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• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  National Business News - Local Business News | bizjournals

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Kansas City welcomes new restaurants, products, gets nod for best ribs

  Business News from the Midwest - bizjournals.com

  24 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  New restaurant-theater concept opens in Prairie Village Kansas City-based developer Dineplex International LLC on Friday opened Standees: The Entertaining Eatery in Prairie Village. The new restaurant-movie theater combo is located at The Village Shopping Center. Erik Hess will serve as the restaurant's general manager. He is currently looking to fill 50 positions from bartenders to cooks and hosts. The theater technology and auditorium was designed by Shawnee-based CineGenesis, with architecture…

• Boeing, suppliers work around that Skagit bridge collapse

  Bizjournals.com Northwest RSS Feed

  24 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Boeing and aerospace suppliers are coping with the sudden failure of transportation on Interstate 5 due to the Skagit bridge collapse, by instituting work-arounds and managing delays of several hours. “Currently we are using alternate routes, going through some of the more rural area. It’s causing a delay, not more than an hour’s impact for us,” said Misty Larsen, director of production for Volante LLC, an aircraft interiors fabricator in Burlington, Wash. Volante, which employs 100, is…

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  Business News from Southwest US - bizjournals.com

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• Epizyme expected to hold IPO during week of May 27

  Business News from the Northeast US - bizjournals

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  Epizyme Inc., a venture-backed biotech based in Cambridge, Mass., with ambitious plans for seeking drug approvals, is set to go public during the week of May 27, according to Renaissance Capital. The initial public offering of about 4.3 million shares, plus another 643,000 in over-allotments, could raise as much as $74 million at the top of the share price range, which is $15, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Epizyme plans to list on the Nasdaq market under the…

• 

  National Business News - Local Business News | bizjournals

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• 

  Business News from the Midwest - bizjournals.com

• Kansas City welcomes new restaurants, products, gets nod for best ribs

  24 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  New restaurant-theater concept opens in Prairie Village Kansas City-based developer Dineplex International LLC on Friday opened Standees: The Entertaining Eatery in Prairie Village. The new restaurant-movie theater combo is located at The Village Shopping Center. Erik Hess will serve as the restaurant's general manager. He is currently looking to fill 50 positions from bartenders to cooks and hosts. The theater technology and auditorium was designed by Shawnee-based CineGenesis, with architecture…

• Kroger stops doubling coupons in many regions, but not at Dillons

  24 May 2013 | 2:28 pm

  Dillons supermarkets throughout Kansas currently have no plans to stop doubling coupons, despite the end of that policy at many other Kroger Co. stores. Kroger, the largest traditional grocer in the United States, announced in February that it would stop doubling coupons at stores near the company’s Cincinnati headquarters and has since ended double coupons in areas in Texas, California and the Mid-Atlantic states. But Sheila Lowrie, a spokesperson for the Hutchinson-based Dillons division of…

• Xcel agrees to pay penalty in chemical fire that killed five men

  24 May 2013 | 2:25 pm

  Xcel Energy will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at one of the utility’s Colorado power plants where five men died in a chemical fire. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colo., after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel connected to the plant. The men were resealing the tunnel when a flammable solvent they were using to clean an epoxy paint sprayer ignited. Four other men escaped. In June…

• Qualls' plan would restore more funding

  24 May 2013 | 2:00 pm

  The walking back of the city of Cincinnati’s doomsday budget continues. Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls and four other council members introduced a motion Friday to restore $1.6 million in cuts to the city budget, including partial funding for: city parks, the Greater Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, human services, the city’s lobbyist in Columbus and other items. Qualls’ amendment also…

• How cat photos on #caturday helped me understand Google+

  24 May 2013 | 1:02 pm

  Hello? Is anyone out there? That’s how a lot of people feel when they log on to Google+ and try to interact with friends and business connections, many of whom are off chatting on other social media platforms. The experience used to be a lonely one for me. The often non-chronological order of Google+’s news feed confused me, too. That is — until curiosity got the best of me, and I started watching #caturday. The hashtag typically trends on Google every Saturday, when plusers flood the…

• 

  Bizjournals.com Northwest RSS Feed

• Boeing, suppliers work around that Skagit bridge collapse

  24 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Boeing and aerospace suppliers are coping with the sudden failure of transportation on Interstate 5 due to the Skagit bridge collapse, by instituting work-arounds and managing delays of several hours. “Currently we are using alternate routes, going through some of the more rural area. It’s causing a delay, not more than an hour’s impact for us,” said Misty Larsen, director of production for Volante LLC, an aircraft interiors fabricator in Burlington, Wash. Volante, which employs 100, is…

• An HIV vaccine? OHSU says it's close

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Oregon Health & Science University researchers on Friday said they have developed an HIV vaccine that has shown promising results in animal studies. The vaccine could be tested in humans within a few years. The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, is highly evasive, according to OHSU researchers who published their latest findings in the current issue of Science. The vaccine is based on a discovery that enhances the body's ability to detect and destroy the virus. "A major challenge in developing an…

• How long will it take to fix the collapsed I-5 Skagit bridge?

  24 May 2013 | 2:26 pm

  Contracting experts think that the collapsed Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge can be fixed quickly. David D’Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, said some bridge builders already have been in touch with the state. One contractor, Dan Howell, director of business development for Skanska in Seattle, said he “told [WSDOT] we’re ready, willing and able to help them in any way possible.” The Skagit River span is a steel-truss span. Built in…

• Nike donates $1M to Oklahoma tornado relief

  24 May 2013 | 2:24 pm

  Nike Inc. will donate $1 million in footwear and apparel to relief efforts for those affected by last week's deadly tornado in Oklahoma. The nonprofit Good360 will distribute the merchandise. The footwear and apparel giant (NYSE: NKE) also said it will donate all profits from online sales of Kevin Durant's signature shoe between May 23 and June 15 to a nonprofit that rebuilds playgrounds and the Moore Public School Foundation, an Oklahoma nonprofit foundation that supports the Moore Public School…

• What the I-5 bridge collapse means for interstate commerce

  24 May 2013 | 2:14 pm

  Truckers headed north from Oregon to Canada are looking at increased costs due to the collapse Thursday evening of an I-5 span over the Skagit River near Mt. Vernon, Wash. The Washington State Department of Transportation is re-routing traffic on state highways (click here for map) that connect to I-5, and the delays mean money. Steve Gordon, operations chief for Gordon Trucking Inc., said his drivers were experiencing delays of about an hour this afternoon. A mere headache for holiday travelers,…

• 

  Business News from Southwest US - bizjournals.com

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• Tempe City Council to consider State Farm development May 30

  24 May 2013 | 3:27 pm

  The development agreement for State Farm Insurance’s massive 2 million-square-foot regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake — which was confirmed after months of rumors today and is reportedly the largest office development in state history — will go before Tempe City Council for consideration at its next meeting on May 30, city spokeswoman Nikki Ripley told me Friday afternoon. The city has denied my requests to see the development agreement until it is posted with the council agenda online,…

• 

  Business News from the Northeast US - bizjournals

• Epizyme expected to hold IPO during week of May 27

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  Epizyme Inc., a venture-backed biotech based in Cambridge, Mass., with ambitious plans for seeking drug approvals, is set to go public during the week of May 27, according to Renaissance Capital. The initial public offering of about 4.3 million shares, plus another 643,000 in over-allotments, could raise as much as $74 million at the top of the share price range, which is $15, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Epizyme plans to list on the Nasdaq market under the…

• NuoDB co-founder and CTO departs, succeeded by early employee

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Cambridge-based NuoDB, developer of a database built to work in the cloud which aims to power the Web of the future, says co-founder Jim Starkey has retired from the CTO position at the firm. He has been succeeded in the role by company developer Seth Proctor. Starkey had spent three decades working in databases, starting at Digital Equipment Corp. and going on to found Interbase Software and Netfrastructure. Starkey co-founded NuoDB with CEO Barry Morris in 2010, and will remain involved with the…

• $10 million could change Villanova demographics

  24 May 2013 | 1:44 pm

  $10 million could change Villanova demographics

• Dialysis center operator and Montco hospital form joint venture

  24 May 2013 | 12:32 pm

  U.S. Renal Care Inc., which operates about a dozen dialysis center in Pennsylvania, has formed a joint-venture with Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and a group of local physicians. The partnership will unite previously competing dialysis facilites under the same owner. Under the terms of the deal, U.S. Renal Care of Plano, Texas, has acquired a controlling interest in Pottstown Memorial’s dialysis clinic at 1600 East High Street in Pottstown, Pa. Dr. Sergio Vaisman will serve as medical director…

• Servotronics wraps up fast annual meeting

  24 May 2013 | 12:25 pm

  Nicholas Trbovich Jr., the ousted former president and chief operating office of Servotronics Inc. (NYSE: SVT), sat in one chair at Servotronics Inc.'s annual shareholder meeting Friday afternoon. Trbovich's brother, Kenneth, the company's current president, sat in another. The potentially awkward situation might explain the extreme efficiency with which the meeting was run — measuring less than ten minutes long — and featuring none of the presentations, speeches or slideshows that usually…

• 

  Business News from Southeast US - bizjournals.com

• Ken Thomas says City National Bank deal good for local businesses

  24 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Miami-based bank analyst and economist Kenneth H. Thomas said the deal by Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) to buy City National Bank of Florida is good for local businesses because it maintains a competitor in the marketplace and should lead to the bank expanding. It was announced on Friday that Spain’s Bankia would sell the Miami-based bank to BCI for $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times its book value. Thomas said that represents a new high water mark for bank acquisitions in Florida…

• Swisher Hygiene shares fall after earnings report

  24 May 2013 | 3:19 pm

  Shares of Swisher Hygiene fell 5 cents, or 4.24 percent, to $1.13 on Friday after the company reported more losses in the first quarter. Swisher (NASDAQ: SWSH) reported a $17.24 million loss from continuing operations compared with a $13.26 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Sales of chemical products dropped from $40.03 million to $35.67 million. Sales of the hygiene, rental and other category fell from $18.12 million to $16.36 million. The changes indicate Swisher is still trying to stabilize…

• Mario Chalmers’ dad sued over defamation, contract allegations

  24 May 2013 | 2:19 pm

  Ronnie Chalmers, the father of Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers, is facing a lawsuit over allegations he breached a contract with a former business partner, David Sugarman of Miami. According to the lawsuit, Sugarman and Chalmers signed an agreement to become partners in Sugartime The Sports Agency. But the agreement apparently didn’t work out. Sugarman's lawsuit is alleging that Ronnie Chalmers took documents from him, bad-mouthed him to potential clients and failed to pay his way. The suit…

• Tampa stocks go into long weekend on a mostly up note (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

  Stock prices for most of the largest publicly traded companies in the Tampa area gained ground in advance of the Memorial Day weekend. Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ: BLMN) posted the biggest jump, one day after pricing a secondary offering at $21.50 a share. The stock closed at $22.31 a share. View the chart below for more local stock information and watch the Bloomberg video for top national stocks news.

• Will Sly Stallone join Howard Stern in Palm Beach?

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  “Rocky” creator and action mega-star Sylvester Stallone is looking to spend $7 million on a Palm Beach house. Gossip Extra is reporting that "The Expendables" actor has put out feelers with brokers about properties that are for sale. Stallone has deep ties to South Florida: his Wellington-based father died at 91 two years ago. He attended Miami Dade College before attending acting school at the University of Miami and lived in a Coconut Grove mansion for years. If he buys in Palm Beach, he…

• 

  Accounting News - Accounting News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• 

  Agriculture News - Agriculture News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• 

  Banking & Financial News - Banking & Financial News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Ken Thomas says City National Bank deal good for local businesses

  24 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Miami-based bank analyst and economist Kenneth H. Thomas said the deal by Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) to buy City National Bank of Florida is good for local businesses because it maintains a competitor in the marketplace and should lead to the bank expanding. It was announced on Friday that Spain’s Bankia would sell the Miami-based bank to BCI for $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times its book value. Thomas said that represents a new high water mark for bank acquisitions in Florida…

• Skagit bridge collapse spurs hotel cancellations in Anacortes

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  An hour after the Skagit River bridge collapsed Thursday evening, the phone at Anacortes’ Majestic Inn & Spa rang with the first of several cancellations for the Memorial Day weekend. Anna Holm, owner of the Majestic's Apothecary Spa, said both spa and hotel had immediate cancellations starting at 8:30 p.m. As of Friday morning, the hotel, which had all of its 21 rooms booked for the Memorial Day weekend, had five cancellations. The spa had three cancellations, “This is definitely going to…

• The List: Which banks are lending to small businesses

  24 May 2013 | 2:02 pm

  The Portland arm of the Small Business Administration this week recognized several lenders as part of its Small Business Week celebration. The SBA named Wells Fargo Bank 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Dollar Volume. The bank guaranteed $41 million in loans in fiscal 2012, 19 percent of the 7a loans in the Portland district. Top SBA Lenders >> The 7a program is the SBA's flagship small business loan program. U.S. Bank was named the 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Volume. It guaranteed…

• Chile’s BCI to buy City National Bank

  24 May 2013 | 1:10 pm

  The second-largest bank in Chile has an agreement to buy Miami-based City National Bank of Florida, the South Florida Business Journal reports. Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) has reached a definitive agreement with City National and owner Bankia, of Spain, to purchase it, according to a news release from both institutions. The price is $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times the book value of the selling bank. Such a high valuation for a bank purchase hasn't been made in years, especially…

• 

  Bankruptcy News - Bankruptcy News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• Ken Thomas says City National Bank deal good for local businesses

  24 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Miami-based bank analyst and economist Kenneth H. Thomas said the deal by Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) to buy City National Bank of Florida is good for local businesses because it maintains a competitor in the marketplace and should lead to the bank expanding. It was announced on Friday that Spain’s Bankia would sell the Miami-based bank to BCI for $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times its book value. Thomas said that represents a new high water mark for bank acquisitions in Florida…

• 

  Commercial Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Tempe City Council to consider State Farm development May 30

  24 May 2013 | 3:27 pm

  The development agreement for State Farm Insurance’s massive 2 million-square-foot regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake — which was confirmed after months of rumors today and is reportedly the largest office development in state history — will go before Tempe City Council for consideration at its next meeting on May 30, city spokeswoman Nikki Ripley told me Friday afternoon. The city has denied my requests to see the development agreement until it is posted with the council agenda online,…

• Mid-Market mystery building ready for housing

  24 May 2013 | 2:58 pm

  Raintree Partners has cracked the code on Mid-Market’s most mysterious building. The developer is converting the Wilson Building, the seven-story structure at 973 Market St., into 65 apartments. The building stands on a block of Market Street that is undergoing radical transformation, with a Gensler-designed Market Street Place under construction next door. But it turns out that the building’s history is as fascinating as its future. The building, which has an A rating from San Francisco Architectural…

• Moving closer to dropping detailed big-box store studies

  24 May 2013 | 2:35 pm

  Big-box grocery stores are closer to being easier to build in the city of Sacramento, after the planning commission Thursday approved on an 11-1 vote elimination of a 2005 ordinance requiring detailed studies for approval. The vote puts the issue before the Sacramento City Council’s law and legislative committee next month, followed by the full council in July. Joshua Wood, executive director of construction industry group Region Builders Inc., said advocates for ordinance repeal like his group…

• The Business Journal on WFDD: Davidson Co. moves on

  24 May 2013 | 1:22 pm

  This week, Justin Catanoso, contributing writer for The Business Journal, discusses the past and future of a 1,100-acre industrial site in Davidson County with WFDD's Audrey Fannin. The site at one time was seen as the Triad's best hope to be a megasite that might attract an automobile manufacturing plant. To listen, click here. Subscribers to The Business Journal can read Catherine Carlock's full article from the May 24 issue, upon which the conversation is based, by clicking here. Subscribers…

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  Economic Snapshot News - Economic Snapshot News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• Ken Thomas says City National Bank deal good for local businesses

  24 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Miami-based bank analyst and economist Kenneth H. Thomas said the deal by Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) to buy City National Bank of Florida is good for local businesses because it maintains a competitor in the marketplace and should lead to the bank expanding. It was announced on Friday that Spain’s Bankia would sell the Miami-based bank to BCI for $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times its book value. Thomas said that represents a new high water mark for bank acquisitions in Florida…

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  Education News - Education News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Notebook extras: More info on UT's Health IT program

  24 May 2013 | 12:57 pm

  While doing my research and interviews for this week’s story on the success of the health information technology program at the University of Texas, I wound up dealing with a reporter’s ideal dilemma: having too much information to elegantly fit into a story. The UT staff provided a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation that had a wealth of fact’s about the program, including the following: In addition to sizable private industry support from 50 partner companies, a $2.7 million grant from…

• Birmingham-Southern College gets $1M from Boston businessman

  24 May 2013 | 12:40 pm

  The founder of a private equity firm based in the Boston area has donated $1 million to Birmingham-Southern College. The school announced earlier this week that the donation comes from John G. Berylson, which a BSC news release described as a strong backer of higher education who has also made generous donations to his alma mater, Brown University, and Harvard University, where he earned an MBA. BSC said in its news release that Berylson, CEO of Wellesley, Mass.-based Chestnut Hill Ventures, was…

• McColl Center for Visual Art wins $400,000 grant for Brightwalk installations

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  The Brightwalk at Historic Double Oaks neighborhood redevelopment in Charlotte will benefit from a $400,000 grant recently awarded to the McColl Center for Visual Art. The center won the funding from ArtPlace America for its plans to use Brightwalk for a grant program that mixes the arts, sustainability, education and community service. The $125 million, 98-acre redevelopment near uptown will become home to environmental art installations from the McColl Center that will incorporate themes typically…

• Safety, traffic, economic development among Arts District's top goals

  24 May 2013 | 12:34 pm

  It may not be a sexy issue, but safety in the Dallas Arts District will be one of Catherine Cuellar's top goals as executive director of the district, she told me in a recent interview. Cuellar, who started her new job on April 15, said without a safe environment, nothing else matters. That refers to both crime and to the tension in the district between cars and people in the district, Cuellar said. "We have a vibrant pedestrian life in the Arts District, and I don’t know if it’s Uptown spilling…

• Wichita State leans heavily on interim leaders as colleges search for new deans

  24 May 2013 | 12:06 pm

  Interim dean has become an often-used phrase at Wichita State University in recent months. Now, here’s one more. The university says Shirley Lefever-Davis will serve as interim dean of the College of Education for the 2013-2014 academic year, replacing Sharon Iorio, who is retiring. Lefever-Davis will assume her role as interim dean on June 9. Iorio has served as the dean of WSU’s College of Education for the past six years. Lefever-Davis is a senior associate dean and professor in the College…

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  Energy & the Environment News - Energy News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• NuStar, Greehey foundation supporting Oklahoma relief effort

  24 May 2013 | 3:19 pm

  NuStar Energy LP’s philanthropic arm and The Greehey Family Foundation are donating $350,000 to the American Red Cross to support tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma. The Greehey Family Foundation is contributing $250,000, while the NuStar Foundation is donating $100,000. Bill Greehey is the chairman of the board for NuStar Energy (NYSE: NS) and the benefactor behind the Greehey Family Foundation. “We’re proud to support the American Red Cross and its efforts to provide critical aid to the…

