San Antonio Business Journal articles from August 1999

San Antonio Business Journal archives from August 1999

Racquetball & Fitness is sold.
August 27, 1999... 9-club chain to be platform for national expansion Bruce Hendin has devoted his life to the health club industry and he has just been rewarded in a very big way. His company, Racquetball & Fitness Clubs of San Antonio, has been...

Tuskegee Airmen launching students' interest in aviation.
August 27, 1999... Nearly 60 years ago during World War II, a group of African American U.S. Army Air Corps pilots took to the air. From the moment they took off, the pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, had to prove themselves. They faced German fighters...

S.A.'s ATX Technologies eyeing $100 million IPO.
August 27, 1999... ATX Technologies Inc. could be on its way to a stock market listing and a spot on San Antonio's roster of publicly traded companies. ATX, which recently merged its operations with Irving-based Protection One Mobile Services, is turning...

Group seeking public records on arena plan.
August 27, 1999... The local community needs the whole story. That's the thinking behind a recent Texas Open Records Act request by the San Antonio Area Tourism Council. The formal request is being made to obtain copies of material related to Bexar County's...

Talk Around Town.
August 27, 1999... Faces of the Millennium On Sept. 8, the Adam's Mark San Antonio - Riverwalk will honor some influential faces of the last 25 years with its "Faces of the Millennium" gala. Local artist/photographer Neka Scarbrough's exhibit will present...

County/city rift kills sports authority option for arena.
August 27, 1999... City and county officials mulled the creation of a public sports authority in the weeks leading up to the San Antonio Spurs' controversial decision to back the county's arena plan. However, time restrictions and fundamental disagreements...

NEWS BYTE.
August 27, 1999... Veteran opportunities Veterans who own small businesses will get increased opportunities for U.S. Small Business Administration loans and federal contracts under legislation signed Aug. 17 by President Clinton. The bill, sponsored by...

City awards $44.4 million pact to Ericsson.
August 27, 1999... City Council has authorized city staff to award the San Antonio and Bexar County public-safety radio system contract to Richardson, Texas-based Ericsson Inc. Ericsson, the Texas-based unit of the Swedish telecom giant, was chosen over...

Restaurant group backs health plan.
August 27, 1999... The Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) is backing a new voluntary health plan. The focus of the plan: to offer coverage to hourly workers -- a group that is often left out of the health insurance loop. "We've endorsed other plans,"...

S.A. firm billserv.com unveils bill-paying portal on web.
August 27, 1999... If you ever wondered what exactly billserv.com Inc. is up to, now you can go see for yourself. The company's web portal -- bills.com -- is up and running on the World Wide Web and will soon offer consumers the opportunity to receive and...

Local Ingram Festival being shopped by CNA Enterprises.
August 27, 1999... Almost two years after purchasing Ingram Festival shopping center, a California firm has apparently decided to put it on the market, according to trade publication Real Estate Alert. CNA Enterprises, based in Los Angeles, bought the...

City-sponsored charrette seen as redevelopment catalyst.
August 27, 1999... Brainstorming session to target Three Points area City staff working on redevelopment of the central city are organizing a charrette they hope could become a blueprint for other projects. "What we would like to do is expand the...

WEEK AT A GLANCE.
August 27, 1999... Billing Concepts Locally based Billing Concepts Corp.'s board of directors has officially decided not to pursue a proposed separation of its LEC Billing and Software businesses into two public companies. Chairman and Chief Executive...

The game suffers when everything's for sale.
August 27, 1999... Sports has been a golden goose for a long time. Just when sports seemed to be slowing production of the golden eggs, the sports industry comes up with naming rights and even more sponsorship dollars. It has been said that there is...

NFL has a play in the books that it hopes it will never run.
August 27, 1999... A single-engine plane piloted by John E Kennedy Jr. noses at dusk from a New Jersey airport out across the Atlantic Ocean toward Martha's Vineyard and hours later disappears into the night. And the NFL is reminded of a plan it trusts it never...

SHORT YARDAGE.
August 27, 1999... Iguanas Chris Stewart has been named the new head coach of the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League (CHL). Stewart received the CHL's Coach of the Year award last year after leading the Huntsville Channel Cats to the CHL...

City leaders target gas caps in drive to curb ozone levels.
August 27, 1999... During what city leaders are calling the most "critical" months for San Antonio to make the grade on clean air standards, the city will offer free inspections to area motorists to see if their cars have faulty or leaky gas caps. The...

