Crain's Chicago Business back issues from August 2009:
Olympics glory for IIT? New boss hopes games would turbochargerevival at S. Side school.(NEWS)(Illinois Institute of Technology)(John Anderson)(South Side)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: JOHN PLETZ John Anderson wants Chicago to host the 2016 Olympic Games so bad he can taste it. "I'm salivating, says Mr. Anderson, president of the Illinois Institute of Technologythe South Side university whose campus would be smack in the middle of the ...
That first vote was easy part, commissioners.(NEWS)
Aug 03, 2009 ... A trio of Cook County commissioners showed some spine last month when they voted to pare county board President Todd Stroger's sales tax hike by 50%. Commissioners Earlean Collins, Joan Murphy and Deborah Sims gave tax-hike foes just enough votes to override the veto Mr. Stroger ...
Ravisloe reborn as a first-rate public course; Management retains private-club standards at century-old fixture.(NEWS)(Ravisloe Country Club)(Organization overview)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Do the former members of Ravisloe Country Club know what they're missing? Adjacent to south suburban Homewood's downtown since 1901, with many of its holes sculpted by celebrated architect Donald Ross around the time of World War I, Ravisloe ran ...
Business bored by GOP field; Big donors waiting out governor's race.(NEWS)(Grand Old Party)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: PAUL MERRION A yearlong effort by big Illinois GOP donors to find and back a strong pro-business candidate for governor has failed, with no consensus in sight for the party's first wide-open gubernatorial primary in decades. With business support split among ...
CORRECTION.(NEWS)(Correction notice)
Aug 03, 2009 ... * A graphic in the July 20 Focus section should have stated that commercial buildings account for ...
Up for grabs; FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, ILLINOIS WILL HAVE A COMPETITIVE SENATE RACE.(NEWS)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: Greg Hinz When it comes to races for U.S. senator, most Illinois elections are like contests for mayor of Chicago: They're over before they begin. Illinois in recent years has witnessed such thrillers as Durbin vs. Sauerberg, Durbin vs. Salvi and, of course, ...
Union fights eviction at Blackstone; Temperatures rise ahead of broader hotel-labor talks.(NEWS)(Unite Here (New York, New York))(Blackstone Hotel (New York, New York))
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Labor tensions are flaring at the Blackstone Hotel just as union leaders and local hotel owners prepare to negotiate a new contract for about 6,500 workers at 30 Chicago-area hotels where the current pact expires at the end of this month. The ...
The last Adman in Chicago; As head of the city's largest independent ad agency, Peter Krivkovich wants to keep it that way as he pushes into foreign markets.(NEWS)(advertising)(Cramer-Krasselt Co.)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: David Sterrett Peter Krivkovich boasts of rebuffing numerous offers for Cramer-Krasselt during the past decade as other Chicago advertising firms sold out to larger, out-of-town rivals. "The only gain to selling it is to line our pockets, and we are not ...
Higher standards: Illinois lowers bar on harassment suits.(NEWS)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: Marc J. Lane Dramatically expanding the reach of the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that an employer is legally responsible for a supervisory employee's sexual harassment of a worker over whom the supervisor has no authority. Some ...
IT'S UP TO MIKE; Illinois' fiscal fate, political culture in hands of an all-powerful speaker reluctant to risk change.(NEWS)(Michael Madigan)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: GREG HINZ His rivals are gone, his coffers flush, his power at a peak. But the land he rules is in trouble, and leading it out may require him to take the kind of political risks he has spent decades avoiding. That's the conundrum for Michael ...
From plasma physicist to Citadel's nemesis; Russian emigre finds hedge-fund riches, legal trouble in U.S.(NEWS)(Misha Malyshev)(Teza Technologies LLC)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Misha Malyshev, who grew up in central Russia in a home with a wood stove and no running water, has earned enough in his hedge-fund career to afford almost any luxury. He may need that thick wallet to defend himself against recent charges that he ...
On the move.(briefs)(Aimbridge Hospitality)(Ford Wealth Management LLC)(Illinois Hospital Association)
Aug 03, 2009 ... CONSUMER SERVICES AIMBRIDGE HOSPITALITY, Carrollton, Texas: Richard T. Sprecher, 50, to vice-president of business development, in Rosemont, from director of franchise sales at Choice Hotels International Inc. FINANCIAL SERVICES FORD WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC, ...
ACCESS DENIED; Security softwaremaker's shares slideas banks retrench.(NEWS)(Vasco Data Security International Inc.)
