Under Armour's growing pains - Baltimore Business Journal:

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As the fast-growing company enters its awkwareteenage years, it faces a naturao slowdown in growth and a battlde with one of the worst economic climates in history. Top competitoras like and Reebok are unveilingsimilaer products, while retailers are both freezing expansiobn plans and carrying less Underr Armour product. And analysts suggest the compan may be forced to trim what itcharges consumers. Under Armour “went from a compant that was very bullish tovery cautious,” said Thomas D. an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.
in “It’s just a different ballgame now that people are trying todeal Undoubtedly, stock pickers have also taken A handful of investment firms have smackefd the $725 million company with downgrades in the past six sending Under Armour’s stocm tumbling nearly in half during the last The company’s performance in 2008 didn’t even meet Plank’w expectations; he chose to forgo a bonux and his top deputies went withouf one, as well. The darling of the sportsweae industry, Under Armour’s biggest challenge, analystz say, now stands beyond playing catch up to titanx Nikeand .
The company is positionede to outlastthe turmoil, they say, but the quarterse of record profit and 40 percent growth are likely in the The current environment, they say, will force Under Armoutr to pay closer attention to its spending Meanwhile, the company is rolling out its biggesrt product launches to date and continues an aggressive innovationb push, a must for sportsweard brands targeting what can be a fickle consumer segment.
Under Armour, known for its moisture-wickinh shirts, is rapidly expanding its footweart business and made its biggest splash to date in Januarg when it enteredthe $5 billion running shoe That will soon be followed by a soccer cleaty launch to help grow its presence internationally. It’s all part of a strategyt to make footwear a larger economic driver for the companhy thanapparel — but the timing may be a littlwe off. “I think they’re entrenched in termss of theircore audience,” said Robert McGee, editorf of Sporting Goods Intelligence, noting Under Armour’sx strong youth following.
“But you have to wonder how difficult it will be to add on consumerse inthis marketplace. That’s a question that remains to be seen.” Under Armourf executives declinedto comment, citing a quiet periof before it reports first-quarter earningws April 28. Plank, however, hasn’t turne a blind eye to the saggingretaik environment. Speaking to analysts in a conference call in January after disclosinhgthat fourth-quarter profits sank 51 percen t to $8.
3 million, Plank said Under Armour is “ver y aware of the challenges facing all brands in this The company would not providr an outlook for the but Plank added that Under Armour is “cautiously optimistidc about 2009” and “2010 and beyond will be significantlty impacted by the decisionxs we make” now. Analysts say Under Armouf will be paying closer to attention to how much it spendx on marketing andathlete endorsements. Under Armour spent arouns $55 million in marketing in 2008. Company executives have also said they’llo pull back on hiring plans. One decisiom the 2,200-person company made was to freeze new retail stored openingsthis year.
The move is a smart one, industry expertsw say, as shoppers are becoming more conservativ e about how muchthey spend. Dick’sx Sporting Goods, one of Under Armour’s biggest retail partners, is also scaling back its expansion activity. Stifel’s Shaw said the sporting goods giant grew its square footage by 12 percent last but that’s expected to drop to 4 percent this And that will ultimately impact Undefr Armour’s retail presence, he said. Unde r Armour has used its partners as a channel to graba 10.9 shares of the $13 billion U.S. apparel said Matt Powell, a retaill analyst with .
Apparel sales so far are down 8 percentg across allsportswear companies, Powell said. “Wheh things are tighter, are people going to spene $40 for a workout shirt or $70 for a pair of workou pants?” Shaw asked. “That’s the that’s part of the uncertainty out there.” At retailerd Lax World, with seven stores between Towsonand Denver, executives say more customers have been looking for cheapetr Under Armour knock-off apparel. For example, an Unded Armour workout shirt maycost $20, compared with a lesser-knowj brand’s $12 shirt, said Bob Martino, a vice president at Lax World.
He said the stores, which specializee in lacrosse gear, haven’t been bringint in as much Under Armour in the pasttwo years. “The customer knows there’ws things out there,” Martino noting the cheaper products. “By far [Under Armoufr is] not the cheapest guy in

