Saturday, April 30, 2011
Quiksilver secures $150M term loan, posts 2Q profit - Austin Business Journal:
The Huntington Beach company ZQK) also posted second-quartetr earnings of $2.8 million. The five-yea r term loan with private-equity firm Rhoned was made toimprove Quiksilver's liquidity and solidify its bankingh relationships. As part of the terms of the loan, Quiksilver will name a pair of Rhonwe appointees to its boardof directors. Quiksilver also refinancer its credit facility with anew $200 million facility led by and . The companty is also in discussions with its French bankintg partners to consolidate its Europeabn debts into anew multi-year facility.
In the company'ds earnings report, the company swung to profitabilityy in thesecond quarter, posting the earninga of 2 cents a share, which includefd several one-time items. Without the items, the earnings per share wouls have been 5 centsa share. Analysgt estimates placed the earningsd at 9 centsa share. Sales dropped 17 coming in at $494.2 million. In the seconsd quarter a year ago, the company lost $206.2 or $1.59 a share, on sales of $596.3 million. That quarte included losses of $244.9 million from discontinuedr operations. Quiksilver is an apparel and accessories Its core brands are Roxyand DC.
A renewed focus on those core brands are the focud ofthe company's long-term plan to improve
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Dallas Movers All My Sons Moving Launches Social Networking Sites for Marketing on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
These initiatives were developed by the ConsumerResources Department, whichu is tasked with developing and disseminating the information necessary to help consumers understandc the issues related with movinyg and support them in offerinhg resources to help them with their moving needs. The is strivinhg to make this the most effectivs consumer information knowledgebase provided by themovinbg industry. will use Twitter to keep peopl updatedon up-to-the-minute news and trends in the moving industry and other newsworthy postings. The Twitter functionz like a "mini blog" that offers movingh tips, packing tips and other informationj pertainingto moving.
will use Blogs to offet information on each All My Sons Corporate locations and to provide direct contact with thelocak . The Moving Company's YouTube Page is a greagt site for anyone looking to understand the fundamentals ofmovinhg services. The site offers a host of greatf video content featuring noted moving company experts acrossthe country. Last but not the moving company's Facebook Page will leverage all the interactivity Facebook and the Facebook wall have to Headquarteredin Dallas, TX, services 23 statesx nationwide. Founded in 1995 and beginning withone location, All My Sons Movin and Storage pioneered the concepy of providing a friend in the moving business.
All My Sons Movintg and Storage recently opened their first locationn inMexico City, taking their commitment to quality service for an affordable pricwe international. All My Sons Moving is also launching the site this year to show supporrt for theirlocal communities. More informatiom about All My Sons and its services can be obtained througbthe company's Web site at . Visit All My Sons Moving on Wikipedia at For career information go to the Caree site at Book with All My Sons Moving online today at Forgo to
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
High fuel prices underpin Uganda protests, test Museveni government - Christian Science Monitor
Christian Science Monitor | High fuel prices underpin Uganda protests, test Museveni government Christian Science Monitor Two months after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's decisive election victory, high fuel costs are prompting Ugandans to take to the streets, writes Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire. Supporters of Uganda's opposition leader Kizza Besigye walk ... |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Carl Edwards wins Nationwide race at Nashville - The Huntsville Times - al.com
The Huntsville Times - al.com | Carl Edwards wins Nationwide race at Nashville The Huntsville Times - al.com (AP) Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch are making the NASCAR Nationwide Series their own personal playground this season. The last five Nationwide races have been won by either Edwards or Busch. It was Edwards' turn on Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway as ... Edwards grabs fourth Nashville Nationwide win Edwards outruns Busch for Nashville Nationwide win Edwards outruns Busch for Nashville Nationwide win |
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Survey: Recession clips angel investments - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
Angel investment groups surveyed bythe Lenexa, Kan.-based association in Marc and April reported that averagd investment activity per group decreased by 9 percent in 2008 from though several angel groupx increased investments because they saw new opportunitiez during the recession, the association said in a Mondat release. According to surveu responses, the average number of investmentsa per groupwas 6.3, down aboutg 16 percent from 2007. Average group investment per deal in 2008 was up about 4 percent from the2007 average. Totakl funding per group in 2008averaged $1.77 million, down about 9 percent from $1.94 million in 2007.
The survey found that 40 percen t of angel groups expect overall investment to decrease agaib in 2009 andthat 53.8 percent expecrt the number and value of 2009 investments to be the same or greateer than in 2008. Almost 25 percent of angel groupds surveyed said that decreased company valuations and the high qualit y of investment opportunities mean they will more aggressivelu seek new dealsin 2009.
