Monday, February 28, 2011

GM selling Saturn to Roger Penske - bizjournals:

grigoriynirim.blogspot.com
Instead of building cars for Saturn, Penske will contracyt the manufactureof vehicles, first from Saturn’s currenr owner, GM, and later from otherr car companies. His announced earlier today, is to distributwe those cars through Saturn’s biggest asset--its hundreds of independent and highly-regardexd dealerships. The structure would make Saturn a different kind of saidRichard Block, professor of labor and industrial relations at Michigan State University.
“What this they are going to be primarily a marketinb company and in some sense that is a new modep of business in theauto industry,” Block “This is the firsrt time when we’ve seen a compant say ‘we’re just going to without manufacturing. While it might be new for a companyy like Saturn to contract out the productiomn of all the carsit sells, it isn’ty so unusual that it wouldn’t work. Car companies often manufacturs models for each Brian Gluckmanof AutoTrader.
com pointed out in an email that priod to Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing, that automaker had a deal to builx a version of Chrysler’s Ram trucik to replace Nissan’s Titan truck. Jeremhy Anwyl, CEO of Edmonds.com, said, “Thre difference here is all of the Satur vehicles are going tobe outsourced.” It coulf lead to the kind of situation prevalent at high-tecy firms like Apple, wherd the primary job of the parentf company is design, while manufacturing is handed off to other And such a system could brint with it a new set of “For most customers, the most importanyt aspect is the vehicle itself,” Anwyl “How do you make sure that you’vew got cars that are coming in that are specific to your brand?
” and that customersx will want to buy. Looked at another way, the busineszs model isn’t so new at all, said Bruce Belzowskoi of the University of Michigan TransportationResearchu Institute. Auto dealers, as independent businesz people, have always contracte d with automakers for the productsxthey sell. “No dealership builds its vehicles,” Belzowski said. But havingh an extensive Saturndealership network, with manufacturintg done elsewhere, could turn out to be a winninfg model for Penske, said Block.
“Yeah, it’sd a new model, let’s see what happens,” he The news of GM’sd tentative deal to sell Saturhn to Penske follows months of anxietu over the fate of the bran d as GM looks to sell or close brands otherrthan Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac. “It’ss a great day for Saturn,” Scotty Davies, owner of Saturn of Wichita, told the . The pricee Penske is paying for Saturn was notimmediatelg available, but was at between $100 millioj and $200 million. The deal is designefd to save morethan 13,000 jobs at and preserve the brand’s nearly 400 dealerships.
The New York DealBook blog singlesout Renault’s Samsung Motors Unit in Koreaq as a possible futurew manufacturer. GM could keep producing the Saturn Aura, Vue and but would stop producing Saturnn vehiclesby 2011. Under the Penske would take over Saturn’s brands, service and parts and distribution operations. Penske he saw Saturnh growing to a global brand with more vehiclew inits lineup, and that it would retur to a focus on fuel economy. Penske, at one time a race car driverf who still owns Indy Car and NASCAR race has built inthe country, the , based in Bloomfieled Hills, Mich.
“Roger Penske is an ideapl purchaser for Saturn due to his incredible track record of succesxs in every venture hehas , president of West Herr Automotive Group, whicg operates Saturn dealerships in western New York. The ownet of 310 franchises selling 40 brands aroundthe Penske’s group already is the distributor of Daimler’w line of Smart cars in the U.S. Saturnn is the GM has agrees to sellthis week. Earlier this week, GM announcecd that it was selling its Hummer brancd of SUVs to Tengzhong Heavy IndustrialMachinery Co., a Chinesw manufacturer of heavy equipment such as dump trucks.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Procter & Gamble buys chi-chi Art of Shaving - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

bestimmung-amendments.blogspot.com
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Art of Shavingv also sells shampoos, skin care fragrances and a line ofupscalew women’s shaving products. The chain was founded in Manhattabnin 1996. P&G will run Art of Shavingy from its headquarters in Miamik and operate it as a whollyyowned subsidiary, said P&G spokeswoman Kelly Vanasse. It plans to keep all of the chain'zs 36 locations, where most of its 180 employees The acquisitioncomplements P&G’s footholed in the men’s grooming market, accomplished when it acquired Gillette in 2005. The grooming segment generated $1.7 billion of P&G’s $18.34 billion in sales in its fiscalthird quarter.
But the categort was down in the period, by 16 percen t (total P&G sales declined 8 percent in the The Art of Shavingexposez P&G to a more upscale demographic. Wherre most P&G male grooming productsd can be found on the counterswof Walmart, CVS or Kroger, New York-baseds Art of Shaving sells its product in more than 35 of its own as well as at retailers from Nordstrom to Bloomingale’s. Its five-blad e razors sell for $150 or more, and its for $55. P&G and the Art of in fact, teamed up in 2007 to launc h a series of razors featurinyg GilletteFusion blades, which are available on the Art of Shaving’ s Web site.
The focus, Vanasse said, will be on fuelinhg growth. "We're going to learn a lot aboutr operatingretail locations," she "It broadens our footprint in P&G's prestige category has been largely focusede on fragrance, along with some skin care This acquisition will expose P&G to the upper echelons of male P&G (NYSE: PG) is the world’s largesrt maker of consumer goods, with a portfolio of hundredsz of brands including Olay, Tide and Swiffer.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Mekong delta suffers from salinity penetration - SGGP

http://www.articletape.com/webmasters/news_2010-06-11-07-30-06-196.html


SGGP


Mekong delta suffers from salinity penetration

SGGP


Residents in the Mekong delta are in despair at the speedy salinity of the river bed. This year has seen the salinity to reach high levels and earlier than expected. The area has seen tens of hectares of paddy fields and hundreds of hectares of ...



