Crain's Chicago Business back issues from June 2008:
Jackpot! We have a winner; No. 39 WMS Industries Inc., Washington.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Samantha Stainburn Five years ago, WMS Industries, a leading player in the $90-billion global casino gambling industry, was in trouble. Sales were slowing, and the company was losing money. Then WMS introduced the Bluebird, an ergonomically designed slot ...
Shhh! Calamos' net plunges 94%; Investment returns hurt secretive fund manager.(News)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Calamos Asset Management Inc., a public company with a reputation for acting like a private one, reinforced that impression with its annual meeting on May 23. The Naperville-based mutual fund manager scheduled the meeting on the day before ...
Ill. wind-power mandate an excuse to gouge.(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Electricity is electricity. Unless, of course, the electricity in question was generated by a windmill in Illinois. Apparently, Illinois windmills produce electricity with special qualities that make it far more valuable than electricity from windmills in other states. ...
Destination: Singer Island, Fla.(Business of Life)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: With white-sand beaches, plenty of water sports and easy access to the mainland, Singer Island, Fla., (yes, named for the sewing machine magnate) makes a great home base for a Father's Day getaway to Palm Beach County. DO: The area is ...
Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day" 220 E. Chicago Ave. (312) 337-0655 www.lookingglasstheatre.org 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday Tickets: $25-$55 ...
Veerasway riffs on Indian cuisine; Updated takes on street snacks, classic dishes.(Business of Life)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Small plates for sharing are nothing new to Indian cuisine. What's different at Veerasway is a fresh, modern approach that offers space, all on one menu, for street snacks, traditional dishes and contemporary cooking in a stylish, accessible, ...
Drilling and dialing for dollars in brazil, China; A Conversation with Money Manager Mark Kollar.(Markets)(Kollar Financial Strategies LLC)(Interview)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Bruce Blythe Mark Kollar, 44, president, Kollar Financial Strategies LLC, Rosemont Experience: 24 years Assets under management: $25 million CRAIN'S: You see further upside for commodity prices and more struggles for U.S. stocks. How ...
Crain's adds new copy editor, news editor for Web site.(News)(Douglas Backstrom)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Douglas Backstrom has joined Crain's as a copy editor. He comes from the Chicago Sun-Times, where he was a copy editor on the metro and nation/world news desk. Before that, he was deputy copy desk chief at the Miami Herald. Mr. Backstrom, 43, also has worked at the Daily Herald ...
Mergers alone aren't enough to save U.S. airline industry.(Opinion)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Matt Andersson Matt Andersson is president of Indigo Aerospace, an aviation investment and advisory company in Chicago. Just about every major airline in the United States has gone through a bankruptcy restructuring in the past five years, yet they all ...
Laughing all the way to the bank, in Prada.(Business of Life)(Executives Club Women's Leadership)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Shia Kapos You can tell a woman how to manage her finances. Just don't tell her to keep them in a cheap handbag. At the Executives Club Women's Leadership breakfast last week at the Fairmont Hotel, the theme was "Power of the Purse,'' and speakers offered ...
Steep problems at Whitetail Ridge; Stingy management dings the experience.(Business of Life)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The opening of a new golf course is usually cause for celebration, but the applause is on hold for Whitetail Ridge Golf Club in Yorkville. Designed by architect Greg Martin of Batavia as the centerpiece of a 242-house subdivision by entrepreneurs ...
THE SEVENTH CIRCLE OF SUMMER TRAVEL; Long lines, delays, chaos await business travelers over the next three months.(News)(services of American Airlines Inc.)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Colin Kerr is the model of travel efficiency when he arrives at O'Hare International Airport. He uses the electronic kiosk for a boarding pass and heads for the security checkpoint with two properly sized carry-on bags, no jacket, slip-on shoes and Platinum ...
Morningstar aims at new indexes; Performance research for target-date funds.(News)(Morningstar Inc.)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: MARK BRUNO One of the biggest players in mutual fund research is about to weigh in formally on one of the hottest topics in the 401(k) world: measuring the investment performance of target-date funds. Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. has been quietly developing ...
