Photos: McDonald's at Olympics in London is biggest in world - Denver Post

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Photos: McDonald's at Olympics in London is biggest in world Denver Post The restaurant, which is one of four McDonald's to be situated within the Olympic Park, will have a staff of 500. After the Olympic and Paralympic Games conclude the restaurant will be dismantled and all fixtures and fittings will be either reused or ... and more »

RIA Offers Restoration Tips for Residents Impacted by Wildfires - MarketWatch (press release)

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RIA Offers Restoration Tips for Residents Impacted by Wildfires MarketWatch (press release) ROCKVILLE, MD, Jun 29, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- With thousands of homes lost and tens of thousands of acres burned by the wildfires in the Western United States, the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has these recommendations for ... and more »

U.S. Bank returns TARP money - St. Louis Business Journal:

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billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program monehy it took last year fromthe . U.S. Bank USB), based in Minneapolis, had previously announced its plans to redeek the preferred stock issued to the Last week, it from the government to do so. U.S. Bank also told the Treasuryg it intends to repurchassethe 10-year warrant it had issued alonfg with the preferred stock. “The redemption allows our company to retur to operating from a position of both independentg strength andstrategic flexibility,” said Richard the company’s president, CEO and in a statement. The Treasury in May announced that U.S.
Bank which showed it woulr be able to ride out the economic downturb without having to raise more Davis has ofthe government’s capitakl purchase program. In February he callesd the program “lousy” and said the banking industryg was pressured to participate inthe program.

NTS buys Plainview Apartments - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Financing for the purchase, which was made through an NTS affiliate, , was provided by the , accordinhg to a news release. The purchase pricde was not disclosed. The previous ownert was PlainviewApartments LP, a Denver-based investment according to online records from the Jefferson Countu Property Valuation Administrator and the Kentucky Secretargy of State. Its assessed value for tax purposesdis $9.7 million, according to the PVA Web site. Occupancyg at the time of the purchase was abouty94 percent, the release said. NTS plans to enhance and renovate the property but no detaile were disclosed inthe release.
The apartmenft complex was developed as part of the Plainviewplannedx community, which includes 800 single-family homes, more than 1,000 500 town homes, multiple shopping centersz and nearly 2 million square feet of office space. NTS began constructiohn and development of theplanned Louisville’s first, in the early With the acquisition, NTS Development Co. and its affiliates now own four apartmenyt communitiesin Louisville. Its othe holdings in the area are Hurstbourne Grand The Overlookat St. Thomas and The Willowds of Plainview.
NTS also manages 14 other apartment communitiez and 31 commercial properties with more than 5 milliob feetof office, retail and warehouse space in the

ARAMARK buys Texas

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The acquisition closed on Nov. 3, but details were only releaseron Friday. Brand Coffee sells premium coffee, hot and cold drinks, snackws and related products to companiesin Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houstohn and San Antonio. Brand Coffee has nearly 3,00 clients in Texas. The company was foundecd in Houstonin 1981. ARAMARK boughrt the company in order to expandd its presence in the Texasz refreshmentservices market. Financial terms were not Brand Coffee has been long admired for its productf quality and ability to provide brands that itscustomerds want, says Robert W. Wilson, president of ARAMARm Refreshment Services.
“The acquisition was a collaborative effort and represents an ideal combination of two businesses committed toprovidin high-quality solutions and outstanding customer Wilson says. ARAMARK Refreshment Services servess morethan 100,000 workplace locatione throughout North America by providing office coffee, water filtration, brand-name beverages, food and break-room The company is owned by Philadelphia-based ARAMARK, a professional servicesw firm with operations in food service, facilities management and uniform and career apparel.

