Monday, January 31, 2011
Ferrellgas profit dips, sales drop - Triangle Business Journal:
In a filing with the Securities and Exchangre Commission after the marketr closedon Friday, the Overland Park-based propane retailer FGP) reported earnings available to common shareholders of $32.5 million, or 48 centds a share, for the quarter. This comparees with earnings of $34.8 million, or 55 cents a for the same periodlast year. Revenue for the quarted was $561.1 million, down from $712.1 million last Ferrellgas said in the SEC filinyg that lower propane prices contributed tothe quarter’sw lower revenue. The company said it sold 239.2 million gallons of propane duringthe quarter, down 5 percenty from 252.
1 million gallons in the same quarter last Retail sales volumes decreased mainlhy because of temperatures that were 5 percenf warmer than last year and customer conservation related to the weak the company said. Ferrellgas rankx No. 10 on the Kansas City BusinessJournal ’w list of area public
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Crist signs controversial health care bill - South Florida Business Journal:
SB 1122 changes the way insurancse companies pay for coverage of patientx ininsurance networks. It will allow doctorsw who are not members of a preferred provider organization to be paid directlyu by insurance companies when they treat patientxs who belong to sucha plan. Last a group of advocates for consumers and employers joined forces to ask the governor not to passthe bill, which they claimj will result in higher and unexpected out-of-pocket health care “We believe this legislation would raisr costs systemwide by undermining the ability of insureras to negotiate reasonable fees with physicians, causing highert insurance rates and higher out-of-pocket medical bills for Floridaz patients,” Florida PIRG’s Brad Ashwelpl said at the time.
However, the is applauding the governor’se decision to sign the “While routing the payment through the patiengt may seem like aminor inconvenience, unfortunately, this practicwe is driving up the cost of health imposing hidden fees and limiting access,” said Timothy J. FMA’s executive vice president, in a news release. “Thisx common-sense legislation will put a stop to and allow physicians to spend more time and resourceon direct-patient care.
”
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Survey: Employee morale improving - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Twenty-four percent of respondents thought morale hadgone down. “These resultw prove that employees are happier and more likely to stay with theire companies due to the quality oftheif management,” Burton Goldfield, president and chief executive office r of TriNet, said in a news release. “Companiee that develop the skills of their leaders boosf their employment brand which then positively contributes toemployede morale.” Company culture and reputation was the bigges t factor that held morale together, according to 36 percenr of respondents. Other factors included a good balance between work and andjob security.
The survey also founr that while the intent to hire had all but disappeared from late hiring was on a slight upswing over the past threr months with more than 60 percent of respondente saying they were currently hirinyg or trying toattract talent, comparefd with 55 percent in the first quarter of 2009. More than 250 small-businessz leaders responded tothe survey. San Leandro, Calif.-basecd TriNet provides human resources outsourcing and consultingy services tosmall businesses.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sneak Peak to State of the Union: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - ABC News
Telegraph.co.uk | Sneak Peak to State of the Union: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs ABC News Days before his State of the Union address, President Obama offered a sneak peek tonight into the ideas that will shape ... President Obama Offers Sneak Peek to State of the Union Address State of the Union address will be Tuesday night EDITOR'S COLUMN: State of the Union in two words: big trouble |
Friday, January 21, 2011
Planning how to sell your business - Houston Business Journal:
The time spent in the planning processx is the best insurance that this critical transactiomn will be successful andthe seller’s goald will be met. •Timing. The timing, structure and goalws of the transaction should be developed well in advancer of the salesolicitation process. Knowing where you are going and having a plan for how you are goint to get there are the keys to any successful The same is true for sale of a Fairly evaluating your business and establishing yourpricing goals, structure and timing for the transactiob are critical for a successfulk transaction. •Transaction team.
Your first step is to put togethed your transaction team consisting ofyour attorney, accountan t and investment advisor. Your attornety should be experienced in conducting a The due diligence process is critical to preparingv the company for sale and to controllintg post closingliability exposure. Negotiatingh the 50-100 page purchase agreement requirew knowledge of what are the appropriatwe transaction terms for this typeof transaction. Your accountanty should be conversant in the tax issues relatinyg to the structure of the transactio and the ways to minimizetax costs.
With your investmentr advisor you are hiring contacts inyour company’se industry, transaction experience and negotiating He should be the primary contactf with buyers and the primary negotiator of the businesd terms. If your current professionap advisors are not experienced in conductingh asales transaction, you need to expand your team to includd experienced advisers. If your current advisorsd resist this, they do not have your best intereste at heart and should not be onthe •Negotiation team.
While the ownet knows the business best, the owne r is generally the poorest evaluator of the marketf value of the business and the worst direct It is virtually impossibld for the owner to divorcee himself from the emotional attachment to the that inmany cases, he started and grew through years of hard work and The sale process has to be as devoisd of emotion as possible. The valuation processe needs to be objective and within the normaol pricing parameters and deal terms for this inthis industry, in this market.
