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, a Denver company that has owned the rightas tothe region’s largest Yellow Pages producty since 2002, blames the delag on printer changes and organizational About 140 of its 900 directories are being delayed nationwide. Cincinnati is the largest market affected. “It’s a stinking deal,” said Brenda controller for inClermont County. Hacker was planninh to downsizeher company’s ad in a directory she though t would be published in June. When she called the company in May to confirm the she was told it was exercising its contractuakl right to extendlast year’s Hacker said it will cost her company an extrs $700 each month.
“It’s just not right, what they’rw doing to people,” she said. Local Insight spokeswoman Pat Nichols said 75 percent ofits 10,0090 local customers will be unaffected by the Those are companies that plan to maintain the same ads they had last year or Local Insight CEO Scott Pomeroy is askint business owners angered by the delay to call the company’w customer service line, (888) 237-8570, although it’zs not clear what steps the company will take to address “If the product’s not delivering valuw to them, our customedr service department is prepared to talk to those Pomeroy said.
“I think it’s evaluated on a case-by-case The directory delay comes at a time of turmoik for Yellow Pagespublisherds nationwide. The recession is accelerating a trendc that has long threatened theindustryh – the shift of so-called “directional from print publications to online searc h engines and mobile phones. The , a subsidiargy of , is projecting total revenue will shrinkto $11 billiojn for Yellow Pages publishers by down from $14.4 billion in 2008. A year ago, the Kelsegy Group was forecasting a compoun annual growth rate for the industryof 4.5 Now, it’s minus 5 percent.
“The recession has driven print sodeeplu negative,” said Charles Laughlin, senior vice president and prograj director of the Kelsey Report. Laughlin said growth in digital revenue might never make up for salesa lost inprint publications. “Those who downsize, will they start spending agaimn once thesmoke clears? It’s probably next year before we know,” he Laughlin said most of the nation’ largest Yellow Pages markets are seeing revenud dips of more than 20 percent this year. Pomero y declined to reveal numbers for Cincinnat i but said the revenued dropis “nowhere near” 20 perceny here.
He said companywide revenue was flat in standing atroughly $700 million. Laughlin declinec to reveal Kelsey’s future outlook for Cincinnati, which is dominated by Local Insightt but includes asecond directory, the Yellow Book, published by of England. The industry’s major players, includinbg spinoff Idearc andthe better-known , are strugglinf through the recession with heavt debt loads.
Local Insight also has leverag issues, but its focus on smaller markete has helped temper the impactr of the recession onthe company, said Emile a credit analyst for “Idearc has filed for bankruptcy, and Donnelley has misseds interest payments on debt with various Local Insight has not. From a strictt financial-metrics point of view, they’re the healthier of the Courtney said. S&P revised to its outlook on Local Insight but retained a rating on its corporate debt in a March 31 At least one ofthe company’s local customers has a less positivd outlook.
“I think they’re really in The phone book isa dinosaur, and nobody’s usint it any more,” said Vicky exclusive marketing agent for Bezak estimated the directory delay woulr cost her company $300 a month if she pays it. “I’j going to call Cincinnati Bell and tell them that my contracrwith (Local Insight) terminates on June 1, and I’mj not paying the ad costs listed on my curren bill because I didn’t renew it,” she said. Cincinnati Bell servees as the billing agent for Local Insighg and permits the use of its brand name as part of a rightds agreement signed when it sold its YellowPages , in 2002.
But Cincinnatj Bell is not involved inthe company’s operations otherwise, according to Lisa McLaughlin, a public relations consultant for
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Fairfax Co. OKs Springfield Mall, affordable housing project - Kansas City Business Journal:
hustenuejib1630.blogspot.com
(NYSE: VNO) can now move forward with its massive transformatiobn ofthe 30-year-old Springfield Mall. The developer will add 175,00p0 square feet of new retail space, 2,200 homese near the Franconia-Springfield Metro and VRE station, a 225-roo hotel and about 1.1 millioj square feet of new office space tothe 80-acr site. The new mall, to be knownj as Springfield Town Center, will also includse parks, courtyards, bike lanes, farmer’s market spaces and outdoor recreational courts. Construction could begin as soon as permitare secured, but it’zs likely Vornado will move slowly givemn the economy. It is expected to take 10 to 15 yearse to completethe redevelopment.
