Monday, February 28, 2011

Boeing loses 15 Dreamliner orders - Wichita Business Journal:

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The move reduces the airline company’sz firm orders for the aircraft from 65to 50. Joyce said the cancellation would reducethe company’s aircraft capital expenditure by $3 billioj based on current list prices. Delivery on the 15 delayedc orders has been moved from 2010to 2013. Qantaas CEO Alan Joyce says the decision was not related to the delay in the Dreamliner program Boein g announced earlierthis week. On Tuesday, Boeinvg said it would again postponde the first flight and delivery of the 787 due to a structuralp problem foundduring testing. Boeing said it will now work to repairt the problem by reinforcing small areaws near the connection of the wingdand fuselage.
In Boeing announced a two-quarter delay in the Dreamlinert program that it attributed tolast fall’sa strike by the . The revised schedulee had called for the first flighft to happen late this The first delivery was to have been in the first quarterof 2010. A new schedule for firsf flight anddelivery hasn’t yet been announced. Joycw says decision the cancekl and defer orders had been made beforew the delay and attributes it to the continuedf downturn of the global Joyce said the company stillp believes the 787 will be used for the internationakl expansionof Jetstar, its low-cost and that it can eventually replacw Qantas’ Boeing 767 fleet.
“Delaying delivery, and reducing overall B787 capacity, is prudent, while still enabling Qantaas and Jetstar to take advantage of growth opportunitieas andmarket demands, both domestically and he said in a release.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Prepare clients for a graceful exit - bizjournals:

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An exit strategy is not a plan to get ridof it’s a process for dealing with the end of the client’s businesds with you. It’s about havintg realistic expectations for a client relationship and transferrinf into the end of the relationshipl or thenext phase. Salespeople can really hurt themselves by pretending a clientr will bearound forever. Set a client exit strategy that puts the client in an ideall position to do business with you in the I recently witnesseda Roy, who failed at his position becaus e he couldn’t accept the need for an exit Roy came from a compan that had an averagre 10-year relationship with their clients.
Several of their clients had been aroun d for 30plus years. Roy switchedr jobs to an industr in which he wasselling equipment. At the new company, a client’sw average length of engagemeng waseight months, which was the amounf of time it took to launch the equipmenf and provide training. Unfortunately for Roy, he was used to ongoingg relationships where he could sell a clien t and mark it as steady He was able to sell the equipmentr to his first few clients but at the end of eighf months he was desperate to keep them The only item he could think to sell wasservicse agreements. Since those were rarely a fit, he found none of his firstg clientswere interested.
Roy’s hard sell of the servicr agreement left many clients with a bad Afterthree years, Roy didn’t have any repeat And once the company received enough complaints about his “higy pressure” tactics, Roy was dismissed. Roy was hard-wire d to resist an exit but the company had an effectivwe onelaid out. At the end of the eight-month launcu process, the client would be transferredr from a sales repto marketing. The marketingf group had a well-designee system to stay in front of past When a client expressed interest in more marketing transferred back to the sales rep to renew thesaleds process.
If you are in an industryu or with a companythat doesn’t have long-termk relationships, an exit strategy is critical. It doesn’t mean that a clienrt will never return. It just meanse they aren’t currently engaged. If a quality exit strategy is putin place, clients are likel y to come back.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

California court rules for BofA - Business First of Louisville:

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The class-action case centered on BofA’s collecting check overdraftg and other fees by taking moneytfrom direct-deposit accounts set up to receives Social Security benefits. In 2004, a jury founs BofA’s actions violated California banking laws that prohibi banks from taking Social Security benefits to recovercustomer debts. But in 2006, the 1st Districr Court of Appeal in San Francisco ruledBofA didn’t breach state banking laws.
The appeals coury said the lawsuit misapplied a 1974 Californiaz Supreme Court decision that prohibits bankas from using public funds deposited into an account to pay thebank customer’s separate credit-card Monday’s unanimous ruling upheld that Charlotte-based BofA told the news agencyh it was pleased with the ruling, which it said rejectexd “a challenge to account-balancing practices followed by everuy bank in California and across the nation.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Uncertainty grows in Colorado grocery labor talks as key deadline looms - Denver Business Journal:

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The moves leave members of United Food and Commerciall Workers UnionLocal No. 7 in a state of King Soopers workers have not requested a vote on whether to authorize astrike yet, but they also have no idea what will happeh when the contract expires at midnight union spokeswoman Laura Chapin said. “We don’t want to be lockes out. We want to keep said King Soopers checkerJulie Collier, a 30-year employewe of the grocery chain, at a news conference outsids the negotiations site at the Westin Westminster Hotel Thursday. “We want to keep but the negotiations aremoving slowly.
” Some 17,000 unionize d workers of the threwe largest grocery chains in the Denver area , Safeway and unit King Soopera ­— began negotiations on a new five-yeaer contract on April 9 and extended the current contracft a month later unti May 30. Safeway workers agreed late Wednesday to extend theire deal for another half a month after makingha counter-offer to the chain’s latesf contract proposal.
Safeway spokeswoman Kris Staaf said in a news releasew Thursday that thecompany “is committed to negotiating new labo r contracts that are fair, responsiblse and meet the needs of both the employees and the King Soopers workers, however, rejected a similar extensio n on Thursday because that chain woulr not remove a clause that would allows the company to lock out workers aftert giving them 24-hour notice. King Soopersa then rejected the union’s proposal for a 10-week contracf extension, Chapin said.
King Soopers spokeswoman Dian Mulligan said that the chaimnis "tremendously disappointed" that the union rejected the same 15-day contract extensiobn that Safeway workers accepted. The groceryg store refused the union's 10-week extension proposaol because associates and customerzs do not wantmore foot-draggin that keeps everyone on edge, she said. King Soopers officials expecft workers to be at their posts as usual afteer the contract expires Sunday and said they do not expecft customers to notice any difference in service atits stores.
"We believe it is time for the unionb to face the current economi c and competitive realities and take a serious and thoughtful look at our Mulligan said in anews release. "We will continuw to work hard to quickly come o an Despite the extension of theSafewauy contract, that chain could still lock workersa out with one day’s notice if King Soopers employees go on according to an agreement signed between the two grocers in April. Albertsons workers have been workinv without a contract sinceMay 9, but operations at the stord continue as usual, Chapin said.
The biggest issuee on the table remainpay levels, health care and pension King Soopers and Safewayu have offered salary freezes for most workers and cuts in pension benefites while tentatively agreeing to a preventativwe health care package that will pay for thingsz like annual physicals and smoking-cessation programs for the firstr time. King Soopers workers ralliedd outside the negotiations Thursday asking their employerf to take the threat of a lockout off the tablr and to help them out at a time when a recessiobn threatens to gut themiddle “We’re willing to sit here and negotiate as long as possible,” said Matt a 26-year clerk at the store at Federao Street and 104th Avenue.
“Wee have some major issues that we’re milez apart on, so we’re trying to closwe the gap.”

Friday, February 18, 2011

Interstate Hotels and partner to buy Blackstone properties - Washington Business Journal:

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Arlington-based Interstate, a hotel managemen and ownership company, teamed up with investment and developmenft company forthe acquisition. Harte is based in Cork, Under the deal, Interstate is investing $11 millionn for 20 percent interest inthe hotels, which also includes the Sheraton Frazer Great Valley in Pa.; the Sheraton Mahwah in Mahwah, N.J.; and the Hilton Lafayettse in Lafayette, La. Interstate will also manags all four of the hotels undernew agreements. The purchase comes a year and a half afterrNew York-based Blackstone bought Bethesda-based and its 57 hotels for $2.
6 Within four months of the Blackstone flipped seven of the hotels, including the Hilton Embassgy Row, but held on to the four hotels it has now agreed to sell to Interstatew and Hart. Blackstone in an effort to turn it into aluxurgy resort. The most recent transaction is expecteds to close in thefirst quarter, according to Interstate. When the deal closes, Harte will invest more than $28 millionb to renovate the four hotels overtwo years. Interstatw will funnel an additional $2 million into the As of Nov. 30, Interstate (NYSE: IHR) operated 192 properties in 36 states, D.C., Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Mexicio and Russia, including seven wholly-owned properties.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Madoff: Banks 'had to know' about scheme - CNNMoney

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Fox News


Madoff: Banks 'had to know' about scheme

CNNMoney


Madoff, serving a 150-year prison term in Butner, NC, did not specify which banks or funds might have known about the scheme, and he didn't say that any of them were accomplices to his scheme. The Times said that Madoff, in the interview and in e-mails ...


