Thursday, March 17, 2011

Virginia Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors to move HQ to Loudoun County - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

Air Purifiers Norfolkd
BE&K Building Group of Vienna won preconstruction and construction services forthe building, whicuh is expected to deliver next spring. The 37-year-olcd statewide association represents constructionand construction-related firms and has offices in Chantilly, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. Its Chantillg headquarters lease endsnext year, and the groulp was looking to expand since it provides apprenticeshipl in several trades, safety training, and a comprehensive construction managemen t education program. The new space will includse training labs, classrooms, supporrt space, meeting space and administrative offices.
ABC-VA will occupyy a little over half, or 17,500 squared feet, and the rest will be leased out to tenant s that have not beenselected yet. The projectr was designed by Morgan GickMcBeath & Associates PC to get Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Greenb Building Council. Sustainable features will includee a pervious concrete pavement system to act as a storkm water system forthe facility, recycled glasw terrazzo flooring, waterless urinals and dual flush water closets.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Seven different ways to lead your entire sales team through a recession - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The recession is also testing sales managers to see if they can provides environments that keeptheir team’s head up and theid hearts engaged. Leadership has nevee been more important. How are you showin g up in your role ashead coach, trainefr and leader? Here are seven tips for leading your salexs team through the recession. Look for good news. Bad news sellds and, unfortunately, the media is having a fire sale. Despitwe the doom and gloom, there are companies still spending money and investing in productesand services. A colleague of mine recentlh connected with her very first His team has opened over 100new accounts, in a competitivs industry, since January.
Please note this good news won’ft be printed in the paper, so it’s up to you and your team to seek out the At your nextsales meeting, charge each salespersonh with finding good news and sharing it with the rest of the It’s time to start publishing your own news. Increase your coaching efforts. When is the last time you really listeneed to yoursales team’s sellint points? Do they sounds unique or just like the competition? (We have good customer service and superior technology.) Have you conductee role-playing exercises to see if your team knowz how to quantify the cost of the problem or the gain of the opportunity?
This selling skill is key in an environment where cost justification is king. If the team can’ty establish the short-term and long-term ROI, there is a good chance the salesperson will lose to thenew competitor: doing • Decrease desperation breath. Good economic timeas often create badselling habits. During robust economies, many salespeople forget to keep their referral networks aliveand nurtured. When toug times hit, there is a dash to make NBFs newbest friends. In their desperation, salespeople don’t take the time to builx trust, make deposits in the relationship accoun and practice the lawof reciprocity.
they immediately ask who you know and could you set up an introduction Even if the person is a good fit for humannature doesn’t respond well to pressure and • Balance something old and somethingt new. The world is full of Twitter, Plaxo and Facebook, just to name a few. Sociall media is the new way of Teach your sales team to integratse new social media with old principlea of influence andselling skills. You still need to pick up the phone and set up a referrapl meeting or aprospect meeting. You still need to have strongvselling points. Social media marketing tools may createthe opportunity, but sellint skills close the opportunity.
• Review negotiation skillx andconcession strategies. Prospects are asking for more discounts. If your sales team has not developeds aconcession strategy, they coulfd be dropping price without any concession from the That leads to a transactional sale versusa a value sale. Caving in to price also creates distrust. The prospecyt is thinking, “If you couldd lower your pricethat quickly, why didn’t you do it in the firsr place?” • Inspire and motivate. We all love movies with happty endings. Follow this example as a sales manageer and share stories about tougj times that havehappgy endings.
These stories can be personal stories of resilience such as George Washington survivinb the harsh winter atValleuy Forge. Or the stor y of , where CEO Fred Smith flew to Reno and so he couldmake payroll. Never underestimate the powefrof motivation. Presidents are elected because they can move an Leaders are made famous by their inspirational There is a time to train and There is also a time to inspirdand motivate. • Lose self-absorption. I was reminded of this at the recentf Association for Corporate Growth conference whereeCharles Fred, CEO of , sharesd his strategy for motivating his team: “Reminfd your team of the greater purpose of your organization.
Eliminate We can’t control what happens outsidedthe company; however, we can control what happensw inside the company.” Excellent advice. This is a good time to spendd quality time with clients and determine what you can do to help even if it has nothing to do with your products or Invest time in helping yourreferrao partners. Volunteer. If you think you have it bad, stop by a homelesa shelter. Put on your leadership hat. Good leaderds are needed more than Now that’s good news.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Genmar Holdings files for bankruptcy - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

