Boston Business Journal articles from July 1991

Boston Business Journal archives from July 1991

No commuters, no cars, no cash. (parking garages lose business steam because of competition from newer structures and the dampening effect of the recession)
July 1, 1991... As with almost every other venture during the miraculous 1980s, running a parking garage in Boston used to be a simple yet lucrative proposition, recalls Monique Doyle Spencer of the Beacon Cos. "In the old days, you put up a sign, the garage...

Smoking gone. (Melotone Vending files suit)
July 1, 1991... Somerville-based MeloTone Vending took the town of Brookline to court last week over the community's new ban on cigarette vending machines. MeloTone says the ban is unconstitutional, while Brookline officials claim it is one way to persuade...

Rewronging history. (brouhaha over Houghton Mifflin Co.'s publication)
July 1, 1991... Houghton Mifflin, the Boston-based publisher, faced angry protesters last week in San Francisco over a social studies textbook series published by the company. Despite the publisher's attempts to write multicultural books, critics claim the...

Data General. (wins computer contract)
July 1, 1991... Westborough-based Data General won a multimillion-dollar computer contract for more than 600 of its Aviion workstations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA will use the systems to monitor and map geographic information systems....

Boston Whaler. (reduces personnel)
July 1, 1991... Boston Whaler, the Rockland-based boat builder, let go 100 employees--some 20 percent of its entire work crew. The cuts, split between the company's Florida and Massachusetts plants, were blamed on the recession.

Digital Equipment. (files civil suit)
July 1, 1991... Digital Equipment in Maynard filed a civil suit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act against four companies, including Currie Enterprises, and 16 persons for reselling defective or obsolete Digital parts that were...

Atlantic Monthly Press. (returns to Boston under new owners)
July 1, 1991... The Atlantic Monthly Press is coming back to Boston. Charles E. Tuttle Co., a Vermont-based publishing house, signed a letter of intent to acquire the business from owner Carl Navarre, who bought the then Boston-based press in 1986 and moved it...

No room for competition, says Warner Cable. (Warner Cable Communications belittles Somerville-Massachusetts' attempts to break industry monopoly)
July 1, 1991... Upset by skyrocketing cable fees, officials in Somerville are on the verge of announcing that the city will back construction of a second cable system in order to compete head-to-head with its current operator, Warner Cable Communications. Warner...

Spins off LITA. (Enzytech Inc. establishes Opta Corp. for the development of a fat substitute)
July 1, 1991... Enzytech Cambridge-based Enzytech has spun off its food ingredient products into a new biotech company called Opta, which two weeks ago signed a long-term partnership and equity agreement with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. to develop and...

Tests halted. (Biopure Corp.'s testing of its blood substitute product)
July 1, 1991... Biopure Corp. Biopure Corp. has stopped human testing with its blood substitute, Hemopure, because of "transient medical events" noted in a Phase I clinical trial. The Boston-based biotech company has notified the Food and Drug...

Fast thinking fuels computer rivalries. (producing and marketing supercomputers)
July 1, 1991... When computer expert George Beard tells his PC to pull up an Autocad drawing of St. Paul's Cathedral, it takes about two seconds. The 56-MHz machine, based on Intel's 486 chip, is the fastest PC in the world, according to Beard, who is...

Ford's Somerville legacy bubbles up in N.H. (Ford Motor Corp. sued over toxic waste transported from its former assembly plant in Somerville, Massachusetts to New Hampshire)
July 1, 1991... Bud Johnson's neighbors in Barrington, N.H., were always curious about the 300 or so mysterious barrels tucked away in his back yard containing what he called "swamp juice." But it wasn't until 1982, when one of them finally called in the...

Bruce Bullen. (Medicaid director)
July 1, 1991... Ready for the challenge Position: Medicaid Director Education: B.A., Williams College, 1970; M.P.A., Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, 1988 Age: 44 When Undersecretary for Health Charles Baker recommended to the incoming...

Computer producers find safety in niches. (small computer firms in Massachusetts specialize in the face of the new wave of mergers leading to a scaled-down market)(Focus: Midyear Economic Report)
July 1, 1991... Computer industry giants in Massachusetts see contraction on several fronts at midyear, while niche producers in the hardware arena are exploding with growth. Meanwhile, the state's software developers are growing and showing a new inclination to...

Area's banks adjust to life after the fall. (New England's banking industry survives recession)(Focus: Midyear Economic Report)
July 1, 1991... Many of the major banks in New England showed signs of improvement in the first half of 1991, though few in the banking business believe the end of Massachusetts economic recession or the end of the industry's woes are in sight. "I think the...

