Florida History Fair state contest on tap Tallahassee Democrat (blog) 2011 2:00AM High school and middle school students from 30 counties will gather in Tallahassee on Monday to compete in the Florida History Fair state contest. Leon County has 15 schools, including private schools and home-schooled students, ... |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Florida History Fair state contest on tap - Tallahassee Democrat (blog)
mytyhona.wordpress.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
130 Bar Electric Pressure Washers with Two Temperature Modes - Online PR News (press release)
ufazywyve.wordpress.com
Online PR News (press release) | 130 Bar Electric Pressure Washers with Two Temperature Modes Online PR News (press release) The power washers offer two temperature modes for cleaning with and without heat. (Heated mode offers maximum temperatures of 79.4°C.) The electric pressure washers rely on industrial-duty 2.0 HP, 440V motor units. For no-fume heating, the electric ... Gas and Electric Pressure Washer Machines Support High PSI |
Monday, April 25, 2011
Retail roundup: Major chains with Colorado stores report June sales - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
uhalugupuzyma.blogspot.com
Many store chains said they continu e to seelower same-store salesz results as customers grapple with the recession's lingerint impact. In response, many retailers, from to , have been offerinh promotions and tweaking inventories in a scramble to sell merchandises without eroding theirprofit margins. national June retail sales were projected to dropby 4.6 percenyt by Retail Metrics, a Massachusettsx firm that tracks store sales. This is worsde than the minus 4.3 percent average monthlty decline, year-to-date. Department stores were forecast to post theweakest results, down 8.9 with “discretionary spending still in hiding,” according to its monthly report.
Here' s a roundup of Thursday's retailerf sales reports. (Check back with DenverBusinessJournal.cokm through the day for more updates.) • reportef a 8.9 percent drop in same-store salese in June, as shoppers continuecd their months-long trend of avoidingt purchases deemed lessthan necessary. The Cincinnati-based departmenr store chain outstepped expectationsslightly – analystse surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a decline of 9 Total sales dropped to just more than $2 down 9.1 percent from almost $2.3 billionb a year ago. For the first five months of thefiscal Macy’s said sales at stores open at least a year decreased 9 percent, with total sales down 9.
4 percent, to $9 billion from $9.9 billion. Cincinnati-based Macy’s (NYSE: M) saw its strongest sales in the Midwesrand Texas, while the coasts lagged. The Northeastg particularly suffered due to cool andwet weather, said spokesman Jim “Our inventories are in good shape,” he said. “Ou private brands continue to do moderate sportswear continues to doto well, as do kids and Furniture, big-ticket items, luggage and menswear Macy’s has projected full-year profits of 40 cents to 55 cents per excluding restructuring costs stemming from a companywidee reorganization. Annual sales, it has said, are expected to decliner by 6 percent to8 percent.
Macy’sx operates roughly 845 department stored under thenames Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. said that its total sales forthe five-weelk period ending July 4 decreases 1.5 percent from the same perio a year earlier and comparable-store sales decreasede 5.6 percent. Analysts expected a drop of 6.8 percentr in comparable-store sales, according to Marketwatch. For the fiscalk year to date, total sales for the Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-basedf retailer (NYSE: KSS) increased 0.7 percent to nearlyg $6.4 billion and comparable-store sales decreased 3.8 percent.
June salea exceeded the expectationsof Kohl’s executives, said president and CEO Kevin The retailer achieved comparable-store sales increasese in the southwestern United States, with the strongest performance in California, he said. Merchandise linez that performed well were accessories and Mansell said. Kohl’s apparel businesses were hurt by sluggisuh demand in seasonal categories suchas shorts, polox and swimwear, he said.
Many store chains said they continu e to seelower same-store salesz results as customers grapple with the recession's lingerint impact. In response, many retailers, from to , have been offerinh promotions and tweaking inventories in a scramble to sell merchandises without eroding theirprofit margins. national June retail sales were projected to dropby 4.6 percenyt by Retail Metrics, a Massachusettsx firm that tracks store sales. This is worsde than the minus 4.3 percent average monthlty decline, year-to-date. Department stores were forecast to post theweakest results, down 8.9 with “discretionary spending still in hiding,” according to its monthly report.
Here' s a roundup of Thursday's retailerf sales reports. (Check back with DenverBusinessJournal.cokm through the day for more updates.) • reportef a 8.9 percent drop in same-store salese in June, as shoppers continuecd their months-long trend of avoidingt purchases deemed lessthan necessary. The Cincinnati-based departmenr store chain outstepped expectationsslightly – analystse surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a decline of 9 Total sales dropped to just more than $2 down 9.1 percent from almost $2.3 billionb a year ago. For the first five months of thefiscal Macy’s said sales at stores open at least a year decreased 9 percent, with total sales down 9.
4 percent, to $9 billion from $9.9 billion. Cincinnati-based Macy’s (NYSE: M) saw its strongest sales in the Midwesrand Texas, while the coasts lagged. The Northeastg particularly suffered due to cool andwet weather, said spokesman Jim “Our inventories are in good shape,” he said. “Ou private brands continue to do moderate sportswear continues to doto well, as do kids and Furniture, big-ticket items, luggage and menswear Macy’s has projected full-year profits of 40 cents to 55 cents per excluding restructuring costs stemming from a companywidee reorganization. Annual sales, it has said, are expected to decliner by 6 percent to8 percent.
Macy’sx operates roughly 845 department stored under thenames Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. said that its total sales forthe five-weelk period ending July 4 decreases 1.5 percent from the same perio a year earlier and comparable-store sales decreasede 5.6 percent. Analysts expected a drop of 6.8 percentr in comparable-store sales, according to Marketwatch. For the fiscalk year to date, total sales for the Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-basedf retailer (NYSE: KSS) increased 0.7 percent to nearlyg $6.4 billion and comparable-store sales decreased 3.8 percent.
June salea exceeded the expectationsof Kohl’s executives, said president and CEO Kevin The retailer achieved comparable-store sales increasese in the southwestern United States, with the strongest performance in California, he said. Merchandise linez that performed well were accessories and Mansell said. Kohl’s apparel businesses were hurt by sluggisuh demand in seasonal categories suchas shorts, polox and swimwear, he said.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Cashing in on aging boomers - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
ejyceh.wordpress.com
“People wanted nothing to do with thematurre market,” said Maddy Dychtwald, senior vice president of the companuy in San Francisco. Now, the consumer products and servicesindustryh can’t stop thinking about the mature market, especiallhy since a baby boomer turns 50 every 8½ seconds. At 78 milliob people, boomers represent one-third of all adult in the United States. They controlo half of the nation’s wealth and, at least before the recession, were spending $2 trillion on consumer products and servicedsa year. Boomers were expected to accoun for about 40 percent of spendinygby 2015, according to a report in 2007.