Clear explains plans to protect members' private information - Denver Business Journal:

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Clear’s parent company, Verified Identityg Pass Inc., ceased operations at and other airports at midnight MDT Monday because it failed to come to terms with amajor creditor. ( .) Clea members paid up to $199 for an annuapl membership for access to designated securitu lanes at about 20 participatingairportsd nationwide. Members provided biometric which was encoded on a for the promise of a speedier and convenieny trip throughairport security.
“Clear standds by our commitment to protectgour customer’s personally identifiable informatiomn — including fingerprints, iris images, photos, addresses, credit card numbers and other personal information provided to us — and to keep the privac promises that we have made,” Clear said in an emaip Friday afternoon to members. It repeatefd its that it will notrefund fees. In response to questions raised by our Clear would like to offer thefollowing information: Cleaf Lanes Are No Longer Available. At 11:0 0 p.m. PST on June 22, Clear ceased operations.
Clear’s parent company, , was unable to negotiate an agreemenyt with its senior creditor to continue Verified Identity Pass regrets that Clea r will not be able tocontinue operations. How is Cleaf securing personal information? Clear standz by our commitment to protectour customer’ds personally identifiable information — including iris images, photos, addresses, credit card numbers and othe r personal information provided to us and to keep the privacy promises that we have Information is secured in accordancse with the ’s Security, Privacu and Compliance Standards. How is Clear securingh any information atthe airports?
Each hard disk at the including the enrollment and verificationm kiosks, has now been wiped clean of all data and The triple wipe process we used automaticallg and completely overwrites the contents of the entirer disk, including the operating the data and the file This process also prevents or thoroughly hinderes all known techniques of hard disk forensic How is Clear securing any information in central databasews and corporate systems? Lockheed Martin is the lead systems integratore for Clear, and is currently workinyg with Verified Identity Pass, Inc. to ensurew an orderly shutdown as theprogram closes. As Verified Identity Inc.
and the Transportatioh Security Administration work througghthis process, Lockheed Martin remains committed to protectingy the privacy of individuals’ personal information provider for the Clear Registered Traveler program. Lockheed’s work will also remaim consistent with the TransportationSecurity Administration’s federakl requirements and the enhanced security and privacy requirements of Verified Identity Inc. The computers that Verifiede Identity Pass, Inc. assigned to its former corporate employees are being wipe d using the same process described for computeras atthe airports. Will personallhy identifiable informationbe sold?
The personallyt identifiable information that customers provided to Cleat may not be used for any purposes other than a Registered Traveler program operated by a Transportation Security Administration authorized service provider. Any new service provider would need to maintaib personally identifiable information in accordance with the TransportatiohnSecurity Administration’s privacy and security requirements for Registered Travelefr programs. If the information is not used for a RegisteredTravelet program, it will be deleted. How will members be notifiefd when informationis deleted?

Best CFOs of the year - Houston Business Journal:

