Indianapolis Business Journal articles from July 2006

Indianapolis Business Journal archives from July 2006

Black Expo CEO seeks 'next level': Rogers hopes to build on Williams' legacy.(chief executive officer)(Joyce Q. Rogers)(Charles Williams)
July 3, 2006... The title of Indiana Black Expo Inc.'s 2005 annual report couldn't be more fitting: "Continuing the Legacy." It's an apt description for both the organization's recent history and its goals for the future. As Black Expo prepares to...

Honda poses pay dilemma: new auto plants higher wages likely to force other employers to pay up or lose workers.(Honda Motor Co.)
July 3, 2006... GREENSBURG--Companies from Cincinnati to Indianapolis hoping to drive home business from Honda Motor Co.'s 2,000-employee plant might want to watch for an economic pothole hiding up the road. Giant auto plants plopped onto the prairie,...

IPS swap a flop? Browning tells district to drop land-trade plan; site drew just 3 bids despite prime location.(renovation of Indianapolis Public Schools)
July 3, 2006... Indianapolis Public Schools is sitting on a 12-acre parcel of prime downtown land it probably could sell for big bucks. But its pursuit of a land swap instead has tempered interest in the site and raised questions about whether such a...

Colts waiting list grows fast: despite hot ticket sales, team makes big marketing push to ensure new stadium will be sold out.
July 3, 2006... The Indianapolis Colts in early July will unleash its most aggressive marketing campaign ever-even though demand for tickets, club seats and corporate suites at its RCA Dome home exceeds supply. The push is all about the future. Billboards...

Local equestrian show jumps into limelight: only 2 years old, competition has grown into major event.
July 3, 2006... In only its second year, a unique Indianapolis equestrian competition is gaining a following among equine enthusiasts well beyond Indiana. And organizers already are planning to expand the event into one of the nation's largest hunter/jumper...

Developer goes west with retail: Lauth's Brownsburg Station to cover nearly 70 acres.(Lauth Property Group)
July 3, 2006... Lauth Property Group soon will break ground on Brownsburg Station, a massive retail complex that will be one of the largest in the Indianapolis area. The Brownsburg property, which will be roughly 500,000 square feet and sit on almost 70...

A spicy spat is under wraps: Judge seals auditor lawsuit.(BEHIND THE NEWS)
July 3, 2006... National Wine and Spirits Inc., Indianapolis' eighth-largest private company, in early June sued accounting giant Ernst & Young, charging "fraud and deception." But don't expect to peek into the court file to get the juicy details. Marion...

Doctor takes on state over Medicaid payments: Psychiatrist claims he's being forced out of business.
July 3, 2006... A Franklin psychiatrist has accused the state agency that runs Medicaid of suffocating his practice in a reimbursement dispute that dates back more than a year. Dr. John Lewis said the weekly Medicaid checks that keep his Harmony Center...

Leader tapped to make the IMA a 'must see': new director to focus on art and nature park.(Indianapolis Museum of Art)
July 3, 2006... The Indianapolis Museum of Art's new director isn't afraid to ruffle feathers. During his five years as director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, he reportedly butted heads with the board over programming and oversaw a staff...

Carmel firm grows up in emerging market: BlueBean acquisition makes it one-stop RFID shop.(radio-frequency-identification)
July 3, 2006... A small Indiana firm is looking to become a big player in the emerging radio-frequency-identification market. Carmel-based BlueBean LLC is one of a small but growing number of firms nationally that provide consulting services to companies...

Patient safety center steers clear of the blame game: new approach modeled after aviation industry.(Indiana Patient Safety Center)
July 3, 2006... Indiana hospitals are drawing inspiration from the aviation industry for their latest push to reduce medical errors. The Indiana Patient Safety Center, which opened July 1, will foster a blame-free approach to reporting errors, much like...

