fixyruw.wordpress.com
Mario joins the privately held drug development compangy from ofNew Jersey, where he was CEO. He has held managemeny positions at SmithKline and Squibbv and joined Glaxoin 1986. He replaces Mark Platshon as CEO. During his time at Glaxo, Mario oversae the launch of five majore brands that grewthe company's sales and profitw by nearly 15 percen t annually, according to Palo Alto-based Capnia. In 1993, he became CEO of which acquiredin 2001.
"Ernie's extensive experiencd in all aspects of the pharmaceutical industry will be invaluablew to Capnia as we prepare to advance our Capellza treatment for migraine and rhinitisinto late-stages clinical studies," said Edgar Engleman, managing partner of , Capnia's lead Also joining Capnia are two other pharmaceuticapl executives who previously worked with Mario. James Butlefr will be senior vice president, marketing, and Ron Haak will be senior vice president, technology development. Besides Vivo Ventures of Palo Capnia backers include ofPalo Alto, TeknoInvest and Alliance Venture, both of Norway, Sagamore Bioventures of San Francisco.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Proposed health reform a bitter pill to small biz? - bizjournals:
bojony.wordpress.com
It’s a move some proprietors welcome. Take Marti CEO of , a Winter Park-based medical equipment provider. She said providing medical coverage forher 11-employee firm is costly, but it’xs something she feels obligated to do. “We pridee ourselves on taking care ofour employees,” she adding that any legislation to help her companyy overcome some of those costs wouldc be well-received.
However, some business groups fear that goal may not be achievede in the legislation now movingthrough They’re afraid the bill beingf marked up this month by the Senatre Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee won’t do enougg to control health care costs, but will go too far in imposing stiff new insurance requirements — including minimunm coverage levels — on employers. They also worry that includinbga government-run plan as an optiom would lead hospitals and doctors to charge private insurers more for theirf services to compensate for underpayments from the publif plan.
The e-mailed its members, urging them to opposes the SenateHELP Committee’ss bill, calling it “a dangerous James Gelfand, the chamber’s seniotr manager of health policy, said he’s optimisticx the Senate ultimately won’t go alonfg with a provision calling for a government-appointed boars to decide what level of benefits must be included in insurancre plans. If that provision isn’t many employers likely would face higherinsurances costs, because senators look at the benefits-rich plan now offered to federalp employees as the “gold standard” for healtyh care reform, he said.
Businessesa should demand changes in the including striking a requirement for employerds to provide insurance to their he said. “We need health reform,” but if the bill isn’yt fixed, “I don’t know how we couled possibly support it.” The prospect of healtu care reform raising costs for smallp businesses is alegitimate fear, said John CEO of Small Business an organization that believes employers should provide insurancew to workers. But if done correctly, healthb care reform would save smallbusinesses money, he said.
A stud y commissioned by Arensmeyer’s organization found businesse s with fewer than 100 employees could save upto $855 billiohn during the next 10 year if health care reform is compared with what they’d pay for health insurance if the systemn isn’t reformed. The analysis, by Massachusetts Institute of Technology economisfJonathan Gruber, assumes Congress will requirre all but the smallest firmd to provide health insurance to employeesw or pay a fee to the federal It also assumes Congress will give tax credit s to small businesses to help them pay for the coveraged — a provision included in the Senate HELP Committee’s bill.
“With a strong credit, smal l businesses can be a big winner in this Gruber said. In fact, providin g a tax credit to lowed costs could level the playing field for those businesws ownerswho can’t provide healthy coverage, said Keith Coker, president of OrLANtech, an Orlando-baseed commercial IT support, networking and cabling providee with 24 employees. Savingf money is on most small business’s said Mike Chatham, president of in Orlando. The 65-employee firm changed healtj care carriers this year from Unite Healthcare to Aetna to save nearly or18 percent, annually, he “Health care is one of the largestg expenses for a small business.
” Todd McCracken, president of the , said it’zs not yet clear whether smallo businesses will be better off after health care Providing tax credits or othef subsidies to small businesses for insurancs coverage could “create all kinds of weird incentive and disincentives” for companies, he said. Basin g the subsidies on the size of abusinesa isn’t a good solution because some small companies — a law firm, for examplw — can be quite profitable. Focusing on low-wage businesses may not be fair because that encourages companies to pay low he said. “Whatever you you get more of.
” McCracken also is disappointef the health care reformbills aren’t more aggressivre about driving down health care costs by changintg the way medicine is practiced. The has been lobbying hard for healthj care reformfor years, with the goal of bringing down costxs for small employers through pooling mechanisms and insurancr market reforms. Like McCracken, NFIB lobbyist Amandaw Austin thinks the Senate HELP Committed billis “a little lightf on cost containment.” NFIB also opposea an employer mandate and a government-run insurance plan, two key partse of that panel’s legislation.
It’s a move some proprietors welcome. Take Marti CEO of , a Winter Park-based medical equipment provider. She said providing medical coverage forher 11-employee firm is costly, but it’xs something she feels obligated to do. “We pridee ourselves on taking care ofour employees,” she adding that any legislation to help her companyy overcome some of those costs wouldc be well-received.
However, some business groups fear that goal may not be achievede in the legislation now movingthrough They’re afraid the bill beingf marked up this month by the Senatre Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee won’t do enougg to control health care costs, but will go too far in imposing stiff new insurance requirements — including minimunm coverage levels — on employers. They also worry that includinbga government-run plan as an optiom would lead hospitals and doctors to charge private insurers more for theirf services to compensate for underpayments from the publif plan.
The e-mailed its members, urging them to opposes the SenateHELP Committee’ss bill, calling it “a dangerous James Gelfand, the chamber’s seniotr manager of health policy, said he’s optimisticx the Senate ultimately won’t go alonfg with a provision calling for a government-appointed boars to decide what level of benefits must be included in insurancre plans. If that provision isn’t many employers likely would face higherinsurances costs, because senators look at the benefits-rich plan now offered to federalp employees as the “gold standard” for healtyh care reform, he said.
Businessesa should demand changes in the including striking a requirement for employerds to provide insurance to their he said. “We need health reform,” but if the bill isn’yt fixed, “I don’t know how we couled possibly support it.” The prospect of healtu care reform raising costs for smallp businesses is alegitimate fear, said John CEO of Small Business an organization that believes employers should provide insurancew to workers. But if done correctly, healthb care reform would save smallbusinesses money, he said.
A stud y commissioned by Arensmeyer’s organization found businesse s with fewer than 100 employees could save upto $855 billiohn during the next 10 year if health care reform is compared with what they’d pay for health insurance if the systemn isn’t reformed. The analysis, by Massachusetts Institute of Technology economisfJonathan Gruber, assumes Congress will requirre all but the smallest firmd to provide health insurance to employeesw or pay a fee to the federal It also assumes Congress will give tax credit s to small businesses to help them pay for the coveraged — a provision included in the Senate HELP Committee’s bill.
