CommuniTech’s New Parent
CommuniTech.Net has merged its assets with the Atlanta-based Web hosting company, Interland, Inc. The company will retain the KC operations and employees of CommuniTech.Net. Gabriel Murphy, founder and president of the Kansas City company, has become part of Interland’s management team.

This is the third such transaction with Interland in the last four months. It recently gained Interliant, of New York, and AT&T small business Web hosting accounts. The company now manages more than 300,000 paid hosted Web sites, making it the second-largest hosting company. It’s focus, equal to CommuniTech, is providing a broad portfolio of Web hosting solutions to small and medium-sized business customers.

One More Plate of Pasta
American Italian Pasta will soon add a fourth pasta facility to it’s North American group. The company total will be five pasta manufacturing plants, one is located in Italy. Construction of the facility in Arizona has been approved by American Italian’s board of directors.

The recent purchase of former Borden brands and continued strong growth in the company has made the $45 million investment needed for additional production capacity, says Timothy Webster, President and CEO. The construction of the plant in Arizona is a key location for increasing American Italian’s competitiveness on the western United States market, he adds.

The facility is expected to be completed and ready for production quickly. The initial phase of producing 100 million pounds of pasta could come as early as the end of this year.

2 Million Shares Sold
Entertainment Properties Trust has sold 2 million common shares, for $19.25 per share, and earned proceeds of roughly $37.5 million. The company is quickly continuing to add to its real estate holdings. Since 1997 the trust has gained $500 million worth of property and has recently agreed to acquire six megaplex theatres in five states, valued at $120 million and Gulf States Theatres of New Orleans, valued at $70 million.

Insurance Merger Shot Down
Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius has nixed the proposed acquisition of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas by Anthem Blue Cross of Indiana. Sebelius stated that Anthem of Indiana was an aggressive for-profit company and it’s management of the local insurance provider would result in added premiums for Kansas customers.

The companies have been working on this merger since May of 2001 and have not given up hope on the project. Both Anthem and BCBS of Kansas have denied that the merger would cause an increase in premiums and the Kansas company has stated that it will appeal the decision.

Stacked Against Missouri
Moving to Missouri seems less and less and option for Waddell & Reed Financial, of Overland Park. Kansas City officials have denied extra subsidy, which would have served to attract the company to the Country Club plaza area. Incentives for companies will stand as is according to the Economic Development Corp. The decision was endorsed by Mayor Kay Barnes and city manager Bob Collins.

A Missouri Senate Committee did pass a bill which would favor Waddell & Reeds stateline jump. The bill, which must pass the Senate floor, would deem the company not liable for Missouri taxes on income from other states. Kansas currently has no such legislation.

New Development Abounds
The Eby Companies, of Olathe, have broken ground on their University Office Park development on Mur-Len Road in Olathe. The park will consist of three office buildings with a total of 95,000 square feet. Eby plans to move their corporate headquarters into the space.

Rick Watkins, who recently opened a 95,000 square-foot office/warehouse building near the airport, has landed the Liberty-based, Med4Home’s call center for the space. Across the corner of 110th Street and Congress, Watkin’s & Co. is planning their next project as a $4.5 million bulk distribution warehouse. It’s opening is planned to for September.

CORRESPONDENT

Jefferson City
No Unemployment for Drug Users
Workers fired for drug and alcohol abuse on the job may be denied unemployment benefits according to legislation currently making it’s way through the Missouri Senate. Bill 1005, headed for debate on the Senate floor, states that a positive test result for controlled substances or for blood alcohol levels above 8/100ths of a percent or more is considered misconduct in the workplace. Workers fired for this misconduct would be ineligible for unemployment benefits. Benefits could be reestablished if the worker participated in a state-approved drug or alcohol treatment program.

Other legislation is also jumping on the wagon. A second bill still in committee would disqualify a worker, for a limited time, from receiving unemployment benefits if he or she refused to take a test for controlled substance.
According to a state audit of the Missouri unemployment fund, nearly 20 percent of total claims last year, $58.8 million, involve discharge issues ranging form drug and alcohol abuse to absenteeism.

Small Business Relief
Small Business owners may soon be able to petition changes in state and federal laws and regulations that effect their businesses. A House bill is being considered to establish a Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board which would solicit comments and petitions from small businesses in Missouri. Small employers could then file a written petition with a state agency adopting, amending, revising or repealing rules affecting their small businesses.

Topeka
Stockholder’s Rights Increased
The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that if a stockholder is investigating the possible mismanagement of his or her company, they have the right to examine its corporate records. Stockholders are allowed access to the books if the purpose “is reasonably related to such person’s interest as a stockholder, according to Kansas statute K.S.A. 17-6510(b). The Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling deems that the possibility of mismanagement rather than actual mismanagement is enough for the statue to take affect.