Austin Business Journal articles from October 2001

Austin Business Journal archives from October 2001

Squabble erupts over bonds.(Travis County, Texas)
October 5, 2001... One road project could be at heart of fight over proposals on ballot Disagreements over more than $170 million in business-backed transportation proposals on the Nov. 6 Travis County ballot have dealt a major blow to relationships between...

Is fabless fabulous?(layoffs in the semiconductor industry)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Thousands of layoffs at Austin's semiconductor manufacturing operations have been announced this year, but a growing fabless industry could counteract some of the negative effects. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Advanced Micro Designs Inc....

AMD may use tax break law.(Advanced Micro Devices)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... As AMD seeks site for chip plant, Texas measure comes into play Now that Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is closing two Austin chipmaking plants, what's next? As it shops for a site for its next-generation chipmaking plant, AMD is showing...

A spirited issue.(restaurants and mixed beverages laws in Texas)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The fate of mixed beverages served in some restaurants in Williamson County might be as endangered as the Barton Springs Salamander in Travis County. Unclear boundary lines resulting from past elections in Austin's neighboring county to...

Food for Sept 11 funds. Gov.
October 5, 2001... Rick Perry has proclaimed October 'Texas Restaurant Month," and two upcoming efforts will use the proclamation as a springboard to help raise funds benefiting victims of the recent terrorist attacks. On Oct 8, the Texas Hill Country Food...

Triple threat.(Trilogy Software Inc. charity triathlon)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Trilogy Software Inc. is doing things in threes with a triathlon to raise money for Hospice Austin. Anyone can participate in the event Oct. 13, from individuals to relay teams. Registration costs $55 per person and $135 per relay team....

A different set of books.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Austin is home to a number of authors and two of them soon will be risking -- what else? -- writer's cramp at local book signings. Jeff Abbott, a suspense novelist and creative director at Austin's integrated marketing firm nFusion Group...

Tres bien, y'all.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Two event venues opening this month offer two very different approaches to re-creating the atmosphere of Paris -- Paris, France, and Paris, Texas. The Coterie, in the Phillips Building at 105 E. Fifth St. between Congress Avenue and Brazos...

Big shoes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... When leasing agent Dan Listrom of First Regional Properties dropped out of the real estate business to take a sabbatical, he left some big shoes to fill at one of the largest and fastest-growing commercial parks in Central Texas. Listrom...

TI loses millions on Ford switches.(Texas Instruments Inc., Ford Motor Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... DALLAS -- Texas Instruments Inc. has lost more than $2 million because of federal lawsuits over cruise-control deactivation switches it made for Ford Motor-Co. that allegedly caused under-hood fires, often resulting in damage to vehicles and...

Phone company files for bankruptcy.(MyFreeLD.com)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- MyFreeLD.com, the first of the free Internet-based long-distance phone services, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The San Antonio-based company, which at one time employed 10 people, is now down to one --...

HVAC company to close business unit.(Encompass Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... HOUSTON -- Encompass Services Corp., one of Houston's top 20 publicly traded companies, is shutting down a business unit and withdrawing financial projections for the rest of the year because of economic uncertainty. Encompass provides...

Austin Energy buys plant.(city utility)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... In $1O.8M deal, city utility purchases plant at Domain aimed at major energy users. A $10.8 million deal with the City of Austin will give users at a North Austin business park access to high-efficiency climate control and power generated...

100,000 s.f. flex space set.(Development 2000 Inc. and Sealy & Grant L.P. to build office/industrial buildings in Austin, TX)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Despite down market, firm proceeds with $6.5M project An Austin development firm has started construction on 100,000 square feet of flex office/industrial space in Northeast Austin, hoping to find a niche in an otherwise slow market. ...

Motive picks up assets.(Motive Communications Inc. purchases Question Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The pending sale of certain assets of Austin's Question Technologies Inc. to Austin-based Motive Communications Inc. leaves several unanswered questions, such as the fate of the rest of Question. The deal should close within the next few...

A slice of federal pie.(small businesses' federal contracts)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Not many business owners want to be more involved with the federal government. The headache of additional paperwork and the adherence to stringent guidelines sometime prompt businesses owners to avoid federal procurement programs. But...

