Thursday, March 31, 2011

ev3 names new CFO - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

http://musicworldmedia.com/MP3-Players/Nomad-Mp3-Player/
McCormick comes to ev3 from Fridley-based , where he had worked sincs 1992. He most recentlgy led the firm’s business-development activities and previously had served in key corporates and divisional financialleadership “We are very pleasef to have someone with Shawn’x experience join the ev3 managemenft team,” ev3 President and CEO Roberr Palmisano said in a statement. “His proveb track record in financial management and businesx development will add tremendous valuse as we continue to focus on expanding our positiohn in the peripheral vascular and neurovascular markets and delivering increasexdshareholder value.
” McCormick replaces Patrick Spangler, who resigne as ev3’s senior vice presidentt and CFO, effective Jan. 19. Plymouth-based ev3 (Nasdaq: makes medical devices, including stents and angioplasty that are used by endovascular specialists to treat a wide range of peripherak vascular and neurovascular diseasesand disorders.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Feds want more data on Metavante-Fidelity deal - Birmingham Business Journal:

livejournal.com
Brown Deer-based Metavante (NYSE: MV) and Fla.-based Fidelity National (NYSE: FIS) had announcef the transaction April 1 and said they expecteed to close the deal by the third Fidelity National and Metavante executivex said Monday morning that the companies have each receivexd a request for additional information and documentaryh material from the Department of The so-called second reques is a procedure in the regulatory proceses under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Fidelity Nationa l and Metavante are in the process of gathering information in responser tothe request, and are cooperating with Department of Justic e reviews of the proposed merger, the companiez said.
The Justice Department request extends the waitiny period imposed bythe Hart-Scott-Rodino Act until 30 days after the companiee substantially comply with the request, unless that period is extended voluntarily by the companies and Justice Departmenty or terminated sooner by the Justice the companies said. The proposed merger also remaind subject tocustomary conditions, including shareholdeer approval. Metavante has agreed to a $3 billion acquisitiobn by Fidelity National in a deal that is expectedc to result in the loss of hundreds of jobs as the companie s look tocut $260 million in annual costs. Metavantre has about 2,700 employees in metroi Milwaukee.
Assuming the transaction receiveregulatory approval, the merged company’s headquarters will be in Jacksonvill e and Metavante CEO Frank Martire will relocate there and serve as CEO. Metavanted stock was trading at $25.51, down 89 cents, Mondat morning. Fidelity National was trading at down34 cents.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Cereal maker, overwhelmed by increased demand, looks to new plant to ease problem - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

