framptongeqeaqu1461.blogspot.com
Atlanta-based and Charlotteville, Va.-based reported theirf plans for the property at 222Mitchell Street, but they did not disclosr financial terms of the deal. The 350,000-square-fooyt structure was built in stages from 1929 to 1979on 2.1 acrea and occupies the entire city block bounded by Spring, Mitchell and Nelson Streets. Orinda and Octagon will convertr the property into a rentak building with 205 loft units and morethan 70,00 square feet of commercial space. Occupancy is expected in January 2011.
“Thee redevelopment of 222 Mitchell Street into rental loftz and retail space will play a significang role in the rebirth of this part ofdowntowhn Atlanta,” said Dillon Baynes, president of Orinda, in a “We’re certain that living at 222 Mitchell Street will appeakl to young professionals who work downtown, as well as to collegw students, especially those who already attend one of the many fine institution s in the area, such as Georgia State University, Spelman, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Survivor of Hobart fatal car crash remains in critical condition - nwitimes.com
vypybiza.wordpress.com
WLS | Survivor of Hobart fatal car crash remains in critical condition nwitimes.com HOBART | The 31-year-old survivor of an early Wednesday morning car crash that killed two others remains in critical condition, police said. Juan C. Salinas of Lake Station was a passenger in a one-car crash that killed his two companions, ... One of two killed in Hobart crash identified |
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Jacksonville banks among Florida's highest for bad loans - Houston Business Journal:
mesiaipuhuni1981.blogspot.com
The percentage of assets, mainly loans, that defaulted in the thirfd quarter in the Northeasyt and North Florida regions averaged more than 3 percent ofthe banks’ total slightly better than Southwest Floridza and, in another report, South Florida as well. Area bankers were surprised that the Northeast region rankedx so closely to the South and Southwest regionas innonperforming assets. “Historically, the manic effec of Florida’s economic swings haven’t been as prevaleng here,” said Jay Fant, chairman and CEO of .
Beforw 2007, the percentage of these defaultingg assets did not reacuh above 1 percent among the community banks in Florida until about the second quarterof 2007. Then it steadilyy increased in the first three quartersof 2008, according to one reporyt prepared by a Tampa-based investment banker, Kendriclk Pierce & Co., and sourced from , an industry-specifix data researcher based in Charlottesville, Va. This performancre measurement is called nonperforming assetz as a percentage oftotal assets. Nonperforming assets are primaril y loans that the bank classifies as no longetaccruing interest, or bank profit.
The percentage is importany to the industry because it representsx theassets that, in the future, will be writtenh off, acquired by the bank if it’s a tangibl e property that goes into or worked out with the borrower. Northeast Florida had the second-highest average nonperforminy assetsat 3.55 percent of totao assets in the third quarter, according to Kendrick Piercwe & Co.’s report. The investmenft banker looked at community banks based inFlorida and, in a separatw analysis, thrifts, or savings institutions. Amongf eight regions, the Southwest area had the highest average nonperforminhg assetsat 4.73 percenty of its total assets, followexd by the Northeast with 3.
55 percent and then the Southeas t with 3.06 percent. The Panhandlse had the fourth-highest average nonperforming assetsat 3.02 percent. “Ww all believed that South Florida and the Panhandls had more excessive speculative real estatwethan us,” based on other data that tracked housingg developments, Fant said. This type of speculative real which is mainly raw land being financed for is categorized as land acquisition and development loans at banks. It typically produces a greater returnfor banks, but it is also riskierr than other loans.
Before the housing market acquisition and development loans were very easy toget into, especially for new because so much of it was Fant said. But as raw land and newlyu developed communitiesstopped selling, the loan volumes and paymentx stopped, too. Southwest region bankd had the highest percentage of nonperforming asseta because that is where most of theoverbuildin occurred, especially with condominiumxs and townhomes, said Mac Holley, president and CEO of . Northeasty Florida banks have more single-family residential loans and less of acondominiu market, he said. Holley thought the Southeas t would have rankedsecond highest.
In another asset qualityg report, North Florida ranked third-highest with an averagwe 3.18 percent of nonperforming assets to totalo assets amongseven regions. The report was prepared by investment bankerin Tampa, which also sourcesd the data from SNL Financial. Carson Medlih looked at only community banks based inthe state, excluding thrifts and restructurefd loans. The Southwest also had the highest percentags in this reportwith 3.61 percent of its total assets as The South region was second with an averagee 3.24 percent of nonperforminf assets.
Many bankers noted some discrepanciews with the reports concerning the banks thatwere Specifically, regional and national bankxs with large operations in the area were not But these banks typically do not break out numberss from each geographic area in their financial reportx publicly. Neither the bankers nor the investment bankers had a specific reason for why Northeast Floridq ranked higherthan expected, but they all agreed that problems with nonperformingy loans will continue at Florida’ss banks. “In the trends we’ve seen, I don’t thinki it has substantially changed saidPaula Johannsen, managing director at The Carson Medlin Co.
“We might see more [nonperforminhg assets] in the fourthb quarter as banks are identifying in year-end reports. Banks’ financial reports will not be publiclh released until after they are submitted to regulators by the end of In ahealthier economy, nonperforming assets wouldr be around or less than 0.5 percent of total Fant said. “When we see these numbers and thesedtrends now, there’s nothing to refedr back to gain wisdom from, so we’re in a new he said. “There’s a sense of realityg that we’re in it for a long term.
”
The percentage of assets, mainly loans, that defaulted in the thirfd quarter in the Northeasyt and North Florida regions averaged more than 3 percent ofthe banks’ total slightly better than Southwest Floridza and, in another report, South Florida as well. Area bankers were surprised that the Northeast region rankedx so closely to the South and Southwest regionas innonperforming assets. “Historically, the manic effec of Florida’s economic swings haven’t been as prevaleng here,” said Jay Fant, chairman and CEO of .
Beforw 2007, the percentage of these defaultingg assets did not reacuh above 1 percent among the community banks in Florida until about the second quarterof 2007. Then it steadilyy increased in the first three quartersof 2008, according to one reporyt prepared by a Tampa-based investment banker, Kendriclk Pierce & Co., and sourced from , an industry-specifix data researcher based in Charlottesville, Va. This performancre measurement is called nonperforming assetz as a percentage oftotal assets. Nonperforming assets are primaril y loans that the bank classifies as no longetaccruing interest, or bank profit.
The percentage is importany to the industry because it representsx theassets that, in the future, will be writtenh off, acquired by the bank if it’s a tangibl e property that goes into or worked out with the borrower. Northeast Florida had the second-highest average nonperforminy assetsat 3.55 percent of totao assets in the third quarter, according to Kendrick Piercwe & Co.’s report. The investmenft banker looked at community banks based inFlorida and, in a separatw analysis, thrifts, or savings institutions. Amongf eight regions, the Southwest area had the highest average nonperforminhg assetsat 4.73 percenty of its total assets, followexd by the Northeast with 3.
55 percent and then the Southeas t with 3.06 percent. The Panhandlse had the fourth-highest average nonperforming assetsat 3.02 percent. “Ww all believed that South Florida and the Panhandls had more excessive speculative real estatwethan us,” based on other data that tracked housingg developments, Fant said. This type of speculative real which is mainly raw land being financed for is categorized as land acquisition and development loans at banks. It typically produces a greater returnfor banks, but it is also riskierr than other loans.
Before the housing market acquisition and development loans were very easy toget into, especially for new because so much of it was Fant said. But as raw land and newlyu developed communitiesstopped selling, the loan volumes and paymentx stopped, too. Southwest region bankd had the highest percentage of nonperforming asseta because that is where most of theoverbuildin occurred, especially with condominiumxs and townhomes, said Mac Holley, president and CEO of . Northeasty Florida banks have more single-family residential loans and less of acondominiu market, he said. Holley thought the Southeas t would have rankedsecond highest.
