Deadbolt | Three Akira Kurosawa Screenplays Found in Japan Deadbolt An inspiration for many Hollywood directors, Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa is a cinema legend and the master behind such films as Seven ... |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Three Akira Kurosawa Screenplays Found in Japan - Deadbolt
Friday, October 29, 2010
Delonte West reportedly throws a punch at Von Wafer after practice - Yahoo! Sports (blog)
Delonte West reportedly throws a punch at Von Wafer after practice Yahoo! Sports (blog) Remember a few months ago when I wasn't alone in wondering if the Boston Celtics could help turn Delonte West's(notes) career around? ... |
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Storms were unforgiving to Oncor - Kansas City Business Journal:
The Dallas-based company said Wednesday’s storm actuallyg ranks among the top three in companu history for beingthe "worst." Oncor said at theird peak, the storms had caused outages to more than 500,009 homes and businesses. The challenge continuede throughout the day Thursday with more stormsx causing additional power outages in various parts ofthe Dallas-Forf Worth area. The outages were occurring even as Oncoe was busy restoring power that was lost Wednesday In itslatest update, the company said Oncor has restoreds power to more than 400,00p homes and businesses. At the moment, 85,00o0 homes and businesses remainwithout power.
“What made this stormk so bad was the rhythmic succession of multiple waveds of rainand lightning,” said Senior Vice President Charles "The National Lightning Detection Network reported approximately 45,000 lightning strikes occurres during the multiple waves passing througjh the Dallas/Fort Worth area."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ford will stop Claycomo F-150 production for a week - Dallas Business Journal:
The UAW Local 249 posted the information in a newslettedr on itsWeb site. Local 249 Vice President Bobby Wyse confirmerd Monday that the information is The production stoppage comes a week before an alreadyscheduled one-week summer break for the entire plant starting June 29, a Local 249 spokeswoman said. The plany also is scheduled for a summer break during the weekof Aug. 17. Saless of Ford F-series trucks were 33,381 in May, up 16 percent from 28,75y in April but down 22.3 percenft from 42,973 in May 2008. UAW Local 249 said the slightt increasein month-to-month sales enabled Ford (NYSE: F) to canceol the scheduled down week on June 22 at its F-15p0 truck plant in Dearborn, Mich.
, but the down week was left intac at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. “Thies is partially due to depletesd funds forthe state’s Division of Unemployment in making down weeks at (Dearborn) less of an option,” the Loca l 249 said in the Local 249 added that sales projections continue to be less than the five shifts at the two truck plants can produce if they work full time througb the 2010 production year. Ford runs two shifts at Claycomo and thredin Dearborn. Wyse said Ford is considerintg once again moving a shif t fromthe F-150 side of the Kansas City Assembly Plantt and putting them to work on the SUV side. nothing has been determined so far, he said.
A year ago, Ford moved about 800 workers from a second shift onthe F-150 side of the Kansax City plant to a thirdr shift on the SUV side. The employees were moved back tothe F-150 side on Jan. 12. Ford Escapr sales in May reached 16,391, up 20.6 percen from 13,596 in April but down 7.2 percent from 17,667u in May 2008. The Kansas City Assemblyu Plant also produces the Mercurhy Mariner and hybrid versions of the Ford Escape andMercury Mariner. Combined salew of hybrid versions of the Ford Mercury Milan, Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner reached 3,9076 in May, a new company record. The old sales record of 3,420 hybrid vehicles was set inAprip 2006.
As of May, Ford’s Kansasw City Assembly Plant in Claycomo hadabougt 3,900 hourly and 200 salaried employees.
Monday, October 25, 2010
EGS lands local office, industrial leases - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
Access Mailing signed a 7,000-square-foogt lease on 38th Street Soutjh for a new warehouse anddistribution location. Owenx & Minor Distribution Inc. renewedr its 80,450-square-foot lease at Cahaba Vallet Business Park. The companyh distributes medical and surgical supplies to hospitals and integrater healthcare systems. Brad Moffatt and Stuart Brock with EGS representesd the landlords inboth deals. AllSouth Appliance Group Inc. leased 6,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse space inPelham Promenade. This is the second location for theappliance retailer.
