Austin Business Journal articles from July 1991

Austin Business Journal archives from July 1991

Start-up firms face tough tests. (small business loans)
July 1, 1991... Small-business loans Start-up firms face tough tests If you want a loan for your small business, be prepared. Be prepared with a solid, in-depth business plan that details cash flow and plans for the future or you will go away...

Nalle Plastics opts for Austin. (headquarterrs at Austin, Texas)
July 1, 1991... Economic development Nalle Plastics opts for Austin Nalle Plastics Inc., the fast-growing 45-year-old firm, has decided to keep its home in Austin. Nalle had been considering a move to Houston, where its parent company, U.S....

Rolm breaks ground. (Rolm Systems Inc.)
July 1, 1991... Rolm breaks ground Rolm Systems broke ground last week on a 190,000-square-foot manufacturing and development facility on an 18-acre site in the Vista Business Park north of Austin on I-35. The new facility will consolidate Rolm's...

Cyclean wins contract.
July 1, 1991... Cyclean wins contract Cyclean Inc. of Georgetown has received a $1.5 million contract from the State Highways and Public Transportation Department to repair more than 18 miles of I-35 near Waxahachie. Cyclean uses a microwave technology...

City eyeballing fuel charges in gas bills. (Southern Union Co. under investigation; Austin, Texas)
July 1, 1991... Utility bills could be affected City eyeballing fuel charges in gas bills The Southern Union Gas Co., which came under financial scrutiny by the city of Austin in a recent rate case, may be the subject of another inquiry later this...

Dell Computer: 'healthier than ever.' (financial standing of Dell Computer Corp.)
July 1, 1991... Annual report Dell Computer: |Healthier than ever' Chairman and CEO Michael Dell told shareholders of Dell Computer Corp. that the company was "healthier than it has ever been" at the annual shareholders meeting held at the Austin...

Texas bankers optimistic. (Texas economic condition)
July 1, 1991... Texas bankers optimistic Bankers across the state see the Texas economy as improving from 12 months ago and believe the economy will be even stronger over the next 12 months, according to a survey by the Independent Bankers of Texas (IBAT)....

Austin housing permits tops national survey. (Austin, Texas)
July 1, 1991... Austin housing permits tops in national survey The Austin area led the only four areas in the U.S. where housing permits increased this year. This comes at a time when the total number of permits nationwide for 1991 will fall below 1...

Low-cost homes privately funded.
July 1, 1991... Low-cost homes privately funded Forget the legal terror of a 29-page Resolution Trust Corp. home contract. Forget the ongoing nightmare of no-inspection, no-appraisal, "as-is" homes offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development....

Laredo struggles to cope with growth. (Laredo, Texas)
July 1, 1991... Laredo struggles to cope with growth Free Trade pact looms as a true mixed blessing for booming border city LAREDO -- The late author Graham Greene might not recognize Laredo as the bordertown he described in the 1940s as "just damp...

Compaq insiders traded millions. (Compaq Computers Corp. stocks manipulated in insider trading)
July 1, 1991... Compaq insiders traded millions Shareholders charge stock manipulation HOUSTON -- Top executives of Compaq Computer Corp. reportedly executed almost $20 million in insider stock sales shortly before their company took a nosedive on...

Hughes Aircraft eyeing Arlington for relocation. (Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Training and Support Systems Group)
July 1, 1991... Hughes Aircraft eyeing Arlington for relocation New facility would employ 2,000 DALLAS -- Senior management officials at Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Training and Support Systems Group have designated their Arlington operation as a leading...

Incubator heats up. (Applied Heater Technologies Inc.)
July 1, 1991... Incubator heats up Three graduate students at the University of Texas who have launched a company that uses an innovative heat-producing technology have been accepted into the Austin Technology Incubator. Applied Heater Technologies Inc....

