mytyhona.wordpress.com
U.S. retail sales of imported rosé winezs leapt 42 percent in the 52 week periox endingApril 4, compared with a less-than-5-percent increases in total salee of table wines during the same period, according to data citeds by the . The Frencg wine council, known in France as Conseil Interprofessionne des Vins de Provenceor CIVP, said Monday the steepl rise in rosé consumption is consistent with an earlierr study by International Wine & Spirit Recor d predicting that consumption of the populare pinkish wines worldwide will jump from 565 milliom bottles to 620 million by 2012. Not the CIVP expects the growint thirst forimported rosé wines in the U.S.
markeyt will bode well for particularly its Provencewine region. The Frencg produce 28 percent ofworldwide rosé winezs by volume, making it the leader in the according to the wine counsel, which represents 700 Provence wineries and 55 local trading Provence produces 38 percent of France’sd rosés, the group reported. Separately, Nielsen figures revealed that2008 U.S. salea of rosé table wines priced at $6 per bottlee or more jumped 24.9 percent by price and 22.4 percent by despite a weakening economy.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Washington Convention Center Authority wants city to finance $550M hotel - Washington Business Journal:
http://snagahouse.com/mississauga-rentals-finding-short-term-solutions.html
On May 29 the convention center’s board directefd CEO Greg O’Dell to seek authority for the sale of as muchas $750 millioh in bonds to cove the price of the interest during construction, insurance and other costs. The city had plannede to finance about 25 percent of the cost of the hotekl througha $187 million tax increment financing packag the passed in which would have provided $134 million in constructionh costs. The rest was supposed to come from privat debt and equitypartners -- a difficult find in the frozen credi t markets. O’Dell said developmentf partners and Capstone Development had been dogged but unsuccessful in their pursuit of investorwsfor months.
“They’ve been pursuing private financingv and in this you know, that is very They’ve spent millions of dollars on this projectf to try to move it It really is shovel ready with the exception of O’Dell said. With the city losing convention he said, building a city-owned hotel was the best He envisions it will still contaij about 1,100 rooms and be operate d by Marriott had previously said it wouldr be a Marriott Marquis. O'Dell began briefing members ofthe D.C. Counci l on the board’s proposal Monday. “Ouer ultimate goal is to get this project done and get it started as soonas possible,” he said.
In particular there is increased pressure from National Harbor inPrince George’s County, which opened last year with a price tag of more than $2 Its developer, the Peterson Cos. announced May 18 that the WaltDisneyy Co. had purchased land to build a 500-room resort hotel on 15 acres there. Convincing the council to approver that amountof spending, however, will be a tall task for He had been considered a top candidate to replace Neil Albertr as deputy mayor for planning and economicc development, but a source close to O'Dell says he was offereds the job and turned it O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicatef he would remain in his currenr post.
“The board and the mayor have everyt expectation of me completing all the tasksx Ihave here,” he said. The convention centere authority has an independent board and the abilityu toissue bonds, but O’Dell said the councip would need to expand its authority to issuw bonds for the The council and D.C. Mayor Adriaj Fenty just finished closing a budget gapof $800 millionh for fiscal 2010 and the city faces a gap approaching $1 billio for fiscal 2011. In addition, D.C.
Chievf Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi said he will not support issuing that amountof debt, whicb he said would immediately violate a 12 percentt cap on city debt as a mark of expenditureds the city created on his recommendationn last year. Gandhi is a member of the conventioj center board and attended theFriday “To be very blunt about it I was very clear in sayingh to them that if you were to borro $750 million that would put us way beyond the 12 percenft cap we have envisioned for the city...ande I cannot be a parthy to that,” Gandhi said. The CFO said that he “very much” wantxs a hotel for the city, “but I woulf not agree to a deallike that.
See we made a commitmenyt to Wall Street that we would not borroq more than 12 percent againstour budget.” who has won accolades for helping the city snag a AAA bond ratinfg on Wall Street, said he has already begun re-emphasizinb the importance of the debt cap with memberes of the council. “I do not thinko we want to takethis lightly. We shoulr not borrow any more than we are able to he said. He suggested that O’Dell and his partnerws continue to seek privatefinancing sources. Buildinb a hotel to accompany the convention center has always been part of the plan for the city but has languishedr from a seriesof complications. Construction on the Walter E.
Washingtomn Convention Center, as it was named in began in 1998 and opener fiveyears later. D.C. planned a 1,400-room but did not control the needed land. In the city gained final site control after a land swap with developer KingdonGoulf III. To prevent further delays Mayotr Adrian Fenty downsized the project laterfthat year, announcing a deal between the city, Marriott and RLJ Developmen t LLC on a smaller 1,100-rookm hotel.
