Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from August 1999

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from August 1999

Merger would redraw market.(rumored merger of Clear Channel Communications Inc. and AMFM Inc.)
August 6, 1999... Rumored radio deal could force changes The Cincinnati radio market will be in for another shakeup should the long-rumored merger of Clear Channel Communications Inc. and AMFM Inc. come about. Such a merger could create a rare...

Fast times at Fifth Third.(Fifth Third Bancorp.)
August 6, 1999... AS THE WALL STREET DARLING continues its surge, the stakes for George Schaefer's bank grow. George Schaefer Jr. is an operations man through and through. Fifth Third Bancorp's detail-driven president and CEO thrives on knowing that the...

Kenwood's Hotel Discovery seeking buyer.(Cafe Odyssey Inc. is seeking a buyer for Hotel Discovery)
August 6, 1999... Restaurant's parent firm shifts focus to Internet One of Cincinnati's most distinctive restaurants is on the selling block. Hotel Discovery, an ornate 17,000-square-foot eatery with jungle themes and declining sales, is being marketed...

Dental plan in growth mode.(Dental Care Plus)
August 6, 1999... Dental Care Plus may add Alliance contract When Tanya Losey of Batavia became the 100,000th member of Dental Care Plus this summer, she got a surprise from the managed-care dental plan - a limousine ride and dinner at the Maisonette. ...

Study: baseball market size meaningless.(Cincinnati baseball market)
August 6, 1999... Baseball teams' ability to make the most of their markets has more to do with success than market size does, as the Reds are proving. It may be time that baseball stops talking about small markets and large markets and starts talking about...

Local Internet companies focus on job searches.(IT Interface; Techemployment.com)(Directory)
August 6, 1999... Two new firms capitalizing on need for more IT workers The tight market for technology workers is fueling the growth of two new local Internet companies. Downtown-based IT Interface and Tech-employment.com, headquartered in Mount...

Bank wants to 'leave home' for Boone Cty.(Peoples Bancorp.)
August 6, 1999... Peoples Bancorp. to grow in Florence, Hebron Peoples Bancorp. of Northern Kentucky has applied with regulators to branch beyond its home county, marking the third start-up bank south of the river to expand beyond its original area. ...

New disclosure law worries researchers: biotech, drug firms fear breaches of privacy.
August 6, 1999... A little-noticed law that has caught the attention of the biotechnology and drug communities could find the nation's universities and hospitals forced to disclose how they are spending federal research dollars. Researchers fear...

Drees buys Palmer; expands in Lone Star State.(Drees Co.; Palmer Homes)(Company Profile)
August 6, 1999... From '97 to '98, firm saw 17% sales increase A major expansion into Texas and a huge industry award have pushed Drees Co., one of the largest homebuilders in the nation, to $400 million in annual sales for its most recent fiscal year. ...

Midland striving to draw Wall Street's attention.(Midland Co.)(Company Profile)
August 6, 1999... Profits improve, analysts approve Midland Co. is on a roll, but investors are still waiting for someone to notice. The Amelia-based specialty insurance company has posted strong earnings increases for much of the past two years, made...

Columbus cable installer bought by Tandy.(AmeriLink Corp.)
August 6, 1999... AmeriLink fits strategy to sell 'connectivity' services Cable installer AmeriLink Corp. is no stranger to the ups and downs of the telecommunication industry. Since its beginning as a small upstart in 1971, the Columbus-based company...

P&G pays premium for Iams.(Procter and Gamble's purchase of pet food maker Iams Co. of Dayton, Ohio)
August 13, 1999... Expanded distribution key to deal's success Procter & Gamble's acquisition of Dayton pet food maker Iams Co. is not only the priciest in its history, it also includes a lot of expectations. Area money managers viewed the $2.3 billion...

LCA, finally has success in its sights.(LCA-Vision Inc. laser vision-correction chain)
August 13, 1999... The laser surgery firm, which two years ago was on the brink, has made a remarkable turnaround. Two years ago, Dr. Stephen Joffe faced maybe his toughest case - the kind that hastens salt-and-pepper to gray. The patient? LCA-Vision...

