Monday, March 4, 2013
Health care reform details begin to emerge - San Francisco Business Times:
percent of the cost of healthn insurance premiumsfor full-times employees under the health care reform bill being considered by the They also would be requiredd to pick up at least some of the tab for insuring part-time employees. Businesses that don't provide this minimum level of coverage wouldc be required to pay the federao government a fee based on 8 percent oftheitr payroll. Small businesses under a yet-to-be-determined threshold would be exempted fromthis "play or pay" How small businesses would fare underr House health care proposal.
Small businesses and individuals could comparison shop amongg private and public plans in a national health insurance exchangeEmployers could either provide health insurance to their employees or pay a fee base d on 8 percent of theitr payroll to the governmentEmployers that offer coverage would have to pickup 72.5 percenrt of the cost of premiums for full-time employees and 65 percent for a familu policyEmployers could contribute a share of the expense of coverage for part-timed employees or contribute to the health insurance exchangeSmall businesseds under a size threshold yet to be determined woulcd be exempted from the employer responsibility requirementSmall businessea that can't afford coverage would get a tax credit to help them pay for it Source: Housr committees on Ways and Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor The chairme n of three House committees with jurisdiction over health care introduced theidr draft legislation June 19, offering the most det ailas yet on how health care reforj could affect small businesses.
Under their small businesses and individuals coulds shop for insurance through a national exchange, which would include a government-run plan as well as private Tax credits would be available to help small businesses afford the Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the legislationj would fixthe "completely dysfunctional insurance market" for small businesses, which face "unaffordablse rate increases" every year. Waxman chairsw the House Energy andCommercr Committee. Health insurance premiums for U.S. businessesz increased by 9.2 percent this year, and are expected to increaswe another 9 percent next accordingto PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Small businesses ofte face much higherrate hikes. Whild most small businesses agree the currenft health insurance marketis dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreementt over whether the Houswe bill would cure the problem or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retai clothing store and design business called Smasbh in Des Moines, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a public plan to the insuranc e mix would hold down premiums by creating more competition in the "I don't have a whole lot of confidence in the system we have Draper said.
Draper's company currently doesn't offet health insurance to itssevenh full-time workers, but instead reimburses them for the cost of individualp policies that they buy on their own. That'a fine with his employees, who are single, in their 20s and don' want their insurance to be tied totheir job. The reimbursemente now account for 6 percentgof Smash's payroll, but that coulr jump to 22 percent in four when Draper expects everyonew on his management team to have children, creatingv the need for family plans. His business couldn'tt handle that expense, he said.
If the House bill were enacted, he wouled consider buying insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mighrt decide to pay the 8 percent payroll fee insteacd and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiea they purchase throughthe Draper, who was scheduled to testify before the House Ways and Meansw Committee June 24, thinks employers should be requiredx to help pay for their employees' health Like Social Security this sort of responsibility is "kind of what you signe up for" when you become a business owner, he Other small business owners, however, think the Housse bill imposes too tough of a standard on small The requirement to pay 72.
5 percent of an employee'sz premium for individual coverage "is much too high for many smal businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Smalkl Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The only way many small businesses can afford coverage is by makinbg employees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Compangy Flowers & Gifts Too!, for pays 50 percent of the cost of healtj insurance forseven full-time employees. Even that may not be affordabl enext year, because "our rates are going to skyrocket," co-ownef John Nicholson told the House Smalpl Business Committee earlier this month.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Take a Drive Through Sarasota County's Architectural Gems
June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarasota County's ( ) rich architecturapl legacy takes center stage this summer asa self-guidedd architecture tour spotlighting structures associated with the Sarasota School of Architecturer as well as other significant symbols of architecturalo ingenuity ( ). Sarasota's architecture has been attracting worldwid e attention since theearly 1900s. architecture played a key role as the vacationh destination defined itself as a patrom of the arts withinspirationapl design. All the buildings included on the map are architecturally significant and are visible from the publi rightof way.
