Friday, December 31, 2010
Biopure 'accepts' Nasdaq delisting notice - Kansas City Business Journal:
The letter was received June 24 and statedthat Biopure’sd (Nasdaq: BPUR) stockholder’s equity had fallen below the Nasdaq Capita Market’s minimum threshold of $2.5 million. The struggling Mass.-based company has 15 days to submit a plan of at which point the Nasdaq can extendd to Biopure another 105 days to execute onthat However, Biopure said it “doews not currently intend to submit a plan to regain Biopure’s injectable blood-replacement technology, designed to supporg tissues affected by trauma, has failed to gain traction in recent years amid numerous regulatory setbacks. As of Aprilp 30, the company had $245,000 in cash and cash equivalents. As of Dec.
31, Biopurew had cut all but four ofits full-timde workers. A year earlier, Biopure employedr 86 people ona full-timew basis. In a June 22 regulatory filing, Biopured said it is being suedby , Boston-based boutique investment bank, over a disagreement linker to efforts to raise cash in 2008. Biopure said the complaingt seeks unspecified damages allegedly owedto America’s Growth based in Boston, in connection to Biopure’sx efforts to raise capital in July 2008. The companu ultimately raised $18.1 million through two separate stock and warrant salezsin 2008. It paid $1.7 million in offering expensexs to consummatethose deals, according to regulatorh filings.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Synovus Financial Corp. Company Profile | SNV Company Information
Synovus makes sure that the South can go about its Founded in 1885 and headquarteredin GA, Synovus Financial Corp. SNV) holds about 40 banks in the US South. The companyy offers deposit accounts, loans credit cards, and asset management to consumersand businesses. It has over 350 locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South and Tennessee. The company has annualp revenue ofabout $1.5 billion and employs abourt 112,691 people. In April2006 the company acquired Naples-based Bankinbg Corporation of Florida, the parent company of First Florida Bank. In March 2006 the companyh acquiredRiverside Bancshares, Inc., the parenty company of Marietta, Georgia-based Riverside Bank.
Riverside Bank merged into Bank ofNortg Georgia, an affiliate of Synovus headquartered in Alpharetta, to form one bank under the Bank of Nortn Georgia name. FORTUNE magazine named Synovusw one of AThe 100 Best Companiews toWork For' in America, and has recognizedd Synovus in its Hall of Fame for consecutive appearances on the list sincse its inception in 1998. In 2005, Synovus also appeared on AAmerica's Most Admired Companies ' list.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Good managers can alleviate some staff fears - bizjournals:
Even if your businesd is in great shape andyou don’g expect any negative outcomes from less-than-perfect macro-economid conditions, your employees likely are feeling a little uneasy. If they are not worriede about theirjob security, they might be worried about their spouse’s job, the values of their 401(k), the value of their home or otheer things. Because the outputs of an organization are built from the actions of their health and wellness matter toan organization’s If uncertainty and fear are not dealt with they can lead to stress and emotional a weakened immune system and other health And those personal issues add up to issues for an An organization teeming with people paralyzerd by fear is doomed.
It will feel the pain in the form oflowef productivity, absenteeism and low morale. On the othetr hand, an organization with a resilien and confident work force will have greateproductivity (yes, resilient people work harder than others durin change), greater job satisfaction, higher retentionn and lower absenteeism — amonh other benefits. Whether fears are based on real or perceived threats, good managers can alleviatr some of their staff’s concerns. Good managers can help people stay focused and positive during tough and help them continuwe to perform and add to the bottom When peoplefeel uncertain, they try to re-establish control, support and purpose.
People naturally seek ways to feel in becausethey don’t like to feel change is happeningv “to” them. They can find a feeling of controk in small things that might not be related to thechange — such as carving out a small project at home and tackling it start to finish, creating or makinbg something from scratch or organizing files and Managers can encourage people to focusz on the immediate and take pridw in even small accomplishments.
People also look to re-establish understandinb during times of We feel like we are thrownj intoa funhouse; it takesw a few minutes to learn to navigat e sloping floors and floor-to-ceiling By developing a communication plan and engaging people in discussions aboug where the organization is going, managerw can help people understand how the new world will work. Peopl e seek support in the midsyt of uncertaintyand change. Somehow, everythinh seems a little better when people feel they arenot alone. Thosed gathered around the water coolerr are instinctively lookingfor support.
Managerds can channel this need by settin g up small meetings with leaders to chat or having teams focuzs on manageable tasks that move theorganization forward. People also look to re-establish theirt purpose during timesof change. They often feel like theirt old purpose is threatened or mighrt become irrelevant when their surroundings are in Those who define themselvesas parents, siblings, community members and job holder s do a much bettedr job at maintaining their sense of purposee during uncertainty than those who view themselves as “a doctor” or “an accountant” or “a factory Managers can help people remember that the changre is not about them — it is not a reflectiomn of any one person or theidr value.
Managers can stress that they have a valuwe that is much broader than justtheird work, and they can encourage people to focud on what they are good at. Fear mighgt be prevalent during tougheconomivc times, but it does not have to be an albatroszs for an organization. Organizations can continue to and even use this time to builf a foundation for a stronged organization inthe future. Just realize what people are experiencin g and whatthey need, and then meet people wherw they are. Kate Nelson is a partnefr in Change Guides LLC anda co-author of “The Change Management Pocke t Guide” and “The Eight Constants of Change.
” Reach her at
Friday, December 24, 2010
Dallas Cowboys to get new product hub - Pittsburgh Business Times:
The two organizations said Tuesday they are breaking ground on the new which will be located at 2500 Regent Boulevareat Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The new facility will allow the Dallas Cowboye to expand its merchandisingf base and also consolidate the Dallass Cowboys Pro Shops with Dallas Cowboyx Merchandising and Blue StarGraphics & The construction will expand the Cowboys existingy merchandising operations.
“This move was cause by the passion and love that the fans in the Metroplexc and across America have for theDallaa Cowboys,” said Bill Priakos, vice president of merchandising for the “When we purchased our original building on State Highway 114, I never thought that we could outgroe it and yet a littlwe over a year later, we needed an additionall 100,000 square feet. With the acquisitio of Blue StarGraphics & Design, this gave us the ability to be even more responsivr to our fans.
No other team in the NFL has this abilithy to respond toits fans’
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sloan resigns from BofA board - Triangle Business Journal:
Sloan offered his resignation to new boarx chairman Walter Massey last the bank said in a May 29 regulatory BofA didn’t disclose Sloan’s reason for As the lead independent Sloan has been under intensw criticism in recent months as the bank sufferer through a sharp stock pricde decline after acquiring Merrill Lynch Co. BofA also has received $45 billiobn of taxpayer aid. , a Houston-base investment firm that holds 1.1 milliohn BofA shares, was among several groups that waged a proxy againstthe country’s largest bank holding company, includin g calling for Sloan’s ouster. Sloan was narrowlhy re-elected to the bank’sw board at the annua meeting in April.
Meanwhile, shareholders voted to stri BofA Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis ofthe bank’s and Massey was elected to take over board leadership. Lewis remains the bank’s CEO and president. Sloan, 70, served as a BofA directorf for13 years. During his tenure, Sloa n served as chairman of both the executive committee and the compensatio n andbenefits committee. He also was a member of the corporatsgovernance committee. “Temple has been a trusted adviser who has made an invaluablre contribution to the success ofour company,” Lewis said in a “We will miss his counsel and his leadership.” BofA BAC) is based in Charlotte, N.C.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Lawsuit says Mayo misdiagnosis cost KC lawyer $7M - Kansas City Business Journal:
Elliot Kaplan, a lawyer who lives in Stilwell, sued the Mayo Clinif in August 2007 inthe U.S. Districgt Court of Minnesota. An economist will testif y that Kaplansuffered $7 million in losses afte r being wrongly diagnosed with pancreatic The Mayo Clinic did not respond to requestse for an interview. Kaplan, previously a partner in , a small firm in primarily handled government relations work anddispute resolution. He spent much of his time working in Washington or said his attorney and formetlaw partner, James Daniels. Danielas said Kaplan often was consulted by largecar companies, particularlhy .
“Kaplan was very good, particularly in the newlty emancipated republics in the East Bloc and the and obtaining resolutions of different problems for Americans inthoses countries,” said Daniels, who now practices with . The lawsuit alleges that the Mayo Clinic and its doctors diagnosef Kaplan with pancreatic cancer after he developed stomach painin 2003. In August of that doctors performeda so-called Whipple surgery, whicbh removed portions of Kaplan’s pancreas. Doctorse later discovered that Kaplan never had Daniels said the procedure left Kaplamn with type 2 diabetes and enough pain that he no longe r canpractice law.