• Xcel agrees to pay penalty in chemical fire that killed five men

  24 May 2013 | 2:25 pm

  Xcel Energy will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at one of the utility’s Colorado power plants where five men died in a chemical fire. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colo., after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel connected to the plant. The men were resealing the tunnel when a flammable solvent they were using to clean an epoxy paint sprayer ignited. Four other men escaped. In June…

• South Texas Project and other plants contribute to boost in nuclear output

  24 May 2013 | 2:04 pm

  U.S. nuclear-power output increased to its highest level in 10 weeks as the South Texas Nuclear Project and other plants returned to production after maintenance closures, according to a Bloomberg analysis of Nuclear Regulatory Commission data. Generation rose 1.9 percent nationwide to 83,841 megawatts on May 17, or 82 percent of the nation’s total capacity. Output was the highest since March 12 and up 0.7 percent from a year ago. The South Texas Project boosted production to full capacity from…

• Xcel settles with OSHA on Cabin Creek power plant citations

  24 May 2013 | 1:50 pm

  Xcel Energy Inc. will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at the utility’s power plant near Georgetown found by the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) after five men died in a chemical fire at the site six years ago. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel, known as a penstock, connected to the plant. The men were resealing the penstock when a flammable…

• Fitch upgrades SAWS debt assumed from BexarMet

  24 May 2013 | 1:36 pm

  Fitch Ratings has upgraded the debt assumed by San Antonio Water System from the dissolved Bexar Metropolitan Water District. The bond-rating agency increased to “A+” from “A” the ratings for $49.7 million in revenue refunding bonds, series 2006 (senior lien) and $63.2 million in revenue refunding bonds, series 2009 (senior lien). It also upgraded to “A” from “A-” approximately $100 million flexible-rate revolving notes (subordinate lien). In November 2011, 74 percent of BexarMet…

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  Green News - Green News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Real Goods Solar raises $8.4M from investors

  24 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

  Real Goods Solar Inc., which installs solar panels for commercial, residential, and utility customers, has more money to work with. The Louisville-based company (Nasdaq: RSOL) on Friday announced it had raised $9.25 million by issuing 3,366,974 shares of Class A common stock at a per share price of $2.75 and warrants to purchase 1,683,488 shares of Class A common stock, with a term of five years from the closing date and an exercise price of $2.75 per share. The company said it expects to have…

• McColl Center for Visual Art wins $400,000 grant for Brightwalk installations

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  The Brightwalk at Historic Double Oaks neighborhood redevelopment in Charlotte will benefit from a $400,000 grant recently awarded to the McColl Center for Visual Art. The center won the funding from ArtPlace America for its plans to use Brightwalk for a grant program that mixes the arts, sustainability, education and community service. The $125 million, 98-acre redevelopment near uptown will become home to environmental art installations from the McColl Center that will incorporate themes typically…

• Lawmakers haven't saved Texas Railroad Commission yet

  24 May 2013 | 10:52 am

  The Texas Railroad Commission could expire and cease to exist if lawmakers don't add it to a sunset safety net bill by Monday. The agency that regulates oil and gas drilling, production and transmission in Texas is known the world over because of the state's rich energy history. But, a proposal to reform the agency and change its name met gridlock in the Texas House of Representatives and eventually died, just like it did in 2011. That bill also would have allowed the agency to continue operating. When…

• The Top 5 recycling firms in Phoenix

  24 May 2013 | 8:48 am

  Phoenix-based Friedman Recycling Co. did what it did the year before and came out on top of the rankings when the Phoenix Business Journal today published its annual Recycling Firms list. The list was ranked by number of local full-time equivalent employees. Friedman Recycling reported 237 employees. Click the image above to see a slide show of the Valley’s five largest recycling firms. The full list is available to print edition subscribers. Check out page 43 in today’s paper. For a full…

• Ohio program to repay building owners for energy efficiency upgrades

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 am

  The Council of Smaller Enterprises will offer a first-ever program to recoup building owners in Ohio for the cost of energy efficiency upgrades through regular monthly billing, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Under the Ohio Energy Resource Fund, the additional cost of the upgrades coupled with less energy use would result in a bill lower to or equal to, by contract, the old utility bill. The program allows for upgrades of up to $1 million and the fund is expected to raise $10 million by the…

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  Health Care News - Health Care News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Merck loses round in Parkinson’s fight

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  Merck & Co. said it has halted the development of preladenant, its experimental drug for Parkinson’s disease, after initial data from three late-stage studies did not find evidence of efficacy compared with a placebo. Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck (NYSE: MRK) said based on these results, it is taking steps to discontinue the extension phases of these studies and no longer plans to pursue regulatory filings for preladenant. The company added that the decision to discontinue the studies was…

• States settle with Cigna over long-term disability insurance

  24 May 2013 | 2:56 pm

  California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and state insurance regulators from four other states have reached a settlement of up to $2.3 million with Cigna over handling practices for long-term disability insurance. The settlement is the result of claims handling reviews by insurance departments in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Insurance officials found the insurer did not give due consideration to the medical findings of independent physicians, discounted information…

• Court upholds retroactive Medi-Cal cuts

  24 May 2013 | 2:44 pm

  A federal appeals court has denied a request from California providers to have a full panel of judges rehear their lawsuit to block retroactive cuts to Medi-Cal provider fees. In December, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a district court decision to stop the retroactive 10 percent cut. In January, plaintiffs filed a request for an “en banc” hearing by a full panel. It was denied Friday. This means the cuts will take effect unless plaintiffs appeal the matter…

• An HIV vaccine? OHSU says it's close

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Oregon Health & Science University researchers on Friday said they have developed an HIV vaccine that has shown promising results in animal studies. The vaccine could be tested in humans within a few years. The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, is highly evasive, according to OHSU researchers who published their latest findings in the current issue of Science. The vaccine is based on a discovery that enhances the body's ability to detect and destroy the virus. "A major challenge in developing an…

• Smells like special session at Texas Capitol

  24 May 2013 | 12:59 pm

  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping quiet until the last moment on whether a special session will occur, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear he wants one. At the start of May, Perry advised lawmakers that one of the best ways to avoid a special session would be to show him a budget with $1.8 billion of tax relief for businesses. Bills have passed providing tax cuts amounting to about $1 billion, with an additional $700 million for tax-relief in the budget coming from electricity fee rebates…

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  Human Resources News - Human Resources News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• 'Watershed moment' or 'wholesale sellout,' immigration reform has momentum

  24 May 2013 | 2:22 pm

  Momentum is building for immigration reform in the Senate, thanks to the Judiciary Committee's 13-5 vote in favor of the bill this week. The House, however, is another story. That's where immigration reform stands as Congress takes a week off for Memorial Day. Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform are gearing up to turn their success at the committee level into passage by the full Senate next month. Opponents still hope to block the bill or at least modify key provisions, but their best…

• 3 selling techniques you must use in your job search

  24 May 2013 | 1:24 pm

  It’s a new world out there! The job market is much more competitive, hiring managers can’t afford to take risks by hiring the wrong person, and candidates must be the best every step of the way through the job-search process. Now, for those of you with sales experience (whether looking for a role in inside or outside sales), this should be pretty natural for you, right? Wrong! It’s shocking how few salespeople apply the tools of their trade to their job-search process. Pipeline? Non-existent.…

• Safety, traffic, economic development among Arts District's top goals

  24 May 2013 | 12:34 pm

  It may not be a sexy issue, but safety in the Dallas Arts District will be one of Catherine Cuellar's top goals as executive director of the district, she told me in a recent interview. Cuellar, who started her new job on April 15, said without a safe environment, nothing else matters. That refers to both crime and to the tension in the district between cars and people in the district, Cuellar said. "We have a vibrant pedestrian life in the Arts District, and I don’t know if it’s Uptown spilling…

• Plan B taps Joe Popa as its first group creative director

  24 May 2013 | 12:33 pm

  Plan B the Alternative Agency has hired Joe Popa as its first-ever group creative director. Previously a creative within the DraftFCB and Rivet agency networks, Popa now will oversee creative and design across Plan B's client roster at the agency headquarters in Chicago and a satellite office in San Francisco. Popa will report directly to Ric Van Sickle, partner and chief operating officer of Plan B. Noted Van Sickle: Joe was a standout because he has incredibly broad experience in designing ideas…

• More than 17,000 job openings in Dayton region

  24 May 2013 | 11:29 am

  April saw an improvement in online job postings in the Dayton region from the previous month, according to information from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. There were 17,100 job openings posted in the 12-county area of Dayton and western Ohio between March 14 and April 13, an increase in 537 ads from the previous reporting period, but a decrease of 457 ads from that time last year. Health care and transportation-related career fields dominated the job postings charts. Kettering…

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  Insurance News - Insurance News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Tempe City Council to consider State Farm development May 30

  24 May 2013 | 3:27 pm

  The development agreement for State Farm Insurance’s massive 2 million-square-foot regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake — which was confirmed after months of rumors today and is reportedly the largest office development in state history — will go before Tempe City Council for consideration at its next meeting on May 30, city spokeswoman Nikki Ripley told me Friday afternoon. The city has denied my requests to see the development agreement until it is posted with the council agenda online,…

• States settle with Cigna over long-term disability insurance

  24 May 2013 | 2:56 pm

  California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and state insurance regulators from four other states have reached a settlement of up to $2.3 million with Cigna over handling practices for long-term disability insurance. The settlement is the result of claims handling reviews by insurance departments in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Insurance officials found the insurer did not give due consideration to the medical findings of independent physicians, discounted information…

• State Farm regional HQ set for Tempe in massive $600 million development

  24 May 2013 | 1:05 pm

  Tempe city officials have finally put to rest months of rumors and confirmed in a statement Friday that a massive regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake will be built for State Farm Insurance. I first reported on the story back in February — although all parties involved, including State Farm, remained tight lipped until now — but the project is much bigger than first thought. In fact, city officials said the mixed-use project, dubbed Marina Heights, will be the largest office development…

• Search this database to see what your hospital charges for care

  24 May 2013 | 12:46 pm

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a wealth of data about what hospitals charge consumers for common procedures. The data showed what those in the industry have known for a long time: What hospitals charge patients for a given procedure can vary significantly even within a single geographic region. For example, the average price of a permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation in Kansas City ranges from $41,709.90 at Olathe Medical Center to $140,333 at Centerpoint Medical…

• Jerry Colangelo-led group pays $73 million for Tempe State Farm campus

  24 May 2013 | 11:39 am

  Former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo and his long-time business partners have handed over $73 million in a sale-leaseback deal for the State Farm Tempe Operations Center within the master-planned Fountainhead Corporate Park, according to a statement Friday from CBRE Inc. in Phoenix. The State Farm campus — acquired by Colangelo, David Eaton and Mel Schultz through their real estate investment and development company JDM Partners LLC — is comprised of five buildings totaling roughly 372,400…

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  Legal Services News - Legal Services News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Xcel agrees to pay penalty in chemical fire that killed five men

  24 May 2013 | 2:25 pm

  Xcel Energy will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at one of the utility’s Colorado power plants where five men died in a chemical fire. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colo., after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel connected to the plant. The men were resealing the tunnel when a flammable solvent they were using to clean an epoxy paint sprayer ignited. Four other men escaped. In June…

• Mario Chalmers’ dad sued over defamation, contract allegations

  24 May 2013 | 2:19 pm

  Ronnie Chalmers, the father of Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers, is facing a lawsuit over allegations he breached a contract with a former business partner, David Sugarman of Miami. According to the lawsuit, Sugarman and Chalmers signed an agreement to become partners in Sugartime The Sports Agency. But the agreement apparently didn’t work out. Sugarman's lawsuit is alleging that Ronnie Chalmers took documents from him, bad-mouthed him to potential clients and failed to pay his way. The suit…

• Xcel settles with OSHA on Cabin Creek power plant citations

  24 May 2013 | 1:50 pm

  Xcel Energy Inc. will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at the utility’s power plant near Georgetown found by the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) after five men died in a chemical fire at the site six years ago. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel, known as a penstock, connected to the plant. The men were resealing the penstock when a flammable…

• Smells like special session at Texas Capitol

  24 May 2013 | 12:59 pm

  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping quiet until the last moment on whether a special session will occur, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear he wants one. At the start of May, Perry advised lawmakers that one of the best ways to avoid a special session would be to show him a budget with $1.8 billion of tax relief for businesses. Bills have passed providing tax cuts amounting to about $1 billion, with an additional $700 million for tax-relief in the budget coming from electricity fee rebates…

• FDIC wins legal malpractice case against Icard Merrill, senior partner

  24 May 2013 | 12:45 pm

  A Tampa federal jury decided prominent Sarasota law firm Icard Merrill and Robert Messick, shareholder and senior partner, committed professional malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty in a real estate deal involving failed First Priority Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., receiver for the bank, filed suit against the firm and Messick and was awarded damages of $1.2 million. Messick represented the bank in a $5.3 million real estate loan in 2006 for a developer who was supposed to build…

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  Logistics & Transportation News - Logistics & Transportation News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Boeing, suppliers work around that Skagit bridge collapse

  24 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Boeing and aerospace suppliers are coping with the sudden failure of transportation on Interstate 5 due to the Skagit bridge collapse, by instituting work-arounds and managing delays of several hours. “Currently we are using alternate routes, going through some of the more rural area. It’s causing a delay, not more than an hour’s impact for us,” said Misty Larsen, director of production for Volante LLC, an aircraft interiors fabricator in Burlington, Wash. Volante, which employs 100, is…

• How long will it take to fix the collapsed I-5 Skagit bridge?

  24 May 2013 | 2:26 pm

  Contracting experts think that the collapsed Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge can be fixed quickly. David D’Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, said some bridge builders already have been in touch with the state. One contractor, Dan Howell, director of business development for Skanska in Seattle, said he “told [WSDOT] we’re ready, willing and able to help them in any way possible.” The Skagit River span is a steel-truss span. Built in…

• What the I-5 bridge collapse means for interstate commerce

  24 May 2013 | 2:14 pm

  Truckers headed north from Oregon to Canada are looking at increased costs due to the collapse Thursday evening of an I-5 span over the Skagit River near Mt. Vernon, Wash. The Washington State Department of Transportation is re-routing traffic on state highways (click here for map) that connect to I-5, and the delays mean money. Steve Gordon, operations chief for Gordon Trucking Inc., said his drivers were experiencing delays of about an hour this afternoon. A mere headache for holiday travelers,…

• Skagit bridge collapse spurs hotel cancellations in Anacortes

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  An hour after the Skagit River bridge collapsed Thursday evening, the phone at Anacortes’ Majestic Inn & Spa rang with the first of several cancellations for the Memorial Day weekend. Anna Holm, owner of the Majestic's Apothecary Spa, said both spa and hotel had immediate cancellations starting at 8:30 p.m. As of Friday morning, the hotel, which had all of its 21 rooms booked for the Memorial Day weekend, had five cancellations. The spa had three cancellations, “This is definitely going to…

• 'Bailey Bridge' could be short-term fix for collapsed Skagit River span

  24 May 2013 | 2:03 pm

  A “Bailey Bridge,” mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday as a possible temporary fix for the collapsed I-5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Mt. Vernon, is a well-seasoned bridge technology first developed during World War II. The bridges are steel truss bridges, made of sections small enough to be carried by hand, which can be bolted together on site. During World War II, they were often erected under fire, and they were used heavily during the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. The U.S.…

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  Manufacturing News - Manufacturing News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• World's largest glass manufacturer opens Cupertino office

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  If you didn't notice AGC Group when it opened its new digs in the Silicon Valley last week, you can perhaps be forgiven. After all, a four-person office operating out of one of the few buildings in Cupertino without an Apple sign on it is easy to miss. But in this case, that small office is just the tip of a much larger spear. AGC Group is one of the world's largest manufacturers of glass and glass products, with nearly $12 billion in annual revenue, and it's in town to do deals. I spoke with Yoshiaki…

• Boeing, suppliers work around that Skagit bridge collapse

  24 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Boeing and aerospace suppliers are coping with the sudden failure of transportation on Interstate 5 due to the Skagit bridge collapse, by instituting work-arounds and managing delays of several hours. “Currently we are using alternate routes, going through some of the more rural area. It’s causing a delay, not more than an hour’s impact for us,” said Misty Larsen, director of production for Volante LLC, an aircraft interiors fabricator in Burlington, Wash. Volante, which employs 100, is…

• Pro-Tesla Motors bill dies in Texas House

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Lawmakers have sided with dealers’ interests over those of Tesla Motors Inc. in the debate over whether manufacturers of electric- or all battery-powered vehicles should be able to sell directly to customers. House Bill 3351, authored by State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, had proposed changing Texas law that mandates vehicles be sold to customers through dealerships. But stiff opposition from groups such as the Texas Automobile Dealers Association trumped the argument of Tesla CEO Elon Musk…

• Chordus Inc. files Ch. 11 bankruptcy

  24 May 2013 | 2:04 pm

  Chordus Inc., a wholesale office furniture and office equipment company based in Pelham, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 15 as it plans to reorganize its distribution method. A parent company of Office Furniture USA, Chordus Inc. will be closing two of its five distribution centers in Ontario, Calif., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa. “Our remaining distribution centers will continue to supply our 138 dealers throughout the country, but with less equipment,” said Office Furniture USA…

• 'Bailey Bridge' could be short-term fix for collapsed Skagit River span

  24 May 2013 | 2:03 pm

  A “Bailey Bridge,” mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday as a possible temporary fix for the collapsed I-5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Mt. Vernon, is a well-seasoned bridge technology first developed during World War II. The bridges are steel truss bridges, made of sections small enough to be carried by hand, which can be bolted together on site. During World War II, they were often erected under fire, and they were used heavily during the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. The U.S.…

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  Media & Marketing News - Media & Marketing News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• Will Sly Stallone join Howard Stern in Palm Beach?

