New laser leak detector for gas pipelines intended to improve safety

Englewood-based Aviation Technology Services-Denver, a privately held software company, is betting its new aerial laser leak detection system for gas pipelines will be a success.

During blind tests at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center near Casper, Wyo., the system found 25 percent more leaks than any other system tested and detected 90 percent of all gas released in the test.

The helicopter-based laser system combines a methane-sensitive laser with a digital video record of the pipeline and should improve public safety and decrease environmental pollution, the company said.

Colorado Interstate Gas Co. in Colorado Springs is among the clients being targeted.

Miracle Method added 23 franchises in 2006

Colorado Springs-based Miracle Method, already the nation's largest bathtub, tile and countertop refinishing franchiser, added 23 locations in 2006 and increased gross sales by more than 20 percent to $22 million. "Individual franchises' double digit sales growth," said Miracle Method president Chuck Pistor, "is due to the growing number of homeowners, hotel operators and property managers using surface refinishing as a more cost-effective alternative to the removal and replacement of bathtubs, tile surrounds and countertops." The cost of resurfacing a tub is $400 to $500 compared to $2,000 to $4,000 to tear out a tub and replace it.

eWomenNetwork networking lunch Friday

eWomen Network, a group that helps women in business promote themselves, develop new contacts and learn strategies for business promotion, will host an "acclerated networking" luncheon Friday, Feb. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Colorado Springs Sheraton Hotel, 2886 S. Circle Drive. The cost is $50 for members, $55 for non-members.

KKTV news anchor and investigative reporter Betty Sexton will offer tips for relating to the media and how to generate stories.

For more information and to register, call 596-1771.

Cowgirls Subs moving to Colorado Springs

Cowgirls Subs, an independent sandwich shop, is moving from Sheridan, Wyio. into a 1,400-square-foot space in the art deco Padgett Building at 301 E. Platte Ave. Building co-owner Pat Mika said the restaurant has a five-year lease and is expected to open around April 1. Pat Blair of the Sheridan Press newspaper said Cowgirls had been in Sheridan, a city of about 16,000, for more than two years and was widely praised for its soups, sandwiches and deserts. "Colorado Springs is getting a small gem," Blair said. Also, Mercury LDO, which specializes in large-document scanning and printing, signed a seven-year lease with a five-year option to occupy a 6,000-square-foot space in the recently remodeled Padgett building last August. One 3,000-square-foot space remains.

Teens, employers disagree on work readiness

Nearly 90 percent of the nation's teens believe they are either adequately or very well prepared to enter the work force, according to an annual poll conducted by Colorado Springs-based JA Worldwide's (Junior Achievement).
The group's 8th annual "Kids and Careers" Interprise Poll, sponsored by Verizon Communications Inc., found more than one-third of the nearly 1,500 students surveyed believe they are "very well prepared"and have the necessary skills to compete in today's work force, while more than half believe they are "adequately prepared." The survey was conducted online in October and November with students ages 13-19 from 125 JA offices nationwide.

Employers had a different view -- 42.4 percent of employers surveyed last year rated new work force entrants with high-school diplomas as "dificient" in their overall preparation for entry-level jobs they typically fill. The sruvey of 400 U.S. employees was conducted by The Conference Board, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Familes and the Society for Human Resource Management.

For complete results, go to http://www.ja.org/files/polls/kids_careers_2007.pdf.

Canadian trade discussion at Chamber February 14

Canada's Senior Trade Commissioner Monica Heron and the international trade staff of the Canadian Consulate General-Denver will visit Colorado Springs Wednesday (Feb. 14) to talk about how local companies can share in the profits from Colorado's largest international trade relationship.
In 2005, Colorado exports to Canada were valued at $847 million and trade with Canada supported 93,000 Colorado jobs. Aerospace, bio-tech, information and communication technologies, and agriculture are among the principal trade relationships. The 7:30 a.m. meeting will be held at the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, 2 N. Cascade, Suite 110. For more information, or to schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of the Canadian officials, call the Colorado Springs Office of International Affairs at 575-4314 or e-mail internationalaffairs@cscc.org.

Good Bill, Bad Bill -- Gov. Ritter, that is

What a difference a couple of days can make -- especially when it comes to heated political rhetoric. When Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (right) vetoed a bill Friday that would have made it easier to establish all-union workplaces in the state, it generated this appreciative response from Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business: "We applaud the governor for his courageous act in vetoing House Bill 1072. This could not have been easy for him, given the sizable support he received from organized labor during his campaign. Quite frankly, we are as stunned as we are elated. Small businesses will not always expect to be on the receiving end of such good news, but the message the Governor sent today tells us is that he is very sincere in his invitation to hear all sides and fairly weigh the arguments.”

Gagliardi added: “There is indeed a new sheriff in town, and he is serious about what he says. The Colorado political world has taken note.” Of course, Gagliardi wasn't quite so gracious on Monday, when he sent out a statement that skewered Sheriff, er, Gov. Ritter in advance of an expected bill signing: "I'm not holding out much hope he’ll do the right thing on this,” Gagliardi said. “Let’s face it ― unions want payback for all the support they gave him during his election. I’m expecting his executive scrawl over this nasty mess of legislation.”

Sign up for news in your email

The Gazette's Biz Blog is now available to be emailed to you with the headlines of daily postings. Now you won't forget to visit the Web site and miss what's going on in the business community. Just type in your email in the form on the right side of this page to sign up. Don't worry, this email is only used to send blog items so your email won't be crowded with junk.

Springs company gets Grammy Award exposure

The term "goody bag" will take on a whole new meaning for the owners and staff of Colorado Springs-based Green Mountain Audio on Feb. 11 when the company brochure is included in the 250 gift bags given to each presenter and awardee at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. It will also get tucked into the gift bags at the Latin Grammy Awards later this year.

Green Mountain Audio (www.greenmountainaudio.com) was established in 1988 by physicist and speaker design pioneer Roy Johnson and is focused on creating "the ultimate in analog tube sound" with a two channel stereo system that includes state of the art speaker design by Green Mountain Audio. The brochure was in progress when Chae Chong (Metrotech Group LLC) heard the speakers at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He deemed them as "the best in the world." The brochure idea surfaced in late 2006 during a talk between an EVtek principal and one of their clients, "Lady J," a voting member of the Grammy Awards. Chong believes this is the first time such a brochure has been included in Grammy gift bags.

Western wear store opens at The Promenade Shops

Girl of the Golden West, a women’s western wear retailer, opens its doors at The Promenade Shops at Briargate Saturday (Feb.10) on the shopping center's east side. The store will offer distinctive western wear for women, men and children along with home accessories by local artisans and artwork featuring images of the Pikes Peak region.

Owner Phoebe Schmidt says the idea for the store came to her after "an unsuccessful shopping trip to find some amusing cowboy boots." Visitors to the store on opening day will receive a free goodie bag.

Big step for Colorado Springs shredding company

Colorado Springs-based RealTime Shredding has made a significant breakthrough in its second year by getting New Frontier Bank, based in Greeley, to become the first bank in the nation to acquire and install self-service shredding kiosks for customer and public use. New Frontier Bank has installed RealTime's Self-Service Shredder, the model designed specifically for business and consumer use, at its locations in Greeley, Longmont, and Windsor. The kiosks cross-cut shred paper, cardboard, credit cards, paper clips, staples, CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. The industrial-strength shredder, featuring multiple control points for maximum safety, can shred up to 200 sheets of paper a minute. Customers and the general public can use RealTime Shredding (www.realtimeshredding.com) kiosks at no charge. The kiosks are located in the banks' lobbies and are available for use during normal lobby hours of operation.

Ent looking pretty good for 50

Ent Federal Credit Union wants its 175,000 members to help it celebrate its 50th anniversary at a series of events next month.
The $2.1 billion financial institution is inviting members to visit any of its 24 branches in the Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas on March 7, including a special ceremony with longtime members at its Bon branch, 2336 N. Wahsatch Ave.
The credit union also will host "Ent: It's Your Future Expo" from 3-7 p.m. March 22 at the Antlers Hilton hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave., featuring seminars, interactive displays and other activities. The expo also will feature the credit union's annual meeting, which includes election of directors and reports to members.
Ent was started by eight volunteers with $602 in deposits from 30 members at Ent Air Force Base (now site of the U.S. Olympic Training Center) and has grown to become southern Colorado's largest financial institution.
For information go to www.ent.com/50th.