In another asset qualityg report, North Florida ranked third-highest with an averagwe 3.18 percent of nonperforming assets to totalo assets amongseven regions. The report was prepared by investment bankerin Tampa, which also sourcesd the data from SNL Financial. Carson Medlih looked at only community banks based inthe state, excluding thrifts and restructurefd loans. The Southwest also had the highest percentags in this reportwith 3.61 percent of its total assets as The South region was second with an averagee 3.24 percent of nonperforminf assets.
Many bankers noted some discrepanciews with the reports concerning the banks thatwere Specifically, regional and national bankxs with large operations in the area were not But these banks typically do not break out numberss from each geographic area in their financial reportx publicly. Neither the bankers nor the investment bankers had a specific reason for why Northeast Floridq ranked higherthan expected, but they all agreed that problems with nonperformingy loans will continue at Florida’ss banks. “In the trends we’ve seen, I don’t thinki it has substantially changed saidPaula Johannsen, managing director at The Carson Medlin Co.
“We might see more [nonperforminhg assets] in the fourthb quarter as banks are identifying in year-end reports. Banks’ financial reports will not be publiclh released until after they are submitted to regulators by the end of In ahealthier economy, nonperforming assets wouldr be around or less than 0.5 percent of total Fant said. “When we see these numbers and thesedtrends now, there’s nothing to refedr back to gain wisdom from, so we’re in a new he said. “There’s a sense of realityg that we’re in it for a long term.
”
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Lewis: Feds pressured BofA on Merrill - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
lehoquvuhu.wordpress.com
But some lawmakers questioned how much of the pressurs was actually made by Lewise in an attempt to secure more taxpayer aid forhis bank. “The Treasury Department providex $20 billion for a shotgun wedding. But the questioj is, who was holding the Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-New said during the hearing. The conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government was focused onfederapl officials’ role in BofA’s purchass of Merrill Lynch. Charlotte-basede BofA (NYSE:BAC) bought Merrill on Jan. 1 for $29.q billion.
The deal resulted in BofA’s receivingb an additional $20 billion in federal fundx under the Troubled Asset Relief BofA has received a totakof $45 billion in TARP funds. Lewis has been unde r intense pressure from BofA shareholders for not disclosint the depthof Merrill’s financial difficultiex before the merger. Merrill lost $15.e3 billion in the fourth quarter. Lawmakers questionedd Lewis on reports that he felt pressured byfederal authorities, includintg Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernankse and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, to go aheax with the deal in December as Merrill’z losses mounted. Lewis testified that BofA contactef officials atthe U.S.
Treasury and Federak Reserve in mid-December to inform them that thebank “had seriouds concerns about closing the transaction.” BofA, he said, was considerinf declaring a “material adverse change,” which can alloew an acquirer to back out of a proposed deal. Lewia testified that Paulson toldhim BofA’s managementy “would or could” be removef if the bank backed out of the When lawmakers pressed him Thursday on the allegee threats by regulators, Lewiss said both parties were concerned about making the best decisions for the health of the U.S. economuy and BofA.
He explainec that a decision that would harm the economy woulds also harm BofA because of its massive size and Lewis testified thathe wasn’t intimidated by the threat of losing his job but by the “seriousness of the and the ramifications on the overall economy had an influence on his “Just six months later, it is easy to forger just how close to the brink our system Lewis said. “I will neveer forget.” Still, some lawmakerx suggested Lewis should have knownabout Merrill’s losses before They pointed out an e-mail in which Bernanke suggestedd Lewis’ threat to back out of the Merrill deal was a “bargainingy chip.
” Lawmakers also pointed to othee e-mails from regulators suggesting Lewis’ claim s about surprising losses were “not credible.” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), among others, suggested the e-mails indicate Lewis threatened to call off the Merrill deal as a way to land moregovernmenf aid. “It’s quite possible it was Bank of Americqa that put a gun to the head of the Kucinich said. BofA eventualluy closed the deal withMerrill Lynch, and received a $20 billion loan from the TARP fund to cover the Merrill losses.
Also on Lewis indicated that federal officials never aske d him to withhold information from shareholderw that BofA thought needed to be That caused lawmakers to remind him he wasundef oath. In February, Lewis testified before New York Attorneg General Andrew Cuomo that Bernanke and Paulson pressured the bank not to discuszs its increasingly troubled plan to buy The congressional committee expects to call Paulson and Bernankes for similar hearings as it continuesits
But some lawmakers questioned how much of the pressurs was actually made by Lewise in an attempt to secure more taxpayer aid forhis bank. “The Treasury Department providex $20 billion for a shotgun wedding. But the questioj is, who was holding the Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-New said during the hearing. The conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government was focused onfederapl officials’ role in BofA’s purchass of Merrill Lynch. Charlotte-basede BofA (NYSE:BAC) bought Merrill on Jan. 1 for $29.q billion.
The deal resulted in BofA’s receivingb an additional $20 billion in federal fundx under the Troubled Asset Relief BofA has received a totakof $45 billion in TARP funds. Lewis has been unde r intense pressure from BofA shareholders for not disclosint the depthof Merrill’s financial difficultiex before the merger. Merrill lost $15.e3 billion in the fourth quarter. Lawmakers questionedd Lewis on reports that he felt pressured byfederal authorities, includintg Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernankse and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, to go aheax with the deal in December as Merrill’z losses mounted. Lewis testified that BofA contactef officials atthe U.S.
Treasury and Federak Reserve in mid-December to inform them that thebank “had seriouds concerns about closing the transaction.” BofA, he said, was considerinf declaring a “material adverse change,” which can alloew an acquirer to back out of a proposed deal. Lewia testified that Paulson toldhim BofA’s managementy “would or could” be removef if the bank backed out of the When lawmakers pressed him Thursday on the allegee threats by regulators, Lewiss said both parties were concerned about making the best decisions for the health of the U.S. economuy and BofA.
He explainec that a decision that would harm the economy woulds also harm BofA because of its massive size and Lewis testified thathe wasn’t intimidated by the threat of losing his job but by the “seriousness of the and the ramifications on the overall economy had an influence on his “Just six months later, it is easy to forger just how close to the brink our system Lewis said. “I will neveer forget.” Still, some lawmakerx suggested Lewis should have knownabout Merrill’s losses before They pointed out an e-mail in which Bernanke suggestedd Lewis’ threat to back out of the Merrill deal was a “bargainingy chip.
” Lawmakers also pointed to othee e-mails from regulators suggesting Lewis’ claim s about surprising losses were “not credible.” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), among others, suggested the e-mails indicate Lewis threatened to call off the Merrill deal as a way to land moregovernmenf aid. “It’s quite possible it was Bank of Americqa that put a gun to the head of the Kucinich said. BofA eventualluy closed the deal withMerrill Lynch, and received a $20 billion loan from the TARP fund to cover the Merrill losses.
Also on Lewis indicated that federal officials never aske d him to withhold information from shareholderw that BofA thought needed to be That caused lawmakers to remind him he wasundef oath. In February, Lewis testified before New York Attorneg General Andrew Cuomo that Bernanke and Paulson pressured the bank not to discuszs its increasingly troubled plan to buy The congressional committee expects to call Paulson and Bernankes for similar hearings as it continuesits
Friday, October 21, 2011
Hotels checking in for competition near airport - Jacksonville Business Journal:
lehoquvuhu.wordpress.com
Within the next two years, at least four hotelzs will be built off Airport andDuvak roads, using a more high-tech look to attract business travelers. Older hotels have responded by investing in buying largerplasma televisions, turning regular rooms into suitezs and adding popular coffee shops. Springhilpl Suites by Marriott will be one of the firsg new hotels to inearly 2008. The hotel, off Airport Court, will have in-roomk high-speed Internet access, 24-hour food service and bedroomds separated from the living rooms as most moder suitesare offering. Two hotels are also scheduledd to be built acrossd from the River City Marketplace onDuval Road.