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  “Rocky” creator and action mega-star Sylvester Stallone is looking to spend $7 million on a Palm Beach house. Gossip Extra is reporting that "The Expendables" actor has put out feelers with brokers about properties that are for sale. Stallone has deep ties to South Florida: his Wellington-based father died at 91 two years ago. He attended Miami Dade College before attending acting school at the University of Miami and lived in a Coconut Grove mansion for years. If he buys in Palm Beach, he…

• Forbes: Raleigh-Cary winning battle for information jobs

  24 May 2013 | 2:09 pm

  Raleigh is winning. At least in the battle for information jobs. Dubbed a “rising star,” the Raleigh-Cary region ranks No. 8 among metros winning that battle, according to a Forbes analysis. Forbes says “less expensive” cities such as Austin and Raleigh are pulling information jobs from places such as Boston, New York and the Bay area. But other upstart locations are coming into play, such as New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner. For the full list of cities winning the battle for information jobs,…

• Downtown restaurants, retail to be used in movie shoot

  24 May 2013 | 1:27 pm

  The facades of a bevy of Downtown Albuquerque businesses have been transformed this week in advance of a movie shoot. Gold Avenue SW, from Second to Third Street has been readied to look like a Berkeley, Calif., streetscape for a scene in the action/sci-fi film “Transcendence.” The film, starring Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman and Rebecca Hall, began filming this month at Albuquerque’s I-25 Studios and at locations in and around the Albuquerque-area, according to the New Mexico Film Office. Storefronts…

• How cat photos on #caturday helped me understand Google+

  24 May 2013 | 1:02 pm

  Hello? Is anyone out there? That’s how a lot of people feel when they log on to Google+ and try to interact with friends and business connections, many of whom are off chatting on other social media platforms. The experience used to be a lonely one for me. The often non-chronological order of Google+’s news feed confused me, too. That is — until curiosity got the best of me, and I started watching #caturday. The hashtag typically trends on Google every Saturday, when plusers flood the…

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  Residential Real Estate News - Residential Real Estate News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Mid-Market mystery building ready for housing

  24 May 2013 | 2:58 pm

  Raintree Partners has cracked the code on Mid-Market’s most mysterious building. The developer is converting the Wilson Building, the seven-story structure at 973 Market St., into 65 apartments. The building stands on a block of Market Street that is undergoing radical transformation, with a Gensler-designed Market Street Place under construction next door. But it turns out that the building’s history is as fascinating as its future. The building, which has an A rating from San Francisco Architectural…

• Will Sly Stallone join Howard Stern in Palm Beach?

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  “Rocky” creator and action mega-star Sylvester Stallone is looking to spend $7 million on a Palm Beach house. Gossip Extra is reporting that "The Expendables" actor has put out feelers with brokers about properties that are for sale. Stallone has deep ties to South Florida: his Wellington-based father died at 91 two years ago. He attended Miami Dade College before attending acting school at the University of Miami and lived in a Coconut Grove mansion for years. If he buys in Palm Beach, he…

• Duly Noted: Tattoo economics, schools and blight, Donald Trump

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  Some may find this small window into the tattoo industry remarkable for how straightforward it is. Without pictures and a couple of identifying details, it appears the business model is essentially the same as that of many hair salons. -- Chicago Grid With Chicago Public Schools closing as many as 50 neighborhood schools over the next couple years, it's important to acknowledge the most likely economic effects. In some neighborhoods, already struggling local economies will likely be under even more…

• Why Nashville duplexes could become a thing of the past

  24 May 2013 | 12:39 pm

  In Nashville neighborhoods humming with redevelopment, you might notice a lot of duplexes going up, as developers try to maximize returns by putting two homes on one lot. Most of the homes look like separate houses, aside from a 'connector wall' that resembles a shed or breezeway. Metro Nashville is considering a rule change, however, that would eliminate the connector-wall requirement. The planning department is drafting changes and is in discussions with Metro Council members about the issue. The…

• McColl Center for Visual Art wins $400,000 grant for Brightwalk installations

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  The Brightwalk at Historic Double Oaks neighborhood redevelopment in Charlotte will benefit from a $400,000 grant recently awarded to the McColl Center for Visual Art. The center won the funding from ArtPlace America for its plans to use Brightwalk for a grant program that mixes the arts, sustainability, education and community service. The $125 million, 98-acre redevelopment near uptown will become home to environmental art installations from the McColl Center that will incorporate themes typically…

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  Retailing & Restaurants News - Retailing & Restaurants News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• Swisher Hygiene shares fall after earnings report

  24 May 2013 | 3:19 pm

  Shares of Swisher Hygiene fell 5 cents, or 4.24 percent, to $1.13 on Friday after the company reported more losses in the first quarter. Swisher (NASDAQ: SWSH) reported a $17.24 million loss from continuing operations compared with a $13.26 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Sales of chemical products dropped from $40.03 million to $35.67 million. Sales of the hygiene, rental and other category fell from $18.12 million to $16.36 million. The changes indicate Swisher is still trying to stabilize…

• Food trends from the NRA

  24 May 2013 | 3:06 pm

  The NRA (calm down, I’m talking about the National Restaurant Association) recently held its big show in Chicago, where more than 2,000 companies representing more than 900 product categories showed up to showcase what they’ve got cooking. During this conference, lots of new food trends were spotted, many of which revolved around health and bold new flavors to meet what food producers say are shifting consumer demands. Since San Francisco’s restaurants seem to love a good trend (pork belly,…

• Kansas City welcomes new restaurants, products, gets nod for best ribs

  24 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  New restaurant-theater concept opens in Prairie Village Kansas City-based developer Dineplex International LLC on Friday opened Standees: The Entertaining Eatery in Prairie Village. The new restaurant-movie theater combo is located at The Village Shopping Center. Erik Hess will serve as the restaurant's general manager. He is currently looking to fill 50 positions from bartenders to cooks and hosts. The theater technology and auditorium was designed by Shawnee-based CineGenesis, with architecture…

• Moving closer to dropping detailed big-box store studies

  24 May 2013 | 2:35 pm

  Big-box grocery stores are closer to being easier to build in the city of Sacramento, after the planning commission Thursday approved on an 11-1 vote elimination of a 2005 ordinance requiring detailed studies for approval. The vote puts the issue before the Sacramento City Council’s law and legislative committee next month, followed by the full council in July. Joshua Wood, executive director of construction industry group Region Builders Inc., said advocates for ordinance repeal like his group…

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  Sports Business News - Sports Business News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Silicon Valley Scoops: 49ers COO, three big deals, exclusive video (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 2:46 pm

  We measure our newsroom by how many exclusive stories we deliver. That’s a high bar that gets higher when a huge event like the Super Bowl lands in a newsroom’s backyard. This week we told our readers what landing the Super Bowl in 2016 means to Silicon Valley — faster and with greater breadth and depth than the competition. Our Eco Dev reporter Lauren Hepler (@SVBizLauren) led the coverage with exclusive interviews with 49ers executives. You’d be hard pressed to find a body in the newsroom…

• Nike donates $1M to Oklahoma tornado relief

  24 May 2013 | 2:24 pm

  Nike Inc. will donate $1 million in footwear and apparel to relief efforts for those affected by last week's deadly tornado in Oklahoma. The nonprofit Good360 will distribute the merchandise. The footwear and apparel giant (NYSE: NKE) also said it will donate all profits from online sales of Kevin Durant's signature shoe between May 23 and June 15 to a nonprofit that rebuilds playgrounds and the Moore Public School Foundation, an Oklahoma nonprofit foundation that supports the Moore Public School…

• Mario Chalmers’ dad sued over defamation, contract allegations

  24 May 2013 | 2:19 pm

  Ronnie Chalmers, the father of Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers, is facing a lawsuit over allegations he breached a contract with a former business partner, David Sugarman of Miami. According to the lawsuit, Sugarman and Chalmers signed an agreement to become partners in Sugartime The Sports Agency. But the agreement apparently didn’t work out. Sugarman's lawsuit is alleging that Ronnie Chalmers took documents from him, bad-mouthed him to potential clients and failed to pay his way. The suit…

• America’s Cup wanted to be like NASCAR — too much

  24 May 2013 | 1:13 pm

  America’s Cup officials likened their upcoming San Francisco races to NASCAR on the water. And as it turned out, it is more like NASCAR than they might like. Just as the 2001 race-related death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. led to numerous safety improvements for NASCAR, the death of yachtsman Andrew “Bart” Simpson on May 9 is edging the America’s Cup toward embracing more safety measures. America’s Cup race director Iain Murray this week presented several recommendations — including buoyancy…

• Duly Noted: Tattoo economics, schools and blight, Donald Trump

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  Some may find this small window into the tattoo industry remarkable for how straightforward it is. Without pictures and a couple of identifying details, it appears the business model is essentially the same as that of many hair salons. -- Chicago Grid With Chicago Public Schools closing as many as 50 neighborhood schools over the next couple years, it's important to acknowledge the most likely economic effects. In some neighborhoods, already struggling local economies will likely be under even more…

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  Technology News - Technology News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• NuoDB co-founder and CTO departs, succeeded by early employee

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Cambridge-based NuoDB, developer of a database built to work in the cloud which aims to power the Web of the future, says co-founder Jim Starkey has retired from the CTO position at the firm. He has been succeeded in the role by company developer Seth Proctor. Starkey had spent three decades working in databases, starting at Digital Equipment Corp. and going on to found Interbase Software and Netfrastructure. Starkey co-founded NuoDB with CEO Barry Morris in 2010, and will remain involved with the…

• Robots rise: sneak preview of 18 clever ones

  24 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

  Robots are on the march in the Bay Area. This week's issue of the San Francisco Business Times features a story about how more than a dozen robotics companies have recently emerged or moved to the region, united by a belief that robots are getting closer to going mainstream in homes and businesses of all kinds. Robotics entrepreneurs cite a burst of technological breakthroughs, a plunge in the price of components and a sharp rise in the availability of venture funding as factors behind the expected…

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  Travel Business News - Travel Business News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• How long will it take to fix the collapsed I-5 Skagit bridge?

  24 May 2013 | 2:26 pm

  Contracting experts think that the collapsed Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge can be fixed quickly. David D’Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, said some bridge builders already have been in touch with the state. One contractor, Dan Howell, director of business development for Skanska in Seattle, said he “told [WSDOT] we’re ready, willing and able to help them in any way possible.” The Skagit River span is a steel-truss span. Built in…

• Skagit bridge collapse spurs hotel cancellations in Anacortes

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  An hour after the Skagit River bridge collapsed Thursday evening, the phone at Anacortes’ Majestic Inn & Spa rang with the first of several cancellations for the Memorial Day weekend. Anna Holm, owner of the Majestic's Apothecary Spa, said both spa and hotel had immediate cancellations starting at 8:30 p.m. As of Friday morning, the hotel, which had all of its 21 rooms booked for the Memorial Day weekend, had five cancellations. The spa had three cancellations, “This is definitely going to…

• 'Bailey Bridge' could be short-term fix for collapsed Skagit River span

  24 May 2013 | 2:03 pm

  A “Bailey Bridge,” mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday as a possible temporary fix for the collapsed I-5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Mt. Vernon, is a well-seasoned bridge technology first developed during World War II. The bridges are steel truss bridges, made of sections small enough to be carried by hand, which can be bolted together on site. During World War II, they were often erected under fire, and they were used heavily during the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. The U.S.…

• United offering more premium perks from New York

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  No matter what the surveys say about the quality of its service, Chicago-based United Airlines is charging ahead with upgrades of its service in a variety of ways. Today, United bragged that it is now the only United States-based carrier to offer 180-degree flat-bed seats and personal on-demand entertainment systems in premium cabins on every long-haul international flight departing from New York area airports, including Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. Altogether United (NYSE: UAL) has outfitted…

• Top of the List: Tourist Attractions

  24 May 2013 | 12:29 pm

  This week’s Birmingham Business Journal lists the area’s most notable tourist attractions, listed alphabetically. Click here to see a photo map of the Birmingham Tourist Attractions, or check out our slideshow below to see the entire List. Click the white arrow in each picture to collapse or expand the description of each attraction. One Birmingham outdoor adventure venue deserves special recognition. Red Mountain Park has been in operation since 2012 and is the largest urban park in the area.…

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• The List: Which banks are lending to small businesses

  24 May 2013 | 2:02 pm

  The Portland arm of the Small Business Administration this week recognized several lenders as part of its Small Business Week celebration. The SBA named Wells Fargo Bank 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Dollar Volume. The bank guaranteed $41 million in loans in fiscal 2012, 19 percent of the 7a loans in the Portland district. Top SBA Lenders >> The 7a program is the SBA's flagship small business loan program. U.S. Bank was named the 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Volume. It guaranteed…

• Today’s sales managers must be change agents

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  The only constant in life is change. And the sales game is certainly doing its share of changing. One of the biggest shifts seems to be in the buyer/seller relationship. Research shows that buyers are not reaching out to contact salespeople and sales organizations until they’re 60 to 70 percent along in the decision process, according to Jill Konrath, an internationally recognized sales strategist. “Instead of contacting a salesperson, customers today are going online first,” Jill says. “I…

• Kidblog: a young firm that's growing

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  A former Twin Cities teacher and a business manager are unlocking millions of student notebooks worldwide and publishing them online. Matt Hardy and Dan Flies created Kidblog Inc. as a platform for teachers to manage and monitor student blogs online. Three years after its creation, Kidblog has surpassed 3 million users, and 150,000 classrooms are using the program. Hardy came up with the idea while teaching at Cedar Ridge Elementary in Eden Prairie. He wrote an early version of Kidblog for his…

• Use social media to improve customer service

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  Be proactive. Experts agree that small businesses need to keep these two words in mind if they want to extend their customer service to the world of social media. Using social media to provide customer service may differ for various companies, depending on their size. For large companies, such as airlines, the big concern may be responding to people who are tweeting about bad experiences in real time, said Jason McDonald, director of JM Internet Group, which provides Internet training. Smaller…

• Houston's newest whiskey and vodka distillery has ambitious plans

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  The owners of the newest Houston-area distillery to get into the whiskey-making game are hoping to give consumers a good reason to clink glasses, after the company made its initial shipments to Texas retailers last month. “We’re a small, new distillery but we’re kind of thinking big,” said Travis Whitmeyer, a founder and co-owner of Whitmeyer’s Distilling Company LLC. Behind the distinct flavor of their products is the Whitmeyer’s moonshine recipe, a family tradition that is more than…

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  Albany Business News - Local Albany News | Business Review of Albany

• Palace Theatre collects $58,000 at fundraising event

  24 May 2013 | 11:32 am

  A fundraiser generated $58,000 for The Palace Theatre in Albany, NY, officials said. The May 9 fundraiser, called “Salute to the Palace,” featured a live performance by Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show. The fundraiser is an important event for the non-profit theater, which is on track to finishing its second consecutive season with a surplus after years of budget deficits. “As a non-profit arts organization, we rely on the enthusiasm of the local community to sustain our growth and success,”…

• Finch Paper changes CEOs

  24 May 2013 | 10:44 am

  A new president and CEO took charge May 24 at Finch Paper LLC, a paper mill in Glens Falls, NY. Joseph Raccuia, 54, retired today after four years at the helm. He is succeeded by Debabrata Mukherjee. Finch Paper reported $280 million of revenue in 2012. The mill has about 500 hourly workers and another 200 salaried employee, making it among the largest manufacturers in the 11-county Capital Region. Raccuia, a Wilton resident, was hired in February 2009—as the recession and Internet were beating…

• Two Siro’s veterans have big plans for former Joe Collins restaurant in Saratoga

  24 May 2013 | 9:38 am

  Former Siro’s owner Tom Dillon is opening a restaurant in the former Joe Collins in Saratoga Springs, NY with Sean Sheehan, another Siro’s veteran. Dillon tells me the pair plan to open when they receive a liquor license, which he expects is four or five weeks out. They are leasing their new place, Jack Dillon’s Farm to Fork Cuisine, from El Mondo Properties LLC. The Business Review reported late last year that El Mondo owners Joe Parisi and Matt Hickey bought the 7,200-square-foot restaurant…

• Albany County starts all over on SCCC contract

  24 May 2013 | 9:22 am

  Albany County's newest construction job has an unusual twist: Everyone already knows the winning bid. County legislators voted May 23 to re-bid a contract to create new classrooms for Schenectady County Community College. This time, the county is ensuring its request for proposals, or RFP, adheres to a rule that steers work to unionized contractors. This has frustrated the original low bidder, Wainschaf Associates Inc., of Rensselaer—a nonunion shop. "My problem is everyone knows our price!…

• 14 more apartments open in renovated downtown Albany building

  24 May 2013 | 9:11 am

  Another renovation project in Albany, NY created 14 more apartments downtown, along with commercial space. "The building is filled up," said Seth Meltzer, managing member of Penta Development Group. "Before the first unit was ready in October we had 10 deposits." Two historic, five-story buildings at 522-524 Broadway were converted into one- and two-bedroom apartments and 18,000 square feet of commercial space by Penta Development Group. The buildings are across from the state Dormitory Authority…

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  Albuquerque Business News - Local Albuquerque News | Albuquerque Business First

• Photos: Nonprofit of the Year awards

  24 May 2013 | 1:56 pm

  Nearly 350 people attended Albuquerque Business First’s inaugural Nonprofit of the Year awards luncheon Thursday to honor 24 nonprofits for their contributions to the community. As part of the awards ceremony, the audience watched video testimonials from people who’ve been impacted by the nonprofit organizations’ work. Photo Editor Randy Siner was there to capture all the action, from the winners’ speeches to the networking and expo booths at which local nonprofits showcased their work. See…

• Downtown restaurants, retail to be used in movie shoot

  24 May 2013 | 1:27 pm

  The facades of a bevy of Downtown Albuquerque businesses have been transformed this week in advance of a movie shoot. Gold Avenue SW, from Second to Third Street has been readied to look like a Berkeley, Calif., streetscape for a scene in the action/sci-fi film “Transcendence.” The film, starring Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman and Rebecca Hall, began filming this month at Albuquerque’s I-25 Studios and at locations in and around the Albuquerque-area, according to the New Mexico Film Office. Storefronts…

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation names Alvin H. Warren as NM program officer

  24 May 2013 | 1:08 pm

  The W.K. Kellogg Foundation on Friday named Alvin H. Warren as its new officer for New Mexico programs. Warren, a New Mexico native and a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo, will work out of the foundation’s Downtown office. Before joining the foundation, he was cabinet secretary of Indian Affairs for the state of New Mexico and served two terms as lieutenant governor of Santa Clara Pueblo. “Our experience has taught us that a knowledgeable local team is key to helping the foundation operate…

• ABQ Civic Tech Day seeks innovation through open data

  24 May 2013 | 12:55 pm

  The University of New Mexico will be the local host for a National Day of Civic Hacking event on Saturday, June 1. The event, ABQ Civic Tech Day, is designed for programmers to work together to develop local apps, or ideas for their own projects, during hackathon sessions. Two of the sessions will include presenters from UNM, including Nick Flor, an associate professor of IT at the Anderson School of Management, and Tuan Chi Bui, of the school’s Information Technologies department. “We know…

• Lovelace, two others lose appeal of state Medicaid decision

  24 May 2013 | 11:36 am

  Lovelace Health Plan and two other insurers on Friday lost their appeals to be part of New Mexico’s $4 billion Medicaid program beginning Jan. 1. New Mexico Human Services Department Secretary Sidonie Squier notified the insurers Friday morning that their appeals have been denied. Also losing their appeals were Amerigroup Community Care of New Mexico, Inc., and Western Sky Community Care, both of Albuquerque. Neither company had existing Medicaid contracts with the state. The one-page denial…

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  Atlanta Business News - Local Atlanta News | Atlanta Business Chronicle

• Predicting heart attack risk

  24 May 2013 | 11:59 am

  Cardiologists have identified a trio of biomarkers that may predict which patients with heart disease have a high risk of heart attack or death in the next two years. The information supplied by this test could give physicians more clarity in deciding which patients with a history of heart disease need extensive diagnostic testing and more aggressive medical therapy, said Dr. Arshed Quyyumi, co-director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute. It will also help identify low-risk…

