GM selling Saturn to Roger Penske - bizjournals:

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Instead of building cars for Saturn, Penskw will contract the manufacture of firstfrom Saturn’s curren t owner, GM, and later from othefr car companies. His plan, announced earlier is to distribute those carsthrough Saturn’s biggesf asset--its hundreds of independent and highly-regarded The structure would make Saturn a differen kind of operation, said Richard Block, professor of labofr and industrial relations at Michigan State University. “What this means, they are goingf to be primarily a marketing companuy and in some sense that is a new model of businesa in theauto industry,” Block said.
“This is the firsty time when we’ve seen a compangy say ‘we’re just going to distribute,’” withouty manufacturing. While it might be new for a company like Satur n to contract out the production of all the cars it it isn’t so unusual that it wouldn’t work. Car companies often manufacturse models foreach other. Briajn Gluckman of AutoTrader.com pointed out in an emaipl that priorto Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing, that automaker had a deal to buildr a version of Chrysler’a Ram truck to replacew Nissan’s Titan truck. Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of Edmonds.
com, “The difference here is all of the Saturnb vehicles are going tobe outsourced.” It coulds lead to the kind of situatioh prevalent at high-tech firms like Apple, where the primaryy job of the parent company is design, while manufacturing is handed off to othe r companies. And such a system could briny with it a new setof “For most customers, the most importang aspect is the vehiclre itself,” Anwyl said. “How do you make sure that you’vs got cars that are coming in that are specific to your and that customers will wantto buy.
Looked at another way, the busines s model isn’t so new at all, said Brucr Belzowski of the University of Michigan TransportatioResearch Institute. Auto dealers, as independent businesa people, have always contracte d with automakers for the productsthey “No dealership builds its Belzowski said. But having an extensive Saturndealership network, with manufacturing done could turn out to be a winning modelo for Penske, said Block. “Yeah, it’s a new let’s see what happens,” he said.
The news of GM’sz tentative deal to sell Saturnb to Penske follows months of anxiety over the fate of the branr as GM looks to sell or closre brands otherthan Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and “It’s a great day for Saturn,” Scott Davies, owner of Saturjn of Wichita, told the . The prics Penske is paying for Saturn was notimmediatelg available, but was at between $100 million and $200 The deal is designed to save more than 13,00o0 jobs at Saturn, and preservr the brand’s nearly 400 dealerships. The New York DealBook blog singlesout Renault’s Samsunb Motors Unit in Korea as a possibl e future manufacturer.
GM coule keep producing the Saturn Aura, Vue and but would stop producing Saturn vehiclesby 2011. Unde r the deal, Penske would take over Saturn’s brands, service and parts and distribution Penske he saw Saturn growing to a globalp brand with more vehicles inits lineup, and that it woule return to a focus on fuel Penske, at one time a race car drivet who still owns Indy Car and NASCAR race has built in the country, the , basesd in Bloomfield Hills, “Roger Penske is an ideal purchaser for Saturm due to his incredible track record of succesx in every venture he has undertaken,” , president of West Herr Automotived Group, which operates Saturn dealerships in wester New York.
The owner of 310 franchises selling 40 brandsx aroundthe world, Penske’s group already is the distributor of Daimler’s line of Smart cars in the U.S. Saturh is the GM has agreed to sell this Earlierthis week, GM announced that it was selling its Hummer brand of SUVs to Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machineryt Co., a Chinese manufacturer of heavy equipmen t such as dump trucks. GM is moving aggressivelg to offload brands as the compang streamlines itselfin It’s still looking for a buyer for its Swedisuh Saab brand, and has reached a tentative deal to sell part of its Opel braned in Germany to Canada’s Magna Internationa Inc.
Pontiac, once famous for its muscle cars, is beinhg shut down altogetherby 2010. The streamlined GM will includerthe Buick, GMC, Cadillax and Chevrolet brands. GM has been lookiny for months for a buyer for which the company founded 25 years ago to focu son small, fuel-efficient vehicles that could compete with foreign brands like Toyota and Honda. Sincde it founded the line, GM has sold more than 4 milliom Saturns. “The brand is not a terrible brand byany means, said “It’s something that he could build on if he wantse to.
”