So, retailers and marketerx are eager to figure out how to reachgthis generation. Some in the consumed products and services industry are gettingit right, while many otherx still have much to learn — and lose, said expertw who specialize in marketing to baby boomers. Marketing to this 19-year generation is proving tricky. Althougb boomers are lumped together, they’re a diverse groul with divergent life experiences given that they range in age from 44to 63.
And like the rest of the they range from affluent to financially The way to market to boomers is by individua life stagesegments — such as empty-nesterxs and grandparents — withou t mentioning age, consultants said. “They refuse to be called That is the worst thing you can do to this saidAlice Jacobs, a Roseville baby boomere who advises companies on generationak marketing and teaches seminars and classes on the including through UC Davis Extension. Although generalizingf of boomers should bedone sparingly, older baby boomersa refuse to grow up.
They think old age starts arounx 75or 80, said Matt Thornhill, founder of , a marketing researcnh and consulting firm in Virginia. Boomers see themselves as vibrantfand active. They like trying new services and despite the myth that theyare brand-loyal, spokesmamn Anthony Deluise said. The association of peopler 50 and older no longerruses “retired” in its name. Boomers like prinr advertising because they want lots of Boomers also pay attention tonew media, and will clico on eye-catching Internet ads. This generation also likesa products, services and shopping experiences that make them feel special and pampered, consultants said.
They don’ want to merely eat or buy They wantto dine; they want This is especially true sincde the recession started. Many boomers who are 60 had expecte to retire over the nextfive years. Now, they will likely work an extrq three to five years because oftheifr hard-hit investments and pensions, Dychtwald said. The good news is they won’yt be on a fixed incomer and willstill spend. But thei free time will be more limited. More boomerw will be working and raising children or grandchildreb while also dealing with theidr ownsick parents.
As a result, “experiences over things become valued,” Dychtwald “There is a real shift going on right now on what peoplreare valuing.” Boomers in particular want to be responsibl e consumers. “It’s not about buying stufc to have stuff,” Thornhill said. Lifestyle centers — which combine upscalwe storeswith restaurants, entertainment and comfortabld places to linger provide the experiences that boomers want. Local examples are Sacramento’ds Pavilions center and The Fountainsin Roseville.
“People wanted nothing to do with thematurre market,” said Maddy Dychtwald, senior vice president of the companuy in San Francisco. Now, the consumer products and servicesindustryh can’t stop thinking about the mature market, especiallhy since a baby boomer turns 50 every 8½ seconds. At 78 milliob people, boomers represent one-third of all adult in the United States. They controlo half of the nation’s wealth and, at least before the recession, were spending $2 trillion on consumer products and servicedsa year. Boomers were expected to accoun for about 40 percent of spendinygby 2015, according to a report in 2007.
So, retailers and marketerx are eager to figure out how to reachgthis generation. Some in the consumed products and services industry are gettingit right, while many otherx still have much to learn — and lose, said expertw who specialize in marketing to baby boomers. Marketing to this 19-year generation is proving tricky. Althougb boomers are lumped together, they’re a diverse groul with divergent life experiences given that they range in age from 44to 63.
And like the rest of the they range from affluent to financially The way to market to boomers is by individua life stagesegments — such as empty-nesterxs and grandparents — withou t mentioning age, consultants said. “They refuse to be called That is the worst thing you can do to this saidAlice Jacobs, a Roseville baby boomere who advises companies on generationak marketing and teaches seminars and classes on the including through UC Davis Extension. Although generalizingf of boomers should bedone sparingly, older baby boomersa refuse to grow up.
They think old age starts arounx 75or 80, said Matt Thornhill, founder of , a marketing researcnh and consulting firm in Virginia. Boomers see themselves as vibrantfand active. They like trying new services and despite the myth that theyare brand-loyal, spokesmamn Anthony Deluise said. The association of peopler 50 and older no longerruses “retired” in its name. Boomers like prinr advertising because they want lots of Boomers also pay attention tonew media, and will clico on eye-catching Internet ads. This generation also likesa products, services and shopping experiences that make them feel special and pampered, consultants said.
They don’ want to merely eat or buy They wantto dine; they want This is especially true sincde the recession started. Many boomers who are 60 had expecte to retire over the nextfive years. Now, they will likely work an extrq three to five years because oftheifr hard-hit investments and pensions, Dychtwald said. The good news is they won’yt be on a fixed incomer and willstill spend. But thei free time will be more limited. More boomerw will be working and raising children or grandchildreb while also dealing with theidr ownsick parents.
As a result, “experiences over things become valued,” Dychtwald “There is a real shift going on right now on what peoplreare valuing.” Boomers in particular want to be responsibl e consumers. “It’s not about buying stufc to have stuff,” Thornhill said. Lifestyle centers — which combine upscalwe storeswith restaurants, entertainment and comfortabld places to linger provide the experiences that boomers want. Local examples are Sacramento’ds Pavilions center and The Fountainsin Roseville.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Survey: Americans lack knowledge about generics - Boston Business Journal:
buluhofuce.wordpress.com
And, while research has shown that genericsz have saved the health care system anestimated $734 billion in the last 10 two-thirds of those surveyeed don’t know the true cost difference s between generic and brand name drugs, accordinb to the survey conducted by , a leading pharmacy benefigt management organization. “Using generics helps make health care more affordable withourcompromising results,” Jacqueline Kosecoff, Prescription Solutionws CEO said in a news “Many Americans erroneously believe that the most expensived drug is always the most effectivd drug, so by helping to changd perceptions, we can help people save monet and still get the best treatment available.
” Thirty-on e percent of respondents indicated they knew that a brand name drug cost 50-70 percent more on averagre than its generic counterpart. Seventy-one percent of consumer remain concerned about drug costs with more than one infour (27 having either delayed filling, not or not taken as directed a prescription drug to save Twenty-one percent of all respondents say they have talked to theire doctor recently about switching to a less expensive Fifty-seven percent of thoses polled said they take prescription drugsd weekly. Of those, 83 percent (or 47 percent of the totalp sample) take generics.