• State task force on economic development to reconvene

  24 May 2013 | 10:57 am

  A task force of state business leaders will reconvene to once again consider new corporate incentives to lure more jobs to Georgia. The meetings, which are slated to start in the next few weeks, would come a little more than two years after Gov. Nathan Deal launched the Georgia Competitiveness Initiative, an attempt at a statewide economic development strategy. Taking center stage this time are tax exemptions for Georgia manufacturers. Last year, the manufacturers received a long-sought state tax…

• SLIDESHOW: 77 12th Street welcomes first residents

  24 May 2013 | 10:43 am

  A new luxury apartment tower in Midtown on Friday began welcoming its first residents. The newest phase of the 12th & Midtown development, called 77 12th Street, opened the first of its 330 units on Friday. It’s at the corner of 12th Street and Crescent Avenue. Click the photo on the right to see a unit, its view and the pool. The project includes a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units that rent for $1,485 to $2,950 a month, according to Steve Baile with Daniel Corp., which developed…

• Lumia 928: the Khloe Kardashian 2.0 of smartphones

  24 May 2013 | 8:57 am

  In a November review, I dubbed the Nokia Lumia 920, the Khloe Kardashian of smartphones — big, bold and quite impossible to ignore. Six months later, Nokia released the nearly identical in feature set Lumia 928 — which, like Khloe 2.0, is slimmer and lighter. When it comes to the mobile wars, software trumps hardware. Even so, the Nokia Lumia 928, available exclusively from Verizon, is some damn fine hardware. Whereas the 920 had softer rounded corners, the 928 is all squared off hard edges.…

• Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta names 2013 Social Enterprise Scholarship winners

  24 May 2013 | 8:55 am

  The Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta (HBSCA) named its 2013 Social Enterprise Scholarship winners, which gives scholarships annually to metro Atlanta nonprofit leaders to attend executive education programs at Harvard. Criteria for selecting the winners includes the organization’s impact in the community, the challenges and opportunities facing the organization, and the ability of the applicant to positively impact the organization as a result of attending the program. Winners receive a…

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  Austin Business News - Local Austin News | Austin Business Journal

• Notebook extras: More info on UT's Health IT program

  24 May 2013 | 12:57 pm

  While doing my research and interviews for this week’s story on the success of the health information technology program at the University of Texas, I wound up dealing with a reporter’s ideal dilemma: having too much information to elegantly fit into a story. The UT staff provided a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation that had a wealth of fact’s about the program, including the following: In addition to sizable private industry support from 50 partner companies, a $2.7 million grant from…

• Compare Metrics filing reveals more funding details

  24 May 2013 | 12:43 pm

  A regulatory filing provided additional details about the Compare Metrics Inc. Series A financing announced earlier this week. The Austin-based software maker received nearly $4.4 million from 12 investors, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Compare Metrics, founded in 2010 as Compare Networks LLC, develops search tools for e-commerce websites with a white-label product discovery platform. Company executives have declined to disclose the number of workers. Compare…

• Pro-Tesla Motors bill dies in Texas House

  24 May 2013 | 11:53 am

  Lawmakers have sided with dealers’ interests over those of Tesla Motors Inc. in the debate over whether manufacturers of electric- or all battery-powered vehicles should be able to sell directly to customers. House Bill 3351, authored by State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, had proposed changing Texas law that mandates vehicles be sold to customers through dealerships. But stiff opposition from groups such as the Texas Automobile Dealers Association trumped the argument of Tesla CEO Elon Musk…

• Austin now 11th-largest, but where are these people coming from?

  24 May 2013 | 11:38 am

  The recent news that Austin is the 11th-largest U.S. city, according to Census numbers, shocked a lot of people. We're growing fast, but that fast? It seems like only yesterday we were ranked No. 13. Oh, wait, that was yesterday. But the number crunchers have now determined that over the past year we've grown a bit bigger than Indianapolis and Jacksonville, Fla. The Census has probably more information than you want to know here. If you click that link, be sure to note the graph that points out…

• Smells like special session at Texas Capitol

  24 May 2013 | 11:36 am

  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping quiet until the last moment on whether a special session will occur, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear he wants one. At the start of May, Perry advised lawmakers that one of the best ways to avoid a special session would be to show him a budget with $1.8 billion of tax relief for businesses. Bills have passed providing tax cuts amounting to about $1 billion, with an additional $700 million for tax-relief in the budget coming from electricity fee rebates…

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  Baltimore Business News - Local Baltimore News | Baltimore Business Journal

• Unite Here, Horseshoe Casino nearing labor peace agreement

  24 May 2013 | 11:30 am

  In this week’s BBJ, I wrote about how the expansion of casino gaming in Maryland offers labor unions a huge opportunity to expand their membership and clout in a state where unions have traditionally wielded a lot of influence. When I spoke with Roxie Herbekian, president of Unite Here, Local 7, she told me her union is close to coming to terms on a labor peace agreement with the owners of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. Unite Here represents about 100,000 casino workers across the country, including…

• Brick House first beneficiary of casino-revenue loan program

  24 May 2013 | 11:20 am

  An Annapolis learning center will be the first to get a business loan through a program that uses casino revenue to support small businesses. Brick House LLC will be awarded the first loan through Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp., one of three organizations tapped to manage about $7.8 million in slot-machine revenue set aside for investments in small businesses. Aside from Anne Arundel, Meridian Management Group Inc. and Maryland Capital Enterprises Inc. are responsible for investing the…

• Fiats cruise into Port of Baltimore

  24 May 2013 | 10:43 am

  The Port of Baltimore said buongiorno Friday to a shipment of 2,500 Fiat 500L’s automobiles. The cars, which arrived at Fairfield Marine Terminal, are part of 30,000 new Fiats scheduled to be shipped from the company’s plant in Serbia to Baltimore over the next 12 months. The Port of Baltimore is the only U.S. East Coast port to handle the 500L models. “The Port has withstood a challenging economy and continues to outperform many other major U.S. ports,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a…

• Towson University AD search starts next week

  24 May 2013 | 10:37 am

  The search for Towson University’s next athletic director begins next week, university President Maravene S. Loeschke told the Baltimore Business Journal Friday. The school will form a search committee next week to look for new candidates, Loeschke said. An interim athletic director will also be selected to replace Mike Waddell within the next couple of weeks, she said. Waddell, Towson’s athletic director from 2010 to 2013, announced on Monday he was stepping down to become the senior associate…

• Bank notes: JPMorgan CEO keeps the chair; Jay Sidhu's a happy man

  24 May 2013 | 10:20 am

  With Memorial Day weekend looming, lots of bankers took the opportunity Frioday to get a headstart on the long holiday weekend. But before they ducked out early, those bankers made lots of news that my fellow American City Business Journal banking reporters picked up on this week. From JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s annual shareholder meeting in Tampa to a big stock sale in the Philadelphia market, we go ‘round the horn to fill you on what happened in the banking world. • Tampa Bay Business Journal’s…

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  Birmingham Business News - Local Birmingham News | Birmingham Business Journal

• Chordus Inc. files Ch. 11 bankruptcy

  24 May 2013 | 2:04 pm

  Chordus Inc., a wholesale office furniture and office equipment company based in Pelham, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 15 as it plans to reorganize its distribution method. A parent company of Office Furniture USA, Chordus Inc. will be closing two of its five distribution centers in Ontario, Calif., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa. “Our remaining distribution centers will continue to supply our 138 dealers throughout the country, but with less equipment,” said Office Furniture USA…

• Birmingham-Southern College gets $1M from Boston businessman

  24 May 2013 | 12:40 pm

  The founder of a private equity firm based in the Boston area has donated $1 million to Birmingham-Southern College. The school announced earlier this week that the donation comes from John G. Berylson, which a BSC news release described as a strong backer of higher education who has also made generous donations to his alma mater, Brown University, and Harvard University, where he earned an MBA. BSC said in its news release that Berylson, CEO of Wellesley, Mass.-based Chestnut Hill Ventures, was…

• Birmingham's top 5 kings of cash

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  They say you've got to spend money to make money, but that hasn't been the case for several of Birmingham's public companies since the recession. The economy has improved, their profits have rebounded and they've accumulated record amounts of cash. But, as we noted in today's print edition, many companies aren't spending much of it. The trend was a hot topic at this week's panel discussion on the merger and acquisition market. Panelists said companies are hesitant to start spending their cash stockpiles…

• Top of the List: Tourist Attractions

  24 May 2013 | 12:29 pm

  This week’s Birmingham Business Journal lists the area’s most notable tourist attractions, listed alphabetically. Click here to see a photo map of the Birmingham Tourist Attractions, or check out our slideshow below to see the entire List. Click the white arrow in each picture to collapse or expand the description of each attraction. One Birmingham outdoor adventure venue deserves special recognition. Red Mountain Park has been in operation since 2012 and is the largest urban park in the area.…

• Roundup: Trinity move to spur medical market

  24 May 2013 | 11:53 am

  The lights in the windows of HealthSouth Corp.'s old digital hospital on U.S. 280 have a new message: Instead of spelling "NOW" they spell "THX!" But Daniel Corp., owner of the building, aren't the only ones grateful the Alabama Supreme Court declined to hear yet another appeal of Trinity Medical Center's relocation plans. In our subscribers' content this week, I outlined what Trinity's move will mean for the area: $405 million in economic development, including a Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. But…

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  Boston Business News - Local Boston News | Boston Business Journal

• Epizyme expected to hold IPO during week of May 27

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  Epizyme Inc., a venture-backed biotech based in Cambridge, Mass., with ambitious plans for seeking drug approvals, is set to go public during the week of May 27, according to Renaissance Capital. The initial public offering of about 4.3 million shares, plus another 643,000 in over-allotments, could raise as much as $74 million at the top of the share price range, which is $15, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Epizyme plans to list on the Nasdaq market under the…

• NuoDB co-founder and CTO departs, succeeded by early employee

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Cambridge-based NuoDB, developer of a database built to work in the cloud which aims to power the Web of the future, says co-founder Jim Starkey has retired from the CTO position at the firm. He has been succeeded in the role by company developer Seth Proctor. Starkey had spent three decades working in databases, starting at Digital Equipment Corp. and going on to found Interbase Software and Netfrastructure. Starkey co-founded NuoDB with CEO Barry Morris in 2010, and will remain involved with the…

• FINRA raps LPL with $7.5M fine

  24 May 2013 | 10:59 am

  The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined LPL Financial LLC $7.5 million for dozens of email failures and for making misstatements to regulators during a recent investigation. LPL’s email system seems to have been an afterthought during the firm’s rapid growth over the last five or six years, according to FINRA, Wall Street’s self-regulator. The firm’s failure to update its email systems made them “increasingly complex and unwieldy for LPL to manage and monitor effectively,”…

• Interleukin on track to commercialize periodontal disease test

  24 May 2013 | 10:41 am

  It was a close call for Interleukin Genetics Inc. (OTCQB:ILIU), but the company said it is on track. The Waltham, Mass. diagnostics company received word that its University of Michigan study has been accepted for publication with just a week to go. The study, which showed the value of PST - a genetic test that measures the risk of developing periodontal disease - was the last piece the company needed to be able to move forward. The study showed the test guided better prevention of dental disease…

• Movers and Shakers: A look at who in bio is coming and going

  24 May 2013 | 10:32 am

  The following personnel announcements at New England-area biotech companies have been made in recent weeks: Cambridge, Mass.-based Moderna Therapeutics announced the appointment of John Reynders as the company’s first chief information officer, effective in July. Reynders held several senior leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, and Celera Genomics including more recently serving as vice president of research and development information with AstraZeneca. In his newly-created role,…

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  Buffalo Business News - Local Buffalo News | Business First of Buffalo

• Servotronics wraps up fast annual meeting

  24 May 2013 | 12:25 pm

  Nicholas Trbovich Jr., the ousted former president and chief operating office of Servotronics Inc. (NYSE: SVT), sat in one chair at Servotronics Inc.'s annual shareholder meeting Friday afternoon. Trbovich's brother, Kenneth, the company's current president, sat in another. The potentially awkward situation might explain the extreme efficiency with which the meeting was run — measuring less than ten minutes long — and featuring none of the presentations, speeches or slideshows that usually…

• Hart's next hotel continues high-end trend

  24 May 2013 | 10:29 am

  A local development tandem that has constructed luxury hotels in Watkins Glen and Portland, Me. have turned their attention to the Thousand Islands. David Hart, Hart Hotels Inc. president and CEO, said construction has just started on a $20 million, 105-room upscale hotel in Clayton, a small town overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway and just south of the Thousand Islands. The Cheektowaga-based Hart Hotels is developing the hotel in conjunction with Orchard Park’s Krog Corp. The same development…

• ECC study to be unveiled next week

  24 May 2013 | 9:29 am

  The long-awaited results of a study that will guide Erie Community College’s investments in its three campuses will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28, according to County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s office. ECC leaders have said the report will pave the way for investment in the Amherst campus, including the construction of new facilities and possibly the demolition of others. ECC has raised about $27 million from the state, county and savings from operational funds for a new academic…

• Richardson project heading to ECIDA

  24 May 2013 | 9:03 am

  In what may be the first of several key public sector approvals needed to advance the project, the development team behind the proposed dramatic transformation of the long vacant H.H. Richardson Towers complex will be seeking an incentive package from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. The IDA has scheduled a June 4 public hearing to consider a request from the Richardson Center Corp. and affiliated Richardson Center Development Corp. for sales, mortgage and property on the $56.4 million…

• NYPA awards low-cost power to 2 WNY cos.

  24 May 2013 | 8:16 am

  New York Power Authority board of trustees approved low-cost hydropower allocations to two Western New York companies as part of nearly 6,000 kilowatts of low-cost hydropower that would support nearly $55 million in capital investment and creation of 136 jobs. The board recently approved seven-year hydropower allocations awards to Advance 2000 of Williamsville and Niagara Refining of Depew as incentives to expand their operations locally. A third company, yogurt manufacturer Sunrise Farms of Chenango…

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  Charlotte Business News - Local Charlotte News | Charlotte Business Journal

• Photos: NC legislators get up-close look at a Tesla S P85

  24 May 2013 | 1:46 pm

  This week, North Carolina lawmakers got a chance to check out a Tesla S P85 -- and so did a reporter from our Raleigh-based sister publication, the Triangle Business Journal. The high-end electric car from Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) was on display near the Raleigh legislative building, where company executives were lobbying against a bill that would further restrict car manufacturers from selling directly to consumers, the only way Tesla moves its vehicles. N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis took…

• Ark Ventures to renovate West Morehead building

  24 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

  Ark Ventures Inc. is preparing to renovate an approximately 18,000-square-foot building on West Morehead Street for creative office space and perhaps a restaurant. The building, 1213 West Morehead, is across from the southbound I-77 exit ramp onto Morehead. It went into foreclosure in 2012. Ark Ventures, headed by Rick and Noah Lazes, purchased the building for $750,000 from CommunityOne Bank in February. Noah Lazes says Ark will begin renovations soon to convert the single-story brick building…

• McColl Center for Visual Art wins $400,000 grant for Brightwalk installations

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  The Brightwalk at Historic Double Oaks neighborhood redevelopment in Charlotte will benefit from a $400,000 grant recently awarded to the McColl Center for Visual Art. The center won the funding from ArtPlace America for its plans to use Brightwalk for a grant program that mixes the arts, sustainability, education and community service. The $125 million, 98-acre redevelopment near uptown will become home to environmental art installations from the McColl Center that will incorporate themes typically…

• Economist: NC could save $18.7B by adopting single-payer model for health care

  24 May 2013 | 11:40 am

  North Carolina could save as much as $18.7 billion next year on health-care costs if it changed the way it finances health care. The catch? That change would require a switch to a single-payer system in which one entity collects all health-care fees and pay related costs, says Gerald Friedman, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “We have a system that was broken 10 years ago, and it’s getting worse,” he says. “You can’t fix it unless you change its…

• Sonic Automotive buys BMW, Mercedez-Benz dealerships in Denver

  24 May 2013 | 10:05 am

  Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE:SAH) has agreed to purchase two Colorado franchises from Murray Motor Imports Co. of Denver, according to a statement from the Charlotte-based company. Joining Sonic’s portfolio of dealerships are Murray BMW of Denver and Mercedes-Benz of Denver. The franchises are expected to add some $200 million in revenue during the first year, according to the statement. Sonic already owns two dealerships in the Denver market, and the latest purchases will allow further leverage…

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  Cincinnati Business News - Local Cincinnati News | Business Courier of Cincinnati

• Qualls' plan would restore more funding

  24 May 2013 | 2:00 pm

  The walking back of the city of Cincinnati’s doomsday budget continues. Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls and four other council members introduced a motion Friday to restore $1.6 million in cuts to the city budget, including partial funding for: city parks, the Greater Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, human services, the city’s lobbyist in Columbus and other items. Qualls’ amendment also…

• With new CEO, bold P&G moves likely on the way

  24 May 2013 | 11:48 am

  Whatever A.G. Lafley, the new CEO of Procter & Gamble Co., does to grow revenue, it’s likely to be dramatic. “You just don’t come off the bench like this and nibble at the margins,” said Matt McCormick, portfolio manager at downtown-based investment advisory firm Bahl & Gaynor. “The board does not do this lightly. They’re expecting something.” The P&G (NYSE: PG) board on Thursday announced that CEO Bob McDonald would retire and Lafley, who had held the job from 2000 to 2009, would…

• Seelbach Q&A on bidder controversy: 'They don't want to change'

  24 May 2013 | 11:45 am

  Controversy continues to dog an ordinance Cincinnati City Council passed at the beginning of May setting requirements for bidding on the $3.2 billion Metropolitan Sewer District replacement project. The ordinance modified a different law passed by council in June 2013. At the center of the controversy is a requirement that bidders participate in an apprenticeship program that has graduated one person in each of the past five years. Contractors and Republican elected officials in the county and…

• Kroger division president retiring

  24 May 2013 | 11:42 am

  The president of Kroger Co.’s Mid-South division is retiring. John Hackett, who started his career with Kroger (NYSE: KR) in 1963 as a store clerk in London, Ohio, has been president of the division for 23 years. “During his 50-year career, John has consistently demonstrated his passion for and commitment to our associates, our customers and our local communities,” Kroger President and COO Rodney McMullen said in a news release. “In addition to being a great executive, John is a first class…

• Hartmann Q&A on MSD bidder requirements: 'We're not going to let that stand'

  24 May 2013 | 11:37 am

  Controversy continues to dog an ordinance Cincinnati City Council passed at the beginning of May setting requirements for bidding on the $3.2 billion Metropolitan Sewer District replacement project. The ordinance modified a different law passed by council in June 2013. At the center of the controversy is a requirement that bidders participate in an apprenticeship program that has graduated one person in each of the past five years. Contractors and Republican elected officials in the county and…

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  Columbus Business News - Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus

• Obama to be honorary Presidents Cup chairman

  24 May 2013 | 12:39 pm

  President Barack Obama has agreed to serve as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club in October, but it’s a wait-and-see proposition whether he will attend in person. Obama served as honorary chairman of the event in 2009 when it was played in San Francisco, but he didn’t attend. Instead, he sent a video message that was played during the opening ceremony, said PGA Tour spokeswoman Laura Neal. But she also told me that doesn’t mean he won’t make the trip…

