ejyceh.wordpress.com
stores will open within weeks of each otherf latethis year. The 125,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace which will both feature thesame layout, will be located in Brazos Town Center in Rosenberg and at Watersidw Marketplace in Richmond. The Richmond Kroger is slatedf to open inearly November, whilw the Rosenberg store will open in “We view these as two separate growth says Gary Huddleston, consumer affairse director of Kroger “We believe that these stores will serve two differenyt markets and we’ll do well in both of thes e areas.” Huddleston says the Brazos Town Centerf store, located at U.S.
Highway 59 and FM 762 in will primarily servethe Richmond/Rosenberg market, while the Waterside Marketplaces location, at Grand Parkway and Mason Road in will serve the Katy market. Both Kroger Marketplace stores will featurew a FredMeyer Jewelers’ store as well as a larged home furnishing section with Ashlety Furniture. The stores will also offer grocer y anddeli products, a largew floral section, gourmet and chef-preparedd foods, a wine shop with a wine a drive-thru pharmacy and a Kitchenplace area with upscale kitchenware and placre settings. Huddleston says the format will be even largerthan Kroger’s upscale Signature Store concept.
The placement of the superr stores so close together in outlying suburbs is especially sincethe Richmond/Rosenberg area isn’t particularlgy known as a hotspot for In fact, the Starbucks location in Rosenberg at 24406 U.S. Highway 59, was one of the firsrt to close early last year when the coffee chai began shutteringunprofitable units. Barkley vice president of development and operations for the Greatetr Fort Bend EconomicDevelopmengt Council, says even though Richmond and Rosenberg are considered “sistef cities,” the two Kroger Marketplacd locations will serve “vastlyg different” customers.
He believes the Rosenberg storse will fill a void left in the local grocer y market whenKmart Corp. pulled out of Texas and closede its store at State Highway 36and U.S. 59 in 2003. “Peoplr in Rosenberg really don’gt have a major grocer in a conveniengt placeto shop, so I thinkm they’ll do well,” he says. Despitse the close proximity of the twogiangt stores, Peschel says, Kroger was very picky in its site selectioh process and only chose areaz that could support a storde now and also show strong potentiak for growth in the future. “I think they’vwe found that,” he says. “There is a need for this type of shoppingv experience inthe area.
” LOCATION, LOCATION Steve Fritzer, vice president of investmentse for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers, which owns Watersidr Marketplace, says the center is 65 percent leased, with Krogetr Marketplace serving as the anchor. He points out that the 147,857-square-foogt center is located in the sixth-fastest growing residential ZIP code in the Withina three-mile radius, there is a population of 33,2112 people with an annualk average household income of $96,754. The cente is also located at an intersectiohn that will be one of the two controlledf access points on Grand Parkwa connecting driversfrom U.S. Highway 90 to the Westpark Tollroad.
The other Kroger Marketplace location inthe 546-acre Brazos Town Center in Rosenberg will be in a simila situation. According to research by Houston-base NewQuest Properties, which owns Brazo s Town Center, the median househol d income in the trade area is in excessof $50,0000 annually. Peschel says that despite the struggling national andregiona economies, Fort Bend County is continuing to grow, havintg added approximately 30,000 new residents last year. He says the county is expected to reacu more than 1 million residenta in the next15 years.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Money-losing Ilikai hotel to close - San Francisco Business Times:
avaohev.blogspot.com
The hotel and condominium complex’s owner, New York-based commercial lender , said Tuesdagy that the hotel has been losing monegy for months and that therw is no sign ofa turnaround. “Unfortunately, alternativese to reduce the operatinbg losses at the hotel have not to datebeen achieved, thus leadingy to the decision to close the said the statement by Andrew G. iStar Financial senior vice At least 75 workers representeds by UNITE HERELocal 5, the hotel and restaurant workers’ union, will lose thiert jobs.
The closure was not The lender bought the Ilikaki at a foreclosure auction in April after developee Brian Anderson defaulted on the loan he took out in 2006 to buy the building and 203residential units. But iStafr soon made clear it didn’t want to be in the hoteo business when it refused to put up the money for continuing the It said in a January lette r toJoseph Toy, then the property's that it had no intention of funding hotepl operations. Toy is presidenty and CEO of . The closure of the hotel doesn’g affect 806 of the 1,009 unitxs within the Ilikai, which are privately ownecd condominiums ortime shares. iSta said the common areas and pool willremainb open.
Hotel occupancy was low and withits first-flooe restaurants and retail space shut down, the hote l had the look of an abandoned a sore point with the fulltime condominium residents. iStar is looking for a buyert for the propertybut it’s a difficult sell at a time when most sourcez of commercial financing are dry. The iStaer statement left open the possibility the hotepl wouldbe reopened. "The compangy has explored all available options to avoir the shutdown of the hotelk operations and recognizes the impact such a decisiohn will have on the condominium ownersand residents, hotel employeesd and guests," the iStar statement said.
"The company continuexs to evaluate possible uses for the property that will addressacommunity needs." iStar said guestsx would be moved to othe r hotels for the duration of theirf stays. In April, iStar successfully bid $51 millionm for the Ilikai’s 203 residential unitds and 16commercial units, which include the front office and retail restaurants and parking. Rumors of the Ilikai’as closure had been circulating forsome time, especially over the past few weeks. When the Ilikak opened in February 1964with 1,050 guest rooms and condominium apartments, it was consideredr the first luxury high-rise hotel in Hawaii.
It was also one of the firstr buildings to feature a mix of traditional hotelp rooms and condominiums owned by permanent residents ofthe building. Many of the condominiu m owners are elderly and some have lived in the buildinv sincethe 1960s. Anderson's attempt to renovate the Ilikai's commonh areas was complicated by repeated clashes with the residents who dominatedrthe building's condominium association and challengeed some of his plans. The hotelp gained an international reputation as the location of the famous openinv shotof “Hawaii where Jack Lord stands on the penthouse balcong of the Ilikai.
The hotel and condominium complex’s owner, New York-based commercial lender , said Tuesdagy that the hotel has been losing monegy for months and that therw is no sign ofa turnaround. “Unfortunately, alternativese to reduce the operatinbg losses at the hotel have not to datebeen achieved, thus leadingy to the decision to close the said the statement by Andrew G. iStar Financial senior vice At least 75 workers representeds by UNITE HERELocal 5, the hotel and restaurant workers’ union, will lose thiert jobs.
The closure was not The lender bought the Ilikaki at a foreclosure auction in April after developee Brian Anderson defaulted on the loan he took out in 2006 to buy the building and 203residential units. But iStafr soon made clear it didn’t want to be in the hoteo business when it refused to put up the money for continuing the It said in a January lette r toJoseph Toy, then the property's that it had no intention of funding hotepl operations. Toy is presidenty and CEO of . The closure of the hotel doesn’g affect 806 of the 1,009 unitxs within the Ilikai, which are privately ownecd condominiums ortime shares. iSta said the common areas and pool willremainb open.
Hotel occupancy was low and withits first-flooe restaurants and retail space shut down, the hote l had the look of an abandoned a sore point with the fulltime condominium residents. iStar is looking for a buyert for the propertybut it’s a difficult sell at a time when most sourcez of commercial financing are dry. The iStaer statement left open the possibility the hotepl wouldbe reopened. "The compangy has explored all available options to avoir the shutdown of the hotelk operations and recognizes the impact such a decisiohn will have on the condominium ownersand residents, hotel employeesd and guests," the iStar statement said.
"The company continuexs to evaluate possible uses for the property that will addressacommunity needs." iStar said guestsx would be moved to othe r hotels for the duration of theirf stays. In April, iStar successfully bid $51 millionm for the Ilikai’s 203 residential unitds and 16commercial units, which include the front office and retail restaurants and parking. Rumors of the Ilikai’as closure had been circulating forsome time, especially over the past few weeks. When the Ilikak opened in February 1964with 1,050 guest rooms and condominium apartments, it was consideredr the first luxury high-rise hotel in Hawaii.
It was also one of the firstr buildings to feature a mix of traditional hotelp rooms and condominiums owned by permanent residents ofthe building. Many of the condominiu m owners are elderly and some have lived in the buildinv sincethe 1960s. Anderson's attempt to renovate the Ilikai's commonh areas was complicated by repeated clashes with the residents who dominatedrthe building's condominium association and challengeed some of his plans. The hotelp gained an international reputation as the location of the famous openinv shotof “Hawaii where Jack Lord stands on the penthouse balcong of the Ilikai.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
GM Tonawanda takes 5-week recess - Business First of Buffalo:
bhutan-warwick.blogspot.com
About 500 factory workers and 140 salaried personnel are affectefd bythe five-week shutdown. said in May that productiob would be stopped for three weeks at the locall facility as the automaker reduces inventory by temporarilyt idling a number ofits plants. That period is beinbg combined with theregular two-week plannee companywide shutdown that starts on June 29. Spokeswomab Nina Price said that a small workforceof “maybe 100” is staying on the job durinvg much of the plant’s three-week shutdown. No schedulw change at the local planty has been ordered at this time because of an extensiobn of the temporary summertime closuresd at sevenGM factories, she said.
These locationw include the Oshawa, Ont., car and other assembly plantsat Ohio, Shreveport, La., and Orion Township - whicb receive engines from Tonawanda. The latest round of closuresd was announced this week and range from one addedr week at the Oshawa factory to four additional weeks at the Lansing Grand Rive r plantin Michigan. Most of the locationss will go down for three added weeksin July.
About 500 factory workers and 140 salaried personnel are affectefd bythe five-week shutdown. said in May that productiob would be stopped for three weeks at the locall facility as the automaker reduces inventory by temporarilyt idling a number ofits plants. That period is beinbg combined with theregular two-week plannee companywide shutdown that starts on June 29. Spokeswomab Nina Price said that a small workforceof “maybe 100” is staying on the job durinvg much of the plant’s three-week shutdown. No schedulw change at the local planty has been ordered at this time because of an extensiobn of the temporary summertime closuresd at sevenGM factories, she said.
These locationw include the Oshawa, Ont., car and other assembly plantsat Ohio, Shreveport, La., and Orion Township - whicb receive engines from Tonawanda. The latest round of closuresd was announced this week and range from one addedr week at the Oshawa factory to four additional weeks at the Lansing Grand Rive r plantin Michigan. Most of the locationss will go down for three added weeksin July.
Monday, April 30, 2012
5 Questions about Sky Song - Memphis Business Journal:
zolinstanixes.blogspot.com
Scarlett Spring, Executive vice presidentg of business development, is a very targeteds kind of commercial development. What makes it unique? “SkySongh is unique in several ways. First, it is a dynamicd private-public partnership that seeks to accelerate successful commercialization ofnew ventures. Another important aspectg is innovation and Because of the relationship with Arizona State SkySong offers businesses access to resources and talent in a collaborativwe way that integrates academia andprivat enterprise, which is especially beneficial to emerging technologies companies.
SkySong is attracting global corporationd that will have a footprint in developinhggreater Phoenix’s high-tech environment.” SkySong seems to have succeeded in attracting a stronvg collection of global boutique tech firms. How was the developmeng and leasing team able to pull that off in this kind of downeconomicx environment? “International emerging tech firms looking at greater Phoenix as an entru point into the U.S. market are seeking an collaborative environment. The model at SkySong offerw flexibility. During this downturn, international companies are lookintg for ways to limift risk and increase acceszsto talent.
The partnerships they are developing are complemented by dynami c companies that are locatingwithihn SkySong.” Have you observed any significant niche office developments in the countryh that could be models for future Valleu projects? “Properties that have a unique proposition, meaning it is more than an officr complex, are gaining attention among clients. An example that is interesting is aPacifiv Northwest-based tech accelerator. It combines the best of an incubatoer model with venture capital Will we see more targeteddcommercial developments, and what will be the drawing card?
“First, the largest impact we see is a requesr for (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certifiex buildings. Companies are becoming more sensitive to greejn andsustainability issues.” Are some developersz specializing more in niche commercial developments? “Yes. Every developer’s goal is to create valuw in theproperty they’res building. The degree to which they are willing to accep risk generally determines how far they will pursuenichee developments.
What we’re seeing mostly is sustainability as a themed incorporatedinto public-private partnerships, biotechy parks and incubation We have recognized national leaderas in the greater Phoenix market and leveragse GPEC’s Community Building Consortiu for expertise regarding development, desighn and construction.”
Scarlett Spring, Executive vice presidentg of business development, is a very targeteds kind of commercial development. What makes it unique? “SkySongh is unique in several ways. First, it is a dynamicd private-public partnership that seeks to accelerate successful commercialization ofnew ventures. Another important aspectg is innovation and Because of the relationship with Arizona State SkySong offers businesses access to resources and talent in a collaborativwe way that integrates academia andprivat enterprise, which is especially beneficial to emerging technologies companies.
SkySong is attracting global corporationd that will have a footprint in developinhggreater Phoenix’s high-tech environment.” SkySong seems to have succeeded in attracting a stronvg collection of global boutique tech firms. How was the developmeng and leasing team able to pull that off in this kind of downeconomicx environment? “International emerging tech firms looking at greater Phoenix as an entru point into the U.S. market are seeking an collaborative environment. The model at SkySong offerw flexibility. During this downturn, international companies are lookintg for ways to limift risk and increase acceszsto talent.
The partnerships they are developing are complemented by dynami c companies that are locatingwithihn SkySong.” Have you observed any significant niche office developments in the countryh that could be models for future Valleu projects? “Properties that have a unique proposition, meaning it is more than an officr complex, are gaining attention among clients. An example that is interesting is aPacifiv Northwest-based tech accelerator. It combines the best of an incubatoer model with venture capital Will we see more targeteddcommercial developments, and what will be the drawing card?
“First, the largest impact we see is a requesr for (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certifiex buildings. Companies are becoming more sensitive to greejn andsustainability issues.” Are some developersz specializing more in niche commercial developments? “Yes. Every developer’s goal is to create valuw in theproperty they’res building. The degree to which they are willing to accep risk generally determines how far they will pursuenichee developments.
What we’re seeing mostly is sustainability as a themed incorporatedinto public-private partnerships, biotechy parks and incubation We have recognized national leaderas in the greater Phoenix market and leveragse GPEC’s Community Building Consortiu for expertise regarding development, desighn and construction.”
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Developer pulls out of Sierra Vista as approval costs increase - South Florida Business Journal:
fusajacuxejilyp.blogspot.com
The Sierra Vista Specific Planoverlaysz 2,100 acres of untapped grassland at the city’a southwest limits eyed as Roseville’s next majot growth area once the West Roseville Specific Plan is builty out. Like most plans, it aims to converyt land into homes andcommercial development. Richland, Sacramento’s second-largest developer based on acreage, controls 400 acrees at the western portion of the plan or about 20 percent of theoverallk property. That land will no longerf be part of the SierraVistza plan. The company is dissatisfied with the progress in gettinhg approvals and is leery of pumping inadditionaol funding, vice president Steve Thurtle said.
Othere major owners in Sierra Vistainclude , and . The groulp had planned to gain approvalsfor 10,300 homee and a substantial commercial center, but the plan will likelu be revised with Richland’s exit. Representatives from othe r landowners did not return callsseekingf comment. City officials said the approval process for Sierra Vistsa will recommence once the owners decide how to proceedcwithout Richland’s input or funding. Richlanx said owners have alreadyspent $3.5 milliohn and determined the entitlement procesw could cost an additional $3.5 million or more.
“Wse did not want to continue to fund that level of Thurtle said, noting that Richlandc had contributed about $1 million. “You don’t approach entitlements the way it has been done in the last 10 Why not take our time and do it more Richland has other holdings in Roseville and is a major participan in new growth areas in Thurtle didn’t want to characterize the company’s stancee as pulling out of the Sierra Vistz project because it would rejoin if costs could be The company proposed renegotiating contracts with consultants hiredr to perform the lengthyg analysis that accompanies major developments, but other owners didn’ t want to go that route.
Thurtlee said consultants have been willing to rewori contractsbecause there’s been a drop-off in demand for theirf services due to the housing slump. But another majoe factor was that criticalk utility issuesremain unresolved. John Roseville’s assistant city manager of community development, acknowledgexd that consultants had not established a definitivwe water source or a plan to handle the increased traffic that comes withnew “We feel comfortable that we will be able to addreszs these issues,” Sprague The city is in discussions with the and the over waterf purchases for the new development.
There is heightened interest in the area due to the presenc e ofseasonal wetlands, areas that environmental groups fiercely defensd from development. Sprague said the city has initiatedf a policy of consulting federal agenciezs involved in preserving wetlands such as the and the befor e major developmentsare approved. The Sierra Vista Specifix Plan might require a separate environmental analysis over And that will likely pushcostse up. “It can be very expensive,” he The application for the Sierra Vista plan is beint processed almost concurrently with another to the the CreekviewSpecific Plan.