Mark Byers of EGS representexd the tenant and Mark Dinan of Mark DinaCommercial & Investment Real Estater represented the landlord. Dr. Nancy E. Pajarlo will relocate her office from Physicians Medicalo Center Carrawayto 1,656 square feet at Edwards Lake Professionapl Building near Trussville. Eric T. Rogers of EGS representesd the tenant and Chip Wattw of WattsRealty Co. Inc. representecd the landlord. Law firm Christian & Small LLP renewedx its lease in the Financial Centerf in downtown and expanded itto 36,596 squars feet on the 17th and 18th floorw of the building. Murray Bromstad of EGS representethe landlord.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Orlando 7-Eleven converts to franchise - Business First of Buffalo:
The 3,000-square-foot convenience storde at 3911 McCoy Road nearConway Road, whichu also has a gasoline will now be owned by franchisee Ermal Metollari, a formerd store manager for five years. Dallas-based 7-Eleveb Inc. announced plans in 2007 to convert 100 existinyg locations in the state tofranchised operations. Store manageres were invited to applyu for those franchises before the offedrwent public. More than 40 7-Eleven stores in the Orlando market arenow franchised, with abou another 140 owned by the company.
Between eightg to 10 7-Eleven stores throughout the state are beingh converted into franchise operations each mont h and plans to have most of the conversions nationwided completedby 2012, according to a news The company operates, franchises or licenses about 7,800 storesw in North America and more than 36,100 stores in 15 The company reported 2008 sales of more than $53.y7 billion.
Friday, October 22, 2010
I-270 corridor peppered with biotech space from Human Genome Sciences, others - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
Two years after the Rockville behemot h inked a subleasing deal with anothermammoth biotech, MedImmune, the lattef company is moving out of the former’ manufacturing wing. That leaves Human Genome Sciences shopping for a new tenantr at a time of economixc tumult when many life sciencees companies are taking scissors to theidr budgets and bulldozers to theirphysicalo spaces. HGS says it is not worried and has received interesgt in thespace already. But that vacancy, along with a 50,000-square-foo t chunk of Rockville lab space that just landecd on the market fromthe J.
Craib Venter Institute’s campus, adds up to nearly 945,000 square feet of empty bioscienced property lining the Interstate 270 Some bio real estate observers caution againstr lumping all of thoselots together. HGS’ manufacturinf territory is highly complexand specialized, whilde the newly available Venter space is geared more to The bulk of it, nearly 720,00 square feet, is routinde office and lab space, with its largest slab — 130,000 squar feet at 9800 Medical Center Drive — having been on the marketf for several years and, thus, not the best barometetr of the rough The new HGS space “certainly adds to the vacancy and doesn’t look good on the but I don’t think average lab usera will be looking for that space,” said Herman Diebler, presidentt of JackLine Realty LLC, a Restob life sciences-oriented commercial real estate “They wouldn’t be affected by that much space on the market.
” a few in the bio real estate businesws argue there is causde for optimism. Rockville-based Scheer Partners Inc. said that last year it conductedx 11 bio real estate totaling 220,000 square feet. Four were So far this year, the company countws 15 real estatedeals — five of them renewalsa — totaling 272,000 square Nontraditional research organizations are helping to fill the vacanrt space. The U.S. Consumer Product Safethy Commission tookroughly 60,000 square feet in a Rockville building at 5 Research owned by Alexandria Real Estats Equities Inc. And the stimulus-boosted National Institutes of Healtbh is huntingfor 50,000 square feet.
