houston-nearly.blogspot.com
Meyer joined the former Society NationalBank (now Key) in and was given positions of increasingh responsibility in the credit and commercial banking departments. In he transferred to Dayton where he ultimatelyy became president ofSociety Bank, Nationall Association. Meyer returned to Cleveland in 1987 aftet being elected executive vice president of Societyu Corporation and senior executive vice presidenf of SocietyNational Bank, responsiblr for Society's Retail Banking sector. He was elected vice chairman of the boarde of Society National Bankin 1989, and was electe its president and chief operating officer in 1990.
Meyer was electexd chief executive officer of Society National Bank in and was elected its chairman of the boardin 1994. He was electexd vice chairman of the board and chief banking officer of Society Corporationin 1991. Meyet was elected senior executive vice president and chier banking officer of the new KeyCorp in and was elected its chief operatinh officer inMay 1995. He was elected vice chairman of the boarx of KeyCorp in September president inMay 1997, and chieg executive officer in Februaryt 2001. Meyer was elected chairma n of the board of KeyCorp inMay 2001.
Meyerr received a Bachelor of Arts degree in econometrics from Colgatew Universityin 1972, and a Master of Business Administration degrewe from Harvard University in 1978. Actives in civic and cultural life, Meyer serves on several boards in the greateerCleveland area. He serves as a trusteee of the Northeast Ohio Council onHighe Education, and ideastream (WVIZ/PBS and He is a boar d member and immediate past chairman of the boar d of trustees of United Way of Greater and is a board member and immediate past chairmah of the board of trustees of Universityt School.
Meyer is chairmanh of the board of the GreaterCleveland Partnership, and is a boards member of University Hospitals Health System, Inc., as well as past chairmanh of the board of directors of both Universitu Hospitals Health System, Inc. and Universityh Hospitals of Cleveland. He is an immediate past member of the boarc of the Federal Reserve Bank of and currently serves on the Federal Advisort Council of the FederalReserve System. Meyer servea as a director of Continental Airlines, Inc. Recengt News About Henry L. Meyer III [RTTNews.
com] **Alo Executive profile data provided byDow
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
While the Canucks carry baggage with them, Blackhawks face first Game 7 since 1995 - msnbc.com
zemlyanikiyri.blogspot.com
ESPN (blog) | While the Canucks carry baggage with them, Blackhawks face first Game 7 since 1995 msnbc.com AP When it comes down to tonight's two Game 7 matches, the Chicago Blackhawks share some things in common with the Buffalo Sabres. Along with being a lower seed playing this decisive game on the road, they also somehow go into this contest with f! ar ... Judgment Day is here a little early |
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - San Francisco Business Times:
wanuso.wordpress.com
and Industry released seasonally adjustede unemployment figures forthe state’s counties and metropolitan statistical arease on Tuesday. In Allegheny the unemployment rate fellfrom 6.6 percentt in March to 6.5 percent in April. Beaver County’se went from 8.2 percent in March to 7.9 percent in The improvements in Allegheny andBeaver however, were not enough to boost the seven-county Pittsburgh MSA, whichh saw its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increasd from 7.2 percent in March to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held stead yat 7.8 percent.
When makin comparisons, the Department of Labor and Industryu uses seasonally adjusted figures in order to accoung for cyclical hiring differenceswthat don’t reflect changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be stronget than many other areas. In addition to besting the state by half apercentage point, unemploymentf in the Pittsburgh MSA is 1.6 percentage points lower than the Uniteds States as a whole, whic has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 Here is the breakdowmn across the state: State 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percent 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percent Philadelphia: 7.9 percent 7.9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.
3 percent Erie: 8.4 percengt Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percent Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Within the Pittsburgh MSA, unemploymenr ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny Countu to 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Here is the breakdowm by county: Allegheny: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 perceng Armstrong: 9.8 percent
and Industry released seasonally adjustede unemployment figures forthe state’s counties and metropolitan statistical arease on Tuesday. In Allegheny the unemployment rate fellfrom 6.6 percentt in March to 6.5 percent in April. Beaver County’se went from 8.2 percent in March to 7.9 percent in The improvements in Allegheny andBeaver however, were not enough to boost the seven-county Pittsburgh MSA, whichh saw its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increasd from 7.2 percent in March to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held stead yat 7.8 percent.
When makin comparisons, the Department of Labor and Industryu uses seasonally adjusted figures in order to accoung for cyclical hiring differenceswthat don’t reflect changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be stronget than many other areas. In addition to besting the state by half apercentage point, unemploymentf in the Pittsburgh MSA is 1.6 percentage points lower than the Uniteds States as a whole, whic has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 Here is the breakdowmn across the state: State 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percent 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percent Philadelphia: 7.9 percent 7.9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.
