in the news

regional tidbits of business news from around the metropolitan area

AIPC GOBBLES MUELLER'S • American Italian Pasta Company of Excelsior Springs recently signed a definitive agreement to acquire America's leading pasta brand, Mueller's, from Bestfoods which is currently merging with Unilever. The addition of the brand, which AIPC already manufactures, should allow the company to improve sales volumes, reduce costs, and strengthen customer offers they believe.

AIPC, the country's largest and fastest growing producer and marketer of dry pasta, has 550 employees in three locations. The new agreement also allows them to pursue other growth opportunities which their old contract with Bestfoods did not.

In another development, AIPC has been selected by Forbes Magazine as one of the 200 Best Small Companies in America. The complete list appeared in the October 30th issue of Forbes.

MACK STARTS BUILDING • Mack Trucks, Inc. recently began construction for its new Sales and Service Center on ten acres in Hunt Midwest's Commerce Center at N.E. 45th and Randolph. Hunt Midwest is both the developer and design/build contractor.

The new 28,000 square foot facility will offer an extensive parts department and will house 400 to 500 new and used power units. Employing more than 50 people, Mack expects to add preventive maintenance, quick lubes, and other services at the location just west of Interstate 435. Construction completion is slated for summer, 2001.

FASTEST NAMED BY INC.• Tri-Com Technical Services, based in Overland Park, has been named one of the fastest growing companies in the country by Inc. Magazine last month. Billed as a report on the companies and CEOs who are changing the face of American business, companies must be independent and privately held through 1999, have at least $200,000 in sales in the base year 1995, and 1999 sales must exceed their 1998 sales. The ranking is based on the percentage increase in sales from 1995 through 1999.

Tri-Com is an information technology staffing firm that finds professionals with a variety of software skill sets. They have over 80 clients nationwide and last year generated over 60 percent of its revenues from local Kansas City customers. The company came in at #305 in this year's "Inc. 500."

NOT SMALL CHANGE • Firstar Corporation and U.S. Bancorp announced a definitive merger agreement in a share swap valued at approximately $21.2 billion. The combined companies will become the 8th largest bank holding company in the United States, with assets of more than $160 billion and deposits of $107 billion.

The transaction will close in the first quarter of 2001. The combined companies will operate under the U.S. Bancorp name and locate their corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Both Missouri and Kansas locations will be affected as well as 22 other states.

HONORS AND KUDOS • Sprint announced that three of its employees, Kimberly Bruce, Betty Oliver-Montgomery and Edie Price, have been named to the list of "Women Who Make a Difference" by US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, a nationwide publication for engineers and information technology professionals which reaches over 100,000 engineers and IT professionals.

Sprint was also named the number one leading Information Technology innovator in the telecommunications industry, according to InformationWeek magazine.

THEY REALLY MISS US • We have plenty of time to prepare for Kansas City's selection as the site for the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Tennis Championships in May, 2002. The Kansas City Sports Commission and Rockhurst University have been selected to serve as co-hosts for the tournament to be held at the Plaza Tennis Center and Homestead Country Club. Kansas City was selected over Arlington, Texas, Augusta, Georgia, and Springfield, Missouri.

MOUNTAIN ENERGY • Due to an involuntary bankruptcy petition filed against the company, Mountain Energy Corporation, a Kansas City gas marketer, is unable to obtain natural gas. It no longer plans to sell its remaining accounts and customers had to make other arrangements to receive natural gas by November 1. More than 600 customers, including apartment complexes, churches and schools mostly in Kansas and Missouri, were affected by the action.

Mountain Energy told 62 of its larger customers earlier in October that it no longer would be able to serve them due to problems with its gas supplier, Anadarko Energy Services, located in Houston. At that time, Mountain Energy had given its remaining customers the option of renegotiating contracts, selecting another marketer or returning to their local utility for service.

Andersen Consulting Becomes Accenture • After a long standing issue of name usage, Andersen Consulting has announced that matters are resolved and a name change will take place 01.01.01. Andersen Consulting will enter the new year as Accenture.

Andersen Consulting is a $8.9 billion global management and technology consulting organization with 65,000 associates in 48 countries. The firm provides a wide range of services to clients through its network of businesses, including consulting and outsourcing business, operating companies and alliances and investments in technology ventures.

Beyond Boundries • Katheryn Shields of Jackson County, MO and Chancellor Martha Gilliland of the University of Missouri, Kansas City have announced a partnership between the county and university. This comes at a time when both organizations are making new efforts to solve community problems. As Jackson County seeks too be a catalyst for positive change in the Metro, UMKC plans to become a "university without borders" through an initiative called Center for the City.