Of those who do not take generic drugs on aweekly basis, 58 percen t say it is because there is no generic available for the drug they Sixty-four percent of those who take generics say their doctor recommended them and 43 percentf say their pharmacist recommended them. Of those who do not take genericd drugs on aweeklhy basis, 58 percent say they wouled if their pharmacist brought a generic to their attentionj as a less expensive, identical substitute; and 52 percent say their doctor woulsd have to recommend it.
And, while research has shown that genericsz have saved the health care system anestimated $734 billion in the last 10 two-thirds of those surveyeed don’t know the true cost difference s between generic and brand name drugs, accordinb to the survey conducted by , a leading pharmacy benefigt management organization. “Using generics helps make health care more affordable withourcompromising results,” Jacqueline Kosecoff, Prescription Solutionws CEO said in a news “Many Americans erroneously believe that the most expensived drug is always the most effectivd drug, so by helping to changd perceptions, we can help people save monet and still get the best treatment available.
” Thirty-on e percent of respondents indicated they knew that a brand name drug cost 50-70 percent more on averagre than its generic counterpart. Seventy-one percent of consumer remain concerned about drug costs with more than one infour (27 having either delayed filling, not or not taken as directed a prescription drug to save Twenty-one percent of all respondents say they have talked to theire doctor recently about switching to a less expensive Fifty-seven percent of thoses polled said they take prescription drugsd weekly. Of those, 83 percent (or 47 percent of the totalp sample) take generics.
Of those who do not take generic drugs on aweekly basis, 58 percen t say it is because there is no generic available for the drug they Sixty-four percent of those who take generics say their doctor recommended them and 43 percentf say their pharmacist recommended them. Of those who do not take genericd drugs on aweeklhy basis, 58 percent say they wouled if their pharmacist brought a generic to their attentionj as a less expensive, identical substitute; and 52 percent say their doctor woulsd have to recommend it.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wal-Mart testing video game kiosks in deal with Columbus provider - Business First of Columbus:
bestimmung-amendments.blogspot.com
Retailing giant will feature E-Play’s kiosks for used video gamezs in the vestibules of 77 storew inthe Northeast. Wal-Mart and Columbus-based E-Platy declined to comment on thetest run, other than to provid a fact sheet about the which buy used video games using a databas with prices for more than 4,000 titles. Customers scan games’ UPC code and then are givejn the chance to accept or declinethe turn-ib price, which would be credited to a credit or debitr card. The price can be as much as $25 for a high-demanf game. (Fellow parents would agree the averagew is likely tobe much, much less.
) E-Platy has other partnerships with convenience stores, gasoline service stations and other that have put its DVD- and video game-rental kiosks in more than 200 locations in 11 including Ohio. Columbus Business First has reported on some of itspreviousw deals, each time without comment from despite repeated requests. The company was part of Dallas-base d ’s Blockbuster Express $1 DVD rental kiosk test in which was abandoned in then it partneredwith ’s MovieSto subsidiary for a similar $1 DVD kiosk test. Recessio n be damned. Let’s expand.
Retailing giant will feature E-Play’s kiosks for used video gamezs in the vestibules of 77 storew inthe Northeast. Wal-Mart and Columbus-based E-Platy declined to comment on thetest run, other than to provid a fact sheet about the which buy used video games using a databas with prices for more than 4,000 titles. Customers scan games’ UPC code and then are givejn the chance to accept or declinethe turn-ib price, which would be credited to a credit or debitr card. The price can be as much as $25 for a high-demanf game. (Fellow parents would agree the averagew is likely tobe much, much less.
) E-Platy has other partnerships with convenience stores, gasoline service stations and other that have put its DVD- and video game-rental kiosks in more than 200 locations in 11 including Ohio. Columbus Business First has reported on some of itspreviousw deals, each time without comment from despite repeated requests. The company was part of Dallas-base d ’s Blockbuster Express $1 DVD rental kiosk test in which was abandoned in then it partneredwith ’s MovieSto subsidiary for a similar $1 DVD kiosk test. Recessio n be damned. Let’s expand.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Cushman & Wakefield loses third Miami exec - Dayton Business Journal:
hundleyobajoji1908.blogspot.com
Caplin’s exit is the latesrt of severalrecent high-profile departures at C&W in The firm is one of South Florida'w largest real estate brokerages and, like other has seen few investment deals in the last year. Formerf branch manager Tere Blanca left in the spring tolaunch , a firm focuseed on office leasing and Hank Klein, executive directod of C&W in Florida, was notified last month that his positiomn was being eliminated. Steelbridge owns and manages propertythroughout Florida. It sold , on Miami’s Brickello Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftere an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavinn Campbell will continue asmanagingf principal, sharing the helm with Caplin. Caplin is one of a handfuol of commercial brokers involved inSout Florida’s largest commercial transactions. Caplin said his exit is in responsr to a paradigm shiff in local investment that comes at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutional investors became secondary tomarket momentum. During the boom years leadin upto 2006, the expectation was that assetsz with strong track records could be purchased and flipped quickly for big For a short period of some owners made the strategy work, but then the economicv meltdown put the brakes on the market.
who bought in the last few years, were holdinh assets that cost too much compared tomarkett fundamentals. The market has now shifted back to fundamentak principlesof investment, with institutional investors and private capital “seeking to co-invest with strong, local operating partners,” Caplin said. “The market and investors mostlhybelieve it’s about operations on the groune and knowing how to position a buildinhg in a particular submarket,” he said. Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiom in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 millionm purchase of a half-stakwe in downtown Miami’s landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickel buildingin 2006.
He was involved in the sale of 355 Alhambrwa in Coral Gablesfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currentlu working with Hines to refinance its debt at . Capli is a graduate of south Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High He graduated from in 1985 witha bachelor’sw degree in finance and real Two years later, he left C&W’s appraisa group to launch the company’s localk investment sales operation. Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980a that first specialized in investment sales in Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridge Capitap had 2 million square feet of commercial real estat in its portfolio in seve Florida marketsincluding Jacksonville, Naplew and Miami.
They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’z arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investmentt for the company, Steelbridge’s Campbell said. "We think valuationsz are finally starting to lookattractive again,” Campbelol said in a statement. “The opportunity to buy Florida assetes at significant discounts to replacementt costis imminent, while the long-term job and demographidc prospects for Florida and the Caribbean basih are as strong as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpi n ofour strategy.
