The Business Journal Serving Metropolitan Kansas City articles from April 2001

The Business Journal Serving Metropolitan Kansas City archives from April 2001

Leawood office park turns its sights to CBIZ units.
April 27, 2001... Emboldened after landing the regional headquarters of United Parcel Service Inc. last week, the owner of Pinnacle Corporate Centre in Leawood is stalking even larger prey: the combined offices of MHM Business Services Inc. and Robert D....

Dallas developer makes call for aid for 911 building.
April 27, 2001... The owner of a long-vacant office building at 911 Walnut St. in downtown Kansas City wants tax increment financing to help cover the cost of restoring the Depression-era sky-scraper. Simbol Commercial Inc. of Dallas will make its case...

Nurses petition NLRB for union representation.
April 27, 2001... Nurses from the Medical Center of Independence filed a petition for union representation this week with the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board in Overland Park, making it the latest development in the ongoing effort of...

Kansas Speedway no match for Gov. Bill "LeadFoot" Graves.
April 27, 2001... The wheels of government turn slowly, except when they're driven by Kansas Gov. Bill Graves. Especially when Graves slips behind the wheel of a stock car as if he were Gov. Petty, which he did Monday at the Kansas Speedway when the...

All about the music, man.
April 27, 2001... The Experience Music Project, that swoopy-styled structure in Seattle dedicated to the free forms of sound, has quite a few Kansas City connections. So many, in fact, that the American Institute of Architects Kansas City Chapter is...

Flora and fauna for sale.
April 27, 2001... Spring is in bloom throughout the metro, and it's for sale this weekend at the Ozanam greenhouse. Ozanam, a treatment center for children, will have its annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 and April 28 at the Ozanam campus,...

Lacrosse, Lee's Summit style.
April 27, 2001... An "Off The Beat" salute to Lee's Summit resident Russ Cline, whom the National Lacrosse League just named as its Executive of the Year for the 2000-2001 season. Cline is president and co-owner of the NLL's Philadelphia Wings, who...

Architect's unusual designs keep A. Zahner Co. busy.
April 27, 2001... A. Zahner Co.'s experience bringing an avant-garde architect's visions to reality is about to result in a contract worth about $20 million. The Kansas City metal fabrication company is in line to design and build the sheet-metal skin for...

'Life in big chunks'.
April 27, 2001... Bob Cattanach Vice president, MC Real Estate Services Inc. The setting in Bob Cattanach's office is orderly, serene: walls lined with awards, degrees and family vacation photos; a laptop computer, situated just so. The effect forms...

KC Southern hopes Panama Canal rail carries the freight.
April 27, 2001... Kansas City Southern Industries is hoping lightning will strike twice south of the border. With a railway already up and running successfully in Mexico, Kansas City Southern is working to rebuild a line first completed in 1855 that runs...

Mutual funds push alternative to cashing out 401(k) accounts.
April 27, 2001... With more layoffs taking place and job changes increasingly prevalent, Americans are dipping into their 401 (k) retirement plans early for ready cash -- and paying a heavy price for it. A recent survey by Fidelity Investments found that...

CORRECTIONS.
April 27, 2001... * Because of incorrect information, the status of online travel site Lowestfare.com was misstated in an article in the March 30-April 5 edition of The Business Journal. The company is still in business. * The name of Overland Park...

Proponents fear Senate may leave prompt-pay bills in on-deck circle.
April 27, 2001... Missouri lawmakers have found time this session to meet with Mark McGuire and debate financing for sports stadiums. But legislation to force insurers to pay health care providers in a timely manner may once again strike out. Although...

Software marketer FriendlyWorks closes office, site.
April 27, 2001... FriendlyWorks Inc., a Lenexa company that marketed computer software that would help elderly people navigate the Internet, is closed and apparently out of business. The company's headquarters near 95th Street and Pflumm Road was locked...

Rush of the Information Age can blur line dividing news, PR.
April 27, 2001... In today's information-down-your-throat world offull-court-press advertising and marketing, the line between news and promotion is getting harder to recognize. Whether it be in print or on television, "advertorials" are becoming more...

Changes in store for art festival include new date and location.
April 27, 2001... The organizers of La Strada dell Arte are drawing up plans to move their street art fair to Union Station from Liberty Memorial. The event's date also will change to the weekend of Oct. 6 and 7 from June. Ray Braswell, who leads the...