“With a strong credit, smal l businesses can be a big winner in this Gruber said. In fact, providin g a tax credit to lowed costs could level the playing field for those businesws ownerswho can’t provide healthy coverage, said Keith Coker, president of OrLANtech, an Orlando-baseed commercial IT support, networking and cabling providee with 24 employees. Savingf money is on most small business’s said Mike Chatham, president of in Orlando. The 65-employee firm changed healtj care carriers this year from Unite Healthcare to Aetna to save nearly or18 percent, annually, he “Health care is one of the largestg expenses for a small business.
” Todd McCracken, president of the , said it’zs not yet clear whether smallo businesses will be better off after health care Providing tax credits or othef subsidies to small businesses for insurancs coverage could “create all kinds of weird incentive and disincentives” for companies, he said. Basin g the subsidies on the size of abusinesa isn’t a good solution because some small companies — a law firm, for examplw — can be quite profitable. Focusing on low-wage businesses may not be fair because that encourages companies to pay low he said. “Whatever you you get more of.
” McCracken also is disappointef the health care reformbills aren’t more aggressivre about driving down health care costs by changintg the way medicine is practiced. The has been lobbying hard for healthj care reformfor years, with the goal of bringing down costxs for small employers through pooling mechanisms and insurancr market reforms. Like McCracken, NFIB lobbyist Amandaw Austin thinks the Senate HELP Committed billis “a little lightf on cost containment.” NFIB also opposea an employer mandate and a government-run insurance plan, two key partse of that panel’s legislation.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
In search of transparency - Philadelphia Business Journal:
judonebolayb1394.blogspot.com
The Bucks County medical center has establisheda "pricing hotline" to provid potential patients with the hospital's fee for particuladr procedures or services before they ever walk in the "Hospital pricing information can be pretty hard to said Bill DiGiorgio, Doylestown Hospital'x director of payer management. "Butr without it, it's like going Christma s shopping with a bag overyour head." The move comes as hospita l regulators, including those in New Jersey and are trying to assess pricing and providde more information to health care consumers.
Doylestown Hospital thought the hotline would be used mostlg by peoplein consumer-directed health plans who must use theitr funds from their personal health savings accounts to satisfy deductibles. DiGiorgio said that whild a small percentage of callers are enrolled in most are either uninsured or in traditional plans withlarge deductibles. Uninsured patients, he are referred to the hospital's financiapl consultants to see if they are eligible for charity Of the 144 people who have callerthe hotline, DiGiorgio about 60 percent are peopl e asking about diagnostic imaging studies.
Other inquiries have sought prics information forlab tests, assorted surgeries, physical therapy and even aquatic The hotline lets "shoppers" leave a pricintg request. The hospital promises a response withijn24 hours. That time is DiGiorgio said, to research and clarify requests. "Sometimesx the patients aren't very specific," he "They'll ask about an ultrasound, but not say an ultrasounc for what. We've gotten calls for some prettyucomplicated surgeries, but all sorts of thingsd can happen during a surgery to drive up the cost. The best we can do therer is givean average.
" The hospital is carefuk to note the pricing information is for hospital-specific services. It does not includs additional feesfor physician, laboratory and pharmaceutical costs. DiGiorgio said the hotline was established during the but the hospital only recently began extensively promotingfthe service. "We wanted to make sure we had the procesd down before we took itprime time," he said.
Doylestowmn isn't alone in its efforg to promote or pursue Last month, the New Jersey Commission on Rationalizingg Health Care Resources -- a 13-member panel formesd to study ways to improve the state'es distressed hospital system -- included greater price transparency among its Such data, the commission said, is needed by hospitals to "guidew them in improving both efficiencyh and patient care." The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containmenft Council, a state agency that has been issuinfg quality performance reports for hospitals for more than a released its first study with hospital-specific paymen data last summer when it published its guide to cardiaxc surgery.
Joe Martin, a PHC4 said the council released aggregatef payment figures in its reportson hospital-acquired infectionx in 2005 and 2006. The council has not releasec any insurance companypayment data, which, Martijn said, is prohibited by law. H.L. Perrt Pepper, the president and CEO of in West Chester, said for the past two yeards the medical center has urged patients and local employeres to lookat PHC4's pricing information. While he strongly supportes transparency inhealth care, Peppetr said the pricing data that is available really only helps those patients with no insurance becomes better consumers.
"People who are insured are all carryinv thoseplastic cards, and they are indifferent," he said. "Employersz who pay for health coverage don't know what the insureras are paying hospitals, so they don't know who is offerinv the best deals. There's a need to have more transparency inthe middle. Right now there's a lot of smokes and fog. ... Hospital prices are just a smalkl part ofthe equation." Prices available with some reports don't providwe for valid comparisons since health insurers bargain for discountds off charge amounts when negotiating contracts.
Pepper said because employers don'yt see how much insurers pay a hospital, it's hard for them to gaugee the value of their premiums or shop for thebest deals.
The Bucks County medical center has establisheda "pricing hotline" to provid potential patients with the hospital's fee for particuladr procedures or services before they ever walk in the "Hospital pricing information can be pretty hard to said Bill DiGiorgio, Doylestown Hospital'x director of payer management. "Butr without it, it's like going Christma s shopping with a bag overyour head." The move comes as hospita l regulators, including those in New Jersey and are trying to assess pricing and providde more information to health care consumers.
Doylestown Hospital thought the hotline would be used mostlg by peoplein consumer-directed health plans who must use theitr funds from their personal health savings accounts to satisfy deductibles. DiGiorgio said that whild a small percentage of callers are enrolled in most are either uninsured or in traditional plans withlarge deductibles. Uninsured patients, he are referred to the hospital's financiapl consultants to see if they are eligible for charity Of the 144 people who have callerthe hotline, DiGiorgio about 60 percent are peopl e asking about diagnostic imaging studies.
Other inquiries have sought prics information forlab tests, assorted surgeries, physical therapy and even aquatic The hotline lets "shoppers" leave a pricintg request. The hospital promises a response withijn24 hours. That time is DiGiorgio said, to research and clarify requests. "Sometimesx the patients aren't very specific," he "They'll ask about an ultrasound, but not say an ultrasounc for what. We've gotten calls for some prettyucomplicated surgeries, but all sorts of thingsd can happen during a surgery to drive up the cost. The best we can do therer is givean average.
" The hospital is carefuk to note the pricing information is for hospital-specific services. It does not includs additional feesfor physician, laboratory and pharmaceutical costs. DiGiorgio said the hotline was established during the but the hospital only recently began extensively promotingfthe service. "We wanted to make sure we had the procesd down before we took itprime time," he said.