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In 2008, Macias guided and directec the integration of a new solution software for the companyy to ensure productive and efficient communication throughourthe company. Without a dedicated team of individualw ather side, she says it woulcd have been impossible for her to have accomplishe d such goals. Decision Strategies Inc. Michele Merz servesd as chief financial officer ofDecisionb Strategies, a Houston-based strategy consulting firm. With nearlty 20 years of financial experience with energy andservice companies, she has developed a diverser background that includes financial management and operations, strategi c planning, information technology, taxation and consulting.
This broard leadership experience has helped her to presentg solutions aligning financial andstrategic goals. She offersx a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate dfinancial leadership. Prior to joining Decision Merz established her ownconsultingb firm, providing financial management and CFO servicesa for mid-sized, privately held companies. As a demonstrated she has assisted clients with implementing a myriad of proces improvements andoperational efficiencies, resulting in significangt improvements in bottom-line performance and productivity. she led the technolog y services group for FerrellNorthg America, one of the nation’s premier propanew companies.
She was responsible for the overall operations and execution of technicalo supportfor company-wide user community. Beforew joining Ferrell North America, Merz served as a divisiom controller forTenneco Energy, responsible for accountinb operations and financial reporting. Merz holds a BBA in accountin from the Universityof Houston, a MBA from Rice University and is a Certified Public As chief operating officer and chiefd financial officer, Stephen Odom is responsiblw for the day-to-day operations and financiak performance of the company. Odom has been a member of the SolArc board of directors sincee 2004 and isa 20-year veteran of the softwarew industry.
He has provided executive leadership as well as mergetr and acquisition guidance to a number of public andprivat high-tech companies. Before joining Odom was COO and CFOof , a provide of on-demand information security solutions, from 2004 until its acquisitionj by Blue Coat Systems in 2006. Previously, Odom was COO and CEO of MissiobCritical Software, a leader in systems management softwaree for the Microsoft Windows until its merger with in 2000. He also held executives positions as CEO of Neon Systems and CFO of untip it was acquired byin 1998. In Odom advised numerous high-tech companies as a partner at Redstone Cos.
Hospitality Al Gallol joined Redstone in 1999 and has more than 25 years of experiencer in thehospitality industry. His responsibilitiesd include the direct supervision of accounting and financrfor $117 million in hospitality-relatedf sales, which encompasses The Houstonian Hotel Club & Spa, Houstonian Lite and Redstone’sd golf properties. Prior to joining Redstone, Gallo held variouds positions with RosewoodHotels (Houston St. & Spa and the San Luis Resort andCondominiun project.
Gallo was an adjuncgt assistant professor for four years at the Universityyof Houston’s graduate schoo of hotel and restaurant management where he taught hospitality financial and continues to guest-lecture on a variety of hospitality financial-relatee subjects. He is an active member and former chairman of the Housto n Chapter of the Hospitality Financial TechnologyProfessional Association. Gallok graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelord of science degree in hote l and restaurant management from theConrad N. Hilton Collegre and became a Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive 1988. Luke M. Saban Falcojn Gas Storage Co. Inc.
Luke Saban has more than 20 experience in finance and general management including tenures at Price Waterhouse andAlliedSignapl Inc. Most recently, Saban was chief financial officer of aprivate equity-backed healthy care technology company that achiever a successful exit. Othefr recent experiences include financial leadership for two of the four operatin divisionsof JohnsManville, a Berkshire Hathawayt company, and chief operating office r for eBreviate Inc., an application software subsidiarh of Electronic Data Systems. His careedr has included leading acquisition and merger Saban graduated from Pepperdine Universityt and is a CertifiedPublic Accountant.
Harvey Schnitzer is a senior financial executive with more than 27 yearwof financial, operations and management experience. He has been the chief financiap officer and treasurer of EMS Group I and EMS USA sincesDecember 2003. Before joining EMS Group, Schnitzerr served as the chief operating officer and CFO of To Mara Investmentz LLC from 2001 to 2003 and as CFO of Clearr BlueMedia Inc. from 2000 to 2001. Schnitzer has provided key financial information and analysiz required for the initial public offering of a major financialkservices firm. He was a memberr of the global strategic planningv committee for a majorinternationa manufacturer.
Schnitzer holds an executive MBA from Loyolaz College and a BS in accounting from FairleigDickenson University.

Medigene achieves positive formulation study results for RhuDexR ... - Reuters

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Medigene achieves positive formulation study results for RhuDexR ... Reuters MediGene AG / Medigene achieves positive formulation study results for RhuDexR and announces phase II proof-of-concept study for the treatment of ... Medigene Reports Positive Formulation Study Results For RhuDex ... NASDAQ  »

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Targets 32% Increase in Overseas Loans - Bloomberg

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Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Targets 32% Increase in Overseas Loans Bloomberg Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc., Japan's fourth-biggest bank by market value, plans to expand overseas loans by 32 percent this year as it buys assets from ... and more »

Kaleida buys 3 parcels for new project - Business First of Buffalo:

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Kaleida paid $360,000 for the parcelds — located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and NortuhStreet East, according to documents filed Monday afternoobn in the Erie County Clerk’s Office. The parcels were owned variouws members of theMackie family. The land will be used for the constructionh ofthe four-story, 200,000-square-foot skilled nursing facilitty that Kaleida hopes to begin constructio n this fall, pending some final approvalas from the City of Buffalo, including the Buffallo Common Council.
“This project is consistent with the goald of theBerger Commission, as it closes two existing nursingy homes, reduces the bed count in the City of and most importantly, improves the qualitu of care for the community,” said James Kaskie, Kaleida presidentf and chief executive officer. The facility is one of several development projects Kaleida has in its pipelinse for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus including the construction of a Globall VascularInstitute that’s due to open in 2011.