3 percent Erie: 8.4 percengt Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percent Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Within the Pittsburgh MSA, unemploymenr ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny Countu to 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Here is the breakdowm by county: Allegheny: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 perceng Armstrong: 9.8 percent
Friday, April 22, 2011
Ohio State unveils tribute to Jesse Owens - OSU - The Lantern
wanuso.wordpress.com
Columbus Dispatch | Ohio State unveils tribute to Jesse Owens OSU - The Lantern The statue of Jesse Owens, unveiled at Jesse Owens Stadium on Thursday afternoon, depicts him clutching his 4 gold medals from the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Seventy-five years ago, Jesse Owens was breaking racial barriers and world ... Chasing greatness: Ohio State's Mike Hartfield is rising star in long jump ... Track: WVU to run at Ohio State Jesse Owens Statue Unveiling G » |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
No easy choices ahead for new United Guaranty CEO - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
hustenuejib1630.blogspot.com
Parent company installed Eric Martinez Jr. as CEO of Unitefd Guaranty on June 1. He replaced William “Billy” who had been chief executive since 2001 and an employer of United Guaranty for more than30 years. As CEO, Nutt oversae both a period of robust profitability duringthe run-up in the housing market and then dramatic losses that totaled $2.5 billionb in 2008. Along with other mortgagew insurers, United Guaranty has been swamped by claims from lenderw to pay off the home loanss of hundreds of thousands ofdefaultingb debtors. From his home, Nutt referred all questionsa toUnited Guaranty. Officials there declined comment or to make Martinez availables foran interview.
According to the announcement of his appointment atUnited Guaranty, Martinez is charger with making “significant progress in setting a successfu l strategy” that would ultimately help reduce the financiaol hemorrhaging for AIG, which has received more than $180 billion in federal aid to stay He’s been involved in a strategic review of United Guaranty for AIG for the past two months. AIG has repeatedly said “alo options are on the table” for United Guarantyu and its 500 local employees who have yet to see a turnaroun in theirfinancial fortunes. For the first quarter of United Guaranty reported operating lossesof $483 million.
That would mean paths forward could range from toughing out the economhunder AIG’s umbrella, selling to anotherr company if a buyer could be or even going into “run-off,” which would likely mean major layoffs since United Guaranty wouldx stop selling new policies. If the choice is to soldiee on under AIG oranotherf owner, the fight won’t be easy and no strategy is likely to return United Guaranty to its past levela of profitability any time soon. Despites glimmers of improvement in the nationwidshousing market, some analysts are warning of anothetr wave of foreclosures getting ready to hit.
Whered once the housing crisis was limited torisky “subprime” more “prime” and “Alt-A” loans that were supposef to be safer are now being paid late and threateninh to default, which would triggere yet more claims to pay for mortgage reported that 12 percent of all mortgager loans were delinquent in the first quarter of this the highest rate it has tracked over the past 37 Michael Calhoun, president of the Durham-basedf Center for Responsible Lending, said if the foreclosure rate does continu to increase, any company or industry banking on a big reboundc in the economy will be disappointed.
“Foreclosureas started today’s crisis, and foreclosures will keep the crisids going if thisepidemic continues,” Calhoun said. But some analysts say United Guaranty showws signs that it is facingt the future more directly than some of its rivalsx inthe industry. James Brender, of credit ratings firm Standanx & Poors, recently issued downgrades covering most of the mortgagweinsurance industry, but he said in an interview that he took Unite d Guaranty down fewer pegs than some of its competitors, even thougn it has reported bigger losses.
“Righyt now all the mortgage insuret results are subject to a lot of because each company estimates how many of the delinquent loanw in their portfolios will ultimatelytrigger claims, and sometimes those estimates are overl optimistic, he said. “We think Unitefd Guaranty has been more conservativw thanits peers, and that’s one reaso they’ve seen the biggert operating losses,” Brender said. If its projections do turn out to be more that could helpthe company’s relative performancew down the road, he said. But Brender and othed analysts say theystill don’t know what direction AIG and Martine intend to take United Guaranty.
Martinez’s own background couldc be read in variousways — he’s crediteds with a major revamp of operations at his forme r employer, Safeco Insurance in Seattle, but since arriving at AIG in Januaryg his primary task has been to sell off a majore corporate asset, the company’s $1.2 billion Japanes e headquarters building in AIG has also sent mixed When it created a new holding compan y in March called AIU to give its strongest property and casualty insurers a new branrd identity, United Guaranty was at firsr included in the spin-off but later boughgt back by AIG.
That triggered a downgrade for Unitedc Guaranty fromFitch Ratings, which said AIG’ws repurchase of the unit reflectexd “increased uncertainty with regard to (United Guaranty’s) strategixc direction.” If AIG were to keep the companyu going it would likely put more capitapl and support behind the company, but the reportg said run-off was also a possibility.
