Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from June 2000

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from June 2000

Surgeons spurn Christ Hospital.(Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati)
June 2, 2000... Move joint replacement work to other hospitals One of the Tri-State's most prominent orthopedic groups is moving hundreds of surgery cases out of Christ Hospital. The move follows a recent decision by the Health Alliance of Greater...

More agents take the Re/Max way.(many top producing agents are moving to the Re/Max companies)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... WITH RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE at record levels, agents covet the high commissions Re/Max offers. Bob Neal walked the path of a traditional residential real estate agent for 22 years, sharing his commissions with the firm he worked for. ...

Northgate Mall sale to developer nearly final.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... With 120 stores, mall sale could bring $80 million The owner of the Northgate Mall said it hoped to finalize a sale of the property by early June, an oft-delayed deal estimated to be worth $80 million. "We hope it will happen in the...

Krippendorf to be reborn as loft apartments.(historic building renovation in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Al Neyer Inc. and North American Properties are planning to invest $13 million in the historic Krippendorf building, filling the Seventh Street property with 100 loft-style apartments. "I would love to be under construction by this fall,"...

Steve Massie.(Cincinnati Equity Fund: finances)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Are we ready for round two? The Cincinnati Equity Fund, a $46.9 million capital pool created in 1996 to invest in risky downtown projects, is exploring whether to raise additional capital, said the fund's managing director, Steve Massie....

Jim Moll.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Backers of the Emery Theater project say 14 of the building's 62 planned apartment units have already been claimed, more than seven months prior to the building's planned opening. The Emery project involves a $9.7 million renovation of the...

Ethel Cogen.(housing developments in Cincinnati, Ohio)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Speaking of housing, four new developments are on tap in the city of Cincinnati, to be announced next week in conjunction with National Home Ownership Week. The largest project, Riverfront Spires, will be the site of a "demolition...

The Answer Group acquired by Virginia firm.(Wirthlin Worldwide)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Market researcher to retain local presence The Answer Group, a Blue Ash-based marketing research firm, has been acquired by Virginia-based Wirthlin Worldwide for an undisclosed amount. "This is a dream from heaven," said an elated Joan...

Family will sell Hubert Co.(food service distributor)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Harrison distributor seeks funds to expand One of Harrison's largest employers is for sale. Hubert Co., whose 350-employee distribution center sells $90 million in supplies a year to the nation's largest grocery and food-service...

Griffey, young Reds team, draw crowds.
June 2, 2000... ATTENDANCE AT CINERGY FIELD IS up 58 percent for Reds games; only the San Francisco Giants, with a new ballpark, saw a bigger jump. Fueled by the arrival of Ken Griffey Jr., attendance for the Cincinnati Reds rocketed 58 percent during the...

Condo project planned for East End waterfront.(Cincinnati)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Riverfront Spires to rise on former Flerlage Marine site Dave Imboden, president of Alumni Builders Inc. and one of the principals behind a transformation of the East End housing scene in Cincinnati, plans to launch a $10 million...

LCA-Vision adding eight more centers.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... LCA-Vision Inc. said it will open eight new LasikPlus locations, bringing to 12 the number of new centers it has opened this year. The centers will be located in Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Washington, D.C., area LCA currently operates 26...

Isabella invests in California firm.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Fund Isabella, the venture capital fund run by former Procter & Gamble Co. brand manager Peg Wyant, announced it will lead a $3 million round of financing for California-based WebWare Corp. Isabella's contribution was not disclosed. WebWare...

NKU Foundation posts hefty return.(Northern Kentucky University)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The Northern Kentucky University Foundation posted an investment return of 20.2 percent in 1999, which ranked it 10th out of 437 schools recently surveyed by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The solid...

Hyde Park to get 'Euro-Asian' eatery.(Ohio)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... A new "Euro-Asian" and "French-Japanese" restaurant named Beluga will open at the former Melting Pot on Edwards Road. Owner Mike Hama has invested more than $300,000 in renovations and plans to open the Hyde Park eatery, complete with a sushi...

