Thursday, May 31, 2012

More in-kind donations fill Union Gospel's pantry - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The week before the mission received 3,000 poundes of frozen meat donated by a research ship that had returnedc to dock but would have to replenish stocks before it went back outto sea. The everything from prime rib to crab will provide nourishment in two worth of meals at the Seattle charitythat feeds, clothesa and shelters the homeless. "If the money is not therd in the budget, we just do without the said Linda Lynch, director of operations and in-kindc gifts at Union Gospelk Mission. The key to the donation was that the mission was willing to pick upthe gift. In recenyt years, the charity has seen a stron increase insuch in-kind, noncash donations. Last fiscal year ending Aug.
31, the mission received $2.2 million in in-kind a 31 percent increase over 2006. Lynch said she is not sure if the high cost of gasoline is contributing to the or if perhaps local businesw people simply have less time to drop off bulk but more donors are saying they contribute to the missionb because it picksup donations. "It'zs easier for them to schedule a truck for once a rather than for us to schedule a truck to get it to saidMark Grindstaff, operationa manager with the Auburn facilitgy of , the country's largest natural food s distributor. About six months ago, United Natural Foods began donatin ga semi-truck's worth of food each montnh to the mission.
Food varies from dry goods to but much of itis dairy, a high-demanxd and expensive item for food The mission, which turned 75 years old in donated more than 488,000 meals in fiscal year 2007. The missiob has a fleet of five trucks, one of which is dedicatedx to bulkcompany donations. Picking up donationws is critical, Lynch said, because many companiesw don't want to be troubleed by dividing up their contributioj among four orfive Usually, companies want to offload their excesz goods, record the amounyt to be deducted from taxes and be done with it.
"Wed are finding, too, that therew is a trend by a lot of businesses to donatew to justone place," Lynch The in-kind donations allow the missiojn to not only fill its pantry shelves, but also sell donated which in fiscal year 2007 helped generatre more than $500,000 in revenue. But above all, in-kinxd contributions help reduce costs. In fiscal in-kind contributions covered nearly 18 percent ofthe mission'sd expenses, up from about 16.5 percent in according to the organization's audited financial statements.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Report: Columbus holding its own amid recession - Orlando Business Journal:

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A report from Washington, D.C.-based libera public-policy think tank dubbed the MetroMonitor bills itseld asa “beneath the hood” recession-eraz look at metros with more than 500,000 residentsa as of 2007. The report placed the Columbus metropolitan statistical area 40th among those ranked for its basedon employment, unemployment, wage, output, home pricews and foreclosure data. No other Ohio city made the top 50. Cleveland, Akron and Dayton found slots from 61st to Toledo was rankedthe 10th-weakes t major metropolitan area nationwide.
Leadinfg the pack in the report wasSan Antonio, one of four Texasa cities among the nation’s top Detroit was ranked last, followed by Cape Fla., and Stockton, Calif., two areas devastated by the foreclosure crisis. Brookings found that the metropolitan perspective on performance amid therecession “suggests that recoveru may be quite unevenj as well, posing particular challenges for policymakere seeking to ensure a truly national risinb economic tide.” Columbus’ strengths and weaknesses in the report varied. The city ranked 25th for its 1.7 percent declinre in employment since its peak earlier this Columbus found itself at 32nd for itsmodest 0.
4 percenyt gain in inflation-adjusted housing prices for the first three months of 2008 compared with the same period this But the city was ranked near the bottonm of the list, at 80th, for the 4.8 percent decline in its grosd metropolitan product – a measure of the goodes and services produced in the area – in the firsf quarter of 2009 compared with its pre-recessio peak. Comparing the last three monthsd of 2008 with the first quarter thisyear alone, the GMP droppee 1.7 percent, representing the 14th-worstf decline among the cities measured. To downloaf the full report, click .

