Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from August 1997

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from August 1997

Lindner moving 200 jobs to Tri-State; Alabama insurer seeks office space.(financier Carl Lindner; Loyal American Life Insurance Co.)
August 1, 1997... Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner's American Annuity Group Inc. is moving an Alabama-based subsidiary to the Tri-State, bringing at least 200 jobs here. American Annuity is scouting sites in downtown Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and the...

Udris failing to deliver on high hopes.(Cincinnati, OH's economic development director Andi Udris)
August 1, 1997... City Economic Development director Andi Udris has come under fire in some circles for his lack of results, and an analysis shows he failed to meet 13 of his 14 goals. When he was Cleveland's top development official, Andi Udris was called...

Sprint plans to build competing PCS network; multimillion-dollar system would face off with GTE.(personal communications services)
August 1, 1997... Long-distance giant Sprint is poised to spend millions to build a personal communications services network that would start serving the Tri-State next summer. Sprint spokesman Tom Murphy said building the local PCS network will cost "tens...

Street vendors facing more scrutiny.(Cincinnati, OH)
August 1, 1997... A police crackdown on downtown street vendors during the Coors Light Festival July 18-20 netted 29 arrests and the confiscation of $115,000 in allegedly counterfeit merchandise. The crackdown marks the debut of a city effort to rid downtown...

Surgery center surge looms.(Kentucky)
August 1, 1997... Kentucky may ease its restrictions on the amount of ambulatory surgery centers. Two are already proposed in N. Ky. Like its neighbor to the north, Kentucky may be on the verge of an explosion in freestanding ambulatory surgery centers. ...

Critics claim taxing district lacks support.(Cincinnati, OH's special improvement district)
August 1, 1997... When City Manager John Shirey urged Cincinnati City Council to approve the formation of a downtown special improvement district last fall, he noted that one question remained unanswered about the proposal. That question: "Whether there is...

Hungry Jacor may be homing in on biggest acquisition yet; speculation rife with bid for $2 billion N.Y. company.(Jacor Communications Inc.'s acquisition of New York, NY-based SFX Broadcasting Inc.)
August 1, 1997... In what would be its biggest acquisition to date, Jacor Communications Inc. is reportedly in the hunt to buy New York-based SFX Broadcasting Inc. Acquiring SFX - for an estimated price tag of about $2 billion - would add 71 radio stations...

City lags in minority-women firms; but number of such companies is growing.(Cincinnati, OH)
August 1, 1997... Cincinnati doesn't rank among the top cities in the United States when it comes to the number of businesses owned by minority women, but local leaders say the Tri-State is making progress. The city just missed making a list of the "top 50"...

Son sues Fifth Third over mother's trust; claims bank traded excessively; sold off stocks.(Charles Farrell; Fifth Third Bancorp)
August 1, 1997... Fifth Third Bancorp is facing a $25 million lawsuit, alleging its trust and investment division excessively traded securities in a trust account to generate fees for the bank. Charles Farrell of Sardinia alleges the bank's trust and...

KZF forms division to cater to specific markets.(Growth Strategies)
August 1, 1997... Design firm serves disparate clientele For a company that gets more than half its revenue from government contracts, Walnut Hills-based KZF Inc. itself has little red tape. The firm of nearly 95 architects, engineers, designers and...

Duke gets stranglehold on suburban office market.(Duke Realty Investments Inc.)(Company Profile)
August 1, 1997... Developer enters Chicago market Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst Gregory Whyte likened Duke Realty Investments Inc. to the Chicago Bulls in a research report published last month. Indianapolis-based Duke, which announced last month...

N.Ky. labor shortage hits new high; worker crisis may threaten growth.(Northern Kentucky)
August 8, 1997... With Northern Kentucky's acute worker shortage a continuing threat to its thriving economy, officials are now admitting they got a late start combating the undersupply and may not achieve a solution for years. "From last year through to...