Motorola Austin jobs hinge on chip agreement. (exchange of technology between Motorola Inc. and International Business Machines and Apple)
July 1, 1991... Motorola Austin jobs hinge on chip agreement Competition creates strange bedfellows. Rivals IBM and Apple have been reported to be discussing an exchange of technologies, as have IBM and Wang. Now it appears that Motorola, well-known for...

Employers notified of changes to unemployment and payday laws.
July 1, 1991... 72nd Legislature Employers notified of changes to unemployment and payday laws "Texas employers need to be aware of the various amendments made to laws affecting them during the last Texas legislative session," said Mary Scott Nabers,...

Legal land mines possible in managed care. (laws and legislations on health care providers)(Focus: Employee Benefit & Insurance)
July 1, 1991... Legal land mines possible in managed care In an effort to continue to offer health insurance to employees and yet somehow control costs, more and more employers are entering the world of managed care. But, as they sign contracts with HMOs...

Scientific and Engineering Software Inc. (Relocation )
July 1, 1991... Scientific and Engineering Software Inc. relocated its corporate headquarters into the Escalade office building at 4301 Westbank Drive. Austin Community Education will relocate its central office on July 17 to 1111 W. Sixth St., 78703-5399, phone...

CompuServe. (Products)
July 1, 1991... CompuServe announced the release of Business Database Plus, a database containing 450 business, trade and professional journals, available to members of the CompuServe Information Service. The database is a product of Information Access Company,...

Cypress Semiconductor. (Earnings)
July 1, 1991... Cypress Semiconductor announced $69.1 million in revenues for the period ended April 1, an increase of 31 percent over the $52.8 million in revenues posted for the first quarter of 1990. Net income increased to a record $9.1 million for the 1991...

Diamond Shamrock Inc. (Earnings)
July 1, 1991... Diamond Shamrock Inc. announced total revenues for the period ended March 31 of $646.1 million, compared to $585.6 million for the same period of 1990. Net income for the 1991 quarter was the same as the 1990 quarter's of $4.3 million. Primary...

Peace plans. (streamlining the efforts of fueding economic development groups)
July 1, 1991... Peace plans Business leaders try to streamline efforts of feuding economic development groups DALLAS -- In an effort to ease a growing level of friction among competing local economic development organizations, a small group of...

Retail real estate prospering in Houston's 'China town'. (Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas)
July 1, 1991... Retail real estate prospering in Houston's |China Town' HOUSTON -- Asian businesses and stores co-exist with their American counterparts along most of Bellaire Boulevard in Southwest Houston. But East definately dominates a two-mile swath...

Hundreds of firms face fines for missing EPA deadline. (Environmental Protection Agency)
July 1, 1991... Hundreds of firms face fines for missing EPA deadline FORT WORTH -- Hundreds of Tarrant County industries are facing fines of up to $25,000 per day for failing to meet a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deadline for applying to obtain...

New real estate company born in brokerage breakup. (Hallmark Cos.) (Company Profile)
July 1, 1991... New real estate company born in brokerage breakup SAN ANTONIO--Even as the legal details of the break-up of local residential real estate brokerage Hallmark Bradfield Properties Inc. continue to be finalized, founder Susan Hallmark's new...

Credit crunch sends banks, borrowers to SBA's door. (U.S. Small Business Administration)
July 1, 1991... Credit crunch sends banks, borrowers to SBA's door SAN ANTONIO--While banks are tightening their credit belts, more people are turning to the U.S. Small Business Administration for loans to start or expand companies. In the SBA's last...

Developer plans more luxury apartments near downtown. (Memphis Real Estate Inc.)
July 1, 1991... Developer plans more luxury apartments near downtown DALLAS -- Heartened by the rapid success of its first luxury apartment building in the State-Thomas area just north of downtown, Memphis Real Estate Inc. is working on two additional...

Influx of high-tech firms making Austin a 'technopolis'.
July 1, 1991... Influx of high-tech firms making Austin a |technopolis' AUSTIN -- Austin is rapidly becoming one of the few technopolises in the world, as more and more advanced-technology companies either move here, open branches or just sprout up whole....

