Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from February 2000

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from February 2000

Adams Landing shows new life.
February 4, 2000... Troubled river project may get 800 new units Here are two phrases most never thought would be mentioned in the same breath: Adams Landing and hot property. The city's long-stalled riverfront housing initiative, symbolized by the condo...

Bengals fans win prize as most tolerant.
February 4, 2000... Note to Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown. You really don't deserve us. It seems we've known this intuitively for some time But now, the Courier's sister paper, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal has produced empirical evidence that...

IT'S A NEW ERA FOR CINCINNATI'S banks and insurers, as deregulation paves the way for more competition.
February 4, 2000... They talk caution. But Cincinnati's big banks and insurance companies may soon be anything but cautious as they light to establish themselves anew in a bold financial services landscape reshaped by governmental regulation. Last...

Aetna rolling out affordable health plan locally.
February 4, 2000... Indemnity plan will target underinsured A new private insurance plan could bring limited relief to some of the thousands of people in Ohio and Kentucky who are employed, but do not have health coverage. Aetna U.S. Healthcare is rolling...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction Notice)
February 4, 2000... The Courier corrects all errors. Call Editor Rob Daumeyer, 621-6665.

ChoiceCare to add 300 jobs.
February 4, 2000... HMO expanding its local service center ChoiceCare/Humana plans to add 300 jobs at its Walnut Hills service center over the next two years as part of an initiative to bring customer service back to local markets. When Louisville-based...

Cigar craze now more ash than smoke.
February 4, 2000... ENTREPRENEURS WHO SOUGHT TO capitalize on the fad are trying to diversify to offset the declining sales of premium cigar brands. A few short years ago, the once lowly cigar had become a symbol of retro chic, joining cold Martinis and thick...

Dot.com flood sends ad rates skyward in 2000.
February 4, 2000... Elections, Olympics also put squeeze on radio, TV ad slots For local businesses depending on radio and television advertising to attract customers, 2000 might be the most costly year yet. Industry experts are predicting that television...

Grant Thornton picks new local leader.(Sean McGrory, as managing partner)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Sean McGrory has been named managing partner of the Cincinnati office of Grant Thornton LLP, the area's fifth-largest accounting firm. McGrory succeeds Ed VonderBrink, who retired Dec. 31 after more than 30 years with the firm. A 1983...

Bell's Any Distance grabs 46,000 callers.(Cincinnati Bell )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Cincinnati Bell captured 7 percent of the local long distance market during the first 13 days of its heavily promoted Any Distance offering. Bell rolled out the program, which is available to Cincinnati Bell local phone customers, Jan. 19....

HSR hires Holliday for new division.(Greg Holliday, HSR Internet Services)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... HSR Business to Business Inc. has hired Greg Holliday as director of operations for HSR Internet Services, the firm's new e-commerce division. Holliday was formerly the manager of Internet Solutions for Oracle Corporation, one of the nation's...

PMRealty buys three Tri-State warehouses.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Purchase marks local entry for California firm A California institutional real estate adviser has paid $41 million on behalf of unidentified pension fund clients for three of the Tri-State's newest and most advanced warehouse/distribution...

Plasma sales boom good news for Stough.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Company to boost production by 42 percent Stough Enterprises Inc. has re-organized its plasma business, with plans to boost production of the blood by product by 42 percent this year. "The plasma market is very strong right now," said...

Towne Properties forming real estate brokerage firm.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Towne residents targeted for home, condo sales Local housing developer Towne Properties LLP has formed a real estate brokerage, with the goal of selling homes and condominiums to more than 24,000 people who already live in Towne-managed...

CEO Ansell barking up right tree at Iams.(Jeff Ansell, the new chief executive officer of Dayton's Iams Co.)
February 4, 2000... P&G appointee to grow Dayton pet food firm When Jeff Ansell entered the conference room sporting a button-down shirt, sipping water from a plastic bottle and calling for his Kerry Blue Terrier who was trailing two feet behind, it was clear...

