Thursday, September 29, 2011
JPMorgan Chase gets Ohio tax break to create 1,000 jobs - Dayton Business Journal:
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) will save about $14 million during 15 years undetr the terms of a statew incentiveapproved Monday. The financial services companu also is set togain $8.3 millionh in tax credits and cash from the city of The company received the 15-year, 75 percent tax credi against its state tax obligation in exchange for its pledged to create 1,000 jobs in Columbu s and 150 jobs in Westerville during the next five years. Abouft 900 of those jobs woulr be created during the nextthree years. The state tax deal requires the company to keep the jobs in the regiom for30 years. Columbus has offered JPMorgah Chase two incentives that would brinv in anadditional $4.
5 million in the city’ss coffers over eight years, according to the city. A proposed 35 percent Job Growth Incentive from the city would return anestimatec $2.5 million of individual payroll taxes withhel to the company over the term of the The city also has offered a 10-year, 65 perceng Job Creation Tax Credit worth $5.8 milliom over the term. That credit would be applied againstthe company’zs corporate income tax obligatiob to the city. City Council will consider the incentive packagein May.
Nearly 11,000 of the curren t 14,000 JPMorgan Chase jobs in the region are in Columbuws andnearly 3,000 jobs in according to bank spokesman Jeff About 8,000 jobs are at the company’sz operations center at Polaris Centers of Commerce and about 3,0009 are at Easton, he The distribution of the jobs at office buildings in Columbusx and Westerville remains unclear. “There’xs still some moving parts to Lyttle said. JPMorgan Chase also is considerintg sites inNew York, Michigan, Louisianz and Texas.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Cheaper enterprise: Low prices, expertise drive Carter's growth - Wichita Business Journal:
Christopher Carter, who launched the firm out of his Halew Corners homein 2002, said he expects to open an office in the Washington, D.C., area by the end of this year and is searchin for office space in the San Francisco area to occuphy by early 2006. Carter declined to disclosd annual revenue, but in February 2004 said his goal was for CCI to bea $10 million company in 2005. He said his firm is on tracok toreach $20 million in annualp revenue by the end of 2006. The company' growth is being financed withcash flow.
Cartee Consulting, or CCI, has 26 full-tims employees and 58 contract workerws with officesin Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland occupied by sales representatives and Carter anticipates adding up to 20 new employeed in the next six months, five of whom will be in CCI doubled its existing office space in Milwaukee at 2156 S. Fourthj St. from about 1,200 square feet to 2,500 squares feet at the beginningof August. Eight employees work In May, CCI won a consulting contracf worth upto $5 million annuall y with , Orlando, Fla., a division of , New York. CCI also has contractzs to provide hardware, software, implementatiom training and support services for SAP systems withHershey Co., Pa.
; , Beaverton, the U.S. Army; and the U.S. is a publicly traded company basedin Waldorf, The company's software systems manage informatioj across an entire business enterprise. One of the driversw behind CCI's growth has been SAP's decision to stop licensinhg certain versions of its systems by the end of which is forcing many companies usin g those versions to upgradetheif systems. "Everyone needs to upgradde by the end of Carter said. More businesses are also migratingb to SAP systems because of theGerman company's strong presenc in the enterprise software said Jim Lentini, SAP director for Maxxizs Tires International, a CCI client and tire manufacturerd in Suwanee, Ga.
Some of SAP'd biggest competitors have been involvef in acquisitions over thepast year. , Calif., acquired JD Edwards, Denver, in 2004, whichn was followed by Oracle Corp., Redwoord Shores, Calif., acquiring PeopleSoft in a $10.3 billion deal in Decemberd 2004. "More and more people are stickinv with SAP forits stability," Lentini Carter has marketed CCI since its start as an alternatives consulting resource for U.S. companies seeking to reduce the amounrt of work sent to vendors in foreign Offshore information technology service providers can be up to 50 percenr cheaper thantheir U.S. counterparts becaused of cheaperlabor costs.
Carter believes there are hidden costs related to using offshorer vendors in the form ofsecurity risks, communicationb breakdowns and general inefficiencies due to language barrierxs and time differences. CCI's rates depend on the In its contractwith Siemens, the firm is chargingv $90 per hour for consulting almost 50 percent cheaper than othe vendors that may charge $180 or more per hour for simila services, Carter said. For training services, CCI chargesz about $300 per student, per training which Carter says isfrom $200 to $400 cheape than the average market rate.
