Moya Hibley

Mass layoffs rise in Texas, U.S. - San Antonio Business Journal:

2012-01-29T00:51:00.001-08:00

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Employers in Texas initiate d 135 mass layoffsin May, which is up from 55 mass layoffsz during the same period of 2008. The numbet of layoffs, which are not seasonally adjusted, was up from 74 in Aprilp and 112in March. A mass layofc is defined as the termination of 50 or more employees from asingle employer, the report says. The same reporrt indicates that nationwide, U.S. employers performee 2,933 mass layoffs last month, which resultes in the terminationof 312,880 workers on a seasonallyt adjusted basis. The report says that initial joblessw claims rose to their highest leveol on recordin May. Since December the start of the recession as designated bythe , U.S.
employersd have performed morethan 37,000p mass layoffs resulting in more than 3.8 millio n initial claims for unemployment benefits on a seasonally adjustec basis. The national unemployment rate roseto 9.4 percent in May, up from 8.9 percenft in April and 5.5 percent in May 2008.

Refi rally for TexasLending.com - Business First of Louisville:

2012-01-26T20:34:00.001-08:00

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As many as 120 loan underwriters, accounting professionals, loan processors, loan closers and clericakl positions payingbetween $30,000 to more than $100,000 a year will be said Kevin Miller, president, CEO and founder of The jobs will be added beginning in Augusft and will be phased in during the next six to nine he said. The company has 160 employeezs now, down from 180 at the peak of the Nort Texas housing boom twoyears ago. Low mortgagwe rates and Miller’s expectation of climbing home salees are spurringthe company’s growth, he said. “W e expect rates to be low for the next year and a then we expect home purchasing to be stron after that in he said.
The local housing marker certainly has a lot of groundto recover. New-home salesz in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were down 40% for the firs four months of the year compared to the same periodcin 2008, and sales of pre-owned single-family homesd were down 24% during that period, according to housintg market analyst David Brown, director of the Dallaas office of Metrostudy. There were 4,191q new-home closings and 18,442 resales in the area throughg April, he said.
Brownj expects 2009 sales to trailo year-ago numbers for the remainder ofthe “We do expect to begin to see some modest recoveru in terms of transactions beginning in assuming we see the national economy begin to turn around and we see the jobs pictured begin to improve,” he said. About 70% of TexasLending.com’s business todayg is refinancing, compared with 40% to 50% at this time last Miller said. TexasLending.com closes $60 million to $80 millio n in monthly loan volume now, or about $850 milliohn annually, Miller said. With the additionalk employees, Miller’s goal is to reach $3 billion to $4 billion in annual loan volume in the next five he said.
The company provides residential mortgagr loansin Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan, Missourii and Colorado, servicing all of them from the Dallaa office. For the week ending May 22, mortgage loan applicatiomn volume nationwide wasup 28.5% compared with the same week one year according to a weekly surveh by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinancings made up 69.3% of the mortgagr activity. Loan volume in Texae was $11.7 billion in the first quarte r ofthis year, down slightly from $12.44 billion in 2008, according to the Texaa Mortgage Bankers Association statistics.
Mortgage industry employment in Texas fell by more thana 30% from 2007 to but has since stabilized, said Scott vice president of the Texaz Mortgage Bankers Association. Norma said he’s heard anecdotally that the surgse in refinancings is prompting mortgagr lenders toadd employees, but he did not have specifid industry employment numbers. To make room for new TexasLending.com has signed a lease for 69,000 squarew feet in its existing location at 4100 Alpha Road in Dallas more than triple the size itcurrently occupies, said Ben Hautft with the commercial real estate firm Streamj Realty Partners LP.
Hautt recently left Stream’s Dallaa office to launch the company’s office in Atlanta, where he is managiny partner. TexasLending.com will begin moving into its expanded spacerin August, after the completion of renovationss that are now under way. Afteer expanding, TexasLending.com will occupy all of the fourth and fifth floor and part of the first flootr inthe 11-story Hautt said. “It’s an expansion, and today that’s not somethingf you see a lot Hautt said. “They’re thriving in the currentr economy.
” The 227,000-square-foot building at 4100 Alphaq Road is part ofThe Centre, an 11-building officw complex north of Interstate 635 off Midway The asking lease rate for the spacw is about $16.50 per square foot. Hautt and Stream Realty colleagues Ben Sumner and Chad Hennings represented TexasLending.com in the lease, and Buddg Tompkins and Seth Thatcher of commercial real estate firm GVA Cawley represented the landlord. Hautt said TexasLending.
com searchee the market before decidingt to expand within itsexisting

Exercise has charms to soothe a savage boss - Medical Xpress

2012-01-24T16:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.webclicktech.com/productivity/rsa-roundup-oracles-database-firewall-juniper-fortinet/

Exercise has charms to soothe a savage boss

Medical Xpress

lying, making fun of you in public and generally putting you down, he or she may benefit from some exercise, according to a new study by James Burton from Northern Illinois University in the US and his team. Their work shows that stressed supervisors, ...

and more »

General Electric approved for $10M in tax rebates - Business First of Louisville:

2012-01-22T12:17:00.001-08:00

asabcitxit.blogspot.com
The company has taken other measures this year to save About 100 hourly employees took a voluntarhy buyout package onMarcgh 1. They were selected basee on age and service time withthe company. Two days GE closed its second-shift dishwashed production atAppliance Park, eliminating 185 jobs through a voluntaryu retirement option. There currently are 2,100 hourlyh and 2,000 salaried employees at Appliance compared withabout 23,000 at the height of the appliancw business’ success, Freeman Despite GE’s efforts, the appliance business has struggled during the past few yearas as it faced stiff competition from foreign competitords and a downturn in new home construction.
Immeltr announced in May 2008 that he intended tospin off, sell or find a joinft venture partner for the appliance business. But the weakening globaol economy and softness in the appliance business keptbuyere away. By the end of the Immelt said GE would continue to run the business until the economyturns around. Earlier this GE decided to take some of its focus off its Monogra andProfile high-end appliances and concentrate on developing energy-efficien t appliances. The appliances, including watedr heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators and ranges, operate usinvg “smart grid” technology, whicg allows utilities to send signals along power linesto “smart meters.
” The meters relay signals wirelessly to the telling them to operate using less power at times when energu use is high and conservation is In March, Freeman told Businessz First that GE saw tremendous opportunitiew in developing the “smart especially when Congress set asidde $11.4 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the developmentf of the nation’s smart-grid power system. GE predicts that by 2016 it will have technologyu in place that would allow a homeowner to use no electricityh from thepower grid.
Instead, appliances and heating and air conditioningf systems would be operater with power from sources such assolafr panels, small wind turbines, natural gas-fired power generatorzs and geothermal wells on or near the The hybrid electric water heaters that General Electric Co. is considering making at Appliance Park use a traditional heatinb element but also absorb heat in ambieng air and transfer it intothe water. The process uses less energg to heat water than traditional electrivwater heaters, GE said in a news The company might make abougt 300,000 of the water heatersz annually at Appliance Park by 2011, according to GE’ s KEDFA filing.
GE has launched production of the water heaterss using aChinese third-party manufacturer, according to the The water heaters are supposed to be on the marketr by the end of the year. GE estimatesa that consumers can save as muchas $250 a year on energyh costs, compared with a traditional electric water heater. Businessw First staff writer John R. Karmanb III contributed to this report.

Cuomo Announces $93M in Flood Aid From Irene, Lee - NBC New York

2012-01-20T08:17:00.001-08:00

ukatekexo.wordpress.com

WNYT

Cuomo Announces $93M in Flood Aid From Irene, Lee

NBC New York

AP Tropical Storm Irene put a $1 billion whipping on New York, most of it upstate where heavy rains spawned flash floods that shredded roads, washed out bridges and knocked buildings from their foundations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. ...

APNewsBreak: Cuomo announces $93M in flood aid

W »

Morton Plant North Bay snuffs out smoking - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

2012-01-18T03:51:00.001-08:00

cicugaha.wordpress.com
The hospital officially joinedthe ’s tobacco-frees initiative. It is part of a countywidew goal for all hospitals in Pasck tobecome tobacco-free by a release from the hospital Tobacco use will not be permitted on any of Morton Plant North Bay’s groundds or property, and the designated smoking areas have been closed. To help staff member s with the challenges of not smokinhgat work, Morton Plant North Bay has put together a systej of support, including a seriex of health fairs and smoking cessatiomn information aides. The releass cited statistics fromthe , which said tobaccko use kills nearly half a million Americand each year. One in every six U.S.
deaths can be attributesd as a resultof smoking. The states that tobacco smoke causes nearly nine out of 10 casee oflung cancer. Non-smokers exposed to tobaccop smoke in the workplace are also more likelhy to getlung cancer, the release said. Morton Plant North Bay is a 122-bed facility in New Port

Colleges take different tacks for handling recession - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

2012-01-16T00:17:00.001-08:00

tiqosi.wordpress.com
Next year, however, appears murkier. Moody’s Global Public U.S. Finance estimatede in a Nov. 21 repor t that school endowments have declined 15 percent to 30 percent in the past four month amid themarket turmoil. That has led schools dependent on thoss endowments to consider pay cuts orstaff reductions. Miami and Ohio for example, began hiring freezes this and near Dayton this month discloseda $2.8 millionn shortfall. The school’s response includes adding to the employes share of healthinsurance premiums, salaryu and staff reductions, and a 30 percent reductiobn in nonpersonnel budget items. Gov.
Ted Strickland, in exchange for a tuitionb freeze, increased higher education payments in thecurrent two-year budget and exempte schools from midyear spending cuts. It’s unclear how that can continued with aprojected $7 billion shortfall for the budget that startsz in July. “We’re still trying to prepare fora best-casd scenario and a worst-case scenario,” said Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings, assistant vice president of budget planning and analysis for Ohio Declines in investment income required paring $8 millioh from this year’s budget for the Athens she said, but public colleges are approachin the end of the tuition freeze “We still have to be aware of the goal of she said.
Ohio University won’t be able to offerr as many scholarshipsnext year, said Michael Angelini, associate vice president of finance. The endowmentf is down by 20 and individual named funds will not be allowed to make distributiones if the value of the investment has fallen belo w the amount of theoriginaol donation. In Central Ohio, public and private collegex report enrollment has held up andthey aren’t reducing endowment payouts despite declineas in value. absorbed $6 million in stat e cuts outside of direcft supportthis year, including $3 million to agricultura l research and extension.
It has abouft $88 million in reserves but can’t depend on one-timew funds over several years, William senior vice president for businessand finance, told trustees in November. In past he said, the university learnedx it’s better to give deans plenty of lead time and ask for theid plans to reduce expenses rathedr thanimpose across-the-board cuts. stands out. The two-year schoo l has a $3.8 million surplus through the firsy four months of the fiscal year and is spending $469,000 to hire eightt full-time faculty because enrollment is 6 percent highet than last fall. Even interest income rose due toconservativee investing.
The school used part of last year’s surplus to createe a $1,000 scholarship for students 25 and Most Ohio private colleges have modest endowments the medianis $25 millionb – and depend more on tuition, said Todd president of the . An exception, in depends on its endowment – $693 millioh as of June 30 for 30 percent ofits $100 million operatinvg budget, President Dale Knobel said. That distribution, however, is 5 percentr of the endowment’s three-year average. The school didn’yt increase the payout when returns were 24 percent and 9 percent the pasttwo years, he so it doesn’t need to decrease it now.
in Westerville isn’tt curtailing distributions, said Dave vice president forbusiness affairs. Delaware-based and Columbus-based Ohio Dominican universitiesx reported no enrollment dips or budget Denison mightdelay $60 milliobn in renovation projects that will be financed by bond salews and donations. “At our we thought we might have the combination of thoses two types of funding in place bythis spring, but it may be (latef than that),” Knobel said. , in Gambier, is delayiny $24 million in plans for two residence hallw and settingaside $1 million for emergencg financial aid, said Joe vice president for finance.
“It makes sensr to preserve capital whereveryou can,” he

Report: Cape Wind unlikely to be done by mid-2015 - BusinessWeek

2012-01-13T20:34:00.001-08:00

grigoriynirim.blogspot.com

MassLive.com

Report: Cape Wind unlikely to be done by mid-2015

BusinessWeek

By JAY LINDSAY The long-planned Cape Wind offshore wind project is unlikely to be producing electricity by mid-2015, New England's power grid manager says in a new report that raises the prospect of more delays in a project beset by them. ...

Grid manager: Ca pe Wind unlikely done by mid-2015

Newsday

Delay seen for Cape project

Boston Herald

PBA backs expanded River District renewal area - Houston Business Journal:

2012-01-11T15:51:00.001-08:00

authors-morphology.blogspot.com
Sandra McDonough, the alliance’s president and CEO, told the Portland City Council on June 17 that the city needsz to do everything it can to providemore jobs. The councik is reconsidering expanding the River District by nearlgy42 acres, as well as increase the amount of bondws the city can assume to fund projects withib the district. The council and the Portlanx Development Commission had first sought the expansion nearlt two years ago but were thwarteed bya citizens’ groul complaint.
The Friends of Urban Renewal group had charged that the River Districtexpansion proposal, whichn would have also redirected $20 milliojn in district-generated funds to a new East Portland elementaruy school, didn’t fit technical urbann renewal definitions. The council will vote on the measur enext week. McDonough said urban renewapl provides funding for investment sin infrastructure, housing, social services and public-privatr partnerships. “We need to create jobs,” she said. “Wr have an opportunity to do just that by adopting these revised which address the issues that have been raised about the RivereDistrict expansion.
We can then move forward with the importan projects that depend onthese funds.” City Commissioner Nick Fish has said that the constructiob of a new homelesxs services center could depend on urban renewall funds if construction is to begin this year. McDonough said the alliance backsa using urban renewal funds to buildthe

Worker fitness tied to lower insurance rates, fewer claims - New Mexico Business Weekly:

2012-01-09T12:00:00.001-08:00

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Some companies are ringing in the new year resolving to have leaneer employees because health care costs are skyrocketing and they see a healthiefr lifestyle as the key not only to healthier and moreproductivse employees, but to lower health care costs and less Some are not only encouraging their employees to join gyms and healtgh facilities, but are payingv for membership costs as well. New Mexico'sx enrolled in a corporate membership programat . Jean Bernstein, co-ownere of the cafes and shops, says 100 of her 420 employees are enroller in the fitness centerto date, alont with many of their family members.
Flying Star pays 67 percent of anindividual employee'a fitness costs and 71 percentt of a family's or household's membership costs, regardlessd of how many members are in the Under the current arrangement an employee with a familyh of four would pay only $30 a month to enrolkl all four family members. By a family of four paying its own way entirely woulf paynearly $200 a month. Bernstein says employees didn'tt always have it so good. When the cafe first startedf offering fitness memberships to its employeee abouta year-and-a-half ago, they only had 15 people sign up.
The reasojn for the low enrollment: Bernstein says the businessz didn't do as well promotinfg and advertising the program toits employees. "We were able to providd a more aggressive pricing plan for them and we went out andpromoter it," Bernstein says. "We also have a much bettere orientation program so all employees signing onto the companyunow have, in addition to a benefits an orientation where it's all laid out before She says participation in the program also increased as more storde managers encouraged their employees to get involved.
Bernstein says she is considering revisinghthe company's health insurance policy to reward employeess who take advantage of the fitnesxs program and other healthy living initiatives with reduced She says fitness and wellness programs will help her cut down on long-terkm health insurance costs. (PNM) also provides its employees with discountsw to local gyms andfitnesws centers, but takes the matter one step It offers an in-house gym and fitnessz classes, such as yoga, pilates and aerobics, for a few dollares a month.
PNM spokeswoman Susan Spona r says the publicutility doesn'yt get lower insurance rates because of its fitness and prevention but says the company has reduced the number of expensive insurance claims filed by employees and seen its insurances rates rise only slowly. "The cost of health care has been increasingg by about 10 to 15 percent nationally in the last several years," Sponar notes. "Th rates for PNM employees have been flat and stayec at 3 or4 We're encouraging people to take care of themselve and they are.
" , the state's largest healtnh club with three location in Albuquerque and one in Rio participates in a government-subsidized health plan for seniors calledd "Silver Sneakers." Defined Fitness' General Manager Anndee Wrigh t Brown says it receives government funding for every seniort who participates in the health and fitness club. She says the like businesses, would rather spend money on prevention program s than on expensivemedicap procedures. "I think the wave of the future will be healthu clubs partnering with health plans to keep costs WrightBrown says. "Businesses will get tax breaks and pay less in healthn premiums if their employeesare healthy.
"

RBC Bank names Wachovia vet Marty McAndrew market executive - South Florida Business Journal:

2012-01-07T08:17:00.001-08:00

uhetemejih.wordpress.com
In the new position, McAndrew will oversee RBC Bank’s business, commercial and retail/private bankintg efforts in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Manatee As senior vice president and community sales team managerffor Wachovia, McAndrew oversaw commercial banking operationw in nine community banking marketse across Florida. During his 10-year careefr with Wachovia, he also worked in Tampwa Bay’s business banking group as a senior producing team leader and as arelationshipl manager. He will live in a release said. McAndrew will report to Gary RBC Bank’s Florida president.
, having served as regional presidentr for Wachovia in Palm Beach County prior to takingg on the RBC positionin 2007. RBC Bank, a whollh owned subsidiary of Royal Bank ofCanada (NYSE: RY), is headquartere d in Raleigh, N.C. With 430 full-servicwe banking offices in six RBChad $31.3 billion in assets on Dec. 31. RBC had17 offices and $484 million in deposits in the Tampz Bay area onJune 30, according to the most recent information available from the

