Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from June 1999

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from June 1999

Swinging for the fences: with its talking baseball cards, Telestar Interactive hopes to capture the fancy of collectors.
June 4, 1999... At first it looks like another gimmick; an attempt to cash in on the "collectible" craze. After all, the heroes of the new line of Protalk baseball cards are strictly 1990s. So is the patented "micro-thin voice chip technology" that makes...

New push for Chiquita campaign: kid appeal: banana giant targets ads to 'influential' child set.(Chiquita Brands International)
June 4, 1999... When market research revealed what parents already know - that kids love the blue slickers on Chiquita bananas - it became the focus of the company's first-ever advertising campaign aimed at the younger set. Chiquita Brands International...

Dillard's signs deal to sell old McAlpin's site.(department store chain operator)
June 4, 1999... Dillard's Inc. has thrown a curve ball to those pursuing the redevelopment of the old McAlpin's building on Fourth Street. The downtown landmark is no longer on the market. "We've signed a contract to sell it," said Wes Cherry, vice...

Kroger tests organic, health food section.(supermarket)
June 4, 1999... Supermarket giant Kroger Co. is testing the concept at its Queen City Centre store, with plans to launch it citywide if it succeeds. Kroger Co. has taken its first major step locally to tap into the growing market for natural, organic and...

Fifth Third deal will help business get capital.(Fifth Third Bancorp partners with SPP Capital Partners)
June 4, 1999... National company offers bank's clients financing aid Fifth Third Bancorp has formed a partnership with a national company that will find capital for some of Fifth Third's corporate clients. The bank's deal with New York-based SPP...

Learning by design: Michael McInturf's architecture firm has flourished by melding the classroom and office into one.(Michael McInturf Architects)
June 4, 1999... In the midst of the traditional Eden that is Indian Hill stands tile new addition to Cincinnati Country Day School, a structure quite unlike any other in the area. Conceived by Michael McInturf Architects. the school's roof line does not run in...

PPS one of few to offer high-definition editing: company puts final touches of film, video.(Post Production Services Inc.)
June 4, 1999... Robert Gerding and Jim Bird say the key to succeeding in the post production industry is to find the right balance between technology and talent - and then shake it all up. On that note, Post Production Services Inc., is investing $1...

Union Township office, manufacturing hot spot.(Butler County, OH)
June 4, 1999... Area created 5,000 jobs, $600M in new investment Union Township, which in recent years has become a hot spot for residential development in Butler County, is now catching up in the office and manufacturing sectors as well. The township has...

Mercy plans holistic open-heart facility.(Mercy Health Partners to build surgical clinic in Butler County, OH)
June 4, 1999... Fairfield hospital to have first center in county Butler County should have its first open-heart surgery facility by the summer of 2001 and if Mercy Health Partners' vision bears out, it will offer an entirely different approach to treating...

City will absorb P&G punch.(Procter and Gamble's decision to streamline its operations in Cincinnati, Ohio)
June 11, 1999... Job cuts could provide rich local talent pool If the past is any indication, Procter & Gamble Co.'s decision to cut almost 2,000 local jobs will create scars, but it will also provide an influx of highly trained talent into the local...

Online grocer set to launch service.(Virtual Shop LLC)
June 11, 1999... Reading-based VIRTUAL SHOP plans to begin offering Internet grocery shopping next month. Internet grocery shopping is coming to Cincinnati. A fledgling Reading-based company, Virtual Shop LLC, will start selling meats and vegetables,...

Health insurance costs to climb at faster pace.
June 11, 1999... Even large firms will see double-digit rate hikes The days of small local health insurance premium increases appear to be over for the foreseeable future - even for large employers. For the first time in eight years, large employers...

Orthopedists plan merger.(Wellington Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Inc., Freiberg Orthopedic Group Inc. and Northern Kentucky Orthopedic Associates)
June 11, 1999... 'Super' group includes 3 5 Tri-State physicians Three well-known local orthopedic surgery groups have signed a letter of intent to merge their practices into a new "super" group that will have 35 physicians. Wellington Orthopedic &...

Saks may expand downtown.(Saks Fifth Avenue plans to open a menswear store in Cincinnati, OH)
June 18, 1999... Retailer mulls addition of new menswear store Saks Fifth Avenue may expand its downtown store, perhaps in a separate building that focuses solely on men's clothing and accessories. Cincinnati Economic Development Director Andi Udris...

Sources: GE will move 800 jobs across river.(GE Capital Services to divert 800 jobs from Ohio to Springdale, Arkansas)
June 18, 1999... Deerfield, Springdale lose out to Erlanger site The newest Tri-State-based corporate headquarters, a $30 million facility for GE Capital Services in Erlanger, will siphon at least 800 jobs from Ohio, according to local real estate sources....

Gibson layoffs may be sign.(Gibson Greetings Inc lays off another 55 employees as stocks plummet)
June 18, 1999... Analysts say company could be sold cheaply Gibson Greetings Inc. laid off another 55 employees late last month, adding to the greeting card and party products retailer's woes. Analysts say the layoffs, coupled with losses and a stock...

Accounting firms at strategic crossroads.
June 18, 1999... Smaller accounting firms are faced with the quandary of trying to remain competitive while being forced to be more sophisticated. Don Mellott Sr. is at a crossroads. A partner and patriarch at Mellott & Mellott PLL, he is working to...

