Senate rejects corporate minimum tax hike - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Democrats needed 18 votes a supermajority required to raisetaxes — to send the bill to Gov. Ted Kulongoski’w desk. Beaverton Democrat Mark Hass voted againstthe measure. Democrat will likely try to convince Hass to vote for the measurd byamending it, possibly by writing a sunsetf into the bill. “It all dependa on him,” said J.L. Wilson, a lobbyist for Associated Oregob Industries, the state’s most powerful businesz group. “Hass made it cleare in his floor statements thathe didn’tg think it was a fair option to increases taxes permanently.
” Such a sunseft could lead other Democrats to vote against the However, because House Bill 3405 was technically table d — which would allow the measure, as to come up for another vote if leaders so choosde — majority leaders could also lobby moderate Republican members to support the corporate tax hikea as presented. At the close of Wednesday’es session, Sen. Margaret Carter, a Portland Democrat and co-chairf of the Ways and Meana Committee, gave an impassioned benediction that seemed to imploredRepublican “nay” voters. The measure was tabled as a procedural move.
Senators can call for a revote on a measur ethat fails, change theitr own vote to a “no” and then requesty that the matter be tabled, ostensibly so they can reconsider theie vote. Sen. Richard Devlin, the majoritg leader, used the move in an effort to have thematterd reconsidered. After the vote, the Senate tabled a related measure to raise personak income taxeson high-income individuals. “I’m disappointex that we came upshort today.
I reallyg believed that the package brought forwar by the chairs of the Revenue Committees woulc bring greater fairness and equity to our tax system and help fill the unprecedentec gap in ourstate budget,” said Senate Presidenrt Peter Courtney in a news release. “We won’t, let this setback derail the session. We are goin g to move forward toward adjournmenyt byJune 30.” House Speaker Dave Hunt issued a similare statement.
“We passed this revenue package because we believwe itis fair, balanced and protects critical services like education, health care and public Hunt, a Democrat from Clackamas, said in a news “We are making $2 billion deep cuts to the budget. This revenuew package ensures that we can protect thosed core servicesof education, health care and publifc safety. Without it, the cuts we will have to make willshuttee schools, harm seniors and cut to the bone the serviceas Oregonians care about greatly.
” The House on Tuesday voterd to increase the current corporatew minimum tax from $10 to betweebn $150 and $100,000, depending on the size of a Under the plan, corporate income tax rates would have risenn from 6.6 percent to 7.9 percent before revertinyg to 7.6 percent in 2011. The measures would have raised $261 million over the 2009-11 bienniumk and $775 million between 2009 and 2015. All 125,000 Oregon corporations woulf have paidmore taxes. Another measure sought to raise incomr taxes on individual filers earning morethan $125,000 and joint filerw earning more than $250,000. The bills combinesd would haveraised $582 million over the next two yearse and $1.
2 billion over the next six years. Lawmakers contendedd the measures could help reducethe state’s $4.2 billionh budget shortfall. Throughout the day, lobbyists tracked meetings betweenj Courtney, Hass and Democratic senatords Margaret Schrader and Joanne who were believed to beswing votes. Verger had expressed reservations, like Haas, that the tax increases would becomes permanent. Schrader and Verger eventually voted yes on the corporateetax measures. Hass couldn’t be reached for comment. “He had to have a lot of courag e to castthat vote,” said Jay Clemens, president and CEO of Associate Oregon Industries.
AOI recentl organized the Alliance of Oregon Business which represents morethan 40,000 businessesx across the state. It had called for a $300 flat tax, regardlesw of business size or income. Even before vote, business groups had expressesd concerns that Democrats were seeking a permanent tax not atemporary one. Phil Keisling, the formet Oregon Secretary ofState who’sx now an executive with Beaverton-based CorSource Technologyy Group, confirmed that many businesses were upsetf that Democrats sought to make the corporatwe income tax rate hike, from 6.6 percent to 7.9 permanent.
“We were told it woul d be temporary,” Keisling said of the earluy talks regarding theproposed hikes. “And we askefd them this week, ‘Whayt part of temporary don’t you understand?’”

Expeditors International expands to Santa Teresa - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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will occupy a 86,550-square-foot facility in the Verde Binational said the New Mexico EconomicDevelopment Department, which worked with the as did the Officee of Mexican Affairs, the Mesilla Valley Economic Developmentf Alliance and the . José E. district manager for Expeditors, said the new locatioj is an expansion for the company and offerds logistical advantages for serving its clients inthe U.S. and Santa Teresa is a border communityin south-central New has 170 offices and 12 international service centers on six The company offers transportation services for air ocean cargo, customs clearance, cargo insurance and claims, project cargo services and domestic cargo services.
Clark president and CEO of the NewMexico Partnership, said the company’sd expansion will bring valuable logistica services to the region’s supplier base, which focuses on the maquiladoraa sector in Mexico.

After year in disaster shelters, many Venezuelans still waiting for government ... - Washington Post

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After year in disaster shelters, many Venezuelans still waiting for government ... Washington Post Their long wait for government homes shows how far President Hugo Chavez still has to go to fulfill his promises of aid for the poor after nearly 13 years in office. Opposition politicians estimate that more than 30000 people remain in the shelters ... and more »

NZ fraud conviction no bar to Kiwi offending in Aust - Stuff.co.nz

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NZ fraud conviction no bar to Kiwi offending in Aust Stuff.co.nz Warren Attfield was sentenced to five years in prison in 1996 after admitting defrauding woodchip company South Wood Exports of $2.8m, much of which he gambled at the TAB, during six years.After serving his sentence Attfield moved to Australia. ... and more »

Tennessee Driver Service Centers Closed in Observance of Christmas, New Year's ... - Clarksville Online

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Tennessee Driver Service Centers Closed in Observance of Christmas, New Year's ... Clarksville Online Nashville, TN â€" The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security reminds citizens that state driver service centers will be closed for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays and urges citizens to plan accordingly. Driver service centers will ... Tennessee driver service centers closed in observance of holidays The Daily News Journal Driver Service Centers Closed In Observance Of Christmas, New Year's Day Holidays The Chattanoogan  »

Bulls' missing piece fits well - ESPN

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Bulls' missing piece fits well ESPN By Jon Greenberg CHICAGO -- With the exception of public address announcer Tommy Edwards' formally announcing his name, over and over, as "Richard Rip Hamilton," I think we can say Rip Hamilton's transition from hated Bulls' rival to starting shooting ... and more »

Safeway, King Soopers contracts extended - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The Safeway contract was set to run out King Soopers employees have been working without a deal sinced their contract expired onMay 30, meanint that the newest contract extension becomes retroactives to then. Those two chains, as well as , have been in negotiationxs with United Food and Commercial Workers UniomnLocal No. 7 since April 7, lookingf to come up with new five-year contracts. Safewah workers in late May voted to call for a strik eif necessary, and Safewayu and King Soopers — the latter a unit of Kroger Co. signed a pact allowing one chaib to lock out its workers ifthe other’s went on strike. No work stoppage has however.
Albertsons employees continue to work without a Negotiations have centered onpay increases, health-caree plans and pension The stores have said they must cut pension while the union has pushed back against Safeway made its latest contract offer to the union Union officials are having a consultanf analyze it before getting back to the UFCW spokeswoman Laura Chapin said No new negotiation dates have been set betweem the union and King Soopers.
But officialws with the chain are optimistifc that the contract extensionwill jump-start talks “Hopefully, this will provide the additional time neededf to work out issues on the King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan

Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Commercial Real Estate Listings - View Commercial Real Estate

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Plan pushed to remake South Second Street - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Kaufmann, a co-founder of a “green” firm called LLC, submittesd a conceptual design of how to change the look and function along anapproximatd one-mile stretch of South Second Streey to Good Magazine, a publication that specializews in urban design, transportation and a host of other social Kaufmann’s plan, designed by Milwaukes engineer Kieran Sweeney for free, for remaking Soutbh Second Street from north of West Pittsburghh Street to West National Avenue, received a second-placr award from Good Magazine.
The Second Street designn was ranked ahead of plans to remak streets around Times Square in NewYork City, New Zealand, and Flint, The first-place winner was a streetr design for Portsmouth, Va. Kaufmann was initiallyh inspired to submit a redesign for South Seconds Street after learning city and state transportatioj officials were planning to repave the mostly commercial She saw the repaving plan as an opportunity to incorporatwe sustainable strategies in the redevelopment ofthe street. Kaufmannh owns a commercial property on South SeconcdStreet that’s expected to be developed in 2010.
She was seeking support from public leaderx who might help advocate for things such as aggressivestormwatere management, solar powered lights and a more pedestrian-friendly “I was concerned at the absence of any real publicf policy vision for such an important said Kaufmann, who then decided to submit a conceptuao plan to Good Magazine. Milwaukee city engineer Jeff Polenskwe is negotiating with state Departmentg of Transportation to determinew if a remake of South Seconr Street will affect federal funding earmarked for makinh improvements tothe street.
There is currentl y a traffic flow analysis planned forthe Waukesha-based DOT District 2 director Dewayne Johnson couldd not be reached for commentr on the plan. “We are confident we may have flexibility in adding bike lanes and making improvements to stormwater managemenr alongthe corridor,” said Polenske. Kevin Shafer, executives director of the Milwaukee MetropolitanSewerage District, is an ardent supporter of the redesig plan of South Second Street. He viewss the reconstruction of the street as an opportune time to incorporatre new ways to capture stormwatedr and keep the runoff out of the combinedsewer system.
“We envision a series of rain gardenes and biosoils that include stretches of vegetatiojn to absorb much of the storm Shafer said. Polenske said streetscape decorative pavement or specialty lighting upgradex may be more difficult to find funding There have been several attempts to form a business improvementg district for the South Second Streeyt corridor in the past that would collect a special property assessment to defray the cost of somestreet improvements, said Kaufmann. A volunteer group has createe a BIDoperating plan, priced a number of elements that could be includexd in the plan and is seekiny community support.
“There are a handful of enthusiastic but we are in the Kaufmann said.

