Crain's Chicago Business back issues from February 2002:
Kmart latest casualty of retailing's evolution.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... When I was a young kid on Chicago's Near North Side, there were two ``dime stores'' within a block of each other on North Avenue, just east of Larrabee Street. One of them was F. W. Woolworth Co., where I often crammed down a hamburger, mashed potatoes and gravy and Green River ...
Conventions.(calendar for week of Feb. 4)(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... WEEK OF FEB. 4 Feb. 4-6: American Medical Assn. Alliance, Drake Hotel, estimated attendance 300. Feb. 4-6: Fiserv Inc., Ritz-Carlton Hotel, estimated attendance 175. Feb. 6-8: Retail Advertising Conference, Hyatt Regency Chicago, estimated attendance ...
ALLSTATE PUTS TEETH INTO REVAMP PLAN; Aiming to get agents to sell securities vs. old-line policies.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Allstate Corp., accelerating a high-risk strategy to transform itself into a big financial services player, is finally laying it on the line for its agents: No more excuses. Start selling certificates of deposit, annuities and mutual funds. Allstate is pushing agents to get ...
Illinois pols: Bash Enron; Auditor taking too much heat, Democrats assert.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... WASHINGTON-Illinois officials are starting to express concern about the intense political heat put on Andersen over its role in the collapse of Enron Corp. While no one is rushing to defend Andersen, which admitted shredding a ``significant'' number of Enron files after ...
Office space stacking up around O'Hare; Once steady, vacancy rates climb 25%.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Long the Chicago office market's strongest and steadiest region, the area around O'Hare International Airport is now awash in empty office space. Vacancy rates there soared 25% between the fourth quarter of 2000 and last year's fourth quarter, transforming the O'Hare area into ...
Hotel union raises stakes; New leadership promises to close local wage gap.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... After nearly three decades of what one industry insider calls ``a sweetheart deal'' with the union that represents their workers, the city's largest hotels are in for a jarring wake-up call. New leadership at Local 1 of the AFL-CIO's Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union is ...
Crain's to host preview at Historical Society.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... On Feb. 13, Crain's will present its first Chicago Historical Society corporate preview breakfast. Attendees at this exclusive Crain's event will hear from Historical Society President Lonnie G. Bunch, curator of the soon-to-open exhibit, ``The American Presidency: A Glorious ...
Red ink flows at area printers; Linchpin of area economy in decline.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... The Chicago printing industry, the largest in the country and long a bulwark of the region's economy, is mired in its deepest slump in 20 years. Printers are losing business as customers slash spending, put business forms and marketing materials on the Internet and whittle their ...
Segal, biz on states' radar; Ill., Calif. regulators seek to learn more.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... As Chicago insurance executive Michael Segal prepares to fight for his freedom in federal court, his legendary insurance firm already is engaged in a fight for its very survival. On the legal front, Mr. Segal's involvement in an alleged $20-million client fraud scheme could cost ...
Snow arrives in Chicago.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... The season's first big snowstorm swept through the Chicago area last week, dumping 12 inches at O'Hare International Airport and more in some suburbs. Heavy snow and freezing rain were blamed for several deaths, and passengers were stranded at O'Hare International ...
Urban outlets give Kmart chance to be a survivor.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... The future of the company known for its blue light specials isn't so bright. But that doesn't mean it's time to turn out the lights at Kmart Corp., which recently filed for bankruptcy protection and is searching for a new long-term strategy. The discount retailer may already ...
Andersen line of defense: Enron biz model at fault.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... Andersen admits it made a ``gross error in judgment'' in shredding documents related to its audit of Enron Corp. But the Chicago accounting giant and its CEO, Joseph Berardino, also attribute Enron's demise to a ``failed business model.'' Nonetheless, what still begs to be explained is the ...
Chicago Observer.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... Not every biz problem is Enron: 'difficult times' for Willis Stein The once-robust private equity firm has been swamped by a red-ink gusher at Ziff Davis Media Inc. Investors in Willis Stein & Partners LLP had to cough up another $25 million amid ballooning restructuring ...
Late News.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... EXELON AND UNION AGREE ON JOB CUTS Exelon Corp. plans to offer retirement packages to more than 450 union workers at Commonwealth Edison Co. and the company's 10 Illinois nuclear plants under a deal reached during quiet contract-extension negotiations in December, according to ...