Out-of-town banks losing out to locals.(community banks in Cincinnati, Ohio outperform out-of-town counterparts in terms of deposits)
June 18, 1999... Community banks raking in more deposits Continuing a trend of recent years, four of the largest out-of-town banks lost more ground to Cincinnati institutions in the fight for deposits last year. Most notably, PNC Bank's local deposits...

Building a bridge.(Bridge Integrated Communications Inc benefits from a harmonious blend of advertising efficiency and Internet-based operations)
June 18, 1999... The merger of two Cincinnati advertising firms created Bridge, a high-powered, Internet-focused company. There are two separate and distinct floor plans at the Presidential Plaza offices of Bridge Integrated Communications Inc., an...

Computer Access Group profits from Y2K bug.
June 18, 1999... Year 2000 glitch has increased profits 25% While the Year 2000 computer bug has been draining money from corporate budgets for several years, for Roy Basham it has been a business boom. His company, Computer Access Group Inc. of West...

Omnicare growth plan focuses on acquisitions.
June 18, 1999... Medicare change hurts stock price Omnicare Inc. will continue its strategy of growth though acquisitions and through developing new services, said Omnicare President and CEO Joel Gemunder. "I believe we have the fight strategies in...

CREW sounds boarding call.(Commercia Real Estate Women provides growth opportunities for women)
June 18, 1999... Real estate industry group caters to women, but men are also welcome Amy Ostigny markets development and construction services for Miller Valentine Group, one of the largest and most active companies on the Tri-State commercial real estate...

Consolidation of REITs will continue for years.(real estate investment trusts)
June 18, 1999... Experts say trend may mutate, but will remain The consolidation of real estate investment trusts, also referred to as REITs, will continue into the next decade, according to experts, although it will be on a smaller scale than the...

Alliance faces deeper cuts.(Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati)
June 25, 1999... Losses mounting for all Tri-State hospital groups Managers with the Health Alliance have been told they must cut $30 million in costs over the next year if new income sources are not found to cover the hospital system's mounting losses. ...

Productivity machine.(Toyota Motor Corp.'s training center in Erlanger, Ohio)
June 25, 1999... At its erlanger base, Toyota has created a training center for outside firms that has seen astonishing results. So why aren't you using it? When Toyota Motor Corp. brought its North American manufacturing headquarters to Erlanger in 1996,...

L.A. firm eyes $76M buy of Chiquita Center.(Lowe Enterprises Inc.)
June 25, 1999... Sale would be second in five years for skyscraper A Los Angeles powerhouse in the commercial real estate investment industry may purchase the Chiquita Center downtown in a deal that could reach $76 million, according to local real estate...

Design firm fills tall order.(FRCH Design Worldwide to design the civic and retail areas of the world's tallest building in Taipei, Taiwan)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... FRCH takes on project at Taiwan skyscraper FRCH Design Worldwide is close to completing a retail project for what will become the world's tallest building. The downtown architecture and design company is designing a five-story,...

Direct mailer reaches out for expansion.(Reach USA)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... Reach USA's Owner bought out his partner, changed the name of his company and doubled office space while eyeing more growth. The owner of a fast-growing Blue Ash marketing firm recently bought out his original partner, doubled his office...

Creation of USI Midwest could add 120 jobs.(insurance agency)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... Wood, Queen City merger to form regional insurance hub Though the integration of its new parts is nowhere near complete, insurance agency USI Midwest is preparing to go on a shopping spree that could land downtown 120 new jobs. The...

Fifth Third grows in Louisville, Lexington.(Fifth Third Bancorp.)
June 25, 1999... Southern strategy adds branches, acquisitions Fifth Third Bancorp is building up its Bluegrass branch network, but it's focusing on internal growth there as well as the acquisition strategy that has served it well in other markets. ...

Reworking a company.(Mark Andreae's acquisition of a Scottish company)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... You can't conquer Europe without a battle plan, even if you've got a good beachhead to do it from. Just ask Mark Andreae, president and principal owner of Clarke Detroit Diesel-Allison Inc. in Sharonville. He has spent the last seven...

Pinnacle Computer experiences rapid growth.(Pinnacle Computer Corp.)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... Company serves law firms, small businesses When Chad Matrix looks at how corporate America will handle its seemingly unquenchable thirst for technology in the future, he sees something akin to a fast-food restaurant that offers ongoing...

American Financial sells units to improve profits.(American Financial Group)(Company Profile)
June 25, 1999... Earnings outlook strong for future The wheeling and dealing continues, but the outlines of a new American Financial Group Inc. are emerging. The flagship company of Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner made good on its 1997 promise to enter...

Outcomes data still evolving.(hospitals in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Industry Overview)
June 25, 1999... Local hospitals limited to crunching inpatient data; insurers go own way Can hospitals and health organizations measure the quality of care they provide by crunching data? The answer, in Cincinnati and elsewhere, is a qualified yes....

Electronic records raise privacy questions.
June 25, 1999... Secured or not, more people have access Computerized medical records are a double-edged sword. They allow quick access to a patient's file. But they also pose a greater risk to patient privacy. "You push a button and only know who you...