No real estate turnaround seen on horizon. (Boston, Massachusetts' real estate business flounders because of recession)(Focus: Midyear Economic Report)
July 1, 1991... Dazed by the one-two punch of falling property values and diminished credit, Boston's commercial real estate business looks a lot like a prize fighter wobbling before going down for the count. The market conditions that prevailed last...

Manufacturing sector can't count on miracles. (New England's manufacturing sector barely surmounts recession)(Focus: Midyear Economic Report)
July 1, 1991... Although some manufacturing analysts say the job losses in the industry are starting to taper off and others argue that there's still a long way to go, they all agree on one prediction: No matter how high revenues soar or productivity peaks, jobs...

Sequoia Systems. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (company profile)
July 1, 1991... THE BUSINESS SEQUOIA Headquarters: Marlborough Stock Symbol: SEQS Market: NASDAQ Annual Revenues: $48,612,121 Net Income:...

Larry Kelley. (Manufacturing/Retail)
July 1, 1991... Larry Kelley, president of the Weathervane, a women's specialty store chain, was named president and CEO of The Casual Male, a subsidiary of J. Baker Inc. The Casual Male operates 170 Big & Tall men's specialty stores in the eastern U.S. Kelley...

Sanyou International. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... SANYOU INTERNATIONAL, 33 Traveler St., Boston 02118. Import/export. Pres: Kegang Wu, 1420C Spartan Village, East Lansing, Mich. Treas: Ethan Huang, 4884 MacArthur Blvd. N.W., Apt. 106, Washington D.C.

United Trucking and Equipment. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... UNITED TRUCKING AND EQUIPMENT, 37 Schuyler St., Boston 02121. Transportation. Pres: Herbert Jackson, address unknown. Treas: Steve Burrel, address unknown.

Villausa Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... VILLAUSA INC., c/o D.R. Johnson Esq., Widett, Slater & Goldman, 60 State St., Boston 02109. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Mario Gonzalez Pinon, Medicina 1114, 2nd Fl., Colonia Angeltrias, Chihuaha, Chihuaha, Mexico.

Advanced Storage and Transportation. (Incorporations )
July 1, 1991... ADVANCED STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION, 57 Magazine St., Boston 02119. Moving and storage. Pres. and treas: W. Edwin Raws, 122 Oceanside Dr., Scituate 02066.

American Trade for Kuwait. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... AMERICAN TRADE FOR KUWAIT, 1 Longfellow Place, #3123, Boston 02114. International trading. Pres. and treas: William Wolf, same as bus.

John Hand Enterprises. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... JOHN HAND ENTERPRISES, 41 Hallet St., Dorchester 02124. Clothier. Pres. and treas: John Hand, 71 Surfside Rd., Scituate 02066.

Motorman Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... MOTORMAN INC., 1024 River St., Hyde Park 02136-3160. Auto supply business. Pres. and treas: Benjamin Collins, same as bus.

Hale and Dorr. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... HALE AND DORR, 60 State St., Boston 02109. Real estate. Pres. and treas: John Westcott Jr., 21 Essex Rd., Chestnut Hill 02167.

Kim Cab. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... KIM CAB, 6 Lorenzo St., Dorchester 02122. Taxi service. Pres: Georges Cattan, 23 Health St., Brookline 02146. Treas: Alan Kroner, 466 N. Main St., Randolph 02368.

The Recovery Group. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... THE RECOVERY GROUP, 530 Atlantic Ave., Boston 02210. Management. Pres: Stephen Gray, address unknown. Treas: Leland Goldberg, address unknown.

Renwood-Clapp WW&F Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... RENWOOD--CLAPP WW&F INC., 88 Exeter St., Suite 5B, Boston. Low-income and special needs housing project developer. Pres: Caleb Clapp, same as bus. Treas: R. Norman Wood, c/o The Renwood Companies, 1 Corporate Place, Peabody 02116.

Amalex Taxi. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... AMALEX TAXI, 13 Ridgewood St., Dorchester 02122. Taxi service. Pres. and treas: Amaral Fontes Veiga, same as bus.

Beth Pile Design. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... BETH PILE DESIGN, 5 Exeter St., Boston 02116. Designing, marketing and selling decorative and artistic products. Pres. and treas: Elizabeth Pile, same as bus.

129 Harvard Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... 129 HARVARD CORP., 100 Franklin St., Boston 02110. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Roland Gray Jr., same as bus.