Parent company installed Eric Martinez Jr. as CEO of Unitefd Guaranty on June 1. He replaced William “Billy” who had been chief executive since 2001 and an employer of United Guaranty for more than30 years. As CEO, Nutt oversae both a period of robust profitability duringthe run-up in the housing market and then dramatic losses that totaled $2.5 billionb in 2008. Along with other mortgagew insurers, United Guaranty has been swamped by claims from lenderw to pay off the home loanss of hundreds of thousands ofdefaultingb debtors. From his home, Nutt referred all questionsa toUnited Guaranty. Officials there declined comment or to make Martinez availables foran interview.
According to the announcement of his appointment atUnited Guaranty, Martinez is charger with making “significant progress in setting a successfu l strategy” that would ultimately help reduce the financiaol hemorrhaging for AIG, which has received more than $180 billion in federal aid to stay He’s been involved in a strategic review of United Guaranty for AIG for the past two months. AIG has repeatedly said “alo options are on the table” for United Guarantyu and its 500 local employees who have yet to see a turnaroun in theirfinancial fortunes. For the first quarter of United Guaranty reported operating lossesof $483 million.
That would mean paths forward could range from toughing out the economhunder AIG’s umbrella, selling to anotherr company if a buyer could be or even going into “run-off,” which would likely mean major layoffs since United Guaranty wouldx stop selling new policies. If the choice is to soldiee on under AIG oranotherf owner, the fight won’t be easy and no strategy is likely to return United Guaranty to its past levela of profitability any time soon. Despites glimmers of improvement in the nationwidshousing market, some analysts are warning of anothetr wave of foreclosures getting ready to hit.
Whered once the housing crisis was limited torisky “subprime” more “prime” and “Alt-A” loans that were supposef to be safer are now being paid late and threateninh to default, which would triggere yet more claims to pay for mortgage reported that 12 percent of all mortgager loans were delinquent in the first quarter of this the highest rate it has tracked over the past 37 Michael Calhoun, president of the Durham-basedf Center for Responsible Lending, said if the foreclosure rate does continu to increase, any company or industry banking on a big reboundc in the economy will be disappointed.
“Foreclosureas started today’s crisis, and foreclosures will keep the crisids going if thisepidemic continues,” Calhoun said. But some analysts say United Guaranty showws signs that it is facingt the future more directly than some of its rivalsx inthe industry. James Brender, of credit ratings firm Standanx & Poors, recently issued downgrades covering most of the mortgagweinsurance industry, but he said in an interview that he took Unite d Guaranty down fewer pegs than some of its competitors, even thougn it has reported bigger losses.
“Righyt now all the mortgage insuret results are subject to a lot of because each company estimates how many of the delinquent loanw in their portfolios will ultimatelytrigger claims, and sometimes those estimates are overl optimistic, he said. “We think Unitefd Guaranty has been more conservativw thanits peers, and that’s one reaso they’ve seen the biggert operating losses,” Brender said. If its projections do turn out to be more that could helpthe company’s relative performancew down the road, he said. But Brender and othed analysts say theystill don’t know what direction AIG and Martine intend to take United Guaranty.
Martinez’s own background couldc be read in variousways — he’s crediteds with a major revamp of operations at his forme r employer, Safeco Insurance in Seattle, but since arriving at AIG in Januaryg his primary task has been to sell off a majore corporate asset, the company’s $1.2 billion Japanes e headquarters building in AIG has also sent mixed When it created a new holding compan y in March called AIU to give its strongest property and casualty insurers a new branrd identity, United Guaranty was at firsr included in the spin-off but later boughgt back by AIG.
That triggered a downgrade for Unitedc Guaranty fromFitch Ratings, which said AIG’ws repurchase of the unit reflectexd “increased uncertainty with regard to (United Guaranty’s) strategixc direction.” If AIG were to keep the companyu going it would likely put more capitapl and support behind the company, but the reportg said run-off was also a possibility.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
If you can't file your taxes by Monday's deadline, be sure to request an extension - NOLA.com
http://alnano.org/mariano.asp
Chicago Tribune | If you can't file your taxes by Monday's deadline, be sure to request an extension NOLA.com To submit a question, send it to insurance@timespicayune.com I'm not sure I'll be able to finish my tax return by the April 18 deadline. Can you explain how I can go about filing an extension? If you aren't able to file by Monday's deadline, ... Tax Deadline 2011 is April 18th |
Friday, April 15, 2011
Atlas Pipeline and Williams launch Marcellus Shale venture - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
olimstgon.blogspot.com
The two companies LLC, on April 1 . Atlaz Energy Resources LLC (NYSE:ATN), an affiliate of Atlas Pipeline Partners, will be the anchor tenant onLaurel Mountain’s system. Under its agreement with Okla.-based Williams (NYSE:WMB), Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE:APL) will receive $90 million in a preferred right to proceeds undera $25.5 million obligation from Williams, and 49 percent of Laurell Mountain. The obligation amortizes in equall principal installments overthree years.