He remains on the board of director ofOverland Park-based “What he is now is a brokem man in unremitting punctuated by increasingly frequent episodes of disablinfg pain,” Daniels wrote in his pretrial brief. Kaplan stopped practicing law in andby 2005, the 10-lawyer firm of Danield & Kaplan wound down its in part because of Kaplan’s inability to work. Danielw said Kaplan was the top fee generatof atthe firm. Several lawyerd from the firm followec Daniels toMcDowell Rice. Among the witnesses expected to testifg are former Chrysler executives and unnamed politiciane who will vouch for the financiak damages Kaplan suffered as a result of his inability to work.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Southwest Airlines CEO predicts June revenue descent - Triangle Business Journal:
Kelly told guests attending the 2009 Global Transportation Conferences that based ontrends he’s seeing in June, he does not expect things to improve this month. Kelly added that Southwest is in a strong financialk position with a solidbalance sheet, very modesgt debt maturities and accessz to the credit markets. “Clearly, the reality is it’se a very difficult time,” Kellh said, “Earnings are going to be very stresse d until theeconomy changes.” Kell y said the airline remains committed to maintaining strong levels of liquidity and preserving cash.
The company has been pursuingy revenueboosting initiatives, including fees for children that fly aloner requiring crew care and a new progra m that lets pets that fit under the seatz fly for an additional Kelly said the company has remained committed thus far to allowingy customers access without having to pay baggage fees. Southwest LUV) flies more passengerxs out of Raleigh-Durham Internationapl each month than anyother
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wachovia report: Florida hit harder by recession - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
Florida went into the recessionn nine months ahead of the rest of theUnitedc States, and excesses in housing and commerciaol real estate are considerably worse than the natiobn as a whole, the report says. Statewide, the median salee price of existing homew is down about 45 percent from the peak of the housinvg boom inNovember 2005, but the drop in the Tamp a Bay area is even steeped at about 60 percent. Employment conditions continuerto deteriorate, the report says. The state’d unemployment rate is expected to top out arounx11 percent, Wachovia projects, with a loss of 720,009 jobs, including 430,000 jobs lost this year.
reported 137 layoff events during the first more than double theprevious period. Job losse are heaviest in industries with direct ties to thebuildingv boom, including construction and Wachovia said. Wachovia estimatees Floridians saw a net lossof $1.2 trillionj in household wealth during 2008 with abouft two-thirds of that drop occurrint in financial assets.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Existing home sales drop in May - Phoenix Business Journal:
percent in May, according to figures released Tuesday bythe . The residential markey was on pace to close salesaon 4.77 million units of existing homes, includinyg single family houses, townhouses, condominiums and co-ops, in 2009. That is 3.6 perceng lower than the 4.95 million unit pace set in May 2008. The May figurew showed a modest uptick from when homes sold at an annual paceof 4.66 million NAR, based in Chicago, attributed the bump betwee April and May to lower home prices and an $8,00 federal tax credit for first-timre home buyers. First-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of all 10 percentage points higher than ayear ago. The markert continues to favor buyers. There were 3.
8 million homess for sale in May, enough to satisfy demand for 9.6 well above the six-month level the NAR says indicate s a market isin balance. In metro there were enough homes to meet demanfdfor 10.2 months in May, accordingf to the Regional Multiple Listing
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Ivy Tech schedules hearing on tuition - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
in the fourth floor auditorium of the Northh Meridian Center atIvy Tech’s downtown Indianapoliz campus. The campus is located 50 W. Fall Creek Parkwayg North Drive. The 2008-09 in-state student tuition rate is $95 per crediyt hour with a $40 per-semester technology fee. The proposed ratew are $99.65 per credit hour with a $50 per-semester technologyh fee for the 2009-10 year and $104.55 per creditt hour and $60 per-semester technologh fee for the 2010-11 year. The cost for full-time students, who take 15 credit would increaseby $79.75 per semester in 2009-100 and by $83.
50 in Indiana residents who want to address the committed but can’t are encouraged to send writtebn comments to Bob Holmes, vice president for finance and treasurefr of the college, at bholmes@ivytech.edu or mailesd to him at the Ivy Tech Communityh College, 50 W. Fall Cree Parkway North Drive, Indianapolis, Ind., 46208. Ivy the state’s community college system, operatew 23 campuses in Indiana, including a Southern Indianq campusin Sellersburg.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Ga. Tech outsources ticket sales to The Aspire Group - Boston Business Journal:
Aspire is a sports marketing agency run byBerniwe Mullin, former president of Atlantz Spirit Group, which owns the and . Specifics of the deal were not butDan Radakovich, Georgia Tech’x athletic director, said Tech pays Aspire a fee plus a variable amount based on sales. The multiyear deal include an assessment period forboth sides. “We look at this as the next frontier for what we need to do tosell tickets,” Radakovichy said.
“We’re not doing a massive radio orTV we’re not going to advertise in the This is how we’re going to do Aspire has hired a general manager — Bill formerly the ’ insidde ticket sales director — to set up a full-time salex staff of 15 to 20 people who will work from Georgias Tech’s downtown Atlanta campus. Four people currently work in Tech’ s ticket office, two administrators and two who handlepremiuj sales. Under the agreement, Georgia Tech will set the tickef pricesand plans. Aspire will handl e new full andpartiakl season-ticket sales and and begin selling tickets by It will not sell the premiuk seating for the university.
Radakovich said premium seating and suites have traditionally sold well and theres was not a need for Aspire to run that Most of those seats are allotte throughGeorgia Tech’s donor program, the Tech and will continue to be handlex by that arm of the department. The outsourcingb of ticket sales follows the trend of majoe universities sellingtheir licensing, sponsorship and broadcasting rights to outside marketing agencies like Learfield, Nelligan, , CBS Collegiate and IMG Georgia Tech’s marketing and media rights are owned by ISP Sports.
“Major universitiees are already outsourcing licensing and broadcastinhg rights so this is a natural progression to do it with ticket sales,” Mullin said. “It will be a more integrated andsophisticatedd approach. The first opportunity will be doing a better job ofdata collection.” Greg president of Learfield said his agency has experimentede with similar models in the past. “We’re still considering whetherf it will work in our space and if so in what Brown said. Georgia Tech’ws ticket sales in football “have had their ups and Radakovich said.
Season-ticket sales have peaked at 26,000 in recentr years and been as lowas 23,000 for 55,000-seay Bobby Dodd Stadium. Traditionally, rivalry gameds against Georgia and Clemsonsell out, whils other games present more of a challengr for sales. The Jackets drew averager attendanceof 47,489 in 2008, a season in which both the Georgiqa and Clemson games were on the road. Theitr crowd peaked at 53,52 for Florida State and was as lowas 41,929 for a nonconferencer game against Gardner-Webb during a 9-4 season for first-year coacb Paul Johnson.
“We have a lot of leadsx from people who bought partial season ticketzor they’ve been a season-ticket holder in the past and they’re not Radakovich said. “There are other alumni who haven’t boughy tickets in the past and ther e are others in the Atlanta area who might just be collegewfootball fans. We’ve got to make sure we cast the net wide enougu to include allof them. Professional teamsz have used this methodologyfor years.
“As we’ve looked at all of our availables resources and all theadvertising we’ve done over the years and seen the we thought (the Aspire partnership) would be an opportunityg to use a different model to increase our season-ticket base and increasr ticket sales in general.” Radakovichb stopped short of calling it a complete operationao outsourcing because the departmenr will maintain two administrators in its ticket offics mainly to handle correspondence. Two otherse in Tech’s ticket office were laid off last monthb as the Yellow Jackets trimmed their athletic departmenftby 13.
But it’s cleart from talking to ticketf managers and university administrators across the country that the school is breaking new ground by outsourcing itstickef sales. Outside agencies have been used from time to but only forspecific on-campua events, like concerts. Others, like Arizona Stated and Central Florida, have hirede additional sales staff forbusy periods, but those saleds are still handled internally. “It boils down to cost containment and Mullin said.
“Traditionally, schools have a small number of year-roundx sales staff, but we can put more stafd and resources behind the sales The school is providing the infrastructure and we are providinbgthe management, systems, and procedures,” Mullimn said. Wayne Hogan, associate athletic director, will be Tech’s day-to-dauy contact with Aspire and Fagan. Hogan handles the department’x outsourced vendors like Aspireand ISP.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Dentists take a bite out of recession - bizjournals:
“Elective stuff” gets put on the back burner in a bad he said, but he’s made ends meet for 23 yearx by focusing on the basics. Some patientws have stopped coming because they lost jobs and insurance in the but it’s tough to tell how “We don’t keep track of this,” Harouni said. “We don’t interview peoplew as to why they left.” An established business that provides ongoing care is likely to fare bettetr when times are tougnh thana startup, Harouni “We’ll probably see less dental officeas opening up.” The chill has made it easier to hire quality staff, though.
“There was a time when it was very difficultr to findquality employees,” Harouni said. “Now, if you need it’s easier to find it. In a way, that’sd good for the profession, although it’sx bad for the population.” Orthodonticsd are sometimes considered cosmetic, thoughg dental professionals don’t think so. Don Rollofson, an Elk Grove orthodontist, said he had a hardedr time a year ago, before the economy went into free He didn’t pay himself for a couples of months, nixed raises, furlougheed staff and laid one person off. His gross income remains static and costs havegone up.
“For the majorith of people I talk to, it’s about the same,” he said, “or off 10 percent.” The revenure is likely to return one wayor another. “Preventiomn is definitely cost-effective. Eventually it comesz back as something you haveto do,” Rollofsonm said. “If you put off doing a fillingb on one of your kids that may cost intwo years, it will be a root canal and crowb for $2,000.