World Farmer's Organization holds second general assembly in Rome - Prairie Star

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World Farmer's Organization holds second general assembly in Rome Prairie Star ROME, Italy - This past week people representing 50 different organizations from 40 countries gathered in Rome for the second general assembly of the World ... and more »

Sun shines on new Ausra power plant - San Francisco Business Times:

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This is the first plant has constructed inthe U.S. and is crucia l to Ausra’s ability to raise financinv beyond the venture capital italready has, its executives The demonstration today was importanrt for Ausra to showcasre its technology, said CEO Bob Fishman. “We do this to provs to and the rest of the world and to customerasthat we’re for real and that it works and that we’re not just talking about doing solaf power, we’re doing it,” Fishman said. “And to get them to accepr the technology andpurchase it, I thino requires a demonstration that can actualluy do what we say it will do.
” Ausra’s 5 megawat system is a test facility and produces enough electricith to power about 3,500 average homes. It includesz 720 mirrors that are 8 by 50 feet long that directthe sun’zs rays to a solar thermalp tower. The heat from the sun heatss water inside the tower turninh it to steam and that The steam runs a turbine that produces And that electricity will be sold to Ausra has entered into a powefr purchase agreementwith PG&E which will buy the poweer produced by five more Ausra power plantws that will total 900 megawatts if and when they are constructee in California’s deserts over the next severak years.
But first Ausra will have to secured financing, which could be challenging if the credit markets failto recover, and because Ausra’s technology is likely considered more riskt than other sources of powee like natural gas. Ausra intends to builds lots of power plants in California deserts and across the world as it growseits company. Some of the burden of securin project financing was relieved in September when Congressw passedan eight-year tax credit extension that offerz owners of solar power facilities a 30 percent tax creditg on solar projects.
It also extende that credit to utility companies for the first which means utilities suchas PG&E will be able to purchaser the solar power plants from companies like which will make financing easier. Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggereattended Ausra’s dedication ceremony Thursday morning and switched on controls that turnef the last mirror into place so that is positioneds at the best angle for directing the sun’z rays. Groups of mirrors move a fractioh of a degree every four secondxs to track the sun across the sky throughout the day and reflec t the mostrays possible. PG&E (NYSE: PCG) CEO Pete Darbee attended the event, alongv with U.S.
Representatives Jim Costa and Kevimn McCarthy and California AssemblymemberrJean Fuller. Ausra’s investors includer and Khosla Ventures as wellas , Generatiohn Investment Management and .

Senate rejects corporate minimum tax hike - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Democrats needed 18 votes — a supermajority required to rais etaxes — to send the bill to Gov. Ted Kulongoski’ws desk. Beaverton Democrat Mark Hass votedf againstthe measure. Democrats will likelt try to convince Hass to vote for the measure by amending it, possibly by writing a sunset into the “It all depends on said J.L. Wilson, a lobbyisgt for Associated Oregon Industries, the state’s most powerfu business group. “Hass made it clear in his floorr statements thathe didn’t thinik it was a fair option to increase taxew permanently.” Such a sunset could lead other Democrats to vote againsty the bill.
However, because House Bill 3405 was technicallttabled — which would allow the as written, to come up for anotheer vote if leaders so choos e — majority leaders could also lobbh moderate Republican members to supportg the corporate tax hikes as presented. At the close of Wednesday’s session, Sen. Margaret a Portland Democrat and co-chair of the Ways and Means gave an impassioned benediction that seemed to implorsRepublican “nay” voters. The measure was tabled as a procedurap move.
Senators can call for a revote on a measure that change their own vote toa “no” and then requesft that the matter be tabled, ostensibly so they can reconsiderf their vote. Sen. Richard Devlin, the majorituy leader, used the move in an effortg to have thematter reconsidered. After the the Senate tabled a relate measure to raise personal income taxeson high-income “I’m disappointed that we came up short I really believed that the package broughg forward by the chairs of the Revenue Committees would bring greater fairness and equityy to our tax system and help fill the unprecedentedx gap in our state budget,” said Senate Presidenty Peter Courtney in a news release.
“We won’t, let this setback derail the We are going to move forwardc toward adjournment byJune 30.” House Speaked Dave Hunt issued a similat statement. “We passed this revenure package because we believe itis fair, balancefd and protects critical services like education, healthh care and public safety,” Hunt, a Democrat from said in a news release. “We are makinb $2 billion deep cuts to the This revenue package ensures that we can protecyt those core servicesof education, health care and public Without it, the cuts we will have to make will shuttef schools, harm seniors and cut to the bone the service Oregonians care about greatly.
” The Housed on Tuesday voted to increase the current corporate minimum tax from $10 to between $150 and $100,000, depending on the size of a Under the plan, corporate income tax ratesa would have risen from 6.6 percent to 7.9 perceng before reverting to 7.6 percent in 2011. The measure wouls have raised $261 million over the 2009-11 bienniun and $775 million between 2009 and 2015. All told, 125,00o Oregon corporations would have paid more Another measure sought to raise income taxex on individual filers earning morethan $125,000 and join t filers earning more than The bills combined would have raised $582 million over the next two years and $1.2 billioh over the next six years.
Lawmakers contendecd the measures could help reduc ethe state’s $4.2 billion budget Throughout the day, lobbyists tracked meetings betweenm Courtney, Hass and Democratic senatores Margaret Schrader and Joanne Verger, who were believed to be swinv votes. Verger had expressed reservations, like Haas, that the tax increasesa wouldbecome permanent. Schrader and Verger eventually voted yes on the corporat etax measures. Hass couldn’t be reached for “He had to have a lot of courages to castthat vote,” said Jay Clemens, presidentg and CEO of Associated Oregom Industries.
AOI recently organized the Alliance of OregomBusiness Associations, which represents more than 40,000 businesse across the state. It had called for a $300 flat tax, regardleas of business size or Evenbefore Hass’ vote, business groups had expressede concerns that Democrats were seeking a permanent tax not a temporary one. Phil the former Oregon Secretaryg ofState who’s now an executived with Beaverton-based CorSource Technology confirmed that many businesses were upsegt that Democrats sought to make the corporate income tax rate from 6.6 percent to 7.9 permanent. “We were told it would be Keisling said of the early talk s regarding theproposed hikes.
“And we asked them this week, ‘Whagt part of temporary don’t you understand?’”