Groundbreaking ahead for office condo project

A lunch and groundbreaking to launch construction of the Courtyards at Briargate, an office condominium project planned for the northside Briargate Business Campus, will take place Feb. 22 at Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano in the Promenade Shops at Briargate, southeast of Colorado Highway 83 and Briargate Parkway. The project is planned by California-based RDB Solomon Capital as a 14-building, 72,100-square-foot complex, northeast of Colorado 83 and Research Parkway and east of the Air Force Academy. A lunch will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the restaurant and will be followed by a groundbreaking ceremony at the nearby project site. More information or to attend: 487-3883 or http://www.courtyardsatbriargate.com/

Springs broker gets red-carpet treatment

Not everybody gets their names splashed across a national newspaper, but Colorado Springs commercial broker Doug Carter got the star treatment this week. Well, sort of. Carter, who last year joined national brokerage Sperry Van Ness Commercial Real Estate Advisors, was one of 68 brokers -- the company prefers to call them "advisors" -- to get their mugs included in a full-page Wall Street Journal ad Wednesday (page B9). The ad honored some of the company's more than 800 brokers from around the country who were top earners in 2006. Carter, who specializes in apartment properties, was one of two Colorado brokers in the ad.

Red Rock Shopping Center getting a new look

JFR Realty Company, which has owned the Red Rock Shopping Center on the city's west side for 15 years, is giving the place a facelift, with new facades for the two buildings, improved lighting in the parking lot and a new exterior paint job that will be similar to the nearby Safeway store. The project at the southwest corner of West Colorado Avenue and 31st Street is expected to be completed by the end of March.

New Web site at The Broadmoor hotel

The Broadmoor five-star hotel in Colorado Springs recently launched a newWeb site http://www.broadmoor.com/.

The site includes new navigation and interactive tools. Highlights include:

• Meeting Facilities Interactive Map


• Photo Galleries with Postcard Functionality


• E-commerce Store


• Virtual Concierge


• A Content Management Tool also allows The Broadmoor staff to quickly update copy, photos, special offers and rates throughout the Web site.

New health and wellness business opens

Jeff Bickford and Gail Gustafson, the original owners of Motion Studies Centers for Body, Mind and Spirit in Colorado Springs and Seattle, have moved back here and have a new business.

Their private practice focusing on health and wellness through movement, awareness and space is located in the office of Dr. John Daugherty, 1923 W. Colorado Ave.

For more information, see www.feldenkrais.com or www.labaninternational.org

Cingular raises the bar in Pueblo

Big bucks helped bring Cingular Wireless to Pueblo, and the city and company are celebrating in a big way. At 11 a.m. Wednesday Feb. 7, Cingular Wireless and Pueblo officials will dedicate a 500-employee call center that's operating in a new 76,000-square-foot building at 100 S. Main St. on the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk in downtown Pueblo. The $18 million call center actually opened in December, but Wednesday will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting and dedication. About 400 employees who serve wireless customers in 10 Western states work in the building; another 100 will be on board by year's end, the company says. Pueblo city officials approved $5.67 million in incentives last year to help Cingular pay for call center-related equipment. In exchange, the company agreed to hire 500 people who will work at least 32 hours a week and earn at least $10 an hour in pay plus benefits, including health insurance. While the facility will be known as the Cingular Wireless Customer Care Center, the company's name is changing to AT&T to reflect its acquisition by AT&T Inc.

Old Colorado City merchants name new leader

Jim Heikes, owner of Thunder Mountain Trading Company, has been elected president of the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA) merchants group by his 10 fellow board members. He replaces Carole Jourdan, who chose not to stand for re-election. OCCA has 42 members, about half of the businesses in the Old Colorado City district on West Colorado Avenue, between 24th Street and 27th Street.

Business health group calls for transparency

The Colorado Business Group on Health, a statewide, employer-focused coalition that works on improving the value and quality of health care, has signed on to the Department of Health and Human Services' initiative calling for called "value-driven" health care. In other words, consumers should know up front how much they're paying, what they're paying for and the quality of the service.

"We think it's a good initial step for large purchasers to work collectively to change the direction in the industry," said Donna Marshall, executive director of the Colorado Business Group on Health. "I don't think any employers are satisfied with the trend in costs and we as purchasers need to do a better job in telling the marketplace what it is we want to buy. The marketplace will respond."

For more information on the initiative that advocates transparency of cost and quality, see www.hhs.gov/transparency.

ATT (not AT&T) comes to the Springs

Advanced Transportation Technologies (ATT), a privately owned transportation modernization company, opened a marketing and sales office Jan. 22 at 8610 Explorer Drive. ATT has three employees there now and projects it will eventually have eight, according to Kathleen Dugan, the company's director of sales and marketing. Its new assembly plant in Rocky Ford will have 40 employess within 4-6 months and 80 by early next year. Larry Wessels from Lakewood started the company with financial backing from retired major general John Hawley of Monument, founder of CollaborX Inc. Their initial product line is a patented set of pneumatic-powered products that will save truck drivers time when rebalancing loads to meet highway weight restrictions and will also prevent physical injuries to truck drivers.

Walter Drake employees get to stay put

Miles Kimball Co. is shutting down its Las Vegas call center on March 16 and moving more than 100 jobs to Oshkosh, Wisc. With the move, all 700 of Miles Kimball's full-time employees will be in Oshkosh with the exception of the 20-person Walter Drake catalog design, layout and merchandizing operation in Colorado Springs. Blyth Inc. paid $53 million for Walter Drake in 2004, then merged the catalog company into Miles Kimball and fired 350 workers here.

Super Bowl ad stats

With such a large captive audience, the Super Bowl has become not just pro football's biggest moment on center stage, but the advertising industry's as well. Anybody wanting to launch a national campaign puts up big cash -- $2.6 million for a 30 second spot this year -- and gets placement in the Super Bowl. It's a big swirling merry-go-round of ads. Over the past 20 years (1987-2006) there have been 221 different advertisers, more than 1,400 commercial announcements covering more than 11 hours and $1.72 billion of network advertising sales. This research by TNS Media Intelligence also shows that only two companies have placed ads in each of the last 20 years. Anheuser Busch has spent $250.8 million on Super Bowl ads in that time and Pepsi $190 million. General Motors is a distant third with an ad bill of $65.7 million over 15 years.

BBB wants you to hear some Sweet Talk

The Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado is launching a year-long series of seminars on improving communication skills -- "Sweet Talk" -- on Feb. 1 in the Adult Reading Room of the Penrose Library at 20 N. Cascade Ave. Tia Warren of Executive Image by Tia will be the first presenter, with "At First Glance," a discussion of the importance of image and body language in getting a speaker's message across. For the full calendar of events see www.bbbsc.org/calendar/event_details.asp?cal_id=95

Business Women- Be Bold

The Women's Foundation of Colorado is seeking nominations for the 20th Anniversary "Be Bold" awards. These awards will recognize the leadership of women who are positively impacting women and girls' economic self-sufficiency across the state. The WFCO is looking for women who are:
· Change agents for women's and girls' interests
· Breaking new ground in male-dominated fields
· Serve as an inspiration to others in this arena

To nominate a bold leader, download a form at http://www.wfco.org/ . The deadline for nominations is March 16. The WFCO will announce and honor the winners at The WFCO's 20th Anniversary Luncheon in Denver this fall. For more information go to http://www.wfco.org/ or call (303) 285.2973.

Boston Market is Catering for the Cure

The Golden-based Boston Market restaurant chain has launched a program called Catering For The Cure, which will donate $2 from every catering order, with a minimum annual donation of $250,000, to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Funds raised will be used for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.

Colorado Springs has two Boston Market locations, at 6964 N. Academy Blvd. and 1015 N. Academy Blvd. "Our communities support us every day of the year, and this is just one way we can give back," said Sarah Brown, vice president of catering for Boston Market. "Many people have had their lives touched by breast cancer, and we’re pleased to be able to contribute to finding a cure."

Boston Market’s catering services are available for groups of 10 or more people and cover every event need from grab-and-go box lunches and hot buffets to full-service and wedding packages. Boston Market also supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure through the annual summer sale of its Certificate Books, which sell for $1 and historically have offered guests nearly $40 in savings on some of Boston Market's most popular meals.

