uqudenlid.blogspot.com
“Combining E Ink and PVI creates a singls public company that is dedicatedx toelectronic paper,” said Russell J. Wilcox, co-founder, Presidentr and CEO of E Ink “With a common ownership structure, we can get closerd to customers aroundthe world, streamline the supplg chain, and speed up new product development.” E Ink has raisesd more than $150 mostly from a group of strategic investorxs that include newspaper publisher , (NYSE: MOT) and (Nasdaq: Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) and Amazon.con Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) turned to E-Ink earlier this year to providr the displays fortheir e-books — the Sony Readert and the Amazon Kindle 2.
E Ink’s productf is a thin and flexible film packedwith molecules. The molecules can be manipulatexd to produce imagesand text. It looks much like a printex page. The 12-year-old company’s revenuer has grown exponentially, placing it in the top 10 of the BostonnBusiness Journal's 2008 list of the fastesgt growing private companies in Massachusetts. E Ink postede revenue of approximately $41 millioj in 2008, a more than 140 percentf increase overthe $17 million in revenue it saw in 2007. It’ s seen revenue growth of 720 percenyt over the pastthree years. A big increase in businese came in July 2007 and was driven by the marketingg push of Sony around its Wilcox said.
By the end of that Sony released an updated version of the Readerd and Amazon released the first version of the The Kindle, including the latest version, has enjoyerd some popular press and endorsements from celebrities, includinf Oprah Winfrey. In the process the e-bookl as gained marketshare. Today e-booksx have about a 3 percent market penetration. “E-books have move from something everyone was skepticalabout ... to now if you get on an you have pretty good chance ofseeing e-books beingb used in the aisles,” Wilco said in a recent BBJ interview. The road map for 2009 includex e-books with different size screens. The big market at the momenty is publishing, Wilcox said.
But that coulx mean spreading into the realms of textbookszand newspapers. Wilcox said the company will add some jobs to keep apace with demand, probably between 10 to 20 positions this
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Cascade AIDS Project to move - Nashville Business Journal:
esivyjifag.wordpress.com
New offices at downtown Portland’s Lincolbn Building, 208 S.W. Fifth will be on the eighth floor, and will be open beginninf Tuesday. The nonprofit’s Men’d Wellness Center, which serves gay and bisexual men, will move from its Starj Street location into the ground floor of the buildinhthis fall, following construction. Rent, on a per-square-foot will be roughly the same at the new site as the Cascades AIDS Project hasbeen paying.
Building owner Unicop Properties LLC offered significant incentives to make the movepencill out, said Michael Kaplan, executive director of the Unico will grant the group four monthw of free rent in the coming fiscakl year, which begins July 1, resulting in cash savings of between $20,000 and $40,000, Kaplan said. The landlor also provided Cascade AIDS Project witha $75,000 cash movingv allowance and built out 15,000 squarw feet of office spacd at Unico’s expense.
New offices at downtown Portland’s Lincolbn Building, 208 S.W. Fifth will be on the eighth floor, and will be open beginninf Tuesday. The nonprofit’s Men’d Wellness Center, which serves gay and bisexual men, will move from its Starj Street location into the ground floor of the buildinhthis fall, following construction. Rent, on a per-square-foot will be roughly the same at the new site as the Cascades AIDS Project hasbeen paying.
Building owner Unicop Properties LLC offered significant incentives to make the movepencill out, said Michael Kaplan, executive director of the Unico will grant the group four monthw of free rent in the coming fiscakl year, which begins July 1, resulting in cash savings of between $20,000 and $40,000, Kaplan said. The landlor also provided Cascade AIDS Project witha $75,000 cash movingv allowance and built out 15,000 squarw feet of office spacd at Unico’s expense.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Jackson Dean Construction plows ahead in tough times - bizjournals:
ibitasony.wordpress.com
Not Jackson Dean, a Seattle-basedx general contractor that mainly does retail has stayed fairly busy despitethe recession, though it expected a downturn during the firstt quarter and overall for the year, said Miles Jackson, the company’s president and CEO. Yet even though busineszs has slowed, Jackson Dean has avoidexd layoffs. Two reasons, said The company is well diversified, as it does businessz in 40 states. And it plannedc for the slowdown by conserving cash so it would not have to let any of its 85employeezs go.
Other local construction companies have beenless “Several of our member companies have had to lay off said Jerry VanderWood, communications director at the , which has abou t 600 members across the not including the Spokane area. “Mh sense is that things are he added, “but it’s not that dire I haven’t heard of anyone going under.” Thoughy he’s not sure how well Jackson Dean will do next Jackson said his companyh had its biggest year everin 2008. Constructio revenue topped $100 up from $85 million in 2007. “And we did that without addingany employees,” he said.
Jacksobn knew that business duringthis year’s first quarter woulde slow. For one thing, it typically does slow, he because it’s harder to build in rainu andsnowy weather, and therefore is more expensive for the company’es clients during the winter. Business also slowed, Jacksonm said, because “we’re a retail-oriented constructionh company.” The firm’s two biggest clients are and Lowe’s, and retaikl construction accounts for 85 percent ofJacksom Dean’s book of business, with the rest in industriao and office sectors.
Retailers, he said, tend to stop building just before Thanksgiving to concentrate on and then start up with new construction agaibnaround February. Jackson Dean is now buildin Costco stores in Tucsojnand Phoenix, and will start construction soon on a Costco in Ohio, he said. It’ s also building a Lowe’s store in San Jose, Calif. Jackso n said he’s been averaging three Costco store a year for the pasttwo decades, though he started his firsty as an employee of , in Seattle. Jackson, now 45, beganj working in construction while he was a studengat , from which he graduateed in 1988 with a degree in broadcasg communications.
He came to Seattle with the idea of working in but the owner of Ferguson Construction offered him a job asproject engineer. “I’ve always lovecd building things,” Jackson said, who likes all aspects, includingb design, problem solving and conflict resolution. “Anythinf challenging to me is fun.” A largee fellow who looks like a formerfootball player, Jackson played baseball in college. For fun now, he competitivelgy drives vintagerace cars. Jacksobn left Ferguson Construction after 10 years to join Barclayt DeanConstruction Co. as vice president of California Hesaw “an ownership opportunity.” At the two partners owned Barclay Dean.
Jackson acquired 13 percen of the firmin 1998, slowly addeds more over time, and three yearas ago bought out the last “This is my second job since he said with a smile, “andf probably my last.” What lies ahead? “That’s the questionj of the day,” Jackson said.
Not Jackson Dean, a Seattle-basedx general contractor that mainly does retail has stayed fairly busy despitethe recession, though it expected a downturn during the firstt quarter and overall for the year, said Miles Jackson, the company’s president and CEO. Yet even though busineszs has slowed, Jackson Dean has avoidexd layoffs. Two reasons, said The company is well diversified, as it does businessz in 40 states. And it plannedc for the slowdown by conserving cash so it would not have to let any of its 85employeezs go.
Other local construction companies have beenless “Several of our member companies have had to lay off said Jerry VanderWood, communications director at the , which has abou t 600 members across the not including the Spokane area. “Mh sense is that things are he added, “but it’s not that dire I haven’t heard of anyone going under.” Thoughy he’s not sure how well Jackson Dean will do next Jackson said his companyh had its biggest year everin 2008. Constructio revenue topped $100 up from $85 million in 2007. “And we did that without addingany employees,” he said.
Jacksobn knew that business duringthis year’s first quarter woulde slow. For one thing, it typically does slow, he because it’s harder to build in rainu andsnowy weather, and therefore is more expensive for the company’es clients during the winter. Business also slowed, Jacksonm said, because “we’re a retail-oriented constructionh company.” The firm’s two biggest clients are and Lowe’s, and retaikl construction accounts for 85 percent ofJacksom Dean’s book of business, with the rest in industriao and office sectors.
Retailers, he said, tend to stop building just before Thanksgiving to concentrate on and then start up with new construction agaibnaround February. Jackson Dean is now buildin Costco stores in Tucsojnand Phoenix, and will start construction soon on a Costco in Ohio, he said. It’ s also building a Lowe’s store in San Jose, Calif. Jackso n said he’s been averaging three Costco store a year for the pasttwo decades, though he started his firsty as an employee of , in Seattle. Jackson, now 45, beganj working in construction while he was a studengat , from which he graduateed in 1988 with a degree in broadcasg communications.
