Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from November 1999

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from November 1999

Lindner on track for pay day.(Carl Lindner, through American Financial Corp., owns 53% of Amtrak stock)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Amtrak stock holdings could be worth millions You know Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner owns the Cincinnati Reds, Chiquita and American Financial. Here's something you probably didn't know: Lindner also stands to hold a controlling...

New duster cleans up for Procter.(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... SWIFFER A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW P&G's new up-tempo corporate culture can show big results. If you don't think Procter & Gamble Co. needs to get new products to market faster, just ask Laura King, brand manager for Swiffer, Procter's hot new...

UC studying cooperative graduate degree.
November 5, 1999... School hopes to bolster historic co-op program The University of Cincinnati, where cooperative education was invented 93 years ago, may become the nation's first college to offer degrees on the topic. A proposal, to be submitted as...

Discount chain Marshalls may re-enter market.
November 5, 1999... Cincinnati may soon see the return of Marshalls, an off-price clothing retailer that shuttered three Tri-State stores in 1997. "They're looking at re-opening in the market," said Mark Fallon, who is conducting the site search for Marshalls...

Jeff Ruby.
November 5, 1999... Jeff Ruby is opting against lunch at his glitzy new downtown steak house. The Cincinnati restaurateur originally planned to open for lunch on Dec. 1. But he's decided to serve lunch only for private parties -- and only during the month of...

Kroger moves Ralphs into San Francisco area.
November 5, 1999... West Coast unit wants to become Bay 'player' Kroger Co. is gaining a foothold in San Francisco and other parts of Northern California by opening several outlets of Ralphs Grocery Co. Ralphs, the 127-year-old Los Angeles company, in June...

CORRECTION.
November 5, 1999... The e-mail address for Douglas M. Case Law Offices was incorrectly listed in the Law Pages supplement in the Oct. 29 issue. The correct address is dcaselaw@one.net.

More pro sports for Firstar?
November 5, 1999... Downtown arena eyes indoor football, soccer Hockey and pro basketball aren't enough for Firstar Center, which is trying to bring a new soccer or arena football franchise to Cincinnati by next year. "We will continue to pursue...

E-retailers ready for online holiday rush.(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET IS expected to reach $3 billion from Thanksgiving to New Year's; three times 1998's online volume. As part of our country's collective annual shopping frenzy, consumers are expected to buy $4 billion worth of goods...

New technology twists helping entice more shoppers to Web.
November 5, 1999... Companies can give online selling a try at minimal cost If the 1998 holiday shopping season was the e-commerce wake-up call, 1999 could be an explosion of global proportions. Though they differ in their numeric estimates, both research...

First National CEO to head Warren bank.
November 5, 1999... Rick Blossom, president and CEO of First National Bank of Southwestern Ohio, is leaving the Tri-State's fifth-largest bank to lead Second National Bancorp, a Warren, Ohio-based community bank. Blossom, who has been with First Southwestern since...

Harmeyer resigns as Lenox chairman.
November 5, 1999... Richard Harmeyer, chairman of the board of directors at Lenox Bancorp., has resigned from the company. Harmeyer, a 59-year-old Procter & Gamble Co. veteran who has been a director of Lenox since 1993, said he stepped down to devote more time to...

Cincinnati ranks high in wireless service charges.
November 5, 1999... The average monthly charge for wireless phone users in Cincinnati was more than $2 higher than the national average in October. Cincinnati's average charge of $45.89 ranked the city as the seventh most expensive on Econ One Research Inc.'s list...

Fifth Third to hold workshop on financing affordable home.(Fifth Third Bank)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Fifth Third Bank, the largest residential mortgage lender in the Tri-State, recently announced a community development workshop called "Blitz for Affordable Housing, organized to educate residents and Realtors on enhancements to the bank's Good...

Metal molding manufacturer to begin production in Pa.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Maineville-based Net Shape Technologies Inc., a newly formed manufacturer of precision metal injection molding products, will begin production in January at its facility in Corry, Pa., in the north-western part of the state. The company plans...