Sears' store redesign to add shopping carts.(Sears Roebuck and Co.)
February 4, 2000... Kylelyn Sansone contributed to this story Cincinnati part of test market for concept Cincinnati-area Sears Roebuck and Co. department stores will switch to a new design sometime this year, including a first for the giant retailer --...

Ohio auctions interim funds via Internet.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... An Internet-based money auction launched by the state treasury is giving Ohio's smaller community banks a better crack at public funds, state officials said. The treasury has so far invested $170 million with several banks through the...

Indiana thrift ripe for picking by Fifth Third.(possible acquisition of Home Federal Bancorp)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... For the second time in six weeks, Fifth Third Bancorp is being mentioned as the buyer of a mid-sized institution that resides within its territorial footprint. After being named as a potential buyer of Louisville's $1.6 billion Mid-America...

Three shareholders join bank's board of directors.(at Fifth Third Bancorp)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... On another note, Fifth Third quietly added three seats to its board of directors in late December -- but neglected to let anyone know about it until it released its preliminary proxy statement Jan. 28. Joining the now 24-member board are...

Cincinnati Financial gets 'buy' rating from analyst.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Analyst Nancy Benacci of McDonald Investments Inc. in Cleveland has reiterated her "buy" rating on shares of Cincinnati Financial Corp. Benacci cited strong premium growth, particularly in commercial lines, and the company's strong...

Gregorie chairman of Dayton physician group.(Dr. Daniel Gregorie, Greater Dayton Physician Partners LLC)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Dr. Daniel Gregorie, who headed ChoiceCare Corp. prior to its 1997 sale to Humana Inc., has taken a new top spot in the local health care community. Gregorie is chairman of the board for Greater Dayton Physician Partners LLC, a group that...

PacifiCare may bring back Medicare HMO in Ohio.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... PacifiCare Health Systems may reopen enrollment in the Medicare HMO piece of its Ohio managed care business. The decision comes two months after California-based PacifiCare suspended enrollment in its Secure Horizons Medicare HMO, laying...

Web site helps health care firms manage compliance.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Digineer Inc., a software company based in Deerfield Township, is teaming up with a Cleveland company to create a Web site organizations can use to manage their compliance with health care, workplace and environmental regulations. Digineer...

Delta to build downtown call center.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... After months of negotiating, Delta Air Lines and the city of Cincinnati announced they will build a reservations call center for the airline's 1,000 downtown employees at Seventh and Plum streets. The new building is scheduled to be...

Area economy growing steadily.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Cincinnati's economy continues to grow at a moderate pace, though new orders fell off somewhat in December, according a report from the National Association of Purchasing Management-Cincinnati. The monthly survey of, Tri-State purchasing...

House passes college savings bill.(Ohio House of Representatives)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Anew program passed last week by the Ohio House of Representatives will give Ohio parents the chance to contribute to a new tax-deferred college savings account. Funds from the Variable College Savings Program will be able to be used for room...

Award recognizes Comair.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Comair, the Cincinnati-based Delta connection air carrier, has been named Regional Airline of the Year for 2000 by Air Transport World magazine, the leading monthly publication for the aviation industry. The magazine said Comair is the most...

Federated to repurchase stock.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Federated Department Stores Inc. has authorized the additional repurchase of up to $500 million of its common shares of stock. The previous repurchase program expired Jan. 28. Strong cash flow and current market conditions were behind the...

Roberds liquidation begins.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A Chicago-based joint venture has been named liquidator for the $19 million in Roberds inventory that is sitting in the company's eight Florida and one Cincinnati store. The liquidation sale of the goods in Roberds' Springdale megastore will...

Local agency launches 'Get Found'.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Cincinnati Internet marketing agency Upright Communications unveiled Get Found, a custom-tailored search engine marketing program that lets clients rank their company's name near the top of search engine results. Upright is guaranteeing clients...