To improve sales calls, managers need to get out of the office - Austin Business Journal:

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Unfortunately, it doesn’t give many clues as to how successful the sales callreally was, or how it could have been improved. One way in which sales managerxs can greatly improve the performance of members of theid sales teams is by accompanying individuals onsalesa calls. During the a more accurate picture ofthe salesperson’s performance can be obtainex than simply relying on what the individual says at weeklhy sales meetings. It’s not that salespeople intentionall y try todeceive anyone, but theid explanations are colored by their interpretation of situations.
Thosre elements will be removedby first-hand observations, putting the manager in a betterd position to identify deficienciew and areas for improvement and then provide the most appropriatee help. Another reason to accompanyu salespeople on calls is to confirmthe company’es interest in prospective accountsx or to show appreciation for existinvg accounts. By “bringing the manager in,” the salespersonm strengthens the bond with the clientor prospect. bringing in the managerd means there is a greatert chance of meeting other members ofthe client/prospect company’s management team who normally wouls be insulated from the salesperson.
These callsd give the opportunity to not only but also deepenthe relationship. Here is a five-steo process for getting the most from join tsales calls. • Overall goals and account-specific goals and objectivea should be determined in Details should include specific tasks tobe completed, actionds to be taken and results to be achieved. This informationn should be shared with the salesperson far enough in advancse that the individual knows what will be expecteds of him or her during the plannee calls and has time to make thenecessary • Observation: During sales call meetings, the manager should assumee the role of observer, noting the salesperson’s general demeanotr and specific actions and reactions, especially those that relatre to the predetermined goals and objectives for the The manager must also listen intently to the prospect’s questions and answerxs and observe his or her actions and reactions.
The managetr must take accurate notes for later evaluation and discussion and must not rescue the call even if the salespersoj is doing apoor job, as this does nothinb to help the salesperson learn and generallty only strokes the ego of the sales The reality is that a poorl y performing salesperson is failing most of the time so one more time likely won’y hurt but could possibly help the salesperson learn how to handlse the situation next time and possibly becomre a better performer. • Evaluation: Observationse are shared with the inputs are obtained regardinb his or her actions and thought and results are compared with theplannef objectives.
Based on the comparison, areas for improvement can be identified. The analysiss may call for changes in strategy or tactica or refinement ofspecific skills.

Diversity in nonprofit world is invaluable - bizjournals:

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To this end, MCFI is thre years into an agencywide diversity program that is yielding positiv results in terms ofclient satisfaction, staff morale and employeew recruitment. The agency provides rehabilitation serviced to individuals with special needsw andtheir families. “We want to make diversitg intertwined in the fabric ofthe organization,” said Al Hill Jr., directofr of diversity, learning and development and head of the Hill leads a 15-member MCFI diversity team charged with implementing the In assembling the team, Hill recruitesd employees not just of different ethnicities, genderx and ages, but also from different levels of managemeny and nonmanagement and from different units within the agency.
In addition, the initiative is not “top down,” with management directing, but “bottoj up,” with team memberxs soliciting input from their peer to bring tothe team. “One time we even kickede Al out of the room becausew he was too close to an issu e we werestruggling with,” laughed Joua Xiong, a human resourced generalist and team member. Within Milwaukee Center for Independence, the team focuseas on education. “Cultural competencyy is invaluable when working with familiesin close-knit such as Hmong and Russian,” Hill said. “Wd help our case managers know what they need to besensitivw to.
” For example, Xion g said, some Asians feel it is disrespectfulp to look someone in the eye. Russia families can be reluctant toadmit non-Russian caregivers into theirr homes. “Understanding the values and practices of differentf ethnic groups helps us retain clients and gain new she said. The team distributed an internal surveuy that foundthat work-life balance is a key concern of In response, it established a workiny parents employee resource group to explorse the issue.
Also, an MCFI program matches new employees with seasoned staff members who acts as Externally the diversity team is helpingb to improve employee recruitment by studying best practices to make the cented a welcomingwork environment. “Diversity is an assey when recruiting, especially in highly competitive fields such as physicall therapyand nursing,” said Xiong. Added Hill, “Today’s applicants are lookingy at your organization as muchas you’re lookinh at them.
They want to feel comfortable being who they are in the To aidin recruitment, the team has formed alliance s with area diversity groups such as Hispanic Professionales of Greater Milwaukee, the National Black Nurses Association and severa minority fraternities and sororities. In addition to a periodic newsletter called “Diversity Corner,” the team sponsor an annual Diversity Day. This year’s event in Aprip included a speaker on diversity in two spoken word artists performing poetry about social justicr andequality issues; and talksz about the culture behind ethnic food and wearinb apparel. A popular part of the event was “Diversitg Jeopardy!
”, where four employee teams joined inspirited competition. It is not easy to make a majoe shift in the culture of an entire but diversity team membersfeel MCFI’s initiative is havinv an impact. “Since I’ve been on the I’ve heard stories about how peopl are much more aware of other said Xiong, who is Hmong. “oI have grown tremendously professionally as well as and I am able to shars my experiences with my family members and dispel theird stereotypes about certainother cultures.
”

It's official: 15 General Motors dealers in Colorado to lose franchises - bizjournals:

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It was the first definitive statement of exactly how many GM dealersd in the state were informed thay will lose theifr franchise agreementsin 2010. The Coloradoi Automobile Dealers Association previously had estimated the numbedr at 13 to 15 based on reports from GM still is not releasing the namew ofthe 1,323 dealers it planz to drop nationwide, including the 15 in The information came in a list releasecd by the House Energy and Commerce Committee'sx Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, based on informatiom provided by GM. Executives of GM and Chrysler, which plans to shed 14 Colorado dealers, testifierd before Congress about their dealetplans Friday.
GM's car linesx include Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Saturn and Hummer. It has some 6,000 dealershipds nationwide. Letters sent in mid-May to GM dealerds the company plannedto drop, a copy of whicnh was obtained by the Denver Business said the automaker reviewed each of its sales volume, profitability, capitalization, location and facilitiea along with other "market patterns." . "Based on our review and current and foreseeable market conditionsd andyour dealership's historica performance, we do not see that GM can have a productive business relationship with [namew of dealership] over the long term," said the letter, datedx May 14.
About 92 of Colorado'as 264 auto dealerships sell one or moreGM lines, said Tim Jacksob of the state auto dealers group. Additional dealers may lose theirfranchises later, GM has

School rankings are on the way - Business First of Buffalo:

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The exclusive academic ratings of more than 700 Western New York districtas and schools will be based on four yearse of test data compiled by the New York StatEducation Department. Portions of the Business Firsg package will be released on this Web sitefrom Monday, June 1, though Friday the fifth. The complete package, including a substantial amount of material not available through the will be presented inBusiness First’s 2009-10 Guide to Western New York a 140-page publication that will hit newsstandss on June 5.
This year’s guid will include statistical profiles and ratingd for all districts and schools inthe eight-county region, along with several feature stories on local educatora and school systems. All Business First subscribers will receiv the Guide to Western New York Schools with theid June5 papers. Copies also can be ordered by callingt 716-541-1630. Single issues are priced at $14.95. A list of the 200 largest salarieas paid to Western New York school And the announcement of the 100 members ofthe All-Westernm New York Academic Team, the brightest high school seniors in the Tuesday: Rankings of 292 elementary schools.
And a stor on the growing performance gap betweenn girls and boys in Western NewYork schools. Rankings of 211 middle schools. And a look at 13 hypotheticalk mergers of localschool districts. Thursday: Rankings of 131 high And a story on the best sports programw atlocal schools. Friday: Rankings of 97 schoolk districts. And special ratings of the most cost-effective

Using efficiency to gain an edge - Business First of Louisville:

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President C. Michael Stewart is aware of the "I know it sounds funny," he said. "We'rse a printer, and we don't even prinr our own employee handbook anymore." But losing business to the Web is not According to executives atseveral Louisville-area printin g firms, business in generall has been in a slump for the past two In part, the economy has been but printers also have been losingy work because more and more materiaol is available online instead of on To grow their businesses, the executives say they have been lookin g to increase efficiency and productivity through variousz means, including developing innovative internal production processes as well as using new equipmen and software applications.
Many printerd also are increasing efficiency by usintg theInternet themselves. One company increasing efficiencyh by enhancing a production process is BeechmongtPress Inc., a Louisville firm that annually handlex about 5,000 jobs and has sales of about $15 When the company receives computer-generated projects from Beechmont now focuses on an intensivd "preflight" of the page layout files that make up the job. preflight involves a cursoryg inventory of the files to see if allsuppor items, such as fonts and are present.
Now the processa at Beechmont also includes verifying the page countand size, the numbefr of colors, and other detailes to compare the job received to the quote the companyy gave the client. During the past few years, "thix process has migrated from a task done after jobs entefr production to a rolefurther upstream," said Jim Beechmont's prepress manager. "This increases our efficiency in a numberof ways," he said. "Customersx can be notified sooner of problems that may affecty the cost or timelg delivery oftheir job. All elementsd of the electronic art are guaranteed to be therd whenproduction begins.
" With the job he said, employees have "an accurate portrayalo of the steps necessary to produc e the job. "The correct paper, ink and plates can be Production steps are less likely to be he said. "And, finally, we can let our productiom personnel concentrate onmanufacturing details." Productiohn personnel at AdPlex-Rhodes, formerly Rhodes Printingf Group, are taught to concentrate on efficiency throughh an extensive classroom-based training program. The Souther Indiana company had morethan $118 milliobn in sales in 2001. In the company merged with a Houston retailpromotions company, to becomee AdPlex-Rhodes.
According to Steve Spies, who is vice president of operationaat AdPlex-Rhodes in Charlestown, although most printingb companies provide training, few provide extensive classroom-basede instruction in the way AdPlex-Rhodesw does. Spies said he believes this is the best methox for cutting down on errors andincreasinfg productivity. "We train by position," Spies said. "So if say, a first-press we have a checklistt of all the areas you need to be trainexdin — roller settings, starting up a hanging plates. It migh t be 100 different things. We have a full-time persob putting together training packages, and employeez who are already expertsa in their areas leadthe classes.
We also have outside vendore come in." Some printing companieds are creating efficiencies by bundling servicesfor clients. For Vivid Impact Corp., a Louisville firm with about $12 million in annua l sales, has bundled several printing andrelated "Progressive printing companies are adopting a philosophy of becoming a graphixc arts service provider, adopting several graphicsz services under one roof so the processs of purchasing printing services and products is more efficient," said Earl president of Vivid Impact.

Ford will stop Claycomo F-150 production for a week - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The UAW Local 249 poster the information in a newsletter on its Web Local 249 Vice President Bobby Wyse confirmed Mondagy that the informationis accurate. The productionb stoppage comes a week before an alreadyyscheduled one-week summer break for the entire plant starting June 29, a Local 249 spokeswoman said. The plantg also is scheduled for a summer break durinf the weekof Aug. 17. Sale s of Ford F-series trucks were 33,381 in May, up 16 percent from 28,757y in April but down 22.3 percentg from 42,973 in May 2008. UAW Local 249 said the slighf increasein month-to-month sales enabled Ford (NYSE: F) to cancel the schedulecd down week on June 22 at its F-150 truck planft in Dearborn, Mich.
, but the down week was left intactt at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. “Thi s is partially due to depleted fundds forthe state’s Division of Unemployment in Michigan, makinh down weeks at (Dearborn) less of an option,” the Locaol 249 said in the newsletter. Local 249 addedd that sales projections continue to be less than the five shifts at the two truck plants can produce if they work full time throug h the 2010production year. Ford runs two shiftsz at Claycomo and threein Dearborn.
Wyse said Ford is considerinyg once again moving a shift fromthe F-150 side of the Kansads City Assembly Plant and putting them to work on the SUV However, nothing has been determined so far, he A year ago, Ford moved about 800 workers from a second shiftg on the F-150 side of the Kansaxs City plant to a third shift on the SUV side. The employeews were moved back tothe F-1590 side on Jan. 12. Ford Escape sales in May reachedx 16,391, up 20.6 percent from 13,596 in Aprilk but down 7.2 percent from 17,6678 in May 2008. The Kansas City Assemblu Plant also produces the Mercury Mariner and hybrid versionxs of the Ford Escape andMercurgy Mariner.
Combined sales of hybrid versions of the Ford Mercury Milan, Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner reacher 3,906 in May, a new company The old sales record of 3,420 hybrifd vehicles was set in Aprilo 2006. As of May, Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Planf in Claycomo hadabout 3,900 hourlyh and 200 salaried employees.

Global retail provides investment opportunities - Memphis Business Journal:

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For the fourth time in five years, that countrg is considered the most attractive forretail investment, according to ’s annuao Global Retail Development Index, which looks at retailp investment attractiveness in 30 emerging "With economic conditions in developed marketse improving so slowly, emerging markets are becoming much more important sources of growth for global retailers," said Hana A.T. Kearney partner and co-leade of the study, in a news release. Russia, the United Arab Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Chile, Brazil, Slovenia and Malaysiq round outthe index’s 2009 top 10 countries.
As home pricesa decline and consumers keep tightf hold of their purse strings in the global expansion is becoming more important as a strategyfor growth, according to the global managemeny consulting firm. Low inflation and rent reductiones of up to 40 percentin tier-2 and tier-3e cities also help make India the most attractive retailk investment destination, the report notes. Meantime, retails sales in Russiz are projected to grow 15 percent a year over the nextfive years, while in China a $585 billionj stimulus package and efforts to boost economicv consumption are showing earlty signs of success, as retail salex have grown in early 2009, the report noted.

Philadelphia Business Journal: Moves at Lamb McErlane, Fox Rothschild

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There has not been a heavu flow of law firm partners switching firms this year when you take the refugeezs from the dissolving Wolf Block out of the The downturn in the economy may have limited some lawyers in their interestto move, and many firms in theirf ability to take on new lawyers

Stuck with a true case of congestion - Los Angeles Times

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Stuck with a true case of congestion Los Angeles Times A team of Texas traffic researchers confirms what many LA motorists have long suspected: the northbound stretch of Interstate 110 between I-10 and Stadium Way is the most congested in the nation. By Hector Tobar For much of my adult life, ...

Early applications on rise at colleges - The Boston Globe

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Daily Beast

Early applications on rise at colleges The Boston Globe At a few schools, early applicant numbers are down, though not by much. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw about a 5 percent decrease. “This was not unexpected,'' said MIT's dean of admissions, Stuart Schmill. “In some ways, I was expecting ... Colleg e Reports 4245 Early-Action Applicants Harvard Magazine Proud to Apply to Harvard Harvard Crimson Harvard University Considering The Addition Of LGBT Option On Admissions ... Huffington Post Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) (blog)  »

ESPN to share Spanish soccer rights with GolTV - Dallas Business Journal:

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One member of La Liga, Real Madrid, has made headlines recentlty acquiring two of the biggest names in the sport -- Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo's transfer recentl made waves for being the most expensivse transfer inthe sport's history. Matches will be showh on both ESPN2 andESPN Deportes, as well as ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com will also have rightxs to Copa del Rey, Spain’z domestic cup tournament. "We’re thrilled to work with GolTV to showcas e La Liga on ESPN for the first time to soccer fans inthe U.S.
With the pending additionh of Cristiano Ronaldoand Kaka, the timing is great to includs this great property to the ESPN Deported line-up, as it is the most excitingy soccer league in the world today," Lino Garcia, generao manager of ESPN Deportes, said in a

Room disservice - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Several hotels have implemented surcharges aimed at recouping some of the additionalmoney they've spent because of higher energy costs. The Pittsburgh Hilton, Station Square and -- formerly the Doubletrees -- each have started to charge nomina lper room, per day energy fees. Rick executive director of the Greater PittsburgnHotel Association, said several suburban hotels also have implementef nominal energy surcharges. In other Downtown hotels may join the Sheratonand Westin. "I do know several othert properties are lookingat this," Mr . Strunik said. The local hotels aren't alone.
Hotelsa in cities from San Diego to Atlantw have been implementing energy surcharges after a winter that saw some of the highestg natural gas pricesin history. In average monthly spot prices for naturapl gas had nearly quadrupled since the previous according to nationalenergy data. In each of the three hotelzs mentioned above that have implemented surcharges was directed by its corporatr parent todo so. Hilton genera manager Conrad Wangeman said the hotel chain instructesd Hilton managers in cities where energy costs have risenh steadily to implementa $3-per-dayh energy surcharge. The Pittsburgh Hilton implemented the surchargre around the second weekof April.
"It's a temporary chargd until this whole situationis settled," Mr. Wangeman "From our customers' standpoint, especiallg there in California, this is not a shocker to Mr. Wangeman said guests so far have not raisedf much of a fuss about the charge because theyunderstands hotels, like other businesses, could not have anticipate d the higher costs and budgeted for The Hilton didn't say how much its energy costd rose, but Mr. Wangeman said the surchargde won't be enough to recoul all of theadditional costs. He said the Hiltomn would try to accommodatelarge groups, like if they contend they can't afford the surcharge.
"Iv there's a group that says, `Hey, we didn't budgef for this either,' we'lp do the right Mr. Wangeman said. "In general, there'sa been a very understanding acceptanceof it." Over at the Westibn Convention Center Hotel, general manager Joe Kane said the hotelk implemented a $2.50-per-day energy surcharge within the past 45 Mr. Kane said the hotel explainsx the necessity of the surcharg toeach guest. "It's not something we're happy about," he said. "It's something we feel we're stucko with until we see some abatement of these highenergy costs." However, Mr.
Kane said the Westi n is taking steps in addition to the The hotel has asked guests staying more than one night to place on their beds a special card found in each ifthey don't mind not havint sheets changed after each night. Westinb employees will change the sheetsx daily in rooms where the cardw are not onthe Mr. Kane said. Also, if multiple-night guestw don't mind reusing towels after onlyone use, they're asked to hang them back on the bathroo rack. If they want new towels aftef each night, they're asked to put them on the so employees will know to stocknew ones.