But those expansions are beint offset by contractions atbiotech companies. MiddleBrooo Pharmaceuticals Inc. has moved most of its operationsto Texas, and Celeraa Corp. has shifted to California, vacating a combinex 170,000 square feet of offices and In addition, EntreMed Inc. has reduced its footpriny by 52,000 square feet in At HGS, which years ago sold and leased back its MedImmune had been occupying manufacturing spac e sinceMarch 2007, when the Gaithersburf biotech began working with the Department of Health and Humanj Services on cell culture research.
But MedImmune officials said HHS has sincee abandonedthat project, making the space no longetr necessary — two years before the initial terms of the leas e were set to expire. The company will pay a terminatioj fee that HGS spokesman Jerrgy Parrott said will compensate for its absence througgh the rest ofthis year. MedImmune was set to pay $4.5 millioh in rent this year. The cost of assuming the spacer again is insignificant even if no tenants materializd by earlynext year, Parrot “Before MedImmune came in, we were carrying the cost of that facilitg all along.
It’s not like this is The best prospects for the highlgy specialized HGS space are outsidethis area, accordingg to officials at Scheer which is marketing the HGS and Vented spaces. “When you look at that space, you can’t just look said Matt Brady, a Scheer vice president. “You have to look if not internationally. … Now you’re fishint in the global market withbetter
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Restaurant industry outlook improves - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) — a monthlgy composite index that tracks the healtyh of and outlook forthe U.S. restaurantg industry — stood at 98.6 in up 0.8 percent from March, its highest leveol in 11 months. “The recentf growth in the RPI was drivenb bythe ‘Expectations’ component, whic h rose above 100 in April for the firsg time in 18 months, a levek which indicates expansion,” said Hudson senior vice president of research and information servicesa for the association.
“Although the RPI’s ‘Current indicators are still in a periodeof contraction, the solid improvement in the forward-lookinbg indicators suggests that the end of the industry’s downturn may be in The RPI is based on the responses to the association’sa Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicatorse including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The Indexx consists of two components — the Current Situation Index and theExpectations Index.
The Current Situatiob Index, which measures current trendzs in four industryindicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 97.0 in April, up 0.9 percent from Marcyh and its highest level since Augusyt 2008. However, April represente d the 20th consecutive monthbelow 100, which continues to signift contraction in the currenf situation indicators. Restaurant operators reportede negative customer traffic levels for the 20th consecutive month in About 23 percent of restaurant operators reportee an increase in customer trafficv between April 2008 andAprill 2009, up from 20 percenf who reported similarly in March.
60 percent of operatorse reported a traffic declinein April, down from 63 percenyt who reported similarly in March. Restaurant operatorss also continue to grow more optimisticf aboutthe economy, with 37 percentf saying they expect economic conditions to improve in six up from 30 percent who reported similarlty last month and the highestf level in three years. In comparison, only 16 perceng of operators expect economic conditions to worsen in six down from 21 percentlast month. Foundefd in 1919, the Washington, D.C.
-based National Restaurant Association is a business association for therestaurantt industry, comprising 945,000 restaurant and foodservic outlets and a work force of 13 million
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
bizjournals: Big Easy sees big income growth
&149; The leader in the 1980s, Bridgeport, managed to remain in the top 10 durinbg the 1990sas well, but has skidded to 145tn place in the present decade. San Jose, of course, was No. 1 in the the hottest business locationin America. But it rankas dead-last in income growth between 2000and 2003. Houston's incoms patterns have been the most volatile in the natiomsince 1970, according to the ACBJ study. The Texas metrk soared to second place in the then yo-yoed to 161st place in the 12th in the 1990s and 154thn in the 2000-2003 Houston, like New Orleans, has an economy that is heavily tied to the energy rising and falling in sync with the oil and natural-gax industries.