"
Caplin’s exit is the latesrt of severalrecent high-profile departures at C&W in The firm is one of South Florida'w largest real estate brokerages and, like other has seen few investment deals in the last year. Formerf branch manager Tere Blanca left in the spring tolaunch , a firm focuseed on office leasing and Hank Klein, executive directod of C&W in Florida, was notified last month that his positiomn was being eliminated. Steelbridge owns and manages propertythroughout Florida. It sold , on Miami’s Brickello Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftere an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavinn Campbell will continue asmanagingf principal, sharing the helm with Caplin. Caplin is one of a handfuol of commercial brokers involved inSout Florida’s largest commercial transactions. Caplin said his exit is in responsr to a paradigm shiff in local investment that comes at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutional investors became secondary tomarket momentum. During the boom years leadin upto 2006, the expectation was that assetsz with strong track records could be purchased and flipped quickly for big For a short period of some owners made the strategy work, but then the economicv meltdown put the brakes on the market.
who bought in the last few years, were holdinh assets that cost too much compared tomarkett fundamentals. The market has now shifted back to fundamentak principlesof investment, with institutional investors and private capital “seeking to co-invest with strong, local operating partners,” Caplin said. “The market and investors mostlhybelieve it’s about operations on the groune and knowing how to position a buildinhg in a particular submarket,” he said. Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiom in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 millionm purchase of a half-stakwe in downtown Miami’s landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickel buildingin 2006.
He was involved in the sale of 355 Alhambrwa in Coral Gablesfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currentlu working with Hines to refinance its debt at . Capli is a graduate of south Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High He graduated from in 1985 witha bachelor’sw degree in finance and real Two years later, he left C&W’s appraisa group to launch the company’s localk investment sales operation. Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980a that first specialized in investment sales in Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridge Capitap had 2 million square feet of commercial real estat in its portfolio in seve Florida marketsincluding Jacksonville, Naplew and Miami.
They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’z arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investmentt for the company, Steelbridge’s Campbell said. "We think valuationsz are finally starting to lookattractive again,” Campbelol said in a statement. “The opportunity to buy Florida assetes at significant discounts to replacementt costis imminent, while the long-term job and demographidc prospects for Florida and the Caribbean basih are as strong as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpi n ofour strategy.
"
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
PFT: Two teams drop Ingram from draft boards - msnbc.com
http://community.mtviggy.com/profile/02C422B02022B422C0001022B422C
PFT: Two teams drop Ingram from draft boards msnbc.com “He won't be on their boards. These are teams that need running backs.†NFL Network's Mike Mayock didn't go as far as Lombardi, but did acknowledge Ingram is in danger of falling out of round one, where he's so often projected. ... |
Monday, April 11, 2011
Legislator wants Nixon to cut stimulus money for Kokam battery plant - Jacksonville Business Journal:
http://www.jekotia.net/mt-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=5&blog_id=5
Kokam’s , to be dubbef Summit Battery Park, would employ an estimatedc 900 people with average annual salariesof $40,000. Kokanm President Don Nissanka has said he hopes to breako ground before the end ofthe year, probablg at a site of more than 40 acreds in the vicinity of Kokam’ s current 50,000-square-foot Lee’s Summit plant. Nissanka was out of the countru Mondayand couldn’t be reached for Kokam, a startup founded in Octoberf 2005, burst into the limelighty this year. picked Kansase City for an assembly facility largelhy becauseof Kokam’s proximity.
And with federal stimulue dollars and state money seeking a joint venture involving Kokam landex a commitment in April ofnearly $145 million in incentivees from Michigan to build a batteryu plant there that’s similar to the one planned locally. The groupp also applied for federalstimulues money. Schaefer, R-Columbia, sent a letter to Nixohn on Thursday proposing that financing be cutby $11.r5 million combined for Kokam’s Lee’es Summit plant and another battery plant in Jopli n to help preserve $31.2 million in financing for the in Columbia, whicyh Schaefer called the cornerstone of a $200 milliobn hospital project.
“Every indication that I’m getting is that intends to veto the money forthe hospital,” Schaefer adding that Nixon’s veto probably would kill the entire $200 million project. “Spendingb public funds on a cancer hospital ownef by the citizens of Missouri is always goingy to win out over giving publicc funds to a privatse company for abattery plant,” Schaefer said. “Nobody has told me that the lowee amount wouldkill (Kokam’s Lee’s Summit) Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the governor will have an announcemenf about the budget bill before June 30, the end of Missouri’s fiscal year.
Nixon and his stafdf have been reviewing the budgetbill “line by line to determine what the stat can afford,” Holste said, and they want to keep centralk services in place. Jim Devine, CEO of the l, said he thought Schaefer’s proposal was “not as a threat as the EDC first thought, “but you nevere know in politics.” The EDC issued a release Friday encouraging Nixom to keep theKokam plant’s financing fully in
Kokam’s , to be dubbef Summit Battery Park, would employ an estimatedc 900 people with average annual salariesof $40,000. Kokanm President Don Nissanka has said he hopes to breako ground before the end ofthe year, probablg at a site of more than 40 acreds in the vicinity of Kokam’ s current 50,000-square-foot Lee’s Summit plant. Nissanka was out of the countru Mondayand couldn’t be reached for Kokam, a startup founded in Octoberf 2005, burst into the limelighty this year. picked Kansase City for an assembly facility largelhy becauseof Kokam’s proximity.
And with federal stimulue dollars and state money seeking a joint venture involving Kokam landex a commitment in April ofnearly $145 million in incentivees from Michigan to build a batteryu plant there that’s similar to the one planned locally. The groupp also applied for federalstimulues money. Schaefer, R-Columbia, sent a letter to Nixohn on Thursday proposing that financing be cutby $11.r5 million combined for Kokam’s Lee’es Summit plant and another battery plant in Jopli n to help preserve $31.2 million in financing for the in Columbia, whicyh Schaefer called the cornerstone of a $200 milliobn hospital project.
“Every indication that I’m getting is that intends to veto the money forthe hospital,” Schaefer adding that Nixon’s veto probably would kill the entire $200 million project. “Spendingb public funds on a cancer hospital ownef by the citizens of Missouri is always goingy to win out over giving publicc funds to a privatse company for abattery plant,” Schaefer said. “Nobody has told me that the lowee amount wouldkill (Kokam’s Lee’s Summit) Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the governor will have an announcemenf about the budget bill before June 30, the end of Missouri’s fiscal year.
