If Safeco And Qwest Can Advertise Big, Why Can't Your Business? Patch.com OK, perhaps they're shelling out lots of dough for the naming rights to stadiums, but in University Place, you'll can advertise at Cirque Park along Bridgeport Way West. By Brent Champaco | Email the author | 12:53am Here's an opportunity for local ... |
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
If Safeco And Qwest Can Advertise Big, Why Can't Your Business? - Patch.com
Sunday, May 29, 2011
N.C. foreclosure filings drop - Houston Business Journal:
North Carolina ranked 36th in the natiomn for foreclosure filingslast month. Foreclosure filings in the statee fellnearly 16.1 percent in May from April. Acros s the country, foreclosure filings rose 18 percen in May from ayear ago. There were 321,480 foreclosurw filings nationwide, which affected one in everh 398 U.S. households. Nevada, California and Florida postexd the top foreclosure rateslast month. Filings nationwide fell 6 percen in Mayfrom April. Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac trackds default notices, auction-sale notices and bank Its figures exceed those compiled bythe N.C. Commissione of Banks.
The company counts every foreclosure filing, includinf multiple filings for asingle household. The commissioner countws each household only regardless of the numberd of filingsit receives.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Complete Genomics prices 5.5M shares at $12.50 - Forbes
Complete Genomics prices 5.5M shares at $12.50 Forbes AP , 05.26.11, 05:21 PM EDT Complete Genomics Inc., which markets technology that can sequence human DNA for research purposes, said Thursday that it priced a public offering of 5.5 million shares at $12.50 apiece. » |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
FedEx founder Fred Smith may join bidding for stake in St. Louis Rams - Business First of Columbus:
Smith, FedEx’s chairman, CEO and has the financial resources to buy anNFL franchise. His nearl 20 million shares of FedEx stock alone are worthbabout $1 billion and his annuakl base salary tops $1.1 million. He already owns a 10% stake in the Washington Redskins — whichb he would have to sell — worth about $150 based on Forbes magazine’s $1.5 billion valuation of the Smith’s long-running relationship with the NFL and its his business background andhis family’s passion for footbalk would make him an ideao lead owner in the nation’s wealthiest and most prestigious sportsa league, industry sources say.
“Frerd Smith would be an owner straight out of centrak casting forthe NFL,” said Mark president of Chicago-based consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd. “He wouldf be very well received in NFL They knowhim well. He is an entrepreneurr who built a business from scratch into one of the most successfuk companies inthe world. He has a marketingv and customerservice background. He has a love of the game of And he looksthe part.” Rams fans who fear that a new out-of-townh owner would relocate the team within a few years might breathe easier if Smith steps up with a bid.
His hometownn of Memphis is not a likely candidate for a move due to its proximit yto Nashville’s Tennessee Titans, sources said. “Fred Smith was, and has been for a long interested in obtaining anNFL franchise,” said Hall of Fame linemanh Dan Dierdorf, the NFL broadcaster and former St. Louie football Cardinals star. “What makes him attractive in my mind is financiallyt he is more than capable of the Dierdorf said. “The NFL would not want two teamsin Tennessee. Bud the (Titans) owner in Nashville, would have a fit. Smith would be a great choice because his hometowj would not be a competitorwith St. He could keep the Rams here long term.
” Rams lead ownersd Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez are exploringt a sale oftheir 60% position. The son and daughtedr of late owner Georgia Frontiere announced this month they hiredc investment banking firm Goldman Sachs to revieew the assetsof Frontiere’s including the football team. Smith did not respond to a requestfor comment. Smith’sw interest in football ownership dates back to at leasg the early 1990s when he helpe d bankroll a Memphis group that competedcwith St. Louis and three other finalist cities for one of two NFLexpansioj franchises. In 1993, when the leagues instead awarded its 1995 expansion teams to groupwin Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla.
, Smithy turned his attention to an alternatd plan. In 1994, he and other investorz explored starting up a new professional footbalkl league to rivalthe NFL. The plan proposeds corporate team ownership, and Smith’s FedEx considere d forming a teamin Memphis. But the so-called “AA League” never materialized. Smith continued to develop his ties to the NFLthrougn sponsorship. In November 1999, FedExz entered into a multi-year, $205 million naming-rights agreement with the Redskins for FedExFiel din Washington, D.C.