CNN anchorman Hemmer to keynote chamber luncheon.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Former WCPO-Channel 9 newsman Bill Hemmer, now in Atlanta as an anchor at CNN, has been tapped as keynote speaker for the Downtown Awards Luncheon, produced by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Major awards will be presented honoring...

Pickerington law firm opens branch office in Blue Ash.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Betzel and Kauffman Co., a law firm based in Pickerington, east of Columbus, is opening a Blue Ash office. The new office will serve the firm's southern Ohio clients. Betzel and kauffman focuses its practice on estate and tax planning, business...

Merchants Bank to relocate Aurora branch, add drive-thru.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Harrison-based Merchants Bank & Trust is relocating one of its four bank branches from inside an Aurora shopping center to the parking lot of that same center. President Andrew Kobs said ground-breaking for the new branch will likely begin...

Moellering finds new home in Winton Hills.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Incentives help city retain Queensgate firm The city of Cincinnati recently won a round in the ongoing battle for corporate America. A $4.6 million facility in Winton Hills could eventually triple the local operations of Moellering...

Cintech moving into e-commerce market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Goal is to get stock on an American exchange On the heels of a record fiscal year, Cintech Tele-Management Systems Inc. CEO Diane Kamionka is investing in new technologies she believes will fuel the company's growth and ultimately allow her...

Dayton yellow pages firm launching Internet division.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Let your fingers do the clicking, says Berry i Net Dayton-based Berry Co. is ready to buzz the billion-dollar yellow pages industry with its online arm. Over the past couple of months, the yellow pages publisher has spent time and...

Ohio EPA needs image boost, director says.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Goal: to balance needs of public, businesses The director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Christopher Jones, aims to balance what's best for the environment and what's best for business. Typically, someone gets disappointed....

Ohio may lift moratorium on cardiac test.
November 5, 1999... A two-year moratorium that kept Ohio hospitals without open-heart surgery programs from opening low-risk cardiac catheterization labs could he lifted early next year. "It is safe to do diagnostic cardiac caths in a low-risk lab," Ohio...

Small manufacturers most Internet-savvy.
November 5, 1999... Industry has invested heavily in technology Murray Gerber runs a small plastic parts manufacturing company in Middletown, Conn. He didn't think he was engaged in e-commerce until he started answering questions on a National Association of...

Ohio pension funds derail retirement investment bill.(Public Employees Retirement System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Scaled-back bill to limit eligible public employees After coming under repeated attack during the year, a bill to allow public employees in Ohio to invest their retirement savings in private insurance-managed accounts is being drastically...

Panera fills niche mom-and-pop bakery once held.
November 5, 1999... Ken Rosenthal, president of Columbus-based Breads of the World, franchisee of those Panera bread shops popping up around town, has a five-year roll-out plan for 15 to 18 stores in Greater Cincinnati. Rosenthal said he is busy scouting...

Omni Hotel wins award as top site for meetings.
November 5, 1999... The Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel has added another award to its list of recent accolades. For the second year in a row, the downtown hotel has won the 1999 Gold Key Award from the Meeting & Conventions magazine. The Gold Key Award is given...

Long-term care market looks good for insurers.
November 5, 1999... It used to have a bad reputation, but if you listen to some in the insurance industry, long-term care insurance is the next big thing. Better yet, there may even be some serious benefits for small business owners. "If you haven't...

Price cuts may be over for property/casualty policies.
November 5, 1999... Could it be over, finally? The jury is still out with a definite answer, but the furious pricing pressures that have tormented property and casualty insurers for the past several years may be abating. So said Cincinnati Financial...

Fifth Third completes Indy buy.
November 5, 1999... After putting the wraps on its acquisition of CNB Bancshares and its subsidiary Civitas Bank last week, Fifth Third Bancorp has completed its purchase of Peoples Bank Corp. of Indianapolis. The deal adds $675 million in assets and nine...

Gibson Greetings bought out.
November 5, 1999... American Greetings will acquire Gibson Greetings Inc. for approximately $163 million. The deal, which offers $10.25 in cash per share of Gibson stock, will be completed as soon as possible. American Greetings plans to continue to use the Gibson...