Datebook.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... WEEK OF FEB. 4 FEB. 5: Northern Illinois University presents Reinventing the Rules for the Brand New Workplace. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fairmont Hotel, 200 N. Columbus Drive. Fee: $419. (800) 873-3451. FEB. 5: Local Initiatives Support Corp. presents Chicago ...
Steaks, seafood and radio personalities.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Keefer's is designed with the business diner in mind. Of the new downtown restaurants, this collaboration of brothers Glenn and Richard Keefer, radio industry mogul Jimmy de Castro and executive chef John Hogan distinguishes itself by serving appealing but not-too-challenging steaks and ...
Executive Moves.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002 ... EDUCATION Terry Applebaum, 56, to executive vice-president and chief operating officer at the Music Institute of Chicago, from senior fellow at the Midwest Center of Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Jack V. Leifel, 51, to executive ...
Nothing wrong with City That Works? Don't believe it.(Chicago, Illinois)(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Let's face it. Our city, the city that is supposed to work, is not working well at all. And no one seems to do anything about it. The signs and symptoms are obvious. Mayor-for-life Richard M. Daley is presiding over three certifiable, genuine, bona fide disasters-Block 37, ...
IN THE PARKWAY'S PATH: Pushing the limits; New roads or no, sprawl takes root in Kendall farmland.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... In Yorkville, once a sleepy hub of cafes and grain elevators serving Kendall County farmers, the school district is under siege. A high school opened three years ago already has reached its 800-student capacity, and officials are lobbying voters to approve a March 19 referendum to raise $8 ...
Profile: Quarterbacking the Bears' controversial stadium rehab plans.(Ann Carey)(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... The last tailgaters had finally moved aside for the demolition cranes. Trucks were roaring in and out. And now, the media wanted to delve into reports of asbestos contamination. No sweat. Just another day at the office-er, trailer-for Ann Carey, the representative for the ...
Andersen building line of defenses; Responses hold risk, offer little reward.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... After weeks of standing dumbstruck before the overwhelming glare of the Enron Corp. scandal, Andersen appears finally to have decided what its public stance will be: It's not the accounting; it's the business model. Andersen CEO Joseph Berardino has said publicly that ...
Talent raids beginning at besieged Andersen.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Small and mid-sized accounting firms are seizing on a rare opportunity to pick up well-trained staff from embattled Andersen. The accounting firm's massive troubles, stemming from its much-criticized audit of energy trader Enron Corp., offer companies that have been starved for ...
People: Litigator trades the law for American Lung Assn.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Joel Africk, the new CEO of the American Lung Assn. of Metropolitan Chicago, wants big-time lawyers, accountants and real estate executives to join the blue-chip medical experts on his board. To accomplish that, and to boost the corporate financial support for his association's ...
Merger costly for True North's FCB; Shop regroups after account losses.(Foote Cone & Belding)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Feb 04, 2002; ... When Interpublic Group of Cos. reports financial results this week, Foote Cone & Belding Worldwide's performance is sure to be scrutinized. The agency went through a rough initiation into the Interpublic fold, with account losses, legal trouble and management defections after ...
Enron debacle shouldn't zap Social Security reform.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Some of the critics of President George W. Bush's proposal to offer workers the opportunity to invest a portion of their payroll taxes for themselves aren't fighting fair. But, despite their incendiary arguments, allowing younger workers to set up voluntary private accounts makes perfect ...
Real Estate Review: Availability of industrial space surges in 2001.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Feb 04, 2002; ... The amount of industrial space available for lease in the Chicago region spiked dramatically in 2001, taking a major toll on some of the area's strongest markets, according to statistics compiled by the Midwest industrial services group at New York-based real estate firm Insignia/ESG Inc. ...
Tech Watch: Fat CEO package gets rewrapped by Lante.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Lante Corp. has unwound perhaps the richest executive stock deal struck in Chicago during the recent Internet mania. Last month, the struggling tech consultancy repurchased and retired 2.4 million shares from CEO Rudy Puryear, writing off a $3.2-million recruiting perk-a personal loan made ...
