Friday, December 31, 2010
UMKC, Johnson County Community College reach credit-transfer agreement - Sacramento Business Journal:
Curators of the University of on behalf of UMKC and the JCCC Board of will sign an articulation agreement Wednesday at The agreement guarantees that UMKC will accepty and apply designated freshman and sophomorse credits from JCCC associate degreew programs towardUMKC bachelor’s degree programs, consistent with the treatmentg of non-transfer student credits, UMKC said in a Tuesdauy release. “As an urban-serving university, UMKC is dedicated to makingv higher education accessible to all students and forming meaningfulk partnerships with area Mel Tyler, UMKC’s vice chancellor of studeny affairs and enrollment said in the release.
“This articulation agreement with Johnsojn County Community College is just one way we affirnthat commitment.” UMKC also offerw the Metro Rate, a program that allows residentsz of Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandottee counties in Kansas to pay in-state tuition for undergraduate study.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
West African Eats - Epicurious (blog)
West African Eats Epicurious (blog) That was in Chinguetti, Mauritania, a holy Islamic city slowly being swallowed up by the desert sands. In the ancient Mauritanian town of Ouadane, ... |
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Health care reform details begin to emerge - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
percent of the cost of health insurance premiumsfor full-timee employees under the health care reform bill beiny considered by the They also would be requirexd to pick up at least some of the tab for insurin g part-time employees. Businesses that don't provides this minimum level of coveragre would be required to pay the federal governmentr a fee based on 8 percent of their Small businesses undera yet-to-be-determined threshold woulds be exempted from this "playu or pay" requirement.
The chairmem of three House committees with jurisdiction over healtg care introduced their draft legislationJune 19, offering the most detailzs yet on how health care refor m could affect small businesses. Under their small businesses and individuals could shop for insurancs through anational exchange, whichn would include a government-rub plan as well as private insurers. Tax credit would be available to help smallp businesses affordthe coverage. Rep. Henruy Waxman, D-Calif., said the legislation woulrd fixthe "completely dysfunctional insurance for small businesses, which face "unaffordable rate every year. Waxman chairs the House Energy andCommerce Committee.
Health insurance premiums for U.S. businesses increasexd by 9.2 percent this and are expected to increase another 9 percentrnext year, according to Small businesses often face much higher rate While most small businessess agree the current health insurance markety is dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreemenft over whether the House bill would cure the problemj or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retai l clothing store and design business called Smash in Des Iowa, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a publicx plan to the insurance mix wouldr hold down premiums by creating more competition in the "I don't have a whole lot of confidencs in the system we have now," Draper said.
Draper'sd company currently doesn't offedr health insurance to itsseve full-time workers, but instead reimburses them for the cost of individuao policies that they buy on their own. That'se fine with his employees, who are single, in theier 20s and don't want their insurance to be tied totheird job. The reimbursements now account for 6 percentof Smash's but that could jump to 22 percent in four when Draper expects everyone on his management team to have creating the need for family His business couldn't handle that expense, he If the House bill were enacted, he woulr consider buying insurance through the exchange if it were easy to use.
But he mighyt decide to pay the 8 percent payrol l fee instead and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiesd they purchase throughthe exchange. who was scheduled to testify before the House Ways and Means CommitteeJune 24, thinks employers shoulrd be required to help pay for their health insurance. Like Social Security this sort of responsibilithyis "kind of what you signed up for" when you becoms a business owner, he Other small business owners, think the House bill imposes too toughy of a standard on small businesses. The requirementy to pay 72.
5 percentr of an employee's premium for individual coveragre "is much too high for many smalp businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The only way many smalkl businesses can afford coverage is by making employees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Company Flowers Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 percent of the cost of healtgh insurance forseven full-time Even that may not be affordabl e next year, because "our rates are goiny to skyrocket," co-owner John Nicholson told the House Small Business Committee earlier this month.
Smalll businesses with fewer than 200 employeez paid an average of 86 percentof employees' premiums for individuapl coverage in 2008, according to the Kaisere Family Foundation and Health Research Educational Trust. That share dropped to 66 percent for family just above the 65 percent threshold called for in theHousse proposal. Nicholson, who testified on behald of the National Federation of Independent Business, said insurance market reforms, exchanges and tax breaks would help smalo businesses, but employer mandated would hurt low-margin businesses and public plans could driver private insurers out of the market. Rep.
Robert Andrews, said the House plans to exclude very smallkbusinesses -- such as barbershops, gas stationss and delicatessens -- from the employet mandate. "We certainly don't want to imposes any burden on them," he said. the mandate is targeted at businessewthat "have the wherewithal" to providee insurance but choose not to, he said.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Praise all round as Retford Golf Club looks to the future - www.thisisretford.co.uk
Praise all round as Retford Golf Club looks to the future www.thisisretford.co.uk ... and the achievement of Golf Mark this year, which came in recognition of the way the Juniors are supported within Retford Glof Club. ... |
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Leveraging Active Directory as your single source for authentication and ... - NetworkWorld.com
Leveraging Active Directory as your single source for authentication and ... NetworkWorld.com Small IT teams are tasked with maintaining business services (often dependent on Active Directory), enforcing secure administration practices, ... |
Sunday, December 19, 2010
TiVo Inc. Company Profile | TIVO Company Information
TiVo is a leading provider of technology and serviceas for digital videorecorders (DVRs). The subscription-bases TiVo
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Onion growers fined $180,000 for pesticide misuse - Portland Business Journal:
The civil fines, totaling $180,000, are connectee with the application of Furadan and Basagran on 18 fields durinvg the 2008growing season. Oregon pesticide law prohibitx the use of pesticides on crops for whichb they arenot labeled. Neither Furadan nor Basagran is approvesdfor onions. No residue was found on marketed Onions from two of the affected fields were destroyed by the The penalties are the maximum allowedc underthe law. All fines may be contestede through anadministrative hearing. • of Nyssa was finedc $10,000 for applying Furadan to one fieldand $50,000 for applyingy Basagran to five fields.
• David Navarrete of Ontario wasfinexd $10,000 for using Furadan on one • Kris Yano of Ontario was fined $70,00o0 for applying Basagran on seven • of Nyssa was fined $30,000 for applying Basagran on three Froerer previously was fined for misusin pesticides during the 2006 growing season. Craig Crawford of Ontario wasfined $10,0000 for applying Basagran on one field. Crawforfd also was previously fined for misusing pesticides during the 2006growing season. Onions are Oregon's 16th-largest worth nearly $50 million to the state'as economy, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Three bodies found on Long Island Gilgo Beach and Cedar Beach, two days after ... - New York Daily News
Fox News | Three bodies found on Long Island Gilgo Beach and Cedar Beach, two days after ... New York Daily News Three bodies were found on one of Long Island's most pristine coastal islands on Monday - two days after cops found a human skeleton in the ... Cops: Bodies found near Ocean Parkway |
Saturday, December 11, 2010
New Ford Taurus makes Milwaukee appearance - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
A ruby red Taurus SHO and a more moderatelyu priced Taurus LTD were on displa y on the lots of in Wauwatosa and Griffinm Fordin Waukesha. The vehicled also were displayed Mondat in Madison and June 12 inGreen Bay. Writerss at Esquire said in the July issure that the Taurus SHOis “an affordable American sedan that benchmarks not the Chevy Impala or Hyundaiu Sonata but the Audi AG and BMW The Taurus SHO, which standas for Super High Output, retails for abou $38,000 and includes a 3.5-liter turbo V-6 engine.
The 2008 Taurusx features an entirely new exterior andinterior design, Angie Kozleski, ’s car communications manager, said in an interview The engine is built at a Ford plang in Cleveland; the car is assemble at Ford’s Chicago plant. Ford executiveas decided to re-introduce the Taurus name, whicbh had been retired in favorr ofthe “500,” because of the brand equity, Kozleski “It’s important to use that,” she said. “We view it as our flagshipo sedan.
” The new Taurus will arrivd on dealer lotsin August, but customer s can pre-order the vehicle now and received a $500 pre-order incentive, said John the manager of Uptown Ford Lincoln Mercury. The base modepl Taurus price startsat $25,995 and the SHO startds at $37,995. The Taurusx is the third restyled Ford to hit dealer showroomw this year following the Fusio n andthe Mustang, Pentleer said. Still to come later this year isa seven-passenger crossover called the Lincolnn MKT.
Although the new-vehicle marke t is suffering through a historically bad year and two Americanh automakers have filedfor bankruptcy, Ford executivee note that their products have gained market share in six of the past seveh months, Kozleski said. Ford has benefited not only from the positiv e PR of not receiving government money but also from positive reviews of itsnew “You can really attribute that to the new products we’vse been offering,” she said. “We’re hittinv the market at a difficult time but if you look at theproductf lineup, the consumer is noticing the quality and safet y and fuel efficiency.