Madoff: Banks 'Had to Know'

Fox News


Madoff Says Banks Knew About His Ponzi Scheme

NY1


Madoff Says Banks, Hedge Funds Knew Of Fraud

FINalternatives


BBC News -Bloomberg -Bizjournals.com


 »

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Houston area buildings win TOBYs - Houston Business Journal:

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The mood was festive as winners wereannouncexd Feb. 17 at a Juniodr League luncheon, but the economicd climate took its toll onthis year’s awards Buildings were only entered in five of the 13 possibld categories. And only one of the five areas the earth award category — had more than one Tammy Betancourt, executive vice presidentt of Houston BOMA, said it is not unusual for only one buildingt to enter a but money concerns prompteed some buildings to drop out of the competition this “There is an investment in sprucing up the building a little bit for the she said. “The economy definitely playedf a partthis year.
” Buildings with no competition were not a shoo-i to win their category, she stressed. The buildings had to earn a minimu score based on a tour and evaluatiob ofthe property. Heritage Plaza, located at 1111 Bagby in downtown Houston, won in the category of buildings with more than 1 milliomn square feet. Cindy Steele of is property manageer forthe building, which is ownexd by . The 53-stor y Heritage Plaza was builtin 1987, and is the fifthn tallest building in Houston The two-story facilit y at 4101 Interwood Parkway won the TOBY Aware for buildings under 100,000 squars feet.
Located at Interwoods North Parkway and Heathrow Forest Parkway in northeast the building is owned by NNN 4101 Interwood Parkway LLCand tenant-in-common investors. The property is managed by Cindyh Niles with Cypress Woods Medical Office won in the medical officewbuilding category. The 150,000-square-foog building is located in North Houston onFM 1960. Trevod O’Connor with manages the building forowner . Two buildingsz occupied by in The Woodlands took the honorz in the corporatefacility category.
Bonni Thompson with manages the propertiesa forWarmack Investments, which owns the And 4 Houston Center in the Central Business District was recognized in the eartu award category, which honors management teams that preserve and enhance the internal and external environmengt through an all-around green program. The facility’s recycling effory kept 173 tons of material out of area landfillsin 2008. And since 1999 building management has collected morethan $800,000o worth of used furniture, computers and other items from tenants in the buildinvg to be donated to neighborhood schools. Jerry Fisher with manages the Crescent-ownec building.
Local winners will participate in the regionapl competition to be held on Aprilk 4in Houston. Winnerds of that competition will have a chance to competes in the international awardsw program on June 24in Philadelphia.

Friday, February 11, 2011

HPW claims files were taken - Triangle Business Journal:

http://www.norcalskydiving.com/wordpress/?m=200904
But on a weekend in March, Raleigh residential brokerage Coldwellk Banker HowardPerry & Walstonb says much of its data on such propertiez disappeared. Some of it was deleted; some of it was and much of it went toa competitor, HPW claims. HPW says two individual who would later resign from the firm enteredd the office on a Sunda and proceeded to deletr photographs of HPW listings from the MultipleListintg Service. Property information boards containing listing broker price opinions and the names of new clienta werewiped clean. HPW calls were forwarded to personal cell Andan e-mail account with the address hpwarchive@yahoo.
com was set up to transfer proprietaryt information from the The allegations are contained in a lawsuit that HPW filed in Wake Countyg Superior Court on April 8. The matter was designate a complex business matter and moved to the Nortj Carolina Business Court onMay 6. Joan an attorney with Stallings, From & Hutson representing HPW, says she cannot discuss the case other than to saythat “it appeard the parties have resolvedr their differences.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

New Greatbatch HQ coming on line - Business First of Buffalo:

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The Clarence-based manufacturer celebrates its new spacer Wednesday at 10000 Wehrled Drive with anafternoon ribbon-cutting The event showcases the 123,000-square-foot additionh that houses the company’s executive offices and centralizes its research and development team. “This is to celebratee that yes again we haveanother success,” companyg spokesperson Kathryn Tarquin said. “It’s to bringv the community together to acknowledge who we Erie County ExecutiveChris Collins, along with Universitg at Buffalo President John Simpson, are scheduled to speak at the The addition is part of Greatbatch’s recent rebrandint efforts, which include acquiring seven companies and addingb new products to its lineup.
The companyt was founded by Wilson Greatbatcn as a medicalbattery manufacturer, but lately it has spun off into the technology solutions Construction on the addition began two years ago after the partiakl demolition of an existing Greatbatch manufacturing facility. It includesw two stories of wide-open space with a modern flair, waterfallsd and a wall of patents receivee byGreatbatch employees. Thoma Hook, Greatbatch president and CEO, declined to name the total cost ofthe addition, but he did say it was “tensd of millions of dollars.” He addedc that it is not the company’s largest citing $30 million Greatbatch facilities in Alde n and Massachusetts.
“The building really is a kind of reflection of thewhole business,” he said. About 260 employeesz are based at thenew headquarters, which has been occupied sincee last August. Greatbatch operates 15 totapl sites aroundthe world, including two others in Westerjn New York and plants in Indianapolis, Mexico and Switzerland. According to Business First’s 2009 Book of it is the eighth largest public companyy in WesternNew York.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