Surman on hold as surf flat - Sunshine Coast Daily

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Surman on hold as surf flat Sunshine Coast Daily Sunshine Coast surfer Mitch Surman was ready and waiting for his heat two clash with Brazilian Eduardo Bage. On another lay day on Sunday, the tour paid homage to the victims of the flooding which recently devastated the Cinque Terre area. ...

Season-ticket sales strong for Sabres - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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This past season, the Sabres countes 14,800 season-ticket holders at HSBC which hasa per-game capacity of 18,690. Althougjh the Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs for a seconfconsecutive season, team officialsa have expressed optimism that the season-ticket count could be The Sabres now plan to make available between 500 and 700 additionap season tickets this year for members of theire “Blue & Gold Club.” “Our seasonj ticket holders are the lifeblood of this said Chief Operating Officed Dan DiPofi. “Since the first day Tom Golisano purchasex the teamin 2003, we wanted to be sure our season-tickert holders received the best price on theirt tickets.
In return, our fans have been fiercelt loyal to us and we take great pride in the partnership we have nurture with them over the lastseveral years.” The Buffallo Sabres Blue & Gold Club was createf to accommodate the continuing interest fans have in obtainingb Buffalo Sabres season tickets by developing a priorityt “waiting list” for perspective buyers. Club members have the opportunityg toreserve priority-seating status and receive exclusived membership benefits as they wait for seating to become The NHL will release the 2009-10 Leagu schedule in early July and the Sabresd will announce individual game ticket pricexs at that time.
The Sabres will agaibn utilize variable ticket pricing for all home gamesnext season.

Tina Montgomery and Jennifer Hanseler

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Now they deliver fish. Their Seattlr company Surfin’ Seafood isn’t large, but it has struck a chord among upscale consumerzs willing to pay a little morefor high-end seafood that has been flash-frozenb to stay fresh, and that is delivererd to their doors. After gradualo but steady growth, Surfin’ Seafood now has aboutt 1,200 customers, in an area ranging from Federalk Wayto Everett. Revenue reacheed $250,000 last year and continues to grow, althougj the customer count has hita plateau.
With an eye to familhy life (both are married and have two children Montgomery and Hanseler have carefully set boundaries so that theirf business can be workeed aroundtheir children’s school and athletic schedules, and eveningx at home. For instance they don’tg take phone orders, but only over the And they deliver onlyonce monthly, driving theier family minivans to delivefr selections of frozen fish packed in blue plastic coolers that look like big The company has avoided debt and has only modestr growth plans. “Really, we don’t want to be We’re going to take it as it comes.
We have been on a very stead growth path, consistently from the very beginning,” Montgomery said. “We don’f want to have venture capital fundinhg to become this hugenationwide (leader) in One of the company’s chief selling pointse is seafood that is frozen quickly to keep it as fresh as possible. So-called freshj seafood often has perched on a pile of ice for and in these conditions seafoodc rapidly declines in Seafood doesn’t age well like beef does, and frozen seafoord is not a step down from as it is with produce.
“A lot is frozej at sea, or within hours of harvest, and it capturee that just-caught flavor,” said Linda Driscoll, assistant retaiol director forthe , based in Juneau. Surfin’ Seafood isn’tf exactly cheap; the “mini” package costs $110 a monthu for about eight pounds ofassorted salmon, prawns, sole and tuna. The company avoids lower-end seafood productas (no fish sticks here), and allows people to substitutwe in their ordersby email. One recession-era tren the company is tapping is that consumersw are moving awayfrom white-tablecloth restaurants — wherew most high-quality seafood is eaten — to eatinfg at home.
“I just think people are eatingv athome more, and they want to make it easy to have high-qualityy ingredients at home, so they can eat at home more Montgomery said. “This is a way to have restaurantyquality fish, at home.” While the companuy employs only the two partners and sometimes a helper, and sometimes their children, a key to makinvg it work is the South Seattled seafood packer Surfin’ Seafood uses T.H. Seafood freezersd to store its seafood, and also contractws out the cutting and packint tothe company. T.H. Seafood Corp.
Saless Director Cliff Davenport said he was at firstg dubious aboutthe proposal, when the partner approached him to supply and pack theirt seafood. “It only took two weeks, but we decided they’rw really nice people… They’rse in the same mindset of producing a qualityu product and guaranteeing it when it goes out the he said. “So we took them Davenport said that his warehouse has enougn room to store their frozen products as well astheidr coolers, adding that his own staff does the cuttinh and packing. “They don’t interfere with our side, and prettgy much they have their ownlittlew space.
We have enough room everyons can function without disrupting everybody he said. As for Surfin’ the partners say they’re just riding out the economic “We think this next year or two we want to be Hanseler said. “We’d love to but really if we could keepit steady, we’rse kind of happy.”

Mueller sells Utah Railway for $54 million - Business First of Columbus:

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Mueller will recognize a gain on the sale ofabout $30 millionm after tax, or 80 cents per in the fiscal quarter ended September 28. Closing is conditioned upon approval of the SurfaceTransportation Board, among other things. Mueller says it anticipates the board'd approval on an expedited basis. Mueller chairmahn Harvey Karp says the sale of Utah Railwayconcludes Mueller's plan to dispose of non-core businesss assets. The transaction will increase the company's cash position by aboutt $50 million, he says. Mueller Industriesa is a manufacturerof copper, brass, plastic and aluminum Previously based in Kan.
, Mueller relocated its headquarters to Memphisa in 1996 to be closer to its main plants in the Tennessee and Michigan. In all, the companyg operates nine plantsin Tennessee, Mississippu and Arkansas. Greenwich, Conn.-based Genesee & Inc., is a world-class provider of rail-freight transportation and itssupportinfg services. It functions as a holding company with subsidiaries that own and operatw regionalfreight railroads. The company owns or has interestse in more than 20 railroads in theUnitedd States, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and It operates more than 8,000 miles of owned and lease track, with access to an additional 2,350 miles througb track access arrangements.

Edison wins approval for solar panel installation - Business First of Buffalo:

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During the next five years Edisonwill install, own and operated 150 solar panels that will generate 250 megawattas of power. Edison was also granted the ability to solicigtother solar-power companies to install similard panel arrays and sell the power back to up to an additional 250 Edison says the 500 total megawattsd makes the project "the largesr photovoltaic program ever undertaken." “The program will creatwe hundreds of neighborhood soladr power plants, strengthen local grid reliability and producew hundreds of new green jobs to bolster Southernn California’s economic recovery,” Chairman and CEO Theodores F. Craver Jr., said in a statement.
The first Edison site has already been completed on the roof of a distributioj warehousein Fontana. According to it is the largest singler rooftop solar photovoltaic array inthe nation. Both Southernh California Edison and its parent Edison International (NYSE: EIX) are based in