LLC, the new venture by formetr JPI officials Greg Lamb and Jim Butz andAkridger executives, will develop the Fair Lakes project, an affordabler housing development that will sit next to the Fairfasx Government Center. The county will hand over 9 acresof county-owned land to the developef for 270 moderately-priced units known as The Residences at the Government But some criticized the deal, saying the rentapl income limits, which range from $50,000 a year to $100,000 a were too high and, therefore, not consistent with the board’ds mission to offer affordable housing to the poor and No timetable for construction of the apartments was
(NYSE: VNO) can now move forward with its massive transformatiobn ofthe 30-year-old Springfield Mall. The developer will add 175,00p0 square feet of new retail space, 2,200 homese near the Franconia-Springfield Metro and VRE station, a 225-roo hotel and about 1.1 millioj square feet of new office space tothe 80-acr site. The new mall, to be knownj as Springfield Town Center, will also includse parks, courtyards, bike lanes, farmer’s market spaces and outdoor recreational courts. Construction could begin as soon as permitare secured, but it’zs likely Vornado will move slowly givemn the economy. It is expected to take 10 to 15 yearse to completethe redevelopment.
LLC, the new venture by formetr JPI officials Greg Lamb and Jim Butz andAkridger executives, will develop the Fair Lakes project, an affordabler housing development that will sit next to the Fairfasx Government Center. The county will hand over 9 acresof county-owned land to the developef for 270 moderately-priced units known as The Residences at the Government But some criticized the deal, saying the rentapl income limits, which range from $50,000 a year to $100,000 a were too high and, therefore, not consistent with the board’ds mission to offer affordable housing to the poor and No timetable for construction of the apartments was
Friday, June 10, 2011
Blagojevich Retrial Nears Conclusion - NPR
budimirukaovyril.blogspot.com
Politico | Blagojevich Retrial Nears Conclusion NPR CONAN: A whopper is one of the conclusions. PEARSON: Yeah, very much so. And re » |
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Report: Local hospitals make the grade - The Business Review (Albany):
loxezop.wordpress.com
area received passing grades from both their patients and anonprofit coalition, but some were told they had room for improvement. The Niagarza Health Quality Coalition released its seventh annual Hospital Report CardJune 21. The Buffalo-basee group compared a wide range of safety and utilization data for individual institutionas acrossthe state. The data, based on administrativd reports filedfor 2007, was risk-based to reflectr each hospital’s patient mix. Hospitalsa were then ranked asbeing at, above, or below the state average in each of the 42 categories.
Bruce Boissonnault, presideny and CEO of the coalition, said the 2009 report showas that statewide, the risk-adjustes mortality rate for nearly all procedures and conditions improved fromprevious years. He attributedf this, at least in part, to the reporty card’s existence. “When hospitalds know that the public will be lookinyg at reports on how they are they make a big effor t to improve the qualityg oftheir outcomes,” he said. For the most local hospitals operated in line with theier peers acrossthe state.
Boissonnault said that sincd the level of care in the stat eis “pretty darn good,” that meana hospitals as this level are solid There were some hospitals that stood out. St. Peter’s in Albany, had better-than-average outcomex when dealing withhearg attacks, strokes and congestive heart and had a low occurrence of post-operative “We generally do very well because we work very hard at said Elmer Streeter, spokesman for St. Peter’s. “Our staff looks very hard at this data.
” Schenectady’s , too, did well with congestivew heart failurepatients and, along with , rankexd above average in preventing patients from developing blood clotsd after surgery. St. Mary’s Hospitalk in Amsterdam and both receive high marks foravoiding post-operativwe respiratory failures. There also were a few hospitalx rated as needing improvement inspecific , for example, did statistically worse than the statee average in preventing post-operative blood clots—although its risk-adjusted occurrencs rate was less than 1 , in Hudson, and Glens Fallsw Hospital both had more accidental punctures and lacerationzs than their peers, although again, the numbers remain And despite St.
Mary’s succesz in avoiding respiratory failures, a highert percentage of its patients suffered collapsed lungw than thestate average. Greg McGarry, spokesman for Albant Med, said the hospital values reporyt cards and doesits own, tracking about 400 conditione and procedures including post-operative clots. “Ther was a blip that year,” he “We looked at all the medical and physical interventions to preventg embolisms and we do feel we addressed it For thefirst time, the report also included the opinions of hospital When asked how they would rate their local hospital on a scale of “0” to “10”, an averagde of 60 percent of area residents gave theif local hospital a nine or 10.
This comparedr to a statewide average of56 percent, and a national average of 65 percent. Individual scoreds ranged from 56 percent at Albany Med to 67 perceny at ofSchoharie County. (See infobox below) An averagde of 66.5 percent of locap people gave their hospital of choicd high marks for how well their pain was This was right in the middle of the state and national Despite St. Peter’s good showing, Streetetr said no one should selec or reject a hospital based on one A few statewide and national groups issue annualp report cards and the results can sometimesbe contradictory.