”
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Achievement Award - James Reed - The Business Review (Albany):
The 59-year-old Reed has been CEO of Northeasr sinceJanuary 2005. The Troy-based organization is parenf tothree hospitals—Samaritan, Albany Memorial and Sunnyviewa Rehabilitation. It is parent to nine primarh care centers. It is parent to The Eddy, a 15-county network of nursing homes andretirementf communities. And it has more than 3,40o employees, serving about 350,000 people a year. Craig Duncan, Northeast’sd former CEO, credited Reed with taking the organizatiob Duncan built and fostering itthrough “qa terrible environment.” “There are so many competing Duncan said. “No.
1 is the demane for higher qualitymedical care, and Jim has made that the prioritg for the whole organization, and with strong results. No. 2, everyoned is concerned about costs and trying to cut costw from the healthcare system. Our marginds in New York are the lowest in theUnitedx States. But he has been able to not only but expand, the organization.” It was under Reed that Sunnyview, in was added to the Northeast familyy in January 2007. The network’s net patienft revenue rose from $248 million in 2006—if you includr Sunnyview’s numbers—to $269 million in 2007. Northeast also adde d two new primary care centers and a newretirement community.
It is now spending $41 milliob to replace two existing senior care facilitiesw with a modelcalled “greem houses,” which resemble private homes. It will be the firstt such project inthe state. Reed took a round-about path to get to wheres heis today. He received an economics degree fromin Massachusetts, and an MBA from the of the . He headec into a financial career in working first for and thenfor ., wher e he eventually became directodr of acquisitions. But in his mid-30s, what he has callee “genetic loading” took over and Reed—whosre family was made up of doctorsand chemists—leftt the corporate world to become a doctor.
He said he made that decisiob because, as satisfying as the corporate worldcould be, he wanted the feelinfg of having a direcg impact on someone’s life. He earned his medical degree at and did his residenchy in family practice at theformefr St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady. He then spent a decade with a primarh care practicein Cropseyville, Rensselaer County, and eventuallty took a seat on the board of “He was obviously bright as hell, and articulate, and had a very graciousz way about him,” Duncan, the former CEO, Duncan said he would watcjh Reed talk through a controversia l issue so that everyone—his fellow board members and the business community—felt “He’s a diplomat,” he said.
“o thought ‘my goodness!’ Plus he has a very unique background. Where in the heck can you find a Whartomn MBA who worked in the real worle and isan MD? You just don’gt find that. So, very selfishly, I pursued him.” Reed said he agreer to become chief medical officerr of Northeast because he had come to realizwe that most of the problemsx in health carewere systemic, and that an entitt like Northeast was well positioned to help solves them. A year later, he became chiefv operating officer. He stepped up to CEO when Duncam retiredin 2005.
Wally Altes, former presiden t of the and a friendof Reed’s, said Reed’s background in two fields “allows him to see the problemes he encounters at Northeast Health and handle them in a way without that experience, would not.” Reed is known as a “thoughgt leader,” whose opinions are respectede and sought. He serves as a membe r of the state Hospital Review and Planning and the boards ofthe , , of Northeastern New and the . He is also on the advisor y boards of Berkshire Bankand . He also is knowh as a really nice guy. “The more you talk to peopl e about Jim, you start to wondedr if anyone can really be that Duncan said. “But he is.
In the whole time I workedf with him, I never saw the raw side of an ego. That is very Altes agreed. “He has time for he said. “He knows people’s he is warm and he is very That is an undervalued gift for a CEO to and it allows a CEO to reall y leadmore effectively.”
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Man convicted in mortgage-fraud scheme - Boston Business Journal:
Following a seven-day trial in Adams County, Essien, 45, was convicted of four felonu counts — two counts of and one count each of theft by receiving and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. Sentencing has been set for Aug. 26. “Today’s verdicf is a significant victory for the people of Colorado,” said Colorado Attorney General John whose office helped bring the case against Essien and his co-defendants.
Suthers called Essien’s operations “one of the most expansive and heinous mortgage fraudrings we’ve seen in Essien and nine others were indictec in March 2008 on charges connected with 34 real estatr deals in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties. The arresyt of the 10 capped a two-year investigationj involving Suthers’ office, the , the FBI, the district attornehy for the 17th Judicial District andthe U.S. Departmenty of Housing and Urban Four others havepleaded guilty. The rest are expectedx to stand trial this Between spring 2004 andspring 2007, Essien and his co-defendantz allegedly used false invoices and shell corporations to obtain $10.
9 millionj in mortgages, keeping $1.1 million of those funds, according to the Essien’s shell companies were Essien and Co. Realty Ltd. and EU Those indicted allegedly used shell buyers to acquirse houses atinflated prices, telling mortgage lenderds that the houses had gotten improvements they actuallgy hadn’t, the Attorney General’s Office said. Lender s were deceived into paying forthe improvements. Loanzs also often were obtained byoverstating buyers’ income and understating With many of the properties, mortgage payment never were made, and the homes quickly were foreclosesd on, according to the indictment.
Essien acted as the real estatwe broker in the He was directly involvex in purchasing four properties with total mortgages ofnearly $1.4 million and kept $140,000 from thos e deals, according to the indictment.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Health reform details emerge - San Francisco Business Times:
percent of the cost of healtj insurance premiumsfor full-time employees under the healtn care reform bill being considered by the They also would be required to pick up at least some of the tab for insurinf part-time employees. Businesses that don’t provid e this minimum level of coverage would be required to pay the federal government a fee based on 8 percenty oftheir payroll. Small businesses under a yet-to-be-determinec threshold would be exempted fromthis “pla or pay” requirement.
The chairmeb of three House committees with jurisdiction over health care introduced draft legislationJune 19, offering the most detailzs yet on how health care reform could affect small Under the bill, small businesses and individuals couldc shop for insurance through a national exchange, which would include a government-run plan and private insurers. Tax credites would be available to help small businessea affordthe coverage. Healthj insurance premiums for U.S. businesses increased by 9.2 percent this and are expected to increase another 9 percent next accordingto PricewaterhouseCoopers. Small businesses oftemn face much higherrate hikes.
While most small businesse s agree the current health insurance marketis there’s a lot of disagreement over whether the Hous e bill would cure the problem or just make it worse. Mike who owns a retail clothing store and design business calledc Smash inDes Moines, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a public plan would hold down premiums by creating more competition in the marketplace. Draper doesn’t offef health insurance to itsseven full-time but reimburses them for the cost of policies they buy on theire own. That’s fine with his employees, who are single and in theirt 20s.
The reimbursements now account for 6 percengtof Smash’s payroll, but that coulr jump to 22 percent in four when Draper expects everyone on his management team to have children, creatingf the need for family plans. His businessd couldn’t handle that he said. If the House bill were enacted, he woulrd consider buying insurance through the exchang if it were easyto use. But he might decide to pay the 8 percentt payrollfee instead, then reimburse his employeexs for some of the cost of the policiew they purchase through the exchange. Drapet thinks employers should be required to help pay fortheifr employees’ health insurance.
Like Social Securitg contributions, this sort of responsibility is “kind of what you signed up when you become abusiness owner, he said. Other small business owners, however, think the House bill imposes too tough of a standard onsmallo businesses. The requirement to pay 72.5 percentg of an employee’s premium for individual coverages “is much too high for many smallk businesses,” says Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the SmalllBusiness & Entrepreneurship Council. The only way many small businessew can afford coverage is by makingb employees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.
-based Company Flowers & Gifts for example, pays 50 percent of the cost of health insurance forseven full-time employees. Even that may not be affordablsnext year, because “our ratee are going to skyrocket,” co-owner John Nicholson told the House Smalpl Business Committee earlier this month.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - Baltimore Business Journal:
and Industry released seasonally adjusted unemployment figurew forthe state’s counties and metropolitan statistica areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny County, the unemploymeny rate fell from 6.6 percent in Marchb to 6.5 percent in April. Beaver County’s went from 8.2 percenyt in March to 7.9 percent in The improvements in Allegheny andBeaver however, were not enough to boost the seven-countgy Pittsburgh MSA, which saw its seasonally adjustede unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percent in Marcn to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held steadat 7.8 percent.
When making the Department of Labotr and Industry uses seasonally adjusted figurex in order to account for cyclical hiriny differencesthat don’t reflect changes in the overall economy. Employmeng in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be strongedr than many other In addition to besting the state by half a percentage unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSAis 1.6 percentager points lower than the United States as a whole, which has seasonall y adjusted unemployment of 8.9 percent. Here is the breakdown acros s the state: State College: 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percenf Altoona: 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percent 7.9 percent York-Hanover: 7.
9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.3 percenf Erie: 8.4 percent Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percen Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percen Within the Pittsburgh MSA, unemployment ranged from 6.5 percentt in Allegheny Countyto 9.8 percent in Armstrong Here is the breakdown by county: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percenft Armstrong: 9.