Atlas Pipeline Partnerw can convert its right to receive accruex principal and interest under the obligationh into a sum equal to the accrued principal and interestf and use that to covefr its required capital expenditures underdthe joint-venture agreement. Atlas Pipeline Partnersx also said its lenders recently agreed to relax the covenante relating to total debt and earningsxbefore interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on its $380 million revolvinhg credit line and $463 milliojn term loan facility.
Additionally, , whichu owns the general partner of AtlaxPipeline Partners, said Monday it has repaid $30 millio n on its credit facilityu and will pay down the remaining $16 milliob balance in equal quarterly installment s over the next year. Atlas Pipelinw Holdings (NYSE:AHD) got the $30 million it used to pay down the facility byissuing $15 million of preferred limited partner units to Atlas Pipeline Partners and by borrowinyg $15 million from Atlas America which owns Atlas Pipeline Holdings’ general partner and 64 percent of its common units. Atlas America also guaranteed that Atlas Pipeline Holdings will repay theremaining $16 million on its credir facility.
The Atlas companies have offices in Philadelphiaand Pa.
The two companies LLC, on April 1 . Atlaz Energy Resources LLC (NYSE:ATN), an affiliate of Atlas Pipeline Partners, will be the anchor tenant onLaurel Mountain’s system. Under its agreement with Okla.-based Williams (NYSE:WMB), Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE:APL) will receive $90 million in a preferred right to proceeds undera $25.5 million obligation from Williams, and 49 percent of Laurell Mountain. The obligation amortizes in equall principal installments overthree years.
Atlas Pipeline Partnerw can convert its right to receive accruex principal and interest under the obligationh into a sum equal to the accrued principal and interestf and use that to covefr its required capital expenditures underdthe joint-venture agreement. Atlas Pipeline Partnersx also said its lenders recently agreed to relax the covenante relating to total debt and earningsxbefore interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on its $380 million revolvinhg credit line and $463 milliojn term loan facility.
Additionally, , whichu owns the general partner of AtlaxPipeline Partners, said Monday it has repaid $30 millio n on its credit facilityu and will pay down the remaining $16 milliob balance in equal quarterly installment s over the next year. Atlas Pipelinw Holdings (NYSE:AHD) got the $30 million it used to pay down the facility byissuing $15 million of preferred limited partner units to Atlas Pipeline Partners and by borrowinyg $15 million from Atlas America which owns Atlas Pipeline Holdings’ general partner and 64 percent of its common units. Atlas America also guaranteed that Atlas Pipeline Holdings will repay theremaining $16 million on its credir facility.
The Atlas companies have offices in Philadelphiaand Pa.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Developers weathering market
http://karmani656.livejournal.com/
Several major projects that either came on the marke t recently or are under construction are helpingy push vacancy rates higher and leaserates That’s good for tenants, bad for ownerw and developers. But it’s not just an oversupplgy of space coupled with a shortage of tenanytdemand that’s hurting property High construction costs, including for interior tenanf finishes, and worried lendersx are also weighing on the said Michele Laumer at . From a developer’s “You’ve got the perfect storm,” Laumer said.
In Cincinnati, they are already having a tough time leasing newly completed offics buildings such as Redstonein Kenwood, Columbiwa Square in Columbia Tusculum and Keystonse Park in Evanston. With the economy sinking, no additiona projects are expected to get under way withoutysubstantial preleasing. That means “every bit of 50 if not more,” said Scott a broker at who is tryinb to line up tenants for aproposedc 300,000-square-foot office tower for the Banks. “Cincinnati has weatheredc the stormfairly We’re not at a point where we’re significantlu overbuilt,” Yards said.
If a large corporation or law firmwanted 100,00o square feet, it’s tough to put together that much desirabld space. “There’s not a lot of alternatives for big blockszof space,” he said. At not at the moment. Lurkintg on the horizon, however, is ’s Queenb City Square skyscraper, which opens downtown in 2011. The 840,000-square-footf office tower has about 300,000 squarre feet still available. And the 530,000 square feet that’x preleased by will create an exodusd out ofthat company’s current quarters at 580 Walnuyt and 525 Vine.
Add in the proposedx Banks office space, impending consolidationas by the other kind of and a few othersmaller projects, and the markegt is clearly shifting in the directionj of “overbuilt.” Dave Neyer, CEO of , said no one is doinf speculative office developments in this environment, but projects can be done if a tenanty commits up front for a sizeable chunj of space. “A user-driven project makee sense,” he said. The initial office buildinyg at Neyer’s Linden Pointe office park in Norwooed is about 90percent leased, he said, and a seconc building could get under way if it had a 50,000-square-foog anchor tenant.