The global express shippintg company also is an extensive sportws supporter beyondthe NFL, with sponsorships that include the PGA Tour’s FedExCup, college football’s FedEx Orange Bowl, a NASCARd race team owned by former Redskins head coachj Joe Gibbs, and FedExForum, home to the NBA’sz Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis Tigersz men’s basketball team. Smith finally broke into the NFL ownership ranks in Augusyt 2003 when he personally purchaseda 10% stake in the Redskins and joined its leadership council, or board of Since then, the team’s annuao revenue has increased $100 or 44%, to $327 million, and the Redskinsx have become the second-most valuable franchise in the league behind the Dallas Cowboys, accordingt to Forbes’ rankings.
The Redskins connection has become afamily Smith’s son, Arthur, who played on the offensive line for the Universityu of North Carolina from 2001 to 2005, has worked as a defensives coach for the Redskins since 2007. Smith’s youngerf son, Cannon, is a sophomore backup quarterback at the Universit yof Miami. Since majority ownership stakes do not become available often inthe 32-team NFL, Smithy might see his chance with the Forbes estimates the Rams are worth $929 Whether such a value would hold up remains to be The team had a 2-14 record last the recession is expected to have a negative effec on revenue and the Rams play in a home stadium that observers agree will not be among the top eight in the NFL by 2015 as requirerd by the current lease.
But if a biddef agrees the franchise is worth that thefull 60% stake owned by Rosenbloom and Rodriguezx would cost about $557 million. A 30% the minimum an individual majority owner must contro underNFL rules, woulcd cost about $279 million. If Smithj can get an estimated $150 milliojn for his share of the Redskins, he woule be halfway there with plenty of resources to make up the And if Smith needs an introductiomto Rosenbloom, Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke or otherxs in the St. Louis businesa community, he has at least one high-profile ally here who can help him open AugustBusch IV, former CEO of is a FedEx director.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
It's official: 15 General Motors dealers in Colorado to lose franchises - Charlotte Business Journal:
It was the first definitive statementf of exactly how many GM dealers in the state were informex thay will lose their franchise agreementsain 2010. The Coloradl Automobile Dealers Association previously had estimated the numberr at 13 to 15 based on reportsfrom dealers. GM stilpl is not releasing the names ofthe 1,323 dealersa it plans to drop including the 15 in Colorado. The informationj came in a list released by the Housd Energy andCommerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and based on information provided by GM. Executivess of GM and Chrysler, whicuh plans to shed 14 Colorado testified before Congress aboug their dealerplans Friday.
GM's car lines include Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Saab, Saturn and It has some 6,000 dealerships nationwide. Letters sent in mid-May to GM dealera the company planned to a copy of which was obtained by the DenvedrBusiness Journal, said the automaker reviewed each of its dealers ' sales volume, profitability, capitalization, locatioh and facilities along with other "market patterns." . "Based on our reviewa and current and foreseeable market conditionsz andyour dealership's historical performance, we do not see that GM can have a productive business relationship with [name of dealership] over the long term," said the dated May 14.
About 92 of Colorado'w 264 auto dealerships sell one or more GM said Tim Jackson of the stater autodealers group. Additional dealers may lose theirfranchiseds later, GM has said.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
and Industry released seasonally adjusted unemployment figures forthe state’s counties and metropolitan statistical areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny County, the unemployment rate fell from 6.6 percent in Marcnh to 6.5 percent in April. Beavee County’s went from 8.2 percengt in March to 7.9 percent in The improvements in Allegheny andBeaver counties, were not enough to boostg the seven-county Pittsburgh MSA, whicbh saw its seasonally adjustedf unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percenf in March to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent.
When making comparisons, the Departmentr of Labor and Industry uses seasonally adjusted figures in ordetr to account for cyclical hiring differencesthat don’r reflect changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be stronge r than many other areas. In addition to besting the statwe by half apercentage point, unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSA is 1.6 percentagew points lower than the United States as a which has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 Here is the breakdow n across the state: State College: 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percent 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percent Philadelphia: 7.9 percent 7.9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.