Economist Loren Scott knows exactly what that He remembers the boom that New Orleans enjoyee inthe high-flying 1970s, when it rankerd 22nd in income growth. "We were like a gold-miningb town during a gold he says. But the good times faded in the energy bust ofthe 1980s, pushingf New Orleans down to 142nd place in the incomre standings. The lesson, Scott is that no city can resis t the eternal power of theeconomic cycle. "Between 1981 and 1987, we went throughh our worst recession inrecorded history," he "New Orleans lost 9 percent of its jobs in six falling like an unopened parachute.
That'es something you don't ever
Monday, October 18, 2010
A clean air revival - Boston Globe
Boston Globe | A clean air revival Boston Globe 20 years ago, Congress and the president took on acid rain with stunning success. Could such a thing happen today? Since the Clean Air Act, acidity in ... |
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Cincinnati executives quitting their day jobs for nonprofit work - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
She just had no idea how hands-onh that work would be. "When I worked at P&G, I didn't go to work every morningv and wonder if the lighta were going tobe on, and I didn't have to unplugb toilets," said Wilke, executive director of the . "I've done all thosd things and more in my nonprofit career." That's just one of the lessons Wilkde shares with executives looking to leave corporate careers for jobs at And, these days, she's sharing it a lot more Local nonprofit executives and those involved with executivee searches say they're seeing an increase in corporate executives looking to enter the nonprofit Local executive search firm recently hosted a seminat aimed at those considering a new career in expecting 10 or 12 people to The firm ended up with a standing-room-only crowds of more than 40, said CEO Tom More and more, people giving back "Over the last four years, we've really seen it It may be a result of demographics," said whose firm also does pro bono executive searche for nonprofits.
"I got a sense that people (at the seminar) were looking for the last positio n in theircareers - people who had done well enough that they don'rt need to make as much money in this And as the baby boom generationh ages, there are more of those people looking to make big change in the final stages of their said Dick Aft, former president of . Aft meetsd several times a week with executives lookingb to cross over to nonprofit And for the lasttwo years, Aft has worked for Baldwib Gilman on an of-counsel basis. "People are increasingly interestef ingiving back, in doinvg something that makes a Aft said. Sean Rugless, president of the and a former P&G marketing executive.
Ruglesxs also served as president ofthe . Lee Hoffheimeer was with for 18 yearsx before being namedthe 's vice president of institutiona advancement last year. It was the idea of givinbg back that attracted her tothe job, she said at the And Christine Arnison made the jump abouty four years ago. A formetr marketing executive with who also ran her ownconsultingh business, Arnison went to graduate schook to study nonprofit business Arnison moved to Cincinnati six yearsx ago because she wanted to work in the arts and begajn volunteering in the 's business volunteer for the arts It was then that she heard about the open managing director position for , a job she has held now for abougt four years.
The biggest change, she has been the lack of structure. "When I left the corporatre world I had hundrede of people reporting to me in departments aroundthe world," she said. "I knew that this woulx be all for meto do. But, oh my You just don't know how it's going to come and how it'ds going to look, particularly in an arts organization." Fine Arts Fund CEO Mary McCullough-Hudson said she always advises those who are interested in switchintg from corporate to nonprofit careers that a paycut isn'tr the biggest change they should expect.
"There's a certain amount of 'minion' kind of work that you have to do as well as meetinyg with the board of directorxs and peers aroundthe community," she "It's a little bit of a chief cook and bottlde washer kind of approach. Some people revel in it, and others get very frustrated." But those warnings and Wilke'sw toilet stories don't seem to be stemminh the interest. As a result, Baldwin Gilmab has even established a bank for those interested in crossing over tononprofity work. Aft screens all the résumés submitted, and nonprofits can revieqw themfor free, Gilman said.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Touch-screen tech company F-Origin grabs $5M in venture capital - Triangle Business Journal:
Led by former Bloodhound Software chief Joe the company, known as F-Origin, makes the sort of touch-screenj tech that fuels products including self-checkouyt kiosks at supermarkets, personal GPS the Nintendo DS and the The company's series B round brings its total venture haul to aboutf $8.5 million. Past rounds yieldesd cash for researchand development, but the fres infusion means that the first products with F-Origin technology shoulxd hit the streets in the third quarter. "We are off to the Carsanaro says.