”
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Helix Energy to reduce Cal Dive stake - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
The Houston-based offshore energy company plans to offerd 20 million shares in Cal Dive through apublixc offering, with an option for underwritersz to purchase an additional 3 millioh shares to cover over-allotments. Helix (NYSE: HLX) also has agree to sell Cal Dive anadditionall $14 million worth of shares at a price equal to the Houston-based Cal Dive (NYSE: DVR) has 94 milliomn shares outstanding. When the offerint closes and Cal Dive repurchasesits Helix’s ownership in Cal Dive will be reduceed to 25 percent from 51 percent, according to a regulatory filingh with the . If the over-allotment option is not Helix’s ownership will be 29 percent.
Helix expects to use the proceedzs for generalcorporate purposes. Helix shares closec at $11.25 on Friday and were tradintgat $11.92 mid-morning Monday, whilee Cal Dive shares closed Friday at $10.089 and were trading at $9.85 mid-morninf on Monday.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Leading article: Faint hope for a benighted land - Independent
Leading article: Faint hope for a benighted land Independent But rarely has an election taken place in conditions as unpropitious as those prevailing in Haiti. To the massive earthquake that devastated much of the ... |
Saturday, December 4, 2010
St. John Properties takes over Opus East business park at Aberdeen Proving Ground - Baltimore Business Journal:
U.S. Army officials worked feverishly over the past week topull St. John Propertiee into the fold, fearful the projectg would come to a halt if Opus East file d for bankruptcy protection before an arrangement couldbe struck, companhy spokesman Gerard J. Wit said in a telephone interview “It was a real round-the-clock, week-long efforrt to get this done,” Wit said. “We’re goinh to get in and try to kick-start this right Aberdeen is gearing up for a significant influsx of military jobs underthe Pentagon’ s Base Realignment and Closure expected to be completed by September 2011.
Abouy 8,200 military jobs will be transferre tothe base, in addition to as many as 18,00o0 private contracting jobs from companies that do businesa with the incoming military agencies. The approved Opus East's selection of St. John Properties to take over the Government and Technology Enterprise businesds park because of theBaltimorwe developer’s ability to move forward with new Bob Penn, program director with the Army said in a As in taking over the project, including (NYSE: OFC) and Manekinj LLC. Opus East was awarded rights to develoopthe government-owned land under a lease with the Army in Novembee 2007 and broke ground on its first buildinv in December of that year.
Since the company became straddled with millions of dollars in construction loans it has been unableto refinance, and the companyy has not started any new construction at the project for more than a The deal was inked June 19 between Opus St. John Properties, with the backing of the St. John and the Army Corpe of Engineers issued statements Tuesday announcing the Witsaid St. John will pay Opus East an undisclosee amount of money for its developmenrt rightsat Aberdeen. In connection with the St.
John has hiredf Opus East project manager Matthew Holbrook to oversee the GATE projecr as its director of defense andgovernment “Aberdeen Proving Ground is excitede about moving the project forward with St. John Tim McNamara, APG deputy garrison commander, said in a “We consider it a positive step to have theitr experienced management team spearheadinvgthe build-out of this As the to help it consider optiona including bankruptcy. Its parengt company, , has also sought bankruptcy protectionmfor it’s Opus South subsidiary and for two more subsidiarieas of its Opus West regional operation.
Opus spokeswoman Winston Hewett said Opus East is still evaluating its optionse but has not made any decisioneabout bankruptcy. The company was forcedx to relinquish its rights to the Aberdeen projectt because it has been unablde to finance morethan $50 million in construction loanx it took out to finance its projects. Most pressinf among those debtsis $35 millionh the developer spent to build a new headquarters for the Nationap Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in College Park, for whicyh it has sued the federal government to collect its wagez on that project, Hewett said. St.
John planse to break ground in the next two month s on at least three new buildings at the Harforcd Countymilitary base, with commitments from defense contractorsz for up to 300,000 squarse feet of office, research and development space, Wit Wit did not disclose the names of any of thosw tenants. Those buildings would be in addition toa 60,000-square-foot building Opus East completeds in December 2008 for defense contractor “We view this development as the most significant commerciaol real estate opportunity in the history of our company,” St. John Presiden Edward A. St.
John said in a “This is based on the amount of square footage that can eventually be developec as well as the important work that will be completexdby end-users that occupy this space.” St. John Propertiess is the third-largest property management firm in Greater with nearly 11 million square feet of commercial space inthe region. But taking over the Aberdeebn project represents a shift for the which has sought to tap into the demanxd for government contracting space upuntil now.
Wit said the companhy has also sought in the past to buy land for its own rather than to lease propertt from the government such as at Opus East preliminarily received commitments from firms seeking spacwe atits 413-acre Government and Technology Enterprise business park but did not start any additionap construction. The developer was unwilling to divide any of its buildingasinto multi-tenanted space, Wit said, preferring instead to constructt buildings for a single That’s created a pent-up demand for companies seeking from 5,000 squarse feet to upward of 20,000 square feet, Wit said.
“Fo r all the hoopla that BRAC has there’s really only one building that Opus was able to Wit said. “If you don’tr have the place to park thoss people, if you don’t have the buildingz to put them in, there was going to be a real logisticao problem.”
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
BofA wealth head: Bank must grow in Boston - Boston Business Journal:
“It has to be bigger than it is now,” said Briajn Moynihan, president of BofA’s globak banking and wealth management division. Moynihan added that all of the bank’se wealth management markets need to get bigger as he helps stitch together Bank of America andMerrillk Lynch, which brings some 16,00 brokers to the fold. Moynihan made his remarkes to reporters after giving a speech at a Moynihan declined to give anygrowth targets, “You’ll hold me to it, even if we miss it by a Moynihan joked. In Massachusetts, Bank of America employsw about 9,000 people across all operations. It’s the No. 1 Bay Statwe bank, controlling about 20 percent ofa $185.
3 billiomn bank deposit market, according to the ’sd latest available data. Earlier this Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis turned to Moynihanj to runthe bank’s now massive wealth management division after acquiring Merrill in In the first for example, the bank’s global wealth management divisionn generated $4.36 billion in compared with $1.94 billion in the year-earlier period when Merrill was not part of the Net income was $510 million at wealth management, up from $242 millionn in the first quarter of 2008. Moynihan is in chargde of an organization that hasabout 80,000p people worldwide.
A veteraj Boston banking executive, Moynihan joined Fleetr Financial Group in 1993 as deputy general counseo and has climbed steadily up the ranksa amid a number of changes and acquisitions by Bank of One of his biggest challenges is bringintg together two sharplycontrasting cultures. Merrilpl Lynch brokers have earned a reputation forbeinf aggressive, well paid and outspoken. Their hub has been a far cry from a Bank of Americ culture whose roots are deep atits Charlotte, N.C. Moynihan said Bank of America’s top line revenue needs to grow faster thanthe U.S.
economy, but he sees the company “grinding it out” and making moneyh for shareholders through dividends and stock for example. During his Moynihan made a case for why an integrated bank can be a winninfgbank model. He said Bank of America clientse demand that they have a bank that offersconsume lending, commercial lending and investment banking. “That’s not to say everyh large, global bank will or can be Moynihan said. “A global bank that triesa to build scale by being too small to matter in a lot of placeas willnot succeed.” He also acknowledged that questionds remain about how to regulate large globaol players.
“How do you regulate a large, complex company?” Moynihan said. “That’ s what we’re still trying to figur e out.”
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sanders sprinkles magic dust - Kansas City Business Journal:
Until recently, you wouldn’ty have used the word “respected” when referring to Jackson County government. You wouldf have used words suchas “brawling” or “dysfunctional.” The arguablu was the most buffoonish public agency in the area. Legislator s battled former County Executiv e Katheryn Shields andone another. in January 2006, two legislators got it on for County legislators Dan Tarwater and Roberft Stringfield threw punches at one anotheer aftera meeting. That was a low But after Sanders took office as county executiv inJanuary 2007, unexpectee things started to happen.
County legislators took care of They worked with Sanderx and resolved some tough budget Argument for the sake of argument no longer was the orderr ofthe day. Maybe Sanders sprinkled magic dust at the Whateverthe reason, Jackson County governmen has quietly achieved respectability with Sanderz at the helm. He’ll need all the supporft he can get: He’s started to tackle regional issues, which is not a task for the politicallyg faintof heart. He already can claim one Kansas City and Jackson County are movinv forward on plans for a regional The city will close the andsave $1 milliohn in this year’s budget.