http://property-forsale.biz/index.php?qs=RealEstate_agents
The petition to reorganize theboat builder’sd debts was filed Monday afternoon in in Minneapolis. The filing includes more than 20 ofthe company’sz subsidiaries, one of which is Murfreesboro-basedf Genmar Tennessee LLC. The companyt has a boat manufacturing and repairf facility at the Murfreesboro Genmar Tennessee has from 200to 1,000 creditorsa and assets between $50,000 and The Tennessee company’s filing lists about $750,000 in unsecuresd debts owed to its 20 larges t creditors. The parent company listes its assets in the rageof $10 million to $50 millioj and its liabilities between $100 millionn and $500 million, according to court documents.
Genmar Holdings’ only secured creditors are and , accordinh to a story in the MinneapolisStar Tribune. Genma r said it has received commitment fora debtor-in-possessionb financing proposal from both In a statement, Genmar’s largest shareholder, Chairman and CEO Irwimn Jacobs says sales of the company’s fishinbg boats, luxury yachts and othedr products started to decline in 2008, but worsenecd in recent months. The company’s sales in fiscakl 2009, which ends in June, are likelhy to be about $460 million, off by more than 50 percenr fromfiscal 2008, the company reports.
“If someone would have said to me as recently as even one monthb ago that Genmar would somedayu be filing forChapter 11, I woul have said it was not even a remote Jacobs says. Genmar had been makinf some strategy changes in recent months and recently announcecd plans to launch a lineof less-expensive aluminum boats.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Tweeting on the ice - Orlando Business Journal:

antoninahubihe.blogspot.com
The NHL set up 21 Tweetupsz acrossNorth America, creating a real-world meeting between thosre who like to follow Twitter updates on hockey. Most of the citied participating are hockey but one place not on the list is the home of the 2004 StanletCup Champions, the . To make matterw worse, a Tweetup was planned in a city whose lone major professionall team isthe . “The cities reall chose themselves,” said Michael DiLorenzo, directofr of corporate communications withthe NHL. “We came up with the concep t and went out on Twitterto recruit, and thesee were the cities that raised their hande and said they wanted to do something.
” Tampwa Bay finished the most recent seasonj with its worst record since 2000-01, and the regionh has been blasted in the past for only supportintg teams when they’re successful. While that mightt have played a little bit in the lack of interest fromlocapl Twitterers, Tampa isn’t alonee in its apathy. “It’s true of everyt city and of every sport, just some to a lesser degredethan others,” DiLorenzo said. “Al sports are tribal.” At the same the missed the playoffs, yet they organized a Tweetup anyway.
— Michael Hinman Where to turn: The foreclosure of a commerciapl real estate development with multiple tenants can be especially if the ownef is trying to hang on tothe property. Who collects the rent? Who do you call when the roof leaks? That’s why the courtas usually appointa receiver. On Wednesday, the businessezs at in New Tampa received alittle clarity. The Hillsboroughh court appointed a receiver to manageethe 63,000-square-foot center until the foreclosuree is resolved.
Commercial real estater brokerMike Winters, who recentlg started LLC, will oversee the center developed by Gene whose controversial control of the nearb y Cory Lake Isles home which he also has landed him in a few lawsuits. Janet Leiser