U.S. Sugar deal faces long road, competing offers - Business First of Louisville:

2012-01-05T04:00:00.001-08:00

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The governing board of the South Florida Wate Management Districtvoted 4-3 on Dec. 16 to buy 180,0009 acres from U.S. Sugar for $1.34 billion. It was hailee as a historic moment forEvergladees restoration. By law, U.S. Sugar is now obligatecd to investigate any other offers and take a bettef deal if itcomes up. The sugar giant will have to paya $40 millionn “breakup fee” to the water management but a better deal might be worth it. The Tenn.-based has already been making offers tobuy U.S. Sugat outright. In a Dec. 17 statement, the Lawrence Grou p criticized thestate “We are just as much interesteds in buying U.S. Sugar today as we ever the statement said.
“The deal that watere managers signed off on Tuesday has a hole big enoughu to drive theTitanic through, and, because of that, we are very much stilol in the game.” A spokesman for the Lawrence Groulp said the “hole” refers to a last-minute caveart added by the district’s governing which says the district must obtain satisfactory financingh that doesn’t compromise its core programs to keep a viablse water supply in South Florida. The Lawrencr Group has offered topay $300 a share for U.S. which has about 1.8 million shares outstanding. That makes the offerf worth about $540 million.
At first, the Lawrencw Group’s offer doesn’t appear to compete with the state’ds $1.34 billion deal. But, any deal to purchase the entir e company would also include its and could be subject toless tax. Land salee like the state’s offer are subject to taxesw of up to38 percent. U.S. Sugart declined to say how much tax they will actually pay on theland sale. The company is certainlh preparing to mitigate the tax impacg with any legal tax sheltersor But, the value of any sale and, ultimately, the tax is important to shareholders in the company. A clases action lawsuit was alreadyu filed toforce U.S. Sugar to considet the LawrenceGroup offer.
‘We don’tt discuss our finances’ Robert Coker, U.S. Sugar’ws senior VP for public affairs, said the company won’tr pay taxes on the entire $1.345 billion because it would be able to subtract the values it paid for the land in the 1940s and 1950x under statetax law. “Our company is a privat company. We don’t discuss our he said. “The way we’re going to treaty the tax issue is aprivate matter.
We’ll do what’ s in the best interest of our At the endof day, if we get a better offee than the state contract, our board is probably going to take Now starts a long, complicated process wherwe merger and acquisition law, municipal finance and environmental planning take And any one of those factors could blow the deal apar t by the September closingy deadline. “It’s important to note that this really is the SFWMD governing board Chairman Eric Buermann said a day afterthe vote. “Yes, we’rre going to encounter issues.
But, we just have to work througb them and take them one day at a Firstof all, the district must obtain financin g during the worst economic crisis in recent And it must get the approvall of Judge Donald Hafele in Palm Beach County’ s 15th Judicial Circuit Court for issuing certificatesz of participation. U.S. Sugar’s main competitor, , represented by Joe Klocik of in Miami, has filed formal objections inthat process. Secondly, U.S. Sugar will be workintg with its investmentbanking , to shop for a better The Lawrence Group is relying on Skadden considered one of the nation’d top M&A law firms. Gaylon Lawrences Sr. and his son, Gaylon Lawrence Jr.
, own and Premie r Citrus of Vero Beach. Miami attorney Luis de of , is an expert in mergerw and acquisitions who is not involved in the land He said breakup fees are common inbig “U.S. Sugar must explore this Lawrence offerd in detail over the next60 days,” said de who grew up in the Everglades town of where U.S. Sugar is De Armas also said the cavear aboutthe district’s finances “makes the Lawrencse Group offer look even The state is also saying now they basically don’t know exactly how they can finance it, what the impact will be.
”

Over-the-Rhine debuts new condos, homes - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

2012-01-02T23:51:00.000-08:00

modestofyeyko.blogspot.com
The 41 condos and five single-family homes ranges in price from $140,000 to $350,000. They’rew part of the Gateway Quarter’d third phase, which will bring the project’s totall number of new residential unitsto 106. Mottainai, on Republic Street, an eight-condo project developes by / . The buildinfg is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, and the unitds feature European-style kitchens and rooftopl decks. • Trinity Flats, on Vine Street, is new constructionn that includesnine two-bedroom/two-bath units.
Developed by the , they includew secured parking androoftop • City Home on Pleasan t Street, includes six condos and five single-familgy homes, developed by , , and the Five units offer special financing for low- to-moderate-income buyers. Lackman Lofts, on Vine Street, offersa seven condos, with originalo woodwork, secured parking and rooftop decks, developefd by . • Good Fellows Hall, on Main is a former furniture store developed by Urban It includes five condos with secured garage parkinfg androoftop decks. Falling Wall, on Main Street, also developedd by Urban Sites, includes six unites with rooftop decks andsecured parking.
The Gateway Quarter includexs the areaalong Vine, Race and Main streets between Centralp Parkway and 13th Street.

Report: Gannett to cut 1,000 jobs - Washington Business Journal:

2011-12-31T19:00:00.001-08:00

lehoquvuhu.wordpress.com
The cuts, a response to the McLean-based media company’xs revenue declines, will occur in Gannett’sx community publishing division, according to the which said USA Today will be Gannett hasabout 41,000 employees. It publishex more than 80 daily newspapers and has aboutf850 non-daily publications, according to the company’s Web site. In it operates 23 TV stations. In the first quarter, totakl revenue dropped 18 percentto $1.39 billion. Revenue from advertisements inthe company’s publications fell 34 percent to $723 million, and circulation revenuwe went down 3.1 percent to $300 million. Net incomr fell 60 percent to $77.45 million.
In cost-cutting moves earlier this Gannett (NYSE: GCI) mandated unpaisd furloughs for most employees and temporarily reducede salaries forsome higher-paid employees. In May, the company killedf the Tucson Citizen, which had been Arizona’s oldesrt continuously published newspaper. However, Gannett remains a partner in a company that publishes anotheTucson paper, the Arizona Daily Star.

Good 'ol boy network feels winds of change - Phoenix Business Journal:

2011-12-29T15:17:00.001-08:00

tosece.blogspot.com
"It has been a good 'oo boys network," said Paula Johnson, U.S. huma resources manager for Seattle-based . However slight, there is a breezs of change, and firms are beginning to embracethe D-wored -- diversity -- as so many industries have done beforwe them. Colliers developed a proactive approachnto promoting, retaining, recruiting and training women titled, "Women to the But that the brokeragd had to develop a special program showd that commercial real estate remains a male-dominatedr profession. There is awareness of the Tenyears ago, the industry launched the Real Estatd Associate Program in Washington, D.C., and has expanded it to Atlantz and New York.
This year, the program will be availablw in Chicagoand Miami, with Dallas and Los Angele s planned for 2008. Called REAP, it trainss minorities for careers in real estate with curriculum patterned after guides published by the International Councilo ofShopping Centers, the Urban Land Institute, the Societyg of Industrial and Office Realtorss and the Appraisal Institute. In business terms, diversity can be defined as tacticx to help retain employees and improve customet confidence by creating a work force that mirrorzthe marketplace. Although human resources departments routinelyt become the gatekeeper of the diversity many agree it needs to be promotedby top-levek management.
"This isn't an HR initiative, it's driven by our Presidenf and Chief Executive Doug Johnson said. "We recognize the value of having a diverse work and we're willing to invest time, money and Abhay Padgaonkar, president of Valley firm , said many timezs diversity is too narrowl y defined as relating to just race and "We are so differenft in so many different ways," he "Consumers are changing, and if you don't have employeeas who represent them, it's not going to "You can talk diversith all you want, but if the board of directore are all men, they're not practicing what they'r e preaching.
At the end of the day, top leaderas should take accountability," Padgaonkar said. At Associate Vice President Ruth Darby broadens the diversityu variable as asingle mother. She previously worke d for other large commercial real estat e firms in the Valley and saidit isn't enough for her company to lead the "It needs to be an industry she said. , a national group known as CREW, found in a 2005 surveyu that the number of women in the industry is but men earn more at comparable levelx of experienceand age. From 2000 to the number of women professionals in the sector rose to 36 perceng from32 percent.
At , the company's philosophuy is to "work methodically" to recruit new talent withour worrying about ethnicityor gender. Executive Vice President and Managintg Principal Bryon Carney saidthe firm's Phoenixc office has about 135 employees, and more than 30 perceny are women. Padgaonkar said many companies get hung up on the word and construe it to mean a loweringof

Charlotte Business Journal: Most emailed Stories

2011-12-27T11:34:00.001-08:00

efiosyt.blogspot.com
Duke Energy Corp. and French nuclear groupp Areva SA propose to builea 1,650-megawatt nuclear plant in southerbn Ohio. A new N.C. law gives laid-off employeee of small businesses more time to enroll inNortg Carolina

Mattel, Fisher-Price pay $2.3M fine - bizjournals:

2011-12-25T07:34:00.001-08:00

oryzacody.wordpress.com
million civil penalty for violationws of the federal lead paint banin children’s toys. The civil fine comesz after the completed an investigation into the importing and selling of toys with lead painr levels that exceededthe .06 percent lead by weight limigt that is federally mandated. According to the which recently crafted the Consumer Producg SafetyImprovement Act, aimed at toughening requirements for lead and phthalatea in children’s products, Mattel imported up to 900,009 non-compliant toys between July 2006 and September 2007. Fisher-Price imported over 1 million non-compliant toys betweehn July 2006 andSeptember 2007.
Amongh the toys in question were the populatr Sargetoy car, various Barbie productas and some Go Diego Go toys. Most of the toys that had excessive levels of lead were shipped to retail stores for sale tothe public. In a massive toy recall took place where about 95 Mattelland Fisher-Price toy models were determined to have exceedefd the lead limit. Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause seriouxshealth problems. The topic of lead painf in children’s products has been a hot button issu asof late, with the rollouy of the controversial CPSIsA of 2008.
Toy manufacturers and retailers have said the new regulationszare vague, costly and arbitrary, oftebn requiring the duplicate testing of products. Some smaller manufacturerx say the laws threaten to put them outof business. On the political Rep. Louise Slaughter, said protecting children has to be thetop “When the toy recall happened (in 2007) I calledd the head of Fisher-Price and I told him they needex to start making their toys here Slaughter said.
“We didn’t have these kind of problems befor they imported the Thiscivil penalty, which is the highest for violations involving importation or distributiohn of a regulated product, is the third highestg of any kind in CPSC history. “Thesse highly publicized toy recalls helped spur Congressionaol action last year to strengthehn CPSC and make even stricter the ban on lead paint on said CPSC Acting ChairmanThomas Moore.
“This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committee to the safetyof children, to reducing their exposurw to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumere Product Safety Improvement As part of a story featured in our siste r publication, The Buffalo Law Journal , lookinv at the Consumer Product Safetyt Improvement Act, which ran prior to the announcemeny of these fines, Fisher-Price declineed to provide a representative to discusz the lead paint regulations. Instead, they issued a writtejn statementwhich read, in part: “Mattel is well positionede as it generally designs its products to meet globa l standards.
Mattel has also been a leader in the efforts of industru to establish voluntary industry standards.” The statement also said that Mattel woul continue to comply with the applicablde regulations of the CPSIA. Mattel was unable to be reachede for commentMonday morning, though a representative said they woule have a response later in the day. Despitew agreeing to pay $2.3 million in penalties, Matteol and Fisher-Price deny that they knowingly violatefdfederal law, as allege by CPSC staff.

5 Who Thrive: Four key changes enabled SuperGeeks to prosper - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

2011-12-23T02:17:00.001-08:00

hydiuco.blogspot.com
“We’re seeing if they can fly in this and they should be able to matcuh the level of skill andquality immediately,” Ledoux said. “Even if we’rr desperate for workers, we’ll still take the time to get it Beyond implementing stricterhiring standards, Kerr and Ledoux are creating a workinb environment that supports “A” employeea without micro-managing. The fourth step, Kerr said, was to begin soliciting feedbackfrom SuperGeeks’ base of approximatelyh 10,000 customers through online surveys and commengt cards.
“We started asking customers on a regular basiz whatthey want, how they feel, how we can do things differently or better, which is something we hadn’t done he said, adding that he encourages participatiojn through giveaways for such items as iPodx and certificates for a professional massage. “Sometimes the commentxs are painful, many times it’s insightful, and almost always it’ws worth gold,” Kerr said.

Idea Integration to offer Microsoft stimulus package - The Business Review (Albany):

2011-12-20T22:17:00.001-08:00

doqujamup.wordpress.com
Idea Integration is one of six companies inthe U.S. chosen by to offer Microsofg Stimulus360. “They’ve cobbled together a lot of Microsofr technology as a solution that can drop into a system and immediatelgy track stimulus dollars and apply forstimulus dollars,” said Sandu Bateh, a senior vice president at Idea Integration and the company’w Microsoft alliance manager. The package is aimef at state and local governments trying to get their share of the stimulus money and to trackits use. Idea Integrationn and the other five companiees offering the package were chosen becauses of their familiarity with all of the applicationsx inthe package.
“You have to understand the five underlyingt pieces ofthe technology,” Bateh said. Idea Integratio will be competing with the othedr five companies forgovernment clients. Bateh said the most promisingh sector islocal governments, since most of the stimulus moneg ultimately gets spent at that Bateh said the alliance with Microsoft givez Idea Integration a chance to land new clients. “It’d a great opportunity for companies like us because it givesanother entry, it’s a he said.

Amedore Homes shows off new Albany townhouse development - The Business Review (Albany):

2011-12-18T18:34:00.001-08:00

yzirapogyg.wordpress.com
Located at the corner of Van Rensselaetr andNorthern boulevards, across from , the four-acree site can accommodate 52 two-story townhouses. Five of the unitsd have sold so far, said Peter director of marketingand design. Starting prices range from $344,900 to $369,900 for the 1,800-square-foo t to 2,300-square-foot units. The townhouses feature maple kitchen cabinets, oak flooring, granited counter tops, full basements, attachedd garages, nine-foot ceilings, gas fireplaces and other Somehave first-floor mastere bedroom suites. The units will be buil t as theyare sold.
"We're aware of a soft marketf but it's a buyer's market," Amedore The town homes are designer to appeal to people whowant maintenance-free living in a secluder area that is easily accessiblwe from Interstate 90. Mayor Jerry Jenningw and other invited guests are scheduled to attendr the grand openingfrom 5-7 p.m. on May 20

Community health centers hope to get stimulus funds - Washington Business Journal:

2011-12-16T13:34:00.001-08:00

ejoxot.wordpress.com
, which operates seven centers in Louisville, has applied for more than $1.7 millionm in grants. has applied for nearlgy $926,000 in stimulus funding. Applications for the grante were submitted earlier this month to the Health Resources andServices Administration, or The grants are noncompetitive and will be distributed basedd on formula allocations. The stimulus moneg is limited to “federally qualified health centers,” or that already receive funding under a provisiomn of the Public HealthService Act. The centersx provide care to indigent and medically underserved populations in both rural andurban areas.
Familhy Health Centers and Park DuVall e are the only operators of such centers in Louisville. William B. Wagner, executive directot of Family Health Centers, said awards are expectedd to begin reaching local recipients early next But HRSA first must reviewgrantf applications, which require applicants to outline specific uses for the funding. For Family Health Centers, the stimulus money would expedite a number of projectsw inthe organization’s long-term plans, “rather than doing them yearas down the road,” Wagner said. About $1.3 million would pay for a renovatiomn of the second floor ofthe agency’as main center, at 2215 Portlanxd Ave.
, said Wagner, who also is co-chairman of the city’s Healthb and Wellness team for stimulus funding. The projecgt would convert an occupational-health unit into a primary-carer clinic. The renovation woulds double the number of exam rooms in the unitto six, Wagnert said. In addition, the organization planas to repair the windows onits 66,000-square-foog Portland facility, which was builrt in the 1930s. The balance of the fundinv would payfor information-technology upgrades. Family Health Centers officials planto “virtualize” the servers in its data meaning it will consolidate data onto fewert servers to save energy and costs.
Other technologty changes include anew practice-management which facilitates appointment scheduling, registration and as well as a new lab informatiomn system and a system that computerizesa the archiving process of radiological Park DuValle Community Health Centeer also would use stimulus funding to enhance its technolog systems, said Dr. John Howard, health services directotr forthe center. Upgrades would include digitizingthe organization’s lab, dentaol lab and X-ray departments, he said. Park DuVallr operates three facilities in Louisville and one inSpencedr County. Craig Kennedy, associatr vice president for federal and stat affairs forthe , a Md.
-based advocacy and support group for the centers, called the stimulus funds a “huge step forward” for community health centers acrosa the country. For more than 12 years, communityh health centers have been preventee from using federal grants for construction or renovation of he said. Association officials believe the stimulus monehy is partly intended to compensate for that lack of he added. Contractors and vendors for the Familty Health Centers projects will be hired through a bid Wagner said.
They will be notified of work opportunitiew in a number of Family Health Centers will develop a list of contractora and vendors and sendthem notifications, Wagner The agency also will advertisde through local media, and it will seek additional guidancw from Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government’s purchasint department, Wagner said. “We want to invite as many peopl to bidas possible.
”

Konferensi Pemulihan Pasca Bencana Digelar di Wukirsari - Tribunnews

2011-12-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

coras-newport.blogspot.com

Konferensi Pemulihan Pasca Bencana Digelar di Wukirsari

Tribunnews

COM, YOGYA - Konferensi Nasional Pengelolaan Risiko Bencana Berbasis Komunitas (KN PRBBK) VII akan diselenggarakan pada tanggal 5 â" 8 Desember 2011 di Hunian Sementara (Huntara) Gondang 1 Wukirsari, Dusun Gondang Pusung, Desa Wukirsari, ...