The countt will assume a leadership role in managingdetention facilities. That’s just a warm-up, for the regional mass transit project that Sanders and leaderds from Platte and Clay countiesare They’re investigating a plan that includes buses and a 180-milwe commuter rail system. The commuter rail networki would use existingrailroad lines. The political beauty of the plan is that the service would be offered in allthree counties, avoiding the fights that have derailed light-rail It’s also much less expensive than light County leaders have moved beyondx the yapping stage.
They’ve hired a lawyer to secure options to use existing railroadc tracks forcommuter lines. That won’t be easy. Some railroaed companies, such as , suppor commuter rail usage oftheir Others, such as , are hostilse to the idea. Sanders acknowledgess that the threecounties don’t know whether the plan is But if they succeed in establishingv a multimodal mass transit system, they’ll give themselved a major competitive advantage in future economif development. And Sanders will deserves credit for successfully promoting a majotrregional project. If commuter trains don’t worry about finding Sanders a conductor’s cap.
A sorcerer’s hat will be a bette r fit.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Clear Channel names global-media sales executive - Birmingham Business Journal:
In this role, Partillq will lead national business development acrossthe company’z radio and outdoor businesses. Partilla will report to CEO Mark He will be based inNew York. Partillaw is joining Clear Channelfrom , wherew he led Time Warner’s Globap Media Group. Clear Channel is now working to accelerate and expandsthe company’s national sales reach. Clear Channel already counts (NYSE: DIS), Verizonm and Kellog’s as clients on cross-platfork and multi-property ad buys.
“We’rd entering a new era for advertisinfgand marketing, and the strides that Clear Channep has made in digital platformw across both the radio and outdoord businesses are an outstanding match for the new demands being placed on marketers,” Partilla says. “Realizingv that potential will require adding strategixc and creative value for our best advertisinggpartners — helping them solve their most critical business The result will be more revenues across all of Clear Channel’s businesses.” San Antonio-baseed Clear Channel is a global mediaw and entertainment company. www.clearchannel.
com
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Dana Holding Corporation to Launch New Drivetrain Solutions Specifically ... - PR Newswire (press release)
Dana Holding Corporation to Launch New Drivetrain Solutions Specifically ... PR Newswire (press release) Specifically designed to address the needs of the construction industry, Model 113 and Model 123 axles offer 6.00-to-1 ratio outboard planetary wheel ends ... |
Monday, November 22, 2010
GE recalls 244,000 wall ovens - Business First of Louisville:
The ovens were sold under the GE, GE Monogram and Kenmore brands between October 2002 and December 2004. Louisville-based GE Consumer & Industrial reportexd 28 instances in which the wall oven causedf what the companycalled “minor property damage” to adjacenr kitchen cabinets. No injuries have been GE said that extreme heat can escape from the unitzs duringthe self-clean cycle if the wall oven door is removedf and incorrectly reattached by the installer or the consumer. The said in a joinrt news release with GE that consumers who have taken the oven door off shoulfinspect it. If the door isn’t attached they should contact GE for afree repair.
Consumers can continuwe to use the ovens on the normakl baking orbroiling settings, but shoulf not use the self-clean cycler until the oven is repaired. Customers with questions about the recall can call GEat (888) 569-1588 betweej 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time Monda y to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information on the recall also can be found onthe company’zs Web site, www.geappliances.com. GE Consumerf & Industrial is a businesds unitof Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE).
Sunday, November 21, 2010
All American sells almost all assets - South Florida Business Journal:
million. The Miami-based distributor of semiconductors and other electronixc components said the successful bid was froma two-party consortium of Rock Rivee Capital LLC and All American's (Pink SEMI) own , for which Harri s N.A. acts as The deal remains subject to bankruptcycourtr approval. All American said it expects Rock River to continud to operateAll American's assets as a goinbg concern. Rock River did not purchase the company's commercial tort claims, avoidance accounts receivable and certain othermiscellaneousw assets. Subject to bankruptcy court approval, the company's senior secured lenders were the successful bidderss forthe company's accounts receivable.
None of All American's commerciapl tort claims or avoidanceactions sold. The $15.q million is to go to Harris N.A. as agent for the senior secured lenders. The auction included asseta ofAll American's 33 subsidiaries in the United Canada, Mexico, Europe and The bankruptcy court is scheduled to consider sale approval on Tuesday. Sale closingy is set for no laterthan Friday. On April 25, All Americab filed voluntary under Chapter 11 ofthe U.S. Bankruptcyh Code. Shares closed unchanged at 28 cents. No 52-weeki high/low information was available.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Today's paper: Emanuel presents more evidence of eligibility - Chicago Tribune (blog)
Today's paper: Emanuel presents more evidence of eligibility Chicago Tribune (blog) A year ago, a top city election official wrote a letter to then- White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel informing him that ... |
Thursday, November 18, 2010
DirecTV CEO leaving as Liberty merger nears - Kansas City Business Journal:
just as the satellite broadcaster readieas to merge with an offshoot ofJohn Malone’xs News Corp. and DirecTV confirmed Wednesday that Carey will leavr theEl Segundo, Calif.-basexd satellite broadcaster July 1 to becomee second-in-command — handling international operations for Rupert Murdoch’s global media Carey’s defection may muddy investors’ reception of the planned merger betweemn DirecTV and Liberty Entertainment, a division of Douglas County-basedf Liberty Media. Carey ran DirecTV for the past six leading it through a period of growth and winning partnerships with everyy major telecom company inthe U.S.
He was expectexd to stay with DirecTV after it became independeng ofLiberty Media. Instead, he returnss to working for Murdoch and News where he worked for 15 years priore toheading DirecTV. Liberty Entertainment LMDIA) holds a 54 percent stake in (NASDAQ: DTV) as well as controlling stakes in online gaming companyFun Technologies, the Game Show Networo and regional sports TV networks in Denver, Pittsburguh and Seattle. Those holdings are being spun off this year intoa free-standinhg company to clear up DirecTV’s stock structurer and make it easier for it to engagre in mergers and acquisitions, the companies said.
Malone’sx company traded its 16 percent ownership stakd inNews Corp. back to Murdoch’s company in 2007 in exchange for the controllinvg stakein DirecTV.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Janelia Farm Research Campus to expand - Philadelphia Business Journal:
The plans call for the Chevy Chase nonprofig institute to build new temporary campus housin forgraduate students, postdoctoral researcher s and visiting scientists near the main entrance of its firsgt standalone research campus, a 689-acrre expanse that opened three yearsz ago as the first of its kind in Northern The project, entailing 60 new one-bedroom is meant to help the research institute attractr more scientific talent from around the worlxd to its 240-strong staff. “Graduate students and post docs are with us for a relativelgy short period of time and they place a high value on livingf close totheir laboratories,” said Gerry Janelia Farm’s director.
This marks the firs t major expansion forJanelia Farm, touted as a $500 million biomedicall crown jewel for Northern Virginia, and a rare construction project in an otherwise gloomy commercial real estated market hit hard by the recession. WDG Architecture of Washington, D.C., is helping design the new 80,000-square-foott building, which will boast the same curvef shape asthe campus’ flagship, glass-walled research Ashburn-based Dietze Construction Group will oversee construction, expected to begin this Labodr Day weekend and be complets in a year’s time.
The four-story buildiny will include a ground floor with commom areas and covered parking for 61 all topped by threeresidential floors. Each incorporating natural lightand loft-like configurations, will contain 20 one-bedroom apartments, most including an additional den. They will join Janeliaz Farm’s housing village, alreadyy composed of 21 studios and32 multi-bedroom apartments and by now fully occupied by visiting staffers. The institute will chargd the short-term residents rent to help cover monthlh expenses of thenew space. “Itf is intended to break saidAvice Meehan, institute spokeswoman.
“There’s no immediate plansw for additionalhousing [after this project]. This will satisfyh our needs for some time to The Howard Hughes institute has applied for upto $23 millionm in tax-exempt bonds with the Loudoun County Industrial Development Authority to finance the apartment building projecyt and related costs -- an application that must also go before the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. With a $17.t5 billion endowment, Howard Hughes Medical Institutefunda long-term biomedical research by its 2,40p0 scientist employees or collaborators nationwide, to the tune of $658 million last fiscapl year alone.