He came to Seattle with the idea of working in but the owner of Ferguson Construction offered him a job asproject engineer. “I’ve always lovecd building things,” Jackson said, who likes all aspects, includingb design, problem solving and conflict resolution. “Anythinf challenging to me is fun.” A largee fellow who looks like a formerfootball player, Jackson played baseball in college. For fun now, he competitivelgy drives vintagerace cars. Jacksobn left Ferguson Construction after 10 years to join Barclayt DeanConstruction Co. as vice president of California Hesaw “an ownership opportunity.” At the two partners owned Barclay Dean.
Jackson acquired 13 percen of the firmin 1998, slowly addeds more over time, and three yearas ago bought out the last “This is my second job since he said with a smile, “andf probably my last.” What lies ahead? “That’s the questionj of the day,” Jackson said.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Gift of Caregiving - Huffington Post
aaekipolo.blogspot.com
The Gift of Caregiving Huffington Post I received an email from a friend recently who was about to get on a plane for New Zealand. She was going to see her father, who was ill. Her trip brought up memories of my own mother's life and death. My mother's death was nothing like it is in movies ... |
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Older population expected to triple by 2050 - Sacramento Business Journal:
fixyruw.wordpress.com
In contrast, the population under 15 is expectee to increase by only 6 percent during the same from 1.83 billion to 1.93 The Census Bureau said that in the Unitedd States those 65 and older will more than doubld by 2050, rising from 39 million today to 89 million. While children are projected to stilpl outnumber the older population worldwidewin 2050, the under 15 population in the United States is expected to fall beloww the older population by that date, increasing from 62 million today to 85 million. These figurese come from the worlc population estimates and projections released today through theCensus Bureau'se International Data Base.
This latest update included projectionsby age, including people 100 and older, for 227 countriew and areas. Less than 8 percenyt of the world's population is 65 and By 2030, the world's population 65 and older is expected to reachg12 percent, and by that share is expected to grow to 16 "This shift in the age structure of the world's populatiom poses challenges to society, families, businesses, health care providers and policymakers to meet the needsd of aging individuals," said Wan He, demographer in the Censuxs Bureau's Population Division.
Europe likely will continue to be the oldes region inthe world: by 2050, 29 percent of its tota population is projected to be 65 and older. On the othedr hand, sub-Saharan Africa is expectedf to remain the youngest region as a resulf of relatively higherfertility and, in some the impact of HIV/AIDS. Only 5 perceny of Africa's population is projected to be 65 and oldetin 2050. Countries experiencing relatively rapid declines in fertility combined with longer life spans will face increasinglyholder populations.
These countries will see the highest growth ratees in their older populations over the next 40 There are four countries with 20 percent or more of their populationj 65and older: Germany, Italy, Japan and By 2030, 55 countries are expected to have at leasgt one-in-five of their total population in this age by 2050, the number of countriess could rise to more than 100. Althougnh China and India are the world's most populous countries, theif older populations do not represent large percentagez of their totalpopulations today.
these countries do have the larges t number of olderpeople -- 109 million and 62 million, Both countries are projected to undergo more rapid aging, and by will have about 350 million and 240 millioj people 65 and older,
In contrast, the population under 15 is expectee to increase by only 6 percent during the same from 1.83 billion to 1.93 The Census Bureau said that in the Unitedd States those 65 and older will more than doubld by 2050, rising from 39 million today to 89 million. While children are projected to stilpl outnumber the older population worldwidewin 2050, the under 15 population in the United States is expected to fall beloww the older population by that date, increasing from 62 million today to 85 million. These figurese come from the worlc population estimates and projections released today through theCensus Bureau'se International Data Base.
This latest update included projectionsby age, including people 100 and older, for 227 countriew and areas. Less than 8 percenyt of the world's population is 65 and By 2030, the world's population 65 and older is expected to reachg12 percent, and by that share is expected to grow to 16 "This shift in the age structure of the world's populatiom poses challenges to society, families, businesses, health care providers and policymakers to meet the needsd of aging individuals," said Wan He, demographer in the Censuxs Bureau's Population Division.
Europe likely will continue to be the oldes region inthe world: by 2050, 29 percent of its tota population is projected to be 65 and older. On the othedr hand, sub-Saharan Africa is expectedf to remain the youngest region as a resulf of relatively higherfertility and, in some the impact of HIV/AIDS. Only 5 perceny of Africa's population is projected to be 65 and oldetin 2050. Countries experiencing relatively rapid declines in fertility combined with longer life spans will face increasinglyholder populations.
These countries will see the highest growth ratees in their older populations over the next 40 There are four countries with 20 percent or more of their populationj 65and older: Germany, Italy, Japan and By 2030, 55 countries are expected to have at leasgt one-in-five of their total population in this age by 2050, the number of countriess could rise to more than 100. Althougnh China and India are the world's most populous countries, theif older populations do not represent large percentagez of their totalpopulations today.
these countries do have the larges t number of olderpeople -- 109 million and 62 million, Both countries are projected to undergo more rapid aging, and by will have about 350 million and 240 millioj people 65 and older,
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Supreme Court temporarily blocks Chrysler/Fiat merger - The Business Review (Albany):
sunrise-invoices.blogspot.com
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg granted a motion filed by Indianq state pension funds to delay the merger betweehn the American and Italian automakers in what the said was an administrativ e extension designed to allow sufficient time for the Supremes Court to explore whether or not a stay is according to several published reportslate Monday. The Supreme Courty move extends a stay already issued by a lowetr court that was set to expirre lateafternoon Monday. Fiat has given Chryslef until June 15 to finishythe merger. Attorneys for the pension fundsa argued that they would receive just pennies on the dollar fora $42 milliohn loan given to Chrysler. U.S.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan said the imminent collapse ofChrysler — said to be losingf upward of $100 million daily — was of greater concerhn to government officials than the loan When Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, it announcexd it would reject 789 dealershi p agreements nationwide, including 35 in Florida. Local dealership affectedf include GoldenMotors Inc. dba , Jim Boast Dodgde Inc. dba in Bradenton, Plattner Automotive dba Tarpon Springs Dodge Inc., Regal dba in Lakeland, Ltd., St. Pete Jeep Eaglse dba and 1099 LLCdba . 1099 LLC is majority owned by CongressmanVern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key.
On May 27, Floridz Attorney General Bill McCollum filed a formal objectionm to the Floridadealership rejections. On Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was introducinfg a measure that would use government fundw to full reimburse rejected dealerships for vehicle and parts while both Chrysleand (OTC PK: GMGMQ) worked through bankruptcy. GM filedc for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionJune 1.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg granted a motion filed by Indianq state pension funds to delay the merger betweehn the American and Italian automakers in what the said was an administrativ e extension designed to allow sufficient time for the Supremes Court to explore whether or not a stay is according to several published reportslate Monday. The Supreme Courty move extends a stay already issued by a lowetr court that was set to expirre lateafternoon Monday. Fiat has given Chryslef until June 15 to finishythe merger. Attorneys for the pension fundsa argued that they would receive just pennies on the dollar fora $42 milliohn loan given to Chrysler. U.S.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan said the imminent collapse ofChrysler — said to be losingf upward of $100 million daily — was of greater concerhn to government officials than the loan When Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, it announcexd it would reject 789 dealershi p agreements nationwide, including 35 in Florida. Local dealership affectedf include GoldenMotors Inc. dba , Jim Boast Dodgde Inc. dba in Bradenton, Plattner Automotive dba Tarpon Springs Dodge Inc., Regal dba in Lakeland, Ltd., St. Pete Jeep Eaglse dba and 1099 LLCdba . 1099 LLC is majority owned by CongressmanVern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key.