Some vets look to East for treatments - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Now, some pet owners spend $100 per week on acupuncture fortheir dogs. "That' a pretty expensive treatment if you can get a Westerhn medicine that does thesame thing," said Al Raymond, a veterinariaj and co-owner of the in But sometimes there is no Western medical treatment that can help an ailinvg dog or cat. That's when pet desperate to keep their best friends alivweand pain-free, turn to more unusual licensed veterinarians who advertise a holistic health with services such as acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropracticd care. "It's not mainstream," said Jodi Van Tine, a veterinaria n with in Sacramento.
"You can't get certified in acupuncture orherbal medicine." But those treatments are becomingh more common, said Peter a veterinary anesthesiologist at who also practiceds animal acupuncture. Organizations such as the in Fort Colo., and the Chi Institutre in Reddick, Fla., offer coursesz annually for veterinarians who want to learbnthe skills. Pascoe said thers were about 100 people in the class he took at the International Veterinary Acupuncture Societyin 2001. "A lot of veterinarianes who were there thought it woulc be a good addition totheirf practice," he said. "They had clients who were askingfor it.
" TURNAROUND Veterinarian Signe Beebe foundee the Integrative Veterinary Center in 2000. It offerds acupuncture, herbal medicine, physical therapy and chiropracticf carefor pets. Van who previously had a veterinary practiceein Folsom, joined the clinic last year afte bringing her own golden retriever to Beebe for cancerf treatment. Van Tine said she chose acupuncturre to easethe retriever's pain and improve her dog's energ levels instead of tryin to cure the cancer with "I've seen what (chemotherapy) does," she "It just makes them sick. it kills the animal before it killsthe cancer.
" Raymoned and his business partner, Kris Dailey, are licensed veterinarians who workef for an animal hospital in Ranchop Cordova before deciding to open theirf own practice in Davis. "We were both getting frustrated that there werecases (for we couldn't offer any suggestions for our patients, cases where Wester medicine stopped," Raymond said. In additioj to traditional veterinary services, their clinifc offers acupuncture, chiropractic techniques, herbal remedies, Chinese medicine and treatmen with a machine called theBICOM 2000, which the clinix advertises as a computer that sends an electromagnetic wave to destroyg disease-causing microorganisms and Roseville resident Tracy Herson credits acupuncturde and BICOM 2000 treatmentds at the Animal Wellneses Center for saving her miniatur pinscher, Bella.
She said she first went to a differengt veterinarian who gave Bella standard veterinary care for treatinh pancreatitis andliver disease. But Bella kept getting worse. "Sh e had gone from 10 pounds to 4," Herson "She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't She would just look at me with thosesad ...I was to the point where I was feeling like I was keepin g her alive for myself, and she was suffering." She took the dog to who started acupuncture treatments to calm Bella's digestive system, and then startex the BICOM treatment. "The turnaroundd was amazing," Herson "In one week she started eatingt again.
Her liver enzymes went Herson estimates she and her husband have spent closeto $10,000 over two years on treatments for Bella, including almost $5,000 for the gallstonee surgery and $1,500 for one year of treatment at the Anima l Wellness Center. One year later, Bella is healthy and Herson said.

Sources say - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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The East Coast ports are going to continue to do If the regional expectation was the current answer is twoyears later. What’s pushing it back isn’t just the economy, but that there is a lot of capacity in the West Coasft now due tothe —John Giles, RailAmerica Inc. CEO and president The port has severaol interesting dynamics at play that will determine if and when the port will meet itsanticipatedr projections. The supply chain has become a very complexx model and in many casezs can provide a competitive advantag e formanufacturing companies.
The company that can source the best productsx for thelowest cost, with the shortest lead time and carries the least amountg of inventory while still meetinb demand usually has the best price point. The effectss of the economy have forced many manufacturers to reassess their supply chains to maintaimnthat advantage. The containers that flow throug the port need to have local drayage to locacross docks, warehouses and rail yarda to continue their flow through the supplyy chain.
will benefit with the increased volumes acrossw all of our service We have several customers who consolidatse material in Jacksonville by way of rail or truc k and then transload that material into shippinhg containers for exportthrough Jaxport. In we have a number of warehouse customers who bringb their material through our warehouses wherr we performnumerous value-added activities beford eventually shipping to the final destination. —Shawn PenserSC, CEO Once the economy importsshould rebound. The next thing the port needsd is dredging to 50 feet of watetr to allow the port to accommodate the largestg and most efficientcontainer vessels.
Lastly, the wideninhg of the Panama Canal will make it a lot more efficientt for the carriers to ship directly to the East The growth of the port in Jacksonville will not do much to grow the size ofthe U.S. to Puertok Rico market — it’s driven on consumptionb — but it will allow the Puerto Rico carrierzs to becomemore efficient. The growth of imports into Jacksonvilled will continue to shift the sourcingb of goods to Puerto Rico from the Northeast to the Southeastf as more distribution centere are built to accommodate the growthin —Frank Peake, President Once the new Hanjin [Shippinbg Company Ltd.
] terminal is completed and steamshipp companies have time under theie belt using the TraPac [Inc.] facility, Jaxport will be meeting its potential. Jaxport will hit its potential for onemain reason: timing. Timing has givem Jacksonville the ability for plannedd infrastructure development aroundthe port. The immediatw growth will stem from our trucking and drayage divisions servicingfthe port. As new steamship companies call on the we will be handling more localize d incoming andoutgoing We’ll also be able to use our vast truckm network that transports more round trip internationap containers by moving import freight to the finakl customer and using these same containers to handls our customers’ export freight.
—Al Steele, , CEO and president

The University of Kansas Hospital Company Profile | Company Information

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The cancer program is basef inthe region

AG wins judgement against mortgage firm - Boston Business Journal:

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Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley won the judgement against Zeus Fundin LLC andits manager, Rachel Noyes, earlier this week in Boston’s Suffolok Superior Court. In August 2006, Coakley’s officwe sued Zeus Funding as wellas Massachusetts-based ; Rachekl Noyes, manager of both Zeus and New Englanrd Merchants; Massachusetts-based ; and Roberta Robinson, the manager and sole officerf of Champagne Associates. The lawsuir alleged that the defendantsz used their businesses to deceptively persuade low-income residents to purchasing homews and obtain mortgages they consumers couled not qualify for or afford.
Last Coakley settled with New England Champagne Associates Real Estate andRoberta Robinson. Under the termsx of the agreement, the defendants are prohibitexd from engaging in any mortgage brokeragwe or real estate servicesin Massachusetts. New England Merchants will paya $5,009 civil penalty. However, if any one of the defendante performs any real estatee or mortgage brokerage services in they will face a civikl penaltyof $100,000.

Obama has dinner with 4 campaign donors - Boston.com

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Boston.com

Obama has dinner with 4 campaign donors Boston.com President Barack Obama has dinner with campaign donors and winners of the "Dinner with Barack" contest at The Liberty Tavern in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Va., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. From left to right: Ken Knight, US postal worker from ... Who's picki ng up the tab? 4 Obama campaign donors have dinner with the president Washington Post Retirees, postal worker get dinner with Obama Chicago Sun-Times Obama has dinner with 4 campaign donors San Francisco Chronicle BusinessWeek  »

BBB warns of loan scam - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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According to the BBB, Bloomfield Lending Groupo advertises online and claims to be located at514 S. Stratforxd Road, Suite 110, in Winston-Salem. That officew suite has actually been vacant for severakl years and phone numbers the company providexs to customers arenot local, the warning Also, the N.C. Banking Commission has no information on the though Bloomfield claims to be licensed inthe state.
The company’xs Web site does not providd any contacttelephone number, only an e-mail The BBB’s warning also noted that the contractf customers are required to sign requires several monthl y payments in advance, which is prohibited by stater law as a condition of credit Warning signs of advance fee loan scamw include pressure to act immediately or an apparently lack of interest in the borrower’sx credit history.
The BBB said borrowerss should always request all necessary paperwork in advance beford deciding whether or not to apply fora loan, and they shoule carefully investigate any loan offers, particularly those that offer “fastg money” or “guaranteed approval.”

North Shore theater likely to liquidate - Business First of Buffalo:

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Theater executives announced Tuesday that the financiallhy distressed theater has failed to raisethe $2 millioj it needed to put on 2009 productions, althoughg more than $500,000 in pledges have been made since the theated announced a turn-around strategy in mid April. “Thee thing we know is that we’re not puttintg on a 2009 season. I thinl the very likely consequence of that is that we will very quicklh go outof business,” said David Fellows, chairma of the North Shore Music Theatrr board.
“Whether it’s Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 it’s completely up in the air at the Without a production seasonjthis year, the theater is unabled to address the substantial debts of its creditors and restore the theater’ss economic health, said Fellows. The theater is approximatelyu $10 million in debt, including large mortgageds on its property and buildingsx and debts to the Stateof Massachusetts, and subscriber who paid in advance for the 2009 season. Fellows said most of the theater’xs 4,400 subscribers are unlikely to get theitrmoney returned. Subscriptions cost upwards of $350 per seat.
Theaterf executives are in discussionsa with senior creditors and are reviewing a liquidation to maximized the value ofthe theater’s assets for its stakeholderws as well as identify potential “friendly” buyers of the propertyh who might consider a lease back of the Fellows said.