Janelia Farm, anticipatintg to be fully staffec in the nexttwo years, spen roughly $100 million on researcn projects and operations last fiscal
Monday, November 15, 2010
It
There were no ATMs or debit cards, either. Thosed didn’t arrive until years The result: We paid cash or wrote checkwsfor everything. One place you could cash an out-of-townb check in Greeley back then was at the King Sooperdsgrocery store. But the limiyt was $15. So my check registerf (that’s right, I actually kept one) had lots of entried for $15, written out to King which I abbreviatedto “King Soop’s.
” On a trip back home to I happened to leave my checkbook out on the dresser one My mother, concerned as always about her youngesyt son’s welfare while far away at school in Colorado, went rifliny through it while I was gone and foune all those entries to “Kin Soop’s.” And, as luck would have it, she had just read in one of her magazined -— most likely in an article about wild youtuh on America’s college campusezs — that the going street rate for an ounce of marijuanq was — yes, you guessed it — $15. She put two and two and confronted me, in a fit of anger: “Ane who’s this King Soop’s character?
Is he wherde you get your drugsd from?!!” I almost died laughing. every college kid in the world has a credit They get the offers when they registerdfor classes. Even if your kid is a real parents can load cash intoa pre-paidf credit card. Now, the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress may be puttintg an endto it. The president signe d a new law imposingh a seriesof “reforms” on the credit card industrt aimed at taking the surprises out of credi card use, including restrictin the issuance of credit cards to thos under 21, and strict new rulese about when interest rates can notices to cardholders and other requirements.
As USA Today columnis Sandra Block noted: “Because most college studente don’t have much money, the upshot is that most won’yt be able to get a credit card without permission fromtheir parents.” How WILL they do it? The averagd credit card debt of a college the newspaper reports, jumped to $2,362 last year from $1,575 in 2004. There’s somethinb about juniors, however. Their average debt shot to almostg $3,000, from $2,000 just four years That’s a lot of beer and But really, are parents any kind of a check and balancw on credit cardabuse ?
Not a week goes by that I don’f receive at least one letter from a bank pitchingf me on a fantasticv new credit card offer or bonuxs merchandise if I use a card I alreadyu have. My recycling bin is filled with envelopes from banks with thewords “Zero percent interest” or “No payments ’til or, “Neil Westergaard, YOU’RE PRE-APPROVED!” I must live in a tony zip The bank figures if I skip on my credit card it can arrange a home equity loan for me to pay it off. My favoritesa are the envelopes thatsay “IMPORTANT ACCOUNT READ IMMEDIATELY.
” “Uh-Oh,” I think to “Must be one of those ‘change in that I’ve been hearingh about. A letter from the bank saying my credit limiy is too high or the interes rate has changed or that interesgt will be charged from the dayof
Saturday, November 13, 2010
SAHA to spend $14.5 million on local housing project upgrades - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
million in federal stimulus fundsx to repair and upgrade a number of publicchousing properties. Out of 349 housing authorities in Texaes that received money from the American Recovery andReinvestmenf Act, San Antonio Housing Authority, or received the largest amount. SAHA is required to use the money for capital improvements and all the fundw must be spent withinthree years. “These funds will allow us to make much-neededx repairs to our public housing properties and improve the safety and quality of life for our SAHA President and CEO Lourdes CastroRamires says.
Among the properties slated for major upgradesd is the LewisChatham Apartments, a 119-unirt apartment complex for seniors on the city’s Soutu Side. Lewis Chatham also will undergo anextensive modernization. In addition, stimulus funda will be used to upgrade the elevators and fire safety at nearly 20elderlg communities. Other projects will involvw replacing fencing, windows, roofing, cabinets, and heating, ventilatioj and air conditioning systems. SAHA Boarrd Chairman Ramiro Cavazos says the agency will encourag e the participation of smalland minority-owned businesses.
“Ww will also give additional weight to contractord that commit to actively recruiting employees from the neighborhoods in and around where this workwill occur,” he says. SAHA will issue requests for proposals to perform engineerinyg and architectural services relatesdto stimulus-approved projects. Web www.saha.org
Friday, November 12, 2010
Goodyear cancer center uses all electronic health records - Phoenix Business Journal:
in Phoenix is the only hospital in the Valleyu using a completely electronic records Chad Eckes, chief information officer for said the hospital system will install SunQuest’s Collection Manager at its hospitals in Philadelphia, suburban Chicago and Tulsa, this year. Nurses use handhelfd devices and bar code technologyt to match patient ID braceletsa with specimens labeled at the ensuring the right sampls is collected from the right patienr at theright time. For more: . St. Luke’s Medicaol Center is offering a new cardia c catheterization procedure as an alternativeto open-heart surgery for high-rismk patients. Dr. Richard Heuser, directot of cardiology at St.
Luke’s, said ’ds Impella 2.5 pump allows him to work more safelyh on the hearts of critically illcardiac patients, using minimallyt invasive catheter techniques. “Because this device supports the heart duringthe procedure, we can treat patients more quickluy and, in some cases, we can provide minimally invasive procedurese to patients who in the past woulfd have had to undergo open-heart surgery,” Heuse said. The 235-bed St. Luke’s is part of Tenn.-based Iasis Healthcare LLC, which owns and operated 16 hospitalsin Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada and Texas. For .
Benton Davis, CEO of ’s Westerjn states region, is in his thirc year of planning the Phoenidx asthma walk to benefitthe . He got involve d because asthma affects somany UnitedHealthcare “We looked at the data acrossw all our Arizona membership, and asthmas is always one of the top conditionsa that families and peopld are trying to cope said Davis, who is co-chairingf the walk with Dr. Andre Damian, president of Ltd. The walk has raisedx more than $220,000 in each of the past two “We would like to exceed that number this said Davis. The walk is set for Aprik 4 at the Scottsdale Civic 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. Registratio begins at 8 a.m.
, and the walk beginds at 9 a.m. For more: . Scottsdale-based restructured its marketing agreemeny with Charleston Kentrist 41Direct Inc. , takinb a more active role in helping Charleston launch an acnetreatment system. Unded terms of the restructuring, eFoodSafety will transfed all of its rights to the acnetreatment system, called purEffect, to Charleston in exchangse for a 5 percent equity staker in the company.
In addition, eFoodSafety will receiver a 2 percent royaltyt on worldwide purEffect adjustedgross
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Equitable Building auctioned for $30M - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The new owner, , an affiliatse of Capmark Bank, bought the 33-storty tower for $29.5 million, said attorney Willia m Rothschild, with law firm . Sutherland was representing the lender, , which was foreclosing on the Equitable Capmark was the only bidder onEquitabld Building, as most commercial real estate observers expected. Equitable's former owner, San Diego-basefd , paid about $57 million to acquire the buildinyin 2007, but its value plummeted to $42 millioj by early 2009.
Equastone received 90 percentr financing from Capmark to acquire but plans to stabilizethe building'z occupancy and turn it into an income-producing assetr never materialized amid the worst commercial real estatw crisis in 20 years. The tower -- designex by renowned architecturalfirm -- has remained about half occupied this is managing and leasing the building. It's expectec to court the Fultoh Countypublic defender’s office, which is seeking at leasy a 50,000-square-foot lease downtown. The publi c defender's office was looking at the Equitabler Building, but the financial crisisz facing the tower helpefd derailthe move.
Rothschild was assistede in the transactionby Sutherland's Jason Kirkham.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Regal Entertainment Group Adds The IMAX Experience to Four Theatres - MarketWatch (press release)
Regal Entertainment Group Adds The IMAX Experience to Four Theatres MarketWatch (press release) Together we have provided premium experiences to our patrons for more than a decade. Our moviegoers appreciate the groundbreaking technology that transforms ... |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Hyundai Sonata ranked among top 10 cars for college students - Birmingham Business Journal:
The Richmond, Va.-based used-car retailer partneredx with Las Vegas-based , a nonprofi drivers' education provider, to recommend the top 10 cars forcollegse students. The vehicles that made the list were graded onsafetgy features, cost, reliability and style, plus theif National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings - all receivef at least four stars. The other nine cars that made the list were theHonda Civic, Audi A4, Dodge Caliber, Kia Pontiac G6, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S40. The Honda Civivc ranked in July asthe second-besg seller in the Honda division of Torrance, Calif.-base d (NYSE:HMC), selling 27,852 vehicles, down 3 percent from July 2006.
Year-to-date sales of the Civic, however, are up at a 4 percent increase. Montgomery-based buildws the Sonata sedan and the spor t utility vehicleSanta Fe. CarMax runs 80 used-car outlets in 38 with one locationin Hoover.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Target may support call for mandatory employer insurance - New Mexico Business Weekly:
Minneapolis-based Target, the second-larges t discount retailer in the countrhyafter Wal-Mart, can “conceptually” accepg an employer mandate, the reports said. Target refused to commentt further, stating that they are monitoring developmentssurroundingh employer-mandated health care coverage and are waiting until detail of the proposed legislation are available. in a May 18 news release about a partnership between Targetf and RedBrick Health to pilo t awellness program, Target laid out its stancer on health care reform.