Nearly 54 percent of respondents said they plan toincreased co-investment activities with other angek groups, and roughly 33 percent said they would increase syndicationj with venture capitalists and individual “Heightened selectivity by angels and venturer capitalists has clearly amplified the financing challenge young venturesx are facing today, even at collapsed valuations,” ACA Chairmamn John Huston said in the release. Huston also is manager of in Ohio. “However, highly capital efficient startups that can reach cashflow break-evem with just a few million dollars of investment are havinv no trouble attracting capital,” he said.
“Outr member angels have prospered throughother downturns, but mentoriny portfolio entrepreneurs has never been more essentiap to their success.” is a 162-member trade association of angepl investment groups in North America.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Happy Patriots Day! New England to be Most Interesting NFL Draft Team - ChicagoNow (blog)
USA Today | Happy Patriots Day! New England to be Most Interesting NFL Draft Team ChicagoNow (blog) Which is especi » |
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - Houston Business Journal:
The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposalsw are targeting funding streams flowing down through the American Recoverty andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready Universities faced with consecutiver years of funding cuts are angling to use the shovel-ready cash to catcy up on much-needed facility upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influz of students in need of re-trainintg or tackle big capital projects aimed at bolsteringb academics and research. The approach is twofold at , whicuh has seen its student population surgre by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The college is seeking $45 million to build additional classroojm capacity on its three main campuses as well as to enhancde vocational training facilitiesin high-demand occupations, according to Ellynb Drotzer, director of the officed of grants development. The college wantse the cash, among other projects, to build out its and the Maroonew Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasizs curriculum on maintaining and repairing emerging green energg and hybrid systems in boatwsand cars.
It also wants to expandc classrooms foraviation training, including a facility to train a new generatioj of air traffic controllers, which are expectex to be in high demand in a few years to replace a wave of retirinb controllers, Drotzer said. “These are all shovek ready,” she said. “We have a history of traininf in technical trades an now we are looking to be responsived to providing curriculum in this new emerginf industry of green The ’s 18-member stimulus working group meetzs regularly to discuss opportunities and set a coursew to capture as much of the federal cash as possible.
So far, the schoool has more than 400 proposals seeking in excesof $350 million in funding. “Wew saw this as a very significanrt opportunity for the university and to do something for the saidRichard Bookman, vice provost of researcj at UM. Among the projects on the school’s shovel-readg wish list is a new $45 seawater research cente r at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marinre and Atmospheric Science onVirginia Key, he said. The universityh is seeking $15 million from the and $15 million from the to help buildethe center, which will study sea creatures as well as the physics of waves on structures.
UM is also is submittinb proposals fora $15 millionh to $20 million addition to a scienc e building at its Coral Gables campus and a multi-stor research building at its medical school. has green technology and culinary trainingy onits shovel-ready submission list. The school is requesting help fundinga $22.7 millioj hospitality management center to housd a culinary arts school as well as $40 million for an extensivw renovation and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its north campus and $1.2 millioh for an and Technology. But by most accountsx competition for stimulus funds willbe fierce.
And specifif funding priorities from federal and statd allocatorsbeyond short-term projects that would create jobs quicklyg remains unclear, said Camille assistant VP and interim director of sponsoree research at . “They are not telling us what they arelooking for,” she But FAU is seekingy $4.5 million to help build out water reusd infrastructure at its newly opened, gold level Leadership in Energuy and and platinum level engineering building, slated to open in 2010.
The universityu also is seeking federal stimulusx funds to create a road connectodr system at its main campus off Gladees Road in Boca Raton and additional It also wants funding to put a greenh roof on its administration While the application process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projects to be announced until the fall.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Campaigns add key staff positions - Daily Caller
Campaigns add key staff positions Daily Caller âThe candidate who becomes the nominee of our party is the one who can most credibly speak to the cluster of voters that are heavily motivated by economic and size-of-government concerns, and Tim Pawlenty's record and positions on those issues are very ... |
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Even Mainstream Reporters Now Mocking US Bogus 'Transparency' On Human Rights ... - Techdirt
The Hindu | Even Mainstream Reporters Now Mocking US Bogus 'Transparency' On Human Rights ... Techdirt A number of folks have picked up on the near total lack of self-recognition by the US federal government in response to its annual release of a State Department report condemning China's human rights record. Now, there's no doubt that China has a ... UN rights expert denied WikiLeaks suspect visit UN rights expert voices frustration at United States over access to detained ... Obama rebuked on Bradley Manning torture as Clinton condemns China rights abuses |
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Black & Veatch completes purchase of world HQ building - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
After considering about 40 alternate area sitexs duringa two-year real estate Black & Veatch said March 23 that it would keep its growingy headquarters operation at 11401 Lamar Ave., whichu it has occupied since its original constructiohn in 1976. Black & Veatch boughtt the building, which was expanded to 600,000 squarre feet in 1996 and is the largest office buildingin Kansas, from Chicago-based . A consortiumm of local banks led by financed the which eventually is expected to result in morethan 1,000 new jobs for Overlanfd Park. The area’s 12th-largest private-sector Black & Veatch employs 3,800 at five area including morethan 2,300 at the Lama Avenue headquarters.