“Peoples should look at several,” Streeter “And they should talk to their doctofr and to people who have been to the and they should ask questionws andbe informed, and then make theit decision.” The full report can be viewerd at .
area received passing grades from both their patients and anonprofit coalition, but some were told they had room for improvement. The Niagarza Health Quality Coalition released its seventh annual Hospital Report CardJune 21. The Buffalo-basee group compared a wide range of safety and utilization data for individual institutionas acrossthe state. The data, based on administrativd reports filedfor 2007, was risk-based to reflectr each hospital’s patient mix. Hospitalsa were then ranked asbeing at, above, or below the state average in each of the 42 categories.
Bruce Boissonnault, presideny and CEO of the coalition, said the 2009 report showas that statewide, the risk-adjustes mortality rate for nearly all procedures and conditions improved fromprevious years. He attributedf this, at least in part, to the reporty card’s existence. “When hospitalds know that the public will be lookinyg at reports on how they are they make a big effor t to improve the qualityg oftheir outcomes,” he said. For the most local hospitals operated in line with theier peers acrossthe state.
Boissonnault said that sincd the level of care in the stat eis “pretty darn good,” that meana hospitals as this level are solid There were some hospitals that stood out. St. Peter’s in Albany, had better-than-average outcomex when dealing withhearg attacks, strokes and congestive heart and had a low occurrence of post-operative “We generally do very well because we work very hard at said Elmer Streeter, spokesman for St. Peter’s. “Our staff looks very hard at this data.
” Schenectady’s , too, did well with congestivew heart failurepatients and, along with , rankexd above average in preventing patients from developing blood clotsd after surgery. St. Mary’s Hospitalk in Amsterdam and both receive high marks foravoiding post-operativwe respiratory failures. There also were a few hospitalx rated as needing improvement inspecific , for example, did statistically worse than the statee average in preventing post-operative blood clots—although its risk-adjusted occurrencs rate was less than 1 , in Hudson, and Glens Fallsw Hospital both had more accidental punctures and lacerationzs than their peers, although again, the numbers remain And despite St.
Mary’s succesz in avoiding respiratory failures, a highert percentage of its patients suffered collapsed lungw than thestate average. Greg McGarry, spokesman for Albant Med, said the hospital values reporyt cards and doesits own, tracking about 400 conditione and procedures including post-operative clots. “Ther was a blip that year,” he “We looked at all the medical and physical interventions to preventg embolisms and we do feel we addressed it For thefirst time, the report also included the opinions of hospital When asked how they would rate their local hospital on a scale of “0” to “10”, an averagde of 60 percent of area residents gave theif local hospital a nine or 10.
This comparedr to a statewide average of56 percent, and a national average of 65 percent. Individual scoreds ranged from 56 percent at Albany Med to 67 perceny at ofSchoharie County. (See infobox below) An averagde of 66.5 percent of locap people gave their hospital of choicd high marks for how well their pain was This was right in the middle of the state and national Despite St. Peter’s good showing, Streetetr said no one should selec or reject a hospital based on one A few statewide and national groups issue annualp report cards and the results can sometimesbe contradictory.
“Peoples should look at several,” Streeter “And they should talk to their doctofr and to people who have been to the and they should ask questionws andbe informed, and then make theit decision.” The full report can be viewerd at .
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Ford sales climb to highest level since July - Dallas Business Journal:
azajir.wordpress.com
But sales were down 24.2 percent compared with May when the companysold 213,23 units. For the first five months of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (NYSE: F) sold 620,303 compared with 981,150 units during the same period a year a 36.8 percent decline. In a sign that buyer s might be coming back to the luxuryvehicle Ford’s Lincoln division reported that it sold 8,56 6 units in May, a 2.2 percent increase over May when it sold 8,36 units. Sales of Ford Explorer declined 34.6 percent, to 5,315 unitsw from 8,122 units a year ago. Salezs of the Mercury Mountaineerdroppec 45.2 percent, to 402 from 734 units a year Sales of F-Series pickup trucks dropped 22.
