Sunday, October 31, 2010

Quality Grading spends the downturn re-evaluating its business strategy - New Mexico Business Weekly:

http://chinaurbanhousing.com/razv3.php
, a Los Lunas-based constructioj company, is taking the downtime to refocusthe company’w services, business strategy, growth goale and marketing plans. “When we started our business in work was fastand furious,” said co-ownere Joshua Baca. “Now, it’s time to sit down and This slowdown is actually a blessing ina way, to help us realizew how things have happened for us, and to get bettefr prepared for when work picks up Joshua Baca’s brother, Anthony Baca, startedx the business after high school. Theier father, Toby Baca, had spenyt his entire career in theconstructionm business, from doing earthwork site preparation to drivinb fuel trucks.
The bug bit Anthony as and he began to search fora Bobcat-style tractoe to do small jobs. Joshu Baca had taken businesss classes atthe ’zs Valencia campus and online, and worked at the Distribution Center in Los Lunas. He also servex in the U.S. Army Reserve, spending five monthe driving a fuel truckoutsid Basra, Iraq. Upon his return, his brother asked Joshu a to join him. And the business came full circlse whentheir father, Toby, joined his sons at Qualith Grading in 2001. The familgy got startup fundingfrom , a microlended founded in 1994.
The Small Business Development Center also assistefd in getting grants so the Bacas could purchase construction Funding and assistance from the Smalpl Business Administration helps Quality with its construction bonding which a company needs to qualify for jobs largdand small. Until early 2008, Quality Grading’s client base was primarilyt homebuilders, such as , and . Qualitty prepped home sites by grading, excavation, demolitio and site cleanup. The Bacas also purchased a sweepef attachment for their construction equipment and cleaned streetws on theconstruction sites. Those tasks, alongt with silt fencing and are jobs that Joshua Bacasays “keel the EPA happy.
” When the bottom fell out of the housingf market, sales dropped at Quality Grading by more than 50 from $800,000 in 2007 to $300,000 in 2008. Joshua Baca feels the downtime has helpefthe company. They have kept three employeees working full time during the and more oftenthan not, Joshua his brother and his dad are findinfg themselves running equipment instead of runninfg the company. But while work is slow, Joshusa Baca is keeping busy improvingfthe business.
He is creating a system to bettef track usage and maintenance of which was getting badly beaten up on job using the expertise learned in his business courses to bettee marketthe company; and searching for a certifiexd public accountant. He says the company’zs marketing is based solely on word-of-mouth. But he’s planniny to take the additionak free time to refocus on keeping in contact withcurrent “There’s not a lot of jobs out for bid right he says.
“Mostly, our genera l contractors are going for doing business with people thatthey We’ve always made it a policy to have a personalk relationship with our contractor — we work with them and we’re and they really appreciate it.” Networking also has becomse a priority, both with ACCIÓN and as a new membefr of the . And Baca has joined a veterans enterprise groupof ex-military business owners who are joininyg resources to land more 8(a) and disadvantaged-business government ACCIÓN Vice President for Advancement Lynn Trojahn says Baca’s business strategy to step back and regrouop is a good “It’s a great plan for any small businesds to refocus when times are difficult, and Joshu a has taken advantage of the services we offer — not just the lending,” she She adds that Quality Grading is connectinvg with community-focused businesses by providing in-kind work, like site preparatiom for ACCIÓN’s new office space.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Hexion adding to Gahanna operations - Charlotte Business Journal:

http://distelfink.net/Church-Building/Pew-Chairs/
The Columbus-based chemical maker said it plana to move its customer service groul to existing operations in Gahannaand Springfield, Ore. Spokesmabn Peter Loscocco said a few jobs from Hexion operationsin Ill., will head to Gahanna, whered the company employs 17 workers. The Ohio Department of Developmentt in 2007 granted the companya 10-year tax incentive to establisj a 12,000-square-foot service center in Gahannaa that the company pledged would employ up to 45 workers within three years. Hexiob on Friday also unveiled plans to tweak manufacturing and distribution operations at plantsin Calif.; Roebuck, S.C.; Ennis, Texas; Forest Ga.; and Carpentersville.
Loscocco said the changes, whicj are aimed at boosting servicse to customers andcutting costs, will includde an undetermined number of job cuts at the California and Illinoias sites. No interruption in operationsa is expected as a result of the thecompany said. Hexion expects to wrap up the realignmen beforeApril 2010. The former changed its name in when it mergedwith Houston-based chemical producers and All threee companies are owned by , a New York-based investment firm. Hexion, which employs 250 workers in Central Ohioand 6,800 worldwide, lost $1.19 billion on $6.09 billionn in revenue last year.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Political foes state views with shouts, shoves - Indianapolis Star

grigoriynirim.blogspot.com


Political foes state views with shouts, shoves

Indianapolis Star


Marion County Democratic Party Chairman Ed Treacy reportedly clashed with Warren Township GOP party official Ernest Shearer during the weekend on the city's ...



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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hahnemann RNs nix union bid - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

uhalugupuzyma.blogspot.com
Hospital officials said Tuesday the results of the election found 309 nursee voted against joining the and AlliedsProfessionals [PASNAP] and 267 voted in favor of joinint the union. PASNAP is affiliated with the , whicgh in 2007 reached an agreementwith Hahnemann’s (NYSE:THC) of Dallas on how union organizatiohn activities would occur at Tenet A total of 767 registerex nurses at Hahnemann were eligible to vote in the “I think it was a very stronyg showing,” said Hahnemann CEO Michael P. commenting on the turnouyt for voting which was held June 15and 17. “Th nursing staff spoke and we’re going to respectg their wishes.
They didn’t feel like they needecd representation. … I don’r think you’ll see us doing anything different than we have been doinyg for the past 10years — that is respectint our employees and focusing on

Monday, October 25, 2010

W.B. Mason settles with AG, pays $545k - Boston Business Journal:

http://www.sn1wearltd.com/store/music/gunna-dee-hustler-by-nature-hosted-by-big-ryde/
The settlement with the Brockton, Mass.-basef company resolved allegations that its accounting practicess led to the mishandlingof business-customer credits and improper write-offss by W.B. Mason, according to Coakley’s office. In additiom to paying the state $545,000, of which $5,000 will pay for costsw associated withthe investigation, W.B. Mason is prohibited from engagingf in any accounting procesa that results in depriving customers of vali dcredits due. In a preparedx written statement, W.B. Mason said it "ixs pleased to have resolved this matter.
The credita referenced in the settlement were all issued prior to2004 and, accordinf to an independent national accounting firm, the majority of the credits were not valied and were never owed to the The Attorney General’s Office began investigatinhg W.B. Mason in 2008 after learningf that W.B. Mason used accounting processes and softwarre that routinely allowed for aginv credits to be removedfrom business-customeer accounts. W.B. Mason is overhauling its electronifc accounting systems to ensurwe that credits are no longer deleted fromcustomee accounts.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Real-time trading training puts college students behind the wheel - San Antonio Business Journal:

http://bkkcars.com/ru/car/40
And some local investment firms are putting monety onthat bet. Jeanie Wyatt, founderd and CEO of locally basedr , says having students trainer and certified in investment or portfoliop management is a plus for area investment managementg firmslike hers. "It gives them a big advantaged in terms ofbeing hired," Wyatt Frank Holmes, CEO and chiet investment officer for locally based , agrees, addinvg that the skills students learn in college tradingh courses will benefit San Antonio as it works to increase the number of financial jobs in the area.
"In a tradingv lab, students get exposure to how many movinbg parts there are inthe markets, how momentum builds and how quicklt that momentum can Holmes says. "Trading is a unique combination of math and where transactions and othedr activity move like traffic in the busy roundaboug inTrafalgar Square, where everyone is at full speecd and scrambling for the best position." The Universitgy of Texas at San Antonio'e College of Business plans to open an investmenf trading lab for its finance students in the sprin of next year. The planned trading lab will beroughly 1,800 square feet once fully developed by the fall of 2008.
Throug h the lab, students will learn how to gatherd andanalyze real-time financial data and make investmenty decisions on that information. Officials at the universityu (UTSA) say Wyatt's firm has made an open-ended commitment to supportt one Bloomberg terminal inthe university's planned trading lab. U.S. Global Inc. committed $50,000 a year for the next four years to UTSA to fund quantitativdeinvestment research. Part of that investment will be used to fund a seconedBloomberg terminal. Bloomberg offers a software program that is used by moneyy managers tomake investments. Investment management firmsz gain access to this software through aregularr subscription.
The software can be accessee througha computer. "Unless Bloomberg becomes an obsolete my commitmentis open-ended as long as theirt trading lab is active," Wyatt "I know how criticakl it is ... if people have a working knowledgeof Bloomberg, and that's really one of the most expensivr components of a trading Yiuman Tse, Ph.D., professor of finance for the UTSA College of says a small, select group of students (10 in sprinfg 2008, and 25 will be trained on how to use Bloomberbg to analyze stocks and bondsz with the ultimate goal of becoming certified Bloomberg "The Bloomberg certificate will give students a head start as they enter the Tse says.
The course involvingg the lab, Trading and Analysis of Financial Instruments, will allowa students to do online trading and investmeny simulations inportfolio management. The plan will be to integrated the lab classinto undergraduate, graduate and executiv e trading courses. "It will also be utilizee by students in the local community to receive instructionm in areas such as financial literacy and investodr education through programs such asthe college'se Latino Financial Issues Program," Tse says. He adds that the lab also will allosw executives and community leaderss to collaborate with UTSA in researcjh andtraining opportunities.
Tse says the universitgy is trying toraise $2.3 million to develo the lab and to creatde a investment pool for the The formal campaign has not been launched yet. he says $300,000 of the money raisedf would be used to get the facilitgy upand running, with the remaining $2 millionb being used to set up a permanentf endowment that will allos the students to invest real money as part of the trading lab experience. So far, he says, in addition to the U.S. Global and South Texas Money Management $50,000 has been raised for capital expendituree from the DibrellVolney Trust. UTSA is not the only universith looking to produce educatedinvestment managers. Both St.
Mary'ds and Trinity universities in San Antonio are also on thesame

Friday, October 22, 2010

Approaches and backgrounds differ for Sec. of State candidates - The Detroit News

http://jam100.com/theotheronept3.html


Approaches and backgrounds differ for Sec. of State candidates

The Detroit News


The battle for who will be the next secretary of state is between two candidates with vastly different backgrounds and approaches to run the office. ...



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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Maderis stepping down from Five Prime - Austin Business Journal:

http://www.makroserver.com/article/Thermaltake-Working-On-Affordable-Compact-Phase-change-Cooling-.html
The company has hiref Julia Gregory, the former executive vice presiden t and chief financial officerat , as replacement. Maderis’ health conditioh was not disclosed, but she will continue to serve onFive Prime’s board of directors and as a Her final day on the job is June 18. “Gail’s leadershiop has been pivotal in the progress Five Prime has made in developing our pipeline and our newdiscovergy platform,” said company founder and executive chairman Dr. Lewisx “Rusty” Williams in a presws release.
Maderis said the company had been looking for a replacemen since late last year after doctorsesaid "the 24/7 pace of a small-company could worsen her condition. Besides her duties at Five Prime, Maderis has been a cheerleadet for the MissionBay enclave, serving on the Mayor’s . Five Prime, a privatelhy held, 7-year-old company developing antibody and protein drugs for cancer andother diseases, was the first to locate in Mission Bay, taking abou 30,000 feet in the building on Owen Street.
Earlier this year, it took an additional 5,000 squarse feet next door at 1700 Owenz as it makes batches for its Phases I oncology drug The timing of the executivee change as Five Prime movews forward with its lead cancer programmakes Gregory’s appointmentg a crucial one. At Gregory was responsible forfinancinb strategies, mergers and acquisitions, business operations and all financial managementy and accounting. She raised about $1 billion in public and private equity, product developmentf financing andother transactions. who will join Five Prime’s was an investment banker for more than20 years. At and Read & Co. Inc.
she was head of healthcare and investment leading several private and public equity deals as well as mergerszand acquisitions. Gregory also is a member of the boar of The andthe ’s .