Since then, the development team has also RLJ Development, founded by BET foundefr Robert Johnson, was part of the deal Fent y announced in September 2007 but isn’t any A main driver of the Marriott Senior Vice President Norman Jenkins, left the company late last year to start Capstone, now a certifierd business entity that partners with Quadrangle. Speaking for the developmenft team, Jenkins said it was his preference to continue seekingprivated financing, and said design was complete, entitlements were in place and therer equity partners ready to invest if debt were available.
Capstonre and Quadrangle are separately planning a Courtyar by Marriott adjacent to the hotel on landthey “We could still get there, but we got to get the bank s to play and they move at their own he said. Still, he said, “ir the city decides to pursue the public deal we willsupport them.” Jenkins said Johnson’s RLJ, with which Jenkins partnerecd while at Marriott, pulled out of the deal shortly aftetr taking an interest in it. “Thehy studied it hard, spent some resources, but their breaf and butter is acquisitions and repositioninb rather thannew development,” Jenkins said.
Richard Bradley, executivee director of the Downtowb BusinessImprovement District, said it is unfortunate that the hotekl project ran into the recession but that the city needsw to “bite the bullet” and move the project citing the opportunity to grow D.C. as a tourisy destination, make it a majodr player in conventions and grow itstax base. “There’s a wholse set of good thingsw about movingthis forward,” he
On May 29 the convention center’s board directefd CEO Greg O’Dell to seek authority for the sale of as muchas $750 millioh in bonds to cove the price of the interest during construction, insurance and other costs. The city had plannede to finance about 25 percent of the cost of the hotekl througha $187 million tax increment financing packag the passed in which would have provided $134 million in constructionh costs. The rest was supposed to come from privat debt and equitypartners -- a difficult find in the frozen credi t markets. O’Dell said developmentf partners and Capstone Development had been dogged but unsuccessful in their pursuit of investorwsfor months.
“They’ve been pursuing private financingv and in this you know, that is very They’ve spent millions of dollars on this projectf to try to move it It really is shovel ready with the exception of O’Dell said. With the city losing convention he said, building a city-owned hotel was the best He envisions it will still contaij about 1,100 rooms and be operate d by Marriott had previously said it wouldr be a Marriott Marquis. O'Dell began briefing members ofthe D.C. Counci l on the board’s proposal Monday. “Ouer ultimate goal is to get this project done and get it started as soonas possible,” he said.
In particular there is increased pressure from National Harbor inPrince George’s County, which opened last year with a price tag of more than $2 Its developer, the Peterson Cos. announced May 18 that the WaltDisneyy Co. had purchased land to build a 500-room resort hotel on 15 acres there. Convincing the council to approver that amountof spending, however, will be a tall task for He had been considered a top candidate to replace Neil Albertr as deputy mayor for planning and economicc development, but a source close to O'Dell says he was offereds the job and turned it O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicatef he would remain in his currenr post.
“The board and the mayor have everyt expectation of me completing all the tasksx Ihave here,” he said. The convention centere authority has an independent board and the abilityu toissue bonds, but O’Dell said the councip would need to expand its authority to issuw bonds for the The council and D.C. Mayor Adriaj Fenty just finished closing a budget gapof $800 millionh for fiscal 2010 and the city faces a gap approaching $1 billio for fiscal 2011. In addition, D.C.
Chievf Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi said he will not support issuing that amountof debt, whicb he said would immediately violate a 12 percentt cap on city debt as a mark of expenditureds the city created on his recommendationn last year. Gandhi is a member of the conventioj center board and attended theFriday “To be very blunt about it I was very clear in sayingh to them that if you were to borro $750 million that would put us way beyond the 12 percenft cap we have envisioned for the city...ande I cannot be a parthy to that,” Gandhi said. The CFO said that he “very much” wantxs a hotel for the city, “but I woulf not agree to a deallike that.
See we made a commitmenyt to Wall Street that we would not borroq more than 12 percent againstour budget.” who has won accolades for helping the city snag a AAA bond ratinfg on Wall Street, said he has already begun re-emphasizinb the importance of the debt cap with memberes of the council. “I do not thinko we want to takethis lightly. We shoulr not borrow any more than we are able to he said. He suggested that O’Dell and his partnerws continue to seek privatefinancing sources. Buildinb a hotel to accompany the convention center has always been part of the plan for the city but has languishedr from a seriesof complications. Construction on the Walter E.
Washingtomn Convention Center, as it was named in began in 1998 and opener fiveyears later. D.C. planned a 1,400-room but did not control the needed land. In the city gained final site control after a land swap with developer KingdonGoulf III. To prevent further delays Mayotr Adrian Fenty downsized the project laterfthat year, announcing a deal between the city, Marriott and RLJ Developmen t LLC on a smaller 1,100-rookm hotel.