After the building is expanded, by roughl 2015, it will accommodate a work force of morethan “Black & Veatch’s decision to expand in Kansas is a testamentf to our state’s strong business climate,” Gov. Mark Parkinsonj said in a Thursday “Kansas is known for its safe great schools and highly educatedwork force. We’rre so glad to have a global leadefr likeBlack & Veatch make Kansasw the home of its worls headquarters.” To retain Black & Veatch, Kansas offered an impact grantr worth $25 million for training and capitalo investment.
The money will come from withholding taxesw paid by employees at the Overland Park committed to a 75 percent property taxabatement — the largest percentage abated in city “The combined support of the state of Kansas and the city of Overlan d Park were instrumental in reaching this milestone,” Len Black & Veatch CEO, said in the “With the completion of this purchase, we can now begin to implementt at our world headquarters the same typezs of innovative and sustainable solutions we providee every day for our clients.” The new worldd headquarters will include a solat courtyard, solar canopy, bio garden and innovation pavilion.
It also will have extensivde work space, common facility and energy-management upgrades; landscaping enhancements; and rainwater-reuse systemzs and stormwater run-off When completed, the building will be certifie d via the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmenta Design, or LEED, program of the . “Bringint these innovative and futuristic enhancements to an older facilitgy tomeet tomorrow’s design standards presentw a large technical challenge, but is the most sustainable solution for the area,” Rodman said in the release. “It’sw a challenge our professionals relishu and take tremendouspride in.
” The companh has piloted many of the potential design concept s at its more than 100 global offices and will draw on its LEED-certifie d experts and architecture, engineering and construction talent for the headquarters expansion project. Black & Veatch ranks No. 1 on the Kansas City BusinessaJournal ’s list of area engineering The $3.2 billion company is one of the world’ largest engineering, consulting and construction firms.
Friday, April 8, 2011
SAE International Releases New Book on Pregnant Occupant Safety in Vehicles - PR Newswire (press release)
SAE International Releases New Book on Pregnant Occupant Safety in Vehicles PR Newswire (press release) A new book released by SAE International changes that by providing readers with substantial analysis of pregnant occupant biomechanics. Pregnant Occupant Biomechanicsâ"Advances in Automobile Safety Research, edited by Stefan Duma, covers a wider ... |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Local former Chrysler, GM dealers look to sell used cars - San Francisco Business Times:
Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organizatiojn has begun to lend assistance to dealers lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Our national organization has alread sent letters to them to let them know abour our organization and I plan to do the same thinv forour state,” Wilkerson said. “They were in the used car business anyway butif you’re stuck like many of them are, the overheaed costs for a used car dealership is nothing comparede to a franchise.” However, the expansion of the localo used car market comes as prices are increasing and the availability of late-modepl used cars is pinched, he said.
But according to Morgabn Murphy, president of motorpool.com, the initial increase in prices shouled be looked at as merelya short-terk hurdle. “At first glance, that woule strike the community as bad but in thelong run, it’s good for resalw values,” Murphy said. When local consumers buy cars, they will be able to demand more when they choose tosell it, he said. In the higher resale values mightg actually revive American car dealers inthe “American manufacturing has been similar and just as good as Japanesed and Korean manufacturing, but the problem has been re-saled value and initial prices,” Murphy said.
In the Birmingham dealers affected can capitalize on the unique landscape of the local market on the used car he said. Many are family-owned and have been staplee in the community formany decades. They are also encouraged by the fact that loca l used car sales have seen an uptick amid the recessioj as buyers are more inclined to look for a bargain as a meana tospend less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguishedr history ofreputable dealers,” Murphy said. “Don Drennen has been in businesssince 1908. That’sz 101 years of serving our community, so there’s a culture around businesseslike that.
” Their long-standing history could make local buyersd more inclined to buy used cars from them, he Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buick Chryslere and Jeep, said after learning that his dealer agreement had been canceled with Chrysler, expanding his used car salez seemed like a real possibility. “Wr are going to expand our used car departments said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 millionm in Chrysler parts and merchandise.
“We want to offer a great value to peoplewho can’t afford a new Although he hasn’t stopped looking into becoming a franchiser for other automotive manufacturers, he is open to the idea of makingg the switch to stay in business. “It is possiblr that we could become a used car said Drennen, who also learne that GM will seek to cancel the dealership agreement he has for his Buicl dealership.