• Social media spotlight: Safelite AutoGlass

  24 May 2013 | 11:04 am

  Ahead of Columbus Business First’s Social Madness competition, which kicks off June 3, we are highlighting the social media presence of a handful of local participants. Whether a real estate developer, caterer, salon or clothing retailer, companies from all walks of business are touting the importance of interacting with customers in the digital space. Here’s perspective from Jaclyn Lipp, web marketing specialist at Safelite AutoGlass, on how the country’s largest vehicle glass repair and…

• Memorial Tournament fans to be memorialized in GalleryCam panoramas

  24 May 2013 | 10:53 am

  Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. has found a way to help Memorial Tournament fans capture a moment in time and share it on social media – even as the tourney tightens its rules on the use of cell phones and cameras. The Columbus-based insurer, the Memorial’s presenting sponsor, will introduce GalleryCam during the second round of the tournament May 31 and again during the final round June 2. It has hired FanCam to produce 360-degree panoramic photos at the Muirfield Village Golf Club course on…

• Top of the List: Commercial construction companies

  24 May 2013 | 10:47 am

  The top commercial construction companies in Central Ohio were awarded contracts that combined for more than $1.5 billion in 2012. Big-name entities such as Ohio State University, Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. and Nationwide Children’s Hospital tapped a wide swath of companies with local presence for building, expansion and renovation. In the May 24 print edition of Columbus Business First, we rank the area’s 25 largest commercial construction companies, based on the value of local contracts…

• Ohio State Global Gateway program measuring worth before pitching Brazil office

  24 May 2013 | 10:31 am

  Ohio State University’s global initiative to open embassy-like overseas offices has plans for a third site in Brazil next year. But first, it has to collect enough data on efforts in China and India to convince trustees that the school’s investment returns can be counted in ways other than top-line revenue. Trustees OK’d a $250,000 subsidy to start the OSU Global Gateways program three years ago with an office in Shanghai. The plan was for the effort to become self-sufficient in three to five…

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  Dallas Business News - Local Dallas News | Dallas Business Journal

• Tech Wildcatters hosts largest program in its 5-year history

  24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm

  Dallas’ Tech Wildcatters this week hosted its largest program since the group's inception five years ago. The seed accelerator, which works to develop companies, selected 11 startups and attracted 500 guests to its Pitch Day Thursday, the final event in the 12-week program. “With every single class, I wonder if they’re going to be better than the last,” said Gabriella Draney, Wildcatters CEO. “But every single time, they impress me.” Companies ranged from offering wedding planner programs…

• Safety, traffic, economic development among Arts District's top goals

  24 May 2013 | 12:34 pm

  It may not be a sexy issue, but safety in the Dallas Arts District will be one of Catherine Cuellar's top goals as executive director of the district, she told me in a recent interview. Cuellar, who started her new job on April 15, said without a safe environment, nothing else matters. That refers to both crime and to the tension in the district between cars and people in the district, Cuellar said. "We have a vibrant pedestrian life in the Arts District, and I don’t know if it’s Uptown spilling…

• Flexjet sees business take off as economy improves

  24 May 2013 | 11:34 am

  Dallas-based Flexjet reported that new business grew 83 percent in the first quarter. Flexjet, the world's second largest fractional jet ownership services provider, said that sales of fractional shares grew 108 percent in the quarter and that new jet card sales grew by 48 percent. The company offers fractional aircraft ownership, jet card and whole aircraft management services with Bombardier Learjet and Challenger private jets. Deanna White, who took over as Flexjet's CEO six months ago, said…

• Atmos CEO talks shale boom, natural gas exports

  24 May 2013 | 11:02 am

  Conventional wisdom would say that natural gas utilities love high gas prices. That’s not the case. This week, I talked to Kim Cocklin, CEO of Atmos Energy (NYSE: ATM), about the shale boom and how the price fluctuations of the past few years have affected his industry, which provides natural gas to 1.8 million customers in North, West and Central Texas. Utilities such as Atmos aren’t allowed to make money off the gas itself, said Cocklin from the top floor of his North Dallas headquarters. “When…

• Huffines Communities begins next phase of Viridian in Arlington

  24 May 2013 | 10:57 am

  Dallas-based Huffines Communities is getting ready to start the next phase of Viridian, a $2 billion master-planned community in north Arlington. Last year, a number of homes were under construction at the 2,300-acre site, north of Green Oaks Boulevard off Collin Street, after home sales were better than expected. That demand for new homes has driven the developer to begin its second phase, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for noon Wednesday at 3929 Canton Jade Way in Arlington. David Weekley Homes…

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  Dayton Business News - Local Dayton News | Dayton Business Journal

• Northrop wins $26 million Air Force contract

  24 May 2013 | 11:34 am

  Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. has landed a $26 million U.S. Air Force contract to upgrade two Airbus aircraft with a Large Infrared Countermeasures system. The Department of Defense late this week announced the award, which involves foreign military sales to Germany. It includes hardware, support equipment and services for two Airbus A319CJ Head of State aircraft. The contract was issued by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. The…

• More than 17,000 job openings in Dayton region

  24 May 2013 | 11:29 am

  April saw an improvement in online job postings in the Dayton region from the previous month, according to information from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. There were 17,100 job openings posted in the 12-county area of Dayton and western Ohio between March 14 and April 13, an increase in 537 ads from the previous reporting period, but a decrease of 457 ads from that time last year. Health care and transportation-related career fields dominated the job postings charts. Kettering…

• Wright-Patt Credit Union opens new branch

  24 May 2013 | 11:24 am

  The Dayton area’s largest credit union is preparing for future growth by rolling out its latest technological innovation this week with the opening of its Springboro branch. Fairborn-based Wright-Patt Credit Union, which garnered national recognition for being a leader among credit unions in providing mobile access to its services, announced this week it has purchased 19 Personal Teller Machines, allowing members to interact with a teller located centrally via a touch video screen from their favorite…

• Dayton nonprofit launches landscaping business for at-risk youth

  24 May 2013 | 7:46 am

  A nonprofit after-school program has launched a landscaping business to provide more revenue for the organization and to provide employment for its participants. The Victory Project, a mentoring program for boys in Montgomery County who have been involved in the court system or are at-risk, recently founded Victory Landscape Management LLC to expand on one of its core values — entrepreneurship. Since starting in 2007, the Victory Project has worked with about 15 students at a time, providing…

• Grant to help revitalize downtown Xenia

  24 May 2013 | 7:41 am

  Dozens of downtown Xenia buildings could be revitalized with help from a grant from and Ohio agency. Downtown Xenia Now, a volunteer organization aimed at revitalizing the city’s historic buildings, received an $8,000 grant from the Ohio Development Services Agency to help it prepare an application to have an area of downtown added to the National Register of Historic Places. Such a designation would make the roughly 50 buildings around the intersection of Main and Detroit streets eligible for…

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  Denver Business News - Local Denver News | Denver Business Journal

• Dish draws scrutiny to SoftBank-Sprint security

  24 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

  Dish Network Corp. seems to have found some traction with its complaints of national security concerns surrounding Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp.’s deal to buy mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. Dish, the Douglas County-based satellite TV company, wants Sprint, too. It has suggested SoftBank’s acquisition of Overland Park., Kan.-based Sprint should be scrutinized and federal officials should be worried about SoftBank’s use of Chinese telecom gear made by Huawei and ZTE. U.S. Sens. John…

• Xcel settles with OSHA on Cabin Creek power plant citations

  24 May 2013 | 1:50 pm

  Xcel Energy Inc. will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at the utility’s power plant near Georgetown found by the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) after five men died in a chemical fire at the site six years ago. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel, known as a penstock, connected to the plant. The men were resealing the penstock when a flammable…

• Colorado stocks: ADA-ES gains 4%; Dow up 8 points (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 1:33 pm

  ADA-ES Inc. shares rose 4.58 percent, more than any other Colorado stock did Friday. Shares of ADES finished at $35.37, an increase of $1.55. About 230,000 shares changed hands, up from the more typical trading volume of about 72,000 shares. Among more actively traded stocks — those with an average volume of at least a half-million shares, the biggest gainers were: • The WhiteWave Foods Co. (WWAV): up 4.1 percent, or 73 cents, to $18.55. • Array BioPharma Inc. (ABIO): up 3.36 percent, or…

• Real Goods Solar raises $8.4M from investors

  24 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

  Real Goods Solar Inc., which installs solar panels for commercial, residential, and utility customers, has more money to work with. The Louisville-based company (Nasdaq: RSOL) on Friday announced it had raised $9.25 million by issuing 3,366,974 shares of Class A common stock at a per share price of $2.75 and warrants to purchase 1,683,488 shares of Class A common stock, with a term of five years from the closing date and an exercise price of $2.75 per share. The company said it expects to have…

• 1700 and 1999 Broadway tower sales close

  24 May 2013 | 12:07 pm

  Your blogger’s building has sold. I first reported in February the 23-story 1700 Broadway — 22-year home of the Denver Business Journal — was on the market and confirmed in April MDC Realty Advisors USA Inc., in a partnership with Canadian REIT Artis Real Estate Investment Trust, had it under contract. The deal closed this week. (My first clue was when I walked down the hall Friday morning and noticed the property manager’s office, which previously had a Broe sign on it, now reads “Hannay.”)…

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  Greensboro Business News - Local Greensboro News | The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area

• The Business Journal on WFDD: Davidson Co. moves on

  24 May 2013 | 1:22 pm

  This week, Justin Catanoso, contributing writer for The Business Journal, discusses the past and future of a 1,100-acre industrial site in Davidson County with WFDD's Audrey Fannin. The site at one time was seen as the Triad's best hope to be a megasite that might attract an automobile manufacturing plant. To listen, click here. Subscribers to The Business Journal can read Catherine Carlock's full article from the May 24 issue, upon which the conversation is based, by clicking here. Subscribers…

• Frank L. Blum celebrates growth, 90th anniversary

  24 May 2013 | 11:57 am

  Fun fact: Frank L. Blum Construction Co. is older than sliced bread, ballpoint pens and color television. The Winston-Salem-based general contractor celebrated its 90th anniversary in style Thursday evening at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts downtown, which Blum renovated about four years ago. The contractor, which was founded in 1923, is coming off a banner year: 2012 brought $83 million in Triad billing, up 32 percent from $63 million in billing the year prior. The growth helped Blum rank…

• Financial Executives of the Year deadline extended

  24 May 2013 | 11:49 am

  If you're a procrastinator, you're in luck. The deadline for The Business Journal's Financial Executive of the Year awards has been extended. The deadline for nominations is now midnight on Friday, May 24, and we hope you'll consider nominating the person that makes it all add up for your company. The awards will are given to financial professionals in the Triad for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate or institutional financial stewards. Nominees must be the top financial professional…

• Passenger traffic at PTI declines 8 percent in April

  24 May 2013 | 11:16 am

  Passenger traffic at Piedmont Triad International Airport decreased 8 percent in April versus a year earlier, marking the fourth straight month of year-over-year declines for the Greensboro airport. The number of passengers traveling through PTI in April stood at 72,725, down from 79,160 in April 2012, according to the latest statistics from PTI. Airport officials have attributed the decline in part to a loss of flights to New York. Delta now provides four flights per day from PTI to LaGuardia…

• Wake Forest Baptist, Kernersville Medical Center seek approval for PET scanner projects

  24 May 2013 | 11:09 am

  Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center are each seeking state approval for projects involving positron emission tomography scanners, imaging units used to help identify cancerous cells. PET scanners offer three-dimensional, color images that help show a functional process in the body. Along with use in cancer care, they are used by cardiologists to help detect which parts of the heart have been damaged or scarred. Kernersville Medical Center wants to purchase…

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  Honolulu Business News - Local Honolulu News | Pacific Business News of Honolulu

• Kailua businesses await possible sale of Kaneohe Ranch portfolio: Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 4:35 pm

  Longtime Kailua resident Gloria Garvey is among dozens of local and national businesses owners who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a possible sale of the Kaneohe Ranch portfolio, which includes most of Kailua’s town center. Click on the photo for a slideshow of Kaneohe Ranch’s commercial tenants in Kailua. Garvey says Kaneohe Ranch had there were two options for Kaneohe Ranch, either to improve the properties and then try to sell them or keep making money from leasing opportunities. “It…

• F-22 fighter plane facility work in Hawaii to go out to bid

  24 May 2013 | 2:59 pm

  The federal government expects to issue a request for proposals in two weeks for a project to build a concrete parking apron and more infrastructure for F-22 Raptor fighter planes in Hawaii at a cost of up to $10 million. The work will be done at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and is in addition to other work being done on parking and other facilities for the jets, said Lt. Col. Charles Anthony, a spokesman for the Hawaii National Guard. This includes work on a facility for maintenance and testing…

• Maui owners of The Mortgage Store charged with operating Ponzi scheme

  24 May 2013 | 10:30 am

  The father-and-daughter owners of The Mortgage Store on Maui have been charged by a federal grand jury with bilking unsuspecting investors of more than $8.6 million in a Ponzi scheme over a five-year period. The 17-count indictment agains George Lindell, 65, and Holly Hoaeae, 39, includes 13 counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Honolulu. Hawaii district U.S. Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni said Lindell…

• Guilty plea in Ponzi scheme from former head of Hawaii-based J2 Marketing Solutions

  24 May 2013 | 10:28 am

  Former Kaneohe resident Jason Pascua has pleaded guilty to using his business, J2 Marketing Solutions, in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of Hawaii families of $1.5 million. The Associated Press reports Pascua pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges on Thursday in U.S. District Court. Pascua, 39, who lives in Arizona, was charged in March of allegedly defrauding 31 families in Hawaii.

• Oahu Sizzlers rebranded as GoKo Steak & Salad Bar Restaurants

  24 May 2013 | 10:13 am

  GoKo Restaurant Enterprises LLC, which was the franchise owner for the Sizzler restaurants in Kailua, Aiea, Kapalama and Waipahu for the past 10 years, said it has also "revamped its menu to emphasize local tastes and more local products." "We're aiming to offer our customers great value and ono taste," GoKo owner Clinton Goo said in a statement. The four restaurants have a total of about 120 employees. GoKo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in April.

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  Houston Business News - Local Houston News | Houston Business Journal

• South Texas Project and other plants contribute to boost in nuclear output

  24 May 2013 | 2:04 pm

  U.S. nuclear-power output increased to its highest level in 10 weeks as the South Texas Nuclear Project and other plants returned to production after maintenance closures, according to a Bloomberg analysis of Nuclear Regulatory Commission data. Generation rose 1.9 percent nationwide to 83,841 megawatts on May 17, or 82 percent of the nation’s total capacity. Output was the highest since March 12 and up 0.7 percent from a year ago. The South Texas Project boosted production to full capacity from…

• Gaido family restaurant to rebrand, expand in Galveston — Slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 1:39 pm

  A Galveston seafood restaurant run by the Gaido family is opening an expansion and plans to rebrand Memorial Day weekend — and further plans are in the works. Casey’s Kitchen and Beach Bar, which Nick Gaido took over in 2012, is expanding with a new poolside restaurant and bar: Redfish Pool Bar, opening Saturday. In addition, Casey's, at 3828 Seawall Blvd., will change its name to Nick's Kitchen and Beach Bar. Click through the photos at right to see a slideshow of the new Redfish Pool Bar. “This…

• HBJ's DailyUpdate newsletter will resume May 28

  24 May 2013 | 12:50 pm

  Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the Houston Business Journal's DailyUpdate email newsletter will not be published on Monday, May 27. Look for the DailyUpdate newsletter to resume on May 28. Watch for breaking news on the holiday weekend at houstonbusinessjournal.com. The HBJ offices will be closed May 27 and resume regular business hours May 28. Major U.S. stock markets also will be closed May 27 in observation of Memorial Day, with trading resuming on May 28. The Energy Inc. email news product…

• Pro-Tesla Motors bill dies in Texas House

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  Lawmakers have sided with dealers’ interests over those of Tesla Motors Inc. in the debate over whether manufacturers of electric- or all battery-powered vehicles should be able to sell directly to customers. House Bill 3351, authored by State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, had proposed changing Texas law that mandates vehicles be sold to customers through dealerships. But stiff opposition from groups such as the Texas Automobile Dealers Association trumped the argument of Tesla CEO Elon Musk…

• Want to be like Apple? Here are a few tax tips

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  Almost every time a big company is in the news for avoiding U.S. taxes through overseas assets, Meril Markley gets a call. The current situation with Apple Inc. is no different. “Why can’t we do this?” That's what Markley, the international tax principal at the Houston office of UHY Advisors Inc., hears from clients. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has recently been in the news for allegedly avoiding $9 billion of U.S. taxes by shifting international profits and international property to Ireland-based…

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  Jacksonville Business News - Local Jacksonville News | Jacksonville Business Journal

• Florida ranks high in economic outlook

  24 May 2013 | 11:26 am

  Florida has the ninth best economic outlook in the country, according to a study by the American Legislative Exchange Council. The ranking provides a forecast based on existing state economic policy. States with a higher economic outlook ranking can expect better growth than states with lower ranking, a statement said. Factors that lead to a higher rating include low tax rates, right-to-work laws and limited government regulations, according to the study, which cited Florida’s lack of personal…

• Social Madness: Meet competitor Jimerson and Cobb

  24 May 2013 | 11:25 am

  With nominations for the Social Madness challenge closed, and the competition actually starting in a month, we are offering up a quick introduction to some of the competitors this year. Next up is Jimerson and Cobb P.A. Heather Walsh offers insight. Number of followers: Facebook: 42Twitter: 23LinkedIn: 17Google+: 25 Who are the people behind those social media accounts? Felicia Flaum and Heather Walsh What is your company’s social media strategy or goal? To engage and interact with our…

• $3.5 million Jax Chamber renovation almost complete

  24 May 2013 | 11:04 am

  Billed as Downtown’s new front door, the remodeled Jax Chamber building will be more visible, more accessible and will use modern technology to better tell Jacksonville’s story to businesses considering a move. “Oftentimes we’re the fist stop for any company moving in. To send the right message is very important,” Jax Chamber president and CEO Daniel Davis said during a hard hat tour of the building Friday. The 30-year-old structure is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation to correct a…

• Hawkers partner talks expanding restaurant to Jacksonville

  24 May 2013 | 9:09 am

  When he was 15 years old, Kaleb Harrell was a server at Olive Garden and never thought about opening a restaurant of his own. Now Harrell, a partner with the popular Orlando-based Asian restaurant Hawkers Asian Street Fare, is opening his second location here in Jacksonville. Friday morning, Harrell confirmed to the Business Journal plans to open the restaurant at 1001 Park Ave. in Five Points this fall. But why Jacksonville and not a second location in Central Florida? Harrell said several factors…

• Confirmed: Hawkers brings popular Asian restaurant to Jacksonville

  24 May 2013 | 7:12 am

  It’s official. Hawkers Asian Street Fare is opening a restaurant in Jacksonville’s Five Points neighborhood. Owner Kaleb Harrell confirmed the news Friday morning. The popular Orlando-based restaurant specializes in street foods from regions across Asia, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Korea. The Jacksonville location, at 1001 Park Street in Five Points, is Hawkers' second restaurant. It will open in October this year. “Asia is full of so many incredible cuisines that…