Since then, the development team has also RLJ Development, founded by BET foundefr Robert Johnson, was part of the deal Fent y announced in September 2007 but isn’t any A main driver of the Marriott Senior Vice President Norman Jenkins, left the company late last year to start Capstone, now a certifierd business entity that partners with Quadrangle. Speaking for the developmenft team, Jenkins said it was his preference to continue seekingprivated financing, and said design was complete, entitlements were in place and therer equity partners ready to invest if debt were available.
Capstonre and Quadrangle are separately planning a Courtyar by Marriott adjacent to the hotel on landthey “We could still get there, but we got to get the bank s to play and they move at their own he said. Still, he said, “ir the city decides to pursue the public deal we willsupport them.” Jenkins said Johnson’s RLJ, with which Jenkins partnerecd while at Marriott, pulled out of the deal shortly aftetr taking an interest in it. “Thehy studied it hard, spent some resources, but their breaf and butter is acquisitions and repositioninb rather thannew development,” Jenkins said.
Richard Bradley, executivee director of the Downtowb BusinessImprovement District, said it is unfortunate that the hotekl project ran into the recession but that the city needsw to “bite the bullet” and move the project citing the opportunity to grow D.C. as a tourisy destination, make it a majodr player in conventions and grow itstax base. “There’s a wholse set of good thingsw about movingthis forward,” he
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
2009 WNY middle school rankings - San Antonio Business Journal:
8511ysu.blogspot.com
Profiles of the top 25 schools can be reached by clickingt on the names of thoseschools below. A breakdown of the rankingsx for each section of Westernn New York can be accessedby . The followinh abbreviations havebeen used: CS-Charter School, EMS-Elementary-Middle ES-Elementary School, HS-High School, IS-Intermediats School, JHS-Junior High School, JSHS-Junior-Senior High School, MHS-Middle-High School, MS-Middlw School, PS-Primary School, SHS-Senior High VHS-Vocational High School. Each school is followedr by the name of the districg that operatesit (if it’s a public or the district where it is located (if it’s a privatd school). • 1. • 2. • 3. • 4. 5.
• 6. • 7. • 8. 9. • 10. • 11. • 12. • 13. 14. • 15.
Profiles of the top 25 schools can be reached by clickingt on the names of thoseschools below. A breakdown of the rankingsx for each section of Westernn New York can be accessedby . The followinh abbreviations havebeen used: CS-Charter School, EMS-Elementary-Middle ES-Elementary School, HS-High School, IS-Intermediats School, JHS-Junior High School, JSHS-Junior-Senior High School, MHS-Middle-High School, MS-Middlw School, PS-Primary School, SHS-Senior High VHS-Vocational High School. Each school is followedr by the name of the districg that operatesit (if it’s a public or the district where it is located (if it’s a privatd school). • 1. • 2. • 3. • 4. 5.
• 6. • 7. • 8. 9. • 10. • 11. • 12. • 13. 14. • 15.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Pupil-service provider ratios - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:
husydow.wordpress.com
pupils per provider • 2. Wellsville, 66.4 pupils per provideer • 3. North Collins, 74.8 pupils per provide r • 4. Dunkirk, 75.1 pupile per provider • 5. Kendall, 84.5 pupils per provider • 6. Cattaraugus-Little Valley, 85.5 pupils per provider • 7. 85.6 pupils per provider • 8. Friendship, 85.7 pupilse per provider • 9. 87.2 pupils per provider • 10. Clymer, 88.8 pupilws per provider • 11. West Valley, 89.1 pupils per provider • 12. Gowanda, 90.4 pupilds per provider • 13. 91.0 pupils per provider • 14. 93.9 pupils per provider • 15. 94.2 pupils per provider • 16. Perry, 99.1 pupilws per provider • 17.
Chautauqua Lake, 99.3 pupils per provider • 18. Andover, 101.0 pupils per providee • 18. Forestville, 101.0 pupils per provider
pupils per provider • 2. Wellsville, 66.4 pupils per provideer • 3. North Collins, 74.8 pupils per provide r • 4. Dunkirk, 75.1 pupile per provider • 5. Kendall, 84.5 pupils per provider • 6. Cattaraugus-Little Valley, 85.5 pupils per provider • 7. 85.6 pupils per provider • 8. Friendship, 85.7 pupilse per provider • 9. 87.2 pupils per provider • 10. Clymer, 88.8 pupilws per provider • 11. West Valley, 89.1 pupils per provider • 12. Gowanda, 90.4 pupilds per provider • 13. 91.0 pupils per provider • 14. 93.9 pupils per provider • 15. 94.2 pupils per provider • 16. Perry, 99.1 pupilws per provider • 17.
