Senator calls for stricter guidelines requiring corporations to inform ... Washington Post WASHINGTON รข€" Hackers broke into computers at hotel giant Wyndham Worldwide Corp. three times in two years and stole credit card information belonging to hundreds of thousands of customers. Wyndham didn't report the break-in in corporate filings even ... |
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Senator calls for stricter guidelines requiring corporations to inform ... - Washington Post
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Friday, June 29, 2012
Sprinting, Not Jogging, Sheds More Harmful Belly Fat, Study Says (Melbourne) - Albany Times Union
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TopNews Arab Emirates | Sprinting, Not Jogging, Sheds More Harmful Belly Fat, Study Says (Melbourne) Albany Times Union Importantly, there was a 17 percent reduction in the amount of fat stored around their liver, kidneys and other internal organs that is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The research also indicates bouts of sprinting ov er 20 ... Study: Sprinting, not jogging, helps shed harmful belly fat Sprinting, Not Jogging, Sheds More Harmful Belly Fat, Study Says |
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
PharMerica elects directors - San Antonio Business Journal:
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Louisville-based PharMerica (NYSE: PMC), one of the largest providers of pharmaceuticalsa to institutions such asnursing long-term care homes and hospitals, held the meeting of stockholders Thursday, June 4. The stockholdersw re-elected these members of the boardof directors: Gregory S. Thomas P. Mac Mahon, Frank E. W. Robert Dahl Jr., Marjorie W. Dr. Thomas P. Gerrity, Daniek N. Mendelson and Dr. Robert A. Oakley. They will servd until the 2010 annual meeting of Shareholders also ratified the appointmeng of asthe company’s independent registerec public accounting firm for 2009. PharMerica operates institutional pharmacies in40 states. Last the company reported $1.
95 billion in revenue, compared with $1.22 billion in 2007.
Louisville-based PharMerica (NYSE: PMC), one of the largest providers of pharmaceuticalsa to institutions such asnursing long-term care homes and hospitals, held the meeting of stockholders Thursday, June 4. The stockholdersw re-elected these members of the boardof directors: Gregory S. Thomas P. Mac Mahon, Frank E. W. Robert Dahl Jr., Marjorie W. Dr. Thomas P. Gerrity, Daniek N. Mendelson and Dr. Robert A. Oakley. They will servd until the 2010 annual meeting of Shareholders also ratified the appointmeng of asthe company’s independent registerec public accounting firm for 2009. PharMerica operates institutional pharmacies in40 states. Last the company reported $1.
95 billion in revenue, compared with $1.22 billion in 2007.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Embarq, CenturyTel complete $11.6B deal - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
lyubomiradete.blogspot.com
Buyer (NYSE: CTL) completed its $11.6 billion stockm and debt purchase ofEmbarq (NYSE: EQ), the companies announced early Wednesday. The combined company, , will be basex in Monroe, La., and potentially have $8 billion in annuao revenue. It has more than 2.1 million broadband 440,000 video subscribers and 7.5 million access lines in 33 states. Embarq shareholders are two-thirds owners of the combined company, having received 1.37 CenturyTel sharews for each Embarq sharethey owned. The deal includedc CenturyTel assuming $5.8 billion in Embarq debt. The two brandw will be converted gradually to a process expected to conclude laterdthis year.
“The completion of this merged is a significant event forour communities, investors and employees,” CEO Glen Post III, who had been head of said in the release. “CenturyLink has the advancefd networks, the people and the financial stability to deliver the reliable and innovative services that our customers want and We look forward to this excitint new chapter inour company’s history.” CenturyLink will keep “aq significant presence” in the Overland Park area, thougbh that location wasn’t among the regionaol operating headquarters listed: Las Vegas; Wentzville, Mo.; Fla.; Wake Forest, and La Crosse, Wis.
Embarq now employs abouty 2,800 in the down from 4,500 when it spun off from S) in 2006. That drop reflectsz the sale of Embarq’s logistics unit earlier this year and continuapl job cuts as the company has attempteed to keep a lid on costs in anindustry that’z losing core customers to mobil phones. The recession has accelerated that trend, and observerss say that could mean deeper and faster cuts than originallgy anticipated as thecompanies integrate. By the rural phone companies expecf to saveabout $400 million a year in operatin and capital expenses by 2011. They expecft combined operating cash flow of morethan $4.2 billionb and free cash flow of about $1.
9 CenturyTel expects to continue its current annuapl dividend of $2.80 a The combination is expected to add to free cash flow per shar e in 2010. Shares continue to trad e under CenturyTel’s ticker Embarq CEO Tom Gerke will serves as executive vice chairman of the CenturyLinok board and oversee regulatoryt and governmental relations andhuman resources. Embarq ranks No. 3 on the Kansasw City BusinessJournal ’s list of area public
Buyer (NYSE: CTL) completed its $11.6 billion stockm and debt purchase ofEmbarq (NYSE: EQ), the companies announced early Wednesday. The combined company, , will be basex in Monroe, La., and potentially have $8 billion in annuao revenue. It has more than 2.1 million broadband 440,000 video subscribers and 7.5 million access lines in 33 states. Embarq shareholders are two-thirds owners of the combined company, having received 1.37 CenturyTel sharews for each Embarq sharethey owned. The deal includedc CenturyTel assuming $5.8 billion in Embarq debt. The two brandw will be converted gradually to a process expected to conclude laterdthis year.
“The completion of this merged is a significant event forour communities, investors and employees,” CEO Glen Post III, who had been head of said in the release. “CenturyLink has the advancefd networks, the people and the financial stability to deliver the reliable and innovative services that our customers want and We look forward to this excitint new chapter inour company’s history.” CenturyLink will keep “aq significant presence” in the Overland Park area, thougbh that location wasn’t among the regionaol operating headquarters listed: Las Vegas; Wentzville, Mo.; Fla.; Wake Forest, and La Crosse, Wis.
Embarq now employs abouty 2,800 in the down from 4,500 when it spun off from S) in 2006. That drop reflectsz the sale of Embarq’s logistics unit earlier this year and continuapl job cuts as the company has attempteed to keep a lid on costs in anindustry that’z losing core customers to mobil phones. The recession has accelerated that trend, and observerss say that could mean deeper and faster cuts than originallgy anticipated as thecompanies integrate. By the rural phone companies expecf to saveabout $400 million a year in operatin and capital expenses by 2011. They expecft combined operating cash flow of morethan $4.2 billionb and free cash flow of about $1.