San Antonio brokers gripe RTC making life difficult.
July 1, 1991... San Antonio brokers gripe RTC making life difficult SAN ANTONIO -- Last summer, Scott Weems, a broker with property management firm WilsonSchanzer Inc., thought he had negotiated the sale of a local apartment complex for the Resolution Trust...

New phone deal means higher bills. (Austin and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. negotiate franchise agreement that would raise telephone rates)
July 8, 1991... New phone deal means higher bills Austin and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. officials have negotiated a franchise agreement that could add about $2 million in badly needed funds to the city's coffers for next year. Meanwhile, business...

Air traffic down. (decrease in traffic at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport for May 1991)
July 8, 1991... Air traffic down Though passenger traffic at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was up in May over the month before, it showed a decrease when compared to May 1990. The 358,979 passengers using the airport represented an increase of...

Recycler dedicated. (Auto Tech opens plastic recycling center in Williamson County)
July 8, 1991... Recycler dedicated Auto Tech in Round Rock opened the first plastics recycling center in Williamson County last month. The "Stack Pack," which acts like a giant plastics compactor, will accept containers labeled with the numbers 1, 2 or...

NCNB merger no worry in Austin. (possible merger between NCNB Corp. and C&S/Sovran Financial Corp.)
July 8, 1991... NCNB merger no worry in Austin The possible merger between NCNB Corp. and C&S/Sovran Financial Corp. that could create the nation's second largest bank isn't likely to have much of an impact in Austin, according to local bankers. "I...

Home closings up. (number of homes closed for year ending March 1991 for Fox & Jacobs Homes)
July 8, 1991... High-tech minds warm to fuzzy logic Is "fuzzy logic": a) the reason teachers give students Cs and Ds; b) proof that at least some mathematicians like essay questions just as much as multiple choice; c) a way to make machines think more like...

Activity rises. (upswing residential real estate activity in Austin, Texas)
July 8, 1991... Austin new home starts ahead of '90 Residential construction permits continue to rise in Austin, according to the Texas Construction Bulletin, a publication of the Austin chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). ...

She's a cheerleader for careers. (Joia Jitahidi, career consultant)(Focus: Recruitment & Temporary Employment)
July 8, 1991... She's a cheerleader for careers Joia Jitahidi calls herself a coach, a coach who helps people have fun, work at what they love to do, build self confidence and pushes them to want more than they think they can have. Jitahidi is a leader...

Temporary employees working long-term. (rising trend of supplying temporary employees as long-term replacements in companies)(Focus: Recruitment & Temporary Employment)
July 8, 1991... Temporary employees working long-term The rising trend in the temporary employment industry is for temporary agencies to supply the people who work inside other companies as long-term replacements for permanent employees the companies were...

Barton Creek rules up for decision. (ordinance limiting industrial development near Barton Creek to prevent pollution)
July 15, 1991... Barton Creek rules up for decision An ordinance that would sharply limit the intensity of development near Barton Creek to prevent further pollution of the creek and Barton Springs would have only a modest effect on the Austin economy, a...

Tax election August 10. (Travis County tax election)
July 15, 1991... Tax election August 10 Although many Travis County taxpayers may not be aware of it, a special election being held next month could mean a lot to their pocketbooks. Travis County voters will decide Aug. 10 whether to grant certain tax...

Merrill Lynch hikes jabbed. (Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith Inc.)
July 15, 1991... Merrill Lynch hikes jabbed The decision of Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith Inc., the nation's largest brokerage firm, to charge $15 to investors who want a stock certificate met with mixed reactions in Austin. Most brokers in town...

RTC closes duplex deal. (Resolution Trust Corp.)
July 15, 1991... RTC closes duplex deal With the sale of 64 duplexes (128 rental units) to a nonprofit mutual housing association in Austin, the Resolution Trust Corp. (RTC) took a $2.9 million bite out of the foreclosed properties it holds in Texas. ...