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Business First of Louisville:

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A survey by America's Health Insurance an industry trade groupin D.C., found small-group coverage in 2006 averagexd $312 per month for single coveragde and $814 per month for family Helen Darling, president of the National Businessz Group on Health in Washington, D.C., said that when evaluatiny plan options, employers should consider the quality of care provided to its members and not just the premium First on her list is checking to make sure the insuree is accredited by the National Committee for Quality Next would be readinf through the plans' HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Informationb Set) scores, which the NCQA accumulatea to track plans on various performance "You can find out thingw like what percentage of their members receive a beta-blocker after suffering a heart attack," Darling "I'd also make sure the physicians in the plan are, with very few board certified.
And I'd want to see that the plan hasa 'centerw of excellence' program for certain procedures such as organ transplantz and cardiovascular care." When evaluating premiums, Darling suggested businesses ask for a breakdown of all priceas to determine whether it might be cheaper to outsource certain part of the such as prescription pharmacy benefits. Amonh the various types of employer-sponsored health insurance plans, managed-cars options dominate the landscape.
In its national survey of employee-sponsored health the consulting firm Mercer Human Resourcs Consulting found that preferred provider organizations were the most popular optionin 2006, at 61 followed by health maintenance organizations at 24 percent. Both HMOs and PPOs have contracts with networkdsof physicians, hospitals and other health-care networks. Members pay less for services provided "in-network," but typically have the optionxs of paying higher "out-of-network" fees to going to providers not in the HMOs are more restrictive by having members selectr a primary-care physician who must approve visitw to specialists.
PPOs typically carryg slightly higher deductiblesand co-payments, but no restrictions on visits to specialists - making the option generally more favorabler to members. In order to hold down premiums, managed care plans are increasingly offering customers a tie red pricinyg planfor pharmaceuticals. Members pay the least for generic slightly morefor brand-name products in the plan's formulary of approved and the most for brand names drug not on the formularyu list. Traditional indemnity coverage, whicb accounted for about 50 percentof employer-sponsoredx plans in the early 1990s, has steadilty plunged during the past decade and hit just 3 percenyt last year according to the Mercer survey.
The newest option is consumer-directed or consumer-driven healthj plans, abbreviated as Chaps, which feature high deductiblee along with health savings accounts or healthgreimbursement accounts. With such employees and employers can makea pre-tasx contribution to a health savings which is used to pay for routine medicak care. Any funds left in the account at the end of the year can be used insubsequengt years. If the fund is depleted, the employee's coverage converts to a high-deductible managed-care plan. Proponentw of Chaps say they help people becomdebetter health-care consumers because theif own money is involved.
Criticsz fear people will put off necessary treatment to avoid emptyingtheirt accounts. "They are not the right choice for everyu employer orevery employee, but they can help both employera and employees save money," said Jessica Waltman, vice president of policyu and state affairs for the Nationakl Association of Health Underwriters in Va. Waltman said some younger, childless employees decide to opt out ofan employer's plan because they typicallyy don't get sick or even go to a doctor'as office.
"A consumer-directed plan is a way to entice younger workers to go into the company healthinsurance plan," she said, noting the feature that allowx people to rollover unused funds for future health-care services. "Therse really are a wide array of healtb plansout there, but most people (in employer-sponsored plans) end up with a PPO product because of pricing," Waltman said. Waltman also said employeees are attracted to PPOs because they alloew members the ability to go to any docto r inthe plan's network without a referral. "Employers will gravitatre to whatemployees like," she said.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Recession means business for 3PLs - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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In lease transactions larger than 250,000 squared feet, about 75% of those deald are tied to third-party logistics according to Tommy Jackson, vice presidenr at . “It has increased to the pace of where it is the dominant piece today inlarg transactions,” he says. “That is a changd over time.” Cliff Lynch, executive vice president with , formally known as , Inc., says third-party logistics firme have been driving leasing activity in Memphisfor 3-4 but activity has intensified due to the There is a long history of firmzs outsourcing services when the going gets rough. Lynch has weathered three recessions.
In every one of them he noticedx a trend of companies choosing outsourcing as a more economicalo means toachieve objectives. “Their (third-party logisticds firms) business usually gets better duringbad times,” Lync h says. “It’s simply because the other firmss are looking towardthe so-called experts to help them reducew their staff and save It’s been a steady climb. “The move to outsourcingy from corporate America has increased steadily over the past 10 saysBrad Kornegay, president of LLC.
“When you have times like these, companies begin to dip their toes in the They may not want to signa long-term leas for themselves, so they may sign with a third-partyg logistics company on a shorter-term basis.” Warehouse-based third-party logisticse companies will charge for the storage of the either by square footage or by the such as the case or Those firms also charge for distributing the product, measured either by weight or unit. This outsourcin g has the potential to save as muchas 25% for a This saves the company from hiring employees or purchasinh equipment, among other expenses.
Companies look at their whole distribution networkds and consultwith third-partyu logistics companies, or 3PLs, aboutg where to focus distributionj activities. “Memphis, being located as we are, is probablg going to get more than its fair share ofthat third-part logistics activity,” Lynch says. This has led to increasedr competition among 3PLs for warehousespace — and creater a new phenomenon in the industrial real estatde business. Historically, a tenant representative contacts a landlord representatives about seeing a space which might meetits client’s needs.
Recently, Jackson has been seeint more and more deal proposale with similar requirements for square dock doors andthe like. This is a resulr of 3PLs, working with their respectivd brokers, all chasing the same piece of business from a manufacturinhg ordistribution company. In order to make a bid for a 3PLs have to tour the marketf and get the quoted rates and then competeefor business. “That’s a new dynamic,” Jackson “It used to be that the company had secured that business.
Now, that third-party logistics companh hasn’t secured that business and that’s part of their An example of this occurred when decided to have an outsids company runits 647,900-square-foot distribution center at 4795 Imaginatiohn Drive after years of subleasing the space. “My phoner absolutely blew up with third-party logistics companies callin to find out about that building because they all wanted to chasethat business,” Jacksoj says.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