Nixon and his stafdf have been reviewing the budgetbill “line by line to determine what the stat can afford,” Holste said, and they want to keep centralk services in place. Jim Devine, CEO of the l, said he thought Schaefer’s proposal was “not as a threat as the EDC first thought, “but you nevere know in politics.” The EDC issued a release Friday encouraging Nixom to keep theKokam plant’s financing fully in
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Hybrid bus maker Proterra considers plant in San Jose - Denver Business Journal:
http://work-ideas.livejournal.com/5398.html
Officials in San Jose’s Electronic Transportation Development Centeer as well as San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed supportr the proposed moveby LLC, but city officialas are also looking at othetr green companies that could benefi the region’s growing cleantech Proterra and its partners develop and manufacture hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid and zero-emission buses and vans that can be used as school and commercial buses. Proterr CEO Dale Hill said the company planz to unveil aprototype bus, develope d through a public-private at an event tentatively set for Feb.
6 at San Jose City The vehicle — with a lightweightg body composition, lithium titanate batteryy packs and a solar roof array could save approximately 11million gallons, or $45 million, in fuel annualluy for large-scale users such as the San Jose Unifier School District or Santa Clarsa Valley Transportation Authority. Conversations betweem Proterra and potential customers are still in thediscussiomn stage, according to the company. Proterra alreadyt operates a sales office out of the EnvironmentaplBusiness Cluster, a clean energy and environmentally focused incubator in San Jose.
Reed said he plans to speak with Hill in the next few weeksx to see what the city can do to bring the compang toSan Jose. Proterra is one company that coulrd help meet oneof Reed’ds Green Vision goals. That goal is for 100 percengt of public-fleet vehicles to run on alternativee fuels. Hill said Proterra is looking at the possibilityu of opening a San Jose manufacturing facility for the electronic components ofthe bus. Hill notesx that Silicon Valley is a leader in clean and being close to the innovation makes Proterra is seeking aninitial 30,009 square feet that would be expandable to 100,00o square feet.
The company needs 25 to 50 orders, whichj at about $1 million per bus, Hill sees as a $25 millionm to $50 million opportunity. Don Burrus, a developmeng officer with the San JoseRedevelopmeny Agency, said the move could bring some 500 jobs to San Jose as Hill believes the future of transir is battery technology, where a transif bus could be recharged in 10 minutes or less when it makesa a stop. Or it could pass under an arm that rechargew itevery hour. Synergy CEO Roberg Garzee, a consultant to the developmentt center onthe project, for one, believes Proterraz probably will get the orderzs it seeks.
Hill said he hopes the February unveilingb will generate orders in the next six to nine and that the manufacturing site will be up and runnintg withinthe year. The Electronicv TransportationDevelopment Center, part of the environmental plans to purchase a demonstration bus from Proterra. The centere offers a place where companiese can work togetherto design, commercialize and manufacture advanced transportation with a focus on areas such as clean and renewablwe energy.
Hill and Garzee both cited California Assembl Bill 118 as a driver behind commercializing clean The Alternative Fuel and VehicleTechnologu Program, created by the bill, authorizesx the Energy Commission to spend about $120 million per year for seven years to developl and deploy innovative technologies that will transform California’ fuel and vehicle types to help meet states climate-change policies. “We want to take advantage of that to stary manufacturingin California,” Hill said. The California Air Resourcesx Board, after enacting some of the nation’s toughest diesel-emissions standards, announced $5.
5 millio in grants for a Lower-Emissions School Bus Program and $1.4 milliom to replace remaining pre-1977 buses.
Officials in San Jose’s Electronic Transportation Development Centeer as well as San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed supportr the proposed moveby LLC, but city officialas are also looking at othetr green companies that could benefi the region’s growing cleantech Proterra and its partners develop and manufacture hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid and zero-emission buses and vans that can be used as school and commercial buses. Proterr CEO Dale Hill said the company planz to unveil aprototype bus, develope d through a public-private at an event tentatively set for Feb.
6 at San Jose City The vehicle — with a lightweightg body composition, lithium titanate batteryy packs and a solar roof array could save approximately 11million gallons, or $45 million, in fuel annualluy for large-scale users such as the San Jose Unifier School District or Santa Clarsa Valley Transportation Authority. Conversations betweem Proterra and potential customers are still in thediscussiomn stage, according to the company. Proterra alreadyt operates a sales office out of the EnvironmentaplBusiness Cluster, a clean energy and environmentally focused incubator in San Jose.
Reed said he plans to speak with Hill in the next few weeksx to see what the city can do to bring the compang toSan Jose. Proterra is one company that coulrd help meet oneof Reed’ds Green Vision goals. That goal is for 100 percengt of public-fleet vehicles to run on alternativee fuels. Hill said Proterra is looking at the possibilityu of opening a San Jose manufacturing facility for the electronic components ofthe bus. Hill notesx that Silicon Valley is a leader in clean and being close to the innovation makes Proterra is seeking aninitial 30,009 square feet that would be expandable to 100,00o square feet.
The company needs 25 to 50 orders, whichj at about $1 million per bus, Hill sees as a $25 millionm to $50 million opportunity. Don Burrus, a developmeng officer with the San JoseRedevelopmeny Agency, said the move could bring some 500 jobs to San Jose as Hill believes the future of transir is battery technology, where a transif bus could be recharged in 10 minutes or less when it makesa a stop. Or it could pass under an arm that rechargew itevery hour. Synergy CEO Roberg Garzee, a consultant to the developmentt center onthe project, for one, believes Proterraz probably will get the orderzs it seeks.
Hill said he hopes the February unveilingb will generate orders in the next six to nine and that the manufacturing site will be up and runnintg withinthe year. The Electronicv TransportationDevelopment Center, part of the environmental plans to purchase a demonstration bus from Proterra. The centere offers a place where companiese can work togetherto design, commercialize and manufacture advanced transportation with a focus on areas such as clean and renewablwe energy.
Hill and Garzee both cited California Assembl Bill 118 as a driver behind commercializing clean The Alternative Fuel and VehicleTechnologu Program, created by the bill, authorizesx the Energy Commission to spend about $120 million per year for seven years to developl and deploy innovative technologies that will transform California’ fuel and vehicle types to help meet states climate-change policies. “We want to take advantage of that to stary manufacturingin California,” Hill said. The California Air Resourcesx Board, after enacting some of the nation’s toughest diesel-emissions standards, announced $5.
