Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky articles from November 2000

Business Courier Serving Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky archives from November 2000

Firms say 'no' to Reds park.
November 1, 2000... Lack of bidders could spell trouble for county The tight deadlines and design problems that led to cost overruns at Paul Brown Stadium may be repeating themselves at the Great American Ball Park, according to companies invited to bid on the...

Frisch's to roll out new restaurant.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... THE BIG BOY OPERATOR PLANS TO move aggressively into smaller markets with a new prototype. Big Boy is thinking small. Frisch's Restaurants Inc., the locally based operator of 125 Big Boy eateries, is forming a new growth strategy that...

Bell will restructure, refocus on businesses.(Cincinnati Bell)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Phone division critical to Broadwing success Cincinnati Bell President Jack Cassidy said his company has neglected business customers for too long, a problem he's determined to solve. Cassidy is reorganizing the phone company and...

Anti-tax group ready to fight Neyer plans.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Conservative Republicans this week threw down the gauntlet in front of Hamilton County Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. And the fight could mean trouble for those seeking the county's help on big-ticket projects, including riverfront...

PC on Call picks Charlotte, N.C., for sixth office.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Company planning 40-city expansion Cincinnati-based PC On Call has expanded to Charlotte, N.C., with a 12-person computer services business targeting residential and small-business clients. PC On Call is an on-site service provider for...

CORRECTIONS.
November 1, 2000... In the Nov. 10 Pinnacle Awards supplement, the following were not included in the list of top officers for ProScan Imaging, due to omissions on the nomination form: Cris Collinsworth, president; Kim Hyde, vice president of growth and...

Mobil could fuel UDF growth.(United Dairy Farmers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Chain seeking more outlets for dairy items United Dairy Farmers, Cincinnati's homegrown dairy and convenience store chain, is shifting gears to keep pace with its giant competitors. Mobil signs will soon hang over UDF gas pumps. And...

Tressa Inc. still looking good after 31 years in tight beauty business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Interview)
November 1, 2000... CONNIE BARRETT'S COMMON-SENSE VIEW OF WHAT'S trendy keeps the Erlanger-based beauty products firm on pace -- along with a new line of hair-care items. Connie Barrett can tell you: The beauty business isn't always pretty. As president,...

Local practices struggling to recruit physicians.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Doctors working more hours due to personnel shortages The Tri-State won't be able to avoid a patient care crisis if local specialists continue to have trouble convincing new doctors to practice here, said local physicians. Practices...

Mercy cuts 185 jobs, two presidents.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio eliminated two of its hospital presidents as part of an overall job cut of 185 positions. Fred Kolb, president of Mercy's Clermont and Anderson hospitals, and David Ferrell, president of Mercy's...

Navy SEALs buy Accu-Counter units.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Computerized weapons technology developed by Edgewood-based Accu-Counter Inc. soon will be used by the U.S. Navy SEALs special forces unit. The SEALs contracted to buy 200 Accu-Counter units from Aerodyne Research Inc., which resells the...

Toyota donates for minority internships.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Erlanger-based Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America donated $10,000 to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Internship Program at the automaker's 11th annual Opportunity Exchange. The exchange is designed to give minority-business...

Tri-State needs lesson in 'thinking globally'.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Great airport, but it's not New York, execs say When Greater Cincinnati competes to attract international businesses, community leaders should worry less about Indianapolis and Columbus and more about Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan. That's...

Hemmer buys site for AirPark expansion.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Airport had eyed land for new parking lot One of the Northern Kentucky biggest developers will expand one of its signature facilities near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the 371-acre AirPark International. Paul...

P&G decision dooms Texas coffee maker.
November 1, 2000... Procter & Gamble's recent decision to produce its Millstone brand coffee in-house has doomed a historic Houston coffee maker. Executives at financially troubled Brothers Gourmet Coffees Inc. will close its Houston manufacturing plant and...

Shadowbox Cabaret coming to Newport.
November 1, 2000... Columbus group specializes in 'pop theater' After 1,000 shows on its home stage in Columbus, Shadowbox Cabaret is expanding its pop-theater format to the Tri-State. Shadowbox signed a 10-year renewable contract for space at Newport on...