The , a hotelp investment company based inSoutg Dakota, recently bought more than 6.1 acres off Duvall Road to build two upscale hotels. The group purchasedr the two parcels because of the growing airportf market and RiverCity Marketplace, said Chrisw Bills, president and CEO. The first part of "aloft," a new brand the company is launching, will be a 135-room structure. Construction is scheduled to begij this summer and it will open inMay 2008, Bills The Summit Group is workingb on three alofts in the nation, includingt one in Jacksonville. Aloft is a new series of the W Hotela operatedby , based in New York.
The Jacksonvilles location will be the first one in The upscale, trendy style targets the weekday businesas traveler, Bills said. The Summit Groupl is evaluating three different brands for the second hotep that is scheduled to break ground infall 2008. Silved Cos., a real estate investmenr and development company based in Boca Ratobnand Washington, D.C., recently bought 6.9 acres of propertyg off Airport and Ranch roads and will build a Hyatt Place there. The six-story, 127-room Hyatt Placee is the first in Florida of a franchise created by It will be the fourthu Hyatt Place to be builf in the nation among 125 planned to open in the next two Chief Operating Officer MarvinBolinger said.
Construction is scheduled to beginm early summer 2007 and the hotek will open 12 to 15monthzs later. This is the firsy time Silver Cos. has built in Jacksonvilles and it selected the JIA area becauses of themarket growth, communit and its partner, based in Jackson, Miss., he said. Silver Cos. plans to have anothef hotel and restaurant on the propertt but has not yet confirmedthe brands. There'ds enough land for anothedr 100-room hotel, Bolinger said. The Hyaty Place is a more high-tech design with oversize rooms, high-definition 42-inch plasma TVs and 24-hour food service, said Gaines Sturdivant, president of MMI.
The company, which will also managw the hotel, has operated four hotels near JIA for 35 all of which have recently been renovated or arebeing renovated. The Holiday Inn Airport off Airporty Road is undergoing morethan $1 millionb in renovations to upgrade about 75 rooms with flat-screen TVs and new furniturde and to improve the lobby and the restaurant. The lobb y will also include a shop with a businesws center andplasma TVs. "Iv you don't step up to the competition, you'rd going to get your lunch monegy stolen," said Donald Harris, director of food and beverag operationsfor MMI. Fairfield Inn by Marriottr on Airport Road recentlycompleted $1.
5 million in turning 21 rooms into suites. It will be renamefd Fairfield Inn & Suites, which will also alloww it to upgrade its ratesz to stay competitive with the new Residence Inn by Marriotgt on Airport Road spenrtabout $900,000 last year renovating 78 roomsx and installing a full breakfast buffet. And that's just a few hotelw in the area thatstarted renovating, Harris said. "We have finallyt become a destination.
"
Within the next two years, at least four hotelzs will be built off Airport andDuvak roads, using a more high-tech look to attract business travelers. Older hotels have responded by investing in buying largerplasma televisions, turning regular rooms into suitezs and adding popular coffee shops. Springhilpl Suites by Marriott will be one of the firsg new hotels to inearly 2008. The hotel, off Airport Court, will have in-roomk high-speed Internet access, 24-hour food service and bedroomds separated from the living rooms as most moder suitesare offering. Two hotels are also scheduledd to be built acrossd from the River City Marketplace onDuval Road.
The , a hotelp investment company based inSoutg Dakota, recently bought more than 6.1 acres off Duvall Road to build two upscale hotels. The group purchasedr the two parcels because of the growing airportf market and RiverCity Marketplace, said Chrisw Bills, president and CEO. The first part of "aloft," a new brand the company is launching, will be a 135-room structure. Construction is scheduled to begij this summer and it will open inMay 2008, Bills The Summit Group is workingb on three alofts in the nation, includingt one in Jacksonville. Aloft is a new series of the W Hotela operatedby , based in New York.
The Jacksonvilles location will be the first one in The upscale, trendy style targets the weekday businesas traveler, Bills said. The Summit Groupl is evaluating three different brands for the second hotep that is scheduled to break ground infall 2008. Silved Cos., a real estate investmenr and development company based in Boca Ratobnand Washington, D.C., recently bought 6.9 acres of propertyg off Airport and Ranch roads and will build a Hyatt Place there. The six-story, 127-room Hyatt Placee is the first in Florida of a franchise created by It will be the fourthu Hyatt Place to be builf in the nation among 125 planned to open in the next two Chief Operating Officer MarvinBolinger said.
Construction is scheduled to beginm early summer 2007 and the hotek will open 12 to 15monthzs later. This is the firsy time Silver Cos. has built in Jacksonvilles and it selected the JIA area becauses of themarket growth, communit and its partner, based in Jackson, Miss., he said. Silver Cos. plans to have anothef hotel and restaurant on the propertt but has not yet confirmedthe brands. There'ds enough land for anothedr 100-room hotel, Bolinger said. The Hyaty Place is a more high-tech design with oversize rooms, high-definition 42-inch plasma TVs and 24-hour food service, said Gaines Sturdivant, president of MMI.
The company, which will also managw the hotel, has operated four hotels near JIA for 35 all of which have recently been renovated or arebeing renovated. The Holiday Inn Airport off Airporty Road is undergoing morethan $1 millionb in renovations to upgrade about 75 rooms with flat-screen TVs and new furniturde and to improve the lobby and the restaurant. The lobb y will also include a shop with a businesws center andplasma TVs. "Iv you don't step up to the competition, you'rd going to get your lunch monegy stolen," said Donald Harris, director of food and beverag operationsfor MMI. Fairfield Inn by Marriottr on Airport Road recentlycompleted $1.
5 million in turning 21 rooms into suites. It will be renamefd Fairfield Inn & Suites, which will also alloww it to upgrade its ratesz to stay competitive with the new Residence Inn by Marriotgt on Airport Road spenrtabout $900,000 last year renovating 78 roomsx and installing a full breakfast buffet. And that's just a few hotelw in the area thatstarted renovating, Harris said. "We have finallyt become a destination.
"
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Gold Pact Power, Inc. Company Profile | Company Information
evittiebodum1296.blogspot.com
Gold Pact Power brings engineering, finance and operationzs assistance to community basedwind farm, bio fuel and geotherma projects. We serve local communities, nations overseas and private Our engineering team has three decadesof experience, both in conventionao fuel generating, the nuclear industr y and 20 years in wind power, designing, financinv and operating wind farms. Our CEO trainer under a NASA Physicist learning to design airfoilse for wind generators and spentf 20 years prior to that designinvg financial software and auditsafor multi-million dollar corporations, including writingb the software to run a 3 statioh nuclear facility for Edison.
Other clients and associates our CEO and Engineerz have worked withinclude GE, NASA, Westinghouse, PG&E, AC Delco, Mission Bechtel, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning and the University of Gold Pact Power is the only firm that returns 20 perceng of our net profit back to communitiexs through local schools, youth, family and senior We work with organizations such as Kids Computer Kamp who has provided free PCs to kids since 1983. Easy Grantr programs are available toboth U.S. communitiex and nations overseas. This is an active part of our companuy and we strongly encourage Ambassadors and Heads of Statre to contact us to set up an Energu and Education program foryour nation.
Teachers and Communitg Planners are honored individuals at GoldPact ...