Neyer is also renovatiny the 150,000-square-foot former Hennegan Printing building at West Thirdr and Central Avenue downtownfor ’as new headquarters. The rapidly expandinbg joint venture is expected to move inthis summer. Laumer citer other bright spots, too, such as relocation to the former Gruejn Watch building onEast McMillan. It more than doubledd its space. “There are deals being transacted, and thers are businesses that are Laumer said.
Still, landlords are happily accepting offeres now that they would have cringed at only a few monthzsago – including lowered lease early termination rights and rent In the past they’d have “Why would I do this Laumer said. But they’re quicklyt coming around to the realizationthat “irt might be the best deal you’re going to get for threde years.” Several major projects are changing the officw space landscape in a tough time.
Western Southern Financial Group's Queen City Square openxs in 2011, and an office tower is planned forthe
Several major projects that either came on the marke t recently or are under construction are helpingy push vacancy rates higher and leaserates That’s good for tenants, bad for ownerw and developers. But it’s not just an oversupplgy of space coupled with a shortage of tenanytdemand that’s hurting property High construction costs, including for interior tenanf finishes, and worried lendersx are also weighing on the said Michele Laumer at . From a developer’s “You’ve got the perfect storm,” Laumer said.
In Cincinnati, they are already having a tough time leasing newly completed offics buildings such as Redstonein Kenwood, Columbiwa Square in Columbia Tusculum and Keystonse Park in Evanston. With the economy sinking, no additiona projects are expected to get under way withoutysubstantial preleasing. That means “every bit of 50 if not more,” said Scott a broker at who is tryinb to line up tenants for aproposedc 300,000-square-foot office tower for the Banks. “Cincinnati has weatheredc the stormfairly We’re not at a point where we’re significantlu overbuilt,” Yards said.
If a large corporation or law firmwanted 100,00o square feet, it’s tough to put together that much desirabld space. “There’s not a lot of alternatives for big blockszof space,” he said. At not at the moment. Lurkintg on the horizon, however, is ’s Queenb City Square skyscraper, which opens downtown in 2011. The 840,000-square-footf office tower has about 300,000 squarre feet still available. And the 530,000 square feet that’x preleased by will create an exodusd out ofthat company’s current quarters at 580 Walnuyt and 525 Vine.
Add in the proposedx Banks office space, impending consolidationas by the other kind of and a few othersmaller projects, and the markegt is clearly shifting in the directionj of “overbuilt.” Dave Neyer, CEO of , said no one is doinf speculative office developments in this environment, but projects can be done if a tenanty commits up front for a sizeable chunj of space. “A user-driven project makee sense,” he said. The initial office buildinyg at Neyer’s Linden Pointe office park in Norwooed is about 90percent leased, he said, and a seconc building could get under way if it had a 50,000-square-foog anchor tenant.
Neyer is also renovatiny the 150,000-square-foot former Hennegan Printing building at West Thirdr and Central Avenue downtownfor ’as new headquarters. The rapidly expandinbg joint venture is expected to move inthis summer. Laumer citer other bright spots, too, such as relocation to the former Gruejn Watch building onEast McMillan. It more than doubledd its space. “There are deals being transacted, and thers are businesses that are Laumer said.
Still, landlords are happily accepting offeres now that they would have cringed at only a few monthzsago – including lowered lease early termination rights and rent In the past they’d have “Why would I do this Laumer said. But they’re quicklyt coming around to the realizationthat “irt might be the best deal you’re going to get for threde years.” Several major projects are changing the officw space landscape in a tough time.
Western Southern Financial Group's Queen City Square openxs in 2011, and an office tower is planned forthe
Monday, April 11, 2011
Woods left frustrated - Clubcall
http://www.roseanneworld.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=3115
CBC.ca | Woods left frustrated Clubc » |
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Small businesses find live people still best option for answering phones - Business First of Columbus:
fishermen-americachair.blogspot.com
Just ask real estate agentt Jill Rudlerof . "I needed to duplicatee myself, have a person in the officw who could answer questionzs while I was meeting with Since 1987, Rudler has made it a policy to have a persomn answer phones. In the beginning, Rudler relied on secretariex to answerthe phones. As it turned out, returning so many calls after a day of client meetings meant many late night phone calls which became difficult to Success came when Rudler stopped trying to do itall "I hired a Realtor to handle the office while I was on appointmentsz and really saw the business she said.
Small-business owners start by doingit all, but as salesz increase, they're faced with the dilemma that they can' t do everything. The pace of today's business world requiresz immediate answers. Customers lack patience and are a Googled search away from findingyour competitors. Yet, peoplwe still prefer personal interactions. Even in today's technology-dependentr environment, 73 percent of peoplew prefer to dealby phone, 24 percent prefefr e-mail as a method of interacting and 4 percen of customers would choose live chat, according to the 2007 Aspec Contact Center Satisfaction Index conducted by , in Chelmsford, Aspect Software handles more than 125 millionh customer-company interactions annually at thousands of contact centers arounfd the world.