Vulcan pursuing downtown real estate investment deals.
November 1, 2000... Manufacturer outbid on several office properties Vulcan International Corp. Chairman Benjamin Gettler wants to boost the company's downtown real-estate holdings. The closely held public company, known for decades as a manufacturer of...

N. Ky. logs banner year for job creation.
November 1, 2000... Region's businesses add 3,000-plus workers Northern Kentucky businesses have expanded by 3,474 jobs over the past 12 months in what the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce president terms "a strong year" for the region. "National...

Cole+Russell to turn reins over to division managers.
November 1, 2000... Co-founders to step aside as part of strategic plan A Cincinnati architectural firm known for its national work has doubled its board of directors in preparation for a transition of power. Karen Brock, Eric Hansen, Tom Lindsey and Ron...

High-tech matchmaker searching for sponsors.
November 1, 2000... These days, First Tuesday Cincinnati leader Vince Broerman is wearing a green cord around his neck -- the color reserved for money-hungry entrepreneurs at the monthly tech community networking events. His organization is a startup like any...

Local firm has process for 'do-it-yourself' Web sites.
November 1, 2000... Want a Web site? Do it yourself, said Mitch Cohen, co-founder of SiteRightNow. He and his wife, Sherri Cohen, of Blue Ash, developed an Internet-based service that makes it easy. Log on to their site, www.SiteRightNow.com, and a...

CBS Personnel's Brown named finalist for national EOY award.
November 1, 2000... Bob Brown of Cincinnati-based CBS Personnel Services Inc. was honored as a finalist at the 14th Annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year International Conference, held Nov. 9-12 in Palm Springs, Calif Billed as the largest gathering of...

Cinergy makes $10M investment.
November 1, 2000... Cinergy Ventures LLC, the venture capital arm of Cinergy Corp., invested $10 million in Atlanta-based CES International. The company will use the money to further develop its software product, Centricity, which is used by utilities to...

International Paper closing plant.
November 1, 2000... Just a few months after announcing it would sell two Hamilton paper mills, International Paper Corp. is closing a Springdale packaging plant, too. The plant is part of IP's Shorewood Packaging division, which includes the company's retail and...

Chiqutta pulling out of Costa Rica.
November 1, 2000... Chiquita Brands International Inc. told authorities at Costa Rica's National Banana Corp. it will not renew contracts to buy up to 6 million boxes of bananas next summer. In doing so, Chiquita joins Standard Fruit Co. and Del Monte, which last...

IKS sales, earnings decline.
November 1, 2000... International Knife & Saw Inc. announced its sales and earnings were down in the third quarter of 2000 compared with the same period last year. Sales fell about 2 percent from $37.5 million to $36.9 million. Earnings before taxes dropped from a...

Frisch's selling Covington hotel.
November 1, 2000... After trying all year, Frisch's Restaurants Inc. has found a buyer for one of two hotels it is selling. Remington Hotel Corp. will buy the Clarion Riverview Hotel for $12 million. Dallas-based Remington is a family-owned hotel operator with a...

Interlott results miles ahead of '99.
November 1, 2000... Interlott Technologies Inc. announced third-quarter profits of $1.1 million on sales of $11.6 million. Both numbers are well above comparable numbers from 1999, when the Blue Ash-based company earned $182,000 on revenue of $5 million. The...

SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSION.
November 1, 2000... Kreger Printing is changing to grow and compete, as duties are passed to the next generation. The scenario could have been a classic case of a family business gone south. There was Kreger Printing, a respected 60-year-old company,...

Insurer hoping to build on Chilean acquisition.
November 1, 2000... Ohio National adds to financial product lines Ohio National Financial Services' purchase last spring of a Chilean life insurance and annuity provider was not Cincinnati's biggest acquisition news of 2000, but definitely one of the more...

Too much flexibility leads to management chaos.
November 1, 2000... Manager must provide focus for employees I never thought I'd say this, but 1 think there's too much flexibility in our organizations today. One of my clients, Christine, is a fast-moving executive who's at the top of her game. As the...