Cinergy named in pollution suit.
November 5, 1999... The Justice Department filed suit against Cinergy Corp. and six other electric utility companies on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency. The suit charges Cinergy, American Electric Power Co., FirstEnergy Corp., Illinois Power,...

Procter & Gamble boosts sales.
November 5, 1999... Procter & Gamble Co. reported net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 of $1.1 billion, a 2 percent drop from the same period last year. Sales were $9.9 billion, up 4 percent vs. the same quarter in 1998. Expenses related to P&G's Organization...

Cincinnati Bell to acquire IXC.
November 5, 1999... Shareholders of Cincinnati Bell Inc. and IXC Communications Inc. approved proposals clearing the way for Cincinnati Bell to acquire IXC. At a meeting in Cincinnati, shareholders of Cincinnati Bell voted in favor of a proposal to issue...

Kroger to buy Winn-Dixie stores.
November 5, 1999... Kroger Co. has agreed to purchase 74 Winn-Dixie grocery stores in Texas and Oklahoma for an undisclosed amount of cash, subject to routine regulatory approval. Most of the stores are in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan market and all will...

Ashland adds online ordering.
November 5, 1999... Ashland Inc.'s chemical, plastic and fiber distribution division, Ashland Distributing Co., now allows some registered customers to place customized electronic orders through a secure Web site. Customers of the FRP Supply Division already have...

The Cincinnati Stuff hopes it can bring pro basketball back home.
November 5, 1999... It's been a long time since anybody's played professional basketball in Cincinnati. Twenty seven years, eight months and a couple of weeks, if anybody's counting. In 1972, Richard Nixon was still president and bellbottoms, hair and lapels...

United Dairy Farmers finishes systems upgrade.
November 5, 1999... Retailer spent $8M for Y2K, more efficiency United Dairy Farmers has nearly completed a major upgrade of its in-store computer systems designed to more efficiently manage inventory, reduce employee training costs and solve UDF's Year 2000...

Technology drives desire to achieve perfection.
November 5, 1999... But it's imperfections that make you strong Technology isn't what it's cracked up to be. I know, you're already agreeing with me. You're thinking about your computer that's giving you trouble, or how your Palm Pilot lost half your...

Women-friendly firms promote supplier diversity.
November 5, 1999... Women's council taps best 15 in the country If you're a woman interested in doing business with the biggest companies on the planet, check out this list of the 15 best corporations to do business with, recently released by the Women's...

Interview best way to 'shop' for good employee.
November 5, 1999... Don't spend the time talking about yourself It's the big day. You have made the decision to either hire another person for your organization, or to let that lousy, pain-in-the-neck person go who has been driving you nuts for over six...

Minority programs help SBA set lending record.
November 5, 1999... The Small Business Administration set new records for total loans and venture capital financing in fiscal 1999, thanks in part to increased lending to minority- and women-owned businesses. The SBA approved 43,639 loans worth $10.15 billion...

Senator asks for scrutiny of retail 'slotting' practice.
November 5, 1999... Sen. Christopher Bond, chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, has asked the General Accounting Office to study the retail industry's use of "slotting" fees -- money manufacturers must pay to get their products sold in stores. ...

OSHA raises its standards for voluntary program.
November 5, 1999... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has raised the bar for participants in its Voluntary Protection Programs, which exempt businesses with workplace safety programs from OSHA inspections. Participants now will have to report...

Small businesses criticize new contract regulation.
November 5, 1999... With the Nov. 8 deadline for public comment looming, more than 600 small businesses have filed objections to a new regulation that calls for federal contract officers to evaluate a company's compliance with employment, tax and environmental...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
November 5, 1999... ACCOUNTING Barnes, Dennig & Co. Ltd. has hired Julie Kyser as senior accountant on the not-for-profit client service team. Michael Braun has been named tax partner-in-charge at PricewaterhouseCoopers. BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES...

Study: Most day-traders likely to lose everything they invest.
November 5, 1999... In case you were wondering whether to chuck it all and go into a career in day-trading in hopes of striking it rich quickly, here are some figures to consider. A recent study by the North American Securities Administrators Association of...

