Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) articles from July 2006

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) archives from July 2006

Airport focuses on ramp safety after rash of ground mishaps.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Jul. 31--On Dec. 16, 1903, the eve of the Wright Brothers' historic first flight, Wilbur Wright accidentally stuck a screwdriver through the wing. Aviation-safety consultant Bob Vandel calls this "the first ever...

Airport road-tests new driving simulator.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Jul. 31--At Richmond International Airport, Fire Chief Jim Nilo takes the wheel of a computer-based driving simulator. "We're one of five airports in the country participating in a study to develop a low-cost...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
July 31, 2006... Jul. 31--ACCOUNTING: Shawn Harrigan has been promoted to senior associate with Goodman & Co. BANKING, INVESTMENTS At SunTrust Banks, Central Virginia: In the commercial division: --L. Charles Einwick III and Stephen P. Webb...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Biz Buzz column.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jul. 31--DOUBLE T'S EATERY NOW OPERATES IN AIRPORT ATRIUM: About 18 months ago, the company handling food operations at Richmond International Airport went searching for a local barbecue restaurant as one...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Trade Names column.
July 31, 2006... Jul. 31--NAME: Carrie Langelotti, partner since 1998 Born: Clinton, Ohio, Feb. 3, 1959 Education: bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Cum Laude, 1986, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; MBA, 1993, UNC at Charlotte ...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Company News column.
July 31, 2006... Jul. 31--NEW BUSINESS/OPENINGS --Perry & Associates, a real estate appraisals firm for the mortgage-lending marketplace, has opened an office at 2496 Old Ivy Road, Suite 226, in Charlottesville. --Thai Phan and Nguyen Vo have opened...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., executive profile column.
July 31, 2006... Jul. 31--MICHAEL FREDERICK NEW POSITION: director of business development, TFS Capital, the portfolio manager to the TFS Market Neutral Fund and TFS Small Cap Fund PREVIOUS POSITION: associate director, Virginia Athletics Foundation...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., American Trends column.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Gary Robertson Jul. 31--POLITICIANS HAVE NEW WAY TO REACH YOUNG VOTERS: Politicians are always looking for ways to connect with young voters, and now there's a new way -- register at their online social networks. A few...

Richmond fares not flying so high.
July 28, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Jul. 28--If you're getting good airfares in Richmond, enjoy them while they last, aviation experts said yesterday after a federal report about rising airline ticket prices nationally. Without JetBlue and AirTran's...

The people who sell us gas aren't the ones who make big profits.
July 28, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 28--When oil companies report record profits, consumers paying high gasoline prices sometimes get edgy. This week oil companies are reporting handsome and record earnings. Exxon-Mobil said yesterday, for...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Earnings column.
July 28, 2006... Jul. 28--RICHMOND-AREA FIRMS: Genworth Financial Inc. reported second-quarter earnings of $317 million, or 68 cents per share, up from $285 million, or 60 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Income growth was attributed to...

Goodwill to open store, employment center in Mechanicsville.
July 28, 2006... Jul. 28--Goodwill of Central Virginia will open a 25,000-square-foot store and employment center Saturday on Brandy Run Drive in Mechanicsville. The building, formerly a Skate America, features a donations drive-through. A similar facility is...

State Fair hitches wagon.
July 28, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 28--Horse-drawn wagon rides still will be available at this year's State Fair of Virginia thanks to Fred Scott. The Albemarle County man has donated a 19th-century touring wagon to the fair's...

Company demonstrates its newest armored vehicle.
July 27, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 27--In the world's most dangerous places, living or dying often depends on what kind of car you have, and who's driving. Roadside bombs and ambushes by gunmen make armored cars a must-have for...

C3's Richmond loft will close.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 27--After 19 months of giving the region's innovative types a place to gather, the Creative Change Center is closing the doors to its downtown loft. But C3, as the group is known, still plans to remain...