House committee will examine Defense contract with Chinese.
April 27, 2001... Now that China has released the crew of a U.S. Navy spy plane, the Department of Defense faces hostile fire from Congress for. its decision to award Chinese companies a contract to make berets for U.S. soldiers. The House Small Business...

Web site operators pay fines for violating kids' privacy act.
April 27, 2001... Three Web site operators agreed to pay a total of $100,000 in fines after the Federal Trade Commission accused them of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personally identifying information about kids without...

More small businesses now rely on credit cards, Fed reports.
April 27, 2001... An increasing number of small businesses rely on credit cards, according to a new Federal Reserve Board survey. The Fed found that 45 percent of the 3,561 small business owners it surveyed used personal credit cards for business purposes...

Not all charities grieve eve about movement to kill the estate tax.
April 27, 2001... Local experts say the movement to eliminate the federal estate tax shouldn't dramatically affect donors' giving patterns -- at least while those donors are alive. Charitable organizations have watched the estate tax issue closely. Some...

Hospitals consider affiliations alliance.
April 27, 2001... Cushing Memorial Hospital in Leavenworth soon could fall within the Saint Luke's-Shawnee Mission Health System umbrella. Officials from both organizations are discussing a potential affiliation agreement, which would include shared management...

MyCart rolling along by offering tools to design e-commerce sites.
April 27, 2001... Most Fridays after work, MyCart.net cofounders Marc O'Leary and Derrick Wool-worth pop open a few beers in the conference room. They turn on the overhead screen and check out the 50 or 60 businesses that opened e-commerce storefronts that...

Wireless provider CTC could be last one standing in KC market.
April 27, 2001... Local wireless broadband provider Computers & Tele-Comm is winning the war of attrition. The Independence-based company has seen its only significant competitor -WorkNet Inc. - leave the market and national wireless heavyweight Winstar...

UMKC lab uses X-rays to make unseeable crystal clear.
April 27, 2001... Imagine a molecule so small that it can't be seen with an electron microscope. These days, scientists can overcome even this hurdle to figure out what such a mole cule might look like. Using an imaging technique called X-ray...

AmericanGreetings.com traffic jumps.
April 27, 2001... Nielsen//NetRatings, a syndicated service that provides Internet audience information, reported that American Greetings.com beat out other greeting card Web sites for the biggest jump in traffic from U.S. office workers during the week...

First Tuesday expects big crowd.
April 27, 2001... The organizers of technology networking session First Tuesday are expecting a big crowd for their May 1 event, held in conjunction with the E-Bnsiness Solutions Expo & Conference at the Crown Center Exhibit Hall. Guests at the gathering...

Center offers training for nonprofits.
April 27, 2001... The Verizon Foundation is working with the Center for Management Assistance and underwriting the costs of technology training for area nonprofit organizations. The foundation is the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications. Nonprofits...

L.A. software firm moves to Riverside.
April 27, 2001... Los Angeles-based software company Innovative Software Technologies Inc. is moving its corporate offices to 112 N.W. Parkway in Riverside. Innovative also announced that Douglas Hackett, former director of technology holding company...

Great-West is second tenant for new Corporate Woods office.
April 27, 2001... Corporate Woods has signed Great-West Life & Annuity Co. as the second tenant in the Overland Park office park's new building, which will open in July. Great-West, which is consolidating offices now split between another building in...

Monster truck tour will visit Kansas Speedway in July.
April 27, 2001... The Kansas Speedway announced that the TRUXPO Truck Tour, a national touring show featuring monster trucks and activities for truck and SUV enthusiasts, will come to the track July 21 and 22. The TRXPO features monster trucks in...

OSHA proposes $118,500 fine for KCK manufacturer Cramer.
April 27, 2001... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a fine of $118,500 for violations by Cramer Inc. of Kansas City, Kan. Cramer, a manufacturer of stuffed, upholstered office chairs and stepladders, received 17 alleged serious...

Four area lawyers join case in Hutchinson gas explosion.
April 27, 2001... Four area lawyers were appointed as plaintiff's co-lead-counsel in the litigation resulting from a January gas explosion in Hutchinson, Kan. Jim Bartimus and Jim Frickleton, founders of Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Obetz, and John M....