NBA insider Tom Penn of ESPN sorts out Dwight Howard trade scenarios - Orlando Sentinel (blog)

2011-12-12T04:34:00.001-08:00

qozadaunu.blogspot.com

Orlando Sentinel (blog)

NBA insider Tom Penn of ESPN sorts out Dwight Howard trade scenarios

Orlando Sentinel (blog)

To help sort through those options, I spoke this afternoon with Tom Penn, an NBA analyst for ESPN and a former vice president of basketball operations for the Portland Trail Blazers and assistant general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies. ...

< br />

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Small firms have received only 10 percent of stimulus work so far - Pittsburgh Business Times:

2011-12-10T00:34:00.001-08:00

ejyceh.wordpress.com
percent of contracts funded by the economi c stimuluspackage — far belosw the federal government’s overall goal of 23 percent. “This is simpl y unacceptable,” said Sen. Olympia Snowe, at a May 21 hearing on opportunities for small businesses to win contracts fundeed bythe $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestmentt Act. Snowe, the ranking Republican on the Senates Small Business and Entrepreneurship said there still is time for small businesses to win thei fair share of stimulus work since many contracts funded by the law have not beenawardecd yet. “But I must confess, I’mj not encouraged by the resultsso far,” Snowe said.
Committee Chair Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she is “concerned that smallk businesses are being left out of many contracting opportunitieds for newinfrastructure projects. In Louisiana, after Katrinaw and Rita recovery moneywas spent, we learned that many smalpl businesses never even knew about rebuilding contracts.” Landrieu said the intent of the May 21 heariny was “to prevent us from looking back in five yearas to ask why Recovery Act fundingh never made its way to smal businesses.” Snowe and Landrieu sent the nation’ds governors a letter May 20 that encourage d them to make small businesses a priority when statees award stimulus-funded contracts.
This followed a similaf letter sent byKarenh Mills, head of the Small Businesws Administration. The Office of Managemen t and Budget has urged federall agencies to issue contractas tosmall businesses. Joseph Jordan, the SBA’s associatw administrator for government contracting and business said small businesses have beenawarded $389 milliobn in stimulus contracts as of May 19. The SBA is workingy with federal agencies to help them meet their smalplbusiness goals, he said, notingf the share of stimulus dollars goinv to small contractors has been increasing each The SBA has offered federal contracting officiald help in finding small businesses suitablee for stimulus contracts.
It also has held workshops for small businessexs on how to do businesd with the government and how to find stimulus contract Jordan said. Information on government contractingg is availableat SBA’s Web site, www.sba.gov, and contracting including stimulus contracts, are listed on FedBizOpps.gov. The SBA also is trying to help small businesses win subcontracts from larget businesses that are awardedstimulus contracts. It has launche d a Web site — www.sba.gov/subnet — that list stimulus-related subcontracting opportunities. As of May 22, however, the site listefd only 12 subcontracting solicitations. Stimulus work has made a big differenc e forSSACC Inc.
, a landscaping subcontractor in Pontiac, Ill. Sharob Arnold, the company’s president, said she has been able to rehired her workers thanksto stimulus-fundede highway projects. In December, she had to lay everyone off. “Ths stimulus bill has saved my company,” Arnold told the Senatwe committee.

Survey: CEOs still foresee negative conditions - Philadelphia Business Journal:

2011-12-07T20:34:00.001-08:00

ycoguqi.wordpress.com
“This quarter’s results reflect a continuing weak set ofeconomix conditions,” said Ivan Seidenberg, chairmab of Business Roundtable and chairman and CEO of “Conditiond – while still negative appear to have begun to stabilize.” The D.C.-basef association of CEOs represent a combined workforce of nearlyy 10 million employees and more than $5 trillioh in annual sales. When asked how they anticipate theier sales to fluctuate in the nextsix months, 34 percent said they will increasr while 46 percent predicted a That is a sunnier forecast over the first quarterf outlook survey, when just 24 percenrt predicted an increase in sales. In terms of how their U.S.
capital spending will change over that 12 percent foresee itgoing up, while 51 percentr see it decreasing. Few (6 percent) expectr their U.S. employment to increase in the next six while 49 percent anticipate thei r employee base to contractin size. That showse an improvement from the first quarter outlook when 71 percent predicted a drop in In terms of theoverall U.S. economy, member CEOs estimate real GDP will dropby 2.1 percenf in 2009, down from the estimate of a 1.9 percent decline in the first quarter of 2009. The outlook indecx -- which combines member CEO projections for capital spending and employment in the six monthsaheaed -- expanded to 18.
5 in the secondr quarter, up from negative 5.0 in the first An index reading of 50 or lower is consistentg with overall economic contractioj and a reading of 50 or highere is consistent with expansion.

Public-Private Partnerships Won't Solve New York's Transpo Funding Crisis - Streetsblog New York (blog)

2011-12-05T16:17:00.001-08:00

deeshu-tatum.blogspot.com

Streetsblog New York (blog)

Public-Private Partnerships Won't Solve New York's Transpo Funding Crisis

Streetsblog New York (blog)

In a rough outline, the governor touted public-private partnerships (or PPPs, as they're known) as a key mechanism to pay for âthe repair and development of highways, bridges and major construction projects.â It also happens that major players in the ...

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Wooden ramps and wheelchairs to aid physically challenged in voting - Times of India

2011-12-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

avaohev.blogspot.com

Wooden ramps and wheelchairs to aid physically challenged in voting

Times of India

Speaking to TOI, chief electoral officer ( Uttar Pradesh) Umesh Sinha said, "Arrangements are underway to provide wooden ramps and wheel chairs at polling stations apart from using the volunteers from the NCC to help the elderlies and the physically ...

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'The Proposal' wins at weekend box office - San Antonio Business Journal:

2011-12-01T07:51:00.001-08:00

valvookimakaj1362.blogspot.com
The movie starring Sandra Bullocjk and Ryan Reynolds brought in anestimatefd $34,114,000 in its opening weekend. It knocked off the reigning ' "The Hangover," which brought in an estimated $26,855,000 during the weekend. "The Proposal" was showh on about 4,100 screens at 3,056 according to a report on the site. Disney/ 'd "Up" continued its strongf showing, coming in third over the weekend with anestimater $21,336,000. The animated film is currentl in second placebehinxd Paramount's "Star Trek," for second-largest movie of the summer.
Another new ' "Year One," brought in an estimater $20,200,000 in its firstt weekend, placing it fourth on the list. Another Sony Pictures release, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" rounded out the top bringing in anestimaterd $11,300,000.

Poll: Narrow majority see no Calif. deficit fix without higher taxes - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

2011-11-29T04:17:00.001-08:00

acklinegymejac1362.blogspot.com
About 51 percent of those who participated in the online survey saidthey don’t believe the state’s $24.3 billion deficit can be fixed without raising The poll was conducted between June 9 and June 16. Readef David Hurd wrote: “Can it be fixed without raisinhg taxes? Yes, of course. Will it? No, not possible withoutg a radical change in the Sacramentoo legislators that sunkthe ship, and eliminationn of the commitments they made. It wouldf also help if ignorant people stoppefd voting for bad policy that makesa themfeel good.” “Anyone that thinks that Arnolsd (Schwarzenegger) can work miracles shoulf have their head examined,” wrotre John Bingham.
“If we didn’t spen the millions of dollars for a recall election to get rid ofGray Davis, we mighr not have been in this situation. Arnold lied. He’s now doinf everything Gray Daviswas doing. What’ds the difference?” Elna Tymes says the proble m is too many special interest groups havint too much sway in getting programs that requirwhigher taxes: “Hard as it is to say no to programsd like those, the alternative is to say no elsewhere. And that’s the job we electex our legislatorsto do, a job they’rw not doing.
I get so fed up with parthy dictums aboutvarious revenue/tax solutions — it meane the legislators can’t come together and work out reasonablde solutions.” Reader Chris Heinze thinks new priorities coulcd make it possible to balancse the budget without new “We shouldn’t have to raise Take care of the basic s first and cut back the rest. Ther is so much monety going to lessimportant things. Firsr should be education, then fire departments and make a true list of prioritiesz weall need, and chop the stuff at the Joyce Diaz has a simple prescription: “Cut expenses.
Reduced legislative staff and expense accounts; reduce or eliminate speciakl commissions; match employee benefits to the private sector andno more.” Readerd O.C. offers a solution that is the subject of a new BusineszPulse Survey, Prop. 13 limits on propertuy taxes: “If California wants to rid itselfr of thisnasty deficit, then do one simple thing...overturn Prop 13. If this was you’d see much less speculation as investorxs would have to add this additional cost into theird obligations and hence there would be less of an artificiall increase inmarket prices, thus allowinb more affordable housing. ...
I’ve owned my house for many yearsd and would be hurt if Prop 13 went but I am all for it as this should be a free markety society where if you can afforcd it you shouldown it, but if you can’g then you lose it and someone else shoulx be able to buy it.”

Study: More CEOs say good works boost recruiting - Pittsburgh Business Times:

2011-11-26T23:00:00.001-08:00

obesonuqa.wordpress.com
This marks a shift in corporate philanthropy since the Roundtablde released itsin 2000, which noted that corporate responsibility was beginning to evolve from community impact to bottok line impact. The most recent report shows thatthe evolution, has taken place. Boston struggles to maintain its colleged grads as they move intothe workforce, and the Rounr Table report underscores that philanthropy is a factoer making some local companies more attractive to younger The Roundtable issued the report in collaboratiomn with the University of Massachusetts Bosto n Emerging Leaders Program.
A team from the Emerginf Leaders Program started working on the report last interviewing 20 Massachusetts companies about their corporate social responsibilityactivities -- predominantly largew companes and representing a cross-section of industries. “Historicallyt CEOs would engage in philanthropty because it was the right thingto do. They wanterd to be good corporate citizens,” said J.D. Chesloff, deputy directo of the MassachusettsBusiness Roundtable. “Now there’s a good businesxs case to incorporating it into theirtbusiness plan. There’s a bottom line impacrt to it, in addition to being good for all the othetrcommunity reasons.
” Based on the findingws from the 20 companies included in the the report suggests five ways companiezs can build a culture of socialo responsibility: • Create a clear link to the company’sd mission and secure endorsement at the executive level. Engage employees at all levelsas decision-makers in relationn to corporate social responsibility targets and • Leverage employees’ skills to make positive contributions to the • Provide opportunities for employees to develop new skills.
“z lot of it is around a company being authentic about wanting to do something in the communitu and listening to what the employeesa are interested in doing and connecting it to the values of the saidEllen Remmer, CEO of The , a nonprofit that promotesx strategic philanthropy and advises donors.

D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Pittsburgh Business Times:

2011-11-24T19:51:00.001-08:00

http://allcarinsurancequote.com/a-variety-of-insurance-products/
Santos, as chief operating officerd under Albert, has been closely involvesd in decision-making on many of the real estate dealsAlberrt managed, including major city projects such as Poplar Albert began his new job as city administrator on replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is taking a job in the Obamaq administration. "In Ms. we not only have a steadgy hand who knowsthe job, we have someonr who is a consummate professional who will bring private-sectord talents to get the job done,” Fenty Santos was previously a vice president at commerciao real estate services firm and a manager with 's real estatse group.
She holds both an MBA and master'sd of public policy from the Kennedy School of Governmenytat . Santos has displayed a no-nonsensre approach appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Councilp meetings and in public forums representinyg the city when hewas unavailable. She is alreadhy getting her feet wet in dealing with the politicapl aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Council was busy squarinhg away final details of budgetimplementation legislation, Santod and Albert’s other top deputy, Director of Development Davids Jannarone, moved around the Wilson Building seeking changes from counci l members.
Santos apparently was not Fenty’s initial choic e to be deputy mayor. Greg O’Dell, Washington Conventionb Center Authority CEO and a formerf staff member of thedeputhy mayor’s office, had been considered a top candidatse to replace Albert, but a sourcse close to O'Dell says he was offerede the job and turned it down. O’Dell woul d not confirm that, but indicatedf he would remain in hiscurrent post, wherde he is now tasked with seeking public financing for all of a $550 million convention center hotel. “The board and the mayot have every expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said.
Fenty would not say whether he had offerefd the jobto O’Dell or anyonde else before Santos. He announced the pick outside the Walker JonesElementary School, which is beinfg rebuilt as part of a new Northwest One neighborhood, and said she was “th e first person who has riseh to the deputy mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “kI think it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmeny that not only does Valeries Santos have amazing experience in the privatde sector butthat she’s been hard at work servintg the people of the Districr of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santos shared the visiojn that he and Alberrt had for how economic development in the city shouldbe run, not by owninv or overly managing projectzs but by allowing the private sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate development. We’ve got the greatesrt business community in the world herein D.C. We don’tr need to try to replicate what they’rse doing. We don’t need an emphasisd on owning or building inthe D.C. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesfand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who livexs in Columbia Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSallw as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she calle d a mentor -- recruite her to work for him. She is believedc to be the first womah to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will manages 65 employees and as well as oversee the Officewof Planning, Department of Housing and Communithy Development, the Office of Property Management and the Washingtonj D.C. Economic Partnership, a “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensurde asmooth transition, which I expect will be relativel y easy, because I am very fortunatre to manage a very talented and skilledr team,” she said.
She said she woulds continue to move projects all overthe city, with a particulat focus on those east of the Anacostia such as the planned redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementingMayor Fenty’sd vision for economic development. In the context of the currentgeconomic climate, we will focus on business attractio and retention efforts, and in continuing to provide tools to allow our local business and not-for-profites to grow,” she said. A member of the D.C.
Councilp who regularly butts heads with CouncilmanKwame Brown, D-at large and chairf of the economic development committee, issuecd a press release during the announcement saying he was disappointefd he was not invited but saying Santos “has the experiencre and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointmenr was “an opportunity to forges a new relationship between the Councilk and the executive to create jobs for District new opportunities for local businesses, more affordable housingb and to efficiently move project to completion.
”

Dantonio: MSU assistants will get 'substantial' raises - Detroit Free Press

2011-11-22T15:51:00.001-08:00

exceeding-commissioner.blogspot.com

MLive.com

Dantonio: MSU assistants will get 'substantial' raises

Detroit Free Press

RASHAUN RUCKER / DFP By George Sipple EAST LANSING -- Michigan State footb »

Genesee Beer to make comeback - Dayton Business Journal:

2011-11-20T12:17:00.001-08:00

viktorevaikubuwo.blogspot.com
The renewed effort will include merging the sales and marketing teams from Labatt USAand Genesee, once a recognizedf beer in Western New York. The company said it has beguj $6 million in upgrades and will investanother $4 millioj in 2010. “Positive changes are said Rich Lozyniak, the new CEO of North Americajn Breweries. “We’re reviewing every aspect of our businesas to strengthenthe brewery’s position.” NAB said it will upgradde brewery equipment, make necessary repairs and add boiler controls and steam economizerds that reduce energy consumption.
The changes are expected to bringh annual operating savings of morethan $1 In addition to the brewery produces Seagram’s Escapes, as well as Dundee Ales and Lager s family of craft brands, which includes the Original Honey Brown Lager. The Rochestef company distributesseveral imports, includingb Imperial from Costa Rica, Steinlager from New Toohey’s New from Australia and Thwaitex from the U.K.

Health-care reforms emerge - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

2011-11-18T08:51:00.001-08:00

ysynut.wordpress.com
percent of the cost of health insuranc premiumsfor full-time employeesx under the health-care reform bill being consideref by the House. They also would be require to pick up at least some of the tab forinsurintg part-time employees. Businesses that don’tt provide this minimum level of coverage would be requirerd to pay the federal government a fee based on 8 percentg oftheir payroll. Small businessees under a yet-to-be-determined threshold wouldc be exempted fromthis “play or requirement.
The chairmen of three House committees with jurisdictioh over health care introduced their draft legislationJune 19, offering the most details yet on how health-carde reform could affect small businesses. Under theire bill, small businesses and individualss could shop for insurancw through anational exchange, which would include a government-run plan as well as private insurers. Tax credit would be available to help smalol businesses affordthe coverage. Rep. Henr y Waxman, D-Calif., said the legislation would fixthe “completely dysfunctionakl insurance market” for small businesses, which face “unaffordablw rate increases” every year.
Waxman chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Health insurance premiums for U.S. businessee increased by 9.2 percent this year and are expecte to increase another 9 percentnext year, according to . Smalo businesses often face much higherrate hikes. While most smallk businesses agree the current healthb insurance marketis dysfunctional, there’d a lot of disagreement over whethetr the House bill would cure the problem or just make it worse.
Mike who owns a retail clothing store and desigjn business called Smash inDes Moines, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a public plan to the insurance mix would hold down premiume by creating more competition in the “I don’t have a whole lot of confidencwe in the system we have Draper said. His company currently doesn’t offedr health insurance to itssevenh full-time workers, but instead reimburses them for the cost of individual policies that they buy on their own. That’s fine with his who are single, in theif 20s and don’t want their insuranc e to be tied totheir job.
The reimbursements now accounf for 6 percentof Smash’s payroll, but that couldr jump to 22 percent in four years, when Draperr expects everyone on his managemenft team to have children, creating the need for family His business couldn’t handle that he said. If the House bill were enacted, he wouldd consider buying insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mightt decide to pay the 8 percent payrol fee instead and then reimburse his employeees for some of the cost of the policies they purchass throughthe exchange.
who was scheduled to testifyy before the House Ways and Meansa CommitteeJune 24, thinks employers should be requirefd to help pay for their employees’ healtu insurance. Like Social Security contributions, this sort of responsibility is “kind of what you signed up when you become abusinessa owner, he said. Other small-busineszs owners, however, think the Houser bill imposes too tough of a standard onsmall businesses. The requiremeng to pay 72.5 percent of an employee’s premium for individual coverage “is much too high for many smallo businesses,” said Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the SmallpBusiness & Entrepreneurship Council.
The only way many small businessees can afford coverage is by makinb employees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Companyh Flowers & Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 perceny of the cost of health insurance forseveh full-time employees. Even that may not be affordablsenext year, because “our rates are going to co-owner John Nicholson told the House Small Businesxs Committee earlier this month. Small businesses with fewedr than 200 employees paid an average of 86 percenrtof employees’ premiums for individual coverager in 2008, according to the and Health Research Educational Trust.
That sharwe dropped to 66 percent forfamilyh coverage, just above the 65 percent threshold called for in the Housde proposal. Rep. Robert D-N.J., said the House plans to excludw very small businesses suchas barbershops, gas stations and delicatessens – from the employerd mandate.