Food company pressured to unionize.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 27--The United Food and Commercial Workers union said yesterday that Poland's Solidarity Union and other European unions had joined in efforts to pressure Smithfield Packing Co. to unionize its Tar Heel, N.C.,...

U.S.: $3 gas till September.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 27--A federal agency said yesterday that regular gasoline prices probably will hover around $3 per gallon until after Labor Day. After the holiday, however, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said,...

Utility weighs options.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 27--Within 30 days, Virginia Natural Gas must decide how it wants to be regulated. The utility, which serves Hampton Roads and the Peninsula, can continue as a regulated utility, where profit is allowed but...

Airport logs its busiest month.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 26--The Capital Region Airport Commission, which runs the Richmond International Airport, reported that June was its busiest month ever. About 154,000 people boarded planes at the airport, compared to...

Massey challenge resolved.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 26--Massey Energy Co. said yesterday that it has accepted the results of independent election inspectors who concluded last month that a dissident shareholder had won two seats on Massey's board. Massey...

Volunteers feel gas-price pinch on daily rounds.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 26--Meals on Wheels volunteers in the Richmond area delivered 250,000 meals to elderly and disabled adults last year, driving 400,000 miles along the way. At today's price of $3 per gallon of regular...

Local home sales still rising.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 26--Weakening home sales in the nation -- and Virginia -- have yet to show up in the Richmond area. The number of sales of new and existing houses here was 1,887 in June, topping 1,707 in the same month a...

Workers at Kraft back after fire.
July 25, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 25--Kraft Foods Inc. employees returned to work yesterday at the company's Henrico County plant, which was damaged by a fire early Sunday. About 575 people work at the plant, which makes cookies and...

Nonprofit's leader fights for minorities.
July 25, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 25--Tracey Jeter is a self-described idealist. When she interviewed in 2004 for positions at Philip Morris USA and the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, she had to think about her priorities....

Richmond vacancy rates fall.
July 25, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 25--Office and industrial space is starting to fill up in the Richmond area after a slow start in the first quarter. Vacancy rates in these sectors declined in the second quarter, according to a report...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Biz Buzz column.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jul. 24--URBAN OUTFITTERS OPENS IN A SUBURBAN SETTING: Dick Hayne opened a small shop in 1970 selling funky and eclectic clothes and household products. That shop on the University of Pennsylvania campus,...

Business booms for Williamsburg, Va., ethanol-plant designer.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 24--WILLIAMSBURG -- The Arab oil embargo of 1972 helped turn Bibb Swain from a rocket scientist into an alcohol entrepreneur. "As were many Americans, I was very angered by our vulnerability to foreign...

Not everyone's on board with ethanol.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 24--Ethanol entered the energy picture in a big way in Virginia this year when it replaced another additive used to make gasoline burn cleaner. The fuel is not without its detractors, however. One...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., American Trends column.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Gary Robertson Jul. 24--FORGET THOSE OLD TOYS -- KIDS WANT ELECTRONICS: Digital cameras for 3-year-olds, electronic dogs that can do better tricks than your real dog. That's the future of toys, or at least part of the future....

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., executive profile column.
July 24, 2006... Jul. 24--DECISION MAKERS: Theresa Lee Lee New position: chief operating officer, TecAccess Previous position: program manager, L-3 Communications Birthplace: Jasper, Texas Education: bachelor's degree in sociology, Southern...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Associations column.
July 24, 2006... Jul. 24--ASSOCIATIONS: The Richmond Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners elected the following new officers: president, Michelle Neilson with Tuffy/Ms. Tuffy Auto Service Centers; president-elect, Dottie Allen with...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Linda Dunham Jul. 24--ARCHITECTS: Crystal Newman has joined Glavi & Holmes Associates as director of marketing. Berry Wright Jr. has joined HDR as a senior project manager. BANKING, INVESTMENTS: Christopher L. Penta has...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Company News column.
July 24, 2006... Jul. 24--MERGERS/EXPANSIONS: Chen Kimberly Chen and Associates has merged with Johannas Design Group. Chen is a partner. AWARDS: The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation received the Dave Lane Award for Media Relations Excellence from the...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Business Honors column.
July 24, 2006... Jul. 24--HONORS: Chris Rogerson has been Rogerson named Outstanding Young Professional Compay Representative of the Year by GMAC Insurance Group. Lisa Campbell has been named Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Consumer Watch column.
July 23, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Jul. 23--It's summertime, and you know what that means, consumers. Schools are out and youngsters nationwide are knocking on doors trying to make money by selling magazine subscriptions. Careful, though....

