วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 31 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Baylor finalizing deal to manage Trinity - Dallas Business Journal:

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Baylor and Metrocrest are in the throes of signinya 25-year operating lease to run the 237-bed Trinitgy hospital, with options to renew — and that leasre would also lead to the renaming of the hospital to at said Charles Heath, president of the Metrocresty Hospital Authority. The deal is expected to closr in mid-June, he said. The hospital’s managemenft will change hands to Baylor at that although Metrocrest and Baylo declined to discuss the terms of Heath said Baylor will pay a fee for the leases ofthe facility, just as in any real estats deal, although he declined to say how much.
a local governmental entity that serves the communitiews ofNorth Dallas, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Addison and The owns the hospitals but hires outside healthh care management companies to operats them. Metrocrest originally had selectesd Charlotte, N.C.-based to manage Trinityh and itsother hospital, the former . But the deal with HPA dissolvedc in February 2008 when HPA filedx for bankruptcy for Chapter 11bankruptcy protection, which later shifted into a Chapter 7. And beforwe that, made been managing Trinityh and the formerRHD Memorial, with a 25-year operating lease that ended in August when Metrocrest decided to not rene w the lease with Tenet.
Tenet at one time had an ownershipo stake inboth hospitals, but no longer does and it will not be involved in eithee transaction, Heath said. A limited liability corporation consistinvg of a number of physician partners and HPA has been managinhg Trinity sinceMarch 2008, Heath said, but Metrocres has been looking for a new hospitapl operator of its two hospitals for some In March, Metrocrest signed a temporarh lease with to manage the former RHD and also is the process of drawinyg up a 25-year operatintg lease with IntraMed, said Ira Korman, president of IntraMed a Dallas-based health care consulting company.
The operating lease would establish Baylor as the largest owner in the limited liabilityt corporation that would operate the purchasing HPA’s share in the Heath said. Baylor had been dealing with HPA’s bankruptcty trustees to purchase HPA’s shares for months. Both moves represent the possibility of strong expansion or growthu ofboth hospitals, whose fates had been stuck in limbpo over the past couple of years due to uncertaintu about HPA.
About two weeks ago, IntraMed announced its plan to renams RHD Memorial Hospital to to reflect its desire to transform the hospital into a showcase of advanced medicaltechnologty — and it plans to expand the facilitty with a 20,000-square-foot advanced surgical hospital that will be connectef to the current 155-ber hospital. Whether Baylor plans on expandintg Trinity MedicalCenter — or how much changes migh come to hospital staff as a result of the change in hospitalk management was a question better left to Baylor to commeny on, Heath said. But Metrocresyt will work to accommodate any expansiojn plans that Baylormight adopt.
Baylor spokeswoman Susab Hall confirmed that Baylor was in talkw with Metrocrest about signinv an operating lease with Trinity Medical Center, but declined to divulge any further details. Heathn said that the securing of long-term hospital management for Trinityy was something Metrocrest had been looking forward to forsome “The surrounding communites around Trinity will do nothintg but gain,” he “We’re looking forward to Baylor, whichn has an reputation for operating facilities, takingh over management of the hospital, and we thinlk it’s a positive move for the hospitao we own in Carrollton.
” Because of its Trinity’s distinct demographics mean that it will not be in directr competition with other hospitals in the said Nancy Williams, president of the . Trinity is locater in Castle Hills, a huge luxury masterplanned subdivisiohthat “includes shopping and the whole nine yards,” she And it is in close striking distance of olderr homes in northern Farmers which makes it accessible for a number of nearb communities. “It’s in a growin area, and it hasn’t been really marketed,” Williams And the hospital doesn’t yet have a strong community standing.
Nearby families tendes to go out of their way to either Baylo r Regional Medical Center at Plano or as a Trinity has been relativelg unknown to the communitiesit serves, even though it was in a growthh mode, during Tenet’s tenure at its helm, she That may be partly because although Tenet’s headquarters is in it doesn’t have a strong “mother main campus hospital in the Metroplex, she Yet, Baylor has at Dallae as its main and its name is already backed by a stron g reputation in the community, she Finally, having both Trinity and RHD undedr separate leadership is a good business strategy, becaus e “each hospital will have a chance to be recognizede on their own, rathedr than as either identical twins — or stepsisters as they have been treated in the Williams said.
“They are both very different organizations — from the types of physicianw they have and the demographics aroundethem — as well as what wouls be the best strategy for growing Williams said.

วันพุธที่ 30 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Target's Q1 profit beats estimates - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The Minneapolis-based retailer reported net earningsof $522 or 69 cents per share, for the quarter ended May 2. That’e down from $602 million, or 74 cent per in the comparable quarter last Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had projected earningx of 59 centsper share. Target’s totalo revenue came in at $14.82 billion for the first quarter, up 0.2 percenty from $14.8 billion a year ago. Store sales increasefd 0.4 percent to $14.36 as new store growth offseta 3.7 percentg decline in same-store Credit card revenue declined 5.
7 percent to $472 In a statement, Target Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said store performance improvedd thanks to strong food and commodity salesz and reduced expenses. The credit card meanwhile, were “stable, profitable and consistentg withour expectations,” he said. “Very importantly, we believe this improvesd stability and predictability in key aspects of both our retail and credit card segments reflects the resilience of our strategt and underscores our ability to generate substantial value for our shareholderseover time,” Steinhafel said. At the end of the firs quarter, Target (NYSE: TGT) operatefd 1,698 stores in 49 states.

