BBB warns of loan scam - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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According to the BBB, Bloomfield Lending Group advertises online and claims to be located at514 S. Stratfor Road, Suite 110, in That office suite has actuallty been vacant for several years and phone numbers the compant provides to customers arenot local, the warninvg said. Also, the N.C. Banking Commission has no informationn onthe company, though Bloomfield claimws to be licensed in the state. The company’s Web site does not provide any contacttelephone number, only an e-mail The BBB’s warning also noted that the contract customers are required to sign requires severakl monthly payments in advance, which is prohibitee by state law as a condition of credit approval.
Warniny signs of advance fee loan scams include pressure to act immediately or an apparentlyu lack of interest inthe borrower’s credit history. The BBB said borrowerse should always request all necessary paperwork in advance beforw deciding whether or not to apply fora loan, and they shoulf carefully investigate any loan offers, particularly thoses that offer “fast or “guaranteed approval.
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Ride gone wrong: When taking a taxi turns ugly - Winnipeg Free Press

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Ride gone wrong: When taking a taxi turns ugly Winnipeg Free Press "The cases that we have seen have been a range, from inappropriate touching to actual penetrative sexual assault," said Joslin. In the SANE program, the victim can choose whether to involve the police but is not required to do so. ...

First National enters agreement with OCC - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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The agreement is an outgrowth of an OCC examination of the Winterd Park lenderin January. It addresses five areaws of concern and requires to the bank to form a compliances committee composed of members of its board of The bank is under orderws to add procedures to monitor its commerciao real estateloan portfolio. It also must implement a plan to managr loans that are deemed weak and in jeopardyof • Establishment of a program to ensure an adequatre allowance for loan and leased losses. • Agreement not to accept brokered depositdsin exc.
ess of 10 percent of total depositsx without OCC permission • Development of a three-year plan of operations that incorporatesd conditions of the agreement. First National Chairwoman Susma Patel said in a writteh statement that the bank has taken stepsz she believes put it in compliancd withthe agreement. She said regulatory agencies are tightening standards for lenders as theeconomgy deteriorates. “The downturn in real estate valuationw in the Florida marketis well-publicized and, as a regulatory agencies are expecting a higher standar of procedural monitoring of loands secured by commercial real estate,” she said.

Clear lanes to shut down at Hartsfield-Jackson - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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New York-based , the operator of registered trave lservice CLEAR, said the paid security lanes at its membed airports would cease operations because the companyg “has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditoer to continue operations,” accordin g to a statement posted on the company’sw Web site, www.flyclear.com. Last March, the companuy said it had 20,000 registered travelers in metrop Atlanta. As of last year, the company had more than 200,00p CLEAR members, who paid up to $199 for an annuall membership for access to designated securitgy lanes at participatingairports nationwide.
Memberas provided biometric data, which was encoded on a card, for the promis e of a speedier and convenienr trip throughairport security. The service targetedf business travelers who routinely traveby air. The company was foundec by founderSteve Brill. CLEAtR lanes opened at the airport about the same time as an expansion of the main security lanesat Hartsfield-Jackson. The new additionsa included lanes designed specifically for experienced Airport officials have said the added lanes have kept securitty wait times below 10 minuteson average, which might have made CLEARR lanes less advantageous to consumers.

Swatch Offers Travelers Timely Style at the AIRMALL(R) at Pittsburgh International Airport

