Western Illinois wins 3rd straight opener - Chicago Tribune

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Western Illinois wins 3rd straight opener Chicago Tribune Western Illinois pounded the Bulldogs on the ground for 240 yards, including 109 from Nikko Watson and 106 from Ray. The Leathernecks surpassed 200 yards rushing for the third straight game after ending last season with similar efforts in victories ... Western Illinois holds on to beat Butler 23-15 Washington Post Western Illinois beats But ler 23-15 Yahoo! Sports Western footb »

Attracting, retaining talent key piece of economic development strategy - Memphis Business Journal:

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Leadership Memphis’ FastTrack Leadership Program, created in responsee to MemphisED in the spring of 2008 and in partnership withMPACTg Memphis, specifically targets the MPACTg demographic and is a condensed, four-month version of Leadership Memphis’ core nine-month program, says David Williams, president and CEO of Leadershipp Memphis. Some 140 people have graduated from the program inthres semesters, he says. The goal of the FastTrack progra m is to get participants to recommit to Memphixs by getting them to understand thecomplesx problems. “They see they can be part of the Williams says.
“The challenge is big, but there is a piecse for them — they just have to say they own it.” Makinhg these young professionals active, not passivr citizens, means they are much more likelu tostick around, he says. “When people completes this program, I’ve heard it over and Williams says. “Those thinking, ‘I need to get out of they recommit to staying in Memphis.
”

Phoenix concert lineup: Beyonce at US Airways Center, U2 at UOP - Washington Business Journal:

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US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix will play host to concertxs by Beyonce on July 7 and Green Dayon Aug. 22. Ringliny Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus will be at the center from June 24to 28. June also marksw the start of the Women’as National Basketball Association 2009 season giving the Phoenix Mercury at string ofdates there. Phoenix’s Dodg Theater concerts range from Jay-Z on July 2 to The Fray and Jack’ Mannequin on July 14. Across town in Glendale, University of Phoenixs Stadium willhost U2’s latest U.S. tour on Oct 20. “Americam Idol” winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert will join othedr finalistsat Jobing.com Arena on July 20.
Teen pop idolsd the Jonas Brothers willplay Jobing.com on Aug. 11. Cirque du Soleik will be at the Glendales hockey arena July 29to Aug. 2. The summer concert lineuo at Cricket Wireless Pavilion in west Phoenisx includesthe Van’s Warpefd Tour June 30, Marilyn Manson and Slayer on July 17 and Def Lepparxd on Aug. 29. Pop band Lifehouss will perform after the June 13 Arizona Diamondbacks game atChase Field. Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. reported earlier this month that concerty sales were down 9 percent for the firs t quarter of 2009 comparedto 2008. West Hollywood, Calif.-basex Ticketmaster said sports ticket sales were down 7 percen in thequarterly comparison.
US Airways Cente would not disclose informatioh aboutticket demand. Scott Norton, spokesman for the Universityh ofPhoenix Stadium, said economic and consumer worriess impact some, but not all events. “Ww have not seen it affect ourU2 show, but I believes that is partly due to the relativelty low ticket prices for the show,” he Tickets to the U2 concert run from $30 to “We have soccer on July 12 and monstee trucks on Aug. 1, which are both walk-uo type events, so I guess we will see,” Nortoj said. “I think the key thesd days is pricing event tickets based on what the curreng marketwill bear.
You cannot expect consumers to pay forlike entertainment, if your competitors are offerinh family four packs, buy one-ge t ones, etc. Just like the real estatse market, it’s got to be priced to sell if you expec tit to.” Business owners and othe consumers say the more frugak ways include spending on tripe and special events. “We have definitelg tried to cut back,” said Judy a chef and owner of the Simplty Impressive Cooking Schoolin “Our 30th anniversary is June 16. We were goin g to go away for along weekend, but aftere the water heaters broke and othetr things hit, we just decided not to spenf money on the hotel.
” Otherz continue to spend on concerts they deem “An artist we had wanted to see last October came to town finally this past week. Although the concert sold out quicklythat didn’tt stop me from getting tickets (through Stub Hub) for my daughter and I to see Taylorr Swift,” said Nancy Dudenhoefer. community relations managef at Kyrene School Districtin Tempe. “It was worth it – she put on a great Plus we went out to dinnerf at Westgate prior to the she said. “We met my cousin and his wife and their two young girls there they have gone to theCheetan Girls, Taylor Swift and will be attendingg Jonas Brothers come August.
I think we do the big eventsd because we knew it would be a great experience withour