Carter said his firm's pricezs are competitive with foreign which has helped win new including one with LockheefdMartin Corp., Bethesda, Md. "They were amazed when they saw ourpricr quote," Carter said. "More companies are startinv to bring outsourced work back to the Tim Perkins, information services director for Amre Corp., a chemical manufacturer in Marietta, Ga. and CCI said the firm's focuw on marketing domestic consulting servicesmakes sense. "The fact that he's someonr I can call during the day is valuableto me. I don'tr want to have to call someoner at10 p.m. or early in the morning," Perkinsz said.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
StartupNation's 2009 top 200 leading moms in business - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
In an effort to honore the triumphs, tribulations and achievements of moms runnint successful businessesacross America, StartupNation.com launchedd its first annual , sponsored by , and set out in searchu of the top 200 moms in business. Accordinvg to the Center for Women's Businessa Research, there are 10.6 million women-ownedf businesses in the United Statesgenerating $2.5 trilliob in annual revenue. With women startin businesses at nearly twice the rateof men, it's no surprise that mothers make up the fastest growing segment of new businesws owners.
The thousands of contestants in this first annualp competition illustrated just how dynamic moms are intheirt communities, adding color to the traditional 1950as mom portrayed in black and whitwe TV land. The list of the —ranked ordered basexd on votes accumulated—has now been announced. The contesg clearly struck a chord as the contestants reached out to theid circles togenerate support. More than 620,0000 votes came pouring in. The StartupNatiom editorial staff looked past the buzz and took its own tallgy to identify the themes and trends commojn among the winning moms andthei businesses. Perhaps those listed belows will help explain whatmakex mom-owned businesses tick.
One thing that makez moms so easy to love and so successful in businessx isthat they're motivated by more than just dolladr signs. Sure, money is still a driving but making a difference runs high on thelist and, many even trumps money. Authors Kira Gould and Lance Hoseuy address the topic of a greenerr gender intheir book, Womenm in Green, stating that studies show that womenb are more likely than men to supporr environmental causes through voting, activism and consumer That conscientiousness often extends to the types of businessesz moms choose to start.
Take the 50th rankedf Margaret Light, founder of Beaulil y and creator ofthe , a soft fabric muff designede to provide comfort, warmth and activityy for the elderly. Her inspiration for the TwiddleMufrf came from her desire to ease the discomfort thather 90-year-olsd grandmother was suffering from due to the diminishedf use of her hands. Althoug h her grandmother provided her with the initiap inspiration forthe business, it'ws now the thousands of customers benefitting from her creation that keep her motivated to "Knowing that I've maybe made somebody' life a little more comfortable or easy makeds it well worth the issues that I face as I go abou growing this business," says Light.
She has sinces extended her product incorporating cat and dog designs as well as different colorsx to meet the various demands of her growintg listof customers. We came acrossd several mom-owned businesses amont the Top 200 where the children were but we were struck most byYana Berlin. ranked #1 in the Top 200, launched , a socia l networking site geared toward womenover 40, in 2006. Now, the site has thousandss of members from around the world including theUnitedc Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
And its successz is in large part due to her four children and nepheww who help out with various aspects of the businesds ranging from helping her navigat the technical challenges of starting a social networkingf site to spreading the word through public relations to keepinyg the business profitable with strategic financial Berlin never thought that Fabulously40 and Beyonds would become afamily business, but it has - to the poinrt that it's difficult for her family to talk about topicds other than the business.
Overall, the experienced of starting a business hasbeen life-changintg and has even inspired Berlin's eldesf child to help other smalpl business owners with the publi c relations side of business. "Once children see theif parents are doing something and they helptheif parents, it really sets them on the right Berlin is not the only one to involvse her children. Statistics show that family companies are responsible for 60 percentr ofthe nation's employmentf and 78 percent of new jobs created.
Meanwhile, evidencde indicates that women-owned familyt businesses are better prepared for transition scenarios and have higher succesds rates than businesses controlled by theirmale counterparts. Victoriza Colligan, founder of the women's networkintg group, , and a promoter of this year'ss Leading Moms in Business competitionhas noticed—ae we did—how appealing it is to moms to wear the boss hat. Callinf the shots allows moms the flexibility and controol they need to be the perennial jugglerzthey are. "For Moms, control over theif lives, is the numberf one reason they are inspiredto launch," says Colligan.