Aug 03, 2009; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY An Oakbrook Terrace-based company that rode the banking industry's wave of success is learning a painful economic lesson. As banks reported big profits in recent years, security-device maker Vasco Data Security International Inc. flourished, ...
Walgreen plansMac-like attack; McDonald's inspires CEO to look inward to rev up growth.(NEWS)
Aug 03, 2009 ... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE Ask Walgreen Co. CEO Greg Wasson to describe his plan to recharge the 108-year-old drugstore chain, and before long he's talking about McDonald's Corp. Mr. Wasson, 50, aims to replicate the Oak Brook-based burger giant's successful strategy ...
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR?(Brief article)
Aug 03, 2009 ... Republicans Adam Andrzejewski A poor fundraiser, but the political newcomer appears wealthy enough to stay in the race. Bill Brady State senator needs to show he can do better than his third-place finish last time he ran for governor. ...
Locals line up for rail bonanza; Could high-speed bucks mean returnto Pullman days?(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Jim Coston is betting that the billions of federal dollars aimed at a high-speed rail system could reassert Chicago's place as the nation's rail centerand jump-start his attempt to resurrect a business that flourished here a century ago: building passenger ...
It pays to learn rules of the road.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 10, 2009 ... Entrepreneurs often succeed by deliberately ignoring conventional wisdom. But when they break Chicago rules, it can happen unwittingly. "I've encountered many self-employed people who didn't have the awareness to do their homework, says Raman Chadha, executive director of DePaul ...
Steering through Chicago's maze.(NEWS)(Chicago Mini Bus Inc.)(Brief article)
Aug 10, 2009 ... Chicago Mini Bus Inc. is based in Franklin Park but brings business into the city daily, CEO Letty Hudson says. Her drivers shuttle passengers to Chicago from O'Hare International Airport and even from surrounding states. Ms. Hudson, 39, says she wants to abide by Chicago's regulations but ...
Another potential snare: tax time.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009 ... Some business owners view required city taxes as "optional and choose to take their chances. Kelley Krowczyk, tax manager with accounting firm Porte Brown LLC, has observed this many times during her career, but she also knows there are "sleeper taxes that some entrepreneurs simply aren't ...
Cicero shopping center sells in rare retail deal; $30-mil. sale tops here since "08; buyer cites Latino-market strength.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB A Cicero shopping center, part of a historic former manufacturing site where 45,000 workers once churned out telephones for Western Electric Co., sold for about $30 million in one of the biggest local retail deals since the recession and credit crunch nuked ...
CORRECTIONS.(NEWS)(Correction notice)
Aug 10, 2009 ... * Michael Madigan lost the speakership of the Illinois House in 1994. The year was stated incorrectlyin an Aug. 3 story. * Blackstone Hotel General Manager Rob Cartwright's name was misspelled ...
Datebook.(NEWS)(Brief article)(Calendar)
Aug 10, 2009 ... THIS WEEK AUG. 10: Career Resource Center Inc. presents Something Missing in Your Formula for Success? 10:15 a.m. Career Resource Center, Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Suite 105, Lake Forest. Free for first-time attendees; others pay $100. (847) 295-5626. ...
Condos, hotels: bad mix; Boom-era investment goes bust; Trump to change the plan.(NEWS)(business mogul Donald Trump)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The condo-hotel, once among the hottest investment ideas in town, has nearly fizzled out. At one point during the real estate boom, more than a dozen downtown hotels were angling to sell their rooms as condominiums. Now it's down to three, with ...
Foley's crash course; New county health boss slammed into reality of hospital politics.(NEWS)(Cook County Health executive Bill Foley)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Bill Foley was running late for one of his first meetings as chief of Cook County's health system when his taxi was broadsided, sending him tumbling around the back seat. It was symbolic of Mr. Foley's jarring introduction to the massive, ...
Taking the long view-at 8,100 yards; French Lick Resortaims for golf challengewith staying power.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY FRENCH LICK, Ind.This little town south of Indianapolis is more than a four-hour drive away, a long way to go for a golf game. But maybe it's not too far to travel for a glimpse of the future of the sport. The historic French Lick Resort and ...
Pete Dye Course at French Lick.(NEWS)(Geographic overview)(Brief article)
Aug 10, 2009 ... 8670 W. State Road 56 French Lick, Ind. (812) 936-9300 www.frenchlick.com Director of golf: Dave Harner Tee times: Accepted one year in advance for guests of West Baden Springs Hotel Green fee: $350, plus$30 caddie fee ...