Austin draws N.C. firm as nanotech takes off.
October 5, 2001... It's time to get his business off the ground, "so Louis Brousseau is moving back to Austin. For the past several years, the scientist turned-CEO has mined the rich landscape of Research Triangle Park in North Carolina for ideas, talent and...

ProTrader spinoff gears up for growth in trading.(Zone Trading Partners LLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Austin is home to a newly formed professional day-trading firm that wants to expand by 20 traders here and 60 nationwide. The $150 million acquisition of Austin's ProTrader Group LP by New York-based Instinet Group Inc. meant ProTrader had...

Earl Campbell files suit over soured agreement.(Conversant Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Football Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell is hoping to score big with a million-dollar lawsuit against Piano-based Conversant Technologies Inc. In a suit filed Sept. 17 in a Travis County District Court, the former Texas Longhorn...

Software firm changes approach after attacks.(Oridian Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Austin's Oridian Inc. is developing a security practice after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 as companies search for ways to protect themselves against cyberterroism. The startup develops Web software for companies such as Austin's...

Academy to build two more stores in region.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Academy Sports & Outdoors Ltd. has signed a lease to open its first Round Rock store off I-35 and is making plans to open a new North Austin store next year. The Katy-based sporting goods chain has agreed to take a 68,000-square-foot...

Few dominate SBA minority contracting program.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Rodney Hunt started RS Information Systems Inc. in 1992 with $5,000, an idea and an edge. His idea: Combining information technology with management consulting. His edge: As an African-American, Hunt qualified for the Small Business...

Biometric Access gains $12M in investments.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Round Rock-based Biometric Access Corp. raised $12 million in second-round funding, led by Perseus 2000 LLC. Biometric board member David Peipers and his affiliates also participated in the round of funding, which brings total investments...

International group honors Watson for achievement.(Mayor Kirk Watson)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has been given an individual achievement award by the International Downtown Association. This award recognizes a person for promoting downtown revitalization. The individual achievement award isn't given every...

Daily updates available on Business Journal Web site.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... For the latest-breaking business news from Austin, pull up the Austin Business Journal's Web site at (austin.bCentral.com). Each day, the Austin Business Journal, posts, news from the area that breaks between our weekly deadlines. The...

A high-flying businessman.(Chad Huston's career is discussed.)
October 5, 2001... After dogfights over the skies of Bosnia, attorney Chad Huston takes the potshots of business negotiations a little less seriously In the mid-1970s, Chad Huston was a focused young man. He worked diligently on getting his master's degree...

Cash flow woes hit small firms.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Cash flow is a major problem for two-thirds of small businesses in the United States, according to a new study by the NFIB Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank. "Perhaps no business problem is so well-known to small business owners...

The actions at the auction.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Every week, Austin Auction Co. sells all sorts of goods For some, the weekly auction at Austin Auction Co. is a way to stock their own shops with quality antiques from around the world. For others, it's how they furnish a room or an entire...

ASK THE EXPERTS.
October 5, 2001... What advice do you have for a small business seeking to reduce health care costs? RONDA HOSTETTER REGIONAL DIRECTOR HealthSmart Preferred Care Inc. Request bids from three agents or brokers. Competitive shopping will verify...

A few firms see surge in business after attacks.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Tom Jordan, owner U.S. Flag and Flagpole in Beaumont, says he used to run a very small business. Until the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, that is. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Jordan's staff of nine has ballooned...

Manhattan mayhem.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The massive disaster that struck New York affected businesses around the world, but the effects have been devastating for many small companies in Manhattan. Right after the attack, the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has...

Flood of projects would come from proposition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Generally, most people don't get excited reading about a proposed constitutional amendment. This column, however, is intended to be an exception. Many individuals, organizations and businesses in Texas should get excited about Proposition...

Question Technologies' CFO joins Covasoft.(Michael Dansby)(Abstract)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Michael Dansby has joined Austin-based Covasoft Inc. as chief financial officer. Covasoft develops e-business systems management software. The CFO position is a new one at the company, which was founded in 1999. In August,...

