NRSC shuffles Senate map, reinforcing North Dakota and axing two others - Politico (blog)

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NRSC shuffles Senate map, reinforcing North Dakota and axing two others Politico (blog) The NRSC's move away from New Mexico and Missouri, and its move to reinforce North Dakota, would seem to reflect the narrower path Republicans now face on the way to a Senate majority. It's still entirely plausible for Republicans to win 51 seats, but ... and more »

Supreme Court temporarily blocks Chrysler/Fiat merger - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsbervg granted a motion filed by Indiana stats pension funds to delay the mergee between the American and Italian automakeras in whatthe U.S. Treasuryh Department said was an administrative extension designed to alloww sufficient time for the Supreme Court to explorr whether or not a stay is according to several published reports late The Supreme Court move extends a stay alreadyt issued by a lower court that was set to expire lateafternoonn Monday. Fiat has given Chrysler untipl June 15 to finishthe merger. Attorneys for the pensiom funds argued that they would receive just pennies on the dollae fora $42 million loan given to However, U.S.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan said the imminent collapse ofChryslet — said to be losing upward of $100 milliom daily — was of greater concermn to government officials than the loan When Chrysler filed for it announced it would reject 789 dealership agreements nationwide, including nine in the St. Louis metrio area. Chrysler’s restructuring plan also calls for closinfeight plants, including Chrysler’s two plants in Mo. Chrysler’s South plant in Fenton, which assembles minivans, was idlee at the end of October.
Chrysler’s North plant, whic h makes Dodge Ram was idled earlier this month for one to two months and The planta hademployed 1,200 workers in Fenton, down from 5,00o several years ago.

Marco Rubio: Voters face a choice on government role - Los Angeles Times

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Politico

Marco Rubio: Voters face a choice on government role Los Angeles Times Marco Rubio, who will introduce Mitt Romney before he form »

ADP reports 532,000 May job cuts - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Payroll firm ADP reported Wednesdayu that companies inthe U.S. cut an estimatexd 532,000 workers from payrolls last ADP also revised higheer its estimate of cuts in Aprilto 545,00p0 from the previous estimate of 491,000. The ADP report notef losses across all sizes and categoriexs of businesses with large business payrollsdeclining 100,000, mediuj businesses shedding 223,000 jobs and small businesses cuttintg 209,000 employees. The goods-producing sector lost 267,000o jobs while the service-producing sector declined by 265,000 positions. The Labodr Department is due to release its jobs reporfon Friday.
The average analyst estimate for that report of governmentr as well as privat payrolls is a lossof 520,000 payrolol positions and an increase in the unemploymen t rate to 9.2 percent from April’x rate of 8.9 percent. On The Institute for Supplyh Management announced that its factory index rose to the highestt level since last September as new orderzs posted their first gain since therecessionn began. On Tuesday the National Association of Realtorsw reported that pending sales ofexisting homes, or contractw signed but not closed, rose 6.
7 percenf in April, the largest increase in six

Houstonians

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But outside of the office mostpeople don’t think about who supplies them with that tastyy cup of joe. Increasingly, if you live in Houston, it’s Paul co-owner of Houston-based coffee product supplier . Starting out in 2002 as a small coffee supply business run out ofa garage, Lone Star Coffeer now employs 50 people, has a fleet of 15 delivery trucks and did $3 million in revenued in 2007 and $3.8 millioj in 2008. By finding its niche in a worlcd of stale suppliers and landinb contractswith big-ticket clients, Lone Star Coffede has carved out a place in Houston’x coffee market and now has its eyes set on expandinf beyond Texas.
Garcia, an accountant and MBA, founder Lone Star Coffee withhis brother, Frank, who workecd at California-based for more than a decade. “Hew indicated that there were some opportunities in the officescoffee business,” Garcia says. “There hadn’t been a new introductiomn into the Houston area market in15 years.” Garcia’s brothetr had the operational background; Garcia had the financia background. The two fundedc their startup out of their own saving for two years and setting up their operation inFranlk Garcia’s garage in 2002.
“We actually didn’t pay ourselvezs for two years,” Paul Garcia “Everything we made went right back into the As Lone Star Coffee began to builds aclient base, it would purchase coffew burners, install them in kitchens and then sell them the coffee, cups, condimentx and other essentials. they added installing and distributingwater coolers. client growth was slow, but steady and aftere a few months of operatiojn the company moved intoa 900-square-footg office near FM 1960 and State Highway 249.
In 2003 Lone Star landee its first big contract with Initially the company supplied just a few departmentzs at the Shell but that quickly grew until it found itselrf supplying coffee to three quarters ofthe office. “We started out in Shell marketing, then Garcia says. “From there, it was just one departmenrt afterthe other.” The company’as current contract with Shelk totals about 100 cases of coffee a plus condiments, water machines, soda and juices, Garcia With a big client and a steadyg income, Lone Star was on solid “Once we got a little momentum, we networked a Garcia says.
“We did a lot of networkint through the Houston Chamber of Commercr and the Hispanic Chamber of The Shell deal was followed by two otherr major contracts supplying coffee to the Texas Medicalk Center and the Portof Houston. Two yearx after opening, Lone Star Coffed moved into a new, much larger facilitg on West Gulf Boulevard where the company worked on ramping up itsclient “We try to add about 20 percent every year, or aboutf five to six (clients) per month,” Garcia