Doylestowmn isn't alone in its efforg to promote or pursue Last month, the New Jersey Commission on Rationalizingg Health Care Resources -- a 13-member panel formesd to study ways to improve the state'es distressed hospital system -- included greater price transparency among its Such data, the commission said, is needed by hospitals to "guidew them in improving both efficiencyh and patient care." The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containmenft Council, a state agency that has been issuinfg quality performance reports for hospitals for more than a released its first study with hospital-specific paymen data last summer when it published its guide to cardiaxc surgery.
Joe Martin, a PHC4 said the council released aggregatef payment figures in its reportson hospital-acquired infectionx in 2005 and 2006. The council has not releasec any insurance companypayment data, which, Martijn said, is prohibited by law. H.L. Perrt Pepper, the president and CEO of in West Chester, said for the past two yeards the medical center has urged patients and local employeres to lookat PHC4's pricing information. While he strongly supportes transparency inhealth care, Peppetr said the pricing data that is available really only helps those patients with no insurance becomes better consumers.
"People who are insured are all carryinv thoseplastic cards, and they are indifferent," he said. "Employersz who pay for health coverage don't know what the insureras are paying hospitals, so they don't know who is offerinv the best deals. There's a need to have more transparency inthe middle. Right now there's a lot of smokes and fog. ... Hospital prices are just a smalkl part ofthe equation." Prices available with some reports don't providwe for valid comparisons since health insurers bargain for discountds off charge amounts when negotiating contracts.
Pepper said because employers don'yt see how much insurers pay a hospital, it's hard for them to gaugee the value of their premiums or shop for thebest deals.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Advanta agrees to refund customers up to $35M in FDIC agreements - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
stony-coating.blogspot.com
That agreement addresses chargeas that theSpring House, Pa.-based company violated federal tradr laws through its pricing strategies on businesas credit cards, and in its marketing of cash-backo rewards on the cards. Advanta said it did not admirt wrongdoing and that it entered theagreementxs “in the interest of expediency and to avoids litigation.” Advanta said it took a $14 millionb charge to cover refunds tied to the alleged marketinbg violations in third-quarter 2008 and will take a second-quarter 2009 chargwe to cover refunds over its pricinh strategies, which it said could total $21 Advanta also agreed to a $150,000 fine.
In a separate agreement with the FDIC, Advanta’s ability to use cash and pay dividendsz hasbeen restricted. The company must submit a plan toremaijn "well-capitalized," and submit a plan to terminate its deposit-taking operations and deposit insurancw once its deposits are repaid in a process expected to take a few years. The secon agreement with the FDIC places restrictiondson Advanta’s use of its cash assets, payment of dividendse and transactions that would materially alter its balance sheet composition and takingh of brokered deposits.
Advanta said the second ordee does not in any way restrict it from continuing to service itsmanagecd credit-card accounts and receivables. In an effort to limif losses and erosion of its capital as credit Advanta said in early May that its securitization trusft will go into early amortization where the company uses receivabless from customers to acceleratew payment toinvestor bondholders. While that protectds investors from prolonged exposure to a pool of receivablexs whose credit performancehas deteriorated, Advanta woulrd have needed an alternative way to fund new purchasew on its customers’ credit cards. So it had to shut down future use, effective May 30.
It has since referredx some customers to AmericanExpresa Co. Advanta’s stock closedc 2 7 percent lower Wednesday at42 cents.
That agreement addresses chargeas that theSpring House, Pa.-based company violated federal tradr laws through its pricing strategies on businesas credit cards, and in its marketing of cash-backo rewards on the cards. Advanta said it did not admirt wrongdoing and that it entered theagreementxs “in the interest of expediency and to avoids litigation.” Advanta said it took a $14 millionb charge to cover refunds tied to the alleged marketinbg violations in third-quarter 2008 and will take a second-quarter 2009 chargwe to cover refunds over its pricinh strategies, which it said could total $21 Advanta also agreed to a $150,000 fine.
In a separate agreement with the FDIC, Advanta’s ability to use cash and pay dividendsz hasbeen restricted. The company must submit a plan toremaijn "well-capitalized," and submit a plan to terminate its deposit-taking operations and deposit insurancw once its deposits are repaid in a process expected to take a few years. The secon agreement with the FDIC places restrictiondson Advanta’s use of its cash assets, payment of dividendse and transactions that would materially alter its balance sheet composition and takingh of brokered deposits.
Advanta said the second ordee does not in any way restrict it from continuing to service itsmanagecd credit-card accounts and receivables. In an effort to limif losses and erosion of its capital as credit Advanta said in early May that its securitization trusft will go into early amortization where the company uses receivabless from customers to acceleratew payment toinvestor bondholders. While that protectds investors from prolonged exposure to a pool of receivablexs whose credit performancehas deteriorated, Advanta woulrd have needed an alternative way to fund new purchasew on its customers’ credit cards. So it had to shut down future use, effective May 30.
It has since referredx some customers to AmericanExpresa Co. Advanta’s stock closedc 2 7 percent lower Wednesday at42 cents.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Succession plans must include more than top execs - bizjournals:
yfimuna.wordpress.com
a federal contractor specializingin energy-efficien t construction engineering services, felt it was ready to respond to the Obama administration’s push for firm fixed-price contracts. The companyg was in the right industry and prepareed to speed up its contracting procesd to capture some of the stimulus Hendis had invested in anew team-based contractinh model over the past several The four members already had worked successfully on severap contracts that brought in 25 percent of Hendis’ revenure and expected rapid growth with the prospect of stimulus money.
One evenin after having dinner, the four member s of the contract team were walking back to the officr when a truck jumped the curb and hit the Inan instant, the team was decimated, and the future of Hendi s looked bleak. Or did it? That incident itselcf is not true, but it is a compilation of true stories. We have all hearc about situations where a key executive suddenly dies or a pregnancy leave begins earlier than Disaster recovery is historically one of the primee reasons for asuccession plan. Many peopled think succession plans are designed for only the top leaders of smallert businesses or the most important executive s inlarger companies.
However, the argumenft for a succession plan that covers multiple level in even a small companyis strong. Succession planss (also called strategic work force plans) are not set up just to covert sudden changes or losses in the seniotrleadership team. These plans are key strategic componentw for anygrowing business. Even if the currenyt economic situation dogs us for longer than the looming wave of retiring baby boomers leavess fewer people tofill jobs. Whil boomers are staying employed longer to recovee lostretirement funds, eventuallu the wave will hit. Strategic work forcw planning brings together the best practices of humann capital management with corporatestrategic planning.
It matche talent and aspirations witha company’w goals. It is an annuaol process requiring commitment from top executives and an underlying framewor k of activities that feeds information into the work forcweplanning system. Work force planning is a not a destination. Strategic work force planning involves twosimultaneous activities. First, a company needs a strategic planwith short-term and long-termj targets. Second, the human resources executive or an experiencec human capital consultant uses the plan to definw specific roles and the structure necessary to achievethe company’w objectives.
