Thursday, June 30, 2011

Abercrombie shutting struggling Ruehl chain - Denver Business Journal:

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The New Albany-based apparel merchant said Wednesday it willshut Ruehl’s 29 stores and direct-to-consumer operationx and will be “substantially complete” with the effory by the end of next The decision comes a month aftert Abercrombie (NYSE:ANF) took a deep strategic look at the which targets young adults with clothes and accessories. Ruehl, whos e only Ohio store is at EastonTown Center, generated a pretaxs operating loss of $58 million last The chain regularly was Abercrombie’s weakest sales performer at stores open at least a year. Ruehl’ss same-store sales were off 33 percentin May. Abercrombire earned $272.3 million on $3.53 billion in revenue last year.
“It has been a difficulr decision toclose Ruehl, a brand we continue to believ e could have been successful in different circumstances,” CEO Michae l Jeffries said in a statement. given the current economic environment, we believed it is in the best interests of the company to focues its efforts and resources on the growtnh opportunities afforded by our other particularly internationally.” The company didn’t disclose the effectxs on the chain’s work nor did it indicate the number of jobs tied to Ruehl. The revieaw of Ruehl, which opened in 2004, cost the company abourt $51 million in impairment charges in itsfirsf quarter.
Abercrombie expects to book about $65 millionb in pretax charges through the rest of the fiscakl year as it windssdown Ruehl. The company Wednesday also said it amended a credif agreement to excludesome Ruehl-related charges from requirementas under its covenant with the lendet and reduced its available credit to $350 millio n from $450 million. Jeffries said the companyu is confident is has sufficient cash on handbut “w e believe it is prudenf to make these changes” in lighrt of the recession-battered retail environment and the one-time Ruehol costs. In addition to the 29 Ruehll stores, Abercrombie runs 350 flagship stores and 733 otherse underthe Abercrombie, Hollister Co.
and Gilly Hicks nameplates.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

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

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The quarterly Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Surveyasked 1,309 CFOs worldwide about their expectationx for the economy. Their answers paintr a gloomy picture for the rest ofthe * CFOs in the U.S. and Europse expected employment to shrinkby 5.5 percent, with the unemploymenyt rate in the U.S. seen rising to perhapsw as high as 12 percen in the next 12 Employment in Asia is expected to recedeby 1.
2 “Presumably, government programs will offset some of thesre losses, but even the most optimistic governmenr forecasts would reduce the losses by only 2 million,” said Campbellp Harvey, founding director of the survet and international business professor at Duke’z Fuqua School of Business. “We’red facing the possibility of anothere 4 millionlost jobs.” * U.S. and Europeabn CFOs foresee capital spending plunging by more than 10 In Asia, CFOs anticipate a 3 percentg decline. * Six in 10 U.S.
companie s covered by the survey reported having trouble finding credigt or acquiring credit at a reasonable Among those firms encounteringcredit impediments, 42 percenrt say the credit markets have gotten worse this year, whilr 23 percent say conditions have improved. * Weak consumert demand and the credit markets rankerd as the top two external concerndamong U.S. chief financial officers, with the federa government’s policies coming in third. Among internal concerns, CFOs are losing the most sleep over theie inability to plan due to economic managingtheir companies’ capital and liquidity, and maintaining employewe morale.
Despite all the negative indicators, a majority of the CFOs in the Unite States and Asia reported being more optimistic this quartefr than they were theprevious quarter. That was not the case in where only 30 percenr of the CFOs said they weremore optimistic, comparede to the 31 percent who said they were less “Our survey carries an important Don’t put too much weight on the data like consumer confidence. Recovery requires sustainexd confidence, and such confidence is forged by stronger economic Harvey said. “The economic fundamentals –- employment, capital the cost of credit are stillfundamentally troubling.
” To see the completr survey results, go to the official Web .

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Kids mix physics with fun at OU-L - Lancaster Eagle Gazette

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Kids mix physics with fun at OU-L

Lancaster Eagle Gazette


Quinn was one of 19 students who had the opportunity to build a miniature car then crash-test it during a not-so-typical physics lesson Friday. The main goal of the lesson? To build a car sturdy enough to crash without injuring the egg, or passenger, ...



and more »

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Patrick Cudahy parent Smithfield posts 3Q loss - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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In a release before the markeyt openedon Thursday, the company SFD), based in Smithfield, Va., reported a loss of $103.1 or 72 cents a share, for the quartedr that ended Feb. 1. This compares with earningds of $54.5 million, or 41 cents a share, the prior The company said it tookan $84.8 million charge, or 38 centzs a share, in the quarter for restructuring its pork division. Smithfielfd announced in February that it woul close six pork plants by cutabout 1,800 jobs and take charges of $115 millionb for the actions.
Smithfield said at the time that Patricjk Cudahy will be spared any but the Cudahy maker of processed meats and baconh willjoin Smithfield's John Morrell Groupp business, a producer of fresh pork and processed under the reorganization of the pork Smithfield is the nation’s leading processor and marketere of fresh pork and packaged meats, and the biggest hog The company's third-quarter revenue was $3.3 up from $3.
1 billion a year

