Sunday, May 29, 2011

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle): List Survey

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Congratulations! Your company is a finalist in Pugef SoundBusiness Journal's Washington's Best Workplaces competition. The award is basedf on feedback from your employees and an indication that your companyh is truly one of the best placezs to work inthe state. We'd like to give you an opportunitt to highlight some of your best practices that put the companyg inthe top. Please take a momenft to answertheses questions. The deadline is June (Extended to July 1st.) We will prin some of your answers inour Washington'se Best Workplaces supplement to the Business Journakl on August 21st.
If you have please call or e-mail Becky Monk, Assistant Managing Editod at 206-876-5436 What is your company's average annualo pay for non-salaried employees? Describe your company's employee award What's it called? Describe how your company encourages Describeyour company's best social event. What'z it called? Describe your company's corporate citizenshi p policy. Describe your company's pet at work policy. Favorite employee benefit? Unique perkws that you offer employees? What is your company'sd average annual pay for salaried employees? Does your company offer onsitde childcare orsubsidize childcare?
The percentage of your employees'' health care premium that your company pays How do you encourage work-life balance? Reasons you offer cash bonuse s to employees? Percentage of employees that are women?? Ways you encourage diversity in your workplace ? Percentage of employees that are minorities? How do you motivate your staff? What advice do you have for managing in a slow economy ? Have you had layoffs in the last year? How did you manag the layoffs? Are you hiring? How many job openingx do you have right now? Number of holidayw your company has? How do you recognizew employees who have done outstanding jobs?
What benefits that are inexpensive for the companhy to provide do you/your employees appreciatde the most? How does your company communicate the challengeas and solutions of today's difficult economic times? In today's economy, have there been benefita and job perks your company has cut? Which ones? Why? Do all employeese at your company get annual reviews? Does your compan y have a systematic mentoring program? How do you encouragr ongoing training? Please check your answers before submitting the form. Form submission does not guarantee inclusion in the If you choosethis feature, you must select this link BEFORr you begin completing the survey.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Carolinas HealthCare reduces 1Q loss - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Investment losses for the latest quarter totalednearlyt $101 million. Chief Financial Officer Greg Gombar anticipates gainsd in the financial market in April and May will erasethosw losses. Carolinas HealthCare uses investment earningas forcapital expenditures. That money is not used for daily The health-care system hopes negotiations with severall lenders will cut its interest expenses tied to variablew debt and higher bank-liquidity fees. Thosew fees are about $1 million per Interest expenses in the firsft quarterwere $21.8 million. From an operational Carolinas HealthCare had a strongfirst quarter, says Russ executive vice president for business development and planning.
Net operatingt revenue climbed 8.6 percent to $1.2 billion Operating income exceeded $24.5 million. The health-care system saw adjustede discharges — a calculation that gauged patientactivity — climb 5.2 percent from a year Growth within the health-care system and expense managementg “is the primary driveer why we’re above budget significantly,” Guerin says. Carolinazs HealthCare spent morethan $106 millio on capital projects in the first Projects include new operating rooms at CMC-NorthEast and Carolinas Medicalk Center, an expansion of CMC-Pineville, a new hospital at CMC-Lincolnj and construction of health-carre pavilions in Steele Creek and Waxhaw, which will includ free-standing emergency departments.
Challenges in the comin g months include managingthe system’sw growing bad-debt and charity-care costs, reducinh interest expenses and preparing for a possible statd cut in Medicaid funding, Gombarf says. Bad-debt costs were 12 percenrt over budget during the first topping $48 million in the firstf quarter. During the same period last year, bad debt was abourt $43 million. The health-care system spenr more than $770 million in community care in includingbad debt, charity care and subsidizin Medicare and Medicaid. That equales 18.8 percent of the health-carer system’s net operating revenue.
”It’s a trend everybody’s seeing acrossa the country,” Gombar says. “We can’t controp how many people are how many people show up at our doorwithouft insurance.” North Carolina’s budget woes coul results in a cut of up to 15 percent for That could equate to $36 million in annualp losses for Carolinas HealthCare. “Medicaid cuts are the worsr economic benefit cut the statecan make,” Gombar “It’s painful.” Says Guerin: “It raises prices for thos who do pay. It makes no good businese sense todo that.” Gombar says every dollar cut from Medicai eliminates $4 from the economy.
Carolinas HealthCarre is the largest health-care system in the Carolinaws andthe third-largest public system in the The system owns, leases or manages 25 hospitals. It has more than 40,000p full- and part-time employees.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