วันจันทร์ที่ 28 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

M&T Bank shutters six Provident Bank branches - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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area and will take the next year and a half to decides whether to shutter otherz in the region following its acquisition of “Over the next 18 we’re going to take a very studied look at what makexs sense,” said Atwood Collins III, president and chief operatin officer of M&T’s mid-Atlantic division. “Wer don’t have any number in mind,” he said, when askede about possible future branch closingsw during a May 27 visit withother M&T executives to a formef Provident branch on 36th Street in “We’ll evaluate each and every one.
” Buffalo-based the second-largest bank in Greatee Baltimore, completed its $401 million takeover of the area’s fifth-largest, May 23. The deal expands M&T’s footpringt in the region and also retires one of the most storieed names inBaltimore banking, relegating Provident to the list of locally owned banking giants — like , Marylanfd National and First Maryland — scooped up over the yeare by out-of-town rivals. M&T has said it will eliminate 521 ofthe 1,6090 jobs at Provident, about 29 percent of Provident’s work force.
Most of thoses job were eliminated as of the closes of business onMay 23, Phil an M&T spokesman said May 27, with “a smalo number” staying on to help with the The departments affected included human banking services, finance and information technology, Hosmerf said. Workers whose jobs are being eliminated will get the firs crack at jobsat M&T, bank officials have said. Outplacement firm DBM held a careert fairfor laid-off Providentr workers on April 24 and is scheduledd to hold a second one on June 24 at Martin’s Adding Provident’s 135 branches and its $4.
6 billioh in deposits gives M&T 300 branchea in the Baltimore-Washington area and boosts its Baltimore-area market share to about 17 up from 10.7 percent. That’s second only to , whicnh has a 25.6 percent share of the Baltimore But as much as bank mergeras are about adding customersand deposits, they’rre often fueled by a desire to save on Banking experts expect M&T to close an unknownb number of additional branches, especially in areas where M&T and former Provident branchew are located nearby. “Where you have it makes senseto consolidate,” said Bert Ely, an Va.-based banking consultant.
“They’re goin to try to maximize profits, operate efficientluy and grab as much marke t share asthey can.” Collinsa said that the six shuttered branchea — three in Prince George’s Countty and one each in Montgomery County; Charles County; and Fairfax Va. — were each within a mile of anexistingy M&T branch. In a research note on Decembet 22, after the deal was Albert Savastano, a banking analyst with Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia and notedthat M&T expects to be able to shav 45 percent off Provident’s $93 million a year in operatinh expenses. “We would not be surprise d if the cost savings estimates turn out to be Savastano wrote.
But as M&T looks to rein in it is also working hard to retain Provident customersa likeChris Bohaska, of Perry Hall. M&Tf dispatched about 420 workers from around its network to descened on the region to smooth the transitionh for customerslike 50, a Provident customer since childhood.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 27 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

IP law not as immune to recessions as once thought - Boston Business Journal:

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Intellectual property law has a diehards reputation as being singularly immune to the pitche s and swirls of the The thinking is that even inlousy times, companies are willing to spend to protect their patents and copyrights — in their livelihoods. But as the recessio n wears on, even this stalwarf sector is showing some signsaof stalling. “IP has traditionallg been considered recession-proof, but IP is feelingh it this time. It isn’f feeling it as dramatically as other but it is being felt in various saidTimothy J. Oyer, president and managing partnerat .
“Thed key is that those who are delivering carefuk services and are keeping in mind the needs oftheirf clients, they’re not hurting and they’re even seeing an increas e in work.” Overall, intellectual property work at law firms nationwide shrunk by 9.5 percent in the first quartefr compared with the first quarter of according to the latest Thomson Reutersz Peer Monitor Economic Index, which pegged the drop on a declinre in litigation. Oyer said his firm is holding its own on thelitigatioj front, but that’s not to say Wolf Greenfield isn’t feelinf the bite.
“We’ve seen some lightness in the venture capital-backed startup company sector, and that’x not surprising because the VC community is being more carefuol about how theyspend money,” he “They have funds they need to invest, but they’rer being more judicious and their timeline is so the work we get from VC firms doingt diligence on companies as well as startu p company work itself is somewhat lighter.” Oyer said has had no Not every firm can say as much. , a Boston firm focuses on IP, has laid off some 50 memberss of its legal staff sincelast November.
“Liker just about every other largew law firmin world, economi c conditions have required that we reduce our workforcew to match changed client needs,” firm presidengt Peter Devlin said in an e-maipl in response to questions. “Thee cash crunch has impacted all businesses, and causeds them to take a hard look atlegap expenses. This has led to a decline in demand for all typed oflegal services, including IP.” He also said the firm has seen “q decline in new patent filings and a significant increases in abandonments, as companies seek to reduce the fees they pay to maintain active patents.
” Nationwide, the reportec patent applications filed in January were lowefr than in January 2008. Trademark processing fee incomdwas 7.5 percent lower for the firsty five months of the fiscal year October through February than for the comparabld period a year earlier. Michael a law professor at Law School, said that while paten applications — a staple of IP law work have fallenof late, the fall comea after years of steady growth. “So even with a fallof f in applications, the number of applicatione is very high by historic he said.
Others also hedged their commentsa onthis subject, notin g that assessing the volumwe of IP legal work and the recession’a impact on it is an inexacy science. “As a general statement, whicuh we’ve certainly heard in the past, IP is But I think that that’e an overly broad way of lookinbat it, and that may be why you’rde seeing indications that perhaps it’s not true now,” said Susajn Barbieri Montgomery, executive professor of law and business at . She suggested looking at each area of IP law for a morecompletde picture.
For example, IP work for corporate mergers and acquisitions has decline because there arefewer M&A deales happening, but demand for lawyerds with a broad understand of IP issues may be up. “Whatf may be new, or what we may be learningy in thecurrent situation, is the demand for and valuwe that clients place on broad and comprehensiv knowledge of the various types of intellectuapl property at times like this,” she “That might reflect the change in business.
Business is now more focuser on strategies for using intellectual property in acomprehensive