Sheakley offers service for W-2 form reprints.(human resource outsourcing company)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Through a new partnership with Western Union, Sheakley UniService Inc. is offering a new service to companies looking for a way to eliminate the cost of sending reprints of W-2 forms to former employees. Sheakley, a human resource and payroll...

Federated issues debt offering of $350 million.(Federated Department Stores Inc)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Federated Department Stores Inc. issued $350 million of debt May 31. The offering, which was higher than the initially planned $250 million, was managed by Credit Suisse First Boston. The debt notes are due in June 2010 and will yield 8.53...

United Way launches newly designed Web site.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... United Way & Community Chest has joined the ranks of World Wide Web with the launching of its first Web site, at www.uwgc.org. "Our first and most important objective is to make it easier for people to get up-to-the-minute information about...

Bell Yellow Pages to launch new TV spot.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Campaign takes on competitor The One Book Facing increased competition, Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages is spending 15 percent more on advertising and launching its first new television campaign in two years to promote its 2000 edition. ...

Firstar expected to hit acquisition trail.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Bank could focus on Ohio, West, Southeast Firstar Corp. plans to acquire another bank holding company later this year, according to several bank analysts who have had recent discussions with executives of the Milwaukee-based company, which...

Merger forces GTE Wireless to divest some properties.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Operations overlap in Cincinnati, other areas GTE Wireless has no shortage of potential buyers for the holdings it says it must divest in the Seattle area, and it is seeking buyers in several other markets, including Cincinnati, as the...

Ohio slips in high-tech job growth ranking.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... State dropped from 10th to 12th in survey In a newly released study that gives states a look at where they stand in the blooming high-tech industry, Ohio has lost ground in the race along the information superhighway. Not surprisingly,...

Kroger plans expansion in Phoenix area.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Kroger Co. is among a crowd of supermarket chains planning new stores in the highly competitive Phoenix area. Kroger, the largest grocery chain in Arizona with 89 Fry's and 17 Fred Meyer stores, plans to open two more Fry's markets in...

House committee tries to cut ergonomics funds.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The House Appropriations Committee struck a blow against OSHA's proposed ergonomics standard by eliminating funding for enforcing the regulations from the agency's budget. Ergonomics opponent Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., calls the move a...

'Death tax' repeal set for early June vote in House.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The House is expected to vote on legislation to phase out the federal estate tax the week of June 5. Congress passed similar legislation last year as part of a $792 billion tax cut, but that package was vetoed by President Clinton. A...

New SBA partnership targets Asian Americans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... The Small Business Administration agreed to work with the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development to increase business opportunities for Asian Americans. The outreach effort is part of SBA's program to help more...

Income tax paperwork costly for small business.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Small businesses spend an average of $7 in compliance costs for every $1 in federal income tax they owe, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. This ratio may fall slightly after the Internal Revenue Service ramps up...

U.S. seeks alliances with Egyptian, Thai businesses.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... While China gets all the headlines, the United States is quietly working to increase trade with other countries. SBA Administrator Aida Alvarez traveled to Egypt this month to launch a partnership to "jump-start" the growth of small...

'Casual day' means profit for woman-owned firm.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... While just about everyone is happy about the advent of "casual days" at American workplaces, some are cheering louder than others. Peggy Johns is one of them, and not because she gets to wear chinos and a golf shirt once or twice a week....

More contracts coming for female-owned businesses.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... An executive order by President Clinton calls on all federal agencies to take immediate steps to "meet or exceed" a 5 percent goal for contracting with women-owned small businesses. The order, signed May 23 to commemorate National Small...

Governor's Awards for Women's Excellence in Enterprise 2000.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... * The state of Ohio is accepting nominations for the Governor's Awards for Women's Excellence in Enterprise 2000. The awards will be given to female-owned companies that have annual revenue in excess of $1.5 million. Two exceptions to that rule...