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BAA Pittsburgh, developer of the award-winning at Pittsburgh InternationalAirportg (PIT), is pleased to welcome Swatch (474 sq. located in the center core of theairside terminal. The new store opened on June 26, 2009. "This latest offering at the AIRMALL(R) at PIT is sure to delight travelers looking for a new timepiece or the latesgt infashion accessories, not to mention a great source for a rang of stylish and unique gifts," said , vice president of developmenyt for BAA Pittsburgh. "In keeping with the promise, Swatch will offer its watches, jewelry and accessories all at 'Regulatr Mall Prices...Guaranteed.
'" Swatch first entered the fashionj spotlight inthe 1980s, becoming well-knowmn for its colorful, collectible plastic watches. Since Swatch has expanded the braned toinclude women's fashion jewelry and sophisticatecd dress watches for men and womeb in stainless steel and leather, all made with Swisss time-keeping technology. Store hours are Sunday through Fridatfrom 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdayd from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. BAA Inc. is the developer and managefr of the retail and concessions prograj atthe AIRMALL(R) at Pittsburghb International Airport.
BAA Pittsburghb is a project ofBAA USA, the mastee developer and manager of the retail, food and beveraged operations at the AIRMALLs(R) at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Cleveland Hopkina International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport (Terminals B and E). BAA USA is an affiliater of BAA Limited, the world's leading airport company, whicu owns and operates seven UKairportw (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh and Glasgow). For more information, visif or .
BAA USA is the developer and manage r ofthe retail, food and beverage operationa at the AIRMALLs(R) at Pittsburgh Internationao Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and Boston Logabn International Airport (Terminals B and E). BAA USA is affiliatedf with BAA Limited, the world's leading airport which owns and operates sevehn UKairports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow). BAA has takemn significant shareholdings ininternationalo airports, including Naples, Italy. The company'sa core skills include airport management, retail development and property development, and projecyt management.
For more information, visit or . Contact: Jeff Donaldson 412-642-7700 jeff.donaldson@elias-savion.com

Most Florida banks swoon; three provide model for growth - Dayton Business Journal:

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USAmeriBank went from red to black ink by signingf talented bankers who brought customers with Acquisitions boosted the bottom line at CenterState Bankof Florida. A mergere of related financial institutions cut expensewat , while a strongetr balance sheet grew income. Each bank prosperedd by using different methodologies, yet their strategies provide a road map for institutionse struggling to turn their balancesheets positive. Theie profit gains are all the more remarkable givenj the difficult economic climatein Florida.
The said 305 bankzs and thrifts in Florida reporte a combined net lossof $643 millionm for the 2009 first quarter, comparede to net income of $4 millioj for the year-ago period. Profitability remains weak because bankss continue to struggle withbad loans, said Paul a Johannsen, managing director of , an investmeng banking firm in Tampa. Nonperforming assets don’t bring in interest pressuring margins. The provisions banks take for expecte loan losses cut further into their incomre while the legal and management expensed related to foreclosed propertygoes up. USAmeriBanj — which has amassed $650.
8u million in assets in its twoyears — has a cleamn balance sheet, said Joe CEO. The bank avoided development lending and the loans it does have that are secureed by real estate arefor owner-occupies properties, Chillura said. Only $598,000 in USAmeriBank loans, or aboug one-tenth of 1 percent of the tota $528.3 million in loans, were past due as of Marcg 31, according to a report filedf withthe .
Chillura, a former Tampa market presidentfor (NYSE: ), said the banker s he’s hired have brought their customers, a move that was possibled because bigger banks are distracted by bad loand and shrinking capital and aren’t focused on customer That’s allowed USAmeriBank to grow more quicklty than expected, Chillura said, and post a significantg turnaround, going from a $185,00 0 loss in the first quarter of 2008 to $881,0009 in profit in the just-ended quarter. CenterState saw firstt quarter 2009 profit swellto $1.2 up 68 percent in one year, after two said John Corbett, president and CEO.
The Wintert Haven-based lead banking subsidiary of (Nasdaq: CSFL) added a correspondent bankinhg unit last fall when it hiresd the bankers who handled that businesds for theformer . The unit sells bondsd to roughly 200 othercommunity banks, and it is thrivint because community banks aren’t doingf as much lending as they were a year ago and are investinbg their cash in bonds. CenterState also bought the failedrand $178 million in depositsz on Jan. 30. “We’vde been putting that money to work in loandsand investments, and that’s helpede us grow,” Corbett said.
Aggressive planninv that began around the end of the firs quarter of 2008 kept Florid a Bank on the growth saidKatie Pemble, president and CEO. Florida Bank’s $351,000 in net incom for the first quarter of 2009 was a 73 percent increas from a year Since December, the Tampa-based bank has merged with three sister institutions in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, consolidating back-officd operations and cutting expenses.
Each of the banks was above the level regulators considered and their capital position was further strengthened whenthey Additionally, executive officers and the boardf developed a series of 90-day plans focused on strengtheninbg the balance sheet with an emphasis on capital and on liquidity, or the ability to turn its asset into cash quickly. A strong balance sheet alloweds Florida Bank to look for the least expensive way toattract funding, a move that boosts net interest margin, or the spread between the interest it pays on depositas and the interest it earns from loans.
Although there are glimmers of hope, CenterState’s Corbett expects more loan writedownsw across the industry in the next two to three The number of institutions on the watch list increasede in the first three monthsof 2009, and as of March 31, 30 percenft of Florida’s banks were on the list, comparerd to 15 percent of the institutionz a year ago. Access to the capita l market markets is Corbett said, adding the stress tests the nation’d biggest banks just underwentg have inspired investor confidence in those institutions.
Sincw results were released May 7, the banks collectivelyy have raisednearly $60 billion of the $75 billiomn in extra capital regulators said they need. “As investments come back into the big I think overtime you’llk see that trickle down to the mid cap and community Corbett said.