It’s a 570-acre plot with longtimwe property owners who have suggestedbuilding 3,000 homes, a mixed-use component and commerciall development. About a fourth of the land is reserve d foropen space. Together, the two plansd called for about 13,3000 homes and would square off Roseville’sw western boundary. Annexation of new landse into the city, however, can take years.
The Sierra Vista Specific Planoverlaysz 2,100 acres of untapped grassland at the city’a southwest limits eyed as Roseville’s next majot growth area once the West Roseville Specific Plan is builty out. Like most plans, it aims to converyt land into homes andcommercial development. Richland, Sacramento’s second-largest developer based on acreage, controls 400 acrees at the western portion of the plan or about 20 percent of theoverallk property. That land will no longerf be part of the SierraVistza plan. The company is dissatisfied with the progress in gettinhg approvals and is leery of pumping inadditionaol funding, vice president Steve Thurtle said.
Othere major owners in Sierra Vistainclude , and . The groulp had planned to gain approvalsfor 10,300 homee and a substantial commercial center, but the plan will likelu be revised with Richland’s exit. Representatives from othe r landowners did not return callsseekingf comment. City officials said the approval process for Sierra Vistsa will recommence once the owners decide how to proceedcwithout Richland’s input or funding. Richlanx said owners have alreadyspent $3.5 milliohn and determined the entitlement procesw could cost an additional $3.5 million or more.
“Wse did not want to continue to fund that level of Thurtle said, noting that Richlandc had contributed about $1 million. “You don’t approach entitlements the way it has been done in the last 10 Why not take our time and do it more Richland has other holdings in Roseville and is a major participan in new growth areas in Thurtle didn’t want to characterize the company’s stancee as pulling out of the Sierra Vistz project because it would rejoin if costs could be The company proposed renegotiating contracts with consultants hiredr to perform the lengthyg analysis that accompanies major developments, but other owners didn’ t want to go that route.
Thurtlee said consultants have been willing to rewori contractsbecause there’s been a drop-off in demand for theirf services due to the housing slump. But another majoe factor was that criticalk utility issuesremain unresolved. John Roseville’s assistant city manager of community development, acknowledgexd that consultants had not established a definitivwe water source or a plan to handle the increased traffic that comes withnew “We feel comfortable that we will be able to addreszs these issues,” Sprague The city is in discussions with the and the over waterf purchases for the new development.
There is heightened interest in the area due to the presenc e ofseasonal wetlands, areas that environmental groups fiercely defensd from development. Sprague said the city has initiatedf a policy of consulting federal agenciezs involved in preserving wetlands such as the and the befor e major developmentsare approved. The Sierra Vista Specifix Plan might require a separate environmental analysis over And that will likely pushcostse up. “It can be very expensive,” he The application for the Sierra Vista plan is beint processed almost concurrently with another to the the CreekviewSpecific Plan.
It’s a 570-acre plot with longtimwe property owners who have suggestedbuilding 3,000 homes, a mixed-use component and commerciall development. About a fourth of the land is reserve d foropen space. Together, the two plansd called for about 13,3000 homes and would square off Roseville’sw western boundary. Annexation of new landse into the city, however, can take years.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Research gives Commerce new tools for banking clients - Kansas City Business Journal:
evittiebodum1296.blogspot.com
In February, Commerce added Integratecd Industry Intelligence Tools from to its interna Customer RelationshipManagement system. It now can compile account detailxs and contact information abouteach customer, the customer'z industry and more into a detailed report. First Research industry profilesdescribe industry-specificf products, operations, technology, sales, marketing, finance, earnings, wages, regulations, employmeny growth, and regional and international issues. Research is available on more than 150individuap industries.
"Commerce Bank is the firs of our customers to integrate First Researchj Industry Intelligence into theirCRM system, and because of theifr success, other clients are sure to follow in their said David Buffaloe, vice president of marketing at Firstg Research, based in Raleigh, N.C. "We currentlty have more than 50,000 usersz that access our Industry Intelligencevia (our Web site) or througg their own intranet." First Research providesz quarterly industry updates, information aboutg business trends, opportunities within the industry, a discussion of cruciaol issues that face the industry and linkes to related industries. The company also providews updatesvia e-mail alerts.
"Ouf intent has always been to understand who our customer are and whatdrives them," said Andrew Kaplan, executive vice president of commercial banking in Commerce's Kansaxs City office. "It's not good enough to say we'rre a 'business bank,' so we need to understands each industry represented byour customers," said who also generates sales with "We have a group of (bank) officers that deals only in agribusiness and a group that only works with larg construction companies. Their job and focus is to understandx the players in that marketplace and the particular issuesd thataffect them.
"We're making a loan for six or 10 years, and we have credit concernxs forfuture repayment, so we have to understanc what's happening in the industry." Duringb May, Commerce Bank officers accessede the system 307 times, Kaplan Information about the trucking industry took the most hits, due in part to recenyt concerns about rising fuel prices. He said customerds already have noticed the difference in the loan knowledge base. "What we hear is, 'Gee, you understandr who we are.' That'as our job as Kaplan said.
"We are hiring and equippinbg and training and investing in technology to help us better understand our industries -- and to get our officers that informatio at a moment's notice." Joe Yuza, vice presiden t and credit service manager for in Wichita, said the bank recentl completed the first year of its contrac with First Research to routinely access industry information. "More than 50 perceng of our entire staff accesses the information per he said, "and several have set up e-mai l alerts, which they share with some customers.
I think it'a a very (favorable) cost-to-benefit expense for Steven Simpson, a banking consultant, said Commerce's use of Firstg Research information is an innovativeand cutting-edge progra he had never come across. As managiny director of products forin Austin, Texas, he offers products and consulting designed to improve performance at community banks. "The big focus today is to becoms a trusted adviser to your commercial loan customers," Simpson said. "(Having this also helps with risk mitigation, and it allows a community bank to level the playing fiel with knowledge when larger bankse have big research anddevelopment budgets.
" Below are sampls industry-specific profiles, which a bank could pass along to commercia l lending clients in the hospital industry. The material is provide d by First Research. Industrg Overview: The industry is highly fragmented: the largesyt 50 organizations hold less than 30 percent of the Competitive landscape: Demand for hospitalp services is driven by demographicz and advances in medical care and technology. The profitability of individuall companies depends onefficient operations. Salesz and marketing: Public healtjh insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, on average account for closer to 60 percent ofhospital revenue.
Privatw health insurance plans account for another35 percent. Finance and Medicare has a major influencde on the paymentshospitals receive, as many other payers use Medicare payment schedules as their benchmark. Business challenges/critical issues/rapidly rising hospitao costs: Because of advances in medical knowledge, the costs to providse good medical care haveincreased rapidly. The total cost of hospital services in the United Statese increased 36 percent from 1998 to 2003 and is expectedd to increase at an annual rate of more than 6 Other challenges/competition from outpatient Non-hospital clinics ...
are a rapidly growing competitor for Many hospitals currently get as much as a third of revenue from treating outpatientsd in hospital clinicsand can't cut costs to make up for the lost
In February, Commerce added Integratecd Industry Intelligence Tools from to its interna Customer RelationshipManagement system. It now can compile account detailxs and contact information abouteach customer, the customer'z industry and more into a detailed report. First Research industry profilesdescribe industry-specificf products, operations, technology, sales, marketing, finance, earnings, wages, regulations, employmeny growth, and regional and international issues. Research is available on more than 150individuap industries.
"Commerce Bank is the firs of our customers to integrate First Researchj Industry Intelligence into theirCRM system, and because of theifr success, other clients are sure to follow in their said David Buffaloe, vice president of marketing at Firstg Research, based in Raleigh, N.C. "We currentlty have more than 50,000 usersz that access our Industry Intelligencevia (our Web site) or througg their own intranet." First Research providesz quarterly industry updates, information aboutg business trends, opportunities within the industry, a discussion of cruciaol issues that face the industry and linkes to related industries. The company also providews updatesvia e-mail alerts.
"Ouf intent has always been to understand who our customer are and whatdrives them," said Andrew Kaplan, executive vice president of commercial banking in Commerce's Kansaxs City office. "It's not good enough to say we'rre a 'business bank,' so we need to understands each industry represented byour customers," said who also generates sales with "We have a group of (bank) officers that deals only in agribusiness and a group that only works with larg construction companies. Their job and focus is to understandx the players in that marketplace and the particular issuesd thataffect them.
"We're making a loan for six or 10 years, and we have credit concernxs forfuture repayment, so we have to understanc what's happening in the industry." Duringb May, Commerce Bank officers accessede the system 307 times, Kaplan Information about the trucking industry took the most hits, due in part to recenyt concerns about rising fuel prices. He said customerds already have noticed the difference in the loan knowledge base. "What we hear is, 'Gee, you understandr who we are.' That'as our job as Kaplan said.
"We are hiring and equippinbg and training and investing in technology to help us better understand our industries -- and to get our officers that informatio at a moment's notice." Joe Yuza, vice presiden t and credit service manager for in Wichita, said the bank recentl completed the first year of its contrac with First Research to routinely access industry information. "More than 50 perceng of our entire staff accesses the information per he said, "and several have set up e-mai l alerts, which they share with some customers.
I think it'a a very (favorable) cost-to-benefit expense for Steven Simpson, a banking consultant, said Commerce's use of Firstg Research information is an innovativeand cutting-edge progra he had never come across. As managiny director of products forin Austin, Texas, he offers products and consulting designed to improve performance at community banks. "The big focus today is to becoms a trusted adviser to your commercial loan customers," Simpson said. "(Having this also helps with risk mitigation, and it allows a community bank to level the playing fiel with knowledge when larger bankse have big research anddevelopment budgets.
" Below are sampls industry-specific profiles, which a bank could pass along to commercia l lending clients in the hospital industry. The material is provide d by First Research. Industrg Overview: The industry is highly fragmented: the largesyt 50 organizations hold less than 30 percent of the Competitive landscape: Demand for hospitalp services is driven by demographicz and advances in medical care and technology. The profitability of individuall companies depends onefficient operations. Salesz and marketing: Public healtjh insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, on average account for closer to 60 percent ofhospital revenue.
Privatw health insurance plans account for another35 percent. Finance and Medicare has a major influencde on the paymentshospitals receive, as many other payers use Medicare payment schedules as their benchmark. Business challenges/critical issues/rapidly rising hospitao costs: Because of advances in medical knowledge, the costs to providse good medical care haveincreased rapidly. The total cost of hospital services in the United Statese increased 36 percent from 1998 to 2003 and is expectedd to increase at an annual rate of more than 6 Other challenges/competition from outpatient Non-hospital clinics ...
are a rapidly growing competitor for Many hospitals currently get as much as a third of revenue from treating outpatientsd in hospital clinicsand can't cut costs to make up for the lost
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
First American affiliate buys Attleboro site - Portland Business Journal:
bakakinkorypon.blogspot.com
million. First American, on behalrf of an affiliate, bought a 5,650-square-foot building called Building 5 anda 213,000-square-foot, three-story manufacturing facility called Building 12. The Attleboro Corporate Campus was previously owned and occupied by and isa 300-acre mixed-usw office and industrial campus located just off Interstatew 95 in Attleboro. Building 12 is leasex to as it’s global manufacturingv headquarters. Building 5 is leased to The BOCGroup Inc., a worldwide distributor of industrial gases and its The Linde Group. Preferred Unlimited Inc. is a 15-year-olx commercial real estate firm which started as Preferrefd Real EstateInvestments Inc.
The company is headquarteree in Conshohocken, Pa. First Americabn Realty Inc. is a privately held investmenrt and management firm basedin Mass. which acquires industrial and medicaloffice properties.
million. First American, on behalrf of an affiliate, bought a 5,650-square-foot building called Building 5 anda 213,000-square-foot, three-story manufacturing facility called Building 12. The Attleboro Corporate Campus was previously owned and occupied by and isa 300-acre mixed-usw office and industrial campus located just off Interstatew 95 in Attleboro. Building 12 is leasex to as it’s global manufacturingv headquarters. Building 5 is leased to The BOCGroup Inc., a worldwide distributor of industrial gases and its The Linde Group. Preferred Unlimited Inc. is a 15-year-olx commercial real estate firm which started as Preferrefd Real EstateInvestments Inc.
The company is headquarteree in Conshohocken, Pa. First Americabn Realty Inc. is a privately held investmenrt and management firm basedin Mass. which acquires industrial and medicaloffice properties.
Monday, April 23, 2012
2012 NFL Mock Draft: 5 First-Round Predictions and Guarantees - Bleacher Report
elisovadinaimar.blogspot.com
Bleacher Report | 2012 NFL Mock Draft: 5 First-Round Predictions and Guarantees Bleacher Report There are very few guarantees when it comes to NFL rookies. So much is based on system, effort, environment and injuries. For most prospects, » |
Saturday, April 21, 2012
California clinics get $4.5M in health care technology grants - East Bay Business Times:
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million technology program to improve chronic disease the Oakland-based announced Wednesday. The "Toolsd for Quality" program, funded throughj five health care philanthropies, will provide 33 clinics throughoutg the state with upto $40,000 each in matchinh funds to support software systems that will help doctorsd and nurses track patientas and make sure that they get the right care at the righrt time.
About 38 percent of Californian s live with a chronid disease and studies show they get the needed care aboutg half ofthe time, according to the The California HealthCare Foundation is providing the grants alontg with the ; the Community Clinics Initiative, a grant-makinvg program established by Tides and The California Endowment; Kaiserr Permanente Southern California Regiob and The California Endowment. Amonf the grant recipients is , which includeas numerous EastBay clinics. They are , , , Life-Lont Medical Care, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Centerdand .
The systems, called electronic registries, are less expensive and complesx than electronichealth records, according to the California HealthCared Foundation. They are, however, considered "stepping stones" to more-comprehensives health IT systems. In many the clinics will collaborate on their electronic registries and the granf will pay for training of staff onthe
million technology program to improve chronic disease the Oakland-based announced Wednesday. The "Toolsd for Quality" program, funded throughj five health care philanthropies, will provide 33 clinics throughoutg the state with upto $40,000 each in matchinh funds to support software systems that will help doctorsd and nurses track patientas and make sure that they get the right care at the righrt time.
About 38 percent of Californian s live with a chronid disease and studies show they get the needed care aboutg half ofthe time, according to the The California HealthCare Foundation is providing the grants alontg with the ; the Community Clinics Initiative, a grant-makinvg program established by Tides and The California Endowment; Kaiserr Permanente Southern California Regiob and The California Endowment. Amonf the grant recipients is , which includeas numerous EastBay clinics. They are , , , Life-Lont Medical Care, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Centerdand .
The systems, called electronic registries, are less expensive and complesx than electronichealth records, according to the California HealthCared Foundation. They are, however, considered "stepping stones" to more-comprehensives health IT systems. In many the clinics will collaborate on their electronic registries and the granf will pay for training of staff onthe
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Big Bob
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Sales had moved from up to flat to and founder David Elyachar was beginningh to doubt hisbusiness savvy. “We had neverf been faced with anything likethis before,” said who started the company 25 yeara ago. “All I knew was if I didn’t do it wouldn’t change.” So he initiated an array of changess at his threestores — everything from uniforms and thank-yoyu notes to new products and higherf expectations for salespeople — and touted them to franchiseezs of the 55 Big Bob’w stores nationwide. At the stores Elyachar and his CEO andCFO Adam, own in Overland Independence and St.
Joseph, the measures have triggered 24percentr year-to-year growth so far in 2009. Elyachar isn’t sure whichn changes triggeredthe results, so he’s goin g to keep hammering away at all of them. Many franchiseess have yet to implement the strategies Big Bob’s stores nationwide have seen salex decline 4 percent year to year. “It’s been very difficult,” said Steve Russell, COO of , which owns five Cincinnati-are a Big Bob’s stores and has just begub tomake changes. “Back a few years ago, you couldr just roll out of bed and grow salesa 20 percenta year.” He said business is down about 20 though still operating in the black.
Accordinbg to trade publication Floor CoveringWeekly , industrywidre sales fell an estimated 30 percent in 2008 from the $21.6u billion benchmark in 2007. Sales this year are expectef to slip to 40 percent below2007 levels. But Elyachard said his ideas could yieldsuccess companywide. Chainwide revenue in 2008 was $65 Elyachar said. He projects revenue of $75 millio n to $80 million in 2009. In the next 10 he aims to triple in volumrand storefronts. “I believe this is the singlde greatest opportunity to make moneh in the last80 years,” Elyachaer said. Big Bob’s local work force has experiencerd a dramatic shiftin appearance.
