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A&E: Sets appeal: At Phoenix, design matters

When it comes to the Phoenix Theatre, a first-class set usually indicates a first-class show. On its stages, I’ve witnessed everything from seemingly t h r ow n – t o g e t h e r raggedy to impeccably pro. But the strongest, most satisfying work I’ve seen there-including, now, “November” (running thorough Oct. 11)-has been presented dressed for success. Now, I’m not sure about the chicken-orthe-egg-ness of this. It could be that, when the powers that be have…

WellPoint pushes sales force to market life, dental, vision

WellPoint Inc. touts as the company’s biggest strength its dominant market share in its health insurance markets. But now
the officers of the company are working to branch out beyond health insurance. They’re training their sales force
on how to better sell dental, vision and even life and disability insurance–which WellPoint refers to as its specialty group
of products.

M&I Plaza, only 30-percent occupied, may sell at cut-rate price

A local real estate developer has emerged as a top contender to buy the 28-story M&I Plaza–potentially at half the
$50 million price the building fetched a decade ago. Paul Kite Co. confirmed it is in talks with Maryland-based
CapitalSource Inc., which took over the struggling office tower in June after foreclosing on a $5 million
mezzanine loan.

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Plans for a new building should include move-in

New buildings are energizing ventures. They magnify the impact of new programs, they enable new technologies, and they reflect the kind of places we want to live and work. Or, at least they should. After the fanfare, the speeches and the ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the real users move in. Then the questions start: “Who decided this?” and “Why is this here?” and “What is this for?” The excitement of moving into a new building can quickly turn into frustration. It doesn’t…

Hands-on strategy turns Mike’s Carwash into industry model

Mike’s Express Carwash makes money the old-fashioned way. The second-generation family affair, now celebrating its 60th
year, has invested its reserves in steady expansion, becoming a model for the $23.4 billion industry in
the process. And its owners still sweat the small stuff.

Orchestrating moves: Firm that specializes in relocating businesses conducting transition of its own

Moving coordinating company Relocation Strategies Inc. is used to dealing with companies in transition. Now the firm is undergoing one of its own-albeit of a different sort. Relocation Strategies founder David Bayse is relinquishing ownership to partner Melissa Lamb Brown in a purchase agreement set to be completed within the next four years. She already owns a majority of the business and will acquire the rest in stages. In the meantime, Bayse, 57, will continue to guide Brown, 39, who…

EYE ON THE PIE: Does reliance on property taxes matter?

It seemed like a good, simple idea at the time to focus this column on how Indiana taxes compare with those of other states. But that turns out to be more of a job than you might think. For example, which year do we use? The most recent year available from the U.S. Bureau of the Census is 2005-06. But that year won’t work because 12 percent of Indiana’s revenue came from its state highways in 2005-06. Remember, we leased…

SPORTS: Time to deflate that which inflated city’s image

Last week’s column looked ahead to the limitless possibilities of Lucas Oil Stadium. This week’s topic is a last look back at the Hoosier/RCA Dome because, this Wednesday, the Dome will be deflated and it will pass forever from our skyline. But not from our memories. Imagine our city without it. There would be no Indianapolis Colts. There likely would be no forthcoming Super Bowl, no Final Fours and no NCAA headquarters. There likely would have been no Pan American…

EDITORIAL: Waiting for fallout of Wall Street rout: More regulation in our future?

Waiting for fallout of Wall Street rout More regulation in our future? At IBJ deadline, Wall Street was suffering through one of the most tumultuous weeks in its history, and there was no end in sight to the worry consuming investors. The $85 billion Federal Reserve bailout of American International Group Inc. on Sept. 16 did little to shore up markets that had plunged the day before, after Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and Bank of America rescued Merrill Lynch. The…

Planners to pare down commuter-rail options: Vote for light diesel trains would precede design

Goodbye elevated guideway. Goodbye buses zooming down paved-over rail beds. For that matter, forget about commuter trains running down the median of Binford Boulevard and I-69. Or along Allisonville Road or Keystone Avenue. These northeast corridor rapid-transit options, cheered and jeered by residents in the debate over rapid transit, officially get thrown from the train on Sept. 26. That’s if a regional government group votes to accept the recommendation of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization for running diesel light rail…