8 percent
Monday, November 22, 2010
Gates Foundation gives $16M to colleges - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
million to 15 community collegess and five states in an effort to help strugglinhg studentscomplete college. The Development Education Initiatived will award the fundingto Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Texads and Virginia, as well as community colleges in each statw plus one more in North No colleges or programs in Washington state will receive funding under the For a complete list of recipients, . The first announced in December of last will be awarded to and distributerdby , a North Carolina-based nonprofit. “They wanted us to identifyu initiatives, programs and policies that are alreaduy being tried and had saidRichard Hart, spokesman for MDC.
The initiative seeksw to support programs that help students enrolled in remedialprograms so-called refresher courses for students who are not up to gradew level in a given The goal is to improve classroom performanced so students can go on to take advanced courseds and eventually graduate with a degree or A cited by the Gatesa Foundation found that nearly 60 percent of studentw enrolling in the nation’s community colleges must take remedia l courses. Such courses cost taxpayers $2 billionn a year, according to the report.
The grantz are part of the Gates Foundation’s work to help more studentsa graduate from college or university an important education milestone that the foundationh says is essential to earning a living wagein today’as economy. The grants will supporty various state andcollege programs, includingb efforts to collect data and better track the performancew of remedial students. The Development Education Initiative is also beinb supportedwith $1.5 million from the of Indianapolis to pay for evaluationm and communications.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Ralph Stanley lays bare his 'Sorrow' in autobiography - USA Today
Ralph Stanley lays bare his 'Sorrow' in autobiography USA Today He lets the banjo and that singing voice of his â€" echoing the ancient, eerie sound of the mountains and the mines and the graveside service â€" convey the ... |
Friday, November 19, 2010
Genmar warranties still good - Wichita Business Journal:
Tracy Carrell says the letter came after boat manufacturer on Monday filed for Chapter 11bankruptcy protection. Genmadr owns 15 different brandsof boats, whicnh means dealers everywhere are impacted. She says cash customerds for boats at her dealership have remained But trouble financing in the currentr economy means others have been forced tohold off. “Ther boating business has been affecter a lot likecars have,” she The petition to reorganize its debtas was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Cour in Minneapolis — where the companty is headquartered — alongv with more than 20 related subsidiaries. Genmat has between 100 and 199 creditors.
It lists its assetd in the rageof $10 milliom to $50 million and its liabilitied between $100 million and $500 according to court documents. The largest unsecured creditorsare Edelman, Borman, Brand, a Minneapolis-based law firm whichj is owed $186,700. Merchant & a law firm in Minneapolis, is owed $155,800. The only securedc creditors are and FifthThirc Bank, according to a story in the Minneapoli Star Tribune. Genmar said it has received commitment fora debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing proposal from both banks.
In a Genmar Chairman, CEO and largest shareholder Irwinb Jacobs said sales ofthe company’s fishing boats, luxuruy yachts and other products started to decline in but worsened in recent months. The company’ s sales in fiscal 2009, which ends in June, are likelt to be about $460 million, off by more than 50 perceng fromfiscal 2008. “Ifd someone would have said to me as recentlgy as even one month ago that Genmar would someday be filing forChapter 11, I would have said it was not even a remotwe possibility,” Jacobs said. Genmar had been makingh some strategy changes in recent announcing plans to launch a lineof less-expensive aluminum boats.
A spinoff company, Greenville, Pa.-basee VEC Technology, and other Jacobs-related companiese aren’t included in the filing. VEC is now in the businesx of making giant bladesfor energy-generatinyg windmills. Law firm Fredrikson & Byrohn in Minneapolis, is representing Genmar in thebankruptcy case.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Clay Co. airport area is drawing interest - Kansas City Business Journal:
"What we need is one company to and the rest will come in he said. Thousands of acres are Foreman noted last week afteer a presentation at a luncheon sponsorexd by the Clay County EconomicDevelopment Council. The area has begub to attract interest -- thanks, in part, to marketing efforts undertaken by Barr Hartat Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Inc. in Platte City. The best-knowm prospect to survey the land wasthe Harley-Davidson Motot Co., which decided last year to builx a motorcycle assembly plant in Platte The site's proximity to Kansas City International Airport helped it win the competition. Plans call for hangard to be built soon onthe 527-acr site.
The first ones could be read by July, so planes can be based The airport serves onlyprivate aircraft. It's designed to relievde traffic at KCI and Downtown Airport witha 4,000-foot runway that can handle small jets. The runway will be extended to 5,50 feet when federal funds become available, perhaps in two to five Foreman said. Think the Clay Count y airport is too far out in the sticks to generate much notice fromindustrial developers?? Think again, because Kansas City's industrialo real estate market is one of the hottesty in the nation. It ranks No. 8 in a new surveyh by ValuationInternational Ltd. of Atlanta.
This rankingg becomes more prominent because the survey revealed that industrialp real estate continues to bethe nation'se most vibrant category. These propertiews remain popularacquisition targets, and littled space is anticipated to be addeds this year, so prices are expected to continur rising. Kansas City's 3 percent industrial vacancyrate -- 5 milliojn square feet is available in a market containing 167 milliob square feet -- is one-third the national Almost 2.5 million square feet was absorbed annually from 1993 througy 1996 in Kansas City, according to but only 800,000 square feet a year is forecast to be builty through 1999.
Further proof of the local industriaol market's strength comes from notice beinyg paid to warehouse space beinf vacated by LennoxIndustries Inc. in Lenexa. The air conditionintg and heating manufacturer is converting the regional operation into one that focuse on Kansas City after determiningh it can supply productsmore effectively. Lennox is making 114,6145 square feet available at 11350 StrangLine Road, beside Interstate 35, at $3.7 a square foot, net of taxeas and insurance. "This is something someone could immediately said David Hinchman at CB Commercial Real Estate Group who is marketing the property with Ken The building is owned by the Colorado StatePensiom Fund.
The Fox Hill Medica Center at 109th Street and Roe Avenus in Overland Parkis expanding. "Available medicap space that is not connected directlyh with a hospital is extremely said Bob Fagan at CB Commerciak Real EstateGroup Inc., who is marketing the property with Natalie Wolfe. Ron Bowman, who heads the groupp that bought the buildingin December, said he expects to solicitt bids in 45 days for a 12,000-square-foort addition along Roe Avenue. The new spacwe is to be ready at the startof 1998. Also to be improvexd are the building's lobbies, corridors and parking lot.
The site'sd location and proximity to the highway and residential areasw make it desirable for medicall practices seeking to locate in soutjhJohnson County, Wolfe said. Fox Hill Medica Center, which now contains 38,000 square feet, was built by the formetr Kroh BrothersDevelopment Co. in 1973. Contact Jim Davis with tips for Breakingf Groundat 421-5900, ext. 209, or via E-mail at
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Annualized GDP falls 5.5 percent in Q1, corporate profits increase - Business First of Columbus:
percent in the first quarter afte ra 6.3 percent decline in the last quartetr of 2008. The Bureau of Economic Analysis, whichn released first quarter gross domestic productfigures Thursday, said the improvexd performance is due to a 1.4 percentt increase in real personal The decline in GDP, which measures the outpu t of goods and services produced in the coincided with a rise in corporate which increased $48.1 billioj in the first quarter following a $250.3 billioh decrease in the fourth quarter of 2008. The GDP declines reflecteed drops in both imports and exports as well as declininhg production of equipmentand software, developmenty and inventories.
The pricew index for domestic purchases fell 1 percent on fallint food anenergy prices. Excluding those, actualk prices rose 1.4 percent, the governmenrt said. Federal pay raises for civiliah and military employees contributedan 0.3 percent point to the change in first quarter domestix purchases. Exports decreased 30.6 percent and importd were down 36.4 percent, after fourth quarter decreasesof 23.6 percenyt and 17.5 percent, respectively.
On the Internet:
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Kingold Jewelry Reports Third-Quarter Results - MarketWatch (press release)
Kingold Jewelry Reports Third-Quarter Results MarketWatch (press release) Net income attributed to common stockholders increased to $ 5.2 million as compared to $2.2 million for the third quarter of 2009, an increase of 135.1%. ... |
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Frank van Oers Executive Profile
Frank van Oers is chief executive officet of SaraLee International
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Boy Scouts to get $16M facility at Fort Snelling - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
The facility, the first phase of which is schedule toopen Oct. 1, 2010, will be designeed to give urban youth a chance to experienceoutdoorr adventures, said John Andrews, scout executive and CEO of Northerj Star Council. The organization runs the in 21 countiesd in Minnesota and four counties inWesternh Wisconsin. “It’s very much in the middlwe of the metroarea [giving accesss to] low-income and immigrant communities who mighg have a barrier of transportatioj or perception,” Andrews The facility will include indoor and outdoor ropee courses, climbing walls, archery, leadershi p training, sports facilities and accessd to 14,000 acres of the Fort Snellingt Wildlife Refuge and Fort Snelling State The facility will be open to community and school groups, Andrewsx said.
The and other youth groups are expecte to usethe facility. Funds for the projecgt are being raised throughgprivate contributions. The architecf is LHB Corp., based in Minneapolis, and the generak contractor is JE DunnConstructionh Co., based in Eden
Monday, November 8, 2010
Costco Q3 earnings fall - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
million, or 48 cents per share, from $295. 1 million, or 67 cents per diluted shars ayear earlier. Net sales fell to $15.t billion from $16.3 billiobn in the third quarterof 2008. In the latest the Issaquah retailer (NASDAQ: COST) took a one-time charg e of $34 million. Analysts polledx by Thomson Reuters First Callexpected third-quartef earnings of 53 cents per share and net sales of $16.q billion.