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  Kansas City Business News - Local Kansas City News | Kansas City Business Journal

• Kansas City welcomes new restaurants, products, gets nod for best ribs

  24 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  New restaurant-theater concept opens in Prairie Village Kansas City-based developer Dineplex International LLC on Friday opened Standees: The Entertaining Eatery in Prairie Village. The new restaurant-movie theater combo is located at The Village Shopping Center. Erik Hess will serve as the restaurant's general manager. He is currently looking to fill 50 positions from bartenders to cooks and hosts. The theater technology and auditorium was designed by Shawnee-based CineGenesis, with architecture…

• How cat photos on #caturday helped me understand Google+

  24 May 2013 | 1:02 pm

  Hello? Is anyone out there? That’s how a lot of people feel when they log on to Google+ and try to interact with friends and business connections, many of whom are off chatting on other social media platforms. The experience used to be a lonely one for me. The often non-chronological order of Google+’s news feed confused me, too. That is — until curiosity got the best of me, and I started watching #caturday. The hashtag typically trends on Google every Saturday, when plusers flood the…

• Robots on the big screen have ties to Kansas City entrepreneur (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 12:59 pm

  When "Man of Steel" premieres next month, a Kansas City-area robotics engineer may experience a sense of déjà vu. The debut will mark the second time Derek Scherer's handiwork has shown up on the big screen. Derek Scherer, who used to build battlefield robots for the U.S. Army, also played a part in the animatronic creatures in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which was released late last year. The owner of Golem Group LLC, which does business as Golem Workshop, can list upcoming Matt Damon…

• Search this database to see what your hospital charges for care

  24 May 2013 | 12:46 pm

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a wealth of data about what hospitals charge consumers for common procedures. The data showed what those in the industry have known for a long time: What hospitals charge patients for a given procedure can vary significantly even within a single geographic region. For example, the average price of a permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation in Kansas City ranges from $41,709.90 at Olathe Medical Center to $140,333 at Centerpoint Medical…

• Cerner execs Illig, Patterson sue over golf course financing

  24 May 2013 | 12:27 pm

  Why would you want to sue yourself for $100 million? Strange as it sounds, that's what Cerner Corp. executives Cliff Illig and Neal Patterson did last month in Jackson County Circuit Court — in a manner of speaking. But their lawyers say it was purely a defensive play, a way to secure a claim on luxury golf course developments. Pandi Capital LLC, a company controlled by Illig and Patterson, filed suit April 30 against PIA Assets LLC, seeking payment on 17 notes totaling about $98.2 million —…

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  Los Angeles Business News - Local Los Angeles News | Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

• Kitchen 1540 a top-flight dining spot in one of Del Mar's best hotels

  24 May 2013 | 1:10 pm

  Proof that Del Mar has arrived as a dining destination is perhaps best exemplified by Kitchen 1540 at L'Auberge Hotel. After a day at the beach or the track, what could beat a first-class dinner at a beautiful restaurant that also happens to double as one of the finest hotels in town. Why you should go: The menu was designed by former Executive Chef Scott Thomas Dolbee, who has developed a flair for reimagining game meats and seafood dishes. The space is beautiful, especially the private room…

• Hollywood talent agencies selling to create capital

  24 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

  Studios often mimic each other's projects in development, releasing similar concepts within the same year. The top talent agencies imitate each other as well by emulating the business strategies of their competitors. United Talent Agency has cozied up to top Wall Street banker Ken Moelis to judge investment offers for a minority stake in the company, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Other top agencies including Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and William Morris Endeavor (WME) have already sold…

• Broadcasters take aim at Aereokiller with D.C. lawsuit

  24 May 2013 | 12:38 pm

  In a move that may lead to a Supreme Court showdown, several television broadcasters filed suit against Alki David’s Aereokiller in a Washington, D.C., federal court on Thursday. Brought by ABC, Fox, NBC, Telemundo and Allbritton Communications, which owns ABC’s TV station in the capital, the copyright infringement lawsuit argues that the digital distribution service’s tiny antennas retransmit local television programming online without permission and without paying retransmission fees, according…

• Study of Rotten Tomatoes shows sour stats on female critics

  24 May 2013 | 12:36 pm

  Lack of female studio heads, film directors and leading roles for women has plagued Hollywood for decades. Now a new study shines the light on another deficit, lack of female movie critics. According to a new study entitled "Gender @ the Movies," the field of film criticism has become less gender diverse over the past six years. The study followed reviews by top Rotten Tomatoes critics this spring and found top male critics wrote 82 percent of film the reviews featured on the site during a two-month…

• Are blockbusters bad for the DVD rental business?

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  Blockbusters are great for theatrical, but not so much for rental. Redbox is concerned that the 2013 summer of big franchise films will be bad for business when those titles start to pop up on DVD. Studios are increasingly trimming their slates to produce and distribute only a few big franchise films a year, which makes it challenging for a DVD and Blu-ray rental service to survive, according to Galen Smith, CFO of Redbox parent Coinstar. “What you’ve seen is the studios move to fewer but bigger…

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  Louisville Business News - Local Louisville News | Business First of Louisville

• Slugger Museum plans mobile exhibit at Milwaukee’s Miller Park

  24 May 2013 | 12:06 pm

  Headed to Milwaukee for the long Memorial Day weekend? Be sure to stop by Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, where the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory will feature a mobile display. Fans who come to the ballpark May 24 to 26 for Milwaukee’s series against the Pittsburgh Pirates will be able to see Hank Aaron’s 700th home run bat as well as bats used by Brewers’ favorites Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. “Rarely do we display these artifacts outside of the museum,” Anne Jewell,…

• Businesspeople need to go back to school

  24 May 2013 | 12:01 pm

  Much of what a casual observer would pick up about Jefferson County Public Schools from media reports would lead one to have only a negative view of what’s happening in our public school classrooms. Bus accidents, educators behaving inappropriately, students being mistreated, athletes misbehaving, students involved in illegal activities. These are the storylines that make news reports. But there is a lot to be encouraged about in regard to efforts under way to improve student achievement by…

• Argentum founder started company with an experienced executive

  24 May 2013 | 11:46 am

  A new Louisville company started with key sales and marketing experience on its side. In today’s Inside Business section of Business First, Charles Hagerty, founder and president of Argentum IT LLC, explained why he chose to start Argentum, a sister company of New Age Technologies Inc. that provides technical support and system and application design for small and medium-sized companies. Since Hagerty started the business in 2012, he has worked with Mike Hendren, director of sales and marketing,…

• Former U.S. Rep. Chandler joins Morgan & Pottinger

  24 May 2013 | 9:13 am

  Former U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler has joined Morgan & Pottinger PSC law firm. Chandler, who will be of counsel, will work out of the firm’s Lexington and Louisville offices, according to a news release. His responsibilities will include counseling clients on civil and criminal legal matters that involve government regulation. Chandler also will provide crisis management and general legal consulting services, the release said. He will support several of the firm’s practice areas, including…

• NTS beginning work on second Shelby Campus building

  24 May 2013 | 8:41 am

  NTS Corp. has tapped Louisville’s Kelley Construction Inc. to build the second office building on the University of Louisville’s Shelby Campus, and work is scheduled to be fully under way in the next two weeks. Lewis Borders, NTS’s vice president of operations, said construction of 700 North Hurstbourne, a $20 million project, should be finished in summer 2014. The four-story, 125,000-square-foot building will have the same dimensions as 600 North Hurstbourne, which was completed on the Shelby…

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  Memphis Business News - Local Memphis News | Memphis Business Journal

• GTx posts impressive gains on the week

  24 May 2013 | 12:41 pm

  As the stock market wraps up a generally stable week, two of Memphis public companies’ stock prices bare some examination. Memphis biotech firm GTx Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI) has been on an impressive run for the past month. Though GTx announced a net loss of $12.6 million through first quarter 2013 — representing a 14 percent slide in bottom-line earnings — the biopharmaceutical developer indicated losses were somewhat tempered by its September 2012 sale of breast cancer drug Fareston. It also…

• New women’s clothing store opening in Cooper-Young

  24 May 2013 | 12:26 pm

  A national retailer is opening a store in Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood May 31. Called Langford Market, the women’s clothing store is moving into a retail bay at 2155 Central Ave. Langford Market is moving into a small shopping center at the corner of Central and Cooper. The 13,816-square-foot property at 742 S. Cooper also has Urban Outfitters Inc. as a tenant. Local businessman Charlie Ryan, operating as Antique Mall of Midtown Inc., owns the building.

• Tennessee awarded $698K for exceeding federal workforce goals

  24 May 2013 | 12:03 pm

  The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has been awarded $680,000 for exceeding federal performance goals in 2011, according to a news release. According to the release, 15 states qualified for the incentive grant. Of those states, Tennessee's award was the fifth largest. States are awarded for exceeding performance goals in workforce development and education programs. The following are excerpts from today's news release: “This achievement is significant because it demonstrates…

• UTHSC class of 2013 is 39 percent larger than class of 2003

  24 May 2013 | 11:58 am

  The University of Tennessee Health Science Center announced it will graduate 722 health care professionals from six separate colleges within its Memphis campus on May 31. A total of 187 health care professionals will graduate from its College of Allied Health Sciences; 157 will graduate the College of Medicine; 147 will graduate from its College of Pharmacy; 143 will graduate the College of Nursing; 80 will graduate from the College of Dentistry; and eight will graduate the College of Graduate Health…

• Health care M&A activity lagged expectations in Q1

  24 May 2013 | 10:44 am

  Merger and acquisition deals in the health care sphere through the first quarter were slower than expected, according to industry data cited by Modern Healthcare, which showed a 31 percent decrease in deal volume from the previous quarter. The industry publication reported there were 247 deals completed in the first quarter valued at $11 billion; that dip contributed to a 50 percent decline in quarter-to-quarter dollar volume. The trend may seem surprising to some, but it does fall in line with…

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  Milwaukee Business News - Local Milwaukee News | The Business Journal of Milwaukee

• Plan to move crime lab from Milwaukee old news

  24 May 2013 | 12:44 pm

  Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn has every right to express his opinion on the location of a new state crime lab for southeast Wisconsin, as he did Friday, but the idea of locating it outside the city has been on the table since at least March. That was when the state Building Commission, which includes Gov. Scott Walker, had an agenda item on spending $49.1 million to build a 130,000-square-foot state crime lab and field office to replace the crime lab on Milwaukee’s near south side. The commission…

• Kohl's compensation package for former Starbucks exec nearly $10M

  24 May 2013 | 12:35 pm

  Talk about sweetening the pot. New Kohl’s Corp. chief customer officer Michelle Gass, lured away from Starbucks Corp. this month, will receive a compensation package of nearly $10 million. Gass’ annualized base salary is $927,200, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission on Thursday. On top of that, Kohl’s awarded Gass a $1 million signing bonus along with restricted Kohl’s stock valued at $8 million, the company said. The signing bonus is intended to…

• Stephanie Walker named CFO of WEDC

  24 May 2013 | 10:19 am

  Stephanie Walker, finance director for the village of Shorewood, has been named chief financial officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Walker’s first day will be June 17. She becomes the quasi-public organization’s fourth CFO in its brief history of less than two years. Walker, who is no relation to Gov. Scott Walker, previously served in finance management positions for the village of Brown Deer and the city of Berwyn, Ill. Prior to her government work, she was an audit manager…

• From Pabst to Lakefront: Milwaukee's beer history in China

  24 May 2013 | 9:59 am

  Lakefront Brewery Inc. is making its first foray into the Chinese market, but China’s 1.3 billion residents certainly aren’t strangers to beer with Wisconsin roots. As I report in today’s print edition of The Business Journal, Lakefront Brewery made its first shipment to China this month through a potential new business partner, Shanghai Hengbang International Trade Co. Ltd. Craft beer only entered China in the past few years, but most of it has come from Germany thus far, said Hengbang general…

• PINK opening at Mayfair

  24 May 2013 | 8:56 am

  A new Victoria's Secret PINK store will open at Mayfair in Wauwatosa in August. It will be located on the upper level of the mall next to Forever 21. PINK specializes in sleepwear, loungewear, bras and panties in a variety of styles, including its PINK Major League Baseball Collection. A selection of bedding options also will be available at the new store. Victoria's Secret, in addition to opening a stand-alone PINK store, currently is remodeling its store at Mayfair, and is occupying a temporary…

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  Minneapolis Business News - Local Minneapolis News | The Minneapolis / St Paul Business Journal

• Xcel agrees to pay penalty in chemical fire that killed five men

  24 May 2013 | 2:25 pm

  Xcel Energy will pay $150,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations at one of the utility’s Colorado power plants where five men died in a chemical fire. Five California men died Oct. 2, 2007, at the utility’s Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colo., after a fire broke out inside a drained water tunnel connected to the plant. The men were resealing the tunnel when a flammable solvent they were using to clean an epoxy paint sprayer ignited. Four other men escaped. In June…

• UnitedHealth won't participate in California insurance exchange

  24 May 2013 | 12:48 pm

  UnitedHealth Group is one of three large insurers that have decided to not offer health coverage through California's state-run health insurance exchange. The Minnetonka-based company didn't rule out participating in the future, with a spokesman telling the L.A. Times that the company will continue to evaluate the exchange. Cigna and Aetna also took a pass on the exchange. California is the nation's most populous state. UnitedHealth has said it will be choosy about which exchanges it participates…

• Warren Buffett helps launch DQ's new s'mores-flavored Blizzard Treat

  24 May 2013 | 12:46 pm

  Dairy Queen is launching a new advertising campaign on Memorial Day that carries the theme, "Fan Food. Not fast food." The campaign, which includes more than a dozen ads for TV, radio, print, in-store, online and social media, was created by ad agency Barkley, which replaced WPP agency Grey last December. "Our new campaign is based on the simple yet powerful truth that the Dairy Queen system doesn’t have customers, it has fans,” Barkley CEO Jeff King said in a statement. One of the first of…

• The price of lunch with top lawyers at Minnesota corporations

  24 May 2013 | 12:16 pm

  Want lunch with the general counsel of U.S. Bank, General Mills, Cargill, UnitedHealth or Medtronic? It'll cost you at least a couple grand. And you'll probably have to wait until next year. The top lawyers at those Twin Cities-based corporations auctioned off lunch for four at the Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid fundraiser Thursday evening. Bidding for what Legal Aid called a "priceless opportunity" started at $500 and increased by $150 per bid. At one point, the silent auction bids ranged between $1,750…

• Minneapolis legal outsourcing facility expands

  24 May 2013 | 11:34 am

  A European legal outsourcing company with a Minneapolis hub has expanded the facility to meet growing demand. CPA Global says it increased its capacity at its downtown Minneapolis office by about 50 percent by adding 1,200 square feet and reconfiguring the space. The 21,000-square-foot facility, at 900 Second Ave. S., now has room for more than 200 contract staff, which includes intellectual property professionals and attorneys for litigation support work. A spokeswoman for the Jersey-based firm…

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  Nashville Business News - Local Nashville News | The Nashville Business Journal

• OIG report: Saint Thomas owes $1.09M for Medicare billing errors

  24 May 2013 | 12:51 pm

  A new report from the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) claims that Saint Thomas Hospital may have over-billed Medicare to the tune of $1.09 million, money the federal government wants back. According to the report, 3,297 Medicare claims submitted by Saint Thomas during 2009 and 2010 were at risk for billing errors. An OIG audit that looked at a random sampling of 250 of those claims found that 206 were compliant, but that the remaining 44 claims resulted in overpayments…

• Why Nashville duplexes could become a thing of the past

  24 May 2013 | 12:39 pm

  In Nashville neighborhoods humming with redevelopment, you might notice a lot of duplexes going up, as developers try to maximize returns by putting two homes on one lot. Most of the homes look like separate houses, aside from a 'connector wall' that resembles a shed or breezeway. Metro Nashville is considering a rule change, however, that would eliminate the connector-wall requirement. The planning department is drafting changes and is in discussions with Metro Council members about the issue. The…

• The biggest social-media mistake you’re probably making

  24 May 2013 | 11:37 am

  When it comes to using social media for a business, there are a lot of mistakes that most people know to avoid – bad-mouthing a customer, deleting a critical comment or posting risqué pictures on the official company accounts, to name a few. However, what about mistakes we don't even know we are making? Those can sink a social-media campaign just as easily while also wasting time, money and efforts on the way down. According to Joey Beachum, a digital content specialist for Markstein Consulting…

• Tennessee awarded $698K for exceeding federal workforce goals

  24 May 2013 | 11:27 am

  The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has been awarded $680,000 for exceeding federal performance goals in 2011, according to a news release. According to the release, 15 states qualified for the incentive grant. Of those states, Tennessee's award was the fifth largest. States are awarded for exceeding performance goals in workforce development and education programs. The following are excerpts from today's news release: “This achievement is significant because it demonstrates…

• FirstBank names Franklin president

  24 May 2013 | 10:03 am

  Jeff Smith has been named Franklin president for FirstBank, according to a news release. Smith was previously a commercial loan officer at Franklin Synergy Bank. Smith will oversee the bank's branch office in the historic Post Office building in Franklin's Five Points, which will open early next year. The following are excerpts from today's news release: "Jeff is a well-respected, longtime Williamson County banker who will do a tremendous job heading up our Franklin office," said Gordon Inman,…

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  Orlando Business News - Local Orlando News | The Orlando Business Journal

• Chile’s BCI to buy City National Bank

  24 May 2013 | 1:10 pm

  The second-largest bank in Chile has an agreement to buy Miami-based City National Bank of Florida, the South Florida Business Journal reports. Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) has reached a definitive agreement with City National and owner Bankia, of Spain, to purchase it, according to a news release from both institutions. The price is $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times the book value of the selling bank. Such a high valuation for a bank purchase hasn't been made in years, especially…

• Inside OBJ's 2013 Business Growth Expo: slideshow

  24 May 2013 | 1:03 pm

  Orlando Business Journal's 2013 Business Growth Expo was held May 22 at the Orlando Science Center. More than 500 attendees enjoyed networking and interacting with booth sponsors, as well as taking advantage of business-related seminars. If you didn't get a chance to attend, check out this slideshow from the event.