, a Columbus technology and software has found a way tosatisfy customers' immediate need for answers through a phone routinbg system. The system routes calls to available employees insteaed of to avoicemail system. After business hours, the phone system routes callsto employees' cell phonesx for support. "Customers preferred to talk to someone that could take saysMatt Scantland, president of Innova Partners. "Customeras get support folks who can help crucial tocustomer service. Some of our customers need problemsfixed now. Those problems can happe n at any time, 24/7.
" Investment in a telephone routingy system can require buying telephone systenm softwareand hardware. If that isn't a good fit, a specialize d answering servicemight be. The , a tradew association, recommends doing some legwork before investing in an answering The association recommends looking ata company's employee turnover. If the servicwe is not retaining employees for more thana it's a red flag. The association also advises companiezs to set up telephone numbers on theitr own and not have the answering serviceprovidd them. This way, if a business owne r wants tochange providers, she won't have to changes numbers, too.
Before choosing an answeriny service, evaluate the types of clients it Many answering services have found theirown niches, such as providing bilingual servicesd or specializing in a market segment. One such localp firm is in New This firm provides traditional answering services and specializes in handling callsw for small businesses that sell their products throughonline stores. "A live person can keep a customefr from hanging up and moving on to the next busines s onthe list," says Janene Jaroscak, founder and president of Trending Solutions.
"Ourt representatives have a customer servicde background and do more than just take Jaroscak conducts client screenings prior to taking that first phonee call and learns things abourprospective clients. "I know their history and can answer questions fromtheier perspective," she says. Most answering servicews charge per minute and sell serviced in blocksof time. At Trending Solutions, Jaroscak chargee per call, enabling her team to focuss on service. If customers need it's provided without the clocmk running. To effectively offer phone service sthis way, Trending Solutions conducts tests measuring how long average calls are and sets pricingg based on them.
Just ask real estate agentt Jill Rudlerof . "I needed to duplicatee myself, have a person in the officw who could answer questionzs while I was meeting with Since 1987, Rudler has made it a policy to have a persomn answer phones. In the beginning, Rudler relied on secretariex to answerthe phones. As it turned out, returning so many calls after a day of client meetings meant many late night phone calls which became difficult to Success came when Rudler stopped trying to do itall "I hired a Realtor to handle the office while I was on appointmentsz and really saw the business she said.
Small-business owners start by doingit all, but as salesz increase, they're faced with the dilemma that they can' t do everything. The pace of today's business world requiresz immediate answers. Customers lack patience and are a Googled search away from findingyour competitors. Yet, peoplwe still prefer personal interactions. Even in today's technology-dependentr environment, 73 percent of peoplew prefer to dealby phone, 24 percent prefefr e-mail as a method of interacting and 4 percen of customers would choose live chat, according to the 2007 Aspec Contact Center Satisfaction Index conducted by , in Chelmsford, Aspect Software handles more than 125 millionh customer-company interactions annually at thousands of contact centers arounfd the world.
, a Columbus technology and software has found a way tosatisfy customers' immediate need for answers through a phone routinbg system. The system routes calls to available employees insteaed of to avoicemail system. After business hours, the phone system routes callsto employees' cell phonesx for support. "Customers preferred to talk to someone that could take saysMatt Scantland, president of Innova Partners. "Customeras get support folks who can help crucial tocustomer service. Some of our customers need problemsfixed now. Those problems can happe n at any time, 24/7.
" Investment in a telephone routingy system can require buying telephone systenm softwareand hardware. If that isn't a good fit, a specialize d answering servicemight be. The , a tradew association, recommends doing some legwork before investing in an answering The association recommends looking ata company's employee turnover. If the servicwe is not retaining employees for more thana it's a red flag. The association also advises companiezs to set up telephone numbers on theitr own and not have the answering serviceprovidd them. This way, if a business owne r wants tochange providers, she won't have to changes numbers, too.
Before choosing an answeriny service, evaluate the types of clients it Many answering services have found theirown niches, such as providing bilingual servicesd or specializing in a market segment. One such localp firm is in New This firm provides traditional answering services and specializes in handling callsw for small businesses that sell their products throughonline stores. "A live person can keep a customefr from hanging up and moving on to the next busines s onthe list," says Janene Jaroscak, founder and president of Trending Solutions.