Succession planning is part of an integrated HR process thatincludesd training, recognition and rewards, performance management and professionap development. Based on the strategic the company identifies skills and competencies that the organization needsd for each stage of itslife cycle. It also identifiese critical positions that always have to be staffedf to ensureoptimum operability. The company must find potentiaol replacement candidates for critical positions and pools of potential talentt tomeet long-term needs.
The source for thes e candidates can be internal or Ata minimum, the ideal-candidate profile and a clear definitionh of successful performance need to be at the readh should a vacancy suddenly arise. There are severak important steps in developing a successfuol workforce plan: Review backgroundf information on potential successors including experience, skills, appraisals and potential. Determine training requirementx for potential successors and develop the skills throughbwork experiences, job projects and other challenging assignments. Involve the candidatees in designing the procesdto encourage, retain and assurew appropriate challenges and compensation.
Establish systems for monitorinya candidate’s development progress and communicating work forcde planning information to managers. Hold managerz accountable for actively participating in workforce planning. Finally, developl recruiting strategies to fill positions that lack internal There are several pitfallseto avoid. Do not focus only on building technical capabilities in your future work Include team building andleadership development. Do not fail to include everyoner as a potential candidate forthe future, even if someone does not appear to fit the Do not forget lateral mobility as an option.
Do not neglecrt to let your employees know you are thinkinv about the future and about them as part of the this can be one of your bestretentionj tools. In many ways, strategifc work force planning is an elegant and challengingnumberx game. Play it right and your company will not just survive disasterr but will grow with the righf mix of internal and external Play it wrong and your companyt might also be the victim in a tragedy or at leasgt constrained in achieving itsstrategic plan.
a federal contractor specializingin energy-efficien t construction engineering services, felt it was ready to respond to the Obama administration’s push for firm fixed-price contracts. The companyg was in the right industry and prepareed to speed up its contracting procesd to capture some of the stimulus Hendis had invested in anew team-based contractinh model over the past several The four members already had worked successfully on severap contracts that brought in 25 percent of Hendis’ revenure and expected rapid growth with the prospect of stimulus money.
One evenin after having dinner, the four member s of the contract team were walking back to the officr when a truck jumped the curb and hit the Inan instant, the team was decimated, and the future of Hendi s looked bleak. Or did it? That incident itselcf is not true, but it is a compilation of true stories. We have all hearc about situations where a key executive suddenly dies or a pregnancy leave begins earlier than Disaster recovery is historically one of the primee reasons for asuccession plan. Many peopled think succession plans are designed for only the top leaders of smallert businesses or the most important executive s inlarger companies.
However, the argumenft for a succession plan that covers multiple level in even a small companyis strong. Succession planss (also called strategic work force plans) are not set up just to covert sudden changes or losses in the seniotrleadership team. These plans are key strategic componentw for anygrowing business. Even if the currenyt economic situation dogs us for longer than the looming wave of retiring baby boomers leavess fewer people tofill jobs. Whil boomers are staying employed longer to recovee lostretirement funds, eventuallu the wave will hit. Strategic work forcw planning brings together the best practices of humann capital management with corporatestrategic planning.
It matche talent and aspirations witha company’w goals. It is an annuaol process requiring commitment from top executives and an underlying framewor k of activities that feeds information into the work forcweplanning system. Work force planning is a not a destination. Strategic work force planning involves twosimultaneous activities. First, a company needs a strategic planwith short-term and long-termj targets. Second, the human resources executive or an experiencec human capital consultant uses the plan to definw specific roles and the structure necessary to achievethe company’w objectives.
Succession planning is part of an integrated HR process thatincludesd training, recognition and rewards, performance management and professionap development. Based on the strategic the company identifies skills and competencies that the organization needsd for each stage of itslife cycle. It also identifiese critical positions that always have to be staffedf to ensureoptimum operability. The company must find potentiaol replacement candidates for critical positions and pools of potential talentt tomeet long-term needs.
The source for thes e candidates can be internal or Ata minimum, the ideal-candidate profile and a clear definitionh of successful performance need to be at the readh should a vacancy suddenly arise. There are severak important steps in developing a successfuol workforce plan: Review backgroundf information on potential successors including experience, skills, appraisals and potential. Determine training requirementx for potential successors and develop the skills throughbwork experiences, job projects and other challenging assignments. Involve the candidatees in designing the procesdto encourage, retain and assurew appropriate challenges and compensation.
Establish systems for monitorinya candidate’s development progress and communicating work forcde planning information to managers. Hold managerz accountable for actively participating in workforce planning. Finally, developl recruiting strategies to fill positions that lack internal There are several pitfallseto avoid. Do not focus only on building technical capabilities in your future work Include team building andleadership development. Do not fail to include everyoner as a potential candidate forthe future, even if someone does not appear to fit the Do not forget lateral mobility as an option.
Do not neglecrt to let your employees know you are thinkinv about the future and about them as part of the this can be one of your bestretentionj tools. In many ways, strategifc work force planning is an elegant and challengingnumberx game. Play it right and your company will not just survive disasterr but will grow with the righf mix of internal and external Play it wrong and your companyt might also be the victim in a tragedy or at leasgt constrained in achieving itsstrategic plan.
Friday, January 20, 2012
U.S. jobless rate hits 9.4 percent - Portland Business Journal:
cicugaha.wordpress.com
The BLS said the unemployment rate continuedto rise, increasingt to 9.4 percent from 8.9 percent. Steepl job losses continued in manufacturing, whilr declines moderated in construction andseveral service-providing industries. The numberr of unemployed persons increased by to 14.5 million in May. Since the start of the recessionm inDecember 2007, the number of unemployed people has risen by 7 and the unemployment rate has grown by 4.5 percentage points. Unemployment rates rose in May for adultymen (9.8 percent), adult women (7.5 percent), whitesx (8.6 percent) and Hispanics (12.78 percent). The jobless rates for teenagerxs (22.7 percent) and blacks (14.9 were little changed over the month.
The unemployment rate for Asianxwas 6.7 percent in May, not seasonally up from 3.8 percent a year Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and peopler who completed temporary jobs rose by 732,000 in May, to 9.5 This group has increased by 5.8 million since the starg of the recession. The number of long-term unemployes – those jobless for 27 weeks or more increasedby 268,000 over the to 3.9 million, and has triplerd since the start of the recession. The BLS’ May repory said the jobless ratefor management, business and financiapl operations hit 4.6 percent, up from 2.7 percenrt last year, and the rate for professional and related occupation s hit 4.2 percent, up from 2.
5 percentt last year.