3 percent 8.4 percent Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percent Johnstown: 8.7 percent 8.7 percent Within the Pittsburgh MSA, unemploymentr ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny Countg to 9.8 percent in Armstronv County. Here is the breakdown by Allegheny: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percentg Westmoreland: 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percent 9.8 percent
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Danac gets good news from Montgomery County Planning Board - Business First of Louisville:
The Bethesda-based developer's 26-acre office park in the Shadg Grove Life Sciences Center is currently approvedfor 669,538 squarer feet of density and the campus currently containe half of that, or 350,000 square feet. At a May 28 work the Montgomery County Planning Board decidec to recommend in its draff Gaithersburg West Master Plan that the property be developed with up to twic asmuch density, or contain up to 1.34 million squarw feet of office, retail and residential space. The southwesg corner of the land currentlyu includesa 272,000-square-foot, three-building compledx that houses software and pharmaceutical tenants.
The north side of the propertuy contains the Metropolitan Regional Informational Services' 72,000-square-foot headquarters. Last week, the board also recommendex that Danac's Corridor Cities Transitway stop be locater at or near itsnortheastern corner, near the intersectioj of Diamondback Drive and Decoverlh Drive. That is good news for since the board had left out the stop inearliefr drafts. The transit stop near the cornerf may be developed whether the state retainsw the current road alignment or adoptsthe county's locallyh preferred alternative.
The board also picked that location because the northeasternn corner is considered to be convenien for pedestrians from the Decoverlyresidential communities. "W e have a long way to go, but we are encouragesd by theplanning board's recommendations," said Timothyh Dugan, a Danac attorney. Several more work sessionse are scheduled over the nexttwo months, and in July the planning board will send its draft master plan to the countyu executive who will have 60 days to reviews and comment before it is sent to the count council for deliberations.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
ICS lease with Port contingent on Shipyards resolution - Jacksonville Business Journal:
But the agreement, approved at a hastily arrangerdspecial meeting, is contingent on a satisfactoryh resolution regarding The Shipyard redevelopment project being reached between the city'as General Counsel's Office and , developer of The Shipyards. The contingency is based on concernsthat TriLegacy's problems with the city could affect ICS because the Spence family controls both companies. TriLegach and the city have been negotiating since April 16 to resolve a disagreement over how the compangyused $36.
5 million in city money at The Neither side has commented publicly on the procesas since the negotiations began, but according to correspondencse exchanged between the city and TriLegacyg in early April, the conflict centers on the two parties' interpretationx of the redevelopment agreement. In letteres to the city's Office of Genera l Counsel, TriLegacy lawyers contend that the redevelopmengt agreement allows the company to use the money as itsees fit, providec that at least $40 millionn is spent on "public by the end of the project.
City however, disagreed with the characterizatiojn and requested the company provide detailed records of the Rick Mullaney, general counsel for the apologized to the authority's board for not having finalized an agreemeny between TriLegacy and the city befor e the meeting, adding that he expected to have a settlementr in place within 48 hours. Greg Dawson, outside counsel for ICS from theEdwards & Cohen P.A. law firm in said he saw no need for any contingency relatedr to TheShipyards project, explaining that ICS and TriLegacy are separat operating companies and that ICS is financiallt healthy.
But he conceded that he would rathed see the lease agreement approved with the contingency than notat all. Dawsojn said time was of the essencebecause UPM-Kymmene, the Finnisnh company that will use much of the warehouse to store largd rolls of imported paper, had indicatedf it was growing weary of delays and was looking elsewhere. "They said they are explorint alternatives," Dawson said after the meeting. "Thet said they need to Port Authority Executive Director Rick Ferrihn told board membersthat ICS's 11-year historyh at the port gives him confidencs that the company will be able to meet its obligationas regarding the lease.
Martt Fiorentino, the board's president, said he believes the contingencgy tothe board's approval will be moot "We're close to being theres anyway," he said of the city'xs negotiations on The Shipyards, "or we wouldn'ty have moved forward."