Human Capital: People on the move, June 12 - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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George Snell joined Weber Shandwick , a public relationsx agency with local officesin Cambridge, as a senioe vice president in its digital communications practice. Snello previously a senior vice presidentat . The intellectuaol property law firm of in Concord added Christopher Alberrt asan associate. Alberg practices in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry, cleanj energy and pharmaceuticals.

Senate eyes 25-employee threshold for health mandate - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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A "play or pay" employer mandate has been loominfgfor months, but Democrats on the Senate Education, Labor and Pensions Committee finally definedf how small a business would need to be in order to be exempted from the Most business groups oppose requiring employerds to provide health care or pay a fee to the government, even if ther e is an exemption for small businesses. They contend it woulr kill jobs and hurt businesses that are struggling to survivwe in atough economy. Plus, they say the mandat would do nothing to addresdshealth care's underlying It costs too much. Reducr the price of health insurance, they argue, and more businesses would provide it.
Lynn owner of Cold Spring Bakery inCold Spring, would welcome an employer however. She has about 60 full-time and part-time and is struggling to continue to provid health insurance coverageto them. "It's part of my value syste -- I want to treat employeezs fairly," Schurman said. Her businesd pays about $100,000 a year for health insurance, she Competitors that don't cover their employees get anunfair advantage, she "They should have some responsibility to provide insurance to their employeese also," she said. Schurman recently traveled to D.C.
, to talk to memberds of Congress about the need for health care She is a member ofthe , a coalition of smallp business owners that supports giving individuals and small employers the option of gettingv health insurance through a government-run plan. This would help reduce costs by providing competition to private thealliance contends. Alliance member Deanne owner of Waterstone Spain Ashland, agrees on the need for a publicv plan, but she has "mixed about an employer mandate.
Her business woule be exempt from the mandate in the Senate HELP Committee bill, but she said even businesses with more than 25 employeese often can't afford health insurance or a $750-per-workefr assessment. "I really would feel sad to think that some businesseas might go under after years ofhard work, struggling to stay alive in this economy, because they were mandated to do somethingy that they really can't afford to Anderson said. Mandate really about revenue? About 90 percentt of businesses with 25 or more workers provided healtgh insurancein 2008, according to a study conducted by the and the Healthu Research & Educational Trust.
The coverage rate dropped to 78 perceng for businesses with 10 to24 employees, and 49 percenf for firms with three to nine employees. So most of the businessesa that don't currently provide insurancd would be exempt from the SenateHELP Committee'x "play or pay" mandate. The Congressional Budgegt Office concluded the bill would have littld impact on the number of Americans who receiv insurance through their An employermandate isn't about expanding said Neil Trautwein, vice president and employee benefitsz policy counsel for the . "I think it's about raisingt revenues," he said.
He fears many members of Congresd want employers to pay for health insurance even if their workers get it somewhere Massachusetts collected a lot less revenue than it expected when it imposecda $295-per-employee tax on businesses that don't provide adequate health insurance, said Jon Hurst, president of the . (Businessews with 10 or fewer full-time employees were exempr fromthe state's "play or pay" requirement.) The response by statd officials was to propose increasingv the coverage requirements for businesses in ordet to generate more tax revenue, Hurst said.
The bigges problem with the Massachusetts health carereform however, was that it did nothing to lower the cost of health insurancse for small employers. "Small employers have seen nothingbut double-digity increases since the law went into Hurst said. Instead of focusing on affordable Congress is consideringrequirements -- such as lower annual deductiblea -- that would make health insuranc e more expensive, said Amandz Austin, director of federal public policy, Senate, at the .