Purging emotions may heal wounds of Sept. 11.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... On 9-11, there was an emergency like none we've experienced. Unfortunately, for many of us, we weren't prepared to respond. "What can I do?" I asked myself as I watched the destruction unfold before me on CNN. For two day's, nearly...

Economic stimulus bill may benefit small firms.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Small businesses could get tax breaks ranging from increased expensing limits to faster depreciation for computers and software as part of an economic stimulus package under consideration by Congress. Lobbying activity, which was put on...

Business groups join push for Senate energy action.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... Business groups put their clout behind Republican efforts to persuade the Senate to follow the House's lead and pass an energy bill designed to increase domestic production. A dependable energy supply is crucial for economic recovery, say...

Business Roundtable leads in lobbying expenditures.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The Business Roundtable, a group of big-business CEOs, spent $185 million lobbying Congress and the federal government in the last half of 2000, making it the biggest spender among organizations trying to influence policy in Washington, D.C....

Patent office raises fees because of inflation.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office raised patent fees Oct. 1 to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. Basic filing fees for patents are now $740, up from $710 previously. The fee for small businesses was...

Haunted holdings.(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Don't be afraid -- ghosts and things that 'go bump in the night' can add value to real estate Austin is an old city, as Texas cities go. As such, it holds its share of ghostly legends surrounding some of its century-old structures. ...

Mold renovation begins at home or headquarters.
October 5, 2001... Homeowners aren't the only ones grappling with the problem of mold growths in and behind walls in Austin and throughout Texas. Other, larger buildings can struggle with the problem, as some schools have been plagued with the mold aftermath of...

San Antonio sees changes in a variety of buildings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... It's official. Bank of America Plaza, the 533,171-square-foot, Class A office building located: in downtown San Antonio at 300 Convent St., has a new owner -- Hartford, Conn.-based Talcott Really Investors. The official entity that will own...

Find a silver lining in a downturn when building.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The downtown in local construction volume over the past 18 months has produced new opportunities for buyers of construction services. Prior to the near collapse of the tech sector, Austin was a seller's market. General contractors, or GCs, were...

Construction that's on the side of the angels.(places of worship projects)
October 5, 2001... Even as the economy slows down, Austin tries to catch up to the demands of its population growth in the 1990s. Austin's places of worship also feel the infrastructure squeeze. To meet it, there are new construction projects of churches,...

What a difference a year makes -- in sales.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The half-dozen Austin office property sales completed so far this year show a marked decline in the area's commercial real estate market from recent years. It's not limited to the number of deals -- the drop also is reflected in selling prices....

Budget axe slices land off companies' assets list.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2001... The biggest expense on a company's balance sheet is typically salaries, so it's not surprising that in this downturning economy many businesses have laid off employees. A company's second biggest expense tends to be real estate, so many...

Seattle's sublease space, vacancy rate on the rise.(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... The economic slowdown and sluggish real estate market are forcing some Seattle area technology companies to pay sizable sums for office space they no longer need -- and in some cases never occupied. Onyx Software Corp. is spending at least...

LARGEST TITLE COMPANIES.(Directory)
October 5, 2001... LARGEST TITLE COMPANIES Ranked by total insurable transactions for the Austin-area during 2000 Total insurable Name transaction [*]:...

LARGEST MOVING COMPANIES.(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... LARGEST MOVING COMPANIES Ranked by 2000 local gross revenue Number of: Austin area Commercial Name ...

PEOPLE.
October 5, 2001... FRED ERWIN has joined OTM Engineering Inc. as national manager of business development for national accounts. Previously, he worked for Lucent Technologies Inc. DENICE PICARD FINCH has joined Partners in Planning Inc. as vice president....

Peace accord gasps its last.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 5, 2001... Uneasy calm between business and environment crumbles over $170.6 million transportation vote It was nice while it lasted. It's just as ugly as it ever was in its end. It began with some very strong personalities locked in rooms...

It's your business journal.
October 5, 2001... Coincidentally, both contacts came in the same week. And both showed some lack of understanding about the phrase "my business journal" that some people use. The first was from a woman who felt we'd made an error. That's entirely possible....