Giant law firm DLA Piper growing globally, locally - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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The firm's Philadelphia office has doubled in size over the past five year to 60 lawyers and local partners say they have embracefthe firm's newfound global reach and not become lost in the It's touting that global scale as the officer hits its 15-year anniversary. The firm made a significanrt commitment to Philadelphia in 2005 by moving from Two Logan Squar to OneLiberty Place, where it signedf a 15-year lease and can accommodatre 78 lawyers. But recent growthg has largely been organic in nature and on the associate level as the Philadelphia officr only has16 partners.
Products liability litigator Ray Williamz from Reed Smith and antitrusg litigator Carl Hittinger from Stevens Lee are the two most recent lateral but the firm lost corporatde lawyerPeter Tucci, the office's only transactional partner, earliet this fall to Fox Rothschild only five years after he joinee from Reed Smith. James Brogan, DLA'sd Philadelphia office managing partner, admits the firm isn't for every lawyer because of its high billing rate structurew andinternational platform. Brogan said the officew generates only 25 percent of its revenue from local clientsw and save fora four-partner intellectual propertuy practice, consists largely of litigators.
Brogan said the goal is to attrac lawyers that fit within thefirm structure, thougj he said it would certainlyu like to add a transactional element to the mix. "We don't have any specific goal for growth," Brogaj said. "We want practices that fit the firm'sw strengths -- real estate, real estate finance, corporate, labor and employmenty and antitrust litigation. So if we have 85 that's fine. But if we stay at 60, that'w fine too because it's about the qualityg of the lawyers." Legal recruiter Michael Coleman of said recruitinfg lawyers for DLA is no differen t from recruiting forthe city's two most profitabls firms, and .
Coleman said the pool of suitabl e applicants is thinned by the high standards andbillingb rates. "Ideally, I'd be looking at a Wall Streetf lawyer who lives in Bucks County but is tirintg of the commute and might realize he can get the same supporrt services and global reach as he could get in New Coleman said. "Historically, there has been little movementg of name players in thecorporate ... So far, the results haven't been there but soone r or later they will because DLA has a great stortto tell.
" Brogan said the amount of interesrt in DLA from potential lateral hires and law studentse has gone up exponentially in the past year and a Applications from law students have quadrupled applications. Some of the office' s biggest business producers are used to travelinv because of their work for largecorporate Brogan, a commercial litigator, represents tire manufacturer insurance coverage litigator Ron Schiller represent and Motorola; commercial litigator John McKeever represents UPS; and products liabilityt litigator William Kiniry represents Porsche and Harley-Davidson.
McKeever and intellectual-propertyy practice head Dan Christenbury have traveled to Europe and the Far East in the past year to meet with theier new colleagues to forge relationshipzs andcultivate cross-selling Christenbury said he already had overseasw clients but that the DLA merger has giveh him and his local IP partnerx more credibility with potential foreign Patent prosecution work does not alwaysd fit with large, international firms like DLA. But Christenburuy and colleague Paul Taufer said the IP group is careful to handle less rate sensitivre matters such as patent litigation and duediligence work.
"Ther e are some clients that are lookin g for a firm that will do the best work regardlesasof rates," Taufer said. "And we now have a betted chance to getthose clients."

New Cousins CEO encouraged about the market - Denver Business Journal:

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"This isn't going to be a V-shapex recovery," Gellerstedt said Monday in an interview with AtlantwBusiness Chronicle. "But, we're going to see many opportunitiedto buy." Gellerstedt, who joined Cousinx in 2005, will take over for current CEO Tom Bell on July 1. who turns 60 this year, announcedc his retirement to the company Monday Cousins is a storied Atlantaq realestate developer. Founded in 1958 by Tom the company has been involved in some ofthe city'zs biggest real estate projects, includint the development of the 55-stor Bank of America Plaza in 1989. The market isn'r providing the best timin for Gellerstedt.
He takes the helm during the nation'd worst real estate downturn in at leasyta generation. While the market is showinb some signsof improvement, it has nosedived from its peak in earl y 2007. Cousins has one of the four new office towers undefr developmentin Buckhead, a part of the city that absorbsx about 350,000 to 500,000 square feet of officr space annually. Office vacancy in Buckhead could surpasx 30 percent by this time next some commercial real estate developersd andbrokers predict.
Theres are signs, however, that the marke t is picking up, Bell and Gellerstedt For one, the gap between what investors are willinbg to pay for properties and what ownerz are willing to sell them for continueeto shrink. While that spread was 400 basis point a fewmonths ago, it is closer to 100 pointss today, Bell said. Also, bankes have a clearer picture of their capital levels than they did earlierfthis year, and regulators are increasinglh pushing them to deal some of theit real estate owned assets. Cousins (NYSE: CUZ) , postingb net income of $164.
2 million on $49 million in At the end of the period, the company’a portfolio of operational officd buildings was 90percent leased, its portfolio of operationalp retail centers was 83 percenft leased and its operational industrial buildingws were 40 percent leased. Gellerstedt began his careefr in 1978 as an estimator and projecf managerwith , where he worked on the High Museum and the AT&T Long Linez Building in Manhattan. At only 26, he founded , a Beeres subsidiary that focusedon health-care Gellerstedt was later named Beers chairmann and CEO.
Cousins acquired his the , in June 2005, and he joined the Gellerstedt was one of the architectds of turning around the fortunes of One NinetyuOne Peachtree, the 50-story downtown towerf Cousins acquired in 2006. The improvements at One Ninetuy One have symbolized a return to prosperity for many partsdof downtown, its economic boosters say. Shortly after Gellerstedt joined Cousins, One Ninety One had lost major tenantsand , and downtown Atlantw was suffering from the exodus of thosd firms and others. Gellerstedt was instrumental in the rejuvenatiohn of OneNinety One, Bell said. "We basically gave this buildingto Larry," Bell said.
"I remember when we were walking throughg the atrium several years ago that there was nothinyin there. It had this echo And I said to Larry, 'Wha t are we going to about this echo?' And Larry came right back and ‘I tell you what we'rwe going to do. We're going to fill this atriun and thisbuilding up.’ It's a totally different buildin today." One Ninety One was nearly 90 percenty leased at the beginning of the year. Cousinzs also landed the Italian restaurant IlMulinko Atlanta, which has also helperd to revive the atrium. "I spengt most of my career downtown," Gellerstedt said.
"I'vew always thought that One Ninety One is atimelesxs asset."

Sesa Goa completes pig iron plant expansion - The Hindu

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The Hindu

Sesa Goa completes pig iron plant expansion The Hindu Vedanta Group company Sesa Goa has announced the completion of a planned expansion at its pig iron plant in Goa. The company, on Tuesday, informed the stock exchange that it had successfully commissioned a third blast furnace . With this, the plant ... and more »

N.J. legislature passes $29B budget - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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The budget failed to get a Republicamn vote ineither house, passing 45-34 in the where Democrats hold a 48-312 majority, and 22-17 in the where Democrats hold a 23-17 majority. Gov. Jon S. Corzinw and Democrats praised the budget for cutting statw spendingby $4 billion and providing property tax relief, made possibler by an unexpected $400 million from a tax amnestyg program. The budget includes $404 milliojn in property tax rebates for households earninh upto $75,000 per year.
“The FY 2010 budgeft is a good budget for badeconomic times,” Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem, “It may have been a tough pill to but this budget is the medicine New Jersety needs to survive the national economic onslaught, and grow our economy on the other side of the recession.” Republicans criticized the budget, whicjh they said would strip propertty tax relief from 1.4 milliojn households that received it last year and ushetr in seven new tax taxes. “New Jersey residentas are suffocating under the weight of statd andlocal taxes,” said Sen. Christopher “Kip” R-Somerset.
“Tonight, the legislature approved a budget thatadds $1 billion to the already oppressive tax burden born by middle class New Jersey.” The budget extends the 4 percent surcharge businesses pay on corporate taxees for another year and increases the tax ratews on liquor and cigarettes, and group accidentg and health insurance premiums. The incoms tax rate would also rise for thosw earning morethan $400,000. Under the budget, the tax on a pack of cigarettez would increaseby 12.5 cents to The tax on a 0.75 liter bottle of wine woulc increase by 3.5 cents, and on a 0.75 litee bottle of liquor it would increase by 21.
8 The tax rate would rise from 1 percent to 3 percentt for one year on group accident and health insurancew premiums and surplus line carriers would face a permanent increase of 3 percent to 5 The income tax rate for thoswe earning $400,000 to $500,000 would increasw from 6.37 percent to 8 For those earning $500,000 to $1 million it would increass from 8.97 percent to 10.25 percent, and for thos e earning over $1 million it wouled increase from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent. The budgety also suspends the property tax reductiomn for the 2009 taxable year for householdd earning morethan $150,000 and authorizes taxation of state lottery winningsz exceeding $10,000.
New Jersey has a consitutional deadline of midnighg June 30 to enacta budget.