Three women get nominations for Court of Appeals judgeship.
April 27, 2001... Three women have been nominated to fill a slot on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District Laura Denvir left the seat to join the Missouri Supreme Court on March 7. The names of the nominees - Lisa White Hardwick, Cynthia Lynette...

Magistrate ends jurisdiction in TMC obstetrics care case.
April 27, 2001... A voluntary agreement among the U.S. Attorney's office, Truman Medical Center and Hospital Hill Health Services Corp. has led to improvements in obstetrical care. As a result, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Larson has terminated his ancillary...

Children are the victims of school district woes.
April 27, 2001... Remove the Kansas City School Board members from the picture. Take away the lawyers and the judges. Forget the speeches in the Missouri General Assembly. Try with all your might to strip away stereotypes and suspicions about race and economic...

Free speech part of adman's smoke, mirrors.
April 27, 2001... Hal Shoup spent part of his career in the toughest creative field I can imagine -- lobbying for to bacco and alcohol advertising. Shoup retires this month after serving in Washington, D.C., for 12 years as executive vice president of the...

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
April 27, 2001... Layoffs as dicey for companies as for workers William Ward was in a quandary. The chairman and CEO of OTR Express Inc. had tried a number of moves to cut losses at the Olathe-based trucking company, including cutting the salary of two...

The truth? You can handle the truth in dealing with tough issues at work.
April 27, 2001... Will you please tell the truth? I know, you're saying to yourself, "But, Jen, I always tell the truth." Frankly, I don't believe you. Every day, I see people who don't have the capacity to deal with tough issues, so they run and hide....

Supreme Court decision may make employer arbitration more binding.
April 27, 2001... In a recent decision that probably will increase the popularity of binding arbitration among employers, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided that employers can force, employees to take job-related disputes to arbitration rather than to court....

HOT TOOLS.
April 27, 2001... Work sites can reduce theft by marking tools, keeping them locked up Investigators in the Kansas City area are targeting what they said they think are organized efforts by people using the Internet to peddle stolen construction site...

INDUSTRY INFO.
April 27, 2001... A single-family home sold for an average price of $201,284 in Johnson County in February, an increase of 5 percent from February 2000. Realtors closed 548 sales in February, down 2 percent from the previous year. Home builders in Johnson...

Busy building season.
April 27, 2001... Financial markets may be sputtering, but most of the Capital Region construction market is humming along, heading into another busy season. Last year, there was a 20 percent increase in man-hours worked. Local construction experts said...

Signed, sealed and delivered.
April 27, 2001... As countries or cultures go, the United States is still relatively young, but because of its immigrant character, many centuries-old traditions constitute its cultural fabric. Such is the case for the construction industry's continued...

Arena progress.
April 27, 2001... More than three months into the $19.5 million capital campaign to renovate Wichita State University's Henry Levitt Arena, officials said they have raised $15.5 million in pledges. It's a good beginning, but it's not enough to ensure the...

Modern buildings don't lack decoration -- it's just different.
April 27, 2001... The architectural firm Devine deFlon Yaeger Inc. rents the third floor and dome of the Uptown Theater building. Architects there said they chose the space, in large part, because they appreciated the architectural detail of the building --...

Companies look for new ways to recruit, retain project managers.
April 27, 2001... Project managers are getting as difficult to hold onto as a greased pig. With commercial construction continuing at a steady pace, top project managers have plenty of opportunities to shop around for a better job. "People are even...

Confidence is high in KC market; real estate agents see record sales.
April 27, 2001... Flagging consumer confidence hasn't' affected the construction market in the Kansas City area. In fact, industry observers said they haven't seen it so good in a long time. And they predict the current health of the market will continue. ...

3-D images change the way potential projects are viewed.
April 27, 2001... Three-dimensional images have come a long way from the days of red-and-blue glasses. The development of technologies allowing general contractors, architects and designers to produce 3-D digital images and presentations has become essential...

TOP AREA PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS.
April 27, 2001... TOP AREA PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS (ranked by number of active staff physicians) Physician Organizations This category includes hospital physician organizations [1], corporate multispecialty group practices and management...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
April 27, 2001... ACCOUNTING Lara Miller, William Nicks III, Trent Roehler and Arika Taylor have joined the audit department of Baird Kurtz & Dobson as staff accountants. They assist with general audit and accounting engagements. Miller is a December...