Tourism Council looking for the devil in arena-plan details.
August 27, 1999... The following is the information being requested by the San Antonio Area Tourism Council under section 552.001 of the Texas Government Code -- the state "Open Records Act." 1. A copy of the Bexar County Arena Project Preliminary...

The backbone of investments.
August 27, 1999... Duncan-Smith builds solid returns for companies and their supporters In a wave in the financial services industry where institutions are trying to offer more services to more clients, one firm is holding fast to its niche by doing what...

S.A. mutual funds out ahead of pack.
August 27, 1999... Contending with variables like the unpredictability of emerging markets and the risky nature of Internet technology firms, the mutual fund industry had its fair share of ups and downs over the last six months. However, San Antonio's two...

Bankruptcies.
August 27, 1999... Judy L. Demmel, fdba J&J Gifts & Collectibles Address: Route 1 Box 159J, Mathis 78368 Chapter 7, Voluntary Liabilities: $100,001 to $500,000 Assets:$0 to $50,000 Business type: N/A; 99-53603K Mac's Custom Fiberglass...

Bids.
August 27, 1999... CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PURCHASING DEPARTMENT No report from this office this week. BEXAR COUNTY PURCHASING DEPARTMENT Scanning stations and related items Bid no.: 99-130 Network wiring Bid no.: 99-129 Opening date: August 27...

Boards & directors.
August 27, 1999... The San Antonio chapter of the American Marketing Association (SAAMA), an international professional organization comprised of individuals interested in marketing, recently elected a new board of directors for 1999-2000. They are: President...

Building permits.
August 27, 1999... 18777 Stone Oak Parkway Owner: Limited Partnership Valuation: $842000 Permit no: 951748 Job: New apartment building Contractor: EPL/Prodesco Stone Oak 18777 Stone Oak Parkway Owner: Limited Partnership Valuation: $802,000...

Business notes.
August 27, 1999... Texas-based Catholic Life Insurance is celebrating its 90th year in the home mortgage lending business. The San Antonio-based company makes home loans for single-family residences, second homes and future home sites. Coldwell Banker...

Federal bids.
August 27, 1999... Officer in Charge of Construction, South Texas Area, Building 19, NAS, 8851 Ocean Drive, Suite 101; Corpus Christi, TX 78419-5525 POC: Shirley McGinnis; Tel.: (361) 961- 2154 CBD date: 7/9/99; Due date: 8/31/99 Sol. No.:...

Federal contracts awarded.
August 27, 1999... To: Lockheed Martin Corp., Dallas For: 1999 Army TACMS Engineering Services Amount: $8,206,893 Date: 4/30/99 By: U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command To: Skyline Industries Inc., Fort Worth For: Skid Tube Assembly,...

Nonprofit notes.
August 27, 1999... The National Kidney Foundation of South Texas is accepting donations of unwanted care, trucks, boats, motorcycles and motor homes. Vehicles are accepted in any condition and pickup is free. Proceeds from the sale of the vehicles support...

Patents.
August 27, 1999... Inventor: Gardner, Mark I., Cedar Creek; Hause, Fred N., Austin; Cheek, Jon D., Round Rock Patent: Two level transistor formation for optimum silicon utilization Assigned to: Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. ...

Real estate deeds of trust.
August 27, 1999... Waters of Sonterra Sub, Lot 13, Block 9, NCB 17607 Borrower: TRH Enterprises Inc. Lender: Clear Lake National Bank Amount: $249,400; 8063/1235 Canyon Springs #4A, PUD, Lot 7, Block 6 Borrower: William T. and Neta B. Howard ...

Release of deeds of trust.
August 27, 1999... Fund Custom Sub#5A, Lot 8, Block 22, NCB 16334 Borrower: Distinctive Exteriors Inc. Lender: Compass Bank Original note: $328,000; 8063/1229 Roger's Ranch #5, PUD, Lot 19, Block 5, NCB 16337 Borrower: Partners in Building of...

Real estate transactions.
August 27, 1999... Valley View Heights #1, Lot 9, Block 1, NCB 18491 Seller: Patricia McDonough and Gall Gaines Buyer: Jeffrey L. and Veronica G. Koupert Original Note: $ 375,600; 8063/1201 Waters of Sonterra Sub, Lot 13, Block 9, NCB 1760 ...

State/local construction contract awards.
August 27, 1999... Econo Lube N'Tube & Brakes Inc./ New Auto SVC Fac #243 Location: San Antonio Contractor: Wade Construction Co., San Antonio Cost: N/A SA Christian Schools/Elem-Middle & High School Addns Location: San Antonio Contractor:...