HEALTH CARE CROSSFIRE; 3 swing-district Dems, still mulling reform, feelpressure from right, left.(NEWS)(Congressional Representatives Melissa Bean, Debbie Halvorson and Bill Foster)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: PAUL MERRION While liberal and conservative Democrats battle over health care reform, three Chicago-area Democrats in historically GOP districts are stuck in the middle, still uncommitted and coming under pressure from both ends of the political spectrum. The ...
Runner's guide; WANT TO BE A CHICAGO POLITICIAN? BETTER READ THIS FIRST.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: Greg Hinz So you want to run for political office? It seems to be the thing to do these days, with plenty of positions available, from entry-level to CEO. A U.S. Senate seat and the Governor's Mansion, president of the Cook County and DuPage County boards, ...
Info Junkie.(NEWS)( Event Architects)(Brief article)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: Laura Bianchi As co-founder and CEO of Event Architects, a Near North Side event management and production company, Gabrielle Martinez, 38, tracks the latest in food, decor and entertainment. Where she looks: Food & Wine and Gourmet magazines for culinary ...
BEER JOCK'S BIG GAME; Sports nut Kiely takes MillerCoors to battle against big bad Bud Light.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009 ... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Leo Kiely can hardly speak without uttering a sports analogy. The ex-jock and Boston Red Sox fanatic describes himself not as the boss but as the "head coach at MillerCoors, the new brewing conglomerate that opened its Chicago headquarters in June. ...
Chicago, the city that works against us all.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009 ... Starting a business anywhere is hard enough. Starting a business in Chicago is entirely too hard. In this week's Focus section (Page 21), we offer the city's aspiring and existing small-business owners some lessons and advice on dealing with the city's Draconian, and often ...
On the move.(NEWS)
Aug 10, 2009 ... ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EVANSTON ART CENTER, Evanston: Norah Delaney, 54, to executive director, from director of programs at the Alliance Francaise de Chicago. FINANCIAL SERVICES AMERISOURCE FUNDING INC., Houston: Donna Hinrichs, 38, to regional marketing ...
In banking bloodbath, an unlikely predator; Decade after patriarch's conviction, Republic is back to buying.(NEWS)(Republic Bank of Chicago)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: STEVE DANIELS A surprise aggressor has emerged in the sweepstakes to buy up failed Chicago banks. Republic Bank of Chicago, a small Oak Brook-based lender, has bought two of the five banks that have failed in the area this year, and it tried to buy a third ...
Testing personality by sandwich: How do you handle a mess?(NEWS)(Brief article)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: Kevin Davis Hunkering over a dripping Italian beef sandwich with your colleagues isn't pretty, but it may say something positive about you: You're not afraid to get your hands dirty. "People who eat Italian beef are spunky, risk-taking, adventurous and like ...
Loop office market falls on all cylinders; Vacancy rate increasesin each of downtown's six submarkets in 2Q.(NEWS)(2nd quarter)
Aug 10, 2009; ... Byline: EDDIE BAEB There's nowhere to hide for downtown office landlords these days. The vacancy rate climbed in all six downtown submarkets during the second quarter as the direct vacancy rate hit 13.3%, up sharply from 12.2% in the first quarter. The ...
TITLE FIGHT: WHO'LL BE TOP BANKER? Feiger, Wehmer, Richman square off in bout to succeed Bobins.(NEWS)(Norman Bobins)(Larry Richman)(Mitchell Feiger)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The sale of LaSalle Bank Corp. to Bank of America Corp. nearly two years ago marked the end of an era in Chicago bankingleaving the city without a dominant hometown business lender. Now three local bankers are vying to claim the crown that former ...
Looking for champ.(NEWS)(Brief article)(List)
Aug 24, 2009 ... Chicago lost a hometown lender when Bank of America acquired LaSalle Bank. Three banks hope to fill that void. PRIVATEBANCORP INC. Assets: $11 billion Branches: 20 Headquarters: LaSalle Street Strength: Deep relationships in business ...
Fund scandal clips N. Shore; Investors, SEC accuse former Continental banker of fraud in $550-million hedge fund.(NEWS)(Securities and Exchange Commission)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: ANN SAPHIR A group of wealthy Chicagoans is fighting to retrieve millions from a Winnetka financier accused of defrauding more than 100 investors in his $550-million hedge fund. United Scrap Metal Inc. CEO Marsha Serlin and former Kenilworth Village President ...