Last year, Elyacha r dropped the bottom six sales performers and replaced them with abouy 10new ones, he Pay switched to a commission-based formula, and work dresw became a uniform of a Big Bob’d polo and khakis. Service reps must join a community organization and are challenged to hand out threew business cards a dayto strangers. Elyachar bega having weekly sales meetings to educate the salez force about products and keep tabson morale. Salespeopld use wait time created by slowedr traffic to do weekly onlind lessons and tests and to find new But the changes alsobring challenges.
Some of KW Flooring’a longtime salespeople resisted the idea of handing out businesds cardsevery day. Russell triefd to keep his but “we had to either chang e or die,” he said. In early he turned over about 10 percentr of the staff and will turn over probablyy 20 percentthis year. A big competitor recentlu left theCincinnati market, he said, so displaced salespeople have been calling seeking “There are people I’m tired of chasing arouncd with a whip and a chair,” he said.
Sales had moved from up to flat to and founder David Elyachar was beginningh to doubt hisbusiness savvy. “We had neverf been faced with anything likethis before,” said who started the company 25 yeara ago. “All I knew was if I didn’t do it wouldn’t change.” So he initiated an array of changess at his threestores — everything from uniforms and thank-yoyu notes to new products and higherf expectations for salespeople — and touted them to franchiseezs of the 55 Big Bob’w stores nationwide. At the stores Elyachar and his CEO andCFO Adam, own in Overland Independence and St.
Joseph, the measures have triggered 24percentr year-to-year growth so far in 2009. Elyachar isn’t sure whichn changes triggeredthe results, so he’s goin g to keep hammering away at all of them. Many franchiseess have yet to implement the strategies Big Bob’s stores nationwide have seen salex decline 4 percent year to year. “It’s been very difficult,” said Steve Russell, COO of , which owns five Cincinnati-are a Big Bob’s stores and has just begub tomake changes. “Back a few years ago, you couldr just roll out of bed and grow salesa 20 percenta year.” He said business is down about 20 though still operating in the black.
Accordinbg to trade publication Floor CoveringWeekly , industrywidre sales fell an estimated 30 percent in 2008 from the $21.6u billion benchmark in 2007. Sales this year are expectef to slip to 40 percent below2007 levels. But Elyachard said his ideas could yieldsuccess companywide. Chainwide revenue in 2008 was $65 Elyachar said. He projects revenue of $75 millio n to $80 million in 2009. In the next 10 he aims to triple in volumrand storefronts. “I believe this is the singlde greatest opportunity to make moneh in the last80 years,” Elyachaer said. Big Bob’s local work force has experiencerd a dramatic shiftin appearance.
Last year, Elyacha r dropped the bottom six sales performers and replaced them with abouy 10new ones, he Pay switched to a commission-based formula, and work dresw became a uniform of a Big Bob’d polo and khakis. Service reps must join a community organization and are challenged to hand out threew business cards a dayto strangers. Elyachar bega having weekly sales meetings to educate the salez force about products and keep tabson morale. Salespeopld use wait time created by slowedr traffic to do weekly onlind lessons and tests and to find new But the changes alsobring challenges.
Some of KW Flooring’a longtime salespeople resisted the idea of handing out businesds cardsevery day. Russell triefd to keep his but “we had to either chang e or die,” he said. In early he turned over about 10 percentr of the staff and will turn over probablyy 20 percentthis year. A big competitor recentlu left theCincinnati market, he said, so displaced salespeople have been calling seeking “There are people I’m tired of chasing arouncd with a whip and a chair,” he said.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Remembering Reed Whittemore - Washington Post
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Remembering Reed Whittemore Washington Post Regarding the April 10 obituary “Ex-poet laureate made mark as writer, editor and teacherâ€: Reed Whittemore and I overlapped at the University of Maryland 30 years ago. I got to know his poetry through a good friend who took his classes and is now an ... |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Business warily waits on health-care reform - Portland Business Journal:
badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com
President Barack Obama has mobilizedthe grass-rootz supporters that helped elect him to lobbgy for his vision of health-care which includes offering Americans a government-rum health plan as an alternative to privated insurance. A coalition of labor unions and progressivwe organizations plans tospend $82 million on organizing advertising, research and lobbying to support the Obama plan. Busines s groups, meanwhile, mostly are working behind the scenes to shape the While they have serious concerns abouty some of the proposals including the public plan option and a mandatre for employers to provideinsurance – few are tryinfg to block health-care reform at this point.
The cost of healthu insurance has become so burdensome that somethinfg needs tobe done, they agree. “Nobody supports the statues quo,” said James Gelfand, the ’sx senior manager of health policy. “Wee absolutely have to have For mostbusiness groups, that means reininy in health-care costs and reforming insurancew markets so that employers have more choices in the typex of plans available. To achieve those goals, however, businessesw may have to swallo w somebitter medicine.
An employer mandate tops the list of concernxs for manybusiness groups, just as it did when Bill Clintob pushed his health-care reform plan when he was president in the The Senate bill may include a provisionh that would require employers to either providse health insurance to their employees or pay a fee to the federao government. Some small-business owners don’t have a problem with that, including members of the MainStreet Alliance, which is part of the coalitiom lobbying for the Obama plan.
“The way our systej works now, where responsible employers offer coverag e andothers don’t, leaves us in a situatiobn with an unlevel playing field,” 11 alliance membera said in a statement submitted to the Senate Finance “If we’re contributing but otherf employers aren’t, that gives them a financiao advantage over us. We need to level the playinh field through a system wherde everyone pitches in areasonable amount.
” Most businese lobbyists, however, contend that employersa who can afford to provide healtg insurance do so because it helps them attract and keep good Businesses that don’t provide health insurances tend to be “marginally said Denny Dennis, senior research fellow at the NFIB Researchh Foundation. Imposing a “play or insurance requirement on these businesses wouldf cost the economy morethan 1.6 million according to a study. Tax credits could offset some of the costsw for providingthis coverage, but Gelfand said the credits undedr discussion are “extremely limited.
” Congress also could exempt some small businessees – such as firms with less than $500,000 in annual payroll from the employer mandate. Many business groups, see this proposal as an attempt to split thebusinessd community, not as meaningful relief. “Wr oppose small business carve-outs because they make it easief for Congress to apply mandatea againstlarger employers,” said Neil vice president and employee benefite policy counsel for the . “It’as also easy for Congress to come back and try to apply the mandat eagainst ever-smaller employers.
“No matter how good the surrounding health-care reform, a bill containingh an employer mandate would be too high a pric e to payfor reform,” Trautwein Public plan or market reforms? Most small-business groups also are wary of proposals to create a government-run insurance plan, like Medicare, that would be availablwe as an option for small businesses and individuals. The Main Streetg Alliance contends a public plan is needed to provider competition to private insurers and reducew the cost of health Richard Kirsch, national campaign manageer for Health Care for Americsa Now, has been organizinbg Main Street Alliance chapter s in states across the country.
He said many small-busineszs owners “believe that we do need a government as an alternative to private Theseowners “reject the right-winvg ideology” of Washington’s traditional small-business organizations, he said. NFIB spokeswomanh Stephanie Cathcart saidher organization’sa members, however, “are wary of government-run health Gelfand said a government plan wouldn’t be needed if insurance markef reforms, such as prohibiting insurers from denyingh coverage for pre-existing conditions, were enacted.
He hopes the largerr goal of health-care reform – lowering coste so more people can affordcoverage – doesn’g get lost in battles over public plans and employed mandates.
President Barack Obama has mobilizedthe grass-rootz supporters that helped elect him to lobbgy for his vision of health-care which includes offering Americans a government-rum health plan as an alternative to privated insurance. A coalition of labor unions and progressivwe organizations plans tospend $82 million on organizing advertising, research and lobbying to support the Obama plan. Busines s groups, meanwhile, mostly are working behind the scenes to shape the While they have serious concerns abouty some of the proposals including the public plan option and a mandatre for employers to provideinsurance – few are tryinfg to block health-care reform at this point.
The cost of healthu insurance has become so burdensome that somethinfg needs tobe done, they agree. “Nobody supports the statues quo,” said James Gelfand, the ’sx senior manager of health policy. “Wee absolutely have to have For mostbusiness groups, that means reininy in health-care costs and reforming insurancew markets so that employers have more choices in the typex of plans available. To achieve those goals, however, businessesw may have to swallo w somebitter medicine.
An employer mandate tops the list of concernxs for manybusiness groups, just as it did when Bill Clintob pushed his health-care reform plan when he was president in the The Senate bill may include a provisionh that would require employers to either providse health insurance to their employees or pay a fee to the federao government. Some small-business owners don’t have a problem with that, including members of the MainStreet Alliance, which is part of the coalitiom lobbying for the Obama plan.
“The way our systej works now, where responsible employers offer coverag e andothers don’t, leaves us in a situatiobn with an unlevel playing field,” 11 alliance membera said in a statement submitted to the Senate Finance “If we’re contributing but otherf employers aren’t, that gives them a financiao advantage over us. We need to level the playinh field through a system wherde everyone pitches in areasonable amount.
” Most businese lobbyists, however, contend that employersa who can afford to provide healtg insurance do so because it helps them attract and keep good Businesses that don’t provide health insurances tend to be “marginally said Denny Dennis, senior research fellow at the NFIB Researchh Foundation. Imposing a “play or insurance requirement on these businesses wouldf cost the economy morethan 1.6 million according to a study. Tax credits could offset some of the costsw for providingthis coverage, but Gelfand said the credits undedr discussion are “extremely limited.
” Congress also could exempt some small businessees – such as firms with less than $500,000 in annual payroll from the employer mandate. Many business groups, see this proposal as an attempt to split thebusinessd community, not as meaningful relief. “Wr oppose small business carve-outs because they make it easief for Congress to apply mandatea againstlarger employers,” said Neil vice president and employee benefite policy counsel for the . “It’as also easy for Congress to come back and try to apply the mandat eagainst ever-smaller employers.
“No matter how good the surrounding health-care reform, a bill containingh an employer mandate would be too high a pric e to payfor reform,” Trautwein Public plan or market reforms? Most small-business groups also are wary of proposals to create a government-run insurance plan, like Medicare, that would be availablwe as an option for small businesses and individuals. The Main Streetg Alliance contends a public plan is needed to provider competition to private insurers and reducew the cost of health Richard Kirsch, national campaign manageer for Health Care for Americsa Now, has been organizinbg Main Street Alliance chapter s in states across the country.
He said many small-busineszs owners “believe that we do need a government as an alternative to private Theseowners “reject the right-winvg ideology” of Washington’s traditional small-business organizations, he said. NFIB spokeswomanh Stephanie Cathcart saidher organization’sa members, however, “are wary of government-run health Gelfand said a government plan wouldn’t be needed if insurance markef reforms, such as prohibiting insurers from denyingh coverage for pre-existing conditions, were enacted.
He hopes the largerr goal of health-care reform – lowering coste so more people can affordcoverage – doesn’g get lost in battles over public plans and employed mandates.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Bridge Private Lending teams on
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The newly renovated two-storyg home, located at 204 W. Lorraine Ave., marks the firsgt step in an initiative to transfor urbanneighborhoods “one green home at a as the project’s marketing materials The home was purchased for $100,000 and underwentr $50,000 in refurbishments and energy-efficiency improvements, said David Borinsky, a managing member of Bridg Private Lending, a lender based in Bridge Private Lending expects the home to sell for up to The firm teamed up with A+ Neighbhorhood a Baltimore-based real estate investmentt firm, on the project. The house is the firstg to be completed as part of the green campaign.
Bridge Private Lending is renovating seven othefr housesin Baltimore. Some of the innovations includdrecycled wood, Energy Star appliances and fixtures, solare venting and tubing and recycled insulation. “Through this we can make our communit livableand sustainable,” said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon duringv a press conference at the
The newly renovated two-storyg home, located at 204 W. Lorraine Ave., marks the firsgt step in an initiative to transfor urbanneighborhoods “one green home at a as the project’s marketing materials The home was purchased for $100,000 and underwentr $50,000 in refurbishments and energy-efficiency improvements, said David Borinsky, a managing member of Bridg Private Lending, a lender based in Bridge Private Lending expects the home to sell for up to The firm teamed up with A+ Neighbhorhood a Baltimore-based real estate investmentt firm, on the project. The house is the firstg to be completed as part of the green campaign.
Bridge Private Lending is renovating seven othefr housesin Baltimore. Some of the innovations includdrecycled wood, Energy Star appliances and fixtures, solare venting and tubing and recycled insulation. “Through this we can make our communit livableand sustainable,” said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon duringv a press conference at the
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Opus West says it owes $1.46 billion - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
and some of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions late Mondag for reorganization underChapter 11. Chapter 11 generally removezs the threat of lawsuits from creditors while a businesws seeks to rehabilitate itself and continue Opus West and its affiliates reportedabouy $1.28 billion in total assets and $1.46 billion in totap liabilities, according to bankruptcy court filings. The corporatiohn and its affiliates had combined revenued ofabout $405 million in 2008. The parenyt company lists 200 to 999 according tobankruptcy filings. Opus West owns about 20 real estate developmenyt properties either directly or through entitiexs set up to holdthe properties, the cour filings say.
The tota l debt on those properties isabout $414 million and the value of the properties is abou t $403 million. In addition to Opus West the subsidiaries that have filed Chaptefr 11 petitions are Opus West Construction OpusWest LP, Opus West Partneres Inc. and O.W. Commercial Inc. Opus West has guaranteed about $1.15 billion in loans for its subsidiariess andjoint ventures, and most of thoswe loans are in default, the courft filings say.
Steep declines in commercial real estate values and difficulrt credit market conditions necessitatedthe filing, said John Greer, chief restructuringb officer of Opus Greer said Opus West will keep a "modesyt presence" in Phoenix, Texas and Californi a to work on asset dispositions and transitions. "Whilre we began slowing the pace of new development nearly two years ago in anticipatio of difficult market we must now take additional measurese to enable anorderly wind-down of our portfolio, protec t asset values and maximized return on lenders' investment," Greer said in a prepared Opus West and its subsidiaries have sufferesd declining financial performance since resulting in defaults on certain credit lines and constrainee liquidity, according to an affidavigt filed by Greer, managingh member of New York-based Phoenix Capital which is the chiedf restructuring officer of Opus West Corp.
Greer is also president of the Opus West Opus West Partnersand O.W. Commercial Opus has focused on recapitalizinv through project salesand refinancing, but has been unable to do so becauswe of poor market conditions, Greer'sx affidavit says. Since 1979, Opus West and its affiliates have developee more than 52 million square feetof industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional the affidavit says. The company'sz assets include interests in commercialp and residential real estate projectsacross California, Arizona and Texas, includinvg condominium, office, industrial, apartment and retaik projects in various stages of the affidavit says.
Addison-based Opus West LP, formed to develo p real estate propertiesin Texas, owns seven propertiea that consist of eitherf vacant land, or a projectf under construction or completedc projects. The total debt on those propertiexs isabout $105 million and their value is aboutg $134 million, Greer's filing states. Opus has been dramatically scalingh back its North Texas operations for more thana year. Opus spokeswomann Winston Hewett told the that the Addisojn office has not started a new development in more than a year and has cut its staf in Dallas to 12 employeesd from about 40 ayear ago.
Opus West'x overall headcount had dropped to 40 as ofJuly 1, comparef to 291 two yearws ago, Hewett said. Since dozens of subcontractors have filed liens totaling morethan $4 millionb against Opus West Corp. and Opus West Construction tied to TwoAddiso Circle, a $23 million, 198,000-square-foot speculative office buildingy in Addison. The building was developed and is owned by Opus West The liens claim Opus owes the subcontractors for labor or materials provided in the courseof construction.
The six-storhy Two Addison building on the west side of the Dallaw North Tollway just north of Arapaho Road wasrecently completed, but has no The credit crunch and slowing demand for office space left Opus unable to get permanent financing to replacde the short-term construction loan on the Addisojn project, Hewett said. Other Opus West Corp. projects in Nortjh Texas include 121Lakepointe Crossing, an offic and industrial development in and Broadstone Parkway, a 5.8-acre mixed-use project at 5005 Galleria Drivs in North Dallas. Dallas area creditors includre RL Murphey CommercialRoof Systems, owed $1.25 million; Green Fire Systems of Texas, owed $856,660; and Ennia Steel Industries Inc.
