Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from July 2000

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from July 2000

FW Way fight could cost $15M.
July 7, 2000... Contractor says delays were caused by city A dispute between the city of Cincinnati and one of its largest Fort Washington Way contractors could leave taxpayers on the hook for $15 million. Maumee-based S.E. Johnson Companies Inc.,...

Squeeze play working for Kroger.
July 7, 2000... THE NATION'S LARGEST GROCER is successfully packing more non food items onto its shelves. Ever since last year's merger with Portland, Ore.-based Fred Meyer Stores, Kroger Co. officials have been thinking out of the box, trying to cram...

Stadium naming rights build brand identity.
July 7, 2000... John Rof[acute{e}] Great American move follows national trend Marketers harp constantly about how important it is for companies to build identities for their brands. It is that obsession with brand-building that explains the dominance...

Bedinghaus not sure thing for county GOP.
July 7, 2000... Are local Republicans trying to force out Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus? Sources say some Republicans are worried the public's frustration with the stadium projects--and Bedinghaus -- may be stronger than previously thought....

Jay Stewart.
July 7, 2000... Monroe officials are hoping Santa brings them Kohl's for Christmas. They are trying to convince the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based department store chain to site a 475,000 square-foot distribution facility at Monroe Commerce Center on Ohio...

Bob Luby.
July 7, 2000... If we're going to spend $2 billion on a new front porch, what's another $2 million for a couple of new front doors? Managers of two downtown office buildings say the city's riverfront retooling will require $2.3 million in improvements to...

P&G sells Oxydol brand to former executives.
July 7, 2000... Procter to retain stage in its oldest detergent Procter & Gamble Co. has sold one of its oldest core brands, laundry detergent Oxydol, to two former employees. West Chester residents Todd Wichmann, 30, and Richard Owen, 31, who until...

CORRECTIONS.
July 7, 2000... In the column, "Small businesses can get help with exporting" in the June 30 issue, the second sentence of the first paragraph should have read: "Since 96 percent of domestic exporting companies are small businesses, yet only 1 percent of U.S....

New venture fund in works.
July 7, 2000... $250M 'fund of funds' set to roll out in the fall Fort Washington Investment Advisors could soon have the Tri-State's largest pool of venture capital should it proceed with plans for a new private equity fund that could reach $250 million....

K&W finding Union Centre a good bet.
July 7, 2000... LEASE SIGNINGS HAVE BEEN RUNNING a year ahead of schedule for the seasoned developer's $11 million Union Centre Commerce Park. One of Greater Cincinnati's oldest developers is keen on one of the Tri-State's newest commercial hotspots, the...

Burlington planning Western Hills superstore.
July 7, 2000... New outlet to occupy former Gold Circle site, now vacant Burlington Goat Factory plans to enter the Western Hills market with a new store at the old Gold Circle Mall. Al Unger, district manager with the New Jersey-based retailer,...

LightTouch registers stock.
July 7, 2000... Florence-based LightTouch Vein and laser Inc. registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell up to $1 million in shares of the company. Of that $1 million, the company has sold $153,000 worth of stock to three investors. CEO...

Cinergy acquires Convergent stake.
July 7, 2000... Cinergy Corp. has paid $10 million for an equity stake in Convergent Group, which is developing software for the online buying and selling of energy. The two Cincinnati based companies also formed a strategic alliance aimed at improving...

Anderson plans shopping center.
July 7, 2000... Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate Inc. plans to build a $20 million, 150,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Biggs supermarket on a 25-acre West Chester Township site at Union Centre Boulevard and Ohio Route 747. The Cincinnati-based...

Oak Hills Carton moving to larger facility, adding jobs.
July 7, 2000... Carthage-based Oak Hills Carton Co. is relocating from its 24,000-square-foot facility to a new $1.5 million, 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Ridgewood Industrial Park in Carthage. The folding box and air filter frames...

Synchrony Communications lands marketing deal.
July 7, 2000... Keane Inc. has signed a deal with downtown-based Synchrony Communications Inc. to market Synchrony's eCRM product to customers across North America and the United Kingdom. Boston-based Keane is a $1 billion information technology consulting...