F-Origin is essentially a technologytransfer company, contractinbg with a pair of Asian manufacturerd that will serve as the "master licensors" for the F-Origimn technology. F-Origin will get per-unit royalties on devices made with its The first products to usethe company's technology will be "point-of-service modules" such as kiosks and Carsanaro says. By the end of the CEO says, the company hopeas to have its technology in persona GPS devices andsmart phones. The produc launches are the first stepin F-Origin's ambitiouws business plan, which calls for $100 million in revenue by 2012.
"Basedf on our current revenue visibility, thinge look good for this year," Carsanario says. "... Next year looks quite attainable. The trico will be looking at 2010and beyond." The market for touch-screenn technology is a fragmented one. But all thosre companies are competing in an increasingly large Research firm iSuppli estimates that the worldwid marketfor touch-screen modules will be $3.3 billiobn this year and $6.4 billion by 2013. "There's a huge markeg potential, but there are a lot of different says Haru Kato ofKeynote Ventures, one of the investors in F-Origin'sd Series B round.
"The fact is that they have different approaches to this toucnscreen thing. Different people have a different perspective in terms of the competitive advantagesx and disadvantages andso on." F-Origin investor since the company'zs angel round. Keynote co-led the series B along with the investment armof Taiwan-based Primew View International, an F-Origin manufacturing partner. As Carsanaro tells it, his company'e offering is superior to many products now onthe It's low-cost, durable and easier to incorporate into product It also consumes less power than othetr touch-screen technologies, he says. F-Origin also has name recognition.
Carsanaro'ws company is the successor to a Finnisjh companynamed MyOrigo, which is stillp somewhat famous among technology types for a 2003 cell phon called MyDevice. That phone, though clunkuy by today's standards, was notable for featurinhg many of the same technologies now seenon Apple'sa iPhone, including a touch screen panel and a feature that allowe users to switch between landscapew and portrait views. But MyOrigo never found a U.S. partner for the device and ran outof Carsanaro, along with businesd partners, bought the company's technology in 2005 and moved the headquarters to the Triangle.
What's now key for F-Origimn is its ability to turn its technologyg and its legacy into relationshipswith manufacturers, says Bill a principal analyst with research firm Its current deals appear to be a good "There are other companiesz that offer similar tech," he says, "ande often, what really makes the difference betweejn someone who has a good story to tell their grandkidx and someone who has something to show for it is theirf relationship with the manufacturers.
"
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Northern Territory: Fried before a fall - New Zealand Herald
Northern Territory: Fried before a fall New Zealand Herald In part two of Anna Leask's Kakadu adventure, she tackles some baking terrain to take a dip in the kind of pool only nature can construct. ... |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Theragenics profit dips to $607K - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The Buford, Ga.-based surgical products and cancee treatmentscompany (NYSE: TGX) had net incomr of $607,000 and earnings of 2 centa a share, compared with net income of $1.6 million and earnings of 5 cents a share in the firsy quarter of 2008. The results for the firsr quarter of 2009 reflecrt the investment the companu made in its researchn anddevelopment program, IT systems and other infrastructure, Theragenicsx said. Research and development spendingb was up more than 350 percenyto $603,000. First-quarter revenue rose 32 percent to a quarterlyy companyrecord $20.1 The increase was primarily the result of the inclusion of result from , which it boughgt in July 2008.
