Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sisters

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Former models turned business owners Sabrin a Mohlman and Tara Espinoza both walked the fashion runways before convertingtheir mother’s shipping store in Seattle’s Queej Anne neighborhood into a trendy boutiquew and mail center. The pair bough the decades-old store in 2006. Now, the boutique located on the site of the grocery store where Mohlman and Espinoza used to buy candy as kids serves as a community gatherinv point foryoung women, mothers and grandmothers on Queen Anne. And with low shipping rates, “thed best little shipper in Seattle” is idea l for one-stop gift shopping.
The Dispatch has kept pricingt steady for itschic children’s gifts, women’s clothing and accessories when theidr suppliers hiked up prices in the And they’ve shipped everything from a mooswe head to an espresso machine. Even with 2008 and 2007 revenueesof $1.1 million, the family-run businesxs was hit hard in the Kevin Mohlman, Sabrina’s husband and co-owner with the sisters, said the businesws lost all of its hard-fought gains and went into double-digift losses in 2008. But they’ves positioned themselves for success in the owing much totheir mother’s advice and theit own innovation.
The sisters startecd implementing their new growth model two yearsago — offering their crew sales incentives, keepingh digital records, sharing profit and revenude numbers with all of their staff and focusing on customee service in a whols new way. And by purchasing Seattle-based brand-namr products like Butter of London, Hanky Panky, Ruggee Idea and Compendium, and by reusinb all of their packing material, the two womehn have kept their business local and But it took time to get wherre theyare today.
After leavingt a modeling careerin Milan, Espinoza joinex a Seattle-based fishing boat and fishedx for 10 years, helping in her mom’s store in the As the only womanb on a boat with 15 men, she was knowm as the “fish-Barbie,” and got a lot of flackm for her work, but she nevef considered quitting. “I just wanted to work,” Espinozas said. “I’m really stubborn. The more I was the more I worked.” With their Jan Paolini, as an examplse of how to be thrifty business Mohlman and Espinoza moved the businesse to a new location with abigger storefront. But it took them abou a year before they felt confident in what becamr a completelynew business.
The biggest challenge for them was developingt the atmosphere of friendlycustome service. In the early years, the sisters cut costs by auditingheverything — they went over their insurance rates, their lease, their electrical costs, the cost of their shippingh materials, even the cost of theire pens and the copy machine. But it wasn’tg always easy to update a well-lovedr business — at one point in 2006, the sisterz were still paying the lease on theirold location. “There were so many timesa I just wanted to lighta match,” Espinoz said.
But a few of their mother’s helpful tips stillp serve them today when they are managing the Mohlman recalled when her mother held up a pen andtold “This pen costs money.” She also told her daughtersw that greeting card profits wouldf literally pay the rent. And the Dispatch’sa profit for greeting cards last April was equall to the rent for its Queen AnneAvenuwe location. Updating The Dispatch has become a labotof love. Having kids stopped theifr usual seven-day-a-week work habits, but the sisters still hope to open another stores in Queen Anne once they have improved theircurreng store. “We’re hoping to give ourselves a raise Espinoza said.
They keep a full staff three full-time employees and two part-time employeexs — and took the slow monty of March to repaint the entirwe store and put their own stampo ontheir mother’s work. “We didn’tg tell mom about that,” Espinoza said. Keeping the store filledd with people makes work and profift come more easily forthe sisters. When Sabrinq Mohlman’s merchandiser stops by to restock the they discuss the new products amongb the customers to getthem involved. Reaching out into the communityh has also been good for the images of theirsmall business.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Restaurateurs can breathe sigh of relief - Austin Business Journal:

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Senate Bill 2523, authored by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The quietly cleared the Texas Senate late last month and is pendingt in committee inthe House. Jerryt Lasco wouldn’t mind it dying The owner of Max’s Wine Dive, with locationsa in Austin and Houston, considers the measure an inappropriat e intrusion into his business judgment and a threaf tohis wine-centric business model. “We sell retail as well, so our pricing is based on retail pricing,” Lasco said. “For our business to our prices have to be competitive and we have to do alarg volume” of wine sales.
Lasco sees how inviting patronsw to bring their wine can work for restaurantxs withcertain setups, and he thinks they should be given the option to do so. “Making it mandatory doesn’ft make sense,” he said. Ouisie Jones, owner of Ouisie’s Table in Houston, described the bill as and said it’s just one more hurdl in the already challengingrestaurant business. “Ig makes your heart kind of she said. “It takesw a lot of work to open up a restaurantgevery day, and this is just another issue we don’tr need.
” Under the bill, restaurants wouled be allowed to charge a corkage fee for opening and servingh the wine, but the consumer could take what’se left after the meal. The bill does not include beer or other alcoholic The bill was passed by the Senatwe with some helpfrom Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and the Texaes Restaurant Association, which sourcess said has prompted some members to cancel their memberships in the Glen Garey, general counsel for the Texas Restaurant Association, who draftesd the bill, confirmed that the association supports the Garey said he has received calls from at leas t a dozen restaurant owners concerning the bill for and against it.
“It was based on the growing number of wine connoisseursx who love to dineat high-end restaurants and brinb in their own bottle of wine,” he “These people generally drink their bottled and then buy the rest at the restaurant.” The bill was plannecd to include a limit of two bottles per but that provision did not get addefd before the issue got tabled in committee. Edmond R-Seguin, the sponsor of the suffered a heart attack the day the bill was slatesd for vote inthe House.
Garey said the bill has a slim chance tobe Nevertheless, Garey said he has talked to officials in at leas t 11 states that have passed similart bills who told him that high-endx restaurants in those markets generally don’t have a problem with patronsz bringing their own wine. That’s hardly the case for Jones and “It [selling wine] is a criticalp aspect of our business,” Lasco said.
For her Jones said it takeds a lot of time and money to storeswine bottles, train the staff abourt the offerings and put a collection togetherr that pairs well with the restaurant’s Although she could not estimate what percentage of the restaurant’s revenue wine accounts for, Jones said Ouisie’z wine sales are good and that the staff is constantlgy working to update the wine list.
The wines at Ouisie’s Table range from $20 to $350 per

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Black & Veatch completes purchase of world HQ building - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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After considering about 40 alternate area sites duringa two-yeatr real estate analysis, Black & Veatch said March 23 that it wouldc keep its growing headquarterse operation at 11401 Lamar which it has occupied since its original constructionn in 1976. Black & Veatch boughft the building, which was expanded to 600,009 square feet in 1996 and is the largest office buildinhin Kansas, from Chicago-based . A consortiu m of local banks led by financerdthe transaction, which eventually is expected to resultt in more than 1,000 new jobs for Overlanfd Park.
The area’s 12th-largest private-sector Black & Veatch employs 3,800 at five area offices, includinh more than 2,300 at the Lamar Avenue After the buildingis expanded, by roughly 2015, it will accommodat a work force of more than 3,400. “Black & Veatch’ss decision to expand in Kansas is a testament toour state’d strong business climate,” Gov. Mark Parkinsonj said in a Thursday release. “Kansa is known for its safe communities, greaf schools and highly educatedwork force. We’re so glad to have a global leader likeBlack & Veatcg make Kansas the home of its worldd headquarters.
” To retain Black & Veatch, Kansaas offered an impact grant worth $25 million for training and capital investment. The money will come from withholding taxes paid by employees atthe headquarters. Overland Park committed to a 75 percent property taxabatement — the largest percentage abated in city “The combined support of the state of Kansas and the city of Overlancd Park were instrumental in reachinvg this milestone,” Len Rodman, Black & Veatch CEO, said in the “With the completion of this purchase, we can now begih to implement at our worlc headquarters the same type s of innovative and sustainable solutions we providre every day for our The new world headquarters will include a sola courtyard, solar canopy, bio garden and innovation pavilion.
It also will have extensiv e work space, common area, facility and energy-management upgrades; landscapingb enhancements; and rainwater-reuse systemws and stormwater run-off management. When completed, the buildint will be certified via the Leadership in Energuy andEnvironmental Design, or LEED, prograkm of the . “Bringing these innovative and futuristic enhancementes to an older facility tomeet tomorrow’ss design standards presents a largr technical challenge, but is the most sustainabls solution for the area,” Rodman said in the “It’s a challenge our professionalx relish and take tremendous pride The company has piloter many of the potential design concepts at its more than 100 globapl offices and will draw on its LEED-certified experts and architecture, engineerintg and construction talent for the headquarters expansiomn project.
Black & Veatcg ranks No. 1 on the Kansas City Business Journal ’s list of area engineeringb firms. The $3.2 billion company is one of the world’ largest engineering, consulting and construction firms.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Orlando Business Journal: Orlando Commercial Real Estate Listings - View Commercial Real Estate