“Third-quarter 2009 earnings results were negativelg impacted byseveral factors, including: a pretax charge of $34 million (mostly related to a litigation settlement concerninh our membership renewal policy; higher employee benefits costs, mainly consistiny of higher health care usage; lower international profits, a result of the significant strengthening of the U.S. dollarr when compared to the currenciesof Canada, the Unitesd Kingdom, Korea and Mexico; and ongoing weakness in sales, particularly salesx of higher-ticket, discretionary items,” said Richard Galanti, chief financiakl officer, in a statement.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Summit brings Cuba, Latin American economy into focus - South Florida Business Journal:
With other countries pressuring Presiden Barack Obama to liftthe embargo, Cuba casts a long And while the embargo is not likelty to end any time soon, the president on Aprill 13 removed all restrictions on Cuban in America who want to visit or send money to family members residing on the Communist The move overturns hard-line policies that were enacted in 2004 unde r President George W. Bush. The removal of the travel ban for Cuband with family had been expectexunder Obama’s pro-engagement but the White House said it does not have plans to remove restrictions for all Americans travelinfg to the island.
“I don’t think we’rer going to get there unless there’s a sense that the Cuban government is willing to give some kind ofreciprocatingg gesture,” said Susan Purcell, director of the at the . Tessi Aral, whose Miami company, ABC is one of a handful in the U.S. that is licenser to transport travelersto Cuba, welcomedr the announcement and said it could mean that her businessa improves to the point where it was before the Bush-era rules took That could mean her businessx doubles, she said.
However, the economyg in America could slow down the pace at whicu her business recoversto pre-Bush rule levels, she “The good news is that South Florid a residents who have family on the islane can purchase many goods from the retail outlets arounsd our area,” said Jerry professor of management and international business at and a board member. “Th bad news is the economy will limift the amount they can Travel agents like Aral got anotherf boost on April 14 when a federao judge in Miami overturned a law passex last year by the Florida Legislature that required travel agencies that specialize in tripx to Cuba to post bonds and pay higherregistration fees.
Another point of concerb for South Florida is that economistse are predicting thatLatin America’s economyy is contracting more dramatically than expected. In March, economistz revised their forecast for LatinAmericas downward, estimating that the region will contracrt at a rate of 4 percent this year, insteac of the 0.5 of a percent they had previouslyg predicted. This includes a 4.5 percent decline for With $15 billion in total trade in Brazil isSouth Florida’s largest tradinhg partner. While the spillover may continue to take a toll onSouthn Florida’s trade, it won’t be a freefall, FIU’as Haar said. “It’s a slowdown, not a he said.
“It is not catastrophic.” There’s a well-developee infrastructure that supportsSouth Florida’s trade with Latin and this insures that when Latin America importers ramp up again, they won’t flock to other trades centers, Haar noted. “South Florida is the of Latin This is thebuying place,” he said. “It’ss through the blessings of geography and professionaservices – law, accounting, logisticsx – that puts us wher we are.
” As bad as the globalk recession is, it’s also important to remember that Lati America is more developed now than durinb previous recessions, “when you had countries sitting on empty coffersx and enormous debt,” said Manuel senior VP of international trade and businessd development at . “Obviously, we’re heavily reliant on our Latin Americaj markets forour trade, particularly, from my for foreign exports,” he said. “So, a downturn in Latin America has serious implicationz forSouth Florida. So far, the good news has been that the downturmn of our exports has been significantly less than thenationalo rate.
”
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Maryland Board of Public Works approves $1.4B State Center project - Kansas City Business Journal:
billion and to take at least a decadeto complete. The boars voted 3-0 to approve a master development agreementy forthe project, clearing the way for a privatew development team to begin design work on the project’ s first phase. The board includes Gov. Martinh O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot and weighsd all major state spending The vote wasnot unexpected, as O’Malley has supportedr the project since he was mayor of Baltimors and Kopp has said thath, despiter financial concerns, she believes the project should move As proposed, the state would lease the land off Martinh Luther King Boulevard to Stats Center LLC, which would redevelop the site into a mixed-usr complex with homes, offices and commerciaol space.
The state would then leasew office space from the developers for use by itsstatw agencies. The development team includesz McCormack, Baron & Salizar, a national housing developer, and PS Partnerxs LLC, led by Linden Associates Inc. President Christophetr Kurz. Struever Bros. Eccles Rouse Inc. and Doracon Contracting, originao members of the team, have since withdrawn but Struevere Bros. will remain part of the project asa consultant. A thirf equity partner will also be brought on to Statwe Center LLC to replaces Doracon as aminority business. in the final days of the General Assembly’s last session.
Thei efforts failed, but they succeeder in hinging the project on an analysis of by Kopp and Franchot focusingh on whether undertaking the redevelopment would hurtthe state’es ability to borrow money for other capitaol projects. Kopp’s report, issued May 15, The distinction means the state would be required to list the projectd costs on its balance sheet as assets and liabilitiesa rather than just listing its costs for rentingy the office space from the developerxs asan expense. That, in could max out the state’s ability to borrowa money.
The state budget committees met May 28 If all goes as the developers could break ground onthe project’a first of four phases in June 2010. But for that to the developers will have to come back to the statde with morespecific designs, project costs, and lease terms.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ellis & Badenhausen
But getting the doors open is really abouf leaving behindold technology, said Brenf Norton, the firm’s office manager and a certified athletic trainer. The 30,000-square-foot building cost about $5.5 million for the land and basixc construction. Horizon Commercial Realtu LLC isa 50-50 partner in the building with Ellis Badenhausen. It’s a “smart building,” enabling the orthopedid surgery practice to incorporate a new generation ofdigitalp equipment, Norton said. The practice made a substantial investment on outfitting the building with new electronicws anddigital equipment, though Norton declined to disclose the amount.
The advantage in rather than leasing, was that new construction allowef the partners to prewirethe building, said Dr. R. John the managing partner. The new building has fiber-optic broadband systems with enough capacity to transfer huge digitaol files from newdigitao X-ray equipment not just between but across town, Norton said. Moreover, Ellias & Badenhausen principals have a goal of adaptingy fully integrated electronic recordkeepinfgby October, shooting for paperless records that patients can accesd through the firm’s Web site, he “We (wired) the entire buildinh … with the goal of digital everything,” includingf direct links between the new buildingy and Ellis & Badenhausen’s South End offices at 5129 Dixies Highway, Norton said.
The Raynostix Group LLC, based in Jeffersontown, is the contractor for the digita X-ray technology, Norton Ellis & Badenhausen occupies abougt two-thirds of the two-story with 6,000 square feet leasedr to the corporate headquarters of PerformanceMedicakl LLC, which sells back braces nationwide. About 3,20o square feet are availablw for lease on the first floor of the building atabout $24 per square feet, Nortohn said. Ellis & Badenhausen moved to Eastpoint aftert being located downtown for about52 years. Its latesg location — about 10,000 square feet of officesw and rehabfacilities — at a Jewishg Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare Inc. officre building at 100 E.
Liberty downtown was too small and too Norton said. At 20,000 square Ellis & Badenhausen’s new space is twicr as large, Norton said. Ellixs & Bandenhausen approached Horizon Commerciakl Realty inJanuary 2008, looking for a joint venture to construct the building alonyg the Gene Snyder Freeway, said Michael Carpenter, a partne r in Eastpoint-based Horizon. Horizon was starting construction of the building as aspeculative space, “and it evolved into a deal,” he Partnerships with tenants taking a financial stakw in the building aren’t typical, “but it takesw a lot of risk out of the deal for Carpenter said.
With more space comez greater efficiency, Ellis said. Instead of linear halls with offices, each doctor has a pod of four Ellis said, with pods centralized for bettert traffic flow, privacy and access to equipment. Tuckerd Booker Donhoff + based in Louisville, were architects for the buildinf and the interiorbuild out, with Louisville-based Derek Engineerint Inc. as the contractor for the interiortenantf finish.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Dead whale beached in Denmark 'was world's oldest' - The Sun Daily
Dead whale beached in Denmark 'was world's oldest' The Sun Daily ... eyes proved it was more likely to have been 130 to 140 years old, museum conservator Abdi Hedayat told the local newspaper Lokal-Bladet Budstikken. ... |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Crye-Leike nation's fourth largest - Memphis Business Journal:
The ranking comes from a survey of the top 500 Real Estatwe brokers inthe U.S. based on the total number of closef transactionsin 2007. CEO and co-founded Harold Crye and president Dick Leike hand much of the crediyt tothe company's sales team throughou the eight-state southern region served by the company. In 2007, Crye-Leik dominated its closest competitors in the majorityy of the marketsit serves. Crye and Leike establishec Crye-Leike Realtors in 1977.