They represent three periods in Sarasota's -- before 1940, for historicao and architecturalcontext -- 1940 - from what is commonly known as the Sarasotsa School of Architecture -- after 1970, features architectur that continues in Sarasota today The majoritg of the buildings represented on the map celebrate a body of regionalo architecture recognized throughout the country as uniquse to its environment. This collection of structures, builg from 1940 to is commonly known as the Sarasota Schooof Architecture. The Sarasota School of Architectureemergee post-World War II and allowed young architectds to inject modern influences and an expressionn of optimism into the city landscape.
The pioneerin architects became world renowned later intheirf careers. The architecture is characterize by its attention to climate and terrain and incorporates large innovativeventilation systems, floating staircases and windows and sliding glass doors that dominate. It also incorporatex what was then advancements in building technologies as a result of the war and introducesd forresidential construction.
While this new self-guidexd tour is comprehensive, it leaves out some importanf buildings because they are not accessible tothe public, did not fit in the geographixc boundaries of historic Sarasot or have been renovated so that the origina l architect's intention is no longer visiblew from the street. Therefore the tour gives a mere taster of the architectural heritage of yet still offers more than 70 locations onthe map. The architecturre tour was created with the support of the Sarasota Convention and VisitorsBureau (SCVB), Sarasota Architecturaol Foundation, Sarasota County and Ringling College of Art and Design.
It is presenteed as a full-color booklet and map with key information abouteach building. It is intended as a self-guided driving tour that can be completed in approximatelgtwo hours. It is availabled for $10 at the SCVB Visitor s Center, 701 North Tamiami Sarasota or by ordering onlineat . Partial funding for this project was provided by the Tourisf Development Council and the Sarasota County Board ofCounty Commissioners. Sarasota and her string of eight islands are located alongSouthwest Florida's Gulf Coast between Tampwa and Ft. Myers. Sarasota and Her Islandsx is comprisedof Sarasota, Longboat Key, Lido Key, St.
Armandws Key, Manasota Key, Siesta Key, , Englewood, Nokomis, Nortgh Port, Osprey and Venice. In additiojn to sandy beaches, Sarasota and Her Islands also offer numerous cultural andecological attractions. For more informationh on discoveringSarasota & Her Islands, call the Sarasotw Convention & Visitors Bureau at 522-9799 or visit .
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Broadway renews Matrix, MultiPlan leases - St. Louis Business Journal:
The private real estate investmenyt and management firm is renegotiating leaseas with tenants at the same time it is tryingt to clear up debt issues withits lender. which lost ownership of the Hancock Tower after it defaulted on a has debt that matures this The financing in question is secured byseverapl properties, including the 980,000-square-foot Bay Broadway is in discussions with lender s to renegotiate the terms of the loan. Broadway was givebn an extension onthe loan, which was due earlierd this month, according to a sourc e with knowledge of the situation. However, the landlorfd renewed MultiPlan Inc.
, which leases 105,0612 square feet, and Matrix Partners, whichg leases 11,421 square feet, at the office complex. CB Richarf Ellis represented MultiPlan. DTZ/FHO Partnerws represented Broadway Partners and Matrix in theleasre negotiations. Broadway acquired Bay Colonyh from Beacon Capital Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a largetr portfolioof assets. The four-building complex officr park sits ona 58-acre site overlooking Route 128.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
IntercontinentalExchange Reports Record 2012 Earnings and Revenues; Net ... - MarketWatch (press release)
Globe and Mail | IntercontinentalExchange Reports Record 2012 Earnings and Revenues; Net ... MarketWatch (press release) ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE:ICE) , a leading operator of global markets and clearing houses, today reported financial results for fourth quarter and full year 2012. Consolidated net income ... UPDATE 1-ICE reports 2 percent rise in Q4 profit IntercontinentalExchange Q4 Profit Up - Quick Facts ICE Reports Two Percent Quarterly Rise |
Friday, February 1, 2013
Colorado skier visits down 5.5% for the season - Kansas City Business Journal:
percent from last year, reportedf Thursday. But the state’sw ski resorts had an uptic in visits by Front Range andMelanie Mills, Ski Country’es president and CEO, pronounced hersel “very happy with where visitation is for this “The travel industry as a wholew was put to the test this past year,” Mill said in a statement. “But visitation numbers show not only the endurinf value of a Coloradoski vacation, but the strongv commitment our resident skiing and riding communit has to our state’s signatur sports.” Ski Country is a marketin g and trade group for 22 Colorado mountain Those member resorts alone recorded 6.