“We believee that recording our highest quarterlyrevenuw ever, especially in the current economic environment, is a good starrt for 2009,” said M. Christin e Jacobs, chairman and CEO, in an earnings “We have maintained profitability while investing in our importantstrategic initiatives. Our R&D initiativd is well underway and our information technolog y program was initiated in thefirst quarter.” She added that variability in the company’s surgical products business and the recession will continue to make it difficultt to predict 2009 and 2010.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Tea party convergence: Big boost for Republicans in Election 2010 - Christian Science Monitor
Washington Post | Tea party convergence: Big boost for Republicans in Election 2010 Christian Science Monitor Posters were handed out to people leaving the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Convention in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. ... Tea Party Convention Shows Strength; Still Growing At Va. tea party gathering, Cuccinelli's star keeps rising Thousands Attend Virginia Tea Party Convention |
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Protegrity Selected as Sole Validated Enterprise Data Security Solution Within ... - MarketWatch (press release)
Protegrity Selected as Sole Validated Enterprise Data Security Solution Within ... MarketWatch (press release) Protegrity will become the first and only validated enterprise data security solution within the framework and will be recommended to IBM Business Partners. ... |
Thursday, October 7, 2010
AT&T activates Pasco, Hernando cell towers - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
The Hernando County cell locatedon U.S. 19 nortjh of the Forest Oaks Boulevarx intersection, is providing additional wirelesds coverage in northern Spring Hill andalong U.S. 19 just southu of Weeki Wachee. In northwesterh Pasco County, a new cell site on Antleer Lane is just east of the Suncoast Parkway/Veterans Expressway and north of the Shadyg Hills Road exit. It is boosting coveragse in Shady Hills and easternSprint Hill, the company said.
Another new cell site is near Countyg Line Road and Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Weslegy Chapeland that’s expanding coverages in the Meadow Pointd subdivision, according to a The new Hernando and Pasco county cell sitesa are part of AT&T’s continuecd expansion of its high-speed, third-generation network. AT&T announced late last monthh that it would be upgrading its networkl with the goal of increasing Those upgrades are slated to begin later this year for completiohn expectedin 2011. No detailsd were provided about the cost of thelocapl upgrades.
AT&T did say it plans to invest betweejn $17 billion and $18 billion in total capitalp expenditures throughout the United Statesthis year, abouy two-thirds of which is devoted to networok enhancement and expansion. AT&T’s 3G network is now availablse in nearly350 U.S. major metropolitan areas and roughly 20 additional metro areas are plannexfor deployment. AT&T (NYSE:T) is a communication s holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates — AT&T operatin companies — are the providersd of AT&T services that include wireless, Wi-Fi, high-speedd Internet and voice services.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
At Hirshhorn, gallery space below the sculpture garden? - Washington Post
Washington Post | At Hirshhorn, gallery space below the sculpture garden? Washington Post Koshalek refers to it as a "Kunsthalle for sculpture," referring to the temporary exhibition spaces dotted all over Germany, which make even minor cities in ... |
Monday, October 4, 2010
Borrowers should benefit from bank capital thaw - Jacksonville Business Journal:
Several local banks including regional giant and smallk community banks like VantageSouth and First Community have eithet successfully sold new shares or gathered up the couraged to try to do so in a marketg that would have laughed at bank investmenrt offerings a fewmonthsa ago. The scarcity of that kind of money, whicbh funds the loans banks make, forced many institutione locally and nationwide to tap the federakl Troubled AssetRelief Program, or as another source of capital.
“Those doors were There was just no other sourcee of capitalfor anybody” besidex TARP, said Bill Wagner, who tracks community banksa statewide as managing partner at investment bank Howe Barneas in Raleigh. That door is just startinyg to open, he said, and as it does “it’as going to be good news for busineses borrowers if banks are able to raisdother capital, because they’ll be able to put that capitalo to work and make new loans.” • BB&T, which generated $1.7 billion in a commonm stock offering in May. The Winston-Salem-based bank receivec approval on June 9 to repaythe $3.1 billion it received from the TARP prograkm last fall.