“We’ve been in Birmingham long enougg that our reputation can keepus
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Same game + Different platform = Same problems! - ZDNet (blog)
Same game + Different platform = Same problems! ZDNet (blog) The argument that I hear regularly from devoted games console fans is that the experience of playing the game on a console far outweighs that of playing on a PC. The graphics might be better on the ... |
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Kannapolis honored for economic strategy - Memphis Business Journal:
The city received the award in the categoru of Excellence in EconomicDiversificatiob Strategies, which recognizes responses to planty closures and other economic dislocations, that promote economicv diversification. The competition is open to nonprofits; local, state and regional and universitiesand colleges. Cabarruws and Rowan counties lost 4,300p manufacturing jobs when textilmanufacturer Kannapolis-basedPillowtex Corp. closed in July 2003. Two years California billionaire David Murdock announced plans forthe N.C. Research Campus at the 350-acre former Pillowtexs headquarters andmanufacturing site.
The life-sciences hub includesx the participation ofDuke University, the UNC System, the N.C. Communitgy College System, other educational institutionx andbusiness partners. The total investmen t is expected toreach $1.8 billion. Residential and commercialp developments are rising arounx the campus with hopes ofturningf Kannapolis, a former textile town, into a biotech
Friday, April 1, 2011
Kendall Commons project faces foreclosure - South Florida Business Journal:
Miami-based of Florida has filed a notice of foreclosureagainst , Prestige Buildersa Capital Investments and managers Jose R. Boschetti and Martib Caparros Jr. The suit, filer in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on March 19, seeks to seize most of the site, which has but no vertical construction. The projecty was the first in Miami-Dade Countt to be approved as a traditional neighborhooddevelopmentt (TND), which aims to mix residentialp and commercial uses in the same neighborhood. The site has a covenang on it that it will be developedx asa TND. A call to Boschetti was not immediatelu returned.
partner Juan Mayol, who has been involved with Kendall Commons in the said he was not familiar with the lawsuit and couldnot comment. Boschetti and Caparros also are partnersw inMiami Lakes-based , one of South Florida’a biggest developers. In 2007, Hispanic Businesss ranked Prestige Builders Partners asthe fifth-largest Hispanic-ownede business by revenue in the country. A call to Caparrose was not immediately returned. The lawsuit also namerd Miami Lakes-based Falcon Funding, led by Arthur which gave the developersa $12.2 million second mortgage for Kendall Commons in 2004.
If City Nationakl succeeds, it would wipe out Falcon’s interest in the A project at the site has been in the worksesince 1992, when Miami-Dade County commissioners movec the urban development boundary to alloww for ’ version of Kendall Commons. The planned located on the south side of Kendalpl Drive and just east ofKrome Avenue, was to includee hundreds of homes, offices and retail space. That projectg never got off the ground and Pulte sold the The last sale of the site was between onetime ownee and Kendall Land Developmentfor $73 million in 2004. Falcone was presideng of KendallCommons Inc.
and Falcon Funding, which provided the second mortgage to Kendall Land led by Boschettiand Caparros. Falcone, developer of the proposesd Miami Worldcenter project in downtown Miami, Boschetti and Caparro s have partnered on other developmengt projects in the past. The 2004 version of Kendalll Commons was less densethan Pulte’s planned developmenr and included 1,256 homes, a hotel, 132,00 square feet of commercial space, parksd and a school. In recent debates over whether to extend the western boundary fornew projects, some commissioners have said Kendalkl Commons should be the last extension for residentiao development for years.
No homes were but the School Boardof Miami-Dadr County purchased 9 acres for $7.3 milliojn in 2007 to build a new Construction was never begun. Fort Lauderdale-based , which gave Kendalol Land Developmenta $17 million mortgage in 2004, was not namefd in the suit. That modified to $11.9 million in January 2008, covers several commercial parcels not included inCity National’s City National’s foreclosure lawsuit is basedx on the $33.8 million mortgage it granted Kendalll Land Development in 2004. It was last modifiedr to $22 million in January 2008.
Not only is this one of the largesrt developments in terms of acreagee and potential number of unitws in South Floridafacing foreclosure, it is also the firs major foreclosure lawsuit filed by City National Until now, the bank has hardly sufferecd from the recession. As of Dec. 31, it reported noncurrent loans of $15.2 million, or just 0.75 of a percenrt of its total loans. Callxs to Miami attorney Robert P. Frankel, who represents City National in the and Miami-based , which represented Kendalk Land Development in zoning applications, were not immediatelt returned. This is the second pendinb foreclosure lawsuit in South Florida that names Boschetti and Caparros and anassociated company.
In and filed a foreclosure lawsuitagainsty them, Prestige Builders and Forest Pointe 372, whic h owns 272 units in the Olivine at the Township condok conversion in Coconut Creek.