Austin Business Journal articles from May 2001

Austin Business Journal archives from May 2001

Developer delays projects.
May 25, 2001... McShane halts one complex, slows works on two buildings A developer has halted construction on 150,000 square feet of speculative offices in Northwest Austin and slowed work on another 175,000 square feet. McShane Corp. began...

Round Rock pumps up.
May 25, 2001... A study expected to be presented to Round Rock next month will propose a new plan of attack for economic development that could call for less reliance on Dell Computer Corp. and spending more money. Austin's AngelouEconomics Inc. began...

Chavez verdict overturned.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Travis County judge has dismissed a $2.5 million jury verdict against Jose Chavez, former chairman and CEO of Austin's MSI Shareholdings Inc. March 6, a Travis County civil jury ordered Chavez to pay two MSI shareholders, Kenneth Pearce...

Still movin' on up.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... What economic downturn? Austin companies continue to look forward and upward -- with two Austin companies listed on Dun & Bradstreet Corp. and Entrepreneur magazine's list of America's top 100 fastest-growing entrepreneurial businesses. ...

Wheels of innovation. Nike Inc.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Wheels of innovation. Nike Inc. says "just do it" -- and then just does it a different way. In an unusual departure for a top market-driven brand, Nike is producing and underwriting a one-hour documentary about Austin's Lance Armstrong...

Chang's a lot.(P.F. Chang's China Bistro)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Chang's a lot. Downtown devotees can take a short stroll soon to satisfy their Chang cravings instead of driving to Northwest Austin. The much anticipated opening of the new downtown P.F. Chang's China Bistro is nearly here. Austin's...

Brighter ideas. Thomas Edison.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Brighter ideas. Thomas Edison would be proud. The University of Texas' IC2 Institute and the UT College of Engineering's. Engineering Entrepreneurship Society have honored two teams in its first "Idea-to-Product" Competition. The...

Set to lift off.(CA One Services)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Set to lift off. Travelers using Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are about to have another choice When stomachs growl before or after their flights. Buffalo, N.Y.-based CA One Services has been granted approval by the City of...

A special occasio.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A special occasio. A "favorable opportunity" might be on its way to banking customers in Austin. The acquisition of Houston-based Bank United Corp. by Washington Mutual in February might lead to construction of a new form of branch bank...

Broker files for bankruptcy.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... FRISCO -- Frisco-based paper-merchant broker United Paper Inc. is seeking a buyer to repay creditors after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The 2-year-old company has about $21 million in assets and an estimated $30 million...

Parts distributor seeks Chapter 11.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... HOUSTON -- Truck parts distributor Transportation Components Inc. has come to a crossroads. The Houston-based company, which does business as TransCom USA, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal bankruptcy...

Mixed-used project planned for historic site in Dallas.(2218 Bryan St. Ltd. )(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... DALLAS -- After sitting dormant for years, a controversial, historically significant tract of land in downtown Dallas has been slated for redevelopment into a mixed-use project called Bryan Street Promenade. Plans call for at least three...

Humana to sell Medicaid business in Houston.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... HOUSTON -- Humana Inc. has struck an agreement to sell its Medicaid business in Houston to Amerigroup Texas Inc. to focus on providing health services to insurance brokers and employers. The deal is pending approval by the Texas...

UT Health Science Center receives major land donation.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- The University of Texas Health Science Center soon will come into some land -- 300-plus acres, to be exact. The land is at Old Converse and Kitty Hawk roads off Loop 1604 in Universal City, which is northeast of San...

Insurance, financial company to build headquarters in S.A.(Southwest Business Corp)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- Local insurance and financial services firm Southwest Business Corp. has purchased land where it plans to build its headquarters. The company closed on nearly 3.8 acres at U.S. Highway 281 North and Donella Road. ...

Tech firm sues CEO.
May 25, 2001... WebTaggers claims former exec diverted money for his own use Austin-based software company WebTaggers Inc. claims former CEO David Chevalier diverted $50,000 of the $500,000 paid by Vignette Corp. for the company's intellectual property...