• Osceola Parkway widening to start this summer

  24 May 2013 | 11:45 am

  Construction will start this summer on the much-anticipated widening of the Osceola Parkway after the project received unanimous approval from the county commission. The $19.2 million project will widen 2.66 miles of Osceola Parkway from two to four lanes between the intersections of Buenaventura Boulevard and Boggy Creek Road from Myers Road to 600 feet north of Osceola Parkway. Currently, about 21,000 vehicles travel on that stretch of road daily. The date of substantial completion for the second…

• East End Market set for July opening

  24 May 2013 | 9:48 am

  The ugly duckling that was a two-story abandoned building in the Audubon Park area of Orlando is two months away from being transformed into the swan that will be the East End Market on Corrine Drive. John Rife III, founder and owner of the project, told me May 23 during a tour of the 14,000-square-foot building he expects East End to open in July. East End will be a collection of food-related business, including small retail and office space, a Basque-themed restaurant and a 1,465-square-foot…

• Aio Wireless blitz in Central Florida: 30 stores up in first month (slideshow)

  24 May 2013 | 9:14 am

  Aio Wireless is on a new-store blitz throughout Central Florida. The wireless service provider, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (NYE: T), announced May 9 it was coming into Houston, Tampa and Orlando. I talked with Aio — pronounced A-O — Wirleless President Jennifer Van Buskirk about the company’s plans for Orlando. So far, by the end of its first month, the company will have 30 retail stores open in Central Florida. “It’s kind of like seeing my baby here, seeing…

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  Philadelphia Business News - Local Philadelphia News | The Philadelphia Business Journal

• $10 million could change Villanova demographics

  24 May 2013 | 1:44 pm

  $10 million could change Villanova demographics

• Dialysis center operator and Montco hospital form joint venture

  24 May 2013 | 12:32 pm

  U.S. Renal Care Inc., which operates about a dozen dialysis center in Pennsylvania, has formed a joint-venture with Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and a group of local physicians. The partnership will unite previously competing dialysis facilites under the same owner. Under the terms of the deal, U.S. Renal Care of Plano, Texas, has acquired a controlling interest in Pottstown Memorial’s dialysis clinic at 1600 East High Street in Pottstown, Pa. Dr. Sergio Vaisman will serve as medical director…

• Chinese equity firm invests in Philly firm

  24 May 2013 | 12:06 pm

  A Chinese private equity firm made a $7 million investment in Philadelphia investment advisory and consulting firm VTL Associates to help capitalize the firm’s future growth plans for its RevenueShares family of exchange-traded funds. The investment from Suzhou Industrial Park Kaida Venture Capital, an international venture capital firm based in Dalian, China, represents a 22 percent equity stake in VTL, a spokesman said. The growth capital will be used to support the expansion of RevenueShares,…

• New head for Phila. Housing Authority affiliate

  24 May 2013 | 11:52 am

  Keith J. Richardson, the revenue commissioner for Philadelphia, will serve as managing director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority Development Corp., which is affiliated with the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Richardson has relinquished his duties as revenue commissioner, where he has been since 2008. Between 1997 and 2003, he worked as a loan portfolio manager and lending officer at the North Philadelphia Financial Partnership. Prior to working for the Nutter administration, Richardson worked…

• More development in Kensington

  24 May 2013 | 11:16 am

  A 311-unit apartment complex has been approved for South Kensington. Paul Rabinovitch’s Canus Corp. got the green light earlier this week to move forward with Soko Lofts at the former Absco Inc. steel site at 2nd and American streets in the South Kensington section of Philadelphia. I met Rabinovitch at One Shot Cafe to learn about his vision for South Kensington and why he's looking to invest $70 million into the project. The location is not far from Bart Blatstein’s vast Northern Liberties…

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  Phoenix Business News - Local Phoenix News | The Business Journal of Phoenix

• Tempe City Council to consider State Farm development May 30

  24 May 2013 | 3:27 pm

  The development agreement for State Farm Insurance’s massive 2 million-square-foot regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake — which was confirmed after months of rumors today and is reportedly the largest office development in state history — will go before Tempe City Council for consideration at its next meeting on May 30, city spokeswoman Nikki Ripley told me Friday afternoon. The city has denied my requests to see the development agreement until it is posted with the council agenda online,…

• State Farm regional HQ set for Tempe in massive $600 million development

  24 May 2013 | 1:05 pm

  Tempe city officials have finally put to rest months of rumors and confirmed in a statement Friday that a massive regional headquarters along Tempe Town Lake will be built for State Farm Insurance. I first reported on the story back in February — although all parties involved, including State Farm, remained tight lipped until now — but the project is much bigger than first thought. In fact, city officials said the mixed-use project, dubbed Marina Heights, will be the largest office development…

• Go behind the scenes at our 2013 Most Admired Leaders event: slide show

  24 May 2013 | 11:58 am

  A local version of a star-studded evening took place last night at the Montelucia Resort & Spa as more then 400 high-profile business executives gathered to honor the Phoenix Business Journal’s 28 Most Admired Leaders. During the evening, these outstanding business leaders shared their thoughts about education, success, mentorship and the future of Arizona. Click the image above for exclusive photos from inside the event. It was clear by listing to this year’s group that these individuals…

• Jerry Colangelo-led group pays $73 million for Tempe State Farm campus

  24 May 2013 | 11:39 am

  Former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo and his long-time business partners have handed over $73 million in a sale-leaseback deal for the State Farm Tempe Operations Center within the master-planned Fountainhead Corporate Park, according to a statement Friday from CBRE Inc. in Phoenix. The State Farm campus — acquired by Colangelo, David Eaton and Mel Schultz through their real estate investment and development company JDM Partners LLC — is comprised of five buildings totaling roughly 372,400…

• ASU picks 20 student startups for Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative

  24 May 2013 | 11:23 am

  Twenty student-led startups have been chosen for Arizona State University’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative for the upcoming school year. The companies will spend the next year in the intensive startup accelerator focused on helping the students execute their business models, deliver their products or services and create local jobs. The Edson Initiative, run by ASU Venture Catalyst in the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development, offers 20 student teams a year up to $20,000 each in seed…

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  Pittsburgh Business News - Local Pittsburgh News | The Pittsburgh Business Times

• Are locals eyeing BofA branches?

  24 May 2013 | 11:26 am

  If Bank of America is unloading 40 branches in southeastern New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, will Pittsburgh banks snap at the bait to extend their footprints? Bloomberg reported Friday that BofA is looking to sell the offices, citing “four people with knowledge of the matter," and identified F.N.B. Corp. (NYSE: FNB), Pittsburgh's fourth largest bank, among those expressing interest in buying. Also mentioned were Community Bank System Inc. and National Penn Bancshares. BofA has not issued…

• Heinz Endowments part of grocery goal in Hazelwood

  24 May 2013 | 10:35 am

  Bob Vagt knows you can’t put a time limit or a dollar amount on a relationship, whether with a person or an entire neighborhood. As the president of Heinz Endowments, he took his time in a recent phone interview when I asked him to give some metric to help me understand the level of commitment his organization is making to Hazelwood as the recipient neighborhood for the group's initial place-based community support strategy. It's a strategy in which the foundation is focusing its five core program…

• Charges don't matter — until they do

  24 May 2013 | 10:20 am

  What a hospital charges for providing a particular service doesn’t matter until it does. Which might be pretty soon if you have health care coverage through Highmark Inc. Let’s unpack for a moment. UPMC’s contract with Highmark expires Dec. 31, 2014. That means UPMC doctors and hospitals will be out-of-network providers, raising out-of-pocket expenses for Highmark members who seek treatment at UPMC facilities. How much? More than you may think. Take a routine emergency room visit for abdominal…

• Top 5: Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings 2012

  24 May 2013 | 9:47 am

  This week, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the largest Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings made in 2012. The list is ranked by debts listed in the filing. The top five, which were tied at $1,000,001 to $10,000,000 debts listed in filing, include: Unity Village Shoppes LP - Route 30 & Sharky’s Drive, Latrobe, PA 15650The Anthony Family LP - 200 Washington Ave., Dravosburg, PA 15034Sunbelt Cranes Construction & Hauling Inc. - 200 Washington Ave., Dravosburg, PA 15034Laurel Highlands Foundation…

• Top 5: Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings made in 2012

  24 May 2013 | 9:47 am

  This week, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the largest Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings made in 2012. The list is ranked by debts listed in the filing. The top five include: 1. Intercontinental Management Ltd. - 125 Theobold Ave., Greensburg, PA 15601 $27,150,875 2. Intercontinental Management Ltd. - 125 Theobold Ave., Greensburg, PA 15601 $27,001,195 3. Anthony Leasing Inc. - 200 Washington Ave., Dravosburg, PA 15034 $6,426,673 4. Axcera LLC - 103 Freedom Drive Box 525, Lawrence, PA 15055 $5,207,012 5.…

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  Portland Business News - Local Portland News | The Portland Business Journal

• An HIV vaccine? OHSU says it's close

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Oregon Health & Science University researchers on Friday said they have developed an HIV vaccine that has shown promising results in animal studies. The vaccine could be tested in humans within a few years. The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, is highly evasive, according to OHSU researchers who published their latest findings in the current issue of Science. The vaccine is based on a discovery that enhances the body's ability to detect and destroy the virus. "A major challenge in developing an…

• Nike donates $1M to Oklahoma tornado relief

  24 May 2013 | 2:24 pm

  Nike Inc. will donate $1 million in footwear and apparel to relief efforts for those affected by last week's deadly tornado in Oklahoma. The nonprofit Good360 will distribute the merchandise. The footwear and apparel giant (NYSE: NKE) also said it will donate all profits from online sales of Kevin Durant's signature shoe between May 23 and June 15 to a nonprofit that rebuilds playgrounds and the Moore Public School Foundation, an Oklahoma nonprofit foundation that supports the Moore Public School…

• What the I-5 bridge collapse means for interstate commerce

  24 May 2013 | 2:14 pm

  Truckers headed north from Oregon to Canada are looking at increased costs due to the collapse Thursday evening of an I-5 span over the Skagit River near Mt. Vernon, Wash. The Washington State Department of Transportation is re-routing traffic on state highways (click here for map) that connect to I-5, and the delays mean money. Steve Gordon, operations chief for Gordon Trucking Inc., said his drivers were experiencing delays of about an hour this afternoon. A mere headache for holiday travelers,…

• The List: Which banks are lending to small businesses

  24 May 2013 | 2:02 pm

  The Portland arm of the Small Business Administration this week recognized several lenders as part of its Small Business Week celebration. The SBA named Wells Fargo Bank 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Dollar Volume. The bank guaranteed $41 million in loans in fiscal 2012, 19 percent of the 7a loans in the Portland district. Top SBA Lenders >> The 7a program is the SBA's flagship small business loan program. U.S. Bank was named the 7a Lender of the Year for Loan Volume. It guaranteed…

• Huff Post finds lots to like about Portland's Simple bank

  24 May 2013 | 11:56 am

  The waiting list for one of Simple's online checking accounts may only get longer now that Huffington Post is lauding the Portland-based bank's services and philosophy. Co-founded by Twitter tech guru Alex Payne, who has since departed, and current CEO Josh Reich, Simple charges no fees. It also has no branches or paper checks. All banking can be done via a mobile device. The model also allows customers to track spending in real time, helping them avoid overdraft charges. It's certainly catching…

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  Raleigh Business News - Local Raleigh News | The Triangle Business Journal

• Forbes: Raleigh-Cary winning battle for information jobs

  24 May 2013 | 2:09 pm

  Raleigh is winning. At least in the battle for information jobs. Dubbed a “rising star,” the Raleigh-Cary region ranks No. 8 among metros winning that battle, according to a Forbes analysis. Forbes says “less expensive” cities such as Austin and Raleigh are pulling information jobs from places such as Boston, New York and the Bay area. But other upstart locations are coming into play, such as New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner. For the full list of cities winning the battle for information jobs,…

• N.C. joins investigation into Tennessee drug compounder

  24 May 2013 | 12:04 pm

  North Carolina health officials joined federal agencies in an investigation of drugs prepared by a drug compounding manufacturer in Tennessee. The investigation specifically involves the pharmaceutical compounding facility Main Street Family Pharmacy of Newbern, Tenn. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has received reports of “seven adverse events associated with steroid injections” from that location, including two that were distributed in Greenville, N.C. Three clinics in North…

• TBJ Flash: Animazement at Raleigh Convention Center

  24 May 2013 | 11:51 am

  If someone asked me if I ever heard of Kyle Hebert, Sean Schemmel or Toshifumi Yoshida ... I’m afraid my answer would be “no.” My first guess would be a couple of minor-league baseball players and some Japanese pitching phenom that the Los Angeles Dodgers will overpay for. But I’d be wrong. These are just three names of the many guests who will be at the Animazement festival held at the Raleigh Convention Center from May 24-26. I tried to get in to cover this event, but unfortunately,…

• Highwoods' expansive plans for MetLife's Cary campus?

  24 May 2013 | 11:32 am

  Raleigh-based Highwoods Properties filed sketch plans Thursday detailing the company’s plans to build a lakeside campus project off Weston Parkway, all but confirming what some are calling the “worst-kept secret in town.” Though the documents do not identify MetLife Inc. (NYSE: MET) as the tenant, the company announced in March that it would be bringing 2,600 new jobs to North Carolina - about 1,300 in Cary and the other half in Charlotte. Randy Roberson, vice president of development at…

• LipoScience partners with Mayo Medical Laboratories

  24 May 2013 | 11:09 am

  Raleigh-based LipoScience (Nasdaq: LPDX) is partnering with Mayo Medical Laboratories. LipoScience announced that its testing platform will be accessible to Mayo Clinic physicians and patients. The company says via statement that the partnership will help “drive adoption and decentralization” of the Vantera Clinical Analyzer. The analyzer can currently identify and quantify concentrations of lipoproteins, providing doctors with an assessment of cardiovascular disease risk. Tim Fischer, chief…

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  Sacramento Business News - Local Sacramento News | The Sacramento Business Journal

• States settle with Cigna over long-term disability insurance

  24 May 2013 | 2:56 pm

  California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and state insurance regulators from four other states have reached a settlement of up to $2.3 million with Cigna over handling practices for long-term disability insurance. The settlement is the result of claims handling reviews by insurance departments in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Insurance officials found the insurer did not give due consideration to the medical findings of independent physicians, discounted information…

• Court upholds retroactive Medi-Cal cuts

  24 May 2013 | 2:44 pm

  A federal appeals court has denied a request from California providers to have a full panel of judges rehear their lawsuit to block retroactive cuts to Medi-Cal provider fees. In December, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a district court decision to stop the retroactive 10 percent cut. In January, plaintiffs filed a request for an “en banc” hearing by a full panel. It was denied Friday. This means the cuts will take effect unless plaintiffs appeal the matter…

• Moving closer to dropping detailed big-box store studies

  24 May 2013 | 2:35 pm

  Big-box grocery stores are closer to being easier to build in the city of Sacramento, after the planning commission Thursday approved on an 11-1 vote elimination of a 2005 ordinance requiring detailed studies for approval. The vote puts the issue before the Sacramento City Council’s law and legislative committee next month, followed by the full council in July. Joshua Wood, executive director of construction industry group Region Builders Inc., said advocates for ordinance repeal like his group…

• Turkish restaurant Anatolian Table open in midtown

  24 May 2013 | 12:20 pm

  The new Anatolian Table bistro in midtown Sacramento is celebrating its grand opening dinner Thursday with a private party. But if you want to see what the Turkish restaurant is all about, it’s already open. The 70-seat restaurant opened for lunch and dinner earlier this month in 1,700 square feet of space at 2319 K St. Owners Ertrugrul “Erol” Hazar and Tugce Hazar have operated an Anatolian Table restaurant in Rocklin since 2007. The Rocklin restaurant is larger at 2,700 square feet, but…

• City focusing on attracting retail to parking garage

  24 May 2013 | 11:58 am

  City officials think retail space the city owns near Cesar Chavez Park is going to be attractive, with a renovation project for a garage in the same building beginning next week. Denise Malvetti, a senior project manager with the city of Sacramento’s economic development department, said the recent improvements to the neighboring park also help, but the garage itself, built about 20 years ago, is overdue for a makeover. “When we had the blue awnings out the other day, you could just really…

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  St. Louis Business News - Local St. Louis News | The St. Louis Business Journal

• Washington University professor steers X Prize to Alzheimer’s

  24 May 2013 | 12:59 pm

  A Washington University professor and a team of experts won a brainstorming competition that led the X Prize Foundation to raise a $50 million prize to motivate scientists and researchers to find effective treatments — and potentially a cure — for Alzheimer’s disease. The X Prize Foundation awarded a $10 million prize in 2004 to the first company that built a spacecraft capable of carrying three people into space (100 kilometers above the earth’s surface) twice within two weeks. Now the…

• Southwestern Illinois judge pleads not guilty to drug charges

  24 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

  St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael Cook pleaded not guilty Friday in district court in East St. Louis to two drug charges. The charges against Cook, a drug court judge, include one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms and one count of possession of heroin. Cook’s bond was set at $10,000. His trial is scheduled for July 15 in East St. Louis. Judge Michael Reagan recused himself from the case, according to court documents. The charges against…

• Divergence had $71 million price tag, according to report

  24 May 2013 | 11:23 am

  Remember when Monsanto Co. bought local biotech company Divergence in an all-cash deal? Turns out the transaction was worth $71 million, according to Monsanto’s annual report. Admittedly, this revelation comes more than two years after a deal was announced between Monsanto and Divergence, a privately-held company working to fight an agricultural pest called parasitic nematodes. But a recent look at other acquisitions by the $13.5 billion company (read this week’s paper here) shed light on the…

• Arch Grants winners receive additional grants from UMSL

  24 May 2013 | 9:38 am

  Jason Atkins and Mohit Patel were among the 20 recipients of $50,000 grants from Arch Grants last week for their startup Genetix Fusion. But that wasn’t the first grant the pair of researchers from the University of Missouri-St. Louis received recently. Atkins and Patel are working on their doctoral degrees in biology in the laboratory of George Gokel, director of the Center for Nanoscience at UMSL. The trio will share a $50,000 grant for research into using chemical agents to facilitate DNA…

• Peabody taps analytics app to track worker productivity

  24 May 2013 | 9:21 am

  Peabody Energy has added a business intelligence platform at its Bear Run Mine in Sullivan County, Ind., to track when employees start working during shifts and how long they are gone during lunch breaks. The technology, which runs mostly on Walldorf, Germany-based SAP’s BusinessObjects software, tracks employees’ late starts (measured by when the bucket of a shovel, excavator or bulldozer touches the ground) and long lunches, Itnews reports. That data is presented on a screen in the mine’s…

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  San Antonio Business News - Local San Antonio News | The San Antonio Business Journal

• NuStar, Greehey foundation supporting Oklahoma relief effort

  24 May 2013 | 3:19 pm

  NuStar Energy LP’s philanthropic arm and The Greehey Family Foundation are donating $350,000 to the American Red Cross to support tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma. The Greehey Family Foundation is contributing $250,000, while the NuStar Foundation is donating $100,000. Bill Greehey is the chairman of the board for NuStar Energy (NYSE: NS) and the benefactor behind the Greehey Family Foundation. “We’re proud to support the American Red Cross and its efforts to provide critical aid to the…

• Pro-Tesla Motors bill dies in Texas House

  24 May 2013 | 2:32 pm

  Lawmakers have sided with dealers’ interests over those of Tesla Motors Inc. in the debate over whether manufacturers of electric- or all battery-powered vehicles should be able to sell directly to customers. House Bill 3351, authored by State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, had proposed changing Texas law that mandates vehicles be sold to customers through dealerships. But stiff opposition from groups such as the Texas Automobile Dealers Association trumped the argument of Tesla CEO Elon Musk…