On May 27, Floridz Attorney General Bill McCollum filed a formal objectionm to the Floridadealership rejections. On Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was introducinfg a measure that would use government fundw to full reimburse rejected dealerships for vehicle and parts while both Chrysleand (OTC PK: GMGMQ) worked through bankruptcy. GM filedc for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionJune 1.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Kansas City Council postpones smoking ban vote - Kansas City Business Journal:
hyperwave-exhausted.blogspot.com
The council voted unanimously to postponew a vote onthe ordinance, whicj Councilman Chuck Eddy introduced at the Nov. 16 The finance and audit committese heard public comment on the revised ordinance Wednesday and recommendexd that the City Council debate and pass the ordinancde at its meetingon Thursday. The committees now will meet Dec. 13 to further discuss the issure and hear morepublic debate. "I'm pleased that they're takinhg a couple more weeks to make it as fair and informed as saidBrina Bruno, the west regional director for the . Many bar and restauranr owners took issue with an exemption in the ban for the gamblinh floors at two KansasCity casinos.
With the reviseds ban, those casinos wouldn't be required to ban smokintg on their gaming floors until casinose in Riverside and North Kansas City also are require todo so. Althoughj Kansas City already has passed a smokinv ban for barsand restaurants, that ban doesn't take effectf until 85 percent of the metr area's population passes a similar ban. The revisedd ban would prohibit smoking in all bars and restaurants beginninbg inJanuary 2008, which coincides with a recengt smoking ban passed in Overland Park.
Jim executive director of the Jackson County Sports Compledx and a proponent of therevised ban, said he thought therde was still enough supporgt on the City Council to pass the ordinance in the If that isn't the case, Rowland said he would proceede with earlier efforts to collect enougy signatures to put the revised ban in front of voters in the spring.
The council voted unanimously to postponew a vote onthe ordinance, whicj Councilman Chuck Eddy introduced at the Nov. 16 The finance and audit committese heard public comment on the revised ordinance Wednesday and recommendexd that the City Council debate and pass the ordinancde at its meetingon Thursday. The committees now will meet Dec. 13 to further discuss the issure and hear morepublic debate. "I'm pleased that they're takinhg a couple more weeks to make it as fair and informed as saidBrina Bruno, the west regional director for the . Many bar and restauranr owners took issue with an exemption in the ban for the gamblinh floors at two KansasCity casinos.
With the reviseds ban, those casinos wouldn't be required to ban smokintg on their gaming floors until casinose in Riverside and North Kansas City also are require todo so. Althoughj Kansas City already has passed a smokinv ban for barsand restaurants, that ban doesn't take effectf until 85 percent of the metr area's population passes a similar ban. The revisedd ban would prohibit smoking in all bars and restaurants beginninbg inJanuary 2008, which coincides with a recengt smoking ban passed in Overland Park.
Jim executive director of the Jackson County Sports Compledx and a proponent of therevised ban, said he thought therde was still enough supporgt on the City Council to pass the ordinance in the If that isn't the case, Rowland said he would proceede with earlier efforts to collect enougy signatures to put the revised ban in front of voters in the spring.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Idea of the Day: Americans Should Be Able to Retire with Dignity - Center For American Progress
jiqatili.wordpress.com
Center For American Progress | Idea of the Day: Americans Should Be Able to Retire with Dignity Center For American Progress The typical near-retirement-age worker with a 401(k) has accumulated enough money to provide a monthly retirement payment of only about $575.Making matters worse, less than half of » |
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Human Capital: People on the Move - Boston Business Journal:
hyperwave-exhausted.blogspot.com
• , a Wellesley-based provider of senior livinvg services inthe Northeast, appointed the following: Desiree senior vice president, operations; Timoth y Reilly, senior vice president, human capital Barbara A. Watkins, senior vice resident care operations; Allison vice president, quality operations; and Teri Marinko, vice sales. • The South Shor Women’s Business Network , a Hingham, Mass.-based networkin g organization, appointed Stacey Shipman of Weymouth-baser Let it Flow president of the boardof directors.
Additional boardf members installed included: George Boerger, the Law Officd of George Boerger; Thomas Burke of the Investment Centre atEasterm Bank; Barbara Case, Wealth Management; Adam Cupplez of Strategis Advertising; Patricia Funder, LaserLight Skin Jackie Hurstack, South Shore Savings Janet LaBerge, Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap; Susah Peters, Mt. Vernon Judy Walsh-Rodriguez, Watch All Pest Management; and Immediatr Past President BrendaWornum Moore, BWM Consulting.
• , a Wellesley-based provider of senior livinvg services inthe Northeast, appointed the following: Desiree senior vice president, operations; Timoth y Reilly, senior vice president, human capital Barbara A. Watkins, senior vice resident care operations; Allison vice president, quality operations; and Teri Marinko, vice sales. • The South Shor Women’s Business Network , a Hingham, Mass.-based networkin g organization, appointed Stacey Shipman of Weymouth-baser Let it Flow president of the boardof directors.
Additional boardf members installed included: George Boerger, the Law Officd of George Boerger; Thomas Burke of the Investment Centre atEasterm Bank; Barbara Case, Wealth Management; Adam Cupplez of Strategis Advertising; Patricia Funder, LaserLight Skin Jackie Hurstack, South Shore Savings Janet LaBerge, Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap; Susah Peters, Mt. Vernon Judy Walsh-Rodriguez, Watch All Pest Management; and Immediatr Past President BrendaWornum Moore, BWM Consulting.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Atlanta Hawks owner in good spirits - Orlando Business Journal:
elzeyfirekuut1795.blogspot.com
a partner in the city’se and franchises. Despite a federal lawsuit with a membere of the ownership group set to be decided this and court documents showing poorfinanciao performance, the ownership groupp is still strong, Gearob said. “There’s one reason I got into this and that’s to Gearon said. “You want fans focusede on the team, not the ownership.” In a wide-ranginf interview, Gearon discussed the states ofthe teams’ finances, the lawsuitg within the ownership group, the improvement of the teams underd LLC’s ownership and the need to make each franchiswe better for the 2009-2010 season.
The financialo condition of the teams has made headlines sincer court documents in a federal court case showedthwe teams lost acombined $174 million over six years. In court documents also showed the teams hadlost $40 millioh in 2002 and expected to lose $55 millioh in 2003. The Hawks and Thrasher s — on opposite ends of the winningh spectrumin 2008-09 — had collectivelt one of their best seasond operationally since the Atlanta Spirit Group purchasede them in 2003, Gearon said. “The [financial] losses have come down substantiall y from where they were when we bought theteamz [while fielding] a better he said.
The teams’ combinedc annual losses have been inthe $10 millio n to $20 million range, Gearon contends. The Hawksz have improved each of the past five and had its best season in a decade on and off the courrin 2009. The Thrashers, dreadful at the start of the season and next to last in attendance inthe NHL, finishedx the season strong. “I think we feel very good aboutf wherewe are,” Gearon said of the Hawks. “We had 18 selloutsw this year, the largest attendance for the Hawk s atPhilips Arena.” As for the Thrashers, Gearon said there are some concerns, but the season’ss finish has left the team with “ a lot of momentum.
” While still in the red collectively, the teamxs are in better shapes than many in professiona l sports, Gearon said. “Bothb teams are unencumbered. They have zero [bank] debt.” Still up in the air is a lawsuity with estranged ownerSteve Belkin. The case, whichh should be decided in a Maryland federal courtthis summer, centerds on the process Spirit partners Rutherford Seydel, Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz proposes to buy out Belkin of his 30 percen t stake in the teams and operatingb rights at Philips Arena. On reports the group is looking fornew investors, Gearom said: “We’re always doing that and that’s just smartr business.
” Putting out a better product solveas everything, and that’s something Gearon said his partners have alwayzs intended to do. The Hawks had their best year in a decadlast season, winning 47 games and a playof f series before falling to the in the secondr round. The Hawks remain 20th in attendance inthe NBA. Attendanc e was up 3 percent in 2008-09, to 16,751 per game, said Tracyu White, chief sales officer for Atlanta Overall, attendance to NBA games was up 0.7 percenyt last season. The Hawks are third in the NBA fornew season-ticke t purchases and renewals have been solid, Gearonb said.
“We feel very good about our coreand re-signing our and if there’s a way to improve on that, we will,” Gearon said. Startersd Marvin Williams and Al Horforde were injured duringthe playoffs, as was shootinhg guard Joe Johnson, who Gearon said suffered from an undisclosed foot injury throughout the second half of the season. William s (a restricted free agent), Horford and forward Josh Smithu are all young stara inthe making.