Hail Honda deal: but let's keep eye on other prizes.(Honda Motor Co contracts)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Honda Motor Co.'s selection of a site near Greensburg for its $550 million car assembly plant is a victory for rural Indiana, where family roots and a slower pace sometimes seem like the only selling points. The Honda plant's 2,000 jobs, along...

Review smoking ban.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Carmel's city council recently rejected a proposal that would've added bars to the list of places where smoking is prohibited. That was before the June 27 release of the U.S. Surgeon General's recent report confirming the dangers of...

Take 2 aspirin and a few months off.(analysis of sabbaticals)
July 3, 2006... Ever feel like a vacation isn't quite long enough? Like you're just starting to relax when it's time to go back to work? Like you never get the chance to take stock--of your business or your life? Maybe what you need is a sabbatical. ...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 3, 2006... Craig Lloyd Denney is vice president of operations and quality assurance at Synermed International Inc. His name was incorrect on the June 26 list of Largest Indianapolis-Area Medical Device and Product Developers.

Tattoos aren't only things we hide: a growing number of tattoos are found in places one normally would not have seen in years past.(property taxes and investments of business enterprises)
July 3, 2006... I admit I don't understand the world in which I live. For example, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reports that 24 percent of Americans age 18 to 50 have one or more tattoos. That rises to 36 percent when we look...

Sex-offender laws often miss the mark.
July 3, 2006... Although I consider myself a reasonably intelligent individual, there are some things I don't understand, like why there's Braille at drive-through ATMs, why some bookmarks cost $1 (it would be easier to use the dollar), and why we have most...

Media should get off propaganda kick.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 3, 2006... [In response to Bruce Hetrick's June 26 column] I take strong exception to the manner in which the general media and Al Gore have taken to express their biased view. His constant claim that debate on the issue is over from a scientific...

Global warming is our moment of truth.(Letter to the editor)
July 3, 2006... [In response to Bruce Hetrick's June 26 column] until this time last year I hadn't made up my mind whether the planet was in a global-warming crisis. I believed, or wanted to believe for selfish reasons, that scientists were split on the...

Hospital building lands new owner.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital patients shouldn't notice anything different now that a Tennessee company has closed a deal to buy the hospital building and an adjacent medical office for $65 million. Nashville-based Healthcare Realty Trust...

New tune for Symphony.(Jeffery Hale joins Symphony Bank)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Roughly six months after opening its doors, Indianapolis-based Symphony Bank has a new CEO. Jeffery Hale has been hired to fill the role and replace Steve Tolen, who had been in the position since the bank opened in December. Tolen has...

Law firm returning to tower.
July 3, 2006... The last tenant of One Indiana Square displaced by a storm more than three months ago is set to return to the damaged tower July 10. The Krieg DeVault LLP law firm, which occupies floors 27 to 29, will remain somewhat dislodged, however....

Radio Disney goes mobile.(MSpot Radio)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Radio Disney has announced it has joined forces with Pale Alto, Calif.-based MSpot to launch the network on mobile phones. Targeting the lifestyle of millions of mobile listeners, Radio Disney now offers youth-oriented music, news and...

Hotel to get tax break.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The National Park Service will likely give the developers of downtown's new Homewood Suites at 211 S. Meridian St. a federal tax credit equal to 20 percent of the cost of the building's historic rehabilitation. Valparaiso-based Good...

Crowe Chizek and Co. LLC has named the following to the commercial services group.(appointments)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Crowe Chizek and Co. LLC has named the following to the commercial services group: Nick Rasche and Kymberly Shoulders, senior staff; Jay Sutton and Greg Gallaway, senior managers; and Chad Campbell, Hadley Meyer, Laura Kuh, Gabe Wansitler and...

BKD LLP.(appointments)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... BKD LLP has added the following: Sally A. Hardgrove, senior managing consultant in health care, and Elizabeth A. Hazzard, transfer pricing consultant in international tax. Jacqueline R. Simmons has been promoted to senior consultant.

Nathan Hagerman has joined Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
July 3, 2006... Nathan Hagerman has joined Deloitte & Touche USA LLP as a manager with Deloitte Tax LLP.