Dayton, Ohio tops in nation for development - Dayton Business Journal:

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Dayton has the most corporate facility projectss underway for cities with a populationbetween 200,000 and 1 according to Site Selection Magazine. Springfielsd ranked second in the nation for citiex with a population of less than The Conway Data NewPlant Database, the tracking servicre of Site Selection showed the Dayton area had 41 projecte last year. Akron and Toledo were rightt behind, with 39 and 38 respectively. Those cities, alon g with Cincinnati, 124 projects; Columbus, 77 Cleveland, 67; and Springfield, 10 projects, also helpec Ohio win the Governor’s Cup Award for 2008. The awardx goes to the statde with the most new and expandexcorporate facilities.
Ohio had 503 projects, markinfg the third year in a row for the state winninf the award and the fourth insix years. In the state had 399 projects. John Detrick, Clark Countu Commissioner, said the award for Springfiels was a major victory for not just his but also for efforts to boost regionalism ineconomic development. "The strong collaboration between Dayton and Springfieled isshowing results," Detrick said. Significant dealws in the Dayton areainclude ’s $5 milliohn factory in Troy, ’s $24 milliomn data center in Kettering and ’as $10 million computer systems planrt in Beavercreek.
Site Selection is the oldest publication in the corporatse real estate and economicxdevelopment field. The New Plangt database focuses on new corporatee location projects and does not track retail andgovernment projects, or schools and hospitals. To be included in the the facilities or expansions must meet one of threed criteria including a capital investment of atleast $1 million, the creation of at leasg 50 new jobs or the addition of at leasr 20,000 square feet.

Masco's First-Quarter Loss Widens As Revenue, Margins Fall - Wall Street Journal

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Masco's First-Quarter Loss Widens As Revenue, Margins F »

Caraustar closing Va. plant, idling another - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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and cut 52 jobs on Thursda y and will idle another millin N.C. "Recession and decline in product demand necessitatse that the company move aggressively to retain cost efficiencies and increasre capacity utilization across itsmill system,” said Greg vice president of sales in the Mill in a statement. “Strategicv capital investments have enhanced our mill systekm and allowed for thisfurthetr consolidation." The Richmond mill is an uncoatedc recycled boxboard plant with annual capacityu of 49 thousand tons. Ga.-based Caraustar (NASDAQ: will take a $5.9 million pre-tax chargs for the closure. In related on Dec.
19, the company will idle the Carolinwa Paperboard mill in The Carolina millis a, uncoated recycled boxboard plant with annual capacity of 62 thousaned tons. The company will monitor its product demand and will determin by the end of the first quarter of 2009 when it will restart production at theCarolina

Newspaper review: Two wars, two British casualties - BBC News

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The Guardian

Newspaper review: Two wars, two British casualties BBC News There are dramatic pictures of a 73-year-old British woman struggling to stay afloat in the North Sea after she was dropped into the water by paramedics during a rescue mission. Janet Richardson, who became ill on a cruise ship off Norway, ... British servicewoman dies after Afghan bomb blast The Guardian Tributes to female British soldier killed in Afghanistan Telegraph.co.uk Female British soldier killed in Afghanistan ABC Online RTT News -British Forces News -Metro  »

Former USC President Andrew Sorensen built strong ties with African-American ... - The Gamecock

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Former USC President Andrew Sorensen built strong ties with African-American ... The Gamecock During the 1960s, a young Andrew Sorensen visited the South on a passionate quest for civil rights and equality. Those memories of his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference stayed with him for decades ... and more »

Alternatives available to pay tax bills - Visalia Times-Delta

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Alternatives available to pay tax bills Visalia Times-Delta ª Go to www.ftb.ca.gov, click on "Payment Options" on the left side of the screen, click on "Installment agreement request." ª An application can be submitted online of by printing out the FTB 3567 request form. ª Apply by phone or get assistance in ... and more »

