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COMMERCE IN
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RBG&Co.
Plans Downtown Office Location at Cupples Station
RBG plans
to be one of the first
office tenants at Cupples Station. |
Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. LLP (RBG&Co.) is expanding to
downtown St. Louis and will be one of the first office tenants at
Cupples Station. The accounting and consulting firm has signed a
letter of intent to lease 5,000 square feet at Cupples Station Building
9 when it opens in 2002 and will have an option to take additional
space in the building at a future date.
RBG&Co. is the auditor for the St. Louis Public School District
and the St. Louis Public Library District and is currently providing
advisory services for the renovation of several historic properties
in the City of St. Louis. To service these and other area clients,
RBG&Co. plans to locate a portion of their staff to the Cupples
Station office next year.
Building 9 at Cupples Station is the 180,000-square-foot structure
between the new Westin Hotel and the 45,000-square-foot, four-building
complex, which will be a mix of new and renovated office and retail
facilities architecturally linked by a glass-domed atrium. The complete
renovation of this turn-of-the-century warehouse district is occurring
in phases. The Westin Hotel opened March 7, an 800-car parking garage
is currently under construction and the renovation of Building 9
is getting underway in 2001.
RBG&Co.’s headquarters is at 230 S. Bemiston Avenue in Clayton.
Scottrade Awards More Than $100,000 to Webster University’s School
of Business & Technology
A partnership that began three years ago as an internship program
between Webster University’s School of Business & Technology and
St. Louis-based discount brokerage firm, Scottrade Inc., is expanding
to include both paid internships and half-tuition scholarships for
Webster undergraduate business students.
Over the next four years, beginning in the 2001-2002 academic year,
Scottrade will provide four half-tuition scholarships to two juniors
and two seniors majoring in computer science who successfully complete
an IT internship with Scottrade. The total amount pledged over four
years is almost $120,000. Scottrade also donated about $3,000 to
underwrite the University’s online job and resume referral system
called “Career Connections.”
More than one third of Scottrade’s 700 employees in 123 nationwide
branch offices are hired college interns. Over the past three years,
several Webster University students majoring in finance, economics
and general business have complete internships with Scottrade and
have accepted positions with the company.
Based on this success, Scottrade wants to use the new program to
encourage students planning careers as IT professionals to give
Scottrade consideration. The selection process for the IT scholarship/internship
program begins this spring.
Armstrong Teasdale Merges with D.C. Firm
To enhance
representation of clients on Capitol Hill, legal firm Armstrong
Teasdale LLP has merged with Tighe Patton in Washington, D.C. In
addition to adding an office in the nation’s capitol, Armstrong
Teasdale adds 20 attorneys to its current staff of 210. The merger
allows the combined firm to provide government relations services
within the Washington, D.C. market to the Midwest client base.
Armstrong Teasdale serves clients internationally from offices in
St. Louis, Kansas City and Jefferson City, Mo., as well as Olathe,
Kan., and Belleville, Ill., and now Washington, DC.
Kwame Building Group Launches General Contracting Firm
Kwame Building Group Inc., a St. Louis construction management firm,
has launched Kwame Constructors, a general contracting firm. The
new operation will provide services for renovations, additions and
new interior and exterior construction of private and public sector
projects. Kwame named Edward Jones as director of operations. Lambert-St.
Louis International Airport.
The company is currently working on concourse modifications at Lambert
Airport. The fast-track project includes two new stair towers, removal
and relocation of jetway bridges and conversion of an existing locker
room into a pilot's lounge.
Founded in 1991, Kwame Constructors is certified as a Minority Business
Enterprise.
Two Local Houston CPA Firms Merge with Regional BKD
A merger with two Houston CPA firms gives Baird, Kurtz & Dobson
(BKD) a new office in that Texas city. Joining BKD are White Petrov
McHome, a Professional Corporation, and McGee, Wheeler & Co., P.C.
The Houston merger boosts BKD's revenues to $124 million, increases
its offices to 18 and partners to 130.
The combined office of approximately 75 people will be Houston's
eighth largest certified public accounting and consulting firm,
and the only one specifically serving the middle market. Dave Hayob,
a Springfield, Mo., BKD partner, will transfer to Houston as the
partner in charge of the $8 million practice.
