Opinions Unlimited, Inc., Amarillo, Texas, recently opened a new qualitative facility in the Houston Galleria. Opinions Unlimited also offers GroupNet, a videoconferencing service of The VideoConferencing Alliance Network.
Penton Publishing, Cleveland, has acquired The Social Dynamics Group (SDG), a social and marketing research firm. SDG is now a division of Penton Research ServIces.
McNair AGB, a New Zealand research firm, has purchased exclusive rights for the New Zealand market to Creative Research Systems' Voice Capture Interviewing system. CRS is a Petaluma, Calif., maker of software for the research industry. In addition, SMS Consultants, a Honolulu research firm, has negotiated exclusive rights for the Voice Capture system in the state of Hawaii.
TrendQuest Custom Medical Marketing Research has moved to 16885 Via Del Campo Ct., Ste. 211, San Diego, Calif.
Irwin Research Services, Inc. has relocated its corporate offices to the Sun Bank Building, 9250 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 350, Jacksonville, Fla.
Quick Test has opened a focus group facility at 15315 Magnolia Blvd., Ste. 120, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Helen Jacobs now provides field direction consulting and auditing services.
The VideoConferencing Alliance Network has added new locations in the following cities: Atlanta-Jackson Associates; Boston-Performance Plus; downtown Chicago-National Data Research; Detroit-M.O.R.-PACE; Minneapolis-Focus Market Research; San Diego-Taylor Research; downtown San Francisco-Nichols Research; Stamford, Conn.-Focus First America.
Calverton, Md.-based Macro International and AHF Marketing Research, New York City, have merged their market research and consultation capabilities under the name of Macro·AHF, a division of Macro International. Macro·AHF will concentrate on value-added market and survey research, international survey research and marketing consulting in the areas of brand positioning, new product introductions and global expansion.
Langer Associates, Inc., New York, has formed a new telephone division headed by Vice President Sue Miller to provide clients with in-depth qualitative research at lower cost than personal interviews.
Cardiff Software, Inc., Solana Beach, Calif., has formed a new division, called Cardiff Consulting Services, to serve users of its Teleform software. The division will provide consulting to value-added resellers and corporate clients on system integration, design and implementation of applications.
QualiData Research Inc. has opened a branch office in downtown San Francisco at 140 Second St., Ste. 400, San Francisco, Calif.
Results from. Fairfield, Conn. based Survey Sampling, Inc.'s most recent Research Monitor survey of research firms found that researchers are expecting steady growth in the industry in terms of both staffing and types of research. Firms of all sizes are experiencing increases in staff size compared to July 1994 and one year ago. Overall, the research staff size is up 3.8 percent from a year ago, with the medium-sized firms (5-19 employees) showing the largest increase (5.9 percent). The medium-sized firms also reported the largest increase in staff size when compared to July 1994 (3.6 percent). But the small firms (1-4 employees) are predicting the largest increase for the first quarter of 1995; a 10.2 percent is anticipated. Reports of steady growth apply to almost all types of research as well. Mall, focus, panel, mail, scan and phone research are expected to increase. Focus groups and door-to-door research will hold steady in the next quarter.