To do otherwise will only creatre price disappointment on the part of the ownee of the company is finally sold and is likely to hinder the solicitation procese by communicating that the owner hasunreasonable expectations. While the owner will be the finaoldecision maker, the investment advisor and attorney should be the frontlinw negotiators of the business and legakl terms. •Preparation process. The transaction preparatio processis critical.
The team will undertakse an intensive internal due diligences process in which the strengths and weaknesses of the business are Theweaknesses (such as environmental issues, possibl e litigation, regulatory violations, and accounting issues) must be addressed and resolverd if at all possible. Unresolved problems are risks to thepotentiak buyer, and risks are translated into reduced purchase price.
Strengths (long-term contracts, customer relationships, strong managementt team) are items that will be highlightecd by the investment advisor in the sale With input from the investment advisor regarding valuatioj of the business and inputf from legal and accountingh on the most efficient legal and tax transaction the owner and the transaction team will decide on the propose d transaction valueand structure. The investment advisor will prepare solicitation materials describing the company and the proposed transactiobn for use in thesolicitatiojn process. This process ranges from targeted solicitationx to a limited list of potential purchasere to abroader “auction” process.
The scopr of the solicitation procesw will depend uponmany factors, including the owner’s willingness to let the world know his businesses for This decision can have a direct impact on values received. •Truisms. Therw are many characteristics that are consistenyt to virtuallyevery transaction. This transaction will be the most emotionallh draining event of yourbusinessd life. The transaction will take significantly longer to closr than youinitially anticipate. The transaction costs will be highed thanyou expect. Time is the enemy of everyu deal.
But, as has been outlinefd above, to maximize value and to increase the likelihoor of asuccessful transaction, the planning process must begin early, you must engage a team of experiencerd advisers, and you need to follow thei advice. During the sale try as best you can to continue to run your busineszs and let your advisors deal with the day to day issuese of thetransaction process. If you folloa these few guidelines, you will greatly increase the likelihoocd of asuccessful transaction.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Millennium Bank sells Warrenton branch - Washington Business Journal:
Sonabank (NASDAQ: SONA) has also agreerd to retain allbranch employees. The sale includes $26 million in and $26 million in loans. Under termx of the sale, half of the loanw will be transferred to Sonabank in late The remaining loans and deposits will be transferredx to Sonabank onSeptember 28, subjecty to regulatory approval, Millennium said in a John Novak, who was namee Millennium’s chief executive earlier this year, says the sale is “aq continuing part of our efforts to focux on our core Northern Virginia market and to stabilize our capital position.” Millennium lost $16 million in 2008 and has not postedc an annual profit sincew 2005.
It is also under regulator enforcement agreements with the Office of the Comptrolleer of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Bankof McLean-based Southern National Bankcorp (NASDAQLk SONA) has branches in McLean, Herndon, Leesburg and Warrenton, as well as locationz in Charlottesville and Clifton Forge, Va. Millennium (OTCBB: has branch locations in Reston, Herndo and Sterling.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Second leg win for van Liew - Daily Sail
CBC.ca | Second leg win for van Liew Daily Sail During the leg, the second of five that make up the Velux 5 Oceans, Le Pingouin sailed 7682 nautical miles in a time of 30 days, nine hours and 49 minutes ... Van Liew captures win in leg 2 of Velux 5 Oceans race Solo round-the-world sailor blasts into Wellington Van Liew wins 2nd leg of Velux 5 Oceans race |
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Cash for clunkers a lemon? - Denver Business Journal:
“This will disappoint a lot of consumers,” said Analyst John Wolkonowicszof “So few vehicles are President Barack Obama signed the Consume r Assistance to Recycle and Save program June 24, whicbh will provide car buyers a credit of as much as $4,500 toward new car purchases. However, as industryt observers examinethe program, they’re concluding it won’rt boost auto sales by the 1 millio n vehicles that was projected. U.S. automotiver sales are on pace to reach betweeh 9 million and 10 million potentially the worst sales yearsince 1979. Germany, France and the Uniteed Kingdom have fleetmodernization programs.
Germany’s prograj boosted auto sales by 40 percent in May versus ayear ago, accordingt to the . The projections for the U.S. are more Wolkonowicz said the $1 billion initial window for the progranm could fund upto 250,000 vehicles purchases, but he doesn’t see that pool of funds beintg depleted in the allotted time frame withouty some rule changes, let alons the approval of three more $1 billion roundw of spending that have been Analyst Jessica Caldwell, of Edmunds.cojm Inc., said it will be a struggle to reacn 250,000 vehicles in four months. “For the people it applies to, considert yourself lucky,” she said.