Katz, Sapper & Miller LLP.(ACCOUNTING)
July 3, 2006... Katz, Sapper & Miller LLP has promoted the following to managers: *Erin Groombridge, *Alan Kumsz, *Jason Miller, * Jason Patch, * Joe Ripperger and * Christine Woosley.

James Snider has joined Precept Design LLC.(ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN/ENGINEERING)
July 3, 2006... James Snider has joined Precept Design LLC as project coordinator.

BSA LifeStructures.(appointments)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... BSA LifeStructures has added the following: Angela Stark, information technology; Jeffrey Perrin and William Harmon electrical engineering; Eric Madison and Anita Wasson, computer-aided design and drafting technicians.

Aaron Wiley has joined Applied Engineering Services Inc.(ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN/ENGINEERING)
July 3, 2006... Aaron Wiley has joined Applied Engineering Services Inc. as a project engineer.

Heartland Community Bank has named the following.(appointmnets of Alexa McKnight, Lisa Shirar and Jeff Tiliman)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Heartland Community Bank has named the following: * Alexa McKnight, vice president, branch operations; * Lisa Shirar, vice president, compliance and CRA officer; and * Jeff Tiliman, vice president, consumer loan manager.

Wayne Dimmock has joined Stock Yards Bank.(BANKING)
July 3, 2006... * Wayne Dimmock has joined Stock Yards Bank as vice president and regional sales manager in the mortgage group.

Goodwill Industdes of Central Indiana Inc..(Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana Inc.)(appointments)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana inc. has named the following new board of directors: Matt Cohoat, Duke Realty Corp., and Bill Wast, Mays Chemical Co. The Goodwill Industries Foundation of Central Indiana Inc. has elected the...

Valle Vista Health System in Greenwood.(appointment of Allison Creekmore and Laura Guise)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Allison Creekmore has been named community and residential placement liaison at Valle Vista Health System in Greenwood. Laura Guise has joined as the assessment & referral manager.

Dr. Woodrow "Woody" A. Corey has joined the Methodist Cardiology Physicians practice.(HEALTHCARE)
July 3, 2006... * Dr. Woodrow "Woody" A. Corey has joined the Methodist Cardiology Physicians practice as co-director of cardiology and interventional cardiology at Clarian North Medical Center.

Indiana University Medical Group.(HEALTH CARE)
July 3, 2006... Robert K. Stimac has been named chief business intelligence officer for Indiana University Medical Group specialty care.

St. Vincent Wound Care and Diabetic Foot Center.(appointment of Tim Stewart and Dan Pantos)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... * Tim Stewart has been named director of clinical operations at St. Vincent Wound Care and Diabetic Foot Center. * Dan Pantos has been named regional marketing coordinator.

New leader brings spark to Black Chamber: membership doubles to 100, but some in community question whether a separate organization is needed.(diversity in business)(Indianapolis Black Chamber of Commerce)(Biography)
July 3, 2006... The walls of Turae Dabney's office at the Indianapolis Black Chamber of Commerce are covered in easel paper scribbled with enough notes to make an anal-retentive person dizzy. Though garbled to visitors, the pages hold the key to her vision...

Work still elusive for people with disabilities: employment rates remain stagnant even though a wealth of programs are finding success placing workers.(DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS)
July 3, 2006... The lesson Amy Kurzekwa taught the folks at the downtown Gregory & Appel Insurance agency reaches far beyond what they learned about premiums and deductibles. Since 1992, she has taken the bus to her job there as a clerical assistant,...

Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration schedule of events.(calendar)(Calendar)
July 3, 2006... Indiana Black Expo will kick off its 36th annual Summer Celebration on July 6. Some of these events may require reservations, invitations or Indiana Convention Center admission fees. More information on these events and the organization can...