Downtown dining market gets crowded; some concerned, others see more room to grow.(Cincinnati, PA)
August 8, 1997... Is downtown Cincinnati's restaurant market best defined by Rock Bottom Brewery's impressive first-year sales of $4.5 million? Or by the 20 percent drop in revenue recorded by Main Street Brewery? More than a half-dozen new competitors...

Owner plans to boost FM radio station; American Radio Systems might beef up the signal of WMMA-FM in Lebanon.(Lebanon, OH)
August 8, 1997... If radio insiders are correct, Greater Cincinnati may soon be home to a new, high-powered FM radio station. But it will not be built from the ground up. There's no room on Cincinnati's crowded and competitive radio dial for that. ...

Verst to build Boone center; distribution firm also eyes Louisville location.(Verst Group Logistics)
August 8, 1997... Fast-growing distribution-services company Verst Group Logistics will build a $5 million facility in Boone County, and plans to expand into Louisville and other markets in the southeast and western U.S. Verst, based in Walton, provides...

Callers hanging up on major long-distance firms; small providers grabbing large piece of market share.
August 8, 1997... WASHINGTON - With more than $60 billion in revenue at stake, the nation's largest long-distance telephone service providers are losing customers to hundreds of smaller upstarts. Over the past decade, the smaller carriers' share of toll...

GE sees rebound for jet-engine business; Evendale, North Carolina plants land orders.(General Electric Co.)
August 8, 1997... General Electric Co.'s restructuring of its aircraft-engine business several years ago is paying dividends for both its Evendale and Durham, N.C., plants, company officials say. In 1993, GE reopened its Durham plant and moved production of...

Seeking natural relationships: Natorp's puts the bloom on its business by retailing and wholesaling.(Growth Strategies)
August 8, 1997... For three months of the year, beginning in April, business goes gangbusters at Natorp's. Spring is when the fourth-generation nursery and landscaping chain rings up about 70 percent of its annual sales, said chief executive officer Ken...

Exemplar grows with health care technology; firm recently moved to new downtown digs.(Exemplar Systems Inc.)(Company Profile)
August 8, 1997... Chris Bergmann and Thomas Neihaus knew each other almost a decade before founding Exemplar Systems Inc. in 1993. "Beginning in 1984, Tom and I both worked for a start-up called PCI Systems in Cincinnati, a software company that catered to...

Chiquita Brands poised to turn around fortunes; EU ruling should open up Europe.(Chiquita Brands International Inc.; World Trade Organization's ruling that European Union's banana import polices are illegal)(Company Profile)
August 8, 1997... Cincinnati-based Chiquita Brands International Inc. could be on the verge of turning around a slump that started half a decade ago. Several factors that have contributed to hold down Chiquita's stock price could soon change. Primary...

Kentucky will try again to fix health law.(Focus on Health Care)
August 8, 1997... Kentucky lawmakers will probably take another crack at revising the state's health care reform law in a special legislative session that could take place shortly. "The session could be called in late August or early September provided a...

Real stadium cost is $605 million.(Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio)
August 15, 1997... New Bengals' figure includes financing Paul Brown Stadium will ultimately cost taxpayers more than $605 million including financing and a $350 million price tag for construction and land acquisition. The estimate, made by the Courier...

XU tunes into commercial broadcasting.(Xavier University)
August 15, 1997... The university's growing XStar radio network could divide into two groups. Xavier University plans to become the nation's first public radio station owner to move into commercial broadcasting. Xavier owns public radio station WVXUFM...

Cinergy seeks global gains; firm wants OK to spend $1 billion for expansion.
August 15, 1997... There's new evidence that Cinergy Corp. may be about to bag another big acquisition - this time overseas. Cinergy is seeking federal clearance to spend as much as a half-billion dollars more than it already has to buy one or more foreign...