Local former Chrysler, GM dealers look to sell used cars - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organization has begun to lend assistance to dealerw lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Oufr national organization has already sent letters to them to let them know abouft our organization and I plan to do the same thing for our Wilkerson said. “They were in the used car businesssanyway – but if you’red stuck like many of them are, the overheaxd costs for a used car dealership is nothinv compared to a franchise.” However, the expansionb of the local used car market comes as prices are increasing and the availability of late-model used cars is he said. But according to Morgan presidentof motorpool.
com, the initiak increase in prices should be looked at as merelyg a short-term hurdle. “At firsrt glance, that would strike the communithy as bad but in thelong run, it’se good for resale values,” Murphuy said. When local consumers buy cars, they will be able to demaned more when they choose tosell it, he said. In the higher resale values might actually revive Americajn car dealers inthe area. “American manufacturing has been similar and just as good as Japanesd andKorean manufacturing, but the problem has been re-saler value and initial prices,” Murphyu said.
In the meantime, Birmingham dealerzs affected can capitalize on the unique landscape of the locak market on the usedcar side, he said. Many are family-ownesd and have been staples in the community formany decades. They are also encouragedf by the fact that local used car salese have seen an uptick amid the recession as buyers are more inclinee to look for a bargain as a meansa tospend less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguished historgy ofreputable dealers,” Murphy said. “Don Drennen has been in businesssince 1908. That’s 101 years of serving our so there’s a culture around businesses like that.
” Their long-standinv history could make localp buyers more inclined to buy used carsfrom them, he Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buici Chrysler and Jeep, said after learning that his dealer agreement had been canceled with Chrysler, expandingh his used car sales seemerd like a real possibility. “We are going to expand our used cardepartmentx drastically,” said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 millio n in Chrysler parts and “We want to offer a greayt value to people who can’t afford a new car.
” Althougbh he hasn’t stopped looking into becominyg a franchisee for other automotivd manufacturers, he is open to the idea of makiny the switch to stay in business. “It is possiblde that we could become a used car said Drennen, who also learned that GM will seek to cance l the dealership agreement he has for his Buick dealership. “We’ve been in Birminghamk long enough that our reputatioj can keepus afloat.
”

Wealthy not limited to Belle Meade, Franklin, Brentwood - Nashville Business Journal:

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The three ZIP codees with a median household income of morethan $100,000 are all in Franklinm or Brentwood in Williamsob County, according to data from , a California-basee company with a satellite office in Franklinb that compiles demographic data and categorizesw it into market segments. And based on the region’s top 11 ZIP codes are all in Williamsojn orDavidson counties, in affluent neighborhoods such as Oak Hill and Belle But financial advisors are seeing pocketsz of wealth in outlying areas, as companies like have broughtf high-paying executive jobs south of town, and young entrepreneurzs are choosing to live in urbahn neighborhoods.
“Historically, there has been a substantiak level of wealth between Bellse Meadeand Franklin, and I thinki that remains,” says Jeffrey partner in , a Brentwoo d wealth management firm with an average client account base of $4 million to $5 million. it has dramatically spread itself out. What’sd unique about Nashville, and one of the reasonzs we moved here, is there is an inbred nature of entrepreneurship in this The entrepreneurial spirit in this city is attracting peoplr in the early stages of wealtbcreation — substantial wealth creation. And there’s an influxx of people discovering that Nashville is a nice placedto be.
” The wealthiest ZIP code based on 2008 data was 37069 in Franklin, with a mediabn income of $125,982 and a median home valuse of $339,036. The fourth wealthiest ZIP code — 37215, or the Forestt Hills area of Nashville — had more of its wortuh tied upin property, with a media income of $94,525 and a median home value of So did Belle Meade, ZIP code which ranked as the seventh with a median income of $86,3454 and home value of ESRI classifies people who live in such neighborhoods as Suburbanm Splendor, Boomburbs, Metropolitans and Connoisseurs.
“People who live in Bells Meade stay inBellr Meade, and the wealth stays in the family,” says Will Welborhn of , a Nashvill e wealth management company that generallyg works with people who have at least $500,000 of investable assets. But that doesn’ t mean every wealthy person that relocateas to Nashville wants to live in Bellw Meade or other traditionally wealthy partaof town, Welborn says. “They were successful in other places and now they are goinv to be successful and they’re not necessarily interested in living in thoss neighborhoods,” he says.
Welborn cites Hendersonville and OldHickorty Lake, Wilson County and the Belmont-Hillsboro area as communities whers some wealthy households are The rest of the top 25 ZIP codee in the Nashville metropolitan area are mostlg in Rutherford County, with Murfreesboro, Mounf Juliet and Hendersonville containing mostly young, up-and-coming familiea with median incomes in the low $60,000s to low $70,000s and homes worth about $170,000 to about $210,000.
Jeff head of Southwestern a Raymond James affiliatein Nashville, says some of his high-ensd clients come from Hendersonville, Ashlands City, Lebanon and Spring “There’s no way to know what the situatiomn is based on the area they live says Dobyns, who worksa with investors at all levelsw of affluence but says account s of $200,000 to $1 million are his “bread and “People may live in Antioch or Hermitage and make $1 million sellingv a piece of property,” he “As far as disposable cash, there’s almos no correlation.
” David Penn, economist at , says no other data existse besides the kind of income and propertt values that ESRI classifications use. For that he says, it’s impossible to measure such criteriq as savings andspending levels, which can be the true determiners of Dobyns, whose company is recommendex by debt-free guru Dave Ramsey, says he subscribesz to the “millionnaire next philosophy, in which people of seeminglu modest means may have large nest eggs simply because they do not lead high-maintenance lifestyles. “Incomes aren’f necessarily correlated with high net Dobyns says.
“I don’t care how much you’r making, if you’re living in a million-dollar housde and driving a $40,000 or $50,000 car, it takes a lot of moneyh to even begin thinkingabout savings. “Aa far as our business goes, we don’t reallyy care. Some of my most enjoyable clients worke d for as operators or line hangerw for30 years. They retire with a million bucks and pensions and have verylittls stress. The income and assets are important, but the debt is a wealtjh sapper. The income side isn’tg as important when you retirde asthe debt.
”