Rainbow Palace Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... RAINBOW PALACE CORP., 1537 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan 02126. Short-term rental banquet hall. Pres: Cal Whitworth, same as bus. Treas: Errol Clarke, 590 Cummins Hwy., Mattapan 02126.

High Quality Energy. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... HIGH QUALITY ENERGY, 281 Main St., Boston 02129. Gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and natural gas. Pres. and treas: Ilia Miller, 22 Eton Place, Springfield, N.J. 07081.

Safeguard Self Storage. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... SAFEGUARD SELF STORAGE, 205 A St., Boston 02210. Storage. Pres. and treas: Marc Ostrovsky, 2 Ware St., Cambridge 02138.

The Selig Group. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... THE SELIG GROUP, 575 Boylston St., 3rd Fl., Boston 02116. Advertising and public relations. Pres. and treas: Nancy Selig, 59 Ardmore Rd., Needham 02194.

Thomas J. Shields & Co. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... THOMAS J. SHIELDS & CO., 40 Rowes Wharf, Boston 02110. Financial advisory services. Pres. and treas: Thomas Shields, 151 Cliff Rd., Wellesley Hills 02181.

Zibit Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... ZIBIT CORP., 66 Beacon St., No. 64, Boston 02108. Sales, promotion and marketing. Pres: J. Harry Shannon, same as bus. Treas: Jeffrey Rutchik, 32 Baltic St., Easton 02336.

N.B.T.D. Enterprises. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... N.B.T.D. ENTERPRISES, 304 Newbury St., Suite 350, Boston 02115. Higher education memorabilia. Pres: Nawaf Al-Khalifa, 150 Huntington Ave., Boston 02115. Treas: Haitham Nayfeh, 30 Douglas Pk., Boston 02118.

Boston Capital Partners Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... BOSTON CAPITAL PARTNERS CORP., 313 Congress St., Boston 02110. Real estate. Pres: John Manning, 231 S. Main St., Cohasset 02025. Treas: Anthony Nickas, 7 Arabian Way, South Hamilton 01982.

Lone Wolf Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... LONE WOLF INC., 15 Huntington Ave., Boston 02116. Clothing designers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Pres. and treas: Robert Grady, 201 Hancock St., Dorchester 02125.

Systems Theory Management. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... SYSTEMS THEORY MANAGEMENT, 6 Fayette St., Boston 02116. Management consulting. Pres. and treas: C.P. Land, same as bus.

Bougainvillea. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... BOUGAINVILLEA, 47 Harvard St., Charlestown 02129. Manufacture, import and export clothing. Pres: Lynne Roberts, 15 Main St., Charlestown 02129. Treas: Kimberly Lynch, 47 Harvard St., Charlestown 02129.

Gente Construction Co. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... GENTE CONSTRUCTION CO., 1 North Sq., Boston 02113. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Joel Smith, 21 Charlotte St., Boston 02121.

Mole Holding Co. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... MOLE HOLDING CO., 32 Fisher Ave., Boston 02120. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Mia Saunders, same as bus.

Ranch Restaurants Management. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... RANCH RESTAURANTS MANAGEMENT, 105 Chauncy St., Boston 02111. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Carol Holiday Blew, 37 Partridge Hill Rd., Weston 02193.

T. Builders Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... T. BUILDERS CORP., 94 Day St., Jamaica Plain 02130. General contractors, remodeling and construction. Pres. and treas: Pedro Pirez, same as bus.

Monroe Associates. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... MONROE ASSOCIATES, 1 Beacon St., Boston 02108. Laundry and cleaning. Pres: Christopher Quincy, 169 Whittier St., Milton 02186. Treas: Donald Savage, 21 Lanes End, Natick 01760.

Connelly & Norton PC. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... CONNELLY & NORTON PC, 204 Union Wharf, Boston 02109. Law practice. Pres: John Norton, address unknown. Treas: Barry Connelly, address unknown.

K.A.T. Lionheart Ltd. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... K.A.T. LIONHEART LTD., 445 Beacon St., Apt. 3, Boston 02115. Wholesale and retail. Pres: Natasha Gordon, same as bus. Treas: Konrad Makowski, 19 Union Pk., Apt. 2, Boston 02115.

Litigation Copy Services. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... LITIGATION COPY SERVICES, 109 Union Wharf, Boston 02109. Copy, reproduction, printing and desktop publishing business. Pres. and treas: John Carey, same as bus.