A new breed of Fund is born.(OptIn Ventures)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Optln Ventures seeks to raise as much as $100M targeted at eventual acquisitions There's a new venture capital fund in town. OptIn Ventures LP hopes to raise $50 million to $100 million for a new breed of fund and begin investing within 60...

Ad startup: Daring move.(RuffCoffin advertising agency)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... The newest tenant in downtown Austin's historic Hannig Row is a daring newcomer in its field. RuffCoffin is an advertising startup, founded this summer by principals Todd Ruff and Mike Coffin. The 10-person firm just moved into its new...

Mold cases keep growing.(litigation from mold damage)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Some law firms capitalize on rise in mold-related litigation A couple of years ago, attorneys at Bracewell & Patterson LLP anticipated an unusual trend -- steady litigation arising from mold problems. Without an immediate need, lawyers...

No more Big Mac attacks.(child tires of fast food)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... If you were to believe the American child stereotype, you'd think our youngsters subsist on nothing but fast food. But Hays County Judge Jim Powers knows our kids -- at least his daughter Angela -- can learn to appreciate a parent slaving...

Not Napoleon.(Austin, Texas history book)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Ever wonder why Waterloo appears so frequently in the names of area restaurants, parks and stores? Next week, Austinites will find the answer in a new book on Austin's history called Austin: An illustrated History, including the...

No, it's not a Devo convention.(Cyber world 3D)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... If you see scores of people running around North Congress in funky shades, don't be fooled. It's not about the de-evolution the '80s band, but the evolution of our world. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is presenting "Cyber...

Goodies to go.(collecting for New York City relief)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Don Thornhill, CEO of Austin's TSH Marketing Group, is collecting "goodies" from local companies to raise funds for the widows and children of New York police and firefighters. The Austin freebies need to be products aimedat public...

Getting aloft.(Plaza Lofts in Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Construction crews with Harvey-Cleary Engineers & Builders are topping out the Plaza Lofts this month at the southeast corner of Guadalupe and Fifth streets. The downtown residences will overlook Republic Square across Guadalupe when...

Fore the future.(Marshall Ranch Golf Club )(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Austin golfers have much to talk about this month. Dirt will turn Oct 16 in Lake Travis, and it won't be from golfers' divots. The Marshall Ranch Golf Club will break ground that day on a new golf course -- designed by golf legend Gary...

Patent dispute moves to mediation.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... PLANO -- An 8-yearold patent dispute in Dallas pitting InterDigital Communications Corp. against one of the world's biggest cell phone makers, Ericsson Inc., has moved into mediation and might be headed to eventual settlement. Some...

UT medical center to outsource billing.(University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston )(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... HOUSTON -- The University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston is planning to outsource its billing and collection practices in order to reduce costs and improve its collection rate with managed care companies. UT-Houston is in contract...

S.A. hotel may be Inholding pattern.(Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the company selected by the City of San Antonio to operate the proposed Sheraton convention center hotel, appears to be pulling back after announcing it's "freezing all major capital...

Firm fulfills core business.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Addressing Your Needs Inc. sells fulfillment operation for $1.8M to focus on lead generation Austin's Addressing Your Needs Inc., a lead generation firm, has sold the fulfillment portion of its business to Comac Inc. for $1.8 million. ...

Local show to debut.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Area film and video group's series premieres on national Austin film and video production firm Granite House Inc. breaks into the national cable television market this month with a series filmed and produced here for Home & Garden...

Freight carrier files.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... First Air Express seeks to reorganize under Chapter 11 International freight carrier First Air Express Inc. has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The 10-year-old Austin company has been a fast-growing operation...

Gamer takes aim at PCs.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Austin's Aspyr Media Inc. has taken quite a bite out of the Macintosh gaming market, and now it's hungry for more. In November, the Mac game publishing company plans to release a new game for personal computers -- a move that could boost...

Investor event to shine spotlight on film firms.(Starlight Exchange)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Austin's film industry soon might get a financial boost thanks to a Houston-based company that seeks to match investors with projects in the entertainment industry. Starlight Exchange, part of Starlight Capital Inc., will host its debut...