, owed $519,402; and Tas Commercial Concretwe Construction, owed $500,704, accordingf to court records. Opus' troubles stem from the globaloeconomic downturn, deterioration of the real estate markegt and the credit crunch, which has made it difficulg for borrowers to get financingv to fund real estate projects or refinancw existing projects, Greer's affidavit states. The turmoil has scarex buyers, leading to excessx supply andlower prices. The dramatidc downturn has caused Opus to be out of complianced with terms of various loans and unablse torestructure them, and attempts to raisre capital and sell assets have proven bringing about the Chapter 11 Greer's affidavit says.
Opus' challenges vary considerably by saidMark Rauenhorst, chairman and CEO of Opus "Opus West faced particularly dramatic drops in real estates values in markets such as Californi and Arizona, and has been particularl y challenged by the sharp downturn in the capital markete and availability of refinancing," he Rauenhorst said that two other independenty operating companies of Opus Group -- and Opus Northwestr LLC -- have been less affected by the economidc and capital market conditions because of their mix of projecy types and their locatiohn in stronger markets. , which is based in Minn.
, is a design-build development firm that specializesin industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional projects. It also controlsx Washington-based LLC, which filee for Chapter 7 liquidation in late Opus Group saidits subsidiary, which is basesd in Atlanta, filed for reorganization in bankruptcy courty on April 22.
and some of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions late Mondag for reorganization underChapter 11. Chapter 11 generally removezs the threat of lawsuits from creditors while a businesws seeks to rehabilitate itself and continue Opus West and its affiliates reportedabouy $1.28 billion in total assets and $1.46 billion in totap liabilities, according to bankruptcy court filings. The corporatiohn and its affiliates had combined revenued ofabout $405 million in 2008. The parenyt company lists 200 to 999 according tobankruptcy filings. Opus West owns about 20 real estate developmenyt properties either directly or through entitiexs set up to holdthe properties, the cour filings say.
The tota l debt on those properties isabout $414 million and the value of the properties is abou t $403 million. In addition to Opus West the subsidiaries that have filed Chaptefr 11 petitions are Opus West Construction OpusWest LP, Opus West Partneres Inc. and O.W. Commercial Inc. Opus West has guaranteed about $1.15 billion in loans for its subsidiariess andjoint ventures, and most of thoswe loans are in default, the courft filings say.
Steep declines in commercial real estate values and difficulrt credit market conditions necessitatedthe filing, said John Greer, chief restructuringb officer of Opus Greer said Opus West will keep a "modesyt presence" in Phoenix, Texas and Californi a to work on asset dispositions and transitions. "Whilre we began slowing the pace of new development nearly two years ago in anticipatio of difficult market we must now take additional measurese to enable anorderly wind-down of our portfolio, protec t asset values and maximized return on lenders' investment," Greer said in a prepared Opus West and its subsidiaries have sufferesd declining financial performance since resulting in defaults on certain credit lines and constrainee liquidity, according to an affidavigt filed by Greer, managingh member of New York-based Phoenix Capital which is the chiedf restructuring officer of Opus West Corp.
Greer is also president of the Opus West Opus West Partnersand O.W. Commercial Opus has focused on recapitalizinv through project salesand refinancing, but has been unable to do so becauswe of poor market conditions, Greer'sx affidavit says. Since 1979, Opus West and its affiliates have developee more than 52 million square feetof industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional the affidavit says. The company'sz assets include interests in commercialp and residential real estate projectsacross California, Arizona and Texas, includinvg condominium, office, industrial, apartment and retaik projects in various stages of the affidavit says.
Addison-based Opus West LP, formed to develo p real estate propertiesin Texas, owns seven propertiea that consist of eitherf vacant land, or a projectf under construction or completedc projects. The total debt on those propertiexs isabout $105 million and their value is aboutg $134 million, Greer's filing states. Opus has been dramatically scalingh back its North Texas operations for more thana year. Opus spokeswomann Winston Hewett told the that the Addisojn office has not started a new development in more than a year and has cut its staf in Dallas to 12 employeesd from about 40 ayear ago.
Opus West'x overall headcount had dropped to 40 as ofJuly 1, comparef to 291 two yearws ago, Hewett said. Since dozens of subcontractors have filed liens totaling morethan $4 millionb against Opus West Corp. and Opus West Construction tied to TwoAddiso Circle, a $23 million, 198,000-square-foot speculative office buildingy in Addison. The building was developed and is owned by Opus West The liens claim Opus owes the subcontractors for labor or materials provided in the courseof construction.
The six-storhy Two Addison building on the west side of the Dallaw North Tollway just north of Arapaho Road wasrecently completed, but has no The credit crunch and slowing demand for office space left Opus unable to get permanent financing to replacde the short-term construction loan on the Addisojn project, Hewett said. Other Opus West Corp. projects in Nortjh Texas include 121Lakepointe Crossing, an offic and industrial development in and Broadstone Parkway, a 5.8-acre mixed-use project at 5005 Galleria Drivs in North Dallas. Dallas area creditors includre RL Murphey CommercialRoof Systems, owed $1.25 million; Green Fire Systems of Texas, owed $856,660; and Ennia Steel Industries Inc.
, owed $519,402; and Tas Commercial Concretwe Construction, owed $500,704, accordingf to court records. Opus' troubles stem from the globaloeconomic downturn, deterioration of the real estate markegt and the credit crunch, which has made it difficulg for borrowers to get financingv to fund real estate projects or refinancw existing projects, Greer's affidavit states. The turmoil has scarex buyers, leading to excessx supply andlower prices. The dramatidc downturn has caused Opus to be out of complianced with terms of various loans and unablse torestructure them, and attempts to raisre capital and sell assets have proven bringing about the Chapter 11 Greer's affidavit says.
Opus' challenges vary considerably by saidMark Rauenhorst, chairman and CEO of Opus "Opus West faced particularly dramatic drops in real estates values in markets such as Californi and Arizona, and has been particularl y challenged by the sharp downturn in the capital markete and availability of refinancing," he Rauenhorst said that two other independenty operating companies of Opus Group -- and Opus Northwestr LLC -- have been less affected by the economidc and capital market conditions because of their mix of projecy types and their locatiohn in stronger markets. , which is based in Minn.
, is a design-build development firm that specializesin industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional projects. It also controlsx Washington-based LLC, which filee for Chapter 7 liquidation in late Opus Group saidits subsidiary, which is basesd in Atlanta, filed for reorganization in bankruptcy courty on April 22.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
More workers delaying retirement - The Business Review (Albany):
takes-trendsthe.blogspot.com
The Virginia-based human-resources consultant says 34 percenr of workers surveyed have pushed back their retirementf plans in thelast year. Among workers 50 and 44 percent are delaying retirement longerthan expected. “Ther economic crisis has affectedmany workers’ retiremenft plans and nest eggs, but thosr nearest to retirement have been especially hard hit,” says Watsob Wyatt (NYSE:WW) senior retirement consultant David “Older workers do not have the time to offset declining retirement-account values, either by recouping their investment losses or significantly increasingb their savings rate.
” Declines in the value of accounts ranked as the top reason for delayin g retirement. However, investment losses aren’t the only The survey says 63 percent of respondents cited the high cost ofhealtgh care; 62 percent cited higher pricex for basic necessities. The Watson Wyatt survey was conductecd in February and includes responses from morethan 2,200 full-timer workers.
The Virginia-based human-resources consultant says 34 percenr of workers surveyed have pushed back their retirementf plans in thelast year. Among workers 50 and 44 percent are delaying retirement longerthan expected. “Ther economic crisis has affectedmany workers’ retiremenft plans and nest eggs, but thosr nearest to retirement have been especially hard hit,” says Watsob Wyatt (NYSE:WW) senior retirement consultant David “Older workers do not have the time to offset declining retirement-account values, either by recouping their investment losses or significantly increasingb their savings rate.
” Declines in the value of accounts ranked as the top reason for delayin g retirement. However, investment losses aren’t the only The survey says 63 percent of respondents cited the high cost ofhealtgh care; 62 percent cited higher pricex for basic necessities. The Watson Wyatt survey was conductecd in February and includes responses from morethan 2,200 full-timer workers.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Scott County Central boys basketball team routs Glasgow 78-48 in Class 1 semis - Southeast Missourian
artemchuksykitas.blogspot.com
Scott County Central boys basketball team routs Glasgow 78-48 in Class 1 semis Southeast Missourian By Kevin Winters Morriss ~ Southeast Missourian Scott County Central forward Antonio Johnson, left and guard Dominique Porter press Glascow guard Ethan Thompson during the Braves' 78-48 win over the Yellow Jackets in the class 1 semi-final in Columbia ... |
Friday, April 6, 2012
High-end timeshares push flexibility - Orlando Business Journal:
savimy.blogspot.com
The new product, which costs from the low $100,000ds to $800,000, allows buyers to own an interestt in severalvacation properties. Insteaxd of giving investors the rightse to use a particula property for a certain amountof time, the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club gives them accesas to Ritz’s properties worldwide. The Orlando-based company is applying a strategy usedby less-pricey timesharer companies, among them , in which investors get pointa that can be used like currency to buy vacation Ritz-Carlton said the option should increase the appeal of its high-end known as fractionals, by attractinhg people who don’t want to be tied to a singlde piece of real estate.
“Pointss give you much more flexibility,” said David Short, Ritz-Carlton Destinatio n Club’s regional vice president for “They allow people to customize each trip to theirfown needs.” Howard Nusbaum, presidenf of the American Resort Developers Association, said the modepl fits well in the stressed economy, when vacation schedulea can be less flexible than in more prosperous times, and wealthy buyers are becomin more concerned about “Points allow people to spend exactly the amoungt of money they want on vacations,” Nusbaum In a traditional fractional ownership an owner might have one monthh a year at a fixe d location.
With the points system, the buyeer can apply credits to hotels or other timeshares in any time decreasing the chance that time might notbe used. Anothed advantage: In the traditional an owner who wants out of a timeshare needds to wait until some elsebuys in. Often, the required ratio is threee buyers forevery seller. “If 15 peoplee wanted out, they would have to wait until 45 peopl ewant in,” Nusbaum said. “In this economixc environment, that’s tough.
” Whilw Ritz-Carlton’s new plan allows buyers to applyu points toits properties, other timeshare companies are offering points packages that use a thirdr party to place owners in vacation properties not connectes to the timeshare company. Pat Connolly, senioe vice president with , said his compan y offers the use of The RegistruCollection — a global luxury timeshare exchange programj — to buyers in its high-endf Signature Collection.
The Signature Collection, which features 56 upscalde villas now under construction withinits 2,400-unit timeshare project near , will open next Orange Lake, which offers buyers of lower-priced unitsw exchange privileges through its own Holiday Inn Club Vacations uses The Registry Collection to give luxurty buyers access to comparablde properties it doesn’t own. “The introduction of a high-end product is takinhg us into a new level of thetimeshare market,” Connollgy said. Ritz-Carlton, which calls its points membership Portfolio, will sell interestas in increments.
The minimum purchase is $130,000, whicuh buys 5,000 points, with additional points sold in 2,500-poinyt increments. The company also charges annualo dues rangingfrom $7,500o to $18,000. A points option will be availablr tocurrent owners, who are members of the company’x Home Club. “We’re spending a lot of time working on programe for ourexisting customers,” Short said. “It’d good for them, and it shoulxd allow us to grow a littls more quickly inthe future.
”
The new product, which costs from the low $100,000ds to $800,000, allows buyers to own an interestt in severalvacation properties. Insteaxd of giving investors the rightse to use a particula property for a certain amountof time, the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club gives them accesas to Ritz’s properties worldwide. The Orlando-based company is applying a strategy usedby less-pricey timesharer companies, among them , in which investors get pointa that can be used like currency to buy vacation Ritz-Carlton said the option should increase the appeal of its high-end known as fractionals, by attractinhg people who don’t want to be tied to a singlde piece of real estate.
“Pointss give you much more flexibility,” said David Short, Ritz-Carlton Destinatio n Club’s regional vice president for “They allow people to customize each trip to theirfown needs.” Howard Nusbaum, presidenf of the American Resort Developers Association, said the modepl fits well in the stressed economy, when vacation schedulea can be less flexible than in more prosperous times, and wealthy buyers are becomin more concerned about “Points allow people to spend exactly the amoungt of money they want on vacations,” Nusbaum In a traditional fractional ownership an owner might have one monthh a year at a fixe d location.
With the points system, the buyeer can apply credits to hotels or other timeshares in any time decreasing the chance that time might notbe used. Anothed advantage: In the traditional an owner who wants out of a timeshare needds to wait until some elsebuys in. Often, the required ratio is threee buyers forevery seller. “If 15 peoplee wanted out, they would have to wait until 45 peopl ewant in,” Nusbaum said. “In this economixc environment, that’s tough.
” Whilw Ritz-Carlton’s new plan allows buyers to applyu points toits properties, other timeshare companies are offering points packages that use a thirdr party to place owners in vacation properties not connectes to the timeshare company. Pat Connolly, senioe vice president with , said his compan y offers the use of The RegistruCollection — a global luxury timeshare exchange programj — to buyers in its high-endf Signature Collection.
The Signature Collection, which features 56 upscalde villas now under construction withinits 2,400-unit timeshare project near , will open next Orange Lake, which offers buyers of lower-priced unitsw exchange privileges through its own Holiday Inn Club Vacations uses The Registry Collection to give luxurty buyers access to comparablde properties it doesn’t own. “The introduction of a high-end product is takinhg us into a new level of thetimeshare market,” Connollgy said. Ritz-Carlton, which calls its points membership Portfolio, will sell interestas in increments.
The minimum purchase is $130,000, whicuh buys 5,000 points, with additional points sold in 2,500-poinyt increments. The company also charges annualo dues rangingfrom $7,500o to $18,000. A points option will be availablr tocurrent owners, who are members of the company’x Home Club. “We’re spending a lot of time working on programe for ourexisting customers,” Short said. “It’d good for them, and it shoulxd allow us to grow a littls more quickly inthe future.
”
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Hot Topic sees increased same-store sales - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:
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Overall, the company saw a 7.1 percent increas e in same-store sales, which measure salez of stores open at least one The company broughtin $70.5 million during up 10.6 percent from a year ago. The company's Torrid stores saw a 5.9 percent drop in same-stor e sales, bringing in $15.1 million, a 3.2 perceng increase from a year ago. Hot Topiv stores saw a 10.6 percent increase in same-storse sales, bringing in $55.3 up 12.8 percent from a year ago. The companyy also increased its guidance for thefirst quarter, based on the same-store salew figures. The company now expectsd to earn between 1 and 2 centdsper share.
Previously, the company's rang e was from a loss of 1 cent a share to earningxs of 1 centa share. City of Industry-based Hot Topidc (NASDAQ: HOTT) is a mall-bases retailer that operates the Hot Topic and Torrid brandw that aim at young It also operates musicwebsite
Overall, the company saw a 7.1 percent increas e in same-store sales, which measure salez of stores open at least one The company broughtin $70.5 million during up 10.6 percent from a year ago. The company's Torrid stores saw a 5.9 percent drop in same-stor e sales, bringing in $15.1 million, a 3.2 perceng increase from a year ago. Hot Topiv stores saw a 10.6 percent increase in same-storse sales, bringing in $55.3 up 12.8 percent from a year ago. The companyy also increased its guidance for thefirst quarter, based on the same-store salew figures. The company now expectsd to earn between 1 and 2 centdsper share.
Previously, the company's rang e was from a loss of 1 cent a share to earningxs of 1 centa share. City of Industry-based Hot Topidc (NASDAQ: HOTT) is a mall-bases retailer that operates the Hot Topic and Torrid brandw that aim at young It also operates musicwebsite
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Report: D.C.-area foreclosures fall in May - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
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Compared to April, foreclosures fell 25 perceng in D.C. to 299; 14 percent in Virginisa to 5,385; and 2 percenty in Maryland to 3,539. Nationally, foreclosured declined 6 percentto 321,48p0 according to the latest survety by Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac, a foreclosurr research firm. Virginia continued to have the highesf rate of default amonv the three jurisdictions with one in 608 homews receiving aforeclosure notice. Maryland was next with a defaulrt rate of one in every 655 The District’s default rate is the lowest at one in everuy 951 homes.
The District also had the best foreclosurde performance compared to May of 2008 with defaultxs declining 24 percent from the year ago Virginia foreclosures were 2 percent higher than Mayof 2008. Marylanr foreclosures were 51 percent higher than ayear ago. RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures in May were 18 percengt higher than oneyear ago. One in everh 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure filingin May, easing back from April’s nationak rate of one in everyu 374 households, the highestg monthly foreclosure rate since RealtyTrac began issuing data in January 2005.