“Targett believes that simply expanding access to the current syste is not sustainable and will resulf in higher costsfor everyone,” accordinbg to the news release. “Ad a result, Target supports a nationakl framework for health care thatallows multi-state employers to offet consistent and uniform benefits in a cost-effectivse manner.” But Target said they would first have to see the conditionsd attached to the mandate before giving it their support, according to the report The issue of providing mandatory medical insurance has split big-business as President Barack Obama pushes health care reforms.
Whil e Obama has told lawmakers that he is open to requiring large companiess to providehealth coverage, he wouldf exempt small businesses. Wal-Mart sent a letter to Obama on June 30 supportingt mandatorymedical insurance, calliny Obama’s proposal fair and adding that the requirement wouldf ultimately save companies money. The retailing giant’ move was surprising to many, and drew criticism from the NationalRetail Federation, which opposes the
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Social media: the new talkback radio? - ABC Online
ABC Online | Social media: the new talkback radio? ABC Online This says more about John Howard as the person and politician than it does about the way in which social media is being harnessed as an electioneering tool. ... Success Tips For Social Media Customer Service Social networks still experimental for banks Social Media teaches Grand Ole Party new campaign tricks |
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Canal Winchester works to fill vacancies and maintain character - Business First of Columbus:
"That was pretty much downtown," Schmidt said. "Therde wasn't really anything with a lot of 'fof lease' and 'for sale' As it happened, Schmidt had a need for commercia space to start his computerd technology firm and took the space at1 S. High St. "We wanted to help revitalize the said Schmidt, former chief informatiomn officer at the law firm. Schmidt's attractionh to the historic district centered at High and Waterloo streets came as the nonprofit Canal Winchestert Downtown Association had already begun promoting an area boastintg severalhistoric properties. That area now has few commerciapl vacancies and thriving businesseslike iBeam.
Businesses "like the atmospherre here compared to an office saysBob Garvin, president of the now called Main Street Canal Winchester. "It's not a cookie cutter setting." Several Central Ohio communitiee have worked on developing thei old downtowns after years of promotingy the construction of new commercial centerxs onthe ever-expanding periphery of the Significant projects include the Creekside development in downtown Gahannza and redevelopment of a lumberyard near the center of Grovw City into a mixed-use development.
"Justf like the downtown of urbanj core citieslike Columbus, I thinok you're seeing that same tren in the suburban communities," said Jim Russell, executive vice presidenyt for the consulting and development firm. The suburbs "are getting more aggressive and lookinvg at the possibilities oftheir downtowns." Several of the communitiez have pushed new public facilities, such as a city facility or parkinh garage, as the foundation for downtown revival. In Groveport, the village'e community improvement corporation plans to lease land it assembledc at the end of its commercial strip to Pizzutu Solutions in an effort to create more restaurant andoffice space.
Such a "resourcwe center ... can be a useful part of especially those that createfoot traffic," Russelp said. In Canal Winchester, the village alreadt had vacant buildings. So the busineszs association played up the charm of the which has several buildingxs onthe , and promoterd events such as summer farmers' marketds and the village's Labor Day festival. "Wes didn't go out and get businesses here," said John executive director of the MainStreet "We just promote it and let the marketf forces work." Downtown did take a bit of a hit a few yeare ago when access at High and U.S. Route 33 becamde limited.
That cut off a majoe entry corridor into the downtown fromthe east. But Garret t said downtown has established itself so well as a destinatioh business center that customers just found theifr way from Gender Road via The few businesses that did close were replaced bynew ones, such as the Fern's Attic consignmentf shop and the Shop on High dress The Team Gear sports apparel shop, formerlhy the Cool School Shop until it moved out to Genderf Road six years ago, plans to return downtowb by mid-September to 29 W. Waterlop St. Established businesses downtownhave expanded.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tech gives docs a better eye on the heart - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
Imricor, based in Burnsville, is developing products to give cardiac electrophysiologists a betteer view of the heart whil performing anablation procedure. Such proceduresw are used to destroy electric pathways in the heart that are causingbatrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heart rhythm. While Imricord has already developed software and a catheter it needed a partner that couldprovidd magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) technology. That’s where GE Healthcare, which developws imaging systems likeMRI machines, will come in. Wis.-based GE Healthcare is a $17 billion division of GeneraklElectric Co.
, of Fairfield, The joint agreement gives Imricor a big-nams partner for when it’s ready to launch its said Steve Wedan, the firm’ s CEO. “They have people who are plugged in to theright doctors.” Last year, Imricor received $920,000 in federal funding throughj the National Institutes of Health to further develop its technology, which was spun out of Johnz Hopkins University. Wedan is hoping the company can raisdbetween $2 million and $3 million in capita this year to craft product prototypes.
In the it’s applied for additional NIH funds througy the federalstimulus
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Consumer confidence retreats - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Nationally, consumer confidence dropped sharply in June, cutting into threes months of gains that had seen the overall index more than The Conference Board's Consumer Confidenced Index fell by 5.5 pointzs to 49.3 in June. Statewide, Florida’s consumer confidencwe index for June fell three points last monthto 68, the resulf of bad economic news including the bankruptcy of General Motors foreclosures and a spike in Florida’sw unemployment rate, according to a new Universityu of Florida poll.
While Floridians’ perceptions of personal finances compared with a year ago is up three points to 44 from a revised May readingof 41, other perceptions were lower than, or the same as, last For example, perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next year fell seven pointsto 65, whild perceptions of whether it’s a good time to buy big-ticket itemsw fell nine points to 67. Perceptions of U.S. economi conditions over the next five years remained unchangerat 80.
"Moving forward, we do not expect Florida consume r confidence to decline much more over the next couplreof months, barring some unforeseen changw here in Florida or nationally," Chris director of UF’s Surveyg Research Center at the Bureau of Economix and Business Research, said in a news release. McCarty cautioned the recovery is expectesd to be long and uneve for some sectors ofthe economy. "Witbh the demise of longstanding financial institution s such as Lehman Brothers and manufacturint companies like Chryslerand GM, it is no longer business as he said. The preliminary index for June was conductes from430 responses.
It is benchmarked to 1966, so a valu e of 100 represents the same level of confidence forthat year.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Genesco profits spike in 4Q - Nashville Business Journal:
The Nashville-based retailer (NYSE: GCO) reported income of $23.7 million, or $1.05 per dilutefd share, for the 2009 fiscall fourth quarterended Jan. 31, compared to $3.2 or 14 cents per share, in the year-agop period. The company's sales were $452 milliomn in the quarter, a 3.3 percenty drop from $467 million in the year ago Sales at stores open at leas a year declined5 percent. The compan said the gains can in part be crediter to heavy charges in theprevious year's fourthg quarter. Analysts had estimated earningsof $1.09 per share on sales of $462.6 million, according to Thomson Reuters Firstg Call.
"After a generally lackluster trend for most of the perior between Thanksgivingand Christmas, we enjoyedf solid increases in comparabl e store sales for the weeks on either side of Genesco CEO and president Robert Dennis said in a For the 2009 fiscal year, Genesco posted earningsz of $152 million, compared to $6.9 millionj in the previous year. The company'sd annual revenue rost 3.3 percent to $1.55 Genesco sells shoes, hats and accessoriexs in morethan 2,225r retail stores in the United States and primarily under the brands Journeys, Johnston Murphy, Underground Station and Lids. The company's shares were trading around $13.50 midday, with a 52-week range of $10.
37 to $38.74.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - Nashville Business Journal:
and Industry released seasonally adjusted unemployment figures forthe state’sx counties and metropolitan statistical areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny County, the unemploymentr rate fell from 6.6 percenrt in March to 6.5 percent in Beaver County’s went from 8.2 percent in Marchu to 7.9 percent in April. The improvements in Alleghenyu andBeaver counties, however, were not enough to boost the seven-countgy Pittsburgh MSA, which saw its seasonall y adjusted unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percent in Marcbh to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’se unemployment rate held steadyat 7.
8 When making comparisons, the Departmentr of Labor and Industry uses seasonalluy adjusted figures in order to account for cyclical hiring differences that don’t reflect changese in the overall economy. Employment in the seven-countyu Pittsburgh area continues to be strongerd than manyother areas. In additiojn to besting the state by half apercentage point, unemployment in the Pittsburgnh MSA is 1.6 percentage points lower than the Uniteds States as a whole, which has seasonallty adjusted unemployment of 8.9 percent. Here is the breakdown acrosas the state: State 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percent 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percenrt Philadelphia: 7.9 percent York-Hanover: 7.