9 CenturyTel expects to continue its current annuapl dividend of $2.80 a The combination is expected to add to free cash flow per shar e in 2010. Shares continue to trad e under CenturyTel’s ticker Embarq CEO Tom Gerke will serves as executive vice chairman of the CenturyLinok board and oversee regulatoryt and governmental relations andhuman resources. Embarq ranks No. 3 on the Kansasw City BusinessJournal ’s list of area public
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Food Technology Service Inc. licensed to use irradiation - South Florida Business Journal:
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The Mulberry business is the first facilit in the nation to be formallyh recognized to use this process since the issuede approval for radiation usein 2005, accordingf to a release from the . The procesxs has been validatedin trials, including analyticak procedures conducted by the ’s Food Sciencw and Human Nutrition Department. Irradiationm reduces potentially harmful bacteria withouft altering the flavor or appearance of liveraw oysters, the releasde said. Prepackaged oysters are exposed to a very specific and controlleds amount of radiation that selectively killw certain types and amounts of therelease said.
Irradiation provides a cost-effectivse and energy efficient method for providingv safer oyster productsfrom Florida, Charles Bronson, the agriculturr department’s commissioner, said in a statement. Food Technologuy Service owns and operatews an irradiation facility that uses gamma radiation producefd by Cobalt 60 to treatt or process various foodand non-foodf products. The company’s facility, which begahn operating in 1992, is designed to operate 24 hoursa day. Food Technology Service owns a 4.33-acr e site that includes the irradiation facility, executivre offices and a warehouse.
The Mulberry business is the first facilit in the nation to be formallyh recognized to use this process since the issuede approval for radiation usein 2005, accordingf to a release from the . The procesxs has been validatedin trials, including analyticak procedures conducted by the ’s Food Sciencw and Human Nutrition Department. Irradiationm reduces potentially harmful bacteria withouft altering the flavor or appearance of liveraw oysters, the releasde said. Prepackaged oysters are exposed to a very specific and controlleds amount of radiation that selectively killw certain types and amounts of therelease said.
Irradiation provides a cost-effectivse and energy efficient method for providingv safer oyster productsfrom Florida, Charles Bronson, the agriculturr department’s commissioner, said in a statement. Food Technologuy Service owns and operatews an irradiation facility that uses gamma radiation producefd by Cobalt 60 to treatt or process various foodand non-foodf products. The company’s facility, which begahn operating in 1992, is designed to operate 24 hoursa day. Food Technology Service owns a 4.33-acr e site that includes the irradiation facility, executivre offices and a warehouse.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Vestas board touring Colorado manufacturing plants - Denver Business Journal:
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The 12-member board, along with Ditlev Engel, Vestas’ presidengt and CEO, flew to Colorado on Sundayt and hada one-hour meeting with Gov. Bill said Roby Roberts, senior vice presidentr for external relations for Vestas the American arm ofthe “They’re visiting all the manufacturing facilities in Colorado,” Roberts Vestas, based in Denmark, manufactures and sells wind turbines used to produces electricity. It trades on the Copenhagej Stock Exchange at thesymbol VWS. The compangy boasts it had 20 percent ofthe world’zs wind turbine market in 2008, with more than 38,000 Vestas-mads wind turbines installed worldwide.
The group Monday was touring the company’s $100 milliobn manufacturing plantin Windsor, where the big bladesz that capture the wind are made. Board members also were also spendin g timein Brighton, where Vestas is planninhg a second blade plant and a nacelles assemblyg plant, and in Pueblo, where Vestaes is building the world’s biggest plant for making the steel towers that hold the wind turbines aloft. “We’rd spending more than $1 billio n in the United States and making a good commitmenr tothe market, so they wanted to see it firsyt hand,” Roberts said.
• The Windsor plant north of Denver, which when runninh at full capacity is expectede to employ about 600 employeess and produce as manyas 2,00 0 wind blades per year. The plant opened in Marchy 2008. • The Brighton bladw factory and nacelle assembly plants valued at acombinef $290 million, which was announced in August 2008. The plants are expectedx to be fully operationalin 2010. The bladr factory will employ about 650 peopl and the nacelle plant will have about700 employees, Vestas has • The $250 million Pueblo wind tower plant, expected to open later this year.
It will make 900 steeol towers annually and employ 450 to 550 The group planned to leave Colorado Monday eveningfor Portland, where the Vestaes Americas division is based, to see the company’zs marketing, sales and service operations, then tour a wind farm in Washingtomn state, Roberts said.
The 12-member board, along with Ditlev Engel, Vestas’ presidengt and CEO, flew to Colorado on Sundayt and hada one-hour meeting with Gov. Bill said Roby Roberts, senior vice presidentr for external relations for Vestas the American arm ofthe “They’re visiting all the manufacturing facilities in Colorado,” Roberts Vestas, based in Denmark, manufactures and sells wind turbines used to produces electricity. It trades on the Copenhagej Stock Exchange at thesymbol VWS. The compangy boasts it had 20 percent ofthe world’zs wind turbine market in 2008, with more than 38,000 Vestas-mads wind turbines installed worldwide.
The group Monday was touring the company’s $100 milliobn manufacturing plantin Windsor, where the big bladesz that capture the wind are made. Board members also were also spendin g timein Brighton, where Vestas is planninhg a second blade plant and a nacelles assemblyg plant, and in Pueblo, where Vestaes is building the world’s biggest plant for making the steel towers that hold the wind turbines aloft. “We’rd spending more than $1 billio n in the United States and making a good commitmenr tothe market, so they wanted to see it firsyt hand,” Roberts said.
• The Windsor plant north of Denver, which when runninh at full capacity is expectede to employ about 600 employeess and produce as manyas 2,00 0 wind blades per year. The plant opened in Marchy 2008. • The Brighton bladw factory and nacelle assembly plants valued at acombinef $290 million, which was announced in August 2008. The plants are expectedx to be fully operationalin 2010. The bladr factory will employ about 650 peopl and the nacelle plant will have about700 employees, Vestas has • The $250 million Pueblo wind tower plant, expected to open later this year.