Broadslate makes run at local B2B DSL - San Francisco Business Times:

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Headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., upstart Broadslatre has opened operations in Nashville along with 39 othert markets in11 states. The 18-month-olde company has been working behind the sceness for the pastsix months, laying its groundworkk to offer its symmetrical digital subscribere line services to small and mid-siz e businesses, says general manager Michael Lillicrap. "We openes up the sales office May 1," he The company focuses solely onbusiness customers, toutinb its SDSL as a faster and more cost-efficient alternativew to traditional DSL or T1 By Broadslate's estimation, SDSL enablee its clients to upload and download data at the same making it more effective tool for video-conferencing and transferring larger amounts of data.
The company also has plan s to rollout voice-over-Internet-protocol and voice-over-digital-subscriber-line services as the technologies mature. It's one thinyg to put together a company based onthe high-speec transfer of information over copper telephonre wires, but making it work as a business mode l has been a tricky Indeed, with telecommunication and DSL companies withering on the it's a Darwinian Over the past year, the likes of NorthPoin Communications, Teligent and have learned tough lessons at the hands of investord not willing to fund DSL ventureas for the indefinite pursuit of Teligent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 21 with long-terjm debt of $1.44 billion.
The company's assetzs are about $1.2 billion. NorthPoint filee for reorganization early this year with debts of about $500 million. AT&T boughyt the company's assets for about $135 Covad Communications reported a net lossof $1.4 billion in 2000. Company officials say it has enouggh cash to last untilo the second quarter ofnext year. Covad is currently tryiny to raisebetween $400 and $700 The good news amidst the troubled news may be that the companiee who can weather the storm of an uncertai market will one day thrivre ­ if they can hold out. "Igt becomes a matter of who can hang around the saysKen Shafton, Broadslate director of marketing.
Broadslatr recently closed its last round of financingvwith $60 million in private equity The latest round of financing bringws the company's investment totakl to about $95 The company was jump-started with $34.75 million from Columbia JP Morgan Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners and Charles River The last round of financing included thoser players and added Hunt Private Equities, National Investors, Courgt Squire and Tall Oaks. The connection with Columbia Capitall gave the companyits birth. Founderd were involved in the telecommunications businessd and had worked as consultants for When DSLwas booming, Columbiaw approached the men with the idea of startin Broadslate.
"Normally you put together your businessa plan and go lookingfor investors. This kind of worked in Shafton says.

Alvin Conteh Executive Profile

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**All Executive profile data provided byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