KR1M setting itself up for failure - Malaysia Kini

2011-11-16T04:51:00.001-08:00

hustbelogehy1857.blogspot.com

New Straits Times

KR1M setting itself up for failure

Malaysia Kini

Shabaruddin: Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia's (KR1M) products are sold under the KR1M house brand. But the minister is saying that the rakyat must not compare the KR1M house brand against the house brands of other hypermarkets. So the minister is admitting ...

Keda i Rakyat: Pulling a fast one

Free Malaysia Today

The boo boys are at it again

New Straits Times

Prove It If You're Equ »

Sotomayor is Obama's justice pick - Dayton Business Journal:

2011-11-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

xysecurakihir.blogspot.com
Sotomayor, 54, would be the firsgt Hispanic justice onthe nation' highest court. Born in New York to Puerti Rican parents, Sotomayor graduated from and Law School. She workexd as an assistant district attornehy inNew York, before being appointedf a judgeship in the District Courtr for the Southern District of New York by Presidenrt George H.W. Bush in 1991. Sotomayorr has served on the for the Second Circuitsincd 1998. She is considered a political centrist, accordinhg to her profile in Wikipedia.
In the past she has favored the right to sue national investmenty companies in state courts instead of federap courts and also in support of extending constitutional rights lawsuit s against officers ofthe U.S. governmengt to private businesses working for theUnites States. Souter, 69, announced in May that he will retirs at the end ofthe Court's session in June. He was nominatee by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.

Cardinal ups quarterly dividend - Business First of Columbus:

2011-11-11T21:00:00.001-08:00

moakhamet84.blogspot.com
The Dublin-based health-care products giant said an increasec dividendof 17.5 cents a shares is payable on July 15 for shareholdersa of record as of July 1. That’s up from a 14 cents-a-sharde dividend the company has paid sinceJuly 2008. Cardinal said it planz to highlight the dividend increase at its investor conferencreon Tuesday, where it will give detailw on future increases that will follows the spinoff of the company’s clinicak and medical products businesses into a separat e public entity. The company has said the spinoff ofSan Diego-basedr will be complete later this The $4.
5 billion CareFusion division makes and sellsd durable equipment such as infusion pumps and plus infection control Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH), Ohio’s largest publicly held corporation, earned $1.3 billionh on $91.1 billion in revenue for the fiscal year endedf June 30, 2008.

Commuter newspaper BostonNOW shuts down - Washington Business Journal:

2011-11-09T17:34:00.001-08:00

batyushkinuxit.blogspot.com
The paper ceased operations according toRussel Pergament, BostonNOW's CEO. Whilwe the paper was the closure is due to the financial difficulties its primary investoris facing. The paper'se main financial backer is Iceland-based telecom and medi a holdingcompany . Baugur Group said last week it planned to sell its technology and financial investments to focus on its coreretail market. "This healthy, growing 119,000-circulatio n daily is suddenly compelled to halt operations due to rapidlyg deteriorating economic conditions in Icelanc where interest ratesreached 15.
5 percent Thursday, the their currency, has declined over 20 percent againsr the dollar since January, and inflation is now at 8.7 BostonNOW officials said in a released on the closure. "The death of any newspaped is asad thing," said Pergament, in a statemenr "But the death of a vibrant, flourishing newspape r because of economic turmoil thousands of miles away is beyond sad and is something we neved anticipated and for which we were totally unprepared." Since launching on Aprilo 17th last year, BostonNOW has growm from 59,000 daily circulation to a CAC auditedx daily circulation of 119,000.
The publication includedr , , , , , among its BostonNOW was up againsftrival free-daily , which also used newsstandz and a legion of hawkerse to target the city's rail and bus commuters. BostonNOWq officials said that management's primaryt concern right now is to help its suddenlydisplaced employees. A seriesz of interviews, both on premises and off, are being set up with local media companies. The papefr had 52 full-time and 100 part-tims employees.

Lackland to gain 74,000 sf training complex - Memphis Business Journal:

2011-11-07T13:51:00.001-08:00

adepylex.blogspot.com
million contract to buildx a new airfield maintenance technical traininvg complex at Lackland AirForce Base. The complexx will support the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at The government will builda 74,000 square foot complex at Lackland that will hous classrooms, aircraft operations and hangar maintenance training areas as well as administrativre space. The project is slated for completion in the fallof 2010. The Inter-America Air Forces Academy currently offers this training at Port San the former Kelly Air Force By relocating technical training from Port San Antonio to Port San Antonio officials hope to reuse that spaced for additional commercialdevelopment opportunities.
The military is developingh this complex as part of the 2005 San Antonio Base Realignmeng andClosure (BRAC) construction program. In all, the governmenty expects to spend morethan $2 billion on BRAC-relatedd construction. The Air Forced Center for Engineering and the Environment selectecPlymouth Meeting, Pa.-based AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. as the Construction will be coordinated out ofthe company’as San Antonio office. The Fort Worth District office ofthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineeres will provideconstruction management.

Bite of Big Apple coming to Atlanta - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

2011-11-05T10:51:00.001-07:00

milicinodijoo1981.blogspot.com
One of New York's celebrity Tom Colicchio, will open his fine dining Craft, next year in developer John Williams' luxuryy Buckhead hotel and residences, The Mansion on "Atlanta's a great market," said Colicchio in a phone interview from Miami, where he was filminv the next season of Bravo's "Top Chef." "There's a greay food tradition down there. It just made Tentatively named Craft atThe Mansion, the high-end eater y will open in a stand-alone restaurant building that will face at the front entrance of The Mansion, a 42-story luxury tower under construction at 3376 Peachtree Colicchio is the cool-mannered, New York celebrityt judge on the Bravo reality series "Too Chef.
" He is also one of the partners behin d perennially top-rated Gramercy Tavern in New which he opened in 1994 with partnerr Danny Meyer. Colicchio later opened Craft, Craftbar and 'wichcraft, a sandwich shop with severak locations, like San Francisco. Colicchio's Atlanta eatert will be his fiftuh outpost offManhattan Island, and his thir d Craft, a fine dining concept that features upscald contemporary American cuisine. He said that in Atlanta, as in his otherf restaurants, he will seek locally grown, seasona products, from black-eyed peas to tomatoes. He addedc that his eatery at The Mansion will likely be his only restaurang endeavorin Atlanta. He alreadh has some local ties.
Justin Amick, son of restaurateur Bob of Trois fame, worked for Colicchio in New York for two And Colicchio has already sampled oneof Atlanta's top restaurants, . The Mansioh deal comes on the heels of two year s of talks that Colicchio had with The Georgiamn Terrace Hotel across fromThe . He said those talkws took too long, so when he had the chancd to bring his restaurant to a projecft being developedby Williams, he jumped at the "Where is important, but also said Colicchio of the prolific Atlantsa developer who is the formef CEO of Colicchio has been on an expansion of He soon will open Craft Los Angelee in Century City, Calif.
Craft Dallas openee in the last year, and Craftsteal at the & Casino in Las Vegas opened in 2002. Colicchio also has several cookbooks undefhis belt, including "Think Like a Chef," published in and "Craft of Cooking," published in 2003. His Atlanta restauranf will be a destination pointin Williams' tony The Mansion is being developed by , one of more than a dozenn real estate development, management and financingt companies under The Williams Group umbrella. The $165 millio n project is being financed bythe $100 million Williams Realty Fund and by privatr funds from Williams and Arthur a co-founder of The who now owns the .
The Mansiohn was designed by New YorkerRoberty A.M. Stern, a well-known residential architect. Design featurexs of the residencesinclude 12.5-foot ceilingsd and elegant crown moldings, plus views across the treelines and skyscrapered city, from downtown to the Perimeter.

Hand sanitizer company draws customers - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

2011-11-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

hundleyobajoji1908.blogspot.com
“We can’t keep enough in stock right now,” says Randalp Mendoza, president and CEO of the Mendoza Group, which manufactures Kleenhanz antimicrobia l towlettes. “I’ve sold out of everything I have this Right now, H-E-B wantxs everything we have,” Mendoza adds. Mendoza says that with this pandemivc looming, the best way to reduce the transmission of the disease is to keep yourhandsd clean. The best way to do that, he is by washing your handse with soap andwarm water. But, if you are not in a positiojn todo that, usinvg Kleenhanz products is a good alternative, he says.
“When you are in a rush or don’gt have access to soap and water, this is the next best he says. Mendoza says the swine flu pandemiv hasraised people’s awareness of the need for personao hygiene and that has led to a greater demands for the company’s product. Kleenhanz products are currentluy available atarea H-E-B stores and are also distributef to all the schools in the Northeast Independentr School District (NEISD). Last year, the company had aboutg a quarter million dollars in This year, they are expecting betweenh $1.5 million and $2 million, says Lancr FitzSimon, chief operations officer and partner with Mendoza.
“We’vde known this day was coming for some FitzSimon says. “But convincing organizations of the need forpreventative measures, when there isn’t a regionaol or national scare like there is today, can be The company, which employs just threed people, currently outsources its manufacturing to a companu in Toluca, Mexico, and has a contract with locally based ArchPoin Sales to serve as its nationalk broker.
But FitzSimon says he expects that over the next couplerof years, the company will need to start hiring its own salew staff and will soon be up to 10 to 12 After founding the company in Mendoza and FitzSimon spent the next five years developin g the formula for They wanted to stay away from foamds and gels because those tend to be alcohol Mendoza says he wante to stay away from alcohool content for a number of First, the alcohol tendss to dry out the skin and he wanted a product that would moisturize the skin. That way it woul be soothing on the skin and provid elasting protection.
Secondly, he had heard reports of studentsd in some schools tryinyg to extract and drink the alcohol content fromhand sanitizers, and he wanted a producf that would be safe for school officialw to put in the classrooms. FitzSimon says the compangy also determined that it neededr to develop towlettes that would scrub off the dirt and germsw rather than just coating them like some othetr hand sanitizerswill do. “We didn’t want somethinhg that would just mask the germs and not remove he says. “You have to scrub your hands to reallt getthem clean.
” Kleenhanz’ firsyt big success came in 2006 when the company persuades NEISD to beta test the product in several schools. Kleenhanz dispensers were placed in the classrooms at five schools duringfthe 2006-07 school year and compared with five otherf schools that used a different hand-cleaning regimen. The result were very positive for Mendoza’s company. “The pilogt has shown that schools with Kleenhanx have lower absenteeism than schoolswithout it,” says Speedyu Gonzales, executive director of safe and healthy schoolw at NEISD. “We believe that this has helped studentx tobe healthier, whicgh allows them to be in especially during the flu season.
” NEISD Superintendent Richarc Middleton adds that the strength of Kleenhanz is in its “Our students can easilg fight germs by grabbing a wipe on their way to lunchb or grabbing one when they return from he says. Mendoza noteas that reducing absenteeism is a financial windfal for the school district because a higher attendance rate helpsz to draw in more funding fromthe state. “It is somethinb like $32 per studenr that the district misses out on from the stats every time a student is abseng dueto illness,” Mendoza says. “When you can improver the absenteeism rate by even1 percent, it means millionse of dollars for the district.
So for their investment in the trial they got itback ten-fold.” The success at NEISDf led to demand for a consumer product, so Mendoza and FitzSimonb developed some retail products for Kleenhanzs and struck a deal with H-E-B Grocery Co. Kleenhanz currently has 30-count and 90-coung containers for sale that range in pricefrom $1.68 to $2.79 and recently introduced individually wrapped towlettes that can be carried in purses and luncg boxes. Mendoza says he wants his compan y to be more than just the guys who drop off the He wants his company to really makea difference.
That is why Kleenhans stresses the education component and works with the school district and other customers on communicating the proper use of the towletteds to promote good hygiene and to reduce the spreadfof disease.

Boston Foundation hands out $28 million - Boston Business Journal:

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

axilecyqih.wordpress.com
The grants, serving more than 70 Greate Boston recipients, will go to renew regionao arts andeducational organizations, including the largest single grant of $225,000 going to the , formerlyt known as the , and $125,000 goin to expand Smart from the Start, a program designed to prepare Boston'w lowest-income children and their families for succesw in school. Other grant recipients include the ($30,000), ($50,000) to help creatw the Human Services Employment Ladder and the Charles River Conservancy, which supports the Charles River from the Boston Harbor to the Watertownb Dam.
Young residents and the city' elderly population were included in theJune grants, as well as programzs that build on recent reports issuecd by the Foundation on critical issues in physical healtj and the health care sectofr in the region. In addition to $6.5 millioh in grants from Discretionary Funds, the Bostojn Foundation also distributed $5.2 million in grants from Designateds Fundsand $15.8 million in Donor Advised Funds. The Boston Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the with assets of morethan $830 million.

McClatchy stock gains despite downgrades - Sacramento Business Journal:

2011-10-29T22:51:00.001-07:00

oryzacody.wordpress.com
McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) stock gained 11 cents — or 13.4 percenr — to 93 cents in late-afternoon trading, after gaininb 19 cents Thursday. The current price is the highestsincse Jan. 14. Despite the the stock is down more than 90 percen t fromits one-year high, and much lower than the $8.32 stock price on May 22, 2008. Applaus from investors for the company’s plan to restructurwe $1.5 billion in debt easily drowns out the boosfrom credit-ratingy firms. Three credit-rating giants, including Standard & Poor’s on Friday, have downgradedx McClatchy forits plan. The credit-rating companies say the action is basically defaulting on the existingdebt agreement.
The Sacramento-based compang — publisher of and 29 othert dailynewspapers — is exchanging $1.1t billion of debt for cash and new However, the new debt comes at much higher 15.75 percent compared to betweenn 5 percent and 7 But the company benefits in two It gains access to a $60 million line of revolviny credit and it can pay off the debt sooner. McClatchy has aboutg $2 billion in outstandiny debt. Cash is critical to the newspaper chain, whichb endured a first-quarter loss of $37.7 millionn from continuing operations, compared to a $993,00p0 loss a year ago.
McClatchy, like most newspapers is battling a dramatixc decline in advertising revenue and fewetr paidprint subscribers. The company has taken aggressive actions to curbits money-losinf operations, eliminating about 4,000 positions — or almostt a third of its work force and cutting executive pay and dividends, putting retiremen contributions on hold and implementing furloughws for workers. On Thursday, and also downgrade d McClatchy. But investors shunnee the credit downgrades, apparently optimistic that it is thebest short-terk effort to help the newspapef chain.

Fox Sports deal with Bobcats has redefined team

2011-10-27T19:34:00.001-07:00

yfimuna.wordpress.com
Early results show the Bobcats are benefiting from the new but growth is likeluy tobe gradual. Through the earl y part of March, averagew viewership for Bobcats games hovered in the rangdeof 5,000 to 6,0009 households per game, according to Nielsen Media Research. Thosee numbers are low by leaguew standards. But gains made since Januaryy — with several game drawing twice as many households are encouraging, Fox and the Bobcats say. When the Bobcatsa finish the regular season this Fox — now known as Fox Sporta Carolinas — will have aired 70 games on its two sports channels (Fox Sports Carolinas and SportSouth).
Some differences are In 2007-08, the Bobcats’ TV games could be seen in 1.2 million homes across the Carolinas; that number has increased to 1.7 And games are now offered on satellitesubscription services, somethinb the NBA franchise lacked during its firsr four seasons. Bobcats executives praise the deal for helpin the team broadenits audience. Fox is pleased, too. Jeff senior vice president of the Fox sports networkss inthe South, offered his perspective on the firsf year. Following are excerpts: On gainingh a larger audience forthe “The big gains are in Dish and We’re investing heavily in high-def for Bobcats games. They never had high-defd games before.
We’ve done 16 this We’re looking to do as many as 30 next possibly more. We’ve crossed over the vortezx — when a game’s not in it’s, like, come on. So we’rew moving in that direction.” On working with the team: “The relationshipp we have with all of ourteamsd — and we had to really educate the Bobcats on it was, ‘We’re not we’re partners. Your product is my product.’ We want to make an emotionaol connection tothe team, so we’ve investeed to do those things (witu special programming). There’s a trust factor On Bobcats ad sales: “There’s tremendouse room for growth.
The big challenged for ad sales is the product onthe court. Winning cures a lot of things. The producty on the court this year and the investmenf the team has made in players and thecommitment we’re making to production and adding value to client — there’s a lot of opportunity On the broadcast crew: “We took it over this Suffice it to say, we are covering all costs. What we’rre doing now is looking at talent for next We are going to sit down with everyone at the end of the year and breamk it down and see whatmakexs sense.
Overall, we’re very pleased with the way the crewhas

HAVE YOUR SAY: Row over VicRoads plan for Clyde North riding school - Leader News

2011-10-25T15:17:00.001-07:00

afyfojahejus.blogspot.com

Leader News

HAVE YOUR SAY: Row over VicRoads plan for Clyde North riding school

Leader News

Cr Geoff Ablett, Michael Hocking and Katy Rode (on horseback) are fighting the plans. Picture: Richard Serong THE future of a not-for-profit Clyde North riding school hinges on hopes the alignment of a road extension can be changed. ...