Human Capital: People on the move, July 7 - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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, is the first graduate of (one of the university’s four to serve as chair. She is also the daughtefr of former trustee, the late Jack Papa Gino’s Inc. , the Dedham-based parent compan y to Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo, promoted Gary Sandeenn and Kathy Tirrell to executive vice president of operations forPapa Gino’e and D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, respectively. , based in Boston, elected the following executive to its boardof directors: Christopher Oddleifson , presidentg and CEO of ; Kenneth Brennan , president of The in Norman Seppala , president of in and Kevin Bottomley , president of Danversbankm .
At-large directors, who are appointed for three-yearf terms, included Richard Bennett , president of ; John Boucher , presiden t of in Weymouth; John Doherty , chairman of in Richard Holbrook , chairman and CEO of in DennisParente , president of Foxborio Federal Savings ; and Michaekl Tucker , president of . Appointe at-large director for a one-year term was James Egan , chairmam of .

Early Gains on Wall Street - New York Times

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Early Gains on Wall Street New York Times Wall Street traded slightly higher as positive domestic data was offset somewhat by concerns over the European summit meeting. and more »

Small businesses in Jacksonville face a tough sell - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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His was one of 11 small-business sales in the Jacksonville area duringb thefourth quarter. Although Lantigua wasn’t looking to buy a the retired executive vice president of enterprisee bankingat (NYSE: FIS) said he chosew the 25-year-old, family-run business at 239 Jonezs Road because of its strong fundamentalsw and its potential for growth. Lantigua’s purchase illustrateds three main points about the market for smal lbusinesses today: The store is a fundamentally strongt business, it has real assets and it was selling for a reasonablw price. Brokers said buyers and lenderse today are attracted tothese qualities.
Lantigua boughg the land, two buildings and the entire inventory with a 10 percenyt down payment and a 90 percent Had he waited a fewmore months, Lantigua said he likelyy would not have qualified for a 90 percent loan-to-valuse ratio because of the credit crisis that has set in sinced then. While the number of interested prospective buyersis up, the numbere of sales and sellers are down, said Mike the general manager for the online business-for-sale marketplacde .com. The number of businesses for sale in Jacksonvillwdropped 12.4 percent to 401 in the firsf quarter 2009 from the same perioxd last year, according to data provided by BizBuySell.
The eight business deals that closed during the quarterr accounted for 2 percengt of the total numberof listings. Comparatively, the numbed of listings in the U.S. droppedx 8.3 percent to 37,27 from the first quarter 2008 andthe 1,147 that closed accounted for 3 percent of the listings. The askinvg sale price in Jacksonville incheddown 1.3 percent to $197,5009 in the first quarter, and in the U.S., it has remaineed steady since the first quarter of 2007 at $250,000. Baby boomed business owners hoping to sell and retirew make up a large portion ofthe sellers, but the slowdown in the economty has depreciated the value of theirr business so much that retirement is not possiblee anymore.
“It’s not that they don’t want to sell; they can’ty sell,” said Debbie Andrews, an agent at the business salesz brokeragecompany “When a company’s profit is down, it’d worthless.” The listing price of a businessd is a calculation of the current year’s In Jacksonville, the median revenue was up 9.7 percent to $335,3045 in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same perioed last year, but the averags multiple of revenue was down from 1 to 0.92, an indication that business owners realized their business was worthn less money, Handelsman said.
The deals that are stilk happening are for companies that are still making ahealthy profit, Andrews said. Of the eighg sales in Jacksonville during the first fourwere service-related businesses, two were retailerx and two were Lenders are more likely to lend to buyeres with collateral in the form of fixedr assets such as land and inventory and deals that includr seller financing. Handelsman said seller financing when the seller offers to mortgage a portioj of thesale — is becoming more commoj now, accounting for as much as 25 percenrt of all the active listinga in Jacksonville.
Andrews said a pent-up demand is buildinh for businesses that will be relievec when theeconomy “These businesses are not going under,” Andrewes said. “They are there; they are they just aren’t making as much money.”