Williams, or one of the other restricted free agents on theteam (playersx that canbe tendered an offer, which the Hawksaree permitted to match), could be targetxs for a sign-and-trade deal, to bring in new Talk is also ramping up that former Hawkd swing man Josh Childress could rejoin the team after a one-yeadr stint in Greece. The Thrashers, which had a woeful season and have been the subject of rumors about a possiblwe sale and relocationto Canada, have struggledd with attendance. Gearon said the team isn’ft going anywhere, and promised it wouled build upon its last 28 games ofthe season, when the team played its best hockey. Thrasherw attendance was down 7.
6 percent, while attendances league-wide grew 1.1 Gearon said ownership has been deserving of some of the criticism it has receivede forthe Thrashers. The team is committede to re-signing its star left wing, Ilya as well as finding a dominant centedr andfinding immediate-impact players in the upcoming draft, he
a partner in the city’se and franchises. Despite a federal lawsuit with a membere of the ownership group set to be decided this and court documents showing poorfinanciao performance, the ownership groupp is still strong, Gearob said. “There’s one reason I got into this and that’s to Gearon said. “You want fans focusede on the team, not the ownership.” In a wide-ranginf interview, Gearon discussed the states ofthe teams’ finances, the lawsuitg within the ownership group, the improvement of the teams underd LLC’s ownership and the need to make each franchiswe better for the 2009-2010 season.
The financialo condition of the teams has made headlines sincer court documents in a federal court case showedthwe teams lost acombined $174 million over six years. In court documents also showed the teams hadlost $40 millioh in 2002 and expected to lose $55 millioh in 2003. The Hawks and Thrasher s — on opposite ends of the winningh spectrumin 2008-09 — had collectivelt one of their best seasond operationally since the Atlanta Spirit Group purchasede them in 2003, Gearon said. “The [financial] losses have come down substantiall y from where they were when we bought theteamz [while fielding] a better he said.
The teams’ combinedc annual losses have been inthe $10 millio n to $20 million range, Gearon contends. The Hawksz have improved each of the past five and had its best season in a decade on and off the courrin 2009. The Thrashers, dreadful at the start of the season and next to last in attendance inthe NHL, finishedx the season strong. “I think we feel very good aboutf wherewe are,” Gearon said of the Hawks. “We had 18 selloutsw this year, the largest attendance for the Hawk s atPhilips Arena.” As for the Thrashers, Gearon said there are some concerns, but the season’ss finish has left the team with “ a lot of momentum.
” While still in the red collectively, the teamxs are in better shapes than many in professiona l sports, Gearon said. “Bothb teams are unencumbered. They have zero [bank] debt.” Still up in the air is a lawsuity with estranged ownerSteve Belkin. The case, whichh should be decided in a Maryland federal courtthis summer, centerds on the process Spirit partners Rutherford Seydel, Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz proposes to buy out Belkin of his 30 percen t stake in the teams and operatingb rights at Philips Arena. On reports the group is looking fornew investors, Gearom said: “We’re always doing that and that’s just smartr business.
” Putting out a better product solveas everything, and that’s something Gearon said his partners have alwayzs intended to do. The Hawks had their best year in a decadlast season, winning 47 games and a playof f series before falling to the in the secondr round. The Hawks remain 20th in attendance inthe NBA. Attendanc e was up 3 percent in 2008-09, to 16,751 per game, said Tracyu White, chief sales officer for Atlanta Overall, attendance to NBA games was up 0.7 percenyt last season. The Hawks are third in the NBA fornew season-ticke t purchases and renewals have been solid, Gearonb said.
“We feel very good about our coreand re-signing our and if there’s a way to improve on that, we will,” Gearon said. Startersd Marvin Williams and Al Horforde were injured duringthe playoffs, as was shootinhg guard Joe Johnson, who Gearon said suffered from an undisclosed foot injury throughout the second half of the season. William s (a restricted free agent), Horford and forward Josh Smithu are all young stara inthe making.
Williams, or one of the other restricted free agents on theteam (playersx that canbe tendered an offer, which the Hawksaree permitted to match), could be targetxs for a sign-and-trade deal, to bring in new Talk is also ramping up that former Hawkd swing man Josh Childress could rejoin the team after a one-yeadr stint in Greece. The Thrashers, which had a woeful season and have been the subject of rumors about a possiblwe sale and relocationto Canada, have struggledd with attendance. Gearon said the team isn’ft going anywhere, and promised it wouled build upon its last 28 games ofthe season, when the team played its best hockey. Thrasherw attendance was down 7.
6 percent, while attendances league-wide grew 1.1 Gearon said ownership has been deserving of some of the criticism it has receivede forthe Thrashers. The team is committede to re-signing its star left wing, Ilya as well as finding a dominant centedr andfinding immediate-impact players in the upcoming draft, he
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Fla., Orlando again tops in foreclosures - Dallas Business Journal:
ovaluleq.wordpress.com
The state posted 58,931 foreclosure filings — includint default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessionsz — in May, down 8.8 percent from April’e total, but still 50 percentg higher thanMay 2008, according to RealtyTrac’s monthly Foreclosuree Market Report. Only California had a higher total, with 92,249 propertiez with May 2009 foreclosurs filings. The Sunshine State was No. 3 in the nationj in foreclosure rates, with one in every 148 households receivinv a foreclosure filingin May. Nevads led the country with one in every 64 homes receivinga filing, while California was seconsd highest with one in every 144. The Orlando-Kissimmer market took the No.
8 spot among the nation’sd top 10 metro areas with the highestforeclosurr rates. The area recorded a rate of one foreclosuree filing for every101 homes. Floridsa had three cities among the top 10 metro while California had six cities amonhgthat mix. Las Vegass topped the list with a rate of one in every 54 householdsa getting aforeclosure filing. Nationwide, 321,480 foreclosure filings were reportecin May, which is 6 percent lower than Aprilp 2009, but about 18 percent higher than May 2008. One in everty 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure noticdlast month. Vermont again recorded the lowest number of with six reportedin May, or one for everhy 51,906 households. The RealtyTrac U.S.
Foreclosure Market Report providew the total number of properties with at leasy one foreclosure filing reported duringthe month. Data is collectefd from more than 2,200 counties that accounr for more than 90 percenty ofthe nation’s population.
The state posted 58,931 foreclosure filings — includint default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessionsz — in May, down 8.8 percent from April’e total, but still 50 percentg higher thanMay 2008, according to RealtyTrac’s monthly Foreclosuree Market Report. Only California had a higher total, with 92,249 propertiez with May 2009 foreclosurs filings. The Sunshine State was No. 3 in the nationj in foreclosure rates, with one in every 148 households receivinv a foreclosure filingin May. Nevads led the country with one in every 64 homes receivinga filing, while California was seconsd highest with one in every 144. The Orlando-Kissimmer market took the No.
8 spot among the nation’sd top 10 metro areas with the highestforeclosurr rates. The area recorded a rate of one foreclosuree filing for every101 homes. Floridsa had three cities among the top 10 metro while California had six cities amonhgthat mix. Las Vegass topped the list with a rate of one in every 54 householdsa getting aforeclosure filing. Nationwide, 321,480 foreclosure filings were reportecin May, which is 6 percent lower than Aprilp 2009, but about 18 percent higher than May 2008. One in everty 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure noticdlast month. Vermont again recorded the lowest number of with six reportedin May, or one for everhy 51,906 households. The RealtyTrac U.S.
Foreclosure Market Report providew the total number of properties with at leasy one foreclosure filing reported duringthe month. Data is collectefd from more than 2,200 counties that accounr for more than 90 percenty ofthe nation’s population.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Education funding still falls short despite federal stimulus infusion - Dallas Business Journal:
ramsburgsyuheo1544.blogspot.com
That was the sentiment of an eight-member panel of training and government experts gathered by the Soutn Florida Business Journal to examine howthe $787 billioj federal stimulus package is impactint the region’s education and workforce training sectors. The panel marked the third in theBusiness Journal’s ongoing stimulusd series, aimed at tracking and analyzing the flow of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into Soutyh Florida. Florida’s Legislature was the only one nationallt to request a federal waiver that allowed it to take mone from education and replace it with stimulus dollars while other states used stimulus dollars to augmenrthe budget.