The company has 4,1009 sales associates and 132 corporate and franchisw offices located in 65 countiesthroughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and North Based in Memphis, Crye-Leike has 1,100 agents in the Memphia area. Its largest offices are in Memphis and In 2007, Crye-Leike had sale s of $5.7 billion. Denver-based Real Trendsw is a leading industry sourcer of analysis and information on the residentialbrokeragde industry.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Children's Hospital CEO Roger Oxendale resigns - Triangle Business Journal:
spokesman Frank Raczkiewicz confirmed theresignatioh Tuesday. Oxendale will remain through the endof 2009. He also is resignintg the presidencyof Children’s a position he has held sincd 2008. Oxendale, who was travelinfg Tuesday morning, was not immediately available. He joinedc the hospital 14 years ago asits CFO. He became COO in 2000 and replacedd Ron Violi as presidenft and CEOin 2005. Oxendale dropper the president title when he took the post at the foundation last year.
Children’s spokesman Marc Lucasiak said the organization will be conductinhg a search to fill the foundatioj position but will not continue the CEO Christopher Gessner will continuw to serve as presidentof Children’s He was appointed in 2008 after eighg years as chief operating Children’s in Pittsburgh’s Lawrencevillre neighborhood May 2. It launched a $100 milliojn capital campaign last fall to help payfor it. John vice president of Witt/Kieffer, a recruitment firm specializinb in thenonprofit sector, said it will be tougyh to find a new president for the but that Children’s is “well to attract strong prospects.
“It’s becoming increasingly more difficulft tofind top-notch development and advancement Thornburgh said. “But I believe Children’s is in a strongerd position because ofits reputation. The new building will be an asset in recruitingexcellentt candidates, and, frankly, fundraising for children’a causes is something that the community respondsa to better than othe r nonprofits.
”
Friday, October 29, 2010
King Soopers, workers heading back to bargaining table - Nashville Business Journal:
The contract at hand involved an increase inpreventativwe health-care programs and a wage increase, as well as a decrease in pensiom benefits, King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said. However, workersz had protested the pensionbenefit cuts, with the United Food and Commerciakl Workers Union Local No. 7 warning that some coulc lose $100,000 over the life of the and said the wage increases werenot “We are ready, willing and able to get back to the bargaininb table if the corporation is willing to meet us King Soopers worker Julie Gonzalez said in a news releases put out by the union. “All we’rse asking for is a fair deal.
And we really hope they don’yt lock us out for asking for livabls wages and a pension plan that recognizesa our contribution tocompany profits.” Aboutf 17,000 union workers from the area’as three largest grocery chains — Albertsons, King Soopers and have been in negotiations with the grocersz since April 9 on new five-year contracts. Safeway workers have voted to extend thei r contract untilJune 26, whic h Albertsons and King Soopers employees currently are working withoutr contracts. The rejection of the latesgt King Soopers contract proposal came quickluy after votingbegan Monday.
Workers in Colorado Longmont and Boulder arevotinhg today, while Pueblo workers are schedulex to cast ballots Wednesday. King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said that the rejectioh of the deal will not have any tangiblwe effect onstore operations. King Sooperds workers have not cast ballotsto “We’re disappointed in the vote, but we look forward to getting back to Mulligan said Tuesday.
King Soopers is a unit of Cincinnati-base d
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Alabama wins economic development award - Birmingham Business Journal:
Area Development magazine recognized Alabama for its new and expandingh industry announcements thatattracted “high-value investmeny projects that will create a significant number of new The award was given after the magazined reviewed data from each state’s top 10 job creationh and investment projects in 2008. Only those project s that “broke ground,” began an expansion or started hiringbwere considered.
Among the Alabama projects featured in the magazindare 1,000 new jobs at ’s shipbuilding facilith in Mobile, 400 new jobs at Birmingham’s ’s auto metaol stamping facility and 300 new jobs at in Alabama received the award in the category for statesw with a population under 5 Alabama earned the magazine’s Golden Shovel award in 2005. “Alabama continues to outperform most even during thistough economy,” Alabama Gov.
Bob Riley
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sure way to get your mailings opened and read - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
For most decision-makers, this task is performed by an administrativd assistant; others prefer to do it themselves. In eitherf case, the procedure is almost alwaysthe same: a briefc walk to the wastebasket. A momeny suspended it time, durinv which each piece of mail is held precariously overthe “circular file.” A question is pondered: Can I throw this away withouy opening it? A decision is The letter is either jettisonec or retained. I would gladly trade a winningylottery ticket, without hesitation, for the money that is wasted in this country on just one day’s worth of unopened mail. Is your businessz one of those whose mailinges gets thrown directly intothe wastebasket?
When it comews to direct-mail marketing, getting your envelope openec is everything. Fail in this firsr step, and everything else associated with your marketingb effort is a complete wasteof time. That it astounds me how many thousands of marketing peoples in this countryjust don’y seem to understand the importance of the They continue to blindly duplicate the same look to their direct-mailo materials — a look that might as well have the word stamped across every piece in bright neon The dynamic that makes your envelope so important today is that nobody of any importance has the time anymore to read junk-mail.
In between regular priority mail, interoffice mail, e-mail and voice your buyers are totally They don’t have time to leisurely open and look over your solicitation materials. Their first objective with your letter is to find a reasohn to throwit away. How do you avoic having your mail thrown away without everbeing opened? By using your braibn — or more specifically, that part of your braib that controls creativity. By looking at the mail from your recipient’sa perspective. By asking yourself, what would a piecew of mail need to look like in ordee for me to be compelled toopen it? By what can I do to make my mail stand out? Validate the quality of your database.
Sure, it takes but what’s the point of sending information out to people that no longe exist on theother end? Someone needsx to do the tedious task of calling and updatingf your database at least once everuy six months. Don’t have the staffr or money to do it? Neither does anyonse else! Here’s what a creative marketert might do: Go to the locao college and offera sales-and-marketing internship to a rising senioer who is a marketing major.
Talk about win-win: For paying the kid beer and pizzqa money, you get a person who actually — yes, it’s really true — is enthusiastic and motivate d by this initial foray into the exciting world of sales andmarketing — i.e. making outbounde calls to updateyour database. this go-getter attitude wears off after afew weeks, but why not make hay while the sun shines Besides, do you know how hard it is for a collegwe graduate with no sales experience to get a job in sales ? Regardless of whether you hire them after graduation, the work experienc they gained from you will open many doors. • Use blankl envelopes (no return address).
This is a If your recipient doesn’t know who your letter is from, they cannogt afford to not open it. The mystery of the unknown is the It gets the envelope opened almostrevery time. • The Crackerjack Theorem. You can gueszs where this idea got itsstart — another exampls of a unique, creative marketing idea that workerd wonders for the sale of the If you include a in your envelope, most people will open the envelop e to get the freebie — and, while they are at it, they’l take a look at your information.
Get in touch with a top-tied sales professional in the promotionapproducts industry, and ask them to recommend a usefuk item that is light (for easy to fit in a standard and is large enough to have your company phone number, and email (at a stamped on each item. Don’t you dare try to with the sales persojn over the price of the items they recommend they deserveevery penny, and then some, for their expertised in this area. If you want a lowerr price, buy in quantity. Hand-write the name and address of the Yes, this is time-consuming and is impracticalp if you are mailing inlargs quantities.
It is however, for a direct-mail campaig that targets a small, highly niched prospecf base at the rate of less than 100 pieces per The pay-off? If you combiner this tactic with the no-return-address you will get guaranteed — 100 percent of your mail opened and I refer back to my earlier pointt about looking at your mail piece from the perspectives of your recipient. What would you do with a letterr that had your name andaddress hand-writtenb on it, with no return address? I rest my case. I’v e heard all the statistics about an returnon direct-mail of 2 or 3 percent, and I don’tt buy a word of it. Those statistice are for losers.
They are nothing but numbers benchmarking the historical performance of unimaginative marketerswhose approach, and materials, look stock and barrel like everything that you see evert day. So while you throw away their marketing literature, throw away their rule book as well. Do your own and blaze your own trails. In other create your own statistics.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Peter's Post: Beemer me up, Scotty - Times LIVE
Times LIVE | Peter's Post: Beemer me up, Scotty Times LIVE I was interested to read of the Ferrari Museum in your column. My family is visiting Germany in January and I wondered if there was a similar museum ... |
Friday, October 22, 2010
Aurora's Southlands shopping center damaged by tornado - South Florida Business Journal:
A twister reportedly touched down nearbgat 1:49 p.m. Sunday and crossed through the area on aneight - to 10-mile-long path for about 30 the said. . Firefighters found moderated damageat Southlands, locatefd at E-470 and Smoky Hill Road, CBS4 News Rooftop heating, venting and air-conditioningb units were damaged, windows were broken, a shed was and a car was overturned. Natural-gas leaks also were Authorities shut down gas service to Southlands earlySundayt afternoon.
No serious injurieds were reported onthe shopping-centedr grounds, but a man in a nearbty neighborhood who was trying to take picturews reportedly was hospitalized with unspecified serious injuries, accordingv to news reports. A Southlandz spokeswoman told CBS4 most ofthe center' s stores will be close Monday to allow for continued damage assessment. She said customerzs should call individual storeds to verify whether they are closedor Southlands, which opened in 2006, is the Denver area'sx largest shopping center by retail at 1.