Law Day, Liabilities and the Law.
April 27, 2001... Some people are calling this a recession. Others say our economy has merely slowed down, and the optimists say we are taking a brief pause from the unsustainable pace of rapid growth. It does not matter what you call it, as long as you can...

Bankruptcy by the Numbers.
April 27, 2001... The spending frenzy of the 1990s, and the slowing economy, have caused a significant increase in bankruptcy filings. In the mid-1980s, 43% of families had at least one credit card. By 1998, 68% of families had credit cards. Between 1990 and...

Beware the Digital Do's and Don'ts.
April 27, 2001... Now that your company has been sued, what are you going to do? Notify your defense insurance liability carrier? Call your attorney? Shift your company's assets to Swiss bank accounts? Skip the country? After having considered all these...

Businesses Beware of Unclaimed Property.
April 27, 2001... The normal business operations of virtually every company produce at least some unclaimed property. In fact, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), businesses and other entities are now holding...

Dissolving Your Business Entity?
April 27, 2001... Don't Forget to Dispose of Creditors' Claims as Provided by Missouri Law When a business that is operated as a Missouri general partnership ("GP"), limited liability company ("LLC") or corporation dissolves, Missouri law provides...

The Fair Debt Collections Act: Whom It Applies To and What It Provides.
April 27, 2001... In 1996, Congress amended the Consumer Credit Protection Actin an effort to prohibit abusive practices by debt collectors against consumers and to even the playing field for those debt collectors who use non-abusive methods. Apparently,...

Bankruptcy: A Possible Solution for the Financially Distressed Business.
April 27, 2001... Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code can be attractive for a company experiencing financial difficulty, because it provides the company time and breathing room to address its problems. Bankruptcy, however, is not a panacea...

Structuring to Limit Liability.
April 27, 2001... Businesses can be structured in a number of ways in an effort to limit the liability exposure of owners, and others involved in the business, foi business debts and other liabilities. Due to the frequent use of loans and other credit...

Article 9 of the UCC is Being Revised, Why Should You Care?
April 27, 2001... Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code ("UCC"), enacted by all states and the District of Columbia, is the body of law that governs transactions which involve the granting of credit secured by your personal property ("Current Article 9")....

Deducting Your Investment Loss in Closely Held Companies.
April 27, 2001... Investment losses in closely held companies may present a considerable problem insofar as maximizing deductibility from state and federal taxes. Investing in closely held companies generally takes the form of common stock investment or a...

So You've Been Asked to be an Outside Director.
April 27, 2001... Missouri is striving to attract and develop technology driven new companies. For example, the Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise and the Danforth Plant Science Center in the St. Louis area are spearheading a collaboration by businesses...

BY THE NUMBERS.
April 27, 2001... BY THE NUMBERS The Heart of America United Way has announced its area financing allocations for 2001. Nearly 800 nonprofit agencies will receive a total of $25.1 million. Some of the top recipients and their allocations for 2001: *...

Developer says Olathe arena 'a go'.
April 20, 2001... Developers of an indoor sports arena in Olathe aren't waiting for the city to finish a feasibility study to decide whether to proceed. "This project is ago," said Greg Bair, president of Topeka-based Myriad Development Co. "We will open."...

Techtropolis.
April 20, 2001... Lenexa reinvents itself as technology mecca for residents, business This isn't the 2001 of hovercrafts, moving sidewalks and deep-space travel some may have foretold. But in Lenexa, it's about as close as it gets. As the municipality...

Life Sciences Institute develops formal game plan for effort.
April 20, 2001... A newly crafted operations plan calls for the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute to be more of a facilitator than a referee of efforts to transform the metro area into a center for life sciences research. Bill Duncan, interim,...

Care providers debate need for CON law.
April 20, 2001... A Missouri law that requires state approval before health care providers can build or expand their facilities is the latest battleground in the argument about whether the marketplace can be trusted to ensure the best care for people. ...

Black belt ties business lessons to tae kwon do championship.
April 20, 2001... Kansas City is steeped in Western traditions. But tycoon Nam Souk Kim wants to bring a little of the Far East to the city famous for cattle stockyards and westward trails. Kim, a native of South Korea and a ninth degree black belt in...

A real challenge.
April 20, 2001... Adventurer Ann Bancroft, who recently was part of the first all-women's crossing of Antarctica, will face her ultimate challenge. next week. more than 900 local Girl Scouts and their guests at Crown Center. Bancroft will share her story...