Largest Indianapolis-area minority-owned businesses: (ranked by number of FTE employees).(directory)(full time equivalent employee )(Directory)(Table)
July 3, 2006... Largest Indianapolis-Area Minority-Owned Businesses (Ranked by number of FTE employees) FTE EMPLOYEES RANK BUSINESS PERCENTAGE INDPLS. REVENUE *: 2005 ADDRESS ...

Wise investors analyze businesses, not market.(BULLS & BEARS)
July 3, 2006... For my mid-year column, I've decided to run Warren Buffett's discussion of Benjamin Graham's classic allegory on the stock market called "Mr. Market." Note that Buffett wrote the words below soon after the 1987 market crash. "Whenever...

Over the counter: June 22-28, 2006.(STOCKS)(Statistical table)
July 3, 2006... OVER THE COUNTER June 22-28, 2006 Wed week ytd % 52-week 52-week close change change high low AMB FINANCIAL 14.60 0.00 8.15 16.49 12.98 AMERICAN...

Time to ditch widely touted--but wrong--investing rules.(INVESTING)
July 3, 2006... We love a good conspiracy in America. The FBI just spent millions of dollars looking for Jimmy Hoffa again, and again came up empty. We'll be talking about who killed JFK until our grandkids are gone. Today, I am going to start a new one,...

Time to confront high cost of building our highways.(ECONOMIC ANALYSIS)
July 3, 2006... Of all the arguments against Indiana's innovative Major Moves initiative to finance new road construction, the most persuasive one I heard goes something like this: It's great to get $3.8 billion upfront from a 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll...

The Finish Line Inc.(financial report of Finish Line Inc.)(Financial report)
July 3, 2006... The Finish Line Inc., 3308 N. Mitthoeffer Road, Indianapolis, www.thefinishline.com, is a specialty retailer of brand-name athletic and leisure footwear, activewear and accessories. For the quarter ended May 27, the company reported net income...

Humane Society of Indianapolis.(organizational overview)(Regional, state, or local organization overview)
July 3, 2006... 7929 N. Michigan Road Indianapolis, IN 46268 Phone: 872-5650/fax: 876-2428 Web site: www.indyhumane.org Founded: 1905 Paid employees: 54 full time, 4 part time Highest-paid staff member: Martha Boden, CEO, $100,000 ...

Lawsuit slams Marsh brass, board.(Stories reported in IBJ daily: Thurs., June 22-Wed., June 28)
July 3, 2006... A lawsuit filed June 27 on behalf of Marsh Supermarkets Inc. shareholders charges the company's senior management and board knowingly signed off on "false and misleading" annual reports. It also accuses company leaders of "gross mismanagement"...

Fresh Market makes offer on Atlas site.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... North Carolina-based Fresh Market is close to a deal to move into the former Atlas Supermarket site at 54th Street and College Avenue. Jon Stafford, Fresh Market's director of real estate, called Jim Garrettson, president of the Meridian...

Calumet to raise $105m by selling more shares.(Calumet Specialty Products Partners, LP)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Indianapolis-based Calumet Specialty Products Partners LP plans to raise $105 million by selling 3.3 million shares in a secondary stock offering. The refining and petroleum-products company plans to use the money to pay down debt and fund the...

Toll road lease deal closes.(Stories reported in IBJ daily: Thurs., June 22-Wed., June 28)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The $3.8 billion deal to lease the Indiana Toll Road closed June 29, three days after receiving approval from the Indiana Finance Authority. The transaction privatizes the highway by putting an Australian-Spanish consortium in charge of...

Lauth files countersuit in casino dispute.(Lauth Resorts and Casinos LLC )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Lauth Resorts and Casinos LLC on June 21 filed a counter lawsuit against Cook Group Inc., its partner in a French Lick casino project. But like the documents related to Cook's suit against Lauth Resorts--an affiliate of Indianapolis-based Lauth...

Warsaw orthopedic firms subpoenaed in antitrust probe.(Stories reported in IBJ daily: Thurs., June 22--Wed., June 28)
July 3, 2006... Biomet Inc., Zimmer Holdings Inc. and DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. have each received a subpoena from the U.S. Justice Department requesting documents from January 2001 to the present. All three orthopedic firms are based in Warsaw. Michigan-based...