Boulder Street coffee shop changes owners

Former deputy city manager Dave Nickerson and his wife, Marilyn, have sold the family-run Boulder Street Coffee Roasters after 10 years to enter retirement. New owners Iwao and Tina Greene don't expect to make a lot of changes at the 332 N. Tejon St. shop, continuing the poetry readings and acoustic jam nights.

Rising Professionals kick-off event drew in a crowd

More than 260 people attended the inaugural event of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce's Rising Professionals on Jan. 17. The group is targeted at people age 21-39.
Young professionals can sign up at www.coloradospringschamber.org. and also http://www.myspace.com/rising.
Events are scheduled throughout the year.
The next is a luncheon on Feb. 21 at the Phantom Canyon. The topic is “Building a business community that connects you to your market, gives you counsel and supports your goals.” Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch and the presentation at noon.
Cost is $20. RSVP to 575-4383.

Day at the legislature

The Quality Community Group is hosting Day at the Legislature for local business people and community leaders at the Capitol 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 1
The Quality Community Group is a partnership between the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp., the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors.
The Day at the Legislature is intended to give local business people an opportunity to learn about business issues important to the economy and meet many of the state legislators.
A chartered bus will leave for Denver at 10 a.m. A luncheon with keynote address by Andrew Romanoff, speaker of the house begins the afternoon, followed by briefings at the Capitol. Then, the Governor’s administration, members of the Colorado General Assembly and state agency heads are invited to a reception with the local group.
Cost for the entire trip is $100. For information, contact Stephannie Finley, 575-4331, stephannie@cscc.org.

United shortfalls because of snow falls

United Airlines, although it posted a profit for the third consecutive quarter in the fourth quarter, lost an estimated $40 million because of snowstorms that hit main hubs in Denver and Chicago during December, the company reported in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings Tuesday. The airline cancelled about 3,900 flights due to these storms.

Life in the Fast Lane

Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the local convention and visitors bureau, invites the public to "Breakfast in the Fast Lane" 7:30 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Clarion Hotel, 314 W. Bijou St.

Guest speaker Bill Badger, COSMIX project spokesman, will be there to speak about the COSMIX project and take concerns and questions. Cost $20. RSVP by Friday Jan. 26 to Christy Long at 635-7506 ext. 141 or e-mail at CLong@ExperienceColoradoSprings.com.

All attendees will receive a COSMIX Car Survival Kit.

For more information click here or visit www.experiencecoloradosprings.com.

Chambers diversity awards luncheons Wednesday

The Pikes Peak Coalition of Chambers (made up of the Black Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, Southern Colorado Women's Chamber and the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce) will host the Diversity Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, January 24 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton, 2886 S. Circle Dr.
The luncheon celebrates companies that embrace and practice diversity in the workplace and the community.
The keynote speaker is Jody Alyn and she will be discussing "ASPIRE to create Positive Cultural Change".
The cost is $30 for an individual and $400 for a corporate table of 10. To RSVP go on line at http://www.coloradospringschamber.org/ and click calendar of events or call 575-4387.

Falcon-Peyton planning effort needs volunteers

A plan that guides the residential and business development of the fast-growing Falcon and Peyton areas in central and eastern El Paso County is getting a facelift, and county officials are seeking help with the process. The El Paso County Commission wants 10 to 12 volunteers to serve on a committee that will assist the county Development Services Department and a consultant in assembling a major update to the Falcon/Peyton Small Area Master Plan. The plan will include land-use recommendations for unincorporated Falcon and the town of Peyton. The updated plan will be presented to the county Planning Commission for adoption by the end of 2007. Committee members, who will meet twice a month for about 10 months, will provide input, offer ideas and review draft planning documents, among other duties. Meeting dates, times and locations will be determined; the county hopes to have committee members who represent the interests of property owners, homeowners and businesses, among others. County commissioners will begin interviewing and selecting volunteers in February and complete the process by March. Volunteer applications can be found online at http://www.elpasoco.com/; click on the “volunteer boards" link. Applications, including mailing addresses and daytime phone numbers, and any letters of interest or resumes, can be faxed to: 520-6397, emailed to: webmaster@elpasoco.com, or mailed to: Board of County Commissioners, Attn: Fran St. Germain, Executive Assistant to County Administration, 27 E. Vermijo Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2208. More information: contact Carl Schueler, Long Range Planning Division Manager at 520-6316 or carlschueler@elpasoco.com.

Washington pizza chain coming to the Springs

Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza of Everett, Wash., has signed a sub-franchise agreement to open 25 stores in Colorado Springs and Denver by 2011. Solomon Franchise Development Inc. will open its first Denver store in May and sub-franchise the remaining 24 units to other operators. "Through my experience in the pizza marketplace, I've identified Garlic Jim's as a company that will be successful, and I want to be a part of it," said Valerie Solomon, president of SFD. From 2004 to 2006, Garlic Jim’s has grown from two to 36 units, and the company has 93 units under development or contract.

Can you hear me now?

Last Monday’s Business article about how businesses answer the phone produced lots of calls to my phone.

“Most people would rather talk to a human than a machine, and sometimes I wonder if enough people complain companies would stop with the machines,” said reader Dottie Davis.

She’s particularly upset about Comcast/Adelphia’s customer service line for high-speed Internet.

“I found myself screaming my phone number to the machine. It seemed like I had to do it 10 times. I thought I’d land at a mental hospital.”

Another reader left this message on my answering machine at my desk: “Your greeting annoys me just like your article. When I get disgusted I punch all the buttons until I get somebody. Then I ask them what I want and get a private number for the next time I need to call. It works very well.”

One reader said the situation with automated phone machines is worse than people think. “Sometimes you have to answer all kinds of questions to a machine but you never get your question answered,” he said.

Financial institutions are his pet peeve. “They ask for your account number and social security number over and over and over,” he said. And calling the Air Force Academy hospital resulted in him being hung up on after being on hold for a while. “After several rounds of automation, they say the extension is invalid and you get disconnected.”

Other readers expressed frustration about not being able to reach live people at retail mega stores, defense-type companies and others. "Sometimes they don't seem like they want to help you at all," one reader said.

Travel + Leisure magazine honors Springs hotels

Prestige is the word of the year over at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak. The 19th Century Manitou inn had a cameo role in the feature film "The Prestige" and has seen its international reputation polished to a high sheen this year by being named among Travel + Leisure magazine's list of the world's top 500 hotels. The readers poll last summer had The Cliff House 19th in North America and the just released list prepared by T+L's editors and reporters has the inn 24th among 212 North American hotels. Ten Colorado hotels made the editor's list with The Cliff House (87.71 rating) third in the state behind the Ritz Carlton at Beaver Creek (88.26) and Little Nell at Aspen (87.78) , and just ahead of The Broadmoor (86.49).

Marketing agency for small businesses moves

Art of Design i.d., a design and marketing agency focused on small business, has moved to new offices at 1621 W. Colorado Ave., #110.

The new office has 850 square feet of space, which is three times the size of the previous location, according to Debbie Tuzel, principal of Art of Design i.d..

The move was necessary because of the company's recent business growth. The company's gross revenue has nearly tripled in the past three years, Tuzel said. The company has been in business for 20 years.

For more information, visit http://www.artofdesignid.com/

Colorado Springs Young Professionals is 3

The , group, one of the largest young professional groups in the nation with about 1100 members, is celebrating its third anniversary 6-9 p.m. Jan. 31 at Blondie's a new downtown venue, next to the Red Martini. (The CSYP group will be the first to see the inside of the new venue.) More than 500 people are expected to attend this event. Drinks and food will be complimentary.

For more information, visit http://www.csyoungprofessionals.com/ or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/csyoungprofessionals/

A side order of restaurant news

Champps Entertainment Inc. of Littleton has agreed to sell its assets to a New York private equity firm. Champps owns and operates 49 restaurants and franchises or licenses another 13. Champp's has a restaurant at The Promenade Shops at Briargate plus two in the Denver metro area, at the Park Meadows and Aspen Grove shopping centers. Under the terms of the deal, an investment entity formed by Kinderhook will pay $75 million for the company and assume all of its liabilities, including outstanding debt. The Champps corporate entity will remain a publicly held company and intends to invest the proceeds from the sale into another business. ....

The Taco Bell restaurant at 405 East Platte Ave. - long a favorite of Palmer High students - is closed at least until March in order for the franchisee to do a complete remodel to a more modern design that the chain calls "Bold Choice." ...