ADP reports 532,000 May job cuts - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Payroll firm ADP reported Wednesdagy that companies inthe U.S. cut an estimatec 532,000 workers from payrolls last month. ADP also revised higher its estimatw of cuts in Aprilto 545,000 from the previous estimate of 491,000. The ADP report noted losses acroszs all sizes and categories of businesses with large businesse payrollsdeclining 100,000, medium businesses shedding 223,000 jobs and small businesses cutting 209,000 The goods-producing sector lost 267,000 jobs while the service-producinhg sector declined by 265,000 positions. The Labort Department is due to releasse its jobs reporton Friday.
The average analyst estimate for that report of government as well as privatre payrolls is a lossof 520,000 payroll positionx and an increase in the unemployment rate to 9.2 percent from April’ rate of 8.9 percent. On Monday, The Institutde for Supply Management announced that its factorhy index rose to the highest level sinces last September as new orders posted theire first gain since therecession began. On Tuesday the Nationap Association of Realtors reported that pending salezs ofexisting homes, or contracts signed but not closed, rose 6.7 percent in April, the larges t increase in six years.

Missouri unemployment worsens, but slows - Washington Business Journal:

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The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increaser to 9 percentin May, up from 8.1 percen t in April, the department reported April’s 0.6-point decrease in unemploymengt now appears anomalous, with the May increased part of an upward trenf dating to mid-2008, state officials said. Approximately 272,000 Missouriana were estimated to have been jobless durinbg the monthof May. Nonfarm payroll employmengt decreasedby 3,700 jobs in May, marking the smalles t monthly decrease since employment began to drop sharpl y in November.
Job losses were concentrated inmanufacturing (3,700) and construction (1,600), which were partly offsef by gains in health care and social assistance and local government (900). During the past year, employment droppesd by 74,300 jobs, or 2.7 percent. The main exceptionzs to the downward trend in the past year have been privatre educationalservices (2,500), health care and socia assistance (6,000), federal government and local government (3,300). The national unemploymenty rate in Maywas 9.4 percent.

Colorado ranch on Forbes

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Forbes said the BootJack Ranch in the San Juan Mountainx near Pagosa Springs is availablesfor $68 million (down from $88 million). It’s listerd as the 7th most expensive home for sale inthe “We included the BootJack Ranch on our list while the price includes 3,100 acres of it’s a luxury property more than a workingf ranch,” Forbes said. “The main house is 13,8090 square feet and has four bedrooms and four Outlying guest cabins and lodges can host up to 50 peoplse and bring the total interior space upto 77,000 squared feet. In addition, there’s a 12,000-square-foot spa and aquatid center.
” Forbes said the property is available throughh Bill Fandelat Sotheby’s International Forbes’s annual lists includes oceanfront urban townhouses, monumental ski lodgesd and country estates. At the top of the list is the Fleurt de Lys mansion inBeverly Hills, Calif., to be had for $125 Several homes on the list have had theier prices slashed over the last year, Forbes said. . .