Chautauqua Lake, 99.3 pupils per provider • 18. Andover, 101.0 pupils per providee • 18. Forestville, 101.0 pupils per provider
Saturday, October 22, 2011
'Up' avoids 'Hangover' at box office - Charlotte Business Journal:
vasilisaxavymar.blogspot.com
"Up" brought in an estimated $44,244,000 in its secondf weekend, beating out the new release from , whicb brought in an estimated Anothernew release, 's "Land of the came in well in third with an estimatedd $19,524,000. According to a report on Box Office whichtracks box-office revenue, "Up" was shown on abouyt 6,700 screens at 3,818 sites and "Thee Hangover" was shown on aboutg 4,500 screens at 3,269 sites. Coming in fourth was last week'ds number-two movie, "Night at the Battle of the Smithsonian" from , which brought in an estimatexd $14,650,000.
Rounding out the top five is 's "Starf Trek," which brought in an esimated The report saysthat "Staer Trek" has brought in $222.8 million in 31 days, making it the second-biggest box office smash in the "Star Trek" when adjusted for ticket prics inflation. The top spot belongs to the originalk "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
"Up" brought in an estimated $44,244,000 in its secondf weekend, beating out the new release from , whicb brought in an estimated Anothernew release, 's "Land of the came in well in third with an estimatedd $19,524,000. According to a report on Box Office whichtracks box-office revenue, "Up" was shown on abouyt 6,700 screens at 3,818 sites and "Thee Hangover" was shown on aboutg 4,500 screens at 3,269 sites. Coming in fourth was last week'ds number-two movie, "Night at the Battle of the Smithsonian" from , which brought in an estimatexd $14,650,000.
Rounding out the top five is 's "Starf Trek," which brought in an esimated The report saysthat "Staer Trek" has brought in $222.8 million in 31 days, making it the second-biggest box office smash in the "Star Trek" when adjusted for ticket prics inflation. The top spot belongs to the originalk "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Local former Chrysler, GM dealers look to sell used cars - Orlando Business Journal:
dusinenezoqoc.blogspot.com
Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organizationn has begun to lend assistance to dealersw lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Our national organizatiob has already sent letters to them to let them know aboutf our organization and I plan to do the same thing forour state,” Wilkerson “They were in the used car businesws anyway – but if you’re stuck like many of them are, the overhead costs for a used car dealership is nothinv compared to a franchise.” However, the expansion of the local used car market comes as prices are increasing and the availability of late-mode used cars is pinched, he said.
But according to Morgabn Murphy, president of motorpool.com, the initial increasse in prices should be looked at as merelha short-term hurdle. “Art first glance, that woulx strike the community as bad but in thelong run, it’d good for resale values,” Murphy said. When local consumers buy cars, they will be able to demanfd more when they choose tosell it, he said. In the higher resale values might actually revive American car dealerd inthe area. “American manufacturing has been similare and just as good as Japanesre andKorean manufacturing, but the problemk has been re-sale value and initia prices,” Murphy said.
In the Birmingham dealers affected can capitalize on the unique landscape of the local market on the usedcar side, he Many are family-owned and have been staplea in the community for many decades. They are also encouragef by the fact that local used car sales have seen an uptick amid the recession as buyere are more inclined to look for a bargaihn as a means tospenc less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguished history ofreputabled dealers,” Murphy said. “Don Drennen has been in businesassince 1908. That’s 101 years of serving our community, so there’es a culture around businesseslike that.
” Their long-standingt history could make local buyers more inclined to buy used cars from he said. Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buickm Chryslerand Jeep, said after learning that his dealer agreemen had been canceled with expanding his used car sales seemed like a real possibility. “We are going to expand our used cardepartmentx drastically,” said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 million in Chrysleer parts and merchandise. “We want to offer a great valuw to peoplewho can’t afford a new car.
” Although he hasn’ty stopped looking into becoming a franchisee for other automotive he is open to the idea of makinyg the switch to stay in “It is possible that we couldx become a used car superstore,” said Drennen, who also learneed that GM will seek to cancel the dealershiop agreement he has for his Buicok dealership. “We’ve been in Birmingham long enough that our reputatiomn can keepus afloat.
”
Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organizationn has begun to lend assistance to dealersw lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Our national organizatiob has already sent letters to them to let them know aboutf our organization and I plan to do the same thing forour state,” Wilkerson “They were in the used car businesws anyway – but if you’re stuck like many of them are, the overhead costs for a used car dealership is nothinv compared to a franchise.” However, the expansion of the local used car market comes as prices are increasing and the availability of late-mode used cars is pinched, he said.
But according to Morgabn Murphy, president of motorpool.com, the initial increasse in prices should be looked at as merelha short-term hurdle. “Art first glance, that woulx strike the community as bad but in thelong run, it’d good for resale values,” Murphy said. When local consumers buy cars, they will be able to demanfd more when they choose tosell it, he said. In the higher resale values might actually revive American car dealerd inthe area. “American manufacturing has been similare and just as good as Japanesre andKorean manufacturing, but the problemk has been re-sale value and initia prices,” Murphy said.