Au Beurre Chaud Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... AU BEURRE CHAUD CORP., 721 River St., Mattapan, Restaurant and food sales. Pres. and treas: Josette Nazaire, 20 Strawberry Ln., Canton 02021.

MHZ Cab. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... MHZ CAB, c/o Kline, Gordon, Ginn, 40 Broad St., Boston 02109, Transportation. Pres. and treas: Mirmehdi Hashemi Zonouz, 16 James St., #58, Malden 02148.

Venex International Ltd. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... VENEX INTERNATIONAL LTD., c/o John Henderson, 292 K St., Unit #3, S. Boston 02127. International business consultant. Pres: John Henderson, same as bus. Treas: Adelaida Cedeno, same as bus.

Shulaine Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... SHULAINE INC., c/o Glenn Frank Esq., Bloom & Witkin, 1 Winthrop Sq., Boston 02110. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Elaine Shuman, 10911A Lakemore Ln., Boca Raton, Fla.

Stoshaine Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... STOSHAINE INC., c/o Glenn Frank Esq., Bloom & Witkin, 1 Winthrop Sq., Boston 02110. Real estate. Pres. and treas: Elaine Shuman, 10911A Lakemore Ln., Boca Raton, Fla.

Building 197 Loan Acquisition Corp. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... BUILDING 197 LOAN ACQUISITION CORP., c/o The Prentice-Hall Corp., 84 State St., Boston 02109. Debt and equity investments in real property and related assets. Pres: John Ferrell, 24 South Woodland St., Englewood, N.J. 07631. Treas: Daniel Tully,...

High Bridge Detective Agency. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... HIGH BRIDGE DETECTIVE AGENCY, P.O. Box 608, Charlestown 02129. Security business. Pres: Henry Hickey, 10 Summer St., Malden 02148. Treas: Herbert Upton, 21 Cordis St., Charlestown 02129.

Ami Group. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... AMI GROUP, c/o Bernkopf, Goodman & Baseman, 125 Summer St., Boston 02110. Real estate. Pres: Henry Yunes, 5745 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, Fla. 33496. Treas: Margaret Horvath, 1251 S.E. Seventh Ave., #202, Dania, Fla. 33004.

Julieth Inc. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... JULIETH INC., 1239 River St., Hyde Park 02136. Retail. Pres. and treas: Julieth Jreige, 301 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale 02131.

Viva Acquisition. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... VIVA ACQUISITION, c/o Ronald Stetler Esq., Jager, Smith, Stetler & Arata PC, 1 Financial Center, 15th Fl., Boston 02111. Owners and operators of a Roche Bobois furniture franchise. Pres. and treas: Viviane Coriatt, 54 Avenue Ledru Rollin, Paris,...

Foods Research Laboratories. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... FOODS RESEARCH LABORATORIES, 130 Newmarket Sq., Boston 02118. Foods research lab. Pres. and treas: Andrea Fontaine, 1 Jeff Ln., R.R. 3, Manchester, N.H. 03103.

Hill Richmond Properties. (Incorporations)
July 1, 1991... HILL RICHMOND PROPERTIES, c/o Hill Management Co., Hill Cargo Bldg., Logan International Airport, 241 Porter St., E. Boston 02128. Real estate. Pres: Allen Bornheimer, address unknown. Treas: Deborah Hill Bornheimer, address unknown.

Massport backs bond issue for new airport hotel. (Massachusetts Port Authority)
July 8, 1991... MASSPORT BACKS BOND ISSUE FOR NEW AIRPORT HOTEL Port authority will cosign Macomber's $40 million project In an unusual move to get a hotel project off the ground at Logan International Airport, the Massachusetts Port Authority backed...

Concern flares up over gas utilites.
July 8, 1991... CONCERN FLARES UP OVER GAS UTILITIES Stock prices for normally stable local natural gas utilities dropped 25 to 50 cents a share in the wake of Delaware-based Columbia Gas System's June 19 announcement of its profound financial woes. ...

Wholesale rally for retail stocks in 2Q. (second quarter standings of stocks among Massachusetts companies)
July 8, 1991... Wholesale rally for retail stocks in 2Q Retail stocks were hot, small-bank stocks fizzled and the much-ballyhooed biotech stocks did the sidestep during the second quarter of 1991. The second quarter, like spring, came in like a lion and...

In like Fleet. (Fleet/Norstar Financial Group Inc.'s acquisition of the Bank of New England)
July 8, 1991... In like Fleet The Federal Reserve Board approved Fleet/Norstar's bid to buy Bank of New England, dismissing objections by community activists concerning Fleet's questionable lending practices. The purchase could be complete in as little as...

