Thursday, July 28, 2011

ING DIRECT's ShareBuilder Sponsors Baseball Giveaway at Mariners Game

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The online brokerage firm is sponsoring the giveawagy to help introduce itself to the thousands of Marinedr fans who walk past their new buildinbg before and after everyhome game. Earlier this ShareBuilder moved its corporate headquarters and three hundred employees from Bellevuee to the corner of First andin Seattle'w Pioneer Square. With a focus on long-termm investing, ShareBuilder is one of the fastes t growing online brokerage inthe nation. "The Mariners are a shiningh symbol of what makes Seattle a great place to liveand work,"" said , president of ING DIRECT'x ShareBuilder. "We are proudf to be their neighbor and to callSeattle home.
Safeco Field is a great placse for our employees to enjoy anight out. The eveningh will be a win-win for the ShareBuilder team andMarinere fans." The 10,000 baseballs handedr out to fans will showcase the ING DIRECrT and ShareBuilder logos plus a printed signaturee from all-time great Mariner, . An additional ten baseballsd bearing an original signaturew from Martinez will be randomlgy awarded to a lucky row of fans in attendancre duringthe game. "ING DIRECT's ShareBuilder moved into the officesx the Seattle Mariners used to occupy beforde moving intoSafeco Field.
We are happyg to welcome them to the Partnering with them inthis awareness-building promotion is a fun way for fans to learjn more about the company and get an too," said , Seattle Mariners vice presidentg corporate business and community relations. Prior to the eveninb game, ShareBuilder President will escort one lucky ShareBuildere employee to the mound who will thros out the ceremonialfirsg pitch. The game begins at 7:10 p.m. ING the nation's largest direct bank and largestg thrift, is dedicated to inspirinbg Americans to become a nation of Since its inceptionin 2000, more than 7.7 milliohn Americans have entrusted their savinga with ING DIRECT, building the bank to $91.
4 billion in For more information about ING DIRECT visiy and for information on its financial educatioj website visit or call 1-800-ING-DIRECT. ShareBuilder Securitied Corporation is an online brokerage designesfor automatic, long-term investing. The company'es vision is to increase the personalp investing rate of the average American by helpingb individuals build and manage wealtbh over the long Customers pay low commissions onindividuall transactions, have no account minimum and can choosw from three pricing programs. For more information abouft ShareBuilder, please visit or . ShareBuilder offersx investment productsincluding stocks, exchange-traded funds, and mutual funds.
ShareBuildere Securities Corporation, a subsidiary of ING Bank, fsb, is a registeree broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. MEDIzA CONTACT: Dan Branley (206) 914-1231 dbranley@launchcmus.com

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Northland takes page from automakers

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The company, , announced it is launchinvg a Rent Assurance Program that is beingb rolled out acrossthe Newton-based company’s entire portfolio. The company’sx multifamily holdings total 16,670 units in nine states: Connecticut, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Arizona. In Massachusetts, Northland owns 1,2309 apartment units in Amherst, Danvers, Westborough and Worcester. The program resembles those announced by automakerxs such as and to boosr sales from wary consumersw who are tightening their belts in anticipationh of potentialjob losses.
Hyundai recently announced a new and improvefd version of its HyundaiAssurance Program, which enablesa some customers to turn thei cars back in to dealers if they get laid off withibn a year. Hyundai’s new Assurance Plus program will cover three months of car paymentsx while the buyer looksd for anew job. At the end of 90 the customer can still return the car ifthey haven’ft found a job. Likewise, Ford’ws “Advantage Plan” covers payments of up to $700 per monthj for as long as a year for buyerz who have beenlaid off.
Much like the desperates measures car manufacturers are taking to sell cars in one of the worst economix climatesin decades, Northland’s program enabless its residents to “walk away from his or her without paying termination in the event that the personb involuntarily loses his or her income. The program is availablr to new residents and residents whorenew leases. Time will tell if Northland’s programj helps it sign up new tenants inits buildings. Generally, residents sign long-term leases that are extremel hard to break without legal According topublished reports, Hyundaii saw sales increase 14 percent in January, the montb the Assurance Program launched, while U.S.
salexs were the weakest for the month in27 years. “In thesr challenging economic times, we believe it’ss important to offer our residents peac eof mind,” Northland Vice President Dian e Yensen said in a statement. “Losin your income can be a scary and (RAP) provides our residents with an in the event that they involuntarily lose theidr job and need to break their Northland owns $2.1 billion of apartment properties totalingf 19 million square feet and has a development pipeline in excess of $1 billion. was awarded the leasinb assignment for 399Boylston St., a 13-story, 228,820-square-foot office building in Boston’a Back Bay.
The building has one vacant saidDuncan Gratton, a partner at DTZ/FHO Partners. will vacate 8,900 square feet and another tenant, McNamee Lawrenc & Co., is leaving 4,600 squarwe feet at the end ofthe year, said who noted the building is 8 percent vacant New tenants will be asked to pay in the low $40s-per-square-footf range to lease space in the building. Shorenstein Propertieds LLC purchased the building in March 2007from Rockwood/Abbey Fee LLC for an undisclosec price. At the time the building was 100 percent leasesd to 14 tenants includinhg NATIXISAsset Management, software developere ZANTAZ Inc.
and The building’zs 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space is leased toand . Shorensteij recently spent $575,000 on lobby renovations and morethan $1 millioj in repairs to the building’s exterior and operatingb systems.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Reba Pittman Walker sells D.C.'s hospitality business - Washington Business Journal:

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Looking back at your time with the hotel association and oldconventiobn center, what lesson did you take from therre and apply to your current job? The strengty of partnerships and the privilege of relationships. You never know who is watchingh you, so you need to be transparenyt andresponsible always. When you came in as generaol managerin 2006, what were your top thred goals for the conventiojn center? To connect with [employees] and let them know we were in it To connect and do the same with the customerzs and stakeholders. And the third was to realluy make surethis $850 million investment, the structure, that we take care of it.
I wouldr add one: to increas revenue, to really make sure we are the economic catalyst forthe You've said that 2009 and 2010 are goinb to be challenging years in termx of bookings. Why is that ? When the convention center originallh opened, the intent was that we'd have a hotek by now, so prospective business that was lookingat '0o and '10 wanted a new headquarters hotel as part of the When that got delayed, so did the commitment or interesrt from planners. How has that impacted your 2009operatintg budget? I think we're in a position that we'rr going to have a very good 2009 and a very good 2010. How so?
I thin because of the concerted efforgtthat we're making to sell the buildinfg aggressively and very differently. When I started in this we only responded to inbound telephone Andnow it's a hard sell. We are makinf cold calls. We are going out to meet with We're now sending hotels our hot what's open, what's still and we're getting incredible responses. What other initiatives are under way atthe center?? Last year I established an aggressive sales programm to make sure we maximize occupancty and the way we use the building.
Now we have a focusd on a distinctive meetin g package where we concentrate on selling our 66 meeting The other thing isthat we're lookin at opportunities to have events that are cateredx functions. We can do a very elegant sit-down dinner for a smallo group, as well as a large Isn't there also a new push to reacjh out to internationalmeeting planners?? We initiated the efforty because the Washington Convention Tourism Corp. [now Destination has had an international leisure and tourism efforty but has not had an effort focusing on meetingsand conventions.
We know we'r e ripe for international businessx citywide, with a minimun impact of $8 million for the How are occupancy ratesand revenue? Revenuee is slightly up sincwe we've opened. Our intent is to, for exceed the revenue projections based on this new sale andmarketing effort. Occupancy is slightly up. One of the thing s we're doing as part of the sales initiative is to layedrmore events. If we look at doingv that, then the [occupancy] projection for 2009 woulc be at least 20 to 25 percent Afew ground-floor retail tenants are suinv the over claims regarding lease agreements. Wheres do things stand?
We have [a requesrt for proposals] on the street for a retail broker and leasemanagement company. The RFP solicitationse are dueApril 18. Even though we have some challengess with three ofthe tenants, I am hopeful they're goingh to resolve themselves very shortly. What do you thinkj about the new playerin town, the Gaylord Nationao Resort & Convention Center? I am competing with everybody, so I am not threatenedr or intimidated by There's enough business out there. I thinmk that as long as we're and smartly aggressive, we won't have a problem. So when you'ree not overseeing this massive what do youenjoy doing? Spending time with my familyu and friends.
And just taking oddly enough, to breathe.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Entergy CEO Leonard Recognized for Clear, Straightforward Communication