Apartment sales in decline; 'Weak start' to year after record-setting '07.(News)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Chicago-area apartment sales plummeted in the first quarter as most sellers and buyers remained sidelined amid disruption in the credit markets and concerns about the slowing economy. Sales of large apartment buildings in the quarter totaled $322.4 ...
The back-seat driver; No. 34 TravelClick Inc., Schaumburg.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Alexis Jeffries Looking for a room? Forget the phone. From business travelers in Beijing to honeymooners in Hawaii, nearly half of all hotel reservations are now booked online. And the numbers are growing. That's good news for hotels because it cuts out travel ...
Local earnings strong; Agriculture sector a driving force.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The booming agriculture sector-with farmers feasting on unprecedented prices for corn and soybeans-is driving profits sharply higher for Illinois manufacturers that make tractors, combines and fertilizer. In the first quarter, local corporate ...
Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief article)(Calendar)
Jun 02, 2008 ... THIS WEEK JUNE 2: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Resume Preparation and Presentation. 10:15 a.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Fee: $40. (847) 295-5626. JUNE 3: Women's Business Development Center ...
ITW not cooked yet in Enodis bidding battle; CEO Speer signals willingness to increase price for British firm.(News)(Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: BOB TITA Illinois Tool Works Inc. CEO David Speer will have to dig deeper into his pockets if he wants to pull off his company's biggest acquisition in almost a decade. Analysts expect ITW to top the latest bid for British commercial kitchen equipment maker ...
Mega-malls stalled; Slowdown imperils Will County projects.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Four of five massive shopping centers proposed for Will County are delaying their openings as retailers halt expansion plans in a slowing economy. The malls, two in New Lenox and one each in Frankfort and Plainfield, were to open as early as this ...
Classic cocktails back on menu.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Jennifer Olvera Mike Kuiken, owner of Schaumburg-based business and IT consulting company Uniek Development Inc., goes with the flow. Back in college, he ordered Jack and Coke with his buddies. When frou-frou martinis became the rage, he graciously sipped chocolate, ...
The world is their office; No. 42: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Miriam Gottfried Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.'s growth strategy is to be everywhere. With 170 offices in 60 countries, "We don't see ourselves as an American company with international appendages,'' says Colin Dyer, CEO of the real estate services firm. "We are a ...
A little self-promotion; No. 1: Zorch International Inc., Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Samantha Stainburn Growth is built into the business model of Zorch International. The promotional products distributor targets big companies it hopes will make it their exclusive supplier of branded merchandise like mugs, T-shirts and other logo-stamped ...
Docs duel downtown; U of C invades Northwestern's turf with Streeterville move.(News)(University of Chicago Medical Center)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: MIKE COLIAS The University of Chicago Medical Center is challenging arch-rival Northwestern Memorial Hospital on its own turf with plans for an office in Streeterville catering to downtown professionals. U of C, the city's No. 2 hospital by revenue behind ...
Seeking signs of growth at NEC Display Solutions.(People)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: John Pletz Job: President and chief operating officer, Itasca-based NEC Display Solutions of America Inc., a division of Tokyo electronics giant NEC Corp., since Feb. 28 Vitals: 46 years old; attended University of Montreal, 1983-84; sales management ...
Providing options; No. 19: OptionsXpress Holdings Inc., Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Miriam Gottfried OptionsXpress Holdings opened its doors in July 2000, about the worst possible time to enter the financial services market. With the dot-com boom going bust, venture capitalists were shying away from Internet startups and investors were ...
Getting the gas to you; No. 8: Gas Depot Inc., Morton Grove.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Kevin McKeough At 1:45 p.m. on a Friday, a receptionist walks into the conference room of Gas Depot's Morton Grove office and holds up three fingers, signaling that the price of gasoline will rise by 3 cents a gallon at 6 p.m. Saju Kannampally, the gasoline ...
Tapping Latino power; No. 12 Cardenas Marketing Network Inc., Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: Kevin McKeough Henry Cardenas knows how to put on a show. For 30 years, he's produced dances, concerts, soccer matches and musicals for Hispanic communities throughout the United States. Now he's helping others tap the Latin market. Founded in ...
Stationery, not stationary; No. 28, Paper Source Inc., Chicago.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Sue Lindstrom )(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Samantha Stainburn Paper Source founder Sue Lindstrom admits she's no Martha Stewart. "Don't you just love watching me?'' she says into the camera, struggling to load a gocco, a Japanese screen-printing machine, in a how-to video on the company's Web site. ...