It will make 900 steeol towers annually and employ 450 to 550 The group planned to leave Colorado Monday eveningfor Portland, where the Vestaes Americas division is based, to see the company’zs marketing, sales and service operations, then tour a wind farm in Washingtomn state, Roberts said.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Egypt's Mubarak reported in coma, off life support - MiamiHerald.com
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Voice of America | Egypt's Mubarak reported in coma, off life support MiamiHerald.com Hosni Mubarak was in a coma on Wednesday but off life support and his heart and other vital organs were functioning, according to security officials. Egypt's Mubarak Reported in Serious Condition |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
QualityTech computes data center growth - bizjournals:
burdukovahycel.blogspot.com
The Overland Park-based firm has mapped out a $75 millionn to $100 million investmenft in existing data center facilities in the next year and coulr spendabout $50 million on real estatd or company acquisitions in the next 12 to 18 Chairman and CEO Chad Williamse said. Those plans come on the heelz of investments already made in the past year fora $50 million facility in Miami and a $20 milliojn upgrade to a Santaw Clara, Calif., facility.
“We’ve very quietly grown from a couplew of real estate acquisitions to a national leadert indata centers,” Williams “In a challenged economic environment, our footprinf has expanded to 11 different QualityTech, founded in September has gained at a swift clip. In 2006, it posted revenue of $35.8 million. Last year, that number had burgeonef to $119.7 million. The projection for roughly $150 million. That’s assuming a checked growth pace of aboutf25 percent, down from 37 percenrt last year. Essentially, QualityTech provides information technologyoutsourcingy services.
It sells largse chunks of wholesale data center and it retails smaller spaces to small andmidsizde businesses. In addition, it offers a broad managed-services portfolio, whic h handles anything from network security to storagseto applications. QualityTech also has a new modeol that offers data capacityas needed. The companyu is a significant player in its which continues to growas cash-strapped companies look to outsource IT functions, said analyst Dan Golding, a vice presiden t of New York-based Tier1 Tier1 expects data centerr revenue to grow about 10 percent to $8 billiom this year; QualityTech’s 25 percenrt growth prediction is aggressive but attainable, Golding said.
The industryg promises tremendous growth during the next decade or so, he said. Its penetratiojn now is in thelow single-digit percentages, but companies that check in rarelyy leave. “For 95 percent of companies, outsourcingv is just going to work better in the long Golding said. “It’s purely an economic QualityTech’s planned projects — adding power and spaces — will be in Lenexa, Santa Clara and Jersey City, N.J. All the improvements will addabout 250,000 squarw feet of raised-floor data center space, bringingh the total raised-floor space (where servers can be stored) to abouft 1 million square feet.
That’s out of a totaol of 2 million square feet the coompanyowns “We certainly have demand within our current portfolio for certain customers to grow,” Williams “We’re also building space we can leasd because of the demand curvee — demand we see in the marketplace today that’zs real demand and has no Data centers are expensive to build, costin about $1,300 a squars foot, Golding said. Then there’s the acquisitiob potential. “We actually feel over the next 12 to 18 that it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to add locationsx in the U.S.
,” Williams “We are currently looking at othe data center operators to buy and also additional real estated that we could convert.” The Achilles’ heel of the boomint industry has been the credit which will make some smaller companiees prime buyout candidates. Fortunately for privatel y owned QualityTech, it has access to its profits, backingt by the Williams familyg and banking relationships withOverland Park-basexd and , Williams said. The pending outlayds will be a combination of equity and he said.
“The data center industry is one ofthose that’s been seeinv a lot of impact — the potential for a lot of growtgh actually being dampened by the abilitg to get debt,” Golding said. “(QualityTech) has the advantages there — it has deep-pocket privatw backers. Not everyone has that.” Othedr local data center and managed-services companies also have experienced torrid growtuh inthe downturn. ’s revenue is up 60 percent year to and it’s about a third of the way througnh a $1 million upgrade of its Kansass City, Kan., facility.
Early next year, plans to completee a $12 million data centefr in Lenexa; its existing Overlandf Park and Lenexa facilities arenearlg full. “The industry is reallyt growing,” Arsalon founding partner GaryHall said.
The Overland Park-based firm has mapped out a $75 millionn to $100 million investmenft in existing data center facilities in the next year and coulr spendabout $50 million on real estatd or company acquisitions in the next 12 to 18 Chairman and CEO Chad Williamse said. Those plans come on the heelz of investments already made in the past year fora $50 million facility in Miami and a $20 milliojn upgrade to a Santaw Clara, Calif., facility.
“We’ve very quietly grown from a couplew of real estate acquisitions to a national leadert indata centers,” Williams “In a challenged economic environment, our footprinf has expanded to 11 different QualityTech, founded in September has gained at a swift clip. In 2006, it posted revenue of $35.8 million. Last year, that number had burgeonef to $119.7 million. The projection for roughly $150 million. That’s assuming a checked growth pace of aboutf25 percent, down from 37 percenrt last year. Essentially, QualityTech provides information technologyoutsourcingy services.
It sells largse chunks of wholesale data center and it retails smaller spaces to small andmidsizde businesses. In addition, it offers a broad managed-services portfolio, whic h handles anything from network security to storagseto applications. QualityTech also has a new modeol that offers data capacityas needed. The companyu is a significant player in its which continues to growas cash-strapped companies look to outsource IT functions, said analyst Dan Golding, a vice presiden t of New York-based Tier1 Tier1 expects data centerr revenue to grow about 10 percent to $8 billiom this year; QualityTech’s 25 percenrt growth prediction is aggressive but attainable, Golding said.
The industryg promises tremendous growth during the next decade or so, he said. Its penetratiojn now is in thelow single-digit percentages, but companies that check in rarelyy leave. “For 95 percent of companies, outsourcingv is just going to work better in the long Golding said. “It’s purely an economic QualityTech’s planned projects — adding power and spaces — will be in Lenexa, Santa Clara and Jersey City, N.J. All the improvements will addabout 250,000 squarw feet of raised-floor data center space, bringingh the total raised-floor space (where servers can be stored) to abouft 1 million square feet.
That’s out of a totaol of 2 million square feet the coompanyowns “We certainly have demand within our current portfolio for certain customers to grow,” Williams “We’re also building space we can leasd because of the demand curvee — demand we see in the marketplace today that’zs real demand and has no Data centers are expensive to build, costin about $1,300 a squars foot, Golding said. Then there’s the acquisitiob potential. “We actually feel over the next 12 to 18 that it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to add locationsx in the U.S.
,” Williams “We are currently looking at othe data center operators to buy and also additional real estated that we could convert.” The Achilles’ heel of the boomint industry has been the credit which will make some smaller companiees prime buyout candidates. Fortunately for privatel y owned QualityTech, it has access to its profits, backingt by the Williams familyg and banking relationships withOverland Park-basexd and , Williams said. The pending outlayds will be a combination of equity and he said.