SERVICE INDUSTRY LEADS OHIO ANNUAL PERSONAL EARNINGS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... SERVICE INDUSTRY LEADS OHIO ANNUAL PERSONAL EARNINGS The service industry leads manufacturing by a slight margin in share of Ohio personal earnings. Personal income from government jobs is a distant...

Alliances may not happen now, but just wait.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Executives are split over how quickly alliances will be forged in the new financial services arena created by financial reform. Some argue there will be a spate of deals in the coming months, partly so acquirers can use the...

SUITE INVESTMENT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Firstar Center published an 'owner's manual' to offer its luxury box clients tips on how to get the most out of their investment, which costs upwards of $40,000 a year at the downtown arena. Phil Cox didn't write the book on luxury suites,...

Millennium banking on employees' creativity.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Clermont firm plans four new sales offices The band that played at Millennium Marketing Inc.'s Christmas party speaks volumes about the corporate culture David Rippe has established at his Clermont County firm, which sells PC-based...

Focus will help you handle information overload.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Sort through pile to find what's important I was hosting a book-signing at a Barnes & Noble to share concepts from my book, "Work Less, Make More," with readers. I always start my talk by asking the audience which part they're most...

Don't push children to step into family business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... A few years of outside experience valuable Despite all the books, publicity and warnings from experts, most family business owners still don't have a clear, written succession strategy. In fact, 25 percent of first-generation family...

Board the Nimble Express and get up to speed.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Like a train, you must set your destination Do it, and do it now! If you look around today, our needs are all related to speed: fast-food, FedEx, Pentium III processors, 1-hour photo, ZoomTown and many more. Your customers are looking...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... ACCOUNTING Deloitte & Touche LLP has promoted Diana O'Brien to partner of its Southern Ohio management solutions and services practice. Karen King has joined Vero Software LLC, a subsidiary of Barnes, Dennig & Co. Ltd., as a...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

With both value and growth, it pays to do some homework.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Host of factors help determine if companies are worthwhile Wall Street experts and experienced investors alike often talk about "value investing" or "growth investing." Financial news shows say "Value's making a comeback" or "Growth stocks...

With Fed raising rates, yield curve may go flat.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The yield curve is a graphic of the bond yields for various maturity lengths. A "normal" yield curve occurs when long-term rates are higher than short-term rates. This is normal because investors generally require more yield to take the risk of...

INSIDER TRADING RECAP.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... INSIDER TRADING RECAP (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company Buy Option Sell Am. Annuity 4 4 1 Am. Financial. 2 4 0 AK Steel 2 3 4...

MONEY MARKETS.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... MONEY MARKETS 7-day Fund average yield Countrywide Institutional Government 5.38 Countrywide Ohio Tax-Free Money ...

STOCK STATS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... STOCK STATS Exchange/ Ticker Close Year-to-date Week-ago net P/E Name of security symbol 1/31/00 chg. chg. ratio Airborne...

MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS.(tabular data, no text)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS TOP 20 GREATER CINCINNATI FUNDS Fund Star Net asset Yr.-to-date 3-Yr. Rank Fund name category rating value ...

EARNINGS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... EARNINGS (Dollars in millions except per share data; revenues for financial institutions are net interest income plus other income) ...

DIVIDENDS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) AK Steel Holding Corp. 12.5 cents quarterly...

INSIDER TRADING.
February 4, 2000... INSIDER TRADING (Shares indicate common shares except as noted) Company/Officer Transaction Amount Price Date Holdings American Financial Group Inc. Fred Runk, ...

Rising oil prices promise some relief for NS Group.
February 4, 2000... Order backlog hurting profits What goes down must go up. Newport-based NS Group Inc. couldn't be more thankful for that reality. The manufacturer's fortunes are largely at the mercy of the often-volatile oil industry. That has meant...

THE NUMBERS.(News Briefs)
February 4, 2000... THE NUMBERS VITAL STATISTICS (Dollars in millions except per share data and ratio figures) Net Earnings Book value Return on Return on Year ...