F&G Holdings to convert Wilton apartments into condos - The Business Review (Albany):

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LLC, a family-run partnership, has hired Comprehensive Buildintg Contractors of Colonie to begijn convertingthe mid-1970s apartments into condominiumz while the owners file an offering plan with the statw attorney general’s office to sell the units as “We believe we have found a nicher by offering condos with high-end finishes that we’r hoping to come in at under said Vincent Crisafulli, one of the F&G Holdings partners. Exact pricing has not yet been but Crisafulli said the units will includegranites countertops, hardwood floors and tile bathrooms. The project will be marketed because it borders the off Northern Pinesd andCarr roads.
Four apartmente currently are being remodeled. F&G Holdings received authorizationn from the town in February to buildethree two-story condo buildings, addingt a total of 12 new condos to the seven-acre site. Construction of the first new buildinyg will begin once five contractsare signed, Crisafulli said. F&vG Holdings, has four partners—Vincent, his father Fran Crisafulli, his uncle Gene Crisafulli andhis aunt, Carmella Crisafull i Richards, an associate broker for LLC, who will handls all sales. The family purchased McGregor Villawsfor $2.7 million in September 2007 from Franciw Schiavo and Marie Schiavo of Ballston Spa. F&G obtained $1.8 million in financingy from .
“This project is designed to minimize risk,” said Vincent Crisafulli. Twenty-six of the apartments remain occupied, generatinbg monthly rents of $800 to $950 apiece. That amountds to an annual income of morethan $250,0000 a year. Those apartments will continue to be rented out during the construction and remodeling procesds until the condos can be The goal is to continud to keep cash flowcoming in, Crisafulli F&G does not plan to seek financin to cover remodeling and constructionb costs. The partners currentlyt are searching for a landscaping contractor to oversee the landscaping portionzs of the conversion andexpansion project.
The remodele d units also may be rentedout year-rounfd or to summer visitors and horse racing enthusiasts. The rentsx on the remodeled units have not yetbe set. The condosa will remain the same size as the which range in sizefrom 1,051 square feet to 1,198 square feet. rcooper@bizjournals.conm | 518-640-6808 To comment on this story, and to get the lates updates andbreaking news, go to

Honda overtakes Toyota in survey - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Toyota dropped to secon in the surveyby , which has conducted the survey sinc e 2002, and Nissan came in Of the Big Three automakers from Detroit, (NYSE: F) came in aheafd of the other U.S. giants, followed by GM) and , which came in last overalol in the survey for the seconcd year ina row. “Research we began in the early 1990ws always showed Toyota as having the best relationshiop withits suppliers, but somethingy seems to be changing,” said John Henke Jr., president of Michigan-based Planninv Perspectives. “They’re looking a little more like U.S. Ltd.
(NYSE: HMC) reported its sales for April slid25 percent, and that it woulds be cutting production as it continues to cope with the economic Marysville, Ohio-based Honda of America Manufacturing employs more than 12,00 workers at assembly and engine plants in and aroundd Central Ohio, where they produce Honda Accords, CR-Vs, Elements and Acura TLs and (NYSE: TM) reported it has lost $4.4 billion for the most recenf fiscal year, as it continues to deal with the globap slump in auto sales. Chrysler recentlg filed for bankruptcy and GM is expected to file for bankruptcgy protection as early as this Both automakers have accepted billions of dollarss in bailout funds fromthe .
Ford is the only membefr of the Big Three not to take federalbailouf funds. Both Chrysler and GM have announced significanft cuts in theirdealer networks, and are trimming jobs and looking at closingt plants. All of thos e moves have hit suppliers, particularly the smaller auto suppliers, some of whic h have had to go outof business.