RBS Seeks Official Clarity on Iran Business Dealings - Wall Street Journal

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Wall Street Journal

RBS Seeks Official Clarity on Iran Business Dealings Wall Street Journal By JESSICA HODGSON · Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC has approached regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to discuss whether its business dealings with Iran could have breached U.S. sanctions, according to a person familiar with the bank's ... and more »

Big Ten/Big East Baseball Challenge set for next spring - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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All 10 of the Big Ten Conference’s baseball playing schools and eighr teams from the Big East Conference will play in a collegse season opening tournament at various spring trainin g venues inPinellas County, a release said. The St. Petersburg/ will host the tournament. “This is a cutting-edgse concept for Division I baseball,” said Big East commissionefr Michael Tranghese ina release. “It’s a terrificv opportunity for our teams to play againsty great competition in asetting that’s conducive to high-levep collegiate baseball.
” Each school will bring 25 to 30 players plus staff and coaches, providing hotel room staff worked for 18 months to land the event, the release “In the end, it was the destinatiohn itself that closed the said Kevin Smith, The tournament will be similar in formar to the conference collegiate basketball challenges that have emerged durinh the past decade, with participating teams competing against school from an opposing conference. this tournament provides teams fromtwo northern-basedf conferences an opportunity to travel to Floridq and compete against each other at professional-gradde venues. Games will be played at , Knology Park and Progressw Energy Park/Al Lang Field.
There will be eight inter-conferencew contests daily, with the two extrw Big Ten teams competing against each otherein non-league games, or 27 gameds in all.

Highwoods sells retail centers for $62.1M - Phoenix Business Journal:

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for $62.1 million, the Raleigh-based real estate investmen t trustsaid Friday. The three centersd are, on average, 94.5 percent leasede and 55 years old. They generate a combined net operating incomeof $5.4 milliob a year, Highwoods (NYSE: HIW) “Our focus remains on continuing to improvew the overall quality of our portfolio througjh the disposition of older, non-core said Ed Fritsch, president and chief executive officer of “In addition, by sellinb these older, capital intensive retail centers, we are avoidingg over $3 million in building improvementxs that would have been incurrecd over the next two years.” Our 2.
3 millio n square feet of office and retaiol properties in Kansas City are now exclusivelty located in and arouncd the Country Club Plaza, a unique, upscalw retail center that includes many high-end nationall retailers.” As of March 31, Highwoods ownes or had an interest in 382 in-service office, industriak and retail properties encompassing about 35.4 million square feet.

Rep. Gerry Connolly upset over D.C.'s bridge work - Kansas City Business Journal:

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In a letter to the the new Democratic congressman from Fairfax County said the Districtr Department of Transportation failed to give Virginia drivers adequatr notice of construction on two of the five bridges over thePotomacd River. Major construction on both began this but work on the Chain Bridge started two days ahead of the publiclyannounceds schedule. The work shut down one lane of trafficv that will remain closed foreight months.
In his Connolly called the earlystart “unacceptable and unfair to thosw trying to reach employment, recreation and retail centers on both sides of the Connolly said Fenty and the DDOT showedr a lack of respect for Northern Virginiwa commuters, adding that the District has a “special responsibility to the federall work force, residents from across the and visitors from across the nation to adequatel communicate and mitigate even minorf disruptions in access to the city.” Construction on the 14th Street Bridge will last two years and intensivwe work on the Chain Bridgd will take place between 10 p.m. Fridayxs and 6 a.m. Mondays, when DDOT will close the entire bridge.
DDOT officials could not be reachedfor

S. African Police Claim Self-Defense in Mine Shootings - Voice of America

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AFP	S. African Police Claim Self-Defense in Mine Shootings Voice of America But he stopped short of saying who was responsible, and c »

Here's why Romney pounced on Biden's "chains" gaffe: He's losing - Washington Post (blog)

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BBC News

Here's why Romney pounced on Biden's "chains" gaffe: He's losing Washington Post (blog) “Romney wants to let the â€" he said the first 100 days â€" he's gonna let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain W »

SUVs reborn to deliver luxury with an attitude - Dayton Business Journal:

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Once created to tackl e off-road obstacles in hard-to-reach sports utility vehicles have been reborn as urbabnassault vehicles. In a battle of one upsmanshi p where bigger is better and luxury is major players have emerged in a market once dominatedby Jeeps, Blazera and Broncos. Luxury car makers like , Lexuds and Cadillac have been quick to join the franticv popularity ofthe SUV: Lexus introduced its which has since evolved to the LX470, in first produced its smaller sport utility, the QX4, in Lincoln introduced its Navigator in 1997; Mercede first rolled out its ML320 and ML439 in 1998; and Cadillac jumpe on the band wagon with its Escalade, releasedx in November 1998.
These are not inexpensive toys. An Infinitij SUV goes for around $37,000 whilw a loaded Lexus weighs in atabouf $60,000. Most luxury SUVs come with CD multiplepower outlets, time and outside temperatures display on mirrors. Many come with sun heated seats and navigationsystemds standard. Buyers are dictating many of thestandard features, says Charlezs J. Epps, sales consultant for . "Lexus standardizes production because it is faster and more cost Epps says. "They do what folks like. Nobodyh wants to buy a strippesd down truck and spend a fortuned fixingit up. It is more cost effective to make them all the Lexus is so fast at changing whatever doesn't sell they drop real quick.
" One of the best-equipped standard SUVs is the new , which retails for $46,5254 and comes with four heate seats, Bose stereo CD player, four wheel drive that kickss in when the car senses the need and the On Star which is usually $1,400 down and $270 a year Larry Gullett, salesman for in says the package is an introductory offet to give the car an immediatw edge in the market -- sincde most people don't think "Cadillac" when they thin "rugged SUV." The plan worked. The Escalade is an overnighr successwith Cadillac. "It'a become the fastest-selling car in the 96-yead history of Cadillac," Gullett says.
"It'x bringing us younger and more customersthan before." Gullett says many are tradin in other SUVs for Escalades, which givew Cadillac dealers a stock of Explorers, Suburbans and other used vehicles it's never had before. The which ranges in price between $43,685 and has also brought in a youngerfcustomer demographic, says Jimmy salesman with Covington Pike Lincoln-Mercury. "Alo ages are buying them," Grandberry "we've never seen this much of the 25 and up Most observers are at a lost when tryinvg to explain theSUV craze. It's probablyh not the gas mileage: Most luxurty SUVs range from 12-15 mpg in the city and 16-1o9 on the highway.
And sales are equally divided between menand "I've noticed that the guys come and get them and the ladiees drive them back," Epps It could be the size. Choices are greatef than ever as SUVs are beinyg introduced in both larger andsmaller models. Ford has just come out with the which brags that it is even largerthan Chevrolet's Suburban. "It's only two incheds longer," says John manager of Gwatney Chevrolet Oldsmobile and Isuzujin Memphis.
"That's more of a marketing ploy than The 2000 Suburban is going to be biggerf with a whole different body style and a new On the other end of the dealers like Toyota and Honda are coming out with smallee SUVs likethe RAV-4 and the CRV, The Infiniti is one of the only luxury dealers not to produce a full-size SUV. "W e think this size has a more common sense approach," says Robert Walker, Infiniti of Memphis' sales "Many people feel the full-size SUVs are not as user friendly as they feel when they first driver them." And not all of the full-sizre SUVs have the third seat, includinh the Cadillac Escalade.
Another advantage is versatility, Epps "The Lexus SUV can appeak to the business person who has to carry a clientfin comfort, because there is attention to the ride quality and the luxuryu of a sedan," Epps says. "I think peopls are looking for functionalityand versatility. It has the ability to haul kids, equipment and a substantiakl towing capacity. At the same time I can hose it off and wipe it down and pull that rasca up in front of ThePeabodyg (a top Memphis hotel) and I'm OK." Many SUVs also have competitivre leases, which appeal to law firms and businesses providing key employees with company cars.
Traveling executivew appreciate the cargo space in SUVs along with multiple power outlets for laptops andfax machines. Most dealers say executive who are buying SUVs arefamilgy men. "It's replaced the station wagon," Gullett says. Safety is also a big selling point for momsand dads. For men with sensitivs egos, SUVs are more rugged than "I think we can safely say that SUVs are coolefthan mini-vans," Gullett says. "Mini-vans are nice, but to a lot of peopl there's a perception that goes alontgwith them," Epps says. Most dealers say they are selliny the SUVs as fast as they can getthem in.
There was a 30-dayy waiting list for the Escalade the first four months it was Bud Davis currently sells about 30 a Ward Archer, president and chief executive officer of Archer-Malmp Inc., Memphis, and owner of a whitse Land Rover Discovery, says the popularit y of SUVs is not surprising. "You can accomplish anything with a good producf andgreat marketing," he

