Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from April 2001

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from April 2001

Gay rights law may be fought.
April 6, 2001... Issue 3 has cost city $64M in lost business Cincinnati's controversial gay rights amendment might be challenged next year, as behind-the-scenes work begins to gauge public sentiment. The charter amendment, called Issue 3, was approved...

Watching THE Watchdog.
April 6, 2001... A GROUP OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS has become a force to reckon with for Tri-State businesses -- and the Ohio EPA. It's hard to tell what angers Karen Arnett more: the recurring odor of melting plastic foam from the foundry near her...

Mason pro tennis tourney faces sponsor cash squeeze.
April 6, 2001... The collapse of ISL Worldwide, the Swiss sports marketing and media giant that guaranteed men's tennis $1.2 billion in sponsorship revenue, has served a dilemma for organizers of the Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati. ISL is negotiating...

Third developer scouts Third St. tower options.
April 6, 2001... You can add North American Properties to the list of developers eyeing new office developments on Third Street. The company, known mainly for shopping center and apartment developments, recently approached the city about buying a thin strip...

Courier wins national award.
April 6, 2001... The Courier has been named one of the five best business weeklies in the United States by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. It is the second time in three years the Courier has been honored for general excellence by...

Kroger stores to hand out baseball All-Star ballots.
April 6, 2001... Pepsi-sponsored spot will feature Griffey Jr. Major League Baseball All-Star ballots will be distributed in grocery store aisles for the first time this season, as sponsor Pepsi-Cola teams with Kroger Co. and another major grocer to expand...

Tri-State near a recession.
April 6, 2001... Manufacturing down, but housing may help Local manufacturers are still slumping, boosting the chances that the rest of the Tri-State economy will continue to struggle during the second quarter. "This is a very close brush with a...

A huge bear market? One local venture capital firm hopes so.
April 6, 2001... AFTER FIRST SEEING THE CONCEPT IN ST. LOUIS, Walnut capital Partners ended up investing $5 million in Build-a-Bear Workshop. Plans call for 30 stores. A few years ago, two Cincinnati businessmen found themselves in a unique store in St....

At how-to stores, your wish is their command.
April 6, 2001... Fantasia founder, partner to offer lessons in the arts David Chung, a former Cincinnatian, natural juice company entrepreneur and child piano sensation, has a new business concept designed to elicit a bit of prodigy in us all. Together...

Fort Washington invests in Telenisus.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc., the money management arm of Western-Southern Enterprise, participated in a $45 million round of financing for Telenisus Corp., an Internet infrastructure provider based in suburban Chicago. Fort...

N. Ky. firm offers anti-union sessions.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Adams, Nash, Haskell & Sheridan in Fort Wright has launched a program to train corporate executives and human resource directors to help their organizations resist union advances. Called The Union Free Privilege Academy, the training sessions...

Rebranding won't erase Gradison name.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... A rebranding initiative at Cleveland-based KeyCorp means part of Gradison- McDonald Investments' local operations will get a new name. Key's various asset management subsidiaries will soon be renamed Victory Capital Management, said Key's...

Senior center opens new Blue Ash facility.(Sycamore Senior Center)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Move part of parent LifeSphere's growth plan The Sycamore Senior Center will move on June 1 from its current home off Cooper Road in Blue Ash into a new $3.7 million facility off Carver Woods Drive. "The senior center there is very,...

Dayton Business Journal next stop for Lawley Head.(Lauren Lawley Head)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Courier reporter named to managing editor's job Staff reporter Lauren Lawley Head has been named managing editor of the Courier's sister paper the Dayton Business Journal. She begins her new post April 12. A native of Harrisburg, Pa.,...

Congress to consider pension reform bill.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Contribution limits on IRAs, 401 (k)s may rise The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee promises quick action on legislation to encourage small businesses to set up retirement plans for their employees. The committee, which...

Dayton Dragons not draggin' in ticket sales.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Reds affiliate adding sponsors, amenities The Dayton Dragons made minor-league baseball history last year. The Glass A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds sold out its entire season. before throwing one pitch in its new home. That...

State delaying distribution of tech grants.(Ohio)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Approvals for 16 state Technology Action Fund grants valued at more than $14 million have been postponed, and the Ohio Department of Development will take on a review of how the grant recipients were chosen. The state Controlling Board was...