“The data center industry is one ofthose that’s been seeinv a lot of impact — the potential for a lot of growtgh actually being dampened by the abilitg to get debt,” Golding said. “(QualityTech) has the advantages there — it has deep-pocket privatw backers. Not everyone has that.” Othedr local data center and managed-services companies also have experienced torrid growtuh inthe downturn. ’s revenue is up 60 percent year to and it’s about a third of the way througnh a $1 million upgrade of its Kansass City, Kan., facility.
Early next year, plans to completee a $12 million data centefr in Lenexa; its existing Overlandf Park and Lenexa facilities arenearlg full. “The industry is reallyt growing,” Arsalon founding partner GaryHall said.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
SMU students warned of gas leak - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
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The warning came out after a gas leak was identified on campus sometimebetween 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. Thursday said Kent Best, executiver director of news and Best added that wasnotified immediately. Additional e-mails with more information were sentto students, faculth and staff, and a final e-mail was distributer alerting everyone on campus to the fact that the gas leak had been Best said. “Those messages came from our emergency Best added, “the emphasis is on brevity and It is something we will review to make sure that as much detaip that we can put in therew is provided to avoid any confusion in the future.” Best said the wholew event lasted about an hour.
The gas leak occurred at a constructiomn site near Moody Coliseum at Airline Road and Binkley accordingto Best.
The warning came out after a gas leak was identified on campus sometimebetween 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. Thursday said Kent Best, executiver director of news and Best added that wasnotified immediately. Additional e-mails with more information were sentto students, faculth and staff, and a final e-mail was distributer alerting everyone on campus to the fact that the gas leak had been Best said. “Those messages came from our emergency Best added, “the emphasis is on brevity and It is something we will review to make sure that as much detaip that we can put in therew is provided to avoid any confusion in the future.” Best said the wholew event lasted about an hour.
The gas leak occurred at a constructiomn site near Moody Coliseum at Airline Road and Binkley accordingto Best.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Supreme Court orders action against 'graft trio' - The Nation, Pakistan
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The Nation, Pakistan | Supreme Court orders action against 'graft trio' The Nation, Pakistan ISLAMABAD - Disposing of the suo moto case of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, the Supreme Court Thursday asked Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir to take ... SC orders strict action against Riaz, Arsalan Take strict action against CJs son,tycoon: Pak apex court SC orders action against Riaz, Arsalan |
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
It's time to replace second stringers with starters - bizjournals:
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These are the employees who are not hard have not increasedtheir skills, do not consistently come to work or regularluy arrive on time, spend work hours surfinv the Web or constantly complainn and spread their negativism to co-workers. They are not necessarily poor performers; they are simply not “peak” They have avoided performance or behaviod problems sufficient to warrant In thecurrent economy, however, you may raisde the bar for your work force and loweer the boom on employees who are not going full-throttle for your The number of laid-off workers in the Washingto n area provides an opportunity for employers to enhance the overall quality of their work forces by replacingh — in sports jargon — second stringers with starters, and perhap s even all-pros, at any level.
Such an approachu does have itspotential pitfalls, particularly where the negative qualitiea of certain employees have been tolerate for quite some time. Employers must “trade up” in a mannefr least likely to generate discrimination or otherworkplacs claims. They should undertake a multistep processs before replacingan employee, with appropriate documentation preparede at each step. The highest level of managemen t should discuss and document the fundamental reasons fora “tradinb up” program and its Senior management must also consider the legal issues (potential discrimination and other workplace claims) and the practical ones (employee that may arise from the A maximum number or percentage of employees to be replace may be set, but minimuj standards should not be.
A significantg change in personnel could resulrt indiscrimination claims, plummeting morale and, possibly, a unioj organizing effort by employeee frightened by the prospect of termination. The uppeer limit on employees to be replaced dependas onan organization’s weaknesses. No minimumn is warranted because the purpose of the program is to removse people who should be replaced not to requirew that some employees mustbe replaced.
Management must establish objectivde criteria for deciding whether a particular employee is Because the employer is dealing with individuals whose performance and behaviorr have been tolerated upto now, there is likelyh insufficient documentation to justify immediate termination. Factors that may be considerer as a basis forreplacement include: performanced evaluations in which an individual’s performance is rated “unsatisfactory” in at leastf one area or recent discipline for behavioe problems. At-risk employees shouls be given the opportunituto improve.
Each one may be told of the employer’ decision to upgrade its work force and to call attentiojto employees’ specific areas that need Each employee should be places on a written performance improvement plan with respect to identified problejm areas. While PIPs are in effect, it is importantg that anyone responsible foran at-rislk employee make a special effort to help the personn succeed. It is also important that endangerec workers have at least onegood “bite at the to improve. An employer may want to consided extendingan employee’s PIP before taking action if the employede has begun to show improvement, even if the upgraded standardsd have not been fully met.
An employer should also undertake appropriat e analyses to confirm that decisions have been made withouf regard to age or any otherprotectedd status. While at-risk employees are being the employer may begin the tentativr process of lookingfor replacements. As a practical an employer will not be able to replacwe an employee unless there is an availabls candidate whose credentials are objectively bettee than those ofthe at-risk incumbent. The employere must also be discreet in undertaking this process in orde r to limit the potential negative impact onemployee morale.
The use of such devicew as blind mailboxes for responses to ads or retention ofa third-partt recruiter may be needed to shield at-risk employeesd from these recruitment efforts.
These are the employees who are not hard have not increasedtheir skills, do not consistently come to work or regularluy arrive on time, spend work hours surfinv the Web or constantly complainn and spread their negativism to co-workers. They are not necessarily poor performers; they are simply not “peak” They have avoided performance or behaviod problems sufficient to warrant In thecurrent economy, however, you may raisde the bar for your work force and loweer the boom on employees who are not going full-throttle for your The number of laid-off workers in the Washingto n area provides an opportunity for employers to enhance the overall quality of their work forces by replacingh — in sports jargon — second stringers with starters, and perhap s even all-pros, at any level.
Such an approachu does have itspotential pitfalls, particularly where the negative qualitiea of certain employees have been tolerate for quite some time. Employers must “trade up” in a mannefr least likely to generate discrimination or otherworkplacs claims. They should undertake a multistep processs before replacingan employee, with appropriate documentation preparede at each step. The highest level of managemen t should discuss and document the fundamental reasons fora “tradinb up” program and its Senior management must also consider the legal issues (potential discrimination and other workplace claims) and the practical ones (employee that may arise from the A maximum number or percentage of employees to be replace may be set, but minimuj standards should not be.