Major Queensgate office building planned.(Jupiter Realty Corp.'s planned $4.7-million renovation of the Queensgate Holiday Office Park in the Tri-State area)
August 13, 1999... Chicago firm to overhaul Holiday Office complex Queensgate's Holiday Office Park complex will undergo an overhaul that includes plans for that area's first new office building in 20 years. The building could attract more than 1,000...

A tower at McAlpin's site?(Madison Marquette Realty Partners is considering an office tower complex in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio)
August 13, 1999... Fourth Street building called 'last real location' The developer buying the former McAlpin's building downtown is exploring whether to build a major office tower on the Fourth Street site. Madison Marquette Realty Partners has been...

Brendamour heads to former GM plant.(Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution and Services Inc.'s move to the former Genral Motors-Fisher Body plant in Fairfield, Ohio)
August 13, 1999... Pushed out of Norwood by the Rookwood retail development, the warehousing firm is leasing 300,000 square feet in Fairfield. The long-vacant and cavernous General Motor-Fisher Body plant in Fairfield is getting a new lease on life. ...

New venture enterprise seeks early-stage firms.(Flying Start Ventures)
August 13, 1999... Flying Start Ventures begins with $2.5 million in funds A new venture capital enterprise hopes to help fledgling companies in the Tri-State take off. The $2.5 million pool, Flying Start Ventures, was created recently by former...

Drivers itching for look at big Ford SUV.(Ford Excursion sport-utility vehicle)
August 13, 1999... Excursion to be built at Louisville truck plant Drivers are clamoring for a look at the new Ford Excursion, the large sport utility vehicle that is being built at Ford Motor Co.'s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. Sales haven't begun...

Making space to grow.(profile on Duke-Weeks Realty Corp.)
August 13, 1999... Duke-Weeks Realty has flourished by maintaining a willingness to rewrite a tenant's lease to meet requirements. Chris Taylor didn't just have one problem, he had a whole bunch. And he needed a solution now. As president of Crescent...

Belcan Corp. travels to Russia with love, jobs.
August 13, 1999... Company attracted to cheaper foreign work Belcan Corp., based in Blue Ash, is incorporating in Russia where the company hopes to hire engineers at rates far lower than U.S. standards. "You can get engineering work done over there...

SDRC sets goal of $1 billion in annual revenues.(Structural Dynamics Research Corp.)
August 13, 1999... Growth to come from acquisitions After spending the last two years focused on improving its corporate vision and business execution, Structural Dynamics Research Corp. is ready to seize opportunities for rapid growth, said CEO William...

Workplace violence more commonplace.(violence at work)
August 13, 1999... Threats, assaults more likely than theft, drugs Workplace violence is the most important security threat to America's largest corporations, outpacing fraud, employee theft and drugs, a recent Pinkerton study found. Not only does...

Gibson mistakes prove costly; greeting-card executive struggles with details.(Gibson Greetings Inc.; Frank O'Connell)
August 20, 1999... Greeting-card executive struggles with details Hardly anyone noticed in the summer of 1997 when Tommy Smith left his post as CFO of Gibson Greetings Inc., just five weeks after he was hired. But company insiders now point to that event...

Local worker shortage no longer universal; but overall labor drought not expected to diminish.
August 20, 1999... But overall labor drought not expected to diminish The Tri-State's labor crunch hasn't eased, but it is changing. And so have the coping strategies. Now into its third year, the local worker shortage may not be as big a talking point...

Thrift deals may continue; buyout trend likely to target smaller S&Ls.(savings and loan associations)
August 20, 1999... Buyout trend likely to target smaller S&Ls While it requires little foresight to predict that the merger and acquisition trend among area savings and loans will continue, some say the pace of such deals will soon pick up. That would...

UC reaping benefits of marketing deal.(University of Cincinnati's contract with International Sports Properties Inc.)
August 20, 1999... The University of Cincinnati is already signing major sponsorship deals after inking a contract with a company to market UC sports. Toyota Motor Co. will be flashing its name all over the University of Cincinnati's Shoemaker Center this...

Student Loan to raise $500 million in offering; finance firm to use proceeds to purchase student loans.(Student Loan Funding Resources Inc.)
August 20, 1999... Finance firm to use proceeds to purchase student loans In the midst of building new businesses, Student Loan Funding Resources Inc. is also returning to its roots with its largest-ever bond offering. The downtown finance company has...