Fifth Third to provide credit card services for state.
July 7, 2000... The state of Ohio has picked Fifth Third Bank to provide credit card services for several state agencies. The departments that will start accepting credit cards for payment include the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, the...

Genetic milestone may stir controversy.
July 7, 2000... Ohio's privacy law doesn't address genetic code Statehouse lawmakers say Ohio will be forced to revisit workplace discrimination and medical privacy issues in the wake of the breakthrough revelation that scientists have cracked the genetic...

Union Centre gains Atlanta-based tenant.
July 7, 2000... IDG to make West Chester its Midwest HQ An Atlanta-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial products and services has created a new Midwest headquarters in Butler County. Innovative Distributor Group Inc. recently signed a 10-year...

Commercial Space Online to provide listings for CRE.
July 7, 2000... Company Web site offers free listing, search options Commercial Space Online has contracted with the Courier to provide commercial and industrial listings for the quarterly CRE guide. Kevin Schutte, who runs the Cincinnati office for...

NS Group leads local stocks in first half.
July 7, 2000... Other standouts were LanVision, Convergys Investors of NS Group Inc. are crossing their fingers that this won't be deja vu all over again. Shares of the Newport maker of steel products for the oil industry were the best performers in...

Small banks' success is sign of strong economy.
July 7, 2000... Something funny happened on the way to an economic slowdown: The profitability of small banks improved markedly. During the first three months of the year, the combined return on assets for the 35 TriState banks and thrifts under $100...

It's back to school for Student Loan Funding.
July 7, 2000... As they prepare for life under the umbrella of SLM Holding Corp., better known as Sallie Mae, executives at Student Loan Funding Resources Inc. say it's business as usual for now. Mostly, that means the company will spend most of the...

Web site will be means, not end, for Clippard.
July 7, 2000... The new economy pundits, predicting the end of supply chains and distribution channels, may want to visit a small, but bustling manufacturing company in Colerain Township. That's where they'd find Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc., a...

Manufacturing sector shows signs of slowdown.
July 7, 2000... The long-expected economic slowdown within the manufacturing sector may be on its way. In June, major indexes either dropped or stayed flat. Employment levels took the hardest hit, dropping nationwide an estimated 20,000 in June, the...

United's Hoverman promoted to Florida region.
July 7, 2000... Ken Hoverman, CEO of United Healthcare in Cincinnati and Dayton, is leaving the local managed care market to take on a new, bigger job with United in Florida. "I have a wonderful opportunity," Hoverman said. "They are looking for major...

Group Health to spend $12M on records system.
July 7, 2000... Group Health Associates is investing $12 million in an electronic medical record system designed to eliminate the group's cumbersome and costly paper system. "It is an investment for the future," said Group Health Administrator and Vice...

Physician union bill passes U.S. House.
July 7, 2000... Independent physicians are one step closer to gaining the right to collectively bargain with insurance companies over fees and other contractual issues. The move came June 30 when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill designed to...

Great American to name ball park.
July 7, 2000... Great American Insurance Co. will pay the Cincinnati Reds almost $75 million over 30 years to name the team's new riverfront ballpark when it opens in 2003, sources close to the negotiations said. Like the Reds, Great American is controlled...

Humana to end Medicare products.
July 7, 2000... Humana Inc. will no longer offer its Medicare HMO products in the Tri-State next year. The announcement came a day after Aetna U.S. Healthcare announced a similar move. Humana officials blamed the decision on federal government cutbacks in...

Fine Arts Fund awards grants.
July 7, 2000... The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Art Museum came out on top in the annual distribution of the Fine Arts Fund, receiving $2.6 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The unrestricted endowments are made each year to members and...

AFG gives earnings warning.
July 7, 2000... American Financial Group Inc. warned investors that its second-quarter earnings from insurance businesses are expected to be 20 cents to 25 cents below this year's first-quarter results of 65 cents per share. The drop was attributed to higher...

Delta changes fiscal year.
July 7, 2000... Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which operates its second largest hub in Cincinnati, is changing its fiscal year end from June 30 to Dec. 31. The change will be effective for the year ending Dec. 31, 2000. Delta CFO Ed West said the move will...