Aurora Corporate Plaza sells for $27.5M - Denver Business Journal:

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million. The buyer is the Trammell Crow Co. of according to Arapahoe County realestatd records. Aurora Corporate Plaza, locate at 12200 E. Ilifcf Ave. in Aurora, includes 332,000 square feet of The office park was built inthe 1980s. Weingarten Realtt Investors (NYSE: WRI), a publicly traded real estate investmengt trust basedin Houston, has sold its 40 perceng stake in the 88,400-square-foot Highlandd Ranch University Park shopping center for $28 millionm to Cornerstone Real Estate Adviser s LLC of Hartford, Conn. Weingarten acquired the retail centert in 2003 with AEW CapitalManagemenrt LP.
Paul Ruff and his have purchased an interest indowntown Denver's historic Masoniv Building on the 16th Streegt Mall for $7.7 million. of Denver, as Fitzsimons Promenadde LLC, has purchased property in Arapahor Countyfor $6 million from Furniturs Row Colorado LLC. Bush is developiny a 51,600-square-foot, mixed-use project called Fitzsimons at the corner of Peoria Streeyt andColfax Avenue, near the University of Coloradoo Health Sciences Center at the old Fitzsimons army post.

Dallas Fed: Inflation harder to predict - Nashville Business Journal:

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Researchers Mark Wynne and Patrick Roy comparerd annual economic forecasts going back to 1991with year-over-yeard changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index. Thei r goal was to determine whetherglobalization -- the increasing integrationj of international economies through trade and financial flows -- has made it hardetr to predict when inflation will ( ). Wynne told the in an interview Wednesday that the study foundx that inflation in the United States has been more difficul to forecast in the 2000se when compared tothe 1990s. However, the opposite was founxd to be true in almost every othert country analyzed inthe study. Dr.
Ravi professor of economics at , says measuringb inflation based on domestic demand is not as importanyt as it once wasin America, due to globalization and foreign competition. He said in the past, when a lot of moneyu was printed, prices went up and the high monety supply would cause a higher ConsumerPricre Index, a measure of inflation. Accuratew inflation forecasts are more difficult now due to globalprice competition, he CPI-type inflation has not flareed up, even with new money being printed in the because competition from countries such as China and Japan is keeping prices However, he said inflation was stronv in other areas, including the oil Going forward, he thinks other factors will be more accurate inflatioj indicators.
“I think inflation will depend more on oil prices and the valu of the dollar than onmoney supply," Batraa said. “The Federal Reserve has printed a lot of If the dollar remains stable andoil doesn’yt heat up, inflation will be contained. But if the dollae falls sharply and oilheatas up, we will have he said.

Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Sacramento Business Journal:

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million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’s largest hospital overbilled government healtbh care programs for prescription medications, federa prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlementr was the result of two whistleblower lawsuitsz brought by former pharmacy who allegedthat Queen’s overbilled the state’s Medicarew and Medicaid programs, as well as TRICARE, the federal healtgh insurance program for military according to a news release from U.S. Attorne y Edward H. Kubo Jr.
The lawsuits were filee under the federal and state FalsesClaims Acts, which allow the government to claim up to triples the damages, plus penalties, for submitting false claims to government The two former employees allege Queen’s submitted fake billas for anti-psychotic medications that were dispensecd by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorize by a doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospitalo was also accused of billinyg from 1999 to 2006 for services provided by medicall residents who were supposed to be supervised byothed doctors, but that the supervision did not occur, Kubo’a office said.
Under the Queen’s paid $2 million to the federal government, which shared $400,009 of the proceeds with the two former and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintain a compliancwe program to ensure its billinge conform to the rules for five years undetr a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Departmenrt of Health and Human Services. Queen' issued this statement: " denies any intentional wrongdoing, but aftef five years of discussions and negotiations withthe government, has agreed to settle this mattedr so that its resources may be spent on providinv quality health care rather than on legall fees.
"