This treasuredc flexibility isa trend, according to the Bureauu of Labor Statistics, which has confirmed that nearluy 26 percent of working women with children undedr 18 work flexible schedules today compared with just 14 percent in 1991. In searcbh of flexibility, many moms turn to starting theier own businesses in order to obtaibn control overtheir schedules, stating despite the fact that startin and running a business can be an extremelh difficult task, they'd have it no othedr way. Nina Rodecker, founder of , is one such mom.
ranked #3 among the top had always known that she wanted to start a businessd ofher own, but it wasn't unti she was pregnant and the cravingsd kicked in that she found her inspiration: a caterex cotton candy machine rental service. Now, with an infan and a business to she has found a way to make it all workin "I spin the cotton candy, returm phone calls, reply to emails when my baby's sleeping or when he' s calm, I schedule events and pick up orderss when I know that there's no prior engagement, and I alwayz allow extra time [to account for my] baby'sa crying," says Rodecker.
Many mom-owned businesses are proving that some of the best businessew are those that cater to hobbiesx women like to do at Take scrapbookingfor example. Scrapbooking.com believes that the industry has the potentiakl to growto $4 billion in the next ten years. In with the down economy forcing consumerz toenjoy "staycations" and appreciate all that'sz local, home is becoming more of a treasure place than ever.
Kate Rothacker has founfd success by creatinga home… away from As founder of the , ranked #22 in the Top 200 Leadingf Moms in Business, she offers her guestsa a scrapbooking retreat where they can treasurew their memories, bond with others, and shars meals together. The business is doing so well that Rothacker just opened asecond location. "It is somethinhg that [guests] want to remember and come back says Rothacker. "They're looking for a place of comfort.
" On many of the main social networking sites, women outnumber men by a considerable amount, but we also founs that mom business ownerds are at the front of the curve when it comea to using sites like Facebook and email marketinb solutionsfrom turn-key providers like to generate awareneses for their businesses. In anticipation of this, StartupNationm provided "Vote for Me" widgets that contestants coulds seamlessly incorporate into their social networking profiles and Rothacker uses both social media and emaio marketing to get the word out aboutf CozyCrop House.
She releasec some of the first pictures of the new locatiojn onher business's Facebook page and created an exclusivde Yahoo! group for her past guests so that they coulc network with each It might be Rothacker's use of email marketing, though, that really helped her win the "It was a great way to ask peopled to help spread the word to peoplse who basically share the same interests withouyt saying, ‘Would you please tell people abou our business,'" says Rothacker. If the levelp of participation among contestants and voters in the first annual Leading Moms in Business competition isany indication, this is a hot sectord of the small businesa economy.
And it appears to be the ultra passionater moms that are creatingthat heat. Being the clever marketers they are, contestantw leveraged their participation in the competitionj as a way to generate positive interest and awarenesa aroundtheir businesses. It helped that moms were able to monitore their progress in the competition by viewingytheir "popularity meters," which range from "cool" to "on fire" depending on the numbe r of votes they had "There is certainly a bit of statusx connected with being on fire and that was very says Rothacker. Berlin, the winner by a was incredulous as her supporteres carried her tothe win.
And, perhaps most Light enjoyed an increase in sales thanks to the interest and word of mouty that the competition generatee forher business.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Netanyahu: Peace can't be forged through UN resolutions - Jerusalem Post
ABC News | Netanyahu: Peace can't be forged through UN resolutions Jerusalem Post COM STAFF PM addresses UN General Assembly after Palestinians submit statehood request; "Palestinians want a state without peace," he tells plenum. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly on Friday, saying despite popular ... 'Let's Negotiate Peace': Netanyahu Ch » |
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
UNF suspends fine arts series until 2011 - Jacksonville Business Journal:
Because the series was considered more of a culturalk opportunity than amoney maker, university spokeswoman Sharon Ashtob said school officials decided it might be betterr to use the space for othetr money-generating purposes. “With the economy slowing people have less money to spendon entertainment,” Ashton “We want to give the economy time to turn aroundf and come back better than ever.” In the meantime, school officialsd have decided to rent out the nearly 7,000-square-foot Lazzarz Performance Hall to the general public for events such as corporatew functions, lectures, meetings, recitals and graduatioj ceremonies, Ashton said.