Federated sales up slightly in June.
July 7, 2000... Federated Department Stores is expected to show comparable store sales to increase half a percent in June, according to a report by the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. The same report, which is based on a composite of 87 retailers, anticipates...

BICCGeneral makes acquisition.
July 7, 2000... Highland Heights-based BICCGeneral, the former General Cable Corp., will acquire two cable manufacturing subsidiaries of Mexican conglomerate AXA S.A. A formal agreement between the parties will be negotiated this quarter. The two units, Telmag...

Made for you.
July 7, 2000... Custom clothier turns to technology to boost efficiency -- and profits. When Annette Wallander started her custom clothing business, she wanted to create a place for women looking for an alternative to impersonal department store racks....

Belcan's Anderson too busy for retirement talk.
July 7, 2000... Engineering firm hit $400M in revenues Ralph Anderson, the 77-year-old founder of the Blue Ash engineering firm, Belcan Corp., plans to retire at age 120. "See, I have a lot of fun, you know. That's what life is all about," said...

A good leader lets team know they're respected.
July 7, 2000... Managers dishonor staff in subtle ways When was the last time you showed your team respect? I mean deep, "I-care-about-you and-who-you-are" respect. OK, I know your first reaction was, "Jen, I always show my team respect." I'm not sure...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
July 7, 2000... ACCOUNTING Niclas Stridsberg has been hired as a staff accountant at Jackson, Rolfes, Spurgeon & Co. CoActive Marketing Group has hired the following: Amanda McMonigle and Christina Wald, senior designers; Kathy O'Hara, quality control...

Spending needs important when planning for retirement.
July 7, 2000... Depending on risk tolerance, 5 percent good starting point As baby boomers progress towards retirement, retirement spending becomes a critical issue. Next year, the first wave of baby boomers will be 55 years old. Many will be considering...

Fed's inflation hawks still wield influence.
July 7, 2000... Though there have been signs recently that the economy is easing, the Federal Reserve's policy-making committee remains unconvinced that the slowdown is real. The group's June 28 decision to leave interest rates unchanged and the accompanying...

Laffer Curve.
July 7, 2000... President Reagan implemented a series of deep tax cuts in the early days of his administration in 1981 in the hopes that the ill-fated Laffer Curve would bring about a new era of prosperity for America Economist Arthur Laffer attempted to...

Wall Street Journal.
July 7, 2000... The technological revolution that has brought America so much prosperity has also initiated significant social changes whose impact are currently coming under scrutiny. Some of these questions are addressed in a new book called "A Wealth of...

Intrenet working to offset fast-rising fuel prices.
July 7, 2000... Trucker buys 225 fuel-saving tractors John Chandler said his company is on the front line of rising fuel costs. "The costs hit us immediately," said Chandler, 56, CEO of the Milford-based trucking company Intrenet Inc., which has one...

Internal fences corral e-business opportunities.
July 7, 2000... Quickly, think of the functional departments in your business and jot them down. Did your list include such functions as manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, customer service, R & D, technical support, shipping, receiving and the...

CELL PHONES GET POWERED UP.
July 7, 2000... Web-enabled wireless technology will make common activities a snap New in town and don't know your way around? Let your cell phone direct you. New technology is paving the way for the cell phone to become more than just a communication...

LabBook maps steps in DNA breakthrough.
July 7, 2000... Company's software unifies genetic databases With the June 26 report that scientists have finished a map of the human genetic code, by decoding the 3 billion chemical letters in human DNA, a host of life science industries have been...

Microsoft managers 'perplexed' with case.
July 7, 2000... Falling stock price may dry up incentive to stay While the rank and file at Microsoft Corp. keep the faith, executives are more than a little shaken by the way the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust suit against the company has played out,...

Alliance aims to snag technology 'pirates'.
July 7, 2000... Group: 25 percent of software being used illegally OK, so you're living life on the edge as the computer geek in your office. You've saved your boss money by running software off the server and copying it to all the PCs in the office....