Good hands reaching for nest eggs; Allstate takes another run at getting clients to invest via their insurer.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Allstate Corp. CEO Thomas Wilson is taking a new stab at a longtime goal: positioning the insurance giant as the go-to provider of savings and investment advice to its legion of customers. For nearly a decade, Northbrook-based Allstate has tried ...
Radio wavemaker; Former DJ Randy Michaels shakes up staid culture at Tribune Co.(News)(Occupation overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Randy Michaels, the former shock jock charged with jolting Tribune Co. back to life, is grabbing the media giant by its Brooks Bros. lapels and shaking hard. He yanked the salaries of his ad sales reps and put them on commission. He poked public ...
REHEATING COSI; Investors not yet warming up to sandwich chain's franchise-building efforts.(Markets)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Cosi Inc. CEO James Hyatt, a former Burger King Corp. executive, has a whopper of a turnaround project on his hands. Hired in September, Mr. Hyatt's goal is to make the Deerfield-based restaurant chain profitable by 2009, primarily through a ...
Fortune Brands tees up golf to save a rough 1Q.(News)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: H. Lee Murphy Golf has helped take the edge off a downturn in two other key businesses at Fortune Brands Inc. In the first quarter, sales in Deerfield-based Fortune's home and hardware division plummeted 13% from the year-earlier quarter to $894.4 million as ...
Coal can't power bigger returns for FreightCar.(News)(FreightCar America Inc.)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: H. Lee Murphy With oil prices soaring, most energy analysts expect coal to grow in importance as a fuel for U.S. power plants. That has railroads that transport coal looking forward to a jump in demand. FreightCar America Inc., the nation's biggest maker of ...
'Green' parking planned; Friedman to develop structure in River North.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: SHIA KAPOS Chicago developer Al Friedman plans to spend $50 million building a 900-stall, environmentally friendly parking garage to accommodate his 530 restaurant and office tenants in the River North area. Construction of the 11-story structure on the ...
Taxes take bite at U.S. Cellular; Phone company banks on third-generation service to drive growth.(News)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After two years of tests in Milwaukee, U.S. Cellular Corp. is preparing to roll out its version of so-called third-generation cell phone service this summer to subscribers in other markets hungry for wider bandwidth to accommodate text messages and other ...
Dream weddings meet reality; Caution over big to-dos; saving money is one factor, but so is not appearing insensitive.(Business of Life)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: DARCI SMITH Is the spare-no-expense fairytale wedding falling out of fashion? Weddings, as a pinnacle of emotional spending, are considered relatively immune to economic downturns. But with food and fuel costs high and housing values low, more couples are ...
Realtors settle Internet case.(Briefs)(National Association of Realtors)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The National Assn. of Realtors settled a three-year Justice Department antitrust case over rules governing how homes are listed for sale on the Internet. The Chicago-based association of 1.3 million Realtors nationwide agreed to drop rules that allowed members to withhold listings of homes ...
For the Record.(Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The CEOs of United Airlines and US Airways formally shelved their effort to create the world's largest airline, telling employees that a combination wouldn't happen "at this time.'' Their separate messages came after a meeting of United's Glenn Tilton and US Airways' Doug Parker at which ...
Smith & Gill wins Dubai deal; $7-bil. development a boost for young firm.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: ANDREW SCHROEDTER Prominent architect Adrian Smith has won a commission to design a $7-billion mixed-use development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a lucrative assignment likely to fuel rapid growth at his two-year-old firm. A developer based in the oil-rich ...
Executives' Club will say more about pay; Board deems it 'wise' to step up compensation disclosure on tax form.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: PAUL MERRION The Executives' Club of Chicago this year will disclose more about how much it pays for management services provided by longtime CEO Kaarina Koskenalusta and a company she owns. Unlike other non-profit business networking groups, the Executives' ...
Corrections.(Correction notice)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The May 26 My Take column incorrectly quoted Denise Seminetta of Premier Asset Management. Ms. Seminetta cited the infrastructure ...