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Ignorance, not greed, soured soup at Lehman Brothers

The collapse of Lehman Brothers and the widespread stock sell-off it engendered is a bit scary. It shows those of us on Main Street that more than a year after the subprime mess became daily news, significant and sophisticated financiers still grapple with the effect on their firms. They are now far less significant and sophisticated than they once believed. I’m still uncertain as to how this will end. The U.S. and world economies will emerge stronger, more vibrant and…

City Securities’ strategy: Stay true to your roots: State’s oldest investment bank avoided Wall St. woes

In recent days, as some of Wall Street’s most storied institutions teetered, the mood at Indiana’s largest and oldest investment firm was almost serene. City Securities Corp. managers tracked news tickers and consulted CEO Mike Bosway, who was on vacation in Ireland, via his BlackBerry. But their biggest concern wasn’t the financial underpinnings of their own company. It was tumbling stock prices, which depressed the value of the portfolios of their 15,000 clients. Bosway saw no need to rush home…

Tough economy touching all industries, but some are hurting more than others

Stock markets are falling, jobs are disappearing, and the outlook for the economy seems grim. Banks, real estate developers,
retailers and manufacturers are taking the worst hits, but all types of businesses in central Indiana are hurting. From health
care to technology, education to philanthropy, every industry is trying to take the setbacks in stride.

INVESTING: Excessive use of leverage now walloping Wall Street

Here’s a well-worn saying about businesses that engage in risky behavior: “You only find out who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.” If so, we are nearing low tide and the biggest nude beach on the planet is on display in lower Manhattan. These recent events are historic. Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old firm that survived the Depression and world wars, was forced into bankruptcy due to leveraged bets on subprime securities and risky loans made over the…

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: How to avoid horror stories by pre-planning your move

If you’ve ever helped a friend move, you probably have horror stories to tell. About showing up to find not a single item boxed up. About countless cross-town trips in overloaded cars. About stacks and stacks of boxes labeled “Misc.” Or about unconnected utilities, lost keys, miscommunications, out-of-service elevators…well, you get the picture. Those kinds of scenarios might cost you years of good-natured teasing after you’re moving into your first apartment, but when the move involves a workplace, the stakes…

Commentary: Rethinking my presidential pick

Help me, John. I’m falling off the wagon. I like you. I read your autobiography, “Faith of My Fathers.” You are a maverick, like they say, and a patriot. My old boss, Mitch Daniels, made you his early choice. I agree with most of your pronouncements on taxes and the economy, and applaud your willingness to face up to the energy crisis and our dependence on foreign oil. I tentatively decided to cast my vote for you in November. But…

NOTIONS: Contemplating the origin of our competitive species

West Yellowstone, Montana-Outside the cabin window, the cool light of dawn is slowly illuminating the world around us. From where I sit, I can see the white trunks of two Aspens, their leaves a mix of green and gold. A few miles down Highway 20, the cook at the Bar N Ranch is serving up hash browns, sausage and huckleberry pancakes. And beyond that, over at Yellowstone National Park, the die-hard wildlife watchers are shivering in the cold, hoping to…

Swedish auto parts maker closing plant

Autoliv Inc., a Sweden-based manufacturer of air bags and other auto-safety equipment, said yesterday that it will close its plant in the northeastern Indiana town of Columbia City, throwing 380 employees out of jobs beginning this year. The work will be consolidated at a Utah plant because the company doesn’t foresee the American auto market […]

Mid-West Insulation closing down

Mid-West Insulation Inc., one of the city’s largest privately held commercial insulation contractors, told its 40 employees on Monday that it is closing. President and CEO Tom Flynn said the weakening economy caused profits to tighten, and the family-owned firm decided to shut down rather than allowing conditions to worsen and leave creditors and customers […]

State unemployment rate inches up

Joblessness edged up to 6.4 percent in August from 6.3 percent in July, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said today. The figure, which is seasonally adjusted and subject to revision, was well over the 4.5 percent rate of August 2007. Still, the department painted a nuanced picture of Indiana’s rate being a half-point below […]