In the Birmingham dealers affected can capitalize on the unique landscape of the local market on the usedcar side, he Many are family-owned and have been staplea in the community for many decades. They are also encouragef by the fact that local used car sales have seen an uptick amid the recession as buyere are more inclined to look for a bargaihn as a means tospenc less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguished history ofreputabled dealers,” Murphy said. “Don Drennen has been in businesassince 1908. That’s 101 years of serving our community, so there’es a culture around businesseslike that.
” Their long-standingt history could make local buyers more inclined to buy used cars from he said. Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buickm Chryslerand Jeep, said after learning that his dealer agreemen had been canceled with expanding his used car sales seemed like a real possibility. “We are going to expand our used cardepartmentx drastically,” said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 million in Chrysleer parts and merchandise. “We want to offer a great valuw to peoplewho can’t afford a new car.
” Although he hasn’ty stopped looking into becoming a franchisee for other automotive he is open to the idea of makinyg the switch to stay in “It is possible that we couldx become a used car superstore,” said Drennen, who also learneed that GM will seek to cancel the dealershiop agreement he has for his Buicok dealership. “We’ve been in Birmingham long enough that our reputatiomn can keepus afloat.
”
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Fifth Third deal paying off - Charlotte Business Journal:
nadezhdaqedyxos.blogspot.com
Not Bob James. The former chief executivee of acknowledgeshis bank’s mergetr with Cincinnati-based a year ago presentee challenges. But overall, the deal has helped the local bankinb operation weather the recession by adding muscle and diversity toits “It was definitely the right decisionj — the timing could not have been says James, now president of Fifth Third’sx North Carolina affiliate. “If we had waited six months, we nevet would have got it Fifth Third acquired First Charter in June after the local bank had grownto $4.8 billio in assets and expanded into Raleigh and Atlanta.
First Chartetr had begun more than a centurt ago as a community bank in Cabarrus The deal allowed Fifth one ofthe nation’s largest regionalp banks, to move into North But, more important to James, it gave the formetr First Charter operation some extra ammunition that’s now beingg put to use as the recessiobn weighs on banks. Jamesa says the N.C. banking operation has seen its depositzrise 15% since the thanks to a large marketingb push and some new products. The bank has addede 10 lenders here and is now offering credit cards andmore wealth-management servicezs to its customers. Another noticeable change is a cool-down in the operation’zs real estate lending.
Nearly 70% of First Charter’sw loan book was tied to real estate beforrethe merger. But under Fifth Third, the company can now offerr middle-market commercial and industrial loans in North James says the real estatse loanportfolio hasn’t grown since the merger. And he’s tryin to achieve more balance eventuallyonly 50% of the loans will be in real estater — by pushing Fifth Third’s othe products. “We’re trying to let the real estatw loans run down some andlet middle-markegt fill that space,” he says.
George Dick, Fifth Third’s marketing director in North Carolina, says the bank also is tryiny toignite small-business lending through the Small Business He recently launched an advertising campaign that seekws to attract small-business owners to Fifth Third. James says First Charter only dabbled in SBA lending beforethe merger. “We really run the gamut now, from smallo business to major Still, the merger has presented its share of James says about 600 customeras temporarily lost use of their debit cards when the bankz mergedtheir card-processing The company encountered minor problemss in merging online bill-payment functions.
Abou 300 support jobs were slashe d at the former Firsy Charter when the companies AndFifth Third, like most of its peers, is strugglint with the recession. The bank has received $3.4 billion in governmeny aid through the CapitalPurchase Program. UNC Charlotte finance professot Tony Plath notes Fifth Third has had heavy losses from real estatee loansin recession-battered Florida and Michigan. And real estater is weighted heavily in the government stress testsfor banks, he putting Fifth Third “in the croszs hairs” for more regulatoryy scrutiny. But James says the benefits of the mergerr far outweighthose challenges.
The local Fiftb Third operation is addinh personnel to help with the rising demand formortgagre refinancing, and it will open two branches here this (See related story.) Meanwhile, First Charter’s sale price last year of $31 per sharew -— a 50% premium looks better all the time. Says “Considering the economy, I think thingse are going really well.”
Not Bob James. The former chief executivee of acknowledgeshis bank’s mergetr with Cincinnati-based a year ago presentee challenges. But overall, the deal has helped the local bankinb operation weather the recession by adding muscle and diversity toits “It was definitely the right decisionj — the timing could not have been says James, now president of Fifth Third’sx North Carolina affiliate. “If we had waited six months, we nevet would have got it Fifth Third acquired First Charter in June after the local bank had grownto $4.8 billio in assets and expanded into Raleigh and Atlanta.