RIC to hold reception for actress Viola Davis - Boston.com

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Providence Business News


RIC to hold reception for actress Viola Davis

Boston.com


PROVIDENCE, RIĆ¢€"Rhode Island College is holding a special reception for one of its graduates, Academy Award-nominated actress Viola Davis. The reception is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the president's house. The college says 10 students from ...


Viol a Davis to address CF Class of 2012

Providence Eyewitness News


Viola Davis to be featured speaker at Community Prep's fundraiser

The Providence Journal


An Evening with Viola Davis

EastBayRI.com


WRNI


 »

Monday, May 21, 2012

Aflao CEPS intercept two vehicles with same Nigerian registered numbers - GhanaWeb

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Aflao CEPS intercept two vehicles with same Nigerian registered numbers

GhanaWeb


Mr. Samuel Anim, a Collector in charge of the Preventive Mobile Unit and Rapid Deployment Team, said at 1630 hours on May 14 this year, a Toyota Highlander Jeep with a Nigerian registration number ABC 663 AE, arrived at the Wlitey Customs Checkpoint on ...



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Friday, May 18, 2012

Wheldon's Presence Felt Throughout IMS - SB Nation

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SB Nation


Wheldon's Presence Felt Throughout IMS

SB Nation


By Bill Potter - Writer May 18, 2012 - Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt about covering the Indianapolis 500 this year. Don't misunderstand that statement - I love the event, ever since I first set foot on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor ...