Tax liens filed.
August 27, 1999... Lloyd's Jewelers Inc. Type: State Amount: $153,203.04; 8067/0595 SWAP-O-Rama Inc. Type: State Amount: $9,422.89; 8067/0615 High-Tech Engineering and Support Services Inc. Type: Federal Amount: $345,727.98; 8068/0098...

Release of tax liens.
August 27, 1999... Cosmetic and Family Dentistry-Randall Type: Federal Amount: $15,925.28; 8068/0130 Sergio's Inc. Type: Federal Amount: $84,951.01; 8008/0138 Tecom Inc. Type: State Amount: $73,180.24; 8068/0194 This listing...

The Lead Sheet.
August 27, 1999... The Lead Sheet is a listing of new businesses In San Antonio filed with the City of San Antonio Department of Building Inspections and first-use sales tax permits (with SIC codes) filed with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for cities...

We must chart legal course for Internet.
August 27, 1999... There is no doubt that computers and electronic commerce over the Internet are changing the way small-business owners conduct business. In the last year, the number of small businesses with web sites has grown from 900,000 to 3.5 million....

Digital expression is the talk of the market.
August 27, 1999... Last week in this space, I discussed the efficiencies resulting from sophisticated data transfer between businesses -- electronic or "e-commerce." This speed-of-light data exchange reduces the time and personnel needed to perform routine...

New arena proposal surfaces.
August 20, 1999... Plan offers city new sports facility with no new taxes A plan to finance a new arena without levying any taxes has been presented to city, county and Spurs officials, but has not received serious consideration, according to the group that...

Big warehouse project eyed here.
August 20, 1999... Facility could employ up to 400 people, sources indicate Discount-merchandise retailer Dollar General Corp. is examining potential sites around San Antonio to build a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center, according to local real...

Taco Cabana is mulling plan to franchise stores.
August 20, 1999... Franchising is definitely in Taco Cabana Inc.'s future, although how big of a role it will play in the chain's growth has yet to be determined. Officials with the locally based Tex-Mex restaurant chain are scheduled to meet with a...

Dallas-based law firm sets sights on expansion in S.A.
August 20, 1999... Although a recent merger with a local law firm is on the rocks, Dallas-based Strasburger & Price LLP has no plans to back out of the Alamo City legal market. The local arm of Strasburger & Price is moving its operations to Bank of...

Talk Around Town.
August 20, 1999... The Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas Diabetes Council are beginning a pilot program to assist Bexar County Medicaid managed care patients who have diabetes. Participants will receive prescriptions and a free glucometer to...

Drug Emporium stores here, in Austin are closing down.
August 20, 1999... An expansion into the Houston market proved fatal for the local franchisees of Drug Emporium, who are closing the stores here and in Austin and liquidating their inventory. "We had 15 good years and I am heartbroken to see these stores...

Stanbio is moving to Boerne, eyes acquisitions, staff growth.
August 20, 1999... Locally based Stanbio Laboratory (SLI) recently announced plans to move from its 9,000-square-foot space at 2930 E. Houston St. to a new, larger facility on the north end of Boeme. "We're looking at about 20,000 square feet (for the new...

Wages for manufacturing jobs moving up here.
August 20, 1999... San Antonio-area manufacturing workers on average are earning more money than their counterparts five years ago, according to recently released statistics on the manufacturing sector. Figures compiled by the San Antonio Manufacturers...

N.Y.-based investment firm buying South Side hospital.
August 20, 1999... Southwest General Hospital is about to get a new owner. New York investment firm Joseph Littlejohn & Levy (JLL) announced this week that it will acquire 15 hospitals and related entities. The purchase will be done in conjunction with...

Former Crow partners ink pact with owner of Forum.
August 20, 1999... Real Estate Roundup The partners who left Trammell Crow Co. to form their own real estate finn have picked up their first office leasing gig in San Antonio -- and it's a doozy. Endeavor Real Estate Group is now leasing and managing The...

Steak house owner discusses `sizzling' success.
August 20, 1999... Marketing & Media Lana Duke, the vivacious and polished PR wunderkind behind the smashing international success of Ruth's Chris Steak House, was an unlikely candidate years ago for U.S. citizenship. In order to stay in the United States...