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Bob Rayner column.
July 23, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 23--The American economy is facing crunch time. On one side, we're getting squeezed by inflation, especially energy prices; on the other, by fears of a recession. The rate of inflation remains relatively...

Every minute counts.
July 22, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Jul. 22--On most days, Frits Huntjens, chef proprietor of the classic French restaurant, 1 North Belmont in Richmond, gets up around 7:30 a.m. He grinds his favorite French New Orleans coffee beans and brews it...

Appalachian Power Co. holds ceremony.
July 22, 2006... Jul. 22--Appalachian Power Co. held a ceremony in Charleston, W.Va., this week to dedicate the first megawatt-class sodium-sulfur battery to be used by a North American utility. The Japanese-built 1.2-megawatt battery will be used to...

Tech firms courted by contractor.
July 22, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 22--Central Virginia technology firms can work with Northrop Grumman Corp. on its $2 billion contract with the state. Or, they can partner with the company in its other business activities, a company executive...

Richmond-area news, just a text message away.
July 22, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 22--Want 2 get txts from the T-D 2 ur cell? Now u can. Folks wanting daily news and weather updates from around central Virginia can get them on wireless phones and hand-held mobile devices from the...

Philip Morris test-markets smokeless tobacco product.
July 22, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 22--Philip Morris USA's newest tobacco product is available at some retail stores in the Indianapolis area. The cigarette company this month started test-marketing its first smokeless tobacco product,...

Apartment demand strengthens in region.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 21--The Richmond area's apartment market is keeping company with Atlanta, Cleveland, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore. Indeed, it is topping those and other cities on a list of the most improved multifamily...

Perly's ends its experiment with dinner.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 21--Perly's Restaurant, a packed-house downtown tradition for lunch and breakfast, has ended its 14-month experiment with serving dinner, at least for now. "It was a dollars-and-cents decision," said Gray...

Scientists protest NRC move.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 21--The Union of Concerned Scientists yesterday formally opposed a Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision the group says ignores a growing problem of radioactive tritium leaks into U.S. water sources. In...

New road needs hit bottleneck.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 21--Chesterfield County wants to widen its busiest roads. Hanover County is looking to improve a key interstate interchange. Richmond is pushing for better public transportation. And Henrico County wants an...

Making waves, but hearing only music.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 21--Sheldon Retchin has been swimming for 30 years. For most of that time, he's hated it. "Booorr-ring," he says, but the chief executive of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has kept up...

Slower market, selective buyers.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 21--Mary Anne Snavely had not one but two contracts fall through recently when she put her Chesterfield County house on the market. The first buyer backed out when the house inspection uncovered...

Owens & Minor Inc.'s profit drops.
July 20, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 20--Owens & Minor Inc.'s profit dropped 34 percent in the second-quarter, in part because of early retirement of debt. The Hanover County-based medical products distributor reported a profit of $10.5...

MySpace Comedy a boon for comics.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 20--You might recognize Nick Cantone as that guy who occasionally opens at the Richmond Funny Bone comedy club. You also might be one of the few hundred folks who have stumbled across his MySpace Web page....

Gas prices and card rates hurt casual-dining places.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jul. 20--David Overton knows the challenges facing the restaurant industry. Rising gasoline prices, higher interest rates on credit cards and other factors are taking a bite out of sales at some...