PR firms feel ups, downs.(Statistical Data Included)
May 25, 2001... Austin ranks at top last year in percentage of revenue growth, but drop expected this year Austin's public relations offices led the country in revenue growth last year, but 2001 may be a stark contrast as many companies cut back or...

Higginbotham joins ABJ.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Stacey Higginbotham has joined the Austin Business Journal as a staff writer covering technology. In her new position, Higginbotham covers software, Internet and venture capital companies. Most recently, Higginbotham was a reporter...

Med center to grow.(Westlake Medical Center)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Developers of Westlake Medical Center are more than doubling its size. The 70,000-square-foot expansion could begin by the end of this year. The project will include a center for treatment of minor emergencies and a gymnasiumlike center...

Austin exhibits biggest gain in personal income.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 25, 2001... Austin is in the money. Per capita income in the five-county Austin metropolitan area soared from $26,224 in 1997 to $31,794 in 1999, the latest year for which figures are available. Austin's gain of 21.2 percent is the sharpest two-year...

Austin company moves to Pennsylvania.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Wooed by an incentive package from the State of Pennsylvania, NuRelm Internet Solutions Inc. has moved its headquarters from Austin to Uniontown, Pa. The company, which produces software for Web development companies, plans to create 115...

Tech firm leaves Austin for Houston birthplace.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... After seven months in Austin and a decline in the venture capital markets, StorageProvider Inc. has closed its Austin headquarters and returned to Houston. In addition, CEO Reagan Dixon has left the company, along with the chief...

New president named at C3 Networks.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based C3 Networks has named Donald Wilborne Jr. as its president. Most recently, Wilborne was a regional vice president and general manager at Sprint Corp. He has more than 27 years of telecommunications experience. Also, Leo...

Cisco Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Cisco Systems Inc. is adding its own drops to the stream of office and research-and-development real estate returning to market for sublease in Silicon Valley. The San Jose-based Internet networking company is marketing 750,000 square...

EpicRealm Inc.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A little more than a year after raising $75 million in venture financing, EpicRealm Inc. plans to lay off 130 employees, including a large portion of its executive staff and management. The company, whose technology helps speed Web sites...

St. Louis Rams.(season tickets among items auctioned off in Broadband Infrastructure bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... The Chateau lafite-Rothschild 1959 has been auctioned -- all 24 bottles -- fetching $24,000. Four St. Louis Rams field-level seat licenses also have new owners, bringing in $16,000. Now, bankruptcy trustee Norman Pressman is going for...

Commerce One Inc.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... The chill of the economy has further cooled what had been the hottest market in Northern California's East Bay area. Commerce One Inc. temporarily has shelved plans for a 780,000-square-foot complex in Dublin, Calif., and Pegasus...

Orchid BioSciences Inc.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Orchid BioSciences Inc., a biotechnology company that specializes in genetic research, has filed plans to raise up to $75 million by selling equity and debt. Orchid also registered 12.8 million shares of common stock for sale on behalf...

IT Masters expands offices, plans to hire more.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Belgium-based IT Masters Inc. is expanding its presence in Austin -- both in office size and headcount. IT Masters moved its Austin headquarters from about 6,000 square feet at 13033 Pond Springs Road to about 18,000 square feet at 12940...

Water truce may be on tap in Hays.(Creedmore-Maha Water Supply Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... At stake are rights to supply water to thousands of acres south of Austin Two sides disputing over water rights to serve thousands of acres south of Austin might be nearing a compromise. The disagreement, between the City of Austin...

Evolutionary Technologies appoints two directors.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based software company Evolutionary Technologies International Inc. has two new board members. Michael Cote most recently was chief financial officer and secretary at Atlanta-based Talus Solutions Inc., which was acquired by...

Expeditrix expands service into Florida.(Universal Land Title)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based Expeditrix Corp. has expanded its Web-based service into the Florida real estate market through a deal with Universal Land Title. Expeditrix's SmartClose service allows businesses to process real estate transactions over the...

Anger into action.(Brigid Shea of Save Our Springs Coalition)
May 25, 2001... When she was 12 years old, Brigid Shea's life changed dramatically. She turned her feelings about that change into a strength that makes her effective and successful Brigid Shea says she enjoyed an all-American early childhood in Minot,...

