferty, owner of (S)PACE)
January 5, 2001... Businesswoman helps others boost efficiency The secret's out. There is hope from space. Hope Lafferty, owner of (S)PACE, a local provider of training programs and seminars to transform even the hopelessly disorganized person or...

Recognize the trends now -- or lose out.(economic and social trends)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... As the year kicks off and turbulence begins to rock the business and economic sectors, it might be time to cast a roving eye to the future, particularly as it affects marketers and their customers. A singularly reliable source for...

Devilish persistence pays off with angel backers.(Angel Society Forum)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Entrepreneurs might not all believe in heaven, but hundreds recently descended on New York City's Javits Center in hopes of meeting a real angel -- early stage equity investors with an appetite for investment in entrepreneurial companies. ...

Don't fly by the seat of your pants with travel.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Have you ever raced to the other side of the airport to catch a connecting flight only to discover that your flight was delayed? I have while wearing heels, with a garment bag slung over my shoulder and a rollerboard in tow. Not a lot of fun,...

AMLI sells two apartment complexes in Austin.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Chicago-based AMLI Residential Properties Trust [NYSE:AML] has sold two Austin apartment complexes, AMLI at the Arboretum and AMLI at Martha's Vineyard. AMLI gained about $35 million from the sales. AMLI says it will use the money to...

Bankruptcy reform to get second shot with Bush.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Supporters of bankruptcy reform are optimistic they finally will get a bill signed this year that will force more creditors to repay their debts. Bankruptcy reform legislation passed both the House and Senate by wide margins last year, but...

Small business has 'seat at table,' but not Cabinet.(US government)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Small business lobbyists don't appear to be concerned that President-elect George W. Bush is tapping big business executives, not small business owners or advocates; for Cabinet positions. "We do feel like small. business has a seat at the...

Business groups sue over contractor 'blacklisting'.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Five business groups filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation issued last month by the Clinton administration that directs federal contracting officers to deny contracts to businesses that don't have a "satisfactory" record of complying with...

SBA film loans could expand to software.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Small Business Administration has gone Hollywood. Independent filmmakers now are eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans for their projects, as long as the films are produced in the United States and part of the distribution rights are...

Humana to sell Medicaid unit in Austin, San Antonio.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Humana Inc. [NYSE: HUM] says it plans to sell its Medicaid business in the Austin and San Antonio areas. Humana says it will ask Texas regulators to transfer the company's Medicaid business in those two areas to the Texas joint venture of...

Introgen receives grant from cancer institute.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Austin's Introgen Therapeutics Inc. [Nasdaq: LNGN] has received a $208,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute. The federal grant will aid research to develop a way to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy. The...

Schlotzsky's to buy back up to 370,000 shares.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... Schlotzsky's Inc. [Nasdaq: BUNZ] says it plant to repurchase as many as 370,000 shares of its common stock. The repurchase program was approved by the company's board in 1998. That program authorized the repurchase of 380,000 shares. About...

Emergent company receives funds for health research.(Hyalose)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... One of Austin-based Emergent Technologies Inc.'s portfolio companies, Hyalose LLC, has received a two-year award of $242,422 from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Hyalose competed against 52 other...

As the market turns.
January 5, 2001... 'Round and 'round and 'round it goes -- Austin's commercial real estate market searches for a happy medium Is Austin's real estate market headed for a glut in 2001? Or will companies waiting in the wings take space as it becomes available...

Tech neutral buildings can pay big dividends.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... In today's rapidly changing technological world, companies relocating to new space face a critical dilemma. Most equipment -- from computers to telephone systems -- that they move to a new building will quickly be obsolete and likely replaced...

Riata just 'takes five' to open its housing doors.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... It seems like only yesterday when Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones announced plans to transform the former Texas Instruments campus into a multidimensional living community for a cross section of Austin's growing population. Those plans...

Renovation: From bakery sales to home-baked.
January 5, 2001... Who wouldn't want to walk to work? Just imagine -- no rush-hour gridlock, no parking hunts or hassles and an extra half-hour or more to savor that morning coffee. In recent decades, people who could afford downtown living exchanged...

Baltimore wants renovation, not demolition.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Baltimore City and the Maryland Historical Trust are close to signing a deal that could change the tone of the redevelopment of downtown Baltimore's west side. Rodney Little, director of the Maryland Historical Trust, confirmed that his...

New rules on surveys considered.(property surveys)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... The Texas Department of Insurance is considering two proposals regarding property surveys when land, or commercial or residential property, is sold in Texas. One would require new surveys for most sales, while the other proposal would...