Anthem wants universal health coverage for children

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield released a plan this month that calls for public and private initiatives to address the growing numbers of uninsured.

The plan supports expanding state health care programs to cover more of the 180,000 children living in Colorado who were not covered by health insurance last year. The state could do that, Anthem said, by extending the financial requirements to cover children in families than earn up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. That's about $60,000 for a family of four.

In addition to opening public programs to more children, the plan advocates state health care programs to include low-income parents and childless adults living at the poverty level.

Anthem also supports premium assistance programs for families with private insurance and pools to provide insurance to high-risk people.

Anthem said it will donate $30 million over the next three years to support community and state-based programs that address initiatives for the uninsured, which total 770,000 adults and children in Colorado. That's 17 percent of the state's population.

Nationally, 46 million Americans under age 65 do not have health insurance, reports Anthem.

Barnes Marketplace continues to expand

Nor'wood Development Group continues to move its six-month-old Barnes Marketplace closer to full occupancy. Old Navy is projected to open at the Barnes Road and Powers Boulevard shopping center Feb. 21, followed this spring by the Colorado chain restaurant the Egg & I and a branch of the Security Service Federal Credit Union. On the Border restaurant, a Circuit City electronics store and a 7/Eleven are due to open this summer, joining the existing outlets for Checker Auto Parts, Good Times Burgers and Frozen Custard, Hobby Lobby, Mardel Christian and Education store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Noodles and Backyards and Billiards. The Old Navy store will be the third in Colorado Springs - joining those at The Citadel and Chapel Hills Mall - and seventh in the state.

Eat up: Annual real estate forecast breakfast on its way

The Institute of Real Estate Management will hold its 16th annual economic and real estate forecast breakfast 7 a.m. Jan. 25 at the Sheraton Colorado Springs Hotel, 2886 S. Circle Drive, on the Springs' south side. The popular event -- typically attended by several hundred business people -- provides an overview of the local economy and real estate market. This year's speakers will be Tucker Hart Adams, a Springs resident, president of The Adams Group Inc. consulting firm and an econmist with U.S. Bank, who will speak about the local economy and whether a recesson is looming in 2007; Mary Frances Cowan, a veteran commercial real estate broker for Grubb & Ellis/Quantum Commercial Group in Colorado Springs and who will discuss the commercial market; Doug Carter, a Springs real estate broker who will talk about the apartment market and Fort Carson's effect; and Mike Kazmierski, president of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. and who will talk about the economy and the EDC's role and initiatives. More information: Pikes Peak Association of Realtors at 633-7718 or e-mail Linda Littlefield at littlefield@ppar.org.

Simtek gets inventive

Colorado Springs-based Simtek Corp. said Thursday it has filed for 10 new patents on its chip design and technology, its first new patent applications filed in nearly five years.

"We are excited to have initiated this significant expansion to our intellectual property platform, the result of a focused effort by the entire global Simtek engineering team," said David Still, the company's vice president of engineering. "Protecting and increasing our proprietary technologies are important objectives for us as we expand into markets and advance our product portfolio."

The announcements comes a day after the company's stock moved onto the Nasdaq Stock Market. Since the patent applications were announced, the company's stock rose 26 cents to $5.95.

PearlDiver moves headquarters to Indiana

PearlDiver, which develops databases for the orthopedics industry, is moving its headquarters and marketing department from Colorado Springs to Fort Wayne, Ind. in February, to become a tenant at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center. President Ben Young and two other software developers will remain in the Springs, but Young said Fort Wayne is a more logical location for the company's headquarters because it is near the geographic center of the orthopedics industry.

Young will assist with the transition by spending one week per month in the Fort Wayne office. PearlDiver's first product will be a searchable database of information on spinal patients and that will be followed by a database of anoymous patient information that will include costs and other figures from insurance companies that orthopedics companies can use to prove new products can save money. PearlDiver, launched just last August, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based RRY Publications LLC.

Let it Snow

In light of the recent snowstorms, the Colorado Tourism Office will conduct targeted “Let it Snow” pitches.

The office is planning to showcase Colorado winter activities, sports, deals, and packages, etc. for last-minute getaways. The office is most interested in pitching NEW offerings, packages, deals available now through March.

If you're in the tourism industry and have a package or activity you want to let the tourism office know about, contact Jessica Taveau at coloradopr@mmgworldwide.com

TCF Bank, Well Fargo stay open on holiday

The majority of financial institutions in the Pikes Peak region will be closed Monday Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Day - but not all of them. TCF Bank, which markets itself as "Colorado's Most Convenient Bank" because it's open 359 days a year, will be doing business as usual and Wells Fargo will open 53 of its 140 banks in Colorado, including all of those in Colorado Springs.

Wells Fargo allows its regional presidents to determine what they want to do about holiday hours. This year that means the Denver Metro and northern Colorado Wells Fargo branches will be closed Jan. 15 while those in southern and western Colorado will stay open. "It's a community by community decision," said Cristie Drumm, Wells Fargo spokeswoman. "All the banks in Wyoming are open Monday. All those in Montana are closed."

Among those taking the day off are 1stBank, Ent Federal Credit Union, Vectra Bank Colorado, Farmers State Bank, The Bank at Broadmoor, KeyBank, First Community Bank, Colorado National Bank, Air Academy Federal Credit Union and American National Bank. Academy Bank will offer service only at its Wal-Mart locations

Rewriting history

Terry Sullivan with Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the local convention and visitors bureau, is meeting with Scott Campbell director of the Heritage Tourism Program with the Colorado Tourism Office today to establish guidelines to determine what local tourists attractions qualify as a heritage tourism site. Heritage tourism is a new trend in the travel industry that focuses on tourist attractions related to the history, culture and natural resources unique to an particular area.

The local visitors bureau did give The Gazette a list of local heritage tourists sites, which was published in The Gazette's Business section on Jan. 8. That was complied by the staff at Experience Colorado Springs and did not have qualification guidelines.

Springs franchiser ranked among nation's top 100

LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, has earned a spot in Franchise Magazine's honor roll of "Top 100 Franchises" for 2006. The company, which specializes in cognitive skills therapy or "brain training," had earlier been named the 45th-fastest growing franchise system by Franchise Times. Founder and CEO Ken Gibson expects LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com) to grow from 47 centers to 300 by 2009. Also receiving mention in the Franchise Magazine Top 100 is Fitness Together, which is based in Highlands Ranch and has two locations in Colorado Springs, at 5903 Delmonico Drive and 202 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.

Let 'er ring

By about 4:20 p.m., Wednesday Jan. 10, repairs on the fiber-optic phone cable serving the passenger terminal at the Colorado Springs Airport were completed and phone service has been restored. The loss of phone service resulted in minimal impact to the passengers and airline operations, according to airport officials.

Contractors working on the west side of the Colorado Springs Airport accidentally cut the primary fiber-optic phone cable that serves the passenger terminal building at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Airport phone service grounded

At approximately 12:30 pm Wednesday, contractors working on the west side of the Colorado Springs Airport cut the primary fiber-optics phone cable that serves the passenger terminal building.

Airline and airport personnel have switched to back-up communications systems and expect flight operations will continue on a normal schedule, with no impact on passengers. Maintenance crews are on site and estimate completion of the cable repair by 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The public can contact the airport through email at www.flycos.com and clicking on Contact Us.

Colorado Tourism Office expanding welcome centers

The Colorado Tourism Office is expanding the Colorado Welcome Center Program. Businesses and organizations can fill out the Request For Proposal to be considered an Official Colorado Welcome Center if they meet the criteria and conditions of designation. The timeline for this RFP is as follows:

Questions from bidders due Jan. 19, 2007
Answers posted on Colorado.com Jan. 22, 2007
Written Proposals due Feb. 23, 2007
Reviewed by CTO staff March
Tourism Promotion Committee review April
CTO Board review and recommendation May

Attachments can be found on the industry page on www.Colorado.com. For additional information, please contact Cindi Meharg, Colorado Welcome Center Program Manager, cindi.meharg@state.co.us or (970) 858-9335 ext. 11.

New way to visit Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek visitors center has a new Web site address: www.visitcripplecreek.com.

The Web site has a new look and links for activities, dining, lodging and gaming plus information on local history and weather.

Design Squad makes stop in the Springs

Intel Corp. will host a training session Wednesday conducted by staff of the Design Squad, a new public television reality show, to show adult volunteers how to stimulate interest among children in science and engineering.

