Boston Business Journal articles from September 2001

Boston Business Journal archives from September 2001

Economists: State jobless rate to top 5%.(Boston, Massachusetts)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... Massachusetts economists are predicting that the state is finally succumbing to recession, a fate sealed by the erosion of business and consumer confidence following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Overall,...

Investor recriminations.(a look at investor-relations professionals, middlemen between company executives and investors)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... IR pros grapple with tales of woe in sinking market In 1999, John Jordan was doing investor relations for a company whose chief financial officer and chief executive officer abandoned ship weeks after his first day on the job. Joshua...

Pushcart peril.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Vendors suffering on tourism's front lines By late morning on this past Tuesday, Faneuil Hall Marketplace pushcart employee Ivonne Garcia had made exactly one sale worth $4.20 in the more than one hour that she had been open for business....

Media gauge ad losses, agencies weigh new messages.(companies, advertising agencies more sensitive to content since Sept. 11, 2001 bombings in New York, Washintgon D.C.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... As advertising agencies changed, pulled or scrapped ads following the terror attacks, media outlets have largely shielded them from direct financial fallout, but not the ongoing pressures of coping with new strategies. Media suppliers...

CHARLES DOUGHERTY.(profile of an attorney and his successes as a managing partner at Boston-law firm Hill and Barlow)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Career shift leads to burgeoning practice The siren song of the federal prosecutor's bar called to Charles Dougherty nearly two decades ago, but impending fatherhood kept him grounded at Hill & Barlow PC. The change in plans opened the...

Lucent's retrenchment opens doors for Equipe.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Lucent Technologies Inc.'s decision to call off development of a new core-switch platform touted to become its "flagship product" in the multiservice switching market came as welcome news to at least one local startup. Several industry...

Lucent cuts more posts.(Lucent Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... NORTH ANDOVER--The continuing downward spiral of former telecom powerhouse Lucent Technologies Inc. has led the Murray Hill, N.J., company to announce plans to reduce the work force at its manufacturing, plant in North Andover by an...

Applied Materials leases Danvers-based complex.(Applied Materials Inc)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... DANVERS--Applied Materials Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based semi-conductor company with $9.6 billion in revenue last year, is leasing the Sylvan Business Center, a 285,000-square-foot, three-building manufacturing complex at 75 Sylvan St....

State House poised to hold steady on jobless insurance.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... As the economy worsens, the Massachusetts Legislature is prepared to give businesses here a break by holding steady the premiums that employers must pay for unemployment benefits. The Legislature, under a plan being considered by the...

VC firms plan to keep on traveling.(venture capital)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... A number of area venture capital and buyout firms, whose partners are renowned for traveling far in search of the right deal, do not expect to curb their flying despite safety concerns raised by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City...

HMOs plan aggressive fall enrollment campaigns.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... What's the difference between the state's three leading health plans? Well, they hope to answer that question in new ad campaigns being launched this fall, in time for their upcoming enrollment periods. With all three--Wellesley-based...

Hub law firms chart path through post-terror thicket.(Hale and Dorr L.L.P., Hemenway and Barnes L.L.P., and Bingham Dana L.L.P.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Lawyers became grief counselors and temporary landlords immediately following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. But as time passes, law firms are grappling with increasingly practical and thorny legal questions. Common client concerns center...

Boston fields little New York office-relocation interest.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Despite tragic losses, investors committed to real estate market The loss of more than 10 million square feet of commercial office space in Manhattan in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is not likely to have a direct effect on the Boston...

Avitar sniffs out markets for its in vitro drug tests.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... CANTON--As Avitar Inc. continues to sell more of its corporate drug-testing kits to Fortune 1000 companies, it is looking beyond this market to even bigger ones, ranging from in vitro diagnostics to bomb-sniffing canines. Though it has...

All according to plan, EMC makes acquisition amid latest layoffs.(EMC Corp. and Luminate Software Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... HOPKINTON--EMC Corp.'s $50 million purchase of Luminate Software Corp. on the same day EMC announced a 10 percent cut in its work force reinforces the Hopkinton data-storage company's strategy of focusing on the software market, even as the...

Eagle purchase may give Mellon custodial strength.(Eagle Investment Systems Corp. and Mellon Financial Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Mellon Financial Corp., the Pittsburgh-based financial-services company, has reached an agreement to buy Newton's Eagle Investment Systems Corp., a developer of Internet-based investment management software that serves some of the largest...

