The world's two largest Internet service providers, AOL Time Warner Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s MSN, came out on the bottom of a customer satisfaction survey. The survey released Thursday of 1,640 dial-up modem users, conducted by Consumer Reports magazine, gave high marks to AT&T WorldNet, BellSouth Corp. and EarthLink Inc. for overall satisfaction. MSN got the survey's lowest overall rating, due to dissatisfaction with e-mail, technical support and reliability of its dial-up connections, said David Heim, the Yonkers, N.Y.-based magazine's managing editor. Respondents also identified AOL as unreliable in terms of quick and sustained dial-up access, said Heim.
The Gustine Co., a Pittsburgh-based commercial real estate services and development firm, is forming a joint venture to build five supermarket-anchored shopping centers in Tampa, Fla. Gustine, an affiliate of the Armstrong Group of Cos. of Butler, is joining with AG Development Group, Inc., of Tampa, Fla., in the venture, to be known as AG Armstrong Development LLC, said W. Gregg Baldwin, Gustine's president. The five new centers, which will be built in the next 12 months, each will be anchored by a Publix Super Market. Gustine has a project portfolio of more than $350 million, including a number of area shopping centers.
The consumer healthcare unit of GlaxoSmithKline, based in Kennedy Township, may be close to solving its local space requirements by purchasing the three-story 192,000-square-foot Millennium Center One in Moon Township. If it does, the British pharmaceutical firm will consolidate its work force of about 400 now located in two buildings in Kennedy, where it occupies 120,000 square feet. Glaxo has been in the market since early last year seeking up to 170,000 square feet. The building, empty since its completion in the fall of 2000, is owned by Multi Employer Property Trust of Washington, D.C. A spokeswoman said her group has discussed the building with Glaxo since 1999.
About 7.1 million homes and businesses had access to high-speed Internet connections at the end of last year, a 63 percent increase in six months, the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday. Three-quarters of the nation's ZIP codes had at least one high-speed Internet subscriber, an increase from just over half. The number of Digital Subscriber Line connections, which run over telephone lines, doubled in the second half of last year to 2 million lines. But DSL connections still lag behind cable modems, which totaled 3.6 million, an increase of 57 percent.
Maverick Tube Corp. said Thursday that it is negotiating with Cargill Inc. to acquire its seamless tubular steel products division of North Star Steel Co., spokesmen said. St.Louis-based Maverick Tube manufactures tubular products used in the energy industry as well as industrial tubing products. North Star's tubular steel division makes seamless pipe at a plant in Youngstown, Ohio, then treats and processes the pipe in Houston.
Crown Castle International Corp. Thursday reported a second quarter net loss of $84.7 million, or 49 cents a diluted share, on revenues of $229.4 million. A year ago, it had loss of $59.2 million, or 43 cents a share, on revenues of $148.3 million. Houston, Texas-based Crown Castle, builds and operates wireless telecommunication towers and broadcast television transmission systems, with its operating center in Canonsburg. During the quarter it built 389 towers and acquired 732 towers.
Pittsburgh-based Interstate Equipment Corp. has received a contract from AmerenUE to supply new dock barge systems, including mooring and access equipment, for its Sioux, Meramec and Rush Island plants located near St. Louis on the Mississippi River. Terms were not disclosed. The 17 new dock barges will be built by Hiller Barge Co. of Brownsville in Fayette County. AmerenUE is a utility company of Ameren Corp., one of the nation's leading energy companies.
DKW Law Group, known as Doepken Keevican & Weiss until Aug. 1, has rolled out an innovative program in which its attorneys donate arbitration fees to the Neighborhood Legal Services Association. Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas refers legal disputes involving less than $25,000 to arbitration, which is overseen by three neutral lawyers. Each normally would receive $150 per day and remit that money back to the law firm. Neighborhood Legal Services has provided free legal services to lower-income people involved in civil cases since 1966.
Anthony Crane Rental Holdings LP, which does business as Maxim Crane Works, reported a net loss of $6.9 million in the second quarter, vs. a net loss of $2.8 million a year ago. The loss was related to interest expense from company investments and acquisitions completed in 2000. It said revenue was $106.9 million in the quarter vs. $99.2 million a year ago.
Two Washington County businesses have received loans and tax credit from the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The Power & Industrial Services Corp., received a $10,000 tax credit after the company invested more than $1.3 million in an expansion project. The Donora company, which produces ash handling replacement parts for the electric utility market, employs 35 people. Another Donora company, the Integrity Precision Corp., received a $100,000 loan. The company will use the loan to buy new machinery.
From staff reports, The Associated Press, Dow Jones, Knight-Ridder, Reuters and Bloomberg News.