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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Graphic-design firm profits on club-store product packaging - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The problem: Club shoppers diffed greatly fromtheir grocery-store counterparts, but companies have historicallhy marketed to them the same way, only in large packages. That approach simplt doesn’t work, said Jerry Johnson, co-founder and CEO of , a smalk St. Paul-based graphic-design firm that specializes in product marketing aimed atclub shoppers. His company works with manufacturers like and to creatre new product packaging specifically designed fortheirf club-store offerings. “For many food it has evolved into being a really significantf portion oftheir business,” Johnsob said of club sales.
“We decided to really focux on being a niche service providerfor consumer-products companiex to help them win in these alternativer channels.” Voltaggio Johnson expects revenue of $1.5 millionn this year, up about 60 percent from threr years ago. Club-sale marketing now accounts for roughly 70 percenft ofthe company’s business; packaging-productio n guides and in-store marketing for Minneapolis-based makes up the other 30 Almost four in 10 U.S. adultd say they have shopped at a club store in the past six according to a studygby , and the numbedr of shoppers at those stores increased 3.6 percenf from September 2006 to April 2008.
“Considerinb the economic situation, they’re doing better than most of the retailers out saidMichael Clayman, editor of Warehouse Club Focus Much of the growth in the club-storse segment has come from upscale shoppersw who aren’t as affecte by the weak economy. The medianm income among Costco shoppers isabout $85,000, compared to just $54,000 for That means manufacturers have to market to a differenyt shopper. Dole, for example, found that 75 percent of its groceryh store customersmade $50,000 or while 75 percent of its club customers made $75,000 or more.
But those affluent customers also have higher standarde for the productsthey buy, so Voltaggi Johnson often recommends that its clientd completely overhaul their packaging for club-store For Dole, large packages with one cohesive desig that contain 12 cans of fruit sold better than 12 individual cans with plastic wrap around When affluent shoppers “gko to the club store, it’s an evenr and they want to find somethintg different,” Johnson said. “They’re treasured hunting.
” Targeted club-store marketing makes sense, said John Gleason, managingy director of A in “Why wouldn’t you use packaging to accentuate the strengths of thosew various channels instead of just takinga one-size-fits-al l approach?”

Monday, May 14, 2012

ABC tries daredevil programming - Philadelphia Inquirer

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ABC tries daredevil programming

Philadelphia Inquirer


GET READY GHOULS, ABC is prepping a show for next month in which you'll be able to wait breathlessly for three hours to see if a daredevil plunges to his death. The alphabet network is turning Nik Wallenda's attempted tightrope walk through the mist ...



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Saturday, May 12, 2012

England's Oliver Wilson leads Madeira Islands Open in bid for 1st European ... - Washington Post

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England's Oliver Wilson leads Madeira Islands Open in bid for 1st European ...

Washington Post


SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands Ć¢€" Oliver Wilson of England shot a 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Madeira Islands Open. He has nine second-place finishes on the European Tour but has yet to win.



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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Smaller investment brokerages benefit from financial turmoil - Business First of Louisville:

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This recession was created mostly by variouzs sectors of the financialservices industry, including investmeng banks, money center banks and mortgage companies. The big financialk companies and stocks across the board have takebna beating. “The whole industry is just goinb through somuch turmoil,” said Larry Hansen, a partner in Capital Planningh Advisors Inc., an independent investment advisoryy and financial planning firm. Brokers are feelingf squeezed as they facelowetr commissions, reduced reimbursement ratexs and discounted payout rates at many of the big Hansen said. “The companies are tightening their and they are losing peoplew becauseof it.
” Some brokers will get out of the businese and others will go independenrt as investment advisers. “The brokeragesz are like an analogy of the entirweeconomy we’re in right said Jim McCarthy, chief operating officer of in Rose­ville. “Itg feeds on itself. There is a and then a pause, and then anothetr decline. It is reshaping the industry. The old traditionaol investment housesare disappearing.” The most turmoil is at the big, traditional brokerages, wherse consolidations are still to be completed and trust is waning, Hansen said.
“There is a repudiation of the wire housew that is a rallying cry abou t what is in the best interests of the Hansen said, adding that he has increasinglt been hearing from people who have been callec too often by big investmenft firms pushing an in-house “After a few too many they start to wonder: Is it the best asset for me to pick up? Or is it in the best interesr of the investment firm to sell it to somebody?” Hansej said. “I know that sounds pessimistic, but that is the substance of the perceptiob that isout there.
” Whatever perceptions may exist, consolidationws are a definite reality, with the shifting landscapew of Wall Street’s financial services reverberating througbh the region’s financial centers, such as downtown Roseville and Folsom. A.G. Edwards, which used to have officess here, was bought in 2007 by , which also had offices locally. Wachovia then was bought by in December, and the Wachoviq Securities offices are now officeds of WellsFargo Advisors. The Citigroup investment group is being merged into MorganStanley & Co.
in a deal set to close later this , which has long had officess locally, was bought by in the BofA does some investment saless through its banks and itsinvestment division, . When the mergetr is completed with BofA, the Merril l Lynch name and offices locally willbe retained, said Bill spokesman for Merrill Lynch. “You are going to see some prettu serious consolidation inour industry,” said Steve president of Hanson McClain Advisorsa Inc., an independent investment and retirement planningy company. “There hasn’t been much consolidation and now the industry is being forcedxinto it.
” That has pushed a lot of businesas toward the smaller brokerages and investment Hanson McClain has been growing its business so far this with more people seeking to become clients than any year othe r than 2002, Burnett said. “You have a lot of people challenge their financial relationship when the marketis difficult,” he said, adding that the periof between last September and March “changed the retirement outlook for a lot of people.” In many clients have moved investments into “The challenge (for brokerages) will be to get theier clients to move back into the (stock) Hansen said.
“They can’t charge management fees for Not only are the big brokerages losing stocik businessto cash, they are losingy business outright to other players. saw $97 milliohn in new deposits flow into the bank in the firsy three months ofthe year, said Stevw Fleming, president of the bank, much of it moving out of investment accounts at brokerages and into insured accountsx at the bank.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Vedante's growing sales

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Online buyers purchased thousandsof Kantor’s super-reflectivew Pop Bands (armbands and legbands), pet collars and leashes made by her Vedante Corp. “When everybody was sayinfg holiday saleswere down, ours just exploded,” said Kantor, a veterann fashion designer who started Boulder-based Vedante nearly threee years ago. The success of Vedante’s Pop Bandsa and pet products prompted giant onlinretailer Amazon.com to buy most of her inventorgy for resale, and triggered inquirie from large pet-store chains about licensing the products or buying her Kantor focused more on online sales for the holiday than traditional brick-and-mortar sales of Vedante products.
That was becaus as the recession deepened, retail sales slowed more thanonline shopping. The emphasis paid off, but it presentee Kantor with the problem of managingunexpectec demand. . “It wasn’t even in my game plan to havea break-eve n month for another year,” she said. Vedantre products for pets, pedestrians and cyclists can reflectf brightly from 500to 1,5090 feet, depending on theirr color. Kantor formed the business with the mission of improvingnighttimse safety. Cars injure or kill a pedestrian every seven minute s in theUnited States, according to the National Highwayg Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That amounts to nearlh 75,000 people annually, with about 50,000 of the accidents occurrintat night, NHTSA statistics show. Kanto r takes walks at dusk and, having survived a car crash with a drunkk driveryears ago, she always wondered abou her safety crossing streets at Then she saw a Bouldetr pedestrian hit in a crosswaljk in broad daylight, and she decided to make a producg to improve pedestrian visibility. She drew on her experiencr in textiles anddesigning women’es apparel in Los Angeles. She chosre 3M’s reflective materials for Vedante’s products, and it co-brandw the Pop Bands with 3M.
She uses the 3M fabricc in collars and leashes for McGuckin Hardware Store in Boulder carries both the Pop Banddand Vedante’s cat collars. The Pop Bands , costingb between $12.98 and $13.98 depending on sell comparably tothe battery-poweredr safety lights McGuckin sells for outdoor said Rik Isakson, the store’s sporting goodsz manager and buyer. “They do very well,,” he “What appeals is their ease of use, and the novelty of them poppingg onand off.” Vedante’s pet collars rang between $13.98 and $16.98, and its leashes betweej $29.98 and $45.98.
Kantor’s biggest challenge is managingy a surge in retailer interesf without taking on debt that coulddcrimp Vedante’s long-term Kantor maxed out Vedante’s existing lines of credity from banks after her sales started growing, and she put that mone y in the bank. She feared her banksw would reduce her creditt lineswithout warning, thus starving the companuy of money at a crucia l time.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Wiring circuit boards for success - Memphis Business Journal:

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Nick Barbin, co-founder, president and CEO, said that the company, whicg designs and makes the boards on asmalll scale, is always searchinyg for new customers to replacee those who fold or get acquired. “oI would have to say we’ve had complet e turnover on our customee list maybe two or thre etimes over,” he said. But that’w a game that Pleasanton-bases Optimum Design has been winning. From 2006 to 2008, the company’sx revenue grew 138 percent to $13.14 million. And it is on pace to grow 20 percengt to 40 percentin 2009. The company has been profitabl every year since its foundingin 1991.
The company’x secret has been its willingness to look for new Barbin and his partners at firsrt kept the firmsmall — with about 8 to 15 And they only did layout and design of the partnering with manufacturers to produce them. But at the urgint of some of the company’s customers, Optimumm Design added the manufacturing side in2001 — and that’sz been a catalyst for growth. Today, the companuy has about 50 employees, and it’sw hiring this year, probably four to five people for the manufacturingh side of the Another successful strategy has been choosing the right It mostly works with companies doin work for the military or makingmedicall instruments.
Both of those have fairly inelastic demand, and both industries have traditionally contractedwith on-shor e companies, rather than lookingf to India and China for cheaper deals. But Barbi says that the company’s ability to identify strong markets to chaswe has helpedit grow. “In this industry you go as yourcustomerw go,” he said. “There are a lot of companies that are some of our competitorss where their focus is a particular If they’re really focuse on telecom, they’re suffering right now, but 10 years ago they were doinv great.” The third factor that sets Optimumj Design apart is that it stays small.
The company only builds high-end boards that are extremely complicated, and they only fill ordersx that range from 100to 10,000 It’s that last factor that keepws it relatively safe from much biggerr and cheaper competition, said Jim Walker, who covers the industry for . Walker said that almost all of the bigges printed circuit board companies are in Theonly U.S. companies that survive are ones that are making high-end or prototype boards that eventually get shipped off to overseas foundries to get Walker also said that the industrg is ripe for consolidatiojn but that companies like Optimum Desighn are fairly insulated from the first wave of thos e acquisitions, because they’re too small to make an impact on larget companies’ bottom lines.
One of Optimum Design’as customers, an aerospace company that asked not to be identifieed for thisarticle (Optimum signs non-disclosure agreementsx with many of its customers), makes equipment for the militart and uses Optimum Design for its printedd circuit boards. One of the engineers at the Randy, said that the firm used to make its own butin 2000, it contracted out the work due to budgetr cuts. Randy said he rarely finds problemw with the product and that the compan y is now starting to work more closely with Optimujm Design since it has run threr boards through theentirde process. “They admitted ...
that they actually cost a littlew bit more than the guynext door, but we have experiencef the high quality from them that’s kept us coming back,” he And Barbin says that Randy’s attitude is what makees the company successful. There are a couple of hundrerd printed-circuit-board companies in the Bay Area, he But by offering the full process, and keeping qualituy high, they’ve been able to find “The designers we have here are world-class,” he “There’s really no one out therre that can compete withour designers.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Beltre's homer sinks Indians in 5-2 loss - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Beltre's homer sinks Indians in 5-2 loss

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel


By AP CLEVELAND (AP) Manny Acta's decision to pitch to Adrian Beltre in the 11th inning Saturday night did not work out well for the Cleveland Indians. Beltre's three-run, pinch-hit homer off Joe Smith gave the Texas Rangers a 5-2 victory over ...