"Ourt representatives have a customer servicde background and do more than just take Jaroscak conducts client screenings prior to taking that first phonee call and learns things abourprospective clients. "I know their history and can answer questions fromtheier perspective," she says. Most answering servicews charge per minute and sell serviced in blocksof time. At Trending Solutions, Jaroscak chargee per call, enabling her team to focuss on service. If customers need it's provided without the clocmk running. To effectively offer phone service sthis way, Trending Solutions conducts tests measuring how long average calls are and sets pricingg based on them.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
City of Raleigh Named Finalist for National Sustainability Award - Raleigh Chronicle
metal doors
City of Raleigh Named Finalist for National Sustainability Award Raleigh Chronicle The US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation have announced that the City of Raleigh is a finalist for the 2011 Siemens Sustainable Community Award. Now in its fourth year, the Siemens Sustainable Community ... |
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - Washington Business Journal:
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and Industry released seasonally adjustee unemployment figures forthe state’s counties and metropolitanh statistical areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny County, the unemployment rate fell from 6.6 percentt in March to 6.5 percent in Beaver County’s went from 8.2 perceny in March to 7.9 percent in April. The improvements in Allegheng andBeaver counties, however, were not enough to boost the seven-county Pittsburgh MSA, whic saw its seasonally adjustede unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percentt in March to 7.3 percent in Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent.
When makingg comparisons, the Department of Labor and Industry uses seasonally adjustee figures in order to account for cyclical hiring differencesthat don’ft reflect changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be stronger than many other areas. In addition to besting the stated by half a percentage unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSAis 1.6 percentage points lowe than the United States as a which has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 Here is the breakdown across the State College: 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percenyt Altoona: 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 perceny Philadelphia: 7.9 percent York-Hanover: 7.
9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.3 percen Erie: 8.4 percent Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percentr Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Withibn the Pittsburgh MSA, unemployment ranged from 6.5 percenty in Allegheny County to 9.8 percent in Armstrong Here is the breakdown by Allegheny: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent Washington: 7.6 percen t Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percent Armstrong: 9.
8 percent
and Industry released seasonally adjustee unemployment figures forthe state’s counties and metropolitanh statistical areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny County, the unemployment rate fell from 6.6 percentt in March to 6.5 percent in Beaver County’s went from 8.2 perceny in March to 7.9 percent in April. The improvements in Allegheng andBeaver counties, however, were not enough to boost the seven-county Pittsburgh MSA, whic saw its seasonally adjustede unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percentt in March to 7.3 percent in Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent.
When makingg comparisons, the Department of Labor and Industry uses seasonally adjustee figures in order to account for cyclical hiring differencesthat don’ft reflect changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continues to be stronger than many other areas. In addition to besting the stated by half a percentage unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSAis 1.6 percentage points lowe than the United States as a which has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 Here is the breakdown across the State College: 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percenyt Altoona: 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 perceny Philadelphia: 7.9 percent York-Hanover: 7.
9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.3 percen Erie: 8.4 percent Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percentr Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Withibn the Pittsburgh MSA, unemployment ranged from 6.5 percenty in Allegheny County to 9.8 percent in Armstrong Here is the breakdown by Allegheny: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent Washington: 7.6 percen t Beaver: 7.9 percent 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percent Armstrong: 9.
8 percent
Monday, April 4, 2011
A&R Development picked for $17M Jonestown project - Kansas City Business Journal:
http://www.kineweb.net/user_detail.php?u=lokstoseres
The project falls into the city’xs aims to remake Central which has seen a wave of new developmengt in recent years building off the succesd of nearbyHarbor East. A&R, led by Anthony hopes to builda mixed-use developmen t including 107 rental apartments, 18,00 0 square feet of retail space and 156 parkinb spaces. said Tuesday it awarded the firm exclusive negotiating rightse forthe city-owned land at 110 S. Central Ave. and 1120 Granb y St. The properties combine for about 29,00 0 square feet. The BDC, the city’xs economic development arm, offered the and two others, up for redevelopmentt in August 2008.
“Thes properties give the city the opportunity totake vacant, underutilizes properties and have them renewef as private enterprises that will generate taxee and enhance the Jonestown/Washington Hill community,” BDC President M.J. Brodie said in a statement. The city also tapped Miteu LLC to negotiate for a second siteat 1301-130o E. Lombard St. Mitey is a real estatd company formedby Gerry’s Tire Service, whicn hopes to use the property to expand its adjacent Mitey plans to use the 4,518-square-footg property in the short term as a temporaryt parking lot for its business and would expand onto the city-owne d property in the future.
The city is reservinv the rights for thethirc property, at 130 S. Central Ave.
The project falls into the city’xs aims to remake Central which has seen a wave of new developmengt in recent years building off the succesd of nearbyHarbor East. A&R, led by Anthony hopes to builda mixed-use developmen t including 107 rental apartments, 18,00 0 square feet of retail space and 156 parkinb spaces. said Tuesday it awarded the firm exclusive negotiating rightse forthe city-owned land at 110 S. Central Ave. and 1120 Granb y St. The properties combine for about 29,00 0 square feet. The BDC, the city’xs economic development arm, offered the and two others, up for redevelopmentt in August 2008.
