Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Filene

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An auction was to have beguh at9 a.m. Friday, a week aftefr the bankrupt discount retailer was sold to an affiliateof Men’ss Wearhouse (NYSE:MW) in a biddinfg war that lasted several hours. Limite d and formal objections tothat $67 millionh deal have since been filed in Delawarwe bankruptcy court, prompting a judge to send the chainm back for auction again. Among those objecting to the sale isCrowm Acquisitions, the company that was first in line to buy Filene’es assets. The company in a filinfg this week claimedthe Men’s Wearhousse transaction didn’t follow bidding procedures and described the auction itselr as “a travesty.
” Crown claimed that Men’s Wearhousd originally said it had no interest in buyingg Filene’s assets through an outright sale, but as part of a Crown said Men’s Wearhouse later swooped in with a bid that was filedf after a court deadline. The new auctioj was to have begub at9 a.m. Friday. A hearing following the auction is scheduledfor 12:3 p.m., according to court documents. Filene’ss Basement sought protection from creditors in May in Delawarebankruptc court, months after closing several stores. Columbus-baserd Retail Ventures Inc. (NYSE: which maintains a majority stake in discount shoe retailerDSW Inc. sold the chain this year to FB IIAcquisitiom Corp.
, a new entity owned by liquidationb and turnaround firm Buxbaumj Group.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Inmark moves to Avondale from Pinson - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

http://www.articletape.com/business/news_2011-06-17-00-30-03-689.html
Real estate firm said the plastic containers and packaginhg companyleased 23,625 square feet of office and warehouse space at the park in The company has been in its currenty location in Pinson Valley for more than 20 years. Jack Key of Grahakm represented Inmark and Brad Moffat of represente dthe landlord. Graham said broker Walter Browjn has the listing on morethan 410,000 square feet of sublease space at the Colonnade in AT&T’s vacant South Tower Radiology Associates renewed its 4,669-square-foot lease at Vestavia Centre. Browh represented the landlord inthe transaction.
renewefd its lease in Calera and Decomqa Modular Systems renewed its leasein Combined, the two companies occupy more than 270,00 0 square feet of space in Graham & Co. The renewals were handled by Graham brokerzs Sonny Culp andOgde Deaton.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Vending machine maker moving to South Carolina - Houston Business Journal:

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As a result, 300 Crane Merchandising employeew will get pink slips in the comingf weeks as theEarth City-based company movews manufacturing operations to a plant in South Crane Merchandising, which has St. Louise roots dating back to 1933, makes snack and beverage vendiny machines and coffee machines at the EartuhCity plant. The company notified Missouri officials in April that it would begib laying off employees June 1 as part of its plantconsolidatiob plan. Tom Edwards, director of marketinh for Crane Merchandising, said economic developmentr officials from Missouri and Soutuh Carolina knew the company was weighing consolidating its operationzs eitherin St. Louis or at its plant in S.C.
“They (South Carolina officials) made a very aggressiver offer,” Edwards said. “They made direct contact with the Missouri, in our estimation, did not act in the same manner.” “Wse offered them $890,000 in new jobs training program if they had remained in Missouroi and brought new jobs tothe state. We thoughyt we brought a very competitive saidJohn Fougere, a spokesmamn for the Economic Development. Crand Merchandising had previously been approves for morethan $34,000 in job training which the company had not spent, Fougere Softening the blow will be the fact St. Louisd will remain headquarters forCranee Merchandising.
Edwards will be part of a 75-109 person team of engineers, sales and marketinf and administration peopleremaining here. Edwards declined to discusss financial incentives South Carolina made availablre but said they were significantly more than whatMissourj offered. Fougere said Missouri hoped to offer Crane Merchandisingadditiomn incentives, such as the Missouri Quality Jobs program, but Cranre Merchandising could not qualify undetr strict requirements for that program. Quality Jobs requires companiese to pay a wage equal to the county about $47,000 a year for St.
Louisz County, and provide more than half the health-care coverag for its workers; Crane Merchandising’s average wage is about $24,000, Fougere The requested a summary ofSouth Carolina’s incentive package for Crane Kara Borie, a spokeswoman for the Soutj Carolina , said May 27 the state would provider the information within 15 days. The Soutnh Carolina Department of Commerce issuedx a statement March 11 announcinh Crane Merchandising will investabour $20 million over time in its Willistobn facility, which now has the potential to increasde employment by 1,000 jobs over the next five The same press statement quotexd economic development officials from South Carolinaq saying Crane Merchandising’s consolidation was eithee going to create hundreds of new jobs in Willistonb or lead to a plant affecting about 500 workers in the South Carolina’s Department of Commerce Web site touts a pro-businesa environment with no or low state performance-based inc entives that rebate a portion of new withholding taxes, and an enterprisre zone retraining credit program that allows companies to reimburse themselves up to 50 percent of approved retraining costs, up to $500 a person per year.
Cranee Merchandising has put itsnearly 450,000-square-foogt facility in Earth City up for sale. Jeff Orf, senior directof with Gateway Commercial, is the lead broker for the Cranew Merchandising facility at 12949 Enterprise Way inEartb City. The property is dividede into two parts. The distribution center and manufacturing operationcovers 443,000 squarwe feet and has an askinhg price of $12 million; an adjacent, 39,816-square-foog office building has an asking price of $2.4 Both sites are on a 25-acre tracr and should be ready for occupancy by Orf said. Crane Merchandising started in St. Louis as , a businessz launched in 1933. Crane Co. acquired National Vendorse in 1985.
Last year Crane Merchandising madeup $402 million of the publicl traded Crane’s $2.6 billion in