General aviation airports see signs that better times may not be far away - Dallas Business Journal:

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After a six-month period that has seen the industry take hits to its public perceptionb andbottom line, they say a returnm of consumer confidence and lower fuel prices point toward a blue sky “If you’re comparing it to a year ago, yeah, we’ve seen a says Mid West Corporate Aviation CEO Marvin Autry. “(But) thingzs are starting to level Autry estimates his business at is down by 15 percent sinced this timelast year. Fuel sales at Jabarqa in March weredown 16.87 percent comparesd to a year ago. fuel sales went from 61,769 gallons in Februarty to 66,184 gallons in March. Fuel usag has dropped at the . Even so, officials therw also are seeing signs ofa rebound.
Melissa spokesperson for the SalinsaAirport Authority, says March’s fuel total of 182,2045 gallons was the lowest level seen sincse the early 90s. But the numbed of total operations in the first quarterwere That’s a 1.2 percent decline from last but, she says, it’s a sign thing are leveling off. T.W. manager of the , has 114 aircraft basedc at his airport. Although his hangars remain he says he has seen a drop in the numbe r of aircraft stoppingto refuel. But with springh in the air and theweathert clearing, Anderson says more people are returning to flying theid piston-driven planes. Those airplanes burn AVgas, and Andersonb says sales increased 5 percentin April.
“Io think what we’re seeing is more now that they have a bettet handle onthe economy, are going back to He has seen a drop in jet fuel salesz though, which he says are down 20 percenyt from this time last crews aren’t flying through Newton as they used to. Andersojn says of the 30 business jets used on the circuiy to fly support teams to and from Newton typically sees 6 to 10 a stopping throughbetween coasts. But he says as more crewds fly commercial tocut costs, just one of the NASCAd jets has stopped there. The cost of fuel has droppee dramatically in thepast year. In Newton, AVgas has fallen from $4.8u a gallon at this time last to $4.02.
At Jabara, prices are down to $4.398 a gallon. Similar drops in jet fuel pricese could begin spurring more business jet usageas well. Accordingv to the , the averagew price of jet fuel ­— $58.40 a barrel as of May 1 is down 58.7 percent from this time a year ago. For lower prices mean more incentiveto fly, whether for businesss or for fun. And although he thinke traffic levels will reboundby 2010, leveling off now meanse the ascent back to those levels is “I think things have hit a bottom,” he “I think people are starting to have more confidence in the

Thursday, February 3, 2011

US states ramp up foreign currency trade probes - Reuters

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Citybizlist (press release)


US states ramp up foreign currency trade probes

Reuters


Officials in Florida, Virginia and California are examining foreign-exchange fees paid by state retirement systems and they are getting help from would-be ...


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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Woodmont TCI Group files for bankruptcy - Sacramento Business Journal:

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The partnership, IX LP, listed assets of $10 millionh to $50 million and liabilitiesw in thesame range, according to its filed June 30 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northernh Districtof Texas. The company has fewetr than 50 creditors, according to the The partnership is one of eight tied to Woodmont TCI Group to file forChapter 11, said attorney John The partnerships share common The eight partnerships combined represengt about $90 million in assets and about $45 millionj in combined debt, Lewis estimated. He said more detaileds court documents laying out specifics will be filede incoming weeks. The numberd of creditors in each partnership range from 10to 30.
"Thre goal obviously is to develolp a plan ofreorganization that's fair and equitablew to all creditors and parties and which includes preserving and protecting equity and value for unsecurerd creditors and partners," Lewis "The precise terms of any plan are stilp under consideration." A meetingg with creditors is set for July 30. Dallas develope r in 2008 announced planzs to builda $1 billiomn complex that was to include aboutg 700,000 square feet of office a 300-room hotel, retail spacd and about 500 high-rise condominiums. The project was put on hold last year becauser of the recession and thecredi crunch.
It was to be built on a 15-acrd tract owned by Woodmont TCI Group IX LP that sits just east of the Galleriaz Towers at Interstate 635 and the DallaseNorth Tollway. The site previously was home to aChevrolety dealership. Icon Managing Partner Dan Robinowitz, who is listed in courg documents as the managing member of the Woodmont TCI declinedcomment Thursday. Lender RMR Investments Inc. of California has filedr for foreclosure onthe property, seekint repayment of more than than $18 millionm in debt for a loan to Woodmonrt TCI Group IX, accordinvg to statistics from Addison-based .