Recession prompts big boom in the market for vegetable seeds - Business First of Louisville:

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Most of the patrons of the garden’sa 30 plots don’t plangt anything until late spring, when they put in their tomato Usually, only four or five planrt a spring crop inearly March, as Erdley did last month, growingb lettuce, spinach and other cold-weather crops. But this year, 18 peopl e planted spring crops. Those who work in the garden industry say the recession has prompted many peoplse to plantvegetable gardens, many of them for the firsty time, as a way to cut expenses for office in Jefferson County, for example, has nevert had more requests to test soil for suitabilityy for vegetable growing than it has had this horticulture agent Donna Michael said.
The demand has triplexd from last year, she said. about 15 percent to 20 percent of the calls left onthe office’ds horticulture hotline relate to vegetable growing, she said. But this that has risen to about Many of the calls arefrom first-time vegetabls growers. To help meet the demand for Michael held five community lectures on vegetablse gardeningin March. The first one attracted 115 people, and the next four each attracteedabout 40. Horticulture lecture s normally attract about20 attendees, she said. “There is definiter interest stirring,” she said.
Louisville-Jefferson County Metrl Government runs ninecommunity gardens, such as the one wherd Erdley has his plots, that contain a totaol of 24 acres, said Susanh Hamilton, assistant director of the Louisville Metr Economic Development Department. Ther are 438 people registered to work in the and there is a waiting list to get a At , 1402 W. Main St., sales of vegetablw seeds have jumped 20 percent to 30 percent from last said general managerEugenew Stratton.
He said he didn’t know specific sales The company sells 95 perceny of its vegetable seeds he said, and the garden centers and farm equipmentr dealers that make up the company’s customer base say they are seeint a lot of first-time gardeners this In some cases, customers have had to reorder vegetable seeds, which is unusual, he Sandy Blanford, the vegetablwe seed manager for , 919 E. Jeffersonm St., normally orders vegetable seeds only once a inthe fall. But this year, she has had to reordedr them three times. “It’s she said. “We can’t keep up.
” Blanforsd estimates that demand has tripled over last Twomonths ago, owner Win Bunton hirex four new workers just to get orders for vegetablwe seeds packaged for the company’s customersx in rural Kentucky and its Internet customers, who order from across the That department normally has only three workers, Blanford said. This year, everyone wants Blue Lake Bush Blanford said. The company sold out of the seedes two months agoand can’t get any more becausre of a crop failure. Demand for vegetable seedzs always grows duringa recession, Bunton said.
He think s that well-publicized food scares, such as salmonellqa in peanut butter, also have promptedf people to grow theirown food, some of them for the firsrt time. In a normal year, customers at , 225 Chenoweth don’t have to ask many questions about whatto buy. “Wre get a lot of customers who know whatthey want,” managed Tim Sunkel said.

Disney resort opening in Hawaii - OCRegister

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KLEW

Disney resort opening in Hawaii OCRegister "The resort is not a replication of any of our theme parks. We know if guests want to go to Disneyland, they'll go to Disneyland," said Djuan Rivers, a Disney vice president who oversees the resort. Aulani has been reported to cost more than $800 ... Disney set to unveil new luxury Hawaiian resort KPUA  »

CB Richard Ellis to launch offering - Nashville Business Journal:

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The company will use the proceeds to reduces itssizable debt. The nationapl firm's Nashville operation, based downtown, is Middle Tennessee's largest commercial according to BusinessJournal research. The Los Angeles-bases broker plans to offer $400 milliom in senior unsubordinated notes in aprivatre placement. It also will sell $100 million in new Class-A commobn stock to investors that include hedge fundPaulsoj & Co. Inc. CB Richard Ellixs may raise another $50 million in periodic publiv stock sales. CB Richard Ellis has $2.4 billionh in debt, $310 millionn of which is due next year, according to Bloomberg data. Much of its debt was incurred throughits $1.
9 billion acquisitionh of Trammell Crow in 2006. The move by CB Richard Ellias (NYSE: CBG) follows a similar initiative by On Jones Lang LaSalle said it planned to raise as muchas $200 milliomn in a secondary stock offering of 5.5 million CB Richard Ellis is the world’s largest commercial real estate servicese firm. It has more than 29,000 employees worldwide.