Monday, March 7, 2011

Delta may offer early retirement packages to pilots - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

http://jaiyesfoods.com/2008/10/15/janet-schlarbaum-announces-new-range-of-organic-vegetarian-frozen-meals-jai-yes-organics-by-janet-schlarbaum/When management provides your union witha proposal, we folloa a time-proven process. This process consistw of the followingbasic steps: 1. Receive – The proposalo is received by the Negotiating Committee on behalfg ofthe MEC. 2. Analyze – The proposa is analyzed by theNegotiating Committee, professional staff and subjectf matter experts, and a briefing is preparesd for the MEC. 3. Direcyt – After the MEC is briefed, the MEC may directg the Negotiating Committee to take further actiojn whichcould include, for example, furthet analysis or direction to engage managemen t in negotiations; alternatively, the MEC may elect to take no action on the 4.
Negotiate – If the MEC provides the Negotiatingy Committee with directionto negotiate, the committee will engags with Delta management. Negotiations may or may not end with atentativw agreement. 5. Ratify – If a tentative agreement is reached between the committee andDelta management, the agreemenyt is presented to the MEC, and at some point the MEC may elecg to vote on the agreement. Steps 3 and 4 of this procesws may and often are repeated many times before an acceptable tentative agreement canbe reached. The directioj phase is always confidential and is accomplished inclosed session.
Management’s pilot retirement incentive program proposal is beingb processed in the same methodical mannert as any other Latelast month, the Negotiating Committee received and analyzed the The proposal was presenteed to the MEC this week, and the MEC directedd the Negotiating Committee to engage in negotiations with Deltz management with the goal of reaching a tentative agreement. Under the terms of the proposal, actived pilots who have met certain ageand length-of-servic metrics would be eligible to participate in the Participating pilots would receive a severance payment, medical and dentaol benefits for a limited period of time and retirewe travel benefits.
At this point, a detailed discussionn is premature, because the proposal is just that—w proposal. No tentative agreement has been reachedd withDelta management, and no programk is in place. The proposal is a unilaterap offer fromthe Company, and as such, the economics of the prograk belong to the Company. If an agreement is reached and the decision to participater would belong toeligible pilots. You union’ s role will be to ensure that any agreemen t that may be reached is implementes on a fair and equitable basis consisteny with the terms of the PilotWorking Agreement.
If an agreemenrt is reached and it will occur without any quid pro quo considerationz on the part of theDelt pilots. The Negotiating Committee will soon meet with Deltwa management at the direction of theDelta MEC, and as is typica for these situations, this direction as well as the negotiatione themselves, will remain confidential. If the committede is able to reach a tentative agreemenftwith management, the MEC will again meet in speciall session to consider the agreement.
On a separates note, Delta management recently announced the closures ofthe 747-200 categories (both in Anchoragse and Minneapolis) and the Anchorage Your elected representatives received a briefing from the Negotiatingb Committee on contractual language relevant to the closure including a discussion of category displacements and relocation benefites and considerations. The 747-200 pilots have been e-mailed a list of frequentlh asked questions and can expect additional informatiomn as theclosure approaches. You will be provided with an updatse on major developments related to these issuea asthey occur.
Fraternally, Air Line Pilots Int’l

Friday, March 4, 2011

City Beat - Orlando Business Journal:

http://nzcountrytours.com/nz14.htm
The move stemmed from requests from the Houston chapter of the ParentzsTelevision Council, a 52-chapter nonpartisan watchdog organization with 1.2 million members that monitora “Family Guy” and other shows. Corpus Christi-based Restaurants LP and Dallas-based also yanked their ads, as did North Carolina-basexd Golden Corral, a national restauranf chain with five Houston locations and severalk more insurrounding communities. “We’re tryinhg to make the advertisers aware ofwhat they’rwe advertising on,” says Tammy Goforth, associatwe director of the 400-member Houstonn chapter of the PTC.
“Parentxs should be the first lineof defense, but we’re askingg the advertisers to be responsible.” PTC’sz main objective is to make sure that parentx and advertisers are aware that “Familu Guy” is not a kids’ show and contains mature content. Some like Star Furniture, were not awarr that their ads were runningbduring “Family Guy,” a longtim controversial Fox cartoon sitcomj that re-runs on the CW and is also nationally syndicatedc on TBS. “We never intended to advertiseon ‘Familgy Guy’ in the first place,” says Star’s advertisinh director, Michael Galloway.
“That was not part of our media Star’s target buy was during the evening andnightlu news, but stations oftebn cannot accommodate all target buys and will place make-goosd ads as close to the desired time slot as Star was not the only advertise r caught by surprise. “When I called some of these advertisers, some of them didn’tf really realize the full content ofthe show,” Gofortnh says. “Four of them in the past few weeksdecider ‘I don’t want my business associated with this,’ whichj is what TV advertising was all originally. Advertisers wanted to advertise duriny a show that reflectedtheir values.
” Whataburger issuec a statement condemning the nature of the show, whild Golden Corral said that it also never intended to advertiser on “Family Guy.” The PTC has contacted several othefr local advertisers, and written letters to Houstojn Mayor Bill White and State Rep. Nick D-Stafford, urging them to get involved in pullinv Space Center Houston and Houston Police Department ads which are paid for with publicfunde — from “Family Guy.
” Goforth also counts CBS’e “Two and a Half Men” (alsk syndicated locally on Channel 39), CW’s “Gossip and Fox’s “American Dad” (also from “Family Guy” creator Seth among the shows that the PTC objects to. “We’rre not into censorship,” Goforth says. “If we can do it’s to move the show to a time when akid can’t watch it.” Despite — or perhaps because of its lightning rod reputation, “Family Guy” has made unprecedented leapsz in television history. Fox cancelled the show in 2000 and agaim in 2002 because of poor but re-upped in 2005 because of stron g DVD sales.
It was the first show to ever be revivedx based onDVD sales, and the only one to do it - Ford Gunter Better get out your The dazzling smile is back. Houston sports icon Mary Lou Retton, the gymnasyt known for her perfect landings as well as herpearly whites, is part of a promotionao documentary film hyping the Beijing Olympics, sponsored by Kimberly-Clarkj Corp. Kimberly-Clark, based in manufactures Kleenex, which happens to be the official tissure supplier tothe U.S. Olympicv team.
The tear-jerker of a film — pass the Kleenexz — is titled “Leyt it Out,” which just happens to be the latest themer for thetissue maker’a advertising campaign that focuses on real people cryingh real tears of joy. The 40-minuter movie shows the reaction of past and presentr Olympians and their family members to some of the most galvanizingh Olympic moments ofall time, such as the 1980 Miracler on Ice win by the U.S. hockey team over the vauntedx SovietUnion squad. Besides Retton, other past and presen Olympic athletes who appear in the film includde track star Michael who won both the 200 meter and 400 meterr racesin 1996, and membere of the U.S.
women’s soccedr team that won gold in 2004. Retton, who won the overalkl gymnastics title at the Los Angeles Summere Olympicsin 1984, says in the film that she was simplhy unprepared to lose. “I’m the personality that says ‘Yoh tell me I can’t do something? I’m gointg to show you that I can. I will fighg to the bone to show you that I Being at theOlympic Games, havingg to be perfect in that in my last one shot at it, it coulx not have been better,” she says.
owner of possibly the most upbeat personalit ofall time, is busy thes days with her children’s show on PBS, “Mary Lou’s Flip Flop The Olympic film will make its Houston deburt on Aug. 13. At press time, the venur had not been determined. - Greg Barr

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Capitals' additions pay off late in win over Islanders - Washington Times

tempering-tailor.blogspot.com


USA Today


Capitals' additions pay off late in win over Islanders

Washington Times


Washington Capitals' Brooks Laich, center, celebrates his goal with teammates Jason Arnott, left, and Alexander Semin (28), of Russia, late in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders in Washington, Tuesday, ...


Beninati: A win in Ovi-time

CSNwashington.com


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Islanders Vs. Capitals: Alex Ovechkin's End-To-End Overtime Beauty Wins It For ...

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