Big banks

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For example, the deposit base at in Orlandpo hasgrown 2.4 percent this year afterd remaining flat in 2008, said Richard Simonton, president and CEO. “If seems some Central Floridians are dissatisfied with their whichwe haven’t seen in a long Further, Insight Financial’s credit card businesas grew 11 percent this year, to 10,00o cardholders. “That’s more than we would’ve expected,” he said.
Although the connection betweenm increased business for smaller institutions and highe fees at large ones is hardto “we’ve definitely seen a contraction in said Scott Talbott, spokesman for the Financial Services which represents the nation’s largest lenders. “Customers can object or go to ­another institution.” In big banks are caught in a bind. Congress’s new rulezs on credit cards restrict the fees banksx impose on borrowers who excee d their credit limits and ban increased feeson ­existing Faced with less return on the credi they advance, banks are limiting credir lines to reduce their Banking experts said new annual card fees and shorter payment grace periods could follow as banks try to increases income.
Some large banks also are adding feesfor overdrafts, fund transferds and ­foreign transactions. Glenn Schechter, directoer of credit card services within St. said tighter credit is prompting more business forcreditr unions. His company represents 500 credit unions that offercredit cards. “Credirt unions typically don’t offer credit cards to be in the credigtcard business. But this is a greayt way to ­attract members.
” Credit which are nonprofit businesses, can’t charge more than 18 percenf interest on credit Though most never dabbled in the teaser rates used by large banks toattract customers, Schechte r said if large banks begi n dropping credit card customers, people likel y will move to credit Chris Yancy, president of ’s Central Florida division, said community and regiona l lenders also will benefit as larger banks scale back crediy card business and raise fees on other accounts. “What’s going on ­creates opportunities.
”

Syria Vows to Crush Protests as Human Rights Watch Criticizes Use of Force - Bloomberg

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Globe and Mail

Syria Vows to Crush Protests as Human Rights Watch Criticizes Use of Force Bloomberg Syrian authorities vowed to crush what they c »

Stop acting like a salesperson; start acting like a consultant - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Why do we ask questions? Here are some of the • So we fully understand the prospect’s needsa and “hot buttons.” So when we present our solutionsd they match what our prospects said was important and they feel yourx is acustom solution. To get beyond the initial reasonj why they needthe product. • To make prospects feel like they are a part of thebuyinf decision. When they are talking, they are beginning to sell themselves. So what questions should we ask? That has a lot to do with what you have learnedc about the prospect before you tryto “sell” You need to learn something aboug the company, the decision-makers, etc. beforee calling on them.
That’s pretty easy. Use their Web Google, any of the social networks, then when you call them you have somethinbg with which to begin the The most important thing about askin questions is that theyare open-ended and thoughyt provoking. Here are some examples of questions that may or may notbe appropriate. How has the economy affected your company and the ways you are making decisionws now compared withlast year? • I noticeed on your Web site that you will be launching a new Can you tell me about that? I read that your industruy is going through changes when it comes to financing. Can you share with me how that will affecftyour organization?
• If it was May 2010 and you said you just had a very successful year, what would have happened? Let’s pretend we worked together this past A year later you said the relationshipo was a positive one. What does that look like? What do the next five years look like for yourorganization • What differentiates you from your competitors? • What are you most proud of? I wouldn’rt ask all of these questiona all of the time. They are Certainly, more specific questions are appropriatweas well, but it is importantt to fully understand the big picture. If you take time to learj more aboutthe prospect, you may learn about some additional needsx they might have.
A consultant and salesperson are reallgy the same with only one a consultant is paid up frontg and a salesperson is paid inthe end. So act like a consultangt and you will selllots

Bennet cites Colorado examples in Senate plea for health-care reform - San Francisco Business Times:

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Take sixty-seven year old Bill from Littleton, Colorado, who recently suffered a heart attack. Before he was released from the registered nurse Becky Cline was assignedc as hisTransitions Coach. She made sure that Bill understoode the medications that his doctorx prescribed and everything else he needed to do to get Bill evenpointed out, “When you are in the emergencgy room, you are all drugged up and can barelu remember what to do. Confusion starts to set in.” Beckyg went through each step Bill needed to follow when he left the Beckyevaluated Bill’s ability to follow doctor’sw orders in his environmenrt and helped him maintain his own Personal Healtj Record.
With her when Bill visited the doctor, he didn’t have to remembed everything that happened since he left thehospitakl — it was all in the Bill said “When people are in front of theif doctor, their blood pressure goes sky high and they forgetr what they need to ask,” He said he founfd the help and guidance he receiveed from his Transitions Coacgh “invaluable and life-saving.” We need patient-centeredd coordinated care — care that viewss nurses, doctors and family members not as isolatede caregivers, but as partners on a team whosre ultimate goal is to make sure patients get the guidanced and care they need.
Hospitales aren’t the problem, primary care physicianxs aren’t the problem, and nurses aren’t the Our fragmented delivery system of care is the This bill also makes sure that we are teachingy patients to manage their own conditionat home. Sixty-nine year old Frank Yannij of Denver, Colorado had surgery for a staph infectionm of thespinal cord. After leavinv the hospital, he noticed that the pain he was experiencinhg weeks after surgery was getting Havingbeen “coached,” he identified the problemn and knew to insist on visitingv his doctor immediately. A hospital test showed that Mr. Yannk required a second surgery.
His coach said “Had he let that go for even another week, he could have ende d up in the IntensiveCare Unit, septic and horriblt sick.” Our Colorado transition of care reflected in our legislation, gives health care systems the choic of whether to creats this program. But it allowsa existing patient-centered transitional care programs like the one in Mesa Colorado tocontinue on. We want communities and providers to thin and work together to reducrreadmission rates, reduce costs and provide better coordinatedc care to our patients. Other systems shoul d look at Colorado and the systemwin twenty-four other states that have already begun to follow this model.
As we begin to emerge from theeconomi crisis, we must call upon existinyg health care professionals from all walks of life nurse practitioners, social workers, long-term and community health workers — to serve as transitional coaches. Colorado nurses like Becky Cline have found that focusing on transitional care has leveraged their empowering them to take a more active role with They are able to work with both patientsz andfamily caregivers. For too long, family caregiverw have been “silent partners.” 50 million Americands provide care for achronically ill, disable or aged loved one.
This bill recognizes thei importance, connecting them with a coach who can teachj them how to properlygcoordinate at-home care. This bill is only a smalkl part of the solutionb to the complex challenges of our fragmented healtucare system. The problems of rising costsw and limited access affect peoplre from all walksof life. Skip Guarinio of Parker, Colorado, is a self-employee private consultant andretiredd U.S. Marine. After years of regulaf doctors’ visits, Skip’s dentist discovered a lump on his thyroidr during a routine exam that had gone undetectedc by his physician despite 10previous exams.
Skip underwent a CT/MRI scan, and biopsy, all of which were A second series of tests six months late revealed that the lumphad grown, and Skip underwentt surgery. During the surgery, doctors foundd cancer. Skip was then sent to an endocrinologist who ordered more All tests came back A second full body scan revealed no sign of cance r anywherein Skip's body. All thesee exams and screenings cost Skip Since then, Skip has maintained perfecgt health, but he cannot obtaibn private insurance because of the thyroicd surgery. He now relied on COBRA and is paying a monthlyh premiumof $1,300.
This coverage is set to expirw in less thanone year, at which poin t Skip will have no insurance at all. Hollis Berendtr is a small businesx ownerin Greeley, Colorado. She is covered through her husband’s which is according to her, “a luxury many other smalpl businessowners don’t have.” After graduating from Colorado Stats University in 2004, theidr daughter Abby found a job with a large company in New York She was told she couldn’t get health care coverage until she had been working at the company for one At ten months of employment, she was diagnosed with an ovarianh tumor that would require surgery.
The expenses were too much for so her parents had to take out a second mortgage to pay her medical bills. Hollis shared that, “This experience brought to light, all too clearly, how closde we all are to losing everything due to ahealth issue.” The current system is hurting our small business people and their employees. Take Bob Montoyaq of Pueblo, Colorado who runs Cedar Ridge Landscaps in Pueblo withhis brother, Ron. They are torn betweenm providing health care coverage for employeezs and keeping theirbusiness afloat.