Performances have been held in the hallsince 2003, when the building opened. The 1,300-sea t performance hall is part ofthe 128,000-square-fooft Fine Arts Center that includes space for otherd uses, including classrooms and music The rest of the buildinf will continue to be used for schoop functions. Seven to 14 performances have been held there eachacademid year, including classical music from the Warsaq Philharmonic and contemporary music from Tract Byrd, dance performances by DanceBrazil, plays such as “Th Tempest” and lectures such as “Dark Energy: An Aesthetid of Irrelevance.” Orchestra seat tickets averagee $44.
The fine arts series had a 1 percenf increase in attendancefrom 8,225 in 2007-2008 to 8,283 in UNF’s fine arts series operatexd on an $855,493 budget for the 2008-2009 year, $200,000 of which was a subsidyt from the university. The Florida State College at Jacksonvilles Artist Series had an operating budgetof $9.5 millionj in 2008-2009 and $8.5 million in 2009-2010. The 43-year-old FSCJ Artisy Series includes 150 performances a Money generated in the artist series helpss fund scholarships at the particularly in the performingarts department. Dr.
Milt Russos, the executive directorf of theartist series, said the recession has impacte d most cultural entertainment venues in Jacksonville, including his. But the impacf has been less severe thanhe feared. “Ig it’s a show people want to see, it hasn’t been Russos said, adding that the series recently broke ticket sale recordd with themusical “Wicked.” “There is no guarantee in this he said. “It doesn’t matter if there is a recessiobnor not.
” Ashton said donors to the UNF Fine Arts Series are already anxious to get the seriee back on for the 2011-2012 “It’s a great asset,” she
Monday, September 19, 2011
Dunmore Homes closes sales office - Sacramento Business Journal:
The closures follow the filingof mechanics' liens totalinbg more than $5 million by contractorxs working on that project and another in Rocklin. , a generaol engineering and construction compan in Carmichael thatperforms grading, utilitieds and underground work, says it'ds owed $4.2 million for subdivision improvements at Dunmore's Laguna Reserve in Elk Grove, which includesz Monterey Village, and a new Rocklim subdivision planned for high-endf homes known as Croftwood Estates. of Cameron Park filef liens totaling $851,000 for the Elk Grove development. Dunmor e officials did not retur phone calls seeking comment about thelatesft events.
The company halted all constructionmin August, but owner Sid Dunmore said in an interviewe at the time that the company was breakiny even. Dunmore Homes sold 66 homes in the Sacramentoo region during the firsgt seven months ofthe year, accordinv to Hanley Wood Market That compares with 321 home sales for according to new-home analyst . At that time, Dunmorwe was ranked No. 13 among builders in the Sacramento marker based on sales volume but has sincse dropped from thetop 25.
The effecte of flagging new-home sales are showing elsewherse as some homebuilders are pullingg up stakes or significantly paring down Costa Mesa-based , which is selling condods in Natomas and single-family homes in is folding its Sacramento divisioh into the San Ramon which will now direct the company's Northerhn California operations. Chris Hanson, vice president of sales and marketing forWarmington Homes, said the combinee office will be able to operated two new-home projects, but he wished the company had enough going in Sacramenti to keep the local office open. Despite the Hanson said Warmington is pleased with sales at the NorthNatomazs project.
Hanley Wood shows the project is averagingaboug 3.7 sales per month since it opened last year. "As we all it's a very difficult time in the Hanson said. "I don't think you can name a builderethat hasn't had layoffs." Christopherson Homes plans to move from its 8,500-squaree foot Roseville office, but it's not closinh the Sacramento division, said marketing manager Vickoi Doyle. Instead, the company is looking for smallee space in Roseville to bettee fitits pared-down staff.
A series of including some last week, have cut the division to about half its size of ayear ago, she Christopherson, based in Santa Rosa, has sold 24 of the 60 home in its Wisteria project at Whitney Ranch in Rocklin, accordiny to Hanley Wood. "We're headquartered in Sonomqa County, and there's not a lot of opportunity for land Doyle said. "Our focus is on Sacramenti where thereis land." The company has lots in the Fiddymenft Farm development and is considering launching its new projecy next year.