Frost is setting sights high for expansion in Dallas/Ft. Worth.
August 20, 1999... President James M. Johnston is setting a lofty goal for the Dallas region of Frost Bank: to increase deposits by about ninefold before the year 2005. Today, Frost has three locations in Dallas County -- the regional headquarters in...

For the benefit of the troops.
August 20, 1999... In military service and at USAA, Viccellio has interest of those in the ranks As a young Air Force pilot in the 1960s, Henry "Butch" Viccellio Jr. had no idea what type of insurance products he needed to protect his family. He carried...

Nonprofits, insurers working to benefit the self-employed.
August 20, 1999... As if running your own business wasn't enough, self-employed people have had another predicament to contend with: the high cost and availability of health insurance and other employee benefits. But thanks to some nonprofit organizations...

Texas indictments shake up viatical settlement industry.
August 20, 1999... The viatical settlement industry has been reeling as of late due to events unfolding in the Dallas area and elsewhere around the country. In June, 32 people were indicted in the Metroplex on charges of "clean sheeting," a practice that...

Workers' comp insurance rates expected to rise.
August 20, 1999... Workers' compensation rates have likely bottomed out and are expected to rise in the near future, according to officials who follow the industry. That's because competition has pushed rates down so far that insurers are making less and...

Dallas-based Humana spinoff pioneers Web help for insurers.
August 20, 1999... NORTH DALLAS -- One of the country's biggest health insurers, Humana Inc., has spun off a Dallas division whose Internet-based service helps insurance brokers sell group health and life plans to small companies. Austin Ventures, an early...

Medicare provides cues for insurers to pick up coverage.
August 20, 1999... When it comes to coverage of new medical procedures, most insurance companies take their lead from Medicare "Generally, Medicare sets the pace and the others follow," says Tina Ommaya, manager of medical revenue systems for Mayo Clinic...

Physician collective bargaining bill presents new challenges.
August 20, 1999... Health Care Law Faced with perceived loss of revenue and autonomy since the advent of managed care, physicians in private practice have considered various strategies for regaining control over their practices. Most of these have involved...

Insurers seek to head off election year health nostrums.
August 20, 1999... While wildly successful five years ago, the "Harry and Louise" approach isn't being revisited these days by the health insurance industry. Instead, industry leaders are trying to jump-start talks about health insurance reform, especially...

Seek out the experts when developing employee benefits plan.
August 20, 1999... Like jewels in a crown, employee benefits add value and appeal to almost any job. Through a benefits package, employers have a heavy-duty magnet to attract and retain skilled employees, who are especially difficult to hire in today's low...

Business owner puts career down on paper.
August 20, 1999... Don't ask Kay Micklitz to read your palm. Although she used to study graphology -- also known as handwriting analysis -- Micklitz now makes a profession verifying handwriting samples, as a forensic document examiner. It's a job that has...

It is possible to be a master of your own domain on the Web.
August 20, 1999... Having a web site or an e-mail address is not just for the high-tech business anymore. Furniture dealers, insurance companies, even pizza shops have them. And you can find these virtual addresses listed alongside their physical equivalents in...

Pokemon craze is sweeping country and retailers' shelves.
August 20, 1999... Retailer Don Riordan of Portland, Ore., doesn't doubt the popularity of Pokemon trading cards. He just wishes he could keep them in stock. "It's a nightmare," Riordan says. The card manufacturer just isn't filling his orders for the hot...

Critics question Gov. Bush's green record, backers praise it.
August 20, 1999... Judging from his record as Texas governor, a President George W. Bush most likely would ease federal pressure on the Metroplex to clear up its long-running problems with air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency under President...

State/local construction bids.
August 20, 1999... Location: San Antonio Description: Edgewood ISD/Gardendale Elementary School- ADDN & RENOVS Estimated cost: N/A Owner:. Edgewood ISD, San Antonio Submit bid to: Owner Bid due date: 8/24/99 Information for this...

Electronic commerce is wave of the present.
August 20, 1999... The Economist The Information Highway has transformed the way goods and services are exchanged around the world. Anyone who has ordered books from Amazon.com knows the ease and efficiency of online retail services, but personal shopping...

Pending sale of 13-store Wolfe Nursery called off.
August 13, 1999... The planned acquisition of Wolfe Nursery by a large Fort Worth company has been called off. Calloways Nursery Inc., which announced in June that it would purchase both Wolfe Nursery and Houston-based Cornelius Nurseries, says it will not...