Employers find creative ways to de-stress.
February 4, 2000... Exercise and 'theme days' lighten atmosphere As more and more people turn to low-fat diets and continue to count their calories, many local businesses are in turn doing their part to keep employees healthy and stress-free. Ohio...

'Family-friendly' benefits need even application.
February 4, 2000... Benefits can become a polarizing issue When it comes to being "family-friendly," companies need to provide the benefits evenly or they risk polarizing their employees. Lisa Levey, a consultant for WFD, a Boston-based work/life...

'Drug-Free' program helps create better workplace.
February 4, 2000... Premium discounts given for participation The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation has a program that allows eligible employers to receive discounts on their workers' compensation premiums in exchange for their participation. The...

ALL IN THE FAMILY?(family-owned businesses)
February 4, 2000... Some family-owned businesses are looking to outsiders for guidance Bernie Barbash could use a little advice. So once a year the owner of Champion Windows in Cincinnati sits down with his attorney "to go through a bunch of things." ...

Family dynamics create both harmony, conflict.
February 4, 2000... Family traits can be advantages for businesses Pumpkins sit on doorsteps along Andover Road, a few blocks from Charlotte, N.C.'s Cotswold Shopping Center. At the bottom of a slight bill sits a pleasant brick house with white porch railings,...

Third-round ownership is difficult mile market.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Lack of planning cited as primary reason for failure In a 1983 article in the journal Organizational Dynamics, two researchers reported findings that caused a ripple in small business circles. Their article reported that although...

Succession planning avoids future fights.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Plan for the end at beginning of the business Question: What's worse than going into business, investing time, money and effort, only to face failure? Answer: going into business, investing time, money and effort, succeeding, then fighting...

Siege of Hannaford's Citadel is set.
February 4, 2000... Four local attorneys plan to soon lay siege to the old Citadel for the Salvation Army building on East Eighth Street in downtown Cincinnati, designed by famed Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, the force behind timeless local landmarks such...

Mellis leads outsiders to inside at Paul Hemmer.
February 4, 2000... Mel Mellis, one of the local gurus of the commercial real estate investing scene, headlines a new group of board advisers at Paul Hemmer Cos., the first-ever non-family members elected to the board. "We're trying to take the company m some...

DEAL OF THE WEEK.
February 4, 2000... THIS WEEK'S DEAL: CCR's Sundermann knocks out $2.7M sale/leaseback at Fairfield facility... DEAL OF THE WEEK examines a recent noteworthy lease or sale of local commercial property and/or a residential sale; the transaction must exceed $1...

Largest Tri-State Apartment Communities.
February 4, 2000... Largest Tri-State Apartment Communities (Ranked by total units) Company address Total Security phone units deposit 1. Four Towers...

WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING.
February 4, 2000... Score is a measure of each team's fan support on a 100-point scale. Support factors (average attendance, percent of capacity and attendance fluctuation) account for 60 percent of each team's overall score. Difficulty factors (winning...

Largest Tri-State Telecommunication Equipment Suppliers.
February 4, 2000... Largest Tri-State Telecommunication Equipment Suppliers (Ranked by number of total local employees) Number Name ...

ASK THE CEO.
February 4, 2000... THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Do you think the economy will remain hot this year? ASK THE CEO is a continuing series in which we ask important-to-the-region questions of corporate leaders. John Frank Colliers International Inc. I...

Hold your nose and get ready for 2000 'issue ads'.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Brace yourself: The 2000 election campaigns promise to be the most expensive ever and some of the dirtiest in memory. Thanks to the growing phenomenon of so-called "issue ads," voters will know less than ever about who is writing the...

Apps on tap' let you do your work on Web.(application service provider)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... This year holds much promise for growth in the technology sector. And if 1999 was any indication, the Web will also become the place where you go to get work done, thanks to a new type of company making its presence known -- the ASP, or...

Engine needed for tech growth.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Courier's "Report Card for UC" (Jan. 28), showed Cincinnati's largest college to be a laggard among schools that are "engines for growth" in their communities. Despite the University of Cincinnati's well-publicized success in...

