Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from January 2000

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from January 2000

Law firm debuts Web site.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... The Covington-based law firm of Arnzen, Perry & Wentz PSC has launched a new Web site. The firm's site, www.apwlaw.com, features a class-action section that provides access to updated case information on current and prior class-action lawsuits...

Reds stadium price up $45M.
January 7, 2000... Total rising twice as fast as inflation rate Although ifs not in writing yet, the Cincinnati Reds and Hamilton County have come to terms on a major financial element in the team's lease for a new stadium. Project Manager Dan Streyle...

Hail THE GENERALS' GENERALS.
January 7, 2000... As THE PACE OF CHANGE accelerates, CEOs need to build leadership teams to succeed. Stephen Robertson has become intimately familiar with a challenge faced at many companies today -- leading employees through rapid change. Robertson is...

Fate of pedestrian platforms up in the air.
January 7, 2000... Time, money running short to install supports Akey element of The Banks riverfront development plan is in jeopardy, as city and county leaders scramble to find funding for a series of platforms over Fort Washington Way. This, after an...

Nordstrom deal near says developer.
January 7, 2000... The long-sought deal to bring a Nordstrom department store to downtown Cincinnati is close to becoming a reality, said the developer trying to lure the upscale retailer to the Tri-State. "Although Eagle has not completed the deal, they have...

Courier plans move to former Shillito's site.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... Towne hopes to sign more office tenants The Business Courier will be the first office tenant to occupy the former Shillito's department store building at Seventh and Race streets, filling a downtown retail space that has been vacant since...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
January 7, 2000... SAI National incorrectly announced it was changing its name to American United Marketing, which was subsequently reported in the Dec. 17 issue. The two companies continue to have separate names. The Courier corrects all errors. Call Editor...

Insurer adds mutual funds.
January 7, 2000... Union Central gears up for fierce competition Executives at Union Central Life Insurance Co. have given the nod for the company s money management arm, Carillon Fund Inc., to setup 12 new mutual funds. Union Central management has been...

Federated online: high traffic, low profits.
January 7, 2000... THE HOLIDAY SEASON WAS A MIXED blessing for e-retailers as they struggled with high demand and problems with fulfillment. While online sales increased dramatically this holiday season, there were few profits to be had for most Cincinnati...

Taft reflects on rookie year at Ohio Statehouse.(Interview)
January 7, 2000... Governor fought battles over tobacco settlement, schools Gov. Bob Taft, who turns 58 on Jan. 8, can look back on his 57th year with a smile Whether it was passage of Taft's pet OhioReads program, an extension of the state's Enterprise...

River Cities adds to stake in tech firm.(River Cities Capital Fund; Technology Builders Inc.)
January 7, 2000... River Cities Capital Fund, the downtown venture capital firm, has taken part in a follow-up offering for an Atlanta technology company in which it had previously invested. River Cities, which is run by corporate advisory firm Mayfield &...

Iams will expand pet food availability.
January 7, 2000... The Iams Co., which was acquired by Procter & Gamble this past September; plans to expand the availability of its Jams dog and cat foods in North America The expansion will focus on grocery stores, mass merchandisers and club stores where P&G...

Credit Suisse rates Broadwing a 'Buy'.
January 7, 2000... Credit Suisse First Boston initiated coverage for a number of U.S. telecommunications companies Jan. 5, including Broadwing Inc. It gave Broadwing a "Buy" rating with a 12- to 18-month price target of $46. Broadwing closed at $33.94 on the New...

Federal tax change may hurt small firms.
January 7, 2000... Sellers of business assets must pay up front A new tax law will make it harder for small business owners to cash in on their life's work by selling their enterprises. At the end of its 1999 session, Congress paid for part of the...

North Side Bank takes on West Side flavor.
January 7, 2000... Bank chooses Delhi for fifth branch office North Side Bank & Trust Co. is expanding into Cincinnati's West Side, seeking to capitalize on consumers' merger-induced aversion to big banks. On Feb. 1, North Side, the city's No. 11 bank,...