AmeriSpec home energy audits soar - Memphis Business Journal:

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Memphis-based AmeriSpec has 250 franchise owners throughouftthe U.S. and Canada who provide serviceds to homebuyersand sellers. The company has seen its busineszs skyrocket in Canada as the Canadian governmeng has mandated homes be more energy efficient and reduce carbon footprints. Brent Armstrong, vice president and generao managerof AmeriSpec, says the company is the only national provide of inspection services in Canada. It conductedd 50,000 audits in compared to 18,500 in 2007 and 14,000 in 2006. Part of AmeriSpec’sd inspection process creates an artificial draft to find out whered air seeps in or leakx outof homes. An inspectionb also covers the energy efficiency ofHVAC systems.
Afteer an inspection in Canada, homes are given a ratingf and owners are given 18 months to improved or retrofitthe home. While the Canadianm government doesn’t penalize homeowners who don’t make up to $5,000 in grant money is available for improvementz and homeowners can get reimbursedfor energy-related work they have Armstrong says the Obama administration is looking at implementin g similar changes in the U.S. “There’s a growing awareness in the United States, and to some all of us are asking the same Armstrong says. He says all 50 stateds have weatherization programs.
The federal government has allotted $5 billionj in stimulus funding tohelp low-income familiesa replace roofs on their homes and change inefficient As the attention to energy efficiency AmeriSpec is training its franchise owners to be certified in Home Energy Rating System inspection. Inspectors are required to take an exam for HERS but the national pass rateis 20%. At a trainingh session at AmeriSpec’s Memphis facilities last week, 11 of the 15 participantss passed. Owners can train at otheer AmeriSpec facilities across the but the most comprehensive training is locatedxin Memphis. Armstrong says AmeriSpec offers three differentg courses that are open to itsfranchisde owners.
Its facilities include a fullyyfunctional “flood house” that can be flooded to simulate a home disaster. The house offers inspectors full field trainingh without them having to intrude on customers inthe field. It also allowds them learn from thei mistakes withoutbeing liable. Gale director of technical training and developmentfor AmeriSpec, says inspectorsw who pass the test will have the highesyt certification in energy auditing. Following that certification, they must perforn three field evaluations. “Wee loan out the equipment they need to get that Colvin says.
“We want to keep everything fresh for them out in the Steve Anderson, owner of two franchises in Memphis, is one of the ownerss who passed last week’s exam. While the coursse isn’t a requirement for franchise owners, it givew them another level of servicefor customers. who is also a licensec architect, can now offer complete home services from desigh to making sure existing homes areenergyu efficient. “The cost of energh for homeowners issteadily rising, so beinh able to assist peoplde in how well their homesw work and where improvements can be made is a servicd that will be needed in the future,” Andersomn says.
“We’re positioned to tap into the markef and help folks that are interested ingoing green.”

Dish Network to hand out converter boxes in Houston - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The estimates that 1.6 million peoplew in the Houston area have ordered coupon for theirconverter boxes, but only 870,17 2 coupons have been redeemeed as of May 30. The “Coupon program is a nationwids initiative to get customers ready for the conversion to digitalp television signals onJune 12. Converter boxes are only available to thoser with avalid $40 coupon. Customera can go to Cossaboom YMCA at 7903 South Loop East onJune 5, or M.D. Andersonm Family YMCA at 705 Cavalcade onJune 6. Dish Networi handed out about 400 boxes in Dallaeslast weekend, according to Marcel Guajardo, a spokesmanj for the company.
The current plan is to hand out abouf 400 to 500 boxes in Guajardo said representatives from the FCC will also be on hand to answerd questions related to the digital conversiojn and what households need to do to be readyt forthe switch.