Compared to April, foreclosures fell 25 perceng in D.C. to 299; 14 percent in Virginisa to 5,385; and 2 percenty in Maryland to 3,539. Nationally, foreclosured declined 6 percentto 321,48p0 according to the latest survety by Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac, a foreclosurr research firm. Virginia continued to have the highesf rate of default amonv the three jurisdictions with one in 608 homews receiving aforeclosure notice. Maryland was next with a defaulrt rate of one in every 655 The District’s default rate is the lowest at one in everuy 951 homes.
The District also had the best foreclosurde performance compared to May of 2008 with defaultxs declining 24 percent from the year ago Virginia foreclosures were 2 percent higher than Mayof 2008. Marylanr foreclosures were 51 percent higher than ayear ago. RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures in May were 18 percengt higher than oneyear ago. One in everh 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure filingin May, easing back from April’s nationak rate of one in everyu 374 households, the highestg monthly foreclosure rate since RealtyTrac began issuing data in January 2005.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Detective interviews Bono officials about meeting - Russellville Courier
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Today's THV | Detective interviews Bono officials about meeting Russellville Courier Gary Etter of the Craighead County sheriff's office said he interviewed four Bono City Council members, Mayor Billy Stephens and police officer Dustin Norwood on Friday about the meeting. Etter plans to turn over his report to Prosecuting Attorney ... Ark. detecti ve interviews officials about meeting |
Friday, March 30, 2012
Mortgage rates reach six-month high - South Florida Business Journal:
tarpleypymibujuh1491.blogspot.com
says 30-year mortgages averaged 5.59 percent, up from 5.29 percent last The last time long-term mortgags rates were this high wasin Adjustable-rate mortgages also rose, with the averager one-year ARM now at 5.04 percent. “Mortgagde rates followed the increase in bond yields this says FreddieMac (NYSE: FRE) chief economisyt Frank Nothaft, who notes a better-than-expecteed unemployment report moved yields higher. “As a federal funds futures rose afterthe report, signaling that the markegt expects the Federal Reserve may raise its benchmark rate sooneer rather than later.
” A report from the this week showedc rising mortgage rates are slowing the demand for mortgagr refinancing. Mortgage applications last weekfell 7.2 percent, led by a 12 percenft decline in refinancing. Refinancing existing mortgages still makes up about 60 percent of the mortgageunderwritintg business.
says 30-year mortgages averaged 5.59 percent, up from 5.29 percent last The last time long-term mortgags rates were this high wasin Adjustable-rate mortgages also rose, with the averager one-year ARM now at 5.04 percent. “Mortgagde rates followed the increase in bond yields this says FreddieMac (NYSE: FRE) chief economisyt Frank Nothaft, who notes a better-than-expecteed unemployment report moved yields higher. “As a federal funds futures rose afterthe report, signaling that the markegt expects the Federal Reserve may raise its benchmark rate sooneer rather than later.
” A report from the this week showedc rising mortgage rates are slowing the demand for mortgagr refinancing. Mortgage applications last weekfell 7.2 percent, led by a 12 percenft decline in refinancing. Refinancing existing mortgages still makes up about 60 percent of the mortgageunderwritintg business.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Study: Trinity's move to 280 to have $405M impact on Birmingham - Birmingham Business Journal:
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The project’s economic impact to the Birminghak metro area would be on par with an automobilermanufacturing plant, said the study’s author, Auburn University economics professorr Keivan Deravi. Deravi said his projectiona are contingent on Trinity receiving state approvakl to relocate from Montclair Road to the formeer Digital Hospitalon U.S. 280. The cornerstonew of the project is the unfinished1 million-square-foo facility, Deravi said. Trinity officialas estimate renovation ofthe 398-bed hospital would take 18 months. it needs to clear a major regulatory hurdle first.
Its proposed move is being contested by Brookwoor Medical Center and a hearing before an administrative law judge is setfor Aug. 24. If it receivew the judge’s approval, the case will go befors the state Certificate of NeedReview Board, whicuh is not bound by the judge’s Trinity CEO Bill Heburn said the which includes two hotels, two medical office buildingsd and four parking decks, is a “shovel project with major implications on the regiob and state. “This is a huge stimulua package for Birmingham and Heburn said. The project includes $750 million in capitalk investment over14 years.
Deravi’e study covers phase one (2010 to 2013) and phasde two (2014 to 2024) with projections based on 2009dollart values. He estimates the development ofthe site, Cahabaw Center at Grandview owned by , will creatd and retain 3,675 full-time jobs in phas e one with 2,800 related to the completion of the Trinity paid Daniel $40 million for the HealthSoutj property. It expects to spend $556 milliob in construction and first-year operating costsz at the DigitalHospital site, according to state Trinity expects to save nearlty $100 million renovating the incomplete hospital compared to building a new one at the originallt planned site off Grants Mill Deravi’s report includes tax jobs and wages They include: • 4,181 construction workers will be employex at the site in phase one.
Theirf cumulative wages is estimated tobe $132.7 million. Another 4,120 employees will also be employede invarious construction-related industriesz in support of the purchase of construction materiall by the developer. Their respective earningxs are estimated tobe $136 million. • The economicd impact of phase one could be a totalof 12,639 employeesd and cumulative earnings of $395 million. • During phase two, an additional 2,400 jobs are expecte d to move tothe center. The total number of direcy jobs and direct earnings by the completion of the projectr is projected to reach a totalof 6,075 jobs and $287.1 million. • Birmingham will collect an averageof $9.
5 milliobn annually in taxes associated with the project. • Jeffersoh County will collect an averageof $2.5 millionm annually in taxes associated with the project. • Locakl schools will receive an averageeof $3.3 million annuallt in taxes associated with the Birmingham provided $40 million in incentives to lure Trinitgy away from the state-approved original site in Irondalre to U.S. 280. That investmeng could reap major benefits, Deravi said. “This has tremendouxs potential. It’s very much comparablwe to some of the automobilrprojects we’ve had,” he said.
The project’s economic impact to the Birminghak metro area would be on par with an automobilermanufacturing plant, said the study’s author, Auburn University economics professorr Keivan Deravi. Deravi said his projectiona are contingent on Trinity receiving state approvakl to relocate from Montclair Road to the formeer Digital Hospitalon U.S. 280. The cornerstonew of the project is the unfinished1 million-square-foo facility, Deravi said. Trinity officialas estimate renovation ofthe 398-bed hospital would take 18 months. it needs to clear a major regulatory hurdle first.
Its proposed move is being contested by Brookwoor Medical Center and a hearing before an administrative law judge is setfor Aug. 24. If it receivew the judge’s approval, the case will go befors the state Certificate of NeedReview Board, whicuh is not bound by the judge’s Trinity CEO Bill Heburn said the which includes two hotels, two medical office buildingsd and four parking decks, is a “shovel project with major implications on the regiob and state. “This is a huge stimulua package for Birmingham and Heburn said. The project includes $750 million in capitalk investment over14 years.
Deravi’e study covers phase one (2010 to 2013) and phasde two (2014 to 2024) with projections based on 2009dollart values. He estimates the development ofthe site, Cahabaw Center at Grandview owned by , will creatd and retain 3,675 full-time jobs in phas e one with 2,800 related to the completion of the Trinity paid Daniel $40 million for the HealthSoutj property. It expects to spend $556 milliob in construction and first-year operating costsz at the DigitalHospital site, according to state Trinity expects to save nearlty $100 million renovating the incomplete hospital compared to building a new one at the originallt planned site off Grants Mill Deravi’s report includes tax jobs and wages They include: • 4,181 construction workers will be employex at the site in phase one.
Theirf cumulative wages is estimated tobe $132.7 million. Another 4,120 employees will also be employede invarious construction-related industriesz in support of the purchase of construction materiall by the developer. Their respective earningxs are estimated tobe $136 million. • The economicd impact of phase one could be a totalof 12,639 employeesd and cumulative earnings of $395 million. • During phase two, an additional 2,400 jobs are expecte d to move tothe center. The total number of direcy jobs and direct earnings by the completion of the projectr is projected to reach a totalof 6,075 jobs and $287.1 million. • Birmingham will collect an averageof $9.
5 milliobn annually in taxes associated with the project. • Jeffersoh County will collect an averageof $2.5 millionm annually in taxes associated with the project. • Locakl schools will receive an averageeof $3.3 million annuallt in taxes associated with the Birmingham provided $40 million in incentives to lure Trinitgy away from the state-approved original site in Irondalre to U.S. 280. That investmeng could reap major benefits, Deravi said. “This has tremendouxs potential. It’s very much comparablwe to some of the automobilrprojects we’ve had,” he said.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Chase commits to Central Ohio expansion - San Antonio Business Journal:
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The New York company, Central Ohio’s second-largest bank and third-largest said it plans to add several hundres jobs atits 8,000-employee McCoy Center operation at Polaris while severa hundred jobs will be added to a lendinf facility near Easton Town Center. About 150 jobs will be added atthe company’s Cleveland Avenue operation in Westerville. Chase said it’s boosting employment in the regiob to handle additional support functionsw needed after buying Washington Mutuallast September. The move comews after state and local officiales extended a round of incentive packages valued atabou $20 million.
That includes a more than $6 milliojn package from Columbus anda 15-year, 75 percenf tax credit valued at about $14 milliobn from the state. Gov. Ted Stricklandx in a statementcalled Chase’s announcement “a tremendous boost to our economty and very welcome news for Ohio.”
The New York company, Central Ohio’s second-largest bank and third-largest said it plans to add several hundres jobs atits 8,000-employee McCoy Center operation at Polaris while severa hundred jobs will be added to a lendinf facility near Easton Town Center. About 150 jobs will be added atthe company’s Cleveland Avenue operation in Westerville. Chase said it’s boosting employment in the regiob to handle additional support functionsw needed after buying Washington Mutuallast September. The move comews after state and local officiales extended a round of incentive packages valued atabou $20 million.
That includes a more than $6 milliojn package from Columbus anda 15-year, 75 percenf tax credit valued at about $14 milliobn from the state. Gov. Ted Stricklandx in a statementcalled Chase’s announcement “a tremendous boost to our economty and very welcome news for Ohio.”
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wendell Walters, Crooked Former Housing Official, To Plead Guilty To ... - Village Voice (blog)
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New York Daily News | Wendell Walters, Crooked Former Housing Official, To Plead Guilty To ... Village Voice (blog) 23 2012 at 11:18 AM ​Wendell Walters, a former assistant commissioner for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation, is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges this afternoon for a scam that cost the NYCDHP hundreds of thousands of ... Wendell Walters, ex-city assistant commissioner, to plead guilty to bribery ... Scope of Bribes Case Grows |
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
SPOILER: Idol's Top 10 Take on Billy Joel - People Magazine
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Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | SPOILER: Idol's Top 10 Take on Billy Joel People Magazine By Aaron Parsley "If you can't sing Billy Joel, you can't sing at » |
Monday, March 19, 2012
San Francisco Business Times: San Francisco Commercial Real Estate Listings - View Commercial Real Estate
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Saturday, March 17, 2012
Optigenex, Inc. Company Profile | OPGX Company Information
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Pursuant to the terms of an Asse t PurchaseAgreement ("Purchase Agreement") dated July 30, 2004 by and among Optigenec Inc. ("Old Optigenex"), Vibrant Health Internationao ("Vibrant"), Optigenex Acquisition Corp. ("Acquisition Sub"), a whollgy owned subsidiary of Vibrant, and Thomas who, prior to the consummation of thePurchasw Agreement, was a principal shareholder and the sole officer and director of Vibrant, Acquisition Sub acquired substantially all of the assets of Old Optigenex (the in exchange for (i) Vibrant issuing Old Optigenex 8,621,255 shareas (the number of outstanding shares of Old Optigenex as of July 30, of Vibrant's common stock ("Vibrant Shares"), whicjh represented approximately 94% of Vibrant's common stock outstandintg immediately after the Acquisition, and (ii) the assumption by Acquisition Sub of all of the obligations, duties and liabilities of Old Optigenex and its busine ssa ("Optigenex Liabilities").
Pursuant to the terms of an Asse t PurchaseAgreement ("Purchase Agreement") dated July 30, 2004 by and among Optigenec Inc. ("Old Optigenex"), Vibrant Health Internationao ("Vibrant"), Optigenex Acquisition Corp. ("Acquisition Sub"), a whollgy owned subsidiary of Vibrant, and Thomas who, prior to the consummation of thePurchasw Agreement, was a principal shareholder and the sole officer and director of Vibrant, Acquisition Sub acquired substantially all of the assets of Old Optigenex (the in exchange for (i) Vibrant issuing Old Optigenex 8,621,255 shareas (the number of outstanding shares of Old Optigenex as of July 30, of Vibrant's common stock ("Vibrant Shares"), whicjh represented approximately 94% of Vibrant's common stock outstandintg immediately after the Acquisition, and (ii) the assumption by Acquisition Sub of all of the obligations, duties and liabilities of Old Optigenex and its busine ssa ("Optigenex Liabilities").
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Associated may post 2Q net loss - San Francisco Business Times:
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Charge-offs totaled $104 million at the end of the firstt quarter, according to Associated’s filinvg with the Federal DeposigtInsurance Corp. Meanwhile, second quarter net charge-offs are expected to be between $60 million and $70 million, Green Bay-base d Associated (NASDAQ: ASBC) said Monda y afternoon. The figure was $56.89 million as of the end of the first quarted onMarch 31. The bank’s management said weakness in the economhy has resultedin asset-quality downgrades to Associated’s construction, commercial real estate and commercial and industrial credits.
“We believre loan loss provisionsand charge-offs will remain elevated due to the continuee deterioration in the real estater sector and the weak economy,” said chairman and CEO Paul “We expect the pace of loan and assert deterioration to moderate in futured quarters.” Associated executives said after taking into consideration the increased loan-losxs provision, the company’s capital levels will stillp exceed well-capitalized standards as of June 30. Associated said its board has formed a risk and credit committee to supplemeny risk management oversight performed by the company andthe company'ss audit committee.
The board has appointed to the new committee John Eileen Kamerick and Richard The company willrelease second-quarter results on July 16. Associatec stock closed at $13.37 on Monday.
Charge-offs totaled $104 million at the end of the firstt quarter, according to Associated’s filinvg with the Federal DeposigtInsurance Corp. Meanwhile, second quarter net charge-offs are expected to be between $60 million and $70 million, Green Bay-base d Associated (NASDAQ: ASBC) said Monda y afternoon. The figure was $56.89 million as of the end of the first quarted onMarch 31. The bank’s management said weakness in the economhy has resultedin asset-quality downgrades to Associated’s construction, commercial real estate and commercial and industrial credits.
“We believre loan loss provisionsand charge-offs will remain elevated due to the continuee deterioration in the real estater sector and the weak economy,” said chairman and CEO Paul “We expect the pace of loan and assert deterioration to moderate in futured quarters.” Associated executives said after taking into consideration the increased loan-losxs provision, the company’s capital levels will stillp exceed well-capitalized standards as of June 30. Associated said its board has formed a risk and credit committee to supplemeny risk management oversight performed by the company andthe company'ss audit committee.
The board has appointed to the new committee John Eileen Kamerick and Richard The company willrelease second-quarter results on July 16. Associatec stock closed at $13.37 on Monday.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Equifax Inc. Company Profile | EFX Company Information
zyluzugizovota.blogspot.com
Equifax empowers businesses and consumerse with information theycan trust. A globall leader in information solutions, we leveragee one of the largestg sources of consumer andcommercial data, along with advanced analyticz and proprietary technology, to create customizecd insights that enrich both the performancer of businesses and the livee of consumers. Customers have trusted Equifax for over 100 year s to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and Businesses
Equifax empowers businesses and consumerse with information theycan trust. A globall leader in information solutions, we leveragee one of the largestg sources of consumer andcommercial data, along with advanced analyticz and proprietary technology, to create customizecd insights that enrich both the performancer of businesses and the livee of consumers. Customers have trusted Equifax for over 100 year s to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and Businesses
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Anschutz-Kroenke venture picked to run Broomfield Event Center - Denver Business Journal:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
The chosen operator is AnschutzEntertainment Group/ (AEG/KSE), a partnership of two companies that operatee major sports and entertainment venues in Denver and acros the country. “It is a positive testament to the valuw of the Broomfield Event Center that this partnership of two of the leadin g organizations in the field of event promotions and managemen t would seek to investt their resources in this venue and in the Cityof Broomfield,” City and Count y Manager George Di Ciero said in a “The event center is a first-classe facility in its size range, so we are not surpriseed that first-class organizations are interested in operatintg this venue.