Big frog in a big pond; No. 15, Leapfrog Online LLC, Evanston.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Kevin McKeough If you're shopping on the Web for a credit card, cable service or a new car, Leapfrog Online wants your number. From its offices in a former Tinkertoy factory, the company runs online marketing campaigns aimed at winning new customers for clients like ...
Let there be light; No. 26: Rubicon Technology Inc., Franklin Park.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Phuong Ly Nature takes about 50,000 years to make a sapphire. Rubicon Technology Inc. does it in 10 days. The stones, valued for their heat tolerance and hardness, aren't just pretty jewels. Cut into 2-inch wafers, they're used to make light-emitting diodes, ...
New blood buys into OneChicago; Urbana has bet on sale, IPO at other exchanges.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: ANN SAPHIR An investment firm that's made hundreds of millions of dollars betting on the fortunes of global exchanges is backing OneChicago LLC, the single-stock futures market that's struggled to win clients since it opened six years ago. Toronto-based ...
Methodology.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... How did we find them? Mostly, they found us. Crain's began seeking applications for the Fast Fifty in January. We also scoured our annual lists of public and private companies-some 500 area firms-for likely candidates and mailed out more than 600 applications. Who ...
Could mingled freight cut costs for Mitsubishi, Cat?(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: LINDSAY CHAPPELL Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is considering having parts shipped to its U.S. auto plant on trucks that also deliver components to its Illinois neighbor, heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. Logistics officials at Mitsubishi's Downstate Normal ...
Rent outlook grows dimmer in suburbs; Apartment landlords focus on renovation.(News)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Rents for suburban apartments barely crept higher in the first quarter, and the occupancy rate remained at its lowest level since at least 2003-meaning the outlook for landlords is getting less rosy as the economy softens. The median net rent ...
On the Move.(People)(Rick DiMaio promoted to vice president in Sears Holdings Corp.)(Beth McConnell promoted to vice president in Mesirow Financial Inc.)(Vickie Lambert promoted to senior vice president in Rand Financial Services Inc.)
Jun 02, 2008 ... CONSUMER SERVICES SEARS HOLDINGS CORP., Hoffman Estates: Rick DiMaio, 39, to vice-president of logistics support, from division vice-president of logistics strategy. FINANCIAL SERVICES HOME STATE MORTGAGE GROUP INC., Crystal Lake: Jim Hendrix, 45, to ...
Block 37 captures Puma; Sportswear giant plans State Street flagship.(News)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB German sportswear giant Puma A.G. plans to open a flagship store at Block 37, sources say, while Apple Inc. and trendy clothier Zara are moving closer to signing leases at the Loop shopping center. Puma, the world's third-largest sporting goods ...
Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(Pamela Jordan is launching the private high school's first capital campaign)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Byline: Christina Le Beau Pamela Jordan, 47, head of school at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, is launching the private high school's first capital campaign, aiming to raise $30 million to move from rented digs to its own building in West Town. How she stays in the loop: ...
Profiles.(Focus: Fast Fifty)(NextWave Media Group LLC)(Advanced Equities Venture Partners LP)(Medix Staffing )(Company overview)
Jun 02, 2008 ... 2 BlueStar Energy Services Inc., Chicago 2007 revenue: $171.1 million Four-year growth: 11,424% Profitable? Yes Local employees: 20 Worldwide employees: 61 What it does: Sells electricity to businesses and residents in ...
Focus: Small Business.(Brief article)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: Sarah A. Klein Suggest that someone go into business with his or her spouse, and you're likely to get one of two reactions: a look of horror or a wistful smile. The first reaction comes from people who go to work to get away from their loved ones. The time ...
CBOE is tardy for exchanges' party; CBOT court battle settled, but billions cut in potential value.(News)(Chicago Board Options Exchange)(Chicago Board of Trade)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: ANN SAPHIR The Chicago Board Options Exchange's prolonged court battle with the Chicago Board of Trade may have cost both sides billions. A $1-billion settlement with the CBOT, reached last week, frees CBOE chief William Brodsky to pursue an initial public ...
In slow times, a quick sale is startling; Sellers caught up short when offers come fast; where do we go now?(Business of Life)(Christina Formentini )(Occupation overview)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Christina Formentini thought she had time on her side when she put her one-bedroom, bath-and-a-half soft loft on the market this spring. Ms. Formentini had her heart set on buying another loft just north of her home in Lakeview, and she ...