Start-up brings TV classics to the desktop.
July 7, 2000... LikeTelevision seeks to capitalize on nostalgia A Charlotte, NC.-based start-up has an idea to fill downtime at work: watch old TV shows on a desktop computer. Like Television Inc. has compiled a library of classic TV shows and movies...

New Web site offers online fuel auctions.
July 7, 2000... Chevron Corp. is continuing its Internet and high-tech ventures with the launch of Silicon Valley Oil Co., an online marketplace that aims to capture the $50 billion U.S. diesel and lubricants market. "The site, www.SiliconValleyOil.com,...

Are you free to move with the pace of e-business?
July 7, 2000... Changes in distribution can run into legal snags Hold onto your hat. Business-to-business e-commerce, so-called "B2B," is a strong wind, and those businesses which underestimate its potential to turn everything upside down may get blown...

Cincinnati employers face IT retention crunch.
July 7, 2000... Without change in culture, workers may move on The continuous morphing of the "love Bug" virus isn't the only high-tech "illness" facing employers in 2000. The Midwest will struggle to fill more than 500,000 of the 1.5 million newly...

Study: Web polls valid research tool.
July 7, 2000... The Internet is a valid alternative to the telephone in conducting market research and surveys according to a study by Cincinnati-based Burke Interactive. People complete Web surveys faster and are more willing to participate in future...

Bell offers plug-in Internet service.
July 7, 2000... Cincinnati Bell Telephone's latest product provides Internet access for hotels, apartment buildings, business complexes and other multitenant facilities. Using the "Suite Advantage," building owners can provide plug-in, high-speed Internet...

PPS to edit high definition movie.
July 7, 2000... PPS Inc., a Cincinnati-based interactive media production company, will edit a full-length feature film slated for release in theaters next year. The movie, "The Greatest Adventure of My life," which tells the story of a young Civil War hero,...

Firm launches three local sites.
July 7, 2000... WWW Internet Solutions Inc. is providing Web hosting and design services that are helping small businesses develop an online presence. The Cincinnati-based company recently announced three new Web sites: * Diabolical Kitten Publishing,...

Messaging service cost lowered.
July 7, 2000... Cincinnati Bell Wireless dropped the cost of its text messaging service by more than 60 percent, from $9.99 to $3.99 per month. The service allows users to receive up to 300 e-mails and other text messages per month on their wireless mobile...

Synchrony inks referral agreement.
July 7, 2000... Synchrony Communications, a technology firm based in Cincinnati, has signed a referral agreement to co-market and promote products with the Mansfield, Mass.-based software manufacturer eMation. The referral agreement will allow the two firms to...

Convergys signs OmniSky.
July 7, 2000... Cincinnati-based Convergys Corp. has signed a 3-year contract with Palo Alto, Calif.-based OmniSky Corp., a provider of complete wireless Internet services for handheld devices. Convergys will provide end-to-end billing and customer management...

TECH GROWTH ESTIMATES LOWERED.
July 7, 2000... Responding to a more uncertain outlook on the future, 374 high-tech leaders surveyed have adjusted their revenue growth targets downward slightly. The CEOs are now expecting growth of 24.8 percent, down from 26.5 percent last quarter.

Energy conservation tactics reap benefits.
July 7, 2000... Initial costs may be high, but results worth it Most people walk under dozens of small, rectangular "EXIT" signs every day, without giving them a thought -- the signs with illuminated red letters found in just about every building except...

Small firms can win big through partnerships.
July 7, 2000... Firms must commit to common goals, ethics "Business partnering" has opened a window of opportunity for a number of Cincinnati's small- and medium-sized architectural and engineering firms. Partnering provides facility design companies...

Landscape architects playing bigger roles.
July 7, 2000... Field does much more than just plant trees Landscape architects are playing more enhanced roles than ever before in today's developments. "A lot of times, people don't think about including them, but they are involved with so much that...

Environmental issues are best caught early.
July 7, 2000... Consultants can weed through regulations There's the architect, of course, and the builder and all the subcontractors, and the leasing agent and the marketing analyst and everyone else on board before construction of an office building or a...

