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the news regional tidbits of business news from around the metropolitan area |
| VML
GOES GLOBAL The board of directors of VML Inc. announced on June 21 that effective immediately the company will become part of WPP, one of the world's leading communications services groups. WPP operates as a parent company and is not involved in the day-to-day operations of its member companies. VML, a full-service provider of integrated online and traditional advertising solutions, will retain its independence, brand and management structure. MUELLER RE-ELECTED Kurt Mueller, chairman and president of the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been re-elected to the board of directors of SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit association that provides free and confidential business counseling and low-cost small business workshops and seminars. MCCOWN GORDON RANKS HIGH, TDB FOLLOWS The June issue of Entrepreneur magazine has awarded Kansas City-based McCown Gordon Construction a #2 ranking on its Dun & Bradstreet's Hot 100 List of America's Fastest-Growing New Businesses. The commercial contractor opened its doors in July of 1999 and had first-year sales of nearly $30 million. TDB Communications of Lenexa was awarded the #33 spot. TDB is a telecommunications infrastructure deployment company. HEART OF AMERICA UNITED WAY GETS NEW HEAD Following a seven-month search, the Heart of America United Way (HAUW) has selected a new president, W. Thomas Dugard, Jr. HAUW Chairman Terry Dunn calls the new president "an innovative thinker who has the talent and passion to make United Way even more effective and responsive to the needs of our community." Dugard is currently the president of Triangle United Way in North Carolina and has more than 25 years of experience with United Ways across the country. MEEKS BECOMES PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION Cordell D. Meeks, Jr., Wyandotte County District Court Judge, was elected to the position of president of the American Lung Association (ALA) at its 97th annual conference held in San Francisco in May. Meeks joined the ALA board in 1997 and has served as both president-elect and secretary. He officially assumes his new position on July 1. JOHNSON TO CHAIR INTERNATIONAL BOARD The Business Marketing Association has elected Sheree Johnson as Chair of the International Board of Directors. Johnson, senior vice president, director of media services at NKH&W Inc., is the first agency media professional in the association's nearly 80-year history to lead the organization. Johnson was a founding board member of the Kansas City BMA chapter and was president for the 1996-97 term. BMA serves business-to-business marketers worldwide. LENEXA WINS ACCREDITATION The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced on June 12 that the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce has been named an Accredited organization, an honor bestowed on only one in five chambers around the country. The voluntary Accreditation Program recognizes chambers of commerce for effective organization and performance. CMS VIRON RELOCATING CMS Viron Energy Services plans to move its national headquarters from Riverside, Mo., to Overland Park, Kan. The move will relocate 95 new jobs and more than $6 million in capital investment. The company, which has outgrown its existing location, will occupy 31,000 square feet of office space in Southcreek office park. CMS Viron, a subsidiary of CMS Energy Corporation, is an engineering-oriented energy services company specializing in energy performance contracting and turnkey projects. The firm monitors more than 1,000 buildings throughout the country and has over 25 offices throughout the U.S. It hopes to be operational in its new facility by mid-July 2001. GROWFERRETGROW Overland Park-based GoFerretGo, an Internet job-search company, has ranked fourth on YoungBiz.com's annual YoungBiz 100 list. YoungBiz.com, a youth business education training and publishing company, ranks business owners 19 years old or younger. GoFerretGo co-founders Ephren Taylor and Michael Stahl are 18 and 19, respectively. HUD MONEY It was announced on June 13 that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will send Kansas City $16 million to improve affordable housing in the area, especially for people with modest incomes. DSI FORMS ALLIANCE Data Systems International has formed a strategic alliance with Support Net, one of the nations' largest distributors of IBM midrange products. DSI is recognized internationally for dcLINK software, a network-ready wireless solution. PEGASUS OPENS On June 13, Pegasus Communications held an opening ceremony for its new customer care center in Lenexa. Mayor Joan Bowman was on hand to cut the ribbon for the 50,000-square-foot facility in South Lake Technical Park. Currently employing about 170 people, the building has the capacity to seat 300 workers to meet the needs of its satellite TV business and broadband Internet services. INGRAM'S ACKNOWLEDGED The Association of Area Business Publications presented more than 80 awards to newspaper and magazine business periodicals on June 9 at its Summer Conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Editorial Excellence Awards recognize excellence in journalism, photography and design. Ingram's was presented the silver award for Best Recurring Feature, honoring Jack Cashill's "Between the Lines" column. The magazine also received the bronze award for Best Feature Layout, recognizing Ingram's annual December philanthropy edition. |