Student Loan Funding branches out services; firm wants access to wide array of schools.(Student Loan Funding Resources Inc.)
August 20, 1999... Firm wants access to wide array of schools In an industry that is a little more predictable than many others, the changes have come thick and fast in the past year and a half at Student Loan Funding Resources Inc. The company's name...

Now profitable, LCA-Vision planning expansion; company to open new laser centers.
August 20, 1999... Company to open new laser centers Now that LCA-Vision Inc. has made good on Chairman and CEO Dr. Stephen Joffe's promise that the company would become profitable this year, the chain of laser vision correction centers will resume...

Construction of Louisville stadium on track; RiverBats' ballpark heavy on amenities.(Focus on Real Estate)(Louisville Slugger Field; Louisville RiverBats)
August 20, 1999... RiverBats' ballpark heavy on amenities Monitors are attached to the 102-year-old shell of the old Brinly-Hardy building in Louisville, designed to alert contractors of even a millimeter of movement in the foundation. Giant, red,...

Post office agrees on city site.(Cincinnati, Ohio)(Statistical Data Included)
August 27, 1999... New distribution center may land on Seymour The city of Cincinnati may have figured out a way to keep 2,300 postal jobs. But accomplishing that objective will take some serious maneuvering, including a relocation of state...

Heart center to cut loose from Christ.(Carl H. & Edyth Linder Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Research; Christ Hospital)
August 27, 1999... May team with Procter on new research projects The Carl H. & Edyth Lindner Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Research has severed its exclusive tie with Christ Hospital to become independent and has lined up a group of local corporate...

City to fight downtown Delta flight.(Delta Air Lines in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Statistical Data Included)
August 27, 1999... The city of Cincinnati is offering $500,000 in economic incentives and dirt-cheap parking on downtown's fringe in a bid to keep 1,000 Delta Air Lines jobs at Atrium One. "We put together a competitive package, but obviously only Delta...

Lindner adds Chiquita stock.(Chiquita Brands International Inc.; Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner)
August 27, 1999... Large investors sell as he buys 1.8M shares Less than a year after Hurricane Mitch pummeled Central America's banana plantations, a new storm has formed around Chiquita Brands International Inc., one involving Cincinnati financier Carl...

Companies selling software as service.
August 27, 1999... INSTEAD OF BUYING SOFTWARE packages, companies can save money by treating the applications like a service and paying a flat fee. When Cincinnati Bell began looking for a way to manage contact with its ZoomTown.com customers, Larry...

Walnut Street may get $14 M in housing projects.(Statistical Data Included)
August 27, 1999... Combined plans would add 100 units near downtown Over-the-Rhine's Walnut Street corridor could become downtown's next housing hot spot, with developers close to securing funds for $14 million in new apartment projects. Combined, the...

A profitable picture.(PhotoRevival)
August 27, 1999... After experiencing only one profitable year since it's founding. PhotoRevival decided to turn to technology and the Web to revamp its image. Steve Alden's story is an illustration of how new technology can breathe life into a small...

Kroger expecting $225 million in merger savings.(Statistical Data Included)
August 27, 1999... Deal will help balance sheet Coming off the largest acquisition in its history, Kroger Co. must now prove the wisdom of its purchase of Portland, Ore.-based Fred Meyer Co. and come through with the predicted $225 million in synergy savings...

Home health fights to survive.(Balanced Budget Act of 1997)
August 27, 1999... Balanced Budget Act cutbacks have closed 2,000 agencies nationwide The Balanced Budget Act, enacted by Congress in 1997, dealt sharp blows to home health companies nationwide and has prompted approximately 2,000 agencies to close their...

Frustrated physicians consider unionizing.
August 27, 1999... Doctors want more clout with managed care firms Dr. John Moraca minces no words when he discusses why he believes physicians should be unionized. "It's been clear to me that patient care has suffered tremendously with the insurers...

Failed merger left Humana struggling.(health maintenance organization)
August 27, 1999... Managed care firm tries to boost lagging stock Perhaps nothing illustrates the predicament of Humana Inc. more than an observation by Greg Crawford, a health care analyst with Fox-Pitt, Kelton Inc. in New York City. Of the 15 HMOs that...