Falcons kick off new Web site for April draft - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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"Obviously our organization is going through a dramaticf transition period right now and had some serious challengeslast year. We are goiny to be rebuilding a lot of our team through the particularlythis year. We have four of the top 48 drafr picks," said Dan Levak, Falcons director of new "We wanted to give an outlet to our fans to discuss what is a very significanft moment inour franchise's On April 1 the team launched , which featurew a "player grading" functionality, live interactive video daily podcasts and more.
Although the team won't be using the feedback provided by its fan base to influence draft decisions, the site allows Falcones fans to express opinions and grade prospectivr 2008 draft choices. With about 10,400 usersx already registered, Levak the team hopes to reach morethan 20,000 registrations by draftf time. "Fans want to hear the real talk of otheer fans and want it to havea Falcon-centric bend to it and that is reallg what we tried to capturde here," Levak said.
Leadingt up to the draft on Aprip 26and 27, the team will webcasy a series of events, includinfg an mock draft held at the Georgia Dome on Apriol 23, as well as the Falconsd Cheerleader Final Auditions on Aprikl 24. The Falcons' third annual "First Round Pick 'Em will also be featured, with the fan that choosees all 31 players selected in the first round of the drafr toreceive $300,000. During draft day, the site will offer live streaming commentary as well as reactions fromFalcons staffers, live pressd conferences and a forum for fans' reactions to draft decisions. "Th e way we are positioning this is a companion piece to thedrafy coverage," Levak said.
"We feel it is going to be very successfuol andfeel we've really tappeed into something here and we are definitely going to be continuiny it next year." Morris Mess. LLC is facingh challenging times. The Augusta-based publisher on March 27 reportef awhopping 43.6 percent drop in profit from continuingg operations in 2007, from $25.9 million in 2006 to $14.y6 million. On the top line, retail, nationaol and classified advertising revenue was down4 percent, 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
Currently the ownere and operator of 13 daily newspaperss andvarious publications, last November the companyt sold 14 of its daily three non-daily newspapers, a commercial printing operation and othee publications to GateHouse Media. WHO GOT WHAT. Tribr Inc. has been named advertisinhg agency of recordfor Atlanta-based bra fit stylists with locations in Atlanta, New York, Chicagi and Boston. 's Institute for Developingy Nations has retained Point of Visionb to develop a messaging strategy and integratedcommunications Inc.
selected The to develop a brandrprogramming initiative, which includes a new corporate a brand identity for Cox's three business unitz and a Brand Guidelines Manual. has signeds on Inc. to handle its marketinvg and public relations. Communications firm Inc. has addee four new clients to its roster, including , 820 The Gablezs Residential, Luckie Marietta District and salafrestaurant Dressed. Marchant returns. Atlantaa Woman magazine has named anew publisher. Elisabetn Marchant is replacingDabney Hollis, who is stepping down but will remai n in an advisory role to the five-year-olr magazine.
Marchant was the first publisher of Atlanta Woman and returns to the role after serving as executive directorof . Marchanrt is also the former publisher of Business toBusineszs magazine.

BDSI gets $6M from Meda - Triangle Business Journal:

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The investment, from the Swedish drug companyy , replenishes BDSI’s cash coffers, which containerd just $2 million as of Sept. 30. It comes aheadx of an expected approval, in the second of BDSI’s pain drug Onsolis, used in cancer Under terms ofthe deal, Meda will buy, for $3 the worldwide exclusive rights to distribute Onsolis in everg country except Taiwan and South Meda already has the rights to distribut e Onsolis in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. Meda also will issure a $3 million advance on the $30 millionn it would owe BDSI ifthe U.S. Food and Drug Administrationb approves Onsolisfor sale.
“We are very gratifier to start 2009 off in such apositive fashion,” BDSI CEO Mark Sirg o said in a written statement. Sirgo says BDSI will use the new monety to support regulatory and manufacturinv requirementsfor Onsolis. The company also will advance other druga inits pipeline.

Legislator wants Nixon to cut stimulus money for Kokam battery plant - Dallas Business Journal:

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Kokam’s , to be dubbed Summit Battery would employ an estimated 900 peopld with average annual salariesof $40,000. Kokamk President Don Nissanka has said he hopese to break ground before the end of the probably at a site of more than 40 acrews in the vicinityof Kokam’s current 50,000-square-foot Lee’s Summi plant. Nissanka was out of the country Mondayand couldn’ t be reached for comment. Kokam, a startup founded in Octobee 2005, burst into the limelight this picked Kansas City for an assembl y facility largely becauseof Kokam’as proximity.
And with federal stimulus dollars and state money seeking a joint venture involving Kokam landex a commitment in April ofnearlyy $145 million in incentives from Michigan to buile a battery plant there that’s similafr to the one plannerd locally. The group also applied for federalstimuluds money. Schaefer, R-Columbia, sent a letter to Nixohn on Thursday proposing that financing be cutby $11.65 million combined for Kokam’s Lee’ws Summit plant and another battery planrt in Joplin to help preserve $31.2 million in financingg for the in Columbia, whic Schaefer called the cornerstone of a $200 million hospitapl project.
“Every indication that I’m gettinvg is that (Nixon) intends to veto the money forthe hospital,” Schaefef said, adding that Nixon’s veto probablyt would kill the entire $200 milliom project. “Spending public funds on a cancer hospitap owned by the citizens of Missouri is alwayxs going to win out over giving public fundsa to a private company for abattery plant,” Schaefer said. “Nobody has told me that the lowerd amount wouldkill (Kokam’s Lee’s Summit) Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the governor will have an announcemen about the budget bill before June 30, the end of Missouri’s fiscal year.
Nixon and his staff have been reviewint the budgetbill “line by line to determine what the statse can afford,” Holste said, and they want to keep centralp services in place. Jim Devine, CEO of the l, said he thoughy Schaefer’s proposal was “not as serious” a threat as the EDC firsgt thought, “but you never know in politics.” The EDC issued a release Friday encouraging Nixonm to keep theKokam plant’s financing fullt in place.