Local managers overcome market's rough second quarter.
November 5, 1999... After a rough quarter for stocks, local money management firms are taking any positive news they can get. Cambridge Financial Group Inc., a momentum player that also utilizes a value portfolio, lost 2.7 percent in the third quarter in its...

Phoenix Fund posting strong results in junk-bond market.
November 5, 1999... The Phoenix Fund, a limited partnership managed by local investment adviser Cincinnati Asset Management Inc., has generated a 33.4 percent gain through the first nine months of 1999. The fund, which focuses on distressed securities in the...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.
November 5, 1999... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

Mutual fund generally not efficient for taxes.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... It is well-known that the long-term investor who is able to postpone paying capital gains taxes will add substantially to his net worth compared to the investor who realizes gains annually and regularly pays Uncle Sam. Assuming that both...

INSIDER TRADING RECAP.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... INSIDER TRADING RECAP (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company Buy Option Sell Am. Annuity 1 4 4 Am. Financial 11 4 4 AK Steel 5 3 16...

MONEY MARKETS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... MONEY MARKETS Fund 7-day average yield Countrywide Institutional Government 4.98 Countrywide Ohio Tax-Free Money 2.81 Countrywide...

STOCK STATS.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... STOCK STATS Exchange/ Year- Week- 52- 52- Ticker Close to-date ago net P/E week week Name of security symbol 11/1/99...

MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS TOP 20 GREATER CINCINNATI FUNDS Fund Star Net asset Yr.-to-date 3-Yr. Rank Fund name category rating value ...

Interlott picks up contracts, expands offerings.
November 5, 1999... Leases in place are worth $70M This year, Blue Ash-based Interlott Technologies Inc. has captured a string of contracts with various states, including the Texas and Kentucky state lotteries. These contracts are building on a solid...

EARNINGS.
November 5, 1999... EARNINGS (Dollas in millions except per share data; revenues for financial institutions are net interest income plus other income) Current Yr. % Yr. Yr. ...

S&L STOCKS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... S&L STOCKS Month 52- 52- Indicated Ticket Close ago net week week dividend Name symbol 11/1/99 chg. high low $...

DIVIDENDS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) Payable Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. $1 ...

Falling dollar would be investors' opportunity.
November 5, 1999... Offset U.S. weakness with diverse portfolio With a significant amount of stock market attention on inflation, interest rates, corporate earnings and Y2K, the biggest risk to the financial markets may not be any of the preceding focal...

Personal touch in e-commerce leads to success.
November 5, 1999... During a recent trip to Disneyland, I recalled some of the stories I had read about Walt Disney's personal involvement as the first-ever theme park was being developed. He was a filmmaker at heart and he carried many of the concepts from that...

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE.
November 5, 1999... High-tech apartments give residents amenities at the touch of a button To the casual observer, the new Burgundy Hills apartments in Burlington look like many other upscale suburban apartment neighborhoods. All the modem amenities are...

NCR suing Netscape tor patent infringement.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... 300-page complaint asserts legal claims Dayton-based NCR Corp. is suing Netscape Communications, claiming the Internet giant is infringing on nine NCR patents, some of which are being used in Netscape's Web browser. In a more than...

Short-term thinking is nothing new.
November 5, 1999... Much has been made of Y2K, the so-called millennium bug. Fears of bank collapses, massive power outages and disrupted plane flights, all caused by computers not recognizing the year 2000, have dominated the news in the past months. ...

Big tech goes after small business market.
November 5, 1999... Internet is 'equalizer' for small biz segment The small business market, long ignored by technology companies, has suddenly become the industry's golden child. Microsoft Corp., with its launch of bCentral, a Web site for small...

Radio Intercast puts magic in medium.
November 5, 1999... With help, wireless industry is getting wired Before there was television, VCRs, compact discs or the Internet, radio was the medium that informed us as well as entertained us. Harald Blakeslee, director of Radio Intercast Inc., has...