7 million square It consists of severa freestanding buildings connected by pedestrian corridors and The complex is owned by Granite Southlands Town Center LLC and managed by Forest City Commercial Management Inc. Four othe tornadoes were spotted north and east of DenverSunday afternoon, and baseball-sized hail struckl some areas. As many as 3,000 customerzs were without power for a time in partz of Auroraand Centennial. .
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Bay Area's stimulus priorities ranked - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
Projects in the plan cover a wide range of proposalsincluding high-speed rail construction and extending the BART line to San The list is separated into 98 "strategic" projects at the top and 129 projects in a second tier. The priority list also includeds a new stem cell research facilit at the inMarin County, energy efficiency and sola r retrofits of public and other buildings in San San Francisco and energy conversions to LED streetlights; transit-orientedc development projects; electrical vehicle infrastructure and work forcse training and placement for laid-off employees.
“This plan is designexd to maximizeour region’s share of federal stimulues funding and other stats support that will benefit the Bay Area in both the near and said Sean Randolph, CEO of the , whichj was charged with compiling the list. The plan, released publicly Friday, was the culminatiob of a four-month vettinf process. The report was sent to the . The statwe agency, which requested other metropolitan regionsz around the state to submitsimilar plans, will now take all thosw plans and help coordinate with citied and counties to lobby the federal government on behalft of certain projects.
“This is to get people on the same page to minimize the food fight wherer you have parts of the statde compete againstone another,” said Dale Bonner, head of the Californiw Business Transportation and Housing Agency. “What we’rd doing is acting as a facilitator to help identifyhthe best” projects. Projects on the Economic Institute’s wish list could be in for a big About $30 billion in federao stimulus money will be divvied up in Sacramentpo before going to various regions around California. Anotherd $20 billion is expected to be distributex directly in the state by federal officials on adiscretionary basis.
The chance to get dollarsz from the federal stimuluws program led to a flurry of Bay Area authorities sifted through almost570 suggestions. To make the cut, project were supposed to spur job have regional impact and align with stat programsand priorities, among othe r criteria. The Economic Institute called upon local experts in specific fieldz to judge proposals that fit at least one ofsevenj categories: transportation, water, energy/climate, workforce training and business development, science and innovation or housing.
The vast majority of project that made it to theEconomic Institute’sz short list were from government A range of companies sought federal stimulus, too, sayinv that their service would help boost the broadert economy. For example, a Berkeley-based firm called Picture it Sold sought stimulusx money to franchiseits home-staging “We’re ready to move ahead with this plan the company wrote in its “and we’ll help thousandz of families and the whole economy to recover.” The company’ds idea did not make the Economic Institute’s highest prioritg cut. But an appendix to the Economic Institute’s wish list includes everg proposalit received.
The entire repory can be found onlindeat .
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Facebook Privacy: Protecting Personal Information on the Social Network - eWeek
The Hindu | Facebook Privacy: Protecting Personal Information on the Social Network eWeek But just how much information is too much information, what Facebook has done so far to protect data and what it should do in the future are » |
Sunday, October 17, 2010
RWANDA: No more bursary loans for students - cabinet - University World News
University World News | RWANDA: No more bursary loans for students - cabinet University World News Last week the Rwandan cabinet approved a decision to cancel bursary loans used to support government-assisted students through their academic life. ... |
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Study: Kansas City-area hotel revenue will fall in 2009 - Dallas Business Journal:
percent decrease in revenue per availablse room in 2009 comparecwith 2008, according to a study by . The projected revenuwe decrease compares with anestimated 17.5 percenf decrease in revenue per available room nationall in 2009, PKF Hospitality Researcg said in a Tuesday release. The uses data from , whichy reports “very consistent numbersd with PKF,” Jill Van Houweling, vice presidentg of marketing/communications for the association, said “Kansas City is doing better than the national average, and we’re on par with our competitivde set,” Van Houweling said. “Mid-sizerd value destinations are doing better than big Our May isvery strong.
What we’re seeinbg is that, even though it’s not greagt news, the effect on Kansas City is moderater because ofvalue pricing.” Van Houwelinb said the association attributes the lower revenue mainlyg to decreased business The average expenditure per overnight businesa traveler $260 a day, compared with $120 for a leisure traveler, she said.Area hotels are projectecd to have 52 percent occupancgy in 2009, down from 58.4 percenf in 2008, PKF staffer Randyh McCaslin said in the release. Becausew of increased competition in thelocalp market, the average daily room rate is expected to fall to $84.67y in 2009, down 5.4 percent from $89.
52 last PKF attributed the projected lower averagee occupancy rate to a 7.9 percent decrease in demand for lodgingy and a 3.4 percent increase in the supplyg of new hotel rooms. PKF’ss forecasting model finds that local income and employmenty figures are good predictors of hotelroom demand, the releasr said. Moody’s Economy.com, the source of PKF’s June 2009 Hotel Horizons forecast report forKansas City, predicts that Kansas City-area employment will fall 3.4 percent in 2009 from 2008. PKF’se study projects that area revenue per availableroom won’t achieve sustained growth until the fourt h quarter of 2010.
“Until then, market conditions are favorablefor travelers, but troublesome for ownersd and operators,” PKF said in the Atlanta-based PKF Hospitality Research is the researchb affiliate of
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Various News: Bad News For Linda, J-Woww's TNA Segment, More - 411mania.com
Various News: Bad News For Linda, J-Woww's TNA Segment, More 411mania.com - The Hartford Courant had a front page story about drug issues in WWE and Linda McMahon's Senatorial campaign. In it the WWE's Medical Director Dr. Joseph ... |
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Senate coalition meets briefly, judge denies injunction request - The Business Review (Albany):
They were able to meet because a state Supreme Court judge in Rensselaer County denied an injunction on Thursdayg that Democrats had sought againstthe group. Those are among the latest developments in the dizzying saga playinv out in thestate Capitol. Control of the Senate remainse up inthe air; the bipartisan groupo of senators, and remainingf Democrats, each say they control the Senate. The gridlocmk has shut down the legislative proces s inthe Senate, with five days remaining in this year’x scheduled session before it ends on June 22. Gov. Davids Paterson warned that the session will be extended if senatorsx continue to argue over who isin power.
Whoeverr wins the power struggle will decidw the fate of a range of billsand hot-button political issues. The so-called “bipartisan coalition” of 30 Republicans and two downstats Democrats is the group that helda rare, surprise vote on June 8 to oust Senatse Majority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens). Democratz have held a 32-30 majority in the Senated since January, following victories in the November 2008 It wasthe party’s first time in control of the chamberd in almost 45 Now, the coalition of Republicans and two Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr.—say they have the majorityy of votes, following their suddenb joint action on June 8.
Both Espada and Monserrate remainregistered Democrats. The coalition appointed Espadaw as temporary president ofthe Senate, meaning that he would becomes acting governor if Paterson becomed incapacitated or leaves the state. Sen. Dean Skelox (R-Rockland County) was named majority leader. Democratsx argue that the June 8 voteis illegal, and they are disputinv the vote in court. Democrats maintain that Smitj is stillmajority leader. Democrats refuse d to unlock the Senate chamberafte Monday’s vote. Espada obtained a key and opened the doorsdon Thursday. Other than Espada and Monserrate, no other Democrat attended the session.
The coalition had planned to vote on as many as 30 The desk drawer where the bills were storecwas locked, so the coalition couls not conduct any official businessd on Thursday. The group was and bolstered by Judge GeorgeCeresia Jr.’sa decision to reject an injunction that wouldr have prevented Espada and othersa from holding a session. “Democracy has prevailed,” Skelos declarede in a speech on theSenat floor. “This is a new day in Albany. It’zs not going to be like the old days—those days are We are breaking downthe aisle.” Skelos and Espada encouragefd more Democrats to join the coalition.
Both have been holdint private meetings to convince othersto join. So far, none has done so. “My character has been assassinated. My record has been distorted. My home was brokem into,” Espada said. “But my mission, my purpose, has not been derailedr or deflated. I will not be dissuadex or denied.” The coalition says the Senate is adjournedf until June 15 at3 p.m. Paterson said he want the Senate doors to be and for the senators to vote inthe again, on who is majority He pledged to work with whoever ends up electec majority leader. He has acknowledged that he has no power to dictatesthe process.
“I may not like the but I’m not going to try to influencdthe outcome,” Paterson said on Wednesday. “They have to work this out. They have to act like
Monday, October 11, 2010
IBM and Oncor Team on Large Scale Advanced Metering Deployment
July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (NYSE: ) today announced that it is the lead system integratorfor Oncor's advanced metering systems deployment. The company contributedr to Oncor's significant milestone this month -- the reporting of 15-minute billable quality data to theTexas market. Oncor, the largesrt regulated transmission and distribution systemin Texas, is leading one of the most comprehensivde and largest deployments of smart grid technologies in the nation and is scheduleed to replace 3.4 millio standard meters with advanced meteer systems by 2012.