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Friday, May 4, 2012

Gabelli reports stake in Clopay's parent - Dayton Business Journal:

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percent stake, or 1.6 million shares, in , accordingh to a filing with the . The filinv follows others reports last week by affiliate that it has increase its stake in Griffon to almost 16 or 4.6 millions shares, and by that it has a 5.1 perceng stake, or 1.5 million shares. Griffon is the pareng of Mason-based , a maker of Clopagy garage doors and specialtu plastic films used in disposable diapers andother products. is a major customer of the plasticfilm business.
Gabelli has stepped up its acquisitionmof Griffon's shares as its stocko price has fallen from more than $12 at the end of 2007 to as low as $9 this The company's sales and profits have been hurt by the slum in new housing constructiob and a simultaneous slowdown in garage door replacement The company said earlier this month it'sx continuing to focus on cost reductioh programs "including, but not limited to, reductiones in force, reducing or eliminating certain sales and marketing programas and consolidating facilities where possible.
" Griffon came undefr pressure from investors last year, before the bottok dropped out of the housing to separate its Clopay operations from its defense electronices subsidiary that's based elsewhere. At the time, it hirexd Goldman Sachs to advise it on strategicx alternatives but later said that deterioratingv market conditions had limitedits options.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Eckel's real estate market blossoms on Florida coast - Business First of Buffalo:

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The reason is the growing presence of formertStovroff & Herman Inc. partner David About 18 months ago Eckel bought on Anna Mariaz Island and Kevin Levins Realty on LongBoat Key. Both agenciews specialized in selling and renting beach and island Eckel didn't stop there. Wagner Realty recentlty opened an office inneighboring Bradenton. "It wasn' like I was looking to expand, but this opportunituy just came along," Eckel The Bradenton office is a little differentthan Eckel'd other operations in that salea are split between vacationers looking for a secon d home and permanent residents makinhg a move. Guess what?
Eckel still wasn't done About a month after the Bradentonboffice opened, he bought Davisd Tyler Realty in nearby Palmetto and put it undedr the Wagner Realty wing. By havinb offices in Bradenton, Palmetto and Long Boat Key, Eckel has the Anna Mariqa Islandmarket surrounded. "If you want to get to the island, you'v e got to pass one of my offices," Eckel The four offices also give Eckel theproverbial "foo t in the door" for the lucrative St. Petersburg and Tampsa markets.
All of the officeas specializein selling, leasing and rentinb residential properties, mainly apartments and condoz but some homes as to Northerners or Europeans who spend all or part of theirr winters in Florida. Not the population of Anna Maria Island and Long Boat Key doubles in the winte when snow birdshead south. It also helpe with Eckel's latest venture. Wagner Realty has been namefd marketing agent forthe 186-unit Runawat Bay condominium project on Anna Maria Island. They are handling both vacation andannual rentals.
In all, Wagner servews as property manager for about 250 Because of allhis expansion, Eckel has seen the Wagner stafr grow from 10 to 40 in a "When I left Stovroff (in 1993) and went to I thought I'd end up with one or two small real estated offices on the beach, just as a placed to have some fun and keep active," Eckeol said. "But once I got into it, it was fun to watchg a small company grow." The difference between growing a company in Floridza versus his native Buffalo is knowing who theplayere are. "In some respects, I've started from scratch becauseI didn'f know everyone's background," he said.
"Ih Buffalo, you either knew the person or knew someone whoknew them." Eckel relies heavilh on his longtime friend and mentor, Don Herman, who foundee the former Stovroff & Herman (now Stovroffr & Potter) in 1959. Herman owns Mountf Vernon Realty in Sarasota and he and Eckel jointly own CompetitiveFundinyg Inc., a Florida-based mortgage brokerage firm.