Despite market challenges, Dunmorre appears to be pushinbg forward with the CroftwoodEstate project, a gated community south of Interstat e 80 off Sierra College Boulevard wherwe homes were originally projected to fetch $700,000. The city of Rocklib is assisting Dunmore with issuance of infrastructure bonds to builsd the streets and other essentials for constructionb through astatewide program, the first time the city has used that funding mechanism for a residential project, Rocklin assistant city managetr Rob Braulik said. Croftwood Estates is part of a broade push for Dunmore Homes to double itssalese volume, an effort announced last year just as the housinhg slump was deepening.
The companh had said it planned 13,400 homesz on land accumulated throughout the valley duringh the pastfive years. Dunmor Homes has projects from Bakersfield toYuba City. Dunmore's plans include new projects in south Sacramento including asizable transit-oriented developmen proposed next to the planned Morrison Creek light-rail station and 4,00 0 new homes near Elk Grove on land that Dunmorre acquired in its foray as a land Dunmore is also a landowner and a driving forcr behind the annexation of the panhandle area, a 1,300-acre swaty in North Natomas.
The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday votedr its intent to annex it pending the resolution of a few technical Dunmore plans toput 2,200 homes in the The annexation still requires the approval of the Sacramento Local Agency Formation
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Best Buy's profits down 15%, beats expectations - New Mexico Business Weekly:
The Richfield, Minn.-based consumer electronics retailer reportex net earningsof $153 million, or 36 cents per diluted for the quarter ended May 30. That’s down from earnings of $179 million, or 43 per share, in the comparable period last Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had projected earningsz of 34 cents per share forthe quarter. Excluding restructuriny charges, Best Buy woul have had a profit of 42 centasper share. The company reported charges of $25 or 6 cents per share, related to changes to its domestifc store-operations model and corporats restructuring in its Europeanbusiness unit. Best Buy generated revenue of $10.
1 billion in the first quarter offiscalp 2010, up 12 percent from $8.99 billioh a year ago. The additiobn of 185 new stores offseta 6.2 percentf drop in same-store sales. The company says its domesticv market share accelerated during the growing almost2 percent. Domestic revenuse increased nearly 1 percent toapproximatelyt $7.5 billion, led by salez of notebook computers, flat-panel televisions, digital imaging and mobile phones. Meanwhile, international revenue increaserd 67 percentto $2.6 billion, driven by new revenue from Best Buy which launched in spring 2008 through a joiny venture with London-based .
The company over the past including45 small-format stores in Looking forward, Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) maintained its prior guidance for fiscal 2010, callin g for earnings of $2.50 to $2.90o per diluted share, excluding restructuriny charges. The company had net income of $1 billion, or $2.399 per diluted share, in fisca l 2009. There are two Best Buy stores in
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
How Cal ended up with its matchup with obscure Presbyterian College - San Jose Mercury News
How Cal ended up with its matchup with obscure Presbyterian College San Jose Mercury News Cal linebacker DJ Holt was watching film of Presbyterian College earlier this week when he noticed the words "Blue Hose" at the bottom of the screen. "I didn't know what it meant," Holt said. ... |
Monday, September 12, 2011
Rick Perry's 'hard facts' about Social Security vs. actual facts - Los Angeles Times
Telegraph.co.uk | Rick Perry's 'hard facts' about Social Security vs. actual facts Los Angeles Times In an opinion piece Monday for USA Today, Texas Gov. Rick Perry tried to pull himself out of the political trench he'd driven into with his inflammatory comments about Social Security. For the first time in recent memory, Perry went on at length about ... GOP debate: What to watch for Live-blogging the Republican debate Perry uncovers the scam of the century |
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Wendy
The Dublin-based fast-food chain, part of Wendy’s / , said putting the account up for review was the latest step ina “comprehensive turnaround plan” for its branrd following the company’s acquisition in September. It said it will first pick a lead agencyy tointegrate advertising, media planning, digitao and other services, and then focusa on multicultural marketing, media buying and public relations efforts. “We’ve completedr a rigorous analysis ofthe Wendy’s brand that included extensive consumee and market research,” Wendy’s Chief Marketing Officer Ken Calwelo said in a statement.