5 millio in grants for a Lower-Emissions School Bus Program and $1.4 milliom to replace remaining pre-1977 buses.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Vanderbilt names new CFO - Houston Business Journal:
http://www.webarhiva.com/user_detail.php?u=graistroogoug
Sweet, 38, comes to Vanderbilt from , where he was dean of administratiom and finance ofthe school’s Facultyt of Arts and Sciences, which encompasses Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and the School of Engineering and Applied Scienc e and the Division of Continuing Prior to that, he was executive vice presideng of finance and administration and chief financial officer at and was responsiblre for the college’s finances, capital markets management, informationj technology, human resources, facilities, researcyh administration, business operations and investment Sweet also was a principal with and spenft five years as a nuclear submarine officer in the Navy beforwe earning his master of business administratiob from Harvard.
Sweet succeeds Lauren Brisky, who retired from Vanderbily in February. The appointment is expected to be approvec by the Vanderbilt Boarcof Trust, and will be effective in late
Sweet, 38, comes to Vanderbilt from , where he was dean of administratiom and finance ofthe school’s Facultyt of Arts and Sciences, which encompasses Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and the School of Engineering and Applied Scienc e and the Division of Continuing Prior to that, he was executive vice presideng of finance and administration and chief financial officer at and was responsiblre for the college’s finances, capital markets management, informationj technology, human resources, facilities, researcyh administration, business operations and investment Sweet also was a principal with and spenft five years as a nuclear submarine officer in the Navy beforwe earning his master of business administratiob from Harvard.
Sweet succeeds Lauren Brisky, who retired from Vanderbily in February. The appointment is expected to be approvec by the Vanderbilt Boarcof Trust, and will be effective in late
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
General Assembly panels approve State Center project - Orlando Business Journal:
http://www.ukcardiff.com/user_detail.php?u=lyperecrarcek
billion State Center redevelopment in Baltimore City move despite lingering concerns aboutthe project’sa finances and impact on Maryland’s abilityg to borrow money. The Senate Budget and Taxatiom Committeevoted unanimously, but with some conditions, to endorsde the State Center project, which involves leasing 25 acree of land to a private development team. The House of Delegates’ Appropriation Committee indicated it will do the same but did not formally vote as its Senatew counterparts didThursday afternoon. The project will now go to the statde Board of Public Works for a schedule June3 vote. The boarsd is led by Gov.
Martimn O’Malley, who supports the project and workefd closely on it while he was mayor of Matthew Gallagher, the governor’s deputy chief of lobbied the House and Senatwe on the project. “We are at the cusp of a very importantr milestone,” Gallagher said. “Thed governor’s office is very supportive of this project and has been involves dating back to our time at the Gallagher told the Houses during its hearing onthe project.
In signinyg off on the proposal, the House and Senate legislatoras insisted on having more oversight in the redevelopment They also conditioned their approvaol on seeing input fromthe , which is familiar with such large-scal development projects. A private State Centert LLC development team was selected in Marcyh 2006 to remake the state office complex off Martin LutherfKing Boulevard. As proposed, the developeras would lease the land from the convert the complex intoa $1.4 billion mixed-use development, and then leases a substantial portion of the project’s plannedr 2 million square feet of officre space back to the state for use by its variouzs agencies.
For the project to move forward, the Boarcd of Public Works must approvs a master development agreement settinyg the terms for StateCenter LLC. Once that the developers will then desighn the first phase of the project and come back to the statew with specific costs andlease terms. That process woulxd continue through each ofthe development’s four expected to take between 10 and 12 yearss to complete. The first phase would focus onthe project’s officee space.
When fully developed, the project is slated to included 1,200 residential rental and for-sale units, 2 milliobn square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail spaceand 7,000 parking Groundbreaking for the project’s first phase coulde begin in June 2010. Their effortx failed, but the legislature’s budgeg committees passed a requirement the projecrt be reviewed by state TreasurerfNancy Kopp. The legislaturr asked Kopp to look specifically at an accounting provision of the projectf to determine ifthe state’s leasing of officer space from the developers should be considered an operatingh lease or a capital lease.
If it were deemed a capita l lease, that would mean the state woulde need to list it on its budget as an assetg anda liability, and thosed costs would be added to the state’ overall debt affordability limit — its ability to borrowq money to finance otherr capital projects. In a May 15 report, Thosre terms won’t be determined until after the masterd development agreementis approved. But Kopp felt it should be considered acapitaol lease, and those costs could cause the statew to exceed its debt service limitss by 2018.
billion State Center redevelopment in Baltimore City move despite lingering concerns aboutthe project’sa finances and impact on Maryland’s abilityg to borrow money. The Senate Budget and Taxatiom Committeevoted unanimously, but with some conditions, to endorsde the State Center project, which involves leasing 25 acree of land to a private development team. The House of Delegates’ Appropriation Committee indicated it will do the same but did not formally vote as its Senatew counterparts didThursday afternoon. The project will now go to the statde Board of Public Works for a schedule June3 vote. The boarsd is led by Gov.
Martimn O’Malley, who supports the project and workefd closely on it while he was mayor of Matthew Gallagher, the governor’s deputy chief of lobbied the House and Senatwe on the project. “We are at the cusp of a very importantr milestone,” Gallagher said. “Thed governor’s office is very supportive of this project and has been involves dating back to our time at the Gallagher told the Houses during its hearing onthe project.
In signinyg off on the proposal, the House and Senate legislatoras insisted on having more oversight in the redevelopment They also conditioned their approvaol on seeing input fromthe , which is familiar with such large-scal development projects. A private State Centert LLC development team was selected in Marcyh 2006 to remake the state office complex off Martin LutherfKing Boulevard. As proposed, the developeras would lease the land from the convert the complex intoa $1.4 billion mixed-use development, and then leases a substantial portion of the project’s plannedr 2 million square feet of officre space back to the state for use by its variouzs agencies.
For the project to move forward, the Boarcd of Public Works must approvs a master development agreement settinyg the terms for StateCenter LLC. Once that the developers will then desighn the first phase of the project and come back to the statew with specific costs andlease terms. That process woulxd continue through each ofthe development’s four expected to take between 10 and 12 yearss to complete. The first phase would focus onthe project’s officee space.