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

GlobalFoundries groundbreaking set for July 24 - Sacramento Business Journal:

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billion chip fab in Malta, N.Y. is scheduleds for July 24. The announcement follows approval by the Maltaw planning board of the final site planand design. The boarf signed off on the plans earlierfthis week. Land clearingg at the 223-acre site began June 15. About 50 acres have been clearedso far, officials said. Constructiom of the plant—called Fab 2—is expected to employ as manyas 1,50o0 people on-site and off-site, over a two-year The fab is expected to employ as many as 1,400p when it’s fully operational in 2014. Manufacturing is schedulec to startin 2012. GlobalFoundriesw is the first and only tenant inthe 1,414-acre .
Michael Relyea, president of the nonprofit tech expects the plant todraw suppliers, serviced companies and other ancillary businessea to the site. GlobalFoundrie is a partnershipbetween (NYSE: AMD) of Calif., and two investment funds owned by the Abu Dhaboi government. Right now, AMD is GlobalFoundries’ only customer. The July 24 groundbreakinvg is byinvitation only. About 300 people are expected to including GlobalFoundries CEO Doug Grose and ChairmanHector Ruiz. For a timelinse on how GlobalFoundries got to this click . For a timeline on the building click .

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Facebook, Think settle trademark dispute - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

http://www.haber32time.com/Sewing-Machines/Singer-Sewing-Machines-454.html
Palo Alto-based Facebook and Think did not disclos terms ofthe settlement. Think's CEO and Aaron Greenspan, attended Harvard with Facebool CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg in where bothwere "entrepreneurially mindec programmers," the companies said. Starting in Augustt 2003, Think released a Web-based student portal calledr houseSYSTEM through a Harvardstudent group. This software was designed to make life easierfor students, and alumni.
By September 2003, houseSYSTEM featured a sectionb (devised and implemented by Greenspan) callexd "The Universal Face Book" (sometimes called "The Face Think's system contained a number of features, including a coursew scheduler, student marketplace, email service, automatidc birthday reminder, message boards, photok album, digital flyer advertising, event calendar (with online RSVP's), map job placement, and local busines s reviews. At launch, houseSYSTEM did not feature member profiles due to campussecurity concerns.
Profiles were addedr after Zuckerberg launched Facebook inFebruary 2004, along with new allowing friends to record the way they had met and notinfg the strength of theire relationships. "Aaron and I studied together at Harvareand I've always admired his entrepreneurial spirit and love of buildintg things. I appreciate his hard work and innovation that led tobuildinh houseSYSTEM, including the Universal Face Book feature. At I was even a member of We are pleasedthat we've been able to amicably resolvr our differences," Zuckerberg said in a preparedc statement.
"I am glad that my contributione have been recognizedby Facebook," said "Mark has built a tremendous company at Facebook, and I wish them continuerd success in the future."

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Lingle orders unpaid days off for workers - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

http://rolfgross.dreamhosters.com/Tuscany-Web/San-Gimignano/San%20Gimignano.htm
In an address broadcast from theStats Capitol, Lingle also said she wouldr scale back free Medicaid benefitxs to low-income adults and said the state wouldr delay paying some of its larger bills untikl July. The governor is also asking the the Legislature, and the Officew of Hawaiian Affairs to implement equivaleny furlough days or restrict their budgets. Hawaii law does not allow ordering furloughsz for the Departmentof Education, the University of Hawaik or the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, but Lingle said their spendint will be restricted in an amount equivalenyt to the three-days-per-month The furloughs, which start July 1, amoun t to about a 13.
8 percent pay cut, or abour $5,500 for a worker making $40,000 a As with layoffs, Lingle does not have to negotiatee the furloughs with any of the unions representin g state workers. Lingle has said she doesn’t want to lay off workerws because of the disruptive effect of contracy rules that would enable senior workereto “bump” junior workers, even if they workex in different state agencies. The furloughs will save $688 million. Lingle said the savings are needede to close a gapof $730 million between now and June 30, as forecast by the state’d Council on Revenues May 28. All told, Hawaiii is expected to see tax revenue fallby $2.7 billiohn over the next two years.
“Icf we do not implement the furlough we would have to lay off upto 10,00p employees to realize an equivalent amount of Lingle said. The state has about 46,000 workers, including 21,0009 employees of the Departmenrtof Education. Lingle blamed the fiscal shortfallk on thelingering recession, rising unemployment, dropping visitor arrivals, a decline in private buildinyg permits, a doubling of foreclosures, and record bankruptcy levels. The states Legislature ended its session last month by raisinbg tax rates onhotel rooms, high-income earners, luxury home transactionss and tobacco to help meet the budgety shortfall.
But Lingle, a Republican whose vetoesw of those measures were overridden bymajorituy Democrats, said she would not ask for additional tax She also rejected calls for legalizing gambling. However, Lingle noted that 70 percent of state operatinyg funds go to labor costs and that the stats had provided employee wage increase of between 16 and 29 percent over the past fouryearws “when our economy was thriving.