Law firms make top 100.
July 15, 1991... Law firms make top 100 Seven Austin-based firms made the top 100 ranking of largest law firms in the state in Texas Lawyer this year. The rankings were based on the number of attorneys listed with the firms, ranging from 652 attorneys at...

Air traffic up and down.
July 15, 1991... Air traffic up and down Though passenger traffic at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was up in May over the month before, it showed a decrease when compared to May 1990. The 358,979 passengers using the airport represented an increase of...

AMD cloning Intel chip. (Advanced Micro Devices)
July 15, 1991... AMD cloning Intel chip Advanced Micro Devices has begun mass producing its version of the Intel 386SX microprocessor and is expected to drop its initial $89 price for 1,000 unit quantities by 30 percent within a year. AMD officials said...

'Clean' fuel gets test. (Toter Environmental Corp. develops clean-burning fuel)
July 15, 1991... |Clean' fuel gets test An Austin firm that claims to have developed a clean-burning automotive fuel refined from naturally grown crops plans to test the fuel this month at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The firm, Toter Environmental...

Dell opens outlet store. (Dell Computer Corp.)
July 15, 1991... Dell opens outlet store Dell Computer Corp. held a grand opening for its factory outlet store July 6. The store, which will provide Austin-area buyers with "like-new" Dell personal computers at discount prices, is located at 2214 W....

CableVision rates could be set by city. (Austin CableVision)
July 15, 1991... CableVision rates could be set by city Will Austin get back in the business of regulating the rates of Austin CableVision? City of Austin and cable company officials are awaiting the publication of updated rules by the Federal...

Bagley: Applied's move to Austin. (James W. Bagley, president and chief operating officer of Applied Materials Inc.) (interview)
July 15, 1991... Bagley: Applied's move to Austin Applied Materials Inc., which makes the machines that manufacture semiconductors, broke ground in March for a $21 million plant at Harris Branch. The decision by Applied to locate what eventually is...

Technology Incubator hatching new business. (Austin Technology Incubator)
July 15, 1991... Technology Incubator hatching new business The Austin Technology Incubator, which fosters the development of high-tech, start-up companies, itself appears to be in a period of rapid growth. The incubator, which provides professional and...

Barton Creek trial delay. (Barton Creek Club Inc.'s trial for property tax valuation)
July 15, 1991... Barton Creek trial delay The appeal by Barton Creek Club Inc. of its property tax valuation, scheduled to go to trial June 24, has been postponed until Jan. 6. The club asked for the continuance to provide time for additional pre-trial...

Guerrero/Musslewhite Sales & Marketing. (Contracts)
July 15, 1991... Guerrero/Musslewhite Sales & Marketing Guerrero/Musslewhite Sales & Marketing has been selected as the manufacturers representatives in Texas for Xytronics.

White Construction Co. (Contracts)
July 15, 1991... White Construction Co. White Construction Co. has been selected as General Contractor to build the Phase II additions to the San Marcos Factory Shops.

The Information Technology Group of Texas Instruments. (Contracts)
July 15, 1991... The Information Technology Group of Texas Instruments The Information Technology Group of Texas Instruments in Austin and Alpha Base Systems in Los Angeles signed a marketing agreement in which Alpha Base will offer the Metropolis (TM) database...

Oklahoma governor rustling Texas business. (David Walters)
July 22, 1991... Oklahoma governor rustling Texas business Oklahoma officials have been slipping over the border lately to do a little rustling in Texas territory - of businesses considering relocation or expansion. And they're proud of it. "They haven't...

Golfsmith to stay in Austin. (maker of golf clubs)
July 22, 1991... Golfsmith to stay in Austin With financial incentives promised by both the city of Austin and Travis County, Golfsmith, the fast-growing North Austin golf clubmaker, is moving ahead with plans to build new facilities in Austin rather than...