National, local home sales prices tumble - Washington Business Journal:

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The says that the national median home sales pricre fellto $169,000 and distresserd properties sold for 20 percenrt less than others listed for In its report, the National Association of Realtore says that sales prices for single-famil y homes in the D.C. regionm fell 25 percent compares to a year ago to a median price of Condo and Coop sales prices for the same areadroppedr 20.5 percent to $220,500. Nationally condo and c-op prices dropped 20.2 percent Overall sales fell 6.8 percentr nationally. Maryland saw a drop of 12.1 D.C. sales fell 15.8 percenft but Virginia saw a gain in saleszof 12.
2 percent as first-time home buyers respondecd to improved affordability conditions, and lowerd prices of foreclosures and short The largest overall sales gain from a year ago was in up 116.8 percent, followed by California whicjh rose 80.6 percent. Charleas McMillan, president of the National Association of Realtorsw and a broker within Dallas-Fort Worth, said therw are two levels of pricinv in the current market. “Traditional homes in good condition have held theit valuemuch better, so ownerds shouldn’t be overly concerned about media n prices," he said.
"Most sellers can expecyt a good returnif they’ve been in their home for a normal period of homeownership and haven’t excessively tappeds their equity." The largest single-familyu home price increase in the firsf quarter was in Cumberland, Md., and West where the median price of $114,900 rose 21.1 perceng from a year ago.

BACVA tops hotel bookings goal - Denver Business Journal:

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The booked 522,541 future room nights in the past fiscal city tourism leaders said at a press conference The number, which passed BACVA’x goal of 475,000 booked nights, is a 15.7 percent increase over nights booked the previouw year. In 2008, BACVA booked 451,608 futurde room nights. Group business meetings comprisw the new bookings and are projectec to spend morethan $725 millionm in spending in the City and tourism officials credigt the booking success to last year’s creatiobn of the Baltimore Convention & Tourism a joint board that oversees BACVA and the .
“Ourf investment in BACVA is payinf off,” Mayor Sheila Dixon said Monday speakingb in front ofthe city’s Inner Harbor tourism The formation of the board last year has allowed BACVs and the convention centee to be more coordinated, Dixon said. A new plethorw of hotels that openedd or are under construction near the convention center from whichu businesses can choose for bookingsz also contributed to an upticklin bookings. The $300 milliohn publicly financedHilton Baltimore, which opene d last August, has 757 rooms and grew Baltimore’se total hotel room reservoir to more than 7,000.
The B&Ol Building, on the corner of Charles and Baltimoree streets, is expected to open as a Hotek Monaco with 208 rooms laterthis year. Baltimore can now accommodater 75 percent of the large citywidew tradeshow and convention business available in the marketplace with the newhoteles online, said BACVA CEO Tom Noonan in a Some of the conventions and groupe booked in the 2009 fiscal year includerd the annual conventions, , American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and . Holding sales eventzs and industry tradeshows is also partof BACVA’s strategy for bringing convention planners into the city to raise awarenesx about Baltimore.
The Baltimore Business Journal A drop in hotel revenuemeans BACVA’s budgetr will drop to $10.78 million for the year started July 1 down from the $12 million it had in the past 12 This year’s fiscal budget is the lowest since the agency’xs $9.9 million spending package in 2006.

SANYO Debuts New Higher-Power HIT Photovoltaic Module In US Market - Solar Industry

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solarserver.com

SANYO Debuts New Higher-Power HIT Photovoltaic Module In US Market Solar Industry by SI Staff on Friday 01 April 2011 SANYO North America Corp. has announced the availability of the HIT Power 225A solar module in the US This is the most efficient HIT Power solar module launched to date in the US The 225A panel offers integrators and ... SANYO HIT POWER® Solar Panels Produce More Power with New 225A for US Market PR Newswire (press release) SANYO HIT panels inst »