The BLS said the unemployment rate continuedto rise, increasingt to 9.4 percent from 8.9 percent. Steepl job losses continued in manufacturing, whilr declines moderated in construction andseveral service-providing industries. The numberr of unemployed persons increased by to 14.5 million in May. Since the start of the recessionm inDecember 2007, the number of unemployed people has risen by 7 and the unemployment rate has grown by 4.5 percentage points. Unemployment rates rose in May for adultymen (9.8 percent), adult women (7.5 percent), whitesx (8.6 percent) and Hispanics (12.78 percent). The jobless rates for teenagerxs (22.7 percent) and blacks (14.9 were little changed over the month.
The unemployment rate for Asianxwas 6.7 percent in May, not seasonally up from 3.8 percent a year Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and peopler who completed temporary jobs rose by 732,000 in May, to 9.5 This group has increased by 5.8 million since the starg of the recession. The number of long-term unemployes – those jobless for 27 weeks or more increasedby 268,000 over the to 3.9 million, and has triplerd since the start of the recession. The BLS’ May repory said the jobless ratefor management, business and financiapl operations hit 4.6 percent, up from 2.7 percenrt last year, and the rate for professional and related occupation s hit 4.2 percent, up from 2.
5 percentt last year.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Heinz reports Q4 earnings - Pittsburgh Business Times:
vorotintseyqah.blogspot.com
The Downtown Pittsburgh-based food manufacturer had net incomeof $175. million, or 55 centa per share, for the quarter ended April 29, compareds to $194.1 million, or 61 cents per share, a year ago. For the fiscalp year ended April 29, Heinz had net income of $923 million, or $2.90 per compared to $844.9 million, or $2.632 per share, for fiscaol year 2008. Sales for the quarter were $2.5 3 billion, compared to $2.68 billio in the year-ago quarter. For the full fiscak year, Heinz had sales of $10.1 compared to $10 billion a year ago. Wall Stree analysts on average were expecting earningsx of 54 centsper share, accordingf to Thomson Reuters.
"Heinzs delivered record sales and profit infiscal 2009, despite the difficult global environment," said president and CEO Willia Johnson. "Heinz brands around the world performed benefitting from the growing trencdof at-home dining."
The Downtown Pittsburgh-based food manufacturer had net incomeof $175. million, or 55 centa per share, for the quarter ended April 29, compareds to $194.1 million, or 61 cents per share, a year ago. For the fiscalp year ended April 29, Heinz had net income of $923 million, or $2.90 per compared to $844.9 million, or $2.632 per share, for fiscaol year 2008. Sales for the quarter were $2.5 3 billion, compared to $2.68 billio in the year-ago quarter. For the full fiscak year, Heinz had sales of $10.1 compared to $10 billion a year ago. Wall Stree analysts on average were expecting earningsx of 54 centsper share, accordingf to Thomson Reuters.
"Heinzs delivered record sales and profit infiscal 2009, despite the difficult global environment," said president and CEO Willia Johnson. "Heinz brands around the world performed benefitting from the growing trencdof at-home dining."
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Health care reform details begin to emerge - Memphis Business Journal:
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percent of the cost of health insurance premiumsfor full-time employeexs under the health care reforn bill being considered by the House. They also woul d be required to pick up at least some of the tab forinsuringh part-time employees. Businesses that don't provid e this minimum level of coverage would be required to pay the federapl government a fee based on 8 percent oftheidr payroll. Small businesses under a yet-to-be-determined threshold would be exempted fromthis "play or requirement.
According to information from the House committeexs on Waysand Means, Energy and Commerce, and Educationm and Labor, small businesses and individualss could comparison shop among private and public plans in a nationa l health insurance exchange. Employers could eitherf provide health insurance to their employeesx or pay a fee based on 8 percen of their payroll tothe government. Employers that offer coveragre would have to pickup 72.5 percent of the cost of premiumz for full-time employees and 65 percentg for a family policy. Employeras could contribute a share of the expense of coveragesfor part-time employees or contribute to the healtuh insurance exchange.
Small businesses under a size threshold yet to be determine would be exempted from the employeeresponsibility requirement. Small businesses that can't affords coverage would get a tax credig to help them payfor it. The chairme of three House committeeas with jurisdiction over healty care introduced their draft legislationhJune 19, offering the most details yet on how healtyh care reform could affect small businesses. Rep. Henry D-Calif., said the legislation would fixthe "completelu dysfunctional insurance market" for small businesses, which face "unaffordablew rate increases" every year. Waxman chairs the House Energgy andCommerce Committee.
Health insurance premiums for U.S. businessese increased by 9.2 percent this year, and are expected to increasde another 9 percentnext year, accordinb to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Small businesses often face much higher rate While most small businesses agree the currentr health insurance marketis dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreemenf over whether the House bill woulfd cure the problem or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retail clothing stor and design business called Smash in Des Iowa, likes what he sees in the bill.
Draper thinkds adding a public plan to the insurance mix woul hold down premiums by creating more competition inthe "I don't have a whole lot of confidencer in the system we have Draper said. Draper's company currentlyh doesn't offer health insurance to itsseven full-time but instead reimburses them for the cost of individua policies that they buy on their own. That'ds fine with his employees, who are single, in thei r 20s and don't want their insurancde to be tied totheir job.
The reimbursements now account for 6 percenof Smash's payroll, but that could jump to 22 percenf in four years, when Drapert expects everyone on his management team to have children, creatin the need for family plans. His busines s couldn't handle that expense, he If the House bill were enacted, he would consider buyinfg insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mightt decide to pay the 8 percent payroll fee insteaed and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiesz they purchase throughthe exchange.
Draper, who was scheduleed to testify before the House Ways and Means CommittewJune 24, thinks employers should be require to help pay for their employees' health insurance. Like Sociaol Security contributions, this sort of responsibility is "kind of what you signe d up for" when you become a business he said. Other small business owners, however, think the House bill imposesx too tough of a standard onsmalo businesses. The requirement to pay 72.5 percent of an employee'a premium for individual coverage "is much too high for many smallo businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, presiden and CEO of the Smal lBusiness & Entrepreneurship Council.
The only way many small businesses can affors coverage is by making employee pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Company Flowera & Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 percenty of the cost of health insurance forseven full-time Even that may not be affordable next because "our rates are going to skyrocket," co-ownerf John Nicholson told the House Small Businesws Committee earlier this month.
Small businesses with fewer than 200 employee paid an average of 86 percentof employees' premiums for individuak coverage in 2008, according to the Kaiser Familu Foundation and Health Research & Educational That share dropped to 66 percent for family coverage, just aboves the 65 percent threshold calleed for in the House proposal. Nicholson, who testified on behalf of the National Federation ofIndependent Business, said insurancse market reforms, exchanges and tax breaks would help small businesses, but employefr mandates would hurt low-margin businesses and public planes could drive private insurers out of the Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J.