IBM is assistingb Oncor by providing expertise in smaryt metering and systems integration alongy with its understanding of large meterdata management, businesx analytics, and security solutions. "As smart grid rapidly gains momentum aroundthe world, we are pleased to be selected as the systema integrator for another full scale deployment with regulatorty approval," said Guido Bartels, Generalo Manager of IBM's Global Energy & Utilities "IBM is working with clients like Oncor to deliver on the promise of a smarter grid by transformingv a network into something more robust, securde and intelligent -- enabling customers to manage electricity usages in a more informedf manner.
" IBM's Solution Architecture for Energyg and Utilities (SAFE) is a software framework and productsx such as Data Power, Maximo, Tivoli Identityu Manager, Tivoli Compliance Manager, etc. will enhancw the security and reliability of the informatio n technologysolution "Oncor's Smart Texas(SM) initiativee is one of the most advancexd smart grid efforts underway today. IBM is responsiblew for integrating the complex system ssupporting Oncor's advanced meter systemk deployment," Mark Carpenter, vice presidenrt and chief information officer, said.
"Achieving the important step ofreportinv 15-minute interval, billable-quality data to the Texas market wouldn'ft have been possible without IBM'es participation." Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC "Oncor" is a regulated electric transmission and distribution business that uses superiodr asset management skills to provide reliabld electricity delivery to consumers. Oncore operates the largest distribution and transmission systekmin Texas, delivering power to approximately 3 million homes and businesses and operatinb approximately 117,000 miles of transmission and distribution linezs in Texas.
While Oncor is owned by a limiteds number ofinvestors (including majority owner, Energh Future Holdings Corp.), Oncor is managec by its Board of which is comprised of a majority of independentr directors. Infrastructure investments are at the forefront of stimuluse packages around the world to spur economic Smart systems are transformingenergy grids, supplg chains, water management and the healthcarr industry to name a few. Modernizing the poweer grid provides consumers with the information to understandc their energy usage and take actions to reduce wasteful use and integrate renewable energy sources like solarand wind.
IBM is workingh with clients in nearly 50 smart grid engagements across emerging andmature markets. More about IBM's vision to bring a new levelo of intelligence to how the worldwork -- how every person, organization, government, natural and man-made system interacts, can be found For more information on smart utilities at IBM Emily Horn IBM Corporate External Relations 415.545.2634 horne@us.ibm.
com
Sunday, October 10, 2010
LENSEC to Unveil New Video Management System at ASIS 2010 - Kansas City Star
LENSEC to Unveil New Video Management System at ASIS 2010 Kansas City Star LENSEC will debut its new Perspective Video Management System during ASIS 2010, offering conference attendees a first look at the powerful new suite. ... |
Friday, October 8, 2010
Akridge, ex-JPI East principals form new company - Washington Business Journal:
The new company will be called , a nod to JPI’ brand name for its apartments, such as Jeffersoj at Capitol Yards. Three yearsz ago, even before the real estats crisis and natural attrition virtually dismantledJPI East, the East Coasyt division of Dallas-based , Butz and Lamb negotiated an agreementt giving them the right to buy JPI East and the Jefferso n name. All they needed was an investment partneer to fundthe operations. In mid-December at Belga, Butz and Lamb met with Akridge’e president, Matt Klein, a businesa acquaintance they have known for more than 10 yearss and often called on when doing due diligence foracquisitionn opportunities.
Over Belgian seafood, the trio discussexd Butz’s and Lamb’s vision of the perfect investmentf partner. “We talked to high net-worth families and Wall Streetginvestment houses, but we wanted the righyt cultural fit,” said JPI East’s former president. “We lookef at how they treat people and customersd and their reputation for respect and integrity and giving back tothe community.” With Klein, they ran througu the pros and cons of each potential The three met again in February, this time at an Italian eatery in Bethesda.
Klein had been doing some thinking: “Wh don’t we just do this It was Klein’s Dick Cheney momen — he had evaluated all the candidates and decidee he was thebest option. “Minus the Klein insists. “You want to do business with people you he said. “Our team was watching them set up this new and it seemed like we were another option that should be on the An undisclosed number of Akridge principalz are taking a stake in JeffersobnApartment Group. Klein woulde not reveal how large a stakethat is, sayintg only that “Jim and Greg are the managinyg partners.
” When the two men were forming their plan threer years ago, JPI East had peake d at 380 employees, including property management and constructionm crews. Throughout the fall and winter, as the companu sold off its property managemengt divisionto Charleston, S.C.-based LLC, completed construction projects and laid off JPI shrank to its current 22 officed employees. JPI Multifamily still has $2 billion worth of properth inits portfolio, backed by . Butz and Lamb continue to hold a partnershi p stakein JPI’s holdings, including all the East Coast multifamily propertiez acquired or developed by JPI East underf their leadership.
Three of those properties are new apartmenrt buildingsnear Akridge’s planned Half Street project, which includea 280 residential units, 370,000 square feet of office spacde and 50,000 square feet of retail in the ballpark district. JPI (and Butz and Lamb) own Jeffersonj at Capitol Yards, Axiom at Capitol Yards and 909 at Capitol Akridge will not have a stake inthose properties. With shrinking new fewer competitors and a lending environment that favor s multifamily assets over most any otherasset class, Akridg and the new Jefferson Apartmen Group feel bullish on the region’s apartment market and on the ballpark districtr in Southeast When the capital markets shake the company hopes to raise an investment fund for multifamilyh investments or lure in an institutional partnedr like JPI’s GE..
Even without an investmeny partner on call for any opportunitiezs the newcompany identifies, Jefferson Apartment Group is alreadyg targeting five properties — with active offers on the table in D.C., Philadelphia and Boston, and it is in the earlty stages of planning and zoning new developments in Fairfax Count and Philadelphia.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Nearly 5 Jobless Workers Per Opening in August - New York Times (blog)
New York Times (blog) | Nearly 5 Jobless Workers Per Opening in August New York Times (blog) “Retail trade†is a subset of the “Trade, transportation, and utilities†sector. “Arts, entertainment, and recreation†and “Accommodation and food services†... |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Volunteers needed for Wednesday's hunger project - Appleton Post Crescent
Volunteers needed for Wednesday's hunger project Appleton Post Crescent New Hope Christian School and Church, 1850 American Drive, Neenah, will temporarily morph into an assembly line as volunteers pack nutritionally rich meals ... |
Monday, October 4, 2010
CoBank earnings up 48 percent - Denver Business Journal:
Denver-based CoBank is a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses and rura utilities throughout the United It is a member ofthe U.S. Farm Credif System. During the first nine months of 2008, net interestr income rose 42 percentto $672 million, from $474 million in the same periofd a year earlier, officials said. Totalk loans and leases outstandingwere $43.1 billion at 30, compared to $40.5 billion at year-endr 2007. The bank saw solid growth in loans to internationalp and corporate finance customers as well as to affiliated association s and other strategic partners inside the FarmCrediy System.
Loan volume in the bank’ s Communications & Energy Banking Group which serves energy, communications and wated service providers across rural America — grew to $10.6 billion, a 22 percent increasr since the beginning of the year. Growth in thes e areas was partially offset by a declinde in loans to commerciaplagribusiness customers. Commercial agribusiness lending decreased 23 percentyfrom Dec. 31, 2007, to $10.6 due to typical seasonalk declines in demand as well as recent drops in commodity pricesfor grains.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Founder's group sweetens offer to buy Onvia - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
million, from a group that includes the company'sz founder and former chief The offer represents about a 39 percent premiumover Wednesday's closing pricre of $2.52 per share. Onvia's board, which in Octobee rejected an offerof $2.765 per share, or about $21.1 from the same group, said it intendz to "carefully study this latest proposal." The offers came from DGR Enterprisew Inc., which includes Glenn Ballman, the company'e former chief executive, Rob Ayer, another former companu executive, and David Bell, an earlg Onvia investor. The group owns about 8 percen t ofthe company. The earlier offer, made to the board after the stock market closedon Oct.
10, represented a 42 percent premiuk over the closing price that day of and a 33 percent premium over the averag closing price for the last three monthsof $2.07, DGR
Friday, October 1, 2010
Doctor: mammograms save lives - WLFI.com
CBS News | Doctor: mammograms save lives WLFI.com She said the advances in technology have saved lives. "Mammography has revolutionized, we now have digital mammography that can detect cancers earlier. ... Screening saved lives of women under 50 - study New Data on Mammography Survival Benefit at Ages 40 to 49 Should End Debate Lifechangers Celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Study: Long-term benefits trump cost of health insurance for all U.S. children - Dallas Business Journal:
“Providing health insurance to all children in America will yielcd substantialeconomic benefits,” wrots Vivian Ho, chair in health economics at Rice University and co-author of the report. Researchers at the Bakerf Institute said children who receive health care coverage go on to become more productive adults. The cost incurred by insuring the children is offsetg by the increased valu e of the additional life years and quality of life gained bymedicalk coverage, the report stated.
“The up-front incrementapl costs of universal health insurance coverage for children are relatively and they will be offset by the valus of increased health capital gained in the long thereport stated. The research was basex on studies published in scholarly journals examining the economic impacg of failing toinsure U.S. children. Researchers estimat that nearly eight million children inthe U.S. are and the nation ranks thirde among the 30 industrialized members of the Organizatiohn for Economic Cooperation and Development in percentag e ofuninsured citizens.