glafirarynyxu.blogspot.com
has been running its two manufacturing plant s 24 hoursa day, seven days a week, and is havingy trouble meeting demand. Minneapolis-based Malt-O-Mealk has shifted its manufacturing capacity toits best-sellintg products — such as Frosted Mini Spoonere — and stopped producing seven varieties of its which are sold in plastic bags rather than boxes. On its Web the manufacturer posted an apology to consumera for possible shortages ofsome varieties, includinhg Apple Zings, Scooters, Corn Bursts and Crispu Rice. The company says it will restart production of more varietieds in thesecond quarter, when it opensx a new manufacturing plant in Asheboro, N.C.
The $100 375,000-square-foot plant will eventually employ 160 peoplse and willcomplement Malt-O-Meal’s existing plantx in Northfield and in Tremonton, Utah. Sales are up, but so is competitioh Malt-O-Meal is growing its sales faster thanthe competition, accordinbg to data provided by , a Chicago-based market-researc firm. In the 52 weeks prior to Jan. 25, salea for all of Malt-O-Meal’s varieties were up 5.9 percent, comparedf to the total ready-to-eat cereal category, which increased only 2.8 The statistics don’t include data from , which sells Malt-O-Meakl products.
Sales for many grocery categories are growingy athigh single-digit rates, but cereal is lagging, said Rick president of Chanhassen-based Commodity price increases for wheat and rice have hit the cereal aislse pretty hard in the past year, and consumerse are trading down or pickinb other breakfast foods, he said. That’s helping value players like Malt-O-Meap and private-label manufacturers, he said. Shea spent 18 years in the consumer-packaged-goodsz market, including a stint as vice presidenf of marketingfor Malt-O-Meal from 2004 to 2007.
“Malt-O-Meap has done well because they focused on value and pricweand they’ve got a great product The 90-year-old family-owned firm doesn’t release its salea or profit figures. CEO Chris Neugengt wasn’t available for comment. “The story is pretty said Linda Fisher, a spokeswoman for Malt-O-Meal. “The company makex a good product. It’s cheaper than General Mills and Postboxed brands, and consumerz are looking for ways to save But Malt-O-Meal is getting more price competition than ever from the big like Battle Creek, Mich.-based and Goldebn Valley-based , which are offering coupons and promotionsa such as two-for-one deals to drive volume.
Retailers also are challenging Malt-O-Meal with varieties of store-owned brandsx that often sell for lessthan Malt-O-Meal’s products. which doesn’t do traditional consumer isn’t usually the lowest-price brand in stores, Fisher said, so the compan also focuses on providing products thattastes good. “All the qualitative researcnh we’ve done, as well as common sense, supports the premisd that moms won’t buy cereal their families won’t Malt-O-Meal is doing something that few companieds are doingright now: hiring.
The firm, whichj had about $515 million in sales in 2007 and has a staf f ofabout 1,100, according to estimates by , has 17 open jobs postes on its Web site. The jobs, 11 of whichh are in Minnesota, are in various businessd units such assupplu chain, sales/marketing, operations, IT, humanh resources and finance. More than 100 employees have alread been hired to staff the new plant in which will serveas Malt-O-Meal’xs East Coast manufacturing location, expanding the company’sz capacity and serving markets from New England to In Asheboro, the new Malt-O-Meall jobs are “very, very welcome” in an area wherde the unemployment rate is between 8 and 9 said Bonnie Renfro, president of the Randolph Countyu (N.
C.) The state of North the county and the city of Asheborp combined to put in about $3 million wortn of public assistance to land the which included building two rail spurs that would provide Malt-O-Mealo better access to raw ingredients. Malt-O-Meal took over a buildinyg and hired some former workers of a closed plant thatmade Knorr-brand dry soup and sauce products. The timinyg of the plant’s opening couldn’f be better, considering the economy, Renfrl said. “They’ve added some new jobs at a timewhen we’v seen more downsizing than upsizing.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Hawaii flu cases close to 300 - East Bay Business Times:

retention-jackjacks.blogspot.com
The Hawaii Department of Health, which now updates its onlins H1N1 counteach Wednesday, said there are now 298 confirmedx cases in Hawaii. There were 98 new cases confirmesd on Oahu this week for a total of 288 Kauai and Maui added a case each this They each have a total ofthree cases. The Big which has four cases, did not report any new casee this week. Most have recovered or are recoverinvg fromthe illness. The Centers for Disease Controo and Prevention said thatmost U.S. cases have not been severes and are comparable in severit toseasonal influenza. Hawaii residents with questionz about H1N1 flu cancall (866) 767-5044 ext. 3 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Monday throug h Friday and on weekendsa from9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Or visit www.hawaii.gov/healtbh or the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio nat www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

10 of Elizabeth Taylor's Most Notable Roles - New York Magazine

http://zonefranche.com/details-actus-zf.php?id_news=932


ABC News


10 of Elizabeth Taylor's Most Notable Roles

New York Magazine


And although she was “Elizabeth Taylor” for so much of her career, the actress also had a surprising degree of range. We've decided to go back over her career and consider some of her most notable performances (we know, we know, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ...


Gstaad notable Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79

World Radio Switzerland


Elizabeth Taylor's life was a true page-turner

USA Today


Congestive heart failure felled Elizabeth Taylor. What is it?

Washington Post (blog)


Entertainment Weekly -SFist -The Upshot (blog)


 »

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

ThermoGenesis names Engle CEO - Sacramento Business Journal:

Delonghi PAC-WE130
Matthew Plavan, who has served as the RanchioCordova company’s (Nasdaq: KOOL) interim CEO sincde December, has become the chievf operating officer. He will retain his titles of executive vice presidenty and chief financial officer of the which makes devices for storing and processinfg stem cells andblood products. “Mel has servex as president and CEO of threw healthcare companies, as well as having extensives management experience in finance, sales and international market development with both large and smalp device and pharmaceutical organizations,” said Patricj McEnany, director and chairman of the company’s governance and nominatingh committee, in a news release.
“After conducting an extensived search and interviewing a numbed ofexcellent candidates, it was clear to the boardr that Mel’s wide-ranging health care industryg experience made him a great fit for ThermoGenesis.” Engle’xs last job was CEO of , a lasetr technology company. Before that he spent six yearx as president and CEOof , a $600 milliomn specialty pharmaceutical company affiliated with Merckj KGaA. Prior to that he was chairman, presidengt and CEO of , a small, publiclh traded medical device company.
Engle’s has also workecd as regional director in North America for and held seniofr management positions with He is a member of the boared of directorsof (OTCBB: OXBO), formerly knowb as , which is developingv oxygen-delivery therapies. He has a bachelor’s degree in accountingb from the University of Colorado anda master’s degrew in business administration with a specialty in finance from the University of Southern California. “I am excited to be joining particularly at a time of heightened interest in and growinh awareness of the therapeutic value of stem Engle said in thenews release.
“ThermoGenesis possessez a strong technology base with a dedicatede and knowledgeable group of It is well positioned to capitalize on the growing stemcell market. ThermoGenesis has a traclk record of product innovation and is on the cusp of realizing an increasexd market presence with its current andnew offerings.” “j appreciate the support of our board and employees over the past several months and look forward to working with Mel on a furthefr implementation of our turnaround strategy,” Plavan said in the news

Sunday, March 20, 2011

VanHoose: Great chance to adopt from local agencies - Online Athens

Air Purifiers Orange


VanHoose: Great chance to adopt from local agencies

Online Athens


From 11 am to 2 pm Saturday in the Homewood Hills Shopping Center parking lot, they'll have about 60 dogs ready for you to pet, play with and, if you find your match, adopt. This is the first time the big adoption agencies in the county have come ...



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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Revoking AFSPA in JK means compromising army's operational abilities - Indian Express

Air Purifiers Pasadena

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Woodland Corporate Center building gets LEED gold certification - Business First of Louisville:

Delonghi Pinguino PAC 260
The building, which opened early last year, was designes and built to meet the seconsd highest ranking ofthe Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. was the general Liberty Property Trust Vice President Jody Johnsto n estimates the cost of building to green standards addexd an additional 5 percent to the overall development but that will be more than offseyt by lowerenergy costs. Speciapl features include showers and lockers for workersw who need to wash or change clothes after they bike or jog to A deck made of recycled plastic bordere the back ofthe building, overlooking a wetlande area that provides shade.
Landscapinb incorporates drought-resistant plants native to Florida. A white reflectivde roof deflectsthe sun. Bins for recyclingv are placed near trash bins for Restroom urinals conserve water by relying on gravity and a filterf insteadof water. That feature is expectex to save 360,000 gallond annually since each urinal uses anestimatesd 40,000 gallons annually, Johnston said. Grasds surrounding the parking lot soakaup rainwater. And Flexi-pave, a recycledf rubber, was used instea of asphalt around the large oak treex that linethe lots. The porous rubber allowe water to soak intothe ground. The located at 4631 Woodland Blvd.
, receivedd the “Office Building of the Year” Awardc from the Tampa Bay Chapter of the andthe “Gree Building Design Award” from the Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission in Tampa. Libertg (NYSE: LRY) has developed and leasef 19 buildings with nearly 1 millionm square feet of space in the park since 1996. Key park tenants include , Travelers, Travel and .


Revoking AFSPA in JK means compromising army's operational abilities

Indian Express


Army today said revoking Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) in Jammu and Kashmir would mean "compromising" its operational capabilities. "We feel that by revoking special legal provisions, which are in place here, ...



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Shock Vote: Wisconsin Senate Approves Controversial Anti-Union Bill

NPR (blog)


Republican state senators in Wisconsin figured out how to pass controversial budget repair legislation without the help of missing senate Democrats. In a sudden move Wednesday evening, GOP senators stripped all the financial proposals ...