Main St. chief looks to keep party rolling.(promotional plans of Craig Johnson for Main Street Entertainment Group, Over-the-Rhine, Kentucky)
August 15, 1997... The new director of Over-the-Rhine's entertainment district is planning new events. The Main Street Entertainment Group's new director plans to raise the profile of the Over-the-Rhine bar district by boosting membership, sponsorship and...

AT&T builds network to enter Tri-State's growing PCS market.(personal communications services)
August 15, 1997... [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] AT&T Corp. will enter Cincinnati's personal communications services (PCS) market this fall, becoming the first local competitor for GTE. During the past year, AT&T Wireless Services, a division of New...

Local CB office to manage national Banc One contract.(CB/Koll Management Services Inc.; Banc One Corp.)
August 15, 1997... Banc One Corp. of Columbus is finalizing a huge deal to have CB/Koll Management Services Inc. manage more than 13 million square feet of its real estate. The pact, which officials say will be "quarter-backed" out of CB/Koll's Cincinnati...

Infiniti dealer opens upscale used-car lot.(Infiniti of Cincinnati dealer Bob Meyer)
August 15, 1997... Glut of leased luxury cars pushes prices down The owner of Infiniti of Cincinnati at Kings Automall has opened an Infiniti used-car lot in Montgomery, seeking to capitalize on the booming market for luxury used cars. The used-car...

From a notion to a niche.(Growth Strategies)(Real Time Systems Inc.)
August 15, 1997... Why Real Time Systems' owners decided not to follow their heart Real Time Systems Inc. has been installing computer hardware for medical-industry clients for seven years now. But that wasn't what the company's founders, president Todd...

Carlisle Construction owner wears many hats.(Growth Strategies)(Wayne Carlisle)(Company Profile)
August 15, 1997... Wilder reaches about $100M in sales Wayne Carlisle likes to think big. Indeed, in the back of Carlisle Construction Co. Inc.'s parking lot in Wilder sits one big machine: the Demag 1200, one of the most powerful cranes in the world,...

Jacor expects to continue battling for purchases.(Jacor Communications Inc.)(Company Profile)
August 15, 1997... More radio buys on the horizon The way Randy Michaels sees it, having the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division sometimes breathing down your neck is not necessarily a bad thing. "If you don't have a conversation with Justice,...

Sales tax backed for Sabin rebuild.(planned Dr Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Convention Center expansion)
August 22, 1997... But another sales tax increase a tough sell Hamilton County residents may again be asked to raise their sales tax. Backers of a $298 million plan to expand the Dr. Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Convention Center are lobbying Hamilton...

Small firms see huge health rate jumps.(Cincinnati, OH)
August 22, 1997... Health insurance rates have risen, but large firms have escaped the worst hikes. Hefty health insurance rate hikes are beginning to slam many local small and mid-sized businesses. Ironically, say area insurance brokers, the hikes are...

Competitors primed to face Cincinnati Bell.
August 22, 1997... Recent deal paves way for several business choices Tri-State businesses will be able to choose their telephone company by the end of the year. Five firms are now in interconnection talks with Cincinnati Bell Telephone Co. to offer...

Retailers eye windfall in key sales season: as back-to-school sales kick off the busy shopping season, retailers are optimistic.(Cincinnati, OH)
August 22, 1997... As back-to-school sales kick off the busy shopping season, retailers are optimistic. Tri-State retailers are expecting to get a bigger boost than usual from the back-to-school sales that kick off the busiest time of their year, leading up...

GE expands turbine service center in Butler County.(General Electric Co; Butler County, OH)
August 22, 1997... Facility to combine Chicago, Springdale sites to cut costs A hugely profitable General Electric Co. subsidiary that installs and services turbine generators is consolidating and expanding operations in Buffer County. Power Generation...

Company that hired illegal aliens is fired.(Chesapeake Disaply & Packaging Co fires its staffing firm Accustaff Inc)
August 22, 1997... Chesapeake Display taps Norrell for workers Chesapeake Display & Packaging Co., charged recently with hiring illegal aliens, has fired the staffing firm that hired temporary workers for its Erlanger and West Chester facilities. The...

