Kenosha News from Kenosha, Wisconsin • 26

Briefs EC panel OKs Austrian acquisition Property sales From Sept 30-0ct 4 1996 BYDAVEBACKMANN KENOSHA NEWS On-again off-again merger 1 talks between the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kenosha Area Business Alliance are off again Letters sent recently to the board of directors of both local business organizations explained that a squabble over the structuring of the board of a combined group doomed the most recent merger talks A task force comprised of members of both groups had been studying the merger The merger talks were initiated according to the letter by KABA position is that the initial board of directors of the new organization be composed with members of affiliation: one-third Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce one-third Kenosha Manufacturers and Employers Association and one-third Kenosha Area Development the letter read position is that the board be composed with members of affiliation: one-half KACC one-half KABA boards have very strong convictions in their positions and as a result the task force was unable to resolve this KABA an 'umbrella economic development agency was formed' in March when KADC and the KMEA merged The two groups traditionally represented manufacturers and larger industries in the community The Chamber generally has been a voice for retailers and small businesses The KMEA one of the first such organizations in the state was founded in 1907 KABA has about 500 members the Chamber about 900 When merger talks began in May 1995 and the three entities' existed independently plans were discussed to fold in the boards of all three Therefore KABA members now wanted to keep a balance representing the former KADC and KMEA members Serving on the task force were KACC representatives Robert Kaufman Vic Weiler Jim Bogan Bernadette Lasky and Lauren Sparks Representing KABA were John Ernster Rita Petretti Richard Schmidt and Mark Levine According to the letter another sticking point on the proposed merger was over who would be president chief executive officer of the new organization the task force was unable to resolve all issues and bring about this merger the members of this task force worked together constructively and positively and have a better understanding of each others the letter said task force feels it is imperative the KACC and the KABA work together cooperatively for the benefit of the business community of Kenosha Although the timing was not right for a merger perhaps at some future date this can take Spokespeople for both the Chamber and KABA could not be reached for comment Friday A separate letter to Chamber members dated Monday Oct 7 read feel that there is still a very strong need to work in a cooperative atmosphere with KABA Kenosha Convention and Tourism Bureau and any other organization where we can share efforts to reach common goals this issue is off the table your board will be back to its mission statement which includes economic and community The Commission of European Communities has found that Baxter acquisi- tion of Austrian-based Immuno-Intemational is compatible with the European Common Market Baxter-headquartered in Deerfield 111 employs abput 400 Kenosha County residents The EC found that $702 million purchase of Im-muno announced in August does not violate its antitrust laws and it will not oppose the acqui- sition Similar approval by the US Federal Trade Commission has been delayed by an FTC request for additional information and documentary material Immuno manufactures blood products such as proteins used in blood transfusions principally in Europe Baxter Biotech the division with which the Austrian firm is to be combined is in the same business but is stronger in the United States The union of the companies will create one of the leading providers of products and services for transfusion medicine including biopharmaceuticals with combined 1995 sales of $16 billion 8900 employees and manufacturing facilities in the US and Europe ShopKo PharMor plan Green Bay headquarters ShopKo Stores Inc and PharMor Inc will locate their combined corporate headquarters in Green Bay when the two companies merge the two retailers announced Friday The headquarters consolidation will occur during the next six to 12 months with certain senior executive and management staffers moving from headquarters in Youngstown Ohio to Green Bay the past several years ShopKo has made significant investments in building an infrastructure that will serve both companies very Dale Kramer ShopKo president and chief executive officer said in a prepared statement The companies announced last month that they would merge under a new holding company that will be called Cabot Noble Inc The merger is expected to occur in December All ShopKo stores including the one at 5300 52nd St will retain the ShopKo name as will the Phar-Mor stores Housing permits lagging slightly from last Seven permits were taken out in September from the city Department of Housing Neighborhood Development to build new single-family homes That brought this nine-month total to 129 off slightly from last total of 135 for the same period The value of the homes being built this year including the $889000 in September was estimated at $122 million up from $107 million in 1995 Also last month one permit was taken out to build a multiunit dwelling jhree permits for commercial and institutional buildings three for residential additions one for a commercial and institutional addition two for alterations to single-family residences one for an alteration to a multi-unit dwelling and six for altering commercial and institutional buildings Cray wins Energy Department contract WASHINGTON (AP) Cray Research has won a $1105 million contract for the world's most powerful supercomputer to help the