Gone but not forgotten.
April 20, 2001... MilesPrentice, spurned suitor of the Kansas City Royals, hasn't been heard from much in these parts since David Glass became owner of the team more than a year ago. But Prentice's name has crept up again in the Gold Banc Corp. proxy...

Plugged in.
April 20, 2001... The National Electrical Contractors Association thinks safe babies are happy babies, and playing with electrical outlets isn't part of that equation. To that end, the organization will distribute baby safety electrical outlet cap kits in...

UPS will deliver HQ package to Leawood in July.
April 20, 2001... United Parcel Service Inc., the Atlanta-based express delivery giant, plans to move a regional headquarters to Leawood from Omaha. Plans call for the office to open July 1 with 75 to 100 employees. The Kansas City Area Development Council...

Success and sacrifice.
April 20, 2001... David Frankland President, Delano Technology Corp. David Frankland grew up moving to a new town every four years whether he wanted to or not. Nowadays, he's still moving, but in the corporate jet, not a U-Haul. In his job as...

Projects work to make offices, lofts good neighbors.
April 20, 2001... Dana Gibson knew be was on to something two and a half years ago when he got a call from one of Kansas City's old-line law firms asking about space in the River Market. The area's bohemian loft-style offices had pulled in artists,...

BY THE NUMBERS.
April 20, 2001... International exports from Kansas rose to $5.1 billion in 2000, an increase of 4 percent from 1999. In the past two years, Kansas exports have increased 14 percent or $600 million. This graphic shows Kansas top five export markets for 2000....

Saepio, Bi-State deal 'in limbo,' but company moves forward.
April 20, 2001... In recent weeks, Saepio Technologies Inc. has reached profitability and landed an investment deal with new venture capital firm Weary & Associates. But a potential deal between the Lenexa company and the Bi-State Investment Group may...

Missouri chamber hopes health program will boost coverage, cut businesses' costs.
April 20, 2001... The Missouri Chamber of Commerce is launching a program geared toward helping small employer's better manage health insurance costs. Missouri Chamber Care will enable employers to self-insure routine health care services and use...

CORRECTION.
April 20, 2001... The address of Hostess Web site was incorrect in the April 13-19 edition of The Business Journal. It is www.twinkies.com.

Furniture leasing firm sues PVI for alleged musical chairs game.
April 20, 2001... In the latest of many lawsuits against Peripheral Vision Infosystems Inc., a former supplier is accusing the failed computer technology company of, among other things, holding onto at least $30,000 worth of leased office furniture it hasn't...

KC chamber forecast says the worst is over.
April 20, 2001... The worst of the economic dip is over, according to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's midyear economic forecast. The forecast, prepared by the Mid-America Regional Council and released this week, predicts growth in business...

Curb appeal of Xceligent's virtual listings grows among brokers.
April 20, 2001... Xceligent Inc., an upstart commercial real estate data collection service, is preparing to introduce an enhanced version of the software that drives its system on May 1 after signing up most commercial real estate brokers in Kansas City. ...

Henderson's latest engineering feat: combining offices.
April 20, 2001... Fast-growing Henderson Engineers Inc. will consolidate its offices at Pine Ridge Business Park on April 23. The company has had two locations in the Lenexa business park. Jana McCallop, a Henderson spokeswoman, said the firm will remain...

CRM takes root as way to build customer loyalty.
April 20, 2001... Commerce used to be simple. Businesses made and sold products, and customers bought them. Few questions asked. But with the Internet and e-commerce, customers are no longer the last link in the business supply chain. With more options...

Planet Salvage gets star in the business to join online marketplace.
April 20, 2001... Lenexa-based Planet Salvage Inc. has signed a deal to bring a Ford Motor Co. subsidiary into its orbit. GreenLeaf LLC, which is based in Dearborn, Mich., will use Planet Salvage's online marketplace to buy and sell parts and entire...

San Diego firm buys Lenexa's Claimport in $3.2m cash deal.
April 20, 2001... One of Kansas City's Internet pioneers has been sold to a San Diego software company. HNC Software Inc. has acquired Lenexa technology company ClaimPort Inc. in a $3.2 million cash transaction Formerly known as UniClaim, ClaimPort was a...