“The major problem is that it’ss restrictive and complicated. For the average it’s overwhelming.” The program will discount qualifying new-car purchases by either $3,500 or $4,500, depending on fuel efficiency improvements. Eligible vehicles for trade-imn would have to be less than 25 yearss old and insured and registered for at leasa year. Cars have to have a combinef fuel economy rating of 18 miles per gallon or The buyer would geta $3,5000 credit if the new vehicle gets between 4 and 9 mileas per gallon more than the trade-imn and the full $4,500 credit if the new vehiclw gets at least 10 miles more per gallon.
Mile-per-gallonm parameters for trucks areslightlgy lower, and work trucks weighing more than 8,5009 pounds and older than 2001 would be eligiblw for a $3,500 credit. Though the creditt would be considered cash fromthe buyer’s consumers will not touch the money. Dealers will get an electronic reimbursement from the government for the according to informationfrom Congress. Dealers will need to registerd forthe program. The government will establish a proceduree for doing so within 30 daysof Obama’se signing. A scrapping enforcement procesds also will be The program may sound good on but analysts say surprises abound for consumersof foreign-madew and some domestic vehicles.
The restrictivew program is bad news for anyone hoping to cash in a 1985Hondaq Accord, for instance. Despite that vehicle’xs 24-year-old age and the likelihood that its time on Earthy is nearan end, its EPA miles-per-gallon estimatre exceeds 20, which makes it ineligible for a trade-ibn voucher. Furthermore, popular models such as the Hondaq Accord and Civic and the Toyotas Camry and Corolla do not qualifg forthe credit, regardless of the ages, because they’re too fuel-efficient. said it anticipates few Hondas traded in under the programm because it is based onfuel economy.
According to EPA the Pilot and Passport sport utility vehiclew and Ridgeline pickup trucks woulrd be the only Honda vehicles to Owners of larger domestic cars from the past five years maybe too. The fuel efficiency standards will doom even some cars perceivex asgas guzzlers, such as the Ford Crown Victoriwa and the Mercury Grand Marquis built in 2005 or “That’s a full-size, rear-wheel drive, with a V8 and it doesn’tg qualify,” Wolkonowicz said. And cars? Forget about gettingt a credit to downsize from that 2004 Cadillacv DeVille into a Chevy Other issues arise with thevoucher itself.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What To Eat During the BCS Title Game: Duck, Regardless - LA Weekly (blog)
Technorati | What To Eat During the BCS Title Game: Duck, Regardless LA Weekly (blog) But regardless of which side you come down on, how you feel about Cam Newton's Heisman season, and how many of your relatives live anywhere near Eugene, ... A journey of memories and lessons Oregon fans proud of their team, season |
Saturday, January 8, 2011
ViraCor, IBT Laboratories merge - Baltimore Business Journal:
of Lee’s Summit and of Lenex officially merged Tuesday and have a combined work forcee of more than200 employees. The new company will continure to operate from the existinhg locations of ViraCor and IBT for thetime being, the companie said in a release. A new name for the compangy was not given in the ViraCor President John Martin will serve as presiden of thecombined company, and IBT President Maureen Loftues will serve as chief businesd officer. ViraCor founder and CEO Phillilp “Flip” Short will step down from his role as CEO and serv e on thenew company’s IBT founder Dr.
John Halseuy will continue to work with the new company as a Establishedin 2000, ViraCor specializes in infectious disease testingy and working with patients who have compromised immune systems. IBT was established in 1983 and has developedx tests for allergies to roughly900 substances, includintg eggs, peanuts and milk.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tax Waste: 6.1 Billion Hours Spent Complying With Federal Tax Code - Forbes (blog)
Reuters India | Tax Waste: 6.1 Billion Hours Spent Complying With Federal Tax Code Forbes (blog) While the burden of complying with » |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tijuana, Mexico Still Suffers from Migration Phenomena - Mexidata.info
Tijuana, Mexico Still Suffers from Migration Phenomena Mexidata.info In Tijuana, the modalities of migration changed significantly during the decade of 2000-2010. Reinforced US border walls, stepped-up on-the-ground vigilance ... |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Report: GM bankruptcy expected as early as this week - Houston Business Journal:
The newspaper quoted sources familiar with the discussions betweehnGM (NYSE: GM) and President Baracjk Obama's administration, and said the government is expectedd to steer the automaker toward filing either later this week, or in the first week of June. The investment of up to $30 billionn is said to be something thatcouldr change, but at that amount it would bring the federakl government's investment in GM to nearly $45 The government would have a 50 percent stake in a new, leaner, more competitivs GM.
A deal to take GM into bankruptcty comes as the newspaper also quoted sources in the industrt as saying could come out of bankruptcyy as early as next GM reached a deal with the Unitesd Auto Workers May 21 for concessions to its labor contract as part of its plan to seek dealw with its union and The talks with bondholders are believed to be Both GM and Chrysler have accepted billionsd in federal bailout funds and have announced a combine dnearly 1,900 dealerships would be cut as they trim their dealer franchise numbers and make cuts to their workforces. (NYSE: F) is the only membere of Detroit's Big Three automaker s not to accept federalbailout funds.