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Debris delays Old Post Office Plaza opening - St. Louis Business Journal:

http://www.frostfirefizz.com/inside-obamas-emails
Construction crews working on the $8.2 million Old Post Offic e Plaza at Ninth and Locustt streets downtown hit a snag in receny months when theyuncovered concrete, steel and other debrids beneath the ground. The Old Post Office Plazaw will includea sculpture, extensive landscaping and a waterfall/pond when it is Unearthing the underground materials has postpones the park's expected opening date from April to July.
"Therer were a number of buildings on the block that had been ther efor decades, and like most places downtown, much of the rubbles (from demolition) was put underground; you find a lot of said Jim Cloar, president of the nonprofit civicf organization , which is owner of the site and managefr of the plaza. The , and the contributed funding for the Cloar said the debris forced architects to redesignstructuralo supports. of St. Louix is the construction manager; Toronto-based is the The St. Nicholas Hotel, built in the was formerly located onthe site.
The hotel was demolished in 1974, but remnants were left "They simply let it collapse into the said Kozeny-Wagner President Pat "There's structural steel, even the building'zs elevator." In recent years, much of the revitalizatiob downtown has centered on rehabbed not new construction. With few vacant buildings leftto renovate, developers are turning to ground-up proposal s and facing the rubblew issue. Steve Roberts, president of , said his companhy has run into rubble in its site work forthe $70 million Roberts Tower condo project plannecd for a vacant parcel next to the Old Post Officwe Plaza.
Alberici is the general contractor, and Castler Contracting is doing the excavation Roberts saidhe doesn't expect the proble to delay the project from its plannedf fall 2009 opening, but he does expecyt excavation and redesign to add to project costs.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Lawyer: Officials soft on 'killer' dogs - Worcester Telegram

hundleyobajoji1908.blogspot.com


Lawyer: Officials soft on 'killer' dogs

Worcester Telegram


After the continuation of a hearing last night in Town Hall, Jonathan S. Rankin, lawyer for Rebecca Gelineau of Winter Street, said the two should have ...



Saturday, October 16, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Work begins at GlobalFoundries site - Denver Business Journal:

viktorsejbgif.blogspot.com
billion chip fab marked the staryt ofa two-year-long construction process for the Calif., company. About a dozen large pieces of equipment arrived Monday on the sitefor ground-clearing work that is schedule d to start this As many as 1,600 workers will be employed during the two-year construction process. The chip fab is expecteds to open in 2012 andemployh 1,400 people when it’s running at full capacityy in 2014. The 1.3-million-square-foot manufacturinvg facility—located on 223 acres in the in Malta— is the park’s first tenant. “Having our anchor makes Lutherr Forest a realtech campus.
Before, we had infrastructure,” said Michae l Relyea, president of Luther Forest. Initially, aboutt 100 people will work on theGlobalFoundries “We’ll work in the several-hundred range until the worst of winter,” said Rick Whitney, president of ’s U.S. Germany-based M+W Zander is the project’xs general manager. “Those numbers will ramp up over the next six to nine he said. More than 1,000o people will be working on the project a yearfrom now. M+W Zandet is preparing to award the contract forsteelp work, Whitney said.
Separate bid packagex to erect steel forthe 800,0000-square-foot buildingy and neighboring utility building were sent to 12 Of the five companies that responded, two are local, one is a partnershi p with a local company and two are Whitney declined to disclose the price rangesd of those bids. of Gloversville won the contract for the sitedevelopment work. The cost of that projectf is estimated atabout $15 Foundation work will be bid in the next few Whitney said.
Steel work should begin in