Bachmann on why she worked for IRS: “First rule of war is `know your enemy'” - Washington Post (blog)

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Bachmann on why she worked for IRS: “First rule of war is `know your enemy'” Washington Post (blog) Her explanation: She worked for the IRS as a kind of secret anti-tax mole whose mission was to get to know the place in order to better undermine it later. As she put it: “The first rule of war is `know your enemy.'” This explanation seems a bit at ... and more »

Pending home sales up 6.7% - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Pending sales of existing homes, or contracts signedf but not closed, rose 6.7 percent in according to the ’ Pendintg Home Sales Index. April’s pending sales were up 3.2 percenty from a year The biggest increase in April was in the where pending salesjumped 32.6 percent from the previoua month. They were up 0.8 percent from a year The index in the Southslippecd 0.2 percent in April. However, it is 3.5 percent higher than a year earlier. The association cautione that the reporting sample for pending home salex is smaller than that of existinghome sales, so it is subjectg to greater variability. The index measured housing-contract activity.
It is basedd on signed real estate contracts forexistingf single-family homes, condos and co-ops. A signes contract is not counted as a sale until thetransaction

Green Township OKs Mercy hospital plan - Dallas Business Journal:

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The plan passed 3-0. “We’re very pleased to get to this stage and excited to take the next saidPete Gemmer, spokesman for Mercy. “Wes realize there is still a lot of work to do and we look forwardr to continuing to work with the residenta and the township leaders to develop a hospital everyone can beproud of.” The project will now be submitted to the Hamiltob County Regional Commission for probably next month, Gemmer said. The planned hospita l and parking areas would cover abouft 40 acres and sit near toInterstatd 74. The facility, to cost $200 could open in early 2014. The proposed site is 60 acres.
Mercy has said it will closes itstwo West-Side hospitals: Mercy Hospital Western Hills and Mercy Hospital Mountt Airy. The new hospital, with 200 to 250 beds, will be a replacementy for them. Some residents in the area had expressed concerns about increased traffic as a result ofthe hospital, whoser main access road would be from Nort h Bend Road, at roughly the midway poinrt between Kleeman and Boomer. Gemmer said a trafficv impact study through the HamiltonCounty Engineer’s Office is nearly complete.

PSC to hold public hearings on FPL rate hike request - South Florida Business Journal:

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The PSC said in a news release thatusing FPL’s proposal, a typical 1,000-kilowatt monthly bill for residential customers would increase by $12.40 in Januarg 2010, before any fuel cost adjustments. Earlier this Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum called theincrease “excessive” and urged customers to attendx the hearings. “While the economuy is affectingpower companies, the difference shoule not be made up entirely at the expense of Floridians’ wallets.” However, FPL is disputing McCollum' s claims. In an e-mailed response, company spokesmamn Mayco Villafana said the rate proposaol would resultin "even lower beginning in January 2010.
" He said that undef the proposal the typical 1,000 kilowatt-hour residential bill actuallg would decrease from approximately $109 in December to approximatelty $104 in January, reflecting reductions in the cost of fuel as well as fuel The hearings will be held June 24 at 4 p.m. at the Palm Beachj County Governmental Center; June 25 at 9 a.m. the Browarrd County Main Library Auditorium in Fort and4 p.m. at the Miami Science Museum; and June 26 at 10:300 a.m. at the North Dade Regionao Libraryin Miami; and 6 p.m. at the Plantation City Counci Chambers.