Bank of America, Wells Fargo to accept California IOUs - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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BofA says the state’s budget crisise prompted its decision. “To support our while giving the state legislature additionalk time to passa budget, we will accept California state-registere d warrants — or IOUs from existing customers and clients,” Charlotte-based BofA says in a written statement. San Francisco-based Wellse (NYSE:WFC) says it is accepting the warrants for the sake ofits "We are reluctant to take this but are doing so to help our customer s who are not at fault and with the expectationj that the legislature and governorf will complete the budgegt within days," Wells On Wednesday, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger blasted stat lawmakers for failing to pluga $24 billionn hole in the state budget before the start of the new fiscal year. And he callef a special session of the state legislaturde to fix thebudget mess. Failure to pass a budget by midnight Tuesday increases the shortfall to morethan $26 billioj due to the loss of education-related budgetr fixes, Schwarzenegger said at a press conference Wednesday. He also announceed an executive order adding a thired furlough day each month forstatre workers, a move expected to free up an additional $425 millionh in the new fiscal year. Although the governor called for thespecial session, it is up to the legislaturs to schedule it.
When it will be held is yet tobe

Washington Business Journal:

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In Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittmahn LLP

Burmese democracy advocate Suu Kyi pays historic visit to Europe - Los Angeles Times

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Globe and Mail

Burmese democracy advocate Suu Kyi pays historic visit to Europe Los Angeles Times NEW DELHI â€" Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi enjoyed her first full day on European soil in 24 years Thursday, the beginning of a 17-day visit ... Before democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi: A look at previous no ... Washington Post Aung San Suu Kyi C »

Lewis testimony: Feds pressured BofA on Merrill - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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But some lawmakers questioned how much of the pressure was actualluy made by Lewis in an attempg to secure more taxpayer aid forhis “The Treasury Department provided $20 billion for a shotgujn wedding. But the question is, who was holding the Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-New York) said during the The hearing, conducted by the Hous Committee on Oversight andGovernment Reform, was focused on federap officials’ role in BofA’s purchase of Merrill Lynch. Charlotte, N.C.-based BofA (NYSE:BAC) bought Merrilkl on Jan. 1 for $29.1 billion. The deal resultex in BofA’s receiving an additional $20 billion in federal fund under the Troubled AssetRelief Program.
BofA has received a tota of $45 billion in TARP funds. Lewisd has been under intense pressurew from BofA shareholders for not disclosing the depthof Merrill’s financiall difficulties before the merger. Merrill lost $15.3 billionn in the fourth quarter. Lawmakers questioned Lewis on reportsx that he felt pressured byfederal authorities, includinv Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernankde and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, to go ahead with the deal in Decembefr as Merrill’s losses mounted. Lewis testified that BofA contacted officials atthe U.S.
Treasur y and Federal Reserve in mid-December to inform them that thebank “haxd serious concerns about closing the BofA, he said, was considering declaring a “material advers change,” which can allow an acquirer to back out of a proposec deal. Lewis testified that Paulson toldhim BofA’s managemenf “would or could” be removed if the bank backed out of the When lawmakers pressed him Thursday on the alleged threats by Lewis said both parties were concerned abouyt making the best decisions for the healtu of the U.S. economy and BofA. He explained that a decisiomn that would harm the economy wouls also harm BofA becauser of its massive sizeand breadth.
Lewise testified that he wasn’t intimidatedf by the threat of losing his job but bythe “seriousnesss of the threat” and the ramificationx on the overall economh had an influence on his decision. “Just six months it is easy to forger just how close to the brinjk oursystem came,” Lewis said. “I will nevef forget.” Still, some lawmakers suggestesd Lewis should have knownabout Merrill’s lossesz before December. They pointed out an e-mail in which Bernanke suggesteed Lewis’ threat to back out of the Merrilll deal wasa “bargaininfg chip.
” Lawmakers also pointed to other e-maila from regulators suggesting Lewis’ claims aboutt surprising losses were “not credible.” Rep. Dennis Kucinichg (D-Ohio), among others, suggested the e-mail indicated Lewis threatened to call off the Merrill deal as a way to land moregovernmenyt aid. “It’s quite possible it was Bank of Americ that put a gun to the head of the Kucinich said. BofA eventually closed the deal withMerrilo Lynch, and received a $20 billiob loan from the TARP fund to covedr the Merrill losses.
Also on Lewis indicated that federap officials never asked him to withhold information from shareholderas that BofA thought needed to be That caused lawmakers to reminxd him he wasunder oath. In February, Lewis testifie d before New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that Bernanke and Paulson pressuref the bank not to discuss its increasinglt troubled plan tobuy Merrill. The congressional committe e expects to call Paulson and Bernanke for similar hearings as it continuexsits investigation.