Bald fellows yearn for bad hair days.
February 4, 2000... Out of the blue, a light bulb. Something that finally explains and justifies my mediocre existence. It all makes sense now. I'd be much, much -- much -- happier, richer, more successful, popular and of course, taller, if only I had hair....

Consultant can help owner keep plates spinning.(discusses family business consultants)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Remember the guy from the old Ed Sullivan Show who could spin several plates on top of sticks at the same lime without letting any of them drop? One by one, he would get them all spinning and then keep every plate spinning, for if just one came...

Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems.(General Motors Corp. stock)
February 4, 2000... For investors who are leery of the Internet and find the, tech stocks like Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems too rich, the evolving General Motors Corp. looks interesting. From a 12-month low of $59, GM has risen to $83. A recent analysis in...

Procter & Gamble.(discusses the proposed merger with Warner Lambert and American Home Products)
February 4, 2000... Although it would have been expensive and dilutive to earnings, Procter & Gamble's growth rate would have received a major boost had it succeeded in merging with Warner Lambert and American Home Products. But Wall Street, getting a whiff,...

Robert Brown.(wins 2000 Charles P. Taft Civic Gumption Award)
February 4, 2000... Robert Brown, Cincinnati, is the recipient of the 2000 Charles P. Taft Civic Gumption Award which will be presented on Feb. 7 during a program at the Verdin Bell & Clock Museum.

Carol Culbertson.(receives accredited buyer representation designation)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Carol Culbertson of Sibcy Cline Realtors been awarded the accredited buyer representation designation by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors. Diane Tafuri also with Sibcy, has been named the 1999 Top...

Southwestern Ohio Steel Inc.(receives Gold Supplier Award)
February 4, 2000... Southwestern Ohio Steel Inc. has announced that is received the Gold Supplier Award from the Johnson Controls Inc. for outstanding service in 1999.

Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau has selected Hinton & Grusich of Chicago as its satellite sales office, representing Northern Kentucky to Chicago-based convention and meeting planners.

Curtis Inc.(buys Film House)
February 4, 2000... Curtis Inc. has announced that it has purchased the Film House, a film and video production company based in Cincinnati.

Butler looks to sell properties.
February 11, 2000... RiverCenter, others part of market offering Developer Bill Butler, the man behind Covington's RiverCenter, is putting his entire local office and industrial portfolio on the market. Butler's Corporex Cos. recently hired Jones Lang...

UC docs want new operating rooms.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... DESPITE A MONEY CRUNCH, the Medical Center may spend $20 million to meet demand. It's hard to believe anyone would say no to Dr. Josef Fischer. But even the high-powered chairman of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Department...

Western-Southern creates big venture fund.
February 11, 2000... Fund has $145 million; will concentrate on tech Western-Southern Enterprise has committed $145 million to create one of the TriState's biggest pools of venture money. The private equity "fund of funds" is focused on technology and is...

Oldenberg's shareholders can't cash in.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Shareholders who invested in Oldenberg Brewing Co.'s initial public offering in 1996 would lose their entire investment under a bankruptcy reorganization plan being prepared by the company. "We expect by the first week of March to file a...

Jack Wyant.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... When Jack Wyant started Blue Chip Venture Co. in 1990, it took him two years to raise $44 million. Now, he's raised nearly five times as much in half the time. Wyant said he will close his Blue Chip III venture fund at $200 million this...

UC to spend more on 'select' doctoral programs.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Regents want focus on national recognition The University of Cincinnati plans to boost spending on its best doctoral programs by shifting up to $4.8 million a year in state subsidy away from less-effective programs. "We hope that this...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction Notice)
February 11, 2000... The Courier corrects all errors. Call Editor Rob Daumeyer, 621-6665.

Gateway Fund reaches $1B.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Steady growth hedge against wild market Cincinnati has its first $1 billion mutual fund. The Gateway Fund, managed by Milford-based Gateway Investment Advisers LP, topped the $1 billion mark early this month, helped by both a wild...