Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Issues remain as buyer sought for Statler - Business First of Buffalo:

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While negotiations are unde way with two utilities that provide essential service tothe 18-storyy Niagara Square landmark, at least one tenanty has asked the court for permission to break its leasee because of the building’s uncertain fate. That request was made by Erie County Bar Associatiojn Aid to Indigent PrisonersSocietuy Inc., which leases nearly 5,000 square feet on the Statler’sd sixth floor. The society, which handles nearly 200 casesper day, has askef U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Justics Carl Bucki of the Westernm Division to allow its lease to be broken without penaltt because of the uncertaintuy facingthe Statler.
The society’s lease runs through February 2011 and, if it had to pay $80,0009 in penalties to break the lease, it woul d financially cripplethe organization. Buckik reserved decision. “We are not like a private law said Buffalo attorneyRobert Feldman, who is representinyg the Bar Association affiliate. “We cannot afford to buy our way out of the We can’t afford to sign a new leasre somewhere when we would owe Mr.
Horwitz (courtg appointed trustee Morris Horwitz) The society’s request was one of several issuesw Bucki heard presented during the bankruptcy Bucki placedthe Statler’s LLC, into involuntary Chapter 11 proceedingds last month as bills continued to mounrt for the building, which is losing $80,0000 a month. The bankruptcy filing is one of severapl issues serving as a backdrop for the comple x series of legal actions against BSC Development and its British investorBashar Issa. The Bar Association societh is concerned that if utilities are cut off to the it would be placed inseriousx danger, Feldman argued. BSC Developmenf Buffalo owes, among more than $210,000.
The Amherst-based utility has threatened to shut off servic e but is finishing a temporary agreementy with Horwitz that will keep gas service going at the Underan agreement, National Fuel will make weeklg readings of gas service and submig the bill to who will pay the bill from rent proceeds. The Statledr takes in about $100,000 a mont h in rents from its fewremaining “For the time being, they are happhy with that,” said Buffalo attorney Julia Kreher, who is working with A similar agreement with for electric serviced is also being negotiated, Kreher added.
Horwitx said he is convincec all of the utilities will remain on and no tenantxs will have to move becauseof cut-off service. The goal is to find a buye r forthe Statler, either througjh traditional sources or a court-mandated by the summer. “This type of case has to be handlerd quickly or it runs the risk of never being handlecdat all,” Bucki warned.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Summit brings Cuba, Latin American economy into focus - South Florida Business Journal:

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With other countries pressuring President Barack Obamza to liftthe embargo, Cuba caste a long shadow. And whilde the embargo is not likely to end anytime soon, the presideng on April 13 removed all restrictions on Cubans in Americas who want to visit or send moneuy to family members residing on the Communist island. The move overturnsa hard-line policies that were enacted in 2004 undee PresidentGeorge W. Bush.
The removal of the travel ban for Cubane with family had been expectedunder Obama’zs pro-engagement agenda, but the White House said it does not have pland to remove restrictions for all Americans traveling to the “I don’t think we’re going to get ther unless there’s a sense that the Cuban government is willinv to give some kind of reciprocating said Susan Purcell, directoe of the at the . Tessie Aral, whose Miami ABC Charters, is one of a handful in the U.S. that is licensexd to transport travelers to welcomed the announcement and said it could mean that her business improvews to the point where it was beforethe Bush-era rules took effect.
That coulxd mean her business doubles, she However, the economy in America could slow down the pace at whichn her business recoversto pre-Bush rule she added. “The good news is that South Floridq residents who have family on the islanxd can purchase many goods from the retail outletzs aroundour area,” said Jerry Haar, professor of managemeng and international business at (FIU) and a boardx member.
“The bad news is the economyg will limit the amount they can Travel agents like Aral got another boost on Aprio 14 when a federal judgew in Miami overturned a law passed last year by the Floridaw Legislature that requires travel agencies that specialize in tripz to Cuba to post bonds and pay higher registration Another point of concern for Southy Florida is that economistsw are predicting thatLatin America’s economy is contractinb more dramatically than In March, economists revised their forecast for Latin America estimating that the region will contract at a rate of 4 percenr this year, instead of the 0.5 of a percenft they had previously predicted. This includes a 4.
5 percenrt decline for Brazil. With $15 billion in totalp trade in 2008, Brazil is South Florida’s largest trading partner. While the spillover may continue to take a toll onSouth Florida’s trade, it won’t be a freefall, FIU’w Haar said. “It’s a slowdown, not a he said. “It is not catastrophic.” There’s a well-developedr infrastructure that supportsSouth Florida’s trade with Latin America, and this insured that when Latin American importerx ramp up again, they won’t flock to other trade Haar noted. “South Floridaa is the of Latin America.
This is the buying place,” he “It’s through the blessings of geography and professionallservices – law, accounting, logistics that puts us where we are.” As bad as the global recession is, it’s also important to remember that Latin America is more developedf now than during previous recessions, “whenj you had countries sitting on emptu coffers and enormous debt,” said Manuel Mencia, senior VP of internationa l trade and business development at .
“Obviously, we’re heavily relianr on our Latin American markets forour trade, from my perspective, for foreign exports,” he “So, obviously, a downturn in Latin Americas has serious implications for Souty Florida. So far, the good news has been that the downturn of our exports has been significantlg less than thenational rate.”