AT&T cuts iPhone prices - Dallas Business Journal:

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Customers can purchase the iPhone 3G immediateltat AT&T company-owned stores or online. The iPhons 3G S is available for preorderinv and will be in storesJune 19. The price cut came in conjunctionwith AT&T's reaffirmance of its financialo guidance for 2009 that targets wireless service operating incomes margins in the low 40% Dallas-based AT&T (NYSE: T) said its cost of customef acquisition for iPhone 3G S and the newlh priced iPhone 3G are expected to be very simila r to the costs associated with the originalo iPhone 3G. In the first AT&T’s iPhone activations totaled morethan 1.
6 more than 40% of them for customers who were new to the “iPhone 3G S is the fastest, most powerfukl iPhone yet, and we’re extremely proud to offetr it to our customers on the nation’a fastest 3G network,” said Ralph de la president and CEO, AT&Tf Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re also pleased to offer thesr innovative phones and planas atincredible values, including free Wi-Fi access at nearly 20,009 hot spots.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

KUSA, KTVD parent Gannett rebounds to profit in Q2 - Denver Business Journal:

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KUSA is branded as ; KTVD as My20. Va.-based Gannett, which also owns the Fort Collin s Coloradoan and isthe nation's larges newspaper chain, reported Wednesday that earnings in the seconr quarter were $70.5 million, or 30 cents per dilutexd share, compared to a loss of $2.3 or $10.03 per diluted share, in the secon quarter of 2008. Resultsd in the year-ago quarter included a one-timew charge of $2.5 billion for asset impairment andother charges. Furloughs of broadcast employees in Denver and elsewhere and other cost cuttiny in the quarter reduce broadcasting expensesby $103 million, or 9.4 percent. Revenude in the latest quarter declined 18 percentto $1.4 billiohn from $1.
7 billion in the year ago period. Publishin advertising revenue plummeted by 32 percentto $753 million, as the classifiee section continued to hemorrhage business: auto ad revenu fell 40 percent; employment ad revenuw dropped 62 percent and real estate classified advertising dropper 48 percent. Broadcasting revenur declined 20 percentto $153 million. Digital revenuee continued to improve dramatically, up sevenfoled to $142 million in the seconed quarter, after a 10-fold gain to $143 millioh in the first quarterof 2009. The digital segmentf includes the operationsof CareerBuilder, PointRoll, Planet Discover, Schedule Star and Ripple6.
Shares of Gannett (NYSE: GCI) surgedx as the company’s results beat Wall Stree expectations. At 10:39 a.m. MDT, Gannettg stock was up more than28 percent, at $4.4i8 a share.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Wachovia honors Homewise with $2.75M - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Homewise was one of two top winners of the Wachovis NEXT Awardsfor Opportunity, presenteed during the ’s annuak conference in Albuquerque recently. OFN is a coalitiohn of community developmentfinancial institutions. The awardx recognize CDFIs whohave innovative, responsible lending programs that benefi t low- and moderate-income communities. Homewiswe has made loans to help morethan 1,20o0 households buy and improve theire homes. It also has provided homeownership education to morethan 3,00 0 people in New Mexico. Its HomeSmaryt program is designed to help theses clientsbuild long-term financial wealth and securitgy by fostering homeownership.
The other winner was , based in which received $5.5 million. “Homewisre impressed the selection committee withits cutting-edge approach to making homeownership sustainable for low- and moderate-income even in a high-cost market,” said Mark Pinsky, presidenty and CEO of OFN. Pinsky applauded communityy development financial institutions in his keynoter address during the conference for standing by financial fundamentals and maintaining strong loan portfolios during thefinancial meltdown, even thouggh their loans were considered more risky than traditional loans. The Opportunitu Finance Network has more than 160 including four inNew Mexico: , , Homewise Inc. of Sants Fe and .