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Hampton Township house re-creates feel of an older home - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Built in 1998 for Stev and Jean Swanson, the 8,000-square-foot home is pricesd at $1.375 million and representex by agent Linda DiBucci of Coldwell Banker Real Located in the Tall Oaks neighborhood off of Middle Road, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom (plus two half-baths) houswe is a half-mile walk to Hampton Township’s sprawlin g community park. Hampton’s middlew school and high schooo are in the midst of the as isthe township’s municipapl center and community pool. The proximity was advantageouss forthe Swansons, who found the home ideal for raising theidr four children, who are grown now.
The placr was the 10th housed the family has lived in and the fourth housd the couple has had Jean Swanson is an interiorf designerby profession, and said she learned exactly what she wanteds by the time the couple built this house. “We wanted it to be elegant, yet comfortable,” Stevre Swanson said. Situated on 1.9 acres, much of whicg is landscaped, the home has a seclude d feel. A 300-foot setback, combined with maturre trees, makes the place feel like a home in the woodx throughout much ofthe year, Steve Swansom noted.
The acreage is landscaped with hemlocks, rhododendrons and othetr evergreens to give thefoliage year-round The wide front porch, clean white mature landscaping and the architectural lines of the home are reminiscent of a classic home in Connecticut. The house is set amidsr a group of fairly new homes in the which is less than 20years old. Inside, the home’sx architectural flourishes, including handmade 7½-inch crown molding and hardwood floors, show a great deal of attention to detail.
The larger-than-average doorways, 9½-footg tall ceilings on the first andseconf floors, and the many large windows throughoutt give the house an open feel that does not come at the expensw of its classic design. The flow of the floor plan is also greaytfor entertaining, the couple said. “There’s been a lot of entertaininb inthis house. We wanted that openness and SteveSwanson said, adding that the housee flows naturally out onto the coveree back patio. “For sit-down dinners, we’ve had 80 Part of the beauth of the openness is that we can put tableas in the foyer andfamily room, and out on the patipo if it’s nice outside.
” The sunroom has a wet bar and is a natura l spot for chatting during Its open-air feel complements the charm of the living room, whicg is located to the righgt of the foyer. The home also has a full back which leads all the way tothe 2,000-square-fooy third floor, as well as a three-car integral Perhaps the most singular aspec t of the stately home is the attention to detail that went into its DiBucci noted. “From the floor plan to the room colord to the size of the doorways and everything was meticulouslythoughtt out,” she said.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 24 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Washington Convention Center Authority wants city to finance $550M hotel - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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On May 29 the convention center’s boarcd directed CEO Greg O’Dell to seek authority for the sale of as muchas $750 milliob in bonds to cover the pricwe of the hotel, interest durinb construction, insurance and other costs. The city had plannedd to finance about 25 percent of the cost of the hotel througha $187 million tax increment financint package the passed in 2006, whic would have provided $134 million in constructiobn costs. The rest was supposedc to come from privatde debt and equitypartnerse -- a difficult find in the frozen credit markets.
O’Dell said development partners and Capstoned Development had been dogged but unsuccessfupl in their pursuit of investorxfor months. “They’ve been pursuing private financing and in this you know, that is very difficult. They’ve spenr millions of dollars on this project to try to move it It really is shovel ready with the exceptionof O’Dell said. With the city losing convention he said, building a city-owned hotel was the best He envisions it will still contaij about 1,100 rooms and be operated by Marriott had previously said it woule be a Marriott Marquis. O'Delll began briefing members ofthe D.C. Council on the board’s proposal Monday.
“Our ultimate goal is to get this projectf done and get it started as soon as he said. In particular there is increased pressurer from National Harbor inPrinced George’s County, which opened last year with a pric e tag of more than $2 billion. Its the Peterson Cos. announced May 18 that the WaltDisneyt Co. had purchased land to build a 500-room resort hotelp on 15 acres Convincing the council to approve that amountof spending, will be a tall task for O’Dell. He had been consideredc a top candidate to replacwe Neil Albert as deputy mayor for planning and economic development, but a source close to O'Dellp says he was offered the job and turnexd it down.
O’Dell would not confirm but indicated he wouldx remain in hiscurrent post. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said. The convention center authority has an independentf board and the ability toissude bonds, but O’Dell said the council wouled need to expand its authority to issue bondds for the hotel. The council and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty just finished closinvg a budget gapof $800 million for fiscal 2010 and the city face s a gap approaching $1 billion for fiscak 2011. In addition, D.C.
Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi said he will not supporft issuing that amountof debt, which he said would immediatel violate a 12 percent cap on city debt as a mark of expenditurez the city created on his recommendation last Gandhi is a member of the conventiobn center board and attended the Friday meeting. “To be very bluntt about it I was very clearr in saying to them that if you were toborroe $750 million that would put us way beyonds the 12 percent cap we have envisioned for the city...
anx I cannot be a party to that,” Gandhi The CFO said that he “very wants a hotel for the city, “butr I would not agree to a deal like See we made a commitment to Wall Street that we would not borrow more than 12 percenf against our budget.” who has won accolades for helpin the city snag a AAA bond rating on Wall said he has alreadyu begun re-emphasizing the importance of the debt cap with memberas of the council. “I do not think we want to take this We should not borrow any more than we are able to he said. He suggested that O’Dell and his partners continue to seek privateefinancing sources.
Building a hotel to accompanuy the convention center has always been part of the plan for the city but has languished from a seriesof complications. Construction on the Walted E. Washington Convention Center, as it was names in 2007, began in 1998 and opened fiveyeara later. D.C. planned a 1,400-room but did not control theneeded land. In 2007, the city gained final site contropl after a land swap with developer KingdonGoulde III. To prevent further delays Mayor Adrian Fentt downsized the project later that year, announcing a deal between the city, Marriott and RLJ Developmen t LLC on a smaller 1,100-room hotel.
Since then, the development team has also RLJ Development, founded by BET founderd Robert Johnson, was part of the deal Fenty announcedf in September 2007 but isn’tr any longer. A main driver of the deal, Marriott Seniod Vice PresidentNorman Jenkins, left the company late last year to staryt Capstone, now a certified business entit y that partners with Speaking for the development team, Jenkins said it was his preferencs to continue seeking private financing, and said desigh was complete, entitlements were in place and there equity partners ready to invest if debt were available.
Capstonee and Quadrangle are separately planning a Courtyars by Marriott adjacent to the hotel on landthey “We could still get there, but we got to get the bankes to play and they move at their own he said. Still, he “if the city decides to pursue the publicc deal we willsupport them.” Jenkins said Johnson’s RLJ, with whicu Jenkins partnered while at Marriott, pulled out of the deal shortlg after taking an interest in it. “They studie it hard, spent some resources, but theier bread and butter is acquisitions and repositioning rather thannew development,” Jenkinws said.
Richard Bradley, executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement said it is unfortunate that the hotelp project ran into the recessiobn but that the city needswto “bite the bullet” and move the project citing the opportunity to grow D.C. as a touristg destination, make it a major player in conventionas and grow itstax “There’s a whole set of good thingws about moving this forward,” he said.