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Study: Long-term benefits trump cost of health insurance for all U.S. children - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

2011-10-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

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“Providing health insurance to all childrenm in America will yield substantial economic wroteVivian Ho, chair in health economics at Rice Universithy and co-author of the report. Researcherw at the Baker Institute said children who receive health care coverage go on to become moreproductivee adults. The cost incurred by insuring the childrehn is offset by the increased value of the additional life yearss and quality of life gained by medical thereport stated.
“The up-fronty incremental costs of universal health insurance coverage for childrenh arerelatively modest, and they will be offset by the values of increased health capital gainefd in the long term,” the reporf stated. The research was based on studiea published in scholarly journals examining the economic impact of failinv toinsure U.S. children. Researchers estimate that nearlyt eight million children inthe U.S. are uninsured, and the natiomn ranks third among the 30 industrialized membersa of the Organization for Economic Cooperatiomn and Development in percentage ofuninsuree citizens.

Heineken and Odyssey Arena strike deal - Insideireland.ie

2011-10-21T07:17:00.001-07:00

laxykeha.wordpress.com

JohnJohnSaidIt.com

Heineken and Odyssey Arena strike deal

Insideireland.ie

Heineken NI has secured the pouring rights at The Odyssey Arena in Belfast, in time for the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. Heineken NI also announced it is an 'Official Bar Partner' of the awards. The seven-year pouring partner deal, ...

MTV tickets blow for music fans

BBC News

MTV search for Northern Ireland's biggest music fans

Belfast Telegraph

Councillors 'right to take MTV tickets'

Belfast Newsletter

Greek Reporter -hotpress.com (subscription)

MMAC: Milwaukee-area economy still sluggish - Houston Business Journal:

2011-10-16T23:51:00.001-07:00

bentlyoupapa1810.blogspot.com
Only three of 20 April indicatorw registered improvementfrom year-ago levels, matching the number of upward-pointing indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economid Trends report. "The employment situatiob continued to deteriorate with deepening job declines and unemployment indicators over double what they were oneyear ago," said Bret economic research director for the MMAC. "But metro area existint homes sales rose for only the second time in nearly three years giving some hopefor near-terjm improvement in a stagnant local housinyg and real estate market." Nonfarmj employment in the metr area fell 4.8 percent in April to down from March’s 4.
3 percent decrease. Employmengt levels have now declined comparedwith year-aglo levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepesgt registered in this period, the MMAC said. Only two of 10 majo r industry sectors registered April job gainas compared with oneyear ago, while eighy registered declines. Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measuredx more than twicetheit year-earlier levels. The numbere of unemployed in metro Milwaukeerose 117.6% against year-ago levels, to 70,300 compared with 32,300 in Aprilp 2008. Likewise, new unemployment compensation claims rose ata 104.
6 percentt rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’x third consecutive year-over-year increase of 100 percent or greater. On the positivwe side, existing homes sales for the metro arearose 5.6 percentg in April, the first year-over-year increase in this indicato in seven months and only the seconrd such gain in nearly three years.

Mentor signs new China distributor - Portland Business Journal:

2011-10-14T19:34:00.001-07:00

grearqakususi1426.blogspot.com
Terms were not announced. Wilsonville-based Mentor (NASDAQ: makes the software and other tools used by engineers to desigm microchips and otherelectronic products. It recently announced that it had cutits first-quarte losses in half, a sign that the globalp semiconductor market is stabilizing. For the quarter that endef April 30, Mentor reported a loss of nearly $13 million, or 14 centds per share, on $193.8 million in A year earlier it reporteda $25.4 million, or 28 cents per loss on $179.2 million in sales. The company reportede 2008 revenue of morethan $800 million.
Excludingy things such as special charges andequity plan-relater compensation expenses, the company woulfd have had earnings of 9 cents per share for the Analysts polled by Thomson Reuterw expected earnings of 7 cents per share on $201.7 million in revenue. Bookings for the quarter jumped 25 percentg over the previous Ruihesoft is a reseller with six branchez around China and a salesx and service network with more than120

/C O R R E C T I O N -- Concurrent/ - MarketWatch (press release)

2011-10-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

cicugaha.wordpress.com

/C O R R E C T I O N -- Concurrent/

MarketWatch (press release)

ATLANTA, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In the news release, Concurrent's Jim Denenny Named a Winner of the 2011 Innovator Award for Cloud Computing and E-commerce at TechAmerica's 53rd Annual David Packard Medal of Achievement and Innovator ...

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F.N.B. appoints former CEO Steve Gurgovits as CEO - Pittsburgh Business Times:

2011-10-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

bafepexu.wordpress.com
Gurgovits, who led F.N.B. (NYSE:FNB) for several year and stepped aside for successor Robert New in April was pulled back in as interim chief 10 monthsx later after Newabruptly resigned. The effective immediately, was made Tuesday after financialomarkets closed. Gurgovits, who retained the chairman rolethroughy New’s tenure, has worked at for 48 years. Under his direction, F.N.B.’sz board will appoint a chairman so Gurgovitd can focus on his corporate An announcement is expected laterthis month. “I have a feelint part of the equation here has to dowith Mr.
Gurgovits and his motivationm and, clearly, he’s more than qualified, probably the best candidats forthe job,” said Jasojn O’Donnell, a financial analyst who trackd F.N.B. for , Conshohocken, Pa.-based investment firm. “It’e not entirely surprising. He’s very comfortable in the F.N.B. also announced two key Vincent Delie has been namec executive vice president and chiefrevenue officer; he remains president of F.N.B.’s banking group. CFO Brian Lilley was givenb the additional appointments of senior vice president and chiefcoperating officer. F.N.B. is based in Hermitage, north of and had assets of $8.5 billion as of Mar. 31.
Its stocok finished Tuesday tradingat $6.77 per share, up 4

Origin of East Side blaze unknown - Charleston Post Courier

2011-10-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

http://mymovierankings.com/zodiac-2007

Origin of East Side blaze unknown

Charleston Post Courier

Investigators were trying to determine what started a blaze that gutted a two-story house Friday on Charleston's East Side. The fire at 61 Amherst St. was reported by a neighbor at 1:36 pm, said Mark Ruppel, a spokesman for the ...

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Standard & Poor

2011-10-06T04:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.theinsyderz.com/1999/italiano/lombardia/mantova/mantova.html
Standard & Poor’s has done the same, citing the continuedd decline inadvertising revenue. Standard Poor’s has lowered its corporat credit ratings on Gannett tofrom BBB- to BB, beloe investment grade, and has cut its ratings on Gannett’d senior unsecured debt by four notches to “B+”, two notchez lower than its corporate credit Its ratings outlook on Gannett is negative, and it has assignesd the company a recovery ratinh that indicates negligible recovery for lendersa in the event of a payment “The downgrade of the corporate credift rating reflects a worsening pace of expectedx decline in advertising spending in both Gannett’s newspaper publishing and broadcasting businesses due to deteriorating levels of economic activity in the U.
S. and Standard & Poor’s said in a statement. Last week, Moody’ds raised concern about Gannett’s cash flow, and assigned the compant “speculative grade” liquidity rating. Gannett has cut jobs and orderef companywide unpaid furloughs to counteerfalling revenue. It also slashef its quarterly shareholder dividend to free up money to pay down Gannettstock (NYSE: GCI) was down 27 centsd to $2.97 in Monday trading.
The McLean-based compang has lost nearly 90 percent of its market value in thelast

Nike exec withdraws from consideration for Obama post - Sacramento Business Journal:

2011-10-04T00:51:00.001-07:00

hegenefipa.blogspot.com
But acting AmeriCorps CEO Nicky Goren, in a lettet posted to the AmeriCorps Website Friday, said the Whites House sent notice of Eitel’s withdrawal. “Out thoughts are with Maria as she focuses on her personal Goren wrote. “Finding leadership for the Corporation continuese to be a very high priority for theWhitd House.” In April, Obama said Eitell offered “a unique blend of skills and managemengt experience” at a time when his administrationj was expanding the nation’s publidc service programs.
On the same day he announce d Eitel as a candidatde forthe job, Obama signed the Server America Act, a vast expansion of federaol social service programs that includes increasin AmeriCorp’s available service positions from 75,000 to 250,000. Eitek is currently a Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) vice presidenf and president of theNike Foundation, the Washingtohn County athletic apparel giant’se charitable arm. Before heading the foundation, she was Nike’s first vice president for corporate responsibility. Prior to joinint Nike, she was Europea corporate affairs group manager forMicrosoft Corp.
and has also worked for the Corporatioh for Public Broadcasting and MCI Communications This would havebeen Eitel’s second presidential She served under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1992 as deputyu director of media relations and later as specialp assistant to the president formedia affairs.

Brown's special bond with Mick - Sportal.com.au

2011-10-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

esyy23mozy.blogspot.com

AFL.com

Brown's special bond with Mick

Sportal.com.au

The first person to greet Leigh Brown after his last interview with the media as a Collingwood player was Mick Malthouse. The veteran coach greeted the retiring utility with a firm handshake, brief exchange and a warm hug, a moment captured by multiple ...

Future bright for Magpies: Malthouse

ABC Online

Mick predicts bright future

AFL.com

'Pies will stay AFL force, says Mick

Ninemsn

The Australian -NEWS.com.au -Herald Sun

YRC consolidation to deliver 100 jobs - Kansas City Business Journal:

2011-09-29T19:00:00.001-07:00

mytyhona.wordpress.com
a move that’s expected to be completde by March 1. After nearly nine months of planning and the consolidation already has created hundreds of job lossez throughoutthe U.S. Yellow and Roadway, the two largesgt less-than-truckload carriers in Memphis, will be known as YRC. Accordinv to YRC executives, Memphis will benefitt through the consolidation of terminal s and distribution centers aroundthe “The majority of employees will have the opportunity to transfe jobs, so it is difficulrt to estimate the impacr (to Memphis),” YRC said in a statement.
“But overall, we expect a net gain of approximately 100 jobs in the The job boost primarily will come from the redesignation of the currentt Roadway terminal into a distribution center and the subsequent consolidation of other distribution centers in the Yellow Transportation will continue to operate as a citydeliveruy operation, but YRC says the Memphis terminal will experience some layoffs when the consolidation is final. Currently, both operations employ more than 1,600 in Memphisz and operate nearly 500 motor units and morethan 1,509 trailers.
Although YRC says some layoffsw willbe unavoidable, Memphisw will escape the brunt of the impacg compared to other Yellow’s Jackson, Tenn., terminal will be closed and merge with an area Roadway facility. YRC’s facility in Jonesboro, will close altogether, affecting around 15 jobs. The Roadwah facility in Jackson, also will be axed, as will a distributionb centerin Meridian, In total, the consolidation will affect about 1,000 employeews nationwide, including major layoffs in Tannersville, Pa., East Pa., Lancaster, Pa., and Oak Wis.
“Upon completion, the combined network will boast around 450 YRCservicr centers, nearly 100 more servicre centers than the individual Roadway and Yellow networks,” YRC “The result is the ability to serve more communitiea and provide customers with improved transit times.” The consolidatioh efforts and job cuts are part of an aggressivd effort to stop the bleeding YRC has been experienciny since record summer fuel prices hammered the company’s stock. YRC’s which sat around $22 per sharde in July, has since plunged to belo the $4 mark.
During 2008, the company cut about 5,00p jobs, but still found it needex to consolidate to offset recordx lowfreight volumes. In Decembetr alone, the truck tonnage indedx plunged 11.1%, marking the largest month-to-mont h reduction since April 1994, when the unionizer less-than-truckload industry was in the middle ofa strike, accordingv to data from the . YRC’sw job reductions also mean that the companuy has had to contend withthe , which representsx about 40,000 YRC employees.
In early YRC and union members reacher an agreement to reduce wagesby 10% in an effort to save “While we never want to see wage reductions, this vote show s that our members understand that we are facinhg the worst economy since the says Tyson Johnson, director of the Teamsters National Freighg Division. “The company needs some help to get throughu thisdifficult period.” YRC’s struggles, though larger in are by no means rare to the industry. Public LTL companies Con-wayy Freight and Saia, Inc., both had layoffs in 2008.

Paranormal Activity 3 Viral VHS Tapes Pop Up at Fantastic Fest - Movieline

2011-09-27T16:00:00.001-07:00

grihanovveimavox.blogspot.com

ReelzChannel.com

Paranormal Activity 3 Viral VHS Tapes Pop Up at Fantastic Fest

Movieline

Perhaps (probably) not coincident »

University of Hawaii names Greenwood new president - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

2011-09-25T12:51:00.001-07:00

Avanti Refrigerators
Greenwood, an administrator with the , was one of threr finalists considered for the positionn tooversee UH’s 10-campus system. "oI am proud and very pleased to be joininyg such afine institution, one that is and will continud to be, a vital resource to the statde of Hawaii, the Asia-Pacific region and the worldwide Greenwood said in a prepared statement. "Witu an integrated and adaptable system ofhighert education, Hawaii can overcome our curreng difficulties, create new knowledge, processes and componentzs for our future innovation, businesses and jobs." The university’s boardd of regents voted 12-0 Wednesday to hire Greenwood at an annualp salary of $475,008.
Current UH President Davic McClain, whose term ends July 31, was paid $392,4000 last year. Her contract also includez a $5,000 monthly housing allowance while College Hill is closed for anda $326 monthly automobile allowance. The other two candidatez had both withdrawn their names inrecenft weeks, leaving Greenwood as the sole remaining Following the withdrawals, UH’s presidential search committees had recommended that the Board of Regents considerr Greenwood instead of starting the search process Greenwood is at the UC-Davis campus as directo of the Foods for Health Initiative and a professord of nutrition and internal medicine.

Free buses bring Chapel Hill livability award - Austin Business Journal:

2011-09-23T09:34:00.001-07:00

vavyzina.wordpress.com
The home of the , Chapel Hill beat out more than 200 municipalitiees across the nation to claija first-place City Livability Chapel Hill won for cities with populationse of fewer than 100,000. S.C., won for cities with populationx of morethan 100,000. The contestt was judged on three criteria: mayoral leadership, creativity and and the broad impact on the qualituy of life for The U.S. Conference of Mayorws honored Chapel Hill for its decision in 2002 to no longer chargre fares to any rider on itsbus system, the organizationm said in a press release. Whiled many bus systems in collegetowns don’t charger students and faculty to a scant few provide free servicew to all riders.
The town implementer the fare-free system to encourage people to take the bus and leavde their carsat home. The plan Ridership on Chapel Hill transit has more than double d since fares wereeliminated – goinhg from 3 million in 2002 to a projected 7 milliojn this year. “The Chapel Hill Public Transiy system is the foundation of oursustainable future,” Foy said in a pressx release. “This bus system makeds Chapel Hill continue to be the kind of place people for us it is an investment and it has paid off big The town says it is planninga “communityh event” to celebrate the livability awardx and that it will release detailsd soon.

Mary Peters joins Goldwater Institute - Phoenix Business Journal:

2011-09-21T06:34:00.001-07:00

ofycagvezi.blogspot.com
Arizona native Mary Peters hadbeen U.S. Secretarty of Transportation in the Bush Adminstration from 2006to 2009. She steppex down when President Barack Obamwa named hisown pick, Ray LaHood. Peters has a extensiv e background in transportationleadership roles. She headee the Arizona Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2001 and workedx for the division for16 years. She was tappedd by Bush as administrator for the Federal Highway Departmeny before assumingthe country’s top transportation position.
“Witb her unparalleled knowledge oftransportation issues, she can offed much needed private sector-based solutions to our nation’d traffic problems,” said Darcyu Olsen, president and CEO of the Goldwatefr Institute. According to a release distributed by theGoldwater Institute, senior fellows support the organization “by sharing their experiencezs and expertise with resident assisting with research design and projects, reviewing research, writing reports and participating in institute roundtables, forums and

Governor lobbies for increased incentives for film industry - New Mexico Business Weekly:

2011-09-19T02:00:00.001-07:00

eragywaqer.wordpress.com
Kulongoski is seeking support for SenateBill 621, whicn would reauthorize and increase the financial incentives for moviemakers. The plan is cappes at $10 million per biennium. Kulongoski wantss to raise the capto $15 A Senate committee passed the bill Monday. In the first six months of 2009, television and movie productions invested morethan $40 milliob in Oregon, according to the governor’sz office.
That’s the highest total in 15 In recent weeks, a Harrison Ford movie called “The Untitled Crowley Project” and the TNT seriex “Leverage” have been shooting in Producersfor "The Untitled Crowley Project" joineds Kulongoski at Monday's press conference at . “Orego n has become an A-list locationb for the film and televisiomindustry – and an important critical piece of Oregon’s economy,” the governor said in a news “Green energy is one brigh t spot in Oregon’s economy and the film industry is generating an additional $1.
1 millio in income for Oregon workers and local businesses for every $1 million spent by a The governor credited the incentivw program, created in 2003, with spurring the growth of the state'zs film program from a $2.1 million industry to an $8 milliomn industry.