Workers may leave after layoffs.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Fifty-five percent of employees are likely to seek other job opportunities if an employer lays off a significant portion of its workforce, according to a new survey from American Express Incentive-Services LLC. However, the research also...

Capitalizing on records.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Capitol Services becomes giant in public research The devil is in the details, some say. If the details related to corporate transactions aren't handled correctly, that can create devilish problems. For that reason, many corporations use...

Training can put you on track to more sales.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Salespeople probably are the most difficult employees to bring into a classroom for two or three days of training. However, product knowledge and skills development are a vital part of the long-term success for sales professionals, as well as...

Steer yourself toward better auto insurance.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Do you or your employees use their cars for more than commuting between home and office? Do they run work-related errands, for example, or squire clients around town? If so, take a quick look at your company's driving patterns and your auto...

World Satellite Network names chief operating officer.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based World Satellite Network Inc. has named Stuart Lefkowitz its new chief operating officer. Lefkowitz will direct day-to-day business operations as well as oversee business strategy and development. Lefkowitz most recently...

NewsStand to distribute Harvard Business Review.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based NewsStand Inc. will distribute the Harvard Business Review over the Internet. The three-year deal allows Harvard Business School Publishing to offer digital subscriptions and single-copy sales through NewsStand. Harvard...

Exterprise lays off five following acquisition.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based software developer Exterprise Inc. has laid off five employees as a result of its acquisition by Commerce One Inc. Exterprise's finance and human resources functions now will be run from Commerce One's headquarters in...

Factory Logic receives manufacturing award.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Austin-based Factory Logic Software Inc. has been awarded the 2001 Shingo Prize for Research and Applied Programs in manufacturing. The company's Streamline product received the honor. Streamline provides seven services to manage factory...

Contract manufacturers ride economic waves.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Behind some of Austin's biggest high tech names -- IBM and Motorola, to name a couple -- are the companies behind the scenes: contract electronics manufacturers. These companies are best known for making and assembling printed circuit...

Legerity CEO feels like company's 'evangelist'.(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 25, 2001... A lot has happened in the communications world in the six months since Ron Van Dell took the reins at Austin-based Legerity Inc. His short tenure at the company even has included a promotion to president. But thanks to Van Dell's...

Austin's call center industry adjusts the volume.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Technology has made many things easier during the past few years -- as simple as looking up telephone numbers on the Internet or as complex as trading stocks online. These advances allow people to alter how they look for information and...

Startup attempts to cash in on teen shoppers.
May 25, 2001... NetSpend Corp. provides a method for consumers to spend money online and on the street without credit cards or bank accounts. Customers buy NetSpend Cash Cards at places such as Exxon Tiger markets, then activate them online. The cards...

SiteStuff finds the right stuff with undated site.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... When SiteStuff Inc. decided to pump up the volume on its Web site, all company executives had to do was work with the resources they had in their offices. Instead of going to outside developers, SiteStuff's site was developed internally...

TOP 25 COMPUTER TRAINING FACILITIES.(Directory)
May 25, 2001... TOP 25 COMPUTER TRAINING FACILITIES Ranked by number of students taught in 2000 Number of: ...

TECHNICAL CERTIFICATION TRAINING FACILITIES.(Directory)
May 25, 2001... TECHNICAL CERTIFICATION TRAINING FACILITIES Listed Alphbetically Name Address Phone/Fax Year est. locally/ Current...

PEOPLE.
May 25, 2001... News about people who are moving to and moving up at companies in the Austin area... BOBBIE BARKER was named staff vice president for Southern Union Gas. She is responsible for statewide technical services, public affairs and human...

Area has to work to grow.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... In contrast to recent past, residents must be ready to put effort, dollars into economic development The days of sitting back and waiting for success to come knocking on the front door are gone. Although it's been somewhat the same...

Can you define a leader?(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... The next time you're looking for a good laugh, put 60 people in a room and ask them to agree on the characteristics that make a good leader. Then hold on for the ride. Does she need vision? If so, what kind? Does she need tunnel...