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Consumer Comfort in US at Almost the Highest in Four Years - BusinessWeek

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Bloomberg


Consumer Comfort in US at Almost the Highest in Four Years

BusinessWeek


The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed above the 13000 level this week for the first time in almost four years. It has gained about 21 percent since a recent low on Oct. 3 last year. The Dow was up 0.4 percent to 12993.01 at 11:20 am The Standard ...


Americans' Confidence Reaches Highest Level Since 2008 in Bloomberg Index

Bloomberg



 »

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon proposes green college campus downtown, looks for stimulus aid - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The Phoenix mayor would like to see the sustainabilityg campus located near 7th Avenue and Van Buren Streef just west of thedowntown core. He said and woulde be the centerpieces of thenew campus. Downtownn Phoenix already is home to a growingg ASU campus and a biomedical centerr that features programs from ASU and the Universityof Arizona. Those existing higher educationm assets are locatedin downtown’s core and to it easterbn edges. The city of Phoenix has been lobbyinvg federalagencies — including the U.S. Departments of Energy and Housing and UrbanDevelopment — to help fund the greenn campus via the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The $787 billiojn federal stimulus offers education and researc grants for solar and alternative energyh and in othersustainability niches. Gordon will be in Washington next week talkin to Obama administration including Vice President Joseph Biden aboutgthe stimulus. That will include meetingzs withthe U.S. Department of Labort about the sustainability effort as well as work forcse development fundingvia ARRA. There is a Rio Saladi College adult education center off of 7th Avenue nearFilmorwe Street. Gordon said Rio Saladko owns some other land and there are vacanf parcels that could be used fora sustainability/green campus.
The campuse would be geared toward environmental andsustainablde architecture, engineering and workforce development. Gordon said more specific plansd and details of the west downtown campus are beinvg worked and could be unveiledthis fall. ASU has been uppinh its green and sustainable programs at its Tempe andother campuses. ASU President Michael Crow and the Greaterd Phoenix Economic Council also want to bolste rthe Valley’s solar energy production and make the regiob a center for alternative energy source. That includes Gordon wantingf the city to become the Silicon Valley for solar energy and reduc ethe Valley’s urban heat island by paintint rooftops white.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Murdock: Dead voters threaten fair elections - Wicked Local

ejyceh.wordpress.com


Murdock: Dead voters threaten fair elections

Wicked Local


Exacerbating this mess, Pew finds, America's “antiquated, paper-based system remains costly and inefficient.” Oregon and Wyoming spend about $4 to register and manage each active voter. Canada, in contrast, uses modern, private-sector name-matching ...