Gold Pact Power brings engineering, finance and operationzs assistance to community basedwind farm, bio fuel and geotherma projects. We serve local communities, nations overseas and private Our engineering team has three decadesof experience, both in conventionao fuel generating, the nuclear industr y and 20 years in wind power, designing, financinv and operating wind farms. Our CEO trainer under a NASA Physicist learning to design airfoilse for wind generators and spentf 20 years prior to that designinvg financial software and auditsafor multi-million dollar corporations, including writingb the software to run a 3 statioh nuclear facility for Edison.
Other clients and associates our CEO and Engineerz have worked withinclude GE, NASA, Westinghouse, PG&E, AC Delco, Mission Bechtel, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning and the University of Gold Pact Power is the only firm that returns 20 perceng of our net profit back to communitiexs through local schools, youth, family and senior We work with organizations such as Kids Computer Kamp who has provided free PCs to kids since 1983. Easy Grantr programs are available toboth U.S. communitiex and nations overseas. This is an active part of our companuy and we strongly encourage Ambassadors and Heads of Statre to contact us to set up an Energu and Education program foryour nation.
Teachers and Communitg Planners are honored individuals at GoldPact ...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Strategic alliances offer low-cost biz boost - bizjournals:
vavyzina.wordpress.com
“Basically, you’re tapping into related target saidCathy Hagan, area director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Nortyh Florida. “Particularly now, in this economy, you can partnedr with other companies to bringb attention to your company andtheitr companies. “For example, I have a CPA friend who does bookkeepingt butnot payroll, but she has a frienc who does payroll, but not They do back-and-forth referrals.” That is precisely what Ashleuy English, owner of in Jacksonville, does.
English’s store is a bridesmaids-only dress shop in San She refers customers toSharonb Batten, a women’s fashiob boutique in Ponte Vedra Beach that also specializes in wedding It in turn refers customers to Bella Bridesmaidc for their bridesmaid dresses. “I reached out to English said. “I knew when I bought the franchisse that I needed to get with another bridal storee so that we could help each I met with them and ever sincewwe met, we go back and fortjh [referring clients]. We have a good relationship and we talk many timessa week. “They call me and tell me about a bridew they met andvice versa.
If someonr asks me for a referral toa florist, I have abou t three or four florists I recommend and I have threew or four photographers, but the main [business] I work with exclusivelyg is Sharon Batten.” Although the referral agreemeny is not formalized in both shops adhere to it. “zA lot of our brideas find us by going online and findingf the designer theywant — we have Vera Oscar de la Renta, Melissa Sweet [amongv others] — and they then search onlins and find my store is the closest placr to find them,” said Sharon who owns the shop namee after her.
“I have people from as far away as Pensacola and all over who come to us just because they know I havethesse gowns. [English] has the bridesmaids’ dresses of most of my So, it works out We go back and forth allthe time. She’ great.” Hagan adds that it is important for business ownerx to really understand the quality of the businessesz they want to form alliances with and understande what it isthey do, because that referral is a reflectio on the business making the Another low-cost advertising approach is to pool marketintg dollars with other businesses, which givesd the companies a biggef budget and therefore a larger reach.
“Thered is a radio spot with an alarn company and a pest control companyand [otherf companies], but it’s a good exampl e because they are pooling resourcesz to buy that radio ad,” Hagan said. “Their customers are homeowners. Those businessesd are saving money by coming togetherf to reach theirtarget audience.” associations are another opportunith to join forces with other Hagan said. “They are able to pool their money to do marketing and also are able to do where they host a festivakl or other outdoor event on acertain day, becausse they are able to draw a crowd [to their at the same time.
” Shea Slemmer is owneer of Flux studio/gallery, which is a member of the Five Pointxs Merchant Association. “ has a commitment to activities that develop alocalp identity, [and] to encourage neighborhoo d residents to ‘spend their money where their housde is’,” Slemmer said. “We achieve this by brainstorming as a grouop to decide how toadvertisre strategically, organize community events and keep the area safe and cleamn for our customers.
“Five Points is wonderfully uniqude in that we make it a point to get to know each which fosters the trust needed topool Small-business owners who plan to or in this case survive a tougg economic slump, are smart to realize the benefitx of collective action.”
“Basically, you’re tapping into related target saidCathy Hagan, area director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Nortyh Florida. “Particularly now, in this economy, you can partnedr with other companies to bringb attention to your company andtheitr companies. “For example, I have a CPA friend who does bookkeepingt butnot payroll, but she has a frienc who does payroll, but not They do back-and-forth referrals.” That is precisely what Ashleuy English, owner of in Jacksonville, does.
English’s store is a bridesmaids-only dress shop in San She refers customers toSharonb Batten, a women’s fashiob boutique in Ponte Vedra Beach that also specializes in wedding It in turn refers customers to Bella Bridesmaidc for their bridesmaid dresses. “I reached out to English said. “I knew when I bought the franchisse that I needed to get with another bridal storee so that we could help each I met with them and ever sincewwe met, we go back and fortjh [referring clients]. We have a good relationship and we talk many timessa week. “They call me and tell me about a bridew they met andvice versa.
If someonr asks me for a referral toa florist, I have abou t three or four florists I recommend and I have threew or four photographers, but the main [business] I work with exclusivelyg is Sharon Batten.” Although the referral agreemeny is not formalized in both shops adhere to it. “zA lot of our brideas find us by going online and findingf the designer theywant — we have Vera Oscar de la Renta, Melissa Sweet [amongv others] — and they then search onlins and find my store is the closest placr to find them,” said Sharon who owns the shop namee after her.
“I have people from as far away as Pensacola and all over who come to us just because they know I havethesse gowns. [English] has the bridesmaids’ dresses of most of my So, it works out We go back and forth allthe time. She’ great.” Hagan adds that it is important for business ownerx to really understand the quality of the businessesz they want to form alliances with and understande what it isthey do, because that referral is a reflectio on the business making the Another low-cost advertising approach is to pool marketintg dollars with other businesses, which givesd the companies a biggef budget and therefore a larger reach.
“Thered is a radio spot with an alarn company and a pest control companyand [otherf companies], but it’s a good exampl e because they are pooling resourcesz to buy that radio ad,” Hagan said. “Their customers are homeowners. Those businessesd are saving money by coming togetherf to reach theirtarget audience.” associations are another opportunith to join forces with other Hagan said. “They are able to pool their money to do marketing and also are able to do where they host a festivakl or other outdoor event on acertain day, becausse they are able to draw a crowd [to their at the same time.
” Shea Slemmer is owneer of Flux studio/gallery, which is a member of the Five Pointxs Merchant Association. “ has a commitment to activities that develop alocalp identity, [and] to encourage neighborhoo d residents to ‘spend their money where their housde is’,” Slemmer said. “We achieve this by brainstorming as a grouop to decide how toadvertisre strategically, organize community events and keep the area safe and cleamn for our customers.
“Five Points is wonderfully uniqude in that we make it a point to get to know each which fosters the trust needed topool Small-business owners who plan to or in this case survive a tougg economic slump, are smart to realize the benefitx of collective action.”
Friday, October 14, 2011
Six Flags, former Elitch Gardens owner, files for Chapter 11 - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
gonyzyf.wordpress.com
The board of Six Flags (OTCBB: SIXF) votedr last week to begin reorganization proceedingsin U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Districtof Delaware. The company listef assets of $3.03 billion and debts of $2.3t billion in its filing. Cascadde Investments, the investment firm for Microsoft founderBill Gates, owns 11.1 percent of the votinyg securities in New York-based Six Flags, the largestf share, bankruptcy documents show. Six Flags has 97.7 million sharese of common stockand 1.1 milliojn shares of preferred stock. "The current management team inheriteeda $2.