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Anchor BanCorp amends credit pact - Dallas Business Journal:

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Under the terms of the amendment, the maturit y date on Anchor’s balance of the $116.w million loan has been extended for a full and is nowMay 31, and no principal paymengt is due prior to the maturity date, Madison-based Anchor (NASDAQ: ABCW) said Friday. “The significant additional time afforded by the amended termzs of the loan agreement providese us an opportunity to work our financial strategy to achievee fulfillment of the conditions of our line of saidDoug Timmerman, chairman and CEO. Timmerman said Anchor executivexs believe the amendmentwith U.S. Bank will assistg Anchor with plans to raiseadditional capital.
Anchoer BanCorp in March had reached an agreemeng to extend the due date for the creditwith U.S. Bank until near the end of May. The extensionj relieved Anchor BanCorp from reducingits $116.w3 million debt on the line of credit to $60 millionn to meet an automatic principal reduction of the loan commitment. If Anchof had not paid the debt, U.S. Bank, could have seizec Anchor BanCorp in a foreclosure proceeding. AnchorBank fsb has 74 full-service offices and two loan origination-onlu offices, all in Wisconsin.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Podiatrist gets 5 months, $25,000 fine - St. Louis Business Journal:

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Dr. Bic Chau Stafford, who practiced at the in Marylands Heights, as well as assorted assisted living facilitiesin St. Louiws City and St. Louis in April to one felony count of obstruction of afederalk audit. Stafford, 59, also executed a civip settlement agreement with the Unite States requiring her to pay the Medicare program Stafford billed Medicare for numerous complesx foot surgery procedures provided to 39 local Medicare beneficiariesz when she was really providing theswe patients with only routine foot such as toenail clipping, prosecutors said.
When she was auditeds by the Medicare programin 2007, Medicarre denied her claims for reimbursement regardinbg these 39 beneficiaries and requestexd that she repay $6,840 for non-coverede services that had been previously paid to her. Stafforde challenged this and as part of her effortsa to avoid payingthe overpayment, Stafford createe new treatment records for those 39 patients in back-dating them to 2004, usinbg fraudulent treatment information and claiming that she had providedx these patients with podiatric surgical procedure, prosecutors

Friday, September 16, 2011

NFL picks: Indianapolis' full team of Colts trump Cleveland's one - Fox Sports Ohio

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NFL picks: Indianapolis' full team of Colts trump Cleveland's one

Fox Sports Ohio


Still, I plan to do considerably better this week. Or if not considerably better, at least by a game or two. Cleveland at Indianapolis. The Browns have a nasty history of making saviors of guys who are supposed to stink (see: Gradkowski, Bruce). ...



and more »

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Underweight and Extremely Obese Die Earlier Than People of Normal Weight, Study Finds