Property management covers a full spectrum.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... In the days of stable capital markets and cradle-to-grave building ownership, property management was viewed as the ugly stepsister, of commercial real estate. While, good property management has certainly always been an asset, it hasn't played...

Rehab opens window to historic tax credits.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Resuscitating a building such as the former Townley Metal & Hardware Co. warehouse in THE River Market in Kansas City, Mo. amounts to a high-stakes game of truth or dare. The truth is that adhering to government standards for historic tax...

Will 2001 be a good year in Boston real estate?(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Jack Kerrigan, a senior vice president at Grubb & Ellis Co.'s Boston office, says his firm has just brokered the highest rental rate ever for the Route 128 belt: a seven-year deal at Bay Colony Corporate Center on Winter Street in Waltham that...

Dallas company buys Austin's Lavaca Plaza.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Lavaca Plaza, a 130,000-square-foot office tower and seven-story parking garage in downtown Austin, has been sold to Provident Realty Advisors of Dallas for an undisclosed amount. However, real estate sources have speculated the sale price...

TOP 25 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS.(Directory)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... TOP 25 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS Ranked by total square feet under management Total Name ...

TOP 10 NEW OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 5, 2001... TOP 10 NEW OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS Ranked by total square feet being developed [*] Name of project/ Area of town/ Location of bldg. S.F. being...

PEOPLE.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... TED BALISTRERI has opened an Austin office for DHR International Inc. He is currently executive vice president and managing director. He brings 16 years of corporate human resource management experience to the new office. KRISTA K. CHAFFIN...

Austin faces harder 2001.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Once plentiful venture capital wll be scarce, businesses will struggle to find great leaders Austin business has had it relatively easy for the last couple of years. But it's likely to find 2001 a much tougher row to hoe. No matter how...

The view from both sides.(East vs. West Austin)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2001... Some folks simply seem to forget, if not ignore, there are four main directions to any compass. Particularly in Austin, we have a tendency to dwell on north and south while ignoring east and west. Include the editor of this newspaper in...

TOP 20 AUSTIN CONVENTIONS.(Brief Article)(Directory)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... TOP 20 AUSTIN CONVENTIONS Ranked by Attendance During Fiscal Year Oct. 1999-Sept. 2000 at the Austin Convention Center Number in attendance: ...

TOP 25 MEETING FACILITIES.(Directory)
January 12, 2001... TOP 25 MEETING FACILITIES Ranked by total square footage of private meeting space ...

IPO frenzy has fizzled.(Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 12, 2001... Following a volative year in the stock market, Austin's IPO forecast for 2001 is partly cloudy Not that long ago, Austin startups trumpted their pre-IPO status and their treasure chests of stock options. Times have changed. You could...

The East Coast gets even.(Editorial)
January 12, 2001... There have been times I've made fun of the East Coast. I'll admit, there have been times I've used exaggeration in the name of sarcasm. It's an old game for longtime Texans. But I think the East Coast can call it even now. I have an...

Employers flexible on leave, but law causes problems.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... A new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that most employers provide more flexibility to employees than required by the Family and Medical Leave Act. For example, 63 percent of the human resource professionals...

Lifeguard Inc.
January 12, 2001... Lifeguard Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based HMO, installed technology on its newly launched Web site last month to ensure that patient medical records are kept confidential when claims are filed electronically. But Lifeguard might have to do...

Tips can help cut email load.(Abstract)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Do you feel overwhelmed by a constant avalanche of email? If so, you're not alone. A new survey by Accountemps indicates an executive spends an average of 108 minutes each day -- nearly two hours -- reading and sending emails. ...

CORRECTIONS.
January 12, 2001... The list of the Top 25 Nonprofit Organizations published in the Dec. 29-Jan. 4 issue of the Austin Business Journal incorrectly stated the percentage of revenue that People's Community Clinic spends on raising funds. The clinic spent 4 percent...

Eastman Kodak signs lease in Plano.
January 12, 2001... DALLAS -- Eastman Kodak Co. is moving its Metroplex research and development operations out of Far North Dallas and into Plano. The company has signed a deal to lease 92,500 square feet in Tennyson Office Center I, immediately south of...

Trilogy-Ford venture altered.(management strategy)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Trilogy Software Inc. and Ford Motor Co. have put the brakes on plans to launch a company that was to be Ford's e-business arm. The new company, announced last February, was to be based in Austin and employ 300 people within a year. Both...