Family businesses facing succession problems.
November 1, 2000... Boomers' retirement setting stage for crisis When the father of sisters Moo Thorpe and Sonja Bohannon suddenly died in 1992, it was more than a family tragedy. It jeopardized the future of their three-generation family ranch and hotel...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
November 1, 2000... ACCOUNTING Marc Wise has been named manager in the operational and systems risk management practice at Pricewater- house- Coopers. Barbara Stine has joined the tax department at Rippe & Kingston Co. ADVERTISING/MARKETING ...

Milacron turnaround may be on the horizon, analyst says.
November 1, 2000... Despite a tough third quarter, things are looking up for Milacron Inc., according to one analyst Alexander Paris of Chicago-based securities brokerage Barrington Research Associates Inc. said the manufacturer should benefit both from an upswing...

Financial firms offering packages of wealth management services.
November 1, 2000... Two local companies recently began offering wealth management services aimed at making sense of the big picture at a time when it's easy to get caught up in the fractional movements of your holdings. Money manager Haberer Registered...

Cambridge still bullish on stocks; adds Boeing, Adobe to portfolio.
November 1, 2000... It might be hard to stomach, but Cambridge Financial Group Inc. still recommends staying in stocks 100 percent. Pointing to historical data showing fourth-quarter strength after third-quarter swoons, Cambridge principals Buck Newsome and...

COURIER RATE BAROMETER.
November 1, 2000... COURIER RATE BAROMETER Latest Year ago Two Three week week wks. ago wks. ago AVERAGE INTEREST RATES 30-yr. mortgage ...

Market uncomfortable with election doubts.
November 1, 2000... Close result likely to bring few big changes Wall Street does not like uncertainty. That may be an obvious understatement, but the market's confidence was shattered when the U.S. Presidential election turned into a cliffhanger, with the...

MONEY MARKETS.
November 1, 2000... MONEY MARKETS Fund 7-day average yield Fifth Third Govt. Money Market Fund 5.83 Fifth Third Prime Money Market Fund 5.89 Fifth Third...

GREATER CINCINNATI HIH SCHOOL STOCK MARKET GAME.
November 1, 2000... Ouch. The uncertainty over the presidential election and more earnings jitters -- especially from Cisco Systems -- combined to wallop the portfolios of students taking part in the High School Stock Market Game. Worst hit was Elder. But Moeller,...

STOCK STATS.
November 1, 2000... STOCK STATS Exchange/ Year- Week- 52- Ticker Close to-date ago net P/E week Name of security symbol 11/13/00 ...

MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS.
November 1, 2000... MORNINGSTAR MUTUAL FUNDS Fund Rank Fund name category TOP 20 GREATER CINCINNATI FUNDS 1 ...

EARNINGS.
November 1, 2000... EARNINGS (Dollars in millions except per share data; revenues for financial institutions are net interest income ...

DIVIDENDS.
November 1, 2000... DIVIDENDS Increase Company Amount Period (from) Payable AK Steel Holding Corp. 12.5 cents quarterly...

INSIDER TRADING.
November 1, 2000... INSIDER TRADING (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company/Officer Transaction Amount Price Date Holdings Cintas Corp....

INSIDER TRADING RECAP.
November 1, 2000... INSIDER TRADING RECAP (Number of insider transactions in past six months) Company Buy Sell AK Steel 1 15 Am. Financial 6 1 Ashland ...

Ashland refocused and ready for the road ahead.
November 1, 2000... Covington-based firm out of coal business Ashland Inc.'s three-and-a-half year transformation appears to be paying off. After working to refocus the company on its successful chemical and road construction companies and away from the...

Level 3 poking at purchase of R.L. Polk Building.
November 1, 2000... Level 3 Communications Inc. of suburban Denver, an Internet-based company that moved into the R.L. Polk Building on the eastern fringe of downtown Cincinnati in late 1998, is rumored to be checking out a potential purchase of the Pike Street...