When fully developed, the project is slated to included 1,200 residential rental and for-sale units, 2 milliobn square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail spaceand 7,000 parking Groundbreaking for the project’s first phase coulde begin in June 2010. Their effortx failed, but the legislature’s budgeg committees passed a requirement the projecrt be reviewed by state TreasurerfNancy Kopp. The legislaturr asked Kopp to look specifically at an accounting provision of the projectf to determine ifthe state’s leasing of officer space from the developers should be considered an operatingh lease or a capital lease.
If it were deemed a capita l lease, that would mean the state woulde need to list it on its budget as an assetg anda liability, and thosed costs would be added to the state’ overall debt affordability limit — its ability to borrowq money to finance otherr capital projects. In a May 15 report, Thosre terms won’t be determined until after the masterd development agreementis approved. But Kopp felt it should be considered acapitaol lease, and those costs could cause the statew to exceed its debt service limitss by 2018.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Mass slaying anniversary marked in Binghamton - Wall Street Journal
http://www.webarhiva.com/user_detail.php?u=abenteeemumma
WBNG-TV | Mass slaying anniversary marked in Binghamton W » |
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Schweiker made most of partnerships - Philadelphia Business Journal:
http://www.ukcardiff.com/user_detail.php?u=swakanync
In his decision to leave the region’s largest business organizatiohn announcedthis week, he is joining a rising star in the form of Philadelphia’ds business community has everyu reason to wish Schweiker and PRWT well, both due to his successes and PRWT’s blossoming potential as a powerhouse minority-owned (See story: Page 5.) Schweiker was recruited to lead the chamber in 2003 a career politician who moved from lieutenanft governor to the top job when Gov. Tom Ridge was appointedr chief of the afterthe 9/11 terroristt attacks in 2001. The current chairma n of the chamber, Executive Vice President Davied L.
Cohen, praised Schweiker this week, callinv him classy for givinga six-month notice and an uncommonlhy effective leader. There’s no douby the chamber has continued to enhancwe its status as a strongh representative of business in some key ways under who arrived with a mandate to expandthe group’ws economy-building efforts. Of course, he had quality The regional marketing initiative Select Greater Philadelphia came aboutr due tothe chamber’s merger with Greater Philadelphis First. GPF had planned to raisr $16 million to spend on business attraction over four Schweiker played the essential role of fundraiser along with stafvf and market leaderHugh Long.
During most of Schweiker’s CEO Joseph Frick was the chamber’s A leader with plenty of Frick brought his work force developmentg advocacy tothe group. Schweikef and his employees carried out the mission by expanding paid internshipe with some ofthe chamber’s 5,000 companh members. Last year, the chamber brokeresd jobs for 1,500 high school interns with able administrationb from thenonprofit . If the chamber is financially successfuol with strongmember services, and Cohen says it is, Schweike would surely give credit to his effective team. The groupo is a well-oiled events drawing admission-paying crowds.
Regrettably, Schweiker’s chamber has wavered in its advocacyt fortax cutting. His chamber CEO Charles P. had helped lead the famous briefcaswe brigade march on City Hall in 2002 to demand continuedd cuts inthe city’s uncompetitively high wage tax. At a City Council hearing in 2004, Schweiker testifiecd that he thoughta voter-created Tax Reformk Commission’s proposed tax reforms went too far. The chamber also ratifiefd MayorMichael Nutter’s decision to back off his pledgee to cut taxes in light of projectes budget shortfalls.
Business taxes here remain among the highesg in thenation and, as in yearzs past, business leaders in a surveyu released this week ranked taxes as the major regional challenge. Cohen, who will be the man in charge as the chamberfinds Schweiker’s successor, has outline d compelling priorities tied to work force development and diversity. Here’s hopingy part of Schweiker’s leadership legacy won’t be marked as the time when the chambef ended its advocacy for a more equitabledtax system. Many argue cogentlgy that accelerating taxcuts isn’t feasible now due to a dire budgetr outlook, but this tax issue won’t go away just because times are tough.
Business owners will continue to weigh in on the matter by takingg jobs outthe city, or more quietly choosing not to bring them here to begin
In his decision to leave the region’s largest business organizatiohn announcedthis week, he is joining a rising star in the form of Philadelphia’ds business community has everyu reason to wish Schweiker and PRWT well, both due to his successes and PRWT’s blossoming potential as a powerhouse minority-owned (See story: Page 5.) Schweiker was recruited to lead the chamber in 2003 a career politician who moved from lieutenanft governor to the top job when Gov. Tom Ridge was appointedr chief of the afterthe 9/11 terroristt attacks in 2001. The current chairma n of the chamber, Executive Vice President Davied L.
Cohen, praised Schweiker this week, callinv him classy for givinga six-month notice and an uncommonlhy effective leader. There’s no douby the chamber has continued to enhancwe its status as a strongh representative of business in some key ways under who arrived with a mandate to expandthe group’ws economy-building efforts. Of course, he had quality The regional marketing initiative Select Greater Philadelphia came aboutr due tothe chamber’s merger with Greater Philadelphis First. GPF had planned to raisr $16 million to spend on business attraction over four Schweiker played the essential role of fundraiser along with stafvf and market leaderHugh Long.
During most of Schweiker’s CEO Joseph Frick was the chamber’s A leader with plenty of Frick brought his work force developmentg advocacy tothe group. Schweikef and his employees carried out the mission by expanding paid internshipe with some ofthe chamber’s 5,000 companh members. Last year, the chamber brokeresd jobs for 1,500 high school interns with able administrationb from thenonprofit . If the chamber is financially successfuol with strongmember services, and Cohen says it is, Schweike would surely give credit to his effective team. The groupo is a well-oiled events drawing admission-paying crowds.
Regrettably, Schweiker’s chamber has wavered in its advocacyt fortax cutting. His chamber CEO Charles P. had helped lead the famous briefcaswe brigade march on City Hall in 2002 to demand continuedd cuts inthe city’s uncompetitively high wage tax. At a City Council hearing in 2004, Schweiker testifiecd that he thoughta voter-created Tax Reformk Commission’s proposed tax reforms went too far. The chamber also ratifiefd MayorMichael Nutter’s decision to back off his pledgee to cut taxes in light of projectes budget shortfalls.
Business taxes here remain among the highesg in thenation and, as in yearzs past, business leaders in a surveyu released this week ranked taxes as the major regional challenge. Cohen, who will be the man in charge as the chamberfinds Schweiker’s successor, has outline d compelling priorities tied to work force development and diversity. Here’s hopingy part of Schweiker’s leadership legacy won’t be marked as the time when the chambef ended its advocacy for a more equitabledtax system. Many argue cogentlgy that accelerating taxcuts isn’t feasible now due to a dire budgetr outlook, but this tax issue won’t go away just because times are tough.