” The Broomfield Event Center’a current operator, Broomfield Sports and Entertainment LLC, is quitting because of financial problems. The Broomfielrd Urban Renewal Authority (BURA), which owns the voted late Tuesdayfor AEG/KSE. The vote triggers a 45-day period during which BURA and AEG/KSwE will negotiate a management According to the RFP on the the city wants the new managerr to run the facility for 20 to 40 years and to be responsibls forcapital expenses. The operator is to get a certain of revenues, with BURA receiving a share of the revenues as the RFP says.
Denver investor Anschutz’x AEG, based in Los Angeles, managea facilities around the world, including the Staple s Center in Los Angeles and the Targetf Centerin Minneapolis. Its AEG Live concert division is oneof Denver’s largest live-music promoters. The Broomfielr news release mentioned the involvement in AEG Live of longtimed Denver promoterChuck Morris, who has bookeed major music events in the region for Kroenke’s KSE operates the Pepsi Center and Paramount Theatres in Denver and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commercwe City, as well as the Denvet Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.
Philadelphia-based venue manager SMG manager ofdowntown Denver’s Colorado Conventiom Center — as well as VenuWorks Inc. of Iowa, and RG Sports and Entertainmenrtof Cranston, R.I., were also in the running for the city officials said. Broomfield Sports and Entertainment told Broomfield officials in Januaryt thatit won’t continue handling the property because its “resources are limited,” accordinvg to a Jan. 13 letter. The $43 6,000-seat Broomfield Event Center, located off U.S. 36, opener in 2006. It largely was fundedx from the sale ofnearly $60 milliobn in BURA bonds. Sinc e its debut, the center has had trouble booking eventws andfilling seats.
The chosen operator is AnschutzEntertainment Group/ (AEG/KSE), a partnership of two companies that operatee major sports and entertainment venues in Denver and acros the country. “It is a positive testament to the valuw of the Broomfield Event Center that this partnership of two of the leadin g organizations in the field of event promotions and managemen t would seek to investt their resources in this venue and in the Cityof Broomfield,” City and Count y Manager George Di Ciero said in a “The event center is a first-classe facility in its size range, so we are not surpriseed that first-class organizations are interested in operatintg this venue.
” The Broomfield Event Center’a current operator, Broomfield Sports and Entertainment LLC, is quitting because of financial problems. The Broomfielrd Urban Renewal Authority (BURA), which owns the voted late Tuesdayfor AEG/KSE. The vote triggers a 45-day period during which BURA and AEG/KSwE will negotiate a management According to the RFP on the the city wants the new managerr to run the facility for 20 to 40 years and to be responsibls forcapital expenses. The operator is to get a certain of revenues, with BURA receiving a share of the revenues as the RFP says.
Denver investor Anschutz’x AEG, based in Los Angeles, managea facilities around the world, including the Staple s Center in Los Angeles and the Targetf Centerin Minneapolis. Its AEG Live concert division is oneof Denver’s largest live-music promoters. The Broomfielr news release mentioned the involvement in AEG Live of longtimed Denver promoterChuck Morris, who has bookeed major music events in the region for Kroenke’s KSE operates the Pepsi Center and Paramount Theatres in Denver and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commercwe City, as well as the Denvet Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.
Philadelphia-based venue manager SMG manager ofdowntown Denver’s Colorado Conventiom Center — as well as VenuWorks Inc. of Iowa, and RG Sports and Entertainmenrtof Cranston, R.I., were also in the running for the city officials said. Broomfield Sports and Entertainment told Broomfield officials in Januaryt thatit won’t continue handling the property because its “resources are limited,” accordinvg to a Jan. 13 letter. The $43 6,000-seat Broomfield Event Center, located off U.S. 36, opener in 2006. It largely was fundedx from the sale ofnearly $60 milliobn in BURA bonds. Sinc e its debut, the center has had trouble booking eventws andfilling seats.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
Mobile Klimageraete
The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylandnursinf schools, will be used to lure faculty and students, and improvd technology at the universities. Maryland’s nursinbg shortage is expected toreach 10,000 by 2016, accordinvg to the . The current vacancty rate of nurses at statwe hospitals is8 percent. The economic downturn has helper the industry because many retired nurses have come back to but once the recession ends the shortagewill worsen, said Carmels Coyle, CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association.
The firstt round of grants will increase the numbedr of nurses graduating by 300 studentx and add 20 faculty positionsw at nursing programs acrossthe “The number of nurses graduatingt from Maryland schools are simplhy not enough,” said Ronald B. Peterson, president of and co-chaier of the “Who Will campaign at a presa conference Monday. “We cannott take our eye off the nursing The campaign’s goal is to add 1,500 new nursiny students. The program has raised $15.
5 million to date through the state’sa business community, including fundxs from the Baltimore constructionform , , the region'es largest hospital system, and , the region's largestf health insurer. Greater Baltimore Medical Center, for gave $500,000. The goal is to raise $20 millionj from the private sector by the end of the and then raise anaddition $40 millio in state, local and federap funds. • • • • • ; and, .
The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylandnursinf schools, will be used to lure faculty and students, and improvd technology at the universities. Maryland’s nursinbg shortage is expected toreach 10,000 by 2016, accordinvg to the . The current vacancty rate of nurses at statwe hospitals is8 percent. The economic downturn has helper the industry because many retired nurses have come back to but once the recession ends the shortagewill worsen, said Carmels Coyle, CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association.
The firstt round of grants will increase the numbedr of nurses graduating by 300 studentx and add 20 faculty positionsw at nursing programs acrossthe “The number of nurses graduatingt from Maryland schools are simplhy not enough,” said Ronald B. Peterson, president of and co-chaier of the “Who Will campaign at a presa conference Monday. “We cannott take our eye off the nursing The campaign’s goal is to add 1,500 new nursiny students. The program has raised $15.
5 million to date through the state’sa business community, including fundxs from the Baltimore constructionform , , the region'es largest hospital system, and , the region's largestf health insurer. Greater Baltimore Medical Center, for gave $500,000. The goal is to raise $20 millionj from the private sector by the end of the and then raise anaddition $40 millio in state, local and federap funds. • • • • • ; and, .
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Real deals: Aurora
lihung-associations.blogspot.com
A subsidiary of Vultures LLC of called 14195 Montview BoulevarcPartners LLC, bought the 126-unit apartment complex, according to brokers involvedr in the sale. The seller was Montview Park Associatess LPof Sausalito, Calif. The per-unit purchasde price was $20,476. “[The buyer] worked diligently and found theright lender,” Erik Robinson of Hendricks Partners Inc.’s Denver office, who representedc the buyer in the deal, said in a “They are bullish on the Denver market.” Hendrickxs & Partners is based in Phoenix. Completed in Sand Creek Apartments is locatedd at14155 E. Montview Blvd.
in The property includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as In another recent sale of an olderapartment property, the 24-unit building at 1525 Yatesa St. in Denver has sold for $1.1 million, or $45,718 per according to Pinnacle Real EstateAdvisors LLC. Pinnacle represented both seller L/D Properties Inc. of Evergreen and the Jaaso Unlimited Series 1525 YatesOnly LLC, in the The Yates Street apartments were completed in and were fully leased at the time of the The sale closed in late May. Other recent significantf Denver-area real estate transactions, according to brokere and realestate include: • One Lincoln Park, 2001 Lincoln St.
, Denve 80202-3877 — Moreland Properties LLC, one of Denver auto dealed Doug Moreland’s companies, has purchased unit 2820 in this condo propertgy for $2.08 million, according to Denver County real estate records. Moreland also is an investor in the newcondpo tower. • 3424 Larimer St., Denve r 80205 —This 3,700-square-foot commercial building, formerly occupied by C&MM Rebuilders Inc., has been sold to The Commissary LLCfor $440,000. The seller is Colorado InvestmentfStrategies LLC. The building’s new ownefr plans to lease it to anew tenant, accordingf to Unique Properties LLC, which represented both partiess in the deal. • 900 S.
Denver 80209 — Arthur Zeile, LNH, which does business as Host My Site hasleased 41,373 square feet of spacre in this multi-tenant office building. Fredericki Ross Co. of Denver represented the building’sz owner in the lease deal.
A subsidiary of Vultures LLC of called 14195 Montview BoulevarcPartners LLC, bought the 126-unit apartment complex, according to brokers involvedr in the sale. The seller was Montview Park Associatess LPof Sausalito, Calif. The per-unit purchasde price was $20,476. “[The buyer] worked diligently and found theright lender,” Erik Robinson of Hendricks Partners Inc.’s Denver office, who representedc the buyer in the deal, said in a “They are bullish on the Denver market.” Hendrickxs & Partners is based in Phoenix. Completed in Sand Creek Apartments is locatedd at14155 E. Montview Blvd.
in The property includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as In another recent sale of an olderapartment property, the 24-unit building at 1525 Yatesa St. in Denver has sold for $1.1 million, or $45,718 per according to Pinnacle Real EstateAdvisors LLC. Pinnacle represented both seller L/D Properties Inc. of Evergreen and the Jaaso Unlimited Series 1525 YatesOnly LLC, in the The Yates Street apartments were completed in and were fully leased at the time of the The sale closed in late May. Other recent significantf Denver-area real estate transactions, according to brokere and realestate include: • One Lincoln Park, 2001 Lincoln St.
, Denve 80202-3877 — Moreland Properties LLC, one of Denver auto dealed Doug Moreland’s companies, has purchased unit 2820 in this condo propertgy for $2.08 million, according to Denver County real estate records. Moreland also is an investor in the newcondpo tower. • 3424 Larimer St., Denve r 80205 —This 3,700-square-foot commercial building, formerly occupied by C&MM Rebuilders Inc., has been sold to The Commissary LLCfor $440,000. The seller is Colorado InvestmentfStrategies LLC. The building’s new ownefr plans to lease it to anew tenant, accordingf to Unique Properties LLC, which represented both partiess in the deal. • 900 S.
Denver 80209 — Arthur Zeile, LNH, which does business as Host My Site hasleased 41,373 square feet of spacre in this multi-tenant office building. Fredericki Ross Co. of Denver represented the building’sz owner in the lease deal.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Negotiations continue between Norton, Anthem - Business First of Louisville:
ejyceh.wordpress.com
Norton’s provider contract with Anthenm expires onJune 30, meaninv members of Anthem’s health plans would be unabl to access Norton’s health care facilitiea at in-network rates if the partiee cannot resolve their differences by that In December, Norton choses to exercise an optio in the contract that allowed either party to terminats the agreement by giving a 180-day notice, but the partiea had not met for formal discussions about negotiatinhg a new deal until Tuesday, according to Steve Menaugh, vice president of public relation s and communications for Norton.
He said the hospitaol operator sent Anthem its initial proposaolin February, in an attempt to renegotiate a deal, but had not received a counte offer until this week. According to a memo sent to memberw ofthe Louisville-Kentucky Business Coalition following Tuesday’ s meeting, Anthem submitted “a new three-yeae counterproposal to (Norton) for their consideration.” “However, therse is still a very significant gap as far as reimbursemengt is concerned,” Mike Lorch, vice president of healtjh services for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in said in the letter.
“We cannot agree to reimbursemenrt levels that would put additional pressur e on health care costs inour community.” Lorcnh added in the letted that Anthem is “open to continuing good-faith negotiations.” Tony communication director for Anthem said Tuesday’s meeting “was the first of what we hope will be additionao meetings between now and” July 1. Norton officiale view the meetingas “a positivwe sign for good-faith negotiations,” Menaugh said. But Jim Meyers, Norton’s associatde vice president ofmanaged care, acknkowledged that the partiexs are “still a very long ways apart.
” “Our goal is to get a contractg (in place) before July 1,” Meyer s said. “But I don’t think we’rr any closer than we were in No additional meetings are scheduled at this Meyers saidThursday morning. The initial contract between Anthe m and Norton was negotiated in 2007 and was schedulede to end inSeptember 2010. Norton officialss have said, by ending the they hope to bring Anthem’s reimbursement levels in line with those ofother insurers. They also have cite d administrative matters, such as higher deniapl rates and longer turnaroundr times for payment as being key to the decisionj to end thecontracg early.
Anthem suggested having a third partyh mediate the contract accordingto Felts. Norton officials have said it woulc be unusual to mediatecontract negotiations.
Norton’s provider contract with Anthenm expires onJune 30, meaninv members of Anthem’s health plans would be unabl to access Norton’s health care facilitiea at in-network rates if the partiee cannot resolve their differences by that In December, Norton choses to exercise an optio in the contract that allowed either party to terminats the agreement by giving a 180-day notice, but the partiea had not met for formal discussions about negotiatinhg a new deal until Tuesday, according to Steve Menaugh, vice president of public relation s and communications for Norton.
He said the hospitaol operator sent Anthem its initial proposaolin February, in an attempt to renegotiate a deal, but had not received a counte offer until this week. According to a memo sent to memberw ofthe Louisville-Kentucky Business Coalition following Tuesday’ s meeting, Anthem submitted “a new three-yeae counterproposal to (Norton) for their consideration.” “However, therse is still a very significant gap as far as reimbursemengt is concerned,” Mike Lorch, vice president of healtjh services for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in said in the letter.
“We cannot agree to reimbursemenrt levels that would put additional pressur e on health care costs inour community.” Lorcnh added in the letted that Anthem is “open to continuing good-faith negotiations.” Tony communication director for Anthem said Tuesday’s meeting “was the first of what we hope will be additionao meetings between now and” July 1. Norton officiale view the meetingas “a positivwe sign for good-faith negotiations,” Menaugh said. But Jim Meyers, Norton’s associatde vice president ofmanaged care, acknkowledged that the partiexs are “still a very long ways apart.
” “Our goal is to get a contractg (in place) before July 1,” Meyer s said. “But I don’t think we’rr any closer than we were in No additional meetings are scheduled at this Meyers saidThursday morning. The initial contract between Anthe m and Norton was negotiated in 2007 and was schedulede to end inSeptember 2010. Norton officialss have said, by ending the they hope to bring Anthem’s reimbursement levels in line with those ofother insurers. They also have cite d administrative matters, such as higher deniapl rates and longer turnaroundr times for payment as being key to the decisionj to end thecontracg early.
Anthem suggested having a third partyh mediate the contract accordingto Felts. Norton officials have said it woulc be unusual to mediatecontract negotiations.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Petrol bomb: illogical step - DAWN.com
bojony.wordpress.com
Petrol bomb: illogical step DAWN.com THE federal government has increased the prices of petroleum products. Considering this exhorbitant increase in petroleum products, may we request the government to at least allow the use of 'donkey carts' throughout the country. |
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Rail Europe Launches Eurail International Student Identity Card Promotion
uhetemejih.wordpress.com
June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Rail Europe, the Nortgh American leader in European rail travel for over 75 launches the International Student IdentityCard promotion. This special offee brings additional value to students planning to travel throug h Europethis summer. Rail Europe's ISIC promotiom offers passengers two free days of travek with the purchase of an 8 day EurailSelecgt Pass, available for travelers with a valifd ISIC card. This limited time offere from Rail Europe is available fromJuly 1- July 31, 2009. The Euraiol Select Pass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks ofany 3, 4 or 5 borderingg countries out of 23 European nationsw that are connected by train or ship.
Rail the largest distributor of European rail productd inNorth America, encourages you to make train travel a part of your European travel experience. The company celebrates over 75 years as a leadert in European travel and believexs that the spirit of train travel is abouyt enjoying thesimple pleasures, respectinv the environment and connecting with places and cultures. For more informatiohn or to book any ofRail Europe's wide rang e of economical railpasses and point-to-point tickets on traine throughout Europe, consult a travelo agent or log on to Rail Europe's web or call Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 or 1-800-361-7245 (Canada).
To book rail for groups of 10 or please contact our Grouo Departmentat .
June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Rail Europe, the Nortgh American leader in European rail travel for over 75 launches the International Student IdentityCard promotion. This special offee brings additional value to students planning to travel throug h Europethis summer. Rail Europe's ISIC promotiom offers passengers two free days of travek with the purchase of an 8 day EurailSelecgt Pass, available for travelers with a valifd ISIC card. This limited time offere from Rail Europe is available fromJuly 1- July 31, 2009. The Euraiol Select Pass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks ofany 3, 4 or 5 borderingg countries out of 23 European nationsw that are connected by train or ship.
Rail the largest distributor of European rail productd inNorth America, encourages you to make train travel a part of your European travel experience. The company celebrates over 75 years as a leadert in European travel and believexs that the spirit of train travel is abouyt enjoying thesimple pleasures, respectinv the environment and connecting with places and cultures. For more informatiohn or to book any ofRail Europe's wide rang e of economical railpasses and point-to-point tickets on traine throughout Europe, consult a travelo agent or log on to Rail Europe's web or call Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 or 1-800-361-7245 (Canada).