Commerce Secretary Locke: Adversity encourages innovation - Sacramento Business Journal:

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“Great adversity makes us rethinkfundamentalk assumptions,” Locke told a group of about 125 peoplee at the . “It encourages us to innovate.” Locke’s presentation was billed as a “Towmn Hall Meeting on Innovation andthe Economy.” He said it is up to each communith to decide where its future lies. The wants to help them on the Locke said, with $50 million in the president’s 2010 budgey to create regional “clusters” in whichy communities partner with colleges, universitiews and the business sector “to buildx on natural strengths.
" The president’s 2010 budgety also includes $50 million for business incubatorz and “hundreds of millions” of dollars in economi c grants for businesses and communities. “You are the innovators, risk takera and entrepreneurs who develop and marketg new productsand services,” he said. “You are a criticakl part of the engine of the new Audience members expressed a desire for a range of measures to help businesses specifically and the economy including greater access to capital forsmalp businesses, a simplified tax code for small businessesz and greater broadband access in rural areas.
Locke mentionerd improving the health insurance system as both a job incentive and abusiness advantage, and the need for tax credites for innovation. “Our economic future rests with being he said.

TXCO files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Attorneys for San Antonio-based TXCO (NASDAQ: also filed a motion with the Bankruptcy Courty seeking approval foranticipated debtor-in-possessionj financing with prospective lenders. TXCO is currentlh in negotiationswith Ltd. and potentially others for a multiple draw-term loan facility with a total aggregated principal amountof $32 million. The debtor-in-possession financing wouldr allow TXCO to conduct busineseswithout interruption. TXCO is working to minimize the impacft of the bankruptcy filing onits operations, customer and employees. However, the bankruptc court will have to approve anyfinancing U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronalcd B.
King is handling the case at theWestern District’w office in San Antonio. TXCO officialsd say the bankruptcy filing was precipitated by a series of eventa that severely impactedthe company’s liquidity. Particularly, extreme volatility in energy prices and a crumbling global economgy have made it difficult for TXCO to raisre equity capitalor debt, according to a statemenr released by the company. According to the bankruptcyy filing, TXCO has assets of $431.9 million and totakl debts of $322.8 The company also has more than 38 millioh shares of commonstock TXCO’s largest shareholder is , a company based in Milwaukee. Heartlans owns 9.
1 percent of the company’s total according to TXCO’s bankruptcy petition. The company’ds top five largest unsecured creditors, the bankruptcy petition shows, are Houston-based ($8 in Uvalde ($5.3 Dallas-based ($5.1 million); in Dallasd ($4.2 million); and in Houston ($2.9 The company also has retainedsAlbert S. Conly of to serve as the chief restructuring officet to assist TXCO in the Chapter11 reorganization. LLC has been retainede as financial advisers andinvestment banker. Goldman, Sachs Co. has been hired as a financial adviser in connectiom with any potential sale of assets proposed under thisbankruptcyh filing.
TXCO is represented locally by bankruptch attorneysDeborah D. Williamson and Lindsey D. Graham with TXCO is an independenty oil and gas company with interests in theMaverickk Basin, the onshore Gulf Coastt region and the Marfa Basin of Texas and western Oklahoma. www.txco.cojm

Quick thinking makes new eatery a Humdinger, not a Bonehead - Memphis Business Journal:

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The partners, who operate as LLC, opened on March 30 at 6300 Suite 101. Schlesinger, CEO of , and Smith, a veteran, initially planned to open up as a a fast-casual concept then owned by Atlanta-basex However, Raving Brands sold the concept, forcing Schlesingerd and Smith to change their plans. While changinh the concept quickly wasa challenge, finding a new name was especiallgy difficult. Smith and Schlesinger wanted to have a name that incorporatesd both seafoodand chicken, the restaurant’sd main menu items, but foundf that to be difficult. They whittlee a list of 40 names by focusinh on something differentand catchy.
Humdingeres uses piri-piri chili peppers, grown in South Africa, in its saucexs and seasonings. “Piri piri” is Swahilu for “pepper pepper.” “Ir really sets us apart from other fish and chicken Smith says. Smith and Schlesinger plan to open up threr of the fish and seafood restaurants in the Memphisdmetro area. Laura Trezevant, president of , representerd the tenant in the lease negotiation s whileJohn Walker, owner of LLC, and Danny Buring, local partner at LLC, representeed the landlord. Peabody ad campaign has ducks, big bucks What does the Norty American mallard and close to half a billion bucksd havein common?
They are both vitap components of Memphis-based ’s new ad campaign for the massived expansion of The Peabody The $450 million project is expected to lure more functions like corporate meetings and exhibitions to the hotel. The group also wantex the campaign to expandThe Peabody’s brand awareness, and the hotelo chain’s mallard symbol made things, ducky. “Who else can put a big picturer of a duck in their ad and talk abourt investing close to a half billion dollars on expanding at thesame time?” says Tim senior vice president and executive creative director for Fry Hammonsd Barr, the Orlando, Fla. ad agency responsible for the “That’s own-able.
” The nine-minute video showa new renderings of thecomplete building, photographs of the new king guest roomds and their state-of-the-art bathrooms, which featurs mirrors with built-in televisions. The video is availablw on youtube.com and at Upon completion, Peabody Orlando will be the 15th largest non-gaming hotel in the U.S. It’s not quite UFC, and it isn’t pay-per-view, but mixed martial arts is making its debut in the grans lobby of onJune 20. Local MMA promotefr is hostinga 12-fight card of local talentf that could someday make the “major leagues” of the Las Vegas-basee Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Cage Assault was founded by Nick who has worked with former UFC lightweighr champion and native MemphianQuinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson for five His goal is for his compan to be “the Triple A of UFC” in the Harmeier held his first eventy on April 24 at Minglewoods Hall in Midtown, but is lookingv for the larger profile of FedExForum for the next Harmeier says FedExForum and the , whicy were instrumental in the legalization of MMA eventsw in Tennessee, have been extremely supportive of the compang so far. He’s anticipating 2,000 fans for the Harmeier says if the new even isa success, he’d like to have events at FedExForum every six weeks.
“(The Aprip 24 event) was packed wall-to-wall and that was with Minglewood beinv new and MMA being new to the Harmeier says. “We feel this next one will blow it out ofthe

Taylor resigns as chairman of Urigen Pharmaceuticals - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Taylor’s role at Urigen drew scrutiny in the past severalk months because of SEC filings that showed he had been paid for his role on the which would have violated state statute becausreKTEC — an agency backeed by state money had . Taylor and the company denied that he had been and the KTEC board declaredTaylor . Taylor . KTEC has not requeste a replacementboard seat, Shmagin Urigen appointed Michael Goldberg to the board but will leave the chairman position open. Goldberg, 50, is a managing partnefr of investment firm and from 1990 to 2007 was chairman and CEOof . Urigen has four drugs in clinicao development, including a Phase II treatment of painfuolbladder syndrome.
The four-year-old company lost nearl y $1.7 million in the nine months endedMarch 31, comparerd with $4.1 million in the same periocd of the previous fiscal year. The 52-weel range for Urigen’s stock has been 19 centsw to 2 cents. It closer Friday at 7 cents. Taylor, who had serveds on Urigen’s board sinc December 2005, became a controversial figurewith KTEC, a stats agency charged with promotinf technology business in Kansas. State budget negotiationsz included debateabout Taylor’s compensation for the fiscal year ending June 30, which amountex to almost a thirc of KTEC’s $1.1 million payroll. KTEC faces a cut from $11.
66t million in fiscal 2009 to $7 million in fiscapl 2010, which begins in July.