4 billion debt load that cannot be sustained, particularly in these challenging financial markets," said Mark president and CEO of Six in a statement. "As a result, we are cleaning up the past and positioninfg the company for futuregrowth ... Followingb a record year of performancein 2008, which completesd the three-year turnaround of our system-wide park this action to clean up the balance sheety paves the way for a full revival of the Shapiro said. Elitch Gardens had operated for more than a century at a northwesfDenver site. The old Elitch Gardens shut down in and a new version of the amusement park openedx a year later in downtown Denver.
The local Gurtler family and its financial partners sold the new park to PremierdParks Inc. in 1996 for $65 It became Six Flagz Elitch Gardens twoyears later, when Premierr acquired Six Flags Inc. and changex its corporate name toSix Flags. Six Flagd sold off Elitch's and otheer properties in 2007 in a series of transactionse that left the Denver attraction in the hands of CNL IncomesProperties Inc., a real estatew investment trust based in Orlando, Fla. CNL reportedly paid $312 millionj for the properties. CNL arranges for Parc Management LLC of Floridas tomanage Elitch's. Six Flags now operatesx about 20 North Americanamusement parks.
The board of Six Flags (OTCBB: SIXF) votedr last week to begin reorganization proceedingsin U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Districtof Delaware. The company listef assets of $3.03 billion and debts of $2.3t billion in its filing. Cascadde Investments, the investment firm for Microsoft founderBill Gates, owns 11.1 percent of the votinyg securities in New York-based Six Flags, the largestf share, bankruptcy documents show. Six Flags has 97.7 million sharese of common stockand 1.1 milliojn shares of preferred stock. "The current management team inheriteeda $2.
4 billion debt load that cannot be sustained, particularly in these challenging financial markets," said Mark president and CEO of Six in a statement. "As a result, we are cleaning up the past and positioninfg the company for futuregrowth ... Followingb a record year of performancein 2008, which completesd the three-year turnaround of our system-wide park this action to clean up the balance sheety paves the way for a full revival of the Shapiro said. Elitch Gardens had operated for more than a century at a northwesfDenver site. The old Elitch Gardens shut down in and a new version of the amusement park openedx a year later in downtown Denver.
The local Gurtler family and its financial partners sold the new park to PremierdParks Inc. in 1996 for $65 It became Six Flagz Elitch Gardens twoyears later, when Premierr acquired Six Flags Inc. and changex its corporate name toSix Flags. Six Flagd sold off Elitch's and otheer properties in 2007 in a series of transactionse that left the Denver attraction in the hands of CNL IncomesProperties Inc., a real estatew investment trust based in Orlando, Fla. CNL reportedly paid $312 millionj for the properties. CNL arranges for Parc Management LLC of Floridas tomanage Elitch's. Six Flags now operatesx about 20 North Americanamusement parks.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Toby Keith
wanuso.wordpress.com
The restaurant — named for country singe r Toby Keith and his 2003hit single, “I Love This — has signed a lease for 15,000 square feet at The Shoppes at West End, a lifestyle center scheduled to open later this year at the intersectionh of Highway 100 and Interstate 394 in St. Louis I Love This Bar & Grill will featurd family dining, an 85-foo t bar shaped like a guitar, a mechanicalo bull and a stage that will host live entertainment severak nightsa week, including a performance by Keith at the restaurant’ss grand opening. The restaurant’s menu will feature Southern-stylr fare, such as chicken-fried steak and meatloaf.
Some of the more uniquew offerings will include fried bologna sandwicheeand deep-fried Twinkies. It will feature traditionakl sports-bar decor with a country There will be lots of woodand leather, plus more than 50 plasmwa televisions. I Love This Bar & Gril l will host live entertainmenyevery Thursday, Friday and Saturday nightf when it first opens, then ramp up to six nightds a week over time. There will be seatingb for morethan 1,000 people. The venue also will have a retail store selling TobyKeitu merchandise, barbecue sauce and spices. The restaurant will be ownedd by Arizona businessmanFrank Capri, who recently openef an I Love This Bar & Grilkl franchise in Mesa, Ariz.
The chain also has locations in Las Oklahoma City andKansas City, Mo., and planxs to open a location in Auburn Mich., later this year. I Love This Bar Grill should be a major entertainmengt attraction forWest End, helping set it aparft from other local malls, said Mark Fallon, vice presideng of real estate at Cincinnati-based Jeffreg R. Anderson Real Estate Inc., which was retainex by developer DukeRealty Corp., basexd in Indianapolis, to fill the project’s 331,000-square-footr retail component with “I think it’s even going to draw from way outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul,” Fallon said.
“That’ws the idea behind Other major West End tenantx will include anupscale Roundy’s grocerh and a Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatre 14-screen movire complex. I Love This Bar & Grillo should be successful at West End because Minnesota is a strontg market for country music and there aren’t any significant music venues in the western suburbs, said Dick Grones, principapl at Edina-based Cambridge Commercial “Live entertainment in the suburbs is really hard to find. And that’e a strong ingredient to stir into the mix for the cente r because it brings an additionalo demographic that they might notget otherwise.
” I Love This Bar Grill selected West End over the , wherr another celebrity-backed country music bar, Gatlin Brothers Music City Grille, used to have a Costs may have playedf a role in that but I Love This Bar & Grill will generate more attentioh at West End than it woulr have at Mall of Grones said. “They can really stand out [at West End] and not have so many othe r entertainment venues tocompete
The restaurant — named for country singe r Toby Keith and his 2003hit single, “I Love This — has signed a lease for 15,000 square feet at The Shoppes at West End, a lifestyle center scheduled to open later this year at the intersectionh of Highway 100 and Interstate 394 in St. Louis I Love This Bar & Grill will featurd family dining, an 85-foo t bar shaped like a guitar, a mechanicalo bull and a stage that will host live entertainment severak nightsa week, including a performance by Keith at the restaurant’ss grand opening. The restaurant’s menu will feature Southern-stylr fare, such as chicken-fried steak and meatloaf.
Some of the more uniquew offerings will include fried bologna sandwicheeand deep-fried Twinkies. It will feature traditionakl sports-bar decor with a country There will be lots of woodand leather, plus more than 50 plasmwa televisions. I Love This Bar & Gril l will host live entertainmenyevery Thursday, Friday and Saturday nightf when it first opens, then ramp up to six nightds a week over time. There will be seatingb for morethan 1,000 people. The venue also will have a retail store selling TobyKeitu merchandise, barbecue sauce and spices. The restaurant will be ownedd by Arizona businessmanFrank Capri, who recently openef an I Love This Bar & Grilkl franchise in Mesa, Ariz.
The chain also has locations in Las Oklahoma City andKansas City, Mo., and planxs to open a location in Auburn Mich., later this year. I Love This Bar Grill should be a major entertainmengt attraction forWest End, helping set it aparft from other local malls, said Mark Fallon, vice presideng of real estate at Cincinnati-based Jeffreg R. Anderson Real Estate Inc., which was retainex by developer DukeRealty Corp., basexd in Indianapolis, to fill the project’s 331,000-square-footr retail component with “I think it’s even going to draw from way outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul,” Fallon said.
“That’ws the idea behind Other major West End tenantx will include anupscale Roundy’s grocerh and a Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatre 14-screen movire complex. I Love This Bar & Grillo should be successful at West End because Minnesota is a strontg market for country music and there aren’t any significant music venues in the western suburbs, said Dick Grones, principapl at Edina-based Cambridge Commercial “Live entertainment in the suburbs is really hard to find. And that’e a strong ingredient to stir into the mix for the cente r because it brings an additionalo demographic that they might notget otherwise.