Letter: Still time for voters to get wise to Romney - Dubuque Telegraph Herald

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Letter: Still time for voters to get wise to Romney Dubuque Telegraph Herald Whenever he ventures beyond Republican "talking points," presidential candidate Mitt Romney is becoming more and more of an embarrassment to the party. Republican leaders probably don't really care, though, because if they can somehow get him ... and more »

Samaras Wants Greek Asset-Sale Amendments This Month, Real Says - Bloomberg

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Samaras Wants Greek Asset-Sale Amendments This Month, Real Says Bloomberg One of the amendments will be the abolition of a requirement for the state to keep a minimum stake in companies considered of strategic importance, the Athens-based newspaper reported in a preview of an article to be published in tomorrow's edition. and more »

It's official: Norfolk Southern bringing $112M project to McCalla - Sacramento Business Journal:

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At a press conference, executives said the railroad will be constructe on 316 acres in the McCalla across the Norfolk Southermn rail line from the Jefferson Metropolitanindustrial park. The company estimatew the intermodal facility will create orbenefit 8,60o0 jobs and have a 10-year cumulative economic impacty of more than $4 billion, similar to the $3.654 billion Norfolk Southern said it’s had in the area over the past 10 Construction is slated to start at the beginninhg of 2010, with a target openinvg of 2012. No state or county money will be sought by the railroa forthe facility.
But it will seek publix money from the federal government forits $2 billion upgraded project of the Crescent Corridor, which is its rail line that runs from New Englandr to New Orleans and throughb Birmingham and part of the plan for the new A public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18 to discusas the new facility with concerned citizensin McCalla, who formed a group to fight the The group went before the Jefferson Countuy Planning & Zoning Commissiohn Thursday to protest the environmenta hazards the new facility could bring to the neighborhoor and the dangers of it beingh located so close to McAdorg Elementary.
Norfolk Southern already has purchased some land in the vicinit y for the intermodal facility and has contracts onthe rest, said one Concerns were voiced from Rep. Pat R-Pleasant Grove, about additional truckk traffic on Exit 104 offInterstater 20/59, which would serve the facility. Officials said the concerns would be addressex and a solution would be founs to ensure the safetyof drivers. Norfolk Southern officials touted the new facilitt would help take about 1 million truckloadsa of freight off the local Interstateseach year. The site for the intermodal facility in McCalla will have accesas fromMcAshan Drive, off Interstate 20/59, and will borde Eastern Valley Road.

California losing ground in manufacturing - Dayton Business Journal:

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Manufacturing “still drives California’s economy in many but the state is losing grounfd to other states and nations because of itsregulatory climate, tax burdehn and reputation as a difficult and costlyu place to do the wrote in the reportr released Tuesday. The paid for the called “Manufacturing 2.0: A More Prosperouas California,” to create a better understanding of the current state of manufacturint and the need for action to savethe state’s most critica engine of economic growth, the associatiohn said in a news release. The Assembly Committee on the Economy and Economic Development is scheduleed to discuss the reportnext Tuesday.
The committese is trying to understand themanufacturing sector’a role in the state’s economic recovery. “California’ economy has been built on The sector’s steady decline is undoubtedlgya ‘canary in a coal mine’ for the state’s association president Jack Stewart said in the news “California has the capacity to innovate and make thingx but it is not at all living up to its potential.” The reportg says that the impacts from lost manufacturinyg jobs have been devastating.
The study looksa at California’s manufacturing decline compared tocompetitive “peer” states, shows what the states would look like if it had maintained year 2000 levels of and explains the huge economic benefits and ripple effects from high and even low wage The Milken Institute also examines the challenges the industry faces in California and recommends some changed to make the sector more competitive in the Goldenm State. The trade association had the Milken Institute preparse a similar study sevehnyears ago.
“Since then, and even beforr the current international recession, California manufacturing has remainefdin decline, with little attention from the news release said. If California had maintained the same levelk of manufacturing from 2000 to the state wouldhave $27 billioh more in manufacturing wages and $54 billiomn more in total manufacturingf related output, the report “Just do the math on thosed numbers to see how much more the state woulxd have seen in tax revenue,” Stewart said in the “It’s absolutely crucial that our statwe doesn’t neglect this sector for anothed seven years.
” California has been losingb manufacturing jobs, particularly high-value-addeed manufacturing, to Oregon, Washington, Texas and Minnesota, the reporyt said. California was home to 1.5 million manufacturinfg jobs in 2007, whil e its seven peer states had 2.7 millionj manufacturing jobs. Those stated added more than 62,000 manufacturing jobs between 2003and 2007, whilee the Golden State lost 79,000 manufacturinyg jobs during the same California, in fact, is losinh a larger share of manufacturing employment, especially in high-tech, and is losin g those jobs at a faster the report found.
Those peer states also are “usingg targeted incentives to keep and lure manufacturers away from thestudy said. “California manufacturing is innovative, exciting and wealth Pamela Kan, president of Bishop-Wisecarveer Corp., said in the “We employ 53 California workers who make great wagexs andvery precise, innovative and technica l products for many other manufacturing sectors. We hear constantl about our California suppliers’ and struggles with regulatory uncertaintyand costs.” Kan’s familuy founded Bishop-Wisecarver, which is based in the Contra Costwa County city of Pittsburg, in 1950.
“This report,” she said, “is a wake up call to California’ policymakers that we need a focused manufacturing strategyh in the state to retaib and growthe nation’s most coveted

Distressed assets taking center stage among apartment investors - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Now, buyers are looking for something abit uglier. Of the handfuol of investment opportunities that exist in the local apartment market, those assets moving to the top of list thesde days are the so-callee distressed assets, industry brokers say. Specifically, the crea of that crop are bank-owned assets, or REO (reao estate owned) assets — forecloseed properties that have gone back tothe lender. Also fallinb into the “distressed” category are apartmenrt properties put on the marke t due tothe owners’ financial dire straits.
Phoenix and Miamui have seen a deluge of REO deals over the past 18 according toCasey Fry, an associats with the San Antonio/Austin office of Atlanta-basefd (ARA). The first wave of thesre properties have now surfaced in San Antonioas well, Fry says. The city’ws relatively stable economy makes it unlikely that the localp market will see as many of these REOs and distresserd property sales asother metros, but as Fry pointsa out: “There will be more to come.
” Whilse transaction velocity in San Antonio has slowed considerably over the past two there is the likelihood that more apartment communitiesd will come to markef — as more owners find themselvese needing to sell, adds Will Balthrope, a member of the Balthroper Group of the . Balthrope’s partner is Ryan who is based inSan Antonio. Balthrope’s office is located in Dallas. Looking back over the past year athis team’s property assignments — including those that have already changed ownership, as well as thosew still for sale — aboutf 90 percent of these properties were beinyg sold by owners who had found themselves in financialo trouble.
Or as Balthropse puts it, these were owners who had “compellingf reasons to sell.” What’s the attraction of distressedassets ? Sums up Balthrope: “The opportunity to profit in a time of valuee change.” Words like “distressed” and “REO” are like big signzs on the asset that say, “Come look at Balthrope says. And for every owner that has a compelling reasonto sell, therd are myriad buyers anxiously waiting to take advantages of a good deal, observe Patton K. Jones, managing director of ARA’se Austin office. So who are the buyer now?
According to Jones, it’s all privatre money these days — or what he calls “countrt club money.” “The institutional investors are says Jones, adding that most of thesd players — names like and — have fallen on tougn financial times. “Now it’s the private investor who are going to their country to their friends and family andraisint equity.” It’s a lot of new blooe coming in, Fry says. “The buyers out they are not on ourregular Rolodex,” he adds.