Internet directory.(website overview)(Website overview)
July 3, 2006... INTERNET/WEB SERVICES * ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS, INC. Client/Server & Internet Software Solutions (317) 776-8822 www.adaptivesys.com E-mail: sales@adaptivesys.com Exploiting the full strategic potential of the interneE begins...

Consultants engineer 'green' solutions: after years of taking any work it could find, company specializes in stormwater issues.(company profile of Williams Creek Consulting Inc.)(Company overview)
July 3, 2006... In development circles, the color green is often associated with money. But it has a different connotation for Indianapolis-based Williams Creek Consulting--an environmental one. Launched in 2002, the firm aims to help developers minimize...

Cartridge World.(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
July 3, 2006... Cartridge World, specializing in recycling, refilling and remanufacturing ink and lazer cartridges, has opened at 5550 W. 86th St. Phone: 471-8661.

Easter Seals Crossroads.(new facility of Easter Seals Crossroads)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Easter Seals Crossroads has added a south side location at Boulder Ridge, 5905 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 400, where occupational, physical and speech therapy will be provided by a staff of the agency's experienced therapists. The facility has more...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 3, 2006... Business-related calendar items should be submitted two weeks before event date. Contact bmaurer@ibj.com. July 3, 7 a.m.: Business & Professional Exchange, Career Networking, North chapter, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Fellowship...

Praxis Learning Networks LLC has selected Bonneau Production Services Inc.(CONTRACTS)
July 3, 2006... Praxis Learning Networks LLC has selected Bonneau Production Services Inc. as its public relations representative.

Conventions.(calendar)(Calendar)
July 3, 2006... July 1-July 4: Midwestern Tennis Association, Hilton indianapolis. Estimated attendance: 800 July 2-July 9: Barbershop Harmony Society, Conseco Fieldhouse. Estimated attendance: 9,000 July 6-July 9: The American Legion-Dept. of...

Eagle Creek Park Foundation.(FUND RAISING)
July 3, 2006... Eagle Creek Park Foundation to benefit from ninth annual Double Eagle Golf Tournament on July 12 at Eagle Creek Golf Course at noon. Cost: $175 per person. Call 327-7116 or sam.chambers@comcast.net.

Special Olympics of Marion and Hamilton counties.(FUND RAISING)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Special Olympics of Marion and Hamilton counties to benefit from 17th annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle on July 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine. A suggested $3 donation for an ice cream sundae with a variety of toppings. Call...

Indiana Youth Institute not-for-profits.(FUND RAISING)
July 3, 2006... Indiana Youth Institute not-for-profits to benefit from Golf Fore Kids on July 13 at the Winding Ridge Golf Club, Lawrence, at 11 a.m. Contact Leah Ballou at 842-1875.

Indiana Dollars for Scholars, a program of Scholarship America.(GRANTS)
July 3, 2006... Indiana Dollars for Scholars, a program of Scholarship America, will receive $198,400 grant over three years to increase access to postsecondary education from Lumina Foundation for Education.

People's Choice Award.(IN RECOGNITION)
July 3, 2006... Petty Custom Homes received the People's Choice Award at 2006 Home-A-Rama.

Riverview Hospital.(IN RECOGNITION)
July 3, 2006... Riverview Hospital has received a Telly for its Heart Bypass television spot as well as six more awards from Aster and Healthcare for advertising.

Media Award.(IN RECOGNITION)
July 3, 2006... Hetrick Communications received the Media Award from the Indiana Public Health Association.

Patents.(RECORDS)
July 3, 2006... From the May 9, 2006, Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mark Alan Schultz, Carmel Interrupt prioritization in a digital disk apparatus Assigned to Thomson Licensing No. 7,043,584 Debra K. Lawson, Gail D....