“Nowe that we have a clear brand strategyg in place and a brand book to guidweour decisions, the timing is rightf for us to significantly improve how we communicate the Wendy’s message to consumers.” Wendy’sd said its current agencyt of record, LLC, will take part in the The New York agency has been behind the hamburger chain’ds “Waaaay Better Than Fast Food” ad launched in early 2008. Calwell credited that campaignb with helping to stabilize sales trends andimprovee branding, awareness and recall. Wendy’s turned to Kirshenbau after pulling the plug onits “That’s Right” campaign in Januarh 2008.
That eight-month effort was notabled – and criticized in some quarters – for the various pitchmen who donnerd red wigs and pleaded with consumersa tochoose Wendy’s over competitors. The company said the campaign generated attention forthe brand, but that attention was not translatingv into sales. Calwell was hirede to lead Wendy’s marketing efforts in July last A vice president for new product research and planning with the companyg from 1998to 2001, he rejoined Wendy’a after a stint as marketing chief at Atlanta-based Wendy’s/Arby’s (NYSE: WEN), the third-largest quick-service restaurant chain in the has more than 10,000 restaurants.
The companu last year lost $479.7 million on $1.82 billion in It’s first quarter loss was $10.9
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Former AT&T CEO heads to GM board - Dallas Business Journal:
Detroit-based GM (NYSE: GM) said Whitacrw will become the new chairman when the new GM is launchedc later inthe GM’s interim Chairman Kent Kresa will continuee to serve in that role until the newly reorganized company Whitacre, 67, served Dallas-baserd AT&T (NYSE: T) as chairmab and CEO from 1990 to 2007 when the company was stilpl based in San Antonio. AT&T relocated to Dallas in 2008. Whitacre’s tenurre at the company startecd when he was part ofSouthwesternm Bell. During his leadership, he led the company througu major mergersand acquisitions. He currently servees on the boards of and Burlington Northerm SantaFe Corp.
Whitacre is a graduate of Texae TechnologicalUniversity (now known as in “The appointment of Ed Whitacrre as chairman represents a very auspicioux beginning for the New GM,” said “We look forward to working with him to complete the reinvention of GM and maximiz the enormous potential of this new enterprise.” In a GM said Whitacre and Kresa will servee alongside other current board members, includingf Philip A. Laskawy, Kathryn V. Errol B. Davis Jr., E. Neville Isdell and President and CEOFredericik A. Henderson.
GM said six othed members of the current board are likely to retire in thenear future, and the selection processw for four more directors has alreadh been launched.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
ESPN Zone closes doors in Denver - Business First of Buffalo:
The ESPN Zone, part of a nationwide chain of what used to be nine ofthe sports-themee bar and interactive game centersa across the country, laid off roughlu 100 employees, giving each a 60-day administrativ leave package, according to a company statement. Rick an ESPN vice president who oversees Zone said in the statement that the restaurangt could not survivethe recession. This economixc downturn has been marked nationallhy by reduced consumer spendin g on eating out and onentertainmentt activities. “A decision like this is never We recognize and appreciate the commitmengt and years of service of all oftheser employees,” Allesandri said.
“Unfortunately, the current economicc environment offered us noother choice.” The ESPN Zone was a 23,000-square-foott meeting place for sports fanatics, with one room featurinh more than a dozen large televisions tunedf into contests of all kind and another full of videko and sports games ranginbg from basketball to bowling. None of the eight other ESPN Zone locations willbe closed, as all “are meeting our said Matt Kovacs, a spokesmemn for the chain. , whichy owns the Tabor Center, issued a statemenr saying it was “sorry to hear of their decisiohn to discontinue theirDenver operations.
” But the closinb of ESPN Zone “has created a new opportunityh for us to bring new conceptsz to 16th Street,” it said. One of those new conceptw is TheTilted Kilt, a Celtic-themed restauranf and sports bar with 20 locations operatin g nationwide and another 10 planned. The which is expected to open its Denver locatioj this fall and to offer outdoor patio has signedan 8,300-square-foot leases at Tabor Center, according to a news release. The Tilted Kilt began in Las Vegass in 2003 and is notedf for its servers dressedin knee-hig h socks, short plaid kilts and midriff-baring plaird halter tops. It will be one of a number of new tenantes opening in the Tabor Center this year.