Interested of improving your idioms? - Globe and Mail

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Globe and Mail

Interested of improving your idioms? Globe and Mail That crashing sound you hear is of people tripping over prepositions at the end of verbs. Idiom requires that we get the prepositions right in order to be understood. We learn from example; we don't learn on example, or at example. We wish for a happy ...

Silicon Valley law firms ramp up for economic recovery practices - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Several firms have set up formal practice areas to help navigat clients through the intricacies of the American Recoverhy andReinvestment Act. Others are being less formal, but no less in counseling clients on everything from regulatory issuew toapplication preparedness. Hogan Hartson LLP is one of many firms that formallyt announced a practice area dedicated to the federaolstimulus efforts. Michael Charlson, managing partner of the Washington, D.C.-base d firm’s 5-month-old Palo Alto office, said the firm’s Stimulusx Legislation Task Force is intended to help clients accesa some ofthe largesse.
About one-thired of Hogan & Hartson’s practice is In fact, the firm considers its “sweet spot” as the intersectioh where governmentmeets business. “We’re workiny to be on top of initiatives that help out in the areazlike cleantech,” Charlson said. “We have huge health care and governmentfcontracts practices, so everything that touches on thosse areas is going to be something that we’re Mark Radcliffe, a partner at DLA Piper’s East Palo Alto said the stimulus package is “uniquelgy important to Silicon Valley” because of its focuxs on clean technology and small DLA is combining its Silicon Valley technologu acumen with its D.
C.-based savoir-faire — which includes capitop heavy-hitters like former congressional majority leaders Georg e Mitchell, Richard Armey and Dick Gephardtt — to navigate clients throughj it all. Radcliffe and D.C. partner Gary Klein co-produced a stimulus-related Webinar titled “Thes Stimulus Bill — What It Mean for Cleantech Startups andtheird Investors.” The firm is hosting a live presentation at its East Palo Alto officezs March 27 in consort with Siliconj Valley Bank and other Government regulation and funding changes everything, Radcliffer said, and it’s important for Silicoj Valley management to understand that.
Cleantech is just as fundamentallyh different fromother venture-backed industriese as it is from the traditionall energy sector. “The playing fiel d is going to bestrongly tilted. That’sx just the way it is in energy, and you need to be prepares for that orelse you’re going to get run Radcliffe said. Klein, legal counsel to the Senatre Energy Subcommittee inthe 1970s, said the federap affairs and legislative practice hasn’t worked much with Silicoh Valley startups in the “They either haven’t been directly or significantlh affected by stuff going on in Washington or haven’rt paid much attention to it,” Klein “But it’s clear that there’s so much mone y being shoveled out the door so much of it available to startups and venture capital that it behooves all folks in the energy and environmentt area to know what’s going on and see if there’ s opportunities.
” Cooley Godward Kronish LLP was positioned well when the stimuluse package was unveiled. Less than a year ago, before the marke meltdown, the firm beganb to hone in on sources of funding forclean technology. The firm has already taken two clients through the Departmengof Energy’s application process for pre-stimulud government financing. “We feel pretty good that we’re in a leadership position to be helping on the stimulud programsbecause we’ve already been througu a couple of shakedowne dealing with the rules and regulations,” said Palo Alto partner Jim Fulton. Guidance for accessing stimulus fundsx are still forthcoming formost programs.
But attorneys aren’t waiting idly by in anticipation. Fulton said Cooley’ss clean technologies practice is assisting severalp more clients to pull together theie stories so that when the finap rulescome down, “these companies will be ready to go rathet than being caught flat-footed.” What the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has said Hanson Bridgett partner Jonathabn Storper, is that government agencies receivingb stimulus funds give preference to projects that can be startedx within 120 days of Feb. 17, 2009, and completedd expeditiously. “So contractors need to be preparex tomove quickly,” said Storper, who agrees that preparation is key.
Equallt important is understanding the impact of acceptin gstimulus money, he said. It’s expecterd that technology companies and any otherpotential supplier, vendor or consultant looking to take advantagee of the stimulus will be subject to the Federaol Acquisition Regulation, meaning periodic reporting and increasedx accountability, “which could be a challenge for particularly smaller companies,” Storper said.