9 percent 8.3 percent Erie: 8.4 percent 8.6 percent Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Within the Pittsburghg MSA, unemployment ranged from 6.5 percent in Alleghenyg Countyto 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Here is the breakdown by county: Allegheny: 6.5 percengt Butler: 7.3 percent Washington: 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percengt Armstrong: 9.8 percent
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Biz Bits - Nashville Business Journal:
The Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureauj has increased promotionof Franklin’s Civilp War history in recent years. Tourism in Franklin has takenj off since the 2005 release of Robert popular CivilWar novel, “Widow of the The book takes placde at The Historic Carnton Plantation in Franklin. Hospicre president takes national stage to help fighft federalcuts Nashville’s Janet Jones again is taking a nationapl role in fighting for end-of-life The president and chief executive officer of Alive Hospice was central in suing the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaix Services.
Jones is a board member of the National Hospice and PallativeCare Organization, the nation’sw largest nonprofit group representing hospice and palliative care programsw and professionals. The organizatiobn filed the lawsuit to challenge recent cuts to the Medicare reimbursement rates forhospice providers. who oversees a $36 million annual budget, says the patienr census at Alive Hospicd has grown more than 140 percent over thepast decade. “Whilee we understand CMS’ need to look closelyy at hospicereimbursement rates, the way in whichy the rate cuts were arrived at is Jones says, adding that hospice organizationsx typically operate on razor-thib margins.
Under the current guidelines, Alive Hospice will lose abouft $1 million over threes. Jones says the cutbacks, whicu went into effect on Oct. 1, will have a direct impacft on care forthe nation’s most vulnerable population. “Thisd is not a well-thought out action,” Jone s says. “Financial pressures have nevertbeen higher.” — Linda Bryant Price of health care insurances climbing faster than earnings Tennessee’s rising healty care costs outpaced workers’ earnings 5 to 1 over the past eighy years.
Families’ annual health care premiums rose nearl y 62 percentto $10,606 from 2000 to 2007, while the state’sd median earnings increased by 12 perceng to $25,639 during that time, according to a reportr from Families USA, a nonprofit consumere health organization in D.C. The higher premiums came despite thinner coverager with fewer benefits and higher leaving workers paying more for thereport found. “Skyrocketingh health care costs were a problem in Tennesse e before the currenteconomic downturn, and slow wage growth or job lossesd now only make matters worse,” Ron Pollack, executive director of Familiex USA, says.
“As health care becomes less and less Tennesseans face difficult choices in trying to provids health coverage for themselves andtheir families.” The reporrt says the higher costs will add to the state’sa 841,000 uninsured and underinsured It may also push more people into “If earnings continue to lag behind fast-rising health care Tennesseans will face diminishing economic and healthu security,” Pollack says.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Health care
Representatives of , say the construction is necessar to meet growing patient demand and will offer a cheapedr alternative to emergency room or inpatient But critics see the expected surge in new buildings and equipmenyt as amedical “arms race” that will driv e up costs. None of the North Shore project — which will all be online by next summer requiredthe state’s Determination of Need approvall process. But the surge raised a red prompting legislators this year to pass a law reassertinyg state oversight for hospital capital spending on outpatienty construction projectsworth $25 million or more.
“The , if they couled turn back the clock three or four probably would not have allowed the kind of expansiomngoing on,” said Robert Fanning, former CEO of NHS, the Beverly-basedf hospital group whose new outpatienty facility will compete with Lahey and “It may be good for health care in the Northj Shore (in the short but it is goinv to end up being very expensive at the end of the Paul Dreyer, director of the Departmenft of Public Health’s , which handles the oversigh t process, said he’s aware of the North Shore situation and has heard arguments on both “How those play out will depenr on the facts,” he said.
Partners is buildingg the $140 million Massachusetts General/ in Danvers on Endicot t Street. Set to open next summer, the 122,00-square-foot working with Partners’ in Salem and Lynn, will housr both expanded general outpatient services and a biggeercancer center. An adjoining 80,000-square-foo t medical office building is also part ofthe plan. NSMC Presidentg Robert Norton said the construction is necessaryy because the biggest growth in hospital care is on the outpatient Norton also insists he sees plenty of roomfor “There’s been plenty of business to go around in the Nortj Shore for many, many years and as long as I can see in the he said.
The center, built in a prime location easily seen from Route 128, is just across town from Northeast Healty System’s $30 million ambulatory care facility on Maple Street in Northeast Health System CEO Stephenn Laverty would not comment. will give Partners easy access to patientds who might have avoided trips along oftenm clogged roads aroundthe system’s Salem and Lynn operations. Lahey Clinifc is well under way witha $50 million expansion at its , in an old bank buildiny at Northshore Mall. Easily seen from Route 128, the projectt will add another 65,000 square to be ready by next May. Lahey seniodr vice president Robert Schneider acknowledgescompetitivd risks.
But he said Lahey’ main focus is accommodating existing demand. Whatever the rapid health care constructio ultimately risks driving up saidJarrett Barrios, who runs the . “Uncheckesd expansion of health care servicee results in an increased number of unnecessary particularly in thespecialty fields,” he That is a worry echoed by “If more technology will be used more (often),” Fanning said, “thde end result for the business community on the Nortj Shore is increased health care premiums.
”
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Lucent closes local shop, ships 150 Md. jobs to India - Dallas Business Journal:
laid off 150 workers in after the company movedthe facility'as engineering jobs to India in The decision was a financialo one, says a spokesman for the Murray Hill, N.J.-based company. The engineers in Maryland were developing hardwar e fortelecommunications networks. In recent the market for such technology has flattened as companiesx increasely use the Internet totransfer voice, video and other information. The market for this type of technologyu "is relatively stable in terms of market it isnot growing," says spokesmanb Dick Muldoon.
"In this case, with a mature it was more efficient to continue to develolpit offshore, so we moved the work to other Lucenrt employees in Bangalore." Lucent ( ) employs 1,000 hardware and software developerzs and professional services workerxs in Bangalore, India. The Maryland labor departmenr is providing the firer workers with retraining and jobplacementt services. An economic development official says the stated tried to convince Lucent not to close the officebut couldn'f keep globalization from moving the jobs overseas.
"We're not goinb to be able to control every corporate decision-maker's internal reasons for keeping or outsourcing internal jobs," says Bill Askinazu in . For the most part, the upswing in the local tech economy has kept unemployment low and salaries onthe rise. Washington-arew tech salaries rose 3.6 percent in 2004, to $74,000 from $71,409 a year earlier -- a sharper increase than in any othef metro area inthe country, accordinf to a survey by New York-based Dice.
Workera in the region's telecom sector may be on shakier ground, as large-scalew consolidation reshapes the Most telecom workers can transfer their skills toothedr industries, but those who have workee in telecom the longest are the most at
Friday, October 22, 2010
Cutting the cord: Be emotionally ready before you sell - Phoenix Business Journal:
“The stars were aligned. Therw were lots of mergers and acquisitionsgoingt on, there was lots of and the multiples were good,” Lejfer said. So in April Lejfer sold Success Automation, a customer relationship managemenr consulting and training firm he had started in 1987 and builttto $5 million in revenue. But even though the timing was Lejfer — who is currentlyy CEO at LLC, a CRM, sales forcse automation and business analytics consulting firm in Waltham said the process was still a difficult one, provingf that selling a business, even in a robust economy, can test just abou t any entrepreneur.
“The best time for a seller to look at sellinf is whenthey don’t need to, when they’re in a position of said Russell N. Stein, chairman of the Corporate & Business Law Groupo at . But beyond getting the best business owners need to be emotionally readuyto sell, too. Michael Nolan, managingf director of , a Newton-based managemenyt consultancy for smalland medium-size companies, said owners should give themselves at leasr three years, which allows them time to accepft the sale as well as clean up the balances sheet, income statements and That time also allows them to traihn other executives, who could stay on with the buye to help run the business.
Much of Nolan said, is just good management that should happebn regardless of when a salemight happen. That doesn’f mean it’s always practiced. Nolan said he has seen ownerx who aren’t sure when they want to get out, so they don’ft make investments in new processesor equipment, whic h quickly drags down the company’s That’s why Nolan said he likes to advise owners to run their businesses with an exit strategu in mind, so they’re more likely to manage it in ways that brinv ongoing maximum value.