Explosive-detector maker expects new demand for latest technology.(Ion Track Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... A Wilmington-based company expects that the Federal Aviation Administration may soon certify its latest entry into the explosives-detection market in the aftermath of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Ion Track Instruments...

Putting security on target.(William B. Connors Jr. of Risk Management Advisors Inc.)(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 28, 2001... The level of interest in building and company security could very well be characterized as pre- and post-Sept. 11. Since the terrorist attacks that devastated the World Trade Center in New York and a portion of the Pentagon in Washington,...

Focus on storage sharpens in wake of terrorist attacks.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Companies will be more conscious of where and how their data is kept The $100 billion data-storage industry got a boost from the sudden focus on backing up and protecting data after the events of Sept. 11. But the effects may go beyond a...

Battered ICG sharpens focus, eyes Massachusetts.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... In the days since Internet startups went front popping up overnight to disappearing just as quickly, Internet Capital Group Inc. has taken its share of hits. The Wayne, Pa.-based venture company invested in and helped create dozens of...

Logistics.com a survivor by providing return on investment.(company management and financial information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... BURLINGTON--With a big push from Internet Capital Group Inc., Logistics.com Inc. is defying the dot-corn odds. Burlington-based Logistics.com is driving ahead, selling its transportation-procurement technology and proudly bucking the...

Pirus Networks to cash $40M funding check.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Pirus Networks of Acton closed a $40 million second round of funding with a $9.5 million investment from Jafco Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif., and $3.5 million from private investors, company officials announced this week. The initial $27...

Cereva's $51 million VC round keeps pace with data-storage rivals.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... MARLBOROUGH-Cereva Networks Inc.'s investors handed its new chief executive officer a rousing endorsement this week when they came through with another $51 million in venture capital. Mahesh Ganmukhi took over as CEO in May when the...

Office towers put guard up, but for how long?(Chiofaro Co. and Commercial Construction Consulting Inc. opinions)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The stricter security measures at downtown office towers in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks may be a temporary response, but some expect that tighter building access will become a permanent fixture of doing business in Boston. ...

Key to making money in biotech? Remember, 'biotech is not tech'.(Stephens Inc. advises patience and thorough research analysis)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... CAMBRIDGE--Last year was the year that investors discovered biotech, but it didn't take long for them to become disenchanted. Genomics companies, for example, were all the rage with investors in 2000, after a draft of the human genome...

Passengers may pay for federal airport security.(domestic airline security)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Now that Congress has kicked in $15 billion to stabilize the precarious financial condition of the nation's airlines, it is preparing to spend billions more to restore public confidence in the safety of air travel. Bipartisan support is...

Tax hassle puts 3Com at odds with city councilors.(court cases information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... MARLBOROUGH--A dispute between the city of Marlborough and 3Com Corp. could cost the company more than $1 million. Irritated that the company has not kept the city updated on how many local workers it employs, Marlborough's City Council...

Billboard companies take patriotic message to streets.(billboard industry donations)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Local outdoor-advertising industry is heeding the call for American unity by donating billboard space for patriotic messages. The Stoneham division of the Seattle-based Ackerly Group Inc., which enjoys a near-monopoly in eastern...

Safety storyline.(Cronin/Wallwork Curry marketing techniques)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Boston-based Cronin/Wallwork Curry last week began a media blitz for Stoneham-based Executive Auto Glass Inc. Three television ads and four radio spots are running on four local television stations and six radio stations. With safety as the...

Fitness fusion.(Beacon Hill Athletic Club and Fuse Inc. work on rebranding)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Full-service marketing company Fuse Inc. of Newburyport is handling Boston-based Beacon Hill Athletic Club's rebranding, including advertising, direct marketing, public relations and a web strategy. Stephanie McLaughlin, Fuse's brand...

Expanding the map north of the border.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Canada is calling Watertown-based MediaMap Inc. The 15-year-old firm helps the public-relations industry and corporate clients connect with journalists and media outlets. MediaMap's vice president of research, Susan Bonacci, said the...

Startup savvy.(LaVoice Strategic Communications Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Donna LaVoie is building on extensive experience in public and investor relations with technology and biotechnology companies in her Swampscott-based startup, LaVoice Strategic Communications Group Inc. LaVoie, president of LaVoie...