Lûcrum sets restructuring - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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According to Business Couriefr research, revenue at downtown-based Lûcrum Inc. peaked in 2005 at $21 91 percent growth over 2004. At the the firm employed 95. But since revenue has declinedto $14.2 million and employment to 62 staffr members. Lûcrum was a finalisft in the Courier's ranking of the region's 55 fastest-growin g companies in 2005 and 2006. "We had back-to-back successfukl years, but 2005 and 2006 were hard to beat," said CEO John who also founded and runsDbaDirectt Inc. in Florence. "You have to go back in the valleyt to climbback up." the firm is stable, said who founded it in 1993. It has no debt and a strony balance sheet.
In December, he hired management consultan t Diane Egbers of to help him seta five-year strategic growtjh plan that includes restructuring the hierarchical company into a partner-basex model and identifying long-term leaders amongg his current staff. Bostick will become executive leaving behindhis day-to-day operational responsibilities and workingb at the strategic level. He'll still serve as CEO of Sources say the firm could have anuphill battle.
In the past six months, several top level employees have left the including presidentKarl Ulreich; both managing directorsz of business development, Matt Mountain and Randy Davis; anothedr business unit head, Robin Smith; and the firm' s marketing manager, Heidi Joos. Board membee Mahendra Vora resigned due to his February purchaseof Lûcrum competitor He stil retains an ownership stake in Sources also said the company has lost out on key projectsw with large companies in town such as the , , , and . To addresw these reports, Bostick said some projects haven't gone as well as they were supposed to.
He added that Lûcrum is actively completing projecta for all of those firmssexcept Omnicare. "We've had projects that didn't get home but others that are home runswith them," he Other longtime clients include , the , and . Despitre these challenges, Bostick said he believes 2008 will be a good year for It has won 10 new clientsa over the pasteight months, but Bostick did not name With the restructuring and strategic plan in the firm can grow more sustainably and at a fastefr rate, he said.

Downtown Staybridge Suites seeks receivership - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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SJ Properties Suites Buyco EHF, which includes an investo from Reykjavik, Iceland, filer the petition Monday in Milwaukee CountygCircuit Court. Judge Mel Flanagan scheduled a hearin g for June 30 on a motion to appoiny Milwaukee attorney Seth Dizard as the Work stopped in December 2008 onthe high-risde at 1150 N. Water Streert when the construction manager and developer DOC Milwaukee became according to thereceivership petition. The Icelandif investors said that in November 2006 they providedf an advanceof $17.4 million for a 120-roojm extended stay hotel and at least 18 luxury The project also received $13.
4 millionn in financing from a unit of in which in May was placee in receivership by the FDIC. The Milwauker receivership petition said the property on Water Streeft alreadyhas furniture, flooring and fixturew in the Staybridge portion of project. Liena against the project total morethan $3.4 million, according to the receivership petition. The largest liens were filed by Milwaukee-area contractors and supplierzsUihlein Electric, , and Klein-Dickert. SJ Properties recently sued DOC Milwaukee and Economouy Partnersin U.S. District Court in Milwaukee claiming a fraudulent transfer of funds intended for the WatereStreet project.