Computer reseller mulls local outlet.
January 7, 2000... A Columbus-based company that cleans used corporate Computers and resells them via the Internet is considering Cincinnati as one of the sites for a new regional warehouse and retail sales model. Retro Box Inc. is a computer-asset management...

Ready or not, small businesses escape Y2K glitch.
January 7, 2000... Most of the estimated 1.5 million small businesses that didn't prepare for the Year 2000 problem apparently dodged the bullet. On Jan. 3, the first business day of the new year, there weren't any panicked calls to either the Small Business...

Nonprofits: 'You can send that stockpiled food to us'.
January 7, 2000... The nation's nonprofit community was quick to suggest a new use for the canned and packaged food that many citizens stockpiled in anticipation of a millennium meltdown: give it to food banks to help feed the 31 million people that go hungry in...

Mexican consumers value social causes, survey says.
January 7, 2000... American companies doing business in Mexico should consider forming partnerships with nonprofit organizations, concludes a Mexican consumer survey. The survey, conducted by researchers at Mexico's largest private university, found that 68...

Health care tax credit gets Clinton's endorsement.
January 7, 2000... Congressional Republicans welcomed President Clinton's endorsement of giving tax credits to families who purchase health care on their own instead of through their employers. "Now that the president is on board, there's no reason we can't...

Drug makers selling low overseas may get tax hit.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., plans to introduce legislation that would deny tax credits to pharmaceutical companies that sell drugs for a lower price in other developed countries than they do in the United States. "It is totally unfair for...

More mergers to whittle bank population in '00.
January 7, 2000... What can we expect to see happen in the Tri-State banking arena in 2000? * No-brainers first: more merger and acquisition activity. No fewer than seven public savings and loans announced or completed deals in which they were acquired this...

Smaller banks get nod in Treasury fund auction.
January 7, 2000... Two of the Tri-State's smaller financial institutions got a piece of the December Ohio Treasury funds auction pie held a month ago. Some big-name players did not. Spring Valley Bank and Columbia Savings Bank both garnered $500,000 in...

Local stocks turn in lukewarm '99 performance.
January 7, 2000... For the second year in a row, investors in local stocks had little to cheer about. In 1999, just 17 of the 58 local publicly traded companies managed to give investors a positive return. Of the 17 stocks that rose, five beat all three...

New product tracks mileage for business traveL.
January 7, 2000... For sales professionals and other people who frequently use their personal vehicles for business travel, a new local company is offering a product that promises to accurately record all your company-paid miles. Together with University of...

'Hands-free' cell phone touted as safety feature.
January 7, 2000... As the cost of air time keeps dropping and long-term packages are no longer a requirement, the wireless phone industry continues to roll out phones with a dizzying array of new features. One feature I recently tested was voice-activated,...

Timko leaves L.A. software firm for Giage Ltd. job.
January 7, 2000... Giage Ltd., .a downtown-based software development company, has added Terry Timko, co-founder of Los Angeles-based Cinebase Software Inc., as the company's new director of business development. Timko will oversee Giage's partnership...

Synchrony to move downtown.
January 7, 2000... Blue Ash is losing one of its up-and-coming technology firms to downtown Cincinnati. Synchrony Communications Inc., a software company that recently landed $11 million in venture capital financing, has signed a lease for 25,000 square feet...

Commodity prices up locally.
January 7, 2000... Business trends locally have moderated for the fourth straight month, according to the Report on Business for Greater Cincinnati. New and backlogged orders showed a decrease, while production and employment showed slight increases. Commodity...

City tops in enterprise zones.
January 7, 2000... The city of Cincinnati ranks first in Ohio for enterprise zone project agreements, according to the Ohio Department of Economic Development. During 1999, the city approved and executed 26 projects worth $106 million in new private investment,...

Convergys renames Wiztec.
January 7, 2000... Convergys Corp. announced its acquisition of the remaining shares of Wiztec Solutions Ltd. of Israel. Wiztec has been renamed Convergys Solutions Ltd. Convergys began its relationship with Wiztec in 1997 and increased its ownership through two...