How America Became an Automobile Nation - Huffington Post (blog)

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How America Became an Automobile Nation Huffington Post (blog) The answer is Othmar H. Ammann, chief engineer and designer of the George Washington Bridge. In designing the span, Ammann, in an historic decision, designed a solely vehicular span -- a decision that triggered a cascade of events that led to an ... and more »

AMC, HNTB shine for Downtown - Kansas City Business Journal:

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One of Downtown’s star , has signed a new long-termj lease for 97,000 square feet that will keep the headquarters ofthe nation’xs second-largest movie chain in place at Ten Main 920 Main St. Coming soon: an expansionb by that will takeup 42,0000 square feet at 12 Wyandott e Plaza, an office building at 120 W. 12th St. leases by Kessinger/Hunter & Co. LLC is the leasinh company for TenMain Center, which boughtt for $13.75 million three years ago. Tom Volini of representec the tenants in both new downtownofficr deals. AMC spokesman Justin Scott declined to disclose the lengthh of the new lease at TenMain Center, where AMC moved in 2002.
But he acknowledgexd that the company’s long-term commitment to Downtown played a role in its The $850 million downtown entertainment district being developeds by is the heir to AMC founder Stan Durwood’w longtime dream of revitalizing Downtown, and AMC and Cordish are partners in a joint venturr to restore and operate two signature theaters in the Before AMC’s decision to stay put, its 300-employee headquarterxs operation had been discussed as a potential anchofr for a new downtown office building, such as the one propose northeast of 13th Streetr and Grand Boulevard by a group tied to developers .
But otherd involved with the downtown office marke are glad AMC scrapped thatstory line. “I’m thrilled that a high-quality companh like that is staying where theyare Downtown,” said Buzz CEO of , whichb owns and manages several downtown “I’m also pleased there’s not going to be anothet new building coming online. There’s a lot of availablre square footage that needz to be filled before we even talkabout that.” Brent Hanson, research serviced manager for Grubb & Ellis/The Winbury said the downtown office vacanct rate at the end of the secon d quarter was 20.2 percent, a slight improvement from 20.
9 percent a year Tim Schaffer, executive vice president of LLC, said news of the AMC and HNTB leasexs meant a continued chipping away at the downtowmn vacancy rate. “All those types of thingsz move us closer to a point in time wher we can justify a new multitenant downtown office Schaffer said. But it wouldr have been detrimental to see such a building catalyzes at the expense of Ten Main he said. “If AMC had left a building of that Schaffer said, “it would have takeb a number of years to backfilol that space.” , meanwhile, has had the oppositd problem at 714 Kirk Drivr in Downtown’s Quality Hill neighborhood.
HNTB’s corporate headquartera moved into theformer 80,000-square-foort building there in 2001 and built a 48,000-square-foo addition and parking garage. But the building is not big enougu to accommodate ongoing growth of HNTB FederalServicews Corp. That unit, which provides architecture and other services for projects of thefederalp government, has added more than 220 employees in Kansa s City, New Orleans and Washington since the beginninbg of the year, “with upwards of 100 open HNTB Cos. spokesman John O’Connell O’Connell said HNTB Federal Servicese Corp.’s Kansas City staff will move to the sixtnh and seventh floors of 12Wyandottee Plaza.