NHL players union: Pull the plug on Phoenix Coyotes - Triangle Business Journal:

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The Coyotes are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and havelost $316 millio since moving to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996. A deal is in the workz to move the teamto Hamilton, “From a players’ perspective, it’s time to pull the Kelly told The (Hamilton) Spectator. Kelly did not endorsed a move to aspecific market, but questionesd whether the Coyotes can be financially viable in Arizona. Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsilli isoffering $213 million for the team and woulrd move it from Glendale to The National Hockey League and the city of Glendalwe oppose the move and want to find owneras that would keep the team in Arizona.
Coyotes ownerd Jerry Moyes put the team into Chapter 11in May. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, saying hockey can be viable in the Phoenix is fighting the saleto Raleigh's NHL team, the , ensuredx itself of this season with its deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cincinnati names streetcar project manager - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The consortium includes: Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc., Burgesw & Niple Ltd., DNK Architects, G.J. Berding Wordsworth Communications, PNC Capital Property Advisors, Stacy Witbeck Inc., RailWorks Corp., Megen Construction Co. and Josten Concrete Construction andits subsidiary, Brewster Pumping. The consortium will design, build, operate and maintain the as well as lineup financing, Dohoney said in a news “The benefits of streetcar s as a game-changing agent for this city far outweigh any he said in the release. The roughly $220 millio n streetcar system would connect the Cincinnati riverfront to the Uptown neighborhoodx surrounding the Universityof Cincinnati.
Critics of the plan charg that it will cost too much and not drawenougu ridership. A petition effort is undedr way to place the issue on theNovembefr ballot. Dohoney said the city is aggressively pursuing federao funds for the project and is askint for donationsas well.

Colorado swine flu cases increase; Mountain States Employers Council advises precautions - Denver Business Journal:

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"Each day more news is being reporte about swine flu and the possibility of a the Denver-based MSEC says on its website. "There is no certaintg that a pandemicwill occur; however, preparation is always preferabled to being caught off RELATED COVERAGE & See links at the end of this report. "Upgrade hygiene protocolsz for both office environments and employee s including maintenanceof air-conditioningt systems and sanitation of commojn areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and elevators. "Advise employewe to stay home if theyfeel ill.
And to contacg their personal physicians if theyhave flu-like "Review leave policies related to Will pay provisions be relaxed to encourage employees to stay at home if they are potentiallyu contagious? Assure that your policied do not discourage workers from staying home if they are. "Checki and follow health advisories prior to sending employeeas on business travel to affected areaa or temporarily suspend travel tothosde areas." In the eveng of a pandemic or other more serious turn in the flu the MSEC advises these actions: "Identify core activities essentiap for business continuity and the skills necessaryh to stay operational.
Cross-training of employees may be required. "Explorde how work would continue if half your workforcee is notat work. Absenteeismj rates between 20 percent-6p0 percent could be expected during the height ofthe "Provide equipment and support for employeesz to telecommute if their jobs 'Social distancing' is a key tactic to limit the spread of the "Encourage flex hours to avoid overcrowding the workplace. "Review corporate-wide insurance policies, specifically health, disability, salary continuance, business travel and life insurance related to the Communicate policy provisionsto employees.
" The numbedr of confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu in Coloradpo stands at 53, the Colorad o Department of Public Health and Environmen t says. Thirteen of the cases were reported inArapahose County, 12 in Denve, eight in Adams countg and six in Jefferson county, the department said late Friday. At leas four people with H1N1 fluwere hospitalized, and all but five are undere the age of 40. No Colorado deaths have been reported fromthe outbreak. Nationwide, the swine flu tallyh reached 4,714 confirmed cases in 47 states as of with the greatest concentrationa inIllinois (638 cases), Wisconsin (613), Texass (506) and California (504), the federal said. Four deaths in the U.S.
have been definitivelyg linked to H1N1 fluso far, includinv two in Texas and one each in Arizon a and Washington state. Worldwide, the Worldc Health Organization said Sundaythat 8,480 casesw of H1N1 flu have been officially reportede in 39 countries, including 2,8945 confirmed cases and 66 deaths in where the outbreak was firsg reported. Also, 496 cases and one deathn have been reported in Canada and nine cases and one deatuh inCosta Rica. Swine flu is expecterd to be the main topicat WHO's international conferencer beginning Monday in Geneva, includingh when and how to produce a vaccine.
In the meeting will be shorte r than usual by several days because internationakl health authorities are busy combattintg the flu in their home Although the public seemsz less worried about the affects of swinwflu recently, the flu's spread and its severitgy could increase in comingf weeks, Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, directoe of the Larimer County Department of Healthand Environment, told the Fort Collines Coloradoan Sunday. The H1N1 viruws could mutate or it could combinde with theseasonal flu, LeBailly "There are a lot of and you just can't predictt what's going to happen.
" Health authorities have advised frequent hand washin g and staying away from otherse if a person is suffering from typical flu symptoms. They also say it'sa possible that the swine flu mighf return when the regular annualo flu season begins inthe fall. Authorities hope to have a vaccines effective against the H1N1 strain ready to go when the regulad fluseason begins.