วันอังคารที่ 22 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Latest multifamily project may bring 215 units to SW Austin - Austin Business Journal:

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Austin-based Stratus (Nasdaq: STRS) is currentlyg seeking rezoning for 33 acres on Amarra The Zoning and Platting Commission will review the zoning requestnext month. Stratus CEO Beau Armstrong says it remaind undecided whether the units willbe high-endd rentals or condos, saying that decision will be Although Stratus has pursued mostly single-family luxury home lots on undeveloped land in the which is in the Barton Springs recharge and contributinhg zone where ordinances dictate impervious covee limits of 20 percent, Armstronyg says the tract's Southwest Parkway frontage made it more appropriatr for increased density.
Stratus recently complete 71 luxury home lots in the Veranko Drive neighborhood that overlookzthe 4,000-acre Barton Creek Those homes will range from the high $300,000 to $750,000. In addition, Stratus bega building two new Class A buildingsin Lantana, its 500-acrew mixed-use development off Southwesgt Parkway. The property is entitled for 2 millionj square feet of officr and retail development and includes two luxuryapartment complexes, 139 condoz and 330 single-family home sites. In 2006, Stratus sold nearlu 60 acres at the corner of Southwest Parkway and William Cannon Driveto AMD) for an 860,000-square-foot, $270 million corporats campus.
"The AMD development is goinf to change things out there and will result in more development and growth in that which we are excited says Armstrong. The company has 4 millioj square feet of commerciapl entitlement between its Barton Creek community propertyand Lantana, says "We're basically working through various approvalz to bring that online," Armstrong says. "It's years and years of inventory and we are continuiny to entitle it and accommodatethat growth." As nearbyg communities like Bee Cave, Westlakre and Lakeway prosper, Southwest Austin continues to be one of the city'sx most desirable areas for high-end office and residentiao use.
With Loop 360 and MoPac largelybuilr out, Southwest Parkway is one of the area'ds only remaining developable arterials. Southwest Austin felt its latestt injection of development activity with the debut late last year of the HillCountry Galleria, a 1.3 million-square- foot mixed-use developmen t by Phoenix-based That project is located west of Southwes t Parkway on State Highway 71. "Thse growth to the west is saysJay McBride, a board membert of the Estates at Barton Creek community. "Iy looks like the growth of Round Rock. It's that huge.
"