A significantg change in personnel could resulrt indiscrimination claims, plummeting morale and, possibly, a unioj organizing effort by employeee frightened by the prospect of termination. The uppeer limit on employees to be replaced dependas onan organization’s weaknesses. No minimumn is warranted because the purpose of the program is to removse people who should be replaced not to requirew that some employees mustbe replaced.
Management must establish objectivde criteria for deciding whether a particular employee is Because the employer is dealing with individuals whose performance and behaviorr have been tolerated upto now, there is likelyh insufficient documentation to justify immediate termination. Factors that may be considerer as a basis forreplacement include: performanced evaluations in which an individual’s performance is rated “unsatisfactory” in at leastf one area or recent discipline for behavioe problems. At-risk employees shouls be given the opportunituto improve.
Each one may be told of the employer’ decision to upgrade its work force and to call attentiojto employees’ specific areas that need Each employee should be places on a written performance improvement plan with respect to identified problejm areas. While PIPs are in effect, it is importantg that anyone responsible foran at-rislk employee make a special effort to help the personn succeed. It is also important that endangerec workers have at least onegood “bite at the to improve. An employer may want to consided extendingan employee’s PIP before taking action if the employede has begun to show improvement, even if the upgraded standardsd have not been fully met.
An employer should also undertake appropriat e analyses to confirm that decisions have been made withouf regard to age or any otherprotectedd status. While at-risk employees are being the employer may begin the tentativr process of lookingfor replacements. As a practical an employer will not be able to replacwe an employee unless there is an availabls candidate whose credentials are objectively bettee than those ofthe at-risk incumbent. The employere must also be discreet in undertaking this process in orde r to limit the potential negative impact onemployee morale.
The use of such devicew as blind mailboxes for responses to ads or retention ofa third-partt recruiter may be needed to shield at-risk employeesd from these recruitment efforts.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Reuters Sports News Summary - Chicago Tribune
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Globe and Mail | Reuters Sports News Summary Chicago Tribune Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Californian dream turns real as Kings hoist Cup LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings were fin » |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Company of the Year: Amid takeover rumors and Carl Icahn, Biogen Idec managed to maintain a steady course in 2008 - Boston Business Journal:
firukendu-anchored.blogspot.com
Through it all, the company saw revenuee and profit rise and emergedf as that rarest of entities a Massachusetts based biotech with plenty of The company’s solid performancew in such a tumultuous year and its positionb as the clear leader in its market make it the Bostomn Business Journal’s Company of the Year for 2009. The Cambridge-baseed company posted profit of $783.2 milliojn in 2008, up from $638.2 million in 2007. In the firsrt quarter of 2009, the company’s net incom e was $247.6 million, putting the company on targetf for profitsapproaching $1 billio n in 2009. The company’s market capitalizatiom May 4 was $13.
48 billion, the second largest of any biotechnologyu company based in theBoston area, after Biogenh Idec’s (Nasdaq: BIIB) performance has been buoyed by salew of its two multiple sclerosis drugs, Avonesx and Tysabri. Sales of Avonex, Biogen’s best seller, increased 4 percen to $555 million in the first quarteerof 2009. Revenue for the first quarter alsoincludesd $279 million from the saleas of Rituxan, a treatmenft for certain B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and rheumatoidx arthritis.
“We’re coming off a strong year because we’v e built our business on marketing the drugs we alreadyu have and developing a strong pipeline forthe future,” Biogenj Chief Financial Officer Paul Clancy said. Salezs of Tysabri increased 44 percentto $165 millio n in the first quarter of 2009 from the same period one year ago. The company also received news Aprilk 16 that the had approvedthe company’s new, higher-yieldf production process for the manufacturing of Tysabri at the company’s plantg in Research Triangle Park in Nortu Carolina.
But the drug has been under considerablwe scrutiny for several and was pulled from the market for 18 month beginning in 2005 because of a suspectecd link to the rare braimn infection progressivemultifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. Sincs the drug was reintroduced inJuly 2006, the companyy has discovered a small number of cases of PML amonv Tysabri patients. As recentlyu as last month, Biogen Idec disclosed that a sixt h multiple sclerosis patient on Tysabri haddeveloped PML. One patienyt has died from the illness, and five of the six case are outsidethe U.S.
“Ww anticipated that there would be this levelp ofoccurrence — it’s less than the warningg on the label,” Clancy The PML rate implied on Tysabri’s labelp is one per 1,000 patients. As of the end of March, aboutf 40,000 patients were using Tysabri andabout 24,900 patients have received at leasgt one year of therapy. Biogen officials say the currentg rate for patients taking the drug more than 12 monthws is about onein 4,000.
Analysts say Biogeb is the leader in the market for treatmen t of multiplesclerosis — a market worth potentially $10 But that could change: There are two Phase 3 drug s — one by and the other by —that could give Biogen a run for its moneyg if they prove effective against MS, said analyst Eric And news in January that Merck KgAA announcesd successful Phase 3 trial resultd of its own multiple sclerosis drug led to a drop in Biogen shares. Over the past year, Biogen’s shares have tradef between a highof $71.38 last July to a low of $39 in They were trading at arounsd $46 earlier this And then there’s Carl Icahn.
The billionair e investor, and Biogen’s largest shareholder, is scramblingt to reshuffle Biogen’s board of directors. Just last Biogen urged shareholders to reject a slate of director proposed by Icahn and toinstead re-electr four of its directors. “Once again, even thoughy Carl Icahn has offeresd no ideas to enhance shareholder value in the 10 months sincelast year’s annualk meeting, he has announced his plan to launch a proxyu contest in an effort to put his own representativezs on your board of directors,” Biogen Chairman Bruce Ross and CEO Jamees Mullen said in a letter to Biogen Idec’s move sets up a likelgy proxy fight with Icahn at the company’s June 3 annualk meeting.
Biogen Idec officials also said the compangopposes Icahn’s proposals to fix the size of its boardx at 13 members and to reincorporate the companhy in North Dakota, rather than Delaware where it is currentlyh incorporated. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Icahn wrote that Northj Dakota laws afford shareholders moreprotections “againsy management entrenchment and would make it easier for thirrd parties to successfully bid for the corporation.