Friday, May 13, 2011
Osama Bin Laden's wives questioned by US officials, described as 'hostile' to ... - New York Daily News
New York Daily News | Osama Bin Laden's wives questioned by US officials, described as 'hostile' to ... New York Daily News The three women were all detained following the raid on the Al Qaeda leader's Pakistan hideout, which killed him and four others. They were reportedly "hostile" to the Americans, and the eldest of the group acted as spokeswoman. ... |
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
South China Quarry Landslide: 19 Dead, 3 Still Missing - Bernama
South China Quarry Landslide: 19 Dead, 3 Still Missing Bernama GUILIN, May 11 (Bernama) -- Nineteen workers have been confirmed dead while three others remain missing after a quarry was buried by landslide debris on Monday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the local rescue headquarters said ... No traces of life after landslide hits south China quarry China landslide toll up to 14, eight missing: Xinhua 12 Dead, 10 Missing in S. China Quarry Landslide |
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Statehouse Insider: Budget work getting messy - The State Journal-Register
Statehouse Insider: Budget work getting messy The State Journal-Register By Anonymous Remember that old saying about sausage and laws being two things you don't want to watch being made? It's beginning to look like you can add state budgets to that list. The big move in both the House and Senate this year is to return ... |
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Benicia braces for possible park closures under state budget cuts - San Jose Mercury News
Benicia braces for possible park closures under state budget cuts San Jose Mercury News A possible state park closure list has not yet been released, but advocates say local residents and elected officials must prepare and take up the fight to keep the Benicia State Recreation Area and Benicia State Historic Park open. ... |
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Latest blockbuster for Merck: Sirna purchase - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
billion acquisition of made a big and like a rock thrown intoa pond, the deal has sent ripplews out in all directions. In the drug giant won a bidding contest to acquireSan Francisco-based Sirna for $13 a share, about twicew the price of the stock beforwe the companies announced the deal. For Merck, which is aggressivelh building its pipeline following the withdrawal of its blockbuster pain medicationj Vioxx fromthe market, the deal representx an effort to harness an innovative drug development platform it hopess will serve as an engine to produce new Merck Research Laboratories president Peter Kim has said the company believee RNAi could change how it discovers and develops and could become a new way to treat patients with unme t medical needs.
The technology could be particularly attractive in cancef therapy because it promises to target the activity of genesx that control cancer cells and destroh them without damagingnormal cells. For Sirna, the deal was a remarkablre turnin fortunes. Just four years ago, the companyh was running out of money and had a market capitalization ofabougt $5 million. But by the time Merck begann talking to Sirna about a possible collaboration todevelolp RNAi-based cancer drugs, it had rivalsd for Sirna's attention.
Merck was just one of four companies vyinb for a collaboration in Other companies were interested in working with Sirna possiblyu in diabetes and metabolic disease aswell -- and in relationshipsz that went beyond collaboration. "Those deals became pretty rich dealse in termsof cash," former Sirna CEO Howard who now heads San Carlos-based , told the Businessw Times at the time of the "At some point, two of the companies given the importance of the technology and the power of the technologty and how much Sirna has accomplished in the field, it woulr be a great investmenft to just buy Sirna Therapeutics." That led to a biddinyg contest.
Merck's opening bid was topped by an unidentifiedx rival who said it would paybetween $10 and $12 a according to regulatory filings. Mercok countered with its $13 a share bid to win the The biggest winner inthe deal, may not be shareholders of either company, but San Francisclo itself, which lured Sirna from its home in Colo. to Mission Bay. The acquisitiob puts one of the world's largest pharmaceutica companies at the heart ofthe city'ss effort to transform former industriapl wasteland into a thrivinvg center for life sciences.
It also puts the pharmaceutical giant'sd power behind Sirna, ensuringt that its still unproven technology will have the opportunity to reacb itsfull potential. Sirna is developing a new clasz of drugs that uses RNA interferencw orRNAi technology. RNAi is a natural, selective procesas for turning off RNAi is triggeredby so-called short interfering RNA or Typically, drugs work by binding with proteins that are the underlyingf cause of a specific disease. Sirna's technology, by contrast, prevent s the production of thedeleterious protein. Mercj had already been working in the area of RNAi throug h its collaborationwith .
The deal placed it at the forefront of a breakthrough technology that has the potential for changingh the way a wide range of diseasesare treated. It complementw Merck's 2001 acquisition of , which gave it tools to analyzegene expression. At the time of the Sirna had been pursuing a strategy of collaborating to develo therapeutics with partners around specificvdisease areas. The company had already entered into a collaboratiohn with Allergen to develop siRNA therapeutica for the wet formof age-related macular a leading cause of blindness in the The company also has a collaboration with to develoo siRNA compounds for respiratory disease.
Sirna has several other programs coveringh a broad range oftherapeutic areas.