A philosopher's arguments in defense of drone strikes are both odious and wrong - Salon

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A philosopher's arguments in defense of drone strikes are both odious and wrong Salon Recently, the Guardian published a piece about Bradley Strawser, an assistant professor of philosophy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California which made the argument that drone strikes are not just moral but that the U.S. should in ... and more »

N.J. tax amnesty brings revenue windfall - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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New Jersey expected to generate $100 milliob when the 45-day program was but at its close last week had collectesd morethan $600 millioj in back taxes owed. Final revenue could increasr byanother $50 million to $100 million once the remainingf 17,500 envelopes are opened and the Governor’s Office New Jersey’s program, which ran from May 4 to June 15, permittec those owing back taxes from Jan. 1, 2002 and to Feb. 1, to settle up without penalty and for half theinterestr owed. Of the collectione processed to date, 56 percent were for the corporatiomnbusiness tax, 23 percent for sales and use taxes and 14 percengt for gross income tax.
A vote on a final budget for New Jerseyh isexpected Thursday. Gov. Jon S. Corzine woulds like to see the additional revenue be put toward property tax which was slated to be eliminated for all but seniors and the disablexd to address an upto $9 billion deficit in fisca year 2010. In Pennsylvania, state Rep. John C. R-Lancaster, is pitching legislation for a one-time tax amnesty program as a budget fix for his The bill would permita 90-day tax amnesty period during 2009-10 fiscal year. The bill is in the House Financer Committee. “New Jersey has confirmed that this is a perfecyt time for a tax amnesty program to succeedrin Pennsylvania,” said Bear. “We are facing a $3.
2 billioj budget deficit and New Jersey’s successful program shoulcd vividly illustrate that such a programn can collect hundreds of million sin revenue, or more, already owed to the Pennsylvania’s last tax amnestyg program, which occured more than a decadse ago, brought in $93 million, Bear said. Revenue from a tax amnestt program could be used to addressthe state’es budget deficit, instead of Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposal to raises the state income taxfrom 3.07 percent to 3.57 Bear said. The governor’s proposesd 16 percent increase in the personal income tax rate woulsd generateabout $1.
5 billion a year in new revenuwe and amount to about $250 more per year for a familu earning $50,000. “Now — during this dire budget crisixs — is the time for a new tax amnesty program to be putin place,” Bear said.

Rentrak offers iPhone applications - Portland Business Journal:

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FilmScope and FilmScope Worldwide were previouslt only availableto Portland-based Rentrak RENT) subscribers. FilmScope users have ability to quicklhy look for moviesby actor, director or title. The calendar tool providees a schedule of upcoming film whilethe “Top section allows movie lovers to view the top filmsa of all-time based on genre, rating or releaser year. FilmScope also allows users to read reviews and purchase movir tickets via their iPhone oriPod Touch. FilmScope Worldwide adds information for multiple countries FilmScope is now available for download on the App Storefor $4.99 for U.S. domestic box office informationand $9.98 for FilmScope Worldwide.
Both work with iPhonr 3G, the original iPhone and iPod Touch. Rentrak is an informationh management company serving clients inthe media, entertainment, and advertising industries.

Beige Book: Region

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Consumer spending in the regio n was weak and is expected toremaih soft, the closely watched survey said, but “anb uptick in manufacturing orders helped stabiliz expectations for future production.” The Beige Book also said that “commercialk real estate market conditions deteriorated, and energt activity declined further.” Bankers, it said, “reported a rise in depositsz and stable loan demand with no erosion in loan It said consumer price and wage pressures remainex low. Meanwhile, producer prices “declined at a slowef pace, with some firms notinf that higher commodity prices boostedr material andfuel costs.
” Overall, the lates regional Beige Book covering a six-week period — was somewhat more optimistic than the last released April 15. The report coverz the Fed’s Kansas City-based 10th District. It is based on interviewsa with a sample of businessees representing key industries ineach district. The reportse are anecdotal and do notcontain statistics, but they are widely followedr and help the Fed to set national economic policy.
The Fed’as 10th District includes Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahomwa and Wyoming as well as westernb Missouri and northern New Formally known asthe “Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District,” the Beigre Book is published eight times a year. The latest report covers late Aprilthrough May. The Federaol Reserve’s 10th District is also known as the Kansas City districrt becausethe reserve’s regional bank is baseed there. .