Tina Montgomery and Jennifer Hanseler

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Now they deliver fish. Their Seattled company Surfin’ Seafood isn’t large, but it has struck a chord among upscale consumers willing to pay a little morefor high-end seafooe that has been flash-frozen to stay and that is delivered to their doors. After graduall but steady growth, Surfin’ Seafood now has abou t 1,200 customers, in an area ranging from Federalo Wayto Everett. Revenus reached $250,000 last year and continues to grow, although the customer count has hita plateau.
With an eye to familty life (both are married and have two children Montgomery and Hanseler have carefully set boundaries so that thei r business can be worked aroundtheir children’s schoolo and athletic schedules, and evenings at For instance they don’t take phone orders, but only over the And they deliver only once driving their family minivans to deliver selectionse of frozen fish packed in blue plastic coolerws that look like big The company has avoided debt and has only modest growtg plans. “Really, we don’t want to be huge.
We’r going to take it as it We have been on a very steadygrowtg path, consistently from the very beginning,” Montgomery “We don’t want to have venture capital funding to become this huge nationwid e (leader) in seafood.” One of the company’s chierf selling points is seafood that is frozen quicklyh to keep it as fresh as So-called fresh seafood often has perched on a pile of ice for and in these conditions seafood rapidly declines in Seafood doesn’t age well like beef does, and frozen seafoos is not a step down from fresh, as it is with “A lot is frozen at sea, or within hours of and it captures that just-caught flavor,” said Linda assistant retail director for the , based in Surfin’ Seafood isn’t exactly the “mini” package costzs $110 a month for about eight pounds of assortes salmon, halibut, prawns, sole and The company avoids lower-end seafood productss (no fish sticks here), and all owsd people to substitute in their orders by email.
One recession-eraw trend the company is tapping is that consumer are moving awayfrom white-tablecloth restaurants — wheree most high-quality seafood is eaten — to eatingg at home. “I just thinkl people are eating at home and they want to make it easy tohave high-qualit y ingredients at home, so they can eat at home more Montgomery said. “This is a way to have restaurantqualityh fish, at home.” While the company employss only the two partnerz and sometimes a helper, and sometimes their children, a key to makingb it work is the South Seattle seafooc packer Surfin’ Seafood uses T.H.
Seafoodc freezers to store its seafood, and also contracts out the cuttinv and packing tothe T.H. Seafood Corp. Sales Director Cliff Davenport said he was at firsr dubious aboutthe proposal, when the partners approachec him to supply and pack their seafood. “If only took two weeks, but we decidex they’re really nice people… They’re in the same mindset of producingt a quality product and guaranteein g it when it goes out the he said. “So we took them on.
” Davenport said that his warehouswe has enough room to store their frozen products as well astheidr coolers, adding that his own staff does the cutting and “They don’t interfere with our side, and pretty much they have theie own little space. We have enoughh room everyone can function withoutf disruptingeverybody else,” he said. As for Seafood, the partners say they’re just ridingh out the economic “We think this next year or two we want to be Hanseler said. “We’d love to but really if we could keepit we’re kind of happy.
”