วันจันทร์ที่ 21 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Ten banks allowed to repay TARP funds - Business First of Louisville:

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The Treasury Department did not name the10 banks, but said they were bein approved for early repayment of the federal bailou funds under the Troubled Assetr Relief Program (TARP) because the so-calledc stress tests performed by the government revealed they were healthyy enough to pay back the money. The departmentt said the institutions have met the requirementd for repayment established by federalbankinhg supervisors. It noted that many banks recently have raised equity capitalp from private investors and haveissued long-term debt that is not guaranteeed by the government.
“These repayments are an encouraging sign offinanciapl repair, but we still have work to do,” Treasurg Secretary Tim Geithner More than 600 banks received a tota l of nearly $200 billion through the department’s Capital Purchase Program. About $2 billion of this moneyu was paidback previously. Under the banks that repay theirt preferred stock can repurchase the warrants that the TreasurhyDepartment holds. Besides the proceedes from the sales of the the department also hasreceived $4.5 billion in dividend paymentws from program participants. Proceeds from the repaymentsa to go theTreasury Department’ s general fund.
They can be used to reduc e the national debt and can serve as a cushioh in case the department needs to respond to financiall emergencies inthe future, the department said. The list of 10 banks was not publicly but many of the bankzs confirmed separately in press releasesd that they received approval to buy back preferres shares sold to thefederal government, includinfg two banks with sizable Milwaukee-area presences: USB) and J.P. Morgan Chas e (NYSE: JPM). U.S. Bank was clearefd to repay $6.6 billion in TARP fundxs and Chase was approved to repahall $25 billion in TARP funds it received.
Locally based banks that receive TARP funds include and of of Menomonee Falls andin M&I, the Milwaukee-area's largest bank, was not among the list of 10 banks approved to repay its TARP according to media reports. M&I said in May that it beganh to sell stock in a sale that coulxd raise as muchas $350 million in part of which the bank said it may use to repah a portion of the $1.7 billion capital infusio n it received in November 2008 under TARP if approvedx by regulators.

วันเสาร์ที่ 19 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Obama pushes for creation of 600,000 jobs - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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"We have a long way to go on our road to but we are going the right Obama said in a statement issued by theWhits House. Added Vice President Josepn Biden: "We’re going to get more dollar outthe door, more shovels into the ground and more money into the pockets of workersz and families who need it most." The announcement comesa as the nation’s unemployment rate hit 9.4 percenty last week, its highest in 25 Enable 1,129 health centers in 50 statews and eight territories to provide expanded servic e to about 300,000 patients. Begin work on 107 nationapl parks.
Begin work on rehabilitation and improvement projects at 98 airportse and morethan 1,50p0 highway locations nationwide. Fund 135,000 education jobs including teachers, principals and supportt staff. Begin improvements at 90 medicalo centers in38 states. Hire or keep aboug 5,000 law enforcement officers. Start 200 new waste and watet systems in rural Begin or accelerate cleanup work at 20 Superfunfd sites from the NationalPriority List. Creatwe 125,000 summer youth Initiate 2,300 construction and rehabilitation projects at 359 military facilities acrossthe country.

วันศุกร์ที่ 18 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

วันพุธที่ 16 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Tread wisely on job cuts - Business First of Buffalo:

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The layoffs, which took effectf Jan. 26, are just a few of the hundreds of thousandds that have taken place across the countr y as the economic recession deepens and spreads into virtuallyevery industry. But while it seemsx like every news cycle is dominated by the humah toll that the mass layoffsare taking, little attention is devoted to the businesses themselves — which are taskexd with not only staying afloat in an uncertaijn economy but navigating a host of legapl challenges that could arise if the layoffse aren’t executed properly.
“When peoplr lose their jobs, they might feel there’d nothing to lose (and therefore) says Bob Doren, a veteran labor lawyerf who represents employers against employees and the government at the Buffaloo officeof . “If a compan is going to engage in a reductionin force, it must do some The first step, says Doren, is to look at alternatives to the If they cannot be avoided, it’s important to documenft – on paper just why the cuts are necessary. “Nex is determining what positions will exist after the and the criteria to determine how to selecf employeesfor layoff,” says Doren, BSK’s regionak managing partner.
“The third step is to ascertai the skills necessary for the jobs that willexisyt thereafter.” The point of documenting is to show that a detaile d and fair analysis has been made something that could come in handy in fronft of a jury. However, says Lisa Sofferin, a partnef at , record-keeping can also expose a companyto liability. “The compan that doesn’t keep records might not be able todefend itself, but the record-keepinv can bite you in the such as a smoking-gunb memo that shows, for example, a companyu terminated an employee because of age,” says who represents both employers and employees in labod and employment matters.
“Sometime it’s just circumstantial for the plaintiff anddefendant … the courts don’t entangle themselves in business judgmenft of the company, whicgh is why using objective criteria and being able to show layoffse were made with a plan in mind is important.” That a company can certainly add to its liability during layoffs. The first way, says is by engaging in anything that coulr be considereddiscriminatory — from targeting too many in one clasw of employees (such as employees of a race, etc.).
“Doing it in a way that’s callous and disrespectfulp of employees also addsto exposure,” she “Those that are treated fairly are less apt to Indeed, says employment lawyer and commerciapl litigator Mark Walling, the perception of a laid-oftf employee is important. “If an employer believes (a layoff) is arbitrary, that employee will file a claij of discriminationor retaliation,” says Walling, a solo practitioneer in Williamsville who’s a former New York assistant attornety general. “It’s important for there to be a rationapl explanation.
A disproportionate impact on a particulatr group increases chances that a claim will be For companies inlayoff mode, the most important thinhg to do is make sure they comply with all of the relevant employment statutes, says including laws banning discriminatiomn as well as laws protecting employees against retaliatoryg action. “There’s also the requiremenyt that the employees can maintaijnhealth coverage, and companies have to make sure they complty with laws having to do with paying unemployment benefits,” says Walling.
“Another key issue is whether to offer severance packages the advantage of severanc is that you can condition the severancwe on a waiver of anyemployment claims, which is anothert way to minimize possible exposure to lawsuits,” accordingt to Walling. Doren agrees. “When employers think about preventing they have to think about theseverancre agreement,” he says, noting that it’s a simple question of economics. “The average cost of a federal-court lawsuit to get dismissecdis $75,000-$120,000.” But the real 800-pouns gorilla in the room? New York state’s reviseed WARN Act, which went into effect Feb.
1 and offerws broader coverage than a similarfederao statute. Under WARN, an employer with at least 50 workersa laying off more than 25 employees must give 90 advance notice of thecuts — whicn could be problematic for small- to mid-sizecd employers struggling to keep their doors “The best thing for employers to do is get good legal says Walling. “I can’t thin k of a single area of law that changes as quicklyu asemployment law.

วันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Gehl secures new 2-year credit pact - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The agreement with U.S. bank lenderes provides for a total credit commitmentfof $105 million and a term of 24 The credit line consists of an $80 million revolvinbg line based on Northn American inventories and accounts receivable and a term loan of $25 milliohn payable in quarterly installments. The credit pact replacew the company's October 2006 $125 milliom unsecured credit facility. As part of the amendeds credit agreement, Gehl Co. has granted to its bank lenders a securitg interest in all of its NortyhAmerican assets.
The amended credit agreement addresseds matters that gave rise to an Aprip 16 forbearance agreement with the lendefr group that rescinds and withdraws a noticee of debt repayment delivered onMarch 31. That agreementg with lenders extended the repaymentof $117 million in debt undefr a revolving credit agreement, which serve s as the company's principal source of liquidity. Gehl said it has significantlhy reduced its outstanding borrowings using operating cash flows createe in part by the cost saving s initiatives implemented over thepast months.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 13 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylanednursing schools, will be used to lure faculthy and students, and improve technology at the Maryland’s nursing shortage is expected to reacnh 10,000 by 2016, according to the . The curreny vacancy rate of nurses at state hospitala is8 percent. The economic downturn has helped the industry because many retired nursesd have come backto work, but once the recessioj ends the shortage will said Carmela Coyle, CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association. The first round of grants will increase the numbefr of nurses graduating by 300 students and add 20 faculty positionas at nursing programs acrossthe state.
“The numbetr of nurses graduating from Maryland schooles are simplynot enough,” said Ronald B. president of and co-chair of the “Who Will campaign at a press conference Monday. “Ww cannot take our eye off the nursing The campaign’s goal is to add 1,500 new nursing students. The program has raisedf $15.5 million to date through the state’s businesxs community, including funds from the Baltimore constructio nform , , the region's largest hospital and , the region's largest health insurer.
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, for example, gave The goal is to raise $20 million from the privater sector by the end of the and then raise anadditionn $40 million in state, local and federal • • • • • ; and, • .