Salaries for Erie County teachers - Business First of Buffalo:

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for an explanation of these • Akron -- Start: $38,637 (13). $48,896 (42). Peak: $83,503 (21). • Alden -- $35,680 (48). Median: $49,442 Peak: $87,263 (5). • Amherst -- Start: $37,650 Median: $51,683 (22). Peak: $84,642 (17). • Buffalk -- Start: $33,900 (70). Median: $50,100 Peak: $73,943 (71). • Cheektowagaq -- Start: $36,626 (35). $46,525 (63). Peak: $84,957 (14). Cheektowaga-Maryvale -- Start: $37,629 Median: $52,690 (18). Peak: $88,130 (4). • Cheektowaga-Sloaj -- Start: $39,720 (11). Median: $56,836 Peak: $86,816 (6). • Clarence -- Start: $36,575 Median: $50,918 (24). $83,516 (20). • Cleveland Hill -- $34,390 (61). Median: $45,868 (68).
$78,881 (42). • Depew -- Start: $37,4898 (23). Median: $45,079 (75). Peak: $89,170 (3). • East Aurora -- $33,640 (79). Median: $45,266 Peak: $79,542 (39). • Eden -- $33,675 (76). Median: $47,715 (52). Peak: $78,97e (40). • Evans-Brant -- Start: $37,976 Median: $53,383 (15). Peak: $85,398 (12). • Frontier -- Start: $34,000 Median: $47,570 (54). Peak: $82,193 (25). • Grand Island -- Start: $40,068 (8). $61,235 (3). Peak: $91,390 (1). Hamburg -- Start: $34,000 (65). Median: $45,718 Peak: $78,602 (44). Holland -- Start: $33,670 (77). $47,485 (55). Peak: $81,000 (33). Iroquois -- Start: $33,750 (72). Median: $48,50 0 (45). Peak: $82,000 (28).
• Kenmore-Tonawanda -- $36,289 (37). Median: $57,654 (9). Peak: $85,703 (9). Lackawanna -- Start: $36,701 (34). $49,907 (32). Peak: $82,142 • Lancaster -- Start: $33,7254 (74). Median: $44,725 (77). $81,300 (31). • North Collinsw -- Start: $34,341 (62). Median: $48,373w (47). Peak: $74,397 • Orchard Park -- Start: $37,420 Median: $59,000 (6). Peak: $85,960 (8). Springville-Griffith Institute -- Start: $36,050 (40). Median: $47,986 (49). Peak: $82,019 (27). • Sweegt Home -- Start: $39,721 (10). Median: $60,351 (4). $90,893 (2). • Tonawanda -- Start: $34,942 Median: $47,242 (58). Peak: $73,982 (70). West Seneca -- Start: $40,468 (7). $51,792 (21).
Peak: $81,853 • Williamsville -- $42,059 (2). Median: $63,918 (1). Peak: $85,665 to proceed to the salary chartr for teachers inNiagara County.

Union extends deadline for new Safeway contract - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The extension was announced late Thursday by the United Food and Commerciap Workers UnionLocal No. 7, whichb represents about 17,000 Denver-area grocery workerz now negotiating new contractswith Albertson’s and . It is the third extension in theSafewah talks, which began in early Safeway workers voted last month to call for a strikew if necessary, but neither side has indicatedx that a strike is likely in the near Both Albertson’s and King Sooperse workers are operating without contracts right now. Negotiations cented around the issuesof wages, pension benefits and health-care plans.
Safewa y and King Soopers have offeredpension cuts, pay raises for just a portiobn of the workers and new preventative health-care benefits, sayinv that with the rise of non-unio n grocery stores, some cutbacks must be “I think this [latest extension] gives us an opportunity to continud to negotiate and really be able to tackle the toug h issues like wages and pensionn benefits,” said Kris Staaf, Safeway’s Denver-ares director of public affairs. The latest counter-proposal from Safeway workers calls for annualo pay increases of 75 cents per hour over the durationm ofthe five-year contract, according to UFCW spokeswoman Laurs Chapin.
It also seeks assurances that workerd can continue receiving pension benefita at age 50 rather than havinf to wait untilage 62, that current healthu benefits are not decreased and that currenrt health-care premiums are not increased. Safeway has not made a new contractr proposal, Staaf said. Sherree Carlson, a 15-year Safewayt employee from Westminster, expressed frustration over the pace of negotiationse in a news release put out bythe “We gave you a proposal a week ago, and you keep comingg back at us with the same Carlson said.
“We need a fair deal and we need to keep the work and the workerse here inour

'Another Level' - Wichita Business Journal:

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The same day he arrived in Wichita from Florida, he attended an Urban Leagu event. Two days he was meeting with his new staff and members of the board trying to map out a plan for the nonprofigt organization tomove forward. That was last March when 50, became the new president and CEO of theUrbaj League, replacing Brian Black, who left the organization to become the community affairs managert at Daniel has been busy since. “There was no real honeymoonh for me when I got he says. Daniel left behine 15 years of service at the Urban League of Jacksonville, where he was the vice presidenyt for economic and strategic initiatives.
In he oversees 32 full- and part-timew employees and an annual operating budgegof $1.5 million. Daniel spenf most of his first year meeting people in the communityu and promoting theUrban League, an organizationb that advocates on behalf of blacksx in education, work force development and He brought with him a business savvy that he says servese the Urban League well. “My whole reason for beinfg here is to take this organizatioh toanother level,” Daniell says. He says he wantsz the Urban League to generate more unrestricted incomwe tobecome self-sustaining and less dependeng on charity giving.
To do that, Daniel is working on a way for the Urbamn Leagueto recruit, screen and train workers for Wichita People have taken notice of his “He certainly seems to have a visiojn within the organization,” say Connie Dietz, who works in ’sz cooperative education program. “He’s a great face for the Urbab League.” Dietz, also a membere of the , firsr met Daniel during an Urban League diversity traininvg event at WSU and wasinstantly impressed. “I think (Black) laid the foundation and Chestee is ready to buildon it,” Dietz With a year under his belt, Daniel says there’as still more work to be done. Others agree.
“I think the best is yet to comewith Mr. says Lee Williams, Urban Leaguwe board member and president ofthe . “We are going to see some great things that are beneficial to this Daniel is always looking for ways tobetted himself.

Kauai, Big Isle hotels hurting - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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For the week ending May 30, Kauaij occupancy dropped 10.5 percentage pointsa to 59.8 percent, while Big Island occupanc y plunged 15 percentage pointsto 51.9 percent. As comparecd with the same week in room rates on both islands were down aswell — Kauaiu rates fell 12.3 percent to averagr $176 a night, while Big Island rates were off 8.6 percent to average $152. • Oahu occupancy slipped 1 percentagw pointto 70.2 percent, while rates decreased 12.1 percent to and • Maui occupancy inched 0.8 percentage points downwardc to 63.6 percent, while room rates plummeted 17.2 percent to $210. Statewide hotel occupancy declined 3.9 percentage points to 64.
9 while room rates slumped 13 percent to Nationwide hotel occupancydipped 5.9 percentag e points to 51.6 percent, while room ratez fell 9.6 percent to average $93. The weeklty Hawaii hotel industry snapshot is surveyer byand .

New law increases court fees - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Senate Bill 1718 increases the $295 filing fee on all civilo actions, suits or proceedings in circuit courts to Foreclosure cases now will be based on a sliding with fees rangingfrom $395 to $1,9009 depending on the valud of the property or mortgages claim. The new fees are intendede to produce revenue for the state amove that’s getting mixed reactions from locakl attorneys. At issue is the fact that $80 of the fees from all types of cases will go tothe state’s genera l revenue fund, which can be used for In the past, fees charged by the court system typically funded only judicial Statewide, there were about 385,309 foreclosurea in 2008, which would have raised about $30.
8 million. “Thre basic problem here is the Legislature is usingg the judicial system as a funding sourcefor non-judiciak programs,” said John an attorney with Orlando-basexd Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Dickson, Talleyt & Dunlap PA. The governor’s office could not be reachee for comment on why he signed the billinto law. Sen. Victod D. Crist, R-Tampa, who originallh filed the bill inthe Senate, couldr not be reached for comment. The bill’d fee changes also come at a time when foreclosurexs are atan all-timer high throughout Florida, whichy ranks No. 1 in the U.S. in foreclosure said the .
The change could leav lenders witha “massive new fee to even star t down the road” to resolve unpai mortgages, said Wade Vose, a partner at the Winterf Park-based Vose Law Firm LLP. All real estate-relatedc cases — including foreclosures, construction boundary disputes between property owners and othe disputes over realestated — will be affected, he said. The sliding-scalew fees, depending on the value of the propertg ormortgage claim, mean someonre filing a claim on propertty or a mortgage valued at: • $50,00p0 or less will pay $395. $50,001-$250,000 will pay $900.
• $250,001 and up will pay The same rates apply to anyonr filinga counterclaim, counterpetition or third-party complaint for any real estate-relatec cases. The higher fees may deter new case filings by thosewho can’t afford the increased said Fisher. And although most cases will get filedf regardless of the increasing the costs may make some people feel theire access to the courtseis limited, he said.
Ed Loos III, a partnerf and shareholder atFort Lauderdale-bases Greenspoon Marder PA’s Orlando office, said the new fees shouldn’tt deter mortgage lenders from filing, in the end, a $1,9009 fee is outweighed by a $250,009 or more claim, and the fee will be includef in the judgment. Van CEO of , said the changesd won’t stop his bank from filing a However, the fee increase will be a short-term fix to the state’d budgetary problems because foreclosure filings will drop once themarketf recovers, he said. Until then, “ther consumer will bear the bruntof it.
” Adds “Part of the way real estate corrects itselrf is through litigation of these and the fees seem counterproductivr to helping work out the real estate imbalance in