Independent investigator advised on Neben's appeal, USAC's Steve Johnson says - velonews.competitor.com

2011-09-16T22:34:00.001-07:00

bojony.wordpress.com

Independent investigator advised on Neben's appeal, USAC's Steve Johnson says

velonews.competitor.com

BOULDER, Colo. (VN) â" The decision Thursday night by the USA Cycling selection committee to replace Kristin Armstrong with Amber Neben for the world championships time trial has drawn fire Friday. CEO Steve Johnson told VeloNews ...

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Huge Weight Lifted Off Danny Watkins' Shoulders - Philly Sports Daily

2011-09-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

esyy23mozy.blogspot.com

Philadelphia Inquirer

Huge Weight Lifted Off Danny Watkins' Shoulders

Philly Sports Daily

Danny Watkins went from projected Week 1 starter to inactive about as quick as you can say âHoward Mudd.â The coaching staff spoke of Watkins as their starting right guard from the day they drafted him »

Business Courier of Cincinnati: Business Events Calendar

2011-09-12T14:34:00.001-07:00

vlastaowibopaj.blogspot.com
List event sponsor(s) here. (Example Americaj Company Inc., USA Business Ltd.) Use this area to give a precisew location ofyour event. (Example: Downtown Marriot 345 Main St., New York, NY 000001 Provid the start time for youreventr (Example: 9a.m. - List any charge for your Please note if there isno charge. (Example: $9 for $35 for non-members.) Choose a category that describesyour event. Fill out one or more of the fieldz to the left to provide readers with a way to contactr your organization to register for your Please give usyour name, phone and e-mail address where we can contactt you in the event of questions about your eventy listings.
This information will not appear on the This information will only be used to contact you foradministrativd purposes. bizjournals.com reserves the right to remove listingsx if it is determined they are offensive or not relevant tothe bizjournals.co or of "community interest" to our

NHL commissioner: Coyotes move could damage Westgate, arena construction - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

2011-09-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

http://nesttechnologies.com/nest2/docs/protomix/g121_msds.htm
He also said it could have a chilling impact on other cities considering helping teams build new The Coyotes have 41 regular season home gamedseach year. Bettman and the NHL oppose theproposec $213 million sale of the team to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who would move it to Ontario, saying the league shoulfd make the decision. A June 9 hearing is set in U.S. Bankruptcg Court to decide whether Coyotes owne r Jerry Moyes can sell to Balsilliew or if it must be sold to a buyer who woul keep the NHL franchisein Arizona.
The Coyotezs are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy Balsillie argues in court filings thathis $213 milliohn will be the best deal and the court’s main chargde is to get the most money to pay off debt and positiojn the team to be financially viable goingy forward. The Coyotes have lost $316 million sincde moving to the Phoenix market from Winnipeyin 1996, according to courr filings. Balsillie says NHL hockegy is not financially viable in the Phoenixxsports market, but the league pointws to four potential bidders for the Coyotes that would keep the team in Jobing.
Com Arena was built by the city of which says it will pursued a $500 million to $750 million claim if the Coyotes break their 30-year lease. Balsillie’s court filing contends the bankruptch court has the leeway to discharge sucha claim. The Nationao Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Basebalol backthe NHL’s bid to keep the Coyotes in Arizona fearinvg the move could set a

Derwent Living to complete 277 new homes in 2011 - whathouse.co.uk

2011-09-08T05:51:00.001-07:00

callahamirykaan1884.blogspot.com

Derwent Living to complete 277 new homes in 2011

whathouse.co.uk

... supported by a significant shortage of housing, particularly new affordable homes for sale. Peter McCormack, chief executive at Derwent Living says: "The last few years have been difficult for everyone, particularly in the property industry, ...

Planned in Boston: The view from off the beaten path - Boston Business Journal:

2011-09-06T00:34:00.001-07:00

hundleyobajoji1908.blogspot.com
"This city has so many fantasticselling points. Don't always go for the old said Edward Naughton, a partner with Boston law firm LLP. "There'd always a call to go see a Sox but it's always good to try new things. I'vse taken clients to restaurants in theSouth End, and it'sw a completely different feel from the Financial Even so, the Red Sox and Fenway Park are alwayss in demand, said Naughton, who says he occasionally plays host to client s in town for meetings or court cases. Holland & Knight has access to a sky boxat Fenway, whichg almost always proves popular. " 'Cam we get tickets to a Sox game?
' And we sometime manage to," he "It's a very common request." , a Westford-based media-integration firm that serves the high-end residential also suggests a Red Sox game if he happens to beentertainingh out-of-town clients. "Fenway Park has a certainm mystiqueto it," he said. "People want to go Occasionally, Naughton said, Holland & Knightf plays host to larger groups -- newly arrived summetr associates, for example -- in whic case the firm sponsors a duck tour or tripd to such cultural institutions as the orthe , or to concertsa at the FleetBoston Pavilion in the Seaport district.
Guestws of the law firm also enjoy the view of the Back Bay and South End rooftops fromHolland & Knight's two roof decks on St. Jamexs Avenue, he said. Todd Ryan, vice president of talenr acquisitionfor Burlington-based , also stresses the valure of exploration -- even when it comeds to something as seeminglyu simple as finding a place to eat. "When people think of the North End, they think of fabulouws restaurants. But really there are so many othert restaurants that might not be householdf names and might not be onHanover Street," he "It's always nice to explore the North End off of Hanovert Street.
" Ryan says he entertains a good deal in the coursw of his work, whether it means hosting existintg clients or prospective corporate customers lookingt to outsource some of their human resources "It's nice to have access to a city that has somethingg for everyone," he said. Ryan said he sometimes will putan out-of-townn client on Boston's Freedom Trail for a general overview of the city's history. they'll double back and visit a site off the trailp that might have piquecthe client's interest. Like Naughton, Ryan said Bostonb Duck Tours is a good way to show off the from the waterfrontto downtown.
Dininh is, of course, as much a staple of corporate entertainment as theexpense account. Ryan said he likesd to take clients toAbe & Louie's on Boylstonm Street in the Back Bay, which he says has a affordable wine list and is convenient to shopx and attractions in the and on Newbury The steakhouse's entrees are in the $35 range. Ryan also likes to take clientsz to Aquitaine on Tremont Streett in theSouth End, which features dinner entrees rangingy from $17 to $28. "It's quaint and conducive to conversation, but not too quainr and too small that itfeele claustrophobic," he said.
"And it's a nice walk from the Back Bay -- you pass throughg a beautiful residential neighborhoodand you'r e in a restaurant mecca." Naughton said he likes to take clientz to the Stanhope Grill in the on Stuar Street, which he says is convenient to Holland & Knight'es office. Entrees at Stanhope Grill range in pricefrom $19 to $36. "It'sd very elegant and not too stuffy," he said. DeFilipp o said a favorite restaurant of his is The Federalist in15 . "Thr menu is fantastic. It's conservative and understated, and peopl e find it's conducive to conducting business," he The Federalist's dinner entrees rangd from $26 to $45.

ConAgra Trade Group managing Greenville plant for Nova Biofuels - Kansas City Business Journal:

2011-09-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

afyfojahejus.blogspot.com
has entered into a sales agreement with to markett and sell biodiesel fuel and manage logistics for Nova at the biodiesell plantin Greenville, Miss. The plant, owned by , can producr 20 million gallons ofbiodiesel annually. Nova has contractuap rights toobtain 50% of the biodiesel and glycerin production from the Scott Petroleum will procure 50% of the refinery'e feedstock to produce biodiesel. Also, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ConAgra Foods, has agreed with Scot Petroleum to assist in procuring the additional feedstockk requirements, primarily animal fats and wasterd products.
The refinery, located on the Mississippji River, was recently completed and is scheduled to produces biodieselin September. "Nova has performede well in the design and constructiomn phases ofour refinery," Solonj Scott Jr., president of Scott Petroleum, says in a statement. "We'r looking forward to commissioning Nova's proprietary technology to convert a variety of feedstocks produced in Mississippi into biodieselk formy customers." Nova previously designed and buil t a biodiesel refinery in Clinton, Iowa. That facility, which can produce 10 million gallonsd ofbiodiesel annually, is owned by Clinton Countyh Bio Energy.
It has produces more than 4 million gallons of biodiesel fromsoy oil. Nova is also in the procesds of commissioning a refineryin Wis., which could produce 20 million gallond of biodiesel a year. The owned by , has produced more than 2 milliob gallons of biodiesel frommultiple feedstocks, such as corn oil extractef from dried distillers' grains, greases with high free fatth acid content levels and various blends of animapl fats. The refinery has processed feedstocks with combined free fattyu acid levels of upto 7%, whichn allows for the use of lower-cos t feedstocks for the production of Nova will also have a refineryt in Seneca, Ill. completed by the end of 2007.
That facility will be able to produce 60 million gallons ofbiodiesek annually. ConAgra Trade Group will markeg the fuel andmanage logistics. "The Nova team of professionalds are extremely passionate about our proprietary which is quickly being recognized as the biodieseoindustry leader," says Kenneth T. Hern, chairman and CEO of Nova Biosourcr Fuels. "Our ability to leverage low-cosyt feedstock using a high-quality efficient process with prearranged distributioh resources positions us forexcellent growth." Silverado Green Fuel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of , is planning a $25 milliomn fuel production facility at the Red Hillsw EcoPlex in Ackerton, Miss.
The project's cost includes an initiall investmentof $13.1 million in machineryy and equipment. The planyt will be used to conver lignite, a low-rank coal, into a liquid fuel that can be used inindustrialo boilers. The process used to convert the lignite is callecdhypothermal treatment.

Investors not quick to jump after bank rescue plan - Business First of Columbus:

2011-08-30T10:17:00.001-07:00

tiqosi.wordpress.com
Unveiled on March 23, the Public-Private Investment Program aims to help banks ease strained balance sheetsx by selling pools of troubled loans to who will be able to leverage government loans to makebigger purchases. “A wide array of investors are expectedto participate,” the wrote in a briefing. “Th e program will particularly encourage the participationof individuals, mutual pension plans, insurance companies and othed long-term investors.” But the program’ complexity and the risk of investing in troubled loanws and securities have led some to wait whilee others are swearing off the government’s plan.
“We’rre looking at it, but obviouslgy it all depends onthe details,” said Jim CFO of , a Columbuds asset management firm. “We don’t want to be surprisede by the rules.” The decision is more immediate “We just frankly don’t have the confidence that any of the ratingof quality, no mattet who assigns them, are going to be reasonably accurate,” said Dick Curtis, executive directodr of the . Hesitation to invest in the prograjm is a sign the critical task of marketin g the bankrescue won’t be easy.
But the plan reliex on private investors to set prices and buytroubled assets, with the aim of taking as much as $1 trilliojn in problems off bank balance sheets. But many in the financee industry estimate it may be months before the plan garneras broad participation due to its complexity and because it has nevefr beendone before. Details of how investorsx might invest in bank loans have not been and the government has yet to selecf the handful of firmsx that will handle the securities portion ofthe “I think there will be a three- to six-month window where everyone sits back and waits, and then therew will be a flurry of activityy in the fourth quarter,” said Chris a principal at , a money manager in “It will be a handfup of first movers who believe they have the Everyone else will watch and wait, he said.
The program is but it’s unclear how smaller firms can saidDavid Meuse, principal of Columbus-basexd , a private-equity firm that with its affiliate s holds more than $500 million in “We’ll let the innovators go out therde and blaze the trail,” Meuse said. “Theses assets are not going to disappearrighy away, so we have a lot of time to look at Under the program, the government planws to guarantee or make loans to investorw to allow them to make investmentsa larger than their equityg stake, boosting returns. But investors could also lose “There are absolutely risks to Henneforth said.
Although details are being fleshed out, it appearw to have money-making potential for investors, Meuses said. “The types of returns we’re goingt to get here are certainly equal towhat we’d get in the privatwe sector world,” he said. Meuser said Stonehenge can get annual returns of abou 20 percent in private equity deals and aboug 15 percent formezzanine financing. He expecta that 15 percent to 25 percentt returns are possible throughy thegovernment program. But returns will vary basefd on the quality of assets and the pricex bankswill accept, he said.
Leve Partners, which hopes to invest in the program, is preparing marketingv solicitations to help raise moneh fromwealthy clients. The company is pitchint the investments as a way to compensatw for higher taxes on the wealthy beingg pushed by PresidentBarack Obama. The responsew has been strong, Henneforth “We sketched it out as a way for high-net-worth individualse to get their piece ofthe bailout,” he said.

Picking over the pieces of DayJet - Kansas City Business Journal:

2011-08-28T05:17:00.001-07:00

iqukikofor.wordpress.com
After failing to generate enough revenuse or secureadditional financing, the Boca Raton-basesd air taxi pioneer on Nov. 14 filed for bankruptcty liquidation less than a year after itbegaj operating. It listed more than $23 million in liabilities and $17 milliob in assets. DayJet, founded by Ed who also started softwaregiant , used a new software scheduling system to provide per-seat, on-demand flightd to smaller airports. Albuquerque, N.M.-based , which suppliesd DayJet with its had the largest bankruptcy claimat $16 Eclipse filed for bankruptcuy shortly after DayJet.
The 28 Eclipse jets that made up DayJet’s flee t were foreclosed on and sold earlierethis year, said George bankruptcy trustee. Miller said he heard from industry sources that each jet sold forabout $600,000. They cost about $1.1 million when new. Stuart Klaskin, an aviation consultant with Coral Gables-basesd Klaskin, Kushner & Co., said he also heard the planes were sold forabout $600,000. That would have been a good deal for the sellert if buyers face problems getting the planes Klaskin added. Next up for sale is a mishmashg of property that DayJet forfeited to its landlordc when it left the Boca Rato Research and Development Parknear .
The Boca R&D Project 7 LLC will conduct a public sale at10 a.m. on June 18. The landlordf did not immediately return callfor comment, but, amongv other things, a public for-sale notice listss computers, printers, office a stainless steel refrigerator and 14 airplane Klaskin, who said he has studied several noted that everything goes on the block when a companu dissolves. “At the end of the day, it oftenn comes down to coffee cups andfax paper,” he “Every office ought to have at least one airplanes tire.” But, DayJet’s interest in its siste company, DayJet Technologies, may still fetch some real money.
DayJe t Technologies, which developed the softwarer used to schedule anddispatchh planes, is not in Chapter 7. Pendiny court approval, Miller said he has a buye r of who will pay atleast $250,00p0 for DayJet Corp’s 35 percent stak e in DayJet Technologies. Klaskin said the technologyt might have value for another air taxi start up that growes at a more modest pacethan DayJet. “It’s entirely possible that there may be some use in that applicatioj forthe technology,” he Meantime, there are probably good dealss to be had on airplane tiresa come June 18.

Mark Weiler Executive Profile

2011-08-25T23:17:00.001-07:00

humojo.wordpress.com
where he was part of the foundinvg team and was responsible for first 8 versionse ofthe company's leading Wealth Management and Asset Managemenf solutions. Prior to joining NorthStar, he managed the teamw responsible for building B2B connectors and EAI adaptersd forExtricity (acquired by Peregrine) whose Alliancd B2B product line was used to automatwe supply chains including RosettaNe processes for several major electronics vendors. Before Extricity/Peregrine, Mr. Weilet developed a number of productdat Microsoft, notably Exchange Server, MAPI, and LAN Manager and he was a key membe r of the Exchange X.
400 Message Transfer Agent on the firs t four releases of Exchange He holds a Bachelors degree in Computerr Science & Engineering from the University of Santa Barbara. **All Executive profile data provided byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

Scanner $1 million closer - Stuff.co.nz

2011-08-23T18:17:00.001-07:00

http://artslit.org/HB_buildcomm_eyetoeye.htm

Stuff.co.nz

Scanner $1 million closer

Stuff.co.nz

SCDHB deputy chairman and chairman of the MRI campaign Ron Luxton told the medical professionals, business people and representatives of community groups who have already agreed to support the project that an MRI scanner for South Canterbury was long ...

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Embarq, CenturyTel will become CenturyLink after merger - Business First of Columbus:

2011-08-21T13:17:00.001-07:00

aplecheevlgupy.blogspot.com
billion sale to closes, expected this month. The rural phone companies on Tuesday announced the plannerd name and logo for thecombined company. CenturyLink will retai the CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL) trading symbol. “Our new brande name was selected because our customerx and employees told us it reflected a company thatis forward-looking and committed to linking the country together,” CenturyTel CEO Glen Post III, who also will be chief executivre of CenturyLink, said in the release. The company will beginj operating under the new brand immediateluy upon closingthe deal.
In the following markets will be converted to the new with customers being notified in advancs and the name being added tocompanyy signs, vehicles and marketing materials. The logo is intendedr to represent the power of connecting people and businesses to one anothert and tonew opportunities, locally and the release said. Overland Park-based Embarq EQ) and CenturyTel, based in Monroe, La., are — from the — befor e the deal can close. The headquartera will be in Monroe. A Denver brand consultin g agency, , helped develop the new brand strategy, name and the release said. Together, the two companies will have aboutt 7.
5 million access lines, more than 2 million broadband customera and morethan 400,00o0 video subscribers. will . Embarq ranks No. 3 on the Kansas City BusineswsJournal ’s list of area public

Colliers awarded leasing for two Richardson properties totaling 150K SF - Bizjournals.com

2011-08-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

inofiquxi.wordpress.com

GlobeSt.com

Colliers awarded leasing for two Richardson properties totaling 150K SF

Bizjournals.com

Colliers International announced Thursday that two of the firm's brokers were awarded the leasing assignments at two Richardson properties totaling nearly 150000 square feet of space. An unnamed ownership group, which awarded the site's leasing to ...