Fingerprint venture taps Henrico executive.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 19--A Charlottesville company found talent in Henrico County to help launch its keychain-sized fingerprint reader. Privaris Inc. named John Petze to the position of chief executive. Petze is the former...

Martin Agency's brassiere ads pass giggle test.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 19--The Martin Agency is addressing a problem that has bothered women for generations -- bumpy brassieres. Richmond's largest advertising agency is unleashing a national ad campaign this month to promote the...

She'll tell you where to go, in a good way.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Jul. 19--Judy Arenstein hears a little bit of everything as a greeter at Richmond airport's information desk. The questions range from the specific -- where to find airlines, parking and lost luggage -- to more...

Who needs AC when there's ice?
July 19, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 19--Rudolph Harris has a cool job. All day long, he works with ice. Tons of it. He helps package bags of ice at the City Ice Co. factory in Chester, a good place to work in hot weather. ...

Va. farmers share views on farm policy.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 18--STAUNTON -- When the federal government sticks its finger in their business, it better be on a helping hand, Virginia farmers told lawmakers at a hearing here yesterday. Roughly 200 people turned out for...

Va. foreclosures fall.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 18--Virginia's foreclosure rates in June were among the lowest in the country, according to research released yesterday. Virginia ranked 42nd in foreclosures last month among all 50 states and the District...

Couches, televisions replace rulers and desks at defunct parochial school.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 17--Add one more to the growing list of Richmond buildings converted from their original function to meet Richmond's increasingly hip housing tastes. St. Patrick's Place, a former Catholic school constructed...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Associations column.
July 17, 2006... Jul. 17--Robert A. Watts Jr. has been elected president-elect for the National Council of Disability Determination Directors. He is with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services. The following officers have been elected at local...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Linda Dunham Jul. 17--AT UNION MORTGAGE GROUP INC.: Kyle Jacocks is branch manager. Mariana Rohrer is a senior loan officer. Elaine Avery has been promoted to assistant vice president and call-center leader at First...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Biz Buzz column.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jul. 17--SWEATSHOP-FREE CLOTHING SOLD AT CARYTOWN STORE: The nation's largest garment factory operator, which makes clothing in a sweatshop-free environment in downtown Los Angeles, has opened a store in...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Company News column.
July 17, 2006... Jul. 17--RELOCATIONS: Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley Inc. has moved to 6806 Paragon Place, Suite 300. CONTRACTS: Riverside Logistics has been selected by Mayorista Freight & Forwarding of Norco, Calif., to provide transportation and...

Husband-wife team's company aids those with attention deficits.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Joan Tupponce Jul. 17--When Steven Butnik and his wife, Julia Frishtick, moved to Richmond in 1978 to look for a job, they expected to stay in the area for one year. Twenty-eight years later, the two are running their own...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., executive profile column.
July 17, 2006... Jul. 17--Cindy Davis Davis --New position: sales manager, Premiere Colors --Previous position: account executive, Uptown Color Birthplace: Frankfort, Ky. --Education: attended Virginia Commonwealth University --Career:...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Business Honors column.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Michelle Diehl Jul. 17--Mark Smith has been named Eastern Regional Sales Leader of the Year by Midas. To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com. ...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., American Trends column.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Gary Robertson Jul. 17--ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL AREAS PRIME DEVELOPMENT SITES: In suburbia, developers often look for green fields to plant their next subdivision. In big cities, developers are increasingly looking toward...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Consumer Watch column.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Jul. 16--ARMS PRESENT SOME RISKS: Some homeowners are in deep trouble. Lenders boost their home equity lines of credit nearly every time the Federal Reserve Board raises a key interest rate. Adjustable-rate...

CSX completes upgrade to tracks in Ashland area.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Jul. 16--Traffic congestion eased a bit last week around Ashland. But it was the railroad, not Interstate 95, that's running more smoothly. The improvements by railroad owner CSX Corp. were part of a $6...