3 to 33,381 units, from 42,973 units in May 2008. Sales of Ford Expedition SUVs declineed40 percent, to 3,150 units from 5,252q units a year earlier. Sales of the Lincoln Navigatortdropped 40.6 percent, to 790 units from 1,32 9 units a year earlier. Ford saw year-over-year gainz in some of its car categories. The companty sold 19,786 Fusion sedans in May, up 9.4 perceny from the year-earlier period when it sold 18,088 units. Lincoln sold 1,553 Town Cars in May, up 103.3 percent from May when it sold 764 of theluxuryy vehicles.
Ford’s Volvo division sold 590 of its S60 up 9 percent fromMay 2008, when it sold 542 Also Tuesday, Ford announced a summed promotion to draw more consumers to dealerships. Through June 30, the automake r will cover as much as three monthe of payments up to and its Ford Credit subsidiary will offer zero percenr financing on select Lincoln andMercury vehicles.
But sales were down 24.2 percent compared with May when the companysold 213,23 units. For the first five months of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (NYSE: F) sold 620,303 compared with 981,150 units during the same period a year a 36.8 percent decline. In a sign that buyer s might be coming back to the luxuryvehicle Ford’s Lincoln division reported that it sold 8,56 6 units in May, a 2.2 percent increase over May when it sold 8,36 units. Sales of Ford Explorer declined 34.6 percent, to 5,315 unitsw from 8,122 units a year ago. Salezs of the Mercury Mountaineerdroppec 45.2 percent, to 402 from 734 units a year Sales of F-Series pickup trucks dropped 22.
3 to 33,381 units, from 42,973 units in May 2008. Sales of Ford Expedition SUVs declineed40 percent, to 3,150 units from 5,252q units a year earlier. Sales of the Lincoln Navigatortdropped 40.6 percent, to 790 units from 1,32 9 units a year earlier. Ford saw year-over-year gainz in some of its car categories. The companty sold 19,786 Fusion sedans in May, up 9.4 perceny from the year-earlier period when it sold 18,088 units. Lincoln sold 1,553 Town Cars in May, up 103.3 percent from May when it sold 764 of theluxuryy vehicles.
Ford’s Volvo division sold 590 of its S60 up 9 percent fromMay 2008, when it sold 542 Also Tuesday, Ford announced a summed promotion to draw more consumers to dealerships. Through June 30, the automake r will cover as much as three monthe of payments up to and its Ford Credit subsidiary will offer zero percenr financing on select Lincoln andMercury vehicles.
Friday, June 3, 2011
First Niagara targets small end of Pittsburgh business banking market - Pittsburgh Business Times:
iqukikofor.wordpress.com
Competition among banks in the alreadyheating up, could reach a boiling point when Firsrt Niagara Financial Group enters Pittsburgh this First Niagara, based in Lockport, N.Y., confirmed it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a block of 57 former branches with depositse of $4.2 billion from Fifty of the branchesd are in the Pittsburgh First Niagara will pay $54 a deposit premium of 1.3 percent, for the entire group. Local banks hope to dislodge customerss from not only First Niagaraz butalso PNC.
Many, such as and , have hired Nationalp City personnel with deep roots in the Some have advertising efforts underway emphasizint the importance of choosing a bank rather than bein gassigned one. Marco Cardamone, CEO of South Side-basee Merging Media, is a personal and businesz customer ofthe Mt. Washington National City He doesn’t expect to switch bank — as long as First Niagar a doesn’t disrupt personnel. “The big factoer is the people inthe branch,” Cardamone said. “We have relationships with the tellerds and the people onthe floor, and that’s wherew we have our loyalty. Most banks are pretty standardx in the servicesthey deliver.
Ownership changes and productse comeand go, but the thing that remaind stable is how you relate to the folk at your locap branch.” Vincent Delie, president of the banking grou p at First National Bank of Pennsylvania Corp., “This business is about people. It doesn’t matter what brand,” said who was a National City executiv e prior tojoining F.N.B. “I’m not sure what impact (Firsy Niagara) is going to have, but National City did an excellent job of servinbthese markets. We welcome the competition.” For its part, Firstg Niagara expects to start its own marketinh blitzEaster weekend.
It also will begih courting business customers well beforethe sale’s expected completionb in September. Lanier Little, executive vice president of consumer banking, said First Niagara expects to add more branchea here, but couldn’t say how many. He said the branch staffin g format is similar toNationall City’s, and that branch managerws are trained to work with small busines s customers and to serve as “rainmakers,” drawing in new First Niagara plans to open a loan generation officd here “as soon as we can staff said Daniel Cantara, executive vice president of commercial services.