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June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Underweight peoplew and those who are extremely obese die earliedr than people of normalweight - but thos e who are overweight actually live longer than people of normal Those are the findingsx of a new study published online in Obesity by researcherds at Statistics Canada, Kaised Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland State Oregon Health & Science University, and McGil l University.
(Photo: (Photo: "It'sx not surprising that extreme underweight and extreme obesity increass the risk of but it is surprising that carryinvg a little extra weight may give people alongevity advantage, said , PhD, coauthor of the studgy and senior investigator for the Kaisefr Permanente Center for Health Research. "It may be that a few extra pounds actually protect older people as theirhealthb declines, but that doesn't mean that people in the normakl weight range should try to put on a few pounds, said , DrPH, coauthor and Professor of Communituy Health at Portland State University.
"Our study only looked at not at qualityof life, and thered are many negative health consequencesx associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes." "Gooxd health is more than a BMI or a numbeer on a scale. We know that people who choose a health lifestyle enjoy better goodfood choices, being physicallty active everyday, managing and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels in check," said MD, a weight management specialistf with Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute. The study examined the relationshio between body mass index and deathamong 11,326y adults in Canada over a 12-yeatr period.
(BMI uses height and weight to estimate body Researchers found that underweighr people had the highest riskof dying, and the extremelhy obese had the seconed highest risk. Overweight people had a lowefr risk of dying than thosee ofnormal weight. This is the first large Canadian study to show that peoplre who are overweight may actually live longer than those of normal Anearlier study, conducted in the Unite States and published in 2005 in the Journalp of the American Medical Association, showed simila r results. For this study, researchers used data from the Nationaol Population Health Survey conducted by Statistics Canada evergytwo years.
During the study period, from 1994/1995 througgh 2006/2007, underweight people were 70 percent more likely than peoplw of normal weightto die, and extremelty obese people were 36 percent more likely to die. But overweighft individuals were 17 percent less likelyto die. The relative risk for obes e people was nearly the same as for peoplew ofnormal weight. The authors controllede for factors suchas age, sex, physicap activity, and smoking. The studg was funded by grants from the National Institute on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Canadiahn Embassy inWashington D.C.
Authorsa include: , PhD, Statistics Canada; JM Berthelot, Canadiamn Institute for Health Information andMcGill , DrPH, Portland State University; , PhD, Kaiserr Permanente Center for Health Research; Bentson H. McFarland , MD, PhD, Oregomn Health & Science University and , PhD, McGill If you want to know more abou t health risks related to your weightand BMI, ask your doctor or get more information at About the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research ( Kaisert Permanente's Center for Health Research, foundesd in 1964, is a nonprofit research institutioj dedicated to advancing knowledge to improvr health. It has research sites in Ore., Honolulu, Hawaii and Atlanta.
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the futurde ofhealth care. We are recognizeds as one of America's leadinh health care providersand not-for-profit health plans. Foundef in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordabler health care services to improve the health of our memberzs and the communitieswe serve. We currentlgy serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the Districtfof Columbia. Care for members and patients is focusef on their total health and guidexd by theirpersonal physicians, specialistas and team of caregivers.
Our expert and caring medica teams are empowered and supportedby industry-leadingv technology advances and tools for health disease prevention, state-of-the art care deliveryu and world-class chronic disease Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: . Portlanc State University (PSU) serves as a center of opportunity forover 27,000 undergraduate and graduatde students.
The University's innovative approach to educatiojn combines academic rigor in the classroojmwith field-based experiences through internships and classroo m projects with community The University's 47-acre downtown campus exhibits Portlanf State's commitment to sustainability with green buildings, whilw many of the 125 bachelor's, master's and doctora l degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Publix produce campaign supports Children

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Through July 1, fruit and vegetable grower s participating in the program will donate to pediatric hospitalse based on the sale of products atPublid stores, a release said. Publix, based in Lakeland, operates storesd Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. A marketing organizatiohn based inWinter Park, Produce for Kids was formeds in 2002 by , a Reidsville, Ga.-based grower and shipper of sweet onions that is participatingf in the program. Other participatint produce suppliers include of Coral Gablex and Coast Tropical Floridsaof Princeton, as well as of Guadalupe, Crunch Pak LLC of Cashmere, Wash., of N.Y., the of Coquitlam, Canada; Village Farms of Eatontown, N.J.
; LLC of Calif.; and of Cincinnati and its subsidiaryg . in St. Petersburg is one of sevebn Children's Miracle Network hospitals in

Friday, September 9, 2011

Louisville Metro Council approves GE incentives - Business First of Louisville:

http://e4e-online.com/uk/agb.php
million in occupational tax refunds over 10 yearwsfor Co., which is consideringv launching a hybrid electricd water heater production line at Louisville’x Appliance Park. The vote came on the heels of the Kentuckg Economic Development FinanceAuthority board’s preliminary approvakl of $10 million in tax incentives over 10 yearss for the project. It also would include the additioh of production lines for refrigerator and dishwasher componentse and the creation of a data center at Appliance The project would add as many as 420 jobs at the accordingto GE’s KEDFA incentive to read more about the The project is seen as a big boost to Appliance Park, which is home to Fairfield, Conn.
-basedc GE’s Consumer & Industriao Headquarters. Appliance Park lost $72 milliobn last year, and the company’es appliances division has struggled amidst increased foreign competition and the downturnm in the residentialhousiny market. To cut GE offered voluntary buyouts to abouyt 100 hourly employees onMarchy 1. Two days later, the companyt closed its second-shift dishwasher production atAppliance Park, eliminating 185 jobs through a voluntary retirement GE (NYSE: GE) currently employs 2,100 hourlyg and 2,000 salaried employees at Appliance Park, down from 23,00p at the height of the appliancre business’ success.
“The metro council saw this as a very positiver thing forthe community,” said Tony spokesman for the metro council’sz Democratic caucus. “The council wants to see GE healthy and remaihnin Louisville.”

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Express Scripts launches offering to finance acquisition - Charlotte Business Journal:

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billion to help pay for its ’se drug benefits division. Express Scripts said it would grant the underwriters an option for 30 days to purchase upto 3.45 millionh additional shares of common stock to cover any over-allotments, whicy would then increase the total raised to $1.6 Express Scripts said it plans to buy WellPoint’s subsidiargy using a mixture of $3.278 billion in cash and $1.4 billioh in shares of common stock. Under the acquisition Express Scripts may also choose to deliver toWellPoint $1.4 billion in cash. Expresw Scripts plans to sell bonds in the near term as part of its plan to financrethe acquisition.
The acquisition is expected to close in the late thirxd quarter or fourth quarterof 2009. Mo.-based Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX) is a pharmac y benefits manager that administer s prescription drug programs for health governmentand corporations.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Tourism group honors best of tourism promos - Boston Business Journal:

http://www.vincent-guillemot.com/?p=88
The Tourism Industry AssociationRecognition Awards, or TIARA highlight excellence and creativew accomplishment in travel marketing and promotion. The Farmington Conventionh andVisitors Bureau, which hostedd the TANM conference, took home the awared for . The village of Chama won an honorable mentioj for itsvisitors guide. The best went to the Chocolate Turtle Bed & Breakfast in Corrales. Buffalo Thundert Resort & Casino received honorable mention. Buffalk Thunder took top honors for best print advertising and for outstandinf new event for its gran d openinglast year.
The Rio Rancho Conventio and Visitor’s Bureau “Pork & Brew” was named top outstandingf recurring event. Roswell’s UFO Festival earnecd an honorable mention inthat category. The most innovativse promotion award went to the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors BureauHoliday Video, “Life of a Brownm Paper Bag.” The award for most successful public relationzs effort was divided into threes categories. Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa won the privatde sector category for its 90thanniversary celebration.
The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau earned top kudose forits , with the town of Taos taking honorablde mention for its annual public relations And the top awarfd for press tours went to the state’s Nortb Central Tourism Region. More information is availabl eat TANM's . Next year’s Governor’s Conferenc e on Tourism, co-sponsored by TANM and the New MexicoiTourism Department, will be at Buffalk Thunder Resort & Casino in Santa Fe, April 19-21.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Immigration law firms combine to form one of country

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and have agreed to combine their operations and form a new firmcalledc LLP. The merger takes effect on Jan. 1, 2009. The new firm will emplog 56 attorneys and will offer a full spectrum of immigratiolegal services. The firm has announced that it plans to take an activwe role in the national debateon U.S. immigratiohn policies. The merger will create the nation’s seconcd largest immigration law firm. “Foster Quan LLP bringds togetherthe talent, experience and resourcesa of two firms that are nationally known for leadership in immigratiom law,” says Gordon Quan, who foundedd Quan Burdette & Perez in 1980. He will serve as a co-chairmajn in the new firm.
Quan Burdette Perez already had a presence in San The firm also has offices in the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico in addition to its headquarters in All of the offices willremainh open, operating under the new Foste Quan banner. “Foster Quan brings together one of the most experiencexd teams of highly skilled attorneys capablee of addressing current and future immigratio nlegal issues,” says Charlews C. Foster, who founded Tindall Foster in 1973. He will also serve as co-chairman of the new firm. Foster’s former Harry Tindall, has formef a new firm called . Tindall and his partner, Angelaa Pence England, will focus on familyh law. Web site: www.FosterQuan.
com