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Leonard is the only utility CEO to have been rankecd among the top 25 for seven consecutive years in the Rittenhous eCEO Candor(SM) Survey, which analyzesd annual CEO letters and demonstratesw a link between the quality of the letter's content and a company's performance. Leonard is also one of only thre e CEOs to make the top five in each of the lastthrewe surveys. The latest survey analyzed letters that appearecd in 2007annual reports, most of which were issuecd in the first half of 2008. "Leonard isn't afraid to be He lays out numerous performance benchmarksd and tells readers how theywere met.
And he was the only CEO in the 100-companyy survey to consider how corporate actions would affecg poorand middle-class consumers," said L.J. Rittenhousde , president of the investorr relationsconsulting firm. The survey is an annual evaluatiomn of candor in the letter to shareholderx in annual reports of 100 companiexs across a diverse group of industriea andcapitalization levels. The letters are judgee on their clarity and depth basedd on a broad cross section ofindices -- from strategy to cash on hand to Rittenhouse Rankings uses those measures as a proxy for the overalk viability and health of the company.
"Straightforwared communications should be a big part of the job ofany CEO, and it's not just for shareholders," Leonard said. "Words mean differentt things todifferent people. You never get it perfect; nevertheless, we at Entergy always make the extra effort to assure we communicate the unvarnished story to all of ourstakeholderd - whether it's in Washington, D.C., or Silvee City, Miss. - no matterf how uncomfortable itmay be. It is the only way to run a particularly a public company affected with thepublic interest. "For our it's a two-way We insist on a culture where only the truthwill do.
In return, they can expecgt their company to live by the same values we expectfrom them, " Leonard said. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energyu company engaged primarily in electric power production and retaildistributio operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants withapproximatelyu 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utilitgy customers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annuak revenues of morethan $13 billion and approximately 14,700 Entergy's Web site is entergy.
com

Saturday, July 16, 2011

H&M coming to Southdale - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Southdale owner (NYSE: SPG) said Mondat that a 20,000-square-foot H&M store will open therde this fall. “We’re thrilled that H& is coming to Southdale and their arrival will certainly enhance ourmerchandiswe mix,” said Anne-Marie Cookson, director of marketinyg and business development at Simon isn’t disclosing the financial termw of the deal. H&M sells fashion-plate clothiny at low prices, aiming at youngere customers and teaming with designer s such as Karl Lagerfeld and JimmyChoo (who will introduce a shoe line at H&M in November). The approach has enablec it to weather the recessionfairly well.
Its second-quarter profit was $531 up 6 percent from the year-ago H&M already has two Twin Citieas stores, one in Woodbury and one at the Mall of America in The Southdale store will bea two-level locatiohn in the mall’s center courf area. The bottom levepl used to be occupiee byCrate & Barrel, which movec out of the mall last and the upper level was a Jacuzzi storr that recently moved up to Southdale’s third floor. Henneds & Mauritz AB (H&M) was founded in Swedejn in 1947, and now has about 1,8009 stores in 34 countries.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Reaching out to baby boomers - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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In 20 years, there will be twice as many people over the age of 65 as thereeare today, said Matt Thornhill, founder and presiden t of The Boomer Project, a Va.-based firm that researches boomer consumed habits. Thornhill is one of severalp speakers who will discuss marketinv to boomers at the Florida Boomer Lifestyle ConferenceMay 11-12 at the , presentedf by CreativeTampaBay and sponsored by . And then there’a the emerging consumer clasz made up of people hittingt thebig 5-0 that continues to gain relevanced with marketers. “What I saw was that marketeras didn’t know what to do with baby boomersw who wereturning 50,” said Thornhill.
“They weren’g senior citizens, but they weren’t young adults.” For reasons personalo and financial, boomers are often consideringan “encors career,” said Dorcas Hardy, principal of , a Washingtoh area public policy firm. People may want to help societ and enhance their own Hardy said. They also are motivated by the changes in the With many people extendingtheir careers, there may be a slowdown in the numbef of people moving to Florida, said Thornhill. “There are certainlgy going to be moreolderf people,” he said.
“The question is can we get them to come to Floridaq and stay in The region must rethink its approachand “get smarte about planning,” Thornhill said, because the boomer presence affects not only health care, real estate and financialk services, but all industries. “Ourd core, target market is a baby boom saidDon Barry, president and CEO of , a Tampa-based manufacturefr of personal lamps.
“We have configured our marker plan and product campaign around baby Barry has found a way to marke t to and employ the existing retirement population in the Bay area usingta “retirement community direct business As a market test, the companuy will enlist residents of as “ambassadors” to engagw potential customers in a combination of print, Internet and direcft selling. A retirement community is a rich opportunit y with a perfect market in a concentration of thousands of Barry said.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

State sues Montgomery attorney for running debt settlement 'scheme' - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The agencies said attorney Keith Anderson Nelmsz andhis Prattville-based firms Allegro Law LLC and Allegro Financiak Services LLC led “one of the largestt debt settlement schemes in the involving thousands of customers and millionsw of dollars nationwide. In the the state said Nelms advertised a riskt debt restructuring plan that instructee clients to stop making monthlhy payments to debtors to encouragde the creditors to write offthe debt, reclassif y it as less collectible and settl e for a reduced The state said it violated the Deceptive Trade Practicee Act and the Sales of Checks Act and requested a preliminary which is being considered by Autaugw County Circuit Judge Ben The Attorney General and the Alabama Securities Commissionj obtained a temporary restrainingg order against the defendants on June 30, whicg would freeze the firm’s assets.
Also in the the state said Nelms was not licenseed to practice law outside of yet clients came from all50 states. The complain t said Nelms and his firm were advertising as a law but referred cases to athird party, Americorp, whic is not a law firm. Nelms and his firm were also not licensexd by the Alabama Securities Commission to run a debt paymentyservice company. A license from the commission must be obtainee before conducting debt payment services inthe state.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Generic drugs plan 'does not add up' - Royal Gazette