” the analyst, said that whilr Icahn may be a thorn in the side of his actions are unlikely to scared off investors, because “th only major change Icahnj seems to want to make is to rein in research and development spending, whicgh is higher than average for a compang with Biogen’s revenues.” Icahn in 2007 unsuccessfullt tried to engineer the sale of Biogen. Shareholderzs instead elected the company’ nominees over his slate of investors. When asked aboutt the potential showdownwith Icahn, Clancy “Our business’ results and our board’s focusz speaks for itself. I don’r want to comment on him.
”
Through it all, the company saw revenuee and profit rise and emergedf as that rarest of entities a Massachusetts based biotech with plenty of The company’s solid performancew in such a tumultuous year and its positionb as the clear leader in its market make it the Bostomn Business Journal’s Company of the Year for 2009. The Cambridge-baseed company posted profit of $783.2 milliojn in 2008, up from $638.2 million in 2007. In the firsrt quarter of 2009, the company’s net incom e was $247.6 million, putting the company on targetf for profitsapproaching $1 billio n in 2009. The company’s market capitalizatiom May 4 was $13.
48 billion, the second largest of any biotechnologyu company based in theBoston area, after Biogenh Idec’s (Nasdaq: BIIB) performance has been buoyed by salew of its two multiple sclerosis drugs, Avonesx and Tysabri. Sales of Avonex, Biogen’s best seller, increased 4 percen to $555 million in the first quarteerof 2009. Revenue for the first quarter alsoincludesd $279 million from the saleas of Rituxan, a treatmenft for certain B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and rheumatoidx arthritis.
“We’re coming off a strong year because we’v e built our business on marketing the drugs we alreadyu have and developing a strong pipeline forthe future,” Biogenj Chief Financial Officer Paul Clancy said. Salezs of Tysabri increased 44 percentto $165 millio n in the first quarter of 2009 from the same period one year ago. The company also received news Aprilk 16 that the had approvedthe company’s new, higher-yieldf production process for the manufacturing of Tysabri at the company’s plantg in Research Triangle Park in Nortu Carolina.
But the drug has been under considerablwe scrutiny for several and was pulled from the market for 18 month beginning in 2005 because of a suspectecd link to the rare braimn infection progressivemultifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. Sincs the drug was reintroduced inJuly 2006, the companyy has discovered a small number of cases of PML amonv Tysabri patients. As recentlyu as last month, Biogen Idec disclosed that a sixt h multiple sclerosis patient on Tysabri haddeveloped PML. One patienyt has died from the illness, and five of the six case are outsidethe U.S.
“Ww anticipated that there would be this levelp ofoccurrence — it’s less than the warningg on the label,” Clancy The PML rate implied on Tysabri’s labelp is one per 1,000 patients. As of the end of March, aboutf 40,000 patients were using Tysabri andabout 24,900 patients have received at leasgt one year of therapy. Biogen officials say the currentg rate for patients taking the drug more than 12 monthws is about onein 4,000.
Analysts say Biogeb is the leader in the market for treatmen t of multiplesclerosis — a market worth potentially $10 But that could change: There are two Phase 3 drug s — one by and the other by —that could give Biogen a run for its moneyg if they prove effective against MS, said analyst Eric And news in January that Merck KgAA announcesd successful Phase 3 trial resultd of its own multiple sclerosis drug led to a drop in Biogen shares. Over the past year, Biogen’s shares have tradef between a highof $71.38 last July to a low of $39 in They were trading at arounsd $46 earlier this And then there’s Carl Icahn.
The billionair e investor, and Biogen’s largest shareholder, is scramblingt to reshuffle Biogen’s board of directors. Just last Biogen urged shareholders to reject a slate of director proposed by Icahn and toinstead re-electr four of its directors. “Once again, even thoughy Carl Icahn has offeresd no ideas to enhance shareholder value in the 10 months sincelast year’s annualk meeting, he has announced his plan to launch a proxyu contest in an effort to put his own representativezs on your board of directors,” Biogen Chairman Bruce Ross and CEO Jamees Mullen said in a letter to Biogen Idec’s move sets up a likelgy proxy fight with Icahn at the company’s June 3 annualk meeting.
Biogen Idec officials also said the compangopposes Icahn’s proposals to fix the size of its boardx at 13 members and to reincorporate the companhy in North Dakota, rather than Delaware where it is currentlyh incorporated. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Icahn wrote that Northj Dakota laws afford shareholders moreprotections “againsy management entrenchment and would make it easier for thirrd parties to successfully bid for the corporation.
” the analyst, said that whilr Icahn may be a thorn in the side of his actions are unlikely to scared off investors, because “th only major change Icahnj seems to want to make is to rein in research and development spending, whicgh is higher than average for a compang with Biogen’s revenues.” Icahn in 2007 unsuccessfullt tried to engineer the sale of Biogen. Shareholderzs instead elected the company’ nominees over his slate of investors. When asked aboutt the potential showdownwith Icahn, Clancy “Our business’ results and our board’s focusz speaks for itself. I don’r want to comment on him.
”
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Dallas Business Journal:
lehoquvuhu.wordpress.com
Picking the right provided of those services is easier andmore problem-frere with careful research. Many companies turn to consultants for experr adviceand guidance. A consultant is able to independently evaluat themany possibilities, addressing such issues as the effectsa of rapidly changing technology, installation of all productas and how to make sure the company can utilize the full capabilitiesx of the technology it purchases. As a "people no longer look for hardwaredand software; they look for solutions.
Consultant s are the glue that integrates technology and give the computer user the benefitsa of thetechnology they've purchased," according to the Independenrt Computer Consultants Association. The failure or succesx of any particular system is oftemn more related to the human element than to the actualkequipment components, said Steven founder and past president of the association, a St. Louis-based tradd group that represents the interestss ofmember firms, maintains ethicakl conduct standards for the profession and offers a consultant search feature on its Web www.icca.org.
"There are mediocre systems that succeed and excellent systemsxthat fail," Epner said. It's important to remember that hardware and networking systems arecomplex and, as a there are no perfect answers as to what to There are also many parts to the so companies may need assistance with employee traininy and other needs beyond the initia purchase. "It helps to make sure that as large a groupp as possible has input into theselection process,"" Epner said. If one individual makes the that person is on the hook if the outcom is lessthan stellar.
Independenr computer consults haveone goal: to help a clieny company narrow the possible choices to the poin that any of the top picks will help the companuy succeed in its Epner said. It's also importang for the company to act on a decision in atimelyt manner. "Any decision process that is more than six months in lengthy will probablybe wrong, because things are changinfg rapidly," Epner said. The change is occurring not just in hardware or networking but also in the distribution and manufacturing processeds ofthat equipment.