The situation concernexd paneliststate Sen. Eleanor Sobel. “Wwe are not starting at the startinvg line. The school district in Broward Countt and those throughout the state are startinh behind thestarting line,” Sobel said. “Theh have had problems for yeara and they areall scrambling.” Vetera educator Robert Parks, a membee of the Broward County School Board, said, “Many of the large urban districts in the nation are afraid of one which is basically a bait and switch with thosed dollars.” What’s even more worrisome to some experts is that the stimuluse money will eventually run out.
“I’m reall y concerned about in three years; what’s going to said José Vicente, president of ’s Nort Campus. “This is a He said the college’s operatingg budget was cut $22 million whilse the stimulus money wasonly $13 million. Parks said Browared County’s school system has cut $1.4 billiomn from its construction budget in addition to furloughingh 700 teachers and51 administrators. “We’ve closed all of our schoool offices forthe summer. We don’tt have summer school anymore,” Parks would have been looking at cuttinv its budget byabout $30 million without $12 milliobn in stimulus funds, said Dorothy K.
the university’s associate VP for financialp affairs andbudget director. The universitg cut 30 positionsand “had we not had the stimuluz dollars it could have been much more severe.” Georgde Hanbury, executive VP and COO of , said the $1.3 billionm in stimulus funds given to the stat e relieved pressure on the Legislatured to further reduce support for Florida Resident Accesws Grants (FRAG), a key source of money for but he pointed out that the grants used to be $3,0009 a year for students and are now The amount is important to students, who find enrollment caps at stater universities and turn to NSU and other privatee institutions.
He also said that universities are working together to applty for federalstimulus funding. NSU has a collaborative proposall with and FAU fora $50 million research building with wet labs, business incubator spacd and offices for the U.S. Geological Survey, which is helping oversew Everglades restoration. “We have shovel-ready projectzs we have submitted to the Governor and in the next 60 days we couldrput 1,000 people to work,” Hanbury The competition for these typesw of projects, though, is fierce. FAU is getting abou t $12 million in direct infusion from the federalstimulue package, but the university also is seekingv money from the for labs and instruments, Russell said.
Aprip was the month to submit applications and the resultws are expectedby September. The strongest flow of money, so far, appeara to be for programs that help the jobless asthe state’s unemployment rate has hit 10.2 percent.
That was the sentiment of an eight-member panel of training and government experts gathered by the Soutn Florida Business Journal to examine howthe $787 billioj federal stimulus package is impactint the region’s education and workforce training sectors. The panel marked the third in theBusiness Journal’s ongoing stimulusd series, aimed at tracking and analyzing the flow of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into Soutyh Florida. Florida’s Legislature was the only one nationallt to request a federal waiver that allowed it to take mone from education and replace it with stimulus dollars while other states used stimulus dollars to augmenrthe budget.
The situation concernexd paneliststate Sen. Eleanor Sobel. “Wwe are not starting at the startinvg line. The school district in Broward Countt and those throughout the state are startinh behind thestarting line,” Sobel said. “Theh have had problems for yeara and they areall scrambling.” Vetera educator Robert Parks, a membee of the Broward County School Board, said, “Many of the large urban districts in the nation are afraid of one which is basically a bait and switch with thosed dollars.” What’s even more worrisome to some experts is that the stimuluse money will eventually run out.
“I’m reall y concerned about in three years; what’s going to said José Vicente, president of ’s Nort Campus. “This is a He said the college’s operatingg budget was cut $22 million whilse the stimulus money wasonly $13 million. Parks said Browared County’s school system has cut $1.4 billiomn from its construction budget in addition to furloughingh 700 teachers and51 administrators. “We’ve closed all of our schoool offices forthe summer. We don’tt have summer school anymore,” Parks would have been looking at cuttinv its budget byabout $30 million without $12 milliobn in stimulus funds, said Dorothy K.
the university’s associate VP for financialp affairs andbudget director. The universitg cut 30 positionsand “had we not had the stimuluz dollars it could have been much more severe.” Georgde Hanbury, executive VP and COO of , said the $1.3 billionm in stimulus funds given to the stat e relieved pressure on the Legislatured to further reduce support for Florida Resident Accesws Grants (FRAG), a key source of money for but he pointed out that the grants used to be $3,0009 a year for students and are now The amount is important to students, who find enrollment caps at stater universities and turn to NSU and other privatee institutions.
He also said that universities are working together to applty for federalstimulus funding. NSU has a collaborative proposall with and FAU fora $50 million research building with wet labs, business incubator spacd and offices for the U.S. Geological Survey, which is helping oversew Everglades restoration. “We have shovel-ready projectzs we have submitted to the Governor and in the next 60 days we couldrput 1,000 people to work,” Hanbury The competition for these typesw of projects, though, is fierce. FAU is getting abou t $12 million in direct infusion from the federalstimulue package, but the university also is seekingv money from the for labs and instruments, Russell said.
Aprip was the month to submit applications and the resultws are expectedby September. The strongest flow of money, so far, appeara to be for programs that help the jobless asthe state’s unemployment rate has hit 10.2 percent.
Friday, September 14, 2012
OUR OPINION: Stark difference between Romney, Reagan in 1980 - Kennebec Journal
idozxun.blogspot.com
NorthJersey.com | OUR OPINION: Stark difference between Romney, Reagan in 1980 Kennebec Journal OUR OPINION: Stark difference between Romney, Reagan in 1980. Morning Sentinel Staff. If the Republican presidential nominee was looking for a statement to make about the attacks in Cairo and Benghazi, Libya, Monday night, he might have tried this one ... O pinion: Libya carnage alters campaign trajectory The President's Bounce Plans for Sm » |
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
humojo.wordpress.com
(NYSE: APC), (NYSE: ME) and Cobalt International Energy LP all issued separate releases on the find at theHeidelberb prospect, which contains about 200 feet of net oil pay. The well is in about 5,000 feet of water in Green Canyon, and will have to be drillefd toabout 28,500 feet. For Anadarko — the majority partnefr with more than 44 percentinterest — the Heidelberg discoverh validates the geological trends evident in the previously announcede Caesar/Tonga discoveries, according to Bob Daniels, senior vice presideng of worldwide exploration.
“Since 2005, we have drilleds seven successful exploration wells inthis Middle-Miocend trend, each targeting resourceds of more than 100 million barrels,” Danieles said. Anadarko, whose nearby Constitution spar affords a varietyt ofdevelopment options, plans to conductg further appraisal in the secondr half of this year. Mariner, which owns a 12.5 percenty stake in Heidelberg, also announced two natural gasdiscoverieas — one in the deepwater Gulf and anotherr on the deep shelf.
“We completedx our 2008 offshore drilling program with an 80 percentrsuccess rate, and our 2009 program is off to an excellen t start,” said Chairman and CEO Scott Mariner holds a 30 percent interesft in Bushwood No. 1 in 2,700 feet of water in the Garde Banks, which will be drilled to 25,300 owns 35 percent of Bushwood. and two others own the Mariner owns a 100 percen working interest inSmoothie No. 2 on the deep Heidelberg represents Cobalt’s first discover y in the deepwater Gulf.
“The Heidelberg success givexs us great confidence inour people, and geologic modeling of our entire Gulf of Mexico portfolio,” said Cobaltt Chairman and CEO Joseph whose company owns just under 10 percentg of the project. Anadarko remainsa busy in the Gulf, committingt to drilling the Vito prospecft in Mississippi Canyonafter Heidelberg. Drillingt is also underway at Shenandoah Lower-Tertiary prospect in Walker Ridge, and an exploratoryt well at the Samurai prospecft in Green Canyon is expecter to spud in the first quarter of 2009.
(NYSE: APC), (NYSE: ME) and Cobalt International Energy LP all issued separate releases on the find at theHeidelberb prospect, which contains about 200 feet of net oil pay. The well is in about 5,000 feet of water in Green Canyon, and will have to be drillefd toabout 28,500 feet. For Anadarko — the majority partnefr with more than 44 percentinterest — the Heidelberg discoverh validates the geological trends evident in the previously announcede Caesar/Tonga discoveries, according to Bob Daniels, senior vice presideng of worldwide exploration.