The session will be from noon to 1 p.m. at Intel's Colorado Springs plant, 1575 Garden of the Gods Road, and is free and open to the public. Instructors will discuss and demonstrate hands-on exercises such as a game involving balancing ping-pong balls, said Judy Cara, an Intel spokeswoman in the Springs.
About 30 people from Intel, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Society pf Women Engineers, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, the local Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Society of Manufacturing Engineers and local teachers are expected to attend the training session to prepare them for classroom visits during National Engineers Week, Feb. 18-24.

The Intel Foundation is sponsoring Design Squad, produced by Boston public television station WGBH-TV, which will feature eight teenagers compete to design and build machines ranging from a peanut butter-and-jelly making machine to race cars. The show begins airing on KTSC-TV in the Colorado Springs area on Feb. 25. Finalists in the last episode will compete for a $10,000 college scholarship from the foundation.
For more information or reservations, contact Cara at 273-1456 or Judith.m.cara@intel.com.

What do Colorado Springs-based Doss aviation and Clark Gable have in common?

The answer is: Pueblo.

Colorado Springs-based Doss aviation opened its new flight screening facility for the Air Force in Pueblo last month. After reading the story in the business section, Bill Stanford, a retired sergeant in the Air Force, called to inform Tthe Gazette that Clark Gable was stationed at Pueblo Memorial Airport, then known as Pueblo Army Airfield, in the early 1940s before he left for England with Army Air Force bomber group.

Check into the Chamber

Gift cards were the big seller last holiday season…and the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is right in step with this trend.

Local businesses can participate at no cost in the new ChamberChecks program. When a ChamberCheck is presented to a participating business, it works just like a regular check and can be deposited for the full face value. There is no service or discount fee charged.

The consumers who purchase ChamberChecks may use them as giveaways, gifts, rewards and incentives. Every ChamberCheck comes with a list of the participating member merchants and the list also will be posted on the Chamber’s website. For information contact Laura Wiens, 575-4318, laura@cscc.org

Ahhh Bagels gone for good .....Arggg

The Ahhh Bagels shop at 7075 Austin Bluffs Parkway, well-loved for its authentic-tasting goods — crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside — has gone out of business after two years at the Nor’Wood Shopping Center. Co-owner Brenda Moredock died last May, and her daughter Jennifer Peterson held on for six more months in the face of declining sales before closing for good.

Some readers upset about snow day compensation

Several Gazette readers responded to Friday's Business article about the dilemma local employers faced regarding employee compensation during the city's recent blizzards.

Employees of several local companies said their employers closed for a day or two, or closed early, but didn't compensate workers.

Employers aren't required by law to pay hourly employees for hours not worked, even though many businesses in town chose to do that. Others decided they could not afford the generosity. That left employees out in the cold, with a decreased paycheck.

"We should have some recourse," said one caller. "I was dressed and ready to walk to work when I was told not to come in because they were closed. And I'm supporting a family of six. It really hurt us."

Coat factory heads to malls

Burlington Coat Factory is tentatively set to make its move to the malls on March 2. The existing store at Citadel Crossing will move across Academy Boulevard to The Citadell mall and a new store will open at Chapel Hills Mall, each taking over space previously occupied by Mervyn's.

Chamber honors deceased United Way leader

The Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce will remember Jerry Smith, president and CEO Pikes Peak United Way who died last month, at its annual dinner Jan. 26.

Smith was active in public policy issues at the chamber and a member of board of directors for the past three years. He also served on the chamber board in the 1980s.

For information on the dinner, call 575-4387.

Tourism Day at the Capitol

The Colorado Tourism Office is hosting a Tourism Day at the Capitol from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 22 at the State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.
RSVP by contacting Brian Selvig at (303) 892-3717

Denver tire dealers test Colorado Springs market

After many years of service as a neighborhood tavern — the Mousetrap Lounge, He’s Not Here, Jock’s Trap and Jeannie’s Place — the property at 2514 E. Platte Ave. is now home to Auto Accessories & Tires La Sierra. Co-owner Mario Moreno operates another wholesale and retail tire store under that name on Federal Boulevard in Denver and decided to partner with Jorge Balderrama for this new venture in Colorado Springs. “There are so many businesses like ours in the Denver area,” said Balderrama, “so we thought we would have a better opportunity here.” Property owner Lee Goodbar oversaw construction of a new structure on the site this year, designing it with a garage on the north side to expand his options with tenants.

Restaurants on the move

Blizzard-related delays to construction at the Manitou Springs Spa Building have forced Adam's Mountain Cafe proprietor Farley Kaminer McDonough to push back her moving day at least another two weeks. The transfer from the current location at 110-A Canon Ave. to the Spa Building at 934 Manitou Ave. is tentatively set for Jan. 20 but may take another week with the first day of food service at the Spa Building to be Feb. 2. ...

Fanz Sports Grill has moved out of the old fire house it occupied at 817 W. Colorado Ave. and into a partnership with Will's Sports Pub at 424 S. Nevada Ave. Grand opening for the joint operation, called Will's Pub featuring Fanz Sports Grill, is Jan. 5-6. Joe Portillo and Andy Finkbeiner will handle the food preparation, having developed a reputation for creative and tasty bar food in their three years at Fanz Sports Grill. ...

Franchisee Phil Fisher has broken ground on his first Del Taco restaurant at 3991 N. Elizabeth in Pueblo and expects to have it open in late April. He is in the planning stages for his second store, which is going to be in Fountain at the old Taco Bell site on Highway 85-87. ...

New name for Colorado Springs graphic design company

Colorado Springs-based graphic design company, Barnstorm Creative, recently changed its name to CoPilot Creative.

The name change reflects the reorganization and growth of the company.

"We feel that this name change better reflects our position and capabilities, working side by side with our clients and helping them to navigate successful marketing objectives," the company said in a press release.

The company will soon launch a new Web site: http://www.copilotcreative.com/.

Businesses on the move

Richard Harvey, owner of A&R Services LLC in Monument, has been named national Vending Operator of the Year by Automatic Merchandiser magazine for exhibiting the "qualities that the vending industry needs to embrace in order to move to a higher level of professionalism." A third generation vending operator, Harvey has 14 employees and projected 2006 sales of $3.2 million.

Art of Design i.d. owner Debbie Tuzel has moved her growing design and marketing agency into a larger office space at 1621 W. Colorado Ave., suite 110. Focused on serving independent professionals and small businesses in the Pikes Peak region, Art of Design's clients include Aeorospace Modeler magazine, Kirk and Hill clothing store, Memorial Hospital, Old Town GuestHouse and Blue Fox Photography.

Depot USA takes new posting in Fountain

Depot USA, a store dealing in military and law enforcement uniforms, insignia and field gear, will open its fifth store Jan. 5, at 6436 Highway 85/87 in Fountain, near the north end of Fort Carson. Headquartered in Oxford, Ala., Depot USA locates all of its stores in close proximity to military bases. Its other stores are near Fort Sill (Lawton, Okla.), Fort Bliss (El Paso, Texas - two stores) and Fort Polk (Leesville, La.). All of the company's merchandise is new.

Goodwill countdown

Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs expects to close on the sale of its downtown store at 324 E Pikes Peak Ave. by the end of this month and will then lease it back to continue using that site until its new store southwest of the intersection of South Circle Drive and Janitell Road is ready to occupy in early 2008. There is no indication yet what use the new owner has planned for the downtown property once Goodwill moves out, but condos have been planned for that block.

Unbelievable Workplace Events

The usually staid, just-the-facts-mam approach to delivering business news and surveys at Challenger, Gray & Christmas erodes a bit in December with its compilation of the year's 10 Most Unbelievable Workplace Events. Naked file cabinet jumping in Newcastle, England (www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1795903,00.html), one man's daily commute of 370 miles (milwaukee.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/04/10/daily41.html) and employee spanking in California (www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2006/12/18/75145.htm) are among the eyecatchers for 2006. Our favorite? The decision by Northwest Airlines to issue a 165-page booklet in the face of layoffs, giving employees 101 suggestions about how to save money (www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aih5zYtnoksU). Challenger has the full list of Events from 2005 on its Web site at www.challengergray.com/pressbox.aspx

LIGHTS, CAMERA, 1STBANK!