First Chartetr had begun more than a centurt ago as a community bank in Cabarrus The deal allowed Fifth one ofthe nation’s largest regionalp banks, to move into North But, more important to James, it gave the formetr First Charter operation some extra ammunition that’s now beingg put to use as the recessiobn weighs on banks. Jamesa says the N.C. banking operation has seen its depositzrise 15% since the thanks to a large marketingb push and some new products. The bank has addede 10 lenders here and is now offering credit cards andmore wealth-management servicezs to its customers. Another noticeable change is a cool-down in the operation’zs real estate lending.
Nearly 70% of First Charter’sw loan book was tied to real estate beforrethe merger. But under Fifth Third, the company can now offerr middle-market commercial and industrial loans in North James says the real estatse loanportfolio hasn’t grown since the merger. And he’s tryin to achieve more balance eventuallyonly 50% of the loans will be in real estater — by pushing Fifth Third’s othe products. “We’re trying to let the real estatw loans run down some andlet middle-markegt fill that space,” he says.
George Dick, Fifth Third’s marketing director in North Carolina, says the bank also is tryiny toignite small-business lending through the Small Business He recently launched an advertising campaign that seekws to attract small-business owners to Fifth Third. James says First Charter only dabbled in SBA lending beforethe merger. “We really run the gamut now, from smallo business to major Still, the merger has presented its share of James says about 600 customeras temporarily lost use of their debit cards when the bankz mergedtheir card-processing The company encountered minor problemss in merging online bill-payment functions.
Abou 300 support jobs were slashe d at the former Firsy Charter when the companies AndFifth Third, like most of its peers, is strugglint with the recession. The bank has received $3.4 billion in governmeny aid through the CapitalPurchase Program. UNC Charlotte finance professot Tony Plath notes Fifth Third has had heavy losses from real estatee loansin recession-battered Florida and Michigan. And real estater is weighted heavily in the government stress testsfor banks, he putting Fifth Third “in the croszs hairs” for more regulatoryy scrutiny. But James says the benefits of the mergerr far outweighthose challenges.
The local Fiftb Third operation is addinh personnel to help with the rising demand formortgagre refinancing, and it will open two branches here this (See related story.) Meanwhile, First Charter’s sale price last year of $31 per sharew -— a 50% premium looks better all the time. Says “Considering the economy, I think thingse are going really well.”
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. Company Profile | Company Information
tosece.blogspot.com
KBW has a longstanding reputation for providingy superior service and creative ideaa to our clients in the financialservices sector. Our firm's traditions, values and experiencew are devoted to one goal meeting the needws of our clients while we hold ourselvez to the highestethical standards. We have buil our business and reputation on the high quality of our Our analysts follow more financial services companies than any other firm and our researcgh coverage includes the largest financial services companiesd as well as hundredsof mid- and small-cap organizations.
KBW'a breadth and depth of research coverage is unparalleled and providesa our firm with a unique perspective of the financialservicezs sector. Because of our singular the resources we devoted to the financial services sector match or exceedd those of the largestinvestmentt houses. We embrace the latestr technology and encourage our employees to be entrepreneuriapland innovative. Likewise, we are quick to responx to the needs of our clientss and seize opportunities whenever theymay arise.
KBW has a longstanding reputation for providingy superior service and creative ideaa to our clients in the financialservices sector. Our firm's traditions, values and experiencew are devoted to one goal meeting the needws of our clients while we hold ourselvez to the highestethical standards. We have buil our business and reputation on the high quality of our Our analysts follow more financial services companies than any other firm and our researcgh coverage includes the largest financial services companiesd as well as hundredsof mid- and small-cap organizations.
KBW'a breadth and depth of research coverage is unparalleled and providesa our firm with a unique perspective of the financialservicezs sector. Because of our singular the resources we devoted to the financial services sector match or exceedd those of the largestinvestmentt houses. We embrace the latestr technology and encourage our employees to be entrepreneuriapland innovative. Likewise, we are quick to responx to the needs of our clientss and seize opportunities whenever theymay arise.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Heinz reports Q4 earnings - Pittsburgh Business Times:
http://yobtddl.com/Showcase/Gothic-Body-Jewelry/
The Downtown Pittsburgh-based food manufacturer had net incomeof $175.1 million, or 55 cents per share, for the quarter endee April 29, compared to $194.1 or 61 cents per share, a year ago. For the fiscao year ended April 29, Heinz had net income of $923 or $2.90 per share, comparex to $844.9 million, or $2.63 per share, for fiscalo year 2008. Sales for the quarter were $2.53 billion, compared to $2.68 billiom in the year-ago quarter. For the full fiscakl year, Heinz had sales of $10.1 compared to $10 billionj a year ago. Wall Street analystx on average were expecting earnings of 54 cents per according toThomson Reuters.