Sharkbytes goes fishing for nonprofit customers.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... While competitors flounder in the evaporating dot-com client pool, downtown-based Sharkbytes is hunting for success in new waters. The 21-employee Internet technologies firm -- down from 27 employees last summer because of "housecleaning"...

Clerity sets new direction, aims for profitability in '02.(Clerity Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Clerity Inc., which started life as KnowToday.com is also continuing to shift course in response to the high-tech tsunami. It, too, is going after a traditional corporate market, rather than relying on business from early adopters and Internet...

Women, minorities still lead in business startups.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... When Thonda Luke was a child, her father taught her the basics of yardwork -- cutting grass, weeding and trimming. Three years ago, while working a third-shift job, she decided to put those skills to use. "I started with my mother's yard,"...

YWCA taps eight women for achievement awards.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Eight local women, all leaders in the workplace and community, have been named YWCA "Career Women of Achievement" for 2001. They are: Mary Asbury, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati; Karen Bankston, University Hospital; Rosa Blackwell,...

Checking account reform to benefit small firms.(interest on business checking accounts)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... The Depression-era ban on banks offering interest on business checking accounts could soon be history. Legislation to repeal the prohibition cleared the House Financial Services Committee March 28 and was expected to be passed by the full...

Estate tax foes use ads to target key senators.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Senators will hear a lot about the estate tax when they go home for spring break. The Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, a group of 100 business organizations, will run $200,000 worth of ads in family-owned newspapers this month urging...

Contract 'blacklisting' rule set for repeal by Bush.(government contract regulation)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... The Bush administration began the process to repeal regulations issued by the Clinton administration that require federal procurement officers to consider a company's record of compliance with labor, environmental and consumer laws before...

Group calls for H-1B cuts as worker demand slows.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... An anti-immigration group called for a reduction in the number of H-1B visas granted to foreign workers now that demand for high-tech professionals has slackened. FAIR wants the limits on H-1B visas rolled back to 115,000 a year, compared...

Mike Ratcliffe.(chances of Dayton and Cincinnati becoming one metro area)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Those waiting for the U.S. Census Bureau to combine Cincinnati and Dayton as one metropolitan market shouldn't hold their breath. A rules change, adopted by the Office of Management and Budget in December, makes it more difficult for such a...

MedPlus receives buyout offer.(from Quest Diagnostics)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Continued operating losses and a languishing stock price have led MedPlus Inc. to seek a possible acquisition by New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics. MedPlus, a Cincinnati-based provider of electronic patient record software, announced it...

Cinergy slapped with $26M suit.(by The Energy Cooperative of Newark, Ohio)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Cinergy Corp. is facing a $26 million lawsuit from The Energy Cooperative of Newark, Ohio. TEC claims it was not told about changes being made at Cinergy Resources Inc. when it was in negotiations to purchase the Cinergy subsidiary last year....

MarchFIRST selling off assets.(to Divine InterVentures)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... MarchFIRST signed an agreement to sell its operating assets and several business units to Divine InterVentures, a Chicago-based business incubator. Divine is paying $10 million in cash and $60 million in a note for the Chicago-based e-business...

Argosy slots rated 'loosest'.(Argosy Casino and Hotel)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Casino Player magazine again gave its annual "Loosest Slots Award" to Argosy Casino & Hotel in Lawrenceburg. The magazine's April issue said Argosy paid back 94.27 percent to players in 2000, according to figures from the Indiana Gaming...

Airport among fastest-growing.(Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... A study ranked the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as the ninth-fastest-growing airport in the nation. The study from The Boyd Group/ASRC of Evergreen, Colo., looked at the number of passengers at U.S. airports from...

ACCOMMODATING pampered pets.(luxury kennel PETSuites)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Flexible hours and amenities like cable TV give PETSuites a niche with affluent cat and dog owners. Joe Mason got the idea for his new pet resort back in 1995. It was after he and his wife, Tracy, got back from their honeymoon. Their...

Insurance agency focuses on personal attention.(Crawford Insurance)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Sibling owners on call 24/7 for their clients Like their brothers and sisters, Mike and Steve Crawford started working for their parents' insurance agency when they were 5 or 6 years old, emptying the trash and sweeping the floors. ...