62-year-old firm closing its doors. (Laves Jewelry Co.) (company profile)
July 22, 1991... 62-year-old firm closing its doors East Sixth Street downtown may be a great place to have fun. But it's been tough to run a retail business there, says jeweler Harold Laves. So after 62 years in the same spot at 217 E. Sixth St., the...

Area bank bought. (Texas Bank of Odessa buys Dripping Springs National Bank)
July 22, 1991... Area bank bought Texas Bank of Odessa has purchased Dripping Springs National Bank, which has assets of $20 million. "The acquisition of Texas Bank-Dripping Springs will be a nice addition to the Texas Bank family and we believe our...

Primefax to expand.
July 22, 1991... Primefax to expand Primefax Inc. has received $1 million in venture capital financing. The company, which provides technical information databases and network services, has completed a $1 million private placement of seven-year...

MCC goes fuzzy. (Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp.'s new project on fuzzy logic)
July 22, 1991... MCC goes fuzzy Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. has announced the formation of a new project on fuzzy logic. The objective of the project, known as Common Runtime Architecture for Fuzzy Technology (CRAFT), will be to define...

HEB Marketplace concepts to be installed in Austin stores.
July 22, 1991... HEB Marketplace concepts to be installed in Austin stores Austinites who would like to know what their neighborhood HEB is going to look like in the future might take a drive down to San Antonio. HEB recently opened a 92,000-square-foot...

Benchmark group to set PC standard. (Business Applications Performance Corp.)(personal computers)
July 22, 1991... Benchmark group to set PC standards Austin-based Dell Computer Corp. is one of four founding members of a non-profit corporation established to set up performance-based benchmarks for popular computer applications. The Business...

Agencies 'feeling the crunch.' (Advertising agencies)(Focus: Agency & Media Update)
July 22, 1991... Agencies |feeling the crunch' Austin advertising executives say the recession earlier this year delivered a swift kick to the shins of an industry that already was limping. Money became tight, spending went down and clients were even...

Ratings: key to ad revenues. (Focus: Agency & Media Update)
July 22, 1991... Ratings: Key to ad revenues Having 31 radio stations in Austin not only allows listeners to choose from among a wide variety of music and talk, but allows businesses to target very specific audiences for their advertising. This...

Magazines and papers wax, wane in Austin. (Focus: Agency & Media Update)
July 22, 1991... Magazines and papers wax, wane in Austin A joke among Austin media types has been that if you don't like the local news and entertainment publications stuffed in the news racks today just wait until tomorrow and a new one will come along. ...

U.S. Creative. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... U.S. Creative U.S. Creative was named agency of record for developing a comprehensive customer service/marketing campaign for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Lubenow & Associates. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... Lubenow & Associates Lubenow & Associates announced the following new clients: Koch Industries, Primefax, Map Resource Inc., Cardinal Pools of Austin and Environmental Projection Systems.

The Hills Fitness Center. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... The Hills Fitness Center The Hills Fitness Center has become the operations management company for the tenant amenity fitness center located in Franklin Plaza at 111 Congress Avenue.

Diener-Triplett Advertising. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... Diener-Triplett Advertising Diener-Triplett Advertising was named agency of record for Castillo Ice.

The Bommarito Group. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... The Bommarito Group The Bommarito Group was selected by First Federal Savings Bank for total turn key interior design services.

Texas Instrument. (Contracts)
July 22, 1991... Texas Instruments Texas Instruments was selected to provide on-site services for Automated Computer Technology of Houston.

Marriott Corp. (Earnings)
July 22, 1991... Marriott Corp. Marriot Corp. announced net income for the second quarter ended June 14 of $27 million, compared to $46 million during the same period of 1990. Earnings per share for the second quarter 1991 were 27 cents per share, compared to...

Walgreen Co. (Earnings)
July 22, 1991... Walgreen Co. Walgreen Co. announced net sales for the third quarter ended May 31 of $1.7 billion. Net earnings increased 13.1 percent to $49.3 million for the 1991 quarter, or 40 cents per share, compared to $43.5 million, or 36 cents per...