79 milliom skier visits this season, down 6.9 percenty from the previous year, Ski Country Member resort numbers for 2008-090 were down 3.9 percent from the average of the last five Ski Country said. Ski Country said that in-statde resort visits were up 2.5 percent over last year, as Front Rangr residents took advantage of bargains and stayed closef to home to keep down vacatio andrecreations costs. Ski areas operated by Broomfield-basedx aren’t members of Ski Country. Those resort include Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creekm and Keystone. Vail Resorts last week said its total skiee visits at all itsresorts — includinbg Heavenly in California-Nevada — were down 5.
3 percent from the previoue season.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Beige Book: Region
Consumer spending in the region was weak and is expected toremainm soft, the closely watched survey said, but “an uptick in manufacturinf orders helped stabilize expectations for future production.” The Beiges Book also said that “commercial real estate market conditiones deteriorated, and energy activity declined further.” Bankers, it “reported a rise in deposits and stabl e loan demand with no erosion in loan quality.” It said consumetr price and wage pressures remained low. Meanwhile, produced prices “declined at a slowetr pace, with some firms notin that higher commodity prices boostee material andfuel costs.
” Overall, the latest regionak Beige Book — covering a six-week period — was somewhaf more optimistic than the last survey, releasede April 15. The report covers the Fed’s Kansas City-basedc 10th District. It is based on interviewsd with a sample of businesses representinbg key industries ineach district. The reports are anecdota l and do notcontain statistics, but they are widely followed and help the Fed to set nationakl economic policy.
The Fed’s 10th District includew Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming as well as wester n Missouri and northern New Formally known asthe “Summary of Commentary on Curreny Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District,” the Beige Book is published eight times a year. The latest report covers late Aprilthroughu May. The Federal Reserve’s 10th District is also known as the Kansasa City district becausethe reserve’sw regional bank is based .
Monday, January 21, 2013
Savara Pharmaceuticals obtains Series A financing - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
million Series A financing according toa U.S. Securitiew and Exchange Commission filing. The Austin-basedx company is developing an inhalation-basef drug delivery system and will use the fund to continue development of its NanoCluster technologt in the dry powdertherapeuticas market. Savara, which moved from Kansas last didn’t disclose its investors, but the SEC filinf indicates they've attracted 13 Savara was founded in 2007 with technology developed atthe . In late 2008, it moverd to the five monthes after Austin entrepreneur Rob Neville was namedthe company’a chairman and CEO.
Neville previously was founder and CEO ofanother ATI-based company, That startup was acquirede in 2000 by Houston-based for $100 million abouft a year after it was founded. Savara’s pulmonarty — or via the lungs drug delivery product, initially developer in 2004, is based on nanotechnology and dry powders rather thanconventional propellants. It planss to offer its platform to drug makerzs seeking alternative delivery methods and to developl itsown drugs. Last Savara garnered an undisclosed amount of financing from a syndicate of 12ange investors, most based in Texas, Nevillse said. During 2008, Austin-area life sciencees companies attracted $18.
7 million in venture capitao comparedwith $195.1 million in 2007, according to .
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Big story for the dailies is coping with parent companies
The parent companies of both the Soutn Florida and could be under mounting pressure to sell newspaper businesses in the face of fallint ad revenue andsuffocating debt, accordinvg to industry sources and published reports. Despitr their parent companies’ problems, both newspapers are regarded assolidlg profitable, and the Herald’s headquarters offers the bonu of a prime waterfront location in downtown The challenge for a potential sale would be whethefr a buyer is willing to step forwar d in the middle of a recessioj to bid on businesses with declining revenue. Financingv is another hurdle. In a Dec. 9 the Herald reported parent Sacramento, Calif.
-based had been in talks to sell thedaily – which has an average dailyt circulation of 288,179 to condo king Jorge Perez and sugat executive Alfonso Fanjul. Herald spokeswoman Elissa Vanaver said the pape r had no more information beyondits story. “It is and that is all there isto say,” she said The day Chicago-based , owner of the Sun-Sentinel, and Chicagio Tribune, among other papers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy undee the stress of a $13 billion debt deliverexd at the hand of real estate mogul Sam The Tribune chairman and CEO used an employeee stock ownership plan to craft his $8.2 billionb leveraged buyout to take the companyy private last December.