The National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... * The National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2001 Speaking of Women's Health honorees. The awards are given in each of the 20 cities where the organization's conferences are held and honor women who work...

Broadwing lands school contract.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Broadwing Inc.'s information technology consulting division won a multi-year outsourcing contract worth up to $19 million from the Dayton Board of Education. Broadwing will handle all aspects of the school district's information technology...

Kroger to buy 20 Hannaford stores.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. plans to purchase 20 supermarkets in Virginia from Hannaford Bros. Co., based in Scarborough, Maine. The deal, which will bring Kroger's Virginia operations to 64 stores, is expected to close in 60 days; terms were...

Federated to export brand to Japan.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Federated Department Stores Inc. is licensing its private brand of apparel, I.N.C International Concepts, to Tokyo-based Kosugi Sangyo for distribution in Japan. Federated projects that the brand will be rolled out to more than 30 targeted...

Local hospitals top services list.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Three local hospitals -- St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Edgewood, University Hospital in Corryville and Christ Hospital in Mt Auburn -- were named among the top 100 hospitals in the United States for cardiovascular services, according to a...

Jacobs named Union Central head.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... John Jacobs, president and chief operating officer of Union Central life Insurance Co., has been chosen by the board to be president and CEO. He replaces Larry Pike, who is retiring as CEO, but will remain chairman of the 134-year-old old...

Anthem finalizes Maine acquisition.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has received approval from Maine's Bureau of Insurance to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine. The transaction, about which Anthem provided few details, was initiated in 1998. As a result, a foundation...

International Knife sells centers.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... International Knife and Saw Inc., based in Erlanger, said it has sold three of its service centers to Dunbar Holdings Inc., a distributor of IKS products. The centers are located in Nashville, Atlanta and Richmond, Va. Terms of the deal were...

OHIO EMPLOYMENT REMAINS STRONG.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Labor-force data shows that Ohio's unemployment rate dropped from 4.1 percent in March to 3.8 percent in April. The number of Ohioans with jobs rose to 5.64 million. Monthly Data Change ...

Building strength.(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Steve Brandt realized a team of brokers would be an asset to his new real estate firm. Steve Brandt was only looking for one ace, but he came up with a pair instead. After striking out on his own last August, Brandt made the...

Eco shows businesses how to cut energy costs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Lighting technologies can have big impact Tom Kirkpatrick thinks he's found the perfect business. Eco Engineering Inc. is a Blue Ash energy services company that doesn't require a capital investment to hire, reduces operating costs,...

Feeling comfortable? Time to shake up your life.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Life gets boring when you get complacent I think I've gotten too comfortable. Have you? This comfortable thing showed up as a smack in my face yesterday. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, around 80 degrees, just the type of weekend...

Why a financial consultant can help.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Adviser a bargain for smaller businesses Has your business grown rapidly only to now find itself with cash-flow problems? Have you recently been unsuccessful in trying to obtain much-needed capital for your business? Has your business...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... ACCOUNTING Craig Middendorf has been named to head up the Cincinnati office of Olive Corporate Finance. ADVERTISING/MARKETING Caudill and Associates has announced the following additions: Krista Morel, production manager, Suzanne...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

PNC moves money into value, likes financials and industrials.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... PNC Advisors, one of the Tri-State's largest money managers, has begun moving money into the large-cap value arena, looking to snap up solid, old-line companies it believes are undervalued. "We're taking a tactical change to emphasize...

Pacholder, Cincinnati Asset struggle in testing high-yield environment.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... The city's two largest high-yield bond managers both posted disappointing first-quarter returns, hamstrung by a market that continues in large part to shun bonds. Pacholder High Yield Fund Inc. posted a total return of -3.5 percent in the...