Bellamy exits; Elder-Wiley in charge at Jones Lang.
November 1, 2000... The former top local official at Jones Lang LaSalle, Jeff Bellamy, has been kicked upstairs -- all the way to Atlanta -- and been replaced by Rachael Elder-Wiley, who recently assumed the title of general manager. Bellamy worked for...

DEAL OF THE WEEK.
November 1, 2000... 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 million THIS WEEK'S DEAL: Comey's Nicholson, Coldwell/Shell's Strauss sell $1M Indian Hill...

Don't neglect supervisors in training plans.
November 1, 2000... Few businesses appreciate the fundamental fact that, for most legal purposes, their supervisors and managers are the company. Supervisors' actions are the company's actions. It is through their words that a business speaks. This is...

BUILDING LEADERSHIP.
November 1, 2000... Companies are investing in executive training to help retain workers With the labor market exceptionally tight, area businesses are exploring new avenues to sustain productivity and retain employees. Along with changes in benefit plans...

Firms getting smart about finding high-tech talent.
November 1, 2000... Look at job from the candidate's viewpoint Imagine a job where workers are given perks such as telecommuting, casual dress every day, live music after 5 p.m., every other Friday off, gourmet meals prepared by award-winning chefs and fully...

Options abound for continued learning.
November 1, 2000... Association helps employers develop training Knowledge is power, the saying goes. But when it comes to the issue of continuing education for employees, knowledge is not just power. It's sales, productivity and profit. By investing...

How far can online degrees take tomorrow's students?
November 1, 2000... Employers divided over distance learning issues Colleges and companies rushing into distance learning are gambling that students will be attracted by the flexibility of earning a degree online. But an important question remains: How...

Workers looking for retirement perks.
November 1, 2000... Competitive package can bring workers onboard It may not be the first benefit employees look for -- health insurance usually tops the list -- but a competitive retirement plan can be the carrot that helps attract workers to a company. ...

Corporate culture revealed from start.
November 1, 2000... Communicating culture is key to retention You learn where your cubicle, workspace or office is, where you should park, what time your lunch break is, and a thousand other details that face a worker on a new job. But what about the...

Selecting the right recruiter can avert hiring headaches.
November 1, 2000... Retained, contingency firms slightly different The search is on. Not only are you trying to fill staff positions, but now you're also searching for the right recruiting firm. The types of positions you want to fill and your time frame are...

Training insurance adds twist to retention.
November 1, 2000... Houston's Quick Strike gives employers an edge Apart from benefits and other perks, training is a major employee cost for many companies. That's especially the case in the field of information technology, where the business is highly...

Ernest Thomas III.
November 1, 2000... Ernest Thomas III of Thomas & Thomas, Cincinnati, has completed the requirements for recertification in creditors' rights law.

Mayfield Imaging Center.
November 1, 2000... Mayfield Imaging Center, Crestview Hills, has received full accreditation from the American College of Radiology.

Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) Paratransit System.
November 1, 2000... First Transit Inc. has announced that Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) Paratransit System, ACCESS, was awarded the Center for Automotive Service of Excellence, Blue Seal of Excellence Award.

Clinton Memorial Hospital.
November 1, 2000... Clinton Memorial Hospital mother baby care unit staff was recognized by the Ohio Department of Human Services Paternity Enhancement Program with a plaque and gift basket for their team coordination and effort in getting acknowledgment of...

James Harrell.
November 1, 2000... James Harrell, president of Harrell Group Inc., Blue Ash, has been selected by the American College of Healthcare Architects as a founding Fellow.

Nova Engineering Inc.
November 1, 2000... Nova Engineering Inc., Cincinnati, was a recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Tibbetts Award for achievement in the small business innovation research program.

John Sweeney.
November 1, 2000... John Sweeney of Grubb & Ellis/West Shell Commercial has been awarded the President's Sales Club Award of Distinction designation from the Ohio Association of Realtors.

Stettinius & Hollister LLP.
November 1, 2000... The following attorneys from Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP were selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2001-2002 edition: Kim Burke, Clifford Craig, Edward Diller, Stuart Dornette, Jerold Fink, Stephen Griffith Jr., Thomas...