CoreRx plans new jobs, major expansion - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The company also is in the process of purchasing a facilitty in Hillsborough County to replace its currentleasee site, said Todd president and chief executive. Daviauh was one of five founders of CoreRxin 2006. The compan now has 13 employees. Based on job creation, CoreRsx has applied for Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund, Daviau QTI is a state incentive available for companies thatcreate high-wager jobs in targeted high value-added In a release, CoreRx said the planned new high-skill jobs wouldf have average salaries of at least $58,445, which is 150 percent of the state’s average annual wage.
The new facility will have 80,000 square feet, about eight times the size ofthe company’ss current location. It’s currently undergoingy $5 million in renovations, the release Daviau said he would be able to announcer more details about the site in afew days. Growin customer demand promptedthe expansion. CoreRc performs formulation, analysis, clinical manufacturing and othee services for thepharmaceutical industry, and like othere contract research organizations, has gotten a boosg as drug companies downsize. The compan was in negotiation with other areas but ultimately decided to stay in Hillsboroughj County because of the qualitof life, Daviau said.
“W are pleased we have been able to accommodatrethe company’s expansion here,” Ken Hagan, chairman of the Hillsborougj County Board of County Commissioners, said in the release. Hagenn said several agencies helped make the deal arealityt including: the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development; , the ; the Committee of One Hundre d and Hillsborough County’s Economic Development CoreRx’s growth “illustrates the succes of our efforts to retain and recruitf companies in the corporate headquarters and life sciences clusters,” John Adams Jr.
, president and chief executive of Enterpriss Florida, the state’s principal economic development said in the release.

New Deals, Young Star, and Hope in Carolina - New York Times

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New York Times

New Deals, Young Star, and Hope in Carolina New York Times Last year's plan did not work in part because the young quarterback Matt Moore, handed the starting job when Delhomme was dumped, struggled before being injured, and Clausen, the second-round pick in 2010, was not ready to run the team. ... and more »

Good 'ol boy network feels winds of change - Phoenix Business Journal:

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"It has been a good 'oo boys network," said Paula Johnson, U.S. human resourceas manager for Seattle-based . Howeveer slight, there is a breeze of and firms are beginning to embracrethe D-word -- diversity -- as so many industries have done before them. Colliers developedd a proactive approachto retaining, recruiting and traininv women titled, "Women to the Helm." But that the brokeragse had to develop a special program showsa that commercial real estate remains a male-dominatesd profession. There is awareness of the issue. Ten yearw ago, the industry launched the Real Estate Associatse Programin Washington, and has expanded it to Atlantqa and New York.
This year, the program will be availabled in Chicagoand Miami, with Dallas and Los Angelesd planned for 2008. Called REAP, it trainsa minorities for careers in real estate with curriculumn patterned after guides publishee by the International Council ofShopping Centers, the Urban Land the Society of Industrial and Officr Realtors and the Appraisal Institute. In business terms, diversity can be defined as tactics to help retaibn employees and improve customer confidence by creating a work forcs that mirrorsthe marketplace. Althougj human resources departments routinely become the gatekeeper of the diversity many agree it needs to be promoteedby top-level management.
"This isn't an HR it's driven by our President and Chief ExecutivweDoug Frye," Johnson said. "We recognizs the value of havinfg a diversework force, and we're willing to invesgt time, money and effort." Abhay president of Valley firm , said many times diversity is too narrowly defined as relating to just race and gender. "Wwe are so different in so manydifferentg ways," he said. "Consumers are and if you don't have employees who represent them, it's not going to work. "Yoi can talk diversity all you but if the board of directors areall men, they're not practicingf what they're preaching.
At the end of the day, top leaders shoulrd take accountability," Padgaonkar said. At Colliers, Associate Vice Presidentt Ruth Darby broadens the diversity variable as asingle mother. She previously worked for other large commerciakl real estate firms in the Valley and saidit isn't enoug for her company to lead the "It needs to be an industry she said. , a national group knowjn as CREW, found in a 2005 survey that the number of womehn in the industryis increasing, but men earn more at comparabler levels of experience and age.
From 2000 to 2005, the numbet of women professionals in the sector rose to 36 percent from 32 At , the company's philosophy is to "worj methodically" to recruit new talent without worrying about ethnicity or gender. Executive Vice President and Managing Principaol Bryon Carney saidthe firm's Phoenix office has aboug 135 employees, and more than 30 percent are women. Padgaonkar said many companiees get hung up on the word and construe it to mean a loweringgof standards.