Local funeral homes pulled into Chap. 11.
August 13, 1999... A group of area mortuaries owned by one of the country's largest funeral home consolidators has filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The mortuaries are affiliates of the Vancouver, Canada-based...

A partner in progress.
August 13, 1999... Fannie Mae exec is catalyst for revitalization Helping people become homeowners comes naturally to Aurora Ortega-Geis. She's been doing it since high school. Her family and friends in the Latino community near Dallas where she grew...

Credit unions here mulling concept of shared branches.
August 13, 1999... The idea of lenders sharing a branch office may seem strangely cooperative in an industry as competitive as financial services, but it is likely to become a reality in San Antonio sometime next year. Local credit unions are working in...

Sunset Station proceeding with Phase II expansion plans.
August 13, 1999... The time is quickly approaching for the next phase of Sunset Station to open-61,000 square feet of dining, banquet/meeting facilities and shopping located across nine buildings. Kenneth Wolf, manager of Sunset Station Group LLC, estimates...

American TeleSource to spread its wings.
August 13, 1999... American TeleSource International Inc. (ATSI) and its Internet subsidiary GlobalSCAPE, have together leased about 42,000 square feet in one of two new buildings CMC Corporate Realty is building on the Northwest Side. Hank Pruitt,...

Music superstore chain will open store in S.A. this year.
August 13, 1999... The Martians are on their way to San Antonio. Not those of the little-green-men variety, but rather MARS The Musician's Planet, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based music superstore that could be the next "category killer" in retail. Tracy...

Warm Springs Rehab signs pharmacy-management pact.
August 13, 1999... Locally based Warm Springs Rehabilitation Foundation Inc. recently signed a three-year pharmacy-management agreement with Houston-based CompleteRx Ltd. The contract takes effect Sept. 1. CompleteRx will assume management...

WEEK AT A GLANCE.
August 13, 1999... Loop Cold Storage The San Antonio public refrigerated warehouse facilities of Loop Cold Storage have been acquired by P&O Cold Storage, a multinational logistics company with operations in Australia, Argentina, California, Nevada and...

Health care providers ink pact to expand cancer services.
August 13, 1999... Christus Santa Rosa and CTRC renew partnership Christus Santa Rosa Health Care will soon be able to reach a greater number of downtown patients, thanks to provisions in a renewed agreement with the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC)....

After years of weak pitching, MLB may be finding the zone.
August 13, 1999... The phrases "Major League Baseball" and "good marketing" haven't appeared together many times in sports business articles. MLB gained a well-deserved reputation for most of this decade as a rudderless ship without an effective central...

SPORTS NEWS.
August 13, 1999... Get your tickets Ticket packages for the 1999 Alamodome Football Series have gone on sale to the general public and are available through the Alamodome box office. The two-game series consists of the Dr Pepper Big 12 Football...

How much did you say the shares are worth?(Brief Article)
August 13, 1999... More than two months after Wells Fargo & Co. announced it is acquiring Texas Bancshares Inc., shareholders of the locally based community bank-holding company are still wondering precisely how much their shares are being bought for. ...

Affiliates Esco Supply, Alamo Plumbing will share building.(Brief Article)
August 13, 1999... A Virginia supplier of plumbing fixtures is combining the offices of two locally based valve and pipe fitting firms it acquired into one location. At the end of the month, Esco Supply Co. will officially relocate from its...

NEWS BYTES.(News Briefs)
August 13, 1999... Billserve.com Inc. reported a net loss of $1.6 million, or 16 cents per basic share, on no revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 1999. The company had no comparable figures for the previous year, since it only began operating in 1998....

The business of fun.
August 13, 1999... John Odum takes Fiesta Texas visitors on a new adventure When John Odum was 16 years old, he started working as a costumed bear at Six Flags Over Georgia to help him adjust to playing football in the hot summer weather. It was 1974, and...

Booking air travel over the Internet expected to take off.
August 13, 1999... Commercial airlines have recognized the significance of the Internet and its affect on their organizations. What's more, they have plans to make the most of it. Ticket sales via the Internet have been steadily increasing. "(Internet)...

Don't let numbers put your audience to sleep.(Brief Article)
August 13, 1999... Some of us are numbers people and some of us are not. Those who are number crunchers can gaze at a spreadsheet with perfect understanding. But the rest of us see only Greek. Since most businesses attempt to quantify as much information as...

LARGEST SAN ANTONIO HOTELS.
August 13, 1999... Published August 13, 1999 Ranked by total number of guest rooms Total room Name ...