Chalk developing benchmark to track performance of 401(k) plans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Steff Chalk, president of Chalk 401(k) Advisory Board Inc., is developing a semi-annual benchmark index of 401(k) retirement plans. Chalk said the index will be the first to allow investors to gauge the wisdom of their 401(k) decisions. ...

STOCK STATS.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... STOCK STATS Exchange/ year- Week- 52- 52- Ticker Close to-date ago net P/E week week Name of security symbol 5/26/00...

MORNING STAR MUTUAL FUNDS.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... MORNING STAR MUTUAL FUNDS TOP 20 GREATER CINCINNATI FUNDS Fund Star Net asset Yr-to-date 3-yr. Rank Fund name category rating value ...

EARNINGS.(company earnings: statistics)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 2, 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)
June 2, 2000... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) Payable Ashland Inc. 27.5 cents quarterly...

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

Kroger still hungry after Fred Meyer acquisition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Cost savings top initial estimates Kroger Co., the country's largest retail grocery chain, is fresh from a big merger and raring to grow some more. On its shopping list are plans to add stores, pharmacies and increase supply-chain...

THE NUMBERS.(Dollars per share data.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... THE NUMBERS VITAL STATISTICS (Dollars in millions except per share data and ratio figures) Net Earnings Book...

Are you leaving silicon footprints on the Internet?(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... One of the great benefits of e-business is the ability for companies to develop an understanding of your preferences and use that knowledge to customize your online experience. But, there are growing concerns about personal privacy. As it...

SIGNING ON THE DIGITAL LINE.(use of digital signatures)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Electronic signatures allow you to do more online, but fraud still a concern With the growing Internet economy, the idea of signing on the dotted line maybe going the way of the rotary phone. But local experts said the use of electronic...

Drug offers hope for spinal injury victims.(Boston Life Sciences' Inosine)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Inosine claims to regrow nerve cells in rats When one thinks of spinal cord injury and finding a possible cure for the paralysis, often one thinks of actor Christopher Reeve. Reeve recently appeared at the Biotech 2000 conference in...

E-commerce firms merge, take aim at Nasdaq status.(LinuxMall, EBIZ Enterprises)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... EBIZ and LinuxMall to see combined sales of $25M Scottsdale, Ariz.-based EBIZ Enterprises Inc. announced plans to merge with LinuxMail.com of Denver to create a more comprehensive "vendor-neutral" Linux shopping site online. The two...

Lock your 'doors' to protect information.(Internet security)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Companies can't afford to be lax about security Recently, a local company received several scathing e-mail messages from people around the country stating that they did not appreciate being spammed -- sent junk mail electronically -- and...

Online invaders come in all shapes and sizes.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Hacking has become expected as part of business There's a war going on in cyberspace. It's the hackers vs. practically everyone else. Wherever there's a computer, there's a potential target "Hacking attempts at popular sites have...

Ky. game developer gets Hot Wheels deal.(Indigo Moon Productions)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Indigo Moon to design racing game for Mattel Louisville-based game developer Indigo Moon Productions LLC has signed a deal with Novato, Calif.-based Mattel Interactive to develop an online racing game based on the Hot Wheels property from...

SNAPP could give IBM server market boost.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Maybe it was the margaritas -- or maybe the caffeine. But three software developers at Austin, Texas' IBM site spent long hours in January over both beverages, creating a new technology that could give IBM a boost in the competitive server...

PC on Call to expand nationally.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... PC On Call, the Sharonville-based company whose computer technicians make house calls, received $17.5 million in equity funding and announced plans to expand nationwide. The company will do business in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte,...

Convergys lands AT&T deal.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... In a deal valued at $100 million, Cincinnati-based Convergys Corp. will continue to provide billing and customer care support for AT&T Business Services. The company will handle approximately 7 million aggregate accounts, including nearly 17...

Web-On-Site finds venture capital.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Web-On-Site, a Baltimore, Md.-based company that places free public Internet-access kiosks in entertainment venues, received $500,000 in venture funding from Beacon Global Venture Capital of Bethesda, Md. The funding came in response to the...

