Intrust names president of Lawrence operations

Longtime banker Don Johnston has been named president of Intrust Bank’s Lawrence operations.

Johnston takes over for Lawrence resident Mike Maddox, who earlier this year was promoted to serve as president of the bank’s northeast Kansas region, which includes banks in Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan and the Johnson County area.

Johnston moved to Lawrence in 1983 to serve as president of University State Bank. That bank was sold to the Bank of Kansas and then became Commerce Bank. He served on the board of Commerce Bank until 2002. He joined Intrust Bank in February 2003.

Johnston said he planned to oversee continued growth of the bank’s Lawrence operations. The Wichita-based bank is expected to begin construction on a new branch, its third in the city, near 16th Street and Wakarusa Drive, within the next year.

Topeka

Jostens to add jobs

A Topeka plant that produces high school and college diplomas will add between 175 and 225 jobs during the next 12 to 18 months.

Jostens Inc. announced Friday that its Topeka plant would handle additional work related to creating covers for high school and college diplomas.

Topeka was chosen for the project over other Jostens’ facilities in California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Winnipeg, Canada.

The city of Topeka and Shawnee County, along with the Kansas Department of Commerce and GO Topeka, offered a $375,000, three-year incentive package to attract the project.

Legal

Jury rules in favor of Kansas gas plant

A Houston jury has rejected a multimillion-dollar claim that Enron and the companies that took over its natural gas processing operation in Kansas have cheated oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. in a contract dating to 1987.

The jury unanimously found in favor of defendants Kinder Morgan Operating L.P. and Oneok Bushton Processing Inc.

The oil company sought $37.4 million for allegations that the defendant had failed to honor a contract Exxon Mobil Oil signed to have gas processed at the Bushton Gas Plant in central Kansas in 1987.

Restaurants

Burger King seeks leader

Burger King Corp. said Friday that Brad Blum, chief executive, had left the company, citing strategic differences with its board of directors.

The board said Burger King’s senior management team would oversee the business until a new chief executive was hired. Burger King hopes to make a decision by Aug. 1.

Energy

Shell lowers past profits

The Royal/Dutch Shell Group said Friday that the overstatement of its proven oil and gas reserves resulted in profits being exaggerated by $276 million.

The company disclosed the overstated profits in a filing late Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.