OLD CLUBS SWEATING AS RIVALS CLOSE IN; High-end newcomers roil fitness market here.(Brief Article)
Feb 04, 2002; ... Operating a Chicago health club is about to become a much tougher workout. The health club industry is breaking a sweat as non-profit rivals such as park districts, hospitals and YMCAs get more aggressive, especially in the suburbs. But high-end clubs serving the booming ...
No revised lesson plan at b-schools; Back of the class: ethics after Enron.(News)(business schools)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN It's fodder for a case study in any business ethics course: self-dealing, questionable bookkeeping, conflicts of interest and a corporate culture that exalted profit and pay above all other values. While the Enron-Andersen scandal has forced ...
State joins pursuit of Andersen; With pension funds out $40 mil., top lawyer sues.(News)(Jim Ryan launches investigation)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: PAUL MERRION Joining a throng of state and federal investigators, Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan has launched a formal probe of Andersen's involvement in the downfall of Enron Corp. Mr. Ryan is pursuing Andersen on two fronts: an investigation and ...
Charlie Trotter adds expansion to menu.(News)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY In the weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks-which occurred as he was sitting on a plane waiting to depart New York's LaGuardia Airport-Chicago chef Charlie Trotter hinted that he was facing career burnout and badly needed some time away from the ...
Putting heart data in palm of the hand; Cardiologist gathering info for drugmakers.(News)(Michael Davidson)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN A local cardiologist has devised software for handheld computers in a bid to cash in on drug companies' hunger for information on doctor's prescribing practices. Michael Davidson, director of preventive cardiology at Rush-Presbyterian-St ....
Credit Andersen top dog for just showing up in D.C.(Opinion)(Joseph Berardino testifies before Congress)(Editorial)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: Paul Merrion Say what you will about Andersen CEO Joseph Berardino, the man knows how to take a public flogging. Any day you're compared to Hitler by a member of Congress can't be considered a good day, but Mr. Berardino did his firm a lot of good last week ...
Good timing: Bad ads kept Accenture out of limelight.(Opinion)(Accenture discussed)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: Rance Crain A year ago, when Andersen Consulting became Accenture, people lined up to deride the new moniker. Edward Saenz, founder of Gravity Branding, a San Francisco firm that comes up with new company and product names, told the Wall Street Journal that ...
Executive Moves.(People)
Feb 11, 2002 ... CONSUMER SERVICES Holly Michaud, 27, to director of business development at Susanin's Auctions, from marketing management and special projects analyst at Wellington Management Co. Michael Sands, 34, to chief marketing officer at Orbitz LLC, from vice-president of ...
Economy aiding franchise biz; In down market, interest is rising dramatically.(Small Business)(Industry Overview)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Franchise companies sit on a peculiar economic seesaw. In brisk economic times, the business of selling franchises drops. When the nation's financial health dips, interest perks up. Low returns in the stock market, the relatively ...
January stampede flattens tech stocks.(News)(Industry Overview)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Local stocks were trampled in January as equity markets that began the month bullish collapsed in a stampede of panicked investors. All major indexes fell during the month-the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1%; the Standard & Poor's ...
Smaller firms find answers at center; Info clearinghouse offers wide range of crucial services.(Small Business)(Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center discussed)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: ED AVIS Unlike many small businesses, Vibes Media LLC in Evanston was growing rapidly at the end of 2001. The operator of text messaging systems for cell phones had a customer base topping 10,000 and daily message volume reaching 5,000. Company President Jack ...
Late News.(United Airlines, Advocate Health Care, McCook Metals LLC discussed)
Feb 11, 2002 ... UNITED FACES STRIKE IF PACT VOTED DOWN Union leaders at United Airlines are now pushing hard for mechanics to authorize a Feb. 20 strike in expectation that members will reject a new contract in a companion vote Tuesday. ``My gut instinct is, it's going to fail,'' says Scotty ...
Freedom ringing in phone market; Slashed exit fees under long-term Ameritech contracts give biz customers room to move.(News)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: SANDRA JONES A big chunk of the lucrative market for local business phone services is up for grabs starting this month, after state regulators ordered Ameritech to stop charging excessive penalties for customers that want to get out of certain service contracts. ...
Quote of the Week.(Quotes)(Brief Article)
Feb 11, 2002 ... When a fish gets washed up on the beach, no one comes to look. But when it's a whale, everyone pays attention. W ....