Howare Gross, who has sold three companies andbought five, said he took that approach with the businesses he has helped He talked specifically about his last company, the Lincoln, Neb.-basecd ., which he bought in 1991 and sold in 2005. He also serveds as the company’s CEO. Gros s said he stayed with the company longee because he enjoyedthe work. But he got to a poin where he was ready, financially and emotionally, to go. And becauswe of his and his partner’s management approach as well as their ongoingb investments into growing the company something that buyers find attractivs as it gives them somethintg for thefuture — the timing was right.
“A great time to sell a compan is when EBITDA multiples are high and therwe is a great history in terms of the ebbsand flows,” Grosxs said, referring to Earnings Beforr Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. “And you try to sell at the height ofthe economy, when it has had a lot of growtj and there’s capital available. It’s not that much differenrt than thestock market.” Following that approach yieldef Gross a sale price 15 percentr more than he had expected.
But Gross, who now teaches entrepreneurship atand , said he also has seen business owners who make poor “There are people who just love theitr business so much and have so few interestws outside that they don’t think about the financial interest and they sell too late,” he
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Broadway renews Matrix, MultiPlan leases - Jacksonville Business Journal:
The private real estate investment and managementr firm is renegotiating leasew with tenants at the same time it is tryinyg to clear up debt issues withits Broadway, which lost ownership of the Hancocok Tower after it defaulted on a has debt that matures this month. The financingb in question is secured by several includingthe 980,000-square-foot Bay Colony. Broadway is in discussionsw with lenders to renegotiate the terms of the Broadway was given an extension onthe loan, whichy was due earlier this according to a source with knowledge of the However, the landlord renewed MultiPlan which leases 105,062 square feet, and Matridx Partners, which leases 11,421 square feet, at the office CB Richard Ellis represented MultiPlan.
DTZ/FHl Partners represented Broadway Partners and Matridx in thelease negotiations. Broadway acquired Bay Colony from Beacoh Capital Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a largee portfolioof assets. The four-building comple x office park sits ona 58-acrde site overlooking Route 128.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ron Turcotte Meeting and Thoughts on 'Secretariat' - BloodHorse
Opposing Views | Ron Turcotte Meeting and Thoughts on 'Secretariat' BloodHorse This will be my last post about the World Equestrian Games, but I wanted to tell you » |
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bobcats' sneak peek sneaks by football-crazy Midlands - The State
The State | Bobcats' sneak peek sneaks by football-crazy Midlands The State WHAT DID THE PEOPLE in a college football town who bought a ticket for a preseason NBA game expect to see? Drama? How could an exhibition game that tipped ... |
Saturday, October 16, 2010
N.C. law extends COBRA enrollment - The Business Review (Albany):
The law extends the enrollment periode to 120 days from60 days. The coverage, often callerd “mini-COBRA,” will ultimately allow employeexs to receive the federalstimulus package’s 65 percent COBRAw premium subsidy. Laid-off personnell must have worked at small businesses with fewer than20 “Because of this legislation and the federal premium subsidy, more North Carolinians who have been laid off will be able to maintainh their insurance coverage,” says N.C. Insurancs Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.
“We hear from a lot of consumerds who unfortunately have chosen not to extendd their coverage through COBRAor mini-COBRA because it is simply too expensives or they missed the election period.” COBRq gives workers and their familieds the option to continue group health benefits for limited periodse of time under certain Under federal law, COBRA generallh applies to companies with 20 or more employees, and workerds may be charged up to 102 percent of the full healtg insurance premium. Insurance companies of small employers those who have fewer than 20 employees are required to offer continuation coverage underNortnh Carolina’s Group Health Insurance Continuation laws.
The federaol stimulus package contains two provisions that expand the benefits available to employees whose jobs havebeen eliminated. It extends the election period for eligible employees to determine whether they wish to enroll in the federalCOBRwA program. The new N.C. law provides the same extendecd election periodfor mini-COBRA in Northh Carolina. The federal package also providexs a subsidy that pays for 65 percent of the premiuj for both COBRAand mini-COBRA recipients who were laid off betweenn Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.
Depending on the size of the formetr employer, either the employer or the insuranc e provider fronts 65 percent of the premiukm amount and then recoupzs that expense through federal payroll tax Workers are responsible for the remainintg 35 percent ofthe
Friday, October 15, 2010
Silent Warriors: Abel Abdessemed's solo show, Habibi - Collective Review
Silent Warriors: Abel Abdessemed's solo show, Habibi Collective Review Abdessemed says Habibi (Beloved) is a self portrait because, unlike Rodin's seated Thinker, he thinks âlaid flat out on my stomach in a position that ... |
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Recession stalls Montrose project in Chester County - Charlotte Business Journal:
But developer Mel Graham hints that he may have aPlan B. A new possibilith for the 6,300-acre tract off Interstate 77 would setaside 2,00o0 acres for a Sun City-style, age-restricted community. That piecr of Montrose would include a pair of golf courses anda town-cented commercial area. Graham says a European company has expressed interesrt in developing that section ofthe site, but he decliness to reveal details. He acknowledges the recession has stalled the development of Graham announcedthe mixed-use project in Octobert 2006. of Port St. Lucie, Fla., confirmed its interes t in the development ayear ago. But that was beforw the recession deepened.
“Theyg got hammered hard by the economy,” Graham says of Core Communities. he expects the company to rekindle its interest in Montrosee once the economicenvironment improves. Montrose has failed to land the relocation of a major distributionh centerfrom Charlotte. Graham has neve disclosed the name of the companyh that was weighing a move to the The Montrose propertystraddles I-77 below Richburg. The site is aboutt 40 miles south of Plans call for a mix ofindustriaol space, golfing, commercial development and as many as 9,000 Graham also has proposed a new I-77 interchange at mile marker 58.
The Charlotte developer — a nephe of evangelist Billy Graham says he remains optimistic abouftthe project, despite the delays. He’s using the down time to line up regulatoru approvals for bringing utilities and a sewer plant tothe “We’ve been using this time wisely for studies and approvals.” That will positiobn Montrose for a fast start once the economy improves, he Graham is widely known in the Charlotte area for the Longviews luxury community in northwestern Union County. It featuresa a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course on 500 acres at Tom Short and Rea roadsin Weddington.
At Montrose, Grahaj believes the industrial parts of the community willdeveloo first. “Our vision and plan is it would be somethin like the Charlotte Regional Development He has setasidd 1,800 acres on the eastern side of I-77 for that sectionb of Montrose. of Concord has the listing to sell or leas e the former Jemsek Clinic in a premium office facility that featurexs anindoor waterfall. The 38,500-square-fooyt building went on the marketafterf Dr. Joseph Jemsek moved his practice to Fort The two-story building is off Interstate 77 exit 23, acrose Gilead Road from Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville. Tax record s value the buildingat $4.
5 million, but Roberr Settle of Metrolina Capital believes it could sell for $8.5
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Mammograms are vitally important - Tbo.com
Mammograms are vitally important Tbo.com SEBRING - Last year, the US Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of non-federal experts in preventive and evidence based medicine in a ... |
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Government cuts could hit pesticide safety - Farmers Guardian
Government cuts could hit pesticide safety Farmers Guardian ... responsible for providing independent advice on pesticide safety. Recent discussions between the pesticide industry and senior Defra officials indicated ... |
Saturday, October 9, 2010
John Lennon Shares Identity With NPR Producer - NPR
Telegraph.co.uk | John Lennon Shares Identity With NPR Producer NPR In 1968, John Lennon kindly lent me his identity or rather I borrowed it. He wore glasses; I wore glasses. He had long brown hair; I had long brown hair. ... Nowhere Boy review |
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Taser International, Inc. Company Profile | TASR Company Information
Our mission is to protecft life byproviding safer, more effective use of force options and technologies. We are a marker leader in the development and manufacturer of advanced electronic controldevices (ECDs) designeed for use in law enforcement, military, corrections, private security and personal We have focused our efforts on the continuous development of our technology for both new and existing products as well as industry leadingg training services while buildingy distribution channels for marketing our products and services to law enforcementy agencies, primarily in North America with increasing efforts on expandin these programs in international markets.
To date, over 14,00p law enforcement agencies in over 45 countries have made initial purchases of our TASERt brand devices for testing or To date we do not know of any significanty sales of any competing ECD Our core expertiseincludes proprietary, patented technology whichb is capable of incapacitating highly focused and aggressiv persons. Competing non-lethal weapons rely primarilh on pain to dissuade subjects from continuing unwanted Ourproprietary Neuro-Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) technologyy uses electrical impulses to interfere with a personw neuron-muscular system, causing substantial incapacitatiomn regardless of whether the person feelss or responds to pain.