As for McClatchy, it took on $3.176 billion in debt to buy the Herald and the rest of the newspapert chainin 2006. It sold off several newspapers to help pay downthat debt. “Most newspapers, on an operating basis, are profitable,” newspaper analyst John Mortonn said. “They are too overly leveraged.” Morto said such high leverage makes it difficult to ride out thiseconomicv downturn. But, selling won’t be a walk in the either. “This is a terrible time to sell a Morton said. “First of all, there are no and second, newspaper values have dropped in half in the past five Morton said theTribune Co.
bankruptcy is the firstf he can recall for a major company since he entereds the industryin 1970. said it will continuse to operate its mediabusinesses – television stations and interactived media – and has sufficienft cash to do so through the bankruptcy process. But, that may change once the case hits bankruptcy courtr and the company faces the challenge of draftinv an acceptablerestructuring plan, according to Porter managing partner of , a New York City-basexd merchant bank that specializes in media companuy investments. “A good part of the less-than-core businesses will be sold off. It is as much strategg as it is financial,” Bibb said.
He said Tribune’s Floridq papers could be vulnerablebecause “they don’tf contribute very much to the needs of Tribund Co.” Tribune has already sold New York’xs Newsday. Bibb estimated operating profits for most newspapers stilpl hover at about18 percent, whichb is down from the 20 percent to 30 percenr of three years ago. The Sun-Sentinel recently signed a 10-yead deal to print The Palm Beachj Post, a publication that is cutting 300 jobs by closinbg itsprinting plant. The Sun-Sentinel’s printinhg plant in Deerfield Beach is aprofitf center. It also prints , The , Barron’s and New Times, the Post said in announcingf itsmove there.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Sprint Nextel has Palm Pre exclusively through year
The Overland Park-based company (NYSE: S), the third-largesyt wireless carrier, with about 49 million still wouldn’t give exact datesx of its exclusivity The Pre, a touch-screen phone with a slide-oug keyboard made by Palm Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), . The phonr operates on a new webOS platform that enables users to integrate information from multiple placews intoone calendar, contacts list or e-mail view, and it supports social, entertainment and personal CEO Lowell McAdam reportedly said the the No. 1 wireless will offer the phone within six Sprint clarified its claim on the phonew through theholiday season.
The Pre is intender to help Sprint combatthe iPhone, made by AAPL) and offered by No. 2 wirelessw carrier (NYSE: T). Sprinyt has been losing customers, including aboutf 4.1 million contract subscriberslast year. Sprint ranksa No. 1 on the Kansas City Business Journall ’s list of the area’s top public
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Crucial Demos DDR4 Memory Modules, Plans to Ship in Late 2013. - X-bit Labs
X-bit Labs | Crucial Demos DDR4 Memory Modules, Plans to Ship in Late 2013. X-bit Labs Crucial, a leading supplier of memory modules and NAND flash-based devices, introduced its first DDR4 SDRAM modules at CES 2013. The company intends to start shipments of DDR4 memory to interested parties in late 2013; though, it is hard to expect ... New Crucial(R) DDR4 DRAM Modules Enable Next Generation Enterprise and ... CES 2013: Crucial reveal DDR4 DRAM modules Micron Announces True 20 nm SSD Trio, Late 2013 DDR4 Launch |
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Feds want more data on Metavante-Fidelity deal - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Brown Deer-based Metavante (NYSE: MV) and Fla.-based Fidelity National (NYSE: FIS) had announced the transaction Apripl 1 and said they expectedc to close the deal by thethire quarter. Fidelity National and Metavante executives said Mondayg morning that the companies have each receiver a request for additional informatiob and documentary material from the Departmen tof Justice. The so-called second request is a procedurre in the regulatory process underthe Hart-Scott-Rodinio Antitrust Improvements Act.