Crain's to host preview at Historical Society.(People)(Brief Article)
Feb 11, 2002 ... On Feb. 13, Crain's will present its first Chicago Historical Society corporate preview breakfast. Attendees at this exclusive Crain's event will hear from Historical Society President Lonnie G. Bunch, curator of the soon-to-open exhibit, ``The American Presidency: A Glorious ...
Oak St. boutique peddles cut-rate couture; A `gently worn' Chanel suit? $1,600.(News)(Daisy Shop)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Around the corner from Escada, down the street from Jil Sander, tucked behind closed venetian blinds atop a narrow, six-floor building is Oak Street's version of Wal-Mart. At the Daisy Shop, women who can spot a Louis Vuitton knockoff at ...
CAUGHT IN THE CRUNCH; Rookie consultants struggle to sell themselves in a competitive market.(Small Business)(Industry Overview)
Feb 11, 2002 ... After 21 years at the same company, Bert Stunkard had grown complacent about his career, but he was hesitant to take a gamble. His employer, Naperville-based Ondeo Nalco Co., forced his hand in July, telling him that his job would be eliminated in the fall. The west suburban ...
Tech Watch: Managers, creditors wrestle over Comdisco.(Briefs)(Company Profile)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: Sandra Jones The battle for Comdisco Inc.'s future has evolved into a face-off between management and creditors. Creditors are clamoring for the technology equipment leasing firm, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last July, to sell or ...
Online, old-line don't mix; Unhappy Internet foray burns United Stationers.(News)(Company Profile)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER United Stationers Inc., an 80-year-old office products distributor, seems an unlikely casualty of the tech wreck. Yet the popping of the Internet bubble has punctured growth plans at the Des Plaines-based company. United Stationers spent big ...
Next on Oprah: TV doc debut; `Dr. Phil' spinoff to test chatfest star's coattails.(News)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: BRIAN McCORMICK Talk show titan Oprah Winfrey puts her star-making potential on the line this year with the launch of ``Dr. Phil,'' a TV show featuring the ``life strategist'' who tends to crises of the emotionally wounded in 10 minutes or less. Ms. Winfrey ...
A retail survivor charges ahead; New megastore tests Abt's mettle.(News)( Abt Electronics & Appliance)(Company Profile)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The staying power of Abt Electronics & Appliance, one of the largest and most successful local family-owned retailers, will be put to the test next month when it relocates to a 350,000-square-foot megastore in Glenview. Abt has carved out a ...
Loophole boosts Blagojevich cash; In hard-fought campaign, candidate gets soft money windfall.(News)(U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: GREG HINZ A recent financial juggling act that netted U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich, D-Chicago, an extra quarter of a million dollars in campaign cash underlines the stakes in this week's scheduled House showdown vote on campaign finance reform. The House is set ...
Gallagher buys its way to big leagues; But pricier deals raise cost of insurance broker's M.O.(News)(Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.)(Company Profile)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: STEVE DANIELS A two-year burst of deal-making has transformed Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an obscure insurance brokerage into the nation's fourth-largest commercial insurance broker. Itasca-based Gallagher has turned in two straight years of earnings ...
Reservations aside, make room for hotel wage hike.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
Feb 11, 2002 ... It's not the best time to be bidding for big pay hikes in any industry. But it's especially problematic within the hotel business, which has been devastated by the slowdown in business and leisure travel since Sept. 11. Yet the city's hotel housekeepers, bellhops, waitstaffs and ...
Real Estate Review: Developers see cars driving mall turnaround.(Real Estate)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The latest redevelopment plan for the vacant St. Charles Mall, an eyesore on the west side of the Fox Valley suburb for more than five years, would turn the enclosed shopping center into an auto mall. A group of three local investors, CMV ...
Profile: Desktop security a top priority for Internet browser inventor.(Technology)(Roger Lee Heath discussed)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: PAUL MERRION Bill Gates, meet Roger Lee Heath. The world's richest man would not appear to have much in common with a little-known entrepreneur from Glenview, but he does. Both market Internet browser software, and both are very concerned about the ...