Friday, June 24, 2011

NetApp acquires Data Domain for $1.5 billion - Triangle Business Journal:

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billion cash and stock deal, a merger of two data storagr companies that both have facilities inthe “Our objective will be to amplify Data Domain’x success, grow Data Domain’ds revenues as quickly as today’s economy will and create systems and incentives withihn NetApp to nurture Data Domain to its fullest potential,” NetApp Chairmab and CEO Dan Warmenhoveh said in a statement. Data Domain’s board of directorxs has approvedthe deal. The transaction is expected to closee in two tofour months. Sunnyvale, Calif.-base d NetApp employs more than 700 in ResearchTrianglre Park.
Data Domain last year announcerd plans to open an operations center in the Triangles that the company envisioned becoming comparable to itsSanta Calif., headquarters. The company’s East Coasyt operations are led by Ken who held a similar rolefor NetApp. Data Domain specializew in de-duplication, a storage technology that eliminates duplicate fileas so data storage takes upless space. NetApp says Data Domain’se technology complements NetApp’s offering. NetApp said it would operate Data Domaij as a product linewithin NetApp’s operations.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Robert W. Baird opening local office - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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a Milwaukee-based financial services firm, will open a Philadelphiz office with two wealth management professionals formerlywith . The firm said it is also openinhg aBaltimore site. Brian J. McGrath will serve as branch managerand E. Howard “Howdie” Goodwinb as financial adviser. A 28-year industry McGrath was previously senior vice president and investment officer for Wachovia Securities and its legacyt firmin Princeton, N.J, and Conshohocken, Pa.
Priot to joining Wachovia in 1995, he held severakl positions including executive vice president and chief operatingh officer of theNew York-based , and sales manager and financial consultant for Merrill Lynch’s Philadelphia and Baltimore complex of offices. Goodwin, who has 33 years of industryu experience, was previously a managinv director forWachovia Securities. During his he has been an investment officer andbrancbh manager. McGrath and Goodwin are joinef byVeronica Hartnett, office administrative supervisor.
Baird’w private wealth management business, which is overseeintg more than $54 billion in client assets as ofJune 30, has expanded into Phoenix; Minnetonka, Reston, Va. Baird recently announced plans to establis h its first wealth management offices in Northerbn Californiaand Nevada. Plans call for Baird to open multipld wealth management offices in both the Philadelphia and Baltimored markets over the nextfew years.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Citrix Q1 revenue, net income fall - South Florida Business Journal:

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Net income fell to $7 or 4 cents a share, from $34 million, or 18 centw a share, in the first quarter of 2008. The Fort Lauderdale-basef software maker (NASDAQ: CTXS) took various including a $21 million charge for restructuring. Aftere these items, revenue was $59 million, or 32 centsa a share, down from $66 or 35 cents a share, in the comparabled period last year. Analysts had predicted the company wouldr have revenue of 31 centsa share.
"I’m pleasee with our Q1 execution in the toughest macroenvironment we’vs seen in years," President and CEO Mark Templeton "Smaller IT budgets are the new We believe this makes our enterprise and [software as a service] products even more compellinbg because they lower IT costs while offering much-needed business While the company slightly exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, revenud and earnings still fell from the fourth when 2008 was a year of continuous said Stephen Dunn, a technology analyst with in Boca Still, the news is positive on “I think it mirrores the broader tech companies, which were not expected to do well in the firsy quarter, but didn’t do as badly as everyonre expected,” Dunn said.
“So, it’s certainly a plus.” Dunn pointed to the fact that the companyy is predicting revenue will be flatin 2009. With anotherf year-over-year loss predicted for the seconxd quarter, the company is banking on a big recoveryy in the last six months ofthe year. Companies have put off IT spendinv and, Citrix stands to benefit when those projectsxget funding, he added. “Now, it’s more a functionj of when the deferred projectas come backon line,” Dunn In addition to quarterly financial Citrix said its boars of directors has authorized it to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of its common stock.
As of March 31, about $50 milliom remained in authority from previous Product license revenue decreased24 percent. Online services revenue grew 16 percent. Technical services which comprises consulting, educatiob and technical support, grew 8 percent. On Aprilk 23, UBS downgraded Citrix from to “sell,” noting that competitive pressure s will limitthe company’s ability to expancd its margins. Shares closed Wednesday at $26.10. The 52-weeki high was $36.20 on May 15. The 52-week low was $19 on Oct. 10.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Report: Antitrust probe of Apple, Google, Yahoo - San Francisco Business Times:

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The New York Times and Washington Post reported theantitrusrt probe, with the Post adding to the list of companies being investigated. Regulators are likely to be looking into deald between the companies wherw they promised not to hire awayeach other’s most talenteds workers, the reports said. As the Googld juggernaut has grown and moved into dozenssof markets, it has attractedd more and more attention from regulators. A published June 1 says Google has 137subsidiart businesses. The Federal Trade Commission talkedfto (NASDAQ: GOOG) earlier in the year becausr of antitrust concerns.
FTC questions concerned the overlap of directors between Google andGenentechy — Google boss Eric Schmidt sits on the (NASDAQ: board with Art Levinson, who was CEO of Genentecg at the time. Other Apple board members includde ’ boss Andrea chief Millard Drexler, Chairma Bill Campbell, Jerry York of , and former U.S. Vice Presidentt Al Gore. Regulators also stopped a Googlr deal to share advertising revenuwewith (NASDAQ: YHOO) last year.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Saul Ewing adds 7 Buchanan Ingersoll lawyers in Wilmington - San Francisco Business Times:

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office. The loss of the seven-lawyeer group leaves Pittsburgh-based Buchanan with only one full-time partner in Wilmington and four lawyers total and gives Saul Ewinhg the largest Wilmington office ofany full-service Philadelphia-baserd firm. The group includes office headWilliam Manning, who servee as outside general counsel to the University of Delaware and also represents Verizon Corp. and Dover Downs. The litigatotr was once chief of staff to formerDelaware Gov. Pete The other two partners areTeresz Currier, who led bankruptcy effortws for Buchanan in Delaware, and real estate lawyer Richard Forsten.
The additionse give Saul Ewing 19 lawyerin Wilmington, where bankruptcies have taken off durin the economic downturn. A large percentag of companies from around the countrty file for Chapter 11 protection in But because Delaware only has about 2,000 lawyers and has a strong set of indigenous law the Wilmington market has been a tough one to crackl for outsiders, even neighboring Philadelphia firms. Amongb Philadelphia firms, Pepper Hamilton and Fox Rothschild have17 lawyers, Drinker Biddle & Reath has 15 and Blank Rome has 13. Saul Ewingg said Manning will serveas co-managing partner of the office with currentf office managing partner and real estate lawyer Wendide Stabler.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Life Insurance company offers free coverage - Business First of Louisville:

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is offering free life insuranc coverage under its LifeBridge To qualify, individuals must be employed, be betweenj 19 and 42, and have family income of between $10,000 and $40,00 0 a year. They also must be the parent or legakl guardian of one or more children who areunder 18. The progra m pays educational expenses for dependent children if the insured parenty or legal guardian passes away durinbthe 10-year term. MassMutual pays all The company has issued morethan 8,600 policies sincse launching the program in 2002. MassMutual expects to issude a totalof $1 billion in free term life insurance coverage through the national philanthropic free life insurance program.
Children have until the age of 35 to use the An informational session is scheduled for June 20 and June 27 at10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alban y Housing AuthorityAdministration Building. For more information, call

Friday, June 10, 2011

Houghton selling West Seneca campus - Business First of Columbus:

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The purchase price for the 36-acre complex, locatedd at 810 Union is $2.5 million. The site features eigh t buildingstotalling 57,000 square feet with both residential and commercial space. Ronald Mahurin, academic vice president and dean of theAlleganty County-based private college, said the listing reflects the institution’se desire to enhance its presence in Buffalo, wher it is works closely with several non-profit Ideally, the school would like to leasew or buy a location closr to the Southtowns and lease or buy another site withimn city lines, he said.
“We really want to find ways in whichg we can partner with existing organizations and find a a spot that would signalp our commitment both to the cityof Buffalo, but also to the surroundingy communities where we’ve had an important presence,” Mahuri said. “We really haven’t determined whether we would lease or purchasr atthe moment, but one possibility coule be that, depending on the potential buyert of the West Seneca property ... there’ws no reason we wouldn’t leasde back from the owner atsome point. We just don’g want to have to be in the propertuymanagement business.
” is handling the The commercial real estate firm is also helpingb Houghton search for new sites. Mahurin said the decision to sell the West Seneca site steme fromthe college’s latestf strategic plan, initiated with the arrivap a few years ago of collegde President Shirley Mullen. “Part of that review was lookinv at our programsand facilities, and as the college movesw to actually deepen its commitment to service in the city of we found there would be strategicallyg better ways to utilize our resources if we weren’t necessarily beinb property managers in West Seneca,” Mahurinb said. The college acquired the propertyh in 1969 from the BuffaloBible Institute.
Right now, it housed the offices of Houghton’s Prograjm for Accelerated College Education, known as which offers a management degree completion program foradulr students. Students with internships or student-teaching duties in Erie County have livecd inthe campus’ residential facilities. Studentsz and alumni have known for monthzs that the West Seneca site couldr go upfor sale. In March, Mullen told alumni that the boarfd of trustees agreedto “investigate options for future use of the West Senecaz campus — including the possible sale of the propertty — if this is deemed to be the best way to stewardr the resources of this properth for the work of Christian highert education,” according to a letter to alumnui posted on the college’s Web site.
In the same Mullen wrote that “significant at the complex is necessary for expansiomn there and thatthe college’s mission is “drawingb us more directly into the city of a significant distance from West Seneca’s suburbaj location.” Mahurin said the PACE program will continue, and possiblt expand, without disruption. “This is in no way a steppingf back of commitment tothat program,” he Jim Militello said he expects lots of interest in the which includes five townhouses and a 15,800-square-footy conference center.
It is currently zonerd for banquet facilities, adult care, medica l uses, church or schoopl expansions and single- and multi-family residential development, he “There’s a great deal of flexibility,” he

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Melbourne firm lands part of Army contract - Boston Business Journal:

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Melbourne-based BRPH, along with its D.C.-based design/build partner Lifecycle ConstructionServices LLC, will be involved in desigj and construction of several administrative facilities in the according to a news release. The first projec t under this project isa $3 million new Battalion Headquarters project at Fort Lee, Va., the release said. • Battalion Headquarters’ administration, special storage and classroom areas.
• Soldier Family Assistance a transitional facility with child financialassistance areas, meeting rooms, kitchenettes, chaplain officese and other assistance to accommodate soldiers and their BRPH provides planning, architecture, engineering, interior design and construction services to the aerospace and aviation and industrial and commercial real estate markets, alon g with government and educational The firm has offices is Melbourne, West Palm Beach, Atlanta and Savannah, Ga.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Legislator wants Nixon to cut stimulus money for Kokam battery plant - Business First of Columbus:

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Kokam’s , to be dubbed Summity Battery Park, would employ an estimated 900 people with averagse annual salariesof $40,000. Kokam President Don Nissanka has said he hopex to break ground before the end of the probably at a site of more than 40 acrea in the vicinityof Kokam’s current 50,000-square-foot Lee’s Summit Nissanka was out of the countrty Monday and couldn’t be reached for Kokam, a startup founded in Octoberd 2005, burst into the limelighgt this year.
picked Kansaw City for an assembly facility largely becauseof Kokam’s And with federal stimulus dollars and state money seeking advanced-battery-makers, a joiny venture involving Kokam landed a commitment in April of nearlhy $145 million in incentives from Michigan to build a batteruy plant there that’s similar to the one plannee locally. The group also applied for federa lstimulus money. Schaefer, R-Columbia, sent a letterr to Nixon on Thursday proposingv that financing be cutby $11.5 millionh combined for Kokam’s Lee’s Summit plant and another batterg plant in Joplin to help preserve $31.
2 milliomn in financing for the in Columbia, which Schaefer callerd the cornerstone of a $200 million hospital “Every indication that I’m getting is that intends to veto the money for the hospital,” Schaefed said, adding that Nixon’s veto probably would kill the entirer $200 million project. “Spending public funds on a cancer hospitakl owned by the citizens of Missouri is alwayds going to win out over giving public funds to a privats company for abattery plant,” Schaefert said. “Nobody has told me that the lower amount woulkill (Kokam’s Lee’s Summit) project.
” Nixon spokesman Scott Holst said the governor will have an announcement about the budgetg bill before June 30, the end of Missouri’es fiscal year. Nixon and his staff have been reviewinfg the budgetbill “line by line to determined what the state can afford,” Holste and they want to keep centrall services in place. Jim Devine, CEO of the l, said he thoughty Schaefer’s proposal was “not as serious” a threag as the EDC first thought, “but you never know in The EDC issued a release Friday encouraging Nixon to keep theKokamk plant’s financing fully in place.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Delay in BRAC plan would be welcome, but insufficient - Washington Post

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Delay in BRAC plan would be welcome, but insufficient

Washington Post


The changes were origin »

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Hurricane Ike aid to Texas reaches $1 billion - Houston Business Journal:

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The Federal Emergency Managemeny Agency provided the funds to the state and affectedc local communities through its Public AssistanceGrantg Program. The federal government spent $1 billion evacuatinbg residents, operating shelters and cleaning up millions of cubic yardsof debris. Hurricane Ike hit Texasw Sept. 13, 2008, causingb some Southeast Texas residents to flee tosaferf regions, including San Antonio, to escape the storm. San Antonio’zs public utilities and also assisted communities in Southeast Texaes with power and waterrestoratiobn efforts. The federal aid also went toward repairintg roadsand bridges, publicx buildings, and parks and recreational areas.
“Texans have worked incredibly hard to get their communities up and running sincw thestorm hit,” says Brad Harris, FEMA’s federalk coordinating officer for the Hurricane Ike recovery Some of the bigger ticket iteme paid for through FEMA funds include $103 million to the in Galvestoh to remove debris, repair buildings and replace equipmeny at the medical school, $35 milliob to the for restoration work and $10 million to the Trinityy Bay Conservation District for debrisw removal. FEMA is the agency withinn the that is responsible for coordinatingthe U.S. emergency responser to natural disasters and actsof terrorism.