government determine whether aging nuclear weapons systems are safe and reliable Cray which has a plant in Chippewa Falls Wis will develop the supercomputer for Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico the Energy Department announced Thursday Appointments by proxy Ann Johnson Is one of 50 employees working In the newly opened offices of CallConnect Communications Inc In LakeVlew Corporate Park The business Is located at 8400 LakeVlew Parkway Suite 100 In the former Quarters of Wis-Park Corp CallConnect provides message services for a number of Illinois physicians group practices and hospitals Operators act as a when their actual offices are closed The Pleasant Prairie offices are staffed around the clock daily CallConnect Is a private company headquartered In Deerfield III that has other offices In Boise Idaho and Westmont III 3M urges closer look at inhalers KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO Food and Drug Administration to approve several cheaper generic brands of inhalers further increasing the use of CFCs Allowing generics onto the market in particular frustrated 3M and patient advocacy groups such as the American Lung Association the country is trying to get rid of CFCs we are approving drugs with complained Fran DuMelle deputy managing director of the association 3M also would like the FDA which is planning to propose a transition strategy soon to stick to the fine print of the protocol which says when an economic and feasible alternative exists to deliver the treatment in inhalers models with CFCs should be ushered off the market challenge some of our producers who are less efficient to be able to make it but one that everybody concerned feels is better than the said Ray Gilmer spokesman for the Florida Fruit Vegetable Association Florida has typically supplied the United States with fresh tomatoes the state's leading winter vegetable crop worth as much as $800 million WASHINGTON The ethic in the business world is that whoever develops the best product first wins In this case 3M Pharmaceuticals a division of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M) says it may unfairly end up the loser because of government regulators The company complains that after spending nine years and $110 million to develop an inhaler for asthmatics that does not use chlorofluorocar-bons or CFCs regulatory hurdles may prevent 3M from taking a lead in the marketplace The company said it undertook the project because of a government mandate to eliminate commercial uses of CFCs chemical pollutants widely believed to deplete the ozone layer raced to the Please note Not all transactions are straight sales Some include friendly deed transtersand similar transactions where sales amounts are less than market value Some addresses-are not listed because street numbers haven been assigned For more information about properties contact the Kenosha Countv Register of Deeds Office 653-2414 'More than one parcel Verdict reversed in Oshkosh Truck case patent said Mark DuVal senior counsel for 3M Pharmaceuticals beat In 1987 the United States signed the Montreal Protocol an international agreement to eliminate CFCs by January 1996 save for some essential-use exemptions The fall into that category and are the last allowable commercial use of CFCs Major industry users of CFCs such as appliance and automakers have found replacements The exemption allows pharmaceutical companies such as Glaxo Wellcome one of the biggest makers of inhalers to continue using CFCs as a propellant in the inhalers though the company says it is working on an alternative It also allowed the Department of Agriculture A final agreement should be announced before the end of the month after a brief comment period The proposal will allow contin- ued shipments of Mexican tomatoes especially during the winter months but at a price floor comparable to the minimum that Florida growers receive and still keep business is a deal going to Agreement proposed in tomato-dumping case build drums discharge chutes and supporting structures for Oshkosh trucks over seven years Only a year later Super Steel informed Oshkosh that the prod- prices had increased What was supposed to cost $11800 per unit had become $17000 Oshkosh refused to pay the new amount for the parts and decided to make its own The truck company offered to buy Super Steel $1 million for the equipment it had installed to build the mixers but Super Steel declined the offer and stopped shipping any more units Both sued for breech of contract and Skwierawski said the wrong party won MILWAUKEE (AP) A circuit court judge says Oshkosh Truck Company owe a Milwaukee corporation $45 million for violating a contract A jury decided in July that the company owed Super Steel Products Corporation the money after it broke a contract and began manufacturing its own products Judge Michael Skwierawski said in a rare verdict reversal Thursday that the jury came to the wrong conclusion when it ruled against Oshkosh Truck Corporation Skwierawski said Super Steel is actually the one who violated the agreement to build fixtures for cement-mixer trucks In 1993 the two companies had agreed that Super Steel would Fuji deals Kodak another blow in photo business ROCHESTER NY (AP) -Eastman Kodak Co lost some more ground in the photofimsh-ing business to Japanese rival Fuji Photo Film Ltd Fuji said Thursday it has struck a deal to supply color paper to the 550 in-store labs of Ritz Camera Centers Inc WASHINGTON (AP) A complaint that threatened the supply of cheaper and arguably tastier Mexican tomatoes was put on hold Friday allowing imports this winter season and a November election free of divisive trade battles The Commerce Department announced the proposed agreement which suspends an antidumping case brought by US tomato growers and the Florida.