and more »

Friday, February 17, 2012

First IMA University focuses on economy, downtown development - Wichita Business Journal:

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David Strohm says the United States likely will pull out of the recessionm later this year or inearlyy 2010. When that happens, he says, the gross domestif product might only grow 1to 1.5 percent, comparedx to the 4 or 5 percent from previous “For the time it looks like you want to be optimistic and cautiouw at the same time,” he says. Strohm was one of two featuredc speakersduring ’s 2009 economicx update. Jeff Fluhr, president of the also spoke aboutthe city’s efforts to revitalizwe downtown.
IMA has sponsored similae events in its otherr markets and wanted to bring the program to saysKurt Watson, IMA’s president and chief operations “It’s our intent to bring in speakersa that we think the Wichita communitg would benefit from,” Watson says. IMA plans to sponsore similar presentations throughoutthe year. Strohmm says the recession already has lasteed longer than the previous 10 economifc downturns and pulling out ofit hasn’t been The federal government has spent billions of dollarss to stimulate the economy, but consumers still are reluctangt to spend, Strohm says. The GDP has dropped dramatically and businessese are stillshedding jobs.
Strohm predicts the nationalo unemployment rate, which currentlyy sits at 8.9 to climb above 10 percent beforr the recessionis over. The housing marke has rebounded, but stilkl is a ways off nationally, where one in eighy mortgages arein default, Strohm says. California, Florida, Nevadqa and Arizona combine to account for 46 percent ofall U.S. However, pending home salees are up 6.7 percent for April, the thirx straight increase, which means peopls are showing more interest in buying homes because of favorable interest ratesand first-timew home buyer tax credits.
“If we can get the housinfg issue off the frontpage (of then the economy is goin to generate some forward momentum,” Strohnm says. He says the stoclk market has rebounded inrecent months, but it would take 227 percen t growth to get it back to its previous Despite all the negative, Strohm emphasized the economy has showed signx recently that the recession may be nearing an end. Fluhr’s presentation, meanwhile, had a slightlyu different feel. He says he sees great potentia l fordowntown development.
Investing in downtown, he will help increase jobs, tourism and revenu e opportunities in theWichita

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Biogen shares drop on 10th Tysabri PML case - Triangle Business Journal:

zlatkopaisley1275.blogspot.com
The patient, who lives overseazs and had been taking Tysabrj for more than30 months, is the 10th persom to come down with PML since the multiple sclerosis drug was allowesd back onto pharmacy shelveas in 2006. Three of those cases have been diagnosesthis month. The news prompted to lower its ratingb onBiogen Idec’s stoclk to “hold” from “buy.” Investors responded with a sell-off that pushedx shares of Biogen BIIB) down 6.1 percent, to as of 1:20 p.m. which Biogen Idec produces at its manufacturing facilituy in ResearchTriangle Park, is seen as a critically important product for the companyu and its partner on the Irish pharma Elan (NYSE: ELN).
Tysabr i was intended to be an improvedd treatment for MS that could take the placer of blockbuster MStreatment Avonex, Biogen’s top-sellintg drug and one also made in RTP. But Tysabri has had troubld with PML since first coming on the marketin 2004. The drug was shelved by the in 2005 becauses three patients who had taken Tysabr i in clinical trialsdeveloped PML, with two of the casexs fatal.
The FDA alloweed Tysabri back on the marke t a year later under a special risk monitoring Tysabri has worked well to combat multiplr sclerosis symptoms in patients but it has not generated the revenue the Bioge n and Elan hadprojected – due in most part to PML The three PML cases reported this monthj have come in patients who had taken Tysabri for 30 months or longer, and fear s are growing that prolonged exposure to Tysabri increasesd the risk of PML. Biogen Idec disputea that conclusion. Still, some doctors have started givinfg patients a holiday from Tysabri in an efforgt toavoid PML.
In such a patient takes Tysabri for two years before takingv a break from the drug and turningt to other therapies for That trend is putting further downward pressure onthe drug’s Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen which employs almost 1,000 peoplwe in RTP, said in Februarhy that it would struggle to meet its goal of 100,00p Tysabri patients by 2011. The news of yet another PML case likelyu puts that target even further outof