IPO forecast: Cloudy.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... When Applied Science Fiction Inc. filed intentions to go public in early 2000, the digital imaging company expected to raise $75 million to $100 million in capital. The IPO never happened. Instead, Applied Science Fiction pulled its...

Adding a layer of financing.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Austin Ventures leads $11.5M round of funding for Layer N Networks fabless semiconductor company Layer N Networks Inc., a fabless semiconductor startup in Austin, has added a new layer to its development -- $11.5 million in its first-round...

A time to raise cash.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... The tech sector in Austin isn't all doom and gloom. Two Austin companies recently raked in more than $7 million in financing. Times N Systems Inc. received a $5 million credit facility from the Austin office of Imperial Bank's Emerging...

Trophy hunt.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Trophy hunt. A 50-year-old Austin public relations agency has bagged the former director of another firm's European operations to help run the company. Jeff Hunt now is president and chief operating officer of privately held Read-Poland...

MediaPrise Inc.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... In order at MediaPrise. Austin startup MediaPrise Inc. has tapped its first outside CEO to lead the company into its product launch. The new CEO, Rod Favaron, was senior vice president of sales and business development at Austin-based...

A meeting room for every week of the year.
January 12, 2001... The Austin Convention Center is currently on track for a better year in 2001 than in 2000, which was a pretty good year. Tod Peddie, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau director of sales, attributes the strong outlook to a number of factors,...

Honeywell deal to mean layoff of 45 at Austin plant.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... A deal by Honeywell International Inc. [NYSE: HON] to purchase Trimble Navigation Ltd.'s Air Transport Systems business will mean about 45 employees will be laid off in Austin. Trimble's North Austin plant makes products used for global...

Bush to make call on how estate tax is repealed.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Supporters of estate tax repeal prefer a stand-alone vote on that issue over being included in President-elect George W. Bush's overall tax cut proposal. "We'd like for it to be separate," says Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., sponsor of...

SBA advocacy chief should stay, lobbyist says.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Small business lobbyists would like to see at least one Clinton appointee stay in office after Jan. 20. Jere Glover should remain chief counsel of the SBA's Office of Advocacy until the Bush administration names a replacement, says...

Rooted in service.
January 12, 2001... Customers dig landscaping company's commitment It was the day after Austin's recent ice storm. Businesses had shut down early the day before, long before a single ice pellet ever hit the ground and made the streets treacherous. ...

'Letting it brew': A simple recipe for success.(patience)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... It was the championship round. I was staring at a formidable opponent thirsty for victory. I nervously stepped into the ring wondering whether there still was enough fight in me to win the gold. Sure, I could block, kick and punch as good...

Tourism officials debate privatization.(San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- The debate over whether to privatize San Antonio's Convention & Visitors Bureau is apparently gaining momentum. And the March departure of City Manager Alex Briseo could be the opening some proponents need to seek a change.

Old Katy Road getting new life.(office buildings replace industrial buildings)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... HOUSTON -- Tucked away on the northwest side of town just inside Loop 610 lies an expansive stretch of commercial land that for decades was regarded as a heavy industrial hub. Traffic in the area once consisted mainly of 18-wheel trucks in...

Software firm wants to grow.(Neonyoyo)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 12, 2001... Interwoven expected to require five to seven times more space An Austin startup that sold for $70 million last summer now is seeking space five to seven times larger than its, original office in downtown Austin. Neonyoyo Inc., now the...

Francell takes new job.(Jeff Francell, land acquisition for Texas Parks and Wildlife)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Local environmentalists in both the public and private sector say the appointment of Jeff Francell to the top spot in land acquisition for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department could mean good things for Austin. Francell had served for...

Look around the airport.(Austin Hilton Airport Hotel, Texas)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Once it housed top brass as an Air Force HQ -- now it greets guests at the end of their air travel Call it convenient, accessible -- and round. Look at it as an all-around Austin meeting place for out-of-town business partners. It could be...

GigaNews.com teams up with DataFoundry, Sun.(GigaNews.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Austin-based GigaNews.com Inc. has teamed up with Austin's DataFoundry.net and Sun Microsystems Inc. [Nasdaq: SUNW] to launch broadband Internet services. Broadband GigaNews Usenet lets users share MP3, DVD, MPEG and JPEG files through one...

Question.com to help with exchange for tech firm.(contracts with iSource)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2001... Austin-based Question.com Inc. has been chosen by San Francisco-based iSource to create the iSource intelligence exchange, which provides information to executives. The exchange will be a knowledge hub for chain and procurement...