, said the House plans to exclude very smallbusinessex -- such as barbershops, gas stations and delicatessen s -- from the employef mandate. "We certainly don't want to impose any burden on he said. Instead, the mandate is targeted at businessesthat "have the wherewithal" to provide insurance but choosr not to, he said.
percent of the cost of health insurance premiumsfor full-time employeexs under the health care reforn bill being considered by the House. They also woul d be required to pick up at least some of the tab forinsuringh part-time employees. Businesses that don't provid e this minimum level of coverage would be required to pay the federapl government a fee based on 8 percent oftheidr payroll. Small businesses under a yet-to-be-determined threshold would be exempted fromthis "play or requirement.
According to information from the House committeexs on Waysand Means, Energy and Commerce, and Educationm and Labor, small businesses and individualss could comparison shop among private and public plans in a nationa l health insurance exchange. Employers could eitherf provide health insurance to their employeesx or pay a fee based on 8 percen of their payroll tothe government. Employers that offer coveragre would have to pickup 72.5 percent of the cost of premiumz for full-time employees and 65 percentg for a family policy. Employeras could contribute a share of the expense of coveragesfor part-time employees or contribute to the healtuh insurance exchange.
Small businesses under a size threshold yet to be determine would be exempted from the employeeresponsibility requirement. Small businesses that can't affords coverage would get a tax credig to help them payfor it. The chairme of three House committeeas with jurisdiction over healty care introduced their draft legislationhJune 19, offering the most details yet on how healtyh care reform could affect small businesses. Rep. Henry D-Calif., said the legislation would fixthe "completelu dysfunctional insurance market" for small businesses, which face "unaffordablew rate increases" every year. Waxman chairs the House Energgy andCommerce Committee.
Health insurance premiums for U.S. businessese increased by 9.2 percent this year, and are expected to increasde another 9 percentnext year, accordinb to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Small businesses often face much higher rate While most small businesses agree the currentr health insurance marketis dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreemenf over whether the House bill woulfd cure the problem or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retail clothing stor and design business called Smash in Des Iowa, likes what he sees in the bill.
Draper thinkds adding a public plan to the insurance mix woul hold down premiums by creating more competition inthe "I don't have a whole lot of confidencer in the system we have Draper said. Draper's company currentlyh doesn't offer health insurance to itsseven full-time but instead reimburses them for the cost of individua policies that they buy on their own. That'ds fine with his employees, who are single, in thei r 20s and don't want their insurancde to be tied totheir job.
The reimbursements now account for 6 percenof Smash's payroll, but that could jump to 22 percenf in four years, when Drapert expects everyone on his management team to have children, creatin the need for family plans. His busines s couldn't handle that expense, he If the House bill were enacted, he would consider buyinfg insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mightt decide to pay the 8 percent payroll fee insteaed and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiesz they purchase throughthe exchange.
Draper, who was scheduleed to testify before the House Ways and Means CommittewJune 24, thinks employers should be require to help pay for their employees' health insurance. Like Sociaol Security contributions, this sort of responsibility is "kind of what you signe d up for" when you become a business he said. Other small business owners, however, think the House bill imposesx too tough of a standard onsmalo businesses. The requirement to pay 72.5 percent of an employee'a premium for individual coverage "is much too high for many smallo businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, presiden and CEO of the Smal lBusiness & Entrepreneurship Council.
The only way many small businesses can affors coverage is by making employee pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Company Flowera & Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 percenty of the cost of health insurance forseven full-time Even that may not be affordable next because "our rates are going to skyrocket," co-ownerf John Nicholson told the House Small Businesws Committee earlier this month.
Small businesses with fewer than 200 employee paid an average of 86 percentof employees' premiums for individuak coverage in 2008, according to the Kaiser Familu Foundation and Health Research & Educational That share dropped to 66 percent for family coverage, just aboves the 65 percent threshold calleed for in the House proposal. Nicholson, who testified on behalf of the National Federation ofIndependent Business, said insurancse market reforms, exchanges and tax breaks would help small businesses, but employefr mandates would hurt low-margin businesses and public planes could drive private insurers out of the Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J.
, said the House plans to exclude very smallbusinessex -- such as barbershops, gas stations and delicatessen s -- from the employef mandate. "We certainly don't want to impose any burden on he said. Instead, the mandate is targeted at businessesthat "have the wherewithal" to provide insurance but choosr not to, he said.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Aurora opening Summit clinic early - The Business Review (Albany):
lebexab.wordpress.com
The Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will open October 26 and will replace the curren Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic at 915Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc, although urgent care service s will continue to beoffereds there. The new clinif also will replace the AuroraWilkinsoh Women’s Center and the Aurora Visiohn Center, both currently in Oconomowoc. The other Aurora Wilkinson Medical Cliniclocations – in Hartland, Dousman, Wales and Waukesha – will continuew to serve patients. “October 26 will represengt the start of a new era in health care in this said Dr.
David Ulery, president of Aurora WilkinsonMedical “The opening of our new cliniv and cancer center will move us closerf to a fully integrated system of care for the peoples of western Waukesha County.” Meanwhile, the hospital part of the projectg remains on schedule to open in earlyt 2010, Aurora officials said. The Wilkinson clinic will open at the same time as the new Vinces Lombardi Cancer Clinic on the Summit The new Aurora Medicall Center campus in the Town of Summig is at the southeast corner of Interstate 94 andHighway 67. The new Aurorw Wilkinson Medical Clinic will be on the west side of the and the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic is on thesoutj side.
The Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will open October 26 and will replace the curren Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic at 915Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc, although urgent care service s will continue to beoffereds there. The new clinif also will replace the AuroraWilkinsoh Women’s Center and the Aurora Visiohn Center, both currently in Oconomowoc. The other Aurora Wilkinson Medical Cliniclocations – in Hartland, Dousman, Wales and Waukesha – will continuew to serve patients. “October 26 will represengt the start of a new era in health care in this said Dr.
David Ulery, president of Aurora WilkinsonMedical “The opening of our new cliniv and cancer center will move us closerf to a fully integrated system of care for the peoples of western Waukesha County.” Meanwhile, the hospital part of the projectg remains on schedule to open in earlyt 2010, Aurora officials said. The Wilkinson clinic will open at the same time as the new Vinces Lombardi Cancer Clinic on the Summit The new Aurora Medicall Center campus in the Town of Summig is at the southeast corner of Interstate 94 andHighway 67. The new Aurorw Wilkinson Medical Clinic will be on the west side of the and the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic is on thesoutj side.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Portland Trail Blazers Draftee Jon Diebler Growing On And Off The Court In Greece - Ridiculous Upside
glafirarynyxu.blogspot.com
Portland Trail Blazers Draftee Jon Diebler Growing On And Off The Court In Greece Ridiculous Upside by Wendell Maxey on Jan 10, 2012 8:09 AM EST Jon Diebler had no idea this is how his first year out of college would turn out. After growing up in Upper Sandusky and spending his entire life living in Ohio, the state's all-time leading scorer now finds ... |
Monday, January 9, 2012
Telecoms ready for broadband surge if stimulus bill is approved - Denver Business Journal:
glafirarynyxu.blogspot.com
Congress is considering stimulus legislation that woul pump billions of dollars intoextendinv high-speed Internet service to areas that lack broadband The jobs would be created quickly and are expected to be shortt term. Millions of Americans — most of them in rurap areas — could receive broadband services currently unavailable to accordingto estimates. “I think the ultimatse hope is to create jobs and this woulddo it,” said Chuc Ward, president of Qwest’s Colorado operations. “We thini this is a sound investment forgovernmentg spending.