Arrhythmia Research names new president.(James Rouse)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... James Rouse has been named president and chief operating officer of Austin-based Arrhythmia Research Technology Inc. [AMEX: HRT]. Rouse replaces Anthony Cetrone. Rouse was named president of Fitchburg, Mass.-based Micron Products Inc.,...

Sulzer consolidates U.S. biologics activities.(Sulzer Medica Ltd. )(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Swiss medical device company Sulzer Medica Ltd. [NYSE: SM] says it will consolidate its U.S. biologics activities in Austin. The company's Denver operations will be closed, resulting in the layoff of 60 employees. Some key researchers will...

Former InfoGlide COO sues over termination.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... The former chief operating officer of Austin's InfoGlide Software Corp. has sued the company, claiming he was isolated and "run out of the company" by other executives and denied a severance package. The suit was filed Sept. 28 in Travis...

Land partnership files Chapter 11 bankruptcy.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... A dispute over 15 acres in East Austin has left an affordable housing apartment project up in the air and two parties wondering who legally owns the land. The dispute came to a head Oct. 3 when Thomas Buckle, an attorney with Austin law...

Wynn raising funds for regional planning effort.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... An Austin City Council member is heading an effort to raise millions of dollars for a new initiative designed to improve regional planning. This summer, a member of high-profile community leaders began laying the groundwork to form a...

Plans move forward for SW Austin retail projects.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... A local developer is moving ahead with plans for retail projects on three corners of an intersection in Southwest Austin. Developer Bill Walters, president of Austin's Walters Southwest Co., received approvals Sept. 18 from the Austin...

Meltdown in tech soaks high-flying Brobeck firm.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
October 12, 2001... Tower Snow is a marked man in a souring economy. After all, it was Snow, as chairman of San Francisco-based Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP, who led the 75-year-old law firm's single-minded pursuit of technology clients in the late 1990s....

Statesman, others plug along despite downturn.
October 12, 2001... Expanded news coverage of terrorism by Austin's daily newspaper has increased costs during a period of already declining revenue, but the editor of the Austin American-Statesman says the company will survive without resorting to layoffs. ...

Wells Fargo deal to add four Austin branches.
October 12, 2001... San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. is purchasing First State Bank of Texas, which operates four branches in Austin. Wells Fargo [NYSE: WFC] has signed an agreement with the family of Minnesota businessman Carl Pohlad to acquire banks in...

Office tenants may favor suburbs over downtown.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... Corporations will be less likely in the future to lease large chunks of space in downtown office towers and more likely to spread their employees around several suburban locations. So says Owen Thomas, managing director of Morgan Stanley...

Unemployment tax rates expected to rise in 2002.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 12, 2001... Because of the economic slowdown, the Austin-based Texas Workforce Commission says it expects unemployment insurance tax rates to increase next year for virtually all Texas employers. Larry Jones, a spokesman for the commission, says it...

ABIA opens stand to sell food, beverages.(Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... A new concession stand has been set up at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that only ticketed passengers be allowed past security checkpoints. In...

September retail sales in Austin up slightly.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 12, 2001... Retail sales last month in the Austin area lagged behind the state's other major cities, according to data compiled by TeleCheck Services Inc. The check-clearing company reported same-store retail sales in Austin rose 1.7 percent in...

Small biz forum established.(small business advisory board)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... As Austin's population of entrepreneurs grows, one company has set up a forum to help them succeed. Austin Executive Edge has created the Small Business Advantage Roundtable. This group of eight to 10 small business owners of noncompeting...

About to come out of the shadows.(Wolfpack Studios Inc.'s online game)
October 12, 2001... Austin firm prepares for debut of eagerly awaited game At least in this case, the term "Age of Strife" doesn't refer to the war against terrorism or the downturn in Austin's high tech sector. Players of Austin-based Wolfpack Studios...

ASK THE EXPERTS.(small business insurance)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2001... ASK THE EXPERTS: In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, what insurance should small businesses consider buying? Proper amounts of insurance for one's buildings, personal property and general liability are the starting points for any sound...