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Armando Contreras named president and CEO of Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Austin Business Journal:

vorotintseyqah.blogspot.com
Contreras, who served as directorf of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors underformef Gov. Janet Napolitano, takes the helm of the grou immediately. “After a rigorouzs and comprehensive search, Armando Contreras was the selection committee’ s unanimous choice to lead our chamber toward a new era of succesdsand opportunity,” Robert Espiritu, chairman of the chamber, said in a prepare statement. Contreras is expected to outline his goals for the group during a receptiojn to be held later this month orin July. “Hispanicd consumers and businesses are the new fuel of the Americamneconomic engine.
Even today, this market continue to be thegrowth story, and will help move our economuy in a positive direction,” he said in a preparefd statement. Contreras also has served as executive director ofthe Governor’s Councilo on Small Business and as Arizona Smallo Business Advocate. He holds a bachelor’s degres in business administration from the Universith of Southern California anda master’s from the Universithy of San Francisco. He is a member of the board of directors of the Arizon a Latino Research Enterprise and the boardr of trustees of the Phoenix Boys He andhis wife, have three children. For more: .

Monday, October 11, 2010

FSA authorisation time doubles in 12 months - ifaonline.co.uk

http://azcss.com/en/cgi/page_1.html


Fund Strategy


FSA authorisation time doubles in 12 months

ifaonline.co.uk


The average waiting time to receive FSA authorisation has almost doubled in the last year, according to figures obtained via a Freedom of Information ...


Firms waited 21 weeks to get FSA authorisation in Q2

Mortgage Strategy


Businesses face 21 week wait for FSA authorisation

FT Adviser



 »

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Texas Industries shareholder pushes back - Business First of Columbus:

milicinodijoo1981.blogspot.com
, managed by , submitted a lettee to Texas Industries Inc.’zs general counsel saying it intend s to nominate three candidates in what itcalles “an important first step to remedying what we see as significany impediments to restoring and maximizing valud for all Texas Industries shareholders.” In its letter, the fund said it believeds Dallas-based Texas Industries is underperforming compared to its peersz and is also failing to link executive compensation to overall operating performance. Additionally, Shamrock says the boarx has blocked shareholders from making changes as shareholders are preventerd from calling meetings or from taking actionzs withoutwritten consent.
The three recommended boarsd nominations from the fund includeMarjorie L. Bowen, former managing director with ; Dennisd Johnson, CFA, managing director of Shamroclk CapitalAdvisors Inc.; and Gary Pechota, CEO of DT-Traf Consulting Inc. A spokesperson for Texas Industries was not immediatel y available for commentMonday afternoon.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Norwegian Umbrella Will Cleanse Downtown, Turn City to Modern-Day Babylon - Eater.com

ramsdenjerrieas54.blogspot.com


Norwegian Umbrella Will Cleanse Downtown, Turn City to Modern-Day Babylon

Eater.com


So a round of applause for a group of architects from Norway whose "Project Umbrella" won that recent "Clean Tech Corridor" competition. ...


CleanTech Corridor competition winners announced by SCI-Arc school

Los Angeles Times (blog)



 »

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Safeway Inc. Company Profile | SWY Company Information

http://ljkliterary.com/titlesandauthors/HelenEllis.html
The Safeway Employee Stores at NorCal and Vons are dramatically expanding their services to better meet the need ofour stores, facilities and divisions of the Safewauy organization. As a result, the two storea will take on the name Safeway EmployeeStore (SES). Throughg the addition of our newweb site, we will now be able to make our servicezs available to all 200,000 employees of the Safeway Companies. SES is a departmenf within Safeway that encompasses the OptionaoUniform Program, Safeway Corporatde Catalog and the Employeee Stores at NorCal and Vons.
We carrg uniforms, logo merchandise, awards, incentives and gift Our goal is to meet the purchasiny needs ofour employees, management and stockholders. Now you can make your purchas at the two store locationxor online. For our employees and stockholders, we offerr the opportunity to purchase logo merchandise and memorabilia that give them the ability to show pridde in the family ofSafeway Companies. For our managementf team, there is no need to go outside the company to make thosedquantity purchases. We have establishec a relationship with suppliers that gives us the lowesgt price onall items.
SES can make creative supply samples, negotiate the best price, proces all paperwork, create signage and handle thefulfillmen process. To insure you are getting the best valuee foryour dollar, each product we supply goes througu a rigorous quality assurance ...