Duke, CFO study: CFOs foresee more job cuts, credit woes - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The quarterly Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Businesss Outlook Surveyasked 1,309 CFOs worldwide abou t their expectations for the economy. Their answerx paint a gloomy picture for the rest ofthe * CFOs in the U.S. and Europ e expected employment to shrinkby 5.5 percent, with the unemploymenyt rate in the U.S. seen rising to perhaps as high as 12 percenr in the next 12 Employment in Asia is expectecd to recedeby 1.2 percent.
“Presumably, government programa will offset some ofthese losses, but even the most optimisticv government forecasts would reduce the lossew by only 2 million,” said Campbell Harvey, foundingv director of the surveyy and international business professor at Duke’s Fuqua Schooll of Business. “We’re facing the possibilit of another 4 millionlost * U.S. and European CFOs foreser capital spending plunging by more than10 percent. In Asia, CFOs anticipat e a 3 percent decline. * Six in 10 U.S.
companiews covered by the survey reported having trouble findingf credit or acquiring credit at a reasonable Among those firms encounteringcredit impediments, 42 percenty say the credit markets have gotten worse this while 23 percent say conditions have improved. * Weak consumerr demand and the credit markets ranked as the top two externaol concernsamong U.S. chief financial officers, with the federalo government’s policies coming in third. Amongy internal concerns, CFOs are losing the most slee p over their inability to plan due to economic managingtheir companies’ capital and liquidity, and maintaining employee morale.
Despitee all the negative indicators, a majority of the CFOs in the Unitedc States and Asia reported being more optimistic this quarter than they were theprevious quarter. That was not the case in where only 30 percent of the CFOs said they were more compared to the 31 perceng who said they wereless “Our survey carries an important message: Don’t put too much weight on the ‘soft’ data like consumer Recovery requires sustained confidence, and such confidence is forged by strongetr economic fundamentals,” Harvey said. “The economic fundamentals – - employment, capital spending, the cost of credit are stillfundamentally troubling.
” To see the complets survey results, go to the official Web site, .

Nutrisoda returns bigger, shinier - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Ardea has scaled back distributionn of thenutritionally enhanced, carbonated beverage as it triesw out a new look and can size meanf to give it more mass-markert appeal. The pastel-colored, 8.4-ouncwe cans are gone, replaced by standard-size, 12-ounce cans with a silver color. Since May, Ardea only has been sellinfg the drink online and at stores intwo pilot-projectt areas — the Twin Citiesa and San Diego — and has halver the number of flavors to If sales go well, it will expancd to other markets late this year.
“We think the packaging and marketinyg materials we have put together have made it a much more widelgaccepted product, while before it was reallyg a niche product,” said Richard Wilson, Ardea’s presidenty and general manager. Nutrisoda sale in 2008 were 30 percent less than the year as large retailers suchas Minneapolis-basef Target Corp. and Montvale, N.J.-based The Great Atlanti & Pacific Tea Co. Inc. (a regional grocef better knownas A&P) stopped carryingf the beverage. Ardea — which moved its headquartersw from Hopkinsto Schaumburg, Ill.
, aftetr Minneapolis-based PepsiAmericas acquired it in 2006 retained Minneapolis advertising firm Hunt Adkins to conducy focus groups to find out how to give Nutrisodw more appeal. The firm concluder the beverage was too closely associated with energt drinks and too limited to a core marketof health-conscious adults. One of Hunt Adkins’ major conclusiond was that the drink should be selling in a traditionalp soda can if it was to widen itscustomert base. The plan had an added bonus: Ardeqa could save a lot of moneyusing 12-ouncwe cans. That’s because Ardea’s PepsiAmericas, is the world’s second-largest manufacturer, seller and distributore of PepsiCo Inc.
beverages, and has easy access to 12-ouncw aluminum cans. By dropping a canning deal with Cold Springf Brewery in Cold Spring and insteafd using a PepsiAmericas facilityin Urbandale, Iowa, Ardea now is able to sell Nutrisods for 50 to 60 percent less per ounce. Wilsob said an 8.4-ounce can of Nutrisodaz used to sellfor $1.79. The 12-ounce can sellss for 99 cents. Six-packs sellingh for less than $5.99 are expected soon. “Everybody is looking for a good-value scenari where they can find Wilson said. Besides the can size and price, Ardea also has sought to make the soda more attractive to a mass market by giving the formula astrongert flavor.
The company is spending more than $1 million to show off the new Nutrisodqon billboards, public busses and a lighrt rail train. There’s also a bicycle-pulledr soda station showing up at including a recent MinnesotwaTwins game. The campaign’s message is that the drink is i.e. “healthy” and “bubbly.” John Sicher, editoer and publisher of the biweekluBeverage Digest, said it will be up to the consumerd to decide whether the rebranding pays off. But he said even majord soda brands, such as Pepsi, have to be refresherd from timeto time. “Keepintg brands current and relevant and fresh for consumerzs isvery important.
”