Dugan & Meyers Construction Co. and Baker Concrete Construction.
November 1, 2000... The joint venture team of Dugan & Meyers Construction Co. and Baker Concrete Construction was honored with the Associated General Contractors Build Ohio Award for the construction of the concrete superstructure of Paul Brown Stadium.

Workforce Development Collaborative.
November 1, 2000... Workforce Development Collaborative educational division received a first place Certified Community Partnership Innovation Award from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Early Childhood Initiative.
November 1, 2000... Kentucky Governor Paul Patton's Early Childhood Initiative, KIDS NOW has announced scholarships for those who work in regulated child care settings. The Early Childhood Development Scholarship is available to those individuals who are seeking...

CoActivity.com.
November 1, 2000... CoActivity.com, Cincinnati, has been chosen by Valvoline Oil as its interactive agency of record. CoActivity.com will be responsible for a complete overhaul of each of Valvoline's four Web sites They are: Eagle One brand; Valvoline Instant Oil...

Excellence Alliance Inc.
November 1, 2000... Excellence Alliance Inc. has entered into a strategic relationship with the following. Wells Fargo Financial National Bank, Dallas Hermetic Co. Inc., Baltimore Air Coil and United Staffing of America.

Historic Southwest Ohio Inc.
November 1, 2000... Historic Southwest Ohio Inc. which oversees the Heritage Village Museum in Sharon Woods Park and the John Hauck House in the West End, has received a $2,500 preservation assistance grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Largest Tri-State Web Design Firms.
November 1, 2000... Largest Tri-State Web Design Firms (Ranked by number of Web sites designed in 1999) Price Name ...

Largest Tri-State Commercial Building Contractors.
November 1, 2000... Largest Tri-State Commercial Building Contractors (Ranked by 1999 local billings) Name 1999 1999 address 1999 ...

ASK THE CEO.
November 1, 2000... ASK THE CEO is a continuing series in which we ask important-to-the-region questions of corporate leaders. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Are you worried about the security of your computer system? David Nichols Interlott Technologies Inc. ...

City must get grip on urban housing issues.
November 1, 2000... Editor: As a former Cincinnati resident, I am perplexed by the city's inability to capitalize on the current period of prolonged economic expansion in the way that other cities throughout the country are doing. Buildings continue to...

Law boosting H-1B visas will help employers.
November 1, 2000... The American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act of 2000 (AC21) greatly improves an already very attractive option for both employers and foreign employees. here in the United States. The new law allows for increases in the amount of H-1B...

Global market best way to go.
November 1, 2000... It is likely that the protesters who will be hugging the sidewalk next to the Omni Netherland Plaza will attract more attention than the approximately 200 men and women meeting inside. But the gathering Nov. 17-18 of THE TransAtlantic Business...

Life in Big Boss chair not all that bad.
November 1, 2000... I'm a boss. There, I said it. I guess it didn't hurt as badly as thought. But it still doesn't feel very good. See, there were four things I promised myself when I graduated from college in 1986. First, that I would never again...

All Awards Program 2000.
November 1, 2000... Building award-winning projects is a combination of outstanding companies, dedicated employees and safe work practices. With this combination and the desire to reach the pinnacle of success you have the key elements for a winner. ABC is proud...

Meet the Judges.
November 1, 2000... Lauren Abel, President of Abel Associates, Inc. and Writer of the TOBY Awards Supplement Abel Associates, Inc. is a full-service marketing and communications company specializing in public relations, media relations and marketing. Abel...

About the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).
November 1, 2000... BOMA is the oldest and largest association serving the office building industry in the United States, Canada and the world. Founded in 1907, BOMA International is a dynamic federation of 99 local associations whose members own or manage more...

Westlake Center.
November 1, 2000... Westlake Office Park is a multi-tenant suburban office park consisting of three mid-rise buildings. The buildings are six and seven stories high and have total square footage ranging from 180,000 to 218,000 square feet and having individual...