If you believe, good things will happen -- really!(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... You can make changes just by having faith Believe. It really is as simple as that. That's where we come in. We've developed a powerful business development program that teaches coaches how to build their client base using our...

Time is right to expand your sales internationally.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Exporting can work, even for small firms "How can we sell our product to 6 billion people on the planet?" asked Jeff Dzuira, director of international sales at Ferris Manufacturing Corp. in Burr Ridge, Ill. Ninety-seven percent of the...

Get down off the mountaintop and start hiking.(handling the slowing economy)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Slow economy means you have to get lean It's time to come down. I hope you enjoyed the party atop Mount Everest. Now that the economy is back to a normal pace, it will be the nimble companies left standing on the mountain. Many...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(various appointments)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES Kelly Newman was hired as assistant treasurer at New Richmond National Bank. Lebanon Citizens National Bank has promoted Kenneth layer and Eric Meilstrup to vice presidents and Jeff Sempsrott and Ann Smith to...

Provident senior VP offer lures Hartman out of retirement.(Bob Hartman joins Provident Financial Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... How do you persuade a successful investing veteran to nix his planned retirement? Easy: Create a new position for him at the region's second-largest bank. That's what Provident Financial Group Inc. did for Bob Hartman, the Huntington...

Recently relocated manager Jarvis tired of market's touchiness.(Art Jarvis)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Before Hartman's departure from Tapke Hartman, the firm significantly strengthened its ranks with the hiring of Art Jarvis, formerly a portfolio manager at Mench Financial Inc. Jarvis brings to Tapke Hartman expertise in the use of exchange...

Fifth Third converting group of former Old Kent funds.(Fifth Third Funds, Old Kent Financial Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Fifth Third Funds will soon be offering clients access to 11 funds formerly run by Old Kent Financial Corp.'s asset management unit. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fifth Third moved to create a new series of...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.(financial rates)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

TRACKING LOCAL STOCKS.(Gradison-Courier Cincinnati Stock Index)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Gradison-Courier Cincinnati Stock Index Jan. 15 138.5 Arpil 2 133.8 Year-to-date 7.1% The Index measures local stock performance by traking 40 Cincinnati- based stocks with the largest market capitalization. Stocks are...

Consumer confidence rises, perks up hopes.
April 6, 2001... One of the few pieces of good news about the economy in recent months was the report from the Conference Board that consumer confidence rebounded strongly in March. It had fallen for five straight months. With announcements of layoffs and...

MONEY MARKET.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... MONEY MARKET Fund 7-day average yield Fifth Third Govt. Money Market Fund 4.46 Fifth Third Prime Money Market Fund ...

GREATER CINCINNATI HIGH SCHOOL STOCK MARKET GAME.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Student investor teams from Taft High took over the top spot in Week 5 of the local High School Stock Market Game. Taft students posted the week's strongest results by far, taking advantage of the nearly 4 percent drop Moeller teams and had to...

STOCK STATS.(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... STOCK STATS Exchange/ Year- Week- Ticker Close to-date ago net P/E Name of security symbol 4/2/01 chg. chg. ratio...

MORNING MUTUAL FUNDS.(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... MORNING MUTUAL FUNDS Fund Star Rank Fund name category rating TOP 20 GREATER CINCINNATI FUNDS 1 ...

EARNINGS.(LanVision)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... EARNINGS (Dollars in millions except per share data; revenues for financial institutions are net interest income plus other...

INSIDER TRADING.(business)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... INSIDER TRADING (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company/Officer Transaction Amount Price Ohio Casualty Corp. Dan...

DIVIDENDS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) American Financial Group Inc. 25 cents quarterly No...

INSIDER TRADING RECAP.(business securities)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... INSIDER TRADING RECAP (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company Buy Sell AK Steel 0 9 American Financial 1 0...

New CEO making Ohio Casualty faster, nimbler.(Dan Carmichael)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Insurer on comeback from $79 million loss Since arriving at Ohio Casualty Corp. in December, CEO Dan Carmichael has not been afraid to use the change mandate he was given. Gone is Avomark, the company's two-year-old subsidiary that...

Take sufficient time to plan your building.(and ask employees for input)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Often seen as an overwhelming task, new building projects or additions have a significant impact on any business, large or small. The path to success can be a bumpy road to travel. A good place to start is by talking to your key staff members....