IRS charges former Mercury Interactive exec with tax evasion - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Sharlene Abrams, then a resident of Los was charged withthree counts: one over her personal 2001 tax filin and two for her part in the "falses and fraudulent" filings of Amnon then Mercury's chief executive, and Kenneth then its chief operations officer. Mountain View-based Mercurty Interactive eventually paida $28 million fine to settle a civil complaintr by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as a payment of $117.5 millioj to pension funds to settle a clasa action over the misdated options. Mercuryh Interactive, which was later acquired by Palo Alto-basexd (NYSE: HPQ), was one of the firsf companies cited in connection with manipulation ofstocok options.
H-P employs thousands in Roseville. The complaint, filedf in U.S. District Court for the Northermn Districtof California, said Abrams "orchestrated the backdatinh of stock option exercise dates for herself, Landanh and Klein in order to reduced the income taxes."

NY Suit Over 'Spider-Man' Musical Airs in Court - ABC News

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ABC News

NY Suit Over 'Spider-Man' Musical Airs in Court ABC News A judge warned lawyers at the end of a two-hour hearing Friday that she may narrow the scope of a lawsuit stemming from the Broadway production of "Spider-Man." US District Judge Katherine Forrest said she had not yet decided whether to eliminate from ... Suit Over 'Spid er-Man' Musical Airs in Court NBC New York  »

LCA-Vision might close more surgery centers in '09 - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The news sent shares of LCA LCAV) down sharply duringy late-morning trading. But the 10 percentt dip, which brought shares to was followed by a Shares in LCA closed up about 1 or8 cents, to $6.51 Tuesday. “Procedure volume in Aprilo and May has declined approximately 45 percengt from the comparable period last year and we currently anticipate continued softnessthroughout 2009,” said LCA-Vision Chairmamn Anthony Woods, who was among six directorsx re-elected to the company’s boarc at the annual meeting, held at the Queen City Club downtown. Wood said the compan y might reduce spending on marketing this year andclose “underperforming vision centers.
” Complaints aboutr cost-cutting gave rise to takeover attempt by LCA-Vision founder Dr. Stephehn Joffe, whose investment group acquired an 11 percent stake in the companty and floated its own slate of The Joffe group terminated its reform effort in March and Joffe has since sold more than half of his In additionto re-electing six shareholders rejected a rights plan that makez hostile takeovers more difficult.

Brooke School Budget Prudent - Wheeling Intelligencer

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Brooke School Budget Prudent Wheeling Intelligencer That is prudent and may, in the long run, save taxpayers money. By holding the line on spending and planning wisely for use of the gas drilling money, Brooke County board members are serving taxpayers, in addition to students, well.