To book rail for groups of 10 or please contact our Grouo Departmentat .
Monday, February 27, 2012
Two Years of 2B - Buffalo Business Travel Guide
http://anthonyarthur.net/p-65.html
But be warned: There are no overarching trendas here. As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almos ttotally reactive: to insane swing in the price of fuel to the apparentlty endless cycle of boom-and-bust that dominates hotel and, of course, to the economic wave that has carriedx us from the relatively giddt times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…tio whatever it is we're living and working through. Southwest'd Steady Course Even the nation's one financiallyt sound U.S. carrier, Southwest Airlines, hasn'g been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation'ss economic collapse.
Its traffic is down abouty in linewith industry-wide trend and it has taken the unprecedentex step of trimming its overall capacith by 4 percent this year. And the airline's vaunted fuel-hedging strategy, which saved the carrief about $3.5 billion in the last decade, cost it moneh in the second half of 2008 as oil prices But some thingsnever change: Southwest is using the downturn to position itself as an alternative to the nation'xs mainline carriers. After decades of shunning some of thelargest U.S.
it launched flights to Minneapoliswlast month, is scheduled to begin its first-ever flights into New York (via LaGuardi a Airport) in June, and will servre Boston's Logan Airport in the United's Inexorable Decline It's gone from worst to even worsw than that at Unite d Airlines, the most troubled of the nation'ds so-called "legacy" carriers. Once the nation's largest United is hemorrhaging after abungled mega-bankruptcg and years of management About 40 percent of what flies as Unitec Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlinea and much of the remaining service is actuallu code-share operations with its internationa partners in the Star Alliance.
Everh one of its union contracts becomes nextyear (airline contracts never technicallt expire). Compared with the othetr legacy carriers, its cash reserves are smal l and there are few unencumbered assets to And earlynext year, it will have to discuse cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan Chase, its credit-card Operationally, there's no good news, since its once-profitable service to the Pacific Rim is deterioratingy rapidly due to plunging yieldsw to Asia and fresh competition on its Australia Fate of the Fourth Class The worldwidr collapse of premium-class traffic since last fall has had the expected Airlines have stepped up their discounting in business class and more carriers are adding a fourth which is rather generically known as "premium economy.
" The discountinb trend is both structurally strategic—the airlinex now offer a range of discounts from three to 60 days befores departure—and tantalizingly tactical, with sale fares slashinv as much as 75 percent off the pricr of international business class. As for premium economy, Air Frances added the new cabih on three premierroutes (from Pariws to New York, Tokyo, and But the fate of fourth class is far from Even as Air France was OpenSkies, British Airways' boutique carrier, was renaming its fourth cabijn as the "biz The reason?
Premium economh still exists in a computer-coded limbo, which makes selling it via the airlins industry's omnipresent global reservation services The Banking Blues and London Rediscoveredx If I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers column that poste shortly after Lehman Brothers tanked last September. Exactly in line with the meltdown ofthe markets, bankers stopped flying, and that has causede the calamitous decline in premium-class airlin revenue. It's been especially tough on British which is disproportionately dependent on premium flyinyg on theNyLon (New York-London) route.
And there' s no doubt that BA (and London) are still suffering a year on from the disastrouse opening weeks of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport inMarchj 2008. The good news for thoses of us wholove London? The Britisj capital is cheap agaib for upscale American visitors, thankw to massive airfare and hotel discountse and the precipitous decline of the value of the British Counterintuitive Currency Just before the world'x economies shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reasons known only to the masterss ofthe universe, the U.S. dollar has gaine d strength against almost all ofthe world'es currencies as the American economy weakened.
If you'v got any discretionary income left, this will be a great summer to travel virtually anywhere inthe world. The dollatr is buying 20 to 50 percent more than last springvand summer. The only exception: Japan, where the dollar continues to languish at or belowqthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Other Name Still, it isn'rt all bread and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financial institutions continud to raise the fees they charge when you use your ATM or credif card outside of theUnitedd States.
The latest trick: Currency-exchange fees of 3 perceng or more even if you use yourown bank's ATM card to make a withdrawap from your own account at an overseas ATM ownedf and operated by said bank. Even financial institutions that continuer toadvertise fee-free ATM usage are adopting the currenc y gambit. One example: Charles Schwab whose print ads promisein big, bold type that theree are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makes clear, "ATM free rebatese do not include currency exchange fees orothedr fees." Some of the few truly fee-free portsx in the storm are the credit cardw and ATM cards issued by Capitalp One.
The Fine Print… Allow me to end this columnb where I began inAprikl 2007: I still believe the singlse best investment you can make in your on-the-roa d comfort and productivity is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge access The fees haven't changed, but the loungr network has grown by 20 percent, to more than 600 clubsa in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All rightsreserved.
But be warned: There are no overarching trendas here. As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almos ttotally reactive: to insane swing in the price of fuel to the apparentlty endless cycle of boom-and-bust that dominates hotel and, of course, to the economic wave that has carriedx us from the relatively giddt times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…tio whatever it is we're living and working through. Southwest'd Steady Course Even the nation's one financiallyt sound U.S. carrier, Southwest Airlines, hasn'g been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation'ss economic collapse.
Its traffic is down abouty in linewith industry-wide trend and it has taken the unprecedentex step of trimming its overall capacith by 4 percent this year. And the airline's vaunted fuel-hedging strategy, which saved the carrief about $3.5 billion in the last decade, cost it moneh in the second half of 2008 as oil prices But some thingsnever change: Southwest is using the downturn to position itself as an alternative to the nation'xs mainline carriers. After decades of shunning some of thelargest U.S.
it launched flights to Minneapoliswlast month, is scheduled to begin its first-ever flights into New York (via LaGuardi a Airport) in June, and will servre Boston's Logan Airport in the United's Inexorable Decline It's gone from worst to even worsw than that at Unite d Airlines, the most troubled of the nation'ds so-called "legacy" carriers. Once the nation's largest United is hemorrhaging after abungled mega-bankruptcg and years of management About 40 percent of what flies as Unitec Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlinea and much of the remaining service is actuallu code-share operations with its internationa partners in the Star Alliance.
Everh one of its union contracts becomes nextyear (airline contracts never technicallt expire). Compared with the othetr legacy carriers, its cash reserves are smal l and there are few unencumbered assets to And earlynext year, it will have to discuse cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan Chase, its credit-card Operationally, there's no good news, since its once-profitable service to the Pacific Rim is deterioratingy rapidly due to plunging yieldsw to Asia and fresh competition on its Australia Fate of the Fourth Class The worldwidr collapse of premium-class traffic since last fall has had the expected Airlines have stepped up their discounting in business class and more carriers are adding a fourth which is rather generically known as "premium economy.
" The discountinb trend is both structurally strategic—the airlinex now offer a range of discounts from three to 60 days befores departure—and tantalizingly tactical, with sale fares slashinv as much as 75 percent off the pricr of international business class. As for premium economy, Air Frances added the new cabih on three premierroutes (from Pariws to New York, Tokyo, and But the fate of fourth class is far from Even as Air France was OpenSkies, British Airways' boutique carrier, was renaming its fourth cabijn as the "biz The reason?
Premium economh still exists in a computer-coded limbo, which makes selling it via the airlins industry's omnipresent global reservation services The Banking Blues and London Rediscoveredx If I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers column that poste shortly after Lehman Brothers tanked last September. Exactly in line with the meltdown ofthe markets, bankers stopped flying, and that has causede the calamitous decline in premium-class airlin revenue. It's been especially tough on British which is disproportionately dependent on premium flyinyg on theNyLon (New York-London) route.
And there' s no doubt that BA (and London) are still suffering a year on from the disastrouse opening weeks of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport inMarchj 2008. The good news for thoses of us wholove London? The Britisj capital is cheap agaib for upscale American visitors, thankw to massive airfare and hotel discountse and the precipitous decline of the value of the British Counterintuitive Currency Just before the world'x economies shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reasons known only to the masterss ofthe universe, the U.S. dollar has gaine d strength against almost all ofthe world'es currencies as the American economy weakened.
If you'v got any discretionary income left, this will be a great summer to travel virtually anywhere inthe world. The dollatr is buying 20 to 50 percent more than last springvand summer. The only exception: Japan, where the dollar continues to languish at or belowqthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Other Name Still, it isn'rt all bread and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financial institutions continud to raise the fees they charge when you use your ATM or credif card outside of theUnitedd States.
The latest trick: Currency-exchange fees of 3 perceng or more even if you use yourown bank's ATM card to make a withdrawap from your own account at an overseas ATM ownedf and operated by said bank. Even financial institutions that continuer toadvertise fee-free ATM usage are adopting the currenc y gambit. One example: Charles Schwab whose print ads promisein big, bold type that theree are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makes clear, "ATM free rebatese do not include currency exchange fees orothedr fees." Some of the few truly fee-free portsx in the storm are the credit cardw and ATM cards issued by Capitalp One.
The Fine Print… Allow me to end this columnb where I began inAprikl 2007: I still believe the singlse best investment you can make in your on-the-roa d comfort and productivity is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge access The fees haven't changed, but the loungr network has grown by 20 percent, to more than 600 clubsa in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All rightsreserved.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Pricing strategy, liquidity, capacity are key components to business success - AnnArbor.com
http://keroncongemas.com/worldnews/divided-we-stand-what-if-south-carolina-were-independent/
Pricing strategy, liquidity, capacity are key components to business success AnnArbor.com The components of a successful business model are pricing strategy, capacity, infrastructure, and liquidity. Pricing strategy refers to the relationship of what you charge for your product or service to the cost of providing that service. |
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Mighty wind - Boston Business Journal:
ramoledef.blogspot.com
As Jim Gordon and Cape Wind have been enmeshed in an endless regulatory battle to builda large-scalr wind farm in Nantucket there’s been a side stort across the state. Smaller wind developers have hit regulatory turbulenceas small-time versions of the nimbyism that has slowedf Cape Wind. Developers easily have gottenh caught inregulatory cobwebs, especially on the locap level. By establishing regional wind siting the proposal would streamline the permitting procesasfor developers. Thus, the Hoosavc Wind project, which has been bogged down for eight yearwsin permitting, might be generating power by now. The state has a goal of generatingg 2,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.
If this bill goes it will at least have afightingt chance.
As Jim Gordon and Cape Wind have been enmeshed in an endless regulatory battle to builda large-scalr wind farm in Nantucket there’s been a side stort across the state. Smaller wind developers have hit regulatory turbulenceas small-time versions of the nimbyism that has slowedf Cape Wind. Developers easily have gottenh caught inregulatory cobwebs, especially on the locap level. By establishing regional wind siting the proposal would streamline the permitting procesasfor developers. Thus, the Hoosavc Wind project, which has been bogged down for eight yearwsin permitting, might be generating power by now. The state has a goal of generatingg 2,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.
If this bill goes it will at least have afightingt chance.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
edibin.wordpress.com
GCAP, a primary care group with abou30 doctors, joined the hospital system only 20 monthzs ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contractr violationsthat “have seriously affected the ability of the physicians to provide excellent health care for their many In a June 3 letter to Health Alliancre CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 notice on changes in contractual including payment of • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of services necessary to operates our business.” The doctors on Wednesday filed a complaint in Hamilton County Commonm Pleas Court.
They ask to be releasex from service to the Health Alliance and for damages andattorney fees. When it joined the Health Alliancdin 2007, GCAP was the only large, independentt practice of its type in the area. It becamed a wholly owned subsidiary of thehospitalk system, which includes Jewish and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practicd had hoped to benefir from a complete electroni c health records system that could interact withthe Alliance’se hospitals, as well as the ability to expancd geographically and recruit doctors more Health Alliance spokesman Tony in a written statement, said the healtb system was "surprised and disappointed" by the lette r and complaint.
He said the Alliancs had initially tried to negotiate with the then offeredindependent arbitration, which the practice The Alliance was preparing for preliminary discussionsz to sever the relationship when the lawsuit was "This litigation violates the terms of the servicwe agreement, which requires us to resolve disputes such as this with a neutraol arbitrator. We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to upholde their contractual obligations and not pursuecostly litigation," according to the statement. withdreww from the Health Alliance following a long court battle that begajn inMarch 2006.
It started operating independently in 2008 but only signexd a final settlement agreemengt inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalx similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Healtnh Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergedf with .
GCAP, a primary care group with abou30 doctors, joined the hospital system only 20 monthzs ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contractr violationsthat “have seriously affected the ability of the physicians to provide excellent health care for their many In a June 3 letter to Health Alliancre CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 notice on changes in contractual including payment of • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of services necessary to operates our business.” The doctors on Wednesday filed a complaint in Hamilton County Commonm Pleas Court.
They ask to be releasex from service to the Health Alliance and for damages andattorney fees. When it joined the Health Alliancdin 2007, GCAP was the only large, independentt practice of its type in the area. It becamed a wholly owned subsidiary of thehospitalk system, which includes Jewish and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practicd had hoped to benefir from a complete electroni c health records system that could interact withthe Alliance’se hospitals, as well as the ability to expancd geographically and recruit doctors more Health Alliance spokesman Tony in a written statement, said the healtb system was "surprised and disappointed" by the lette r and complaint.
He said the Alliancs had initially tried to negotiate with the then offeredindependent arbitration, which the practice The Alliance was preparing for preliminary discussionsz to sever the relationship when the lawsuit was "This litigation violates the terms of the servicwe agreement, which requires us to resolve disputes such as this with a neutraol arbitrator. We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to upholde their contractual obligations and not pursuecostly litigation," according to the statement. withdreww from the Health Alliance following a long court battle that begajn inMarch 2006.
It started operating independently in 2008 but only signexd a final settlement agreemengt inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalx similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Healtnh Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergedf with .
Sunday, February 19, 2012
PSC seeks more information on Lexington water plan - Business First of Louisville:
meaning-sarajevo.blogspot.com
The plant would be builf in Owen County, and a pipeline throughy Franklin and Scott counties would connect it tothe company'as system in Lexington. As an alternativr to that project, has proposed an $83 millioj expansion that would extend its current infrastructurre along Interstate 64into Lexington, allowing it to servw Central Kentucky. The Public Service which regulates Kentucky American must review theLexington utility's proposapl to determine whether it warrants a certificated of public convenience and necessity, whicnh would allow the utility to move forward with its As part of that process, the commission has reviewerd thousands of documents and held a three-day hearingt last month.
Despite the extensive research, therr are still questions that remain. In particular, the commission has asked Kentucky American Waterand Lexington-Fayettee Urban County Government whether they considered entering into a public-privat partnership that would supplg water to the Lexington area. PSC officials believee that such a partnership would be beneficial becausde the city has optionsfor low-cost financing that couldd help pay for the facility and the utility woulc bring the technical expertise needed. Although the majorith of 's customers live in Fayette County, the Lexington-Fayettwe Urban County Government has not takenb a position onthe proposal.
The government'as "silence is perplexing," PSC officials said in a news The commission also has requested additionalk information from the LouisvilleWater Co. and the Bluegrass Water Supplgy Commission, a consortium of regional utilitiesz that has been offered a partiao ownership stake in the proposer KentuckyAmerican plant. PSC officials said in the release thatthe "decisio n in this case will affect hundredsz of thousands of taxpayers for decades to Therefore, they want to ensure that "no stone has been left unturner and that all reasonable proposals have been examined." The commissionj has requested responses by Jan. 9.
The deadlin for final briefs in the case has been extendedto Jan. 16 as opposedc to initial Dec. 28 More information about thecase (No. 2007-00134) can be accessed at the commission'ds Web site, .
The plant would be builf in Owen County, and a pipeline throughy Franklin and Scott counties would connect it tothe company'as system in Lexington. As an alternativr to that project, has proposed an $83 millioj expansion that would extend its current infrastructurre along Interstate 64into Lexington, allowing it to servw Central Kentucky. The Public Service which regulates Kentucky American must review theLexington utility's proposapl to determine whether it warrants a certificated of public convenience and necessity, whicnh would allow the utility to move forward with its As part of that process, the commission has reviewerd thousands of documents and held a three-day hearingt last month.
Despite the extensive research, therr are still questions that remain. In particular, the commission has asked Kentucky American Waterand Lexington-Fayettee Urban County Government whether they considered entering into a public-privat partnership that would supplg water to the Lexington area. PSC officials believee that such a partnership would be beneficial becausde the city has optionsfor low-cost financing that couldd help pay for the facility and the utility woulc bring the technical expertise needed. Although the majorith of 's customers live in Fayette County, the Lexington-Fayettwe Urban County Government has not takenb a position onthe proposal.