STALKED BY STORE BRANDS; As gas prices soar, grocery shoppers load up on cheaper private-label brands, trimming Kraft's marketshare.(News)
Jun 09, 2008 ... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Sue Burgess says she prefers Kraft Foods Inc.'s cheese, but she opted for a store brand while shopping at a downtown Dominick's last week. A shaky economy and surging costs for gasoline and food have bargain-minded shoppers such as Ms. Burgess ...
Block 37 bailout for CTA; Plan calls for city to pay $20 mil. more toward superstation overruns.(News)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: GREG HINZ City Hall is planning another subsidy for Block 37-this time a three-phased bailout of an el station under construction there that's running more than $100 million over budget. Under plans that the Chicago Transit Authority board is scheduled to ...
Cool-headed buyers stick to necessities; They keep emotions in check, focus on location, appreciation.(Business of Life)(Steve Wolf)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Steve Wolf, an attorney who commutes from Downers Grove to Chicago, had considered buying a condo downtown in the past. But only last fall did it make perfect sense to do so. His daughter, Alexandria, 19, had just enrolled in Columbia College ...
Hospitals' cash crunch; Service, staff cuts loom as facilities await key D.C. funding stream.(News)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Some of the city's most cash-starved hospitals are cutting services or stalling capital projects as they gird for the shutoff of a major federal funding stream. A three-year program that has funneled an additional $1.4 billion in federal money to ...
Love the one you're with.(Focus: Small Business)(Rank Entertainment Inc.)(Company overview)
Jun 09, 2008 ... RANK ENTERTAINMENT INc. The couple: Charlene Milne, 50, and Richard Milne, 49 Incorporated: 1999 Employees: Two Revenue: "Mid-six figures,'' Mr. Milne says. The business: a Chicago-based entertainment agency that finds and books musical talent for outdoor festivals, weddings, ...
Working and growing together.(Focus: Small Business)(Company overview)
Jun 09, 2008 ... BOTANICAlS Inc. The couple: Casey Cooper, 40, and John Nicholson, 49 Incorporated: 1995 Employees: 13 full-time, up to 50 on contract Revenue: $1.7 million The business: a floral design and event-planning company in Chicago. Keeping flowers in top form for clients paying $8,000 ...
The delicate state of joint ventures; Couples need to reflect before starting business.(Focus: Small Business)(Becky Stewart-Gross)(Interview)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN Becky Stewart-Gross, 49, wrote the book "Sleeping With Your Business Partner: A Communication Toolkit for Couples in Business Together'' with her husband and business partner, Michael J. Gross. The couple understands the challenges and benefits of working ...
Walling off the office.(Focus: Small Business)(2Rz Architecture LLC )(Company overview)
Jun 09, 2008 ... VESTA LLC, 2Rz Architecture LLC The couple: Colette Rodon Hornof, 45, and William Rodon Hornof, 44 Incorporated: 1996 Employees: Six Revenue: $2.3 million The business: Their offices at the intersection of North Elston Avenue and West Concord Place are divided in half. On one ...
U of C misguided in its refusal to divest from Sudan.(University of Chicago)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: Marc J. Lane Marc J. Lane is a Chicago business and tax attorney and a financial adviser. Clinging to a simplistic, Vietnam-era policy, the University of Chicago's board of trustees is refusing to divest from companies doing business with the criminal ...
PRESSURE POINT; Energy business downtick raises doubts for pump maker Gardner.(Markets)(Gardner Denver Inc.)
Jun 09, 2008 ... Byline: BOB TITA Gardner Denver Inc.'s blowout performance is about to meet the faltering economy head-on. Shares of Quincy-based Gardner, a maker of industrial pumps and compressors, hit a record last week and have soared 60% this year, tops among 137 Illinois-based ...
Plotting for sensory stimulation.(Business of Life)(R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co.'s finance director, Linda Fournier)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
Jun 09, 2008; ... Byline: Jennifer Olvera When Glen Ellyn resident Linda Fournier, finance director for Chicago-based printer R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., had a son three years ago, she replaced her former hobby-adventure travel-with gardening. "It appeals to my analytical side,'' says ...