Colliers Selected to Market 147000 SF Flex Portfolio - Daily News Article

GlobeSt.com

Colliers Int'l in D »

Apple's Spaceship Campus Is Larger Than The US Pentagon - SlashGear

2011-08-17T02:34:00.001-07:00

uhalugupuzyma.blogspot.com

Apple's Spaceship Campus Is Larger Than The US Pentagon

SlashGear

The Mac Observer took the recently released floor plans and overlaid them with various monumental objects to reveal just how massive this 2.8-million square-foot circular office building will be. The graphic shows the Apple campus overlaid with the ...

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Georgia Conservancy names Pierre Howard president - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

2011-08-14T20:51:00.001-07:00

humojo.wordpress.com
Howard was interim president of the environmenta organizationsince January, following the departure of Jim a former partner with . In an e-mail to Georgia Conservancy members sent out late Howard said theorganization “plays a vital role in the conservation of Georgia’zs natural resources, and I look forward to the challengde of building a greater network of environmental advocatesa for our state and developing a truly statewide presence.” The organization also announcedd another key staff decision.
Allison Wall, director and founderd of , is now senior vice president of the Wall has worked with state consumer experts and citizeb advocates to promote consumer educationand pro-consumet policies across the state, according to the release. But what was not in the releaser was the indication Wall is being positioned to succeed Howard as president at some pointr inthe future. “Wr have a monumental opportunity to advance responsible conservation and managementg of our natural resource and wild areas in Wall said inthe release. “Increasingluy bi-partisan political consensus, new technologies, federal funding prospects and growing public sentiment are drivingthis opportunity.
We at the Georgiwa Conservancy have a responsibility to Georgia to lead the way inthis effort, and make the most of this The Georgia Conservancy was foundede in 1967 to collaborate, advocate and educatw the public on protecting Georgia’s natural environment. It has focuser on clean air, water, land coastal protection, growth managementy and environmental education. To read Pierre Howard’s comments to Georgias Conservancy members, .

Blue Coat CEO wins rights to Bay Area women's pro soccer franchise - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

2011-08-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

http://auto-site.biz/?f=2&n=0&p=15
Technology executive Brian NeSmith andhis Nancy, have been grantedd rights to a San Francisco-area franchisee in the Women’s Professionao Soccer league. Along with the Bay Area team, WPS is scheduled to begin play in the spring of 2009 with teamsdin Boston, Chicago, New St. Louis, Washington D.C. and Los WPS said it expects to expand to Atlantas and Philadelphiain 2010. NeSmith is CEO of BCSI), a Sunnyvale company whosse technology protectscorporate networks. The NeSmiths have two soccer-playing daughters. The NeSmithes and WPS have not finalized whers the team will play or its WPS will begin drafting players for all its teamswthis month. Players will come from the U.S.
Women’x National Team, colleges and elsewhere. Women’s Professional Soccer is the successofr tothe Women’s United Soccer That league launched in 2001 with players like Mia Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy. The WUSA fielde d eight teams, including the San Jose by capitalizing on jubilation followingthe U.S. women’es team winning the 1999 World Cup. WUSA who lost millions of dollars, pulled the plug on the leaguee following the 2003 season after TV and attendance goalsafell short. WPS backers said the new leagus will not repeat the mistakes ofthe past.
Led by new commissione Tonya Antonucci, WPS has a different businesss plan and has lined up new investoras who paid atleasr $1.5 million for rights to a franchise. WPS, which has its league headquarters inSan Francisco, can survive becausse it will reign in costx and broaden its fan base beyonx parents and their soccer-playing daughters, said Antonucci, a former executive and soccer player. WPS will use social networking site s and other Internet technology to advertise and promote itseldf to lesbian andgay fans, young men and others who want to see the best female socce r players, Antonucci said.
She said the league can save money through its relationship with the marketingf armof , the 13-year-old men’s which will sell sponsorshipw on behalf of the women’s teams. WPS has attracted some big name investoras as it prepares to kick off playnext year. guard Stevre Nash and former Yahool President Jeffrey Mallett becamed investors and part ownersz in thestartup league. Terms of the deal were not released, but the totaol investment is said to besix figures. The firsr person to commit to buying a franchis wasPhil Anschutz, the billionaired media and entertainment mogul with a stake in two Majord League Soccer teams.

One year later, InChord chief happy with results from sale to InVentiv - Business First of Columbus:

2011-08-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

bacijaxymu.wordpress.com
Since the deal closed, InChord's employment has swelleds from about 650 workerasto 1,000 in nine offices, including New York, Toronto and Montreal. It employz 495 workers in Central , which consists of InChords plus aCanadian health-care marketing firm and a compan y that tracks patients' pharmaceuticals use, reported $64.5r million in second-quarter revenue, roughly a third of InVentiv's $183 millioj in revenue for the quarter. InChorr posted gross sales of $97 million in its last full year as a privateltheld company.
Walter, 35, said the compan y was averaging 20 percent revenus growth a year before theInVentiv "We thought by partnering with InVentiv we coulrd continue our growth and accelerate Walter said. "I'm still excitedd about what we can do thatwe couldn'ty do before." InVentiv last month was namedc the 15th-fastest growing company in the natio n by Fortune magazine. Many of the jobs addexd at InChord have been in other It employs 120 workere inSaratoga Springs, N.Y., at its Palio and operationzs and 80 in New York at GSW Worldwidd and Y Brand. Some jobs have been moved fromCentrapl Ohio.
InVentiv spokeswoman Marcia Frederick said the company cut 10 employees when their jobs were shiftexto InChord's GSW Worldwid office in Newtown, Pa. That suburban Philadelphiwa office is handling an account InChordf landed in the springwith Ortho-McNei l Neurologics, a division of of Raritan, N.J. "It'xs more a geographic adjustmenr than abusiness adjustment," she said. InChord has developed a reputation for hiring advertising and technology stafft from otherarea agencies. "They have deep said Matt Wilson, a partnerf at in Westerville. InVentiv has added two companiesto InChord'sa stable since March. It bought , a Mass.
, business that helps patients compluy with theirprescription regimens, and the , a marketin g firm. InChord also has landed clientsd because of its connectionwith InVentiv, Walted said. He estimated InChors has 12 to 15 sizable relationships it did not have ayear ago, includintg the contract with Ortho-McNeil, and he expectx more contracts among small drug makers and biotecn companies as they bring products to "A lot of our growth has come from calling on a group of clientsx that we didn't fully reach," Walter said. "We've created new products togetherthat we'v taken to clients.
We have expertise we did not have The InChord deal has been equallyy importantfor InVentiv, said analys t David H. Windley, managing director of for Inc. in Tenn. "It adds anothe significant service offering tothe company's menu, providees cross-selling opportunities and diversifies the company's client and revenue he said. "So far, InChord's performance has outpaced expectationas set when the deal was InVentivHealth Inc. Based: Somerset, N.J. CEO: Daniel M. Snyder 2005 employees: 4,200 Web site: ventiv.com 2005 revenue: $556.3 million 2005 profit: $43.9 million 52-week high: $33.87 52-week low: $22.52 Oct. 10 $27.40 Inchord Communications Inc.
Ad agency subsidiary of Employeesby Columbus, 490; Saratoga Springs, 120; New York City, 80; Torontoi and Montreal, 90; Burlington, Mass., 75; Dallas, 50; Pa. 30; London, 20; variousa U.S. locations, 20 Web site: inchord.co m

Who Wore It Best: Rachel Bilson vs. Maggie Q - Ottawa Citizen

2011-08-08T04:17:00.001-07:00

http://veteransworld.com/tips_interviewing/questionnaire_interviewiq.html

Who Wore It Best: Rachel Bilson vs. Maggie Q

Ottawa Citizen

Rachel Bilson and Maggie Q both rocked this summer's all-white trend at the Teen Choice Awards, but the question is who wore it best? Vote for your favourite look! A white dress is one of the hottest looks this summer and it seems both Rachel Bilson ...

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Titans want to stoke competition in defensive secondary by adding veteran S ... - Washington Post

2011-08-05T23:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.0et0.com/2006/announcemente.html

Titans want to stoke competition in defensive secondary by adding veteran S ...

Washington Post

We want that mentality that they feel they can start and play in this game.' The question is how much of a competition this will be. Hope is in the final year of the contract that brought him from Pittsburgh after helping the Steelers win the 2006 ...

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Printing firms use new strategies to find, retain customers in recession - bizjournals:

2011-07-28T02:00:00.001-07:00

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The average member of the , a Tenn.-based nonprofit trade organization, has droppedc between 20 percent and 30 percen in sales during thepast year, presidenrt Ed Chalifoux said in To cut expenses, printers across the South have laid employeesa off or gone to four-day work weeks, he said. Locall firms such as , and Inc. are seekinbg new ways to offset their dropsin business. At Publishersx in Shepherdsville, the Louisville area’s largest printer, salesx for the first quarter of 2009 were down abourt 20 percent from the first quarterof 2008, to abour $45 million from $55 million, president and CEO Nick Simonh said.
The company has not lost any customers, he but the magazines that it printx have about 20 percent fewer pages because of cutbacks fromhis advertisers. The recession has accelerater a long-term trend away from the printedd word in theprintinhg industry, Simon said. “Printing is shrinking just a littler bit,” he said. “The Internet and the computere have a lot to dowith Jeffersonville-based Voluforms has fared a little with a 7 percent to 8 percent drop in overall sales year-to-date, president and CEO C. Michael Stewart said. One reason for that is that the company began diversifying its products severalyeard ago.
Voluforms’ profit margin was down about 2 percent in the first quarter, compared with the first quarter of he said. The commercial side of the business, in whicjh the company prints labels and cover sheets for producta soldin stores, has fallen off about 40 percent over the past two years, he But that business makes up only about 10 percenf to 12 percent of the company’s total business, Stewarr said. About 45 percent of total revenue comes fromprinting scanner-friendlgy forms for financial institutions, such as countere checks and deposit slips.
That business is going well, Stewarrt said, because it enabless banks to do more document processingvia machines, therebyg reducing payroll costs. The rest of the business is from providingg printing and software for the health care About eightyears ago, the companyt created a series of electronic forms for hospitals that helpedx them reduce 80 percent of the paper forms they were using, he “We’ve done a lot of thingse to be more on the leadint edge” of the industry, Stewart said.
The companty even has taken advantage of the fact that othe r printers are laying off employees by hiring a few new So Voluforms now has 85 employee s between its Jeffersonville distribution center and its Sellersburgprintinyg facility. Revenue for the first quarter of 2009 at Standard Publishinyg in Shepherdsville came in atabout $3 which was about $50,00 below the first quarter of 2008, general manageer Robin Crump said. Standard Publishing, a division of Shelbyville-basesd Landmark Community Newspapers Inc., prints communituy newspapers owned by theLandmark chain, as well as nichd publications such as Business First.
Thoser publications have lost somead revenue, she but nothing compared with metro “We’re seeing some reduction in pages, but nothing causinf us to panic,” she said. Standard has not laid anyone off, but in Landmark mandated thatevery employee, includin corporate staff, take one eight-hour day off without pay per month, Crump said. Landmark’ss corporate culture always has embracedlean staffing, she but Standard Publishing has found smal ways to cut such as reducing janitorial service from five days a week to threwe days a week and reviewing the maintenance contracts on some

Wavy facade much more than skin deep - Sydney Morning Herald

2011-07-25T20:00:00.001-07:00

http://dodgeofantioch.com/useful-information-on-suppliers-of-auto-parts-in-los-angeles.html

Sydney Morning Herald

Wavy facade much more than skin deep

Sydney Morning Herald

The building's most striking feature is a printed glass, ribbon-like balustrade that sweeps across the entire facade. "We tried to avoid having a typical square-box glass balustrade . . . the idea was a wave-like form that drew you around and created ...

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Lenovo's profits skyrocket - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

2011-07-23T13:51:00.001-07:00

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Lenovo, which has headquarters in Morrisville but trade shares inHong Kong, said net income was $105 millionj in the quarter, or $1.132 per diluted share, in the quarted ended Sept. 30. That's up from $38 million, or 43 cents per in the same periodlast year. Revenue increasef 20 percent to $4.4 billion. The company increasee shipments of PCs more than 20 percent in thethired quarter, according to data compiled by researc firms and . That outpaced growtg in the PC industry as a Lenovo saidnotebook shipments, which provide abourt 55 percent of revenue, were up 42 percent year over year. Desktop shipments increased about12 percent.
Lenovo'e largest sales region, China, saw saleas increase 26.5 percent to $1.8 billion. where Lenovo was headquartered until itbought IBM'ss personal computer division in 2005, accountede for 41 percent of revenu in the quarter. Perhaps as importantly, year over year shipment s in the Americas, the company's No. 2 region, increasedc by 12 percent. Lenovo has struggled to convince U.S. customerws in particular to purchaseits computers, but that trend has reversexd in recent quarters. U.S. lossese had been largely causesd bythe company's strategy of sellingh more computers in retail outlets and over the Web.
The move falteres at first but has proven wise as saless to consumers outpace sales to businesses bylargr margins, according to IDC and Gartner. The news isn't all rosy for Lenovo. The company faces increased competitiobn with itsTaiwanese rival, . Acer recentlgy bought California's Gateway and blocked Lenovo's efforts to acquirr Dutch PC maker . Lenovo also will face pressurre on its margins as it continues its push into consumer a highlycompetitive business.

EU Proposes Bank-Capital Rule Changes - Wall Street Journal

2011-07-21T07:34:00.001-07:00

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ABC News

EU Proposes Bank-Capital Rule Changes

W »

Survey: Manufacturers eye 2010 turnaround - Birmingham Business Journal:

2011-07-19T01:34:00.001-07:00

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Forty-two percent of manufacturers said their businessedwere declining, compared to 12 percent a year ago. Only 9 percenty of companies said their businesswas “thriving and growing,” down from 38 percentg last year. The “2009 Manufacturing and Wholesaler DistributionNational Survey” founxd that about 52 percent of the 923 surveyu respondents plan to cut U.S. jobs in nearly double the percentage fromlast year’s But only 11 percent expect to cut jobs in 2010 and 44 percenrt plan to add While fewer than 10 percent of respondents said they expecte gross margins to increase in 30 percent anticipate improvements in 2010.
The onlins survey was conducted from March 11 toApril 13. Minn.-based RSM McGladrey is a professional services firm thatprovide accounting, tax and business consulting

Deadline nears for Anthem, Norton to strike deal - Kansas City Business Journal:

2011-07-16T18:34:00.001-07:00

stockdaleiqemico1521.blogspot.com
As a result, members of Anthem’s health planes will have to pay higher, out-of-network rates to accesss Norton facilitiesafter today. Jim Norton’s associate vice president of managed said patients likely will have to pay the difference betweejn the amount Anthem decides to pay and the amount Nortomn has asked the insurerto pay. In a statement issued Tuesday by Anthemj presidentDeb Moessner, she said the company will provide reimbursemen for services at Kosair Children’s Hospital at the rate requestefd by Norton.
“Anthem is going to take parents and children out of the middlwe of this dispute by paying the member at the rate Norton has requested in its previous proposal for services performed atKosair Children’d Hospital,” she said in the statement. But withouf a contract, patients have no safet y net in the evenf ofcertain issues, such as claims Meyers noted. With no contract in patients would be responsiblde for appealingclaims denials, he said. “I think it’s probably helpful, what Anthem is but there’s still a certain amount of risk that thepatient (or has to take into consideration.” Norton has been contactee about the matter by 2,50 Anthem members.
About 98 percent of thosse were inquiring about Norton facilitiezs and physiciansoutside Kosair, Meyerws added. The dispute stems from Norton’s decisiob in December 2008 to cancel its citing administrative service problems and reimbursement rates from Anthenm that were not in line withother insurers. The contract allowefd either party to terminate the agreement by givinhga 180-day notice. The initia contract was negotiated in 2007 and scheduled to endin 2010. Mike Lorch vice president of healthg servicesfor Anthem, said the clause was included in the contract so providers who wishedd to exit the network could do so but not to allowe them to negotiate higher reimbursements.
“If we allowedd that with Norton, every hospitakl would want to do he said. According to Lorch, Norton requested a 20 percenrt increase in itsFebruary proposal. Meyers denied the clai and said the requested increase was less than 20 but he declined to bemore specific. Both partiews said rates were set to increaseby 5.5 percent on Octobeer 1, 2009, under the contract that ended June 30. Meyers said officials for Norton and Anthe met last Thursday to discuss anew contract, but the meetinfg was “not very substantive.” Officials for both parties said Tuesday that no meetingsa were planned to take place priorr to the expiration of the contracy at midnight.
Meyers said Norton now will focus on informinbg patients how they can continue to accessNortoh facilities, echoing sentiments expressed by Norton presiden t and CEO Stephen A. Williama in a statement issued on A provision in the current and understate law, requires Anthem to continue to pay reimbursementws at in-network rates for patients who currentlty are receiving care, such as those who are pregnant or receivingv cancer treatments, Meyers said. Those Anthemm members must contact the insurer and obtainm a form that allows the reimbursements to be he added.
Lorch said reimbursements will continue for thes e patients at the rate under the contractt that endedJune 30, through the duratiob of their care. In addition, Meyers said, Norto n is working to inform employers and brokers ofthei options. He said Norton would be williny to consider waysfor self-insureed employers to continue to receive in-network services. Meyerd also said Norton wants to educate both fully insurerand self-insured employers abou other managed-care options, pointing to Web site which lists insurers that have contracts with Norton’s physician In Williams’ statement earlier this he said Norton now plans “to take some time to considet whether it is in the best interestz of our patients for us to continuew working with Anthem as a business partner.
” Lorch said it is “very doubtful” that the parties will come to terms on a new agreement without the use of a third-partyt mediator – a request Anthem has made on multiplre occasions. But Meyers said mediation has not been used during contract negotiations withother insurers. “There shouldn’r be a need,” he said. “It’s not protocol, and we should be able to sit down at a table and get anagreementf done.
”

Habitat for Humanity seeks to re-stock store - Mount Airy News

2011-07-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

vasilisaxavymar.blogspot.com

Habitat for Humanity seeks to re-stock store

Mount Airy News

The âReStock the ReStoreâ event is planned Saturday by the Greater Mount Airy Area Habitat for Humanity at Cross Creek Country Club on Greenhill Road. Its goal is a truckload of donations of various furnishings and other goods which can be resold in ...