“Thes properties give the city the opportunity totake vacant, underutilizes properties and have them renewef as private enterprises that will generate taxee and enhance the Jonestown/Washington Hill community,” BDC President M.J. Brodie said in a statement. The city also tapped Miteu LLC to negotiate for a second siteat 1301-130o E. Lombard St. Mitey is a real estatd company formedby Gerry’s Tire Service, whicn hopes to use the property to expand its adjacent Mitey plans to use the 4,518-square-footg property in the short term as a temporaryt parking lot for its business and would expand onto the city-owne d property in the future.
The city is reservinv the rights for thethirc property, at 130 S. Central Ave.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
BFC Financial, Woodbridge to merge - Dallas Business Journal:
http://www.annuaire-blues.com/user_detail.php?u=sizispnes
In a joint press release Monday, the Fort Lauderdale-based companieds said they entered into a mergert agreement whereinWoodbridge (Pink Sheets: would become a whollyh owned subsidiary of BFC (Pink BFCF). BFC currently controles majority voting stakes in both Woodbridgeand (NYSE: BBX). BFC lost $58.9 million on revenue of $487.5 million in 2008. Woodbridger owns , which is building Traditionh Florida inPort St. and has investments in various companies includingfand . Woodbridge lost $140.3 million on revenus of $25.5 million in 2008.
In its first quarterr earnings report, Woodbridge warned that Core Communities coulxd default on the loans for Tradition Floridz if its lenders demand that it put more equitycapital down. Under the merger deal, all shareholders of Woodbridgre Class A common stock except BFC wouldreceivew 3.47 shares of BFC’s Class A common stockk per share. With shares of BFC openingv at 40cents Monday, it equals nearlty $1.39 a share for each sharew of Woodbridge, which opened at $1.10p Monday. Levan and Abdo are chairman andvice respectively, of both companies. The merger woulcd save between $1 million and $2 million in professional fees and SEC reportinv costs forthe companies, Levan said.
It would also reduc the taxes Woodbridge would pay on its earningxs once it returnsto profitability, he said. Currently, Woodbridgwe pays taxes on its earnings, and then BFC pays taxed on the portionof Woodbridge’s earningsz that it counts on its balance The move will not cause any staff Levan noted. Woodbridge will continued operate independently. The agreement would include all currenyt board members of Woodbridgeon BFC’s new boarfd and add Woodbridge President Seth Wise and BankAtlanticc Bancorp President Jarett Levan to BFC’s 12-member board, as well. Wise wouled also become executive vice presidentof BFC. The deal is expectedc to close before the endof 2009.
BFC share closed unchanged at 40 cents. The 52-weekl high was 95 centd on Sept. 2. The 52-week low was 6 cents on Feb. 5. Woodbridger shares closed down 2 centsto $1.08. The 52-weel high was $6.60 on Aug. 21. The 52-wee low was 2 cents on Oct. 24.
In a joint press release Monday, the Fort Lauderdale-based companieds said they entered into a mergert agreement whereinWoodbridge (Pink Sheets: would become a whollyh owned subsidiary of BFC (Pink BFCF). BFC currently controles majority voting stakes in both Woodbridgeand (NYSE: BBX). BFC lost $58.9 million on revenue of $487.5 million in 2008. Woodbridger owns , which is building Traditionh Florida inPort St. and has investments in various companies includingfand . Woodbridge lost $140.3 million on revenus of $25.5 million in 2008.
In its first quarterr earnings report, Woodbridge warned that Core Communities coulxd default on the loans for Tradition Floridz if its lenders demand that it put more equitycapital down. Under the merger deal, all shareholders of Woodbridgre Class A common stock except BFC wouldreceivew 3.47 shares of BFC’s Class A common stockk per share. With shares of BFC openingv at 40cents Monday, it equals nearlty $1.39 a share for each sharew of Woodbridge, which opened at $1.10p Monday. Levan and Abdo are chairman andvice respectively, of both companies. The merger woulcd save between $1 million and $2 million in professional fees and SEC reportinv costs forthe companies, Levan said.
It would also reduc the taxes Woodbridge would pay on its earningxs once it returnsto profitability, he said. Currently, Woodbridgwe pays taxes on its earnings, and then BFC pays taxed on the portionof Woodbridge’s earningsz that it counts on its balance The move will not cause any staff Levan noted. Woodbridge will continued operate independently. The agreement would include all currenyt board members of Woodbridgeon BFC’s new boarfd and add Woodbridge President Seth Wise and BankAtlanticc Bancorp President Jarett Levan to BFC’s 12-member board, as well. Wise wouled also become executive vice presidentof BFC. The deal is expectedc to close before the endof 2009.
BFC share closed unchanged at 40 cents. The 52-weekl high was 95 centd on Sept. 2. The 52-week low was 6 cents on Feb. 5. Woodbridger shares closed down 2 centsto $1.08. The 52-weel high was $6.60 on Aug. 21. The 52-wee low was 2 cents on Oct. 24.
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