Embarq cuts may be deeper, faster as CenturyTel merger is set for June close - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Although a new brand could replacesome signage, jobs are a differenft matter. Embarq’s $11.6 billion merger with is slated to closwethis month. Sources expect that the integration, includinh job cuts and moves, couldx go faster than initially indicated. The rurall phone companies plan tosave $400 million annually in the firsrt three years through the marriage. And they already operate in anindustry that’x losing core customers, a trend accelerated by the recession, where part of maintaininy strong balance sheets is keeping a lid on “I’ve never seen a merget yet where the initial announcement wasn’tf conservative,” said analyst Todd Rethemeietr of , who doesn’t own shares in the companies.
“Righgt after, or a couple quarters later, they’lol say they’re ahead of or there were more synergies. It certainly coulxd be faster in an industruylike this.” The jobs most at risk are positionss that don’t deal with consumers, including functions such as finance, accountin g and possibly marketing, sources said. Overland Park-based Embarq’s efficiency measurez already have included localjob cuts. When the compan spun off from in ithad 4,500 loca l employees. Now, after its logistics unit was paref off earlierthis year, Embarq employs about 2,80 in the area.
With CenturyTel being much smaller — roughly 1,300p corporate employees and half Embarq’s revenure — it will have to retain a certai n percentage ofEmbarq employees, said Chris managing director of . But the current economicf climate increases the urgency tocut costs, said Tom principal of . “As long as it doesn’tr interfere with the integration, they’re probably goinfg to try to realize that savings as quickly as he said. Embarq’s first-quarter revenue fell 7.5 percenty to $1.33 billion, less than analysts’ estimates.
Earninga dropped 18 percent to $174 though without a loss from the sale of itslogistica business, earnings beat analysts’ predictions. CenturyTel’s first-quarter revenuwe was $636.4 million, down 2 percent. Earnings were $67 million, down 25 The companies have revealedfew post-mergere employment details. But the top two tiers of managemenf havebeen named, and the third tier is nearly CenturyTel spokeswoman Annmarie Sartor said.
Those managers then will evaluatee which positions are needed and which will need to some employees may retire or leave forother “As in most cases of consolidation with two separats companies, there is some inevitable job overlap and operational redundancy that we’ll have to work she said. “Right now, we’r e not quite sure what that willlook like.” She said she didn’ty know whether the recession would speesd integration but thinks it unlikely becausew of the complexity. Combining all customers into the CenturyTe billing system easily could take a year and a The headquarters will bein Monroe, La.
— CenturyTel’s currengt base — though CenturyTel doesn’t keep all corporate functiones there. Benefits and compensation are handledin Vancouver, Wash., Sarto r said. “It’s not completely geographically driven,” she “We’re going to keep a presence in Overland Park. It’s highly feasible and likely that there will be corporate functions not donein Louisiana.” Vice president or higher positions probabl will move or be eliminated, said John Hensr Jr., a principal of Kansasd City investment banking firm Sometimes, executive s will look at buying a local business or finding anothed job that would let them stay in the Tilley said.
But with the tougu economy, more may be willing to move. Sartof said it was too early to know what woulsd be donewith Embarq’s real estate footprint. The company recentlyg vacated a 100,000-square-foot space on the Sprint campua inOverland Park, and in it gave notice that it may terminate its lease of an additional 190,000 square feet in two years.