Findlow flees, scores last piece of Loveland park.
July 7, 2000... Perpetual tenant Findlow & Sons Inc. will have (and own) its own home by the end of this year, a $1 million facility that represents the final available site in Loveland Commerce Park. A distributor of industrial filtration products,...

Twin Towers adds $17M expansion in College Hill.
July 7, 2000... The 101-year-old Twin Towers retirement community, a nonprofit group affiliated with the United Methodist Church, recently unveiled a $17 million expansion of its Hamilton Avenue campus. Dubbed the Northern Expansion Program during...

In other news.
July 7, 2000... * Reece-Campbell Inc. of Cumminsville recently was awarded the construction contract for the Lowes Home Improvement store in Highland Heights. The general contractor broke ground on the store in March and will open the 150,000-square-foot...

THIS WEEK'S DEAL.
July 7, 2000... CB's Stinson/Eckert team, along with Piker; score $2M TechneCentre lease Tenant: International TechneGroup Inc., 5300 Dupont Circle, Miami Township, Clermont County Landlord: Teachers Insurance & Annuity, New York, N.Y. Lease: 33...

DEAL OF THE WEEK II.
July 7, 2000... Dwyer, Vollmer's Wiebe/Chickey sell old GM facility for $1.3M Buyer: Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Clifton Seller: Morgan Guaranty, New York, N.Y. Property: 33,000-square-foot former GM Training Center, 10100...

DEAL OF THE WEEK III.
July 7, 2000... NAI Eagle's Prosser lands Fitquest with $1.2M West Chester lease Tenant: Fitquest Fitness, West Chester Landlord: McSwain family of Cincinnati Lease: 13,000 square feet for 12 years, signed as a 7-year sublease with Walgreen's and...

Interlott Technologies Inc.
July 7, 2000... Interlott Technologies Inc. has announced that it was named to the The Plain Dealer 100 in the June 23 issue of Cleveland's largest newspaper.

Talbert House.
July 7, 2000... Talbert House has received the Clifford Skeen Award for its residential community programs for men and women. The award is given annually to select nonresidential and residential community corrections programs and for community justice...

Tony Bright.
July 7, 2000... Tony Bright, senior administrative assistant and communications supervisor for University Air Care and University Mobile Care, has received certification as a certified medical transport executive.

Cincinnati Bell.
July 7, 2000... Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved Cincinnati Bell's request to provide local service into the Mason Exchange (Warren County) area currently served by United Telephone Co. of Ohio doing business as Sprint. Cincinnati Bell is...

Milacron Inc.
July 7, 2000... Milacron Inc. has announced that it has reached an agreement with Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. concerning a lawsuit Milacron had filed charging patent infringement relating to technology that integrates personal computers and machinery...

ASK THE CEO.
July 7, 2000... ASK THE CEO is a continuing series in which we ask important-to-the-region questions of corporate leaders. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Should the Reds fire their manager Jack McKeon? Thomas Humes Jr. Great Traditions Land & Development Co....

Growth coalition off target with complaints.
July 7, 2000... Editor: I am responding to a recent letter from Catherine Hartman of the Smart Growth Coalition (June 2). Her letter was full of inaccuracies about developers and bad ideas for Greater Cincinnati's future. Hartman claims that...

Donations not keeping up with organ demand.
July 7, 2000... During my long career in basketball, I was privileged to play with or against some of the greatest athletes of our time. But for sheer determination, no one can top the athletes I joined June 21-24, for the National Kidney Foundation's biennial...

Louisville likes our 2012 push.
July 7, 2000... Representatives of Cincinnati 2012, a group trying to lure the 2012 Summer Olympics to the Queen City, were in Louisville in early June to elicit the support of local officials. The reaction these folks often get goes along the lines of, "What...

Blame Canada: Mutiny for the bounty.
July 7, 2000... If your job is recruiting and retaining employees, who's your professional role model? If the methods used by Canada's Nortel Networks Corp. catch on, it's likely to be Boba Fett. But even the "Star Wars" galaxy's most efficient...

UNEMPLOYMENT UP SLIGHTLY.
July 7, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

[STOCK STATS].
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MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS.
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