Venture capitalists invest $16M in NM firms - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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That’s good news for New Mexicol after VC investments were slammexd in the fourth quarter of dropping tojust $8.5 million. However, Q1 numbers stillk represent a decline in the number of transactionss and total aggregate investment from the firsg quarter of 2008 when there was a totalof $31.q million invested, according to the New Mexico Venture Capitall Association. The drop reflects a nationwide trend. Venturre firms approved just $3 million nationwide in the January toMarcy period, representing 549 deals.
“Althougj these numbers still represent a significantr drop off from our record high levels in the middledof 2008, it is encouraging to see ventured capital beginning to flow back into earlyh stage companies in New said Richard Harding, board member of the N.M. Venture Capitalp Association and general partner of InternationaVenture Fund, in a news release. The investmentse in the first quarter of 2009 included threewseed (startup investment) rounds for $1.8 millio n in capital, one series A (early stage) roundx for $0.1 million and one serieds C+ (late stage) round that drew $14.
2 “After seeing zero seed investments in 2008, it is excitinvg to watch a new crop of companiez being created and funded here in New said Francine Sommer, board member of the N.M. Venturew Capital Assn. and specialp general partner of , in a prepared statement. The VC survey is conductes by the association among its members and other investint groups withinthe state. Survey results are collected and aggregated by the law firm Brownsteinn Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP on behal f of the Venture Capital Association and individual survety resultsare confidential.

Biz Bits - Nashville Business Journal:

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Lovers of the soft, steamy rolls needn’t panicx though, says Roland Ornelas, co-founder and CEO of Brentwood-based , a start-ulp procurement counseling company. It was a necessary step to cut he says. Ornelas, who was vice president of suppl chain managementfor O’Charley’s when the restaurant sold the roll machine last guesses he’s saved companieds more than a billion His Hourglass is estimated to bring in more than a $1 millionj in its first year by saving clients 15 perceng to 40 percent on expenses. O’Charley’s Inc.
sold the roll machin e to the , with a contract that made the bun companh the sole producer of yeast rollds for all ofthe chain’s restaurants. Ornelas, who has also had procurementr stints with PepsiCoand T.G.I.Friday’s parent company , says the move was part of the chain’s plan to cut costxs by dumping its central commissary Now, instead of making everything in house, O’Charley’s outsources the work to several specialized companies. Likewise, O’Charley’s salaed dressing, butchering and printing of marketing materialw are nowhandled elsewhere.
Real estater agency launches office without walls in Gulch Shirleusays she’s going for the Starbuckz mood with her new office that doesn’t have The owner of Zeitlin & Co. Realtors signex a lease Oct. 1 for a new Zeitli InTown office in the Rather thanseparate offices, the space has work stationss and bar tables with wireless Interneg access. Agents use laptops and work from any spot to meet with Zeitlin says the concepf lends itself to the way younbg agents work and gives the officea hip, moderhn feel. It’s the first satellite agency forthe company. Mike Nichols, formerlyy with ’s Music Row office, will be the managing broker.
Nichols hopes to have 20 to 30 agentxs in the officeby year’sz end. Zeitlin says once the economg gets onsure footing, she expects the urban markert to grow in popularitt as rising gas prices send people downtowhn to be closer to their A local environmentalist’s film on energyh conservation is getting a national audience Jeff Barrie’s “Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize will be shown to a potential 23 million viewers on more than 50 PBS stations, includin g Nashville Public Television. It airs locally at 7 p.m. on WNPT Channell 8.
Noting that half of America’ds electricity is provided by coal, “Kilowatt takes viewers from coal minint sites in southern Appalachia to solar pane fields in Florida to examinw the dollar and human costs ofenergt production. It also shows viewer s how to reduce consumption and save on energy costsa through simplehousehold changes.

Pavement collapses in heavy rains - China Daily

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China Daily

Pavement collapses in heavy rains China Daily With persistent rains battering Beijing, the number of collapsed pavements has been soaring, the city's road and bridge maintenance authority said on Wednesday. Since the floods on July 21, the Beijing Municipal Bridge Maintenance Management Group, ... and more »