Federated to redo Atlanta Macy's.
January 7, 2000... Federated Department Stores Inc. announced a multimillion-dollar renovation of its downtown Atlanta Macy's store, ending speculation about the fate of Atlanta's only downtown store. In a deal with Taconic Investment Partners and Benenson...

LAND VISIONARY.
January 7, 2000... Landscape architect Gary Meisner plays a role in some of the Tri-State's most unique projects. Gary Meisner isn't a mind reader, but in his line of work he finds himself getting into a lot of people's heads. Meisner is a landscape...

A.F. Kelly carves out role in tech consulting field.
January 7, 2000... IPO a possibility for Florence-based firm Rapid growth is the name of the game at Florence-based A.F. Kelly & Associates as the technology consulting company plans to more than double its revenue to $27 million in 2000. "We have now...

New year time to put your heart into your goals.
January 7, 2000... 'Same old thing' not good enough in 2000 It was a beautiful Christmas morning and I was drinking a cup of flavored coffee while reading the newspaper. I figured I'd better get some quiet time before the chaos of the holidays kicked in. ...

Commercial Realtors honored as "Top Producers" in 1999.
January 7, 2000... This special edition of the Cincinnati Business Courier honors members of the 1999 Commercial Top Producers Club of the Commercial Real Estate Council of Greater Cincinnati. The Commercial Top Producers Club recognizes the outstanding...

1999 COMMERCIAL TOP PRODUCERS CLUB.
January 7, 2000... Top Producers Club Distinguished Awards Seventy-five members of the Commercial Council of Greater Cincinnati were presented Top Producers Club awards on Jan. 6 at the Westin Hotel. To qualify, a recipient had to produce a minimum of...

Bengals example of how good companies go bad.
January 7, 2000... President should set vision for managers It's the end of another long football season in Cincinnati. Fans are cynical, players are frustrated and coaches are hopeless. In past years, the players and coaches would bear the brunt of the...

Get good mileage from long-term agreements KEVIN FRYE.
January 7, 2000... Discuss future issues with vendor up front Have you ever been hesitant to sign a long-term agreement with a vendor because you were afraid of what might happen in the future? What if new technology makes the product or service you are...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
January 7, 2000... ACCOUNTING Jeffrey Perry has joined Barnes, Dennig & Co. Ltd. as senior consultant Jill Mason was hired as marketing director at Jackson, Rolfes, Spurgeon & Co. ADVERTISING/MARKETING Strata-G Communications has hired Liesa...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2000... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

Exchange traded unit trusts offer index fund alternative.
January 7, 2000... Since the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) introduced the first exchange traded fund, or ETF, in 1993, investors have benefited from the ability to combine the cost efficiencies, professional management, and diversification associated with mutual...

STOCK STATS.
January 7, 2000... STOCK STATS Exchange/ Year- Week- 52- 52- Ticker Close to-date ago net P/E week week Name of security symbol 12/31/99...

'Intangible' investments help explain high P/Es.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2000... Almost everyone agrees that the revolution in information technology has probably played some part in the extraordinary valuations that stocks have reached this decade. But figuring out how big a part has proved elusive. Now, some researchers...

S&L STOCKS.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... S&L STOCKS Month 52- 52- Indicated Ticker Close ago net week week dividend Name symbol 12/27/99 chg. high low ...

MONEY MARKETS.(seven day average yield)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... MONEY MARKETS 7-day average Fund yield Countrywide Institutional Government 5.22 Countrywide Ohio Tax-Free Money ...

MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS.(top 20 funds)
January 7, 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.(financial institutions)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... EARNINGS (Dollars in millions except per share data; revenues for financial instutions are net interest income plus other income) Current Yr. % Yr. Yr. %...

INSIDER TRADING.(transactions)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... INSIDER TRADING (Shares indicate common shares except as noted) Company/Officer Transaction Amount Price Date AK Steel Holding Corp. James Thomson, ...

INSIDER TRADING RECAP.(in past 6 months)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2000... INSIDER TRADING RECAP (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company Buy Option Sell Am. Annuity 2 4 1 Am. Financial 5 4 4 Ak Steel 6 3 16...