Intelliseek offers free portal.(BullsEye2)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... The latest version of Sharonvile-based Intelliseek's BullsEye2 desktop portal can now be downloaded at www.intelliseek.com, free of charge. The software allows users to enter a single search query to find news, information and discussion groups...

Cincom receives excellence award.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... A Cincom Systems Inc. customer relationship management product was recently selected for a "CRM Excellence Award" by the editors of Technology Marketing Corp., which honors companies with innovative products. Cincinnati-based Cincom's...

Digineer breaks ground in Mason.(Ohio)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Digineer, an Internet software provider for the health care industry, broke ground on a 15-acre campus on Cintas Boulevard in Mason. The move comes in response to the company's rapidly growing eHealthcare business. Digineer currently employees...

RETAIL IT WORKERS LURED BY FINANCIAL INCENTIVES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... According to a survey of 350 information technology executives at leading North American retail companies, retailers are continuing to rely heavily on financial incentives to attract IT staff. Stock options are used by only 14 percent of those...

Lunken soliciting developers to build new hotel.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Officials at Lunken Airport have been courting a horde of local and national developers to build a new hotel at a five-acre site across Whilmer Avenue from the East End facility owned by the city of Cincinnati. Dan Dickten, manager of...

Si Pitstick.(works with Harmon Inc. on lease deal)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Si Pitstick at Cincinnati Commercial Realtors Inc. represented Harmon Inc. in a transaction to lease 43,000 square feet on Centron Place in Springdale from Warm Brothers Construction Co. of Walnut Hills. A manufacturer of commercial windows and...

Jell Bender.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Jell Bender, senior vice president at the GB Richard Ellis sub-unit of O'Connell, Bender & Powers, represented the landlord in a renewal lease of 121,000 square feet on Lake Forest Drive in Blue Ash to Merrell Pharmaceuticals. The drug...

Jerry Momper.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Jerry Momper, president of Staubach Co.-Midwest Inc., secured a 72,000-squarefoot lease renewal on Northland Boulevard in Springdale for his client, ZestoTherm Inc., part of United Shields Corp. from Cleveland, Tenn. ZestoTherm. makes precooked...

DEAL OF THE WEEK.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... THIS WEEK'S DEAL: Cline's Cawdrey, Mil-Val's Montanus sign DuBois to $3M Sharonville lease 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...

Jeffrey Oehler.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Jeffrey Oehler of Jackson, Rolfes, Spurgeon & Co. has received the designation of personal financial specialist.

William Burleigh.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... William Burleigh, chairman and CEO of E.W. Scripps Co., will receive the 2000 human relations award of the American Jewish Committee Cincinnati Chapter at a recognition dinner June 1.

Service Industry Research Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Service Industry Research Systems Inc., Highland Heights, was named the No. 6 Rated Qualitative Market Research Co. in North America by the Impulse Research Corp.

Barbara Watts.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Barbara Watts of Cincinnati was named the 2000 recipient of the Nettie Cronise Lutes Award by the Ohio State Bar Association.

Judy Richardson.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York has selected Judy Richardson of the Allen Co. in Blanchester, as a runner-up in the supplier customer service recognition.

Katherine Axiotes.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2000... Katherine Axiotes, a paralegal at Santen & Hughes, was awarded a PACE scholarship by. Special Counsel, a national legal staffing firm. PACE, the paralegal advanced competency exam, is an intensive voluntary exam developed to test the...

Comey & Shepherd Realtors.
June 2, 2000... Comey & Shepherd Realtors has received the 1999 RELO Crown of Excellence Award.

Jack Anderson.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 2, 2000... Jack Anderson, president of Calver Corp., a health care consulting and investment firm, has endowed the Jack R. Anderson Distinguished Lecture Series at Miami University's Richard T. Farmer School of Business with a personal gift of $1 million....