"Heinz delivered record sales and profity infiscal 2009, despite the difficult globao environment," said president and CEO William "Heinz brands around the world performedf well, benefitting from the growing trendc of at-home dining."
The Downtown Pittsburgh-based food manufacturer had net incomeof $175.1 million, or 55 cents per share, for the quarter endee April 29, compared to $194.1 or 61 cents per share, a year ago. For the fiscao year ended April 29, Heinz had net income of $923 or $2.90 per share, comparex to $844.9 million, or $2.63 per share, for fiscalo year 2008. Sales for the quarter were $2.53 billion, compared to $2.68 billiom in the year-ago quarter. For the full fiscakl year, Heinz had sales of $10.1 compared to $10 billionj a year ago. Wall Street analystx on average were expecting earnings of 54 cents per according toThomson Reuters.
"Heinz delivered record sales and profity infiscal 2009, despite the difficult globao environment," said president and CEO William "Heinz brands around the world performedf well, benefitting from the growing trendc of at-home dining."
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Collegiate appoints board members - San Francisco Business Times:
wilhelminadora4287.blogspot.com
• Nelea Absher, vice president and associate general • Anne-Marie Brown, founder, • Suzanne founder, • Tuffy Wood, managing Morgan Keegan & Co. • Cindyh Skarbek, director of the • Bashar director and senior engineerof . Four trustees were reappointed tothe school’s board. They are: • Marin e management consultantBarker Price, who will server as board president for the 2009-10 school • Merrell Wall Grant, general manager of the Monogram line for , and 1974 who will serve as vice • Former Brown-Forman vice chairwoman and CFO Phoebe Wood, who will servr as treasurer; and • Former managementg consultant Leslie Geoghegan, who will serve as secretary.
Corrid Nichols, president of the Louisville Collegiate School Parents Association, will serve as parent representativee on the board. Former Brown-Forman president Bill whose term on theboard expired, was namedf a director emeritus.
• Nelea Absher, vice president and associate general • Anne-Marie Brown, founder, • Suzanne founder, • Tuffy Wood, managing Morgan Keegan & Co. • Cindyh Skarbek, director of the • Bashar director and senior engineerof . Four trustees were reappointed tothe school’s board. They are: • Marin e management consultantBarker Price, who will server as board president for the 2009-10 school • Merrell Wall Grant, general manager of the Monogram line for , and 1974 who will serve as vice • Former Brown-Forman vice chairwoman and CFO Phoebe Wood, who will servr as treasurer; and • Former managementg consultant Leslie Geoghegan, who will serve as secretary.
Corrid Nichols, president of the Louisville Collegiate School Parents Association, will serve as parent representativee on the board. Former Brown-Forman president Bill whose term on theboard expired, was namedf a director emeritus.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Small firms get only 10 percent of stimulus work - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
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percent of contracts funded by the economic stimuluspackage — far below the federakl government’s overall goal of 23 percent. “This is simply said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), at a May 21 hearingf on opportunities for small businesses to win contracts funded bythe $787 billiomn American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. the ranking Republican on the Senate Small Businessd andEntrepreneurship Committee, said there stil l is time for small businesses to win their fair share of stimulus work sincer many contracts funded by the law have not been awarded yet. “Buf I must confess, I’m not encouraged by the resultsso far,” Snowe said.
Committee chaier Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said she is “concerned that smalo businesses are being left out of many contracting opportunitiea for newinfrastructure projects. In Louisiana, after Katrinza and Rita recovery money was we learned that many small businesses nevef even knew aboutrebuildingt contracts.” Snowe and Landrieiu sent the nation’s governors a letter May 20 that encouragef them to make small businessesz a priority when states award stimulus-fundec contracts. This followed a similar letter sent byKarehn Mills, head of the . The Offic of Management and Budget has urgeds federal agencies to issuew contracts tosmall businesses.
Joseph Jordan, the SBA’s associatd administrator for government contracting andbusiness development, said smal l businesses have been awarded $389 milliob in stimulus contracts as of May 19. The SBA is workingh with federal agencies to help them meet theirf smallbusiness goals, he noting the share of stimulus dollars going to small contractors has been increasinf each week. Nearly half of all small business ownerz have experienced cash flow problems during the pastthrere months, according to a survey conducted in May by Rasmussen Reports for Discover Business That number is up from 39 percent in and is the highest since Discover launched its monthly small business survey three years ago.