Downtown Colorado Springs' Holly Sugar Building (above, left) became the FirstBank Building with the flick of a switch this week. Installation of "1STBANK" signs at the top of each side of the 14-story building was completed Wednesday, and, at 5 p.m. the signs (seen as they were being installed, above right) were illuminated. FirstBank of Colorado Springs announced Dec. 12 it has acquired the naming and signage rights to the downtown landmark, which was known for decades by the name of the Holly Sugar Co. that was headquartered there from 1967 through 1997. The building, at 2 N. Cascade Ave., is part of the Palmer Center complex, which includes the Wells Fargo bank tower and the Antlers Hilton hotel. FirstBank of Colorado Springs is owned by FirstBank Holding Co. of Colorado, based in suburban Denver. Signs in the building's lobby and in an underground parking garage are still being changed.

Talk about your incentives

Mike Kazmierski, president of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. for a little more than a year, has said several times the Springs needs to boost its business incentive packages if it hopes to compete with offers being made by cities and states around the country. Here's the headline over a Dec. 21 news item that caught Kazmierski's eye, and which he forwarded to The Gazette:

"N.Y. approves $650M in aid for AMD microchip plant"

The story, from the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, goes on to detail that a New York state panel approved a $650 million funding package to aid construction of an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. computer microchip plant in a business park in upstate New York. AMD tentatively agreed last summer to build the $3.2 billion plant, but a deal isn't yet final and company officials were counting on the state's aid package, according to the story.

Colorado and Colorado Springs rarely ante up that kind of money, although the state and Denver did offer $237 million in 1991 to try and land a United Airlines maintenance facility that ultimately went to Indianapolis.

http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/12/18/daily65.html

They Said It .... quotes from the business community

“I thought it might make a good Irish bar ... My name ‘Sammy Michael Patrick’ would even work for that until you get to the Guadagnoli part. That kind of gives it away.”
--Club owner and entrepreneur Sam Guadagnoli, who purchased the old Color Me Mine property at 28 N. Tejon St. for use as a model site for downtown loft sales, on what other use he might have had for the building.

"I go into the newspaper's obituary pages every day and too often I find there is a customer, an old friend."
--Mike Nemeth, former co-owner of Nemeth's El Tejon Restaurant, on the loss of core clientele which contributed to the restaurant's closure October 28.

Foreclosures still plentiful

Latest figures from a California online research firm confirm what the El Paso County Public Trustee's Office already has reported: Local foreclosures are on the rise. RealtyTrac Inc. released figures last week that show El Paso County foreclosures totaled 371 in November, up 29.3 percent from 287 during the same month last year. Teller County foreclosures totaled 25 in November; RealtyTrac didn't have comparable figures for 2005. RealtyTrac's figures reflect homes that are in some stage of foreclosure, not just new filings. Meanwhile, the El Paso County Public Trustee's Office reported 269 new foreclosures in November, up 71.3 percent over the same month a year ago. So far in 2006, El Paso County foreclosures total 2,390, exceeding the 2005 total of 2,289 and making this year the highest annual total of foreclosures since 2,937 in 1989, according to the Trustee's Office.

Employees camp out at Intel

Blizzard of ’06 No. 2 left about 30 employees of Intel sleeping in cots overnight Wednesday and Thursday at the local computer chip plant, which operates 24/7.

Employees received food, drink and personal hygiene items. They also were kept updated on the storm’s progress.

As the weather worsened and roads closed, other employees were asked not to come in to work. Some worked on laptop computers at home, spokeswoman Judy Cara said.

“We never entirely shut down, but we had to stop some procedures because we didn’t have enough people to run the factory,” Cara said. “The lost production time was clearly not good but we have a great team of folks who will make up the time.”

Snow gets some in the spirit

Matt Chmielarczyk didn’t mind making the commute to work as sales manager at Mountain Chalet on Wednesday.

“We’re a mountaineering shop. We should be open when it snows,” he said.

And he got a nice holiday bonus. Every employee who went to work at the downtown shop during the blizzard got paid double time, said owner Dan Foster.

“Even though sales were down, we stepped up to thank the ones that made the effort to come in,” Foster said.

The shop closed early, 5 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Sales were stagnant, and Foster believes retail activity was simply lost to the forces that be.

“Compared to a typical week before Christmas it’s terribly slow, and I don’t think those sales will be made up. It hurts, but what are you going to do?”

Foster is counting on fellow shopping procrastinators to be out in full force post-blizzard.

Blizzard creates sales opportunity

The holiday blizzard gave some Faricy Boys Chrysler Jeep associates a new twist for their sales pitches.

After the dealership in the Powers Auto Park closed at 1 p.m. Wednesday, some associates headed home in their Jeeps and along the way pulled out vehicles stuck in the snow, said Ben Faricy, one of the dealership owners.

“They were mainly two-wheel drive vehicles,” he said.

Sales associates handed their business cards to the drivers, telling them to visit the dealership.

"Usually our business picks up significantly after a storm like this becaues everyone realizes two-wheel-drive vehicles aren’t cut out for this weather,” Faricy said.

By Thursday afternoon, employees were still plowing the 11-acre lot and using snow brooms to brush off some 400 vehicles.

“We’ve got three plow trucks out there,” Faricy said, “and it’ll probably take us the majority of Friday to get everything cleared.”

Snow brings headaches for holiday travelers

Have any of you experienced the same frustration Susan Richards had when she tried for hours to reacher her airline to rebook her flight? She called and called for hours only to get the same busy single and have her call dropped.

"It makes me feel like (the airline) doesn't care about any of customers because they don’t want to help correct any problem. And the airports know that the numbers are disconnected but they tell you to call anyway. It just seems very unprofessional," she said.

I started calling Frontier Airlines startingWednesday afternoon and finally gave up Thursday evening. I probably going to drive up to Denver International Airport on Saturday and stand in line at the ticket counter just because I think it's the only way I'm going to be able to reschedule my flight. What have you been through these past few days while trying to travel home for the holidays? We'd like to hear your story.

Chamber event rescheduled

Due to the inclement weather conditions, the Community Business After Hours and Speed Networking events have been rescheduled to Thursday Dec. 28 at Sodo, 527 S. Tejon St.

For more information, visit www.coloradospringschamber.org.

ATTENTION United Denver travelers, policy change for travel on Dec. 20 and 21

United Airlines is allowing passengers who are flying through Denver on Dec. 20 or 21 to change travel plans at no additional cost because of the winter snow storm.

Customers are encouraged to check flight status before going to the airport by visiting www.united.com or calling (800) 864-8331 for automated, up-to-the minute flight arrival and departure information.
Customers can receive automatic updates via mobile phone, e-mail or pager, by registering for United EasyUpdate complimentary service at united.com.

For customers traveling to, from, or through Denver who would like to make one change to their return trip, rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchases, day or time applications, blackouts and minimum or maximum stay requirements have been waived.

Customers who have not begun travel to, from, or through Denver may make one change to their travel plans without change fees or advance purchase requirements for the same itinerary. For a new itinerary, they can make one change without change fees. Rescheduled travel may be subject to higher fares if it does not meet original rule and booking-code restrictions or is a new itinerary.

This ticket wavier is available for customers traveling to, from, and through Denver who purchased ticket on Dec. 19 or earlier, for travel between Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, to/from/through Denver on any United®, United Express®, TedSM or United code-share flight. Origin and destination cities must remain the same.

Customers with already canceled flights are eligible to apply for a full refund.

SmartBox hauled to the Front Range

Richmond, Va.-based SmartBox, a provider of portable storage for commercial and residential use, is making its first venture outside the South by bringing a franchise to the Front Range in February. “Our new Denver franchise will be able to service nearly 4 million people from Fort Collins to Boulder and Denver to Colorado Springs,” said Dusty Rhodes, director of business development. SmartBox containers are 8 feet long, 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. They can hold the contents of up to one and a half rooms and are delivered directly to customers’ doors. When the storage boxes are fully loaded, the customer calls the company to arrange transport to one of its warehouses or another location. SmartBox (www.smartboxusa.com) has franchises in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.

Business notebook

Colorado Springs-based education company Learning RX has 46 outlets nationwide with the Oct. 30 opening of a franchise in San Antonio, Texas. ...

With the encouragement of area contractors, Don and Susan Cotterman have expanded their family-owned The Door Co. into the Pueblo market after 12 years of operation in Colorado Springs at 615 Conrad St. The Door Co. sells residential and commercial lines of doors, hardware, as well as bath, office and office suite cabinetry. ...