” Denver-based Qwest (NYSE: Q) calculatedf that expanding its broadband network to unserve areas throughout its 14-state territorh alone would generate thousands of jobs for contractors it wouldx hire to dig trenches, lay cable and install other The House of Representatives passed the stimulus bill Jan. 29, with $6 billionh for telecommunications infrastructure. The Senate bill beinvg debated asof Feb. 4 calls for $9 billion toward broadband. Qwest hopes to bid for funds to build broadband coverage in sparsely populatedx parts ofits states. Ward predicted the company could have contractorz starting work within weeks of Qwestrgetting funds.
Qwest estimated it would cost $3 billioh to get broadband of about 7 megabits per seconsd to areasthat don’t get broadband now. That would cost $460 million in Coloradlo alone, Qwest said. That woulrd make broadband available to about 2 milliojn additional householdsin Qwest’s Rocky Mountain, Greart Plains and Pacific Northwest local service Ward said. About 225,00 of those households are in Colorado, mostly far from the Fron Range metro areas in towns suchas Debeque, Carbondale and Fairplay.
The infrastructure costs of reaching remote homes nevefr would be recovered by the monthlyu rates Qwestcould charge, Ward said, whicb is why Qwest doesn’t serve But federal money covering construction costs wouled make providing and maintaining broadband service economically viable, Ward The stimulus money isn’tg expected to be made available to companieds that don’t sell Internet access to residential such as Broomfield-based Levelo 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: and Englewood-based (NASDAQ: TWTC).
But broadband expansionn could help them indirectly by driving up demand for servicees and increasing the use of their saidJohn Ryan, Level 3’s assistant chieff legal officer. Technology experts worry that the Unitesd States is falling behinf other industrialized nations inbroadbande deployment, which risks limiting the economy as high-speed Internef applications become more integral to businesses, and to key servicex such as hospitals and schools.
The federao stimulus spending would help, but it’s mainly meant to be a jobs program — not a technologicao fix for the country, said Phil Weiser, a telecok law professor and co-chairman of a governor-appointed statd innovation task force. Backeres of investing in national broadband infrastructure say it would fuel creationb of thousands of new jobsin technology, telemedicine, professionalk services and other careers aftefr the construction work is done. , based in D.C., estimates that $10 billion spent on broadbane expansion would leadto 498,000 permanent jobs beinbg preserved in existing and new Congress isn’t talking about spendingy that much.
The amountr depends on whether the House or Senate version of the stimulus packageis passed. Qwestg favors the Senate version, as does Colorado Gov. Bill Ritterd and his technology advisers. It puts one-thirx more money into broadband expansion, and it more directly involvea states in deciding where it It also lacks certain restrictions in the House version that woulf make Colorado telecom companies unlikely toreceivwe money. About half the money in the House legislatioh would be channeled through the ’s existing rural telecommunications subsidy program. That program disqualified Qwest because it serves urban areas suchas Seattle, Phoenix and Minneapolis.
Another $1 billiojn provided in the House bill is earmarked specifically forwirelesws telecommunications, which Qwest doesn’t
Congress is considering stimulus legislation that woul pump billions of dollars intoextendinv high-speed Internet service to areas that lack broadband The jobs would be created quickly and are expected to be shortt term. Millions of Americans — most of them in rurap areas — could receive broadband services currently unavailable to accordingto estimates. “I think the ultimatse hope is to create jobs and this woulddo it,” said Chuc Ward, president of Qwest’s Colorado operations. “We thini this is a sound investment forgovernmentg spending.
” Denver-based Qwest (NYSE: Q) calculatedf that expanding its broadband network to unserve areas throughout its 14-state territorh alone would generate thousands of jobs for contractors it wouldx hire to dig trenches, lay cable and install other The House of Representatives passed the stimulus bill Jan. 29, with $6 billionh for telecommunications infrastructure. The Senate bill beinvg debated asof Feb. 4 calls for $9 billion toward broadband. Qwest hopes to bid for funds to build broadband coverage in sparsely populatedx parts ofits states. Ward predicted the company could have contractorz starting work within weeks of Qwestrgetting funds.
Qwest estimated it would cost $3 billioh to get broadband of about 7 megabits per seconsd to areasthat don’t get broadband now. That would cost $460 million in Coloradlo alone, Qwest said. That woulrd make broadband available to about 2 milliojn additional householdsin Qwest’s Rocky Mountain, Greart Plains and Pacific Northwest local service Ward said. About 225,00 of those households are in Colorado, mostly far from the Fron Range metro areas in towns suchas Debeque, Carbondale and Fairplay.
The infrastructure costs of reaching remote homes nevefr would be recovered by the monthlyu rates Qwestcould charge, Ward said, whicb is why Qwest doesn’t serve But federal money covering construction costs wouled make providing and maintaining broadband service economically viable, Ward The stimulus money isn’tg expected to be made available to companieds that don’t sell Internet access to residential such as Broomfield-based Levelo 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: and Englewood-based (NASDAQ: TWTC).
But broadband expansionn could help them indirectly by driving up demand for servicees and increasing the use of their saidJohn Ryan, Level 3’s assistant chieff legal officer. Technology experts worry that the Unitesd States is falling behinf other industrialized nations inbroadbande deployment, which risks limiting the economy as high-speed Internef applications become more integral to businesses, and to key servicex such as hospitals and schools.
The federao stimulus spending would help, but it’s mainly meant to be a jobs program — not a technologicao fix for the country, said Phil Weiser, a telecok law professor and co-chairman of a governor-appointed statd innovation task force. Backeres of investing in national broadband infrastructure say it would fuel creationb of thousands of new jobsin technology, telemedicine, professionalk services and other careers aftefr the construction work is done. , based in D.C., estimates that $10 billion spent on broadbane expansion would leadto 498,000 permanent jobs beinbg preserved in existing and new Congress isn’t talking about spendingy that much.
The amountr depends on whether the House or Senate version of the stimulus packageis passed. Qwestg favors the Senate version, as does Colorado Gov. Bill Ritterd and his technology advisers. It puts one-thirx more money into broadband expansion, and it more directly involvea states in deciding where it It also lacks certain restrictions in the House version that woulf make Colorado telecom companies unlikely toreceivwe money. About half the money in the House legislatioh would be channeled through the ’s existing rural telecommunications subsidy program. That program disqualified Qwest because it serves urban areas suchas Seattle, Phoenix and Minneapolis.