วันศุกร์ที่ 11 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Human Capital: People on the move, June 22 - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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promoted Mark Whalen to executivervice president, based in its main offices in Needham. Whalen, who has nearly 28 yeares of banking industry is the former president and CEOof . He joinedr Needham Bank in March of 2007 when the twoinstitutions merged. The law firm of LLP in Boston addedr Robert Brady as senior of counsel in the banking and financiallservices practice. Brady was most recently a vice president in the regulation and credit department ofthe . G.T. Reillhy & Co. , a Milton-based accountinh firm, promoted Jayme Fitzgerald to accounting andauditintg supervisor. She joined the firm in 2003. hiresd Lynnette Best as prograkm andevent coordinator.
She previously worked for TD Banknortnh Garden as a communityrelations coordinator.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 10 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Oakland bars tap into demand - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The city’s growing culinary chopds havebeen documented; now city denizens have equally destination-worthgy spots to sip or swill. New spotsz to open in the Uptown district in recent monthsinclude Somar, Den at the Fox and 2022 Restaurant and Lounge. Era, Mimosa, The Town Hall of and others are onthe way. The 10,0090 new Oakland residents that former Mayor Jerry Brown hopes to attract with new condos all need somethinvto do, said Michael Orange, who works in real estatr in Oakland and also does nightlifre marketing and promotions as Top Ten Social Club. “San Francisco already has a lot of restaurantsdand bars. Here, we need them to Entrepreneurs are rushing to satisfythat need.
Alfons o Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairy Jacquee willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grand Avenue in two months. They hope to appeal to the art crowdf that attends First when art galleries stayopen late. “To have an opportunitty to keep these people here and have a bit ofnightlifee after, that’s where the art bar idea came said Dominguez. The trio also knows Oakland. Best owns two San Franciscio restaurants and Bin Oakland. Jacques has Air, anothet Oakland nightclub, and Dominguez owns a host of design andhospitality offerings, including FIVEten Studio and Tamarindop Restaurant.
Despite these newcomers, many see Oaklande as a land of relative opportunity with lowe barriers to entry than San Francisc o and lower rents andlabor “There’s so much potential here,” said Nichelle who will open Mimosa, a 2,200-square-foot raw and dessert bar, at 24th Streer and Broadway. In some cases, the bad economy is making these newbars possible. Last year, Armandp Ramos and his dad losttheifr jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousin own the 2,000-square-fooy Somar at 1727 Telegraph Ave. “Fromk my point of view, I can go chasew after the next job, or I can take a chancre with these people I know and trust and just do Ramos said.
Raising money has been difficult, these owners all say, but through family, investors, rent reductions or generous tenantimprovementg allowances, all have made it happen. Developerw have long viewed Uptown as ripefor revitalization, and bars and restaurantds were always seen as part of the mix. That all this activity should take place in the midsyt of adeep recession, and in Oakland, is noteworthy and speakse to the perceived opportunity, particularly now that the Fox Theatere is open and shows are selling out.
Otherx believe that density is more important tothe area’s ultimate success than the large Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independent in San will open The Town Hall of Oakland, a live musivc venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfully revitalize an area is through a criticak mass of small businesses,” he said.

วันอังคารที่ 8 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Bradley Center funding moves forward - The Business Review (Albany):

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The time frame for the money is much soonedr than originally recommendedin Gov. Jim Doyle’w proposed budget. Doyle had proposed $500,000p per year in state bonding authoritgy overa 10-year period. Bradley Center chairmamn Ulice Payne saidthe committee’sw recommendation to speed up the allocation would allos building officials to address “urgent concernss more promptly.” “The approachy endorsed by the committee will allow the Bradleyu Center to more quickly address issues such as obsolete electrical and HVAC systemes and install more energy-efficient he said. “Resolving these items now will make for better maintenancr of the building in thelongee term.
That’s important to extending the life ofthe building.” The Bradlehy Center is planning to invest a total of $23 million in the Bradley Center to replace aging buildinfg systems and infrastructure. The remaining fundxs needed for building maintenance woulsd be raised through private sourcesa and revenue from the The list of problem areazs highlighted in a recent BusinessJournal story, alongf with projected replacement costs, include: Seriously outdated mechanical and heatinbg and air conditioning systemds requiring major upgrades that will cost about $500,000. An outdated scoreboard that was installedin 1995. A new scoreboarde is estimated to costbetween $4 milliob and $4.
5 million. • An aging roof that needzs about $150,000 in repair work. • An obsoletde hockey rink system that must be replaced at a cost estimaterbetween $200,000 and $300,000. Aging and energy inefficient lightint and worn out electrical and electrical components that will costabouyt $175,000. • Replacement or refurbishment of a substantial portion ofthe 18,000 seats. • The replacement of temporary handrailsx throughout theseating bowl, which will cost abourt $200,000. • And upgrades to the security and lifesafetyh systems.
In addition, Bradley Center officialds want to add ateam store, a sit-down restaurant and a family interactive area, all of whichy would be important revenue-generators for the facility. In many NBA arenas have several ofthoses amenities, including the Target Center in which is home to the NBA City The Bradley Center is the second-oldest arena in the NBA that has not had a majod renovation. It was constructed in 1988 as a gift to the communityg from JaneBradley Pettit, an heiress to the Allen-Bradley Co. The facility is the home to theMilwaukewe Bucks, Milwaukee Admirals, Marquettw University Golden Eagles and the Milwaukee Iron aren football team.
The center also hostse special events andmusicakl performances.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 6 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

WNBA's Sparks ink jersey sponsorship with Farmers - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Terms of the deal were not The branded jersey will be worn when the team opena its season Saturday with a game against the defending WNBA championDetroit Shock. In addition to the jerse y sponsorship, Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance will receivde "considerable visibility" in during the home games. "We are very excited to be on the cuttinfg edge of this type of sponsorship with a major sports franchise in a major What made it even more attractive is that the Sparka reach a primary demographic in our marketinhstrategy – the women's market – not only in but throughout our operating territory,” Farmers Insurance Executive Vice Presidenty and Chief Marketing Officee Kevin Kelso said in a statement.
The move comexs on the heels of another WNBA team, the , inking the league's firstf jersey sponsorthip deal earlier in the week with Jersey sponsorship is prevalent in overseas most notably soccer, but has not caught on amongsr the major sports in the Unitede States. has gone the way of the overseas counterparts withjerseyh sponsorship. The Los Angelews Galaxy's jersey is sponsored by and is sponsoredby .
The is now allowingt teams to have sponsor patches on practice The and have both been reportedly examiningb suchsponsorship deals, according to media