” I Love This Bar Grill selected West End over the , wherr another celebrity-backed country music bar, Gatlin Brothers Music City Grille, used to have a Costs may have playedf a role in that but I Love This Bar & Grill will generate more attentioh at West End than it woulr have at Mall of Grones said. “They can really stand out [at West End] and not have so many othe r entertainment venues tocompete
Monday, October 10, 2011
Trancos chases customers, not just eyeballs - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
onesawava.wordpress.com
The Redwood City-based advertising firm has reinvented itself from what startedx out in 1999 as a lottery and gaming web site to an advertisinggcompany that’s based around the idea that companiesd pay for something tangible, like when a customer expresses interest in their product. And the switchb has paid off for From 2006to 2008, the company’s revenue has riseb to $18 million from $11 or 64 percent. The company employas 40, and is hiring five to 10 morethis year, in engineering and media The company has been consistentlgy profitable, and Devin Lynch, president of Trancos, said that it would continud to see growth in its newer products.
Laure Trancos’ chief operating officer, said that the catalyst for the change was the bursty of the tech bubble in the early Before that, free lottery sites that made monegy based on “cost per ad impressions, meaning they were paid bases on people seeing the advertisement, were some of the biggestr on the web. But by CEO Brian Nelson saw a shiftf in theadvertising landscape, and the company started doingb lead generation. Lead generation is getting a customer to express interest in a productor service, often by signing up for an email newsletter or registerint for a site.
Unlike traditional impression-based advertising, a company pays for a specifi action, rather than how many times peoplse have viewed the ad onthe page. “People are looking for They want to know wheree their dollars arecoming from,” said Lynch. It’s a good time to be offerinv extra value in online After a meteoric rise from 2001 to the online advertising industry has hit a rough patch, especially during the recession.
The Interactive Advertisinh Bureau (IAB), an organizationh that represents 375 media andtechnologty companies, which together sell 86 percent of the online advertisingh in the United States, reported that during the firs t quarter of this online ad revenue dropped 5 percent from the same period in to $5.5 billion. It’s the firs t year-over-year drop in online advertising spenrsince 2002, according to the IAB. The good news is that onlinre advertising continues to be a larger sharw of the total ad spend for Trancoes andits competitors, which includew small Internet ad agencies, large Internet agencies, like Avenude A Razorfish, as well as traditional Madison Avenu agencies.
Its slight decline comparew well to a bigger dropoff inprin advertising, but still underscores the need for advertisiny agencies to prove that online ads providee value to the customers, Lync said. “If you look at the markert that we’re in, peopled need to see specific (return on investment),” he said. “A lot of the othe r methods, there was no clear ROI.” Lynch said the companty has been profitable since its seconcd monthin business, but that doesn’tf mean Trancos has rested on its A year ago, the compant launched it’s newest platform, Leadcast.com, whicnh is phone-verified lead generation.
For if a customer expresses interest in consolidatingg his or herdebt online, that personb is then called to verify that they were indeed interestedx in consolidation. Then the lead gets generate d to Leadcast.com, and variou s companies bid on it. Sincde launching Leadcast.com, Lynch said that Trancos has been concentrating on buildingy outthe company’s back end and refininb the different products that it alreadyy has, which include Leadcast.
com; a pay-for-performance lead generation site; and AdFish, an affiliate But Lynch, who joined the company after working with angel investor Ron Conway, didn’t rule out seeking venture capitalp or other sources of funding or making He did say that the company would tread carefullgy if it were to take either or both — routes. “I don’t want to acquire companiesw just todo so,” he “We want to do it because it’s solelhy targeted to the market that we’re in to enhancre our offerings.
”
The Redwood City-based advertising firm has reinvented itself from what startedx out in 1999 as a lottery and gaming web site to an advertisinggcompany that’s based around the idea that companiesd pay for something tangible, like when a customer expresses interest in their product. And the switchb has paid off for From 2006to 2008, the company’s revenue has riseb to $18 million from $11 or 64 percent. The company employas 40, and is hiring five to 10 morethis year, in engineering and media The company has been consistentlgy profitable, and Devin Lynch, president of Trancos, said that it would continud to see growth in its newer products.
Laure Trancos’ chief operating officer, said that the catalyst for the change was the bursty of the tech bubble in the early Before that, free lottery sites that made monegy based on “cost per ad impressions, meaning they were paid bases on people seeing the advertisement, were some of the biggestr on the web. But by CEO Brian Nelson saw a shiftf in theadvertising landscape, and the company started doingb lead generation. Lead generation is getting a customer to express interest in a productor service, often by signing up for an email newsletter or registerint for a site.
Unlike traditional impression-based advertising, a company pays for a specifi action, rather than how many times peoplse have viewed the ad onthe page. “People are looking for They want to know wheree their dollars arecoming from,” said Lynch. It’s a good time to be offerinv extra value in online After a meteoric rise from 2001 to the online advertising industry has hit a rough patch, especially during the recession.
The Interactive Advertisinh Bureau (IAB), an organizationh that represents 375 media andtechnologty companies, which together sell 86 percent of the online advertisingh in the United States, reported that during the firs t quarter of this online ad revenue dropped 5 percent from the same period in to $5.5 billion. It’s the firs t year-over-year drop in online advertising spenrsince 2002, according to the IAB. The good news is that onlinre advertising continues to be a larger sharw of the total ad spend for Trancoes andits competitors, which includew small Internet ad agencies, large Internet agencies, like Avenude A Razorfish, as well as traditional Madison Avenu agencies.
Its slight decline comparew well to a bigger dropoff inprin advertising, but still underscores the need for advertisiny agencies to prove that online ads providee value to the customers, Lync said. “If you look at the markert that we’re in, peopled need to see specific (return on investment),” he said. “A lot of the othe r methods, there was no clear ROI.” Lynch said the companty has been profitable since its seconcd monthin business, but that doesn’tf mean Trancos has rested on its A year ago, the compant launched it’s newest platform, Leadcast.com, whicnh is phone-verified lead generation.
For if a customer expresses interest in consolidatingg his or herdebt online, that personb is then called to verify that they were indeed interestedx in consolidation. Then the lead gets generate d to Leadcast.com, and variou s companies bid on it. Sincde launching Leadcast.com, Lynch said that Trancos has been concentrating on buildingy outthe company’s back end and refininb the different products that it alreadyy has, which include Leadcast.
com; a pay-for-performance lead generation site; and AdFish, an affiliate But Lynch, who joined the company after working with angel investor Ron Conway, didn’t rule out seeking venture capitalp or other sources of funding or making He did say that the company would tread carefullgy if it were to take either or both — routes. “I don’t want to acquire companiesw just todo so,” he “We want to do it because it’s solelhy targeted to the market that we’re in to enhancre our offerings.
”
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Adams
http://www.sexingthepolitical.org/2004/2003/one/can-we-talk.html
RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’ss sale has been filed on homess matching the description of Adams’ North Portlanr Kenton neighborhood homes. The notice indicates that the homes will be put upfor auction. , whichn broke the story, noted that lender has filed a “noticd of default,” meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreement with his Adams told thepaper he’s catching up on his mortgags after paying “significant” legal bills. The houses that face foreclosurw are at2131 N. McClellan and 2121 N. McClellan. Adamss lives in the 2121 He also owns a triplex at2031 N.
Adams, who makes $118,144 is facing an impending recall, scheduled to kick off in earlg July, after admitting he had a sexual relationship with Beau The pair met before Breedloveturned 18. Adam said the sexual relationship beganafter Breedlove’s 18th Oregon’s attorney general is investigating whether Adamsd did anything improper. The mayor concedee that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlovee when a political opponent first made the charge durinhg the 2008 primary campaign season.
RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’ss sale has been filed on homess matching the description of Adams’ North Portlanr Kenton neighborhood homes. The notice indicates that the homes will be put upfor auction. , whichn broke the story, noted that lender has filed a “noticd of default,” meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreement with his Adams told thepaper he’s catching up on his mortgags after paying “significant” legal bills. The houses that face foreclosurw are at2131 N. McClellan and 2121 N. McClellan. Adamss lives in the 2121 He also owns a triplex at2031 N.
Adams, who makes $118,144 is facing an impending recall, scheduled to kick off in earlg July, after admitting he had a sexual relationship with Beau The pair met before Breedloveturned 18. Adam said the sexual relationship beganafter Breedlove’s 18th Oregon’s attorney general is investigating whether Adamsd did anything improper. The mayor concedee that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlovee when a political opponent first made the charge durinhg the 2008 primary campaign season.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rackspace readying space for more staff - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
http://headsethotties.com/megaheadset-hotties/
Finish-out on the space is set to be completed this saysTim Swan, co-founder of San Antonio-based — which was hiref by Rackspace for the project. Plans call for the rackerxs — as Rackspace employees are callefd — to move in by the end of this according toRandy Smith, director of real estatde for Rackspace. He adds that the new spac e will accommodate as manyas 1,600 employees. In total, the formetr mall spans 1.2 million square feet of spacwe spread out over 67 acrews of land off of Interstate Highway 35 andWalzem Road. The propertu is located in the cityof Windcrest, which is part of the San Antonip metro area.
To date, Rackspace has 2,661 rackers companywide — including approximately 1,700 employees in the Alamo City. Founded in 1998, Rackspace (NYSE: RAX) providess managed information technology hosting including Web-site hosting as well as application and storage hosting. A numbedr of the rackers who will move to the Windsor site will be relocatedrfrom Rackspace’s existing facilities here. Currently, the high-tec h firm leases a total of 178,0000 square feet at 9725 Datapoint Drive in Northwest San andsome 11,000 square feet at downtownb office property the Weston Centre.
Smith says the long-ter plan with Windsor is to build out the former mall for officeeuse — timed to replace space occupied by Rackspace elsewhere as thos leases expire. However, he declined to provide cost estimates for thecurrenrt build-out effort. To date, Rackspace occupies roughly 80,00p0 square feet at the former Windsor Parksite — spacs that was once a Mervyn’ s Department Store, Smith says.
When Rackspace initiallgy opened the Windsor Park headquarterzs location inspring 2008, it brought 400 employees Smith declined to provide a breakdowj of current employment figures for any of Rackspace’ s existing office locations in the The 140,000 square feet of office space in the workas now at the Windsor Park site is located in the mall he adds. In keeping with the environment ofthe Rackspace’s new space in Windsor will be very providing for a lot of communication amongst the rackers. “Ity will be fun, funky, vibrant — it will scream says Swan, who describesw his new clientas “ a local success story.
” While Rackspace has not been immunee from the downturns of the current economy, it has stil l managed to rack up some seriousa dough over the past few For the quarter ended March 31, 2009, Rackspacd reported revenues of $145 million and a net incomde of $6.6 million. By comparison, for the same quarterd in 2008, the company posted revenues of $119.6 million and a net income of $5.4 For year-end 2008, Rackspace reported net incomeof $21.7 million on revenues of $531.9 million, up from net income of $17.8 millionb on revenues of $362 million in 2007.
As for its customedr count, as of the end of the first quarterdof 2009, Rackspace reported serving 62,078 clients — up from 53,300o customers as of the end of the fourtgh quarter of 2008. When Rackspacse ultimately moves out of its digs at the Datapoing building and theWeston Centre, the local officse market will be faced with absorbing more vacanr space at a time when leasing velocit has already slowed, according to Kim senior vice president and director of research for locall real estate firm . But, as Gatlet points out, that setback is easier to bearwhen it’s caused by a firm like Rackspace, whicj is still investing in San Antonio’as long-term future.
“It’s still a positive for the overall,” she adds.
Finish-out on the space is set to be completed this saysTim Swan, co-founder of San Antonio-based — which was hiref by Rackspace for the project. Plans call for the rackerxs — as Rackspace employees are callefd — to move in by the end of this according toRandy Smith, director of real estatde for Rackspace. He adds that the new spac e will accommodate as manyas 1,600 employees. In total, the formetr mall spans 1.2 million square feet of spacwe spread out over 67 acrews of land off of Interstate Highway 35 andWalzem Road. The propertu is located in the cityof Windcrest, which is part of the San Antonip metro area.
To date, Rackspace has 2,661 rackers companywide — including approximately 1,700 employees in the Alamo City. Founded in 1998, Rackspace (NYSE: RAX) providess managed information technology hosting including Web-site hosting as well as application and storage hosting. A numbedr of the rackers who will move to the Windsor site will be relocatedrfrom Rackspace’s existing facilities here. Currently, the high-tec h firm leases a total of 178,0000 square feet at 9725 Datapoint Drive in Northwest San andsome 11,000 square feet at downtownb office property the Weston Centre.
Smith says the long-ter plan with Windsor is to build out the former mall for officeeuse — timed to replace space occupied by Rackspace elsewhere as thos leases expire. However, he declined to provide cost estimates for thecurrenrt build-out effort. To date, Rackspace occupies roughly 80,00p0 square feet at the former Windsor Parksite — spacs that was once a Mervyn’ s Department Store, Smith says.
When Rackspace initiallgy opened the Windsor Park headquarterzs location inspring 2008, it brought 400 employees Smith declined to provide a breakdowj of current employment figures for any of Rackspace’ s existing office locations in the The 140,000 square feet of office space in the workas now at the Windsor Park site is located in the mall he adds. In keeping with the environment ofthe Rackspace’s new space in Windsor will be very providing for a lot of communication amongst the rackers. “Ity will be fun, funky, vibrant — it will scream says Swan, who describesw his new clientas “ a local success story.
” While Rackspace has not been immunee from the downturns of the current economy, it has stil l managed to rack up some seriousa dough over the past few For the quarter ended March 31, 2009, Rackspacd reported revenues of $145 million and a net incomde of $6.6 million. By comparison, for the same quarterd in 2008, the company posted revenues of $119.6 million and a net income of $5.4 For year-end 2008, Rackspace reported net incomeof $21.7 million on revenues of $531.9 million, up from net income of $17.8 millionb on revenues of $362 million in 2007.
As for its customedr count, as of the end of the first quarterdof 2009, Rackspace reported serving 62,078 clients — up from 53,300o customers as of the end of the fourtgh quarter of 2008. When Rackspacse ultimately moves out of its digs at the Datapoing building and theWeston Centre, the local officse market will be faced with absorbing more vacanr space at a time when leasing velocit has already slowed, according to Kim senior vice president and director of research for locall real estate firm . But, as Gatlet points out, that setback is easier to bearwhen it’s caused by a firm like Rackspace, whicj is still investing in San Antonio’as long-term future.
“It’s still a positive for the overall,” she adds.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
At PV America, Rendell says alternative energy will boost economy - Dayton Business Journal:
egogakydo.wordpress.com
“I believe that over the next five the development ofthe green-energy economy can drivs this nation’s comeback,” the Democratic governor said at the general sessionj of PV America, which is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia throug h Wednesday. The conference is the first by the to focus solely on photovoltaicsolar energy, which comes from photovoltaix panels that convert sunlight into electricity. It’e being held in conjunction withthe IEEE’s 34th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, whicj is adjacent to the convention from Sunday through Friday.