Construction crews see tech revolution.
November 5, 1999... Computers allow companies to handle more Donald Hinkel, who has been in the construction business for more than 20 years, said the technological advances never cease to amaze him. "There's no doubt how fast we're moving in all...

Insurance agents show no fear of'Net.
November 5, 1999... Customers still want to talk to real people Would you buy insurance over the Internet? Or feel comfortable. having your insurance questions answered by someone over a toll-free number? These questions are of utmost importance to the...

E-Stamp advertising blitz tries to lick competition.
November 5, 1999... Electronic postage firm tries to generate revenue Internet postage provider E-Stamp, fresh off its initial public offering, will spend more than $71 million in an all-out marketing blitz. The advertising budget for the San Mateo,...

Bandwidth, processors boost small business.
November 5, 1999... Using the right tools can increase efficiency Technology is changing the way small businesses operate. The latest technological developments allow small businesses to reach new customers, operate efficiently and compete effectively with...

Proposed bill would promote e-commerce.
November 5, 1999... Plan gives incentives for schools, training A proposal to invest up to $432 million of the state's pension money into technology-oriented venture capital funds is one key component of the Kentucky Digital Development Act, a comprehensive...

Visuals should enhance, not steal the show.
November 5, 1999... Audiences tune out endless slide displays If you routinely attend business meetings and conferences, you definitely have experienced it A presenter stands before an audience with technology cued up. The house lights go slightly dim and the...

Warm looks to heat up new Woodlawn project.
November 5, 1999... Warm Bros. Construction Co. of Walnut Hills recently picked up a 25-acre industrial site along Glendale-Milford Road in Woodlawn where the general contractor/developer is working out the details for a master plan, while fielding heavy interest...

Fatbrain.com of California opens facility in Erlanger.
November 5, 1999... Fatbrain.com recently signed a three-year deal to open a 40,000-square-foot distribution facility on Dolwick Drive in Erlanger, its first operation based locally. The Silicon Valley-based e-commerce company bills itself as "the Internet's...

DEAL OF THE WEEK.
November 5, 1999... THIS WEEK'S DEAL: Tri-State's Petertonjes lands Huntington HQ with $2.9M lease Tenant: Huntington National Bank, 105 E. Fourth St., Cincinnati Landlord: Tri-State Improvement Co., Cincinnati (subsidiary of Cinergy Corp.) Lease:...

Best-Performing Tri-State Stocks.
November 5, 1999... Best-Performing Tri-State Stocks (Ranked by one-year percentage increase through Sept. 30) Name address Percent Sep. '99 Set. '98 Dividend phone ...

Lonnie Sexton.
November 5, 1999... Lonnie Sexton of Sibcy Cline's Blue Ash office has achieved membership into Ohio Association of Realtors President's Sales Club.

TriData Technologies Inc.
November 5, 1999... TriData Technologies Inc., Cincinnati, has been recognized as the Data Collection Software Partner of the Year by Teklynx International Co.

College of Mount St. Joseph.
November 5, 1999... College of Mount St. Joseph has been recognized for leadership in the field of student character development in the "Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development."

Thomas Brinkman Sr.
November 5, 1999... Thomas Brinkman Sr., retired founder and CEO of Metroweb Corp., Erlanger, is the 1999 recipient of the Lewis Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award by the Printing Industries of America and Graphic monthly magazine.

Gerald Weis.
November 5, 1999... Gerald Weis of the Weis Chiropractic Health Center in Evendale has received the 1999 Presidential Merit Award from the American Chiropractic Association.

John Maggio.
November 5, 1999... John Maggio of University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has been awarded the 1999 Zenith Award for Alzheimer's disease research from the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

Fifth Third Bancorp.
November 5, 1999... Fifth Third Bancorp's net income was $173,504,000 for the third quarter, up 20.4 percent, and $485,507,000 for the first nine months of 1999, up 21 percent. compared to $144,073,000 and $401,637,000 on an operating basis, respectively, for the...

ASK THE CEO.
November 5, 1999... THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Do you think The Banks redevelopment plan is good for the region? Earl Williams Roth Partnership Yes, I think The Banks is a very positive riverfront development concept Visions have to evolve through...