McNeil Buys Majority Stake in Sonacom IT Partners
Mike
McNeil |
Mike McNeil, longtime vice president of Sonacom IT Partners, purchased
a majority interest in the St. Louis-based IT engineering firm from
founder Rick Oertli. The announcement followed McNeil's promotion
to president of Sonacom in December.
Oertli started a new career as executive vice president of Guarantee
Electric Co. He will continue to hold a stake in two of Sonacom's
recent ventures, Sonacom IS and Sonacom AV Interactive.
Started in 1988 as a subsidiary of Guarantee Electric, Oertli acquired
Sonacom from Guarantee in August of 1989. McNeil joined the company
in 1992 to support Sonacom's expansion into the information technology
market as a single source for voice, video and data services.
Over the past two years, McNeil has taken on an expanded role in
the company. Today, Sonacom is ranked number six on Deloitte & Touches
"Fast 50" for the fastest-growing technology companies in the St.
Louis area and number 401 on the national "Fast 500" list.
Assisting McNeil in the future growth of Sonacom is Craig Colvin,
who has been with the company since 1995. Colvin, now vice president,
most recently served as director of operations. Sonacom's other
management team members are: Steve Sabo, vice president, finance;
Travis Swank, director of sales and marketing; Jill Brust, manager,
customer service; Mary Dollinger, manager, cost accounting; and
Keith Skiles, director, engineering.
Political Economist Discusses Election Results’ Impact on Wall Street
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The annual Commerce Bank Economic
Breakfast was held in December at the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel in Clayton, (from left): Seth Leadbeater,
chairman and CEO of Commerce Bank, St. Louis Region;
Tom Gallagher, senior managing director of International
Strategy and Investment Group; Jack Schreiber, president
of Commerce Bank, St. Louis Region; and David Kemper,
chairman and CEO, Commerce Bancshares Inc.
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Prior to the
presidential inauguration, Thomas Gallagher, one of the nation’s
most respected political economists, visited St. Louis to give his
outlook for the economy and the Bush presidency. According to Gallagher,
the uncertain mandate handed down by the election will give President
George W. Bush some challenges particularly due to the divided Congress.
However, what’s happening in the overall economy, more than the
election results, will have a greater impact on Wall Street in the
coming months, he said.
Gallagher, who is senior managing director of International Strategy
and Investment Group in Washington, D.C., spoke before more than
220 Commerce Bank business customers at the bank’s annual Economic
Breakfast.
Pyramid Technology Acquires Business Computing Technology Solutions
After most recently celebrating the opening of its Illinois office
in Fairview Heights, Pyramid Technology Group LLC has acquired the
business interests and select assets of another Illinois-based technology
firm, Business Computing Technology Solutions Inc. (BCTSI). Formed
in 1999, Pyramid Technology’s first metro St. Louis office is in
Brentwood.
Pyramid is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Provider and an IBM Partner
serving small to mid-sized businesses in the Greater St. Louis area.
BCTSI is a business computer-consulting firm that focuses on providing
technical support for companies throughout the Midwest with a specialization
in retail inventory control solutions. Mark Hinrichs, principal
of Pyramid Technology, and Matt Titcombe, president of BCTSI, pointed
to the capabilities and resources of the combined firms as a strength
that will offer additional IT solutions for customers.
Insituform Buys Kinsel Industries
With an aim to broaden its range of specialty products, Insituform
Technologies Inc. of Chesterfield, Mo., is buying Kinsel Industries
of Houston, Texas. The deal, valued at $80 million, includes $15.3
million in cash and notes and the balance in Insituform stock.
Insituform is a service provider to the sewer, water and underground
piping systems industry. The portion of Kinsel’s water and sewer
business Insituform will continue to operate includes pipebursting,
micro-tunneling and pipe rehabilitation.
With the acquisition of Kinsel, Insituform offers additional trenchless
pipe rehabilitation capabilities. Insituform anticipates growing
demand in the trenchless technology industry and now has broader
capabilities to meet those demands from customers. |
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