Westshore affordable community focuses on energy efficiency - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The 57-home Westshore Landings One, expected to be completde in 2010, is a joint effort between ’es Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas in cooperatiomn withthe , said a release from TECO. The nonprofir Westshore Community Development in its releasde called the development an affordabld community and said the new townhome prices will rangefrom $96,009 to $127,000. The Wilson Co. is Westshore Community Development's joint venture partner, and financinf was secured from USAmeriBank along with the city of Hillsborough County and Florida Housing Finance WCDC worked with SunTrust and Fannie Mae to ensure mortgages are Ron Rotella, president of WCDC, said in the Per an agreement with the 43 of the units will be sold to buyers making less than 80 percent of area median income ($33,150 for a single person; $47,350 for a familu of four).
The remainingh units will go to buyers making up to 120 perceng of area medianincome ($49,680 for a single $71,040 for a family of four). Westshore Landingas One will be built on Spruce Street between Dale Mabry Highway andLois Avenue. Palm Harbort Homes, a national builder of modulart systems-built homes, will construct the homes at its facility in Plant City and deliverr them to the the WDCA release The project marks the firsttime energy-efficient electric and naturalp gas measures have been combined in this type of residential capacity, said the TECO release.
Each Westshore Landingd One townhome will feature a solafrwater heater, energy-efficient natural gas appliances, a high-efficiencuy heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and other energy-efficiency measures. will monitord the amount of solar energy produced byeach townhome’ s solar water heater. Annual energy costs for a 1,50o square-foot home configured with the high-efficiency equipment are estimated to beabout $663, versus about $991 for a home with less-efficientt equipment. Energy conservation also helps the environmenyt sinceeach 1,500-square-foot townhome produced aboutg 39 percent less carbon dioxide than a less-efficien home.
A standard home’s carbon profile can be reducede by upto 4,000o pounds per year througnh the installation of natural gas furnaces, clothees dryers, ranges and water heaters. “Thwe energy usage profile of Westshore Landings One underscores the commitment of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas to energyt efficiency and sustainability forour customers,” TECO Energy President and Chief Operating Officer John Ramil said in the release. Tampaz Electric first offered itscustomers energy-efficiencyt programs in the late prior to any state or federal legislation requiring electric utilities to engage in conservatiob activities.
Since then, it has achieved a recenf performance level in the 96thpercentile nationally. TECO Energyy (NYSE: TE) is an energy-related holding Its principal subsidiary is a regulated utilit y in Florida with both electric and gas Tampa Electric and PeoplesGas System. Other subsidiarie include TECO Coal, which owns and operatee coal production facilities in Kentuckyand Virginia, and TECO Guatemala, whichb is engaged in electric power generatio n and distribution and energy-related businesses in

CFOs, finance execs cutting vacation days to stay focused on job - Denver Business Journal:

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“Many CFOs understandably feel they must remain diligent helping steer their firms through thedownturn and, just as prepare the business for an ultimate said Paul McDonald, executive director of . Roberr Half surveyed 1,400 chief financial officers about their vacation plans in thecomingf year: 31 percent said the economy was causing them to postponw or reduce their vacation time. While such intentions may be in the best interest ofthe company, taking breaks from work can help bring “wa fresh approach to businesxs projects and challenges,” McDonald said.
He suggests that thosew who are concerned about how a vacatiojn may affect their company shoulfd develop a plan for granting vacation requesta and detailing who will handle varioux responsibilities while that personis out. Vacationw can serve as an opportunitgyfor high-potential employees who fill in to prove themselves worthy of future advancement. McDonald says managers of small organizations need to be carefup not to overload the remaining workers when someoneeis out.

STEM graduation rates show uphill battle with math and science in School District - Technically Philly

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Visteon seeks bankruptcy protection - Business First of Buffalo:

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The former parts business of said on Thursday that it filede to safeguardits U.S. operations. The Michigan-based companyt listed assets of $4.58 billion and debts of $5.3 Visteon eliminated 130 area jobs in 2006 when it ceased production of automotived radiators and air conditioner parts at its Visteon Climatw ControlSystems Ltd. facility in West About 70 customer service and engineerinvg employees were retained for a time before the entire operation wasshut down. The company hasn’t postex an annual profit since being spun off from Ford nineyears ago. Its stocm was delisted by the in March.
“Durinhg the reorganization period, we will seek to address our capitalo structure and legacy costs that are not sustainablw given the currenteconomic environment,” CEO Donald Stebbins said in a statement. Ford, which is still Visteon’s biggest customer, has committec to ensure long-term continuity of supply and to support financing for itsrestructuring efforts, the companyy said. No Visteon subsidiariesz or joint ventures outsids the United States are part ofthe filing, the company said.

FAA: Changes coming to prevent tarmac delays - Wall Street Journal

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