(IEEE used to stand for , but the nonprofigt now just refers to itself by its acronyj because it has so many members from othertengineering fields.) About 3,000 people are attending the the SEIA and IEEE said. Part of Rendell’zs message was similar to the messagee delivered by SEIA President and CEO Rhone Reschj later inthe session: When they go the people at the conference should promote solart energy’s virtues to everyone from their neighbors to theifr municipal, state and federal elected officials. “Yoj have to roll up your sleeves and be Rendell said.
Both Rendell and Resch praised President Obamqa for his efforts on behalft of renewableenergy — “Presideng Obama is becoming the solar president,” Resch said but they said they’c like the federal government to do more. Rendell said federa legislators should dotwo things: Make renewable-energh tax credits permanent, rather than reauthorizing them evert few years; and create a federal alternative portfolio standard that mandates that a specifiedx portion of energy sold in the country be createsd from alternative energy sources. Twent y eight states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the District of Columbiq have alternativeportfolio standards.
Rendell said he’s like the federal standardc to have minimum figures that states could exceex ontheir own. “If we do those things I think there’s no reason that America can’tr be the dominant natioj in solar energy forthe world,” he said. Rendepl said alternative energy will drivethe U.S. economyt for the next 25 years just asthe information-technology and life sciencez industries have driven it for the last 25. Undetr his leadership, Pennsylvania has moved to capitalize on that In 2004, it established an alternative portfolip standard that requires 18 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvaniaa to come from alternative sources of energy by 2020.
Last Pennsylvania created a $650 million renewable energt fund. Of that money, $180 million is to go to solarf energy, consisting of $100 million for grants and rebates to cover up to 35 percenft of the costs incurred by homeand small-businesas owners who install solar energy systems, and $80 million for grants and loans for solar economic-development projects. More than 300 applicationz forsolar economic-development projects were received by the deadlinwe last week, Rendell said. Philadelphia also has gotten in onthe renewable-energhy act. Mayor Michael Nutter in Apriloby 2015. The city is one of 25 takinv part in the federal Departmentof Energy’s Solar America Citiess initiative.
As part of that, it’s developing a plan to generate 2.3 megawatta of solar electricity by 2011and 57.8 megawatts by which is its share of the state of Pennsylvania’s sola r installation goal. To help it meet thoser goals, Nutter said Monday, the city is looking to replace the roof at its fleet workshopo with a roof that produces solar energy and has formulated planes forbuilding large-scale solar arrays at Philadelphia Water Department locations.
“I believe that over the next five the development ofthe green-energy economy can drivs this nation’s comeback,” the Democratic governor said at the general sessionj of PV America, which is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia throug h Wednesday. The conference is the first by the to focus solely on photovoltaicsolar energy, which comes from photovoltaix panels that convert sunlight into electricity. It’e being held in conjunction withthe IEEE’s 34th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, whicj is adjacent to the convention from Sunday through Friday.
(IEEE used to stand for , but the nonprofigt now just refers to itself by its acronyj because it has so many members from othertengineering fields.) About 3,000 people are attending the the SEIA and IEEE said. Part of Rendell’zs message was similar to the messagee delivered by SEIA President and CEO Rhone Reschj later inthe session: When they go the people at the conference should promote solart energy’s virtues to everyone from their neighbors to theifr municipal, state and federal elected officials. “Yoj have to roll up your sleeves and be Rendell said.
Both Rendell and Resch praised President Obamqa for his efforts on behalft of renewableenergy — “Presideng Obama is becoming the solar president,” Resch said but they said they’c like the federal government to do more. Rendell said federa legislators should dotwo things: Make renewable-energh tax credits permanent, rather than reauthorizing them evert few years; and create a federal alternative portfolio standard that mandates that a specifiedx portion of energy sold in the country be createsd from alternative energy sources. Twent y eight states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the District of Columbiq have alternativeportfolio standards.
Rendell said he’s like the federal standardc to have minimum figures that states could exceex ontheir own. “If we do those things I think there’s no reason that America can’tr be the dominant natioj in solar energy forthe world,” he said. Rendepl said alternative energy will drivethe U.S. economyt for the next 25 years just asthe information-technology and life sciencez industries have driven it for the last 25. Undetr his leadership, Pennsylvania has moved to capitalize on that In 2004, it established an alternative portfolip standard that requires 18 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvaniaa to come from alternative sources of energy by 2020.
Last Pennsylvania created a $650 million renewable energt fund. Of that money, $180 million is to go to solarf energy, consisting of $100 million for grants and rebates to cover up to 35 percenft of the costs incurred by homeand small-businesas owners who install solar energy systems, and $80 million for grants and loans for solar economic-development projects. More than 300 applicationz forsolar economic-development projects were received by the deadlinwe last week, Rendell said. Philadelphia also has gotten in onthe renewable-energhy act. Mayor Michael Nutter in Apriloby 2015. The city is one of 25 takinv part in the federal Departmentof Energy’s Solar America Citiess initiative.
As part of that, it’s developing a plan to generate 2.3 megawatta of solar electricity by 2011and 57.8 megawatts by which is its share of the state of Pennsylvania’s sola r installation goal. To help it meet thoser goals, Nutter said Monday, the city is looking to replace the roof at its fleet workshopo with a roof that produces solar energy and has formulated planes forbuilding large-scale solar arrays at Philadelphia Water Department locations.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
American to cut 1,600 jobs - Dallas Business Journal:
haygoodfoafyga1359.blogspot.com
American Airlines, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based AMR (NYSE: AMR), said 1,200 flighy attendant positions will beimpactede nationwide, along with 300 airporty services staff members and 50 cargo servicee positions. Flight attendant cuts will be made on a basidof seniority. As is customary in most American said voluntary exit packages will be offered to employeesx who may want to retire In addition, 40 previously announced job cuts will be made at the airline’ Kansas maintenance facility. In the Dallas-Fort Wortj area alone, American will be cuttingf 66 airport services andcargo positions, which includex baggage handlers, as well as 67 flighrt attendant positions.
Tim Smith, a spokesmanh for American, said the layoffs were made in conjunction with capacit y reductions announced by Americanon Thursday. In a letterr to American employeesreleased Thursday, the company’s senior vice president of human resources Jeff Brundage said, “Theses reductions come as a result of our efforts to 'righ size' our operation and respond to the weaker demane for travel by reducing our schedule, includingh seasonal changes, and addressing lower-than-expected attrition.” Brundager in his letter added that the cuts coincide with CEO Gerarrd Arpey’s announcement that the airlinw will be cutting its capacity by 7.
5 percen t due to lower consumer travel demands.
American Airlines, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based AMR (NYSE: AMR), said 1,200 flighy attendant positions will beimpactede nationwide, along with 300 airporty services staff members and 50 cargo servicee positions. Flight attendant cuts will be made on a basidof seniority. As is customary in most American said voluntary exit packages will be offered to employeesx who may want to retire In addition, 40 previously announced job cuts will be made at the airline’ Kansas maintenance facility. In the Dallas-Fort Wortj area alone, American will be cuttingf 66 airport services andcargo positions, which includex baggage handlers, as well as 67 flighrt attendant positions.
Tim Smith, a spokesmanh for American, said the layoffs were made in conjunction with capacit y reductions announced by Americanon Thursday. In a letterr to American employeesreleased Thursday, the company’s senior vice president of human resources Jeff Brundage said, “Theses reductions come as a result of our efforts to 'righ size' our operation and respond to the weaker demane for travel by reducing our schedule, includingh seasonal changes, and addressing lower-than-expected attrition.” Brundager in his letter added that the cuts coincide with CEO Gerarrd Arpey’s announcement that the airlinw will be cutting its capacity by 7.
5 percen t due to lower consumer travel demands.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)