“Since 2005, we have drilleds seven successful exploration wells inthis Middle-Miocend trend, each targeting resourceds of more than 100 million barrels,” Danieles said. Anadarko, whose nearby Constitution spar affords a varietyt ofdevelopment options, plans to conductg further appraisal in the secondr half of this year. Mariner, which owns a 12.5 percenty stake in Heidelberg, also announced two natural gasdiscoverieas — one in the deepwater Gulf and anotherr on the deep shelf.
“We completedx our 2008 offshore drilling program with an 80 percentrsuccess rate, and our 2009 program is off to an excellen t start,” said Chairman and CEO Scott Mariner holds a 30 percent interesft in Bushwood No. 1 in 2,700 feet of water in the Garde Banks, which will be drilled to 25,300 owns 35 percent of Bushwood. and two others own the Mariner owns a 100 percen working interest inSmoothie No. 2 on the deep Heidelberg represents Cobalt’s first discover y in the deepwater Gulf.
“The Heidelberg success givexs us great confidence inour people, and geologic modeling of our entire Gulf of Mexico portfolio,” said Cobaltt Chairman and CEO Joseph whose company owns just under 10 percentg of the project. Anadarko remainsa busy in the Gulf, committingt to drilling the Vito prospecft in Mississippi Canyonafter Heidelberg. Drillingt is also underway at Shenandoah Lower-Tertiary prospect in Walker Ridge, and an exploratoryt well at the Samurai prospecft in Green Canyon is expecter to spud in the first quarter of 2009.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Fumbled DNA Tests Mean Peril for Breast-Cancer Patients - Bloomberg
azajir.wordpress.com
Fumbled DNA Tests Mean Peril for Breast-Cancer Patients Bloomberg Fumbled DNA Tests Mean Peril for Breast-Cancer Patients. By Robert Langreth - 2012-09-10T04:00:01Z. Debbie McCarron was prepared to get both of her breasts taken off if a blood test in December 2006 revealed she carried a gene that vastly increases ... |
Saturday, September 8, 2012
GM Tonawanda hosting recycling event - Orlando Business Journal:
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The one-day event June 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Plany 5 on Vulcan Street, is co-sponsored by Erie Buffalo and the Northwesgt Solid WasteManagement Board. Last year’s event received 56,325 pounds of electronicd equipment, 247 bicycles and a trucki fullof clothing. Electronics equipment is a sourcer ofrecycled lead, steel, plastic, copper and glass. Itemx being accepted this year TVs, computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, fluorescent bulbs, cell rechargeable batteries, VCRs, and DVD players, textiles, and bicycles. Clothing and textiles will be reusedd at Goodwill retail locationsor recycled.
Bicycles will be used for bike safety education or recycled by Blue Bicyclewand Recycle-a-Bicycle programs. New for this year, Buffaloi ReUse will accept used or new shop andgarden tools, such as rakes, brooms, ladders, hammers and saws. “Thiz is a natural extension of what we do at Plant Manager Steve Finch said ina “Our plant has been landfill-free in manufacturingb since 2006. We recyclee or reuse all of our waste, so this eventr to help the communitty recycle is a natural fit for us atGeneral Motors,” he
The one-day event June 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Plany 5 on Vulcan Street, is co-sponsored by Erie Buffalo and the Northwesgt Solid WasteManagement Board. Last year’s event received 56,325 pounds of electronicd equipment, 247 bicycles and a trucki fullof clothing. Electronics equipment is a sourcer ofrecycled lead, steel, plastic, copper and glass. Itemx being accepted this year TVs, computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, fluorescent bulbs, cell rechargeable batteries, VCRs, and DVD players, textiles, and bicycles. Clothing and textiles will be reusedd at Goodwill retail locationsor recycled.
Bicycles will be used for bike safety education or recycled by Blue Bicyclewand Recycle-a-Bicycle programs. New for this year, Buffaloi ReUse will accept used or new shop andgarden tools, such as rakes, brooms, ladders, hammers and saws. “Thiz is a natural extension of what we do at Plant Manager Steve Finch said ina “Our plant has been landfill-free in manufacturingb since 2006. We recyclee or reuse all of our waste, so this eventr to help the communitty recycle is a natural fit for us atGeneral Motors,” he
Friday, September 7, 2012
Taylor Swift's strange VMAs performance: Were those furries? - Washington Post (blog)
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MTV UK | Taylor Swift's strange VMAs performance: Were those furries? Washington Post (blog) The exes: Though the song is rumored to be about Jake Gyllenhaal, the camera operators made a point of zooming in on Swift ex Taylor Lautner. Swift's break-up power anthems are getting meaner, and it's especi » |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Badger Meter to shift work to Mexico - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
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“We are going to be movingy unskilled work down to Mexicoand I’m not goin g to apologize for that,” Badgeer Meter chairman, president and chief executive officee Richard Meeusen said at the company’s annual meetinh on April 24. “It’s the nature of our businesxs and the natureof what’s happeningh in America.” Badger Meter recentlgy opened a 140,000-square-foot factory in Nogales, Mexico, but only part of the plan t is occupied, Meeusen said. “That leaveas us a lot of emptyh floor space for futures growth and optimizingour functions,” he said.
“Wes intend to ship some functions down therer so we can take advantage of lower costzs and as we grow we are goingt to grow our functionwsdown there, which will enable us to keep our costs undee control.” Meeusen declined in an interview to say exactly how many jobs will move from the Brown Deer 4545 W. Brown Deer Road. “I can’gt put a number on it right now,” Meeusen “What I can say is that we do intend to continue to produces some metersin (Brown Deer), but we will be shifting unskilled and low-skill positionsz to Mexico.
” Badger Meter has about 500 employees at the factoryt and corporate headquarters in Brown Deer, including 210 productiobn workers. The union represents all hourlyproduction workers. An existingb four-year contract between the company and the unionbexpires Oct. 31, 2012. Unioj representatives did not return callsseekint comment. The existing contract wouldn’ preclude Badger Meter from shifting workto Mexico, Meeuseh said. The company also has factoriexin Tulsa, Okla.; Brno, Czech Republic; and Stuttgart, Germany. Badger Meter has more than 1,2009 employees worldwide, including about 600 in Mexico.
The company makexs meters, valves, flow tubes and othed devices that measure and control the flowof liquids. A majoritu of the job cuts at the Brown Deer plant could come througj retirementsand attrition, Meeusen said. “Fortunately, we have a very seniofr work forcein (Brown Deer) and I believ e we will be able to do a lot of that throughu attrition and not layoffs,” he said. Richard Eastman, an analystt at & Co. Inc., Milwaukee, who follows Badger Meter, said he doesn’t believe Badger Meted has developed a concrete plan that shiftss jobs to Mexico fromBrown Deer. “I don’rt know that there is some hard number atthis point,” Eastmab said.
Badger Meter is likely to add jobs in Mexicko as the company grows and the need for additionaplcapacity arises, and as demand for plastic wateer meters grows, Eastman said. Meeusen said he has encouragedxthe company’s younger workers for the past two yearsd to get more trainingv that would allow them to move into higher-skill The company had been leasing a 60,000-square-footr plant in Nogales before opening the new, company-owneds factory. All of the registers for meters produces by Badger Meter are made at the plant in Badger Meter also operatesa 40,000-square-foot factory in where thermoplastic meter housings are produced.
Final assemblu of the meters is done at the BrownhDeer plant. “We’ve been in Mexico for 35 years,” Meeusen said. “We’ved been very successful. It’s been a great operatiomn for us.” Meeusen defended the decisiom to move jobs to Mexico afte being questioned by a shareholder atthe meeting. “Tryu as I may, I cannot find one motherd in Milwaukee whose dream it is for her chile to grow up to stand on an assembly line and assemblewwater meters,” Meeusen said. “The fact of the matter is a lot theses assemblyline jobs, thesed unskilled jobs, are leaving our country.
We couldr refuse and say we are going to keep all thosd jobsin Milwaukee, while all three of our majofr competitors are going to Mexico or to China and loweringg their costs.” Not moving jobs to a country with lowerf manufacturing costs, such as Mexico, would put Badger Meter’s financial future at risk, Meeusemn said. “We run the risk of being Amityt Leather,” he said. Meeusen explained that Amity Leathedr of West Bend made a pledgs to keep production jobs at its local plant at a time when its competitor s shifted workto Asia. Ten years later, the decisionb led to Amity Leather’s bankruptcy and a shutdownb ofits plant, Meeusen said.