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Monday, March 7, 2011

Turning it around - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

http://moodymethodist.org/sermons/2002-05-19.htm
In today’s economy and tight credit markets, more companies are facing a starl choice: figure out how to turn thing s around or begin thinking about shuttingit down. A receng survey by found that nearly one in five of 600 smalp companies polled face the risk of going out of busineses over the nextsix months. Whilew some businesses fail, they are oftenn unnecessary, according to turnaround professionals — business consultants who specializw in helping companies get back on their That usually happens because companies wait too long beforse developing a plan for gettinvg outof trouble, according to C. Edwarde Dobbs, a partner with Parker, Hudson, Rainerd & Dobbs LLP.
“[Owners] tend to wear rose-colored glassesx and oftentimes are the last to reallhy own up to the significant problemxthey face,” he said. Failing to recognize problems early can be particularly deadlyin today’s economy, when banks are tightening creditt even for those with clean recorda and growing operations. “Today, accesw to capital is No. 1 and some business ownerz are finding that their credit lines are goingb to shrink and that lenders are gointg to be considerably less forgiving of minor defaults than they may have been in the said Dobbs.
That makes it particularly important thatcompaniezs don’t present their lenders with surprisees — missed numbers or a financial problenm they failed to reveal up front. In better times a company could survive a problem by movinv to another lender who was hungrgy forthe business. Not so anymore. Today, there are few sources of alternative capital and those that exist are charginbg much higherinterest rates. If a business is failing, the firstt step is always for management or an outside consultant to identify where the problem lies and then crafyt a plan tofix it, if said Richard Kazmier, managing director with Ltd. and a certifie turnaround professional.
“We look at the business itselvf and askif there’s a core business here or is this somethin that is going to be DOA and go from he said. Kazmier advocates using basic financiapl analysis to check companyvital signs. This process can included comparing several periods of balance sheetg and income statement information beginninfg with two to threed years of monthly orquarterlg information. A high-level analysis allows management to catcn developing problems such as declining salexs coupled with growing inventories and receivable that tieup cash. That can call for adjustintg operations to match changes inthe marketplace.
It can ferrey out problems such as declining gross profit or gross profit percentager that can be indicators offuturr problems. Once the problem is identified, managemengt can then develop a plan forsolving it. Often solutions require a reassessmentg ofthe business, which can include looking at everything from the efficiencu of daily operations and personnelp to questioning the company’s purpose. While cost-cutting is frequentlhy the first thought of every companufacing adversity, it sometimes can do more harm than A company might drastically cut spending on inventories, but end up unables to meet orders because it lacks the righft products at the right time.
The companyy may also need to look at investing in new technolog y that canimprove productivity, outsourcing non-core and spending money on research and developmen if it’s needed to improve products and services. The most successfupl turnarounds come when managers are in tune with the business and recognize theproblem first. “When things startg popping up on the radar screemn that can indicate therew could be a substantial problem downthe road, that’a the time to start acting,” said Anthony CEO and founder of Taking action beforr the situation worsens allows a company to make needed changes internallyu or to seek out help, such as with specialized consultinvg companies that are members of the .
For some filing for bankruptcy protection can be part of a strategicturnaroundc plan.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Hampton Inn opens near Proctor's in Schenectady - The Business Review (Albany):

http://noffn.org/article.php?story=staff
Located at 450 Statd St., the $9 five-story hotel is on the same blockas Proctor's the Parker Inn boutique hotel, several smalol businesses and a six-screen movie theatre scheduled to open late r this month. The hote is owned and operated by affiliatea of SchahetHotels Inc. in which also owns the Holiday Inn on Nott Terracsin Schenectady. The hotel's amenities include 32-inch LCD TVs with HD granite vanity tops, wireless Internet access, a swimming pool and complimentaryuhot breakfast.
"Providing clean, comfortabler rooms and outstanding guest service is a top priorityg for our hotel staff and one reason we will be highlty competitive in Schenectady and the Capital the hotel's general manager, Mounssif said in a prepared The Schenectady Metroplex Developmen t Authority, an economic development agency subsidized by a portionm of the county sales tax, provided $1 millionj in facade grants and a $2 millioh zero-interest loan to the developers.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Talks between Tom Gores, Karen Davidson about Pistons ongoing - Detroit Free Press

pipeline-operates.blogspot.com


Talks between Tom Gores, Karen Davidson about Pistons ongoing

Detroit Free Press


NBAE/Getty Images By VINCE ELLIS and JOHN GALLAGHER Despite last week's expiration of another exclusive negotiating period, talks between Tom Gores and Karen Davidson for control of the Detroit Pistons are very much ongoing, the Free Press has learned. ...



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