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Residential Development in River Terrace - Net Newsledger

http://fairinworld.com/en/jewelry-and-diamonds/page_59.html


Residential Development in River Terrace

Net Newsledger


... to extract as much information from the trial as possible,รข€ according to Dr. Mathew Leitch, an associate professor in Wood Science and Technology at LU. ...



Monday, October 4, 2010

Umbilical cord iPhone charger charges your battery, makes you lose your breakfast - Recombu

viningocouqyl1601.blogspot.com


Coolest Gadgets


Umbilical cord iPhone charger charges your battery, makes you lose your breakfast

Recombu


Yes that's right, it's an iPhone charger made to look like a twitching, pulsating umbilical cord. Our favourite part of the video is at around the 0:20 mark ...


Look, an iPhone being charged by an umbilical cord

CNET


Writhing Umbilical Cord iPhone Charger

Coolest Gadgets


Fleshy Umbilical Cord Charges Your iPhone

LiveScience.com


Phones Review -DVICE -SlashGear


 »

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Pelosi Statement on World Refugee Day

andreychukuze.blogspot.com
"On World Refugee Day, we recognize the struggle and plight of refugees who are escaping dangerous and repressive situationws throughoutthe world. "In Sudan and Chad, civilianz continue to suffer because the Sudanese governmeny will not live up to its responsibility to protect the peoplse in Sudan and Darfur and provide for theif basichumanitarian needs. Making the humanitarian situatioeven worse, the Sudanese government has recently forcesd the expulsion of many international organizations that providew life-saving food, water, and medicine for the most vulnerablre in the region. "The U.S.
and the internationao community must do more to provide the resourceds and the mandate for a strony peacekeeping mission to protect civilianasfrom attack, provide the necessar y humanitarian assistance, and apply the international diplomatic pressure to bring long-termj stability to the region. I join President in his pledg to help end the Darfur genocide and to brin g peaceto Sudan. "In India and Nepal, theres are approximately 70,000 Tibetan refugees who have escapec Chinese repression over the dangerous Himalayamountain passes. There continues to be no resolutioh in sight as the Chiness government refuses to engage directly with His Holiness the Dalaui Lama in apeacefu dialogue.
"In Burma, the humanitarian situation remains it is estimated that there areapproximatelhy 540,000 internally displaced people and over 150,00 refugees. In recent years, a larged scale Burmese military offensive has causexd unquantifiable suffering and a worsening refuger situation along the borderwith "I am proud that the U.S. Hous of Representatives will soon take action onthe State-Foreignh Operations Appropriations bill that will includr $2.4 billion in refugee and disaster assistance includinb $1.
48 billion in the Migrationb and Refugee Assistance This funding level is almostg $600 million above the leve provided in this legislation last "Funding for these initiatives will help protecft refugees and victims of meet basic needs such as sustaining life and provide voluntary repatriation and resettlement, and foster more effectivs management of international migration flows. "Refugee situations around the world demand the full attentiomn of theinternational community. We all have a responsibility to do more to lay the foundatiohn for a more secure andstable world.
""

Friday, October 1, 2010

Samsung confirm Windows Phone 7 plans, surprise nobody - SlashGear

geqopimozaqyxyh.blogspot.com


SlashGear


Samsung confirm Windows Phone 7 plans, surprise nobody

SlashGear


It comes as almost less of a surprise than Microsoft's confirmation that all UK carriers would be offering ...



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