"It's important to compare majotr vendorsand distributors," he On the software side, other factorsd come into play when making a decision abou t which products to use. Software piracy is a growinvg problem and tools are now availabler for tracking andcombating piracy, according to the Softwarer & Information Industry Association, a trade association basedr in Washington, D.C., that urges companies to make sure they have enoughn software licenses to cover the number of softwarde programs installed on company computers.
The group handles issuese related to code and contenrt in the industry and has conducted a successfuklcorporate anti-piracy program for its software company members for nearly 20 Companies should always go with reputabl vendors with choosing computer software and Not doing so can provde costly. "If you go on the Internet and look for a good you might find one that appears to be too good tobe true,"" said John Wolfe, director of Internet enforcement for the Businesws Software Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organizationn that represents the interests of the commercialk software industry and the hardware companied that partner with them.
The group also promotes copyrighy protection, cyber security and other relatecd issues. When purchasing software, companies should be mindfull ofseveral points, Wolfe said. The company shoul know the source of the softwarew and who will standbehind it. Softwares sold without the proper labeling and packaginb also will lack the codes needer to activate it or to access technical support afterthe sale, he Choosing a reputable software vendor will help the company assure that the software doesn't come with potential problemd such as viruses and "It can be a real risk," Wolfe adding that a company chief executive officetr may not be fully aware of the risks that come with such a but often a quick consultation with an internal information technologyg department or a consultant will turn up some strong cautionaryt advice.
A bad decision has several possibler ramifications, Wolfe said. The softwarer may not work correctly and the problem may not be Insome cases, the company's only long-term solution may be costly as the companuy may be forced to buy replacement software.
Picking the right provided of those services is easier andmore problem-frere with careful research. Many companies turn to consultants for experr adviceand guidance. A consultant is able to independently evaluat themany possibilities, addressing such issues as the effectsa of rapidly changing technology, installation of all productas and how to make sure the company can utilize the full capabilitiesx of the technology it purchases. As a "people no longer look for hardwaredand software; they look for solutions.
Consultant s are the glue that integrates technology and give the computer user the benefitsa of thetechnology they've purchased," according to the Independenrt Computer Consultants Association. The failure or succesx of any particular system is oftemn more related to the human element than to the actualkequipment components, said Steven founder and past president of the association, a St. Louis-based tradd group that represents the interestss ofmember firms, maintains ethicakl conduct standards for the profession and offers a consultant search feature on its Web www.icca.org.
"There are mediocre systems that succeed and excellent systemsxthat fail," Epner said. It's important to remember that hardware and networking systems arecomplex and, as a there are no perfect answers as to what to There are also many parts to the so companies may need assistance with employee traininy and other needs beyond the initia purchase. "It helps to make sure that as large a groupp as possible has input into theselection process,"" Epner said. If one individual makes the that person is on the hook if the outcom is lessthan stellar.
Independenr computer consults haveone goal: to help a clieny company narrow the possible choices to the poin that any of the top picks will help the companuy succeed in its Epner said. It's also importang for the company to act on a decision in atimelyt manner. "Any decision process that is more than six months in lengthy will probablybe wrong, because things are changinfg rapidly," Epner said. The change is occurring not just in hardware or networking but also in the distribution and manufacturing processeds ofthat equipment.
"It's important to compare majotr vendorsand distributors," he On the software side, other factorsd come into play when making a decision abou t which products to use. Software piracy is a growinvg problem and tools are now availabler for tracking andcombating piracy, according to the Softwarer & Information Industry Association, a trade association basedr in Washington, D.C., that urges companies to make sure they have enoughn software licenses to cover the number of softwarde programs installed on company computers.
The group handles issuese related to code and contenrt in the industry and has conducted a successfuklcorporate anti-piracy program for its software company members for nearly 20 Companies should always go with reputabl vendors with choosing computer software and Not doing so can provde costly. "If you go on the Internet and look for a good you might find one that appears to be too good tobe true,"" said John Wolfe, director of Internet enforcement for the Businesws Software Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organizationn that represents the interests of the commercialk software industry and the hardware companied that partner with them.
The group also promotes copyrighy protection, cyber security and other relatecd issues. When purchasing software, companies should be mindfull ofseveral points, Wolfe said. The company shoul know the source of the softwarew and who will standbehind it. Softwares sold without the proper labeling and packaginb also will lack the codes needer to activate it or to access technical support afterthe sale, he Choosing a reputable software vendor will help the company assure that the software doesn't come with potential problemd such as viruses and "It can be a real risk," Wolfe adding that a company chief executive officetr may not be fully aware of the risks that come with such a but often a quick consultation with an internal information technologyg department or a consultant will turn up some strong cautionaryt advice.
A bad decision has several possibler ramifications, Wolfe said. The softwarer may not work correctly and the problem may not be Insome cases, the company's only long-term solution may be costly as the companuy may be forced to buy replacement software.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Seventeenth Street Plaza sold to HRPT - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
yjanebixe.wordpress.com
Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estate investment trustr that owns and operates office andindustriap buildings, paid cash for the building. The salee price was not announced. Seventeentnh Street Plaza is located at 122517th St., across from the Taboer Center office, retail and hotel complex. It was develope d by what’s now Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. of Chicago, and was completed in 1982. Previous owners includre Equitable Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. part of the Equitable insurances company. Australian real estate giantt LendLease Corp. Ltd. took over the buildin in the 1990s after itacquired ERE.
JPMorgan quietlyy put the building on the markert inearly 2008, asking $385 per squarw foot, or roughly $250 million, brokers Brookfield Properties Corp. of New York and Toronto had the buildinhg under contract to purchase last summefor $225 million, but the deal was not consummated because of the debt crisis’ impact on Brookfield’zs lender, said real estate brokers knowledgeable about the As of October, the building was off the market. The with an attached parking is 93 percent lease d andincludes Ink! Coffee and Heidi’w Brooklyn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarteras of Molson CoorsBrewing Co.
Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estate investment trustr that owns and operates office andindustriap buildings, paid cash for the building. The salee price was not announced. Seventeentnh Street Plaza is located at 122517th St., across from the Taboer Center office, retail and hotel complex. It was develope d by what’s now Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. of Chicago, and was completed in 1982. Previous owners includre Equitable Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. part of the Equitable insurances company. Australian real estate giantt LendLease Corp. Ltd. took over the buildin in the 1990s after itacquired ERE.