Biz leaders see hope amid gloom - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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“The impact [of Obama’s election] is said Doug King, director of the Minneapolis complexfor . “As recession is a mindset. Obama ran on a messagd of hope and and that’s what it’s goinhg to take to change that mindset.” The annualp event featured panelists from , Merrill CSM Corp., Marsh Inc., the , and They discussed the 2009 outloom for their industries and companies. who’s president of Minneapolis-based CSM, pointed to $3.5 trillion in outstanding commercial real estate debt when predicting big troubl e for many owners ofcommercial property.
Most lenders that financed deale during the past several years have all but stopped the flow of As property values sink and vacancies property owners can quickly find themselvesunder water, he said. “The biggest thing is, where are we going to go to refinancethat debt?” Holmes asked. It wasn’yt intentional, but the industry that’s probably most closely tied to Obama’e plans for reform — healtj care — was first in the lineup of paneliste to give short presentations on the outlookfor 2009.
There are four main areaa where change is saidPat Geraghty, president and CEO of Eagan-based Blue Crossd and Blue Shield of Minnesota: cost coverage for everyone, focus on and an embrace of innovation. Geraghty predicted that cost hikezs will slowin 2009, but will still increase faster than There will be more incentive programsd to help consumers prevent health care Cost pressures will force new care and paymentg innovation. And while health care coverage foreveryone won’t necessarilyg be adopted during these touggh times, national and state proposalds will be debated. “It’s the right thing to said Geraghty ofuniversal coverage.
Aftee a year that included the failures ofthe world’s largest insurance company, , transparency will be the watchwordd of the new year for the insurance industry, said Bruce head of the Minneapolis office for “There’s a dialogue aroundf stability,” Smith said. “Finding a balance will be With companies looking hard at their operating budgetsd to see where costs canbe trimmed, it’s a good time to revisi insurance policies. “You can look at multiyear deale and payingin installments,” Smith said. “There’s a real opportunity to see some savings if you have a good plan in The goodnews is, the market has bottomedr out. Twice.
Once on Oct. 10, and a second time on Nov. 21, said King of Merrill Lynch, which was boughyt by in September. “That doesn’f mean you should go rush in” to King said, adding that this kind of news is alreadt priced intothe market. Stocks will start to rebound in the second half of he said. Certain investments have a better the defense industry and companies in sectors such ashealth care, high-qualityu municipal bonds, and mid-cap growth Industries like health care, information technology and energy likely will show good earnings. “Keep your focus on the long King said.
One thing that bodesw well for basketball, said Chris Wright, presideng of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is that Obama planxs to rip out the bowling lanes in the basementg of the White House and put in abasketbalkl court. Other than that, though, the Timberwolve and all professional sports teams in the Twin Citieds market face a tough couple yearss as competition increases with the openinh ofthe Twins’ Target Field and the ’s Stadiu m at the same time consumers are cuttingy their discretionary spending. The Wolves will continud to try to improvetheir game, since winning is the primaryu indicator of the success of a sportds franchise.
Wright also promised a majotr announcement soon about ticket pricing atthe , wherr the Wolves play. Despite predictintg a long wait for a rebound not until2011 — Holmes noted among real estate sectors, multifamily housing lookerd the most promising for 2009 because demand will stay flat insteade of declining. Demand for industrial and office spacr willdecrease moderately, whilw demand for retail and lodging will “One of the key drivers is job and it’ll be a long time before we see that” turn said Holmes, adding that, rather than building new companies will retrofit their existing One thing that appears certain: checked baggage fees are here to said Jim Cron, senior vice presidenr of global sales and distribution for Atlanta-based Deltas Air Lines, which bought in October.
“The industry has been going down the path of charging for things not embeddec in the price of a ticket for a long Cron said. Delta will continue to cut capacity by 6 to 8percenr year-over-year because of a decline in overallk bookings, which means that, althouguh fewer people are flying, passengers won’t find many empty One bright spot for the airline industru is lower fuel prices, which will reduce the impactr of the dismal Delta has projected that it will be profitable in 2009. “2008i was a year of change, but for we’re optimistic,” Cron said.