State's IT deal boosts small firms.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 16--Ken Ampy has found himself in a nice spot. He is the chief executive of Richmond-based Astyra Corp., one of five primary contractors that Northrop Grumman Corp. has named to help it overhaul Virginia...

When you can't take that vacation, file a claim.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 16--The Bermuda shorts and sunscreen are packed with the passport, and the airline tickets are sitting ready on the counter. But then the boss calls. Sure it's your first vacation in two years, but you...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., executive profile column.
July 16, 2006... Jul. 16--DECISION MAKERS Cindy Davis Davis New position: sales manager, Premiere Colors Previous position: account executive, Uptown Color Birthplace: Frankfort, Ky. Education: attended Virginia Commonwealth University ...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Minding Your Business column.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Jul. 16--You've tried everything. But you can't seem to collect the money your business is owed. Perhaps it's time to engage a collection agency. But finding the right one can be daunting. Here's what to look...

Peoples Bank of Virginia enjoys boost in quarterly profit.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 15--Peoples Bank of Virginia reported a 28 percent increase in second-quarter profit. Net income was $633,000, or 45 cents per share, compared with $496,000, or 36 cents per share, a year before. Total...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
July 15, 2006... Jul. 15--INVESTOR IN JAMES RIVER COAL SEEKS BOARD SPOTS: An investment company that holds 14.6 percent of James River Coal Co. wants to put its own nominees on the company's board of directors. Richmond-based James River Coal said Pirate...

Activists target tobacco.
July 15, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jul. 15--WASHINGTON -- If cigarettes can't be eliminated, then the profit motive for selling them should be, some activists said this week at an international tobacco-control meeting. "The idea that a...

Condo on James is topped off.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Jul. 15--The newest condominium rising along the James River was topped off yesterday at six stories. The nearly sold-out building, which opens next year, is part of Rocketts Landing, a village straddling...

SCC plans hearing on Va. Power's issues.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Jul. 15--Dominion Virginia Power wants assurances that its investment will pay off before the company files an application to build a coal-burning power plant in Southwest Virginia. The State Corporation...

T-D Web site expands.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 15--The Times-Dispatch has created a richer experience for readers in search of online information about stocks, bonds, foreign currencies and all kinds of financial data. TimesDispatch.com is offering a new...

Mutual fund, stock tables still available.
July 15, 2006... Jul. 15--Where are the seven pages of stock and mutual fund tables? They are no longer in the Saturday Business section. But that doesn't mean you can't still get them. Times-Dispatch subscribers -- at least those who take home...

Phone service gives free stock quotes.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Jul. 15--Readers who would rather not use a computer to check stock prices have another option. You're a free phone call away from thousands of stock quotes. Call (800) 555-TELL, say "stock quotes" and you'll...

Bandage gets FDA approval.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Jul. 14--Tissue Technologies LLC, which makes bandages for non-healing wounds, had its first product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month. The Richmond-based company's cotton dressing is...

Price Funeral Establishment has reopened.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 13--The A.D. Price Funeral Establishment has reopened under the ownership of IBI Enterprises after being closed for more than a year. The fate of the 125-year-old building on Leigh Street in the Jackson...

New job for ex-head of foundation.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jul. 13--Brad Armstrong, the former embattled head of the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation, has landed a new job. Armstrong is senior vice president of sales and marketing of RetailData LLC, the...

Drug costs burden uninsured.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Tammie Smith Jul. 13--When Donald Lewis, 54, suffered a heart attack in April, he had just switched jobs and hadn't been at the new one long enough to qualify for health insurance. He faced mounting medical bills from...

Group learns ways to protect Voice over IP.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Jul. 13--For most of us, the early days of the Internet meant a slow dial-up connection and a screeching modem. But as computers get faster and broadband cables crisscross the world, the Internet is nudging its...