Together they have invested $12.t5 billion nationally through fiscal year witha charge-off .46 percent. “We can help good moneyy chase bad money fromthe marketplace,” he said. Soune and prudent standards and regulations are fundamental to financiapl markets and toeconomic well-being, Pinskhy added. “We’ve experienced the false prophets who promiseedfalse profits,” he said. “Those of us who kept to the fundamentalxs of responsible credit have something importan to say to policy makers andWall Street.” Regulatorw also need to rethink risk, he said. For 30 years, CDFIs were consideresd high-risk, despite their overall recors ofstable portfolios.
These organizations can now be the fulcrujm for leveraging change in the financial he said. “CDFIs often function as the researchg and development arm of the financial market,” Pinsky said. “It’s time to formallgy structure that.” Pinsky called for openinh the Troubled AssetsRelief Program, or to CDFIs and requiring banks that get TARP fundx to partner with and support He also called for openinv the system to CDFIs. “We will not miss this momenft to act,” Pinsky vowed.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Twin Cities CFOs see little change in financial hiring - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The vast majority of CFOs -- 93 percen t -- see no change in "Many companies remain hesitant to commit to addinbg staff until they are certain of an economic saidMax Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half in a news "In the meantime, most firms are workinyg with their current teams to managd key initiatives, with some employerz also bringing in project professionals to assist with risinv workloads and support full-time personnel.
" The results come from interviewsz with 200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companiees in the Twin Citiesx with 20 or more Minnesota's CFOs seemed slightlh more satisfied with the statusz quo than CFOs in a nationao survey: Nationwide, 5 percent of respondents expected to hire, whiler 8 percent expected personnel cuts and the rest expected no change.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Consumer loan delinquencies rise to record high - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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The industry group blames the recorde wave of job losses as amajot factor. More than 2 million Americans lost theird jobs in the first three months of the Six million have lost theier jobs since therecession “Delinquencies won’t improve until companies start hirinh again and we see a significant economic ABA chief economist James Chessen said in a news The ABA defines delinquency as a paymenrt that is 30 days or more The composite delinquency rate among eightr types of closed-end installmeng loan categories rose to 3.23 percent of all from 3.22 percent in the previous quarter. Bank card delinquencies rose to 4.75 percent of all from 4.52 percent in the previous quarter.
the balances on those delinquentr accountsrose dramatically, to 6.6 percenf of the value of all outstanding bank card debt marking a new record from 5.52 percent. Chessen said the unemployedd may be using bank cards to bridg a temporaryincome gap, especially with less home equity to fall back on as housinfg prices continue to fall. Home equitgy loan delinquencies increasedto 3.52 percent from 3.03 Property improvement loan delinquencies decreased to 1.46 percent from 1.75 Indirect auto loan delinquencies decreased to 3.42 percent from 3.53 Direct auto loan delinquencies increased to 3.01 percent from 2.03 percent. Marine loan delinquencies decreasedto 2.04 percentg from 2.35 percent.
RV loan delinquenciesw increasedto 1.52 percent from 1.38 Mobile home loan delinquencies increased to 3.7 percent from 2.96 Personal loan delinquencies increased to 3.47 percenrt from 2.88 percent.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Escambia Extension To Host Weed Management Workshop - NorthEscambia.com

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Escambia Extension To Host Weed Management Workshop

NorthEscambia.com


For more information or to register for this workshop please contact Libbie Johnson, Agriculture/Aquaculture Agent, Escambia County Extension, (850) 475-5230. I read the title and wondered if they were advising on the growing of marijuana. ...


Escambia Extension to teach weed management

Pensacola Business Journal



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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Rocky adopts shareholder rights plan - Business First of Columbus:

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The Nelsonville-based company under the new three-year plan is issuingb one “right” per common share to shareholdersa of record at the end of the day onJune 22. For ever y 100 rights owned, shareholders can buy a share of preferrec stockfor $1,600 that can be exerciseed if an investor or group buys 20 percent or more of Rocky stock. CEO Mike Brooks said in a releass that theplan doesn’t prevent the board from taking a look at acquisitiojn offers.
“It does, however, assure that all of the company’s shareholders receive fair and equall treatment in the event of any proposed takeoverf of the company and guards against partialtender offers, squeeze outs, open market accumulations and othe abusive tactics that are designed to gain control of Rock y without paying all shareholders a control premium,” Brooks The company cautioned that it didn’t adopt the plan in responsd to an acquisition attempt, nor is it aware of one. Rocky (NASDAQ:RCKY) is the second publiclyt held company in Central Ohio to adopy such a plan in asmany months.
(NASDAQ:CVGI) last month adopted a 10-year rightxs plan, telling investors it believesz its depressed stock price couled make it vulnerable totakeovere attempts. Rocky last year earnesd $1.2 million on $259.5 million in revenue. The company producese and markets footwear under the RockgyOutdoor Gear, Georgia Durango and Lehigh names along with licensedr brands Dickies, Zumfoot and Michelin.

Monday, May 9, 2011

JetBlue

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Now, with swine flu and a rough economy takinbgtheir toll, the airlinw will discontinue the flight in Septemberf and October, historically slow monthw for that route. The airline will likely resumer servicein mid-November, said Trudy Carson, TIA’s directofr of Air Services. stopped its route in 2000. trie d it once a week but stopped afterdsix weeks. (NYSE:AAI) had planned to fly the routee four years ago but cancelled those planxs after Hurricane Wilma batteredthe Yucatan. “Wwe just haven’t had the best of luck with that Carson said. Efforts to promotse the route thissummer aren’t being abandoned.
The Mexiclo Tourism Board and the CancunConvention & Visitors Bureau have spent $40,000 to purchase billboards. To expane the outdoor marketing campaign, JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) is spendinf an additional $20,000 with TIA chipping in said Carson. The goal of the marketing effortf is to build momentum for a returb of the servicewhen “season” hits. Whilw loads on the route in May duringg the swine flu scarewere nominal, traffic has picked up on the routr in recent weeks as JetBlue’s 100-seat Embraer 190 has been runningb half-full on average, Carson said.

Friday, May 6, 2011

The Learning Network: A 'Stop the Presses' Moment: More on the Death of Bin Laden - New York Times (blog)

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The Learning Network: A 'Stop the Presses' Moment: More on the Death of Bin Laden

New York Times (blog)


The Learning Network has tried to keep pace with the news this week by updating a list of ideas for teaching about the significance of Bin Laden's death, and today we add to that collection. We've also posted some related 6 Q's About the News features, ...



and more »

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

RealtyTrac: May foreclosures down in Ohio - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Data released Thursday by Irvine, Calif.-based , which compilesz and sells foreclosure information, shows Ohio logged 11,360 pre-foreclosure, auctionm and bank-repossession filings in May, which comesw out to one filing for every446 properties. Ohio’w rate, as in April, was the 10th-highesrt in the nation, but the numbert of filings dropped 8 percentr from the month before and 13 percent from ayear ago. Ohio was one of 18 statexs to seea year-over-yeafr drop in foreclosures, according to the data.
The nationa tide of foreclosures, by fell 6 percent from April but jumped 18 percent from May 2008 as the foreclosurr rate surpassed Ohio at one filing for every 398 RealtyTrac isn’t putting much stocjk in the month-over-month decrease in nationalp foreclosure filings. The total of filings 321,480 – marks the third consecutive month thatthe 300,000-mari has been surpassed. And RealtyTrac CEO Jamesa Saccacio noted in a release thatwhilw pre-foreclosure and auction filings slippedf compared with April, bank repossessions are up on jumps in several states.
The companh said it expects bank repossessions to increase in the cominhg months as foreclosure delays and moratoria expire invarious states.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Real Estate Roundup - Business First of Louisville:

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Portland, from Weston Investment Co. LLC. It is one of the largesg office deals in downtowj inrecent months. The Indian Health establishedin 1972, will move from its current location at 527 S.W. Hall St. Jake Lancaster of Grubb & Ellis Co. represented the tenant; Stev Root of American Property Managementrepresented • Level 3 Communications LLC renewed its lease for 4,724 square feet at the Pittocko Block, 921 S.W. Washington St., Portland, from ALCO Investmentg Co. Kevin Kaufman of CB Richard Ellis representedLevel 3; the landlordc represented itself. • Telelanguagr Inc. signed a new lease for 4,401 square feet at the Portland Exchange Building, 520 S.W. Sixth Portland.
NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpsomn represented the tenant; Ryan Livesay of Pacificd Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the property. • Stearns Lending Inc. leasexd 3,722 square feet at Hampton Square, 6950 S.W. Tigard, from Weston Investmenty Co. LLC. Steve Root of American Propertt Management representedthe lessor. • Peters Company PC signed a new leassefor 2,170 square feet at the Selling Building, 610 S.W. Alder St., with the Schlesinger Kristin Hammond and Mark McFarland of Pacific Real EstatePartnersw Inc. represented the tenant; Bill Smith of NAI Beggs & Simpson representex the property. • SCR Inc. leased 2,00 0 square feet at 8680 S.W.
Old Tualatin Sherwood Tualatin, from Kmotion Inc. Ian Giammanco of Bluestone Hockley Real Estate Services representethe tenant; Scott Pierc of NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson represented the landlord. •Remedy Intelligent Staffing leased 1,638 square feet at The 6646 N.E. 78th Portland, from API Properties 1047 LLC. Mark McFarlandd of Pacific Real EstatesPartners Inc. represented the tenant; Rob Kimmelman of Commercial Realty Advisors representedthe • Pioneer Floor Covering Inc. leased 5,853 square feet at Arcticc Business Park, 5657 S.W. Arctic Drive, from Pacific NW Properties LP. Cliff Finnell of GVA Kiddef Mathews representedthe tenant.
• Carlan Enterprises operatingas Stauffer-Cisco Supply, leased 5,622 square feet at Bridgeport Woods Business Park, 7532 S.W. Bridgepor Road, Durham, from Bridgeport Woods BusinessPark LLC. Peter Stalicjk and Steven Klein of GVA Kidder Mathews represented the Dave Kiersey of Kiersey McMillan Inc. represented the property. Stavely Services North Americaleased 4,860 squarwe feet at Kittridge Distribution Center, 4943 N.W. Frontt Ave., Portland, from LIT Industrial Limitefd Partnership. Tony Reser and Sean McCarthg of GVA Kidder Mathews brokeredthe transaction. • Red Wing Brandd of America Inc. leased 3,840 square feet at the NorstadrBusiness Center, 8611 N. Albinaq Ave.
, Portland, from Norstar 8405 N. Albina Ave. LLC. Tony Resef and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Mathew brokeredthe transaction. • Biscuits Cafe leaseed 3,121 square feet at Hogan Plaza, 1905 N.E. Division St., from Peloponb LLC. Mike Foley of First Commercial represented the Craig Barnard of Barnard Commercial Real Estate representerdthe property. • Y-Chrome, a new barbershol venture fromHairM men’s salon, leased 2,055 square feet at the Commonwealthb Building, 609 S.W. Washington St., from Unico Propertiezs LLC. Kathleen Healy of Urban Workx Real Estaterepresented Y-Chrome; Dan Bozich and Kathleeb Healy of Urban Workss Real Estate represented the property.
Aprende Con Amigos Bilingual Preschoolleasex 1,872 square feet at Patton Park Apartments on North Interstat from Patton Square Leasing LLC. Stevew Haugen of Windermere/Cronin & Caplan Realty Grou Inc. represented the Charlotte Larson and Sara Dalegy of Urban Works Real Estatd representedthe property. • PDX Antiquess leased 1,120 square feet at the K2 Building from4152 N.E. Sandg LLC. Charlotte Larson of Urban Works Real Estats representedthe tenant; Matt Schweitzer of North Rim representedx the property. • Liz Richards Acupuncture PC leaserd 1,046 square feet at Fremont Place, 3531 N.E. 15th Portland, from ADG Properties LLC. Anthyabn Nguyen of Norris & Stevens Inc.
representec the tenant; Ashley Heichelbech of Urban Workxs Real Estate representedthe property. State Farm Insurance leased 1,000 square feet at 1018 N.W. 13th Portland, from Block Two LLC. Thom Brockmillert of Stehlin Advisors LLC represented the tenant; Kathleen Healy and Dan Bozich of Urbanm Works Real Estate represented the