Daley's Olympian stretch; City Hall touts $22.5-billion boost from games, but economists scoff.(NEWS)(Statistical data)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Mayor Richard M. Daley's prediction that the 2016 Olympics would give Chicago's economy a $22.5-billion boost vastly overstates the likely benefits of hosting the games, experts say. "That's crazy, says Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at ...
Flossmoor Country Club.(NEWS)(Organization overview)(Brief article)
Aug 24, 2009 ... 1441 Western Ave. Flossmoor (708) 798-4700 www.flossmoorcc.org Director of golf: Trey Robbins Initiation fee: $10,000, with charity events open to the public Length: 7,136 yards Rating: 75.5 Slope: ...
RECESSION GETS RELIGION; Collection plates are emptier as churches face unholy cash crunch.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009 ... Byline: Contact: mwhite@crain.com The recession is showing no mercy to Chicago's houses of worship, sapping tithes and offerings as demand for church services rises. The economic downturn has put the squeeze on congregants who have lost jobs, homes and income, ...
Alter builds new venture; During real estate lull, developer invests in New Republic magazine.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009 ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY With deal-making in commercial real estate at a standstill, developer Michael Alter is casting for fresh opportunities, including becoming part owner of the New Republic magazine. Mr. Alter, president of Alter Group Ltd. in Skokie, joined eight ...
On the move.(NEWS)(briefs)(Brief article)
Aug 24, 2009 ... CONSUMER SERVICES JIM FANNIN BRANDS INC., Oakbrook Terrace: David M. Lauer, 40, to managing director of operations, from managing director of operations at GrassRoots Leadership in Arlington, Va. MERISANT WORLDWIDE INC., Chicago: Yann Kervoern, 42, to vice-president ...
Towns, call pols' bluff and opt out of video poker.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009 ... A few local officials are showing more sense than state leaders when it comes to government-sponsored gambling. DuPage County, along with the villages of Rosemont and Country Club Hills, have opted out of Springfield's plan to legalize video poker as a way to finance a badly ...
BABY BOTTLE BATTLE; New kid on the block Mead Johnson must grab marketshare to nurse stock price to higher ground.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009 ... Byline: DAVID STERRETT The North Shore's newest corporate resident is taking aim at the neighborhood giant. Mead Johnson Nutrition Co., which moved its headquarters to Glenview in May, is launching new products and boosting advertising to wrestle lost share in the ...
Public plan's pain equals Blues' gain; $2-mil. lobbying push helps deflect threat to lucrative business line.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois' financial outlook is growing healthier by the day as prospects for a new, government-run insurance plan dim. Backers of a so-called "public option say it would tame the often sky-high rates consumers face when ...
Establishing common ground at Aon Benfield; Spotlight: Maggie Westdale.(NEWS)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: Steve Daniels Job: Chief financial officer, Aon Benfield, Chicago-based Aon Corp.'s reinsurance brokerage arm, since May. Vitals: 42 years old; bachelor's degree in political science, University of Michigan, 1989; MBA, University of Michigan, 1993; valuation ...
Illinois stretchingfeds' dough; State gins up more stimulus projects as contractors slash bids.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: PAUL MERRION Lower-than-expected bids saved Illinois roughly $100 million on road and bridge repairs funded with federal stimulus money, allowing the state to launch nearly 50 additional projects, about 22% more than originally expected. Savings of $70 ...
School's out; LOTS OF DAYS OFF SURELY CONTRIBUTE TO POOR RESULTS IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.(NEWS)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: Greg Hinz Anyone who's ever held a job can tell you that "short weeks, those that include a holiday or vacation day, are almost more trouble than they're worth. The work still has to be doneat least most of it. There's just less time in which to do it. So ...
Flossmoor now longer-and cheaper; Smart upgrade to coursecomes as legendary clubslashes its initiation fee.(NEWS)(Organization overview)
Aug 24, 2009; ... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY In this deflated era, consumers of means are rushing to buy cars, houses and vacations at discounted prices. But serious golfers should also consider the deep savings right now on country club memberships. Prices haven't been so low for decades, ...
HEALS OR HURTS?(Brief article)
Aug 24, 2009 ... How key health-reform proposals could affect Blue Cross: POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES * Individual mandate (requiring everyone to get coverage) * Government subsidies to help consumers buy insurance * Government research on which medical treatments work ...