BEAMING WITH PRIDE.(tradition of topping U.S. construction projects with flags)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Construction firms 'top out' projects with trees, flags and signed beams. As countries or cultures go, the United States is still relatively young but, because of its immigrant character, many centuries-old traditions constitute its...

Houses of worship hit construction boom.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Churches, synagogues work to meet demand As the population in the St. Louis region shifts, the construction of churches and other houses of worship also is booming. Sacred Heart Church of Eureka, for example, will have a new church...

Contractors pursue new shade of green.(guidelines for Earth-friendly buildings)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... N.C. group drafts Earth-friendly guidelines Three years ago, Judy Kincaid noticed that local governments were beginning to build so-called "green" buildings -- buildings that are environmentally friendly. Kincaid, the solid,...

Female engineers making steady progress.(Jennifer Marsh, Lecia Martin, and Lee Miller)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Love of math, science draws more to field Lecia Martin has reached the educational pinnacle of her career, earning the cherished professional engineer license. Now she is looking to build her business by landing jobs in the Memphis, Tenn.,...

Renovation always full of challenges.(building renovations and remodeling important segment of construction industry)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Even lumber dimensions have changed Renovating old buildings for new uses has become a booming business in many parts of the country. In Raleigh, N.C., for example, an old cotton mill was recently converted into residential condos, a number...

Health care construction keeps many firms healthy.(Gresham, Smith and Partners)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Nashville workers seeing buzz of related activity Health care construction in Nashville is alive and well, with a healthy heart pumping millions of dollars into construction and design companies. Nashville-based Gresham, Smith &...

Battle of bumpy roads is never-ending tale.(science of potholes and efforts to repair them)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Weather, tight budget most likely culprits Ever since the first paved road, the battle has been epic. On one side: feisty, seemingly tough automobiles in various shapes and sizes. On the other side: jagged, ever-deepening potholes, menacing...

Development exec leaves one Neyer for another.(Neyer Properties Inc., John Stevens appointment)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... The director of Northern Kentucky development at one of the biggest commercial builders in the Tri-State has left Al Neyer Inc. to work for the only Neyer to fly the family-owned coop, Dan Neyer at Neyer Properties Inc. John Stevens...

CB's Moning closes two N. Ky. industrial deals.(CB Richard Ellis finalized two leases for clients)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Speaking of Northern Kentucky, Elizabeth Moning from CB Richard Ellis recently finalized two new leases in the Bluegrass State for industrial space. The bigger deal is a 29,000-square-foot lease at an Aviation Boulevard building owned by...

DEAL OF THE WEEK.(Ray Hamilton Co. buys building from Cordage Papers)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... THIS WEEK'S DEAL: CCR's Pitstick, Roth help OutSource Solutions expand with $1.2M facility DEAL OF THE WEEK examines a recent noteworthy lease or sale of local commercial property and/or a residential sale; the transaction must be a...

AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS.(includes multiple awards)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... The cities of Mason and Sprindale have each presented an award to Kenneth Schneider, senior partner at Wood & Lamping LLP, in appreciation for 25 years of service as their legal counsel. Greater Cincinnatic Chapter of the Society of...

Grote Bakery Inc.(introduces new lunch menu)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Grote Bakery Inc. located in the White Oak Shopping Center has launched its lunch menu renamed Grote.good. The menu includes: fresh salads, signature soups, sandwiches, pizza breads, baked potatoes and a kiddie menu.

Ilsco Corp.(acquires Bardes Corp. outstanding stock)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Ilsco Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bardes Corp., has announced its chairperson, Merrilyn Bardes, and her immediate family have consolidated thier ownership of the privately held electrical components concern by acquiring all of the...

Coldwell Banker West Shell.(creates Coldwell Banker Mortgage)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Coldwell Banker West Shell has announced the creation of Coldwell Banker Mortgage, a newly branded consumer product of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. and Cendant Mortgage.

Blueline Editorial Service.(to develop public relations campaign)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Blueline Editorial Service has been chosen for a public relations campaign by New Edgecliff Theatre and was selected by Strategic Media Resource to create new marketing communications collateral.