Fidelity National and Metavants are in the process of gatherinv information in response tothe request, and are cooperatinb with Department of Justice reviewsx of the proposed the companies said. The Justice Departmenyt request extends the waitingv period imposed bythe Hart-Scott-Rodino Act until 30 days after the companies substantially comply with the unless that period is extended voluntarily by the companies and Justicd Department or terminated sooner by the Justices Department, the companies The proposed merger also remains subject to customarty conditions, including shareholder Metavante has agreed to a $3 billion acquisition by Fidelituy National in a deal that is expected to resulrt in the loss of hundreds of jobs as the companiesa look to cut $260 millionh in annual costs.
Metavante has about 2,700 employees in metro Milwaukee. Assumingg the transaction receivesregulatory approval, the mergedr company’s headquarters will be in Jacksonviller and Metavante CEO Frank Martire will relocate therre and serve as CEO. Metavantes stock was trading at $25.51, down 89 Monday morning. Fidelity National was trading at down34 cents.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Professional recruiter shares C-level executives
How would you like to pick the brains of top executivez to find out how they managedtheir careers? That’e exactly what Umesh Ramkrishnan, a noted executive did. Executives from , , , , , and otheer firms share what worked — and didn’gt — for them. One thiny binds their stories: Building a caree resembles rock climbing moving up bygoing sideways, diagonallu and sometimes even down to gain the toehold and handholds of learning experiences. • Listeninfg goes well beyond It’s an opportunity to show thosed around you that you acknowledge and appreciatewtheir expertise, experience and concerns.
Listening builda the highway leading to trustand respect, and adds alliews you’ll need on your climb. • The best time to advocatre for change is when the companuy isdoing well. It’se not a case of discarding what’a working; rather it’s an opportunity to leverage the momentum of a strongt position to get toanother level. Changd emanating from strength yieldxs morepositive outcomes. When change is forced when the firmis losing), it’sz driven out of fear and lack of momentum. It’sa rare that positive results comewhen backpedaling. • Peoplew only play their A-game when surroundefd by A-players. You need the best people to extracrt the bestfrom you.
They fill in your gaps and help eliminateryour blindspots. Written in an engaging, almost-conversationao style, this book almost feels like you’rew having a discussion over lunch.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
In Los Angeles, advocates push dueling medical marijuana measures - NBCNews.com (blog)
NBCNews.com (blog) | In Los Angeles, advocates push dueling medical marijuana measures NBCNews.com (blog) That measure is pitted against a medical marijuana initiative that qualified for the b » |
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Chrysler
The North Assembly plant, which produces Dodge Ram had been by the end of so Chrysler’s announcement Wednesday provided an exact The Fenton North plant is set to resume production June 29 untikl July 10, Chrysler said, and then will remainj idled “contingent upon volumes.” The trucjk segment has taken a particulare hit as auto saleds have declined. Dianna Gutierrez, a Chrysletr spokeswoman, said workers at the plant will have an opportunity to transferf to other production site or take part in an incentived program forearly retirement, speciapl early retirement program, and/or an enhancedd voluntary termination program.
She didn’t have exact details of the new offer but said it would be similadr to previous offers thatincluded lump-sum cash vehicle vouchers and health-care The North Plant employedc 1,200 workers prior to recen t buyout offers. About 640 the buyout and early retirement offersw by a May26 deadline. The Nortbh Assembly plant was idlef inearly June, but was one of sevebn plants where Chrysler production following the idling of all its plants when it filed for Chapterd 11 bankruptcy April 30. Afte r its brief reopening, the plant was then expected to closew fora two-week summer break the weeka of July 13 and 20.
Chrysler emerged from bankruptchy when Italian carmaker Fiat closed a deal to takeover Chrysler’s Chrysler’s South Plant in Fenton, whicu assembles minivans, was idled at the end of Another 115 of its more than 350 workerz had accepted offers from Chrysler
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Nikolay Stoynev: Toplofikatsia-Sofia has debts amounting to BGN 536 million - Focus News
Nikolay Stoynev: Toplofikatsia-Sofia has debts amounting to BGN 536 million Focus News Two years ago, the debt of Bulgargaz amounted to BGN 190 million and down to the present day it keeps the same debt-size. This is very important, because during this period of time, the price of the natural gas has increased from BGN 611 to BGN 897, ... |