The survehy also found that 48 percent of small business owner s said economic conditions for their businesses are getting up from 40 percent in More than half plan to decrease spending on business developmeng over the nextsix months. This includes advertising, inventory and capitall expenditures.
percent of contracts funded by the economic stimuluspackage — far below the federakl government’s overall goal of 23 percent. “This is simply said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), at a May 21 hearingf on opportunities for small businesses to win contracts funded bythe $787 billiomn American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. the ranking Republican on the Senate Small Businessd andEntrepreneurship Committee, said there stil l is time for small businesses to win their fair share of stimulus work sincer many contracts funded by the law have not been awarded yet. “Buf I must confess, I’m not encouraged by the resultsso far,” Snowe said.
Committee chaier Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said she is “concerned that smalo businesses are being left out of many contracting opportunitiea for newinfrastructure projects. In Louisiana, after Katrinza and Rita recovery money was we learned that many small businesses nevef even knew aboutrebuildingt contracts.” Snowe and Landrieiu sent the nation’s governors a letter May 20 that encouragef them to make small businessesz a priority when states award stimulus-fundec contracts. This followed a similar letter sent byKarehn Mills, head of the . The Offic of Management and Budget has urgeds federal agencies to issuew contracts tosmall businesses.
Joseph Jordan, the SBA’s associatd administrator for government contracting andbusiness development, said smal l businesses have been awarded $389 milliob in stimulus contracts as of May 19. The SBA is workingh with federal agencies to help them meet theirf smallbusiness goals, he noting the share of stimulus dollars going to small contractors has been increasinf each week. Nearly half of all small business ownerz have experienced cash flow problems during the pastthrere months, according to a survey conducted in May by Rasmussen Reports for Discover Business That number is up from 39 percent in and is the highest since Discover launched its monthly small business survey three years ago.
The survehy also found that 48 percent of small business owner s said economic conditions for their businesses are getting up from 40 percent in More than half plan to decrease spending on business developmeng over the nextsix months. This includes advertising, inventory and capitall expenditures.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Review: 'Ides of March' is thrilling - CNN
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CTV.ca | Review: 'Ides of March' is thrilling CNN (CNN) -- Fans of classic 1970's films like "Network" and "The Par » |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Facebook Posts Reveal Alcoholism Risk, Study Says - Mobiledia
edovogopu.wordpress.com
CTV.ca | Facebook Posts Reveal Alcoholism Risk, Study Says Mobiledia The study's authors suggest parents and health professionals may use Facebook posts to identify adolescents who may be at risk for alcohol abuse and dependence, but also recognized this raises privacy concerns. Federal regulations already make it ... Can Facebook predict problem drinking? Facebook may help identify college drinking problems (study) Discussing Your Drunken Escapades on Facebook? You May Have a (Drinking) Problem |
Monday, October 3, 2011
Dusty Kiel starting for Indiana - ESPN
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Centre Daily Times | Dusty Kiel starting for Indiana ESPN ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett write about » |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Expedia faces $184M judgment in lawsuit - San Antonio Business Journal:
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The suit in King Count Superior Court was related to a breach ofcontract claim. The court granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on Friday, and said damaged for the alleged breachhare $184.47 million, Expedia said in a regulatoryu filing. Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) said the judgment is not finao and that itwould However, it noted that it would need to post a bond or possibly for the full in order to appeal a finakl judgment. "We believe that the court’sw decision is wrong on the law and wronvg onthe facts," the company said. "Expedia.
comk charged its customers a service fee for certain transaction during the perioddescribedr above, which was fully disclosed to each customert before a booking was completed, and we are confident that we have fulfillefd all applicable obligations to our Because we believe that the court’s decisiob is inconsistent with both the factds and the law, we will vigorously pursue our rightes on appeal." Separately, the company said it had signed new employmengt agreements with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and generapl counsel Burke Norton. Under the three-yeadr agreements, Khosrowshahi will receive hiscurrent $1 millionb annual base salary.
Norton's base salart will increase to $425,000 from $375,000.
The suit in King Count Superior Court was related to a breach ofcontract claim. The court granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on Friday, and said damaged for the alleged breachhare $184.47 million, Expedia said in a regulatoryu filing. Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) said the judgment is not finao and that itwould However, it noted that it would need to post a bond or possibly for the full in order to appeal a finakl judgment. "We believe that the court’sw decision is wrong on the law and wronvg onthe facts," the company said. "Expedia.
comk charged its customers a service fee for certain transaction during the perioddescribedr above, which was fully disclosed to each customert before a booking was completed, and we are confident that we have fulfillefd all applicable obligations to our Because we believe that the court’s decisiob is inconsistent with both the factds and the law, we will vigorously pursue our rightes on appeal." Separately, the company said it had signed new employmengt agreements with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and generapl counsel Burke Norton. Under the three-yeadr agreements, Khosrowshahi will receive hiscurrent $1 millionb annual base salary.
Norton's base salart will increase to $425,000 from $375,000.
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