Steve and Ginny Warren have acquired Colorado Cabinet Coatings (www.coloradocabinetcoatings.com), a Colorado Springs company which performs cabinet refacing or replacement work. Steve has 19 years experience in the industry and Ginny has a bachelor's degree in interior design.

RealTime Shredding partners with UPS stores

Real Time Shredding Inc. of Colorado Springs is expanding its business along the Front Range by putting its machines in UPS Stores in Monument and the Denver Tech Center. The company's Self-Service Shredder cross-cut shreds paper, cardboard, credit cards, paper clips, staples, CDs, DVDs and floppy disks. The industrial-strength shredder can shred up to 200 sheets of paper a minute. Customers can bring in any material they want to shred for $1 per two-minute session at either location.The service is a natural extension of the document services, packing, shipping and mailbox and postal services UPS Stores already offer, according to Mike Fye, owner of The UPS Store in Monument. Whether it's someone who is ready to clean out the basement and destroy 15 years of old phone bills, or a business that needs to shred years worth of old documents, "it's easy, inexpensive and makes good sense," says Fye.

Traveling around on alternative fuels

Mapmuse.com has a great map of alternative fueling stations around the nation so you can travel across the country and know the next place where you can fill up. (Click on Going Green under Category.)

It shows Colorado has:

• 17 biodiesel fueling stations, including 2 public stations in Colorado Springs and 1 at Peterson AFB
• 23 compressed natural gas fueling stations, including 2 in Colorado Springs, 1 at the Air Force Academy and 1 for Colorado Springs Utilities
• 12 ethanol 85 fueling stations, including 1 public station in Colorado Springs, 1 at Fort Carson and 1 at Peterson AFB
• 2 electric fueling stations, 0 in Colorado Springs
• 0 hydrogen fueling stations
• 0 liquified natural gas

Web site users also can add stations they know of.

Nominations for Chamber's Diversity Awards

The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its annual Diversity Awards Luncheon on Jan. 24. Nominations are due Jan. 5.

• Awards Categories include:
• Small Business: 1-50 people
• Mid-Size Business: 51-300 people
• Large Business: 301+ people
• Non-Profit 501 (c) 3

The awards are designed to recognize leading companies in the region for their commitment to diversity and inclusion. A panel of representatives from the Pikes Peak Coalition of Chambers will judge nominees based on the following criteria:

• Work force diversity
• Leadership
• Education/Training
• Community Inclusion
  

To be considered or to nominate a local company, print off the form and return by Jan. 5 to jenifer@cscc.org or mail to the address on the form. For more information go online.

Trade mission to Northern Ireland

A delegation of Colorado Springs high tech company officials will be traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland for a trade mission Jan. 28-Feb. 3. The participating businesses will have four days of one-on-one appointments with carefully selected potential partners to facilitate entry into the rich European Union market. The Northern Ireland Technology and Development Center of Denver, which is organizing the mission, is seeking participation from local companies in the biotechnology, life sciences, information technology, precision engineering, medical device, aerospace manufacturing, nanotechnology and renewable energy fields. For further information contact Peggy McMahon, director of the NITDC, at mcmahondenver@aol.com or at 1-303-572-5200

Arizona fitness chain has eye on Colorado Springs

Mountainside Fitness of Phoenix is considering Colorado Springs for one of the six locations it plans to open in Colorado in the next two years. The company will make its first venture outside Arizona when it opens a fitness center in the Denver suburb of Westminster in January, and it is scouting locations in downtown Denver, Thornton, Golden, Littleton, Aurora, Parker and Lone Tree, in addition to the Springs. Mountainside Fitness clubs offer exercise classes and weight training, with amenities ranging from sauna and steam room to a climbing wall. The clubs range in size from 13,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet.

Checks Unlimited spared significant layoffs

Colorado Springs-based Checks Unlimited was spared significant job cuts when parent company Deluxe Corp. of Minneapolis laid off 250 of its 8,500 employees nationwide last month. Terry Peterson, vice president of investor relations for Deluxe, estimated that the cuts in Colorado Springs amounted to "fewer than five employees, mostly in the support and administrative areas." Checks Unlimited, the 23rd largest private employer in the region with 670 workers, designs, manufactures and sells specialty checks and accessories to consumers through direct mail and on the Internet.

The survey says: Don't blame the media for soft home sales

Many people shoot the messenger when the news is bad, or, at least, not to their liking. Now that the Pikes Peak region's housing market has followed the rest of the nation into a funk, some local real estate industry members have pointed a finger at the local and national news media as bearing some of the blame. Their theory is that when prospective home buyers hear or read the market has slowed, they'll hold off on their purchases. News stories become a self-fulfilling prophecy, critics say. But a recent National Association of Home Builders' survey says traditional pocketbook issues, not news stories, largely drive home-buying decisions. When asked to rate the importance of several factors that might affect their purchase, the No. 1 reason, which was cited by 80 percent of survey respondents, was price. Other reasons, in order of importance, included: home appreciation, cited by 71 percent of respondents; the ability to sell their current home at a fair price, 70 percent; mortgage rates, 69 percent; and personal issues, such as a new job or a growing family, 60 percent.

On a list of eight factors, news stories about the real estate market ranked second to last, with 28 percent of respondents saying such stories were an important factor behind their decision to buy.

"The media provides an important service by giving consumers the big picture of what is occurring in the housing marketplace, even the big picture in their local markets," said NAHB President David Pressly, a North Carolina builder. "But despite that, local reporting can't convey the information that consumers consider the most when they are looking for a new home." The NAHB surveyed 2,000 households during the last week of October.

Personal assistant service for seniors

Nearly everyone could use a hand around the house, and one local business specializes in giving seniors a little extra help.

Peter and Marsha Thorson recently relocated their company of 12 years, GoodLife Senior Care Inc., from Scottsdale, Ariz. to Colorado Springs. The business provides non-medical, in-home personal services to seniors.

Caregivers assist with housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, shopping, running errands and transportation.

Personal assistants enable seniors to stay in their homes as they age, Peter Thorson said.

Services are typically arranged on an hourly basis, however, overnight and 24-hour care also are available.

For more information, call 266-4799 or see www.GoodLifeSeniorCare.com.

Conway's Red Top closes its newest store

Conway's Red Top restaurant has shut down its worst-performing store at 5865 Palmer Park Blvd. due to a sharp loss in business and concern over the minimum wage increase. Operations manager Ralph Brown said the Palmer Park store -- the newest in the chain -- was bringing in one-third the revenue it was shortly after it opened three years ago. With added competition from restaurants in the area and an anticipated increase in wages of $100 a store, per day, due to the change in the minimum wage law, the Conway family decided it made little sense to continue. The chain's other five stores, four in Colorado Springs and one in Pueblo, will remain open, and Brown said the company may look at a location to replace the Palmer Park store "once we have had a chance to assess the impact of the minimum wage law."

Of mountains and molehills

You knew this would happen. In a Gazette story Dec. 3 that discussed why views are important to area residents and businesses, Mike Kazmierski, the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. president, was asked if mountains and views matter to prospective employers when they're considering the Springs as a place to do business. Nope, Kazmierski, replied; a quality work force is most important. Views, he said, are "a single component in a very complex mix of different elements in the community. What we educate a prospect on is the quality of our work force. If we don't get past that hurdle, they don't care about anything else." Then, Kazmierski added that not every area with great mountains is a hotbed for business expansion. "There are mountains in Alaska," he said, "and nobody really cares about them." His comment didn't set well with one e-mailer to The Gazette. "He really stuck his foot in his mouth," the e-mailer said. "Has he ever been to Alaska? There are plenty of people who care about them, to include myself. One could make the same statement about the hill called 'Pikes Peak.' It's not just the mountains in Alaska that draw people there. It's the majestic beauty of the entire state; the friendly people, the free spirit and the simple lifestyle. Alaska is a far better place to raise kids than in Colorado. It's Mr. Kazmierski's thinking along with many other things about Colorado that solidify it was a mistake moving here." Kazmierski said he wasn't ripping Alaska, just using it as an example to explain that businesses care more about quality workers than quality views.