Jerry Carroll rolls on: developer plans restaurant, office building at Turfway.(Florence, KY)
August 22, 1997... Northern Kentucky developer Jerry Carroll, as always, has a lot on his plate. To wit: * A large restaurant development could be headed for the Turfway Road area in Florence in the coming months if current negotiations are successful,...

State officials selling global business concept: cabinet offers variety of development programs.(Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development)
August 22, 1997... Cabinet offers variety of development programs The work of Trinett Foote would not, at first glance, seem be a typical product among the $5.9 billion in goods and services Kentucky exports annually. After all, Foote is an artist with a...

Hospital bed glut doesn't deter growth: Ohio's relaxed health care regulations have opened the floodgates, a study says.
August 29, 1997... Even as the need for local hospital beds plummets, Ohio is receiving a flood of requests for new health care facilities and equipment in Greater Cincinnati, according to a new study. The requests are coming from doctor groups, for-profit...

Battle looms over riverfront plan.
August 29, 1997... Downtown groups want more studies A major showdown over riverfront development is brewing at Cincinnati City Hall, after a confidential meeting of downtown business leaders failed to resolve concerns over the city's $60 million riverfront...

Hart Productions goes fishing for more business.
August 29, 1997... Hunting and fishing show to debut in '98 Hart Productions Inc. is hoping to reel in extra customers with its first new trade show in five years. The Clifton-based trade-show producer will launch a hunting and fishing show at the Dr....

Crown looks for new shine.(renovation of the old Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio)
August 29, 1997... The old riverfront coliseum, long a money loser, is coming back to life under new ownership. But the job has just begun. A former white elephant is finally raking in some green. Owners of the Crown, the 16,000-seat former Riverfront...

Star-Kist fishing for greater market share via acquisitions.(Star-Kist Foods Inc.)
August 29, 1997... As it churns out ever-increasing profits, Newport-based Star-Kist Foods Inc. is building up an appetite for further expansion. Fresh off the acquisition of British tuna canner John West Foods Ltd. in June, Star-Kist parent H.J. Heinz Co. is...

Tri-State's economy keeps on humming.(Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana)
August 29, 1997... Service, retail sectors show strongest surges It's not always this easy to describe the economy in this few words. "Right now, everything is in the right place," says Alex Tshiunza, economist at the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional...

Head of Andersen's local office retiring: Don Siekmann stepping aside after 22 years.(Arthur Andersen accounting firm)
August 29, 1997... The man who led Arthur Andersen to the top of Cincinnati's accounting mountain is retiring, leaving behind an office that grew more than threefold during the last quarter century. Managing Partner Don Siekmann, 59, spent 37 years with...

Textbook tactics: Anderson Publishing branches out by putting law books on the Internet.(Growth Strategies)
August 29, 1997... Visualize, if you will, the stereotype of the legal library: Staid, stuffy aisles lined with many moth volumes, each overflowing with the fine-print minutiae of this country's legal history. Then watch as Anderson Publishing tries to blow...

Hill Top raises $10 million to scale new heights.(Growth Strategies)(Hill Top Research Inc.)
August 29, 1997... Future Healthcare finally consolidated Hill Top Research Inc. turns 50 this year, but James Pearce views the clinical research company as a newborn. The Hill Top president and chief executive officer has completed the arduous task of...

Kroger growing through efficiency, technology.(Company Profile)
August 29, 1997... Wall Street loves grocer's stock Kroger Co.'s strategy is simple - and working. In the company s 1996 annual report, Chairman and CEO Joseph Pichler reiterated his three-pronged growth strategy: build new stores, improve efficiency and...

New Macintosh OS off-the-chart success.(computer)
August 29, 1997... Includes built-in browsers, Java support The reviews are in: Apple Computer Inc.'s blockbuster release, Mac OS & is a hit. Featuring several new bells and whistles, such as built-in Internet browsers and Java support, the new Apple...