Largest Tri-State Employers.(top 21 employers in tri-state area ranked by number of employees)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
April 6, 2001... Largest Tri-State Employers (Ranked by number of local employees) Name address Total Total phone local worldwide...

ASK THE CEO.(chief executive officers forecst American economic recovery)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Do you have confidence that the economy will rebound this year? ASK THE CEO is a continuing series in which we ask important-to-the-region questions of corporate leaders. John Yeager Ashley Development Yes, I...

MainStrasse neighbors happy with village.
April 6, 2001... Editor: We enjoyed reading the article, "MainStrasse at a cross-roads" (March 23 issue). Covington's quaint, historic neighborhood means different things to different people and these days, a lot of "somebodys" are extremely happy. We...

Foster care system needs accountability.
April 6, 2001... I once told a reporter that accountability problems in our foster care system could result in people driving around in Mercedes-Benz cars at public expense. I was wrong, at least according to a rent audit of a private foster care agency...

School funding a taxing issue.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... Well, so much for government surpluses. The state of Ohio had one a short time ago and now it seems to have evaporated like the mists on a warm spring morning. Instead, Gov. Bob Taft is warning that the state will have a $288 million revenue...

Kids master 'Gotcha, Mommy' early.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2001... There's a quaint picture we like to paint of children -- curious innocents who say the sweetest, darnedest things. These myths are obviously perpetrated by people with no kids, no hearing, or both. Kids learn to smart off as soon as...

MONEY MANAGERS ROUNDTABLE.
April 6, 2001... Shining a light in the forest of confusion The investment management business hasn't been the easiest place to work for the past year or so, but there's no reason to panic. Solid fundamentals, optimism and an eye for long-term goals will...

Pay hikes mirror performance.(survey on top executive salaries in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Statistical Data Included)
April 13, 2001... Salaries for top execs depend on stock price Pay-for-performance among top executives is catching on among Greater Cincinnati public companies, though glaring exceptions still catch the eye. The Courier examined the pay packages of the...

CLOSED for business?(Cincinnati, Ohio, could face boycott over death of Timothy Thomas)
April 13, 2001... CINCINNATI'S EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN and revive Over-the-Rhine were dealt a crushing blow by fear-inducing race riots. The violence that began rolling through Cincinnati on April 10 destroyed not just windows and shops but also swept...

Airport ready to take off as retail hot spot.(Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport)(Brief Article)
April 13, 2001... Traffic through local hub gold mine for shop owners It's a 63-location retail opportunity with the potential for sales per square foot twice as high as Greater Cincinnati's swankiest malls. But it's not a mall at all. It's the...

Black leaders plan to pressure local economy.(following shooting of Timothy Thomas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 13, 2001... Local black leaders are exploring a pair of economic strategies aimed at keeping pressure on civic leaders to improve race relations. One option involves encouraging black consumers to patronize firms that make new investments in black...

Michael Fisher.(calls for peace in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Brief Article)
April 13, 2001... A weary Michael Fisher was among the community leaders present at Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken's press conference April 12 where the mayor announced he had declared a state of emergency for the city. Fisher, the new president of the...

Ohio, Indiana lag country in economic ratings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 13, 2001... Capital cities provide bright spots for states Economic conditions are great in the capital cities of Indiana and Ohio, but they're not as great in the rest of the two states. Indianapolis earned five stars, the highest possible score,...

Auto insurers hit brakes.(four insurers cease writing Ohio business policies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 13, 2001... Four more stop writing Ohio business policies Several insurance carriers have followed Travelers and stopped writing new commercial auto policies in Ohio. The moves follow the Ohio Supreme Court's 1999 and 2000 decisions that vastly...

Startup's success came almost as fast as clients' tax refunds.(Tax Centers of America)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 13, 2001... FESUM OGBAZION STARTED INSTANT REFUND WHILE still at UC and sold it for millions. Now he's got a new tax business and aggressive goal: 500 offices by 2006. Fesum Ogbazion fingers the four-inch-high stack of credit cards. They no longer...

For new CEO, Cincinnati Zoo a natural selection.(Gregg Hudson)
April 13, 2001... Facility's reputation lured Hudson from Fort Worth Zoo Tile Cincinnati Zoo's new CEO, Gregg Hudson, vows to use skills he developed in the hotel, retail and theme-park industries to increase efficiency and boost corporate sponsorship. ...