Steelers Dynamic Offense Stands Out In Win Over Titans - Behind the Steel Curtain

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Steelers Dynamic Offense Stands Out In Win Over Titans Behind the Steel Curtain Being "dynamic" is better. A balanced offense is equally successful running and passing. A dynamic offense is unpredictable - multiple sets and the willingness and ability to run and pass out of all of them. An offense can't be truly balanced without ... and more »

Bulldogs roll over Crescent Valley - Albany Democrat Herald

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Bulldogs roll over Crescent V »

Austin only major city to add jobs in last year - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The region added about 3,400 jobs betweejn April 2008 andApril 2009, making it the only one of the nation'e 38 largest cities to post a job gain, new data from the Bureaui of Labor Statistics shows. This is the third consecutivr month that Austin has outperformed all of theother U.S. citiese with labor forces of 750,000 or The unemployment rate for April stoodat 5.8 The 0.4 percent increase in job totala is modest, but still a better showing than citie such as Portland (down 4.7 and Raleigh, N.C. (down 3.
3 Jobs in goods producingg industries in the Austihn area dropped by 500 jobs in a slowdown from the rapid pace ofrecent losses, according to an analysis of the data from the Capital Area Council of Retail, hotel, and restaurant jobs are all up from this time last And professional and business service secto employment is back to its all-time high last seen in October 2008. But another key sectoer for the region, technology, isn't doing quitse as well. Computer, semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturingh isstill falling. Jobs in the semiconductotr segment fellto 15,700 jobs, back to spring 2006 As Texas cities go, Austin's 5.
8 percent unemploymenty rate was one of the Dallas-Fort Worth stood at 6.6 percent in April and Houston at 6.3 Only San Antonio's rate was lower than Austin's at 5.4 Smaller metro areas includingv McAllen, Brownsville and Beaumount all had rates above 8

Few take out SBA stimulus loans, many lenders lukewarm - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The SBA had expected high demand forthe loans, which were createsd by the economic stimulus legislation to help strugglinv small businesses make paymenta on existing debt. Through this program, smallp businesses can borrow upto $35,000 to make up to six monthz of payments on qualifying loans. Borrowerz won’t have to start repaying the ARC loansd until a year after they receives their last ARCloan disbursement. The loanws are interest-free to the Instead, the SBA will pay the lender a monthlt interest rate of prime plus 2percentagse points. The SBA also will guarantee 100 percent ofthe loan’s The SBA began acceptinfg applications for these loans June 15.
As of June 22, the agencg had approved 72 loanstotaling $2.4 million submitted by 42 Small businesses in 21 states receivedc these loans. The agency expects the volumes of ARC loans to pick up incomingf weeks. The agency has conducted training sessions on the loandwith 3,000 lenders from 1,300 financial institutions. “Based on the participation in theinformation sessions, we are encouraged and feel we will, in continue to see a rise in participatiobn by lenders and the numberf of loan approvals,” said SBA Presas Secretary Hayley Matz.
Many SBA however, remain on the The Coleman Report, which tracks SBA lending, founfd that 60 percent of the lenders who respondedx to its survey saidthey don’t plan to make ARC Some lenders said they wouldn’t make enougyh money off the loan s to justify the trouble, and others said the SBA’se guidelines for the loans were too To be eligible for the loans, smalkl businesses must show they were profitable or had positive cash flow in at least one of the past two years. Future cash flow projections must demonstratd that the businesses will be able to repaytheif debts, including the ARC loan.
The has submittedd four pages of questions to the SBA aboutthe “Our members have many questions aboutt the program, and that is probably why the volume is less than said NAGGL President Tony Wilkinson. Meanwhile, lending throughh the SBA’s regular business loan programs remains far belowlast year’se levels. Through June 19, the SBA had approvecd half asmany 7(a) loans this fiscal year as it did duringv the same period a year ago. The total dollar value of 7(a) loans was down 38 percent. Lendinh through the 504 program, whicyh finances real estate and otherfixed assets, was down 42 both in number of loans and in dollars. SBA’ds fiscal year began Oct. 1.
Lendinyg through both programs picked up afterMarch 16, when the SBA eliminates or reduced fees on its loanx and raised its guarantes on 7(a) loans to 90 These steps were called for in the the economixc stimulus legislation.

Migration south looks bleak for monarchs - Kansas City Star

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Kansas City Star

Migration south looks bleak for monarchs Kansas City Star “The migration is just beginning to navigate a thousand miles of hell â€" a nearly flowerless/nectarless and waterless expanse,” wrote Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch, referring to the abnorm »

Candidate for UH presidency withdraws - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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“We are disappointed with his Al Landon, chairman of the boarr of regents, said in a prepared statement. The withdrawalk of Jones, who is senior vice presiden t for system academic administration for the University of Minnesotain Minneapolis, leaves M.R.C. an administrator with the Universityof California-Davis, as the sole remaininbg candidate. The regents are scheduled to meet this week to discuswthe situation, Landon said. The two finalists had been named in April to replace UH President David whose term endsJuly 31. Greenwoo is at the UC-Davis campus as director of the Foode for Health Initiative and a professor of nutrition andinternal medicine.
She was chancellor at UC’e Santa Cruz campus for eight years, befored being named provost of theUC 10-campus systek in 2004. She resigned from the provost position in 2005 and movefd to Davis when the university investigated a conflicft of interest in the promotion of her frienr atSanta Cruz.

Nightmare in Libya: Thousands of Surface-to-Air Missiles Unaccounted For - ABC News

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ABC News

Nightmare in Libya: Thousands of Surface-to-Air Missiles Unaccounted For ABC News After the f »

Tamaroa Board Continues Meeting to Monday for Personnel Issues - Du Quoin Evening Call

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Tamaroa Board Continues Meeting to Monday for Personnel Issues Du Quoin Evening Call heard from Mayor Curtis Stube that he has received an offer of $1000 for one of the police cars. Stube said he will try to sell both of them to the buyer. Pekler was asked to place an ad in the paper selling the dump truck and plow. ...

Numerous cloud streaks visible Friday - 9NEWS.com

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Numerous cloud streaks visible Friday 9NEWS.com DENVER - A very dry and stable atmosphere along the Front Range has caused several cloud steaks to develop. The streaks are called contrails and are caused by water vapor from the exhaust of aircraft engines. 9NEWS Meteorologist Ashton Altieri says ... and more »

Best Buy shows corporate world how to use social networking - Dallas Business Journal:

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Instead, they got higher participation inBest Buy's 401(k) plan, lower employee turnover and photos of pets. BlueShirt Nation, named for the polo shirtsa worn bystore staff, is gainin attention nationally as a way to emplou social-networking tools in a corporate It has evolved since Bendt and Koellingh started work on it more than two yeares ago. But the site consistently has helped Best Buy builsd a sense of community among stored employees whose voices rarely are heardf at mostbig companies.
It also has helped the electronicws retailer solve business problems such as which store was shipped the wronvg boxof digital-camera cases and lower-than-desired participationj in the company's retirement plan. BlueShirtf Nation's early mission was to give Best Buy a better sense of the issues faced by employeeswho "breath e the same air as said Koelling, a senior managee of social technology for the company. But Bendt and Koellingh quicklydiscovered that, to engage workers, they had to creatwe a site that employees wanted to use. "Wde found out people want to talk about what they wantes totalk about, whether it was pictures of their cat or Best Buy.
But the one thing they had in common wasBest Buy," said Bendt, also seniofr manager of social technology. After launching an earlyh version ofthe site, they brought in a groupp of employees from stores to "get honest" about what they created. The site now has 22,000 BlueShirt Nation allows users to create their own Web page usinv a template similar to popularconsumere social-networking sites such as Employees can host forums on topics of their choosinbg -- from politics to to storer operations. Koelling and Bendt attribute the site'zs popularity to the ability of employees to freely discus whateverthey want.
"Instead of the breako room, we wanted it to feel like hanginfg out atafter work," Koelling said. Best Buy'sa bottom-up approach fueled the success of BlueShirt Nation and made ita stand-outf example of how to use social networkingf within a corporate said Josh Bernoff, a Forrester Researc h analyst and co-author of "Groundswell," a book that focuses on how companie use "Web 2.0" technologies effectively. Web 2.
0 covers Internegt technologies that allow users to communicate back and forth suchas wikis, collaborative Web sites that multiple users can add to or "Groundswell" used BlueShirt Nation as a case study in social "To take this group that's sometimes frustratede with their jobs and connect them all together took a certai amount of fortitude. Managers have tapped into it, but it's really about what's going on on the sellinbg floor," Bernoff said. The community built by BlueShirr Nation has gone beyond helping employees connecrt withone another.
When Best Buy startes an initiative to boost enrollment inits 401(k) it sponsored a video contest, encouraging people to create clips on what retirement plans meant to them. The effort garnered so much interesft and entries from employees that Best Buy credits it with helpint increase program enrollment by30 percent. The contestt winners got a small budget to redecorate their stor and a chance to present their vide o atBest Buy's headquarters. Employee turnovert at stores often reaches into thedouble digits, but those who use BlueShirt Nation appear more likely to sticm with the company. Turnover rates among employees who use it is slightly more than8 percent, Koelling and Bendt said.
Bernoff also write in his book abouty how Best Buy was quicklu able tohear employees' objections to a pending change in employee-discountt rates. Feedback from BlueShirt Nation helped convince Best Buy to not go forwared with thepolicy change. Best Buy uses othert Web 2.0 technology to connect with employees. It runs "Thee Loop," a program that lets employees post businesd ideas that vie for fundingfrom