and more »

Sunday, February 20, 2011

ATS Services is now Talagy, with new owner - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Derek Mercer, the nephew of ATS foundefr Delores Kesler, acquired the companty and will serveas chair. Kesler will retain the titlwe ofchairman emeritus. Amy McGeorge will assums the role of presidentand CEO. Termxs of the acquisition werenot “This is an exciting time in the growt h and evolution of ATS, and I’ m pleased to allow the next generation of leadershipp to take the helm,” said Kesler created Jacksonville-based ATS Services in eventually forming a parent company that merged with threde other staffing firms, includinfg .
The business split into two ventures: , whichg became a publicly traded company and isnow , and ATS Mercer worked as the director of informationh technology at ATS Servicesw before creating his own company, , a global provide of on-demand talent management software, in 1996. Kesler provided a loan that helper startthe company. Vurv Technology was acquires by (NASDAQ: TLEO) in 2008 for $128.8 million.
Talagy, whichu has 11 offices around the country and80 employees, will continue to offer the same products and services, but insteads of operating under multiple brands and business units the companhy will consolidate into a single

Friday, February 18, 2011

Pratt's PW1000G geared turbofan completes initial ground tests - ATWOnline

http://www.orstudents.org/forums/member/194765/


Hartford Courant


Pratt's PW1000G geared turbofan completes initial ground tests

ATWOnline


Engine certification and aircraft first flight are scheduled for 2012, with service entry in 2013. In addition to the CSeries, the PW1000 geared turbofan has been selected for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the Airbus A320neo and the Irkut MC-21.


P&W completes ground testing for PW1000G engine

Australian Aviation



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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Catholic hospital chain backs out of joint venture with Centene - St. Louis Business Journal:

Wood ceiling
, founded by the Archdiocese of said it was withdrawing from the partnershioFriday night, just days before it was to take effect Caritas plans to continue to participatd in the state-subsidized program that will providee health-care services for 165,00p0 low-income working adults who are not eligible for Medicaid or employer-sponsorerd insurance. But the hospital system will participate only asa health-carde provider, not a co-owner of the “By withdrawing from the joint venturew and serving the poor as a provider in the upholding Catholic moral teaching at all times, they are able to carr forward the critical mission of Catholic healthu care,” Cardinal Seán O’Malley said in a statemenyt Friday night.
“Our singular goal has been to provide for the needs of the poor and underserved in a mannerd that is fully and completely in accordc with Catholicmoral teaching.” Sandt McBride, a spokeswoman for told the Boston Globe that the end of the joinrt venture won’t have an impact on the healtb plan. She also said she couldn’t provide information aboutg the financial impact ofthe change. In March, Centenes Corp.
’s subsidiary, , a contract to managd health-care services for thousands of low-incomde patients in partnership with Caritas Christi Health Centene had said it wouled consolidate the financial operations of the joint venturse and by the fourth quarterof 2010, had expected annualp run rate revenue of $100 millionb to $125 million. St. Louis-based Centene (NYSE: CNC), led by Chairman and Chief ExecutiveMichaeol Neidorff, provides managed care programz and related services to individualws under Medicaid.
It also operates health plans in Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Verizon sponsoring event on sexting - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

coras-newport.blogspot.com
The practice of “sexting” will be among the issuese talked about at the June 1 event to be held at the Greatert New BedfordTechnical School. Hosted by Bristol County SheriffThomas Hodgson, the seminar will be one of many eventas the New York-based telecommunications company (NYSE: VZ) will sponsoer with Internet safety nonprofit i-SAFE Inc. as a part of Cybet Safety Week. “We’re exploring what it means to have a civil societyy in anonline world,” said Donna Cupelo, Verizojn New England region president. “That’x why we believe the first priority for providers is the personall safetyof consumers.
Therefore, Verizon provides the best networko tools available to ensure security and to inform people especiallyparents — how to make safer choices to protect their families’ privacy, guard against cybercrimee and fight abuse.”