Mass. tourism-industry leaders hold emergency summit.(conference and industry management strategy)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Massachusetts is open for business." That was the prevailng response of over 40 tourism-industry leaders who gathered in Boston last Friday for a "strategic response summit" to discuss the future of their, industry in the wake of the Sept. 11...

New Balance donates $1M to New York relief efforts.(New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... As area retailers join other members of the local business community in supporting relief efforts for those affected by the terrorist attacks, New Balance Athletic Shoe of Boston has stepped forward with a $1 million donation to The Twin...

Luxury Media revamps upscale golf magazine.(Luxury Media Corp)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Luxury Media Corp. of Acton unveiled a revamped version of its 3-year old, bimonthly publication Luxury Golf, which has a controlled distribution of 110,000 and targets a primarily upscale golf audience. Beginning with the...

LoJacks ad account up for grabs.(LoJack Corp marketing account)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... LoJack Corp., the Dedham-based developer and marketer of a widely-used stolen-vehicle recovery technology, has put its multimillion-dollar advertising account up for grabs, following a five-year relationship with Greenberg Seronick O'Leary &...

Street smart.(valet services firm Curbside)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Curbside's president learned to run a business by parking cars, not attending classes John Udelson likes to say he has a Ph.D. in valet parking. The 30-year-old founder of Curbside, a company that provides valet services, actually...

SBA offers networking opportunity next month.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Thursday, Oct. 11: The U.S. Small Business Administration will provide a networking opportunity for small-business owners at the Thomas P. O'Neill Federal Building, 10 Causeway St., Boston, from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet other entrepreneurs...

Relief for small business available for reservists called to duty.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Massachusetts U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced that reservists called up to duty are able to take advantage of financial relief available through the Veterans...

Entrepreneurs wanted for BBJ small-biz section.
September 28, 2001... The Boston Business Journal is always looking for interesting stories about entrepreneurs. If you know about a young company of interest, then contact the BBJ. Nearly all fields of business are considered, including high-tech...

Small businesses: Allow HR professionals to get involved.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... When I was in high school back in--well, never you mind--my favorite teacher told me history could be the easiest subject to teach, but to do it well, it was the most difficult. During accounting class, hopeless in my endeavor to amortize...

Top Local Web Sites.(Directory)
September 28, 2001... Top Local Web Sites (ranked by number of unique visits in 2000) Business name No. of unique Average Rank Web site visits in 2000 weekly hits 1 Monster.com ...

Tuning into telemedicine: A positive local reception.(examines the role of home health-care equipment provider Chartwell Diversified Services Inc. in telemedicine services)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Telemedicine was taken to its greatest lengths yet last week when U.S. doctors successfully operated on a patient in France using a television monitor and a robot. Local hospitals are also dabbling in telemedicine. For example, Massachusetts...

BU dental school wins grant.(Boston University School of Dental Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Boston University School of Dental Medicine last week received word that it has won a $550,000 grant from the HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program under the Ryan White CARE Act. It is the largest amount of dental reimbursement funding to...

NFIB announces alliance.(National Federation of Independent Business contracts with Health Services Administrators for health coverage)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) this past week announced a deal with Braintree-based Health Services Administrators (HSA) that will bring more health coverage options to the Bay State's 9,000 NFIB members. The...

Cancer-care network opens group practices.(Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Quincy-based Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology, a private cancer-care network, has opened two new group practices, in Worcester and Concord. As a result, the network also has increased its network of hospital affiliations to include...

Area's Largest Graphic Design Firms.(Boston, Massachusetts)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Area's Largest Graphic Design Firms (ranked by 2000 Mass. graphic design revenue) Mass. graphic Revenue design projects Mass. Rank Company ...

Dixon unloads shares of StorageNetworks for $26M.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... Harry Dixon, who left Waltham-based StorageNetworks Inc.'s board of directors two weeks ago, had been unloading his stock in the company since the end of April, raising almost $26 million in cash through the sales. Dixon's sales are not...

Precise insight.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Precise Software Solutions Ltd. of Westwood's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the purchase of W. Quinn Associates Inc. of Reston, Va., earlier this month offer additional insight into the details of that deal....