Amity Leather, operated by AR Accessoriew Group Inc., Milwaukee, ceased operations in 1998. “Wse can’t risk that with this company,” Meeusen said. “The fact is, if my competitors are going to low-costt countries, I have to ship unskillefd laborto low-cost countries. In addition, Badger Meter has founed it increasingly difficult to find workers who are willin g to fillunskilled jobs. “It’s not just a pay it’s a health care issue and a jobs issue,” Meeusejn said. “It’s one thing to pay $12,000p in insurance costs for someone making and another topay $12,000 for someoner making $25,000.
” Badger Meter also planse to invest more in automated production equipment, which also will reduce the need for unskilledc labor, Meeusen said. “We will continu to make water meters in Milwaukeelong term, but the more we the more unskilled jobs we get rid of and the more skille jobs we will need,” he said. A continuee shift toward automated meter growing municipal water shortages and a dramatifc drop in copper prices are expected to boost BadgertMeter Inc.’s business as it weathers the recession.
“Water shortages continue to be an issure in theUnited States,” Badger Meter president and chief executive officer Richard Meeusen In 2008, there were water shortages in the Southwest and Meeusen said at the Brown Deer company’s annual meeting April 24. The threaf of shortages is drivinhg municipalities to find ways toconservde water, including installation of water metersw in unmetered markets, he said. “This is drivint demand for our products,” Meeusen Badger Meter makes meters, valves, flow tubes and othef devices that measure and contropl the flowof liquids.
Four major markets New York, Chicago and Fresno and Sacramento inCaliforniw — aren’t fully metered, but are discussing it, Meeusen Badger Meter has a contract to replace abour half of the 162,000 water metera installed in Chicago years ago. The contracf also calls for Badger Meter to install radioss onall 162,000 meters that will allow remotde meter reading. Chicago officials are considering installing meter onall 500,000 homes in the “It’s a huge opportunity,” Meeusen “If we do a good job on this we’ve got a good likelihood of being selected to do the Badger Meter also will look for strategix acquisitions this year, Meeusen said.
“Wd chased some last year, but we didn’t get them becausde the multiples gottoo high,” he said. “We aren’yt going to overpay for a company.” The global economic downturn has benefited Badger Meter througyh cheapercopper prices. Badger Metert sells brass meters, which are 80 percent brass. Copper was $3.50p to $4 per pound through the first three quarterof 2008. Prices remain depressed in the first quarterof 2009, at about $1.50 per and have risen slightly to about $2 per pound in the secondx quarter. “A big difference in copper pricw when you are sellingabout 1.5 million meters a year becomed pretty significant,” Meeusen said.
“This could really carry us througyh the economic downturn and help us with our Richard Eastman, an analyst at Robert W. Baircd & Co. Inc., Milwaukee, said Badge Meter should benefit from lowee copper prices at least throughthe “I think the company can buildr that into its cost structurwe for the next three quarters,” Eastman said. “There’s certainly no indicatioh that costs will go nortuhof $3.” Badger Meter also has benefited from a weak which is down about 30 percen in the first quarter, he said. The companyt has major manufacturing operations in Mexico and planes to shift morework there.
“The labor costs in Mexico are lower and the weak peso make the cost even lowef when shifting backinto U.S. Eastman said. Badger Meter also buys the electronic componenta for its metersin Europe, wheres it is benefiting from a weak euro, he
“We are going to be movingy unskilled work down to Mexicoand I’m not goin g to apologize for that,” Badgeer Meter chairman, president and chief executive officee Richard Meeusen said at the company’s annual meetinh on April 24. “It’s the nature of our businesxs and the natureof what’s happeningh in America.” Badger Meter recentlgy opened a 140,000-square-foot factory in Nogales, Mexico, but only part of the plan t is occupied, Meeusen said. “That leaveas us a lot of emptyh floor space for futures growth and optimizingour functions,” he said.
“Wes intend to ship some functions down therer so we can take advantage of lower costzs and as we grow we are goingt to grow our functionwsdown there, which will enable us to keep our costs undee control.” Meeusen declined in an interview to say exactly how many jobs will move from the Brown Deer 4545 W. Brown Deer Road. “I can’gt put a number on it right now,” Meeusen “What I can say is that we do intend to continue to produces some metersin (Brown Deer), but we will be shifting unskilled and low-skill positionsz to Mexico.
” Badger Meter has about 500 employees at the factoryt and corporate headquarters in Brown Deer, including 210 productiobn workers. The union represents all hourlyproduction workers. An existingb four-year contract between the company and the unionbexpires Oct. 31, 2012. Unioj representatives did not return callsseekint comment. The existing contract wouldn’ preclude Badger Meter from shifting workto Mexico, Meeuseh said. The company also has factoriexin Tulsa, Okla.; Brno, Czech Republic; and Stuttgart, Germany. Badger Meter has more than 1,2009 employees worldwide, including about 600 in Mexico.
The company makexs meters, valves, flow tubes and othed devices that measure and control the flowof liquids. A majoritu of the job cuts at the Brown Deer plant could come througj retirementsand attrition, Meeusen said. “Fortunately, we have a very seniofr work forcein (Brown Deer) and I believ e we will be able to do a lot of that throughu attrition and not layoffs,” he said. Richard Eastman, an analystt at & Co. Inc., Milwaukee, who follows Badger Meter, said he doesn’t believe Badger Meted has developed a concrete plan that shiftss jobs to Mexico fromBrown Deer. “I don’rt know that there is some hard number atthis point,” Eastmab said.
Badger Meter is likely to add jobs in Mexicko as the company grows and the need for additionaplcapacity arises, and as demand for plastic wateer meters grows, Eastman said. Meeusen said he has encouragedxthe company’s younger workers for the past two yearsd to get more trainingv that would allow them to move into higher-skill The company had been leasing a 60,000-square-footr plant in Nogales before opening the new, company-owneds factory. All of the registers for meters produces by Badger Meter are made at the plant in Badger Meter also operatesa 40,000-square-foot factory in where thermoplastic meter housings are produced.
Final assemblu of the meters is done at the BrownhDeer plant. “We’ve been in Mexico for 35 years,” Meeusen said. “We’ved been very successful. It’s been a great operatiomn for us.” Meeusen defended the decisiom to move jobs to Mexico afte being questioned by a shareholder atthe meeting. “Tryu as I may, I cannot find one motherd in Milwaukee whose dream it is for her chile to grow up to stand on an assembly line and assemblewwater meters,” Meeusen said. “The fact of the matter is a lot theses assemblyline jobs, thesed unskilled jobs, are leaving our country.
We couldr refuse and say we are going to keep all thosd jobsin Milwaukee, while all three of our majofr competitors are going to Mexico or to China and loweringg their costs.” Not moving jobs to a country with lowerf manufacturing costs, such as Mexico, would put Badger Meter’s financial future at risk, Meeusemn said. “We run the risk of being Amityt Leather,” he said. Meeusen explained that Amity Leathedr of West Bend made a pledgs to keep production jobs at its local plant at a time when its competitor s shifted workto Asia. Ten years later, the decisionb led to Amity Leather’s bankruptcy and a shutdownb ofits plant, Meeusen said.
Amity Leather, operated by AR Accessoriew Group Inc., Milwaukee, ceased operations in 1998. “Wse can’t risk that with this company,” Meeusen said. “The fact is, if my competitors are going to low-costt countries, I have to ship unskillefd laborto low-cost countries. In addition, Badger Meter has founed it increasingly difficult to find workers who are willin g to fillunskilled jobs. “It’s not just a pay it’s a health care issue and a jobs issue,” Meeusejn said. “It’s one thing to pay $12,000p in insurance costs for someone making and another topay $12,000 for someoner making $25,000.
” Badger Meter also planse to invest more in automated production equipment, which also will reduce the need for unskilledc labor, Meeusen said. “We will continu to make water meters in Milwaukeelong term, but the more we the more unskilled jobs we get rid of and the more skille jobs we will need,” he said. A continuee shift toward automated meter growing municipal water shortages and a dramatifc drop in copper prices are expected to boost BadgertMeter Inc.’s business as it weathers the recession.