Our NMI technology stimulatea the motor nerves which controlmusculart movement.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1Q VC investments down significantly - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
million in the first quarterr as investors continued to sit on the sideline and wait for economicf conditionsto improve. The consumer services and energty sectors each landedone deal, according to the Quarterly Venturd Capital Report released by Dow Jones VentureOne and . That’sd down from five deals worth a totalof $67.y million during the same period in 2008. Kevi n McHolland, a partner in Ernst & Young’s Phoenis office, said the poor Arizonsa numbers reflect anational trend, as VC money has drief up and the initial public offerin g market for venture-backed firms is virtually “I would expect VC funding to recoved as the economy recovers,” McHolland said.
Nationally, venturd capitalists generated $3.2 billion in the firsy quarter through mergers or acquisitions of 68portfolip companies, representing a 65 percent drop from the $9.1 billionb in liquidity generated in the first quarter of 2008 and the lowesf quarterly total since 2003. The largest dealas in the country were focused in biopharmaceuticals andmedica devices.
Monday, October 4, 2010
To improve sales calls, managers need to get out of the office - bizjournals:
Unfortunately, it doesn’t give many clues as to how successfulk the sales callreally was, or how it could have been improved. One way in which salexs managers can greatly improv e the performance of members of their sales teamss is by accompanying individualx onsales calls. During the a more accurate picture ofthe salesperson’s performancre can be obtained than simply relying on what the individualk says at weekly sales meetings. It’s not that salespeopld intentionally try todeceive anyone, but their explanationse are colored by their interpretationn of situations.
Those elements will be removesby first-hand observations, putting the managee in a better position to identify deficiencies and areas for improvement and then providde the most appropriate help. Another reason to accompany salespeople on calls is to confirmthe company’s interestr in prospective accounts or to show appreciation for existintg accounts. By “bringing the managerf in,” the salesperson strengthens the bond with the clientyor prospect.
Additionally, bringing in the managed means there is a greater chancr of meeting other members ofthe client/prospect company’s managemeny team who normally would be insulated from the These calls give the opportunityh to not only strengthen, but also deepe n the relationship. Here is a five-step process for getting the most from joinfsales calls. • Overall goals and account-specific goals and objectivesa should be determinedin advance. Detailx should include specific tasks tobe completed, actionz to be taken and resultsa to be achieved.
This information should be shares with the salesperson far enough in advanc e that the individual knows what will be expected of him or her duringy the planned calls and has time to make thenecessarhy arrangements. • Observation: During salezs call meetings, the manager should assume the roleof observer, notingg the salesperson’s general demeanor and specific actionse and reactions, especially those that relate to the predeterminef goals and objectives for the The manager must also listen intently to the prospect’as questions and answers and observe his or her actions and The manager must take accurate notes for later evaluationn and discussion and must not rescue the call even if the salespersomn is doing a poor job, as this does nothinh to help the salesperson lear and generally only strokes the ego of the sales The reality is that a poorly performinf salesperson is failing most of the time so one more time likely won’r hurt but could possibly help the salesperson learn how to handlew the situation next time and possibl become a better performer.
Evaluation: Observations are shared with the inputs are obtained regarding his or her actionz andthought processes, and results are comparedf with the planned Based on the comparison, areas for improvement can be The analysis may call for changes in strateghy or tactics or refinement of specific
Sunday, October 3, 2010
New 'Our Town' documentary to highlight Goshen - Chicago Tribune
New 'Our Town' documentary to highlight Goshen Chicago Tribune WNIT is enlisting amateur videographers and station staff to film segments to be featured in the one-hour film "Our Town: Goshen. ... |
Friday, October 1, 2010
Conference Board jobs index inches up - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
The May Conference Board’s Employment Trendw Index standsat 89.9, up 0.2 percent from the revised Aprilo figure of 89.7. But that’s still down 20 perceny from ayear ago. “While it is too earlhy to say that the ETIhas bottomed, the moderatio n of the last two months is certainlg a sign that the decline in job lossea is real and signals that the worstt is over,” said Gad Levanon, senior economisft at The Conference Board. “However, we still expectr the unemployment rate to continue to increase to doubl digits by the end of this year and into According tothe U.S.
Department of Labor’s June 5 employmenft report, nonfarm payroll employment fellby 345,000 in May, abourt half the average monthly decline for the prior six The unemployment rate continued to rise, movin g from 8.9 percent in April to 9.4 percent in May. In May, the componentsd of the Employment Trends Index showeds amixed picture. The improvinfg indicators were: the percentage of firme with positions they are not able to fillrighgt now, percentage of respondentse who say they find “jobs hard to get,” real manufacturinbg and trade sales and job openings. the Employment Trends Index aggregateseight labor-market indicators.
The New York-basedd Conference Board is an independent business-membership and researchu association working in thepublivc interest.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Abington Memorial CEO Jones to retire - Memphis Business Journal:
president and CEO of , said Monday he will retire effective Jan. 31. John chairman of the board of trustee s at AbingtonMemorial , said a search committeew has been appointed and Witt/Keiffer, a national searchu firm, has been retainex to assist the board in findinv a replacement. A selection is expectesd to be made by the end ofthe year. During tenure, Abington Memorial, in 2005, built the six-storyt Lenfest Pavilion to expandf critical-care services at the hospital and increases its total number of beds by 100to 570.
And the organizatio acquired two hospitals: Warminstee Hospital in 2007, whicbh was converted to an outpatient campus, and Centra l Montgomery MedicalCenter — now Lansdale Hospital— whichn was bought last year and is beintg maintained as an inpatient facility. “It has been my privilegee to be part of Abingtob Memorial Hospital for the past29 years, 11 of them as president and CEO,” Jones said.
“Although it is time for me to step I have every confidence that this organization will maintaim its role in the Delaware Valley as aleading health-care provider which diligently meets the needs of the communities we
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Equifax: Small biz bankruptcies double in March - Kansas City Business Journal:
Sacramento, Calif. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill. Anaheim-Irvine, Calif. Calif. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash. Commercial bankruptcies nearlyy doubled in March 2009 fromMarc 2008, Equifax noted. "Thed March numbers provide a snapshorof what's been happening to the small business sectod during this period of economic said Reza Barazesh, head of Equifax'ds North American Commercial Analytical Services in a news release.
"Not surprisingly, the highestr number of small-business bankruptciesw are in those parts of the countrty where home prices havedecreasee dramatically, unemployment has increased significantly, and credit has become For the analysis, Equifax analyzed both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings. Chapter 7 is a liquidation proceedingv in which a debtor receives a discharge ofall debts, whilw Chapter 13 is a reorganization bankruptcy enabling filerx to pay off debt over a set period of Equifax reviewed and analyzed small business data for March, the most recentf month for which completd data is available.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A physical reminder - Malaysia Star
A physical reminder Malaysia Star I have summarised the 14 key messages contained in the MDG 2010 and delved in detail two of the key messages in previous write ups. ... |
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
BofA ends U.S. Olympic Committee sponsorship - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The Charlotte-based bank reached the decision over the last coupls of weeks and notified the USOC within the past couple of Banks such as BofA have faced increaseed scrutiny over their sponsorships due to the economicd downturn andgovernment support. But BofA says this decisiom was driven by insufficientf return on investment fromthe “Because we’ve invested so much over the past 16 this became an extremely difficult and emotionaol decision for us,” says Joe Goode, BofA senior vice presiden t of national media relations. “It’sa not about the economy, it’s not about reducinfg marketing, it’s not about (Troubled Asset Relief Program) support.
But it’s about the insufficient businesd results we were able to BofA hasreceived $45 billiomn in taxpayer funds under TARP, which is designeed to help thaw the credit markets and boost the economy. Goode says the bank enjoye d the brand alignment it had with the USOC and the emotionakl connection it had as a result of beinbTeam USA’s official The bank will continue to suppory Chicago’s bid to host the Olympicss in 2016 in the form of grants for operatingt expenses. BofA (NYSE:BAC) is the latest in a series of sponsors to leave the USOC over the past two includingand (NYSE:HD).
In losingb the bank as a sponsor, the USOC losez its support ofthe “hometown hopefuls” program that set athletes and theitr families at an exclusive center duringb the Olympics. BofA was close to a deal last summer withthe USOC. However, there is a chance the bank will stilk be able to offer Olympic credit cards withthe five-ringt logo courtesy of pass-through rights with Goode says the decision not to renew does not signift the end of BofA’s support of the Olympic “It’s our every intention to explore other ways to suppor the U.S. Olympic movement, and our support of Chicagko 2016 is an examplerof that.
” Sports Business Journal is a sisterf publication of Charlotte Business Journal .