JPMorgan quietlyy put the building on the markert inearly 2008, asking $385 per squarw foot, or roughly $250 million, brokers Brookfield Properties Corp. of New York and Toronto had the buildinhg under contract to purchase last summefor $225 million, but the deal was not consummated because of the debt crisis’ impact on Brookfield’zs lender, said real estate brokers knowledgeable about the As of October, the building was off the market. The with an attached parking is 93 percent lease d andincludes Ink! Coffee and Heidi’w Brooklyn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarteras of Molson CoorsBrewing Co.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Dyah Davis-Sakio Bika Tops The Showtime Extreme Card - BoxingScene.com
erofeyporgrinin.blogspot.com
Dyah Davis-Sakio Bika Tops The Showtime Extreme Card BoxingScene.com Headlining the undercard will be a 10-round battle for the NABF Super Middleweight title between talented up-and-comer Dyah Davis and perennial contender Sakio Bika that will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8:00 pm ET/PT. Also in action in separate ... |
Monday, June 4, 2012
Planning commission rejects May Town Center zoning - Washington Business Journal:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
The commission voted against changes to the land use plan for the BellaBend area, where the $4.3 billion development has been The commission then votedc down zoning changes that would have allowed for a bridgew to the development, which is being backedf by the May family with Tony Giarratana acting as lead The Metro Nashville City Councilo has final say on zoning changeds and will take up the issue in a publid hearing on July 7. However, with a negative recommendation from theplanning commission, the zoninb measure will need 27 votes from the rather than the 21 usualluy required.
The planning staff had recommended approval of a zoning reques t to allowthe development, but that was contingent on the land use plan The commission then voted down the proposed zoninv changes. If approved, the completes town center will take some 22 yearsto build. Phasw 1 of the project by 2013, bring online 425,000 square feet of officwe space, 100 residential units and 50,000 squarw feet of retail, according to the developer’s plans. By the entire May Town comple x would consist of 8 milliomn square feet ofoffice 8,000 residential units and 600 hotel rooms.
The commission voted against changes to the land use plan for the BellaBend area, where the $4.3 billion development has been The commission then votedc down zoning changes that would have allowed for a bridgew to the development, which is being backedf by the May family with Tony Giarratana acting as lead The Metro Nashville City Councilo has final say on zoning changeds and will take up the issue in a publid hearing on July 7. However, with a negative recommendation from theplanning commission, the zoninb measure will need 27 votes from the rather than the 21 usualluy required.
The planning staff had recommended approval of a zoning reques t to allowthe development, but that was contingent on the land use plan The commission then voted down the proposed zoninv changes. If approved, the completes town center will take some 22 yearsto build. Phasw 1 of the project by 2013, bring online 425,000 square feet of officwe space, 100 residential units and 50,000 squarw feet of retail, according to the developer’s plans. By the entire May Town comple x would consist of 8 milliomn square feet ofoffice 8,000 residential units and 600 hotel rooms.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Unincorporated south county needs a better plan - HeraldNet
humojo.wordpress.com
Unincorporated south county needs a better plan HeraldNet By Ron W. Hough and Gene J. Grieve Proponents of better-coordinated planning in unincorporated parts of southwest Snohomish County say inconsistent development standards make cities less willing to annex. This strip mall sits along the Bothell-Everett ... |
Friday, June 1, 2012
State bill may free up work for contractors - New Mexico Business Weekly:
ycoguqi.wordpress.com
House Bill 611 — filefd on Jan. 26 by Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange — would reducde the $500,000 project threshold at which public works project s must be competitively bid to That means government projects valued at morethan $300,000 would be bid out to a contractort rather than be done by governmenyt staff. Also new in the bill: Any contractor previouslyt found guilty of federal labor or employment tax law violations woulsd be ineligible to bid on the Hukill said the bill also provide better transparency for the public andbusiness community, as well as protectionn for contractors eligible to bid on projects.
That’s because it requires government entities to detaio in public notices the total estimatefd cost of a including equipment, maintenance, insurance, materials and employed compensation and benefits, when deciding whethefr to do a project in-house or bid it out. The bill shoulxd help contractors land saidMark Wylie, president and CEO of the Associateed Builders and Contractors Inc.’s Central Florida chapter. “The private sector can deliver services more efficientluy than the publicsector can, and we’d like to see more publixc work out there.
” Local contractors need more work to counter the slow said Bob Burns, owner of , an Orlando-basex general contracting company. For instance, Burns’ firm already had to reduce its staff from 20 to 11 workerx during the past year after its revenue droppefby 60 percent. Tanya Sims, owner of , an Orlando-basede electrical contractor, also reduced staff this year, from 175 employeez to about 35. The layoffs came afterf the firm completeda $16 millio renovation of Airside 3 at the in Now the firm wants more work, no mattert how small the job. “We go for any size job we can get, so somethintg like this wouldbe helpful,” said Sims.
“The goal is to try to keep our locapl community biddingand working.” Crisy has until June 24 to act on the
House Bill 611 — filefd on Jan. 26 by Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange — would reducde the $500,000 project threshold at which public works project s must be competitively bid to That means government projects valued at morethan $300,000 would be bid out to a contractort rather than be done by governmenyt staff. Also new in the bill: Any contractor previouslyt found guilty of federal labor or employment tax law violations woulsd be ineligible to bid on the Hukill said the bill also provide better transparency for the public andbusiness community, as well as protectionn for contractors eligible to bid on projects.
That’s because it requires government entities to detaio in public notices the total estimatefd cost of a including equipment, maintenance, insurance, materials and employed compensation and benefits, when deciding whethefr to do a project in-house or bid it out. The bill shoulxd help contractors land saidMark Wylie, president and CEO of the Associateed Builders and Contractors Inc.’s Central Florida chapter. “The private sector can deliver services more efficientluy than the publicsector can, and we’d like to see more publixc work out there.
” Local contractors need more work to counter the slow said Bob Burns, owner of , an Orlando-basex general contracting company. For instance, Burns’ firm already had to reduce its staff from 20 to 11 workerx during the past year after its revenue droppefby 60 percent. Tanya Sims, owner of , an Orlando-basede electrical contractor, also reduced staff this year, from 175 employeez to about 35. The layoffs came afterf the firm completeda $16 millio renovation of Airside 3 at the in Now the firm wants more work, no mattert how small the job. “We go for any size job we can get, so somethintg like this wouldbe helpful,” said Sims.
“The goal is to try to keep our locapl community biddingand working.” Crisy has until June 24 to act on the
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