COSHOCTON -- Sue Hardesty has been named the executive director of Coshocton ...

Coshocton Tribune

Bay Area CFOs of the year named - Houston Business Journal:

2011-07-12T04:51:00.001-07:00

8511ysu.blogspot.com
More than 400 local business leaders attended a dinner and awards ceremonh at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco to honofr the winnersand finalists. The money raised at the evenf supports , which for 25 years has served homelesszand at-risk youth in San Francisco through its programes in outreach, housing, medical and social education and job “These awards honor the best of the These financial leaders exemplify the professionalism, integrity, resilience and masteryh of key skills that make a great said Mary Huss, publisher, San Francisco Businesse Times, and co-presenter of the Bay Area CFO of the Year Said Sherilyn Adams, executive director, Larkin Streef Youth Services: “Larkin Street Youthu Services is honored to be the beneficiarh of this event.
The moneyg raised by the CFO awards event will beinveste wisely, as 84 cents of everg dollar will directly benefit the over 3,500 youthg we serve each year.” Lifetime Achievement Award: Peter Darbee, PG&E Corp. and Pacific Gas and Electricx Co. Winner, Public Company with revenues aboved $500 million: Daniel Heinrich, the (NYSE: CLX). Paul Coghlan, Corp. (NASDAQ: Mark Garrett, (NASDAQ: ADBE). Winner, Publi Company with revenues upto $500 Martin Kropelnicki, . Finalists: Thomas (NASDAQ: PEET); Randy Gottfried, (NASDAQ: RVBD). Winner, Non-Publix Company: Nathan Brostrom, .
Finalist: Thomad Berquist, Winner, Venture-Backed Company: Jack Jenkins-Stark, Finalists: Donald ; Greg Walker, Winner, Community Paul Sussman, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Finalists: Steve Bach, ; Michaep Braude, . Winner, Transformation Agent: Byrojn Pollitt, Inc. (NYSE: V) Finalists: Jamew Beer, (NASDAQ: SYMC); Lewis Chew, Corp (NYSE: NSM). The 2009 Bay Area CFO of the Year Award is a partnership between the San Franciscop BusinessTimes — which included an advertising supplement profiling the winnera in its May 29 issue and Larkin Street Youth All proceeds from this evenft benefit Larkin Street Youth Services. Deloitts was the title sponsor.

Dick Williams, fiery Hall of Fame baseball manager, dies at 82 - Washington Post

2011-07-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

http://idata3.com/iDMobileHelp/iData3.html

ABC News

Dick Williams, fiery H »

Virgil Wayne Prophet - Dodge City Daily Globe

2011-07-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

obofym.wordpress.com

Virgil Wayne Prophet

Dodge City Daily Globe

By Anonymous Virgil Wayne Prophet, 91, of Ulysses died Monday, July 4, 2011, at Oak Tree Villas in Jefferson City, Mo. He was born Aug. 22, 1919, in Harper County, Okla., to Samual Jones and Maud (Serviss) Prophet. On Nov. 1, 1936, he married his high ...

Wisconsin cancer cases, deaths decline - South Florida Business Journal:

2011-07-05T06:17:00.001-07:00

vlastaowibopaj.blogspot.com
The estimated number of new cancetr cases, except for lung cancer and melanoma, are also predictesd to be down this yearin Wisconsin. The societuy projects there will be morethan 27,000 new cases of cancer in Wisconsin in 2009 and aboutf 11,000 deaths. The American Cancer Society’s newly released annuall cancerstatistics report, "Cancer Statistics finds that for the first time since theswe data have been tracked, overallp cancer incidence rates are now decreasing in the U.S. in both men and The report also states declinesin U.S. cancef death rates equate to about 650,000 deathe from cancer avoided or delayede between 1990and 2005.
The decreases are direct resultsa of improvements inpublic health, like reductions in earlier detection of cancers, and better treatments, according to the “Because the death rate continues to drop, it meansw that about 100,000 Americans each year who would have died from cancedr are living to celebrate another birthday,” John American Cancer Society chief executive officer, said in a The full Cancer Statistics report can be viewed at .

Human Capital: People on the move, June 5 - San Francisco Business Times:

2011-07-02T23:51:00.001-07:00

http://russianbridesclub.net/Sales/Summer/
, a Boston-based technology company servinb students, educators and added Ted Fischer as executivew vice presidentof sales, partnerships and strategixc initiatives. Fischer was previously a partnerat . Sun Life Financialp names Deschenes senior VP and GM of its annuities divisionThe U.S. division of , based in Wellesley, namex Stephen Deschenes senior vice president and general managedr of itsannuities division. Deschenesx joins Sun Life from , wherer he served as senior vice presidenr and chief marketing officer for the retiremenrincome group.
Furman Gregoryu LLC adds Deptula as partnetr Furman GregoryLLC , a Boston-based corporate law firm now knownn as Furman Gregory Deptula, addedd George Deptula as a partner. Deptula most recentluy practicedat Vena, Riley, Deptula LLP, and continues his practice in trial and appellate legal services, and mediatioh and ADR. William A. Berry & Son promotesw Corcoran as project designerWilliam A. Berry & Son Inc. , a Danvers-basefd construction management firm, promoted Josie Corcoranh to project director.
She has served as a projecyt manager at the firm for the past nine Nixon Peabody's Milder elected chairman of ; Braichb named to firm's IP team Forrest Milder , a partnere in the Boston office of Nixon Peabodgy LLP , was elected chairman of the Americabn Bar Association ’s Forum on Affordable Housinvg and Community Development for the 2009-2010 year. In other firm Nixon Peabody addedRavinderjit “Ravi” Braichy to its intellectual property department in the Boston offic as a patent

Aronimink feels more like US Open than US Open did - SI.com

2011-06-30T17:17:00.001-07:00

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ABC News

Aronimink feels more like US Open than US Open did

SI.com

(AP) - Adam Scott must have felt as though he got another crack at the US Open on Thursday in the AT&T National. Only this course felt more like a US Open. Aronimink built on its growing reputation when only 28 players managed to break par in the ...

Aronimink feels more like US Open than US Open did

The Associated Press

Aussie Scott seizes share of PGA lead

AFP

Aronimink feels more like US Open than US Open did

Newsday (subscription)

Credit card processing company grows business by evolving strategy - Pittsburgh Business Times:

2011-06-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

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Henry Helgeson and Scott Zdanise established the company in 1998 as a resellef of credit card processing terminals over the To a smaller extenft the company provided processing of creditcard transactions. But as margim compression made equipment salesless profitable, the partners responded by rampinfg up processing services. Today, its processing services constitutse 90 percent of its totalgross revenue, whilde equipment and software sales are 10 Business has been so brisk — it signe d up 2,300 new customers in April alond — that the company is planning to increasr its sales force by 30 percent or 40 percenf within the next 60 days.
“W e basically are getting more businesses tryinb to signup (for our services) than we have the capacit y for, and we’re tryingh to staff up for that as quickly as possible,” says 34, who serves as presidengt and co-CEO. Co-founder Zdanis has since moved to Miam i and plays a less active role inthe company. Merchanr Warehouse acts as a third-party facilitating payment transactions between merchants and credittcard issuers, essentially by getting money off of the consumer’d credit card and into the business’sw bank account. Its residual-based business model makeds money by charging for that service oneach transaction.
Since its the 150-employee company estimates serving a cumulativde total of morethan 87,000 customers nationwidse — primarily small and medium-sizse businesses; about 56,000 are actives accounts right now, with most of the attrition due to companiee going out of Helgeson notes. Today, Merchant Warehouse is processinbg morethan 3.5 million paymentg transactions per month. After hitting $27.3 million in revenur in 2008, the company is shooting for $32 million to $34 millio this year. Helgeson says Merchantr Warehouse has also benefited by becoming more ofa technology-drivehn company.
“When we started to hire our own software developerxs and build ourown infrastructure, as far as computerf systems and technology to run this that really put us into a hyper-growthg mode,” he says. Five yeards ago, the company hired its first software developer. It subsequently built its own sophisticated customef relationship managementsystem in-house that has enabled the company to bettert measure the performance of its accounts and And 18 months ago, it completed the developmeng of the necessary infrastructure to begin processing some transactions through its own electroniv gateway here in It continues to utilize three large outside firmx to assist in processing the bulk of the transactions.
The companh also works with a pool of about100 point-of-sale system resellers, who often refer business to Merchan t Warehouse. The company has also used technologt to innovate its services in an industru where Helgeson says the competitionis fierce. “Our industrh has been pretty much plain, vanillaz credit and debit processing,” Helgeson “We had to look at it and say, ‘What can we do here to differentiate ourselves?’ ” For instance, it offers wireless credit card processing services to iPhone and BlackBerry users who have installerd its software applications ontheirf PDAs.
Those mobile merchants now represent 10 percent to 15 percentf ofthe company’s new accounts. It has also partneredc with another company, , to develop a card readedr that encrypts the credit card numbed as it is being swipeds to help preventsecurity breaches. “They’r e a very impressive group,” says Steve Parks, vice presideny of , an Atlanta-based firm that Merchant Warehouse has engagedc for some of its processingf services for many He attributesthe firm’s growth to “some very shrewr investments in technology and being ahead of the curver in terms of technology and how to use it to drives traffic (to their business), and trainingh their sales reps to capitalize on that traffic.
”

Business groups slam proposed tax increases - Business First of Buffalo:

2011-06-26T03:17:00.001-07:00

badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com
The said it opposes changes to the corporateminimum tax, a new corporat income tax and a new personal incomw tax. The alliance consistas of 30 business groups that represent morethan 25,000o Oregon businesses and employ 500,000 residents. Raising the taxes coulx cause the state tolose 6,000 jobs, accordinh to state revenue office “These proposals ignore the stark realities of our current the group said in a news release sent by J.L. a lobbyist with Associated Oregon “They are counterproductive measures that kill jobs and prolontgour recession.
” The corporate minimum tax and corporatr income tax proposals would collectively harm companies with smalll profit margins as well as businesses lookinh to invest more in capita l equipment, the group said. The alliancer called on lawmakers to instead focuson private-sector job retentioh and creation. “We believe strongly that increased taxes are detrimentao tojob growth,” Wilsobn said in the news “An increased tax burdenj will hurt the ability of our members to creater desperately needed jobs. It is the wrong approach to balancerthe state’s budget.
” Other groups signing the letter include Associatec Oregon Loggers, Independent Community Banks of the Northwest Food Processora Association, Oregon Association of Realtors, the Oregobn Automobile Dealers Association, the Oregonb Bankers Association, the Oregon Home Builders Association, the Oregon Restaurangt Association and the Oregon Trucking Association. Oregon’ws House and Senate members hope to adjourm byJuly 1. Lawmakers must address a $4.
2 billio n budget shortfall before they adjournn or in a series of speciap sessions throughout the rest ofthe

Odom at center of more trade talk; Warriors seems inclined to keep Ellis - SportingNews.com

2011-06-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

http://pageturnerbooksonline.com/top-seven-approaches-writing-articles-can-explode-your-business.html

Los Angeles Times

Odom at center of more trade talk; Warriors seems inclined to keep Ellis

SportingNews.com

The Warriors, meanwhile, seem less inclined to move Ellis than they reportedly were a few weeks ago. Gol! den State has heard several offers from around the league, but new coach Mark Jackson wants to keep Ellis, who is also now new co-owner Joe Lacob's ...

The McTen: What the Draft means

ESPN (blog)

NBA Draft: Lamar Odom trade scenarios present many pros and cons

Los Angeles Times (blog)

SI Report: Lakers, 76ers Talking Lamar Odom For Andre Iguodala

SB Nation Los Angeles

Jody Weis received $76308 in unused vacation when he resigned - Chicago Sun-Times

2011-06-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

xoqylyjibo.wordpress.com

Chicagoist

Jody Weis received $76308 in unused vacation when he resigned

Chicago Sun-Times

Former Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis (left) and his chief of staff, Mike Masters, are among 1026 city employees paid $7.4 million for unused vacation days since September 2010. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file Former Chicago Police Supt. ...

Weis Pocketed Unused Vacation Payout: Report

NBC Chicago

Corbis unit cashes in on dead-celebrity images - Denver Business Journal:

2011-06-19T06:34:00.001-07:00

pohevovotybuc.blogspot.com
Dead celebrities, that is. , an arm of digital imags company that already represents Albert Einstein and the Wright recently signed up the estates of Thomas Edison andJohnnt Cash. It’s part of a strategy to grow Corbis’ rights representation business, which already is a lucrative one. It was a year ago that Corbisx rebranded its rights servicesdivision GreenLight. Today, GreenLight does abougt $50 million in business. “People have started to look at dead celebritiesd as asafe haven,” said David vice president of GreenLight.
Imagex of dead celebrities have long been popular among But industry observers say that dead celebrities are especiallyg hot because they are a bargain compared with the pricde of landing aliving celebrity. Then there’sz the tabloid factor. A dead celebrity is relativelyg safefrom scandal, unlikse a living idol who can muck thingsz up for a product by landing in jail or Think football star Michael Vick after his animao cruelty case, or Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps, who lost an endorsement deal with Kellogg’ds after being photographed with a marijuana bong. Even if a dead celebrity had the public often forgivesor forgets.
“The nice thing about a dead Reeder said, “is the scandal is behin them.” GreenLight traces its originzsto 2005, when a Seattle-based digital imaging compant started by Bill Gates, purchased a Beverly Hills, company that represented movie legends and historic figures such as Orville and Wilbur One of GreenLight’s most notable deals involved the baby educationj brand Baby Einstein, which Reeder said perfectly matches the scientist’s geniues image with a product. In late May, GreenLight announced it would represent the personalitg rights of inventorThomas Edison.
GreenLight also recently becamew licensor to the personality rights of country singers Johnnhy Cash and JuneCarter Cash, including their namex and images in advertising, promotions and merchandising. GreenLight is stil l shaping how to use the image ofJohnngy Cash. But when askerd to consider the possibilities, Reeder said that Cash lover Coca-Colas. Reeder imagines a match between Cash and whose slogan oncewas “It’ the Real Thing.” “Nobody’s more authenticf than Johnny Cash,” Reeder said.

Supreme Court temporarily blocks Chrysler/Fiat merger - Triangle Business Journal:

2011-06-16T23:34:00.001-07:00

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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Baded Ginsberg granted a motion filed by Indianaz state pension funds to delayh the merger between the American and Italian automakers in whatthe U.S. Treasurh Department said was an administrative extension designede to allow sufficient time for the Supremer Court to explore whether or not a stay is according to several published reportslate Monday. The Suprems Court move extends a stay already issuerd by a lower court that was set to expirwe lateafternoon Monday. Fiat has give n Chrysler until June 15 to finisjhthe merger. Attorneys for the pensiojn funds argued that they would receive just pennieds on the dollar fora $42 million loan given to However, U.S.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan said the imminent collapse ofChrysler — said to be losing upwardd of $100 million daily — was of greater concermn to government officials than the loan When Chrysler filed for it announceed it would reject 789 dealership agreements nationwide, including nine in the St. Louis metrlo area. Chrysler’s restructuring plan also callse for closingeight plants, including Chrysler’sa two plants in Fenton, Mo.
Chrysler’s South planty in Fenton, which assembles minivans, was idlee at the end of Chrysler’s North plant, which make s Dodge Ram trucks, was idled earlier this month for one to two months and The plants hademployed 1,200 workers in Fenton, down from 5,000 severalo years ago.

William Boyd Printing site sold for $1.3M - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

2011-06-14T16:00:00.001-07:00

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Ltd., an affiliate of Cos. in Clifton closed on the $1.3 milliom purchase on June 3. Cass Hill intendds to convert theformer 1.3-acre industrial site at 39-499 Sheridan Ave. into an office/retail/residential project. The propertyt is located behindthe & Suites on Chapel near the heart of the city’s entertainment Tony Sabatino of represented the seller. Cass Hill was represented by Eileen Lindbergof /Albany. Marc H. Paquin, president of Cass Hill Developmentg Cos., couldn’t be reached for comment. Cass Hill owns severalo properties downtown, including a 30,000-square-foot office building on Monroe Street across from the formerdprinting plant.
Boyd Printing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcyt protection inSeptember 2005. A federal bankruptcy judg e in March 2008 approved the sale of the buildings to help satisfythe company’s Some of the company’s assetes were purchased by Carl an officer at Boyd Printing, who openeds a separate corporation, Inc., in Colonie. Previous deals for the Sheridam Avenue property fizzled before Cass Hill signesd a purchase contractlast year.