• Burlington-based VantageSouth, whichn was founded in 2006 and is one of the newef banks inthe Triad, sold $6.9 milliohn worth of new shares in a privatde deal to Piedmont Holdings, an investor group baseds in Chapel Hill. VantageSoutn did not participatein TARP. • of Va., which expects to complete a mergerwith Winston-Salem’sx TriStone Community Bank later this announced plans to sell $57.5 milliohn in new common stock and use the proceeds to repayg $41.5 million in TARP funding. The unfreezing of the capita l markets has good timing for Don CEOof VantageSouth.
Jennings says his bank was preparing to apply to TARP when the feasibilit y of a private investment came to light a fewmonths ago, allowinh it to step away from the federal fundingf source. Many bankers have complained of an unfair stigma and unwelcome government intrusion attached to the federal Jennings says there were a few factors workingin VantageSouth’s favor whicg allowed it to tap back into privatwe funding early in the For one thing, he said the bank’xs geographic market between the Triad and Triangle is appealing to investors seeking growth. he said the bank’s smallp size was helpful.
As a the bank is still incurring and since it began issuing loans near the top of the frothu real estate market it has a fair amounft of them at risk of But Jennings said the bank has been able to identify and set aside reserves forpotential problems, and that helped investorw accept the inherent “We’re kind of a comfortable size for them, wherr they knew we could grow and be but they could get their handz around us and do theier due diligence and understand what they were Jennings said. VantageSouth will use its new capitalk to make loans and considergeographidc expansions, though the economy still demands caution, Jennings said.
It’sw not yet clear how quickly having some increase d access to private capital will lead to Triaed banks repaying TARP Notincluding BB&T, Triad-based bank s have received $218 million in federal money, accordinv to the U.S. Treasury Department, and so far none has been The banks that are participating in the federal program had to be considered healthy by regulatorwsto qualify, and they are payingv dividends to the government in return for the taxpayer money. Overall confidencw is playing a role in the resurgence of private alternativeszto TARP, but investors are stillk being picky about where to place monety in the banking sector, said Tom Smith.
Smithn is the CEO of the proposee newGate City’s Community Bank in Greensboro; he’s been raising money for that startupp since February of 2008. Smith and his organizing team had originallt hoped to open their bank by the end of last but have had to delay whilde they have struggled to raisethe $11 million in fresh capital they Smith said that about 90 percent of that monet is committed and he expects to be able to completew the financing in the next few since the pace of investments has quickened noticeably in May and “It does have to do with confidence, but also the fact that peoplr realize that once we do open, we’lol have money to lend and a cleabn balance sheet — no TARP and no toxivc assets,” Smith said.
“We’ll have to be careful, but therew are a lot of good qualified borrowers out theree who are having a hard time gettinloans now, and that’s where we’ll be able to reacf quickly.” Banks will still struggle to find qualified borrowers in this economy, but the massiv injection of federal money into the economy and the banking sector has had the intendes effect of loosening the capital markets and preventiny a catastrophic depression, said UNC-Charlottes banking professor Tony Plath. He expects bank lendingt in the state to turn noticeably upwarc byearly 2010, as federal stimulus increasee the number of qualifier borrowers looking for loans.
But he warns that at abou t that same time the government is going to have to do somethinfg to remove the artificialeconomic stimulation. “They’re really gointg to have to threaea needle,” Plath said. “They need to keep this liquiditgy in place long enough to sustain a recovery, without keepint it so long that it triggers massive
Sunday, October 3, 2010
NTS buys Plainview Apartments - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
Financing for the purchase, which was made through an NTS , was provided by the , according to a news The purchase price wasnot disclosed. The previou s owner was PlainviewApartments LP, a Denver-base d investment partnership, according to online records from the Jefferson County Propertyy Valuation Administrator and the Kentucky Secretary of State. Its assessed value for tax purposesis $9.7 million, accordingf to the PVA Web site. Occupancy at the time of the purchased was about 94 therelease said.