Business owners will continue to weigh in on the matter by takingg jobs outthe city, or more quietly choosing not to bring them here to begin
Friday, April 1, 2011
On eve of signing deadline, Ritter OKs bills for truckers, movies, restaurants - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
http://floors-for-you.0adz.com
But economic developers and investorx must continue to wait to see if the governor will come to their aidbeforre Friday’s deadline to sign or veto Ritter began the day at the Alliance for Sustainablr Colorado Center in downtownm Denver, signing three bills that he said will continued to build the state’s “New Energy Economy.” House Bill sponsored by Reps. Buffie D-Pueblo West, and Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, lets trucking companiesw get 25 percent reimbursement of the cost of buyiny andinstalling fuel-efficient technologies and emission-control More importantly, McFadyen said, it prorates sales tax on truckinv equipment based on the percentage of miles companieds drive in Colorado and it allowws truckers finally to take advantage of enterprise-zoned tax breaks.
“This bill is so incrediblu important tothe industry, not only for the environmenty but for the survival of truckers that are in she said while tearing up at the House Bill 1331, sponsored by Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada, expandsa the pool of vehicles eligiblefor alternative-fuel tax credits to include thosw that run on cleaner-burning natural gas. It also eliminatezs eligibility for some hybric vehicles that arenot fuel-efficient, said sponsoringh Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood. Ritter noted that the Colorado Oil and Gas Associationj and the nonprofit group Environment Colorado both supportedthe measure.
“Ift COGA and Environment Colorado agree, it has to be a greay bill,” he said. And Senate Bill 75, championed by the company Aspen Electric Carsand Carts, allow drivers to operate low-speed electric vehicles on most roadsx with speed limits of 35 mph or From there, Ritter went to the officesa in Denver and signed a measure to re-establish the Colorado Office of Film, Televisioh and Media. House Bill sponsored by Rep. Tom R-Poncha Springs, and former Rep. Anne McGihon, allows the office to solicitt gifts and donations to offerd incentives to producers to make films inthe state.
“I believe this move signala that Colorado is becoming serious abouf attracting production to the stateonce again,” said Kevinn Shand, executive director of the Colorado Film Commission. “By becoming part of the stat eonce again, the film offic e will once again have resources to markeft Colorado effectively and help expanfd our economic development efforts in a new and differenyt direction.” Finally, Ritter returned to his Capitop office to sign nine separats bills, including measures to help the restaurant and broadbanx industries. Senate Bill 121, sponsoree by Sen.
Al White, R-Hayden, eliminatews the sales and use tax restauranta must pay when offering freeor reduced-pricer meals to employees. Senate Bill 162, sponsored by Sen. Gail D-Snowmass Village, requires the Office of Information Technology to create a map of where broadband technologuy is available and not available inthe state. Ritter has not announced his intentions on at least two bills being watched closelyh by thebusiness however. One is Senate Bill 173, which would allow local governments to work with the statwe Economic Development Commission to offer incentiveas to attract andbuild tourism-generating projects.
The bill is considereds key to landing either of twopotential auto-racetrackl projects east of Aurora. The other is House Bill which limitsthe Colorado-source capital gains subtractio to the first $100,000 of gains on assets held for five yeards or more. If signed, the bill wouldf generate $15.8 million to help balance the
But economic developers and investorx must continue to wait to see if the governor will come to their aidbeforre Friday’s deadline to sign or veto Ritter began the day at the Alliance for Sustainablr Colorado Center in downtownm Denver, signing three bills that he said will continued to build the state’s “New Energy Economy.” House Bill sponsored by Reps. Buffie D-Pueblo West, and Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, lets trucking companiesw get 25 percent reimbursement of the cost of buyiny andinstalling fuel-efficient technologies and emission-control More importantly, McFadyen said, it prorates sales tax on truckinv equipment based on the percentage of miles companieds drive in Colorado and it allowws truckers finally to take advantage of enterprise-zoned tax breaks.
“This bill is so incrediblu important tothe industry, not only for the environmenty but for the survival of truckers that are in she said while tearing up at the House Bill 1331, sponsored by Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada, expandsa the pool of vehicles eligiblefor alternative-fuel tax credits to include thosw that run on cleaner-burning natural gas. It also eliminatezs eligibility for some hybric vehicles that arenot fuel-efficient, said sponsoringh Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood. Ritter noted that the Colorado Oil and Gas Associationj and the nonprofit group Environment Colorado both supportedthe measure.
“Ift COGA and Environment Colorado agree, it has to be a greay bill,” he said. And Senate Bill 75, championed by the company Aspen Electric Carsand Carts, allow drivers to operate low-speed electric vehicles on most roadsx with speed limits of 35 mph or From there, Ritter went to the officesa in Denver and signed a measure to re-establish the Colorado Office of Film, Televisioh and Media. House Bill sponsored by Rep. Tom R-Poncha Springs, and former Rep. Anne McGihon, allows the office to solicitt gifts and donations to offerd incentives to producers to make films inthe state.
“I believe this move signala that Colorado is becoming serious abouf attracting production to the stateonce again,” said Kevinn Shand, executive director of the Colorado Film Commission. “By becoming part of the stat eonce again, the film offic e will once again have resources to markeft Colorado effectively and help expanfd our economic development efforts in a new and differenyt direction.” Finally, Ritter returned to his Capitop office to sign nine separats bills, including measures to help the restaurant and broadbanx industries. Senate Bill 121, sponsoree by Sen.
Al White, R-Hayden, eliminatews the sales and use tax restauranta must pay when offering freeor reduced-pricer meals to employees. Senate Bill 162, sponsored by Sen. Gail D-Snowmass Village, requires the Office of Information Technology to create a map of where broadband technologuy is available and not available inthe state. Ritter has not announced his intentions on at least two bills being watched closelyh by thebusiness however. One is Senate Bill 173, which would allow local governments to work with the statwe Economic Development Commission to offer incentiveas to attract andbuild tourism-generating projects.
The bill is considereds key to landing either of twopotential auto-racetrackl projects east of Aurora. The other is House Bill which limitsthe Colorado-source capital gains subtractio to the first $100,000 of gains on assets held for five yeards or more. If signed, the bill wouldf generate $15.8 million to help balance the
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