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Stirling Energy Systems expands its offices as solar efforts ramp up - Dayton Business Journal:

http://myhomepet.com/canistherapy
The Scottsdale company, which received a $100 milliohn investment last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is moving quickluy to capture a segment of the utility-scals solar market with its Stirling engine technology. The companhy opened its new 37,000-square-foot office in earlu May. It has hired about 100 employeess this year and expects to add 60 to 80 more by the end of the for a totalof 180, said CEO Stevew Cowman, who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’ds investment.
“We’ve always likefd the solar space, and this was a good opportunity,” he The company is based on anearlty 200-year-old engine design, whicbh operates through the expansion and contraction of Stirling uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focus the sun’w rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,40o degrees Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a piston and poweringthe engine. As the gas it is moved out of the piston chambet and back to where it will be reheatedr bythe sun.
The company had been operatinbg in the Valleysince 1996, but NTR’ investment has pushed it to develop the technology more It has two power-purchase agreements: one with San Diegio Gas & Electric for between 300 and 750 megawatts at a site in Imperia l Valley, Calif., and one with Southern California Edisobn for 500 to 900 megawatts in the Mohave Cowman said it’s adding positions of all types, from engineering to to meet its growth curve. To handls project management, NTR founded Tessera Solar earlier this year to develothe utility-scale projects, with Stirlinyg providing the equipment.
Ramping up both project development and constructionn has required capital and people to serve what the company believes will be one of the largest sola r markets inthe world, said Jim Barry, CEO of NTR. “Wer believe the U.S. will be the globao leader in renewable energy, and that will happehn in the nextfew years,” he NTR, founded 30 years ago to operate Ireland’s toll has expanded into a number of renewable energyg and recycling efforts.
Stirling’s technology — whicu offers an alternative to photovoltaic systems, as well as a differentg take on concentrated solae power — has a good base in Arizonz that can serve markets throughout the Southwest, Barrg said. In addition to hiring, the companu is looking at potential sites in the Valleyh to housea 60-dish, 1.5-megawatt test location. The company has a smalo site at the Sandia National Laboratorieszin Albuquerque, N.M., but is hoping to find a largere site to provide a location to brinvg clients. It has run into challenges securinf local permits for a site and finding a location that can be tied into theelectricc grid, officials said.
The company could be a boon for Arizona in more ways than simplhyproviding power. It is using auto componeny suppliers to build itsengine parts, and officialx are talking with those suppliers about the possibility of locatinbg facilities in the Southwest to handle the bulk of Stirling’ds projects, at least for the first few Cowman said. “If you can build your manufacturing closwe to yourend facilities, that’s goint to benefit everyone,” he Stirling is one of the solar companies that coulx provide a base for othed manufacturers to land in the Valley, said Barry Broome, presiden and CEO of the Greater Phoeniz Economic Council. “This is a good he said.
“It’s got a small number of people and it hopexto expand, and it couldf help its suppliers relocate here.” Stirling’e expansion in Arizona depends on state Other states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’ws effort to develop such enticements is mired in budger problems. “We really want to grow our businessxin Arizona, but we need those incentives,” Cowman

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Manpower: Employment outlook unchanged in Q3 - Orlando Business Journal:

stockdaleiqemico1521.blogspot.com
"Employer attitudes about hiring remaij essentially unchanged compared to thepreviouws quarter," Manpower Chairman and CEO Jeffrey A. Joerre said. "While the numbers may not be as optimistidc as wewould like, it is positive to see no further Of the more than 28,000 employers surveyed, 15 percent expecg to increase their staff levels in the third quarter, while 13 percent expectt a decrease in their payrolls.
Sixty-seven percent of employers surveyed expect no changes intheir July-to-September hirinh plans, and 5 percent said they were The national survey data shows employers in sevemn of the 13 sectors surveyed expect hiring to remai n relatively stable in the third compared to the second Employer optimism about hiring is relatively stable in the Northeast and Midwest, but weakerf in the West.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

UW researcher wins $3M federal grant - Sacramento Business Journal:

mityaa-axefor.blogspot.com
The grant from the U.S. Department of Education'sz Institute of Education Sciences will allow Heinric h to employ academic staff and at leasr four graduate students each year to work on expanding the project oother cities. Heinricnh will continue an evaluation of the tutorinyg programs MPS offers as part ofthe district's fulfillmeny of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The law requires public schools that have not adequately increased studen t academic achievement for three years to offer childrenin low-income families the opportunityg to receive extra academi c assistance such as tutoring.
Heinrich's initialp research found that Milwaukee's federally mandated and fundes tutoring program is not necessarily reaching the people who need themost help, nor is it effectivd in increasing student achievement. "Our preliminarg results suggest that the students in the tutorinb programs are not performing any betterdon Wisconsin's standardized tests than eligible students not involved with the tutoring," Heinrich Heinrich and her co-workers have been conducting the MPS studt since April 2006. The next phase will involves five urban school districts infour states: Milwaukee, Chicago, Dallas and Austin, Texas.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Alan Gershenhorn Executive Profile

http://competitiveedgevietnam.com/academic-edge/fees-and-charges/
Gershenhorn is also a member of the UPS Management which is responsiblefor day-to-day management of the company. Priofr to his current position, Gershenhorn servede as president of UPS Internationap where he was responsibl e for allinternational package, freight forwarding and logistics A native of Long Island, N.Y., Gershenhorn begaj his UPS career in Houstoh in 1979 as a part-tims package handler. He has held variouse U.S. and international positions of increasingt responsibilityin operations, industrial engineering, freight forwarding, brokerage, marketing, strategy and retaill services.
After several assignments in Gershenhorn joinedthe company