Stratus deal in works.(Stratus Properties Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A plan by Austin land developer Stratus Properties Inc. would have the company swapping rights it says it has to develop 550 acres in Southwest Austin for the City of Austin's promise to allow more than 180 acres of that land to be developed...

He's back in the game.(video game industry professional Richard Garriott)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... After leaving Origin Systems, Richard Garriott launches startup that's developing online game Richard Garriott started his journey with Origin but Ultima-tely has arrived at his next destination -- Destination Games, that is. ...

Sublease raises eyebrows.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A $22 sublease rate at one of Austin's finest office addresses might be a harbinger of reduced rates later this year. Real estate watchers disagree over the significance of the roughly 30,000 square feet of offices Trilogy Software Inc....

New kind of lounge lizard?(employment networking)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Don't call it a "pink slip party." Yes, it's an event geared for folks hit by Austin's economic downturn, but this gathering is called The Layoff Lounge. The Austin launch is set for 6-9 p.m. May 31 at the Sky Lounge at 416 Congress Ave....

Bells and whistles.(railroad train maintenance)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... The romance, sights and sounds of railroad history once again might excite the imaginations of young and old like soon. The old Southern Pacific No. 786 steam locomolive could return to active duty this fall, again pulling excursion trains on...

Sincerest form of flattery.(Portugal's high technology industry)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Traveling over an ocean and a couple of time zones, Portuguese officials arrived recently to tour several of Austin's semiconductor companies. The fast visit was part of an ongoing campaign to attract the tech companies to Portugal. ...

Austin's epic proportions.(nightlife)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... When it comes to the singles scene, Austin doesn't exactly steal the show, according to Forbes.com, but it's still in the top 20. The Web site's latest "Best Places for Singles" survey places Austin at No. 15 among the 40 most populous...

Chipping in.(officials of the semiconductor industry)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... International Sematech will have a new president and CEO as soon as this fall. Bob Helms, corporate vice president of Texas Instruments Inc., already has been named president of the semiconductor manufacturing consortium' and will step...

Hungry for downtown space.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... After 17 years of menus, meals and appreciative diners at its downtown location, Pao's Mandarin House has closed its doors at One Commodore Plaza, 800 Brazos St. The closing has nothing to do with the downturn in the economy, Pao's...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction Notice)
May 18, 2001... A story in the May 11-17 issue of the Austin Business Journal titled "Deal for assets collapses" incorrectly spelled the name of the CEO at Avatar Technology Inc. His name is David Winsman. A story in the April 27-May 3 issue of the...

Nestle subsidiary plans expansion.(Alcon Laboratories Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... FORT WORTH -- Alcon Laboratories Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle SA, is planning a $20 million to $30 million expansion of its research and development building in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth-based company's expansion plans still are in the...

Cingular Wireless to close call center.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... HOUSTON -- As many as 250 Cingular Wireless employees could be out of work this summer when the company closes a Houston call center that has been in operation for 17 years. The shutdown is part of a consolidation of call centers that...

SBC pulls back on space needs.(SBC Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- Less than a year after signing a lease for the former Builders' Square headquarters, SBC Communications Inc. is opting to sublease the 200,623-square-foot building -- which it never has occupied. In addition, SBC also has...

$50M bond package on tap.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Hays County voters to decide fate of road, park improvements A $50 million bond package for roadway improvements and parkland acquisition is crucial to economic development in Hays County, business leaders say. Clovis Barker,...

Small firms, big task.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Local businesses join forces to form alliance aimed at promoting small companies Austin's tech companies aren't the only ones feeling the effect of the downward shift in the economy. All types of small businesses in the area say...

Survey: Confidence high.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
May 18, 2001... Layoff reports and an economic downturn aren't deterring the optimism of small business owners across the country, according to a new survey by American City Business Journals. About 40 percent of those surveyed think current economic...

Office project slated.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... New York developer plans to build about 300,000 s.f. of offices in far Northwest Austin A New York developer is preparing to build about 300,000 square feet of Class A office space in far Northwest Austin. The project is part of...