• Fitch upgrades SAWS debt assumed from BexarMet

  24 May 2013 | 1:36 pm

  Fitch Ratings has upgraded the debt assumed by San Antonio Water System from the dissolved Bexar Metropolitan Water District. The bond-rating agency increased to “A+” from “A” the ratings for $49.7 million in revenue refunding bonds, series 2006 (senior lien) and $63.2 million in revenue refunding bonds, series 2009 (senior lien). It also upgraded to “A” from “A-” approximately $100 million flexible-rate revolving notes (subordinate lien). In November 2011, 74 percent of BexarMet…

• Smells like special session at Texas Capitol

  24 May 2013 | 12:59 pm

  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping quiet until the last moment on whether a special session will occur, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear he wants one. At the start of May, Perry advised lawmakers that one of the best ways to avoid a special session would be to show him a budget with $1.8 billion of tax relief for businesses. Bills have passed providing tax cuts amounting to about $1 billion, with an additional $700 million for tax-relief in the budget coming from electricity fee rebates…

• Valero Energy Foundation makes $100,000 donation to aid tornado victims

  24 May 2013 | 12:53 pm

  The Valero Energy Foundation — the charitable arm of San Antonio refiner Valero Energy Corp. — has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist people affected by the tornadoes that ripped through Central Oklahoma. The foundation also will match employees’ Red Cross donations up to $50,000. Valero (NYSE: VLO) operates a refinery in Ardmore, Okla., about 60 miles south of Moore, the city where at least 24 people were killed by a massive twister. The company reported no significant…

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  San Francisco Business News - Local San Francisco News | The San Francisco Business Times

• Sidecar (finally) gets CPUC approval for ridesharing

  24 May 2013 | 3:53 pm

  Ridesharing service Sidecar has finally landed approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to continue its ridesharing operation, staying a cease-and-desist order and nixing a $20,000 fine levied by the state regulator. Through its mobile app, Sidecar connects passengers who need rides with people who are driving around nearby. It took months for the service to convince the CPUC that it was an information service (and shouldn't be regulated as a transportation company), and that the…

• Food trends from the NRA

  24 May 2013 | 3:06 pm

  The NRA (calm down, I’m talking about the National Restaurant Association) recently held its big show in Chicago, where more than 2,000 companies representing more than 900 product categories showed up to showcase what they’ve got cooking. During this conference, lots of new food trends were spotted, many of which revolved around health and bold new flavors to meet what food producers say are shifting consumer demands. Since San Francisco’s restaurants seem to love a good trend (pork belly,…

• Mid-Market mystery building ready for housing

  24 May 2013 | 2:58 pm

  Raintree Partners has cracked the code on Mid-Market’s most mysterious building. The developer is converting the Wilson Building, the seven-story structure at 973 Market St., into 65 apartments. The building stands on a block of Market Street that is undergoing radical transformation, with a Gensler-designed Market Street Place under construction next door. But it turns out that the building’s history is as fascinating as its future. The building, which has an A rating from San Francisco Architectural…

• Robots rise: sneak preview of 18 clever ones

  24 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

  Robots are on the march in the Bay Area. This week's issue of the San Francisco Business Times features a story about how more than a dozen robotics companies have recently emerged or moved to the region, united by a belief that robots are getting closer to going mainstream in homes and businesses of all kinds. Robotics entrepreneurs cite a burst of technological breakthroughs, a plunge in the price of components and a sharp rise in the availability of venture funding as factors behind the expected…

• America’s Cup wanted to be like NASCAR — too much

  24 May 2013 | 1:13 pm

  America’s Cup officials likened their upcoming San Francisco races to NASCAR on the water. And as it turned out, it is more like NASCAR than they might like. Just as the 2001 race-related death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. led to numerous safety improvements for NASCAR, the death of yachtsman Andrew “Bart” Simpson on May 9 is edging the America’s Cup toward embracing more safety measures. America’s Cup race director Iain Murray this week presented several recommendations — including buoyancy…

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  San Jose Business News - Local San Jose News | The Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

• The case for and against a Yahoo/Hulu deal

  24 May 2013 | 4:20 pm

  Wow, slow your roll, Yahoo. Just days after closing a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo is reportedly putting in a bid for Hulu. According to unnamed sources quoted by Variety, Yahoo is the latest company to put in a bid for the streaming video site. Variety also said that Amazon, which was seen as a frontrunner for the deal, has dropped out of contention. Bid price was not disclosed. Hulu would seem to be at the center of a full-on feeding frenzy these days, with private equity firms…

• World's largest glass manufacturer opens Cupertino office

  24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm

  If you didn't notice AGC Group when it opened its new digs in the Silicon Valley last week, you can perhaps be forgiven. After all, a four-person office operating out of one of the few buildings in Cupertino without an Apple sign on it is easy to miss. But in this case, that small office is just the tip of a much larger spear. AGC Group is one of the world's largest manufacturers of glass and glass products, with nearly $12 billion in annual revenue, and it's in town to do deals. I spoke with Yoshiaki…

• Silicon Valley Scoops: 49ers COO, three big deals, exclusive video (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 2:46 pm

  We measure our newsroom by how many exclusive stories we deliver. That’s a high bar that gets higher when a huge event like the Super Bowl lands in a newsroom’s backyard. This week we told our readers what landing the Super Bowl in 2016 means to Silicon Valley — faster and with greater breadth and depth than the competition. Our Eco Dev reporter Lauren Hepler (@SVBizLauren) led the coverage with exclusive interviews with 49ers executives. You’d be hard pressed to find a body in the newsroom…

• 19,115 anime fanatics descend on San Jose for FanimeCon (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 1:59 pm

  If you spent any time today in downtown San Jose, you probably noticed the number of people sporting horns and carrying spears grew exponentially. FanimeCon is in town, and with it thousands of people representing their favorite Japanese animated characters. The event runs Friday through Monday, and will pack the convention center and surrounding restaurants and hotels. Team San Jose, the nonprofit that organizes city events, told me to expect 19,115 people, and about 7,880 hotel nights booked. Total…

• Valley vintner gets weird on Tim Cook's tax problems

  24 May 2013 | 1:18 pm

  Talk about seizing on current events for a little off-color company marketing. The Internet was consumed earlier this week with Apple CEO Tim Cook's appearance before a Senate committee to talk U.S. tax-dodging with overseas subsidiaries, particularly in Ireland (read more about that here). Gilroy winery owner Thomas Kruse this week took the opportunity to spice up the monthly Thomas Kruse Winery newsletter with some satire. It starts with the foreboding headline "Special Offer.....and Notice…

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  Seattle Business News - Local Seattle News | The Puget Sound Business Journal

• Boeing, suppliers work around that Skagit bridge collapse

  24 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Boeing and aerospace suppliers are coping with the sudden failure of transportation on Interstate 5 due to the Skagit bridge collapse, by instituting work-arounds and managing delays of several hours. “Currently we are using alternate routes, going through some of the more rural area. It’s causing a delay, not more than an hour’s impact for us,” said Misty Larsen, director of production for Volante LLC, an aircraft interiors fabricator in Burlington, Wash. Volante, which employs 100, is…

• How long will it take to fix the collapsed I-5 Skagit bridge?

  24 May 2013 | 2:26 pm

  Contracting experts think that the collapsed Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge can be fixed quickly. David D’Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, said some bridge builders already have been in touch with the state. One contractor, Dan Howell, director of business development for Skanska in Seattle, said he “told [WSDOT] we’re ready, willing and able to help them in any way possible.” The Skagit River span is a steel-truss span. Built in…

• Skagit bridge collapse spurs hotel cancellations in Anacortes

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  An hour after the Skagit River bridge collapsed Thursday evening, the phone at Anacortes’ Majestic Inn & Spa rang with the first of several cancellations for the Memorial Day weekend. Anna Holm, owner of the Majestic's Apothecary Spa, said both spa and hotel had immediate cancellations starting at 8:30 p.m. As of Friday morning, the hotel, which had all of its 21 rooms booked for the Memorial Day weekend, had five cancellations. The spa had three cancellations, “This is definitely going to…

• 'Bailey Bridge' could be short-term fix for collapsed Skagit River span

  24 May 2013 | 2:03 pm

  A “Bailey Bridge,” mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday as a possible temporary fix for the collapsed I-5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Mt. Vernon, is a well-seasoned bridge technology first developed during World War II. The bridges are steel truss bridges, made of sections small enough to be carried by hand, which can be bolted together on site. During World War II, they were often erected under fire, and they were used heavily during the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. The U.S.…

• SoftBank, Dish continue to wrangle for Sprint, Clearwire

  24 May 2013 | 12:38 pm

  The four-player mess — Sprint Nextel Corp., SoftBank Corp., Clearwire Corp. and Dish Network Corp. — that’s been dominating wireless news lately hasn’t let up as the parties continue to wrangle for control of one or the other. Sprint (NYSE: S) recently sweetened its offer for Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) by 14 percent in its “best and final” offer, but that has failed to sway opponents, raising speculation Sprint will have to up its bid again, Bloomberg reports. Dish (Nasdaq: DISH) also…

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  South Florida Business News - Local South Florida News | The South Florida Business Journal

• Ken Thomas says City National Bank deal good for local businesses

  24 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Miami-based bank analyst and economist Kenneth H. Thomas said the deal by Banco de Credito e Inversiones (BCI) to buy City National Bank of Florida is good for local businesses because it maintains a competitor in the marketplace and should lead to the bank expanding. It was announced on Friday that Spain’s Bankia would sell the Miami-based bank to BCI for $882.8 million, which is about 1.5 times its book value. Thomas said that represents a new high water mark for bank acquisitions in Florida…

• Swisher Hygiene shares fall after earnings report

  24 May 2013 | 3:19 pm

  Shares of Swisher Hygiene fell 5 cents, or 4.24 percent, to $1.13 on Friday after the company reported more losses in the first quarter. Swisher (NASDAQ: SWSH) reported a $17.24 million loss from continuing operations compared with a $13.26 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Sales of chemical products dropped from $40.03 million to $35.67 million. Sales of the hygiene, rental and other category fell from $18.12 million to $16.36 million. The changes indicate Swisher is still trying to stabilize…

• Mario Chalmers’ dad sued over defamation, contract allegations

  24 May 2013 | 2:19 pm

  Ronnie Chalmers, the father of Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers, is facing a lawsuit over allegations he breached a contract with a former business partner, David Sugarman of Miami. According to the lawsuit, Sugarman and Chalmers signed an agreement to become partners in Sugartime The Sports Agency. But the agreement apparently didn’t work out. Sugarman's lawsuit is alleging that Ronnie Chalmers took documents from him, bad-mouthed him to potential clients and failed to pay his way. The suit…

• Will Sly Stallone join Howard Stern in Palm Beach?

  24 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

  “Rocky” creator and action mega-star Sylvester Stallone is looking to spend $7 million on a Palm Beach house. Gossip Extra is reporting that "The Expendables" actor has put out feelers with brokers about properties that are for sale. Stallone has deep ties to South Florida: his Wellington-based father died at 91 two years ago. He attended Miami Dade College before attending acting school at the University of Miami and lived in a Coconut Grove mansion for years. If he buys in Palm Beach, he…

• Florida would provide parts to U.S.-produced Apple computer line

  24 May 2013 | 1:42 pm

  Florida got a bite of good news from Apple during Tim Cook’s recent Senate hearing testimony on taxes, with the CEO announcing Florida would take part in a U.S.-based Mac line. He wasn’t specific about where in Florida, but Cook did say Texas would be home base for assembling the Mac line. Illinois and Florida would provide components for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), with Kentucky and Michigan providing the equipment, according to the Los Angeles Times. Foxconn Technology Group has an engineering…

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  Tampa Business News - Local Tampa News | The Tampa Bay Business Journal

• Tampa stocks go into long weekend on a mostly up note (Video)

  24 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

  Stock prices for most of the largest publicly traded companies in the Tampa area gained ground in advance of the Memorial Day weekend. Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ: BLMN) posted the biggest jump, one day after pricing a secondary offering at $21.50 a share. The stock closed at $22.31 a share. View the chart below for more local stock information and watch the Bloomberg video for top national stocks news.

• FDIC wins legal malpractice case against Icard Merrill, senior partner

  24 May 2013 | 12:45 pm

  A Tampa federal jury decided prominent Sarasota law firm Icard Merrill and Robert Messick, shareholder and senior partner, committed professional malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty in a real estate deal involving failed First Priority Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., receiver for the bank, filed suit against the firm and Messick and was awarded damages of $1.2 million. Messick represented the bank in a $5.3 million real estate loan in 2006 for a developer who was supposed to build…

• Eckerd College researchers define ‘entrepreneurial mindset’

  24 May 2013 | 11:47 am

  What constitutes entrepreneurial mindset? Researchers at Eckerd College may have solved the puzzle. Tired of the many anecdotes and existing studies on innovation and entrepreneurial mindset, Director of Coaching at the Leadership Development Institute, Jennifer Hall, and colleagues Mark Davis and Pam Meyer created The Entrepreneurship Dimensions Profile to gain a definitive understanding of the terms. The tool assesses the degree to which one exhibits an “entrepreneurial mindset.” Data used…

• Odessa apartment deal cited in FDIC lawsuit

  24 May 2013 | 11:32 am

  A nearly $5 million loss on a loan to finance an apartment complex in Odessa is among the transactions cited in a suit filed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. against the former officers and directors of the failed Peninsula Bank in Englewood. The suit, filed in federal court in Tampa April 26, seeks to recover $48 million from former chairman and CEO, Simon Portnoy, and nine others, according to American Banker. The FDIC alleges that the former management was lax in underwriting high-risk…

• 1st United Bank boosts international trade finance focus

  24 May 2013 | 11:29 am

  A 62 percent increase in Export-Import Bank loans since 2010 has 1st United Bank convinced that there is lots of opportunity in international trade finance. 1st United had $16.7 million in EXIM Bank loans on the books as of Dec. 31, compared to $10.3 million in EXIM loans on the same day two years earlier, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Much of the growth has come from companies that trade with Latin America, said Jaime Zamudio, vice president, trade finance,…

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  Washington, D.C. Business News - Local Washington, D.C. News | The Washington Business Journal

• D.C. prepares for football fever (No, not that football.)

  24 May 2013 | 11:51 am

  The District's RFK Stadium will likely see a sellout crowd next week when the U.S. men's national soccer team plays Germany in a friendly match to mark U.S. Soccer's centennial year. Some 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the June 2 game, according to Events D.C., the city's main sports and events marketing agency. RFK holds approximately 45,000 people. About 15-18 percent of attendees at U.S. soccer games come from out of town. Hotel room nights associated with the U.S. and German teams…

• Report predicts LivingSocial, as a brand, will die in 2014

  24 May 2013 | 11:35 am

  LivingSocial Inc. — as a brand, at least — "does not stand a chance" and is going to vanish in 2014, or so predicts 24/7 Wall St. in a doomsday top-10 ranking that you're going to click on whether you want to or not. Based on the body of previous reporting on the District-based daily deals giant, the online financial pub places LivingSocial among the "Ten Brands That Will Disappear in 2014," alongside Volvo, J.C. Penney, Nook, "Martha Stewart Living" and "Road & Track" magazines, Olympus, the…

• M Cafe and Bar, Bar di Bari aim for June 15 opening

  24 May 2013 | 11:30 am

  Two of the restaurants that will add to 14th Street's emerging "really little Italy" are planning for mid-June openings, their owners told me this week. Bar di Bari, the European cafe and restaurant from Red Velvet, Drafting Table and Fat Shorty's owner Aaron Gordon, should be open by June 15 at 14th and R streets NW, Gordon said. (Bar di Bari won't be slowed by his troubles this week with exhaust vents and excessive doughnut smell at his other spot, Zeke's Donuts.) The small restaurant will have…

• Northern Virginia panel names road, transit projects slated for new funding

  24 May 2013 | 10:53 am

  The panel charged with allocating new road and transit funds in Northern Virginia has selected 33 projects totaling $187.5 million for design and construction work next fiscal year. With the transportation funding bill adopted by the General Assembly now law, the 14-member Northern Virginia Transit Authority has started the process of choosing the projects that will get money first. The funding legislation is expected to raise $350 million annually for the region, though a good chunk of that money…

• FCi Federal hires veteran CFO

  24 May 2013 | 10:42 am

  Leesburg-based FCi Federal has hired Bill Milligan as vice president of business operations and chief financial officer, the professional services firm announced Friday. Having spent 20 years in CFO roles, Milligan most recently was vice president and CFO at High Performance Technologies, where he led corporate finance and administrative functions and helped manage growth from $22 million to over $100 million. The Washington Business Journal named him CFO of the Year in 2007.

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  Wichita Business News - Local Wichita News | The Wichita Business Journal

• Kroger stops doubling coupons in many regions, but not at Dillons

  24 May 2013 | 2:28 pm

  Dillons supermarkets throughout Kansas currently have no plans to stop doubling coupons, despite the end of that policy at many other Kroger Co. stores. Kroger, the largest traditional grocer in the United States, announced in February that it would stop doubling coupons at stores near the company’s Cincinnati headquarters and has since ended double coupons in areas in Texas, California and the Mid-Atlantic states. But Sheila Lowrie, a spokesperson for the Hutchinson-based Dillons division of…

• Medical Society of Sedgwick County consolidating credentialing arm into one location

  24 May 2013 | 12:55 pm

  For nearly two years, the Medical Society of Sedgwick County has operated its Medical Provider Resources from two locations. But that’s about to change. The Medical Society is doing some minor renovations to its location at 1102 S. Hillside to be able to better accommodate the 10 or so employees Medical Provider Resources has. The organization verifies and manages medical credentials for health care providers. It was created in 2011 with the merger of Kansas Physician Information Verification…

• Sporting events to fill most hotel rooms in June

  24 May 2013 | 12:10 pm

  A couple of sporting events will fill the most hotel rooms in Wichita next month, a report this week from the Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau shows. The Mid America Youth Basketball tournament is planned June 7-9, taking an estimated 6,000 rooms, with 2,500 on the event’s peak night. The event will attract an estimated 20,000 people, Go Wichita says. June 10-16, the golf tournament formerly known as the Wichita Open, renamed the Air Capital Classic this year, will take about 2,177 rooms,…

• Wichita State leans heavily on interim leaders as colleges search for new deans

  24 May 2013 | 12:06 pm

  Interim dean has become an often-used phrase at Wichita State University in recent months. Now, here’s one more. The university says Shirley Lefever-Davis will serve as interim dean of the College of Education for the 2013-2014 academic year, replacing Sharon Iorio, who is retiring. Lefever-Davis will assume her role as interim dean on June 9. Iorio has served as the dean of WSU’s College of Education for the past six years. Lefever-Davis is a senior associate dean and professor in the College…

• Chat with some of our top tweeters

  24 May 2013 | 11:34 am

  The Twitter users we’re recognizing in this week’s WBJ know a little something about how to use Twitter effectively personally, professionally and — in most cases — for both. Several have agreed to answer our readers’ questions during a Twitter chat. Follow the chat hashtag, #ICTBizChat, to listen in, and feel free to ask your own question. Date: Tuesday, May 28 Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Subject: How to use Twitter effectively Hashtag: #ICTBizChat