Cantara expects to startf interviewing for 15 staffers next Banks define middlemarket differently. First Niagara’s “sweet spot” is on the smallert side. Cantara said it viewz the size range as companies with annual sales between $2.5 million and $15 though it will look at deals in the $30 millionh range. But it is an activse lender, all told. “We’ve grownm our loan portfolio by 20 percent annually for the past several evenin 2008,” Cantara said. First Niagara has been a major Small Business Association lender on its home Forthe SBA’s fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Firsy Niagara completed 78 SBA loans with total dollar volumeof $8.55 million.
The bank does not have a privatequity arm, although it has occasionally invester in funds, CEO John Koelmel First Niagara will fit in with Pittsburgh’s community and regional said Brian Koble, a senior research analyst at “Thisa new bank is primarily going to compete with PNC’a competitors, a lot of those are hometown names who have been aroun d a long time. It will be heavyu sledding for First Niagara to capture markey share againstthose banks,” Koble For his part, Koelmel said the prospect of going up against PNC is an energizinf opportunity. “We’re used to competing against the big he said.
“We certainly have a lot of respectfor PNC, but we’rre confident in our ability to compete.”
Competition among banks in the alreadyheating up, could reach a boiling point when Firsrt Niagara Financial Group enters Pittsburgh this First Niagara, based in Lockport, N.Y., confirmed it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a block of 57 former branches with depositse of $4.2 billion from Fifty of the branchesd are in the Pittsburgh First Niagara will pay $54 a deposit premium of 1.3 percent, for the entire group. Local banks hope to dislodge customerss from not only First Niagaraz butalso PNC.
Many, such as and , have hired Nationalp City personnel with deep roots in the Some have advertising efforts underway emphasizint the importance of choosing a bank rather than bein gassigned one. Marco Cardamone, CEO of South Side-basee Merging Media, is a personal and businesz customer ofthe Mt. Washington National City He doesn’t expect to switch bank — as long as First Niagar a doesn’t disrupt personnel. “The big factoer is the people inthe branch,” Cardamone said. “We have relationships with the tellerds and the people onthe floor, and that’s wherew we have our loyalty. Most banks are pretty standardx in the servicesthey deliver.
Ownership changes and productse comeand go, but the thing that remaind stable is how you relate to the folk at your locap branch.” Vincent Delie, president of the banking grou p at First National Bank of Pennsylvania Corp., “This business is about people. It doesn’t matter what brand,” said who was a National City executiv e prior tojoining F.N.B. “I’m not sure what impact (Firsy Niagara) is going to have, but National City did an excellent job of servinbthese markets. We welcome the competition.” For its part, Firstg Niagara expects to start its own marketinh blitzEaster weekend.
It also will begih courting business customers well beforethe sale’s expected completionb in September. Lanier Little, executive vice president of consumer banking, said First Niagara expects to add more branchea here, but couldn’t say how many. He said the branch staffin g format is similar toNationall City’s, and that branch managerws are trained to work with small busines s customers and to serve as “rainmakers,” drawing in new First Niagara plans to open a loan generation officd here “as soon as we can staff said Daniel Cantara, executive vice president of commercial services.
Cantara expects to startf interviewing for 15 staffers next Banks define middlemarket differently. First Niagara’s “sweet spot” is on the smallert side. Cantara said it viewz the size range as companies with annual sales between $2.5 million and $15 though it will look at deals in the $30 millionh range. But it is an activse lender, all told. “We’ve grownm our loan portfolio by 20 percent annually for the past several evenin 2008,” Cantara said. First Niagara has been a major Small Business Association lender on its home Forthe SBA’s fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Firsy Niagara completed 78 SBA loans with total dollar volumeof $8.55 million.
The bank does not have a privatequity arm, although it has occasionally invester in funds, CEO John Koelmel First Niagara will fit in with Pittsburgh’s community and regional said Brian Koble, a senior research analyst at “Thisa new bank is primarily going to compete with PNC’a competitors, a lot of those are hometown names who have been aroun d a long time. It will be heavyu sledding for First Niagara to capture markey share againstthose banks,” Koble For his part, Koelmel said the prospect of going up against PNC is an energizinf opportunity. “We’re used to competing against the big he said.
“We certainly have a lot of respectfor PNC, but we’rre confident in our ability to compete.”
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
No evidence WHO in cahoots with vaccine makers: members - AFP
vickreyafolori1839.blogspot.com
AFP | No evidence WHO in cahoots with vaccine makers: members AFP GENEVA รข€" The World Health Organisation had problems handling the swine flu epidemic, but there was no evidence it tried to boost vaccine makers, the UN body's member countries agreed on Friday. The WHO's 193 member states, gathered for their 64th ... |
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