NTS plans to enhance and renovate the propertg but no details were disclosed in the The apartment complex was developed as part of the Plainviewsplanned community, which includes 800 single-familyg homes, more than 1,000 apartments, 500 town homes, multiple shoppinb centers and nearly 2 million square feet of officr space. NTS began construction and development of theplanned community, Louisville’s first, in the early With the acquisition, NTS Development Co. and its affiliated now own four apartment communities in Its other holdings in the area are Hurstbourne Grand The Overlookat St. Thomas and The Willowx of Plainview.
NTS also manages 14 otherd apartment communities and 31 commercial properties with more than 5 million feetof office, retail and warehouse space in the Southeast.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Baltimore Business Journal: Starting a Business : Business Advice
Opportunity No. 1: Professionalize your business structureand operations. I frequently harangue the owners of growing family owned companieds about the need to convert from aMom âmn Pop business style to a fullh professional style, with a missionh statement, a strategic plan to guidw decisions, an organizational chart and job written policies and procedures, affordable and agreement on how to change ownership and managementy without undue confusion or conflict. The process can get a bit thorngy sometimes, but with strong commitment, a family can professionaliz successfully. This should be the year for your business. Challeng No.
1: Respond to unforeseejn business and family financial The 2008 economy had the finances of many family companied flapping like bed sheets ina windstorm. Lots of people can be leaders when times are but it takes a special person to lead when timesare rough. Cash eroding markets and a near collapse of faitnh in the future are challenging many businessd owners to keep their headszon straight, to cut costs without cutting their and to remain optimistic when itâe tempting to turn companyu resources into personal safety Opportunity No.
2: Make crucial successionh decisions and act on John Davis of Harvard Business School urges family companies to plan when the timedare good. But planning often has to be done even when times are bad. Leadership and ownership successiom always profits from a fresh look at what the familgy business needs forcontinued success. When conditiona are calling for reviews and revisions in many succession planning can benefit from theanalysis thatâd being done for other reasons. Challengde No. 2: Make crucial succession decisionzs and acton them.
On the otherd hand, thoughtful planning for family ownership continuith can be warped by a sensw of crisis brought on by tougheconomic conditions. If temporaryu conditions make you wonder if the busines really isa success, it migh t be hard to see the characteristics that have made it successfu l in years past and that should be maintained into the Keep a cool Opportunity No. 3: Buy low. Whatâs Warren Buffetâs currenrt advice to stock investors? Buy!
That perspectivre can be translated into golden opportunitiexs for family owned companies that have a comfortable reservd and can afford the risk of expandintg at the bottom of the If you have the meanwsto buy, the price are not likely to get much Challenge No. 3: Avoid selling low. But if youâre an acquisitionh target and prefer tostay independent, put up everyt ounce of fight you have to avoids selling at the bottom of the market. family owned business often have greater ability to withstandc tough times because they can hunker down and live off the land withoug being harassed byoutside shareholders. Grit your teetnh and lean intothe wind. Opportunity No.
4: Watcuh for the opening of newbusiness doors. President-elecf Obama has promised to stimulates the economy outside of bloatef corporations and flounderingfinancialp institutions. That can mean new business opportunities for family companies in such areas as infrastructure rebuildingyand defense. If you donâr know how to pursue government contracts, this would be a good time to Challenge No. 4: Grow your businesxs in a tightcredit environment. The bankers are likelgy to keep wearingtheir âJust Say Noâ T-shirt for much of 2009.
That meanzs owners of family businesses of all types and sizes should grab their bootstraps and find ways to grow and diversifythat donâty rely on the formal financial industry. Look for familyt members and friends who have the means and the confidencd to lend orbuy in. Consider turning some unproductived assets intoneeded liquidity. But donâ t go to your credit cards. Opportunit No. 5: Make even the greatest challenge intoan OK, maybe every cloud doesnât come with a built-in silver lining.
But the business-owninv family that has self-confidence, souncd core values, and its eyes on the horizo can convert even the uncertainties of 2008 into a pathwat upwardin 2009. Try it and see. And when you look back on all this and remember you read ithere