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Generic drugs plan 'does not add up'

Royal Gazette


Health Minister Zane DeSilva's move to allow generic drugs into Bermuda while former Premier Ewart Brown sets up his own healthcare agency underlines the need for transparency, according to Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz. ...



and more »

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Keller Williams opens Malta office - The Business Review (Albany):

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Keller Williams Realty Distinctive Properties opener at 2715 Route 9 in Malta in a new officee building next to the RipeTomato restaurant. The 4,800-square-foof office is near the , where of Sunnyvale, will be part-owner of a $4.6 billio chip plant that will employ morethan 1,400 Construction of the chip fab is expectedd to begin early next year and be completedf by 2011. “By 2012 this thing ought to be fulluy functioning and by that time we should absolutely be caught in the saidRick Mendez, team leader of the new Kelled Williams franchise. Charles Cefalu, a developere in Glens Falls, is operating principalk and broker of record for thenew franchise.
Mendea previously sold real estate for Coldwell Banker Prim Propertiesin Latham. This is the seconc franchise in the Albanu area forKeller Williams, which is basesd in Austin, Texas. The first opened last year in Lathajm and recently merged with ProRealtt of NewYork Inc. in Saratoga Springs to further boost a roste of agents that now totalwabout 200. A new office openerd in Saratoga Springs as a The two franchises have the exclusivew right to open offices withintheir territories, but sale agents can represent buyers and sellers anywhere in the region.
The territory for the new franchisse in Malta includes parts of Saratoga County outsidseSaratoga Springs, Warren County and parts of Washingto County, Mendez said. Mendez said he was drawn to Kellert Williams because he likes thebusiness model, which includess profit sharing. The office has about 30 agents but hope s to grow to 150to 200. The franchises also a commercial real estatr division to servicethe spin-ofvf businesses that typically cluster around chip

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Dan Musick Executive Profile

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a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of volleyball past thecollege ages. Dan and his Laurie, were married in 2003, and have no children. He enjoys playin all types of sports, especially team-oriented sports like softbalk and volleyball. **All Executive profile data providedx byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fidelity net income tumbles 62 percent - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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million. The Jacksonville-based technology service provider to financialinstitutions FIS) announced its fourth quarter and year-end earnings reporft Tuesday. The company had net earnings of $28.98 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, in the fourthu quarter. That’s down 73 percentr from net earningsof $108.4 million, or 55 centa per diluted share a year earlier. Earnings were affected by a $35 milliohn impairment charge for selling its checkserviceds business. Earnings from continued operations increased 5 percenftto $50 million in the fourth excluding the $21.1 million loss from discontinued operations. For net earnings from continuing operations were down 53 percen tto $117.
4 million. The company also said the appreciatiob ofthe U.S. dollar hurt its fourth quarteer revenue from increased business with foreignjfinancial institutions. The company provided technology servicesfor banks. Despitre these losses, the company said it was encouraged by an increasewin revenue. Total revenue from continuinvg operations in the fourth quarted increased nearly 1 percentto $862 millionh and 1.8 percent to $2.9 billion for the “It was a solid quarter and a very good year for said executive chairman William Foley in the “Full year revenue and earnings per sharwe came in at the high end of our and pro forma free cash flow grew to a recorxd $358 million.
” FIS was able to free up some of its cash flow by spinninvg off its mortgage services provider, (NYSE: LPS), into a separate publicd company in July. It also sold three businessz sectorsincluding Ltd. in October. That sale cost the companu a $35 million after-tax impairmeng charge in the fourth Chief Financial Officer George Scanlon said in the earnings call that revenuew was hurt bya $30 millionh currency adjustment in the fourth quarter. But Scanlon said it only affectexd earnings byone cent. He expects currencyg changes to decrease earnings per share by 4 centsa in the first quarterthis year.
Despited reduced spending amongthe banks, FIS gained some new saless in 2008, said president and CEO Lee Kennedy. Ten bankd with more than $50 billiohn in assets purchased core processing systemslast year. The company also signex up oneof Russia’s largest investment bankxs with $100 billion in asset in the fourth quarter. Kennedy declinefd to name the bank. FIS expectws that 2009 will have “moderate” declines in consumef credit activityand “weak discretionary Kennedy said. The company also projected 200 to 250 bank failurees in the nextfew years, which will offset lower bank attrition from fewer acquisitions. The company’ stock price closed at $16.
54 per share down 6.3 percent from the previous day’zs close.