DIVIDENDS.(increases)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) Payable Record Cincinnati Financial Corp. 17 cents quarterly No Jan. 14...

Acquisitions give LSI lasting performance boost.(LSI Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2000... Revenue growth in double digits Robert Ready, president and CEO of LSI Industries Inc., isn't shy about boasting of the financial status of his firm. "The company is stronger than ever," Ready said. "We believe that this strength is...

THE NUMBERS.(LSI Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2000... THE NUMBERS VITAL STATISTICS (Dollars in millions except per share data and ratio figures) Net Earnings Book value Return on Return on Year ...

Peel back layers to get to heart of your e-business.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... It is nearly impossible to look anywhere these days and not be bombarded by some cryptic message about e-business. It feels like everyone is speaking in some magic language that we somehow missed, an allegory whose symbolism somehow escapes us....

REDEFINING THE WAY WE WORK.
January 7, 2000... Tight job market is causing employers to look at new concept of 'office work' As the work force shifts toward a more technological base, many employees are choosing telecommuting as a work option. Some area businesses are finding that...

Technology lets travelers put e-mail in hand.
January 7, 2000... Pager lets user receive, forward, send messages Guess what? The next big thing in mobile telecommunications technology is, once again, quite small. But it packs a huge punch in efficiency. It's a two-way pager, which is more of a giant...

Dentists sue over glitches in software.
January 7, 2000... Two Texas dentists are leading a national $110 million class-action lawsuit against a dental equipment giant and two other companies. A judge recently granted class-action status to the suit, which now includes 20,000 dentists around the...

Creating new markets for existing products.
January 7, 2000... Staying on top means examining customers The Internet is the "great competitive equalizer," placing downward pressure on prices, making all products commodities. Right? Wrong! Regardless of the delivery method, one basic rule of...

Luxury gizmos make cars more fun, safer.
January 7, 2000... New autos understand speech, detect objects The relationship between modern technology and the automobile is a solid marriage. Car manufacturers -- particularly Cadillac, Lexus and the European brands -- seem to have an unquenchable...

Does your policy cover your online activities?
January 7, 2000... Insuring against Internet risks a wise move Companies large and small are becoming increasingly aware of the commercial market accessible via the Internet. Heartened by estimates that consumers will spend $150 billion to $600 billion...

Internet kiosks keep travelers connected.
January 7, 2000... Free Web service being offered at some airports Keeping travelers connected to the Internet was Denver International Airport's No. 1 consumer issue, and now a Denver-based company Get2Net, has created a free solution that sends those...

Group offers virtual museum trip.
January 7, 2000... The Education & Technology division of WCET public television has formed a partnership with the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Association for the Advancement of Arts Education. The effort is designed to emphasize the importance of art and...

SCH wins product award.
January 7, 2000... Cincinnati-based SCH Technologies won the 1999 Outstanding Product Award from Performance Computing Magazine. The award recognized the company's collaboration with Colorado-based Storage Technology Corp. to create a storage solution for large...

Cincom offers service products.
January 7, 2000... Cincom Encompass, part of locally based software giant Cincom Systems Inc., introduced a new line of products early in December at the CTI Expo in Las Vegas. The new Web and unified messaging technologies enable businesses to offer online...

WebFeat adds Flash courses.
January 7, 2000... WebFeat Inc., a Web development firm based in Fairfax, is now a certified training center for Macromedia's graphics and animation program Flash. Flash is used to create small navigation interfaces, technical illustrations, longer animations and...

Online claim reporting offered.
January 7, 2000... American Modern Insurance Group, an Amelia-based subsidiary of the Midland Co., recently launched a new Web site that allows customers to report claims online at www.amig.com.

New office climate defines design trends.
January 7, 2000... Teamwork, virtual offices are changing how offices use space In the world of office environments, Cincinnati companies are going trendy -- at least, some of them are. "When it comes to the working environment, what you do is more...

Interior design brings homey touch to office.
January 7, 2000... Practicality, expense still considered a factor Putting a building up in a new location takes more than just finding the spot and constructing it. Today's designers face the challenge of integrating a facility into the landscape,...