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Lionbridge secures $100M contract - Boston Business Journal:

sasutezew.blogspot.com
The Waltham, Mass., translation-technology firm (Nasdaq: will provide services for defendantsx who require an interpreter to understand court as well as translation ofsworn testimony, legal briefas and court decisions. It will do work in all 50 the District of andthe U.S. territories of Puerto Guam andthe U.S. Virgij Islands, translating over 300 different languages. “Wit h a proven track record of managingt complex language programs for a number of largefederal agencies, we are delighted that the U.S. Department of Justice chose Lionbridge as its partner forinterpretationb services,” said Rory Cowan, CEO of Lionbridgde in a statement.
“Our consistently high quality ratings, immigration proven interpretationworkflow technology, and experience in governmeny security will help the Executive Officre of Immigration Review provide the highest level of serviced and communication.”

Friday, February 10, 2012

Clarence Clemons' Nephew Jake Clemons Joins the E Street Band - RollingStone.com

wanuso.wordpress.com


RollingStone.com


Clarence Clemons' Nephew Jake Clemons Joins the E Street Band

RollingStone.com


Bruce Springsteen has announced that Jake Clemons - the nephew of former E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons - will be taking over some of his late uncle's sax duties on the forthcoming "Wrecking B »

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

AMSC inks deal with Indian wind firm - Boston Business Journal:

vavyzina.wordpress.com
clean energy technology company (Nasdaq: said it will help Inox find locall supplies ofturbine components, build its manufacturing line and test the which Inox can sell globally. In AMSC will receive an upfront licenced fee and royalty payments onthe turbines, as well as exclusively provide the electrical components to the turbines. The deal is AMSC’ws second in India. “We view Indis as a tremendous growth opportunity for allAMSC products,” said Greg founder and CEO of AMSC, in a “Similar to our strategy in China, we have enterefd India through the wind energy which not only provides us with a growing stream of revenue, but also provides a concrete rationale to establisjh our in-country base of operations and contacts.
From this we expect to address not only the wind but also the huge power grid market opportunitg in India for our reactive compensation andsuperconductor

Monday, February 6, 2012

Comcast sends money and helpers to Locke Elementary - Philadelphia Business Journal:

geqopimozaqyxyh.blogspot.com
The covered the $12,000 cost of suppliesw and also matched the physical effort of employees witha $25,000 grant. The grant money will go toward renovatingvthe school’s science lab and buying new learninv technology. The school serves K-8 kids, many of whom are Mayor Michael Nutter dropped by for a visifas well. The high-profile attention on the school flattereed and impressedthe school’s principal, Vernadine “I remember being unable to sleep the nighf before,” she said. “When I arrivee around 6 a.m. that morning, City Year was alreadh in the building.
” The effort at Lockr Elementary was just one of severalk projects undertaken by Comcast employees throughout the citythat day. In Huntingv Park, Comcast volunteers picked up eighyt tonsof trash. They also created a community gardemnin Camden, cultivated the land at Clark Park in West Philadelphi a and beautified the Chester Valley trail. Charisse Lillie, vice president of community investment and executive vice president of theComcas Foundation, said that altogether, 3,000 of the 13,00o0 Comcast employees in Greater Philadelphia contributed a day of service. “Wew try not to just write a check,” Lillie said.
More than 300 employeese renovated theand , both of Philadelphia, on Apri l 24 as part of the food service company’s day of service. Both facilitiezs provide basic needs, affordabled child care and preschool, job training, and after-school programs in support of their communities. The Camdenj Riversharks announced that veterans will receive free admissiohn to Riversharks gamesthis year, as part of a new partnershiop between the Riversharks and the Volunteers of Americas Delaware Valley, a nonprofit faith-based organizationb based in Collingswood, N.J. donated $75,000 to Philabundancr on April 30.
In addition, abougt 30 local employees volunteered part of the day at the food which feeds nearly amillion low-income residents in the The Hearts and Smiles Foundation of Southampton raised more than $11,00o during its third annuall spring thaw golf class on April 27. The fund benefit low-income families with special needds children. The March of Dimes raises morethan $1.5 million during its Marcu for Babies fundraiser on Aprilk 26. Three thousand people participated in the eventr atthe , one of eighrt fundraising locations in the Delawared Valley.
The Lucky Seven Motorcycle Club, a nonprofit grouo of Ambler-based firefighters, raised more than $13,000 for the Center for Autismm onApril 25. The Center is a nonprofit autism treatment and evaluation center in More than 300 motorcyclists burnt pavement from Wissahickon High Schooklto McFadden’s at Citizens Bank Park for the thire annual ride for autism. The fifth annual Mommy’s Lighft 5K run and 1-Miles fun walk on April 25 raisesd morethan $50,000 for the Mommy’s Light Livew On Fund, which helps children with terminally ill or deceased mothers. More than 800 people attended the event.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Procter & Gamble not bullish on FY 2010 - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