Opposition warned about shoddy uniforms - Sydney Morning Herald

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Stuff.co.nz

Opposition warned about shoddy uniforms Sydney Morning Herald The federal opposition says it warned the government three months ago that buying combat uniforms overseas would risk Australian soldiers wearing inferior garments. Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said he was not at  »

UK Welcomes In-State Rival Louisville to Commonwealth - UKAthletics

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Lexington Herald Leader

UK Welcomes In-State Rival Louisville to Commonwealth UKAthletics Louisville enters Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday after dropping its second game of the season last Friday to Florida International. The Cardinals sit at 1-1 on the season, with its win a season-opening victory against Murray State in Louisville. ... Matchups: Louisville at Kentucky Louisville Courier-Journal Kentucky vs. Louisville: Keys to the game Lexington Herald Leader Louisville's Stein looks to beat dad's alma mater Houston Chronicle LEX18 Lexington KY News -State-Journal.com -A Sea of Blue  »

Warren Buffett sells remaining Constellation shares - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Buffett, his company (NYSE: BRK.B), and that company’ss subsidiary , are each no longer stockholders inConstellation CEG), according to a form with the Securitiesw and Exchange Commission filed Monday. They have been slowlyh divesting the stock over the past weeks and owning 7.3 percent in February and 6.3 perceng last month. The sale ends the relationship between the investor and one of two Fortune 500 companiesw inBaltimore City. Iowa-based MidAmerican got a 10 percent stake in Constellation whenits $4.7 billion bid for the companhy made in September was rejected three months late.
That offer came afte a cash crunch led to a steeop declinein Constellation’s stock price over several days and some investorsx feared bankruptcy. Constellation spurned the offer in favor of a deal tosell 49.99 percenrt of its nuclear business for $4.5 billion to French firm , whicn had also been in the bidding for the company in For the cancelation, Constellation had to pay $175 million in breakulp fees and $418 millio for stocks. It also had to repay a $1 billiob loan from Buffett with 14percent interest. A decisio on whether the deal with EDF requires Maryland approvak is expected ina week. The deal is expectede to closethis fall.

AG wins judgement against mortgage firm - Boston Business Journal:

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Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakle y won the judgement against Zeus Fundinb LLC andits manager, Rachel Noyes, earlier this week in Boston’xs Suffolk Superior Court. In August Coakley’s office sued Zeus Funding as wellas Massachusetts-basedx ; Rachel Noyes, manager of both Zeus and New Englanc Merchants; Massachusetts-based ; and Roberta Robinson, the manager and sole officer of Champagnes Associates. The lawsuit allegee that the defendants used theird businesses to deceptivelypersuade low-income residentsd to purchasing homes and obtain mortgages they consumersw could not qualify for or afford.
Last Coakley settled with NewEnglan Merchants, Champagne Associates Real Estate and Robertaz Robinson. Under the terms of the the defendants are prohibited from engaging in any mortgage brokerage or real estate services in Massachusetts. New England Merchantse will paya $5,000 civil penalty. if any one of the defendants performs any real estatde or mortgage brokerage servicesin Massachusetts, they will face a civil penaltyg of $100,000.

Genmar Holdings files for bankruptcy - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The petition to reorganize theboat builder’s debts was filer Monday afternoon in in The filing includes more than 20 of the company’s one of which is Murfreesboro-based Genmaer Tennessee LLC. The company has a boat manufacturing and repair facilitty at theMurfreesboro location. Genmar Tennessee has from 200 to 1,000 creditord and assets between $50,000 and $100,000. The Tennesseew company’s filing lists about $750,00 in unsecured debts owed to its 20largesf creditors. The parent company lists its assetsa in the rageof $10 million to $50 millio and its liabilities between $100 million and $500 according to court documents.
Genmar Holdings’ only secured creditors are and , accordint to a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Genmar said it has received commitment fora debtor-in-possession financing proposal from both In a statement, Genmar’s largest Chairman and CEO Irwin Jacobs says saleas of the company’s fishing boats, luxury yacht and other products started to decline in but worsened in recen months.
The company’s sales in fiscal which ends in June, are likely to be abouy $460 million, off by more than 50 percent fromfiscapl 2008, the company “If someone would have said to me as recently as even one monthg ago that Genmar would somedau be filing for Chapter 11, I woulds have said it was not even a remote Jacobs says. Genmar had been makinv some strategy changes in recent months and recentlhy announced plans to launchu a lineof less-expensive aluminum boats.

Greater Kansas City LISC seeks applicants for redevelopment loans - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The loans are available through the Acquisitiobn and PredevelopmentLoan Fund, whichg Greater Kansas City LISC startedx in 2007. The fund now has $7 million from three investors: and each provider $1 million, and , of whicbh Greater Kansas City LISC isa member, provided $5 No loans have been made from the John Wood, senior program officer for Greater Kansas City said Tuesday. “We’ve had some interest in it, but the projectsw haven’t quite gelled,” he “The project falls through becauss the economy and the real estate marketg has really hitus hard.
” This fund differsw from other funds administered by Greater Kansas City LISC becausw it focuses on predevelopment, such as land engineering and architectural services, and environmental studies, Wood Loans will be considered to support developmeny in LISC NeighborhoodsNOW communities on both sides of the state the organization said in a The fund’s loans carry a 7 percenrt fixed interest rate, closing fees of as much as 1.5 perceng and applicable legal fees.
Phasre I environmental assessment and evidence of compliance with zoningh and regulatory and land use requirements may be Since 1981, Greater Kansas City LISC has investee more than $106 million in urban-corew neighborhoods on both sides of the statse line. The loans have leveragedc $567.7 million in total development.

Economic Forecast: What's ahead for 2009 - Orlando Business Journal:

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Throughout 2008, we watched businesses close, workers laid off and billions of dollarsw of federal bailout money goto banks, automakerss and insurance companies. The housing markett began to show some signs of life as 2008 drew to a butCentral Florida’s hospitality and tourism industries felt the full brunty of the downturn, as visitor countz dropped and occupancy rates plummeted. But even in the midst of one of the worsft economic downturns inrecent history, some industries actually Read on to find out how 2009 is shapinf up for Central Florida’s top industries. Centralp Florida’s tourism industry is bracing for a rough ridein 2009.
Businesxs almost certainly will be worse in the new due to a downturbnin conventions, as well as concernsx that families will forgoi long-distance travel in a bad economy. “Wd believe visitation will be down, and we will do our best to counteracty that,” said Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/ . The bureay is counting on a decrease of 3 percenrt to 4 percent in tourist traffifc in 2009 compared tothis year. Rich Maladecki, presidenft of the , said hotels are expectinhg room revenue to decreaswe 5 percent to15 percent. “Many hotelierxs would be very pleased with aflat year,” Maladeckui said.
“You may not see big layoffs at hotels, but you will see a reductioh in workers’ hours and fewer salaried employees.” Steve Baker, president of Orlando-based consulting firm , said the year for Orlandop will be measured by the nationallunemployment rate. “I think unemployment numbers will be Baker said. “When people are unemployed, they aren’tf thinking about vacations.” The financial industry explodedfthis year, and bankers are expecting the fallougt to extend well into the year. “It will be a tough year,” said Larry Tobin, president and CEO of in “There will be many challenges and notmuch expansion.
People are buyingh less, so there isn’t a tremendous need for loan products.” R. Van CEO of , said the slumpinhg housing market will continue toafflict lenders. But he said prices shoulf gradually stabilize and saleswill increase, as will mortgage lending. “It will be a very challenging but I think it willget better,” Bogan “We should get going again at a more sustainabled level in the last half of 2009. We are makinyg headway every month, and peoplde are starting to buyhousesz again.” Karen Lovaglio Dee, president of ’s Centraol Florida unit, said change will be a constan in 2009.
“I think you will see continuing consolidation inthe industry,” she “We think bankers are going back to the lendinbg parameters of the past after a period when thinges were too loosened up.” As companies cut work insurers expect their business to decline. Fewer employees, less property and fewerr cars in corporate fleets will mean substantially fewer policies. “Companies are dropping umbrella policied and individuals are increasing deductibles tosave money,” said Doug commercial lines management with in Orlando.
John Ritenour, chairman of , said a receng case law decision likely will mean more litigatiojn inthe workers’ compensation area, which will result in rate increases.