วันศุกร์ที่ 4 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Sandusky defense filing indicates other 'accusers' - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

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Sandusky defense filing indicates other 'accusers'

Pittsburgh Post Gazette


The court filing did not name the people, explain what might make them accusers or indicate what role, if any, they play in the criminal case in which Mr. Sandusky has denied all allegations. "This in all likelihood means that there are other people ...



and more »

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 3 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Solar + tunes = energy efficient concert series - Charlotte Business Journal:

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For the last few Wednesdayu evenings, popular acts like Del Nelo and Ozomatli have rockes Republic Square Park while sharing the spotlight with an unlikelyperformer — sola power. The Solar Powereds Concert Series isa new, free music series created by Greg of Pro Show Live, and eventy production veteran Marsha Milam that placexs solar power on This is the first solar powere concert series for Milam, who felt that Austin wouled be the ideal place to test such Marsha Milam Music produces KGSR’s “Unplugged at the Grove” and othe concerts throughout Texas.
“Austin is such a green city the residents areenvironmentally concerned,” Milam “I do a number of music seriews and I thought Austin would be the placd to embrace this.” To achieve the goal of clea n power, the downtown park is outfitted with solar powererd sound systems and lighting systems with LED Milam declined to disclose how much has been invested in the carbon-neutrao concert series, saying only that costs are abouft 25 percent more than a typicakl concert series.
“Our goal for this was to prov that we cando it,” Milam said, conceding that she didn’t start marketing the series until the second show to make sure that the equipmeng functioned properly. “What I’ve noticed is that the energy is so and it makesa difference. There’z no stage hum,” she said. “That’zs great for the audience and for the Milamtapped Austin-based Sustainable Waves, a provider of solar powered sound, lighyt and production equipment, for the concert series.
Sustainablw Waves also has a saleds office inSan Diego, Cody Murray, of Sustainable Waves, said that the company’s services were utilized at severall events during this year’s SXSW Music It’s also brought its solar power equipment to Las Vegas-baseed N9NE Group’s events, Vans Warped Tour and the New Belgium Brewery’x Tour de Fat. For the Solar Powetr Concert Series, Sustainable Wave’s utilized 44,000 watt PA Sponsorship for this year’s Solar Powered series was on the lighter but Milam saidthat she’s hearin positive feedback from prospective sponsors who want to be associates with a green music event.
“This is our You have to get out therw and go through the labor paines and find out what works andwhat doesn’t,” she said. “Our goal is very clear; This isn’t a one year thingt for us.” The concertf series is free, but donations are being accepted for Blue Dog an Austin-area dog foster organization. There are two shows Fastball and The Black and Whitd Years onJune 10, and Arc Angels on June 24.

วันอังคารที่ 1 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Regular, detailed job reviews can aid in employee retention - bizjournals:

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Everyone likes to know where they stand. The annual employeer review doesn’t have to be an event dreadede by the employee and the manage if both take the time and effortto prepare. Performancde reviews are a formaol way to assess what each employe e contributes to the company and to identifythat person’zs strengths and weaknesses. There are severak ways a company can conduct Deborah Keary, human resources director at the , said good companiesa should hold two an annual review with a and a mid-year review for coaching and careeer development and improvement. The Society for Humajn ResourceManagement ( ), www.shrm.
org, is the world’sa largest professional association devoted to human resource management. Keary said the best format for the revieqw is to start off on a positived note with descriptions of what the employeedoes well. Then a managee can talk about areas thatneed improvement, with suggestionsw on how the manager can Employees should be allowed time to make comments and ask for help. Dawn a member of SHRM’s employee relations panel and CEOof Wisconsin-baseed HResults, recommends quarterly reviews. “Quarterly is best so that expectations are continually shared and informal feedbackk should be provided to the employew throughoutthe year,” Adams said.
She said having the employee conduct awritten self-evaluation first is It helps the employere explain the value of their contributions as well as remind the manager of The National Federation of Independentr Business suggests that managers create a description for each job they supervisre and make sure the employeew knows the contents of the job description prior to holding the Managers should also keep tracl of records, such as absenteeism and tardiness, and keep notew to document specific examples of work done well or One of the most challenging rules for bossew in writing and conducting performance reviews is to stay away from anythinvg personal or unrelated to the job.
Even though a worker’ s personality may influence how they dothe job, it’sd important for the manager to avoid judgments – “Bob’s a procrastinator” – and to instead documentf how the trait affects performanced – “Bob’s reports missed their deadlines in July and September.” “The review is aboutg the work and how well it is being performed,” Keary “It is not abourt the employee’s private life, personality traits or anything else that is not abourt the job.
” Adams said not to bring up anythingy that is protected by the law, such as time off relates to a disability or absences covered by the Familh Medical Leave Act. Adams also said it is important that the managerr not compare the employee to others inthe company. The managef should be comparing the individuakl to the specifiedjob requirements. Kearyy said reviews are effective management tools if they are done oftemn anddone well. “People should be told often how they’red doing and how they can Keary said. “It should be a normal part of managingy people. If that is then the annual review is just a summarwithout surprises, and it’s a good experience.