Chicago Observer: Emancipated from one big fund,.(Briefs)(Lincoln Capital Management, Bank One, Union League Club of Chicago is discussed)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: steven r. strahler Lincoln Capital binds up wounds Once boasting an equity portfolio of nearly $40 billion, Lincoln Capital Management Co. has watched it shrivel to about $7 billion. Employment is down 25%, to about 90 staffers, and one of its more prominent ...
United's Jan. traffic drops.(Briefs)(United Airlines)(Brief Article)
Feb 11, 2002 ... United Airlines said miles flown by paying passengers declined almost 16% in January as the airline scaled back flight service about 20%. The Elk Grove Township-based unit of UAL Corp. also said an average of 69% of seats on its flights were filled last month, up from 66% in January 2001 ....
Biometrics outfit keeps focus on police, emergency uses.(Technology)(Industry Overview)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: SANDRA JONES After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, security experts started to take a new look at biometrics technology. What if all air travelers could be identified by digital fingerprint as they pass through an airport? It sounds like a way to ...
Cashing in, selling out for campaign dollars.(Commentary)(Michael Bakalis drops out of gubernatorial primary)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: Robert Reed A day after meeting with the Crain's editorial board to discuss whether the newspaper would endorse him, Michael Bakalis withdrew from the Democratic Party's gubernatorial primary. Something we said, Mike? Not likely. No, ...
Marketing luncheon will focus on Boeing Co.(News)(Chicago Chapter of the Business Marketing Association plans luncheon)
Feb 11, 2002 ... On Feb. 21, the Chicago Chapter of the Business Marketing Assn. (BMA) will present a luncheon seminar, ``Repositioning Boeing for the Global Marketplace.'' The featured speaker will be Anne Toulouse, Boeing vice-president of brand management and advertising. In one of her first ...
McD's tries burgers on wry in new ads.(News)(McDonald's Corp.)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: KATE MacARTHUR Crain News Service McDonald's Corp. is flashing a wry smile. The Oak Brook-based burger chain's first television commercial in its 2002 advertising campaign introduces an edgier tone than the lilting ``We love to see you smile'' strategy of last ...
Allstate's strategy makes firm's 'good hands' shake.(Opinion)(Company Profile)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Business journalists write about the phenomenon so often, it has almost become a cliche: XYZ Corp., stuck in a slow-growing niche, reaches beyond the business on which it built its reputation-and stumbles. The story's all-too-familiar conclusion often involves an attempt, after years of ...
Smurfit-Stone's CEO seeking way out of tight economic box.(People)(Patrick J. Moore joins Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.)
Feb 11, 2002; ... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Patrick J. Moore is taking the top job at Chicago-based boxmaker Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. as the packaging industry suffers through its worst slump in nearly 30 years. Mr. Moore, who last month succeeded the retiring Ray M. Curran as ...
YOUTH OR CONSEQUENCES: Of mice and mend; UIC team sees promise in cell-regeneration discovery.(Technology)(University of Illinois at Chicago )
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Robert Costa doesn't want to build a better mousetrap. He wants to build a better mouse -one that lives forever. The 44-year-old molecular geneticist at the University of Illinois at Chicago hopes someday to transfer a recent laboratory ...
Celebrate the New Year, in Chinatown or downtown.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(restaurants Szechwan, Mountain View Chef reviewed)(Restaurant Review)
Feb 11, 2002 ... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Welcome the Year of the Horse on Feb. 12 by enjoying Chinese food-on Michigan Avenue or in Chinatown. Like the other Asian restaurants on and near the Magnificent Mile, Szechwan (625 N. Michigan Ave., main entrance on Ontario Street; ...
Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(conventions in Chicago, Illinois area)(Calendar)
Feb 11, 2002 ... WEEK OF FEB. 11 Feb. 13-15: Digital Consulting Institute, Lakeside Center, estimated attendance 8,000. Feb. 14-16: Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity, Palmer House Hilton, estimated attendance 350. Feb. 14-17: Chicago Cultural Alliance Ltd., Palmer House Hilton, ...
Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(events in Chicago, Illinois)(Calendar)
Feb 11, 2002 ... WEEK OF FEB. 11 FEB. 11: Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University presents The Black Male in America. 4 p.m. Northwestern University, Fisk Hall, 1845 Sheridan Road, Room 217, Evanston. Free. (847) 491-5401. FEB. 11: Women's Business Development Center ...