Another $1 billiojn provided in the House bill is earmarked specifically forwirelesws telecommunications, which Qwest doesn’t
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Nordstrom to open first Rack store in Houston - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
yfimuna.wordpress.com
“We’ve wanted to bring our Houston customerds a Nordstrom Rack for some timeand we’res thrilled about this opportunity,” Scotty Meden, president of Nordstrom Rack, said in a The store will be located in The Centre at Post Oak near Post Oak and Nordstrom Rack is Nordstrom’s off-price retaio division offering savings of 30 percenrt to 70 percent on apparel and accessories for men and children. Nordstrom Rack merchandise is made up of productsfrom Seattle-based Nordstrom’s JWN) full-line stores and the company’s online store at Nordstrom.com, as well as speciak purchase items.
The Centre at Post Oak, owned by Houston-based , is locater directly across the street from the Houstob Galleria and includes tenantss suchas Marshall’s, Barnes Noble, Old Navy, Grand Lux Cafe and Morton’s Steakhouse. Vonn Tran of Weingarten represented The Centre at Post Oak inthe lease, and Jan Odom serveds as associate counsel for Weingartenb on the deal. The newest Nordstrom Rack will bethe retailer’ss sixth in Texas.
“We’ve wanted to bring our Houston customerds a Nordstrom Rack for some timeand we’res thrilled about this opportunity,” Scotty Meden, president of Nordstrom Rack, said in a The store will be located in The Centre at Post Oak near Post Oak and Nordstrom Rack is Nordstrom’s off-price retaio division offering savings of 30 percenrt to 70 percent on apparel and accessories for men and children. Nordstrom Rack merchandise is made up of productsfrom Seattle-based Nordstrom’s JWN) full-line stores and the company’s online store at Nordstrom.com, as well as speciak purchase items.
The Centre at Post Oak, owned by Houston-based , is locater directly across the street from the Houstob Galleria and includes tenantss suchas Marshall’s, Barnes Noble, Old Navy, Grand Lux Cafe and Morton’s Steakhouse. Vonn Tran of Weingarten represented The Centre at Post Oak inthe lease, and Jan Odom serveds as associate counsel for Weingartenb on the deal. The newest Nordstrom Rack will bethe retailer’ss sixth in Texas.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
SBA offering car dealers help - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
belyaevostapuki.blogspot.com
The government-guaranteed loans will be available to dealers to financ e their eligible auto andother inventory, otherwise known as a floor Through SBA lenders, the Dealer Floor Plan financing will providd lines of credit through its 7(a) program for title d inventory including cars, RVs, manufactured homes, boats and Dealers can borrow between $500,000 and $2 million against their inventory and repay the debt as they sell The loans have a maximum repayment term of five and will have 75 percent government guarantee. As part of the America’zs Recovery and Reinvestment Act, fees also are being eliminateds temporarilyon 7(a) loans.
Countless small businesses, includinbg dealerships, across the country are facing significant challengesd as a result of the uncertainty in the auto said SBA AdministratorKaren Mills, in a “Floor plan financing can offer some dealershipxs the opportunity to get through thesew tough economic times by allowing them to keep their inventoryy and cash flow as well as save the jobs these smal businesses provide.” Amid the economic turmoik and low auto car dealers throughout the U.S. in the last severa months have run into problems keeping their floor plansw through banks andauto makers. Most need them in order to be able to financd andstock inventory.
The program will run until September 2010, when the SBA will decide whethet it will extend it.
The government-guaranteed loans will be available to dealers to financ e their eligible auto andother inventory, otherwise known as a floor Through SBA lenders, the Dealer Floor Plan financing will providd lines of credit through its 7(a) program for title d inventory including cars, RVs, manufactured homes, boats and Dealers can borrow between $500,000 and $2 million against their inventory and repay the debt as they sell The loans have a maximum repayment term of five and will have 75 percent government guarantee. As part of the America’zs Recovery and Reinvestment Act, fees also are being eliminateds temporarilyon 7(a) loans.
Countless small businesses, includinbg dealerships, across the country are facing significant challengesd as a result of the uncertainty in the auto said SBA AdministratorKaren Mills, in a “Floor plan financing can offer some dealershipxs the opportunity to get through thesew tough economic times by allowing them to keep their inventoryy and cash flow as well as save the jobs these smal businesses provide.” Amid the economic turmoik and low auto car dealers throughout the U.S. in the last severa months have run into problems keeping their floor plansw through banks andauto makers. Most need them in order to be able to financd andstock inventory.
The program will run until September 2010, when the SBA will decide whethet it will extend it.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Seventeenth Street Plaza sold to HRPT - Austin Business Journal:
doqujamup.wordpress.com
Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estate investmeny trust that owns and operates office and industrial paid cash forthe building. The salez price was not announced. Seventeenth Street Plaz is located at 122517th St., across from the Tabore Center office, retail and hotelk complex. It was developef by what’s now Jones Lang LaSall Inc. of Chicago, and was completed in 1982. Previous ownerse include Equitable Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. part of the Equitable insurance company. Australian real estatee giant LendLease Corp. Ltd. took over the buildingv in the 1990s after itacquireed ERE.
JPMorgan quietly put the building on the marketf inearly 2008, asking $385 per squaree foot, or roughly $250 million, brokere said. Brookfield Properties of New York and Toronto had the building under contract to purchase last summerfor $225 million, but the deal was not consummates because of the debt impact on Brookfield’s lender, said real estate brokersd knowledgeable about the deal. As of October, the buildint was off the market. The building, with an attachecd parking structure, is 93 percent leased and includews Ink! Coffee and Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarterd of Molson CoorsBrewing Co.
Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estate investmeny trust that owns and operates office and industrial paid cash forthe building. The salez price was not announced. Seventeenth Street Plaz is located at 122517th St., across from the Tabore Center office, retail and hotelk complex. It was developef by what’s now Jones Lang LaSall Inc. of Chicago, and was completed in 1982. Previous ownerse include Equitable Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. part of the Equitable insurance company. Australian real estatee giant LendLease Corp. Ltd. took over the buildingv in the 1990s after itacquireed ERE.
JPMorgan quietly put the building on the marketf inearly 2008, asking $385 per squaree foot, or roughly $250 million, brokere said. Brookfield Properties of New York and Toronto had the building under contract to purchase last summerfor $225 million, but the deal was not consummates because of the debt impact on Brookfield’s lender, said real estate brokersd knowledgeable about the deal. As of October, the buildint was off the market. The building, with an attachecd parking structure, is 93 percent leased and includews Ink! Coffee and Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarterd of Molson CoorsBrewing Co.
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