Publicly held company relocates HQ to Austin.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A publicly traded health care company now calls Austin home. National Health and Safety Corp. [OTC BB: NHLT] recently moved into 3,500 square feet at 3811 Bee Cave Road. National Health, founded in 1989, was based in Horsham, Pa. ...

Wayport names Hampton as chief financial officer.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Austin-based Wayport Inc., which provides Internet access, has named David Hampton as chief financial officer. Hampton comes to Wayport from Austin-based Singleentry.com, an Internet-based software provider for the insurance industry,...

Ex-counsel at TManage to boost V&E's practice.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Because of the economic downturn and a delay in an IPO, attorney J. Nixon Fox, co-founder of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP's Austin office, has decided to exit TManage Inc. as general counsel and senior vice president to join the Austin...

Maryland company acquiring HotData.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Austin-based software developer HotData Inc. is being acquired by Group 1 Software Inc. [Nasdaq: GSOF], based in Lanham, Md. Group 1 will pay $2 million when the deal closes, plus 10 percent of the revenue generated by HotData's...

SBC Communications Inc.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... An Internet access company in Dallas is embroiled in a dispute with giant SBC Communications Inc. that could hamper SBC's ability to provide long-distance phone service in Kansas and Oklahoma. The Federal Communications Commission is...

AT&T Corp.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A lawsuit filed in Florida, California and Texas has put Ma Bell's wireless offerings in the crosshairs of some of the country's toughest class-action lawyers. The Florida suit claims AT&T Corp. has overcharged wireless customers by...

Mark Goldstein.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Mark Goldstein is betting on the growth of biotech and has 130 domain names to prove it. Goldstein has purchased names such as AdvancesInMedicine.com and BioGenX.com. He's about to host a selfmanaged auction for several of them, which...

Microsoft Corp.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Microsoft Corp. plans to add 500 to its Bay Area workforce of 1,500 as it expands its product and sales efforts to break into the lucrative enterprise market -- right in the backyard of its fiercest competitors. "California is critical to...

Network Commerce Inc.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... The Internet stock bubble was briefly reinflated in April at struggling Network Commerce Inc. -- just long enough for Chairman and CEO Dwayne Walker to sell a large chunk of stock back to the company at more than 80 times its market value....

Test chip company is in hiring, expansion mode.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Piano-based TestChip Technologies Inc. is expanding its Austin operations, moving from 4,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet at 9300 United Drive. Merrill Wertheimer, chief financial officer for TestChip, says the expansion is part of...

Westech office building up for sale once again.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A landmark office complex on Loop 360 near the Arboretum is up for sale a little more than a year after its purchase. Owners of Westech 360 have listed the 178,175 square feet of offices for sale with Mark McAllister and Steve Oden of CB...

Dahill state HQ moves from Austin to San Antonio.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Dahill Industries, an office equipment sales company, has moved its state headquarters from Austin to San Antonio following a merger with Felco Office Systems. The move will mean more jobs at the San Antonio location as the company...

Sam's Club to take old HQ space.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... A Sam's Club discount store is coming to South Austin. Real estate sources say Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has signed a lease to put one of its Sam's Club stores in a building northeast of U.S. Highway 290 and South MoPac Expressway. ...

Circuit City exec joins Travis Boats board.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Richard Birnbaum, executive vice president of operations at Circuit City Stores Inc. [NYSE: CC], is the newest member of the board of directors of Austin-based Travis Boats and Motors Inc. Mark Walton, president and chairman of Travis...

Schlotzsky's building two more Austin delis.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... Austin-based Schlotzsky's Inc. [Nasdaq: BUNZ] is building two more restaurants in the Austin area and has purchased land for three more. The delis under construction are in the La Frontera development in Round Rock and at Northcross Mall...

Art museum hires new chief executive.(Bill McLellan)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2001... The Austin Museum of Art has hired Bill McLellan as its new CEO. McLellan replaces Bill O'Brien, who resigned last month. McLellan will assume the job June 10. McLellan has been executive director of Austin's LifeWorks, a youth and...