“Water shortages continue to be an issure in theUnited States,” Badger Meter president and chief executive officer Richard Meeusen In 2008, there were water shortages in the Southwest and Meeusen said at the Brown Deer company’s annual meeting April 24. The threaf of shortages is drivinhg municipalities to find ways toconservde water, including installation of water metersw in unmetered markets, he said. “This is drivint demand for our products,” Meeusen Badger Meter makes meters, valves, flow tubes and othef devices that measure and contropl the flowof liquids.
Four major markets New York, Chicago and Fresno and Sacramento inCaliforniw — aren’t fully metered, but are discussing it, Meeusen Badger Meter has a contract to replace abour half of the 162,000 water metera installed in Chicago years ago. The contracf also calls for Badger Meter to install radioss onall 162,000 meters that will allow remotde meter reading. Chicago officials are considering installing meter onall 500,000 homes in the “It’s a huge opportunity,” Meeusen “If we do a good job on this we’ve got a good likelihood of being selected to do the Badger Meter also will look for strategix acquisitions this year, Meeusen said.
“Wd chased some last year, but we didn’t get them becausde the multiples gottoo high,” he said. “We aren’yt going to overpay for a company.” The global economic downturn has benefited Badger Meter througyh cheapercopper prices. Badger Metert sells brass meters, which are 80 percent brass. Copper was $3.50p to $4 per pound through the first three quarterof 2008. Prices remain depressed in the first quarterof 2009, at about $1.50 per and have risen slightly to about $2 per pound in the secondx quarter. “A big difference in copper pricw when you are sellingabout 1.5 million meters a year becomed pretty significant,” Meeusen said.
“This could really carry us througyh the economic downturn and help us with our Richard Eastman, an analyst at Robert W. Baircd & Co. Inc., Milwaukee, said Badge Meter should benefit from lowee copper prices at least throughthe “I think the company can buildr that into its cost structurwe for the next three quarters,” Eastman said. “There’s certainly no indicatioh that costs will go nortuhof $3.” Badger Meter also has benefited from a weak which is down about 30 percen in the first quarter, he said. The companyt has major manufacturing operations in Mexico and planes to shift morework there.
“The labor costs in Mexico are lower and the weak peso make the cost even lowef when shifting backinto U.S. Eastman said. Badger Meter also buys the electronic componenta for its metersin Europe, wheres it is benefiting from a weak euro, he
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Romney's 300 paths to 270 votes - Fortune (blog)
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Fortune (blog) | Romney's 300 paths to 270 votes Fortune (blog) FORTUNE -- Coming out of its convention in Tampa, Florida, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign sees paths before it. All lead to the same place: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C.. For months GOP strategists have been determining where to ... |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Micros looking to build online presence with $31M purchase of Fry Inc. - Baltimore Business Journal:
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The acquisition gives Columbia-based Micros the ability to build Web siteas tomanage clients' sales and reservations made online. The company has in the past focused on processing salessfor retailers, restaurants and hotels at their cash registers, but has builtg up its online offerings so far this year. Micros (NASDAQ: handles online orders for about a fifth of its retailers but hopesz to grow that and also expand tohotep reservations, they said. "Adding Fry to the Microw portfolio enhances our ability to provide customers withadvancexd e-commerce solutions and technology necessary to operate retail Web Micros CEO A.L.
"Tom" Giannopoulos said in a "While Fry has historically targeted theretaill segment, its broad array of e-commerce servicew are applicable to all of the industries we Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Fry will remaijn a standalone entity that will fall within Micros' retail division, and its CEO David Fry will remaim president. David Fry and othee Fry shareholders are eligible for anadditionakl $17 million if the unit hits specifiedx revenue and profit targets. The deal includes $31.34 million in stock purchases and assumptionof $18.4 millionj in debt.
Micros Senior Vice Presidengt for Business Development and Investot Relations Peter Rogers said the acquisition will allow Microe to host and develop online systemsd for clients suchas Jos. A. Bank Clothierzs Inc. (NASDAQ: JOSB), who alreadhy use Micros to handle its Web Micros has about 500retail clients, and about 100 of them use Micros for their online Company officials also plan to add onlines services with its hotel clients, Rogers That could begin after Labor Day, he Micros melded subsidiaries Datavantage, CommercialWare and eOne Group withinb Micros-Retail in January.
Datavantage and CommercialWarre gave the company the ability to do more catalog and onlineorder processing, while eOne Group added more online capabilities.
The acquisition gives Columbia-based Micros the ability to build Web siteas tomanage clients' sales and reservations made online. The company has in the past focused on processing salessfor retailers, restaurants and hotels at their cash registers, but has builtg up its online offerings so far this year. Micros (NASDAQ: handles online orders for about a fifth of its retailers but hopesz to grow that and also expand tohotep reservations, they said. "Adding Fry to the Microw portfolio enhances our ability to provide customers withadvancexd e-commerce solutions and technology necessary to operate retail Web Micros CEO A.L.
"Tom" Giannopoulos said in a "While Fry has historically targeted theretaill segment, its broad array of e-commerce servicew are applicable to all of the industries we Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Fry will remaijn a standalone entity that will fall within Micros' retail division, and its CEO David Fry will remaim president. David Fry and othee Fry shareholders are eligible for anadditionakl $17 million if the unit hits specifiedx revenue and profit targets. The deal includes $31.34 million in stock purchases and assumptionof $18.4 millionj in debt.
Micros Senior Vice Presidengt for Business Development and Investot Relations Peter Rogers said the acquisition will allow Microe to host and develop online systemsd for clients suchas Jos. A. Bank Clothierzs Inc. (NASDAQ: JOSB), who alreadhy use Micros to handle its Web Micros has about 500retail clients, and about 100 of them use Micros for their online Company officials also plan to add onlines services with its hotel clients, Rogers That could begin after Labor Day, he Micros melded subsidiaries Datavantage, CommercialWare and eOne Group withinb Micros-Retail in January.
Datavantage and CommercialWarre gave the company the ability to do more catalog and onlineorder processing, while eOne Group added more online capabilities.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
McCain backs Whitman to succeed Schwarzenegger - Austin Business Journal:
azajir.wordpress.com
is backing former eBay CEO Meg Whitmanm in her bid to replace Arnold Schwarzeneggerf asCalifornia governor. Term limits prevent Schwarzenegger for running againin 2010. “Americans acrose the country, are facing unprecedented economic challenges, and Meg Whitmamn has the right credentials torestart California‘z economic engines,” McCain said in a statement. “Mey led eBay with integrity, and her inspirational leadership hashelped 1.
3 million people make if not all, of theid living selling on I applaud her goals of getting Californi ans back to work by creatin g 2 million jobs, her commitmenyt to fixing California’s budgety problems, and helping to restore the public trusr in government by cuttinvg wasteful spending.’’ Whitman was among McCain’s businesse backers during his failed 2008 presidential bid. Californiq faces a mammoth budget crisis, its economyt hit hard by the recession and realestated crash. The 2010 governor’s race could be heavyweighft affair with potential Democratic candidates suchas U.S. Sen.
Diann e Feinstein, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsok and state Attorney General Jerry Whitman could faceformer Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, anothee McCain backer, in the GOP primary.
is backing former eBay CEO Meg Whitmanm in her bid to replace Arnold Schwarzeneggerf asCalifornia governor. Term limits prevent Schwarzenegger for running againin 2010. “Americans acrose the country, are facing unprecedented economic challenges, and Meg Whitmamn has the right credentials torestart California‘z economic engines,” McCain said in a statement. “Mey led eBay with integrity, and her inspirational leadership hashelped 1.
3 million people make if not all, of theid living selling on I applaud her goals of getting Californi ans back to work by creatin g 2 million jobs, her commitmenyt to fixing California’s budgety problems, and helping to restore the public trusr in government by cuttinvg wasteful spending.’’ Whitman was among McCain’s businesse backers during his failed 2008 presidential bid. Californiq faces a mammoth budget crisis, its economyt hit hard by the recession and realestated crash. The 2010 governor’s race could be heavyweighft affair with potential Democratic candidates suchas U.S. Sen.
Diann e Feinstein, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsok and state Attorney General Jerry Whitman could faceformer Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, anothee McCain backer, in the GOP primary.
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