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. (Earnings)
July 22, 1991... Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced total operating revenues for the year ended Dec. 31, 1990 of $3.2 million, compared to $5.8 million for the 1989 year. Total operating...

Arrhythmia Research Technology Inc. (Earnings)
July 22, 1991... Arrhythmia Research Technology Inc. Arrhythmia Research Technology Inc. announced revenues for the quarter ended May 31 of $1.5 million, compared to $1.1 million for the same period a year ago. Net income for the 1991 quarter was $103,000, or...

Centex Corp. (Earnings)
July 22, 1991... Centex Corp. Centex Corp. announced 1991 revenues for the year ending March 31 of $2.2 billion, compared to $2.1 billion for the 1990 year. Earnings per share for 1991 year. Earnings per share for the 1991 year were 40 cents per share as well...

Liabilities lurking in toxic real estate. (environmental considerations should be part of every real estate transaction)
July 29, 1991... Liabilities lurking in toxic real estate Environmental considerations should now be a part of just about every real estate transaction. That was the message heard over and over again by a group of Austin area real estate, property...

City, CableVision tussle over money. (Austin CableVision reacts to city audit that claims that the cable company owes more than $200,000 in back franchise-fee payments)
July 29, 1991... City, Cable Vision tussle over money The city of Austin and Austin Cable Vision are at odds over a city audit that claims the cable company owes $205,066 in back franchise-fee payments. Among other things, the audit claims Cable Vision...

Pharmaco merger in the works. (Pharmaco Dynamics Research Inc. to merge with Applied Bioscience International Inc.)
July 29, 1991... Pharmaco merger in the works Officials of Austin-based Pharmaco Dynamics Research Inc., the fast-growing clinical research firm, took a key step last week toward a merger valued at more than $90 million with a New Jersey...

Computer-aided marketing. (American Broadcast Systems' software helps businesses market their products) (company profile)
July 29, 1991... Computer-aided marketing When it comes to marketing a small business, Don Forbes is an unabashed booster of desktop publishing. Trained as an engineer, Forbes has started five businesses in Austin and a printing company in Louisiana. He...

Tracor wins contract. (Tracor Applied Sciences Inc.)
July 29, 1991... Tracor wins contract Tracor Applied Sciences Inc. has received a $1.5 million contract to develop a statewide data management system for the Texas Water Commission, representing the first such statewide network to be put into place in Texas....

Pizza, videos to go. (I Love Video, pizza and video delivery service)
July 29, 1991... Pizza, videos to go I Love Video will be expanding its pizza and video delivery service Sept. 1 with a new store at Stassney and Manchaca. The new location will open this week, replacing the store at Ben White and Manchaca. When...

Trammell Crow-Austin branches out.
July 29, 1991... Trammell Crow-Austin branches out Although Austin has become headquarters for a region that includes San Antonio and Corpus Christi, operations of Trammell Crow's offices in Austin and San Antonio won't be affected. "Austin resources are...

Housing, retail uptick. (Texas housing development and retail trade on an upswing)
July 29, 1991... Housing, retail uptick Recent increases in new housing permits and improved retail sales are contributing to a growing Texas economy, according to state Comptroller John Sharp. "For only the second time since June 1987, more than 5,000...

Austin's sales taxes more than $31 million this year.
July 29, 1991... Austin's sales taxes more than $31 million this year State Comptroller John Sharp this month sent sales tax rebate checks totaling $98 million to 1,065 Texas cities and counties. Austin received $4.2 million, bringing its year-to-date...

Ernst Schneider.
July 29, 1991... ERNST SCHNEIDER has been appointed president of Pavex Inc., a manufacturer of concrete modular paver and retaining wall systems. THOMAS KOITZSCH has been promoted to general manager of the firm's Austin manufacturing plant that will be opened in...