Genetics Institute.
July 8, 1991... Cambridge-based Genetics Institute announced that it will take its three-year patent battle with Amgen, a California company, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both companies have been vying for marketing rights to EPO, a blood treatment. In March,...

Cabot Communications.
July 8, 1991... Two Boston advertising agencies, Cabot Communications and Kelley & Wallwork, merged to form one company, retaining the Cabot name. All employees from both firms will be spared, and the headquarters will be based at Cabot's offices in...

Houston, Effler & Partners.
July 8, 1991... Houston, Effler & Partners, a Boston-based advertising agency, was selected from a group of 10 finalists to head up the advertising campaign for the state's Office of Travel and Tourism. This ends a four-year stint for the Hill, Holliday,...

Joe Malone.
July 8, 1991... Massachusetts state Treasurer Joe Malone disputed reports measuring the economic benefits generated by visitors to the Hynes Convention Center prepared by Bell Associates, a Cambridge-based consulting group that was hired by the Massachusetts...

Bank of Boston.
July 8, 1991... The beleaguered Bank of Boston announced that for the first time in 55 years, it will not pay out a quarterly common-stock dividend, skipping the second quarter. The bank has not missed a yearly dividend payment since its founding in 1784. Bank...

Mobil Corp.
July 8, 1991... The state of Massachusetts and five others across the nation will each receive a payment of $25,000 from the Mobil Corp. after settling a suit which alleged that Mobil misled consumers regarding the degradability of the company's Hefty trash...

Science firms finally get down to business. (Advanced NMR Systems; Candela Laser Corp.; TSI Corp.;)
July 8, 1991... Science firms finally get down to business When Paul Bullinger joined Advanced NMR Systems 18 months ago, he inherited a staff of world-renowned physicists and the prototype of a medical device that had drained $12 million from the company...

Lays off staff. (Edsun Laboratories)
July 8, 1991... Edsun Lays off staff Edsun Laboratories announced staff cuts of 47 percent, or 16 workers, blaming financial pressures and shipping delays of a crucial part. The Waltham-based company designs and markets the Continuing Edge...

Furumoto resigns. (Horace Furumoto of Candela Laser Corp.)
July 8, 1991... Candela Laser Furumoto resigns Dr. Horace Furumoto, chairman and co-founder of Candela Laser Corp., announced his resignation and plans to purchase the company's commercial laser business with $1.3 million of his own stock. The...

West Coast buy. (IG Laboratories acquires cytogenetic and genetic counseling of operations of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center)
July 8, 1991... IG Laboratories West Coast buy IG Laboratories acquired the cytogenetic and genetic counseling operations of California-based Long Beach Memorial Hospital Medical Center for an undisclosed sum. The Framingham-based company is one...

Roaches killed by natural causes at EcoScience.
July 8, 1991... Roaches killed by natural causes at EcoScience Cockroaches live in style at EcoScience Corp. The Amherst-based company provides its cockroaches with luxury sweater boxes and room service: water and Purina Lab Chow. EcoScience even pays...

Peter E. Glaser: thinking beyond the liftoff. (Personnel Profile)
July 8, 1991... Peter E. Glaser Thinking beyond the liftoff Dr. Peter E. Glaser likes to imagine astronauts walking around on NASA's future space station Freedom. "You know, they are people just like us," Glaser said. "They want to be entertained,...

It's all done without wires - or will be soon. (Focus: Telecommunications)
July 8, 1991... It's all done without wires--or will be soon It isn't competitiveness, teamwork or dedication that holds the modern corporation together: Wires do. On top of nearly every office worker's desk is a phone and a computer--and behind that...

Phone companies ready for the information age. (Focus: Telecommunications)
July 8, 1991... Phone companies ready for the information age "Forecasting demand in this industry," said researcher Bruce Egan at a recent gathering of telecommunications forecasters from the nation's phone companies, "is impossible." Take video...

Rates on the move. (cellular phone rates)(Focus: Telecommunications)
July 8, 1991... Rates on the move A new cost-saving rate plan for cellular phone customers is being marketed by the NYNEX Mobile Communications Co. The plan, called the "Simplicity Rate Plan," became effective on June 13. NYNEX Mobile believes this system...

NET modernizes new phone home. (New England Telephone)(Focus: Telecommunications)
July 8, 1991... NET modernizes new phone home New England Telephone (NET) is now using its newly renovated central facility in Framingham to house a Customer Presentation Center and a Business Customer Service Center, along with its central operations...