HBA seeking MAME entries

The Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs has set a 4 p.m., Dec. 15 deadline for entries for its 24th annual MAME Awards, which will take place in April. The MAME Awards are the housing's industry's Oscars -- honors given out each year for best new home, best sales person, best architectural design, best signage and even best sales office or showroom, among several other categories. Awards go to builders, developers, architects, designers and others in the industry, and the annual dinner and MAME ceremony -- typically a stylish affair -- serves as a showcase for the Pikes Peak region's home building industry. Only builders, developers and their associates who were HBA members in good standing during 2006 are allowed to enter. For entry information, categories and the like, visit the HBA's Web site at www.cshba.com and click on the MAME Awards link. The event takes place April 14 in the Rocky Mountain Ballroom of The Broadmoor hotel's International Center.

The EDC acknowledges PRC

The Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. has acknowledged -- albeit in a subtle way -- that a Florida company is bringing a 550-job call center to the city. A Dec. 7 EDC news release, which recapped the organization's 2006 successes in bringing new jobs to the area, included a mention that PRC of suburban Fort Lauderdale would open a call center in the Springs. But PRC wasn't part of an EDC ceremony a day earlier, which recognized new and expanding companies, and David White, the EDC's marketing vice president, wouldn't acknowledge PRC's expansion in the Springs. However, EDC Vice President Julie Boswell said the organization decided to include PRC in its new release that recapped new and expanding businesses after a Dec. 6 story in The Gazette outlined PRC's plans and quoted a company spokeswoman.

PRC, which operates call centers in several states and on behalf of Fortune 500 clients, announced in a Dec. 7 news release on its Web site that it would open a 400-job call center in southern Oklahoma. There's no news release yet regarding the Springs, but a PRC spokeswoman has acknowledged the company will open its Springs call center in early 2007 and lease space in the Tiffany Square office and retail building, southwest of Interstate 25 and Woodmen Road. PRC has set up an e-mail address for job inquiries: springsjobs@prcnet.com. The company's Web site is www.prcenet.com.

Having good credit can help you start your own business

A Small Business Administration report last month that found the introduction of credit scoring by banks for small business loans may help increase small business owners' or entrepreneurs' access to credit.

The SBA report showed that "the use of credit scoring can lead to risk-based pricing of loans which democratizes lending, meaning that riskier loans can now be made to start-ups or small business owners with little credit history," said Dr. Chad Moutray, chief economist for the Office of Advocacy with the SBA.

Still, you need to have a good credit history. Most banks in the Colorado Springs area look at a person's credit history when he/she comes to the bank for a small business loan, according to Matt Barrett, director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Each bank is a little different, but someone with a credit rating of 700 and above will most likely have an easy time getting a business loan, Barrett said. Getting a loan with ratings from 700 to 680 is possible, and any person with rating below 680 would have a difficult time obtaining a small business loan.

If a business is doing well and the owner wants to take out a loan to expand, the bank will look at the books of the business and at the business owner's credit history for the past three years, according to Barrett.

Advice on Year-End Tax Planning for Small Business Owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a live Web chat on year-end tax planning for
small business owners11 a.m.-noon Dec. 14 through its Web site, www.sba.gov.

Thomas Ochsenschlager, vice president of taxation for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, will host the Web chat. Chat participants will receive information about the importance of year-end planning and steps small business owners can take to reduce their 2006 tax bills, and Ochsenschlager answers questions on year-end tax savings.

Participants can join the live Web chat by going to http://www.sba.gov/, and clicking “Online Business Chat.” Web chat participants should post questions for Ochsenschlager before the Dec. 14 chat by visiting http://app1.sba.gov/liveMeeting/liveDec06/intro.cfm

The health of our state

The health of Colorado residents improved one notch this year, according to a national annual checkup by United Health Foundation. Colorado now ranks 16th in the nation, up from last year's 17th placement, for health.

Colorado Strengths:

Low prevalence of obesity, at 17.8 percent of the population.
Low rate of cancer deaths, at 180.6 deaths per 100,000 population.
Low rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease, at 274 deaths per 100,000
population.

Challenges:
Limited access to adequate prenatal care, with 68.6 percent of pregnant
women receiving adequate prenatal care.
High rate of uninsured population, at 17 percent .
Low per capita public health spending, at $92 per person.

Significant changes:
In the past year, immunization coverage increased from 77.1 percent to 83.4 percent of children ages 19 to 35 months receiving complete immunizations.
In the last year, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 11.7 percent to 14.7 percent of persons under age 18.
Since 1990, the prevalence of smoking decreased from 28.6 percent to 19.8 percent of the population.
Since 1990, the rate of uninsured population increased from 12.8 percent to 17 percent.

Business trivia for $200, please Alex....

Scrabble's big break came in the early 1950s, when the president of Macy's discovered it while on vacation and ordered it for his store. Within a year, clerks couldn't keep the game in stock. Macy's has two Colorado Springs stores, formerly Foley's.

Downtown shopping event to benefit CASA

Circle of Impact and a group of 18 downtown shop owners are staging a fundraising event for CASA of the Pikes Peak Region at 1-5 p.m. Dec. 10. All proceeds from a $20 shopping pass will go directly to CASA, which provides a volunteer's voice in court for children who are victims of abuse, neglect or domestic conflict. The shopping passes assure a 20 percent discount on purchases made at participating stores; restaurant discounts may vary. For more information call 365-1600.
Participating stores and restaurants:

• Putogether
• Kirk and Hill
• Idoru
• Guinea Pigg
• William Kurtz
• Phantom Canyon Brewery
• SoleMates
• Out of the Box
• The Olive Branch
• What's In Store
• Novis Frame and Art
• The Catbird Seat
• Saboz
• Seabel's
• Jose Muldoons
• Textures Gallery
• My Jewelry Designer
• The Ritz

Gourmet pizza chain eyes Springs' market

zpizza, a Southern California-based gourmet pizza chain (http://zpizza.com), is searching for a franchisee to develop multiple stores in the Colorado Springs territory, says company spokeswoman Katie Magers. The typical franchise agreement is between three and five units and usually the franchisee opens one store per year. The company, which is looking to open stores all over the state, has a particular interest in Colorado Springs, which was recently ranked number six in Men's Fitness magazine's annual Fittest Cities ranking. "We feel like zpizza is a perfect match for Colorado and its residents," said Chris Bright, zpizza president. "Locals in the state live healthy lifestyles and enjoy great food." zpizza currently has one franchised store open in Denver and another 60 locations open nationwide. The chain is looking to have more than 100 stores open by the end of 2007.

Workshops to help businesses grow

A Dec. 7-8 workshop on International Business Fundamentals at the Chamber of Commerce, 2 N. Cascade Ave., suite 110, is designed for the novice as well as the experienced exporter wanting to learn more about what is involved with making international shipments. Laura Pederson of First National Bank will lead discussions on documentation, export requirements, how to prepare a Proforma Invoice, foreign currency requirements and other related issues. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day with a cost of $150 for World Trade Center members and $170 for non-members. For further information contact the WTC at www.wtcdn.com.

... SCORE and Quest Communications are offering a free workshop 9-11 a.m. on Dec. 7 at 721 19th St., suite 246, to help business operators indentify their common telecom needs and "avoid common costly mistakes.

... Brian Maready, president of Leanbuilt and Richard Mather, vice president of operations at Current USA, will be the featured at the Jan. 23 meeting of the Colorado Springs Manufacturing Task Force, discussing the Lean Systems installation at Current. For location and details contact Dave Anderson at dcanderson51@adelphia.net.

Learning about consumer rights the hard way

Gary Wood of Palmer Lake's Villa Pasta (see Springs & Co. in the Monday's Business Edge section in The Gazette) was not the only person to contact Melisa and Jim Rittenberg after they butted heads with a Best Buy store in St. Louis last week. Their experience in getting a box with pasta sauce, a phone cord and a plastic electrical outlet cover inside instead of the $1,600 Sony camcorder they had paid for, brought them calls from consumers all over the country who had suffered similar shopping mishaps and poor store response.

"This whole thing got blown out of proportion because of the way the store handled it," Melisa Rittenberg said. "The corporate headquarters was never contacted and the local store manager just said there was nothing they could do."

Sony did come through, shipping a camcorder to the Rittenbergs on Nov. 29, but the whole process was an eye-opener for the Perryville, Mo. couple. "Consumers often don't know what to do when these things happen. The most important things we learned are to open the box in the store and that there are steps you can take -- filing a police report, disputing the charges with your credit card company and contacting the state district attorney. You do have recourse."