Architect, engineer: line becoming blurry.
January 7, 2000... Blended responsibilities a result of 'fast-tracking' While architects dream it and contractors build it, engineers must make sure it's all going to work. The construction industry's division of labor has not changed much, but the speed...

Ever-changing businesses demand flexible space.
January 7, 2000... Savvy tenants want room for growth, tech systems Real estate comes in various shapes, sizes and definitions. In its simplest of forms, it is like a stock on the market to be bought and sold with the times. To stay ahead, it is...

Colliers team sees healthy 2000.
January 7, 2000... Occupancy to rise in downtown, suburbs At year-end 1998, we predicted that AT&T would vacate a significant amount of space in the Atrium II building and would significantly affect both lease rates and absorption for the year. This in fact...

Largest Tri-State 1999 Hosted Conventions.
January 7, 2000... Largest Tri-State 1999 Hosted Conventions (Ranked by number of attendees) Name Number of Economic address attendees ...

Largest Tri-State 2000 Planned Conventions.
January 7, 2000... Largest Tri-State 2000 Planned Conventions (Ranked by estimated number of attendees) Name Estimated number address of attendees...

ASK THE CEO.
January 7, 2000... THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Should cities be able to tax non-residents who work in the city? ASK THE CEO is a continuing series in which we ask important-to-the-region questions of corporate leaders. Sharron DiMario Employer Health Care...

Local leaders' divergent views discouraging.(editorials, opinion of commuter taxes)(Editorial)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... Editor: I have never been so worried about the future of Cincinnati as I was after reading your Forecast 2000 Roundtable article (Nov. 26). It was so indicative that each participant discussed totally divergent concerns. Politics,...

Small business in Ohio has governor's ear.(summit attended by Bob Taft, Columbus, Ohio)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... Capitol Square in Columbus recently provided the backdrop for Ohio's small business leaders who formed the state's first Governor's Small Business Summit. The summit provided a forum for over 300 small businesses to unite and build a foundation...

Keep sales tax off Net for now.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... If you're still waiting for your Christmas presents to be delivered, you've learned something about holiday shopping on the Internet. To wit Some e-commerce companies toddled forth and met the challenge, while others got stuck in the...

Lack of controls opens door for fraud.(how to avoid fraud)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2000... When you watched "It's a Wonderful Life" this past holiday season, you shouldn't have blamed the bank examiner for assuming George Bailey embezzled $8,000. The circumstances surrounding Uncle Billy "losing" the daily deposit had all the...

Lindner reduces stake in American Financial.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2000... Financier places 4M shares in family trust A month after stepping down from his CEO post at American Annuity Group Inc., Carl Lindner has made a major estate-planning move that greatly reduces his personal stake in American Financial Group...

CORRECTIONS.
January 14, 2000... The stock performance chart in the Jan. 7 issue misrepresented the adjusted 1998 closing price of Broadwing Inc. by not including the spinoff of Convergys Corp. Adjusted, Broadwing would have finished third among local companies with a total...

More housing tap for Race.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2000... Western-Southern plan would force relocations The developer trying to lure Nordstrom to downtown's Fifth and Race corner also wants to build a major housing enclave a block north. Eagle Properties, a development subsidiary of...

Auditor may nix bonds for Reds' ballpark.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2000... Concerned about rising costs for Cincinnati Reds' new riverfront ballpark, Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes warns he may refuse to sign off on bonds the project. "It's very possible that the money's not there," said Rhodes, whose...

CEO Burleigh : Newspapers sell heart of Scripps.
January 14, 2000... ALTHOUGH FAST GROWTH IS COMING FROM OTHER areas, the local media company remains committed to its core businesses, says its chief. In September, 64-year-old William Burleigh will step down as president and CEO of E.W. Scripps Co. The move...

HCBC is Tri-State's hidden technology hotbed.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2000... Business center bursting With Internet start-ups Tucked away in Norwood, tar from the hoopla surrounding Over-the-Rhine's new "Digital Rhine" high-tech area, the Hamilton County Development Co. Inc.'s business incubator is quietly...