The Journal Record

Plight of Tulsa-Based Ball Legends Offers Lessons for Startups

Inventor Rocky Fisher stood nervous but proud before the marketing executives of Major League Baseball, hopeful his best pitch had secured him a contract worth millions. The 49-year-old owner of Tulsa startup Ball Legends LLC had created and patented a process for printing high-quality images on genuine leather baseballs and other spherical objects. As a lover of the game, having watched his father rise through the minor league ranks, Fisher saw all sorts of applications for his process - fro...

Small-Business Incentives Bill in Ok Legislative Committee

Lawmakers think they know where a program designed to help small business and rural business went awry - and they may have found a way to fix it. The latest version of Senate Bill 1693 is scheduled to be considered by a legislative committee today. The Small Business Capital Formation Incentive Act and the Rural Venture Capital Formation Incentive Act were created in the late 1990s, providing tax credits for up to 20 percent of investments made in small businesses and up to 30 percent of inve...

Venture Into the Unknown: Starting a Business Harder Than Ever in 21st Century

University of Oklahoma professor Patrick McCann grew weary of watching his students leave the state for jobs in the high-tech industries, so he decided to start a company of his own. He had one big problem, though: McCann had never run a business before, much less created one from nothing. As soon as he made that decision, he stepped into the uncertain and difficult world of venture capital funding.

State of Oklahoma Receives $56.3 Million From Tobacco Settlement

Oklahoma has received a payment of more than $56.3 million as part of a national tobacco industry lawsuit settlement, state officials announced Tuesday. Payments are made in April of each year, under a negotiated agreement.

Seven Assisted-Living Facilities in Ok Sold for More Than $36 Million

Silver Oak Senior Living LLC has sold five of its assisted- living facilities in Oklahoma, plus two others outside of the state, for more than $36 million to a Canada-based real estate investment trust. Eric Lindsey, chief executive officer of Silver Oak Senior Living LLC, said he wasn't at liberty to disclose who bought the assisted- living centers but that all the communities were purchased by the same entity, which is going through an initial public offering.

Tulsa-Based Bok Financial Corp. First-Quarter Profits Up to Record $54.7 M

BOK Financial Corp. profits rose 5.2 percent in the first quarter to a record $54.7 million, or 81 cents per diluted share, as rising net interest and fee revenues offset increased operating expenses. The Tulsa-based parent of Bank of Oklahoma recorded a net income of $52.1 million, or 78 cents per share, for the same period of 2005.

Okc-Based Remington Park's Attendance Increases

More than 5,000 horse racing fans were at Remington Park on Friday, increasing the quarter horse meet attendance to more than 100,000 for the first time since 2000. With 28 race days left in the 50-race-day meet, including several of the season's top-featured events, attendance could reach levels not seen at the track since the late 1980s, said Scott Wells, Remington Park vice president and general manager.

319 Oklahoma Firms On Osha 'Most Wanted' List

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has placed 319 Oklahoma employers on its most wanted list. The most wanted, or site-specific targeting list, includes companies with high lost workday, illness and injury rates. The 319 companies were told in letters from OSHA to expect a workplace inspection over the next few months.

Tulsa-Based Semgroup Extends Tender Offer

University of Tulsa Offers Accounting Conference

The 60th annual Conference of Accountants, presented by the School of Accounting and Management Information Systems in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tulsa, is scheduled for April 25-26. Thomas Ray, chief auditor for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, will present updates on the organization's efforts in regulating audits.

Tort Reform Revived in Oklahoma House Committee

The common sense provisions of the House Republicans' Common Sense in the Courtroom act were reborn in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The new version of Senate Bill 1657 includes a number of lawsuit reform, or tort reform, measures that had previously been approved in the House of Representatives but were killed in a Senate committee on April 4. Speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, said Republicans would keep trying to add tort reform provisions to other bills until the end of session...

Inoveon Corp. Of Oklahoma City Completes 50,000th Eye Scan

Inoveon Corp. of Oklahoma City has completed its 50,000th iScan - a 3-D digital eye scan for patients with diabetes to detect and manage their diabetic retinopathy. The record-setting iScan was completed on a patient from the Inoveon iSite at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Oklahoma City.

Okc-Based Beard Co. Reports $2.16 M Loss

Beard Co. on Tuesday reported a net loss of $2.16 million, or 37 cents per share, for 2005. A delayed coal project and lower sales than expected from a fertilizer plant in China contributed to the loss, said Herb Mee Jr., president of the Oklahoma City-based company.

Cherokee Nation Breaks Ground On $23 M Medical Clinic in Muskogee

The Cherokee Nation broke ground Tuesday for a $23 million, 101,000-square-foot medical clinic in Muskogee. This will be the largest Indian outpatient facility in Oklahoma, said Dr. Gloria Grim, medical director of Cherokee Nation Health Services.

Cherokee Nation Breaks Ground for $23m Medical Clinic in Muskogee

The Cherokee Nation broke ground Tuesday for a $23 million, 101,000-square-foot medical clinic in Muskogee. This will be the largest Indian outpatient facility in Oklahoma, said Dr. Gloria Grim, medical director of Cherokee Nation Health Services.

Tulsa City Council Moves to Keep Sales Tax Hike Legal

One month after approving a $464 million proposal to extend the Third Penny sales tax, the Tulsa City Council moved to make all the funded items legal. On Thursday, the council will consider an ordinance to amend the city's Capital Improvements Plan for fiscal 2006 to 2010. Added under the ordinance will be several new projects, including:

Tulsa-Based Bok Financial Foresees Wide Room for Growth

Even from its position of dominance in Oklahoma, BOK Financial, with $16.3 billion in assets, sees tremendous potential for growth in the coming years. There's ample opportunity to grow in all our markets, said Corporate Controller Stacy Kymes. Though the bank provides a similar mix of products to other financial institutions, he said BOK's more customer-oriented services should give it an edge.

'Draft Mick' Campaign Started to Coax Okc Mayor Into U.S. House Race

Businessman Ed Lynn said Tuesday he wants to draft Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett into the race for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District. Though the unusual approach could be considered a brilliant public relations strategy to build momentum quickly for a late- comer to the campaign, Lynn said the Draft Mick campaign was developed without help from Cornett. Lynn said he did not consult with Cornett before launching the campaign.

International Realtor Conference Coming to Okc

Realtors from as far away as France, Norway and Japan will attend the Make More Money Third Annual International Business Conference 2006 April 27-28 at the Marriott Hotel at 3233 Northwest Expressway. Sharon Young, chief executive officer, Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors, said Tuesday that the Make More Money conference will feature real estate experts from around the world who will focus on international real estate issues. The conference is sponsored by the MLSGateway.co...

Oklahoma Christian University to Establish Nursing Program

Oklahoma Christian University has been approved to offer a program for a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The program was approved by the Oklahoma State Board of Nursing.