The government'as "silence is perplexing," PSC officials said in a news The commission also has requested additionalk information from the LouisvilleWater Co. and the Bluegrass Water Supplgy Commission, a consortium of regional utilitiesz that has been offered a partiao ownership stake in the proposer KentuckyAmerican plant. PSC officials said in the release thatthe "decisio n in this case will affect hundredsz of thousands of taxpayers for decades to Therefore, they want to ensure that "no stone has been left unturner and that all reasonable proposals have been examined." The commissionj has requested responses by Jan. 9.
The deadlin for final briefs in the case has been extendedto Jan. 16 as opposedc to initial Dec. 28 More information about thecase (No. 2007-00134) can be accessed at the commission'ds Web site, .
Friday, February 17, 2012
SBCC Trustees Chided - Santa Barbara Independent
tulusenoveb.blogspot.com
Santa Barbara Independent | SBCC Trustees Chided Santa Barbara Independent By Brandon Fastman (Contact) A letter sent to Santa Barbara City College by a regional accrediting commission paints the picture of a Board of Trustees that is arrogant, meddling, confused, and overreaching. The letter, signed by Barbara A. Beno, ... Accrediting Commiss ion's Findings on SBCC Trustees Surface, Detailing Series ... |
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Mixed-use development emphasizes research, technology and global commerce - Kansas City Business Journal:
tower-tennesseea.blogspot.com
The first two totaling 288,000 square feet of research, development and commercial spacs and valued atabouyt $300 million, have been completed in the past few The project is distinguished by a soaring 125-foo shade structure that anchors the plazqa between the two At build-out, SkySong — formally callec the ASU Scottsdale Innovationh Center — will includer 1.2 million square feet of commercial space and an assortment of urban residences. But the foremost goal from the staryt was to create an office development with aninternational high-techb cachet. Even when times were robust withinb thedevelopment community, the plan to buildr SkySong was no easy task.
Ultimately, it took a collection of localp andnational firms, along with the Arizonas State University Foundation and the city of Scottsdale, to pull off the developmentr duties. But once it was off the ground, woulfd tenants come? They did. Office leasing activitg appears stronger at SkySong than at projects in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a dozehn companies from outside the U.S. occupyin g space. Local firms also have signed on to participatse in what they believe will be an internationallyinfused environment.
Craig Coppola, principalk of , which recently assumed the listinyg assignmentfor SkySong, credits ASU for getting the ball “The connection with ASU has driven a majority of tenantsa to date,” he said. “The school has a grea t global reach, and they’re a huge innovator and technologyu engine inNorth America.” Nate Summer, director of strategicx partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all along: Leverag ASU’s global connections to attract international then use that to appeal to local, more conventional firms. Attracting globa business, however, isn’t that easy.
Companiee in other countries usually have a solid idea about the kindxs of cities that hold appeal for them inthe U.S. that’s driven by culturap connections andmedia profile. For Los Angeles, New York and San Franciscop all have vibrant ethnic neighborhoods of historical They also attractinternational “When you look at that matrix, Arizons doesn’t come to mind,” Summer said. So Summerr and his team developed a strategyg they hoped would put SkySong onforeign companies’ radar “We told them we’d invesft resources to help them navigatre the challenges of operatiny in the U.S.
,” he “It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do businesss in the U.S. There are many barriers to Some of the greatest barriers involve languager andsocial customs. By workin g to overcome those difficulties, SkySong has been able to attract an interesting collection ofglobal firms. One of those is , a Singapore-based company that focuses on educational testpreparation Co-owner Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developing a creativs environment that will enhance his company’s experience and reachn in the U.S. “Over the last (SkySong) has become an excellenf test bed for our ideas and he said.
“The ability to mix and share ideas with global students and faculty has added toour
The first two totaling 288,000 square feet of research, development and commercial spacs and valued atabouyt $300 million, have been completed in the past few The project is distinguished by a soaring 125-foo shade structure that anchors the plazqa between the two At build-out, SkySong — formally callec the ASU Scottsdale Innovationh Center — will includer 1.2 million square feet of commercial space and an assortment of urban residences. But the foremost goal from the staryt was to create an office development with aninternational high-techb cachet. Even when times were robust withinb thedevelopment community, the plan to buildr SkySong was no easy task.
Ultimately, it took a collection of localp andnational firms, along with the Arizonas State University Foundation and the city of Scottsdale, to pull off the developmentr duties. But once it was off the ground, woulfd tenants come? They did. Office leasing activitg appears stronger at SkySong than at projects in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a dozehn companies from outside the U.S. occupyin g space. Local firms also have signed on to participatse in what they believe will be an internationallyinfused environment.
Craig Coppola, principalk of , which recently assumed the listinyg assignmentfor SkySong, credits ASU for getting the ball “The connection with ASU has driven a majority of tenantsa to date,” he said. “The school has a grea t global reach, and they’re a huge innovator and technologyu engine inNorth America.” Nate Summer, director of strategicx partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all along: Leverag ASU’s global connections to attract international then use that to appeal to local, more conventional firms. Attracting globa business, however, isn’t that easy.
Companiee in other countries usually have a solid idea about the kindxs of cities that hold appeal for them inthe U.S. that’s driven by culturap connections andmedia profile. For Los Angeles, New York and San Franciscop all have vibrant ethnic neighborhoods of historical They also attractinternational “When you look at that matrix, Arizons doesn’t come to mind,” Summer said. So Summerr and his team developed a strategyg they hoped would put SkySong onforeign companies’ radar “We told them we’d invesft resources to help them navigatre the challenges of operatiny in the U.S.
,” he “It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do businesss in the U.S. There are many barriers to Some of the greatest barriers involve languager andsocial customs. By workin g to overcome those difficulties, SkySong has been able to attract an interesting collection ofglobal firms. One of those is , a Singapore-based company that focuses on educational testpreparation Co-owner Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developing a creativs environment that will enhance his company’s experience and reachn in the U.S. “Over the last (SkySong) has become an excellenf test bed for our ideas and he said.
“The ability to mix and share ideas with global students and faculty has added toour
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Grammys 2012: What they wore, who said what, winners and losers - Montreal Gazette
lyubomiradete.blogspot.com
Moneycontrol.com | Grammys 2012: What they wore, who said what, winners and losers Montreal Gazette LOS ANGELES â€" The 54th annual Grammy Awards telecast began on a sombre note as host LL Cool J remembered Whitney Houston, but it went on to celebrate the power of music with an » |
Friday, February 10, 2012
Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates spike - Triangle Business Journal:
ihituvofy.wordpress.com
's weekly report says 30 year fixed-rate mortgagess averaged 5.29 percent this week, the highest rate this year and up sharplyh fromlast week's average of 4.91 percent. Ratese still remain well below year-ago levels, when the interesft rates on 30-year mortgagesa were averaging more than6 "Rates caught up to the recent rise in long-termn bond yields this week to reach a 25 week says Freddie Mac FRE) chief economist Frank Nothaft. "The slowdow in the housing market has now detractesd from economic growth for the past 13 the longest quarterly stretch since at least Despiterising rates, the housing market continues to show small signzs of life.
The ' housing affordibility index rose in April to its second highest leveol since atleast 1971. The NAR also reportedr this week that pendin g sales of existing homes rose for the thirdfstraight month, posting the biggest monthlu increase since 2001.
's weekly report says 30 year fixed-rate mortgagess averaged 5.29 percent this week, the highest rate this year and up sharplyh fromlast week's average of 4.91 percent. Ratese still remain well below year-ago levels, when the interesft rates on 30-year mortgagesa were averaging more than6 "Rates caught up to the recent rise in long-termn bond yields this week to reach a 25 week says Freddie Mac FRE) chief economist Frank Nothaft. "The slowdow in the housing market has now detractesd from economic growth for the past 13 the longest quarterly stretch since at least Despiterising rates, the housing market continues to show small signzs of life.
The ' housing affordibility index rose in April to its second highest leveol since atleast 1971. The NAR also reportedr this week that pendin g sales of existing homes rose for the thirdfstraight month, posting the biggest monthlu increase since 2001.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
News Corp. second-quarter net income jumps 65% to $1.06 billion - Los Angeles Times
efimtsovavadan.blogspot.com
The Guardian | News Corp. second-quarter net income jumps 65% to $1.06 billion Los Angeles Times s net income for its second quarter from a year earlier, the company said Wednesday. The media conglomerate reported revenue of $8.98 billion for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, up 2% from the same time a year earlier. Net income rose to $1.06 billion, ... News Corp. Second-Quarter Profit Rises on Higher Television Fees News Corporation Reports Second Quarter Net Income of $1.06 Billion News Corp posts strong second-quarter earnings rise |
Monday, February 6, 2012
Streamline jumps into black for 1Q - Portland Business Journal:
oryzacody.wordpress.com
The software company reported net incomeof $16,300, or zero centsd per share, compared to a net loss of or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago Revenues grew to $3.8 million from $3.6 The one analyst who covers the compang expected a net loss of 2 centes on revenues of $3.5 million. Systems saless and service, maintenance and support revenues both rose 12 percentf duringthe quarter, while application hosting servicesd revenues fell 23 the company said in a news “We continue to make progresws in moving this business forward to the point of becominh consistently profitable; that is our main strategix goal,” said CEO Briab Patsy in the release.
In earlyy June, Streamline won a contract valued at morethan $1 millio n to integrate its document workflow solutions into an electronicv medical records system at a Canadian health care region, Patsy said. It is the second Canadian contract the companuy has won in thepast year. Despite the bettefr news, shares of Streamlinre (NASDAQ: STRM), followed most tech stocks down onWednesdahy morning, losing more than 8 or 26 cents, to Streamline Health Solutions, based in is a supplier of workflow and documengt management tools, applications and servicee to businesses, specifically health-care organizations.
The software company reported net incomeof $16,300, or zero centsd per share, compared to a net loss of or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago Revenues grew to $3.8 million from $3.6 The one analyst who covers the compang expected a net loss of 2 centes on revenues of $3.5 million. Systems saless and service, maintenance and support revenues both rose 12 percentf duringthe quarter, while application hosting servicesd revenues fell 23 the company said in a news “We continue to make progresws in moving this business forward to the point of becominh consistently profitable; that is our main strategix goal,” said CEO Briab Patsy in the release.
In earlyy June, Streamline won a contract valued at morethan $1 millio n to integrate its document workflow solutions into an electronicv medical records system at a Canadian health care region, Patsy said. It is the second Canadian contract the companuy has won in thepast year. Despite the bettefr news, shares of Streamlinre (NASDAQ: STRM), followed most tech stocks down onWednesdahy morning, losing more than 8 or 26 cents, to Streamline Health Solutions, based in is a supplier of workflow and documengt management tools, applications and servicee to businesses, specifically health-care organizations.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
AutoZone board approves $500M stock repurchase - St. Louis Business Journal:
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
The company’s board of directors approved the repurchass June 17 as part ofthe company’s ongoing share repurchase program, the company announced after the closw of markets Wednesday. The last repurchase authorizationn was in December and was asimilard $500 million. There were three $500 millionh authorizations in 2008 and a totalof $7.9 billion sincse 1998. "We remain committed to utilizing share repurchases within the boundws of a disciplined capital structurse to enhance stockholder returns while maintainingy adequate liquidity to execute our said CFOBill Giles.
Memphis-based AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is the leading retailef and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessoriess inthe U.S. The company sells auto and lighttruck parts, chemicals and accessories through 4,172 AutoZonse stores in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puertoo Rico in the U.S. and 168 stores in Shares of AutoZone closed Wednesdayat $155.54, up 2.37 percent.
The company’s board of directors approved the repurchass June 17 as part ofthe company’s ongoing share repurchase program, the company announced after the closw of markets Wednesday. The last repurchase authorizationn was in December and was asimilard $500 million. There were three $500 millionh authorizations in 2008 and a totalof $7.9 billion sincse 1998. "We remain committed to utilizing share repurchases within the boundws of a disciplined capital structurse to enhance stockholder returns while maintainingy adequate liquidity to execute our said CFOBill Giles.
Memphis-based AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is the leading retailef and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessoriess inthe U.S. The company sells auto and lighttruck parts, chemicals and accessories through 4,172 AutoZonse stores in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puertoo Rico in the U.S. and 168 stores in Shares of AutoZone closed Wednesdayat $155.54, up 2.37 percent.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Demi Moore 'embarrassed' by public meltdown: 'She needed reassurance all the ... - New York Daily News
ejoxot.wordpress.com
New York Daily News | Demi Moore 'embarrassed' by public meltdown: 'She needed reassurance » |
Monday, January 30, 2012
McCallum Muses Preview Designer Hats For Arts Education - Patch.com
valvookimakaj1362.blogspot.com
McCallum Muses Preview Designer Hats For Arts Education Patch.com By Jessica E. Davis A model shows off a Saks Fifth Avenue Dress and a Louise Green hat at the the Muses & Patroness Circle of the McCallum Theatre's "A Hat Affair" fashion show. More than 150 women and some men gathered on Wednesday for the McCallum ... |
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Alliant buys 41 wind turbines - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
tenganmodooo1324.blogspot.com
Madison-based Alliant said Monday that each Vestazs V82 turbine is capable of producing 1.65 megawatts of electricity for a projecft total of nearly 70 megawatts, or enough energy to power approximatel 17,000 homes. The project will cost up to $180 million and covetr a 12.2-square mile area in the townshipds of Eden and Empire in Fond duLac County. It will be Alliant'ds first fully owned and operatedxwind farm. Construction, which will be done in phases, is expectedf to begin in Augusf 2007, with the installation of turbineaccessd roads, foundations and the substation. Turbinee erection, assembly and commissioning, along with public road improvements and cabling will take placeein 2008.
Separately, Alliant's Iowa-based utility , has filecd for approval from Iowa Utilities Board to constructa clean-coal-fired baseload generating station in Marshalltown, Alliant announced plans to build the $1 billion generating unit in Alliant will co-own the station with a pair of Iowa power cooperatives and other potential partners. Alliang Energy (NYSE: LNT) is an energy-service provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and morethan 400,000 natural gas customers.
Madison-based Alliant said Monday that each Vestazs V82 turbine is capable of producing 1.65 megawatts of electricity for a projecft total of nearly 70 megawatts, or enough energy to power approximatel 17,000 homes. The project will cost up to $180 million and covetr a 12.2-square mile area in the townshipds of Eden and Empire in Fond duLac County. It will be Alliant'ds first fully owned and operatedxwind farm. Construction, which will be done in phases, is expectedf to begin in Augusf 2007, with the installation of turbineaccessd roads, foundations and the substation. Turbinee erection, assembly and commissioning, along with public road improvements and cabling will take placeein 2008.
Separately, Alliant's Iowa-based utility , has filecd for approval from Iowa Utilities Board to constructa clean-coal-fired baseload generating station in Marshalltown, Alliant announced plans to build the $1 billion generating unit in Alliant will co-own the station with a pair of Iowa power cooperatives and other potential partners. Alliang Energy (NYSE: LNT) is an energy-service provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and morethan 400,000 natural gas customers.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Nestle recalls refrigerated cookie dough - New Mexico Business Weekly:
ukatekexo.wordpress.com
Nestle said Friday it has and will continuee to cooperate with the FDA and CDC in the The products involved in the recall include all varieties of Nestle Toll Housew refrigerated CookieBar Dough, Cookie Doughy Tub, Cookie Dough Limited Edition Cookie Dough Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookir Bar Dough. No other Nestle Toll Housr products are part of the including already baked Toll House cookies purchased outside the all varieties of Nestle TollHousew morsels, chocolate baking bars, or and Dreyer's and Edy's ice creajm products with Nestle Toll House cookie dougnh ingredients.
Consumers should return suspected contaminatedr products to their local grocere for afull refund. They also can call Nestlre Consumer Servicesat 1-800-559-5025 or visi t Nestle’s Web site at Nestle also emphasized, echoing its products’ warning that its refrigerated cookie dough should never be eaten raw.
Nestle said Friday it has and will continuee to cooperate with the FDA and CDC in the The products involved in the recall include all varieties of Nestle Toll Housew refrigerated CookieBar Dough, Cookie Doughy Tub, Cookie Dough Limited Edition Cookie Dough Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookir Bar Dough. No other Nestle Toll Housr products are part of the including already baked Toll House cookies purchased outside the all varieties of Nestle TollHousew morsels, chocolate baking bars, or and Dreyer's and Edy's ice creajm products with Nestle Toll House cookie dougnh ingredients.
Consumers should return suspected contaminatedr products to their local grocere for afull refund. They also can call Nestlre Consumer Servicesat 1-800-559-5025 or visi t Nestle’s Web site at Nestle also emphasized, echoing its products’ warning that its refrigerated cookie dough should never be eaten raw.
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