Of sexual predators, pit bulls and oddly lesser evils.(NOTIONS)
July 3, 2006... God, she's cute: Your little Paula or Patti or Pammy. Sitting there on the swing set, rocking back and forth, back and forth, her brunette locks blowing in the breeze. You watch her on the merry-go-round, spinning faster and faster. Watch...

Laughter proves best medicine for cancer survivor.(PROFILE: RYAN MCCORMICK)
July 3, 2006... When local 'companies need hazardous materials removed, Ryan McCormick hopes they call Active Environmental Services, an environmental services company based in College Park. McCormick, a part-time comic, has been the sales and marketing...

Another victory for Indy--at Chicago's expense.(SPORTS)(Indianapolis to host basketball tournament)
July 3, 2006... First the Big Ten basketball tournaments. Now the Western Open. Maybe those broad shoulders are beginning to sag a bit. The news that Chicago--longtime host of the prestigious Western Open--is now going to share its PGA Tour stop with...

Photo ops and Bush's poll numbers.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... Did it work? Are the numbers up? You know they're sitting inside there somewhere, all the televisions on, monitoring the news, the phones and the overnights, hoping you and I got caught up in the drama of seeing the president whisked...

The world of the iPod people.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... In a world as complicated as ours, there's no way we can really understand what's happening unless we're willing to make an investment of time. But many of us simply will not do that. We are too involved in our own lives, too busy, too...

War supporters still deny truths.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... Since last November, when U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., began calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, he has been under fire from hard-core conservatives. Like every combat veteran before him who has come to question the pretext...

'Stress of combat' is no excuse.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... So, Haditha becomes another of the names at which we wince, along with Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and My Lai. Tell you what: Let's not use the "stress of combat" excuse this time. According to neighbors, the girls in the family of Younis...

Hip-hip hooray for the death tax!(economic conditions)
July 3, 2006... So the estate tax cut went down in the Senate, to the cheers of class warriors everywhere. Congratulations to Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu, Ron Wyden and Mark Pryor--all of whom voted against death-tax repeal after voting in favor...

Bush and others need ethics training.(Forefront)(American soldiers)(Column)
July 3, 2006... At first, as news of three new alleged atrocities by American soldiers in Iraq took over the headlines of the world, I was gratified by Washington's response: We are going to give additional "ethics training" to those responsible. Good, I...

No new beginnings after Zarqawi.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... In the old days, they'd brandish the head of the captured chieftain from the battlements. These days, given the effects on human bone and tissue of artillery and 500-pound bombs, there's a cull from an old most-wanted list and then, when the...

Supply and demand drives prices.(Forefront)
July 3, 2006... Here's what one reader wrote: "Williams, I can understand how the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and Middle East political uncertainty can jack up gasoline prices. But it's price-gouging for the oil companies to raise the price of all the...

Truth about Haditha still unfolding.(Forefront)(Iraq)(Column)
July 3, 2006... Democrat Rep. John "Cut and Run" Murtha thinks he knows the truth about Haditha--and he has been blabbing it to every last cable show host that will host him. The loose-lipped former Marine has accused troops of wantonly killing some two dozen...

On a wing and a prayer at Starbucks.(LOCAL OPINION)
July 3, 2006... When I showed up for a cup of joe at the Monument Circle Starbuck's with David McIntosh, I figured it would be an hour of catching up and hashing out the issues of the day. We would not be alone. Seated at the outdoor table with the former...

Dropout rate biggest challenge.(LOCAL OPINION)(College dropouts)
July 3, 2006... When first I heard that half of he kids in the South Bend school system drop out, failing to get a high school diploma, I thought this couldn't be true. Half not graduating? Yes, it's true. It was revealed in a series written in April...

Buckle up and enjoy the ride.(LOCAL OPINION)
July 3, 2006... Perhaps no other governor in the history of Indiana received a mandate for change more resolutely than Gov. Mitch Daniels did in the 2004 election. Crisscrossing our great state as a candidate in RV-1, Daniels told everyone who would listen...