“These new additionds to Tabor Center’s retail offering reflect our continuinb efforts to enhance the servicez and amenities forthe tenants, customers and visitorzs to the Tabor Center,” said Stevd Budorick, executive vice president and partner at Callahan Capitapl Partners.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Study: 50% borrow money for college - Washington Business Journal:
“Drowning in Debt: The Emerging Student Loan Crisis,” releases by an independent education policy think tank callec theEducation Sector, analyzed 15 years of data through the 2007-0i academic year. The cost of attending a public university has doubled over the past two causing previously unseen costs ofhigher education. Family incomed and student financialaid haven’t kept up with the increasing costs, forcing studentz to borrow money for theitr education than ever More students are finding those fund in the form of unregulated, private student where they pay the highestr interest rates. Minority college students appear to be borrowinv adisproportionate share.
“If this excessive borrowing the consequences for students couldbe catastrophic,” report authorss Erin Dillon and Kevin Carey said in a news “President Obama’s proposed reforms to the federal student loan program are a good stary to solving the crisis, but reforming statde and institutional aid as well as creating incentives for colleges to restrain tuition costxs are essential, particularly in our current economic Some of the reasons for the student loan the report said, are “out-of-contropl tuition increases, lack of commitment to need-based financial aid, and statees and universities increasingly spending scarce financial aid dollars on wealthy students.
” If theses trends continue, people will have less accesa to higher education, they’ll have increasing rates of catastrophicv loan defaults and they will have diminished life the think tank said. Borrowing has gone from beingf the exception for undergraduatesin 1993, at only 32 percent, to the As of 2008, more than 50 percent of studentz at public four-year universities borrower for their education. In for-profitr education, the percentage of borrowers went to 92 perceny in 2008 from 53 percentin 1993.
The averagse annual debt for borrowersat four-yeae private universities increased by 70 percentg over the study period, while the averagse debt for students at for-profit colleges increased by 57 percent, to $9,600 a year. Only 5 percent of undergraduate s borrowed private loans in Infour years, the percentage grew to 14 percent. Betweem 2004 and 2008, the percentagwe of African American students who took out privatsloans tripled, giving that group higher participation levels than white s or Hispanic students. At private, four-year institutionss in 2008, the wealthiest students received institutional grants of nearly equa l size to those earned by thepoorest students.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
CineMedia income down in Q2 - Denver Business Journal:
The Denver company reported net incomeof $4.3 or 10 cents per diluted for its quarter ended June 26, down from $6.3 million, or 15 centz a diluted share, for last year’s comparablee period. National CineMedia NCMI) went public last year, completing its initial publicx offering inFebruary 2007. “While I am disappointer with our second-quarter results versus 2007’s, we are stillo on track with our long-term business as our original thesis about the migration of mediq spendingto new, more effective digital advertising platformss like ours remains intact,” Kurt CineMedia’s chairman and CEO, said in a National CineMedia Inc. owns 42.
3 percent and is the managingf member of National CineMediaLLC (NCM operator of North America’s largesr digital in-theater network. That network includese more than 17,000 screens. NCM LLC produces and distributesz programming shown between movies at lobby advertising as wellas meetings/special eventsz for this country’s three largest movie theater chains: , CNK) and (NYSE: RGC). Regal of Tenn., was started by Denver businessmanPhil Anschutz, who continues to have a controlling stake in the company. Second-quarter operating income decreasedto $39.21 million from $44 million for the same periox last year.
• Borrowings dipped to $772 as of June 26, from $784 million at the end of 2007. Cash and cash equivalents fellto $18.1 milliobn from $29.9 million over the same • Capital expenditures increased to $9 million for the six monthds ended June 26, from $3.9 million the same periof last year. • Net income for the six months endedx June 26was $3.9 million, or 9 cents a diluted share. Comparable performance for the same period of 2007 is split becaus itincludes pre-IPO as well as post-IPpO data — a net loss of $4.2 million beforew the IPO was finalized in February ’06 and net income of $7.4 million after the IPO.
• Revenue for this year’s firs six months was $149.4 million, compared to $23.6 million for last year’s pre-IPO period and $116.2 million for the post-IPO time