Empirix bolsters it empire.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... Empirix Inc. of Waltham, flush with the $15 million in venture capital it raised in June, recently bought the assets of Holistix Inc., a subsidiary of WRQ Inc. of Seattle. Empirix and WRQ are both privately held companies and did not...

Brooks, PRI ink deals.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Brooks Automation Inc. of Chelmsford, which makes equipment and software used by semiconductor manufacturers, recently announced a multimillion-dollar sale to ProMOS Technologies Inc. of Hsinchu, Taiwan. ProMOS will begin using Brooks'...

ScanSoft continues win streak.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... WITKOWSKI, TOM ScanSoft Inc. of Peabody is having another strong quarter. Officials of the digital imaging software company said last week they expected to meet or beat the higher range of revenue and earnings for the quarter ending...

Financial District recounts the day the world changed.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Boston and New York may be more than 200 miles apart geographically, and perhaps even more distant philosophically, but the two rival cities have undoubtedly realized they are closer than they thought as a result of the Sept. 11 attack on the...

Finance Stocks suffer.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... Almost from the moment the New York Stock Exchange reopened Sept. 17, financial services firms' stocks were whacked hard. Boston-area firms were no exception. Banks have been particularly hard hit. James Moynihan, an equity analyst with...

Former BankBoston exec dies.(Obituary)
September 28, 2001... More grim news came for the financial world days after the terrorist attack. Edward A. O'Neal, a former BankBoston Corp. executive who was making a name for himself as chief of an Australian bank, has died at the age of 56. O'Neal was...

Massachusetts native to lead SBA's advocacy efforts.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... For the past three years, Thomas M. Sullivan has challenged government regulations from the outside as regulatory policy counsel at the National Federation of Independent Business and then as executive director of the NFIB Legal Foundation....

Ex small-business owners picked for posts at SBA.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... SBA Administrator Hector Barreto, who previously operated an insurance and financial-services firm in Los Angeles, has turned to two other former small-business owner to serve on his executive team. Melanie Sabelhaus, nominated as deputy...

Labor Department delays decision on ergonomics.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The U.S. Department of Labor has postponed its long-awaited announcement on how it will address ergonomics, the science of adapting work tasks to the human body. In March, Congress repealed a Clinton administration regulation requiring...

Small-business tech transfer program gets more money.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... Congress doubled funding for the Small-Business Technology Transfer program and reauthorized the program for another eight years. The STTR program funds cooperative research and development projects between small businesses and nonprofit...

Effects of terrorism on legal, political climate to heat up.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Mayor Thomas Menino added a little levity to the somewhat solemn theme of the Boston Bar Association's annual luncheon meeting at the Westin Copley Place this week. After receiving an award for outstanding public service for his efforts...

'Don't sell your stocks'.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... With so much loss over the last two weeks, it has been difficult for many in the financial sector to put in a productive eight-hour day, let alone their normal 12 hours or more. But while the stock market took a dive in its first week...

State's Republicans look for the Duke to come to rescue.(members of former Governor Michael Dukakis' administration)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... With Republicans and Democrats in Washington laying down their grudges to forge a united front against terrorists, it would appear that anything is possible--even Bay State Republicans breaking bread with former Dukakis administration...

Let's dean up that tongue.
September 28, 2001... Overlooked during the events of the past weeks was an announcement by Somerville-based Recycline Inc. about its latest offerings. The recycled-products manufacturer, which already boasts toothbrushes made of recycled yogurt cups in its...

Leaf it to Mother Nature for extending tourism season.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... With Boston hotel occupancy rates hovering around 41 percent, and the tourism industry facing a crisis wrought by the Sept. 11 terrorist, attacks, state tourism honcho Mary Jane McKenna recently noted a bit of good news amid the generally...

For 40 Under 40, a week more.(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... For those who scrambled to meet the Boston Business Journal's Sept. 25 deadline for 40 Under 40 nominations and failed, take a breath and relax for a day or two. The deadline for the nominations for the issue, to publish on Nov. 2, has been...

New tax law contains some important changes.(Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... On June 7, 2001 the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 was signed into law, legislation that will directly affect the financial future of nearly every American taxpayer. Among its most important effects will be...

Praecis Pharmaceuticals Inc.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Praecis Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products using its proprietary LEAP (Ligand Evolution to Active Pharmaceuticals) technology. LEAP combines biological selection...