oc697vot.blogspot.com
P&G executives provided their 2010 outloo this morning in New York City during a strategif decisions conference hostedby . The compang predicted core earnings per shareof $3.65 to $3.80 in fiscak 2010, versus $3.62 to $3.67 in FY 2009. P&G'ws fiscal 2010 starts July 1. The $3.65 to $3.89 outlook represents zero to 4 percent growth over expectesd fiscal2009 profit, of about $3.65 per And it falls short of that by analystsw surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who projectec 2010 earnings per share of $3.91.
P&Gt expects fiscal 2010 organic salews growth of 1 percent to3 percent, mainly drivenn by growth in market and net sales of 1 percent to minus 2 percent, compareed with fiscal 2009. The net sales figures factorf in a negative foreign exchange impact of 2 percen t to3 percent, the company said. Chier Financial Officer Jon Moeller said in the releasewthat P&G plans to invest aggressivelty in its businesses during fiscal 2010. “W want to position the company strategically and competitiveluy to be even stronger cominbg out of this global he said. Shares in P&t (NYSE: PG) rose 63 cents, to in Thursday afternoon trading.
Procter Gamble, headquartered in develops, manufactures and market consumer productsand pharmaceuticals.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Audiacom expands with purchase of Jeffersonville sign company - Business First of Louisville:

azajir.wordpress.com
Michael Becht, president of Audiacom, declined to disclosre the financial terms of the But he said his companygained L3’s assets and customer base in the L3, a Jeffersonville firm that was founded in provided indoor digital signage services to customers in Indiana, Kentucky and Its former owners, Brian Laythe and his Alexa Laythe, will work as consultantsa with Audiacom for the next three to six They will help integrate the two operations and train Audiacom’s stafc on the technical aspects relatesd to digital signage. The two ownersa were L3’s only employees.
Prior to the Becht said, customers had asked Audiacom to creatre marketing content that they could display on flat screensx in their place of Audiacom enlisted L3 asa subcontractor, in part becausse the company used Brian Laythe’s insights as a social psychologisr to help clients determine the placement of the screens and the type of contentf needed. The digital signage product seeme to be sucha “good fit” with Audiacom’xs other serv­ices that Becht approacheds the Laythes in November about purchasinb the company. Brian Laythe said the deal was attractive for him and his wife because it allowed them to focus on othe rbusiness interests.
Brian Laythe also is a professor at and a managinvg partner ofa customer-service training firm Shiha n Kyu Ambassador Service. Alexa Laythe is the CEO of Cyanolife, a startupo bioremediation company, and a director of Legacy Connectionws Networking, an organization for executives andbusiness owners. The acquisition closed on Jan. 30. Becht expects the deal to boost Audiacom’s revenuer by at least 25 percentthis year. In 2008, the companyt generated nearly $600,000 in revenue. “Fro our perspective, it is quite significant,” Becht said. “I gives us an added tool that our customersx have beenasking for.