MASSACHUSETTS STOCK INDEX.(Statistical Data Included)
September 28, 2001... * MASSACHUSETTS STOCK INDEX Ticker Close Pct. 52-week Company Symbol Price Chg. High Low P/E A. D. Technologies Inc. ADTC 0.50 -- 2.00 0.44 --...

Pro bono advertising has deep roots in Boston area.
September 28, 2001... Gratis publicity work for nonprofit groups makes the Hub stand out For many local advertising-firms, pro bono work is as much a part of the corporate culture as the most aggressive advertising campaigns. There are no rules, no...

Despite slump, upswing predicted for web advertising.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... The Internet, believe it or not, is a tantalizing target for advertisers. It's a place consumers are visiting more and more, a place ripe for advertising. And yet, consumers on the web hate all the advertising--the junk e-mail, the popup...

Winding up for the pitch: Select a media-savvy public-relations firm.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... So maybe you've decided your company's growth or reputation would benefit from increased exposure to some targeted audiences. Perhaps you're tired of seeing your competitors quoted in newspapers on topics you know you're better qualified to...

Is 'subtle' the watchword for furniture ads? 'I doubt it'.(Bernie and Phyl's Inc.)
September 28, 2001... Barry, Eliot, Bernie and Phyl--among others--learn that cheesiness pays off in making a lasting impression Company spokespersons rarely appear on television in leather jackets and shades, extolling their products' merits to a rock 'n'...

Taking on the tobacco industry.(Massachusetts Department of Public Health's anti-tobacco advertising)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... This is not your average battlefield: The soldiers don't wear uniforms. Weapons are never fired. The most damaging artillery may be the creative talent of Arnold Worldwide, the Boston area's largest advertising agency. In Massachusetts,...

Writing for the press takes planning, understanding.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Writing articles for magazines, newspapers and web sites is one of the best ways you can promote your service, practice or product. Many trade, business, professional and online publications from time to time accept good articles from...

Bad-news bearers.(Brodeur Worldwide public relations management)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Crisis management is a flourishing segment of the PR industry Not a day goes by when Jerry Johnson doesn't deal with one company-shaking crisis after another. It's pretty much his bread and butter. Johnson heads up the...

PERSONNEL FILE.
September 28, 2001... ADVERTISING/COMMUNICATIONS Chris Lawson was appointed president of Clarke Goward in Boston, a Promotion from his previous position as executive vice president, director of account services. Boston-based Direct Results....

Arnold Public Relations.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Arnold Public Relations of Boston was named agency of record for FRAM, a Danbury, Conn.-based oil filter brand, with activities focused around extending the reach of the firm's "Smudge" advertising campaign.

Conover & Co.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Conover & Co. of Wellesley was awarded a contract from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission related to the research and development of an educational print brochure and web site on the topic of power plant relicensing.

Case Shiller Weiss Inc.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Somerville-based New Tilt completed the web site design and development for Case Shiller Weiss Inc., a Cambridge-based home price research and information products company that serves mortgage leaders, insurers and Wall Street firms.

Amergent of Andover joined forces with BEA Systems Inc.(contract information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Amergent of Andover joined forces with BEA Systems Inc., a San Jose-based provider of e-business infrastructure, in a deal whereby Amergent will create marketing and collateral initiatives for a variety of programs, ranging from electronic...

Petrini Corp.(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Petrini Corp., a Needham-based residential and commercial contractor, launched a new luxury renovation division, offering such services as detailed development and design preparation, custom exterior and interior construction and elaborate...

Structure Tone of Massachusetts.(contracts with Fidelity Investments)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Structure Tone of Massachusetts, based in Bosten, was awarded both a three-year national agreement for Fidelity Investment's retail centers and a 55,000-square-foot project for Regus Business Centers at 470 Atlantic Avenue in Boston. The firm...

CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc.(company contract information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc. of Boston was awarded the following projects: St. Mark's School Center for the Arts in South-borough, which will add a 500-seat auditorium/concert hall; a 30,000-square-foot gymnasium and new entrace for the...

Daedalus Projects Inc.(company contract information)(Brief Article)
September 28, 2001... Daedalus Projects Inc. of Boston was selected as construction project manager for the new 500-student Wood Elementary School in Plainville--a project valued at $11 million.